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Salamun Alaikum (Peace be upon you

WHY IS THE TERM 'MUSLIM' HIJACKED?

!opyright " #$$% &oseph A 'slam: Article last modified (th &anuary #$)*

The +uran clearly does not recognise the followers of the final scripture to be exclusi el! referred to as ,-uslims, . +uite to the contrary. the followers of the final scripture (i.e. the +uran are normally referred to as '"elie e#s' as in the following well used phrase:

or directly as ,-u,minuna, (/elievers

$lease see #ela%e& a#%icle '() "elo*+ 't comes as a surprise to many -uslims when quoted that even the &ews have been referred to as ,-uslims, in the +uran as shown by the following +uranic narrative which captures Prophet -oses (pbuh referring to his people as Muslims (-uslimeen )$:0* . ,(,+,-. 1And -oses said: 2 my people3 'f ye have believed in 4od then put trust in 5im. i/ !ou a#e i0&ee& Muslims 'A#a"ic1 Muslimee0)6 '$lease 0o%e %he A#a"ic)

'llustration 7 &oseph 'slam

The term ,-uslim, in accordance with the +uran has not been cited as a0 exclusi e reference to the ,believers, who are followers of the final scripture. 8ather. the term 9-uslim: from a +uran,s perspective. is a reference to anyone 'Who su"mi%s 'o# su##e0&e#s *ill a0& pu#pose) %o %he 20e 3o&4 The Mas%e# o/ %he u0i e#se' (Asalamtu le rab il alameen #:);) 'n fact. there are many references in the +uran which confirm this.

Prophet <oah (pbuh asks for no reward from his people. he states that he is one of the Muslimee0 '(,156) Prophet Solomon,s (pbuh letter to Sheba (Saba requesting her in the name of the =ord to abandon her blasphemy and for her to surrender with her people and become one of the Muslimee0 '6517() Prophet Solomon (pbuh acknowledged his own state as being one of those of the 'Muslimee0' '651.6) Those who have persevered with the truth from the People of the /ook and when it is recited to them. acknowledge that they have already been from those that have submitted to 4od 'Muslimee0) '6-187) All but one house from the people of Prophet =ot (pbuh submitted to 4od 'Muslimee0) '8(179) Prophet Abraham (pbuh was one who submitted to 5is =ord 'Muslima0) '7195) Prophet -uhammad (pbuh is instructed to say that he has been commanded to be of those that submit to 4od 'Muslimee0) '651:() >isciples of Prophet &esus (pbuh confirm that they submit to 4od 'Muslimoo0) '7186) Prophet &oseph (pbuh prays to his =ord to die as one who is a 'Muslima0' '(61(,() Prophet &acob,s (pbuh children at the point of his death professed that they submit to 4od 'Muslimoo0) '61(77)+ ?ven the magicians of Pharaoh called themselves Muslims once they had seen the signs given to -oses (pbuh '51(69)

Prophet -uhammad (pbuh himself was informed to follow the ways of Abraham (pbuh ()@:)#; who was neither a &ew nor a Ch#is%ia0 but a Muslim (;:@( and was referred to as a father in faith (##:(0 .

D2 ;2T DI<IDE
,,9+(8: 1As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects. !ou ha e 0o pa#% i0 %hem i0 %he leas%: their affair is with 4od: 5e will in the end tell them the truth of all that they didA ,,7+(,7 'pa#%) 1And hold fast. all together. by the rope which 4od (stretches out for you . a0& "e 0o% &i i&e& amo0= !ou#sel es...A

At the time when verses of the +uran were being narrated during the Prophet,s ministry. there were 0o Sunni B Shia,s divides or subdivisions as we understand them today. The statement 0o% %o &i i&e was a statement to ,all "elie e#s, from any background and also a reminder to those of the previous scriptures who had divided only after knowledge had come to them (*#:); . 5owever. there is more than an allusion that divisions did take place even during the time of the Prophet amongst -uslims by the evidence that some believers had set up their own mosque. 4od ordered the Prophet not to pray with these people whose only purpose was to cause discord and disunite the people (-asCid7e7Dirar 7 %:)$( . This mosque later became commonly known as the ,-osque of dissension, (in translation . ,,:1(,5>6And those who built a -osque to cause harm and for unbelief and to cause disunion among the believers and an ambush to him who made war against 4od and 5is -essenger beforeE and they will certainly swear: Fe did not desire anything but goodE and 4od bears witness that they are most surely liars. <ever stand in itE certainly a -osque founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in itE in it are men who love that they should be purifiedE and 4od loves those who purify themselves6

?I;AL TH2U3HTS
Gnfortunately not only is the term 9-uslim: and 9'slam: misunderstood from a +uranic perspective. it is also sadly hiCacked and made use of eHclusively by the followers of the final scripture. Irom a +uran,s perspective. even &ews and !hristians can be ,-uslim,s if they have solely surrendered their purpose to 4od. The term believers (-u,min is used predominantly for the followers and believers in the final scripture (+uran . Some of these can be from the People of the /ook as well. $lease see a#%icle '6) "elo* and in particular section '(5) entitled 6THERE ARE '@ELIE<ERS' AM2;3 THE $E2$LE 2? THE @22K6.

'n conclusion. a !hristian or a &ew may be a ,-uslim, but not necessarily a believer or in the case where they believe in the veracity of the +uran. they may be a -uslim and a believer. but choose to follow their own laws (Shariah revealed to them in their respective scriptures.

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