WHAT’S UP WITH THOSE CRAZY MUSLIMS?
IRFAN ALLI
Copyright © 2016 by Irfan Alli
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2634-1
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
CONTACT: Irfan Alli can be reached at [email protected]
WHAT’S UP WITH THOSE CRAZY MUSLIMS: From the kind of coverage Islam and Muslims receive in the media you would think it is an irrational and violent way of life, adopted by a bunch of lunatics. There are lunatics and terrorists in the Muslim community, but it is not possible that the more than one and a half billion Muslims around the world are all lunatics and terrorists.
It is important that you find out what these people really think and believe because they live in your neighborhood. They are teachers in your child’s school, they seek political office, they serve you coffee at your favourite diner, they design and build the houses in which you live and they are your family doctor. Some of them are also refugees.
This book is a collection of answers to common questions people ask about Islam and Muslims. It is written so agnostics, atheists, bigots, journalists, movie makers, racists, politicians, Christians, Jews, dummies and the common person can sort through the confusion or prejudices with which they view Islam and Muslims and learn what Islam really is.
IRFAN ALLI: Irfan Alli is the author of several eBooks. Among them:
1.101 Selected Sayings of Buddha
2.What are Angels?
3.101 Selected Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
4.Family Makeovers
5.101 Selected Sayings of Mahatma Gandhi
6.How to Get the Most Out of School
7.25 Prophets of Islam
8.201 Motivational Quotes from Around the World
9.Spouse Trap – Over 200 Questions to Ask before Saying ‘I do’
10.What Happens After We Die?
11.Condominiums and Townhouses
12.Life, Death and The Hereafter
13.Enlightenment from The Quran – God’s Last Revelation to Mankind
His volunteer efforts, professional work and recreational activities have taken him all across Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Guyana, Pakistan, India, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey, Portugal and Spain. What he has learned from his travels is reflected in his writing. Irfan lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife, four children, and a growing number of grandchildren. His website is www.irfanalli.com
INTRODUCTION
My wife and I recently came back from a trip to Portugal, Gibraltar and Spain. Travelling with a group of Non-Muslims we were in regular conversation with them on the plane, bus and at meal times. Often the conversation drifted to religion, Islam and Muslims. The questions on Islam and Muslims were similar to questions on past trips to other countries. On returning from Spain I decided it was time for a question and answer eBook with a crazy title.
Islam today is suffering from a lack of public relations and is drowning in media distortion and misinformation. As a result it is the world’s best kept religious secret. In many countries, especially Western countries, people are scared of Islam even though they don’t know what it is. Simple facts like, Jesus is a prophet of Islam or his mother Mary is a celebrity amongst Muslims eludes them. If this is you, it is time to read. However be careful what you read. Many authors are on the defensive explaining what Islam is not. This book is about what Islam is!
Also be careful of what you watch. As I listen to Non-Muslim experts in the media and watch documentaries made by Non-Muslims on Islam and Muslims, I often hear about an Islam I don’t recognize and is not Main Stream. Yes there are fools and lunatics who call themselves Muslims killing innocent people and blowing themselves up. Unfortunately, the media in their reporting imply this is what all Muslims believe and are like. Yet when a white person carries out a similar act, it is reported as a white person “with a mental health issue” or a white person that was “a racist that killed innocent people”. Fortunately, the media in their reporting does not imply that all white people are racists or suffering from mental health issues.
Furthermore the media does not give equal time to Muslims to correct distortions nor do they invite Muslim experts to speak for Islam and Muslims. As a result the misinformation continues and even those who consider themselves open minded and informed simply re-arrange their biases and bigotry. The fact is, there are over one and a half billion Muslims. If Muslims wanted to kill off Non-Muslims they have ample opportunities and they don’t even need guns and explosives to do it.
Hopefully after you have read What’s Up With Those Crazy Muslims you will come to know there is another type of Muslim and that Islam is a comprehensive, balanced and a just way of life. Hopefully you will then be able to recognize when Islam and Muslims are being misrepresented in the media and by politicians. To make it easy to understand, digest and uncover the world’s best kept religious secrets, the information is organized in the form of questions and answers. The questions and answers are loosely organized in a logical order. The wording of the questions was refined to ensure clarity. Throughout the book I will be referring to the two sources the teachings of Islam come from. Namely the Quran and the Hadith.
Muslims believe the same angel (Gabriel) that came to prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus also came to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all). Muslims also believe that God, through the angel Gabriel, revealed the Quran to Muhammad (peace be upon him). This was done over a period of twenty-three years. Muslims consider the Quran to be God’s last revelation to mankind. Since one in every five persons on earth is a Muslim, the Quran enlightens and guides over one and a half billion people around the world.
The Hadith are sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived during the sixth and seventh centuries. Muslims accept him as God’s last Prophet and Messenger to mankind. He invited people to believe in the same God that Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them) invited people to. The sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) number in the thousands, and cover a variety of topics. It is these two sources that we will use to inform ourselves and answer questions.
Should you have even more questions after reading this eBook, please visit my website at www.irfanalli.com
Irfan Alli
WHAT IS ISLAM AND WHO IS A MUSLIM?
Islam is a divinely inspired way of life. It is a way of life that is a continuation and confirmation of the same way of life taught by prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon all of them). Muslims worship the same God that Jews and Christians worship and the same angel (Gabriel) that brought revelation to Moses and Jesus, brought revelation to Muhammad (peace be upon all of them).
Islam is not a religion in the way most people follow religion, but a way of life with spiritual, moral, social, political, economic and intellectual guidance. It invites and encourages people to examine and scrutinize its teachings. Only if it appeals to their reasoning and intellect they may choose to follow it. Islam teaches there is no compulsion in religion.