Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims
Q17. All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why
should a person only follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?
ALL RELIGIONS TEACH MEN TO BE RIGHTEOUS,
THEN WHY FOLLOW ONLY ISLAM?
Answer
1.Major
difference between Islam and most other religions
All
religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam
goes beyond that. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness
and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into
account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is guidance from the Creator Himself.
Therefore, Islam is also called the Deen-ul-Fitrah (the natural religion
of Man).
2.
Example - Islam commands us to shun robbery and also prescribes method of eliminating robbery
a.Islam
prescribes method of eliminating robbery
All
major religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So
what is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference
lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a
practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.
b.Islam
prescribes Zakat
Islam
prescribes a system of Zakat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law
prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisab level
i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar
year in charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakat sincerely,
poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die
of hunger.
c.Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery
Islam
prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The Glorious Qur’an
says in Surah Maidah:
“As to
the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of
example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of
wisdom.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:38]
The
non-Muslim may say, “Chopping off the hands in this 20th century.
Islam
is a barbaric and ruthless religion!”
d.Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented
America
is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world.
Unfortunately it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft, and
robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every
rich person gives Zakat (2.5% of his savings in charity above 85grams of
gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped
off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase,
remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover the existence of
such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber.
I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.
Islamic
Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.
3.Example: Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women.
It
enjoins hijab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.
a.
Islam prescribes method of eliminating molestation and rape
All the
major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam
teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions?
The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely preach respect for
women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes, but also gives clear
guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.
b.Hijab
for men
Islam
has a system of hijab. The Glorious Qur’an first mentions hijab for
the men and then for the women. Hijab for the men is mentioned in the following
verse:
“Say to
the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty:
that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with
all that they do.”
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]
The
moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to
his mind, he should lower his gaze.
c.Hijab
for women
Hijab for women is mentioned in the following verse:
“And
say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what
(must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their
bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers,
their husbands’ fathers, their sons....”
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]
The
extent of hijab for a woman is that her complete body should be covered.
The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If
they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body. However some
Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.
d.Hijab
prevents molestation
The
reason why Allah has prescribed Hijab for the women is given in the Qur’an
in the following verse of Surah Al-Ahzab:
“O
Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they
should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most
convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is
Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.”
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]
The
Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they
are recognized as modest women this would prevent them from being molested.
e.
Example of twin sisters
Suppose
two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street. One
of them is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete body is covered
except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the other twin is wearing
a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting
for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the
Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts? Dresses that
expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to the opposite sex
for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur’an rightly says that the hijab
prevents women from being molested.
f.
Capital punishment for rapist
The
Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist. The
non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age. Many
accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to
hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, someone rapes your wife, your
mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in
front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, “we would
put him to death.” Some went to the extent of saying, “we would torture him to
death”, If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to
death. But if someone else’s wife or
mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double
standards?
g.
U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of Rape
The
United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries
of the world. An F.B.I report in the
year 1990 says that1,02,555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that
only 16% of the cases of rapes are reported. Thus, in order to know the actual
number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be
multiplied by 6.25. We get a total of
6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year1990. If the total is divided by
365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents
everyday.
Later
another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are committed in
U.S.A every day. According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of
Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone3,07,000 cases of rape
were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape were reported. Thus,
3,07,000 X 3.226 = 9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of
2,713 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 1996. Every 32 seconds
one rape is taking place in America. May be American rapists got bolder. The FBI
report of 1990 continues and says that out of the rape cases that were reported
only 10% of the rapist were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes
committed. Out of those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists
faced a trial. In other words if a
person commits125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is
only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those
people who faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment
though the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of
imprisonment. For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders.
Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only
once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of
less than a year!
h.Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented
Suppose
the Islamic shariah is implemented in America. Whenever a man looks at a
woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his
gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab, that is the complete body is
covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man
commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of
rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease?
Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.
4.Islam
has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind
Islam
is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but
practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at
the individual and collective levels. Islam is the best way of life because it
is a practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or
nationality.
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