Islam Q & A

[suleiman]

In light of the many interesting comments left by people in the "Muhammed Cartoons" thread, I thought I'd provide a forum for people to ask any questions they had about Islam and Muslims.

 

Here are the thread rules:

 

1) Please no bashing. If you have a genuine question to ask then you are welcome to ask it, but derogatory comments aren't what this thread is for.

 

2) This thread will attempt to answer general questions about Islam/Muslims. I cannot profess to be an Islamic Scholar however, and as such, will not be able to answer any complex questions about differences between the four schools of the Sunni sect or any questions about the Shi'ite sect. Though I don't anticipate this situation cropping up too much, it's important to acknowledge in the beginning.

 

3) I recognize that there are several political issues in the world today that involve Muslims. I will attempt to answer these also, however, I must distinguish from the outset between political questions and religious ones. In accordance with this, I politely request that if you do have a political question to ask you identify it as that in your initial post.

 

That's it for now, I'll post more rules as the need arises. Once again, I'm providing this as a resource for community members who have a genuine interest in wanting to know more. If it gets abused I'll request Mashugly or another Mod close it down, or I'll simply just stop answering any questions.

 

Now enough of the disclaimers folks, ask away

[Swad]

Great thread sulieman. Thanks for starting it - there is a lot of ignorance in the West about Islam and I hope that this thread (like I hoped the last one) might shed some light on the issue for all of us.

 

Just as a reminder... be kind. Any post that bashes the faith will just be deleted and won't see the light of day for more than a few minutes.

 

Questions, however, are great - this site is a "forum" in the truest sense of the word and we want people to be heard.

 

And speaking of questions, I'll ask the first one. :-) Can you please address the whole Islam/September 11/Osama issue? It's bound to come up so it's better to head it off at the pass.

 

P.S. This topic is a field of study of mine, so if the Christian perspective (or difference in theology) is needed, I'll also do my best to answer those questions as well.

[Hagar]

Excellent initiative, suleiman..

 

Can you explain what jihad is actually all about and what role it plays in the normal practice of islam? It seems to be a bit of a controversial term, but beyond being translated as "holy war" in the west and shouted a lot on TV, Ive never seen it properly explained...

[teeching]

Dear Mashugly ; Dear Hagar ; Dear Suleiman ;

 

Thanks for your great discipline of equality idea ...and also acting on time and acting truly...

 

And Suleiman any help if i can ..i would be happy bout that..for sure...

 

And Mashugly ... your comments on the cartoon thread made em really thrust you..you have a home in Turkey ..just inform me before you come not to pay to hotels but a free accommodation...

 

And hagar ..Same also.. u r very kind and will be welcomed to my home...

 

Cheers

[suleiman]

Political Q: Can you please address the whole Islam/September 11/Osama issue? It's bound to come up so it's better to head it off at the pass.

 

A: Okay, I'll begin by breaking the problem down chronologically, but even before I do that, I'd like to make one thing absolutely clear from the outset, Islam does not condone the killing of innocent civilians under any circumstances, even in times of holy war. This is an important point folks, and one that people often miss. Just because someone is committing an act "in the name of God" or Islam, doesn't mean that Islam or God sanction, support, or even excuse their actions. As a Muslim I am unable to pass judgment on anyone and dictate whether they are bound for heaven or hell, but what I can tell you is that Islam punishes murderers with death, where just as in Christianity and Judaism, it is one of 7 "deadly sins."

 

Now to get into the political background. Osama Bin Laden hails from a family that is extremely wealthy throughout Arabia. His own personal issues with the US began when the US placed military bases on what he deemed to be (and many Saudis also perceive to this day to be) "sacred ground," in Saudi Arabia. According to Osama Bin Laden, all of Saudi Arabia is holy ground because it houses 2 of Islam's holiest sites, The Kaab'a, where Muslims face to pray 5 times a day, and the Prophet's Masjid/Mosque.

 

Osama Bin Laden perceived the act of U.S. "infidels" putting bases on his land as an act of defilement of sacred lands. After deciding he was going to do something about it, the Palestine/Israeli conflict caught his eye and helped to fan the flames. Since that time he has made several terrorist attacks on US outposts and buildings throughout the world, all under the banner of acting under "God's will," and despite the fact that no religious leader of repute would ever sanction his actions as they are completely outside the scope of Islam.

 

The next obvious question becomes, if he doesn't have any religious justification, how does he recruit so many "religious fighters" to join his camp. And here we lead off into the complex world that is the Middle East today.

 

This part of the answer could go on for pages, so instead I'm going to give you the quick and dry version of the story. The Ottoman Empire collapses post-WWI, at which point the British and the French acting under the auspices of the League of Nations, and in accordance with the San Remo Agreement, carved out the former Ottoman States into territories they colonized and controlled.

 

After the colonization, as the British and French empires slowly fell asunder, they placed in their trails monarchies (dictatorships) and religiously-based constitutions that led to civil wars (Lebanon). The result of setting up these doomed governments and splintering the once-consolidated Muslim empire into bits and pieces, was to instill in the tribes of Arabia a new common denominator for identity politics: nationalism. So what does all this have to do with Islam and Osama you ask? Everything.

 

With the splintering of the Muslim empire came the disjoining of the ulema, or religious scholars. No longer could there be a centralized message of what was "Islamic", now it was up to the independent states, with their independent scholars, to determine which version of Islam they were going to adopt. In many of these states the lack of resources and poor standard of living led to a significant drop in the quality and standard of education. The result of which was an emerging group of "religious scholars" who knew enough to recant the tales of the "Glory Days" of the Muslim Empire, but not enough to spell out the religious precepts that got them there. In short, Osama Bin Laden recruits people into his camp who genuinely believe they are killing "infidels," to land a spot in heaven with 70 virgins, because enough "religious scholars" have convinced them.

 

As Islam continues to be a growing faith, and the West emerges as a base of "classical Islamic teachings," there is a growing desire to re-educate the East in what Islam truly preaches. Shaykh Humza Yusuf, a Californian convert to Islam, is an excellent case in point, and also happens to be the most popular Islamic scholar in the world today.

 

I hope I've shed some light on this puzzle, but if you need further clarification just let me know, and I'll do my best.

[cyrana]

Can you explain jihad a bit to me, as it pertains to "People of the Book"? I thought those who followed the written scripture of God were given a protected status (surah 29:46), but it doesn't seem to be interpreted this way.

[bofors]

Just as a reminder... be kind. Any post that bashes the faith

What does "bashing" mean exactly?

 

Specifically, what is the difference between criticizing Islam and "bashing"?

 

I would really like to know what precisly the rules are here.

Can you please address the whole Islam/September 11/Osama issue?

I am confused, what is this "Islam/September 11/Osama issue"?

 

Are you actually asking if there is a relationship between Islam and 9/11?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Islam does not condone the killing of innocent civilians under any circumstances, even in times of holy war.

That is quite obviously wrong, here is just one of many blantant examples readily available to refute:

 

On February 14, 1989, a fatwa requiring Rushdie's execution was proclaimed on Radio Tehran by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran, calling the book "blasphemous against Islam." As the novel also suggested that Rushdie no longer believed in Islam, Khomeini also condemned him for apostasy, which according to the Hadith is punishable by death. Khomeini indicated that it was the responsibility of all "zealous Muslims" to execute Rushdie and the publishers who were aware of its concepts:

 

In the name of God Almighty. There is only one God, to whom we shall all return. I would like to inform all intrepid Muslims in the world that the author of the book entitled The Satanic Verses, which has been compiled, printed, and published in opposition to Islam, the Prophet, and the Qur’an, as well as those publishers who were aware of its contents, have been sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them, so that no one will dare insult the Islamic sanctities. Whoever is killed on this path will be regarded as a martyr, God willing. In addition, anyone who has access to the author of the book, but does not possess the power to execute him, should refer him to the people so that he may be punished for his actions. May God’s blessing be on you all. Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini.

 

On February 24 1989, Khomeini offered a U.S.$ 3 million bounty for the death of Rushdie, who was then forced to live for a time under British-financed security.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_Rushdie

[bofors]

Now to get into the political background. Osama Bin Laden...

I am not trying to offend you, but I must say for the benefit of other readers that I really do not think you know what you are talking about.

 

Specifically, any reasonable synopsis of Bin Laden would detail the "jihad" against the Russians in Afghanistan which resulted in the formation of al-Qaeda. Even a basic analysis of Bin Laden's personal motives requires consideration of the time he spent in Beruit during the 70's.

 

The origins of al-Qaeda can be traced to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when a cadre of non-Afghani, Arab Muslim fighters joined the largely United States and Pakistan-funded Afghan mujahidin anti-Russian resistance movement. Osama bin Laden, a member of a prominent Saudi Arabian business family, led an informal grouping which became a leading fundraiser and recruitment agency for the Afghan cause in Muslim countries; it channelled Islamic fighters to the conflict, distributed money and provided logistical skills and resources to both fighting forces and Afghan refugees.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda

 

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan resulted in a call to arms by religious leaders all over the Muslim world to liberate the country from pro-Soviet rule. Bin Laden eagerly sent money, supplies, and weapons to the jihadis in Afghanistan.

When Iraq under Saddam Hussein ordered a military invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, Bin Laden called for jihad against Saddam and asked the Saudi government for permission to send jihadists to protect the country and help liberate Kuwait. Instead the government invited a coalition made up of forces from the United States and other non-Muslim nations to establish a base in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden, who had hated the United States even before the Gulf War, was outraged; he considered the presence of non-Muslim forces on Saudi soil as an affront to himself and to Muslims in general. Disagreements and squabbling between Bin Laden and the Saudi royal family soon exploded into full-blown hostility, especially after US forces remained in Saudi Arabia upon liberating Kuwait.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden

[bofors]

Can you explain what jihad is actually all about and what role it plays in the normal practice of islam? It seems to be a bit of a controversial term, but beyond being translated as "holy war" in the west and shouted a lot on TV, Ive never seen it properly explained...

 

Jihad (Arabic) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root jhd ("to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle"), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or militant struggle to defend or further Islam. Jihad is repeatedly used in the context of Holy War by Islamic militants and some religious leaders throughout the Middle East [1]. Some Muslims consider jihad to be the most misunderstood aspect of their religion by non-Muslims [2]. The Islamic religious legitimacy of the goals or methods of various Islamist movements who adopt the terminology of jihad is occasionally brought into question, usually by a few moderate and liberal Muslims.

...

The word "jihad" is widely translated as meaning "holy war." When the 'struggle' of jihad refers to a military action or expedition, Islamic textual sources expounds elaborate military doctrines and moral policies which lay down the basic rules of war in Islam as well as a political ideology.

Traditional Muslims had divided the world into two parts: the Dar al-Islam (land of Islam), and the infidel Dar al-Harb (land of war). The former include all lands where Muslims could expect to be treated fairly, and have their religious practices and traditions respected by the governing system (these include nations under Islamic government or governments that are Muslim-run, and nations run by non-Muslims that treat Muslims with equality); the latter includes those territories where Muslims are in any way barred from free exercise of their religion. [16]

The concept of warfare in Islam is of two distinct types: defensive jihad, which is defense of the Dar al-Islam, and offensive jihad which is the military conquests of the Dar al-Harb. Muslims differ greatly in their understanding of what justifies declarations of either forms of warfare, and a few believe that 'offensive jihad' was a necessity in the environment of the medieval times, and is generally not reasonable in the modern age. However the two most popular movements in the modern Islamic world; Ikwan ul Muslemeen (in Egypt and also other mostly Arab Muslim countries) and Jamaat e Islami (Pakistan & Indian Sub-continent) have always advocated extreme form of militancy under the pretext of Jihad.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

[Olivier]

Muslim are not allowed to represent pictures of Mahomet.

 

Everyone know that...now !

 

But what we sould know, is that law only apply to Muslims.

 

Other religions are not concerned.

 

You do not need to know anything else.

[Mr. Bond]

So essentially, Bofors, Jihad can be described as the struggle and desire to become as devout in religion as is possible, which may include the act of military action to uphold their values and beliefs, in the event of a Holy War. If my interpretation is correct, then it seems that western media generally focuses on the military side of the Jihad definition, while excluding the more religious portion of it. Essentially, media paints Jihad's as extremists that only use the idea of religion to attain followers and improve their cause.

 

But then, couldn't the definition of Jihad be viewed differently by different Muslims. I mean, isn't the idea of becoming a devout follower to your God open to your own persepctive? You could view the idea of becoming a "perfect" follower as simply taking part in ceremonies of the church, and offering daily prayer to your God. On the other hand, the "perfect" follower could be perceived as one that kills others in the name of their God, perhaps even themselves. It all depends on the person, IMO. Unfortunately, it seems that western culture mainly see's the concept of Jihad as religious extremists who kill in the name of their God.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this, of course. I'm just trying to piece together my own knowledge with what you've posted.

[suleiman]

Bofors, thanks for answering the questions on the meaning of "jihad" and Osama Bin Laden's personal motivations for me.

 

While you will have to wait until sometime this weekend for a more thorough response, I will take this break from my schedule to correct you on a few key points.

 

On Jihad:

 

1) Ikhwan ul Muslemeen or "Muslim Brotherhood" is not only not one of the "most popular movements in the modern Islamic world" it is in fact one of the most ostracized. It has its entire foundation in Egypt and outside of the land of the Pyramids has little, if any, support in "other Arab countries." Even within Egypt, Ikhwan ul Muslemeen is heavily prosecuted, its leaders are constantly being jailed, and it is widely discredited as an unpopular and radical underground operation.

 

As far as Jamaat-e-Islami is concerned, its "power base" is, as the wiki pointed out, limited to the Indian sub-continent. As a Pakistani Muslim myself, I can tell you first hand that the reach of this organization is dwindling at best. To call it one of the "most popular movements in the modern Islamic world" is laughable. Jamaat-e-Islami is a political party that has never won an election in Pakistan or elsewhere. Moreover even if it was a popular entity, which it most definitely is not, the Constitution of Jamaat-e-Islami explicitly states:

 

"For the desired reform and revolution, the Jama’at shall use democratic and constitutional means, i.e., the use of advice and propagation of thought for reforming the mind and character and preparing public opinion for accepting the desired changes."

 

http://www.jamaat.org/overview/jiconst/par...tml#Article%203

 

Now whether or not members of the organization stay true to their constitution is irrelevant here, because (1) they are expositing their own personal views, and (2) outside of their limited membership, nobody cares what they have to say.

 

2) While the wiki you referenced provided a decent cursory explanation of Jihad, it failed to "expound" on some of the more important provisions contained in the textual sources it referenced. The list for the "rules of Holy War" in Islam is a subject in and of itself, though I will do my best to highlight a few key points. For starters "Holy War" in the latter case of "Dar-al-Harb," where Muslims are being treated unjustly, is not to be instigated unless Muslims constitute a majority of the population. Now anyone who has studied the theory of democratic government is fully aware that representation of the majority is a bedrock component of the entire democratic system. Is it really any wonder why Muslims constituting a majority in a nation might be upset enough to run a revolution against the oppressive regime unjustly taking away its rights? For more information on this matter see: "American Revolution" and "French Revolution" in wikipedia.

 

3) You've read what wikipedia has to say about Jihad. Now for a quote directly from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him):

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"The best (Jihad) is (to speak) a word of justice to an oppressive ruler."

- Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2040

 

Needless to say there are countless more points to be made to elaborate on the meaning of jihad, as promised I will try to get to them sometime this weekend.

 

On Osama Bin Laden:

 

With all due respect, I was specifically asked about the connection between Osama Bin Laden and September 11, not for Osama Bin Laden's biography which is easily available on the internet. Nor was I asked about the formation or motivations of Al-Qaeda, which during the timeline you provided, (the Afghanistan war) did not function in anything resembling the terrorist capacity it does today, and therefore bore no relation to the Al Qaeda we know today. The crux of what I was pointing to were his personal motivations for anger against Americans, which is clearly what was being asked.

 

Osama bin Laden also wages attacks on Muslim soil, and for entirely different reasons. Those reasons are immaterial and only marginally relevant to addressing the question of his hatred for the United States. I made no proclamation of any attempt to provide a detailed background into Osama's life, only the pertinent facts.

 

As you appear to be an expert on the matter however, perhaps you can enlighten me and our readers as to what, if any, relationship exists between bin Laden's involvement in the Afghanistan revolt against Soviet occupation and his hatred for the US? As you yourself indicated, the U.S. supplied arms to the Afghani mujahideen ("jihadi's" is, unfortunately, a non-existent word). Could you potentially provide any explanation for why bin Laden's hatred for the U.S. might have developed during this exchange?

 

You also stated that:

 

Even a basic analysis of Bin Laden's personal motives requires consideration of the time he spent in Beruit during the 70's.

 

Unfortunately even a basic analysis of bin Laden's biography will lead you to discover that "the time he spent in Beirut during the 1970's" is mostly myth and scant for facts. Political neo-con's who find it worthwhile to present bin Laden as a cavalier "playboy" use the brief stint he spent in Beirut at a boarding school as evidence of this. There is zero reliable evidence detailing his "time in Beirut" on any reliable news source. For reference check either the BBC news article covering his background (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/155236.stm), or in the Wikipedia entry you yourself cited. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden) Both make zero reference to his "time in Beirut."

 

The only "evidence" of bin Laden's "behavior" in Beirut is based on rumors and conjecture:

 

From Newyorker.com:

 

"[A]barber who saw him often in the early nineteen-seventies has told the Mideast Mirror that in Beirut's flashy night clubs and bars his client was known as a free-spending, fun-loving young man—"a heavy drinker who often ended up embroiled in shouting matches and fistfights with other young men over an attractive night-club dancer or barmaid."

 

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/?010924fr_archive03

 

From Answers.com:

 

"One rumor said that in 1973, bin Laden went to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, and allegedly frequented strip clubs, bars, and discos. His fanatacism was said to stem partly from his remorse in what he sees as previous immoral action. However, there is no evidence bin Laden did any of this."

 

http://www.answers.com/topic/osama-bin-laden

 

Even presupposing the rumors about bin Laden’s time in Beirut are true, they are hardly relevant to the September 11th attacks on the U.S. or bin Laden’s hatred against the U.S. Journalists seeking to push this perspective are more focused on presenting the “makeup of a terrorist” than any relationship that might bear to his hatred for the U.S.

 

Since my credibility has been called to question, I will henceforth make a point of providing references from a diversity of external sources for support of my arguments. In addition I will provide you with some insight into my background. I am a Middle Eastern Studies and Sociology Double Major graduate with a distinction in Honors Senior Thesis for my paper detailing the evolution of modesty in Saudi Arabia. I have lived and studied in the Middle East for almost a year, and have studied classical Islamic studies in Amman, Jordan. If anyone has any more questions about my background, feel free to PM me any questions or post them here.

 

In my initial response to Mashugly's question, I pointed to the post World War I atmosphere of de-centralization in the Muslim empire which spawned the extremist ideologies more prevalent today.

 

From About.com

 

"bin Laden and the people like him are not simply strange aberrations: they are, instead, a natural extension of extremist theology which has been in development since at least the 1930s, and in some cases well before that."

 

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/isla...em_binladen.htm

 

I also pointed to the root of bin Laden's anger against the U.S. as being the presence of U.S. bases on Saudi soil. The failure of the Saudi government to provide the mujahideen he had requested to defend Kuwait alludes to an entirely different point, his resentment with the Saudi Royal Family, not the U.S.

 

From pbs.org:

 

"Osama was fed up with this almost house arrest situation (issued by the Royal Family) and did not imagine himself able to stay in the country with the American forces around."

 

And also from pbs.org:

 

"After few months of his arrival (in Afghanistan) he issued his first anti-American message, a Declaration of War. That declaration was limited to expelling American forces outside the Arabian Peninsula"

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sh...en/who/bio.html

 

Just in case you were wondering, neither the About.com article or the PBS bio reference bin Laden's "time in Beirut."

 

Bofors, I would like to encourage you to continue answering my questions. I think the two of us can take on these issues best by working as a team.

[johnniecarcinogen]

3) You've read what wikipedia has to say about Jihad. Now for a quote directly from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him):

 

"The best (Jihad) is (to speak) a word of justice to an oppressive ruler."

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: - Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2040

 

All this means that that their are different types of 'jihad' and the prophet thinks that the 'best' is 'jihad of the tounge'? I understand that their can be a personal struggle 'jihad of the heart?' etc., but when 'jihad' is used without a modifier it is not a mystery as to what people are talking about. They are talking about a war on the behalf of islam.

 

But semantics are not what is important, reality is. In reality I would be in great danger if I were in the a city in any of the 'peaceful' muslim countries and you being a Pakistani muslim probably would not be killed in any of the western countries.

[suleiman]

Johnnie you are absolutely right about semantics not being important in the real world generally. There is however, one important caveat: for the terorrists and extremists of the Muslim world, the "true" message of Islam may be the key that locks away the doors of injustice.

 

What Muslim scholars in the West are preaching at home and around the world is a return to the classic Islamic teachings, indeed, the classic Islamic practices, where these acts of aggression are condemned and the best of ideals are upheld. There was a time when the Christians, the Jews, and the Muslims lived under the same roof and did so peacefully for many centuries. If we can teach the original teachings of the Prophet (pbuh) and save the next generation of suicide bombers from becoming just that, then we've worked towards restoring peace, and we've worked towards providing you safe passage in every Muslim country.

[Ouch]

Thanks suleiman, this is a great thread. I have a more general question to move things on from jihad, extremists etc.

I would like to know what the muslim view of the bible is - do you regard it, or any part of it, as God's word? Also on what basis do you put faith in the content of the Qur'an over any other teaching? For example is it regarded as true because it was written by mohammad and if so why believe the things he writes?

 

Thanks

[domino]

removed and considered inappropriate for this thread

 

I apologize for this post..

Edited February 10, 2006 by domino

[Swad]

Bofors...

 

"Bashing" means any deragatory comments about the faith. It's the "I think this is crazy" type of comments. This thread, as set out by suleiman, is for asking questions about Islam and Islamic doctrine. So it's ok to disagree with others and with others' evidence - that's what a "forum" (in the traditional Roman sense) is all about!

 

Thus, anything other than questions about docrine should be elsewhere.

 

So far, great thread. :-)

[teeching]

Dear Ouch Potato ..

Probably Suleiman will answer the question in somehow more academic way but i wanna cite something at the beginning .. We cannot say any bad words about the bibel. Because As Isaah (as we call him ) (A.S) was the probhet of Allah but also as we are thinking there has been some changes in the bible but most parts of it preserved the originality.

 

So as a muslim if we say those words as lies ..fiction ..we will be in a big sin... and if youa re logical enough you can easily seize the godsend words ; i mean the sentences in the bible..

 

but of course as it is written years after there a re gaps and conflicting issues...

 

the history of islam is the compound of jews ; christians and soem other religions , we do even believe Buddha could be a Prophet of allah ..because he has many true type sayings for the goodness of humanity.

 

suleiman will continue in a better way i guess.

[ozzie123]

Just wanted to add something for teeching's post. The bible that he/we are talking about here is Barnabas (Gospel Barnabas to be exact) CMIIW.

 

Most moslem believes that the current bible has been modified in some parts and differs from the "original" form it was 2 millenia ago. And I think I have to agree with that seeing that there are quite alot of version of bible (King James, New King James, "The Message", NASB, Updated NASB, and couple more).

 

But overall, we believe that Jesus (Isa AS as he is called in Islam) is a prophet of God and bible is his Holy Book and therefore, it is God's words.

 

@teeching: even if someone has many true type sayings for the goodness of humanity, that doesn't mean that he or she is a Prophet of Allah. I mean, if a prophet is simply bounded by that definition, we'll have millions "living" prophet in this world

 

Plus, I'm sorry if I make any offensive statement. Although this is a great thread, it discuss a pretty sensitive issues that can only be handled by people with open mind

[ripoflive]

First I would like to give MAD PROPS to suleiman for creating this thread and spreading the truth! Also, its good to know that a lot of people aret showing such interest in this subject .....

If anybody wants to expand their knoweledge of islam, I recommend this 2 great sites: http://www.islam101.com and http://www.islam.com

[lazyilmaz]

in short... If every Muslim in the world actualy did what the Koran says then there would be no war in the world (started by Muslims) No Muslim would attack the country he lives in whether it is Egypt or England. It's the fault of people like Bin Laden AND Bush that the Islamic world has a bad name.

ps Sorry for my bad English

[suleiman]

Folks, I know I had promised a weekend response to you all. My sincere apologies for those of you that had posted recently with questions and those of you with earlier inquiries.

 

I will try and get to answering your questions sometime over the next week...life certainly isn't easy when you've got Property and and Contracts to read.

[iHuman]

LoL.....

[suleiman]

lol..it seems funny iHuman, but law school is no joke!

 

I think I've burned up more brain cells than the writers of Family Guy.

[OryHara]

Descendant question.

 

Is islam a decended religion from Abraham, or Isac? Im not sure who it all started with. What year/time did Mohammad come into the picture?

 

Looking for some factual infromation reguarding it's early pre-mohammad history.