Macavelius:

if islam is a religion of peace, why do muslim clerics issue 'fatwa' on people who say or go against islam
is there anywhere in quran that justifies the issue of 'fatwas'
it means there's no forgiveness in the religion

@tbaba, do you believe in the issue of fatwa
please explain

Thanks for your question.

Islam means obtaining peace by submitting sincerely to the will of God as  Noah(peace be upon him), Abraham (Peace be upon him), Moses (pbuh), Jesus(pbuh), Mohammed (pbuh) and all the prophets did

I think the problem here is the understanding of what a fatwa is, so i will give a brief understanding.

A fatwa is an Islamic religious ruling, a scholarly opinion on a matter of Islamic law. A fatwa is not "binding" on the faithful. The people who pronounce these rulings are supposed to be knowledgable, and base their rulings in knowledge and wisdom anand it is not uncommon for scholars to come to different conclusions regarding the same issue.

Fatwa can be issued on a range of different issues but they are not binding. For instance, there are numerous fatwas against terrorism and acts that hurt innocents. http://www.cair.com/americanmuslims/antiterrorism/fatwaagainstterrorism.aspx  , http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1969662,00.html.

Fatwas are issued against smoking http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Indonesian-Islamic-organization-issues-a-fatwa-against-smoking-17838.html

There are basically just opinions of people who are supposed to be knowledgable and they are not binding because there is no hierarchical priesthood in islam.

So, fatwas are really not that scary.

On forgiveness in islam,

The Quran states:

"A kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury,  . . O you who believe, make not your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen by people. . ." (2:263-264)

The Prophet said:

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy” [Bukhari].

The Quran also says

Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant. (Q 7 :199)

So you see forgiveness is something encouraged in Islam.

Cheers.

Pimpu:

wow you are really outstanding i must confes

Jazakallah Khair (May God grant you goodness)

2buff:

My question is this: Why did muhammad marry children and break treaties on whim?
It is not a joke question, please answer seriously. These things are generally dishonorable and do not reflect God's nature.

Thanks

I think the question is based on false premises. The prophet didn't marry children neither did he break any treaty.

The Quran forbids muslims from being aggressors and instruct us to honours treaties.

The case with Aisha, the wife has already being dealt with. I would paste it here again.

The age of A’ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr, when she married the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is something that has only recently become controversial. The traditional account is that the marriage was consummated when she was nine years old, which naturally appears strange, if not uncomfortable, to many in a modern, western context. Hence, some recent Muslims (of varying levels of intellectuality, motivations and scholarly qualifications) have re-visited the sources. They have discovered some evidence in the classical historical texts, and reinterpreted the traditionally adduced narrations, to suggest that A’ishah may actually have been older (with various ages suggested). My aim is not to analyze the arguments for and against a young marriage age for A’ishah, but rather to contextualize the entire discussion with a bird’s-eye view that remains intact regardless of which view (if either) an individual chooses to commit to.

The first (and most) important point to note is, as indicated above, is that the controversy is a relatively recent one. The Prophet’s own contemporaries took no issue with the Prophet’s marriage to A’ishah; it was not problematic in their eyes. This includes both his disbeliever antagonists and his believing followers. Certainly, his antagonists were ever eager to discredit him, and the Qur’an itself records details of this. They accused him of being a sorcerer, a madman or a soothsayer. Yet they did not attempt to discredit him on the basis of his marrying a girl too young for him. Neither in the Qur’an nor in any historical source is there any mention of such an objection having been raised, despite the fact that these sources do mention numerous other strategies used by the Prophet’s opponents.

So, if the Prophet’s contemporaries did not object to A’ishah’s age of marriage, then we conclude with certainty that her age was within the norm. Logically, this in turn implies one of two things: either it was acceptable, in 7th century Arab culture, for older men to marry younger girls (even as young as 9), or the reason for their non-objection was that A’ishah was in fact older. Once again, my aim here is not to prove one or the other, but to put the whole issue in perspective. The age of A’ishah is not a central tenet of Muslim faith, nor should it eclipse the core message and teachings of Islam. Muslims contemplating the issue of A’ishah’s age might find it beneficial to recall that; ‘Part of the excellence of a person’s Islam is his/her leaving aside what does not pertain to him/her.’

Non-Muslims would serve themselves better by contemplating the Prophet’s teachings of monotheism and righteousness, and the Book he presented as God’s revelation, rather than dwelling on what is, at most, a socio-culturally historical oddity.

Hence, without necessarily putting the two possibilities (regarding A’ishah’s age) on equal footing, and without stifling those who wish to delve deeper into the scholarly (and sometimes non-scholarly) arguments on either side, it is sufficient for the Muslim to defer the issue to God, saying, “I believe whichever of the two is the truth before God.” There are many more useful and pressing issues for us to occupy ourselves with.

The Catholic Encyclopedia observes about the Virgin Mary (peace be upon her) that, “it is possible that Mary gave birth to her Son when she was about thirteen or fourteen years of age.”In Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet was only thirteen, yet her mother tells her that “ladies of esteem” younger than her are already mothers.According to the “Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society,” both Christian Canon law and European civil law considered seven years as the age of consent, but judges in medieval England would approve marriages based on mutual consent at ages even lower than 7. As recently as the nineteenth century, ages of consent of 13 to 14 were common in Western countries. Now, we are responsible for acting in accordance with our conscience, and our own societal norms may well factor into this, but it may be a bit presumptuous to pass judgment on people of the past and future, and those of other cultures. People in the future may well look on some of our mores as bizarre.

The bottom line is: God knows best about all the details of things. And, it remains well-established that Islam’s central message is one of monotheism, decency and morality. It is to this that our energies can be more profitably devoted.

tbaba1234:

Q1. Drawing of degrading cartoons of the prophet or any other prophet do invoke feelings amongst muslims. It is the kind of cynicism that unfortunately exists in our society. Some muslims overreact, but most people will if their mother or father was insulted. Like i said, respect for other people's traditions is an important value. It's a big place, we can all get along.

So shouldn't such an expression be considered as free speech?

tbaba1234:

Q2. Inhumane? THEFT
Under an islamic system,  wealth is redistributed by a system known as the Zakat system. Muslims give 2.5% of their wealth(not income) every year to the poor in the society, therefore the rich in the society are responsible for the needy in the society. Therefore, if a thief steals in islam because he is hungry or cannot feed his family, It is a failure of society for failing to provide opportunity for that person to create wealth for himself. Therefore, the person is let go without  any punishment and provided with capital or a job by the state.

Now if theft is as result of greed or any other selfish reason, the punishment is the amputation of the hand. I know of a person who is serving 42 years in prison for stealing about $200. Ask that person if he would prefer to have an amputation of the hand and be with his family or remain in prison. The option will always be the first one. The harsh punishments are to serve as a deterrent as much as anything. It is to make you think about the possible consequences of your actions.

How is amputation the best approach? After someone is amputated, you do realize that such a person only becomes more dependent on the society. Also, in these modern times when e.g someone can copy a popular artiste's song unto their music device, this is considered as stealing. Should we also penalize this by amputation?

tbaba1234:

Q3. a. There are no scientific discrepancy:

fresh water and salt water not mixing? It doesn't say so, I will try to explain.

“He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together: Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress.” (Al-Qur’an 55:19-20)

In the Arabic text the word Barzakh means a barrier or a partition. This barrier, however, is not a physical partition. The Arabic word maraja literally means ‘they both meet and mix with each other’. Early commentators of the Qur’an were unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e. they meet and mix, and at the same time there is a barrier between them.

Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity and density.1 Oceanologists are now in a better position to explain this verse.

There is a slanted unseen water barrier between the two seas through which water from one sea passes to the other. But when the water from one sea enters the other sea, it loses its distinctive characteristic and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way this barrier serves as a transitional homogenizing area for the two waters.

This phenomenon is also mentioned in the following verse of the Qur'an:

“And made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water?” (Al-Qur’an 27:61)

This phenomenon occurs in several places, including the divider between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean at Gibralter. A white bar can also be clearly seen at Cape Point, Cape Peninsula, South Africa where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean.

But when the Qur’an speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition” with the barrier.

“It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, and a partition that is forbidden to be passed. (Al-Qur’an 25:53)

Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from that found in places where two salt water seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.”2 This partition (zone of separation) has a salinity different from both the fresh water and the salt water.3

This phenomenon occurs in several places, including Egypt, where the river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
These scientific phenomena mentioned in the Qur’an was also confirmed by Dr. William Hay, a wellknown marine scientist and Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, U.S.A.

Y

But they eventually mix. There is no barrier that stops them from mixing. Claiming that fresh and saltwater do not become totally mixed immediately they are in contact doesn't support the claim that they do not mix at all.

tbaba1234:

b. Jonah being swallowed by a big fish, Mohammed cutting the moon into two? We believe in miracles because we believe that God has power over all things.  These fall into the realm of miracles. Just like we believe Jesus raised the dead or Moses parted the red sea.

Well, those sorts of things contradict scientific knowledge. I mean, how was Mohammed able to cut the moon in two? Did he get a very long sword or did he fly to the moon or what?

tbaba1234:

c. people being created from a liquid gushing from between the loins and the ribs?? Liquid gushing LOL, also inaccurate,  You should keep off some of these sites.

"Now let man but think From what he is created! He is created from A drop emitted --- Proceeding from between The back bone and the ribs."

                                                                                            [AL-QUR'AN 86:5-7]
In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the female gonads(ovaries) stop in the pelvis while the male gonads(testicles) continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the back bone(spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.

Also, The seminal vesicles are anterior to the sacrum and coccyx (lower back, loin) and the ribs are anterior to the seminal vesicles. If one was to draw a line from the tip of the coccyx, to the upper portion of the seminal vesicle _ either one of the two_ and extend the line forward it will catch the ribcage.

The seminal vesicles from which the Fluid spurts out during Reproduction, lies between the ribs and the coccyx!

No it doesn't. It lies entirely within the pelvis. I'll address your longer post on this issue next.

tbaba1234:

I will ignore the sarcasm in the Aisha statement.

Yeah you do that. My point is that we shouldn't follow that particular example.

tbaba1234:

Q4. Some value their female relatives so much that they are willing to kill them for what they perceive as crimes. Should we let them commit such murders?

Honour killings are cultural pratices NOT based on islamic values. So anyone who commits murder should face justice.

My point is that honour killing is their value so should we respect such values? Apparently you do not think so.

tbaba1234:

Thanks for this, my understanding of the verse was totally wrong.

I have dug deeper into the tafsir based on classical arabic understanding of the verse and this is what i find. Now debunk this.

The correct translation of ‘sulb’ is not backbone, nor does the word ‘tara’ib’ indicate the man’s ribs. Let us review the verse in question:

So let man consider from what he is created. He is created from an emitted fluid that issued from between the sulb and the tara’ib. (86:5-7)

The word ‘tarai’b’—according to the Arabic—is actually referring to a female body part. Much like the English word ‘joystick’ can only be ascribed to a male, the word ‘tara’ib’ can only be applied to a female.

This is not apologetic modernism or revisionism; the classical works of Quranic commentary throughout the last 1400 years confirm this view categorically. In other words, the sulb belongs to the male, and the tara’ib belongs to the female. This is the view of the Muslims since the last fourteen hundred years, and there is consensus (ijma) on this matter, since the time of the Sahabah (the Prophet’s disciples) until today.

Shaykh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî of IslamToday.com writes:

The phrase “mâ’ dâfiq” (emitted fluid) is not restricted in meaning to Fluid but is used in Arabic for both the Fluid and the egg. Ibn Kathîr, in his commentary on this verse, writes: “It emanates from the man and the woman, and with Allah’s permission, the child comes forth as a product of both.”

…The words translated as “backbone” (sulb) and “ribs” (tarâ’ib) are not understood in Arabic to belong to the same person. Arabs understand the “sulb” to refer to a part of the male body and the “tarâ’ib” to a part of the female. Ibn Kathîr states: “It refers to the ‘sulb’ of the man and the ‘tarâ’ib’ of the woman…” He then quotes this interpretation on the authority of the Prophet’s companion Ibn `Abbâs. This same understanding is given in all the major classical works of Qur’anic commentary.

Many non-Arabs misinterpret this verse because they think that sulb and tara’ib refer to different body parts of the male. In reality, tara’ib is feminine, and refers to the female’s body part. For fourteen hundred years, all of the scholars have held this belief, and not a single classical scholar has ever differed on this point. The reason is that the Arabic makes it clear that tara’ib refers to a feminine body part, and not a male one.

[b]Lane’s Lexicon s[/b]ays:
Tara’ib: … most of the authors on strange words affirm decidedly that it (tara’ib) is peculiar to women. (Lane’s Lexicon, p.301)
All of the major commentaries of the Quran confirm that the tara’ib is peculiar to women. Ibn Katheer writes in his tafseer (commentary) of the Quran:

It (fluid) emanates from the man and the woman, and with Allah’s permission, the child comes forth as a product of both. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer)

Tafseer al-Jalalayn says:
Issuing from between the sulb, of the man, and the tara’ib, of the woman. (Tafseer Al-Jalalayn)

Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafseer Ibn Abbas says:
That issued from between the sulb of the man and the tara’ib of a woman.

(Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafseer Ibn Abbas)

AmericanPregnancy.org says:

Ovulation is assumed to take place on the day a woman has the most amount of wet fluid.

(http://www.americanpregnancy.org/get, ulationfaq.htm)
A medical website, OncologyChannel.com, says:

When a woman is fertile, each month a Graafian follicle travels to the surface of the ovary, bursts, and releases an egg and its fluid contents into a fallopian tube.
(http://www.oncologychannel.com/ovari, er/index.shtml)
The cilia in the fallopian tube push the fluid and the egg forward towards the uterus. It is the fluid which is the main force that causes the cilia to beat and thereby push the egg to its destination. Without the fluid, the egg will most likely not make it. One can read this medical article on the topic:
The Effect of Ovarian Follicular Fluid and Peritoneal Fluid on Fallopian Tube Ciliary Beat Frequency

BACKGROUND: …At ovulation, follicular fluid is released into the peritoneal cavity and enters the Fallopian tube. We hypothesized that this fluid may provide the stimulus for the increase in CBF (Ciliary Beat Frequency) detected after ovulation.

…CONCLUSIONS: The increase in CBF detected after ovulation may aid ovum pick-up and transport along the Fallopian tube. Factor(s) within human follicular fluid and secretory phase peritoneal fluid may be responsible for this increase in CBF.

(http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi, stract/21/1/52)
Reproduction-Online.org confirms this:
Formation of Fallopian tubal fluid:

Fluid produced and secreted by the Fallopian tube provides the environment in which gamete transport and maturation, fertilization and early embryo development occur.

(http://www.reproduction-online.org/c, ract/121/3/339)


As for the proper definition of sulb in the context of this verse, it is ‘loins’ and NOT backbone.

Shaykh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî of IslamToday.com writes:
The word “sulb” should not necessarily be translated as “backbone”. This word has many possible meanings and backbone is only one of them. It is also quite commonly used to mean the loins of a man. This is how it is used elsewhere in the Qur’ân. Allah says: “Prohibited to you (for marriage) are…wives of your sons proceeding from your loins (aslâb, the plural of sulb).” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 23] There can be no problem with Fluid coming out from the area of a man's loins.
Pickathal, a translator of the Quran, similarly translates the word ‘sulb’ as ‘loins’.

At this point in time, I think it would be appropriate to define the word ‘loins’, since many people nowadays have weak vocabularies. The word ‘loins’ refers to the Core and pubic area, or the Cores. So if the Quran says that Fluid comes from the Cores (and it does!), then how is this a scientific error?

Arabic-English Dictionaries and Journal Articles

We refer the reader to p.226 of The Concise Oxford English Arabic Dictionary. The English word ‘loins’ is translated as ‘sulb’. (source: http://www.amazon.com/Concise-Oxford, /dp/0198643217 )

We refer the reader to p.231 of Hippocrene Standard Dictionary Arabic-English English-Arabic by John Wortabet, in which once again, the only definition of the word loins is ‘sulb’. (source: http://www.amazon.com/Hippocrene-Dic, 6200382&sr=1-1)

It is a simple matter of driving down to Barnes and Noble or another bookstore to verify these definitions. But if the reader is too lazy to do that, here is an online reference. On p.146 of An English and Arabic Dictionary by Joseph Catafago, notice that the only definition given for the word ‘salbi’ is ‘proceeding from the loins’. (click here to view: http://books.google.com/books?id=42o, =5&ct =result)

Here is another online reference: on p.791 of A Comprehensive Persian English Dictionary: Including the Arabic Words, we see that the first definition of the word ‘sulbi’ is ‘proceeding from the loins’. (click here: http://books.google.com/books?id=knA, um=4&ct=result)

Still not convinced? Here is another online reference, this time from the YemenTimes.com, which translates the word ‘sulb’ as ‘loins’. It should be noted that this article has nothing to do with the verse in question, so the issue of bias cannot be brought up! (It’s a Bohra website, and Bohras are not considered Muslims by us.) We read:
He was succeeded by his brother Imam Husayn (SA), Sayyid al-Shuhada, (Lord of the Martyrs) through whose sulb (loins) the tasalsul to the Imamat has continued and will continue, until the Day of Judgment.
(YemenTimes.com, http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=656&p=report&a=1)

Cambridge University Press published a journal article in which the word ‘sulb’ was similarly translated as ‘loins’:

It is suggested that the Chelebi is derived from the Arabic salb or sulb, “loins,” and that it originally denoted “true born” or “lawful heir”…
(http://www.jstor.org/pss/607751)
The University of California Press published a book, written by Carol Lowery Delaney, in which the word ‘sulb’ was translated as ‘loins’:

The father’s side can be called sulb tarafi (sulb means loins, descendants, seed; spinal column, hard, rigid, firm)….

(The Seed and the Soil: Gender and Cosmology in Turkish Village Society, p.158, http://books.google.com/books?id=GjE, =5&ct =result)
In the Persian Translator’s Introduction to Adab al-Suluk, the word ‘sulb’ is defined as ‘loins’. (‘Sulb’ is one of the many Arabic words used in the Persian and Hindu languages.) We read:
…The starting point is the father’s loins (sulb); the second stage is the mother’s womb; the third stage is the physical world; and the fourth stage is that of the grave…

(http://www.hiddenmysteries.org/freeb, ritualway.html)
In A Dictionary, Hindustani & English, by Duncan Forbes, we read on p.514:
Sulb: the loins, offspring
(A Dictionary, Hindustani & English, p.514, http://books.google.com/books?id=jLo, m=10&ct=result)

Perhaps the greatest proof is from the Quran itself. The word ‘sulb’ is used in another verse:
Prohibited to you (for marriage) are…wives of your sons proceeding from your loins (aslaab, the plural of sulb). (Surah an-Nisa, 23)
It is also used in the Prophetic sayings (hadeeths). For example, the Prophet [s] was alleged to have said:

…From the loins (sulb) of this (man) will come a man who will fill the earth with fairness and justice…

(At-Tabarani)

Proof from the Bible

The Bible uses the word ‘loins’ in the exact same way, in numerous verses. For example:

And kings shall come out of your loins. (Genesis 35:11.)

You shall not build the house (the Temple); but your son that shall come forth out of your loins, he shall build the house unto my Name. (I Kings 8:19.)

And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt already. (Exodus, 1:5)

Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence against the Christian Islamaphobes is that the Christians translated the Bible into Arabic, and they translated the word ‘loins’ as ‘sulb’! Exodus 1:5 reads:
Exodus 1:5: And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt already. (American Standard Version)
The word ‘loins’ in this verse is rendered as ‘sulb’ by the Christian translators at ArabicBible.com:
5وَكَانَتْ جَمِيعُ نُفُوسِ الْخَارِجِينَ مِنْ صُلْبِ يَعْقُوبَ سَبْعِينَ نَفْسًا. وَلكِنْ يُوسُفُ كَانَ فِي مِصْرَ
(http://www.arabicbible.com/bible/doc_bible.htm)

when the Quran says that a human is created from a father’s sulb, suddenly they accuse the Quran of being inaccurate. Fairness dictates that if the Christians are going to mock the Quran for saying that Fluid comes from the male’s sulb, then they must also mock their Bible which similarly uses the word.

From a linguistic standpoint, the term ‘tara’ib’ means ‘an arch of bones.’ Because of this, some of the early Muslims thought that it could refer to the woman’s rib cage, which encases the uterus. During normal pregnancies, the uterus actually grows underneath and into the rib cage. Dr. William D. McIntosh (M.D.) says to one woman:

…Your uterus is still under your ribs, but the movement is frequently more intense on the right side due to the prescence [sic] of the liver.

(Dr. William D. McIntosh,
http://forums.obgyn.net/pregnancy-bi, 0011/1708.html)

The American Pregnancy Association (APA) writes:
As your baby continues to grow, he/she takes up a larger portion of your uterus. You may not feel that your body can handle your growing baby, but it will compensate by allowing your uterus to extend underneath your rib cage.

(http://www.americanpregnancy.org/weekbyweek/week30.htm)

BeFitMom.com says:
Ribcage

The ribcage expands enormously during pregnancy to help make room for the expanding uterus and to maintain adequate lung capacity. Many pregnant women experience rib discomfort from this expansion, as well as the occasional little foot or knee that might habitually press against the ribs.

(http://www.befitmom.com/discomforts.html)
In other words, the word tara’ib could simply be referring to the woman’s uterus, since the rib cage surrounds it.

Another possible meaning for tara’ib could simply be ‘pelvic arch’, where the ovaries are located. Again, tara’ib literally means ‘an arch of bones’. The ribs form an arch of bones and this is why some of the early Muslims considered the tara’ib to be, but the pelvis certainly looks like an arch of bones as well. This is how Muhammad Asad translated the verse:

(7) issuing from between the loins [of man] and the pelvic arch [of woman].*

* The plural noun tarai’b, rendered by me as “pelvic arch”, has also the meaning of “ribs”, or “arch of bones”; according to most of the authorities who have specialized in the etymology of rare Quranic expressions, this term relates specifically to female anatomy. (Taj al-`Arus). (Quran, Ref: 86:7)
Shaykh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî confirmed this, saying:

It can apply to any region nearing the ribcage. Therefore, the area of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the uterus can easily fit into the general area that is being indicated by these verses.
The truth is that tara’ib is a very obscure word. Just open up Lane’s Lexicon to see this! We read:

The part of the bosom which is the place of the collar, or necklace : (T, M, K so by the common consent of the lexicologists : (T or the bones of the bosom: (M, A, K or the bones of the bosom that are between the collar-bone and the pap: (8 or the part of the bosom, or chest, that is next to the two collar-bones : or the part that is between the two bosoms and the collar bones :or four ribs of the right side of the chest and four of the left therefore : (M, K or the two arms and two legs and two eyes: (T, M, K ,

(Lane’s Lexicon, p.301)

And the definition goes on! It seems that the word ‘tara’ib’ can refer to quite a few parts on the female body.

The Quran is very much superior to any manmade book. The analogy barely suffices, since the work of man cannot be compared to the Word of God. Nonetheless, fairness dictates that the same principle apply here. If the Westerners will give credit to Shakespeare for using new words, then surely the same should apply to the Quran. In fact, the Quran revolutionized the Arabic language, using words in a way that was never ever seen before. The Quran’s beauty stunned both friend and foe alike.

The Quran could have merely used mundane language and said ‘testes’ instead of sulb, or ‘ovaries’ instead of tara’ib…yet this would have altered the literary flow and epic beauty of the Quranic recitation. We urge the reader to listen to the Quranic verses in Arabic, and see why we say this! Click here to listen to the verse of the Quran that uses the word ‘sulb’ and ‘tara’ib’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afmIUk0Tcgw

Of course, the non-Arabic speaker cannot fully appreciate the eloquence and power of the Quranic recitation. Nonetheless, one can see that it transcends any manmade literature. The Quran had a profound and lasting impact on the Arabic language. There has never been a more beautifully written book, in Arabic or any other language.

Going back to the Shakespeare analogy, we see what effect he had on the English language. About.com says:

The English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare. He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original.

… Shakespeare also invented many of the most-used expressions in our language.

(http://shakespeare.about.com/library, /aa042400a.htm)
Likewise, the Quran invented many words, and used common words in ways that they had never been used before, changing their usage from the mundane to the magnificent.

Why is there a need to invent words? The reason is that the language is not grandiose enough for the writer. Shakespeare invented words because he excelled above the capacity of the English language. He coined many phrases, such as the famous “star-crossed lovers”. The word “star-crossed” had never been used before Shakespeare. Yet, now it is—thanks to Shakespeare—engraved into the English repertoire as one of the most poetic of words. Surely the same effect would not have been conveyed had he simply used the word ‘unlucky lovers’ as opposed to ‘star-crossed lovers.’

Similarly, the Quran invented many words, and used words in a way that Arabs had never used before, thereby transcending the Arabic language and revolutionizing it. Nobody could use language the way God did when he gave us the Quran. If we look at the verse in question (i.e. verse 86:7), it is extremely eloquent and moving in its Arabic language; the words sulb and tara’ib convey a grandiosity that no other words could.

The Quran is quite literally the epitome of beauty.

You will have to pay for all this research  . i needed to do it though.

To be clear, you're saying that sulb == loins or some other parts and tara'ib == uterus or some other female parts. I'll let this go since it is ambiguous enough to scale through.

tbaba,
Still on my question on 'fatwa', why is it that the fatwa pronounced by the Iranian Cleric Ayatollah on Salman Rushdie (author of the Satanic Verses) is still binding on. Even though the cleric is long dead.

In your own opinion how long should a fatwa hold.

Also if a moslem had carried out the fatwa to kill the author, how will that be jusitified in Islam if you say there is forgiveness in Islam.

Why did Mohammed initially marry only one wife?

Since he wasnt against polygamy going by his later actions, i always find it rather weird that he originally stuck to a single woman.

I've studied this before but could you refresh my memory in simple language:

what was the state of Islamic expansion during Khadija's time.

When did he start to conquer more foreign territory- was the polygamy synonymous with this time.

I know in ancient yoruba culture, most times when a warrior or king fought a successful war, he usually received women into his harem as a sort of peace treaty or spoils of war.

Not sure if something similar happened in the period i'm asking about.

Simple answers to the best of your understanding plz.

thehomer:

So shouldn't such an expression be considered as free speech?

How is amputation the best approach? After someone is amputated, you do realize that such a person only becomes more dependent on the society. Also, in these modern times when e.g someone can copy a popular artiste's song unto their music device, this is considered as stealing. Should we also penalize this by amputation?

Well, those sorts of things contradict scientific knowledge. I mean, how was Mohammed able to cut the moon in two? Did he get a very long sword or did he fly to the moon or what?

Q1. Writings or cartoons by members of dominant communities vilifying the religion of minority groups that are targets of racism are just a manifestation of oppression and incitation to racial hatred.  There is a reason why many countries have laws against hate speech. The danish cartoons were over the edge. Can you write a op--ed in the new york times using words like "ni__ga" or other racist slurs? Of course not, so there is a balance between freedom of speech and what is socially acceptable.

Q2. There is no other system that combines such mercy with justice. Saudi arabia for instance has one of the lowest robbery rates in the world, so it does work. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rob-crime-robberies . I am not learned enough to make judgements on cases like that.

Q3. I know,you don't believe in miracles, i do. Just like moses stretched out his staff and the sea part,  The prophet pointed at the moon and it split in two. This event was witnessed by companions of the prophet and disbelievers who claimed that he must have bewitched them. The Quran talks about this incident when it says:

The Hour [of Judgment] is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder, But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is [but] transient
magic." Surah (54:1-2)

I hope you don't ignore your own signs.  

Macavelius:

tbaba,
Still on my question on 'fatwa', why is it that the fatwa pronounced by the Iranian Cleric Ayatollah on Salman Rushdie (author of the Satanic Verses) is still binding on. Even though the cleric is long dead.

In your own opinion how long should a fatwa hold.

Also if a moslem had carried out the fatwa to kill the author, how will that be jusitified in Islam if you say there is forgiveness in Islam.

Again, it seems you don't understand what a fatwa is. I hope i can be clearer now.

A fatwa is simply an opinion, it is not an order, it is not binding. There are thousands of scholars that do not agree with that opinion on salman rushdie. You can't judge islam on the basis of one man's opinion.

If a man murders another in an unjust manner in islam, It is as if they have murdered the whole of humanity.

", to kill an innocent person is to kill the whole of humanity and to save someone is like saving all of humanity".(Quran: 5; 32). That is the value a muslim is supposed to place on human life.

tpia@:

Why did Mohammed initially marry only one wife?

Since he wasnt against polygamy going by his later actions, i always find it rather weird that he originally stuck to a single woman.

I've studied this before but could you refresh my memory in simple language:

what was the state of Islamic expansion during Khadija's time.

When did he start to conquer more foreign territory- was the polygamy synonymous with this time.

I know in ancient yoruba culture, most times when a warrior or king fought a successful war, he usually received women into his harem as a sort of peace treaty or spoils of war.

Not sure if something similar happened in the period i'm asking about.

Simple answers to the best of your understanding plz.

Thank you so much for this question. whenever i think of the prophet's marriages. I  get emotional because this is one of the reasons why the Quran describes him as a 'mercy to the worlds'.

The prophet married for the first time at 25 years to khadijah (40), a divorcee with children. He was married to khadijah in mecca, where the muslims were still being oppressed. The marriage lasted for 25 years until khadijah died. After the death of khadijah , he remained single for two years, before getting married to sawdah, an 80 year old woman in order to honour her, because she was the first widow in islam. In fact, apart from aisha, his other wives were either widows or divorced and many were older than him. The marriages of the prophet were mainly for social and political reasons. Let me illustrate below:

1. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to the world as an ideal model for mankind, and he was in all aspects of his life. Marriage in particular is a striking illustration. He was the kindest, most loving and charitable husband. He had to undertake all stages of human experience and moral tests. He lived with one wife and with more than one, with the old and the young, with the widow and the divorcee, with the pleasant and the temperamental, and with the renowned and the humble. But, in all cases be was the epitome of kindness and consolation, and so designated to experience all the different aspects of human behavior and situations. This could not have been a physical pleasure; it was a moral trial as well as a human task, and a hard one too.

2. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to establish morality and assure every Muslim of security, protection, moral integrity and a decent life. His mission was put to the test in his life and it did not stay in the stationary form of theory. As usual, he took the hardest part and did his share in the most inconvenient manner. Wars and persecution burdened the Muslims with many widows, orphans and divorcees. They had to be protected and maintained by the surviving Muslim men. It was his practice to help these women become resettled by marriage to his Companions. The Companions rejected some women and so some of those women sought his personal patronage and protection. Realizing fully their conditions and sacrifices for the cause of Islam, he had to do something to relieve them. One course of relief was to take them as his own wives and accept the challenge of heavy liabilities. So he did so and maintained more than one wife at a time when it was no fun or easy course. He had to take part in the rehabilitation of those widows, orphans and divorcees because he could not ask his Companions to do things that he himself was not prepared to do or participate in. These women were trusts of the Muslims and they had to be looked after jointly. What he did, then, was his share of responsibility, and as always his share was the largest and heaviest. That is why he had more than one wife and more than any of his Companions.

3. There were many prisoners of war captured by the Muslims who were entitled to security and protection. They were not killed or denied their rights: human or physical. On the contrary, they were helped to settle down through legal marriages to Muslims instead of being taken as concubines and common mistresses. That also was another moral burden on the Muslims, which had to be shouldered jointly as a common responsibility. Here, again, Muhammad carried his share and took some responsibilities by marrying two of those captives.

4. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) contracted some of his marriages for sociopolitical reasons. His principal concern was the future of Islam. He was interested in strengthening the Muslims by all bonds. That is why he married the young daughter of Abu Bakr, his First Successor, and the daughter of `Umar, his Second Successor. It was by his marriage to Juwayriyyah that he gained the support for Islam of the whole clan of Bani Al-Mustaliq and their allied tribes. It was through marriage to Safiyyah that he neutralized a great section of the hostile Jews of Arabia. By accepting Mariyah, the Copt from Egypt, as his wife, he formed a political alliance with a king of great magnitude. It was also a gesture of friendship with a neighboring king that Muhammad married Zaynab who was presented to him by the Negus of Abyssinia in whose territory the early Muslims found safe refuge.

5. By contracting most of these marriages, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) meant to eliminate the caste or class system, racial and national pride and superiority, and religious prejudices. He married some of the humblest and poorest women. There was his marriage to Mariyah from Egypt, a Jewish woman of a different religion and race, and a Negro girl from Abyssinia. He was not satisfied with merely teaching brotherhood and equality: actions speak louder than words.

6. Some of the Prophet's marriages were for legislative reasons and to abolish certain corrupt traditions. Such was his marriage to Zaynab, divorcee of the freed slave Zayd. Before Islam, the Arabs did not allow divorcees to remarry. Zayd was adopted by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and called his son as was the custom among the Arabs before Islam. But Islam abrogated this custom and disapproved of its practice. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the first man to express this disapproval in a practical way. So he married the divorcee of his "adopted" son to show that adoption does not really make the adopted child a real son of the adopting father and also to show that marriage is lawful for divorcees. Incidentally, this very Zaynab was Muhammad's cousin, and had been offered to him in marriage before she married Zayd. He refused her then, but after she was divorced he accepted her for the two legislative purposes: the lawful marriage of divorcees and the real status of adopted children. The story of this Zaynab has been associated in some minds with ridiculous fabrications regarding the moral integrity of Muhammad. These vicious fabrications are not even worth considering here (see Qur'an, 33: 36, 37, 40).

These are the circumstances accompanying the Prophet's marriages. For the Muslims there is no doubt whatsoever that Muhammad had the highest standards of morality and was the perfect model for mankind under all circumstances.

@thbaba, i've followed the way you went about answering questions, & i must admit it's straight to the point and educative. keep it up and God bless.

Thanks for answering the question to the best of your ability @ tbaba1234,

however, i'm still curious about why Mohammed did not practice polygamy while Khadija was alive.

Was monogamy practised by some arab cultures at that time?

Or what theories try to explain this?

tbaba1234:

Q1. Writings or cartoons by members of dominant communities vilifying the religion of minority groups that are targets of racism are just a manifestation of oppression and incitation to racial hatred.  There is a reason why many countries have laws against hate speech. The danish cartoons were over the edge. Can you write a op--ed in the new york times using words like "ni__ga" or other racist slurs? Of course not, so there is a balance between freedom of speech and what is socially acceptable.

Really? A cartoon is now a sign of oppression and incitement to racial hatred? Sorry but you don't seem to understand the concept behind the idea of free speech. Drawing a cartoon isn't incitement to violence unless the cartoon actually encourages violence. Now the teachers who saw the cartoons and decided that a good approach would be to murder cartoonists and encouraged people to do so, that is incitement to violence.
How is drawing a cartoon inviting people to kill or oppress other people?

tbaba1234:

Q2. There is no other system that combines such mercy with justice. Saudi arabia for instance has one of the lowest robbery rates in the world, so it does work. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rob-crime-robberies . I am not learned enough to make judgements on cases like that.

So amputation of people's hands is mercy. Saudi Arabia is a wealthy country. Why not look to Nigeria where for some reason, poor people get amputated. Also, you may want to take a careful look at that table because Nigeria isn't there. Then Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India rank below Saudi Arabia? I'm already deeply skeptical about the results on that table.
So sharia has nothing to say about file sharing yet you think it is appropriate for these modern times?

tbaba1234:

Q3. I know,you don't believe in miracles, i do. Just like moses stretched out his staff and the sea part,  The prophet pointed at the moon and it split in two. This event was witnessed by companions of the prophet and disbelievers who claimed that he must have bewitched them. The Quran talks about this incident when it says:

The Hour [of Judgment] is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder, But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is [but] transient
magic." Surah (54:1-2)

I hope you don't ignore your own signs.  

Aren't they contradictions to scientific knowledge? You claimed there were no contradictions, I just pointed a few of them out so does the Qur'an contradict scientific knowledge or not?

thehomer:

Really? A cartoon is now a sign of oppression and incitement to racial hatred? Sorry but you don't seem to understand the concept behind the idea of free speech. Drawing a cartoon isn't incitement to violence unless the cartoon actually encourages violence. Now the teachers who saw the cartoons and decided that a good approach would be to murder cartoonists and encouraged people to do so, that is incitement to violence.
How is drawing a cartoon inviting people to kill or oppress other people?

A straw man. Your opponent clearly described a case where drawing cartoons is oppressive (i.e Writings or cartoons by members of dominant communities vilifying the religion of minority groups that are targets of racism) Read properly b4 you reply.

Uyi Iredia:



A straw man. Your opponent clearly described a case where drawing cartoons is oppressive (i.e Writings or cartoons by members of dominant communities vilifying the religion of minority groups that are targets of racism) Read properly b4 you reply.

You're still making the same mistakes that you've always made. How is it a straw man to point out that the cartoons weren't advocating violence and thus neither incitements to hatred nor oppression? I've told you time and time again that you need to actually demonstrate what you think is a fallacy and not just give the names of fallacies.

it is funny hw people build or make point(s) & hold on to it, even if someone comes with a better point. for every action, the is always reaction in someway, some people can't take insulting of even their mum or dad in anyway, depend on hw emotional attach. if by writing or cartoon of them anyway. their bound to react in one way or the other. Therefore, when someone sits somewhere and decides to write or draw a cartoon knowing very well that it will touch a sensitive part other people & people will react i
http://www.nairaland.com/

thehomer:

You're still making the same mistakes that you've always made. How is it a straw man to point out that the cartoons weren't advocating violence and thus neither incitements to hatred nor oppression? I've told you time and time again that you need to actually demonstrate what you think is a fallacy and not just give the names of fallacies.

You are still making the same baseless allegations. Your post clearly did not address the point raised by your opponent. Mind you he never said that a cartoon is a sign of oppression and incitement to racial hatred - something you questioned him for. Instead of noting your mistake you go back to your vomit. You have problems.

tpia@:

Thanks for answering the question to the best of your ability @ tbaba1234,

however, i'm still curious about why Mohammed did not practice polygamy while Khadija was alive.

Was monogamy practised by some arab cultures at that time?

Or what theories try to explain this?

Thanks

Monogamy was not a common practice in the pre-isalmic era. As a matter of fact the pre-islamic arabs had a lot more wives. The prophet(peace be upon him) however stuck to one and was loyal to her until her death.

Islam limited the wives to four if you can maintain justice, otherwise you are only permitted to have one. The  Quran states:

", Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly [with them], then only one, " (Q 4:

After this verse was revealed, some of the companions had to divorce wives because they feared they could not be just with all of them.

When the islamic state was established in madinah, a different social and political condition emerged. The nascent state had to defend itself to survive. Men who were killed in wars left wives and kids. The prophet took responsibility of some widows by taking them as wives. The reasons for his wives were already discussed above.

thehomer:

Really? A cartoon is now a sign of oppression and incitement to racial hatred? Sorry but you don't seem to understand the concept behind the idea of free speech. Drawing a cartoon isn't incitement to violence unless the cartoon actually encourages violence. Now the teachers who saw the cartoons and decided that a good approach would be to murder cartoonists and encouraged people to do so, that is incitement to violence.
How is drawing a cartoon inviting people to kill or oppress other people?

So amputation of people's hands is mercy. Saudi Arabia is a wealthy country. Why not look to Nigeria where for some reason, poor people get amputated. Also, you may want to take a careful look at that table because Nigeria isn't there. Then Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India rank below Saudi Arabia? I'm already deeply skeptical about the results on that table.
So sharia has nothing to say about file sharing yet you think it is appropriate for these modern times?

Aren't they contradictions to scientific knowledge? You claimed there were no contradictions, I just pointed a few of them out so does the Qur'an contradict scientific knowledge or not?

This will be my last response to these questions because it seems you either don't read my comments or you interpret it the way you want.

Q1. Irrelevant and not related to the topic. please read my last comment.

Q2. The site has references for the data from the world development indicators database, how much data does nigeria keep?. I clearly mentioned that  it was a balance between mercy and justice. Pls read my response on theft in Islam. Saudi Arabia is the one of the few countries that tries to implement some parts of the sharia.

Q3. So historical miracles are your only claim to scientific contradictions? For the believer, they are pointers to the transcendent. There are no descriptions of physical phenomenon in the Quran against established scientific fact. Not one.

Thanks.

Uyi Iredia:

You are still making the same baseless allegations. Your post clearly did not address the point raised by your opponent. Mind you he never said that a cartoon is a sign of oppression and incitement to racial hatred - something you questioned him for. Instead of noting your mistake you go back to your vomit. You have problems.

Why don't you state the point you think my opponent raised that wasn't addressed or do you simply wish to go on naming fallacies that you do not understand? Maybe you should first solve your problems of inability to comprehend simply statements rather than compounding it with concepts you do not understand well enough to apply.

ommo:

@thbaba, i've followed the way you went about answering questions, & i must admit it's straight to the point and educative. keep it up and God bless.

Jazakallah khair (May God grant you goodness)

tbaba1234:

This will be my last response to these questions because it seems you either don't read my comments or you interpret it the way you want.

I understand that my questions are difficult for you to answer so you may leave them if you like. I interpret your comments in the most charitable way I can. Don't blame me if they still fall short.

tbaba1234:

Q1. Irrelevant and not related to the topic. please read my last comment.

Free speech is irrelevant? I hope you realize that we aren't living in the 7th or 8th century.

tbaba1234:

Q2. The site has references for the data from the world development indicators database, how much data does nigeria keep?. I clearly mentioned that  it was a balance between mercy and justice. Pls read my response on theft in Islam. Saudi Arabia is the one of the few countries that tries to implement some parts of the sharia.

That is why it is a poor source of good information on what you wish to assess. Don't you think Nigeria, Iran, Pakistan and some other countries do?

tbaba1234:

Q3. So historical miracles are your only claim to scientific contradictions? For the believer, they are pointers to the transcendent. There are no descriptions of physical phenomenon in the Quran against established scientific fact. Not one.

Thanks.

Don't you think that a claim that the moon was split in two is a scientific claim?
Anyway, good luck to you. I know they are difficult questions and such questions and their responses are the reasons why I don't think Islam is still viable in the light of our current knowledge.

This is a very good initiative on the part of the OP; such thread has the potential to be quite informative. I just stumbled across this Q&A now and hence haven't taken the opportunity to read through the whole thread aside from the original post (so please forgive me if I am about to reiterate questions that have already been asked). I suspect I may be making frequent visits here however.

My first question here is: What are the necessary steps taken for a "non-believer" to convert to Islam?

My second question is: What becomes of a Muslim apostate? are these people punished for leaving Islam?

And my final question for today: Is Love a fundamental principle in Islam?

emofine:

This is a very good initiative on the part of the OP; such thread has the potential to be quite informative. I just stumbled across this Q&A now and hence haven't taken the opportunity to read through the whole thread aside from the original post (so please forgive me if I am about to reiterate questions that have already been asked). I suspect I may be making frequent visits here however.

My first question here is: What are the necessary steps taken for a "non-believer" to convert to Islam?

My second question is: What becomes of a Muslim apostate? are these people punished for leaving Islam?

And my final question for today: Is Love a fundamental principle in Islam?

Q1. Simply by saying and believing that  'there is only one 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.

Q2. This is what the Quran states:

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error:whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy
hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." (Q 2: 256)

So in islam, there is no compulsion in religion. If he wants to convert, he is free,

Now there are certain conditions under an Islamic government where if someone converts and fights against the state, it is considered an act of treason. Most countries have the death penalty for treason.

Q3. The Quran states: "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). " (49 13)

When talking about love in Islam let’s see what the Holy Qur’an says about it. First of all I would like to note two definitions of love found in the American Heritage Dictionary:

8a. God’s benevolence and Mercy toward man.

8b. Man’s devotion to or adoration of God.

These two definitions precisely describe the Islamic concept of the relation between God and man.

When reading the Qur’an, anyone can easily recognize the emphasis put on God’s love, compassion, graciousness, mercy and forgiveness. As a matter of fact, all chapters of the Qur’an except one begin with the phrase “in the name of God” who is described as Al-Rahman (the Benevolent) and Al-Raheem (the Merciful). This verse is often translated as “in the Name of God, the Benevolent and Merciful.”  This fits the exact meaning of the definition for the love of God found in the English dictionary. These two descriptions are the most commonly used words by which Allah describes Himself in the Qur’an. These characteristics of Allah refer to His countless blessings, bounties and forgiveness He has bestowed upon us without us deserving anything. He does all of that even though we constantly break His commandments.

Islam enjoins the general concept of love between mankind as well. This is first and foremost done by promoting the love of God amongst our fellow man. This is manifested through our practice of the concept of “rahmah” which can be translated as love, mercy, compassion or forgiveness. The Prophet(peace be upon him)  told his companions as narrated authentically in al-Targheeb (3/210):

“You don’t truly believe until you have rahmah for others.” His companions responded, “We all have rahmah.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then told them, “Verily, you don’t reach this level of faith by just having rahmah for those who are close to you, but you must have rahmah for everyone.”

Some of the principles promoted in islam are as follows:

1. Reflect upon death. We will all face the grave.
2. Reflect upon your origins. You were once a despised fluid. You were a baby, fully dependent on others.
3. Reflect within yourself. You have the same weaknesses as others. We all sin. We all smile, cry and bleed in the same language.
4. God is the greatest. He deserves all praise.
5. Don't seek to be right. Seek for things to work.
6. Don't ask for your rights. Give people their rights.
7. Forgiveness is the highest virtue.
8. Looking over each others faults is a greater good.
9. We are nothing without God. We have no ultimate value. No ultimate meaning.
10. Remember everything that you have, and everything that you are, is due to God's blessings.

@OP may the Blessing of Allah be upon you and your family

bashy_demy:

@OP may the Blessing of Allah be upon you and your family

Jazakallah khair (May God grant you goodness)

thehomer:

Why don't you state the point you think my opponent raised that wasn't addressed or do you simply wish to go on naming fallacies that you do not understand? Maybe you should first solve your problems of inability to comprehend simply statements rather than compounding it with concepts you do not understand well enough to apply.

I did just that in my first reply. You do not read properly.

Uyi Iredia:

I did just that in my first reply. You do not read properly.

You neither write nor read properly.

How was my statement a straw man?
How can a cartoon not advocating violence be oppressive? Or did you find it difficult to understand my response?

This so called Q&A article is nothing more than deception.

If you want to know about ISLAM and get your questions answered go to  Answering  Islam, Answering Muslims  , Religion of Peace and ProphetofDoom amongst many others.

thehomer:

You neither write nor read properly.

How was my statement a straw man?
How can a cartoon not advocating violence be oppressive? Or did you find it difficult to understand my response?

Same baseless allegations. Of course these questions were answered in my initial post. You are yet to learn.

Islamic basics

What is Islam?

Islam is not a new religion. It is the same truth that God revealed to all His prophets throughout history. Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness that should not be associated with acts of violence against the innocent.

Who are Muslims and what do they believe?

There are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. No more than 20 percent of Muslims live in the Arabic-speaking world. The country with the largest Muslim population is Indonesia. Muslims believe in One, Unique, and Incomparable God. They believe in the Day of Judgement 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 eternal message was reaffirmed and finalized by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on them all). One becomes a Muslim by saying, "There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." By this declaration, the person announces faith in all of God's messengers.

What is the Quran?

The Quran is the record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his companions. The text of the Quran was cross-checked during the life of the Prophet. The 114 chapters of the Quran have remained unchanged through the centuries.

What are the "Five Pillars" of Islam?

1) The Declaration of Faith - This consists of the two sentence declaration described above.

2) Prayer - Muslims perform five obligatory prayers each day. Islamic prayers are a direct link between the worshiper and God. Islam has no hierarchical authority or priesthood. A learned Muslim chosen by each congregation leads the prayers.

3) Zakat - One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and that wealth is held in trust by human beings. Zakat, or charitable giving, "purifies" wealth by setting aside a portion for those in need. This payment is usually two and a half percent of one's capital.

4) Fasting - Every year in the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from first light until sunset. The fast is another method of self-purification.

5) Pilgrimage - A pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, is an obligation for those who are physically or financially able.

Uyi Iredia:

Same baseless allegations. Of course these questions were answered in my initial post. You are yet to learn.

Your first post was to make an assertion you're unable to defend. The same habit I've tried to educate you out of but for some reason, you keep making the same mistake. Are you unable to learn from past errors?