Islamic Economics: An Alternative? Solving World Financial Crisis

Signs of the collapse of the world financial system have emerged, causing great panic to people all over the world. Many governments called upon economists and experts to find a way out. Financial institutions and their agents began to think about rescue plans.

Many people rushed to draw their deposits from banks. At the same time, several financial institutions have frozen the process of granting loans to companies and individuals for fear that it might be difficult to take them back.

The drop in the circulation of money among individuals, companies and financial institutions has given rise to a sharp slowdown in the economic activity. As a consequence, debtors have become unable to pay back their debts.

Wall Street meltdown dealt a severe blow to the level of exchanges in money and exchange markets causing indexes to fluctuate. Furthermore, used capacities in companies were decreased due to the decrease in financial flow and the inability to take loans from financial institutions, except at high interest rates with heavy guarantees.

This shortage of financial flow decreased consumption of certain commodities, like cars and real estate sector. The drop in consumption decreases savings, investment projects, and hence increases unemployment which is eerily climb as many companies become bankrupt threatening many employees to lose their jobs.

Causes of the Crisis

Maurice Allais, an expert on world economy and a Nobel Prize laureate in economics, said, "The world economic system is based on some concepts and rules that will be the very cause of its destruction unless treated and rectified quickly."

In fact, many economists argue that the neo-capitalist world economic system rests on principles that will lead to its ruin.

It can be argued that among the reasons that led to the crisis is the spread of moral economic corruption, such as exploitation, lying, circulation of prejudiced rumors, cheating, monopoly and the engagement of nominal transactions, with no real value. In this way, the wealthy and creditors oppress the poor and debtors who, as a consequence of being unable to bear such oppression anymore or pay back these debts and loans, will grumble and be resentful.

Also, wealth has become a weapon used to dominate and control politics around the world. Money has become the idol the capitalist economy.

Interest-backed banking system inflicts mounting debts on consumers by working within the framework of the system of trading debts, either by selling, buying or brokerage.

The more the interest rate on deposits increases, the more the interest rate on the loans granted to individuals and companies will also increase. Only banks and stockbrokers benefit from this, whereas the debtors, who take loans for consumption or production purposes, bear this heavy burden alone.

Credit card debt inflicts high costs on the consumer, and when one can not pay back his debts, the interest rate is continuously increased. Ultimately, consumer's property will be confiscated in order to guarantee security. This has actually happened to many holders of such credit cards, causing an imbalance of their house budgets.

Indeed, banks impose additional burdens on the borrower who is not able yet to discharge the first loan due to the increasingly higher rate of interest. This is similar to usurers in the pre-Islamic period of Ignorance who would say to a debtor, "Either you repay or augment."

Furthermore, Stock brokerage firms deceives those in need of loans as they claim high commission payment if there are potential risks, leaving the poor debtors to bear their burden and attributed negative consequences.

Actually, Some economists believe that no real development or wise employment of the means of production could be achieved unless the interest rate is zero. This view was held by Adam Smith, the Father of modern economics.

Furthermore, economists think that the alternative is based on participating in profit and loss, because it brings about stability and security. In addition, interest-based system results in the accumulation of wealth in the hands of few people who will thus be in control of the world's fortunes.

In addition, The world financial system rests on the basis of the financial derivatives system that depends mainly on nominal transactions, with no real exchanges of goods or services. What is even worse is that most of these transactions are based on credits taken from banks in the form of loans, and when things develop unfavorably all that collapses triggering the financial crisis.

Islamic Economics

The current financial crisis debunks the myths of Capitalism, opening the way for alternative economic systems to emerge, among which is the Islamic finance and economy.

Yet, instead of just reacting to the crisis, scholars of Islamic economics ought to explain the concepts and principles of the Islamic financial and economic system and present its reference and applications to wider audience.

The Islamic economic and financial system is based on a set of values, ideals, and morals, such as honesty, credibility, transparency, clear evidence, facilitation, co-operation, complementarity ,and solidarity.

These morals and ideals are fundamental because they ensure stability, security, and safety for all those involved in financial transactions. Furthermore, the Islamic Shari`ah prohibits the economic and financial transactions that involve lying, gambling, cheating, gharar (risk-taking), gahalah (unawareness), monopoly, exploitation, greed, unfairness, and taking people's money unjustly.

In addition, Islamic economy promotes participation in profit, loss, and actual exchanges of money and assets. In fact, there should be real interaction between the wealthy, employers, the employees, and financial experts.

There is no party who is a constant winner or a constant loser; yet profit and loss is mutually shared.

Based on Shari`ah regulations, economic contracts entail mudarabah, sharing, murabaha, istisnaa`, salm, igarah, and sharecropping. Shari`ah prohibits all forms of investment-based contracts of funding that involve interest loans forbidding financial transactions that involve gharar (risk-taking) and gahalah (unawareness).

Actually, economic experts assert that the system of financial derivatives can not bring about real development. Financial derivatives create only money, with no real value, causing inflation and price rise ,as well as moral decadence. For example, financial derivatives caused quick collapse of East Asian financial institutions.

Regarding debts, Shari`ah prohibits all forms of selling debts, like discounting promissory notes and checks with postponed payments. Also forbidden under the Shari`ah is the scheduling of debts at a higher interest rate. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the sale of debts. In fact, economists contend that selling debts has exacerbated the financial crisis.

Actually, the Islamic economic and financial system makes it easier for the borrower to repay debts. Almighty Allah says: "And in case any person is under difficulty, then he should (be granted) a respite to (the time of) ease..." (Chapter 2: Verse 280).

Shari`ah allows for a system of funding and investment based on participation in both profit and loss and interaction between capital and labor. Shari`ah calls on the parties involved in transactions to behave in a truthful, honest, clear and transparent way by prohibiting gharar, gahalah, cheating, gambling, lying, rumors, exploitation and taking people's money unjustly.

In a word, the only way out of this crisis can be found in the principles and regulations of the Islamic economics.

www.zaharuddin.net

Emergency Status (Dharurah) and Islamic banks

"If a person was lost for days in the thick forest without eating and may die, could he consume a pig due to desperation (dharurat)?" I asked the participants in an Islamic finance seminar.

"Yes, he could," answered the participants confidently.

"Wrong" I replied, creating confusion.

"This is because other options are still exist in the forest to ease his hunger such as snails, worms, plants, fruits and so on, which are far better than a pig. That should be prioritized rather than consuming the pig," I argued.

"Thus there is no dharurat at that time, and it is not permissible for the man to consume the pig just because it is tastier, more appetizing and fatter than worms" I said firmly, inviting laughter from participants.

The same situation applies to Islamic banking in Malaysia. Muslims should give priority to Islamic banking although it looks less ‘appetizing' and causes additional difficulties as compared to riba based institutions. Muslims cannot use dharurat as an excuse to use the facilities of conventional banks.

As mentioned:

"Verily what is allowed due to emergency (dharurat) requires a certainty that the emergency occurred after every effort of searching (for what is permitted)." (Syarhul Umdah, 1/426)

The example above is to indicate that the argument of emergency for using conventional banks and insurance in Malaysia these days is totally unacceptable since there are Islamic banks, Islamic banking windows and takaful. The excuse that the price in conventional banks is cheaper should not be used as it is similar to the lost and starving person who saw a chicken (that is permitted) but consumed a pig just because he desired it. The only exception is when all Islamic institutions have rejected your application. Remember the Islamic Legal Maxims that reads:

Meaning: "What is permissible due to dharurat is limited to a certain limit." (As-Ashbah Wa An-Nazair, As-Suyuti, 1/82; Hawashi Asy-Syarwani, 3/272)

Consider the following scenarios:

In a secluded village where clean drinking water is scarce, two sellers approach the villagers with the following offer:

Seller A: Offering 1 liter of cheap liquor at only RM0.50 a bottle.

Seller B: Offering 1 liter of cheap orange juice at only RM1.00 a bottle.

Who do you think, in the above scenario, is inconsiderate and malicious? If your answer is B ( because selling orange in higher price than liqour), YOU MIGHT NEED TO RETHINK AND RECHECK your level of belief and taqwa, it might be at a worrying stage. Why?

It shows that the person make the visible and material element i.e price as a more important than the spiritual element i.e the prohibition of liquor.

To me, there is nothing more malicious and cruel than offering liquor that is prohibited, and at a cheap price that attracts people to do the prohibited.

Do not reprimand seller B for selling at a higher price, as we do not know his capital and cost to obtain the oranges. He also wants to profit while offering a permitted drink.

You say, "True, but seller B should be more considerate and sacrifice to save a lot of people from being attracted to what is prohibited". I believe it depends on the ihsan and belief of seller B but what he did was permissible. It depends on the owner. Therefore, if the owner of an Islamic bank is unable to give discounts, other owners may not be able to do so as well.

Finally, we should be fair in evaluating Islamic banks and not hastily accusing them as malicious when they are actually saving the Muslim ummah from falling into the trap of riba-based conventional banks.

About Author

Zaharuddin Abd Rahman

www.zaharuddin.net

Mahram

In Islamic sharia legal terminology, a mahram (Arabic محرم, also transliterated mahrim or maharem) is an unmarriageable kin with whom sexual intercourse would be considered incestuous, a punishable taboo. Current usage of the term covers a wider range of people and mostly deals with the dress code practice of hijab.

The plural form of the word in the Arabic language is maharim with long second vowel (Arabic محارم, also transliterated maharem). Sometimes the word is capitalized but there isn't a general consensus that the word should be capitalized like Muslim. (The Arabic alphabet of course has no upper-case vs. lower-case distinction.)

Being mahram is a reciprocal condition. If A is mahram to B, B is definitely mahram to A.

Who is mahram?

Anyone whom a Muslim is not allowed to marry is mahram, if they are of the opposite sex and have reached puberty. A partial list of what is considered a "mahram" can be found in Surah 24, Ayah 31, of the Quran.

A woman's opposite-sex mahrams fall into four categories (three categories in the strict-sense definition that does not count one's spouse). Note that mahrams for a man can be derived in a similar manner.

1. permanent or blood mahrams with whom one is mahram by a blood relationship:
   1. father, grandfather, great-grandfather and so on;
   2. brother;
   3. son, grandson, great-grandson;
   4. uncle, parents' uncle, grandparents' uncle and so on;
   5. nephew, grandnephew, great-grandnephew and so on;
2. in-law mahrams with whom one becomes mahram by marrying someone:
   1. father-in-law;
   2. son-in-law;
   3. stepfather (mother's husband) if their marriage is consummated;
   4. stepson (husband's son) if her marriage is consummated;
3. rada or milk-suckling mahrams with whom you become mahram because of being nursed by a woman. When a woman acts as a wetnurse (that is, she breast feeds an infant that is not her own child) for a certain amount of time under certain conditions, she becomes the child's rada mother and all said about blood mahrams applies here, like rada father/mother, rada sister/brother, rada aunt/uncle and so on. In English these can be referred to as milk brother, milk-mother, etc. (See also breastfeeding fatwa.)
4. All non-Muslim Males as mahrams:
   1. All non-Muslim men are "mahram" (forbidden) for a Muslim woman to marry. The Quran specifically forbids a Muslim woman from marrying any non-Muslim man, which is today still recognized as applicable both by Muslim and non-Muslim experts alike.^[1]

This following section of this article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (April 2007)

Some rules regarding mahrams and ghayr mahrams (non-mahrams)

• Theoretically, a Muslim woman's mahrams form the group of allowable escorts when she travels.
• An adopted brother (adopted sister) of a woman (man) is ghayr mahram to her (him) and they can marry each other. The term "adopted" means those children who are adopted by one's parents for the purpose of providing shelter and upbringing and who do not fall under the relationships outlined under the section "Who is Mahram?" above.
• Except for the spouse, being mahram is a permanent condition. That means, for example, a man will remain mahram to his ex-mother-in-law after divorcing her daughter. One is ghayr mahram to one's ex-spouse.
• One must not stay with a ghayr mahram in seclusion where none of their mahrams is present (see also proxemics).
• A rada sister (brother) is only mahram to the boy (girl) that her (his) mother has breast fed. That means she (he) is ghayr mahram to his (her) other brothers (sisters) unless the mother has fed them separately.
• If wives of a man each become a rada mother of a child, all children and all rada mothers will be mahram to each other.

http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/002.qmt.html#002.221

The story of France with Pharaoh Ramesses

This is the Farovas Mammy.

Subhanallah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very interesting! !!!


فـــــــــرعـون


أThis is the closest picture taken of Pharaoh
Ramesses II

وهذه حكاية فرعون مع فرنسا .....





Here's the story of France with Pharaoh Ramesses



عندما تسلم الرئيس الفرنسي الراحل فرانسوا ميتران زمام الحكم في فرنسا

When Francisco Mitra became the president of France in 1981



عام 1981 طلبت فرنسا من مصر في نهاية الثمانينات استضافة مومياء فرعون

France requested from the Egyptian government to host the mummy of Pharaoh




لإجراء اختبارات وفحوصات أثرية ... فتم نقل جثمان أشهر طاغوت عرفته الأرض

For the purpose of running laboratory and archeological examinations
on the mummy of the most notorious dictator ever lived on earth



.... وهناك عند سلم الطائرة اصطف الرئيس الفرنسي منحنياً هو

Upon arrival, a very royal attendants were there including the French
president himself and all ministers who bowed in honor for the mummy






ووزراؤه وكبار المسؤولين الفرنسيين ليستقبلوا فرعون
وعندما انتهت مراسم الإستقبال الملكي لفرعون على أرض فرنسا .. حُملت

When the ceremony ended, the mummy was carried to a specially-designed
section at the Archeology Centre of France


مومياء الطاغوت بموكب لا يقل حفاوة عن استقباله وتم نقله إلى جناح خاص في
مركز الآثار الفرنسي ليبدأ بعدها أكبر علماء الآثار في فرنسا وأطباء
الجراحة والتشريح دراسة تلك المومياء واكتشاف أسرارها

Were it started to be tested by the greatest French archeological and
anatomical scientists in order to discover more about such a great
mummy


وكان رئيس الجراحين والمسؤول الأول عن دراسة هذه المومياء هو البروفيسور

The scientists were headed by Professor Maurice Bucaille


موريس بوكاي
كان المعالجون مهتمين بترميم المومياء ، بينما كان اهتمام موريس هو
محاولة أن يكتشف كيف مات هذا الملك الفرعوني ،

Scientists were trying to restore the mummy while Professor Maurice
was mainly concerned with how did this mummy die!



وفي ساعة متأخرة من الليل ظهرت النتائج النهائية .. لقد كانت بقايا الملح
العالق في جسده أكبر دليل على أنه مات غريقا ، وأن جثته استخرجت من البحر
بعد غرقه فورا ، ثم اسرعوا بتحنيط جثته لينجو بدنه

The final report of the scientists was released late at night which
states that the remaining salt in the mummy is an overt evidence that
it was drawn in the sea, and the body was rescued very shortly where
it was immediately embalmed to be saved

لكن أمراً غريباً مازال يحيره وهو كيف بقيت هذه الجثة أكثر سلامة من
غيرها رغم أنها استُخرجت من البحر !

An amazing thing was still confusing Professor Maurice is that how
could this body possibly be safer than any other mummy despite being
taken out of the sea up until this time





كان موريس بوكاي يعد تقريراً
نهائيا عما كان يعتقده اكتشافاً جديداً في انتشال جثة فرعون من البحر

Professor Maurice was writing his final report on what he thought
would be a new discovery about saving Pharaoh's body immediately after
his death and embalming it




وتحنيطها بعد غرقه مباشرة ، حتى همس أحدهم في أذنه قائلا : لا تتعجل
..... فإن المسلمين يتحدثون عن غرق هذه المومياء

And there, someone whispered to him that Muslims claim to know
something about the drowning of this mummy


ولكنه استنكر بشدة هذا الخبر واستغربه ، فمثل هذا الإكتشاف لا يمكن
معرفته إلا بتطور العلم الحديث وعبر أجهزة حاسوبية حديثة بالغة الدقة

Yet the Professor firmly denied such thing saying that it's impossible
to discover this without the development of science and without using
his high-tech and complicated laboratories and computers




، فقال له أحدهم إن قرآنهم الذي يؤمنون به يروي قصة عن غرقه وعن سلامة
جثته بعد الغرق ، فازداد ذهولا وأخذ يتساءل .. كيف هذا وهذه المومياء
لم تُكتشف إلا في عام 1898 ، أي قبل مائتي عام تقريبا ، بينما قرآنهم
موجود قبل أكثر من ألف وأربعمائة عام؟ وكيف يستقيم في العقل هذا ،
والبشرية جمعاء وليس العرب فقط لم يكونوا يعلمون شيئا عن قيام قدماء
المصريين بتحنيط جثث الفراعنة إلا قبل عقود قليلة من الزمان فقط؟



To his surprise, he was told that Muslims believe in a book called
"Quran" and this Quran narrates the story of Pharaoh's drowning and
ensures the safety of his body after his death as to be a Sign to
mankind. The Professor couldn't believe his own ears and started to
wonder:
How can a book existed 1400 years ago speak about the mummy that was
only found 200 years ago, in 1898??!!
How can that be possible while the ancient Egyptian heritage was
discovered only a few decades ago and no one knew about it before??!!

جلس موريس بوكاي ليلته محدقا بجثمان فرعون يفكر بإمعان عما همس به
صاحبه له من أن قرآن المسلمين يتحدث عن نجاة هذه الجثة بعد الغرق ..
بينما كتابهم المقدس يتحدث عن غرق فرعون أثناء مطاردته لسيدنا موسى
عليه السلام دون أن يتعرض لمصير جثمانه .. وأخذ يقول في نفسه : هل



The Professor sat down pondering on what he was told
about the book of Muslims while his Holy Book narrates only the
drowning of Pharaoh without saying anything about his body

يُعقل أن يكون هذا المحنط أمامي هو فرعون الذي كان يطارد موسى؟ وهل
يعقل أن يعرف محمدهم هذا قبل أكثر من ألف عام؟

"Is it possible that this mummy in front of me is the one who was
chasing Moses??!!"
"Is it possible that Muhammad knew this 1400 years ago??!!"



لم يستطع موريس أن ينام ، وطلب أن يأتوا له بالتوراة ، فأخذ يقرأ في
التوراة قوله : فرجع الماء وغطى مركبات وفرسان جميع جيش فرعون الذي
دخل وراءهم في البحر لم يبق منهم ولا واحد .. وبقي موريس بوكاي حائراً
فحتى الإنجيل لم يتحدث عن نجاة هذه الجثة وبقائها سليمة

The Professor couldn't sleep that night till they brought him the Old
Testament where he read: "the sea drowned Pharaoh and his army, no one
else was left alive" He was surprised that the Holy Book didn't
mention about the destiny of the body and that it will be saved


بعد أن تمت معالجة جثمان فرعون وترميمه أعادت فرنسا لمصر المومياء ،
ولكن موريس لم يهنأ له قرار ولم يهدأ له بال منذ أن هزه الخبر الذي
يتناقله المسلمون عن سلامة هذه الجثة ، فحزم أمتعته وقرر السفر لبلاد
المسلمين لمقابلة عدد من علماء التشريح المسلمين
وهناك كان أول حديث تحدثه معهم عما اكشتفه من نجاة جثة فرعون بعد

When the scientists were done with the mummy, France retuned it to
Egypt, but Professor Maurice couldn't rest for a moment since he was
told that Muslims know about the safety of the body. So, he decided to
travel and meet anatomy Muslim scientists and there he spoke about his
discovery of the safety of the mummy after its death in the sea and so
on.


الغرق ... فقام أحدهم وفتح له المصحف وأخذ يقرأ له
قوله تعالى : (فاليوم ننجيك ببدنك لتكون لمن خلفك آية .. وإن كثيرا من
الناس عن آياتنا لغافلون).

سورة يونس: آية 92.

لقد كان وقع الآية عليه شديدا .. ورجت له نفسه رجة جعلته يقف أمام
الحضور ويصرخ بأعلى صوته : لقد دخلت الإسلام وآمنت بهذا القرآن
رجع موريس بوكاي إلى فرنسا بغير الوجه الذى ذهب به .. وهناك مكث عشر



One of the Muslim scientists stood up and simply opened the Quran and
pointed to the Professor at one verse:



"This day shall We save you in your body, that you may be a Sign to
those who come after you! But verily, many among mankind are
neglectful of Our Signs"

(Quran 10:92)



The Professor was struck when he read that and immediately stood in
front of the crowd and said loudly: "I believe in Islam, I believe in
Quran"
Then he went back to France with a different face he traveled with.


سنوات ليس لديه شغل يشغله سوى دراسة مدى تطابق الحقائق العلمية
والمكتشفة حديثا مع القرآن الكريم ، والبحث عن تناقض علمي واحد مما
يتحدث به القرآن ليخرج بعدها بنتيجة قوله تعالى : لا يأتيه الباطل من
بين يديه ولا من خلفه تنزيل من حكيم حميد

In France, he dedicated 10 years investigating the scientific
discoveries and comparing them with the Quran and trying to come up
with one scientific contradiction with the Quran. Finally he quoted
one verse from the Quran to be his conclusion:
"No falsehood can approach it (this book) from before or behind it: it
is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all praise"

(Quran 41:42)



كان من ثمرة هذه السنوات التي قضاها الفرنسي موريس أن خرج بتأليف كتاب
عن القرآن الكريم هز الدول الغربية قاطبة ورج علماءها رجا ، لقد كان
عنوان الكتاب : القرآن والتوراة والإنجيل والعلم .. دراسة الكتب
المقدسة في ضوء المعارف الحديثة



As a result of all years of his research, Professor Maurice wrote a
book that shook all Europe, especially the scientists there

"Quran, Torah, Bible and Science:
A Study of the Holy Books in the Light of Modern Science"

من أول طبعة له نفد
All copies were sold out at a very short time



سبق وأن زرت بنفسي المتحف الفرعوني في القاهرة ودهشت حقيقة من توافد
الأولوف من السياح من جميع أقطار المعمورة لمشاهدة المومياء، ولكن مع
الأسف كثير منهم يجهلون حقيقة الدرس الذي من اجله حفظ الله تعالى جسد
فرعون وهو إنذار كل من يكذب الله تعالى ورسله صلوات الله عليهم

I personally visited the Cairo Museum where the mummy is preserved and
there you get astonished at the scenery of thousands of people from
all over the world visiting the place everyday , unfortunately, many
of the tourists there would think: "Woow, look at that! Amazing!! So
nice to see people of all times!! Without realizing the intended
lesson that Allah has kept this body a Sign to all mankind of anyone
who denies Allah and His messengers.
In another chapter in the Quran:
"When Moses came to them with Our clear Signs, they said: This is
nothing but sorcery faked up: never did we hear the like among our
fathers of old!
Moses said: "My Lord knows best who it is that comes with guidance
from Him and whose end will be best in the Hereafter: certain it is
that the wrong-doers will not prosper.
"Pharaoh said: "O Chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself:
therefore, O Haman! Light me a (kiln to bake bricks) out of clay, and
build me a lofty palace, that I may mount up to the god of Moses: but
as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a lair!"
And he was arrogant and insolent in the land, beyond reason, - he and
his hosts: they thought they would not have to return to Us!
So We seized his and his hosts, and We flung them into the sea: now
behold what was the end of those who did wrong!
And We made them (but) leaders inviting to the Fire; and on the Day of
Judgment no help shall they find.
In this world We made a curse to follow them: and on the Day of
Judgment they will be among the loathed (and despised)."

(Quran 28: 36-42)


So now,

"Has not the time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all
humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and the Truth which
has been revealed to them, and that they should not become like those
to whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them
and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious
transgressors.

Know you (all) that Allah gives life to the earth after its death!
Already have We shown the Signs plainly to you, that you may learn
wisdom.
For those who give in charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a
Beatiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credits), and
they shall have (besides) a liberal reward.
And those who believe in Allah and His messengers- they are the
Sincere (lovers of Truth), and the Witnesses (who testify), in the
eyes of their Lord: they shall have their Reward and their Light.
But those who reject Allah and deny Our Signs,- they are the
companions of Hell-Fire "

Quran 57: 16-19

Not a guy

ALLAH is referred to as "Him". IS He human-like?

If you speak English, you use the words "him" and "she" a lot and it is very easy to give people wrong ideas about God.

The female equivalent for 'God' is 'Goddess'. Some believe that God has female partners. Reducing God to a human family person is unacceptable in Islam.

The Almighty calls himself "ALLAH" in the Qur'an. This Arabic word has no plural and no male or female equivalents. Oh by the way, The Almighty is not an old man who posed for Michelangelo!

About Author

Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph. D
www.islamonline.net

No pictures

Why are there no pictures or statues of ALLAH?

ALLAH is beyond the grasp of human vision. He is unlike anything that the human mind can imagine.

Therefore drawing pictures or making statues that represent Him as a human, a semi-human or an animal is unacceptable and considered a major sin in Islam.

About Author

Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph. D
www.islamonline.net

The Lord of Creation

Is ALLAH is the god of Muslims?

ALLAH is The Lord of all created things in the seen and unseen worlds. Everything in Creation worships and submits to Him.

The faith of Muslims is Islam. It means submission to the Will of ALLAH.

About Author

Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph. D
www.islamonline.net

Prayer in any clean place

A big prayer hall, but why are only a few Muslims praying here?

Muslims can perform their prayers in Mosques, homes or in any clean place.

In some places, only a small number pray in Mosques, and they are usually those staying near the mosque and visitors.

Muslim are required to perform the Friday noon prayer in the Mosque.

The Mosque is packed during this prayer and in some places, Muslims pray in the compound of the Mosque due to lack of space inside.

About author

Dr Y Mansoor Marican, Ph. D.
www.hajitips.com
www.islamicoutreach.com.my

Prayer In Arabic

They don't speak in Arabic here, then why do Muslims here pray in Arabic?

Muslim use the words of God when praying to Him. They recite from The Noble Qur'an which is in Arabic. Praying in the language of The Qur'an ensures uniformity.

A Muslim can go to any Mosque in the world and join the prayer without any difficulty. Praying in the language of The Qur'an ensures accuracy. Translations of the meanings of the verses in the Qur'an are not used in prayer.

At the end of the formal prayer, Muslims can seek the forgiveness and blessings of God in their own languages. This is called du'a or supplication.

About Islam

Estimates of the total number of Muslims range from 0.7 to 1.2 billion worldwide and 1.1 to 7 million in the U.S. About 21% of all people on Earth follow Islam. The religion is currently in a period of rapid growth.

Christianity is currently the largest religion in the world. It is followed by about 33% of all people -- a percentage that has remained stable for decades. If current trends continue, Islam will become the most popular world religion sometime in the mid-21st century.

"The messenger of Allah said: "Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadhan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so." He said: " You have spoken rightly", Jebreel (Gabriel) from Number 2 of "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths."

"If anyone harms (others), God will harm him, and if anyone shows hostility to others, God will show hostility to him." Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1625.