I submit the following essay. It is by Hank LaBate, a friend and a fellow member of the Traverse Bay Area 912 Project. I believe it fairly & unbiasedly presents the Muslim Religion as it truly exists today - without the rhetoric of radicals on either side. I pray to God, the one God in whom Jews, Christians and Muslims all believe, that you will take away a better understanding of one of the three largest Monotheistic religions of the world.
IMNTBHO, Dave Skibowski
Muslim (one who submits to God)
Hank LaBate
• Genesis and the story of Abraham and his 2 sons Isaac and Ishamael
• Ishmael from Sarah's hand maiden (servant)
• Isaac from Abraham's barren .wife Sarah as God promised
• From Isaac the Jewish and Christian nations
• From Ishmael the Arab nations
The schism (split) relates first to who was the "only" son put on the alter of sacrifice by Abraham, and continues with the Muslim rejection of the Son of God in Christian and Jewish theology (Messiah and Ezra).
When Ishmael Comes Home
by Kevin Coval
Coval, a Chicago Jewish poet, writes, in the voice of Ishmael, of images as what happens when the two brothers meet to put their father in the earth. These are the last few lines:. . . together we will dig this grave brother
lay the bones of a man I never knew
cover earth over him, say Kaddish
we will mourn together my brother
did he tell you my name, that I look like you
love you, dreamed to have a brother
at night sleeping curled under my lineage
my Lord is Allah, is Yahweh, is what saved you
atop the mount and damned me to wander, but
I am strong, brother, do not weep cuz the patriarch
Is gone, death is rebirth is time to build new temples
Tell stores of our father, sing his praises, mend his curses
Stand over his memory and decide where to move from here
Isaac, I have returned
My shoes are off in your home
My open palm extends to you Salaam, Shalom, in peace
Brother, will you take my hand
Influence of Religious works (books)
Muslim Hebrew -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KORAN (Quran) (610 - 632 AD) - - - - -TANAKH (canon of the Hebrew Bible) (200 BC)
Includes: the Torah(5 books of Moses)
Nevi'um (12 Prophets)
Ketuvim (11 books of writings)
Hadith (rules, words and deeds) & - - -Talmud (Jewish law, study, customs, etc.)
Sunnah (living habits of Muhammad)
Sufi Mystics - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Kaballah (inspired by Song of Solomon or
Inspired by Masnavi - Persian Poems) Song or Songs and the Sufi)
History of Muslim Religion
• Muhammad born in 570 AD in Mecca, a trading stop on a secondary trade route.
• Muhammad died in 632 AD
o Orphaned at age 1
o Raised by grandfather and powerful uncle who was head of Quarish tribe
o Married a rich 40 year old widow at age 25
o Became a man of leisure with time to spare
o Spent much time in the desert and caves in deep contemplation
o Was visited by the Angel Gabriel who implored him to convert his tribesman to the one true God and stop worship of other gods and idols
o In 610 he began to proselytize his monotheism (one God)
o His Quarish clansmen rejected him and threatened to kill him (saved by his uncle) as they did to many of his followers.
o In 622 his uncle died and he quickly left Mecca for the safety of Medina o He warred with his clansmen and finally triumphed in his return to Mecca in 630 AD
o Had 6 children; 2 sons who died early in life and 4 daughters
o Two of his daughters were married to the third and fourth Caliphs (Mohammad's successors).
o Both the Caliphs were assassinated and thus split the Sunni and Shite major sects in the mid-600's.
o (Most of the schism (splits) in the Muslim religion have to do with who is in charge, i.e., blood line or politics.)
The Muslim religion and Islam (which includes the religion and the culture of the rules and laws of the Hadith/Sunnah and Shariah law (devised by the first and second Caliphs) spread west to the Atlantic across north Africa and the Iberian peninsula and east to Asia minor very quickly in the first hundred years after Muhammad's death. More often than not, military threat and conquest rather than religious conversions were the cause of the spread of Islam.
Islam Today (peace through submission to God)
1. Approximately 1.5+ billion Muslims in the world; mostly in the Middle East, Indonesia and North Africa. (200 million in 1900, 550 million in 1970).
2. Examples of Hadith/Sunnah -Clerics interpretation of Muhammad's words in the Koran and recording of his or his companions actions and responses include the following: Revelation, Belief, Knowledge, Ablutions (washing of the body), Rubbing hands and feet with dust, prayers, Virtues of the prayer Hall, times of prayers, Call to Prayers (Adhaan), Characteristics of Prayer, Friday Prayer, The Two Festivals, Invoking Allah for Rain, Eclipses, prostration during recital of Quran, Prayer at Night, Funerals, Obligatory Charity Tax, Pilgrimage (Hajji), Penalty of Hunting while on pilgrimage, and there are many more.
Shari'ah (path) Law-
Shari'ah is considered God's Law, distinct from all human codes of law. It is God's indispensable link between Himself and His people (ummah); the manifestation of His divine will for Muslims and for those non-Muslim minorities (or majorities) under the domination of the Muslim community, (pious point of view) It is derived from the Koran and Hadith/Sunnah and, all too often, includes some disgusting tribal traditions that include "honor killings" that predate the Muslim religion. In countries that have secular and Shari'ah law, Shari'ah is limited to familial issues (marriage, divorce, inheritance, etc.). Interesting, a NY Times November 2008, article, entitled: Britain Grapples With Role for Islamic Justice, discussed the country allowing sharia law in governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance to make legally binding decisions if both parties agree. The new system is noted to be in line with separate mediation allowed for Anglican and Jewish communities in England. (You can find the article on-line at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/ll/19/world/europe/19shariah.html? r=l&pagewanted=l). "There is no reason why principles of sharia law, or any other religious code, should not be the basis for mediation," Britain's top judge, Lord Nicholas Phillips, said in a July 2008 speech (PDF). Supporters of this initiative, such as the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, argue that it would help maintain social cohesion (BBC) in European societies increasingly divided by religion. However, some research suggests the process to be discriminatory toward women (BBC). Other analysts suggest the system has led to grey areas. Britain's Muslims come from all over the world, Ishtiaq Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Council for Mosques in England, told the BBC, noting that this makes it hard to discern at times "where the rulings of the sharia finish and long-held cultural practices start." Sharia has recently become a topic of political concern in the United States. The state of Oklahoma passed a ballot measure in November 2010 to ban the use of sharia law in court cases, which supporters are calling "a preemptive strike against Islamic law" (ABCNews). Several opponents of new mosques being built around the United States, including one near Ground Zero, have cited fear of the spread of sharia as a reason for opposition. And about a third of Americans in an August 2010, Newsweek poll suspect U.S. President Barack Obama sympathizes with Islamist goals to impose sharia.
There are three categories of punishment derived from the Koran and Hadiths:
a. Hadd are those that are directly addressed in the Koran (most horrific punishment including stoning, flogging and amputation). Include unlawful sexual intercourse, false accusation of sexual intercourse, wine drinking, theft and highway robbery,
b. Judge discretion,
c. Tit-for-Tat (blood money payment).
Those that seek to eliminate or at least modify these controversial (Hadd punishment) practices cite the religious tenet of tajdid. The concept is one of renewal, where Islamic society must be reformed constantly to keep it in its purest form. "With the passage of time and changing circumstances since traditional classical jurisprudence was founded, people's problems have changed and conversely, there must be new thought to address these changes and events," says Dr. Abdul Fatah Idris, head of the comparative jurisprudence department at AI-Azhar University in Cairo. Though many scholars share this line of thought, there are those who consider the purest form of Islam to be the one practiced in the seventh century.
Government under God countries - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates allow alcohol), Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq, (in some countries Non-Muslims are not expected to obey shariah and in most countries, they are the jurisdiction of special committees and adjunct courts under the control of the government.)
Secular countries - Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Chad, Somalia, Senegal and Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told Newsweek, "Turkey has achieved what people said could never be achieved-a balance between Islam, democracy, secularism and modernity." Secular Muslim countries are a minority, however, and the popularity of Islamist political parties are narrowing the gap between religion and state.
4. HAJJ - Yearly pilgrimage to Mecca which commemorates trials of Abraham and family. Muhammad said proper Hajj will return person as newly born and sinless.
5. IHRAM - Spiritual state of purity during Hajj requiring no sex, quarrelling violence or wearing two piece unsewn clothes.
6. KA'BA - Stone cube shaped building, said to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael but contained idols of 26 gods before Muhammad returned and smashed them in 630 AD. It was the site of pagan pilgrimage much before the Muslims.
7. Five Pillars of Islam (believed by both Sunni and Shi'a)
a. Shahabad - Profession of Faith
b. Salah - ritual prayer, 5 times a day facing Mecca (Ka'ba)
c. Zakah - alms tax
d. Sawm - fasting during Ramadan
e. Hajj
In addition, the Shi'a believe in the following 3 additional Pillars along with the previous 5 Pillars:
f. Jihad important to Sunni but not a Pillar to struggle in the way of God or to struggle to improve self or society. Jihad is directed against devil's inducements, aspects of one own self, or against visible enemy. Four categories of Jihad are: self-persecution, jihad of tongue, jihad of hand, and jihad of sword.
g. Amr-Bil-Ma'Ruf- enjoing to do good.
h. Nahi-Anil-Munkar=exhortation to desist from evil.
Sects of Islam
1. SUNNI-80%-believe in electing leaders-Caliphs
2. 4 major schools of law
a. Hanifites-most liberal-Turks/ldians/central sians(Usbecks/Kirgs- Kazaks/Pakistanis/Bangaladeshis
b. Malikites-traditionalist-Kuwaite/UAE/Bahraiann/Sudan/uper Egypt/Lybia/Tunesia/Algeria/Morocco/west africa/Spain
c. Shafite.-believe hadith on level of Qur'an-Palastine/Jordan/Syria/Lebanon/lraq/Kurds in Iran/east africa/lndonesia
d. Hanablite-most fundamental & fanatic-accept Wahhabi & Islamic brotherhood, want religious Islamic governments not secular Arabic states-Saudi Arabia/Afghanistan/Pakistan
• Salafi,Wahhabi and Ahle Hadith are sometimes used interchangeably
• Wahhabi also called particular orientation within Salafismfancestors fundamentalism- 1st three generations-follow strict Qur'an & Hadith interpretations law Alhari school of Aqeedah (believe only what is written w/no interpellation)). Wahhabi is considered derogatory and they prefer 'Unitarians' (Muwahiddun).
• Wahabbi primary doctrine is Tawhid, or uniqueness of unity of God
2. SHIITES(SHI'A) 10-20%-(PARTY OF ALI-cousin/SON IN LAW of Mohammad)-bloodline of succession-12. Imams are infallible-death of 12th Imam (Husayn) is like Christ death-Shiite law practiced in Iran/Lebanon/Syria/Palestine.
a. One major school of law-Ja'fari
b. 8 sub sects
• Kharijites(Seceders)-extreme fundamentalists-assassinated Ali-Qur'an interpreted literally-no interpretation
• Murjiites(Postponers)-among Muslims, only polytheist go to hell
• Hashimites and the Abbasids-Jordan-descendants of al-Abbas uncle of Muhammad & Ali. Kept throne from Shiites,
• Meccans & al-Mansour-believe at end of history religious leader of Islam name will be exact name of prophet- Muhammad Iban Abd Allah
• Zaydis-most like Sunni. Don't believe in return of hidden Imam- Imam must be chosen from Ali's line based on ability/learning- oppose Sufi mystics- Yemen
• Assassins of Almamut-smoke hashish before going on suicide missions-tried to kill Sunni Caliphs & followers
• Druze-secretive Muslims-civil wars with Christians in Lebanon
• Nusavris(Alawites)-Syria (500.000) -They celebrate Christian holy days.
3. IBADISM-<1%, distinct from Sunni and Shi'ia. One of oldest sects. Very conservative but very tolerant- agree with some of the Sunni Caliphs and Hadith-Oman/Libya/Algeria/east Africa(Zanzibar)/Tunisia
3 Groups of Islam Philosophy
1. MU'TAZILA-uphold philosophy of reason
2. PREDESTINATION-(IF ALLA WILLS-)
3. SUFIS-Mystics who focus on loving and experiencing God directly. Similar to Jewish Kabbalah and said by some to have inspired them.
Muslims Come in 4 Social Types
1. Fanatics -ritualistic and usually poorly educated
2. Religious & Educated - can discuss with open mind
3. Nominal - all levels of society and have traditional knowledge of religion/open to gospel of Christ
4. Mixed Marriage - able to consider other religions, i.e., Christianity
The point is that there are many different forms of the Muslim religion and only a few sub sects want to kill all the Jews and Christians. Each sub sect follows different Hadiths/Shariah and is more or less accepting of the world's other religions, Muslim, as a religion, is not monolithic. It is my belief that the Koran's reference to infidels was not directed toward Jews and Christians but toward Mohammad's own clansman who were polytheists. The Koran says that Mohammad, at Medina, directed his followers to "go to the Christian lands and wait for me to call for you. They will take care of you until I call" and the Koran says "respect the people of the Book" (Torah)?
Regrettably, I fear that there are a great many "radicalized" Muslims that have been taught hateful Hadiths. They are not all bomb throwers but they are supportive of bomb throwers. They number in the 100's of millions. I believe that the attempt to turn this very large ship full of say 400 million radicalized Muslims very, very slowly to the right by injecting the politics of personal freedom into the middle east in two strategic countries; Iraq and Afghanistan, was the best chance we have of quelling this hatred for the world by the radical Muslims. I pray that it will work. Jews, Christians and Muslims are all cousins linked through Abraham. We believe in our one true God and none of us are infidels in the meaning of Mohammad. Remember that his clansmen were trying to kill him after his Uncle in Mecca died.
Time context is important
Poem About September llc By Rooshna Kidwai
Tragedy struck the country on the llth of September
Terror grasped our hearts on a day that all will remember
Shock combined with anger, pain combined with fear
As we intently watched the news and brushed away the tears
Planes explode into buildings, causing them to collapse
Maybe a scene from a movie, or just a nightmare, perhaps?
But that's just wishful thinking, we knew it was very real
Because the families of the victims wait for the pain to heal
The question continued to echo, only the answer did we lack
Who were the monsters who committed this deadly terrorist attack?
Now we know their identities: Muslims by their names
And because of these cowards, all Muslims were defamed
This isn't what Islam teaches; I'm a Muslim so I should know
What the terrorists did was wrong, and Hell is where they will go
Us Muslims did nothing wrong, but still you persist to despise
A group of innocent people, who now fear to step outside
We won't ask you to forgive us for something we didn't do
But please respect us like your own, because we are just like you
Let's hold our hands with peace, and lets join our hearts with love
Pray for the victims who died in the blue sky up above
Too high above for us to know how these people felt
The victims in the buildings and the horror with which they dealt
Imagine the pain of their families, who lie at home in wait
For someone to come inform them of their beloved's fate
We called it the United States, but it wasn't until now
That we were a country united under a single vow
Dear God, Together we stand and together we pray
For all who lost their lives on that sorrowful day
And protect all the Muslims from anyone who expresses malice
And doesn't know the difference between a Muslim and a terrorist
GOD BLESS AMERICA
© 2001 Rooshna Kidwai. AH rights reserved to the author. Reprinted here by permission.
Henry LaBate biography
I am a graduate of Clark, NJ regional high school, class of 1959. I attended Rutgers University for one year prior to joining the US Navy. I spent 20 years in the US Navy, qualifying in submarines and serving on nuclear and diesel fast attack and World War ll diesel submarines as well as Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines. I also served on Admiral Rickover’s staff at Nuclear Reactors code 08 in the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. The US Navy sent me to the University of New Mexico where I graduated with a degree in Electrical engineering in 1967. I received graduate level Nuclear Power education from the US Navy and attended George Washington University for MBA studies.
I have been employed by various consulting firms in Washington D.C., including Booz Allen & Hamilton and have been employed by RCA, General Electric, Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin (same job but our division was sold/acquired) for the past 25 years as a test engineering manager for Aegis (computer controlled combat systems) Cruisers and Destroyers. I headed a project to install the Aegis system on Japanese ships for 15 years and traveled and lived in Japan extensively. I am semi-retired and consult part time for Lockheed Martin.
My wife Diane and I reside in Long Lake, Traverse City, Michigan and Bayville, New Jersey. We are members of the Traverse Bay 912 Project. We are avid sailors and RVers.
