TABLE OF CONTENTS Answers to questions and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims

1. Answers to questions and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims 1.1. In the early days of Islam, each and every Muslim sought guidance (knowledge) directly from the Qur’an.

2. What is the difference between the words “Islam,” “Islamic,” “Muslim,” and “Arab”? 2.1. What does Islam teach? 2.2. What are the foundational sources of Islamic beliefs and practices? 2.3. Why do Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) is the final Prophet?

3. How can we accurately prove that the Qur’an is the word of God? 3.1. Quran’s Message 3.2. Qur’an’s Preservation 3.3. Qur’an’s Authenticity 3.4. Qur’an’s Miracles 3.5. Qur’an’s Universality

4. Non-Muslim critics allege that the Qur’an was not in written form during the life time of the Prophet (Pbuh). Is that true?

5. Is the Qur’an not the word of satan?

6. If a Muslim is allowed to Marry a maximum of four wives, why did Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) Marry 11 wives? 6.1. Reasons for the 11 marriages: 6.2. His marriage to Ayesha is viewed as controversial due to her young age. 6.3. Marriages of the Prophet’s daughters and the Prophet Marrying The Daughter of Umar (Pbuh).

7. Why does Islam degrade Women by keeping them behind the veil? 7.1. Degrading of Women 7.2. Pre-Islamic Arabia: 7.3. Islam - Sayings of Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) about Women

8. Why do Muslims call Non-Muslims ‘kaa’firs’?

9. Does Islam Permit Women to give Divorce? 9.1. There are five different types of divorce in Islam

10. Why do Muslims call God, ‘Allah’?

11. Can a Muslim wish ‘Salaam’ to a Non-Muslim?

12. Are Women Allowed In The Mosque?

13. Does ‘Jihad’ Mean Holy War In Islam?

14. Why Is Prohibited In Islam? 14.1. of alcohol in the Qur’an 14.2. Prohibition of alcohol in the 14.3. Alcohol Inhibits The Inhibitory Centre 14.4. Cases Of Adultery, Rape, Incest And AIDS Are Found More Among Alcoholics 14.5. Every Alcoholic Was Initially A Social Drinker 14.6. If A Person Is Intoxicated Just Once And Commits Something Shameful, It Will Remain With Him For A Lifetime. 14.7. Alcohol Is Prohibited In The Hadith Of The Prophet Of Islam 14.8. Some Of The Diseases Associated With

15. Why Do Women Inherit Half Of What A Man Inherits Under Islamic Shariah? 15.1. Inheritance in the Qur'an 15.2. Specific share of inheritance for the relatives 15.3. Female sometimes inherits the same or more than male: 15.4. Female usually inherits half the share of that of the male: 15.5. Male inherits double than the female because he financially supports the family.

16. Doesn’t The Qur’an In Surah 2:228 State That Men Are Superior To Women?

17. Is It True That A Person Is Killed If He/She Becomes Apostate? 17.1. There is no punishment for apostasy in Islam.

18. What is a fatwa? 18.1. What is the Islamic view on punishments such as the death penalty, stoning, or cutting off someone’s hands? 18.2. Does Islam Encourage Honour Killings? 18.3. What is Jihad? 18.4. What does the Qur'an say about war? 18.5. was a Non-Violent reformer while Muhummed (Pbuh) fought in wars. Why is there a difference between Jesus and Muhummed (Pbuh) in terms of their approach? 18.6. How do extremists justify their actions using the Qur’an? 18.7. Why are there so many Muslim Terrorists? 18.8. Why did some Muslims respond with protest and violence against portrayals of Muhummed (Pbuh) in cartoons and film?

19. If Islam is considered to be a religion of peace, then why is there so much conflict in countries where Muslims live?

20. What factors contributed to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism?

21. What is Wahhabism?

22. How does the Taliban’s practice of Islam compare with mainstream Islam?

23. Why is there so much conflict between Arabs/Muslims and ?

24. How does Islam view science?

25. What is the Islamic view on the theory of Evolution?

26. What is Islam’s view of the environment and the importance of protecting it?

27, What Is Halal?

28. How does Islamic economics work without interest? How does Islamic banking work?

29. Why do some people suffer so much in this life, especially the innocent, such as children? 30. How do the stories of the prophets in Islam compare with those in Christianity and Judaism? 31. Were there female prophets?

32. Why do Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet?

33. Why can’t you display images of the Prophet Muhammad? 34. Why did some Muslims respond with protest and violence against portrayals of Muhammad in cartoons and film? 35. Jesus was a non-violent reformer while Muhammad fought in wars. Why is there a difference between Jesus and Muhammad in terms of their approach? 36. Why is it that Muslims do not celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas?

37. In large groups women pray behind men. Why is that?

38. How will God determine who goes to and hell? 39. If a person is a good person throughout his or her life, but does not believe in God, will he/she go to hell? 40. What good is “free will” if everything is predestined? If God already knows if we are going to heaven or hell, why doesn’t He just put us there? 41. Whom do Muslims consider to be “infidels” and how should they treat them? 42. Why are there references in the Qur’an that are highly critical of Christians and Jews? Is that not equivalent to anti-Semitism? 43. What is your proof of the authenticity of the Qur’an?

44. What is the main difference between Sunnis and Shi’as?

45. What is hijab?

46. Do Muslim women have to wear hijab (cover their hair)?

47. Why do some Muslim women cover their faces? 48. Why don’t men wear hijab? Why are standards of modest dress different for men and women? 49. Are men and women equal in Islam? 50. Are there any verses in the Qur’an or prophetic sayings that speak to the issue of women’s rights? 51. Do Muslim women have to stay at home or can they work?

52. Are Muslims allowed to marry people of other faiths?

ANSWERS TO QUESSTIONS & MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM AND MUSLIMS

1. Answers to questions and misconceptions about Islam

This chapter entitled ‘Answers to Common Questions and Misconceptions about Islam’ aims to provide a reprieve to the hatred, and arms the ‘man in the street’ with basic information about Islam and providing answers to some of the most commonly held misconceptions.

1.1. In the early days of Islam, each and every Muslim sought guidance (knowledge) directly from the Qur’an. Not so the Muslims of this age, as they depend entirely on their learned men. They read the Qur’an in Arabic, but look upon mere recitation as a meritorious act without trying to learn and understand the message of the Qur’an and to act upon it. Muslims of today have reduced Islam to a cult, and consequently have fallen prey to dogmatism and ritualism. This ritualistic approach is responsible for their lack of understanding of what Islam stands for. What they also fail to understand is that Da’wah is an obligation on each and every Muslim, and in order to convey the message of Islam to non-Muslims, dialogue and debate becomes inevitable. “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand hold that never breaks; and Allah hears and knows all things”. (Al-Qur’an Chap 2.v.256) “Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord, with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious!” (Al-Qur’an Chap 16.v.125 “And who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah and does good, and says: I am surely of those who submit”? Q. Chap 41.v.33. The duty of conveying the message of Islam is a duty upon all Muslims as Allah warns in the Glorious Qur’an: “Say-If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that you have gained (and amassed); the commerce in which you fear a decline; or your dwellings in which you take delight are dearer to you than Allah or His messenger, or the striving in His cause; then wait until Allah brings about His decision; and Allah guides not the rebellious”. (Q. Chap 9 v. 24) For any person sincerely seeking the truth, a study of comparative religion is the starting point. To study the AUTHENTIC SCRIPTURES of a religion is the best way to know the true teachings of that religion. Muslims make up 20% of the world population. Non-Muslims work, interact and live as neighbours with Muslims. For Non-Muslims it is important to discover the beliefs of Muslims from authentic sources, and not from newspapers and magazines, as these are not authentic sources to gain knowledge of about Islam.

At the very least, this compilation covers some of the questions that an average man would or could raise against Islam or the Qur’an. It provides answers which would satisfy the reasonable mind.

2. What is the difference between the words “Islam,” “Islamic,” “Muslim,” and “Arab”? Islam is the name of a religion, as Christianity and Judaism are names of religions. The Arabic word “Islam” is based on the root “Salaam,” which means peace or surrender to God. Combining both translations results in the combined meaning “the state of peace through following God’s guidance.”

Islamic is an adjective that modifies a Non-Human noun, as for example, “Islamic art,” “Islamic architecture,” “Islamic beliefs,” etc. This term should not be used to refer to a person.

A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, or “one who is in a state of peace by following God’s guidance.”

While the term Arab has been used in the past to refer to members of a Semitic ethnic group from the Arabian Peninsula, today the word “Arab” refers to people from Arabic-speaking countries, most of which are in the Middle East and North Africa. The term Arabian was historically used to describe an inhabitant of the Arabian Peninsula. Today “Arabian” is used as an adjective to describe a non- human noun (e.g., Arabian coffee); it should not be used to refer to people.

2.1. What does Islam teach? Islam’s primary message, as understood by the overwhelming majority of Muslims, is the continuation of the Abrahamic monotheistic tradition’s belief in one God. The three major dimensions of Islam include beliefs, ritual practices, and the effort to improve one’s character and actions. There are six major beliefs in Islam and five central practices that are referred to as the Five Pillars. The last dimension of Islam focuses on the cultivation of excellent moral character to better oneself and the world around oneself. It teaches a set of values that promote life, liberty, equality and justice. Some of these values include:

 Respect for the earth and all creatures  Care and compassion for those less fortunate  The importance of seeking knowledge  Honesty and truthfulness in word and deed  Striving continuously to improve oneself and the world

2.2. What are the foundational sources of Islamic beliefs and practices? The primary sources of knowledge about Islam are the Qur’an, which adherent Muslims believe is the divinely revealed word of God, and the Sunnah, which refers to the example or precedent of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) (i.e., what he said, did, approved, disapproved, caused, ordered, or allowed to happen). Much of what is known about the Sunnah is from the collection of sayings or reports known as Hadith, or prophetic tradition. The Hadith describe actions of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) or actions that his companions attributed to his teachings. Hadith also elaborate on and provide context to the Qur’an.

In addition to these primary sources, Muslims have also traditionally relied on the following additional sources: scholarly consensus: that is, the agreement of knowledgeable scholars upon a particular issue; and analogical reasoning: that is, the application of principles or laws derived from the Qur’an and Sunnah to similar situations not explicitly addressed by them. The lived experience of Islam, which naturally varies widely not only in different cultures but also between different individuals, also impacts and determines a Muslim’s understanding and practice of Islam.

2.3. Why do Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) is the final Prophet? Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) is the Final Prophet on the basis of statements in Islamic scripture, including the following Qur’anic verse: “Muhummed (Pbuh) is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of God, and the Seal of the Prophets and God has full knowledge of all things.” (Qur’an, 33:40) There are also various Hadith (Prophetic sayings) which designate Muhummed (Pbuh) as “The Seal of the Prophets.” Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) was preceded by a long succession of Prophets before him that include Adam, , , David, and Jesus. Muslims believe that all the Prophets were sent by God and that some of them foretold the coming of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh).

3. How can we accurately prove that the Qur’an is the word of God?

3.1. Quran’s Message The distinctive approach of the Qur’an is that its spiritual message includes practical injunctions aimed at the general welfare of individuals, society and the environment in which we live. The Qur’an’s message is eternal and universal, transcending our differences in race, colour, ethnicity and nationality. It provides guidance on every facet of human life – from economics and the ethics of trade to marriage, divorce, parenting, gender issues and inheritance. Monotheism is a prominent theme of the Qur’an, affirming that God is One without any partners. In a concisely worded Qur’anic chapter, God commands, “Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him” (112:1-4).

A foundational message in the Qur’an is its emphasis on righteous conduct built on firm belief and love for God. The Quran acknowledges human desires while reminding individuals to cultivate their souls. In addition, God calls on humans to use their intellect and reflect on the world around them. The Qur’an encourages humankind to recognize the signs of God’s existence in the precise order of the universe and the careful placement of every object in the total scheme of creation.

3.2. Qur’an’s Preservation Muslims believe that God sent many revelations to humanity throughout history, and over time they underwent changes from their original form. However, God chose to preserve His message to humanity in His final revelation, the Qur’an. Yet, one might wonder, which evidence supports the claim that the Qur’an has never been modified? The Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) over a period of 23 years. The unique rhythmic style of the Qur’an made it easy to memorize, which has been the main source of its preservation. Moreover, since Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) could not read or write, he appointed scribes to record the Qur’an as it was being revealed to him. Thus, the complete Qur’an was not only memorized by Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) and many of his companions, but it also existed in its entirety in written form during his lifetime.

Within a year after Prophet Muhummed’s (Pbuh) death, a manuscript of the entire Qur’an was assembled by a committee led by his chief scribe, who followed stringent criteria to safeguard against any errors. This copy was approved unanimously by Prophet Muhummed’s (Pbuh) companions, including hundreds that had memorized the entire Qur’an. Eventually, several copies of the Qur’an were compiled in book form and distributed to the major Muslim cities. One such copy is currently at the museum in Tashkent and a facsimile of it, produced in 1905, is available in the Columbia University Library.

In his book, An Introduction to Hadith, John Burton explains that oral transmission through the generations aids preservation by diminishing reliance solely on written records. God promises in the Qur’an, “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption)” (15:9). 3.3. Qur’an’s Authenticity Many people mistakenly believe that the Qur’an was authored by Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh). In fact, the Quran is the preserved speech of God. At the same time, one might ask, which proofs indicate that the Qur’an is the Word of God and not the writings of Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh)?

In the Qur’an, God addresses Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh), “You never recited any Scripture before We revealed this one to you; you never wrote one down with your hand” (29:48). In other words, Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh), who was known to be illiterate, neither read any previous scriptures nor wrote the Qur’an.

Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) was greatly regarded in his society for his superior character and exceptional manners, earning him the title of the ‘Truthful One.’ Even after his Prophethood, the elite of Mecca were ready to make him their leader, so long as he allowed them to continue their pagan lifestyles. Yet, he was willing to forego all worldly glory in order to fulfill his mission. As a result, he suffered patiently through persecution and exile before ultimately succeeding in revolutionizing the entire Arabian Peninsula.

Through it all, God kept on revealing the Quran to him piecemeal. Occasionally, the revelations stopped temporarily, reminding him and others that he had no control over them.

The Qur’an was revealed at a time when the Arabs excelled in oral poetry. Yet, when the Qur’anic verses were recited, they stunned even the most acclaimed poets in the society. Deeply moved by the rhythmic tone, literary merit and penetrating wisdom of the Qur’an, many converted to Islam. Indeed, the science of Arabic grammar was developed after the revelation of the Qur’an, using the Qur’an as a basis for devising its rules.

3.4. Qur’an’s Miracles The Qur’an mentions phenomena that were unknown at the time. In fact, many were only recently discovered by modern science. For example, God describes the stages of human development in the womb:

We created man from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place, then We made that drop into a clinging form, and We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with flesh, and later We made him into other forms –– glory be to God, the best of creators! (Quran, 23:12-14)

Professor Keith Moore, a prominent scientist of anatomy and embryology at the University of Toronto, Canada, has stated, “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God … because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later.”

The Qur’an also describes the expansion of the universe: “And it is We who have built the universe with (Our creative) power; and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it” (51:47). It was not until 1925, when Edwin Hubble provided evidence of receding galaxies, that the expanding universe came to be accepted as a scientific fact.

Professor Alfred Kroner, a world-famous geologist, explained: “Thinking about many of these questions and thinking where Muhummed (Pbuh) came from, he was after all a Bedouin, I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advanced technological methods that this is the case.”

3.5. Qur’an’s Universality “This is the Scripture in which there is no doubt, containing guidance for those who are mindful of God, who believe in the unseen…” (Quran, 2:2-3).

The Qur’anic message is relevant to every nation and era – another proof that the Qur’an is truly the Word of God. Intending for this Book to remain a source of guidance, inspiration, wisdom and healing for all of humanity, God designed its message to transcend the bounds of time. There are many more examples one can give to establish the divine origins of the Qur’an

4. Non-Muslim critics allege that the Qur’an was not in written form during the life time of the Prophet (Pbuh). Is that true?

Critics will always try to cast doubt on the authenticity of the Qur’an, but their arguments are devoid of truth. The following narration of the conversion to Islam of Omar, (who later became the 2nd Caliph of Islam) in Makkah proves conclusively that there were portions of the Qur’an in written form during the lifetime of the Prophet. The Qur’an was revealed bit-by-bit and continued for a period of 23 years. (13 years in Makkah, and 10 years in Madinah) Chap 20, ‘Ta Haa’ - being a revelation of the early Makkan period shows that written copies of the chapters of the Holy Qur’an were in common use among the early Muslim converts at Makkah. The narration goes thus: Umar, with a drawn sword in his hand, one day left his house with the intention of murdering the Holy Prophet. On the way he learnt that his own sister & brother-in-law were secret converts to Islam. So he turned his steps to his sister’s house. At that time there was in the house a third man, Khab’bab, who had with him a book containing ‘Ta Haa’ which he was teaching to Umar’s sister and her husband. When they perceived Umar coming, Khab’bab hid himself in a corner of the house, and Fatima, Umar’s sister, took the book and hid it. But Umar had already heard the voice of Khab’bab reciting the Holy Qur’an. The first question he asked, on entering the house was what they were reciting. They replied, ‘Nothing’. He said, ‘Yes, I have heard you reciting, and I have been informed that you have followed Muhummed (Pbuh) in his religion’. Then he caught hold of his brother-in-law, Saeed, son of Zaid. His sister advanced towards him to protect her husband and was severely hurt in the struggle. Umar’s sister and her husband told him that they had converted to Islam and that he could do what he liked. When Umar saw his sister bleeding, he was sorry for what he had done, and asked her to let him have the book which they had been reading, so that he might see what it was that Muhummed (Pbuh) had brought to them. On hearing his demand, his sister expressed the fear that he might destroy the pages. Umar gave her his word, and swore by his idols that he would return the volume to her after perusing it. Then she told him that being a mushrik (one who set up false gods with God) he was impure. Umar then washed himself, and his sister handed over to him the book which had “Ta Haa” written in it. Umar read a portion of it, and began to admire it and showed reverence for the book. Thereupon Khab’bab, seeing that he was well disposed towards Islam, asked him to accept Islam. Omar shortly thereafter accepted Islam at the hands of the Prophet. (Omar was a handful of people in Makkah during that time that was literate. He was also a fearless warrior who was respected in the community).

5. Is the Qur’an not the word of satan?

In reply to a similar allegation put forward by the pagans of Makkah, the following verses were revealed: "No evil ones have brought down this (Revelation): It would neither suit them nor would they be able (to produce it). Indeed they have been removed far from even (a chance of) hearing it." (Chap 26 vs. 210-212) If satan had written the Qur’an, would he tell you: "When thou do read the Qur’an, seek Allah’s protection from satan the rejected one." Qur’an, Chap 16 verse 98. Does it make sense that satan will remind you to ask Allah’s protection before reading the Qur’an? There are plenty of verses in the Qur’an, which gives enough evidence that satan is not the author of the Qur’an. Some Examples:  “If a suggestion from satan assails your mind seek refuge with Allah; for He hears and knows (all things)”. (Surah Chap 7 v, 200)  “O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the evil one (satan) for he is to you an avowed enemy." Surah Baqarah, chap 2 v, 168:  “O you who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and do not follow the footsteps of the evil one (satan) for he is to you an avowed enemy. Surah Baqarah, chap 2 v, 208  "Did I not enjoin on you, O ye children of Adam, that ye should not worship satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed?” Surah Yasin, chap 36 v, 60:  “ ..And satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord”. Qur’an ch 17 v. 27  “..And satan promises them only to deceive”. Qur’an ch 17 v.64

 “..And as for him whose companion is satan, an evil companion is he! Qur’an ch 4 v.38  “And say to My servants that they speak what is best. Surely satan sows dissensions among them. The satan is surely an open enemy to man”. Chap 17 verse 53  “O Mankind! Certainly the promise of Allah is true. Let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (satan) deceive you about Allah”. Surah Sabah Chap 34 v. 5.  “And if a false imputation from satan afflict thee, seek refuge in Allah. Surely He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Qur’an. Ch 41 v. 36  “So when she (Mary’s mother) brought her forth, she said: My Lord, I have brought forth a female — and Allah knew best what she brought forth and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring into Thy protection from the accursed devil”. Qur’an. Chap 3. v. 36 This verse relates to when Mary (Pbuh) was born, and her mother makes a prayer to Allah, beseeching Allah’s protection for Mary from satan the accursed. Does it make sense that satan will remind the mother of Mary to beg Allah’s protection for Mary from him? “And satan will say when the matter is decided: ‘It was Allah Who gave you a promise of truth: I too promised, but I failed in my promise to you. I had no authority over you except to call you, but ye listened to me: then do not reproach me, but reproach your own souls. I cannot listen to your cries, nor can you listen to mine. I reject your former act in associating me with Allah. For wrong doers there must be a grievous chastisement”. Chap 14 verse 22 Allah informs mankind currently in this world what the outcome of satan will be on the Day of Judgement, and how satan will distance himself from those that followed him. Does it make sense that satan will write about his own destruction in his own book? Any intelligent person will reject such dim-witted ideas after reading the above verses of the Qur’an with an impartial mind. Satan depends on Allah for his very existence! Allah knows satan’s evil intentions and hence it is no surprise that Allah has given the humankind many proofs to confirm that the Qur’an is His word, and not satan’s word.

6. If a Muslim is allowed to Marry a maximum of four wives, why did Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) Marry 11 wives? In Surah Nisa, chap 4, the Qur’an states that a Muslim male is allowed to marry a maximum of up to four wives. However, at the same time there are certain stringent criteria that have to be followed if he wishes to do so. The following verse in the Qur’an makes Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) an exception to this rule. “It is not lawful for thee (Muhummed (Pbuh) to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess and Allah doth watch over all things.” (Chap 33.v. 52) This verse certainly grants Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) permission to keep all his wives who are “Ummul- Mumineen” but prohibits him to marry any more except those that his right hand possessed. People falsely accuse the Prophet of being hypersexual because he had eleven wives. If one studies the life history of the Prophet, only two of his marriages, one with Khadija (Pbuh), and the other, with Ayesha (Pbuh) were marriages in the normal course. All his other marriages were contracted as a necessity and were based on various considerations. The 1st marriage of the Prophet took place when he was 25 years of age to Lady Khadija (Pbuh) who was twice widowed and was 40 years old. If the Prophet was hypersexual, why would he marry (his first marriage) a woman who was 15 years older than him and already twice widowed? It was the custom for the Arabs to marry virgins. Widows were not suitable spouses in their culture, yet he married her. As long as his first wife, Lady Khadija (Pbuh) was alive; he never took a second wife. Lady Khadija (Pbuh) passed away when the Prophet was approximately 50/51 years of age, and only after her demise did he remarry. If he married eleven wives for sexual reasons, he should have had multiple wives during his youth. Contrary to this, history records that all his remaining ten marriages took place when he was between the age of 51/52 and 59 years. Nine of his wives were between the ages of 36 to 82 years. Would a man, aged 52 years marry a woman of 82 years if he was hypersexual? The Prophet passed away at the age of 63 years.

6.1. Reasons for the 11 marriages: His importance in becoming known as a Messenger of Allah had spread in the whole of Arabia and also into the neighbouring countries. The rulers of those countries and the chieftains of the different tribes asked the Prophet’s hand in marriage for their daughters or sisters. So out of necessity to foster closer ties with the other countries and tribes the Prophet accepted the proposals. If these malicious charges were true, then he would have easily got younger and lovelier girls to marry.

He was the ruler of the whole of the Arabian Peninsula yet his life was so plain and simple that when the emissaries of the foreign kings and emperors came to pay him reverence and loyalty they were astonished at the austere living conditions and that of all of his wives (Pbut). For weeks on end there was no fire lit to cook food, and many times the Prophet tied stones onto his belly to ease the suffering of hunger pangs.

During that period of time in Arabia, nobody could carry out the work of reform and upliftment unless he belonged to, or was related to some specific tribe. Thus in the interest of his mission, the Prophet needed good inter-tribal relationships, and he had to weld the quarreling tribal and clannish factions into one Muslim Ummah, as brethren in faith by accepting the proposals from those quarters. For instance, his wife Juwayriyya (Pbuh) belonged to the Banu Mustaliq clan that was very powerful. The entire clan was a bitter enemy of Islam from the beginning until they were defeated in a military campaign. But when the Prophet married Juwayriyya (Pbuh), the Muslims released all their prisoners, as they could not keep the Prophet’s relatives in bondage. It was due to this marriage that the whole clan of Banu Mustaliq accepted Islam and obedient to the laws of the new Islamic state. Maymunah (Pbuh) also came from a very powerful and recalcitrant clan from Najd and was the sister of the wife of the chief of the clan. It was this clan that had brutally murdered seventy members of an Islamic missionary deputation. The Prophet’s marriage with Maymunah (Pbuh) changed the whole atmosphere and Najd accepted Madinah Munawwarah’s authority under the leadership of the Prophet. Umm Habibah (Pbuh) was the daughter of the Quraysh chief, Abu Sufyan. It was after the Prophet’s marriage to Umm Habibah that Abu Sufyan never fought against the Prophet. This marriage was largely responsible for the conquest of Makkah. Furthermore, Umm Habibah was first married to a certain Ubaydullah and immigrated with him to Abyssinia, where Ubaydullah became a Christian and a drunkard, and excessive consumption of killed him. It was a double shock to her that her husband had become a Christian and a drunkard and later died. Yet the Prophet married her for the sake of bringing peace between the clans. Safiyyah (Pbuh) was the daughter of a very prominent Jewish chief, Huyyah ibn Aktab. In consideration of her family status, she could not be merged into an ordinary household. So the Prophet himself married her. After this marriage, the Jews did not revive their opposition to the Prophet and his mission. 6.2. His marriage to Ayesha is viewed as controversial due to her young age. According to another narrative in Bukhârî (Kitâb al-Tafsir) Â’ishah (Pbuh) is reported to have said that at the time Surâh Al-Qamar, was revealed, “I was a young girl”. The 54th Surâh of the Qur’ân was revealed nine years before Hijrah.

The Prophet married Aishah (R.a) about 1st / 2nd Hijrah. According to a number of narratives, Aishah (Pbuh) accompanied the Muslims in the battle of Badr, which was fought two years after Hijrah, and the battle of Uhud which was fought a year after Badr. (i.e.-3 years after Hijrah). Moreover, it is reported in books of Hadîths that the Prophet did not allow any person under the age of 15 years to take part in the battle of Uhud. Everyone below 15 years of age was sent back by the Prophet! A’ishah’s (Pbuh) participation in the battle of Badr and Uhud clearly indicates that she must have been at least fifteen years or older! This is a very significant point to remember, because if she was under the age of fifteen years, then the Prophet would not have allowed her to participate in the Battle of Uhud. Women used to accompany men to the battlefields to help them, and not to be a burden upon them. Almost all the historians agree that Asma (Pbuh), the elder sister of Â’ishah (Pbuh) was ten years older than Â’ishah (Pbuh). It is reported in Taqreeb Al- Tehzeeb as well as AI-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah that Asmâ (Pbuh) died in the 73rd year after hijrah when she was 100 years old. Now, evidently if Asmâ (Pbuh) was 100 years old in the 73rd year after hijrah, she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah. If Asmâ (Pbuh) was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Â’ishah (Pbuh) should have been 17 or 18 years old at that time. Tabarî in his treatise on Islâmic history, while mentioning Abu Bakr (Pbuh) reports that Abû Bakr had four children and all four were born during the Pre-Islamic period. Obviously, if Â’ishah (Pbuh) was born in that period, she could not have been less than 14 years in 1 AH - the time she most likely got married. On the basis of this report it seems only pragmatic to assume that Â’ishah (Pbuh) had not only been born 8 years BEFORE Hijrah, but was also a young lady, quite prepared for marriage. According to Ibn Hajar, Fatimah (Pbuh) was five years older than Â’ishah (Pbuh). Fatimah (Pbuh) is reported to have been born when the Prophet (Pbuh) was 35 years old. Thus, even if this information is taken to be correct, Â’ishah (Pbuh) could by no means be less than 14 years old at the time of Hijrah and 15 or 16 years old at the time of her marriage. The above are some of the major points that go against accepting the commonly known narrative regarding Â’ishah’s (Pbuh) age of 9 years old at the time of her marriage.” 6.3. Marriages of the Prophet’s daughters and the Prophet Marrying The Daughter of Umar (Pbuh). The Prophet (Pbuh) married one of his daughters to Uthman and another daughter to Ali (Pbut). Umar could not be kept outside this wide circle of relationship; so by marrying Umar’s daughter, Hafsah, the Prophet forged a strong bond of relationship within the Islamic movement thus strengthening the Ummah. The Prophet had arranged a marriage between Zaynab, his first cousin and Zayd ibn Haritha (his freed slave) whom he had adopted as his son. This marriage of Zaynab with Zayd was intended to break the family and social barriers but the marriage did not prove to be successful and ended in divorce. When the Prophet realized that Zaynab was left alone, he felt his responsibility in the matter.

He also had to break another pre-Islamic convention according to which an adopt- ed son became a real son. This difficult problem was solved by the Prophet’s marriage to Zaynab as mentioned in the Qur’an, in Surah Ahzab, chap no: 33 verse 37. This Qur’anic verse annulled the pre-Islamic conception and promulgated an Islamic law instead.

Another lady, also with the name Zaynab was the daughter of Khuzayma ibn Al- Haith, who belonged to the Hawazin clan. Her husband was killed in the battle of Uhud, and to rescue her from her dismal situation, the Prophet took her as his wife. After the revelation of the verse in Surah Ahzab, chap 33, v, 52, the Prophet married only Mary (Pbuh) the Copt, who was sent as a handmaiden (slave) by the Emperor Muqauqas of Egypt to the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh). He could not refuse this gift, as a refusal would have disturbed the political alliance. He could not keep her as a slave girl either since he preached that slaves should be freed. The only option left open to him was to marry her as the Qur’an gave him permission to do so, and to set a practical example for all time that Islam prohibits slavery. There are hundreds of unbiased Christian scholars and historians who have written volumes in praise of the Prophet of Islam over the centuries. Today scores of from all denominations are accepting Islam after reading the Qur’an and studying the life of the Prophet of Islam. 7. Why does Islam degrade Women by keeping them behind the veil? Chap 2 V: 228 about the status of women in Islam…”And women have rights similar to those against them in a just manner…”

The rights of women against their husbands are here stated to be similar to those, which the husbands have against their wives. The statement must no doubt, have caused a stir in a society, which never recognized any rights for the woman. The change in this respect was really a revolutionizing one, for the Arabs hitherto regarded women as mere chattels.

Women were now given a position equal in all respects to that of men, for they were declared to have rights similar to those which were exercised against them. This declaration brought about a revolution not only in Arabia but in the whole world, for the equality of the rights of women with those of men was never previously recognized by any nation or any reformer. The woman could no longer be discarded at the will of her “lord”, but she could either claim equality as a wife or demand a divorce.

The ‘Hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyse the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘Hijab’, let us first have a brief look at the status of women in pre-Islamic societies:

7.1. Degrading of Women In the past ages women were degraded and used as objects of lust by men: The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was disgraceful to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

Babylonian Civilization: The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death. Absolute and total injustice!

Greek Civilization: Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. The Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

Roman Civilization: A man had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.

Egyptian Civilization: The Egyptians considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

7.2. Pre-Islamic Arabia: Before Islam in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive, as it was as if it was a bad omen. SAYINGS OF CHRISTIAN SAINTS: (Christian Civilization) 1. Woman is the organ of the Devil. (St. Bernard) 2. Woman is the fountain of the Arm of the Devil; her voice is the hissing of the serpent. (St. Anthony) 3. Woman is the instrument that the Devil uses to possess of our souls. (St. Cyprian) 4. Woman is the gate of the Devil, the road of iniquity, the sting of the scorpion. (St. Jerome) 5. Woman is the daughter of falsehood, a sentinel of Hell, the enemy of the Peace; through her Adam lost Paradise. (St. John Damascene) 6. Through her the Devil triumphed, through her Paradise has been lost; of all wild beasts the most dangerous is woman. (St. John Chrysoston) 7. Woman has the poison of an asp, the malice of a dragon. (St. Gregory the Great) Ironic isn’t it? All these saints of Christendom condemn women, including their own mothers! They still remain saints in Christendom. By right they should be stripped of their Sainthood! 7.3. Islam - Sayings of Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) about Women  Do ye not know that women deserve a greater reward than men, for verily the Almighty God exalts the position of a man in Heaven because his wife was pleased with him and prayed for him?  The world and all the things in it are valuable, but the most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous wife.  A Muslim must not be harsh in treatment of his wife, if he be displeased with one bad quality in her, then let him be pleased with another which is good and admonish your wife with kindness.  The best amongst you is the one who treats his wife the best.

8. Why do Muslims call Non-Muslims ‘kaa’firs’? “Kaa’fir” is derived from the Arabic word ‘kufr’ which means ‘to conceal or to reject’. In Islamic terminology “kaafir” means: ‘one who conceals or rejects the truth of Islam’. It would be abusive to simply call any Non-Muslim a “kaafir”. This word is only utilized in describing an individual who openly rejects the truth and goes out of his way to anatgonise any believer. In essence, Muslims believe that most religions are in principle valid, although some are more accurate than others. The opposite of ‘kaa’fir in Islamic terminology is “Mu’min” which means a believer in the Glorious Qur’an and the true teachings of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh). Remember! An intelligent inquiring mind is a liberated mind that cannot be enslaved to unreasonable, illogical and blind belief! Islam is the only religion that encourages every human being to analyse with logic and reason what one believes in! It awakens the faculty of reasoning and understanding. Blind belief is unacceptable in Islam. Can any other faith claim this in their Holy Books? 9. Does Islam Permit Women to give Divorce? ‘Talaq’ is an Arabic word meaning ‘divorce’ when given by a husband to his wife. A woman can also divorce the husband in Islam, but this is called tafweed ut talaaq (delegated divorce) According to Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 2172 and 2173, and also in Sunan Ibn-i-Majah, Hadith No. 2018, the Prophet said: “Among the permissible things, the most disliked in the sight of Allah is divorce”.

However the following conditions need to be fulfilled for divorce to be put into effect. a. The person should not be in a state of intoxication when pronouncing divorce and should be in a sound state of mind and not mentally unstable. b. Before deciding on giving a divorce, there should be a mutual discussion regarding the situation between the husband and the wife. c. According to the Glorious Qur’aan, Surah Nisa, chap 4 v. 35, if the talks fail, two arbitrators should be appointed, one from the husband’s family and the other from the wife’s family. d. Only if all these measures fail can a person give divorce. e. According to Surah Al-Talaq, chap 65.v.2, while pronouncing Talaq, two persons endued with justice should be taken as witnesses.

9.1. There are five different types of divorce in Islam: - 1. With the mutual consent of both the husband and the wife. Here both must agree that there are irreconcilable differences. 2. With the unilateral will of the husband. In this case the husband has to forego the ‘Meher’ (the dower) he had given to the wife. In case any amount of Meher has remained unpaid, he should immediately make arrangements to pay it over to the wife. 3. With the unilateral will of the wife. This is only permissible if she specifies it in her marital contract that she too will have the right of unilateral divorce. This is called talaq-e-tafweed. 4. If the husband ill-treats or neglects his wife or does not maintain her needs properly, she has a right to go to a judge who is well versed in Islamic Laws to nullify the marriage. This is called as Nikah-e-fask. In this case the judge decides whether the husband has to give the full amount of Meher or a portion of it to the wife. 5. The last type is called ‘Khula’. Here the husband may be very good, but due to personal reasons the wife may wish to separate. Here, she can separate but she has to forgo her marital gift (her meher).

10. Why do Muslims call God, ‘Allah’? Muslims prefer calling Allah by His name as He revealed it in the Glorious Qur’an. The Arabic word ‘Allah’ is pure and unique. There is not another word like it. The English word ‘God’ can be played around with. Examples: a. God + s = Gods: There is no plural of Allah b. God + dess = Goddess: Allah has no gender. c. God + Father = Godfather. There is no ‘godfather’ in Islam. d. God + Mother = Godmother: There is no ‘godmother’ in Islam. e. Tin + God = Tin god: There is no ‘tin god’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word (there is no other word comparable to it) therefore Muslims prefer calling the Creator, ‘Allah’. But sometimes when speaking to non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word ‘God’, for Allah for ease of conversation. There is also a misunderstanding amongst non-Muslims that the God worshipped by Muslims differs from the God that was worshipped by Prophets Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus (Pbut). Nothing could be further from the truth. It is comparable to saying that the French worship a different ‘god’ because they use the word ‘Dieu’, that the Spaniards worship a different ‘god’ because they say ‘Dios’ or that the Hebrews worshipped a different ‘god’ because they called Him ‘Yahweh’, or the Zulu ‘s in South Africa call Him ‘Inkulunkulu’, or the Afrikaners call Him ‘He’re”.

In fact all Arab Christians also name God as ALLAH! Reverend Scofield also used the word “ALAH” on page 3 of his Authorized English Version Bible to describe God. But when it was ‘revised’ by other Christian scholars, they deleted the word ‘ALAH’. The solution to the problem of the name of God for the Christians is in Isaiah 52:6, N.I.V., p. 873 that states: “Therefore my people will know My name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”

11. Can a Muslim wish ‘Salaam’ to a Non-Muslim? “When a courteous greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy - Allah takes careful account of all things”. (Glorious Qur’aan 4:86) a) The Qur’an mentions in Surah Mariam chap 19 vs. 41 - 46 that Prophet Ibrahim’s father was a Mushrik (polytheist) and associated partners with God. When Prophet Ibrahim (Pbuh) asked his father not to serve satan his father replied: ‘I will stone you’ and removed Ibrahim out of the house. “Abraham said: ‘peace be on thee’ (Assalaamu Alaikum): I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.” (Al-Qur’an 19:47) b) Allah instructed Moses and Aaron that when they go to Pharaoh with the message they should say: “And Peace (Salaam) to all who follow guidance”. (Al- Qur’an 20:47) This was the same greeting also used by Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) to greet Non-Muslim rulers. c) “And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, ‘Peace!’ (Salaam)”. (Al-Qur’an- chap- 25 v, 63) d) “And when they hear vain talk, they turn away there from and say: ‘to us our deeds and to you yours; peace (Salaams) be unto you: we seek not the ignorant.” (Al- Qur’an chap 28 v, 55)

12. Are Women Allowed In The Mosque? There is not a single verse in the Qur’an that prohibits women from entering and praying in the mosque, and there is no single authentic Hadith which states that the Prophet prevented or forbade women from going to the mosque. There is only one Hadith, which could be misunderstood to mean that women should not go to the mosque. That Hadith is as follows: ‘The prayer of women is better in their house than in the mosque and the prayer of women is better in their rooms than in their house.’

The context of the Hadith is very important. The Prophet said that if a person prays in the mosque he receives 27 times more blessings. Some women argued that they had infants at home and household work and therefore could not go to the mosque. Accordingly the men had a greater advantage than women for receiving such blessings. It was then that the Prophet said the above Hadith.

There are several Ahadith which prove that both men and women went to the mosque during the life of the Prophet: (i) The Prophet said: ‘Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from going to the mosque of Allah.’ (ii) The Prophet specifically told husbands, “When your women folk ask you for permission to attend the mosque, do not prevent them.” (Bukhari Volume 1, Book of Salaah, Chap 80, Hadith No. 832) (iii) From the time the Prophet came to Madinah after Hijrah till his demise, he never prevented women from entering the mosque. Women went to the mosque for prayer, religious education and literary discussions, as the mosque was the hub of the community. Several hadith inform us that the Prophet addressed audiences that consisted of men and women; and that women frequently asked questions of the Prophet in the gatherings. (v) During the time of Caliph Umar women went to the mosque.

3) Islam does not permit the intermingling of sexes during actual worship but Islam permits women to pray in mosques, but there should have separate and equal facilities. 4) They are also allowed in the Haram Shareef in Makkah and in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. Women are allowed in many mosques in Saudi Arabia, in U.A.E, in Egypt, in U.S.A, in England, in South Africa and in many other countries. The trend is now changing in many parts of the world as we now have mosques with separate facilities specially built for women to pray. 5) Non-Muslims are also permitted to visit the mosques to see how Muslims pray. There are no statues, idols or photos of anything in the Mosques. Muslims welcome and encourage non-Muslims to visit the mosques. Kindly contact the Imam of the local Mosque, or a Muslim friend and they will be delighted to arrange a visit for you and their families.

13. Does ‘Jihad’ Mean Holy War In Islam? Jihad has a wide meaning in Islam. The western media loves to portray this word as ‘a war on the west’, which terrifies non-Muslims the world over. The essential meaning of JIHAD is to “struggle and strive against one’s own passion”. Dr. Ibrahim Abu Rabi calls Jihad “the execution of effort against evil in the self and every manifestation of evil in society”. In this manner Jihad is the Muslims’ purest sacrifice; to struggle to live a perfect life and completely submit ones-self to Allah as is stated in the Glorious Qur’an, and practically demonstrated by the Prophet of Islam. Another level of Jihad is to propagate the truth of Islam to the non-Muslims and call them with wisdom and good preaching to study the Qur’an for themselves. There is no compulsion in Religion as is stated many times in the Qur’an; but it the duty and obligation on each and every Muslim to invite towards Islam. Refer to Chap 9 verse 24 of the Glorious Qur’an.

The aspect of Jihad that is commonly known to non-Muslims is that of fighting - or holy war -through the propaganda machines of the western media. It is essential to understand what is condoned and condemned in warfare according to the Qur’an, and as practiced by the Prophet of Islam. Islam does not justify aggressive warfare; but stresses the need to defend oneself against aggression. Islam allows defensive warfare. Islam prohibits the killings of non-combatants, the old and infirm, women and children, destroying of crops and homes and the like. History records that the Muslim armies practiced all of the above. The Glorious Qur’an states very clearly this in just one verse (there are many verses but this one should suffice to prove the above statements)

Chap 2: 190- “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you, but transgress not the limits. Truly Allah likes not the transgressors”. The Christians seem to overlook the fact that Jesus (pbuh) also taught “Jihad’ when there was injustice as is mentioned in Luke chap 22 verse 36: Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Also stated in Mark 14:47) (In Gethsemene)-Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high 's servant, and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus). Luke 19:27: But those enemies of mine who would not allow me to rule over them, bring them hear and SLAY them before me. The Bible is filled with violence from beginning to end. A cursory glance at the Amalekite massacre under the command of “God” sets the theme for most of the Book.

14. Why Is Alcohol Prohibited In Islam? Answer: Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues to kill countless human lives, and causes terrible misery to millions throughout the world. Alcohol is the root cause of enormous problems facing society. The statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses, and millions of broken homes throughout the world bear testimony to the destructive power of alcohol. 14.1. Prohibition of alcohol in the Qur’an The Glorious Qur’aan prohibits the consumption of alcohol “O Ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination – of satan’s handiwork; eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.” Chap 5- verse: 90

14.2. Prohibition of alcohol in the Bible The Bible prohibits the consumption of alcohol as well: a. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1) b. “And be not drunk with wine.” (Ephesians 5:18)

14.3. Alcohol Inhibits The Inhibitory Centre All human beings possess an inhibitory centre in their brains. This inhibitory centre prevents the person from doing things that he considers wrong. For instance, a person does not normally use abusive language while addressing his parents or elders. If he has to answer the call of nature, his inhibitory centre will prevent him from doing so in public, and therefore he uses the toilet.

When a person consumes alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. That is precisely the reason that a drunken person is often found to be indulging in behaviour that is completely uncharacteristic of him. For instance, the intoxicated person is found to use abusive and foul language and does not realize his mistake even if he is addressing his parents. Many even urinate and defecate in their clothes when drunk.

14.4. Cases Of Adultery, Rape, Incest And AIDS Are Found More Among Alcoholics According to the National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone, everyday an average 2, 713 rapes took place in America. The statistics prove that the majority of the rapists were intoxicated while committing the crime. According to statistics, 8% of Americans commit incest i.e. one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. Almost all the cases of incest are due to intoxication of one or both the persons involved. One of the major factors associated with alcoholism is the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease of this century.

14.5. Every Alcoholic Was Initially A Social Drinker Many may argue in favour of by calling themselves ‘social drinkers’. They claim that they only have one or two drinks and they have self-control and so never get intoxicated. Investigations reveal that every alcoholic started as a social drinker. Not a single drunkard initially starts drinking with the intention of becoming a drunkard. No social drinker can say that I have been having alcohol for several years and that I have so much self-control that I have never been intoxicated even a single time.

14.6. If A Person Is Intoxicated Just Once And Commits Something Shameful, It Will Remain With Him For A Lifetime. Suppose a ‘social drinker’ loses his self-control just once and in a state of intoxication he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a normal human being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Both the perpetrator and the victim are irreparably and irreversibly damaged.

14.7. Alcohol Is Prohibited In The Hadith Of The Prophet Of Islam a. In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chap 30 Hadith No. 3371. “Alcohol is the mother of all evils and it is the most shameful of evils.” b. In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chap 30 Hadith No. 3392- “Anything which intoxicates in a large quantity is prohibited even in a small quantity.” Thus there is no excuse for a nip or a tot. c. Not only those who drink alcohol are cursed, but also Allah curses those who deal with it directly and indirectly. According to Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chap 30 Hadith No. 3380 reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) said: “God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to whom it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else.”

14.8. Some Of The Diseases Associated With Alcoholism There are dozens of scientific reasons for the prohibition of consumption of intoxicants (alcohol). The maximum number of deaths in the world related to any one particular cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people die every year only because of drinking alcohol. I need not go into the details of all the ill effects of alcohol since most of them are commonly known.

Below is a list of just a few of the Alcohol related illnesses: 1. of Liver is the most common and well-known alcohol associated disease. Damage to the liver is irreversible. 2. Others are Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver (Hepatoma), Cancer of Bowel, etc. 3. Oesophagitis, , and Hepatitis are linked with alcohol consumption. 4. Cardiomyopathy, Hypertension, Coronary Artherosclerosis, Angina and Heart Attacks are linked with heavy alcohol intakes. 5. Strokes, (even with moderate intake of alcohol) Apoplexy, Fits and different types of Paralysis are linked with alcohol intake. 6. Peripheral Neuropathy, Cortical Atrophy, Cerebellar Atrophy are well- known syndromes caused by alcohol consumption. 7. Wernicke – Korsakoff syndrome with amnesia of recent events, confabulations and retainment of memory to old events with different types of paralysis are mainly due to thiamine deficiency due to excessive alcohol intake. 8. Beriberi and other deficiencies are not uncommon among alcoholics. Even Pellagra occurs in alcoholics. 9. Delerium Tremens is a serious complication that may occur during recurrent infection of alcoholics or post operatively. It also occurs during abstention as a sign of withdrawal effect. It is quite serious and may cause death even if treated in well-equipped centres. 10. During acute alcoholic intoxication, the drunken person usually vomits; the cough reflexes that are protective are paralyzed. The vomitus thus easily passes to the lung causing Pneumonia or Lung Abscess. Occasionally it may even cause suffocation and death.

15. Why Do Women Inherit Half Of What A Man Inherits Under Islamic Shariah? 15.1. Inheritance in the Qur'an The Glorious Qur’an contains specific and detailed guidance regarding the division of the inherited wealth, among the rightful beneficiaries. The Qur’anic verses that contain guidance regarding inheritance are: * Surah Baqarah, chap 2 verse 180 and 240 * Surah Nisa, chap 4 verse 7-9, 19 and 33 * Surah Maidah, chap 5 verse 106-108

15.2. Specific share of inheritance for the relatives There are three verses in the Qur’aan that broadly describe the share of close relatives i.e. Surah Nisah (chap 4) verses 11, 12 and 176.

15.3. Female sometimes inherits the same or more than male: In most of the cases, a woman inherits half of what her male counterpart inherits. However, this is not always the case. In case the deceased has left no ascendant or descendent but has left a uterine brother and sister, each of the two inherits one sixth. If the deceased has left children, then parents, the mother and father also get an equal share and inherit one sixth each. In certain cases, a woman can also inherit a share that is double that of the male. If the deceased is a woman who has left no children, brothers or sisters and is survived only by her husband, mother and father, the husband inherits half the property while the mother inherits one third and the father the remaining one sixth. In this particular case, the mother inherits a share that is double that of the father.

15.4. Female usually inherits half the share of that of the male: It is true that as a general rule, in most cases, the female inherits a share that is half that of the male. For instance in the following cases: 1. Daughter inherits half of what the son inherits. 2. Wife inherits 1/8th and husband 1/4th if the deceased has no children. 3. Wife inherits 1/4th and husband 1/2 if the deceased has children 4. If the deceased has no ascendant or descendent, the sister inherits a share that is half that of the brother.

15.5. Male inherits double than the female because he financially supports the family. In Islam a woman has no financial obligation and the economic responsibility lies on the shoulders of the man. Before a woman is married it is the duty of the father or brother to look after the lodging, boarding, clothing and other financial requirements of the woman. After she is married it is the duty of the husband or the son. Islam holds the man financially responsible for fulfilling the needs of his family. In order to be able to fulfill the responsibility, men get double the share of the inheritance.

For example, if a man dies leaving about R 150,000.00 for the children (i.e one son and one daughter), the son inherits R 100,000.00 and the daughter only R 50,000.00. Out of the R 100,000.00 that the son inherits, because of his duty towards his family he may have to spend on them almost the entire amount and thus in realty he has a smaller percentage of inheritance left for him. On the other hand, the daughter, who inherits R 50,000.00, is not bound to spend a single penny on anybody. She can keep the entire amount for herself.

Would you prefer inheriting one hundred thousand and spending almost all on the family from it, or inheriting fifty thousand and having the entire amount to yourself?

For men is the benefit of what they earn. And for women is the benefit of what they earn. Q.4:32

For men is a share of what the parents and the near relatives leave, and for women a share of what the parents and the near relatives leave, whether it be little or much and appointed share. Q-4:7

16. Doesn’t The Qur’an In Surah 2:228 State That Men Are Superior To Women? Nowhere is there a single verse in the Qur’an which states that men are higher or superior to women. Again and again the emphasis is on egalitarianism. The verse referred to is as follows:-“The rights of wives [with regard to their husbands] are EQUAL to [the husband’s] rights with regard to them, although men have precedence over them [ in that respect]. When one contextualizes the entire verse, one will see that this verse refers to a divorced wife has the right to refuse a resumption of the marital relations even if the husband expresses, before the expiry of the (iddah), his willingness to have the provisional divorce rescinded; but since it is the husband who is responsible for the maintenance of the family, the first option to rescind a provisional divorce rests with him. This is the PRECEDENCE referred to here.

17. Is It True That A Person Is Killed If He/She Becomes Apostate?

17.1. There is no punishment for apostasy in Islam. This is another widely prevailing misconception about Islam. It is generally thought that the Qur’an provides a death sentence for those who desert the religion of Islam. The Qur’an speaks repeatedly of people going back to unbelief after believing, but never once does it say that they should be killed or punished. This was in the Law of the that has been abrogated in the Glorious Qur’an. Here again we see the superiority of the Glorious Qur’an in abrogating the punishment of death for apostasy and replacing it with a more just Law.

Quotes from the Old Testament: Deut. Chapter 13 vs. 6:- 6. “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7. Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; 8. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: 9. But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God”. Now compare with the below. “Those who disbelieve after their believing then increase in disbelief, their repentance is not accepted, and these are they that go astray” (Glorious Qur’an Chapter 3. v. 90). “And whoever of you turns back from his religion, then he dies while an unbeliever — these it is whose works go for nothing in this world and the Hereafter” (Glorious Qur’an Chapter-2. v. 217). “O you who believe, should anyone of you turn back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him” (Glorious Qur’an 5. v. 54).

The Qur’an exposes a plan of the Jews to adopt Islam first and then desert it, thus creating the impression that Islam was not a religion worth following (Q-3:72). Such a scheme could never have entered their minds while living at Madinah, where the Government was Muslim, if according to the Qur’anic law, apostasy were punishable with death. The misconception seems to have arisen from the fact that people who, after becoming apostates, joined the enemy, were treated as enemies, or that, where an apostate took the life of a Muslim, he was put to death, not for changing his religion, but for committing murder.

18. What is a fatwa? Fatwa is an Arabic term that means a ruling or legal opinion that has been deduced by a qualified Islamic scholar (or someone claiming authority in Islam) on issues pertaining to Islamic law that generally have not been previously decided. Since these opinions are non-binding, Muslims are free to choose whether or not to follow them. 18.1. What is the Islamic view on punishments such as the death penalty, stoning, or cutting off someone’s hands? Mandatory criminal penalties are basic to any penal code. Like other criminal systems, Islamic jurisprudence does prescribe certain punishments in certain situations, but any criminal judgement must be carried out by a state authority, as Islam does not allow vigilantism. Furthermore, most of these punishments were meant to act as deterrents, and, in practice, the most severe punishments were rarely carried out.

For instance, the punishment of stoning for adultery requires the testimony of four eyewitnesses—a virtually impossible condition. Capital punishment for manslaughter could be avoided if the victim’s family agreed to monetary compensation for their loss—a normal practice in the society of the time. These punishments are very similar to those found in the , which, like the Qur’an, spoke to social conditions and attitudes vastly different from those of later times and different places. Jews today, even the most strictly Orthodox, do not practice these punishments, and Christians generally regard them as superseded by the ethic of Jesus.

Today, most Muslim-majority countries do not practice these punishments, and where they are practiced, such as under the Taliban or ISIS, the required due process that makes many of these punishments nearly impossible to enforce is not followed, which is why many scholars have condemned their use.

18.2. Does Islam Encourage Honour Killings? No, “honor killings”—which refer to violence, generally against girls or women, by one or more family members who believe the victim has brought dishonor upon the family—are prohibited by Islam on the basis of not just one but several principles. First, they violate the sanctity of life, which is considered sacrosanct; second, they fail to respect the right of due process for anyone accused of a crime; and, third, they contradict the principle that each individual is responsible for his or her own actions and that no individual or family member should be held responsible for the behaviour of another. In fact, the Qur’an specifically prohibits even speaking ill of a woman without the testimony of four witnesses and calls for the punishment of one who does so without this virtually impossible requirement.

18.3. What is Jihad? The Arabic term jihad literally means striving or exertion of effort and encompasses both the internal struggle against harmful impulses and desires and the external struggle against injustice and oppression. Thus, the word can refer to military action against an aggressor, but this is by no means the only meaning of the term. Traditionally, Muslim sources distinguish between the “greater” and the “lesser” jihad. The “greater jihad” is described by Muslim scholars as an internal struggle to avoid negative actions and cultivate good character.

The “lesser jihad” is the external striving for justice, in self-defense or against oppression. One can do this in one’s heart, with one’s tongue or pen, and, if these are ineffective, by forcibly trying to change an oppressive situation, similarly, for example, to the Allies in World War II who went to war against the aggression of Hitler. It should be noted, however, that violent revolution was often seen by classical scholars as the absolute last resort. The social chaos and mayhem that often ensue from overthrowing an oppressive leader were commonly viewed as much worse than the reign of an oppressor.

18.4. What does the Qur'an say about war? Like other sacred scriptures, including the Bible, there are a number of verses about warfare in the Qur’an; they address the struggle of the early Muslims against the Meccans who fought and persecuted them first in Mecca and then after they established a state in Medina, where Muslims fought back for the first time. However, they make up a small percentage of the 6,000 verses of the Qur’an. In addition, it is important to keep in mind the following:

1. A reading of the “warlike” verses in their context in the Qur’an invariably shows that they refer to situations in which the Muslim community was under attack, either through direct military aggression or forcible denial of legitimate rights of freedom of religion and expression; they refer to, and permit, only strictly defensive warfare. Aggression is clearly prohibited (Qur’an, 2:190). 2. The earliest verse related to fighting (22:39) states that “permission [to fight back] is given to those who have been wronged,” clearly indicating that such permission is an exceptional allowance responding to a specific situation, and that peaceful conduct is assumed to be the norm for Muslims. 3. There are strict rules of warfare outlined by the Prophet Muhammad and his successors that prohibit targeting civilians, specifically women and children, or even harming infrastructure or crops used by civilians.

18.5. Jesus was a Non-Violent reformer while Muhummed (Pbuh) fought in wars. Why is there a difference between Jesus and Muhummed (Pbuh) in terms of their approach? Muhummed’s (Pbuh) outlook and actions were initially similar to those of Jesus (Pbuh) if one compares Muhummed’s (Pbuh) strategy during the first part of his mission in Mecca when he, like Jesus (Pbuh), sought change as a non-violent reformer. However, their tactics diverged due to a change in circumstances once Muhammad and his followers were expelled from Mecca and migrated to Medina. While Jesus and his community of believers remained politically powerless throughout his mission, Muhammad in Medina, as the head of a new political community, was required to serve as a political and even military leader as he finally fought back against the Meccans after years of persecution. As the head of the new community in Medina, he also had to deal with internal conspiracies and rebellions in addition to external threats.

This question, as posed, also assumes that there is only one way of looking at these figures, which is misleading. For instance, while Jesus is commonly viewed today as a “non-violent reformer,” this has not always been the case. In his book Jesus through the Centuries, church historian Jaroslav Pelikan depicts and analyses the varied views of Jesus at different times and in different cultures and devotes a whole chapter to Jesus as both “Prince of Peace” and instigator of divine warfare—sometimes at one and the same time. The representations of Muhammad are likewise varied. In her book The Lives of Muhammad, Kecia Ali writes, “Far from being uniform or non-changing, both non-Muslim and Muslim views of Muhummed (Pbuh) have been diverse, multifaceted, and subject to dramatic changes over the centuries.” However, Muslims uniformly love and respect both men not only as prophets and messengers, descended from noble families, but also as exemplars of the most perfect character. Prophet Jesus (Pbuh) is described in the Qur’an as one who is “held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to God.” Prophet Muhummed was known even before his Prophethood as “Al-Ameen,” “The Trustworthy,” and his praiseworthy characteristics and actions are the topic of books (known as Shamail), poems, and songs through the centuries.

18.6. How do extremists justify their actions using the Qur’an? While one cannot speak for their motivations or methodology, Muslim terrorists use the Qur’an the same way that Christian extremists such as the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations or Jewish extremists such as Meir Kahane and Baruch Goldstein in Israel use the Bible: by taking phrases out of context and developing interpretations that serve their agenda.

They also ignore principles of the interpretation of texts followed by legitimate scholars of religion, above all the principle that a text must be understood with reference to the time, place, and situation in which it was given. The Qur’an, like other seminal religious texts, has a dual nature: one that is specific (particular or transitional) to the occasion, time, and place, and another that is universal and permanent, dealing with principles that apply for all times and places. The specific cannot be made to apply universally, while the universal always informs the specific. Ignoring this principle leads to arbitrary interpretations tailored to fit political agendas. Most of the terrorism committed by people claiming Islam as their motivation is justified by a methodology that bypasses the bulk of classical scholarship. Various legal issues that pertained to the majority of the Muslim community were often left to the discretion and judgement of qualified scholars. ISIS and other similar groups, however, discount the role filled by traditional scholars. They promote themselves as “scholars” and then produce rulings far removed from what Muslims traditionally would find normative, acceptable, or humane.

18.7. Why are there so many Muslim Terrorists? Out of a total world population of around 1.8 billion Muslims, terrorists make up a tiny minority. A CNN article estimates the total number of members of Muslim terrorist groups as around .00625% of the world’s total Muslim population. Even if one assumes that there is a total number of Muslim terrorists several times that figure to account for “lone wolf” extremists and currently unknown groups, one still finds only a very tiny percentage of Muslims involved in terrorism or extremist violence.

What is true is that Muslim terrorists are very much in the public eye, especially in the U.S. and Europe, to the extent that some people erroneously believe that extremist violence is unique to Muslims. There are several reasons for this:

 Many actions of Muslim (and other) terrorists are deliberately designed to draw attention. The perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks knew and intended that images of these atrocities would dominate news around the world. Indeed, terrorism, which on the scale practiced today is something new in history, is intended precisely to draw public attention to the terrorists and their grievances.  Closely related to the foregoing fact is the reality that terrorist violence can and does strike Western countries and hence poses a real danger to their citizens; it is, therefore, inevitably a matter of legitimate concern to Western publics (although the chance of one’s being killed in a terrorist attack is about the same as being crushed by falling furniture).

There appears to be a clear media bias which highlights terrorism committed by Muslims over that from other groups—even when terrorism from other sources poses a clear danger to people in the U.S. A database compiled by the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute examines a nine-year period, from 2008 through 2016 and finds that far-right plots and attacks outnumber Islamist incidents by almost 2 to 1. Yet, according to a 2017 University of Alabama study of news coverage of all terrorist attacks in the United States between 2006 and 2015, attacks by Muslim perpetrators received, on average, 357% more coverage than other attacks. The study states: “The disparities in news coverage of attacks based on the perpetrator’s religion may explain why members of the public tend to fear the ‘Muslim terrorist’ while ignoring other threats.”

In other words, while Muslim terrorists make up a tiny percentage of the world’s total Muslim population, they loom very large in the public mind—for reasons both legitimate and not.

18.8. Why did some Muslims respond with protest and violence against portrayals of Muhummed (Pbuh) in cartoons and film? This question refers to protests, sometimes erupting into lethal violence, as in the 2015 Paris attacks in response to cartoons published in a French satirical weekly and in the 2012 Benghazi attack against two American government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, purportedly in response to the film The Innocence of Muslims which was derogatory to the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh).

Muslim leaders and organizations worldwide, even in countries that restrict the publication of such offensive material, vigorously condemned these instances of violence. The great majority of Muslim Americans and many Muslims elsewhere affirm the right to freedom of expression.

In addition, it is important to stress that these violent reactions have generally been fuelled by political issues that compounded anger at the offensive images. Investigations into the Benghazi attack found that it was in fact long planned by militants, while the Paris attacks were the work of militants who may have been trying to recruit French Muslims to al-Qaeda by creating an incident that would isolate them from other French people. In both cases, the offensive representations served as a pretext.

At the same time, many Muslims find the lack of respect in many secular societies for sacred symbols, regardless of the religion involved, to be offensive. The Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) respected other religions and their sacred symbols, and the Qur’an prohibits reviling the followers of other religions and that which they hold sacred.

19. If Islam is considered to be a religion of peace, then why is there so much conflict in countries where Muslims live? This question makes two assumptions: first, that there is more conflict among Muslims than among followers of other religions, and, second, that conflicts involving Muslims result primarily from their religion.

The first assumption is a false perception. Of the fifty Muslim-majority countries, the vast majority are at peace. Furthermore, many countries with non-Muslim majorities are involved in conflict. The United States, for instance, a Christian- majority country, is the world’s largest arms exporter and is involved currently in several armed conflicts and was previously involved in a number of conflicts, most famous among them the Vietnam War. The two largest world wars in history were fought mostly between Christian-majority countries (i.e., World Wars I and II).

The second assumption is likewise misleading. While religion is sometimes invoked by parties to support a war, religion is at most one factor among many in producing conflict, and usually not the most important one. Economic and political issues are generally the underlying causes behind most conflicts, including those involving Muslims.

Additionally, in many of these conflicts Muslims are the victims rather than the perpetrators of violence and conflict. Some current examples include: Myanmar, where close to a million Rohingya Muslims have been persecuted and driven from their homes by the Burmese army and militants in what has been called a genocide; in China, where one million Uighur Muslims have been detained in concentration camps; in Kashmir where a brutal crack-down has resulted in the oppression of all its Muslim residents following decades of repression; and ongoing conflicts over land and rights in . This has also been the case in previous conflicts in Iraq, Chechnya, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, where others instigated conflict to the great detriment, loss of lives, destruction, and suffering of the Muslims living in those countries.

20. What factors contributed to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism? The Oxford dictionary defines an “extremist” as “a person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal, violent, or other extreme action.” An extremist group is defined as “a group of individuals whose values, ideals, and beliefs fall far outside of what society considers normal.” While there have been extremist groups in all religions and societies throughout history, including Islamic history, most historians trace the roots of Islamic extremism to the seventh-century group known as the Kharijites that developed around the same time as Shi’a Islam as a response to what they perceived as unjust rule. Muslim extremist groups have historically been marginalized by the mainstream and have eventually disappeared over time.

Islamic extremism today is in many ways a reaction to various developments in the last two centuries. One of these was the decline and subsequent colonization of many Muslim-populated areas by European powers, which resulted in modernization and Westernization policies in many Muslim-populated countries in the 19th and early 20th centuries that viewed Islam as backwards, outdated, and a barrier to progress. In response to this new and humiliating circumstance, some Muslim groups espoused a return to the original practices of Islam as they understood them to have been practiced during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) and his immediate successors. Commonly known as revivalist or fundamentalist movements, they sought solutions to the many problems facing Muslim societies through a literal and sometimes puritanical vision of Islam. These movements have sometimes taken on political overtones or issued calls for an “Islamic state”, and in some cases have resorted to violence.

This has occurred in situations where, in addition to the previously mentioned factors, various extremist groups formed in response to specific issues or causes, many of which stem from conflicts over land and independence, such as the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and Chechnya, the Indian occupation of Kashmir, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and the American occupation of Iraq.

Additionally, some extremist groups formed in opposition to their own despotic governments; for example, in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood was initially formed to resist British occupation, but then turned against Egyptian rulers when they also failed to live up to their expectations, and eventually gave rise to more extremist groups such as Islamic Jihad.

What is clear from many of these groups is that their extremist version of Islam is often a motivating factor, just as the power of religiously driven zeal has been used throughout history to fuel and galvanize popular movements that arise in response to perceived ills. This is not unique to Islam or Muslims but rather spans the gamut of the human condition.

21. What is Wahhabism? Wahhabism began as an 18th-century reform movement in the Arabian Peninsula and focused on what its founder Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab perceived as the deviation of Muslims from what he considered to be “pure Islam.” Wahhabism then evolved into an extremist and reductionist interpretation of Islam that is practiced mainly in Saudi Arabia but has spread to other Muslim-populated countries through well-funded literature and educational campaigns. This ideology has not, however, won over most mainstream traditional Muslims in those countries, and today the majority of Muslims worldwide, including Muslim Americans, reject this strict and intolerant version of Islam and those who attempt to impose it upon other Muslims.

22. How does the Taliban’s practice of Islam compare with mainstream Islam? The Taliban arose from the mujahideen who fought the Soviet-backed government in Afghanistan in the 80s and 90s. The backdrop for their rise is multi-faceted and includes both the conflict and aftermath of decades of war as well as intervention by various regional players. Most Taliban are members of the Pathan ethnic group that resides in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Actions by some members of the Taliban have shown a clear rejection and violation of several of the principles we identify as fundamental to Islam, including respect for life, human dignity, freedom of religion and conscience, and freedom of thought and expression. The Taliban’s interpretation and practice of Islam reflects a very narrow and inflexible interpretation that has been informed by external and internal influences that have come into play during decades of warfare, including among them a tribal culture that is extremely patriarchal. This cultural context impacts their attitudes in many areas, especially their views and interpretations relating to women. They have been widely criticized by other Muslims for their treatment of women, specifically for their ban on women’s education and work, as well as their strict dress requirements for both genders and their harsh punishments for violations of their laws.

They have also interpreted Sharia to prohibit a wide variety of activities, including sports for women, kite flying, beard trimming, recreation, entertainment, and other matters where they have a much more rigid and extreme interpretation than most Muslims. Additionally, some members of the Taliban have engaged in actions viewed by the great majority of Muslims as prohibited by Islamic teachings, such as committing violence against civilians.

23. Why is there so much conflict between Arabs/Muslims and Jews? Throughout the world where Arabs, Muslims and Jews are living as minorities in Christian-populated countries, they tend to be allies with shared interests and concerns, such as the promotion of religious literacy and the fight against anti- Semitism and Islamophobia. Muslim Americans and Jewish Americans are also often allied on domestic issues of social justice.

Where Jews live today as minorities in Muslim majority countries, such as Iran, the views are mixed. Some say they live in harmony with their Muslim compatriots, and others say that Jews are discriminated against.

Historically, Jews and Muslims generally lived in harmony in many Muslim- populated countries, such as Morocco, Iraq, and Egypt (and, at least until the mass migration of Jews to Palestine in the early 1900s, in Palestine itself). Jews refer to Muslim rule in Spain in their history books as a period of renaissance for Jewish life. During the Spanish Inquisition, when both Muslims and Jews in Spain were forced to convert or leave, many Jews fled to Muslim countries where they lived for centuries in security and prosperity. These Muslim countries, with rare and short-lived exceptions, never propagated the anti-Jewish sentiment that resulted in pogroms and other forms of persecution that occurred in Europe.

If the question is about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, then this is a recent conflict which began with the twentieth-century mass settlement of Jews in Palestine, and the subsequent creation of the state of Israel. In the eyes of most Muslims, this is less about religion than about the displacement and dispossession of many Palestinians—both Muslim and Christian—as the state of Israel was formed, which is why Christian Palestinians such as Edward Said and Hanan Ashrawi have been outspoken about this issue.

24. How does Islam view science? There are numerous verses in the Qur’an that reference scientific phenomena, including discussions of astronomy, geography, biology, and other aspects of nature and the universe. The Qur’an includes, for instance, a detailed description of the different stages that the embryo goes through in the womb, as well as descriptions of the creation of the earth and of the interaction between fresh and salt water.

These repeated Qur’anic references to nature and injunctions to seek knowledge helped create a fertile environment for science during the “Golden Age of Islam” in the Middle Ages, when Muslims were at the forefront of such fields as mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, and medicine. Unfortunately, the economic and political decline of the Muslim world in later centuries brought about a decline in scientific and technological endeavour until recent decades.

25. What is the Islamic view on the theory of Evolution? The claim of the theory of evolution that human beings and other animals share a common ancestor is incompatible with normative Islam. While the existence of a fossil record is not disputed, the conclusions made by proponents of the theory of evolution cannot be conclusively proven. For Muslims, similarity in the genetic code among creatures is a testament to God’s grace and omnipotence, rather than a means by which to render the uniqueness of human creation meaningless.

26. What is Islam’s view of the environment and the importance of protecting it? There are hundreds of verses throughout the Qur’an that describe the wonders of creation and nature and call upon humankind to reflect on them as signs of God. Humans are described as stewards over this earth (as is the case in Jewish and Christian scripture), entrusted with its oversight. There are also numerous Qur’anic and prophetic injunctions to avoid waste, excess, and harm to other forms of creation. A prophetic saying forbids wasting water, even when washing in a river. Living a balanced, moderate lifestyle is an important Islamic principle advocated by most Muslim scholars which applies to all aspects of life, including care of the earth and all of creation.

27. What Is Halal? Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. The opposite of halal is haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. While the term is used in relation to many aspects of life, when specifically used in relationship to food, halal refers to any food product that is not prohibited. In reference to meat products, halal means that the animal was slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, which include reciting God’s name over the animal before slaughter and draining all the blood from the animal. This practice is similar to the guidelines set by Jewish law that classify meat prepared in this manner as kosher It is common to find halal butcher shops or restaurants in most major cities in the U.S.

28. How does Islamic economics work without interest? How does Islamic banking work? Muslim economists view money as something to be earned, which is one of the many reasons that both gambling and most forms of loaning with interest are prohibited. While there are different types of interest and not all types are viewed as being the same, many Muslim scholars regard interest as generally prohibited because it penalizes the poor for their lack of money and rewards the rich for their abundance of money, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. On the other hand, investment in business is highly encouraged because it involves some risk to the investor, which makes profit from investment a fair return. Investment also promotes the circulation of wealth and the growth of new businesses.

Applying this principle in the modern world is a major challenge, yet today there are over five hundred financial institutions offering Islamic finance in over eighty different countries. These institutions generate income through shareholding, leasing, lease purchasing, and rent sharing. Interest-free banking is an experiment in Islamic modernization. The fact that Islamic banks are now worth a trillion dollars attests to their modern viability. In fact, many western economists maintain that interest-free economies can be extremely beneficial. An example of this is the growing popularity of interest-free financing in auto sales in the U.S. today as a means of attracting less affluent customers. Additionally, many economists have noted that during the financial crisis a few years ago Islamic investments and banks were largely unaffected, since they did not deal with interest-based financing such as mortgages or risky speculation. 29. Why do some people suffer so much in this life, especially the innocent, such as children? This is a challenging issue for all religions that proclaim a belief in a God who is at once omnipotent and beneficent. We believe that God tries people in different ways, through both hardship and ease. While the cause of suffering is not always evident, the way that people respond to difficulty is a test of their moral fiber. Responding to hardship with patience and fortitude is a virtue for which we believe a great reward is promised in this life and the afterlife. Additionally, there may be a silver lining behind every difficulty. For instance, major disasters often bring out the best in people, inspiring them to perform remarkable acts as they respond to their own or another’s hardship with compassion and courage and come to the aid of those in need. Muslims also take comfort in their belief that life doesn’t end after death.

30. How do the stories of the prophets in Islam compare with those in Christianity and Judaism? That depends on which prophet we are talking about. In many cases, the stories of the prophets in the Qur’an are similar to the stories in the Bible. Some examples include:

 the story of Noah and his ark;  the story of Abraham and Sarah and the birth of their son , who is also considered a prophet in the Qur’an;  the story of and his twelve sons, including Joseph, who is also considered a prophet in the Qur’an; and  the most oft-mentioned prophet in the Qur’an, Moses, and the story of his mission in Egypt to rescue his people.

Some of the major differences between the biblical account of some of these prophets and the Qur’an stem from the fact that the Qur’an holds that all prophets were immune from major . The stories of the Prophet Jesus are close to the Bible in their descriptions of his virginal birth and miracles but differ sharply in their account of the divinity of Jesus and his ; the Qur’an states that Jesus was only a man, not divine, and that before the crucifixion Jesus was taken up to heaven and replaced by a person who looked like him.

31. Were there female Prophets? While most Muslim theologians historically consider all the prophets to have been men, some hold the view that there were female prophets, especially in view of the fact that only two dozen of the 124,000* prophets are identified in the Qur’an. Four of the women regarded by these scholars as prophets are Eve, the first female created by God; the mother of Moses, who is not named in the Qur’an; Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh who in the Qur’an is the one who adopts Moses as her son, as opposed to the daughter of Pharaoh who does so in the Bible; and Mary, the mother of Jesus, because they all received direct divine revelation. In either case, Muslims revere them as among the many righteous and saintly women mentioned in the Qur’an.

According to one hadith, there were 124,000 prophets; in other hadith, there were 224,000 prophets. Muslims believe every group of people was sent a prophet to convey the message of God.

32. Why do Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) is the final Prophet? Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) is the final prophet on the basis of statements in Islamic scripture, including the following Qur’anic verse: “Muhummed (Pbuh) is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of God, and the Seal of the Prophets and God has full knowledge of all things.” (Qur’an, 33:40) There are also various Hadith (prophetic sayings) which designate Muhammad as “the Seal of the Prophets.” Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) was preceded by a long succession of prophets before him that include Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and Jesus. Muslims believe that all the prophets were sent by God and that some of them foretold the coming of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh).

33. Why can’t you display images of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh)? The general consensus among scholars is that physical representations of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) are discouraged on the grounds that, since the prophets are exemplars, they should not be presented in a manner that either is disrespectful or might lead to idolatry. However, one can find representations of Muhummed (Pbuh) and other prophets in different periods of Islamic history, mainly in the form of manuscript illustrations known as Persian miniatures, in which Muhummed’s (Pbuh) face is often obscured by light.

34. Why did some Muslims respond with protest and violence against portrayals of Muhummed (Pbuh) in cartoons and film? This question refers to protests, sometimes erupting into lethal violence, as in the 2015 Paris attacks in response to cartoons published in a French satirical weekly and in the 2012 Benghazi attack against two American government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, purportedly in response to the film The Innocence of Muslims which was derogatory to the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh). Muslim leaders and organizations worldwide, even in countries that restrict the publication of such offensive material, vigorously condemned these instances of violence. The great majority of Muslim Americans and many Muslims elsewhere affirm the right to freedom of expression.

In addition, it is important to stress that these violent reactions have generally been fueled by political issues that compounded anger at the offensive images. Investigations into the Benghazi attack found that it was in fact long planned by militants, while the Paris attacks were the work of militants who may have been trying to recruit French Muslims to al-Qaeda by creating an incident that would isolate them from other French people. In both cases, the offensive representations served as a pretext.

At the same time, many Muslims find the lack of respect in many secular societies for sacred symbols, regardless of the religion involved, to be offensive. The Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) respected other religions and their sacred symbols, and the Qur’an prohibits reviling the followers of other religions and that which they hold sacred.

35. Jesus was a non-violent reformer while Muhummed (Pbuh) fought in wars. Why is there a difference between Jesus and Muhummed (Pbuh) in terms of their approach? Muhummed’s (Pbuh) outlook and actions were initially similar to those of Jesus if one compares Muhummed’s (Pbuh) strategy during the first part of his mission in Mecca when he, like Jesus, sought change as a non-violent reformer. However, their tactics diverged due to a change in circumstances once Muhummed (Pbuh) and his followers were expelled from Mecca and migrated to Medina. While Jesus and his community of believers remained politically powerless throughout his mission, Muhummed (Pbuh) in Medina, as the head of a new political community, was required to serve as a political and even military leader as he finally fought back against the Meccans after years of persecution. As the head of the new community in Medina, he also had to deal with internal conspiracies and rebellions in addition to external threats.

This question, as posed, also assumes that there is only one way of looking at these figures, which is misleading. For instance, while Jesus is commonly viewed today as a “non-violent reformer,” this has not always been the case. In his book Jesus through the Centuries, church historian Jaroslav Pelikan depicts and analyzes the varied views of Jesus at different times and in different cultures and devotes a whole chapter to Jesus as both “Prince of Peace” and instigator of divine warfare—sometimes at one and the same time. The representations of Muhammad are likewise varied. In her book The Lives of Muhummed (Pbuh), Kecia Ali writes, “Far from being uniform or non-changing, both non-Muslim and Muslim views of Muhummed (Pbuh) have been diverse, multifaceted, and subject to dramatic changes over the centuries.” However, Muslims uniformly love and respect both men not only as prophets and messengers, descended from noble families, but also as exemplars of the most perfect character. Prophet Jesus is described in the Qur’an as one who is “held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to God.” Prophet Muhammad was known even before his Prophethood as “al-Ameen,” “the Trustworthy,” and his praiseworthy characteristics and actions are the topic of books (known as Shamail), poems, and songs through the centuries.

36. Why is it that Muslims do not celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas? While Muslims greatly revere Jesus, Christmas is generally considered a Christian holiday and not a part of Muslim cultures except where there are Christian minorities. There is even debate among Muslims over the celebration of Muhummed’s (Pbuh) birthday. However, some Muslims celebrate Christmas as part of an American cultural observance similar to Thanksgiving or Independence Day.

37. In large groups women pray behind men. Why is that? Men and women in congregational canonical prayers line up in separate rows as a general matter of practice. Although the women’s rows are generally behind the men’s rows, this is not always the case. In the mosque built around the Ka’bah, men and women pray in rows in circular formation around the shrine that may be side by side or may even place women in front of men. In some mosques, women pray in balconies above the prayer hall for men, and in some American mosques women pray in a space alongside that of men.

The reason usually adduced for this practice involves notions of modesty. The Muslim ritual prayer is very physical in nature, involving standing, bowing, and prostrating oneself. During congregational prayers, Muslims are supposed to stand side by side and shoulder to shoulder with those next to them. Many Muslim cultures consider it distracting or immodest to have men and women praying side by side or to have women prostrate themselves in front of men. Additionally, unlike the arrangement in a church where congregants face a sanctuary space with an altar or pulpit at the front, “the sacred space” in the mosque is the area immediately before each congregant. In this scheme, therefore, all congregants regardless of gender and physical positioning within the mosque maintain equal access to sacred space.

38. How will God determine who goes to heaven and hell? We believe that only God knows where a person will end up in the afterlife, since only God knows a person’s intentions, deeds, circumstances, and limitations. We also believe that God will judge human beings according to His complete justice on the Day of Judgment based on both their beliefs and actions, taking into account the opportunities and abilities that He gave them. In the Qur’an, God’s ninety-nine names include “the Judge” and “the Just.”

39. If a person is a good person throughout his or her life, but does not believe in God, will he/she go to hell? Though Muslims believe that belief in God is an essential aspect of humanity, they also believe that no one can be forced to believe and that belief remains an individual choice. How God will judge such people is entirely up to Him, but He will do so in a way that is absolutely just. Muslim scholars contend that people who live morally but do not believe in God for reasons beyond their control (for instance, because they have no access to the messages of the Prophets) will not be held accountable for their lack of belief.

40. What good is “free will” if everything is predestined? If God already knows if we are going to heaven or hell, why doesn’t He just put us there? This is a topic of debate in all religions. Muslims believe that humans have free will to commit good or evil, but that God’s knowledge and power encompasses all that happens in this life. That means that we will be held accountable for our actions, since God, while knowing what the outcome will be, allows people to act on their own free will to choose good or evil.

41. Whom do Muslims consider to be “infidels” and how should they treat them? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word “infidel” means “a person who does not believe in religion or who adheres to a religion other than one’s own.”

The Arabic word kafir (plural kuffar) is sometimes translated as “infidel”. A more common translation of the word is “disbeliever” or “unbeliever”. In the Qur’an, kafir usually refers to a person who not only rejects the beliefs of Islam but also takes a hostile stance toward Muslims and their religion; it is used primarily to refer to the Meccans who did not accept the adoption of a new religion by their kinsmen and persecuted and fought against the growing Muslim community. In modern Arabic, kafir is often used to mean simply “non-Muslim,” without any negative connotation.

We strongly believe that people of other faiths should be treated with love and respect, affirming the Islamic principle respect for freedom of religion and conscience. According to global Pew polls, strong majorities of Muslims in nearly every country surveyed support the right of non-Muslims to practice their religion freely, a right that was historically upheld by most Muslim societies.

42. Why are there references in the Qur’an that are highly critical of Christians and Jews? Is that not equivalent to Anti-Semitism? The Qur’an contains passages critical of those who fought against the early Muslims, including some pagans, Christians, Jews, and even hypocrites within the Muslim community. These passages speak to the specific historical circumstances in which they were revealed. They are not condemnations of Jews and Christians in general, but of the behaviours of specific people—including, as noted, some Muslims. We hold that respect for freedom of religion and conscience is basic to our vision of Islam.

43. What is your proof of the authenticity of the Qur’an? Muslim historians and scholars describe the history of the Qur’an and the efforts of Muslims since the early days of Islam to preserve the Qur’an in its original form. During the Prophet Muhummed’s (Pbuh) life, scores of people memorized, recited, and wrote down the Qur’an. Shortly after the death of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh), the Qur’an was compiled and transcribed by experts who carefully verified every verse by matching it against both the written word and memorized verses. The completed transcript was then copied and distributed across the growing Islamic empire. These copies served as the basis for all copies of the Qur’an written or printed since. Today these earliest written versions of the Qur’an are identical to contemporary copies of the Qur’an.

While translations of the Qur’an may vary, all copies of the Qur’an in Arabic contain nearly identical language. This standardization, coupled with the millions of people who continue to memorize the entire Qur’an, ensures the text’s authenticity.

44. What is the main difference between Sunnis and Shi’as? The majority of both Sunnis and Shi’as share the core beliefs of Islam—the oneness of God and the Prophethood of Muhummed (Pbuh)—and adhere to the Five Pillars.

Historically, the difference originated from the question of succession after the death of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) and is related to differing views about appropriate leadership for the Muslim community. While both the majority of Sunnis and Shi’as assign special status to and revere the descendants and family of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh), Shi’as believe that succession to the spiritual and political rule of the Muslim community lies only with the family and certain descendants of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh). Specifically, Shi’as believe that God chose Muhammad’s cousin Ali, who was married to his daughter Fatima, to be the Prophet Muhummed’s (Pbuh) successor, and that Muhummed (Pbuh) indicated this before his death. In support of their position Shi’as reference a sermon by the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) shortly before his death at a place called Ghadir Khumm, in which he stated “to whomsoever I am mawla, Ali is also their mawla.” The point of contention is the meaning of the word mawla; the Sunni interpretation of mawla here is “friend,” whereas the Shi’a interpretation is “master,” which includes political leadership. Shi’as also view Ali as the first in a line of Imams, or preeminent religious leaders, whom they regard as the spiritual and political successors to Muhummed (Pbuh).

In contrast, Sunnis believe that that the Muslim community was free to choose the most qualified person as ruler and that Muhummed (Pbuh) did not appoint any particular person as his political successor, although he lauded his kinsmen, descendants, and companions as the spiritual heirs of his teachings.

This difference in interpretation affected not only political leadership but also the development of Islamic theology, as each group had different methods of exegetical approach to the Qur’an and different criteria for authenticating Hadith. The main differences between them today are their sources of knowledge and religious leadership. In addition to the Qur’an and Hadith, the Shi’as rely on the rulings of their Imams and resulting variations in beliefs and practices.

45. What is hijab? The Arabic word hijab was originally used in the Qur’an to refer to a curtain or barrier that separated the family of the Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) from visitors. Today the term hijab is commonly used to refer either to the modest attire worn by Muslim women which includes a head scarf or specifically to the head scarf.

46. Do Muslim women have to wear hijab (cover their hair)? The Qur’an instructs both men and women to be modest, but how this is practiced varies greatly. Many Muslim women follow the normative ruling that the dress code for women in public includes covering everything except their face and hands. Other Muslim women emphasize the principle of modesty, which takes on different forms as previously described.

According to a 2013 Pew poll, majorities of Muslims in diverse countries believe that women should be free to choose whether or not to wear hijab.

47. Why do some Muslim women cover their faces? Women who cover their faces understand modesty to include covering not only their entire body and head but also their faces. Therefore, when in public, they wear a Burqa (a loose garment which covers the body and face) or Niqab (a covering for the face that leaves the eyes exposed).

48. Why don’t men wear hijab? Why are standards of modest dress different for men and women? Both sexes are required to dress modestly. For men, modest dress has traditionally required that, as a minimum, the area between the navel and the knees must be covered. For women, modest dress has traditionally included covering everything except the face and hands. In practice, while many Muslim women choose to wear hijab, many others do not, as it remains an individual choice that should not be coerced by anyone.

Nevertheless, it remains the normative understanding of Muslim scholarship that men and women should wear loose fitting, non-transparent clothing that covers most of the body. The traditional clothing worn by Muslim men in such places as South Asia, where they wear a loose shirt and pants (Shalvar-khamees), or in some Arab countries, where men wear what looks like a long dress (Jalaba) and a headscarf (Kuffiyah), differs little in the extent of covering from the traditional dress of Muslim women. While it is not as common to see this type of male dress in America, many Muslim men grow a beard and wear a head covering that resembles a skull cap, as do adherents of some other religious traditions.

49. Are men and women equal in Islam? Normative Islamic teachings view women and men as equal on the grounds that all human beings are equal before God because they share the same God-given nature or fitra, dignity, and innate humanity. Both are servants of God, worthy of respect, endowed with a soul and intellect. The Prophet Muhummed (Pbuh) taught his followers to treat their sons and daughters the same, and, if anything, to show extra kindness and love to daughters. Qur’anic teachings emphasize that men and women share similar religious obligations such as prayer, fasting, and giving charity, and are equally accountable before and deserving of recompense from God. They are both called upon to seek knowledge, develop their potential, and work together to create a just and righteous society. On an individual level, they enjoy the same rights, including the right to choose their spouse and to own and keep their property and income. While through much of history and still today Muslim women have been viewed and treated as lesser beings in various cultures and societies, this is due to patriarchal interpretations and cultural influences rather than specific scriptural teachings. 50. Are there any verses in the Qur’an or prophetic sayings that speak to the issue of women’s rights? Yes, there are many verses and sayings that speak about women’s rights. They include the following:

Equal responsibilities and reward: “For the men who acquiesce to the will of God, and the women who acquiesce, the men who believe and the women who believe, the men who are devout and the women who are devout, the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful, the men who are constant and the women who are constant, the men who are humble and the women who are humble, the men who give charity and the women who give charity, the men who fast and the women who fast, the men who are chaste and the women who are chaste, and the men and women who remember God a , God has arranged forgiveness for them, and a magnificent reward.” (Qur’an, 33:35)

“And their Lord answered them, ‘I am never unmindful of the work of a worker among you, male or female. You are from each other.’” (Qur’an, 3:195)

“Whoever does right, male or female, and is a believer, We will revivify with a good life; and We will pay them their due according to the best of what they have done.” (Qur’an, 16:97)

Right to earn money: “. . . to men is allotted what they earn and to women what they earn.” (Qur’an, 4:32)

Right to inherit: “For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much—an obligatory share.” (Qur’an, 4:7)

Rights of a daughter: “Whosoever has a daughter and does . . . not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will make him enter into paradise.” (Hadith/prophetic saying)

“Whoever has three daughters and treats them kindly, they will be a protection for him against the Fire.” (Hadith/ prophetic saying)

“Parents cannot force daughters into a marriage.” (Hadith/prophetic saying)

Rights of a wife: “The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best among you to my family.” (Hadith/prophetic saying)

51. Do Muslim women have to stay at home or can they work? This depends on the family’s culture and circumstances; it is not necessarily based on religion. According to the scholars we rely on, nothing in the Qur’an or Hadith (prophetic sayings) prohibits women from working, and Muslims often cite the example of the Prophet Muhummed’s (Pbuh) first wife Khadijah, who was a successful businesswoman. According to the 2008 Gallup World Poll, majorities of Muslim respondents surveyed believe that women should have the right to hold any job for which they are qualified outside the home. Increasing numbers of Muslim women throughout the world are employed in diverse professions, including those that are male dominated, such as medicine and engineering. However, many women of young children, like women everywhere, choose to be full-time mothers, which remains a respected choice in these countries.

52. Are Muslims allowed to marry people of other faiths? Traditionally, Muslim men are allowed to marry women who are from the “People of the Book,” generally defined as Christians and Jews. In this case, a Muslim husband must guarantee the right of his Christian or Jewish wife to worship God according to her religious beliefs.

The reverse, i.e., a Muslim woman marrying a man outside her religion, has traditionally not been allowed on the grounds that her husband might not guarantee her the right to practice her religion, since he may not to have the same obligation to respect her religion that a Muslim has towards his Christian or Jewish wife. Therefore, for the protection of her freedom of religion, a Muslim woman has traditionally been required to marry a man who will give her the right to practice her faith—that is, a Muslim.

Today, especially in areas where Muslims live as minorities, there is growing diversity in both theory and practice on this issue.