Peace be upon you Sister
Welcome to the forum. I hope you find the following useful.
Answer to Question 1:
Why do Islam pray towards Mecca? Isn't it a just a piece of stones put together?
““The Holy Ka’bah was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael (peace be upon them) in Makkah, and is mentioned in the Holy Qur’aan, 48:24. Another name for Makkah is Bakka. The name “Bakka” is also mentioned in the
Holy Quran in 3:96: “Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that in Bakka (Makkah), full of blessing and guidance for all people.” Marvelously, this word “Bakka” is preserved in the Bible and it was mentioned by Prophet David in his
Psalm 84:6:
“Who passing through the valley of Bakka made it a well, the rain also filleth the pools.” The water well mentioned here is the well-known well of “Zamzam,” which is still present close to the Kaaba in Makkah and still flows today with abundant water as it did for thousands of years. Ask any Muslim who goes to Makkah for pilgrimage.””
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One Direction, One people, One God
By Aisha Stacey- IslamReligion.com
There are more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, and each time they pray, they turn their faces in one direction, towards Mecca. The Islamic term for this direction is
qibla. When a Muslim prepares to pray, no matter where he is, he turns towards the
qibla, the direction of the Kaba. The
Kaba is a small cube shaped building in the courtyard of the mosque known as
Masjid Al Haram, in the city of Mecca, in the country of Saudi Arabia.
“For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, God will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, God is Able to do all things. And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Mecca), that is indeed the truth from your Lord. And God is not unaware of what you do.” (Quran 2:148-149)
Muslims do not worship the Kaba, or its contents, it is simply a focal point. Muslims worship One God, the Most Merciful, and the Most Wise. God decreed that when Muslims pray they all face one direction. It is a sign of unity that encapsulates the unity embedded in the religion of Islam.
The Arabic word for prayer is
salah and it demotes a connection between the believer and God; when all believers face the same direction it adds an extra dimension to the connection. The prayer connects the believers to God and the
qibla connects the believers to one another. It has been said that if one could observe all the Muslims at prayer we would be able to see lines of worshippers bowing and prostrating like the petals of a flower opening and closing in unison.
The qibla was not always oriented towards Mecca. The first Muslims prayed towards the
al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Around sixteen months after Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to the city of Medina, the
qibla was changed to the Kaba. According to accounts by Prophet Muhammad's companions, the change happened very suddenly. During the noon prayer, Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, received a revelation from God instructing him to, "Turn your face towards the
Masjid al Haram".
"Thus, we have made you real believers in Islamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad and his legal ways, a just nation, witnesses over mankind and the Messenger a witness over you. And We made the Qibla (prayer direction towards Jerusalem) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (i.e. disobey the Messenger). Indeed, it was great (heavy) except for those whom God guided. And God would never make your prayers to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem). Truly, God is full of kindness, the Most Merciful towards humankind."
"Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qibla (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haram (at Mecca). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction...
” (Quran 2:143-144)
Changing the direction of prayer establishes Mecca as the fixed central point for worship. It establishes a common sense or purpose.
Islam is a religion of unity. Muslims are united by their belief in One God. They are one brotherhood united in the language and ritual of prayer and united by the direction of their worship. The
qibla is not only about degrees of latitude or longitude it is about unity. It is about humankind united in the worship of the One God, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe.
(islamreligion.com/articles/3203)
Worship in Islam
islamreligion.com/articles/222/viewall
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Answer to Question 2:
Isn't all the religions are the same? The believers of each religion pray to the same God. It is just the methods aren't the same. What is your justification for this? Why Islam is the true religion? Why not Christianity,Hinduism, Buddhism etc?
No they are not the same. You can find out how and why in the following links:
The True Religion: Which is the True Religion of God?
islamreligion.com/articles/448/viewall
The Truth is One
islamreligion.com/articles/8/viewall
turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77891
theradiantlight.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-islam.html
The Truth about Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him)
rasoulallah.net/
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Answer to Question 3:
If a person decides to leave Islam, should the person be killed?Or it depends on the country? What is the rule for this?
You can forward this question to a scholar in the following link:
dar-alifta.org/FatwaRequest.aspx?Home=1&LangID=2
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Answer to Question 4:
Why do Islam propagates wars? I have found few verses in Al-Quran which shows that Islam is a religion which love wars.
That is a misconception, the following links help in clearing it, and provides a better understanding of Islam:
The Deen Show - A few things about Jihad
thedeenshow.com/show.php?action=detail&id=2040
What is Jihad?
aboutjihad.com/jihad/jihad_explained.php
Islam, Jihad, and Terrorism
aboutjihad.com/terrorism/islam_jihad_terrorism.php
What about Jihad?
islamnewsroom.com/answers/76-harsh-questions-answered
Islam Denounces Terrorism
beconvinced.com/archive/en/article.php?articleid=0017&catid=10&subcatname=Jihad, War & Terrorism
beconvinced.com/archive/en/article.php?articleid=0018&catid=10&subcatname=Jihad, War & Terrorism
These are Quotes of scholars/non Muslims/and those whom reverted to Islam. They studied Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) life and refuted misconceptions and false claims surrounding him and Islam:
theradiantlight.blogspot.com/2008/09/discover-truth-about-islam.html
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Answer to Question 5:
From Islamic perspective, is the the current bible is not of the same as it was?
It is explained well in the following link:
islamreligion.com/category/68
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Answer to Question 5:
Why a Muslim can't eat pork?
Prohibition of the Consumption Of Pork in The Holy Quran
"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful." (The Holy Quran, 2:173)
"Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety.." (The Holy Quran, 5:3)
"Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah.s". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (The Holy Quran 6:145)
"He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."(The Holy Quran, 16:115)
Prohibition of the Consumption of Pork in the Bible
The Bibleprohibits the consumption of pork in the book of Leviticus:
“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you”.
“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you.”(Leviticus 11:7-8)
“And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass.” (Deuteronomy 14:8)
A similar prohibition is repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah Chapter 65, 2-5.
The law of Moses (peace be upon him) forbids it. and Jesus (peace be upon him) said that he came only to fulfill the law and not to abolish it.
I hope you find the information useful, and the links helpful for understanding Islam. May Allah (God) enlighten your heart, continue seeking knowledge.
(I'm sure you don't mean that). Well,the Kaabah is where we face,which is in Mecca. Qiblah is the direction we all pray in.The Kaabah is the most sacred site in Islam,so I suggest you be a little more considerate when discussing it,thanks.