Islam: Difference between revisions

A great emphasis is placed upon ''"tawheed"'', which means worshiping only Allah and no other gods <ref>''"...The man asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) What is Islam?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Islam is to worship Allah and not worship anything besides Him..."'' {{Bukhari|6|60|300}}</ref>. Muslims repeat phrases like "There is no god, but Allah!" (''la ilaha illa allah'') or "Allah is the greatest!" (''Allahu Akbar'') to emphasize the rejection of other gods. Polytheists are called ''Mushrik مشرك'' and polytheism is called ''[[shirk]]'' شرك and Islam even accuses other monotheistic religions, like Christianity of committing ''shirk'' (claiming Jesus is the son of God is a type of ''shirk''). Similarly fundamental to the religion is the belief in the [[Uswa Hasana|perfection]] of Muhammad in all parts of his life. Muhammad's way of life is called the [[sunnah]], and this is studied through what was alleged to have been transmitted of Muhammad's saying in the [[Hadith|hadiths]] and [[sira]].

The Qur'an contains many verses dealing with Muhammad's personal life (for instance, there is an entire chapter dedicated to stating that the creator of the universe being angry at Muhammad's uncle, Abu Lahab) and the early Muslim community. Islamic law or ''[[Sharia]]'' permits [[Jihad in Islamic Law|war]] against the [[Dar al-Harb and Dar al-Islam (the Abodes of War and Peace)|Dar al Harb]], and as a part of this, raiding, kidnapping and [[Slavery in Islamic Law|enslaving]] non-Muslim [[Kafir (Infidel)|unbelievers]] is also allowed.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://archive.org/details/islamabolitionof0000clar|title=Islam and the Abolition of Slavery|page=27–28|publisher=Oxford University Press|ISBN=978-0-19-522151-0|author=William Gervase Clarence-Smith|year=2006}}</ref> The Qur'an also comprises many other legal and moral commandments for Muslims, and gives direction and guidance to the Muslim polity or caliphate. These commandments are, today, of controversial nature, as many of the Qur'an's legal rulings tend to marginalize, among others, women, [[Kafir (Infidel)|non-Muslims]], homosexuals, and apostates. The political commandments are likewise controversial, as they frequently assert the need for global domination and conquest, not shying away from describing in explicit terms the great multitudes that will need to be slain in the process. Literal readings of the Qur'an's legal and political commandments constitute Islamic orthodoxy, though, in the absence of a "legitimate" caliphate, most orthodox voices suggest the political commandments need not be followed through with (legal commandments, however, are generally promoted for implementation). Islamists, on the other hand, believe that in the absence of a legitimate caliphate, the caliphate must be actively pursued. Indeed, it is the Islamists who are responsible for the great majority of Islamic extremism and Islamic terrorism.