Islam 101

1. Islam 101 Islam, Interfaith Dialogue and Global Ethic Ejaz Naqvi, MD Past President, Islamic Center of Zahra, Pleasanton Author of The Quran: With or Against the Bible?

2. Islam means…. • Islam means submission- to the will of God • Islam is “God-centric” • Also means “peace” -Assalamo Alaikum • Muslim- is a submitter

3. Pillars of Islam • Shahada or Testimony. One God- Tawheed. • Daily Obligatory Prayers (Salah) • Charity (Zakah) • Fasting (Sawm) • Pilgrimage (Hajj)

4. Core Beliefs • Belief in God-Oneness of God • Same God as the ”God of Bible?” • Prophets • Angels • The scriptures • The Day of Judgment and the life after

5. GodAllah=Elohim=Elah=Eloi=God • Allah means God. • Not a proper name of God. • “And your God is One God. (“Your Allah is one Allah”). There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” The Quran 2:163 Tawheed in the Bible: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” --- Deuteronomy 6:4 “You must not have other gods besides Me.” The 1/10 Commandment. --- (Exodus 20; Deut. 5)

6. God • “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:7–8 • “Therefore, remember Me, and, I will remember you, be grateful to Me and never deny Me.” 2:152

7. God • “You alone we worship, and you alone do we ask for help” The Quran 1:5 You alone we worship in the Bible • “He alone is your God, the Only one who is worthy of your praise, the One who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.” Deuteronomy 10:21

8. 99 names of God • The most often repeated attribute in the Quran: Ar Rehman (The Most Kind) and Ar Raheem (The Most merciful)

9. Muhammad PBUH- Rehmatul Alaimeen • Means “Mercy to all the worlds (Pleural)- not just to Muslims or mankind • “And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds .” 21:107 • Compare with “Rabb ul Alaimeen-Lord of the World • Sadiq and Ameen- even after Hijra • Conquest of Mecca • Taif • Offered prayer on the death of Christian ruler- Al Najashy

10. Belief in Prophet Muhammad PBUH “O mankind! The Apostle has now come unto you with the truth from your Sustainer: believe, then, for your own good! And if you deny the truth - behold, unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and God is indeed all-knowing, wise!.” 4:170 Note “O Mankind”, rather than O believers.

11. Beliefs in Prophets •  And those who believe in Allah and His messengers and do not make a distinction between any of them-- Allah will grant them their rewards; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 4:152 •  Say: We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqoub and the tribes, and what was given to Musa and Isa and to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit. 2:84

12. Islam- One religion • “The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - that which We have sent by inspiration to you [meaning Muhammad] - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that you should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein:…” 42:13 • “Verily! this, your religion(Ummah), is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me” 21:92

13. Mary/Maryam • She is mentioned by name more often in the Quran than in the Gospel. • In fact, she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran • A whole chapter is named after her. • Chosen above all women and purified by God:a declaration not found in the New Testament. “Behold! the angels said: O Mary! God has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations.” 3:42

14. The Quran and Hadith

15. The Quran • Literal word of God- revealed to Prophet Muhammad • Revealed over 22 years from 610 AD to 632 • 114 chapters. 6600 verses • ~79,000 words but only about 2000 unique words. The rest are derivatives of the root words. • Arrangement- not chronological. • Complete set of guidelines- goes over the belief system as well as code of conduct. • Only the Arabic scripts are considered the Quran. All other translations are just that. • Unchanged from the time of revelation.

16. God made us Diverse… • …..to each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single community (“Ummatan Wahida”),but (His plan is) to test you in what He has given you: So vie one with another in good works. Unto Allah you will all return, it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which you dispute.” --- The Quran 5:48

17. The Quran on Jews and Christians • “For, verily, those who have attained to faith (in this divine writ), as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Sabeans, and the Christians—all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds—no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve (on the Day of Judgment).” 5:69 • “Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” 2:62

18. Protect Churches and Synagogues • Had Allah not repelled some people by the might of others, the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s praise is daily celebrated, would have been utterly demolished. Allah will certainly help those who help His cause; most surely Allah is Mighty, Powerful. These are the people who, if We establish them in the land, will establish Salah and pay Zakah, enjoin justice and forbid evil; the final decision of all affairs is in the hands of Allah.” 22:39–41

19. Pillars of Islam and Code of Conduct

20. Salah-Daily prayers • Obligatory- Five times a day • Congregational • Special occasions • Mannerisms • Essence

21. Fasting-Sawm • Obligatory and optional • Timing • What is prohibited • Essence “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).” 2:183

22. Charitable Giving • Zakah-one of the pillars-Mandatory. Zakah means to purify. Due as a fixed proportion of one’s surplus wealth and earnings after meeting one’s financial obligations and liabilities. • Sadaqah (Voluntary charity)-Highly recommended • Khums- According to Shia Muslim school of thought- 1/5 of the profit or surplus at the end of the year.

23. Charitable Giving-Purpose Not for show: • “And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive. We only feed you for Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks” 76:8-9 “If you do deeds of charity openly, it is well; but if you bestow it upon the needy in secret, it will be even better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds. And God is aware of all that you do.” 2:271

24. Hajj-Pilgrimage to Mecca • Once in a life time • Background • Rituals

25. A 2008 study conducted in conjunction with Harvard University’s JFK School of Government “Hajj increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic community and that Hajjis (those who have performed the Hajj) show increased belief in peace, and in equality and harmony among adherents of different religions. The evidence suggests that these changes are more a result of exposure to and interaction with Hajjis from around the world, rather than religious instruction or a changed social role of pilgrims upon return.”

28. Hadith and the Golden Rule Not one of you truly believes until you wish for your brother (others) what you wish for yourself.”

29. Islam and Women • Spiritual equality • “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.” 16:97 • “So their Lord accepted their prayer: That I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female.” 3:195 Islam and Equality • “Verily, the most honored among you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous…” 49:13

30. Husband/Wife Relationship and love • “And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.” 30:21 • “And one of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors; most surely there are signs in this for the learned.” 30:22

31. Hadith on Equality • “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white – except by piety and good action.” Prophet Muhammad-Last sermon • Bilal-the first Mawwazin (One who recite the Call to prayers) of Islam

32. Justice/Hate in the Quran • A major theme in the Quran. “O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.”5:8

33. Protect Life • “..if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”  5:32

34. Amr-bil-Ma’ruf- Enjoin What’s Good “And from among you there should be a party who invites to good and enjoin what’s right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful.” 3:104

35. Kindness, Mercy and Humility “And serve Allah and do not associate any thing with Him and be good to the parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbor of (your) kin and the alien neighbor, and the companion in a journey and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands possess; surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful.” 4:36

36. Be kind to ALL creatures-Hadith “Those who are kind and considerate to Allah’s creatures, Allah bestows His kindness and affection on them. Show kindness to the creatures on the earth so that Allah may be kind to you”

37. Humility/Tolerance • Hadith from Sahih on Aisha and prophet Muhammad • Ali’s example during a battle

38. Humility/Tolerance • “And the servants of Most Gracious (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant [in reference to pagans of Mecca] address them, they say, ‘Peace!’ [Salaam].” 25:63 •  5th Imam’s example- verse 25:63 (If what you say is true, may Allah forgive me; and if you are lying, then Allah may forgive you. ) • “And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best.” 41:34 • “Those who avoid the greater crimes and shameful deeds, and, when they are angry even then forgive.” 42:37

39. Righteousness defined • “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the East and the West, (meaning facing Ka’aba for prayers) but righteousness is this that one should believe in God and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, ANDgive away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer (Salah) and pay the poor-rate (Zakah); and the performers of their promise when they make a promise (or keep their pledges when they make a pledge), and the patient in distress and affliction and in time of conflicts—these are they who are true (to themselves) and these are they who guard (against evil).” (“Muttaqoon” –God-fearing) 2:177

40. Time to Ponder • If the Torah, the Gospel and the Quran refer to the same God, why do we not see the same name across all Scriptures? • Does it make a difference if we call Him Allah, Elohim, Eloi or God? • Does the Quran insist we call Him as Allah only? • Does the Bible insist we call Him as Elohim only?