=============================== 18 ISLAM February. 1995 JAIN BBS and E-MAIL BULLETIN --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Computer-Based Jain Education and Information Service Federation of JAINA and Jain Study Center of North Carolina (Raleigh) 401 Farmstead Dr. Cary, NC 27511-5631 General Editor : Pravin Shah 919-469-0956 Jain E-mail Bulletins and Jain Database on Internet : Mahesh Varia at varia@sunsite.unc.edu Jainism questions, email to : Pravin Shah at enhb34a@prodigy.com Jain BBS direct modem connection : 919-469-0207 (free membership/access) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- hdr:rev:2/95 Compiled by: Pravin K. Shah Jain Study Center of NC ISLAM Founded: About 1,400 years ago in Arabia. Founder: Prophet Mohammad (early 7th century). Many Muslims believe that Prophet Mohammad is not the "founder" of Islam but he received the divine revelations recorded in the Koran during his life (570-632 A.D.). They regard that their religion is the restoration of the original religion of Abraham (Judaism) through Prophet Mohammad in the 7th century. They would also stress that Islam is a timeless religion, not just because of the eternal truth that it proclaims but also because it is every person's religion, the natural religion in which every person is born. Major Scriptures: The Koran is the God's Speech. It is the sacred book of Islam explained as the religion of Abraham. In the Koran, Abraham is the patriarch who turned away from idolatry, who came to his Lord with an undivided heart, who responded to God in total obedience when challenged to sacrifice his son, and who served God uncompromisingly. Sects: There are two main divisions within Islam. The Sunnis are followers of the political successors of Mohammad. The Shites are followers of Mohammad's family successors all martyred at an early age. Adherents: About 950 million mostly in Middle East, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, China, Indonesia, and Central Asia. Goals: The primary goal of Islam is to enjoy eternal life, both physical and spiritual in heaven with Allah (God). Heaven is a paradise in which all the joys and pleasures abound, in which one lives amid beautiful gardens and fountains, enjoying the choicest foods served by sweet maidens. Man is the noblest creation of God, ranking above the angels. Path of Attainment: Total submission to Allah is the single path to salvation, and even that is no guarantee, for Allah may desire even a faithful soul to experience misery. The good Moslem surrenders all pride, sins, and follows explicitly the will of Allah as revealed in the Koran by His last and greatest prophet, Mohammad. This and this alone brings a full and meaningful life and avoids the terrors of the hell which befalls sinners and infidels. Moslems believe in the five doctrines and observe the five pillars. The virtues of truthfulness, temperance and humility before God are foremost for Islam, and the practices of fasting, pilgrimage, prayer and charity to the Moslem community are most necessary to please Allah. Synopses: Islam means submission, surrender to the Will of God, called Allah. Those who submit are called Moslems. The Koran records that Mohammad was the Seal of the Prophets, the last of a line of God's messengers that began with Adam (first man created by God) and included Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Jesus. Mohammad left for the future guidance of the community the word of God revealed to him and recorded in the Koran, and the Sunna, the collective name for his opinions and decisions as recorded in the tradition literature (Hadith). Islam recognizes God's sending of messengers to all peoples and his granting of "Scripture and Prophethood" to Abraham and his descendants which results in the awareness of a very special link between Muslims, Jews, and Christians as all Abraham's children. The Koran mentions, among others, Abraham and his sons, Solomon and the queen of Sheba, and the disciples of Jesus. Also the Muslims recognize earlier Scriptures, namely, the Taurat (Torah) given to Moses, the Zabur (Psalms) of David, and the Injil (Gospel) of Jesus. Islamic doctrines are commonly discussed and taught widely under six headings: * God: the sole creator, the One and Only * Angels: servants of God, play important role in daily life of Muslims. * Scriptures: God's speech * Messengers: God's message revealed through His Messengers * The Last Day: every soul will stand alone and will have to account for its deeds * Predestination: the divine initiative is all-decisive in bringing humans to faith ("had God not guided us, we had surely never been guided," 7:43), When applied to Islam, the word religion has a far more comprehensive meaning than it commonly has in the West. Islam encompasses personal faith and piety, the creed and worship of the community of believers, a way of life, a code of ethics, a culture, a system of laws, an understanding of the function of the state, in short, guidelines and rules for life in all its aspects and dimensions. Islam teaches absolute monotheism and Mohammad's primacy as the last Prophet. Stress is on the brotherhood of believers, non-difference of religious and secular life, obedience to God's Law, abstinence from alcohol, good conduct, and the limitation of all except Allah. Today Islam is the world's fastest growing religion. Islam is based upon five pillars or principle acts of faith to which every Moslem in the world adheres. These are: * Faith in Allah (Shahada): there is no God but God (Allah) * Mohammad is God's Prophet or Messenger * Ritual Prayer (Salat): perform five times a day facing Mecca the holy city of Saudi Arabia. * Alms Giving (Zakat): support the mosque and the poor * Fasting (Sawm): throughout Ramadan, the ninth month of the Moslem calendar, the faithful fast (abstaining from food and drink) from sunrise to sunset. Pilgrimage (Hajj): At least once in a lifetime every believer must go to Mecca, the holy city. They go dressed in simple, seamless white garments. This is the binding force of the people who have embraced Islam. According to Muslims, the Sharia (the way, denoting the sacred law governing the life of individuals as well as the structures of society) is derived from four sources * the Koran, the holy scripture * the Sunna (customs) of the Prophet, which are embodied in the Hadith (tradition) * Qiyas (analogy) the application of a decision of the past, or the principles on which it was based, to new questions * Ijma (consensus) the consensus of the community of believers, who, according to a saying of the Prophet, would not agree on any error After the death of Mohammad, a series of successors (Khalifa, or Calipha, or IMAM) were chosen to rule in his place. The Moslims celebrate two main festivals. Id-al-Fitr, the festival of the breaking of the fast on the last day of Ramadan. Id-al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice (in memory of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son). This is observed on the 10th day of the month of pilgrimage. The interpretations of Jihad (striving in the way of God), sometimes added as an additional duty, vary from sacred war to striving to fulfill the ethical norms and principles expounded in the Koran. Beliefs: Allah is the Supreme Creator and Sustainer, all-knowing and transcendent and yet the arbiter of good and evil, the final judge of humans. The five Pillars of Faith: * faith in the only God Allah and His Prophet Mohammad * praying five times daily * charity through alms giving * fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islam calendar * pilgrimage to the Holy city Mecca The Koran is the Word of God and the sacred scripture mediated through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Mohammad. The direct communion of each man with God, that all are equal in the eyes of God and therefore priests or other mediators are not needed. The pure transcendence of God, great beyond imagining, no form or idol can be worshipped in His Name. The soul of a man is immortal, embodied once on earth then entering Heaven or Hell upon death according to its conduct and faith on earth. In the Last Judgement and that man should stand in humble awe and fear of God's wrathful and vengeful power. That truthfulness should be observed in all circumstances, even though it may bring injury or pain. That salvation is only obtained through God's Grace and not through man's efforts yet he should do all good and avoid all sins, especially drunkenness, usury, and gambling. ========================================================================= The following Articles were send to our E-mail readers. If you are a new member and would like to receive any of the articles, please send E-mail to Dr. Mahesh Varia No Date E-Mail Article 01 03/22/94 Mahavir Jayanti and Jain Prayer 02 04/06/94 Concept of God in Jainism 03 04/26/94 Acharya Sushil Muni's Life and Mission 04 04/26/94 Excerpts from Acharya Sushil Muni's speeches 05 05/16/94 Jainism (Comparative Religion) 06 05/31/94 Buddhism (Comparative Religion) 07 06/13/94 Virchand R. Gandhi (Life and Mission) 08 07/11/94 Christianity (Comparative Religion) 09 08/02/94 Taoism (Comparative Religion) 10 08/24/94 Hinduism (Comparative Religion) 11 09/27/94 Confucianism (Comparative Religion) 12 10/23/94 Five Great Vows of Jainism 13 11/10/94 Jain Path of Liberation 14 12/01/94 Jain Agam Literature - Part I 15 12/14/94 Jain Agam Literature - Part II 16 01/12/95 Jain Agam Literature - Part III 17 01/28/95 Judaism (Comparative Religion) 18 02/18/95 Islam (Comparative Religion) BULLETIN END. ==================================================================== Jain Database is located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HIll and is expanding its database on information related to Jainism. The database has free access via Internet using telnet, gopher, swais, and lynx(WWW) connections. If you would like to contribute information on Jainism or wish to receive more details about the Jain Database, please send email request to varia@sunsite.unc edu =================================================================== ftr:rev:2/95