ISLAM

Is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: Allh), and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. Islam is a verbal noun originating from the trilateral root s-l-m which forms a large class of words mostly relating to concepts of wholeness, completion and bonding/joining. In a religious context it means "voluntary submission to God". Muslim, the word for an adherent of Islam, is the active participle of the same verb of which Islm is the infinitive. Believers demonstrate submission to God by serving God and following his commands, and rejecting polytheism. The word sometimes has distinct connotations in its various occurrences in the Qur'an. In some verses (ayat), there is stress on the quality of Islam as an internal conviction: "Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam." Other verses connect islm and dn (usually translated as "religion"): "Today, I have perfected your religion (dn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your religion." Still others describe Islam as an action of returning to Godmore than just a verbal affirmation of faith. Another technical meaning in Islamic thought is as one part of a triad of islam, imn (faith), and ihsn (excellence) where it represents acts of service (`ibdah) and Islamic law (sharia).

The 6 Articles of Faith

The core beliefs of Islam are that there is only one God unitary and beyond comprehension and that Muhammad is the prophet of God, the last in a series of prophets beginning with Adam. The Quran is upheld as the eternal, literal word of God, and revelations to earlier prophets, as seen in the Jewish Torah and Christian Gospels, are believed to have become distorted by human intervention. Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, and belief in angels as Gods servants is part of the Islamic tradition. Belief in the Day of Judgment, when all people will undergo bodily resurrection and be judged by God, is another core tenet. While Sunni and Shia Muslims adhere to these basic beliefs, Shia also believe in the Imamate, the line of infallible spiritual and political leaders who succeeded Muhammad, beginning with his cousin and son-in-law, Ali.

God
Islam's most fundamental concept is a rigorous monotheism, called tawhd. God is described in chapter 112 of the Qur'an as: "Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him." (112:1-4) Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism, but accept Jesus as a prophet. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension and Muslims are not expected to visualize God. God is described and referred to by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahmn, meaning "The Compassionate" and Al-Rahm, meaning "The Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam). Muslims believe that creation of everything in the universe is brought into being by Gods sheer command Be and so it is. and that the purpose of existence is to love and serve God. He is viewed as a personal God who responds whenever a person in need or distress calls Him. There are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God who states We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein Allh is the term with no plural or gender used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews meaning the one God, while ilh is the term used for a deity or a god in general. Other non-Arab

Muslims might use different names as much as Allah, for instance "Tanr" in Turkish or "Khod" in Persian. Angels Belief in angels is fundamental to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for angel (malak) means "messenger", like its counterparts in Hebrew (malakh) and Greek (angelos). According to the Qur'an, angels do not possess free will, and worship God in total obedience. Angels' duties include communicating revelations from God, glorifying God, recording every person's actions, and taking a person's soul at the time of death. They are also thought to intercede on man's behalf. The Qur'an describes angels as "messengers with wings two, or three, or four (pairs): He [God] adds to Creation as He pleases..." Revelations The Islamic holy books are the records which most Muslims believe were dictated by God to various prophets. Muslims believe that parts of the previously revealed scriptures, the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospels), had become distorted either in interpretation, in text, or both.[4] The Qur'an (literally, Reading or Recitation) is viewed by Muslims as the final revelation and literal Word of God and is widely regarded as the finest piece of literature work in the Arabic language. Prophets Muslims identify the prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God to be his messengers. According to the Qur'an[43] the descendants of Abraham and Imran were chosen by God to bring the "Will of God" to the peoples of the nations. Muslims believe that prophets are human and not divine, though some are able to perform miracles to prove their claim. Islamic theology says that all of God's messengers preached the message of Islamsubmission to the Will of God. The Qur'an mentions the names of numerous figures considered prophets in Islam, Including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, among others. Resurrection and judgment Belief in the "Day of Resurrection", Yawm al-Qiymah is also crucial for Muslims. They believe the time of Qiymah is preordained by God but unknown to man. The trials and tribulations preceding and during the Qiymah are described in the Qur'an and thehadith, and also in the commentaries of scholars. The Qur'an emphasizes bodily resurrection, a break from the Arabian understanding of death. Predestination In accordance with the Islamic belief in predestination, or divine preordainment (al-qad wa'l-qadar), God has full knowledge and control over all that occurs. This is explained in Qur'anic verses such as "Say: 'Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector'..." For Muslims, everything in the world that occurs, good or evil, has been preordained and nothing can happen unless permitted by God. According to Muslim theologians, although events are pre-ordained, man possesses free will in that he has the faculty to choose between right and wrong, and is thus responsible for his actions. According to Islamic tradition, all that has been decreed by God is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfz, the "Preserved Tablet".

Five pillars
The Pillars of Islam (arkan al-Islam; also arkan ad-din, "pillars of religion") are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. TheQuran presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the shahadah (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) almsgiving (zakah), (4) fasting during Ramadan and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. The Shia and Sunnisects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts.

Testimony The Shahadah, which is the basic creed of Islam that must be recited under oath with the specific statement: "'ahadu 'al-l ilha ill-llhu wa 'ahadu 'anna muammadan raslu-llh", or "I testify there are no deities other than God alone and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to recite the creed. Prayer Ritual prayers, called alh or alt, must be performed five times a day. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude andworship. Salah is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Qur'an. Alms-giving "Zakt" is giving a fixed portion of accumulated wealth by those who can afford it to help the poor or needy, and also to assist the spread of Islam. It is considered a religious obligation (as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a "trust from God's bounty". The Qur'an and the hadith also suggest a Muslim give even more as an act of voluntary almsgiving (adaqah). Fasting Fasting, from food and drink (among other things) must be performed from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadhan. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy. Sawm is not obligatory for several groups for whom it would constitute an undue burden. For others, flexibility is allowed depending on circumstances, but missed fasts usually must be made up quickly. Pilgrimage The pilgrimage, called the ajj during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. Rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching the black stone if possible, walking or running seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and symbolically stoning the Devil inMina.

Ex-Christian Businessman & Preacher Enters Islam Chaplain Yusuf Estes

My ethnic background is English-Native American, Irish and German. I was what they called a WASP (white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant). My family moved to Texas in 1949 while I was still in grade school, so my accent changed from Yankee to Texan real quick. We learned how to say Yall instead of youse guys and Howz ever thaang? instead of Waz up? We also learned how to eat Corn bread n bains instead of Johnny cakes and beans. I was born in Ohio, raised and educated in Texas and was a successful marketing entrepreneur and preacher of Christianity. I grew up in a religious home. My parents and their relatives were all good Christians. Basically that means that you never drink alcohol, except on very special occasions and never gamble expect Bingo at the church. Religion was a real part of my life. I believed very much in God and the Bible as His Word. While other children were playing school and cops and robbers I would sometimes play the Preacher. I can still remember my first sermon, standing on the ground in Doug Hidemans backyard: We must learn the Way of God! And then stay on that Way. (Thats all I said. I couldnt think of anything else) My whole family on both my mothers and fathers sides were very active members of the same denomination of Protestant Christianity. We all loved to go to church on Sunday mornings for Sunday school and sermon (well maybe we didnt all love the long sermons). Then of course, special activities and holidays such as Easter, Christmas, Halloween and parties were always a part of our lives in my early years. Our church was originally called only Christian Church. It wasnt until I turned 10 or 12 years old that the church split into two different groups that we started calling ourselves Disciples of Christ. My father was an ordained minister and also very active in church work, as a Sunday school minister and fund raiser for Christian schools. He was the expert in the Bible and its translations. It was through my father that I came to know about the various versions, translations and editions of the Bible as well as the introduction of pagan worship to Christianity about the time of the Emperor Constantine (325 C.E.). He, like many preachers would answer the question: Did God actually write the Bible? by saying: The Bible is the Inspired Word of Man FROM GOD. Basically, it means that humans (inspired humans, but humans just the same) wrote the Bible. That quickly explains the errors, mistakes, deletions and additions which have crept in and fell out over the years. He would add: But it is still the Word of God, as inspired to man. God was always on my mind. I was baptized into the Spirit at age 12 and surprised even the minister (an ex-Jew who accepted Jesus) by my seriousness and intent on being a full real follower of Christ. I would think about Him and what He wanted us to do and why He created us in the first place, very often. Many times I would be caught day dreaming about God when I was supposed to be paying attention to other things, like watching the pots boil over on the stove or not listen to the teachers at school. Sometimes I would rest my head on my arms on the top of my desk and try to imagine: What will happen when we die? and What will Heaven be like? or Can we ever see Gods angels or the devil? My mind was frequently preoccupied with these types of thoughts as a child. But then as with most youth, I became distracted from my pursuit and began to be influenced by my peers. Other children

would make fun of me if I talked about these questions and thoughts, so it seemed like a good idea to keep it to myself. No problem. I like to be alone with my thoughts of God anyway. After growing up and owning many business, I realized that I did not want to be a preacher. I was too afraid that I might be a hypocrite or call people to something that I myself didnt truly understand. After all, I had accepted the Lord and considered myself a true Christian, but at the same time I could not resolve the idea of God being One and at the same time He is Three. And if He is the Father, how could He also be the Son? And then what about the Holy Ghost? (later they changed that to Spirit). But my big question was always the same: How does three equal one? Over the years I had tried to find God in many different ways. I checked out Buddhism, Hinduism, metaphysics, Taoism, different forms of Christianity and Judaism. The one most attractive to me was a combination of Gnosticism (Christian mysticism) and Cabalism (Jewish mysticism) and metaphysics. This actually is a form of pantheism (God being throughout His creation) and is similar to some of the Sufi mystics of today. But this concept in its entirety repulsed me because I did not want to imagine myself as being a part of God. God is Pure! God is Perfect! God is All Knowing and All Aware of all things! So, how can I come along and say things like I was hearing from the other preachers: In a way, we are all gods. Read the Bible: You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like men, and fall like any prince. (quoted from the Old Testament; Psalms [82:6]) & I said, you are gods. (New Testament John 10:34)

Former Christian Abdullah DeLancey becomes a Muslim

This is the story of how I found Islam. My name is Abdullah DeLancey. I am Canadian and I am employed as a Patient Service Worker at the local Hospital. I have been married for almost 20 years and we have 3 wonderful children. Alhamdulillah. I am a now a Muslim. I wasnt always a Muslim though. Previously; I was a Protestant Christian for all of my life. My family brought me up in the Pentecostal Church until I was an adult at which time I moved to a fundamental Independent Baptist Church. As a faithful Christian I was very involved at Church, giving lectures for the Adult Sunday School and other duties. I was eventually elected as the Deacon of the Church. I really wanted to further my dedication to God and decided to pursue a career as a Minister. I was awarded a scholarship to help me start taking a Degree in Divinity. My goal was to be a Pastor of a Church or a Missionary. However, becoming a Minister would commit me and my whole family to the Church full time for life. So just before attending Bible College, I thought it best to look at Christianity critically and ask some very serious questions about my faith. I questioned the trinity, why God would need a son, and why the human sacrifice of Jesus, as stated in the bible, was needed to provide me with forgiveness. I questioned the Christian belief of how all the righteous people in the Old Testament were saved and in heaven if Jesus wasnt even born yet. I pondered serious questions about Christianity that I had neglected to ask my whole life. The answers I received from Christians on these theological issues which are the basis of the faith in Christianity defied all reason and were absolutely beyond any logical thinking. Why would God give us a wonderful brain and then expect us to temporarily stop using it? Because that is what Christianity is asking people to do when they say you just must have faith. That is blind faith. Realizing that I had always accepted Christianity, with Blind faith for my entire life and never had questioned it was perplexing to me. How could I have not realized this before? I could not find the

answers in the Bible. Once I realized that the trinity was a myth and that God is powerful enough to save someone without the need for help from a son or anyone or anything else. Things changed. My entire faith in Christianity fell apart. I could no longer believe in Christianity or be a Christian. I left the Church for good and my wife dutifully left with me, as she was having trouble accepting Christianity too. This was the start of my spiritual journey. I was now without a Religion but believed in a God. This was a very hard time for me and my family as Christianity was all we had ever known. I had to search for the truth. I began studying various religions and found them as false one after another. Until, I heard about Islam. Islam!!! What was that? As far as I could remember, I had never known a Muslim and Islam was not heard or spoken of as a faith in my part of Canada. Unless, of course, it was news stories talking bad about Islam. For me at that time, Islam was not even a consideration. Not on my religious radar at all. But then I started to read a little about Islam. Then, I kept reading a little more. Then, I read the Quran. This wonderful revelation of truth has changed my life forever. I immediately started to study ever piece of information pertaining to Islam I could get my hands on. I discovered the nearest Mosque was about 100 miles away from my city. So I promptly loaded the family van and drove my family to this Mosque. On the way, I was very nervous but also very excited at the same time.. I asked myself. Was I even allowed in the Mosque because I wasnt an Arab or a Muslim ? However after arriving at the Mosque I quickly realized I had nothing to fear. I was greeted by the Imam and the Muslims with a most warm greeting. I found them very nice. Nothing like the bad things the news always said about Muslims. They gave me a book by Ahmed Deedat and assured me I could be a Muslim. I studied all the material on Islam they gave me. I appreciated these books very much because our local library had only 4 books on Islam. After studying I was in shock. How could I have been a Christian for so long and never heard the truth. I now believed in Islam. I knew it and I wanted to convert. I was put in contact with the small Muslim community in my city. On March 24th 2006 I went to the Mosque. Just before Friday prayer started and with most of the local Muslim Community present as witness. I testified that La illaha ill Allah, Muhammadur Rasul Allah There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I was now a Muslim. It was the best day of my life. I love Islam and have peace now. Difficult times have come since I became a Muslim. When people started realizing I was now a Muslim they would shun me or laugh at me, most of our old Christian friends have never talked to us again. My parents have all but disowned me. I love being a Muslim and it doesnt matter if some of my fellow Canadians think of me as odd for becoming a Muslim. Why? The reason is that I alone, am the one that will have to answer to Allah after my death. Allah is the giver of strength and all mighty Allah has helped me through all the rough times after my conversion to Islam. I have many, many Muslim Brothers now. I have legally changed my first name to Abdullah, which I like very much. I am now the first and only Muslim Chaplain approved to work at the local hospital in my City. I am a Muslim and I am truly happy. All Thanks be to Allah. That is how I became a Muslim. Islam is right for you too. Maybe you are not just randomly reading this article by chance. Maybe you already believe Allah is the one and only true God. Do you want to have life and become a Muslim right now. It is a big step. But the best step you will ever take. Once you have decided that Islam is the truth. The only thing you must do to become a Muslim is truly believe and freely testify that There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Testify to this truth with me now. Become Muslim and have life.

Mexican-American Discovers Truth of Islam

My name is Ali. Im a 29 year old Mexican American, or as some would say, a Chicano. I think my story will in sha Allah (God willing) help people understand Islam and why it attracted me. Many people have a wrong perception about Islam and Muslims. What little they know is usually from Movies and Television, which is almost all the time false. My life before was bad I had no direction. I was wasting my life away by dropping out of school in the 11th grade. I would hang out in the streets with my friends partying, getting high, drinking and selling marijuana. Most of my friends were gang members (I myself was never in a gang). I knew most of them before they were criminals and drug dealers, so it was not a problem. I slowly began to use harder drugs. I had dreams but they seemed to far away for me to make them a reality. The more I became depressed, the more I turned to drugs as a temporary escape. One day A friend of mine told me that he knew where to get some good marijuana. I was eager to sample and buy some, so I agreed to go check it out. We arrived and went inside this apartment where there were a couple of people inside. We sat around and talked for a while and sampled the weed. My friend and I bought some and were getting ready to leave when my friend told me that one of the guys there invited us to his apartment to give him a book. We left for the guys apartment, and when we got there, he gave my friend a book and asked him to read it, saying that it might help him out with his problems in life. On the way home I asked my friend to show me the book. It was the Quran (Koran). I had never in my life heard of The Holy Quran. I began to briefly read some pages. While I was reading, I knew that what I was reading was true. It was like a slap in the face a wake up call. The Quran is so clear and easy to understand. I was really impressed and wanted to know more about Islam and Muslims. The strangest thing is that I was not looking for a new religion. I used to laugh at people who went to church, and sometimes I said that there was no God, although deep down I knew there was. I decided to go to the library a couple of days later and check out the Quran. I began to read it and study it. I learned about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the true story of Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him). The Quran stressed the fact that God was one and had no partners or a son: This was most interesting to me since I never understood the concept of the Trinity. The Quran describes the birth of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and his mission. There is also a Surah (Chapter) called Mary which tells her story as well. As a child I always went to church. My mother was a Seventh-Day Adventist and took my sister and me every Saturday. I never was really religious and stopped going to church when I was about 14 or 15. The rest of my family is Catholic. I always wondered why we were Seventh-Day Adventists and the rest of my family was Catholic. When we would go visit my family back in Mexico, we went to a Catholic church for weddings and quenceniras (sweet 16 celebration). Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Messenger of God sent to all mankind. The Quran tells the stories of all the Prophets such as Adam, Abraham, Noah, Issac, David, Moses, Jesus (Peace be upon them all) in a clear and understandable manner. I did months of research on Islam, and I bought a Holy Quran at a bookstore and studied about World History and Islams contributions to Medicine and Science. I learned that Spain was a Muslim country for about 800 years, and that when the Muslims were expelled from Spain by the Christian king and queen (Ferdanand and Isabela), the Christian Spaniards came to Mexico and forced the Aztecs and others to become Catholic. History and my Islamic roots was all becoming clear to me.

After months of study and research, I could not deny the Truth anymore. I had put it off too long, but was still living the same life as before and knew that if I became Muslim I had to give all that up. One day while reading the Quran, I began to cry and fell to my knees and thanked Allah for guiding me to the Truth. I found out that there was a Mosque by my house so I went one Friday to see how Muslims prayed and conducted their services. I saw that people from all races and colors attended the Mosque. I saw that they took off their shoes when entering and sat on the carpeted floor. A man got up and began to call the adhaan (call for prayer). When I heard it, my eyes filled up with tears it sounded so beautiful. It was all so strange at first, but seemed so right at the same time. Islam is not just a Religion, but a way of life. After going a to mosque for a couple of Fridays, I was ready to be a Muslim and say my shahada (declaration of faith). I told the Khateeb (person giving the lecture) that I wanted to be a Muslim. The following Friday, in front of the community, I said my shahada, first in Arabic then in English: I bear witness that there is no other God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger. When I finished, a Brother shouted, Takbir! and all of the congregation said, Allahu akbar! (God is great!) a few times. Then all the Brothers came and hugged me. I never received so many hugs in one day. I will never forget that day, it was great. I have been Muslim since 1997. I feel at peace with myself and clear in my religion. Being Muslim has really changed my life for the better thanks to Almighty God. I received my G.E.D. and now work in the computer field. I had the blessing of being able to perform Hajj (Pilgrimage) to the Holy city of Mecca. It was a experience of a lifetime: about 3 million people from every race and color in one place worshiping one God. Truly amazing! Alhamdulillah (all thanks be to God) in December of 2002, I got married in Morocco to a very good Muslim woman. I think that Islam is the answer for the problems of the youth and society in general. I hope my story in sha Allah will attract more Latinos and people of all races to the Light of Islam.

Canadian Professor Enters Islam - The True Religion

David Roy Woelke, a Canadian English language instructor at King Abdulaziz University, embraced Islam at the World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY) headquarters here Wednesday. Abdul Elah Al-Ajlan, deputy director of dawa programs at WAMY, assisted Woelke to recite the Shahadah (Lailaha Illallah Muhammad Rasulullah there is no god but God(Allah) and Muhammad is the Messenger of God(Allah) during a brief ceremony at the organization. Woelke, whose new name is Dawood, said he embraced Islam after he was fully convinced that it is the true divine religion. He conducted a comparative study of Islam and his former religion Christianity and noticed a lot of differences. When I came to Saudi Arabia I realized how wrongly the Western media portrays Islam as a religion of violence and terrorism. In fact, its a religion of peace and universal brotherhood, he said. Woelke said it was this biased portrayal of Islam that prompted him to learn more about this religion and read the Holy Quran. When I came to know that Islam is the true religion I decided to cut my relation with Christianity. The Canadian said he saw a totally different picture of Islam and Muslims in Saudi Arabia, adding that it was quite opposite of what has been projected in the Western press. Many Muslim friends encouraged me to accept Islam as my religion. Once a Pizza salesman told me he wished to see me becoming a Muslim very soon, he said, adding that deeper studies about Islam made him closer to the religion.

Asked what would be the response of his family, Woelke said: Mine is a tolerant and open family. However, they may find it a bit strange in the beginning because of their wrong perception of Islam painted by the Western media. He expected his family members would ask him about the Islamic teachings and how he would adapt with them. There are a lot of misunderstandings about Islam in their minds. But I am quite sure that their impressions about Islam would change when I explain to them its various teachings, he pointed out. There is a vast distinction between faith and religion, said Woelke. Religion is a man-made institution but faith is the relationship between man and God, he told Arab News. I want to be busy working on my own relationship with God and not so busy about another mans relationship with God, he added. Soon after reciting the Shahadah, WAMY employees embraced Woelke and congratulated him for accepting the true religion. The dawa department at WAMY gave him a copy of the Quran and a number of Islamic books in English as a gift. Dr. Muhammad Badahdah, assistant secretary-general of WAMY, expressed his happiness over Woelkes decision to embrace Islam. Thousands of people belonging to different religions and nationalities, especially educated men and women like Woelke, are coming to the fold of Islam every year, he said. The WAMY official reminded Muslim governments about their duty to propagate the message of Islam and urged them to establish a ministry for the purpose. WAMY conducts dawa programs in more than 70 countries through qualified Islamic preachers. Muslims are responsible to take the message of Islam to other communities, Badahdah told Arab News. He said a large number of men and women in the West had embraced Islam following the trident media campaign against Islam and Muslims following the 9/11 events. There was hug e demand for English translation of the Quran and Islamic books at bookstores. I am sure Islam will attract honest people like Woelke. Dr. Ismail Maritheri, an English teacher at KAU and a social activist, was overjoyed hearing the pleasant news. He said Harold Trupos, a former South African English professor at the university, had also embraced Islam because of the negative portrayal of the religion in the Western press. He started learning about Islam when he saw a different picture of Islam and Muslims in Saudi Arabia.

What Drives People to Convert to Islam

The nature of religious faith is quite mysterious. As part of their religious faiths, people believe in a variety of deities. There arepeople who have religious faith in the unseen supreme transcendental power and then there are others who believe in some humans as Gods, animals (e.g. monkeys), fire, idols made of stone, and the list goes on. A lot is associated with having a religious faith. Part of it has to do with beliefs passed on through generations. Peoples identities therefore get tied to it. Many times, these beliefs and associated feelings are not completely demonstrable by reason or any rational arguments. There is nothing right or wrong with this but thats just how the nature of religious faith has come to be. Everyone thinks they are right in their faith and beliefs. Being withpeople and groups with similar faiths further strengthens peoples faiths and they see it as right even though logical reasoning and argument sometimes cant explain it all. Thats human psychology. ISLAM S ARGUMENTS BASED ON INTELLECTUAL REASONING

Muslims believe however, that the Islamic religion is different in this context. One may argue that similar to other faiths there are aspects of it which are not completely demonstrable by reason but on the other hand, the Quranic text, which is Allahs words addressing the humanity at large, uses intellectual reason, critical thinking, and the process of reflection as a means to not only reinforce the faith of the believers but also to call non-believers to ponder about the authenticity of Islam as the way of life for the humanity at large. Although no religious beliefs can be fully based on logic and reasoning, Islam and Quran provide more than enough examples and an opportunity to examine the truth and the soundness of its message through the lens of empirical evidence and knowledge. No one (Muslim or otherwise) would argue that critical thinking and reflection can be a major catalyst for changing of ones life. Critical thinking has been used by many to improve their lives simply because a critical thinker asks probing questions about a situation, collects as much information as possible, reflects on the ideas collected and generated in context of the information available, keeps an open and unbiased mind and carefully scrutinizes assumptions and seeks alternatives.

This is the reason therefore that new Muslim converts would attribute the use of intelligent reasoning, reflection and critical thinking when explaining their journey to Islam. Such people cut through the hysteria created by some in the media to view Islam from a critical lens and following the truth thus comes naturally to them as part of this process. How else can one explain the increase in conversions with the increase of anti-Islam rhetoric? How else can one explain that more non-Muslim preachers have been converting to Islam than ever before? Although as Muslims we believe that the guidance (hidaya) comes only from Allah, the use of a persons God-gifted intellectual reasoning has a very powerful role to play in Muslim converts making that destiny changing decision. And once converted, they rarely go back to their old faiths simply because a faith whose foundations are built on logic and reason is much less likely to be shaken down than one which builds simply upon a set of rites and sacraments. REASONS ATTRIBUTED BY NEW CONVERTS Some of the reasons attributed by people who convert to Islam are listed below. We can see that most of these reasons can only be attributed to the process of critical thinking and intellectual reflection.

Eloquence of Qurans language The uniqueness and beauty of Qurans text has been marveled by the best of Arab linguists and scholars from the days it was revealed until today. The more knowledgeable people are in the language, the more they appreciate the wonders of the textual fluency of the Quran.

Overwhelming scientific evidence and proofs The Quran, revealed more than 1400 years ago has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era. Divine wisdom behind various social issues The Quran provides a solution to numerous social issues, a deviation from which has known to cause societal chaos at all levels. Arguments rooted in intellectual reasoning Quran is the only known religious text that challenges mankind to think, reflect and ponder over the creation at large, social issues, Gods existence, and more. Quran in many instances challenges people to reflect and think on their own rather than heeding to the lose talk of those whose criticism is based on baseless foundations.

A confident assertion of a supreme being Quran is the only known religious book that has a confident assertion of a supreme being on all issues ranging from the creation of the universe to social issues.

Divine Text Qurans language and prose is very different from the language in the hadith (Porphets sayings) thus proving that Quran is not the imagination or words of Prophet Muhammad, as many doubters have alleged in the past and do so even today.

What Drives People to Convert To Islam?

Reasons Why To Convert To Islam:
The nature of religious faith is quite mysterious. As part of their religious faiths, people believe in a variety of deities. There are people who have religious faith in the unseen supreme inimitable power, and then there are others who believe in some humans as Gods, or animals (e.g. monkeys), fire, idols made of stone, and the list goes on. A lot is associated with having a religious faith. Part of it has to do with beliefs passed on through generations. Peoples identities therefore get tied to it. Many times, these beliefs and associated feelings are not completely demonstrable by reason or any rational arguments. There is nothing right or wrong with this, but thats just how the nature of religious faith has come to be. Almost everyone thinks they are right in their faith and beliefs. Being with people and groups with similar faith further strengthens peoples faith, and they see it as right, even though logical reasoning and argument sometimes cant explain it all. Thats simple human psychology.

Islams arguments based on intellectual reasoning

Muslims believe however, that the Islamic religion is different in this context. One may argue that similar to other faiths there are aspects of it which are not completely demonstrable by reason, but on the other hand the Quranic text, which is Gods words addressing humanity at large, uses intellectual reason, critical thinking, and the process of reflection as a means not only to reinforce the faith of the believers, but also to call non-believers to ponder about the authenticity of Islam as the way of life for humanity at large. Although no religious beliefs can be fully based on logic and reasoning, Islam and Quran provide more than enough examples and an opportunity to examine the truth and the soundness of its message through the lens of empirical evidence and knowledge. No one (Muslim or otherwise) would argue that critical thinking and reflection can be a major catalyst for changing ones life. Critical thinking has been used by many to improve their lives simply because a critical thinker asks probing questions about a situation, collects as much information as possible, reflects on the ideas collected and generated in context of the information available, keeps an open and unbiased mind, and carefully scrutinizes assumptions and seeks alternatives. This is the reason, therefore, that new Muslim converts would attribute the use of intelligent reasoning, reflection and critical thinking when explaining their journey to Islam. Such people cut through the hysteria created in the media to view Islam from a critical lens and following the truth thus comes naturally to them as part of this process. How else can one explain the increase in conversions with the increase of anti-Islamic rhetoric? How else can one explain that more non-Muslim preachers have been converting to Islam than ever before? Although, as Muslims, we believe that guidance comes only from Allah, the use of a persons God-gifted intellectual reasoning has a very powerful role to play in Muslim converts making that destiny changing decision. And once converted, they rarely go back to their old faiths, simply because a faith whose foundations are built on logic and reason is much less likely to be shaken down than one which simply builds upon a set of rites and sacraments.

Reasons attributed by new Converts

Some of the reasons given why people convert to Islam are the eloquence of the Qurans language, its overwhelming scientific evidence and proofs, arguments rooted in intellectual reasoning, and the Divine wisdom behind various social issues. The uniqueness and beauty of the Qurans text has been marveled by the best of Arab linguists and scholars, both Muslim and otherwise, from the days it was revealed until today. The more knowledgeable people are in the language, the more they appreciate the wonders of the textual fluency of the Quran. Revealed more than 1400 years ago, the Quran also has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era. Furthermore, it is the only known religious text that challenges mankind to think, reflect and ponder over the creation at large, social issues, Gods existence, and more. The Quran, in many instances, challenges people to reflect and think on their own, rather than heeding the loose talk of those whose criticism is based on baseless foundations. Finally, the Quran provides a solution to numerous social issues, deviation from which has been known to cause societal chaos at all levels. The Quran is a confident assertion of a Supreme Being; the only known religious book that has a confident assertion of a Supreme Being on all issues ranging from the creation of the universe to most particular components of the social milieu. Moreover, its Divine Text - the language and prose of the Quran - is very different from the language in the Prophets sayings, which demonstrates that the Quran is not from the creative imagination or inspired words of Prophet Muhammad, as many doubters have alleged in the past, and continue to do even today. We can see that most of these reasons can only be attributed to the process of critical thinking and intellectual reflection. However, cold reasoning is not enough. The heart has to be engaged in the search: a search whose aim is to reach for the truth at its core. No wonder, then, that when such sincere people hear the Quran for the first time, and understand it, they say: We believe in it; surely, it is the Truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it, we were Muslims! (Quran 28:53)