ISLAM—World’s Greatest Religion!

NON-MUSLIMS  NOT ALLOWED  IN  MAKKAH

Why are non-Muslims not allowed in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah?

It is true that non-Muslims are not allowed in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah,  by  law.  The  following  points  will  serve  to  elucidate  the  possible reasoning behind such a restriction.

1.   All citizens are not permitted in the cantonment area I am a citizen of India. Yet, I am not permitted to enter certain restricted areas like the cantonment. In every country there are certain areas where a common citizen of that country cannot enter. Only a citizen who is enrolled in the military or those who are connected with the defence of the country are allowed in the cantonment area. Similarly Islam is a Universal Religion for the entire world and for all human beings. The cantonment areas of Islam are the two holy cites of Makkah and Madinah. Here only those who believe in Islam and are involved in the defence of Islam i.e. the Muslims are allowed. It would be illogical for a common citizen to object against the restriction on entering a cantonment area. Similarly it is not appropriate for non-Muslims to object against the restriction on non-Muslims against entering Makkah and Madinah.

2.   Visa to enter Makkah and Madinah

a.    Whenever a person travels to a foreign country he has to first apply for a visa i.e. the permission to enter that country. Every country has its own rules, regulations and requirements for issuing a visa. Unless their critera are satisfied they will not issue a visa.

b.    One of the countries which is very strict in issuing a visa is the United States of America, especially when issuing visas to citizens of the third world. They have several conditions and requirements to be fulfilled before they issue a visa.

c.    When I visited Singapore, it was mentioned on their immigration form -death to drug traffickers. If I want to visit Singapore I have to abide by the rules. I cannot say that death penalty is a barbaric punishment. Only if I agree with their requirements and conditions will I be permitted to enter the country.

d.    The Visa – The primary condition required for any human being to enter Makkah or Madina is to say with his lips, La ila ha illallah Muhammed ur Rasulullah meaning that ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammed (pbuh) is His Messenger.’

ALL  RELIGIONS  TEACH  PEOPLE  TO  BE RIGHTEOUS,  THEN  WHY  FOLLOW  ONLY ISLAM

All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam .  Can he not follow any of the religions!

1. Major difference between Islam and most other religions. All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam goes  beyond  that.  It  guides  us  towards  practical  ways  of  achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society.  Islam is guidance from the Creator Himself. Therefore, Islam is also called the Deen-ul-Fitrah (the natural religion of Man).

2.  Example  - Islam  commands  us  to  shun  robbery  and  also prescribes method of eli-minating robbery

a.   Islam prescribes method of eliminating robbery. All major religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So what is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.

b.   Islam prescribes Zakat Islam prescribes a system of Zakat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisab level i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year  in  charity.  If  every  rich  person  in  the  world  gave  Zakat  sincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die of hunger.

c.   Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery Islam  prescribes  chopping  off  the  hands  of  the  convicted  robber. The Glorious Qur’an says in Surah Maidah:

“As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands:a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom.”

[ Al-Qur'an 5:38].

The non-Muslim may say, “Chopping off the hands in this 20th century. Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!”

d.   Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented. America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately  it  also  has  one  of  the  highest  rates  of  crime,  theft,  and robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakat ( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year),   and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber. I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before jeopardizing  his  limbs.  The  mere  thought  of  the  punishment  itself  will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed. Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.

3.  Example:  Islam  prohibits  the  molestation  and  rape  of  women.  It enjoins hijab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.

a.   Islam prescribes method of eliminating molestation and rape All the major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes, but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.

b.   Hijab for men .Islam has a system of hijab. The Glorious Qur’an first mentions hijab for the men and then for the women. Hijab for the men is mentioned in the following verse:

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.”    [Al-Qur'an 24:30].

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

c.   Hijab for women. Hijab for women is mentioned in the following verse:

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard  their  modesty;  that  they  should  not  display  their  beauty  and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons….” [Al-Qur'an 24:31]

The  extent  of  hijab  for  a  woman  is  that  her  complete  body  should  be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body. However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.

d.   Hijab prevents molestation. The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijab for the women is given in the Qur’an in the folowing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab:

“O   Prophet!   Tell   thy   wives   and   daughters,   and   the   believing women,that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.”

[Al-Qur'an  33:59].

The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women this would prevent them from being molested.

e.   Example of twin sisters. Suppose two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts? Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur’an rightly says that the hijab prevents women from being molested.

f.   Capital punishment for rapist. The Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.The non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age. Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, some one rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of  them  said,  “we  would  put  him  to  death.”  Some  went  to  the  extent  of saying, “we would torture him to death”, If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death.  But if someone else’s wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards?

g.   U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of Rape. The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world.  An F.B.I report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of rapes are reported. Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25.  We get a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents everyday. Later  another  report  said  that  an  average  of  1900  cases  of  rape  are committed in U.S.A every day. According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone 3,07,000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape were reported. Thus, 3,07,000 X 3.226 = 9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of 2,713 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe American rapists got bolder. The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out  of  the  rape  cases  that  were  reported  only  10%  of  the  rapist  were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial.  This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists faced a trial.  In other words if a person commits 125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment though  the  American  law  says  rape  carries  a  seven  year  sentence  of imprisonment.  For  a  rapist,  the  judge  is  lenient  to  first  time  offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of less than a year!

h.   Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab,  that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After  this  if  any  man  commits  rape,  he  gets  capital  punishment.  The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.

4. Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind Islam is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at the individual and collective levels. Islam is the best way of life because it is a practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.