THE MOSQUETHE MOSQUE House of the God-fearing WHAT is the role of the mosque in Islam? ‘Masjid’, or mosque, literally means ‘A place for self-prostration’, that is, a place formally designated for offering

the Prophet of Islam observed: “The masjid is a house of God-fearing people.” This means, in effect, that it is a centre for the inculcation of reverence, where individuals learn what is meant by piety

activities is saying of prayers, a ritual to be carried out five times in a day as prescribed by Islam. This act of worship, the greatest means of instilling a sense of awe in the devotee, may be carried

range of Islamic Books in many languages. It offers innovative products for children, including Quran stories, moral stories, craft and activity books, gift packs, Islamic games, Arabic and Islamic readers

readers for home and school. THE best way to learn is by seeing, doing and exploring things. And what better way to learn about the best loved stories from the Quran than coloring the story yourself. Children’s

differentiate between Islam and Muslims. Muslim action should not necessarily be seen as deriving from the teachings of Islam. In effect, Muslim practices ought to be judged by the criteria of Islam—which is an

an ideology—rather than Islam be judged by Muslim practices. Those who have abandoned the teachings of Islam can have no claim to be Islamic in their conduct, even if by their own rights they regard themselves

themselves as champions of Islam. Muslims are Muslims only when they follow the basic teachings of their religion. Peace is God’s Name The Quran puts on record the many names or attributes of God, one of

WRONG CRITERIONLeading Man Astray The Prophet of Islam is said to have remarked that in this world there are only few rights of a person—a house to live in, a piece of cloth to cover his body, a loaf

and water. (Tirmidhi) FROM this Hadith of the Prophet we learn what the criterion  for determining the necessities of life.  It tells us what things we need, to live adequately. If we do not abide by this

themselves is that they have formed, on their own, a wrong standard of Islam. According to this self-styled criterion, they imagine that Islam will live if Muslims acquire political dominance, but that otherwise

message of Islam Please tell us about your family background and early religious influences. I had a moderately religious upbringing. My mother was the one who guided my siblings and me on Islamic practices

mission. When did you start looking for more answers to your challenges? I was surrounded by an Islamic environment since childhood. Later as an adult at my local mosque, I was very active. However, I

do but did not truly know who God was. I prayed to God to show me a way to get to know Him better. What was your earlier notion about religion? Religion is an essential part of life, and it should be drawn

Reason will never allow one to ignore one’s own limitations. According to Islam, what is the purpose of life? According to Islam, Paradise is the goal of every human being. And the purpose of life is to

from distractions, and high thinking enables you to discover the sublime aspects of nature and life. What must we do to develop ourselves spiritually? In my experience, the only effective formula is to save

yourself from distraction and maintain your true nature, so that your spirituality remains intact. What constitutes distraction? Giving in to temptation is distraction. So, do not allow your desires to

others. Yet, even with full government machinery being employed to eradicate ritual practices of Islam from Turkey, religion continued to flourish. All measures taken to root it out failed miserably, and

repressive measures in Turkey, he said, “I find it hard to believe what I see around me. We made as many attempts as possible to root out Islam from the hearts of the Turks and replace it with western culture

but the crop it yielded was Islam.” Islam is a religion of nature and its roots are deeply embedded in human nature. Just as nature cannot be stamped out in man, so Islam cannot be stamped out in the

RELIGIOUS HARMONYNot Religious Uniformity WHAT the world needs today—perhaps more than anything else—is an acceptable formula for the attainment of religious harmony. This being currently one of the most

shall attempt to present here, in brief, the Islamic viewpoint. Let us begin with a verse of the Quran which reads: If anyone seeks a religion other than Islam (submission to God), it will not be accepted

opinion of certain interpreters, this verse implies that salvation according to Islam is destined exclusively for Muslims. Islam thus appears to uphold the superiority of the Muslim community. But this is

This means ‘difference’ is a part of nature and it exists in every aspect of life including religion. What we need to do is simply learn the ‘art of difference management’ rather than the art of difference

negotiation, is the path prescribed by Islam. Islam is based on the principle of dawah, which is another name for peaceful negotiation. Violence is totally forbidden in Islam. There is only one exception to

organizations have no right to wage a war in the name of justice, or even in self-defense. The Prophet of Islam started his mission in AD 610. This mission was to communicate his ideology to people by talking to

ASK MAULANAYour Questions Answered Q&A on Anti-Muslim Sentiments What do you think are the reasons for the growing anti-Muslim sentiments? The answer to this question can be found by studying a verse

study this Quranic verse and objectively apply it to the present situation of Muslims, we realize that what is happening in the world today is not due to “anti-Muslim sentiment”. Rather it is a reaction to

displays of anti-Muslim sentiment by protesting against them and denouncing what they say is discrimination against them. What do you think of this approach to countering or overcoming anti-Muslim sentiments