Author:
Ram Swarup
Director:
ISBN:
159102017-4
Pages:
258
Running Time:
Price:
24.00
Publisher:
Prometheus Books
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Synopsis:
In the book's 19 chapters, Ram Swarup provides representative quotes from the collected traditions of Islam to illustrate the main beliefs of Muslims: faith, purification, prayer, fasting. pilgrimage, marriage, divorce, crime and punishment, jihad, paradise, hell, repentance, and many more.
The introduction states: "Muslim theologians make no distinction between the Quran and the Hadiths. Both are considered works of revelation or inspiration.... In the Quran Allah speaks through Mohammad; in the Sunnah he acts though Mohammad....The Quran cannot be understood without the aid of the Hadith, for every Quranic verse has a context which only the Hadith provide."
Review:
Understanding the Hadith provides unusual insight to core beliefs and practices of Islam that are rarely mentioned anywhere else. Examples follow:
When Christians are conquered in jihad, they are abased not only by paying jizya, a punishing tax, but through restrictions placed on their faith. They cannot build new churches or repair old ones, and they cannot worship in public or ring church bells.
Friday is a special day for Muslims. Linking Friday with Creation, the Fall, and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the Hadith state, "On it Adam was created, on it he was made to enter Paradise, on it he was expelled from heaven."
The Muslim practice of calling to prayer was developed to make Islam distinct from Judaism and Christianity, and to broadcast the central belief of Islam.
Jesus is regarded as a just Judge, but this only means that as a Muslim prophet he will judge according to the shari'ah of Muhammad.
Allah doesn't exactly forgive the sins of Muslims but places their punishment on Jews and Christians.
The vilest name in Allah's sight is Malik al-Amlak (King of kings).
Ram Swarup, an Indian intellectual, favors the spirituality of Hinduism over the external rituals of Islam. He characterizes Allah as a tribal god promoted by Muhammad in place of Allat, a moon goddess that was one of the 360 idols Muhammad removed from the Ka'ba in Mecca.
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There is none worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." This declaration of faith is called the Shahadah, a simple formula that all the faithful pronounce. The significance of this declaration is the belief that the only purpose of life is to serve and obey God, and this is achieved through the teachings and practices of the Last Prophet, Muhammad.
Salah is the name for the obligatory prayers that are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam and there are no priests. Prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Qur'an and is generally chosen by the congregation.
An important principle of Islam is that everything belongs to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakah means both "purification" and "growth." Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need and for the society in general. Like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown--abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations with their spouses.
The pilgrimage to Makkah (the hajj) is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to do so. Nevertheless, over two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another.