moorthy@hctdemo.leis.bellcore.com (Velu Sembugamoorthy) (05/17/91)
Is there anything in Islam similar to salvation (Christian), liberation ( as in Hindu, Buddhic religions) of human beings? Liberation means becoming one with God (Allah). I believe salvation means going to heaven after the judgement by God. According to Islam, what happens to a person after she/he dies? Is there any notion similar to "experiencing God"? Are there saints in Islam? Does Islam teach reincarnation i.e., being born again and again in this world? Does Islam believe in other worlds? Does Islam talk about miracles? I would appreciate if you could let me know. I do not know Arabic. So please use English words. I do not know much about Islam, though I read this news board regularly and I have an English translation of Kuron. I am sorry if I have asked a wrong question or spelt any of the Islamic terms incorrectly. /moorthy
rayes@mcs.kent.edu (Mohamed Omar Rayes) (05/22/91)
In article <1991May17.140245.3938@wpi.WPI.EDU> you write: |> |> Is there anything in Islam similar to salvation (Christian), liberation |> ( as in Hindu, Buddhic religions) of human beings? Liberation means |> becoming one with God (Allah). I believe salvation means going to heaven |> after the judgement by God. According to Islam, what happens to a person after |> she/he dies? Is there any notion similar to "experiencing God"? Are there |> saints in Islam? Does Islam teach reincarnation i.e., being born again and |> again in this world? Does Islam believe in other worlds? Does Islam talk |> about miracles? |> |> I would appreciate if you could let me know. I do not know Arabic. So |> please use English words. I do not know much about Islam, though I read |> this news board regularly and I have an English translation of Kuron. |> I am sorry if I have asked a wrong question or spelt any of the Islamic terms |> incorrectly. |> |> /moorthy There is no such thing as salvation (in the Christian sense) or liberation in Islam. In Islam it is one's deeds that determine his destiny after death. Allah multiplies the good deeds many many folds. However a sinful person should not despair from the mercy of Allah. Allah may if he chooses forgive any one who would otherwise going to hell fire. Allah forgives all sins but to associate some one else with him as deity. There are no saints in Islam. Once a person is dead he is dead. We believe that there are two worlds; the one that we live in and (once we die) the hereafter. A good book that I suggest is " Towards understanding Islam" by Moududi. It is an excellent introductry text. ---- Mohamed
mmdh@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Mamdouh Maher) (05/22/91)
In article <1991May17.140245.3938@wpi.WPI.EDU> moorthy@hctdemo.leis.bellcore.com (Velu Sembugamoorthy) writes: > >Is there anything in Islam similar to salvation (Christian), liberation >( as in Hindu, Buddhic religions) of human beings? Liberation means >becoming one with God (Allah). I believe salvation means going to heaven >after the judgement by God. According to Islam, what happens to a person after >she/he dies? Is there any notion similar to "experiencing God"? Are there >saints in Islam? Does Islam teach reincarnation i.e., being born again and >again in this world? Does Islam believe in other worlds? Does Islam talk >about miracles? > >I would appreciate if you could let me know. I do not know Arabic. So >please use English words. I do not know much about Islam, though I read >this news board regularly and I have an English translation of Kuron. >I am sorry if I have asked a wrong question or spelt any of the Islamic terms >incorrectly. > >/moorthy A- The Muslim lives to worship Allah (God) who created him. The dignity of a human comes from submission to Allah. The creator is Just and Merciful. He is neither a tyrant nor a weakling. The Creator does not need our worship, he prescribes worship and obedience on us for our sakes. The mercy of Allah falls upon a person who choses to become a servant to the Creator by his obedience. Such a person is greatly and eternally rewarded, for Allah is Beneficient and Generous. B- A Muslim is a creature of God. No one experiences God nor does anyone become God. There is no reincarnation, we only have to suffer through one life :-) before Allah rewards us as his Grace sees fit. C- Allah says that he creates that which we do not know. He calls himself, the Lord of the world_s_ this indicates that there are many worlds, but it is not clear to me whether that means 'entirely unrelated similar worlds' or not. D- Which translation of the meaning of the Qur'an do you have? I am asking because some of the translations (eg: one of the Penguin translations) are written by people (non-Muslims) who have more interest in destroying Islam than in describing it. I recommend Yusuf 'Ali's, but there are other good ones. There probably is some non-Muslim who made an honest job, but I strongly recommend that you find a translation written by a Muslim (if yours is not). May Allah lead us all to the straight path. Mamdouh Maher
bakken@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Bakken) (05/24/91)
In article <1991May21.180820.24973@wpi.WPI.EDU> rayes@mcs.kent.edu (Mohamed Omar Rayes) writes: >There are no saints in Islam. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this. It may be true in theory (i.e., by the Qur'an and hadith), but in practice is it not sometimes otherwise? When I was in Morocco there were many tombs of Muslims saints (usually white buildings). Their descendants would hang out there, and people would go to the tombs to get a blessing or a cure (they were supposed to pay the descendants a bit to get this). I was told that this was pretty widespread, and not just in Morocco. But I certainly can't make any blanket statements about the practice, and wonder how this varies among the Muslim world. -- Dave Bakken Internet: bakken@cs.arizona.edu Dept. of Comp. Sci.; U.of Ariz. UUCP: uunet!arizona!bakken Tucson, AZ 85721; USA Bitnet: bakken%cs.arizona.edu@Arizrvax AT&T: +1 602 621 4089 FAX: +1 602 621 4246