Islam and Muslims. What is the Difference?

Gotha shows the countenance of the Islam  forgiveness in his book Muslims Virtues :" for truth I say : that the Muslim's forgiveness is not out of weakness, but the Muslim forgives with his proud of his religion , and holding of his faith"

What does 'Islam' mean?

The Arabic word "Islam" means "submission," and it derives from a word meaning "peace." In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. "Allah" is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. "Mohammedanism' is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad (PBUH) rather than God.'

What is Islam?

Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Islam depends on the beliefs in one God and in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets beginning with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob Joseph, Job, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. God's message was reaffirmed and finalized by the Prophet Muhammad. Islam is a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness. Muslims pray in a mosque in the same way that Christians pray in a church.

Who are the Muslims?

People who follow the Islamic faith come from all over the world. No more than 20% of Muslims live in the Arabic-speaking world. The country with the largest Muslim population is Indonesia One billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe - from the southern Philippines to Nigeria - are united by their common Islamic faith. About 18% live in the Arab world; the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe.

How does someone become a Muslim?

Simply by saying "there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers, and the scriptures they brought.

Why does Islam often seem strange?

Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari 'a, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important.

What does Islam say about Christianity?

Islam teaches that Christians and Muslims are both "people of the book." By that it means that the two religions share the same basic beliefs articulated through the Bible and the Koran. The main difference between Christians and Muslims is that Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the son of God. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet who was granted special powers by God to show people the power of God.

What does Islam say about Judaism?

Islam teaches that Jews and Muslims are both "people of the book." By that it means that the two religions share the same basic beliefs articulated through the Torah and the Koran. The main difference between Jews and Muslims is that Jews do not believe in the prophets after the Jewish prophets, including Muhammad and his teachings. Muslims believe in all the other prophets including Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Ishmael, Isaac and Jesus.

Does all Muslims actions are generated from their religious Beliefs?

Let's ask the same question for Christians and Jews.

Let's Read These Lines to know the answer:

There are Religious texts which are open to interpretation and indeed passages encouraging martyrdom and holy war found in Jewish texts and the Christian Bible.

"Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed." (Exodus 22:19 NAB)  Bible

·         The media called David Koresh the leader of a Branch Davidian cult not the leader of a Christian group.

·         Shoko Asahara, whose AUM cult has been linked to sarin gas attacks on the Japanese subway, has always been described as a cult leader not the leader of a Buddhist fringe group despite the fact that Asahara said he wanted to teach Japan the "true teachings of Buddha".

·         Koresh and Asahara were fanatics and madmen who the media located outside of the bounds of their respective religions.

·         The crusaders and their leaders used the Bible to legitimize a holy war on Islam with the belief that if they died in battle they would be martyrs and go to heaven.

·         Thomas Aquinas formulated the idea of a "Just War" and God himself ordered massacres in Jericho and the cities of Canaan. However, when Christians commit atrocities newspapers and the media do not look for possible explanations in the Bible.

·         Hitler who was Christian killed many Jews. And no one relate this to his Religion.

By Nouran Radwan

References

·         http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/islam.htm

·         http://www.muslim.libdems.org/rochdale2005/

·         Understanding Islam and Muslims,

·         This booklet was prepared by: The Islamic Affairs Department,

·         The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington D.C., 1989, www.islamicity.com/