Introduction to Islam | Teen Ink

Introduction to Islam MAG

By Anonymous

   Islam and Muslims

* The word "Islam" isArabic and means "submission to the will of God." Islam teaches thatone must submit to God - Allah, in Arabic - in order to achieve true peace ofmind. Allah is God, the same God Christians and Jews worship.

* The word"Muslim" means "one who submits to the will of God,"regardless of race, nationality or ethnic background.

* Eighty percent ofMuslims are not Arabs.

* Muslims believe that all of God's prophets, whoinclude Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, brought the same message ofMonotheism. Muhammad is believed to be the final prophet.

* Human beingsare not believed to be sinful, but are seen as capable of both good and evil.Muslims believe God has given people free will.

* One's deeds and actionsmeasure one's faith.

* Islamic teachings encompass all aspects of lifeand ethics; consciousness of God is encouraged in all aspects of humanaffairs.

* Worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals.Humility, sincerity, patience and charity are encouraged through the writings inthe Qur'an.



The Qur'an

*."Al-Qur'an" literallymeans "the recitation." This is the final message to mankind revealedto the Prophet Muhammad.

* Muslims believe the Qur'an has been perfectlypreserved in both its words and meaning in a living language. God's finalrevelation to humankind was publicly recited in front of both Muslim andnon-Muslim communities during the lifetime of the Prophet.

* The Qur'an'smain message is submit to Almighty God and worship Him alone.



TheProphet Muhammad

* Muhammad, a documented, historic figure, lived in thefull light of history. Many details of his life are known.

*"Hadith" literature is the preserved sayings and teachings of theProphet. God sent the revelation to Muhammad over the course of 23 years, and hein turn preached and lived it. He was a man who lived a humble life in theservice of God, and established an all-encompassing religion and way of life byshowing what it means to be an ideal friend, husband, teacher, ruler, warrior andjudge.



The Islamic Way of Life

* The true balance of anIslamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a beliefin His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience,but believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive usonly leads to despair. Islam teaches that life is a test, and that all humanbeings will be accountable before God.






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This article has 2 comments.


Dajjal said...
on Mar. 21 2014 at 11:33 pm
This otherwise excellent introduction to Islam failed to list primary sources in its bibliograpy.      Your audience deserves to know where to find, at minimum, the Qur'an and hdith.      CMJE, which Google will find for you, has three parallel translations of the Qur'an and four of the six canonical hadith collections.      Reading those Qur'an translations and Sahih Bukhari's 'books' of Wudu, Marriage, Divorce, Jihad and Khumus will give your audience a better grasp of the fundamentals of a very broad and deep subject.   

Research said...
on Jan. 31 2014 at 9:00 pm
Allah is a stone god that had daughters. Allah is NOT Jehovah, or the I AM. These verses from the Quran, 18-19 of Sura an-Najm, "the Star,(53)" introduce the daughters of Allah—Al lat, Uzza, and Manat. According to their traditions they acted as Allah's INTERCESSORS. The Goddesses Al-Uzza, Al-Lat and Manat formed a triad in pre-Islamic Arabia.
The three were worshipped as uncut aniconic stones. They were widely worshipped: from Nabatean Petra in the North to the legendary Kingdoms of Arabia Felix in the South, including Saba, the Biblical Sheba; as far east as Iran and Palmyra; and the three of them were very popular Goddesses in Mecca at the time of Muhammad.
The kabah contains a black meteorite that is encased in a silver setting that looks like a woman's labia. The Black Stone of Ka’aba - al-Hajr al-Aswad Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba as part of the Tawaf ritual of the Hajj.
Many of them try, if possible, to stop and kiss the Black Stone, emulating the kiss that Islamic tradition records that it received from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. If they cannot reach it, they point to it on each of their seven circuits around the Kaaba.