Salam dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

 

Answering your question, we would like to quote the following answer given by the late Muslim convert Idris Tawfiq:

 

Some months ago, a Roman Catholic lady, whom I know well, telephoned me to ask for my prayers. “Our priest is ill,” she said, “and we have tried everything but he does not seem to be getting better. Since we have prayed to our God and nothing has happened, perhaps you could pray to yours.” I was really shocked to hear such words coming from someone close to me. I assured her that I would pray for her priest, but that our prayers are to the same God that we worship.

So, even religious people can miss the point. The God worshipped by Christians, Muslims and Jews is, of course, the same God. There is only One.

It was the same God when Pope John Paul II and the Grand Mufti of Syria prayed together in the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. It was the same God when Benedict XVI and the Mufti of Istanbul prayed together in the Blue Mosque. And it was the same God, too, when John Paul paid a visit to the Synagogue of Rome and prayed with the Chief Rabbi.

It was my own aim, too, last summer, when I was invited to give the sermon at Saint John’s Church in Edinburgh during their Choral Evensong Service, to encourage what we have in common, rather than concentrate on what separates us.

During that sermon I made it quite clear that I was Muslim. No one was left in any doubt. But I spoke about our belief in One God. And I emphasized that when people of faith work together and try to understand one another better, they can make a massive difference in our world.

Followers of these three great faiths understand God differently, but they do not suggest that each one has his own God. Of course, as a Muslim, I would tell you that understanding of Allah in the Qur’an is the correct one, but I would never think of saying that our Christian and Jewish friends worship a different God.

Allah Almighty tell us about Himself in the Qur’an:

Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. (Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

This is of the very essence of Islam. Muslims believe that there is One God, alone and without equal, who has created the heavens and the earth and everything in between.

They believe that Islam is the natural religion of mankind, which has existed since the beginning of time, and that all of God’s Prophets throughout history, beginning with the first man, Adam, and then the first Prophet, Noah, have called mankind to the worship of this One God.

Muslims believe that God (Allah in Arabic) sent different Prophets at different times in human history and to different people, to tell them of this one fact: that there is no God but He:

Indeed We sent a Messenger to every nation. (An-Nahl 16:36)

In fact, they believe that He tells us in the Qur’an that this was the reason for His creation being brought into existence:

I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone. (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

In other words, we exist in this world to know, love and serve the One God, and to be happy with Him forever in the next. The whole of the Qur’an and the whole Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasize this fact.

That which Allah wills will come to pass. There is no power but with Allah. (Al-Kahf 18:39)

Muslims believe that in Islam we have the fullness of revelation. God has spoken about Himself finally and forever in the Qur’an. Even though this belief in the Oneness of Allah is what was preached throughout history, men and women did not always accept the Prophets God sent them.

In fact, according to Islam, the message of Allah became distorted over time, either through translation or by deliberate alteration, so that Jews and Christians ultimately came to believe something different about the nature of that One God.

The Jews saw Him as their own God, and that they were His specially ‘chosen people’, and they drew up laws and regulations according to their belief.

The Christians came to believe that God had a Son, who he sent into the world to redeem mankind from sin, and that the love of Father and Son was embodied in what they call the Holy Spirit.

Despite their different understanding of what God is like, then, the very essence of Judaism is to be found in the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is One”.

In the same way, Christians may believe that the One God is made up of three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they nonetheless declare in the very first line of the Creed: We believe in One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

Many Jewish religious services begin with the words, “Blessed are you, Lord God all creation.” Those very same words are repeated in the Christian Liturgy. And they are so similar to what Muslims say when we repeat the opening words of the first chapter of the Qur’an:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds. (Al-Fatihah 1:1, 2)

Finally, there is a very beautiful verse in the Qur’an which emphasizes that our differences are really, in fact, reasons for us to get to know one another better. People of faith have far more in common with each other than with the secular forces that would do away with religion and spirituality altogether.

In emphasizing our belief in One God and using that as a starting point, people of faith can come even closer.

O mankind! We created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know each other. (Al-Hujurat 49:13)

So in conclusion, it stands to reason that if there is, indeed, One God, and that different people in the world worship One God, then the One God they worship is one and the same, even though they understand Him differently.

If there were three Gods, for example, it would be different. The three great religions might well then each be worshipping a God of their own. If there is only One God, though, they are worshipping that One God, but in different ways.

Source

Salam dear questioner.

 

Thank you for your question.

 

Answering your question, we would like to quote the following:

  

Killing an animal is a ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume non-vegetarian food?

 ‘Vegetarianism’ is now a movement theworld over. Many even associate it with animal rights. Indeed, a large number of people consider the consumption of meat and other non-vegetarian products to be a violation of animal rights.

Islam enjoins mercy and compassion for all living creatures. At the same time Islam maintains that Allah has created the earth and its wondrous flora and fauna for the benefit of mankind. It is up to mankind to use every resource in this world judiciously, as a ni`mah(divine blessing or favor) and an amanah (a trust) from God.

Let us look at various other aspects of this argument.

1. A Muslim can be a pure vegetarian

A Muslim can be a very good Muslim despite being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory for a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food.

2. The Qur’an permits Muslims to have non-vegetarian food

The Qur’an, however permits a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. The following Qur’anic verses are proof of this fact:

O you who believe!Fulfill (all) obligations. Lawful unto you (for food) are all four-footed animals with the exceptions named. (Al-Ma’idah 5:1)

And cattle He has created for you (men): from them you derive warmth, and numerous benefits, And of their (meat) you eat. (An-Nahl 16:5)

And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: From within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) you eat. (Al-Mu’minun 23:21)

3. Meat is nutritious and rich in complete protein

Non-vegetarian food is a good source of excellent protein. It contains biologically complete protein i.e. all the 8 essential amino acid that are not synthesized by the body and should be supplied in the diet. Meat also contains iron, vitamin B1 and niacin.

4. Humans have Omnivorous set of teeth

If you observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep, you will find something strikingly similar in all of them. All these animals have a set of flat teeth i.e. suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth of the carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of pointed teeth i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you analyze the set of teeth of humans, you find that they have flat teeth as well as pointed teeth.

Thus they have teeth suited for both herbivorous as well as carnivorous food i.e. they are omnivorous. One may ask: if Almighty God wanted humans to have only vegetables, why did He provide us also with pointed teeth? It is logical that He expected us to need and to have both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food.

5. Human beings can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food

The digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat. But the digestive system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If Almighty God wanted us to have only vegetables then why did He give us a digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food?

6. Hindu scriptures give permission to have non-vegetarian food

1. There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They think it is against their religion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the true fact is that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food.
2. It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30″The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad, even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and some to be eater.”
3. Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse31 says“Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of the gods.”
4. Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says“God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice… therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing.”
5. Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris(ancestors) during the Shraddha(ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:

“Yudhishthira said: ‘O you of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! WhatHavi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if presented) becomes eternal?’”

Bhishma said: ‘Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havisare which persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha(the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddhaand what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Mashaand water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratifiedfor the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitrisremain gratified for a period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer thatare called Prishata, they remain gratified for eight months, and with that obtained from the Rurufor nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year. Payasamixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitrisas beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitrislasts for twelve years. The flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitrison anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchanaflower, and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.’”

So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever you should serve them the meat of red goat.

7. Hinduism was influenced by other religions

Though Hindu Scriptures permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many Hindus adopted the vegetarian system because they were influenced by other religions like Jainism.

8. Even plants have life

Certain religions have adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they are totally against the killing of living creatures. If a person can survive without killing any living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way of life. In the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal fact that even plants have life. Thus their logic of not killing living creatures is not fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian.

9. Even plants can feel pain

They further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that even plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the human being. This is due to the inability of the human ear to hear sounds that are not in the audible range i.e. 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz. Anything below and above this range cannot be heard by a human being. A dog can hear up to 40,000 Hertz. Thus there are silent dog whistles that have a frequency of more than 20,000 Hertz and less than 40,000 Hertz. These whistles are only heard by dogs and not by human beings. The dog recognizes the master’s whistle and comes to the master. There was research done by a farmer in U.S.A. who invented an instrument which converted the cry of the plant so that it could be heard by human beings. He was able to realize immediately when the plant itself cried for water. Latest researches show that the plants can even feel happy and sad. It can also cry.

10. Killing a living creature with two senses less is not a lesser crime

Once, a vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three senses while the animals have five senses.

Therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime than killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and dumb and has two senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes mature and someone murders him. Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a lesser punishment because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would say that he has killed an innocent person, and the judge should give the murderer a greater punishment.

In fact the Qur’an says:

O you people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good.(Al-Baqarah 2:168)

11. Over population of cattle

If every human being was a vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle in the world, since their reproduction and multiplication is very swift. Allah (Exalted is He) in His divine wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation appropriately. No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle.

12. Cost of meat is reasonable since all aren’t non-vegetarians

I do not mind if some people are pure vegetarians. However they should not condemn non-vegetarians as ruthless. In fact if all Indians become non-vegetarians then the present non-vegetarians would be losers since the prices of meat would rise.

_________________________________________________

Source: Taken with kind permission from www.irf.net.

 

Source

Salam dear questioner,

Thank you for contacting us.

Answering your query, we would like to quote the following:

 

The Islamic method of slaughtering animals, known as dhabeehah, has been the object of much criticism from a large number of people.

Before we reply to the question, let us relate an incidence about a discussion between a Sikh and a Muslim regarding animal slaughter.

Once a Sikh asked a Muslim: ‘Why do you slaughter the animal painfully by cutting the throat instead of the way we do with one stroke i.e. jhatka (the slaughter of animals for food according to Sikh law)?’ The Muslim replied ‘we are brave and courageous and attack from the front. We are mard ka bachcha (macho men), you are cowards and attack from behind’.

Jokes apart, one may consider the following points, which prove that the dhabeehah method is not only humane but also scientifically the best:

1- Islamic method of slaughtering animal

Zakkaytum is a verb derived from the root word zakah (to purify). Its infinitive is tazkiyah which means purification. The Islamic mode of slaughtering an animal requires the following conditions to be met:

a- Animal should be slaughtered with sharp object (knife)

The animal has to be slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that the pain of slaughter is minimized.

b- Cut wind pipe, throat and vessels of neck

Dhabeehah is an Arabic word which means ‘slaughtered’. The ‘slaughtering’ is to be done by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck causing the animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord.

c- Blood should be drained

The blood has to be drained completely before the head is removed. The purpose is to drain out most of the blood which would serve as a good culture medium for microorganisms. The spinal cord must not be cut because the nerve fibers to the heart could be damaged during the process causing cardiac arrest, stagnating the blood in the blood vessels.

 

2- Blood is a good medium for germs and bacteria

Blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. Therefore the Muslim way of slaughtering is more hygienic as most of the blood containing germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. that are the cause of several diseases are eliminated.

3- Meat remains fresh for a longer time

Meat slaughtered by Islamic way remains fresh for a longer time due to deficiency of blood in the meat as compared to other methods of slaughtering.

4- Animal does not feel pain

The swift cutting of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying, the animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient in blood and due to the flow of blood out of the body.

 

____________________________

Taken with kind permission from www.irf.net.

Source

Salam dear Amit,

Thank you for your question. 

 

Answering your question, we would like to quote the following:

 

The fact that consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. The following points explain various aspects of this prohibition:

1. Pork Prohibited in Qur’an

The Qur’an prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. It is prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.

Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. (Al-Ma'idah 5:3)

The above verses of the Qur’an are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim as to why pork is forbidden.

2. Pork Prohibited in the Bible

The Christian is likely to be convinced by his religious scriptures. The Bible prohibits the consumption of pork, in the book of Leviticus:

“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you.”

“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you.” (Leviticus 11:7-8)

Pork is also prohibited in the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy:

“And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet chewethnot the cud, it is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass.” (Deuteronomy 14:8)

A similar prohibition is repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 65, verses 2-5.

3. Consumption of Pork Causes Several Diseases

The other non-Muslims and atheists will agree only if convinced through reason, logic and science. Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases. A person can have various helminthes like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc.

One of the most dangerous is Taenia Solium, which is in lay man’s terminology called tapeworm. It harbours in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e. eggs, enter the blood stream and can reach almost all the organs of the body. If it enters the brain, it can cause memory loss. If it enters the heart, it can cause heart attack. If it enters the eye, it can cause blindness. If it enters the liver, it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body.

Another dangerous helminthes is Trichura Tichurasis.

A common misconception about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die. In a research project undertaken in America, it was found that out of twenty-four people suffering from Trichura Tichurasis, twenty two had cooked the pork very well. This indicates that the ova present in the pork do not die under normal cooking temperature.

4. Pork Has Fat Building Material

Pork has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. It is not surprising that over 50% of Americans suffer from hypertension.

5. Pig is One of the Filthiest Animals on Earth

The pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth. It lives and thrives on muck, faeces and dirt. It is the best scavenger that I know that God has produced. In the villages they don’t have modern toilets and the villagers excrete in the open air. Very often, excreta is cleared by pigs.

Some may argue that in advanced countries like Australia, pigs are bred in very clean and hygienic conditions. Even in these hygienic conditions the pigs are kept together in sties. No matter how hard you try to keep them clean they are filthy by nature. They eat and enjoy their own as well as their neighbour’s excreta.

6. Pig is the Most Shameless Animal

The pig is the most shameless animal on the face of the earth. It is the only animal that invites its friends to have sex with its mate.

In America, most people consume pork. Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives; i.e. many say ‘you sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife.’ If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs. We Indians look upon America to be very advanced and sophisticated. Whatever they do, we follow after a few years. According to an article in Island magazine, this practice of swapping wives has become common in the affluent circles of Bombay.

Joel Osteen, an American preacher, televangelist, author, and the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church, talks about the true nature of pig/pork here…

 

 

________________________

Taken with kind permission from www.irf.net.

Source

Salam dear Dana,

Thank you very much for your question. 

Answering your question, we would like to quote the following:

 

A lot of people, including some Muslims, question the logic of allowing Muslim men to have more than one spouse while denying the same ‘right’ to women.

Let us first state emphatically that the foundation of an Islamic society is justice and equity. Almighty Allah has created men and women as equal, but with different capabilities and different responsibilities.

Men and women are different, physiologically and psychologically. Their roles and responsibilities are different. Men and women are equal in Islam, but not identical.

Surat An-Nisaa’ Chapter 4 verses 22 to 24 gives the list of women with whom you cannot marry and it is further mentioned in Surat An-Nisa’ Chapter 4 verse 24 “Also (prohibited are) women already married.”

The following points enumerate the reasons why polyandry is prohibited in Islam:

1. If a man has more than one wife, the parents of the children born of such marriages can easily be identified. The father as well as the mother can easily be identified.

In case of a woman marrying more than one husband, only the mother of the children born of such marriages will be identified and not the father.

Islam gives tremendous importance to the identification of both parents, mother and father.

Psychologists tell us that children who do not know their parents, especially their father, undergo severe mental trauma and disturbances. Often they have an unhappy childhood. It is for this reason that the children of prostitutes do not have a healthy childhood.

If a child born of such wedlock is admitted in school, and when the mother is asked the name of the father, she would have to give two or more names! I am aware that recent advances in science have made it possible for both the mother and father to be identified with the help of genetic testing. Thus this point which was applicable for the past may not be applicable for the present.

2. Man is more polygamous by nature as compared to a woman.

3. Biologically, it is easier for a man to perform his duties as a husband despite having several wives. A woman, in a similar position, having several husbands, will not find it possible to perform her duties as a wife. A woman undergoes several psychological and behavioral changes due to different phases of the menstrual cycle.

4. A woman who has more than one husband will have several sexual partners at the same time and has a high chance of acquiring venereal or sexually transmitted diseases which can also be transmitted back to her husbands even if all of them have no extra-marital sex.

This is not the case in a man having more than one wife, and none of them having extra-marital sex.

The above reasons are those that one can easily identify. There are probably many more reasons why Almighty Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, has prohibited polyandry.

________________________

Source: www.irf.net

Source