basic knowledge of islam for beginners

1. �Jesus loves you!� �Cool, I love him too.�

While the beliefs surrounding his crucifixion vary among sects of Islam, Muslims love Jesus (peace be upon him), and regard him as a prophet sent by God to lead the people of that time and region (a metaphorical son of God, but not literal). You might have heard of Muhammad, our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), but you probably never thought that we also believed in Jesus, too.

Often, we grow up learning stories about him and appreciating his relevant, wonderful ministries of love, kindness, and tolerance. Loaves and fishes, walking on water�

In Arabic- and thus, in the Qur�an- he�s known as Isa. He�s mentioned 187 times: more times
than Muhammad, in fact. When an intolerant neighbor shakes a Bible at me and my Muslim-ness,
shouting that Jesus loves me (and thus I should convert), I can just nod my head and smile.
I�m sure Jesus loves me, and I love him too. We�re in this together, sister!

2. We believe in Mary, too.

Hadhrat Maryam (peace be upon her), or your Mary, is regarded as a woman of God in Islam.
We believe in the Immaculate Conception and also consider her piety, devotion to God, and
birth to Jesus (peace be upon him) to attest to her beauty and value in our faith. She�s
the only woman mentioned in the Qur�an (a staggering seventy times, more than the whole New Testament!),
and our Book even names her as the greatest of all women, �chosen above all the women of creation.�

The Quran tells us that the angel Gabriel told Mary, when she was a young woman,
that God had chosen her and that a child would be miraculously conceived by her.
This child, Isa/Jesus, was the Promised Messiah and would lead the people of the
time from darkness unto light. So all those Muslim girls and women named Marium,
Mariam, or Maryam? Same as a Mary!

3.Hijab is a choice.

Hi, White Mom from Facebook. You think women should be able to wear whatever they want? Well,
guess what- just like it�s wrong to slut-shame, it�s also wrong to criticize women for
covering up. So your clever posts about how Islam �forces� women to wear veils or
head-coverings aren�t so clever after all. While in some countries, headscarves are mandatory,
this doesn�t mean Islamic law or practice forces any women to go beyond her comfort zone.

This is especially relevant today, when we see Muslim hate crimes centered around
a woman�s right to wear a hijab, like here and here and here. There�s a lot of myths
and confusion surrounding the issue. Here�re the facts, cut and dry: like any other article
of clothing, wearing the hijab is a choice. It�s required in most branches of Islam,
but not obligatory in any. So essentially, we�re usually advised to wear it when we feel
comfortable- but to each her own.


4.Hijab doesn�t encompass every type of head covering.

If you are an ally to Muslim women, it is really, really helpful to know what
they might be wearing. A Muslim woman with a veil on her head isn�t necessarily
just wearing a hijab. Neither is every black coat a burqa. Those are the two
labels around the world, but the plain and simple truth is that there is no required
form of covering your head and/or body.10 things to know about Islam
A lot of it is cultural: women from different parts of the world cover up in different
ways. For example, Muslim women in India might be wearing a dupatta loosely draped
over their head and shoulders (like my mother does). While in a country like Saudi Arabia,
you might see more niqabs.


5. Muslim women were the first to have certain rights.

Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) married
a woman much older than him who owned and operated a thriving trade business and was
known during the era for her wealth and success. Over 1,400 years ago, Islam granted
women economic rights like the freedom to own their own property, to seek divorce, to inherit,
to remarry, and carry out economic deals independently.

Pre-Islamic Arabia had been rampant with overt sexism, including the live burials of baby girls.
With the advent of Islamic law, the education of girls became a sacred duty and women�s
consent was necessary for a legitimate marriage contract.

Our Holy Book is often misquoted to offer proof that the faith somehow condones sexism.
That�s far from the truth. In fact, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, ��It is the duty
of every Muslim man and woman to seek knowledge.� Surah Al-Alaq further stresses the
importance of education, and the Qur�an also promotes working: ��And their Lord responded
to them, �Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female;
you are of one another�.� [Quran 3:195]