Misconceptions About Islam
Author: Daniel
Masters, Isma'il Kaka and AbdurRahman R. Squires
Last Update: February 27th, 1999
Source: http://www.muslim-answers.org/Introducing-Islam/miscons.htm
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Misconception #1: Muslims worship a different God
First of all, there is only One God who created the Universe
and all of mankind. Throughout history, people have created false gods in their
minds and come up with false ideas about Almighty God, but regardless of this
there is still only One True God - and He alone is worthy of worship.
Unfortunately, some non-Muslims have come to incorrectly believe that Muslims
worship a different God than Jews and Christians. This might be due to the fact
that Muslims sometimes refer to God as "Allah",
but also because over the centuries there have been many lies and distortions
spread by the enemies of Islam. In actuality, Muslims worship the God of Noah,
Abraham, Moses and Jesus --- the same God as Christians and Jews. The word "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God
and it is the same word that Arabic speaking Christians and Jews use to refer
to God. If you pick up an Arabic translation of the Christian Bible, you will
see the word "Allah" where "God" is
used in English. For more information on the word "Allah",
please read: Who is Allah?
But even though Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in the same God, their
concepts about Him differ quite a bit. For example, Muslims reject the idea of
the Trinity or that God has become "incarnate"
in the world. Also, the teachings of Islam do not rely on or appeal to "mystery" or "paradox"
--- they are straightforward and clear. Islam teaches that God is Merciful, Loving
and Compassionate and that He has no need to become man (nor do humans need for
Him to). One of the unique aspects of Islam is that it teaches that man can
have a personal and fulfilling relationship with Almighty God without
compromising the transcendence of God. In Islam there is no ambiguity in
Divinity --- God is God and man is man. Muslims believe that God is the "Most Merciful", and that he deals directly with
human-beings without the need of any intermediary. Actually, the phrase "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful"
is one of the most repeated verses in the Holy Qur'an. Additionally, the pure
and straightforward teachings of Islam demand that Almighty God be approached
directly and without intermediaries. This is because Muslims believe that God
is completely in control of everything and that He can bestow His Grace and
Mercy on His creatures as He pleases - no Atonement, Incarnation or blood
sacrifice is necessary. In summary, Islam calls people to submit to the One
True God and to worship Him alone.
Misconception #2: Muslims worship Muhammad
According to Islamic belief, the Prophet Muhammad was the
last Messenger of God. He, like all of God's prophets and messengers - such as
Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus -- was only a human being. Christians came to
the mistaken assumption that Muslims worship Muhammad by formulating an
incorrect analogy - they worship Jesus so they assumed Muslims worship
Muhammad. This is one of the reasons that they called Muslims by the incorrect
name "Mohammedans" for so many years!
Muhammad, like Jesus, never claimed divine status. He called people to worship
only Almighty God, and he continually emphasized his humanity so that people
would not fall into the same errors as Christians did in regards to Jesus. In
order to prevent his deification, the Prophet Muhammad always said to refer to
him as "the Messenger of God and His slave".
Muhammad was chosen to be God's final messenger --- to communicate the message
not only in words but to be a living example of the message. Muslims love and
respect him because he was of the highest moral character and he brought the
Truth from God - which is the Pure Monotheism of Islam. Even when Islam was in
its very early stages, God revealed that Muhammad "was
sent as a mercy to all of mankind" - thus informing us that the
message of Islam would become very widespread. Muslims strive to follow the
great example of Muhammad, peace be upon him, but they do not
worship him in any way. Additionally, Islam teaches Muslims to respect all of
God's prophets and messengers - but respecting and loving them does not mean
worshipping them. All true Muslims realize that all worship and prayer must be
directed to Almighty God alone. Suffice it to say that worshipping Muhammad ---
or anyone else --- along with Almighty God is considered to be the worst sin in
Islam. Even if a person claims to be Muslim, but they worship and pray to other
than Almighty God, this cancels and nullifies their Islam. The Declaration of Faith of Islam makes it clear that Muslims are
taught only to worship God. This declaration is as follows: "There
is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger and Servant of God".
Misconception #3: Islam is a religion only for Arabs
The fastest way to prove that this is completely false is to
state the fact that only about 15% to 20% of the Muslims in the world are
Arabs. There are more Indian Muslims than Arab Muslims, and more Indonesian
Muslims than Indian Muslims! Believing that Islam is only a religion for Arabs
is a myth that was spread by the enemies of Islam early in its history. This
mistaken assumption is possibly based on the fact that most of the first
generation of Muslims were Arabs, the Qur'an is in Arabic and the Prophet
Muhammad was an Arab. However, both the teachings of Islam and the history of
its spread show that the early Muslims made every effort to spread their
message of Truth to all nations, races and peoples. Furthermore, it should be
clarified that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs. An Arab
can be a Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist - or of any other religion or
ideology. Also, many countries that some people consider to be "Arab" are not "Arab"
at all -- such as Turkey
and Iran (Persia).
The people who live in these countries speak languages other than Arabic as
their native tongues and are of a different ethnic heritage than the Arabs. It
is important to realize that from the very beginning of the mission of Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, his followers came from a wide spectrum of
individuals -- there was Bilal, the African slave; Suhaib, the Byzantine Roman;
Ibn Salam, the Jewish Rabbi; and Salman, the Persian. Since religious truth is
eternal and unchanging, and mankind is one universal brotherhood, Islam teaches
that Almighty God's revelations to mankind have always been consistent, clear
and universal. The Truth of Islam is meant for all people regardless of race,
nationality or linguistic background. Taking a look at the Muslim World, from Nigeria
to Bosnia and
from Malaysia
to Afghanistan
is enough to prove that Islam is a Universal message for all of mankind --- not
to mention the fact that significant numbers of Europeans and Americans of all
races and ethnic backgrounds are coming into Islam.
Misconception #4: Islam degrades women
Even though many aspects of Islam are misunderstood by
non-Muslims, the ignorance, misinformation and incorrect assumptions that are
made in regards to Islam's treatment of women are probably the most severe.
Numerous verses of the Qur'an make it clear that men and women are equal in the
site of God. According to the teachings of Islam, the only thing that
distinguishes people in the site of God is their level of God-consciousness.
Due to this, many people are surprised to find out that Islamic Law guaranteed
rights to women over 1400 years ago that women in the Europe
and America
only obtained recently. For example, Islam clearly teaches that a woman is a
full-person under the law, and is the spiritual equal of a male. Also,
according to Islamic Law, women have the right to own property, operate a
business and receive equal pay for equal work. Women are allowed total control
of their wealth, they cannot be married against their will and they are allowed
to keep their own name when married. Additionally, they have the right to
inherit property and to have their marriage dissolved in the case of neglect or
mistreatment. Also, Islam does not consider woman an "evil
temptress", and thus does not blame woman for the "original
sin". Women in Islam participate in all forms of worship that men
participate in. Actually, the rights that Islam gave to women over 1400 years
ago were almost unheard of in the West until the 1900s. Less than fifty years
ago in England
and America, a
woman could not buy a house or car without the co-signature of her father or
husband! Additionally, Islam gives great respect to women and their role in
society --- it gives them the right to own property, marry who they want and
many other rights. Also, it should be mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad's
mission stopped many of the horrible practices in regards to women that were
present in the society of his time. For example, the Qur'an put an end to the
pagan Arab practice of killing their baby daughters when they were born.
Additionally, Islam put restrictions on the unrestricted polygamy of the Arabs
of the time, and put many laws in place to protect the well-being of women.
Today, most of the so-called reforms in the status of women came about after
the West abandoned religion for secularism. Even those in the West who claim to
follow the so-called "Judeo-Christian tradition"
really follow the values of Western liberalism --- but just to a lesser degree
than their more liberal countrymen. For more on this subject, please read: Women in Islam versus
Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition --- The Myth and The Reality.
If women in the Muslim World today don't have their rights, it is not because Islam did not give them to them. The problem is
that in many places alien traditions have come to overshadow the teachings of
Islam, either through ignorance or the impact of Colonialization.
Misconception #5: Muhammad wrote the Qur'an
In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to not
that no other religious scripture claims to the direct word of Almighty in toto as clear and as often as the Holy Qur'an. As the
Qur'an clearly says: "if had been written by man, you
would have found many discrepancies therein". At the time the
Qur'an was revealed, the Arabs recognized that the language of the Qur'an was
unique and that it was distinctly different from the language normally used by
the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Arabs of that time, by the way,
were known for their beautiful poetry and Muhammad was known to be an
illiterate man! The Qur'an clearly says that Muhammad was unable to read and
write, so if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries would have
protested and rejected him. However, there are no reports of this. Certainly
there were people who rejected Muhammad's message, just like other prophets
were rejected, but none for this reason. On the contrary, Muhammad, peace be
upon him, had thousands of loyal followers and the results of their efforts
spread Islam from Spain
to China in
just over a century! It is also interesting to note that even though the Qur'an
is not poetry, the Arabs more or less gave up writing poetry after it was
revealed. It could be said that the Qur'an is the piece of Arabic literature par excellence - and Muhammad's contemporaries realized that
they couldn't out do it. Additionally, it is easy to prove that Muhammad did
not possess a great deal of the knowledge which is expounded in the Qur'an: such
as knowledge of historical events, previous prophets and natural phenomenon.
The Qur'an says in several places that Muhammad and his people did not know
these things - so, again, if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries
would have rejected his claims. Suffice it to say that not only is the Qur'an
the most memorized and well preserved scripture on earth, it is also unequaled
in eloquence, spiritual impact, clarity of message and the purity of its truth.
Misconception #6: Islam was spread by the sword
Many non-Muslims, when they think about Islam, picture
religious fanatics on camels with a sword in one hand and a Qur'an in the
other. This myth, which was made popular in Europe
during the Crusades, is totally baseless. First of all, the Holy Qur'an clearly
says "Let there be no compulsion in religion".
In addition to this, Islam teaches that a person's faith must be pure and
sincere, so it is certainly not something that can be forced on someone. In
debunking the myth that Islam was "spread by the sword",
the (non-Muslim) historian De Lacy O' Leary wrote: "History
makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through
the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is
one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever
accepted." (Islam at the Crossroads,
London, 1923, p. 8.). It should also be known that Muslims ruled Spain
for roughly 800 years. During this time, and up to when they were finally
forced out, the non-Muslims there were alive and flourishing. Additionally,
Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle
East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt,
Morocco,
Palestine,
Lebanon, Syria
and Jordan all
have Christian and/or Jewish populations. If Islam taught that all people are
supposed to be killed or forced to become Muslims, how did all of these
non-Muslims survive for so long in the middle of the Islamic Empire?
Additionally, if one considers the small number of Muslims who initially spread
Islam from Spain
and Morocco in
the West to India
and China in
the East, one would realize that they were far too few to force people to be
members of a religion against their will. Additionally, the great empire and
civilization established by the Muslims had great staying power -- its citizens
were proud to be part of it. The spread of Islam stands in contrast to the
actions of the followers of Christianity, who since the time of the Emperor
Constantine have made liberal use of the sword - often basing their conduct on
Biblical verses. This was especially true of the colonization of South
America and Africa, where native peoples
were systematically wiped-out or forced to convert. It is also interesting to
note that when the Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the Islamic
Empire, instead of destroying the religion, they adopted it. This is a unique
occurrence in history - the conquerors adopting the religion of the conquered!
Since they were the victors, they certainly could not have been forced to
become Muslims! Ask any of the over one billion Muslims
alive in the world today whether they were forced! The largest Muslim country
in the world today is Indonesia
--- and there were never any battles fought there! So where was the sword? How
could someone be forced to adhere to a spiritually rewarding and demanding
religion like Islam?
Misconception #7: Muslims hate Jesus
Many non-Muslims are surprised to find out that according to
Muslim belief, Jesus, the son of Mary, is one of the greatest messengers of
God. Muslims are taught to love Jesus, and a person cannot be a Muslim without
believing in the virgin birth and miracles of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.
Muslims believe these things about Jesus not because of the Bible or any other
religion, but simply because the Holy Qur'an says these things about him.
However, Muslims always emphasize that the miracles of Jesus, and all other
prophets, were by "God's permission". This having been said, many
Christians feel to not believe that Jesus is the "Son of
God", "God Incarnate" or the "Second Person" of the Trinity. This is because the
Qur'an clearly says that Almighty God does not have a "Son"
--- neither allegorically, physically, metaphorically or metaphysically. The
Pure Monotheism of Islam rejects the notion of "defining"
God (which is basically what the "Doctrine of the
Trinity" does), saying that someone is "like"
God or equal to him, or praying to someone else besides God. Also, Islam
teaches that titles such as "Lord" and "Savior" are due to God alone. In order to avoid
misunderstanding, it should be clarified that when Muslims criticize the Bible
or the teachings of Christianity, they are not attacking "God's
Word" or Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. From the Muslim point of
view, they are defending Jesus and God's Word --- which they have in the form
of the Qur'an. Muslim criticism is targeted at writings that some people claim are God's word, but Muslim's simply don't accept their claim that they are really God's word in
toto. Additionally, Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the
Atonement are criticized by Muslims precisely because they did not originate
from Jesus, peace be upon him. In this way, Muslims are the true followers of
Jesus, peace be upon him, because they defend him from the exaggerations of the
Christians and teach the Pure Monotheism that Jesus himself followed.
Misconception #8: Islam is fatalistic
Most Muslims find it rather odd that their religion, which
strikes a beautiful balance between faith and action, could be accused of being
"fatalistic". Perhaps this misconception came
about because Muslims are taught to say "Praise be to
God!" whenever anything good or bad happens. This is because
Muslims know that everything comes from Almighty God, who is the All-Knowing Sustainer
of the Universe, and that since a Muslim should rely completely on God,
whatever happened must have been for the better. However, this does not mean
that Muslims are not taught to take action in life --- just the opposite is
true. Islam requires not only faith, but action --- such as regular prayer,
fasting and charity. To be more precise, in Islam actions are part of one's
faith. Islam total rejects the extreme beliefs of some religions that teach
that you shouldn't go to a doctor when sick, but only pray for God to heal you.
Islam's outlook is very positive, since it teaches that human beings can take
positive action in this life. This was certainly what was taught by Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, to his followers --- since they obviously took the
action of spreading Islam from Spain
to Morocco in a
very short period of time. Even though Islam teaches that God knows what human
beings will do before they do it, human beings still have free will. Certainly
God, who is All-Knowing and All-Wise, knows what is going to happen to everyone
before it happens -- to deny this would be a denial of God Himself. However, if
human-beings did not have free will, it would be ridiculous and un-just for God
to demand that they do certain things and believe certain things. Far from
being "fatalistic", Islam teaches that a
human-being's main purpose in life is to be God-conscious. Due to this, Muslims
worry less about material matters and view their earthly life in a proper
perspective. This is due to the fact that Islam clearly teaches that if people
worship and depend on Almighty God alone, then they have nothing to worry about
- since God wants what is best for them. True freedom, from the Islamic
perspective, does not mean aimlessly following all of your human desires for
food, drink, wealth and sex. On the contrary, freedom means being able to
control one's base desires and fulfilling them in a proper and legal way. This
brings one's desires in tune with what God wants for us --- only then is a
person truly free!
Misconception #9: The Islamic Threat
In recent years, a great deal of attention in the media have
been given to the threat of "Islamic Fundamentalism".
Unfortunately, due to a twisted mixture of biased reporting in the Western
media and the actions of some ignorant Muslims, the word "Islam"
has become almost synonymous with "terrorism".
However, when one analyzes the situation, the question that should come to mind
is: Do the teachings of Islam encourage terrorism? The answer: Certainly not!
Islam totally forbids the terrorist acts that are carried out by some misguided
people. It should be remembered that all religions have cults and misguided
followers, so it is their teachings that should be looked at, not the actions
of a few individuals. Unfortunately, in the media, whenever a Muslim commits a
heinous act, he is labeled a "Muslim terrorist".
However, when Serbs murder and rape innocent women in Bosnia,
they are not called "Christian terrorists",
nor are the activities in Northern Ireland
labeled "Christian terrorism". Also, when
right-wing Christians in the U. S.
bomb abortion clinics, they are not called "Christian
terrorists". Reflecting on these facts, one could certainly
conclude that there is a double-standard in the media! Although religious feelings
play a significant role in the previously mentioned "Christian"
conflicts, the media does not apply religious labels because they assume that
such barbarous acts have nothing to do with the teachings of Christianity.
However, when something happens involving a Muslim, they often try to put the
blame on Islam itself -- and not the misguided individual. Certainly, Islamic
Law allows war --- any religion or civilization that did not would never
survive --- but it certainly does not condone attacks against innocent people,
women or children. The Arabic word "jihad",
which is often translated as "Holy War",
simply means "to struggle". The word for "war" in Arabic is "harb",
not "jihad". "Struggling",
i.e. "making jihad", to defend Islam, Muslims
or to liberate a land where Muslims are oppressed is certainly allowed (and
even encouraged) in Islam. However, any such activities must be done according
to the teachings of Islam. Islam also clearly forbids "taking
the law into your own hands", which means that individual Muslims
cannot go around deciding who they want to kill, punish or torture. Trial and
punishment must be carried out by a lawful authority and a knowledgeable judge.
Also, when looking at events in the Muslim World, it should be kept in mind that
a long period of colonialism ended fairly recently in most Muslim countries.
During this time, the peoples in this countries were culturally, materially and
religiously exploited - mostly by the so-called "Christian"
nations of the West. This painful period has not really come to an end in many
Muslim countries, where people are still under the control of foreign powers or
puppet regimes supported by foreign powers. Also, through the media, people in
the West are made to believe that tyrants like Saddam Hussein in Iraq
and Moamar Qaddafi in Libya
are "Islamic" leaders -- when just the
opposite is true. Neither of these rulers even profess Islam as an ideology,
but only use Islamic slogans to manipulate their powerless populations. They
have about as much to do with Islam as Hitler had to do with Christianity! In
reality, many Middle Eastern regimes which people think of as being "Islamic" oppress the practice of Islam in their
countries. So suffice it to say that "terrorism"
and killing innocent people directly contradicts the teachings of Islam.
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