Violence in Quran?

It's very sad to hear and see many people spread their misunderstandings of Islam. It's like the game telephone/ gossip. One person whispers something to another and yet another and by the end of game the original phrase has been completely warped. The so-called 'experts' on Islam are no more experts than an illiterate person on how to read. Just because someone has lived in a certain area for a few years, or because they've read several books (except the one book that really counts, which is the Quran) doesn't mean they are qualified to be called or considered an expert on a religion they aren't following or practicing. I keep saying this over and over again, but it can't be said enough. Would you turn to an encyclopedia to learn about Christianity? Would you seek the guidance of a Christian to learn all about the religion of Buddhism? Why then, are people accepting what Christians, atheists and Jews are saying about Islam as accurate and true? Pick up a Quran and start reading all of it, not just a phrase here and there. Or click the link to the right to read the Quran online.

I will attempt to explain the actual meaning of a few verses of the Quran that are so often misquoted, misunderstood and taken out of context. I would prefer that you listen to this explanation by sheikh Yusuf Estes. It is about 40 minutes long. If one is going to make arguments and accusations against an entire religion, I would hope gathering facts would be an important first step. In the grand scheme of things, 40 minutes isn't very long. However I know a lot of you won't listen, so I will do my best, God willing, to explain.

Jihad is often understood to mean the killing of anyone not practicing Islam by muslims who do so in the name of Allah. As I've mentioned in previous blogs (please see my post, 'Food for Thought') there are many meanings of jihad and many types of jihad. The word itself means struggle. To take up arms and physically fight for the sake of Allah is just one example, yet this has rules and regulations that must be carefully followed to be acceptable. This word is often thrown around by media and by 'experts', yet is not common in the Quran and the two most popular verses that people use as an example of jihad don't even contain the word jihad in them.
Transliteration is the pronunciation of arabic written out as it sounds. If you click here you can see the verse written out in transliteration so you can see for yourself the word jihad is never mentioned.

Quran 9:36
Sahih International: (english translation)
Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].


These are other very popular verses which are misinterpreted. During the time of the Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, tribal leaders served as governmental officials, and controlled cities, towns, villages. In Islam, it is mandatory for all capable muslims to perform Hajj, which is a pilgrimage to the Kabaa in Mecca. After several years of attempting to make pilgrimage, the main tribe, Quraysh, would prohibit muslims from entering Mecca. Often times the pilgrims were robbed, some were killed, and others were taken captive as slaves. Allah forbade any pilgrims from retaliating and fighting. Finaly, after 12 years, Muhammad, pbuh, signed a treaty called Hudaybiyyah with the tribes allowing pilgrims to return to Mecca to perform their pilgrimage for 3 days. However, as the time got closer for the muslims to travel to Mecca, they began to worry that they would be turned away yet again. So Allah revealed these verses to Mohammad, pbuh, giving them permission to retaliate and fight ONLY if the Quraysh initiated. These verses refer to the Quraysh, not to Jews and Christians as is so often misquoted.

Quran 2:190-194
Sahih International: (verse 109)
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.
(verse 191)
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.
(verse 192)
And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
(verse 193)
Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors.
(verse 194)
[Fighting in] the sacred month is for [aggression committed in] the sacred month, and for [all] violations is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.

I'm sure you've heard that Islam is the religion of peace. Indeed this is true. Here are just a few examples of Allah ordering us all to be peaceful. Is it logical that there would be so many verses about peace, yet the religion itself would be violent? Not likely.

Quran 2:224
Sahih International:
And do not make [your oath by] Allah an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allah and making peace among people. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Quran 25:63
Sahih International:
And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

Quran 28:55
Sahih International:
And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, “For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you; we seek not the ignorant.”

Quran 49:11
Sahih International:
O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

Quran 29:46
Sahih International:
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture[Christians] except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.”

Doesn't sound very violent and horrific, does it? As you can see, the violence happening across the world isn't coming from Islam, or the Quran. It's coming from misguided people. I would hope none of us hold an entire religion, country, culture, etc. accountable for what a few people do. Hatred and violence is never acceptable, especially in Islam. As educated, sophisticated people, it's obvious you can't just cut and paste words, phrases, and verses from the Quran, or any book for that matter, and use it as an example of how people believe and live. Please don't add to the falsities. Speak of what you know, be silent of what you don't, and be careful of what you're unsure. On the day of judgement, not only will we be held accountable for our actions, but also for our words. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Salat (Prayer)

Not many people know or acknowledge the fact there are several verses in the Bible that correlate with the followings of Muslims in salat. Islam is a mere extention of Christianity, so not surprisingly, there are many examples of all the prophets practicing their religion the same way Muslims do today. (FYI: We as muslims believe all the prophets were muslims, including Jesus, because the word muslim simply means 'one who submits to the will of God.)

One of the main duties in Islam is salat, or as it's commonly refered, prayer. However, salat isn't just prayer, it's an act of worship. Muslims are called to prayer five times a day by the athan. The words of the athan are 'Allah/God is greatest(4x), I bear witness that there is no god but Allah/God(2x), I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah's/God's messenger(2x), come to salat(2x), come to salvation(2x), Allah/God is greatest(2x), there is no god except Allah/God(2x)' This is a short video of a journalist who traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where she was introduced to the athan. Here is another small video of the athan being called in Egypt.

During salat the women must dress modestly, wear hijab (headscarf), cover their arms, and wear a long, loose skirt. Men must wear loose clothing and long shirt to avoid exposing skin while prostrating. Both men and women do not wear shoes. In Exodus 3:5 Allah said to Musa (Moses) "Don't come any closer! Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy ground." Joshua 5:15 "The commander of the Lord's army replied, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so." Before each salat, Muslims make wudu or ablution. This is the process of using water to wash your hands, arms, face, mouth, and feet. In Exodus 40: 30-32 it says "He (Musa) placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses."

Muslims pray in different positions during salat as commanded in the Quran, and as examples are given in the Bible. We bow, pray on our knees, and prostrate. "Oh you who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves and serve your Lord, and do good that you may prosper." Quran 22:77 In Genesis 17:3 "Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again God spoke to him..." Genesis 17:17 "Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground..." Numbers 20:6 "Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them..." Daniel 6:10 "... Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks go his God..." Matthew 26:39 "He (Jesus) went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying..."

During this special time, we recite specific chapters and verses from the Quran, as well as seek forgiveness from Allah. Muslims perform salat in the direction of the Kabbah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (The Kaabah was built by Ibrahim and his son Ishmael.) Check out this link to see a very short video of people performing salat at the Kaabah. Salat is essential because it helps us remember and focus on what is most important in our lives: obedience, rememberence, and worship of Allah. This article explains well the importance of salat as well as it's purpose. More detail of salat can be found here.

Salat is important and must not be missed if at all possible, no matter where we are or what we are doing, as can be seen by these people in Cairo, Egypt during the revolution. After all, Allah has blessed us with so much, we must thank Him and remember Him often. Taking at least 10 minutes out of our day 5 times a day is the least we can do.

Below are pictures of Muslims all around the world performing salat.

Fundamentalist Muslim?

Almost everywhere you listen today you hear the very common phrase 'fundamentalist muslim.' I started wondering what exactly that means, and why is there always a huge negative connotation associated with those two words? The first place I turned to was the dictionary where I made a surprising discovery.
fundamental- serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying
fundamentalism- 1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a movement in American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming.
2.the beliefs held by those in this movement.
3.strict adherence to any setof basic ideas or principles
So at one time the word fundamentalism was associated with Christianity, and those who felt passionate about upholding the original religious teachings. Interesting that it's used now by people who favor, or follow Christianity as a way to negatively describe muslims.

I started thinking about the Prophets, peace be upon them, and realized something pretty powerful. All the Prophets were fundamentalists. Their main purpose in life was to submit to God's Will, not their peers' will. Abraham, (Ibrihim), peace be upon him, denounced the practice of idol worshiping when it was common and widely practiced among his people. Later, he proved his obediance to God again when he was willing to sacrifice his own son. Fundamentalist! Noah, peace be upon him, built the ark and waited about 350 years for the floods to come. Meanwhile he was ridiculed, outcast, and viewed as the most insane person. Yet he submitted to God's Will, and remained patient and faithful. As the floods came, he even left his son behind in order to obey God. Fundamentalist! Moses (Mousa), peace be upon him, challenged one of the most powerful rulers (pharoah) in order to follow God's Will. He endured many obsticles and challenges. Leaving his hometown and leading an entire population through the desert to safety wasn't easy, to put it lightly, and at any minute he could have thrown his hands up and said 'I give up.' Yet he remained faithful and obedient. Fundamentalist! Jesus (Isa), peace be upon him, was outcast by the very group of people he was sent to guide. The Jews denounced him and plotted against him. However, his goal was to follow God's Will. He was even willing to sacrifice his body as a sign of dedication to God. Fundamentalist! Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was teaching peace while people were plotting to kill him, throwing trash on his back as he was praying, leaving garbage on his doorstep. He spoke God's words proudly, and did not hesitate even when what was being said was very unpopular. Fundamentalist!

These 'fundamental muslims' are only people that strive to live their lives submitting to God's Will and obeying God. Anyone who follows a belief without the concern of the opinions of others around them could be described as a fundamentalist.

So what's all the fuss about? Why verbaly prosecute people whose only goal is to obey and submit to God? Take a look at present day western society. It's all about self-satisfaction and putting your needs before anyone else's. It's become a selfish, self-serving, materialistic era. Happiness depends on what you have and keeping up with and outdoing those around you. You have money and power? Then obviously you're the happiest person on earth. Yet if you ask those who have the money and power if they're happy, and they answer you honestly, the majority would say no. Why? Because materialistic things come and go. Everything materialistic has a shelf-life. Clothes, cars, video games, computers, etc. all may be 'in' for a while, but eventualy something better comes along. So it's a never-ending cycle of getting and replacing. The satisfaction or happiness that comes from owning these things is temporary. There's always going to be something out there better than what you have. People who do not place their happiness on consumerism are a threat and a danger, both financialy and ideologicaly.

Muslims believe it's ok to have nice things, but it's not important. What IS important is learning your religion, living your life in a pleasing way to God, submitting your life to God, and obeying Him. These 'fundamental muslims' are living this way. They seek what's good and best not only for themselves, but for those around them. They are selfless and generous, asking themselves 'Do I really need a new pair of shoes or would my money be put to a better use? Is it more important that I upgrade to the latest model of phone, or that I help my neighbor get new tires for his car? Or help my family member pay a bill.' The 'modern Islam' that's also becoming a popular phrase is a mixture of western culture and Islamic teachings. They take what they like from culture and combine it with what they like from the religion. In the process, compromises are being made. God didn't say anywhere in the Quran that what was good and right for the people during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was eventually going to become outdated and no longer applicable for generations to come. Instead He said "...This day, those who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion, so fear them not, but fear Me. This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam (total submission to God) as your religion. ..." Quran 5:3 A perfect religion never expires or needs modified or adapted.

Islam teaches balance. It's more than ok to have nice things, to have fun, etc. But to place your happiness on possesions is not good. Islam teaches the value of the afterlife. This life on earth is temporary and wasting it on materialism is unacceptable. Instead, it's prefered to seek what's most beneficial not only in this life, but the hereafter... God's pleasure in you. If you sincerely do something pleasing to God, then in return He will reward you on the Day of Judgement.

Being a fundamentalist shouldn't be considered a horrible thing. In fact, when you consider all the great prophets, peace be upon them, it should be an honor. So next time you hear the phrase 'fundamental muslims' please turn off the tv or radio, close the paper or magazine, or correct the person saying it. There's nothing wrong with following your beliefs especially if it's not popular. God is above all else, and He is the One we will answer to in the end. I would hope that everyone sees the significance in submitting to God's Will, and not to their peer's will. Perhaps what the world needs is a few more 'fundamentalists.'

The Beauty of Polygyny

Some may see the words beauty and polygyny together in the same sentence and think this is an oxymoron, but I disagree. I'm going to attempt to explain the wisdom and benefits behind polygyny. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, but there are enough examples and stories of the negative aspects. I'm just sticking with the positive. (Just a quick reminder... polygyny isn't something new that Islam started. Many people in the Bible practiced it such as Solomon, David, even Abraham, as well as many others.)

First of all, as I've explained in previous posts, women in Islam are to be valued and cherished above all others. Narrated by Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet, pbuh, said: ‘Among the Muslims the most perfect, as regards his faith, is the one whose character is excellent, and the best among you are those who treat their wives well.’ Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 628 Women have rights over the men in their family which is to have shelter, food, clothing, and protection, as well as to be respected and treated kindly and fairly. This is the duty of her father, brother, uncles, grandfathers and then once she is married, her husband. This needs to be understood very well before going on to the topic of co-wives.

Allah revealed in the Quran the approval to marry up to four women at one time. However, He made it very clear that if it's not possible to provide for them fairly and justly, then only one is permissible. "If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then only one." Quran 4:3 There are many reasons and benefits to this. Here are just a few.

The obvious is in times of war when the women population is much greater than the men. Let's use a very popular location for example... Iraq or Syria. Think of all the men who have been killed. What is to happen to their wives? They have children to raise. Also, what is to happen to the young, unmarried women? Many young men have died leaving a major void in their communities. Any men that survived would benefit their society by taking another wife. The situation is becoming widespread as many countries are going through revolutions and the men are being killed. By marrying another wife, he takes responsibility to care and provide for those who would otherwise be unable to marry.

A lot of people at this point say, 'Why can't the women just get jobs?' This is predominately a western way of thinking. To many societies, women DO NOT work. This just isn't even an option for them. A 10 year old son would be considered more likely and obligated to become the provider for the family than the mother. This then creates a whole new set of issues. The boy places importance to earn money over an education. Poverty can also become a problem because the sole provider for the household is no longer there. Polygyny can help protect a community from a decline in educational and increase in poverty.

The need for polygyny isn't just in cases of war or civil unrest. Look at the western societies where homosexuality is becoming more prevalent. This, along with men who are in jail, and men who aren't willing to take the responsibility of settling down to marriage, makes the population of women higher then men. It's in a woman's nature to want to be cared for financially, physically and emotionally. Polygyny takes away the girlfriends, mistresses, and illegitimate children, and replaces it with a home consisting of two parents, and a present father, and a man who isn't sneaking around. The alternative for the woman is what? Staying celibate? Becoming a girlfriend or mistress? Or even worse, practicing homosexuality?

In Islam there is something called athar which is to want for someone something you love for yourself. For example, if you have a necklace, book, or dress that you love, and your friend sees it and loves it too, you give it to her because you want for her what you want for yourself. Not that a husband is an object to be shared... but of course when you are sincere and love your fellow sisters, you want the best for them in this life. If Allah has blessed you with a righteous husband, and he has the means to provide for more than one household, why not encourage him to marry and benefit another woman? It's like saying 'Yes, of course I wish you the best husband, and the best home life... just not with my husband.' To me, there's nothing more beautiful than accepting a co-wife for the sake of Allah.

There are regulations to having a co-wife. The man must provide for each, and fairly. He can't have one wife in a mansion while the other is living in the slums. Also, it's only acceptable to marry more than one women when it's for the sake of Allah, to help her, to benefit her, and not for personal benefit. It's a popular misconception that men with co-wives do it for purely physical reasons. Think about it; he is taking on a whole other household. Adding more responsibility, more bills, more in-laws, more children, etc. If anything, it's more of a benefit for the woman than the man.

Not everyone is capable of having a co-wife, or being a co-wife. Allah is the creator of each of us, and He is All-Knowing. In His wisdom He made it lawful for men to have more than one wife. Although we may not understand, we must be very careful not to question Allah's will. Instead, we should be striving to be more obedient and subservient to Him, and to gain more knowledge.

Please take 7 minutes to watch this link about polygyny. Also, if you have any questions please email askwomen99@yahoo.com