........do Muslims use the term 'brothers' and 'sisters' to refer to fellow Muslims?
Peace be on you.
Answers are from Ahmadiyya-Muslim understandings:
Yes
[ch49:v11 @ alislam.org/quran] Surely
all believers are brothers. So make peace between brothers, and fear Allah that mercy may be shown to you.
[9:71] And the believers, men and women, are friends one of another. They enjoin good and forbid evil and observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is these on whom Allah will have mercy. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.
and on larger scale, the sphere of kindness covers the whole humanity as Allah told Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) :
[7:159] Say, ‘O mankind! truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allah to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life, and He causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet, the Immaculate one, who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him that you may be rightly guided.’
[21:108] And We have sent thee not but as a mercy for all peoples.
...... I am asking, if a Muslim really wanted to learn who Allah (can a non Muslim say his name or should I use the more generic 'God'?) is and what he wants, what sort of things would he/she need to figure out for themselves.
i- A non-Muslim can say the word Allah.
[3:65] Say,
‘O People of the Book! come to a word equal between us and you — that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that some of us take not others for Lords beside Allah.’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we have submitted
to God.’
ii- To learn about Allah what He wants, Allah has sent Holy Quran, Holy Prophet (pbuh) and in this age of weakness Holy Prophet's ardent devotee Promised Messiah Mahdi who explained (after him, Khalifs) Islamic teaching.
For example
a- (Book)
http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf
b- (Friday sermons)
Alislam Archived Sermons -
iii- All aspects of life have been made well clear, practice with sincerity is needed.
......Two issues that I immediately encountered were:
- Figuring out which verses in the Qu'ran were given later and overruled earlier verses (like the Christian Bible, the Qu'ran was not in chronological order).
- Coming to grips with what felt like questionable morality in the Hadith ... like it is ok to pretend to be friends with a non-Muslim, but (whoever wrote that Hadith) says you should secretly hate them.
A--- According to Ahmadiyya Muslims, there is no abrogation or over ruling of verses of Holy Quran,
Complete possible teaching been given.
Application relevant to an era has to be applied. For example, Jihad; when foe of islam was using sword the answer was sword [allowed after 13 years].....This era, foe of Islam has changed tactics, they use pen, the answer is defence of Islam by pen.
Our Views on Terrorism
wwwDOTalislamDOTorg/terrorism.html
B--- "" ..Whatever Sign We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than that or the like thereof. (Surah al-Baqarah; Ch.2: V.107)
This verse is normally understood to apply to the verses of the Holy Quran. If Allah abrogates some, He binds Himself to replace them with better, if not similar ones. In reality, no verse of the Holy Quran has ever been abrogated. Commenting on this verse, the medieval ulema used to quote up to five hundred verses of the Holy Quran which, in their opinion, abrogated five hundred other verses. Which verses were replaced exactly by the ones abrogated is a question never attempted to be answered. Similarly, the verses which were better than the ones abrogated have not been enumerated with any proof mentioned about their being superior in any way. This verse of the Holy Quran has nothing to do with the abrogation of the verses of the Holy Quran, but refers to the signs of Allah where earlier religions which were permitted to be obliterated were either brought back with the same beauty they once possessed, or better religions were revealed to replace them. The verse applies to a much wider fundamental principle. When we closely observe the history of religions, we always discover that many religions are allowed by God to have been obliterated. Whenever this happened, other religions similar to them were revealed to replace them. However, if the advanced age required some new and better religions, they were brought in their stead. They were better in the sense that they could cope more efficiently with the changing requirements of the time. Thus, religions have evolved until they culminated in the final evolution of Islam.""
Source: Page 319 + @
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/AbsoluteJustice.pdf
C--- Reply to allegation that Holy Quran is composed of verses cancelling each other? @ Reply to allegation that Holy Quran is composed of verses cancelling each other? | Islam Ahmadiyya
....I am sure that non-Muslims have presented dozens of 'Islam is evil' proofs to throw in your face, I have no desire to repeat any of them here, but do you (as Muslims) struggle at all to understand what those verses really mean?
Yes, and all such answers are present in various sections of alislamDOTorg.
In Christianity, we are told to "Work out our salvation with fear and trembling."
So here is your chance to strut your stuff ... How does a Muslim struggle to work out Islam for themselves?
[2;166] ".......But those who believe are stronger in
their love for Allah......"
[23:58] Verily, those who
fear their Lord,
holding Him in reverence,
[7:57] And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order, and call upon Him in fear and
hope. Surely, the mercy of Allah is nigh unto those who do good.
[3:143] Do you suppose that you will enter Heaven while Allah has not yet distinguished those of you that
strive in the way of Allah and has not yet distinguished the
steadfast?
[29:70] And
as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways. And verily Allah is with those who do good.
THE PATH FOR STRUGGLE - BASED ON TRUE ISLAMIC TEACHING
A-
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/IslamsResponseToContemporaryIssues.pdf
B-
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/World-Crisis-and-Pathway-to-Peace.pdf
wwwDOTalislamDOTorg/library/books/IslamsResponseToContemporaryIssues.pdf
wwwDOTalislamDOTorg/library/books/World-Crisis-and-Pathway-to-Peace.pdf
Good wishes and peace be on you.
