• Islamic literature for the non-Muslims
I, a Christian, would like to know more about Islam. Is it forbidden for me to read the Qur'an? Are there books written in English about Islam? How to get them?
There are plenty of books and booklets written on Islam in English. Perhaps the best place to get these from in Saudi Arabia is Dar El-Ifta, the short name for the "Presidency of Propagation, Islamic Rulings and Research" which is under the direction of Sheikh Abdulaziz ibn Baz. Its headquarters is in Riyadh, you need only to write to them about your requirements and they will send you what books they have in English for free distribution. You need only address your letter to the department of Islamic propagation at the Presidency in Riyadh. If you address it to Sheikh ibn Baz himself, it will be equally good.
Alternatively, you can write to any of the following addresses in Britain and the U.S.A. to have a list of the books which they can supply you on a purchase order.
The Qur'an has been revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in order to warn mankind against disbelief. As such, it is Allah's message to all mankind. The Prophet did not hesitate to recite it to any unbeliever of the pagan Arabs, or indeed to non-Arabs. When he wrote to the heads of neighboring states, he included in his letter verses of the Qur'an. He was aware that they were non-Muslims and they were bound to hold his letters and read them. Moreover, I believe that you will be reading a translation of the Qur'an.
There is no question that you are welcome to read anyone of the translations. Perhaps you will find that the easiest to read is the one published by Penguins which is translated by N.J. Dawood. However, the translator gives himself at times too much license in conveying the meanings of the text. Moreover, being a non-Muslim, Dawood is liable sometimes to make the occasional error in grasping the meaning of the Arabic text.
Another translation which has the benefit of a good English style is the one done by Muhammad Asad. However, one has to be on one's guard again, because quite often Asad imposes an extremely rationalized interpretation on verses which tackle matters that are not familiar to us in this world. On the other hand, Pickthall's translation follows the original text very strictly. As such, it suffers from being too literal. Yousuf Ali's translation is somewhat apologetic. However, the new edition prepared by Dar El-Ifta amends most of the errors in this translation.
Is there anything such as Muslim or non-Muslim names? Names are taken on regional or language basis. Names used by Muslims today were used by people before Islam, such as David, Jacob, Abraham, etc. albeit they are used in their Arabic forms Dawood, Yaqoob and Ibrahim. These names are also used by Christians and Jews. In some countries, Christians use such names as Khalid, Khadija, etc. which are supposed to be Muslim names. Please comment.
It is a child's right, according to Islam, to be given a good name. If his father does not give him a good name, he can press his claim against his father on the day of judgment. In Islamic culture, names are chosen either on the basis of their meaning or their historical associations. If you call your child after someone who rendered great services to Islam, you want your son to remember that fact and to take that particular personality as an example to follow. If you admire that person and know his history, you will be telling your child about him as soon as he begins to understand. You try to make him love that person and follow his example.
Similarly, we use the names of prophets because they provide the perfect example for us to follow in submitting ourselves to Allah's will and dedicating our efforts and actions to the service of the Islamic cause. It is true that Christians and Jews call their children after their prophets, such as the ones whose names you have mentioned, but then those prophets also brought the message of Islam, i.e. submission to Allah, in its pure form. Therefore, they belong to our heritage.
It is also true that Christians and other religious minorities in a Muslim country use some names which are used by Muslims. There are good reasons for that. In certain periods of history, using a certain variety of names may be particularly convenient. In Arab countries, which fell under European imperialism for a period of time, it was noticed that the European form of Christian names was used by these minorities. After independence, it became more common to use either the Arabic form of these names or names derived from the culture of the country. That is a natural reflection of the state of the country.
When we say that a name is Islamic, we mean that either its historical associations or its meaning should be acceptable from the Islamic point of view. The names of the companions of the Prophets were used very widely, generation after generation. Therefore, they became distinctly Muslim names. Similarly, names of prophets are Islamic names, despite the fact that these prophets were sent with messages before Islam.
[Added : It is laid down by Allah - ayat 285 of Cow from the Qur’an, whose translation in English may be rendered as : "The Messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believeth in Allah and his Angels and His Scriptures and His messengers - making no distinction between any of His messengers - and they say : We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, Unto Thee is the journeying."
Some of my non-Muslim friends question me about the nature of Islamic government and whether democracy can be accommodated in an Islamic system. Please clarify.
We can describe Islamic government as consultative by nature. There is no absolute authority vested in a person or an institution or even in a collective leadership. But when consultation over a certain issue has taken place and the Muslim community has had a chance to discuss that issue and make its feelings known, a decision may be taken by the ruler. When that decision has been taken, it is the duty of everyone in the Muslim community to facilitate its implementation.
We speak of consultative government, but Islam does not lay down any form for how the consultation is to be made. Every Muslim community may decide what institutions to establish in order to achieve the requirement of consultation. If it opts for a democratic system of the type which prevails in Europe, then that system can certainly be accommodated within an Islamic government. On the other hand, a Muslim community may find no need for having different political parties. It tries to determine the course it wants to follow on the basis of consensus. That is perfectly acceptable. In a different set up, a Muslim country may decide to choose its overall leader by elections or by a referendum or by some other means which ensures that the feelings of the Muslim community are determined. Any of these methods is acceptable.
What is most important to remember is that an Islamic government is an ideological government. It believes in the Islamic faith and it seeks to implement the laws of Islam, sparing no effort for the achievement of that goal.
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