The word, ‘Islam’ is derived from the Arabic root, SLM, which means, ‘submission’ or ‘peace’. Only through submission to Allâh can one achieve true peace. Some people refer to the religion as “Muhammadanism” and its followers as “Muhammadans”. This misnomer was coined as a part of a deliberate attempt to create the wrong notion that the religion was founded by Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and that Muslims worship him in the same manner as Christians worship Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him). Islam is a unique religion with a name which signifies a moral attitude and a way of life. Muslims derive their identity from the message of Islam, rather than from the person of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him). Judaism takes its name from the tribe of Judah, Christianity from Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him), Buddhism from Goutama Buddha, and Hinduism from the Indus River. Muslims do not believe that Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him). Muslims worship only the One True God and they believe that Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) was only a mortal who was chosen by Allâh as a prophet to guide mankind. He stands as the best model in history for man in piety and perfection. His life is the greatest proof of what man can be and of what he can accomplish in the realm of excellence and virtue.
" If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to God), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in
the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good). "
Islam has existed all along from the beginning and will continue to exist till Doomsday. The true name of the religion of all men who submit to the Will of Allâh is Islam and all those who follow this faith are Muslims. Thus all the prophets of God including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Solomon, Moses and Jesus (Peace be upon them) were Muslims and the religion they believed in was Islam. Muslims believe that Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) was the last, not the only prophet of Allâh. They believe in all the prophets who came before Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him). They believe that all those prophets of God and all their faithful followers were Muslims and that their religion was Islam. Therefore, just like the followers of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him), the true followers of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all the other messengers of God (Peace be upon them all) were Muslims.
" The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah that which We have sent by inspiration to thee and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allâh. "
[The Qurân Ch: 42 Al-Shura, V: 13]
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Recently I have been discussing Islam with a Christian (Seventh-day Adventist) pastor. To protect his identity, I will call him Kris.
Our discussions started when I attended one night of a biblical prophecy seminar that he was conducting in a rented Church building. His discussion centered on the Sabbath and its importance in Christianity. He claimed that the Apostles of Christ (عليه السلام) kept the Sabbath just as the Jews before them did. After the presentation I approached him with some contradictory information. The Bible implies that the Sabbath is no longer obligatory.
One text that demonstrates this is the narration of the rich man. A rich man approaches Jesus (عليه السلام) and asks Him what must be done to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus (عليه السلام) replies that he must keep the commandments. The man asks which commandments Jesus (عليه السلام) is referring to. He lists off the commandments that are most important to keep and the Sabbath is not one of them. The rich man exclaims that he has kept all of the commandments and Jesus (عليه السلام) replies by saying that he should go and sell his possessions to give to the poor. The man is saddened and leaves. What is important from this narration is that the requirements for entering the kingdom of heaven are listed. They are to avoid murder, adultery, theft, giving false testimony, defrauding people, and dishonoring your father and mother. The last requirement is for the rich man to sell all of his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus (عليه السلام). It was this last requirement that the rich man lacked. Clearly Jesus (عليه السلام) never required an observance of the Sabbath for one to enter the kingdom of heaven. Additionally, there is evidence from the Acts of the Apostles that the Apostles of Christ (عليه السلام) themselves did not observe the Sabbath as strictly as the Kris would have us believe. Yes, there are narrations that state that such-and-such Apostles went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath, but such narration is always followed by “as was his custom”. Sabbatarian Christians like to overlook the fact that there is a discernible difference between doing something out of custom and a religious requirement to do something. Contrarily, there is a narration that speaks about the Apostles gathering and “breaking bread” (i.e. partaking of communion/Eucharist) on the first day of the week; Sunday.