An Introduction To Islam
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Channel: Bilal Philips
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The history and importance of Islam is discussed, including its fundamental teachings and the use of the word Islam for people to apply. The negative impact of protecting people's identities and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the use of masks and the fear of infection, is emphasized. Pr practicing the Prophet's teachings and holding fundamental belief are also discussed, along with the importance of protecting one's own safety and the need for everyone to be aware of the potential danger.AI Generated Transcript ©
He was born in Jamaica and grew up in Canada.
He
accepted Islam and then studied for some fun in Saudi Arabia,
where he does a
master's degree and
a PhD in Islamic theology of University.
He currently teaches Hispanic studies and Arabic
in the United Arab Emirates. So, without further ado, please welcome Dr.
I think the introduction is sufficient to go into more detail during the period of questions,
further questions concerning background information to share with you. Otherwise, I will begin the presentation
on
the religion of Islam
followed by approximately a third of
the people on the earth today. And
I religion which
is to a large degree misunderstood
by the wide
variety of factors, some of them
internal historical
periods.
Some of them are external,
back to the Muslims themselves,
presenting
an incorrect image of themselves.
But what I will try to do share with you this evening, basically, is the fundamental teachings.
And the topic of Islam as a system and all the access is, of course, quite vast. And I'm sure you wouldn't expect me in an hour's time or less, sum it all up for you, I will just give you the basics.
And these teachings were defined by the prophet of Islam, Muhammad,
they got
1400 years ago,
statements
were recorded,
which are considered separate from the Scripture.
Let's define statements being referred to as
and in these, among these statements to the particular headings, which is usually called the type of Angel Gabriel.
And the circumstance of the candidate
is that on one occasion, Prophet was sitting with a group of his disciples
in the mosque.
And he asked them if they had any questions.
And nobody asked anything.
While they were sitting there, an individual can walking in off the desert,
and enter the circle and
in front of the Prophet,
and this individual, as described by comparison, was wearing very white clothes.
Black,
which was unusual because of the fact that he appears to have walked in off the desert. Normally, the first one would be covered in some
type is quite unusual. He sat in front of the Prophet and he asked him the question, what is the flower?
And then the Prophet
explained.
And following that, he asked him, what was the matter? Okay. And then he proceeded to explain what were the basic principles of the faith.
And it is this particular
segment of the profit which
has provided for the Muslim world, the foundation of the faith, meaning that it is not something debatable.
We're in scholars at a certain period in time,
debated about what we would consider to be the basics of the face and then some agreed on this
until eventually for
It became a common
agreed that a principle, but that these principles were right from the very beginning. And were found the Prophet himself
when he said concerning Islam,
and Islam, as an Arabic term,
submission
to the will of God.
At the same time, it also means peace,
which
would be a natural consequence from submission to God.
And as such,
the system or religion of Islam
is not considered, or it does not consider itself as having originated in the seventh century.
It considers itself as having originated with Adam,
that when Adam
was sent to the earth, Adam and Eve,
and the story of the guy that
exists within
us, when Adam and Eve were sent to the earth.
They were sent with
the religion of Islam.
They were following religion, which was in essence submission to the will of God.
That Adam,
having eaten from the tree, in disobedience to God,
was also taught by God's words of repentance.
And let's see and turn back to God.
And there repentance was accepted.
So come to the Islamic system, there is no original sin
that is inherited, generation after generation, a common concept within the Christian
theology.
Islamic
theology, there is no inheritance.
And as such, the religion of Adam, and all of the subsequent prophets
were sent by God to mankind was the one in the same religion is the religion of Abraham,
being the last of
Jesus
looked at as a prophet of God, who preceded him.
So the principles which are outlined
by Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,
will be found to exist.
In the Judeo Christian system, they will not be as strange as people who are not familiar with it. Most
people think of Islam.
From what claims are strange.
They find it quite surprising when they actually hear what the principles
are the
Christian
tradition.
Low five
principles was the Sophos outline, when we passed
the declaration of faith
to the establishment of regular prayer,
free
fasting
one month, a year
for giving charity obligatory charge
of 2.5%, surplus wealth to the poor.
And five,
pilgrimage to Mecca.
Now,
I will just give you a brief
explanation of each of the pillars or principles of Islam.
Not going into the details of the house.
But just really just the essence of what they represent. And the goals that are understood to have been
forced they were designed
First declaration of
principle as for persons to becoming,
they are required to make a statement publicly.
The statement consists of two parts.
One, I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship. But
this last
and the second part, and either witness that Muhammad was a messenger
of
witness in Arabic.
For Mohammed,
the first part of his declaration of faith in God
represents a denial of the existence of any other object of worship has meaning.
And that there is only one true God.
An Arabic name referring to that two Gods is a lot.
But
if one refers to that tool guide as
English, or
Spanish,
or any other language, as long as one is referring to one, God,
who has no partner,
no relative,
then we're thinking about one in the same.
So the issue of the name is not something because you call God God, and we call God's a law that we're talking about.
As long as
the concept of name one's unique God, guided with unique
attributes.
The basic faith requires this one denies any other gods besides us.
Secondly, that Muhammad was a messenger of
meaning, that Muhammad
was to be followed
a messenger of God, His instructions were to be obeyed.
And his explanation of the Scripture was to be effective,
represented the
medium by which the final message of God was conveyed to humankind
now,
was to be done open
before some members of the community basically, to inform them of the face, although under circumstances, where one's life may be threatened, that it is permissible for ones to hide that
practice.
Until such time as one is able to practice opening,
but as a general principle, it should be made as an open space.
How they express expressed that the second pillar
is the establishment of prayer
five times daily.
The idea being that one
is organized around prayer.
Recognizing the human being is a spiritual being, as well as the material
and as a spiritual aspect of us human beings is primary.
Then the day
is organized around prayer. Outside of the times of prayer, of course, one deals with one's daily needs in material but that the first thing one does in the morning when you get up
before sunrise, getting around.
one
phrase, when one breaks, there's a break in the mid day
before eating lunch, once again.
And then the mid afternoon,
immediately after sunset. And then the night before going off
five times a day when required. Of course
under some circumstances, this is there are some modifications in the sense that as a traveler, where difficulties may be experienced and praying,
the traveler is allowed to combine or pray to have the fares together the one midday in the mid afternoon.
And the nice sunset the night pyramid, together, allowing
some new ways of traveling. And people in difficult circumstances may also do that, depending on the type of job one is doing, for example, if
the person was a surgeon, who may be involved in a five hour six hour operation, and fers, he knows that fers will come in between will not be able to
ask the operating team to hold on for minutes, five minutes to go and pray.
He is allowed to combine his prayers in a similar fashion where there is a legitimate need.
Otherwise, there is spread over the course of the day. His goal being as stated in the crime itself.
That's plan was to be established for the remembrance of God.
That to the remembrance of God,
human beings
become better people
are aware of their actions and more. So they would question their actions and try to do what they know to be
basic goals.
The third principle is that of fasting
one month in a year.
And of course, some of you might wonder how in the world Could you pass for one month
because our fast involves your eating, drinking or taking anything
you may be familiar with, or commonly practiced.
Now, which means giving up
giving up with fasting in Islamic tradition is like the fastest recorded practice by Jesus and Moses, meaning a photo
of not taking any drink or any
and also not having any sexual relations.
Now,
of course, as I said, may sound impossible over a period of a month. And because I'm sure you know, you would imagine, it would be dropping like flies
destination. But the fact of the matter is that this is a 30 day fast in the sense of 24 hours.
People are required to pass from dawn until sunset.
Prior to the dawn, they eat the night meal. And immediately after sunset, they can eat a meal.
So the fasting is in the daylight hours.
And the goal of that fasting is primarily to develop a sense of
self control,
because it's
quite well
known that much of our
desires are ones most of the the corruption which mistake in society are resolved, you know, some very basic desires among them are desires for sex and desire for food
may drive people to commit certain crimes.
So, the fasting period is strange to the individual to gain control over these desires.
And at the same time, it is designed to give the individual also a sense of awareness
of those who are suffering or feeling the hunger to their feelings, not by choice, but by the circumstances.
So it is also designed to develop in the individuals a sense of compassion for the needy, which would then encourage this individual to share some of what he has, or she has with those who are needy in the society. As a matter of fact, at the end of the 30 day period of fasting, there is a something of a festival known as
or the festival for the business of fast
which everyone who has any needs is required to give some food to those who don't
The fourth basic principle is that all
composite charts
and this, as I mentioned was 2.5%, of one's surplus wealth.
And the difference between this and the tie is that the tired of a sense of sense, which is regarded as requiring
a Jewish
tradition
is that the 10% doesn't take into account the differences in travel
I may earn 1000 pounds a month. So, may you but I may have been children and you are one to 10% of my wealth
in relationship to 10% of yours and declined.
So, the system the family system of 2.5% 2.5% of surplus,
surplus of meaning, one savings, which one has left us over a period of a year, that one has savings over the value of approximately 1000 $2,000
or pounds
over a period of a year, then 2.5% of this should be given to the poor. Again, it's not given to a priest,
the priest
is given directly to the for the individual may give it to a north central
committee who would handle distributional risk for them at risk themselves.
And of course, the goal behind this is the development of generosity,
quality which is admired by all societies,
generosity,
which
comes from the individual without any ulterior motive, because we have many different types of generosity around in the world today. And some of it
goes behind the strings attached or no there are terior motives behind was this trains individuals is that
giving without any strings attached.
And it is compulsory,
but at the same time, encourages the individuals to also do this as a regular habit, charity. Actually there are a number of other principles in Islam which demands amount of individual consideration of charities under other circumstances, but this is a this is a basic compulsory requirements for each and every person who has
to share some of his or her wealth with others.
The pilgrimage to Mecca. And this pilgrimage
represents a commemoration of Abraham's
establishment of the first house of worship to God on the earth, according to the beliefs of Abraham, when he took his second wife, Tigger.
He took her to Mecca, Rabia, and left her there with her son Ishmael.
Both are God commands.
And
from there he came, he returned and Bill along with his son Ishmael,
a house of worship, which came to be known in Arabic as the car.
If any of you have seen any pictures of Mexico,
last
people are afraid around that cube is the house of worship originally
owned all the songs of the original songs
broken down and rebuilt over the generations. And that only one part of his remains divisional structure and that is referred to as the Blackstone which marks the corner from which those who suffer from ambulation begin.
So the pilgrimage to Mecca said marks that
commemoration of that particular event.
The final message of Islam to the to the earlier
presentation of that message by Prophet Abraham.
In this period of the pilgrimage There is also another festival the second major festival in the world, known as the
And
for the festival of sacrifice,
at which time in the
month of May calendar
on the 10th of that money
will go to heaven, He will take an animal, a sheep, or goats or cows, or camels, and sacrifices, animals.
And
the need is distributed amongst the
animals.
And this sacrifice is in
commemoration of Abraham sacrifice his willingness to sacrifice his son, after which
he was instructed to sacrifice
in this way
that represents to have
what happens when, as is that approximately 2 million people today gathered for these acts of worship, in which some days involve fasting, some days and their prayers all the way through.
And the principles of charity also.
It represents a time when Muslims are coming from all parts of the world. And it reinforces in the minds of the adherents of Islam, the universality of
humankind is one creation,
there is one God and only that one God.
Question, as I mentioned, after the identification of the five pillars of Islam, the person who started the process often didn't what was or what was safe.
And he then outlined the six principles of faith.
Faith,
first and foremost is to believe
in.
So we need
to believe in God,
to believe in the book of Revelation,
to believe in the process of God, to believe in the Day of Resurrection, and the judgment
and to believe in
the good habits
and the
belief in God that we mentioned in the first place. Belief in one God
focuses on the uniqueness of God that has that
lot of people may believe in one God.
There is a general tendency to
blend that God with the other creatures, which God created, in the Islamic
God is unique in all
human beings, the rest of the creation, do not share the attributes of God, in any way, shape, or form.
Beyond
we love, a good cause and effect,
in the sense that
human beings may show mercy.
God is
human beings,
ever living without beginning of human beings,
there are some reflections of the attributes of God,
but
the attributes as they exist with God,
are not to be found in a
basic
concept of God.
The second is belief in the angel
and the belief in angels and constitute a belief that God has created a set of beings
that carry out certain aspects of his command universe.
And this is the way that he chose it to be.
That necessarily, God could not have done this without
as this world could not exist, without gravity or other
There are forces that
could exist in other ways. But God chose to create this world, obeying laws of gravity and
other natural bodies, that the angels are part and parcel of the process of the running, and the functioning of the world.
And among them were
particular angels who were given the responsibility of carrying the Word of God, to the prophets of God, and from them to manage.
The third
principle
of the Scriptures, the scriptures were sent by God.
So the human race,
as a means of guidance,
that God created human beings with a sense of life.
But his mercy, he didn't leave them to function merely on the basis of that,
but gave them also books of Revelation, which would remain amongst them to guide them further.
Muslims are required to believe in all of the books.
However,
it is basically believed that the existing books,
with the exception of the final revelation,
have been distorted.
The Torah of Moses,
Psalms of David,
the gospel of Jesus.
Muslims are required to believe in them as a concept
and recognize what exists
them so they have the truth.
As books of Revelation, in general, they're looked at as having been distorted human beings, have changed them over the centuries,
according to Islamic belief is the last revelation of God's
image.
And it is believed that this
has remained unchanged
from the time of its circulation to today.
It is believed that there are no other texts.
And it
represents the foundation of faith.
Most of them in their daily prayers, precise portions of
the equivalent of what may be called the Lord's Prayer in Christianity is the opening chapter of the Quran. And
this is recited in all of these five prayers
throughout the world,
it is generally looked at as being the most widely read book, because you will find if you go into any mass
around the world, people will sit in the mosque before after
the book was being read
constantly throughout the world today.
From that time,
it is also a book which was memorized in its entirety
at the time of his revelations, by the companions, or disciples,
and has continued to be memorized from that time. So today, you will find many parts of the world
1000s and 1000s of people who have memorized the book in its entirety, this is the text.
Of course, this is a mixture of Arabic and English translation. If we take the Arabic text alone, and this is how it is memorized in Arabic, it is about the size of the New Testament.
There are 10s of 1000s of Muslims around the world today, every year more
graduates from a process for three years process of memorizing.
memorize this from cover to
memorize meaning that if you start anywhere in the book, you open the book at random and you start to read a verse, they will complete it for you.
As I said, it hasn't been that way from the time of Revelation.
The fourth principle of faith is belief in the process the process of God
God sent along with those books of Revelation, messengers to mankind, who carries the message, and that they were sent to all people throughout the world.
They're not limited to those that are specifically mentioned in the Quran.
Because God also says in the Scripture, that there are some who we have spoken about, and others.
And God says, In the Quran that he says to every nation,
in writing them all, to the worship of one God, and to avoid the worship of God's creation, it was the same fundamental message shared by all of the prophets of God.
And Mohammed mega
is considered to be the last of
the Islamic payment framework, proper Jesus, Jesus May God be upon him, was also a prophet, the
Muslims are required to believe that he was born of a virgin birth,
believe
that virgin birth didn't make him anything
more than a human being.
And he looked at as being a part of the mode by which God created human beings. He created Adam, without a father and mother.
He created him without a father, without any creation,
without a father, and the rest of humankind, by way of a father and a mother. So it is only a completion of the modes of creation.
So we don't look at Jesus as being anything other than a messenger of God, the prophet.
Mohammed, as I mentioned, in the book of Revelation, he received is considered to be the last because he is naturally considered to be the Prophet. But anyone who has come after him would claim Prophethood would be automatically considered a false prophet.
Because of the fact that she was to be the last.
The Book of Revelations she bought, bras was preserved, as none of the previous books of revelation were.
Why, because one without when the previous book that revelation, resources, and acquired
by was preserved in this way, and the other explanation, from the standard point of view is that the Quran was to be the last book of revelation to humankind, and associate, it has to be preserved. The various books were sent
was a prophet. And after them came other prophets who brought books in Revelation, reaffirming that message,
bring more humankind
coming up. So the preservation of those texts were not necessary
to preserve but they wish
to modify, but they will,
of course,
be being sinful, and the modification.
But since the Quran was to be the last book of Revelation, then God saw to his presentation, as no previous
principle
is that of belief in the last day,
that this world will end
there will be a resurrection of human beings will be resurrected.
The Good Life outweighs the evil
by the grace of God
would enter Paradise if they were delivered.
And those who didn't,
who didn't believe in God
would enter
the
end result.
judgment and covenant an hour or more The end result of life on Earth
where a person breathes what they sowed during the day
Like
the last principle
is that of the destiny, belief in the destiny,
that
everything that takes place was already known to God.
Human beings have free will to choose and to do what they wish to do,
and for which they will be held accountable for
their actions and their choice is already knows.
This is a part
of basics.
Now, with regards to this principle of belief in destiny,
goal behind this with regards to human beings is that
is creating them, those who believe in
a sense of contentment
in the sense that, when trials and tribulations befall them in this life,
they are not given to extremes of despair and despondency, and suicide. And
so they know that this was already
known to God, God has permitted us to safely
and it is a part of the test of their life, to the patient,
to learn from it, if there were mistakes, which proceeded from them,
to learn from us to correct them,
if there were, or didn't appear to be any mistakes from themselves, but they found themselves in some difficulty that's
ultimately low, what befalls them appears to be
a calamity is such
a difficult time that there is behind it good.
That God knows
what is
best for each individual in his or her life.
And so, the individual is required to be patient in the time of calamity.
And at the same time when good befalls them and good comes to them.
Their requires
realizing this was already known to God, by God's permission, were required to be thankful to God, not to
go to the extremes of happiness, which would lead them to forget rather than their responsibility.
But instead to thank him, and to thank him by sharing something of that good with others,
not just by word of mouth,
sharing what came to them, because they realized that ultimately came from God.
Stepping back to the last day.
The goal behind this
in terms of
the qualities or characteristics that should develop within the lever is a sense of our consciousness of accountability.
That whatever one does in this life,
one will have to face
not necessarily
in the life around us.
Because we see people who seem to commit such acts of evil and
seem to pass out of this life without any kind of
Recompense.
We believe that ultimately that person will be held to account
unless again, removed from that individual, something of the anguish or something of the, the state of helplessness that people feel when
evil seems to go unpunished.
So, it helps to produce in a vigil again, a sense of contentment, a sense of peace, in dealing with the world around me
in terms of the profit,
the principle which comes out of this recognition of the mercy of God, to humankind, in the
lives of them on their own, but
along with books of revelation to
convey to help them to
Apply the laws
that he has revealed for them in order, in other words, to help them to find the right way, in their daily life.
The belief in the angels
is yours, ones recognizing
the
issue that the forces that exist
in the world
which were not visible to us, upon our circumstances, these forces are not to be worshipped.
They are agencies of God to be worshipped.
And it is your belief that whatever individual are two angels, who records his or her deeds,
the evolution the good deeds.
And that reminds the individual of that accounting.
Of course, again,
it is not infinite round that God doesn't know what the individual is doing. That recording is not necessary for that record, to be
held or created. But that God chose to do it this way and to inform us about the angels recording Angel as a means of
helping the individual retain a consciousness of his or her day to day affairs, and that they are being accounted for,
that he or she will have to answer will have to face a record of what they have done in his life.
And finally,
back to the belief in one God, that
this belief
involves realizing that everything which takes place in the universe is by the permission,
that there is only one,
there is only one creation, knowing they speak of
different races,
that there in fact, is only one race, the human race,
or whatever distinctions that we see amongst ourselves
physical
or not distinctions in
medical sciences, confirm that was in a way that people
may not have been able to drop
in that, we've come to know
that when a person needs a blood transfusion,
the one who may be able to save his life may belong to
other so called ways,
and those of his or her own so called race minasi.
He could have had that those people who are found that same, quote unquote, race, have the same blood type.
The blood tests are very right across the lines of the so called race schools,
serving as a reminder to human beings, that we are one creation,
and there is only one creator. And as such, only the creator deserves our wish.
If he is the only one who has created, if whatever they say, is by his permission, then there is no point in turning to any other person, or any other being.
And that belief that faith
also produces in one who holds at least
a sense of
knowing that whatever takes place in this life, is in accordance with the will of God.
So, that summarizes
what is referred to as the five pillars of Islam, and the six pillars of
the individual after after.
And the prophets response, then asked him what is
righteous.
And he said,
that righteousness
is to worship God.
As if you see him or at least, worship Him.
Knowing that he
that his
sense of God consciousness should
pervade all aspects of worship
and pervade all aspects of life. Because from the Islamic perspective, all of a human beings life becomes an expression of worship.
There are specific acts of worship which are required,
which I mentioned previously.
One lives one life
in accordance with God's commands,
the very act of eating,
or working,
or studying,
or vacationing
becomes an act of worship.
So, the whole of life becomes worship.
And what
is
required for it to be worship, as I said, is one, that it be in accordance with the
principles that God has outlined for humankind, and the one who lives his or her life.
Throughout the various aspects of life, they have that sense of consciousness of God
summarizes the three stages of Islam
and Prophet Muhammad mega
summarize the goal of all of that, and all the other aspects of Islam
in one term, and that was morality, he said that, if the process was only sin, to perfect for human beings, the highest of moral character
and He further said, Does righteousness, goodness, is good character.
So, they're all of Islam, all of the different teachings of faith, practice etc, is geared towards developing
those moral characteristics, the higher moral characteristics, which all people in all times and all places admire, as being the higher characteristics of human beings, what makes a human being a better person,
those characteristics
were
specified or can be found, called for in all of the various pillars, principles of the teachings of Islam
that
summarizes
the foundation of Islam. And I hope if you have any questions, to be able to answer more detailed
questions.
Obviously,
personally,
as an individual
and a question, I thought may come to my head.
Is this
the ultimate?
I mean, personally, as I said, the thoughts will come
It comes from time to time, it's not something to constantly deal with. But on occasion it's constant, then I will then reflect on the choices I've made and what I'm following and, and then reassure myself
time off.
Basically,
the Islamic view that
evolution is a theory.
It's not a thought.
In fact, it is promoted
to
the average person who
no longer questions. You know, I mean, we've all seen the, in the magazines, in the school books, there's quite detailed drawings and pictures of you know, how we can from a single celled animal and ended up where we are, you know, it's very, I mean, nobody really doubt this today. But when you actually sit with the leading evolutionist, the actual scholars themselves who specialized in this field, you'll find out the story that we have been told over the years and have been believing
in all the evolution as proposed by Darwin did, you know the accumulation of changes, eventually causing species to evolve from previous?
This has never been proven. It was from the time Darwin proposed this, he said, You know, there is a hole in my theory here, you know, this is that we don't have these transitional fossils, you know, but that's, you know, people that went further, you know, anthropological geological studies, search for the missing links would be found? Well, you know, it has been
100 years since Darwin's time, and they still remain missing. And as time passed, you'll find that the leading evolutionists change their views and their explanations, you know, to account for this lack of intermediary fossils. And in fact, our most popular today amongst the evolutionists is Dr. Stephen Jay Gould and, and others known as the punctuations equilibrium theory, which basically says that, you know, a reptiles gave birth to a bird
that there was no intermediary between our reptile and the bird, but just he or she had a set of eggs and out of one of the eggs off the bird that crawled away and this is this is the, this is the, this is what is led to from an Islamic perspective
Okay, so, our approach is wrong, I mean, the sun
as a matter of scientific
theory, and that the science or the arguments behind it or not,
but at the same time, there is an aspect of this
let me be clear on that, the creationists who really oppose the the Darwinian theory also
run into a problem in that they try to explain the the length age of the Earth is only 4000 years old, you know, based on the fact that the genealogy from atoms to to Jesus you know, is clearly defined you can calculate how many people have been on the earth so, they presented and of course, most scientists reject it outright you know, as being total nonsense. And for Muslims are no problem with the fact that the earth is billions of years old or were no problem with the idea one
that is being presented.
This is evolving into other species is an unproven concept. It is a concept
that needs
to come outcomes are being assigned to them, no problem and assessing
the other aspect of it
Whenever a
new concept that human beings evolved from
a common ancestor,
we don't do that.
As human beings, we're human beings from the time that they were created.
And that's
because fundamental human beings were created from a common ancestor
farms the voice of WrestleMania.
But at the same time, we are there. The other
approach, which is that a special creation is also presented, as the fossil record indicates, the arrival of species on at various stages of the the faculty
development
you know, coming in, in math and in, develop and all these other things, all of this needs to point towards the concept of special creation.
There is, in fact, in reference to human beings, what one could loosely call an Islamic stance in addition to an Islamic faith.
Fundamentally, in Islam, science is not looked at as being
something existing outside of Islam, meaning that Islam is from God.
And nature was created by God, when the laws of science
would not contradict
God's revelation, because they're from the same source.
So,
you know, Muslim scientists, you know, how many
times have been leading scientists, you know, who had the issues of burning people at the stake, because the scientific theories are what they proposed, you know, just never played in the, in the assumptions on history. And science has always existed side by side with
the scientists themselves.
Within Christian traditions,
there has been a tendency in the face
to
interpret scripture as metaphor.
Am you familiar with that?
So that people say yes, well, you know, this, the account of the creation and so forth in Genesis,
but we see that as compatible with whatever science tells us, because whatever the way it happened, according to science, is simply a little description, if you like, what we see metaphorically describes
what is going along with us. So, we do,
what God has described is real. That is not a metaphorical explanation, obviously, what is the reality?
What took place in the details of what took place before that? Of course, God only knows I mean, God willing, explaining the process of creation is such a
certain aspects, once you don't find in the crime, is the kind of detail that you may find in the Bible that then becomes questionable from the point scientific point of view, how could that be? How could that these questions arise? What you find in the, in the, in the Quranic presentation is the broad outlines the general principles, but they agree with the concept though, of Adam and Eve being created. Muslims don't question that this is a metaphorical explanation for the beginning of man but that God actually created Adam and Eve as human beings, when he first created them
in the way it's laid out, in, I mean, I'm not quite sure what the Quran says. But something like the way I set up in Genesis where they were created from the elements of
to medical
well,
Mentally,
there exists really one Islam.
Fundamentally, there exists one Islam. And there have been from the time of the final revelation, elements that have splintered off.
And they represent
a
small, low, sometimes very vocal minority. And I have to lock them in.
Everybody knows about Iran represents that the, the largest of those small elements, I mean, they represent as more 10% of the Muslim world, you know, but due to their political
influence in this time, they seem to represent the voice. And also some degree of what Islam is in the world today. I mean, when people talk about Islam, they're talking about committing it was Khomeini said what he did is willing to dissent. Whereas in fact, from an Islamic point of view, they represent a very small voice. And they're looked at as a deviation from the main teachings. Those main teachings which I spoke of, of the uniqueness of God and His attributes, when you look at the teachings of
Shia Islam,
Khomeini represents
Shia Islam, their belief is that there were
12
individuals,
one,
who was a cousin of the Prophet, who was married to his daughter
and 11 of his grandchildren, out of many who
are defined this group of probes are referred to as the 12, EMA
and they are looked at as possessing some of the attributes of God among them are missing, that they knew the past present and the future,
among them, absolute infallibility, that they never committed any errors, no longer they were totally free of any kind of error, even in thought.
And they are looked at as having omnipotence as having control over the various elements of the universe.
And anyone who would hold that belief in he was from the main body of
Muslims, if somebody pops up to him, he believes that this individual is a human being has this time his policies in the Muslim world is
totally unacceptable, because it strikes at the very foundation of
the other splinter groups smaller than this one are, are referred the buying phase which eventually became its own religion, the smallest break off, which broke off from Shia Islam. And Ariana Grande Mohammed deism are disclosed today there was an individual in India called mirrors of the lab,
that he was a prophet of God. And of course, once you claim the basic principles or belief, once you claim your processes just claimed, as you know.
So they're not looked at, you know, in any way, shape or form as being a part of Islamic
faith.
sushi
sushi doesn't represent another sects of Islam, where among them, the Sufi ism represents what may call quote unquote mysticism, in within the Islamic body of the world.
Then the elements among them believe
that human beings are themselves pieces of God. Right and this is sort of shared by mystical elements was outside of
a weather within Christianity, others, you know, Plato himself spoke about this in the symposium, the idea that human beings are pieces of God and that our role is to realize that we are these pieces of God and to find ways in this life to reunite with God
represents a belief which takes again, take the person out of the main
and what you find is that those who hold these beliefs will then
identify certain members of this particular order or whatever has been saying,
to whom they may break.
They become
intermediaries between themselves and God, they were direct prayers to them as individuals, and again, all of this takes one outside of mainstream minimal, because he said fundamental belief has
to be directed only to God,
no one can carry our prayers to God for us, we pray directly.
So, there are other elements and people who are called to pivot here, amongst the means just a person who is, you know, that tends to be, you know, a very much away from the material life is a very simple and, you know, not accumulating around himself. So they refer to him, as Sophie and he is worshipped more than other people. So, that type of category, of course, that element exists within Islam, we are encouraged in general, not to accumulate too much in this life is better to share it with others pass it on, because if we don't use it in a good road,
behind us, and other people are cooking it, so it didn't end up benefiting us.
Anyway,
critical info,
of course, as we perceive it, I mean, with our
limited understanding how
to create something,
and then destroy it, you know, seems pointless,
God
gave human beings free will.
When we create something, these are not things which have free will. So we can easily see that to make a payment and just mash it up with the burners or whatever seems pointless.
Whereas human beings are given a free will, and ability to choose between good and evil. And the opportunities are placed in that person's past, that God does not just give that person the ability, and the name of the person, but that he provides for that individual a variety of different ways throughout that individual's life to
life.
So and prophets were sent messages were sent destruction. So if a person decides that I don't want it,
I prefer the other situation as a choice that they have made.
And their presence
in the world
also represents a part of the struggle for those who choose or do choose the right path,
the path of good and earn for themselves that particular hand.
This is why when you read the account of the judgments, in,
in the in the
Scripture, it speaks of the future, on a people standing before God.
All of them,
don't question the fairness of it all.
But the question instead begs for another chance to come back, and to make good
that's what they see in front of them, because
it's just the same font spread out in front of them all of the details of their life.
And they will see, and they will have no doubt that they chose
they chose
Well,
I would say, play a complimentary role within
a complimentary role
in terms of leaving prayer,
and a one may see for example, in the meeting, one goes to a mosque.
And that's the one who needs the prayers. And
so one may conclude from that, well, women play a subordinate role in prayer, because only men lead
Of course, where women are praying by themselves.
A woman will leave them in prayer. So she can leave the trail. But by the very nature way, that prayer is organized in the mosque, where women are lined up together, and the women line up together also but behind demand, and again, when they feel
high demand again, the boardrooms role, but the rationale behind it being that people have come here to worship. And
we have women and in the worship, you know, we are not just sitting in the pews as a church we, we need to bow and prostrate. And, you know, for men
and women, but particularly in the case of men,
or women, that bending and prostrating in front of us, you know, and one is not, you know, required to close one's eyes,
being parks and things which are going to help us in our prayers, this will take us another direction. So
the structure that the women pray in the back, you know, together, and the men three in the front, so now the different woman, men put her in the front, after all of that, you know, bowing and frustrating for the men, it's just really doesn't serve the purpose. For the system here, though, on the outside, when they look at it and say, well, women are in the back and no woman. But there is some rationale behind this, which doesn't involve subordination of women,
when they can also look at the issue of the covering, you know, these are usually the issues that come up, you know, women in Islam,
they cover themselves up everything except for the face and hands, you know, why this, and then the men are allowed to, you know?
Well, again, this goes back to the
concept, again, it's stated in the plan, that this dress is for their protection to protect them from harm, the harm,
which comes from
are looking at men, but the reality
are males and females, God has made males physically stronger,
as a whole, not to say that they're not some female boxers.
In either generality, the group of males tend to be stronger physically than the females. And masters and Johnson's have been pioneering researchers into the sexual natures of males and females. And it's well, you know, identify that the rate at which Neo gets aroused, is far greater in general, again, than females. And
when you look at the issues of growth in society, you know, in America's past 200,000, Mark, some, you know, five, six years ago, they announced that the top 200,000 Mark are reportedly
the unreported are probably seven to 10 Times
reported cases of a woman raking
in all these 100 1000s of men, raping women, and in a society where women are, you know, are free to have any kind of jobs they want, and doors are ticked off kind of positions with all kinds of legal systems there to protect them. How many books have been written in Britain about the harassment of women on the job?
Because
it seems to me that what you're doing is you're closing
the newspapers, masters and Johnson, etc, etc, you're not exactly cursing
Islamic text.
It doesn't seem to me that's the justification you're giving is an Islamic justification is what might be called a common sense of vacation, you don't appeal to, to, you know, the way things are, rather than saying, This is what Islam says. But I did say that in the beginning, as I said in the beginning, as stated in the Koran, that this dress, was to protect the women from harm.
The Quranic requirement of the women, for example, not the priest, not not only
that needs new prayer,
needing prayer amongst women, what I'm asking is, is there a Quranic requirement, that prayer for men, not be led by women,
Quranic in the sense that the Prophet had thought that
he's actually saying, women shall not be pregnant.
Women shall not differ from
the actual statements of that nature. But what he has done in itself is that he led prayer and the format of the fair involved women for the buck is wise with structured when they were praying as one among them would lead the prayer.
It is from his from
Regardless. Now, question arises.
According to Islam, only God,
it must be possible that Muhammad in his practice was fallible,
he would be gone.
Therefore, Mohammed's practice cannot be taken as simply a guide to what should be done. Well, I believe
that Mohammed in his choices, outside of the religious
teachings, etc.
Some areas of Westerners,
and, in fact, were corrected by Gods
where there was anything in relationship
of a religious nature, thing was guided by God in His actions and his focus. And this is actually recorded in the plan itself. But I'm speaking about this specific issue, and what is what I'm saying that where it pertains to the religion, you know, and the setup, the practices, and the statements that he made with regard to religion, these are looked at as being infallible in the sense that this was based on instruction from God, were things outside of that, which has to do with day to day life, where individuals may come to him for personal judgment, or to favorite something over another. These were personal things from himself, which we are not required to follow. And there's a
distinction made between his personal life and his personal choices as a human being, and his religious pronouncements and action as a prophet of God.
Now,
on this point,
you're saying,
if
people observe what he did,
when he was leading,
and they draw conclusions from observing his behavior, now
considered an electrical signal, conceivably he might have, he might have pronounced a particular he might have pronounced description a particular way. And people might have thought
that was the way to pronounce it, because of the way Mohammed pronounces words, in fact, so happens to be his, you know, his accent or something he was speaking. Now, couldn't it be that it just happened that he came from a society in which it would naturally assume that women to speak?
And so that was something he didn't occur to him to actually question? So he was practicing what is society, those presumably in all sorts of things, he just simply practice what is society? What was normal in this society, but the fact of the matter is that
this wasn't the organization of worship. The organization of worship in pagan Mecca, wasn't that way.
I mean, they didn't worship, they didn't worship aligned pagan messages. So they worship God. idols. And in their worship. They, they were, they didn't separate the men from the women, or the men in the front. And the woman in the back. This was not an organization, which was some exercises, He instituted.
A woman who said,
Why shouldn't really for everybody,
she would be simply said,
sorry,
that's not the way Mohammed that's not the way
many Christians will say,
Jesus was a man therefore pieces has to be met.
Well, let us say that if we look at the circumstances of the Prophet's life,
and you look at the questions that were raised to him by his wife, and the range of preferences,
it would seem inconceivable to us and his wife, specifically certain among them, is a well known use depressant as the each and every little detail. That issue spot is something that she said, Well, no, somehow, you know, this doesn't seem to give women the
one of the first opposite. It seems inconceivable that this would have just passed them by, you know, and they just live that 23 years that he was a prophet, leading them in prayer, and having instructed people to organize in their different locales, always instructing that the one who leads the prayer is the one who knows the most, and in every instance, are always chosen them. And he didn't say anything about it. You know, it would seem inconceivable that this just took place and nobody just happened to
But instead, what we see is that the choice of demand
matching the organization of the prayer, because if we were to put a woman in front, then why not have the woman side by side with a name? Why bother to put them in? But
it seems to be a logical consequences like, we don't find anybody questioning, why should a woman be out there and in her home, she may lead her or her young sons and, and daughters in the women in our home and this was recorded, which was done, but the other
mentor
was investigated.
This
is just a study guide.
So I respond to that.
Okay, first and foremost, the example. When the classroom circumstance, it was not in terms of the ability of the students, but the issue of whether a student looks at me or not, because when I may have the same ability, but if you study, you get better marks.
So what we're talking about is the choice that the student has, whether he will study or whether he will study, you know, he has the ability now, to have any choice over that ability that he was born with, etc.
as, again, in terms of the issue of God's knowledge of our choice. I don't have any problem if you have a problem. I mean, that is your problem, right? But I don't have any problem with that, with understanding that God knows what I'm going to do, and I suppose to do to do what I do. I don't have any problems.
Why did he get appointments? Because, you know, that's one of the things as we well know, that of course, God had God wish, he could have created each and every one of us, and put some inhale. And for someone who has been steadily skipping this whole process, as you said, we recognize that this is within the realm of God. How do you wish but knowing that, for my for myself, if I hadn't been put in Paradise, right, I would not question God as to why you put me in.
I mean, it's got great information in Paradise, no questions asked, I was just enjoying
how God put me in hell. Well, God, why did you put me
in this life? And you would have done nothing? If I put you on earth and all different things? I would say no, no.
If I knew that was coming at the end here, you know, if I knew that there was this other thing, I would never have done that I would have been a good boy, a good life. So what we see out of the judgment is a manifestation of the ultimate justice of God, that the individual when he comes before God, he is not questioning. Why am I doing he knows, I have chosen?
I have chosen, I had the opportunity. I made this choice.
sons and daughters. And
well,
one of the problem was that
the point is that if there was nobody else to marry, you
know, the fact is that the first generation, the first generation first offspring, they did marry amongst each other, but one there, there were enough that there was no longer need that need then the principle of incest was introduced.
We don't have a problem with that reality.
Good
day
Well, you know, I already gave you the
difference between Ayatollah Khomeini, and his decision, and the rest of the Muslim world. So the fatwa, which was made by us last night, as being legitimate by the mass of the Muslim world.
We recognize that this is a political
image, if you really wanted to
remove
Why would you broadcast it to the government ahead of time that we are going to eradicate?
some, you know, people working to get there.
This is how people who operate in that level of how they operate, they don't give you a foreign office as you were coming.
District.
In
the original,
there were no original Satanic Verses, there are narrations,
which, you know, there was a period of time well known. For one who studies the science of the collection of the traditions of the Prophet, there was a period of time when certain elements
were in the process of breaking away from me
that they invented a certain statement, and attributed them back to the profits, to justify some of their practices and decisions. And those that those so called, quote, unquote, original Satanic Verses are among that body of what they call apocryphal literature.
What I think is,
Tom's question is past. And that is,
it is an impression that
there is something in Islam, which you haven't actually referred to at all. And that is some idea of law. That there is, am I right? There is a an Islamic law,
known as Sharia law, generally.
interesting questions to our mind.
If you take Christianity, for example, we'll certainly inherit some aspects of of Judaism. And so
you will find Christians using the Old Testaments to argue for specific provisions in the law, and so forth. But generally speaking within the New Testament,
there isn't a concept of a Christian law as such, there are Christian commandments. But but there's no sort of requirement that if somebody breaks a commandment, he will suffer a particular punishment. Am I right, that that is part of the Sharia law, in fact, particular kinds of punishments, particular forms of state action against a malefactors are actually required, effectively by scripture.
So in fact, this is one area where I find
considerable difficulty because
if I take America, for example, America has various laws and various forms of punishment, and I object to those particles.
But I don't but when I object to that I feel I'm objecting to a secular state was chosen to make certain provisions. I don't feel as if I'm
adopting some kind of prejudice attitude to a religion.
Because in a sense, there is no American religion. I can affect anything Americans doing without being brought up engaging myself in some kind of anti religious position. But it does seem to me
that it's very, very difficult. If I do object to certain
forms of state action required by Islamic scripture. It doesn't mean it's very difficult not to be anti Islamic. You see what I mean? I'm almost forced to be if I object to a particular kind of punishment.
How can I not be as Hispanic because all the Muslims tell me that Islam. So if I'm against this, honestly,
I don't really see it as so much of a problem, I mean for an individual to oppose, or to disagree with some of the teachings or some of the practices. I mean, that doesn't necessarily make them anti the whole, they may disagree with some aspects of it. And, I mean, if somebody wants to label your man as anti Islamic, you know, well, again, this is
a personal label.
So, the issue of, of not agreeing with certain punishment, this is, first of all, you can have that you have the choice to do to do that. I mean, where it becomes anti morality, it is where, you know, a person takes the position, that this thing is evil. This is an evil religion, and we must stamp it out, and we have to No, we are, this is not
a that's an evil act.
If I name a particular form of punishment is that I consider that an evil act. Because this might be anti Islamic is the acts I'm objecting to, is prescribed by religious law of Islam. So when you say anti Islamic what
I'm asking, you see, the thing is, if you really know about Tantra, you know, the
domestic, you know, this is the anti
parallel
with with some aspects of Christianity, I might call anti crystals. And to give you another parallel example, with with Judas. Now, there are certain Jews who will tell you that they are required by their religion, to occupy certain territories in Palestine,
to build settlements. So
I might object to that very, very strongly.
And I'm going to say that if you tell me that you are required to do that by your religion, then I'm anti your religion.
Do you see the the logical processes, once a religion becomes associated with specific space practices, or material facts like occupation of land, etc, once that happens,
it does seem to me that you've moved on to the area in which one is simply talking about creeds, moralities, that kind of thing, the stuff of which religion is my beliefs in God, etc.
And you've moved into politics, you've only once you've done that, with that mixture of religion and politics seems to me an extremely dangerous. Well, of course, the ministers
people have held this point of view,
probably a result
of the Christian experience,
the Roman
Catholic Church, the mixture between how it was shared and what came out of it. But Islam from the very beginning was that there was no distinction when God revealed laws. He didn't reveal laws only for the spiritual side of life, if you will reveal laws to the social into interactions or dealings, economic, the whole scope, the religion is a way of life, it is not a religion in the sense that, you know, it's just a private set of beliefs that you hold somebody else and all that other stuff that everybody has their own personal privacy believe it is a way of life. And as such, it governs the space. It provides the laws. And if, for example, there is something about the laws of Britain,
which I don't like,
and I take it upon myself to speak out strongly against it, and I, you know, I'm and, and it's, and I say in the end, if this is your mouth, and I am anti British, what's what's the difference between that statement and your, your statement? As far as I say, there's no problem with that.
You can be anti British, the problem is that, you know,
where a religion actually associates itself,
with not just the morality, not just a set of commandments, not just an ethic, but actually a law which is carried out by the police.
It does seem to you've entered another territory, which which is and that is an area I think that
that in, in attempting to to project Islamic awareness that you must actually encounter problems.
You know, find problems with it.
I mean, questions or raises
discuss them in the laws concerning dress laws, criminal law, and all these different things these exist. And of course, the issue with the nurses in, you know, in Saudi Arabia now has become a big issue and, and, of course, how that law is being applied and all these different things, this creates this feeling amongst the people. But in the end, you know, I don't see any any problem with Islam, governing the states and all affairs of the state, and me accepting that, as the system by which I will be governed, and you in England, you know, choosing to be governed by this system, and the things that are involved in it. And if you go against the laws of this system, you will be
punished by the system. And you don't have any problem with that. I don't see any problem with you accepting that I, I mean, this other system where I accept that I will be punished when I go against the laws of this system.
You
want to know, if it's done quietly and privately no problem. Or if you leave the country and go somewhere else and express this, then nobody is going to send somebody to hunt you down and kill you or anything. But the the open promotion of Apostasy in the society is considered to be a crime equivalent in this society to treason. Because Because there is a link.
The thing is that the religion is a way of life. I mean, in this society, if you give away state secrets, they will kill you.
As an act of treason, you've given away secrets about the atomics or whatever research is given to the Russians or somebody else, and they kill us for those giving away those secrets. That is the law of the country, in that society, if you promote apostasy promotes the the repudiation of the religion, that this is considered a, an act of treason, because this is not an act against a religion, which is a personal thing of individuals of fear, but it's against the state.
Declaring of us doing it openly that is promoting apostasy.
If you want to keep it personal for yourself, nobody's coming there annoying position for us to step up and ask you Well, what is the state of your faith, but enough to openly pronounce it in the society is a an act of treason in this topic.
But as an individual, you go elsewhere, we're not going to consider.
So in fact, if one is contemplating converting to Islam, it would be wise to do it fairly late on in life
later on in life.
I would just say
it's possible to change your mind. Well, no, I would just say that if one is contemplation, essentially contemplate it seriously. So this is not something you play around with.
There's no compulsion in coming in. But once you're in, you're in,
you join the army.
Enjoy the army, you're in here, you want to get out this
time.
Well, when was the ending of this world, there's an ending of time as we know it, because time, of course is related to the movement of the earth and the relationship to this band and discerning and all these things is what's giving up days and minutes how we calculate time. So, I mean, once this system ends,
will end at that point, time as we know it
in the future,
okay, in terms of leadership of the country,
the final state, leadership of the country, the process is states that
any society which
places a woman, as the leader of the whole society
will not succeed.
And on the basis of that women may occupy other forms. But the final stage
is not given to women. And we don't see that as a problem in the sense of
we
know, women who understand the religion, they don't see it as a problem. I mean, it's just like, because we look at the state as being a, a larger example of the family. And in the Islamic scheme of things, the family is headed by email.
This is organization of the families, you know, that the final say in the family is with the males, he is held responsible
after his responsibilities that the female responsible in terms of the home, so
that order of things, whether you like it or you don't, that order of things starts with the individual family. So people have accepted that role, that demand is ahead of
them are likely.
It is a state of Muslim people,
which uses some aspects of Islamic law in its
functions. But they wouldn't be considered a standard. Neither was Saudi Arabia.
Even Saudi Arabia, to be honest, is not considered an Islamic State, per se. It has Islam on the books to some degree, but it's compromised. I mean, it is a political entity that applies Islam, where it is convenient. And where it is massive does not. So we don't look at it as being an Islamic State.
Presently, there aren't in
your second question for just a minute. So I think
she had her hand up, and I think I've ignored
I didn't actually
know within.
I don't know, I think maybe I missed I missed a day, because it was recorded first of the text of the text within the period of rule of abubaker, which is within two years after the time of the Prophet, actually, within one year after
one day, they brought him together for the right
time, when they, when they were making that writing a year after the time of the death of the confidence that they brought all the pieces together. But they didn't even rely on that alone. They also brought all of the people who had memorized the whole of the text and compare the written with what was memorized. And then what was what was recorded it as the basic Codex was on the basis of what was written confirmed by what was memorized.
So it's actually got to stop us. We are running right up against time. And we're going to have to move ourselves out fairly quickly. Can I on your behalf.
Fascinating, very thorough introduction.
My pleasure, and I enjoyed your questions. And at any time in the future, if you would like to further any discussions and I'm in the country, I will be glad to come