What would Mohammad have said if he visited America today? Would he have nice things to say about the way Americans live, or would he be disappointed when he saw our way of life? Would he be impressed with our technological wonders - things like computers, sky scrapers and shiny cars? How would he have felt about how much emphasis our culture put on money? What would he say about how we treat our women?

These are questions that a person must ask when they try to focus on our culture from an Islamic point of view. Mohammad's teachings are an integral part of the way Islamic people view the world, and how they live. His teachings are the basis of Islam. He emphasized harmony with one's environment, charity, modesty, and the struggle of keeping God as the number one factor in a person's life. The beliefs in all of these ideals are the cornerstones of Islam and are the reason that if Mohammad was here today, I believe, he would have a rather unfavorable view of the way Americans live. This is the reason why the religion that follows his teachings, in recent times, has clashed with Westerners. We don't make the five pillars of Islam part of our day-to-day life, and because of this fac

t our society is lacking in many ways.

Islam would also see our Christianity as being lacking in many regards. Many people do believe in God, but by believing in the Bible so heartily they've lost their conduit to God. Islam believes that the teachings of Christ are good and that the Gospels are a holy book, but in the constant translating that has gone on through the centuries, the book's meaning has been corrupted. This is why if Mohammad were here today he would have a hard time with our emphasis on biblical teachings. True, it is a holy book, but is it the most holy? Is it wise to put all of our faith in a book that may have lost some of its meaning? Of course not, to a Muslim, the Quran is Allah's hand on earth. It's pure because it hasn't been altered, and by following its teachings one becomes that much closer to God.

This emphasis on betterment by wealth also puts more focus on the individual then on the community. Mohammad's teachings say that community involvement and charity are very important to a person's life. The third pillar of Islam says that a person must give alms to the poor, and Islamic people are required to give two and a half percent of their yearly earnings toward charity. A Muslim might look at the way some people help out others as a good thing, but when they see how little we

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