A Brief History of Islam and Profit Mohammad

The word Islam is rooted from the Arabic word SaLaMa from which the words SaLaM Peace and Submission to God are derived.  Islam means to abandon yourself in peace and submit yourself to God, your creator. Islam never did, and never will coerce others in to it. In the Quran 2:256; God said: "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error..." There are many other verses in the Quran that deals with the nature of spreading God's message. One of my favorites which I keep quoting is Verse 10:99 in which the Lord says: "If it had been thy Lord's Will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!" These verses and many others show how much emphasis Islam places on the mind of people, Muslims or non-Muslims.

Arabs VS. Muslims: There is over 1.3 billion Muslims world wide; less than 300 million of them (25%) are of
Arabic. Arab is a race which can include Jews, Christians and Muslims. Islam is a religion that is not limited to one race on earth. Many people think that Arabs and Muslims are the same. As can be seen, this is not true. We are not in the context of providing an explanation for why the media is mixing Arabs with Muslims. Many non-Muslims, for example, think that Iran is an Arabic country, when it is actually not only non Arabic; but is not classified as a Middle Easterner country according to the classical definition of the Mideast. Iran is simply a Muslim country, like that of Afghanistan, Pakistan,...etc.

Muslim Countries: The following is a list of countries with Muslim population of 50% or over:

Afghanistan(100%), Albania(72%), Algeria(99%), Bahrain(100%), Bangladesh(85%), Benin(52%), Brunei(62%), Cameroon(52%), Chad(80%), Comoro Islands(80%), Djibouti(94%), Egypt(92%), Gambia(95%), Guinea (87%), Indonesia(92%), Iran(98%), Iraq(95%), Jordan(95%), Kuwait(99%), Lebanon(58%), Libya(97%), Maldives(100%), Mali(92%), Mauritania(100), Morocco(99.9%), Niger(82%), Nigeria(51%), Pakistan(97%), Quatar(100%), Saudi Arabia(100%), Senegal(92%), Somalia(99%), Sudan(70%), Syria(92%), Tanzania(50%), Togo(50%), Tunisia(99%), Turkey(98%), United Arab Emerites(92%), Yemen(92%).

A surprising fact is that a country like India with 12% of its population of Muslim faith, has number of Muslims that is almost a half of the number of Muslims in the entire Arab world.

Mohammad was the son of Abdullah the son of AbdelMuttaleb who belonged to the Noblest tribe in the Arabian Peninsula; Quraish. Mohammad was born in AD 571. After his birth, as was the custom of the Arabs, he was given to a wet nurse, a nomad named Halimah AlSa'adieh, to learn the ways early on in life. At age six, Mohammad lost his mother. His grandfather, AbdelMuttaleb took custody of him, for two years (till his death), after which his uncle, Abu Talib took care of him.

Over the years, Mohammad learned the caravan trade. Due to his rare qualities of character; he was nick named Al-Amin which means The Honest. Mohammad worked for a widow Arabian merchant woman; Khadejah who admired his integrity and honesty. Later proposed marriage to Mohammad who accepted. Mohammad married his boss He was 25 year old and she was 40 year old. It was only after the death of Khadejah that Mohammad took another wife. After the death of Khadejah in AD 619 when he was 50; he eventually remarried nine other women that included a Christian and a Jew. Only God knows the wisdom behind allowing his prophets to marry as many as 400 wives as in the case of Solomon, peace be on him. But the direct effect that marriages had was closer relationship between Muslims and other nations, religions, and tribes. 

Mohammad died in AD 632 at age 63. He was survived by one daughter Fatima. All of his other children died in infancy.

Mohammad, peace be on him, came from an Arabian tribe called Quraysh who live in the Arabian Peninsula.
Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael, the brother of Isaac; the children of Abraham, peace be on him.
Mohammad was known to mediate in solicitude in a desert cave called Hira. He would stay there for many days contemplating. He was always thinking about the bad habits that his own people had: Worshipping idols; slavery, gambling, ...etc. One night, the cave suddenly became full of light and the Angel Jibril came with the first message of Quran. To the illiterate Mohammad; Jibril said "Read." Mohammad replied: "I cannot read". Jibril pressed Mohammad close and said: "Read! in the Name of your Lord who created man from a clot of blood. Read and your Lord is very generous. He taught man how to write with the pen. He taught man what he did not know." This was the first chapter in Islam. It was an order of the Lord to read, write, and learn. When Mohammad returned to his wife Khadejah and told her of what happened, she decided to consult with her Christian old hermit cousin; Waraqa Ben Nofal. After hearing the story, Waraqa congratulated her telling her that her husband is the promised prophet of the Lord.

The Quran (Arabic means Recitation) contains 114 chapters revealed to Prophet Mohammad over a 23-year
period of time. These chapters vary in length; some with 3 or 4 verses and others with hundreds of verses. The divine revelations were manifested in divine inspiration, which Mohammad sometimes uttered in the presence of his companions. His words were passed in the oral tradition of his Arabic culture. Some 40 years after his death they were transcribed in to written form that has been preserved to date without change.

The miracle of Prophet Mohammad was the succinctness of the Quran and the its enduring literacy achievement; in an environment (Arabian Peninsula) that had a long history of tradition of literary achievement (Prose & Poetry of all types were widely cultivated). Many anti-Mohammad at that time tried unsuccessfully to mimic the Quran. Besides the explicit promise of the Lord that no one will be capable of faking, mimicking, altering, or amending the Quran; there are two (earthly) reasons that make it impossible to alter the Quran:

The linguistic structure of the Quran. Any minimal change in not only a word but also a small vowel will alter the meaning of the entire verse. This rule is even applied in writing poetry, but poets are allowed to break it to maintain the rhythm of their poems.  Now; in the 20th century, there are 12-year old children who memorize the entire Quran without making any mistakes. The mastery of the Arabic language by the companions of Mohammad could never be compared with the best of the 20th century's bests. 

Some anti-Islam propagandists tried to challenge the authenticity of the Quran. Till this day, no one was capable of coming up with a concrete evidence; other than a mere claim that the Quran was altered. The challenge to produce a valid reason (other than rumors) will remain till the dooms day.

Other anti-Muslims claim that Mohammad borrowed the Quran from Jews or a Christian hermit. The chances that the illiterate Mohammad borrowing this entire social, economic, and theological discipline from one or a group of persons do not exist. Why did not those people come up with the very same Quran and claimed the fame and wisdom themselves. It should be empathized that the fact of existing overlap between Islam and other religions in certain and specific facets is simply attributed to, and confirmation of, the fact that the Quran is the Word of God; the very same God that other people of other religions worship.

Islam has Five Pillars that all Muslims must believe in to be considered Muslims. These Pillars are:

1.Bearing Witness to The One And Only Lord. Arabic Shahadatain. Allah in Arabic implies the one and only
true Lord; the infinite; neither born nor giving birth. Mohammad is also the messenger of this Lord. Allah has 99 names in Arabic and Mohammad is referred to as Ahmad in some Quranic verses. 
2.Prayers or Salah. Muslims have to believe (and practice) prayers. There are five prayers a day. One before sunrise, one at noon, one in the after noon, one after sunset, and the last one is much past darkness. Prayer can be individual or communal except ones on Friday noon where it must be communal. Before performing the prayer, one has to be clean by Al-Wudu by washing the private areas, washing hands 3 times, rinsing mouth three, clean nostrils 3 times by sniffing in and blowing off water from one cupped hand, wash face three times, wash arms to elbows three times, wipe head and neck with wet hand, clean ears with wet thumbs and forefingers, and wash feet to ankles three times. Muslims then can pray by facing the Kaba in Mecca during praying. In communal prayer, Muslims are led by the Imam and there is no special requirement to be an Imam other than being a Muslim (of course). 
3.Religious Tax or Zakkah. One of the things that I always resented to do is to refer to the Zakkah as Tax.
There is significant difference between the Zakkah and tax in concept, purpose, amounts,...etc. But for the purpose of illustration only, I used the word tax so that non-Muslims can relate to the concept. In short,
Zakkah is the 2.5% of the Revolving Capital that Muslims must pay to provide for the poor and fulfill other
social objectives. Zakkah is different from the Sadakka which is extra, voluntary contributions that Muslims pay for the welfare of the society. 
4.Fasting During The Month of Ramadan. Fasting means to abstain from food, drink, smoke, and sex from
sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan. Only the Lord knows the absolute wisdom behind fasting but it surely teaches the person self control and remind him of needy people. Muslims who are sick or those who are traveling are exempt from fasting during their sickness or travel but must make it up when settle. If fasting cause any health problem or expected to cause any health problem, the rule that applies is: MUST NOT fast. 
5.The Pilgrimage (Hajj). The Pilgrimage to Mecca is a must once in the life time on Muslims who physically
and financially can afford it. It is nice to see over 2 million of Muslims from all colors, races, and countries;
all gather in one place; wear the same uniform; and worship the same Lord. 

Sharia is the word that describes the Islamic Laws. There are four sources of laws in Islam that put rules that
determine the relationships among people (Muslims & non-Muslims); the relationships between Muslims and
the Lord; and the relationships between Muslims and nature. These sources are:

1.The Quran. This is the principal source of law in Islam. There is no dispute amongst Muslims that the
ultimate authority in any subject matter is the explicit or implicit ruling of the Quran. 
2.The Sunna. This include the Sayings Hadith and the deeds of Prophet Mohammad. According to the Quran
59:07 "So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you."
The Sunna came as a complement of the Quran since the Mohammad was an inspiration according to the
Quran 53:4 "It is no less than inspiration sent down to him".  The Quran provides a variety of laws and proscriptions interspersed throughout its chapters and verses.  There are rules for making interpretations of the Quran. Example: The position of a given verse in the context of a chapter; that in turn in turn is interpreted in accordance with its place in the sequence of revelations, and its historical context in relation to a particular situation that prevailed at the time of the given revelation.  This is just one example of an entire Islamic science called Usool Al-Fiqh. 
3.Syllogism or Analogy. Arabic Qiyas. Since time is never static; new things and phenomena that did not exist during the Prophet's epoch emerge. For issues that there are not rulings from either the Quran or the Sunna; Syllogism is used. As an example; Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol and there is a penalty for those who violate this rule. At the time of the Prophet; cocaine was not known. Since there are commonalties between consuming alcohol and consuming cocaine; the rule of using alcohol applies to that of using cocaine. 
4.Progressive Reasoning by Syllogism or Analogy. Arabic Ijtihad. In cases where there is no ruling in either
the Quran or Sunna; and where there is no similar cases to rule by simple analogy; progressive reasoning by syllogism comes in to the picture. Example is to issue a rule concerning artificial insemination where you can get no clue from any of the above sources as to the appropriate rule. Any Muslim who is well versed in the science of Fiqh is very much qualified to issue a ruling by progressive reasoning. There is not degree or schooling requirements to qualify for issuing a rule. 

Schools of Thoughts: Sunni vs. Shiite

Over the past 1400 years, various Islamic jurisprudence have emerged, and many schools split further following different interpretive approaches and applications of the Sharia. The flourishing abundance of these schools certify the intellectual depth and breadth of the Islamic jurisprudence. It also confirms what Prophet Mohammad described Islam as a religion of "Ease and Not a Burden."

There are two major sects in Islam, the Sunni and the Shiite. The Sunni Muslims represent about 85% of the
Muslim population worldwide. The Shiite Muslims comprise the other 15%.

One major difference between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims is in the area of "Who Has The Right To Lead The Muslim Nation." The Sunni believe based on specific provisions of the Quran and Sunna that the head of the Muslim nation is to be governed by consensus; Arabic (Ijmá) through a selected head of the nation who is called the Caliph. The Shiite on the other hand believe that the leader of the Muslim nation should be called Imam rather than the Caliph and that the Imam should be of the Prophet's descendants.

There are other differences between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims. This includes the fact that Shiite Muslims
look at the sayings of Fatima; Mohammad's daughter and his cousin Ali's wife as equally authoritative as the
Sunna of the Prophet. Sunni Muslims do not. Also, Sunni Muslims do not have the organized clergy that Shiite Muslims have. The most important difference, though, is the way each jurisprudence looks at the Quran. Sunni Muslims take the clear literal interpretation of the Quran while the Shiite tend to look more in to the hidden; spiritual meanings and interpretations (Arabic; Al-Thaher wa Al-Batten).

There are many other marginal groups in Islam who are looked at as maverick inventive schools. Their thoughts are opposed and negated by both Sunni & Shiite Muslims. Their ideas clearly and flagrantly contradict the essence of the Quran. This include, but not limited to, the Ismailiah movement, ...etc.

Women In Islam

The general perception that anti-Islamic forces created in the West that Muslim women are repressed and the wear this weird thing to cover their heads, the scurf, or in Arabic, the Hijab. What is not told though is the fact that Islam, 1400 years ago, was the only religion that produced authoritative females, female judges, female poets, female scientists, and females in all disciplines of life. For some unknown reason, international feminist organizations give two much emphasis on Muslim women and their head cover and neglect women in the entire African and S. American continents; some of whom walk down the streets topless. What also they seem to care less about is the incredible, comparative, number of battered women in the Western hemisphere. Why is it strange to see a Muslim woman covering her head and not strange to see the Western women topless or even totally naked in a number of social and recreational establishment in the West, or publicly topless in certain part of the world? From my view point, it is the anti-Islamic propaganda that engendered this perception through repetitious and continuos claims of the "oppressed, dominated, and reactionary" status of Muslim women and ignoring the tragic status of other Western and Occidental women whose role hit bottom down to the level of property in terms of "owning prostitutes" and legalizing prostitution by some states!! I will leave it up to reader to come up with his/her own answer of the reason for targeting Muslim women in particular and ignoring other religions, traditions, and cultures that treated women from 3500 years till today as an object, filth, property to husband, and/or simply a mere slave. 

Fourteen Hundred years ago, Islam came and stated loud that "Whom ever had a daughter and provided her with the best of education; and socialized her with the best of behavior; she will be his hedge from hellfire on the doom day." In the 20 years I lived in my Muslim birth-town, I heard of two incidents of "honor murder"; a husband or a relative killing their female relative for adultery. This is different where I live now in the US; where love-triangle and jealousy murders are part of the common daily life.

Some of the Islamic Contribution to the World Civilization

As indicated above; the very first chapter of the Quran was about education. Like any other civilization, the
Islamic nation contributed to the almost all of the facets of the world's civilization. The following is only a sample of the contribution that Muslims provided to the human race:

Sciences: The Islamic developments that prevailed from the middle of the 8th century to the beginning of
the 12th century; were indeed the basis of knowledge in the world. Muslim scholars stepped in to preserve
the perishing ancient knowledge through translating the ancient texts and preserving them; texts that later
exercised a formative influence over the entire Western cultures. Furthermore; it is certain that modern
Western cultures would look significantly different today should Muslims did not preserve the ancient
knowledge and philosophies that were on the verge of extinction.
To validate the above; it is useful to ask of Why is it true that so many ancient Greek texts survive only in Arabic and how did the Many Muslim philosophers; who had no direct contact with the Greeks come to be the only inheritors of the ancient Greek classical traditions? The following branches of science are worth mentioning when describing such contribution:

I.The Arabic Numeric System which is 1 through 9 where developed and expanded from the India. Muslim
scholars numerated the Hindu concept of zero and made it a number. Without this Zero; neither    mathematics,  algebra, nor electronics including your computer which only understands (0s and 1s)
would have developed. 
II.Algebra is derive from the Arabic Al-Jabr developed by the Muslim scientist Ibnul Haytham (965 -1030) who lived and developed his theories in Baghdad, Iraq. Algebra is a pure Arabic word and there is no similar word, or even close to it; in any other ancient languages including Greek. Alhazen Problem was originally developed by Ibnul Haythem (ask your teacher if in doubt), and the very same scientist discussed briefly the extraterrestrial phenomena that govern the motions of the earth and stars far before Mr. Newton did. 
III.Astronomy was another area in which Muslim scientists excelled. Originated in Babylonia; astronomy advanced and flourished under Islam. Muslim scientists were the ones who made the drastic shift by
transferring the science from a mere observation theories to ones based on mathematical models and measuring instruments. The Astrolabe is the oldest astronomical instrument that is based on mathematical models in this area. 
IV.Geometry was another subjected that was very much advanced by the sons of the Caliph Ma'moon's astronomer; Musa Bin Shakir. And that is where they got there name from Bani Musa, or the Sons of Musa.
Al-Hasan was the most famous of them, and perhaps the foremost geometrician of his time, translating six books of the elements and authoring four more on his own. What is thrilling about Bani Musa is the fact that they were working on their own, spending money from their own fortune without the support of anyone. The picture on the right (or up if using small Explorer's Fonts) is of the original work of Bani Musa from the 9th century that is preserved at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England. 
V.Chemistry, Pharmacy, & Medicine Actually, the English word "Chemistry" is derived from the Arabic word Chimia'. Among those who excelled in this field and their contribution is acknowledged till today (ask your doctor next time you see him/her) were AlRazi (860 - 940) who is reported to have written over 200 books in the area of medical science. He was the first one in history to author a book about the Medical Ethics. Among the 200 books was also a 25 volume medical encyclopedia that he called Al-Hawi. Not any less famous than AlRazi was Ibn Sina known to the present medical field as [Avicenna] (980 - 1037) started his medical education at age 18. He authored 16 books in the area of medicine and a large volume medical encyclopedia that he called the Canoon, which was later translated to several languages. The most famous medical center was located in the city of Judishapoor in Iran. It was originally managed by Syrian Christians till it became part of the Muslim world in 738. Between 749 and 1258, the Abbasids built expanded the medical center in that city and built thousands of hospitals all over the Islamic world. 

Translation: As was discussed earlier, one of the contribution of the Muslim civilization was the fact that it
was the link between ancient civilizations and modern one. Through translation; Muslims preserved many
treasures of ancient philosophers that were on the verge of oblivion. For this purpose, Caliph Al-Ma'moon
built a specialized school called Baitul Hikma or [The House of Wisdom]. The school was staffed with Muslim
and non-Muslim translators who translated thousands of articles and books that included not only Euclide but Aristotle, Archimedes, Galen, and Hippocrates. The translation task evolved later to compiling, codifying, correcting, and assimilating these thoughts and ideas in an Islamic framework. As a result, and influenced from the Greeks and others, new Muslim philosophers emerged, amongst whom was the famous Al-Farabi [897 - 950] whose book Catalog of Science was part of the many European medieval universities.

Art & Music: I am not sure if any of my readers have not encountered the word "Arabesque". As the word
implies, it is one of the intricated designs that characterized the Islamic art. While influence to some extent by the shape of the church, Muslim mosques such as the Aqsa Mosque in AlQuds [Jerusalem], Al-Azhar of Egypt, Al-Haram in Mecca, and Cordoba in Spain ....etc, all have unequivocal and unparalleled interior and exterior architectural designs that makes a person amazed of the precision of the work. To the right is a picture of Taj Mahal in Agra, India [1632 - 1654]. Taj Mahal is a Tom-Mosque of Momtaz, the beloved wife of Shah Jihan. But the most expressive of the excellence of the Muslim art in the areas of architecture, interior decoration, exterior construction, painting, mosaic, calligraphy, and metalcraft are found in Alhamra Palace [1230] in Granada, Spain; Arabic Girnata. Click here to see an exterior picture of Alhamra.  Muslims did not excel that much in the area of music. This is in part due to the Islamic ideology that limits the kind and nature of music that can be played. To cope with that, they had to invent new instruments with new techniques of sounds and new rhythm. The new style was characterized with harmony of sound and a very evocative emotional expression.

Some Basics of The Social Theory of Islam

Islam has brought a whole set of proscriptive and descriptive codes that composed what sociologists now call
"Social Theory." To list few amongst many more, the following areas were regulated and laws were set to deal with them:

Alcohol: definition, use of, and penalty for dealing with Alcohol; Definition of adultery, types, and penalties;
homosexuality, types, and penalties; having sex with an animal, definition, penalties; theft, definition, types, and penalties; engagement and marriage, polygamy and its conditions; spousal rights and responsibilities; marriage and forced marriage, definition, types, and validity; dowry; sexual conduct with spouse, definitions, and prohibition of certain conduct, abortion, definition, prohibition, and exceptions; child support after divorce, wife's alimony; definition and amounts; custody of children after divorce; and many other codes that is beyond the scope of this introductory note.

polygamy: The perception of the Western world is that Muslims can have four wives. While this perception
is true, it certainly lacks the merits of a thorough understanding of the Islamic socioeconomic system. The
verse that allows Muslims to practice polygamy is right here: Quran 04:03 "If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice." As can be seen, the practice of polygamy is conditioned to a just treatment and if an unjust treatment is feared than the Muslim cannot practice polygamy. The history of polygamy is long and Islam was not the religion to "invent" it while indeed Hebrews, some 4000 years ago practiced it. Pre-Islam Arabs maintained the tradition of Polygamy. Also, the
pre-preemptive among the "Slavs" and in societies in what is now know as Russia, Lithuania, Astonia, Bolonia, Yugoslavia, and Zchechoslovakia. While the Bible in its present shape lacks a verse prohibiting
polygamy, it should be noted that the origin of prohibition was coming from the Romans that adopted
Christianity and did not practice polygamy, thus, influencing the Christian traditions (and not religion) of
prohibiting polygamy. While polygamy is against the constitution of the US and many other Western
countries, polygamy and polyandry, & group sex "polyandry is women marrying more than man" is a common practice in the daily life of these people. And what a difference!!!!
Polygamy came to fulfill a social need at the time of Islam's coming; that is to regulate unlimited number of
marriages. In other religions such as Judaism, polygamy was practice too. Solomon, peace be on him, had
400 wives. The importance of polygamy might have be witnessed after WWII where millions of men died disturbing the ratio of men to women. This has led to serious social consequences as a result of disorganized sex and the wide spread of prostitution. Syphilis is the disease that originated from that historical epoch. The Western world, nowadays, is going through a severe moral and social deterioration as a result of the sexual revolution. Over 60% of married men and 52% of married females had extramarital affairs and committed adultery. As a result, the spread of all kinds of STD is a social challenge. The number of broken families as a result is outrageous. In the United States, the national average divorce rate is over 65% and
reaches over the 90% in some communities.  To sum it up; Islam limited and conditioned polygamy in order to set rules for acceptable organized sex of people. The alternative is disorganized, risky sexual behavior with all kinds of health and social problems

Social Security: Thirteen hundred years before anyone ever thought about a Social Security System Islam came with the exact and more comprehensive components of the contemporary Social Security Systems. The
Islamic government guaranteed a descent living to ALL needy (Muslims and non-Muslims)> Retirement
Benefits, Survivorship Benefit, Disability Benefit, besides free education, health system, ...etc. were just
among the few things that the Muslims Fund; Arabic Baitul Mal was doing. The Fund's money is the
contribution of the tax-similar Zakka that Muslim had to pay, and the tribute Jizzia that non-Muslims had
to pay to support the social and community projects.

The Principle of Equality: A great deal of emphasis is place by Islam on the principle of Equality in dealing with each others and with non Muslims. However, Islam is criticized for an unequal treatment of women and
non-Muslims. The fact that Islam allows men to inherit twice as much as women may appear to be discriminatory from Western standards against women. The other fact of reserving the right of custody and one-way alimony to women should also be looked at as a discriminatory against men by the same Western standard. Islam believes that women can better take care of kids in case of divorce, and, thus, were given the
unconditional custody right. Islam also believes that men are the main bread winner, and, thus gave them
twice as much as women inherit. From this one simple example, it appears that looking at Islam through a
Western binocular is misleading, and the best way to evaluate a specific issue is to look at it from within
the total framework of the socioeconomic ideology of Islam.

In dealing with non-Muslims, Islam applied the very same laws, with minimal exception, that are consistent with the principle of equality. A major criticism though is the fact that non-Muslims are not allowed to participate in selecting the head of the state. This is true as non-Muslims lack the qualifications that constitute the inner motive of selecting the qualified head of the state. You do not expect the Vatican to allow Muslims in selecting the Pope; or do you? In the US, it is a condition that you must be born in the US to run for the presidency. So while your parents could be pure Americans, but unfortunately, your mother gave birth to you while on vacation to Mexico; you cannot even be considered as a candidate for the presidency. The bottom line behind this is that equality cannot be evaluated outside its socioeconomic framework. The same rule applies to Islam.

Individual Responsibility & Accountability: This is another important principle in the Islamic ideology. The
individual responsibility is that of a continuous quest for justice. Islam seeks to inoculate within every Muslim the necessity to search for justice and apply it to self as well as others. Muslims, though, believe in fate, the divine will of God or Qaddr. Although Muslims believe in fate and that every thing is predetermined, a distinct classification of actions is set which determines the degree of accountability of Muslims to their actions. This divine will does not negate the freedom of choice, and, thus, the accountability of the individual to his or her action. The subject is one of my major interest and InShaAllah I will make sure to cover it in more details in the near future. While I know exactly the border lines between the free will and fate and relate that to the principle of accountability, all brothers and sisters are welcome to send in their comments or contribution concerning the subject.

Forgiveness: One of my favorite verses from the Quran that I have as a default signature file in my email is
the following: Quran 7:199 "Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant."
As discussed earlier, Muslims are supposed to uphold the utmost levels of responsibility and accountability. This sounds very rigid and Islam is firm indeed. But one of the basic premises of the relationship among Muslims, between Muslims and non-Muslims is derived from a major and basic premises of relationship between a Muslim and the Lord; that is forbearance and forgiveness. The Hajj for example will erase all the sins and bad deed that a man committed; except his obligations (especially financial) to others. Every chapter of the Quran starts with In the Name of God the Most Merciful; the Most Compassionate. The Lord says to his people: Quran 39:53 "Say: O' my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Some Basics of The Economic Theory of Islam

Islam did not come up with a separate and distinct economic principles. These principles are commingled with
other social and theological principle; working altogether in a consistent and harmonious way; supplementing
and complementing each others. In other words, the Islamic ideology is a holistic one and one concept, social,
political, economic, or theological should not be discussed in isolation of the entire socioeconomic ideology of
Islam. However, Islam provided the core of principles that constitute a distinguished economic system. The
basic principles of Freedom of Choice, Private & Personal Ownership, and Government Role in the Economy are very much covered and in details in Islam.

In the area of Freedom of Choice, Islam made it clear that individual has the absolute freedom of choice as long as this freedom does not impinge on the society's freedom or violate what is prohibited under other Islamic codes (i.e. You cannot choose to be involved in a liquor establishment because alcohol is prohibited in Islam).  Individuals also can own any private and personal properties (means of production) regardless of its size or type with the exception of only three items:

1.Natural Resources 
2.Water Supplies 
3.Energy Sources 


Islam has come up with laws pertaining establishing and regulating corporations, business law, business contracts, mortgages, rent, wages, loans, employment, competition, promissory notes, power of attorney, trusts, warranty, lease, financial lease!!, joint ventures, Muslims' Fund or Baitul Mal, sale contracts, deeds, gifts, inheritance laws, wills, custody, charities, and many others that are beyond the scope of this illustration. Among the basic economic concepts that Islam stressed are the following:

Interest vs. Profit Interest in Islam is considered to be usury, Riba, and is thus prohibited in Islam. Actually,
any (loan) contract with a guaranteed or fixed return is considered to be usury and is, thus prohibited. So, investing your money in a CD or saving account is not allowed while investing the same money in the stocks of IBM is very much acceptable because the stock of IBM provides dividends which is not guaranteed as opposed to the interest from the bank which is guaranteed. This is indeed a problem in the modern Islamic countries due to the lack of an Islamic government. Because of the influence of the West in the Muslim world, most countries adopted either the British or French Civil codes and only applied Islam on certain area. The economic and business area were excluded. So; we have all kinds of banks that allow people to save money at a predetermined; guaranteed interest rate. 
The carelessness of the political regimes in these countries and their ignominious succumb to the West led many Muslim organizations in the area of banking and housing to take the initiative and do business the Islamic way. Islamic- style joint ventures in the area of housing projects and Mutual indebtedness or Mokaradda brought a solution to the banking sector. The investor invests his or her money with neither fixed, nor predetermined rate of return.  Work. Work is probably the most important aspect of the economic system of Islam. The Lord said in Quran 9:105 [And say: "Work (righteousness): soon will Allah observe your work, and His Messenger, and the Believers: soon will ye be brought back to the Knower of what is hidden and what is open: then will He show you the truth of all that ye did."] Prophet Mohammad said: "Work in life as you are going to live forever..." Islam considered work as a form of piety and Jihad Indeed, in may Arabic speaking countries, the words WORK & JIHAD are used interchangeably!!  Monopoly & Contracts. 
There are overwhelming literature in Islam about monopoly. Monopoly is prohibited without any question. Fixing wages, prices, gentlemen agreements, monopolistic competitive forms, are all illegal in Islam. Contractual freedom is required and implies the ability to make free choices without undue influence or impinging on the society. There are many types of contracts in Islam. In Individual Contracts, Implied Contracts, and Contracts of Adhesion; the contacting parties are to be regulated in such a way as to affirm fairness, produce equity, promote social interest, and most importantly protect the weak and the unwary. 

These rules of what is called now equitable principles were created 1400 years ago to insure against undue
influence and lack of justice and fairness; which affect questions of party's competence, contract's validity,
rescission of contractual obligations, and damages incurred as a result of invalid contracts.
Financial Obligations. The concept of fulfilling the financial obligation is one of the most important aspect of
the Islamic economic theory. The Prophet's Hadith "Pay the laborer his wage before his sweat dries up" is
one of the most famous and fundamental concept in Islam. In all of his dealings, the Muslim is required to
pay all of his debts as well as due compensation to all who worked for him or her. If a Muslim dies before
he or she takes care of the debt; his/her heirs must take care of the debt. There simply is No Way to get rid of the financial obligation by declaring Bankruptcy in Islam. Unless the lender willfully forfeits his or her rights, the bankrupt person has to repay once able to.

Ownership: As indicated earlier, private ownership of Halal property of any kind is allowed. What is more
important in Islam as opposed to other systems is the attached social and ethical responsibilities that come
with the ownership. Islam dictates that ownership per se is a personal privilege of the Muslim. The owner
is responsible of the property and its use. The concept of economic ethics and social responsibility of the
production means were discussed and evaluated 1400 years before the Democratic world ever thought about them.

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Source: HIPRS,  an abbreviation for the Hebron Institute for Political and Religious Studies