30 Facts About Islam

1) "Islam" literally means "peace through the submission to God".

2) "Muslim" literally means "anyone or anything that submits itself
to the will of God".

3) Islam is not a cult. Its followers number over one billion
worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to
be one of the three Abrahamic faiths.

4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must
be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a
true Muslim: A) Shahadah - declaration of faith in the oneness of God
and that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five
times a day. C) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of
Ramadan. D) Charity - 2.5% of one's savings given to the needy at the
end of each year. E) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically
and financially able.

5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic
beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim.
They are belief in: A) the One and only God B) all the prophets of
God C) the original books revealed to Moses, David, Jesus, and
Muhammad D) the angels E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter F)
pre-ordainment.

6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life -
moral, spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.

7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world.
Approximately one out of every five people today designate their
religion as Islam.

8) "Allah" is an Arabic word that literally means "God". Muslims also
believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God.

9) Allah is not God of the Muslims only. He is the God of all people
and all creation. Just because people choose to call God by different
names does not mean that they are different gods. Interestingly, most
Arab Jews and Arab Christians also refer to God as "Allah".

10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful, and
compassionate. But Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in
punishment, much like a father is to his child. Nevertheless, Allah
once said to Muhammad "My Mercy prevails over my wrath." (Hadith
Qudsi)

11) Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names (or
attributes) in the Qur'an. It is through these that one can come to
know the Creator. Some names are: the All-Merciful, the All-Knower,
the Protector, the Provider, the Helper, the Near, the One, the
Source of Peace.

12) Muslims believe in and acknowledge all the prophets of old, from
Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe that they brought the message of peace
and submission (islam) to different nations at different times.
Muslims also believe that these prophets were "muslims" because they
submitted their wills to God.

13) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims
solely worship the unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

14) Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah (the Gospel of Moses)
and Bible (the Gospel of Jesus) since they were revealed by God.
However, none of those original scriptures are in existence today.
Therefore, Muslims follow the subsequent, final, and preserved
revelation of God - The Holy Qur'an.

15) The Holy Qur'an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by
God, revealed to Muhammad, and written into physical form by
Muhammad's companions.

16) The Holy Qur'an has no flaws or contradictions. The original
Arabic scriptures have never been changed or tampered with.

17) Actual seventh century Qur'ans, complete and intact, are on
display in museums in Turkey and many other places around the world.

18) If all Qur'ans in the world today were burned and destroyed, the
original Arabic would still remain. This is because millions of
Muslims (called Hafiz or "preservers") have memorized the text letter
for letter from beginning to end - every word and syllable. Chapters
from the Qur'an are precisely recited by memory in each of the five
daily prayers.

19) Muslims do not believe in the concept of "vicarious atonement"
but rather believe in the law of personal responsibility. Islam
teaches that each person is responsible for his or her own actions.
On the Day of Judgment Muslims believe that every person will have to
answer to God for their every word, thought, and deed. Consequently,
a practicing Muslim is always striving to be righteous.

20) Terrorism, unjustified violence, and killing innocent people are
not allowed in Islam. Islam is a religion of peace. The extreme
actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be a result of their
ignorance or uncontrolled anger.

21) "Islamic fundamentalism" does not mean "Islamic terrorism". Since
Islam means "peace" such a term would be an oxymoron. How is it
possible to have "peaceful terrorism"? Actually, Islamic
fundamentalism is adherence to Islam's fundamental beliefs and
practices.

22) The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". Instead, it means the
inner struggle that one endures in trying to practice Islam. Some
Muslims may say they are going for "jihad" when fighting in a war to
defend their faith, but they only say this because they are conceding
that it will be a tremendous struggle. There are many forms of jihad
(struggle) such as the struggle against self-desire, against a tyrant
ruler, against the temptations of Satan, etc., etc.

23) Islam was not spread by the sword. It was spread by the word of
truth and the example of its followers. Islam teaches that there is
no compulsion in religion. (the Holy Qur'an 2:256 and 10:99)

24) Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses a
woman is not following true Islam. Prophet Muhammad once
said, "...the best among you are those who treat their wives well."
(Related by Imam Tirmidhi)

25) Arranged marriages are allowed in Islam but are not required. The
marriage decision is left to the individual. "Forced" marriages are
cultural practices and are not Islamic.

26) Divorce is permissible in Islam, however, reconciliation is what
is most encouraged. Indeed, if there are irreconcilable differences,
then a fair and just annulment usually is best.

27) Islam and so-called "Nation of Islam" are two different
religions. Islam is a religion that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad
in the seventh century A.D. It is a religion for all races of people
and enjoins the worship of the One unseen God Allah who has no sons,
daughters, or partners and who never took human form. The "Nation of
Islam", on the other hand, is a movement geared towards non-whites
for the upliftment of minorities on a social scale. It teaches that
God appeared in the form of Fard Muhammad in Detroit in 1930 A.D. and
that Elijah Muhammad was a prophet of God. These beliefs clearly
contradict the fundamental beliefs and teachings of true Islam and
The Holy Qur'an. The followers of "the Nation" adhere to some Islamic
principles that are mixed up with many other teachings. To understand
the difference between the two more clearly, read the story about
Malcolm X, his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his subsequent comments to
the media. Islam teaches unity and equality amongst the races. (Holy
Qur'an 49:13)

28) All Muslims are not Arab. Islam is a universal religion and way
of life which includes followers from all races of people. There are
Muslims in and from Europe, China, Japan, South America, Russia,
Australia, Jamaica, the Philippines, and throughout North America!
Arabs only constitute about 20% of Muslims worldwide. Indonesia has
the largest concentration of Muslims at about 120 million!

29) In the formal prayer Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Arabia. It
is a cube-shaped stone structure that was originally built by Prophet
Adam and later rebuilt by Prophet Abraham. Muslims believe that the
Kaaba was the first house of worship on Earth dedicated to the
worship of one god. It serves as a central focal point for Muslims
around the world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing their
common belief, spiritual focus and direction. Muslims do not worship
the Kaaba. Interestingly, the inside of the Kaaba is empty.

30) The hajj is a simultaneous pilgrimage to the Kaaba made by able-
bodied Muslims each year. It is performed namely to commemorate the
struggles of Abraham, his son Ismail, and his wife Hagar in
submitting their wills to God.