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Last night I heard a shiur from R. Frand about whether it was permissible to enter a mosque. It is forbiden to enter a house of avodah zarah (idol worship). The Ran and Mei'ri believe that Islam is true avodah zarah because they bow down to Mohammad and in effect deify him. Another rabbi in our time (didn't catch the name) ruled that if threatened with conversion to Islam or death, choose death because it falls under the three biggies, one of them is die rather than become an idolater. He even goes so far as to say that whoever doesn't believe in the one true religion ie. Judaism, is in the same category of idolaters. That seemed outrightly arrogant ant presumptuous. He is negating all the laws pertaining to non-Jews who aren't actual idol worshipers who have a legal status different than true idolaters thus making everyone but Jews idolaters. He also lacks a clear understanding of Islam and its tenets, with the dangerous inclination to issue rulings that would in effect put people in the position where they must accept a death sentence based on this rabbi's faulty knowledge. Why not err on the side of life and just look at the conclusion of the Yoreh day-eh and Rambam that says that Islam is a religion of monotheism. Muslims, themselves, say there is ONE true god even though they give Him a different name and Mohammad is His PROPHET (not a god).The group I was with seemed upset by that conclusion, the one which ultimately Rabbi Frand ended with, that it is permissible to enter a mosque including M'arat hamachpaila. They argued with me that Muslims claim Mohammad had powers and that should be considered like deification. I retorted by asking what of our rabbis that we claim had powers to read the future in a mezzuzah or the other nonsense in all these books with legends of our rabbis. It's OK to ascribe powers to a person and consider them gifts of God without saying the individual in question is a god.
Another man claimed that Rambam only said that because he lived among Muslims. That is indeed a valid point but the reality is that the analysis that Islam is a monotheistic religion also holds true by an honest assessment by all of us in non-Muslim countries as well.
It seems everyone is looking to find the worst in those we consider 'other' rather than assessing the facts as they are. Now go bow down to Allah and get out there and make a profit.