Open forum presentation 11/12/23 Las Vegas, Nevada

Good evening! I am honored to be here for the Interfaith council of Southern Nevada’s annual panel discussion. WE are to share a bit of our faith that may not be properly understood or widely known, and to accomplish this, we have to understand that “Islam” is nothing more than an Arabic word which means to submit or surrender to God’s will. The one who does this action of submission is called a “Muslim”.

Thus, it is appropriate to call Jesus a Muslim, to call Abraham a Muslim, to call Moses a Muslim. Yes, the format of their rituals, their expression and their laws differed from the Muslims of today, but they nonetheless submitted to God’s will. Our belief is that the process of prophet and scripture sending finds its conclusion with the Qur’an coming forth to Muhammad, who is called “The seal of the Prophets”.

The laws and doctrines of that which came to Muhammad are rational, logical, and fit within any environment or context. A summary of all of this is as follows. (five pillars) (1) Belief in the One and Only God, and that Muhammad was a messenger of God. (2) daily Prayers. (3) Regular charity. (4) Fasting in Ramadan, if health conditions allow. (5) Pilgrimage to Makkah, if health and financial conditions allow.

The beliefs are summarized in “articles of faith” (1) God (2) Angels (3) Scriptures: signifying Divine communication. (4) Messengers. (5) Judgement day. (6) That the limitations of existence, both good and bad, emanate within God’s rules.

These actions and beliefs give Muslims strength. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, and  a Pew Research Centre report asserts that by 2070, it will be the largest religion in the world.  The strengths of Islam include an easily understood theological foundation, firm morals yet flexibility in its application. It values marriage, family, care for the poor, education, and clean living. For examples of flexibility, we can look at the dietary code and daily worship. Pork is famously not allowed on the dinner-plate, yet the Qur’an itself allows it if under starving conditions. Similarly, we are to offer prayers five times daily, preceded with a washing, and the prayer itself having standing, bowing and prostration, yet the washing can be dispended with if water is unavailable by simply a rubbing of soil, and the prayers can be shortened in length and combined with other prayers when conditions such as traveling and combat are present.

Some fun facts include the following: Jesus is revered in Islam; he is mentioned by name 25 times in the Qur’an. However, we don’t follow the idea that he was in fact God or part of a trinity. Only God can be God, God has no partner. Moses is also in the Qur’an, details on his life and mission form a great deal of the Quranic content, even more than the life of Muhammad the Prophet. Our custom is to say “peace be upon him” after the names of all of the prophets, not just the Prophet Muhammad.  Another fun fact is that Muslims can overcome cultural and racial divisions and form healthy communities with ease. Our mosque, Masjid Ibrahim of Las Vegas, proudly has a minimum of 9 different ethnic groups forming the community.  It is the Prophet Muhammad who said that there is no virtue in being white as opposed to black or arab as opposed to not being an Arab. He said the only criteria for virtue is one’s awareness of God.  All of the Islamic guidelines are present for human safety and happiness.

Islam is very practical, yet widely misunderstood. One issue is that of Jihad. It is true that Islam is not a pacifist faith, yet jihad does not mean “holy war”. Rather it means “struggle” and the term is used in both military and non- military context within the Islamic texts. The Islamic rules of war are very clear, it forbids the targeting of civilians, and war itself is deemed a last resort.

Islam also delivers the ultimate liberation of women, both sexes have natural and cultural functions. The 4^th chapter of the Qur’an is entitled “women”, and, contrary to popular assertion, gives inheritance rights and freedom of marriage choice. I am proud to note that our mosque founder is the 1^st woman to initiate construction of a mosque in the USA, her name is Sharaf Haseebullah, who is present this evening.

The primary sources of Islam are the Qur’an, God’s words, as delivered over a 23 year period, something which happened over 1400 years ago, and the words, actions of the Prophet Muhammad. His words are recorded in sources called the hadeeth literature. This literature is NOT considered sacred, but it is nonetheless important. The format for matters such as the daily prayers come to us from Muhammad, as recorded in that literature.

I would like to share one more relevant teaching from the Qur’an. It tells us to respect our parents, even if they are not believers. It says not to follow them if they attempt to impose on us incorrect notions. Yet we are still to be with them in this world. Wa Saahib-humaa fid dunya Ma’roofa. This fact alone should be sufficient to prove that Islam is not some violent force out to destroy everything. It teaches respect, love and compassion.