Tuesday, October 02, 2007

What makes us Muslims

[This post is basically me stating my view regarding what was posted on: Exposing Muslims against Sharia]

It’s a plain fact in life that things change, ideas evolve and cultural norms adapt to the changing environment, but what do we do when the change start affecting religious beliefs and values, and where do we stop and what should we hold to and what should be changed. It’s a sensitive issue in the society and many people deny and can’t accept that we should try to make the best of everything, of course their actions don’t agree with what they say but that’s another story. If we’re not going to change for ourselves then we should think about doing it for our children because we don’t want them to grow up with conflicting ideas in a multicultural society.

That said, there are things that we can’t afford to lose in Islam and our beliefs, they are plain facts that every Muslim knows and whoever doesn’t believe in that or can’t accept it – maybe they should go and give the religion they are self-tailoring for themselves a name other than Islam.

Islam is simple and direct unlike what people think, to be a Muslim you have to believe in some things and do some things that has been craved in our minds since we were kids, so I don’t see how grown up can’t remember them and hold dearly to them?

Articles of Faith (Arkan AlEman) –

  1. Believe in Allah (an only God)
  2. His Angels
  3. His books of revelation (Quran, Torah, Testaments, Bible and more)
  4. All His prophets
  5. The day of judgment and the afterlife
  6. Faith in divine decree whether it’s good or bad.

Five pillars of Islam (Arkan AlEslam) –

  1. Declaration of faith (Alshahada) which goes “I believe that there is only one God and Mohammed is his messenger”
  2. Prayer (Five times a day at designated timings)
  3. Fasting (Seyam) in the month of Ramadan
  4. Zakat – almsgiving in a certain percentage according to a person’s assets.
  5. Hajj – Pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a Muslim’s life to those who are able.

If you don’t believe in those things then you can’t call yourself a Muslim anymore because how can you identify yourself with a group of people when you don’t believe in what holds the group together?

5 comments:

Arabized said...

It so sad how some people cant even perform the five basic pillars of Islam.

They should be grateful we aren't praying 50 times a day. -Props to Prophet Musa (asws)-

Anonymous said...

MJ,

We agree with Five Pillars part. Articles of Faith part is a little more complicated. Not only some parts of the Koran contradict each other, but there are some parts of the Koran that contradict the Bible.

MJ said...

MAS,
Did you ever wonder that maybe you think some parts of the Quran contradict each other to you because Arabic is not your first language, maybe if you tried harder to understand it, or asked someone to help you with it it would make more sense to you?
From what I have read of what you believe, you seem to take only small verses and judge, when you're not reading the whole story.

Anonymous said...

"Did you ever wonder that maybe you think some parts of the Quran contradict each other to you because Arabic is not your first language"

Would you care to reconcile "kill them wherever you find them" with a concept of preciousness of human life (both items are found in the Koran).

Muslims Against Sharia Poll:
Does Islam Need to Be Reformed?

MJ said...

Here is the complete exact translation of that verse:

"(189) Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. (190) And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. (191) But if they cease, Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (192) And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. (193) The prohibited month―for the prohibited month―and so for all things prohibited there is the law of equality. If then anyone transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves." -surat albaqara

doesn't that make more sense? You only fight those who fights you, and if they stopped you stopped because Allah is merciful.