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    Islam Plain and Simple
    Islam Plain and Simple
    Islam Plain and Simple
    Ebook130 pages2 hours

    Islam Plain and Simple

    By Tariq Jalil

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    About this ebook

    In Islam Plain and Simple, author Tariq Jalil explores the basic beliefs of Islam as well as its most controversial topics. In this highly accessible introduction, Mr. Jalil expounds upon the basis of Muslim ethics and spirituality practiced by over 1.6 billion people. With an eye toward common misconceptions held by observers in the West, and to the sometimes troubling inheritance in Muslim countries, he has woven together a well-researched narrative that challenges both stereotypes and even some practices in the Muslim world itself. Mr. Jalil's perspective and depth of understanding is invaluable for enhancing understanding and providing a dialogue for many years to come.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTariq Jalil
    Release dateMay 6, 2014
    ISBN9781310434358
    Islam Plain and Simple
    Author

    Tariq Jalil

    Tariq Jalil works in the Los Angeles film and broadcast television industry. He specializes in movie and television development and production.

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      Book preview

      Islam Plain and Simple - Tariq Jalil

      Islam Plain and Simple

      Women, Terrorism, and Other Controversial Topics

      Tariq Jalil

      Copyright 2014 by Tariq Jalil. All Rights Reserved.

      Published by Quinn Press

      Santa Monica, CA

      IslamPlainandSimple@gmail.com

      www.IslamPlainandSimple.com

      No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from Quinn Press or Tariq Jalil, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

      All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

      Smashwords Edition

      Licensing Notes

      This e-book is licensed for your personal use and enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

      Jalil, Tariq, Author

      1. Religion

      2. Islam

      Book Design and Cover Design 2014

      All Rights Reserved by Tariq Jalil and Quinn Press

      E-Book by e-book-design.com.

      This book has been endorsed by the following:

      Dr. Eboo Patel – Adviser to the White House

      Professor Michael Morony – UCLA, History Department, Islamic Studies Program Chair

      Professor Akbar Ahmed – American University, Chair of Islamic Studies

      Professor Juan Cole – University of Michigan, History Department, Commentator, Author of Engaging the Muslim World

      Dr. Reza Aslan – Author of the international bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War, Commentator on the Daily Beast

      Acknowledgments

      Mazhar, Betty, Arshia, Ilham, Carol, Maura, Anna, Munir, Polly, James, all the endorsers, and everyone who took the time to make sure this book is accurate and not a complete bore.

      Contents

      INTRODUCTION

      CHAPTER ONE

      Science and Discovery

      Life and Death

      The Day of Judgment

      CHAPTER TWO

      The Original Message

      Jesus in Islam

      Humans’ Relation to God

      Heaven and Hell

      Action Versus Belief

      CHAPTER THREE

      Islam and Others

      The Concept of Freedom

      Christianity and Judaism in Islam

      CHAPTER FOUR

      Women in the Time of Muhammad

      Addressing Women in Islam

      Women, Marriage, Finances, and Rights

      The Modern Reality

      Women, Islam, and Controversy

      Modesty, Veils, and Headscarves

      Polygamy

      Virgins

      Inheritance and Women in the Quran

      Women as Witnesses in the Quran

      Female Circumcision

      Women in the Mosque

      CHAPTER FIVE

      Justice

      Good Character

      Treatment of Animals

      Animals and Food

      CHAPTER SIX

      The Spiritual and the Material

      Science Versus Religion

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      Muslim Countries and Government

      Punishment in a Real Islamic Society

      Islamic Government

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      War and Terror

      Jihad

      Terrorism

      Conclusion

      CHAPTER NINE

      The Five Pillars of Islam

      A Final Note on the Pillars

      What is Forbidden

      CHAPTER TEN

      Muhammad’s Life

      CONCLUSION

      SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Introduction

      This book has been written for the sole purpose of informing the reader about the foundational beliefs of a religion that is followed by approximately 1.6 billion people. Great lengths have been taken to provide complete and factual information with every major topic and sub-topic referenced by a reliable source.

      Unfortunately, in the modern day, a reasoned and unbiased examination of Islam is becoming difficult. Newscasts often show only violent images of Muslims while certain organizations and political parties have used Islam as a scapegoat for all the world’s ills. While Muslim extremists undoubtedly exist and undoubtedly commit acts of violence and oppression, these people only comprise a small minority of Islam’s followers, and like most extremists, are the least qualified to represent their religion’s principles and teachings.

      Also working against Islam’s image is the common misperception that countries with Muslim majorities are backwards politically, economically and socially. While this is true in some cases, there are many countries like Turkey, Bangladesh, and Indonesia that represent some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Many people in the West do not consider these countries when discussing Islam because most people believe the Arab Middle East is the sole representative of the religion. However, all the Arab countries put together only comprise about 15% of the Muslim World.

      The intent of this book is to correct misconceptions in order to explain the fundamentals of Islam in a simple and factual way. It will also attempt to address its most controversial topics. Again, the information contained within has been meticulously annotated in order to show that the Islamic principles presented are absolutely verifiable within its texts. This book is a basic overview and not meant to be exhaustive; however, reading this book in its entirety should give one an accurate overview of traditional Islam, with the complexities and vagaries of history that followed the death of Muhammad removed. It is the author’s hope that by examining the fundamentals of the religion, light can be shed on those beliefs and practices that Muslims have believed, and perhaps, in some cases, should return to. At its heart, Islam is a simple faith that allows its followers to embrace a level of devotion and commitment that suits the needs and inclinations of the individuals who follow its message. Despite the unfair reputation that the faith has earned in recent times, readers will hopefully come away from this text with a more complete understanding of a faith that has helped change the shape of the world.

      A NOTE ON SOURCES

      A great deal of effort has been made to integrate specific references to the Quran and the most broadly accepted of the various Hadith. Through this, it is hoped that the faith of Islam and the words of the Prophet Muhammad will be permitted to speak for themselves. I have followed the standard reference method for identifying passages from the Quran; specifically, Sura (or chapter) and Verse separated by a colon. I have relied on the Muhammad Asad English translation, available in searchable form at www.islamicity.com, for my translations of Quranic verses.

      I have also included references to several major Hadith collections: the Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, the Abu Dawud, and the Shama-il Tirmidhi. These are generally considered the most authentic collections and are those that have been shown to best represent the spirit of the Quran and the person of Muhammad.

      Chapter One

      SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY

      Islam is a religion based on the belief in one God. To the Muslim, this belief cannot be accepted blindly and without question. Men and women are expected to use their intellect and the evidence around them to come to this conclusion. One is meant to ponder the existence of God, religion, and one’s place in the universe, in that order. If these concepts remain unexamined, the very foundation of belief is considered weak and without merit. The Quran, the Islamic holy book, constantly asks its reader to look around them for signs of God’s existence (3:190, 2:118) and to examine everything within the universe for meaning.

      Muslim scientists point to DNA and molecular structure as coded building blocks that make up everything in the Universe. Nothing in nature, they say, is completely chaotic; everything is built with a scientific code that is governed by a law. This observation may then lead one to deduce that such precise structure and laws might have been planned in a deliberate and intelligent way, which could mean these things were created by something sentient—a god. The Quran encourages one to study nature and science to find signs of God’s existence. In other words, in Islam, science is evidence of God’s existence, not proof against him.

      The Quran constantly asks its readers to view the earth as an epiphany: Muslims are to use their reason and intelligence to find evidence for God’s existence in the world around them. The Quran reads:

      Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to man: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had, been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason (2:164).

      It’s important to note that devotion to human reason is encouraged in Islam. Exploration of the world, its inhabitants, and the scientific laws that rule it reinforce what Muslims have been taught about God. It is this spirit of exploration that inspired the Muslims of the 8th–14th centuries to make such advances in the study of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. They were also instrumental in developing many aspects of modern medicine

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