TOP TEN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM
by : Huma Ahmad
MISCONCEPTION #1: Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists. This is
the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting from the constant
stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When a gunman attacks a mosque
in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban
area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians,
these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith. Never are these acts
attributed to the religion of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard
the words 'Islamic, Muslim fundamentalist, etc.' linked with violence. Politics
in so called "Muslim countries" may or may not have any Islamic basis. Often
dictators and politicians will use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One
should remember to go to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion
of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means
'submission to God' and is derived from a root word meaning 'peace'. Islam may
seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because
religion doesn't dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered
a 'way of life' for Muslims and they make no division between secular and sacred
in their lives. Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in
defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly
from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions
against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock.
NOWHERE DOES ISLAM ENJOIN THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS....The Quran says: "Fight in
the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God
does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190) "If they seek peace, then seek you
peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things."
(Quran 8:61) War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous
conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term 'jihad' literally means
'struggle'. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad'
is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires
for the sake of attaining inner peace. MISCONCEPTION #2: Islam oppresses
women. The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to
stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most peoples thoughts.
Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not
be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these countries do not rule by any kind of
Shari'ah (Islamic law) and introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue
of gender equity. Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles
and equity between the two is laid down in the Quran and the example of the
Prophet (peace be upon him). Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as
an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her
property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for
her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her
husband's. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is modest and
dignified. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in
faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."
Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for
anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which
either partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely
from country to country. Divorce is not common, although it is acceptable as a
last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against
her will: her parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable.
MISCONCEPTION #3: Muslims worship a different God. Allah is simply the Arabic
word for God. Allah for Muslims is the greatest and most inclusive of the Names
of God, it is an Arabic word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God and
ascribing no partners to Him. It is exactly the same word which the Jews, in
Hebrew, use for God (eloh), the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he
prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;
Allah is the same God worshiped by Muslims, Christians and Jews. Muslims believe
that Allah's sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to
obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets
who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history. However,
it should be noted that God in Islam is One and Only. He, the Exalted, does not
get tired, does not have a son (i.e. Jesus) or have associates, nor does He have
human-like attributions as found in other faiths. MISCONCEPTION #4: Islam was
spread by the sword and intolerant of other faiths. Many social studies
textbooks for students show the image of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in
one hand and the Quran in the other conquering and forcibly converting. This,
though, is not a correct portrayal of history. Islam has always given respect
and freedom of religion to all faiths. The Quran says: "God forbids you not,
with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of
your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who
are just." (Qur'an 60:8) Freedom of religion is laid down in the Quran itself:
"There is no compulsion (or coercion) in the religion (Islam). The right
direction is distinctly clear from error." (Qur'an 2:256) Christian missionary,
T.W. Arnold had this opinion on his study of the question of the spread of
Islam: "...of any organized attempt to force the acceptance of Islam on the
non-Muslim population, or of any systematic persecution intended to stamp out
the Christian religion, we hear nothing. Had the caliphs chosen to adopt either
course of action, they might have swept away Christianity as easily as Ferdinand
and Isabella drove Islam out of Spain, or Louis XIV made Protestanism..." It
is a function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and
this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic
world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths:
when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of
worship to all religious communities in the city. Proclaiming to the inhabitants
that their lives, and property were safe, and that their places of worship would
never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to
accompany him on a visit to all the holy places. Islamic law also permits
non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws
drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in
an Islamic state are considered sacred whether the person is Muslim or not.
Racism is not a part of Islam, the Quran speaks only of human equality and how
all peoples are equal in the sight of God. "O mankind! We created you from a
single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you
may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is
the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All- Aware." (Qur'an 49:13
<http://members.tripod.com/~bimcrot/images/sura49.jpg
Muslims are Arabs The Muslim population of the world is around 1,2 billion. One
out of five people in the world is a Muslim. They are a vast range of races,
nationalities, and cultures from around the globe--from the Phillipines to
Nigeria--they are united by their common Islamic faith. Only about 18% live in
the Arab world and the largest Muslim community is in Indonesia. Most Muslims
live east of Pakistan. Thirty percent of Muslims live in the Indian
subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab
world, and 10% in the Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan make
up 10% of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim minorities in
almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most numerous
in Russia and its newly independent states, India and central Africa. There are
about 6 million Muslims in the United States. MISCONCEPTION #6: The Nation of
Islam is a Muslim group. Islam and the so called "Nation of Islam (NOI)" are
two different religions. NOI is more of a political organization since its