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A Journey to The Middle East Perceptions of Islam True or False: There are more Muslims worldwide than Catholics. Answer: A) True B) False A) True There are 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide and only 1.115 billion Catholics. However, there are currently over 2 billion Christians who represent the world’s largest religious group. http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=57525 Islam can best be defined as: A) monotheistic B) polytheistic C) atheistic D) pagan Answer: A) monotheistic Muslims believe that Allah is the one and only God, and is indivisible. True or False: The Qur’an teaches that war (or jihad) must be fought in order to bring Islam, the “pure” religion, to the world. Answer: B) False A) True B) False The Qur’an teaches that war should be fought only in self-defense and within strict limits. What is the actual meaning of the word Jihad? A) to strive B) obligation C) to conquer D) heavenly Answer: A) The word Jihad stems from the Arabic root word J-H-D, which means "strive." Other words derived from this root include "effort," "labor," and "fatigue." Essentially Jihad is an effort to practice religion in the face of oppression and persecution. The effort may come in fighting the evil in your own heart, or in standing up to a dictator. Military effort is included as an option, but as a last resort and not "to spread Islam by the sword" as the stereotype would have one believe. True or False: Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet. A) True B) False Answer: A) True. Muslims respect and revere Jesus, “upon him be peace,” and await his Second Coming. “People of the Book” Muslims believe that God had previously revealed Himself to the earlier prophets of the Jews and Christians, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims therefore accept the teachings of both the Jewish Torah and the Christian Gospels. They believe that Islam is the perfection of the religion revealed first to Abraham (who is considered the first Muslim) and later to other prophets. Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have strayed from God's true faith but hold them in higher esteem than pagans and unbelievers. They call Jews and Christians the "People of the Book" and allow them to practice their own religions. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the "seal of the prophecy," by which they mean that he is the last in the series of prophets God sent to mankind. True or False: Muslims worship Muhammad as the founder of Islam. A) True B) False Answer: B) False. While Muhammad was chosen to deliver the message, he is not considered the "founder" of Islam; Muslims believe all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus etc. were sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent to his own people, but Muhammad was sent to all of mankind. Muhammad is the last and final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam. Muslims revere and honor him for all he went through, but they do not worship him. What is the meaning of the name of the religion, Islam? A) Allah is almighty B) We will be saved C) Peace and submission D) We will prevail Answer: C) Peace and submission. Islam teaches that one can only find peace in one's life by submitting to Almighty God (Allah) in heart, soul and deed. True or False: Islam teaches that men and women are equal in the eyes of Allah. A) True or B) False Answer: A) True. The Qur’an clearly teaches that a woman is a full-person under the law, and is the spiritual equal of a male. More on Islam and Women… Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed. Polygamy is neither mandatory, nor encouraged, but merely permitted. Once the man and woman are married, the man is required to clothe, feed, shelter and educate her (or allow her to be educated) in the same manner as he does himself. http://www.submission.info/perspectives/women/equality.html What is the estimated year when Islam will become the most widely practiced world religion? A) 2016 B) 2023 C) 2035 D) 2048 Answer: B) 2023 (a little over 10 years from right now!!!)