It seems to me, that at least a good bit of the time, that when someone states what was done “In the name of Islam”.
If it was a good thing, then all the better, if it was bad, then the “They” weren’t really Muslims.
What I would like to know is this:
What actions, makes a person Muslim or not a Muslim?
Does a person have to follow EXACTLY what Islam teaches, in order to be a Muslim?
Can a person mess up today and repent tomorrow and still be a Muslim the whole time?
Can a person act according to Islam 80% of the time, and 20% not, and remain a Muslim?
Do you have to follow Islam perfectly in order to be Muslim?
Pay attention. This will show up on the test later.
erm unfortunately that notion of 'they're not really muslim' kicks in alot in politics when Muslims just try to run away from things by labelling others as not being Muslim
There are what we call 'the fundamentals' of Islam, (for example teh 5 pillars of Islam) which, if broken render someone a non Muslim.. then you have the secondary aspects, if someone braeks these rules, at same time knows they are wrong, they are sinful but not excluded from the boundary of Islam.
But if these secondary (or primary) things are broken with the sinner thinking 'Allah is wrong' or 'I dont believe in those points' (whilst knowing the evidences) then he is excluded.
sorry that is soo over simplified.. but yeh its more than just whims.. it's a science called 'Aqeedah' (creed)... there's a few really good books out there that explain the matter.. ill c if ne of them are in english and ill get bak2u
Perhaps a good starting point would be to answer the question from a negative viewpoint i.e. what is not a Muslim? In this way we can rid ourselves of certain misconceptions that exist.Islam is not confined to any race, colour or creed. It is not dependent on any sacramental ceremony or ritual. It is not the prerogative of any caste nor is it the custom of our forefathers.
It has nothing to do with wealth or ambition or intellectual prowess. And it certainly is not something we pretend to embrace to make ourselves acceptable to our fellow human beings.
The first step in becoming a Muslim is to consciously and solemnly declare that "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad (Sallallaahu æ#129;layhi Wasallam) is the Prophet of Allah". By so doing one is entitled to all the rights and is bound by all the obligations of Islamic law.
However, this declaration of faith is alone insufficient to assure one of salvation. A further requirement is that one required to do deeds and works of righteousness and virtue so to transform the declaration into a living reality.
Of course, the scale of righteousness and virtue is infinite there is no point at which a Muslim may say that he has enough to earn salvation.
Indeed, it is Allah alone who decides whether one has done enough to enter the gates of Paradise and He may well reject the greatest and most virtuous deeds on account of lack of faith and insincerity while at the same forgiving one who has sinned deeply.
A Muslim is one who is both the humblest and the proudest of Creatures. This may appear to be contradictory but is not so.
A Muslim is the humblest because he submits himself completely to Allah, the Creator, the Provider, the Ruler, the Forgiver, the Judge, the First Cause and the Final End of everything, in essence the Ultimate Reality.
Allah is the object of adoration, praise and worship, the One Master to Whom the whole of one's life is devoted in dedication and service.
A Muslim is the proudest precisely because of this loyalty to Allah. Nothing and no one is worthy of such loyalty. In this regard it is a well known fact that many people submit themselves to rulers and tyrants instead of submitting themselves to Allah but in doing so they are violating the essence of their faith.
On account of their acknowledgement that Allah above is Master. Muslims are revolutionaries who champion the cause of human freedom everywhere. It is deplorable to a Muslim when people set up money, sex, power or pleasure as their object of worship. But when a tyrant demands absolute loyalty from his citizens, a loyalty which is the sole and exclusive preserve of Allah, then rebellion against such tyrant, and his ultimate over-throw, becomes a Muslim's prime religious objective.
There can be no greater meaning in a Muslim's life than to fulfil and make real Allah's will on earth. However, no little burden falls on the shoulders of a Khalifah of Allah on earth. Firstly, the task has no geographic or territorial limitations. A Muslim's duty encompasses every corner of the globe. Secondly, the task is not confined to any particular race, colour or creed. The problems of mankind as a whole are the problems of every Muslim, who is bound to confront these problems and to seek solutions.
These tasks are the obligations of, and the source of pride to every Muslim and are in fact the destiny of every Muslim.
Obviously, to live the life of a Muslim is to live dangerously. But Muslims believe that it is also to live with the highest expectation, the greatest promise and the deepest joy of which humans are capable.
In conclusion we shall give a basic answer to a basic question and say that to be a Muslim is to submit oneself to the Will of Allah - nothing more, nothing less.
Lol-Whatever, Thanks, if you find the articals in english, I would be interested.
Al-Fateh, I will spend some time studying what you have posted, Thanks.
North_Malaysian, you do understand that Bin Ladin says that "There is no God but the God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of the God", but he isn't Muslim. Right?????
[QUOTE=nimrod;372694]North_Malaysian, you do understand that Bin Ladin says that "There is no God but the God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of the God", but he isn't Muslim. Right?????/QUOTE]
He is a Muslim. Anybody who said the shahadah want to be treated as a Muslim.
There are bad Muslim, good Muslim, crazy muslim, playboy muslim, pious muslim, educated muslim etc.
I have seen several stories about that issue. There are those who claim Bin Laden is not a Muslim. There are also those who say he is. I do not personaly have any first hand knowledge either way.
Nimrod, a difficult concept for non-Muslims to grasp is that we as Muslims are very limited in saying who is not a Muslim. We can only identify non-Islamic deeds a person does. The only person we can consider Non-Muslim is a person who says he is not Muslim or if it can be shown that a person is calling himself Muslim for the act of treason etc.
Yes a Muslim can become non-Muslim themselves by commiting the unforgivable sin of shirk.
Violence Is A Human, Not An Islamic Trait
By: Hussein Ibish* The Philadelphia Inquirer ( 1 February 2004 )
The idea that Islam, and by extension Muslims, are inherently violent and irrational has become commonplace in our culture.
This misperception, with deep origins in the historical rivalry between Christian Europe and the Muslim Middle East, was intensified by the Arab-Israeli conflict and a slew of bigoted Hollywood movies, and gained a solid foothold in the minds of many Americans after 9/11.
Since 9/11, right-wing evangelical preachers such as Pat Robertsonand Jerry Falwell, and commentators such as Robert Spencer and Daniel Pipes, have spared no effort to spread fear and hatred of Islam and the growing American Muslim community.
This defamation probably has its greatest parallel in the anti-Semitic ideas that took hold in American culture between the First and Second World Wars. The charges directed against the American Jewish community - now eerily echoed by anti-Muslim rhetoric - smeared a religious minority as dangerous and subversive aliens. The Father Coughlins and Henry Fords of that era, and ours, found the political space to promote prejudice yet remain "respectable."
Certainly the 19 hijackers responsible for the carnage of 9/11 saw themselves as Muslims. But so, of course, did about 300 of their victims. And it is true that the United States faces a threat from al-Qaeda and like-minded organizations. But so, of course, does the entire Arab and Islamic world, in which almost all governments and most people are committed to the war against al-Qaeda, and which is home to most of the victims of such fanaticism.
Some point to the glories of Muslim Spain, the notable tolerance and multiculturalism of the Ottoman Empire, or the relative peacefulness of the Islamic world over the past millennium compared to Christian Europe to make the case that Islam is essentially an agent of peace.
The more complex truth is that the Islamic world, at present and historically, is composed of a vast constellation of human beliefs, experiences and endeavors - a dizzying multiplicity, not a monolith. Like all great civilizations and cultures, those of the Islamic world have produced more than enough of the good to demand the highest respect, and enough of the bad to prohibit any complacency or chauvinism on the part of Muslims.
More than 1.3 billion people are Muslims, constituting about one fifth of humanity. Hence, the entire range of human experience and orientation can be readily found among them.
The Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebesaid simply that "Africa is people." So is the Islamic world. Not better or worse, villain or victim, but simply people. Violence, extremism and intolerance are universal human failings. They certainly are not particular to any culture or faith.
And what exactly makes u say that?!!! How can u believe this media and all the news that the kafar tell us as if it were true?!!
it's so obvious that Bin Laden isn't responsible for all of that stuff that the media say he's done! I don't understand why people shut their eyes to the truth and blindly agree with the media.
And what exactly makes u say that?!!! How can u believe this media and all the news that the kafar tell us as if it were true?!!
it's so obvious that Bin Laden isn't responsible for all of that stuff that the media say he's done! I don't understand why people shut their eyes to the truth and blindly agree with the media.
It is clear that Bin Laden wasn't responsible for 9/11. because 1. Unlike his other attacks, he denied this one totally... 2. the evidence shows that 9/11 was state sponsored by America.
But i think he is responsible for the bombings in other parts of the world. And if he really was responsible, he must be punished for it.
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