ISLAM

A Discussion with Serene.

Intense_Female  (Original Message) Sent: 11/18/2001 12:54 AM
I've somehow baited Serene into giving us some info on the Koran and
on Islam.  But she's requested questions.  So guys... ask away.
 
Intense_Female Sent: 11/18/2001 1:03 AM
Do Muslims believe in heaven and hell?  What about reincarnation? 
What are the sins?  What is the penalty for those sins?  How is Allah
associated to Jesus (I've heard they were sorta related)?  Can you tell us
about the two biggest religious holidays and what they're about?
 
Guys......... your turn.
 
From: Serene Sent: 11/18/2001 3:14 AM
(baited *me* Intense Female-- I'm afraid you'll soon find out that it's
the other way around!! LOL)

Hello Intense Female-- and everyone else who joins this thread:

As I've revealed to her in an earlier message, I'm a lay Muslim, who will
try to answer any general questions that you have about my religion in
general, to the best of my knowledge. However, I would like to
emphasize that all of my explanations here, as well as the thoughts that I
share with you are strictly mine, and no one else's. It certainly does not
represent Islam as a whole, or its practicers. As I have explained to
Intense Female in another thread ("somewhat urgent-- any
suggestions") Islam is a religion that does not have a hierarchical clergy.
Or, clergy of any sort in the ordinary Christian sense (Shi'ites, which
are a group of people mostly comprised of today's Iran, however, are
somewhat of an exception, which I can explain in more detail, if
someone asks). Therefore, everyone who practices Islam has a potential
to be 'correct' in a matter, as long as they have some general
information about it (in the Islamic sense, of course).

I suggest that (although it was originally related to something
completely different) you check the other thread that I've already
mentioned above to get a clearer idea of the caveats that I make here.

Now, after all this dry stuff, let's go back to Intense's questions:

1) Do Muslims believe in Heaven and Hell?
Yes, they do. They also believe in a place in between, where the believers
who have sinned will go through a repentance process to enter the
heaven in the long run.

2) Reincarnation-- do Muslims believe in that?
In the orthodox sense, no. As in (at least the orthodox interpretations of)
Judaism and Christianity, Muslims believe that they are sent to this
world once, and later, there is the eternal life on the 'other' side.

In recent years, I have come across some theologians who claim that
reincarnation might actually be mentioned in the Koran, the holy book
of Muslims. Their numbers (these theologians) are rare, though, and as
a lay person, I have not read it myself. However, let me underline here
that I am not an Arabic speaker, and Koran was revealed in Arabic (a
different form of Arabic than the one used today--hence the endless
discussions on its interpretation), so experts may find things that I can
easily miss in translations.

3) Sins�?Well, there are some capital sins, and then there are sins that
are bad, but won't prove fatal.

Acknowledging any other deity than Allah (means the one and only
God), for instance, is considered as a capital sin, which if one dies with
it, will certainly get him/her into trouble in the next world. However,
one good thing about Islam is that an individual always and I mean
*always* has the chance to repent--even in his/her last breath. He/She
would still be forgiven, it is said.

Also, there are other sins. For instance, Muslims don't eat pork, or any
pig products (lard and etc.), they don't eat an already dead animal's
flesh-- called carrion I believe, they don't drink any alcoholic drinks.
Gambling is forbidden, as well as fornication, and usury. Smoking is
prohibited, but not frowned on as much as these other things that I've
given above.

What happens if you eat pork, or drink alcohol?
Well, it means that you've done something that was forbidden.
However, nowhere in Koran does it write that "if you eat pork/drink
wine forget about heaven." In fact, if you read Koran in its normal
sequel, you'd find that some of the restrictions, such as drinking
appears gradually, rather than all of a sudden.

There is one sin, however, that is most remarkable: Koran says that
God can forgive every conceivable sins of human beings as long as they
repent them. However, those sins that they commit against their
brethren (other humans) cannot be forgiven, since the injured people
have to forgive the ones who had hurt them first.. This sin-- I mean,
doing wrong to someone, and gaining his/her agony and frustration
against yourself, is a category unto itself, far above and more serious
than the ones that I've mentioned above (except for the rule of
acknowledging the Oneness of God, probably).
 

 Taking care of orphans are particularly mentioned in this framework in
Koran. It is said that, the sins that are committed against the orphans
(such as abusing them, or snatching the property that is originally
allotted to them) are capital, and are not to be forgiven.

Penalty for sins... In many parts of the Koran, hellfire is mentioned. I
personally believe that this may have to do with the society in which
Koran was revealed in the first place. Imagine the Arabian Peninsula--
not one of the coolest spots on the planet, huh? What would the people
living there dread the most, do you think? I bet the heat, which is
already pretty unbearable... So, I guess, hellfire makes a pretty good
candidate as a discouraging element-- to say the least-- to keep the
people from sinning.

However, does this really apply to today's conditions? I mean, what
does hellfire mean to an intellectual in this century? A severe bout of
depression that lasts for months can be far more scary for an individual
living today than hellfire. Therefore, I personally think that such images
are meant to be symbolic, rather than 'real.' I guess, each person's
personal hell would be unique to himself/herself�?/P>

I could go on this forever... but let's not make this boring...

4) What is the relationship between Jesus and Allah (God):
In Islam, Jesus is referred as the prophet who was sent to this world
before Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. He and Muhammad --as well
as a great majority of the prophets that are mentioned in Koran-- are
described as descendants of Abraham (Ibrahim).

Koran mentions Jesus in several places, and devotes a whole chapter on
Virgin Mary (Maryam): Although I am aware that it will be kind of
long and redundant, let me quote some parts of it to you (this can help
you to get an idea of the 'language' of Koran, too)

(From Yusuf Ali translation)
If you'd like to read the whole chapter (with different translations
juxtaposed to each other) I'd suggest that you visit:

www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran

Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her
family to place in the East/She placed a screen (to screen herself) from
them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man
in all respects./She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most
Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah./He said: "Nay, I am
only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy
son./She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched
me, and I am not unchaste?"/He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord Saith,
'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men
and a Mercy from Us': It is a matter (so) decreed./So she conceived him,
and she retired with him to a remote place./And the pains of childbirth
drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah!
Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing
forgotten and out of sight!"/But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the
(palm-tree): 'Grieve not! for Thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath
thee;/"And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let
fall fresh ripe dates upon thee./"So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye.
And if thou dost see any man, say 'I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most
Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human
being.'"/At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him
(in her arms). They said: 'O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou
brought!/"O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy
mother a woman unchaste!"/But she pointed to the babe. They said:
"How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"/He said: "I am
indeed a servant of Allah" He hath given me the Scripture and hath
appointed me a prophet,/"And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I
be, and hath enjoined me on Prayer and Charity as long as I live;/"(He)
hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or
miserable;/"So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die,
and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

So, as it is made clear here, Islam refers to Jesus as a human-- a miracle,
meant to indicate the power and glory of God, but not God himself.
Similarly, Islam rejects the idea of the 'Holy Spirit.' Angels are angels,
and prophets are prophets, but God (Allah) is underlined as the One
and Only (the Most Gracious and Merciful One). Ergo, God is
considered as the sole Judge of all living beings on the Judgment Day
(yes, Islam does acknowledge the presence of one).

5) Holidays: there are several of them. Two of the most important ones
are 1) the one right after the month of Ramadan to celebrate its end
(Arabs refer to it as Eid al Fitr, I think. We call it "The Holiday of
Candy" since it's traditional to eat and distribute candies during that
holiday-- in a way, like Halloween, without the scare part, I guess).. 2)
the holiday of Sacrifice : During this holiday, those Muslims who can
afford it are required to sacrifice an male animal with certain qualities (
I can detail them later, if you are curious) to God, as a reminiscence of
Abraham's sacrifice of Ishmael (Ismail) to God, and his exchange with a
ram.. The chief idea here, however, is to enable those who are poor to
get a type of food that is considered to be normally beyond their reach.
(Or at least, it was so during those times in those places). It is permitted
to let another person to do the actual act of sacrifice for you (thus the
faint of the heart-- most of us-- are spared from it)

In modern times, this practice is slowly --very slowly-- but perceptively
changing though.. Instead of animal sacrifice, people donate the same
amount of money that a , say, ram would cost to orphanages, or a poor
neighbor, and etc. In my family, personally, we have done it both ways.
In certain years, when we feel that those who are in need, need the food
rather than anything else, we make animal sacrifices. Otherwise, we
give the same amount of money to charities or help the poor around us.

Those families who sacrifice an animal, but are in difficult conditions in
general, are not required to distribute it outside. They are allowed to
consume it themselves. The rich, however, have to distribute more than
half of it (3/5 I believe) to others. I personally am anything but rich, but
I like giving all of it to those in need. Makes me feel better.

If you still haven't fainted after all these tidbits, I do indeed applaud
your patience, folks.. Let me know if anything does not make sense to
you...

Take care and have a sunny Sunday!
Serene