Question 4:
What is the difference between the terms “Muslim” and “Islam”?
Islam is the name of the religion itself. It means, in Arabic “submission to the will of Allah” Muslim is a related word that can be roughly translated as “one who submits” to Allah and his will. A Muslim, then, is someone who believes in Islam.
Question 5:
I have heard that “Islam” means peace. Is this true?
Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many people (including President George W. Bush) have asserted that Islam means “peace” It is true that salaam (peace) and Islam submission share the same Arabic root. The word Muslim means “one who submits [that is, surrenders himself] to the will of Allah.” But its broader meaning extends, to any person of any faith who surrenders himself to GOD’s will. This use is similar to the Christian’s use of term believer. However, Muslims most often use it to refer to someone who believes in the religion of Islam.
Muslims also use another word to refer to a believer in Islam: Mu’men, which literally means “believer.” Westerners may have heard this term in reference to Afghanistan’s Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, who proclaimed himself “Emir al Mu’menin” (Prince [ or Leader ] of the Believers). The two terms Muslim and Mu’men are used interchangeably in Arabic, and there is no clear distinction between them.
“Request to my blog readers to please refrain from making any derogatory comments about the Islamic faith. This is just a general knowledge sharing blog about the faith” thank you.
Reference:
Inside Islam “A guide for Catholics” – 100 Questions and Answers – Authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. Ascension Press, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
QUESTION 2 - Inside Islam.
I have heard that the number of Muslims is rapidly increasing each year throughout the world. Is this true?
Answer is “yes”, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. The mail reason for this trend is population growth, through adult converts make up a significant portion of Islam’s expansion as well. The number of Muslims in the world is increasing faster than the world population as a whole. In addition, those who proselytize for Islam are aggressive, well-prepared, and successful. Islam is sweeping through Africa and gaining ground in former Catholic bastions such as the Philippines. In the West, a few high profile converts – such as Muhammad Ali, Cat Stevens, Mike Tyson, Ahmad Rashad, and NBA stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Johnson, Mahmood Abdul Rauf, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim have given Islam an aura of cool. In the United States there are now about as many Muslims as there are Jews and more Muslims than Presbyterians. Over the past forty years, Islam has also made significant inroads among African Americans, as witnessed by the rise of the Nation of Islam and other Black Muslim groups (although traditional Sunni and Shiite Muslims consider the Nation of Islam and similar sects to be heretical).
Far from suffering a drop-off after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Muslim groups have claimed a large influx of converts in the United States and Europe. Meanwhile, huge numbers of immigrants have given Islam the foothold in Europe that warriors of jihad could never gain for it. In the Netherlands, France and Germany, Muslims are becoming a political and religious force that cannot be ignored.
Even if population trends change, immigration stops, and Muslim missionary efforts cease, Islam looks to be significantly stronger worldwide in the new century than it has been in ages. While millions of Catholics have bought into the one-or-two child mentality of secular Europe and North America, Islamic societies are rapidly increasing in numbers. If current trends continue – and there is no reason to think that they will not – Europe will make up just 7.5 percent of world’s people by 2050, compared to 22 percent in 1950.
At the same time, the countries with the most youthful populations will all be Muslim: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iraq. Worldwide trends indicate that by 2050, Muslims will comprise 30 percent of the world’s population, with Christians (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) making up 25 percent. In 1900 by comparison only 12.4 percent of the world’s population was Muslim, with Christians comprising nearly 27 percent.
In summary, Islam is growing more quickly in the Western world today than at any other time in history for three main reasons:
1. Muslim are simply having more children than both Christian and non-Christian Westerners
2. Liberal immigration laws have allowed for rapidly growing Muslims populations throughout the West (particularly in the Netherlands, France and Germany, countries where the Muslim community is already a significant voice in public affairs)
3. Muslim proselytism results in many conversions
As much of the simplicity of Islam is attractive to people one of the main reasons for conversions among Westerners from Christianity to Islam are dissatisfactions with Christian religious figures and what seems to be an endless wave of scandals. Moreover, the decay of Western culture is seen from the Muslims perspective as a failure of Christianity to provide adequate grounding for society.
“Request to my blog readers to please refrain from making any derogatory comments about the Islamic faith. This is just a general knowledge sharing blog about the faith” thank you.
Reference:
Inside Islam “A guide for Catholics” – 100 Questions and Answers – Authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. Ascension Press, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Answer is “yes”, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. The mail reason for this trend is population growth, through adult converts make up a significant portion of Islam’s expansion as well. The number of Muslims in the world is increasing faster than the world population as a whole. In addition, those who proselytize for Islam are aggressive, well-prepared, and successful. Islam is sweeping through Africa and gaining ground in former Catholic bastions such as the Philippines. In the West, a few high profile converts – such as Muhammad Ali, Cat Stevens, Mike Tyson, Ahmad Rashad, and NBA stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Johnson, Mahmood Abdul Rauf, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim have given Islam an aura of cool. In the United States there are now about as many Muslims as there are Jews and more Muslims than Presbyterians. Over the past forty years, Islam has also made significant inroads among African Americans, as witnessed by the rise of the Nation of Islam and other Black Muslim groups (although traditional Sunni and Shiite Muslims consider the Nation of Islam and similar sects to be heretical).
Far from suffering a drop-off after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Muslim groups have claimed a large influx of converts in the United States and Europe. Meanwhile, huge numbers of immigrants have given Islam the foothold in Europe that warriors of jihad could never gain for it. In the Netherlands, France and Germany, Muslims are becoming a political and religious force that cannot be ignored.
Even if population trends change, immigration stops, and Muslim missionary efforts cease, Islam looks to be significantly stronger worldwide in the new century than it has been in ages. While millions of Catholics have bought into the one-or-two child mentality of secular Europe and North America, Islamic societies are rapidly increasing in numbers. If current trends continue – and there is no reason to think that they will not – Europe will make up just 7.5 percent of world’s people by 2050, compared to 22 percent in 1950.
At the same time, the countries with the most youthful populations will all be Muslim: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iraq. Worldwide trends indicate that by 2050, Muslims will comprise 30 percent of the world’s population, with Christians (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) making up 25 percent. In 1900 by comparison only 12.4 percent of the world’s population was Muslim, with Christians comprising nearly 27 percent.
In summary, Islam is growing more quickly in the Western world today than at any other time in history for three main reasons:
1. Muslim are simply having more children than both Christian and non-Christian Westerners
2. Liberal immigration laws have allowed for rapidly growing Muslims populations throughout the West (particularly in the Netherlands, France and Germany, countries where the Muslim community is already a significant voice in public affairs)
3. Muslim proselytism results in many conversions
As much of the simplicity of Islam is attractive to people one of the main reasons for conversions among Westerners from Christianity to Islam are dissatisfactions with Christian religious figures and what seems to be an endless wave of scandals. Moreover, the decay of Western culture is seen from the Muslims perspective as a failure of Christianity to provide adequate grounding for society.
“Request to my blog readers to please refrain from making any derogatory comments about the Islamic faith. This is just a general knowledge sharing blog about the faith” thank you.
Reference:
Inside Islam “A guide for Catholics” – 100 Questions and Answers – Authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. Ascension Press, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Islam - A Guide for Catholics 100 Q & A
This blog is written straight from a book that I have started reading "Inside Islam - A guide for Catholics" There are a total of 100 questions and answers. Book was authored by Daniel Ali a convert to Catholicism from Islam in 1998 and by Robert Spencer who has authored two pervious books on Islam.
So, here we go. Please keep in mind I am taking this straight from the book. No, changes are being added, nor am I giving an narrative or my opinion on the subject. No, offense to my Muslim Brothers and Sisters, friends, colleagues and family. These questions will be selected based on the content, which will the audience a general idea about Islam, it origin and its present state and how Catholic and Christians can understand the faith of our Muslims brothers and answer them if asked about Christian faith, in retrospect of tradition and belief.
I will try to my best to add as many questions and answers per blog, provided there are 100 questions and out which I will need to select them based on the content, that is not offensive to any of the blog reading audience.
Questions 1:
What is Islam?
Islam is the religion of more than a billion people on earth – a far cry from its humble and obscure beginnings in seventh-century Arabia. Islam is the dominant faith in over fifty countries stretching from Morocco to Indonesia. It is generally classified as one of the three great monotheistic religions along with Judaism and Christianity, and it contains numerous ties to Judeo-Christian tradition. Muslims worship one GOD, Allah, and they revere the man they consider to have been His last and greatest prophet, Muhammad, seventh-century Arabian.
Also, this is my request to my blog readers to please refrain from making any derogatory comments about the Islamic faith. This is just a general knowledge sharing blog about the faith(s).
Reference:
Inside Islam “A guide for Catholics” – 100 Questions and Answers – Authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. Ascension Press, West Chester, Pennsylvania.West Chester, Pennsylvania.
So, here we go. Please keep in mind I am taking this straight from the book. No, changes are being added, nor am I giving an narrative or my opinion on the subject. No, offense to my Muslim Brothers and Sisters, friends, colleagues and family. These questions will be selected based on the content, which will the audience a general idea about Islam, it origin and its present state and how Catholic and Christians can understand the faith of our Muslims brothers and answer them if asked about Christian faith, in retrospect of tradition and belief.
I will try to my best to add as many questions and answers per blog, provided there are 100 questions and out which I will need to select them based on the content, that is not offensive to any of the blog reading audience.
Questions 1:
What is Islam?
Islam is the religion of more than a billion people on earth – a far cry from its humble and obscure beginnings in seventh-century Arabia. Islam is the dominant faith in over fifty countries stretching from Morocco to Indonesia. It is generally classified as one of the three great monotheistic religions along with Judaism and Christianity, and it contains numerous ties to Judeo-Christian tradition. Muslims worship one GOD, Allah, and they revere the man they consider to have been His last and greatest prophet, Muhammad, seventh-century Arabian.
Also, this is my request to my blog readers to please refrain from making any derogatory comments about the Islamic faith. This is just a general knowledge sharing blog about the faith(s).
Reference:
Inside Islam “A guide for Catholics” – 100 Questions and Answers – Authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. Ascension Press, West Chester, Pennsylvania.West Chester, Pennsylvania.
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