10 Typical Misunderstanding Most Nigerians Have About Muslims

Islam, Muslims and the Quran have become a major concern to Nigerians, especially after the emergence of Boko Haram.

The misconceptions are so bad that not everybody from the Northern part of Nigeria is a Muslim and not every Muslim is from the northern part of the country.

In reality, there is a good population of Christians in the north, even in Borno and Adamawa, there are numerous communities that are predominantly Christians.

Muslims indigenes in Edo, Kwara, Kogi and some South-Eastern states is not a rare sight.

Description: 1.     TERRORISTS ARE PROMISED 72 VIRGIN WOMEN WHEN THEY DIE

The “72 virgins” idea is probably the most overblown idea that people seem to remember

about Islam. It’s turning into a real stereotype.

There is no promise of 72 virgins for martyrs, terrorists or suicide bombers anywhere in the Quran.

In fact committing Suicide is a Major Sin

Amongst the many verses against suicide here is one that makes it very clear that the taking of one’s life is strongly prohibited and that there is no reward for anyone who does that.

But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful! If any do that in rancour and injustice,- soon shall We cast them into the Fire: And easy it is for God. Qur’an 4:29 – 4:30

Description: 2.     MUSLIMS HATE JESUS

Many people are amazed to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus is one of the greatest messengers of God.

One cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth and the many miracles of Jesus Christ. Jesus is also mentioned in many verses of the Quran and is often used as an example of good virtue and character.

However, the main difference between Christianity and Islam is that Muslims do not believe that Jesus was God.

Description: 3.     CHILDREN HAVE NO RIGHTS IN ISLAM

When the idea of children in Islam comes to your mind the first image that pops ups is a child begging on the street or how awful they are treated in Islamic schools.

Children, according to Islamic law, have various rights. One of these is the right to be properly brought up, raised, and educated. Islam encourages children to be brought up well because it is the responsibility of an adult to raise his child to become a moral and ethical adult.

Children must also be treated equally. When giving financial gifts they should all be the same amount and there should be no preference among them.

Children are even permitted to take moderately from their parent’s wealth to sustain themselves if the parent declines to give them proper funds for living.

A child is also not allowed to get hit in the face or hit by anything larger than a pencil

Description: 4.     ISLAM IS INTOLERABLE TO OTHER RELIGIONS

‘Kill the infidel’ is the phrase many people believe is the ideology that Muslims have towards the non Muslims. This, though, is not a correct portrayal of Islamic law.

Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. In the Quran it says “God does not forbid you, with regards to those who fight you not for religion nor drive you away out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them, for god loves those who are just.”

There are many historical examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faith. One such example was when the caliph Umar was ruler of Jerusalem from 634 to 644 AD. He granted freedom to all religious communities and said that the inhabitants of his city were safe and that their places of worship would never be taken away from them.

He also set up courts that were designated to the non Muslim minorities. Whenever he would visit holy areas he would ask for the Christian patriarch Sophronius  to accompany him.

Description: 5.     JIHAD MEANS TO FIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF GOD

The true Arabic meaning of the word jihad is struggle. However in Islam it is often used to describe the striving in the way of god.

There are many forms of jihad but the most important ones are Jihad al-nafs (jihad against ones self), jihad bil-lisan (jihad by being vocal), jihad bil yad (jihad by using action), and Jihad bis saif (jihad by using the sword).

Each jihad is ranked differently and it was reported that Muhammad returned from a battle and said “We have returned from the lesser jihad (going into battle) to the greater jihad (the struggle of the soul).”

This means that a Muslim struggling against himself and his soul is more important than the jihad of going into war.

Another misconception is that only when a person dies in war does that person becomes a martyr. This is, however, false and it is believed that anyone doing anything for the sake of god and is killed becomes a martyr.

A person who dies while performing pilgrimage in Mecca, a woman who dies while giving birth, or even someone who dies in a car crash while he was on his way to the mosque are all considered martyrs.

Description: 7.     ISLAM AND TERRORISM

This is by far the biggest misconception of Islam, given unfairly by stereotyping and the public image that the media gives.

Has anyone else noticed how when a specific group of people attack another group of people it is labeled as a ‘hate crime’, but when a Muslim opens fire on anybody it is quickly regarded as ‘terrorism’.

Many political dictators and officials or extremist groups use the name of Islam as a strategy to garner followers and attention when many of their practices go against the true basis of Islam.

However all over the world people practice Islam in the true form and use it as a way of life. There are many verses in the Quran that go against the idea of terrorism.

Some of these verses include “fight in the way of Allah those that fight you but do not transgress limits for god does not love transgressors.” This basically means do not fight except in self defense and even in doing so do not go beyond defense.

Another verse states “if they seek peace, then you seek peace,” which means do not attack people for no reason or kill innocent people.

There is nowhere in Islam, whether it be in the Quran or the teachings of Muhammad, that promotes the killing of innocent people.

Description: 6.     MUSLIMS ARE SAVAGES AND BARBARIC DURING WAR

Quite the contrary, when it comes to the conduct of war there are ten rules that every Muslim army must obey:

1. Do not commit treachery
2. Do not deviate from the right path
3. Do not mutilate dead bodies
4. Do not kill children
5. Do not kill women
6. Do not kill aged men
7. Do not harm or burn trees
8. Do not destroy buildings
9. Do not destroy an enemy’s flock, unless you use it for your food
10. When you pass people who have devoted their lives to monastic services leave them alone

Description: 8.     ISLAM ALLOWS STONING TO DEATH

Some think that ‘stoning to death’ is a punishment laid out in The Quran or promoted by Islam for acts such as adultery.

The Quran never sanctions stoning to death as a punishment for anyone. In fact, the only time it is mentioned in The Quran is as a threat to believers from non-believers:

11:91, 18:20, 19:46, 36:18, 44:20, 26:116

Also, the misconception of ‘stoning to death’ as punishment for adultery is disproved by the Quran. According to the Quran, the punishment for proven adultery is lashes [24:2].

Furthermore, this punishment is halved for formerly slave woman due to their past circumstance [4:25]. Since half ‘stoning to death’ is not possible, this indicates ‘stoning to death’ for adultery is not permitted.

Interestingly, in many popular translations of The Quran, for verse 24:3 they state an adulterer can only marry another adulterer, but if stoning to death for adultery was a punishment, this translation would be unnecessary and illogical.

Stoning to death as a punishment for adultery is from traditional narrations (called “hadith”) attributed to the prophet Muhammad, as recorded by later generations.

Description: 9.     ALLAH IS THE GOD FOR MUSLIMS

Some think that the word “Allah” refers to a special God for use by Muslims only.

Arabic like Aramaic and Hebrew, is a Semitic language.

The word that described God in Aramaic was pronounced “AaLaH” or “AaLoH”.

In Hebrew it was “Eloah” or “Elohim”, and in Arabic is “Allah”, which is considered a conjunction of “Al-ilah”, which is Arabic for “The-God” in English.

The English word “God” describes the same entity.

Remember that the language spoken by Jesus when he was alive was Aramaic, thereby leaving a possibility that he pronounced God as “AaLah” or “AaLoH”.

Besides Hausa’s and Arabs (Yes, some Arabs are Christians) refer to God as Allah. It does not make them any less of a Christian from you.

Description: 10.   MUHAMMAD WAS THE FOUNDER OF ISLAM

Some think that a man named Muhammad from Arabia was the first to introduce Islam or it came into existence with him and The Quran.

The word “islam” can be translated as “surrender/submission” (to God). A “muslim” can be translated as “one who surrenders/submits” (to God).

According to The Quran, everything in the universe, willingly or unwillingly has ultimately surrendered to God, thus the basic concept of islam/surrender/submission is as old as the universe itself: [3:83]

The Quran clearly states that Muhammad was a messenger and inspired just as the prophets before him:. [4:163] [3:84] [3:144] [3:79]

Also, The Quran specifically mentions the term “muslim” for those before prophet Muhammad, including: Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Jacob, and the companions of Jesus. [see 2:128, 2:131, 3:67, 3:52, 5:111, 10:72].

Thus, the prophet Muhammad was not the founder of islam/submission, but simply continued this universal message as one of many messengers of God.

MAN Ate Muslim’s Flesh With Bread ‘To Avenge His Pregnant Wife Death’ [Pix & Video]

Horrific footage has emerged of a cannibal eating the leg of a Muslim slaughtered by a rampaging Christian mob in the Central African Republic.

The victim was hauled from a bus, battered and then stabbed before being set on fire in the capital city Bangui, according to the BBC.

In the aftermath of the incident, one of his attackers Ouandja Magloire – who also calls himself ‘Mad Dog’ -  grabbed hold of his leg and then began to devour it.

Witness Jean-Sylvestre Tchya told news agency AFP: ‘One of the individuals took hold of an arm and went and bought some bread and starting chewing on the flesh, along with his bread.

Ouandja Magloire – who also calls himself ‘Mad Dog’ – is seen eating the leg of a Muslim slaughtered by a rampaging Christian mob in the Central African Republic

Magloire said that his action was revenge for the murders of his pregnant wife, his sister-in-law and her baby

Magloire told a BBC reporter that his action was revenge for the murders of his pregnant wife, his sister-in-law and her baby.

He claimed that Muslims were responsible and he was angry with them.

‘They broke down the door and cut my baby in half. I promised I would get my revenge,’ he said.

Bloody: The charred and dismembered body is dragged through the streets with Magloire at the head of the mob

 ‘Mad Dog’ spotted his victim on a minibus and followed him after deciding he looked Muslim.

Killed: The body is dragged through the dusty streets by the cheering crowd

He gathered a crowd of about 20 Christian youths who forced the bus driver to stop and dragged him from the bus.

Without emotion he told the BBC: ‘I poured petrol over him. I burned him. I ate his leg, right down the white bone.’

Download the video HERE

Police Parades Pastor Who Defiled 2 Under-age Girls in Edo [VIDEO]

The Edo State Police Command has paraded a 47-year-old alleged Deeper Life Pastor, Eze Fidelis, who was arrested for having sexual intercourse with two eleven year-old girls.

32 other suspects were also paraded for various offences. Parading the suspects before journalists, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Folusho Adebanjo disclosed that among the 32 suspected criminals were four men who were paraded for defilement of underage girls.

Bus preacher beaten to coma in Lagos after condoms fell out from his bible

A bus preacher was almost lynched on Saturday morning at Toyota Bus stop, in front of the popular Ladipo Spare parts market, when some condoms allegedly fell out of his bible as he preached the ‘Word of God’.

DailyPost gathered that the self acclaimed Man of God was dragged out of the commercial bus and beaten into a pulp before he was rescued by some policemen.

According to information made available to DailyPost, the Pastor had embarked on his journey from Apapa and proceeded to preach to the people on the bus, using very strong words like “If you wear trouser you’ll go to hell! The Devil invented Make up! Weave-on is from Marine Kingdom! If you have pre-marital sex you will burn in hell and your skin will peel!”
It was learnt that the people in the bus were so moved and some started falling under the anointing.

According to an eye witness, Mr. John Mbakogu, who was on his way to his shop at Ladipo, “People were just falling as he was laying hands. One man almost fell out of the bus under the influence of the Spirit. It was amazing until he raised his hands to cast the demons out of one girl, and 2 Durex condoms fell out”

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“The angry men in the bus who had been having pangs of guilt due to the pastor’s preaching about sex suddenly got really angry and pounced on him, who all of a sudden started shouting, I also preach safe sex! Safe sex is good!”

However, Policemen had to be called to the scene to save the pastors life. So far 2 arrests have been made, and the Condoms have been kept as evidence.

Pastor Impregnated 6 Married Women In One Year

A Pastor at a church in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, has been expelled after her impregnated six married women who were members of his church.

The 'man of God', Pastor Derek Ngulube, formerly of Faith Ministries, was shown the red card by the church's elders late last month bringing to an end his reign of terror. Pastor Ngulube is reported to have impregnated the six within a period of one year.

His antics were brought to light after one of the pastors prophesied that there was an elder within the church who was in the habit of bedding married women. After a 'witch hunt', it was established that Pastor Ngulube was the elder who had been fingered in the prophecy.

A source said on being questioned, Pastor Ngulube opened up and said he was indeed the one fingered in the prophecy.

"He tried to clear his name but later came back to his senses and said he was the one in the prophecy," said the source.

It is reported that Pastor Ngulube also revealed that ALL the women he had bedded fell pregnant. On hearing the news, the church's elders are said to have come to a decision to expel him.

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"What he did is just disgraceful and a person like him could not be allowed to be part of a religious institution because what he did goes against all that Christianity stands for," said the source.

The source added that the husbands of the women that Ngulube claimed to have impregnated were summoned by the church's elders and had the news broken to them.

"Some of them were threatening to beat up Pastor Ngulube but they were restrained by the church elders. Others took up the issue with the traditional leadership," said the source.

Contacted for comment, Pastor Ngulube said he was sorry.

"I feel bad and I want to say I am very sorry for what I did. If I could be given another chance I wouldn't repeat the mistake. I also welcome the punishment that the church leaders gave me," he said.

Meanwhile, another pastor at Brethren Christ Church, in the same district, was ordered to pay three beasts by Chief Masuku after he impregnated a married woman.

According to a source, Pastor Lameck Maphosa was allegedly dragged to the traditional court on 21 March this years where Chief Masuku ordered him to pay three cows as compensation for impregnating another man's wife. 

POPULAR REVEREND CONVERTS TO ISLAM in Kaduna

There is excitement within Muslim circles in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria, following news of the conversion to Islam by a popular Christian cleric.

There was a palpable tension in the state yesterday following speculations that Arch-Bishop Peter Jatau, the former Bishop of Kaduna has converted to Islam in Zaria.
News Express can however authoritatively report that it is another Jatau – Rev. Bitrus Jatau – who converted to Islam and not Bishop Peter Jatau.

Painting a clear picture of what happened, the deputy Chairman of the Izzalatul Bidi’a Waikamatul Sunnah Zaria Local Government Branch, Imam Khadir, told News Express: “There was a mix-up in the name whereby some people thought that Rev. Bitrus Jatau was the former Bishop Peter Jatau.
“What happened at Alhaji Haruna Danja’s Mosque on Sunday was supposed to be a meeting with ulamas and confession to be made by Reverend Bitrus Jatau, but the event was disrupted by people who came to witness the confession.

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“Because of the confusion the name Jatau generated, a lot of people who came from far and wide thought that it was Bishop Peter Jatau that was to receive the Kallamantu-Shahada at the Haruna Danja’s Mosque situated at Kongo, Zaria on that Sunday night. The lighting system and the speakers were tampered with, so we had to postpone the whole thing and reschedule it until another day.”

Imam Khadir than thanked News Express for making efforts t verify the true position of things before going to press. He warned that people should be weary of rumour mongering as it can go a long way to tarnish somebody’s image or portray one as someone not trustworthy.

Man Arrested With Charm In Church

A man,  Ali Haruna, 25, a native of Kano State, northwest Nigeria,  has been arrested by the police at the Maroko Police Division, Lekki, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, for allegedly entering the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David, situated on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos with charms strapped to his waist. He was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate court on one count charge of illegally entering a church with charms.

The police alleged  that the accused was arrested following a complaint by members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David, Victoria Island, Lagos, that they found the accused inside their church on 31 March, 2013 with charms. During interrogation, he allegedly told the police that he entered the church to pray to God. But when asked what he was doing with the charms he strapped to his waist, he could not give satisfactory answer nor explain how long he has been worshiping in the church since he claimed he was a Muslim.

The church members suspected him to have entered the church to perpetrate evil.
After investigation by Corporal Sekinat Akinbola, he was charged to court.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under section 133(b) of the criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge, and Magistrate Mrs. Ope Agbe admitted him on bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety with proof of tax payment to the Lagos State government.

She adjourned the matter till 29 April, 2013 for mention. The defendant was, however, moved to Ikoyi prison pending when he would fulfil the bail conditions.