Islam promotes universal peace and rejects discrimination based on race, clan, or territory. It seeks to establish a balance between the spiritual and material aspects of life.
Across the countries surveyed, Muslims are generally comfortable practicing their religion in the modern world. They are also more likely than non-Muslims to believe that there is no inherent conflict between religion and science.
1. The Qur’an is the Word of God
The Qur’an is the Word of God, meaning it was revealed to Muhammad in its entirety from the Creator. This belief is based on the fact that Allah has revealed broad principles of faith and ways of life to all prophets throughout history, including Noah, Solomon, David, Abraham, Moses, Isaac and Jesus, which have been repeated in the Qur’an. It is also based on the fact that the Qur’an has been shown to be miraculous in its inimitable form, meaning it is impossible for it to have come from human sources.
While many of the stories in the Qur’an are similar to those found in biblical scripture, the Qur’an often presents them with greater detail and subtle revisions. This is in line with the Qur’an’s self-description as a “confirmation” of previous scriptures, even where it retells them.
Muslims believe that the Word of God is the Word of Allah, and that it was revealed to Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel gradually over a period of 23 years. This is the foundation of all Islamic teachings and reflects God’s message to mankind. The Muslim faith is unique in that it does not separate material and spiritual life, but rather enjoins man to use both his physical and moral powers for good in this world and the next.
2. The Qur’an is the Final Revelation
Muslims believe that the Qur’an, revealed to Muhammad (pbuh), is the final Revelation from God. They believe that the book confirms and completes earlier Scriptures, as well as abrogates them—meaning that they are no longer binding going forward. The Qur’an recognizes the divine origins of the earlier Hebrew and Christian Bibles, and incorporates some of their stories.
Much of the Qur’an is about God and man’s relationship with Him, but it also contains instructions for followers, historical accounts of certain prophets and peoples, arguments for accepting Muhammad as a true Prophet, and good news for believers and warnings for nonbelievers. In addition, the Qur’an includes apocalyptic passages that portray God’s eschatological judgment and recompense, as well as narratives focused on biblical characters like Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus.
Regardless of their native language, Muslims memorize and recite the Qur’an in Arabic, the original language in which it was revealed to Muhammad. Likewise, Muslim prayer is performed facing Mecca five times daily and includes recitation and a series of fixed prayers. Other core beliefs include confessing that Allah is the one and only God (the shahada), communal ritual prayer, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and, for those who are able, making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives.
3. The Qur’an teaches us to worship God
Muslims believe that God is the sole creator and sustainer of all things in the universe. Muslims worship Allah alone by obeying His commands and abstaining from those that are forbidden, in an effort to achieve the highest spiritual station possible. They believe that fulfilling the need to worship satisfies the soul and has a positive impact on one’s behavior and interactions with others.
The Qur’an recognizes the divine origins of earlier Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and represents itself as both a restoration and continuation of those traditions. It also draws on and reworks many biblical stories, particularly those related to Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The first pillar of Islam is the shahada, or profession of faith: Muslims bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
The earliest Muslims rejected anthropomorphic interpretations of God, in which human beings are used as the prism through which to understand His qualities. Instead, the Qur’an explains God through a series of greater and lesser analogies. For example, if humans possess a praiseworthy trait, it is understood that God also possesses this trait, but in a much more heightened and perfect form befitting His Perfection and Uniqueness.
4. The Qur’an teaches us to love one another
In a world torn by national rivalries and feuds, Islam brings a message of love and hope. It does not allow for prejudices based on color, clan or blood and sees all mankind as brothers. It even teaches that a Muslim’s brother is another Muslim, and everyone, including slaves, are a brothers in God’s eyes. Through Pay zakat, you can extend your donations to Muslims who need help in their everyday lives.
One of the first things a person must do to become a Muslim is to proclaim his belief that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger. This is known as the shahada and is the first pillar of Islam.
It is a powerful statement that essentially says “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger.”
The Qur’an also teaches us to love one another, a commandment known as an ibadat, or religious duty. This is the foundation for all good deeds and encompasses the entire law of Islam. It lays out the commandments of God such as “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not steal,” and “Do not covet,” but all of them hinge on the first and foremost commandment, which is to love one another.
5. The Qur’an teaches us to care for the poor
The Qur’an emphasizes the need to aid those in need. It teaches believers to share their wealth with others and to help those in need without discrimination or favoritism. It also encourages Muslims to help create a society that is based on equity and justice.
It also rejects the concept that there is a separation between “material” and “moral” life, stating that Allah created man for a lofty purpose, and enjoins him to use his material resources to establish a moral and just order that will ultimately serve His greater glory. Islam is a balanced system that aims to produce an upright and moral person through a combination of spiritual guidance and reform in daily living.
The Qur’an states that a true believer is one who gives to the poor, frees slaves, helps orphans, provides for travellers, and supports those in the cause of God. In this way, a Muslim is able to live up to the ideal of the oneness of humanity and the family of God. It also rejects the false barriers of race, status, and wealth that have divided the human race. This is why it is emphasized that only virtue and piety can elevate the soul of a person.
6. The Qur’an teaches us to love our neighbors
The Qur’an encourages Muslims to be outstanding citizens, and it calls them to “be good to their neighbors.” That’s a pretty clear call to love your neighbor. It’s a call that is echoed in the Bible, and it’s also something that we see in Islam.
For example, the Qur’an teaches us to “serve Allah alone and not associate any partners with Him; and do good to your parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, the near neighbors and the far ones.” (Qur’an 4:36) This is a call to treat your neighbors well and to be kind to them.
Scott Rae: The Qur’an is a very complex book, and there’s a lot of direct command and warning in it. But the message is also housed in what I would describe as a poetic type approach.
Miroslav Volf, who is the Christian author of A Common Word between You and Us, explains this beautifully. He says that the Qur’an functions less like a jigsaw puzzle and more like a mosaic. It brings together pieces of other religions and cultures into a whole new picture. The result is something that’s very beautiful and very complex, but it ties all of the monotheistic faiths together in some way.
7. The Qur’an teaches us to love our enemies
Muslims are not enjoined to love Christians and non-Muslims, but the Quran does allow them to share meals and social gatherings with people of other faiths. It also allows for inter-religious marriage. To love a person according to Islam means to look with pleasure upon their words, actions, morals, and faith. In contrast, to hate a person is to look with displeasure upon their words, actions, and faith.
The Quran also warns against allying with people who fight and expelling Muslims from their homes due to their religion. It also warns against pitying a Muslim who has committed public fornication or adultery. Instead, the Quran instructs Muslims to flog them with a hundred stripes and not to let compassion impede them from administering a just punishment.
Christians may want to argue that Christianity teaches its followers to love their enemies as well. But this claim would be based on assumptions about how the word “love” is used in the Bible and a fundamentally different conception of God’s nature. In Christianity, God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. In Islam, however, God only loves those who love Him first and does not love sinners and unbelievers.
