Introduction to Islam

[falcon786]

And thus would be very much out of place in this thread. Perhaps you would like to start an Intro to Judaism thread?

Good idea,marine1 I think you should go ahead and create one.

[MrMag]

Only introduction I need is you are the biggest bunch of Morons and Hypocrites on this Planet
and treat your woman like trash. Want to see true Islam go to Pakistan and the dirty back streets
of Saudia Arabia. In the name of your religion you have caused more war and strife in this World
in the last 50 years than the previous Centuries

[falcon786]

...rant about how childish I am and how I think I'm better than a couple of billion people...

I knew it would get uncivilized sooner or later,well here we go

[Sodan]

I knew it would get uncivilized sooner or later,well here we go

I think we're mature enough here to shrug off the trolls and keep a good topic going.

[falcon786]

I think we're mature enough here to shrug off the trolls and keep a good topic going.

You are right,the vast majority of the posters have been very mature and open minded so far we should just shrug of the trolls,they don't even deserve responses.

[moosag]

Only introduction I need is you are the biggest bunch of Morons and Hypocrites on this Planet
and treat your woman like trash. Want to see true Islam go to Pakistan...

I am quite impressed that it took this long for a troll to appear.

Kudo's to all for the maturity in the thread...

[wayfarer]

Main > Belief/Faith > Belief in the Prophets

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God sent us prophets out of His generosity, that we may be guided on earth, and acquire the knowledge to attain nearness to Him.

Scholars mention 4 points that Muslims believe about all prophets:

1. Truthfulness
Prophets are truthful in all matters, including their claim to Prophethood. God supports this claim by manifesting miracles at their hands.

2. Sinlessness
It is not possible for prophets to commit sins because God has protected them from it and because they are examples to people.

3. Conveyance of the Message
Prophets conveyed the Message before they passed away from this world. They conveyed everything that they were ordered to convey.

4. Intelligence
Prophets were the most intelligent beings because intelligence is a necessary quality to implement God's guidance effectively, and to engage in dialogue and debate with those who doubted, and to convince them of the truth.

God protected them from everything unbecoming them, and from every offensive or debilitating trait, such as leprosy or blindness, as God wants people to be attracted to the prophets and not to flee from them due to certain physcial traits that may repel some. However, prophets ate, drank, and married. While Prophets are humans, they are special humans - not like others, because they are the representatives of God to His creation. God chooses the best to represent Him.

Prophets are the best of all created beings; and the highest of them was he whom God chose to be the final seal of Prophethood, whose Sacred Law superseded all previously valid religious laws, Prophet Muhammad.

English speaking Muslims often refer to the prophets by the English version of their names. Some use the Arabic, and some use the English and Arabic interchangeably. Muslim scholars put the number of prophets throughout history to be about 124 000. The Quran mentions 25 of these by name:

1. Adam
2. Enoch
3. Noah
4. Heber
5. Saleh
6. Lot
7. Abraham
8. Ishmael
9. Isaac
10. Jacob
11. Joseph
12. Jethro
13. Job
14. Ezekiel
15. Moses
16. Aaron
17. David
18. Solomon
19. Elias
20. Elisha
21. Jonah
22. Zachariah
23. John the Baptist
24. Jesus
25. Muhammad

Some other prophets are mentioned in Hadith or are known through Oral tradition, such as Isaiah, Seth, Ezra, Daniel, Jeremiah and Samuel.

Muslims make no distinction between the prophets in terms of their validity, but 5 prophets play a more prominent role, and these are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.

[marine1]

And thus would be very much out of place in this thread. Perhaps you would like to start an Intro to Judaism thread?

Good idea,marine1 I think you should go ahead and create one.

Most people here are not religious, perhaps majority here are Atheists?

Anyone who wants to learn about any religion can do so on the internet.

I do not think one needs to create a thread trying to convince people that their religion is this or their religion is that.

[jingaling]

Most people here are not religious, perhaps majority here are Atheists?

Anyone who wants to learn about any religion can do so on the internet.

I do not think one needs to create a thread trying to convince people that their religion is this or their religion is that.

And here I thought philosophy is learning through discussion and the exchange of ideas. Oh wait, it is.

Do you feel convinced that their religion is this or that? If not, maybe the debaters are not trying hard enough.

[R/SGT]

How does the Jesus in the Quran differ from that in the Bible?

Is the Sermon on the Mount mentioned in Islam?
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/mat005.htm#vrs3

There are many irreconcilable differences between the teachings of Jesus (Christian) and Muhammad (Islam) how would you address them.

[R/SGT]

Why does Islam bring so many worldly concepts into its descriptions of heaven?

Why is Alcohol mentioned as forming part of paradise while been banned on Earth?

[wayfarer]

Main > Q&A > Jesus Christ & Prophet Muhammad, Muslims & Christians

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How does the Jesus in the Quran differ from that in the Bible?

I will reply to this question soon.

Is the Sermon on the Mount mentioned in Islam?
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/mat005.htm#vrs3

Such eloquent proclamations of Truth are as rare as they are beautiful. There are some Muslim academics who go so far as to say that these verses, from the Beatitudes to the very end, more accurately represent Islamic doctrine than it does Christian doctrine and views on salvation. The Sermon on the Mount is not specifically or directly referenced in Islamic primary sources, but the sermon does fit the character of Jesus Christ as he is revered in Islam.

See an Islamic commentary on the Sermon on the Mount Part 1 & Part 2, as well this interpretive exposition on the primordial Islam that beams forth from those verses.

There are many irreconcilable differences between the teachings of Jesus (Christian) and Muhammad (Islam) how would you address them.

It is not the teachings of Jesus Christ that differs from that of Prophet Muhammad, but the Pauline doctrine that differs from both their teachings. Even though Muslims question the authenticity/purity of present-day Bibles, you will be hard-pressed to find any of Jesus Christ's words (see red-letter Bibles) that contradict Islamic doctrine, particularly in the case of later versions of the Bible that have undergone more veracity checks and have been compiled from the oldest available manuscripts (such as the RSV Bible).

However, there are irreconcilable differences between Islamic doctrine and the doctrine espoused by most Christians. The way in which Muslims address these differences is to acknowledge them, since compromises could very well be blasphemous to both religions. While the differences are major, the two faiths have much more in common than they have differences, and Muslims have from the beginning respected Christians as People of Scripture. The Islamic approach can be gleaned from the Quranic verse:

"Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him)." (Quran 3:64)

Thus, Muslims are commanded to invite Christians to unite on that which they do have in common, and to vie with them in good works, and leave the judgements to God Almighty. Scholars hold that the common word between Muslims and Christians resonates with the Biblical verses:

"And Jesus answered him, The first of all commandments is…the Lord our God is one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second commandment is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." (Mathew 22, 34:40)

Muslims may not be part of the brotherhood of Christianity, but Muslims nevertheless regard themselves as the "neighbour" referenced in the above Biblical verses.

Also see: "Jesus and Muhammad, brothers in faith" by Gary Edwards.

[marine1]

Why does Islam bring so many worldly concepts into its descriptions of heaven?

Why is Alcohol mentioned as forming part of paradise while been banned on Earth?

Do you know how many Muslims drink alcohol?

[wayfarer]

Why does Islam bring so many worldly concepts into its descriptions of heaven?

Quranic references to Heaven and Hell are often vivid, and worldly concepts enable even the unschooled reader to relate to its realities, and to easily juxtapose the pleasures of Paradise with the torments of the Fire.

Why is Alcohol mentioned as forming part of paradise while been banned on Earth?

Alcoholic beverages (khamr) are prohibited as intoxicants in the Quran. The Quran also makes mention of a drink and of "rivers of drink" in Heaven, which are often translated as wine and "rivers of wine". The Quran explains that this drink/wine is non-intoxicating, having none of the abhorrent qualities of normal alcoholic wine. (see Quran 37:47)

[wayfarer]

Main > Belief/Faith > Belief in the Prophets > Jesus Christ, the Messiah

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"The Christians had been so dazzled by the divine light reflected in the mirror-like heart of Jesus, that they mistook the mirror for the light itself, and worshipped it. But what was happening to Jesus was not categorically distinct from what happened, and may continue to happen, to any purified human soul that has attained the rank of sainthood. The presence of divine light in Jesus' heart does not logically entail a doctrine of Jesus' primordial existence as a hypostasis in a divine trinity." (Imam Al-Ghazali)

Background information

"Say: 'He is the One God: God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being. He begets not, and neither is He begotten; and there is nothing that could be compared with Him.' " (Quran 112)

Humanity enjoys a very important place in the cosmos. While God is the Creator and Sustainer of everything, the human being is honoured to house an aspect of God within him/her. God says:

"Behold, I am about to create a human being out of clay; and when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My spirit, fall you down before him in prostration." (Quran 15:29)

The above verse provides essential insights into the nature and position of humans in the universe. It says that a human is made of a dual nature, i.e. part earth and part divine spirit. Of these two opposing forces, one is animal, material, carnal (clay) and the other is the purest essence (the spirit of God). The clay aspect causes the individual to incline towards the earth, and the spirit aspect draws the individual towards God.

The human being is challenged to set forth on a journey of self purification, to pull aside the veil of the corporeal/material self, allowing the spiritual self to reflect the light that is yearned for. The spirit of God which resides in the human being longs for reunion with its original. According to a Hadith, God says:

“My servant continues drawing near to Me ... until I love him, and when I love him, I am the Hearing through which he hears, the Sight through which he sees, the Hand through which he grasps, and the Foot through which he walks.” (Hadith Qudsi)

This is helpful to understand the context in which Jesus Christ must be viewed. He is called in the Quran, a sign of God. The Prophets of God are generally all given this designation. They are all (from Adam to Muhammad) signposts marking the path to God, each one addressing both the universal nature of man and the specific contingencies of his time.

Jesus Christ is a signpost who links man back to his original ancestor (Adam, in his primordial state), and to a direct awareness of God. The Quran states:

"Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust and then said unto him, "Be" - and he is.[This is] the truth from thy Sustainer; be not, then, among the doubters." (Quran 3:59)

and also

"O People of the Gospels! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of God aught but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, was (no more than) a messenger of God and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His messengers. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for God is one God: Glory be to Him: Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs." (Quran 4:171)

The “Word” is God's creative Word (with which He also created Adam), the “Spirit” is the Divine Spirit (which he also breathed into Adam). Thus Jesus Christ is created according to the mould of Adam - according to Adam's state before Adam was put into this world where God's presence is veiled and must be sought through signs. Thus Jesus Christ, from the moment of his miraculous conception to the time he is taken up to God, is one who was a purified soul.

Background information above adapted from "Jesus, an Islamic Perspective" by Irshaad Hussein.


The Role and Teachings of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is considered one of God's greatest Messengers, and the Quran affirms his miraculous birth:

"Behold! the angels said, 'Oh Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter, and in (the company of) those nearest to God. He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. He shall be (in the company) of the righteous...' " (Quran 3:45-47)

Jesus Christ was sent to the Children of Israel. God taught him the Torah and the Gospel - Jesus being instructed to reaffirm what was in the Torah, as well as to abrogate some of its rulings. The Quran continues:

"And He will teach him the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel,to be a Messenger to the Children of Israel saying, 'I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will create for you out of clay as the likeness of a bird; then I will breathe into it, and it will be a bird, by the leave of God. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead, by the leave of God. I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely in that is a sign for you, if you are believers. Likewise confirming the truth of the Torah that is before me, and to make lawful to you certain things that before were forbidden unto you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear you God, and obey you me. Surely God is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him. This is a straight path'." (Quran 3:48-51)

Jesus Christ's Prophethood and Messengership status is further explained in the Quran:

"Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how God makes His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!" (Quran 5:75).

and

"He [Jesus] said: 'I am indeed a servant of God. He has given me revelation and made me a prophet; He has made me blessed wheresoever I be; and He has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable. So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)!' Such was Jesus the son of Mary. It is a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is" (Quran 19:30-35).

Disputing the claims made about Jesus Christ's status as human or divine, the Quran clarifies:

"And behold! God will say [i.e. on the Day of Judgement]: 'Oh Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God?' He will say: 'Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was a witness over them while I lived among them. When You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things'." (Quran 5:116-117).

The Quran further clarifies the teachings of Jesus Christ:

"When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: 'Now I have come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which you dispute. Therefore, fear God and obey me. God, He is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him -- this is a Straight Way.' But sects from among themselves fell into disagreement. So woe to the wrongdoers, from the penalty of a Grievous Day!" (Quran 43:63-65)

See also (external):

• Trinity, a Muslim Perspective
• Jesus, a Word of God
• The True Message of Jesus Christ
• Jesus in Islam

View video: The True Message of Jesus Christ

Read, for interest: The Gospel of Barnabas