Re: Islam/Islamic/Muslim?Moslem

In article <3rWdnUMqqPoPKdXenZ2dnUVZ_tOdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>,
Susan Wachob <susan@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Can someone help me understand the difference between and the
> appropriate times to use these 4 words?
>
> Thanks-
>
> Susan

ISLAM is a noun. It is the name of the religion.
It is an Arabic word that literally means submission, in this case, the
submission of a person to the will of God. It is the only religion
desired by God and was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David,
Solomon and Jesus (peace be on them). More specifically, it is the name
given to that religion as revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him) and
practiced by him and his followers.

ISLAMIC is a adjective. It is used to indicated that something or
someone is related in some way to the religion of Islam, for example:
islamic beliefs, islamic architecture, islamic calligraphy, islamic
countries, islamic scholars, etc.

MUSLIM is the name given to a follower of islam; in Arabic, it literally
means "one who submits (to God)". The proper pronunciation is
/muss-leem/.

MOSLEM is a former spelling that was once very common among English
witers. It does not accurately reflect the Arabic spelling and is not
used by English-speaking muslims themselves or by acacemic writers
generally. The latest editions of many common English dictionaries now
give it as a variant spelling and indicate a preference for "muslim" is
all kinds of writing.

A Muslim is someone who believes in seven things:

1. In ONE GOD (called "YHWH by the Jews and "ALLAH" by Muslims and
Aracic-speaking Christians), who is the Lord of the Universe and who has
no partner in power.

2. In God's ANGELS (including Gabriel and Michael)

3. In God's revealed BOOKS (Scrolls sent to Abraham, Torah sent to
Moses, Psalms sent to David, Gospel sent to Jesus, Qur'an sent to
Muhammad). The Scrolls are now totally lost. The Torah and the Gospel
exist partially in the Bible, but are not considered to be complete or
entirely reliable. Only the Qur'an is regarded as a complete and
unaltered version of God's revelation to humanity.

4. In God's PROPHETS (messengers) who were received God's revelation and
were sent to communicate it to mankind. Among the Prophets of Islam are
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Solomon, Job, David,
Zachariah, John the Baptist, Jesus and Muhammad (God's grace and peace
be on them all).

5. In God's Day of JUDGMENT when the souls of all who have ever lived
will be judged and rewarded according to the intentions behind their
actions.

6. In the supremacy of GOD'S WILL. Nothing happens without the knowledge
and permission of God. God gives us limited free will, allowing us to
choose between alternatives, but he is Lord of the universe and even in
our choices we cannot do anything that he is not willing to allow us to
do.

7. In LIFE AFTER DEATH. The souls created by God do not perish when we
die or when this world of time and space ends. They live after the
Judgment either communion with God in Paradise (Heaven) or separated
from him in Hell. Some scholars believe that Hell is temporary
destination and that all souls sent there will eventually be purified
and then granted entrance into Paradise.


Because Arabic is not written with the Latin alphabet and has phonetic
particularities not found in English, there are several systems for
transliterating (transcribing) Arabic words into English. That is why
there is more than one English form for some words.


--
Peace to all who seek God's face.

Abdelkarim Benoit Evans

.

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