"THE REVIVAL OF ISLAM"
Today we face a phenomenon that is historic in the making, the ‘Revival of Islam’, particularly in the west.
According to "The Almanac Book of Facts", the population increased 137% within the past decade; Christianity increased 46%, while Islam increased 235%. Based on the figures published in the 2005 CIA World Factbook, Islam is the second largest religion in the world. According to the modern Historians, including Samuel Huntington, Islam is growing faster numerically than any of the other major world religions. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance estimate that it is growing at about 2.9% annually, as opposed to 2.3% per year global population growth. Most of this growth is due to the high population growth in many Islamic countries (six out of the top-ten countries in the world with the highest birth rates are majority Muslim.
Commonly cited estimates of the Muslim population today range between 900 million and 1.5 billion people (cf. Adherents.com) out of which only 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world. 20% of those are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, about 30% in the South Asian region of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, and the world's largest single Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in Indonesia. There are also significant Muslim populations in China, Europe, Central Asia, and Russia. France has the highest Muslim population of any nation in Western Europe, with up to 6 million Muslims (10% of the population. Albania has the highest proportion of Muslims as part of its population in Europe (70%), although this figure is only an estimate. Countries in Europe with many Muslims include Bosnia and Herzegovina (estimated around 50 % are Bosniaks, Muslims) and Macedonia where over 30 % of the population is Muslim, mostly ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. The country in Europe with most Muslims is Russia. The number of Muslims in North America is variously estimated as anywhere from 1.8 to 7 million. Moreover, these are not just numbers but Muslims with renewed faith and determination to practice their faith; these are quality Muslims. There are more headscarf’s and beards on the streets, more mosques being built everyday and everyday mosques need to expand because of increased worshipers. The Office for National Statistics (2003-02-13) declared that at the current rates, Islam will soon become the second largest religion in the United States, and it is already the second largest faith in the UK. This is only touching the surface, without even mentioning Africa, India, China and other parts of the globe; hence this is a global phenomena. This is all in the backdrop of Islam being targeted and subjected to the highest levels of scientific scrutiny, political tensions and negative media in the history of all religions, yet in a recent poll in the (US), 100,000 people per year in America alone, are converting to Islam. Also for every 1 male convert to Islam, 4 females convert to Islam. However, this in itself produces a set of challenges for those who are involved in the duties of dawah (propagation of Islam), to welcome the newcomers to Islam with limited resources. There are also vast amount of questions left to be answered in ‘How one becomes a Muslim’, ‘What does it mean to be a Muslim’, ‘How to become a strong Muslim through the difficult challenges’. We hope that through this article to correct a false idea spread among those willing to adopt Islam as their faith and help in answering and clearing up some of the misconception.
Sura 5 - Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread] Verse 3-3:
3. حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوا بِالأزْلامِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ دِينِكُمْ فَلا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإسْلامَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لإثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Sura 5 - Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread] Verse 3-3:
3. Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
Sura 3 - Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran] Verse 85-85:
85. وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإسْلامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
Sura 3 - Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran] Verse 85-85:
85. If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good).
