Muslims

Muslims (Arabic: مُسلِم‎) are people who follow or practice Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion. Muslims consider the Quran, their holy book, to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Islamic prophet and messenger Muhammad, may peace be upon him and his family. Muslims also generally follow the teachings and practices of Muhammad (sunnah). Those who obtain these teachings primarily from his Companions (sahaba) are called Sunni, and those who take them from his family (ahl al-bayt) are called the Shi'a.

87779

Sunni . School . Muslims . Sunni-Shi'a

What does each Sunni school of thought think of the Shia? Do they consider us Muslims too?

Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answer updated 1 week ago

as salam alaikum

the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence are related to practical laws and therefore they are not directly linked to doctrinal and theological issues (although sometimes we see some affiliations).

Theologically, Sunni schools can be divided in three main branches: Ash'aris, Maturidis and Ahl al-Hadith.

The Sunni-Shia debate have been dealt in different way by different scholars belonging to these branches. Therefore the judgment more often goes back to ulama, or groups of ulama, and not to the schools themselves. Also, it may depends on what Shi'i trend they refer as their judgments may differs from a Shi'i approach or group to another.

We certainly see some Sunnis very staunch against Shi'ism while others are more tolerant. The same goes for the Shias towards Sunnis. So it is prudent not to generalize and analyze single groups and opinions from case to case.

With prayers for your success.

79522

Muslims . Islam . Worship . Sunni-Shi'a

Are non-Muslims allowed, according to Shia Islam, to build new places of worship in a Muslim country?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 weeks ago

Non Muslims who respect the rules of the Muslim society will enjoy full protection from Muslims and have their full religious freedom as far as they do not break the rules of the society. No Muslim has right to attack any worship place belongs to non Muslims.

Wassalam.

81173

Muslims . God (Allah)

I was once asked this question and didn't know how to respond to it. How do we Muslims know for sure if Allah is real and how do we know if we are going on the straight path or not?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 1 month ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Once somebody asked Imam Ali (as) if he had seen God. He said "Why would I worship a Lord who I haven't seen." on the further probing of the questioner as to how that was possible the Imam said: "I did not see Him with my eyes, but I saw Him with the realities of faith." The modern world is deeply affected by logical positivism, which considers only that which can be sensed by the five senses as real. With such an outlook one can never be sure about anything metaphysical, as, by definition, the metaphysical is outside of the realm of the five senses. But so too are other phenomena that we all accept to be true, such as consciousness, and this is why logical positivism is not a tenable set of presuppositions with which to understand the world.

Rather, the metaphysical is sensed by other senses within a person and in the Islamic tradition, those senses are usually called the heart. It is the heart that senses God and this is sometimes referred to as religious experience. Through the journey of faith a person becomes more and more certain about God, through a process of incremental interactions, prayer, and appreciation of His Hand in their lives. The wisdom that is contained in His religion and the inimitability of the Qur'an. In a more advanced understanding of belief, the presuppositions that a Muslim chooses to accept mean that there is no alternative other than the existence of God and through the spiritual journey they witness the truth of their progression. God Himself guides them to the paths of certainty after which there is no doubt.

May you always be successful

81622

Muslims . Maghrib

Is it an authentic saying that Muslims should not go out after Maghrib?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 1 month ago

In the Sunni hadith books, especiallly Bukhari and Muslim, it is mentioned that children should not go out at/after maghrib for fear of shayateen. Among some Sunnis, it is customary to discourage women or children in particular from going out then or at night.

Perhaps this developed in part also due to a practical safety concern (that generally it is less safe outside at night, and in many places, women and children are cautious about going out alone at night). Also in those days they had less lighting.

This idea is not commonly found in the Shi'i tradition, and Shi'is generally do not accept the contents of Bukhari and Muslim as authentic without further investigation. I am not saying that this narration doesn't possibly exist anywhere in Shi'i books, since there are thousands and thousands of Shi'i narrations, but it isn't generally given consideration a religious basis. (Of course, culturally, some Shi'is may discourage some people from going outside for social or safety reasons, but that is different.)

Anyway, the Prophet and Imams went outside at night when it was appropriate to do so.

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Muslims . Sunni . Heaven . Sufism . Sunni-Shi'a . Imamah

Will Muslims of other schools of thought, such as the Sunni and Sufi brothers, be able to go to heaven or will they be punished for not believing in the Shia Imams?

Allah says in the Qur'an that the only thing that will not be forgiven is that partners be associated with Allah, and that Allah forgives whatever else Allah wills.

Allah also says in the Qur'an that whoever believes and works righteous deeds, including Jews, Christians, and Sabeans, will have a good afterlife.

With that in mind, how can someone exclude some people from heaven just because they are not Shi'i (or Shi'i Ithna Ashari)?

Only Allah has the authority and power to send people to heaven or hell.

Nowadays, also, people often follow religions or sects due to inherited understandings and doctrines. A Sunni who loves certain individuals (who do not have the same status among Shi'is) does so because they have heard very good things about them, or because they believe the Prophet (S) loves them, not because they are trying to fight against the Imams or support wrong.

It is a different situation for someone who actually was alive during the time of Imam 'Ali (A) and saw him and rejected him or physically fought against him. Anyway most Sunnis, and most or all Sufis, respect Imam 'Ali and other Imams, they just have a different understanding of their role.

However, following the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (A) through the Imams can help develop one's ethics, actions, and spirituality in such a way that can, insha'allah, help with going to heaven. Also one can hope for the intercession of the Imams (A) if one has a close relationship to them and is dedicated to them, and this is also an invaluable gift.

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Muslims . Prophet Moses . Prophet Ibrahim

If Prophets Abraham and Musa were Muslim then why was there no Muslim population before Prophet Mohammad?

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. While the previous prophets (as) all followed the essence of Islam, which is submission to Allah, they had their own divine laws and were not called Muslims. A Muslim is a term given to those people who follow the divine law as transmitted by the final prophet Muhammad (saw). For this reason, the believers who followed the previous prophets are not outwardly called Muslims, even if the essence of their religion is submission (islam) and the reality of the practice of that essence makes them one who has submitted (muslim).

May you always be successful

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Muslims . Non-Muslims

Why are some people born Muslim while others are not? What is the Divine reasoning behind this?

Allah (SWT) knows the future of every one, and He has The Absolute Wisdom and Absolute Mercy. He ordains (when and how and where should be) the birth of every human being . No one will face any injustice because of others. Allah's Mercy is on and for all and every one will enjoy Allah's Mercy and Justice. Those who were born in Non Muslim families will never be punished because of that, but will be given plenty of chances to know the truth and full ability to decide and follow.

Wassalam.

71867

Christians . Muslims . Prophet Jesus

Why do Christians believe differently about Hazrat Esa (AS) when we Muslims believe that he is a messenger of Allah?

as salam alaikum

Muslims believe that 'Isa Ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, was a humble servant of Allah, the Messiah, and one of His prophets and messengers. This is confirmed by the Qur'an who explicitly denies the notions of trinity and incarnation present in mainstream Christian doctrine.

The Qur'an says: "Indeed they have disbelieved those who say:- Allah is the Messiah son of Maryam-" (5:72) and "Indeed they have disbelieved those who say:- Allah is the third of the three-" (5:73). In fact "the Messiah son of Maryam was only a Messenger" (5:75).

Mainstream Christianity believe that Allah was incarnated in a human being, 'Isa Ibn Maryam, who they think to be "God made flesh" but such notion is not only rejected by the Qur'an and Muslims, it also cannot be proven by the Scriptures themselves as no "Gospel of Jesus" reached us in its original form.

With prayers for your success.

70750

Islam . Muslims . Karma

Does the concept of karma have some basis in Islam? If not, can Muslims still believe in it?

as salam alaikum

Islam does not agree with the belief in reincarnation. Therefore if karma is used in that sense, it is refused according to Islamic perspective.

If the doctrine of karma is used to simply indicate the relation of cause and effect among some actions and reactions, or similar issues, it may have some similarities with an Islamic point of view but we should consider also that it may not apply to all cases. For example Allah may increase His blessings to a person at His will: "...bestowed from your Lord by way of gift by reckoning" (78:36).

With prayers for your success.

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Muslims . Qur'an

What are the benefits to Muslims of having the Quran in a complete book form?

Knowledge needs to be recorded and Quran is the Word of Allah and must be recorded in a complete book to :

1. Preserve Quran from any change which some people may try to cause for political or other reasons. No doubt, Quran is preserved by Allah and no power can change Quran.

2. Make it easy for Muslims to recite, study, memorize and follow the teachings of Quran.

3. Make it easy for those who want to know about Islam to read Quran.

Quran is available in the form of book, as well as in the internet and digital forms.

If you feel that your question has not been answered because you meant something else, please write your question more clearly.

Wassalam.

66021

Law . Muslims . Salah (Prayers)

Is there any international rule or law that guarantees Muslims the freedom to offer prayers anywhere in the world?

One could refer to Article 18 of the Declaration of Human Rights as stating that all people have the right to practice their religion publicly or privately. However, this doesn't encompass all spaces (for instance, I can't go to my neighbour's house uninvited and just start praying); it can be construed as a general idea that people should have the overall right to observe their religion in their country.

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Muslims . Islam

What are some important things that young Muslims ought to know about Islam?

Young Muslims need to know the reality of Islam from it’s pure source,
away from the propaganda of the media and political groups and the
misleading so-called Islamic groups. It is very important to focus on
the source of the knowledge about Islam.

All the differences between Muslims since 1400 years till today are
based on the differences in the source and from whom to take the real
meanings of the Holy Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah of the Holy
Prophet (SAWA). The Holy Prophet (SAWA) did not leave the Ummah
without clearly informing them about the source of the Islamic
knowledge after him. He orderd all Muslims to keep on following the Thaqalain. the two most important leaders that must be
followed, the Holy Quran and the Ahlul Bayt (AS) and he
stated that these 2 will never be apart from one and another.

Not only Muslim youth but also every human being who wants to know the real
Islam has no choice but to take it from the most authentic and the
most knowledgeable source of teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) who
are the Ahlul Bayt (AS) who have the knowledge from the Holy Prophet
(SAWA) and the real meaning (Tafseer) of the Holy Qur’an.

After establishing this fact of the most authentic source of
knowledge, young Muslims need to know about the basics of the faith
which can be found in many books and websites like www.al-islam.org
and http://www.islamicmobility.com/

Also it is very important to know the details of the day to day
Islamic life which can be found on websites like www.
http://www.islamic-laws.com/ and http://www.sistani.org.

and www.wabil.com

It is also required to know about the Islamic morals and spiritual
elevation which can be found in books like Jaami’ al-Sa’adaat. It is
also very important to read the Holy Qur’an and the life and sayings
of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS).

It is very useful to recite the supplications of the Holy Prophet
(SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS) e.g. dua Kumayl and Saheefa al-Sajjadiyah
al-Kamelah.

A brief knowledge about the history of Muslims is very useful e.g.
Kitab al-Irshad by al-Shaykh al-Mufeed.

These are the starting points which can lead to further steps in
gaining more useful knowledge.

Wassalaam.