I have had the opportunity of discussing with brothers and sisters and I have discovered a very disturbing phenomenon. I see this to be a key error and the foundation of some of our challenges today. If our babas and mamas got it wrong, then we shouldn’t. This phenomenon is evident from the answers we give to questions particularly, questions from non-muslims. The issue is our understanding of what Islam is

These are some of the errors

1. believing that Islam started with prophet Muhammad
2. measure Islamic ideals with the parameters of baseless ideologies
3. identify ‘Arab culture, as the culture of Islam
4. perceive Islam with the sense of a religion like Christianity, idolatry, etc
5. its just about rituals and laws
6. when someone is knowledgeable in the deen, they become saints
7. nothing is important in this world, its just about the hereafter
8. it’s a personal affair, just do your own and that is okay
9. its provides an opportunity to make some earnings
10. faith is like a switch, you can put it on or off
11. there is no compulsion so let any body do whatever is desired

And you can go on and on.
It will be important that we seek to know Islam as it is and not as we might want it to be.
So let’s start the education
What should be the correct understanding of what Islam is?

Let’s start with the definition- Islam is a religion of peace
I am wondering, who proposed this definition or call it sentence or statement?
Is there a religion of violence? That means this definition must have been used to defend Islam rather than explain what it is.

Another popular definition is that Islam is a way of life
This is more like a starting point

Something to note please: our understanding of Islam by way of the definition or the explanation we give should explain what Islam is rather than defend it.

Islam is a belief

A belief in Allah, His messengers, His books, His angels, His paradise, His hell.

Islam is an ideology
It is a system with its own philosophy, ideals, methods, principles and pathway

Islam is about worship
It offers the adoration and veneration of the creator. The prayers, the fast, the rituals, the sacrifice etc

Islam is a brotherhood
Its about the love, the bond, the friendship, the union

Islam is a nation
A nation with borders and without borders
I guess I will have to explain further on this

Islam is morality
Honesty, modesty, ethics, decency etc are the hallmarks

Islam is a civilization
It seeks to educate, emancipate, enlighten, liberate, stimulate, organise, develop

Islam is power
It strengthens, influences, controls, guides,

While we go on, it will be important to elaborate more on some of the listed explanations

About Islam being a belief.
Its not just about believing in the articles of faith as we know it, it is also believing that Allah created everything, what we can see and what we can not see. Part of that belief holds for the jinns particularly, shaytan.
It holds for the prophesies that have been related from the Prophet (SAW) and for things that Allah has not explained their exact nature. So a Muslim does not worry about how Allah looks, His hands, His face etc. We hear and we obey. Allah says he has hands so we believe. The nature of the hands should not bother us.


Islam as an ideology

Our understanding of Islam as an ideology is not just important but also fundamental. The ideology that Islam represents is reason for the opposition by the quraish of Mecca at the beginning of the messengership of the prophet (SAW). They understand that Islam strikes at the very foundation that holds their society. As an ideology, it has its own principle, methods, philosophy, style etc so it holds no apology to anybody or group about its position on any issues.
Islam provides its own system of economics, legal system, political system, social system, etc

Its like an operating system that has installed drivers for all your hardware, so no need for an installation CD. Its has antivirus that removes all virus, malware, spam, cookies etc and of course before installation it will check your system for compatibility and configuration otherwise; the hard drive will have to be formatted.

The ideology that Islam represents is reason for the opposition by the quraish of Mecca at the beginning of the messengership of the prophet (SAW

What is this ideology? Does this Ideology follow lay down rules? Is this Ideology in conformity with the following?

-equality before the law
- freedom of speech
- freedom of the press
- freedom of religion
- the right to own property
- freedom of opinion and expression
- the right to receive an education
- freedom of movement
- freedom from cruel and unusual punishment
- the right to an attorney
- the right to a fair trial by jury


If this Ideology you are talking about is in tandem with the above, then the fears by some people is unfounded.


- innocent until proven guilty

dexmond, evn though ur questions are not directed @ me, here are my answers

- equality before the law-yes

- freedom of speech-Oh yes! evident by an hadith that a woman stood up to Umar, d second caliph of Islam and corrected him in public. Thereafter Umar told her she was right while he was wrong!

- freedom of the press- there was no press during the time of the prophet. Except otherwise proven by an hadith,the press should have freedom under Islamic states(but u would expect that they'r not allowed to broadcast pornography or anything lewd as that is what a religion,any religion should be against).

- freedom of religion- of course! The Qur'an says:' To you is ur religion and to me is mine' and in another verse,'there is n compulsion in religion'

- the right to own property- Yes again and again. Even women are allowed to own property and to spend what they own as they wish.They are also given a portion of their dead father, husband and close relatives'wealth.

- freedom of opinion and expression- just as in the press, if not lewd or wv any form of social vices

- the right to receive an education- the prophet said that education is the lost property of a muslim. and he said that education is compulsory on all muslims(whether male or female)

- freedom of movement-to where?no one is restricted to their homes. Visiting is in fact a virtue upheld by Islam.

- freedom from cruel and unusual punishment- depends on the definition of unusual. what is done in Nigeria might be unusual in China.Maybe when u'r specific,i'd give my ansa to dat

- the right to an attorney-in matters of divorce, a woman speaks thru a qaddi, that should mean attorney to you. Yes!

- the right to a fair trial by jury--yes, yes and yes!