Polygamy
Q) Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam? A) Do you know that Quran is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’? There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it is the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church restricted the number of wives to one. Details…
Veil (Hijab)
Q) Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?
A) The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated hijab, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam. How the women were degraded, how they were denied basic human dignity and were used as objects of lust. Then we’ll see how Islam uplifted women, gave them ‘equality’, and granted them rights 1400 years ago. Finally we’ll see how hijab prevents the molestation of women. Details…
Spread by the Sword
Q) How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword? A) The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book “Islam at the cross road” (Page 8): “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated.” Details…
Fundamentalists & Terrorists
Q) Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists?
A) Are you aware that Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’ which means peace? It is a religion of peace whose fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the world. This question is often hurled at Muslims, either directly or indirectly, during any discussion on religion or world affairs. Muslim stereotypes are perpetuated in every form of the media accompanied by gross misinformation about Islam and Muslims. In fact, such misinformation and false propaganda often leads to discrimination and acts of violence against Muslims. When any bomb blasts take place anywhere, the first people to be accused without proof are invariably the Muslims. This appears as headlines in the news. Later, when they find the real culprits, it appears as insignificant news’ item. Let us first differentiate the two completely opposite terms ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’ before discussing how Islam denounces terrorism. Details…
Note: I found this worth watching presentation over the internet which evaluates how media trials Muslims and portrays the image of Islam. [These slides are not drafted by me] Why only Muslims are extremists?
Prohibition of Pork
Q) Why is the eating of pork forbidden in Islam?
A) The fact that consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. However I’d like to mention that even Bible prohibits the consumption of port in the book of Leviticus, the book of Deuteronomy and the book of Isaiah. The following points explain various aspects of this prohibition including the various diseases its consumption can cause. Details…
Prohibition of Alcohol
Q) Why is the consumption of alcohol prohibited in Islam?
A) Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues to cost countless human lives, and causes terrible misery to millions throughout the world. Alcohol is the root cause of several problems facing society. The statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses and millions of broken homes throughout the world bear mute testimony to the destructive power of alcohol. In addition to Quran, the Bible also prohibits the consumption of alcohol in Ephesians as well as in Proverbs. Details…
Inheritance Law
Q) Under Islamic law, why is a woman’s share of the inherited wealth only half that of a man?
A) This argument is mostly used to show the unequal treatment of women in Islam. However all these sources do not reveal the complete details of the inheritance law as described in Quran, the cases where female inherits same or more than the male counterpart, and the additional financial obligations and economical responsibility on the shoulders of males when they inherit more than females. Details…
Sects among Muslims
Q) When all the Muslims follow one and the same Quran then why are there so many sects and different schools of thoughts among Muslims?
A) It is a fact that Muslims today, are divided amongst themselves. The tragedy is that such divisions are not endorsed by Islam at all. Islam believes in fostering unity amongst its followers and it is prohibited to make sects and divisions in Islam. The glorious Quran commands not to create sects. Those who follow the teachings of the Quran and authentic Hadith, and do not create sects are the people who are on the true path. A true Muslim can agree with the views of any scholar as long as they conform to the teachings of the Quran and authentic Hadith. If such views go against the word of Allah, or the Sunnah of His Prophet, then they carry no weight, regardless of how learned the scholar might be. Details…
Islam & The Actual Practice of Muslims
Q) If Islam is the best religion, why are many of the Muslims dishonest, unreliable, and involved in activities such as cheating, bribing, dealing in drugs, etc.?
A) I’d like to bring a couple of arguments to address this question. First of all I accept that there are Muslims who are dishonest and involved in immoral activities. This is condemnable because it is against the preaching of Islam. However I would also like to stress that the present media plays a significant role in maligning Islam. There are black sheep in every community but the media projects this as though only Muslims are involved in such activities. Unfortunately media is in the hands of those who are afraid of Islam. The media is continuously broadcasting and printing information against Islam. They provide misinformation about Islam, misquote Islam or project a point out of proportion, if any. When any bomb blasts take place anywhere, the first people to be accused without proof are invariably the Muslims. This appears as headlines in the news. Later, when they find that non-Muslims were responsible, it appears as insignificant news’ item. If a 50 year old Muslim marries a 15 year old girl after taking her permission, it appears on the front page but when a 50 year old non-Muslim rapes a 6 year old girl, it may appear in the news in the inside pages as ‘News briefs’. Details…
Note: I found this worth watching presentation over the internet which evaluates how media trials Muslims and portrays the image of Islam. [These slides are not drafted by me] Why only Muslims are extremists?
Ruthless Slaughtering
Q) Why do Muslims slaughter the animal in a ruthless manner by torturing it and slowly and painfully killing it?
A) The Islamic method of slaughtering animals, known as ‘zabiha’ has been the object of much criticism from a large number of people. One may consider the following points, which prove that the ‘zabiha’ method is not only humane but also scientifically the best. Details…
Consuming Non-Vegetarian Food
Q) Killing an animal is a ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume non-vegetarian food?
A) ‘Vegetarianism’ is now a movement the world 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, considering it as a divine blessing and trust from Allah. Let us look at various other aspects of this argument. Details…