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 IRguerrilla 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 ie
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. 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".
(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. (49:13)
MISCONCEPTION #5: All Muslims are Arabs
The Muslim population of the world is around 1.2 billion. 1 out of 5 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. 30% 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'" are two different religions. NOI is more of a
political organization since its members are not limited to a single faith. Muslims
consider this group to be just one of many cults using the name of Islam for their own
gain. The only thing common between them is the jargon, the language used by both.
"The Nation of Islam" is a misnomer; this religion should be called Farrakhanism, after the
name of its propogator, Louis Farrakhan.
Islam and Farakhanism differ in many fundamental ways. For example, Farakhan
followers believe in racism and that the 'black man' was the original man and therefore
superior, while in Islam there is no racism and everyone is considered equal in the sight
of God, the only difference being in one's piety. There are many other theological
examples that show the 'Nation's teachings have little to do with true Islam. There are
many groups in America who claim to represent Islam and call their adherents Muslims.
Any serious student of Islam has a duty to investigate and find the true Islam. The only
two authentic sources which bind every Muslim are 1. the Quran and 2. authentic or
sound Hadith. Any teachings under the label of "Islam" which contradict or at variance
with the direct understanding of fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam form the
Quran and authentic Hadith should be rejected and such a religion should be considered
a Pseudo-Islamic Cult.
In America there are many pseudo-Islamic cults, Farrakhanism being one of them. An
honest attitude on the part of such cults should be not to call themselves Muslims and
their religion Islam. such an example of honesty is Bahaism which is an off-shoot of
Islam but Bahais do not call themselves Muslims nor their religion, Islam. In fact
Bahaism is not Islam just as Farrakhanism is not Islam.
MISCONCEPTION #7: All Muslim men marry four wives.
The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates
widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another
wife but the right is granted, according to the Quran, only on condition that the husband
is scrupulously fair. No woman can be forced into this kind of marriage if they do not
wish it, and they also have the right to exclude it in their marriage contract.
Polygamy is neither mandatory, nor encouraged, but merely permitted. Images of
"sheikhs with harems" are not consistent with Islam, as a man is only allowed at most
four wives only if he can fulfill the stringent conditions of treating each fairly and
providing each with separate housing etc. Permission to practice polygamy is not
associated with mere satisfaction of passion. It is rather associated with compassion
toward widows and orphans. It was the Quran that limited and put conditions on the
practice of polygamy among the Arabs, who had as many as ten or more wives and
considered them "property".
It is both honest and accurate to say that it is Islam that regulated this practice, limited it,
made it more humane, and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. What the
Qur'anic decrees amount to, taken together is discouragement of polygamy unless
necessity for it exists. It is also evident that the general rule in Islam is monogamy and
not polygamy. It is a very tiny percentage of Muslims that practice it over the world.
However, permission to practice limited polygamy is only consistent with Islam's realistic
view of the nature of man and woman and of various social needs, problems and cultural
variations.
The question is, however far more than the inherent flexibility of Islam; it also is the frank
and straightforward approach of Islam in dealing with practical problems. Rather than
requiring hypocritical and superficial compliance, Islam delves deeper into the problems
of individuals and societies, and provides for legitimate and clean solutions which are far
more beneficial than would be the case if they were ignored. There is no doubt that the
second wife legally married and treated kindly is better off than a mistress without any
legal rights or expermanence.
MISCONCEPTION #8: Muslims are a barbaric, backward people.
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its
doctrine-Islam calls for faith in only one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly
instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years,
great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet (pbuh),
'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'.
The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about
great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture,
art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals,
and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were
transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to
make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the
astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.
MISCONCEPTION #9: Muhammad was the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him.
Muhammad(pbuh) was born in Mecca in the year 570. Since his father died before his
birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected
tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and
sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians
describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (pbuh) was of a deeply religious
nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society.
It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near Mecca. At the
age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad(pbuh) received his first
revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for 23
years is known as the Quran. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from
Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small group
of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God
gave them the command to emigrate.
This event, the Hijra 'migration', in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina, marks
the beginning of the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his followers
were able to return to Mecca, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam
definitively. Before the Prophet saw dies at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was
Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as
far East as China. He died with less than 5 possessions to his name.
While Muhammad (pbuh) was chosen to deliver the message, he is not considered the
"founder" of Islam, since Muslims consider Islam to be the same divine guidance sent to
all peoples before. Muslims believe all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus
etc. were all sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent to his
own people, but Muhammad(pbuh) was sent to all of mankind. Muhammad is the last
and final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam. Muslims revere and honor him
(pbuh) for all he went through and his dedication, but they do not worship him. "O
Prophet, verily We have sent you as a witness and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner
and as one who invites unto God by His leave and as an illuminating lamp."(33:45-6)
MISCONCEPTION #10: Muslims don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets.
Muslims respect and revere Jesus, upon him be peace, and await his Second Coming.
They consider him one of the greatest of God's messengers to mankind. A Muslim never
refers to him simply as 'Jesus', but always adds the phrase 'upon him be
peace' (abbreviated as (u) here). The Quran confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the
Quran is entitled 'Mary'), and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The
Quran describes the Annunciation as follows:
"Behold!" the Angel said, "God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above
the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him whose
name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter,
and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from his cradle and
in maturity, and shall be of the righteous." She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son
when no man has touched me?" He said: "Even so; God creates what He will. When He
decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!" and it is" (Quran 3:42-47)
Jesus (u) was born miraculously through the same power, which had brought Adam (u)
into being without a father: "Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of
Adam. He created him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was." (3:59) During his
prophetic mission Jesus (u) performed many miracles. The Quran tells us that he said: "
I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the
figure of a bird, and breath into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the
blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave." (3:49) Neither Muhammad
(pbuh) not Jesus (u) came to change the basic doctrine of the brief in One God brought
by earlier prophets, but to confirm and renew it.
In the Quran Jesus (u) is reported as saying that he came: "To attest the law which was
before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to
you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey Me. (3:50) The Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Whoever believes there is no god but God, alone without
partner, that Muhammad (pbuh) is His messenger, that Jesus is the servant and
messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit emanating from Him, and
that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received by God into Heaven. "(Hadith related by
Bukhari).
Sources: (Islam: A Brief Introduction, Islamic Circle of North America, Jamaica, New
York) (Understanding Islam and the Muslims, The Islamic Affairs Department The
Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington DC, 1989.) (Badawi, Jamal, Polygamy in
Islamic Law, The Muslim Students' Association of the United States & Canada,) (Islam
and Farrakhanism Compared, The Institute of Islamic Information and Education,
Chicago, Illinois) (Jihad Explained, The Institute of Islamic Information & Education,
Chicago, Illinois)
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