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Islam Overview
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As I have stated before, I am not an expert in the field of Islam but a mere mortal who is always on the path of learning more. In a religious studies class that I took recently, the final essay was to be based on some aspect comparing two of the three religions we had studied in detail (Islam,Christianity,Judaism) I chose to do my final essay on a comparison between the lives of Jesus Christ and the prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The factual information in this essay has been cited but all else is my own ideology and what I have learned from studying the lives of these two prophets. I hope it is something you will find informative.....
An Essay by Negeena..The lives of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Jesus Christ
There are five obligations for all Muslims which frequently are referred to as the five pillars of Islam. These are specific things to do as religious practice, rather than general norms of conduct such as those with which this paper has dealt.
Every person is a brother or sister and loved by God. You can not injure, dishonor or use any person without defiling yourself. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden because it is evil in itself but also because it dishonors the other person, yourself, and the institution of marriage. Stealing likewise is forbidden both because it is evil and because it injures others, and brings shame on yourself, your family, and your Faith.
1. Saying the creed (Shahadah). Muslims say the creed several times every day, "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is the messenger [prophet] of Allah" (La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah). Shahadah means bearing witness, it is an affirmation of one's faith.
2. Daily prayer (Salah). A Muslim is supposed to say prayers [these are special prayers revealed through Muhammed, the equivalent of the Lord's Prayer in Christianity] at five specified times of each day. These times are at dawn, midday, midafternoon, sunset and nightfall. Muslims must cleanse themselves before saying these prayers and then they face towards Mecca to offer their prayers. They kneel down and touch their heads to the ground at various times during the prayers as a sign of their submission to God. On Friday (Juma) men should go to a mosque to say their prayers with other Muslims.
3. Giving of Alms (Zakah). Muslims are expected to give money as gifts (alms) to the poor of the community.
4. Fasting (Sawm). Muslims observe the month of Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours. This is in remembrance of the gift of God's revelation to Muhammed (the Qur'an).
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj). Each Muslim should go to Mecca at least once in his life if at all possible. The pilgrimage is performed during a special month and there are a number of practices expected during the pilgrimage, in which the pilgrim venerates the sacred shrines of Islam.
"Some Basic Concepts/Clearing some misconceptions"
Being clean not only refers to the outside. One who drinks alcoholic beverages or uses drugs such as cocaine or heroin defiles himself on many levels. Pork is forbidden because the pig is an unclean animal which eats filth. This prohibition goes back to Abraham and Moses before Muhammed. It is thought by some to be a special protection against the disease of trichinosis. The trichina worms which cause this painful, crippling disease are passed from pig to pig when pigs eat the raw flesh of dead pigs. Cooking pork thoroughly kills the trichina worms and prevents the disease. Now a Muslim is indeed forbidden to eat pork, but the person who is drinking alcohol and using cocaine and then says he can not eat pork is making a fool of himself and bringing the Islamic Faith into ridicule for hypocrisy. Of course he shouldn't eat pork, but to insist on this while ignoring the prohibition against other things is doubly bad in that it causes others to hold the submission to the will of God in contempt.
A Muslim will always value learning and scholarship. He will study the word of God (the Qur'an) all his life. He will want to learn all types of knowledge and he will respect people of learning and their wisdom. Anyone who plays the fool in class or makes fun of scholars or damages books, etc., is not obeying the precepts of Islam. A Muslim will always encourage his own children and all other young people to learn as much as they can and to do well in school. This great emphasis on learning and scholarship goes far beyond what is normally found in Christianity, but is similar to that of the Jewish tradition. A school is a revered place, a book is venerated as a source of wisdom, and wise men and women are greatly honored, especially teachers.
Men and women are equal. Completely. Anyone not treating women with respect and consideration is bringing shame on himself and Islam. The rules of modesty and dress are different for men and women, and the fact that Muslim women dress and act modestly and are expected to do so by other Muslims is misunderstood by many outside the faith as indicating inferior status. Muslim women can be scholars, professionals and leaders (many are or have been) so long as they conduct themselves with modesty, dignity and decorum. The same applies to men. The man who jives down the street with a loud boom-box and wild clothing is not maintaining the dignity demanded of Muslims. There is no need for a Muslim to be dressed in a fancy suit, but he must be clean and presentable, dignified and honorable. To be dirty because one has been doing needed work is no shame, but to be dirty because one is lazy is not acceptable. If this sounds very familiar to the Christian, he would do well to remember that Jesus is a holy prophet of Islam and the Muslim must and does follow the teachings of Jesus.
A Muslim is responsible. He obeys the law unless to do so would be evil. A Muslim will resist evil laws and every Muslim will approve of going to jail for defying racial discrimination. But he will obey other laws which have nothing to do with right and wrong because to break the law brings discredit on the person and on his Faith. A Muslim must work for his living if it is at all possible. If he is sick or disabled or there is no work available, there is no shame in accepting aid from others or from religious institutions or governments. But the demand for honor and dignity means a Muslim must earn his own living if possible. Even in the situation where he could make more from welfare or unemployment benefits than from working, the Muslim must work. A Muslim must support his children and his wife. This obligation is absolute. It is not removed by divorce or other separation.
Muslims are respectful and considerate of other religions. They hold the "religions of the book" in particular veneration. The religions of the book are the religions which worship the one true God and follow His word as revealed by His prophets. This means the Jewish, Sabaean [Sheban], Christian and Muslim religions. A Muslim should venerate a Jewish synagogue or a Christian church as a holy place devoted to the worship of the one God of all these religions. When Farrakhan called Judaism a "gutter religion", he defamed Islam along with Judaism.
