Questions and Answers about Islam

Muhammad Ali Alkhuli

Description

This book gives answers to questions on Islam received by the author related to faith, worship, ethics, foods, drinks, clothes, and other Islamic aspects.

Sujets

• Islam
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Dar Al-Falah for Publishing & Distribution
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• EAN13: 9796500031125
• Langue: English

Extrait

 QUESTIONS

 and  ANSWERS  about  ISLAM

Dr. Muhammad Ali Alkhuli

ϡسإ΍نةبجأوةϠΌسأ

 (ةزϠإ΍ةغϠلاب)

يلΨل΍يϠدحمرتدل΍ Publisher DAR ALFALAH عزوتلاورشلحلاراد:رشΎلا : P. O. Box 818 Ώ.ص818 Swaileh 11910 و11910 Jordan ندرا Tel & fax [phone] سكΎوفتΎھ009626‐5411547 E-mail: books @daralfalah.com Website: www.daralfalah.com .همءزجيأوأΏΎتكلاروتعم،نوΎقلاΏجومب

شاϠلةظϔحمϕقحل΍عج

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Notes : Propared By The National Library

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ISBN 9957 -401-07-7 (كمΩر)

Publisher : ALFALAH HOUSE  P.O. Box 818  Swaileh 11910  Jordan Tel and Fax : [phone]

Class No. 260 Author : Alkhuli, Muhammad Ali Title : Questions and Answers about Islam Subject Heading : 1- Islam

Copyright 1992, by the publisher All rights are reserved by the publisher.

 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or translated without permission in writing from the publisher.

Deposit No. ( 217/ 2 / 1999 )

Edition 2006

PREFACE

 In the previous recent years, I have received many question, written and oral, form many persons, some of whom were Muslims who wanted to know more about Is- lam or to know it more profoundly. Some others were non-Muslims who were stimulated by curiousity so as to get acquainted with Islam, that religion which is vaguely known or not known at all by millions of people through- out the world.

 I used to answer these questions immediately either or- ally or in mailed letters. Then I thought it would be hope- fully useful if these questions and their answers were printed in a book. And so it was.

 This book is written to ordinary men and women, Mus- lims or non-Muslims, who want to know more about Is- lam. I hope that it will be helpful and useful to individuals who seek the truth wherever it is.

AUTHOR

Dr. Muhammad Ali Alkhuli

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CONTENTS

PREFACE : -------------------------------------------------- 3

CHAPTER 1: Questions about Faith ---------------------- 5

CHAPTER 2: Questions about Worship ---------------- 25

CHAPTER 3: Questions about Ethics ------------------- 39

CHAPTER 4: Questions about Foods, Drinks, and Clothes ------------------------------------- 58

CHAPTER 5: Questions about Marriage and Divorce--66

CHAPTER 6: Questions about Laws -------------------- 82

CHAPTER 7: Questions about Christianity ------------ 96

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Chapter One

QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH

Question 1 :

 What are the pillars of Islam? Answer :

 The pillars of Islam are five: 1.The two testimonies: to witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messen- ger. 2.Prayer (five times every day). 3.Fasting in the month of Ramadan. 4.Paying obligatory charity,i.e., zakat. 5.Performing pilgrimage by the able.

These five duties are called the pillars of Islam, because: 1.It is only Muslims who declare these two specific testi- monies. 2.It is only Muslims who pray five times every day. 3.It is only Muslims who fast completely from pre-dawn to sunset through the whole Ramadan month. 4.It is only Muslims who are required to pay zakat in addi- tion to voluntary charity.

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5. It is only Muslims who are required to perform pilgrim- age.

 Those five duties are characteristic of Muslims. That is why they are called to pillars of Islam. But Islam is not these five pillars only. It is much more than. It is all the commandments of God inthe Holy Quranall the and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

Question 2: Was Prophet Muhammad sent to the Arabs only? Answer:

 No, he was not. He was sent to all humans, whether Arabs or non-Arabs. God said inthe Holy Quran to Mu- hammad, " we sent thee not but as o mercy to all crea- tures. " (Quran: 21:107). Prophet Muhammad was sent to all peoples of all places and all times because he is the last prophet. No prophet has come or will come after him. In contrast, previous prophets were national: each one was sent to his own people only. For example, Jesus was sent to the house of Israel only (Matt. 15:24). Jesus himself said it very clearly in the gospels. Jesus never said that he was sent to all humans. He was NOT sent to Europeans or Americans.

Question 3:

 What is the meaning of "Everyone is born a Muslim"?

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Answer :

 It means that Islam,i.e.,submission to God, is the nat- ural inclination of every human being. It is only his fami- ly, mainly parents, who make him a non-Musllim,i.e., Christian, Jew, or whatever.

 Islam is simple, practical, logical, rational, and natural. No one can find difficulty in understanding or practicing it. Islam is devoid of inconsistencies. Islam is a compre- hensive code of life. Islam, if understood objectively, cannot be resisted or rejected. Islam is in live with the mind, in harmony with the soul, and in accordance with human nature.

 Everyone of us is a Muslim by his very nature. you feel at your heart that there is a creator of this universe, that you need His guidance, and that He is the Merciful, the Almighty, the Just, the Sustainer, and the All- knowing. You feel that you need Him in moments of dis- tress. This is the meaning of " Everyone is born a Mus- lim. "

Question 4 :

 Why does God not accept any religion except Islam?

Answer :

 God said inthe Holy Quran,"The Religion before God is Islam. " ( Quran : 3:19 ). He also said, " If anyone de-

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sires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he will be among losers." (Quran: 3:85).  So the only religion accepted by God is Islam. Why? It is because: 1.God, our creator, ordains whatever He wills and we, His creatures, should only submit and obey. 2.Islam means submission to God. Therefore, it implies belief in all revealed books and all prophets. 3.If you do really believe in God, you must believe in all prophets sent by God including Adam, Noah, Abra-ham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Moses, Jesus, and Mu-hammad. It is not for you to accept some prophets and reject others if you really believe in God and submit to Him. 4.All prophets are Muslims, because they obeyed God and accepted all His Books and all His prophets up to their time. 5.The disciples of Jesus were Muslims, because they believed in all prophets up to the time of Jesus. 6.If you reject any prophet or any revealed book, it means that you do not submit to God, because Moses is the prophet of God as much as Jesus is and as much as Muhammad is. The true believer in God is the one who accepts all the revealed books and all prophets. Anyone, at any where and at any time, who believes in God and all revealed books and all prophets, is a Muslim. 7.God does not accept from anyone to believe in some prophets and disbelieve in some. That is why the only religion accepted of men by God is the religion of Is- lam,i.e.,God, which entails belief insubmission to

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 All revealed books and ALL prophets.

Question 5 :

 Does Islam allow using war to force others to be Mus- lims?

Answer :

 No, it does not. God said inthe Holy Quran, "there is no compulsion in religion. " (Quran : 2:256). Muslims are allowed to fight others it the following cases: 1.If Muslims are attacked by others, they must fight in self-defence. 2.If Muslims are driven out of their homeland, they must fight those who drove them out of their land and must restoretheir land.

 Islam does not like aggression whether done by Mus- lims or by non-Muslims, whether done by individuals or by states. Islam does not allow Muslims to declare war against a peaceful non-Muslim neighbor. But Islam urges Muslims to go to war in self-defence and especially when some Muslims are driven out of their homeland, as in the case of the people of Palestine, who were driven out by the Israelis in 1948 and 1967 . Islam does not allow Muslims to initiate a war in aggression, but Islam makes waging war a duty in the case of self-defence or restoring usurped land.

 Islam prohibits aggression by Muslims, but at the same time urges Muslims to fight aggressors.

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