This page is dedicated towards informing the public about Islam in a way that reflects its nature towards those outside the Islamic faith.
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Avi Lipkin, the Five Deceptions of Islam (YouTube Link):
1. Islam is a religion of Love.
2.Islam is a religion of Peace.
3. Allah is just another name for [the Judeo-Christian] God.
4. We worship Jesus just like you do.
5. The Koran is the divine word of Allah.
If you have a spare 30minutes, this is an interesting look into Islam from a Jewish perspective, though it doesn’t fully cover all 5 points in this clip. I would recommend his other lesson for a more indepth study: The Two Houses of Islam. Unfortunately I could not find a YouTube link for that one. Certainly it is worth buying the DVD or downloading the MP3 of this.
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“We must be honest and fair in saying that there are many peace-loving Muslims who abhor the violence… What we are not talking about is the Muslim people as a whole, but rather what Islam teaches about itself. A distinction must be made between the belief and the people who believe it. People act out of what they believe; therefore, change the theology and you change behavior.
One of the main goals of Islam is the creation of a single Muslim nation with no geographical borders within it.
…Muslims believe… ‘When you meet the unbelievers strike off their heads until you have massacred the,’ says the Koran. ‘Fight in the cause of Allah!… Kill them wherever you find them. Until they surrender. ..’
Most Western people do not realize that jihad is not new. From its inception and for 500years thereafter, Islam established itself by the sword. From A.D. 632 until the time Europe responded with the Crusades, Muslim armies wiped out Christian communities from Morocco to Iraq.
Muhammad taught in the Koran “The hour (of Judgement) will not begin until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. A Jew will hide behind a rock or a tree, and the rock or tree will say ‘O Muslim, o slave of Allah! There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!'” (al-Bukhari 2926; Muslim 2921-2)” Pray to God: Chapter 4: The Clash of Religion
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Some comments:
1. Islam is a religion of peace.
The following excerpt is taken from the Sahih Muslim, Book 019, Number 4294.
“Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war…
…If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands…
If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them.”
From this, a non-Muslim must either pay a Jizya (tax) or fight (die).
2. Islamic nations are peaceful.
“The list of Muslim-on-Muslim violence in recent history is endless, and it predates the events of 9/11. For instance, in the case of Pakistan, we can go back to early 1990s to see scores of instances of violence between rival militant organizations of the Sunnis and Shias. For eight years, Iran and Iraq, the two Muslim countries, fought a full-fledged war. Whether Iraq enjoyed the backing of the West for the purpose is a different thing, and it cannot evade the bitter fact that the victims in both cases were Muslims. Similarly, the intra-Afghan fighting that has gone on in Afghanistan since the late 1980s has also claimed primarily Muslim lives. In the process of spreading a bigoted Hanafi Sunni creed throughout Afghanistan, the Taliban victimized not only fellow Sunnis but also Shia Hazaras and Tajiks.” Muslim-on-Muslim Violence, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Weekly Pulse April 8-14, 2008
“In the 1990s violence occurred between Muslims and non-Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kashmir, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Middle East, Sudan and Nigeria. Mujahedin fighters from the Afghanistan war were central participants in many of these conflicts as well as in Muslim terrorist organizations in countries throughout the world. In the mid-1990s, roughly half the ethnic conflicts in the world involved Muslims fighting each other or non-Muslims…According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, 32 armed conflicts were underway in 2000; more than two thirds involved Muslims. Yet Muslims are only about one fifth of the world’s population.” Samuel P. Huntington, The Age of Muslim Wars
3. Islamic countries are tolerant of other religions.
“Indonesia boasts of being the largest Islamic nation, and from 1995 to this writing, religious jihads have burned and drestroyed 1,000 churches, killed 5,000 Christians, siezed or destroyed 100,000 shops and homes and produced 500,000 Christian refugess… Since 1983, over 1 million Sudanes Christians have been slaughtered in their own country by government-sponsored jihad.” Pray to God: Chapter 4: The Clash of Religion
Biblestudiez's Blog 
You got it all wrong. Just quoting a text from the Quran will not help you understand its teaching. Many a times, to get the correct and proper understanding, we have to analyze the Quran as a whole, and not just by quoting one particular Verse. Because if one particular verse of the Quran if its ambiguous many a times the answer is given somewhere else in the Quran. And also, we need to know the CONTEXT for which a verse was revealed.
Islam is a religion of PEACE. It doesn’t teach us to kill. Muslims start their greetings with “As-salaam-wa Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allah Wa Barakatuh”, which means in English “May GOD’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.”
Allah states: “Whoever kills a human being… then it is as though he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a human life it is as though he had saved all mankind.”
No one probably ever heard of such a stunning message of peace, which considers killing just one person (be it innocent or not) tantamount to killing the entire humanity?
It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.
1. Islam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).
2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.
Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.
3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book ’Islam at the cross road’ (Page 8):
’History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated.’
4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.
5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.
6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.
7. Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, ’Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?’
8. East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, ’Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?’
9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book ’Heroes and Hero worship’, refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: ’The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can.’
10. No compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur’an says in the following verse:
’Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error’
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]
11. Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125:
’Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious.’
[Al-Qur’an 16:125]
12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?
13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?
14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, ’People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born’.
The message of the Quran is meant for all people for all times.
Thanks navedz for your comments. Please bring to my attention any comments from the above that are false or out of context.
1. From my understanding: One of the main goals of Islam is the creation of a single Muslim nation with no geographical borders within it. [True/False]
2. From my understanding: Islam was in part established by force. [True/False]
3. Muhammad teaches that a time will come when all Muslims must and should kill all the Jews. [True/False]
Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice. Your point that Islam was spread using force is very incorrect. For the first three years of his Prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), preached secretly within his family and relatives. Then Allah commanded him to preach Islam publicly. The majority of the Makkans (who were pagan idolaters) were very angry and started persecuting the Muslims very much. Only a few became Muslims, but those Muslims were very strong in their belief, so the number of Muslims continued to grow. When persecution became unbearable, some Muslims migrated to Abysinnia (now Ethiopia), where a Christian king provided protection for the Muslims and later became a Muslim.
Life in Makkah had became so unbearable, that Allah commanded the Muslims to migrate to Madinah, where the majority of people had become Muslims. The emigration of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) to Madinah had turned the enemies from Makkah more hostile, and they constantly kept on thinking how they could overthrow him, and put an end to Islam. The Makkans and their allies started to bring their raids to the very outskirts of Madinah, destroying the fruit trees of the Muslims and carrying away their flocks. The winter of 624 AD saw the invasion of Madinah by a strong force of Makkans led by Abu Jahl consisting of all army of 1000 strong with 700 camels and 100 horses. The muslims who, were 313 in number, were compelled to defend themselves and their faith. This was the first battle of Badr. The battle of Badr was the most important among the Islamic battles of Destiny. For the first time the followers of the new faith were put into a serious test. The war was only a means of defence and was never used as an offensive act. Islam does not ever forced any non-muslim to accept Islam because Allah. No one can ever follow a religion under compulsion. It took about 23 years for all the pagans of Makkah to convert. It wasnt as if the muslims sent missionaries to Makkah to forcibly convert the pagans and torture them.
It is true that the point after which Makkah converted was the conquest fo Makkah. But i want you to read about that conquest. how peaceful it was, the holy Prophet (S.A.W) divided his army into colums, told them to enter Makkah from different sides and not to cause any bloodshed. He told the pagans that whosoever stays in their homes or in Abu Sufyans home will be safe, thus he guaranteed safety to even his worst enemies. The Holy Prophet then destroyed the idols in the kaabah and prayed. When he entered Makkah it wasnt with the arrogance of a conquerer with his head held high but he entered on his camel with his head held down, he was weeping tears and thanking Allah. Later on when he addresed the people he easily forgave them and said ‘go you are free”. The pagans who were his worst of enemies were left free. They were left dumbfounded at how easily they were forgiven after they had tried every way humanely possible to persecute the muslims. It was this conquest that marked the beginning of the spread of Islam in the world. Letters and gifts were always sent to emperors in far of countries with envoys to invite them to Islam. Those who did not agree were left alone and not attacked.
Allah states: The Holy Qur’an says: “Are they looking for (seeking) a religion other than the religion of God (Deen of Allah), knowing well that all creatures in the heavens and on earth, willingly or unwillingly, have submitted to Him.” [Qur’an 3:83]
“Surely the only Deen (true religion and the Right way of Life) in the sight of Allah is Al-Islam (submission to His Will)”. [Qur’an 3:19]
“Deen” does not mean religion in the limited sense that it is used in the English language, but in the sense of a ‘way of life’. Islam is a complete code of conduct and it regulates every aspect of life. And sooner than later, all of humanity will realise and follow this way of life on their own will. Ameen!
About your 3rd point:
Belief in Doomsday is one of the fundamentals and pillars of faith. It is the day when everyone is to get recompense and punishment for one’s work and has to go to heaven or hell according to one’s deeds. This is the reason each and every Prophet warned his people of the Day of Judgement.
As for the knowledge of the time of Qiyamah (End of the World) , it has not been given to any angel or Prophet. Nobody besides ALLAH knows when the final hour is.
However certain events are going to take place prior to the coming of the final hour. These events are known as the Signs of Qiyamah. All the Prophets informed their people of the signs of the final hour. Our Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W) being the last and the seal of Prophets, knowing that Doomsday is to come upon this very ummah, explained clearly and in considerable detail the signs of the final hour to the extent that sometimes He would lecture his companions all day on this subject.
This is a brief summary of the signs; there are many books, articles, cassettes etc. which discuss these in greater detail. You can check this page as well: http://www.inter-islam.org/faith/Majorsigns.html
Also: http://navedz.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/50-signs-of-the-day-of-judgment-from-the-words-of-allah-and-his-messenger-sallallahu-alaihi-wa-sallam/
Minor Signs about end of time:
* People shall consider the charity (Zakat) a burden.
* Man shall follow his wife and disobey his mother.
* He shall consider his father a stranger and his friend a true one.
* They shall get the religious education for the profit of world.
* The government and kingdom shall be ruled by those who will be bad character and greedy.
* People shall respect the cruel men for the purpose that lest they harm us.
* Wine shall be drink commonly.
* The dancer and singer women shall be in fashion.
* People shall abuse their previous ancestors.
* The speaking of lie shall consider a skill.
* The shame and modesty shall be ended.
* In such time you must ready for such curses that “Red storm will come, some people will sink into land and stones will thrown from the heaven and faces of people will change.
* When these prophesies shall occur, in every country Christians rules will be follow. In that period a man will bear from the offspring of ‘Abu Sufian’ in Syria. He shall kill many Syeds (The descendants of Prophet) and his rules will follow in Syria and Egypt.
* After this a Muslim king of Rome shall fight with a company of Christians and make alliance with other company of Christians. The enemy company will conquer the city of Kostantiniyye (Istanbul) and reign over there. King shall leave the country and go to Syria. And with the alliance company of Christians, all together shall fight with enemy company. Muslims shall win and one day Christian from the alliance company will say to a Muslim that “We won by the grace of Cross” and Muslim will reply him that “We won due to the grace of Islam”. The conflict shall arise therefore both men shall call their religion’s men and they will fight together. In this war, Muslim king shall get martyrdom and Christians shall have captured the Syria. Both companies of Christians will meet together.
* Remaining Muslims shall go to Madinah and Christians shall reign near the Khyber (Place near to Madinah). In that time Muslims shall search the “Imam Mahdi” for get out of this situation. Imam shall be in Madinah and he shall not want to be a leader for that reason he will journey to Makkah from Madinah. Some false men shall proclaim themselves ‘Imam Mahdi’. When he shall between the ‘Aswad stone’ and ‘place of Abraham’ during the pilgrimage, pious men shall recognize him and shall take a promise to be a leader. During that the voice shall come from heaven that all people who will present there listen that “Imam Mahdi is the God’s ruler”.
Now the Major Signs will started:
* When this event will happen Muslims armies shall come to Makkah from Madinah. All saints of Yemen, Iraq and Syria shall meet to Imam and other Arab armies will gather. The front portion of army shall be lead by man named ‘Mansoor’. He shall kill all disbelievers in his way and above-mentioned man from the pedigree of Abu Sufian shall send an army to Imam for a fight. When army shall reach the forest that is between the Makkah and Madinah and stay beneath the mountain all will sink in land. Only two men will survive, one shall go to Imam for inform and other go to that man.
* Christians shall arrange an army to fight with Muslims. In that army there will be 80 flags and with every flag there will be 12000 soldiers. All shall be 9,60,000 in number. Imam shall visit the tomb of prophet Mohammad and then will go to Syria. When he shall reach to Damascus, Christian armies will come from other side. The army of Imam shall be split into three sections. One will escape; other will be killed, and third will win. When Imam Mahdi will prepare the army for battle, many Muslims will swear that ‘with out victory we won’t go back’ therefore all men shall be killed. Only few will survive who shall go back with Imam. Next day it will also happen that all will swear and only few men shall be save. It shall also happen on third day and at last on fourth day, small number of Muslims will fight and God will give them victory. After this unbelievers will have no courage for rule. Now, Imam Mahdi will controls the system of country and will send armies to everywhere.
* After this he will send an army for conquering the Istanbul, when they shall reach to the bank of River Rome Imam will suggest 70,000 men of ‘Banu Isaac’ for conquering the city. They will cross the river and when they will reach in front of walls, they shall loudly say “Allah Akbar”, due to the grace of this name the walls of city shall demolish. Muslims shall enter into it and kill all unbelievers. They will rule with justice and rightfully.
* The rumor will spread that ‘Anti-Christ have arrived’. Imam Mahdi shall investigate the news about Anti-Christ but that news will be false. After some days Anti-Christ will have appeared. He will be from Jews and come from the center of Syria and Iraq. He will claim to be a prophet. Then he will reach to Esfahan (Iran) and 70,000 Jews will join him. Then he shall proclaim to be a God. Many Disbelievers will follow him and he shall reach to border of Yemen. He will want to enter into Makkah and Madinah but due to the security of Angels, he will never enter. But Madinah will suffer from three times by earthquake. The persons who shall weak in faith will run outside of the Madinah and trapped by Anti-Christ.
* Then Anti-Christ will debate with a saint, he will kill him and then alive him then will ask, “Now do you accept my divinity? He will reply him that “I believe more that you are Anti-Christ”. He shall want to kill him but never get success.
* Anti-Christ will go to Syria when he shall reach to Damascus, Imam Mahdi will be busy in preparation of war. The time of ‘Asar’ prayer shall have arrive and then suddenly Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) with two angels will come from heaven. Imam Mahdi shall want to handover the control of war to Jesus Christ but Jesus Christ will answer him that “I am specially come for kill the Anti-Christ, you keep the control of war”. Imam Mahdi will arrange the army and Jesus Christ will chase the Anti-Christ with horse and lance. Believers will attack on the army of Anti-Christ and there will be hard combat. On that time Jesus Christ will have such ability that if he sight to any place his breath will reach there and if it touch the disbeliever, he will be killed. When Anti-Christ will see the Jesus Christ, he will run and will be killed by Jesus on the place of Lud (Israel, there Airport is situated) by a lance. Believers shall kill the army of Anti-Christ and Jesus Christ will comfort all the people of the world who were persecuted by Anti-Christ.
* In that age, no person will be non-Muslim. Imam Mahdi will die and all control will be come into the hands of prophet Jesus the Christ. The Gog and Magog will appear but due to the prayer of Jesus Christ, they shall be killed by God. After 40 years Jesus Christ will die and buried in the tomb of prophet Mohammad.
* On the seat of Jesus Christ, a man from Yemen shall sit and he will rule with honestly and justice. After him many kings shall come to rule, then evils will arises. In that period, the smoke shall cast over in the sky and it will be rained. Because of it believers shall suffer from Influenza and disbelievers will become senseless. After 40 days the sky shall be clean and night will come which shall be equal to three nights. Every living thing will be worried then sun shall raise from the west with a less light such it has in eclipse. On that occasion no pardon will accept. Then it will come to high as it come before noon, it will sets into the west according to the God’s command. Then it shall rise and set according to old tradition.
* After some days from the mountain of “Safa” which is in Makkah, strange odd animal shall appear who will talk to people and instantly reach to the every part of the earth. He will draw the bright line on the foreheads of believers by rod of prophet Moses and their faces shall be lustrous. On the neck or nose of the disbelievers, he will stamp by the ring of the prophet Solomon and their faces will be black.
* After that the cool breeze shall blow from the south and some thing will create in the flanks of believers and they will die. The black disbelievers will demolish the house of Kaaba, pilgrimage will stop, and the Qur’an will be disappeared from papers and hearts. The fear of God and shame of mankind will be ended. People will adultery in common places like a dogs and asses. Then all people shall go to Syria because Judgment day shall occur there. People who will remain for going to Syria, a fire shall appear which will take them to Syria. The world will spend 3 or 4 years in very advancement then suddenly day of resurrection will come.
Hope this answers your queries.