I'm a nursing student and we are studying about different cultures, so this would really help.
Thanks. Please explain some of the beliefs you have on God and some laws you follow. Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim - In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Hello. Muslims do not take hate as a value in the religion. Let me first give you an overview of what we DO believe:
Muslims believe in One God. This is the fundamental tenet of Islam, belief in One God with no partners. We believe God (Allah in Arabic) created and sustains the universe with no partners. You might be surprised to learn that our God is the same God of the Old and New Testaments, not some tribal god as some haters claim. If you look in the Qur'an, our Scripture, you will find the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Abraham and Ishmael, Jesus son of Mary, and otherp prophets, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them all.
Yes, there are differences. We do not believe in Original Sin so we don't believe in the need for a redeemer in the form of a crucified Jesus. We believe he is a miracle from Allah but fully human, and he was the final prophet who was sent to Bani Israel. He was not crucified, but was taken up by Allah, and he will return to slay the antichrist.
The final prophet, not just for one tribe but all mankind, was Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. We believe there will be no other prophet or revelation after him, and even when Jesus returns, he will rule by the Law of the Qur'an, not a previous revelation.
We also believe in a Day of Jugdment when all people will be judged. We believe in Heaven and Hell and we believe that Allah is Most Merciful, that He is separate from His creation but by His Knowledge he knows what is in our hearts and minds.
The main difference you might see with Muslim patients is that we pray directly to God, not to our prophet or any other intermediary. We believe since there is only One God, we should exclusively direct our worship to Him.
Modesty is of primary importance to Muslims, so you will find that both men and women might have habits that are "different". For instance, a Muslim woman would hesitate to undress for an exam, and would REALLY hate to have to walk down a hallway in a brief exam gown or other open clothing. Men would prefer to have a male doctor and women a female. If I'm being seen for a foot ailment, I would keep the rest of my body covered. So being sensitive to Muslim modesty by knocking before entering on a man, or a male doctor or nurse or technician allowing a female patient to cover before coming into the room, will go a long way towards making Muslim patients feel comfortable.
One should also remember that there are over 1 billion Muslims in the world who come from every country and culture. Different people will have different habits so I would just encourage you to treat people as individuals. I know when my mother-in-law was in the hospital, she did try to give the nurses a hard time, but she was also tearfully grateful for their excellent care and professionalism - nurses in her country of Egypt are NOT professional people and are not given respect at all, so she had to learn that nurses in the US are highly trained and educated professionals.
You are welcome to e-mail me at any time with any questions, and in the future if you come across a Muslim patient I'd love to hear how it goes. I pray that you are successful in your education and that you get many blessings for helping out your fellow human beings, Ameen.
May Allah guide you to the best in this world and the next. Ameen.
Fi Aman Allah,
Nancy Umm Abdel Hamid we dont hate christians what soever
we respect them as the people of book islam isnt a culture, its a religion. i cant speak for everyone, bu i dont hate christians. muslims shoudlnt hate anyone. im a muslim and i dont hate christians. we believe in peace and we believe we should accept everyone no matter what! Their teachings describe Christians and Jews as people "of the book" meaning that they are to be tolerated/respected. (al-Kitab) Allah is the same being as God to both Christians and Jews, with many of the same characters in the biblical timeline.
Jesus is recognized as a great prophet, not as the son of God for reasons of how they believe the nature of God being supreme and perfect he is. No, Muslims respect Christians and Jews as "people of the book".
Most Muslim women would prefer a female nurse, and most Muslim men would prefer a male nurse. We are not asked to hate anyone but hate all evil actions whether it is done by a Muslim, Christian, Jew or anyone. Holy Quran asks at many places to best treat the People of the book (Jews and Christians). And we are allowed to marry chaste girls from the people of the book . How can a man marry a girl by hating her?, Just think about this. no !!
we dont hate anybody !!
remember that we are from a PEACEFUL religion !!
alhamdoliallah we believe in the oneness of Allah(arabic word for God) and that he has no patrners and He is the only one worthy of being worship. and that the prophet muhammad(pbuh) was the LAST prophet and messenger sent with a book of revelations and way of life,the qu'ran and sunnah.
it confirmed what was in the first two books the injeel(the gospels) and the torah(old testament). so the same laws that applied there do for muslims as well. islaam isn't just a religion,it's also a way of life.
the laws are based on five pillars.
the shahadah(saying there is only one god and he alone is to be worshipped and that muhammad(saw) is the last messenger.
salat(five daily prayers)
zakat(charity)
fasting in the month of ramadan
haaj(pilgrimage to mecca if able to.
and no muslims don't hate christians. we aren't taught that. we are taught they are people of the book,like the jews as well. it's b/c of the media that this is represented. if you notice it's so called christians who are the most hostile. my entire family including my twin sister are christians so it would be quite hard for me to hate them. i respect their beliefs as they do mine.
i hope this helped if you need anymore assistance you can email me. they believe in the same god as Christan's and Jews,they recognise all the prophets,they recognise Jesus but believe that Mohamed was the last and true prophet. Mohamed was married to a rich traders daughter,until him Arabs had no unified religion.as far as hating Christians,well some do some don't,they consider Christians to be non believers or infidels . it is a well known fact that there have been more people killed in the name of religion than anything else. No, we do not hate Christians, as a matter of fact, my parents and brother are Christians, how can I hate them? Muslims believe that Almighty God is only one, there is no one but Allah worthy of worship. and Mohammed (pbuh) was His last messenger.
Muslims believe in Prophets like Adam, Noah,Abraham, Moses, Ismael, Isac, Jesus etc. they also believe in Holy books like, Zabur, Taurah, Injeel and quran. Muslims believe in 'angels', and in destiny,and the day of Judgement.
Muslims believe that Jesus is the great prophet of Almighty God , they beleive that he is not God, and he was raised alive, and he will come again in this world before the day of Judgement.Muslims dont hate Christians and jews they think that Jews and Christians are the follower of Moses and Jesus and read the revealations of Almighty God, but they also believe that ther earlier books are corrupted.
So Quran is the last revealation, and it contrains word of Almighty God and its not changed or got corrupted since 1400years. We dont hate them, they have their own beliefs and so do we. They always seem to be rascist towards us. ISLAM RULES! islam declares that all non-believers (infidels) should be puit to death. so it is written in the muslims holy book the quran.
It is not a religion that I would prescibe too. And deffinatly not one that I would say is good, great, or even beneficial for human kind. Some Muslims hate Christians, some Christians hate Muslims. We Muslims hate any one who does worship idols other than Allah. We hate those who say Jesus (PBUH) is God and we hate all those who have changed their religion for the sake of their worldly interests.
We love any one who adheres to the principles of the only religion (Muslim). Here I mean, Nazara and Jews had a religion but they distorted, changed, edited for the sake of their worldly interests the Muslim believe in god , they called him Allah, and believe in all prophets ans all religion but they follow there prophet mohammed not Jesus .
Muslim not allowed to eat pork the main reason about that is it mentioned in there book( Koran) and the second reason is the pork is unhealthy meat to eat , and they do not allow to drink alcohol because it harmful and causes social and health problems.
i hope this information will help you .
if you want more contact me on this e-mail kasi101@yahoo.com
thank you
Muslim do not hate christian . It's a long story you can try to get a translation of the Quran if you like but definitely it is a religion of love and peace. Don't put millions and millions of muslims in one pot because of few idiots. It is sad that we actually have to answer such questions, but no we don't hate Christians, Jews or atheists.
We acknowledge all three religions and we don't harm someone unless someone harms us. We are only humans there can be good and bad humans everywhere, eventhough your media may not portray this as such.
Humans are humans is really the answer to your question :)
These are our five duties:
1)Shaadah: This Pillar is believing and saying the words. 鈥淭here is no god except one God, Muhammad is the messenger of God鈥?
2)Praying: five times a day, we have to wash ourselves before each prayer
3)zakah: Each year, Muslims are supposed to give a fixed proportion of their savings for endeavours such as helping the poor. In this way, they believe that their wealth is 鈥渕ade pure鈥?
4)Fasting during Ramadan: Refraining from food and drink during the month of Ramadan during daylight hours.
5)making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your life, if it can be afforded. Islam doesn't accept the concept of Original Sin that is the basis of Christianity ,and the Forgiver is Allah ( God) . Jesus (pbuh) is ruhullah or the Spirit of God, not God reincarnate. He is a mere prophet.
Muslims believe that People of The Book i: e Christian, Jews, Sabians and whosoever believes in God , and The last Day, and are righteous individuals shall enter paradise.
Needless to say, we're quite awesome really don't ya think? hahaha...j/kiddin. see if u want to kno about religon yahoo answers is not the best place there r money other places jus a click away jus search on google islam is a friendly and peace ful religon
islam it self means peace see
i think islam is the best religon present just the muslims are destroyin it
u check it urselves u will agree!! Beliefs are very often not practised irrespective of what is believed.
The qur'an is borrowed from the Christian bible and the Jewish Torah.
The dangerous people are the fundamentalists of all beliefs - they are arrogant, self-opinionated and selfish and laughingly believe THEY are the only ones to be saved - I would definitely not want to be saved if I were going to the same place as those irrational morons.
These people who have a blinkered and twisted view of others and even themselves. Most think muslims dont believe in Jesus. Muslim believe in jesus as a prophet and mohammed as a prohet. They believe god sent jesus for christians and mohammed for the muslims. They believe in the same god as christians What do you actually want to know?
No, muslims don't hate Christians, in fact, we acknowledge Christians and Jews as people of the books. (Torah and Bible).
Five Pillars of Islam
1) Shahadah (profession of faith),
2) Salah (ritual prayer 5 times a day),
3) Fasting in the month of Ramadan
4) Zakat (tax on the community)
5) Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Six articles of belief (Aqidah)
1) Belief in God (Allah), the one and only one worthy of all worship (tawhid). [We reject trinity]
2) Belief in the Angels (mala'ika).
3) Belief in the Books (kutub) sent by God (the Qur'an,Bible,Zabur and Torah).
4) Belief in all the Prophets [And that include Isa a.s(Jesus)]and Messengers (rusul) sent by God.
5) Belief in the Day of Judgment (qiyama) and in the Resurrection (life after death).
6) Belief in Destiny (Fate) (qadar).
Muslims follows Sharia' Law.
edit : Muslims acknowledge Jesus as one of the prophets who is Ulul Azmi (commonly revered for their perseverance and unusually strong commitment to God in the face of great suffering). The other four is Muhammad, Noah, Abraham and Moses. For muslims Jesus is not the son of God, he is just a Prophet. And Maryam (Mary) is the mother of Jesus. muslims dont hate someone who is harmless..nobody just hate a person without a reason Muslims believe in oneness of Allah. They believe there is no other God but Allah who is aware of the seen and unseen. Who has created the who universe. The creator is in need of Allah always.The Creator must be a different nature from the things created, because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will, therefore, need a maker. If the maker is not temporal, He must be eternal. But if He is eternal, He cannot be caused. If nothing apart from Him causes Him to continue to exist, He must be Self-Sufficient and Self-Subsistent. If He does not depend upon anything for the continuance of His own existence, this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore Eternal and Everlasting Allaah Says (what means): "He is the First and the Last" [Quran 57:3].
We Believe that Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is the last messenger of Allah and the Holy Book is the last book been revealed on Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) After him no other messenger will come neither any other book will be revealed.
Why would we hate Christians? we do not hate them its just we differ. They Believe in Jesus as a god.call him the son of God which is absolutely wrong. Jesus (p.b.u.h.) is very respectable to us muslims as well and we can even die for him. Jesus is a messenger of Allah. and he believed in the oneness of Allah. Jesus never claimed to be a God or the son of God.
Chrisitians are nice people but they have closed their eyes and are not ready to understand the truth.
We belief in one creed. and that creed is our identification. And thus we are muslims, belongs to the religion called Islam which believes in Peace ~! :) tc Muslim believe in One and only God. We worship the Lord of Heaven and earth. We also believe that Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed worship the same God.
We deny divinity of Jesus and Holy spirit. We believe that both of them were honoured servants of God. We believe that all the Prophets were honoured servants of God. We believe that Holy spirit is Anchangel Gabriel (very few muslims know it)
We reject the idea of original sin. We believe that God forgave Adam and Even loong back when they express regret for their mistake.
we do not believe that Jesus was crucified. We believe he was taken to heaven before the crucifixion. As per jewish tradition crucufixion is death of curse and God saved him from death of curse.
We also believe that Jesus will comeback before doomsday.
For further clarification, you can send me a mail. DISCLAIMER
I am a Shia Muslim. The following is indeed very long. However, I have done my best to ensure that the information is of the best quality from sources pertinent to each sect of Islam.
INTRODUCTION
Shia and Sunni Islam are very close in terms of belief and practise. There are some fine points that distinguish us, but the casual observer often cannot tell us apart without further study. Which one is superior is basically reduced to the opinion of an individual. After all evidences are offered, it is up to the individual to decide whoch set of evidences he believes.
HISTORY OF ISLAMIC SECTS: SUNNI
The history of the divide began most visibly after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Some Muslims wanted to establish Prophet Muhammad's successor by an election of the elders of the early Muslim commmunity. The elders themselves were not elected by the general populace; and some were left out who felt that they should have been a part of the process. They elected Abu Bakr; and the sect that agrees with this process is today the Sunni sect of Islam.
As evidence for their position, Sunni Musims point to certain narrations attributed to Prophet Muhammad in which he is quoted as delegating successorship to Abu Bakr and to other individuals after him. They also have other narrations specifying certain qualities about Abu Bakr and the succeeding Caliphs that distinguish them as deserving leaders.
HISTORY OF ISLAMIC SECTS: SHIA
There was immediate opposition to this election by those who felt that Prophet Muhammad had already deligated his successor in response to the command of God. These believed that Prophet Muhammad had established Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, as his successor. These were almost immediately known as the Shi`at `Ali, or the partisans of `Ali. Today, we are most easily known as Shia Muslims.
As evidence fo their position, Shia Muslims point to an event wherein Prophet Muhammad is quoted to have said, "For those over whom I am the leader, Ali is the leader." We believe that this event occurred several times. There are also other narrations from Prophet Muhammad that indicate 11 other leaders, or Imams, who would succeed after Ali. Some of those narrations named the individuals. We also point out several qualities of Ali that distinguish him as most qualified to lead the early Muslim ummah.
SECTARIAN DISTINCTIONS
Shia Islam has a set of basic texts that is, for the most part, held in common with Sunni Islam. Part of it is unique from Sunni Islam, and that is how we have a sect.
For the average lay-Muslim, one has to be aware of Islamic beliefs and Islamic practises. Islamic beliefs are derived from the Islamic sciences of Qur'anic interpretation and the narration and interpretation of Prophetic Narrations. Islamic practises are also derived from these two, along with the Islamic sciences of Scholarly Consensus and Analaytical Reasoning/Logic.
SHIA ISLAMIC BELIEFS
Shia Islam has five fundamental beliefs. These are called "usul ad-din," or "fundamentals of the religion." They are Tawhid, Nubuwwah, Imamah, Qiyyamah, and `Adalah. Respectively, these translate to Unity of God, Prophethood, Divine Leadership, Resurrection, and Divine Justice. Divine Justice and Imamah are the points of distinction with Sunni Islam.
The description of Shia Islamic beliefs is from something that I compiled for my family. It is a combination of Saduq's Risala and Tusi's Tenets, watered-down and paraphrased by me.
Tawhid
Shia Muslims believe in one God, called Allah in the Arabic language. We believe that Allah is self-existing, eternal, omnipotent, and omniscient. Allah is self-existing in the sense that he does not depend on anyone for His existence. is eternal and has always existed in the sense that there was no time when He did not exist. He will always be existing in the sense that there will be no time when He will not exist. Allah the Almighty can do all that can be done and knows all that can be known, for all things are on the same level in relation to His Holy and Absolute Being. Allah is All-Knowing in the sense that everything is clear and manifest to Him and there is not anything hidden from Him. We believe that Allah is non-composite, immaterial, invisible, unchangeable, non-incarnate, uncombined, independent, and absolute. Allah is not a body, nor a quality nor an essence. cannot be seen by the sense of sight. Allah is not subject to any eventualities. Allah does not combine with anything else. Allah does not have any additional concepts or attributes in the sense that He is not knowing with knowledge and He is not Able with ability. Allah is Independent in the sense that He is not in need of anyone or anything else. We believe that Allah and His attributes are one and the same. He, exalted is He, transcends all the attributes of His creatures; He is beyond both the limitations of transcendence and of immanence.
Nubuwwah
Shia Muslims believe that in all, there have been one hundred and twenty-four thousand Prophets. We believe that they spoke not except on behalf of Allah, and on being inspired by Him. We believe that they brought the truth from Allah, that their word is the word of Allah, that their command is the command of Allah, that obedience to them is obedience to Allah and that disobedience to them is disobedience to Allah. We believe that the leaders of the Prophets are five in number, namely, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, on all of whom be peace. We believe that Muhammad is their leader and the most excellent of them. We believe thay he brought the truth and confirmed (the message of) the apostles. He claimed Prophethood and wrought miracles, which proved that he was a true Messenger of Allah. We believe that Muhammad (may God's blessing and peace be on him and his descendants) was a Prophet to himself before he was formally raised. We believe that afterwards he was a Prophet for the whole mankind. It is necessary to believe that Allah the Mighty and Glorious did not create any created thing more excellent than Muhammad and the Imams, peace on them. They are infallible; purified from all defilement, and that they do not commit any sin, whether it be minor or major. They are infallible and possess the attributes of perfection, completeness and knowledge, from the beginning to the end of their careers. Defects cannot be attributed to them, nor disobedience, nor ignorance, in any of their actions.
Qiyyamah
Shia Muslims believe that God will physically resurrect the dead as they were in this world in order to restore the rights to all those to whom they were due. We believe that Paradise is a permanent abode and an abode of safety. There is in it neither death, nor old age, nor disease, nor calamity, nor decline, nor palsy, nor care, nor sorrow, nor need, nor poverty. We believe that it is an abode of plenty, of happiness, of quiet and of nobility. Affliction shall not touch its inmates, nor weariness. We believe that in it there will be things for which the souls of men yearn and which give delight to their eyes, and they shall reside therein forever. We believe that it is an abode the inmates whereof are the neighbours of God, and His friends and loved ones and the recipients of His generosity. We believe that all of them will be able to enjoy what they like and desire, in accordance with their own aspirations, which shall be granted to them by God. We believe that Hell is a place of degradation or that of revenge on unbelievers and sinners. And the residents of Hell will be miserable indeed: it is not decreed for them that they shall die, nor shall the torment of Hell abate for them. We believe that none but the polytheists will reside therein permanently. As for those monotheists who are sinners, we believe that they will be taken out of it by the mercy of Allah and the intercession which they obtain. And our belief concerning Heaven and Hell is that they are both created things.
Imamah
Shia Muslims believe that after His Prophet, the proofs of God for the people are the Twelve Imams (divinely appointed leaders). They are all rightful Imams, one after another, for each one of them designated the next one as his successor. We believe that God has ordained obedience to them. We believe that they are immune from sins and errors. We believe that they are possessed of (the power of) miracles. We believe that that their command is the command of Allah, their prohibition is the prohibition of Allah; obedience to them is obedience to Allah, and disobedience to them is disobedience to Allah; their friend is the friend of Allah, and their enemy the enemy of Allah.
Adalah
Shia Muslims believe that God is perfectly just. We believe that God has commanded us to be just, while He Himself treats us with something even better, namely, grace. We believe that is a matter of common sense that certain things like justice, truth, honesty and faithfulness are right and certain things like tyranny, oppression, and transgression are wrong. We believe that God requites a good act with a good act and an evil act with an evil act.
SUNNI ISLAMIC BELIEFS
Sunni Islam has six articles of faith. They are Allah, mala'ika, kutub, rusul, akhira, and qadr. Respectively, these translate to God, angels, scriptures, hereafter, and destiny.
Allah
God is One, not in a numerical sense, but in the sense that He has no partner. He resembles nothing among His creation, nor does anything among His creation resemble Him. Nothing happens except what He wills. He has been, unceasing, and He is, unceasing, with His names and attributes, both those relating to His Essence and those relating to His acts. He has always existed together with His attributes since before creation. Bringing creation into existence did not add anything to His attributes that was not already there. As He was, together with His attributes, in pre-eternity, so He will remain throughout endless time. As for those relating to His Essence, they are life, power, knowledge, speech, hearing, sight, and will. As for those relating to His acts, they are creativity, sustenance, originating and fashioning ex nihilo, making, and other active attributes. 'The Seeing of Allah by the People of the Garden' is true, without their vision being all-encompassing and without the manner of their vision being known.
Kutub
The Qur'an is the Word of God Almighty, written on collections of leaves (masahif), preserved in men's hearts, recited on men's tongues, and sent down to the Prophet, upon whom be God's peace and blessings. He sent it down on His Messenger as revelation. It came from Him as speech without it being possible to say how. The believers accept it, as absolute truth. They are certain that it is, in truth, the word of Allah. Our uttering of the Qur'an is created, and our recitation of the Qur'an is created, but the Qur'an itself is uncreated.
Qadr
Good and evil have both been decreed for people. People's actions are created by Allah but earned by people. He it is Who determined and predestined all things. He appointed destinies for those He created. He allotted to them fixed life spans. Nothing exists in this world or hereafter except by His will, His knowledge, His determining and predestining, and except it be written on the Preserved Tablet (al-Lauh al-Mahfuz). He inscribed everything there in the sense of description, not that of foreordaining. Everything happens according to His decree and will, and His will is accomplished. The only will that people have is what He wills for them. What He wills for them occurs and what He does not will, does not occur. Everything happens according to Allah's will, knowledge, predestination and decree. His will overpowers all other wills and His decree overpowers all stratagems. He does whatever He wills and He is never unjust. He is exalted in His purity above any evil or perdition and He is perfect far beyond any fault or flaw. Determining, predestining and will are pre-eternal attributes of unknowable modality.
Rusul
The Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, are free of all sins, major and minor, of unbelief, and of all that is repugnant. It may be, however, that they commit insignificant lapses and errors. Muhammad the Messenger of God 鈥?may God's peace and blessings be upon him! 鈥?is His Prophet, His Bondsman, His Messenger and His Chosen One. He never worshipped idols, he never assigned partner to God, even for an instant, and he never committed a sin, major or minor. And that he is the seal of the prophets and the Imam of the godfearing and the most honoured of all the messengers and the beloved of the Lord of all the Worlds. Every claim to prophethood after Him is falsehood and deceit. He is the one who has been sent to all the jinn and all mankind with truth and guidance and with light and illumination. Al-Mi'raj (the Ascent through the heavens) is true. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken by night and ascended in his bodily form, while awake, through the heavens, to whatever heights Allah willed for him. The most virtuous of all men after the Messenger of God, -- may God's peace and blessings be upon him! 鈥?are Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him; then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab; then 'Uthman ibn 'Affan; then 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may they all enjoy the pleasure of God Most High.
Akhirah
Paradise and Hell are created and existing today, and shall never vanish. We believe in being brought back to life after death and in being recompensed for our actions on the Day of Judgement. The Garden and the Fire are created things that never come to an end and we believe that Allah created them before the rest of creation and then created people to inhabit each of them. The grave is either one of the meadows of the Garden or one of the pits of the Fire. Whoever He wills goes to the Garden out of His Bounty and whoever He wills goes to the Fire through His justice. Everybody acts in accordance with what is destined for him and goes towards what he has been created for. [All] the other signs of the Day of Resurrection, as contained in authentic traditions, are also established reality.
SHIA ISLAMIC PRACTISES
The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam are Shahadah (profession of faith), Salah (ritual prayer 5 times a day), Zakah (tax on the communtiy), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
Since the Shahadah is the declaration of belief, I have explained it in sections on belief below. I did some writing for my family so that they would understand my beliefs and practises as a Muslim. I attempted a general description and mentioned any obvious distinctions between Shia and Sunni Islam where I thought it appropriate. Below are the four that are part of the Pillars of Faith list. They also coincide with a listing of the Shia Islamic practises, but when I listed the Furu ad-Din near the end, I did not repeat these ones. I just did not want to take up the extra space of repetition.
Salat
All Muslims offer prayers, or worship rituals in miniature, at five appointed times a day. Shia Muslims perform their worships in groupsings such that they need only break from their daily life three times a day for worship. The morning prayer is performed in the time between an 90 minutes and an hour before astronomical sunrise. The time for the noon prayer is shortly after solar noon. Sunni Muslims have a set of complicated set of calculations to determine the time of their afternoon prayers. Shia Muslims may offer their worship after finishing noon prayers. The sunset prayers are performed after sunset. Sunni Muslims perform sunset worship immediately upon sunset, whereas Shias wait approximately 20 minutes while the sky fades from redness to darkness. Sunni Muslims again do calculationsto dtermine the time of night prayers, while Shia Muslims perform night worship after completing sunset prayers.
Some prefer to perform these worships in congregation at a house of worship that may or may not be officially incorporated as a mosque. All Muslim men are required to attend Congregational Friday Prayers on Friday afternoons. Shia Muslims also enjoy attending congregational prayers on Tuesday and Thursday nights because of the tradition of reciting certain supplications on those noghts.
Muslims perform their prayers facing Mecca. Because of how direction is determined in relation to the shape of the globe, most Muslims in North America face Northeast. Muslims need to cover for prayers as if they were in public. Women need to cover their heads, arms, and legs, though not necessarily their feet - even though many are required to in public because of the rulings of the scholar whom they follow. The clothing needs to be free from ritual impurities (urine, faeces, semen, carcasses, blood, dogs, pigs, transferred residue from atheists, and alcoholic drink). The place where a Muslim offers the worship also has to be free from ritual impurities. One purifies skin, clothes, and the place of prayer with water that comes from a flowing source after removing any mass of impurity. For example, one purifies an area affected by urine or blood by picking up as much of the liquid as possible or cleaning it out of a cloth, then pouring water over it, drying or squeezing the affected surface, and repeating that procedure for a determined amount of times. One purifies an area affected by a solid mass of impurity by removing as much of the impurity as possible and then pouring water over or through the area, drying or squeezing, and repeating as needed. Some modern Muslims prefer to sanitise an area after removing the mass of impurity and before purifying it with water. Others prefer to keep the sanitising process for after the purification process has been completed.
Before a Muslim offers prayers, he performs a cleansing ritual. It is not meant to act as a method of physical purification, but is designed for spiritual benefit. The Muslim washes his face and arms to the fingertips, then wipes his head and feet with water. Some body parts may be added to this process for extra rewards from God. Likewise, there are required and additional elements of the worship thta may vary the time it takes to pray from five minutes to half an hour or more. At its most basic, the prayers consist of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting positions, each of which is association with the recitation of Scripture or supplication.
Sawm
All Muslims fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan, which shifts around the solar calendar. When fasting, Muslims will not eat, drink, or do certain other activities from 90 minutes before sunrise until sunset. Shia Muslims wait about 20 minutes after the time of sunset as a required precaution. People who are unable to fast can usually offering donations of food or equivalent money in place of their fast. It is traditional to attend worship services and programmes at the mosque each night of Ramadan. These programmes almost always involve breaking the fast together. Sunnis prefer to break their fast and then pray. Shia Muslims prefer to pray the sunset prayers, break their fast, then pray night prayers and continue with the rest of the programme.
Hajj
Every Muslim is required to do the Pilgrimage once in their lifetimes, if they are able. In Hajj, pilgrims proceed through six different stages: the miqat, the mataaf, the mas`aa, Mount Arafat, al Mashar al Haram, and mina. Miqat: The miqat is the place of getting into the state of Ihram. All those who head for God鈥檚 House have to stop in the Miqat, take off their ordinary clothes, put on Ihram, and go to the Sacred Mosque while saying, 鈥楲abbayk鈥? Mataaf: During mataaf, pilgrims enter the city of Mecca, circumambulating the Kaaba and performing the Tawaf Prayer. Mas鈥檃a: One walks between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa for seven times in mas`aa. Mount Arafat: The pilgrims move towards Arafat in the afternoon of the eighth day. Heads are bare and bodies covered white unstitched clothes. The pilgrims move in groups to gather in the plain of Arafat at noon of the ninth day. Al Mashar al Haram: After the Day of Arafat and staying in the plain of Arafat has come to an end and it is now the eve of the Eid ul-Adha. The pilgrims now depart from Mount Mercy to stay overnight in al-Mash鈥檃r al-Haram. Mina: Pilgrims now move to Mina after sunrise of Eid ul-Adha. Mina is the place of sacrifice. One of the obligatory acts of Hajj in Mina is Ramy al-Jamarat or casting stones on columns named al-Jamarat al-Uola (First column), al-Jamarat al-Wusta Second column), and Jamarat al-Aqaba symbolizing Satan. On Eid ul-Adha, a pilgrim is duty-bound to perform the Ramy of Jamarat al-Aqaba and perform the all three the next two days.
Zakat
Required Islamic charity is in two parts: the zakat andthe khums. The zakat is a small percentage of items that are normally owned. Khums is a wealth-tax of 20%. While there is a specific list of items subject to zakat, Shia Muslims usually pay one general rate at the end of Ramadan. It is known as Zakat al Fitr.
The ten furu ad-din, or branches/practises of Shia Islam are salah (prayer), sawm (fasting during Ramadan), hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), zakah (poor-rate), khums (one-fifth tax), jihad (struggle), 'amr-bil-ma`ruf (commanding good), nahi-al-munkar (forbidding evil), tawalla - loving the Prophetic family), and tabarra (disassociating from the Prophetic family's enemies).
The first four were listed when I discussed the Pillars of Islam for Sunni Islam.
Khums
Khums is unique to Shia Muslims. The name of the tax comes from the Arabic word for five, because it is one-fifth of the wealth of Muslim. Only luxury items are subject to the khums. Anything that a Muslim has used during the year is not subject to the tax. Items that are subject to the khums are profit or gain from earning (that which remains saved at the end of a year's time), minerals, treasure trove, wealth that has been mixed with unpermitted income, gems obtained from the sea diving, spoils of war, the profit that a Muslim gains when land which a non-Muslim living under the protection of Islamic Government purchases from a Muslim.
Jihad
The struggle is primarily the internal strtuggle of a person against the temptations that subject him daily. No Muslim is ever exempt from jihad. If he has hardened himself against major sins, then he needs to remove himself from the temptation to minor sins. If he manages that, then he needs to work on improving himself religiously by acting on that which is reccommended and praiseworthy. This struggle continues, even in people whom Shia Islam considers to be innocent of any wrongdoing. The minor jihad is the physical struggle of the Muslim community against injustice. It can only be called by the messianic figure of the Mahdi, who Shia Muslims believe to be in minor occultation. In his stead, we follow the teachings of scholars who have completed rigourous training.
Tawalla
Shia Muslims are required to love the Holy Family of Prophet Muhammad and to devote themselves to them. Sunni Islam does not list this as a requirement, but assumes that Muslims would do this naturally. However, the Sunni definition of the Holy Family is different from the Shia definition.
Tabarra
Shia Muslims are required to dissociate themselves from those who hate the Holy Family. The modern applications of this are not as obvious as they were in historic times when hatred of the Holly Family was open and resulted in the assassination of most of them.
Amr Bil Ma'ruf
Shia Muslims are required to call others to acts of good inasmuch as their call to good would have a positive effect.
Nahi Anil Munkar
Shia Muslims are required to call others awayfrom acts of evil as per the above.
ISLAMIC SOURCE-TEXTS
There is only one Qur'an. Sunni Islam and Shia Islam each have unique interpretations of parts of it, though. The science of Qur'an' interpretation is a scholarly science: one is not considered capable of delivering an interpretation of the Qur'an until he or she has been trained by a qualified scholar and has been approved to issue interpretations of the Qur'an.
As far as Prophetic Narrations, many of them are common between us. Those that are not define us into two different sects. There are also those that are common to us that have been interpreted differently or have been valued differently between us. As with the Qur'an, narrating and interpreting Prophetic Narrations is an Islamic science that is passed on through qualified intructors and certified through their approval.
Islamic scholarship, in terms of the practise of the laity, is determined by training in the Islamic sciences by a reliable instructor whose chain of training and knowledge is unbroken until the very early days of Islam. One is considered to be a reliable scholar after one has been approved by a reliable instructor or scholarly committee. Scholarly consensus is determined by an examination of the rulings that have been issued by qualified Islamic scholars. Since the sources of Islamic scholarship are different between Shia and Sunni Islam, various rulings will also differ.
There has been a movement of Muslims in recent centuries, but especially within the past few decades, that consider the Islamic sciences to be a resource accessible by the laity for their own use in determining their own beliefs and practises. These are usually considered to be deviants. There is a movement of these away from Sunni Islam and another away from Shia Islam.
Analytical Reasoning or Logic is a thing studied by those in the process of scholarly training and is resorted to when there is no apparent source-text or scholarly precident for an issue. I have no idea whether instructional techniques are different between Shia and Sunni Islam, but I do know that there is a claim of differences in the methods of using this Islamic science.
SUFI ISLAM
Some people consider Sufism to be another sect of Islam. Most properly, however, Sufi Islam is an extension of Sunni Islam in whcih the study of self-purification is the focus os Islamic studies. There is quite a bit of misunderstanding about Sufism, both within and outside of Islam. The Sunni Path website should have some information about it.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
My two favourite resources for comparing the sects are the Ahlul Bayt Digital Library Project and Sunni Path. Both are websites. There are, however, texts that are located on websites other than these two that, when compared, would show more of the differences bwteeen Shia and Sunni Islam. I will list some of them below. Islam is inherently violent and destructive for others that don't follow it. There are Muslims that don't hate others and there are Muslims that do as shown in some of the answers above.
You can read up on this so called "Religion of Peace" here,
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
and here http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/ofcour...
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Here are just a few verses from their Quran that exposes this "Religion of Peace"
ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. [al-Ma'idah 5:51.11]
Muslims are encouraged to be wholly occupied (Sura 2:273) with fighting for Allah's cause.
Allah will give "a far richer recompense to those who fight for him" (Sura 4:96).
Regarding infidels (unbelievers), they are the Muslim's "inveterate enemies" (Sura 4:101). Muslims are to "arrest them, besiege them and lie in ambush everywhere" (Sura 9:5) for them. They are to "seize them and put them to death wherever you find them, kill them wherever you find them, seek out the enemies of Islam relentlessly" (Sura 4:90). "Fight them until Islam reigns supreme" (Sura 2:193). "Cut off their heads, and cut off the tips of their fingers" (Sura 8:12).
If a Muslim does not go to war, Allah will kill him (Sura 9:39). He is to be told, "the heat of war is fierce, but more fierce is the heat of Hell-fire" (Sura 9:81).
A Muslim must "fight for the cause of Allah with the devotion due to him" (Sura 22:78)
Muslims must make war on the infidels (unbelievers) who live around them (Sura 9:123).
Muslims are to be "ruthless to unbelievers" (Sura 48:29).
A Muslim should "enjoy the good things" he has gained by fighting (Sura 8:69).
A Muslim can kill any person he wishes if it be a "just cause" (Sura 6:152).
Allah loves those who "fight for his cause" (Sura 61:3).
Anyone who fights against Allah or renounces Islam in favor of another religion shall be "put to death or crucified or have their hands and feet cut off alternative sides" (Sura 5:34).
Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him. Sahih Al-Bukhari (9:57)
Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. (Koran 9:5)
Take him and fetter him and expose him to hell fire. (Koran 69:30-37)
I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, Smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger tips of them. (Koran 8:12)
They should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides. (Koran 5:33)
Know that paradise is under the shades of swords. Sahih al-Bukhari Vol 4 p55
Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in their sleeping places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. Quran 4:34
And that He may punish the Hypocrites, men and women, and the Polytheists men and women, who imagine an evil opinion of Allah. On them is a round of Evil: the Wrath of Allah is on them: He has cursed them and got Hell ready for them: and evil is it for a destination. Quran 48:06
Slay them wherever you find them...Idolatry is worse than carnage...Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God's religion reigns supreme. (Surah 2:190-)
Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it." (Surah 2:216) "The only true faith in God's sight is Islam. (Surah 3:19)
Believers, do not make friends with any but your own people...They desire nothing but your ruin....You believe in the entire Book...When they meet you they say: 'We, too, are believers.' But when alone, they bite their finger-tips with rage. (Surah 3:118, 119) 60:8] GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable.
[60:9] GOD enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors.
Thus, we learn that we are only enjoined from befriending those who fight us because of religion. Let's go back to the verse immediately after 5:51, to see if it now sheds some more light on the issue.
[5:57] O you who believe, do not befriend those among the recipients of previous scripture who mock and ridicule your religion, nor shall you befriend the disbelievers. You shall reverence GOD, if you are really believers.
God teaches us throughout the Quran that there are righteous Jews and Christians. So, if we think we are righteous, and they are righteous, what could possibly be the problem between us, or obstacle for us to be friends?
[7:159] Among the followers of Moses there are those who guide in accordance with the truth, and the truth renders them righteous.
[5:46] Subsequent to them, we sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the previous scripture, the Torah. We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, and confirming the previous scriptures, the Torah, and augmenting its guidance and light, and to enlighten the righteous.
[5:47] The people of the Gospel shall rule in accordance with GOD's revelations therein. Those who do not rule in accordance with GOD's revelations are the wicked.
[2:62 & 5:69] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
[3:113-114]. They are not all the same; among the followers of the scripture, there are those who are righteous. They recite GOD's revelations through the night, and they fall prostrate.
They believe in GOD and the Last Day, they advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and they hasten to do righteous works. These are the righteous.
[3:199] Surely, some followers of the previous scriptures do believe in GOD, and in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed to them. They reverence GOD, and they never trade away GOD's revelations for a cheap price. These will receive their recompense from their Lord. GOD is the most efficient in reckoning.
We learn, however, from the Quran that the Christians are closer to the believers (submitters-Muslims) than the Jews. This is just a statement of fact by God almighty, that we can still witness during our time. God is the best knower of the emotional structure of His creations and therefore was this statement of fact in 5:82. We can witness from the conflict in the Middle East for example , how very emotional the Jews get and how they react to conflicts with their friends, their enemies or even among themselves inside Israel. |
