I'm mostly interested in learning what Islam stands for. My mom thinks it's an evil religion (heck, she even called it a cult once) and I know that's not true, but I don't know enough about it to counter what she says. So I'm mostly interested in learning about what it promotes and what it stands for and stuff like that.
Before I get into anything, keep in mind that Allah is Arabic for, "The God." Therefore, if you see, "God," ever mentioned, assume I am referring to Allah. As a Jew, I'm not allowed to use my god's name, so I refer to him as Adonai.
Well, Islam is certainly a religion of peace. People love to take verses of the Qur'an (the Muslim holy text) out of context. There are about 117 references to Allah's love for man, and only about 19 that mentions his wrath. I could probably name off the top of my head more instances of the Jewish or Christian god showing His wrath - the Great Flood, the Golden Calf, etc. I don't say that to take a shot at the god that I worship, but one has to understand that Allah is most certainly viewed as a loving god by the people who take the time to actually read the holy text.
"What Islam stands for," is an unfortunately very broad thing to request. Islam isn't as rigid as the modern Muslim fundamentalist would have you believe. Sikhism is a religion that is birthed from the mixture of Hinduism and Islam. These two religions could not be more different - polytheism v monotheism, reincarnation v afterlife, respectively - and yet Islam is malleable enough to do this. For this reason, it's entirely possible to practice how you would like. I would certainly compare it to Judaism in this respect. It's also why the religion is as widespread as it is.
See, the Five Pillars of Islam are as follows:
- Shahadah: declaring there is no god except God, and Muhammad is God's Messenger
- Salat: ritual prayer five times a day
- Zakat: giving 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor and needy
- Sawm: fasting and self-control during the holy month of Ramadan
- Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if one is able
These are the core tenets of Islam. While praying five times a day may seem difficult, keep in mind that I, as a Jew, am supposed to pray three times a day. I've also seen a number of Muslims pray, and it's honestly not a time-consuming ordeal. In fact, I saw a group of Muslim men and their sisters (who wore burqas) praying in Disney, and they were done after a few minutes.
The Hajj is more difficult for some, however. Throughout history, Muslims worldwide have been unable to afford the trip to Mecca, the holy city of Islam. However, for those who are able to go to Mecca are able to engage in a tradition older than the religion itself. The walking around of the Ka'aba (the shrine to Allah) seven times is a pagan tradition that Muhammad kept. Another tradition that I know of (sadly I don't know the Hajj very well) is the stoning of Satan as Muslims walk down the path Abraham did when Adonai commanded him to kill his son, Isaac. The stoning of Satan happens in three different places, and it is to symbolically relieve oneself of their temptations.
One remarkable thing about the Hajj is this: everyone who enters Mecca, man or woman, elderly or child, wears the same clothing. Socioeconomic status is struck down during this time to show that all men are made equal. Even the most wretched of beggars is alongside the most wealthy businessman in the eyes of Allah.
While many people love to say that Muslims treat women like absolute garbage, the Hajj is also a lot more accommodating to women. Towards the end of the Hajj, one must shave their head. However, women have the choice of cutting a single lock of hair off. I've always particularly liked this, as it doesn't force them to shave their heads like the men do.
On the topic of women: did you know that the Qur'an says that women should not be forced to wear a hijab, niqab, or burqa? That's right, every Muslim-run government that forces women to cover up is actually committing an act of haram (Muslim sin). People who believe that the common Muslim forces their sister, their daughter, and their mother to wear these religious garb are mistaken, as it goes against their holy book. I've also poked around the subreddit to women who wear the hijab, and many of them do it willingly. They find it liberating to not have men looking at them like a piece of meat, and thus prefer to wear it. But at the end of the day, it's as optional as me wearing a kippot is.
Now, I'm going to discuss next the philanthropic nature of Islam. As one of the Five Pillars mentioned, you have to donate 2.5% of your savings to the poor and needy. 2.5% isn't a lot of money, no, but it really adds up after a long time when you figure that every Muslim is giving that much away. Do keep in mind that 2.5% is the minimum, so it isn't out of the ordinary for someone to give more than that. I'm going to copy and paste something.
The World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists (WCMP), was formed to help Islamic donors and nonprofit groups and other Muslims around the globe to organize contributions to humanitarian causes. It estimates that Muslims contribute anywhere from $20 billion to $200 billion annually.
Things like this is evidence that Muslims are just as philanthropic as any Christian, any Jew, any Hindu, any Buddhist, or any other religion out there. They are not horrible people looking out for themselves, and are rather quite giving.
As far as your mother calling Islam a cult, I'm going to say this: Islam is exempt from taxes. That is the sign of a religious institution, as cults are required to pay taxes still. Another important trait is that most cults die once the founder passes away (See: David Koresh and the Branch Davidians). When Muhammad died, there was an immediate schism over who would be his successor. Had he been a cult leader, the movement would have fizzled away.
Next up I'll discuss the holy month of Ramadan. This is comparable to the Jews' Yom Kippur, except instead of a 24 hour period of fasting, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. This goes on for an entire lunar cycle (as the Muslim calendar is lunar). This is another one of the Five Pillars, and it's a time of reflection, as well as repenting for one's sins.
That's all I can think of right now. If you have any more questions, feel free to let me know.
