Islam Religion

Islam

Islam is a peaceful religion with many aspects to explore. The religion is surrounded by myths from the unknown. Following our journey of myths we will explore the tools of knowledge, the sacred texts of Islam, symbols, and practices. Once an understanding of Islam is established we will explore the historical foundation of Islam and the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity.

Explanations of myths related to the religion

There are many myths surrounding the Islamic religion. As with anything that people do not know or understand, there is going to be misconceptions and myths in regards to beliefs and practices. There are several myths that relate to Muslims and violence, Muslims and their relationship with other religions and their beliefs and practices.

Since September 11, 2001, many Americans have the misconception that Muslims are violent terrorist. The Islamic faith promotes peace. There are some people that have misinterpreted the teaching of Islam. The truth is, "the entire Qur'an, taken as a complete text, gives a message of hope, faith, and peace to a faith community of one billion people"(Huda, 2006, 5). Another myth that goes hand and hand with the terrorist myth is most Muslims are Arabs. It is not uncommon for Americans who travel by plane to say, "All eyes were on the Arab while on the plane." Truth, Mecca is in the Middle East but that is not where most of the Muslim population lives. "The country with the largest population of Muslims is Indonesia" (Huda, 2006, 3). Some believe that, "Islam promotes jihad to spread Islam by the sword and kill all unbelievers"(Huda, 2006, 7). The actual meaning of jihad is "to strive"(Huda, 2006, 7). To the Muslim community jihad is the ability to practice religion in light of oppression and persecution. "The Qur'an forbids coercion in religion, recommending instead that Muslims invite others to the Way by their wisdom, beautiful teaching, and personal example" (Fisher, 2002, p154-155).

There are myths that pertain to Muslims attitude toward other religions. One myth is, "Islam is intolerant of other faiths"(Huda, 2006, 6). The Qur'an teaches that there are other religions that worship the same God. "The Qur'an commands Muslims to protect from harm not only mosques, but also monasteries, synagogues, and churches - because "God is worshipped therein""(Huda, 2006, 6). Another myth about the Islamic religion is, "The Qur'an was written by Muhammad and copied from Christians and Jewish sources"(Huda, 2006, 8). The belief is, Angel Gabraiel visited the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an was revealed to him. Muslims believe in the same prophets as Christians and Jews and this is why we find similar stories in the Qur'an. Besides finding similar biblical