format_quote Originally Posted by
james5239
Alright so im preston im 12 years old and want to learn about islam and what it stands for
Welcome to the forum James, and thank you for asking.
If you came across a table and chair in the middle of a forest, you would know that someone had come along, sawn the right sized pieces of wood off the trees, shaped them, joined them together etc to make what was in front of you. I'm sure you wouldn't conclude that the right sized pieces had sawn themselves off the trees and joined themselves together to make a table and chairs.
So we believe, that this intricate universe, has an all-Powerful Creator, and we don't believe that the universe came about by coincidence or by chance or by some random happening.
That Creator, periodically sent human messengers to mankind, to guide mankind as to how they should live, to be role-models, give good news, to warn mankind against wrong doing, and to tell them that they'll be brought to account on judgement day, and to show people how they should worship God the Creator, who is the Only One deserving of all worship, and has no associates in His Exclusive Divinity.
Islam is a culmination of that same ultimate universal truth which God revealed to all prophets and messengers, including Noah, Abraham, Jesus and Moses, peace be on them. Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be on him, is the last messenger of God, and a book called the Qur'an was revealed to him. That book is 100% God's word, so it supersedes, continues, confirms, and is a culimination of, the truth that was in the earlier scriptures. Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be on him, is the messenger who must now be followed, the Qur'an being the book that must be followed.
You'll notice that Islam is not named after a specific person (like Christianity, Buddhism), nor after a certain race or place (like Judaism, Hinduism), but is named by God Himself, the meaning loosely translating as 'submission to God', which is what every Prophet and their righteous followers did, from amongst all times, places and peoples. That in itself is one fraction of the evidence that it was the way of all the Prophets from the beginning.
We believe that mankind will be brought to account on Judgement day.
Islam is distinguishable from other religions, as:
1) It is a complete way of life, which is practical and balanced
2) It has a pure and clear concept of the Oneness of God
3) It has a close relationship with the Creator
4) It emphasizes evidence and faith
5) There is accountability and total justice
6) It has a universal and timeless message
7) All the messengers of God are believed in, none are blasphemed or rejected, nor at the other end of the extreme are they made into gods
8) It's scripture is 100% the word of God
9) There is forgiveness as opposed to someone having to atone for your sins
10) Belief and good deeds go hand in hand
11) It is a complete code of conduct for every aspect of life, from the most intimate, to the most public. It not only exhorts one to be good, but provides complete guidance to practically live that, taking a preventative approach to problems in society from the outset. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives, taking into account human nature and the complexities of human society.
I could go on, but will stop here for now.
As a brief foundation, we believe in, submit to, and worship, the One True God and Lord, the Creator, who has no sons, no associates in His Exclusive Divinity whatsoever, and obey the guidance of the prophets and messengers He sent, the last of whom is Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him). Since the scripture given to him is the only one preserved, and the Prophet's example is preserved, we follow him and the book given to him by God.
Please do ask any further questions.
Peace.