5 Things You Should Know About Islam

1.  The Angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad.  The angel told him that people weren’t listening, they were doing it all wrong again.  He requested that Muhammad listen to God’s message and write it all down again.  The Word of God was revealed to him over 23 years and written in the form of the Quran.  “The key themes of the early Quranic verses included the responsibility of man towards his creator; the resurrection of the dead, God’s final judgment followed by vivid descriptions of the tortures in Hell and pleasures in Paradise, and the signs of God in all aspects of life. Religious duties required of the believers at this time were few: belief in God, asking for forgiveness of sins, offering frequent prayers, assisting others particularly those in need, rejecting cheating and the love of wealth (considered to be significant in the commercial life of Mecca), being chaste and not to kill newborn girls.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad#Beginnings_of_the_Quran.  Sound familar?

2.  “Allah” is the same word used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs centuries before Islam developed.  It basically means the sole one to be worshipped.  It is another name for God in a monotheistic religion.  There are those who say the name has pagan origins.  Whether or not that is true is debated, but does it really matter?  If the name was taken from the pagans in order to draw in those people to follow one God, is that a bad thing?  Isn’t that what Christianity did with Easter?  Are not wedding bands a symbol taken from paganism?  ALLEluia ALLEluia!

3.  Muhammad was as radical as Jesus.  Hey now!  Some dude comes along and starts to preach peace, love, and follow me to God.  Seriously? That’s just crazy talk!  The big difference is that Muhammad called himself a prophet, and Jesus called himself . . . hmmm.  What did Jesus call himself?  I have found know evidence that Jesus referred to himself as God. “I am Who am.”  What does that mean?  There are many many references that are interpreted as evidence that Jesus is God.  Our beliefs are our beliefs, but the man never came straight out and said it.  See some of the quotes by clicking here.

4.  Islam believes in Jesus as a prophet and that he is on the same level as Muhammad.  There are 25 prophets named in the Quran including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.  Muslims believe that Jesus and Muhammad will return together to separate the good from the bad at the end of the world.  I am a very educated woman and still a believer in God, but I have to admit, that last sentence looks like something right out of a science fiction novel.  Jews don’t believe Jesus was anyone other than a man.  Christians blow off everyone Muhammad, because why would God send anyone after Jesus???  Now we just have saints.  I wish I could find a link to the song we learned in Catholic grade school, “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, all the prophets in our faith” . . . dumdedum, diddleydo . . .

5.  Not all Islamic women cover their heads.  In Turkey, I would say it is about 50/50.  Some do, some don’t.  (Kind of sad considering all that Ataturk did to modernize Turkey.) Of those that do, some just toss a colorful scarf on their head in public.  Some use a colorful scarf and cover the entire head more securely.  Few wear the entire black dress.  In recent days, it seems how one wears a headpiece in Turkey may indicate which political party they belong to.  Oh, and then there is this: