Pushing Christianity onto Islam

Bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim

Assalaam alaikum

Hello, all. Hope all is well on this lovely Sunday. At least it's lovely where I am.

Let me just start off with this little disclaimer: this post is NOT going to be me going on about how much better Islam is than Christianity or whatever. So, let's get that straight right away. This will be some simple comparisons and observations about how many North Americans--born and raised in a mostly Christian-influenced setting--project Christian ideals onto Islam.

So, I've noticed something about many non-Muslims around these parts (ie: North America). Because most of them were brought up some variety of Christian, or at least were brought up in a society influenced by Christian ideals, they tend to project Christian views onto Islam.

Sometimes, this works. After all, the religions are similar. However, the differences they do have are very important differences.

I'll start with the basics. I have heard a couple times of Islam being referred to as "Mohammedanism" or something similar. Now, I realize that during the so-called "Enlightenment" there was a group of Christians who wanted Mohammad (SAW) recognized as a Saint because they wanted to practice Islam but feared excommunication (these people are referred to in history as the Mohammedans, unless I am mistaken). However, to call Muslims "Mohammedans" would be completely incorrect.

But I can understand why that would happen. Christians are, after all, called Christian. Christ-ian: followers of Christ (AS). Islam/Muslim are not English words, and most non-Arab-speakers don't understand the meaning of those words. However, they do know that we have this guy called Mohammad (SAW) that we seem to like a lot.

Another possible explanation would be the erroneous belief that Mohammad (SAW) is to Muslims as Jesus (AS) is to Christians. Christians believe Jesus (AS) is God or part of the Trinity, the son of God, depending on their tradition. Muslims respect Jesus (AS) as a prophet of God--one of the greatest, even, but the Qur'an clearly says that Allah does not beget and is not begotten, and furthermore he has no partners. Therefore, we no more believe Mohammad (SAW) to be the son of God than we do Jesus (AS).

Although the Qur'an was revealed to humanity through Mohammad (SAW), we do not believe Mohammad (SAW) is anything more or less than an honoured prophet of Allah, as is Jesus (AS). The word Islam means "submission to the Will of God," and a Muslim is "one who submits to the Will of God." It is a much more appropriate name. Yes, we are followers of Mohammad, but only because Allah spoke to us through him. We follow Allah though the mediums which he provided us: the prophets, including Jesus (AS) and Moses (AS) and many others. Most importantly, however, we submit to the Will of God without question, for He knows what is best.

Moving on to the next issue: Imams.

I have addressed this briefly before. Many Christians seem to believe that Imams wield some sort of power over Muslims. For the most part, an Imam has no real power. Quite simply, an Imam is the one who leads prayer or the khutbah for jummah prayer (translation: sermon for Friday congregational prayer).

Although I have stated in a previous post that I do not believe division between sects is appropriate in Islam (and in fact, should be avoided in all religion), for the purpose of clarification I will differentiate: many or most Shia Muslims do believe it takes more than a couple memorized Qur'an verses to be Imam. This is the only exception I know of, though--as I have said before--my knowledge is not nearly complete, so I may be mistaken.

Again, I can understand where this misconception comes from. In most major Christian denominations, formal education is, in fact, required before a person can become "Imam," whatever the particular name for it may be. However, it is generally not so in Islam.

Next issue: praying to others besides God.

I've been reading this fascinating book of Middle Age European myths and legends. Of course, the Muslims (or Saracens) are frequently the bad guys.

In one such a tale, a brave and daring (and almost definitely ravishingly handsome) knight was battling a giant who happened to be Muslim. It was quite an exhausting duel, so every now and again the two would stop and rest quite amicably together and the Brave and Daring and Almost Definitely Ravishingly Handsome Knight would try and convince said giant of the virtues of Christianity, rather than his heathen religion of Islam (it's comical now, but it did get wearying after several stories of barbaric Muslim antagonists). While the giant came to agree on several things including Trinity (?????... I dun get it), he would not accept that Jesus (AS) was brought back to life (even though it is widely believed in Islam that Jesus [AS] was endowed with the ability to raise the dead--through Allah's Will, of course--himself). Ultimately, the giant was slain and the victorious Brave and Daring and Almost Definitely Ravishingly Handome Knight Who Is Also Christian Huzzah! went home victoriously and almost definitely married the fair maid that was awaiting him.

As the giant died the last word that left his lips was "Mohammad!" in a final cry for help.

Again, with the exception of many or most Shia Muslims, Muslims do NOT pray to anyone except Allah. But... I can see why this misconception would exist. Catholics pray to any number of saints, including the Virgin Mary (I don't know if she is actually a saint). Of course, most Christians pray to Jesus (AS) whom they believe is God or a part of God or the son of God or whatever their particular tradition is. Muslims don't.

The most beloved and honoured human beings ever to have graced humanity with their presence are the prophets, and we also have a great deal of respect for Maryam, or Mary--the mother of Jesus (AS). Mohammad (SAW) said that she was one of the absolute most righteous women ever. But we do not pray to these people.

It isn't that we believe that they can't hear us. No, no--if I pray to my ancestors or to Jesus (AS) or to his mother Mary or even to Mohammad (SAW), they will hear me, but they will not be able to do anything about my prayers. They cannot answer my prayers for me--only God, only Allah can do such a thing.

And our final issue for tonight, inshallah: alcohol. Someone once told me that my refusal to drink alcohol only pushed me further towards an extremist form of religion. I didn't feel like debating at the time, but now I'm ready to explain quite simply.

I can understand where that misconception may come from. In America, there was at one time at the beginning of the 20th century a Protestant Christian-backed temperance movement, which is a movement against alcohol.

Now, I am all for a movement against alcohol. Alcohol has taken the lives of many people in my family (by which I mean it has greatly affected them negatively, alhamdulillah, no one has yet died to my knowledge), as my mom's family and a few people in my dad's family have a history of alcoholism. There was a time when I used to drink and I could so clearly picture in my mind me becoming an alcoholic too. Alhamdulillah, Allah has saved me from such a horrible fate.

But, come on. Jesus (AS) drank. We all know it--it's right in the Bible. The Last Supper with the bread and the wine? Yeah? And what about his miracle of turning water into wine? Pretty cool, right? I think it is.

So, while I believe that a ban of alcohol is commendable (the Qur'an says--the bad outweighs the good), it is silly to back it using Christian doctrine. Jesus CHRIST (AS) as in CHRISTianity drank. So did many people in Arabia (possibly Mohammad [SAW], but I don't know for certain) before the Qur'an verse forbidding its consumption was revealed. No biggie.

For a Christian to refuse to drink alcohol on the grounds of their Christian faith would be silly. I wouldn't call it "extreme" because of my pickiness regarding that terminology, but certainly I would call it radical.

However, in Islam it is expressly forbidden. An interesting thing I've noticed about many non-practicing but still self-identified Muslim is that they don't drink and they don't eat pork. So basic, so simple. It is not extreme nor is it radical. It's basic.

That, sir, is why I won't allow alcohol at my wedding party, kapische?

Sooo, I hope you enjoyed this blog entry. I have another one brewing already, so don't get to comfortable away from your computer chair. Inshallah, I will have another update within a day or two.