Common Misconceptions About Islam, Muslims and The Quran

Islam, Muslims and The Quran have become a subject of major concern to the world media, religious groups and people, especially after the events of September 11th 2001 in the USA. Many articles and books have been written about a religion followed by over one billion people worldwide, some of which saw in Islam a separate civilization that will inevitably clash with the current dominant western civilization, but some were more optimistic, showing interest in a constructive debate, seeking understanding.

Qur'an Verse 4:34 - 'Beat the Wife?'

From the time the Qur'an was revealed, it has unfortunately been subject to gross misinterpretation and mistranslation by traditional sexist men, particularly in regard to the rights and roles of women in society. The most obvious example of this, which can be seen in several English translations of the Qur'an, is that of verse 4:34, where the particular word in Arabic with root Da-Ra-Ba ض ر ب has been mistranslated to apparently allow beating of the wife. As ridiculous as this sounds, this misinterpretation is in-fact the result of a biased inclination of a misogynistic attitude in some men, instead of an honest reflection of the most appropriate meaning of the word.

The "Dual" Qur'an

While the entire Muslim world reads the Qur'an day and night, and while their scholars claim to be able to explain and understand the majority of its verses, there is an anomaly that they tend to conveniently skip, where God gives very specific information about the nature of the Qur'an itself:

Is there Abrogation in the Quran?

PICKTHAL: Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able to do all things? (Qur’an 2:106) Depending on which translation of the Qur’an is being read, the most common rendering of verse 2:106, as can be seen above in the translation of Pickthal, is that the Qur’an is subject to “abrogation”, and, in some special cases, is even subject to verses being lost/forgotten altogether!

The Kingdom of Israel - Beginning to Prophesized End

After over 60 years since occupying the land of Palestine, archeologists are still at a loss to explain why no evidence has been unearthed – despite the numerous digs – to prove the existence of the Kingdom of Israel in this same land as per Jewish claims. In-fact, so critical is this issue to validate Jewish claims over the land of Palestine that digs have been excavated in and around the Temple Mount itself, placing the Dome of the Rock and other historic structures in jeopardy!

Dietary Prohibitions

In our study of the Qur’an, we find that our Lord has placed a number of restrictions and guidelines on what and what is not permissible as food. It is the objective of this article to share these finding with the reader so as to build awareness of God’s laws for those who have submitted.   

First Rule –All Food in General is Lawful

 “O people, eat from what is on the earth as good and lawful, and do not follow in the footsteps of the devil. He is to you a clear enemy.” 2:168

Whether it is snails in France or horse meat in China, the first rule that the Qur’an teaches us is that “all food,” which is beneficial, is “lawful” unless it has been restricted.

Revolutions in the Qur'an

With all the recent revolutionary events that have been filling the headlines and causing upheaval in the world - from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya to Yemen to Bahrain – we find many conflicting and even contradictory stances depending on who is being asked. If you ask the people of the Gulf States, the majority will say they support the government of Bahrain using force to quell its rebellion, but they stand against the governments of Libya, Iran and Syria from quelling their rebellions.

The Libya Conflict

With the Libyan conflict coming to its final conclusion of overthrowing the Libyan government led by Qadafi and establishing a new government picked by NATO and the Arab League, there are some serious questions that most of those cheering the conflict, especially those who assert themselves to be Muslims, seem to have overlooked.

Palestine and the One State Solution

There has been much talk over the last six decades about the Palestinian problem and how a solution needs to be found to enable the Palestinians and the Israelis to live in peace. The “buzz” for the last ten years or so has been to establish the UN mandate of a “two-state solution” whereby a Palestinian state will exist comprising mainly of Gaza and the West Bank, while the state of Israel will exist as defined by its pre-1967 borders.