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The widely publicized 2006 case of the conversion of an Afghan citizen to Christianity, caused the issue of apostasy under Islamic Law (sharia), to be brought to public attention. It raised troubling questions about freedom of religion and interfaith relations in Islam. As such, it caused many Muslims to re-examine their Qur'an  in order to ascertain if indeed death for apostasy is what their holy book prescribes.

Mainstream media made a lot of this event to further demonize Muslims, by showing the world how hateful Islam is against other religions. After all, Islam is the only religion that prescribes death for anyone who leaves it to join another religion. At the same time Muslims boast about Islam being the fastest growing religion in the world. Yet other religions are humane enough to not kill their former adherents for leaving their religion and becoming Muslims.

It was also strange to see that after killing thousands of Afghans and Iraqis and calling their deaths collateral damage, the US was so "deeply concerned" for the life of this one Afghani. How hypocritical indeed!

Along with other things, this story shows how far Muslims have strayed from their religion. The truth is that if you search the Qur'an from cover to cover you will not find death prescribed as a punishment for apostasy.  In fact you will find the opposite.

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Fasting is as popular today as it has been in the history of humanity. Today people are fasting for health reasons and for spiritual growth and experience. But it seems that people are more weight conscious today than they have ever been, and many are fasting to lose weight. In Islam, fasting has its own special meaning—a meaning that is natural in the religion. It is a meaning that is understood by religious people all over the world who truly practice divine worship.

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"Say: He is Allah,
The One and Only.
"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
"He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him."
                         [Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]

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Millions of pilgrims from all over the world will be converging on Mecca in the coming days. They will retrace the footsteps of millions who have made the spiritual journey to the valley of Mecca since the time of Adam.

Hajj literally means, "to continuously strive to reach one's goal." It is the last of the five pillars of Islam (the others include a declaration of faith in one God, five daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan). Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey.

The Hajj is essentially a re-enactment of the rituals of the great prophets and teachers of faith. Pilgrims symbolically relive the experience of exile and atonement undergone by Adam and Eve after they were expelled from Heaven, wandered the earth, met again and sought forgiveness in the valley of Mecca. They also retrace the frantic footsteps of the wife of Abraham, Hagar, as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marva searching for water for her thirsty baby (which according to Muslim tradition, God answered with the well of Zam Zam). Lastly, the pilgrims also commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for the sake of God. God later substituted a ram in place of his son.