OUR DIFFERENT WORLD

A. People are Different.

There are all kinds of people in our big, blue world. There are tall people, short people, skinny people and strong people. But those differences are only about how we look at. Are there other things that make one person different from another? Let’s see if we can answer that question.

In addition to all the physical differences there are also differences in how people behave and in what people believe is right and wrong. If one person steals and another person is honest, would you say they are same? Of course not! If one person drinks alcohol and another says it’s wrong, are they different too? Indeed they are!

What about other differences? Is it possible for one person to be different from another in their beliefs and way of living? Does a person’s religion make them different from others? As you will see, people can be very different in what they believe and in how they live their lives.

B. Different Beliefs.

A Belief is an idea that a person feels is true. Any belief can be true or false. If a person believes in a false idea and does not know it’s a false, then it may still be real for them. Just because we believe in something does not always make it right. The value of our beliefs must be tested for truth.

Many people have different beliefs about why they are alive in this world. Some people believe we are here to have fun and take whatever we want. Other people believe we are here to be good and to do nice things to every living creature.

Sometime a person’s beliefs may include spiritual concepts or ideas. Spiritual means anything having to do with the hidden world of our soul or an after-life. The word soul means the hidden spirit inside your body. When people talk about spiritual things in our country, they usually say they are talking about religion.

C. Islam is not a Religion

In English, the word Religion means a group of practices and beliefs that a community follows so they have something in common. It doesn’t matter if the religion is true or not. All that matters is that all the people do the same things. People in North America and the rest of the world follow many different religions and belief system.

Islam is not a religion, however, because it teaches people more than just to follow or believe in something. We do have beliefs to follow, but it does not stop with just praying or going to a church once in a week or a year. To get the heaven, and live a good life, Muslims must not only believe in God, but they must also follow His teachings as best as they can. Islam is a part of our lives every day.

As a Muslim, or follower of Islam, we learn that our whole life is for God, whom we call Allah. Allah is the Creator of the universe. We pray to Allah and believe in Him, and when we are not praying, we remember our Creator in other ways by living by His rules.

So we can see, Islam is not a religion but a way to live our life every day. Our beliefs become our life and our life becomes our beliefs. This is what makes a Muslim different from all the other people of the world.

D. How do I Live with Different People?

Even though there are so many different kinds of beliefs among the people of the world, Islam teaches us that we must respect others. Allah created everyone in the world, and He wants people to accept His way of life, called Islam.

But a Muslim is never allowed to force someone else to become a Muslim. This is not the Islamic way. Everyone must choose to accept Islam or reject it.

It is important for us to remember that a person’s beliefs are real to them. It’s what gives a person their feelings of value inside. A person’s heart is like a fortress, or strong castle.

If people are going to change their beliefs to something else, then the way the new beliefs are introduced must be very careful and planned. Otherwise, the fortress of their heart will keep them from understanding.

In a world of different kinds of people and different beliefs it is important that we respect the rights of others to believe in whatever they want to. This is what Islam tells us to do respect others first and then you can tell them about your beliefs.

Questions to Answer!

1. What are some things that make people different from each other?

2. What is religion?

3. Why do we say that Islam is not a religion?

4. Who is the One who made the universe?

5. How should Muslims deal with people who have different beliefs from us?