Misconception #1: Muslims worship a different God
First of all, there is only One God who created the Universe and all of mankind.
Throughout history, people have created false gods in their minds and come up with false
ideas about Almighty God, but regardless of this there is still only One True God - and He
alone is worthy of worship. Unfortunately, some non-Muslims have come to incorrectly
believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jews and Christians. This might be due
to the fact that Muslims sometimes refer to God as "Allah", but also
because over the centuries there have been many lies and distortions spread by the enemies
of Islam. In actuality, Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus --- the
same God as Christians and Jews. The word "Allah" is simply the Arabic
word for Almighty God and it is the same word that Arabic speaking Christians and Jews use
to refer to God. If you pick up an Arabic translation of the Christian Bible, you will see
the word "Allah" where "God" is used in English. For more
information on the word "Allah", please read: Who
is Allah? But even though Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in the same
God, their concepts about Him differ quite a bit. For example, Muslims reject the idea of
the Trinity or that God has become "incarnate" in the world. Also, the
teachings of Islam do not rely on or appeal to "mystery" or "paradox"
--- they are straightforward and clear. Islam teaches that God is Merciful, Loving and
Compassionate and that He has no need to become man (nor do humans need for Him to). One
of the unique aspects of Islam is that it teaches that man can have a personal and
fulfilling relationship with Almighty God without compromising the transcendence of God.
In Islam there is no ambiguity in Divinity --- God is God and man is man. Muslims believe
that God is the "Most Merciful", and that he deals directly with
human-beings without the need of any intermediary. Actually, the phrase "In the
Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful" is one of the most repeated verses
in the Holy Qur'an. Additionally, the pure and straightforward teachings of Islam demand
that Almighty God be approached directly and without intermediaries. This is because
Muslims believe that God is completely in control of everything and that He can bestow His
Grace and Mercy on His creatures as He pleases - no Atonement, Incarnation or blood
sacrifice is necessary. In summary, Islam calls people to submit to the One True God and
to worship Him alone.
Misconception #2: Muslims worship Muhammad
According to Islamic belief, the Prophet Muhammad was the last Messenger of God. He,
like all of God's prophets and messengers - such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus -- was
only a human being. Christians came to the mistaken assumption that Muslims worship
Muhammad by formulating an incorrect analogy - they worship Jesus so they assumed Muslims
worship Muhammad. This is one of the reasons that they called Muslims by the incorrect
name "Mohammedans" for so many years! Muhammad, like Jesus, never claimed
divine status. He called people to worship only Almighty God, and he continually
emphasized his humanity so that people would not fall into the same errors as Christians
did in regards to Jesus. In order to prevent his deification, the Prophet Muhammad always
said to refer to him as "the Messenger of God and His slave". Muhammad
was chosen to be God's final messenger --- to communicate the message not only in words
but to be a living example of the message. Muslims love and respect him because he was of
the highest moral character and he brought the Truth from God - which is the Pure
Monotheism of Islam. Even when Islam was in its very early stages, God revealed that
Muhammad "was sent as a mercy to all of mankind" - thus informing us that
the message of Islam would become very widespread. Muslims strive to follow the great
example of Muhammad, peace be upon him, but they do not worship him in any way.
Additionally, Islam teaches Muslims to respect all of God's prophets and messengers - but
respecting and loving them does not mean worshipping them. All true Muslims realize that
all worship and prayer must be directed to Almighty God alone. Suffice it to say that
worshipping Muhammad --- or anyone else --- along with Almighty God is considered to be
the worst sin in Islam. Even if a person claims to be Muslim, but they worship and pray to
other than Almighty God, this cancels and nullifies their Islam. The Declaration of
Faith of Islam makes it clear that Muslims are taught only to worship God. This
declaration is as follows: "There is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped
except for Almighty God, and Muhammad is the Messenger and Servant of God".
Misconception #3: Islam is a religion only for Arabs
The fastest way to prove that this is completely false is to state the fact that only
about 15% to 20% of the Muslims in the world are Arabs. There are more Indian Muslims than
Arab Muslims, and more Indonesian Muslims than Indian Muslims! Believing that Islam is
only a religion for Arabs is a myth that was spread by the enemies of Islam early in its
history. This mistaken assumption is possibly based on the fact that most of the first
generation of Muslims were Arabs, the Qur'an is in Arabic and the Prophet Muhammad was an
Arab. However, both the teachings of Islam and the history of its spread show that the
early Muslims made every effort to spread their message of Truth to all nations, races and
peoples. Furthermore, it should be clarified that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all
Muslims are Arabs. An Arab can be a Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist - or of any other
religion or ideology. Also, many countries that some people consider to be "Arab"
are not "Arab" at all -- such as Turkey and Iran (Persia). The people who
live in these countries speak languages other than Arabic as their native tongues and are
of a different ethnic heritage than the Arabs. It is important to realize that from the
very beginning of the mission of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, his followers came
from a wide spectrum of individuals -- there was Bilal, the African slave; Suhaib, the
Byzantine Roman; Ibn Sailam, the Jewish Rabbi; and Salman, the Persian. Since religious
truth is eternal and unchanging, and mankind is one universal brotherhood, Islam teaches
that Almighty God's revelations to mankind have always been consistent, clear and
universal. The Truth of Islam is meant for all people regardless of race, nationality or
linguistic background. Taking a look at the Muslim World, from Nigeria to Bosnia and from
Malaysia to Afghanistan is enough to prove that Islam is a Universal message for all of
mankind --- not to mention the fact that significant numbers of Europeans and Americans of
all races and ethnic backgrounds are coming into Islam.
Misconception #4: Islam degrades women
Even though many aspects of Islam are misunderstood by non-Muslims, the ignorance,
misinformation and incorrect assumptions that are made in regards to Islam's treatment of
women are probably the most severe. Numerous verses of the Qur'an make it clear that men
and women are equal in the site of God. According to the teachings of Islam, the only
thing that distinguishes people in the site of God is their level of God-consciousness.
Due to this, many people are surprised to find out that Islamic Law guaranteed rights to
women over 1400 years ago that women in the Europe and America only obtained recently. For
example, Islam clearly teaches that a woman is a full-person under the law, and is the
spiritual equal of a male. Also, according to Islamic Law, women have the right to own
property, operate a business and receive equal pay for equal work. Women are allowed total
control of their wealth, they cannot be married against their will and they are allowed to
keep their own name when married. Additionally, they have the right to inherit property
and to have their marriage dissolved in the case of neglect or mistreatment. Also, Islam
does not consider woman an "evil temptress", and thus does not blame
woman for the "original sin". Women in Islam participate in all forms of
worship that men participate in. Actually, the rights that Islam gave to women over 1400
years ago were almost unheard of in the West until the 1900s. Less than fifty years ago in
England and America, a woman could not buy a house or car without the co-signature of her
father or husband! Additionally, Islam gives great respect to women and their role in
society --- it gives them the right to own property, marry who they want and many other
rights. Also, it should be mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad's mission stopped many of
the horrible practices in regards to women that were present in the society of his time.
For example, the Qur'an put an end to the pagan Arab practice of killing their baby
daughters when they were born. Additionally, Islam put restrictions on the unrestricted
polygamy of the Arabs of the time, and put many laws in place to protect the well-being of
women. Today, most of the so-called reforms in the status of women came about after the
West abandoned religion for secularism. Even those in the West who claim to follow the
so-called "Judaeo-Christian tradition" really follow the values of
Western liberalism --- but just to a lesser degree than their more liberal countrymen. For
more on this subject, please read: Women in Islam versus Women in
the Judaeo-Christian Tradition --- The Myth and The Reality. If women in the
Muslim World today don't have their rights, it is not because Islam did not give
them to them. The problem is that in many places alien traditions have come to overshadow
the teachings of Islam, either through ignorance or the impact of Colonialization.
Misconception #5: Muhammad wrote the Qur'an
In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to not that no other religious
scripture claims to the direct word of Almighty in toto as clear and as often as
the Holy Qur'an. As the Qu'ran clearly says: "if had been written by man, you
would have found many discrepancies therein". At the time the Qur'an was
revealed, the Arabs recognized that the language of the Qur'an was unique and that it was
distinctly different from the language normally used by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be
upon him. The Arabs of that time, by the way, were known for their beautiful poetry and
Muhammad was known to be an illiterate man! The Qur'an clearly says that Muhammad was
unable to read and write, so if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries would have
protested and rejected him. However, there are no reports of this. Certainly there were
people who rejected Muhammad's message, just like other prophets were rejected, but none
for this reason. On the contrary, Muhammad, peace be upon him, had thousands of loyal
followers and the results of their efforts spread Islam from Spain to China in just over a
century! It is also interesting to note that even though the Qu'ran is not poetry, the
Arabs more or less gave up writing poetry after it was revealed. It could be said that the
Qur'an is the piece of Arabic literature par execellance - and Muhammad's
contemporaries realized that they couldn't out do it. Additionally, it is easy to prove
that Muhammad did not possess a great deal of the knowledge which is expounded in the
Qur'an: such as knowledge of historical events, previous prophets and natural phenomenon.
The Qur'an says in several places that Muhammad and his people did not know these things -
so, again, if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries would have rejected his
claims. Suffice it to say that not only is the Qu'ran the most memorized and well
preserved scripture on earth, it is also unequaled in eloquence, spirtual impact, clarity
of message and the purity of its truth.
Misconception #6: Islam was spread by the sword
Many non-Muslims, when they think about Islam, picture religious fanatics on camels
with a sword in one hand and a Qur'an in the other. This myth, which was made popular in
Europe during the Crusades, is totally baseless. First of all, the Holy Qur'an clearly
says "Let there be no compulsion in religion". In addition to this, Islam
teaches that a person's faith must be pure and sincere, so it is certainly not something
that can be forced on someone. In debunking the myth that Islam was "spread by the
sword", the (non-Muslim) historian De Lacy O' Leary wrote: "History makes
it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and
forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most
fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever accepted." (Islam at
the Crossroads, London, 1923, p. 8.). It should also be known that Muslims ruled
Spain for roughly 800 years. During this time, and up to when they were finally forced
out, the non-Muslims there were alive and flourishing. Additionally, Christian and Jewish
minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries
such as Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan all have Christian and/or
Jewish populations. If Islam taught that all people are supposed to be killed or forced to
become Muslims, how did all of these non-Muslims survive for so long in the middle of the
Islamic Empire? Additionally, if one considers the small number of Muslims who initially
spread Islam from Spain and Morocco in the West to India and China in the East, one would
realize that they were far too few to force people to be members of a religion against
their will. Additionally, the great empire and civilization established by the Muslims had
great staying power -- its citizens were proud to be part of it. The spread of Islam
stands in contrast to the actions of the followers of Christianity, who since the time of
the Emperor Constantine have made liberal use of the sword - often basing their conduct on
Biblical verses. This was especially true of the colonization of South America and Africa,
where native peoples were systematically wiped-out or forced to convert. It is also
interesting to note that when the Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the
Islamic Empire, instead of destroying the religion, they adopted it. This is a unique
occurrence in history - the conquerors adopting the religion of the conquered! Since they
were the victors, they certainly could not have been forced to become Muslims! Ask any of
the over one billion Muslims alive in the world today whether they were forced! The
largest Muslim country in the world today is Indonesia --- and there were never any
battles fought there! So where was the sword? How could someone be forced to adhere to a
spiritually rewarding and demanding religion like Islam?
Misconception #7: Muslims hate Jesus
Many non-Muslims are surprised to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus, the
son of Mary, is one of the greatest messengers of God. Muslims are taught to love Jesus,
and a person cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth and miracles of
Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. Muslims believe these things about Jesus not because of
the Bible or any other religion, but simply because the Holy Qur'an says these things
about him. However, Muslims always emphasize that the miracles of Jesus, and all other
prophets, were by "God's permission". This having been said, many Christians
feel to not believe that Jesus is the "Son of God", "God
Incarnate" or the "Third Person" of the Trinity. This is because
the Qur'an clearly says that Almighty God does not have a "Son" ---
neither allegorically, physically, metaphorically or metaphysically. The Pure Monotheism
of Islam rejects the notion of "defining" God (which is basically what
the "Doctrine of the Trinity" does), saying that someone is "like"
God or equal to him, or praying to someone else besides God. Also, Islam teaches that
titles such as "Lord" and "Savior" are due to God alone.
In order to avoid misunderstanding, it should be clarified that when Muslims criticize the
Bible or the teachings of Christianity, they are not attacking "God's Word"
or Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. From the Muslim point of view, they are defending
Jesus and God's Word --- which they have in the form of the Qur'an. Muslim criticism is
targeted at writings that some people claim are God's word, but Muslim's simply
don't accept their claim that they are really God's word in toto.
Additionally, Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the Atonement are criticized by
Muslims precisely because they did not originate from Jesus, peace be upon him. In this
way, Muslims are the true followers of Jesus, peace be upon him, because they defend him
from the exaggerations of the Christians and teach the Pure Monotheism that Jesus himself
followed.
Misconception #8: Islam is fatalistic
Most Muslims find it rather odd that their religion, which strikes a beautiful balance
between faith and action, could be accused of being "fatalistic". Perhaps
this misconception came about because Muslims are taught to say "Praise be to
God!" whenever anything good or bad happens. This is because Muslims know that
everything comes from Almighty God, who is the All-Knowing Sustainer of the Universe, and
that since a Muslim should rely completely on God, whatever happened must have been for
the better. However, this does not mean that Muslims are not taught to take action in life
--- just the opposite is true. Islam requires not only faith, but action --- such as
regular prayer, fasting and charity. To be more precise, in Islam actions are part of
one's faith. Islam total rejects the extreme beliefs of some religions that teach that you
shouldn't go to a doctor when sick, but only pray for God to heal you. Islam's outlook is
very positive, since it teaches that human beings can take positive action in this life.
This was certainly what was taught by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to his
followers --- since they obviously took the action of spreading Islam from Spain to
Morocco in a very short period of time. Even though Islam teaches that God knows what
human beings will do before they do it, human beings still have free will. Certainly God,
who is All-Knowing and All-Wise, knows what is going to happen to everyone before it
happens -- to deny this would be a denial of God Himself. However, if human-beings did not
have free will, it would be ridiculous and un-just for God to demand that they do certain
things and believe certain things. Far from being "fatalistic", Islam
teaches that a human-being's main purpose in life is to be God-conscious. Due to this,
Muslims worry less about material matters and view their earthly life in a proper
perspective. This is due to the fact that Islam clearly teaches that if people worship and
depend on Almighty God alone, then they have nothing to worry about - since God wants what
is best for them. True freedom, from the Islamic perspective, does not mean aimlessly
following all of your human desires for food, drink, wealth and sex. On the contrary,
freedom means being able to control one's base desires and fulfilling them in a proper and
legal way. This brings one's desires in tune with what God wants for us --- only then is a
person truly free!
Misconception #9: The Islamic Threat
In recent years, a great deal of attention in the media have been given to the threat
of "Islamic Fundamentalism". Unfortunately, due to a twisted mixture of
biased reporting in the Western media and the actions of some ignorant Muslims, the word "Islam"
has become almost synonymous with "terrorism". However, when one analyzes
the situation, the question that should come to mind is: Do the teachings of Islam
encourage terrorism? The answer: Certainly not! Islam totally forbids the terrorist acts
that are carried out by some misguided people. It should be remembered that all religions
have cults and misguided followers, so it is their teachings that should be looked at, not
the actions of a few individuals. Unfortunately, in the media, whenever a Muslim commits a
heinous act, he is labeled a "Muslim terrorist". However, when Serbs
murder and rape innocent women in Bosnia, they are not called "Christian
terrorists", nor are the activities in Northern Ireland labeled "Christian
terrorism". Also, when right-wing Christians in the U. S. bomb abortion clinics,
they are not called "Christian terrorists". Reflecting on these facts,
one could certainly conclude that there is a double-standard in the media! Although
religious feelings play a significant role in the previously mentioned "Christian"
conflicts, the media does not apply religious labels because they assume that such
barbarous acts have nothing to do with the teachings of Christianity. However, when
something happens involving a Muslim, they often try to put the blame on Islam itself --
and not the misguided individual. Certainly, Islamic Law allows war --- any religion or
civilization that did not would never survive --- but it certainly does not condone
attacks against innocent people, women or children. The Arabic word "jihad",
which is often translated as "Holy War", simply means "to
struggle". The word for "war" in Arabic is "harb",
not "jihad". "Struggling", i.e. "making
jihad", to defend Islam, Muslims or to liberate a land where Muslims are
oppressed is certainly allowed (and even encouraged) in Islam. However, any such
activities must be done according to the teachings of Islam. Islam also clearly forbids "taking
the law into your own hands", which means that individual Muslims cannot go
around deciding who they want to kill, punish or torture. Trial and punishment must be
carried out by a lawful authority and a knowledgeable judge. Also, when looking at events
in the Muslim World, it should be kept in mind that a long period of colonialism ended
fairly recently in most Muslim countries. During this time, the peoples in this countries
were culturally, materially and religiously exploited - mostly by the so-called "Christian"
nations of the West. This painful period has not really come to an end in many Muslim
countries, where people are still under the control of foreign powers or puppet regimes
supported by foreign powers. Also, through the media, people in the West are made to
believe that tyrants like Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Moamar Qaddafi in Libya are "Islamic"
leaders -- when just the opposite is true. Neither of these rulers even profess Islam as
an ideology, but only use Islamic slogans to manipulate their powerless populations. They
have about as much to do with Islam as Hitler had to do with Christianity! In reality,
many Middle Eastern regimes which people think of as being "Islamic"
oppress the practice of Islam in their countries. So suffice it to say that "terrorism"
and killing innocent people directly contradicts the teachings of Islam.
