Islam Plain and Simple
By Tariq Jalil
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About this ebook
In Islam Plain and Simple, author Tariq Jalil explores the basic beliefs of Islam as well as its most controversial topics. In this highly accessible introduction, Mr. Jalil expounds upon the basis of Muslim ethics and spirituality practiced by over 1.6 billion people. With an eye toward common misconceptions held by observers in the West, and to the sometimes troubling inheritance in Muslim countries, he has woven together a well-researched narrative that challenges both stereotypes and even some practices in the Muslim world itself. Mr. Jalil's perspective and depth of understanding is invaluable for enhancing understanding and providing a dialogue for many years to come.
Tariq Jalil
Tariq Jalil works in the Los Angeles film and broadcast television industry. He specializes in movie and television development and production.
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Islam Plain and Simple - Tariq Jalil
Islam Plain and Simple
Women, Terrorism, and Other Controversial Topics
Tariq Jalil
Copyright 2014 by Tariq Jalil. All Rights Reserved.
Published by Quinn Press
Santa Monica, CA
IslamPlainandSimple@gmail.com
www.IslamPlainandSimple.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from Quinn Press or Tariq Jalil, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.
Smashwords Edition
Licensing Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal use and enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.
Jalil, Tariq, Author
1. Religion
2. Islam
Book Design and Cover Design 2014
All Rights Reserved by Tariq Jalil and Quinn Press
E-Book by e-book-design.com.
This book has been endorsed by the following:
Dr. Eboo Patel – Adviser to the White House
Professor Michael Morony – UCLA, History Department, Islamic Studies Program Chair
Professor Akbar Ahmed – American University, Chair of Islamic Studies
Professor Juan Cole – University of Michigan, History Department, Commentator, Author of Engaging the Muslim World
Dr. Reza Aslan – Author of the international bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War, Commentator on the Daily Beast
Acknowledgments
Mazhar, Betty, Arshia, Ilham, Carol, Maura, Anna, Munir, Polly, James, all the endorsers, and everyone who took the time to make sure this book is accurate and not a complete bore.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
Science and Discovery
Life and Death
The Day of Judgment
CHAPTER TWO
The Original Message
Jesus in Islam
Humans’ Relation to God
Heaven and Hell
Action Versus Belief
CHAPTER THREE
Islam and Others
The Concept of Freedom
Christianity and Judaism in Islam
CHAPTER FOUR
Women in the Time of Muhammad
Addressing Women in Islam
Women, Marriage, Finances, and Rights
The Modern Reality
Women, Islam, and Controversy
Modesty, Veils, and Headscarves
Polygamy
Virgins
Inheritance and Women in the Quran
Women as Witnesses in the Quran
Female Circumcision
Women in the Mosque
CHAPTER FIVE
Justice
Good Character
Treatment of Animals
Animals and Food
CHAPTER SIX
The Spiritual and the Material
Science Versus Religion
CHAPTER SEVEN
Muslim Countries and Government
Punishment in a Real Islamic Society
Islamic Government
CHAPTER EIGHT
War and Terror
Jihad
Terrorism
Conclusion
CHAPTER NINE
The Five Pillars of Islam
A Final Note on the Pillars
What is Forbidden
CHAPTER TEN
Muhammad’s Life
CONCLUSION
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Introduction
This book has been written for the sole purpose of informing the reader about the foundational beliefs of a religion that is followed by approximately 1.6 billion people. Great lengths have been taken to provide complete and factual information with every major topic and sub-topic referenced by a reliable source.
Unfortunately, in the modern day, a reasoned and unbiased examination of Islam is becoming difficult. Newscasts often show only violent images of Muslims while certain organizations and political parties have used Islam as a scapegoat for all the world’s ills. While Muslim extremists undoubtedly exist and undoubtedly commit acts of violence and oppression, these people only comprise a small minority of Islam’s followers, and like most extremists, are the least qualified to represent their religion’s principles and teachings.
Also working against Islam’s image is the common misperception that countries with Muslim majorities are backwards politically, economically and socially. While this is true in some cases, there are many countries like Turkey, Bangladesh, and Indonesia that represent some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Many people in the West do not consider these countries when discussing Islam because most people believe the Arab Middle East is the sole representative of the religion. However, all the Arab countries put together only comprise about 15% of the Muslim World.
The intent of this book is to correct misconceptions in order to explain the fundamentals of Islam in a simple and factual way. It will also attempt to address its most controversial topics. Again, the information contained within has been meticulously annotated in order to show that the Islamic principles presented are absolutely verifiable within its texts. This book is a basic overview and not meant to be exhaustive; however, reading this book in its entirety should give one an accurate overview of traditional Islam, with the complexities and vagaries of history that followed the death of Muhammad removed. It is the author’s hope that by examining the fundamentals of the religion, light can be shed on those beliefs and practices that Muslims have believed, and perhaps, in some cases, should return to. At its heart, Islam is a simple faith that allows its followers to embrace a level of devotion and commitment that suits the needs and inclinations of the individuals who follow its message. Despite the unfair reputation that the faith has earned in recent times, readers will hopefully come away from this text with a more complete understanding of a faith that has helped change the shape of the world.
A NOTE ON SOURCES
A great deal of effort has been made to integrate specific references to the Quran and the most broadly accepted of the various Hadith. Through this, it is hoped that the faith of Islam and the words of the Prophet Muhammad will be permitted to speak for themselves. I have followed the standard reference method for identifying passages from the Quran; specifically, Sura (or chapter) and Verse separated by a colon. I have relied on the Muhammad Asad English translation, available in searchable form at www.islamicity.com, for my translations of Quranic verses.
I have also included references to several major Hadith collections: the Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, the Abu Dawud, and the Shama-il Tirmidhi. These are generally considered the most authentic collections and are those that have been shown to best represent the spirit of the Quran and the person of Muhammad.
Chapter One
SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY
Islam is a religion based on the belief in one God. To the Muslim, this belief cannot be accepted blindly and without question. Men and women are expected to use their intellect and the evidence around them to come to this conclusion. One is meant to ponder the existence of God, religion, and one’s place in the universe, in that order. If these concepts remain unexamined, the very foundation of belief is considered weak and without merit. The Quran, the Islamic holy book, constantly asks its reader to look around them for signs of God’s existence (3:190, 2:118) and to examine everything within the universe for meaning.
Muslim scientists point to DNA and molecular structure as coded building blocks that make up everything in the Universe. Nothing in nature, they say, is completely chaotic; everything is built with a scientific code that is governed by a law. This observation may then lead one to deduce that such precise structure and laws might have been planned in a deliberate and intelligent way, which could mean these things were created by something sentient—a god. The Quran encourages one to study nature and science to find signs of God’s existence. In other words, in Islam, science is evidence of God’s existence, not proof against him.
The Quran constantly asks its readers to view the earth as an epiphany: Muslims are to use their reason and intelligence to find evidence for God’s existence in the world around them. The Quran reads:
Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to man: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had, been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason (2:164).
It’s important to note that devotion to human reason is encouraged in Islam. Exploration of the world, its inhabitants, and the scientific laws that rule it reinforce what Muslims have been taught about God. It is this spirit of exploration that inspired the Muslims of the 8th–14th centuries to make such advances in the study of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. They were also instrumental in developing many aspects of modern medicine