What is Islam?

 

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the three world religions or Divine guidance for the benefit of mankind that originated in the Middle East, and spread though out the world. In reality they are basically very similar, or more accurately each Divine messages contained more guidance and details, focused on issues appropriate to the human society experience and stage of development.
Islam is not a new religion, but the Continuation of truth and guidance that Our Creator revealed to us through His chosen Prophets in different stages of our development. It is believed that God out of his mercy for humankind have sent one hundred and twenty four thousand prophet to human throughout the time and in different places

Prophets of God in the Quran and the Bible

	Name in the Quran	Name in the Bible
1	Adam	Adam
2	Idris	Enoch
3	Nouh	Noah
4	Houd	Not mentioned
5	Salih	Salih
6	Ibrahim	Abraham
7	Ismael	Ishmael
8	Is-haq	Isaac
9	Loot	Lot
10	Yaeqoub	Jacob
11	Yousuf	Joseph
12	Shueaib	Not mentioned
13	Ayoub	Job
14	Moussa	Moses
15	Haroun	Aaron
16	Zul-Kakel	Ezekiel
17	Dawoud	David
18	Sulaiman	Solomon
19	Elyas	Elias
20	Al-Yahae	Elisha
21	Younus	Jonah
22	Zakariah	Zechariah
23	Yehya	John
24	Isa	Jesus
25	Muhammad	Referred to in John 16:12, 13, and Deuteronomy 18:15

Muslims has to believe in all the Prophets of God and their messages from Adam to Muhammad including Moses and Jesus.

What does Islam mean?

The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from a word meaning ‘peace’. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. ‘Mohammedanism’ is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God. ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name of God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike.

Who is Muhammad?

Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, his uncle from the respected tribe of Ouraysh raised him. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.
Muhammad was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the ‘Mountain of Light’ near Makkah.

How did He become a Prophet and a Messenger of Allah?

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Quran.
As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth that God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622, God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra, ‘migration’, in which they left Makkah for the city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.

Who are the Muslims?

Over one billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe – from the southern Philippines to Nigeria – are united by the common Islamic faith. About 18% live in the Arab world; the world’s largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa’s population is Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe.

What do Muslims believe?

Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the Prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions; in God’s complete authority of human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of Prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through Angel Gabriel.

How does someone become a Muslim?

Simply by saying ‘There is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all of God’s Messengers and the scriptures they brought. Contrary to the common believe when a Jew or Christian accepts Islam then he is not converting to a new religion nor he abandon Judaism or Christianity but rather he/she widen and expand their scope and perception of God’s guidance to all humans. Throughout history people accepted the revelations of God, so Jews accepts the teaching of Jesus and become Christians, Jews and Christians accept the message of Muhammad and become submitters to the will of God or Muslims.

Why does Islam often seem strange in the west?

Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the western countries mainly because the media tends to present it in such a light, also politicians learned to use Islam to create a threat or an emergency which helps them to rule their own people in such a condition with less questions being asked. Also religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shariah, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important.

Do Islam and Christianity have different origins?

No. Together with Judaism, they go back to the Prophet Abraham, and their three Prophets are directly descended from his sons – Muhammad from the eldest Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus from Isaac, peace be upon them. Abraham established the settlement, which today is the city of Makkah, and built the Ka’abah towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.

Islam in Australia

Some of Australia’s earliest visitors were in fact the Arab merchant ships, which for centuries sailed from the Arabian Gulf and East Africa to Indonesia and China for trade. That was many centuries before the Portuguese who came around 1542. This trade established strong cultural and social links, and was primarily responsible for the spread of Islam through out Indonesia, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. What happened to those earlier Arab visitors, and what interaction did have with the inhabitant of Australia? Is an area that yet to be searched and explored.
A more studied settlement and visits are those by Muslims from the east Indonesian archipelago, fishermen from the island of Makassar who came to fish for the ‘trepang’, commonly known as the ‘dugong’ or sea cow for the lucrative Chinese market where it was considered a delicacy. Australian records dating from the early 1820’s indicate the number of ships, the size of the crew and the names of the captains. It is thought that the fishermen of Makassar had been visiting the north coast of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland from as early as the 16th century.

Early Afghani settlers

Another group of Muslims played a vital role of early European settlement in Australia. They were camel drivers from the Indian sub-continent who were vital in early exploration of the Australian continent and the establishment of service links.

Australian Muslims

Today Australian Muslims are significant part of the Australian community; they are from all ethnic backgrounds including the Anglo-Saxon/Celtic. They are contributing to the well being and advancement of Australia.