What about food?

What about food?



Although much simpler than the dietary law followed by
Jews and the early Christians, the code which Muslims
observe forbids the consumption of pig meat or any kind of intoxicating
drink. The Prophet taught that 'your body has rights over you', and the
consumption of wholesome food and the leading of a healthy lifestyle are
seen as religious obligations.


The Prophet said: 'Ask God for certainty [of faith] and well-being; for after certainty, no one is given any gift better than health!'


◊ How does Islam guarantee human rights?



Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself: 'There is no compulsion
in religion'. (2:256)


The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether a person is Muslim or
not.


Racism is incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Quran speaks of human equality in the following terms:


O mankind! We created you from a
single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so
that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in
God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All
Aware (49:13)


◊ Islam in the United States



It is almost impossible to generalize about American
Muslims: converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making
their own contribution to America's future. This complex community is
unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide network of a
thousand mosques.

The Islamic Cultural Center, Washington DC.

Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the
eighteenth century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves
on plantations. These early communities, cut off from their heritage and
families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today
many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic
community.


The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of
an influx of Arab Muslims, most of whom settled in the
major industrial centers where they worshipped in hired rooms. The early
twentieth century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand
Muslims from Eastern Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in
Maine in 1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims
opened a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.


In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded
during the term of President Truman, and several nationwide
organizations were set up in the fifties. The same period saw the
establishment of other communities whose lives were in many ways modeled
after Islam. More recently, numerous members of these groups have
entered the fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million Muslims in America.


◊ The Muslim World



The Muslim population of the world is around one
billion. 30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in
Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab World, 10% in
the Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan comprise 10%
of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim minorities in
almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most
numerous in the Soviet Union, India, and central Africa. There are 5
million Muslims in the United States.


O mankind! We created you from a
single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so
that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in
God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing,
All-Aware. (Quran 49:13)