Archive-name: islam-faq/part10
Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 1995/3/27 Version: 3.3 Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge Copyright 1993,1994,1995 Asim Mughal (mughal@caltech.edu) Redistribution for profit, or in altered content/format prohibited without explicit written permission of the author. Any other redistribution must include this copyright notice and attribution. Frequently Asked Questions: Part 10 ___________________________________ This message is automatically posted to 'soc.religion.islam' every month and when updated. This lists answers to most commonly asked questions on the forum. Contributions & changes are requested and should be directed to: mughal@caltech.edu OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index. Part 1 - Welcome & Index Part 2 - Info on Islamic News Groups Part 3 - Introduction to Islam Part 4 - God & Worship Part 5 - Islam, Quran & Muhammad (PBUH) Part 6 - Marriage Laws in Islam Part 7 - Women In Islam Part 8 - Life after Death, Moral System & Human rights in Islam Part 9 - Islam: Prophethood, Jesus & Trinity Part 10 - Islam: Farrakhism & Malcom X Part 11 - Islamic Internet Guide: Islamic Resources on Internet Part 12 - Other Islamic Resource Guides on Internet Part 13 - Islamic Literature: Books & Video Part 14 - Islamic Calendar & Prayer Time Table for 1994 Part 15 - Misc: List of Halal Foods ________________________________________________________ PART 10: Islam: Farrakhism & Malcom X Contents --Articles-- 1. COMPARISON: Islam & Farrakhanism ............................... from III&E 2. - God/Allah Alone .............................................. from III&E 3. - Prophet/Messenger ............................................ from III&E 4. - Last Day/Life Hereafter ...................................... from III&E 5. - The Qur'an ................................................... from III&E 6. - The Bible .................................................... from III&E 7. - Shahadah ..................................................... from III&E 8. - Salah ........................................................ from III&E 9. - Zakah ........................................................ from III&E 10. - Sawm ......................................................... from III&E 11. - Hajj ......................................................... from III&E 12. - Lawful (halal); Unlawful (haram) ............................. from III&E 13. - Authentic Hadith ............................................. from III&E 14. Knowing the True Islam ......................................... from III&E 15. AL-HAJJ MALIK EL-SHABAZZ: MALCOM X ............................. from III&E 16. His Pilgrimage to Makkah ....................................... from III&E 17. Islamic Brotherhood ............................................ from III&E 18. Legacy of Malcolm X ............................................ from III&E --Announcements-- 19. Archive Info .............................................................. 20. Credits ................................................................... Articles ..................................................................... 1. COMPARISON: Islam & Farrakhanism ............................... from III&E ISLAM, and so-called "NATION OF ISLAM," are two different religions. The only thing common between them is the jargon, the language used by the both. "The Nation of Islam" is a misnomer; this religion should be called Farrakhanism, after the name of its propagator. The religion of Elijah Muhammad and W.D. Fard died with their death because their officially and popularly elected successor, W.D. Muhammad, integrated the community with the Muslim community at-large, following the Qur'an and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Louis Farrakhan joined W.D. Muhammad and gave his pledge of allegiance to him after Elijah Muhammad's death; he later rebelled and broke his oath with impunity, or without paying any expiation, and restarted "The Nation of Islam." Examine the following comparisons between Islam and Farrakhanism with regard to the belief or practice in each: Belief/Practice 2. - God/Allah Alone .............................................. from III&E ISLAM: One Unique, never appeared in any physical form; hence, no physical representation is possible. He is recognized through his 99 names. FARRAKHANISM: "...Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July 1930; the long awaited 'Messiah' of the Christians and the 'Mahdi' of the Muslims." 3. - Prophet/Messenger ............................................ from III&E ISLAM: Muhammad (S) is the last Prophet and the last Messenger. No messenger or prophet will come after Muhammad (S). FARRAKHANISM: Elijah Muhammad was a "Messenger of Allah." Are there any more messengers or prophets to come? Not clear. 4. - Last Day/Life Hereafter ...................................... from III&E ISLAM: The life on earth as we know it will come to an end; it will be followed by the life hereafter which includes physical resurrection of the entire humankind, judgement and the life of paradise or hell. FARRAKHANISM: "...BELIEVE in the resurrection of the dead - not in physical resurrection, but in mental resurrection." "No already physically dead person will be in the Hereafter; that is slavery belief, taught to slaves to keep them under control." "When you are dead, you are DEAD." 5. - The Qur'an ................................................... from III&E ISLAM: It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) between 610 and 632 C.E. It is the last revelation of Allah to mankind. FARRAKHANISM: Contradictory beliefs. On one side, "...BELIEVE in the Holy Qur'an and in the scriptures of all the Prophets of God," and on the other side, "We, the original nation of the earth ... are the writers of the Bible and Qur'an. We make such history once every 25,000 years ... it is done by twenty-four of our scientists." "Both the present Bible and the Holy Qur'an must soon give way to the Holy Book..." 6. - The Bible .................................................... from III&E ISLAM: It was revealed to prophets and messengers from Moses (alaihis salam) to Jesus (A) but was corrupted. Authenticity of statements in the Bible are judged by the Qur'an. FARRAKHANISM: (See their beliefs above regarding the Qur'an) 7. - Shahadah ..................................................... from III&E ISLAM: It means what it says, that is, Allah is Unseen, He is the Creator, the Sustainer. Mankind is accountable to Him Alone, and Prophet Muhammad (S) of Arabia is the final and ultimate ROLE MODEL; no one can substitute for him. FARRAKHANISM: A cover up to deceive gullible Muslims. "Allah (God) appeared in the person of Master W. Fard Muhammad," and Muhammad of Arabia (S) was one of the prophets, not a role model for our times. The real role model and lawgiver for our times is Elijah Muhammad. 8. - Salah ........................................................ from III&E ISLAM: Five times a day is required; SALAH (prayer) includes QIYAM (standing), RUKU' (bowing), SAJDA (prostration), JALSA (sitting on the floor) and recitations. FARRAKHANISM: No five times daily SALAH (prayer); prayer, when done has no RUKU' or SAJDA. Friday is a major congregational prayer day, not for SALAH, but to say DU'A and to listen to a Minister. 9. - Zakah ........................................................ from III&E ISLAM: Required on accumulated wealth after having in possession for one year above the NISAB (certain limits), as defined in SHARI'A (Islamic law). FARRAKHANISM: It is a tax as "poor due" on income, similar to income tax. Who benefits? 10. - Sawm ......................................................... from III&E ISLAM: Fasting is required in the month of Ramadan, ninth month of Islamic calendar. FARRAKHANISM: Fasting is required in December only. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is optional. 11. - Hajj ......................................................... from III&E ISLAM: Required once in a lifetime if conditions of finances, health, and safety of travel are met. FARRAKHANISM: No Hajj requirement. Farrakhan and his cronies take trips to Saudi Arabia, and by the way, to Makkah for the main purpose of image building and to raise funds from gullible rich Arabs. 12. - Lawful (halal); Unlawful (haram) ............................. from III&E ISLAM: Determined by Allah, the God Alone, announced in the Qur'an or by the Prophet Muhammad (S), recorded in the authentic Hadith sources. FARRAKHANISM: Determined by W.D. Fard and announced by Elijah Muhammad. The Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad (S) have no relevance nor authority with regard to lawful and unlawful. 13. - Authentic Hadith ............................................. from III&E ISLAM: An indispensable source of Islamic beliefs and practices, the only source after the Qur'an. Indispensable for the understanding of the Qur'an itself. FARRAKHANISM: Ignored, if not totally rejected by Farrakhanis. However, the leadership, including Farrakhan himself, may invoke Hadith if it suits their purpose to fool gullible Muslims. [ -- M. Amir Ali, Ph.D. References for Farrakhanism quotes are given in the author's article: ISLAM OR FARRAKHANISM. ] 14. Knowing the True Islam ......................................... from III&E There are many groups in America who claim to represent Islam and call their adherents Muslims. Any serious student of Islam has a duty to investigate and find the true Islam. The only two authentic sources which bind every Muslim are, (1) the Qur'an and (2) authentic or sound Hadith. Sometimes, Fiqh is quoted as a source. However, only that part of fiqh is a true source and binding which quotes directly Qur'an and authentic Hadith. All other parts of fiqh are opinions of learned scholars. Since scholars are not prophets or messengers of Allah, they are fallible people. Hence their opinions may be correct or may not be correct; they do not become binding. Any teachings under the label of "Islam" which contradict or are at variance with the direct understanding of fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam from the Qur'an and authentic Hadith should be rejected, and such a religion should be considered a PSEUDO-ISLAMIC CULT. In America there are many pseudo-Islamic cults, Farrakhanism being one of them. An honest attitude on the part of such cults should be not to call themselves Muslims and their religion Islam. Such an example of honesty is Bahaism which is an off-shoot of Islam, but Bahais do not call themselves Muslims nor their religion, Islam. In fact, Bahaism is not Islam just as Farrakhanism is not Islam. The foundation of Islam consists of TAWHEED, RISALAH, and AAKHIRAH. And "five pillars" of Islam are SHAHADAH, SALAH, ZAKAH, SAWM and HAJJ. The rest of the building of Islam consists of SHARI'A which includes HARAM and HALAL, RIGHTS and DUTIES, MORAL CODE, CONVEYING THE MESSAGE, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RULE OF ALLAH and EXCELLENCE in everything Muslims do. Any claims of Islam should be judged on the criteria given in this paragraph. If the foundation and pillars of a building are demolished there is no building left. Such is the case with pseudo-Islamic cults, including Farrakhanism. For details request the booklet, HOW TO PRESENT ISLAM, A RATIONAL APPROACH by the author of this brochure. 15. AL-HAJJ MALIK EL-SHABAZZ: MALCOM X ............................. from III&E Twenty-five years after his death, Malcolm X, Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, still towers above the statue of liberty. He refuses to die. Wherever injustice and oppression takes place, his smiling face and uncompromising message fill the atmosphere. Yes, they killed the body but not the spirit. When he was alive, Brother Shabazz was the most feared man in America. And, the most loved. The situation hasn't changed. For the deprived and the oppressed African-Americans, Brother Shabazz continues to be the hero, the inspiration that makes it possible for them to maintain their sanity and dignity in a vile society which can't stop despising them. We, as Muslims, are often angered to see Br. Shabazz identified as a Black Nationalist rather than a Muslim. While the anger is justified, we must understand that people generally emphasize the aspect of a leader's life which is in harmony with their own aspirations. While some African-Americans will continue to invoke the nationalist side of Br. Shabazz, it is for us to see that his Islamic personality is projected to the world! 16. His Pilgrimage to Makkah ....................................... from III&E When he was in Makkah, Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz wrote a letter to his loyal assistants in Harlem... from his heart: "Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors. "I have been blessed to visit the Holy City of Mecca, I have made my seven circuits around the Ka'ba, led by a young Mutawaf named Muhammad, I drank water from the well of the Zam Zam. I ran seven times back and forth between the hills of Mt. Al-Safa and Al Marwah. I have prayed in the ancient city of Mina, and I have prayed on Mt. Arafat. "There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white. "America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white - but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color. "You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought-patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This was not too difficult for me. Despite my firm convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth. "During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug - while praying to the same God - with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana. "We were truly all the same (brothers) - because their belief in one God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white from their attitude. "I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man - and cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms of their 'differences' in color. "With racism plaguing America like an incurable cancer, the so-called 'Christian' white American heart should be more receptive to a proven solution to such a destructive problem. Perhaps it could be in time to save America from imminent disaster - the same destruction brought upon Germany by racism that eventually destroyed the Germans themselves. "Each hour here in the Holy Land enables me to have greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white. The American Negro never can be blamed for his racial animosities - he is only reacting to four hundred years of the conscious racism of the American whites. But as racism leads America up the suicide path, I do believe, from the experiences that I have had with them, that the whites of the younger generation, in the colleges and universities, will see the handwriting on the walls and many of them will turn to the spiritual path of truth - the only way left to America to ward off the disaster that racism inevitably must lead to. "Never have I been so highly honored. Never have I been made to feel more humble and unworthy. Who would believe the blessings that have been heaped upon an American Negro? A few nights ago, a man who would be called in America a white man, a United Nations diplomat, an ambassador, a companion of kings, gave me his hotel suite, his bed. Never would I have even thought of dreaming that I would ever be a recipient of such honors - honors that in America would be bestowed upon a King - not a Negro. "All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the Worlds. "Sincerely, "Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz" (Malcolm X) (From the AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X with assistance from Alex Haley, the author of ROOTS) Malcolm X saw and experienced many positive things. Generosity and openheartedness were qualities which were impressed on him by the welcome which he received in many places. He saw brotherhood and the brotherhood of different races and this led him to disclaim racism and to say: "I am not a racist... In the past I permitted myself to be used... to make sweeping indictments of all white people, the entire white race, and these generalizations have caused injuries to some whites who perhaps did not deserve to be hurt. Because of the spiritual enlightenment which I was blessed to receive as the result of my recent pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, I no longer subscribe to sweeping indictments of any one race. I am now striving to live the life of a true Sunni Muslim. I must repeat that I am not a racist nor do I subscribe to the tenets of racism. I can state in all sincerity that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people." Malcolm X was vehemently anti-White. That's the way he was taught as a 'Black Muslim.' But his trip for Hajj changed all of that. He came to see that all men are equal, regardless of their color. True anti-racism is color blindness. That is what he preached on his return to the United States. And that is why he was assassinated. While he preached separatism, keeping people aware of color differences, that was OK. Blacks vs. Whites is an acceptable dialect. But when Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz started to preach the Oneness of God and the equality of races, and was prepared to act in any lawful (halal) means necessary, he had to go: Truth vs. Falsehood is an unacceptable dialect. Islam believes in the unity of the human race. Islam says that all mankind are the creatures of One God, they are all equal. Division of color, class, race or territory are sheer illusions; and ideologies which are based on such distinctions are the greatest menace on earth. Humanity is one single family of God, there can be no sanction for these barriers. Men are one and not White or Black, Aryan of Non-Aryan, Occidental or Oriental. Islam is based on the universal brotherhood of man and practices universal brotherhood of man. But the importance of this concept is of great value as it is the only solution to national and international problems. This is said to be the age of freedom and restoring unto every man his dignity, and despite all the phenomenal changes in the political stage of the world, our age is still unable to think in terms of human dignity, and this is the dark specter of social concern of our time. For, despite man's conquest of space and mastery over the forces of nature, man has not been able to rid himself of the primeval prejudice of race and color. The stark reality of our time has brought in its trail a great desolation and frustration as we find ourselves face to face with chaos, wars, the miserable conditions of living of the masses of mankind and the exploitation of one nation by another, and this leads to selfishness, fear, hatred; class, tribe and race discrimination; and subsequently the division of man against man is the order of the day, even in the so-called Socialist countries. Islam's greatest contribution to mankind was the abolition and extinction of distinction based on race and color. The Holy Qur'an declared: "Mankind were one community, then they differed among themselves, so God raised Prophets as bearers of good tidings and as warners..." (Al-Qur'an 2:213) "O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female; and made you into nations and tribes, that you might get to know one another. The noblest of you, in the sight of God, is he who is the most righteous. God is All-Knowing and Wise." (Al-Qur'an 49:13) >From the above verses, it is clear that the whole of humanity from its diverse races, was originally one, deriving its existence from One Creator and that all barriers that separate humanity by race and color must vanish and the superiority of a person be judged by his conduct only. A good Muslim considers himself a fusion of all races. Anyone who enters into the fold of Islam becomes part and parcel of this fraternity, forgetting all pride and prejudice. On the basis of this principle, Islam seeks to build an intellectual, moral, ideological and international society, as against the existing tribal, racial, linguistic and national societies, which have turned the world into a racio-color holocaust. 17. Islamic Brotherhood ............................................ from III&E "No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and endeavour so many and so varied races of mankind. The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and Indonesia, perhaps also the small community in Japan, show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of the East and west is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition." (H.A.R. Gibb, WHITHER ISLAM, p. 379) "The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue..." (A.J. Toynbee, CIVILIZATION ON TRIAL, New York, p. 205) "How, for instance, can any other appeal stand against that of the Moslem who, in approaching the pagan, says to him, however obscure or degraded he may be 'Embrace the faith, and you are at once equal and a brother.' Islam knows no color line." (S. S. Leeder, VEILED MYSTERIES OF EGYPT) 18. Legacy of Malcolm X ............................................ from III&E Malcolm X was born into Christianity as Malcolm Little and died in Islam as Malik Shabazz. This is something to think about and is an expression of his legacy. Malcolm X went through the transition period of the religion of the "Nation of Islam," a religion of American origin borrowing some terms from the Muslim culture of the East. For information about differences between Islam and the so-called "Nation of Islam" request the brochure "Islam and Farrakhanism Compared" and the booklet "Islam or Farrakhanism" (for a donation ) from III&E, P.O. Box 41129, Chicago, IL 60641-0129. It appears that Malik Shabazz went through five stages in his short life. The first stage was his childhood under the shadows of his religious parents. The second stage was his adolescence to youth until his moving out to Harlem, NY. This was a rowdy and irresponsible stage of his life which eventually landed him in prison. The fourth stage of his life was in the "Nation of Islam" which was not real Islam. In the "Nation of Islam," on one side, Malcolm was a very disciplined man; on the other side he became a black racist, a separatist and a demagogue. In the fifth and final stage of his youthful life, Malik Shabazz reached the apex which he could only achieve in real Islam, not in the cultist "Nation of Islam." Malik Shabazz entered the real Islam as a result of his journey to Makkah (Mecca is a misspelling). In Islam he became moderate and conciliatory. He shed his racism. The legacy of Malcolm X is the real Islam taught to us by the Prophet Muhammad of Arabia, not the racist cult of the "Nation of Islam," presently lead by Louis Farrakhan and others who branched out of the old following of Elijah Muhammad. However, Elijah's son, Wallace D. Muhammad, now known as Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, moved away from his father's religion. He is coming to the real Islam adopted by Malik Shabazz for which Malcolm was assassinated. Malik Shabazz shall be remembered by all Muslims as a martyr for the cause of Allah. If you want to know more about the real Islam followed by Malik Shabazz in his last days, call or write to III&E. P.O. Box 41129 Chicago, IL 60641-0129 Fax. (312) 777-7199 Announcements ................................................................ 19. Archive Info .............................................................. This FAQ is archived at several sites and is available for public retrieval thru anonymous FTP, E-MAIL, Gopher & World Wide Web. -- Anonymous FTP -- Login: anonymous Password: Your e-mail address Site: rtfm.mit.edu Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/ Site: ftp.uu.net Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/ Site: ftp.cco.caltech.edu Dir: /pub/calmsa/islam-faq/ -- E-MAIL -- Send E-mail to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu Text of E-mail Message: send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part10 quit -- GOPHER -- Site: gopher.caltech.edu 70 Path: Computing Information/ CCO anonymous ftp archive/ pub/ calmsa/ islam-faq/ Site: latif.com 70 Path: Resources relating to Islam/ Soc.Religion.Islam -- World-Wide-Web (WWW) -- One recommended interface is 'mosaic,' below are mosaic 'home pages.' URL at USENET Archive site: http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/islam-faq/faq.html URL at Caltech MSA site: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~calmsa/links.html 20. Credits ................................................................... The author wishes to thank all those who contributed in any capacity for the original one part FAQ or this multi-part FAQ. -- SOURCES -- The basic introduction and literature presented in the FAQ is from brochures on Islam distributed by Institute of Islamic Information & Education (III&E). These brochures were typed in electronic form by Ms.M.Ahmed. The information on soc.religion.islam forum (in Part 2) has been compiled from USENET archives and administrative logs of Soc.Religion.Islam moderator panel. What is III&E? III&E is an acronym for the Institute of Islamic Information & Education which was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1985. The III&E is registered in the State of Illinois and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a not-for-profit religious organization. More information can be obtained by contacting Dr. M. Amir, III&E, P.O. Box 41129, Chicago, IL 60641-0129, U.S.A.; Tel: (312) 777-7443 Fax: (312) 777-7199. -- FORMAT -- The format of the FAQ series has been done by utilizing resources of Islamic Information & News Network (IINN). A custom program, Nebula, written by editors of IINN for generating newsletters has been used. What is IINN? Islamic Information & News Network is a forum dedicated to educate the network community on issues relating to Islam and Muslims in an academic & non-political environment. Weekly digest is available on internet by subscribing to MUSLIMS@ASUACAD.BITnet (A Bitnet listserv list) and on USENET: bit.listserv.muslims. -- Permissions -- Permission to post this multi-part FAQ has been obtained by the following: o Institute of Islamic Information & Education (III&E) o Islamic Information & News Network (Muslims@PSUVM.bitnet) o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang) # End of Islam FAQ Part 10 # User Contributions: 1 Star Wars Home Theatre ⚠ pypb km Starwars Wars youtube.com/watch?v=KgUoGsWrFEs Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - Part5 - Part6 - Part7 - Part8 - Part9 - Part10 - Part11 - Part12 - Part13 - Part14 - Part15 [ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ] Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer: mughal@alumni.caltech.edu (Asim Mughal)
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