A Friendly Note from Your Muslim Neighbor

Muslims, Christians, and Jews have much in common.

• All worship the one God, Creator of the Universe. Allah is the Arabic word for God.
• All consider themselves spiritual heirs of Abraham.
• All pledge themselves to prayer, peace with justice, harmony, cooperation, compassion, charity, family responsibility, tolerance toward people of other faiths and traditions.

• Muslims honor Judaic prophets, accord special esteem to Jesus and Mary, and recognize as sacred the scriptures revealed to Moses and Jesus, namely the Torah and the Bible.
• Muslims are united in Islam, literally, "submission to the will of God." To them, submitting to God and doing good define piety. For Muslims, the Qur’an is the final divine revelation, providing a complete guide for human behavior. Its text was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through Angel Gabriel, between 610 and 632 A.D. Though revered by Muslims as the last of God’s prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not worshipped.
• Muslims are tolerant of other beliefs. The Qur’an states unequivocally: "There is no compulsion in religion." (2:256). Jews and Christians are referred to as the "People of the Book" in the Qur’an.
• Islam teaches us to be fair and just to all people, even to our enemies. God states in the Qur’an, "Stand out firmly as witnesses to God in fair dealing. And let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve from justice." (5:8)
• Muslim women, like men, have the right to obtain an education, own property and engage in business, professional and public life. Both women and men wear modest dress out of respect for public morality. If a society oppresses women or discriminates against them, it is in spite of Islam, not because of it.
• Muslims assume personal responsibility for relatives and others in need. In Islam, an elderly person is almost never obliged to live alone.
• Muslims are committed to rules. Sadly, some people who say they are Muslims - like some professed Christians and Jews - grossly violate these rules and the rights of others. In doing so, they do not act as Muslims. It is erroneous to call them fundamentalists, a term unknown in Islam and used mostly in false stereotyping. Islam eulogizes moderation and abhors extremism, terrorism, fanaticism, oppression and subjugation.
• Muslims are proud to be Americans. They wish to be good citizens and neighbors by practicing their commitment to peace, tolerance, justice, charity, cooperation, and interfaith activities for community betterment.
  
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