Islam: 6 Misconceptions Debunked
I’ve read many articles and books that have been written about the religion Islam. And over time I have found a collection of misconceptions and myths about Muslims, Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him).
We’re going to be looking at the most common misconceptions about the Religion of Islam.
Muslims Worship a Moon God
Some Non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Allah is an Arab God, or a Moon God, or some type of idol. However, Allah is, in the Arabic language, a proper name for God. And Arabic-speaking Christians also use the name Allah for God.
Now, one of the main factors of this belief is because one of the first uses of the crescent moon came from the 2nd century BC, where it represented ancient Mesopotamian Moon God, Nana [1], and today, the crescent moon is associated with Islam.
So, many Non-Muslims say, “Well look, you worship the moon God. And there is even a moon in the symbol of your religion”. But that’s not true at all. Muslims believe that Allah is the only God who created the universe and all things in it including the moon.
“And it is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon” Quran, 21:33
All Muslims Are Arabs
Islam is often associated with Arab people, but did you know that Arabs make up only 20% of all Muslims [2]. The country with the largest Muslim population is actually Indonesia. And larger numbers are found in Asia, Africa, Europe as well as other parts of the world.
“About 62% of the world’s Muslims live in Asia, with Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh having the largest Muslim populations in the world.” [3]
Muslims are encouraged to learn Arabic because they believe that the only language that you can really get the full extent of the Quran is in Arabic.
There is no racism in Islam. All people are created equal.
“All humans are descended from Adam and Eve,” said Muhammad in his last known public speech. “There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a non-Arab over an Arab, and no superiority of a white person over a black person or of a black person over a white person, except on the basis of personal piety and righteousness.” [4]
Jesus is irrelevant in Islam
That’s actually not true. Jesus is revered as a prophet and the Messiah in Islam. The Islamic faith believes that Jesus will return as a Messiah, and defeat the Antichrist. This view is also very similar to the Christian view. The only difference is that Muslims don’t view Jesus as the son of God, he’s just seen as a prophet.
“0 people of the Book, be not excessive in your Faith and do not say about Allah anything but the truth. The Masih ‘Is-a, the son of Maryam, is only a Messenger of Allah and His word He delivered to Maryam, and a spirit from Him. So, believe in Allah and His Messengers. And do not say “Three”. Stop it. That is good for you. Allah is the only One God. He is far too pure to have a son. To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is enough to trust in.” Quran, 4:171
Muhammad is the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him
Muslims believe that Muhammad was God’s final prophet and communicated God’s final revelation to humanity. Muslims consider Adam, the first man created, to actually be the first Muslim, because he was of course, surrendered to the will of God, and that’s what the term Muslim means -one who surrenders to the will of God-.
Muhammad is held in great esteem, but he’s not to be worshipped because worship is only meant to be directed towards God. And it’s completely forbidden to worship anyone or anything else.
“And Muhammad is but a messenger, there have been messengers before him” Quran, 3:144
Islamic Prayer Is Just a Formality
Most people know now that Muslims are to pray five times a day. In Islam, there are several benefits to prayer.
The daily prayers help keep Muslim’s minds on God. When Muslim pray five times a day, they feel the presence of God all day long, and they develop the sense that God is watching them at all times.
“So worship Me ˹alone˺, and establish prayer for My remembrance” Quran, 20:14
Prayer helps Muslims to remember the Quran. because they recite passages of the Quran. As well as it’s a time to go before God to express thanks, to ask him for forgiveness, to look for guidance in life.
“If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?” They said, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds.” Sahih al-Bukhari 528, Book 9, Hadith 7
The teaching of Discipline in Prayer will be acquired in other aspects of one’s religious and mundane life as well.
“keep up the prayer. Surely prayer forbids obscenity and malfeasance” Quran, 29:45
Prayer teaches Muslims control and discipline.
“Establish regular prayers. Indeed, performing prayers is a duty on the believers at the appointed times.” Quran, 4:103
Hence, there is a whole lot of meaning for Muslims when it comes to prayer.
The Crescent Moon Is the Symbol of Islam
The early Muslim community did not really have any sort of symbols or anything. The crescent moon, as well as the star symbol, they actually predate Islam by several thousands of years.
As a matter of fact, they weren’t affiliated with Islam at all until the Ottoman Empire placed it on their flag. And over time, the symbol became more associated with Islam. However, it’s not actually their official symbol. That jus doesn’t exist.
“Legend holds that the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman, had a dream in which the crescent moon stretched from one end of the earth to the other. Taking this as a good omen, he chose to keep the crescent and make it the symbol of his dynasty.” [5]
References
- The Quran (The holy book of Islam)
- The Hadith (The sayings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH)
1- Sin | Mesopotamian god | Britannica
2- Islam by country — Wikipedia
4- Islam’s anti-racist message from the 7th century still resonates today
5- A History of the Crescent Moon in Islam — Learn Religions
