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Islam FAQ (Part 6/15): Marriage Laws in Islam

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Asim Mughal

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Mar 18, 2004, 4:11:30 AM3/18/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part6
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

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 6
__________________________________

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: mug...@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 7: Marriage Laws In Islam

Contents

--Articles--
1. Marriage ........................................................ from IINN
2. Whom to Marry ................................................... from IINN
3. Mahr ............................................................ from IINN
4. Intimacy ........................................................ from IINN
5. Walima .......................................................... from IINN
6. Duties & Rights After Marriage .................................. from IINN
7. Advices to Husbands ............................................. from IINN
8. Advices to Wives ................................................ from IINN
--Announcements--
9. Archive Info ..............................................................
10. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Marriage ........................................................ from IINN

Spouses:

Allah, most Gracious says about spouses in Quran:

Among His signs is [the fact] that He has created spouses for you among
yourselves so that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has
planted love and mercy between you; In that are signs for people who
reflect. Qur'an [30 : 21]

He has planted affection and mercy between you. Qur'an [30: 12] and
says:

They are a garment for you and you are a garment to them. Qur'an [2 :
187]

Consider this in conjunction with the following verse:

The best garment is the garment of God-consciousness Qur'an [7 : 26]

It requires that a husband and wife should be as garments for each
other. Just as garments are for protection, comfort, show and
concealment for human beings, Allah expects husbands and wives to be for
one another.

And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another;
they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship
and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger; as for
those, Allah will have mercy on them; Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise. Allah
hath promised to believers - men and women - gardens underwhich rivers
flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting
bliss; but the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah: This is the
supreme felicity.

Qur'an [9 : 71 - 72]

2. Whom to Marry ................................................... from IINN

Allah also gives us freedom and urges us to:

...Marry the women of your choice... Qur'an [4 : 3] Similarly, for the
women:

"A girl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and informed him that
her father had married her to her cousin against her wishes, whereupon
the Prophet allowed her to exercise her choice. She then said, 'I am
reconciled to what my father did but I wanted to make it known to women
that fathers have no say in this matter'". - Hadith narrated by Ibn
Majah

Narrated Abdullah: "We were with the Prophet, peace be upon him, while
we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Apostle, peace be
upon him, said, `O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should
marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty, and
whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his
sexual power.'"

Narrated Abu Huraira: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, `A woman is
married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her
beauty, and her religion. So you should marry the religious woman
[otherwise] you will be a loser.'"

3. Mahr ............................................................ from IINN

Mahr is the gift that is given by the husband to his wife at wedding. It
can be anything in any amount, as agreed by the bride and bride-groom.

Allah says about Mahr in the Chapter `Woman' in Quran:

And give the women (on marriage) their Mahr as a free gift. Qur'an [4 :
4]

If you had given the latter a cantar (of gold i.e. a great amount) for
dower (Mahr) take not the least bit of it back ... Qur'an [4 : 20]

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to a man,
`Marry, even with (a Mahr equal to) an iron ring.'"

4. Intimacy ........................................................ from IINN

Intimacy is seen as an act of procreation. An eye for the what is about
to come is kept open in this respect as well. The following prayer
reminds us of God, results of our actions and reminds us of our
commitment to train our offspring.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, `If anyone of
you, when having a sexual intercourse with his wife says:

In the name of Allah! O Allah! Protect me from Satan and protect what
you bestow upon us (i.e. an offspring) from Satan. and if it is destined
that they should have a child, then Satan will never be able to harm
him.'"

5. Walima .......................................................... from IINN

Walima is the wedding reception given to friends and family after the
consummation of marriage. It is given by the husband on this auspicious
occassion, showing his happiness and sharing it with the friends and
family.

Abdur Rahman bin Auf said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to me,
`Give a wedding banquet, even with one sheep.'"

Narrated Abu Musa: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, `Set the
captives free, accept the invitation (including to a wedding banquet),
and pay a visit to the patients.'"

By this saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, it is also enjoined
upon us to join in the happiness of our brothers.

6. Duties & Rights After Marriage .................................. from IINN

Duties and Rights of Husband and Wife after marriage:

Allah informs us about the just rights of each other on us:

But, in accordance with justice, the wife's rights (with regard to their
husbands) are equal to the (husband's) rights with regard to them,
although men are a degree above them; and Allah is Almighty, Wise.
Qur'an [2 : 228]

The statement that men are a degree above women means that authority
within the household has been give to the husband in preference to the
wife because a heavier burden has been placed on his shoulders by
another verse of the Quran which says:

Men shall take full care of women, because Allah has given the one more
strength than the other, and because they support them from their means.
Qur'an [4 : 34]

7. Advices to Husbands ............................................. from IINN

Jabir Narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave these
instructions in his sermon during Farewell Pilgrimage: "Fear God
regarding women; for you have taken them [in marriage] with the trust of
God." [Mishkat]

Narrated Aisha, God's messenger said: "Among the believers who show most
perfect faith are those who have the best disposition, and are kindest
to their families." [Tirmidhi]

Narrated Abu Huraira, God's messenger said: "The believers who show the
most perfect faith are those who have the best disposition and the best
of you are those who are best to their wives." [Tirmidhi]

Aisha has related that the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, would enter
the house with a pleasing disposition and a smile on his lips.
[Uswa-i-Hasana]

Narrated Al-Aswad: "I asked Aisha, `What did the Prophet, peace be upon
him, do at home?' She said, `He used to work for his family and when he
heard the call for the prayer, he would go out.'" [Bukhari]

Narrated Abu Huraira: "Allah's Apostle, peace be upon him, said, `The
woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if
you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some bent.'"
[Bukhari]

Narrated Abu Huraira: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, `Whoever
believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt (trouble) his
neighbor. And I advise you to take care of women, for they are created
from a rib and the most crooked portion of the rib is its upper part; if
you try to straighten it, it will break, and if you leave it, it will
reamin crooked, so I urge you to take care of women. [Bukhari]

Narrated Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As: "Allah's Apostle, peace be upon
him, said, `O Abdullah! Have I not been informed that you fast all the
day and stand in prayer all night?' I said, `Yes, O Allah's Apostle!' He
said, `Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave them at
other times; stand up for the prayer at night and also sleep at night.
Your body has a right over you and your wife has a right over you.'"
[Bukhari]

Narrated Ibn Umar: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, `All of you
are guardians and are responsible for your wards. The ruler is a
guardian and the man is a guardian of his family; the lady is a guardian
who is responsible for her husband's house and his offspring; and so all
of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards.'"

Men should forbear any shortcomings of women in view of the following
verse of Quran:

Live with them in kindness; even if you dislike them, perhaps you
dislike something in which God has place much good. Qur'an [4 : 19]

8. Advices to Wives ................................................ from IINN

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "When a woman observes the five
times of prayer, fasts during Ramadan, preserves her chastity and obeys
her husband, she may enter by any of the gates of paradise she wishes
(in other words nothing will prevent her from entering paradise)."
[Mishkat]

Um Salma reported God's messenger as saying, "Any woman who dies when
her husband is pleased with her will enter Paradise." [Tirmidhi]

Abu Huraira told that when God's messenger was asked which woman was
best, he replied, "The one who fills [her husband] with joy when he sees
her, obeys him when he directs and does not oppose him by displeasing
him regarding her person or property." [Mishkat]

Providing for wife and family:

Quran teaches us to be reasonable and fair to our wives and family.

House women wherever you reside, accoding to your circumstances, and do
not harass them in order to make life difficult for them. Qur'an [65 :
6]

The statement of Allah in the chapter `Woman':

`Men are protectors and maintainers of women.' Qur'an [4 : 34]

Bukhari quotes the following verse under the heading: .. the superiority
of providing for one's family:

(O Mohammed!) They ask you what they ought to spend. Say: That which is
beyond your needs. Thus Allah make clear to you His Signs in order that
you may give thought (to it) in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
Qur'an [2 : 219-220]

Narrated Abu Masud Al-Ansari: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
`When a Muslim spends something on his family intending to receive
Allah's reward, it is regarded as Sadqa (spending in the name of God)
for him.'"

We should always remember that Allah is the one who gives us, we are
mere trustees of the funds.

Narrated Abu Huraira: "Allah's Apostle, peace be upon him, said, `Allah
said, O the son of Adam! Spend, and I shall spend on you.'"

Narrated Abu Huraira: "Allah's Apostle, peace be upon him, said, `The
best alms is that which you give when you are rich, and you should
support your dependants first.'" [Bukhari]

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger, peace be upon him, as saying: "Of
the dinar (unit of currency) that you spend as a contribution in God's
path, or to set free a slave, or as charity given to a needy, or to
support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which
you spent on your family. [Muslim]

Announcements ................................................................

9. 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 --

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-...@rtfm.mit.edu

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part6
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

10. 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.; Fax: (312) 777-7199; or
or Tel: (312) 777-7443.

-- 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 MUS...@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 (Mus...@PSUVM.bitnet)
o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang)

# End of Islam FAQ Part 6 #

Asim Mughal

unread,

Mar 18, 2004, 4:11:31 AM3/18/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part7

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

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 7
__________________________________

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

________________________________________________________

PART 7: Women In Islam

Contents

--Articles--
1. Hijab (Veil) and Muslim Women ...................... from Ms.Naheed Mustafa
2. Women In Islam .................................................. from IINN
3. Women's Liberation through Islam ............................... from III&E
4. Human Rights - Equality ........................................ from III&E
5. Civil Rights - Freedom of Choice & ............................. from III&E
6. Social Rights .................................................. from III&E
7. Political Rights ............................................... from III&E
8. Economic Rightrs ............................................... from III&E
9. Rights of a Wife ............................................... from III&E
10. Duties of a Wife ............................................... from III&E
11. Conclusion - Rights of Women ................................... from III&E
12. Who Practices Polygamy? ........................................ from III&E
--Announcements--
13. Archive Info ..............................................................
14. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Hijab (Veil) and Muslim Women ...................... from Ms.Naheed Mustafa

"My body is my own business" by Naheed in The Globe

>Dated: 25 Sep 1993 16:35:02 -0500

MULTICULTURAL VOICES: A Canadian-born Muslim woman has taken to wearing
the traditional hijab scarf. It tends to make people see her as either a
terrorist or a symbol of oppressed womanhood, but she finds the
experience LIBERATING.

I OFTEN wonder whether people see me as a radical, fundamentalist Muslim
terrorist packing an AK-47 assault rifle inside my jean jacket. Or may
be they see me as the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere.
I'm not sure which it is.

I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances. You
see, I wear the hijab, a scarf that covers my head, neck, and throat. I
do this because I am a Muslim woman who believes her body is her own
private concern.

Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab, reinterpreting it in light
of its original purpose -- to give back to women ultimate control of
their own bodies.

The Qur'an teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals
should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege.
The only thing that makes one person better than another is her or his
character.

Nonetheless, people have a difficult time relating to me. After all, I'm
young, Canadian born and raised, university-educated -- why would I do
this to myself, they ask.

Strangers speak to me in loud, slow English and often appear to be
playing charades. They politely inquire how I like living in Canada and
whether or not the cold bothers me. If I'm in the right mood, it can be
very amusing.

But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American
upbringing, suddenly, at 21, want to cover myself so that with the hijab
and the other clothes I choose to wear, only my face and hands show?

Because it gives me freedom.

-o-o-o-

WOMEN are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional
to their attractiveness. We feel compelled to pursue abstract notions of
beauty, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile.

When women reject this form of oppression, they face ridicule and
contempt. Whether it's women who refuse to wear makeup or to shave their
legs, or to expose their bodies, society, both men and women, have
trouble dealing with them.

In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced
silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it's neither. It
is simply a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to
play no role whatsoever in social interaction.

Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention to my
physical self. Because my appearance is not subjected to public
scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the
realm of what can legitimately be discussed.

No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon,
whether or not I can pinch an inch, or even if I have unsightly stretch
marks. And because no one knows, no one cares.

Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is
tiring and often humiliating. I should know, I spent my entire teen-age
years trying to do it. It was a borderline bulimic and spent a lot of
money I didn't have on potions and lotions in hopes of becoming the next
Cindy Crawford.

The definition of beauty is ever-changing; waifish is good, waifish is
bad, athletic is good -- sorry, athletic is bad. Narrow hips? Great.
Narrow hips? Too bad.

Women are not going to achieve equality with the right to bear their
breasts in public, as some people would like to have you believe. That
would only make us party to our own objectification. True equality will
be had only when women don't need to display themselves to get attention
and won't need to defend their decision to keep their bodies to
themselves.

Naheed Mustafa graduated from the University of Toronto last year with
an honours degree in political and history. She is currently studying
journalism at Ryerson Polytechnic University

NOTE:

This article appeared in IINN (Islamic Information & News Network)
publications. The Permission of Reprinting granted by "Islamic
Information & News Network" (Muslims @ Asuacad.Bitnet).

2. Women In Islam .................................................. from IINN

Source: Islamic Center of Southern California

Typed in by: Ms.Iraj Ali

SEPARATING FACTS FROM FICTION

o Islam gave woman the right to reject a marriage proposal free from
pressure and by mutual agreement to specify in the marriage contract
that she has the right to divorce. If she deems the marriage to have
failed beyond repair.

o Islam does not require woman to change her name at marriage.

o Islam protects the family and condemns the betrayal of marital
fidelity. It recognize only one type of family, husband and wife united
by authentic marriage contract.

o "Heaven is at the feet of mothers" is a basic Islamic teachings.

This article appeared in IINN (Islamic Information & News Network)
publications. The Permission of Reprinting granted by "Islamic
Information & News Network" (Muslims @ Asuacad.Bitnet).

3. Women's Liberation through Islam ............................... from III&E

Today people think that women are liberated in the West and that the
women's liberation movement began in the 20th century. Actually, the
women's liberation movement was not begun by women but was revealed by
God to a man in the seventh century by the name of Muhammad (peace be
upon him), who is known as the last Prophet of Islam. The Qur'an and the
Traditions of the Prophet (Hadith or Sunnah) are the sources from which
every Muslim woman derives her rights and duties.

4. Human Rights - Equality ........................................ from III&E

Islam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God in
glorifying and worshipping Him - setting no limits on her moral
progress. Also, Islam established a woman's equality in her humanity
with men.

In the Qur'an, in the first verse of the chapter entitled "Women," God
says, "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you
from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread
abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward
Allah in Whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and towards the
wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah has been a Watcher over you." (4:1)

Since men and women both came from the same essence, they are equal in
their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religious
believe) or then men would be evil also. Similarly, neither gender can
be superior because it would be a contradiction of equality.

5. Civil Rights - Freedom of Choice & ............................. from III&E

In Islam, a woman has the basic freedom of choice and expression based
on recognition of her individual personality. First, she is free to
choose her religion. The Qur'an states: "There is no compulsion in
religion. Right has been made distinct from error." (2:256)

Women are encouraged in Islam to contribute their opinions and ideas.
There are many traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) which indicate women
would pose questions directly to him and offer their opinions concerning
religion, economics and social matters.

A Muslim woman chooses her husband and keeps her name after marriage. A
Muslim woman's testimony is valid in legal disputes. In fact, in areas
in which women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.

6. Social Rights .................................................. from III&E

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Seeking knowledge is a mandate for every
Muslim (male and female)." This includes knowledge of the Qur'an and the
Hadith as well as other knowledge. Men and women both have the capacity
for learning and understanding. Since it is also their obligation to
promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life,
Muslim women must acquire the appropriate education to perform this duty
in accordance with their own natural talents and interests.

While maintenance of a home, providing support to her husband, and
bearing, raising and teaching of children are among the first and very
highly regarded roles for a woman, if she has the skills to work outside
the home for the good of the community, she may do so as long as her
family obligations are met.

Islam recognizes and fosters the natural differences between men and
women despite their equality. Some types of work are more suitable for
men and other types for women. This in no way diminishes either's effort
nor its benefit. God will reward both sexes equally for the value of
their work, though it may not necessarily be the same activity.

Concerning motherhood, the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Heaven lies under the
feet of mothers." This implies that the success of a society can be
traced to the mothers that raised it. The first and greatest influence
on a person comes from the sense of security, affection, and training
received from the mother. Therefore, a woman having children must be
educated and conscientious in order to be a skillful parent.

7. Political Rights ............................................... from III&E

A right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the right to
vote. On any public matter, a woman may voice her opinion and
participate in politics. One example, narrated in the Qur'an (60:12), is
that Muhammad (pbuh) is told that when the believing women come to him
and swear their allegiance to Islam, he must accept their oath. This
established the right of women to select their leader and publicly
declare so. Finally, Islam does not forbid a woman from holding
important positions in government. Abdur-Rahman Ibn Auf consulted many
women before he recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the Caliph.

8. Economic Rights ................................................ from III&E

The Qur'an states: "By the creation of the male and female; Verily, (the
ends) ye strive for are diverse." (92:3-4)

In these verses, God declares that He created men and women to be
different, with unique roles, functions and skills. As in society, where
there is a division of labor, so too in a family; each member has
different responsibilities. Generally, Islam upholds that women are
entrusted with the nurturing role, and men, with the guardian role.
Therefore, women are given the right of financial support.

The Qur'an states: "Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has
made some of them to excel others and because they spend of their wealth
(for the support of women)." (4:34)

This guardianship and greater financial responsibility is given to men,
requires that they provide women with not only monetary support but also
physical protection and kind and respectful treatment.

The Muslim woman has the privilege to earn money, the right to own
property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets
in any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no one has any
claim on her earnings including her husband. The Qur'an states:

"And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His
gifts more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted what
they earn, and to women, what they earn; but ask Allah of His bounty,
for Allah hath full knowledge of all things." (4:32)

A woman inherits from her relatives. The Qur'an states: "For men there
is a share in what parents and relatives leave, and for women there is a
share of what parents and relatives leave, whether it be little or much
- an ordained share." (4:7)

9. Rights of a Wife ............................................... from III&E

The Qur'an states: "And among His signs is that He created for you mates
from among yourselves that you may live in tranquillity with them, and
He has put love and mercy between you; Verily, in that are signs for
people who reflect." (30:21)

Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity, but in
fact, a sign from God! It is a relationship of mutual rights and
obligations based on divine guidance. God created men and women with
complimentary natures, and in the Qur'an, He laid out a system of laws
to support harmonious interaction between the sexes.

"...They are your garments and you are their garments." (2:187)

Clothing provides physical protection and covers the beauty and faults
of the body. Likewise, a spouse is viewed this way. Each protects the
other and hides the faults and compliments the characteristics of the
spouse.

To foster the love and security that comes with marriage, Muslim wives
have various rights. The first of the wife's rights is to receive mahr,
a gift from the husband which is part of the marriage contract and
required for the legality of the marriage.

The second right of a wife is maintenance. Despite any wealth she may
have, her husband is obligated to provide her with food, shelter and
clothing. He is not forced, however, to spend beyond his capability and
his wife is not entitled to make unreasonable demands. The Qur'an
states: "Let the man of means spend according to his means, and the man
whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah
has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has
given him." (65:7)

God tells us men are guardians over women and are afforded the
leadership in the family. His responsibility for obeying God extends to
guiding his family to obey God at all times.

A wife's rights also extend beyond material needs. She has the right to
kind treatment. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The most perfect believers are
the best in conduct. And the best of you are those who are best to their
wives." God tells us He created mates and put love, mercy, and
tranquillity between them.

Both men and women have a need for companionship and sexual needs, and
marriage is designed to fulfill those needs. For one spouse to deny this
satisfaction to the other, temptation exists to seek it elsewhere.

10. Duties of a Wife ............................................... from III&E

With rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain
obligations to their husbands. The Qur'an states: "The good women in the
absence of their husbands guard their rights as Allah has enjoined upon
them to be guarded." (4:34)

A wife is to keep her husband's secrets and protect their marital
privacy. Issues of intimacy or faults of his that would dishonor him,
are not to be shared by the wife, just as he is expected to guard her
honor.

A wife must also guard her husband's property. She must safeguard his
home and possessions, to the best of her ability, from theft or damage.
She should manage the household affairs wisely so as to prevent loss or
waste. She should not allow anyone to enter the house whom her husband
dislikes nor incur any expenses of which her husband disapproves.

A Muslim woman must cooperate and coordinate with her husband. There
cannot, however, be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to God.
She should not fulfill his requests if he wants her to do something
unlawful. A husband also should not take advantage of his wife, but be
considerate of her needs and happiness.

11. Conclusion - Rights of Women ................................... from III&E

The Qur'an states: "And it becomes not a believing man or a believing
women, when Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) have decided on an affair
(for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair;
and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His Messenger, he verily goes
astray in error manifest." (33:36)

The Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights 1400 years ago that
most women do not enjoy today, even in the West. These are from God and
are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust or missing
in one place is compensated for or explained in another place. Islam is
a complete way of life.

-- Mary Ali and Anjum Ali

12. Who Practices Polygamy? ........................................ from III&E

Polygamy has been practiced by mankind for thousands of years. Many of
the ancient Israelites were polygamous, some having hundreds of wives.
King Solomon (peace be upon him) is said to have had seven hundred wives
and three hundred concubines. David (Dawood) had ninety-nine and Jacob
(Yacub, peace be upon them both) had four. Advice given by some Jewish
wise men state that no man should marry more than four wives. No early
society put any restrictions on the number of wives or put any
conditions about how they were to be treated. Jesus was not known to
have spoken against polygamy. As recently as the seventeenth century,
polygamy was practiced and accepted by the Christian Church. The Mormons
(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has allowed and practiced
polygamy in the United States.

Monogamy was introduced into Christianity at the time of Paul when many
revisions took place in Christianity. This was done in order for the
church to conform to the Greco-Roman culture where men were monogamous
but owned many slaves who were free for them to use: in other words,
unrestricted polygamy.

Early Christians invented ideas that women were "full of sin" and man
was better off to "never marry." Since this would be the end of mankind
these same people compromised and said "marry only one."

In the American society many times when relations are strained, the
husband simply deserts his wife. The he cohabits with a prostitute or
other immoral woman without marriage. Actually there are three kinds of
polygamy practiced in Western societies: (1) serial polygamy, that is,
marriage, divorce, marriage, divorce, and so on any number of times; (2)
a man married to one woman but having and supporting one or more
mistresses; (3) an unmarried man having a number of mistresses. Islam
condones but discourages the first and forbids the other two.

Wars cause the number of women to greatly exceed the number of men. In a
monogamous society these women, left without husbands or support, resort
to prostitution, illicit relationships with married men resulting in
illegitimate children with no responsibility on the part of the father,
or lonely spinsterhood or widowhood.

Some Western men take the position that monogamy protects the rights of
women. But are these men really concerned about the rights of women? The
society has so many practices which exploit and suppress women, leading
to women's liberation movements from the suffragettes of the early
twentieth century to the feminists of today.

The truth of the matter is that monogamy protects men, allowing them to
"play around" without responsibility. Easy birth control and easy legal
abortion has opened the door of illicit sex to woman and she has been
lured into the so-called sexual revolution. But she is still the one who
suffers the trauma of abortion and the side effects of the birth control
methods. Taking aside the plagues of venereal disease, herpes and AIDS,
the male continues to enjoy himself free of worry. Men are the ones
protected by monogamy while women continue to be victims of men's
desires. Polygamy is very much opposed by the male dominated society
because it would force men to face up to responsibility and fidelity. It
would force them to take responsibility for their polygamous
inclinations and would protect and provide for women and children.

Among all the polygamous societies in history there were none which
limited the number of wives. All of the relationships were unrestricted.
In Islam, the regulations concerning polygamy limit the number of wives
a man can have while making him responsible for all of the women
involved.

"Marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that
you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then only one or one
that your right hands possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent
you from doing injustice." (Qur'an 4:3)

This verse from the Qur'an allows a man to marry more than one woman but
only if he can deal justly with them. Another verse says that a person
is unable to deal justly between wives, thus giving permission but
discouraging.

"You will never be able to deal justly between wives however much you
desire (to do so). But (if you have more than one wife) do not turn
altogether away (from one), leaving her in suspense..." (Qur'an 4:129)

While the provision for polygamy makes the social system flexible enough
to deal with all kinds of conditions, it is not necessarily recommended
or preferred by Islam. Taking the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) is instructive. He was married to one woman, Khadijah, for
twenty-five years. It was only after her death when he had reached the
age of fifty that he entered into other marriages to promote
friendships, create alliances or to be an example of some lesson to the
community; also to show the Muslims how to treat their spouses under
different conditions of life.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was given inspiration from Allah about
how to deal with multiple marriages and the difficulties encountered
therein. It is not an easy matter for a man to handle two wives, two
families, and two households and still be just between the two. No man
of reasonable intelligence would enter into this situation without a
great deal of thought and very compelling reasons (other than sexual).

Some people have said that the first wife must agree to the second
marriage. Others have said that the couple can put it into the marriage
contract that the man will not marry a second wife. First of all,
neither the Qur'an nor Hadith state that the first wife need be
consulted at all concerning a second marriage let alone gain her
approval. Consideration and compassion on the part of the man for his
first wife should prompt him to discuss the matter with her but he is
not required to do so or to gain her approval. Secondly, the Qur'an has
explicitly given permission for a man to marry "two or three or four."
No one has the authority to make a contract forbidding something that
has been granted by Allah.

The bottom line in the marriage relationship is good morality and
happiness, creating a just and cohesive society where the needs of men
and women are well taken care of. The present Western society, which
permits free sex between consenting adults, has given rise to an
abundance of irresponsible sexual relationships, an abundance of
"fatherless" children, many unmarried teenage mothers; all becoming a
burden on the country's welfare system. In part, such an undesirable
welfare burden has given rise to bloated budget deficits which even an
economically powerful country like the United States cannot accommodate.
Bloated budget deficits have become a political football which is
affecting the political system of the United States.

In short, we find that artificially created monogamy has become a factor
in ruining the family structure, and the social, economic and political
systems of the country.

It must be a prophet, and indeed it was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) who directed Muslims to get married or observe patience until one
gets married. 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported Allah's messenger as saying,
"Young man, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it
keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves you from
immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting,
for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Islam wants people to be married and to develop a good family structure.
Also Islam realizes the requirements of the society and the individual
in special circumstances where polygamy can be the solution to problems.
Therefore, Islam has allowed polygamy, limiting the number of wives to
four, but does not require or even recommend polygamy.

In the Muslim societies of our times, polygamy is not frequently
practiced despite legal permission in many countries. It appears that
the American male is very polygamous, getting away with not taking
responsibility for the families he should be responsible for.

--Mary Ali

(NOTE: In this article polygamy has been used to mean polygyny meaning
having two or more wives. Islam forbids polyandry meaning having two or
more husbands.)

Announcements ................................................................

13. 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 --

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-...@rtfm.mit.edu

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part7
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

14. 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 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?

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 --

What is IINN?

-- 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 (Mus...@PSUVM.bitnet)
o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang)

# End of Islam FAQ Part 7 #

Asim Mughal

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Mar 18, 2004, 4:11:31 AM3/18/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part8

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

Redistribution for profit, or in altered content/format
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Any other redistribution must include this copyright notice and
attribution.

Frequently Asked Questions: Part 8
__________________________________

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

________________________________________________________

PART 8: Life after Death,Moral System & Human Rights in Islam

Contents

--Articles--
1. Life After Death ............................................... from III&E
2. Moral System In Islam .......................................... from III&E
3. God Consciousness .............................................. from III&E
4. Social Responsibilities ........................................ from III&E
5. Parents & others ............................................... from III&E
6. Human Rights In Islam .......................................... from III&E
7. Human Rights in an Islamic State ............................... from III&E
--Announcements--
8. Archive Info ..............................................................
9. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Life After Death ............................................... from III&E

The question whether there is a life after death does not fall under the
jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with
classification and analysis of data. Moreover, man has been busy with
scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, only
for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with the concept
of life after death since times immemorial. All the prophets of God
called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death.
They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a
slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs
meaningless. The very fact that all the prophets of God have dealt with
this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so
uniformly - the gap between their ages being thousands of years - goes
to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as
proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e., Divine revelation. We also
know that these prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people,
mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it
impossible. But in spite of opposition, the prophets won many sincere
followers.

The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple
answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and
realized the truth. Did they realize the truth through perceptual
consciousness? Not so, as perceptual experience of life after death is
impossible.

Actually, God has given man, besides perceptual consciousness, rational,
aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that
guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory
data. That is why all the prophets of God while calling people to
believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and
rational consciousness of man. For example, when the idolaters of Makkah
denied even the possibility of life after death, the Quran exposed the
weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments
in support of it:

"And he has coined for us a similitude, and has forgotten the fact of
his creation, saying: who will revive these bones when they have rotted
away? Say: He will revive them Who produced them at first, for He is the
Knower of every creation, Who has appointed for you fire from the green
tree, and behold! you kindle from it. Is not He Who created the heavens
and the earth, able to create the like of them? Yes, and He is indeed
the Supreme Creator, the All-Knowing." (36:78-81)

At another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on
pure conjecture:

"They say, 'There is nothing but our present life; we die, and we live,
and nothing but Time destroys us.' Of that they have no knowledge; they
merely conjecture. And when our revelations are recited to them, their
only argument is that they say, 'Bring us our fathers, if you speak
truly.' (45:24-25)

Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of things.
A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then again
the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will be the
beginning of the life that will never end, and that Day every person
will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil deed.

The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after
death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there
is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes irrelevant, or
even if one believes in God, that would be an unjust and indifferent
God: having once created man and not concerned with his fate. Surely,
God is just. He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are beyond count:
having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created great corruptions in
the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc. Man's
having a very short span of life in this world, and this physical
world's too being not eternal, punishments or rewards equal to the evil
or noble deeds of persons are not possible here. The Quran very
emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and God will
decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her record of
deeds:

"Those who disbelieve say: The Hour will never come unto us. Say: Nay,
by my Lord, but it is coming unto you surely. (He is) the Knower of the
Unseen. Not an atom's weight, or less than that or greater, escapes Him
in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a clear Record. That He may
reward those who believe and do good words. For them is pardon and a
rich provision. But those who strive against our revelations,
challenging (Us), theirs will be a painful doom of wrath." (34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God's attributes of Justice
and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His Mercy on
those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life, believing that an
eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who abused the bounties of
God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in the most miserable
state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran says:

"Is he, then, to whom We have promised a goodly promise the fulfillment
of which he will meet, like the one whom We have provided with the good
things of this life, and then on the Day of Resurrection he will be of
those who will be brought arraigned before God?" (28:61)

The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, make fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons.
Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers are
very beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Holy Quran:

"Until, when death comes unto one of them, he says, 'My Lord send me
back, that I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It
is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is a barrier until the day
when they are raised. And when the Trumpet is blown there will be no
kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another. Then
those whose scales are heavy, they are successful. And those whose
scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding, the
fire burns their faces and they are glum therein." (23:99-104)

The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the
Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.

Think of the people of Arabia. Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering
and murdering were their main traits when they had no belief in life
after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in One God and life
after death they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They
gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all
their disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the
denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the
Hereafter but also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it,
all kinds of evils and corruptions become rampant in that society and
ultimately it is destroyed. The Quran mentions the terrible end of 'Aad,
Thamud and the Pharaoh in some detail:

"(The tribes of) Thamud and 'Aad disbelieved in the judgment to come. As
for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning, and as for 'Aad, they
were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind, which He imposed on them for
seven long nights and eight long days so that you might see the people
laid prostrate in it as if they were the stumps of fallen down palm
trees.

"Now do you see remnant of them? Pharaoh likewise and those before him
and the subverted cities. They committed errors and those before him,
and they rebelled against the Messenger of their Lord, and He seized
them with a surpassing grip. Lo, when the waters rose, We bore you in
the running ship that We might make it a reminder for you and for
heeding ears to hold. So when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast
and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single
blow, then on that day, the Terror shall come to pass, and the heaven
shall be split for upon that day it will be very frail. Then as for him
who is given his book in his right hand, he shall say, 'Here take and
read my book! Certainly I thought I should encounter my reckoning.' So
he shall be in a pleasing life in a lofty garden, its clusters nigh to
gather.

"'Eat and drink with wholesome appetite for that you did long ago, in
the days gone by.'

"But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say:
'Would that I had not been given my book and not known my reckoning!
Would that it had been the end! My wealth has not availed me, my
authority is gone from me.'" (69:4-29)

Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.

First, all the prophets of God have called their people to believe in
it.

Secondly, whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief,
it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and
moral evils.

Thirdly, history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in this
world.

Fourthly, moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of life after death.

Fifthly, God's attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there
is no life after death.

2. Moral System In Islam .......................................... from III&E

Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a
whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances.
To achieve these rights Islam provides not only legal safeguards but
also a very effective moral system. Thus whatever leads to the welfare
of the individual or the society is morally good in Islam and whatever
is injurious is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the
love of God and love of man that it warns against too much of formalism.
We read in the Quran:

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West;
but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day and the
Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance,
out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans for the needy, for the
wayfarer, for those who ask; and for the freeing of captives; to be
steadfast in prayers, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the
contracts which you made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or
suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are
the people of truth, the God-conscious." (2:177)

We are given a beautiful description of the righteous and God-conscious
man in these verses. He should obey salutary regulations, but he should
fix his gaze on the love of God and the love of his fellow men.

We are given four heads:

a) Our faith should be true and sincere,

b) We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellow-men,

c) We must be good citizens, supporting social organizations, and

d) Our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all
circumstances.

This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct is judged and
classified as good or bad. This standard of judgment provides the
nucleus around which the whole moral conduct should revolve. Before
laying down any moral injunctions Islam seeks to firmly implant in man's
heart the conviction that his dealings are with God who sees him at all
times and in all places; that he may hide himself from the whole world
but not from Him; that he may deceive everyone but cannot deceive God;
that he can flee from the clutches of anyone else but not from God.

Thus, by setting God's pleasure as the objective of man's life, Islam
has furnished the highest possible standard of morality. This is bound
to provide limitless avenues for the moral evolution of humanity. By
making Divine revelations as the primary source of knowledge it gives
permanence and stability to the moral standards which afford reasonable
scope for genuine adjustments, adaptations and innovations, though not
for perversions, wild variation, atomistic relativism or moral fluidity.
It provides a sanction to morality in the love and fear of God, which
will impel man to obey the moral law even without any external pressure.
Through belief in God and the Day of Judgment it furnishes a force which
enables a person to adopt the moral conduct with earnestness and
sincerity, with all the devotion of heart and soul.

It does not, through a false sense of originality and innovation,
provide any novel moral virtues nor does it seek to minimize the
importance of the well-known moral norms, nor does it give exaggerated
importance to some and neglect others without cause. It takes up all the
commonly known moral virtues and with a sense of balance and proportion
it assigns a suitable place and function to each one of them in the
total scheme of life. It widens the scope of man's individual and
collective life - his domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his
activities in the political, economic, legal, educational, and social
realms. It covers his life from home to society, from the dining-table
to the battlefield and peace conferences, literally from the cradle to
the grave. In short, no sphere of life is exempt from the universal and
comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes
morality reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life, instead of
dominated by selfish desires and petty interests, should be regulated by
norms of morality.

It stipulates for man a system of life which is based on all good and is
free from all evil. It invokes the people, not only to practice virtue,
but also to establish virtue and eradicate vice, to bid good and to
forbid wrong. It wants that the verdict of conscience should prevail and
virtue must not be subdued to play second fiddle to evil. Those who
respond to this call are gathered together into a community and given
the name "Muslim". And the singular object underlying the formation of
this community ("Ummah") is that it should make an organized effort to
establish and enforce goodness and suppress and eradicate evil.

Here we furnish some basic moral teachings of Islam for various aspects
of a Muslim's life. They cover the broad spectrum of personal moral
conduct of a Muslim as well as his social responsibilities.

3. God Consciousness .............................................. from III&E

The Quran mentions it as the highest quality of a Muslim:

"The most honorable among you in the sight of God is the one who is most
God-conscious." (49:13)

Humility, modesty, control of passions and desires, truthfulness,
integrity, patience, steadfastness, and fulfilling one's promises are
moral values which are emphasized again and again in the Quran. We read
in the Quran:

"And God loves those who are firm and steadfast." (3:146)

"And vie with one another to attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness and
to a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which awaits the
God-conscious, who spend for charity in time of plenty and in time of
hardship, and restrain their anger, and pardon their fellow men, for God
loves those who do good." (3:133-134)

"Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is
wrong; and bear patiently whatever may befall you; for this is true
constancy. And do not swell your cheek (with pride) at men, nor walk in
insolence on the earth, for God does not love any man proud and
boastful. And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; for the
harshest of sounds, indeed, is the braying of the ass." (31:18-19)

In a way which summarizes the moral behavior of a Muslim, the Prophet
(PBUH) said:

"My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God,
whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or
pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite
friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who
refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my
looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is
right."

4. Social Responsibilities ........................................ from III&E

The teachings of Islam concerning social responsibilities are based on
kindness and consideration of others. Since a broad injunction to be
kind is likely to be ignored in specific situations, Islam lays emphasis
on specific acts of kindness and defines the responsibilities and rights
of various relationships. In a widening circle of relationship, then,
our first obligation is to our immediate family - parents, husband or
wife and children, then to other relatives, neighbors, friends and
acquaintances, orphans and widows, the needy of the community, our
fellow Muslims, all our fellow human beings and animals.

5. Parents & others ............................................... from III&E

Respect and care for parents is very much stressed in the Islamic
teaching and is a very important part of a Muslim's expression of faith.

"Your Sustainer has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you
be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your
lifetime, do not say to them a word of contempt nor repel them, but
address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the
wing of humility and say: My Sustainer! Bestow on them Your mercy, even
as they cherished me in childhood." (17:23-24)

OTHER RELATIVES

"And render to the relatives their due rights, as (also) to those in
need, and to the traveler; and do not squander your wealth in the manner
of a spendthrift." (17:26)

NEIGHBORS

The Prophet (PBUH) has said:

"He is not a believer who eats his fill when his neighbor beside him is
hungry"; and: "He does not believe whose neighbors are not safe from his
injurious conduct."

Actually, according to the Quran and Sunnah, a Muslim has to discharge
his moral responsibility not only to his parents, relatives and
neighbors but to the entire mankind, animals and trees and plants. For
example, hunting of birds and animals for the sake of game is not
permitted. Similarly, cutting trees and plants which yield fruit is
forbidden unless there is a very pressing need for it.

Thus, on the basic moral characteristics, Islam builds a higher system
of morality by virtue of which mankind can realize its greatest
potential. Islam purifies the soul from self-seeking egotism, tyranny,
wantonness and indiscipline. It creates God-conscious men, devoted to
their ideals, possessed of piety, abstinence and discipline and
uncompromising with falsehood, It induces feelings of moral
responsibility and fosters the capacity for self control. Islam
generates kindness, generosity, mercy, sympathy, peace, disinterested
goodwill, scrupulous fairness and truthfulness towards all creation in
all situations. It nourishes noble qualities from which only good may be
expected.

6. Human Rights In Islam .......................................... from III&E

Since God is the absolute and the sole master of men and the universe,
He is the sovereign Lord, the Sustainer and Nourisher, the Merciful,
Whose mercy enshrines all beings; and since He has given each man human
dignity and honor, and breathed into him of His own spirit, it follows
that, united in Him and through Him, and apart from their other human
attributes, men are substantially the same and no tangible and actual
distinction can be made among them, on account of their accidental
differences such as nationality, color or race. Every human being is
thereby related to all others and all become one community of
brotherhood in their honorable and pleasant servitude to the most
compassionate Lord of the Universe. In such a heavenly atmosphere the
Islamic confession of the oneness of God stands dominant and central,
and necessarily entails the concept of the oneness of humanity and the
brotherhood of mankind.

Although an Islamic state may be set up in any part of the earth, Islam
does not seek to restrict human rights or privileges to the geographical
limits of its own state. Islam has laid down some universal fundamental
rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected
under all circumstances whether such a person is resident within the
territory of the Islamic state or outside it, whether he is at peace or
at war. The Quran very clearly states:

"O believers, be you securers of justice, witness for God. Let not
detestation for a people move you not to be equitable; be equitable -
that is nearer to God-fearing." (5:8)

Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without
justification. And if anyone violates this sanctity of human blood by
killing a soul without justification, the Quran equates it to the
killing of entire mankind.

"...Whoso slays a soul not to retaliate for a soul slain, nor for
corruption done in the land, should be as if he had slain mankind
altogether." (5:32)

It is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick
or the wounded. Women's honor and chastity are to be respected under all
circumstances. The hungry person must be fed, the naked clothed and the
wounded or diseased treated medically irrespective of whether they
belong to the Islamic community or are from among its enemies.

When we speak of human rights in Islam we really mean that these rights
have been granted by God; they have not been granted by any king or by
any legislative assembly. The rights granted by the kings or the
legislative assemblies, can also be withdrawn in the same manner in
which they are conferred. The same is the case with the rights accepted
and recognized by the dictators. They can confer them when they please
and withdraw them when they wish; and they can openly violate them when
they like. But since in Islam human rights have been conferred by God,
no legislative assembly in the world or any government on earth has the
right or authority to make any amendment or change in the rights
conferred by God. No one has the right to abrogate them or withdraw
them. Nor are they basic human rights which are conferred on paper for
the sake of show and exhibition and denied in actual life when the show
is over. Nor are they like philosophical concepts which have no
sanctions behind them.

The charter and the proclamations and the resolutions of the United
Nations cannot be compared with the rights sanctioned by God; because
the former are not applicable on anybody while the latter are applicable
on every believer. They are a part and parcel of the Islamic Faith.
Every Muslim or administrator who claims himself to be Muslim, will have
to accept, recognize and enforce them. If they fail to enforce them, and
start denying the rights that have been guaranteed by God or make
amendments and changes in them, or practically violate them while paying
lip service to them, the verdict of the Holy Quran for such government
is clear and unequivocal:

"Those who do not judge by what God has sent down are the disbelievers."
(5:44)

7. Human Rights in an Islamic State ............................... from III&E

1. THE SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY:

In the address which the Prophet delivered on the occasion of the
Farewell Hajj, he said: "Your lives and properties are forbidden to one
another till you meet your Lord on the Day of Resurrection." The Prophet
has also said about the dhimmis (the non-Muslim citizens of the Muslim
state): "One who kills a man under covenant (i.e., dhimmi) will not even
smell the fragrance of Paradise."

2. THE PROTECTION OF HONOR:

The Holy Quran lays down:

i) "You who believe, do not let one (set of) people make fun of another
s= et."

ii) "Do not defame one another."

iii) "Do not insult by using nicknames."

iv) "Do not backbite or speak ill of one another." (49:11-12)

3. SANCTITY AND SECURITY OF PRIVATE LIFE:

The Quran has laid down the injunction:

i) "Do not spy on one another." (49:12)

ii) "Do not enter any houses unless you are sure of their occupant's
consent." (24:27)

4. THE SECURITY OF PERSONAL FREEDOM:

Islam has laid down the principle that no citizen can be imprisoned
unless his guilt has been proven in an open court. To arrest a man only
on the basis of suspicion and to throw him into a prison without proper
court proceedings and without providing him a reasonable opportunity to
produce his defense is not permissible in Islam.

5. THE RIGHT TO PROTEST AGAINST TYRANNY:

Among the rights that Islam has conferred on human beings is the right
to protest against government's tyranny. Referring to it the Quran says:
"God does not love evil talk in public unless it is by someone who has
been injured thereby." (4:148)

In Islam, as has been argued earlier, all power and authority belong to
God, and with man there is only delegated power which becomes a trust;
everyone who becomes a recipient of such a power has to stand in awful
reverence before his people toward whom and for whose sake he will be
called upon to use these powers. This was acknowledged by Hazrat Abu
Bakr who said in his very first address: "Cooperate with me when I am
right but correct me when I commit error; obey me so long as I follow
the commandments of Allah and His Prophet; but turn away from me when I
deviate."

6. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:

Islam gives the right of freedom of thought and expression to all
citizens of the Islamic state on the condition that it should be used
for the propagation of virtue and truth and not for spreading evil and
wickedness. The Islamic concept of freedom of expression is much
superior to the concept prevalent in the West. Under no circumstances
would Islam allow evil and wickedness to be propagated. It also does not
give anybody the right to use abusive or offensive language in the name
of criticism. It was the practice of the Muslims to enquire from the
Holy Prophet whether on a certain matter a divine injunction had been
revealed to him. If he said that he had received no divine injunction,
the Muslims freely expressed their opinion on the matter.

7. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION:

Islam has also given people the right to freedom of association and
formation of parties or organizations. This right is also subject to
certain general rules.

8. FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND CONVICTION:

Islam has laid down the injunction: "There should be no coercion in the
matter of faith." (2:256)

On the contrary, totalitarian societies totally deprive the individuals
of their freedom. Indeed, this undue exaltation of the state authority
curiously enough postulates a sort of servitude, of slavishness on the
part of man. At one time slavery meant total control of man over man -
now that type of slavery has been legally abolished but in its place
totalitarian societies impose a similar sort of control over
individuals.

9. PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS:

Along with the freedom of conviction and freedom of conscience, Islam
has given the right to the individual that his religious sentiments will
be given due respect and nothing will be said or done which may encroach
upon his right.

10. PROTECTION FROM ARBITRARY IMPRISONMENT:

Islam also recognizes the right of the individual not to be arrested or
imprisoned for the offenses of others. The Holy Quran has laid down this
principle clearly: "No bearer of burdens shall be made to bear the
burden of another." (35:18)

11. THE RIGHT TO BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE:

Islam has recognized the right of the needy people for help and
assistance to be provided to them: "And in their wealth there is
acknowledged right for the needy and the destitute." (51:19)

12. EQUALITY BEFORE LAW:

Islam gives its citizens the right to absolute and complete equality in
the eyes of the law.

13. RULERS NOT ABOVE THE LAW:

A woman belonging to a high and noble family was arrested in connection
with theft. The case was brought to the Prophet, and it was recommended
that she might be spared the punishment of theft. The Prophet replied:
"The nations that lived before you were destroyed by God because they
punished the common man for their offenses and let their dignitaries go
unpunished for their crimes; I swear by Him Who holds my life in His
hand that even if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, had committed this
crime, I would have amputated her hand."

14. THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AFFAIRS OF STATE:

"And their business is (conducted) through consultation among
themselves." (42:38) The "Shura" or the legislative assembly has no
other meaning except that the executive head of the government and the
members of the assembly should be elected by free and independent choice
of the people.

Lastly, it is to be made clear that Islam tries to achieve the above
mentioned human rights and many others not only by providing certain
legal safeguards but mainly by inviting mankind to transcend the lower
level of animal life to be able to go beyond the mere ties fostered by
the kinship of blood, racial superiority, linguistic arrogance, and
economic privileges. It invites mankind to move on to a plane of
existence where, by reason of his inner excellence, man can realize the
ideal of the Brotherhood of man.

Announcements ................................................................

8. 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 --

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 --

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Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part8
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

9. Credits ...................................................................

-- SOURCES --

What is III&E?

-- FORMAT --

What is IINN?

-- Permissions --

# End of Islam FAQ Part 8 #

Asim Mughal

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Archive-name: islam-faq/part9

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Last-modified: 1995/3/27
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Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

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Frequently Asked Questions: Part 9
__________________________________

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

________________________________________________________

PART 9: Islam: Prophethood, Jesus & Trinity

Contents

--Articles--
1. Prophethood In Islam ........................................... from III&E
2. Is Jesus Really God? ........................................... from III&E
3. God is All Knowing... Jesus was not ............................ from III&E
4. God is All-Powerful... Jesus was not ........................... from III&E
5. God does not have a God ........................................ from III&E
6. God is Invisible ............................................... from III&E
7. No one is Greater than GOD ..................................... from III&E
8. Conclusion on Jesus ............................................ from III&E
9. Word of God about Jesus ........................................ from III&E
10. Who Invented Trinity? .......................................... from III&E
11. Trinity in the Bible ........................................... from III&E
12. Doctrine Takes Shape ........................................... from III&E
13. Formal Doctrine is Drawnup ..................................... from III&E
14. Church Puts its Foot down ...................................... from III&E
15. Debate Continues ............................................... from III&E
16. Islam and the Matter of The Trinity ............................ from III&E
--Announcements--
17. Archive Info ..............................................................
18. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Prophethood In Islam ........................................... from III&E

Prophethood is not unknown to heavenly revealed religions, such as
Judaism and Christianity. In Islam, however, it has a special status and
significance.

According to Islam, Allah created man for a noble purpose: to worship
Him and lead a virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance. How
would man know his role and purpose of his existence unless he received
clear and practical instructions of what Allah wants him to do? Here
comes the need for prophethood. Thus Allah had chosen from every nation
a prophet or more to covey His Message to people.

One might ask: How were the prophets chosen and who were entitled to
this great honor?

Prophethood is Allah's blessing and favor that He may bestow on whom He
wills. However, from surveying the various messengers throughout
history, three features of a prophet may be recognized:

1. He is the best in his community morally and intellectually. This is
necessary because a prophet's life serves as a model for his followers.
His personality should attract people to accept his message rather than
drive them away by his imperfect character. After receiving the message
he is infallible. That is, he would not commit any sin. He might make
some minor mistakes which are usually corrected by revelation.

2. He is supported by miracles to prove that he is not an impostor.
Those miracles are granted by the power and permission of God and are
usually in the field in which his people excel and are recognized as
superiors. We might illustrate this by quoting the major miracles of the
three prophets of the major world religions: Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. Moses' contemporaries were excellent in magic. So his major
miracle was to defeat the best magicians of Egypt of his days. Jesus'
contemporaries were recognized as skillful physicians. Therefore, his
miracles were to raise the dead and cure the incurable diseases. The
Arabs, the contemporaries of the Prophet Mohammed, were known for their
eloquence and magnificent poetry. So Prophet Muhammad's major miracle
was the Quran, the equivalent of which the whole legion of the Arab
poets and orators could not produce despite the repeated challenge from
the Quran itself. Again Muhammad's miracle has something special about
it. All previous miracles were limited by time and place, i.e., they
were shown to specific people at a specific time. Not so the miracle of
Muhammad, the Quran. It is a universal and everlasting miracle. Previous
generations witnessed it and future generations will witness its
miraculous nature in terms of its style, content and spiritual
uplifting. These still can be tested and will thereby prove the divine
origin of the Quran.

3. Every prophet states clearly that what he receives is not of his own
but from God for the well-being of mankind. He also confirms what was
revealed before him and what may be revealed after him. A prophet does
this to show that he is simply conveying the message which is entrusted
to him by the One True God of all people in all ages. So the message is
one in essence and for the same purpose. Therefore, it should not
deviate from what was revealed before him or what might come after him.

Prophets are necessary for conveying God's instructions and guidance to
mankind. We have no way of knowing why we were created. What will happen
to us after death? Is there any life after death? Are we accountable for
our actions? In other words, is there any reward or punishment for our
deeds in this life? These and so many other questions about God, angels,
paradise, hell, etc. can not be answered without revelation from the
Creator and Knower of the unseen. Those answers must be authentic and
must be brought by individuals whom we trust and respect. That is why,
messengers are the select of their societies in terms of moral conduct
and intellectual ability.

Hence, the slanderous Biblical stories about some of the great prophets
are not accepted by Muslims. For example, Lot is reported to have
committed fornication while drunk, with his daughters; or David sent one
his leaders to death to marry his wife. Prophets to Muslims are greater
than what these stories indicate. These stories can not be true from the
Islamic point of view.

The prophets are also miraculously supported by God and instructed by
Him to affirm the continuity of the message.

The content of the prophets' message to mankind can be summarized as
follows:

a) Clear concept about God: His attributes, His creation, what should
and should not be ascribed to Him.

b) Clear idea about the unseen world, the angels, jinn (spirits),
Paradise and Hell.

c) Why has God created us? What does He want from us and what is the
reward or punishment for obeying or disobeying Him?

d) How to run our societies according to His will? That is, clear
instructions and laws that, when applied correctly and honestly, will
result in a happy and ideal society.

It is clear from the above discussion that there is no substitute for
prophets. Even today with the advancement of science, the only authentic
source of information about the supernatural world is revelation.
Guidance can be obtained neither from science nor from mystic
experience. The first is too materialistic and too limited; the second
is too subjective and frequently too misleading.

Now one might ask:

How many prophets has God sent to humanity? We do not know for sure.
Some Muslim scholars have suggested 240 thousand prophets. We are only
sure of what is clearly mentioned in the Quran, that is, God has sent a
messenger (or more) to every nation. That is because it is one of God's
principles that He will never call a people to account unless He has
made clear to them what to do and what not to do. The Quran mentions the
names of 25 prophets and indicates that there have been others who were
not mentioned to the Prophet Mohammed. These 25 include Noah, the man of
the Ark, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. These five are the
greatest among God's messengers. They are called 'the resolute'
prophets.

An outstanding aspect of the Islamic belief in prophethood is that
Muslims believe in and respect all the messengers of God with no
exceptions. Since all the prophets came from the same One God, for the
same purpose - to lead mankind to God - belief in them all is essential
and logical; accepting some and rejecting others has to be based on
misconceptions of the prophets' role or racial bias. The Muslims are the
only people in the world who consider the belief in all the prophets of
God an article of faith. Thus the Jews reject Jesus Christ and Muhammad;
the Christians reject Muhammad and in reality reject Moses because they
do not abide by his laws. The Muslims accept them all as messengers of
God who brought guidance to mankind. However, the revelation which those
prophets brought from God has been tampered with in one way or the
other. The belief in all the messengers of God is enjoined on the
Muslims by the Quran.

"Say (O Muslims): we believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us
and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob,
and their children, and that which Moses and Jesus received and that the
prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of
them and unto Him we have surrendered." (2:136)

The Quran continues in the following verses to instruct the Muslims that
this is the true and impartial belief. If other nations believe in the
same, they are following their own whims and biases and God will take
care of them. Thus we read:

"And if they believe in what you believe, then they are rightly guided.
But if they turn away, then they are in disunity, and Allah will suffice
you against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower. This is God's religion
and Who is better than God in religion?" (2:137-38)

There are, at least, two important points related to prophethood that
need to be clarified. These points concern the roles of Jesus and
Muhammad as prophets who are usually misunderstood.

The Quranic account of Jesus emphatically rejects the concept of his
'Divinity' and 'Divine Sonship' and presents him as one of the great
prophets of God. The Quran makes it clear that the birth of Jesus
without a father does not make him son of God and mentions in this
respect Adam who was created by God without a father and mother:

"Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He
created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be', and he was." (3:59)

Like other prophets Jesus also performed miracles. For example, he
raised the dead and cured the blind and lepers, but while showing these
miracles he always made it clear that it was all from God. Actually the
misconceptions about the personality and mission of Jesus found a way
among his followers because the Divine message that he preached was not
recorded during his presence in the world, rather it was recorded after
a lapse of about hundred years. According to the Quran he was sent to
the children of Israel; he confirmed the validity of the Torah which was
revealed to Moses and he also brought the glad tidings of a final
messenger after him.

"And when Jesus son of Mary said, 'Children of Israel, I am indeed the
Messenger to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving
good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be
the PRAISED ONE." (61:6) (The capitalized portion is the translation of
Ahmad which is Prophet Muhammed's name.)

However, the majority of the Jews rejected his ministry. They plotted
against his life and in their opinion crucified him. But the Quran
refutes this opinion and says that they neither killed him nor crucified
him, rather he was raised up to God. There is a verse in the Quran,
which implies that Jesus will come back and all the Christians and Jews
believe in him before he dies. This is also supported by authentic
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

The last prophet of God, Muhammad, was born in Arabia in the sixth
century C.E. Up to the age of forty, people of Makkah knew him only as a
man of excellent character and cultured manners and called him AL-AMEEN
(the trustworthy). He also did not know that he was soon to made a
prophet and receiver of revelation from God. He called the idolaters of
Makkah to worship the only one God and accept him as His prophet. The
revelation that he received was preserved in his life-time in the memory
of his companions and was also recorded in pieces of palm leaves,
leather etc...

Thus the Quran that is found today is the same that was revealed to him;
not a syllable of it has been altered as God Himself has guaranteed its
preservation. This Quran claims to be the book of guidance for the whole
humanity for all times, and mentions Muhammad as the last Prophet of
God.

2. Is Jesus Really God? ........................................... from III&E

Without a doubt, you have often heard the claim that Jesus is God, the
second person in the "Holy Trinity." However, the very Bible which is
used as a basis for knowledge about Jesus and as the basis for doctrine
within Christianity clearly believes this claim. We urge you to consult
your own Bible and verify that the following conclusions are not drawn
out of context:

3. God is All Knowing... Jesus was not ............................ from III&E

When speaking of the Day of Judgment, Jesus clearly gave evidence of a
limitation on his knowledge when he said, "But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the son,
but the father." (Mark 13:32, and Matt. 24:36) But God knows all. His
knowledge is without any limitations. That Jesus, of his own admission,
did not know when the day of judgment would be, is clear proof that
Jesus is not all-knowing, and that Jesus is therefore not God.

4. God is All-Powerful... Jesus was not ........................... from III&E

While Jesus performed many miracles, he himself admitted that the power
he had was not his own but was derived from God when he said, "Verily,
verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he
seeth the father do..." (John 5:19) Again he said, "I can of mine own
self do nothing: As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just because I
seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me."
(John 5:30) But God is not only All-Powerful, He is also the source of
all power and authority. That Jesus, of his own admission, could do
nothing on his own is clear proof that Jesus is not all-powerful, and
that therefore Jesus is not God.

5. God does not have a God ........................................ from III&E

GOD DOES NOT HAVE A GOD.....BUT JESUS DID HAVE A GOD

God is the ultimate judge and refuge for all, and He does not call upon
nor pray to any others. But Jesus acknowledged that there was One whom
he worshipped and to Whom he prayed when he said, "I ascend unto my
Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." (John 20:17) He is
also reported to have cried out while on the cross, "My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46) If Jesus were God, then couldn't
this be read, "Myself, myself, why hast thou forsaken me?" Would that
not be pure nonsense? When Jesus prayed the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4),
was he praying to himself? When in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed,
"O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
Nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt." (Matt. 26:36-39) Was
Jesus praying to himself? That Jesus, of his own admission and by his
own actions, acknowledged, worshipped, and prayed to another being as
God is clear proof that Jesus himself is not God.

6. God is Invisible ............................................... from III&E

ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE GOD IS AN INVISIBLE SPIRIT.... BUT JESUS WAS
FLESH AND BLOOD

While thousands saw Jesus and heard his voice, Jesus himself said that
this could not be done with God when he said: "No man hath seen God at
any time." (John 1:18) "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time nor
seen His shape." (John 5:37) He also said in John 4:24: "God is a spirit
and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." That
Jesus would say that no one had seen or heard God at any time, while his
followers both saw and heard him, is clear proof that Jesus was not God.

7. No one is Greater than GOD ..................................... from III&E

NO ONE IS GREATER THAN GOD AND NO ONE CAN DIRECT HIM.... BUT JESUS
ACKNOWLEDGED SOMEONE GREATER THAN HIMSELF WHOSE WILL WAS DISTINCT FROM
HIS OWN

Perhaps the clearest indication we have that Jesus and God are not
equal, and therefore not one and the same, come again from the mouth of
Jesus himself who said in John 14:28: "My Father is greater than I."
When someone referred to him as good master in Luke 18:19, Jesus
responded: "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is God..." furthermore, Jesus drew clear distinctions between himself
and God when he said, "I proceeded forth and came from God, neither came
I of myself but He sent me." (John 8:42) Jesus gave clear evidence of
his subordination to God, rather than his equality with God, when he
said in Luke 22:42, "not my will but Thine be done" and in John 5:30, "I
seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me."
That Jesus would admit that he did not come into the world on his own
initiative but was directed to do so, that he would acknowledge another
being as greater than himself, and that he would negate his own will in
deference to affirming the will of another, give clear proof that Jesus
is not the Supreme One and therefore Jesus is not God.

8. Conclusion on Jesus ............................................ from III&E

The Church recognizes the Bible as the primary source of knowledge about
God and Jesus. But since the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is not the
Supreme Being and the Supreme Being is not Jesus, upon what basis have
you come to believe otherwise?

My brother or sister, the belief that the Supreme Being is a Trinity is
false and completely inconsistent with the words of Jesus as presented
in the Bible. God is one, not three. He is a perfect unity.

If you are interested in the truth about God and your relationship to
Him, we invite you to investigate the religion of Islam.

9. Word of God about Jesus ........................................ from III&E

REGARDING THE SONSHIP OF JESUS:

"That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are
doubting. It is not for God to take a son unto Him. Glory be to Him!
When He decrees a thing, He but says to it 'Be', and it is." (Qur'an
19:34, 35)

"And they say, 'the All-Merciful has taken unto Himself a son.' You have
indeed advanced something hideous. The heavens are well nigh rent of it
and the earth split asunder, and the mountains well nigh fall down
crashing for that they have attributed to the All-Merciful a son; and it
behooves not the All-Merciful to take a son. None is there in the
heavens and earth but he comes to the All-Merciful as a servant."
(Qur'an 19:88-93)

"Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He
created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be', and he was." (Qur'an
3:59)

"People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say
not as to God but the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only
the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a
spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not,
'Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. God is only One God. Glory be to
Him - that He should have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the
heavens and in the earth; God suffices for a guardian." (Qur'an 4:171)

B. REGARDING JESUS BEING GOD:

"And when God said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto men, "Take
me and my mother as gods, apart from God?"' He said, 'To You be glory!
It is not mine to say what I have no right to. If I indeed said it, You
knew it, knowing what is within my soul, and I do not know what is
within Your soul; You know the things unseen. I only said to them what
You did command me: "Serve God, my Lord and your Lord." And I was a
witness over them, while I remained among them; but when You did take me
to Yourself the Watcher over them; You are the witness of everything.'"
(Qur'an 5:116, 117)

C. REGARDING CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS

"And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty
calumny, and for their saying, 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary,
the Messenger of God'...yet they did not slay him, neither crucified
him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at
variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him, they have no
knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they did not slay
him of certainty...no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty,
All-Wise. There is not one of the People of the Book but will assuredly
believe in him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day, he will be
a witness against them." (Qur'an 4:156-159)

10. Who Invented Trinity? .......................................... from III&E

The three monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -
all purport to share one fundamental concept: belief in God as the
Supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Known as
"tawhid" in Islam, this concept of the Oneness of God was stressed by
Moses in a Biblical passage known as the "Shema," or the Jewish creed of
faith: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

It was repeated word-for-word approximately 1500 years later by Jesus
when he said: "...The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel;
the Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29)

Muhammad came along approximately 600 years later, bringing the same
message again: "And your God is One God: There is no God but He, ..."
(The Qur'an 2:163)

Christianity has digressed from the concept of the Oneness of God,
however, into a vague and mysterious doctrine that was formulated during
the fourth century. This doctrine, which continues to be a source of
controversy both within and without the Christian religion, is known as
the Doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the Christian doctrine of the
Trinity states that God is the union of three divine persons - the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - in one divine being.

If that concept, put in basic terms, sounds confusing, the flowery
language in the actual text of the doctrine lends even more mystery to
the matter:

"...we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity... for there is
one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost
is all one... they are not three gods, but one God... the whole three
persons are co-eternal and co-equal... he therefore that will be save
must thus think of the Trinity..." (excerpts from the Athanasian Creed)

Let's put this together in a different form: one person, God the Father
+ one person, God the Son + one person, God the Holy Ghost = one person,
God the What? Is this English or is this gibberish?

It is said that Athanasius, the bishop who formulated this doctrine,
confessed that the more he wrote on the matter, the less capable he was
of clearly expressing his thoughts regarding it.

How did such a confusing doctrine get its start?

11. Trinity in the Bible ........................................... from III&E

References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at
best.

In Matthew 28:19, we find Jesus telling his disciples to go out and
preach to all nations. While the "Great Commission" does make mention of
the three persons who later become components of the Trinity, the phrase
"...baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost" is quite clearly an addition to Biblical text - that is, not
the actual words of Jesus - as can be seen by two factors:

1) Baptism in the early Church, as discussed by Paul in his letters, was
done only in the name of Jesus; and

2) The "Great Commission" was found in the first gospel written, that of
Mark, bears no mention of Father, Son and/or Holy Ghost - see Mark
16:15.

The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the
Epistle of I John 5:7, Biblical scholars of today, however, have
admitted that the phrase "...there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" is
definitely a "later addition" to Biblical test, and it is not found in
any of today's versions of the Bible.

It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine
beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God.
This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is
entirely man-made in origin.

12. Doctrine Takes Shape ........................................... from III&E

While Paul of Tarsus, the man who could rightfully be considered the
true founder of Christianity, did formulate many of its doctrines, that
of the Trinity was not among them. He did, however, lay the groundwork
for such when he put forth the idea of Jesus being a "divine Son." After
all, a Son does need a Father, and what about a vehicle for God's
revelations to man? In essence, Paul named the principal players, but it
was the later Church people who put the matter together.

Tertullian, a lawyer and presbyter of the third century Church in
Carthage, was the first to use the word "Trinity" when he put forth the
theory that the Son and the Spirit participate in the being of God, but
all are of one being of substance with the Father.

13. Formal Doctrine is Drawnup ..................................... from III&E

When controversy over the matter of the Trinity blew up in 318 between
two church men from Alexandria - Arius, the deacon, and Alexander, his
bishop - Emperor Constantine stepped into the fray.

Although Christian dogma was a complete mystery to him, he did realize
that a unified church was necessary for a strong kingdom. When
negotiation failed to settle the dispute, Constantine called for the
first ecumenical council in Church history in order to settle the matter
once and for all.

Six weeks after the 300 bishops first gathered at Nicea in 325, the
doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out. The God of the Christians was
now seen as having three essences, or natures, in the form of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

14. Church Puts its Foot down ...................................... from III&E

The matter was far from settled, however, despite high hopes for such on
the part of Constantine. Arius and the new bishop of Alexandria, a man
named Athanasius, began arguing over the matter even as the Nicene Creed
was being signed; "Arianism" became a catch-word from that time onward
for anyone who did not hold to the doctrine of the Trinity.

It wasn't until 451, at the Council of Chalcedon that, with the approval
of the Pope, the Nicene/Constantinople Creed was set as authoritative.
Debate on the matter was no longer tolerated; to speak out against the
Trinity was now considered blasphemy, and such earned stiff sentences
that ranged from mutilation to death. Christians now turned on
Christians, maiming and slaughtering thousands because of a difference
of opinion.

15. Debate Continues ............................................... from III&E

Brutal punishments and even death did not stop the controversy over the
doctrine of the Trinity, however, and the said controversy continues
even today.

The majority of Christians, when asked to explain this fundamental
doctrine of their faith, can offer nothing more than "I believe it
because I was told to do so." It is explained away as "mystery" - yet
the Bible says in I Corinthians 14:33 that "... God is not the author of
confusion..."

The Unitarian denomination of Christianity has kept alive the teachings
of Arius in saying that God is one; they do not believe in the Trinity.
As a result, mainstream Christians abhor them, and the National Council
of Churches has refused their admittance. In Unitarianism, the hope is
kept alive that Christians will someday return to the preachings of
Jesus: "...Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve." (Luke 4:8)

16. Islam and the Matter of The Trinity ............................ from III&E

While Christianity may have a problem defining the essence of God, such
is not the case in Islam.

"They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity, for
there is no god except One God." (Qur'an 5:73) It is worth noting that
the Arabic language Bible uses the name "Allah" as the name of God.

Suzanne Haneef, in her book WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ISLAM AND
MUSLIMS (Library of Islam, 1985), puts the matter quite succinctly when
she says, "But God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided
into three thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or
possesses three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique,
Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to
believe in." (pp. 183-184)

Looking at it from another angle, the Trinity designates God as being
three separate entities - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If
God is the Father and also the Son, He would then be the Father of
Himself because He is His own Son. This is not exactly logical.

Christianity claims to be a monotheistic religion. Monotheism, however,
has as its fundamental belief that God is One; the Christian doctrine of
the Trinity - God being Three-in-One - is seen by Islam as a form of
polytheism. Christians don't revere just One God, they revere three.

This is a charge not taken lightly by Christians, however. They, in
turn, accuse the Muslims of not even knowing what the Trinity is,
pointing out that the Qur'an sets it up as Allah the Father, Jesus the
Son, and Mary his mother. While veneration of Mary has been a figment of
the Catholic Church since 431 when she was given the title "Mother of
God" by the Council of Ephesus, a closer examination of the verse in the
Qur'an most often cited by Christians in support of their accusation,
shows that the designation of Mary by the Qur'an as a "member" of the
Trinity, is simply not true.

While the Qur'an does condemn both trinitarianism (the Qur'an 4:17) and
the worship of Jesus and his mother Mary (the Qur'an 5:116), nowhere
does it identify the actual three components of the Christian Trinity.
The position of the Qur'an is that WHO or WHAT comprises this doctrine
is not important; what is important is that the very notion of a Trinity
is an affront against the concept of One God.

In conclusion, we see that the doctrine of the Trinity is a concept
conceived entirely by man; there is no sanction whatsoever from God to
be found regarding the matter simply because the whole idea of a Trinity
of divine beings has no place in monotheism. In the Qur'an, God's Final
Revelations to mankind, we find His stand quite clearly stated in a
number of eloquent passages:

"...your God is One God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work
righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as
partner." (Qur'an 18:110)

"...take not, with God, another object of worship, lest you should be
thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected." (Qur'an 17:39)

"...Because, as God tells us over and over again in a Message that is
echoed throughout All His Revealed Scriptures:

"...I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore, serve Me (and no other)..."
(Qur'an 21:92)

-- Aisha Brown

Announcements ................................................................

17. 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 --

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-...@rtfm.mit.edu

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part9
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

18. Credits ...................................................................

-- SOURCES --

What is III&E?

-- FORMAT --

What is IINN?

-- Permissions --

# End of Islam FAQ Part 9 #

Asim Mughal

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Mar 18, 2004, 4:11:33 AM3/18/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part10

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

Redistribution for profit, or in altered content/format
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Any other redistribution must include this copyright notice and
attribution.

Frequently Asked Questions: Part 10
___________________________________

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

________________________________________________________

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 --

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-...@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 ...................................................................

-- SOURCES --

What is III&E?

-- FORMAT --

What is IINN?

-- Permissions --

# End of Islam FAQ Part 10 #

Asim Mughal

unread,

Mar 18, 2004, 4:12:03 AM3/18/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part11

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

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 11

___________________________________

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: mug...@caltech.edu

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

_____________________________________________________________

PART 11: Islamic Internet Guide: Islamic Resources on Internet

Contents

--Articles--
1. Introduction ..............................................................
2. Retrieving files using FTP ................................................
3. Major FTP Sites for Islamic Material on Internet ..........................
4. FTP Sites for Holy Quran ..................................................
5. FTP Sites for Hadith ......................................................
6. FTP Sites for Islamic Literature ..........................................
7. Using Gopher ..............................................................
8. Gopher Sites with Islamic Literature ......................................
9. Holy Quran & Hadith Available Thru Gopher .................................
10. About World-Wide-Web ......................................................
11. Web Servers with Islamic Material .........................................
12. LISTSERV Lists on Islam ...................................................
13. Islamic Newsgroups on USENET ..............................................
14. Software: Islamic Prayer Timers ...........................................
--Announcements--
15. Archive Info ..............................................................
16. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Introduction ..............................................................

The Islamic resources available on the network have increased many folds
and continue to increase. This document attempts to cover almost all the
know resources.

The listing is sorted by protocols. An information site may be
accessible by several protocols and provide pointers to other sites.
Hence, there may be some duplication.

In addition, all resources listed were verified as of August 25, 1994.
and Jan 10, 1995.

Holy Quran & Hadith: Please use the translations on your own risk. No
claim on authencity of the text is guaranteed. Caltech MSA has
undertaken the task verifying the text of Holy Quran translations
against the published & authenticated translations. This task is
expected to take several months, starting August 1994.

Any additions/changes to the resources cited are welcome.

2. Retrieving files using FTP ................................................

Anonymous File Transfer Protocol:

This is a standard setup on internet. It allows a user to use 'ftp'
command to connect to a site and download files. The following may be
help to the new users.

How to down load files using FTP:
________________________________

% ftp _name_of_the_site

File Extensions: .Z or .zip or .tar
____________________________________

The files may be in different formats. A file maybe an executable
program or just a text file. Most files are compressed to save the disk
storage space. Here is a list to identify the files.

.zip DOS compression
.Z UNIX compression
.tar UNIX file bundle
.gz GNU zip

File Transfer Mode:
__________________

it is a good idea to use 'binary' transfer, especially for .tar files.
To set the 'binary' mode at 'ftp' prompt type: "binary"

ftp> binary

To Retrieve a File: ftp> get _file_name_
To Change Directory: ftp> cd _directory_path_

3. Major FTP Sites for Islamic Material on Internet ..........................

This index is by site name, index by subject follows later.

A- Name: Caltech MSA Site -1-
Site: ftp.cco.caltech.edu
Directory: /pub/calmsa

B- Name: Caltech MSA Site -2-
Site: ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu
Directory: /pub/calmsa

C- Name: Boston University
Site: cs-ftp.bu.edu
Directory: /amass/Islam/Quran/

D- Name: Islam Net (on Rahut.net)
Site: ftp.rahul.net
Direcotry: /pub/islamnet

4. FTP Sites for Holy Quran ..................................................

MAJOR SITES: Hosting Several Translations of Holy Quran.

___________________________________________________________

Boston University FTP Site
___________________________________________________________
SITE:cs-ftp.bu.edu DIRECTORY: /amass/Islam/Quran/

README arabic-by-eyler.hqx trans-pickthal.text.gz
and-translations.text.Z arabic-by-eyler.text trans-yousufali.text.gz

___________________________________________________________

Caltech UGCS FTP Site (Caltech MSA/IINN FTP Site-2-)
___________________________________________________________
SITE:ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu DIRECTORY: /pub/cms/Quran/

Quran-Picthall.Z System-7.01-&-Arabic.sea.#1.hqx
Quran-Shakir.tar.Z System-7.01-&-Arabic.sea.#2.hqx
Quran-and-trans.sea.#1.hqx pickthal.txt.sea.hqx
Quran-and-trans.sea.#2.hqx yusufali.txt.sea.hqx
Quran.sea.hqx

___________________________________________________________

Caltech CCO FTP Site (Caltech MSA/IINN FTP Site-1-)
___________________________________________________________
SITE:ftp.cco.caltech.edu DIRECTORY: /pub/cms/Quran/

Quran-Picthall.Z Quran-Shakir.tar.Z Quran.readme

___________________________________________________________

FILE: Quran.tar.Z

etlport.etl.go.jp /pub/NeXT/Literature/working/Quran.tar.Z
nova.cc.purdue.edu /pub/next/Literature/working/Quran.tar.Z
roxette.mty.itesm.mx /pub/next/Literature/working/Quran.tar.Z
sonata.cc.purdue.edu /pub/next/Literature/working/Quran.tar.Z
ftp.uu.net /doc/literary/obi/Religion/Quran.tar.Z
unix.hensa.ac.uk /pub/uunet/doc/literary/obi/Religion/Quran.tar.Z
ftp.princeton.edu /pub/Quran.tar.Z

OTHER FORMAT:

gatekeeper.dec.com /.8/misc/scripture/quran/
phoenix.oulu.fi /pub/quran/quran.tar
slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/doc/quran.tar.Z
ftp.rahul.net /pub/islamnet/quran/trans-pickthal.text.Z

Courtesy: Islamic Information & News Network (IINN) Muslims @
Asuacad.BITnet

5. FTP Sites for Hadith ......................................................

___________________________________________________________

Caltech UGCS FTP Site (Caltech MSA/IINN FTP Site-2-)
___________________________________________________________
SITE:ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu DIRECTORY: /pub/cms/Hadith/

Bukhari.Z hadith.2.Z hadith.qudsi.2.Z
hadith.1.Z hadith.Z hadith.qudsi.Z

___________________________________________________________

Caltech CCO FTP Site (Caltech MSA/IINN FTP Site-1-)
___________________________________________________________
SITE:ftp.cco.caltech.edu DIRECTORY: /pub/cms/Quran/

Bukhari hadith.1.Z hadith.qudsi.2.Z
Hadith.2.cr.Z hadith.2.Z hadith.qudsi.Z

___________________________________________________________

IslamNet FTP Site
___________________________________________________________
SITE: ftp.rahul.net DIRECTORY: /pub/islamnet/hadith

hadith.1.Z hadith.qudsi.2.Z
Bukhari.Z hadith.2.Z hadith.qudsi.Z

Courtesy: Islamic Information & News Network (IINN) Muslims @
Asuacad.BITnet

6. FTP Sites for Islamic Literature ..........................................

___________________________________________________________

Boston University FTP Site
___________________________________________________________
SITE: cs-ftp.bu.edu DIRECTORY: /amass/Islam

Contact Person(s): Mohammad Jamil Sawar (sa...@cbl.leeds.ac.uk)

Images/ crescent-93.text ramadan-boston94.ps
Prayer-scheds/ crescent-sighting.text ramadan-boston94.tex
Praytimer/ fatiha-stack.doc takbyr.dvi
Quran/ fatiha-stack.hqx takbyr.ps
Sounds/ praytimer.tar.Z
crescent-92.text ramadan-boston94.dvi

___________________________________________________________

Caltech CCO FTP Site (Caltech MSA/IINN FTP Site-1-)
___________________________________________________________
SITE: ftp.cco.caltech.edu DIRECTORY: /pub/calmsa

Contact Person(s): Asim Mughal & Asif Khaliq (cal...@cco.caltech.edu)

33windows.creator emaan islamic.centers
DSS_ascii.1QH.txt environment istiqamat
Hadith/ faq.ari kashmir.pns94
ITimer21.README faq.bit.muslims knowledge
ITimer21.exe faq.iinn last.sermon
ITimer21.shar faq.iinn.muslims mercy.ayat
IslamicTimer-2.0.shar faq.sri.2.3 miracles
Muhammad.prophet finality.1 mosque.why
Quran/ finality.2 muhammed.bible
README.FIRST finality.3 perseverance.job
README.OLD finality.4 political.order
README.OLD.2 fundamentals prayer.f
README.calmsa hijab.protect praytime.zip
README.cms humanrights quotron/
README.instruct iiie/ ramadan.meaning
arafat.day iinn.survey94 resurrection
belief.unbelief ijtihad revelation
books index.quran ritual.prayers
booksellers.list index.surah sahaba
bosnia/ info.amana status.women
bosnia.aid.info introtoislam tawhid
cfv.bosnia islam-faq/ treatise.nature
cfv.scm islam-rc.92 treatise.quran
cfv.tri islam-rc.old way.to.quran
christ.islam islam.focus wedding.in.islam
consequences islam.glance worldly.gain
cybermuslim.v2.0 islam.is.future
educators islam.west

___________________________________________________________

Caltech UGCS FTP Site (Caltech MSA/IINN FTP Site-2-)
___________________________________________________________
SITE:ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu DIRECTORY: /pub/cms

Contact Person(s): Asim Mughal (cal...@cco.caltech.edu)

CMS.README README.calmsa emaan.Z
CMS.README.OLD README.cms forums.Z
Hadith/ Shakir-suras/ ijtihad.Z
ITimer21.README bonsia.Z islam-rc.1.1.Z
ITimer21.exe books.Z islam-rc.1.1a.Z
ITimer21.shar books.list.2.Z marriage.Z
Islam.introduction.Z bosnia.Z prayer.f.Z
IslamicTimer-2.0.shar.Z bosnia.video.Z think.Z
Quran/ cms.readme.Z treatise.Z
README.FILES educators.Z

___________________________________________________________

IslamNet FTP site
___________________________________________________________
SITE:ftp.rahul.net DIRECTORY: /pub/islamnet/articles

intro.islam.txt.Z resurrec.txt.Z
christ.islam.Z islamic.centers.txt.Z ritual.prayers.Z
cybermuslim.guide.Z last.sermon.Z sahaba.Z
emaan.Z marriage.Z science.Z
food.halal.Z muhammed.bible.Z status.women.Z
fundamen.txt.Z praytime.zip tawhid.Z
humanrig.txt.Z ramadan.meaning.Z way.to.quran.Z

Courtesy: Islamic Information & News Network (IINN) Muslims @
Asuacad.BITnet

7. Using Gopher ..............................................................

The "Gopher" is a client/server based information delivery setup. Gopher
clients connect to a Gopher Server loaded with information. A Gopher
Server may be connected to hundreds of other Gopher servers. This
connection is transparent to the user.

To use the gopher system, you should have 'Gopher client' on your local
system.

TO Access Gopher with Gopher Client:

Type: % gopher server_name 70

To Access Gopher without Gopher Client: You may wish to use a public
telnet gopher site. You may use any of the following:

Hostname Login Area
------------------------- -------------
consultant.micro.umn.edu gopher North America
ux1.cso.uiuc.edu gopher North America
gopher.msu.edu gopher North America
gopher.ebone.net gopher Europe

8. Gopher Sites with Islamic Literature ......................................

A- GOPHER LATIF.COM 70

As of December 01, '93 Islamic material is available thru
gopher services as well. To access:

% gopher latif.com 70

Contact Name: Br. Yaakob Abdullah (yaa...@latif.com)

B- GOPHER GOPHER.CALTECH.EDU 70

The ftp site maintained by Caltech MSA carrying files archived
by Islamic Information & News Network (mus...@asuacad.bitnet)
is now accessible thru gopher.

The gopher server is: gopher.caltech.edu

\Computing Information
\CCO anonymous FTP site
\pub
\calmsa

For Quick Access: % gopher gopher.caltech.edu 70

gopher.caltech.edu is linked to world-wide network of gophers.

Contact Name: (Asim Mughal) cal...@cco.caltech.edu [MSA Acct]
mug...@alumni.caltech.edu

C- GOPHER WINGS.BUFFALO.EDU 70

The gopher server is: wings.buffalo.edu

and choose #10 from the first menu (Student Life and Services/)
#12 from the second (Undergraduate Student Association/)
#2 from the third (The Muslim Student Association/)

Contact Name: hkh...@ren.hwi.buffalo.edu (Hanif Khalak)

COURTESY: Islamic Information & News Network (MUS...@PSUVM.BITnet)

9. Holy Quran & Hadith Available Thru Gopher .................................

HADITH AVAILABLE THRU GOPHER:

TO ACCESS: % gopher

This will connect to your root gopher. If gopher is NOT setup on your
site, go to the end of the document for 'Public Telnet Sites for
Gopher.'

SITE-1- % gopher cwis.usc.edu

Please select the following in sequence:

--> 4. Campus Life/
--> 5. Student Organizations/
--> 3. Muslim Students Association/

SITE-2- % gopher umicc.umich.edu

--> 2. UMCC FTP archives and user's gopher entries/
--> 6. users/
--> 4. Abdullah Haydar's Stuff/ or --> 7. Omar Haydar, MSA/

SITE-3- % gopher gopher.caltech.edu

--> 4. Computing Information/
--> 1. CCO anonymous ftp archive/
--> 6. pub/
--> 12. calmsa/

SITE-4- % gopher wings.buffalo.edu

--> 10. Student Life and Services/
--> 12. Undergraduate Student Association/
--> 2. The Muslim Student Association/

10. About World-Wide-Web ......................................................

World-Wide-Web (WWW) makes it possible to browse thru resources and
fetch documents using hypertext. Hypertext is a text with pointers to
other text. Selecting hypertext opens up the text listed in the pointer.

With a WWW browser, one may browse thru information in several
protocols, e.g. FTP, gopher, telnet. etc. This is achieved by calling up
information using 'Unified Resource Locators' (URL).

Breakdown of URL:

protocol://machinename:port:/path/filename

e.g. http://info.cern.ch:80/default.html
ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/mirrors

WWW provides 'integrated services.' Common WWW interface is 'Mosaic.' A
new WWW interface is 'Netscape.'

11. Web Servers with Islamic Material .........................................

SITE-1: http://latif.com/welcome.html
Maintainer: yak...@latif.com

SITE-2: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~calmsa
Maintainer: cal...@cco.caltech.edu

SITE-3: http://www.clark.net/pub/murple/home.html

SITE-4: gopher://wings.buffalo.edu/hh/student-life/sa/muslim
Maintainer: MSA Buffalo,NY

12. LISTSERV Lists on Islam ...................................................

LIST-1: MUSLIMS@ASUACAD & MUSLIMS@PSUVM

Name: Islamic Information & News Network (IINN)
Info: Weekly or Bi-weekly Digest containing news, info and articles on
Islam.
Subscription: 800+
OWNER: pako...@asuacad.bitnet (Nauman Mysorewala).

LIST-2: ISLAM-L@ULKYVM

Name: History of Islam
Info: A discussion list.
Subscription: 380+
OWNER: jacock01@ulkyvm (Jim Cocks)

LIST-3: ISLAMIAT@SAKAAU03

Name: Islamic Information and Issues Discussion Group.
Info: A discussion list.
Subscription: unknown
OWNERS: ENF3006@SAKAAU03 (Abu baker Essahak & Muhammad Moula)

LIST-4: NAH...@MSU.EDU

Name: North American Historians of Islamic Art
Info: A discussion list.
Subscription: 101
OWNERS: al...@ah2.cal.msu.edu (Alan Fisher)

13. Islamic Newsgroups on USENET ..............................................

NEWSGROUP-1: Soc.Religion.Islam (moderated)

Contact Addresses: religion-is...@ncar.ncar.edu
s...@gnu.ai.mit.edu

NEWGROUP-2: Bit.Listserv.Muslims (moderated)

Islamic Information & News Network gatewayed from MUS...@PSUVM.BITnet
Contact Address: Mus...@Psuvm.Bitnet

NEWSGROUP-3: Alt.Religion.Islam (un-moderated)

-No contact address-

Courtesy: Islamic Information & News Network (MUS...@PSUVM.BITNET)

14. Software: Islamic Prayer Timers ...........................................

A number of software programs have been written by Muslims to make it
easier for others to calculate the prayer timings in their areas. This
is a brief listing of prayer software availale thru Caltech MSA/IINN
anonymous FTP sites:

_____________________________________________

Islamic Timer 2.1 (Released August 1994)
_____________________________________________

Location: ftp.cco.caltech.edu
Dir: /home/pub/calmsa

ITimer21.shar, ITimer21.exe, ITimer.README
Runs on DOS and UNIX Machines.

Provided by: <wmuh...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>

_____________________________________________

Prayer Timer (Released August 1994)
_____________________________________________

Location: ftp.cco.caltech.edu
Dir: /home/pub/calmsa

praytime.zip
Prayer Timer for DOS machines

_____________________________________________

Prayer Time Table (Released 1991)
_____________________________________________

Location: ftp.cco.caltech.edu
Dir: /home/pub/calmsa

prayer.f Runs on UNIX machines

Provided by: t. djamaluddin

_____________________________________________

Prayer Time Table (Released 1991)
_____________________________________________

Location: ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu
Dir: /home/pub/cms

prayer.c Runs on UNIX machines

Provide by: Waqar Malik (Caltech MSA)
cal...@cco.caltech.edu

Courtesy: Islamic Information & News Network (Mus...@Asuacad.BItnet)

Announcements ................................................................

15. 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 --

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-...@rtfm.mit.edu

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part11
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

16. Credits ...................................................................

The author wishes to thank all those who contributed in any capacity for
the original one part FAQ or this multi-part FAQ.

-- FORMAT --

What is IINN?

-- 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 (Mus...@PSUVM.bitnet)
o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang)

# End of Islam FAQ Part 11 #

Asim Mughal

unread,

Mar 18, 2004, 4:12:03 AM3/18/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part12

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

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 12

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

________________________________________________________

PART 12: Other Islamic Resource Guides on Internet

Contents

--Articles--
1. Introduction ..............................................................
2. Cyber Muslim 2.0 ..........................................................
3. Islamic Resource Guide ....................................................
--Announcements--
4. Archive Info ..............................................................
5. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Introduction ..............................................................

AssalaamOalaikum,

It is a pleasure to note that there are other brothers who have also
done an excellent job of making information pertaining to Islam &
Muslims available on voluntary basis.

Each internet guide compiled has its own unique flavor. Specifically,
CyberMuslim informs us of Muslim forums and organizations on internet
while Islamic Resource guide emphasizes on the quran, hadith, prayer and
miscellaneous software packages available.

In this section of FAQ, both CyberMuslim & Islamic Resource Guide have
been included verbatim with permission from the authors. Both guides are
also available independently on Caltech MSA FTP Site-1-
(ftp.cco.caltech.edu dir:/pub/calmsa).

Jazakallah Khairun.

2. Cyber Muslim 2.0 ..........................................................

#*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
#* (* *
#* Mas'ood Cajee's *
#* CYBERMUSLIM 2.0 *
#* >>>The Guide to Islamic Resources on the Internet<<< *
#* *
#* AS LISTED IN ED KROL'S "WHOLE INTERNET CATALOG" *
#* AND OTHER FINE RESOURCE GUIDES TO THE INTERNET! *
#*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
Compiled by Mas'ood Cajee [mca...@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu], 7 April 94.
Additions/comments welcome. Copyleft (c) Mas'ood Cajee 1994. Permission
to reprint & distribute granted only if this heading included, and
maintainer notified. This list is available via:
gopher://latif.com:70/
>ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/mcgee/african/islam/cybermuslim.guide
>mail://mca...@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu
>http://www.uoknor.edu/www/ou_info/mc_info.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------

PURPOSE: to list resources available on the Internet that contain a
significant amount of information related to Islam & Muslims.
AUDIENCE: this file is useful for educators, scholars, and students
of the Muslim World.
ASSUMPTIONS: to access the information sources listed here you must
have access to and know how to use anonymous ftp,telnet,
e-mail, gopher, usenet, and www.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<TABLE OF CONTENTS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section =1= INTERNET/BITNET MAILING LISTS
Listservs, Publications, and Discussion Groups

Section =2= ANONYMOUS FTP SITES
Quran Sites
Sites for Software, Graphics, etc.

Section =3= TELNET/GOPHER/WWW SITES

Section =4= USENET GROUPS

Section =5= ORGANIZATIONS ON-LINE

Section =6= INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIVITY
Internet Links in CyberMuslimLand

Section =7= BIBLIOGRAPHY

------------------------------------------------------------------------
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Section 1: INTERNET/BITNET MAILING LISTS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(The Internet has revolutionised the way people can communicate
and discuss Muslim, Arab, and Third World issues. Using e-mail, anyone
can tap into the wealth of information that exists. This section
includes lists or services that require only e-mail.)
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: AFRICAN NEWS & INFO SERVICE

Content: Daily News about and from Africa.

Maintainer: Faraz Rabbani (frab...@epas.utoronto.edu)

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to LIST...@UTORONTO.BITNET
SUBSCRIBE AFRICA-N Your_Full_Name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ALGERIA-NET

Content: News and discussion of Algeria.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to algeria-n...@monte.svec.uh.edu
SUBSCRIBE ALGERIA-N Your_Full_Name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ALGERIA NEWS LIST

Content: News about Algeria in French and some English.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@gwuvm.gwu.edu
SUBSCRIBE ALGNEWS Your_Full_Name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of service: ALJAZIR...@CS.WASHINGTON.EDU

Content: Discuss issues of interest to students from Saudi Arabia, and
Arab Gulf countries in general, studying in the US and Europe. The
issues to be discussed include (but are not limited to) problems
pertaining to one's studies and one's life in a different society,
student and community activities, etc.

Maintainer: ba...@cs.washington.edu

How to Subscribe:
send a message to Aljazirah-l...@cs.washington.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ARABIC LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE TEACHING

Content: Discussion and resources for linguists and teachers of Arabic.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to MAIL...@vtvm2.cc.vt.edu with the message
subscribe ARABIC-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: AR-RASSED

Content: A news and analysis weekly with biting commentary from a
Muslim perspective.

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to EAB...@UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: AWAIR Educator's Network

Content: Quarterly on-line newsletter MIDDLE EAST RESOURCES, as
well as other informational mailings for pre-collegiate educators
from AWAIR,
or Arab World and Islamic Resources, Berkeley, California.

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to aw...@igc.apc.org

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: AZERBAIJAN NEWS SERVICE

Content: News from Turan News Agency in Baku, Azerbaijan. This list
is run by the Azerbaijan Aydinlig Association, Berkeley, California.

Maintainer: F. H. Miandoab (fa...@mem.odu.edu)

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to fa...@mem.odu.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: BERITA (MALAYSIAN ISLAMIC LISTSERV)

Content: Malay/Islamic issues and topics discussed in Malay & English.

Queries: beri...@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu with the message:
subscribe berita-l your_full_name
to receive only islamic topics include the following line:
set berita-l topics=IS

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: BOSNET (BOSNIA NETWORK)

Content: Bosnet provides an opportunity to exchange ideas & connect
members of the Bosnian and Hercegovinian community, as well as all
others interested in the current events in RB&H. Features daily news,
exchange of relevant information, and calls for action.
Back issues and documents are available via FTP at (math.mcgill.ca).

Moderators: Nermin Zukic (zuk...@wu2.ul.aecd.ca)
Adnan Dzinic (adz...@sun14.ulsi.uwaterloo.ca)

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to zuk...@wu2.ul.aecd.ca

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: EGYPT-NET

Content: Lively discussion and news about and from Egypt.

How to Subscribe:
send a message either to
egypt-ne...@das.harvard.edu or
egypt-ne...@das.harvard.bitnet
with the following subject: EGYPT-NET-REQUEST(ADD)
and a message body of
>>> (LastName, FirstName) your_e-mail_address

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: HAFTALIK GUNCEL YORUM DERGISI

Content: A weekly Net Zine in Turkish.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@TREARN.BITNET with the message
subscribe SENFONI your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: HELWA

Content: HELWA-L is a list for Malaysian women in the
U.S. and Canada.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@PSUVM.BITNET with the message
subscribe HELWA-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: HISTORY OF ISLAM LISTSERV

Content: A mailing list that discusses Islamic history.

Queries: ISL...@ULKYVM.BITNET

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@ULKYVM.BITNET with the message
subscribe ISLAM-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ISLAM BBS

Content: A bulletin board accessible by modem only in Chicago area.
Archive of Islamic software with mail link to Internet.

Sysop: Mohammad Khan (mk...@nyx.cs.du.edu)
(sys...@islam.chi.il.us)

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ISLAMIC INFORMATION & NEWS NETWORK

Content: A weekly Muslim news service featuring news, essays,
and opinion.

Owners: Asim Mughal (mug...@iago.caltech.edu)
Nauman Mysorewala

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to list...@asuvm.inre.asu.edu, list...@psuvm.psu.edu,
or list...@asuacad.bitnet with a blank subject and the message
subscribe MUSLIMS your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ISLAM-NEWS

Content: News related to Islam. Ames, Iowa.

Submissions: islam...@iastate.edu

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to spe...@iastate.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ISLAMIC WORLD NEWS

Content: World News Updates, Analysis, Book Reviews, Essays, and
Readers' Opinions. Issued twice-a-week. A publication of the
International Muslim Students Union, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Editor: Ahmed E. Souaiaia

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to imn...@max.u.washington.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: ITISLAT

Content: "It is Arabic Language and Technology".

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@GUVM.BITNET with the message
subscribe ITISLAT your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: KITAPLAR UZERINE TARTISMA LISTESI

Content: Discussion on books in Turkish.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@GUVM.BITNET with the message
subscribe KITAP-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: LEBANON-NET

Content: Discussion and news related to Lebanon.

Maintainer: bo...@cumesa.mech.columbia.edu

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to leb-net...@cumesa.mech.columbia.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MACEDONIAN INFO LIAISON SERVICE

Content: News and information about Macedonia.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to mi...@gnu.ai.mit.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MAGHREBIAN SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE

Content: Discussion on science and technology in the Arab World.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@UIUCVMD.BITNET with the message
subscribe MIAST your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of service : MSM-NET

Content : Majlis Syura Muslimun is a forum for discussion to enhance
our knowledge about Islam, to increase our awareness on the current
issues that affect our lives, and to share news on Malaysia, its region,
and the world.

Maintainer and queries: Ainul Lotfi (Abu Umayr)
es2...@eng.warwick.ac.uk

How to subscribe :
send e-mail to msm-net...@warwick.ac.uk
(include your name, institution, and level of study)

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MALAYSIAN ISLAMIC STUDY GROUP LISTSERV

Content: A Malay language mailing list discussing Islamic research.

Queries: MIS...@PSUVM.BITNET

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@PSUVM.BITNET with the message
SUBSCRIBE MISG-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MIDDLE EAST LIBRARIANS LIST

Content: Discussion and forum for Middle East librarians.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@CORNELL.EDU with the message
SUBSCRIBE MELANET your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MIDDLE EAST MUSIC LIST

Content: Discussion and information about all aspects of Mideast
music.

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to middle-eastern...@nic.funet.fi

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MIDDLE EAST WATER LIST

Content: Discussion and forum for information and research related
to Middle East water resource issues emanating from Israel.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@TAUNIVM.TAU.AC.IL with the message
SUBSCRIBE MEH2O your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MSA LISTSERV

Content: Muslim Students Association.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to LIST...@psuvm.psu.edu with the message
subscribe MSA-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MSA NET

Content: A moderated list providing a means for MSA chapters to
organize at a national level, exchange ideas and information about
activities, publicize events, seek help, and advise.

Queries: (msa-r...@htm3.ee.queensu.ca)

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to msa-r...@htm3.ee.queensu.ca

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MSA-NEWS

Content: News about Islam, Muslims, and the Muslim World. This is
a very good list to be on. You will automatically receive many of the
other services listed plus more.

Maintainer: Rached Zantout (rzan...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to msanews...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: MUSLIM BAY NET

Content: A list for Muslims in the San Francisco Bay Area to exchange
information about activities, events, and other issues.

Maintainer: Munes Tomeh (to...@ocf.berkeley.edu)

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to muslimbayn...@ocf.berkeley.edu

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: NEW LIBERATION NEWS SERVICE (NLNS)

Content: A grass-roots news service based in Cambridge, Mass. that
collects articles from the radical press, and distributes them to more
than 100 subscribing papers and also individuals who just like to
read the best of the grassroots press every three to four weeks.
Some form of financial contribution is urged.

Maintainer: (nl...@igc.apc.org)

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to nl...@igc.apc.org

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: PAKISTAN NEWS SERVICE

Content: News Updates about Pakistan.

Queries: Paki...@asuvm.inre.asu.edu

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@asuvm.inre.asu.edu or
list...@asuacad.BITNET
SUB PAKISTAN Your_Full_Name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: RFE/RL DAILY REPORT

Content: A digest of the latest developments in Russia, Transcaucasia
and Central Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. Published Monday
through Friday (except German holidays) by RFE/RL Research
Institute, a
division of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Munich, Germany.

Queries: Brian Reed (RI...@RFERL.ORG)

How to Subscribe:
e-mail above address or send this one message to
RFE...@UBVM.VM.cc.buffalo.edu
SUBSCRIBE RFERL-L Your_Full_Name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: SANAT UZERINE TARTISMA LISTESI

Content: The arts in Turkey.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@tritu.bitnet
subscribe SANAT-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: SINEMA UZERINE TARTISMA LISTESI

Content: Discussion related to Turkish films.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@tritu.bitnet
subscribe SANAT-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: SOMALIA NEWS UPDATE mc

Content: SNU is an entirely independent newsletter devoted to
critical analysis of the political and humanitarian developments in
Somalia and Somaliland. It is published irregularly via electronic mail.

Maintainer: an...@strix.udac.uu.se

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to above address; back-issues available via FTP
at ftp.uu.net in doc/politics/umich-poli/SNU

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: SOUTH ASIAN WOMENS NET

Content: SOUTH ASIAN WOMENS NET is a discussion group
for women from the South Asian countries as well as
women from other parts of the world interested in
the concerns of South Asian women. This forum is
open only to women.

How to Subscribe:
send e-mail to SAW...@QICLAB.SCN.RAIN.COM

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: THE TEHRAN NEWS LIST

Content: A news list out of Tehran, Iran.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@irearn.bitnet
subscribe IPM-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TUNISIA INFORMATION

Content: Official news from the Tunisian Information Office in
French.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@psuvm.bitnet
subscribe TUNINFO your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: THE TUNISIA LIST

Content: The Tunisia List was created to make easier the
communications, discussions and news exchange between Tunisian students
and researchers all over the world.

Owners: Maher Hamdi ha...@rsm.enst-bretagne.fr
bou...@biomath.jussieu.fr

How to subscribe:
send e-mail to ha...@rennes.enst-bretagne.fr

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: THE TUNISIA NETWORK

Content: Discussion and News about and from Tunisia.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@psuvm.psu.edu
subscribe TUNISNET your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TUNISIAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY ACTIVITIES LIST

Content: Information related to the TSS.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@utkvm1.BITNET
subscribe TSSACT-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TUNISIAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY NEWS

Content: News related to the TSS.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@athena.mit.edu
subscribe TSSNEWS your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURK SIYASETI UZERINE TARTISMA LISTESI

Content: Discussion about Turkish political issues.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@tritu.BITNET
subscribe POLITIKA-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKISH COMIC MAGAZINE

Content: A Net Zine devoted to Turkish Comics.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@trearn.BITNET
subscribe VM-SHOW your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKISH E-MAIL LIST

Content: Discussion about issues of Pan-Turkic concern: Cyprus,
Central Asia, etc.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@uscvm.BITNET
subscribe TEL your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKISH ISSUES LIST

Content: Discussion about Turkey in Turkish and English.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@uscvm.BITNET
subscribe PTT-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKISH NEWS

Content: Daily news updates about Turkey and Turkish issues. San
Francisco, California.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@uscvm.BITNET
subscribe TURKNEWS-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKISH SCIENTISTS DISCUSSION GROUP

Content: Discussion and forum for scientists in Turkey and abroad.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@trearn.BITNET
subscribe DOST your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKISH STUDENTS ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION

Content: Aid and advice for Turkish students abroad.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@trearn.BITNET
subscribe TSAA-L your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: TURKIIYE INTERNET TARTISMA LISTESI

Content: A starting point and reference list for Internet resources
and lists in Turkey.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@trmetu.BITNET
subscribe INET-TR your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: UNIVERSITY MISSION OF TUNISIA NEWS

Content: Information and discussion related to academics in Tunisia.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@gwuvm.BITNET
subscribe UMTNEWS your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Name of Service: YUNUS, TURKISH TEX USERS GROUP

Content: A List for Turkish TeX Users.

How to Subscribe:
send this one line message to list...@trmetu.BITNET
subscribe YUNUS your_full_name

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

------------------------------------------------------------------------
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<SECTION 2: ANONYMOUS FTP SITES>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[The Holy QUR'AAN can be downloaded from numerous sites via FTP. Be
aware, however, of the translation you are getting. While a majority
of sites carry the M.H. Shakir translation, the more accepted Yusuf Ali
and M.M. Pickthall translations can be had at <ftp.mcs.kent.edu> and
at <cs.bu.edu>. Islamic and Arabic SOFTWARE, along with sounds,
graphics, and documents, are also available via FTP. The above-mentioned
sites for the Qur'aan are also the best sites for software. An excellent
for Islamic and Arab GIFS is <liasun3.epfl.ch>. Resources are listed by
Uniform Resource Locater: (protocol://site_name:port/directory/file).

THE QUR'AN: UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATERS (URLs)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ftp://ariel.unm.edu/pub/misc
ftp://cs.bu.edu/amass/quran
ftp://cs.ubc.ca/mirror1/next/Literature/working/
ftp://etlport.etl.go.jp/pub/NeXT/Literature/working/
ftp://ftp.mcs.kent.edu/pub/islam/
ftp://ftp.uu.net/doc/literary/obi/Religion
ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/.8/misc/scripture/quran
ftp://nova.cc.purdue.edu/pub/next/Literature/working/
ftp://ocf.berkeley.edu/pub/religion/quran
ftp://phoenix.oulu.fi/pub/quran
ftp://pinus.slu.se/pub/etext/misc/
ftp://princeton.edu/pub/quran.tar.Z
ftp://roxette.mty.itesm.mx/pub/next/Literature/working/
ftp://slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com/pub/doc/quran
ftp://sonata.cc.purdue.edu/pub/next/Literature/working/
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/docs/books/religious/
ftp://unix.hensa.ac.uk/pub/uunet/doc/literary/obi/Religion/
ftp://uxc.cso.uiuc.edu/pub/quran.tar.Z

ISLAMIC & ARABIC SOFTWARE URLs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ftp://cs.arizona.edu/pub/icon/
QuranRef

ftp://cs.bu.edu/amass/
Mac software, sounds, Amer-Arab Scientific Society newsletter

ftp://cs.dal.ca/comp.archives/
USENET docs:

ftp://cs.ubc.ca/pub/local/arabtex
ArabTeX 2.07:

ftp://csd4.csd.uwm.edu/pub/bashar/
Arabic&Islamic software,GIFs:

ftp://ftp.cse.psu.edu/pub/jamoussi/TSS
Tunisian Scientific Society info and documents

ftp://ftp.mcs.kent.edu
ArabTeX,Kateb,music,GIFs,poetry,software

3. Islamic Resource Guide ....................................................

************************************************************************
The Islamic Computing

Resource Guide

Release 2.0
December 1992

A Software and Network Resources Directory
************************************************************************
by
Basil Hashem
<has...@netcom.com>

R E L E A S E N O T E S

2.0 12/10/92 Developed the new format, updated Internet
information, added QuranBase Mac, Al-Munad, Alim 1.5,
IslamicTimer and re-ordered the sections.

1.1c 7/16/92 Fixed some information regarding the Islamic School.

1.1b 7/12/92 Spell-checked, corrected some miscellaneous
information, found a home.

1.1a 6/24/92 Made a couple of corrections on network services, no
new entries.

1.1 6/2/92 Added several new software packages and some Internet
resources.

1.0a 5/22/92 Fixed a few typographical mistakes.

1.0 5/15/92 Initial release.

P R E F A C E

After attending the Second International Conference on Computer
Technology in Service of Islam in San Jose, CA (April 1992), I decided
that there was a need to compile a list of various computing resources
available to the Muslim community.

This resource guide will serve as a listing for software and major
network resources such as electronic mailing lists, forums and newsgroups
related to discussion of Islamic topics.

I have limited the scope of the guide to software published in the
English language in order to maintain a focus and keep the guide at a
manageable size. I realize that there are many Arabic language software
packages available. I have consciously omitted them. Perhaps someone else
will pick up the slack in this area.

This guide is provided as a free service to the Muslim community, I did
my best to secure its accuracy but in no way do I guarantee its
authenticity. Please do not hold me liable for anything. I would also
like to thank the many individuals that provided me with much of the
information listed here, may Allah reward their efforts. You may
distribute this guide electronically as you wish, but if you wish to
publish it in any print media, e.g. newsletters or magazines, please
contact me first. I will most certainly grant you permission; I simply
would like to keep track of how and where this guide is used. Please send
any additions, corrections or comments to me via e-mail at
has...@netcom.com.

The latest copy of this guide is available via file transfer (FTP) from
the AMASS Software Library at Boston University. Thanks go to Abdelsalam
Heddaya.

Inshallah, you will find this guide useful.

S O F T W A R E

A. ON-LINE DATABASES - QURAN

Al-Quran Database
-----------------
A program which displays side-by-side text of the Quran in Arabic and
English. Yusuf Ali and M. Pickthall translations. Searchable English text
by keyword and subject with Boolean operators. Includes background
information about the suras. Complements Al-Hadith Database.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 512K RAM and 10MB free on a hard disk

Price: $99

Islamic Computing Centre Islamic Book Service
73, St. Thomas's Road 10900 W. Washington Street
London N4 2QJ U.K Indianapolis, IN 46231-2080
A.K. Barkatulla (317)839-8150/7669
<barka...@lampeter.ac.uk>

The Alim 1.5
------------
An Islamic study toolkit which includes: the Quran in Arabic, Yusuf Ali
and M. Pickthall Translations and Concordances, Yusuf Ali Commentary, a
Transliteration, Sahih Bukhari Hadith, Hadith Qudsi database, Islamic
Subjects database, Maududi Sura Information, Chronological History of
Islam, Biographies of the Companions of the Prophet, and Islamic Terms
Dictionary. Every database is searchable via keywords (with Boolean
operators) or by subject, regular expressions, and word series.
Background searching and "save search" features. Multiple window
operations and GUI menus and dialog boxes. Some of the enhancements in
Version 1.5 include support for faster searches and searching in Arabic,
sound support (English only) via speech synthesis (with a sound board), a
new Sahih Bukhari subjects database, and miscellaneous bug fixes.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 512K RAM, 1.5MB to 15MB free on a
hard disk and EGA or better display for Arabic

Price: $99 (less for upgrades from Version 1.0)
Speech Synthesis Module - $24.95

ISL Software Corp. IQRA Bookcenter
(800)397-5561/(512)690-5973 (800)521-4272

Holy Quran (English)
--------------------
A program to display the Yusuf Ali translation of the Quran. Keyword
search capability with Boolean operators. Thesaurus and theme index.
Ability to display Arabic script as well. This is one of a series of
programs (mostly Arabic) which run under the Sakhr DOS system. Databases
of the Quran, Al-Bukhary hadith, and Al-Mawarith (inheritance) expert
system also available. The system requires a DOS Arabization package.

Price: Holy Quran (English) - Unknown
DOS Arabization - $40

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with Sakhr DOS Arabization, VGA display
and 20MB free on a hard disk

Available: June 1992

Al Alamiah Electronics Company
Heliopolis, Cairo
P.O. Box: 5189 H. West
Code 11771 EGYPT

IslamicWare: The Holy Koran & Explanation v7.0
----------------------------------------------
"Koran: Contemporary Text" displays searchable text of a new English
translation of the Quran by Ahmad Darwish. Subject index and concordance
(word index) also available. "Explanation Koran: Contemporary Text", a
commentary on the above translation. Also available "Koran: Academic
Text", "Quran: Yusuf Ali text translation", "Koran: Yusuf Ali revised
text", and "Koran: Muhammad Pickthall text revised", each available with
index and concordance. Koran CD and the first electronic Islamic
encyclopedia are due in December 1992.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible, 10MB free on a hard disk (for text), 4MB
free on a hard disk (for concordance)

Price: Suras 1 & 2 available for free
"Koran: Contemporary Text" - $80, with Index - $180, with Concord - $280
"Explanation Koran: Contemporary Text" - $80, with Index - $180,
with Concord-$280. Other programs follow the same pricing structure.

Ahmad Darwish & M. K.
P.O. Box 8279
Fremont, CA 94537-8279
(510)794-9363

QuranBase
---------
A database program of the Yusuf Ali translation of the Quran. Fully
searchable by keyword, chapter, verse and subject.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 256K RAM, mono, CGA, EGA or VGA
display and 1.5MB free on a hard disk

Price: $179

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

QuranBase Mac
-------------
A database program of the Yusuf Ali translation of the Quran. Fully
searchable by keyword, chapter, verse, and subject.

Requires: Macintosh SE or higher (min. 2 MB RAM), 2.5MB free on a hard
disk and Hypercard software

Price: $179

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

Quranic Text
------------
Text of the M. H. Shakir English translation of the Quran as published by
Tahrike Tarsile Quran, Inc.

Price: Free

Requires: Any text editor or word processor

Access: The filename is "Quran.tar.Z" and is available via file transfer
(FTP) from the following locations on the Internet.

Host Directory

ariel.unm.edu /pub/misc
cs.ubc.ca /mirror1/next/Literature/working
etlport.etl.go.jp /pub/NeXT/Literature/working
ftp.uu.net /doc/literary/obi/Religion
gatekeeper.dec.com /.0/data
hp5.mcs.kent.edu /pub
nova.cc.purdue.edu /pub/next/Literature/working
pinus.slu.se /pub/etext/misc
princeton.edu /pub
roxette.mty.itesm.mx /pub/next/Literature/working
slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/doc
snake.mcs.kent.edu /pub and /pub/quran
sonata.cc.purdue.edu /pub/next/Literature/working
sunsite.unc.edu /pub/docs/books/religious
unix.hensa.ac.uk /pub/uunet/doc/literary/obi/Religion

B. ON-LINE DATABASES - HADITH

Al-Hadith Database
------------------
A program to search the Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Muwatta,
Tirmidhy and Nasa'i hadith sources in English. Cross-referencing between
the Al-Quran Database & Islamic LawBase.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 512K RAM and 20MB free on a hard disk

Price: $199

Islamic Computing Centre Islamic Book Service
73, St. Thomas's Road 10900 W. Washington Street
London N4 2QJ U.K Indianapolis, IN 46231-2080
A.K. Barkatulla (317)839-8150/7669
<barka...@lampeter.ac.uk>

Hadith on CD
------------
Collections of hadith databases on CD ROM. Over 15 languages supported.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with CD-ROM drive

Price: Unknown

M.M. Al-Azami & Aqil M. Azmi
Center for Hadith Analysis
805 29th Street, #552-N
Boulder, Colorado 80303
(303)938-1211

HadithBase
----------
A database program of Sahih al-Bukhari hadiths. Fully searchable by
keyword and subject with Boolean operators.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 512K RAM, mono, CGA, EGA or VGA
display and 3 MB free on a hard disk

Price: $195

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

C. ON-LINE DATABASES - OTHER

Islamic LawBase
---------------
A program to search the following legal literature: Fiqh al-Sunnah,
Majellah al-ahkam, Hedaya al-Marghinani, Fatawa-e-Qazi Khan, Al Halal Wal
Haram, Muwatta of Imam Malik, al Risala al-Qairawaniya, Criminal Law of
Islam, and Kitab-ul-Kharaj in English.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 512K RAM and 20MB free on a hard disk

Price: $199

Islamic Computing Centre Islamic Book Service
73, St. Thomas's Road 10900 W. Washington Street
London N4 2QJ U.K Indianapolis, IN 46231-2080
A.K. Barkatulla (317)839-8150/7669
<barka...@lampeter.ac.uk>

Nahjul Balaagha Version 2.0
---------------------------
A database program of the sayings and letters of Imaam Ali. Provides the
ability to search, display and print sayings by keyword.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible

Price: Unknown

Al-Mahdi Islamic Software Centre (MISC)
P.O. Box 45844
Nairobi, Kenya

D. EDUCATIONAL/GAMES

Al-Qari
-------
A program designed to teach children and adults to recite the Quran in
Arabic. Uses sounds and text in Arabic and English.

Requires: Macintosh

Price: Unknown

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

Hijrah
------
Small game written in BASIC which quizzes the player regarding the flight
of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from Mecca to Medina.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with BASIC interpreter (such as BASICA)

Price: $5 (Shareware)

Available: AmNet BBS (see entry)

Islamic Scholar I
-----------------
Written in an artificial intelligence language, this menu-driven
educational program covers more than 60 topics in fiqh and aqeedah;
basics of Islam; and "how to"s - the basic duties of Muslims. The English
meaning and transliteration of small chapters from the Quran is also
included.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible

Price: $39

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

pcIQ
----
A "trivia type" quiz game on topics such as the Qur'an, seerah, the
ummah, events and fiqh. Multiple choice answers. Also includes a facility
to learn to read the last hizb of the Quran in Arabic and display color
Islamic art.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible with 512K RAM, EGA or VGA display

Price: $69

Islamic Computing Centre Islamic Book Service
73, St. Thomas's Road 10900 W. Washington Street
London N4 2QJ U.K Indianapolis, IN 46231-2080
A.K. Barkatulla (317)839-8150/7669
<barka...@lampeter.ac.uk>

E. PRAYER TIME CALCULATION

An-Nida' 2.1
------------
Calculates prayer time schedules for any month of any year (up to 2050);
for any location in the world. Comes preset for more than 550 locations
world wide. Other locations may be used as well. Options include printing
in Arabic or English, calculation using Hijrah or Christian calendars,
Shafi'i or Hanafi prayer times, Qibla direction and more.

Requires: Macintosh and Hypercard software

Price: $39

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

calendrical.l
-------------
A Common Lisp program to calculate the Hijri, Gregorian and Julian
calendars. Includes definitions of some important events.

Requires: LISP interpreter

Price: Free

Author(s): Nachum Dershowitz and Edward Reingold <rein...@cs.uiuc.edu>

Available: On the Internet, via file transfer (FTP) from the AMASS
Software Library (see entry)

IslamicTimer
------------
A software package for calculating Islamic (Hijri) Calendar, prayer time
schedules and the direction of the Qiblah.

Requires: UNIX C Compiler

Price: Free with suggested donation to a worthy cause

Author: Waleed Muhanna <wmuh...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>

Available: On the Internet.

Minaret 1.3
-----------
A menu-driven program to calculate prayer times for many cities in the
world. New cities can be added by providing location and timing data.
Shows the direction of the Qibla, and various data related to the Hijri
calendar (date conversion). Produces text and TeX output of prayer
schedules.

Requires: Macintosh

Price: $10 (Shareware)

Kamal Abdali <abd...@udel.edu>
P.O. Box 65207
Washington, DC 20035

Available: On the Internet, via file transfer (FTP) from the AMASS
Software Library (see entry) and sumex-aim.stanford.edu

Praytimer
---------
A C language computer program to calculate prayer schedules given
selected parameters. A program based on Minaret 1.3 but can operate in
batch mode.

Requires: C compiler

Price: Free

Kamal Abdali <abd...@udel.edu>
P.O. Box 65207
Washington, DC 20035

Available: On the Internet, via file transfer (FTP) from the AMASS
Software Library (see entry)

Prayer Time Table
-----------------
FORTRAN-language computer routines to calculate prayer times and moon
sighting data given selected parameters.

Requires: FORTRAN compiler

Price: Free

T. Djamaluddin
Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606, Japan

Available: On the Internet

Prayer Time Table (1988)
------------------------
FORTRAN-language computer routines to calculate prayer times and moon
sighting data given selected parameters.

Requires: FORTRAN compiler

Price: Free

Moustafa Baraka

Available: On the Internet

Prayer Timing Ver 1.1
---------------------
FORTRAN-language computer routines to calculate prayer times and moon
sighting data given selected parameters.

Requires: FORTRAN compiler

Price: "Free" with a request for donation to MSA-UMR

MSA-UMR
202 Rolla Building
Rolla, MO 65401

Available: On the Internet

Taqwim 3.0
----------
A program which converts dates from the Gregorian calendar to the Islamic
calendar.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible

Price: $20

Mark Woodworth & John Woods
University of Chicago
Department of Middle Eastern Studies

F. MISCELLANEOUS

Al-Munad
--------
Calculates prayer times for any day of any year (up to 2050); or any
location in the world. Comes preset for more than 800 locations world
wide. Other locations may be used as well. System Extension reminds you
when prayer times are due. Also allows you to tell it to remind you after
some time has passed. Calculation using Shafi'i or Hanafi prayer times,
astronomical times, Qibla direction, and more.

Requires: Macintosh

Price: $39

Sound Vision
843 W. Van Buren, Suite 411
Chicago, IL 60607
(800)432-4262

Clip Art Collection #1: Calligraphic Designs
--------------------------------------------
Thirty calligraphic images in Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format.

Requires: Macintosh with an application to read EPS formatted files and a
Postscript printer or imagesetter

Price: $54.95

Sakkal Design
1523 175th Place SE
Bothell, WA 98012
(206)484-8830

Daily Ayat
----------
A program to automatically display an ayat of the Quran each time you
start your computer.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible

Price: $19.95

ISL Software Corp.
San Antonio, TX
(800)397-5561/(512)690-5973

Daily Hadith
------------
A program to automatically display a short hadith each time you start
your computer.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible

Price: $19.95

ISL Software Corp.
San Antonio, TX
(800)397-5561/(512)690-5973

Miscellaneous Sounds
--------------------
Macintosh sound samples of the Athan (call to prayer) and the first sura
of the Quran.

Requires: Macintosh and a sound utility (e.g. SoundEdit or SoundMaster)
or System 7

Price: Free

Available: Via file transfer (FTP) from the AMASS Software Library (see
entry)

PrayerMinder
------------
Allows for the creation and saving of prayer time tables. A memory-
resident program with a five-alarm clock which reminds you of the times
to pray.

Requires: IBM PC or compatible

Price: $29.95

ISL Software Corp.
San Antonio, TX
(800)397-5561/(512)690-5973

Quranref
--------
A word/reference/pattern lookup program based on the Icon programming
language (probably only runs on UNIX systems). It uses the Quranic text
of the M. H. Shakir English translation of the Quran (see entry).

Requires: Icon version 8 (A programming language), Icon Program Library,
and a C compiler

Price: Free

Available: On the Internet. Icon available via file transfer (FTP) from
cs.arizona.edu

N E T W O R K R E S O U R C E S

A. NEWSGROUPS AND MAILING LISTS

History of Islam Mailing List
-----------------------------
A mailing list to discuss the history of Islam.

Requires: A connection to the Internet and an e-mail package

Price: Free

Subscriptions: Send a message to LIST...@ULKYVM.BITNET with the line
SUBSCRIBE ISLAM-L

Submissions: ISL...@ULKYVM.BITNET

Malaysian Islamic Study Group Mailing List
------------------------------------------
A mailing list to discuss Islamic research in the Malay language

Requires: A connection to the Internet and an e-mail package

Price: Free

Subscriptions: Send a message to LIST...@PSUVM.BITNET with the line
SUBSCRIBE MISG-L

Submissions: MIS...@PSUVM.BITNET

MSA-NET Mailing List
--------------------
A mailing list to discuss Muslim Student Association (MSA) issues.

Requires: A connection to the Internet and an e-mail package

Price: Free

Subscriptions: msa-r...@eleceng.ee.queensu.ca

Submissions: m...@eleceng.ee.queensu.ca

Muslim News Network Mailing List
--------------------------------
MNN is a moderated forum dedicated to educate the network communities on
issues relating to the Muslims in an academic & non-political
environment. Submissions are compiled in the form of a newsletter and
mailed to the subscribers.

Requires: A connection to the Internet and an e-mail package

Price: Free

Subscriptions: Send a message to LIST...@ASUACAD.BITNET with the
line SUB MUSLIMS

Submissions: MUS...@ASUACAD.BITNET

Muslim Student Association Mailing List
---------------------------------------
A mailing list to discuss Muslim Student Association (MSA) issues.

Requires: A connection to the Internet and an e-mail package

Price: Free

Subscriptions: Send a message to LIST...@PSUVM.BITNET with the line
SUBSCRIBE MSA-L

Submissions: MS...@PSUVM.BITNET

Usenet - soc.religion.islam
---------------------------
A moderated newsgroup discussing Islamic topics.

Price: Free

Requires: A connection to the Internet and a Usenet newsreader such as rn
or nn

Other Usenet news groups which may discuss Islam peripherally are the
following:

soc.culture.afghanistan soc.culture.indian soc.culture.pakistan
soc.culture.arabic soc.culture.iranian soc.culture.turkish
soc.culture.bangladesh soc.culture.malaysia soc.culture.yugoslavia
talk.politics.mideast

B. ARCHIVES AND REMOTE SITES

American Arab Scientific Society (AMASS) Software Library
---------------------------------------------------------
An archive site with a collection of software including this resource
guide, Minaret 1.3, calendrical.l, praytimer, and other items.

Host: cs.bu.edu (128.197.2.1)
Username: ftp
Password: <your e-mail address>

Requires: A connection to the Internet and file transfer (FTP) software

Price: Free

Questions: Abdelsalam Heddaya <hed...@cs.bu.edu>

AMnet Bulletin Board System
---------------------------
A bulletin board system setup by the American Muslim Council (AMC), a
lobby group for American Muslims. News reports, electronic mail, and
miscellaneous files are available.

Access Number: (202)789-2527
Parameters: 2400 Baud, No Parity, 8 Bit, 1 Stop
Location: Bethesda, Maryland

Requires: Macintosh or IBM PC or compatible and terminal emulation
software

Price: Free

Contact: Ammad-Ad-Dean Ahmed
Phone: (301)951-0539 (voice)

CalTech Muslims Group Archive
-----------------------------
The on-line text of the Quran was made available but is temporarily being
corrected. Miscellaneous documents, FORTRAN and C programs for prayer
time calculations and this guide.

Host: ftp.ugcs.caltech.edu (131.215.128.6)
Username: ftp
Password: <your e-mail address>
Directory: /pub/cms

Requires: A connection to the Internet and file transfer (FTP) software

Price: Free
Questions: Waqar Malik <wa...@cco.caltech.edu>
Asim Mughal <mug...@iago.caltech.edu>

CompuServe - Religion forum - Islam subject area
------------------------------------------------
On CompuServe, there is a subject area within the Religion forum which
discusses Islamic topics It has a file archive area as well.

Access: "Islam" Subject Area in the Religion Forum (GO RELIGION).

Requires: A subscription to CompuServe and CompuServe Information Manager
or terminal emulation software

Price: CompuServe on-line charges

The Islamic School
------------------
An Islamic subject area at the Cleveland Free-Net Community Computer
System. Introductory information on Islam, many of the areas are under
development including frequently asked questions and information about
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Hosts: free-net-a.cwru.edu (29.22.8.82)
free-net-b.cwru.edu (129.22.8.75)
free-net-c.cwru.edu (129.22.8.76)

Requires: A connection to the Internet and virtual terminal software such
as telnet

Price: Free

Questions: Eusat Mercan (Sysop) (aa755)
Sukru Gultop (Co-sysop) (sxg12)
Mesut Sahin (Co-sysop) (mxs44)
All addresses are on Cleveland Free-net.

Access: Upon connecting you will be asked whether you are a registered
user or a visitor. Select 2 to indicate a visitor. Then, select 2 to
"Explore the system". Upon being presented with the main menu, type "go
islam" to access the Islamic School.

<=========================== CUT HERE ==============================>

Announcements ................................................................

4. 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 --

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-...@rtfm.mit.edu

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part12
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

5. Credits ...................................................................

The author wishes to thank all those who contributed in any capacity for
the original one part FAQ or this multi-part FAQ.

-- FORMAT --

What is IINN?

-- 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 (Mus...@PSUVM.bitnet)
o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang)

Permission to include CyberMuslim V2.0 was obtained from its
author Br.Mas'ood Cajee.

Permission to include Islamic Resource Guide was obtained from
its author Br.Basil Hashem.

# End of Islam FAQ Part 12 #

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