Islam .... Religion for our time (part 5 )

Since the very beginning of Islam, the world has been wondering why this religion grew so fast, and how it is now the fastest growing religion on Earth. Many people were not fair when they claimed that Islam was spread by power, and that those who converted to Islam were forced to convert. It is totally the contrary. Islam is very simple and easy to understand, yet it provides the basic needs, mentally and spiritually, to its followers. at the time, other religions were confusing people and taking them into lots of very complicated discussions, while not offering them what they needed either for their life or after their death.

In the home land of Islam where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born and raised, the tribe was the main thing in the community. Islam came teaching them how to drop those traditional ideas and believe in only one thing... Allah. They were asked to melt together in this belief, which was very hard at the beginning. But shortly after, the Muslims had nothing to worry about but their belief in Allah and this very promising religion. It was very clear from day one to the followers of Islam to know how to talk about their new religion, and how to encourage new people to join and convert to Islam.

The first, last and main lesson of Islam is to be nice to whom you are talking, and to give the example from your own way of life. When the Muslims traveled into the rest of the world, they had no plan to convert people to Islam. Let's make it clear, in Islam there is no priesthood, and there is no such Islamic organization like in Christianity. What happened was being watched by the locals of those countries, who were judging the Muslims and studying their way of life and learning about Islam, this new religion which was attracting them for many reasons.

First, Islam is not complicated and not difficult to understand, which not the case in many other beliefs is. Islam was started by the word "iqraa" which means "to read". That says a lot really.... it is a religion that talks to the mind before the heart. It is the religion that is based on reality, fact and science. It is the religion which is meant to last forever to the end of time. Second, around the 7th century A.D., the locals of all those countries were suffering a lot at the hands of their leaders, in Christian countries like Egypt, where the Egyptians were following a Christian sect from the Byzantine Empire. They were ready to welcome the Arabs, who promised them the freedom of belief maybe for the first time. It happened In Kharasan, in Iran, where the Christians suffered too much from their Zoroastrian governors, and again they welcomed the Arabs. Not their religion at first, but later they started learning more and realizing how good this new religion was, and they started to convert by the thousands. In other countries, especially in Iran, the locals were very unhappy with their situations and the mistreatment by the governors, while Islam was and still is promising the freedom of belief.

In Islam, everyone and anyone can talk about it and explain it. Islam is such an easy religion.... it goes into your heart before your mind and it is quite practical as well. You don’t need anyone to link you to God. You can always talk to Allah by engaging yourself in a prayer five times a day, and if you want Allah to talk to you, you just read the Qur’an.

To be continued ……

Islam .... Religion for our time (part 4 )

In the medieval times of Europe, when the European kings were looking for more personal victory to support their positions in their home country, when they were looking for the wealth of the east, and when the church was losing its power, they decided to create an enemy, the Muslim. They started the horrible holy war under religious flags decorated with the cross, to make people think that they are fighting in the name of God. It was not the Muslims then who started the holy war (jihad).

The main falter of Islamic history was caused by the Turkish Empire, which worked very hard on keeping the Arabs ignorant in order to control them. Four centuries of being isolated, with no education, no  progress, while the rest of the world was moving forward. The Islamic world was frozen. After the fall of the Turkish Empire, the west divided the whole Islamic world into pieces and the European occupation began. They kept doing the same the Turkish Empire did (keep them ignorant so you can keep them under control).

The West fears Islam because it is a big threat to their advanced position. If Muslims get back to the core of their religion, they will start to read and learn and study. The West fears pictures which reflect the unity of Muslims, like when more than 4 million are gathered in Mecca for the Hajj (pilgrimage). Things go very smoothly when people are going in circles around the holy house, and when the prayer starts everyone stops. They line up after one word (steady); one word can stop all of them at once. One word can order them to move, and one word started the Qur’an (iqraa/read).

When you find all Muslim all over the globe observing Ramadan, the holy month, and choosing not to eat or drink for long, hot or cold days just because Allah has requested it... One word.

When you hear the call for the prayers five times a day and Muslims drop anything and everything to meet Allah... just one word, Allah Akbar (God is greater than anybody and anything). 

Just one word....

This is why the west fears Islam, not because of Bin Laden. That fear was made in America. They fear the one word. ..... Iqraa.

 To be continued  .............

By :

Hisham El Meniawy
Guest lecturer & Egyptologistwww.hegyptology.com

Islam .... religion for our time ( Islam is not a religion.... It is a way of life)

As a Muslim, I believe in the story of Adam and Eve as mentioned in the Qur’an, and I also believe in all the prophets and messengers of God. I  acknowledge all religions; I can’t be a Muslim until i do so. The common factor among all religions is to organize and enhance people's lives, and this is true in Islam as well. But Islam is different, as it is not just teaching people religious rules, but also teaching nearly everything about the real daily life of the Muslims. These are the five pillars of Islam:

1. Believe in no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.

2. Pray five times a day.

3. Observe Ramadan, the holy month fasting.

4. Do charity and give to those less fortunate than you.

5. Accomplish the trip to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where the holy house is; the trip which is requested of every Muslim man or a woman, once in their life time if able to. 

These pillars are very similar to the basics of other religions, which are mainly to organize the relationship between a believer and his God. Although, we notice that some of those pillars are concerned about the society, like praying five times a day, when a Muslim should visit the  
mosque. Day after day he gets connected to the others in those mosques, which helps to build a closed, strong, loving community.
But if we look closely at all the pillars of Islam, we notice that all of them, in one way or another, train and enhance the behavior of the Muslims, and encourage them to help each other, which we find in other religions, especially Christianity. What is very different is, in Islam, the religion teaches you the best way to run your life. It is a very easy, practical way to live and enjoy your life: how to stay healthy, how to get the best of your job, how to be honest, and how to behave with others. 

But I believe the greatest part of Islam is the human relations, especially when it comes to family. As mentioned in the Qur’an, and also the in words of the prophet Mohamed: the most important person in life is the mother, who comes many times before the father. Parents must be respected and well looked after, especially when they get old. The Qur’an is very clear about even the way you should talk to them, how you must respect their privacy, and it even mentions the time at which you must knock on their door before entering. It teaches how you should  behave if your parents force you to convert from Islam to another religion; even in this case you must treat them the best and never misbehave, no matter what happens. 

It is amazing when you know that Islam explained even the very intimate moment between a man and his wife. It mentions how to approach your wife, and nobody could imagine talking about these 1400 years ago! All the way back then, the Qur’an, and accordingly the prophet, stressed on what is now known as foreplay! Islam was the first religion to justify the woman, and to give her rights. Unlike in Judaism and Christianity, the woman (Eve) was accused for the original sin, and she was the reason behind the punishment by God given to Adam. For thousands of years women were treated this way, and in many places in the Old and New Testament, we can read how women were disdained. While in Islam, the Qur’an explains that both Adam and Eve were responsible for the sin, so the whole of mankind, not just women! Can you imagine, 1400 years ago, the prophet Muhammad asking his men who lived in the middle of the desert to give their women all their rights of inheritance, at the same time when women were considered part of the inheritance? Can you imagine a man like the prophet Muhammad telling his people to treat women in the nicest way, simply because women are very soft and fragile and could be easily hurt and broken? This religion gives a full, detailed explanation about the rules of inheritance, according to the number of the members of the family, and how closely related they were to the deceased; not like what people love to claim now, that the man gets double what the woman gets! In fact, there are more than 34 cases; in only 4 of them the man gets double, and in 13 of them the woman gets the double, and the rest of the cases they get an equal share.

This is a religion that tells you how to love your neighbor, and how to care for your employer; how to be rewarded when you smile to the people you don’t even know, and how greatly you are appreciated by Allah when you move an obstacle from the road. Islam solved the puzzle, and tried to unite the two main religions, Judaism and Christianity. At the time when Moses said an eye for an eye, when Jesus said love your enemies, Islam said never stop fighting for your rights, punish the sinners, have mercy, and forgive your enemies. The word that annoys the West much is jihad. What does it mean? Is it to fight the others, the non-Muslims? Not at all. Jihad means the inner struggle, which is how to fight the devil inside, you how to control your desires and to behave well. It was and still is very clear: if Muslims are requested to declare a war, it is imperative to not kill civilians, to not attack men of any religion, to never destroy a temple and to never to burn a field.

Written by :

Hisham El Meniawy
Guest lecturer & Egyptologist
www.hegyptology.com

Islam:...... Religion for our Time( part 3)

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3. All through the years, Islam has been misunderstood, and people looked at Islam as their prime enemy for different reasons and motives. Islam was introduced by the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The people of Mecca (Saudi Arabia), the home town of the prophet, refused this new religion. It was a big threat to their trade and source of income. The people of Mecca lived on the income of the trade between the north (Syria and Lebanon) and the south (Yemen). Another main source of income was the religious tourism to visit Ka'bah (the holy house believed to be built by Ibrahim & his son Ishmael). Although they believed in one God, they promoted the idea of local secondary gods to make Arabs from all over the place happy, and to make more money. They saw that Islam would change the whole situation and would affect their income. Islam also focused on equality, and that was something else the people had to refuse. They were outraged with the idea that the masters and elite of society would become equal to their slaves, and free them! 
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7. The people of Mecca knew the prophet very well. He was a grandson of the chief of the biggest and the most powerful tribe (Quraish). His beloved father died before his birth and his beloved mother passed away when he was 6 years old. He was brought up by his grandfather and his uncle, and he was well known. They knew he was honest, and he was smart and polite and fair. Yet when he invited his own people of Quraish to Islam, they accused him of being mad and a liar, simply because it was threatening their income and lifestyle. What prophet Muhammad wanted and asked them to do was quite similar to the words of Jesus (peace be upon him), when he asked the rabbis to stop trading religion and to stop selling in the house of God. If that was the reason for rejecting Islam by the Arabs of Quraish at the beginning, it was a quite similar story later on.
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10. Islam was started by the first word of the Quran (iqraa) which means "read". The word "Quran" means the read texts, so we understand the core of this religion, which is to read and learn and think, to use your mind. The early Muslims got it right, and they worked hard on learning and studying the Quran. As a result, the Islamic world became very advanced, and the during time in European history known as the dark ages, the Muslims ruled the world from China in the east to Spain in the west. Most of the modern sciences are based on Islamic studies like chemistry, astronomy, medicine and algebra, to name a few. 
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13. The West more than the East realized that Islam was a vivid religion; it inspired the Muslims and motivated them. They also realized that if Muslims would stick to the roots of Islam, no one could stand against them. But what are the roots of Islam? To kill civilians? To threaten others? Of course not. The roots of Islam are to read, learn and use your brain, the beautiful gift of Allah.
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15. To be continued....
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17. Hisham El Meniawy
18. Guest lecturer & Egyptologist
19. www.hegyptology.com 

Islam:..... Religion for our Time( part 2)

Muslims believe that Islam is the last message from Allah, so it has to be very flexible in order to suit all times, and before to suit all people and places. In Islam there is no need for anyone to link you to Allah, like most religions, it is so simple and easy clear and straight. All you need to do is to believe in your heart in Allah, then do only the good one path in life you need to walk. We are made by Allah, not for anything but to worship Him.

However, that Allah doesn't need us, doesn't need our worship.... it is the  

moral of the story. We were made as humans with desires and needs but  

we also have morals and ethics. We were made of clay, which comes from earth, and Allah gave us life through his soul, so we are body and soul. If we keep feeding the body and forget the soul, we become so heavy, more earthy. If we take care of the soul, we can fly high and free our bodies from the gravity of the earth. 

The teaching of Islam comes from two main things. The first and the most important is the Quran, the holy book, which is, according to Muslims, the word of Allah. The second source, which comes after, to explain but not to complete the Quran, is the sayings and lifestyle of prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) .The Quraan is a complete book. It explains everything Muslims need to know about this life and the afterlife. So going through the Quran we can learn how important is to respect the other people and their beliefs.  The same goes for Suna, which is the sayings and doings of the prophet. 

When Islam was introduced to the world in the 6th & 7th centuries AD, people were always given the right and the ability to choose, with all freedom and respect. As a matter of fact, Islam ruled most of the ancient world not by sword like some media say but with love. Most people converted to Islam through the ways and the good behavior Muslims were introducing.

Now we can understand a little bit about how important the Quran is, as well as the image of the prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). The current issue in the United States concerning the burning of the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11 is the worst example the non-Muslims can give to the whole world, and the very wrong way to refuse the hand of peace offered by the American Muslims who are trying to clear the path between them and the others, by offering to build an Islamic center near the so-called ground zero. 

Burning the Quran may happen any day and everyday by some fanatics....   

people, this is not an issue as Muslims can do the same thing to the Bible, but they never did, and never will do for one simple reason, which is to respect the others.

To be continued....

Hisham El Meniawy Guest lecturer & Egyptologist www.hegyptology.com

Islam: ..... Religion for our Time..... Part 1

Religion, no matter which one, is something to enhance the relationship between people and their God, and to enhance the relationships among the  people themselves. What is between people and God is something very personal and is reflected on each one, not the others. If anyone goes to his worshipping place a million times a day, that is his own decision and for his own benefits. If that religion does not enhance his relations with the others, then it is not the fault of religion, it is of the person himself.  

I do not care about what you believe in and which religion you follow, what God you worship. I do care about how you respect me and how you accept me, just give me my own space, freedom and rights.  

People in the West look now at Islam through a very small window and the glass is not clean. What they can see are only the negatives of a very small group of people who are imposing their fanatical ideas, and they are not accepted by the majority of the Muslims.  

Let's go through a couple of little facts about Islam. First, what does it mean, Islam, as a word and as a religion? As a word, the origin of the word is salaam, which means peace, and it shows very clearly in the way Muslims are greeting everyone by saying "al salaam alikom", which means "peace be upon you". Muslims say it day and night, coming and going, to their families and to anyone they don't even know. They don't just say it but they also believe it.  

Islam as a religion means the full submission to God (Allah) in all we do and what we say. The religion Islam was introduced as people know it by the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the early 6th century AD. But as a matter of fact, Islam as an idea was introduced by Allah Himself to Adam at the beginning of creation, and all the messengers and prophets of Allah were carrying the same message of peace. As Muslims we must acknowledge all the messengers before the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and we must respect them and believe in them all the same way, otherwise we can't be Muslim to start with.  

We are not here to fully go through the religion of Islam, as it needs a very  long time to explain, but just to explain the fact that Islam has always been the  real meaning of love and peace, and it is not like as some people say now, that Islam is evil, God forbid. 

To be continued.... 

Hisham El Meniawy
www.hegyptology.com