Comparative Religon Project

Hi lbdavid98.  You can send me the interview through private messaging.  I will be glad to answer your questions.

Hello David. 

Age, Gender, Occupation, Education?

27 years old, male, pharmacy technician, currently studying for Master of Science in Biology.

1.      Sin & Expiation: How is the concept of sin understood in Islam? How would a Muslim seek forgiveness for sin? Are you familiar with the Catholic sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)? What are your thoughts on the practice?

Everyone is responsible for his or her own sins.  Repentance is paramount and Allah (swt) assures us that His mercy far outweighs His wrath.  One of His 99 Names is "Al-Rahim" (The Merciful).  Depending on the sin, a Muslim may be obligated to feed the poor as expiation as well.  The Quran says the following:

"Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an messenger (to give warning)." (17:15)

Muslims do not accept the validity of "Confession" as it is understood in Catholicism.  We believe that our sins are between us and Allah (swt), and there is no need for an intermediary.  Furthermore, only Allah (swt) may absolve us of our sins and forgive us. 

2.       Scripture: How is the Qur�an incorporated into worship? Please describe your understanding of the relationship between Judeo-Christian scriptures and the Qur�an? Are there any aspects of the Old or New Testament that directly conflict with Islamic beliefs? How literally should the Qur�an be taken, are there any parts where you believe it�s important to read the scripture metaphorically rather than literally.

The Quran is central to worship.  The 5 daily prayers consist of Quranic verses (ayats) and every Muslim is required to read the Quran in the original Arabic.  Moreover, the Quran can only be handled by a person who is in a state of ritual purity (ghusl).

As far as the Judeo-Christian scriptures are concerned, Muslims believe that the Jews and Christians were the recipients of God's word but that it was corrupted over time.  This necessitated the the need for a new revelation and final revelation to bring guidance to all mankind. 

While the core message may be the same, there are some major differences between the Old and New Testaments and the Quran.  For example, the Quran denies that the prophets committed major sins, whereas the Old Testament documents may sinful deeds committed by the prophets (such as David [pbuh] committing adultery).  Also, the New Testament says that Jesus (pbuh) was God.  This is completely rejected by the Quran which states that Jesus (pbuh) was merely a man and a prophet.

The Quran itself states that somethings in it are clear and concise and some have been purposefully left vague:

"He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding."  (3:7)

So, depending on the subject matter, there are somethings which have been made clear (and which should not be debated) and there are somethings which are not clear.  An example of the latter may concern matters of the unseen and matters of faith.  The former may be concerned with practical matters such as marriage, divorce etc.

3.      Prosthelytizing: How does one convert to Islam? Do you believe it is important to convert others to the faith? What efforts do you make towards that goal, if any? Do you consider yourself to be more or less active in that regard than most of your peers? What would you say are the biggest obstacles to spreading the message of your faith?

Conversion is a very easy process.  First and foremost, the person must with all his/her heart accept that there is only One God and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His messenger (lā ʾilāha ʾillallāh, Muḥammad rasūlu-llāh).  This is the Shahada (Testimony of Faith) and it is central to what makes a person a Muslim.

Muslims do believe in spreading the religion to others, as we believe it is the only path to Paradise.  This is known as "dawah" (invitation).  The process of calling people to Islam must be done with kindness and truth.  It is not permissible to deceive people in order to make them into Muslims. 

Personally, I am very active on the internet and via email in trying to spread Islam.  Alhamdullillah (Praise be to Allah), I have a friend who converted from Catholicism and is now a Muslim.  I also have a friend who is an Evangelical Christian, with whom I keep regular correspondence.  We actually have been trying to convert each other for over 7 years!    InshaAllah (Allah willing), he will eventually accept Islam and I pray for that everyday.    

One of the biggest obstacles to spreading the faith is that current events in the world have made many people develop an irrational fear of Islam.  Many websites and other media outlets have spread fear and hatred of Islam which has made many people refusing to even discuss with Muslims in a rational and civilized way.  But, we do what we can and leave the rest to Allah (swt).

I hope this helps.  If you have any further questions, I will be more than happy to answer them to the best of my abilities.