History and Misinterpretations of Islam

Muslims believe in only one god called Allah, They also believe God controls every aspect of life. Muhammad is often credited for starting Islam However, Muslims generally regard Islam as dating back to the time of creation.(Becoming) In Islam Allah is worshiped extensively multiple times per day. (Molly 438)

Islam is the majority religion in Iran, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. The beliefs of the muslims vary by the two branches of Islam, Sunni, and Shia however there are several beliefs and practices that both branches follow. Muslims origin is from the prophet Muhammad. They believe he was the last prophet of Allah, their god. They believe he was the last person God spoke too, hence fulfilling the prophecy. Just like Christianity, Muslims also believe Moses and Abraham were prophets of God. In the islam religion, There are five pillars of faith. One, Allah is the only true God, all other gods are false. This beliefs comes from Surah 23, aaya 91, which states, “Never has God begotten a son, nor is there any other god besides Him. Were this otherwise, each god would govern his own creation, each holding himself above the other. Exalted be God above their falsehoods!” Two, you must pray to the holiest city, Mecca, five times a day. Muslims do this by physically phasing to the Ka’aba, the sacred mosque in Mecca. This comes from the Quran, Surah 2, aaya 144, which states “We hear our Lord and we obey “...So

Islam is a monotheistic religion that started in Arabia (1). It was founded by the prophet Muhammad and during the first century of its creation, it spread throughout Arabia and beyond (12). Muslims believe that Muhammad saw visions of the angel Gabriel telling him the of the wisdoms of God. Today, Islam is the second largest religion in the world and just like other major world religions, there are divisions that exist in Islam. What must be the most significant division is the division between the Sunnis and the Shiites.

Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission and therefore Islam religion is believed to be an Abrahamic religion which believes in submission to the almighty God Allah and Muhammad as the prophet. Quran is the holy book believed to be the guideline of the Muslims who are the followers of the Islamic religion. It is believed that Allah repeatedly revealed to Muhammad verbally through angel Gabriel and recited in the Quran (Hadith of Revelation, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3). Over time particular aspects arose from the Quranic teachings and Muslims began to have questions about the teachings and translation of The Quran, thus, narrations were developed in Hadiths.

One billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe from the southern Philippines to Nigeria are united by their common Islamic faith. The world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia and about 18% live in the Arab world. Substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim. Significant minorities are found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe. Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. Islam is not just a religion but also a complete way of life and is made up of a fifth of the world's population. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the

There are five major religions of the world, of those five major religions, one claims to be the youngest; this religion is called Islam. Although Islam may be the youngest religion, that does not stop it from being the second largest religion. “A follower of the religion of Islam is called a "Muslim" which means "one who is in submission to the divine will."(Religion of Islam).A Muslim believes in only one god meaning they are monotheistic, their one god is called Allah. The Islamic community believes very strongly in their holy book, the Quran; that sometimes laws are written off of their religious beliefs. A Muslim believes that Allah sends different prophets

Islam, a major world religion, founded in Arabia and based on the teachings of Muhammad, who is called the Prophet. One who practices Islam is a Muslim. Muslims follow the Koran, the written revelation brought by Muhammad. The Muslim world population is estimated at more than 1 billion. Islam is the quickest growing religion.

Islam teachings are practiced in many countries creating variations of Islam within different cultures and nations. Due to the misconceptions about Islamic teachings and practices, and the rise of radicalism within the religion, Muslims are a target for discrimination. Many non-Muslims have a preconceived notion that Islam is a religion of hate, and in addition there is the misapprehension towards its practices and beliefs; such as, Sharia law being barbaric, paganism, and oppression. Furthermore, it is also believed that Islam is only practiced in the Middle East, but the population of Muslims practicing Islam in the world is estimated to be more than a billion with the majority of them being Asia Pacific at approximately 985,530,000, Middle East at 317,070,000, Sub-Saharan Africa at 248,110,000, Europe at 43,490,000, North America at 3,480,000, and Latin America and Caribbean at 840,000 (Desilver, 2013).

As a young person who was raised in a Christian household, it is hard to imagine becoming a believer in anything else. I have been attending worship services for as long as I can remember, and I have never looked back, or questioned my faith. Reading about these two mean and their conversion from Islam to Christianity was inspiring, and humbling. For someone like me, who is sure in what they believe, that process seems impossible. Not for Ergun and Emir Caner, the authors of Unveiling Islam. In addition to reading the book, I wanted more information on the lives of these authors, so I watched several interviews with them where they expanded upon their life’s story, as well as explaining more about the Muslim faith. Understanding how these religions stand apart can be difficult at first, there are differences, but there are similarities as well. This book did a wonderful job at comparing and contrasting the two. It gives you an in depth look into how Islam came to be, how it was founded, who created the Qur’an, who Muhammad was, etc. I am usually not one to enjoy reading, although this particular book would be an exception. I thoroughly enjoyed following these men on their journey, and learning about this religion that is becoming so prevalent in out Country.

According to the interviewee, Islam is not only a religion, but a way of life. Islam is a religion of peace, mercy, forgiveness, and it is the same truth that God revealed to all his prophets. In translation, the word Islam means submission to the will of God. Furthermore, the Islam religion is world-wide, and the people who share the Islam faith are called Muslims. Islam goes back to Abraham, the first prophet, and Abraham’s descendents; Muhammad, Moses, and Jesus. Although many people believe that Islam was founded by Muhammad Islam has existed since creation and Muhammad’s role was to remind people of the ancient religion. In other words, Islam was not founded by Muhammad, and Islam has been in existence since creation. Muhammad is a direct descendent from Abraham’s son Ishmael and is the last of the prophets sent by God. Muhammad was known for his deep religious beliefs, his truthfulness, generosity, and sincerity. In addition, at the age of 40 Muhammad received a revelation from God, which was later transcribed in the Qur’an. The mission of Muhammad, as directed by God, was to perfect the religion taught by the earlier prophets. In

Inherited stereotypes of Muslims are dominant; Muslims are treated as savages, and the citizens of Qu’nesh are shown to be backward, illiterate, and ignorant of worldly matters. This representation serves a larger political agenda. Towards the end of the twentieth century, there was a widely shared view that Muslim countries were meant to remain under western tutelage, as much because they were profitable as because they were underdeveloped and in need of Western discipline. Be that as it may, and despite the frequent racism and aggression directed at the Muslim world, Europeans did express a fairly energetic sense of what Islam meant to them. Hence the misrepresentations of Islam – in scholarship, art, literature, music, and public discourse-

The world Islam is a noun formed from an Arabic meaning “to submit” or to commit oneself. A Muslim is one who submits or one who commits himself to Islam. Like Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a religion of revelation and of a Book. Islam teaches that God is the creator of everything and is all powerful and all knowing. The ultimate judge of humankind, rewarding the righteous, punishing the sinners. God is merciful and compassionate, forgiving those who truly repent. He is a God of justice who unfailingly punishes those who do not repent.

Islam is one of the three major monotheistic religions and is the second largest in terms of followers. Muslims share some of the same beliefs as other main monotheistic religions including heaven, hell, angels, and devils. In Islam, God or Allah is believed to be all powerful, seeing, hearing, and knowing. Muslims, followers of Islam believe there is a day of judgement as well as predestination by god. Muslims also believe in the prophets of god and believe in Muhammad as the prophet that brought Islam to this world. Muslims believe in their book, the Quran was sent down from God. The prophet Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. and introduced Islam in 610 A.D making it one of the youngest religions, after experiencing an angelic visitation from

Islam is one of the oldest and the second largest religions today, coming second to Christianity. The religion is believed to derive mostly from the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. He was also believed to be the last prophet. Islam began in about 600 AD, around the time Muhammad was instructed to teach the word of God in Mecca. When Muhammad was about forty years of age, he began having visions and would also hear voices. Often enough, he would find clarity by meditating in a cave at Mount Hira (near Mecca). One day as he was meditating, he saw a light and felt sequestered. It was the Archangel Gabriel speaking to him, revealing the first verse. This verse was the first of many that would later become the basis of the Quran. During the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula, it was believed that there were multiple Gods but these revelations contradicted that belief; proving that there existed only one God. Like other prophets, Muhammad was chosen to be the messenger of the word of God. Due to the animosity he received, Muhammad left Mecca and went to Medina. While there, he would still receive divine revelations and began to build an expanding community full of supporters and followers of the new faith.  After years of violence due to the conflicting religions, Mecca surrendered. Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca after that and destroyed the pagan idols while spreading the new faith and belief in one God. After the holy Qur 'an, the sayings of the Prophet

Islam - A Highly Controversial Sensitive Issue in Today's World: Examination of Misconceptions and Beliefs