Islam

Islam is a religion that originated in the Arabic Peninsula (now Saudi Arabia) at the beginning of the seventh century AD. According to Al-Haj Maulana Fazlul Karim (1998:(Vol.1):128), a retired Judge, in his compilation of the Hadith (later more about Hadith), “Islam literally means peace or complete resignation (to Allah)” and “Islam is (i) Peace, and (ii) worship of only one, Allah.” If it is true that peace and complete resignation to Allah are synonymous in meaning, as is stated by Karim above, the question can be asked: Is this peace then only destined for Muslims?

There are, however, different opinions about the original meaning of the word Islam. Dr. M Bravmann (as quoted by Morey 1992:36-37), a Middle East scholar, has this explanation: “[Islam was originally] a secular concept, denoting a sublime virtue in the eyes of the primitive Arab; defiance of death, heroism; to die in battle.” The conclusion is that the word Islam only later developed into the meaning of ‘submission’ or ‘resignation’.

Muslim

An adherent of the Islamic faith is called a Muslim. This is someone who has subjected himself to the Islamic religion.

Koran – Quran

The main holy book (Bible) of Islam is the Quran, also spelled as Qur’an, Qur-an, Qurân or Koran. It consists of 114 chapters. The Quran was originally written in Arabic and some Muslims do not accept any other translations of the Quran. For this reason, translations of the Quran are not referred to as the Quran but as 'the meanings of the Quran' (see the Bibliography). The chapters of the Quran are known as ‘Sura’ or ‘Surah’, which mean ‘degree’ or ‘step’.

According to Islam, the Quran is the final and complete revelation of God, whom they call Allah. Muslims take the Quran very seriously, and consider all commands therein as direct instructions from Allah through his prophet Mohammed, which must be obeyed. When Muslims handle a copy of the Quran, they do it with the greatest respect, using only the right hand, because of the Arabic and Muslim traditions of using different hands for different tasks. (See also Mohammed and the Quran below.)

Allah

Allah is the God of Islam and according to them, the only true God and worshipped as such. The word Allah does not mean God but it is the name of the God of Islam. The name Allah originates from the pre-Islamic period. Morey (1992:217) claims that, according to archaeological evidence, Allah was the name of the moon god who was worshipped at the Ka'aba in Mecca in pre-Islamic times. Mecca is the holy city of Islam, which all Muslims must visit at least once in their lifetime. This compulsory pilgrimage to Mecca is called the Hajj. (See also chapter 4: iv below for more information regarding this). For Morey, the fact that the name Allah was known in pre-Islamic times, answers questions such as: Why is Allah never defined in the Quran? And why did Mohammed assume that the pagan Arabs already knew who Allah was?

Mohammed (Muhammad)

Mohammed is the founder of Islam, revered in Islam as the last true prophet sent by God (Allah) to the world, and the greatest of all prophets. They also claim that the Quran is the final and complete revelation of God, whom they call Allah. Mohammed himself made these claims in the Quran. Mohammed refers to himself as “honoured apostle” in Surah 69:40 of the Quran. (When portions from the Quran are quoted, they will be referred to as ‘Surah’, followed by the chapter and verse numbers for example Surah 7:157 or 51:52).

Mohammed and the Quran

Islam claims that the Quran is a word-for-word revelation by the angel Gabriel to Mohammed [571(570)-632 AD sources vary on the year of his birth].

Mohammed received his first revelation in 610 AD by way of a vision while in a trance. He originally feared for his life and “greatly over-awed” did not know the origin of the experience. His wife, Khadija, consoled him and treated him for shock. She then took him to her cousin, Waraqa-b-Naufal, and they assured him that it was in fact the archangel Gabriel, who also previously appeared to Moses. According to tradition, Mohammed then considered suicide by jumping off a cliff, but that the angel Gabriel prevented it by appearing to him and assuring him that he was the Apostle of Allah. Over the next 22 years, up to his death in 632 AD, he received revelations on a regular basis in different ways (Karim, 1998:( Vol.4):354-359).

The Quran consists of these visions of Mohammed. He was illiterate so he dictated them for other people to transcribe. Only after Mohammed’s death were the different parts of the Quran, that were written on various objects, from parchment to leaves and bones, collected and compiled to form what is now known as the Quran. Even in Muslim circles, there is disagreement about the composition, completeness, and contents of the Quran.

There are several denials in the Quran about whether Mohammed was insane or possessed.

Surah 52:29 reads: "By the grace of Allah thou art neither soothsayer nor madman." (Pickthall, 1997:381) "...nor are you one possessed" (Ali 2000:484) (See also Surah 37:35-36; 44:14; 51:52; 68:2 & 51; 81:22).

These denials must at least mean that Mohammed was perceived as, or accused of, being one possessed or insane, by some of his contemporaries. This was probably because he was often, when receiving his revelations, in a trance. According to Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:22:79(Vol.4):360), Aisha (also spelled Ayesha, Mohammed's favourite wife) said:

"I saw him while the revelation descended upon him on an intensely cold day; then it left him while his brow steamed with sweat."

In (Karim, 1998:22:80(Vol.4):360) the same page, Obadah-b-Swamet said:

"...when a revelation came unto the Prophet, he used to become greatly perturbed and his face became changed. ...He nodded his head and his companions also nodded their heads. When revelation came to an end, he raised up his head."

The Hadith

The ‘Hadith’ (also known as Hadis) contains, next to the Quran, the most important writings upon which Islam as a religion, was founded. Recorded by people who lived close to him, it is a collection of the sayings, actions, and customs of Mohammed.

An established fact is that the Quran is the most important book in Islam, but the Hadith however, cannot be ignored. There is a difference of opinion among Muslims on the authority and value of the Hadith in the life of a Muslim. It is, however, very important, because its authority was determined by Allah himself in the Quran. In the Quran, Allah commands that Mohammed is always obeyed. In Surahs 3:32; 4:59; 8:20 & 46; 24:52; 47:33; 64:12 Muslims are instructed:

“...obey Allah and His Apostle (Mohammed)”

This is evidently the reason why Mohammed’s traditions and the things he said (recorded in the Hadith) are also compulsory (Sunnah: that is to be followed) for the Muslim. The command is directly from Allah. He also puts it clearly in Surah 4:80:

“He, who obeys the Apostle (Mohammed), obeys Allah” (Ali, 2000:71).

The Al-Hadis is an English Translation and Commentary of MISHKAT–UL–MASABIH published by Islamic Book Service, New Delhi 1998, compiled by Al-Haj Maulana Fazlul Karim. The compiler says in his introduction (Karim, 1998(Vol.1):3):

“Indeed the Quran minus Hadis remains unintelligible in many cases in the work-a-day life of a man”

and further on:

“Therefore, if the Quran is believed, there is no other alternative but to believe in the Hadis of the Prophet (Mohammad).”

He also says (Karim, 1998(Vol.1):154):

“The... Quran... and the Hadis of the Holy Prophet shall be the foremost books in guiding the life of a true Muslim.”

The importance of the Hadith for the Muslim is also illustrated in Karim’s (1998(Vol.3):122) words:

“Hence the observation of the rules of the Quran and Hadis is compulsory for preservation of the soul from fire and for its continued progress.”

Except for the above compilation of the Hadith, hereinafter referred to as Al-Hadis, the English translation by Dr. Muhammad Mushin Khan of Sahih Al-Bukhari’s compilation of the Hadith is also used. It is entitled, The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, published by Khitab Bhavan, New Delhi, 1987. This compilation is hereinafter referred to as Al-Bukhari, and cited as (Khan, 1987: followed by the number, volume number: and page number).

From the Hadith the ‘Sunnah’ or ‘Sunna’ is determined. Sunnah means something that must be followed, and can, therefore, be understood to mean ’law’. The literal meaning of Sunna is ‘path’, as opposed to Shariah or Shariat, which is the religious law of Islam. Sunna was developed from the teachings, sayings, and traditions of Mohammed that are found in the Hadith. It is defined by Al-Bukhari (Khan, 1987(Vol.1):Lxxxi) as:

“All the traditions and practices of the Prophet that have become as models to be followed by the Muslims.”

It is, therefore, the guideline for every Muslim to live by. All instructions from the Hadith quoted here can, therefore, be understood as a 'law' for every Muslim, which he is supposed to obey, the path he must walk on, or the road he must travel. According to the important writings in Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:1:59(Vol.1):135), the prophet Mohammed said:

“A Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands other Muslims are safe.”

It is obvious that this is not true, because there is more than enough evidence of war and fighting between Muslims. There was, for example, the war in the 1980s between Iran and Iraq. Recently, Muslims were at war against each other in Afghanistan (North against South) where they were killing one another. Another example of Muslims killing each other is the so-called Arabic spring, which started in Egypt and followed in Libya and Syria. Even if it is true that Muslims are safe from the tongue and hands of other Muslims, what can be derived from what Mohammed said? Are non-Muslims not safe from the tongue and hands of a Muslim? If a Muslim is, contrary to what Mohammed said, not safe from the tongue and hands of another Muslim, how safe is a non-Muslim? This question can also be posed in view of the following quotation from the Hadith (Karim, 1998:1:73(Vol.1)144), according to which the Prophet said:

“A party of my people shall not cease to fight for truth (Islam) overcoming those who will oppose them”

Pronouncements like these, which are in agreement with the message of the Quran, give reason for uneasiness among non-Muslims.

The Five Principles (Pillars) of Islam

The Islamic faith rests on five principles, which are also known as the five pillars of Islam. According to Al-Bukhari (Khan, 1987(Vol.1):17), these principles are:

1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Mohammed is Allah's messenger.
2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity).
4. To perform Hajj (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca).
5. To observe the fast during the month of Ramadan.

There are specific prescriptions for the fulfilment and meaning of each of these principles (pillars). These will not, however, be discussed in this book; suffice to mention that every Muslim is expected to faithfully obey all these prescriptions.

The questions to be answered are: Is Allah a God of love; and if so, is Allah of the Quran, and Yahweh of the Bible one and the same God? Islam’s holy books, the Quran and the Hadith, will subsequently be perused in search of Allah’s pronouncements concerning love. This will determine whether he is a God of love. When compared with what Yahweh, God of the Bible, says about love, this should assist in bringing about clarity on the question of whether Allah of the Quran and the God of the Bible are the same God.