Brief
Feedback:
Islam
is the religion and the way of life of Muslims of the world. There
are over one billion Muslims spread across the globe in all nationalities,
languages and ethnic backgrounds. Islam was the religion of the first
couple, Adam and Eve.
Being
dated
back to the age of Adam & Eve Islam's message has been conveyed
to man by God's prophets and messengers, including Abrahim, Moses,
Jesus and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Them All).
The
Meaning of Islam
Understanding what the actual word "Islam"
means is best way in understanding the religion which acquire its
name from it. Why? Because
the word is rich in meaning and has many connections to other fundamental
Islamic concepts
The
Arabic term 'islam means "submission"
and itself comes from the term 'aslama,
which means "to surrender, resign oneself." In Islam, the
fundamental duty of each member is to submit to Allah (Arabic for
"the God") and whatever Allah wants of them. A person who
follows Islam is called a Muslim, and this means "one who surrenders
to God."
In the religious sense, Islam means submission to the will of God
and obedience to His law. As a religion, Islam stands for complete
submission and obedience to Allah.
Everything
and every phenomenon in the world other than man is administered totally
by God-made laws, ie. they are obedient to God and submissive to his
laws, they are in the State of Islam. Man possesses the qualities
of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the good
will of God and obey His law, ie, become a Muslim.
Submission
to the good will of God, together with obedience to His beneficial
Law, ie, becoming a Muslim, is the best safeguard for man's peace
and harmony.
Islam's
message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious
evolution by God's last prophet and messenger, Muhammad.
The
word Allah in the Arabic language means God, or more accurately, The
One and Only Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, Lord of all lords,
King of all kings, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. The word Allah
to mean God is also used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians.
The
Last Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH):
Jesus
(peace be on him) was the second-last prophet of God. He foretold
the coming of the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). While the
message of the earlier messengers, including Jesus was limited, prophet
Muhammad's message and mission is universal and will remain so till
the end of this world.
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THE
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM :
| 1
- |
Faith
- Imaan |
| 2
- |
Prayer |
| 3
- |
The
'Zakat "Purification" |
| 4
- |
The
Fast |
| 5
- |
Pilgrimage
(Hajj) |
These
five pillars are the framework of the Muslim life: faith,
prayer, concern
for the needy, self-purification,
and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those
who are able.
1
- FAITH -
(The arabic word: Imaan)
There
is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger.
This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula
which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la
ilaha illa Llah - 'there is no god except God'; ilaha (god) can
refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God
- wealth, power, and the like. Then comes illa Llah: 'except God',
the source of all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun
rasulu'Llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of God.' A message of guidance
has come through a man like ourselves.
Shahada
writing in arabic text |
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Image
above :
English Reading: "There is no
god but Allah, and Muhammad is his Messenger"
Arabic Prononsation: (La ilaha ill-Allah,
Muhammad-ur rasul-ullah) |
Salat
is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five
times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and
God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests,
so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Quran,
chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses
from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the
Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's
own language.
Prayers
are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall,
and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it
is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may
pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories
and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by
the centrality of prayers in daily life.
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A
translation of the Call to Prayer is:
God
is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God.
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| 3
- THE 'ZAKAT' - "Purification"
The financial obligation upon Muslims. |
One
of the most important principles of Islam is that all things
belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings
in trust. The word zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'.
Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for
those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting
back balances and encourages new growth.
Each
Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most
purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half
percent of one's capital.
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every
Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet
replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then
give something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked:
'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help
poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he
cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do
good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet
said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'
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4-
THE FAST
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Every
year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light
until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.
Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who
are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and
make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are
physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person
for every day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe
the prayer) from puberty, although many start earlier.
Although
the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally
as a method of self purification. By cutting oneself off from
worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains
true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in
one's spiritual life.
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5
- PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ) ( Hajj Information Center )
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The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the Hajj - is an obligation
only for those who are physically and financially able to perform
it. Nevertheless, about two million people go to Makkah each
year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity
for those of different nations to meet one another. Although
Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins
in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which is lunar, not
solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes
in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which
strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand
equal before God.
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Left
Image: Pilgrims
praying at the mosque in Makkah. |
The
rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling
the Ka'ba seven times, and going seven times between the mountains
of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar during her search for water. Then the
pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafa and join in prayers
for God's forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of
the Last Judgment.
In
previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous undertaking. Today, however,
Saudi Arabia provides millions of people with water, modern transport,
and the most up-to-date health facilities.
The
close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid al-Adha, which
is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities
everywhere. This, and the Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the
end of Ramadan, are the main festivals of the Muslim calendar.
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Basic
Islamic Beliefs & Principles
Belief in One God
Belief in all of God's messengers
Belief in all the books sent down to His prophets. These books include
Torah and Gospel & the Quran
Belief in the existence of angels
Belief in the Day of Judgment and Life after Death, Heaven and Hell
Belief in the Divine Decree or Predestination, its good and its
bad.
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BELIEF IN GOD:
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son
nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him
alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has
the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one
shares His divinity, nor His attributes. In the Quran, God describes
Himself:
"Say,
“He is God, the One. God, to Whom the creatures turn for their
needs. He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none like
Him.”" (Quran,
112:1-4)
GOD
ALMIGHTY is One and the Only One.
He is not two in one or three in one. This means that Islam rejects
the idea of trinity or such a unity of God which implies more than
one God in one
No
one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown
any act of worship, but God alone. |
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God
alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer
of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He
stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend
on Him for all that they need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing,
and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner, His knowledge encompasses
all things, the open and the secret, and the public and the private.
He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen.
No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever
He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not and will never
be. His will is above the will of all the creatures. He has power
over all things, and He is able to do everything.
He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent.
In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we are told
that God is more merciful to His creatures than a mother to her
child. (1) God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is
All-Wise in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something
from God, he or she can ask God directly without asking anyone else
to intercede with God for him or her.
God
is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God.2 Even Jesus himself rejected
this. God has said in the Quran:
"Indeed,
they have disbelieved who have said, “God is the Messiah (Jesus),
son of Mary.” The Messiah said, “Children of Israel,
worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever associates partners
in worship with God, then God has forbidden Paradise for him, and
his home is the Fire (Hell). For the wrongdoers,3
there will be no helpers.”"
(Quran, 5:72)
God
is not a trinity. God has said in the Quran:
"Indeed,
they disbelieve who say, “God is the third of three (in a
trinity),” when there is no god but one God. If they desist
not from what they say, truly, a painful punishment will befall
the disbelievers among them. Would they not rather repent to God
and ask His forgiveness? For God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a messenger..."
(Quran, 5:73-75)
Islam
rejects that God rested on the seventh day of the creation, that
He wrestled with one of His angels, that He is an envious plotter
against mankind, or that He is incarnate in any human being. Islam
also rejects the attribution of any human form to God. All of these
are considered blasphemous. God is the Exalted. He is far removed
from every imperfection. He never becomes weary. He does not become
drowsy nor does he sleep.
The
Arabic word Allah means God (the one and only true God who created
the whole universe). This word Allah is a name for God, which is
used by Arabic speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians.
This word cannot be used to designate anything other than the one
true God. The Arabic word Allah occurs in the Quran about 2700 times.
In Aramaic, a language related closely to Arabic and the language
that Jesus habitually spoke,4
God is also referred to as Allah.
BELIEF IN THE ANGELS:
Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are
honored creatures. The angels worship God alone, obey Him, and act
only by His command. Among the angels is Gabriel, who brought down
the Quran to Muhammad (PBUH).
Muslims
believe that there are unseen creatures such as angels created by
God in the universe for special missions
BELIEF IN GOD's REVEALED BOOKS:
Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof
for mankind and as guidance for them. Among these books is the Quran,
which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). God has guaranteed
the Quran’s protection from any corruption or distortion.
God has said:
Indeed,
We have sent down the Quran, and surely We will guard it (from corruption).
(Quran, 15:9)
BELIEF IN THE PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS OF GOD:
Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting
with Adam, including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses,
and Jesus (peace be upon them). But God’s final message to
man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims believe that Muhammad (PBUH) is
the last prophet sent by God, as God has said:
"Muhammad
is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger
of God and the last of the prophets..."
(Quran, 33:40)
Muslims
believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human
beings who had none of the divine qualities of God.
Muslims
believe that God sent different messengers throughout the history
of mankind. All came with the same message and the same teachings.
It was the people who misunderstood and misinterpreted them. Muslims
believe in Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Moses, David, Jesus
and Muhammad. The Prophets of Christianity and Judaism are indeed
the Prophets of Islam
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BELIEF
IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT:
Muslims
believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all
people of the world throughout the history of mankind till the last
Day of life on earth will be resurrected for God’s judgment
according to their beliefs and deeds. People will be brought for
accounting, reward and punishment
BELIEF
IN Al-QADAR (Divine):
Muslims
believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief
in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not
have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human
beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong
and that they are responsible for their choices.
The
belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:
1) God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will
happen.
2) God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
3) Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not
to happen does not happen.
4) God is the Creator of everything.
What
do Muslims believe in?
Allah
The ONE GOD
Islam is based on faith in a Higher Power, the Gracious Lord and
Creator of the Universe, without family or partners, called 'Allah'.
Muslims prefer to use the Arabic word Allah for God, because it
has no plural, feminine or diminutive form that could be associated
with idolatry (i.e. gods, goddesses or 'demi-gods'). Although Allah
is referred to as 'He,' it is understood that God is Self-Sufficient,
and transcends both duality and gender; Allah has 99 Names that
are mentioned in the holy Qur'an.
Allah is Merciful and Just, All-Knowing and All-Seeing, Friend and
Guide, and the only one worthy of our worship and devotion.
WHO
ARE MUSLIMS ??
Muslims
can not ONLY be recognised by dress or nationality. Muslims are
found in any corner of the Globe. Almost one-fourth of the world's
population is Muslim. And although some people mistakenly believe
that all Muslims are Arab (or vice versa), Arabs make up only 18%
of the world's Muslim population. Muslims are found everywhere from
West Africa to Eastern Europe to China and the Philippines, and
they are establishing a growing presence in the West. Muslims come
in all races and colours, are found in all professions and walks
of life, and have made significant contributions to every field
of human endeavour since the beginning of Islam, from science and
mathematics to art and the humanities.
In
today's 'global village,' there is no place on earth that they are
not making an impact. Furthermore, despite media bias, the vast
majority of Muslims belong to stable, loving families, and have
nothing to do with terrorism or other acts of violence.
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| Every
one was born Muslim !! |
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The
Prophet Muhmmad (PBUH) reported that Allah said, "I created
my servants in the right religion but devils made them go
astray". The Prophet (PBUH) also said, "Each child
is born in a state of "Fitrah", then his parents
make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal
gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that
were born mutilated?" - (Collected
by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
So,
just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah
has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the
fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents
try to make him follow their own way and the child is not
strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or
oppose the will of his parents.
The
religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom
and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish
him for this religion. (By Abu Ameena Bilal Phillips )
If
the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own
way, but all children are affected by those things around
them, seen or unseen.
Although
people are inclined to forgetfulness and sin, Islam affirms
an overall positive view of man - who has been created as
God's representative on earth - and teaches that faith and
appreciation of goodness is inherent to human nature. Furthermore,
children are born in a state of purity and do not 'inherit'
sin. Life's test is to do one's best and to resist evil in
the world and within oneself, so that one can stand before
Allah with a clean heart on the Day of Judgement.
Those
who are successful will be rewarded in Paradise, but those
who have neglected their souls will be doomed to Hell. Each
individual is responsible for his own actions, and cannot
rely on the goodness of others to absolve him of his sins.
Although
in the end, no one can attain salvation except by Allah's
grace, the normal prerequisites will be faith accompanied
by good works that, together, weigh heavier in the balance
than the wrong that one has done. Reward will be granted in
proportion to effort.
Paradise
is a place of physical and spiritual beauty and perfection,
where people will have their hearts' desires and will be blessed
with the vision of Allah Most High.
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A
solution to today's problems
Despite
the negative manner in which Muslims are often portrayed by the
media, many people are surprised to find, upon deeper investigation,
that Islam provides a solution to their spiritual, personal and
social needs.
It
offers a faith based on reason, free of superstition or the need
for intermediaries between oneself and God; it actively promotes
racial brotherhood and harmony; and its economic guidelines encourage
fair exchange between rich and poor, capital and labour.
Its political system (in the original, pure form) is based on a
deep concern for justice and human rights, and it provides guidelines
by which people of different faiths can live with one another in
harmony. Furthermore, its model for family life offers an alternative
to the current breakdown of the family in Western society, and the
ensuing social disintegration and chaos.
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Why
do People have Different Believes??
The
question which arises here is, "How can all people be expected
to believe in Allah given their varying- backgrounds, societies
and cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allah
they all have to have access to knowledge of Allah. The final revelation
teaches that all mankind have the recognition of Allah imprinted
on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are
created.
In
Soorah Al-A'raaf, Verses 172-173; Allah explained
that when He created Adam, He caused all of Adam's descendants to
come into existence and took a pledge from them saying, Am I not
your Lord? To which they all replied, " Yes, we testify to
It:'
Allah
then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is
their creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said, "That
was In case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection,
"Verily we were unaware of all this."
That is to say, we had no idea that You Allah, were our God. No
one told us that we were only supposed to worship You alone. Allah
went on to explain that it was also In case you should say, "Certainly
It was our ancestors who made partners (With Allah) and we are only
their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars
did?" Thus, every child is born with a natural
belief in Allah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone called
in Arabic the "Fitrah".
The
rest of the article below, is mentioned above in the
(Every
one was born Muslim !!)
If
the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own way,
but all children are affected by those things around them, seen
or unseen.
The
Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, "I created my servants
in the right religion but devils made them go astray". The
Prophet (PBUH) also said, "Each child is born in a state of
"Fitrah", then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or
a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring.
Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?" (Collected
by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has
put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that
Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him
follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early
stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents.
The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom
and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish
him for this religion. (By Abu Ameena Bilal Phillips )
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WHY
ISLAM IS A UNIQUE Religion??
Every
religion of the world has been named either after the name of its
founder or after the community and nation in which that religion
took its birth. For instance, Christianity takes its appellation
from the name of its prophet Jesus Christ; Zoroastrians from its
founder zoroaster; and Judaism, the religion of the Jews, from the
name of the tribe Judah (of the country of judea) wherein it took
its birth. Similar is the case with other religions. But not so
with Islam. This religion enjoys the unique distinction of having
no such association with any particular person or people. The word
‘Islam’ does not confer any such relationship-for it
does not belong to any particular person, people, or country. It
is neither the product of any human mind nor is it confined to any
particular community. It is a universal religion and its objective
is to create and cultivate in man the quality and attitude of Islam.
Islam, as a matter of fact, is an attributive title. Whosoever possesses
this attributive, may he belong to any race, community, country,
or clan, is a Muslim. According to the Qur'an (the Holy Book of
the Muslims), among every people and in all ages there have been
good and righteous people who possessed this attribute of them were
and are Muslims.
This
automatically brings us to the question: What does Islam mean? And
who is a Muslim?
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Source
of Islam
The
legal sources of Islam are the Qur'an and the Hadith. The Qur'an
is the exact word of God; its authenticity, originality and totality
are intact. The Hadith is the report of the sayings, deeds and [tacit]
approvals of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet's sayings and deeds
are called Sunnah.
The
Seerah is the writings of followers of Muhammad about the life of
the Prophet. Hence, it is the life history of the Prophet Muhammad
which provides examples of daily living for Muslims.
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Conclusion
The
image of a healthy tree, evergreen, giving shade and bearing delicious,
fragrant fruit year-round, is a parable of a balanced Muslim. The
source of this parable is the Qur'an, which says, 'A good word is
like a good tree whose root is firmly fixed, and whose branches
reach to heaven; bearing fruit in all seasons by the permission
of its Lord' (Qur'an 14:24-5).
If
we imagine that the tree represents a Muslim who is sincerely striving
to embody Islamic ideals, then the seed of this tree is the shahadah.
This affirmation of God's unity permeates and colours every cell,
so that his every thought, word and action is formed within the
matrix of this understanding. The roots, which nourish the tree
and grant it stability, can be likened to the Articles of Faith
- belief in God, His angels, holy books, prophets, the Day of Judgement
and Divine destiny.
The
trunk grows through faith in Allah and His Messenger, which extends
from the seed to the branches. Five branches represent the Five
Pillars: they give the tree its shape and habit. Furthermore, the
leaves represent Islamic manners and customs (such as greeting with
'salaam' or wearing modest dress). They are what make the tree attractive
and recognisable from a distance, and provide shade to other creatures.
In the end, however, a tree's purpose remains unfulfilled until
it bears fruit. The fruits of the tree are good character: qualities
such as truthfulness, patience, courage, empathy, love, and compassion,
along with all the other things that we desire in a friend, spouse
or colleague; namely, the things that make us human.
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References:
(1)
Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2754, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5999.
(2)
It was reported by the Associated Press, London, on June 25, 1984,
that a majority of the Anglican bishops surveyed by a television
program said, “Christians are not obliged to believe that
Jesus Christ was God.” The poll was of 31 of England’s
39 bishops. The report further stated that 19 of the 31 bishops
said it was sufficient to regard Jesus as “God’s supreme
agent.” The poll was conducted by London Weekend Television’s
weekly religious program, “Credo.”
(3)
The wrongdoers include the polytheists.
(4)
NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible, Douglas, p. 42.
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