This Deen Called Islam
Most people are aware of a global
religion called Islam. Islam is a Deen — Arabic for a religion, a path, a way
of life. Islam means submission to the will of the One God, Allah. Allah is the
Arabic word for God, just as the Spanish word for God is Dios. Allah is the God
of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. By focusing on One Creator, Islam allows
humankind the opportunity to be one and to have a common purpose. Muslims believe
that Islam is the final expression of the same message that came earlier to
the Jews, the Christians, and other monotheistic believers. For Muslims, the
revelations prior to the Qur’an are essentially part of a larger canon of
understanding. This is why, in Arabic, Christians and Jews are referred to as Ah-lal-Kitab,
“people of the book.” Islam recognizes the existence and the legitimacy of other
spiritual paths and teaches mutual understanding, respect, and focus on
similarities as a means to bring people together, not push them apart. (Ibrahim Abdul Matin)
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