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INTRODUCING

ISLAM
Part I & Part II

Compiled and Edited by


Akm Fakhrul Islam
Al-Qur’an Research Foundation-USA(AQRF-
USA)
Tel:718-855-8114(H); 646-610-3804(Cell)
Email:islamakm@yahoo.com
www.scribd.com/my_docs
www.travelsandhajj.com
Introducing Islam Part I & II 2

Preface of: Akm Fakhrul Islam

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.


Praise belongs to Allah alone; Peace and blessing on the last
Prophet, his family and his Companions.
The Holy Qur’an says:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a
female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know
and honor each other (not that you may despise each other). Indeed
the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the most righteous
of you.” [Surah Al-Hujuraat, 49:13]

And then God Almighty advises us in The Qur’an:


“Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful
preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most
gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His
Path, and who receive guidance.” [Surah An-Nahl, 16:125]

May the peace and blessings of God be upon everyone who made it
possible for us to receive God’s Message, especially all of the
Messengers and Prophets of God, their companions, and all others
who followed them, and paved the way for us.

I was introduced to the valuable and concise treatise on the Basics


of Islam and Muslim's belief written from the world reknowned
Islamic Scholars. I compiled and edited hundreds of articles written
by the scholars who cover the creed of the Sunnites and the
mainstream majority of the Muslims in the area of the Oneness of
Allah, His attributes, the belief in the angels, the books and the
messengers, the Day of Judgment, and in the belief in fate and the
divine decree. I tried to succeed in collecting what the seeker of
knowledge and every Muslim and Non-Muslim kids and adults,
men or women i.e. all the human being needs for his belief in Allah,
His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the Day of Judgment,
and fate. I tried to include in my treatise useful information related
to the Muslim's beliefs, basic knowledge and some common
questions and answers from the Islamic scholars that are not readily
available in many of the books written on the different topics. This
Introducing Islam Part I & II 3
is why some topics, questions and answers of the Scholar’s writings
might have been appeared repeatedly for seeing the similarity.
May Allah reward us, increase our knowledge and guidance, and
make this book and my other books most useful for the all mankind.
May Allah, the Hearer and the Close, bless us and all our brothers
and make us among those who are guiding and rightly guided to call
people to Allah with sure perfect knowledge.

God Almighty accepts our miniscule efforts in compiling and


editing this small book ‘Introducing Islam Part I & II’ and will be
continued to be Part III and Part IV Insha Allah. It is our hope
and prayer that this may light the way as we go through the dark
alleys of life. May God reward all those who have helped in this
effort.

It is my sincere desire and hope that this book would be of great


help to those who consult it and for all the youths and for all the
Muslims and Non-Muslims. Please include in your prayer all those
who contributed to its present shape.
Ameen! Summa Ameen!
Akm Fakhrul Islam
Introducing Islam Part I & II 4

Introduction
Praise be to the Lord of the universe who gives the best reward to
the God-fearing and the great loss to the transgressor. I bear witness
that there is no God but Allah; He has no partner and possesses real
sovereignty. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and
messenger; the seal of the prophets and the leader of the God-
fearing and the guide of all the human beings. May Allah bless him,
his family, his Companions, and those who follow them till the Day
of Judgment.

Allah has sent His messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, with
the real guidance and the true religion as a mercy to mankind, as a
model for those who do well, and as His argument against mankind.
Through Muhammad and what was revealed to him (the Qur'an and
the Prophetic sayings), Allah showed mankind all means of
reforming itself and straightening its religious and mundane affairs
in sound beliefs, right conduct, fine morals, and laudable manners.
The Prophet(peace be upon him), "left his followers on a clear
straight path, only the doomed will deviate from it"(Ibn Majah and
Ahmad). His followers, the Companions, their followers, and those
who followed them faithfully are the best of mankind. They
established his law, upheld his way, and held fast to it as a belief and
practice, a moral and manner. Thus "they are considered the party
who are victorious, on the straight path, unharmed by those who are
against them till the end of the world" (Bukhari and Muslim).

Thanks to Allah, we are following their footsteps and are being


guided by their examples, which are supported by the Qur'an and
the prophetic traditions. We are saying this only as an announcement
of Allah's blessings and as a clarification of what every Muslim
should believe. We pray to Allah that He may keep us on the straight
path in this life and in the hereafter. May He give us mercy, for He
is the For Giver.

Due to the importance of the basics and fundamentals of Islam and


the difference of opinions about it, I tried to explain briefly our
creed-the belief of the Sunnah and the mainstream Muslims (Ahl as-
Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah). This creed is the belief in Allah, His angels,
His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and fate, whether
Introducing Islam Part I & II 5
good or bad. I pray to Allah to make this effort sincere for His sake,
in agreement with His wish, and useful for all human beings.

It’s a collection of articles, Questions and Answers and opinions


from the world scholars dealing with different Islamic issues so that
the readers around the world can get basic idea at a glance.

May Allah accept our times, energy and support regarding this
research work and thanks to those for their all sorts of contributions
for the publications of my compilations, editions and research works
for the greater benefits of all human beings in here and in the
hereafter.
Ameen! Summa Ameen!!
Akm Fakhrul Islam
President
Al-Qur’an Research Foundation-USA(AQRF-USA)
161 Park Ave # 1
Brooklyn, NY11205
Tel:718-855-8114(H); 646-610-3804(Cell)
Email:islamakm@yahoo.com
www.scribd.com/my_docs
www.travelsandhajj.com

To Learn more about Islam, visit:


www.understandingislam.org
www.come.to/learnislam
www.thetruereligion.org
www.universaltruth.org
www.islam-online.net
www.islamworld.net
www.islam-qa.com
www.islamweb.net
www.islaam.com
www.cair-net.org
www.jannah.org
Introducing Islam Part I & II 6
Introducing Islam Part I
Contents
Sl. No. Subjects Page
01.00.00: Introduction to Islam 7
01.00.00: Islam is the Submission to God
01.01.00: The Meaning of Islam
02.00.00: Origins of Islam 8
02.01.00: Islam: The True Religion
02.02.00: Islam: The Religion of All
03.00.00: Basic Beliefs of a Muslim 9
03.01.00: Beliefs and Principles 10
03.02.00: Basic Islamic Beliefs 11
04.00.00: God in Islam
04.01.00: God and Man 11
04.02.00: Who is Allah? 14
04.02.01: To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty,
Creator and Sustainer of the universe
05.00.00: The Basic Articles of Faith in Islam 15
05.01.00: Faith in One God (Allah, the One and Only God) 15
05.02.00: Messengers and Prophets of God 15
05.02.01: Difference among the Messengers,
Prophets & Imams
05.03.00: Revelations and the Qur’an
05.04.00: The Angels in Islam
05.04.01: The Devil in Islam
05.05.00: Man & life after death
05.05.01: The Day of Judgment
05.06.00: Qadaa and Qadar

06.00.00: Pillars of Islam and Application of Faith


06.01.00: Witnessing (Shahada)
06.02.00: Prayer (Salah)
06.02.01: Obligatory prayers
06.02.02: Highly recommended prayer
06.02.03: Optional prayer: Voluntary prayer
during the day and night
06.02.04: Prayer
Introducing Islam Part I & II 7
06.03.00: Obligatory Charity (Zakah)
06.04.00: Fasting (Sawm) in the month of Ramadan:
06.05.00: The Pilgrimage (Hajj)
07.00.00: Islam is a Complete, Comprehensive Code of Life
07.01.00: Islam extends its sense of organization to all walks of life
08.00.00: The purpose of life
09.00.00: Status of Human Beings
10.00.00: Why has Islam continued to be so
successful in the modern world?
10.01.00: Why do Muslims think that Islam is True?
Is there any factual basis?

11.00.00: Introducing Islam to non-Muslims


12.00.00: Introduction to Islam and Muslims
13.00.00: Islam The Religion of All
14.00.00: How to Become a Muslim
14.01.00: How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim
15.00.00: Rights of women in Islam
16.00.00: The Partial Ablution (Wudu')
16.01.00: How to Perform Wudu Islamic Ablution
17.00.00: Prayer Timings
17.01.00: The Conduct of Salah
17.02.00: Adhan (call to prayer)
17.03.00: Dua After Adhan
17.05.00: 21 Hadith from Sahih Al-Bukhari: Regarding Adhan and
Salah
18.00.00: The Right Way to Pray
18.01.00: Prayer Guide in Arabic
19.00.00: Important Lessons for the Muslim Ummah
Introducing Islam Part I & II 8
Bismilla-hir’rah Ma-nir-Rahim

In the Name of Allah The Compassionate, The Merciful

01.00.00: Introduction to Islam


01.01.00: Islam is the Submission to God
."He decreed for you the same religion decreed for Noah, and what
we inspired to you, and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and
Jesus: "You shall uphold this one religion, and do not divide it."
(Surah Ash-Shura, v.42:13)
.
This Quranic verse, alongside numerous other verses, confirms the
truth that as far as God is concerned there has always been one
religion. The one religion was decreed to Noah, Abraham, Moses,
Jesus and Muhammad.

All the Scripture revealed to mankind from God advocate one and
the same religion. This religion God calls Islam (Submission to
God). Submission to God as a religion is also described as
Monotheism (Hanifeyah) …see 3:67, 6:79, 10:105, 98:5.

Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith,
and bowed his will to Allah's (Which is Islam), and he joined not
gods with Allah.[3:67]

"For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who
created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to
Allah."[6:79]

And, (O Muhammad) set thy purpose resolutely for religion, as a


man by nature upright, and be not of those who ascribe partners (to
Allah).[10:105]

And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship


Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 9
establish regular prayer; and to practice regular charity; and that is
the Religion Right and Straight.[98:5]

The principal command from God in all Scripture is to worship God


alone devoting all the religion to Him and rejecting all other
gods/idols:

"You shall have no other gods besides Me" [Old Testament: Exodus
20:3 (First Commandment)]

"You shall worship the Lord your God and Him ONLY you shall
serve" [New Testament: Luke 4:8]

"You shall know that: "There is no other god beside God".[The


Qur’an: 47:19]
.
Submission to God is the religion whereby we recognize God's
absolute authority, and reach an unshakeable conviction that God
ALONE possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power
that is independent of Him. The natural result of such a realization is
to devote our lives and our worship absolutely to God ALONE. As
shown this is the message of all Scripture.

The above Quranic verse (Surah Ash-Shura, 42:13) confirms that


the religion that was revealed to Muhammad through the Quran is
not different from what was given to the previous prophets.

Within the religion of Islam God decreed specific rituals and


practices designed to teach man to worship his Lord. These acts
(Prayer, pilgrimage .... etc.) were taught first to Abraham.
This truth is given light in numerous verses such as:
.
"We made them (Abraham and his sons) imams who guided in
accordance with our commandments, and we taught them how to
work righteousness, and how to observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)
and the obligatory charity (Zakat)." [21:73]
.
Essentially, if there is only one religion decreed by God there must
be One 'truth'. Do we conclude that there should be one revelation?
The answer to this question is that 'truth' and 'revelation' are not
Introducing Islam Part I & II 10
absolutely equivalent terms. Because 'truth' is an absolute term it is
situated independent of form, whereas revelations are relative to
time, people and place, and thus require a form. But to speak of
form is to speak of diversity and thus plurality.

The need for different revelations at different times and for different
people is justified by the following factors:
(1) Mankind has gone through enormous development through the
ages physically, mentally and spiritually, that there was always
the need for various revelations at different times and for
different peoples. Although the various revelations are united in
message and truth, yet we find that God never addresses
identical revelations to two different people. This being so, it
can be said that the diverse revelation do not, and should not
contradict one another, for although they differ in form, the
religion decreed in all of them (Monotheism) is one.

(2) If there appear any apparent contradictions between different


revelations, they are in human receptacles and not in the divine
message. This is a result of human inability to interpret such
revelations and more importantly the failure to preserve the
'truth' contained in the revelation, which always tends to be
impaired and altered with the passing of time.

Ultimately, the apparent contradiction is no more than one


between corrupt scripts and interpretations of the original
revelations, and not between the revelations themselves.

Inevitably, and through corruption in the transfer and


application of a Scripture, together with the social and cultural
factors that always widen the gap between the factions, we are
left with a multitude of corrupt religions. These sub-religions in
many ways hardly bare any resemblance to one another, or to
the original religion decreed by God.

For that, there becomes a necessity for mankind to receive


another revelation that puts them back on track with God's law
that has been badly corrupted.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 11
(3) We find that up until the advent of the industrial revolution and
the fast travel era, the world was still a wide expanse of
disjointed lands and peoples.

Many people would have not even heard of those Scripture that
have already been revealed in various other parts of the world.
This is why a new scripture would be revealed to new
communities who have not received the Scripture.

However, after the revelation of the Qur’an, there became no need


for any further revelations. Not because the message of the Qur’an
is much different from the message of the Torah or the Gospel, but
because of the following reasons:
(A) A divine promise has been endorsed in the Qur’an that it will
not be corrupted like previous Scripture. As a result, and if
the message would remain intact in one Scripture, there
becomes no need to reveal further Scripture.
(B) With the advent of the modern fast travel means of today, the
whole world became a closer knit unit. People do not have to
travel to hear or receive information; it is brought right up to
them through the various media channels that were not
available a few centuries ago.

"The only religion approved by God is Islam (Submission)." [Surah


Al-Imran, 3:19]
.
The word Islam simply means Submission (to God). We learn from
previous Scripture that all the prophets of God submitted to God
Almighty and called their people to submit to the One and only
God.

It is a mistaken concept among Muslims (and non Muslims alike)


that Islam is basically the religion of the Qur’an and the religion of
Muhammad.

God tells in the Qur’an that Islam (Submission to God) is as old as


Abraham (22:78), and that all the practices of Islam were first given
to Abraham and his sons long before Muhammad was born.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 12
Millions of Muslims today believe that it was Muhammad who
taught them how to pray and conduct their other rituals. This belief
is erroneous since it violates the truth of the Qur’an. In the Quran
we read:
(1) God taught Abraham and his sons all the rituals of Islam
(Prayer, pilgrimage, Zakat ... etc see 21:73, 22:26-29). This
took place long before the time of Muhammad.
(2) Muhammad was in fact commanded to follow the religion of
Abraham (16:123) .... This is described in the same verse as
being Monotheism, which is submission to God without setting
any idols besides Him. But God also tells Muhammad in verse
5:48 that within each revelation there are specific laws and rites
that are specific to the receivers of this particular revelation.
Hence the command is issued in 5:48 that Muhammad should
follow the rites given to him in the Quran and NOT the rites of
previous people.

This is followed by God’s description of the Quran as 'COMPLETE'


(6:115), 'FULLY DETAILED' (6:114), that 'NOTHING' has been
left out of it (6:38) and that it offers ‘explanations for
EVERYTHING’ 16:89.

God calls this One religion that He decreed to all previous prophets
Islam (Submission).

It is through this overall plan that we should understand the meaning


of the phrase (the only religion acceptable to God is Islam). It does
not mean that Islam is exclusively the religion of the Qur’an, nor
does it mean that Islam is the religion first brought by Muhammad.

01.02.00: Meaning of Islam


Islam is Arabic word which means peace, purity, submission, and
obedience. In the religious sense, Islam means the complete
submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.

Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than


humankind are administered totally by God-made laws; they are
obedient to God and submissive to his laws. Therefore they are in a
state of Islam.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 13
Humankind posses the qualities of intelligence and choice, thus
he/she is invited to submit to the good will of God, obeying His law,
i.e. become a Muslim.

Islam’s message has been restored and manifested in the last stage
of the religious evolution by God’s last Prophet and Messenger,
Muhammad (peace be up them).

Allah in the Arabic language refers to God, or more accurately: The


One and Only Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, Almighty,
Omnipotent, Most Compassionate and Merciful. [Dr. Mohammed
Ibrahim Elmasry]

"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root salaama peace, purity,


submission and obedience. In the religious sense, Islam means
submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.

Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than man and
jinn is administered totally by God-made laws, they are obedient to
God and submissive to His laws, i.e. they are in the state of Islam.
Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is
invited to submit to the good will of God and obey His law, i.e.
become a Muslim. Submission to the good will of God, together
with obedience to His beneficial law, i.e. becoming a Muslim, is the
best safeguard for man's peace and harmony.

Islam dates back to the age of Adam and its message have been
conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. 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. [Islam: It’s Meaning and Message:
Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 14
"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root 'salama' (i.e. peace, purity,
submission and obedience). In the religious sense, Islam means
"submission to the will of God and obedience to His law".
Everything in the world, except man and jinn is totally obedient to
God and submissive to His laws (i.e. they are in the state of Islam).

Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is


invited to submit to the good will of God and obey His law (i.e.
become a Muslim).

The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of


Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ (AS). Buddhism
after Gotama Buddha and Confucianism after Confucius nor was it
named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and
Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah
(God)" and as such, its name represents the central principle of
Allah's religion: the total submission to the will of Allah (God).

The name of God's religion was chosen by Allah (God) Himself and
clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man:
[Quran 5.3] ...This day have I perfected for you your religion and
completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion;

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah (God) saying to Prophet
Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor
to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity.

Islam dates back to the age of Adam and its message have been
conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.

The Qur’an Says in 3:67-68:


(67) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an)
upright (man), a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. (68)
Most surely the nearest of people to Abraham are those who
followed him and this Prophet (Muhammed (SAW)) and those who
believe and Allah (God) is the guardian of the believers. [Al-
Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000. Issued
by Imam Ali Foundation–London]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 15
The word Islam means, submission to Allah’s will; and a Muslim is
one who submits to Allah’s will. It is a religion which gives guided
maximum freedom. It can be followed easily by everyone,
everywhere, everyday. It enjoins one to believe in one God; to keep
up prayers and give immensely in charity; to fast during Ramadhan;
to perform the Hajj (pilgrimage) if affordable; to fight the self
through abstinence in order to gain true freedom; and to believe in
the Allah’s justice. It forbids evil and tyranny, prohibits
consumption of intoxicants and the blood and flesh of swine, among
others; it forbids playing games of chance; committing adultery, etc.

Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed
through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's
population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life.
Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the
majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which
have come to be associated with their faith.

01.03.00: Islam: Definition


The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and submission to
God. This submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort
to submit to the one Almighty God. One must consciously and
conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to
act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the Qur'an) and what
His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged us to do in his
Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur'an).

Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit


totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we
will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts
will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.

Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip


service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be
practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice
the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness
of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting
the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah;
and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy
Introducing Islam Part I & II 16
Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God's
decree, whether for good or ill.

There are other injunctions and commandments which concern


virtually all facets of one's personal, family and civic life. These
include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygeine,
interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards
parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance,
civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with
non-Muslims, and so much more.

01.03.01: Who is a Muslim?


The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God.
This is done by declaring that "there is no god except one God and
Muhammad is the messenger of God." In a broader sense, anyone
who willingly submits to the will of God is a Muslim. Thus, all the
prophets preceding the prophet Muhammad are considered
Muslims. The Qur’an specifically mentions Abraham who lived
long before Moses and Christ that, "he was not a Jew or a Christian
but a Muslim," because, he had submitted to the will of God. Thus
there are Muslims who are not submitting at all to the will of God
and there are Muslims who are doing their best to live an Islamic
life. One cannot judge Islam by looking at those individuals who
have a Muslim name but in their actions, they are not living or
behaving as Muslims. The extent of being a Muslim can be
according to the degree to which one is submitting to the will of
God, in his beliefs and his actions.

01.03.02: How should Muslims live with Jews & Christians?


The Quran calls them "People of the Book", i.e., those who received
Divine scriptures before Muhammad (P). Muslims are told to treat
them with respect and justice and do not fight with them unless they
initiate hostilities or ridicule their faith. The Muslims ultimate hope
is that they all will join them in worshipping one God and submit to
His will.

"Say (O Muhammad): O people of the Book (Jews and Christians)


come to an agreement between us and you, that we shall worship
none but Allah, and that we shall take no partners with Him, and
none of us shall take others for Lords beside Allah. And if they turn
Introducing Islam Part I & II 17
away, then say: Bear witness that we are those who have
surrendered (unto Him)." (Qur’an 3:64)

What about Hindus, Bahai, Buddhists and members of other


religions? They should also be treated with love, respect, and
understanding to make them recipients of Invitations to Islam.

01.03.03: The Muslim's Beliefs


Unlike other beings, man has the tendency to think that any thing
that is organized much have an organizer. Islam simply applies the
same natural logic to the universe and the environment around us
which has so many amazing and well organized inter-related
systems that witness of the existence of a powerful creator.

It is in this direction that Muslims believe in an unseen Ultimate


Creator, source of all the physical and spiritual power that exists in
the universe. We know about this creator not only through the
powerful evidence of how organized the universe, but also through a
line of prophets, is including but not limited to Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. They came to draw our attention to
him so that we may make the choice to believe by responding to an
inner instinct (that is confirmed daily) that all that is organized must
have an organizer and that this universe is the creation of the
ultimate organizer: God the one, the eternal, the creator, the fastest
who calculates, the light, the originator, to list only a view of the
names and attributes of the one God as outlined in the Koran
(Qur'an).

The first five verses of the Koran represent the Islamic natural
approach to believe in the one God:
Read in the name of your Lord who created;
Created man from a clot that clings
Read and your Lord is the most generous;
He who taught by the pen;
Taught man that which he knew not.

Accordingly a Muslim faith is pronounced in the format of


admitting the existence and oneness of the Creator as follows:
I witness there is no God, but one God and that Mohammed is his
prophet. (or for that matter one of his prophets, since the Koran
Introducing Islam Part I & II 18
states that Mohammed is no more than a prophet, a lot of prophets
have passed before him).

01.03.04: Who was the Prophet Muhammad? (pbuh)


In brief, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born in a noble tribe
of Mecca in Arabia in the year 570 AD. His ancestry goes back to
Prophet Ishmael (P), son of Prophet Abraham (P). His father died
before his birth and his mother died when he was six. He did not
attend a formal school since he was raised first by a nurse as it was
the custom those days, and then by his grandfather and uncle. As a
young man, he was known as a righteous person who used to
meditate in a cave. At age 40, he was given the prophet hood when
the angel, Gabriel, appeared in the cave. Subsequently, the
revelations came over 23 years and were compiled in the form of a
book called the Qur’an which Muslims consider as the final and the
last word of God. The Qur’an has been preserved, unchanged, in its
original form and confirms the truth in the Torah, the psalms and the
Gospel.

01.03.05: What do Muslims think of Jesus?


It is sad that many Christians do not know that Jesus, peace be upon
him, holds a very high position within Islam. Unlike Orthodox
Judaism, Islam considers Jesus to be the promised Messiah, a word
from God, born of the Virgin Mary to bring a new covenant to the
people of Israel.

Nevertheless, the Qur'an, the main book in Islam, leaves no room to


accept concepts developed by Church theologians after the
departure of Jesus, such as the son-ship of Jesus (accepted at the
Council of Nicaea on May 20, 325) or the idea of adding the Holy
Spirit as the "third head" for God (developed as the concept of the
Trinity in the Constantinopolitan Creed of 381).

In fact both concepts (the son-ship of Jesus and the Trinity) tend to
negate many clear verses in the old and New Testament. For
example:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 19
...that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I Am He:
before Me there was no God, neither shall there be after Me. 1, even
1, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
And Jesus answered him: The first of all the commandments is hear,
0 Israel:' Me Lord our God is one Lord. (Mark 12:29)

...We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is
none other God but one. (I Corinthians 8:4)

Given these verses, one should be careful not to take the verse in
John 1: I literally because it could easily have been mistranslated
from the Aramaic into the Greek and should read "and the word was
God's."

It should be noted here that in the Greek language theos is God


while theou means God's (see any Greek dictionary or see the book
Muhammad in the Bible by Professor Abdul Ahad Dawud, former
bishop of Uramiah, p. 16).

On more logical grounds, insisting that Jesus is God or son of God


as the main article of faith reduces the 'natural' human instinct to
believe in a Creator (it is 'natural' because every human being feels
that anything that is organized must have an organizer) from
believing in an absolute Creator of the universe who is felt naturally
into having to believe in a given historical event that is limited in
both time and space.

01.03.06: Do Muslims have many sects?


Muslims have no sects. In Islam, there are two major schools of
thought, the Shia and the Sunni. Both have many things in common.
They follow the same book – Qur’an. They follow the same prophet
Muhammad (P). Both offer their prayers five times a day. Both fast
in the month of Ramadan. They both go for hajj, pilgrimage to
Mecca. Those who follow Prophet Muhammad (P), in accordance
with his sayings and actions, are called Sunni and those who in
addition follow the sayings and views of Ali (Muhammad's son-in-
law), as the rightful successor to Prophet Muhammad (P), are called
Shia. Shia means a partisan (party of Ali) and it started more as a
political party to help Ali in his conflict with his political
adversaries. Most Shias live in Iran and Iraq while the rest of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 20
Muslim world is mostly Sunni. Shias comprise about 16-percent of
the Muslim population.

01.03.07: What are the pillars of Islam?


There are five major pillars of Islam which are the articles of faith.
These pillars are 1) the belief (Iman) in one God and that
Muhammad (P) is His messenger, 2) prayer (Salat) which are
prescribed five times a day, 3) fasting (Siyam) which is required in
the month of Ramadan, 4) charity (Zakat) which is the poor-due on
the wealth of the rich and 5) hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca
once in a lifetime if one can afford it physically and financially. All
the pillars should be of equal height and strength in a building in
order to give the building its due shape and proportions. It is not
possible that one would do hajj without observing fasting or without
practicing regular prayers. Now think of a building which has pillars
only. It would not be called a building. In order to make it a
building, it has to have a roof, it has to have walls, it has to have
doors and windows. These things in Islam are the moral codes of
Islam such as honesty, truthfulness, steadfastness and many other
human moral qualities. Thus in order to be a Muslim, one should not
only be practicing the pillars of Islam but should also have the
highest possible attribute for being a good human being. Only then
the building is completed and looks beautiful.

01.03.08: Do Muslims worship Muhammad?


No. Muslims do not worship Muhammad (P) or any other prophets.
Muslims believe in all prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham,
David, Solomon, Moses and Jesus. Muslims believe that
Muhammad (P) was the last of the prophets. They believe that God
alone is to be worshiped, not any human being.

01.03.09: Do Muslims believe in the hereafter?


God is Just and manifest His justice; He established the system of
accountability. Those who do well will be rewarded and those who
do wrong will be punished accordingly. Thus, He created Heaven
and Hell and there are admission criteria for both. Muslims believe
that the present life is a temporary one. It is a test and if we pass the
test, we will be given a life of permanent pleasure in the company of
good people in Heaven.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 21
01.03.10: Does Islam oppress women?
No. On the contrary, Islam elevated the status of women 1400 years
ago by giving them the right to divorce, the right to have financial
independence and support, and the right to be identified as dignified
women (Hijab) when in the rest of the world, including Europe,
women had no such rights. Women are equal to men in all acts of
piety (Qur’an 33:32). Islam allows women to keep their maiden
name after marriage, their earned money, and spend it as they wish,
and ask men to be their protector. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told
Muslim men, "The best among you is the one who is best to his
family." Not Islam, but some Muslim men, does oppress women
today. This is because of non-Islamic cultural habits or their
ignorance towards their religion.

01.03.11: What are the dietary prohibitions in Islam?


Muslims are told in the Qur’an not to eat pork or pork products,
meat of the animals who died before being slaughtered or the
carnivorous animals (as they eat dead animals), nor drink blood or
intoxicants such as wine or use any illicit drugs.

01.03.12: What is Jihad?


The word "Jihad" means struggle, or to be specific, striving in the
cause of God. Any struggle done in day-to-day life to please God
can be considered Jihad. One of the highest levels of Jihad is to
stand up to a tyrant and speak a word of truth. Control of the self
from wrong doings is also a great Jihad. One of the forms of Jihad is
to take up arms in defense of Islam or a Muslim country when Islam
is attacked. This kind of Jihad has to be declared by the religious
leadership or by a Muslim head of state that is following the Qur’an
and Sunnah.

01.03.13: What is the Islamic Year?


The Islamic year started from the migration (Hijra) of Prophet
Muhammad (P) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. It is a lunar year
of 354 days. The first month is called Muharram. 1996 AD is in
Islamic year 1416 AH.

01.03.14: What are the major Islamic festivals?


Idul Fitre, marks the end of fasting in the month of Ramadan and is
celebrated with public prayers, feasts and exchange of gifts. Idul
Introducing Islam Part I & II 22
Adha marks the end of the Hajj or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
After the public prayers, those who can afford, sacrifice a lamb or a
goat to signify Prophet Abraham's obedience to God, shown by his
readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

01.03.15: What is Sharia?


Sharia is the comprehensive Muslim law derived form two sources,
a) the Quran b) the Sunnah or traditions of Prophet Muhammad (P).
It covers every aspect of daily individual and collective living. The
purpose of Islamic laws is protection of individuals' basic human
rights to include right to life, property, political and religious
freedom and safeguarding the rights of women and minorities. The
low crime rate in Muslim societies is due to the application of the
Islamic laws.

01.03.16: Was Islam spread by the sword?


According to the Quran, "There is no compulsion in religion"
(2:256), thus, no one can be forced to become a Muslim. While it is
true that in many places where Muslim armies went to liberate
people or the land, they did carry the sword as that was the weapon
used at that time. However, Islam did not spread by the sword
because in many places where there are Muslims now, in the Far
East like Indonesia, in China, and many parts of Africa, there are no
records of any Muslim armies going there. To say that Islam was
spread by the sword would be to say that Christianity was spread by
guns, F-16's and atomic bombs, etc., which is not true. Christianity
spread by the missionary works of Christians. Ten-percent of all
Arabs are Christians. The "Sword of Islam" could not convert all the
non-Muslim minorities in Muslim countries. In India, where
Muslims ruled for 700 years, they are still a minority. In the U.S.A.,
Islam is the fastest growing religion and has 6 million followers
without any sword around.

01.03.18: Does Islam promote violence and terrorism?


No. Islam is religion of peace and submission and stresses on the
sanctity of human life. A verse in the Quran says, [Chapter 5, verse
32], that "anyone who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the
whole of mankind and anyone who has killed another person
(except in lieu of murder or mischief on earth) it is as if he has
killed the whole of mankind." Islam condemns all the violence
Introducing Islam Part I & II 23
which happened in the Crusades, in Spain, in WW II, or by acts of
people like the Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Dr. Baruch Goldstein,
or the atrocities committed in Bosnia by the Christian Serbs.
Anyone who is doing violence is not practicing his religion at that
time. However, sometimes violence is a human response of
oppressed people as it happens in Palestine. Although this is wrong,
they think of this as a way to get attention. There is a lot of terrorism
and violence in areas where there is no Muslim presence. For
example, in Ireland, South Africa, Latin America, and Sri Lanka.
Sometimes the violence is due to a struggle between those who have
with those who do not have, or between those who are oppressed
with those who are oppressors. We need to find out why people
become terrorists. Unfortunately, the Palestinians who are doing
violence are called terrorists, but not the armed Israeli settlers when
they do the same sometimes even against their own people. As it
turned out to be in the Oklahoma City bombing, sometime Muslims
are prematurely blamed even if the terrorism is committed by non-
Muslims. Sometimes those who want Peace and those who oppose
Peace can be of the same religion.

01.03.19: What is "Islamic Fundamentalism"?


There is no concept of "Fundamentalism" in Islam. The western
media has coined this term to brand those Muslims who wish to
return to the basic fundamental principles of Islam and mould their
lives accordingly. Islam is a religion of moderation and a practicing
God fearing Muslim can neither be a fanatic nor an extremist.

01.03.20: Is Islam intolerant of other religious minorities?


Islam recognizes the rights of the minority. To ensure their welfare
and safety, Muslim rulers initiated a tax (Jazia) on them. Prophet
Muhammad (P) forbade Muslim armies to destroy churches and
synagogues. Caliph Umar did not even allow them to pray inside a
church. Jews were welcomed and flourished in Muslim Spain even
when they were persecuted in the rest of Europe. They consider that
part of their history as the Golden Era. In Muslim countries,
Christians live in prosperity, hold government positions and attend
their church. Christian missionaries are allowed to establish and
operate their schools and hospitals. However, the same religious
tolerance is not always available to Muslim minorities as seen in the
past during Spanish inquisition and the crusades, or as seen now by
Introducing Islam Part I & II 24
the events in Bosnia, Israel and India. Muslims do recognize that
sometimes the actions of a ruler do not reflect the teachings of his
religion.

01.03.21: What is the dress code for Muslims?


Islam emphasizes modesty. No person should be perceived as a sex
object. There are certain guidelines both for men and women that
their dress should neither be too thin nor too tight to reveal body
forms. For men, they must at least cover the area from the knee to
navel ....and for women, their dress should cover all areas to be
properly veiled Q 24:31.

Some Islamic scholars grant license based on Qur’an & Sunnah


creating some latitude allowing believing women to cover
everything but the FACE and HANDS.

01.03.22: Introduction to Islam


The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e.
losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own
pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was
revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on
him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on
whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Qur’an. The
Holy Qur’an carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from
interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the
earlier scriptures.

The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of
the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that
Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and
Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s
other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God,
all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the
Day of Judgment and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five
main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God
and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger,
observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts
of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 25
Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Qur’an tells
us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil
and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam
believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the
attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness.
Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s
creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age,
orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were
safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total
darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every
imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal
and have stood the test of time.

In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature


that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy,
active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy,
courage patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and
complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities
alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy
Qur’an and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and
practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is
immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear
rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable
way of life regardless of human changes.

Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all.


Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to
God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing
a relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for
humanity fills hearts with hope and courage.

At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form
the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is
the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is
reaching millions in the far corner of the earth.
[http://www.introductiontoislam.org/index2.shtml]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 26
02.00.00: Origins of Islam
Allah revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad 1439 years ago;
this is, however, not to say that anything new from the prior
religions such as Christianity and Jewism was revealed; instead,
Islam came as a much easier and final version to be practiced by
mankind for attaining spiritual, physical and intellectual perfection.

02.01.00: Islam: The True Religion


02.01.01: The Religion of Islam
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about
Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is
not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was
named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, and
Confucianism after Confucius and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor
was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and
Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and
as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's"
religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic
word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the
only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is
termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the
natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence,
it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I
in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah
re-expressed in its final form.

Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the
first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent
by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion Islam was not
decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah
Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the
final book of divine revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah states the
following:
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My
favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion".
[Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:3]

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah


(God) never will It be accepted of Him" [Surah Al-Imran 3:85]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 27

"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim."


[Surah Al-Imran 3:67]

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses'
people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the
followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ
was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes
from the Greek word Christ’s which means the anointed. That is,
Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The
name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a Latinized version of the
Hebrew name Esau.

For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet


Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his
followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to
surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he
warned them to stay away from the false gods of human
imagination.

According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as


follows: "Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".

02.01.02: The Message of Islam


Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the
essence of worship, the basic message of Allah's divine religion,
Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship
directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah. Since
everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things, is Allah's
creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from
the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator.
He is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will
that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are
answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah
who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might
say, "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be.
Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint
Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered
by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did nottell his followers to
worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur'aan states:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 28
"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say
to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will
say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')".
[Surah Al-Ma'idah- 5:116]

Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he


worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening
chapter of the Qur'aan, known as Surah Al-Faatiha, verse 4: "You
alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help".

Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah also


said: "And your Lord says:"Call on Me and I will answer your
(prayer)." [Surah Al-Mu'min 40:60]

It is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and
His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His
creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.

This might seem obvious, but, man's worship of creation instead of


the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It
is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation
or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His
creation, which has provided justification for the worship of
creation though such worship maybecalled the worship of Allah
through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by
the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the
worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our'aan
Allah clearlystates:
"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet,(with the
command) worship meand avoid false gods " [Sursh An-Nahl
16:36]

When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows


down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are
not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present
within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for
Allah's essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the
concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any
way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas,
one who understands the basic message of Islam and its
Introducing Islam Part I & II 29
implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is
rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down
through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken
belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that
although Allah according to their false beliefs is in all of us, He is
more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we
should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either
God in person or God concentrated within the person.

Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their
passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false
belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic
message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship
another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in
essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection
of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of
Islam:
"Laa Elaaha lllallaah" that means ‘There is no god but Allah.’

Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and
sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.

Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one
who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief)
will enter paradise". (Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-
Bukhaaree and Muslim).

It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him


by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and
polytheists.

02.01.03: The Message of False Religion


There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and
movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or
the only true path to Allah. How can one determine which one is
correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the
answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in
the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and
identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or
indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept
Introducing Islam Part I & II 30
with regards to Allah. They either claim that all men are gods or that
specific men were Allah or that nature is Allah or that Allah is a
figment of man's imagination.

Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that
Allah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religion
invites man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or
some aspect of it God. For example, Prophet Jesus invited his
followers to worship Allah but those who claim to be his followers
today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was Allah!

Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic


principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor
did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet,
today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have
taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception
of his likeness.

By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, false


religion becomes very obvious and the contrived nature of their
origin clears. As God said in the Our'aan:

That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your
forefathers have invented for which Allah has sent down no
authority: The command belongs only to Allah:
He has commanded that you only worship Him; that is the right
religion, but most men do not understand ". [Surah Yusuf 12:40]

It may be argued that all religions teach good things so why should
it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions
teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is
the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very
purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allah alone as
Allah has explicitly stated in the Our'aan:
"I have only created Jlnns and men, that they may worship
me".[Surah Az-Zaariyat 51:56]

Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of


idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of
Introducing Islam Part I & II 31
idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion,
but a revealed fact stated by Allah in his final revelation to man:
"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but
He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He
wishes".[Surah An- Nisa 4:48 and 116]

02.01.04: The Universality of Islam


Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true
religion of Allah must be universally understandable and attainable,
not confined to any people, place or time. There can not be
conditions like baptism, belief in a man, as a savior etc., for a
believer to enter paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and
in its definition, (the surrender of one's will to God) lies the roots of
Islam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that
Allah is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to
Allah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for
paradise. Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the
world can become a Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, by
merely rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allah
(God) alone-It should be noted however, that the recognition of and
submission to Allah requires that one chooses between right and
wrong and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held
responsible for his choices, and, as such, he should try his utmost to
do well and avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of
Allah alone and the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation
along with or instead of Allah. This fact is expressed in the final
revelation as follows:
"Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures),
the Christians and the Sabians any who believe In Allah and the last
day, and work righteousness *hall have their reward with their Lord;
They will not be overcome by fear nor grief [Surah Al-Baqarah
2:62].

If only they had stood by the law, the Gospel, and all the revelation
that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed
happiness from every side. There Is from among them a party on the
right course; but many of them follow a course that is evil. [Surah
Al-.Maa'idah 5:66]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 32

02.01.05: Recognition of Allah


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 Surah 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". 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?" [Bukhari 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
Introducing Islam Part I & II 33
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.

Throughout people's lives from childhood until the time they die,
signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own
souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah).
If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and
seek Allah, the way will be made easy for them but if they
continually reject Allah's signs and continue to worship creation, the
more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the
South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South
America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol
Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The homage
to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been
taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog
walked into the hut, The young man looked up in time to see the
dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth
chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he
realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the universe. Allah
must be elsewhere he now had a choice to act on his knowledge and
seek Allah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his
tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allah for that
young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was
worshipping was false.

Prophets were sent, as was earlier mentioned, to every nation and


tribe to support man's natural belief in Allah and man's inborn
inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in
the daily signs revealed by Allah. Although, in most cases, much of
the prophets' teachings became distorted, portions remained which
point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of
the Torah, their confirmation in the Gospels and the existence of
laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies.
Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in
Allah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total
submission to the will of Allah.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 34
We pray to Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which
He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is
indeed the Most Merciful. Praise and gratitude be to Allah, the Lord
of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammad,
his Family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.
Note: This article has been taken from the writings of
Scholar: Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, islamworld.net

02.02.00: Islam the Religion of All


02.02.01: The True Religion:
Dear Sisters & Brothers,
Have you ever thought about religion?
How many different opinions one has about it? Have you noticed
the enmity, which reigns amongst the different races?
Each one believes he practices the right religion and even if he
would worship only a stone as his God.

Have you noticed how fanatic many people are in their beliefs? I am
certain that your mind is already preoccupied with this, and you
may find out that the only right thing is to be reached if there would
exists one religion only, and that this one should be understood by
all humanity.

Each human being ought to feel by himself without any teaching


that he has to live after these three following principal points:
Believe only in one god, spread philanthropy amongst his fellow
beings, and believe that God send His Prophets to teach humanity
these two main sacred rules.
If you think about these matters you will ask yourself if there really
exists such a religion! Yes, indeed, from the beginning of the world
this one religion has existed inspired by God. With this religion God
has send all prophets, so it is God’s religion, but the people wrongly
named it after the prophets of every period. This incorrect
nomination was the route of misunderstanding and fanaticism
between various elements of humanity.

The partition of that one religion has brought humanity to the point
where the true faith has been almost forgotten. Islam has been called
Mohammedanism with relation to the prophet Mohammed, as well
Introducing Islam Part I & II 35
as other religions has been called after the names of their prophets
while all of them recognize a single faith in one God.

The word “Islam” means peace among humanity and humbleness to


God. In spite of not being a missionary, I feel it my duty to explain
in a few words the meaning of this religion. But if other believers
remain in ignorance of Islam and its teachings, their prejudices
against this religion will, from the start, hinder them from
comprehending its principles and no result of any import will be
reached.

Islam as we have said means also peace with oneself and with
others and devotion to God. These meanings are summed up in the
Qur’an, and one is taught to do well to others and purify oneself by
carrying out its teachings. Muhammad was last the last and not the
only prophet of Islam. The Muslim believes in all the prophets of all
times-in Abraham, Moses and Jesus, etc. God has sent his prophets
to mankind to tell them to fulfill His will and to lead a sound life.

The Holy Scripture of Islam is the Qur’an which contains the real
teachings of all the Holy Scriptures. Islam teaches the Moslem to
believe in one God, in the Angles, in the Holy Scriptures, in His
prophets in the resurrection after death, and in the Day of Judgment.

Erroneously one may speak of fatalism and predestination in Islam:


the Moslem believes in direct separation of good and evil, all that is
created by God is good, and in case of being used after its true
direction will lead to happiness, but if it is abused, will lead to evil
and sorrow.
All Muslims pray to their one God, who is the Almighty, the All-
knowing, the All-just, and the All-helping of the entire world. He
has neither been born, nor has he born either a son or a daughter. He
is indivisible. He is the light of Heavens and Earth. He is pitiful,
merciful. He is the First and the last, He is Eternal.

If Jesus called God his father this does not exactly mean that he is
His Father, but it is only a sign of God’s goodness and mercy. God
is everywhere, and when Jesus prayed to God in Heaven, he does
not mean that God is only in Heaven, but it is simply a sign of the
Highness of God.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 36

Belief and deed: Belief without deed is dead letters; belief alone is
not sufficient as long as it is not transformed into deeds, The
Moslem believes in the responsibility of his own deeds either be it
in this world or in the other. Each Moslem carries his own burdens
and none can take the responsibility of other’s sins.

02.02.02: The Position of the Woman in Islam


Man and woman are of the same nature, and possess the same soul
and are provided with equal capacity to intellectual and moral
deeds. Islam puts man and woman under the same responsibilities;
and considers the woman capable to undergo life difficulties to a
certain extent. She and man together have to act in their life on the
ground that each has his own natural position.

The natural position of the “Muslima” as a wife is to look after the


affairs of her husband, and as a mother should be attentive to her
young. In other words she has to pass most of her time in good
management and prudence in the house, as her essential duty.

I can say from a true Islamic point of view that our woman is highly
considered and respected anywhere, but if in some places in the
Orient she is put in a low position, this is due to the fact that the
instructions and teachings of Islam are not perfectly practiced in
these places.

The evil ideas that are published about Islam in the books of the
fanatic writers are not true and it is not right on their part to suppose
false views in their writings which they spread throughout the
world.
A fair judge should acquaint himself with the fundamental teachings
of the case, so as to be able to give a right opinion about it ; but
those fanatics seem to be after the favor of serving colonization,
they say nothing as to persecution of the West endured by the
disarmed East.

At the time they fight the idea of slavery they already commit it
under the mask of reform and protection of the so-called (savages).
It is easy to weaken and corrupt a pure nation by spreading
Introducing Islam Part I & II 37
alcoholics and prostitution; are such to be the reforms introduced to
the Oriental nations by the West?

02.02.03: Equality and Fraternity in Islam:


Islam is the religion of God’s oneness and the equality of manhood
before Him. Although people are created in different positions in
this world, they are forced to co-operate with one another and there
must exist among them a universal relation of mutuality. For
example, the rich support and the poor give their attention and
efforts to their work. These mutual duties are included in what we
call the discipline of creation

Prejudices of nations and colors as well as verities of beliefs are


unknown within Islam. All humanity in the view of Islam forms one
family in which it succeeds in combining the black and white into
one unity of brethren.

02.02.04: Personal Judgment: Islam encourages personal opinion


and respects everyone’s doctrine within the limits of the right
comprehension of the true religion.

02.02.05: Science: Islam orders studying of science and considers it


holy to gain knowledge of it as high as the angels and even more.

02.02.06: Work: “pay the workman before his sweat is dry”. These
are the well-known words of the holy Prophet. Any work which
provides mankind with an honorable living is respected; and
idleness is a sin.

02.02.07: Liberalities: Human potentialities are a gift God. They


are to be used for the benefit of humanity and it is everyone’s duty
to live for others as well as for him. Liberality must exclude
differences.

The Muslim is ordered through his religion to help the poor and the
needy as far as he can.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 38
The following principal duties to be done by the Muslims beside the
main belief of one God etc. are:

02.02.08: Praying: to clean the body and purify the soul.


02.02.09: Fasting: to ameliorate body and soul; bodily healing to
revive the feelings for the treatment of mankind, animals and plants
more pitifully, to augment patience and reinforce one’s own will.
02.02.10: Alms-giving: the sentiment of the rich for the poor must
awake and they must give of their income 2.5%. They have not to
stick to such a certain sum, but they ought to let their kindness
overflow. I think nobody could deny that a holy duty every believer
is to help the poor in virtue love and sympathy.

02.02.11: Pilgrimage to Makkah: a Moslem ought to go once in


his life to Makkah, when means are available. He must neither
worship any temple, any grave, no the prophet but only to think of
the holy meaning of Islam and be filled of thankfulness to God- thus
fulfilling the meaning of the pilgrimage. The pilgrims who come
from different countries have also the occasion to know one another
which is a great part of human mutuality.

The Qur’an teaches that nobody ought to be forced to believe in a


certain thing and forbids any aggressive action. All the Islamic wars
were only for the sake of defending religion & holy belief.

At a time the rulers in Islamic countries went into war on worldly


ambitions, hence they began to fall from the summit of glory
achieved by their ancestors by keeping to the sound teachings of
their religion; therefore the religion is not to blame for such a failure
as it is against such war.

Islam gives you entice freedom of thoughts and deeds. It allows


humanity and soul to develop for the good and nobility; in such case
no fighting would exist, only peace and elevation of feelings.
To be a Moslem you need not go through any ceremony. Islam is not
only a wide-spreading, practical and useful religion, but it is also in
full harmony with the natural disposition.

Every child is born with these dispositions; on one need to pass


through any transformation to be a Moslem. Now you see from my
Introducing Islam Part I & II 39
brief explanation what Islam is and how false and prejudicial the
opinions of enemies of Islam are!

02.02.12: The Nature of Islam:


Islam is the only religion in the world that imposes itself as a
universal religion of all humanity in all times and as such:
It appears as a mature religion which man embraced, guided by his
own moral and intellectual faculties without being in need of
preliminary apprenticeship.

It offers itself as the first religion revealed to all those who are sent
by Allah, whom people in a state of ignorance, wrong by untrue and
false interpretations with a view to satisfying their ambitions and
subduing the people.

It recommends to its believers to put faith in all those who are sent
by Allah whether known by their names or remaining unheeded.

It uplifts the mind so as to make it the only master in all the disputes
that arise concerning faith and the private and social behavior, thus
conferring the mind all the powers, which belong to it.

It condemns imitation and claims from the believer to establish the


truth of his faith.
It claims absolute equality among all and condemns any sense of
nationalism.

02.02.13: I am a Muslim (man of peace)


Such as to believe in one God, the indivisible one, who is
everywhere and not bound to a certain place, who resembles
nobody, and none is like Him the Creator of all. I believe in all His
prophets without any discrimination, between Moses, Jesus or
Muhammad.

I expect and beg help, consultation and forgiveness of any sins


directly from God without the aid of a mediator. I do not forget my
God for one moment, I feel Him in me, all around wherever I am;
He is the measure for all my deeds.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 40
I live after God’s teachings introduced by the Qur’an. I carry out the
principles of Islam: I pray, fast, give alms, and undertake the
pilgrimage to Makkah. I do not commit suicide, nor do I commit a
murder. Islam commands humanity to keep peace. I do not commit
adultery, and I avoid temptation that may lead me astray as we are
all aware of the fact that flesh is weak.

Islam forbids any social intercourse with the opposite sex before
marriage. Any psychologist will tell us the effect of trying to remain
within the bounds of decency in such cases as dancing or
association of any kind with the opposite sex, we may succeed but
the cost will be grave just the same.

The real joys are those we get without repentance afterwards. They
are possessed by the high sentiments of the soul and safeguarded by
our spiritual strength. We find a good example in the story of the
man who had the wicked desire to commit adultery and yet his
conscience would not allow him but when under the influence of
drink he forgot himself so far as to give into the evil temptation and
when faced by the rightful intruder to whom the wretched woman
belonged, he murdered him in a struggle while unconscious under
the effect of alcohol – from this we conclude that intoxicants are the
route to sins.

I do not gamble, not even for small items in any way. A gambler or a
speculator loses respect of his own earnings. To place one’s luck in
the balance of a deal in cards or the like is a shameful weakness in
character.

I do not borrow or lend money for interest; it is the way to ruin. A


Moslem may give loan if in his power just to help the needy, in the
meantime he can take, in securities in order to ensure return of his
giving, meanwhile he is forbidden to use these securities if they
consist of articles of any use such as household articles.

I do not speak evil of others or tell tales to the disadvantage of my


fellowmen, to those who do so; is given instance in the Holy Qur’an
showing them as if they were eating the flesh of the dead;
apparently meaning to say slandering others behind their back while
they have no chance to answer for them- selves.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 41

I do not swindle the property of a widow or an orphan if I am


appointed as a trustee to such things taking advantage of their
helplessness. I fulfill my promises and treat any sort of business I
take on with complete honesty.

Now brothers, read this with attention and devote a part of your time
to study the peaceful teachings of this institution in favor of the
relief of our long suffering humanity afflicted by false information
laid by selfish calumniators.
[Muhammad Taufiek Ahmad]

03.00.00: Basic Beliefs of a Muslim


(1) A Muslim believes in One God, Supreme Eternal, Infinite,
Mighty, Compassionate and Merciful Creator and Provider.
God is free from all dependents yet all are dependent on Him.
God neither begets nor was He begotten and there is non
comparable unto Him. He has no sons or daughters, father or
mother. None is equivalent to Him.
God is the Lord of all humankind, not of special tribe or race.
God is high and supreme but He is very near to the pious,
thoughtful believers. He loves the people who love Hi and
forgive their sins. He gives them real peace, happiness,
knowledge and success.
God is the Loving and Provider, the Generous and the
Benevolent, the Rich and the Independent, the Forgiving and the
Clement, the Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the
Judge and the Peace.
God creates in humans the mind to understand, the soul and
conscience to be good and righteous, the feeling and sentiments
to be kind and humane. God’s blessings are countless.
God asks us to know Him, to remember Him, to love Him and
to enforce His law for our own benefit.
(2) A Muslim believes in all Messengers and Prophets of God
without and discrimination.
All messenger and prophets were mortals, human beings,
endowed with Divine revelations and appointed by God to teach
mankind.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 42
These include Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad (peace be upon them). Their message is the same;
Islam, and it came from the One and the Same source:
(3) A Muslim believes in all scriptures and revelations of God, as
they were complete in their original from; the Scrolls of
Abraham, the Torah revealed to Moses, Psalms to David,
Gospel to Jesus, and the Qur’an to Muhammad (peace be upon
them).
Revelations were given to guide people to the right path of God.
Today, the books before the Qur’an do not exist in their original
form. They are in -part lost, corrupted or concealed. Weakness
in the early period of Judaism and Christianity are partly
responsible.
The Qur’an reiterates, reinforces and completes the message of
previous scriptures. It is the only authentic and complete book
of God. No scholar has questioned the fact that the Qur’an
today is the same as it was more than 1400 years ago.
(4) A Muslim believes in the angles of God.
(5) A Muslim believes in the Day of Judgment.
This world as we know it will come to an end and the dead will
rise to stand for their final and fair trial. Everything we do, say,
make, intends and thinks are accounted for and kept in accurate
records.
People with good record will be generously rewarded and
warmly welcomed to God’s Heaven. People with bad records
will be justly punished and cast into Hell.
Some people, who commit sins, neglect God and indulge in
immoral activities, seem superficially prosperous in this life, but
absolute justice will be performed on the Day of Judgment.
(6) A Muslim believes that the purpose of life is to worship God.
Worshipping God does not mean living in seclusion and
absolute meditation. To worship God means to know Him, to
remember Him always, to love Him, to obey His commands, to
enforce His law in every aspect of life, to serve His cause by
joining in what is right and forbidding evil and to be just to
Him, to ourselves and to our fellow human beings.
The various aspects of life are not separated into religious,
worldly or secular. Life is viewed in its entirety and all its facets
are considered to be for the worship of God whether it is ritual
prayers or making a rightful living.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 43
(7) A Muslim believes that humankind is the highest creations of
God.
Humans alone are gifted with rational faculties, spiritual
aspirations, powers of action and the freedom of choice. God
has shown the right path and the life of Prophet Muhammad
provides a perfect example for achieving success and salvation.
(8) A Muslim believes that every person is born free of sin.
When a person reaches the age of maturity and if he/she is sane,
he/she becomes accountable for all deeds and intentions.
There is no inherited sin. One is free from sin until he/she
commits sin. Adam committed the first sin, he prayed to God
for pardon and God granted Adam pardon.
(9) A Muslim believes that humans must attain salvation through
the guidance of God.
To obtain salvation, a person must combine faith and action,
belief and practice. Faith without doing good deeds and doing
good deeds without faith are insufficient.
(10)A Muslim believes that God does not hold any person
responsible until he/she has been shown the Right Way.
(11)A Muslim believes that faith is not complete when it is followed
blindly or accepted unquestioningly.
One must build his/her faith on well-grounded convictions
through rational and spiritual avenues.
Islam ensures freedom to believe and forbids compulsion in
religion (some of the oldest synagogues and some of the oldest
churches in the world are in Muslim countries).
(12)A Muslim believes that the Qur’an is the word of God revealed
to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel.
The Qur’an was revealed from God in a piecemeal from to
answer questions, solve problems, and settle disputes and to be
one’s best guess to the universal truth.
The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic and it is still in its original
and complete version today. The Qur’an is the greatest miracle
given to Prophet Muhammad. Its poetic nature and style are
unrivalled by anything mankind can produce. It is memorized
by millions. Its meaning has been translated to most languages.
[Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 44

03.01.00: Beliefs and Principles


Among the most of beliefs and principles that are supposed to
govern every step of a true Muslim's life - because Islam is a
complete code of life - some are as follows:
1. Faith in the Unity of Allah
2. Belief in the finality of Prohphethood in Muhammad; and in the
prophethood of the 123,999 other infallible men who were deputed
by Allah on earth before Muhammad. These include Adam,
Abraham, Noah, David, Moses, Jesus etc.
3. The Shia believe in the divinely appointed Imamate (Leadership)
of Muhammad's progeny, about whom Muhammad informed
several times during his life – the 11 offspring from his cousin Ali
(A.S.) and Ali’s wife (Muhammad's daughter) Bibi Fatima (S.A.),
who are the infallible spiritual guides of mankind after Muhammad;
the Sunni believe in the Caliphs who were elected to interpret and
manage the affairs of Islam by two or three people through a
democracy of sorts held immediately after Muhammad’s death
4. Belief in the Qur’an as the unadulterated final book of Allah; and
in the original versions of the other holy books that were revealed
on earth before the Qur’an such as the Psalms, Old Testament, New
Testament and the Scriptures
5. Belief in the existence of Angels
6. Belief in Life after death, the Day of Judgment, and in Paradise or
Hell

03.02.00: Basic Islamic Beliefs


The basic principle beliefs of Islam are commonly found in the main
world religions. There is a God, there is Satan, there are Prophets,
there is a life after death and you are judged for the actions you did
on earth and you will be put into heaven or hell based on these
actions. Islam has very similar beliefs to the Christians and the Jews
but there are a few small differences. [Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue
no.11, Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali Foundation –
London]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 45

04.00.00: God in Islam


Islam is a monotheistic religion, meaning that we worship one God
without joining any partners in worship to Him, so the idea of the
Christian trinity is absolutely rejected. Islam also rejects the idea of
idol-worship, where the main belief is that the spirit of God is
within/represented by the idol. Islam is very strict in the belief that
there is one God and Muslims call God 'Allah'. We believe that God
is perfect, that He is not a man that He is void of limits so He has no
distinct figure and He is what we would describe as a 'spirit'
although we have no real idea as to what He is really like. He is a
loving, forgiving and fair God who is merciful and keeps His
promises. He was neither born nor created by another creator, and
He does not create other Gods nor have sons and daughters. He
doesn't require food and drink and He has no need for anything. He
was the first thing in the universe and He will be the last. He is the
creator of everything we see and everything that exists or has
existed he sees, hears and knows everything. [Al-Kauthar magazine,
Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali
Foundation – London]

04.01.00: God and Man


It has become necessary when discussing Islam with people of other
faiths and religions to clarify what Muslims mean when they use the
word God or Allah. Here are three common misconceptions and
their explanations:

Misconception 1: The God that Muslims worship is a different


God called Allah.
This, of-course, is incorrect. In Arabic, the language that all
Muslims know at least a few words of, the word Allah means God.
So God and Allah are one and the same.

Misconception 2: Allah is only the God of Islam and the


Muslims.
This is such a ridiculous idea! Allah, God, is the God of everything
and everybody, and He has dominion over everyone whether they
Introducing Islam Part I & II 46
acknowledge the existence of God or not. God, Allah, is the God of
everyone irrelevant of race, skin color or religion. Just because
someone doesn't wish to acknowledge the existence of a God, or
worship God, or believe that God has an identity, it doesn't negate
from the fact that God is the Master of all things, that all the people
are His creation and that He has complete rulership over them.

Misconception 3: Allah is a different God to the God of the


Christians and Jews.
Allah, God, is the same figure, the same God worshipped by the
Jews and the Christians, but we just call Him 'Allah'. In fact, the
Jews and Christians that speak Arabic call God Allah too, and if you
get hold of the Arabic version of the bible you will find that the
word God is often written as Allah. Muslims believe in ONE GOD
(a principle called tawheed) and this God is the same God of all the
Prophets - Moses, Abraham, Lot, David, Jesus, etc (PBUT).
Muslims differ to the Jews and Christians on what the concept of
God is and also in His attributes.

In Islam, Allah is seen to be one God and there are no other Gods
besides Him, so Islam is known as a monotheistic religion and Allah
is just the Arabic word for 'God'; Allah == God and it is as simple
as that! You can view different religions as different paths that aim
to lead to heaven and/or enlightenment for people who follow those
roads. The aim is to reach God by following a religion that is the
best according to the individual - a religion that feeds the human
soul, is fulfilling and correct. Muslims believe that the best path to
follow is the path of Islam as the Muslims believe it is the best of
religions.

The Muslim Belief in God


The picture on the right shows how the
word Allah is written in Arabic. The
word Allah is a very special word
because it has no plural (Allah is ONE)
and it has no gender assignment to it
(Allah is neither male nor female). The
word Allah is a joining of the word Al
(the) and Ilah ([singular] Lord), and
these together form the word 'Allah' (The
Introducing Islam Part I & II 47
[one] God). Allah is the God of everything and He is all-powerful
and all-knowing.
Muslims believe that God is perfect, that He is not a man that He is
void of limits so He has no permanent figure and He is what we
would describe as a 'spirit' although we have no real idea as to what
He is really like. He is a loving, forgiving and fair God who is
merciful and keeps His promises. Allah was neither born nor created
by another creator, and He does not create other Gods or has sons
and daughters. He doesn't require food and drink and He is in no
need of anything. He is eternal and not limited by space or time. He
is the creator of everything we can see and what is invisible. He is
the creator of everything that exists or has ever existed. He sees,
hears and knows everything.

Human nature and God


Tawheed (or tauhid) is often oversimplified and presented as
meaning just the belief in One God, but it is much more than that as
will be explained in a future article. A person who believes in
tawheed can also be a follower of another religion or be completely
non-religious. This is quite a surprising fact even for Muslims who
have not studied or thought about this, but it is true because there
exists a rising trend of people that do not associate themselves with
an organized religion or a specific God but they believe in a creator,
a God that they describe as being one God and being a 'higher
power' having power and rulership over all creation. Their beliefs of
this 'higher power' reflect upon an innate or inbuilt instinct (fitrah)
of the human psyche that is clearly a subconscious expression that
God built into the hearts of all humans when He created them. So
God programmed this instinct into humans so that they may know
him; As Allah puts it:
[30.30] Then set your face upright for religion in the right state --
the nature (fitrah) made by Allah in which He has made men; there
is no altering of Allah's creation; that is the right religion, but most
people do not know.

We are all born Muslims as it is part of our fitrah to be Muslims. We


are born with the belief in tawheed but it is our upbringing that
influences our eventual beliefs about God and His nature. The aim
of every man and woman is that they should return to this infant
understanding of tawheed but additionally following a path
Introducing Islam Part I & II 48
(religion) that complements and supports the instinct to follow God
as our sole Lord and Master. Many religions contradict tawheed so
they leave the human soul in a cramped and uncomfortable state,
but Islam sets it free. As the common saying goes: 'The truth will set
you free'.

Human intelligence and God's guidance


Some religions do not cramp the soul but yet the heart feels
confined and imprisoned because the mind is not convinced. The
human intellect is often identified as 'the heart' by philosophers.
Satisfying the soul alone is foolhardy as it will never satisfy the
mind so that is the purpose of following a religion in addition to the
soul. A religion must therefore provide sustenance for the soul and
the mind and complete the human being. Muslims believe that Islam
is the religion that fulfills the criteria and the people who believe in
Islam will become complete.

It is not uncommon to find people who think they have reached this
level of enlightenment but most of these people have fooled
themselves into believing these things based on influences from
their surroundings, upbringing or mental state. Allah says:
[22.8] And among men there is he who disputes about Allah without
knowledge and without guidance and without an illuminating book,
[22.9] Turning away haughtily that he may lead (others) astray from
the way of Allah; for him is disgrace in this world, and on the day of
resurrection.

As the directions and inclinations of the soul are easily influenced


and open to interpretation, Allah has supplemented man with the
mind so that he may choose the correct path. God, our creator and
supporter tells us that relying on the soul is not enough.

[75.36] Does man think that he is to be left to wander without an


aim?
And naturally, our Lord cannot just create us and leave us
wandering like cattle and leading our lives eating, drinking, sleeping
and doing our 9am - 5pm job. God instead, out of His infinite
wisdom and love, has contacted His creation and given them a
direction and a purpose through revelations and by setting them on
the religion of Islam. So man cannot argue they didn't know what
Introducing Islam Part I & II 49
they were meant to do or what to follow or complain that things
weren't clear. God has presented man with a great assortment of
proofs that they should believe in Him and follow the religion of
Islam. The most prominent of these proofs is the religion of Islam -
the religion that all the Prophets, Messengers and their deputies
(Imams) followed. God sent the Prophets to teach the whole of
mankind this religion and also the Messengers brought the books
and commandments containing the words of God that aim to guide
the people.

God gave man all this attention and yet some of His creation are
ungrateful and continue to stay ungrateful and refuse to worship
Him. Some among these ungrateful or confused people changed the
religion that God sent to them. They created their own doctrines and
split the people into sects and creeds. Some even went so far as to
pervert the concept of tawheed by ascribing partners in worship
with God, or making other Gods to worship. Allah will decide their
fate, what their punishments will be.

[22.17] Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the
Sabeans and the Christians and the Magians and those who
associate (others with Allah)-- surely Allah will decide between
them on the day of resurrection; surely Allah is a witness over all
things.

Conclusion
So we conclude - Allah is the Arabic word for God. Allah is the
same God as the Jews and the Christians, and He is the God of
every person and every thing. He is the creator of everything and
has complete rulership over the universe. He is the only One, the
only God and there is no other God besides Him. This concept of
one God supreme is known as Tawheed.

God wishes us all to be Muslim - to follow the fitrah, the innate


nature that he created in us, that leads us to the worship of one God.
Also to believe in Him and worship Him as He aught to be
worshipped as He describes through His Prophets and His holy
books. This is why Allah says:
[51.56] And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they
should serve Me.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 50

In worshipping and serving our Lord who is most worthy of


worship, we benefit ourselves by providing sustenance for our souls
and our minds. We become complete individuals and are
transformed into better people. This benefits us only because Allah
has no need for us and cannot take anything from His creation that
He doesn't already have or need. Allah is free from desires or
requirements. He, Allah, did this all for us and we should show our
gratification through doing our duty of worship and service to our
Lord by following Islam. He is worthy of worship for this great
bounty that he bestows upon every man. And not only this! Allah
says:

[9.71] And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they
are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and
keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His
Apostle; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah
is Mighty, Wise.

[9.72] Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing
women gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and
goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual abode; and best of all is
Allah's goodly pleasure; that is the grand achievement.[Surah Tauba,
9:71-72]

But people are ever arrogant and defiant to become Muslim


(submitters to God). Allah says:
[5.104] And when it is said to them, Come to what Allah has
revealed and to the Apostle, they say: That on which we found our
fathers is sufficient for us. What! even though their fathers knew
nothing and did not follow the right way.

[5.105] O you who believe! take care of your souls; he who errs
cannot hurt you when you are on the right way; to Allah is your
return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of what you did.

People who deny the truth build an effigy of imaginary happiness


and contentness. They only lie to themselves and this cannot make
them truly happy. They confine themselves to their own virtual
prisons and they will never prosper, and indeed their final abode is
Introducing Islam Part I & II 51
hell. So it is essential to believe because not only will the truth set
you free, it will let you into paradise (heaven).

Of course, you may say: who says Islam is the right religion? Well,
all the Prophets taught tawheed, and Islam is a religion of pure
tawheed, and tawheed is an inbuilt part of our nature that God made
a part of us, and Islam has the Quran, the holy book that contains
the words of God. If you want to know God then read the Quran and
study the religion from its own sources and then decide for yourself
if Islam is the true religion.

04.02.00: Who is Allah?


Often, people ask then what is Allah and where did He Himself
come from?
First, Allah is the same God that all the prophets worshipped and
preached about.
Second, the best description of Allah came from Imam Ali which he
gave in a sermon that is included in a compilation of his sermons
called Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence):
Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described by speakers,
whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators and whose claim
(to obedience) cannot be satisfied by those who attempt to do so,
whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate, and the
divines of understanding cannot reach; He for whose description no
limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and
no duration is fixed. He brought forth creation through His
Omnipotence, dispersed winds through His Compassion, and made
firm the shaking earth with rocks.

The foremost in religion is the acknowledgement of Him, the


perfection of acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of
testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of
believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection
of His purity is to deny Him attributes, because every attribute is a
proof that it is different from that to which it is attributed and
everything to which something is attributed is different from the
attribute. Thus, whoever attaches attributes to Allah recognizes His
like, and who recognizes His like regards Him two; and who regards
Him two recognizes parts for Him; and who recognizes parts for
Him mistakes Him; and who mistakes Him points at Him; and who
Introducing Islam Part I & II 52
points at Him admits limitations for Him; and who admits
limitations for Him numbers Him.

Whoever says in what is He, holds that He is contained; and


whoever says on what He is held says He is not on something else.
He is a Being but not through phenomenon of coming into being.
He exists but not from non-existence. He is with everything but not
in physical nearness. He is different from everything but not in
physical separation. He acts but without connotation of movements
and instruments. He sees even when there is none to be looked at
from among His creation. He is only One, such that there is none
with whom He may keep company or whom He may miss in his
absence. [Nahjul Balagha: Imam Ali]

04.02.01: To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and


Sustainer of the universe
It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are
used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not
the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God.
Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender.
This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god who
can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to
notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the
language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam
associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator
and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing
is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his
contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God
Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur’an, which is
considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism.
This is chapter 112 which reads:

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O


Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who
has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not
anyone."
Introducing Islam Part I & II 53
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God
who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing
can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know
that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the
Qur’an begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful,
the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a
mother to her dear child."

But God is also just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their
share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors.
Actually God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His
attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His
sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their
lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord.
Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the
very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby
negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this
world. The following Qur’anic verses are very clear and
straightforward in this respect:

"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of


their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of
Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?" (68:34-36)

Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting


Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of
wealth, power or race. He created the human beings as equals. They
may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and
piety only.

The concept that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God
wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter
against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are
considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.

The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection


of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the
essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this,
Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 54
deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact He may
forgive all other sins.

[Note that what is meant above applies ONLY to those people who
die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The
repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God if He wills -
MSA of USC]

The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created


because if he is of the same nature as they are, he will be temporal
and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him.
If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is
eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing outside him causes him
to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient.
And if the does not depend on anything for the continuance of his
own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is
therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last."

He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Quranic term,


Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of
bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them
out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to
them.

"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over


everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth."
(39:62, 63)

"No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on
God. He knows its lodging place and it repository." (11:6)

GOD'S ATTRIBUTES:
If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must
also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His
attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then His attributes are
absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute
attributes? Can there be for example, two absolutely powerful
Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible.

The Quran summarizes this argument in the following verses:


Introducing Islam Part I & II 55
"God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with
Him: For then each god would have taken of that which he created
and some of them would have risen up over others." (23:91)

And Why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they
(heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin." (21:22)

WHAT IS THE KA'BA?


The Ka'ba is the place of worship which God commanded Abraham
and Ishmael to build over four thousand years ago. The building was
constructed of stone on what many believe was the original site of a
sanctuary established by Adam. God commanded Abraham to
summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims go there
today they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to Abraham's
summons. [By: III&E Brochure Series; No. 2, The Institute of
Islamic Information and Education (III&E)]

05.00.00: The Basic Articles of Faith in Islam


BEFORE we proceed further, it would be advisable to recapitulate
the former discussions and sum up their substance. We can
summaries them as follows:
Although Islam consists of submission and obedience to Allah Lord
of the universe, yet as the only authentic and reliable source of
knowing Him and His Will and Law is the teaching of the true
prophet, we may define Islam as that religion which stands for
complete faith in the teachings of the prophet and unflinching
obedience to his ways of life. Consequently, one who ignores the
medium of the prophet and claims to follow God directly is not a
‘Muslim’.

In the earlier epochs there had been separate prophets for different
nations, and the history of prophethood shows that even in one and
the same nation several prophets appeared one after the other. In
that age Islam was name of that religion which was taught to a
nation by its own prophet or prophet. Though the nature and
substance of Islam was the same in every age and country, the
modes of worship, codes of law, and other detailed rules and
regulations of life were a bit different according to the local and
particular conditions of every people. It was not, therefore,
necessary for any nation to follow another nation’s prophet and its
Introducing Islam Part I & II 56
responsibility was confined only to following the guidance given by
its own prophet.

This period of poly-prophetism came to an end with the advent of


Muhammad (peace is upon him). The teachings of Islam were made
complete through him; one basic law formulated for the whole
world and he was made a prophet unto the entire humanity. His
prophethood was not meant for any particular nation or country or
period; his message is for all peoples and for all ages. The earlier
codes were abrogated by the advent of Muhammad (peace be upon
him) who gave the world a complete code of life. Now, neither any
prophet is to appear in the future nor is any new religious code
going to be revealed till the Last Day. Muhammad’s (peace be upon
him) teachings are meant for all the children of Adam, the entire
human race. Now Islam consists in following Muhammad, viz. To
acknowledge his prophethood, to believe in all that he has asked to
his believe in, to follow him in letter and spirit, and to submit to all
his commands and injunction of God. This is Islam.

This automatically brings us to the question: What has Muhammad


(peace be upon him) asked us to believe in? What are the articles of
Islamic faith? Now we shall try to discuss these articles and see how
simple, how true, how lovable and how valuable they are and to
what high pinnacle they raise the status of Man in this world and the
life to come! [Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

05.01.00: Faith in One God (Allah, the One and


Only God)
A Muslim believes in ONE GOD, Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and
Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider. God
has neither father nor mother, neither son nor was He fathered. None
equal to Him. He is God of all mankind, not of a special tribe or
race.

God is High and Supreme but He is very near to the pious


thoughtful believers; He answers their prayers and helps them. He
loves the people who love Him and forgives their sins. He gives
them peace, happiness, knowledge and success. God is the Loving
and the Provider, the Generous, and the Benevolent, the Rich and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 57
the Independent, the Forgiving and the Clement, the Patient and the
Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the Judge and the Peace.
God's attributes are mentioned in the Qur’an.

God creates in man the mind to understand, the soul and conscience
to be good and righteous, the feelings and sentiments to be kind and
humane. If we try to count His favors upon us, we cannot, because
they are countless. In return for all the great favors and mercy, God
does not need anything from us, because He is Needless and
Independent. God asks us to know Him, to love Him and to enforce
His law for our benefit and our own good.

05.01.01: Tawheed: Faith in the Unity of Allah


The most fundamental and the most important teaching of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is faith in the prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) is faith in the unity of God. This is expressed in
the primary kalima of Islam as La ilaha illallah "There is no deity
but Allah". This is a beautiful phrase in the bedrock of Islam, its
foundation and its essence. It is the expression of this belief which
differentiates a true Muslim from a kafir (unbeliever), a Mushrik
(one who associates others with God in His divinity), or a Dahriya
(atheist). The acceptance or denial of this phrase produces a world
of difference between man and man. The believers in it become one
single community and those who do not believe in it form the
opposite group. For the believers there is unhampered progress and
resounding success in this world and in the hereafter, while failure
and ignominy are the ultimate lot of those who refuse to believe in
it.

But the difference which occurs between the believers and the
unbelievers is not the result of mere chanting of a few words.
Evidently the mere utterance of a phrase or two cannot bring about
such a mighty difference. The real force lies in the conscious
acceptance of this doctrine and its stipulations and complete
adherence to it in practical life. Unless you know the real meaning
of the phrase "there is no deity but Allah" and the bearing of its
acceptance on human life, you cannot realize the real importance of
this doctrine. It would never become effective unless these
essentials are achieved. Mere repeating of the word ‘food’ cannot
dull the edge of hunger; mere chanting of a medical prescription
Introducing Islam Part I & II 58
cannot heal the disease. In the same way if the Kalima is re0peated
without any understanding of its meanings and dictates, it cannot
work the revolution which its meanings and dictates, it cannot work
the revolution which it is meant to bring about. The revolution in
thought and life can occur only if a person grasps the full meaning
of the doctrine, realizes its significance, reposes true belief in it, and
accepts and follows it in letter and spirit. Unless this grasp of the
Kalima is developed it cannot become fully effective. We avoid fire
because we have a realization that it burns; we keep away from
poison because we believe that its use kills a man. Similarly, if the
real meanings of Tawheed are fully grasped, it should necessarily
make us avoid, in belief as well as in action, every form and shade
of disbelief, atheism, and polytheism. This is the natural dictate of
belief in the Unity of God. [Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid
Abul A’la Maududi]

05.01.02: The Meaning of the ‘Shahadah or


Kalima’
In the Arabic language the word ilah means ‘one who is
worshipped’, i.e. a being which on account of its greatness and
power be considered worthy to be worshipped, to be bowed to in
humility and submission. Anything or any being possess power too
great to be comprehended by man is also called ilah. The conception
of ilah also includes the possession of infinite powers: that may
astonish others. It also conveys the sense that others are dependent
upon ilah and that he is not dependent upon anyone else. The word
ilah also carries a sense of concealment and mystery, that is, ilah
would be a being unseen and imperceptible. The word khuda in
Persian, deva in Hindi, and god in English bear, more or less,
similar signification. Other languages of the world also contain
words with a like sense.

The word Allah, on the other hand, is the essential personal name of
God. La- ilaha illallah would literally mean "There is no ilah other
than the One Great being known by the name "Allah". It means that
in the whole of the universe, there is absolutely no being worthy to
be worshipped other than Allah, that it is only to Him that heads
should bow in submission and adoration, that He is the only Being
possessing all powers, that all powers, that all are in need of His
Introducing Islam Part I & II 59
favor, and that all are obliged to solicit His help. He is concealed
from our senses, and our intellect fails to perceive what He is.

Having known the meanings of these worlds, let us now find out
their real significance.
From the most ancient known history of man as well as from the
oldest relics of antiquity that we have been able to obtain, it appears
that in every age man had recognized some deity or deities and had
worshipped them. Even in the present age every nation on the face
of the earth, from the most primitive to the most civilized, dose
believe in and worship some deity. It shows that the idea of having a
deity and of worshipping him is ingrained in human nature. There is
do so.

But the question is:


What that thing is and why man feels impelled to do so?
The answer to this question can be discovered if we try to look into
the position of man in this huge universe. A perusal of man and his
nature from this view-point shows that he is not omnipotent. Neither
he is self-sufficient and self-existing nor are his powers without
limitations. In fact, he is weak, frail, needy, and destitute. He is
dependent upon a multitude of forces and without their assistance he
cannot make headway. There are countless things necessary to
maintain his existence, but all of them are not essentially and totally
within his powers. Sometimes they come to his possession in a
simple and natural way, and at times he finds himself deprived of
them. There are many important and valuable things which he
endeavors to get, but sometimes he succeeds in getting them, while
sometimes he does not, for it is not completely in his own power to
obtain them. There are many important and valuable things which
he endeavors to get, but sometimes he succeeds in getting them,
while sometimes he dose not, for it is not completely in his won
power to obtain them. There are many things injurious to him;
chances bring his hops to a sudden end; disease, worries, and
calamities, always threaten him and mar his way to happiness. He
attempts to get rid of them, and success and failure both visit him in
this quest. There are many things whose greatness and grandeur
overawe him mountains and rivers, gigantic animals and ferocious
beasts. He experiences earthquakes, storms, and other natural
calamities. He observes clouds over his head and sees them
Introducing Islam Part I & II 60
becoming thick and dark, with peals of thunder, flashes of lightning
and continuous fall of heavy rain. He sees the sun, the moon, and
the stars in their constant motion. He reflects how great, powerful,
and grand these bodies are, and, in contrast to them, how frail and
insignificant he himself is! The vast phenomena, on the one hand,
and the consciousness of his own frailty, on the other, impress him
with a deep sense of his own weakness, humbleness, and
helplessness. And it is quite natural that the preliminary idea of
divinity coincides with this sense. He thinks of those hands which
are wielding these great forces. The sense of their powerfulness
makes him seek their help. He tries to please them so that they may
be beneficent to him, and he dreads them and tries to escape their
wrath so that he may not be destroyed by them.

In the most primitive stage of ignorance, man thinks that the great
objects of nature whose grandeur and glory are visible, and which
appears to be injurious or beneficent to him, hold in them the real
power and authority, and therefore, they are diving. Thus he
worships trees, and numerous other objects. This is the worst form
of ignorance.

When his ignorance dissipates to some extent and some glimmers of


light and knowledge appear on his intellectual horizon, he comes to
know that these great and powerful objects are in themselves quite
helpless and dependent and are in no way better placed than man
rather they are still more dependent and helpless. The biggest and
the strongest animal dies like a tiny germ, and loses all his power;
great rivers rise and fall and become dry; the high mountains are
blasted and shattered by man himself; the productiveness of the
earth is not under earth’s own control-water makes it prosperous and
lack of water makes it barren. Even water is not independent. It
depends on air which brings the clouds. Air too is powerless and its
usefulness depends on other causes. The moon, the sun, and the
stares also are bound up by a powerful law outside whose dictates
they cannot make the slightest movement. After these considerations
his mind turns to the possibility of some great mysterious power of
divine nature which controls the objects he sees and which may be
the repositories of all authority. These reflection give rise to belief in
mysterious powers behind the natural phenomena, numberless gods
are supposed to be governing various parts and aspects of nature
Introducing Islam Part I & II 61
such as air, light, water, etc, and some suggestive material forms or
symbols are constructed to represent them. And he begins to
worship those forms and symbols. This too is a form of ignorance,
and reality remains hidden from the human eye even at this stage of
intellectual and cultural pilgrimage.

As man progresses still further in knowledge and learning, and as he


reflects more and more deeply on the fundamental problems of life
and existence, he finds an all-powerful law and an all-encompassing
control in the universe. What a complete regularity control in the
universe. What a complete regularity is observed in sunrise and
sunset, in winds and rains, in the motions of stars and the changes of
seasons! How in a wonderfully harmonious way countless different
forces are working jointly, and what a highly potent and supremely
wise Law it is, according to which all the various causes in the
universe are made to work together at an appointed time to produce
an appointed event! Observing this uniformity, regularity, and
complete obedience to a firm law in all fields of believe that there
must be a deity greater than all others, exercising supreme authority.
For, if there were separate, independent deities, the whole
machinery of the universe would be upset. He calls this greatest
deity by different names, such as ‘Allah’ ‘Permeshwar,’ ‘God,’
Khuda-I-Khudaigan,’ etc. but as the darkness of ignorance still
persists, he continues worshipping minor deities along with the
Supreme One. He imagines that the Divine Kingdom of God may
not be different form earthly kingdoms. Just as a ruler has many
ministers, trusted associates, governors, and other responsible
officers, so the minor are like so many responsible officers, under
the Great God who could not be approached without pleasing and
propitiating the officers under Him. So they must also be
worshipped and appealed to for help, and should in no case be
offended.

The more man increases in knowledge, the greater become his


dissatisfaction with the multiplicity of deities. So the number of
minor deities begins to decrease. More enlightened men bring each
one of them under the searchlight of scrutiny and ultimately find
that none of these man-made deities has any divine character; they
themselves are creatures like man, rather more helpless. They are
thus dropped out by one until only one God remains. But the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 62
concept of one God still contains some remnants of the elements of
ignorance. Some people imaging that has a body as man have, and
is settled in a particular place. Some believe that God came down to
the earth in human form; others think that God after settling the
affairs of the universe has retired and is now taking rest. Some
believe that it is necessary to approach God through the media of
saints and spirits, and nothing can be achieved without their
intercession. Some imagine God to have a certain form or image
and they regard it necessary to keep that before them for the
purposes of worship. Such distorted notions of godhead have
persisted and lingered, and many of them are prevalent among
different people even in the present age.

Tawheed is the highest conception of godhead, the knowledge of


which God has sent to mankind in all ages through His prophets. It
was this knowledge with which, in the beginning, Adam had been
revealed to Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (God’s blessings be
upon them all). It was this very knowledge which Muhammad
(God’s blessings be upon him) brought to mankind. It is The
Knowledge, pure and absolute, without the least shade of ignorance.
Man because he guilty of shirk, idol-worship and kufr, only because
he turned away from the teachings of the prophets and depended
upon his own faulty reasoning, false perceptions or biased
interpretations. Tawheed dispels all the clouds of ignorance and
illumines the horizon with the light of reality. Let us see what
significant realities this concept of Tawheed-this little phrase: ‘la
ilaha illallah’-points out: what truth it conveys and what beliefs it
fosters. This we can grasp if we ponder over the following points.

First of all we are faced with the question of divinity. We are face to
face with a grand, limitless universe. Man’s mind fails to discern its
beginning and visualize its end. It is moving on in its chartered
course from time immemorial and is continuing its journey in the
vast vista of the future. Creatures beyond number have appeared in
it-and go on appearing every day. The phenomena are so
bewildering that a thinking mind finds itself aghast and
wonderstruck. Man is unable to understand and grasp the reality by
his unaided vision. He cannot believe that all this has appeared just
by chance or accident. The universe is not a fortuitous mass of
matter. It is not a jumble of uncoordinated objects. It is not a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 63
conglomeration of thing chaotic and meaningless. All this cannot be
without a Creator, a Designer, a Controller, a Governor. But who
con create and control this majestic universe? Only He can do so
master of all; who is infinite and eternal; who is all-powerful, all
wise, omnipotent, and omniscient; who is all-knowing and all-
seeing. He must have supreme authority over all that exists in the
universe. He must possess limitless powers, must be the lord of the
universe and all that it contains, must be free from every flaw and
weakness and none may have the power to interfere with His work.
Only such a being can be the Creator, the Controller and the
Governor of the universe.

Secondly, it is essential that all these divine attributes and powers


must vest in one being-it is virtually impossible for two or more
personalities having all the powers and attributes equally to co-exist.
They are bound to collide. Therefore there must be one and only one
Supreme Being having control over all others. You cannot think of
two governors for the same province or two supreme commanders
of the same army! Similarly, the distribution of these powers among
different deities, for instance, that one of them is all knowledge, the
other all providence and still another life-giver-and each having
independent domain in his own field-is unthinkable. The universe is
an indivisible whole and each one of such deities will be dependent
upon others in bound to occur. And if this happens, the world is
destined to go to pieces. These attributes are also non-transferable. It
is not possible that a certain attribute might be present in a certain
deity at one time and at another time it is found in another deity. A
divine being who is incapable of remaining alive himself cannot
give life to others. The one who cannot protect his own divine
power is definitely unsuited to govern the vast limitless universe.
Thus the greater you reflect upon the problem, the firmer would be
your conviction that all these divine powers and attributes must
exist in one end the same being alone. Thus polytheism is a form of
ignorance and cannot stand rational scrutiny. It is a practical
impossibility. The facts of life and nature do not fit into that
explanation. They automatically bring man to Reality, i.e. Tawheed
(the Unity of God).

Now keeping in view this correct and perfect conception of God,


cast a searching glance at this vast universe. Exert yourself to the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 64
utmost and say if you find among all the objects that your see,
among all the things that you perceive, among all that you can think,
feel, or imagine-all that your knowledge can comprehend-anyone
possessing these attributes. The sum, the moon, the stars, animals,
birds or fishes, matter, any man or a group of men-does any of them
possess these attributes? Certainly none! For everything in the
universe is created, is controlled and regulated, is dependent on
others, is mortal and transitory, is not elf-acting and self-propelling-
its slightest movements are controlled by an inexorable law and it
cannot deviate from that law. Their helpless condition proves that
the attire of divinity cannot fit their body. They do not possess the
slightest trace of divinity and have absolutely nothing to do with it.
They are simply without the godly powers and it is a travesty of
truth and a folly of the highest magnitude to attribute to them the
divine status. This is the meaning of ‘La ilaha,’ i.e. there is no god;
no human and material object possesses the divine power and
authority deserving worship and obedience.

But this is not the end of our quest. We have found that divinity does
not vest in any material or human element of the universe and that
none of them possess even the slightest trace of it. This very inquiry
leads us to the conclusion that there is a Supreme Being, over and
above all that our unwary eyes see in the universe, who possesses
the Divine attributes who is the Will behind all phenomena, the
Creator of this grand universe, the Controller of its superb Law, the
Governor of its serene rhythm, the Administrator of all its working:
He is Allah, the Lord of Universe and has none as associate in His
Divinity. This is what "illallah" (but Allah) means.

This knowledge is superior to all other kinds of know ledge and the
greater You exert, the deeper will be your conviction that this is the
starting-point of all knowledge. In every filed of inquiry-may it be
that of physics chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, zoology,
economics, politics, sociology, or humanities, you will find that the
deeper you probe, the clearer become the indications of the truth of
La ilaha illallah, in every field of knowledge and inquiry. It is this
concept which opens up the doors of knowledge with the light of
reality. And if you deny or disregard this reality, you will find that at
every step you meet disillusionment, for the denial of this primary
truth robs everything in the universe of its real meaning and true
Introducing Islam Part I & II 65
significance. The universe becomes meaningless and the vistas of
progress get blurred and confused. [Towards Understanding Islam:
Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

05.01.03: The Effects of Tawheed on Human Life


Now let us study effects which the belief in La ilaha illallah brings
forth upon the life of a man and see why he should always be a
success in life, here and in the hereafter.

(a) A believer in this Kalima can never be narrow-minded or


shriveled in outlook. He believes in a God who is Creator of the
heavens and the earth, the Master of the East and the West and
Sustainer of the entire universe. After this belief he does not regard
anything in the world as a stranger to himself. He looks upon
everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord whom he
himself belongs to. He is not partisan in his thinking and behavior.
His sympathy, love, and service do not remain confined to any
particular sphere or group. His vision is enlarged, his intellectual
horizon widens, and his outlook become liberal and as boundless as
is the Kingdom of God. How can this width of vision and breadth of
mind be achieved by an atheist, a polytheist, or one who believes in
a deity supposed to possess limited and defective powers like a
man?

(b) This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect


and self-esteem. The believer knows that Allah alone is the
possessor of all power, and that none besides Him can benefit or
harm a person, or provide for his need, or give and take away life, or
wield authority or influence. This conviction makes him indifferent
to, and independent and fearless of, all powers other than those of
God. He never bows his head in homage to any of God’s creatures,
nor does he stretch his hand before anyone else. He is not overawed
by anybody’s greatness. This quality or attitude of mind cannot be
produced by any other belief. For it is necessary that those who
associate other beings with God, or who deny God, should bow in
homage to some creatures, regard them able to benefit or harm
them, and repose all their hopes in them.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 66
(c) Along with self-respect this belief also generates in man a sense
of modesty and humbleness. It makes him unostentatious and
unpretending and unpretending. A believer never becomes proud,
haughty or arrogant. The boisterous pride of power, wealth and
worth can have no room in his heart, because he knows that
whatever he possesses has been given to him by God, and can take
away just as He can give. In contrast to this, an unbeliever, when he
achieves some worldly merit, becomes proud and conceited because
he believes that his merit is due to his own worth. In the same way
pride and self-concept are a necessary outcome and concomitant of
shirk (association of others with God in His divinity), because a
mushrik believes that he has a particular relation with the deities
which does exist between them and other people.

(d) This belief makes man virtuous and upright. He has the
conviction that theirs is no other means of success and salvation for
him except purity of soul and righteousness of behavior. He has
perfect faith in God who is above all need, is related to none, is
absolutely just, and none has any hand or influence in the exercise
of His divine powers. This belief creates in him the consciousness
that, unless he lives rightly and acts justly, he cannot succeed. No
influence or underhand activity can save him from ruin. As against
this, the kefirs and the mushriks always live on false hopes. Some of
them believe that God’s son has atoned for their sins; some think
that they are God’s favorites, and will not be punished, others
believe that their saints will intercede with God on their believe that
their deities and believe that by so bribing the deities they have
acquired a license for all frivolities and ill-deeds s and depending
upon their deities, they do not live pure and good lives. As to the
atheists, they do not believe that there is any Being having power
over them, to whom they would be responsible for their good or bad
action; therefore they consider themselves altogether independent to
act in whatever way them like in this world. Their own fancies
become their gods and they live like slaves of their wishes and
desires.

(e) The believer does not become despondent and broken-hearted


under any circumstances. He has firm faith in God who is the
Master of all the treasures of the earth and the heavens, whose grace
and bounty have no limit and whose powers are infinite. This faith
Introducing Islam Part I & II 67
imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation, fills it with
satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope. In this world he might
meet with rejection from all doors, nothing herein might serve his
ends, All means aright, one after another, desert him; but faith in and
dependence on God never leave him; and upon their strength he
goes on struggling. Such a profound confidence can result from no
other belief than belief in one God. Mushirks, kafirs, and atheists
have small hearts; they depend upon limited powers; therefore in
hours of trouble they are soon overwhelmed by despair and,
frequently, they commit suicide.

(f) This belief produces in man a very strong degree of


determination, patient perseverance, and trust in God. When he
makes up his mind and devotes his resources to fulfill the Divine
Commands in order to secure God’s pleasure, he is sure he has the
support and backing of the Lord of the universe, this certainty
makes him firm and strong like a mountain, and no amount of
difficulties, impediments, and hostile opposition can make him give
up his resolution. Shirk, Kufr, and atheism have no such effect.

(g) On account of man's interference and interpolation, many things


have been inserted in those books, which are against reality,
revolting to reason, and affronting to every instinct of justice. There
are thing which are cruel and unjust and vitiate man's beliefs and
action. Furthermore, unfortunately, things have been inserted that
are obscene, indecent, and potently immoral. The Qur'an is free
from all such rubbish. It contains nothing against reason, and
nothing that can be proved wrong. None of its injunctions is unjust;
nothing in it is misleading. Of indecency and immorality not a trace
can be found in it. From the beginning to the end the whole Book is
full of wisdom and truth. It contains the best of philosophy ad the
choicest of law for human civilization. It points out the right path
and guides man to success and salvation. It is on account of these
special features of the Qur'an that all the peoples of the world have
been direct to have faith in it, to give up all other Books, and to
follow it alone, because it contains all that is essential for living in
accordance with God's pleasure, and after it there remains
absolutely no need for any other divine Book.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 68
The study of the differenced between the Qur'an and other divine
Books makes one easily understand that the nature of faith in the
Qur'an and that of belief in the former Books is not similar.

Faith in the former divine Books should be limited to the


confirmation that they were all from God, were true, and had been
sent down to fulfill, in their time, the same purpose for which the
Qur'an has been sent. On the other hand, belief in the Qur'an should
be of the nature that it is purely and absolutely God's own words,
that it is perfectly true, that every word of it is preserved, that
everything mentioned therein is right, that it is the bounden duty of
man to carry out in his life each and every command of it; and that
whatever be against it must be rejected. [Towards Understanding
Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

05.01.04: Sources of Allah’s Attributes:


All that we have mentioned about Allah's attributes, whether briefly
or in detail and affirmatively or negatively, is based on the book of
our Lord (the Qur'an) and the traditions (Sunnah) of our Prophet. It
also agrees with the practice of the previous generations of Muslims
and the rightly guided scholars who came after them.

We believe it is obligatory to take the texts of the Qur'an and the


prophetic traditions conceding Allah's attributes at their face value
and to interpret them in a way that is suitable to Almighty Allah. We
reject the practice of those who twist the meanings of these texts
and understand them in a way that was not intended by Allah and
His messenger.

We also reject the practice of those who make them devoid of their
meanings as conveyed by Allah and His Messenger. Finally, we
reject the approach of those who exaggerate, who gave them a
physical interpretation that makes Allah similar to some of His
creatures.

Note: This has been taken From the Book: ‘The Muslim's Belief’
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net
Introducing Islam Part I & II 69

05.02.00: Faith in Messengers


and Prophets of God
A Muslim believes in all the Messengers and Prophets of God
without any discrimination. All messengers were mortals, human
beings, endowed with Divine revelations and appointed by God to
teach mankind. The Holy Qur’an mentions the names of 25
messengers and prophets and states that there are others. These
include Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad. Their message is the same and it is Islam and it came
from One and the Same Source; God, and it is to submit to His will
and to obey His law; i.e., to become a Muslim.

05.02.01: Difference among


the Messengers, Prophets & Imams
(a) A Prophet ('Nabi' in Arabic) is a man chosen by God who
speaks the will of God when he receives messages from God
through Angels or directly from God. We believe that 124 000 Nabis
were sent to this world. Nabis guide and tell people to follow the
will of Allah only (and not their own wills) and to acknowledge His
existence and also to stop the people from doing evil. Muslims
believe in almost all the Prophets of the Jews and the Christians and
we also have two extra. One of these Prophets is Jesus (known as
'Isa' in Arabic (PBUH)) who the Jews reject and the Christians
believe to be the son of god. Muslims reject the idea that God would
have a son, but Muslims believe Isa was a very great Prophet. The
second Prophet whom the Jews and the Christians reject is Nabi
Muhammed (SAW) who is the founder of the religion of Islam and
we believe he was the final Prophet to be sent by Allah to convey
His universal message - the same message that the previous
Prophets were sent to convey to mankind as well. We believe that
the message preached by the Prophets was the same as that taught
by Prophet Muhammed (SAW) and therefore Islam is a continuation
Introducing Islam Part I & II 70
of the religion preached to the people since the dawn of time by
their Prophets but it corrects the mistakes that the previous religions
had established by dogma through time.

(b) Messengers (know as 'Apostles' in English) are Prophets, but


not all Prophets are Messengers. The difference between a Prophet
and a Messenger is that the Messengers like Prophet Muhammad,
Moses (know as 'Musa' in Arabic), Isa and Abraham (PBUH) had a
mission of propagating a message that was aimed at every living
person on this earth and for all time or until the next apostle came,
while a Prophet had to convey a message to his tribe, or to his city,
or certain communities. We believe that 313 of the Prophets are
apostles who were sent to this world. Another difference is that the
Messengers were given Holy books (or scriptures) so that they
would help in the guidance of the people during and after their
deaths. Muslims use Acronyms like (AS or PBUH; or SAW
specifically for Prophet Muhammad) after the name of a Prophet to
show respect.

(c) An Imam is a person who has been given authority to guide the
people by a Prophet (and therefore by Allah). Imams are the
successors and points of authority after the death of a Prophet. The
word Imam is commonly used as a general term by Muslims as the
word for someone who leads the people in things like the prayer, or
even a scholar, but the true essence of the word is in reference to
rightly appointed men and not just anybody. Muslims use Acronyms
like (AS) after the name of an Imam to show respect. [Al-Kauthar
magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam
Ali Foundation – London]

05.02.02 Belief in Allah’s Messengers


We believe that Allah has sent to His people messengers who were
"bringing good tidings and warning, so that mankind might have no
argument against Allah after the Messengers. Allah is All-mighty,
All-wise" (4: 165).

05.02.03: The First and Last Messengers:


We believe that the first among the messengers is Noah and the last
is Muhammad, peace be upon them all: "We revealed to you as We
revealed to Noah and the prophets after him" (4:163); and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 71
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the
Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets" (33:40).

05.02.04: The Best Messengers:


We believe that the best among the messengers is Muhammad, then
Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jesus, son of Mary. It is they who are
meant by the following Qur'anic verse: "And when We took a
compact from the prophets, and from you, and from Noah, and
Abraham, then Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary. We took from them a
solemn compact". (33:7)

We believe that Muhammad's message, peace be upon him, includes


all the merits of the messages of those dignified messengers,
because Allah says: "He ordained for you what He enjoined on
Noah and what He revealed to you and what He enjoined on
Abraham, Moses and Jesus; namely, establish this faith and be
united in it" (42:13).

05.02.05: Messengers Are Human Beings:


We believe that all messengers are created human beings who have
none of the divine qualities of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said about
Noah, who was the first among them: "I do not say to you, 'I possess
the treasures of Allah.' I do not know the unseen, and I do not say 'I
am an angel"' (11:31) Allah directed Muhammad, who is the last
among them, to say: "I do not say to you I possess the treasures of
Allah, nor do I know the unseen, and I do not say to you I am an
angel" (6:50); and to say that "I have no power to bring profit or
hurt for myself, but only as Allah wills" (7:188); and: "I have no
power to hurt or benefit you. Say none can protect me from Allah,
nor can I find any refuge besides Him" (72:91-2).

We believe that the messengers are among Allah's servants. He


blessed them with the message and described them as servants, in
the context of praising and honoring them. He says about Noah, the
first among them: "You are the descendants of those whom We
carried with Noah, he was a truly thankful servant" (17:3).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 72

Allah said about the last among them, Muhammad, peace be upon
him: "Blessed be He who sent down the Qur'an to His servant, that
he may warn mankind" (25:1). As for some other messengers, he
said: "And mention Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men of
might and vision" (38:45); "And remember Our servant David, who
was a mighty and penitent man" (38: 17); "And to David, We gave
Solomon, he was an excellent and penitent servant" (38:30).

Allah said about Jesus, son of Mary: "He is only a servant whom We
blessed and We made him an example to the children of Israel" (43:
59).

We believe that Allah concluded all messages with the message of


Muhammad, peace be upon him, to all people, because He said:
"Say, 'O mankind, I am Allah's Messenger to you all. To him
belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth; there is no god
but He. He ordains life and death. So believe in Allah and His
Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His
words. Follow him so that you may be rightly guided"' (7:158).

05.02.06: Islam: The Universal and Final Message


We believe that the Shari'ah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be
upon him, is the religion of Islam, which Allah has chosen for His
servants. He does not accept any other religion from anyone, for He,
the Exalted, said: "Surely, the true religion in Allah's sight is Islam"
(3:19), "Today I have perfected your religion for you and I have
completed My favor upon you, and I have chosen Islam to be your
religion" (5:3), and "Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it
will never be accepted from Him, and in the Hereafter he will be
among the losers" (3:85).

It is our opinion that whoever claims that any religion other than
Islam is acceptable, such as Judaism, Christianity and so forth, is a
non believer. He should be asked to repent.

It is also our opinion that whoever rejects the universal message of


Muhammad, peace be upon him, rejects the message of all
messengers, even if he claims that he believes and follows His
Messenger. Allah, the Exalted, said: "Noah's people rejected the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 73
Messengers" (26:105). Thus, Allah considered them as rejecting all
of the messengers despite the fact that there was no messenger
before Noah. This is also clear from the following verses: "Those
who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and wish to make
division between Allah and His Messengers, and say: 'We believe in
some and disbelieve in others,' wishing to take a midway course.
Those indeed are the unbelievers, and We have prepared for the
unbelievers a humiliating punishment"(4:150-51).

We believe that there is no prophet after Muhammad, Allah's


Messenger, peace be upon him. Whoever claims prophet hood after
him, or believes in anyone claiming it, is a disbeliever and one who
rejects Allah, His Messenger, and the Muslims' consensus.

05.02.07: The Rightly Guided Caliphs & Companions


We believe that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has rightly guided
successors who carried out his Sunnah in spreading knowledge
calling to Islam, and managing the Muslims' affairs. We believe that
the best among them and the most entitled to the caliphate was Abu
Bakr as Siddiq, then 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, then 'Uthman Ibn Affan
and then 'All Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them all.
Thus their succession to the caliphate was according to their virtues.
Allah, the Exalted, who possesses infinite wisdom, would not
appoint a ruler over the best of generations unless he was the most
superior among them and had the best claim to caliphate.

We believe that the inferior among those rightly guided companions


can be superior in a specific virtue to those who were better than
him but that he does not deserve absolute superiority, for the
elements constituting superiority are varied and numerous.

We believe that the Muslim Ummah is the best among nations, and
Allah, the Dignified and Exalted, has blessed it, because He said:
"You are the best nation ever brought forth for mankind, enjoining
what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah"
The Prophet's Companions:

We believe that the best among the Muslim Ummah are the
Prophet's Companions, then their followers, and then those who
followed them.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 74

We also believe that a group of this Ummah will always remain


victorious on the right path, unharmed by those who let them down
or those who oppose them until the Day of Judgment.

We believe that the disputes that took place among the Prophet's
Companions were the result of sincere interpretations that they
worked hard to reach. Whoever was right among them will be
rewarded twice, and whoever was wrong among them will be
rewarded once and his mistake will be forgiven.

It is our opinion that we should stop talking about their mistakes and
mention what they deserve of beautiful praise. We should purify our
hearts from hatred and malice against any of them, because Allah
said about them: "They are not equal: those among you who spent
and who fought before the conquest of Makkah. Those are higher in
rank than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all Allah
has promised a great reward" (57:10). And Allah said about us:
"And those who came after them say: 'Our Lord, forgive us and our
brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any
malice against those who have believed. Our Lord, You are the most
Kind, Most Merciful"' (59:10).

Note: This has been taken from the Book: The Muslim's Belief
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net

05.02.02: Faith in Prophets


In the last chapter we discussed that God's Messengers had been
raised among every people, and that they all brought essentially that
very religion-Islam-which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
propagated. In this respect all the Messengers of God belong to the
same category. If a man confirms and believes in one of them, he
must and ought to confirm all. The reason is quite simple. Suppose
ten men make one and the same statement; if you admit one of them
to be true, you ipso facto admit the remaining nine of them as true,
and if you believe anyone of them, by implication you believe all of
them. It is for this reason that in Islam it is necessary to have
Introducing Islam Part I & II 75
implicit in anyone of the prophet would be a Kafir, though he might
profess faith in all the other Prophets.

It occurs in traditions that the total number of all the prophets sent to
different peoples at different times is 124,000. If you consider the
life of the world since it was first inhabited and the number of
different peoples and nations that have passed on it, this number will
not appear too great. We have to believe positively in those of the
prophets whose names have been mentioned in the Qur'an
Regarding the rest we are instructed to believe that all Prophets sent
by God for the guidance of mankind were true. Thus we believe in
all the prophets raised in India, China, Iran, Egypt, Africa, Europe,
and other countries of the world, but we are not in a position to be
definite about a particular person outside the list of prophets named
in the Qur'an, whether or not he was a Prophet, for we have not been
told anything definite about him. Nor are we permitted to say
anything against the holy men of other religions. It is quite possible
that some of them might have been God's Prophets that some of
them might have been God's Prophets, and their followers corrupted
their teachings after their demise, just as the followers of Moses and
Jesus (God's blessings be upon them) have done. Therefore,
whenever we express any opinion about them, it would be about the
tenets and rituals of their religions; as for the founders of those
religions, we will remain scrupulously silent, lest we should become
guilty of irreverence towards a Prophet.

As for the fact of being Prophets of God and having been deputed
by Him for teaching the same straight path of 'Islam,' there is no
difference between Muhammad and other Prophets (God's blessings
be upon them all), we have been ordered to believe in all of them
alike. But in spite of their equality in this respect, there are the
following three differences between Muhammad and other Prophets
(God's blessings be upon them all):
1. The Prophets of the past had come to certain people for certain
periods of time, while Muhammad (God's blessings be upon
him) has been sent for the whole world and for all times to
come.
2. The teachings of those Prophets have either disappeared
altogether from the world, or whatever of them remains is not
pure, and is found intermingled with many erroneous and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 76
fictitious statements. For this reason even if anyone wishes to
follow their teachings, he cannot do so. In contrast to this, the
teachings of Muhammad (God's blessings be upon him), his
biography, his discoursed, his ways of living, his morals, habits,
and virtues, in short, all the details of his life and work, are
preserved. Muhammad (God's blessings be upon him),
therefore, is the only one of the whole line of Prophets who is a
living personality, and in whose footsteps it is possible to follow
correctly and confidently.
3. The guidance imparted through the Prophets of the past was not
complete and all- embracing. Every Prophet was followed by
another who effected alterations and additions in the teachings
and injunctions of his predecessors and, in this way, the chain of
reforms and progress continued. That is why the teachings of
the earlier Prophets, after the lapse of a certain period of time,
were lost in oblivion. Obviously there was no need of
preserving former teachings when amended and improved
guidance had taken their place. At last the most perfect code of
guidance was imparted to mankind through Muhammad (God's
blessings be upon him) and all previous codes were
automatically abrogated, for it is futile and imprudent to follow
an incomplete code while the complete code exists. He who
follows Muhammad (God's blessings be upon him) follows all
the Prophet, for whatever was good and eternally workable in
their teaching has been embodied in his teachings. Whoever,
therefore, rejects and refuses to follow Muhammad's teachings
and chooses to follow some other Prophet, only deprives
himself of that vast amount of useful and valuable instruction
and guidance in Muhammad's teachings, which never existed in
the books of the earlier Prophets and which were revealed only
through the Last of the Prophets.

That is why it is now incumbent upon each and every human being
to have faith in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and follow him
alone. To become a true Muslim (a follower of the Prophet's way of
life) it is necessary to have complete faith in Muhammad (peace be
upon him) and to affirm that:

(a) He is a true Prophet of God;


Introducing Islam Part I & II 77
(b) His teachings are absolutely perfect, free from any defect or
error;
(c) He is the Last Prophet of God. After him no Prophet will appear
among any people till the Day of Judgment, nor is any such
personage going to appear in whom it would be essential for a
Muslim to believe
[Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]
05.03.00: Faith In Allah's Books
We believe that Allah revealed books to His messengers as proof
against mankind and guidance for the righteous workers. They
purified and taught them wisdom by these books.

We believe that Allah sent down a book with every messenger,


because He says: "Indeed We sent down Our messengers with the
clear signs, and We sent down with them the book and the balance,
so that people may uphold justice" (57:25).

05.03.01: Books Known


Among the books that were revealed, we know:
(1) The Torah, which was revealed to Moses, peace be upon him. It
is the greatest among the Israelites' books: "Surely, We sent
down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; by its laws the
Jews have been judged by the prophets who surrendered
themselves to Allah, the rabbis and the doctors of law, because
they were entrusted the protection of Allah's book and were
witnesses thereto" (5:44).
(2) The Gospel, which Allah revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him.
It is a confirmation of the Torah and a complement to it: "And
we gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light and
confirming the Torah before it, as guidance and an admonition
to the God-fearing" (5:46); "And to make lawful to you certain
things that, before, were forbidden to you" (3:50).
3) The Psalms, which Allah gave to David, peace be upon him.
4) The Tablets of Abraham and Moses, peace be upon them.
5) The Glorious Qur'an, which was revealed to His Prophet
Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets.

It is guidance to the people and clear signs of guidance and the


criterion between right and wrong" (2:185).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 78

05.03.01: The Qur'an Is Protected from Change:


The Qur'an is "confirming the scripture that was before it and stands
as a guardian over it." Thus, by means of the Qur'an, Allah
abrogated all the previous revealed books. Allah has also guaranteed
its protection from any play or mischievous distortion: "Indeed, We
sent down the message and We will guard it" (15:9), for the Qur'an
is a proof against mankind till the Day of Judgment.

05.03.02: Previous Scriptures Changed:


The previous scriptures were meant for a limited period. Their use
ended with the revelation of the Qur'an, which abrogated them and
exposed their distortions and changes. That is why they were not
protected from corruption. They underwent distortion, addition, and
omission: "Some of the Jews pervert words from their meanings"
(4:46);

"So woe to those who write the Book with their hands, and then say:
'This is from Allah,' which they may sell it for a little price. So woe
to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for their
earnings" (2:79);

"Say, who sent down the Book that Moses brought as a light and
guidance to people? You put it into sheets of paper showing some of
them and concealing much" (6:91);
"And there is a group among them who twist their tongues with the
Book, that you may think it is a part of the Book but it is not part of
the Book. And they say 'It is from Allah,' yet it is not from Allah,
and they tell a lie against Allah and they know it. It is not for any
human being to whom Allah has given the Book, the Wisdom and
the Prophet Hood to say to men 'Worship me instead of Allah"'
(3:79);

"People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making clear
to you many things you have been concealing of the Book and
forgiving you of much. A light has come to you from Allah and a
glorious Book, with which He will guide whoever follows His
pleasure in the way of peace, and brings them forth from darkness
into the light by His will" (5:15-16).
Note: This has been taken From the Book: The Muslim's Belief
Introducing Islam Part I & II 79
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net

05.03.03: Revelations and the Qur’an


(a) The Qur’an
The Qur’an is the Holy Book of the Muslims much like the Bible is
the holy book to the Christians and Jews. The difference is that the
Qur’an is perfect in the sense that it is the unaltered and pure word
of Allah. The Bible is said to be the actual word of God but
evidence suggests otherwise. The bible has been edited by many
writers over a great length of time and they made additions and
deletions so they wrote their own words. There are even Jewish,
Protestant and Catholic versions of the bible with different gospels
and variations and differences between them. There are many
versions of the Bible but there is only one version of the Qur’an and
it is the same as that which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) about 1400 years ago. The Qur’an is also different from the
bible in the sense that it is the actual words of God as revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by the Angel Gabriel, and the Prophet
learned these verses by heart and narrated them to many scribes who
wrote them down since Prophet Muhammed was illiterate. The
Prophet checked the writing of these scribes him for mistakes and
this made the Qur’an mistake-proof. The Qur’an is a beautiful text
that is written in Arabic and the Qur’an talks about many issues like
jurisprudence, the nature of God, stories of the Prophets and much
more and many Muslims see it as a guide for life. Today the Qur’an
comes in all languages but these don't convey the complete beauty
and sometimes multiple or root meanings of the Arabic words. The
Qur’an is very much a Miracle. [Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11,
Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali Foundation –
London]

A Muslim believes in all scriptures and revelations of God, as they


were complete and in their original versions. Allah, the Creator, has
not left man without guidance for the conduct of his life.
Revelations were given to guide the people to the ri ght path of Allah
Introducing Islam Part I & II 80
and sent down to selected people, the prophets and messengers, to
convey it to their fellow men.

The message of all the prophet and messengers is the same. They all
asked the people of their time to obey and worship Allah and none
other. Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad who were
revealed their own book of Allah, were sent at different times to
bring back straying human beings from deviation to the right course.

The Qur’an is the sacred book of the Muslims. It is the last book of
guidance from Allah, sent down to Muhammad, peace be upon him,
through the angel Jibraeel (Gabriel). Every word of it is the word of
Allah. It was revealed over a period of 23 years in the Arabic
language. It contains 114 Surahs (chapters) and over 6000 verses.

The Qur’an deals with man and his ultimate goal in life. Its
teachings cover all areas of this life and the life after death. It
contains principles, doctrines and directions for every sphere of
human life. The theme of the Qur’an broadly consists of three
fundamental ideas: Oneness of Allah, Prophet hood and life after
death. The success of human beings on this earth and in the life
hereafter depends on obedience to the Qur’anic teaching.

The Qur’an is unrivalled in its recording and preservation. The


astonishing fact about this book of Allah is that it has remained
unchanged even to a dot over the past fourteen hundred years. No
scholar has questioned the fact that the Qur’an today is the same as
it was revealed. Muslims till today memorize the Qur’an word by
word as a whole or in part. Today, the Qur’an is the only authentic
and complete book of Allah. Allah is protecting it from being lost,
corrupted or concealed.

(b) The Sunnah, Hadiths and Sharia law


'Hadith' is the speech or utterances of the Prophet.
The 'Sunnah' means conducts or acts done by the Prophet or at
least approved by him.

Often the words 'hadith' and 'sunnah' are used interchangeably


when referrring to an act, word or approval by the Prophet.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 81

The Sunnah was written in many many hadith books written by


many different writers a while after the death of the Prophet
Muhammed (SAW). These authors collected narrations from from
eye-witnesses, or most-often secondary sources who claimed they
heard narrations from those who accompanied Prophet Muhammed
(SAW) during the 23 years he recieved the Koran. We use books
that contain these hadiths to understand the laws of the religion
better since the Koran doesn't go into very much detail on some
issues, and it also aids in our understanding of the history and
situations at the time.

These hadiths go along hand in hand with Qur’an to form the laws
which are known as Sharia laws which are derived from the texts.

The Shariah law is the law of God and is followed by the faithful.
What the Prophet did and approved-of was what God approved-of
and God guided His messenger and this Prophet brought guidance
to mankind. The Shariah laws are found by reading the Quran and
the Hadiths together to form a sound understanding on how Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) would have dealt with a matter. Any
undetermined things or differences in opinion are left to scholars to
argue over, and Muslims have a choice of which scholar to follow.
Some Muslims believe that some Hadiths are untrustworthy to
follow, while most Muslims are more adamant in their belief that
these books are too reputable to contain mistakes. However, all
Muslims believe in hadiths as long as they are sound and correct,
and the laws they both follow and believe in are almost exactly the
same. There will be more information about this in a future article.
[Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000.
Issued by Imam Ali Foundation – London]

05.03.04: Qur’an is free from Contradictions:


We know for sure that what is revealed in Allah's book and in the
traditions of His Messenger is the truth. It does not contain any
contradiction: "Do they not ponder over the Qur'an? If it had been
from other than Allah, surely they would have found in it a lot of
differences" (4: 82).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 82
Contradictions in statements falsify them. It is impossible for there
to be a contradiction in any statement revealed by Allah and said by
His Messenger, peace be upon him. Whoever claims that there is
contradictions in the Qur'an, the prophetic traditions, or between the
two must have wicked intentions and a misguided heart. He should
repent and quit his sin. If someone imagines that there are some
contradictions in the Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet, or between
these two, this must be a result of his little knowledge, inadequate
understanding, or lack of deep thinking. Therefore, he should seek
knowledge and do his best to reflect upon matters until the truth is
clear to him. If, after all of these efforts, the truth is not clear to him,
he should leave the whole matter to the One who knows it and
should quit his imagination. He should say, as do those who are
firmly rooted in knowledge: "We believe in it, all is from our Lord"
(3:7). He must know that there are neither contradictions nor
differences in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or between the two.
Note: This has been taken From the Book: ‘The Muslim's Belief’
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net

05.04.00: The Angels in Islam


Angels are very important in Islamic beliefs. We believe that they
were created from light and are the supreme servants of Allah
because they know fully well that He is their creator and Angels are
sinless and do what ever Allah wishes without mistake because that
is how Allah created them. Angels are usually invisible to humans
but sometimes they take the shape of men. Angels are not female,
but nor are they male and they don't look like what you see on top of
a Christmas tree. Angels do tasks like take the soul into the afterlife,
write down your good and bad deeds, greet people into heaven or
punish them in hell and they convey messages from the Lord to
people - like the Angel Gabriel did when he told the virgin Mary
(RA) that she would give birth to Prophet Jesus (PBUH), and they
also convey messages to the other Prophets. [Al-Kauthar magazine,
Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali
Foundation – London]

There are purely spiritual and splendid beings created by Allah.


They require no food or drink or sleep. They have neither physical
Introducing Islam Part I & II 83
desires nor material needs. Angels spend their time in the service of
Allah. Each is charged with a certain duty. Angels cannot be seen by
the naked eyes. Knowledge and the truth are not entirely confined to
sensory knowledge or sensory perception alone.

05.04.01: Belief in Angels


We believe in the existence of the angels of Allah and that they are
"honored servants. They do not speak before He does, and they act
only by His command" (21:26). Allah created them, and they
worship and obey Him. Those who are in His presence do not
disdain to worship Him, nor do they weary" (21:19).

Angels are concealed from us, so we cannot see them. Allah may
show them to some of His servants. The Prophet Muhammad saw
Gabriel in his real shape with six hundred wings that covered the
horizons (Bukhari and Muslim). Gabriel took the form of a
handsome human being who met Mary and engaged in conversation
with her. He came to the Prophet while he was among his
Companions in the appearance of an unknown man who did not
show any trace of long travel, with very white clothes, and very
black hair. He sat facing the Prophet, his knees to the Prophet's
knees, peace be upon him, and his palms on the Prophet's thighs and
talked with the Prophet. The Prophet later told his Companions that
the man they saw was Gabriel (Bukhari and Muslim).

Angels' Functions: We believe that the angels are assigned certain


functions. Among the angels is Gabriel, who is entrusted with
revelation. He brings it down from Allah to whomever He wishes
among His prophets and messengers.

Among them is Michael, who is in charge of rain and the growth of


plants; Israfil, who is in charge of blowing the horn at the time of
thunder-bolting and the resurrection; the Angel of Death, who takes
away people's souls at the time of death. Among the angels is the
one who is in charge of mountains; and Malik, the keeper of Hell.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 84
Some angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, others are
responsible for protecting human beings, and others are busy
recording men's deeds: there are two angels for every person, "when
the two angels receive (his deeds), one sitting on the right and one
on the left, not a word he utters but by him is an observer ready"
(50:18). Some other angels are in charge of questioning the dead
after he is placed in his last abode. Two angels come to him and ask
him about his Lord, his religion, and his prophet. There "Allah
confirms those who believe with the firm saying, in the present life
and the hereafter, and Allah leads astray the evildoers and Allah
does what He wills" (14:27).
Some angels are in charge of the dwellers of Paradise: "The angels
enter to them from every gate, saying: 'Peace be upon you for that
you were patient. How excellent is your final home"' (13:24).

The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us that "seventy thousand


angels enter or pray in the populous house in heaven every day.
They never come back to it as long as they live" (because their turn
will never come) (Bukhari and Muslim).

Note: This has been taken from the Book: The Muslim's Belief
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net

05.04.02: The Devil in Islam


The Devil (named 'Iblees' in the Quran) is the name of Jinn who was
once a very respected and loved figure by Allah and his status was
much like that of an Angel. He is not an Angel but infact Jinn. He is
made of smokeless fire as are all Jinn. He became detestable to
Allah when he refused to do the command of Allah which was to
bow down to his latest creation - man (Adam (PBUH)). Iblees was
headstrong and arrogant and refused to bow down to a creation that
he thought was less superior to himself since man is created from
clay and he was created from fire. When Allah saw that he refused
to carry out His command, He barred Iblees from heaven. Iblees
promised that he would try to make mankind fail in entering heaven
and following the righteous path and he tricked Adam and Eve
(Adam & Hawaa in Arabic) to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree so
they were put on earth and to this day Iblees and his servants -the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 85
Devils or Satans- continue to lead the children of Adam and Hawaa
off the straight path. Iblees will be punished in hell on judgment
day. Shaitan is not a guardian or punisher of people in hell as some
believe. [Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1, September
2000, Issued by Imam Ali Foundation – London]

05.05.00: Belief In The Day Of Judgment


We believe in the Final Day, which is the Day of Judgment, when
people will be resurrected and then told to remain in the abode of
enjoyment or in the abode of severe punishment.

05.05.01: The Resurrection:


We believe in the resurrection, which Allah’s is bringing to life all
those who have died, and when Israfil shall blow the horn for the
second time: "And the trumpet shall be blown, and all who are in
the heavens and who are in the Earth shall fall down fainting, except
those that Allah shall spare. Then, it shall be blown again and they
shall rise gazing around them" (39:68). People will arise from their
graves, answering the call of the Lord of the universe. They will be
barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised: "As We started the first
creation, so We shall bring it back again. This is a promise from Us,
so We shall assuredly fulfill it" (21: 104).

05.05.02: The Records and Scales:


We believe in the records of deeds that will be given to people in
their right hands or behind their backs, in the left hands: "As for him
who is given his book in his right hand, he shall surely receive an
easy reckoning and he will return to his family rejoicing. But as for
him who is given his book behind his back, he shall call for
destruction on himself and will burn in a blazing fire" (84:7-12);

"Every man's work We have fastened on his own neck, and on the
Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a book which he will
see spread open, saying: 'Read your own book! Enough for you this
day that your own soul should call you to account"' (17:13-14).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 86
We believe that scales of deeds will be set up on the Day of
Judgment, and that no soul shall be wronged: "Whoever has done an
atom's weight of good shall see it" (99:7-8); "Those whose scales
are heavy, they are the successful; but those whose scales are light,
they are the ones who have lost their souls in Hell dwelling forever.
The fire will burn their faces, and there they will be gloomy with
lips displaced" (23: 102-4); and "He that does a good deed shall be
rewarded ten times the like of it, and he that does evil shall only be
rewarded the like of it, and they shall not be wronged" (6:160).

05.05.03: The Prophet's Intercession:


We believe in the special great intercession of the Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him. He will plead with Allah, after His
permission and on behalf of mankind, to judge among His servants
when they suffer from worries and troubles that they cannot bear.
They will go to Adam, then to Noah, then to Abraham, then to
Moses, then to Jesus, and finally to Prophet Muhammad, peace be
upon him.

We believe in the intercession that concerns some believers who


were to be taken out from the fire. This mediation is granted to the
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and to others among the
prophets, the believers, and the angels.
We believe also that Allah will save from hell some of the believers
without the intercession of any one, but by His grace and mercy.

05.05.04: The Prophet's Pool:


We believe in the pool of the Prophet, peace be upon him, the water
of which is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and better in
fragrance than musk. Each of its length and width is the distance of
a month's travel. Its glasses are as stars in beauty and number. The
believers among the Prophet's followers come to take from this
great cistern a drink after which they will never be thirsty.

05.05.05: The Straight Path:


We believe in the straight path (sirat) set up over hell. People pass
over it according to their deeds: the first of them as fast as lighting,
then as fast as wind, then as fast as birds, and then as fast as a
running man. The Prophet will be standing on the path, saying:
"Lord, Save! Save!," as some people's deeds will fall short. Some of
Introducing Islam Part I & II 87
them will come crawling. At both sides of the path there are hooks
designed to take whom Allah wills: some are saved but bruised;
others are thrown into hell. (Bukhari and Muslim).

We believe in all that is mentioned in the Qur'an or the prophetic


sayings concerning that day and its horrors, may Allah save us from
them.

We believe in the intercession (Shafa'ah) of Prophet Muhammad,


peace be upon him, for the people of paradise to enter therein. This
intercession is exclusively limited to the Prophet Muhammad, peace
be upon him.

05.05.06: Paradise and Hell:


We believe in paradise and hell. Paradise is the abode of enjoyment
which Allah, the Exalted, prepared for the righteous. No eye has
ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and no human being has ever
thought of the blessings that they will enjoy there: "No soul knows
what comfort is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their deeds"
(32:17). Hell is the abode of punishment that Allah has prepared for
the unbelievers and the evildoers. The torture and horror in it cannot
be imagined: "Surely, We have prepared for the evildoers a fire,
whose pavilion encompasses them. If they call for help, they will be
helped with water like molten copper which will scald their faces.
How dreadful a drink and how evil a resting place!" (18:29).

Both paradise and hell exist now and will never perish: "Whoever
believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit him to
gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever. Allah
had indeed made for him an excellent provision" (65-11);
"Certainly, Allah has cursed the unbelievers and prepared for them a
blazing fire to dwell therein forever, they shall find neither protector
nor helper. On the day when their faces are turned about in the fire
they shall say: 'Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the
Messenger!"' (33: 64-6).

We confirm paradise to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an or the


prophetic traditions either by name or description. Among those
who are granted paradise and mentioned by name are Abu Bakr,
'Umar, 'Uthman, 'All and others who were specified by the Prophet,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 88
peace be upon him (Bukhari and Muslim). Among those whom we
confirm to enter paradise because they fit the description are the
faithful and the pious.
We likewise confirm hell to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an and
the sayings of the Prophet, whether in name or description. Among
those who are mentioned by name to be in hell are Abu Lahab, 'Amr
Ibn Luhai al-Khuza'i, and others (Bukhari and Muslim).
Confirmation of hell that is based on description includes every
unbeliever, polytheist, or hypocrite.

05.05.07: What Happens in the Grave:


We believe in the Trial of the Grave, which involves questioning the
deceased person in his grave about his Lord, his religion, and his
prophet. There "Allah confirms those who believe with a firm
saying, in the present life and the hereafter"(14:27). The believer
will say: "Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion, and Muhammad is
my prophet." The unbeliever or the hypocrite will say: "I do not
know. I heard the people saying something and I said it."

We believe in the comfort of the grave for the believers: "Those


whose lives the angels take in state of purity, saying 'peace be on
you; enter paradise for what you were doing' (16:32).

We believe in the punishment of the grave for the transgressing


unbelievers: "If you could only see when the evildoers are in the
agonies of death and the angels are stretching out their hands,
saying, 'Give up your souls! Today you shall be rewarded with the
punishment of humiliation for what you used to say untrue about
Allah, and for scornfully rejecting His signs"' (6:93). The sayings of
the Prophet are numerous and well-known in this area. A Muslim
must believe in all that is reported in the Qur'an and the prophetic
traditions concerning the unseen matters. He should not contradict it
by his worldly experience, because the affairs of the hereafter
cannot be measured by the affairs of this life. The difference
between them is very great. Allah is the source of help.

Note: This has been taken From the Book: The Muslim's Belief
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net
Introducing Islam Part I & II 89
05.05.08: Belief in Life after Death
The fifth article of Islamic Faith is belief in life after death. Prophet
Muhammad (peace is upon him) has directed us to believe in
resurrection after death and in the Day of Judgment. The essential
ingredients of this belief, as the life of this world and of all that is in
it will come to an end on an appointed day. Everything will be
annihilated. That day is called Qiayamah, i.e. the Last Day. That all
the human beings who had lived in the world since its inception will
then be restored to life and will be presented before God who will
sit in court on that day. This is called Hashr: Resurrection.
That the entire record of every man and woman of all their doings
and misdoings-will be presented before God for final judgment.

That God shall finally adjudge the reward of every person. He shall
weigh everyone's good and bad deeds. One who excels in goodness
will be rewarded a goodly reward; one whose evils and wrongs
overweigh his good deeds, will be punished.

That the reward and punishment will be administered judiciously.


Those who emerge successful in this judgment will go to paradise
and the doors of eternal bliss will be opened upon them; those who
are condemned and deserve punishment will be sent to Hell-the
abode of fire and torture.
These are the essential constituents of belief in life after death.

05.05.08: The Need of Belief in the life after death


Belief in the life after death has always been a part and parcel of the
teachings of the Prophets. Every Prophet asked his followers to
believe in it, in the same way as the last of the Prophets,
Muhammad (peace be upon him), has asked us to do. This has
always been an essential condition of being a Muslim. All Prophets
have categorically declared that one who disbelieves in it, or casts
doubts on it, is a Kafir. This is so, because denial of life after death
makes all other beliefs meaningless. This denial also destroys the
very sanction for good life and man is driven to a life of ignorance
and disbelief. A little reflection would make this quite clear.

In your everyday life, whenever you are asked to do anything, you


immediately think: what is the utility of doing it and what harm is
involved in doing it? This is the very nature of man. He instinctively
Introducing Islam Part I & II 90
regards a useless action as totally unnecessary. You will never be
willing to waste your time and energy in useless, wasteful, and
unproductive jobs. Similarly, you won't be very eager to avoid a
thing that is harmless. And the general rule is that the deeper your
conviction about the utility of a thing, the firmer would be your
response to it; and the more doubtful you are about its efficacy, the
more wavering and shaky would be your attitude. After all, why
does a child put his hand in fire? -Because he is not sure that fire
burns. Why does he evade studying? -Because he does not fully
grasp the importance and benefits of education and does not believe
in what his elders try to impress upon his mind.

Now think of the man who does not believe in the Day of Judgment.
Would he not consider belief in God and a life in accordance with
His code of no consequence? What value will he attach to a life in
pursuit of His pleasure? To him neither obedience to God is of any
advantage nor disobedience to Him of any harm. How, the
injunctions of God, Him Prophet, and His Book? What incentive
would remain there for him to undergo trials and sacrifices and to
avoid worldly pleasures? And if a man does not follow the code of
God and lives according to his own likes and dislikes, or what use is
his belief in the existence of God, if any such belief he has?

That is not all. If you reflect still deeper, you will come to the
conclusion that belief in life after death is the greatest deciding
factor in the life of a man. Its acceptance or rejection determines the
very course of his life and behavior.

A man who has in view the success or failure of this world alone
will be concerned with the benefits and harms that accrue to him in
this life only. He will not be prepared to undertake any good act if
he has no hope of gaining thereby some worldly interest, nor will he
be keen to avoid any wrong act if that is not injurious to his interests
in this world.

But a man who believes in the next world as well and has a firm
conviction of the final consequences of his acts would look upon all
world look upon all worldly gains and losses as temporary and
transitory and would not stake his eternal bliss for a transitory and
would his eternal bliss for a transitory gain. He will look upon
Introducing Islam Part I & II 91
things in their wider perspective and will always keep the
everlasting benefit or harm in view. He will do the good, however
costly it may be to him in terms of worldly gains, or however costly
it may be to him in terms of worldly gains, or however injurious it
may be to his immediate interests; and he will avoid the wrong,
however charming it may look. He will judge the things from the
viewpoint of their eternal consequences and would not submit to his
whims and caprices.

Thus there is a radical difference between the beliefs, approaches,


and lives of the two persons. One's idea of a good act is limited to
its beneficence in this brief temporary life as a gain in the shape of
money, property, public applause and similar other things which
give him position, power, reputation, and worldly happiness. Such
things become his objectives in life. Fulfillment of his own wishes
and self-aggrandizement become the be-all and end-all of his life.
And he does not deter even from cruel and unjust means in their
achievement. Similarly, his conception of a wrong act is that which
may involve a risk of injury to his interests in this world like loss of
property and life, spoiling of health, besmirching of reputation, or
some other unpleasant consequence. In contrast to this man, the
believer's concept of good and evil would be quite different. To him
all that pleases God is good and all that invokes His displeasure and
wrath is evil. A good act, according to him, will remain good even if
it brings no benefit to him in this world, or even entails loss of some
worldly possession or injury to his personal interests. He will be
confident that God will reward him in the eternal life and that would
be the real success. Similarly, he will not fall a prey to evil deeds
merely for some worldly gain, for he knows that even if he escapes
punishment in his short worldly life, in would be the loser and
would not be able to escape punishment by the court of God. He
does not believe in the relativity of morals but sticks to the absolute
standards revealed by God and lives according to them irrespective
of gain or injury in this word.

Thus it is the belief or disbelief in life after death which makes man
adopt different courses in life. For one who does not believe in the
Day of Judgment it is absolutely impossible to fashion his life as
suggested by Islam. Islam says: "In the way of God give zakat
(charity) to the poor." His answer is: "No, zakat will diminish my
Introducing Islam Part I & II 92
wealth; I will, instead, take interest on my money." And in its
collection he would not hesitate to get attached each and everything
belonging to the debtors, though they be poor or hunger-stricken.
Islam says: "Always speak the truth and shun lying, though you may
gain ever so much by lying and lose ever so much by speaking the
truth." But his reply would be: " Well, what shall I do with a truth
which is of no use to me here, and which instead brings loss to me ;
and why should I avoid lying where it can bring benefit to me
without any risk, even that of a bad name?" He visits a lonely place
and finds a precious metal lying there; in such a situation Islam
says: "This is not your property, do not take it" ; but he would say:
"This is a thing I have come by without any cost or trouble ; why
should I not have it? There is no one to see this pick-up, who might
report it to the police or give evidence against me in a court of law,
to give me a bad name among the people. Why should I not make
use of this valuable?" Someone secretly keeps a deposit with this
man, and after that that he dies. Islam says: "Be honest with the
property deposited with you and give it over to the heirs of the
deceased." He says: "Why? There is no evidence of his property
being with me; his children also have no knowledge about it. When
I can appropriate it without any difficulty, without any fear of legal
claim, or stain on my reputation, why should I not do so?" In short,
at every step in life, Islam will direct him to walk in a course of
behavior; but he will take recourse to the opposite direction. For
Islam Measures and values everything from the viewpoint of its
everlasting consequence; while such a person always has in view
only the immediate and earthly outcome. Now, you can understand
why a man cannot be a Muslim without belief in the Day of
Judgment. To be a Muslim is a very great thing; the fact is that one
cannot even become a good man without this belief, for the denial
of the Day of Judgment degrades man from humanity to a place
even lower than that of the lowest of animals.

05.05.09: Life After Death: A Rational Vindication


So far we have discussed the need and importance of belief in the
Day of Judgment. Now let us consider how far the constituents of
the belief are rationally understandable. The fact is that whatever
Muhammad (peace be upon him) has told us about lift after death is
clearly borne out by reason. Although our belief in the that Day is
based upon our implicit in the Messenger of God, rational reflection
Introducing Islam Part I & II 93
not only confirms this belief but also reveals that Muhammad's
(peace be upon him) teachings in this respect are much more
reasonable and understandable than all other the following
viewpoints are found in the world.

A section of the people says that there is nothing left of man after
death, and that after this life-ending event, there is no other life.
According to these people, this belief has no reality. They say that
there is no possibility of it and such a belief is quite unscientific.
This is the approach and brings in western science in their support.

Another section of the people maintains that man, in order to bear


the consequences of his deeds, is repeatedly regenerated in this very
world. If he lives a bad life, in the next generation he will assume
the shape of an animal, like a dog or a cat, etc, or some tree or some
lower kind of man. If his acts have been good, he will be reborn as a
man into a higher class. This viewpoint is found in some Eastern
religions.

There is a third viewpoint which calls for belief in the Day of


Judgment, the Resurrection, man's presence in the Divine Court, and
the administration of reward and punishment. This is the common
belief of all the Prophets.

Now let us consider these viewpoints one by one. The first section,
which arrogates to itself the authority and support of science, alleges
that there is no reality in life after death. They say that they have
never seen anybody coming back after his death. There is not a
single case of revival. We see that after death a man is reduced to
dust. Therefore death is the end of life and there is no life after
death: But just think over this reasoning: is this really a scientific
argument? Is the claim really founded on reason? If they have not
seen any case of revival after death, they can only say that they do
not know what will happen after death. But, instead of remaining
within this limit, they declare that nothing will happen after death at
the same time alleging that they speak out of knowledge! In fact
they merely generalize on ignorance. Science tells us noting
negative or positive in this respect and their assertion that life after
death has no existence is totally unfounded. Their claim is not
dissimilar to the claim of an ignoramus who has not seen an airplane
Introducing Islam Part I & II 94
and on that "knowledge" proclaims that airplanes have no existence
at all! If anybody has not seen a thing, it does not mean that that
thing has no existence. No man, not even the entire humanity, if it
has not seen a thing, can claim that such a thing does not, or cannot,
exist. This claim is illusionary and is out and out unscientific. No
reasonable man can give it any weight.

Now look to belief of the second group. According to them, a


human being is a human being because in his previous animal form
he had done good deeds; and an animal is an animal because
previously as a human being he had behaved badly. In other worlds
to be a man or animal is the consequence of one's deed's in one's
former form. One may well ask: "Which of them existed first, man
or animal?" If they say man preceded animal, then they will have to
accept that he must have been an animal before that, and given a
human form for its good deeds. If they say it was animal they will
have to concede that must have been a man before that who
transformed into an animal for his bad deeds. This puts us into a
vicious circle and the advocates of this belief cannot settle any from
for the first creature, for every generation implies a preceding
generation so that the succeeding generation may be considered as
the consequence of the former. This is simply absurd.

Now consider the third viewpoint. Its first proposition is: "This
world will one day come to an end.

God will destroy and annihilate the universe, and in its place will
evolve another higher and far superior cosmos."

This statement is undeniably true. No doubt can be cast upon its


veracity. The more we reflect on the nature of the cosmos, the more
clearly it is proved that the existing system is not permanent and
everlasting, for all the forces working in it are limited in their
nature, and it becomes a certainty that one day they will be
completely exhausted. That is why the scientists agree that one day
the sun will become cold and will give up all its energy, the stars
will collide with one another, and the whole system of the universe
will be upset and destroyed. Moreover, if evolution is true in the
case of the constituents of this universe, why it may not be true for
the whole of it? To think of the universe becoming totally non-
Introducing Islam Part I & II 95
existent is more improbable than that it will pass into another
evolutionary stage and another order of things will emerge in a
much more improved and ideal order.

The second proposition of this belief is that "man will again be


given life". Is it impossible? If so, how did the present life of man
become possible? It is evident that God Who created man in this
world can do so in the next. Not only is it a possibility, it is also a
possibility; it is also a positive necessity, as will be show later.

The third proposition is that "the record of all the actions of man in
this world is preserved and be presented on the Day of
Resurrection". The proof of the truth of this proposition is provided
here in these days by science itself. It was first understood that the
sounds which we make produce slight waves in the air and die out.
Now, it has been discovered that the sound leaves its impression on
its surrounding objects and can be reproduced. Gramophone records
are made on the same principle. From this it can be understood that
the record of every movement of man is being impressed on all
things which come into contact with the waves produced by the
movements. This shows that the record of our entire deed is
completely preserved and can be reproduced.

The fourth proposition is that "on the Day of Resurrection, God will
hold His Court and with just judgment, reward or punish man for his
good and bad deeds." What is unreasonable about it? Reason itself
demands that God should hold His court and pronounces just
judgment. We see here that a man does a good deed and thereby
gains nothing in this world. We see another man who does a bad
deed and does and does not suffer for it here. Not only this, we see
thousands of cases of a good act bringing trouble on the doer, and of
a bad deed and not suffer for it here. Not only this have we seen
thousands of cases of a good act bringing trouble on the doer and of
the guilty person. When we notice these events happening every day
our reason and sense of justice demand that a time must come when
the man who dose good must be rewarded and the one who does
evil must be punished. The present order of things as you can see
yourself is subject to physical law according to which it is quite
natural that a man who has got the means to do evil can do so if he
chooses and it is not necessary that its evil consequences should
Introducing Islam Part I & II 96
react upon him wholly or partly. If you have a tin of petrol and a
match-bow you can set fire to the house of your opponent and you
can escape every consequence of this deed if the worldly forces are
in your favor. Does it mean that such an offence has got no
consequence at all? Certainly not! It means only that its physical
result has appeared and the moral result is reserved. Do you really
think it reasonable that it should never appear? If you say it should
the question is where? Certainly not in this world because in the
physical world only physical world only physical consequences of
this higher category can appear only if there comes into existence
another other of things wherein rational and moral laws reign
supreme and occupy the governing poison and where the physical
laws are made subject to them. That is the next world which as we
have said before is the next evolutionary stage of the universe. It is
evolutionary in this sense that it will be governed by moral laws
rather than by physical laws. The rational consequences of man's
action, which are reserved wholly or partly in this world, will appear
therein. Man's status will be determined by his rational and moral
worth adjudged in accordance with his conduct in this life of test
and trial. There you will not find a worthy man serving under a fool
or a morally superior man in a position inferior to a wretch, as is the
case in this world.

The last proposition of this is the existence of Paradise and Hell,


which is also not impossible. If God can make the sun, the moon the
stars and the earth, why should He not be able to make Paradise and
Hell? When He holds His Court and pronounces His judgment
rewarding the meritorious and punishing the guilty there must be a
place where the meritorious might enjoy their reward honor,
happiness and gratification of all kinds and another place where the
condemned might feel debasement pain and misery.

After considering all these questions no reasonable person can


escape the conclusion that the belief in life after death is the most
acceptable to reason and common senses, and that there is nothing
in it which can be said to be unreasonable or impossible. Moreover,
when a true Prophet like Muhammad (peace be upon him) has stated
this to be a fact and it involves nothing but what is good for us
wisdom lies in believing it implicitly and not in rejecting it without
any sound reasons.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 97

The above are the five articles of Faith which from the foundation
for the superstructure of Islam. Their gist is contained in the short
sentence know as Kalima-e-tayyibah. When you declare La ilaha
illallah (there is no deity but Allah) you give up all false deities and
profess that you are a creature of the One God and when you add to
these words Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, (Muhammad is Allah's
Messenger) you confirm and admit the Prophet hood of Muhammad
(God's blessings be upon him). With the admission of his Prophet
hood it becomes obligatory that should believe in the divine nature
and attributes of God, in His angels in His Revealed Books, and in
life after death and earnestly follow that method of obeying God and
worshipping Him which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
has asked us to follow. Herein lays the road to success and
salvation. [Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

05.05.10:Man & life after death


Allah created man from clay for a purpose and that purpose is to
worship Allah and that is the reason for life. Do not think of worship
as praying only! Praying is only a part of worship. Worship is made
up of many parts like being kind to your neighbor, giving charity,
teaching, treating the ill and many other things. Muslims believe
children are born pure (unlike in Christianity where a child is born a
sinner) but with worship we gain 'thawab' which you can think of as
being like 'plus points' and worship also benefits our soul. When
man does bad things he gains 'ithim' which you can think of as
'minus points'. If you think of life as a test, where if we do good
deeds we gain thawab and if we do bad deeds we get ithim, then
after we die we are taken into an afterlife world where the ithim &
thawab we have received and Allah's fair judgment (on Judgment
day ('Yawm al Qiyamah' in Arabic)) determines what happens to us
- if we enter hell or heaven (called 'Jahannam' & 'Jannah' in Arabic).
It is important to state here that a person who has no belief in God
will not enter Jannah. Jannah is the bounty that we receive for
passing the test of life and Jannah is split into many levels
depending on how well we did in the test, and so hell is split into
levels depending on how bad we did. Jannah (also referred-to as
Paradise in English Islamic literature) can be likened to an ever-
flourishing garden where you are given what you wish for and there
Introducing Islam Part I & II 98
is no death, pain and unhappiness and there are the best foods and
most lovely drinks. Hell is much like the opposite where you are
burnt in fire & tortured and you are kept hungry and thirsty and you
have no food and drink except filth and horrible fruits and fluids.
[Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000.
Issued by Imam Ali Foundation – London]

05.05.11: The Day of Judgment


A Muslim believes in the Day of the Judgment. This world as we
know it will come to an end, and the dead will rise to stand for their
final and fair trial. On that day, all men and women from Adam to
the last person will be resurrected from the state of death for
judgment. Everything we do, say, make, intends and thinks are
accounted for and kept in accurate records. They are brought up on
the Day of Judgment.

One who believes in life after death is not expected to behave


against the Will of Allah. He will always bear in mind that Allah is
watching all his actions and the angels are recording them.

People with good records will be generously rewarded and warmly


welcomed to Allah's Heaven. People with bad records will be fairly
punished and cast into Hell. The real nature of Heaven and Hell are
known to Allah only, but they are described by Allah in man's
familiar terms in the Qur’an.

If some good deeds are seen not to get full appreciation and credit in
this life, they will receive full compensation and be widely
acknowledged on the Day of Judgment. If some people who commit
sins, neglect Allah and indulge in immoral activities, seem
superficially successful and prosperous in this life, absolute justice
will be done to them on the Day of Judgment. The time of the Day
of Judgment is only known to Allah and Allah alone.

05.06.00: Qadaa and Qadar


A Muslim believes in Qadaa and Qadar which relate to the ultimate
power of Allah. Qadaa and Qadar mean the Timeless Knowledge of
Allah and His power to plan and execute His plans. Allah is not
indifferent to this world nor is He neutral to it. It implies that
Introducing Islam Part I & II 99
everything on this earth originates from the one and only Creator
who is also the Sustainer and the Sole Source of guidance.

Allah is Wise, Just, and Loving and whatever He does must have a
good motive, although we may fail sometimes to understand it fully.
We should have strong faith in Allah and accept whatever He does
because our knowledge is limited and our thinking is based on
individual consideration, whereas His knowledge is limitless and He
plans on a universal basis. Man should think, plan and make sound
choices, but if things do not happen the way he wants, he should not
lose faith and surrender himself to mental strains or shattering
worries.
[Islam: It’s Meaning and Message: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

05.06.01: Belief In Fate And The Divine


Decree
05.06.02: Belief:
We believe in Fate, whether good or bad, which Allah has measured
and ordained for all creatures according to His previous knowledge
and as deemed suitable by His wisdom.

05.06.03: Levels of Belief:


Belief in Fate has four levels:
(1) Knowledge:
We believe that Allah, may He be exalted, knows everything. He
knows what has happened and what will happen and how it will
happen. His knowledge is eternal. He does not acquire a new
knowledge nor does he forget what He knows.
(2) Recording:
We believe that Allah has recorded in the secured tablet (al Lowh al
Mahfuz) whatever is going to happen until the Day of Judgment:
"Did you not know that Allah knows all that is in heaven and Earth?
Surely that is in a book. Surely that for Allah is an easy matter"
(22:70).
(3) Will:
We believe that Allah has willed everything in heaven and Earth.
Nothing happens except by His will. Whatever He wills will take
place, and whatever He doesn’t will not take place.
(4) Creation:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 100
We believe that "Allah is the Creator of all things; He is the
Guardian over all things, and to Him belong the keys of the heavens
and the Earth" (39:62-3). This level includes whatever Allah
Himself does and whatever His creatures do. Thus each saying,
deed, or omission of the people is known to Allah, Who has
recorded, willed, and created them: "To those among you who will
to be upright. But you shall not will except as Allah wills, the Lord
of the Worlds" (81:2829); "And had Allah willed they would not
have fought one against the other; but Allah does whatever He
desires" (2:253); "Had Allah willed, they would not have done so,
but leave them alone and their false inventions" (6:137); and "And
Allah created you and what you do" (37:96).

05.06.04: Man's Free Will:


We believe, however, that Allah has granted man a power and a free
will by which he performs his actions. That man's deeds are done by
his power and free will can be proven by the following points:
(1) Allah says: "So approach your fields (wives) when and how you
will" (2:223); and "Had they desired to go forth, they would
have made some preparation for it" (9:46). In these verses, Allah
affirmed for man "a going forth" by his will and "a preparation"
by his desire.
(2) Directing man to do or not to do. If man has no free will and
power, these directions mean that Allah is asking man to do that
which he cannot do. This proposition is rejected by Allah's
wisdom, mercy and truthful statement: "Allah does not charge a
soul beyond its capacity" (2:286).
(3) Praising the virtuous for his deeds and blaming the evildoer for
his actions and rewarding each of them with what he deserves.
If the action is not done by the individual's free will, then
praising the virtuous is a joke and punishing the evildoer is an
injustice, and Allah is, of course, far from joking and being
unjust.
(4) Allah has sent messengers who are "bearing good tidings, and
warning, so that mankind might have no argument against Allah
after the messengers" (4:165). If the individual's action is not
performed by his free will, his argument is not invalidated by
the sending of messengers.
(5) Every doer of actions feels that he does or does not do a thing
without any coercion. He stands up and sits, comes in and goes
Introducing Islam Part I & II 101
out, travels and stays by his own free will without feeling
anybody forcing him to be any of these actions. In fact, he
clearly distinguishes between doing something of his own free
will and someone else forcing him to do that action. The Islamic
law also wisely distinguishes between these states of affairs. It
does not punish a wrongdoer for an action done under
compulsion.

05.06.05: No Excuse for Sinners:


We believe that the sinner has no excuse in Allah's divine decree,
because he commits his sin by his free will, without knowing that
Allah has decreed for him, for no one knows Allah's decree before it
takes place: "No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow" (31:34).
How can it be possible, then, to present an excuse that is not known
to the person who is advancing it when he commits his offense?
Allah invalidated this type of argument by saying: "The idolaters
will say 'Had Allah willed, we would not have been idolaters,
neither our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.' So did
the people before them cry lies until they tasted our might? Say:
'Have you any proofs that you can show us? You follow nothing but
assumption, and you are Lying"' (6:148). We say to the sinner who
is using divine decree as an excuse: 'Why did you not perform deeds
of obedience, assuming that Allah has decreed them upon you, since
you did not know the difference between good deeds and sins? That
is why, when Prophet Muhammad told his Companions that
everyone's position in paradise or hell has been assigned, they said:
'Should not we rely on this and stop working?' He said: 'No, work
and everyone will be directed to what he is created for"' (Bukhari
and Muslim).

We say to the sinner who is trying to find an excuse in the divine


decree: "Suppose you want to travel to Makkah. There are two roads
that may take you there. You are told by a truthful person that one of
these roads is dangerous and difficult; the other is easy and safe.
You will take the second one. You will not take the first road and
say it is decreed upon me. If you did, people would consider you
crazy."

We may also say to him: "If you are offered two jobs, one of which
has a higher salary, you will certainly take the one with the higher
Introducing Islam Part I & II 102
salary. Why do you choose what is lower in the hereafter and use the
divine decree as an excuse?"

We may further say to him: "We see you when you are afflicted with
a disease, you knock at every physician's door looking for treatment
and bearing whatever pain that may result from surgical operations
and the bitterness of medicine. Why do not you do the same when
your heart is spiritually sick with sins?"

05.06.06: Evil Not Attributed to Allah:


We believe that evil should not be attributed to Allah, due to His
perfect mercy and wisdom. The Prophet said: "And evil is not
attributable to You" (Muslim).

Thus Allah's decree by itself has no evil whatsoever, because it is


coming from mercy and wisdom. Evil may, however, result from
some of His decrees, because the Prophet said in the supplication
for gunut which he taught to al-Hasan: "And protect us from the evil
of what You decreed" (Tirmidhi and others). Here, the Prophet
attributed evil to what He decreed. Despite this, evil in His decree is
not pure evil. It is rather evil in one respect and good in another, or
it is evil in one case and good in another. Thus corruption in the land
resulting from drought, disease, poverty, and fear is evil, but it is
good in another respect. Allah, the Exalted said: "Corruption has
appeared on the land and sea for what men's hands have earned.
Allah has ordained this for men, so that they may taste some of what
they have done, in order that they may turn back (from evil)"
(30:41).

Cutting off the thief's hand or stoning the adulterer is an evil thing
for the thief and the adulterer, but it is good for them in one respect,
because it is purification for them so that the punishment of this life
and the hereafter are not combined for them. These punishments are
good in another respect: their application protects property, honor,
and relationships.

Note: This has been taken From the Book: The Muslim's Belief
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net
Introducing Islam Part I & II 103

06.00.00: What Are the Benefits of Belief


This sublime belief, which includes those great principles, bears
numerous and useful types of fruits for whoever believes in it.

06.01.00: Virtues of Belief in Allah:


Belief in Allah, His names, and His attributes instills in the
individual the love and glorification of Allah that result in his
performing Allah's instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. These
are the means of achieving ultimate happiness in this life and the
hereafter for both the individual and the society: "Whoever, male or
female, does righteous deed, while believing, We shall assuredly
grant him a goodly life, and We shall reward them according to the
best of their deeds" (16:97).

06.02.00: Virtues of Belief in the Angels:


Appreciating the dignity of Allah, His might, and His sovereignty.
Gratitude toward Allah because He puts some of the angels in
charge of His servants, recording their deeds and other things that
benefit them. ¥ Love and admiration for the angels because of what
they are doing, namely, worshipping Allah in the best possible
manner and praying for the believers.

06.03.00: Virtues of Belief in the Books:


Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people in that He sent
down a book to every nation for its guidance.
Appreciating Allah's wisdom, for He revealed in these books to
every nation that which suits them. The glorious Qur'an is the final
book and it is suitable to all people at all times until the Day of
Judgment. Showing gratitude for Allah's mercy in revealing these
books.

06.04.00: Virtues of Belief in the Messengers:


Introducing Islam Part I & II 104
Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people for sending
them those great messengers to guide them to the straight path.
Thanking Allah for this great favor.
Loving and respecting the prophets and praising them in what they
deserve, because they are Allah's messengers and His choice among
His people. They worshipped Allah according to the best of their
ability, conveyed His message to mankind, gave sincere advice to
the people, and bore patiently whatever hurt they received.
06.05.00: Virtues of Belief in the Day of Judgment:
Endeavor to obey Allah to get the reward of that day and to avoid
any disobedience to him for fear of His punishment.

A consolation for the believer for whatever he misses of worldly


enjoyment by what he hopes to gain of blessings and reward of the
hereafter.

06.06.00: Virtues of Belief in Fate


and the Divine Decree:
Muslim’s dependence on Allah when doing any action, because both
the cause and effect are the result of Allah's decree.

Ease of mind and comfort, because when the individual knows that
everything is by Allah's decree and that mishaps are going to take
place anyway, his soul will be at ease and his heart will be satisfied
with Allah's decree. No one has a more comfortable life, worry-free
soul, and stronger confidence than a believer in fate.

Freedom of a believer comes from arrogance when a goal is


achieved because this is a blessing from Allah through what He
decreed of the causes of good and success. The individual should
thank Allah for that and free himself from arrogance.

Freedom of a believer comes from worry and boredom in case of


failure or mishap, because that is by Allah's decree, the One who
possesses the heavens and the Earth. Since that is going to happen
anyway, the individual should be patient and hope for the reward
from Allah. Allah points to the last two virtues in the following
verse: "No misfortune can happen on earth or in yourselves but is
recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence, that is really
Introducing Islam Part I & II 105
easy for Allah; that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor
rejoice in what has come to you. Allah does not love any
vainglorious boaster" (57:22-3).

We pray to Allah, the Exalted, to reward us for this belief, to realize


for us its fruits, to increase our blessings, to keep us on the right
path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from
Him. He is indeed the Giver. Praise and gratitude be to Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be on Prophet
Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who rightly
follow them.

Note: This has been taken From the Book: The Muslim's Belief
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net

07.00.00: The Prerequisites of the


Declaration of Faith
The Pre-Requisites of the Declaration of Faith is as follows:
Every Muslim knows that the key to Paradise is the statement,
"There is none worthy of worship except Allah." Yet too many
Muslims simply rely upon this statement and believe that as long as
they have made this statement, nothing will harm them. They think
will be granted Paradise because of this mere verbal statement of the
Shahadah.

There is no question that the mere saying of, "I bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His servant and messenger," is not sufficient
for salvation.

In fact, the hypocrites used to make this statement quite often yet
Allah describes them as liars and says that they shall abide in the
lowest abyss of the Hell-fire.

As many scholars state, though, this statement or testimony is the


key to Paradise. The famous Follower Wahb ibn Munabbih was
once asked, "Isn't the statement of la ilaha illa-llah the key to
Paradise?" He answered, "Yes, but every key has ridges. If you
Introducing Islam Part I & II 106
come with the key that has the right ridges, the door will open for
you. Yet if you do not have the right ridges the door will not open
for you." That is, it is saying [while meeting] certain conditions.
These conditions are what will differentiate the person who will
benefit from his making of that statement from the one who will not
benefit from that statement, no matter how many times a day he
may have made that statements.

Before discussing the conditions of the Shahadah, there is one more


point that I feel compelled to make. That is, some people have a
tendency to take one hadith or one verse and then based on that one
text, they will make some conclusion that, for example, whoever
simply says, "There is no God except Allah," will enter Paradise.
But, actually, we should all realize that all of the Quran and Hadith
complement each other and explain one another. To find the correct
position on any one question, one must bring together all of the
related verses and hadith and see what the true Islamic position is of
that question. The same is true for the conditions of the shahadah.

If we study the verses of the Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet
(peace be upon him), we will find that the conditions of the
shahadah are seven, eight or nine in number depending on how we
look at them. It is important that all of us make sure that we are
meeting these conditions in our own lives and in our own testimony
of faith. We must do our best to satisfy these conditions before it is
too late and our testimony will be no avail whatsoever. It is not
simply for the sake of teaching these conditions. Indeed, there is no
benefit to that. But it is, instead, for all of us to look to ourselves
and to make sure that we are actually meeting these conditions so
that, by Allah's mercy, the doors to Paradise will be open for us by
our key of la ilaha illa-llah.

(1) The first of these conditions is knowledge.


That is, one must have the basic and general knowledge of what is
meant by the shahadah. One must understand what the shahadah is
affirming and what the shahadah is denying. Allah says in the
Quran, "So know that there is no God save Allah, and ask
forgiveness for your sin" (Qur'an, Muhammad 19).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 107
Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever dies
knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah shall
enter Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim.)

In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony. When one testifies to


something, one must know what it is that he is testifying
concerning. Obviously, a testimony about something that one does
not have any knowledge about is absolutely unacceptable. Allah
says in the Quran, "Save him who bears witness unto the truth
knowingly" (Qur'an, al-Zukhruf 86).

Now this condition probably sounds obvious. If someone said to


you, "There is no God except Allah," and then said that what he
meant by Allah was Jesus, you would immediately tell him that this
shahadah is nonsense. Yet can you imagine that there is a Muslim
country in the world that until recently used to have a yearly week-
long celebration to "the Gods of the Sea"! All along they call
themselves Muslims and they make shahadah numerous times a day.
This clearly shows that they have no idea what the meaning of their
shahadah is. Do you think that this kind of shahadah will open the
doors to Paradise for them?

Today, there are many Muslims who wonder why we should not
accept secularism. They think that there is nothing wrong with
secularism! Many of these Muslims pray five times a day and utter
the shahadah repeatedly. Yet they see nothing wrong with accepting
a Lawgiver other than Allah? What kind of shahadah are these
people making?

All of us do our best to learn at least the basics of Islamic beliefs. In


this way, Allah willing, we will be making the correct shahadah. We
will be witnessing to the truth as we are supposed to be witnesses to
it.

(2) The second condition of the shahadah is certainty (or al-


yaqeen).
This is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. In Islam, in fact, any
kind of doubt is equivalent to Kufr or disbelief. We must, in our
hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the shahadah. Our hearts
Introducing Islam Part I & II 108
must not be wavering in any way when we testify to the truth of,
"There is none worthy of worship except Allah."

Allah describes the believers in the Quran as those who have belief
in Allah and then their hearts waver not. Allah says, "The (true)
believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger
and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives
for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere" (Qur'an, al-Hujurat 15).

Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "No


one meets Allah with the testimony that there is none worthy of
worship but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no
doubt about hat statement, except that he will enter Paradise."
(Recorded by Muslim.)

Indeed, Allah describes the hypocrites as those people whose hearts


are wavering. For example, Allah says, "They alone seek leave of
thee (not to participate in jihad) who believe not in Allah and the
Last Day and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver"
(Qur'an, al-Tauba 45).

Many scholars have stated that the diseases of the heart, or the doubt
and suspicions that one allows into one's heart, are more dangerous
for a person's faith than lusts and desires. This is because lusts and
desires may be satisfied at some time yet the person still knows
them to be wrong and he may control himself and repent and give
up that evil deed. On the other hand, the doubts and suspicions may
linger in the heart, with no cure, until the person finally leaves Islam
entirely or continues to practice Islam while, in fact, in his heart he
does not have the true faith.

The greatest cure for these doubts is seeking knowledge. It is


through sound knowledge of the Qur’an and the sunnah that most of
these doubts will be removed. By study and understanding, one will
attain certainty. And as one studies and learns more, his certainty
will be made firmer and firmer.

I will give you just one example on this point. This is related to all
of the doubts, suspicions and misconceptions that are circulating
about the authenticity of the Hadith literature. For example, some
Introducing Islam Part I & II 109
Muslims even claim that Hadith were not recorded until at least 200
years after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Indeed,
there are Muslims who seem to have a great deal of doubt about
Hadith and are very quick to reject Hadith on that basis. But, in fact,
if one actually takes the time to study the history and preservation of
Hadith, one will immediately recognize that all those claims and
charges against the Hadith are not based on anything scientific
whatsoever. They are nothing but false claims that come from Satan
and which Muslims with poor understanding and knowledge have
allowed to creep into their hearts.

Let me make one last point about this condition of certainty. As I


alluded to earlier, doubts and misconceptions are very dangerous for
a person's faith. Doubt and wavering are tantamount to apostasy in
Islam, as I mentioned earlier. Hence, every Muslim should do best
to safeguard himself from such doubts and remain away from the
sources of doubts- especially if they are not well grounded in the
Islamic sciences and do not have the knowledge to refute such
doubts and misconceptions. Hence if a person has an associate or
friend, even if he be a Muslim friend, who is always making him
doubt Allah or the religion, then he should remain away from that
person in order to safeguard his own religion. Many Muslims
nowadays study courses on Islam taught by Orientalists and because
of their weak backgrounds in Islamic studies, they are influenced by
the nonsense that some of these Orientalists are teaching in the
name of "science".

Similarly, many brothers and sisters nowadays are spending hours at


a time with the computer news groups and bulletin boards. A lot of
nonsense and falsehood are posted on those news groups and
bulletin boards. Again, the one who is not very knowledgeable of
his religion may easily be influenced and affected by the
misconceptions and false arguments that he reads in those bulletin
boards. He should remain away from those things and get a deeper
knowledge of Islam through the authentic sources of the religion.

Again, the greatest counterforce that can defeat doubts and


misconceptions, after the bounty and guidance of Allah, is sound
knowledge and understanding of the religion. When a person has
that, he will not be affected by the weak arguments put out by the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 110
enemies of Islam and he will be, Allah willing, from among those
described in the Qur’an, "It is only those who have knowledge
among His slaves that fear Allah" (Qur'an, Fatir 28)

(3) Third condition of La ilaha illa-llah:


The third condition of the shahadah is acceptance (or al-qabool). If
a person has the knowledge of and certainty in the shahadah, this
must be followed by acceptance, with the tongue and heart, of
whatever that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the
shahadah and its implications, even if he knows that it is true and
certain about its truth, is a disbeliever. This refusal to accept is
sometimes due to pride, envy or other reasons. In any case, the
shahadah is not a true shahadah without its unconditional
acceptance.

The scholars all talk about this condition as a general condition in


the way that I have just stated. However, there is also a more
detailed aspect that we must all be aware of. The believer accepts
whatever the implications of the shahadah are. This also means that
he believes in whatever is stated in the Quran or stated by the
Prophet (peace be upon him), without any right to choose what he
wants to believe and what he wants to reject. Allah says in the
Quran, "Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And
what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of
the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to
the most grievous doom" (Qur'an, al-Baqara 85).

This is one aspect that the Muslims must be aware of. Although it is
not the same as the complete refusal to accept the truth, by rejecting
part of the truth that has come from Allah, one also negates his
testimony of faith.

Unfortunately, many Muslims are doing this nowadays in various


ways. Although not all of these forms may necessarily be considered
apostasy, they are still very dangerous. For example, if they do not
like what is stated in a verse in the Qur’an, they simply reinterpret
the verse according to their liking. If they do not like what is stated
in a Hadith, they simply state that the Hadith must not be authentic
although they are not scholars in that area. This kind of behavior is
the antithesis of the behavior of the true Muslims. Whatever comes
Introducing Islam Part I & II 111
from Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), the true
Muslim believes in as the truth. This goes hand in hand with their
testimony of faith.
(4) The fourth condition of shahadah is submission and
compliance (or al-inqiyad). This implies the actual physical
enactment with our deeds of our shahadah. In fact, this is one of the
main meanings of the word Islam itself, "the submission to the will
and commands of Allah.” This is what Allah commands in the
Quran, "Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him" (Qur'an,
al-Zumar 54).

Allah has praised those who submit to His command by their


actions. Allah says, "Who is better in religion than he who
surrenders his purpose to Allah while doing well" (Qur'an, al-Nisa
125).

Actually, Allah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one


submits to the command of Allah and His messenger. Allah says,
"But nay, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make
you [the Messenger of Allah] judge of what is in dispute between
them and find within themselves no dislike of which you decide,
and submit with full submission" (Qur'an, al-Nisa 65)

Unfortunately, there are many claims that there is no relationship


between faith and deeds. You can even hear one Muslim saying
about another, "That is the best Muslim I have ever met." Yet the
other person performs scarcely any of the deeds of Islam
whatsoever. This incorrect understanding of faith has spread
throughout the Muslim world.

Indeed, our shahadah or testimony of faith must be implemented in


our hearts, tongues and actions. In our hearts, we must have love for
Allah, fear Allah and hope in Him. With our tongues we must testify
to the shahadah. And with our actions, we must implement what the
testimony of faith requires from us. Anyone who claims to be a
Muslim and yet does no deeds either does not understand Islam
whatsoever or is bearing testimony against himself that his
testimony of faith is not a true and correct testimony of faith.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 112
This does not mean that the true believer never commits a sin.
Indeed, true believers do commit sins. But as long as they recognize
what they did is not correct and it is inconsistent with their
obligation of submitting to Allah, then they [have not destroyed]
their testimony or shahadah. But, do not forget, they are still sinners.

And what is the minimum of submission that is required from a


person beyond which there can be no claim to faith? For those
scholars who say that the abandonment of prayers is infidelity, it is
the five daily prayers. Whoever does not perform, at least, the five
daily prayers has gone beyond the limit that is acceptable for lack of
deeds. Allah knows best.

(5) The fifth condition is truthfulness, as opposed to hypocrisy and


dishonesty. This means that when we say the shahadah, we are
saying it honestly. We actually mean it. We are not lying when it
comes to our testimony of faith.

The Prophet (peace be upon his) said, "No one bears testimony to
there being no one worth of worship save Allah, sincerely from his
heart, except that Allah makes the Hell-fire forbidden for him."
(Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

We are all familiar with those who say the testimony of faith yet
they are not saying it honestly. They do not believe in it but they are
simply saying it in order to protect them or to get some gain from
doing so. These are the hypocrites. Allah has described them in the
opening of the Qur’an with the following words, "And of mankind
are some who say, 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day,' when they
believe not. They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and
they beguile none save themselves, but they perceive not. In their
hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom
is theirs because they lie" (Qur'an, al-Baqara 8-10).

Obviously the shahadah of those who become Muslims simply to


benefit from being Muslim because they believe in Islam will be
rejected by Allah in the Hereafter. They will face a painful
punishment due to their lying.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 113
(6) The sixth condition is sincerity (or ikhlas). That is, when we
make the shahadah, we must do so solely for the sake of Allah. We
must not do it for any other reason. And we must not do it for
anyone else's sake. In this manner, the meaning of sincerity is
opposite of Shirk or ascribing partners with Allah. We become and
remain Muslims solely for Allah's sake. Allah says in the Quran,
"Worship Allah, and making religion pure for him" (Qur'an, al-
Zumar 2).

And Allah also says, "And they are ordained nothing else than to
serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright
and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true
religion" (Qur'an, al-Bayyinah 5).

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) added, "Allah has forbidden
for the Hell-fire anyone who says, 'There is no one worthy of
worship except Allah,' and say so desiring the face [and pleasure] of
Allah." (Recorded by Muslim).

This is something that we should think about. But especially those


of us who grew up in Muslim families and were born Muslim. We
should make it very clear to ourselves that we are Muslims only for
the sake of Allah. We are not Muslims for the sake of our parents,
friends, family or community. It must be clear in our minds that we
are Muslims for the sake of Allah first, last and only.

One of the signs that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah is that we
do whatever Allah asks of us, regardless of what anybody else
desires or wants from us. That is, in the same way that we are
Muslims solely for the sake of Allah, all of our actions are done for
the sake of Allah.

However, sometimes one begins to wonder whether this condition is


met by some people. Some people from the Muslim world practice
Islam to the extent that it is pleasing to their families. If there is
anything in Islam that their families do not like- although their
families are Muslim and therefore they actually should like all of
Islam- then they do not practice that aspect of Islam. One common
example of that nature is mixing between men and women.
Sometimes a brother, here in the U.S., will not mix with women and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 114
his wife will remain separate from the men. Yet, when they return to
their homes, because this is not pleasing to their families who want
to mix between men and women, they easily, simply and happily
compromise their religion for the sake of their parents. These people
must sincerely ask themselves why they are Muslims. Are they
Muslims for the sake of their parents and therefore whatever their
parents like they will do and whatever their parents do not like they
won't do? Or are they Muslims for the sake of Allah and therefore
whatever Allah dislike they will not do and whatever Allah is
pleased with they do?

(7) The seventh condition is love: That is, the believer loves this
shahadah, he loves in accordance with the shahadah, he loves the
implications and requirements of the shahadah and he loves those
who act and strive for the sake of this shahadah. This is a necessary
condition of the shahadah. If a person makes the shahadah but does
not love the shahadah and what it stands for, then, in fact, his faith is
not complete. It is not the faith of a true believer. And if he loves
something more than this shahadah or if he loves something more
than Allah, then he has negated his shahadah. The true believer, the
one meeting the conditions of the shahadah puts no one whatsoever
as an equal to Allah in his love.

Allah says in the Quran, "Yet of mankind are some who take unto
themselves (objects of worship which they set as) rivals to Allah,
loving them with a love like (that which is due to) Allah only.
However, those who believe are stauncher in their love of Allah"
(Qur'an, al-Baqara 165).

And elsewhere Allah says' "Say: If your fathers, or your sons, or


your brethren, or your wives, or your tribe, or the wealth you have
acquired, or merchandise for which you fear that there will be no
sale, or dwellings you desire are dearer to you than Allah and His
messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah brings His
command to pass. Allah guides not wrongdoing folk" (Qur'an, al-
Tauba 24).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever has three


characteristics has tasted the sweetness of faith. [The first of these]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 115
is that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than he loves anyone
else..." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

This is one of the most important aspects of Islam yet, for some
reason, it is missing from the lives of many Muslims. They act in
Islam as if Islam were a chore instead of doing things out of the love
of Allah. When Allah orders us to do something, like bear witness to
the faith, we should realize that that thing is pleasing to Allah and,
therefore, out of our love for Allah, we should be very pleased to do
the acts that are pleasing to Allah. But, as I said, this feeling is
missing from many, many Muslims today.

(8) The eighth condition of the shahadah is that the person who
makes the shahadah must deny every other object of worship:
Although that is clear in the words of the testimony of faith, it does
not seem clear to everyone who makes that testimony. Therefore, I
am mentioning it explicitly here.

In Surah al-Baqara, Allah clearly reminds us of this important aspect


of the shahadah, the shahadah is not merely an affirmation but it is
both and affirmation and a negation. Allah states, "And he who
rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm
handhold which will never break" (Qur'an, al-Baqara 256).

Perhaps the Prophet (peace be upon him) made this point even
clearer when he said, "Whoever says there is no one worthy of
worship except Allah and denies whatever is worshipped besides
Allah, then his wealth and blood are protected and his accounting
will be with Allah." (Recorded by Muslim)

Although this condition should be obvious to everyone who says the


words of shahadah, you can still find Muslims who say the
shahadah and then make acts of worship for beings or things other
than Allah. You will find them going to the graveyards and
worshipping those in the graves. They will perform acts of worship,
not for the sake of Allah, but for the sake of the dead "saints" in the
grave. What kind of shahadah have these people made? Do you
really think that their shahadah will mean anything on the Day of
Judgment as long as they believe that acts of worship may be done
for other than Allah?
Introducing Islam Part I & II 116

(9) The ninth condition of the shahadah is that the Muslim adheres
to the shahadah until he dies: This is must if the shahadah is to mean
anything for you in the Hereafter. You can not rest on your laurels of
what you may have done in the past. No, indeed, the shahadah must
be your banner until your death. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said, "A man spends a long time doing the deeds of the people of
Paradise and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of the people of
the Hell-fire. And a man spends a long time doing the deeds of the
people of the Hell-fire and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of
the people of Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim)

In another Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "By the
One whom there is no other God, one of you does the actions of
Paradise until there is just a handspun between him and Paradise
and then the book [preordainment] overtakes him and he does the
actions of the people of Hell and he enters into it" (Recorded by al-
Bukhari and Muslim.)

And Allah says in the Quran, "O believers, observe your duty to
Allah with right observance, and die not save as Muslims
[surrendering yourselves to Allah]" (Qur'an, ali-Imran 102).

Dear brothers and sisters, these are the conditions of the shahadah.
These are the aspects of the shahadah that each and every one of us
should look to in ourselves and ask ourselves, "Is my shahadah
meeting those requirements? Am I saying it sincerely, honestly and
out of love for Allah? Am I saying it based on what it really means?
Am I denying all other false objects of worship?"

These questions we should ask ourselves now before we meet Allah.


Allah willing, we shall ask ourselves these questions now and we
shall find that we have all the right answers for them. Or, if we find
we have some deficiency, we shall work to remove that deficiency.
Such that, by Allah's mercy, in the Hereafter, our shahadah will be
the key to Paradise for us and the gates of Paradise will swing wide
open for us and we will be able to live forever in the bounties of
Paradise, with Allah being pleased with us.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 117
Again, it is not simply a matter of knowing these conditions. Indeed,
one can meet many Muslims who have these conditions memorized,
yet when one looks to their deeds and behavior, one can see that
these conditions have no effect on them. This means, in fact, no
matter how well he knows and can rattle off these conditions, he, in
fact, is not fulfilling them. In the Hereafter, his knowledge of these
conditions will be of no avail to him. Indeed, his knowledge will be
a proof against him as he clearly knows what the conditions are that
he must satisfy yet he has shown that he is not willing to satisfy
them in his life. [by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo, This article appeared
in two parts in AL-BASHEER magazine, vol.7, No.5 January-
February, 1994]

08.00.00: Pillars of Islam and Application of Faith


Islam is built on five pillars (Hadith Sahih Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2,
No 7), the first of which is a state of faith, the other four are major
exercises of faith of which some are daily, some weekly, some
monthly, some annually and some are required as a minimum once
in a lifetime. These exercises of faith are to serve man's spiritual
purposes, satisfy his human needs and to mark his whole life with a
Divine touch. [Islam: It’s Meaning and Message: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

God has ordained four major exercises of faith, some are daily,
some weekly, some monthly, some annually and some are required
at least once in a lifetime.

They 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. The five pillars of Islam are:

08.01.00: Witnessing (Shahada):


That Allah Is One and Muhammad Is His Messenger.
This statement of faith must be declared publicly. It should be a
genuine belief which includes all the above articles of faith. The
witnessing of the Oneness of Allah is the rejection of any form of
deity other than Allah, and the witnessing that Muhammad is His
Messenger is the acceptance of him being chosen by Allah to
convey His message of Islam to all humanity and to deliver it from
Introducing Islam Part I & II 118
the darkness of ignorance into the light of belief in, and knowledge
of, the Creator. The statement of Shahada in Arabic is:
Ashhadu Alla-Ilaha Illallahu Wah-dahu La-sharikalahu wa-Ashhadu
Anna Muhammadan A’bduhu wa-Rasuluhu

An English translation would be:


I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone and there is no
partner with him and I also bear witness that Muhammad is His
Servant and Messenger. [Islam: It’s Meaning and Message: Sayyid
Abul A’la Maududi]

"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 illallah - 'there is no god except God'; ilah (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 Muhammadur


Rasulu'llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of God.' A message
of guidance has come through a man like us.

The Shahada inscribed over entrance to Ottoman Topkapi Palace


(the museum contains a mantle worn by the Prophet, among other
treasures), Istanbul.

08.02.00: PRAYER (SALAH)


Introducing Islam Part I & II 119
Praying to the Creator on a daily basis is the best way to cultivate in
a man a sound personality and to actualize his aspiration. Allah does
not need man's prayer because He is free of all needs. Prayer is for
our immeasurable benefit, and the blessings are beyond
imagination.
In prayer, every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind in
the worship and glory of Allah. Prayer is an act of worship. It is a
matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and
spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all
combined.

Offering of prayers is obligatory upon every Muslim male and


female who is sane, mature and in the case of women free from
menstruation and confinement due to child birth. Requirements of
prayer: performing of ablution (Wudu), purity of the whole body,
clothes and ground used for prayer, dressing properly and having the
intention and facing the Qiblah (the direction of the Ka'bah at
Mecca).

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 Qur’an,
chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from
the Qur’an, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation,
but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language.

Muslims praying in Jerusalem outside the Dome of the Rock.


Introducing Islam Part I & II 120

A Moroccan in prayer.
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.

08.02.01: Obligatory prayers:


Five daily prayers, the Friday's noon congregation prayer(Jumu’a)
and the funeral prayer.
Times of obligatory prayers:
(i) Early morning: After dawn and before sunrise.
(ii) Noon: After the sun begins to decline from its zenith
until it is about midway on its course to set.
(iii) Mid-afternoon: After the expiration of the noon prayer time
until sunset.
(iv) Sunset: Immediately after sunset until the red glow in the
western horizon disappears.
(v) Evening: After the expiration of the sunset prayer until dawn.

08.02.02: Highly recommended prayer


Those accompanying the obligatory prayer(Salatus-Sunnah and
Wazib); and
The two great festival prayers: (a) Salatul Eid-ul-Fitr and (b) Salatul
Eid-ul-Azha
Introducing Islam Part I & II 121
08.02.03: Optional prayer: Voluntary prayer
during the day and night
Prayer should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable
excuse. Delayed obligatory prayers must be made up. In addition to
the prescribed prayer, a Muslim expresses gratitude to God and
appreciation of His favors and asks for His mercy all the time.
Especially at times of, for example, childbirth, marriage, going to or
rising from bed, leaving and returning to his home, starting a
journey or entering a city, riding or driving, before or after eating or
drinking, harvesting, visiting graveyards and at time of distress and
sickness. [Islam: It’s Meaning and Message: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

08.02.04: Prayer
It is a matchless and unprecedented formulate of intellectual
meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical
exercise, all combined.

The meaning of prayer is many folds: It is a lesson of discipline, a


practice in devotion and remembrance of God, a safeguard to
indecency, an expression of gratitude and repentance to God, a
demonstration of true equality and fellowship, a course of inner
peace and stability. [Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry]

08.02.05: Why do Muslims pray like they do?


According to Islam, mankind is Allah’s vicegerent, and that they are
the topmost of all creation, even angels; therefore, during prayer, a
true devotee represents everything that has been created. So, while
facing the Ka’aba (the cube in Mecca), when a devotee stands on
their feet, they represent all two-legged creatures; when they lift
their hands up to their ears to say Allah-ho- Akbar (God is Great;
and this phrase is not a war cry!) they represent all flying creatures;
when they kneel, they represent all four-legged ones; when they
bend further to prostrate, they represent all crawling creatures on
land, and all those in water; and as the devotee touches their
forehead – their crown – upon dust, they in effect submit every
animate or inanimate being before their Creator as His servant and
that they give themselves totally to His Divine Will. Thus, when a
Muslim prays genuinely, they remain humble with fellow people
Introducing Islam Part I & II 122
and before Allah, yet proud that they worship the Lord of the
Worlds, a Being who initiated creation most initially and originally,
without undergoing reflection, without making use of any
experiment, without innovating any movement, and without
experiencing any aspiration of mind. [Najhul Balagha : Imam Ali]

08.03.00: OBLIGATORY CHARITY (ZAKAH)


Obligatory charity giving is an act of worship and spiritual
investment. The literal meaning of Zakah is purity and it refers to
the annual amount in kind or coin which a Muslim with means must
distribute among the rightful beneficiaries. Zakah does not only
purify the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from
selfishness and greed. It also purifies the heart of the recipient from
envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness and it fosters instead
good-will and warm wishes for the contributors.

Zakah has a deep humanitarian and social-political value; for


example, it frees society from class welfare, from ill feelings and
distrust and from corruption. Although Islam does not hinder private
enterprise or condemn private possession, it does not tolerate selfish
and greedy capitalism. Islam adopts a moderate but positive and
effective course between individual and society, between the citizen
and the state, between capitalism and socialism, between
materialism and spiritualism.

Zakah is paid on the net balance after paying personal expenses,


family expenses, due credits, taxes, etc. Every Muslim male or
female who at the end of the year is in possession of the equivalent
of 85 grams of gold (approx. $1400 in 1990) or more in cash or
articles of trade, must give Zakah at the minimum rate of 2.5%.
Taxes paid to government do not substitute for this religious duty.
The contributor should not seek pride or fame but if disclosing his
name and his contribution is likely to encourage others, it is
acceptable to do so.

The recipients of Zakah are: the poor, the needy, the new Muslim
converts, the Muslim prisoners of war (to liberate them), Muslims in
debt, employees appointed to collect Zakah, Muslims in service of
research or study or propagation of Islam, and wayfarers who are
foreigners in need of help.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 123

Note the obligatory nature of Zakah; it is required. Muslims can also


go above and beyond what they pay as Zakah, in which case the
offering is a strictly voluntary charity (sadaqa). [Islam: It’s Meaning
and Message: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

Zakah refers to the annual amount, which a Muslim with means


must distribute among the needy and the poor.

Zakah has a deep humanitarian and socio-political value; for


example it frees society from class welfare from ill feelings and
distrust and from corruption.

Although Islam does not hinder private enterprise or condemning


private possessions, it does not tolerate greedy capitalist.

Every Muslim, male and female at the end of the year must give
Zakah at the minimum rate of 2.5% on the net savings after paying
expenses, taxes etc. [Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry]

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 zakah 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.

A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as


sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be
translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider meaning. The Prophet
said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.'
Introducing Islam Part I & II 124

Courtyard of Great Mosque, Herat, Afghanistan.

Zakah keeps the money flowing within a society, Cairo.

The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity for 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
Introducing Islam Part I & II 125
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.'

08.04.00: FASTING (SAWM) in the month of


Ramadan:
Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, intimate
sexual contacts and smoking from the break of dawn till sunset. It is
a matchless Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of
sincere love to God. Fasting teaches man a creative sense of hope,
devotion, patience, unselfishness, moderation, willpower, wise
saving, sound budgeting, mature adaptability, healthy survival,
discipline, spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood.

Obligatory fasting is done once a year for the period of the month of
Ramadan; the ninth month of the Islamic year. Recommended
fasting includes every Monday and Thursday of every week, three
days in the middle of each Islamic month, six days after Ramadan
following the Feast Day and a few days of the two months before
Ramadan. Fasting of Ramadan is a worship act which is obligatory
on every adult Muslim, male or female if he/she is mentally and
physically fit and not on a journey. Exceptions: women during their
period of menstruation and while nursing their child, and also in
case of travel and sickness for both men and women. [Islam: It’s
Meaning and Message: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

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.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 126
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.

08.05.00: THE PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)


It is a pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime and it is
obligatory upon every Muslim male and female who is mentally,
physically and financially fit. It is the largest annual convention of
faith on earth (in 1989: 2.5 million). Peace is the dominant theme.
Peace with Allah, with one's soul, with one another, with all living
creatures. To disturb the peace of anyone or any creature in any
shape or form is strictly prohibited.

Muslims from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe
assemble in Mecca in response to the call of Allah. There is no
royalty, but there is loyalty of all to Allah, the Creator. It is to
commemorate the Divine rituals observed by the Prophet Abraham
and his son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the house of
Allah on earth: the Ka'bah. It is also to remember the great assembly
of the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before Allah.

Muslims go to Mecca to glorify Allah, not to worship a man. The


visit to the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at Madena is highly
recommended but not essential in making the Hajj valid and
complete. [Islam: It’s Meaning and Message: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

The pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime is obligatory


upon every mentally, physically and financially fit Muslim.

It is the largest annual convention of faith on earth (more than 2.5


million in 1995). Muslims from every corner of the globe assemble
to demonstrate the unity of humankind in response to the call of
God.
Peace is the dominant them. Peace with God with one’s soul, with
one another, with all living creature. To disturb the peace in any way
is strictly prohibited.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 127
Hajj commemorates the Divine rituals observed by Prophet
Abrahim and his son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the
house of God; the Ka’bah. It is performed in the remembrance of
the grand assembly on the Day of Judgment when people will stand
equal before God. [Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry]

The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the Hajj - is an obligation only


for those who are physically and financially able to perform it.
Nevertheless, over 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.

Pilgrims praying at the mosque in Makkah.


Introducing Islam Part I & II 128

Pilgrim tents during Hajj, Mina

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.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 129
09.00.00: Islam is a Complete,
Comprehensive Code of Life
Islam is the God-given system of life based on Qur’an and the
teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
Islam brings man close to God, taking into consideration his
material and spiritual demands, thus elevating his spiritual status
and controlling his physical desires.

09.01.00: Islam extends its sense


of organization to all walks of life
Such as, Individual and social behaviors, labor and industry,
economics and politics, national and international relations, and so
on.

Islam adopts a moderate but positive and effective course between


individual and society, between citizen and state, between capitalism
and socialism, between materialism and spiritualism. Examples:
(a) Spiritual Life: Prayer, fasting charity, pilgrimage, love for
God and His Messenger, love for truth and humanity, hope and
trust in God and doing well for the Sake of God.
(b) Intellectual Life: Islam demands faith in God on the basis
of knowledge and research and leaves wide open all fields of
thought before the intellect to penetrate as far as it can reach.
The Quran itself is a rich source of knowledge about the
universe.
(c) Personal Life: Purity and cleanliness, healthy diet, proper
clothing, proper behavior, and health sexual relations within
marriage.
(d) Family Life: Since the family is the backbone of society,
Islam builds the family on solid grounds that are capable of
providing continuity, true security, mature intimacy, sincere
reciprocity and moral gratification. Marriage is a strong bond
and a commitment to life itself, to society, and a dignified,
meaningful survival of the human race. Motherhood is more
cherished that fatherhood.
(e) Social Life: Man is ordained by God to extend his utmost
help and kindness to other family members, relations, and
neighbors. There is no superiority on account of class, race,
gender, origin or wealth. The unity of humanity is not only its
origin but also its ultimate aim.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 130
(f) Economic Life: Earning one’s living through decent labor is
not only a duty but a great virtue as well. Earning is ones private
possession. The individual is responsible for the prosperity of
the state and the state is responsible for the security of the
individual. In comes to this world empty-handed and departs
empty-handed. The real owned of things is God alone. One is
simply a trustee.
(g) Political Life: The sovereignty in the Islamic state belongs
to God; the people exercise it by trust from Him to enforce His
laws. The ruler is chosen from the best-qualified citizens by the
people to administer justice, provide security, etc., through
consultation, within the Laws ordained by God. A religious
hierarchy or clergy does not exist. Non-Muslims are entitled to
full protection and freedom to practice their religion. War is
only justified if state security is endangered. During war,
destruction of crops, animal and homes, killing non-fighting
women, children and aged people are forbidden.
[Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry]

10.00.00: The purpose of life


A Muslim believes that the purpose of life is to worship Allah.
Worshipping Allah does not mean we spend our entire lives in
constant seclusion and absolute meditation. To worship Allah is to
live life according to His commands, not to run away from it. To
worship Allah is to know Him, to love Him, to obey His commands,
to enforce His laws in every aspect of life, to serve His cause by
doing right and shunning evil and to be just to Him, to ourselves and
to our fellow human beings. [Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11,
Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali Foundation –
London]

11.00.00: Status of Human Beings


And surely We have honored the children of Adam (Mankind), and
We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of
the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate
excellence over most of those whom We have created. [Qur’an
17.70]
A Muslim believes that human beings occupy a distinguished
position in the hierarchy of all known creatures, because they alone
Introducing Islam Part I & II 131
are gifted with rational faculties and spiritual aspirations as well as
powers of action.

A Muslim also believes that every person is born Muslim, but the
environment around him affects his purity. Every person is born free
from sin. When the person reaches the age of maturity and if he is
sane, he becomes accountable for all his deeds and intentions. Man
is free from sin until he commits sin. There is no inherited sin, and
no original sin.

A Muslim believes that man must work out his salvation through the
guidance of Allah (God). In order to obtain salvation, a person must
combine faith and action, belief and practice. Faith without doing
good deeds is as insufficient as doing good deeds without faith.

Also, a Muslim believes that Allah (God) does not hold any person
responsible until he has shown him the Right Way. If people do not
know and have no way of knowing about Islam, they will not be
responsible for failing to be Muslim.

Islam's message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of
the religious evolution by God's last Prophet and Messenger
Mohammed (SAW). [Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1,
September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali Foundation – London]

A Muslim believes that human beings enjoy an especially high


ranking status in the hierarchy of all known creatures. Man and
woman occupy this distinguished position because they alone are
gifted with rational faculties and spiritual aspirations as well as
powers of action. Man and woman are not a condemned race from
birth to death, but dignified beings potentially capable of good and
noble achievements.

A Muslim also believes that every person is born Muslim. Every


person is endowed by Allah with the spiritual potential and
intellectual inclination that can make him a good Muslim. Every
person's birth takes place according to the will of Allah in
realization of His plans and in submission to His commands. Every
person is born FREE FROM SIN. When the person reaches the age
of maturity and if he is sane, he becomes accountable for all his
Introducing Islam Part I & II 132
deeds and intentions. Man is free from sin until he commits sin.
There is no inherited sin, and no original sin. Adam committed the
first sin, but he prayed to Allah for pardon and Allah granted Adam
pardon.
Salvation

A Muslim believes that man must work out his salvation through the
guidance of Allah. No one can act on behalf of another or intercede
between him and Allah. In order to obtain salvation, a person must
combine faith and action, belief and practice. Faith without doing
good deeds is as insufficient as doing good deeds without faith.

Also, a Muslim believes that Allah does not hold any person
responsible until he has shown him the Right Way. If people do not
know and have no way of knowing about Islam, they will not be
responsible for failing to be Muslim. Every Muslim must preach
Islam in words and action.

Acceptance of Faith
A Muslim believes that faith is not complete when it is followed
blindly or accepted unquestioningly. Man must build his faith on
well-grounded convictions beyond any reasonable doubt and above
uncertainty. Islam ensures freedom to believe and forbids
compulsion in religion (one of the oldest synagogues and one of the
oldest churches in the world are in Muslim countries).

A Muslim believes that the Qur’an is the word of Allah revealed to


Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. The Qur’an was
revealed from Allah on various occasions to answer questions, solve
problems, and settle disputes and to be man's best guide to the truth.
The Quran was revealed in Arabic and it is still in its original and
complete Arabic version today. It is memorized by millions.

A Muslim also believes in a clear distinction between the Qur’an


and the Traditions (called Hadiths) of the Prophet Muhammad.
Whereas, the Quran is the word of Allah, the Traditions of Prophet
Muhammad (Hadiths - i.e. his teachings, sayings, and actions) are
the practical interpretations of the Quran. Both the Noble Quran and
the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad are the primary sources of
knowledge in Islam.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 133

Sources:
a. Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi, Islam: Its Meaning and Message, in
M. Tariq Quraishi (ed.), American Trust Publications,
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1984, 12-14.
b. Islam, An Introduction. Undated. Compiled by Dr. Mohammed
Ibrahim Elmasry c/o KW Islamic Association, P.O. Box 823,
Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA N2J 4C2, (519) 885-2225.]

12.00.00: Why has Islam continued to be so


successful in the modern world?
Praise be to Allaah.
Islam continues to be successful in the developed world, and
elsewhere, because its call is in accordance with the fitrah or natural
inclinations of mankind, and it advocates the best of human values,
such as tolerance, love, mercy, truthfulness and sincerity.

Islam educates people and lifts them up to righteous conduct, good


manners and virtue. Its call is distinguished from others by its
realism, balance and moderation. Islam pays due attention to both
the soul and the body. It neither suppresses physical desires nor
allows extravagance in this regard; it makes a distinction between
the natural inclination to enjoy the pleasures of this world and
forbidden desires that come under the heading of depravity and
perversion.

People embrace Islam because they find security, comfort and peace
in it, they see a cure for their problems in it, and through it they are
able to get rid of their feelings of confusion, anxiety and loss.

Islam is the religion of the fitrah, the natural inclination or pattern


on which Allah has created mankind. For this reason, people of
sound minds and upright inclinations embrace Islam, as Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There is no
child who is not born in a state of fitrah (i.e., Islam), then his parents
make him into a Jew, a Christian or a Magian (Zoroastrian), just as
animals produce whole animals (i.e., the animals are born perfect
with no part of their bodies missing). Do you find any born with
Introducing Islam Part I & II 134
their ears cut off?’” Then Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him) said“‘, Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He
has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought)
by Allah: that is the Standard Religion…’ [Ar-Rum 30:30 –
interpretation of the meaning – Yusuf Ali’s Translation].” (Hadith :
Bukhaari, 1359).

What is meant is that Allah has created mankind with the potential
to learn the truth, accept Tawheed (pure monotheism) and submit to
Allah. Their natural inclination is to learn Islam and love it, but a
bad education, a kaafir (disbelieving) environment, their own whims
and desires and the devils among jinn and mankind turn them away
from the truth. Mankind is basically inclined towards Tawheed (pure
monotheism), as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) reported that his Lord (Allah) said: “I created all my slaves as
‘hunafa’ (pure monotheists), but the devils turned them away from
their religion.” (Hadith: Muslim).

For this reason the one who becomes a Muslim after having been a
disbeliever is described as having “reverted” to Islam, as this is
more correct than saying that he “converted.” When Islam enters a
country where there is no nationalism or great legacy of jaahiliyah
(ignorance), it spreads quickly because of its strength and the small
number of obstacles. You may also see that Islam is suitable for all
people, educated and uneducated, male and female, old and young;
everyone finds in it what he wants and needs. Those who become
Muslim in developed countries realize what their country’s
civilization and laws, which have been fabricated from men’s
whims and desires, have done to them, and they realize the extent of
the misery in which people in developed countries are living. They
see how prevalent psychological illnesses, nervous breakdowns,
insanity and suicides are, despite the technological advances and
great number of discoveries and inventions and modern systems of
management. This is because all of that is concerned only with the
physical and the outward, but it neglects the inward and fails to
nourish and nurture the heart and soul. Allah says of these people
(interpretation of the meaning): “They know only the outside
appearance of the life of the world, and they are heedless of the
Hereafter.” [Surah Ar-Rum 30:7]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 135
Islam will continue to succeed, with the permission of Allah, so long
as those who work for its sake are sincere and its followers adhere
to it and believe in it, and apply its laws.

The fact that there are those who are not committed or who fall
short will not prevent Islam from succeeding, with the permission of
Allah, and nothing can distort its beauty. Its light will not falter
because some people abandon it or fail to adhere to it. What Islam
has given humanity in the way of progress and civilization, and
lifting them up from the darkness of oppression and enmity, is pride
enough. [Islam Q&A: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid]

13.01.00: Why do Muslims think that Islam is True?


Is there any factual basis?
Praise be to Allah.
This is a reasonable enough question for one who has not entered
Islam, but one who believes in and practices this religion already
knows the blessings which are his because of this religion.

There are many reasons for this, which include the following:
(1) The Muslim worships One God, Who has no partner, and Who
has the most beautiful names and the highest attributes. Thus the
Muslim’s focus and aim is concentrated, focused on His Lord and
Creator; he puts his trust in Him and asks Him for help, patience
and support; he believes that Allah is able to do all things, and has
no need of a wife or son. Allah created the heavens and earth; He is
the One Who gives life and death; He is the Creator and Sustainer
from Whom the slave seeks provision. He is the All-Hearing Who
responds to the supplication of His slave, and from Whom the slave
hopes for a response. He is the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving, to
Whom the slave turns in repentance when he has committed a sin or
fallen short in his worship of Allah. He is the omniscient and All-
Seeing, who knows all intentions and what is hidden in people’s
hearts. The slave feels ashamed to commit a sin by doing wrong to
him or to others, because his Lord is watching over him and sees all
that he does. He knows that Allah is All-Wise, the Seer of the
Unseen, so he trusts that what Allah decrees for him is good; he
knows that Allah will never be unjust to him, and that everything
that Allah decrees for him is good, even if he does not understand
the wisdom behind it.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 136

(2) The effects of Islamic worship on the soul of the Muslim include
the following:
Prayer keeps the slave in contact with his Lord; if he enters it in a
spirit of humiliation and concentration, he will feel tranquil and
secure, because he is seeking a "powerful support," which is Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted. For this reason, the Prophet of
Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used
to say: "Let us find relaxation and joy in prayer." If something
distressed him, he would hasten to pray. Everyone who finds
himself faced with disaster and tries prayer finds strength, patience
and consolation, because he is reciting the words of his Lord, which
cannot be compared to the effect of the words of a created being. If
the words of some psychologists can offer a little comfort, what do
you think of the words of the One Who created the psychologist?

Now let us look at zakaat, which is one of the pillars of Islam.


Zakaat purifies the soul from stinginess and miserliness, and
accustoms people to being generous and helping the poor and needy.
It will bring a great reward on the Day of Resurrection, just like
other forms of worship. It is not burdensome, like man-made taxes;
it is only 25 in every thousand, which the sincere Muslim pays
willingly and does not try to evade or wait until someone chases
him for it.

Fasting involves refraining from food and sex. It is a form of


worship, and a way in which one can feel the hunger of those who
are deprived. It is also a reminder of the blessings of the Creator,
and it brings rewards beyond measure.

Hajj is the Pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah, which was built
by (Ibrahim (Abraham (upon whom be peace). By performing Hajj
one is obeying the command of Allah and the call to come and meet
Muslims from all over the world.

(3) Islam commands all kinds of good and forbids all kinds of evil.
It encourages good manners and proper treatment of others. It
enjoins good characteristics such as truthfulness, patience,
deliberation, kindness, humility, modesty, keeping promises, dignity,
mercy, justice, courage, patience, friendliness, contentment, chastity,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 137
good treatment, tolerance, trustworthiness, gratitude for favors, and
self-control in times of anger. Islam commands the Muslim to fulfill
his duty towards his parents and to uphold family ties, to help the
needy, to treat neighbors well, to protect and safeguard the wealth of
the orphan, to be gentle with the young and show respect to the old,
to be kind to servants and animals, to remove harmful things from
the road, to speak kind words, to forgive at the time when one has
the opportunity to take revenge, to be sincere towards one’s fellow-
Muslims, to meet the needs of the Muslims, to give the debtor time
to repay his debt, to prefer others over oneself, to console others, to
greet people with a smiling face, to visit the sick, to support the one
who is oppressed, to give gifts to friends, to honor his guest, to treat
his wife kindly and spend on her and her children, to spread the
greeting of peace (salaam) and to seek permission before entering
another person’s house, lest one see something private that the other
person does not want one to see.

Some non-Muslims may do these things out of politeness or good


manners, but they are not seeking reward from Allah or salvation of
the Day of Judgment.

If we look at what Islam has prohibited, we will find that it is in the


interests of both the individual and society as a whole. All these
prohibitions serve to safeguard the relationship between the slave
and his Lord, and the relationship of the individual with himself and
with his fellow-man. The following examples demonstrate this:
Islam forbids the association of anything in worship with Allah and
the worship of anything other than Allah, because this spells doom
and misery. Islam also forbids visiting or believing soothsayers and
fortune-tellers; magic or witchcraft that may cause a rift between
two people or bring them together; belief in the influence of the
stars on events and people’s lives; cursing time, because Allah is
directing its affairs; and superstition, because this is pessimism.

Islam forbids canceling out good deeds by showing off, boasting or


reminding others of one’s favors; bowing or prostrating to anything
other than Allah; sitting with hypocrites or immoral people for the
purposes of enjoying their company or keeping them company; and
invoking the curse or wrath of Allah on one another or damning one
another to Hell.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 138

Islam forbids urinating into stagnant water; defecating on the side of


the road or in places where people seek shade or where they draw
water; from facing the kiblah (direction of prayer) or turning one’s
back towards it when passing water or stools; holding one’s penis in
one’s right hand when passing water; giving the greeting of salaam
(peace) to one who is answering the call of nature; and putting one’s
hand into any vessel before washing it, when one has just woken up.

Islam forbids the offering of any nafl (supererogatory) prayers when


the sun is rising, when it is at its zenith, and when it is setting,
because it rises and sets between the horns of Shaytaan (Satan);
praying when there is food prepared that a person desires; praying
when one urgently needs to pass water, stools or wind, because that
will distract a person from concentrating properly on his prayer.

Islam forbids the Muslim to raise his voice in prayer, lest it disturb
other believers; to continue offering supererogatory prayers at night
when one feels drowsy - such a person should sleep then get up; to
stay up all night in prayer, especially one night after another; and to
stop praying when there is doubt as to the validity of one’s wudoo’ -
unless one hears a sound or smells an odor.

Islam forbids buying, selling and making "lost and found"


announcements in the mosque- because it is the place of worship
and remembrance of Allah, where worldly affairs have no place.

Islam forbids haste in walking when the iqaamah (call immediately


preceding congregational prayer) is given, and prescribes walking in
a calm and dignified manner. It is also forbidden to boast about the
cost of building a mosque; to decorate a mosque with red or yellow
paint or adornments which will distract the worshippers; to fast day
after day without a break; and for a woman to observe a
supererogatory fast when her husband is present without his
permission.

Islam forbids building over graves, making them high, sitting on


them, and walking between them wearing shoes, putting lights over
them or writing on them. It is forbidden to disinter the dead or to
take graves as places of worship. Islam forbids wailing, tearing
Introducing Islam Part I & II 139
one’s clothes or leaving one’s hair unkempt when a person dies.
Eulogizing the dead in the manner of the times of Ignorance
(Jaahiliyyah) is also forbidden, although there is nothing wrong with
informing others that a person has died.

Islam forbids the consumption of riba (interest); all kinds of selling


which involve ignorance (of the product), misleading and cheating;
selling blood, wine, pork, idols and everything that Allah has
forbidden - their price, whether bought or sold - is haraam; najash,
which is offering a price for something one has no intention of
buying, as happens in many auctions; concealing a product’s faults
at the time of selling; selling something which one does not own or
before it comes into one’s possession; undercutting, outbidding or
out bargaining another; selling produce before it is clear that it is in
good condition and free of blemish; cheating in weights and
measures; and hoarding. A partner who has shares in a plot of land
or a date palm tree is forbidden to sell his share without consulting
his partners. It is forbidden to consume the wealth of orphans
unjustly; to bet or gamble; to take anything by force; to accept or
offer bribes; to steal people’s wealth or to consume it unjustly; to
take something for the purpose of destroying it; to undermine the
value of people’s possessions; to keep lost property which one has
found, or to keep quiet about it and not announce it, for it belongs to
the one who recognizes it; to cheat in any way; to ask for a loan
with no intention of repaying it; to take anything of the wealth of a
fellow-Muslim, unless it is given freely, because what is taken
because of another person’s shyness is haraam; and to accept a gift
because of intercession.

Celibacy and castration are forbidden, as is marrying two sisters, or


a woman and her aunt (paternal or maternal), whether he marries the
aunt after marrying her niece or vice versa, for fear of breaking the
ties of kinship. It is forbidden to make deals in marriage, such as
saying "Let me marry your daughter and I will give you my
daughter or sister in marriage." Such reciprocal deals are a form of
oppression and injustice, and haraam. Islam forbids mut’ah
(temporary marriage), which is a marriage contract for a period of
time agreed by the two parties, at the end of which the marriage
expires. Islam forbids intercourse with a menstruating woman, until
she has purified herself (by taking a bath after her period ends), and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 140
also forbids anal intercourse. A man is forbidden to propose
marriage to a woman when another man has already proposed to
her, unless the other man withdraws his proposal or gives him
permission. It is forbidden to marry a previously-married woman
without consulting her or a virgin without seeking her permission. It
is forbidden to wish (a newly married couple) "Bi’l-rafaa’ wa’l-
baneen (a joyful life and many sons)," because this is the greeting of
the people of Jaahiliyyah, who hated daughters. The divorced
woman is forbidden to conceal what Allah has created in her womb
(if she is pregnant). A husband and wife are forbidden to speak (to
others) about the intimacies of married life. It is forbidden to turn a
woman against her husband or to take divorce lightly. It is forbidden
for a woman to ask for another’s divorce, such as asking a man to
divorce a woman so that she can marry him. A wife is forbidden to
spend her husband’s money without his permission, or to keep away
from his bed without good reason, because the angels will curse her
if she does that. A man is forbidden to marry his father’s wife, or to
have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant from another man.
It is forbidden for a man to practice ‘azl (coitus interrupts) with his
free wife without her permission. It is forbidden for a man to return
home from a journey late at night and startle his family, unless he
has previously notified them when he will arrive home. A man is
forbidden to take anything of his wife’s mahr (dowry) without her
consent, or to keep annoying his wife so that she will give up her
wealth.

Islam forbids women to make a wanton display of them (tabarruj). It


also forbids extreme forms of female circumcision. Women are
forbidden to admit anyone into their husband’s home without his
permission; his general permission is acceptable so long as they stay
within the limits of sharee’ah. It is forbidden to separate a mother
and child (in case of divorce); to let one’s womenfolk behave
foolishly (in an immoral fashion) and not say anything; to let one’s
gaze wander everywhere; and to follow an accidental glance with an
intentional glance.
Islam forbids the eating of dead meat, regardless of whether it died
by drowning, strangulation, shock or falling from a high place;
eating blood, pork and anything slaughtered in a name other than
that of Allah or for idols; eating the flesh or drinking the milk of
beasts that feed on filth and waste matter; eating the flesh of every
Introducing Islam Part I & II 141
carnivorous beast that has fangs and every bird that has talons;
eating the meat of domesticated donkeys; killing animals by keeping
them and throwing stones at them until they die, or detaining them
without food until they die; slaughtering with teeth or nails;
slaughtering one animal (for food) in front of another; or sharpening
the knife in front of the animal to be slaughtered.

In the area of clothing and adornment, men are forbidden the


extravagance of wearing gold. Muslim are forbidden to be naked or
to expose their thighs; to leave their clothes long (below the ankles)
and trail them on the ground for the purpose of showing off; and to
wear clothes that will attract attention.

It is forbidden to bear false witness; to make false accusations


against a chaste believing woman; to accuse someone who is
innocent; to utter lies; to slander and backbite; to call people by
offensive nicknames; to spread gossip and malicious slander; to
make fun of the Muslims; to boast about one’s status; to shed doubts
on a person’s lineage; to utter slander, insults and obscenities; to
speak in an indecent or rude manner; or to utter evil in public,
except by one who has been wronged.

Islam forbids telling lies; one of the worst kinds of lie is to lie about
dreams, like fabricating dreams and visions in order to prove one’s
virtue, or make some material gains, or to frighten an enemy.

Muslims are forbidden to praise themselves, or to talk in a secret


way: two may not converse secretly to the exclusion of a third,
because this is offensive. It is forbidden to curse a believer or
someone who does not deserve to be cursed.

Islam forbids speaking ill of the dead; praying for death; wishing for
death because of some suffering that one is passing through; praying
against one’s self, one’s children, one’s servants or one’s wealth.
Muslims are told not to eat the food that is directly in front of others
or to eat from the centre of the dish or platter; rather they should eat
from what is directly in front of them or thereabouts, because the
barakah blessing comes in the middle of the food. It is forbidden to
drink from a broken edge of a vessel, because this could cause
harm; or to drink from the mouth of a vessel; or to breathe into it. It
Introducing Islam Part I & II 142
is forbidden to eat while lying on one’s stomach; to sit at a table
where wine is being drunk; to leave a fire burning in one’s house
when one sleeps; to sleep with Ghamr in one’s hand, like an
offensive smell or the remainder of food (grease); to sleep on one’s
stomach; or to talk about or try to interpret bad dreams, because
these are tricks of the Shaytaan.

It is forbidden to kill another person except in cases where it is right


to do so; to kill one’s children for fear of poverty; to commit
suicide; to commit fornication, adultery or sodomy (homosexuality);
to drink wine, or even to prepare it, carry it from one place to
another, or sell it. Muslims are forbidden to please people by
angering Allah; to offend their parents or even to say "Uff" (the
slightest word of contempt) to them; to claim that a child belongs to
anyone but his real father; to torture by means of fire; to burn
anyone, alive or dead, with fire; to mutilate the bodies of the slain;
to help anyone commit falsehood; or to cooperate in wrongdoing
and sin.

It is forbidden to obey any person by disobeying Allah; to swear


falsely; to swear a disastrous oath; to eavesdrop on people without
their permission; to invade people’s privacy or look at their private
parts; to claim something that does not belong to one or that one did
not do, for the purpose of showing off; to look into someone’s else’s
house without permission; to be extravagant; to swear an oath to do
something wrong; to spy on others or be suspicious about righteous
men and women; to envy, hate or shun one another; to persist in
falsehood; to be arrogant or feel superior; to be filled with self-
admiration; to be pleased with one’s arrogance. Islam forbids taking
back one’s charity, even if one pays to get it back; employing
someone to do a job without paying him his wages; being unfair in
giving gifts to one’s children; bequeathing everything in one’s will
and leaving one’s heirs poor - in such a case the will should not be
executed; writing a will that concerns more than one third of one’s
legacy; being a bad neighbor; or changing a will to the detriment of
one or some of one’s heirs. A Muslim is forbidden to forsake or
shun his brother for more than three days, except for a reason
sanctioned by sharee’ah; to hold small stones between two fingers
and throw them because this could cause injury to eyes or teeth; to
include his heirs in a will, because Allah has already given heirs
Introducing Islam Part I & II 143
their rights of inheritance; to disturb his neighbor; to point a weapon
at his Muslim brother; to hand someone an unsheathed sword, lest it
harm him; to come (walk) between two people except with their
permission; to return a gift, unless there is some shar’i objection to
it; to be extravagant; to give money to foolish people; to wish to be
like someone to whom Allah has given more of something; to cancel
out his charity by giving offensive reminders of his giving; to
willfully conceal testimony; or to oppress orphans or scold one who
asks for help or money. It is forbidden to treat with evil medicines,
because Allah would not create a cure for this ummah which
includes something that He has forbidden. It is forbidden to kill
women and children in warfare; to boast to one another; or to break
promises.

Islam forbids betraying a trust; asking for charity that one does not
need; alarming a Muslim brother or taking away his possessions,
whether jokingly or seriously; changing one’s mind after giving a
gift, except in the case of a gift from a father to his child; practicing
medicine without experience; or killing ants, bees and hoopoe birds.
A man is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah (private parts) of another
man and a woman is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of another
woman. It is forbidden to sit between two people without their
permission; or to greet only those whom one knows, because the
greeting is to be given to those whom you know and those whom
you do not know. A Muslim is forbidden to let an oath come
between him and good deeds; he should do what is good and make
expiation for the oath. It is forbidden to judge between two
disputing parties when one is angry, or to judge in favor of one party
without hearing what the other has to say. It is forbidden for a man
to walk through the market-place carrying something - like a sharp
weapon - that could harm the Muslims, unless it is properly covered.
A Muslim is forbidden to make another person get up, so that he can
take his place.

There are more commands and prohibitions which came for the
benefit and happiness of individuals and mankind as a whole. Have
you ever seen any other religion that can compare to this religion?

Read this response again, and then ask yourself: is it not a great pity
that I am not one of them? Allah says in the Qur’aan (interpretation
Introducing Islam Part I & II 144
of the meaning): "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it
will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of
the losers." [Al- Imraan 3:85]

Finally, I hope that everyone who reads this will be guided to the
correct way and to follow the truth. May Allah protect you and us
from all evil.

[Islam Q&A: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid]

14.00.00: Introducing Islam To non-Muslims


I. Islam and Muslims.
The name of this religion is Islam, the root of which is Silm and
Salam which means peace. Salam may also mean greeting one
another with peace. One of the beautiful names of God is that He is
the Peace. It means more than that: submission to the One God, and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 145
to live in peace with the Creator, within one's self, with other people
and with the environment. Thus, Islam is a total system of living. A
Muslim is supposed to live in peace and harmony with all these
segments; hence, a Muslim is any person anywhere in the world
whose obedience, allegiance, and loyalty are to God, the Lord of the
Universe.

II. Muslims and Arabs.


The followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims are not to be
confused with Arabs. Muslims may be Arabs, Turks, Persians,
Indians, Pakistanis, Malaysians, Indonesians, Europeans, Africans,
Americans, Chinese, or other nationalities.

An Arab could be a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew or an atheist. Any


person who adopts the Arabic language is called an Arab. However,
the language of the Qur'an (the Holy Book of Islam) is Arabic.
Muslims all over the world try to learn Arabic so that they may be
able to read the Qur'an and understand its meaning. They pray in the
language of the Qur'an, namely Arabic. Supplications to God could
be in any language.

While there are one billions Muslims in the world there are about
200 million Arabs. Among them, approximately ten percent are not
Muslims. Thus Arab Muslims constitute only about twenty percent
of the Muslim population of the world.

III. Allah the One and the Only God.


Allah is the name of the One and Only God. Allah has ninety-nine
beautiful names, such as:
The Gracious, The Merciful, The Beneficent,
The Creator, The All-Knowing, The All-Wise,
The Lord of the Universe, The First, The Last, and others.

He is the Creator of all human beings. He is the God for the


Christians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the
atheists, and others. Muslims worship God whose name is Allah.
They put their trust in Him and they seek His help and His
guidance.

IV. Muhammad.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 146
Muhammad was chosen by God to deliver His Message of Peace,
namely Islam. He was born in 570 C.E. (Common Era) in Makkah,
Arabia. He was entrusted with the Message of Islam when he was at
the age of forty years. The revelation that he received is called the
Qur'an, while the message is called Islam.

Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the


final Messenger of God. His message was and is still to the
Christians, the Jews and the rest of mankind. He was sent to those
religious people to inform them about the true mission of Jesus,
Moses, David, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.

Muhammad is considered to be the summation and the culmination


of all the prophets and messengers that came before him. He
purified the previous messages from adulteration and completed the
Message of God for all humanity. He was entrusted with the power
of explaining, interpreting and living the teachings of the Qur'an.

V. Source of Islam.
The legal sources of Islam are the Qur'an and the Hadith. The
Qur'an is the exact words of God; its authenticity, originality and
totality are intact. The Hadith is the report of the sayings, deeds and
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.

Vl. Some Islamic Principles.


A. Oneness of God:
He 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
Cod which implies more than one God in one.

B. Oneness of mankind:
People are created equal in front of the Law of God. There is no
superiority for one race over another. God made us of different
colors, nationalities, languages and beliefs so as to test who is going
to be better than others. No one can claim that he is better than
Introducing Islam Part I & II 147
others. It is only God Who knows who is better. It depends on piety
and righteousness.

C. Oneness of Messengers and the Message:


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, Ismail, Jacob, Moses,


David, Jesus, and Muhammad. The Prophets of Christianity and
Judaism are indeed the Prophets of Islam.

D. Angels and the Day of Judgement:


Muslims believe that there are unseen creatures such as angels
created by God in the universe for special missions.

Muslims believe that there is a Day of Judgment when all people of


the world throughout the history of mankind till the last day of life
on earth, are to be brought for accounting, reward and punishment.

E. Innocence of Man at Birth:


Muslims believe that people are born free of sin. It is only after they
reach the age of puberty and it is only after they commit sins that
are to be charged for their mistakes. No responsible for or can take
the responsibility for the sins of others. However, the do forgiveness
through true repentance is always open.

F. State and Religion:


Muslims believe that Islam is a total and a complete way of life. It
encompasses all aspect of life. As such, the teachings of Islam do
not separate religion from politics. As a matter of fact, state and
religion are under the obedience of Allah through the teachings of
Islam. Hence, economic and social transactions, as we educational
and political systems are also of the teachings of Islam.
VII. Practices of Islam.
God instructed the Muslims to practice they believe in. In Islam
there are five pillars, namely:

A. Creed (Shahada):
Introducing Islam Part I & II 148
The verbal commitment and pledge that there is only One God and
that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, is considered to be Creed
of Islam.

B. Prayers (Salat):
The performance of the five daily prayers required of Muslims.

C. Fasting (Saum):
Fasting is total abstinence from food, liquids and intimate
intercourse (between married couples) from dawn to sunset during
the Month of Ramadan.

D. Purifying Tax (Zakat):


This is an annual payment of a certain percentage of a Muslim's
property which is distributed among the poor or other rightful
beneficiaries.

E. Pilgrimage (Haul):
The performance of pilgrimage to Makkah is required once in a
lifetime if means are available. Hajj is in part in memory of the
trials and tribulations of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hagar and his
eldest son Prophet Ishmael.

VIII. Other Related Aspects.


A. Calendar:
Islamic practices are based on the lunar calendar. However, Muslims
also use the Gregorian calendar in their daily religious lives. Hence,
the Islamic calendar includes both the Common Era and the
migration (Higra) year of the Prophet of Islam from Makkah to
Madinah in the year of 623 C.E.

B. Celebrations (Eid):
Muslims have two celebrations (Eid); namely, Eid of Sacrifice and
Eid of Fast-Breaking. The Eid of Sacrifice is in remembrance of the
sacrifice to be by Prophet Abraham of his son. The Eid of Fast-
Breaking comes at the end of the month of fasting, Ramadan.

C. Diets:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 149
Islam allows Muslims to eat everything which is good for the
health. It restricts certain items such as pork and its by-products,
alcohol and any narcotic or addictive drugs.
D. Place of Worship:
The place of worship is called Mosque or Masjid. There are three
holy places of worship for the Muslims in the world. These are:
Mosque of Kaaba in Makkah, Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in
Madinah, and Masjid Aqsa, adjacent to Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem.

A Muslim may pray anywhere in the world whether in a Mosque, a


house, an office, or outside. The whole world is a place of worship.
It is preferable that Muslims pray in a congregation, however,
he/she may pray individually anywhere.

E. Holiday:
The holy day of the Muslims is Friday. It is considered to be sacred
and the Day of Judgement will take place on Friday. Muslims join
together shortly after noon on Friday for the Friday congregational
prayer in a Mosque. A leader (Imam) gives a sermon (Khutba) and
leads the congregational prayer.

F. Distribution of Muslims in North America:


There are approximately five million Muslims in North America and
are distributed in its major cities such as New York, Detroit, Boston,
Toledo, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Cedar
Rapids (Iowa), Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver,
Windsor, Winnipeg, Calgary, and others.

G. Contributions in North America:


Muslims are now established in North America. Sears Tower and
the John Hancock buildings in Chicago were designed by a Muslim
chief architect, originally from Bangladesh. Muslims have
established academic institutions, community centers and
organizations, schools and places of worship. They live in peace and
harmony among themselves and among other groups of people in
the society. The rate of crime among Muslims is very minimal.
Muslims in North America are highly educated and they have added
to the success of American scientific and technological fields.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 150
The Muslims of the early period of the Islamic era were pioneers in
medicine, chemistry, physics, geography, navigation, arts, poetry,
mathematics, algebra, logarithms, calculus, etc. They contributed to
the Renaissance of Europe and world civilization.

IX. Non-Muslims.
Muslims are required to respect all those who are faithful and God
conscious people, namely those who received messages. Christians
and Jews are called People of the Book. Muslims are asked to call
upon the People of the Book for common terms, namely, to worship
One God, and to work together for the solutions of the many
problems in the society.

Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims throughout


centuries in the Middle East and other Asian and African countries.
The second Caliph Umar did not pray in the church in Jerusalem so
as not to give the Muslims an excuse to take it over. Christians
entrusted the Muslims, and as such the key of the Church in
Jerusalem is still in the hands of the Muslims.

Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and they were
welcomed by the Muslims. They settled in the heart of the Islamic
Caliphate. They enjoyed positions of power and authority.

Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and


missionary schools were built within the Muslim neighborhoods.
These places were protected by Muslims even during the
contemporary crises in the Middle East.

By: The Institute of Islamic Information and Education


M.C.C. Building, 4380 N. Elston Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60641 U.S.A.

15.00.00: Introduction to Islam and Muslims


In The Name Of God Most Gracious Most Merciful
We will cover three subtopics: Islam, Imaan and Shariah Law.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 151
Before we begin, mention must be made that Islam is based on
authenticity. Muslims are required to make sure that whatever they
believe is 100% authentic. Any doubts will not be entertained. Let's
take a quick look at the main sources of the religion.

Firstly: The Qur'aan


The Divine Book of the Muslims which is known as "The Qur'aan"
- The Final Testament - is in the language spoken by the Final
Messenger of God Almighty - Muhammad PBUH - which is the
Arabic Language. It was revealed in stages over a period of 23 years
to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Angel Gabriel used to come to
him with Divine Revelation as and when the various incidents
occurred. This means that every verse in the Qur'aan has a reason
behind its revelation, when and why it was revealed.

This book has never been altered or changed, nor was it ever revised
or edited. Who gives man the status to revise the Word of God, or to
edit it?

Muslims are required to contribute towards the protection of the


Word of God by adjusting themselves to understand/suit the Word
of God, rather than adjusting the Word of God to suit them. Thus
every Muslim is required to memorize at least some verses of the
Qur'aan in the language that it was revealed. In this manner it will
not be lost or changed as is the case with some previous Heavenly
Books.

At any given time, millions of Muslims throughout the world


including in this country, have memorized the entire Qur'aan from
cover to cover in the Arabic Language, at times even without
understanding it initially. This is the miraculous contribution of each
individual towards the protection of the Book of God. Through
God's Divine Power and Wisdom the Qur'aan is so easy to
memorise. Wherever a person goes, he will find the same Qur'aan
being read in the same language.

Yes, translations and explanations are permitted in order to


understand the Book, but the original script should appear in its
original form beside the other language because the Word of God
should not be lost or changed in the process of translating it. The
Introducing Islam Part I & II 152
translation is the work of human beings who are just attempting to
explain Gods Word.

Due to the above and much more, Muslims are convinced beyond
any doubt whatsoever that the Qur'aan is authentic and will remain
so.

Secondly: The Hadith


The authentic Teachings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH are followed
by Muslims. There are many books which have compiled the
sayings of the Prophet PBUH, most of them being in the second
century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

However every compiler MUST make sure that he clearly states the
entire chain of narrators between himself and the Prophet PBUH.
This means he has to say whom he heard the saying from and whom
that person heard it from and so on, until it meets the Prophet
PBUH. Then each chain is very carefully studied.

Very detailed books have been compiled with autobiographies of


thousands of men who appear in the chains of narrators. Each
person’s complete profile which includes his full name, place and
date of birth, upbringing and habits, teachers and students, journeys
and general life as well as date and place of death etc are mentioned.
From this, the sayings of the Prophet are verified and authenticated,
and any doubt in the correctness of the chain of narrators renders the
teaching or saying "weak" or "unacceptable".

In this manner Muslims are totally convinced that the religion of


Islam, the beliefs of Muslims, the rules and regulations of the
Shariah Law are all very authentic. In the same way that the
inventor of any man made invention will have an instruction manual
to inform the users of the secrets of correct operation and functions
of his invention, God Almighty, who is our Creator has also sent the
instruction manuals for us to follow. If we think we know better
than God Almighty, we only stand to lose and reduce ourselves to
unacceptable levels.

Having seen the main sources we now move on to the topic itself:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 153
01. Islam:
The word Islam holds two meanings: Submission and Peace.
The formula of peace and serenity lying solely in the submission to
the Divine Commands of God Almighty. The idea is - obey God
Alone and you will achieve peace.

Islam has five pillars.


To declare

That “Ash Hadu Anlla-Ilaha Illallahu wahdahu-La-sharikalahu wa-


ashhadu-anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa-rasooluhu” means
‘I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship besides Allah
(one God Alone), and I also bear witness that Muhammad (Peace Be
Upon Him) is His worshipper and final Messenger.’

Once this is declared by a person, he/she enters the fold of Islam.


As mentioned below, Muslims believe in all the Prophets of God
Almighty. This includes Moses, Aaron, Jesus as well as Muhammad
PBUH.

To pray.
There are two types of prayers. The first is known as "du'aa", which
is prayer to God Almighty and calling out to him at any time. There
is no fixed time to call out in this prayer to God Almighty nor is
there a fixed language. Before eating, after meals, when going to
bed, when awaking, when in need, when in distress, at times of
happiness or any other time - just raise your hands to God Almighty
as a beggar of His Mercy and Protection and call out to Him. He
answers every call positively.

The second type of prayer is the special prayer which only Muslims
have been given. It has been prescribed five times a day in the
Arabic language (again the factor of protection of the Word of God
comes in - since it MUST be read as it was revealed). Each prayer
consists of a number of units of actions and words in praise of God
and in His service and worship. A certain level of cleanliness and
purity is required in order to present oneself in front of God
Almighty. (Look at the subtitle - Cleanliness in Islam).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 154
Each prayer lasts about five to ten minutes. The first is just before
sunrise. The second is immediately after midday. The third is in the
late afternoon. The fourth is immediately after the sun sets. The fifth
is when the sky is dark and has no trace of the redness of the suns
rays at all - about one and a half to two hours after the sun sets.

These prayers have countless benefits of which we may not even


know some. The prayers also train Muslims to practice self control.
This helps them gain God consciousness and stay away from vice
and evil. If we take a look we see that firstly, getting up early and
regularizing one's entire day, breathing the fresh morning air and
washing up after the night. The same applies to the timing of the
other prayers. Each one is carefully timed by Divine Wisdom.
Secondly, looking down whilst praying not only helps
concentration, but it is teaching us to control our eyesight. Many
sins are sparked off by the eye, and once a person has control over
his eyes, he can save himself from sin. Thirdly, standing in the same
place whilst praying trains us to control our footsteps and be
mindful of where we go. Places where sins are committed should
not even be entered, nor should one go near such places. Also
standing in a single straight line and facing the same direction
creates uniformity which leads to unity. No distinguishing between
rich and poor, black and white, sinner and saint is permitted. It is the
standard to be followed by all. Unity is the key to success, whereas
splits and disunity take nations back many years.

To fast during the month of Ramadhaan.


This is to abstain during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset) from all
food, drink and sexual relations with one's spouse. This, as
mentioned, is only during daylight hours and lasts for a period of
one month. Again, there are countless benefits in fasting. Firstly, to
train oneself to abstain from one's unlawful desires. Being able to
abstain from one's legal spouse should help a person stay away from
adultery and one should appreciate that God Almighty has shown
him a legal way of fulfilling his base desires. Similarly abstaining
from food and drink should help a person appreciate the foods and
drinks that God has permitted and should assist him in abstaining
from prohibited foods and drinks. Also, going without food should
make a person realize the condition of the poor and needy and help
them as far as possible. Health benefits are also countless. Fasting in
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the correct manner should result in a person gaining God
consciousness.

To give "Zakaah"
Zakaah is a compulsory percentage of one's wealth that must be
given to the "needy" if it has been held for a full year. Zakaah is
neither charity nor is it a tax. It is payable only on the following
items at the respective percentages: 2,5% on cash, gold, silver and
merchandise (business stock). 5% on produce irrigated through man
made means. 10% on produce irrigated through natural means.

Zakaah must be given by each person directly to the needy. If one


feels he would like to give it to somebody to fulfill on his behalf, he
may do so. Having given us everything we have, God Almighty is
asking for a very small percentage to be given back. This should
help purify one's heart from greed and stinginess, and it purifies one
wealth, gaining the prayers of the poor and needy. It results in
increase of wealth. In fact it is an investment with God Almighty,
and it will be reaped with all the increments (multiplied) in the
hereafter. Above this there is room for voluntary charity of any
amount. In fact it is encouraged to constantly give out voluntarily as
well, over and above the zakaah.

To go to Makkah for Pilgrimage


This is an obligation only once in a lifetime for those who can
afford the trip and accommodation as well as the costs of
maintaining all dependants whilst away. Following the footsteps of
Prophet Abraham PBUH, who is the father of all the prophets that
came after him, Muslims are required to re-enact his sacrifice which
is mentioned in the Qur'aan as well as in the Torah and in the Old
Testament. Muslims gather in the same place at the same time in
one dress (two pieces of white cloth). Prophet Abraham took his son
Ishmael to fulfill the command of God to sacrifice him. Satan
appeared in three places and Abraham pelted him. Muslims take
seven little pea size pebbles and pelt satan, removing with each
pebble, every bad quality and bad habit that infests human beings.
This is part of the struggle in the path of self rectification and
purification.
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On completion, in commemoration of the ram from heaven which
replaced Ishmael, Muslims are required to sacrifice a ram or edible
animal (domestic animal with goat like hoof). The meat should be
divided in three parts. One third to be eaten, one third to be given to
the relatives and one third to be given to the poor and needy.

Upon fulfilling this pilgrimage one becomes pure and free from sin
and vice. One is expected to lead a purer life after this, with a higher
spiritual level.

Cleanliness in Islam
Cleanliness in Islam is of an extremely high standard. We need to be
clean in all spheres of life. Physical purity is only a very small part
of cleanliness. Moral purity is to be free from immorality. Social
purity is to be an asset to society and to help every member of
society wherever and however possible. Economic purity is to clean
all one's dealings from deception, cheating stealing and conning.
Also to be pure and straightforward in one's business deals. It
requires one to bear in mind the condition of the consumer when
fixing a selling price. Verbal purity is to stay away from vulgar
language and to make sure than one's tongue is not used to hurt and
offend fellow humans. Spiritual purity is to worship God Alone
without worshipping any creature of His. It includes taking account
of all the deeds of the day everyday, and looking into ways of
increasing the good that one is doing and decreasing the bad that
one is involved in, thus constantly raising one's spiritual level. In
this manner cleanliness and purity are required in every sphere of
living.

Regarding physical cleanliness Muslims are required to wash with


clean water after using the toilet. Muslims are required to wash all
the parts of the body that are apparent when presenting oneself in
prayer to God Almighty. These parts include the hands up to elbows,
the face, passing wet fingers over the hair, and washing the feet.
This is the standard requirement for all Muslims.

In certain cases, such as after sexual relations with one's spouse, a


full head to toe bath is required.
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Pubic hair and hair under the armpits must be shaved regularly as a
religious requirement.

Sexual relations during the monthly cycles of women are prohibited


too. In fact during this cycle a woman is not required to fast or
engage in the five daily prayers - though she will pray in the first
manner (see explanation on prayer). She is literally given "leave" to
help her overcome her situation imposed upon her through her
physical difference to men.

Male circumcision is very strongly recommended and is best done


soon after birth, whilst female circumcision is NOT.

All this maintains the highest standards of hygiene, and helps one
feel healthy and good.
When a person dies, it is the duty of his relatives to wash his body
with soap - just as when we take a bath - and then wrap him in two
pieces of white cloth and bury him without delay.

02. Faith (Imaan):


The word Imaan also holds two meanings: Belief and security. The
formula of security (both in this world and in the hereafter lies in
this firm belief).

Note: Islam is connected to actions that are apparent and can be


seen by all, whereas Imaan is related to belief in the unseen, which
is between a worshipper and His Creator.

Imaan or belief has six articles:


01. To firmly believe that there is no god worthy of worship besides
Allah (one God Alone), and that Muhammad PBUH is His
worshipper and final Messenger. Having declared this, it is
necessary to believe it in one's heart as well as to confirm this
practically.

02. To believe in all the Angels of God Almighty. There are


countless angels. These include: Gabriel, Israfeel, Mika'eel, and
many other angels. Angels are created by God Almighty and are
made of light. They are totally obedient and they have different
Introducing Islam Part I & II 158
tasks. Gabriel brings revelation from God Almighty to the Prophets.
Other angels have other tasks.

03. To believe in all the Heavenly Books. This includes the books
revealed to Abraham, David etc. as well as the torah, the bible, and
the Qur'aan. The condition of authenticity applies to each of these.
Reality is that today it is only the Qur'aan that is 100% authentic.
Thus we only believe what the Qur'aan says about the other books.
There are verses describing the various books and their contents. In
essence the call is light from the same lantern - we must believe that
they are all books that were revealed to the Prophets of God.
However, what is in the Qur'aan is sufficient and complete. As for
what appears in the other books, if the Qur'aan has confirmed it, we
confirm it. If the Qur'aan has rejected it, we reject it. If the Qur'aan
has not spoken about it we do not need it and so we do not accept
nor reject it.

04. To believe in all the Messengers of God Almighty. Starting


from Adam moving on, there were countless Messengers of God
Almighty. To mention some:- Idris, Noah, Lot, Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Jesus and others, with
Muhammad being the final Messenger. They were all sent by God to
remove mankind from the darknesses of evil and from the
worshipping of everything besides God Alone, to His worship
Alone. They all had a common call, and each one of them gave
good news of the one to follow.

Jesus in Islam
Muslims believe that Jesus was a Messenger of God sent to
mankind through the Virgin Mary. God Almighty creates man in
four ways. The first is with neither a man nor a woman such as the
example of Adam. The second is through a male but without a
female such as the example of Eve. The third is through a female
without a male such as the example of Jesus. The fourth is the
common means through both male and female such as all of us.
Thus Muslims believe that Jesus was born to an unmarried mother,
Mary and there is an entire chapter in the Qur'aan named after her.
Jesus was given the power of miracles just like every prophet was.
Though the miracles were different from prophet to prophet, they
were connected to the development and knowledge of the time. At
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the time of Jesus, people were engaged in all sorts of medical
discovery. He was thus given the power to cure the sick, to give life
by the power of God to the dead etc.

Jesus is not God, nor is he the son of God, nor is he part of a trinity.
Rather, Muslims believe that he is the Messenger of God whose
birth was miraculous. Jesus was not crucified, nor did he die. He is
alive but he was taken up to heaven before anybody could harm
him. He will return to earth closer to the Day of Judgment.

Muslims do not pray to any prophet or saint, nor do they confess to


the priest or Imaam at the Mosque of their sins. They pray directly
to God Almighty who is The Creator, The Sustainer, the Nourisher,
and The Cherisher of all creatures. A sin committed by a worshipper
is his secret with his Creator. The record must be cleared directly
with Him. Muslims call out to God Almighty without any stepping
stone and each individual acquaints himself with his Lord directly.
To worship any creature of God Almighty is an insult to the status of
God. The Creator and His Creation can never be equal in any way.

05. To believe in the Day of Judgement - The Last Day and Life
after Death. God Almighty has sent us to earth, which is this
temporary life, then we return to Him and to the eternal life that He
has kept in store for us. From the age of maturity every human
being is answerable to God Almighty. Accountability and
responsibility make up the core of purity. As human beings, we all
make mistakes. However, the best of those who make mistakes is
the one who repents continuously. Repentance is always accepted by
God Almighty so long as a person admits his error, regrets about it
and promises not to do it again. If it is repeated and one repents
again, it is accepted again and again with the same conditions. Until
death, there is always a chance of being forgiven and becoming pure
once again. If we take a closer look at death, we will realize that it is
in fact the beginning of the real and everlasting life, and it is only
after death, that we will be able to get to what God has promised us
- Paradise.

Muslims believe that every person has an angel that orders him to
do good and stops him from evil and bad, and a "qareen" (satan) that
orders him to do bad and stops him from good. The choice is the
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persons. The fight between the two is won by the one whom the
person follows. If he follows satan all the time, then satan becomes
strong and the angel becomes insignificant. If this continues, the
person becomes spiritually dead, and he becomes evil and loses
track. If he follows the angel, then satan becomes insignificant and
the person becomes spiritually elevated, pure and good. He becomes
an asset to society and he doesn't need much thinking to understand
and stay away from evil.

06. To believe that God Almighty has decreed everything - Good


and bad is from Him. He is in control of all affairs. He has asked us
to play a role in protecting and safeguarding ourselves from all
forms of harm, and above that He is in total control. He gives life
and takes it away. He causes goodness and inflicts calamities as and
when He feels and wishes.

God Almighty has completed Knowledge. This means He knows


what has happened, what is happening, what will happen and what
will not happen - if it were to happen - how it will happen!

We are asked to do whatever is in our hands to earn a pure and legal


livelihood and sustenance - then leave the rest in the hands of God
Almighty. Similarly we should do whatever is in our hands to
safeguard and protect ourselves, and then if anything happens we
should believe that God wanted it to happen. The same applies to
everything else. Then to question God's decree and will is
unacceptable. When death overtakes a person, one should accept
that it was the will of God and not question it. [For details we can
see ‘The Basic Articles of Islam: Fakhrul Islam]

03. Shariah Law:


This is the Law of Islam which is based on the Qur'aan and on the
authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. It is the only
law that has the solution for every single problem on earth. It is a
heavenly law - Divine.

Every law in the Shariah is placed in order to protect Human beings


from all forms of evil. The five main necessities of existence are
protected and all the laws are derived to protect these five points.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 161
Protection of life on earth
As Muslims we believe that life is given by God Almighty and
whether it is human, animal, insect, bird, fish or even plant life, it is
forbidden to take it away without the permission or command of
God Almighty.

In the case of humans, it is only a court of justice that can decide to


take away the life of a person for the known reasons. Individuals
who take the lives of humans are guilty of murder. The Shariah has
a similar ruling on murderers as the Bible - life for life - but only if
it is proven beyond any doubt whatsoever. Two eyewitnesses of an
extremely good background of honesty and truthfulness must bear
witness separately and describe the entire incident from the
beginning to end. If either witness has the slightest difference, then
the sentence of death will not be served but it will be up to the
presiding judge to look into a suitable lower punishment. This is the
case in all cases of the Shariah Courts. If there is the slightest doubt
the alleged perpetrator will be given the benefit of that doubt. The
laws are greatly deterrent rather than anything else.

In the case of animal life, it is only for food, clothing or any other
valid reason which the Shariah recognizes that one may take the life
of the animal away. Another example is when a dangerous animal is
in sight and may attack, then in order to defend, it becomes
necessary to take the life of that animal. However, the conditions of
taking the life of animals are as follows:
a) It should be done as quick as possible with the least suffering to
the animal
b) The Name of God Almighty should be said - seeking permission
from the giver of that life to take it away. What gives us the right to
take away any life that God has given?

In the case of animals being killed for food there are a few more
conditions
c) The maximum blood must be drained from the animal.
d) A knife or very sharp object must be used and the killing should
be done from the throat.

It has been proven that the animal dies without suffering at all if it is
killed from the throat and all major veins are quickly cut. This is
Introducing Islam Part I & II 162
because the message from the point of bleeding (the throat)
informing the brain that "you are hurt" does not get to the brain at
all because it is already cut off. The animal numbs and dies without
feeling. This is known as Halaal. If an animal is not Halaal,
Muslims consider it condemned because it has literally been
"stolen" from the property of God Almighty without seeking His
permission or without following the manner taught by Him which is
th quickest manner. International Standards of W.H.O. have agreed
that Halaal manner of slaughter is the most hygienic in that all the
blood is drained so any disease is eradicated with the eradication of
the blood, and has least suffering for the animal.

Some animals have been prohibited and deemed totally unfit for
human consumption either because they are poisonous or they cause
sickness and disease or they weaken the brain etc. Examples are
pigs, dogs, monkeys, lions etc.

Going around killing animals without an acceptable purpose is


prohibited in Islam.

Destruction of plants unnecessarily or the underwater life etc is also


prohibited under the same Law. It is only when one needs to use
firewood, or has a recognized need such as wanting to build
something, may he uproot the trees and plants.

Also under the protection of life, we find the Shariah has prohibited
backbiting, arguing, causing conflict, not sorting out
misunderstandings etc because all these may lead to death if out of
proportion.

Similarly suicide is prohibited because one will be taking away life


that God Almighty gave. Speeding above limits is a religious sin
because one will be putting his own as well as other people's lives in
danger and it is a category of suicide as well. This law is so vast and
wide, but we have just touched on it to make it easy to understand.
Protection of the human brain
The difference between man and animal is the brain. God Almighty
has chosen us to be above animals through the brain he has granted
us. For this reason we must protect it by all means. Anything that
will result in the harming of the human brain is strictly forbidden. It
Introducing Islam Part I & II 163
would be like rejecting Gods gift and slapping it back at Him.
Rather we must acknowledge this gift and protect it totally.

Drinking is prohibited under this Law and so are drugs and other
intoxicants. Intentionally causing mental stress or tensions to a
person is forbidden.

Protection of individual wealth


Every human has the right to own property. None besides himself or
herself will have a say in the manner in which it is used so long as it
is within the parameters of that which is permissible and correct
according to Shariah.

For us to be protected, we need to protect the wealth of each other.


No stealing, cheating, deceiving, conning, forging or robbery etc
will be tolerated.

Similarly it is prohibited to leave one's valuables in such a manner


that one would be inviting theft. In the case of stealing, the Shariah
has prescribed a very harsh deterrent. If proven without any doubt at
all that property worth more than approximately US$30 has been
robbed from a place which is regarded as safe for that property by a
sane, mature human, then only will the robber have his hand
amputated in public. It is not easy to prove without doubt that one
has stolen, and in this manner the punishment serves as a very great
deterrent. Countries such as Saudi Arabia are enjoying the fruits of
this law.

Protection of the family lineage


Each person that is born has a father, a mother and a lineage. It is a
very great responsibility to have children especially upon the father
and mother. The father must provide food, clothing and
accommodation for both his wife (the mother of the child) and the
child. He needs to fulfill the basic requirements of the family. The
mother too, needs to looks after the child and ensure that he/she has
a sound upbringing. Islam teaches leading by example. Children
should not be expected to leave evil if the parents are engrossed in
it.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 164
Adultery is therefore prohibited because it results in the loss of the
lineage and it is "running away" from responsibility. Baby dumping
is prohibited. A divorced male must continue to maintain his
children till the age of majority in the case of a male and till
marriage in the case of a female.

Interesting Biblical Story.


In Islam the role played by the father, mother and children in the
home is almost depicted in the story of Joseph PBUH that appears
in the Qur'aan and the Old Testament.

The dream of Joseph where he saw the sun, the moon and eleven
stars is not just a story to be read and appreciated, but it has deeper
meanings if we take a closer look. The sun depicted the father
(Jacob), the moon depicted the mother and the stars were the eleven
children.

If we take a close look at the qualities of the sun, we will find that
they are surely the qualities that are expected from the father of the
home. The sun is strong; it shines so bright one cannot look at it
directly. The sun provides a sense of protection as well as
sustenance in that people work during the day. The sun brings
warmth and it is only through the brightness of the sun that the
moon shines and the stars twinkle. These are some of the qualities
of the father in the home.

The moon has the qualities required by every successful mother. It


shines but derives its light from the sun. A strong father in the home
makes the moon shine ever brighter. The stars appear when the
moon is around depicting the very close link between the mother
and the children. One can look straight into the moon and admire
the beauty of the moon. There is a sense of peace, quiet and inner
serenity when the moon is shining.

The stars have the qualities that we need in our children. They
twinkle with the moon and yet they appear not to be around when
the sun is out. They are definitely there, but the brightness of the sun
makes them fall under him. The hold of the father and his careful
nurturing of his children is vital. If respect for the father is lost, we
have driven into a road that will lead to everything being lost.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 165

Now, take a look at the sun and moon. When the sun wants to do
what the moon is doing and when the moon wants to do what the
sun is doing and they both want to appear in each others places,
what do we have? An eclipse! Where both the sun and the moon
become insignificant and disappear. The stars are no where to be
spotted. There is turmoil and disaster.

Similarly, when the mother wants to play the role of the father and
the father wants to play the roles of the mother in the home, there is
a "social eclipse" where the family unit is disintegrated. Both
become insignificant and lose their status. The children lose the
most since they will have no guidance whatsoever. There will be no
love and peace in the home. The home will be lacking goodness and
purity, safety and happiness. This is why it is important to
understand that God Almighty has created each person with a
specific role to play. We should all fulfill our correct roles and
please God. It is only through such means that we will achieve
happiness.

Dressing in Islam
Also under the protection of lineage, certain dress codes have been
established for both men and women. Men should cover from navel
to knees in public. Women should dress modestly and cover their
beauty in public. This is in order to protect society directly from ills
such as immorality. Revealing the face, hands and feet is
permissible. The idea is to safeguard the precious jewels of beauty
that lie there under. A jewel will be kept in a jewelry box in the safe
under lock and key, far from the public who may pounce on it and
pinch it if it is not properly guarded. Dressing appropriately sends a
clear message to the children. A policeman who has no uniform will
wave his hand all day trying to bring the vehicles to a halt, but he
will not succeed because he is not properly dressed. An ordinary
person in police uniform will succeed in stopping any vehicle the
moment he makes a single sign with his hand. Parents who do not
dress properly will not be able to control the dressing of their kids,
no matter how hard they try. Lead by example.
It is encouraged to dress similar to the Messengers of God. Studies
have proven that they have all dressed in a very similar manner.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 166
An interesting example is that of electricity. Regarded as a
necessity, electricity has become vital in our day to day lives. Any
village with no electricity is termed "backward". Electricity brings
light in the home, food, comfort, warmth, security, happiness, ability
to see etc. However the wires between the switch and the bulb are
compulsorily hidden in both clinging insulators as well as conduit
piping. This is necessary in order to protect a mad man, a child or
even a normal person out of error who may touch a loose wire.
Dangling wires are death. If we see a naked wires, we will
immediately call a qualified electrician, and in the mean time we
will put up a big notice in clear red ink saying "Danger!" or we will
put a person in place to make sure there is no fatality.

Electricity is regarded as good but why hide the current? As if it is


touched by anyone other than a qualified electrician then there will
be the disaster. Similarly, a female brings in all the goodness in the
home. If she is uncovered, she may be touched by men who are not
qualified to touch her and this can only result in disaster. This is
why it is only correct for women to be asked to dress modestly. If
we see women in public inappropriately dressed, it should hurt us
and we should try to explain to them in the best, most polite and
effective manner.

Islam prefers a wife over an illegal relationship with a female, the


latter being prohibited. Taking a woman as one's wife is safeguards
her in that the husband will take full responsibility of all her needs
and her children too. Marriage is very strongly encouraged. Men
should marry one wife, but they are permitted to take up to four
wives if they are able to maintain them and be just and equal to
them.

This prevents promiscuity and assists young widows, divorcees,


women who cannot get married and are ageing as well as physically
challenged women. It is also the solution to the problem of extra
marital affairs which is rampant in most societies. A prohibited
woman is only seen when she is needed and therefore she appears to
be better than the legal wife of a man, who is with him at all times.
The true colors of such a woman will only be known if she is
married and brought on the same footing as the first wife. The man
will soon come to realize who she is.
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Divorce is permitted only as a last resort and is regarded as the most


disliked of the permissible acts. Divorce can be revocable or
irrevocable, and it is very simple. A man can divorce his wife. A
woman can have her marriage nullified through the Shariah Court or
through a panel of Scholars in her country.

Protection of belief and religion


If we try to count what God Almighty has given us it will be like
trying to count the stars in the sky. He has showered us with all sorts
of goodness. Muslims are taught to look at those who have less or
those going through more difficulty. This will allow us to appreciate
what God Almighty has given us. If we look at those who have
more or those who are better off than ourselves we will never be
able to appreciate God's gifts upon us.

We need to worship God in return, and stay far away from


associating partners with God Almighty. None must be worshipped
besides God. No act of worship must be rendered for anyone other
than Him. It is not permissible to use any human being as a stepping
stone between a person and God.

Each person must have direct contact with His Creator. It is also
prohibited to worship someone or something else (no matter who or
what it is) together with God Almighty. No prophet, angel, saint,
priest, Imam, Sheikh or others can be given any act of worship at
all.

This means that we should only worship God Almighty in the


manner He has prescribed. It is incorrect to create and innovation
acts of worship using our own brains.

Under this law, Muslims must fulfill all their obligations and stay
away from all prohibitions. Similarly, all religions must be tolerated
(freedom of religion and belief) so long as they tolerate us.
Interference in Islam will not be tolerated, just as other religions
would not tolerate interference in theirs.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 168
The Qur'aan clearly states that there is no compulsion regarding
entering the religion. Meaning each person, after being told the
truth, is free to choose the truth or remains as he/she is.

Turning to God Almighty


The Creator/worshipper relationship must be very strong. The
Qur'aan states that God Almighty answers the call of every caller
positively. Repentance which is coupled with regret and an
undertaking not to repeat the sin, is always accepted, making the
worshipper pure once again. The Prophet Muhammad has said, "All
children of Adam err, but the best of those who err are those who
constantly repent!"

Similarly, entering the fold of Islam literally deletes all previous sins
no matter how major they are. The manner in which to enter the fold
of Islam is very simple. Simply declare that that there is no god
worthy of worship besides Allah (God Alone), and that Muhammad
PBUH is His Messenger and Prophet. Then follow what has been
mentioned above.

With this we come to an end of this short explanation of the above


topics and we trust that you have a clearer picture of Islam and the
Muslims.

Points from a series of lectures at


Morgan Zintec Teachers Training College in June 2002 on Islam &
Muslims
By, Abu Fawzaan, Mufti Isma'il ibn Musa Menk - Harare, Zimbabwe
Courtesy: www.everymuslim.com
Introducing Islam Part I & II 169
15.01.00: The basic beliefs
and practices of Muslims

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind.


We live in one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.
Given the different backgrounds that we come from, there is a great
need for tolerance, understanding and respect for such diversity.
Above all, we need to be committed to interfaith dialogue.

Islam is one of the great monotheistic religions in the world today.


Yet it is also the most misunderstood religion. For a long time, we
have felt the need to produce some literature which will explain
Islam to non-Muslims and remove the false notions many have
about Islam.

This article, although brief, explains some of the basic beliefs and
practices of Muslims. It also discusses some questions on Islam that
we are frequently asked by our many non-Muslim friends. It is
hoped that this booklet will inspire the readers to further explore the
many dimensions of Islam - one of the great religions of the world.

Islam
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Indeed, one out of
every five persons on this earth is a Muslim. There are nearly 6
million Muslims living in North America and the number is
growing. Yet, unfortunately, Islam is also the most misunderstood
religion. Muslims live in different parts of the world ranging from
China to Argentina, Russia to South Africa. The country with the
largest Muslim population is Indonesia.

Islam means the active submission to the one God. It is strictly a


monotheistic religion since it restricts worship to the one supreme
Lord who is the Originator and Creator of the universe. Peace (the
root from which the word Islam is derived) is attained through
complete obedience to the commandments of God, for God is the
source of all peace.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 170
Muslims are those who believe in one God and in Muhammad as
the final Prophet of God. They devote their lives to the service of
God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

Islam teaches that God (called Allah in Arabic) is the source of all
creation and that human beings are the best of His creation. He
communicates by inspiring them towards goodness and by sending
Prophets who deliver God's message. Muslims believe that the first
Prophet was Adam followed by a long chain of Prophets to guide
humanity. The Qur'an, according to Muslim belief, is the word of
God revealed to Prophet Muhammad. It mentions many other
Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Jacob, Joseph
and Jesus. All the Prophets had brought the same message, i.e.,
belief in one God, upright human conduct and belief in the
accountability of human acts at the end of time.

Jesus in Islam
Muslims respect and venerate Jesus Christ. They consider him to be
one of God's greatest messengers to humankind. The Qur'an re-
affirms his miraculous birth and his miraculous abilities.
Furthermore, his mother Mary is regarded as one of the most pure
and exalted women of all creation. As the Qur'an says:
"Behold! The angel said: 'God has chosen you and purified you and
has chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary! God gives
you the good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be
Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the hereafter,
and one of those brought near to God" (3:42).

Islam regards its teachings to be a re-affirmation and culmination of


the teachings of previous monotheistic religions like Judaism and
Christianity. Hence, all Muslims believe in Moses and Jesus as
Prophets of God. Prophet Muhammad was commanded to recite in
the Qur'an:
"Say, we believe in God and that which was revealed unto us, and
that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and
Jacob, and the tribes and that which was entrusted unto Moses and
Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord We make no distinction
between any of them and unto Him we have submitted" (3:84).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 171
Islam is the final religion revealed to human beings through the last
Prophet who was called Muhammad. He was born in Mecca (in
Saudi Arabia) in the year 570 A.D. Muhammad was a very truthful
and honest person. He was also very pious and detested the moral
decadence of his society. At the age of forty, God asked him,
through the angel Gabriel, to proclaim the religion of Islam publicly.
God's message to humanity was delivered in the Qur'an which was
revealed to Muhammad. The Qur'an, which is the holy book for
Muslims, contains 114 chapters (called Suras). Muslims believe that
it is the pure word of God, unadulterated over 14 centuries. It deals
with issues which affect human beings in their earthly lives; issues
like piety, upright human conduct, worship, the creation of a just
and virtuous society and the practice of ethics.

Islam has two major schools of thought - the Shi'i and the Sunni.
The Sunnis believe that the community selected its own leader after
Prophet Muhammad's death whereas the Shi'as believe that the
Prophet had, by divine will, appointed 'Ali to be his successor.
Leadership is thus divinely designated. It is to be noted that both the
Sunnis and the Shi'as are united in their major beliefs i.e., they
believe in the same God, the same book, the same Prophets and pray
in the same direction. The differences are mainly theological and
jurisprudential.

The Teachings of Islam


Islam teaches that human beings are born pure and sinless. No one
is responsible for or can take the responsibility of the sins of others.
However, the doors of forgiveness are always open for those who
repent sincerely. God continuously reminds us in the Qur'an of His
infinite mercy and compassion. Muslims are enjoined to maintain
inner spiritual purity through constant remembrance and prayer to
God. Islam balances the spiritual dimension by emphasizing human
responsibility. Human beings are created with a purpose. Attainment
of piety is but one dimension of such purpose; playing an active role
in the creation of a just society is another. Because Muslims attach
importance to what happens in this world, they have made
substantial contribution to the development of science, medicine,
mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography and literature.
Muslims like Avicenna and Avirroes have played major roles in the
advancement of science in the west. The first university in the world
Introducing Islam Part I & II 172
was established by Muslims in Cairo, Egypt. Many crucial systems
such as the Arabic numerals, algebra, the first map of the globe and
navigational maps were developed by Muslims and adopted by the
medieval Europeans.
Apart from human responsibility, Islam also teaches human
accountability. The final destination of human beings is the
hereafter. Muslims believe that, at the end of time, all human beings
will be resurrected to account for their deeds. Those who have
performed righteous deeds will be rewarded with eternal bliss in
heaven and those who have performed evil acts will be punished in
hell.

Muslim Practice
Salat (Prayers): Islam demands from its adherents that beliefs be
supplemented with actions. Just as God communicates with us, we
need to respond to Him by undertaking certain spiritual and social
duties which will draw us closer to Him. Human beings can
communicate directly with God through prayers. Although they can
pray anywhere, Muslims are encouraged to pray in congregation.
Muslims are required to pray five times every day. Prayers are
offered in Arabic. Personal supplication may be recited in any
language in the pursuit of closeness to the Lord. Prayers engender
inner strength and inspire one to a closer relationship with the
Creator. Muslims pray towards the Ka'ba, which is situated in
Mecca. It was built by Abraham and Ishmael over four thousand
years ago.

Saum (Fasting): Discipline in a believer is further inculcated by


fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadhan, Muslims must fast
by refraining from food and drink during the day time. Fasting is
regarded as an essential component in the growth of spirituality
within a person. It also makes a person more aware of the plight of
the poor and helps him develop willpower so as to discipline his
desires.

Since Islam believes in values like chastity and morality, it prohibits


all acts which lead to moral corruption. Drugs, alcohol and
substance abuse are strictly prohibited in Islam.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 173
Zakat (Alms) Muslims see wealth to be a trust from God, to be
dispensed in His way. Therefore, they are asked to purify their
wealth by spending a portion of their income for those in need
(called zakat). Giving the zakat is seen as one of the most
meritorious deeds especially as it helps fulfill the Islamic vision of
creating a just and equitable society. Undertaking social
responsibility by helping the needy is highly encouraged in Islam.

Hajj (Pilgrimage): Once in their lifetime, Muslims are commanded


to go for pilgrimage to Mecca provided there are no financial or
physical constraints. Every year, about two million Muslims from
different parts of the world converge on Mecca to perform the
pilgrimage. This provides a unique opportunity for Muslims of
different nations and diverse backgrounds to meet one another.
During the rituals, pilgrims wear white clothing’s and stand close
together in the worship of the one Lord. Islam recognizes no racial
or ethnic boundaries. The hajj is the perfect example of the oneness
of people of all races and nations, worshipping and serving the
Lord.

The hajj is marked by the Eid al-Adha, a festival which is marked


with prayers and other rituals performed by the pilgrims in the
vicinity of Mecca. These rituals are meant to purify the faithful
inwardly. The day is also marked in Muslim communities in
different parts of the world with celebrations and exchange of gifts.
This day, together with the Eid al-Fitr, a feast day commemorating
the end of Ramadhan, are the two main festivals of the Muslim
calendar. The Muslim weekly holiday is on Fridays when
congregational prayers are held at noon.

Islam and War


The concept of jihad (wrongly translated as holy war) refers to the
duty of Muslims to defend their faith and the welfare of the Muslim
community when threatened. The Qur'an does not permit aggression
against anyone and Prophet Muhammad is asked to proselytize in a
peaceful manner. Warfare is permitted only in self-defense.
However, it must be noted that people only resort to violence when
their basic human rights are violated and when all attempts at
peaceful settlement are thwarted.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 174
Islam and Human Rights
Islam teaches that human beings have a moral obligation to live in
harmony with one another. Islam also recognizes and accords rights
to all human beings regardless of race, color or creed. Islam requires
its followers to show respect and tolerance even to those who do not
share their faith. Prophet Muhammad said: "God has no mercy on
one who shows no mercy to others".

Freedom of conscience is guaranteed by the Qur'an itself. It states:


"There is no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Islamic law
stipulates that Muslims should protect the status of minorities.
Therefore the life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are
considered sacred, whether a person is a Muslim or not. Because of
this, non-Muslim places of worship have survived and flourished all
over the Muslim world. Islam further encourages Muslims to
respect the rights of all living things. Therefore, Muslims are
required to be conscious of the environment and are not allowed to
cause harm to nature.

It is important to realize that far from being extremists and fanatics,


Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens of the countries in
which they live. This stance is derived directly from the Qur'an
which states: "O human beings, We have created you from one
male and female (Adam & Eve), We have created you as
different tribes and nations so that you may know each other"
(49:13).

Islam and Women


Muslim women have all the rights of their male counterparts. Islam
granted full rights to women fourteen hundred years ago. Muslim
women may own and dispose property; they may work, exercise
voting powers and exercise other rights which women in other
cultures enjoy. Muslim women may not be forced to marry against
their will.

To preserve chastity, respect and moral values in society, Muslim


men and women are required to dress in a manner which is
considered modest and dignified. Women are asked to cover their
hair and wear loose clothings. The diversity of female dress in some
Muslim countries is often the expression of local customs.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 175

Since Islam is a universal religion, it is easy to become a Muslim.


One has to believe and affirm that "There is no god but God and
that Muhammad is the Messenger of God". Today, the Islamic
community in North America is growing rapidly with Muslims
playing major roles in virtually all sectors of society. Muhammad
Ali (formerly Cassius Clay), Malcolm X, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat
Stevens) are some of the well-known people who have embraced
Islam.
May the blessings of the Almighty God be with you!

Dr. Liyakatali Takim


American Leadership Initiative for Muslims
www.islamicinformationcenter.org
Islamic Information Center
529 14th St. Suite 1292, Washington DC, US, 20045,
202-347-6405, 202-347-6406
Introducing Islam Part I & II 176

15.02.00: Invitation to Islam


Allah (God)
Islam is the complete submission and obedience to Allah (God). The
name Allah (God) in Islam never refers to Muhammad (pbuh), as
many Christians may think; Allah is the personal name of God.

What do Muslims believe about Allah?


He is the one God, Who has no partner.
Nothing is like Him. He is the Creator, not created, nor a part of His
creation.
He is All-Powerful, absolutely just.
There is no other entity in the entire universe worthy of worship
besides Him.
He is First, Last, and Everlasting;
He was when nothing was, and will be when nothing else remains.
He is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful, the Supreme, the
Sovereign.
It is only He Who is capable of granting life to anything.
He sent His Messengers (peace be upon them) to guide all of
mankind.
He sent Muhammad (pbuh) as the last Prophet and Messenger for
all mankind.
His book is the Holy Qur'an, the only authentic revealed book in the
world that has been kept without change.

Allah knows what is in our hearts.


These are some of the basic guidelines Muslims follow in their
knowledge of God:
Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their
conception of Allah. His attributes are not like human attributes,
despite similar labels or appellations.

Have unwavering faith in exactly what Allah and Prophet


Muhammad (pbuh) described Allah to be, no more, no less.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 177
Eradicate any hope or desire of learning or knowing the modality of
His names and attributes.
Belief totally in all the names and attributes of Allah; one cannot
believe in some and disbelieve the others.

One cannot accept the names of Allah without their associated


attributes, i.e. one cannot say He is Al-Hayyu - 'The Living' and
then say that He is without life. Similarity in names (or meanings)
does not imply similarity in what is being described (referents). As a
robotics arm differs from a human arm, so the "hand" of Allah is
nothing like a human hand, His speech is nothing like human
speech, etc.

Certain words are ambiguous or vague in their meanings, and thus


may be susceptible to misinterpretation. Only those meanings that
are in accordance with what is specified by Allah and His Prophet
(pbuh) are acceptable.

Cleanliness
Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and
spiritual aspects. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to
clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the whole community,
and he is rewarded by God for doing so. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
said, for example:
"Removing any harm from the road is charity (that will be rewarded
by Allah)." [Bukhari]

While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute,


Islam insists on it , making it an indispensable fundamental of the
faith. A Muslim is required to to be pure morally and spiritually as
well as physically. Through the Qur'an and Sunnah Islam requires
the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life.

In the Qur'an Allah commends those who are accustomed to


cleanliness:
"Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those
who keep themselves pure and clean." [2: 22]
In Islam the Arabic term for purity is Taharah. Books of Islamic
jurisprudence often contain an entire chapter with Taharah as a
heading.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 178

Allah orders the believer to be tidy in appearance: "Keep your


clothes clean." [74:4]

The Qur'an insists that the believer maintain a constant state of


purity:
"Believers! When you prepare for prayer wash your faces, and your
hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water) and
(wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are ritually impure bathe
your whole body." [5: 6]

Ritual impurity refers to that resulting from sexual release,


menstruation and the first forty days after childbirth. Muslims also
use water, not paper or anything else to after eliminating body
wastes.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised the Muslims to appear neat and


tidy in private and in public. Once when returning home from battle
he advised his army:
"You are soon going to meet your brothers, so tidy your saddles and
clothes. Be distinguished in the eyes of the people." [Abu Dawud]
On another occasion he said:
"Don't ever come with your hair and beard disheveled like a devil."
[Al-Tirmidhi]
And on another:
"Had I not been afraid of overburdening my community, I would
have ordered them to brush their teeth for every prayer." [Bukhari]

Moral hygiene was not ignored, either, for the Prophet (pbuh)
encouraged the Muslims to make a special prayer upon seeing
themselves in the mirror:
"Allah, You have endowed me with a good form; likewise bless me
with an immaculate character and forbid my face from touching the
Hellfire." [Ahmad]

And modesty in dress, for men as well as for women, assists one in
maintaining purity of thought. Being charitable is a way of purifying
one's wealth. A Muslim who does not give charity (Sadaqah) and
pay the required annual Zakah, the 2.5% alms-tax, has in effect
Introducing Islam Part I & II 179
contaminated his wealth by hoarding that which rightfully belongs
to others:
"Of their wealth take alms so that you may purify and sanctify
them." [9: 103]

All the laws and injunctions given by Allah and His Prophet (pbuh)
are pure; on the other hand, man-made laws suffer from the
impurities of human bias and other imperfections. Thus any formal
law can only be truly just when it is purified by divine guidance - as
elucidated by the Qur'an and the Sunnah - or if it is divinely
ordained to begin with - the Shari'ah.

Muslims Contribution to Science


Astronomy : Muslims have always had a special interest in
astronomy. The moon and the sun are of vital importance in the
daily life of every Muslim. By the moon, Muslims determine the
beginning and the end of the months in their lunar calendar. By the
sun the Muslims calculate the times for prayer and fasting. It is also
by means of astronomy that Muslims can determine the precise
direction of the Qiblah, to face the Ka'bah in Makkah, during prayer.
The most precise solar calendar, superior to the Julian, is the Jilali,
devised under the supervision of Umar Khayyam. The Qur'an
contains many references to astronomy.

"The heavens and the earth were ordered rightly, and were made
subservient to man, including the sun, the moon, the stars, and day
and night. Every heavenly body moves in an orbit assigned to it by
God and never digresses, making the universe an orderly cosmos
whose life and existence, diminution and expansion, are totally
determined by the Creator." [Qur'an 30:22]

These references, and the injunctions to learn, inspired the early


Muslim scholars to study the heavens. They integrated the earlier
works of the Indians, Persians and Greeks into a new synthesis.
Ptolemy's Almagest (the title as we know it is Arabic) was
translated, studied and criticized. Many new stars were discovered,
as we see in their Arabic names - Algol, Deneb, Betelgeuse, Rigel,
Aldebaran. Astronomical tables were compiled, among them the
Toledan tables, which were used by Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 180
Kepler. Also compiled were almanacs - another Arabic term. Other
terms from Arabic are zenith, nadir, albedo, and azimuth.

Muslim astronomers were the first to establish observatories, like


the one built at Mugharah by Hulagu, the son of Genghis Khan, in
Persia, and they invented instruments such as the quadrant and
astrolabe, which led to advances not only in astronomy but in
oceanic navigation, contributing to the European age of exploration.

Geography: Muslim scholars paid great attention to geography. In


fact, the Muslims' great concern for geography originated with their
religion. The Qur'an encourages people to travel throughout the
earth to see God's signs and patterns everywhere. Islam also requires
each Muslim to have at least enough knowledge of geography to
know the direction of the Qiblah (the position of the Ka'bah in
Makkah) in order to pray five times a day. Muslims were also used
to taking long journeys to conduct trade as well as to make the Hajj
and spread their religion. The far-flung Islamic empire enabled
scholar-explorers to compile large amounts of geographical and
climatic information from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Among the most famous names in the field of geography, even in


the West, are Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Batuta, renowned for their
written accounts of their extensive explorations. In 1166, Al-Idrisi
the well-known Muslim scholar who served the Sicilian court,
produced very accurate maps, including a world map with all the
continents and their mountains, rivers and famous cities. Al-
Muqdishi was the first geographer to produce accurate maps in
color. It was, moreover, with the help of Muslim navigators and
their inventions that Magellan was able to traverse the Cape of
Good Hope and Da-Gama and Columbus had Muslim navigators on
board their ships.

Humanity: Seeking knowledge is obligatory in Islam for every


Muslim, man and woman. The main sources of Islam, the Qur'an
and the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad's traditions), encourage
Muslims to seek knowledge and be scholars, since this is the best
way for people to know Allah (God), to appreciate His wondrous
creations and be thankful for them. Muslims were therefore eager to
seek knowledge, both religious and secular, and within a few years
Introducing Islam Part I & II 181
of Muhammad's mission, a great civilization sprang up and
flourished. The outcome is shown in the spread of Islamic
universities; Al-Zaytunah in Tunis and Al-Azhar in Cairo go back
more than 1,000 years and are the oldest existing universities in the
world. Indeed, they were the models for the first European
universities, such as Bologna, Heidelberg, and the Sorbonne. Even
the familiar academic cap and gown originated at Al-Azhar
University.

Muslims made great advances in many different fields, such as


geography, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine,
pharmacology, architecture, linguistics and astronomy. Algebra and
the Arabic numerals were introduced to the world by Muslim
scholars. The astrolabe, the quadrant, and other navigational devices
and maps were developed by Muslim scholars and played an
important role in world progress, most notably in Europe's age of
exploration.

Muslim scholars studied the ancient civilizations from Greece and


Rome to China and India. The works of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid
and others were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars and
scientists then added their own creative ideas, discoveries and
inventions, and finally transmitted this new knowledge to Europe,
leading directly to the Renaissance. Many scientific and medical
treatises, having been translated into Latin, were standard text and
reference books as late as the 17th and 18th centuries.

Mathematics: It is interesting to note that Islam so strongly urges


mankind to study and explore the universe. For example, the Holy
Qur'an states:
"We (Allah) will show you (mankind) Our signs/patterns in the
horizons/universe and in yourselves until you are convinced that the
revelation is the truth." [Qur'an, 14:53]

This invitation to explore and search made Muslims interested in


astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and the other sciences, and they
had a very clear and firm understanding of the correspondences
among geometry, mathematics, and astronomy.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 182
The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word "cipher"
comes from Arabic sifr), and they organized the numbers into the
decimal system - base 10. Additionally, they invented the symbol to
express an unknown quantity, i.e. variables like x.

The first great Muslim mathematician, Al-Khawarizmi, invented the


subject of algebra (al-Jabr), which was further developed by others,
most notably Umar Khayyam. Al-Khawarizmi's work, in Latin
translation, brought the Arabic numerals along with the mathematics
to Europe, through Spain. The word "algorithm" is derived from his
name.

Muslim mathematicians excelled also in geometry, as can be seen in


their graphic arts, and it was the great Al-Biruni (who excelled also
in the fields of natural history, even geology and mineralogy) who
established trigonometry as a distinct branch of mathematics. Other
Muslim mathematicians made significant progress in number theory.

Medicine: In Islam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it


is created by Almighty Allah (God). How it functions, how to keep
it clean and safe, how to prevent diseases from attacking it or cure
those diseases, have been important issues for Muslims.

Prophet Muhammad himself urged people to "take medicines for


your diseases", as people at that time were reluctant to do so. He
also said: "God created no illness, but established for it a cure,
except for old age. When the antidote is applied, the patient will
recover with the permission of God."

This was strong motivation to encourage Muslim scientists to


explore, develop, and apply empirical laws. Much attention was
given to medicine and public health care. The first hospital was built
in Baghdad in 706 AC. The Muslims also used camel caravans as
mobile hospitals, which moved from place to place.

Since the religion did not forbid it, Muslim scholars used human
cadavers to study anatomy and physiology and to help their students
understand how the body functions. This empirical study enabled
surgery to develop very quickly.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 183
Al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, the famous physician and
scientist, (d. 932) was one of the greatest physicians in the world in
the Middle Ages. He stressed empirical observation and clinical
medicine and was unrivaled as a diagnostician. He also wrote a
treatise on hygiene in hospitals. Khalaf Abul-Qasim Al-Zahrawi was
a very famous surgeon in the eleventh century, known in Europe for
his work, Concessio (Kitab al-Tasrif).

Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as Avicenna, was
perhaps the greatest physician until the modern era. His famous
book, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, remained a standard textbook even in
Europe, for over 700 years. Ibn Sina's work is still studied and built
upon in the East.

Other significant contributions were made in pharmacology, such as


Ibn Sina's Kitab al-Shifa' (Book of Healing), and in public health.
Every major city in the Islamic world had a number of excellent
hospitals, some of them teaching hospitals, and many of them were
specialized for particular diseases, including mental and emotional.
The Ottomans were particularly noted for their building of hospitals
and for the high level of hygiene practiced in them.

Definition: The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and


submission to God. This submission requires a fully conscious and
willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must
consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah.
This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the
Qur'an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh)
encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings
personifying the Qur'an).

Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit


totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we
will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts
will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.

Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip


service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be
practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice
the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness
Introducing Islam Part I & II 184
of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting
the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah;
and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy
Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God's
decree, whether for good or ill.

There are other injunctions and commandments which concern


virtually all facets of one's personal, family and civic life. These
include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygiene,
interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards
parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance,
civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with
non-Muslims, and so much more.

Human Rights
Islam has been from its inception very concerned with issues of
human rights. Privacy, freedom, dignity and equality are guaranteed
in Islam. The holy Qur'an states clearly:
"There is no compulsion in religion."

And there are no reliable reports to confirm the old accusations that
when the Muslim armies were expanding into Asia, Africa and
Europe the people were put to the sword if they failed to convert to
Islam. The best proof is that not only did the Christians, Jews,
Zoroastrians and Hindus in those areas not perish or otherwise
disappear, they actually flourished as protected minority
communities, and many individuals rose to prominent positions in
the arts, sciences, even in government.

The lives, property and privacy of all citizens in an Islamic state are
considered sacred, whether or not the person is Muslim. Non-
Muslims have freedom of worship and the practice of their
religions, including their own family law and religious courts. They
are obliged to pay a different tax (Jizyah) instead of the Zakah, and
the state is obligated to provide both protection and government
services. Before the modern era it was extremely rare to find a state
or government anywhere in the world that was as solicitous of its
minorities and their civil rights as the Islamic states.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 185
In no other religion did women receive such a degree of legal and
moral equality and personal respect. Moreover, racism and tribalism
are incompatible with Islam, for the Qur'an speaks of human
equality in the following terms:
"Mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and
made you into nations and tribes, that you may come to know one
another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest
of you in piety."

Jesus
Islam honors all the prophets who were sent to mankind. Muslims
respect all prophets in general, but Jesus in particular, because he
was one of the prophets who foretold the coming of Muhammad.
Muslims, too, await the second coming of Jesus. They consider him
one of the greatest of Allah's prophets to mankind. A Muslim does
not refer to him simply as "Jesus," but normally adds the phrase
"peace be upon him" as a sign of respect.

No other religion in the world respects and dignifies Jesus as Islam


does. The Qur'an confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Qur'an is
entitled "Mary"), and Mary is considered to have been one of the
purest women in all creation. The Qur'an describes Jesus' birth as
follows:

"Behold!' the Angel said, God has chosen you, and purified you, and
chosen you above the women of all nations. Mary, God gives you
good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah,
Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and in the Hereafter, and
one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from
his cradle and in maturity, and he shall be of the righteous. She said:
"My Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?'
He said: "Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a
thing, He says to it, 'Be!' and it is." [3:42-47]

Muslims believe that Jesus was born immaculately, and through the
same power which had brought Eve to life and Adam into being
without a father or a mother.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 186
"Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam.
He created him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was."
[3:59]

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. The


Qur'an tells us that he said:
"I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out
of clay, as it was, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it
becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers,
and I raise the dead by God's leave." [3:49]

Muhammad and Jesus, as well as the other prophets, were sent to


confirm the belief in one God. This is referred to in the Qur'an
where Jesus is reported as saying that he came:
"To attest the law which was before me, and to make lawful to you
part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign
from your Lord, so fear God and obey me." [3:50]

Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of Jesus by saying:


"Whoever believes there is no god but Allah, alone without partner,
that Muhammad is His messenger, that Jesus is a servant and
messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit
emanating from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be
received by God into Heaven." [Bukhari]

Knowledge
Islam urges people to read and learn on every occasion. The verses
of the Qur'an command, advice, warn, and encourage people to
observe the phenomena of nature, the succession of day and night,
the movements of stars, the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies.
Muslims are urged to look into everything in the universe, to travel,
investigate, explore and understand them, the better to appreciate
and be thankful for all the wonders and beauty of God's creations.
The first revelation to Muhammad showed how much Islam cares
about knowledge.
"Read, in the name of your Lord, Who created..." [96:1]
Learning is obligatory for both men and women. Moreover,
education is not restricted to religious issues; it includes all fields of
knowledge, including biology, physics, and technology. Scholars
Introducing Islam Part I & II 187
have the highest status in Islam, second only to that accorded to
prophets.

Almost from the very beginnings of the Islamic state Muslims


began to study and to master a number of fields of so-called secular
learning, beginning with linguistics and architecture, but very
quickly extending to mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography,
medicine, chemistry and philosophy. They translated and
synthesized the known works of the ancient world, from Greece,
Persia, India, even China. Before long they were criticizing,
improving and expanding on that knowledge. Centuries before the
European Renaissance there were Muslim ³Rennaissance² men, men
who were simultaneously explorers, scientists, philosophers,
physicians and poets, like Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Umar Khayyam, and
others.

Main Pillars
Shahadah
The first pillar of Islam is that a Muslim believes and declares his
faith by saying the Shahadah (lit. 'witness'), also known as the
Kalimah:

La ilaha ila Allah; Muhammadur-rasul Allah. 'There is no god but


Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'

This declaration contains two parts. The first part refers to God
Almighty, the Creator of everything, the Lord of the Worlds; the
second part refers to the Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh) a prophet
and a human being, who received the revelation through the
Archangel Gabriel, and taught it to mankind.

By sincerely uttering the Shahadah the Muslim acknowledges Allah


as the sole Creator of all, and the Supreme Authority over
everything and everyone in the universe. Consequently the Muslim
closes his/her heart and mind to loyalty, devotion and obedience to,
trust in, reliance on, and worship of anything or anyone other than
Allah. This rejection is not confined merely to pagan gods and
goddesses of wood and stone and created by human hands and
imaginations; this rejection must extend to all other conceptions,
superstitions, ideologies, ways of life, and authority figures that
Introducing Islam Part I & II 188
claim supreme devotion, loyalty, trust, love, obedience or worship.
This entails, for example, the rejection of belief in such common
things as astrology, palm reading, good luck charms, fortune-telling
and psychic readings, in addition to praying at shrines or graves of
"saints", asking the dead souls to intercede for them with Allah.
There are no intercessors in Islam, nor any class of clergy as such; a
Muslim prays directly and exclusively to Allah.

Belief in the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh) entails belief in the


guidance brought by him and contained in his Sunnah (traditions of
his sayings and actions), and demands of the Muslim the intention
to follow his guidance faithfully. Muhammad (pbuh) was also a
human being, a man with feelings and emotions, who ate, drank and
slept, and was born and died, like other men. He had a pure and
upright nature, extraordinary righteousness, and an unwavering faith
in Allah and commitment to Islam, but he was not divine. Muslims
do not pray to him, not even as an intercessor and Muslims abhor
the terms "Mohamedan" and "Mohamedanism".

Salah (Prayer)
Prayer (Salah), in the sense of worship, is the second pillar of Islam.
Prayer is obligatory and must be performed five times a day. These
five times are dawn (Fajr), immediately after noon (Dhuhr), mid-
afternoon ('Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and early night (Isha'). Ritual
cleanliness and ablution are required before prayer, as are clean
clothes and location, and the removal of shoes. One may pray
individually or communally, at home, outside, virtually any clean
place, as well as in a mosque, though the latter is preferred. Special
is the Friday noon prayer, called Jum'ah. It, too, is obligatory and is
to be done in a mosque, in congregation. It is accompanied by a
sermon (Khutbah), and it replaces the normal Dhuhr prayer.

There is no hierarchical clerical authority in Islam, no priests or


ministers. Prayers are led by any learned person who knows the
Qur'an and is chosen by the congregation. He (or she, if the
congregation is all women) is called the imam. There is also no
minimum number of congregates required to hold communal
prayers. Prayer consists of verses from the Qur'an and other prayers,
accompanied by various bodily postures - standing, bowing,
prostrating and sitting. They are said in Arabic, the language of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 189
revelation, though personal supplications (Du'ah) can be offered in
one's own language. Worshippers face the Qiblah, the direction of
the Ka'bah in the city of Makkah.

The significance of prayer lies in one's maintaining a continuous


link to God five times a day, which helps the worshipper avoid
misdeeds if he/she performs the prayers sincerely. In addition it
promotes discipline, God-consciousness and placing one's trust in
Allah alone, and the importance of striving for the Hereafter. When
performed in congregation it also provides a strong sense of
community, equality and brotherhood/sisterhood.

Sawm (Fasting)
The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting. Allah prescribes daily fasting
for all able, adult Muslims during the whole of the month of
Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar, beginning with the
sighting of the new moon. Exempted from the fast are the very old
and the insane. On the physical side, fasting is from first light of
dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual
relations. On the moral, behavioral side, one must abstain from
lying, malicious gossip, quarreling and trivial nonsense.

Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are
menstruating, pregnant, or nursing are permitted to break the fast,
but must make up an equal number of days later in the year. If
physically unable to do so, they must feed a needy person for each
day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayers) from
puberty, although many start earlier.

Although fasting is beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally


as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly
pleasures and comforts, even for a short time, the fasting person
gains true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly, and achieve
growth in his spiritual life, learning discipline, self-restraint,
patience and flexibility.

In addition to the fast proper, one is encouraged to read the entire


Qur'an. In addition, special prayers, called Tarawih, are held in the
mosque every night of the month, during which a whole section of
the Qur'an (Juz') is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire
Introducing Islam Part I & II 190
Qur'an has been completed. These are done in remembrance of the
fact that the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
was begun during Ramadan.

During the last ten days - though the exact day is never known and
may not even be the same every year - occurs the Night of Power
(Laylat-ul-Qadr). To spend that night in worship is equivalent to a
thousand months of worship, i.e. Allah's reward for it is very great.

On the first day of the following month, after another new moon has
been sighted, a special celebration is made, called E'id-ul-Fitr. A
quantity of staple food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-Fitr),
everyone has bathed and put on their best, preferably new, clothes,
and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by
feasting and visiting relatives and friends.

There are other fast days throughout the year. Muslims are
encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following
Ramadan, Mondays and Thursdays, and the ninth and tenth, or tenth
and eleventh of Muharram, the first month of the year. The tenth
day, called Ashurah, is also a fast day for the Jews (Yom Kippur),
and Allah commanded the Muslims to fast two days to distinguish
themselves from the People of the Book.

While fasting per se is encouraged, constant fasting, as well as


monasticism, celibacy, and otherwise retreating from the real world,
are condemned in Islam. Fasting on the two festival days, 'Id al-Fitr
and E'id-ul-Adha, the feast of the Hajj, is strictly forbidden.

Zakah
The third pillar of Islam is the alms-tax (Zakah). It is a tax on
wealth, payable on various categories of property, notably savings
and investments, produce, inventory of goods, salable crops and
cattle, and precious metals, and is to be used for the various
categories of distribution specified by Islamic law. It is also an act
of purification through sharing what one has with others.
The rationale behind this is that Muslims believe that everything
belongs to God, and wealth is held by man as a trust. This trust must
be discharged, moreover, as instructed by God, as that portion of our
wealth legally belongs to other people and must be given to them. If
Introducing Islam Part I & II 191
we refuse and hoard this wealth, it is considered impure and
unclean. If, for example one were to use that wealth for charity or to
finance one's pilgrimage to Makkah, those acts would also be
impure, invalid, and of course unrewarded. Allah says:
"Of their wealth, take alms so you may purify and sanctify them."
[9:103]

The word Zakah means purification and growth. Our possessions


are purified by setting aside that portion of it for those in need. Each
Muslim calculates his or her own Zakah individually.

For most purposes this involves the payment each year of 2.5% of
one's capital, provided that this capital reaches a certain minimum
amount that which is not consumed by its owner. A generous person
can pay more than this amount, though it is treated and rewarded as
voluntary charity (Sadaqah). This amount of money is provided to
bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and can be used in
many useful projects for the welfare of the community.

Historically the pillar of Zakah became mandatory on Muslims form


the second year after the Hijrah, 622 C.E. It is mentioned more than
thirty times in the Qur'an, usually in the same breath as Salah. So
important is this pillar that one is not considered a part of the
Islamic brotherhood if one ignores this obligation.

Hajj
The fifth pillar of Islam is to make a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah,
in Saudi Arabia, at least once in one's lifetime. This pillar is
obligatory for every Muslim, male or female, provided that he/she is
physically and financially able to do so. Prerequisites for
performing the Hajj are to be a Muslim, to be free, to be an adult or
mature enough, to be of sound mind, and to have the ability to
afford the journey and maintain one's dependents back home for the
duration. The reward for the Hajj is nothing less than Paradise.

The Hajj is the ultimate form of worship, as it involves the spirit of


all the other rituals and demands of the believer great sacrifice. On
this unique occasion, nearly two million Muslims from all over the
globe meet one another in a given year. Regardless of the season,
pilgrims wear special clothes (Ihram) - two, very simple, unseen
Introducing Islam Part I & II 192
white garments - which strips away all distinctions of wealth, status,
class and culture; all stand together and equal before Allah (God).

The rites of Hajj, which go back to the time of Prophet Abraham


who built the Ka'bah, are observed over five or six days, beginning
on the eighth day of the last month of the year, named Dhul-Hijjah
(pilgrimage). These rites include circumambulating the Ka'bah
(Tawwaf), and going between the mountains of Safa and Marwah,
as Hajjar (Abraham's wife) did during her search for water for her
son Ishmael. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of
Arafah and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is often
thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment. The pilgrims also cast
stones at a stone pillar which represents Satan. The pilgrimage ends
with a festival, called E'id ul-Adha, which is celebrated with
prayers, the sacrifice of an animal, and the exchange of greetings
and gifts in Muslim communities everywhere.

Muhammad (Peace be Upon him)


Muhammad (pbuh) was an illiterate but wise and well-respected
man who was born in Makkah in the year 570 C.E., at a time when
Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. His first years
were marked by the deaths of his parents. Since his father died
before his birth, his uncle, Abu Talib, from the respected tribe of
Quraysh, raised him. As Muhammad (pbuh) grew up, he became
known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was
sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. His reputation and
personal qualities also led to his marriage, at the age of twenty-five,
to Khadijah, a widow whom he had assisted in business.
Thenceforth, he became an important and trusted citizen of Makkah.
Historians describe him as calm and meditative.

Muhammad (pbuh) never felt fully content to be part of a society


whose values he considered to be devoid of true religious
significance. It became his habit to retreat from time to time to the
cave of Hira', to meditate near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the
"Mountain of Light", near Makkah.
At the age of 40, while engaged in one such meditative retreat,
Muhammad (pbuh) received his first revelation from God through
the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three
Introducing Islam Part I & II 193
years, is known as the Qur'an, the faithful recording of the entire
revelation of God. The first revelation read:
"Recite: In the name of your Lord Who created man from a clot (of
blood). Recite: Your Lord is Most Noble, Who taught by the pen,
taught man what he did not know." [96:1-5]

It was this reality that he gradually and steadily came to learn and
believe, until he fully realized that it is the truth.

His first convert was Khadijah, whose support and companionship


provided necessary reassurance and strength. He also won the
support of some of his relatives and friends. Three basic themes of
the early message were the majesty of the one, unique God, the
futility of idol worship, the threat of judgment, and the necessity of
faith, compassion and morality in human affairs. All these themes
represented an attack on the crass materialism and idolatry prevalent
in Makkah at the time. So when he began to proclaim the message
to others the Makkans rejected him. He and his small group of
followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in
the year 622 C.E., God gave them the command to emigrate. This
event, the Hijrah (migration), in which they left Makkah for the city
of Madinah, some 260 miles to the north, marked the beginning of a
new era and thus the beginning of the Muslim calendar. During his
suffering, Muhammad (pbuh) drew comfort from the knowledge
revealed to him about other prophets, such as Abraham, Joseph, and
Moses, each of whom had also been persecuted and tested.

After several years and some significant battles, the Prophet and his
followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their
enemies and established Islam definitively. By the time the Prophet
died, at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia had accepted Islam,
and within a century of his death, Islam had spread as far west as
Spain and as far east as China. It was clear that the message was not
limited to Arabs; it was for the whole of humanity.

The Prophet's sayings (Hadith), are also believed to be revelation.


The number of sayings collected by his followers and scholars is
about 10,000. Some typical examples of his sayings are as follows:
"To pursue knowledge is obligatory on every believing (man and
woman)." [Ibn Majah]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 194
"Removing a harmful thing from the road is charity." [Bukhari,
Muslim]

"Those who do not show tenderness and love cannot expect to have
tenderness shown to them."
[Bukhari]
"Adore Allah (God) as though you see Him; even if you do not see
Him, He nonetheless sees you." {Bukhari, Muslim]

Although Muhammad is deeply loved, revered and emulated by


Muslims as God's final messenger, he is not an object of worship.

Women
At a time when the rest of the world, from Greece and Rome to
India and China, considered women as no better than children or
even slaves, with no rights whatsoever, Islam acknowledged
women's equality with men in a great many respects. The Qur'an
states:
"And among His signs is this: that He created mates for you form
yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He
ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs
for people who reflect." [30:21]

Prophet Muhammad said:


"The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in
manners and kindest to his wife." [Abu Dawud]

Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same
soul. Both were equally guilty of their sin and fall from grace, and
both were forgiven by Allah. Many women in Islam have had high
status; consider the fact that the first person to convert to Islam was
Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, whom he both loved and
respected. His favorite wife after Khadijah's death, Aeisha, became
renowned as a scholar and one of the greatest sources of Hadith
literature. Many of the female Companions accomplished great
deeds and achieved fame, and throughout Islamic history there have
been famous and influential scholars, jurists and mystics.

With regard to education, both women and men have the same
rights and obligations. This is clear in Prophet Muhammad's saying:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 195
"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer." [Ibn Majah]

This implies men and women.


A woman is to be treated as God has endowed her, with rights, such
as to be treated as an individual, with the right to own and dispose
of her own property and earnings, enter into contracts, even after
marriage. She has the right to be educated and to work outside the
home if she so chooses. She has the right to inherit from her father,
mother, and husband. A very interesting point to note is that in
Islam, unlike any other religion, a woman can be an imam, a leader
of communal prayer, for a group of women.

A Muslim woman also has obligations. All the laws and regulations
pertaining to prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, doing good deeds,
etc., apply to women, albeit with minor differences having mainly to
do with female physiology.

Before marriage, a woman has the right to choose her husband.


Islamic law is very strict regarding the necessity of having the
woman's consent for marriage. A marriage dowry (money) is given
by the groom to the bride for her own personal use. She keeps her
own family name, rather than taking her husband's. As a wife, a
woman has the right to be supported by her husband even if she is
already rich. She also has the right to seek divorce and custody of
young children. She does not return the dowry, except in a few
unusual situations.

Despite the fact that in many places and times Muslim communities
have not always adhered to all or even many of the foregoing in
practice, the ideal has been there for 1400 years, while virtually all
other major civilizations did not begin to address these issues or
change their negative attitudes until the 19th and 20th centuries, and
there are still many contemporary civilizations which have yet to do
so.

Other Religions
Islam is the religion of all prophets. Muslims believe that all the
prophets were sent to their respective peoples from God (Allah).
They all had the same mission and message - guiding people to the
right path.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 196

The three revealed, monotheistic religions, Islam, Christianity, and


Judaism, go back to Abraham. The prophets of these religions were
directly descended from him - Moses, Jesus and others from Isaac,
but Muhammad from Ishmael. It was Prophet Abraham who had
established the settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and
with his son Ishmael built the Ka’bah, which Muslims all over the
world face when they pray.

Christians and Jews hold a special place in Islam. They are called
the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab), since the original Torah and
Gospel were also divinely revealed and they shared in the prophetic
tradition. Islamic states have nearly always shown their religious
minorities tolerance and respect and those communities flourished
under Islamic rule. God says:
"[T]hose who believe (in the message of Islam), and the Jews, the
Sabaeans, and the Christians - all those who believe in Allah and the
Last Day, and act righteously - no fear shall come upon them..."
[5:69]

Setting up the Islamic state in Medina, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


further warned:
"Whoever oppresses any Dhimmi (non-Muslim citizen of the
Islamic state), I shall be his prosecutor on the Day of Judgment."

In setting up the Islamic state, Prophet Muhammad made it


inclusive of the Arabian Jews and Christians. Their persons,
properties, churches and synagogues were protected, freedom of
worship was guaranteed, and they controlled their own community
affairs with their own civil and religious laws and courts. For most
of the first century of the Islamic state, in fact, the majority of the
citizens were Christians, enjoying peace and liberty such as they had
not had even under Christian Rome or Byzantium.

The Jews, from the very beginning in Medina, and later everywhere
else, were lifted from the burden of being clients of individual Arab
tribes to being citizens of the state, thus freeing them to focus on
their Jewish ness. When the Islamic state expanded outside Arabia
the Jews of other lands were treated for the first time as liberated
citizens. Judaism flourished as never before, with Jews even serving
Introducing Islam Part I & II 197
in Muslim armies and administrations while their culture bloomed
in the arts, sciences, medicine and philosophy. This knowledge they
transmitted to their brethren in the hostile climate of Christian
Europe. Even Jewish mysticism originated under the influence of
Sufism and spread to northern Europe.

When Islam reached Persia the concept of People of the Book was
extended to the Zoroastrians as well. Later, when the Muslims
conquered parts of India and encountered Buddhists and Hindus,
who appeared to worship idols, the question was referred to the
ulema (council of scholars), who judged that even they could have
the same protected status as the Jews and Christians, so long as they
did not fight Islam and they paid the Jizyah tax.

Peace
"Peace" is the most common word on a Muslim's tongue. Whenever
two people meet, they exchange greetings, wishing each other
peace: "Peace be upon you." But peace cannot prevail except
through justice. Since the concept of justice may differ from one
man to another or from one society to another, Muslims believe that
real justice is that which is specified by Allah (God).
Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of the religion, or
by those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. At the
same time, Islam requires one to treat one's enemy mercifully. It
lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against
harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees, and livestock.
Islam also requires that if an enemy declares his desire to end
hostilities and seek peace, the Muslims must do the same.

The concept of Jihad (struggling in the cause of Allah) is stated in


the Qur'an. Allah said:
"Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not
transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." [2:19]

Jihad is never to be waged to force anybody to choose a particular


religion. On the contrary, it is to waged to protect his right to choose
freely. Therefore, if there is a force in the world that tries to prevent
a person from practicing this right, Jihad may lead to fighting the
force that is trying to prevent him from exercising free will.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 198
Relevance
Since Islam is the last religion revealed by Allah, it possesses some
elements that make it unique. One of these is its relevance for
human beings regardless of place and time.

This means that Islam - submission to God - is a comprehensive


institution which includes all the guidelines necessary for all aspects
of life. Therefore, the best way to understand Islam is to look at it as
more than a religion - as a complete way of life. In other words, it is
a system which regulates every aspect of life, dealing with all issues
- social, economic, educational, judicial, health, and even military.
Thus, it is suitable for all human beings and for all times, since it is
the final religion. Islamic law aims to achieve five goals for human
beings in life: protecting the religion, protecting one's self,
protecting one's possessions, protecting one's mind, and protecting
one's offspring.

Therefore, God (Allah) decided on two main domains of law:


If the domain always requires change and progress, Allah legislate
comprehensive yet flexible rules and gave people the chance to
create and develop the necessary laws to satisfy the specific needs
of a certain period of time. For example, in the rule of consultation
(Shura), Allah decided that it should be the general rule for any
government; however, its form and style are left open for people to
choose and decide according to their needs.

If the domain does not require or lend itself to change or progress,


Allah legislated fixed and detailed laws that govern all issues related
to a specific area. Thus, there is no way for man to change or
develop those laws, which were made for the welfare of all
mankind. For example, the area of worshipping God contains fixed
details which cannot be changed at all. These regard prayer, fasting,
making pilgrimage, etc. Another example is in family matters, such
as the laws of marriage, divorce, and inheritance.

To show how Islam cares for the environment, one can cite the
many laws that protect the environment. About fourteen hundred
years ago. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
"The world is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you as
His stewards over it. He sees how you acquit yourselves."
Introducing Islam Part I & II 199

Muhammad showed how important plants and trees are by saying:


"Whoever plants a tree and looks after it with care until it matures
and becomes productive will be rewarded in the Hereafter."

Even in the territory of an enemy, Islam's care for plants, animals,


and trees is profound. Hadrat Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, or
successor, to Muhammad (pbuh), instructed his troops that he was
sending into battle not to cut down any trees or kill any animals
except for food.
These are but a few examples of how Islam remains relevant in the
modern world.

Sources
The ultimate manifestation of God's grace for man, the ultimate
wisdom, and the ultimate beauty of expression: in short, the word of
God.² This is how the German scholar, Muhammad Asad, once
described the Qur'an. If one were to ask any Muslim to depict it,
most likely they would offer similar words. The Qur'an, to the
Muslim, is the irrefutable, inimitable Word of God. It was revealed
by God Almighty, through the instrument of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) himself had no role in authoring the
Qur'an, he was merely a human secretary, repeating the dictates of
the Divine Creator:
"He (Muhammad) does not speak of his own desire. It is no less
than an Inspiration sent down to him." [53:3-4]

The Qur'an was revealed in Arabic, to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),


over a period of twenty-three years. It is composed in a style so
unique, that it cannot be deemed either poetry or prose, but
somehow a mixture of both. The Qur'an is imitable; it cannot be
simulated or copied, and God Almighty challenges mankind to
pursue such an endeavor if he thinks he can:
"Or do they say he forged it? Say: Bring then a chapter likes unto it,
and calls (to your aid) anyone you can, beside God, if it be you
speak the truth." [10:38].

The Qur'an's language is indeed sublime, its recitation moving, as


one non-Muslim scholar noted, it was like ³the cadence of my
Introducing Islam Part I & II 200
heartbeat². Due to its unique style of language, the Qur'an is not
only highly readable, but also relatively easy to remember. This
latter aspect has played an important role not only in the Qur'an's
preservation, but in the spiritual life of Muslims as well. God
Himself declares.

"And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and


remember; then is there anyone that will receive admonition?"
[54:17]

One of the most important characteristics of the Qur'an is that it


remains today, the only holy book which has never changed; it has
remained free from any and all adulterations. Sir William Muir
noted, "There is probably in the world no other book which has
remained (fourteen) centuries with so pure a text." The Qur'an was
written down during the lifetime and under the supervision of the
Prophet, who himself was illiterate, and it was canonized shortly
after his death by a rigorous method which scrutinized both written
and oral traditions. Thus its authenticity is unblemished, and is its
preservation is seen as the fulfillment of God's promise:
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message, and We will
assuredly guard it from corruption." [15:9]

The Qur'an is a book which provides the human being the spiritual
and intellectual nourishment he/she craves. Its major themes include
the oneness of God, the purpose of human existence, faith and God-
consciousness, the Hereafter and its significance. The Qur'an also
lays a heavy emphasis upon reason and understanding. In these
spheres of human understanding, the Qur'an goes beyond just
satisfying the human intellect; it causes one to reflect on
implications. There are Qur'anic challenges and prophecies. One of
the most exciting fields in recent years has been the discovery that,
of the significant amount of scientific information in the Qur'an,
including the event of the Big Bang, embryological data, and other
information concerning astronomy biology, etc., there is not a single
statement that has not been borne out by modern discoveries In
short, the Qur'an fulfills the heart, the soul, and the mind.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 201
Perhaps the best description of the Qur'an was given by Ali, the
cousin of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he expounded upon it
as,

The Book of God


In it is the record of what was before you, the judgment of what is
among you, and the prophecies of what will come after you. It is
decisive, not a case for levity. Whoever is a tyrant and ignores the
Qur'an will be destroyed by God. Whoever seeks guidance from
other than it will be misguided. The Qur'an is the unbreakable bond
of connection with God; it is the remembrance full of wisdom and
the straight path. The Qur'an does not become distorted by tongues.
nor can it be deviated by caprices; it never dulls from repeated
study; scholars will always want more of it. The wonders of the
Qur'an are never ending. Whoever speaks from it will speak the
truth, whoever rules with it will be just, and whoever holds fast to it
will be guided to the straight path." [Al-Tirmidhi]

Sunnah
The term Sunnah comes from the root word Suannh, which means
to pave the way or make a path easily passable, such that it becomes
a commonly followed way by everyone afterwards. Thus Sunnah
can be used to describe a street or road or path on which people,
animals, and cars travel. Additionally, it can apply to a prophetic
way, i.e. the law that they brought and taught as an explanation or
further clarification of a divinely revealed book. Normally, the
prophetic way includes references to his sayings, actions, physical
features and character traits.

From the Islamic standpoint, Sunnah refers to anything narrated or


related about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), authentically traced to
him regarding his speech, actions, traits, and silent approvals, before
and after the revelation.

Each narration is composed of two parts: the isnad and the matn.
The isnad refers to a chain of people who narrated a particular
narration. The matn is the actual text of the narration. The isnad
must comprise upright and sincere individuals whose integrity is
unquestionable.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 202
The Speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
The speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) refers to his sayings. For
example, he said:
"Actions are judged by their intentions; everyone will be rewarded
according to his/her intention. So whoever migrates for the sake of
Allah and His Prophet then his migration will be noted as a
migration for the sake of Allah and His Prophet. Conversely, one
who migrates only to obtain something worldly or to marry a
woman, then his migration will be worth what he had intended".
[Bukhari]

The Prophet (pbuh) also said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the
Last Day should say something good or keep quiet."

The above two accounts clearly show that the Prophet (pbuh) spoke
these words. Consequently, these are known as his speech.

The Actions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


His actions pertain to anything he did, as authentically reported by
the Sahabah (Companions). For instance, Hudhayfah reported that
whenever the Prophet (pbuh) got up at night, he would clean his
teeth with a tooth-stick. Also A'ishah reported that the Prophet
(pbuh) loved to do everything starting with the right side - putting
on shoes, walking, cleaning himself, and in all his affairs generally.

The Silent Approvals of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


His silent approvals on different issues meant his not opposing or
minding what he saw, heard or knew of the actions or sayings of his
Companions. On one occasion, for example, the Prophet (pbuh)
learned of actions of some of his Companions from other
Companions. Soon after the battle of Khandaq, Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) gave the order to the Companions to move quickly to
surround the tribe of Banu Quraydah, encouraging them to hurry so
that perhaps they would pray 'Asr (the late afternoon prayer) there.
Some of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) responded
immediately and left without praying 'Asr. They arrived after sunset,
pitched camp and prayed 'Asr- after sunset. At the same time
another group of Companions formulated their judgment differently.
They thought that the Prophet (pbuh) was merely encouraging them
to hasten to their destination, rather than to delay 'Asr until after
Introducing Islam Part I & II 203
sunset. Consequently, they decided to stay in Madinah until they
had prayed 'Asr. Immediately thereafter, they hastened towards the
tribe of Banu Quraydhah. When the Prophet (pbuh) was told of how
each group responded differently to his announcement, he (pbuh)
affirmed both judgments.

Physical and Moral Traits of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


Everything authentically narrated concerning the Prophet's
complexion and the rest of his physical features is also included in
the definition of sunnah. Umm Ma'bad described what she saw of
the great Prophet (pbuh). She said:

"I saw a man, his face radiant with a bright glow, not too thin or too
fat, elegant and handsome. His eyes had a deep black hue with long
eyelashes. His voice was pleasant and his neck long. He had a thick
beard. His long black eyebrows were beautifully arched and
connected to each other. In silence, he remained dignified,
commanding utmost awe and respect. When he spoke, his speech
was brilliant. Of all people he was the most handsome and the most
pleasant, even when approaching from a distance. In person, he was
unique and most admirable. Graced with eloquent logic, his speech
was moderate. His logical arguments were well organized as though
they were a string of gems. He was not too tall or too short, but
exactly in between. Among three, he appeared the most radiant and
most vibrant. He had companions who affectionately honored him.
When he spoke, they listened to him attentively. When he gave
orders, they were quick to execute them. They rallied around him
guarding him. He never frowned or spoke frivolously." [Hakim]

Along with his physical features, his Companions also described his
habits and behavior with people. Once Anas reported:

"I served the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) for ten years. Never once did
he so much as express any bit of displeasure nor did he ever ask
'Why did you do it?' for something I did or 'Why didn't you do it?'
for something I didn't do."
Introducing Islam Part I & II 204
From the above we can clearly see that when the term sunnah
appears in a general context referring to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
it comprises anything narrated about the Prophet (pbuh) and
authentically traced to him. Once a Muslim learns of the
authenticity of any narration, he/she is obliged to follow and obey it
accordingly. Such obedience is mandated by Allah as He declares
"...and obey Allah and His Prophet and do not turn away when you
hear (him speak)." [8:20]

At times, some Muslims are perplexed when people say that sunnah
is something only recommended and is not mandatory. Thus they
conclude that we are only required to follow the Qur'an and not the
Sunnah. Such an argument results from a gross misunderstanding.
Scholars of Islamic jurisprudence use the term sunnah to denote
what is authentically established of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in
deeds which were not subsequently made mandatory by Allah.

They further hold that this includes any saying of Prophet


Muhammad (pbuh) where he encourages Muslims to do a particular
task and compliments those who imbibe such attributes. Thus to
them, the term sunnah denotes what is authentically established of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in deeds which he did voluntarily and
which were not subsequently made mandatory by Allah. They
further hold that this includes any saying of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) where he encourages Muslims to do a particular task and
compliments those who imbibe such attributes. Thus to them, the
term sunnah refers to what is "recommended" and is not mandatory
(fard or wajib).

From the above, we can clearly see that the term sunnah takes on
different meanings when used by different Islamic disciplines.

Tolerance
Freedom of belief is guaranteed in Islam. It should be very clear that
Islam tolerates not only other faiths but even its enemies. This is
stated clearly in the Qur'an:

"God forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for
(your) faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly
and justly with them, for God love those who are just." [60:8]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 205
It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of
minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have
flourished all over the Islamic world. Islamic law also permits non-
Muslim minorities to set up their own courts to implement family
laws drawn up by the minorities themselves and to govern their own
affairs.

History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other


faiths. When the great leader and second Caliph, Umar, entered
Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam guaranteed freedom of worship to
all religious communities in the city. In fact, so careful was Umar in
setting an example for his people that he not only went to a church
to pray, he prayed outside in the courtyard, lest his followers after
his death be tempted to convert the church into a mosque.

Islam teaches that the closest to Allah and the most beloved of Allah
are those who are the best in piety. Thus all people, male and
female, and regardless of race, color, nationality or ethnicity, are
considered and treated as equal before Allah and before the law.
This concept of tolerance did not reach the West even in theory until
the 18th century and in practice not until the 20th century.

Universality
In the Qur'an, Allah says:
"We have sent you (Muhammad) as a mercy for all nations."
[21:107]
Thus Islam is not restricted to any particular race or nation, as many
other religions are, but is universal, meaning that its message
applies to all humanity, at all times, in all places.

Since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the last prophet and


messenger, his message applies to all future generations. All
previous prophets, from Adam, Noah and Abraham to Moses and
Jesus, were also Muslims:
"Not a single messenger did We send before you without this
inspiration sent by Us to him that there is no god but I, therefore
worship and serve Me." [21:25]

Since the Qur'an is the final testament, with every word and every
letter unadulterated and unchanged, and protected by Allah from
Introducing Islam Part I & II 206
any change or tampering, it is the final revelation, and no other law
will ever supersede it.

It applies, moreover, to every aspect of one's daily life, including


personal, social, legal, economic, political, and even military.
Furthermore, Islam affects every part of the individual- physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual.

16.00.00: HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM


islamworld.net

If you do not know any Muslims and you are interested in becoming
a Muslim, then contact us or start a Live Chat.

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe. May peace and
blessings of Allah be upon Mohammad, His last messenger.

The purpose of this hand-out is to correct a false idea spread among


those willing to adopt Islam as their faith. Some people have a
wrong notion that entering into the Islamic fold requires an
announcement from the concerned person in the presence of high
ranking scholars or shaikhs or reporting this act to courts of justice
or other authorities. It is also thought that the act of accepting Islam,
should, as a condition, have a certificate issued by the authorities, as
evidence to that effect.

We wish to clarify that the whole matter is very easy and that none
of these conditions or obligations are required. For Allah, Almighty,
is above all comprehension and knows well the secrets of all hearts.
Nevertheless, those who are going to adopt Islam as their religion
are advised to register themselves as Muslims with the concerned
governmental agency, as this procedure may facilitate for them
many matters including the possibility of performing Hajj
(Pilgrimage) and Umrah.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction


and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for
all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada", the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 207
testimony of faith, without further delay. The Holy Qur'an is
explicit on this regard as Allah states:

"The Religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (Qur'an 3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Qur'an, Allah states:


"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah),
Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in
the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the hell
fire)."(Qur'an 3:85)

In addition, Islam is the only religion prevailing over all other


religions. Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:
"To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that
came before it, and guarding it in safety:..." (Qur'an 5:48)

Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah (Peace and blessing of Allah be


upon him), said:
"The superstructure of Islam is raised on five (pillars): testifying
that there is no God (none truly to be worshiped) but Allah, and that
Mohammad is the messenger of Allah, performing the prayer,
paying the Zakah (poor-due), fasting the month of Ramadan, and
performing Hajj".

The Shahada can be declared as follows:


"Ash-Hadu Anlaa-Elaha Illallaahu Wahdahu La-Shariikalahu Wa-
Ash-Hadu Anna Mohammadan A’bduhu Wa-Rasuluhu".
The English translation is:
"I bear witness that there is no deity (none truly to be worshipped)
other than Allah, Allah is the only one and there is no partner with
him. Also I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger and
servant of Allah".

However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to only utter this


testimony oraly either in private or in public; but rather, he should
believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable faith.
If one is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all
his life, he will find himself a new born person.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 208
This will move him to strive more and more to improve his
character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith
will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.

What would be next after declaring oneself a Muslim? One should


then know the real concept underlying this testimony which means
the Oneness of Allah and meet its requirements. One must behave
accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing one speaks or
does.

What do the words of the "Shahada" signify? The significant point


which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is
no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah. He - glory be to
Him - is the only true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped,
since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of
mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must
worship Allah, Who alone is worthy of worship.

The second part of the Shahada (i.e.Wa ash-hadu anna


Mohammadan rasul-Allah) means that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)
is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one must have two
opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the
commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe him in what he has
said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and
to worship Allah alone according to the message revealed to him,
for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and
inspirations conveyed to him by Allah.

What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere


service, showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning,
it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's
commandments both in utterances and actions of man whether
explicit or implicit.

Worship fall into two categories:


(a) Visible (manifest or outward):
Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the
"Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah (the poor-due),
recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by
praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 209
This type of worship is associated with movement of the parts of the
human body.

(b) Invisible (concealed or inward):


Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgment (in
the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Prophets
of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are
determined by Allah alone).
This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the
body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently
affects one's way of life.

It should be borne in mind that any worship not dedicated to Allah


alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism and this causes
apostasy from the Islamic fold.

The next step for a newly revert to Islam is to purify himself by


taking a complete bath. He should then resolve to comply with the
principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all
forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be
righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the
requisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illallah.

Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:


"... Whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most
trustworthy Hand-hold that never breaks..." (Qur'an 2:256).

We have to consider that when we declare from our heart that "there
is no god (deity) worthy to be worshipped but Allah", it implies on
our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic
legislations which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a
requirement of "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah"
to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah.

This is the firmest anchor of belief which materializes the meaning


of "AL WALA" and "AL BARA". It means that a Muslim should
love and be loyal to his Muslim brothers. He should, as a practice,
dissociate himself completely from the unbelievers and refuse to be
influenced by them, both in worldly and religious matters.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 210
We conclude with a humble prayer to Allah that may He cleanse the
hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may
He bless the community of believers. Aameen.

If you do not know any Muslims and you are interested in becoming
a Muslim, then contact us or start a Live Chat. islamworld.net

16.01.00:How to Convert to Islam


and Become a Muslim
The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God,
regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming
a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-
requisites. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in
the presence of others.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction


and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one
needs to do is pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith,
without further delay. The “Shahada” is the first and most important
of the five pillars of Islam.

With the pronunciation of this testimony, or “Shahada”, with sincere


belief and conviction, one enters the
fold of Islam.
Upon entering the fold of Islam
purely for the Pleasure of God, all
of one’s previous sins are forgiven,
and one starts a new life of piety
and righteousness. The Prophet said
to a person who had placed the
condition upon the Prophet in
accepting Islam that God would
forgive his sins:
“Do you not know that accepting
Islam destroys all sins which come
before it?” (Saheeh Muslim)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 211
When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and
beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins
committed before their acceptance. The person’s record is clean, and
it is as if he was just born from his mother’s womb. One should try
as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as
many good deeds as possible.

The Holy Quran and Hadeeth (prophetic sayings) both stress the
importance of following Islam. God states:
“...The only religion in the sight of God is Islam...” (Quran 3:19)
In another verse of the Holy Quran, God states:
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be
accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks of
those who have lost (their selves in the Hellfire).” (Quran 3:85)

In another saying, Muhammad, the Prophet of God, said:


“Whoever testifies that there in none worthy of being worshipped
but God, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and
Prophet, and that Jesus is the Slave of God, His Prophet, and His
word[1] which He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created from Him;
and that Paradise (Heaven) is true, and that the Hellfire is true, God
will eventually admit him into Paradise, according to his deeds.”
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet of God, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon
him, also reported:
“Indeed God has forbidden to reside eternally in Hell the person
who says: “I testify that none has the right to worship except Allah
(God),’ seeking thereby the Face of God.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The Declaration of the Testimony (Shahada)
To convert to Islam and become a Muslim a person needs to
pronounce the below testimony with conviction and understanding
its meaning:
I testify “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”
The translation of which is:
“I testify that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and that
Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet) of God.”

When someone pronounces the testimony with conviction, then


he/she has become a Muslim. It can be done alone, but it is much
better to be done with an adviser through the “Live Help” at top, so
Introducing Islam Part I & II 212
we may help you in pronouncing it right and to provide you with
important resources for new Muslims.

The first part of the testimony consists of the most important truth
that God revealed to mankind: that there is nothing divine or worthy
of being worshipped except for Almighty God. God states in the
Holy Quran:
“We did not send the Messenger before you without revealing to
him: ‘none has the right to be worshipped except I, therefore
worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)

This conveys that all forms of worship, whether it be praying,


fasting, invoking, seeking refuge in, and offering an animal as
sacrifice, must be directed to God and to God alone. Directing any
form of worship to other than God (whether it be an angel, a
messenger, Jesus, Muhammad, a saint, an idol, the sun, the moon, a
tree) is seen as a contradiction to the fundamental message of Islam,
and it is an unforgivable sin unless it is repented from before one
dies. All forms of worship must be directed to God only.

Worship means the performance of deeds and sayings that please


God, things which He commanded or encouraged to be performed,
either by direct textual proof or by analogy. Thus, worship is not
restricted to the implementation of the five pillars of Islam, but also
includes every aspect of life. Providing food for one’s family, and
saying something pleasant to cheer a person up are also considered
acts of worship, if such is done with the intention of pleasing God.
This means that, to be accepted, all acts of worship must be carried
out sincerely for the Sake of God alone.

The second part of the testimony means that Prophet Muhammad


is the servant and chosen messenger of God. This implies that one
obeys and follows the commands of the Prophet. One must believe
in what he has said, practice his teachings and avoid what he has
forbidden. One must therefore worship God only according to his
teaching alone, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact
revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by God.

One must try to mold their lives and character and emulate the
Prophet, as he was a living example for humans to follow. God says:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 213
“And indeed you are upon a high standard of moral character.”
(Quran 68:4)

God also said:


“And in deed you have a good and upright example in the
Messenger of God, for those who hope in the meeting of God and
the Hereafter, and mentions God much.” (Qur’an 33:21)
He was sent in order to practically implement the Qur’an, in his
saying, deeds, legislation as well as all other facets of life. Aisha,
the wife of the Prophet, when asked about the character of the
Prophet, replied:
“His character was that of the Qur’an.” (As-Suyooti)

To truly adhere to the second part of the Shahada is to follow his


example in all walks of life. God says:
“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love God, then
follow me.” (Qur’an 3:31)

It also means that Muhammad is the Final Prophet and Messenger


of God, and that no (true) Prophet can come after him.

“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you but he is the
Messenger of God and the last (end) of the Prophets and God is
Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Qur’an 33:40)

All who claim to be prophets or receive revelation after Muhammad


are imposters, and to acknowledge them would be tantamount to
disbelief.

We welcome you to Islam, congratulate you for your decision, and


will try to help you in any way we can.

Footnotes:
[1] God created him through His statement, “Be!”
Introducing Islam Part I & II 214

17.00.00: Rights of women in Islam


What are the women rights like under Islam?
How have they changed since Islam’s golden age
(from mid 8th century until 12th century) if they have changed?

Praise be to Allaah.
Islam honors women greatly. It honors women as mothers who must
be respected, obeyed and treated with kindness. Pleasing one's
mother is regarded as part of pleasing Allah. Islam tells us that
Paradise lies at the mother’s feet, i.e. that the best way to reach
Paradise is through one's mother. And Islam forbids disobeying
one’s mother or making her angry, even by saying a mild word of
disrespect. The mother’s rights are greater than those of the father,
and the duty to take care of her grows greater as the mother grows
older and weaker. All of that is mentioned in many texts of the
Qur'an and Sunnah.

For example, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning:


“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his
parents” [al-Ahqaaf 46:15]
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And
that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them
attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor
shout at them but address them in terms of honor.

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through
mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did
bring me up when I was young’. [Al-Isra, 17:232-24]

Ibn Maajah (2781) narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn Jaahimiah al-


Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I came to the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking
thereby the Face of Allah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you!
Introducing Islam Part I & II 215
Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honor
her.” Then I approached him from the other side and said: O
Messenger of Allah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking thereby
the Face of Allah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your
mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honor her.”
Then I approached him from in front and said, O Messenger of
Allah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of
Allah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still
alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honor her (listen to her
stay by her feet), for there is Paradise.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah. It


was also narrated by al-Nasaa’i with the words: “Stay with her for
Paradise is beneath her feet.”

Al-Bukhaari (5971) and Muslim (2548) narrated that Abu Hurayrah


(may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
said: “O Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of my good
company?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said:
“Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He
said: “Then who?” He said: “Then your father.”

And there are other texts which we do not have room to mention
here.
One of the rights which Islam gives to the mother is that her son
should spend on her if she needs that support, so long as he is able
and can afford it. Hence for many centuries it was unheard of
among the people of Islam for a mother to be left in an old-people’s
home or for a son to kick her out of the house, or for her sons to
refuse to spend on her, or for her to need to work in order to eat and
drink if her sons were present.

Islam also honors women as wives. Islam urges the husband to treat
his wife in a good and kind manner, and says that the wife has rights
over the husband like his rights over her, except that he has a degree
over her, because of his responsibility of spending and taking care
of the family’s affairs. Islam states that the best of the Muslim men
is the one who treats his wife in the best manner, and the man is
forbidden to take his wife’s money without her consent. Allah says
Introducing Islam Part I & II 216
interpretation of the meaning: “and live with them honorably”. [An-
Nisa, 4:19]

“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards


living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as
regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have
a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-
Wise”. [Al-Baqarah, 2:228]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I
urge you to treat women well.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 331;
Muslim, 1468.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best
of you to my wives.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3895; Ibn Maajah,
1977; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi]

And Islam honors women as daughters, and encourages us to raise


them well and educate them. Islam states that raising daughters will
bring a great reward. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes care of two girls until
they reach adulthood, he and I will come like this on the Day of
Resurrection,” and he held his fingers together. [Narrated by
Muslim, 2631]

Ibn Maajah (3669) narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever has three daughters
and is patient towards them, and feeds them, gives them to drink
and clothes them from his riches, they will be a shield for him from
the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.” [Classed as saheeh by al-
Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah]

Islam honors woman as sisters and as aunts. Islam enjoins


upholding the ties of kinship and forbids severing those ties in many
texts. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“O people! Spread (the greeting of) salaam, offer food (to the
needy), uphold the ties of kinship, and pray at night when people are
sleeping, and you will enter Paradise in peace.” [Narrated by Ibn
Introducing Islam Part I & II 217
Maajah, 3251; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn
Maajah]

Al-Bukhaari (5988) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings


of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be exalted, said to the
ties of kinship: ‘Whoever upholds you, I will support him, and
whoever breaks you, I will cut him off.’”

All of these qualities may co-exist in a single woman: she may be a


wife, a daughter, a mother, a sister, an aunt, so she may be honored
in all these ways.

To conclude:
Islam raised the status of women, and made them equal with men in
most rulings. So women, like men, are commanded to believe in
Allah and to worship Him. And women are made equal to men in
terms of reward in the Hereafter. Women have the right to express
themselves, to give sincere advice, to enjoin what is good and forbid
what is evil, and to call people to Allah. Women have the right to
own property, to buy and sell, to inherit, to give charity and to give
gifts. It is not permissible for anyone to take a woman’s wealth
without her consent. Women have the right to a decent life, without
facing aggression or being wronged. Women have the right to be
educated; in fact it is obligatory to teach them what they need to
know about their religion.

Anyone who compares the rights of women in Islam with their


situation during the Jaahiliyyah or in other civilizations will
understand that what we are saying is true. In fact we are certain
that women are given the greatest honor in Islam.

There is no need for us to mention the situation of women in Greek,


Persian or Jewish society, but even Christian societies had a bad
attitude towards women. The theologians even gathered at the
Council of Macon to discuss whether woman was merely a body or
a body with a soul. They thought it most likely that women did not
have a soul that could be saved, and they made an exception only in
the case of Mary (Maryam – peace be upon her). The French held a
conference in 586 CE to discuss whether women had souls or not,
and if they had souls, were these souls animal or human? In the end,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 218
they decided that they were human! But they were created to serve
men only.

During the time of Henry VIII, the English Parliament issued a


decree forbidding women to read the New Testament because they
were regarded as impure.

Until 1805, English law allowed a man to sell his wife, and set a
wife’s price at six pennies.
In the modern age, women were kicked out of the house at the age
of eighteen so that they could start working to earn a bite to eat. If a
woman wanted to stay in the house, she had to pay her parents rent
for her room and pay for her food and laundry. [See ‘Awdat al-
Hijaab, 2/47-56]

How can this compare to Islam which enjoins honoring and kind
treatment of women, and spending on them?

Secondly:
With regard to the changes in these rights throughout the ages, the
basic principles have not changed, but with regard to the application
of these principles, there can be no doubt that during the golden age
of Islam, the Muslims applied the sharee’ah of their Lord more, and
the rulings of this sharee’ah include honoring one’s mother and
treating one’s wife, daughter, sister and women in general in a kind
manner. The weaker religious commitment grew, the more these
rights were neglected, but until the Day of Resurrection there will
continue to be a group who adheres to their religion and applies the
sharee’ah of their Lord. These are the people who honor women the
most and grant them their rights.

Despite the weakness of religious commitment among many


Muslims nowadays, women still enjoy a high status, whether as
daughters, wives or sisters, whilst we acknowledge that there are
shortcomings, wrongdoing and neglect of women’s rights among
some people, but each one will be answerable for himself.

Islam Q&A
She is confused about women’s rights in Islam
Introducing Islam Part I & II 219
I am confused. All my life I interacted with others on the basis that I am a
human being before being female and the slave woman of Allah as much as
I could, and that based on this, whoever does good, whether male or
female, will be rewarded, and whoever commits sin will bear the burden of
sin. But after I got married I was surprised by some rulings which treat me
as if I am not human, because they treat me as if I am only an object for the
enjoyment of the man, such as the fact that the angels will curse me if I
refuse intimacy under any circumstances, at the time when he is under no
such burden if he refuses to have intercourse with his wife even if he does
that to cause her harm. So he gets the reward of doing charity if he has
intercourse with her and enjoys intimacy with her, and she will not have any
reward, even if she responds unwillingly. If he upsets me and humiliates me
in front of people, I have to make up with him and try to please him;
otherwise the angels will curse me. And of course I have no right to differ
with his opinion or to argue with him, and if I lose my temper I am not
forgiven. And, as you have stated in a fatwa, the reward for praying in
congregation is only for men and not for women. Is this what Allah has
prescribed for us? Is this the fate of the Muslim woman if she does well and
does what is required of her? If she avoids sin, she does not attain any
virtue and if she falls short she is one of those who are cursed and expelled
from the mercy of Allah, and do I and the accursed Iblees become the
same?

I hope that you will pay attention to this question, because I am having
doubts about my religion. If this is what Allah has prescribed then we hear
and obey and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We are shocked by what the sister has mentioned in her question,
that is not part of the religion of Allaah but she is attributing to it,
and her belief in rulings for which Allah has not sent down any
authority, such as her saying that “after I got married I was surprised
by some rulings which treat me as if I am not human, because they
treat me as if I am only an object for the enjoyment of the man”!

We will respond by noting the following points:


Firstly:
Allah has honored women greatly. He honors them as daughters,
mothers and wives, and gives them rights and virtues, and enjoins
good treatment in ways that are not shared by men in many cases.

Islam does not deny woman’s humanity. Rather it gives her rights
and holds her in high esteem. Women were treated as chattels and
objects before Allah honored mankind with Islam. Women would be
Introducing Islam Part I & II 220
inherited like goods and chattels, and could be left suspended, being
neither married nor divorced. A woman would have to wait for a
year after her husband’s death, neither washing nor going out of the
house, until birds and animals would die from her foul smell!
Women were not allowed to inherit, let alone the fact that they could
be buried alive, and many other things.

Then Islam came and forbade burying females alive; it regarded that
as murder, which is a major sin. It forbade leaving women
suspended as a result of vows or making one's wife haraam by
means of zihaar [a jaahili form of divorce in which the husband said
to his wife, ‘You are to me as my mother’s back’; intimacy thus
became forbidden, but the woman was not divorced completely and
was not free to enter into a new marriage - Translator]. Islam gave
women their share of inheritance, and stipulated an ‘iddah of four
months and ten days after the death of her husband, during which
she could bathe, change her clothes and see other women and her
mahrams. It allowed women to buy, sell and own property, and
encouraged them to seek knowledge and call people to Allah. It
commanded that women should be honored as wives and as
mothers, and made the mother’s rights three times greater than those
of the father. And there are many other ways in which Islam
honored women, which we have no room to discuss in detail here;
rather we just wanted to remind you of this. Please also see the
answer to question no. 210/10 for more information.

Secondly:
The sister says in her question: “such as the fact that the angels will
curse me if I refuse intimacy under any circumstances”.

This is not correct. Rather the angels do not curse the wife who
refuses to share her husband’s bed unless she has no valid excuse. If
she has an excuse – such as being sick, or menstruating, or bleeding
following childbirth (nifaas), or observing an obligatory fast, then
she is not cursed, rather her husband who calls her to bed is sinning
if he insists on calling her, or forces her when he knows of her
situation.

In question no. 33597 of this site it says:


Introducing Islam Part I & II 221
A woman does not have the right to refuse her husband, rather she
must respond to his request every time he calls her, so long as that
will not harm her or keep her from doing something that is
obligatory.

In question no. 9602 it says:


Ibn Hazm said:
It is obligatory on slave women and free women alike not to refuse
their masters or husbands if they call them, so long as the woman
who is called is not menstruating or sick in such a way that
intercourse will be harmful to her, or observing an obligatory fast. If
she refuses with no excuse, then she is cursed.. [Al-Muhallah,
40/10]

This curse is limited to cases where the husband remains angry with
her all night. But if he calls her and she refuses, then he foregoes his
right, then she is not cursed.

Thirdly:
The sister says in her question “at the time when he is under no such
burden if he refuses to have intercourse with his wife even if he
does that to cause her harm.” This also is not correct. Islam forbids
harming others, which includes a husband harming his wife by
preventing her from breastfeeding her child, or denying her right to
intercourse and pleasure.

It says in the answer to question no. 10680 – in the context of


discussing the wife’s rights over her husband:
Not harming one’s wife. This is one of the basic principles of Islam.
Because harming others is haraam in the case of strangers, it is even
more so in the case of harming one’s wife.

It was narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit that the Messenger of


Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ruled, “There
should be no harming nor reciprocating harm.” (Narrated by Ibn
Maajah, 2340)

This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Imaam Ahmad, al-Haakim,


Ibn al-Salaah and others. See Khalaasat al-Badr al-Muneer, 2/438.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 222
It says in the answer to question no. 5971:
It is not permissible for a man to forsake his wife and thus harm her,
except in the case of nushooz (rebellion) and disobedience. But he is
not committing a sin if he does not lie with her without intending to
harm her, because the need is his and depends on his desire and he
cannot control his desire at will. If he forsakes her, then he is a
sinner because there should be no harming or reciprocating harm.
And Allah knows best.

Fourthly:
The sister says in her question, “So he gets the reward of doing
charity if he has intercourse with her and enjoys intimacy with her,
and she will not have any reward, even if she responds unwillingly”

This is also not correct. Rather the wife will be rewarded for
intercourse in two ways:
• Because she is the twin half of man in rulings and rewards,
except those where an exception is stated in the texts. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning :
“So their Lord accepted of them (their supplication and answered
them), Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he
male or female. You are (members) one of another, so those who
emigrated and were driven out from their homes, and suffered harm
in My Cause, and who fought, and were killed (in My Cause),
verily, I will expiate from them their evil deeds and admit them into
Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise); a reward from Allah,
and with Allah is the best of rewards”. [Al-Imran, 3:195]

• It is the cause of the husband being rewarded, and whoever is


the cause of another person being rewarded will share in the
reward without that detracting from his or her reward in the
slightest.

It was narrated from Abu Dharr that some people from among the
companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
“O Messenger of Allah, the rich people will get more reward. They
pray as we pray, and they fast as we fast, but they give in charity
from their excess wealth.” He said, “Has not Allah given you things
with which you can give charity? Every tasbeehah (saying ‘Subhaan
Introducing Islam Part I & II 223
Allah (Glory be to Allah)’) is a charity. Every Takbeerah (saying
‘Allahu akbar (Allah is Most Great)’) is a charity. Every Tahmeedah
(saying ‘al-hamdu-Lillaah (praise be to Allah)’ is a charity. Every
Tahleelah (saying ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god but Allah)’)
is a charity. Enjoining what is good is a charity. Forbidding what is
evil is a charity. Having intercourse (with one’s wife) is a charity.”
They said, “O Messenger of Allah, if one of us fulfils his desire, is
there reward in that?” He said, “Do you not see that if he does it in a
haraam way he will have the burden of sin? So if he does it in a
halaal way, he will have a reward for that.” [Narrated by Muslim,
1006]

So the wife will be rewarded just as her husband will, just as she is
sinning if she fulfils her desires in a way that is haraam, just as is
the case with the husband.

Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:


“The phrase, ‘Having intercourse is a charity’ – the word bud’
(translated here as ‘having intercourse’) may mean intercourse, or it
may refer to the private part itself…
This indicates that permissible actions may become acts of worship,
if there is a sincere intention. Intercourse may be an act of worship
if the intention behind it is to fulfill the rights of one's wife, to treat
her kindly as enjoined by Allah, to seek a righteous child, to keep
oneself or one’s wife chaste, to prevent both partners from looking
towards or thinking of haraam things, and other good intentions.

Fifthly:
The sister says in her question: “If he upsets me and humiliates me
in front of people, I have to make up with him and try to please him;
otherwise the angels will curse me”.

This also is not correct. The curse applies in the case of a woman
who refuses to come to her husband’s bed with no excuse, when her
husband stays angry with her all night – as explained above.

But if the husband humiliates her, then he is undoubtedly sinning by


doing that, and sharee’ah allows her to answer him back in a manner
that befits his wrongdoing.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 224
“And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong,
for such there is no way (of blame) against them”. [Ash-Shura,
42:41] i.e., there is no sin on them.

The word man (whosoever) here is general in meaning and includes


women too.
Or if she is patient in bearing harsh words and mistreatment,
seeking reward with Allah, she will earn a more complete and better
reward.

So what he must do is to make up with her and try to please her, not
the other way round. If a person does wrong, in order for his
repentance to be complete he must try to please the one who has
been wronged, with apologies and kind words.

Sixthly:
The sister says: “And of course I have no right to differ with his
opinion or to argue with him, and if I lose my temper I am not
forgiven.”

This is not correct. It is permissible for a women to argue with her


husband and to have a different opinion, but she does not have the
right to refuse to do what he tells her to do – even if she objects to it
– so long as he does not tell her to commit sin, because there is no
obedience to anyone if it involves disobedience towards the Creator.
This is part of the qiwaamah (role of protector and maintainer) that
Allah has given to the husband in return for the obligation to spend
on his wife, protect her and take care of her. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning:
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah
has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to
support them) from their means”. [An-Nisa, 4:34]

It is narrated that the women of the Sahaabah used to argue and


debate with them, and indeed this is the way in which the Mothers
of the Believers [i.e., the Prophet’s wives] used to act with our
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as ‘Umar ibn
al-Khattaab said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him): “We Quraysh used to control our women, but when we
came to the Ansaar we found that they were a people who were
Introducing Islam Part I & II 225
controlled by their women. So our women started to adopt the ways
of the Ansaari women. I got angry with my wife and she argued
with me and I did not like her arguing with me. She said, ‘Why do
you object to me arguing with you? By Allah, the wives of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) argue with
him…’” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4895; Muslim, 1479]

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said – discussing the lessons to be learned from


this hadeeth –
“This indicates that being harsh with women is something
blameworthy, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) adopted the way of the Ansaar with their women and
forsook the way of his people.” [Fath al-Baari, 9/291]

With regard to what the sister mentioned about not being forgiven
for any loss of temper or irritation on her part, this is not right at all,
because there are some kinds of irritation for which a person will
not be taken to task if he does not speak of them or act upon them,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “Allah will forgive my ummah for that which crosses their
minds, so long as they do not speak of it or act upon it.” And there
are some which a person cannot help at all, because of intense
anger, etc, which is beyond his or her control. At the end of Surah
al-Baqarah is mentioned the du’aa’ of the believers (interpretation of
the meaning)
“Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to
bear”. [Al-Baqarah, 2:286]
and it is proven in the Sunnah that Allah has answered this du’aa’
and said, “I will do that.”

Seventhly:
The sister says in her question: “as you have stated in a fatwa that
the reward for praying in congregation is only for men and not for
women”.

This also is not correct. Rather what we said – based on the


ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
– is that the twenty-seven-fold reward is for men only, because they
are the ones for whom prayer in congregation is enjoined, not
women. Prayer is congregation is mustahabb for women, but we
Introducing Islam Part I & II 226
cannot be certain that women will get the twenty-seven-fold reward.
It is permissible for women to attend the prayers in the mosque, and
it is not permissible for men to forbid them to go. If they go and
pray with (the men), they will have a share of the reward for praying
in congregation.

Nevertheless, based on the saheeh ahaadeeth, if a woman prays in


her house, she is doing that which is better for her than the reward
for praying in the mosque.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not prevent your women
from coming to the mosques, although their houses are better for
them.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 567; Ahmad, 5445 – this version
narrated by Ahmad.]

‘Abd al-‘Azeem Abaadi said:


“Their houses are better for them” means that their praying in their
houses is better for them than praying in the mosques, if only they
knew that, but they do not know that, so they ask to go out to the
mosques and think that the reward for going to the mosque is
greater. The reason why their praying in their houses is better is
because they are safer from fitnah (temptation). This ruling is even
more necessary because of the tabarruj (wanton display) and
adornment that have become prevalent among women. [‘Awn al-
Ma’bood, 2/193]

Eighthly:
The sister says in her question: “Is this the fate of the Muslim
woman if she does well and does what is required of her? If she
avoids sin, she does not attain any virtue and if she falls short she is
one of those who are cursed and expelled from the mercy of Allah,
and do I and the accursed Iblees become the same?”!

This is thinking badly of Allah, and what you say is not correct at
all.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning)
“Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he
(or she) is a true believer (of Islamic monotheism) verily, to him We
will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 227
lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in
proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e., Paradise in the
Hereafter.” [An-Nahl, 16:97]

“So their Lord accepted of them (their supplication and answered


them), Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he
male or female. You are (members) one of another, so those who
emigrated and were driven out from their homes, and suffered harm
in My Cause, and who fought, and were killed (in My Cause),
verily, I will expiate from them their evil deeds and admit them into
Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise); a reward from Allah,
and with Allah is the best of rewards”. [Al-Imran, 3:195]

“Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and
women, the believers men and women (who believe in Islamic
Monotheism), the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah),
the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the
men and the women who are patient (in performing all the duties
which Allah has ordered and in abstaining from all that Allah has
forbidden), the men and the women who are humble (before their
Lord -- Allah), the men and the women who give Sadaqaat (i.e.
Zakaah and alms), the men and the women who observe Sawm
(fast) (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadaan, and the
optional Nawafil fasting), the men and the women who guard their
chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who
remember Allaah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has
prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise.”
[Al-Ahzaab, 33:35]

With regard to the sister’s saying that if she falls short, she and
Iblees would be the same, this is an exaggeration and there is no
need for this; and it is an unacceptable comparison, because the
curse of Allah to Iblees is the eternal curse for which no repentance
will be accepted, and it cannot be compared to the curse that applies
in the case of a Muslim who believes in Allah alone and submits to
Him, but commits some major sins.

The clear verses and words that we have quoted are sufficient to
explain the error of what you say. We ask Allah to help you to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 228
understand Islam properly and to make you steadfast in adhering to
goodness and true guidance.

At the end of this response, we should not forget to praise our sister
for her frankness in asking about the doubts about some Islamic
matters that the Shaytaan has thrown into her heart which, if she had
kept them to herself, could have spoiled her religious commitment
and generated waswaasa (whispers from the Shaytaan) which could
have caused a great deal of trouble in her life. Asking such questions
dispels confusion and dispels doubt from one’s heart.

But when asking such questions, that should be done with more in a
more appropriate manner, when asking about the wisdom of Allaah
in what He prescribes, and the questioner should avoid everything
that may be taken as objecting to the rulings, because the human
mind is incapable of comprehending the greatness of Allaah’s
wisdom and the vastness of His bounty towards His creation.

We also appreciate our sister’s acceptance of and submission to the


laws of Allah, as she says, “If this is what Allah has prescribed then
we hear and obey”. This is how the believer should be.
We ask Allah to make us steadfast in adhering to His religion, and to
guide us.
And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A
The status of the family in Islam
What does Islam teach about the family and the roles of men, women and
Children?

Praise be to Allah.
Before we find out about the role of Islam in organizing and
protecting the family, we should first find out what the situation of
the family was before Islam, and what it is in the west in modern
times.

Before Islam, the family was based on mistreatment and oppression.


All affairs were controlled only by men or in other words, the males,
and women and girls were oppressed and humiliated. An example of
that is that if a man died and left behind a wife, his son by another
wife had the right to marry her and control her life, or to prevent her
Introducing Islam Part I & II 229
from getting married. Men were the only ones who could inherit;
women and children had no share. They viewed women, whether
they were mothers, daughters or sisters, as a source of shame,
because they could be taken as prisoners, thus bringing shame upon
the family. Hence a man would bury his infant daughter alive, as is
referred to in the Qur’aan, where Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to
any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward
grief!

He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof
he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her
in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision”. [An-Nahl, 16:58]

The family in the broader sense, i.e., the tribe, was based on
supporting one another in all things, even in wrongdoing.

When Islam came, it did away with all that and established justice,
giving each person his or her rights, even nursing infants, and even
the miscarried fetus who was to be respected and prayed for (i.e.,
given a proper funeral)

When you examine the family in the west today you will find that
families are disintegrating and the parents cannot control their
children, whether intellectually or morally. The son has the right to
go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants; the daughter has
the right to sit with whoever she wants and sleep with whoever she
wants, all in the name of freedom and rights. And what is the result?
Broken families, children born outside marriage, (elderly) mothers
and fathers who are not looked after. As some wise men have said, if
you want to know the true nature of these people, go to the prisons
and the hospitals and seniors’ homes, for children do not remember
their parents except on holidays and special occasions.

The point is that among non-Muslims the institution of family is


destroyed. When Islam came it paid a great deal of attention to the
establishment of strong families and protecting them from things
that could harm them, and preserving family ties whilst giving each
member of the family an important role in life.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 230

Islam honored women, whether as mothers, daughters or sisters. It


honoured women as mothers. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the
Messenger of Allah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, who among people is most
deserving of my good company?” He said, “Your mother.” He
asked, “Then who?” He said, “Your mother.” He asked, “Then
who?” He said, “Your mother.” He asked, “Then who?” He said,
“Then your father.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5626; Muslim, 2548)

Islam honors women as daughters. It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed


al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said: “Whoever has three daughters or three sisters, or
two daughters or two sisters, and takes good care of them and fears
Allah with regard to them, will enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Ibn
Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 2/190)

And Islam honors women as wives. It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah


said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: “The best of you are those who are best to their wives,
and I am the best of you to my wives.” (Narrated and classed as
hasan by al-Tirmidhi, 3895).
Islam gave women their rights of inheritance and other rights. It
gave women rights like those of men in many spheres. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Women are the
twin halves of men.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan, 236,
from the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abu Dawood, 216).

Islam encourages men to treat their wives well, and gives women
the freedom to choose their husbands; it gives women much of the
responsibility for raising the children.

Islam gives fathers and mothers a great deal of responsibility for


raising their children. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar
heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) say, “Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.
The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The man is
the shepherd of his family and he is responsible for his flock. The
Introducing Islam Part I & II 231
woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is
responsible for her flock. The servant is a shepherd of his master’s
wealth and is responsible for his flock.” He said, I heard this from
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 853; Muslim, 1829)

Islam paid a great deal attention to implanting the principle of


respect for fathers and mothers, taking care of them and obeying
their commands until death. Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And
that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them
attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor
shout at them but address them in terms of honor” [Isra, 17:23]

Islam protects the honor, chastity, purity and lineage of the family,
so it encourages marriage and forbids free mixing of men and
women.

Islam gives each family member an important role to play. So


fathers and mothers take care of the children and give them an
Islamic upbringing; children are to listen and obey, and respect the
rights of fathers and mothers, on a basis of love and respect. Even
our enemies have borne witness to the strength of family ties among
the Muslims.
And Allah knows best.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 232

18.00.00
THE PARTIAL ABLUTION
(Wudu')
Before offering the prayer one must be in good shape and pure
condition. It is necessary to wash the parts of the body which are
generally exposed to dirt or dust or smog. This performance is
called ABLUTION (Wudu') and is preferably carried out as follows:

1. Declare the intention that the act is for the purpose of worship
and purity, start by saying Bismillah.
2. Wash the hands up to the wrists, three times.
3. Rinse out the mouth with water, three times, preferably with a
brush whenever it is possible.
4. Cleanse the nostrils of the nose by sniffing water into them, three
times.
5. Wash the whole face three times with both hands, if possible,
from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin and from ear
to ear.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 233
6. Wash the right arm three times up to the far end of the elbow, and
then do the same with the left arm.
7. Wipe the whole head or any part of it with a wet hand, once.
8. Wipe the inner sides of the ears with the forefingers and their
outer sides with the thumbs. This should be done with wet fingers.
9 Wash the two feet up to the ankles, three times, beginning with the
right foot.

At this stage the ablution is completed, and the person who has
performed it is ready to start to start his prayer. When the ablution is
valid a person may keep it as long as he can, and may use it for as
many prayers as he wishes. But it is preferable to renew it as often
as possible. It is also preferable to do it in the said order, although it
will be accepted from those who fail to keep this order. Ablution in
the said way is sufficient for prayer unless it is nullified by any
reason.

Nullification of the Ablution


The ablution becomes nullified by any of the following
1. Natural discharges, i.e., urine, stools, gas, etc...
2. The flow of blood or pus and the like from any part of the body;
3. Vomiting;
4. Falling asleep;
5. Losing one's reason by taking drugs or any intoxicating stuff.

After the occurrence of any of these things the ablution must be


renewed for prayer. Also, after natural discharges, water should be
applied because the use of toilet tissues may not be sufficient for the
purpose of purity and worship.

The Complete Ablution (Ghusl/Bath)


The whole body with the nostrils, mouth and head must be washed
by a complete bath before commencing prayer in any of the
following cases:
1. After intimate intercourse;
2. After wet dreams; or night discharge;
3. Upon expiration of the menstruation period of women;
4. At the end of the confinement period of nursing women, which, is
estimated at a maximum of forty days. If it ends before, complete
Introducing Islam Part I & II 234
ablution should be done.

It should be pointed out that at the start of the bath or ablution the
intention must be clear that it is for the purpose of purity and
worship. Also, a person who is performing an ablution, partial or
complete, should combine his performance with some utterances
glorifying God and asking Him for true guidance. The forms of such
utterances are described in detail in the elaborate sources of the
religion. One, however, can say one's own best utterances if one do
not know the exact wording. That is sufficient as long as it is in the
praise of God and is said with sincerity.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 235

18.01.00
How to Perform Wudu
Islamic Ablution
There are two forms of ablution: the partial ablution (wudu) and the
complete ablution (shower/ghusl). In addition, there is a symbolic
ablution (tayammum), to be used when no water is available or a
person cannot use water because of reasons of health. One should be
in a state of purity before performing prayer or reading the Qur'an.
The following actions or conditions nullify this state of purity and
require the partial ablution:
01. Discharges from the body (urine, stools, gas)
02. The flow of blood or pus from the body
03. Vomiting
04. Falling asleep
05. Becoming intoxicated
The following actions or conditions require the full ablution:
01. Sexual intercourse
02. Wet dreams
03. The expiration of a women's menstrual period
04. After childbirth

Wudu, the Partial Ablution


01. Declare the intention that this act is for the purpose of worship
and purity.
02. Wash the hands up to the wrist three times.
03. Rinse out the mouth with water three times.
04. Cleanse the nostrils of the nose by sniffing water into them three
times.
05. Wash the whole face three times with both hands—from the top
of the forehead to the bottom of the chin, from ear to ear.
06. Wash the right arm three times up to the top of the elbow, then
wash the left arm.
07. Wipe the whole head from the forehead to the back of the neck
one time with a wet hand.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 236
08. With wet fingers, wipe the inner sides of the ears with the
forefingers and their outer sides with the thumbs.
09. Wipe around the neck with wet hands.
10. Wipe the two feet up to the ankles, three times, and beginning
with the right foot. (If shoes and socks or stockings are on and
socks or stockings have been on since last performing the
ablution, it is not four hours, the socks or stockings should be
removed and the feet washed.)

Ghusl(Shower), the Full Ablution


01. Declare the intention that this act is for the purpose of worship
and purity.
02. Wash the whole body—including nostrils, mouth and head.

Tayammum, the Symbolic Ablution


01. Declare the intention that this act is for the purpose of worship
and purity.
02. Touch earth, sand, or stone lightly with both hands and then
wipe the face with them once as done in the partial ablution.
03. Touch earth, sand, or stone lightly with both hands and then
wipe the right arm to the elbow with the left hand and the left
arm with the right hand.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 237

19.00.00
PRAYER TIMINGS
Prayer timings do not remain constant as they are determined by
looking at the sun. Consequently the time of a particular prayer
would be different in different parts of the World. Prayer Time
Tables are easily available at the mosques and Islamic Centers
throughout the World. Now-a- days electronic devices like 'TBilal"
or "Spectronic" are available in the market which can tell the prayer
times of nearly 1000 major cities of the World. They are particularly
helpful to the Muslims traveling to non-Muslim countries However,
the following general timetable for prayers can fairly be observed in
almost any part of the World. There are five obligatory prayers
which are performed at five different times of the day.
(1) Salat-ul-Fajr. The morning Prayer
It is the first of the Five obligatory prayers of the day. It can be
performed at any time between the breaking of the dawn till sunrise.
It consists of two raka's (two units as explained through the
accompanying postures).
(2) Salat-ul-Zuhr. The noon prayer
It consiss of four raka's, (4 units); Its time begins after the sun
declines from its zenith until it is about midway from setting.
(3) Salat-ul -Asr. The afernoon Prayer
It consists of four raka's (4 units). Its time begins soon after the time
for Zuhr prayer ends and extends to just before sunset
(4) Salat-ul-Maghrib. The evening prayer
It consists of three raka's (3 units). Its time begins just after sunset
and extends to a period of an hour and a half.
(5) Salat-ul-lsha. The night prayer.
It consists of four raka's (4 units) and its time begins about an hour
and a half after sunset and extends to dawn.

Of the five obligatory prayers mentioned above, one of them


contains two raka's, three contain four raka's and one containing
three raka's Each kind has been explained separately. All the prayers
Introducing Islam Part I & II 238
(to be recited in Arabic) and the postures in which to recite each
prayer have been explained with the help of the given figures. The
figures have been drawn in the order in which each posture is
assumed and the particular prayer recited. In order to memorize the
prayer for each posture the reader only needs to look at the number
of the figure and listen to the tape while looking at the transcript
which gives the Arabic prayer in Roman letters.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 239

19.01.00
The Conduct of Salah

Diagram showing of Daily Prayers

In this section, some guide lines for the correct performance of


Salah are given.
The most important pre-requisite, Al-Wudhu (ablution), is explained
in the last chapter. Other important conditions are:
1. TIME
Each of the salah must be offered at or during its proper time. No
Salah can be said before its time. There are five obligatory prayers
in a day.
Fajr - The morning prayer
Introducing Islam Part I & II 240
Zuhr - The early noon prayer
Asr - The late afternoon prayer
Maghrib - The sun-set prayer
Isha - The night prayer

2. Dress
Before offering your Salah makes sure that you are properly
dressed. For men and boys, the dress should be such that it covers
their bodies from the navel to the knees at least.

Women are required to cover themselves from head to foot, leaving


only the face and hands uncovered. The dress for Salah must be
clean and free from all filth. During the monthly periods women are
free from the obligation of Salah.

3. Place
Wherever a man might be, he can turn towards Allah in Salah and in
devotion. The prophet has said, "The (whole of the) earth has been
rendered for me a mosque: pure and clean". Preferable Salah is to be
offered in Jama'at - congregation. Whenever possible, one should
pray facing the Ka'ba, Mecca.
Fardh Or Naafillah
Salah is composed of the Fardh (Obligatory) and the
Naafilah (Superogatory) prayers.

The Fardh Salahs are five in a day. Failure to perform any on of


them is a blamable sin.
The Naafillah includes the Sunnah, which Prophet(S.A.W) used to
perform regularly before or after each Fardh Salah.

Prayers In Special Circumstances


When in circumstances where it is not possible to pray, or when on
journey, you are permitted to shorten Salah. Such a shortened prayer
is known as Salat-tul-Qasar.

When traveling one may offer two rakaats in place of four rakaats in
Zuhr, Asr and Isha, but there is no change in two rakats of Fajr and
three rakats of Maghrib Salah. Besides this concession in Fardh
Salah, one may leave all additional Sunnah except the two Sunnah
Introducing Islam Part I & II 241
rakats of Fajr & the Witr of Isha prayer. But a section of Muslims do
perform Sunnah even on a journey.

In case the stay at any one place during the journey exceeds a
fortnight, complete the Salah with all the Fardh and Sunnah rakats
must be offered.

If you are sick, you may offer your Salah in a sitting position or
lying in bed, by making signs in place of the physical movements.

In journey, in sickness and in other emergencies, one is allowed to


offer two separate Salah jointly. Thus Zhur and Asr can be said
together in the last part of the period of Zuhr. Maghrib & Isha may
also be offered similarly towards the end of the Maghrib time (when
it is almost dark).

19.02.00: Adhan (call to prayer)


To assemble the Muslims for congregational prayer, "Adhan", or the
call to prayer is given. The caller (Muazzin) stands facing Ka'aba
(Qibla), and raising his hands to his ears calls in a loud voice. The
person who gives the Adhan is called the mu’azzin (Caller).

While calling for prayer, he stands in the Minaret or in the courtyard


of the mosque,
facing the Qiblah and raises his hands to his ears and calls out:

‫ال اكبر‬- ‫( ال اكبر‬Allahu Akber) (Allah is the Greatest)


‫ال اكبر‬- ‫( ال اكبر‬Allahu Akber) (Allah is the Greatest)
‫( ال أشهد أن ل اله إل‬Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah) (I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah)
‫( ال أشهد أن ل اله إل‬Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah) (I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah)
‫( اشهد أن محمدا رسول ال‬Ashhadu anna muhammader rasulllah) (I bear
witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)
‫( اشهد أن محمدا رسول ال‬Ashhadu anna muhammader rasulllah) (I bear
witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)
‫( حي على الصلوة‬Hayya ala salah) (come to prayer)
‫( حي على الصلوة‬Hayya ala salah) (come to prayer)
‫( حي على الفلح‬Hayya ala alfalah) (come to success)
‫( حي على الفلح‬Hayya ala alfalah) (come to success)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 242
‫ال اكبر‬- ‫( ال اكبر‬Allahu Akber) (Allah is the Greatest)
‫( ال ل اله إل‬la ilaha illallah) (There is no god but Allah )
During the Adhan for Fajr Salah, the following is added after Hayya
alal falah:
‫( النوم الصلوة خير من‬Assalatu khairun minan naum) (Salah is better
than sleep)
‫( النوم الصلوة خير من‬Assalatu khairun minan naum) (Salah is better
than sleep)

19.03.00: Dua After Adhan


On completion of the Adhan, Muslims are recommended to recite:

Allah-humma Rabba Ha-zihid Da'wa Tit Ta-mmati


O Allah! Lord of this complete call & Prayer of ours, by the
blessing of it.
Was Salatil Qa-e-Mati A'Te Muhammadanil Wasiy-Lata
Give to Muhammed his eternal rights of intercession,
Wal Fadi-Lata Wad-Daraja Tar-Rafi A'ta
distinction and highest class (in paradise).
Wab-As-Hu Maqa-mam Mahmu-da Nil Lazee Wa-Adtahu
And raise him to the promised rank You have promised him.
War-Zuq-Na Sha-Fa-A’ta Hu Yaum-Al-Qiyamate
And bestow his intercession on us on the day of Judgement.
In-Na Ka La-Tukh Leful Mi'aad
Surely You never go back on your word.

New Mexico, U.S.A.


Prayer call from Abiquiu Mosque.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 243

19.04.00: Iqamah
After Adhan when the Muslims are assembled at the place of
worship, a second call (Iqamah) is recited by one of the group. This
signals the start of the congregational Salah. It is similar to Adhan
except that it is recited faster but in a lower tone and these sentences
are recited after Haya Alal Falah.
Iqamah is another call to prayer said just before the actual start of
Salah.
The following is aid (in Arabic language):

‫ال اكبر‬- ‫( ال اكبر‬Allahu Akber) (Allah is the Greatest)


‫ال اكبر‬- ‫( ال اكبر‬Allahu Akber) (Allah is the Greatest)
‫( ال أشهد أن ل اله إل‬Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah) (I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah)
‫( ال أشهد أن ل اله إل‬Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah) (I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah)
‫( اشهد أن محمدا رسول ال‬Ashhadu anna muhammader rasulllah) (Ibear
witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)
‫( اشهد أن محمدا رسول ال‬Ashhadu anna muhammader rasulllah)(Ibear
witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger)
‫( حي على الصلوة‬Hayya ala salah) (come to prayer)
‫( حي على الصلوة‬Hayya ala salah) (come to prayer)
‫( حي على الفلح‬Hayya ala alfalah) (come to success)
‫( حي على الفلح‬Hayya ala alfalah) (come to success)
‫( قد قامت الصلوة‬Qad Qamatis salah) (the prayer has begun)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 244
‫( قد قامت الصلوة‬Qad Qamatis salah) (the prayer has begun)
‫ال اكبر‬- ‫( ال اكبر‬Allahu Akber) (Allah is the Greatest)
‫( ال ل اله إل‬la ilaha illallah) (there is no god but Allah )

The Ka’ba, Makkah-al-Mukarrama


100,000 times reward for One Rakah Salah in the Holy Ka’ba
Introducing Islam Part I & II 245

Masjid-e-Nabubi, Medina-al-Munawwarah
50,000 times reward for One Rakah Salah in the Holy Medina
Introducing Islam Part I & II 246
19.05.00: 21 Hadith from Sahih Al-Bukhari
Regarding Adhan and Salah

352. Narrated Malik: We came to the Prophet and we were young


men nearly of equal ages and we stayed with him for twenty
nights. Allah's Apostle was a very kind man and when he
realized our longing for our families, he asked us about those
whom we had left behind. When we informed him, he said,
"Go back to your families and stay with them and teach them
(religion) and order them (to do good deeds). The Prophet
mentioned things some of which I remembered and some I
did not. Then he said, "Pray as you have seen me praying, and
when it is the time of prayer, one of you should pronounce the
call (Adhan) for the prayer and the eldest of you should lead
the prayer."

353. Narrated Ibn Mas'ud: Allah's Apostle said, "The (call for
prayer) Adhan of Bilal should not stop anyone of you from
taking his Suhur for he pronounces the Adhan in order that
whoever among you is praying the night prayer, may return
(to eat his Suhur) and whoever among you is sleeping, may
get up, for it is not yet dawn (when it is like this)." (Yahya, the
sub-narrator stretched his two index fingers side ways).

354. Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: The Prophet said, "Bilal


pronounces the Adhan at night so that you may eat and drink
till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces the Adhan (for the Fajr
prayer)."
355. Narrated 'Abdullah: The Prophet led us in Zuhr prayer and
prayer five Rakat. Somebody asked him whether the prayer
had been increased." He (the Prophet ) said, "And what is
that?" They (the people) replied, "You have prayed five
Rakat." Then the Prophet offered two prostrations (of Sahu)
after he had finished his prayer with the Taslim.

356. Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle finished his prayer after
offerings two Rakat only. Dhul-Yaddain asked him whether
the prayer had been reduced, or you had forgotten?" The
Prophet said, "Is Dhul-Yaddain speaking the truth?" The
people said, "Yes." Then Allah's Apostle stood up and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 247
performed another two Rakat and then finished prayer with
Taslim, and then said the Takbir and performed a prostration
similar to or longer than his ordinary prostrations; then he
raised his head, said Takbir and prostrated and then raised his
head (Sahu prostrations).

357. Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: While the people were at


Quba offering the morning prayer, suddenly a person
came to them saying, "Tonight Divine Inspiration has
been revealed to Allah's Apostle and he has been ordered
to face the Ka'ba (in prayers): therefore you people
should face it." There faces were towards Sham, so they
turned their faces towards the Ka'ba (at Mecca).

358. Narrated Al-Bara': When Allah's Apostle arrived at Medina, he


prayed facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months but
he wished that he would be ordered to face the Ka'ba. So
Allah revealed: -- 'Verily! We have seen the turning of your
face towards the heaven; surely we shall turn you to a prayer
direction (Qibla) that shall please you.' (2.144) Thus he was
directed towards the Ka'ba. A man prayed the 'Asr prayer with
the Prophet and then went out, and passing by some people
from the Ansar, he said, "I testify. that I have prayed with the
Prophet and he (the Prophet) has prayed facing the Ka'ba."
Thereupon they, who were bowing in the 'Asr prayer, turned
towards the Ka'ba.

359. Narrated Anas bin Malik: I used to offer drinks prepared from
infused dates to Abu Talha Al-Ansari, Abu 'Ubada bin Al
Jarrah and Ubai bin Ka'b. Then a person came to them and
said, "All alcoholic drinks have been prohibited." Abii Talha
then said, "O Anas! Get up and break all these jars." So I got
up and took a mortar belonging to us, and hit the jars with its
lower part till they broke.

360. Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet said to the people of Najran, "I
will send to you an honest person who is really trustworthy."
The Companion, of the Prophet each desired to be that person,
but the Prophet sent Abu 'Ubaida.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 248
361. Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "For every nation there is an
Amin (honest, trustworthy person) and the Amin of this nation
is Abu 'Ubaida."

361. Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "For every nation there is an
Amin (honest, trustworthy person) and the Amin of this nation
is Abu 'Ubaida."

362. Narrated 'Umar: There was a man from the Ansar (who was a
friend of mine). If he was not present in the company of
Allah's Apostle I used to be present with Allah's Apostle, I
would tell him what I used to hear from Allah's Apostle, and
when I was absent from Allah's Apostle he used to be present
with him, and he would tell me what he used to hear from
Allah's Apostle.

363. Narrated Hadrat Ali(RTA): The Prophet , sent an army and


appointed some man their commander The man made a fire
and then said (to the soldiers), "Enter it." Some of them
intended to enter it while some others said, 'We have run away
from it (i.e., embraced Islam to save ourselves from the
'fire')." They mentioned that to the Prophet, and he said about
people who had intended to enter the fire. ''If they had entered
it, they would have remained In it till the Day of
Resurrection.'' Then he said to others, "No obedience for evil
deeds, obedience is required only in what is good."

364. Narrated Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid: Two men sued each
other before the Prophet.

365. Narrated Abu Huraira: While we were with Allah's Apostle a


bedouin got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Settle my case
according to Allah's Book (Laws)." Then his opponent got up
and said, "O Allah's Apostle! He has said the truth! Settle his
case according to Allah's Book (Laws.) and allow me to
speak," He said, "My son was a laborer for this man and he
committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife. The people
told me that my son should be stoned to death but I ransomed
him with one-hundred sheep and a slave girl. Then I asked the
religious learned people and they told me that his wife should
Introducing Islam Part I & II 249
be stoned to death and my son should receive one-hundred
lashes and be sentenced to one year of exile.' The Prophet
said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, I will judge
between you according to Allah's Book (Laws): As for the
slave girl and the sheep, they are to be returned; and as for
your son, he shall receive one-hundred lashes and will be
exiled for one year. You, O Unais!" addressing a man from
Bani Aslam, "Go tomorrow morning to the wife of this (man)
and if she confesses, then stone her to death." The next
morning Unais went to the wife and she confessed, and he
stoned her to death.

366. Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah: On the day of (the battle of) the
Trench, the Prophet called the people (to bring news about the
enemy). Az-Zubair responded to his call. He called them
again and Az-Zubair responded to his call again; then he
called them for the third time and again Az-Zubair responded
to his call whereupon the Prophet said, "Every prophet has his
Hawairi (helper), and Az-Zubair is my Hawari."

367. Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet entered a garden and told
me to guard its gate. Then a man came and asked permission
to enter. The Prophet, said, "Permit him and give him the
good news that he will enter Paradise." Behold! It was Abu
Bakr. Then 'Umar came, and the Prophet said, "Admit him
and give him the good news that he will enter Paradise." Then
'Uthman came and the Prophet said, "Admit him and give him
the good news that he will enter Paradise."

368. Narrated 'Umar: I came and behold, Allah's Apostle was


staying on a Mashroba (attic room) and a black slave of
Allah's Apostle was at the top if its stairs. I said to him, "(Tell
the Prophet) that here is 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (asking for
permission to enter)." Then he admitted me.

369. Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle sent a letter to


Khosrau and told his messenger to give it first to the ruler of
Bahrain, and tell him to deliver it to Khosrau. When Khosrau
had read it, he tore it into pieces. (Az-Zuhri said: I think Ibn
Introducing Islam Part I & II 250
Al-Musaiyab said, "Allah's Apostle invoked Allah to tear
them (Khosrau and his followers) into pieces."

370. Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa': Allah's Apostle said to a man


from the tribe of Al-Aslam, "Proclaim among your people (or
the people) on the day of 'Ashura' (tenth of Muharram),
'Whosoever has eaten anything should fast for the rest of the
day; and whoever has not eaten anything, should complete his
fast.' "

371. Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the delegate of 'Abd Al-Qais came
to Allah's Apostle, he said, "Who are the delegate?" They said,
"The delegate is from the tribe of Rabi'a." The Prophet said,
"Welcome, O the delegate, and welcome! O people! Neither
you will have any disgrace nor will you regret." They said, "O
Allah's Apostle! Between you and us there are the infidels of
the tribe of Mudar, so please order us to do something good
(religious deeds) that by acting on them we may enter
Paradise, and that we may inform (our people) whom we have
left behind, about it." They also asked (the Prophet) about
drinks. He forbade them from four things and ordered them to
do four things. He ordered them to believe in Allah, and asked
them, "Do you know what is meant by belief in Allah?" They
said, "Allah and His Apostle know best." He said, ''To testify
that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the
One, Who has no partners with Him, and that Muhammad is
Allah's Apostle; and to offer prayers perfectly and to pay
Zakat." (the narrator thinks that fasting in Ramadan is
included), "and to give one-fifth of the war booty (to the
state)." Then he forbade four (drinking utensils): Ad-Duba',
Al-Hantam, Al-Mazaffat and An-Naqir, or probably, Al-
Muqaiyar. And then the Prophet said, "Remember all these
things by heart and preach it to those whom you have left
behind."

372. Narrated Tauba Al-'Anbari: Ash-'Sha'bi asked me, "Did you


notice how Al-Hasan used to narrate Hadiths from the
Prophets? I stayed with Ibn 'Umar for about two or one-and-
half years and I did not hear him narrating any thing from the
Prophet except his (Hadith): He (Ibn 'Umar) said, "Some of
Introducing Islam Part I & II 251
the companions of the Prophet including Sa'd, were going to
eat meat, but one of the wives of the Prophet called them,
saying, 'It is the neat of a Mastigure.' The people then stopped
eating it. On that Allah's Apostle said, 'Carry on eating, for it
is lawful.' Or said, 'There is no harm in eating it, but it is not
from my meals."
Introducing Islam Part I & II 252
20.00.00

In The Name of Allah


"I saw many sites on the internet offering to teach new Muslims
how they can pray .... but I tried to do something different in this
section you will learn by pictures and sound and also you can
download a prayer teacher to your computer ... but brother or sister
... don't forget to make Duwa to us ... Jazakum Allahu khiran wa as
salaam alikum wa rahmatu allahi wa barakatu

The Right Way To Pray

01) Intention
02) Takbeer
03) Opening Supplications
04) Recitation of Suratul Fatiha
05) Recitation after Suratul Fatiha
06) Bowing (Rukoo')
07) Straightening up from Rukoo':
08) Prostration (The sujud)
09) Rising from Sajdah
10) The second Sajdah
11) The Second Rak'a
12) The First Tashahud
13) The Second Tashahud
14) The Salution (Tasleem)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 253
1- Intention
The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to say:
All actions are by intention, and every man shall have what he
intended.
Note: You shouldn't say the intention by mouth because it is
Innovation Make it in your heart

2- Takbeer
The First step to enter the prayer is Takbeer. The prophet peace be
upon him used to say:
Allaahu Akbar
This means: Allah is the greatest

Notes :
1- You should raise your hands with the
takbeer. Look at the picture
2- Then you should place your right arm
on you left arm and place it over your
chest.
3- You should place the right arm on the
back of your left palm, wrist and
forearm
4- Then you should incline your head
during prayer and fix your sight towards
the ground ... as the Prophet peace be
upon him do...
5- Be careful: When you start to pray
don't look at the sky because it is
forbidden as the Prophet peace be upon
him said :" People must refrain from
looking up at the sky in prayer, or their
sight will not return to them (and in one
narration: or their sight will be plucked
away)
3- Opening Supplications
The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to say one of this
opening Supplications, You can choose the easiest one for you:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 254
Subhanaka Alla-humma wabi ha’mdika wataba-ra kasmuka wata
'ala jadduka wala ilaha ghayruk

This means: You are Glorified, O Allah, and Praised; Your Name is
Blessed; Your Majesty is Exalted, and none has the right to
worshipped but You.

Allah humma ba'id baynee wa bayna khatayana kama ba'adta


baynal mashriqi wal maghribi, Allah humma naq-qinee min
khatayaya kama yunaq-qath thuwabul abyadu minad danasi , Allah
hum maghsilnee min khatayaya bil maee wath thalji wal bardi

This means: O Allaah! Separate me (far) from my sins as you have


separated (far) the East and West. O Allah! Cleanse me of my sins
as white cloth is cleansed from dirt. O Allah! Wash me of my sins
with water, ice and snow.

4- Recitation of Suratul Fatiha:


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to say:

A'uzu bil-llahi minash shayta nir-rajeem


This means: I seek refuge with Allaah from the Evil One, the
Rejected

Bisimllah hir-rahman nir-raheem


This means: In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the
Bestower of Mercy

Alhamdu lil-lahi rab-bil 'alameen


This means: Praise is only for Allah, Lord
Ar-Rahma nir-raheem
This means: The Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

Maliki yawmid-deen
This means: Master of the Day of Judgment

Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'een


This means: You alone we worship and u to you alone we pray for
help
Introducing Islam Part I & II 255
Ihdinas siratal mostaqeem
This means: Show us the straight way
Siratal lazeena an'amta 'alayhim ghayril maghdubi 'alayhim walad
dal-leen
This means: The way of those whom you have blessed. Who have
not desrved your anger, nor gone astray

Ameeen
This means: Oooh Allah please accept

Note:
The Prophet peace be upon him said: "No prayer is acceptable
without the recitation of Fathiha"
2- In Zuhr and Asr you have to recite it quitly as Jaabir said: We
used to recite behind the imaam in Zuhr and 'Asr: soorah al-Faatihah
and another soorah in the first two rak'ahs, and soorah al-Fatihah in
the last two."

If you are praying in Jama'a then you should raise your voice when
you are saying "Ameen".

Becareful:"The Prophet(Peace be upon him) finished a prayer in


which he was reciting loudly (in one narration: it was the dawn
prayer) and said: Were any of you reciting with me just now?! A
man said: "Yes, I was, O Messenger of Allah". He said: I say, why
am I contended with? "... This thing mean don't recite when the
Imam is reciting.

4- Recitation after Suratul Fatiha:


The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would recite another
soorah after al-Faatihah, making it long sometimes, and on other
occasions making it short because of travel, cough, illness or the
crying of infants
Let's take two examples of short Suras you can pray with the both
every prayer till you learn another Sura's

Surah Al-Ikhlas (Number 112)


A'uzu bil-llahi minash shayta nir-rajeen
Introducing Islam Part I & II 256
This means: I seek refuge with Allaah from the Evil One, the
Rejected

Bisimllah hir-rahman nir-raheem


This means: In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the
Bestower of Mercy

Qul howa Allahu ahad


This means: Say : he is Allah, the only one.

Allah hus-samad
This means: Allah helps and does not need help

Lam yalid wa lam yulad


This means: He does not produce a child, and he was not born of
anyone

Walam yakul-lahu kufuwan ahad


This means: There is no one equal to him

Surah An-Nas (Number 114)


A'uzu bil-llahi minash shayta nir-rajeem
This means: I seek refuge with Allaah from the Evil One, the
Rejected

Bisimllah hir-rahman nir-raheem


This means: In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the
Bestower of Mercy

Qul a'uzubi rab-bin nas


This means: Say : I seek refuge in the Sustainer of Mankind

Malikin nas
This means: The Owner of Mankind

Ila hin-nas
This means: Lord of Mankind

Min shar-ril waswa sil khan-nas


This means: From the evil of the sneaking whisperer
Introducing Islam Part I & II 257

Allazi yuwaswisu fee sudu rin-nas


This means: Who whispers in the hearts of Mankind
Minal jin-nati wan-nas
This means: (Whether he be) from among jinns or mankind

Notes:
You have to read Surah after the Fatiha only in the first two Rak'a in
the Zuhr or Asr but in Fajr, Maghrib and E'sha you just hear the
Imam and you should't say it with him.
If you tried to memorize this two Suras but you failed.. Then there is
a permission to read Al-Fatiha only. and in-Shaa-Allah your prayer
is right

6- Bowing (Rukoo')

After completing his recitation, the prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa


sallam) would pause for a moment, then raise his hands in the way
described earlier, say takbeer

Allaahu Akbar
This means: Allah is the greatest

Notes :
1- You should raise your hands with the
takbeer. Look at the picture
2- Be careful: When you start to pray
don't look at the sky because it is
forbidden as the Prophet peace be upon
him said :" People must refrain from
looking up at the sky in prayer, or their
sight will not return to them (and in one
narration: or their sight will be plucked
away)

Then, you make Ruku' and say:


Subhana Rabbi yal azim
This means: How perfect is my Lord, the Supreme!
Introducing Islam Part I & II 258
Note :
Be careful:
The Prophet said: ‘Verily, I have indeed
been forbidden from reciting the Qur'an in
rukoo' or sujood. In the rukoo', therefore,
glorify the Supremity of the Lord, Mighty
and Sublime, in it; as for the sujood, exert
yourselves in supplication in it, for it is
most likely that you will be answered’. ...so
it is forbidden to read Qur’an in Rukoo' or
Sujood

7-Straightening up from Rukoo':


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would straighten up his
back out of rukoo', saying:

Sami' Allah hu liman hamidah


This means: Allaah listens to the one who praises Him

Rab-bana wa lakal hamd


This means: Our Lord, to You be all Praise

Note:
When you straightening up from Rukoo': you would raise your
hands like what we described early in the Takbeer.

8-Prostration (The sujud):


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would say takbeer:
Allaahu Akbar
This means: Allah is the greatest
& go down into sajdah saying:
Subhana Rabbi yal a'la
This means: How perfect is my Lord, the Most High
Introducing Islam Part I & II 259
Note :
1- You should say Subhana
Rabbi yal a'la three times on
each Sujud .
2- The right postion of Sujud:
a)You would support yourself
on your palms [and spread
them]
b)put his fingers together
c)point them towards the qiblah
d)Make your nose touch the
ground cause the prophet said :
There is no prayer for the one
whose nose does not feel as
much of the ground as the
forehead
e)Put your knees and toes down
firmly and point with the front
of the toes towards the qiblah
and put your heels together and
keep your feet upright.
f) These are the seven limbs on
which he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam) would prostrate: the
palms, the knees, the feet, and
the forehead and nose.

9-Rising from Sajdah:


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would raise his head
from prostration while saying:
Allaahu Akbar
This means: Allah is the greatest
Then you will sit in a specific position and say:
Rabbighfirlee wa irhamnee
This means: O my Lord! Forgive me, and have mercy on me
Introducing Islam Part I & II 260

Note :
1- The right position of sitting down:
The Prophet peace be upon him
would lay his left foot along the
ground and sit on it [relaxed].
2- You should stay a while in this
sitting, cause the prophet peace be
upon would sit straight on his left
foot, upright, until every bone
returned to its position.

10-The second Sajdah:


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would say takbeer:
Allaahu Akbar
This means: Allah is the greatest
& go again to Sujud position saying:
Subhana Rabbi yal a'la
This means: How perfect is my Lord, the Most High

Note :
1- You should say Subhana
Rabbi yal a'la three times on
each Sujud .
2- The right postion of Sujud:
a)You would support yourself
on your palms [and spread
them]
b)put your fingers together
c)point them towards the
qiblah
d)Make your nose touch the
ground cause the prophet said
: There is no prayer for the
one whose nose does not feel
as much of the ground as the
forehead
e)Put your knees and toes
Introducing Islam Part I & II 261
down firmly and point with
the front of the toes towards
the qiblah and put your heels
together and keep your feet
upright.
f)These are the seven limbs on
which he (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wa sallam) would prostrate:
the palms, the knees, the feet,
and the forehead and nose.

11- The Second Rak'a:


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to say Faatihah
which we teach you how to say it in step number 3
& then do all the steps which the prophet peace be upon him did in
the first Rak'a

Note :
When you rise up from Sujud to the second Rak'a you can rise up
supporting one self with hand . Take a look at this video

12- The First Tashahud:


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would sit for Tashhud
after finishing the second rak'ah and say:
At-Tahiy-yatu lil-lahi was-salawatu wat-tay yibatu, As-Salamy 'alika
ay-yuhan-nabiy-yu wa rahma tullahi wa barakatu, As salamu 'alayna
wa 'ala 'ibadil-la his-saliheen , Ash hadu al la ilaha illal lahu, wa
ash hadu an-na Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh

This means: All compliments, all physical prayer, and all monetary
worship are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's
mercy and blessings. Peace be on us and on all righteous slaves of
Allah. I bear witness that no one is worthy of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his slave and
Messenger.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 262
Note :
1- What is the right sit position in
The first Tashahud? : In the Fajr
there is only one Tashahud so it there
is no first or second Tashahud so in
the first Tashahud on the other
prayers and in Al-Fajr Tashahud you
would sit as you are setting between
the two sujud, but if you can't sit in
this way you can sit in any way you
can, but this is the way the prophet
used to sit.
2-While reading : " Ash-hadu ..........
to : Abduhu wa rasuluh" a person
should raise the index finger of the
right hand slightly and returt it
previous position after he had
finished saying it.

13- The Second Tashahud


The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would sit for the second
Tashhud after finishing the last rak'ah and would say the first
Tashuhud which is in step 12 and then say :

Allah humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala aali Muhammadin,


Kama sal-layta 'ala Ibraheema wa 'ala aali ibraheema innaka
hameedum majeed.
Allah humma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa-'ala aali Muhammadin,
Kama barakta 'ala Ibraheema wa-'ala aali ibraheema innaka
hameedum majeed.

This means: O Allah, send Grace and Honor on Muhammad (peace


be upon him) and on the family and true followers of Muhammad
(peace be upon him) just as you sent Grace and Honor on Ibrahim
(peace be upon him) and on the family and true followers of
Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Surely, you are praiseworthy, The
Great. O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad (peace be upon him)
and on the family and true followers of Muhammad (peace be upon
him) just as you sent blessings on Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 263
on the family and true followers of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
Surely, you are praiseworthy, The Great.

Note :
1- What is the right sitting position in The second Tashahud? : In the
prayers like Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and 'eisha, in the last rak'a you
should sit in a position called "Iftirash" click here to see how you
can sit in this position ... but if you can't sit in this way you can sit
as you feel comfortable ...
2-While reading: " Ash-hadu .......... to: Abduhu wa rasuluh" a
person should raise the index finger of the right hand slightly and
returt it previous position after he had finished saying it.

14-Salution of Peace (The Tasleem):


Next, The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would salute to his
right saying, means turn your head towards right shoulder:
As-Salamu 'alikum wa Rahmatul lah
This means: Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah.

Next, The prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would salute to his


left saying, means turn your head towards left shoulder:
As-Salamu 'alikum wa Rahmatullah
This means: Peace be on you and the mercy of Allah.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 264
21.00.00
Important Lessons
for the Muslim Ummah

All Praise is due to Allah we praise Him, and seek His help and
forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah the Most High, from the evils
of our own selves and from our wicked deeds. Whomsoever has
been guided by Allah none can misguide him, and whomsoever has
been misguided by Allah none can guide him. I bear witness that
there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah alone,
without partner or associate. I further bear witness that Muhammad
is His true slave and Messenger. May Allah the Exalted, bestow His
peace and blessings on the final Prophet Muhammad, upon his good
and pure family, and upon all of his noble companions.

"O ye who believe! Fear Allah(by doing all that He ordered and
abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared,
and die not except in the state of Islam as Muslims with complete
submission to Allah" (the Holy Qur'an, 3:102)

"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a


single person (Adam) and from him He created his wife, and from
them both He created many men and women; and fear Allah through
Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (do no cut the relations
of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is ever an All Watcher over
you" (Qur'an 4:1).

"O ye who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and
speak (always) the truth, He will direct you to do righteous good
deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah
and His Messenger; he has indeed achieved a great success" (Qur'an
33:70-71).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 265
Know that the most truthful speech is that of Allah’s Book (the
Qur'an, and that the best of guidance is that of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The worst of evils are innovations
(foreign to the true teachings of Islam, and every innovated matter
(in religion) is a Bid'ah, and every Bid'ah is a misguidance, and
every mean of misguidance is in the Fire of Hell.

This is an introductory book for every Muslim. It is a summary of


basic Islamic beliefs and acts of worship. We ask Allah by His
Names and Attributes to accept this work and make it a benefit for
those who read it and/or distribute it.
Khalid Al-Awadh and Dr. Saleh As-Saleh
24/2/1413
8/12/1993

01.The First Lesson:


Memorizing the opening Surah (Chapter) of the Qur'an Al-Fatiha
(the Opening) and some short passages and Surahs from No. 99
(Az-Zalzalah) to 114 (An-Naas) Every Muslim must make an effort
to memorize, recite and understand passages and/or Surahs from the
Noble Qur'an

02. The Second Lesson:


Knowing the meaning and the conditions of the declaration of Ash-
Shahadataan that: "there is no true God except Allah and that
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is the Messenger of
Allah. The phrase that "there is no true God" negates anything or
anyone that is being worshipped other than Allah and the phrase:
"except Allah; confirms that all forms of worship, submission and
adoration must be for Allah alone, without setting up rivals with
Him. The conditions needed to fulfill the meaning of Ash-
Shahadataan are:

Knowledge about what it means


Certainly about its meaning which dispels doubts and suspicions.
Sincerity that purifies its declarer from any form of shirk
(association).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 266
Honesty which negates hypocrisy
Love and attachment to the declaration of Ash-Shahadataan which
leads to the dispel of uneasiness, dislike, or hate to what it implies.
Adherence: conducting what Allah has decreed regarding His
worship.

Accepting to obey Allah by this declaration


Dissociating from anything or anyone being worshipped other than
Allah.

03. The Third Lesson:


The six fundamental articles of faith are:
Believing in Allah(His Oneness), His Angels, all of His Messengers,
all of His Scriptures (in their original and unaltered forms), in the
Last Day (of Judgment), and Fate and Divine Decree (whether good
or bad), which Allah Has measured and ordained according to His
previous Knowledge and as deemed suitable by His Wisdom.

04. The Fourth Lesson:


Tawheed (Faith in the Unity of Allah is divided into three articles:
First, believing in the Oneness of Allah in the sense of His being
the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher,...etc. This belief is called
Tawheed Ar-Ruboobeeyah.

Second, acknowledging that Allah alone is the One and Only true
God who deserves to be worshipped and thus abstaining from
worshipping any other being or thing. This belief is called Tawheed
Al-Ulooheeyah.

Third, having faith and belief in the Oneness of Allah’s Names and
Attributes. This belief is called Tawheed Al-Asmaa was-Sifat.

As for Shirk (associating anything or anyone in worship with Allah,


it is divided into three types:
First: Major Shirk (Ash Shirk Al Akbar) which Allah does not
forgive. Allah says regarding Shirk:
"But if they had joined in worship others with Allah all that they
used to do would have been of no benefit to them" (Qur'an, 6: 88).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 267
"It is not for the Mushrikeen (polytheists) to maintain the Mosques
of Allah (i.e. to pray and worship Allah therein, to looking after their
cleanness and their building, etc.), while they witness against their
own-selves of disbelief. The works of such bear no fruit, and in fire
shall they dwell." (Qur'an9:17).

The one who associate others with Allah and dies on this shirk will
not be forgiven and Jannah (Paradise) is forbidden to him, as Allah
Most Mighty and Honored says:
"Verily, Allah forgives not those partners should be set up with Him
in worship, but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; and
whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed
invented a tremendous sin." (Qur'an, 4:48).

"Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah then Allah


has forbidden the Jannah for him." (Qur'an, 5:72).

Asking the dead or idols for help, slaughtering for them and making
vows for them are examples of this Shirk.

Second: Minor Shirk (Ash-Shirk Al-Asgar) which is stated in the


Qur'an or in the Prophet's tradition but is not the same as Major
Shirk.

Riya (showing off) and swearing by other than Allah are examples
of this kind of Shirk. Prophet Muhammad, salla All u alihi wa
sallam, said:
"Of which I fear for you the most is Minor Shirk ".When he was
asked what was it, he said, "Riya".

He, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also said: "He who swears by


anything other than Allah commits Minor shirk ".

The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also warned:


"Do not say: 'had Allah and such and such (person) willed', but say:
'had Allah then such and such (person) willed' ".

This kind of Shirk does not necessarily lead to disbelief from Islam
or an eternal stay in Hell. It negates, however, the completeness of
faith.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 268
The Third kind of shirk is the hidden Shirk.
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, explained:
"Shall I not tell you of which I fear for you more than I fear of the
Anti-Christ?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, and he said,
"The hidden Shirk, where one beautifies his way of praying only
because another one is looking at him".

Alternatively, Shirk could be divided into two kinds:


Major and Minor. In this case, the Hidden Shirk encompasses both
the Major and Minor kinds depending upon the act committed. It is
Major if it is the same as the Shirk of the hypocrites who hide their
false beliefs while showing off Islam out of fear. It is Minor if it is
the same as Riya.

05. The Fifth Lesson :


The five pillars of Islam are:
(a) Ash-Shahadataan: bearing witness that there is none worthy of
being worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger; (b) establishing prayers; (c)
paying the alms (Zakaah); (d) fasting the month of Ramadhan; and
(e) performing pilgrimage (Hajj) if one can afford it.

06. The Sixth Lesson:


The conditions of prayers are as follows:
(a) Islamic sanity,
(b) Maturity,
(c) Performing the ablution (wudu),
(d) Cleanliness from impurities (on the body, clothes, and place of
prayer)
(e) Dressing properly,
(f) Having the intention of prayers,
(g) Facing the right direction of Qibla (direction of Ka'aba towards
Makkah), and
(h) The praying at the proper time.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 269
07. The Seventh Lesson:
The fourteen Basic Elements (Arkan) of prayers:
(1) Standing (if one is able);
(2) Saying "Allahu Akbar", which means: "Allah is the Greatest";
(3) Recitation the opening Surah of the Qur'an (Al-Fatihah);
(4) Lowering the head and back down at the right angle (Ruku);
(5) Resuming the initial standing position;
(6) Prostrating with the toes of both feet, both knees, both hands and
the forehead touching the ground (Sujud);
(7) Rising in a sitting position;
(8) A short rest in a sitting posture between the two prostrations;
(9) Tranquility in all actions;
(10) Performing the Basic Elements of prayer in order,
(11) The last Tashahud (the second part);
(12) Sitting for the last Tashahud;
(13) Exalting the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam;
and
(14) Turning the face to the right side and to the left one saying
"Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatu Allah; ("Peace and Mercy of
Allah be upon you") one time on each side.

(Note: Salaah is invalid if any of the above is missing.)

08. The Eighth Lesson:


The eight obligatory acts of the prayer are:
All the occasions of saying
(1) "Allahu Akbar" other than Takbeerat Al-Ihram (which is basic);
(2) Saying "Sami Allahu liman hamidah" ("Allah accepts any who
are thankful to Him") by the Imam as well as the one who is praying
alone, and
(3) Saying "Rabbanaa lakal-hamd" ("Our Lord, praise be to You")
for both the Imam and the individual;
(4) Saying "Subhana Rabbi Al-Athueem" ("Glory to my Lord, the
Most Great") in Ruku;
(5) Saying "Subhana Rabbial a'la" ("Glory to my Lord, the Most
High") in Sujud;
(6) Saying "Rabbighfir li" ("Oh my Lord, grant forgiveness to me")
between the two prostrations;
(7) The first part (At-Tashahud Al-Awwal); and
(8) Sitting for it.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 270
(Note: if any of the above is missing, the Muslim needs to make
sujud as-sahuw).

09. The Ninth Lesson:


Knowing the contents of At-Tashahud:
First Part: "Attahiyyatoo li-llahi wassalawaatu wattoayyibaatu.
Assalamu alayka ayyuhannabiyyu wa-rahmatullahi wa-barakaatuhu,
Assalamu ‘alaiyna wa-a’laa I'baadillahis ssoalihin, Ashadu an-lla-
ilaha illallaahu wa-ashadu anna Muhammadan a’bduhu wa-
Rasuluh."

"Greetings, prayers ant the good things of life belong to Allah.


Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the Mercy of Allah and His
blessings. Peace be upon us all and on the righteous servants of
Allah I bear witness that there is no true God worthy of worship but
Allah alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His true slave
and Messenger."

Second Part: "Allahumma Soallee a’la Muhammadin wa-a’laa aali


Muhammadin kamaa Soallaita a’la Ibrahima wa-a’la aali Ibrahima
Innaka Hamiidum Majeed. Allahumma baarik a’la Muhammadib
wa-a’la aali Muhammad, kama barakta a’la Ibrahima wa-a’la aali
Ibrahima, Innaka Hamidum Majiid."

"Oh Allah Exalt Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you


did exalt Ibrahim (Abraham ) and the family of Abraham. And bless
Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you did bless
Abraham and the people of Abraham, verily You are the Most
Praised, The Most Glorious."
Following the reciting of the Tashahud, the slave asks Allah’s
protection from the torment of Hell, the torment of the grave, the
trials in life-time and after death, and from the impostor Anti-Christ.

After that he may supplicate and ask Allah whatever he wishes,


especially the type of invocation said by the Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam:
Allahumma Innii thoalamtu nafsii thulman kasiirayon wa-laa
yaghfiruzzunooba Illa anta faghfirlii maghfiratan min I’ndika war-
hamnii innaka antal ghafuurur Rahim.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 271
"O Allah help me to perform remembrance of You and to give all
due thanks to You and allow me to worship you in the good way
(i.e. as ordained by Allah and His Messenger). O Allah I have
inflicted a great deal of wrong upon myself and there is none other
than You who can offer forgiveness. Grant me forgiveness from You
and grant me your Mercy. You are the All-Merciful, The Oft
Forgiving. "

10. The Tenth Lesson:


The Sunnan (supererogatory) acts of the prayer:
(1) The opening call of the prayer.
(2) Placing the right hand over the left one with both over the
chest while in the standing position.
(3) Raising the hands up to the level of the shoulders or near the
ears with the fingers being close together (not separated)
when saying "Allahu Akbar" at the beginning of the prayer,
when performing the Ruku, when resuming the standing
position after Ruku, and when standing to begin the third unit
of the prayer.
(4) Saying "Subhana Rabbi Al-Adheem" and "Subhana Rabbi Al-
A'la" more than once in Ruku and Sujud, respectively.
(5) Saying "Rabbigh ferli warhamni wah-dini warzuqni wa'aafni,
wajburni" ("Allah my Lord, grant me forgiveness, have mercy
on me, guide me, provide me with your blessings and console
me") more than once between the two prostrations.
(6) Bowing down, making the head and back on one level. This is
the position of Ruku.
While prostrating, the arms should not be brought close to the
sides or the abdomen to the thighs or the thighs to the legs.
(7) Raising the arms in Sujud.
(8) Praying for the Prophet and the family of Muhammad,
Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim (as in Tashahud).
(9) Performing the early Morning Prayer and the first two units of
the sunset and the evening prayer with an audible voice.
(10) Sitting between prostrations on the outer side of the left foot
(i.e. laying it flat) keeping the right foot erected with the
internal parts of the toes touching the ground. The same
position is to be taken while sitting in the first part of
Tashahud.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 272
(11) Taking the position of Tawartruk during the recitation of the
full Tashahud: The person sits on his left foot laid down with
his right foot erected.
(12) Making Du'a (to invoke Allah following the recitation of the
last Tashahud.
(13) Whispering the recitation in the Dhuhr (noon), Asr (late
afternoon), the third raka' of Maghrib (sunset) prayer, and the
last two raka'at of the Isha' (evening) prayer.
(14) Reciting another passage from the Holy Qur'an after the
opening Surah of Al-Fatiha.

11. The Eleventh Lesson:


Invalidation of the prayers:
Any prayer is invalid and nullified if any of the following acts are
committed:
(1) Intentional talking;
(2) Laughing;
(3) Eating;
(4) Drinking;
(5) Uncovering the parts of the body of which are not allowed to be
uncovered during prayer;
(6) Excessive alteration in the direction towards the Qibla;
(7) Excessive moving outside the regular acts and movements of
prayer without a proper reason;
(8) Nullifying the ablution.

12. The Twelfth Lesson:


The ten conditions for performing ablution are:
(1) Istinja
(2) Sanity.
(3) Maturity.
(4) Intention and...
(5) Its continuity (i.e. the person should not intend to discontinue his
ablution before its completion).
(6) If one performs Istinja' (cleaning the areas of natural discharges
with water) or with stones, tissues, leaves etc. (Istijmar) before
ablution.
(7) Water must be pure and Mubah (i.e. it is not stolen or taken by
force).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 273
(8) The removal of all things that prevent water from reaching the
parts of ablution such as mud.
(9) Those who continually lose their ablution (for example due to
release of gas, urine, or any reason that nullifies ablution), must
make prior to prayers.
(10) Causes that requires ablution (e.g. urine, eating camel meat,
sleep, etc.)

13. The Thirteenth Lesson:


The obligatory elements of ablution are:
(1) Washing the face, including rinsing out the mouth with water
and cleansing the nostrils of the nose.
(2) Washing the two hands up to and including the elbows.
(3) Wiping the whole head including the two ears.
(4) Washing the two feet including the heels.
Doing the ablution in the prescribed sequence, without delays.

14. The Fourteenth Lesson:


The six nullifying acts of the ablution are:
(1) Natural excretion, such as urine, feces, gas,...etc.
(2) Any unclean substance excessively discharged from the body.
(3) Losing one's reason due to sleep, loss of consciousness or
otherwise.
(4) Eating camel meat (because the Prophet, soallallahu alihi wa
sallam, ordered so).
(5) Rejection of Istinja
(6) Touching the sexual organs with hand (without any barrier:
clothes and so on).

Notice: Washing the dead does not nullify the ablution except for
that the washer's hand touches (without any barrier) the sexual
organs. Kissing women with or without desire does not nullify
ablution because the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, once
kissed one of his wives and prayed without performing ablution.
This holds as long as there are no associated sexual excretions (e.g.
semen). As for the saying of Allah Most Glorified:
"... or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) ...
" (Qur'an, 4:43)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 274
The contact with women is the involvement in a full sexual relation
as related by Ibn Abbass (companion) and others, and it is the
correct opinion.

15. The Fifteenth Lesson:


The recommended morals for every Muslim are:
(1) Truthfulness,
(2) Honesty,
(3) Abstinence,
(4) Modesty,
(5) Courage,
(6) Generosity,
(7) Loyalty,
(8) Refraining from everything that Allah had made unlawful,
(9) Being a good neighbor,
(10) Helping the needy, and
(11) Other morals stated either in the Holy Qur'an or in the
Prophet's, soallallahu alihi wa-sallam’s tradition.

16. The Sixteenth Lesson:


Islamic decencies:
(1) Greeting,
(2) cheerfulness,
(3) eating and drinking with the right hand,
(4) adhering to the Islamic conduct in entering and leaving homes
and mosques and while traveling,
(5) dealing kindly with parents, relatives, neighbors, the old man
and the young;
(6) congratulating,
(7) lamenting, and
(8) other Islamic ethics.

17. The Seventeenth Lesson:


Warning against Shirk (association) and against other wrongdoing
such as witchcraft, murdering, taking the money of the orphan,
dealing with interest (riba), escaping on the day of Jihad (war),
speaking evil of faithful women, disobeying parents, breaking up
with one's relatives, false witnessing, harming neighbors,
committing outrage upon others, and other warnings as declared by
Allah and His messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 275
18. The Eighteenth Lesson:
Washing the dead body and performing the funeral prayer:
a) Washing the dead:
When a Muslim is confirmed dead his eyes must be closed and his
jaws brought together.
(1) When washing the dead body, the whole body beginning with
the exposed parts of ablution must be washed.
(2) The abdomen is gently squeezed and followed by washing of the
anus and the sexual organs using a wet piece of cloth.
(3) Normal ablution will then be performed.
(4) The body is washed starting with the head and beard using water
mixed with the leaves of Sidr (lote tree, if available).
(5) The right side must be washed before the left side and the body
must be washed three times. (6) Each time the abdomen is squeezed
as above.
(7) The mustache and the nails are clipped, and
(8) when the body is clean, it is wrapped in three white cotton sheets
covering all parts of the body and perfumed with incense.
(9) If the body is still unclean, ablution must be extended to 5-7
times after which the body is dried with a clean cloth.
(10) Men's hair should not be combed while that of a woman is to
be braided into three chains and left hanging down behind her (as
done to the Prophet's daughter).
(11) It is preferred to shroud men with three white sheets without a
gown or Amamah (head cover); children in one up to three sheets
and women in five sheets, these sheets are:

(a) Dir': a loose outer garment with sleeves slit in front.


(b) Khimar: covering head and face.
(c) Izzar: a sheet wrapped around the waist, and
Two overall wrapping sheets.
Young girls can be wrapped with a gown and two sheets.

The one who has the most right to wash the dead body of a man is
his chosen guardian (if any) then his father, his grandfather, then the
closest of his relatives. The woman is best washed by her chosen
female then the mother, the grandmother, then the closest one of her
female relatives. The husband can wash the body of his wife and
vice versa because Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was
washed by his wife; and Ali bin Abi Taleb, may Allah be pleased
Introducing Islam Part I & II 276
with him, washed his wife, Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet,
may Allah be pleased with her.

(b) The funeral prayer (Salaah-Aljanaza):


Saying Takbeer: "Allahu Akbar" four times. Reciting Al-Fatiha
after the first Takbeer. Following the second Takbeer, one prays
for the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, as he does in
Tashahud. Then after saying "Allahu Akbar" for the third time,
one recites what is usually said in other prayers like asking Allah to
forgive all Muslims or any supplications he knows, preferably this:
"Allahummaghfir li-hayyina wa-mayyitina, wa-shahidina wa-
ghaibina wa-sagheerina wa- kabeerina wa-thakarina wa-unthana.
Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa-ahyihi a’lal Islam wa- man
tawaffaytahu minna fa-tawaffahu a’lal eeman. Allahuma la-tahrimna
ajrah, wa-la taftinna baadah".

"O Allah grant forgiveness to our living and to our dead, and to
those who are present and to those who are absent, and to our young
and our old folk, and to our males and our females. O Allah
whomsoever you grant to live, from among us, help him to live in
Islam and whomsoever of us you cause to die, help him to die in
faith. O Allah do not deprive us of the reward for patience on his
(her, their) loss and do not make us subject to trial after him...."

Or one could say:


"Allahummaghfir lahu warhamhu wa'afihi wa'fu anhu, wa'akrim
nuzulahu wa wassi' madkhalahu, wa'ghsilhu bi l mae wathalgi
walbarad, wanaqihi mina al-thunoubi walkhataya kama unaqa
athawbo alabiado mina addanas, wa abdilhu daran khairan min
darihi, wa ahlan khairan miin ahlihi, wa adkhilhu al Jannah, wa
aidhu min adhabi al qabr, wa adhabi an Narr; wafsah lahu fee
qabrihi, wanawir lahu fehi. All mma la tahrimna ajrahu, wa la
tudhlilna ba'dahu."

"O Allah forgive him (her, them) and have your Mercy upon him;
protect him and pardon him, receive him with honor and make his
grave spacious; wash him with water, snow and hail, and clean him
from sins and wrong-doings as is cleaned a white garment from
impurity; requite him with an abode more excellent than his, and
with a mate better than his mate. Admit him to the Garden, and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 277
protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of the
Fire; widen his space in his grave and bring him light therein. O
Allah doesn’t deprive us from his reward and don't let us go astray
after him."

Then after saying "Allahu Akbar" for the fourth time one turns his
head to the right (making tasleem) and thus ending the funeral
prayer.

It is best to raise one's hand while saying "Allahu Akbar"


In the case when the dead is a child or an infant, the following Du'a
is made:
"Allahumma ejalhu dhiktan liwalidayehi, washafeean mujaban.
Allahumma thaqil bihi mawazeenahuma wa a'dhun bihi ujorahuma
wa alhiqhu bi salih el Mumineen, waj'alhu fee kafalati Ibrahim
aleihi As-Salam, waqihi bi rahmatika adhaba al Jaheem."

"O Allah makes him a preceding reward and a reserve treasure (on
the Day of Judgment) for his parents; a one whose intercession
would be granted. O Allah makes of him an excess in the measures
and in the rewards (granted by Allah to his parents. Let him join the
company of the righteous believers and make him under the care of
Abraham (may the peace of Allah be upon him), and protect him, by
Your Mercy, from the torment of the blazing Fire ".

The Position of the Imam in the Funeral Prayer:


The tradition is for the Imam to stand right next to the head of the
body if it is a man, and to the middle of the body if it is a woman. If
the dead were many, men, women, male and female children in one
funeral, the following positions are to be taken:

The men right in front of the Imam. The women further towards the
Qibla. The male children are between the men and women and more
towards the men while the female children follow women further
down in the direction of Qibla (all of the dead bodies are to be laid
parallel to those praying). The bodies are to be arranged such that
the head of the male child lies next to that of a man while the middle
of a woman lies next to the head of a man. The head of the female
child lies next to the head of a woman.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 278
The followers of Imam are to stand behind him just as in other
prayers. It is acceptable for one to stand to the right of the Imam if
he finds no place behind him.

All praise is due to Allah and His blessings and peace be upon His
Prophet, his family and his companions.

[A lesson given by Shaykh Abdul 'Azeez bin 'Abdullaah bin Baaz


Original translation by Khalid A. Al-Awadh
Reviewed & Edited by Dr. Saleh As-Saleh

This is an unauthorized modification of the English translation of


the booklet.
For any comments or suggestions, please write to:
Islaamic Da'wah and Guidance Center
Dammam, Postal Code 31311,
Saudi Arabia
Tel.: 827-4800, 826-3535, Fax: 827-2772]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 279

INTRODUCING

ISLAM
Part II

Compiled and Edited by


Akm Fakhrul Islam
Al-Qur’an Research Foundation-USA(AQRF-
USA)
Tel:718-855-8114(H); 646-610-3804(Cell)
Email:islamakm@yahoo.com
www.scribd.com/my_docs
Introducing Islam Part I & II 280
www.travelsandhajj.com
22.00.00
The Fundamentals of Islam
Bismilla-hir’rah Ma-nir-Rahim

In the Name of Allah The Compassionate, The Merciful

22.01.00: ISLAM
The word "Islam" is Arabic word which means "submission to the
will of God". This word comes from the same root as the Arabic
word "salaam", which means "peace". As such, the religion of Islam
teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of
heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely
revealed Law. The most important truth that God revealed to
mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy of being
worshipped except for Almighty God, thus all human beings should
submit to Him.

22.01.01: WHAT IS ISLAM?


Islam is the complete way of life for all humanity. It is the religion
of submission to on God, the religion of peace, mercy and
forgiveness. It is the universal religion that calls for "One People
under one God".

In Arabic, when a warrior lays down his arms and surrenders


because he knows he is defeated, we use the verb "aslama", which
means "he submits." The word "Islam" comes from this verb and
means "submission."

So, in the widest sense, Islam means the religion of submission to


God. A Muslim catechism says, "Islam is submission to God with
all our being, with all our senses, with all our organs: the hands, the
feet, the ears, the tongue, the stomach and the sexual organs. It is the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 281
submission of the inner life of each of us". (Cf. Qur'an: 2 Baqara
106/112).

But in particular, we use the word Islam to indicate all the belief and
practices of the religion, of which Muhammad is the Prophet and
the Qur'an the sacred scripture.

Islam means submission to one God and it also means” Peace”. The
word Muslim means the one who has submitted him / herself to God
and lives with peace. If ones life is not peaceful, he /she should be
concerned about his or her level of submission to God. The more
you submit yourself to God, the more you enjoy peace, tranquility
and contentment in life.

Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed
through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's
population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life.
Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the
majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which
have come to be associated with their faith.

Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Islam is not a


new religion, but is the eternal truth that God revealed through all
His prophets to all people. Muslims, who are a fifth of the world’s
population, follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness. The
majority of Muslims have nothing to do with violence or other grave
events which have come to be associated with their faith. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]

Islam is currently the world's second largest religion after


Christianity (Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, combined). The
religion of Islam, as we know it today, began in the early 7th
century CE (Common Era) during the lifetime of the Prophet
Muhammad ibn Abdullah (570-632 CE). The word "Islam" itself is
an Arabic word meaning to submit or surrender to God's Will, or, in
other words, making a conscious decision to place God's Will above
your own. The core belief or teaching of Islam is the Oneness of
God Almighty, who has no partners, associates, or equals. God is
One. God is not a Trinity, has no divine son, and has never
incarnated in the form of a human being. God's true nature cannot
Introducing Islam Part I & II 282
be perceived by humanity, we can only know Him through His
attributes, His Mercy, His Compassion, etc. Furthermore, just as
God is One, so humanity is one. All human beings, black, white,
Arab, Asian, Native American, and so on, are all equal before God
Almighty. God has no ethnic "chosen people." The only difference
or superiority of one group of people over another is through piety.
The religion of God's Oneness is a part of our very nature. It is the
religion of all the Prophets, from Adam, to Noah, to Abaraham, to
Moses, to Jesus, to Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself to us through
Prophets and Messengers. His Final Messenger was born in 570 in
the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. His name was Muhammad ibn
Abdullah. [Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

22.01.02: What does Islam mean?


The Arabic word Islam simply means 'submission', and derives from
a word meaning 'peace'. In a religious context, it means complete
submission to the will of God. 'Mohammedanism' is thus a
misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad
(peace be upon him) rather than God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for
God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]

22.01.03: Meaning of Islam:


Islam is the name of the religion, or more properly the ‘way of life’,
which God (Allah) has revealed and which was practiced by all of
the Prophets and Messengers of God that He sent to mankind. Even
the name stands out unique among other religions in that it means a
state of being; it does not refer to any particular person, such as
Christianity, Buddhism or Zoroastrianism; a tribe like Judaism; or a
nation like Hinduism.

The root Arabic word from which Islam is derived implies peace,
safety, salutation, protection, blamelessness, wholesomeness,
submission, acceptance, surrender, and salvation.

Islam specifically means being in the state of submission to God,


worshipping Him Alone, and reverently accepting and obeying His
Law. Through this submission, the peace, security, and wholesome
well-being implied in its literal meaning is achieved. Hence, a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 283
Muslim or Muslimah is a person (male or female) in that state of
submission. A person’s Islam weakens through sins, ignorance, and
wrong-doing, and becomes nullified in totality by associating
partners with God or disbelieving in Him. [Daniel Masters, Isma'il
Kaka and Robert Squires]

22.01.04: The Meaning of Islam


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? [Towards Understanding Islam:
Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

22.01.05: Islam - What Does It Mean?


‘Islam’ is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender, and
obedience As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and
obedience to Allah and that is why it is called ‘ISLAM’. Everyone
can see that the universe we live in is an orderly universe. There is
law and order among all the units that comprise this universe.
Everything is assigned a place in a grand scheme, which is working
Introducing Islam Part I & II 284
in a magnificent and superb way. The sun, the moon, the stars and in
fact all the heavenly bodies are knit together in a splendid system.
They follow an unalterable law and do not make even the slightest
deviation from their ordained course. The earth rotates on its own
axis and in its revolution round the sun scrupulously follows the
path laid down for it. Similarly, everything in the world, from the
little whirling electron to the mighty nebulae, invariably follows its
own laws. Matter energy, and life-all obey their laws and grow and
change and live and die in accordance with those laws. EVEN in the
human world the laws of nature are quite manifest. Man's birth,
growth, and life are all regulated by a set of biological laws. He
derives sustenance from nature in Accordance with an unalterable
law. All the organs of his body from the small tissues to the heart
and the brain are governed by the laws prescribed for them. In
Short, ours is a law-governed universe and everything in it is
following the course that has been ordained for it. This powerful,
all-pervasive law, which governs all that comprises the universe,
from the tiniest specks of dust to the magnificent galaxies in high
heavens, is the law of God, the creator and ruler of the universe. As
the entire creation obeys the law of God, the whole universe,
therefore, literally follows the religion of Islam-for Islam signifies
nothing but obedience and submission to Allah, the Lord of the
universe. The sun, the moon, the earth, and all other heavenly
bodies are thus ‘Muslim’. So is the case with air, water, and heat,
stones, trees, and animals. Everything in the universe is ‘Muslim’
for it obeys God by submission to his laws. Even a man who refuses
to believe in God, or offers his worship to someone other than Allah
has perforce to be a ‘Muslim’ as far as his bodily existence is
concerned. For his entire life, from the embryonic stage to the
body’s dissolution info dust after death and every tissue of his
muscles and every limb of his body follow the course prescribed for
each by God’s law. His very tongue which on account of his
ignorance, advocates the denial of God or professes multiple deities,
is in its very nature a ‘Muslim’. His head which he wantonly bows
to other besides Allah is a born Muslim. His heart, wherein, through
his lack of true knowledge, he cherishes love and reverence for
others, is ‘Muslim’ by intuition. These are all obedient to the divine
Law, and their functions and movements are governed by the
injunctions of that law alone. This, in short, is the real position of
man and the universe. Let us now examine the problem in a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 285
different light. Man is so constituted that there are two aspects of his
life: two distinct spheres of his activity. One is the sphere in which
he finds himself totally regulated by the Divine Law. He cannot
budge an inch or move a step away from it. Nor can he evade it in
any way or from. In fact, like other creatures, he is completely
caught in the grip of the law of nature and is bound to follow it. But
there is another sphere of his activity as well. He has been endowed
with reason and intellect. He has the power to think and form
judgments, to choose and reject, and to adopt and spurn. He is free
to adopt whatever course of life chooses. He can embrace any faith,
adopt any way of life and formulate his living according to whatever
ideologies he likes. He may prepare his own code of conduct or
accept one formulated by others. He has been bestowed with free
will and can chalk out his own course of behavior. In this latter
aspect, he, unlike the other creatures, has been given freedom of
thought, choice, and action.
Both these aspects distinctly co-exist in man’s life.

In the first he, like all other creatures, is a born Muslim, invariably
obeys the injunctions of God, and is bound to remain so. As far as
the second aspect is concerned, he is free to become or not to
become a Muslim. Here he has been given the freedom of choice-
and it is the way a person exercises this freedom, which divides
mankind into two groups: believers and non-believers. An
individual who chooses to acknowledge his creator, accepts Him as
his real Master, honestly and scrupulously submits to His laws and
injunctions and follows the code He has revealed unto man for his
individual and social life, thereby becomes a perfect Muslim. He
has, so to say, achieved completeness in his Islam by consciously
deciding to obey God in the domain in which he was endowed with
freedom and choice. Now his entire life has become one of
submission to God and there is no conflict in his personality. He is a
perfect Muslim and his Islam is complete-for this submission of his
entire self to the will of Allah is Islam and nothing but Islam. He has
now consciously submitted to Him whom he had already been
unconsciously obeying. He has now willingly offered obedience to
the Master whom he already owed obedience unintentionally. His
knowledge is now real for he has acknowledged the Being who
endowed him with the power to learn and to know. Now his reason
and judgment are set on an even keel-for he has rightly decided to
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obey the Being who bestowed upon him the faculty of thinking and
judging. His tongue also is truthful for it expresses with conviction
its confession of the Lord who gave it the faculty speech. New the
whole of this existence is an embodiment of, in all spheres of life,
he voluntarily as well as involuntarily obeys the laws of the same
One God with the whole universe for he worships Him whom the
whole world is for him and he is for God. [Towards Understanding
Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

22.01.06: What are the Teachings of Islam?


The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in absolute Monotheism
(the Oneness of God). This means to believe that there is only one
Creator and Sustainer of everything in the Universe, and that
nothing is divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Him.
Truly, believing in the Oneness of God means much more than
simply believing that there is “One God” - as opposed to two, three
or four. There are a number of religions that claim belief in “One
God” and believe that ultimately there is only one Creator and
Sustainer of the Universe, but true monotheism is to believe that
only the One True Deity is to be worshipped in accordance to the
revelation He sent to His Messenger. Islam also rejects the use of
all intermediaries between God and Man, and insists that people
approach God directly and reserve all worship for Him alone.
Muslims believe that Almighty God is Compassionate, Loving and
Merciful.

A common misconception is the claim that God cannot forgive His


creatures directly. By over-emphasizing the burden and penalty of
sin, as well as claiming that God cannot forgive humans directly,
people often despair of the Mercy of God. Once they become
convinced that they cannot approach God directly, they turn to false
gods for help, such as heroes, political leaders, saviors, saints, and
angels. We often find that the people who worship, pray to, or seek
intercession from these false deities, do not consider them to be a
‘god’. They claim belief in One Supreme God, but claim that they
pray to and worship others beside God only to get closer to Him. In
Islam, there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the
created. There is no ambiguity or mystery in issues of divinity:
anything that is created does not deserve to be worshipped; only
Allah, the Creator, is worthy of being worshipped. Some religions
Introducing Islam Part I & II 287
falsely believe that God has become part of His creation, and this
has led people to believe that they can worship something created in
order to reach their Creator.

Muslims believe that even though God is Unique and Exalted


beyond speculative comprehension, He definitely has no partners,
associates, peers, antagonists or offspring. According to Muslim
belief, Allah “neither begets, nor was He begotten”-neither literally,
allegorically, metaphorically, physically or metaphysically. He is
Absolutely Unique and Eternal. He is in control of everything and
is perfectly capable of bestowing His infinite Mercy and
Forgiveness to whomever He chooses. That is why Allah is also
called the All-Powerful and Most-Merciful. Allah has created the
Universe for man, and as such wants the best for all human beings.
Muslims see everything in the Universe as a sign of the Creatorship
and Benevolence of Almighty God. Also, the belief in the Oneness
of Allah is not merely a metaphysical concept. It is a dynamic
belief that affects ones view of humanity, society and all aspects of
practical life. As a logical corollary to the Islamic belief in the
Oneness of Allah, is its belief in the oneness of mankind and
humanity. [Daniel Masters, Isma'il Kaka and Robert Squires]

22.01.07: Does God Need Our Good Deeds?


Prophet Muhammad told what God has said:
“My servants, I have made oppression unlawful for Me and
unlawful for you, so do not commit oppression against one another.
My servants, all of you are liable to err except the one whom I guide
to the right path, so seek the right guidance from Me, so that I lead
you to the right path. O’ My servants, all of you are hungry (needy)
except the one whom I feed, so beg food from Me, so that I may
give that to you. O’ My servants, all of you are naked (need clothes)
except the one whom I provide garments, so beg clothes from Me,
so that I may clothe you. O’ My servants, you commit error night
and day, and I am there to pardon your sins, so beg pardon from Me
so that I should grant you pardon. O’ my servants, you can neither
do me any harm, nor can you do me any good. O’ my servants, even
if the firsts among you and the lasts among you and even the whole
of human race of yours, and that of the Jinn’s (ghosts) even, become
(equal in) God conscience like the heart of a single person amongst
you, nothing would add to my power. O’ my servants, even, if the
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first amongst you and the lasts amongst you and the whole human
race of yours and that of the Jinn’s too and unison become the most
wicked (all beating) like the heart of a single person, it would cause
no loss to my power. O’ my servants, even if the first amongst you
and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and
that of Jinn’s also all stand in one plain ground, and you ask me and
I confer upon every person what he asks for, it would not, in any
way, cause any loss to me (even less) than that which is caused to
the ocean by dipping the needle in it. My servants, these deeds of
yours which I am recording for you I shall reward you for them, so
that who finds well should praise, and that who encounters
something else should blame only him.”

Chapter 3, Verse 195 of the Qur’an reminds us, “So their Lord
answers their prayers, saying: ‘I will not let the good deed of any
worker among you, whether a male or female, be wasted. You are
the offspring of one another.”

Prophet Muhammad also said, “If anyone summons others to follow


the right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those of the
people who follow him, without their reward decreased in any way.
And if anyone invites others to follow the error, his sin will be
equivalent to those people who follow him, without their sins being
decreased in any way.”

Huston Smith, the distinguished Professor of Religion at the


University of California, Berkley Campus, while discussing the
existence and presence of God with Bill Moyers in the Television
Program Series, Wisdom of Faith, says:
Let us say, that a bunch of dogs decide that they are going to prove
the existence of mathematics. So they take some papers on which
some math problems have been solved, and give them a “Sniff
Test”. What answer would they come up?

Huston gives another example from the Muslim scholar Rumi, who
says that there are 3 ways to learn about fire:
i) To be told about it;
ii) To see it;
iii) To be burnt by it.
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At this point, Bill Moyers asks Huston, “Have you been burnt by
it?” Houston replies, “Yes”, and he ads, “Those are the moments of
bliss that don’t last for ever, but show you another world, and give
you hope”.

Arch Angel Gabriel, visited The Trustworthy in a cave outside


Makkah, and conveyed the first verse of the Holy Qur’an. The
translation of this verse reads: “Recite in the name of thy Lord who
created you from a single drop of fluid.” This process in which ‘The
Trustworthy’ received guidance from his Lord for a period of 23
years continued until the last verse of the Holy Qur’an was revealed
in which God said, “This day, I have perfected your religion for you,
completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you, Islam, as
your religion.” During the said 23 years, this unlettered man with
guidance from God Almighty converted a bunch of Pagan warring
tribes into a moral society, and a nucleus for a worldwide empire for
the ensuing centuries.

A person who accepts Islam is called a Muslim. Muslims use the


word Allah to refer to God: Allah is an Arabic word meaning “The
One God.” Christians in the Arabic world (and there are many) use
the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God Almighty. So Allah is not a
different deity and is the same one God to whom Christians and
Jews pray as well. The Qur’an repeatedly refers to Christians, and
Jews as the People of the Book who pray to the same God.
[www.understandingislam.org]

22.01.08: Islamic Greetings


Have you ever noticed that when two Muslims meet, they exchange
a certain greeting? Let me tell you what it is. The first one says:
“As-Salaamu-Alaikum,” which is in Arabic, meaning “Peace Be
upon you.” The other person replies, “Wa-Alaikum-us-Salaam Wa-
Rahmatullahe-Wa-Barakatu-Hu,” which means “And May the Peace
and Blessings of God Be upon You As Well.” What a beautiful way
for human beings to greet each other. Its is like one offers a gift by
wishing peace to the other, and the other responds with a better gift
of prayers wishing for not only peace, but blessings of God as well.

Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him) said that a


Muslim has five rights upon other Muslims. These are:
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Responding to salutations.
Visiting the sick.
Following his bier.
Accepting his invitation.
Saying, “May God has mercy upon you,” when one praises God
after sneezing. [www.understandingislam.org]

22.01.09: One Message of Islam


Muslims believe that God Almighty has provided the same guidance
to all of humanity throughout history, i.e. starting with the first
human being Adam, who was also a prophet of God, through the
ages to prophets Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,
David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad – peace be upon
them all. That message is Islam or submission to the Will of God.

Muslims believe, not only in the 10 Commandments, but also


believe in the authentic teachings of all of the prophets. They,
however, feel that history has not preserved the original teachings of
some of the prophets. According to Muslims, the only scripture that
has been totally preserved in its original form as revealed by God to
Prophet Muhammad is the Qur’an. The Qur’an refers to the Jews
and Christians as “People of the Book” – because each of them is
the recipient of Guidance from God Almighty in the form of a book.

Muslims believe that God Almighty gave the ‘Torah’ to Prophet


Moses; the ‘Zaboor’ to Prophet David, parts of which are available
today as the ‘Psalms of David’; the ‘Injeel’ or the ‘Gospel’ to
Prophet Jesus; and the ‘Qur’an’ to Prophet Muhammad.

Hadith: The Qur’an is the primary source of Islamic teachings, and


the “Hadith” is the next. The Hadith refers to the authentic
collection of actions and statements made by Prophet Muhammad.
[www.understandingislam.org]

22.01.10: Continuity of the Message:


Islam is not a new religion because "submission to the will of God",
i.e. Islam, has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight
of God. For this reason, Islam is the true "natural religion", and it is
the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God's
prophets and messengers. Muslims believe that all of God's
Introducing Islam Part I & II 291
prophets, which include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad, brought the same message of Pure Monotheism. For
this reason, the Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of a new
religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was the Final
Prophet of Islam. By revealing His final message to Muhammad,
which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God
finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham, who was
one of the earliest and greatest prophets. Suffice it to say that the
way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham,
because both the Bible and the Qur'an portray Abraham as a
towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to
God and worshipped Him without intermediaries. Once this is
realized, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and
universal message of any religion, because all prophets and
messengers were "Muslims", i.e. those who submitted to God's will,
and they preached "Islam", i.e. submission to the will of Almighty
God.

22.01.11: The Islamic Way of Life:


In the Holy Qur'an, God teaches human beings that they were
created in order to worship Him, and that the basis of all true
worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islamic
encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is
encouraged in all human affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human
acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in
accordance to His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not
limited to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy
and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility,
sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally,
Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is
the only judge of human righteousness. The Islamic view of the
nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced. Human beings are
not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable
of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go
hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of
one's faith is one's deeds and actions. However, human beings have
also been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature
of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is not
inherently "corrupt" or in need of repair. This is because the avenue
of repentance of always opens to all human beings, and Almighty
Introducing Islam Part I & II 292
God loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at
all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a
healthy fear of God as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy.
A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while
believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly
forgive us only leads to despair. In light of this, Islam teaches that:
only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord. Additionally,
the Holy Qur'an, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad,
contains a great deal of teachings about the life hereafter and the
Day of Judgment. Due to this, Muslims believe that all human
beings will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions
in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Almighty God will
be both Merciful and Just, and people will only be judged for what
they were capable of. Suffice it to say that Islam teaches that life is a
test, and that all human beings will be accountable before God. A
sincere belief in the life hereafter is key to leading a well-balanced
life and moral. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which
causes human beings to become more selfish, materialistic and
immoral.

22.01.12: Islam for a Better Life:


Islam teaches that true happiness can only being obtained by living
a life full of God-consciousness and being satisfied with what God
has given us. Additionally, true "freedom" is freedom from being
controlled by our base human desires and being ruled by man-made
ideologies. This stands in stark contrast to the view of many people
in the modern world, who consider "freedom" to be the ability to
satisfy all of their desires without inhibition. The clear and
comprehensive guidance of Islam gives human-beings a well-
defined purpose and direction in life. In addition to being members
of the human-brotherhood of Islam, its well-balanced and practical
teachings are a source of spiritual comfort, guidance and morality. A
direct and clear relationship with Almighty God, as well as the sense
of purpose and belonging that ones feels as a Muslim, frees a person
from the many worries of everyday life. In short, the Islamic way of
life is pure and wholesome. It builds self-discipline and self-control
thought regular prayer and fasting, and frees human-beings from
superstition and all sorts of racial, ethnic and national prejudices. By
accepting to live a God-conscious life, and realizing that the only
Introducing Islam Part I & II 293
thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their
consciousness of Him, a person's true human dignity is realized

23.00.00: MUSLIM
The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God,
regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Being a
Muslim entails willful submission and active obedience to God, and
living in accordance with His message. Some people mistakenly
believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be
further from the truth. Not only are there converts to Islam in every
corner of the world, especially in England and America, but by
taking a look at the Muslim World from Bosnia to Nigeria, and from
Indonesia to Morocco, one can clearly see that Muslims come from
many various races, ethnic groups and nationalities. It is also
interesting to note that in actuality, more than 80% of all Muslims
are not Arabs - there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in the
whole Arab World! So, though even though it is true that most Arabs
are Muslims, the large majority of Muslims are not Arabs. However,
anyone who submits completely to God and worships Him alone is
a Muslim.

23.02.01: WHAT IS THE MEANING OF MUSLIM?


The word Muslim is derived from the same verb "aslama", and
means "one who practices Islam". As we have seen above, this can
be interpreted in two ways:
Firstly, anyone who submits himself to God might be called a
Muslim. Thus, for example, the Qur'an refers to Noah, Lot and the
disciples of Jesus as "Muslims", in the sense that they submitted
themselves to God.
But secondly, in everyday speech we give the name "Muslim" to
one who follows the religion proclaimed by Muhammad.

23.02.02: Meaning of Muslim:


The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a
state of Islam (submission to the will and law of God)”. The
message of Islam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who
accepts this message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly
believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be
further from the truth. In actuality, over 80% of the world's
Introducing Islam Part I & II 294
Muslims are not Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there
are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. If one just takes a
look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World - from
Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy
enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic
groups, cultures and nationalities. Islam has always been a
universal message for all people. This can be seen in the fact that
some of the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad were not
only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans.
Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience
to the revealed teachings and laws of God the Exalted. A Muslim is
a person who freely accepts basing his beliefs, values and faith on
the will of Almighty God. In the past, even though you do not see it
as much today, the word “Mohammedans” was often used as a label
for Muslims. This label is a misnomer, and is the result of either
willful distortion or sheer ignorance. One of the reasons for the
misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that
Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the same way that
Christians worship Jesus. This is absolutely not true; since one is
not considered a Muslim if he worships anyone or anything besides
God the Exalted. [By: Daniel Masters, Isma'il Kaka; and Robert
Squires]

23.02.03: What is a Muslim? Are all Muslims Arabs?


A Muslim is an adherent of the religion of Islam. In the Arabic
language, placing the letters "mu" before a word is the same as
placing the letters "er" after an English word. For example,
someone who places a call is a "caller," or someone who sings is a
"singer." Someone who follows Islam is a Muslim. The Arabic
word Muslim means "one who submits." Today there are
approximately 1.2 billion Muslims in the world. The majority of
Muslims live in south or Southeast Asia. The largest Muslim
country in the world is Indonesia, followed by Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and the predominately Hindu nation of India. Muslims
live in virtually every nation in the world. Only 15-20% of the
world's Muslims are Arabs, there are many Arabs who are
Christians. There are approximately 6-8 million Muslims living in
the United States of America. The goal of every Muslim is to
achieve "taqwa," which is the consciousness of one's responsibility
toward its Creator. There are two main branches of Muslims in the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 295
world, 85% are Sunni or Orthodox Muslims, and 15% or so are
Shi'ite Muslims. There are also a number of sub-groups, mystic
orders, and various heretical sects which may or may not consider
themselves Muslim. [Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]
23.02.03: Who are Muslims?
Muslims today come from different nationalities and cultures across
the world and are united by their common Islamic faith. The largest
Muslim community is in Indonesia with substantial numbers in Asia
and most of Africa. Around 18% of Muslims live in the Arab
countries. Muslims are also found in the Soviet Union, China, North
and South America, and Europe. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

23.02.04: What do Muslims believe?


Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God, the Angels
created by Him, and the prophets through whom His revelations
were brought to mankind. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets
starting with Adam including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac,
Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah,
John the Baptist and Jesus, (peace be upon them). In God's final
message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a
summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the Angel Gabriel. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]

23.02.05: Who is called a Muslim?


Gentlemen! The foremost thing every Muslim ought to know is:
Who is called a Muslim and what is the meaning of a "Muslim"? If
a human being fails to know what humanity is and what difference
is there between man and animal, he would naturally indulge in
beastly acts and would not value his being a man. Similarly, if
person does not know what is the true significance of his being a
Muslim and how is a Muslim to be distinguished from a non-
Muslim, he will behave as a non-Muslim and will not feel the
prestige of being a Muslim. Therefore, every Muslim and the child
of every Muslim ought to be taught the significance of calling
himself a Muslim, what difference takes place in his position as
soon as he becomes a Muslim, what responsibility devolves on him
and what are the limits of Islam within which a man remains a
Muslim and by transgressing which he ceases to be a Muslim,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 296
though he may be verbally styling himself as a Muslim.
[Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

23.02.06: What is the difference between “Islam” and


“Muslim”?
Answer: “Islam” is the name of the religion. Persons who practice
Islam are called “Muslims” [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

23.02.07: The Essentiality Of


Knowledge For Being A Muslim
a. The greatest favor of Allah
Brethren-in-Islam!
Every Muslim sincerely believes that the greatest boon of Allah in
this world is Islam. He feels grateful to Him for having included
him in the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah
be upon him) and for having bestowed upon him the blessings of
Islam. Allah Himself has reckoned this as His greatest boon to His
servants as is mentioned in the Qur'an:
"This day have I perfected your deen (way of life) for you and
completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you Al-Islam
as deen." (Al-Qur'an 5:3)

b. Obligation for the favor


It is obligatory for you to render Allah His due because of the favour
He has conferred on you. Whosoever does not render one his due
for his favour, is an ungrateful person. And the worst possible
ungratefulness on the part of man is to forget what he owes to God.

Now you may ask as to how can one render Allah His due for His
favour to us? In reply I have to say that since Allah has included you
in the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be on him) the best form of
gratitude for this favour of His, is to become the sincere followers of
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Since God has included you
in the Muslim community the only way for you to reciprocate this
kindness is to become full-fledged Muslims. In no other way can
you render what is due to Allah for this immense favour by Him.
And if you do not render this due, the punishment for this
Introducing Islam Part I & II 297
ungratefulness will be as great as is the favour of Allah. May Allah
save all of us from this punishment! Amen.

c. First step to become Muslim


After this you will ask: how can a man become a Muslim in the true
sense of the term? The answer to this question requires adequate
details and I shall deal with each and every part of it with full
elucidation in my lectures on coming Fridays. But in today's
address, I shall explain to you that point which is of primary
importance and which can be termed as the first and foremost step
in this direction.

d. Is Muslim the name of a race?


Please strain your mind to think as to what actually does the word
Muslim, you use, signify? Does man bring Islam with him when he
is born? Is a person Muslim because he is a son or grandson of a
Muslim? Is a Muslim born as Muslim just as a Brahmin's son is
born as Brahmin, or a Rajput's son as Rajput, or s Shudra's son as a
Shudra? Is Muslim the name of a race or nation just as Englishmen?
And just as a Jat is Jat because of being born in the Jat community,
is a Muslim in the same way a Muslim for being born in a
community which is called Muslim? What answers will you give to
the questions, I have asked? You will surely reply: "No, sir, such a
man is not called Muslim. A Muslim is not a Muslim because of
belonging to a particular racial group but because of accepting
Islam, and if he renounces Islam, he ceases to be a Muslim. Any
person who may be a Brahmin or a Rajput, an Englishman or a Jat,
a Punjabi or a Negro, will be incorporated in the Muslim
community on accepting Islam, while another person born in a
Muslim home is expelled from the Muslim community if he gives
up Islam, though he may be the son of a Sayyid or a Pathan".

Well, gentlemen! you will surely give the above answer to my


questions. So now this fact has been established from your own
answer that the greatest boon of God i.e., the boon of your being a
Muslim, which you enjoy, is not a racial asset which you
automatically inherit from your parents and which clings to you
mechanically all your life whether you bother about it or not, but
that it is a boon for acquiring which you must make efforts. If you
Introducing Islam Part I & II 298
make an endeavour for it then you can acquire it and if you don't
care for it, it can also be snatched away from you. May God forbid.

e. Meaning of accepting Islam


Now let us go ahead. You say that a man becomes Muslim by
accepting Islam. The question is : What does the acceptance of
Islam signify? Does it mean that whoever makes a verbal
profession: "I am Muslim or I have accepted Islam", becomes a
Muslim? Or does it mean that just as a Brahmin worshipper recites a
few mantras of Sanskrit without understanding them, if in the same
way a man utters some phrases of Arabic without understanding
them, he then and there becomes Muslim? Now you may tell what
reply will you give to this question. Naturally you will answer that
the meaning of accepting Islam is that a man should consciously,
and deliberately accept what has been taught by Muhammad (peace
be upon him) and act accordingly. Whosoever does this is a Muslim
and whosoever does not do this, is not a Muslim.

f. First requirement-knowledge
From this answer of yours the fact automatically comes to light that
al-Islam is firstly the name of knowledge and then the name of
putting that knowledge into practice. A man can be a Brahmin
without having knowledge because he is born as a Brahmin and
remains a Brahmin. So also a Jat can be Jat though he be bereft of
knowledge because he is born as a Jat and remains a Jat all his life.
But a man cannot become a Muslim without acquiring knowledge
because he does not become a Muslim from birth but from
knowledge. Unless he comes to know what is the teaching of Hazrat
Muhammad (peace be upon him), how can he affirm faith in it and
how can he act according to it? And if he has not affirmed faith
knowingly and after full understanding of it, how can he become a
Muslim? So it is clear that it is impossible to become a Muslim and
remain a Muslim while in a state of ignorance. Whosoever is born in
a Muslim home, bears a Muslim like name, dresses like a Muslim,
and calls himself a Muslim, is in reality not a Muslim. But that
person alone is a Muslim in the real sense that knows what Islam
stands for and affirms faith in it with full consciousness. The real
difference between a Kafir and a Muslim is not that of a name, that
one is Ram Parshad and the other one is 'Abdullah, and so one is a
Kafir and the other is a Muslim. Similarly, the real difference
Introducing Islam Part I & II 299
between a Kafir and a Muslim is not that of dress also, that one
wears dhoti and the other pajamas, and so the former is a Kafir and
the latter a Muslim. But the real difference between the two is that
of knowledge. The one is a Kafir because he does not know what
relation has God with him and what relation he was with God, and
what is the right path for him to lead his life in the world in
accordance with the wish of God? If a born Muslim too is ignorant
in this respect, then tell me on what ground do you differentiate
between him and a Kafir and why do you say that one is a Kafir and
the other is a Muslim.

Gentlemen! Please listen carefully to the point I am stressing and


reflect over it calmly. You must understand it thoroughly that to
obtain or to be deprived of the greatest boon of Allah, on which you
express thanks and gratefulness to Him, depends entirely on
knowledge. If there is no knowledge, you cannot at all get this boon.
Even if you have a little portion of it, then due to ignorance there is
always the risk of losing the magnificent gift. The recipient, only
due to simple-mindedness, will be under the impression that he is a
Muslim while in fact he is not. The likeness of that person who is
totally unaware of the difference between Islam and Kufr and the
incongruity between Islam and Shirk, is as the likeness of one who
is walking in darkness on a track. May be that while following a
straight line his steps swerve to another path and he be unaware of
this deviation from the right course. And it is also likely that he may
meet a Dajjal on the way who may tell him: “O sonny! You have
lost your way in darkness. Come; let me lead you to the
destination". The poor wayfarer being enveloped in darkness cannot
see with his own eyes as to which are the right path. Therefore
unsophistically he will grasp the hand of Dajjal and the latter will
lead him astray. These dangers are faced by the wayfarer for he very
reason ha he himself does no possess any light and so is incapable
of himself observing he road-marks. If he were endowed with light,
he will obviously neither lose his way nor be led astray by another
person. You may guess from this example that the greatest danger to
a Muslim lies in his own ignorance of Islamic teaching and his
unawareness of what the Qur'an teaches and what instructions were
left by the Holy Prophet (peach be upon him). Due to lack of
knowledge he will grope his way and will also be led astray by
Dajjals. But if he is blessed with the light of knowledge he will be
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able to see the plain path of Islam at every step in his life, will
discover and avoid the misleading paths of Kufr, Shirk, heresy and
immorality, which will intercept him, and whenever an inveigler
will meet him on the way he will realize after exchanging a few
words with him that he is an evil force and so he should followed.

g. Importance of knowledge
Brethren! On this knowledge, the necessity of which I am
explaining to you, depends yours and your children's being Muslims
and remaining as Muslims. This is not an ordinary thing which may
be neglected. You do not show any carelessness in cultivating your
land, in irrigating and protecting your crops, in supplying fodder to
your cattle and in other work of your profession, simply because if
you do so you will be starved to death and will lose a precious thing
like life. Then tell me why do you show negligence in acquiring that
knowledge on which depends your becoming a Muslim and
remaining a Muslim. Does not this entail the danger of losing a
precious thing like Iman? Is not Iman dearer than life? Out of the
time and labour you spend on things which sustain your life, can
you not spend one-tenth part of them on things which protect your
Imam?

I do not say that every one of you should become a Maulvi, read
voluminous books and spend ten to twelve years of your life in this
pursuit. It is not necessary to read so much to become a Muslim. I
only want this much that each one of you should spend only one
hour out of the twenty-four hours of day and night in acquiring the
knowledge of Deen. At least that much knowledge should be
acquired by every Muslim youth, adult and old person as may
enable him to understand the essence of the teaching of Qur'an and
the purpose for which it was revealed. He should be able to clearly
understand the mission of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
with which he came into this world. What was the wrong he wanted
to be demolished and what was the right he wished to be
established? He should also get acquainted with that particular mode
of life which Allah has ordained for Muslims. Not much time is
required to acquire this quantum of knowledge. And if Iman is dear
Introducing Islam Part I & II 301
to you, it is not so difficult to find one hour per day to acquire it.
[Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

24.00.00: ISLAM AND MUSLIM


24.01.00: Islam and Muslims
The name of this religion is Islam, the root of which is Silm and
Salaam which means peace. Salaam may also mean greeting one
another with peace. One of the beautiful names of God is that He is
the Peace. It means more than that: submission to the One God, and
to live in peace with the Creator, within ones self, with other people
and with the environment. Thus, Islam is a total system of living. A
Muslim is supposed to live in peace and harmony with all these
segments; hence, a Muslim is any person anywhere in the world
whose obedience, allegiance, and loyalty are to God, the Lord of the
Universe.

24.02.00: Is Islam An Arab Religion?


No Islam is a religion for all humanity. It is the first religion, which
had a universal beginning. The early followers of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be up on him) came from Arabia, Africa, Iran,
Asia and the West. Racism, Tribalism and nationalism divided the
world before Islam. Some people claimed to have been chosen by
God and others as inferiors. The rich considered the poor as people
of lower classes, Islam came with: “O people! God created you
from a single pair of male and female and made you unto tribes and
nations so that you may know one another the best among you is the
one who is the most conscious of God”. [Al Qur’an: 49:13]

24.03.00: Why does Islam sometimes seem strange?


Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world where
religion is seen as separate from daily life. Muslims have religion
foremost in their minds and make no distinction between secular
and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, “the Shari'a”, should
be taken seriously and practiced daily. For this reason, issues related
to religion are very important as they dictate how Muslims live their
life. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

24.04.00: Do Islam And Christianity Have Different Origins?


Introducing Islam Part I & II 302
No. Together with Judaism, they go back to the prophet and
patriarch Abraham, and their three prophets are directly descended
from his sons--Muhammad (SAW) from the eldest, Ishmael, and
Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them, from Isaac. Abraham
established the settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and
built the Ka'ba towards which all Muslims turn when they pray. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]

24.05.00: HOW DO MUSLIMS TREAT THE ELDERLY?


In the Islamic world there are no old people's homes. The strain of
caring for one's parents in this most difficult time of their lives is
considered an honor and blessing, and an opportunity for great
spiritual growth. God asks that we not only pray for our parents, but
act with limitless compassion, remembering that when we were
helpless children they preferred us to themselves. Mothers are
particularly honored: the Prophet (SAW) taught that 'Paradise lies at
the feet of mothers'. When they reach old age, Muslim parents are
treated mercifully, with the same kindness and selflessness.

In Islam, serving one's parents is a duty second only to prayer, and it


is their right to expect it. It is considered despicable to express any
irritation when, through no fault of their own, the old become
difficult.

The Quran says: Your Lord has commanded that you worship none
but Him, and be kind to parents. If either or both of them reach old
age with you, do not say 'uff' to them or chide them, but speak to
them in terms of honor and kindness. Treat them with humility, and
say, 'My Lord! Have mercy on them, for they did care for me when I
was little'. [Surah Bani Isra’il, v.17:23-24]

24.06.00: HOW DO MUSLIMS VIEW DEATH?


Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that the present life is
only a trial preparation for the next realm of existence. Basic articles
of faith include: the Day of Judgment, resurrection, Heaven and
Hell. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed, usually by a family
member, wrapped in a clean white cloth, and buried with a simple
prayer preferably the same day. Muslims consider this one of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 303
final services they can do for their relatives, and an opportunity to
remember their own brief existence here on earth. The Prophet
(SAW) taught that three things can continue to help a person even
after death; charity which he had given, knowledge which he had
taught and prayers on their behalf by a righteous child.

24.07.00: Number of Muslims


Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. There are over 1.2
billion Muslims. That is, one out of every five human beings that
walk on this earth is a Muslim. Not all Muslims are Arab, and not
all Arabs are Muslim. Only 18 percent of the Muslims are Arab.

Seven million Muslims live in the United States; approximately half


of them immigrated to this country, and the remainder was born
here. The Muslims now outnumber the Jews in this country. If you
think about it, Islam is no more foreign to this country than Judaism
or Christianity; all three of these religions have their roots in the
Middle East.

There are 60 countries in the world where the majority of the people
are Muslim. However, there is not a single country among them that
can truly be called an ‘Islamic State’; where the government and the
people conduct themselves truly in accordance with the message
that was given to humanity in the 7th century AD. The difference is
only the degree to which each country and its inhabitants are
adhering to the message and the spirit of Islam. That is why, we are
reminded to strive and be righteous, and is told that God is Most
Forgiving, Most Merciful. [www.understandingislam.org]

25.00.00: ALLAH
25.01.00: Who Is Allah?
Often one hears the Arabic word “Allah” being used in discussions
regarding Islam. The word “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for
Almighty God, and is the same word used by Arabic speaking
Christians and Jews. As a matter of fact, the word Allah was in use
Introducing Islam Part I & II 304
far before the word God ever came into existence, since English is a
relatively new language. If one were to pick up an Arabic
translation of the Bible, one would see the word “Allah” being use
where the word “God” is used in English. For instance, Arabic
speaking Christians says that Jesus is, according to their canon
belief, the Son of Allah. In addition, the Arabic word for Almighty
God, “Allah”, is quite similar to the word for God in other Semitic
languages. For example, the Hebrew word for God is “Elah”. For
various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that
Muslims worship a different God than the God of Moses and
Abraham and Jesus. This is certainly not the case, since the Pure
Monotheism of Islam calls all people to the worship of the God of
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets, peace be
upon them. [By Daniel Masters, Isma'il Kaka and Robert Squires]

Allah means the God. Allah is the name that he calls Himself in the
Qur’an where this originates. It can also be found in an Aramaic
copy of the Bible, and even Christian Arabs say Allah. Muslims
believe in Allah's complete authority over human destiny and in life
after death. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

Allah is the Arabic word for "God," or more literally "the God" (al-
ilah). Allah is neither male nor female, however, there are no neuter
terms in the Arabic language, so God is referred to as "He" rather
then "It" or something similar. Allah is the Creator of all that exists
and the God of all the prophets, the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses,
Christ, and Muhammad, among others. The word Allah is used by
Arabic speaking Jews and Christians, in addition to Muslims. In the
Qur'an, God Almighty tells us, that "whether you call me Allah or
Ar-Rahman (the Merciful One), all of My names are beautiful."
[Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

25.02.00: Does Allah look like us?


No, Allah is perfect. He is not like any of His creations. He has told
us that He has hands, eyes, a face, and feet, but all of these attributes
are befitting to His might and glory. A Muslim does not say a single
thing about Allah other than what Allah says about Himself. Allah is
perfect and unique. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

25.03.00: What does it mean to believe in Allah?


Introducing Islam Part I & II 305
To believe in Allah means to believe in total perfection, and
uniqueness. It means to believe in His prophets because they are
His, and He sent them, we cannot pick and choose. A Muslim must
believe in all the prophets of Allah. It means to believe in the
Angels! We must love them all. We cannot hate an Angel say, for
example, Michael to whom rain and the vegetation of the Earth are
attributed, or Gabriel to whom revelation (bringing down the
scriptures to the prophets) is attributed. It means to believe in
Allah's predestination of good and bad. It means to believe in the
last day: The Day of Judgment. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

25.04.00: Can we see Allah?


Nothing is as beautiful as Allah--He is perfection. Looking at Allah
is the greatest pleasure of the people in Paradise but this pleasure
Allah does not give to anyone but the believers. [Dr. Ibrahim
Dremali]

25.05.00: Does Allah see us?


Allah sees us and knows everything about us. He knows us better
than we know ourselves. There is not a leaf on a tree that blows
away or stays in its place that He does not know of. There is not a
dry spot, nor a wet spot, nor a grain in the depths of the earth except
that Allah knows it. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

25.06.00: Does Allah answer my prayers?


We know that Allah hears and answers all our prayers. This can be
in 4 ways:
1- Getting what we ask for!
2- Getting something as good or better!
3- Being spared something bad that would have happened
otherwise.
4- Being rewarded on the Day of Judgment with a much greater
reward than what we were asking for on earth. [Dr. Ibrahim
Dremali]

25.07.00: Allah The One And The Only God


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
Introducing Islam Part I & II 306
Merciful. The word Allah to mean God is also used by Arabic
speaking Jews and Christians.

Allah is the name of the One and Only God. Allah has ninety-nine
beautiful names, such as: The Gracious, The Merciful, The
Beneficent, The Creator, The All-Knowing, The All-Wise, The Lord
of the Universe, The First, The Last, and others.

He is the Creator of all human beings. He is the God for the


Christians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the
atheists, and others. Muslims worship God whose name is Allah.
They put their trust in Him and they seek His help and His
guidance.

25.08.00: What are the Principal Titles of God?


According to Muslim faith, Allah (God) is beyond all description
and knowledge. However, the Qur'an gives him many titles,
traditionally numbering 99. He is first the Creator, the Judge, the
Rewarder of good and evil. He is unique, He has no partner or
equal, He is all-powerful and merciful. He is the one who does
whatever He pleases and gives no account of His actions to anyone.
He exercises justice towards those He approves, and shows Himself
ready to pardon those who do what is needed to obtain pardon.

25.09.00: Allah, The Ah’ad Only One God


A Muslim believes in ONE GOD, Supreme and Eternal, Infinite
and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider.
God has neither father nor mother, neither son nor was He fathered.
None equal to Him. He is God of all mankind, not of a special tribe
or race.

God is High and Supreme but He is very near to the pious


thoughtful believers; He answers their prayers and helps them. He
loves the people who love Him and forgives their sins. He gives
them peace, happiness, knowledge and success. God is the Loving
and the Provider, the Generous, and the Benevolent, the Rich and
the Independent, the Forgiving and the Clement, the Patient and the
Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the Judge and the Peace.
God's attributes are mentioned in the Qur’an.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 307
God creates in man the mind to understand, the soul and conscience
to be good and righteous, the feelings and sentiments to be kind and
humane. If we try to count His favors upon us, we cannot, because
they are countless. In return for all the great favors and mercy, God
does not need anything from us, because He is Needless and
Independent. God asks us to know Him, to love Him and to enforce
His law for our benefit and our own good.

25.10.00: The Oneness of God:


The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Oneness of
Almighty God - the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus. Islam
teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive in human beings
and thus fulfills the natural inclination of the soul. As such, Islam's
concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to
understand. Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human
beings are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that
God's revelations to man are not clouded by self-contradictory
mysteries or irrational ideas. As such, Islam teaches that even
though God cannot be fully comprehended and grasped by our finite
human minds, He also does not expect us to accept absurd or
demonstrably false beliefs about Him. According to the teachings of
Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should
never be compromised by associating partners with Him - neither in
worship nor in belief. Due to this, Muslims are required to maintain
a direct relationship with God, and therefore all intermediaries are
absolutely forbidden. From the Islamic standpoint, believing in the
Oneness of God means to realize that all prayer and worship should
be exclusively for God, and that He alone deserves such titles as
"Lord" and "Savior". Some religions, even though they believe on
"One God", do not make all of their worship and prayers for Him
alone. Also, they also give the title of "Lord" to beings that are not
All-Knowing, All-Powerful and Un-Changing- even according to
their own scriptures. Suffice it to say that according to Islam, it is
not enough that people believe that "God is One", but they must
actualize this belief by proper conduct. In short, in the Islamic
concept of God, which is completely based on Divine Revelation,
there is no ambiguity in divinity - God is God and man is man.
Since God is the only Creator and continual Sustainer of the
Universe, He is transcendent above His creation - the Creator and
the creature never mix. Islam teaches that God has a unique nature
Introducing Islam Part I & II 308
and that He is free from gender, human weaknesses and beyond
anything which human beings can imagine. The Qur'an teaches that
the signs and proofs of God's wisdom, power and existence are
evident in the world around us. As such, God calls on man to ponder
over the creation in order to build a better understanding of his
Creator.

Muslims believe that God is Loving, Compassionate and Merciful,


and that He is concerned with the daily affairs of human beings. In
this, Islam strikes a unique balance between false religious and
philosophical extremes. Some religions and philosophies portray
God as just an impersonal "Higher Power" who is uninterested, or
unaware, of the life of each individual human. Other religions tend
to give God human qualities and teach that He is present in His
creation, by being incarnate in someone, something - or even
everything. In Islam, however, Almighty God has clarified the truth
by letting mankind know that He is "Compassionate", "Merciful",
"Loving" and the "Answerer of Prayers". But He as also emphasized
strongly that "there is nothing like unto Him” and that He is high
above time, space and His creation. Finally, it should be mentioned
that the God that Muslims worship is the same God that Jews and
Christians worship - because there is only one God. It is unfortunate
that some people mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a
different God than Jews and Christians, and that "Allah" is just the
"god of the Arabs". This myth, which has been propagated by the
enemies of Islam, is completely false since the word "Allah" is
simply the Arabic name for Almighty God. It is the same word for
God which is used by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians.
However, it should be clarified that even though Muslims worship
the same God as Jews and Christian, their concept of Him differs
somewhat from the beliefs of other religions - mainly because it is
based completely on Divine Revelation from God. For example,
Muslims reject the Christian belief that God is a Trinity, not only
because the Qur'an rejects it, but also because if this was God's true
nature, He would have clearly revealed it to Abraham, Noah, Jesus
and all of the other prophets.

25.11.00: Recognition of Allah as God


The question which arises here is, "How can all people be expected
to believe in Allah given their varying- backgrounds, societies and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 309
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 Surah 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". 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?" [Bukhari 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.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 310
Throughout people's lives from childhood until the time they die,
signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own
souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah).
If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and
seek Allah, the way will be made easy for them but if they
continually reject Allah's signs and continue to worship creation, the
more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the
South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South
America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol
Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The homage
to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been
taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog
walked into the hut, The young man looked up in time to see the
dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth
chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he
realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the universe. Allah
must be elsewhere he now had a choice to act on his knowledge and
seek Allah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his
tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allah for that
young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was
worshipping was false.

Prophets were sent, as was earlier mentioned, to every nation and


tribe to support man's natural belief in Allah and man's inborn
inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in
the daily signs revealed by Allah. Although, in most cases, much of
the prophets' teachings became distorted, portions remained which
point out right and wrong. For example: The Ten Commandments of
the Torah, their confirmation in the Gospels and the existence of
laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies.
Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in
Allah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total
submission to the will of Allah.

We pray to Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which


He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is
indeed the Most Merciful. Praise and gratitude be to Allah, the Lord
of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammed,
his Family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 311
25.12.00: Islam is the Submission to God
"He decreed for you the same religion decreed for Noah, and what
we inspired to you, and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and
Jesus: "You shall uphold this one religion, and do not divide it."
(Surah Ash-Shura, v.42:13)
.
This Quranic verse, alongside numerous other verses, confirms the
truth that as far as God is concerned there has always been one
religion. The one religion was decreed to Noah, Abraham, Moses,
Jesus and Muhammad.

All the Scripture revealed to mankind from God advocate one and
the same religion. This religion God calls Islam (Submission to
God). Submission to God as a religion is also described as
Monotheism (Hanifeyah) …. see 3:67, 6:79, 10:105, 98:5.
Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith,
and bowed his will to Allah's (Which is Islam), and he joined not
gods with Allah.[3:67]

"For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who
created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to
Allah."[6:79]

And, (O Muhammad) set thy purpose resolutely for religion, as a


man by nature upright, and be not of those who ascribe partners (to
Allah).[10:105]

And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship


Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to
establish regular prayer; and to practice regular charity; and that is
the Religion Right and Straight.[98:5]

The principal command from God in all Scripture is to worship God


alone devoting all the religion to Him and rejecting all other
gods/idols:

"You shall have no other gods besides Me" [Old Testament: Exodus
20:3 (First Commandment)]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 312
"You shall worship the Lord your God and Him ONLY you shall
serve" [New Testament: Luke 4:8]

"You shall know that: "There is no other god beside God" [The
Quran: 47:19]
.
Submission to God is the religion whereby we recognize God's
absolute authority, and reach an unshakeable conviction that God
ALONE possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power
that is independent of Him. The natural result of such a realization is
to devote our lives and our worship absolutely to God ALONE. As
shown this is the message of all Scripture.

The above Quranic verse (Surah Ash-Shura, 42:13) confirms that


the religion that was revealed to Muhammad through the Quran is
not different from what was given to the previous prophets.

Within the religion of Islam God decreed specific rituals and


practices designed to teach man to worship his Lord. These acts
(Prayer, pilgrimage .... etc.) were taught first to Abraham.

This truth is given light in numerous verses such as:


"We made them (Abraham and his sons) imams who guided in
accordance with our commandments, and we taught them how to
work righteousness, and how to observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)
and the obligatory charity (Zakat)." [21:73]

Essentially, if there is only one religion decreed by God there must


be One 'truth'. Do we conclude that there should be one revelation?
The answer to this question is that 'truth' and 'revelation' are not
absolutely equivalent terms. Because 'truth' is an absolute term it is
situated independent of form, whereas revelations are relative to
time, people and place, and thus require a form. But to speak of
form is to speak of diversity and thus plurality.

The need for different revelations at different times and for different
people is justified by the following factors:
(1) Mankind has gone through enormous development through the
ages physically, mentally and spiritually, that there was always the
need for various revelations at different times and for different
Introducing Islam Part I & II 313
peoples. Although the various revelations are united in message and
truth, yet we find that God never addresses identical revelations to
two different people. This being so, it can be said that the diverse
revelation do not, and should not contradict one another, for
although they differ in form, the religion decreed in all of them
(Monotheism) is one.

(2) If there appear any apparent contradictions between different


revelations, they are in human receptacles and not in the divine
message. This is a result of human inability to interpret such
revelations and more importantly the failure to preserve the 'truth'
contained in the revelation, which always tends to be impaired and
altered with the passing of time.
Ultimately, the apparent contradiction is no more than one between
corrupt scripts and interpretations of the original revelations, and
not between the revelations themselves.

Inevitably, and through corruption in the transfer and application of


a Scripture, together with the social and cultural factors that always
widen the gap between the factions, we are left with a multitude of
corrupt religions. These sub-religions in many ways hardly bare
any resemblance to one another, or to the original religion decreed
by God.

For that, there becomes a necessity for mankind to receive another


revelation that puts them back on track with God's law that has been
badly corrupted.

(3) We find that up until the advent of the industrial revolution and
the fast travel era, the world was still a wide expanse of disjointed
lands and peoples.

Many people would have not even heard of those Scripture that
have already been revealed in various other parts of the world. This
is why a new scripture would be revealed to new communities who
have not received the Scripture.

However, after the revelation of the Qur’an, there became no need


for any further revelations. Not because the message of the Qur’an
Introducing Islam Part I & II 314
is much different from the message of the Torah or the Gospel, but
because of the following reasons:
(A) A divine promise has been endorsed in the Qur’an that it will
not be corrupted like previous Scripture. As a result, and if the
message would remain intact in one Scripture, there becomes no
need to reveal further Scripture.
(B) With the advent of the modern fast travel means of today, the
whole world became a closer knit unit. People do not have to travel
to hear or receive information; it is brought right up to them through
the various media channels that were not available a few centuries
ago.

"The only religion approved by God is Islam (Submission)." [Surah


Al-Imran, 3:19]
The word Islam simply means Submission (to God). We learn from
previous Scripture that all the prophets of God submitted to God
Almighty and called their people to submit to the One and only
God.

It is a mistaken concept among Muslims (and non Muslims alike)


that Islam is basically the religion of the Qur’an and the religion of
Muhammad.

God tells in the Qur’an that Islam (Submission to God) is as old as


Abraham (22:78), and that all the practices of Islam were first given
to Abraham and his sons long before Muhammad was born.

Millions of Muslims today believe that it was Muhammad who


taught them how to pray and conduct their other rituals. This belief
is erroneous since it violates the truth of the Qur’an. In the Quran
we read:
(1) God taught Abraham and his sons all the rituals of Islam (Prayer,
pilgrimage, Zakat ... etc see 21:73, 22:26-29). This took place long
before the time of Muhammad.

(2) Muhammad was in fact commanded to follow the religion of


Abraham (16:123) .... This is described in the same verse as being
Monotheism, which is submission to God without setting any idols
besides Him. But God also tells Muhammad in verse 5:48 that
within each revelation there are specific laws and rites that are
Introducing Islam Part I & II 315
specific to the receivers of this particular revelation. Hence the
command is issued in 5:48 that Muhammad should follow the rites
given to him in the Quran and NOT the rites of previous people.

This is followed by God’s description of the Quran as 'COMPLETE'


(6:115), 'FULLY DETAILED' (6:114), that 'NOTHING' has been
left out of it (6:38) and that it offers ‘explanations for
EVERYTHING’ 16:89.

God calls this One religion that He decreed to all previous prophets
Islam (Submission). It is through this overall plan that we should
understand the meaning of the phrase (the only religion acceptable
to God is Islam). It does not mean that Islam is exclusively the
religion of the Qur’an, nor does it mean that Islam is the religion
first brought by Muhammad.
25.13.00: The first introduction
on the qualities God loves
Steps to Gaining Allah’s Love
[Umm Haneefah is a Nigerian Muslimah and Muslim writer
residing in Warwickshire, UK. She is a regular contributor to Sisters
Magazine]
The Qur'an details seven qualities that Almighty Allah loves and
seven qualities that Almighty Allah does not love. Then, we the
Muslims have a way to explore the steps to gaining His Love.

Human beings by nature, love rewards when they exert themselves.


And when they are devoted to a cause, coupled with anticipating the
rewards, they tend to strive more and bear the discomfort that comes
with the struggle.

This is similar to our relationship with Allah. Almighty Allah loves


it when we exert ourselves for His sake and He describes the
payoffs when He loves His servant.
As prophet Muhammad says in a hadith qudsi,
"...When I love him(my faithful servant) I am his hearing with
which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which
he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask
[something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask
Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about
Introducing Islam Part I & II 316
anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My
faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him" (Al-
Bukhari).

This is indeed an aspiration worth pursuing, a dream worth fulfilling


and a love worth nurturing.
Why would it not be?
The One who does well when displeased,
How will He be when pleased? (The key to Paradise by Ibn Rajab
Al-Hanbali)

Therefore, to complete one's faith and gain this love, we should seek
only Allah alone in love, hate, giving and withholding and Allah
alone must be our Lord and the only One whom we worship.

Let me break it down - It is total submission and the essence of


submission is to love what the Beloved loves and to abstain from
what He does not love.

This was how our pious predecessors achieved the criteria of true
worshippers and reached the highest level in their efforts. Allah
loves His servant to beautify his tongue through speaking the truth,
his heart through sincerity, piety, repentance, trust and patience, his
body through obeying and purifying it from all dirt.

A. Seven Qualities that Allah Loves


1. Tawbah (Repentance)
Truly Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance. (Al-Baqarah
2:222)
Repentance is a form of detoxification–Sincere repentance cleanses
and beautifies the Iman (faith).
We all commit sins but Allah loves those who after committing sins,
seek forgiveness with deep sorrow and regret.

This is the only way by which the past can be set right. Allah has a
concern for those He loves, therefore each time we slip and relapse
into the abyss of desires and sincerely repent, He (exalted be Him)
leads us out of it to the summit of forgiveness and further relieves us
of hardship and provides for us.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 317
2. Taharah (Purification)
...Allah loves those who purify themselves (Al-Baqarah 2: 222).
This is the external purification. The secret to this is performing the
acts with the intention of following the example of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him).
The removal of filth from the body by performing wudu’ (ablution)
and ghusl (ritual bath) and removal of filth from the garment, body
and place of prayer. They are acts that purify the body and radiate
the Iman. It is a means by which Almighty Allah will wipe out our
sins and raise our ranks.

3. Taqwa (Piety)
Surely, Allah loves Al-Muttaqun (the pious. (At-Tawbah 9: 4).
The fear of Allah is the source of a pure soul – it is borne out of love
and obedience. Thus, a pious person is constantly driven to do good
only.

He/She is humble and does not flaunt piety in front of others. The
fear of Allah beautifies the Iman and is the origin of all good as one
continues to strive to do only what pleases Allah and stay away
from the things that would displease him.

Piety is an internal quality as the Prophet (peace and blessings be


upon him) said,
“Taqwa is here” and he pointed to his chest (Muslim) and it is a
quality that puts us above others in the sight of Allah.

4. Ihsan (Goodness & Perfection)


Verily Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good doers). (Al-Imran 3: 34).
Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) says:
"Ihsan is to worship Allah (SWT) as if you see Him and if you
cannot achieve this devotion, then you must know that He sees you"
(Al-Bukhari).

Ihsan goes beyond a noble trait; it is an integral part of Islam. It is


the secret to an attentive heart – knowing that Allah is watching
Introducing Islam Part I & II 318
everything. This fills the heart with respect and veneration and one
becomes too embarrassed to go against Allah's commands. It
promotes performance of good deeds for the sake of Allah and not
for show-off or to gain praise or fame.

5. Tawakkul (Trust in Allah)


Allah loves those who put their trust in Him. (Al-Imran 3:159).
The secret and reality of trust in Allah is the reliance of the heart on
Allah alone. Therefore trusting in Allah by wordof mouth is
different from trusting in Him by the heart.

Reliance is doing and hoping; doing everything necessary within


one's capability to achieve one's aim and hoping with tranquility of
heart and soul and putting one's trust in Allah with firm belief that
whatever the outcome might be, it is as a result of the Will of Allah
and His Decree.

One should never feel that too much time has passed by without
supplications being answered; rather we should always place our
hope on the One who is able to do all things. Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him ) says, "If you all depend on
Allah, with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as
He gives to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return
with full bellies at dusk" (At-Tirmidhi).

6. Qist (Justice)
Verily, Allah loves those who act justly. (Al-Ma’idah, 5:42).
Justice is a prerequisite to peace which is missing in our
contemporary society. It involves giving other people the right we
give ourselves, treating people the way we would like to be treated.
Justice sounds like a word meant for the leaders alone but rather it
affects us all.
It means:
a. To beequitable in speech and in actions.
b. With no degree of discrimination or false testimony.
c. It involves being fair with regards to one's family and those who
are in our custody; justice between children by not giving one
preference over the other.
d. By not committing wrong against oneself such as engaging in
sinful practices and immoral acts.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 319
e. Justice with Allah in not associating any being with Him in
worship and obedience.

7. Sabr (Patience)
And Allah loves As-Sabirin (the patient). (Al-Imran 3:146).
Patience is one of the most noble of virtues and traits. It is to endure
what one dislikes with a sense of acceptance and submission and
anticipating Allah's reward.
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "patience to Iman is like
the head to a body: if the head is cut off, the body perishes as
well." (Gems and Jewels)

Muslims should adhere to patience when afflicted with calamity and


should not yield either to desperation nor despondence because if
we are patient, everything that was destined and preordained for us
will occur and we will be rewarded. If we complain and are
hopeless, then all that was destined for us will still occur, but we
will be blamed for our impatience at Allah's Will.

B. Seven Qualities that Allah does not Love


1. Israaf (extravagance)
Verily, He likes not Al-Musrifun (those who waste by
extravagance). (Al-An'am 6:141)
Excessive spending and lavishness in everything is the core of evil
and leads to greater evil. It makes one forget the hereafter and
preparing for it. Such acts would be a cause of humiliation and
disgrace on the Day of Judgment.

That is why Almighty Allah has prescribed zakah (obligatory alms)


and sadaqah (voluntary charity) in order to bless the wealth and to
curb extravagance in eating, drinking, clothing and in everything we
do.

2. Istikbaar (Pride)
He likes not the proud. (An-Nahl 16:23)
And the Prophet says: "Pride is to completely disregard the truth
and scorn (looking down upon) the people" (Muslim)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 320
Sometimes a person might be deceived by his/ her knowledge,
wealth and property, lineage and ancestry, or worship and be
arrogant and boastful.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri advised that: "Do not become proud merely


because you worship often, for consider what happened to Iblis after
he spent a great deal of time worshipping" (Gems and Jewels).

Pride is among the greatest means of damage to a person's wealth


and circumstances. It distances one away from Allah's love and
"Whoever has an iota of pride in his/her heart will not enter
Paradise" (Muslim).

3. Mukhtal fakhoor (Arrogant boaster)


Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster. (Luqman 31:18)
Being arrogant and boastful are a deadly combination –beauty,
knowledge, wealth and noble lineage should be taken as gifts from
Almighty Allah and one should be humble and grateful for them
rather than make them a means of pride and oppression.

Servants of Allah cannot be true to themselves as long as they are


flattering themselves, walking in an arrogant manner and looking
down on people who are inferior to them and not mix with them.

The one who is arrogant in this world will be disgraced on the Day
of Judgment.

Prophet Muhammad says: "The arrogant will be gathered on the


Day of Judgment in the form of small ants. Humiliation will
surround them from everywhere" (At-Tirmidhi).

4. Udwaan (Transgression)
Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors-(mu'tadeen). (Al-
Ma’idah 5: 87).
Human characteristics have limitations, which if surpassed would be
transgression and if one falls short of it, it would be a defect – for
example, generosity has a limitation, when surpassed, it becomes
Introducing Islam Part I & II 321
extravagance, when courage is surpassed, it becomes rashness;
when ibadah (worship) is surpassed, one falls into the risk of
adopting bid’ah - some of the Companions almost fell into this trap
when one of them said, "I will not eat meat,'' another said, "I will
not marry women,'' while the third said, "I will not sleep on the
bed.''

When the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) heard
these statements, he said, “What is the matter with some people who
said such and such? I fast and break the fast, sleep and wake to
stand to pray, eat meat, and marry women. He who is not pleased
with my Sunnah is not with me.”(Al Bukhari)

Therefore, moderation is the best way to deal with all matters – it is


not to exaggerate and make it hard for ourselves by prohibiting the
permissible things. And not to transgress the limits by excessively
indulging in the permissible matters but rather we should only use
what satisfies our need and not fall into extravagance.

5. Zulm (Evil, wrongdoing)


And Allah does not like the Zalimun (oppressors, polytheists and
wrong doers). (Al-Imran 3:57).
This is a reprehensible trait whose existence spoils the Iman and
darkens the heart. The wrongdoers are those who have chosen the
tempting transient life instead of the hereafter.

All acts of wrongdoing such as stealing, breach of trust,


embezzlement, usurping the rights of others, and bribery, have
serious consequences in the hereafter.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Almighty Allah says: "O my servants, I have


forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden among
you. Therefore, do not commit oppression" (Muslim).

6. Khiyaanah (Treachery)
Certainly, Allah likes not the treacherous. (Al-Anfal 8: 58)
The treacherous one is two-faced and inconsistent in words and
deeds. Acts of treachery lead to betrayal, disloyalty, perfidy,
deception and hypocrisy which in turn soil the Iman.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 322
7. Ifsaad (Mischief-making)
And Allah does not like the mufsidun (mischief makers). (Al-
Ma’idah 5: 64)
This is a comprehensive term which includes great crimes, sins,
oppression, carrying false tales, hypocrisy, tyranny and all kinds of
mischief. All these acts are despicable and stain the Iman.

Hasten today to adopt the qualities that Almighty Allah loves and
don't rest until they become second nature to you; hasten today to
abandon all the qualities Allah does not love and don't relent until
you hate them with all your heart. The Prophet said: "Faith wears
out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask
Allah to renew the faith in your hearts." (Al-Haakim in Al-
Mustadrak and Al-Haythami in Majma Az-Zawaa'id)

Therefore the key is supplication, resorting to Allah and sincere


desire to please Him followed by action, so we say,
"Allahuma habbib ilayna –Al-Iman wa zayyinhu fi quloobina.
"O Allah make Iman beloved to us and beautify it in our hearts".

References:
•Tafsir Ibn Kathir
•Al-Fawaid – A collection of wise sayings by Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim
•The key to paradise by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali
•Gems and jewels –wise sayings, interesting events & moral lessons
from the Islamic history, compiled by Abdul-Malik Mujahid
(Darussalam)
•Glimpses of the lives of Righteous people, compiled by Majdi
Muhammad Ash-Shahawi (Darussalam)
http://www.islamonline.net

25.14.00: Do Muslims believe that


God is Father that God is Love?
(i) In Muslim faith God is regarded as the Master, and believers are
his servants or slaves. These terms emphasize the greatness of God,
and the humility and obedience which man must display in God's
presence. The Muslim feels it a position of great honor to be a
"slave of God". Muslims reject the idea that God is Father, out of
fear that this would diminish the greatness of God; they suspect that
Introducing Islam Part I & II 323
those who call themselves "sons of God" are proudly exalting
themselves as God's favorites. Allah says in the Qur’an:

‘And (both) the Jews and the Christians say: "We are the children of
Allâh and His loved ones." Say: "Why then does He punish you for
your sins?" Nay, you are but human beings of those He has created,
He forgives whom He wills and He punishes whom He wills. And
to Allâh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all
that is between them, and to Him is the return (of all).’ [Surah Al-
Ma'ida, V.5:18]
(ii) The Qur'an calls God "the loving" (Al Wadud), but the meaning
is rather different from the Christian idea of God's love. It implies
"approval"; thus the Qur'an says that God loves (approves of) the
good, but does not love (approve of) the evil-doers. As Allah says in
the Qur’an:

(29) Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Whether you hide what is in your


breasts or reveal it, Allâh knows it, and He knows what is in the
heavens and what is in the earth. And Allâh is Able to do all things."
(30) On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the
good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that
there were a great distance between him and his evil. And Allâh
warns you against Himself (His Punishment) and Allâh is full of
Kindness to the (His) slaves. (31) Say (O Muhammad SAW to
mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept
Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will
love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful." (32) Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Obey Allâh and
the Messenger (Muhammad SAW)." But if they turn away, then
Allâh does not like the disbelievers.[Surah Al-Imran, 3:29-32]

(70) O people of the Scripture! (Jews and Christians): "Why do you


disbelieve in the Ayât of Allâh, [the Verses about Prophet
Muhammad SAW present in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel
(Gospel)] while you (yourselves) bear witness (to their truth)." (71)
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): "Why do you mix
truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?" (72)
And a party of the people of the Scripture says: "Believe in the
morning in that which is revealed to the believers (Muslims), and
rejects it at the end of the day, so that they may turn back. (73) And
Introducing Islam Part I & II 324
believe no one except the one who follows your religion. Say (O
Muhammad SAW): "Verily! Right guidance is the Guidance of
Allâh" and do not believe that anyone can receive like that which
you have received (of Revelation) except when he follows your
religion, otherwise they would engage you in argument before your
Lord. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "All the bounty is in the Hand of
Allâh; He grants to whom He wills. And Allâh is All-Sufficient for
His creatures' needs, the All-Knower." (74) He selects for His Mercy
(Islâm and the Qur'ân with Prophethood) whom He wills and Allâh
is the Owner of Great Bounty. (75) Among the people of the
Scripture (Jews and Christians) is he who, if entrusted with a
Cantar (a great amount of wealth, etc.), will readily pay it back; and
among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin,
will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because
they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties
of the illiterates (Arabs)." But they tell a lie against Allâh while they
know it. (76) Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allâh much;
verily, then Allâh loves those who are Al-Muttaqûn. [Surah Al-
Imran, v.3:70-76]

The Qur'an speaks much of God's goodness in creation and in


sending prophets, but nowhere says that God loves the world, nor
that God loves sinners, nor that "God is love" [cf. John 3:16;
Romans 5:81, John 4:8].

25.15.00: Our Creed’s What’s And Why


Our creed is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His
Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Fate whether good or bad.

Belief in Allah's Lordship, Oneness, and Attributes:


We believe in Allah's divinity; that is he is the Lord, the Creator, the
Sovereign, and the Manager of all affairs.

We believe in Allah's god ship; that is, He is the true God and every
other so-called deity is false.

We believe in His names and attributes, that is He has the most


magnificent names and the sublime perfect attributes.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 325
We believe in His oneness in all of this, that is, He has no associate
in His divinity, His God ship, His names, or His attributes. Allah
says in the Qur'an: "He is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth and
all that is in between them, so worship Him and be patient in His
worship; do you know any equal to Him?" (19:65).

We believe that He is "Allah there is no God but He, the Living, the
Everlasting. Slumber does not seize Him, neither sleep; to Him
belongs all that is in the heavens and the Earth. Who is there that
shall intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what
is before them and what is behind them, and they do not encompass
anything of His knowledge except what He wills. His throne
extends over the heavens and the Earth, the preservation of them
does not burden Him; He is the High, the Great" (2:255).

We believe that "He is Allah; there is no god but He, the Knower of
the Unseen and the Visible. He is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
He is Allah; there is no God but Him, the King, the Holy One, the
Source of Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Almighty,
the Subduer, and the Sublime. Glory be to Allah above what they
associate with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, and the
Shaper. His are the most beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens
and the Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the Wise" (59:22-
4).

We believe that to Him belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and


the Earth: "He creates what He pleases. He gives, to whom He wills,
females, and He gives, to whom He wills, males, or He couples
them, males and females; and He makes whom He wills barren.
Surely He is the Knowing, the Powerful" (42:49-50).

We believe that "there is nothing whatever likes unto Him, He is the


All-hearing, the All-seeing. To Him belong the keys of the Heavens
and the Earth. He enlarges and restricts provisions to which He
wills. Surely He has knowledge of everything". (42:11-12)

We believe that "there is no creature that moves on the Earth but its
provision depends on Allah. He knows its dwelling and its resting
place. All is recorded in a clear book". (11:6)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 326
We believe that "with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows
them but He. He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but
He knows it. Not a grain in the deep darkness of the Earth, not a
thing green or dry but it is in a clear Book". (6:59).

We believe that "Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour, sends
down rain, and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it
shall earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it shall die.
Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-aware" (31:34).

We believe that Allah speaks whatever He pleases whenever He


pleases: "And Allah spoke to Moses directly" (4:164); "And when
Moses came at Our appointed place, and his Lord spoke to him"
(7:143 ); "We called to him from the right side of the Mount (Sinai),
and We brought him near in communion" (19:52).

We believe that "if the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord,
the ocean would be finished before the words of my Lord came to
an end" (18:109); "And if all the trees that are in the earth were
pens, and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans swelling it
therefore, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah
is Mighty, Wise" (31:27).

We believe that Allah's words are the most truthful in conveying


information, the most just in ruling, and the fairest in conversation.
He said: "The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and
justice" (6:115); "And who is more truthful in his word than Allah?"
(4:87).

We believe that the Qur'an is Allah's word. He literally spoke it to


Gabriel, who conveyed it to the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Say
(O Muhammad) 'the Holy Spirit has brought it down from your
Lord in truth"' (16:102); and

"Truly it is the revelation of the Lord of the world brought down


upon your heart by the Faithful Spirit so that you may be one of the
warners, in a clear Arabic tongue"(26:192-95).

We believe that Allah is well above His creatures in His Person and
His Attributes, because He says: "He is the High, the Great" (2:22);
Introducing Islam Part I & II 327
"He is Supreme over His servants, and He is the Wise, the All-
aware" (6:18 ).

We believe that He "created the Heavens and the Earth in six days,
then He settled Himself on the throne; He manages everything"
(10:3). His "settling on the throne" means that He is sitting in person
on His throne in a way that is becoming to His majesty and
greatness. Nobody except He knows exactly how He is sitting.

We believe that He is with His creatures while He is still on His


throne. He knows their conditions, hears their sayings, sees their
deeds, and manages their affairs. He provides for the poor and the
broken.

He gives sovereignty to which He pleases and takes away


sovereignty from whom He pleases; He exalts whom He wills and
He abases whom He wills. In His hand is all good and He is
powerful over everything. Whoever possesses these qualities is
literally with His creatures even if He is literally above them on His
throne. "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him; He is the All-
hearing, the All-seeing" (42: 11).

We do not say, as do the Incarnationists among the Jahomites and


others, that Allah is living with His creatures on Earth. We consider
whoever says this a non-believer or one who has strayed, for he
attributed to Allah that which does not become Him of defects.

We believe in what His Messenger told us, that He descends to the


near sky before the last third of every night and says: "Who prays to
Me and I will answer his prayers? Who asks Me and I will give
him? Who asks My forgiveness and I will forgive him?" (Bukhari
and Muslim).

We believe that He will come on the Day of Judgment to judge


among His people because He said: "No indeed! When the Earth is
crushed to powder and your Lord comes down with the angels in
rows after rows, and Hell is brought out that day. On that day man
will remember, but what will remembrance avail him?" (89:21-23).

We believe that he is the Doer of what He wills.


Introducing Islam Part I & II 328

Allah's Will: Universal and Legal:


We believe that His will is of two kinds: a) Universal will, through
which His intention is carried out. It is not necessary that what is
carried out is liked by Him. This type of will means permission, as
Allah said: "Had Allah willed, they would not have fought one
against the other, but Allah does whatever He desires," (2:253) and
"If Allah desires to lead you astray, He is your Lord" (11:34), and b)
Legal will, which does not necessarily entail the execution of His
desire. His will, in this case, cannot be but what He likes, as He
said: "Allah wants to forgive you" (4:27).

We believe that His universal and legal wills are part of His
wisdom. Every thing He performs in the universe or requires legally
from His creatures is for a good reason and according to His
wisdom, whether we grasp it or not: "Is not Allah the best of
Judges?" (95:8); "And who is better than Allah in judgment for a
people who have firm faith" (5:50).

We believe that Allah loves His select servants and that they love
Him: "Say if you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you"
(3:31); "Allah will bring a people whom He will love and who will
love Him" (5:54); "Allah loves the steadfast" (3:146); "And act
justly, surely, Allah loves the just" (49:9); and "Do good; Allah
loves those who do good" (5:93).

We believe that Allah likes what He prescribed of good deeds and


sayings and He dislikes what He prohibited of bad deeds and
sayings: "If you disbelieve, surely Allah does not need you, yet He
does not like disbelief for His servants; if you are thankful, this
pleases Him"(39:7); and

"But Allah disliked their marching forth. So He kept them back, and
it was said to them: 'Stay with the weaklings"(9: 46).

We believe that Allah is pleased with those who believe in Him and
do good deeds: "Allah is well pleased with them and they are well
pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord" (98:8).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 329
We believe that Allah is angry with those who deserve His anger
among the non-believers and others: "And those who think evil
thoughts of Allah, against them shall be the evil turn of fortune.
Allah is angry with them" (48:6); " But whoever opens his heart to
disbelief, on them is Allah's wrath and they shall have a severe
punishment" (16:106).

More of Allah's Attributes: We believe that Allah has a glorious and


dignified face: "There will remain the face of your Lord, majestic
and splendid" (55:27).

We believe that Allah has two generous hands: "No, both His hands
are wide open; He spends how He pleases" (5:64); "They do not
esteem Allah with the esteem that is due to Him. The whole Earth
will be His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the Heavens
will be rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him and exalted is
He above that which they associate with Him" (39:67).
We believe that Allah possesses two real eyes, because He said:
"And build the ark under Our eyes as We reveal" (11:37). The
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "His veil is light. Had He
removed it, the sublimity of His countenance would have burnt all
that His sight reached" (Muslim and Ibn Majah). The Sunnites
unanimously have agreed that He has two eyes. This is supported by
the Prophet's saying about the Dajjal (the anti-Christ) that "he is
one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed" (Bukhari and Muslim).

We believe that "vision cannot perceive Him, but He perceives all


vision. He is the Incomprehensible, the All-aware" (6:103).

We believe that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of
Resurrection: "Upon that day some faces shall be radiant, gazing
upon their Lord" (75:22-3).

We believe that Allah has no equal because His Attributes are


perfect: "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him. He is the All-
hearing, the All-seeing" (42:11). ¥ We believe that "no slumber or
sleep seizes Him" (2:255), because His life is perfect and eternal.

We believe that He does not do injustice to anybody, because His


fairness is perfect.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 330

We believe that He is not unaware of his servants' deeds, because


He has perfect supervision and comprehensive knowledge.

We believe that He is capable of doing anything in the Heavens or


in the Earth, because of His perfect knowledge and power: "Indeed
His command, when He desires a thing, is only to say to it 'Be' and
it is" (36: 82).

We believe that He is free from weariness and weakness, because of


His infinite power: "Surely, We created the Heavens and the Earth
and all that is between them in six days and no weariness touched
Us" (50: 38).

Describing Allah by His Revelation:


We believe in all that He assigned to Himself or what His
Messenger described Him with, of names and attributes. However,
we reject two concepts: 1) To say or believe that Allah's attributes
are similar to those of his creatures; and 2) To say or believe that
Allah's attributes are like such and such.

We negate all what He negated about Himself or what His


Messenger negated about Him. We believe that negation implies the
affirmation of its perfect opposite. We do not discuss what He or His
Messenger did not mention about Him.

We believe that following this approach is a must, because what


Allah affirmed or negated concerning Him is a statement He made
about Himself. He knows Himself best. His words are most just and
trustful, and people cannot know everything about Him. What
Allah's Messenger affirmed or negated about Him is a statement that
he made about Allah. Besides knowing Allah better than anyone, he
is the most truthful, sincere, and eloquent among people. Thus, in
what Allah said and what His Prophet said concerning His names
and attributes is the truth, knowledge, and clarification. Therefore,
we have no excuse to reject or even hesitate in accepting it.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 331
Note: This has been taken from the Book of ‘The Muslim's Belief’
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
islamworld.net

20.04.15: What are the meanings of


(a) Bismillah,
(b) Al-hamdu li-llah,
(c) Insha-Allah,
(d) Allahu Akbar,
(e) Allah karim,
(f) As-salaamu a’laikum,
(g) Salla-llahu a’laihi wa-sallam?

(a) Bismillah means "in the name of God". It is a kind of invocation


much used to call down blessing on oneself or to drive away an
influence thought to be harmful.

(b) Al-hamdu li-llah means "praise (returns) to God". By this


phrase the believer declares that God is the source of everything
worthy of praise, and it is to God that everything must return.
(c) Insha-allah means "if God so wills". By this the believer wishes
to express his dependence, his submission to God. Sometimes it is a
form of modesty to reply in this way to congratulation or flattery.

(d) Allahu Akbar means "God is most great". The phrase is


constantly repeated in the ritual prayer, and at other times e.g. to
express admiration or surprise. It implies that God is the Supreme
Introducing Islam Part I & II 332
Being, He knows what He wishes, He is the Master, and everything
He does is to be accepted by man as good.

(e) Allah karim means "God is generous"; it is He who supplies


what is lacking and gives abundantly to whom He pleases. The
phrase is frequently on the lips of beggars, who use it to appeal to
the generosity of passers-by, reminding them that God will
recompense them.

(f) As-salaamu a’laikum is the common greeting "peace be upon


you (plural)" -- to which the answer is wa-a’laikumus-salaam,
"and upon you, peace". Some Muslims believe that the greeting
should only be used by one Muslim to another.

(g) Salla-llahu a’laihi wa-sallam means "may the blessing of God


and peace be upon him", and is said by Muslims after any mention
of Muhammad.
26.00.00: Prophet Mohammed
26.01.00: What Is Mohammedanism?
Mohammedanism is a misnomer. Islam is the religion of Allah, the
one and Only God. Muhammad was a human being. Islam considers
all prophets (peace be up on them) as human beings and examples
for humanity. God appointed prophets not to b worshiped but to
communicate the message of Go to humanity.

26.02.00: Who Is Mohammad?


Muhammad is the name of the man who (Muslims believe) received
a revelation from God, and in accordance with this revelation laid
the foundation of Muslim belief and practice. He is also called "an-
nabi", which means "the Prophet".

Muhammad was the son of Abdullah and Amina and was born in
Makkah, Saudi Arabia in 570 C.E. He died in Medina (Saudi
Arabia) at the age of 63. He communicated the message of Islam to
humanity. He was known as Amin (trustworthy) Sadiq (truthful)
from his childhood. He was humble and sincere, loving and caring,
forgiving and showing mercy to all. Muhammad was chosen by God
to deliver His Message of Peace, namely Islam. He was entrusted
with the Message of Islam when he was at the age of forty years.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 333
The revelation that he received is called the Qur’an, while the
message is called Islam.

Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the


final Messenger of God. His message was and is still to the
Christians, the Jews and the rest of mankind. He was sent to those
religious people to inform them about the true mission of Jesus,
Moses, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.

Muhammad is considered to be the summation and the culmination


of all the prophets and messengers that came before him. He
purified the previous messages from adulteration and completed the
Message of God for all humanity. He was entrusted with the power
of explaining, interpreting and living the teaching of the Qur’an.

When Muhammad (SAW) was born in Makkah in the year 570,


Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father
died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was
raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew
up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity,
so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The
historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (SAW)
was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the
decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time
to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the
'Mountain of Light' near Makkah. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

The last and final prophet whom God sent to humanity was the
Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon
him. At the age of forty, he received the revelation from God. He
then spent the remaining portion of his life explaining, and living
the teachings of Islam, the religion that God revealed to him. The
Prophet Muhammad is the greatest of all prophets for many reasons,
but primarily because he was chosen by God to be the last prophet -
who’s mission to guide humanity would continue until the Last Day
- and because he has been sent as a mercy to all of mankind. The
result of his mission has brought more people into the pure belief in
One God than any other prophet. Since the beginning of time, God
sent prophets to the earth, each one to his own specific nation. The
Introducing Islam Part I & II 334
Prophet Muhammad, however, was sent as the final Messenger to
all of humanity.

Even though other religious communities have claimed to believe in


One God, over time, some corrupted ideas entered into their beliefs
and practices leading them away from the pure sincere monotheism
of the prophets. Some took their prophets and saints as intercessors
with Almighty God. Some even believed that their prophets were
the manifestations of God, or “God Incarnate” or the “Son of God”.
All of these misconceptions lead to the worship of created beings
instead of the Creator, and contributed to the idolatrous practice of
believing that Almighty God may be approached through
intermediaries. In order to guard against these falsehoods, the
Prophet Muhammad always emphasized that he was only a human-
being with the mission of preaching and obeying God's message.
He taught Muslims to refer to him as “the Messenger of God and
His Slave”. Through his life and teachings, God made Muhammad
the perfect example for all people - he was the exemplary prophet,
statesman, military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbor, husband, father
and friend. Unlike other prophets and messengers, the Prophet
Muhammad lived in the full light of history, and all his sayings and
acts were meticulously recorded and collected. Muslims don't need
to have mere ‘faith’ that he existed, or that his teachings are
preserved - they know it to be a fact. God took it upon Himself to
protect the message revealed to Muhammad from distortion or from
being forgotten or lost. This was necessary because God promised
that Muhammad was to be the final Messenger to mankind. All of
God's Messengers preached the message of Islam- i.e. Submission
to the law of God and the worship of God alone–but Muhammad is
the last prophet of Islam who brought the final and complete
message which was never to be changed until the Last Day. [Daniel
Masters, Isma'il Kaka and Robert Squires]
Muhammad, was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when
Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father
died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was
raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew
up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity,
so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The
historians describe him as calm and meditative.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 335
Muhammad was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested
the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from
time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the
'Mountain of Light' near Makkah. [info@islamicbulletin.org]

26.03.00: Who was Muhammad (saaws),


and who do Muslims believe he was?
Muhammad ibn Abullah was God's final Messenger to humanity,
the "Seal of the Prophets," completing God's favor to humanity
which had begun with Adam and continued through Abraham,
Moses, and Jesus, and the other prophets. He was born in the year
570 CE, in the city of Mecca (Makkah) in modern day Saudi Arabia.
He was the descendent of Ishmael (Isma'il), the first born son of
Abraham (Ibrahim) and his second wife Hagar (Hajar). As a child
Muhammad was an orphan, whose father died before his birth and
whose mother died when he was six. He was then raised by a foster
mother and various distant relatives. He came to work as a Shepard
as a young man, and later as a caravan leader for his wife Khadijah,
before having an experience which would change the world as we
know it. In the year 610 CE, while meditating alone in a cave
outside of the city of Mecca in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula,
Muhammad was startled by a voice which commanded him to
"recite" or "read." The words were quickly followed by the
appearance of the Angel Gabriel who seized the reluctant and
frightened Muhammad. Recite! The angel insisted, but the Prophet
insisted that he could not recite or read! Again the angel insisted,
and suddenly the first revelation of the Qur'an sprang forth from the
Prophet's lips, and his prophet hood was born. The people of Mecca
had long ago abandoned the religion of Abraham in favor of the
more lucrative paganism which dominated trade and pilgrimage in
the region. Muhammad's message of God's Oneness and
condemnation of idolatry enraged the pagans who sought to kill him
and regularly persecuted and even killed his followers. Ultimately,
however, God's Message would be victorious as Islam swept
through the Arabian Peninsula summoning the poor, the rich, men,
women, free, and slave alike, to the new faith and transforming the
Arabian Peninsula into a new empire of faith. "There is no god but
God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Muhammad died
quietly in 632 CE in the city of Medina and remains buried there to
this day. [Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 336

26.04.00: Of what nationality was Prophet Muhammad?


Muhammad was a native of Arabia, a Semite by race, a "white
man", though of dark complexion. Tradition says that he was of
medium height, his head was strong, his beard thick, his feet and his
hands were rough; his bony frame indicated vigor, his face was
ruddy. He is also said to have had black eyes, straight hair and
smooth cheeks. He dyed himself with henna.

26.05.00: When and where did Muhammad live?


Muhammad was born about the year 570 of the Christian era (A.D.).
At that time North Africa, Europe, the Middle East and part of Asia
including India and China, constituted the well-traveled "civilized
world", and it was within this region, at Mecca in Central Arabia,
that Muhammad was born. He died in the year 632 A.D. His life's
work was done, therefore, in the 7th Century after Christ, and about
800 miles to the south of Jerusalem.
26.06.00: What were the names of his father and mother?
Muhammad belonged to one of the Quraish families that of Banu
Hashim. His grandfather was Abdul-Muttalib, his father was
Abdu'llah, and his mother was Amina, daughter of Wahib.

26.07.00: What do you know of the life of Muhammad?


Muhammad was an orphan from very early childhood. He was
placed under the guardianship of his grandfather, and was entrusted
to some Bedouin until weaning, and then to one of his uncles, Abu
Tali'b During this last period Muhammad joined his cousin Ali, who
was later to become one of his close collaborators and even his son-
in-law.

As a young man of great honesty and a serious reputation, he


entered the service of a rich widow, Khadija, who conducted an
important business concern. In the service of Khadija Muhammad
made repeated journeys as far as to Palestine and probably to
Jerusalem. On his return from one of these journeys, Khadija's
admiration for her employee led her to marry him. Soon after,
Muhammad was drawn towards spiritual retreats. He went alone to
a cave far from the markets and crowds in order to meditate. He
already hated the kind of idolatry which he saw displayed in his
town. One day he was convinced by a kind of vision that he was
Introducing Islam Part I & II 337
called to reform his people. Tradition tells that the angel Gabriel
(Jibril) appeared to him and gave him the command to preach. "But
what must I preach?" replied Muhammad. "Preach in the name of
Thy Lord, who created man…" replied the Angel. [Surah Al-A’laq,
v.96:1-5].

Not long afterwards Muhammad began to proclaim that the day of


judgment was near, that each man must live justly and honestly in
gratitude for the goodness of God; each must render an account of
his life, and woe to him who does not prepare to meet his God. This
vision occurred in the year 610; after twelve years of preaching at
Mecca the opposition became so fierce that Muhammad with his 60
followers immigrated to the city of Yathrib, some 280 miles north of
Mecca. This emigration (Hijra)* took place on the 24th September
622. Yathrib was later renamed Medina ("the City") and Muhammad
lived there up to his death on the 8th June 632.
This period at Medina (622-632) was very important for
Muhammad. During the first years he was settling down gradually
and organizing his community. Some of the townspeople showed
themselves friendly to him, and he called them the Helpers (Ansar).
Others did not like the arrival and growing authority of this stranger,
and he called these the Hypocrites (Munafiqun). Soon the Muslims
began to attack the Meccans, especially by raiding their caravans.
No doubt the emigrants who had lost their homes and possessions in
Mecca were in economic need; but the primary aim was to free
Mecca and its holy places from the power of the idolaters.

A succession of victories made Muhammad a feared and respected


chief. Many submitted to him; some in sincere faith, others in order
to benefit from his protection and to live at peace. After a battle
interrupted by long parleys and ending in a surprise attack,
Muhammad captured the very city of Mecca, demolished pagan
altars, and reformed the pagan pilgrimage so that it might express
the worship of the One God. A little later, on his return from a
pilgrimage, he got a fever and died.

26.08.00: Prophet Muhammad: Biography


Muslims believe that there is no deity worthy of worship except the
one God, and Muhammad is a servant and a messenger of God.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 338
Muhammad was born in the city of Makkah, currently in Saudi
Arabia in the year 571 A.D. His father died six months before
Muhammad was born and his mother died when he was six years
old. After his mother’s death, Muhammad’s grandfather took care of
him, and upon his death, Muhammad’s uncle acted as his guardian.
Muhammad became a merchant and used to travel with caravans to
Syria and to other places. His nickname was Al-Amin or “The
Trustworthy”. At age 25, he married a businesswoman, named
Khadija, who was forty years old at the time. They had two sons and
four daughters. Both of their sons died at a very early age.

At age 40, Muhammad received Prophethood, and preached the


message of Islam, in and around Makkah, for 13 years with limited
success. After suffering many hardships and persecution from the
pagans of Makkah, Muhammad was ordered by God Almighty to
migrate, along with his followers to Madinah. Prophet Muhammad
mediated a peace between the warring tribes in Madinah, and
established an Islamic State.

In order to destroy the Muslims, the Pagans of Makkah attacked


Madinah several times, but failed. Nine years after the migration of
Muslims from Makkah, Quraish, the most powerful pagan tribe of
Makkah, in clear violation of the “Treaty of Hudaybiyya”, supplied
men and arms in an effort to attack a Muslim-allied tribe that was
slaughtered ruthlessly, some of them even inside the Holy Sanctuary
of Ka’ba. Upon learning of the raid, Prophet Muhammad ordered
Muslims, now much larger in number (10,000), to march on
Makkah, and conquered it without any loss of life. In spite of the
fact that the people of Makkah had earlier persecuted Muslims and
robbed them of their properties, the Prophet instructed them not to
harm anyone who does not attack them. It is a documented fact of
history that not a single human being was harmed, nor any property
destroyed. About a year and a half later, in 632 A.D., Prophet
Muhammad died at age 63, and is buried in Madinah. Prophet
Muhammad did not have any formal schooling, could not read or
write, but over a 23-year period, with the message of Islam that he
received from God Almighty, changed humankind forever.

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad


received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 339
This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as
the Qur’an.

As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and


to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small
group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce
that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This
event, the Hijra, 'migration', in which they left Makkah for the city
of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the
Muslim calendar.

After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to
return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established
Islam definitively. Before the Prophet died at the age of 63, the
greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death
Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.
God Almighty addresses Prophet Muhammad in Chapter 21 Verse
107 of The Qur’an: “We sent thee not, but as a mercy to all the
worlds.”

The Encyclopedia Britannica calls Prophet Muhammad "the most


successful of all religious personalities of the world."

Sir Bernard Shaw said, "If Muhammad were alive today, he would
succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy
human civilization in our times." He continued to say, “Muhammad
was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth.
He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a
moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms
including women’s rights, established a powerful and dynamic
society to practice and represent his teachings, and completely
revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all
times to come.”

Michael Hart ranked Prophet Muhammad at the top of his list of


100 Most Influential Persons in History. (Hart, Michael H. 1992.
The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,
Revised and Updated for the Nineties. New York: Citadel Press
Book.) For a complete list, visit:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 340
http://www.adherents.com/adh_influ.html.
[www.understandingislam.org]

The Mountain of Light where Gabriel came to Prophet Muhammad.

26.09.00: Where was he buried?


Muhammad was buried where he had been living at Medina. Up
until today many pilgrims, after their visit to Mecca, go to see the
tomb of the Prophet at Medina.

The Prophet's Mosque, Masjid e-Nabubi, Madinah-Al-Mukarrama


The dome indicates the place where his house stood and where he is
buried.

26.10.00: What religions existed in Arabia before Muhammad?


As in traditional African religions, the Arabs before Muhammad
regarded certain springs, trees and stones, as the abode of good or
evil spirits. Their religious practice was directed towards gaining the
protection and support of the good spirits and defending themselves
from the misdeeds of the evil spirits. Some of the Arabs also
Introducing Islam Part I & II 341
venerated the stars. Among the many divinities there was One called
Allah, the creator of the worlds. At Medina and elsewhere there
were important Jewish communities.

By this time the Christian faith had spread through Northern


Europe, and had reached Asia, India and China. There were
Christian kingdoms in Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. But there were
few Christians in the region of Mecca and Medina, and these were
mainly foreigners.

26.11.00: Did Muhammad know the Gospel?


Muhammad had no direct access to the Bible, which was perhaps
just beginning to be translated into Arabic at that time but was not
widely available in that language. The Christians whom Muhammad
is likely to have met were largely ignorant of the Bible, and based
their faith rather on the false "Apocryphal Gospels"; and the Qur'an
itself says that Jews (? And Christians) who spoke to Muhammad
about their scriptures, misrepresented them to him (4, Nisa, 48/46;
3, Al-'Imran, 72/78).

So it is generally agreed by Muslims and non-Muslims that


Muhammad did not obtain any clear knowledge of the Gospel from
the Bible or from Christian informants. But Muslims believe that
God revealed directly to Muhammad what the teaching of the
previous prophets had been, and that God gave Muhammad the
same message in perfected form. So Muslims will answer, "Yes,
Muhammad knew the Gospel".

Non-Muslims, observing that what the Qur'an says about Jesus and
the Gospel is substantially different from the teaching of the Bible
are compelled to answer, "No, Muhammad did not know the
Gospel, he was misinformed by the ignorant Christians whom he
met.

26.12.00: How did he become a prophet and a messenger of


God?
At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad
received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel.
This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as
the Quran.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 342

As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and


to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small
group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce
that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This
event, the Hijra, 'migration', in which they left Makkah for the city
of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the
Muslim calendar.

After several years, the Prophet (SAW) and his followers were able
to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and
established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet (SAW) died at the
age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a
century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far
East as China. [Dr.Ibrahim Dremali]

26.13.00: Do Muslims believe in other prophets before


Muhammad?
Tradition says that God had sent many prophets (nabi) and
messengers (rasul) to the word before Muhammad; they are said to
number at least 8,000. Among those mentioned in the Qur'an are
Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Noah, David, Solomon, Job, Moses, Aaron,
Zechariah and his son John the Baptist, Jesus, Ishmael, Elijah,
Elisha, Lot and Jonah. But, apart from the last named, there is no
mention of the great prophets whose books are in the Bible -- Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, and etcetera.

26.14.00: What is the Ka'ba?


The Ka'ba is the place of worship which God commanded Abraham
and Ishmael to build over four thousand years ago. The building was
constructed of stone on what many believe was the original site of a
sanctuary established by Adam. God commanded Abraham to
summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims go there
today they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to Abraham's
summons.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 343

Baitullah, Ka’ba, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

26.15.00:
Question: When Islam is against idol worship, why do Muslims
worship, and bow down to the Kaaba in their prayer?

Answer: Kaaba is the Qibla i.e. the direction Muslims face during
their prayers. It is important to note that though Muslims face the
Kaaba during prayers, they do not worship the Kaaba. Muslims
worship and bow to none but Allah.

It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah:


“We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now
shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall please thee. Turn then thy
face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever ye are, turn
your faces in that direction.” [Al-Qur’an 2:144]

1. Islam believes in fostering unity


For instance, if Muslims want to offer Salaah (Prayer), it is possible
that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to face
south.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 344

In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God,


Muslims, wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one
direction i.e. towards the Kaaba.

If some Muslims live towards the west of the Kaaba they face the
east. Similarly if they live towards the east of the Kaaba they face
the west.

2. Kaaba is at the Centre of the World Map


The Muslims were the first people to draw the map of the world.
They drew the map with the south facing upwards and north
downwards.

The Kaaba was at the centre. Later, western cartographers drew the
map upside down with the north facing upwards and south
downwards. Yet, Alhamdullilah (Thanks to God) the Kaaba is at the
centre of the world map.

3. Tawaf around Kaaba for indicating one God


When the Muslims go to Masjid-e-Haram in Makkah, they perform
tawaf or circumambulation round the Kaaba.

This act symbolizes the belief and worship of One God, since, just
as every circle has one centre, so also there is only one Allah (swt)
worthy of worship.

4. Hadith of Omar (may Allah be pleased with him)


Regarding the black stone, hajr-e-aswad, there is a hadith (tradition),
attributed to the illustrious companion of the Prophet Muhammed
(pbuh), Omar (may Allah be pleased with him).

According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, book of Hajj, chapter 56,


H.No. 675.
Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I
not seen the Prophet (pbuh) touching (and kissing) you, I would
never have touched (and kissed) you”.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 345

5. People stood on Kaaba and gave the adhan


At the time of the Prophet, people even stood on the Kaaba and
gave the ‘adhaan’ or the call to prayer.

One may ask those who allege that Muslims worship the Kaaba;
which idol worshipper stands on the idol he worships?

1. From "Answers to non-Muslims, Common questions about


Islam" Authored by Dr.Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik.
2. To get more information about Islam http://islam-
heart.blogspot.com/2008/09/info-about-islam.html

27.00.00: PROPHET JESUS


27.01.00: What do Muslims think of Jesus?
In accordance with the teaching of the Qur'an, Muslims are bound to
show the greatest respect for "Jesus, son of Mary" (in Arabic, Isa ibn
Maryam). According to the Qur'an, Jesus was indeed born in an
extraordinary manner, by the miraculous intervention of God. He
was a prophet and messenger of God, upright and near to God,
called "the word of God" (though in a different sense from John
1:1).

He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind and raised the dead.
The Jews of his time would not obey his message and determined to
kill him …..all of this is similar to the teaching of the Bible. But
contrary to the teaching of the Bible, Muslims say that God did not
allow the Jews to crucify Jesus, God saved him from them and
raised him up to Himself so that he never knew death. So, for
orthodox Muslim belief, there is no Cross of Jesus and no
Resurrection. Again, Muslims deny the Biblical teaching that Jesus
Introducing Islam Part I & II 346
is the Son of God, that he is the Savior who atoned for the sins of
mankind, or that he should be worshipped.

27.02.00: Do Muslims Think About Jesus?


Muslims respect and revere Jesus (SAW) and await his Second
Coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God's messengers
to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as 'Jesus', but
always adds the phrase 'upon him be peace'. The Quran confirms his
virgin birth (a chapter of the Quran is entitled 'Mary'), and Mary is
considered the purest woman in all creation. The Quran describes
the Annunciation as follows:

'Behold!' the Angel said, 'God has chosen you, and purified you, and
chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you
good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah,
Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and one
of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from his
cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous.' She said: 'O
my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He
said: 'Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing
He says to it, "Be!" and it is.' (Quran, 3.42-7)

Jesus (SAW) was born miraculously through the same power which
had brought Adam (SAW) into being without a father: ‘Truly, the
likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created
him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was.’ (3:59).

During his prophetic mission Jesus (SAW) performed many


miracles. The Quran tells us that he said: ‘I have come to you with a
sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the
figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God's
leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by
God's leave.’ (3:49)

Neither Muhammad (SAW) nor Jesus (SAW) came to change the


basic doctrine of the belief in One God, brought by earlier prophets,
but to confirm and renew it. In the Quran Jesus (SAW) is reported as
saying that he came: ‘To attest the law which was before me. And to
make lawful to you paff of what was forbidden you; I have come to
you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey Me.’ (3:50)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 347

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: 'Whoever believes there is no


god but God, alone without partner, that Muhammad (SAW) is His
messenger, that Jesus is the servant and messenger of God, His word
breathed into Mary and a spirit emanating from Him, and that
Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received by God into Heaven.'
(Hadith from Bukhari)

27.03.00: Jesus in Islam


Muslim believes that Jesus is one of the most prominent prophets of
God Almighty. His mother Mary is the most revered woman in
Islam. Chapter 19 of the Qur’an is named Maryam (Mary).

Translation of Chapter 3 verses 45-48 reads:


“Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! God gives thee glad tidings of
a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus. The son of Mary,
held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company
of) those nearest to God. He shall speak to the people in cradle in
maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous.”

She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath
touched me?” He said: “Even so: God createth what He willeth:
When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, ‘Be,’ and it is!”
“And God will teach him The Book and Wisdom, The Law and the
Gospel.”

Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but was raised to
heaven by God Almighty. Translation of Chapter 4 verses 157-158
reads: “That they said (in boast), We killed Christ Jesus the son of
Mary, The messenger of God” - But they killed him not, Nor
crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them, And those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, But
only conjecture to follow, For of a surety They killed him not. Nay,
God raised him up unto Himself; and God is exalted in Power,
Wise”.

Muslims believe in all of the authentic teachings of Jesus. They


believe that most of his teachings have not been preserved but have
been altered by others throughout history. They also believes that
Jesus will return to earth before the Last Day, will fight the Anti-
Introducing Islam Part I & II 348
Christ along side Muslims, and will preach the same message about
the oneness of God, before life on this earth will be ended.
[www.understandingislam.org]

27.04.00: How is the "second coming" of Jesus


envisaged by Muslims?
Muslim Traditions give divergent accounts of the return of Jesus.
According to some Traditions, the Mahdi (often identified with
Jesus Christ) will appear just before the Last Day. He will perform
the Muslim ritual prayer and go to Mecca as a pilgrim (Q. 59-66);
he will restore Islam to perfection and wipe out Judaism and
Christianity, destroying all crosses and killing all pigs. The Muslims
will enjoy a wonderful prosperity where the earth will yield its fruits
without the need for man to do any work. Jesus will live a long life
as a married man with a family, and will then be buried in the tomb
of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.

However, not all Muslims would accept the validity of these


Traditions; none of these details appear in the Qur'an.

27.05.00: Has the Virgin Mary any place in Muslim devotion?


The Qur'an gives its own version (very similar to certain apocryphal
gospels) of the visit of the angel to the Virgin Mary and the
miraculous conception of her son, Jesus. Mary is depicted as a
perfect Muslim. She is highly respected but in no sense worshipped.

We should notice that certain Christian groups in the time of


Muhammad went to such lengths in their veneration of Mary as to
give the impression that the Christian Trinity consisted of Jesus and
Mary worshipped as two gods beside God. [Al-Ma'idah, 5:116].

27.06.00: Who is Jesus to us?


Jesus (peace be upon him) is a true prophet, sent by Allah like
Moses, Abraham, Lot, Noah, Jonah, Joseph, etc. (peace be upon
them). [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

27.07.00: Who were the parents of Jesus (peace be upon him)?


Introducing Islam Part I & II 349
Jesus is the son of Virgin Mary who had no biological father. Allah
created Jesus without a father just as He created Adam without a
mother and father. Allah states in the Qur’an, “The similitude of
Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust,
then said to him "Be": and he was.” (3:59) [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

27.08.00: Is Allah the same as what Christians call "the father"?


Allah is the Creator, to whom Jesus (peace be upon him)
worshipped. He is the Creator who spoke to Moses and split the sea
for Moses and his followers. That is Allah. But Allah tells us: "Say
Allah is one, He is Perfect, He has never begotten, nor was He
begot, and there is no one equal to Him." [Al-Qur’an, Chapter 112]
[Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

27.09.00: Is there a trinity in Islam?


Answer: No. Allah is one and perfect. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

27.10.00: Do Muslims believe in Jesus Christ (saaws)?


Yes! Muslims beleive in Jesus Christ (saaws). He is mentioned in
the Holy Qur'an over 90 times. Muslims beleive that Christ was
God's Messenger and Prophet, and the son of the Virgin Mary. He
delivered a revelation from God to humanity called the Injeel in
Arabic, of which only small fragments still exist as sayings of Christ
contained in the Christian Gospels. He was NOT the only begotten
divine son of God, nor is he a member of trinity godhead. He was
rescued by God Almighty immediately before the crucifixion and
ascended to Heaven. As the Qur'an relates, "they killed him (Jesus)
not, neither did they crucify him, but only a likeness that was shown
to them." What exactly this "likeness" was that God placed on the
cross in the Prophet's place is an often debated mystery. Muslim
tradition relates that Christ will return to us prior to the Day of
Judgment. Believing in the prophet hood of Jesus Christ is a
required article of faith for one who embraces Islam. [Sayyid Abul
A’la Maududi]

28.00.00: Muslims Never


Worship to Mohammed
28.01.00: Do Muslims worship Muhammad?
Introducing Islam Part I & II 350
Not at all; Muslims would regard this suggestion as blasphemous,
and Muhammad himself insisted that no one must worship him,
only God must be worshipped.
However, later Muslim piety has gone very far in its reverence for
Muhammad, regarding him as an infallible teacher, a perfect
example, a sinless man whose intercession can bring us to Paradise.
The degree of reverence is sometimes hard to reconcile with the
teaching of the Qur'an; where Muhammad is instructed to say, "I am
only a man like yourselves" and is instructed to ask God's
forgiveness for his sin. [Surah Al-Kahf, v.18:110/111; Surah Al-
Mu'min v.40:57/55; Surah Al-Ahqaf, v.46:8/9].

28.02.00: Can Jesus (peace be upon him), or


Muhammad (peace be upon him) be worshipped?
No, Allah does not accept that a prophet, a person, an angel, a cow,
a stone, or any part of creation be worshipped in place of Him or
even along with Him. Worship must be to Allah alone, the Creator.
[Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

28.03.00: Can there be other prophets after Muhammad?


Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last of the prophets, "the
seal of the prophets". He continued and perfected the work begun by
Moses and Jesus; he brought God's final revelation, which can never
be added to.
29.00.00: The Holly Qur’an
Introducing Islam Part I & II 351
29.01.00: What is The Qur’an?
The Qur’an is a record of the exact words revealed by God through
the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
It was memorized by Muhammad (peace be upon him) and then
dictated to his companions, and written down by scribes, who
crosschecked it during his lifetime. Not one word of the 114 Surahs
or chapters has been changed over the centuries. The Qur’an is in
every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to
Muhammad (peace be upon him) fourteen centuries ago. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]

Qur’an is the record of exact words revealed by God through the


Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad (peace be up on him). It was
revealed piece by piece over about 23 years, then memorized and
written down by the early followers of Islam. This makes Qur’an,
the unique and miraculous text preserved as it was revealed in the
textual history of world religions.

It was memorized by Muhammad (SAW) and then dictated to his


Companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it
during his lifetime. Not only one word but 114 chapters / Surah’s,
has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every
detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to
Muhammad (SAW) fourteen centuries ago.
After his first vision in 610 A.D., up until his death in 632,
Muhammad prophesied from time to time in a kind of trance. These
pronouncements, in the Arabic language, dealt with many subjects
such as: God's prophets and scriptures, God's mercy and
punishment, death, the Last Day, good and evil spirits, laws of
marriage, divorce, warfare, and so on. When Muhammad
prophesied, his followers learnt the words by heart, or wrote them
down on stones, bones, palm leaves, etcetera (for paper was scarce
in those days). Finally all these pronouncements were collected and
edited in a single book -- there is some difference of opinion among
Muslims as to whether this editing was completed before or after the
death of the Prophet. It is this collection of pronouncements which
we know as the Qur'an -- the word "Qur'an" literally means
proclamation or recitation.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 352
But Muslims go much further than this. They believe that these are
the words of God Himself, spoken through the lips of His Prophet,
but not in any way coming from the mind and experience of
Muhammad. They believe that the "mother of the Qur'an" (ummu-l-
kitab) is in heaven, written by God Himself on a "guarded tablet"
(lawhu-l-mahfuz); and that the angel Gabriel brought the tablet
down to Muhammad -- so that the Qur'an which we have today is a
copy of the "guarded tablet" in heaven.

But other Muslims, especially in modern times, would say that


there is no Qur'an or tablet literally existing in heaven, but that
these words are metaphors to show that God knew beforehand
what He was going to reveal to Muhammad. [By: Daniel
Masters, Isma'il Kaka and Robert Squires]

The Quran is the final revelation of Allah to all of mankind, which


was spoken by Allah the Exalted Himself and conveyed through the
Arch-Angel Gabriel in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad, in sound,
word and meaning. The Quran, (sometimes incorrectly spelled
Koran), was then relayed to the Prophet's companions, and they
diligently memorized it verbatim and meticulously complied it into
written form. The Holy Quran has been continually recited by the
companions of the Prophet and their successors until the present
day. In short, the Quran is the revealed book of Divine scripture
from Allah to all humanity for their guidance and salvation.

Today the Quran is still memorized and taught by millions of


people. The language of the Quran, Arabic, is still a living language
to millions of people. Unlike the scriptures of some other religions,
the Quran is still read in its original language by countless millions
of people. The Quran is a living miracle in the Arabic language, and
it is known to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact, as
well as the unique knowledge that it contains. The Quran was
revealed in a series of revelations to the Prophet Muhammad over a
period of 23 years. In contrast to many other religious books, the
Quran was always believed to be the exact Word of Allah. The
Quran was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-
Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and
thereafter. The entire Quran was also completely written down in
the lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 353
Prophet memorized the entire Quran word-for-word as it was
revealed. The Quran was always in the hands of the common
believers: it was always thought to be God's word; and, due to wide-
spread memorization, it was perfectly preserved. Never was any
part of it altered or decreed by any religious council. The teachings
of the Quran comprise a universal scripture addressed to all of
mankind and not to any particular tribe or ‘chosen people’. The
message that it brings is nothing new but the same message of all of
the prophets: 'submit to Allah the One God and worship Him alone
and follow Allah's Messengers for success in this life and salvation
in the hereafter'. As such, Allah's revelation in the Quran focuses on
teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Oneness
of Allah, and framing their lives around the guidance which He has
sent, which is articulated in the Islamic Law. The Quran contains
the stories of the previous prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses
and Jesus, peace be upon all of them, as well as commands and
prohibitions from God. In our modern times, in which so many
people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and social and
political alienation, the Quranic teachings offer solutions to the
emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world
today.

29.02.00: What is the Qur'an?


The Qur'an is the revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad by
God Almighty. The word Qur'an means "recitation" in Arabic. It is a
collection of 114 surahs, or chapters, revealed overtime during a 22
year period from 610-632 CE. It was revealed in a classical form of
the Arabic language and remains unmatched in Arabic poetic
beauty. It remains today in the original language of its revelation,
the language of the Prophet, unchanged, since the time of its
revelation. The first revelation (Surah 92) came to the Prophet
while meditating in a cave outside of the city of Mecca in the year
610 CE. The Prophet was illiterate, unable to read or write, so each
revelation, which came spontaneously from the Prophet's lips, was
memorized and recorded by the Prophets followers who were able
to write. The final revelation came shortly before the Prophet's
Introducing Islam Part I & II 354
death in Medina in 632. The revelations were then collected and
finally canonized under the Caliph Uthman. As one reads the
Qur'an, one will find that its literary style is unique from the Jewish
and Christian scriptures. The Qu'ran is written in the first person, the
direct Word of God, transmitted from the mouth of Muhammad
through the dictation of the Angel Gabriel from God Almighty. It is
a spiritual message and a correction of the mistaken beliefs of the
followers of previous prophets, the People of the Book (the Jews
and Christians), and thus supersedes previous revelations which are
error and corrupted in their present form. [By: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

The Qur’an:
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the world, Who
has said in His Noble Book: ‘There has come to you from Allah
Light and a Perspicuous Book.’ And may peace and blessings be
upon the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, who has said that: The
best among you is he who learned the Qur’an and then taught it.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family and
all his companions.

The Glorious Qur’an is the Book of Allah, the Wise and Worthy of
all Praise, Who has promised to safeguard it from any violations in
its purity. It becomes incumbent upon each and every person who
seeks the dignity of this world and the bliss of the Hereafter to
regulate his life according to it, to implement its commandments
and to pay homage to the magnificence of the One Who revealed it.
This can be an easy task for those favored with guidance from
Allah, especially those blessed by an understanding of Arabic, the
language of the divine communication. But for those not acquainted
with Arabic, their ignorance is a barrier between them and this
source of guidance and illumination. A translation of the message of
Allah is thus a task not to be taken lightly or performed
superficially.

Before the reader begins to study the Qur’an, he must realize that
unlike all other writings, this is a unique book with a supreme
author, an eternal message and a universal relevance. Its contents
are not confined to a particular theme or style, but contain the
foundations for an entire system of life, covering a whole spectrum
Introducing Islam Part I & II 355
of issues, which range from specific articles of faith and
commandments to general moral teachings, rights, and obligations,
crime and punishment, personal and public law, and a host of other
private and social concerns. These issues are discussed in a variety
of ways, such as direct stipulations, reminders of Allah's favors on
His creation, admonitions and rebukes. Stories of past communities
are narrated, followed by the lessons to be learned from their actions
and subsequent fates.

The Qur’an enjoys a number of characteristics unique to it


alone, some of which are as follows:
1. It is the actual Word of Allah; not created but revealed for the
benefit of all mankind. Blessed is He Who sent down the
Criterion to His servant, that it may be An admonition to all
creatures.

2. It is complete and comprehensive. The Almighty says:


Nothing have We omitted from the Book. In another place we
read, And We have sent down to thee The Book explaining all
things.

3. It is a theoretical and practical Book, not only moralizing but


also defining specifically the permissible and the forbidden. The
importance of understanding the message of the Qur’an is
undeniable, but simply reciting it with the intention of seeking
Allah's pleasure and reward is also an act of worship and
meritorious in itself. Allah Almighty says:
So take what the Prophet gives you and refrain from what he
prohibits you.

4. Allah has perfected His religion for all mankind with the
revelation of this Book. He says:
This day have I perfected your religion for you, Completed my
favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.

5. It is Allah's eternal miracle revealed to the Prophet Muhammad


for all succeeding generations. In response to those who doubt
the authorship of the Qur’an, Allah Almighty has challenged the
most articulate Arabs to produce a whole book, ten chapters or
even one solitary chapter which can be remotely comparable to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 356
the Qur’an. But to this day, no one has succeeded in meeting the
challenge of the Almighty. The critics of the Qur’an have been
struck dumb by its ineffable eloquence and surpassing beauty.
Say, if the whole of mankind and jinns Were to gather together
to produce the Like of this Quran, they could not Produce the
like thereof; even if they Backed up each other with help and
support.
The Almighty also says:
Or they may say: he forged it. Say: Bring ye then ten chapters
Forged, like unto it and call (to your aid) whomsoever ye can
Other than Allah, if ye speak the truth.
And again:
Or do they say: he forged it? Say: Bring then a chapter like unto
it and call (to your aid) anyone ye can besides Allah, if it be ye
speak the truth.

6. It has been revealed to reveal to re-establish the sincere worship


of Allah alone, without association of any partners with Him.
This is a Book with verses basic or Fundamental (of established
meaning), further explained in detail-- From One who is Wise
and Well-aware.
(It teaches) that you should worship none but Allah. And they
have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah,
Offering Him sincere devotion, being true In faith, to establish
regular prayer And to give Zakat, and that is The religion Right
and Straight.

7. It contains a complete code which provides for all areas of life,


whether spiritual, intellectual, political, social or economic. It is
a code which has no boundaries of time, place, or nation.
Verily this Qur’an doth guide To that which is most right.

8. Allah Almighty has taken upon Himself the duty of preserving


the Quran for ever in its entirety, as He says:
We have without doubt sent down The Message, and We will
assuredly Guard it (from corruption). So well has it been
preserved, both in memory and in writing that the Arabic text
we have today is identical to the text as it was reveal to the
Prophet. Not even a single letter has yielded to corruption
Introducing Islam Part I & II 357
during the passage of the centuries. And so it will remain for
ever, by the consent of Allah.

The Presidency of Islamic Researches, Ifta, Call and Guidance


Sources: The above text and reproductions of the first two pages of
the Qur’an are from The Presidency of Islamic Researches, IFTA,
Call and Guidance, The Holy Quran, English Translation of the
Meanings and Commentary. Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia: King Fahd
Holy Quran Printing Complex, 1410 AH. The Qur’an with Chinese
meanings is taken from Aramco World, Vol. 44 No. 7, Exhibition
Issue, p. 69. According to the caption, this is a page from a 19th
century Qur’an taken by British troops from Amoy, or present-day
Xiamen.

29.03.00: What Is The Quran About?


The Quran, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of
every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects that
concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law,
but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His
creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society,
proper human conduct and an equitable economic system. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]

29.04.00: What is the meaning of Surah and Ayah?


Surah means a "chapter" of the Qur'an. There are 114 suras, and
Muslims generally refer to them by the name given to each one,
rather than by number.
Ayah means literally a "sign", and so a part of the Qur'an, generally
one verse. Estimates differ, but there are commonly said to be 6,247
verses, 77,934 words and 323,621 letters in the Qur'an. To give an
idea of its length, the Qur'an is a little shorter than the New
Testament.
For recitation the Qur'an is divided into 60 sections, known as
"hizb", which do not correspond at all with the chapter divisions.

29.05.00: Holy Qur’an: The Actual Word Of God


Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the actual word of God as it was
revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Arch Angel Gabriel
over a period of 23 years. The Qur’an was revealed sometimes in
Introducing Islam Part I & II 358
the form of a single verse, and other times as several verses. Prophet
Muhammad dictated these verses to several scribes who recorded
them with the utmost care. The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, the
language spoken by Prophet Muhammad and the people around
him. The Qur’an that is available today everywhere in the world is
exactly the same Qur’an in its entirety in the original language. It
has been translated into every language and these translations are
referred to as the “Translation of the Qur’an” and not the Qur’an
itself.

Sometimes, the people ask, “How many books are there in the
Islamic scripture, the Qur’an”?

The Qur’an is only one book. It has 114 chapters that vary in length.
Each chapter is referred to as a ‘Surah’ and each has a name. The
shortest chapter of the Qur’an has three verses and the longest one
has 286 verses.

The first chapter of The Holy Qur’an is called the ‘Al-Fatiha’ – The
Opening. One could say that it is the essence of the Qur’an, and
summarizes the relationship that Muslims believe they have with
God Almighty. It is recited by Muslims several times in each of their
daily obligatory prayers.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 359
Its translation reads:
“In the name of God, The Compassionate, The Merciful,
Praise Be to God,The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;
The Compassionate, the Merciful;
Master of the Day of Judgment,
Thee do we worship, Thine aid do we seek.
Show us the straight way;
The way of those on whom, Thou hast bestowed thy grace,
Those whose (portion) Is not wrath, And who go not astray.”
Ameen. [www.understandingislam.org]

29.06.00: Holy Qur’an: The Book of Guidance


Muslims believe that the Qur’an is a miracle as it has guidance for
humankind for all times to come. The Qur’an is not a book of
history, but it describes historical events to remind humankind of
God’s blessings to those who followed His commandments, and
God’s punishment upon those who went astray.

The Qur’an is not a book of science, but it describes facts that were
not known to humankind in the 7th century, and were discovered, or
let us say proven by humankind during the last 100 years or so. Let
me give you an example:
The Qur’an gives detailed accounts of the states of a human embryo
in its development including the sperm finding the egg, the clinging
nature of the fertilized egg to the uterus, and the timing of the
appearance of bones, muscles, and flesh. The Translation of Verses
13 and 14 of the 23rd Chapter of the Qur’an reads:
“Then We made man as a small drop in a safe lodging, firmly
established, then We made the drop into something which clings;
then We made out of that chewed mass, bones; then flesh; and then
We brought it forth as another creation. So blessed is God, the Best
of creators.”

When Dr. Keith Moore, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell


Biology at the University of Toronto, saw the above-mentioned
verses, he was most astonished. He wondered, how Muhammad,
1400 years ago and without a microscope or a laboratory, could
have accurately described what scientists have only come to
discover in the past half-century.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 360
It was not a description by Prophet Muhammad, but it was God
Almighty who was revealing this knowledge of man’s humble
beginning to humankind. [www.understandingislam.org]

29.07.00: Quran: A Teacher to Modern Scientists


Ours is an era of space probes, computer chips, laser surgeries and
cloning. If we were to label any book as a revelation from God, we
couldn't help but to scrutinize this Scripture using modern scientific
knowledge. It could not be that a revelation, proclaiming itself from
God, could constitute aspects contradicting established scientific
facts. How could we assume otherwise, when God is the one who
created the universe and the laws operating within it.

The Qur’an was revealed 1400 years ago to the last Prophet of God,
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a guidance for all
humanity. The entire Quran has been committed to memory by
millions of Muslims around the world and has been preserved by
God from any interpolations, for continuing guidance. Although the
Quran is a religious book with a total of about 6600 plus verses
dealing with many aspects of a person's life, about 1000 of those
verses are of scientific nature, none contradicting established
scientific facts.

Dr. T.V.N. Persaud [1], professor of Anatomy, says: "You have an


illiterate person (Prophet Muhammad) making profound statements
that are amazingly accurate, of a scientific nature...I personally can't
see how this could be mere chance, there are too many accuracies
and like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind reconciling that
this is a divine inspiration or revelation which lead him to these
statements".

Besides providing guidelines in personal, social, moral and spiritual


spheres of humanity, the Qur’an touches upon diverse scientific
topics like astronomy, geology, embryology, genetics, biology,
archeology etc. Some of these are mentioned below to prove the
Quran's Divine origin.
The Big Bang!

Currently, the Big Bang model of the origin of the universe is the
cosmological paradigm most widely accepted by astronomers. It
Introducing Islam Part I & II 361
holds that about 15 billion years ago the universe began with the
explosive expansion of a single, extremely dense matter, the
primordial mass. Only after the development of radio telescopes in
1937 that, the necessary observational precision was achieved in
order for astronomers to arrive at the above conclusion. What does
the Qur’an say about our universe's origin?

"Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were
joined together, then We split them apart." (21:30)

Expanding Universe
In 1925, Edwin Hubble (after whom the Hubble Space telescope is
named) provided the observational evidence for the expansion of the
universe. Stephen Hawking (author of 'A Brief History of Time')
states: "The universe is not static, as had previously been thought, it
is expanding". So what did God reveal in the Qur’an, 1400 years
ago?

"And the firmament, We constructed with power and skill and verily
We are expanding it" (51:47) ("We" is the Arabic plural of respect,
not the Christian plural of 'trinity")

The Existence of Sun's Orbit


Ancient people use to believe that the Sun revolves around the
earth. Later, Nicholas Copernicus in 1512, laid his Heliocentric
Theory of Planetary motion, which placed the sun motionless in the
center of the solar system with all the planets revolving around it.
Modern science tells us now that the sun too is not still, but is in
motion.

The sun traveling at roughly 150 miles per second takes about 200
million years to complete one revolution around the center of our
Milky Way Galaxy and 25 days to make one complete rotation
around its own axis. See how beautifully and accurately God
revealed this phenomenon in the Quran:
"It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the
moon, all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its orbit with its
own motion." (21:33)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 362
Conquest of Space by Human
Human exploration and the conquest of space began with the
launching of the Russian Satellite, Sputnik I on Oct. 4, 1957. Then
followed the launching of humans into space, which eventually led
to a manned space flight to the Moon on July 20th, 1967. Thus the
dream of humanity since the dawn of civilization to go beyond the
earth to the heavens was realized.

The Qur’an, 1400 years ago, clearly predicted human's advancement


and the possibility of space flight.

"O assembly of Jinns and humans, if you can penetrate the regions
of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not
penetrate them save with a power (of God)." (55:33)

The Protective Atmosphere


Earth is constantly bombarded by meteoroids that disintegrate upon
the atmosphere and by lethal rays emitted by the sun. This UV
radiation is absorbed by the Ozone layer forming the outer fringe of
our atmosphere. Thus our atmosphere along with its Ozone layer is
a protective covering for us. Life possibly could not have existed
without it. How meticulously, does our Lord sustain and protect us
against this atmospheric destruction.

"And We have made the atmosphere a protective roof, yet do they


turn away from the Signs which these things point to." (21:32)

Embryology
The Dutch naturalist Anthony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)
produced lenses powerful enough to prove that many tiny creatures
are not spontaneously generated but are produced from eggs. The
science of Embryology as we know it today did not discover many
of the detailed aspects of human embryonic development until the
1970s, using powerful microscopes, ultra sound and fiber optics
technology. See how the Quran described the stages of embryonic
development.

"God fashioned man from a small quantity (of sperm)" (16:4)


Fertilization takes place with only one sperm among several tens of
million produced by man.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 363

"Then We placed him as a drop in a place of rest" (23:13)


Implantation of the blastocyst in the uterus.

"Then We made the drop into a leech like structure..." (23:14)


This resemblance of the human embryo to a leech is an appropriate
description of the human embryo from days 7-24, when it clings to
the endometrium of the uterus.

"And He (God) gave you hearing and sight and feeling and
understanding." (32:9)

The internal ears appear before the eyes, and the brain (the sight of
understanding) differentiates last.

Dr.E.Marshall Johnson [2] Professor of Anatomy, concluded after


studying verses from Qur’an: "The Quran describes not only the
development of external form but emphasizes also the internal
stages - the stages inside the embryo of its creation and
development, emphasizing major events recognized by
contemporary science... so I see nothing in conflict with the concept
that divine intervention was involved..."

Gender Determination
The concept of "Gender Determination" as being described by
geneticists is one of the outstanding information revealed to us in
the Qur’an. This information is now a known fact, that sperms are
the deciding factors in determining the type of gender (male or
female) in the new embryo. This determination through the male
sperm is due to the fact that sperms have an X and Y chromosomes,
while the female ovum has only X Chromosomes (X, X). Through
the Qur’an, The Almighty informs us that it is the male sperms that
determine the type of gender for the new offspring:
"Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled (without purpose)?
Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in humble form)? Then did
(God) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He
made two sexes, male and female..." (75:36-40)

Existence of Pairs in All Creation


Introducing Islam Part I & II 364
Before the dawn of the modern era, humans conceived that only
animal life was divided into two genders, male and female. Then the
discovery was made that this phenomenon was present in plants and
vegetation too. We have found this reality existing in every creation,
animate as well as inanimate, though in different forms. In
electricity, these two genders can be classified as positive and
negative. North and South Pole describe it in magnetism, electron
and proton in atoms, matter and antimatter etc. Even bacteria could
be positive or negative, while the truth is; this creation is made of
pairs. At the time the Holy Qur’an was being revealed in the 7th
century C.E., we knew of pairing in animals and plants only, but the
Qur’an describes the phenomenon in the most lucid manner:

"Hallowed is He, Who created pairs in all things, those that grow
from the earth and of themselves, and what they know not." (36:36)

The Qur’anic statement:


"...And what they know not" is as true today, as it was when Holy
Qur’an was revealed. Though we have discovered that every created
thing exists in pair, we have yet to discover many things that exist.

We have expounded scientific marvels from the Holy Qur’an to


convince sincere seekers of truth that it is the infallible Word of
God. No mortal being can ever speak with such authority, finality,
knowledge, perfection, and precision coupled with exotic beauties
of expression, as does God in the Qur’an.

By realizing these Truths about the Qur’an and the religion of Islam
revealed by our Creator and Sustainer, many modern scientists are
turning towards it.

Dr. Keith Moore [3], Professor of Embryology, after analyzing the


verses of the Qur’an for three years comments: "It has been a
pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’an about
Human Development. It is clear to me that these statements must
have come to Muhammad from God or Allah because almost all of
this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later".

Dr. Maurice Bucaille [4], French Physician, after studying Qur’an


and comparing it with modern science, addressed the French
Introducing Islam Part I & II 365
Academy of Medicine in 1976 proclaimed: "Our knowledge of these
disciplines is such that it is impossible to explain how a text
produced at the time of the Quran could have contained ideas that
have only been discovered in modern times".

Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson [5], Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology,


proclaims: "...These Hadiths (sayings of Muhammad) could not
have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was
available at the time of the writer (7th century)...It follows that not
only is there no conflict between genetics and religion (Islam) but in
fact religion (Islam) may guide science by adding revelation to
some of the traditional scientific approaches... There exist
statements in the Qur’an shown centuries later to be valid which
support knowledge in the Qur’an having been derived from God".

Dr. Tejatet Tejasen [6], Professor of Anatomy, attending the Eighth


Saudi Medical Conference, stood up and likewise announced:
"From my studies and what I have learnt at this conference, I
believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur’an 1400
years ago must be true. That can be proved the scientific way".

These men of knowledge, in their unbiased studies of the Qur’an, all


proclaimed its truthfulness as a Revelation of Almighty God.
"Soon we will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the
earth) and in their own soul, until it becomes manifest to them that
this is the Truth..." (41:53)

Guidance to humanity proclaimed in the Quran is complete and


applicable to all societies and all times. Whether we are living in the
Stone Age or the Space Age, riding in horse pulled carriages or
flying in Space Shuttles, we haven't changed a bit. We still possess
physical and emotional desires, we live in societies, interact with
one another, establish social, political and economic systems; thus
the relevant need for guidance by our Creator in all these spheres of
our life. Islam is the only religion which is totally compatible with
scientific facts and provides complete, explicit and clear guidance in
all spheres of life.

The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, but translation of its meaning


are available in English and other languages for non-Arabs.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 366
Likewise Islam is not restricted to people of the east or Arabs, it is a
universal religion revealed for all of mankind.

We invite all sincere humans to study Islam with an open mind.


Don't blindly follow the whims and paganistic influences of the
environment around us. God bestowed upon us this superb mind to
seek and live the truth; for we all will be accountable on the Day of
Judgment for our beliefs and deeds. Don't delay your salvation.
Welcome to Islam!

References:
1) Dr. T.V.N. Persaud, Professor and Head of the Department of
Anatomy, University of Manitoba, Canada, received in 1991 the
most distinguished award presented in the field of Anatomy in
Canada, the J.C.B. Grand Award.
2) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson, Professor and Chairman of the
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, and the
Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute, Thomas Jefferson University,
Philadelphia, USA
3) Dr. Keith Moore, Professor of Embryology, Department of
Anatomy, Univ. of Toronto, Canada, recipient of numerous awards
and honors, including in 1984, the J.C.B. Grand Award, which is the
highest honor granted by the Canadian Association of Anatomists.
4) Dr. Maurice Bucaille, French Physician, Author of 'The Bible, the
Quran and Science, Seghers, Paris, 1987.
5) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor and Chairman of the
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Baylor College of
Medicine, Houston, Texas, and the President of the American
Fertility Society.
6) Dr. Tejatet Tejasen, Professor and Head of Department of
Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chiang, Thailand

Suggested Readings
1. The Holy Quran Abdullah Yusuf Ali (trans.)
2. The Life of Muhammad By Hayykal
3. Towards Understanding Islam By Abul Ala Maududi
4. Jesus: A Prophet of Islam By. M. Ataur Rahim
5. The Bible, The Qur’an and Science By Maurice Bucaille
6. What the Qur’an is All About Vol. I-V: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 367
Compiled and edited by Akm Fakhrul Islam, Al-Qur’an Research
Foundation-USA(AQRF-USA)

30.00.00: Amulets can’t Protect anybody


30.01.00: What is in the amulets which some Muslims wear?
Because of their belief that each word of the Qur'an comes directly
from God, many Muslims feel that the word itself is stamped with
divine power. So words from the Qur'an (especially the names of
God) are written on paper and sewn in a small leather pouch, and
sold. Those who buy feel that the power of God is somehow
contained in the pouch, and will protect them from sickness,
barrenness, the fire of hell, etcetera. Other amulets contain, not
words of Qur'an, but magical signs from astrology and geomancy.

30.02.00: Do these amulets actually protect


those who wear them?
Islam teaches that God protects whom He will and saves whom He
will -- there is no other protection than He. Therefore some Muslim
authorities have attacked the use of amulets. For example the
theologian Ibn Khaldun said that it is not the power of God which
dwells in amulets, but a magic power which comes from the spirit of
man; therefore to trust in them is to put your trust in something else
beside God. Similarly in modern times, the Ahmadiyya, and the
Wahhabi of Saudi Arabia forbid the use of amulets. But other
Muslims reply that it is God Himself who has provided amulets to
be a protection for man.

A Christian will say that definitely God alone is sufficient for all
things; therefore we must not put our trust in anything that human
hands have made. Human hands can make a "reminder" (e.g. verses
of scripture on the walls of our house to remind us to look to God
always. But this is a means of strengthening our trust in God. We do
not think there is any power in the mere written word, whether on
the wall or in an amulet.

30.03.00: What are the wooden boards which


children recite from in Qur’anic
schools?
Introducing Islam Part I & II 368
Since there are not enough copies of the Qur'an (and children might
misuse them), Qur'an teachers write sections of the Qur'an on the
boards, and use these to teach children to read and recite from
memory.

30.04.00: Why do they wash the boards


and drink the water?
As with amulets, they believe that each word of the Qur'an written
on the board is a direct "word of God", and full of God's power. So
they wash the board with water to dissolve the ink that has written
the words; it is felt that the mixture has a divine healing power. But
with amulets, many Muslims oppose the practice, regarding it as
idolatrous.

31.00.00: Other Scriptures


31.01.00: Do Muslims believe in other
scriptures previous to the Qur'an?
According to the Traditions (sayings attributed to Muhammad), God
has sent down 313 scriptures to men, among them being the Tawrat
(Law of Moses), the Zabur (Psalms of David), and the Injil (Gospel
of Jesus). The Qur'an confirms the truth of these previous scriptures.
(2, Baqara 83/89; 3, Ali "Imran 2/3)

It calls Jews and Christians to observe their own Tawrat and Injil
(Surah Al-Ma'ida,v. 5:72/68). Belief in all these scriptures is an
article of Muslim faith. (Surah Yunus, 10:94).

Accordingly, many Muslims are inclined to accept the Bible as


containing previous scriptures and being the word of God. But other
Muslims suspect that the original Tawrat, Zabur and Injil have all
been lost or corrupted, and that the Law, Psalms and Gospels of the
Bible are not the same as the scriptures mentioned in the Qur'an. Or
they may say that the previous scriptures (even if they do exist in
the Bible) have been summed up and so superseded by the Qur'an.

A Christian Comment: It is true that the original manuscripts of


the Law and Gospels no longer exist (just as the original
manuscripts of the Qur'an no longer exist). But we possess very
early copies which were already in the hands of Jews and Christians
Introducing Islam Part I & II 369
in Muhammad's time, and these agree in all essentials with the Bible
we use today. In several ways the Qur'an bears witness to those
scriptures which were then actually in the hands of Muslims and
Christians.

The Qur'an does seem, therefore, to give Muslims a special reason


to study the Bible with great reverence.

For the Christian, there are two main reasons for believing in the
Bible :- (i) the immense labor of scholars studying the ancient
copies has proved it to be a faithful copy of the original
manuscripts; (ii) the Bible gives a consistent message which has
convinced our hearts and brought us to forgiveness and peace with
God.

32.00.00
Belief in the Sunnah is part of the Islamic faith
32.01.00: Are There Any Other Sacred Sources?
Yes, the Sunnah, the practice and example of the Prophet (SAW), is
the second authority for Muslims. A hadith is a reliably transmitted
report of what the Prophet (SAW) said, did, or approved. Belief in
the Sunnah is part of the Islamic faith.
Examples of the Prophet's sayings The Prophet (SAW) said:
• 'God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others.'
• 'None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother
what he wishes for himself.'
• 'He who eats his fill while his neighbor goes without food is
not a believer.'
• 'The truthful and trusty businessman is associated with the
prophets the saints, and the martyrs.'
• 'Powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed
powerful is he who controls himself in a fit of anger.'
• 'God does not judge according to your bodies and
appearances but He scans your hearts and looks into your
deeds.'
• 'A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a
well he descended into it, drank his fill and came up. Then
he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up
mud to quench its thirst. The man saw that the dog was
Introducing Islam Part I & II 370
feeling the same thirst as he had felt so he went down into
the well again and filled his shoe with water and gave the
dog a drink. God forgave his sins for this action.' The
Prophet (SAW) was asked: 'Messenger of God, are we
rewarded for kindness towards animals?' He said, 'There is a
reward for kindness to every living thing.' [From the Hadith
collections of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Bayhaqi]

32.02.00: Are there other sources of Islamic Shariaa’ (Law)?


Yes, the Sunnah, the practice and example of the Prophet (peace be
upon him), is the second authority for Muslims. A Hadith is a
reliably transmitted report of what the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said, did, or approved. Belief in the Sunnah is part of the Islamic
faith.

Examples of the Prophet's sayings: The Prophet (peace be upon


him) said:
'God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others.'

'None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he
wishes for himself.'

'Powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed powerful is


he who controls himself in a fit of anger.' (From the Hadith
collections of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Baihaqi). [Dr. Ibrahim
Dremali]

33.00.00: Muslims in the Present world


33.01.00: WHO ARE THE MUSLIMS?
One billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and
cultures across the globe--from the southern Philippines to Nigeria--
are united by their common Islamic faith. About 18% live in the
Arab world; the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia;
substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim, while
significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China,
North and South America, and Europe.

33.02.00: Islam in the United States


It is almost impossible to generalize about American Muslims:
converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making their
Introducing Islam Part I & II 371
own contribution to America's future. This complex community is
unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide network
of a thousand mosques.

33.03.00: Distribution of Muslims in North America:


There are approximately five million Muslims in North America and
are distributed in its major cities such as New York, Detroit, Boston,
Toledo, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Cedar
Rapids (Iowa), Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver,
Windsor, Winnipeg, Calgary, and others. [The Institute of Islamic
Information and Education, Chicago, IL 60641-0129 U.S.A.]

The Islamic Cultural Center, Washington D.C.


Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the eighteenth
century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves on
plantations. These early communities cut off from their heritage and
families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today
many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic
community.

The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of an influx of


Arab Muslims, most of whom settled in the major industrial centers
where they worshipped in hired rooms. The early twentieth century
witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand Muslims from
Eastern Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in
1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims opened
a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.

In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded during the term
of President Truman, and several nationwide organizations were set
Introducing Islam Part I & II 372
up in the fifties. The same period saw the establishment of other
communities whose lives were in many ways modeled after Islam.
More recently, numerous members of these groups have entered the
fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million
Muslims in America.

33.04.00: What Is Islam’s Presence


In The United States?
It is almost impossible to generalize about American Muslims:
converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making their
own contribution to America's future. This complex community is
unified by a common faith, under-pinned by a countrywide network
of a thousand mosques.

Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the eighteenth


century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves on
plantations. These early communities cut off from their heritage and
families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today
many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic
community.

The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of an influx of


Arab Muslims, most of who settled in the major industrial centers
where they worshiped in hired rooms. The early twentieth century
witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand Muslims from
Eastern Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in
1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims opened
a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.

In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded during the term
of President Truman, and several nationwide organizations were set
up in the fifties. The same period saw the establishment of other
communities whose lives were in many ways modeled after Islam.
More recently, numerous members of these groups have entered the
fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million
Muslims in America.

33.05.00: Muslim’s Contributions in North America


Muslims are established in North America. The Sears Tower and the
John Hancock buildings in Chicago were designed by a Muslim
Introducing Islam Part I & II 373
chief architect, originally from Bangladesh. Muslims have
established academic institutions, community centers and
organizations, schools and places of worship. They live in peace and
harmony among themselves and among other groups of people in
the society. The rate of crime among Muslims is very minimal.
Muslims in North America are highly educated and they have added
to the success of American scientific and technological fields.

The Muslims of the early period of the Islamic era were pioneers in
medicine, chemistry, physics, geography, navigation, arts, poetry,
mathematics, algebra, logarithms, calculus, etc. They contributed to
the Renaissance of Europe and world civilization. [The Institute of
Islamic Information and Education, Chicago, IL 60641-0129
U.S.A.]

33.06.00: U.S. Congress on Islam


The American Congress official opinion of Islam as outlined in a
concurrent resolution by the 96th Congress (1979) honoring the
14th century of Islam. This opinion of the American Government is
hardly known by the American public.
S. Con. Res. 43
Honoring the Fourteenth Centennial of Islam.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 4 (legislative day, June 21), 1979
Mr. Stone submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
October 15, 1979
Reported by Mr. Church, with an amendment to the preamble
October 16 (legislative day, October 15), 1979
Considered and agreed to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 374
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Honoring the Fourteenth Centennial of Islam.
Whereas November 21, 1979, marks the fourteen hundredth
anniversary of the founding of Islam, an event which will be
commemorated throughout the world, including in the Holy Cities
of Islam; and
Whereas Islam is one of the mankind's great religions in history and
today, followed by approximately eight hundred million people
encompassing every major region of the world; and
Whereas the word "Islam" derives from Abraham's willingness to
accept all God's commands, an example profoundly meaningful to
all monotheistic religions; and
Whereas the "House of Islam" extended gracious hospitality to
philosophy and science in both the East and West when these
scholarly disciplines were threatened by narrowness and prejudice,
thus preserving this precious heritage for subsequent generations;
and
Whereas Islam strives for a world-wide community which, in the
words of one Islamic poet-philosopher, "does not recognize the
superficial differences of race, or history, or nationality"; and
Whereas the United States and countries of the Islamic world hold
in common many benefits and values including the concept of world
community, which inspired the founding Fathers of our own
country; and
Whereas international understanding and peace are strengthened by
free and open communications among nations representing various
historical and religious traditions:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That Islam is hereby recognized for the rich religious, scientific,
cultural, and artistic contribution it has made to mankind since its
founding.
Sec. 2. The Congress takes note of the contribution of Islam and
wishes success to the fourteenth centennial commemoration.
Sec. 3. On the occasion of this anniversary, the Congress pledges its
efforts to achieve better understanding, reductions of tensions, and
the pursuit of improved relations with all nations of the world.
Sec. 4. The Congress requests that the President forward a copy of
this resolution to the Chief of State of each country where Islam has
Introducing Islam Part I & II 375
a significant following and where celebrations will mark this
important international event.

33.07.00: The Muslim World


The Muslim population of the world is around one billion. 30% of
Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan
Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab World, 10% in the
Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan comprise
10% of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim
minorities in almost every area, including Latin America and
Australia, they are most numerous in the Soviet Union, India, and
central Africa. There are 5 million Muslims in the United States.

O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female,


and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to
know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is
the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
(Qur’an 49:13)

Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque - Asmara Eritrea.


Introducing Islam Part I & II 376

Shibam, Hadramwat, Yemen (The Land of Queen Sheiba.)


info@islamicbulletin.org

34.00.00: Belief of a Muslim


34.01.00: What Does A Muslim Believe?
Muslims believe in the One and the only God. The Qur’an says
About God,” say, He Allah, the One. Allah is the eternal, absolute.
He begotten not, nor he is begotten. And there is none like unto
him”.

Muslims also believe in the Angels created by God, all prophets and
Muhammad as the seal of Prophets: revelation and the Holy
Scripture and Qur’an as the final scripture to humanity. The Muslim
believe in the hereafter: the day of the rend of the world, the
resurrection of humanity, the accountability and judgment by God
alone, and the existence of Heaven and Hell and the reward for
Good believers and punishment for sinners.

So, Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the


Angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His
revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgment and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 377
individual accountability for actions; in God's complete authority
over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a
chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon,
Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But
God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message
and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through Gabriel.

The Muslim faith can be summarized in a sentence from the Qur'an


(4, Nisa 135/136): "O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His
Messenger, and the scripture which He has sent down to His
Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down previously.
Whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and
His messengers and the Last Day, he has wandered far astray" (To
the five beliefs mentioned in the last sentence, Muslim teachers add
a sixth, predestination). A shorter summary is the "Shahada".

35.00.00: Articles of Faith


The religion of Islam has 6 Articles of Faith. These are:
• Belief that there is only one God, who does not beget, and was
not begotten.
• Belief in the Angels. Angels are creatures of God who have no
will of their own, and they only carry out God’s
commandments.
• Belief in the scriptures revealed to various prophets throughout
human history.
• Belief in all of the messengers of God, starting with Prophet
Adam, and including Prophets Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. There were actually over
124,000 messengers and prophets sent by God to all nations,
and to all parts of the world, but only a few are mentioned in the
Qur’an.
• Belief in the Last Day on which all life in this world will end,
all dead will be brought back to life, everyone will be held
Introducing Islam Part I & II 378
accountable for his/her deeds done during his/her life on earth,
and will receive reward or punishment from God Almighty.
• Belief in the divine destiny, i.e. nothing happens except what
has been ordained by God. No one has the power to deny
anyone what God has ordained for him or her to receive, and no
one can deliver to some one anything that he or she is not
destined to receive.
[www.understandingislam.org]

35.01.00: Can anyone become a Muslim?


Yes anyone can. There are two declarations, which are necessary:
1-To bear witness that no one deserves to be worshipped except
Allah.
2-To bear witness that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is
the Messenger of Allah.

This makes a person Muslim. After a person becomes Muslim


she/he is taught about prayers, fasting, alms to the poor, and
pilgrimage. These are the pillars of Islam.

Muslims are brothers and sisters. A Muslim should love for his
brother or sister what he/she loves for him/herself. Allah's wealth
does not run out and Allah can provide for us all. We pray for each
other and love each other. We love for our brothers and sisters what
we love for ourselves. [Dr.Ibrahim Dremali]

35.02.00: How Does Become A Muslim?


Just say the Shahadah: In Arabic: ‘Laa Ilaha Illallaahu
Muhammadur Rasulullah’ which means ‘there is no God but One
GOD, and Muhammad (Peace be up on him) is the messenger and
servant of God” with its declaration, you become a member of the
universal community of Islam. Islam is a simple religion. There is
no priesthood, no intermediary between you and God. Worship God,
be conscious of God, and enjoy the beauty and freedom of Islam.

35.03.00: What about someone who has never heard of Islam?


Allah is the Most Just. It is inconceivable to perceive of anyone
acting with more benevolence than Allah. Allah is the Most Just and
in the Qur’an He said: "We will not punish without sending
someone to warn you". The "We" here is the majestic ‘We’ used in
Introducing Islam Part I & II 379
Arabic. So if a person had never heard about Islam, and was never
warned clearly, Allah would have a special test for that person that
He knows is equal to the chance that person would have had on
earth.

36.00.00: Five Pillars of Islam


36.01.00: What Are The Five Pillars Of Islam?
The five pillars of Islam are the practical aspects of Islam. They are
to make you conscious of God and to bring harmony and peace
between the physical desires and spiritual needs of a human being.
The world is not an illusion to a Muslim. It is a place to work and
enjoy: nourish physical and spiritual needs: care and love, forgive
and respect others. A Muslim lives a righteous life in this world with
a hope to enter paradise in the hereafter.

[A]. First Pillar: Faith or Shahada (to witness):


It is to witness that there is no god but one God, and Muhammad
(PBUH) is the messenger and servant of God. The declaration of
shahada is necessary if one is to be a Muslim and joins Muslims in
worship.
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 it comes illa'llah: 'except
God', the source of all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is
Muhammadur Rasulu'llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of
God.' A message of guidance has come through a man like us.

[B]. Second Pillar: Prayer Salat(Worship):


A Muslim has to worship God five times a day. It is better to
worship in congregation in a mosque. One can still perform the
worship at home, at work, or anywhere else. Friday is the sacred day
of Islam. All Muslims are to leave their jobs and assemble in the
central mosque of the area for a sermon and congregational worship
at noon. Worship in Islam is a direct communication of an
individual with god. It is highly spiritual and a continuous reminder
of ones duty towards God. It is also highly social, teaching unity
and equality, and the universality of Islam.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 380

Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed
five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshiper 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(Salatul Fajr), noon(Salatul Juhr), mid-


afternoon(Salatul Asr), sunset(Salatul Maghrib) and
nightfall(Salatul Isha), 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.

[C]. Third Pillar: The Fast or Siyam: Fasting in the month of


Ramadan is obligatory on all adults, sane, and healthy Muslim.
Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting teaches self-control and
self-restraint. It is highly spiritual activity constantly reminding the
believers to be conscious of God. Fasting teaches Muslims to be in
control of their tongue, to be respectful and to be forgiving but
spiritual uplifting in Ramadan is once again tied with helping the
needy. Before ht end of Ramadan, every head of the Muslim
household who can afford should pay an amount of about 5-8
dollars per member of his /her family to the poor in the area.

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
Introducing Islam Part I & II 381
true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one's
spiritual life.

[C]. Fasting in the month of Ramadan


What the prayers seek to serve five times a day fasting in the month
of Ramadhan (ninth month of the lunar year) does once a year.
During this period from dawn to dusk we eat not a grain of food nor
drink a drop of water no matter how delicious the dish or how
hungry or thirsty we feel. What is it makes us voluntarily undergo
such rigors? It is nothing but faith in God and the fear of Him and of
the Day of Judgment. Each and every moment during our fast we
suppress our passions and desires and proclaim by our doing so the
supremacy of the Law of God. This consciousness of duty and the
spirit of patience that incessant fasting for full one month inculcates
in us help us strengthen our faith. Rigor and discipline during this
month bring us face to face with the realities of life and help us
make our life during the rest of the year a life of true subservience
to His Will.

From yet another point of view fasting has an immense impact on


society for all the Muslims irrespective of their status must observe
fast during the same month. This brings to prominence the essential
equality of men and thus goes a long way towards creating in then
sentiments of love and brotherhood. During Ramadhan evil conceals
itself while good come to the fore and the whole atmosphere is
filled with piety and purity. This discipline has been imposed on us
to our own advantage. Those who do not fulfill this relied upon in
the discharge of their duties. But the worst are those who during this
holy month do not hesitate to eat or drink in public. They are the
people who by their conduct show that they care not a trifle for the
commands of Allah in whom they profess their belief as their
Creator and Sustainer. Not only this, they also show that they are
not loyal members of the Muslim Community rather they have
nothing to do with it. It is evident that in so far as obedience to law
and regard for a trust reposed in them goes, only the worst could be
expected of such hypocrites. [Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid
Abul A’la Maududi]

36.02.00: What is the month of Ramadhan?


Introducing Islam Part I & II 382
Fasting has been known in all ages as a religious practice, and had
existed before the time of Muhammad. At the beginning of his
ministry Muhammad fasted, as the Jews did, on the 10th day of the
first month. Later he fixed instead the whole month of Ramadhan
(the ninth month). During this month occurs the Laylatul-Qdr (night
of power) on which the Qur'an is believed to have been brought
down to the lowest heaven, ready to be revealed to Muhammad.
During this month, from the first light of dawn till darkness falls, it
is forbidden to eat, drink, smoke or have sexual relations; it is
forbidden to swallow saliva, if this can be avoided; the letting of
blood by leeches or cupping is inadvisable. But the fast is only
considered to have been broken by a premeditated, free and willing
action of infringement. Thus, everything entering the body breaks
the fast, but not if the action was done accidentally or under
compulsion. Refreshment may be taken in the night, when there are
often lavish feasts. Three kinds of fasting should be distinguished:
(i) the Ramadhan fast, one of the pillars of Islam;
(ii) fasting in expiation of a sin; and
(iii) fasting as a result of a vow, to acquire more merit with God.

36.03.00: Who are obliged to fast in Ramadhan?


Every adult Muslim who is sound in body and mind and physically
capable of enduring the fast, must observe it. It is recommended that
children be trained to fast beginning from 10 years old.

36.04.00: Who are excused from fasting?


The feeble-minded, the sick, the elderly, pregnant and nursing
women, travelers or those engaged in hard labor--these are
exempted in prescribed circumstances. It is actually forbidden to
fast when in danger of death, when faced by the enemy and (for
women) during the menstrual period and for 40 days after
childbirth. But the days of fast which have not been observed must,
in most cases, be compensated by subsequent fasting or by some
other kind of expiation.

36.05.00: Who laid down all these laws?


Introducing Islam Part I & II 383
Not all of these laws (above and following: the five pillars, warfare,
sacrifice, circumcision, etc.) are written in the Qur'an. Many are
based on the Sunnah, i.e. the teaching and example of Muhammad
as recorded in the Traditions (Hadith). In the many points of
conduct where there is no specific teaching or example from Qur'an
and Sunnah, the law has been laid down according to Qiyas
(analogy) and to Ijma' (the consensus of learned Muslims).
Four slightly different systems of law are equally recognized as
orthodox.
(i) In North and West Africa, Maliki law is commonly observed;
(ii) Shafi'I law is the commonest in East Africa, Egypt and southern
India;
(iii) Hanafi law in Pakistan and Turkey; while
(iv) Hanbali law is the least popular.
As an example of the differences, Maliki law (W. Africa) prescribes
that the arms should drop to the sides during the standing position of
the Prayer; while in Shafi'I law (and in the Ahmadiyya movement
and some Tijaniyya) the arms are folded, hand to elbow. Many
Muslims regard the whole law as coming from God, and to be kept
without change or question. But other Muslims feel that some of the
laws which were appropriate in the ancient world and among Arabs,
can no longer be applied in modern times and in other lands. They
would claim the right to amend the law, provided that any
amendment does not conflict with the Qur'an and Sunna. A few
Muslims even refuse to be bound by the Sunna, and seek to base
their belief and conduct essentially on the Qur'an.

[D]. Fourth Pilar: Hajj (Pilgrimage to the house of God at


Makkah):
Hajj is obligatory on every Muslim once in a life time who can
afford. Hajj is to commemorate the works of Abraham(peace be up
on him) his teachings of One God, and his sacrifices in the path of
God,. He and son Ishmael built the Ka’ba (the House of God) and
since then people have been asked to perform the pilgrimage to the
House of God. When Muhammad (peace be up on him) came, he
recalled the commitment of Abraham to one God. He performed the
pilgrimage and asked Muslims to follow. Hajj is highly spiritual but
at the same time highly social and universal activity of Islam. It is a
practical demonstration of Islam call for "ONE.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 384
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 comer 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.

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,
modem 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.

The Pilgrimage or "Hajj" is the fourth pillar of Islam. It is obligatory


for every Muslim who is healthy in body and mind and who can
afford to go, to go on the Pilgrimage to Mecca once in his lifetime.
(Further visits are voluntary). He will visit the shrine called the
Kaaba, and perform prescribed rites.

Hajj is the fourth basic 'Ibadat


Hajj, or the Pilgrimage to Mecca, is fourth basic 'Ibadat. It is
obligatory only on those who can afford it and that too only once in
a lifetime.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 385
Mecca today stands at site of a small house that the Prophet
Abraham (God's blessings be upon him) built for the worship of
Allah. Allah rewarded him by calling it His own House and by
making it the center towards which all must face when saying
prayers. He also made it incumbent on those who can afford to visit
is not merely to be a courtesy call. Even this pilgrimage the its rites
and conditions to be fulfilled which inculcate in us piety and
goodness. When we undertake the pilgrimage, we are required to
suppress our passions, refrain from bloodshed, and be pure in word
and deed. God promises rewards for our sincerity and
submissiveness.

The Pilgrimage is, in a way the biggest of all Ibadat. For unless a
man really loves God he would never undertake such a long journey
all his near and dear ones behind him. Then this pilgrimage is unlike
any other journey. Here his thoughts are concentrated on Allah; his
very being vibrates with spirit of intense devotion. When he reaches
the holy place, he finds the atmosphere laden with piety and
godliness; he visits place which bear witness to the glory of Islam,
and all this leaves an indelible impression on his mind, which he
carries t o his last breath.

Then there are as in other 'Ibadat many benefits that the Muslims
can enjoy from this pilgrimage. Mecca is the center towards which
the Muslims must converge once a year meet and discuss topics of
common interest and in general create and refresh in then selves the
faith that all Muslims are equal and deserve the love and sympathy
of others irrespective of their geographical or cultural origin. Thus
the pilgrimage unites the Muslims of the world into one
international fraternity. [Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid Abul
A’la Maududi]

36.06.00: Some provable Questions regarding Hajj & Ka’ba:


36.06.01: What is an "Al-Haji"?
One who has performed the pilgrimage is honored with the title "Al-
Haji" or "al-hajj"; if a woman, "al-haja". The title indicates the
pilgrim's prestige among fellow Muslims; he is presumed to be
endowed with special blessings from God. But the Al-haji has, as
such, no special duty or office in the Muslim community.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 386
36.06.02: Is Mecca the centre of the world?
Muslims have said that Mecca is the centre or "navel" of the world,
and that the Kaaba lies just under the throne of God. A glance at the
map--remembering that the world is round like a ball!--will show
that no place is literally at the world's centre; this is just a way of
expressing how important Mecca is in Muslim faith.

36.06.02: Who built the shrine at Mecca?


Muslims say that Adam and Even (Hawwa) first built the Kaaba--a
flat roofed stone "house", estimated to be 50 feet high, and 35 feet
broad by 40 feet deep. Adam and Even had met at Mecca after being
driven from Paradise. Later (Muslims believe) the shrine was
restored by Abraham and Ishmael, and maintained by other
prophets. Non-Muslims presume the shrine to be an ancient place of
worship no different in its origin from other shrines which existed in
Arabia; they believe the traditions about its origin to be legendary.

36.06.03: What is the Black Stone (al-hajarul-aswad)?


Set into the south-eastern corner of the Kaaba, at four or five feet
above ground level, is a stone, reddish black with red and yellow
particles. It seems to have been originally one stone, but to have
been broken when it was once carried off. The three large pieces and
several fragments are held together by a silver band. The stone thus
joined together is about 7 inches in diameter. Traditions say that the
stone came down from God, and was originally white, but was
turned black because of man's sin. Muhammad found the Meccans
worshipping the stone as an idol; he (in Muslim belief) restored it to
the worship of the One God for which it had originally been
dedicated. Going round the Kaaba (3 times running, four times
walking) is one of the most important rites of the Pilgrimage, and
each time round the pilgrim does his best to kiss it, or at least to
touch it with his fingers and touch his fingers to his lips. He feels he
obtains divine blessing by doing this. Christians are often disturbed,
and some Muslims are too, at the thought that people who worship
One God should kiss a stone which was previously used in idolatry.
But it is untrue to suggest that Muslims worship this stone as a god.
This is clearly shown by the saying of the Caliph "Umar, "I know
that you are a stone, which can neither help me nor harm me; if the
Prophet had not kissed you, I would not have done so".
Introducing Islam Part I & II 387
36.06.04: What is the water which
Pilgrims bring home from Mecca?
According to Tradition, when Abraham sent away Hazera and her
son Ishmael, they lost their way in the desert, and Hazera ran back
and forth looking for water for her child to drink. God took pity on
her and caused a spring to gush forth at Ishmael's feet. The two hills
Safa and Marwa are said to be the points between which Hazera ran
back and forth--so pilgrims run between them seven times. The
spring Zamzam (now piped) which flows within the area
surrounding the Kaaba, is believed to be the spring which God
created for Hazera. Many pilgrims bring home water from this
spring.

36.06.05: Does the water of Mecca wash away sins?


In the world of Islam this spring is venerated, and its water is
considered rich in blessings. According to widespread popular belief
in Africa, the water has an almost magical power, and can wash
away men's sins. So some pilgrims bring back little bottles of the
water which they intend to drink before they die. This belief is
emphatically rejected by Muslim theologians; it is not derived from
the Qur'an or from reliable Tradition, and it is opposed to the
doctrine that only on the Last Day will God forgive or punish,
according to His predestinating decree.

36.06.06: Why do the pilgrims throw stones?


This is one of the obligatory rites of the pilgrimage. Five miles from
Mecca, in the region of Mina (or "Muna"), there are three stone
pillars, fairly broad and about five feet high. The Pilgrim must
throw stones, especially at the one nearest to Mecca. He has
collected his seven pebbles that morning or the night before, and he
throws them a distance of a few yards, flicking them with the thumb
and forefinger of the right hand. This ceremony is said to be in
memory of Abraham, who was tempted by Satan at this spot and
drove him away with stones.

36.06.07: What are the principal Muslim festivals?


There are two essential festivals in Islam: 'Eid-ul-adha (or 'Eid-ul-
kabir, Greater Bairam) at which animals are sacrificed allover the
Muslim world, at the same time as the sacrifice which concludes the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 388
Pilgrimage proper at Mecca; and 'Eid-ul-Fitr (Lesser Bairam), the
festival of the breaking of the Fast. Each of these annual festivals
lasts generally for three days, and is a time of popular merrymaking.
Other festivals have been added, among them the Siratun-Nabi or
Mawlidun-Nabi (birthday of the Prophet) on the 12th day of the 3rd
month Rabi-ul Awal.

36.06.08: Why are sheep, etc. sacrificed?


At the Eid-ul-adha, it is desirable to offer a sacrifice, in the ratio of a
sheep or goat per person, or a camel or cow for seven persons. The
sacrifice is obligatory only for those who can afford it and who have
made a vow to do it. The sacrifice is regarded as a memorial to
Abraham's willingness to offer his son in obedience to God's
command-but Muslim Tradition says that the son was Ishmael, not
Isaac. There is a popular belief among African Muslims that the
killing of this animal is atonement for sin or a propitiation to avert
evil. But in orthodox teaching the sacrifice is a commemoration, an
act of obedience to God and of charity to those who share the feast;
it is not any kind of blood atonement. "Their flesh and their blood
will not reach God, but your piety will reach Him". Again, although
the sacrifice is made in the direction of the Kaaba, it is quite untrue
to say that it is offered to the Kaaba or Black Stone; it is considered
to be offered to the One God. (22, Hajj 38/37; 34/33).

[E]. Fifth Pillar: Zakat(poor due)


Islam is the first religion that made zakat obligatory on rich to give
to the poor. Zakat is given two and half percent per year on ones net
worth at the end of year. Other than Zakat, Muslims are encouraged
to give charity for the well being of the community. Islam teaches
that helping the needy helps ones spiritual growth.

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.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 389
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. A pious person may also give as much as he
or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although
this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider
meaning. The Prophet (SAW) said: 'Even meeting your brother with
a cheerful face is charity.'

The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Charity is a necessity for every Muslim.'


He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet (SAW)
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 (SAW) said: 'He
should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked
'What if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet (SAW) said 'He
should urge others to do well.' The Companions said 'What if he
lacks that also?' The Prophet (SAW) said 'He should check himself
from doing evil. That is also charity.'

36.06.09: What is Zakat?


This is the third pillar of Islam. "Zakat" means "purification"; it is a
kind of ritual tax or alms, the paying of which is held to purify" the
rest of a Muslim's possessions and to expiate his sins. Apparently it
was at first a free-will offering, but it rapidly became a legal
requirement. In theory, only Muslims are required to pay it. As
opposed to this prescribed tax, "sadaqa" is more like a free-will
offering, an act of charity and kindness.

36.06.10: What must the Muslim pay, according to the law?


Zakat may be paid either in goods or in cash. The tax is imposed on
produce of the soil, fruits, cattle, gold and silver (including money)
and upon merchandise. There are complicated rules for calculating
it; generally it is a tithe (tenth part) on fruits and produce of the soil,
but a fortieth part on money and merchandise. But a poor man who
has less than five camel loads of property need not pay!

36.06.11: To whom must the Zakat be paid?


There are eight classes of people who may benefit from the
Zakat(tax):
1. Those in need;
Introducing Islam Part I & II 390
2. The very poor (teachers of the law are regarded as being in
these classes--so may receive Zakat);
3. The tax-collector may keep part as his "salary";
4. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled (those converted to
Islam who need help in adapting to the new community);
5. Slaves, who have arranged to buy their freedom, to help
them find the necessary sums of money;
6. Debtors who have voluntarily, for the love of God,
undertaken to pay off their debt;
7. "In the way of God", those volunteering to fight in Holy
War, or for the building of mosques;
8. Travelers who are in need. In many lands today, government
taxation seems to have replaced the Zakat; however, beside
this traditional Zakat, the term is applied to alms given to
the poor at the end of Ramadhan, to mark the end of the fast
(zakat al-fitr).

36.06.12: CHARITY
Islam places great emphasis upon charity i.e. sharing one’s wealth
with those who are less fortunate. The subject of charity is discussed
at least 45 times in the Holy Qur’an.

Translation of Chapter 2 Verse 261 of the Holy Qur’an reads: “The


parable of those who spend their sustenance in the way of God is
that of a grain of corn: it growth seven ears, and each ear hath a
hundred grains. God gives manifold increase to those He pleaseth:
and God careth for all, and He knoweth all things.”

Translation of Verse 263 of the same Chapter 2 reads, “Kind words,


and covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury.
God is free of all wants and he is most forbearing.”

The Qur’an is setting a very high standard for charity: It must be in


the way of God, with no expectation of reward in this world, and
must not be followed by references or reminders about the act of
charity.

Prophet Mohammad said, “Charity is due on every Muslim.”


Someone asked the Prophet, “What if he does not have anything to
give?” The Prophet said, “Let him work with both his hands, doing
Introducing Islam Part I & II 391
benefit to himself and giving charity at the same time.” The person
asked again, “What if he does not have the means to do so?” the
Prophet said, “Then let him assist the needy and the aggrieved.” The
person asked again, “What if he cannot even do this?” The Prophet
replied, “Then he should enjoin what is reputable or what is good.”
The person asked one more time, “What if he cannot do that
either?” The Prophet then replied, “He should do no evil, for verily
that is a charity on his behalf.”

A man came to Prophet Muhammad and said, “O Messenger of


God! which charity is most reward able?” The Prophet replied,
“That you give charity in a state when you are healthy and close
fisted and haunted by the fear of poverty, hoping to become rich.”
You must not defer charity until that you are about to die and would
be saying: This is for so and so.

The Prophet also said: “Hasten to do good deeds before you are
overtaken by one of seven things:
Such starvation as will make you unmindful of devotion,
Or such prosperity as will make you corrupt,
Or such disease as will disable you,
Or senility as will make you mentally unstable,
Or sudden death,
Or the antichrist,
Or the day of destruction.
Greed: Prophet Muhammad said: “If the son of Adam, had a valley
full of gold, he would desire two of them. Nothing can fill his mouth
except the earth of his grave. God turns with mercy to the one who
feels penitence.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

37.00.00: Spread of Islam:


37.01.00: HOW DID THE SPREAD
OF ISLAM AFFECT THE WORLD?
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was
the simplicity of its doctrine. Islam calls for faith in only One God
worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his
powers of intelligence and observation.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 392
Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were
flourishing, for according to the Prophet (SAW) 'seeking knowledge
is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'. The synthesis
of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought
about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy,
geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial
systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept
of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were
transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated
instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of
discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and
good navigational maps.

Taj Mahal, India.

Hui Shen Mosque, China. Built in the 7th Century.

38.00.00: Principles of Islam:


38.01.00: SOME ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES
A. Oneness of God:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 393
He 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.

B. Oneness of mankind:
People are created equal in front of the Law of God. There is no
superiority for one race over another. God made us of different
colors, nationalities, languages and beliefs so as to test who is going
to be better than others. No one can claim that he is better than
others. It is only God Who knows who is better. It depends on piety
and righteousness.

C. Oneness of Messengers and the Message:


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.

D. Angels and the Day of Judgment:


Muslims believe that there are unseen creatures such as angels
created by God in the universe for special missions. Muslims
believe that there is a Day of Judgment when all people of the world
throughout the history of mankind till the last day of life on earth,
are to be brought for accounting, reward and punishment.

E. Innocence of Man at Birth:


Muslim believes that people are born free of sin. It is only after they
reach the age of puberty and it is only after they commit sins that
they are to be charged for their mistakes. No one is responsible for
or can take the responsibility for the sins of others. However, the
door of forgiveness through true repentance is always open.

F. State and Religion:


Muslims believe that Islam is a total and a complete way of life. It
encompasses all aspects of life. As such, the teachings of Islam do
not separate religion from politics. As a matter of fact, state and
religion are under the obedience of Allah through the teachings of
Islam. Hence, economic and social transactions, as well as
Introducing Islam Part I & II 394
educational and political systems are also part of the teachings of
Islam.

38.02.00: Does Islam Tolerate Other Beliefs?


The Quran says: God forbids you not, with regards to those who
fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from
dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are
just. [Qur’an, Surah Al-Mumtahina, v.60:8]

It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of


minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have
flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many
examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the caliph
Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of
worship to all religious communities in the city.

Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own


courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities
themselves.

When the caliph Omar took Jerusalem from the Byzantine, he


insisted on entering the city with only a small number of his
companions. Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives and
property were safe, and that their places of worship would never be
taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to
accompany him on a visit to all the holy places.

The Patriarch invited him to pray in the Church of the Holy


Sepulcher, but he preferred to pray outside its gates, saying that if he
accepted, later generations of Muslims might use his action as an
excuse to turn it into a mosque. Above is the mosque built on the
spot where Omar did pray.

According to Islam, man is not born in 'original sin'. He is God's


vicegerent on earth. Every child is born with the fitra, an innate
disposition towards virtue, knowledge, and beauty. Islam considers
itself to be the 'primordial religion', din al-hanif, it seeks to return
man to his original, true nature in which he is in harmony with
creation, inspired to do good, and confirming the Oneness of God.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 395
38.03.00: How Do Muslims View the Nature of Man,
the Purpose of Life and the Life Hereafter?
In the Holy Quran, Allah teaches human beings that they were
created in order to glorify and worship Him, and that the basis of all
true worship is God-consciousness. All of Allah's creatures worship
him naturally and only the humans have the free will to worship
Allah their Creator or to reject Him. This is a great test, but also a
great honor. Since the teachings of Islam encompass all aspects of
life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human
affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship
if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine
Scripture and Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to
religious rituals, and for this reason it is more properly known as
‘way of life’ than a religion. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy
and a healing for the human soul, and qualities such as humility,
sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged.
Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since
Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness.

The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-
balanced in that human beings are not believed to be inherently
sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil; it is
their choice. Islam teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand.
God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is
their deeds and actions. However, since human beings have also
been created innately weak and regularly fall into sin, they are in
need of continually seeking guidance and repentance, which is, in
itself, also a form of worship loved by Allah. The nature of the
human being as created by God in His Majesty and Wisdom, is not
inherently ‘corrupt’ or in need of repair. The avenue of repentance
is always open to all. Almighty God knew that humans were going
to make mistakes, so the real test is whether they seek repentance
for their sins and try to avoid them, or if they prefer a life of
heedlessness and sin, knowing well that it is not pleasing to
God. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a
healthy fear of Allah's rightful punishment for crimes and sins, as
well as a sincere belief that Allah, in His infinite Mercy, takes
pleasure in bestowing His reward for our good deeds and sincere
worship to Him. A life without fear of Allah leads to sin and
disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God
Introducing Islam Part I & II 396
will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In the light of this
fact, Islam teaches that only the misguided despair of the Mercy of
their Lord, and only wicked criminals are devoid of the fear of Allah
their Creator and Judge. The Holy Qur’an as revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also contains a great deal
of teachings about life in the hereafter and the Day of Judgment.
Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by
Allah, the Absolute Sovereign King and Judge, for their beliefs and
actions in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Allah the
Exalted will be both and absolutely Just by only punishing the truly
guilty and rebellious unrepentant criminals, and absolutely Merciful
for those people who He, in His wisdom, judges worthy of mercy.
None will be judged for that which was beyond their capacity, or for
that which they did not actually do. It is sufficient to say that Islam
teaches that life is a test designed by Allah, the Creator, Almighty
and Most Wise; and that all human beings will be accountable
before Allah for what they did with their lives. A sincere belief in
the life of the hereafter is the key to leading a well-balanced and
moral life. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which
causes people to become more selfish, materialistic and immoral by
their blind pursuit of pleasure even at the expense of reason and
ethics. [By Daniel Masters, Isma'il Kaka and Robert Squires]
38.04.00: Why is there difference between a Muslim and a
'Kafir'?
Brethren-in-Islam!
Every Muslim personally believes and you too must surely believe
alike, have a Muslim's rank is higher than of a Kafir. God likes a
Muslim and dislikes a Kafir. A Muslim will get salvation from God
while a Kafir will not. A Muslim will go to Paradise and a Kafir will
go to Hell. Today I want you to ponder over this matter as to why
should there be so much difference between a Muslim and a Kafir?
A Kafir is as much an offspring of Adam as you are. He too
possesses hands, feet, eyes and ears as you possess. He too, like
you, breathes the same air, drinks the same water, and inhabits the
same land as you do. That very God Who created you, created him
also. Then why is his rank low and yours high? Why will you get
Paradise and why will he be thrown into Hell? [Fundamentals of
Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 397
38.05.00: Is the difference only nominal?
This is a point to be thought over deeply. Such a big difference
between man and man cannot be simply due to the fact that you are
called by names like 'Abdullah' and 'Abdur-Rehman' and he is called
by names like Deen Dayal, Kartar Singh and Robertson, or that you
get circumcised and he does not, or that you eat meat and he shuns
it. The Almighty Allah Who has created all human beings and is the
Sustainer of all of them cannot be so cruel as to discriminate
between his creatures on such petty grounds and send one slave of
His to Heaven and another to Hell. [Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid
Abul A’la Maududi]

38.06.00: Real difference---Islam and 'Kufr'


When the position is not like this, and then thinks out what is the
actual difference between the two? The answer to it is only one and
it is this that the real difference between the two is due to Islam and
Kufr. The meaning of Islam is obedience to God while he meaning
of Kufr is disobedience to God. Muslim and Kafir are both human
beings; both are slaves of God. But one human being becomes
superior for the reason that he recognizes his Master, obeys His
orders and fears the consequences of disobeying Him, while the
other human being falls from the high rank because he does not
recognize his Master and does not carry out His orders. This is why
God is pleased with Muslims and displeased with unbelievers. He
promises award of Heaven to Muslims and warns unbelievers that
they will be consigned to Hell. [Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid
Abul A’la Maududi]

38.07.00: Cause of difference---knowledge and deeds


From this it is clear that there are two things which separate
Muslims and Kafirs. One is knowledge and the other, deeds. That is,
in the first place, one should know who his Master is, what are His
orders, what is the method to follow His wishes, which deeds please
Him and which displease Him? Then when these things become
known, the second step is that man should make himself a slave of
his Master, carry out what He desires, and give up own wishes. If
his heart desires to do a certain act and the Master's order is against
it, he should pay no heed to his heart's desire and carry out his
Introducing Islam Part I & II 398
Master's order. If a work appears as noble to him and the Master
says that it is ignoble, he must also consider it ignoble. And if
another work appears ignoble to him but the Master says it is noble
he too must consider it good. If he sees harm in a certain work but
since the Master says that it must be done, he must in any case do it
though it my entail him any amount of loss in life and property. As
against this, if he expects profit in some other work but the Master
forbids him from undertaking it, he must never, touch it though it
may bring him even the wealth of the whole world.

This is the knowledge and conduct by which a Muslim becomes a


true servant of God, on whom He sends His blessing and to whom
He awards honour and dignity. Contrarily, since a Kafir does not
possess this knowledge, he is listed as God's disobedient slave and
is deprived by God of His blessings.

Now you should yourself consider with justice that if a man who
calls himself Muslim is as ignorant and disobedient as a Kafir, how
can he be superior to the latter merely on the basis of bearing a
different name, wearing a different dress and eating a different
food? Also on what basis is he entitled to the blessing of God in this
world and in the Hereafter? Islam is not akin to a race or family or
brotherhood which is automatically bequeathed from father to son
and from son to grandson. It is not the case here that a Brahmin's
son, however, ignorant and of bad conduct he may be, will
command a lofty status just because he is born in a Brahmin's home
and belongs to the high caste, while the son of a scheduled caste,
however will remain in the low strata because he is born in a
scheduled caste home and is a menial. On this point God has
explicitly stated in His book:
"In reality the most honoured among you, in the sight of Allah, is he
who is most pious." (Al-Qur'an 49:13)

That is, the more one knows God and the more one obeys His
commandments, the more honourable is he in the sight of God.
Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) was born in the home of an idolater, but
he came to know God and obeyed Him. That is why God made him
Imam of the whole world.The son of Noah was born in a prophet's
home but he did not understand God and disobeyed Him. That is
why God did not care at all for his family and gave such a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 399
punishment to him that it became an object-lesson for the world.
Therefore, please understand thoroughly that whatever difference is
there in the sight of Allah between man and man, it is in relation to
knowledge and deeds. Both in this world and the Hereafter God's
blessing is served for those who understand Him, know the right
path shown by Him and carry out His commandments. Those who
do not have this quality, though their names may be 'Abdullah and
'Abdur Rahman' or Deen Dayal or Kartar Singh, there is no
difference between these two sets in the sight of God and they are
not entitled to His blessing. [Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul
A’la Maududi]

38.08.00: Why are Muslims humiliated today?


Brethren! You call yourselves Muslims and it is your conviction that
God showers His blessing on Muslims. But open your eyes and see
if God's blessing is descending on you? Whatever will be happened
in the Hereafter will be seen by you afterwards, but have a look at
your condition in this world. You are nine crore in this land of
Hindustan. You are in such great number that if each of you were to
throw a pebble it will become a mountain. But where there are so
many Muslims, the government is in the hands of unbelievers. Your
necks are in their grip to turn you whichever side they like; your
head which did not bowed before anybody except Allah is now
bowed before human beings. Your honour which no one dared to
touch is now being besmeared with dust. Your hand which was
always above is now lowered and is stretched before a Kafir.
Ignorance, poverty and indebtedness have subjected you to disgrace
everywhere.

Is this the blessing of God? If this is not blessing but obvious wrath,
then how strange it is that these are Muslims and yet on them
descends the wrath of God! These are Muslims and are yet
wallowing in disgrace. These are Muslims and are yet in slavery!
This situation appears to be an impossibility just as it is impossible
for an object to be both white and black. Since a Muslim is the
loved one of God, how can he be disgraced in this world? Is your
God (may Allah forbid) an oppressor that while you, on your part,
acknowledge His due to you and obey His orders, He makes the
disobedient ones rule over you, and gives you punishment for your
Introducing Islam Part I & II 400
obedience to Him? If it is an article of faith with you that God is not
an oppressor and if you believe that the reward of obedience to God
can never be in the shape of disgrace, then you will have to concede
that there is something wrong in your claim of being a Muslim.
Though your name is surely entered as a Muslim in government
papers but God does not pass judgment on the authenticity of the
office of the British Government. God maintains His own office.
You will have to search in His list to find whether your name is
entered among His obedient or disobedient servants?

God sent you His Book so that by reading it you may know Him
and learn the way of obeying Him. Did you ever try to find out what
is written in it? God sent His Prophet to you to teach you the
method of becoming Muslim. Did you ever try to find out what His
prophet has taught? God showed you the way to attain honour and
dignity in this world and the Hereafter. Do you follow that way?
God very explicitly informed you as to what are those works which
debase man in this world and the Hereafter. Do you avoid such
works? Say what answer have you to these questions? If you admit
that you neither obtained knowledge from God's Book and His
Prophet's life nor followed the way shown by Him, then how did
you become Muslim to merit His reward? The reward you are
getting is proportionate to the degree of your being Muslim and you
will get a like reward in the Hereafter too!

I have stated before that there is absolutely no difference between a


Muslim and a Kafir except in the matter of knowledge and deeds. If
thee knowledge and deeds of a man are similar to those of a Kafir,
and yet he calls himself a Muslim, he speaks a blatant lie. A Kafir
does not read the Qur'an and does not know what is written therein.
If similar is the condition of a Muslim, why should he be called a
Muslim? A Kafir does not know what is the teaching of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) and what straight path he has shown to
reach God. If a Muslim is equally ignorant of this, how is he a
Muslim? A Kafir follows his own desire instead of following the
command of God. If a Muslim too, like him, is headstrong and
unbridled, and a follower of his own ideas and opinion, indifferent
to God and is a slave of lust, then what right has he to call himself a
Muslim (obedient slave of God)? A Kafir does not discriminate
between Halal and Haram and takes to anything which to him is
Introducing Islam Part I & II 401
beneficial and full of relish, no matter whether it is Halal or Haram
in the sight God. If a Muslim's behaviour is the same as that of a
non-Muslim, what difference is there between him and a Kafir? In
short, if a Muslim is as much devoid of knowledge about Islam as a
Kafir is and if a Muslim does all those things which a Kafir does,
then why should he be considered superior as compared to a Kafir?
This is a matter on which we should all ponder cool-mindedly.
[Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

38.09.00: A matter for serious consideration


My dear brethren! Please do not think that I am out to brand
Muslims as unbelievers. No, this is not my aim at all. I myself
ponder and want that every one of us should think for himself as to
why at all are we deprived of the blessing of God? Why are we the
target of calamities from all sides? Why those whom we call Kafir,
i.e. disobedient slaves of God, are everywhere dominating over us?
And why we, who claim to be His obedient slaves, are being
subjugated everywhere? The more I pondered over the reason of this
situation the more I got convinced that the only difference now left
between us and unbelievers is that of mere name, otherwise we too
are in no way behind them in neglect of God, in being unafraid of
Him and in being disobedient to Him. There is of course, a light
difference between us and them but this difference does not entitle
us to any reward. Infect, it make us deserving of punishment
because we know that the Qur'an is the Book of God and yet we
treat it as a Kafir treats it. We know that Muhammad (peace be upon
him) is the Prophet of Allah and yet we are scared of following him
as is a Kafir scared. We know that God has cursed a liar, He has
positively declared Hell as an abode of bribe-takers and bribe-
givers. He has pronounced interest-takers and interest-givers as the
worst criminals, He has termed backbiting as like eating a brother's
flesh, He has warned that obscenity, lewdness and debauchery will
meet with dire punishment. But even knowing all this, we freely
indulge in all these vices like the unbelievers as if we have
absolutely no fear of God. This is why we are not rewarded as we
are Muslims by appearance only as compared to the unbelievers.
The fact of unbelievers ruling over us and our humiliations on every
occasion at their hands, are expressive of the punishment of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 402
crime that a boon like Islam was bestowed on us and we did not
value it.

Dear brethren! Whatever I have said today in my lecture is not


intended to blame you. I have not come as a censurer. My aim is to
make you keen to recover what has been lost. The anxiety to regain
a lost asset arises when a man realizes what actually he has lost and
how valuable it was. That is why I try to awaken you. If you are
aroused and understand that in reality a highly-precious object was
in your possession, then you will think about regaining it.
[Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

38.09.00: Keenness to acquire knowledge


I had told you in my previous lecture that to become a real Muslim
the foremost requisite is knowledge of Islam. Every Muslim ought
to know what the teaching of the Qur’an is, what system was
followed by the Holy Prophet, what Islam is, and what those things
which really differentiate Islam from Kufr are. Nobody can be a
Muslim without this knowledge. But it is a pity that you are not
keen to acquire this very knowledge. This shows that still you do
not realize what great boon you are deprived of. My brethren! A
mother does not give milk to her child until he cries and demands it.
When a man feels thirsty he himself searches for water and God
produces also water for him.

When you yourself are not thirsty for water it will be useless even if
a spring brimming with water were to come before you. You ought
to first understand yourself what a great loss you are incurring by
remaining ignorant of Deen. The Book of God is with you but you
do not know what is written in it. What a greater loss can there be
than this? You do not know even the meaning of Kalima by reciting
which you enter Islam, nor do you know what responsibilities
devolve on you soon after reciting this Kalima. Can there be a
greater loss than this for a Muslim? You know the loss caused if
crops are burnt; you know the suffering due to failure to obtain
livelihood; you know the harm resulting from loss of property, but
you do not know the loss of being unaware of Islam. When you will
realize this loss then you will yourself come and ask to be saved
from this loss. And when you will yourself make this request then
Introducing Islam Part I & II 403
Insha-Allah (may God will it so) arrangement will be made to
protect you from this loss. [Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul
A’la Maududi]

39.00.00: Muslims have to have


good manners to Non-Muslims:
39.01.00: Muslim Manners with the Non-Muslims
Muslims are required to respect all those who are faithful and God
conscious people, namely those who received messages. Christians
and Jews are called People of the Book. Muslims are asked to call
upon the People of the Book for common terms, namely, to worship
One God, and to work together for the solutions of the many
problems in the society.

Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims throughout


centuries in the Middle East and other Asian and African countries.
The second Caliph Omar, did not pray in the church in Jerusalem so
as not to give the Muslims an excuse to take it over. Christians
entrusted the Muslims, and as such the key of the Church in
Jerusalem is still in the hands of the Muslims.

Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and they were
welcomed by the Muslims. They settled in the heart of the Islamic
Caliphate. They enjoyed positions of power and authority.

Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and


missionary schools were built within the Muslim neighborhoods.
These places were protected by Muslims even during the
contemporary crises in the Middle East.

40.00.00: The Religion of Islam:


40.01.00: DOES ISLAM RESPECT OTHER RELIGIONS?
Islam is the first religion that recognized the presence of other
religions and faiths. Islam honors and respects diversity. Islam asks
the believers not to abuse or look down up on other faiths or
followers of other faiths.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 404
40.02.00: The Religion of Islam
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about
Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is
not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was
named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, and
Confucianism after Confucius and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor
was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and
Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and
as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's"
religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic
word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the
only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is
termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the
natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence,
it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I
in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah
re-expressed in its final form.

Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the
first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent
by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion Islam was not
decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah
Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the
final book of divine revelation, the Qur'an, Allah states the
following:

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My


favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion".
[Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:3]
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah
(God) never will It be accepted of Him" [Surah Al-Imran 3:85]

"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim."


[Surah Al-Imran 3:67]

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses'
people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the
followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ
was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes
from the Greek word Christos which means the anointed. That is,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 405
Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The
name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a Latinized version of the
Hebrew name Esau.

For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet


Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his
followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to
surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he
warned them to stay away from the false gods of human
imagination.

According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as


follows: "Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".

41.00.00: The Message of Islam:


41.01.00: The Message of Islam
Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the
essence of worship, the basic message of Allah's divine religion,
Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship
directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah. Since
everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things is Allah's
creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from
the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator.
He is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will
that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are
answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah
who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might
say, "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be.
Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint
Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered
by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did not tell his followers
to worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur'an states:
"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say
to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will
say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')"
[Surah Al-Ma'idah- 5:116]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 406
Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he
worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening
chapter of the Qur'aan, known as
Surah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:
"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help".

Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah also


said: "And your Lord says:"Call on Me and I will answer your
(prayer)."[Sursh Al-Mu'min, v.40:60]

It is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and
His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His
creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.

This might seem obvious, but, man's worship of creation instead of


the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It
is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation
or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His
creation, which has provided justification for the worship of
creation though such worship may be called the worship of Allah
through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by
the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the
worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our'an
Allah clearly states: “For We assuredly sent amongst every
people a prophet (with the command) worship means avoid false
gods " [Surah An-Nahl 16:36]

When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows


down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are
not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present
within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for
Allah's essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the
concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any
way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas,
one who understands the basic message of Islam and its
implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is
rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down
through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken
belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that
although Allah according to their false beliefs is in all of us, He is
Introducing Islam Part I & II 407
more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we
should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either
God in person or God concentrated within the person.

Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their
passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false
belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic
message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship
another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in
essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection
of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of
Islam: "Laa Elaaha lllallaah" (There is no god but Allah). It’s
repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and
sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.

Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one
who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief)
will enter paradise". [Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-
Bukhari and Muslim]

It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him


by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and
polytheists.

41.02.00: Facts about Islam:


"Islam" literally means "peace through submission to God".
"Muslim" literally means "anyone or anything that submits itself to
the will of God".
Islam is not a culture. Its followers number over 1.9 billion
worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to
be one of the three Abrahamic traditions.
There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be
undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true
Muslim:
(A) Shahadah - declaration of faith in the oneness of God and that
Muhammad is the last prophet of God.
(B) Formal prayer five times a day.
(C) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.
(D) Poor-due "tax" - 2.5% of one's savings given to the needy at the
end of each year.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 408
(E) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially
able.

There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs
that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They
are belief in:
(A) The One God.
(B) All the prophets of God.
(C) The original scriptures revealed to Prophets Moses, David,
Jesus, and Muhammad.
(D) The angels.
(E) The Day of Judgment and the Hereafter.
(F) The divine decree (or destiny).
Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral,
spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.

Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people
and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different
terms does not mean that they are different gods. Spanish people
refer to God as "Dios" and French people refer to God as "Dieu",
yet they are all the same God. Interestingly, most Arab Jews and
Arab Christians refer to God as "Allah". And the word Allah in
Arabic appears on the walls of many Arab churches.

The Islamic concept of God is that He loves, merciful, and


compassionate. But Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in
punishment. Nevertheless, Allah once said to Prophet Muhammad,
"My mercy prevails over my wrath." Islam teaches a balance
between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and
despair.

Terrorism, unjustified violence, and the killing of innocent people


are absolutely forbidden in Islam. Islam is a way of life that is
meant to bring peace to a society, whether its people are Muslim or
not. The extreme actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be,
among other things, a result of their ignorance or uncontrolled
anger. Tyrant rulers and those who commit acts of terrorism in the
name of Islam are simply not following Islam. These people are
individuals with their own views and political agendas. Fanatical
Muslims are no more representative of the true Islamic teachings
Introducing Islam Part I & II 409
than Timothy McVeigh or David Koresh is of Christianity.
Extremism and fanaticism is a problem that is common to all
religious groups.

The word "jihad means the inner struggle that one endures in trying
to submit their will to the will of God. Some Muslims may say they
are going for "jihad" when fighting in a war to defend themselves or
their fellow Muslims, but they only say this because they are
conceding that it will be a tremendous struggle. But there are many
other forms of jihad which are more relevant to the everyday life of
a Muslim such as the daily struggles against self-desire, the struggle
against a tyrant ruler or against the temptation of Satan, etc., etc.

Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses
a woman is not following true Islam. Among the countless teachings
of Prophet Muhammad which protected the rights and dignity of
women is his saying,"...the best among you are those who treat their
wives well."

Islam grants Muslim women numerous rights in the home and in


society. Among them are the right to work and earn money, the right
to financial support, the right to an education, the right to an
inheritance, the right to being treated kindly, the right to vote and
representation on a board, the right to a dowry, the right to keep
their maiden name, the right to worship in a mosque, etc.,

All Muslims are not Arab. Islam is a universal religion and way of
life which includes followers from all races of people. There are
Muslims in and from virtually every country in the world. Arabs
only constitute about 20% of Muslims worldwide. Indonesia has the
largest concentration of Muslims with over 120 million. [Dr.Ibrahim
Dremali]
42.00.00: Tawheed or Oneness of God:
42.01.00: TAWHEED: The Backbone of Islamic Faith
Literally Tawheed means to make something one or to call it one. In
English when something is made one, it is considered unified.
However, in Islamic terminology Tawheed means to believe that
Allah is the one and only true God, and He alone deserves to be
worshipped. Tawheed is sometimes referred to as monotheism.
However, in its purest sense in the Islamic definition is that no other
Introducing Islam Part I & II 410
entity can in any way have Allah's perfect attributes or be equivalent
or even in competition with Him. All acts of worship that a person
does should be directed to Allah or for Allah Alone. For example,
prayer should only be directed to Allah, religious animal sacrifice
should only be done in Allah's name, or fighting to establish and
protect religion (Jihaad) should be done for His sake.

Tawheed is therefore the central concept upon which all of Islam


rests. It is the core belief ('aqeedah) around which everything
revolves. Indeed, it is the Islamic position regarding the belief in
Allah that makes it unique among the world's religions. Other
religions claim to worship one God (monotheism), such as
Christianity and Judaism, yet unlike the Islamic concept of God,
they either attribute to men what befits only God or they attribute
various weaknesses, faults and failings to Him that do not befit His
Majesty and are instead more suited to His creation.

In the Islamic concept of Allah, none of the weaknesses, failings or


needs of the creation can be applied to Him. He is indeed not of a
particular race nor does He favor any particular race among His
creation except those who are most devoted to Him. Muslims
believe in Allah as He or His Prophet have described in the Quraan
or the authentic hadeeth that is, the authenticated statements of the
Prophet Muhammad himself, sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam. His
primary function was to teach mankind about Allah and correct their
wrong ideas. People have no right to interject or interpret what they
have no ability to comprehend on their own. Whatever people have
made up regarding Allah without any basis from the final revelation
of the Quraan and Sunnah is purely conjecture from their minds.
The Sunnah is literally the manner and way of the Prophet
Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). The reports of his speech,
actions and tacit approvals are called hadeeth and from these reports
scholars derive the Sunnah. The terms hadeeth and Sunnah are
sometimes used synonymously.

43.00.00: CREATOR AND CREATION


Islamic teachings describe only two states of being: God the creator,
and the Creation. God tells us in the Qur’an that He does not beget,
nor is He begotten. Begetting offspring, eating, resting, sleeping are
all characteristics of created things. God is All-Powerful and is able
Introducing Islam Part I & II 411
to do all things. He merely says to it “Be”, and it is. Such as the case
of the miraculous birth of Prophet Jesus, the creation of the heavens
and the earth, and all that is in them.

Every human being has responsibilities to the Creator, and these are
referred to as the 5 Pillars of Islam. Then there are responsibilities to
one’s family, to one’s neighbors, to the community, to the nation, to
humankind, and to all of God is other creation, whether animate or
inanimate. Muslims believe that each of us will be held accountable
on the Day of Judgment, and will receive reward or punishment,
based upon how well he carried out his responsibilities to the
Creator, and to His creation in this life.

All beings in the heavens and on earth declare God’s glory; all
bounties are in His hand; all faces shall be humbled before him; all
good is from Him; all honor is with Him; He brings to light what is
hidden; creates what He wills; He created all things in due
proportions and truth; encompasses all things including unbelievers;
enlarges the provision and restricts it; feeds but is not fed; gives life,
sustenance, and wealth without measure; knows all that we reveal or
conceal; knows the secrets of the heart; is the best of the planners;
listens to the distress; listens to those who believe and do righteous
deeds; loves those who believe, are kind, just, make themselves
pure, and put their trust in Him.

In verse 152, Chapter 2 of the Holy Qur’an, God says to His


creation: ”Then do ye remember me; I will remember you. Be
grateful to me, and reject not Faith.” [www.understandingislam.org]

43.01.00: CREATION OF UNIVERSE


Fourteen hundred years ago, in the 7th Century AD, the Qur’an
vividly described the creation of universe, and the creation of life on
earth. The Qur’an revealed, that the heavens and the earth were one
mass before God ripped them apart, and that the universe is
expanding.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 412
Translation of Verse 30 Chapter 21 of the Qur’an reads: “Have not
those who disbelieve known that the heavens and earth were of one
piece, then We parted them, and We made every living thing of
water? Will they not then believe?”

The translation of Verse 47 Chapter 51 of the Qur’an reads: “We


have built the heaven with might, and We it is who make the vast
extent – thereof.”

The first reference is strikingly similar to the widely accepted “Big-


Bang” theory, and Edwin Hubble confirmed the second in 1925.

Today we know that the sun, a massive star, travels more than 17
million kilometers a day, and the moon revolves around the earth.
The translation of Verses 38–40 of Chapter 36 of the Qur’an
describes the motions of the celestial’s bodies: “And the sun runs on
its fixed course for a term appointed. That is the decree of the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. And the moon, We have measured for it
destinations, till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk. It is
not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the
day; they each swim, each with its own motion.”

Verse 61 Chapter 25 of the Qur’an further describes the celestial


bodies. The sun is described as a ‘lamp’ or ‘torch’, but the moon is
simply described as a ‘borrower’ or ‘reflector’ of light. “Blessed be
He Who hath placed in the heaven mansions of the stars, and hath
placed therein a great lamp and a moon giving light.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

44.00.00: Family:
44.01.00: WHY IS THE FAMILY
SO IMPORTANT TO MUSLIMS?
The family is the foundation of Islamic society. The peace and
security offered by a stable family unit is greatly valued, and seen as
essential for the spiritual growth of its members. A harmonious
social order is created by the existence of extended families;
Introducing Islam Part I & II 413
children are treasured, and rarely leave home until the time they
marry. Children are the blessing of God. Good parenting in the light
of Islam has high merits, bringing near God.

45.00.00: Muslim Women


45.01.00: WHAT ABOUT MUSLIM WOMEN?
Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in
her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and
earnings. A marriage dowry is given by the groom to the bride for
her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather
than taking her husband's.

Both men and women are expected to dress in a way which is


modest and dignified; the traditions of female dress found in some
Muslim countries are often the expression of local customs.
The Messenger of God said:
'The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in
manner and kindest to his wife.'

45.02.00: What is the position of Women in Islam?


Many books have been written on this topic. It follows, then that
any answer given here must necessarily be incomplete, barely
scratching the surface. Accordingly, we will address only two
aspects of question:
A) Do women in Islam have equality with men?
B) Are Muslim women required to wear the head coverings?
A) Before Islam came to the seventh century Arabs; they were a
loosely organized society of tribes who were constantly warring
with each other. Women in this pre-Islamic society, known as the
age of ignorance, were truly second-class citizens. They were
completely dominated by men, and had no opportunities to reverse
these oppressive conditions.

Typical of their status was the fact that they were prevented from
inheriting property. When a parent died, his property was divided
among his sons. His daughters got nothing.

Actually, it was worse than that. For example, a son could inherit
his father’s wife (assuming, of course, she was not his mother).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 414
Children, too (both male and female) were also excluded from their
“rightful” inheritance.

Then along came Prophet Mohammed and revelations, bringing a


message of equality for all, for men and women {for} master and
servants. In its own words, the Qur’an makes the case:
“O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their
will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take
away part of the dower ye have given them, except where they have
been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a
footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be
that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal
of good.” 4:19

“For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for
devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and
women who are patient and constant, for men and women who
humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for
men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and
women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who
engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared
forgiveness and great reward.” 33:35
“And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce
not four witnesses, (to support their allegations), flog them with
eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are
wicked transgressors;” 24:4

“And We have enjoined on man (To be good) to his parents: in


travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was
his weaning: (hear the command), "Show gratitude to Me and to thy
parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal.” 31:14

B) On the matter of whether Muslim women are required to wear


the head coverings, following are the instruction in the Qur’an:

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty that will make for greater purity for them: and
Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.”
“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze
and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty
Introducing Islam Part I & II 415
and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that
they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their
beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands'
fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their
brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves
whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical
needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and
that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to
their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together
towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss”. (24: 30-31)

“O Prophet! tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women,
that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when
abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as
such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.” (33:59)

The Qur’an requires both men and women to dress modestly. How
that modesty is expressed is interpreted differently from one society
to another, from one time to another. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

46.00.00: Marriage in Islam:


46.01.00: What Is Marriage In Islam?
Islam regards male and female as equals before god. Marriage in
Islam is a contract between two equals. The wife does not
necessarily have to carry the husband’s name. Divorce is
permissible but is to be avoided.

46.02.00: Can A Muslim Have More Than One Wife?


Introducing Islam Part I & II 416
The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and
so accommodates widely differing social requirements.
Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right
is granted, according to the Quran, only on condition that the
husband is scrupulously fair.

46.03.00: What is the authority


for a Muslim having several wives?
The Qur'an and Traditions authorize the Muslim to marry only four
wives; i.e. he may divorce one of the four and take another, but he
may not at any one time have more than four legitimate wives.
However the great majority of Muslims in the world today have
only one wife at a time, and some Muslims have reinterpreted the
statement of the Qur'an, saying that the verse really upholds
monogamy as the ideal form of marriage. (4, Nisa 3 with 128/129).

46.04.00: Is An Islamic Marriage


Like A Christian Marriage?
A Muslim marriage is not a 'sacrament', but a simple, legal
agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions.
Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. As a
result, divorce is not common, although it is not forbidden as a last
resort. According to Islam, no Muslim girl can be forced to marry
against her will: her parents will simply suggest young men they
think may be suitable.

47.00.00: Hijab
47.01.00: What is Purdah?
Purdah is the seclusion of women "for God". The Qur'an
commanded that Muhammad's wives should remain in their houses
and be seen by no adult males other than slaves and close relatives.
(33 Ahzab 33: 55).

Many Muslims have secluded their women-folk in order to follow


the example of Muhammad. But other Muslims take this as a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 417
command to Muhammad only, or as ancient custom unsuited to
modern times. A majority of Muslim women are not now secluded.

Again, many Muslims consider that 33, 59 mean that a woman's


face should be completely covered when she goes outside the house;
others take it to mean simply covering the head and body. [See in
details in the book of ‘Garment what’s and Why’ or ‘Garment Hijab
Niqab Purdah’: Akm Fakhrul Islam]

48.00.00: Islam and War


48.01.00: What Does Islam Say About War?
Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense
of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly
from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include
prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops,
trees and livestock. As Muslims see it, injustice would be
triumphant in the world if good men were not prepared to risk their
lives in a righteous cause.

The Quran says:


'Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not
transgress limits. God does not love transgressors.' (2.190)

'If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is
the One that heareth and knoweth all things.' (8.61)

War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous


conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term jihad literally
means 'struggle', and Muslims believe that there are two kinds of
jihad. The other jihad is the inner struggle which everyone wages
against egotistic desires, for the sake of attaining inner peace.

48.02.00: Defense of Islam


Though the defense of Islam is not a fundamental tenet but its need
and importance have been repeatedly emphasized in the Qur'an and
the Hadith. It is in essence a test of our sincerity and truthfulness as
believers in Islam. If we do not defend one whom we call our friend
against intrigues or assaults from his foes, nor care for his interest
and are guided solely by selfishness we are indeed false pretenders
of friendship. Similarly if we profess belief in Islam we must
Introducing Islam Part I & II 418
jealously guard and uphold the prestige of Islam. Our sole guide in
our conduct must be the interest of Muslim at large and the service
of Islam in the face of which all our personal considerations must
sink low. [Towards Understanding Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la
Maududi]

48.03.00: Jihad
Jihad is a part of this overall defense of Islam. Jihad means struggle
to the utmost of one's capacity. A man who exerts himself physically
or mentally or spends his wealth in the way of Allah is indeed
engaged in Jihad. But in the language of the Shari'ah this word is
used particularly for the war that is waged solely in the name of
Allah and against those who perpetrate oppression as enemies of
Islam. This supreme sacrifice of lives devolves an all Muslims. If
however a section of the Muslims offer themselves for participating
in the Jihad the whole community is absolved of its responsibility.
But if none comes forward everybody is guilty. This concession
vanishes for the citizens of an Islamic State when it is attacked by a
non-Muslim power. In that case everybody must come forward for
the Jihad. If the country attacked has not strength enough to fight
back then it is the religious duty of the neighboring Muslim
countries to help her if even they fail then the Muslims of the whole
world must fight the common enemy. In all these cases Jihad is as
much a primary duty of the Muslims concerned as are the daily
prayers or fasting. One who shirks it is a sinner. He is plainly a
hypocrite who fails in the test of sincerity and all his 'Ibadat and
prayers are a sham a worthless hollow show of devotion. [Towards
Understanding Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

48.04.00: Real objective of Islam


Briefly speaking, it would be enough to state that the real objective
of Islam is to remove the lordship of man over man and to establish
the kingdom of God on Earth. To stake one's life and everything else
to achieve this purpose is called Jihad' while Salah, fasting, Hajj and
Zakat are all meant as a preparation for this task. But as you have
since long forgotten this objective as well as the task entrusted to
you, and because all 'Ibadaat have been turned into mere Tasawwuf,
the meaning I have tried to convey in one small sentence will be
regarded by you as an enigma. Therefore I shall present before you
Introducing Islam Part I & II 419
an elucidation of this objective. [Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid
Abul A’la Maududi]

48.05.00: Root of evils---rotten political system


The root of all the evils you find in the world lies in the bad
character of the government. Power and wealth rest in the hand of
the government. Laws are framed by the government. All the
authority of administration is exercised by the government. The
force of Police and Army is in the hands of the government.
Therefore whatever evils there are in the life of the people, are
either spread by the government itself or with its help, because the
power required making anything prevail rest with the government.
As an example, you notice that adultery is openly indulged in and is
carried on publicly in brothels. What is the reason? The reason is
nothing else except that adultery is not a crime in the eyes of those
who hold governmental power. They are themselves used to it and
allow others to do it. Otherwise if they wanted to stop it, this evil
could not be carried on with such impunity. You notice that usury is
rampant and the rich are sucking the blood of the poor. Why is it so?
This is just because the government itself takes usury and helps
those who take it. Its courts pass decrees in favour of usurers and it
is with its support that big money-lending houses and banks are
flourishing. You notice that indecency and immorality are increasing
in the people. Why is it so? This is merely because the government
has made arrangements to impart this very king of education and
training to the people and it appreciates these models of morality
and humanity which you witness. If you want to produce other types
of human beings through a different kind of education and training,
wherefrom will you get the resources? And even if you produce a
few of a good type, where will they get the jobs? All the sources of
livelihood and employment are in the hands of the wrong type of
government. You notice that blood shedding is going on extensively
in the world. Human knowledge is being used for destruction. The
fruits of man's labour are being put to fire, and precious lives are
being destroyed with greater callousness than are pieces of clay
done away with. Why is it so? This is just because the most wicked
and mischievous from among the children of Adam are holding the
reins of authority and leadership of the nations of the world. Since
power is in their hands, the world is going towards the direction
they want to take it. Whatever purpose they have prescribed for the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 420
use of knowledge, wealth, labour and life, every one of them is
being utilized for those purposes. You notice that oppression is
being perpetrated everywhere in the world. There is no justice
anywhere for the weak. The life of the poor man is difficult. Courts
have become shops of traders wherefrom justice is bought in return
for money. People are subjected to exorbitant taxes which are being
wasted on high salaries of officers, on big buildings, on purchase of
armaments and other extravagant expenditures. Money-lenders,
zamindars, Rajas and Nawabs, title-holders and title-seeker
dignitaries, gaddi-occupying Pirs and Mahants, cinema-proprietors,
wine-dealers, publishers of obscene books and magazines, owners
of gambling dens and many such people are ruining the life, wealth,
honour, morality and everything of God's creation and there is
nobody to check them. Why is all this happening? Simply because
the government is out of gear. The hands that hold power are bad.
They themselves commit oppression and also side with oppressors.
And whatever oppression is being perpetrated is due to the face that
they want it to be done or are at least tolerant of it. You must have
understood from these examples that the ignoble character of a
government is the root of all evils. The pollution of people's
thoughts, the degeneration of morals, the diversion of human
capacities and capabilities into wrong channels, the prevalence of
wrong concepts of business and dealings, bad methods of living, the
prevalence of oppression and misdeeds and destruction of God's
creation, all these result from one thing : the keys of authority and
power being in wrong hands. It is obvious that when power will rest
in the hands of wrong people and when the resources of livelihood
will be under their control, then they will not only themselves
spread distortions but every type of malformation will also prevail
with their help and support, and as long as power is in their hands,
no reform of anything will take place. [Fundamentals of Islam:
Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

48.06.00: First step towards reform---


improvement of government
Having grasped this point, it will be easy for you to understand that
in order to affect reforms among the people and to bring them on the
path of well-being and righteousness after rescuing them from the
path of destruction, there is no other remedy except to set right the
mutilated shape of government. A man of ordinary sense can
Introducing Islam Part I & II 421
understand this point that where people are quite free to commit
adultery, no amount of sermons can put a stop to it. But if after
getting hold the power of government adultery is stopped by force,
people will themselves give up this illicit course and take to the licit
one. It will be impossible to succeed if you want to stop by means of
sermons the evils of drinking, gambling, usury, bribery, obscene
shows, indecent dress, unethical education, and such other things.
Of course, with the force of government these evils can be
exterminated. It will in no way be possible through advice and
preaching to make those people give up their booties who plunder
God's creation and ruin their morals. Of course if you take power in
your hand and end their mischief by force, then all these evils can
be stopped. If you want that the labour, wealth, intelligence and
ability of God's creation are rescued from being wasted in wrong
channels and are utilized in the right directions, if you wish to see
oppression rooted out and the justice prevail, if you desire that there
be no mischief on the earth, that man should neither suck nor shed
the blood of man, that the lot of depressed and fallen human beings
be ameliorated and all human beings be granted equal opportunities
of having honour, peace, prosperity and progress, then this task
cannot be achieved by mere preaching and exhortation. Of course, if
you have the power of government in your hand, all this is quite
possible. So this is an obvious matter requiring no great thinking,
that no scheme of reform for the people can be implemented without
acquiring control of the government machinery. Whoever really
wants to root out mischief and chaos from God's earth and is
genuinely anxious to ameliorate the condition of God's creation, it is
useless for him to work as a mere preacher. He should stand up to
finish the government run on wrong principles, snatch power from
wrongdoers and establish a government based on correct principles
and following a proper system.[Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul
A’la Maududi]

48.07.00: Basis of ignoble government---man's rule over man


After grasping this point, go a step further. You have come to know
that the cause of the evils which spread among God's servants is a
bad government and that it is necessary for reforming it to set right
the root-cause. But the question now arises as to what is the basic
cause of the badness of the government itself; where is the root of
this evil; and what basic reform should be effected in it in order to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 422
wipe out the evils mentioned above? The answer to this question is
that the lordship of man is over man is the root-cause and there is no
other method of reform except that there should be sovereignty of
God over man. Do not be surprised at hearing such a brief answer to
such a big question. You may do any amount of research work to
probe into this question but you will get the same answer as I have
given you. Just ponder whether the earth you live upon has been
made by God or by some other being? The human beings who
inhabit this earth have been created by God or by somebody else?
All these countless necessities of life, on which depends the
sustenance of man have been provided by God or by somebody
else? If the answer to these questions is only this that the earth, the
human beings and all these materials have been created by God
alone, then it means that the land belongs to God, the wealth
belongs to God and the people also belong to God, the wealth
belongs to God and the people also belong to God. When this is the
situation, how can anybody become their claimant so as to run his
writ in the land of God? How can it be considered correct to govern
God's subjects by any other law except that of God or by a law
made by the subjects themselves? How can your intellect accept the
position that the subjects themselves? How can your intellect accept
the position that the land is owned by one being and the writ runs
there of another being, that a property belongs to one person and
some other person becomes its owner, that the subjects belong to
one authority and some other authority rules over them ? Such a
happening is clearly against justice. And because this is against
justice, wherever and whenever such a situation is found, the result
is always bad. Those persons who get power to make laws and run
their writ bound to commit blunders due to ignorance, while some
of them deliberately perpetrate oppression and injustice in order to
satisfy their corporeal urges. The reason is that firstly they do not
possess enough knowledge to frame correct laws and rules to
conduct human affairs, and, far more dangerous than this, is the fact
that, being unmindful of the fear of God and of accountability to
Him, they become reckless and unbridled. It is quite easy to
understand that after gaining authority and power, what else will a
man become except an unbridled individual who has no fear of God,
who has no thought of being accountable to anybody, and who
considers in his own way that there is no one above him to question
what he does. Do you think that such a person will stick to truth and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 423
justice when he holds in his heads the key to providing food to the
people, when he controls the life and property of the masses, when
lakhs of heads bow to his command? Can you expect him to prove a
trustee of public treasury? Can you hope that he will abstain from
violating people's rights, from taking illicit money and from
subjugating God's creation in accordance with his own whims and
desires? Do you regard it possible that such a person will himself
follow the right path and make others to walk on that path? Never,
Never! Such a happening is irrational. The experience of thousands
of years testifies to the contrary. You are today witnessing with your
own eyes that to what extent those who feel no fear of God and are
heedless of accountability in the Hereafter, have become oppressive,
betrayers of trust and evil-doers after they have acquired power.
[Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

48.08.00: Basis of reform---God's lordship over man


Therefore the reform needed in the very basis of the government is
that there should not be lordship of man over man but that of God
over man. Those who run the government must not become supreme
sovereigns but, recognising God as their Sovereign, they must work
as his deputy and trustee and must fulfil their responsibilities with
the consciousness that ultimately they have to submit an account of
their trust to that Monarch Who is the Knower of the seen and
unseen. The law should be based on the guidance of that God Who
has knowledge of all realities and is the fountainhead of wisdom.
Nobody should have the power to change this law or to amend it or
to cancel it so that it may not be distorted due to the infusion of
human ignorance, selfishness and improper desires. This is that
basic reform that Islam wants to introduce. Islam demands from
those who accept God as their sovereign (not imaginary but real
sovereign) and affirm faith in the law sent by Him through His
Prophet (peace be upon him), that they should gird up their points to
enforce their Monarch's laws in His land and break the power of the
rebels among His subjects who have become supreme sovereigns,
and rescue Allah's subjects from becoming subjects of others. In the
eyes of Islam it is certainly not enough for you to believe God as
God and His law as true law. Simultaneous with your faith in these
two verities, the duty devolves on you that wherever you are, in
whichever country you live, you must get up there for the reform of
God's creation, try to transform the wrong principles of government
Introducing Islam Part I & II 424
into correct principles, snatch away the power of legislation and
lordship from those who do not fear God and are unbridled. And
then taking over the leadership and superintendence of God's
servants, conduct the affairs of the government in accordance with
God's laws and with belief in their responsibility and accountability
in the Hereafter as also in God being the Knower of the unseen. The
name of this striving is Jihad. [Fundamentals of Islam: Sayyid Abul
A’la Maududi]

49.00.00: Food
49.01.00: What About Food?
Although much simpler than the dietary law followed by Jews and
the early Christians, the code which Muslims observe forbids the
consumption of pig meat or any kind of intoxicating drink. The
Prophet taught that 'your body has rights over you’ and the
consumption of wholesome food and the leading of a healthy
lifestyle are seen as religious obligations.

The Prophet (SAW) said: 'Ask God for certainty [of faith] and well-
being; for after certainty, no one is given any gift better than health!'

50.00.00: Human Rights


50.01.00: How Does Islam Guarantee
Human Rights?
Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself:
'There is no compulsion in religion'. (2.256)
The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are
considered sacred whether a person is Muslim or not. Racism is
incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Qur’an speaks of human
equality in the following terms:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 425
'O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female,
and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to
know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God’s sight is
the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware'.(49:13)

Mosque in New Mexico, U.S.A.

Iran Mali
Introducing Islam Part I & II 426

University Mosque of Al Azhar - a center of learning since 969 AD.

51.00.00: Angels and Spirits


What are the angels and spirits spoken of in the Qur'an?
Angels are represented in the Qur'an as special messengers of God.
As intermediaries, they transmit God's commands to mankind. The
Qur'an and Traditions speak of Jibril (Gabriel) who brought the
word of God to Muhammad; Mika'il (Michael who watches over the
world; Israfil who will sound the trumpet at the last judgment;
'Azra'il the archangel of death, and Iblis (Satan) cursed by God
because he refused to prostrate before Adam. The spirits (in Arabic,
"jinn") may be evil (demond) or good spirits. Believers seek refuge
with God against evil spirits, especially by repeating the two final
suras, "Falaq" and "Nas".

52.00.00: Hereafter or the Day of Judgment


52.01.00: How is the Last Judgment described?
By combining teaching of the Qur'an with Traditions, we get the
following picture: At the first trumpet-sound, all living things will
die. At the second trumpet, the angel Israfil will call men back to
life; then will come the Last Judgment, and every soul will be
weighed. "On that day shall men come forward in throngs to behold
their works, and he who has done an atom's weight of good shall see
it, and he who has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it". (99,
Zilzal 6-8). In order to reach Paradise, the elected ones will, without
Introducing Islam Part I & II 427
any difficulty, cross over a bridge as narrow as a thread and as sharp
as a razor. Sinful Muslims may manage to cross, but it will be a
painful ordeal for them; the time they spend in crossing will be
according to the number of their sins; the terror of this ordeal will
have a purifying effect on them. The unbelievers, as soon as they
mount the bridge, will fall into hell, gehenna (aljahannam).

53.00.00: Some Question’s and answered


By: Dr. Ibrahim Dremali
53.01.00: When is the Day of Judgment?
Only Allah knows.

53.02.00: Are there signs for the Day of Judgment?


Plenty. Many have already occurred.
To name a few:
*Objects will begin to talk. Like TV, Radio, and so on.
*There will be much killing. The killer won't know why he killed,
and the person that was killed won't know why he was killed.
*The Antichrist will come.
*Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary will return.
*Gog and Magog will be set free.
*The sun will rise from the west (after this sign there can be no
more repentance).

53.03.00: What is it that keeps us from entering Heaven?


Worship of anyone other than Allah is the greatest sin. It is called
shirk, and this is not forgiven except through repentance.

53.04.00: Do we believe that Allah created


the heavens and earth in 6 days?
Yes, we do.

53.05.00: What is the weighing of souls?


Men's deeds will be weighed in a kind of balance, and woe to him
whose good deeds weigh lighter than his evil deeds; he is lost!
Introducing Islam Part I & II 428
53.06.00: In the Muslim view, who are the damned?
The supreme sin, according to Islam, is "Shirk” that is, "associating"
someone else with God, believing in more than one God. Next, he
who does not know the distinction between "pure" and "impure",
and so disobeys the prohibitions of the Qur'an, he also is lost. The
Qur'an gives to unbelievers the name "Kafirun" or "Kuffar".

53.07.00: What is sin, according to the Muslim view?


Sin, to the Muslim, is either a saying which blasphemes against
God, or an act which breaks the Muslim rules of prohibition. In
short, sin is any word or act which breaks the law, for which God
may punish us or demand penance. This differs from the Christian
idea of a condition or state of sinfulness, in which man is immersed
(like a fish in the sea) and from which he can never extract himself.
Again, Christians regard sin as something that grieves God and
breaks the communion between man and God (Isaiah 59: 2; 1 John
1:6, Psalm 78: 40; Ephesians 4:30). But Muslims do not normally
think of sin in this way, for they feel that the infinitely great Creator
is in no way affected or hurt by the actions of His creatures.
Christians and Muslims often misunderstand one another's religious
language, when they are not aware of these different usages of the
word "sin".

53.08.00: Are there major and minor sins?


Traditions distinguish between different sins. The most serious are
"Shirk" the only sin which the Qur'an declares God will not pardon
(5, Nisa 51/48); then, apostasy (i.e. abandonment of Muslim faith),
refusal to be converted to Islam, declaring the Prophet to be a liar,
killing a Muslim, committing adultery, ill-treating father or mother,
and running away in battle.

53.09.00: How do Muslims think of God's forgiveness?


As the Muslim idea of sin is different from the Christian's, so the
ideas of forgiveness are different. To Christians, God's forgiveness
means that He removes the barrier between man and Himself
(especially, through the atonement He provided in Jesus Christ), and
reconciles us, brings us back here and now into fellowship and
peace with Him. But to Muslims, God's forgiveness is that in the
Last Judgment He will pardon or "overlook" sins for which He
might have exacted a penalty. As a great King who can do whatever
Introducing Islam Part I & II 429
He pleases and no one can question, God punishes whom He will
and pardons whom He will. (3, Ali 'Imran 124/129: 5, Ma'ida 118).
Even though souls are weighed in the Last Day, our deeds cannot
affect God's decision. Therefore no Muslim can declare that he has
already earned or received forgiveness--it is at the Last Day that we
shall know. Nevertheless, Muslims do commonly assume that the
righteous Muslim will go to Paradise, God overlooking his minor
sins; and that the unrighteous Muslim who repents will also reach
Paradise, his sins being either pardoned, or cleansed by punishment.
But (they say) we cannot know the fate of the unrighteous Muslim
who does not repent; while unbelievers will certainly perish in the
fire, unless they are converted to Islam.

53.10.00: Why is it said that a man remains


in the grave according to the number of his sins?
According to Tradition, as soon as a man is buried in the grave, two
angels appear and the dead man stands up in the tomb to undergo an
examination. This applies both to believer and unbeliever. When the
Muslim believer is questioned, he declares that Allah is the One
God and Muhammad is the Prophet of God, then he can lie down
peacefully to await the Last Day. Those who cannot make this reply
are severely beaten, for as long as God pleases.

53.11.00: Are there people predestined to heaven or hell?


Since the final decision is with God, who from all eternity knows
each of his creatures, Islam believes that He has predestined some to
Paradise and some to hell. Man cannot know in advance which side
he will be on; but at the Last Day he will be given his "book of
destiny", either into the right hand or into the left hand. Those
receiving it in the right hand are those destined to salvation, those of
the left hand are the ones who were destined to perdition. This
doctrine of predestination does not however exclude all human
responsibility. Theologians explain that man must be his own will
"acquire" the actions which God has predestined for him.

53.12.00: Do we have free will?


Answer: Yes, of course. Allah does not punish us for something we
did not do on our own. At the same time, our will is not inspired of
Allah's will. We cannot do anything if Allah does not allow it. In
Introducing Islam Part I & II 430
other words nothing goes on in Allah's kingdom without His
knowledge.
53.13.00: Did Allah create evil?
Answer: Yes, Allah created the good and the bad. Whatever bad
happens to us is due to our sins. We sin and Allah pardons much of
what we do; however, when something bad happens to us it is our
fault, and we are to blame. Bad things that happen to a person are a
chance for that person to reflect and ask: "Why is this happening to
me?" A chance for a person to return from his sin and obey and
worship Allah.

53.13.00: Who are my best friends?


Answer: Your best friends are the ones that care where you go after
you are dead. This is how the prophets acted. They cared that we go
to heaven, even if it meant some hardship on earth.

53.14.00: Who is my worst enemy?


Answer: That would be the devils, whether they are human devils
(evil people), or Jinn devils (like Iblis). The Arabic word for a devil
is Shaytan (similar to Satan). Satan wants us all to go to hell. He
wants us to be bad on earth. Whether we get rich or do wrong things
that we appear to enjoy, he does not care, but he wants to make sure
we don't go to heaven.

54.00.00: Pure and Impure in Islam


What is "pure" and "impure" in Islam?
The question of ritual purity plays a most important part in the
religious education given to Muslims, and the details are extremely
subtle. In general, defiling objects are as follows:-
1. Wine and other alcoholic drinks (strictly forbidden in the
Qur'an);
2. Dogs (which may be kept only for hunting, or to guard house
or flocks);
3. Pigs;
4. "Mayta" (i.e. an animal that has died other than by ritual
throat-cutting;
5. Blood;
6. Excreta (i.e. all that comes out of the body of men or animals,
except saliva, sweat, tears and mucous);
Introducing Islam Part I & II 431
7. In certain regions, a corpse, or the living body of a non-
Muslim.
Also, certain acts cause a man to be in a stage of ritual
impurity:-e.g. urination and excretion, sexual relations, and
menstruation.

55.00.00: Worship
55.01.00: Concept of Worship
Islam does not teach or accept mere Ritualism. It emphasizes
intention and action. To worship God is to know Him and Love
Him, to act upon His laws in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness
and forbid evil and oppression, to practice charity and justice and to
serve Him by serving mankind. Islam seeks to implant in man's
heart the strongest conviction that his every thought and action are
with God, Who sees him at all times and in all places.

The Qu'ran presents this concept in the following sublime manner:


"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the
West, but righteous is he who believes in God and the Last Day and
the Angels and the Book and the Prophets; and gives his wealth for
the love of Him to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the
wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observes
proper worship and pays the Zakat. And those who keep their treaty
when they make one, and are patient in tribulation and adversity and
time of stress, such are those who are sincere and such are the God
fearing". (Holy Qu'ran)

55.02.00: Acts of Worship


The basic principle of worship in Islam states that every action of an
individual that is carried out to fulfill God's will and is to seek God's
pleasure is an act of worship and will be rewarded. According to this
principle, for a Muslim to go to work to earn a living, for a father or
mother to provide for their children, for a spouse to love and care
for the spouse, for parents to raise their children and even to play
with their children, and so on, is an act of worship that will be
rewarded by God.

In addition, there are five obligatory acts of worship, which are also
called the five pillars of Islam. The purpose of worship is to
remember God, to strengthen the individual's faith and submission
Introducing Islam Part I & II 432
to God and to solidify the individual's character. This process is to
make the individual a better and more useful member of the society.
These acts of worship are obligatory to all Muslims at all times and
places, except when someone is unable to perform them because of
age, sickness, lack of financial resources or the fear of persecution.
[Mohammad I. Hussain, M.D.]

55.00.00: Religious Practice


55.01.00: How does the Muslim practice his religion?
The Muslim practices his religion primarily by obeying the
prohibitions laid down in the Traditions, and by observing what are
called the "Pillars of Islam". There are five pillars:-
1. The Shahada, or confession of faith
2. The Salat, or Ritual Prayer
3. The Zakat, or Ritual Almsgiving
4. The sawm, or Fast in the month of Ramadhan
5. The Hajj, or Pilgrimage to Mecca.

55.01.00: What is the Shahada?


The Shahada (Confession of faith) consists in declaring "I bear
witness that there is no divinity but God; I bear witness that
Muhammad is the Messenger of God". In Arabic, "Ashhadu an-la-
ilaha illa'llahu; wa-ash-hadu an-na Muhammadan-A’bduhu wa-
rasuluhu". This formula must be repeated frequently, especially on
conversion to Islam, on hearing the call to Prayer, in the Prayer
itself, and at the point of death.

55.02.00: Ablution
What is the purpose of Ablutions?
Tradition records that Muhammad said, "Ritual purity is the half of
faith and the key of Prayer". The acts and objects which cause ritual
defilement makes one unfit to perform the Prayer. Therefore a
Muslim must know how to purify himself before Prayer. For some
defiling acts and objects, a "lesser ablution" is sufficient; this is
done by touching with water the face, the hands and arms up to the
elbows, the head (rubbed with a wet hand), and the feet up to the
ankles, etcetera. All this must be done exactly according to rule. In
some other cases the "greater ablution" is necessary; for this a
complete bath is needed, so that every part of the body may be
touched by water. Pure or running water should be used, but if this
Introducing Islam Part I & II 433
is not available the worshipper may purify himself with sand or
dust, first making a declaration of his intention.
55.00.00: Prayer or Salat
55.01.00: What are the actions of the Prayer?
There are four main postures in the Ritual Prayer; standing (Arabic,
iqama); bowing (ruku') with hands resting on the knees; prostration
(sujud) in which the knees first touch the ground, the worshipper
sits on his hells, then bends forward so that hands and first nose then
forehead touch the ground; and sitting (julus) on the hells, the body
upright, hands on thighs, fingers slightly apart (not together), eyes
lowered (but not shut). There are many other complicated details,
and a mistake in the actions or in the words may nullify the whole
prayer, so that the worshipper must start again at the beginning…..
There is also ablution before the Prayer, and at the beginning a
declaration of the intention to offer a certain number of prayer-
cycles.

55.02.00: What are the words of the Prayer?


The words of the Prayer must be recited in Arabic, and consist of
praise to God and request for God's blessing. Here is the meaning of
some parts of it:-"God is most great…holiness to Thee, O God and
praise to Thee…I seek refuge with god from the cursed Satan…God
hears him who praises Him…O God, have mercy on Muhammad
and on his descendents, as Thou didst have mercy on Abraham and
his descendents…O God, bless Muhammad and his descendents…O
God, our Lord, give us the blessings of this life and also the
blessings of the life to come, save us from the torments of fire…The
peace and mercy of God be with you". Some short passages of the
Qur'an are recited, always including the 1st Surah (Fatiha) and often
the 112th (Ikhlas). Note that there is no "Confession of Sin" and
Declaration of Forgiveness, as these are found in Christian worship;
also in the Ritual Prayer there is no idea of intimate communion
with God, listening to Him and telling Him our personal hopes and
wants. However, after the end of the Ritual Prayer there is a place
where quiet personal supplication may be offered in the vernacular.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 434

55.03.00: What are the times of Prayer?


1. Between the first light and sunrise (Arabic: Subh or Salatul Fajr
or Fajr Prayer);
2. After midday, but before the sun has declined half way (Salatuz
Zuhr or Juhr Prayer);
3. After Zuhr, till just before sunset (Salatul Asr or Asr Prayer);
4. After sunset, till nightfall (Salatul Maghrib or Maghrib Prayer);
and
5. After nightfall, till midnight (Salatul 'Isha or Isha Prayer).

The Prayer must not be performed at the moment of sunrise or


sunset and exactly in the midday, to avoid any impression that the
sun is the object of worship.

55.04.00: Is the Prayer performed only five times a day?


No, these five times are obligatory, but the zealous Muslim may add
Prayers at other prescribed times, and this is recommended as
meritorious.

Other Nafl or extra Prayer or Salat are: a. Salatul Tahazzad in the


midnight, b. Salatul Awabin in between Salatul Maghrib and Salatul
Isha, c. Salatul Ishraq after sunset, Salatul Chast in between Ishraq
and midday.

Friday Jumua’ Prayer is obligatory for all the Muslims.


Salatul Eidul Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Salatul Eidul Azha in
the Arabic month 10th or 11th or 12 day of Zihajj which are Wazib or
obligatory for all Muslims.

Salatul Janaja is being performed after the death and before the
buried of all the Muslims.

55.05.00: What is the direction of the Prayer?


The worshipper faces Mecca, and in particular the shrine Kaaba.
Anyone who performs the Prayer in this direction is recognized as a
Muslim, and the direction is taken up in many other circumstances--
an animal being sacrificed is turned towards Mecca; the dead are
buried with the face towards Mecca.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 435

55.06.00: Who leads the Prayer?


In principle, any respected Muslim who knows how to do so may
lead the Prayer. The Leader is called the Imam, but this is not a
"priesthood" or "order" to which he is ordained. The Imam is in no
sense an intermediary between God and the believer; his function is
merely to say the Prayer aloud and clearly, so that all may perform
the actions and repeat the words in unison. However, in practice
there is generally one particular man, well-trained in the Qur'an,
who is appointed to lead the Prayer at a particular mosque, and he
may be paid for his services.

55.07.00: Who is an Imam?


Literally, the word “Imam” means he who stands in front of others,
hence the person who leads a congregation or group prayer. In
actual practice, an Imam is an Islamic religious leader. Generally, he
is the leader of a congregation, although that is not a necessary
condition for being an Imam. Traditionally, the person selected by
the community to be an Imam is the one among them who is most
knowledgeable about the Qur’an and Hadith. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]

55.08.00: Where may the Prayer be performed?


It may be performed in any place that is ritually pure, not defiled by
one of the objects or creatures pronounced unclean. Any space set
aside for Prayer becomes a Mosque--it is not necessary to have a
building. No dogs may enter, no blood must be spilt, and humans
must not relieve themselves there. But there is generally no
prohibition on resting, talking, eating and even sleeping in a
mosque.

55.09.00: Why is it necessary to remove the shoes


before entering a Mosque?
Since a mosque must be ritually pure, it is advisable not to enter
with shoes which may have touched something impure. Therefore it
is customary to leave footwear at the door and enter bare-footed.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 436

55.10.00: Why are women (or young women)


generally excluded from the mosque?
Women must not enter the mosque during their menstrual period;
therefore they are often strongly discouraged from entering the
mosque at all, in case they might carelessly come in a state of
impurity. However, their presence is not actually forbidden by
Muslim law--women pilgrims do enter the Sacred Mosque at
Mecca. A woman past the age of childbearing may be made
responsible for cleaning the mosque, and may occupy a modest
place at the back to join in the Prayer.

55.11.00: Why do Muslims go to the Mosque on Friday?


Every Friday the men of the Muslim community should perform the
noon Prayer all together and hear a sermon. This corporate Prayer
demonstrates the solidarity of the community, and is considered to
have great merit in God's sight. It is prescribed by 62, Jumu'a 9;
according to Tradition Adam both entered and left Paradise on a
Friday, and the Day of Resurrection will be a Friday! However, in
Muslim law Friday is not a day of rest, like the Jewish Sabbath.

55.12.00: What is the Muslim Rosary (Subha or Tasbih)?


The Rosary is not peculiar to Islam, but was adopted by Islam from
other religions. It helps the worshipper to count the number of his
invocation or prayers. For example, it is recommended to recite 100
times the formula "There is no god but Allah, without partner; to
Him the kingdom, to Him praise, and He is over all; the power".
The Rosary often has 100 beads--one for "Allah" and 99 for His
"excellent names". It is used especially during Ramadhan, when
God is thought to take special account of men's good deeds.

55.13.00: Why have Muslims


propagated their religion by warfare?
We must say first that Muslims are by no means the only people to
have propagated their religion by warfare! But in Muslim law,
"Holy War" (Jihad) has been considered as an obligation imposed
by God and his Prophet (9 Tawba 5). The religion of Islam must be
spread to the entire world, by force if need be. Idolatry is the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 437
greatest evil that exists, so warfare is considered legitimate as a
means to rid the world of this evil. Idolaters may be forced to
convert to Islam, on pain of death or enslavement. It is an act of
piety (in Islam) to make converts in this way, and the Muslim who
dies fighting "in the way of God" is thought to go straight to
Paradise. However, there are two important qualifications to this
traditional Muslim outlook. Firstly, the followers of the "religions of
the Book", Christians and Jews, should be granted a certain measure
of toleration within the Muslim community, e.g. it is contrary to
Muslim law to convert a Jew or Christian by force, or to destroy
their places of worship. Secondly, Muslims have frequently been
more tolerant than their law suggests. Mystics have said that the
only true "Jihad" is an inward spiritual battle aiming at moral
perfection; while increasingly, Muslims today are saying that the
command to use force applied only to the circumstances of
Muhammad's time, or only to self-defense and not to the making of
converts (2 Baqara 186/190; 257/256). Both Muslims and Christians
have, at various times in their history, practiced conversion by force.
In the modern world, so torn by suspicion and violence, it is to be
hoped that "men of God" will be men of peace, and will spread their
faith only by peaceful persuasion and good example.

55.14.00: Why do Muslims kill an apostate


(one who changes from Islam to another religion)?
The Qur'an gives no authority for punishing an apostate in this
world. But many Traditions (e.g. the 40 Hadith of An-Nababi), and
all the schools of law, say that a male apostate should be killed.
Even if he is not killed in practice, he has often been driven out and
his family and possessions taken away--thus he was treated as
though he was dead. The reason is that in ancient times anyone who
changed his religion used to be considered a traitor and rebel against
his country. This was true not only of Islam but of many other
religions too. However, surely we are more enlightened today than
the people of long ago: we realize that religious observance
performed under compulsion is not pleasing to God. If we compel
someone to profess what he does not sincerely believe, we are
compelling him to act as a hypocrite. Increasingly Muslims are
realizing the value of religious toleration. The United Nations
Charter, to which nearly all Muslim nations have assented,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 438
prescribes toleration in religion, with freedom for the individual to
change his religion or belief.

55.00.00: Meat slaughtered by a pagan


55.01.00: Why do Muslims refuse
to eat meat slaughtered by a pagan?
Muslims are forbidden to eat the flesh of an animal which has not
been ritually slaughtered; the name of God must be called over it
and its throat must be completely cut so that all blood drains from
the body. Since the pagan is presumed not to know the correct
method and not to know the difference between pure and impure,
the Muslim is advised not to eat his food. It is lawful for the Muslim
to share in food and drink prepared by Jews and Christians
(excluding of course pork and fermented drink)--5, Ma'ida 5/7;
however, the Maliki law followed in North and West Africa
prescribes that the meat must have been slaughtered in accordance
with Muslim law. Muslims living in the West often prefer to eat
Jewish "kosher" meat.

56.00.00: Sects in Islam


56.01.00: Are there sects in Islam, as there is in Christianity?
Muhammad said (in Hadith) that his people would be divided into
73 sects, and all but one of these would go to hell! About 40 years
after the death of Muhammad, the Muslim community divided into
two parts, each of which considers itself to be the true Islam and the
other a sect. The majority belong to "Sunni" Islam, which is that
described in this book. But some 10% of the Muslims of the world
belong to "Shi'a" Islam, found mainly in Iran, Iraq and India.
Shi'ites believe that 'Ali was the true successor to Muhammad, and
some regard him as a kind of incarnation of the divine; they regard
'Ali's son Husain as a martyr, whose death has an almost atoning
significance and is celebrated in the Muharram festival. Shi'a Islam
accepts a different series of Traditions, and so has minor differences
of ritual and major differences of law. Shi'a is itself divided into
many sects, of which the most famous is the Isma'ili (in India and
East Africa), of which the Aga Khan is one of the spiritual heads.
There are however many groups or societies in Islam which should
not be regarded as sects, so long as they recognize one another as
Introducing Islam Part I & II 439
Sunni Muslims. Among these are the religious brotherhoods (tariqa)
which originated when a saintly teacher gathered disciples and
established rules and rituals additional to the ordinary worship of
Islam. Such are the Qadiriyya and Tijaniyya brotherhoods.
Sometimes the leader was thought to possess powers of healing and
of intercession in the day of judgment, and after his death his tomb
became a shrine and pilgrims would come to pray there e.g. the
Muridiyya (Senegal), venerating their founder Ahmad Bamba.
There are also educational and welfare societies such as Ansarud-
Din, which are not normally to be regarded as sects.

57.00.00: Christian place of worship


57.01.00: Is a Muslim Permitted
to enter a Christian place of worship?
There is no law in Islam which forbids the Muslim to enter a
Christian place of worship; and Christians, for their part, will
welcome anyone who enters in a spirit of reverence. The only
difficulty is that a Muslim might, by misunderstanding; think that
Christians were worshipping two gods, and he could then be
seriously offended, since it is the supreme sin in Islam to associate
any second divinity with God.

57.02.00: Does Islam teach Muslims to commit terrorist attacks?


No, absolutely not. To put it bluntly, terrorists are faithless
cowards. Power hungry militants enjoy using the name of Islam in
order to manipulate ignorant or very desperate and frustrated men
and women who are in search of some sort of direction in their
lives. A true Muslim follows the teachings of the Qur'an and God's
Messenger in all things. "In all cases, the law precludes the murder
of women, children, the elderly, monks, and the defenseless in
general. In addition it forbids the destruction of the property and
homes of the enemy".(Younis Tawfik, Islam, p.119). Here is a
selection of verses from the Qur'an and sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad from the Hadith (collections of Muhammad's sayings
and deeds) pertaining to the proper conduct of war:

57.01.01: The Holy Qur'an states:


"..If anyone kills a person for any reason other than for (the killing
of) a person or for sowing corruption in the land, it will be as if he
had killed the whole of mankind." (5:32)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 440

"Those against whom war is made by unbelievers are granted


permission to fight because they are being oppressed (Verily God is
most powerful to aid them) and have been expelled from their
homes in defiance of right for the sole 'crime of saying 'Our Lord is
God'" (22:39-40).

"Never should a believer kill a believer." (4:92)

"Fight in the cause of God against those who attack you. But, be
careful to maintain the limit since God does not love transgressors"
(2:190).

"O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair
dealing, and let not others' hatred of you make you depart from
justice and swerve towards wrong. Be just: for justice is next to
piety. And fear God; for God knows all you do." (5:9)

Suicide is prohibited by the Qur'an. The punishment for suicide is


hell-fire. The Qur'an states: "Do not kill yourselves. God is merciful
to you, but he that does that through wickedness and injustice shall
be burnt in fire. That is easy enough for God".

58.00.00: The Prophet's sayings


on the conduct of war
The Prophet Muhammad said: "Do not kill any old person, any
child, or any woman" (Abu Dawud).

The Prophet Muhammad said: "Do not kill the monks in


monasteries" and "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of
worship." (Musnad of Ibn Hanbal)

The Prophet Muhammad said: "Punishment by fire does not


behoove anyone except the Master of Fire (God)." (Abu Dawud)

The Prophet also related the following: "Do not attack a wounded
person," and "no prisoner should be put to the sword." (Mawlana
Maududi's 'Human Rights in Islam').
Introducing Islam Part I & II 441
"The Messenger of God forbade the killing of women and children"
(Bukhari 56:147)

The Messenger of God said: "He who kills himself with anything,
God will torment him with that in the fire of Hell" (Muslim v.1, p.62
#203)

Once when a man killed himself, the Prophet said: "He is a dweller
of the Fire". When the people were surprised at this, the Prophet
(saws) said: "A person performs the deeds which to the people
appears to be the deeds befitting the dweller of Paradise, but he is in
fact one of the dwellers of the Fire" (Muslim v.1, p.63, #206).

Narrated Jundab the Prophet said, "A man was inflicted with
wounds and he committed suicide, and so Allah said: My slave has
caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him."
(Bukhari)

"The Prophet has prohibited the Believers from loot and plunder"
(Bukhari, Abu Dawud). He further said, "The loot is no more lawful
than the carrion." (Abu Dawud).

Abu Bakr Siddiq, the first Caliph and the Prophet's closest
companion, used to tell soldiers on the way to war: "Do not destroy
the villages and towns, do not spoil the cultivated fields and
gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle." Abu Bakr also used to tell
the armies that they should not even use the milk of the milk cattle
without the permission of the owners.

"The Prophet has prohibited us from mutilating the corpses of the


enemies" (Bukhari, Abu Dawud).

The Prophet said to Ali: "Never be the aggressor who starts a war.
First invite your enemy to turn to the true God. If God leads one
person through you to enter the life of faith that will be of greater
benefit for you than if you owned all that the sun shines upon."

The Prophet said: "Beware! Whosoever injures a non-Muslim, or


steals even a worn-out piece of cloth or takes the smallest thing he
Introducing Islam Part I & II 442
owns without his consent, will find me on the side of the
prosecution when he comes to trial on the Day of Judgment."

As you can see, the actions of these so-called "Muslim militants" or


suicide bombers are in no way in keeping with the teachings and
principles of Islam. Their actions, in fact, equate them to being
infidels according to the Sunnah. Furthermore, let it be said that
those who commit acts of terrorism, acts of cowardice, and anyone
who supports them or, even worse, rejoices in them, are sick and
cowardly infidels who know nothing of Islam and its teachings.
[Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi]

58.01.00: War and Peace


The word “Islam” is related to the word “salam”, which means
“Peace”.

A Muslim is not allowed to initiate a war. “Fight in the way of God


against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo!
God loveth not aggressors.” (Chapter 2, Verse 190 of The Qur’an).

The only time in which Muslims are allowed to take up arms are
when they need to defend their own lives, the lives of their people,
when they see the weak being oppressed, and when they are
prohibited from practicing their religion.

Islam makes a clear distinction between combatants and non-


combatants. Soldiers are not allowed to hurt or harm the civilians,
cut down trees, destroy livestock, wells, homes, or land of the
enemy. Mutilation of the enemy bodies is also strictly forbidden.

Prisoners of war are to be treated with kindness. They are to be fed


the same food that is consumed by their captors.

Muslims are forbidden to breach any treaty to which they have


agreed. However, they are not expected to tolerate treachery.

“And if thou fears treachery from any folk, then throw back to them
(their treaty) fairly. Lo! God love not the treacherous.” (Chapter 8,
Verse 58 of the Qur’an)
[www.understandingislam.org]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 443

58.02.00: Jihad: The Holy Struggle


The word Jihad means, “To strive.”
Translation of Verse 69 of the 29th Chapter of the Qur’an reads:
“And those who strive in God’s cause, God will certainly guide
them to His path: For Verily, God is with those who do right.”

God also says that whatever good you send forth for your souls, you
will surely find it with God, better and greater in recompense.

The biggest Jihad or struggle that a human being experiences is


against himself or herself, in striving to lead his or her life in
accordance with the guidance provided by God Almighty.

In spite of the fact that the consumption of alcohol, and pork is


strictly forbidden by the Islamic teachings, Prophet Muhammad
said, that if a Muslim breaks the bottle of wine of a Non-Muslim, or
kills a pig belonging to a Non-Muslim, then on the Day of
Judgment, he, the Prophet will take the side of the Non-Muslim.
Then the Prophet reminded all of us that on the Day of Judgment,
God Almighty will dispense justice even between two rams that
may have locked horns in a fight.

Prophet Muhammad also said, “The biggest Jihad is to speak a word


of justice to an oppressive ruler.” Translation of Chapter 5 Verse 32
of the Qur’an reads: “That if anyone slew a person – unless it be for
murder or for spreading mischief in the land – It would be as if he
slew the whole humanity. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as
if he saved the life of the entire humanity.”

Even during a war of self-defense, a Muslim is not allowed to hurt


or kill non-combatants, women, children, or old people. He is not
allowed to destroy crops or event cut down a single tree.

In the conquest of Makkah in 632 A.D., Prophet Muhammad left a


tremendous example of behavior for a victorious party in a conflict.
Prophet Muhammad preached the message of Islam, in and around
Makkah, for 13 years with limited success. After suffering many
Introducing Islam Part I & II 444
hardships and persecution from the pagans of Makkah, The Prophet
was ordered by God Almighty to migrate, along with his followers
to Madinah. Prophet Muhammad mediated a peace between the
warring tribes in Madinah, and established an Islamic State.

In order to destroy the Muslims, the Pagans of Makkah attacked


Madinah several times, but failed. Nine years after the migration of
Muslims from Makkah, Quraish, the most powerful pagan tribe of
Makkah, in clear violation of the “Treaty of Hudaybiyya”, supplied
men and arms in an effort to attack a Muslim-allied tribe that was
slaughtered ruthlessly, some of them even inside the Holy Sanctuary
of Ka’ba. Upon learning of the raid, Prophet Muhammad ordered
Muslims, now much larger in number (10,000), to march on
Makkah, and conquered it without any loss of life. In spite of the
fact that the people of Makkah had earlier persecuted the Muslims
and had robbed them of their properties, the Prophet instructed them
not to harm anyone who does not attack them. It is a documented
fact of history that not a single human being was harmed, nor any
property destroyed.

Therefore, under no circumstances, no matter what the cause, Islam


does not allow killing or injuring of innocent human beings or
damage to their property, or suicide bombings.

The Qur’an specifically states, “Do not kill you. God is Merciful to
you, but he that does that through wickedness and injustice shall be
burned in fire.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

58.03.00: Terrorism: Prohibited By Islam


Question: How come that some of the most horrible acts are
sometimes committed by individuals who call themselves Muslims?

Answer: Evil acts are committed not by Muslims, Christians, Jews,


or followers of any other faith as no religion sanctions the killing or
hurting of innocent human beings.

The Holocaust by the Nazis, the Ethnic Cleansing by the Serbians,


and the other similar heinous crimes in human history were not in
Introducing Islam Part I & II 445
accordance with the teachings of the great prophets of God whom
we a people of faith revere, but were the actions of sick minds.

Hitler and his followers were evil, not because they believed in
Christianity, but in spite of it. That does not mean that Christianity is
evil. Had they understood Christianity they would never have
committed the horrible acts they did. Likewise, let us hold every
terrorist accountable for his action regardless of what faith he may
profess to follow. Let us judge every faith by its tenants.

Islam rejects the notion of certain individuals or nations being


favored over another because of their wealth power or race. God
created human beings as equals and they are to be distinguished
from each other only on the basis of their faith and piety.

Prophet Muhammad said: “O people! Your God is one and your


forefather (Adam) is one. An Arab is not better than a non-Arab, and
a non-Arab is not better than an Arab, and a red person is not better
than a black person, and a black person is not better than a red
person, except in piety.”

One of the major problems facing humanity in the 21st century is


racism. We sent man to the moon, are attempting to inhabit the
space, but have not learnt to live with each other in peace.

Timothy McVeigh, an American, was responsible for the Oklahoma


City bombing. That does not mean that all Americans supported,
condoned or even understood the reasoning behind his terrorist
actions. He may have professed to be a Christian, but his terrorist
actions are no more sanctioned by the Christian teachings than any
of the evil acts of those who may call themselves Muslims, is
sanctioned by the teachings of Islam. In fact, Islam strictly prohibits
any act of terrorism against innocent victims.

Whenever an evil act to intentionally harm innocent human beings


takes place, and the perpetrator calls himself a Muslim, the Muslims
suffer three ways: firstly, as human beings they share the pain
experienced by the innocent victims; secondly, they feel pain
because the perpetrator has brought shame to Islam and Muslims;
and thirdly, the Muslims, their families, their homes, and their
Introducing Islam Part I & II 446
places of worship become targets of those whose sensibilities have
been hurt by the evil act.

There are over 1.2 Billion Muslims in the world, i.e. one out of
every five human beings on our planet calls himself a Muslim. A
vast majority of these Muslims are decent, God conscious, and law
abiding citizens. Then there are those who have legitimate or not so
legitimate grievances for which they want to seek help or revenge.
Instead of staying within the limits of the law, they resort to
violence thinking that that their cause justifies the means.

Islam does not allow killing or hurting of innocent human beings, or


causing damage to their property under any circumstances, and for
any cause whatsoever.
[www.understandingislam.org]

58.04.00: Islam is Not the Source


of Terrorism but It’s Solution
Introduction
During the last two decades in particular, the concept of "Islamic
terror" has been often discussed. In the wake of the September 11
terrorist attacks on targets in New York and Washington which
caused the death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians, this
concept has once again returned to the top of the international
agenda.

As Muslims, we completely condemn these attacks and offer our


condolences to the American people.

In this article, we will explain that Islam is by no means the source


of this violence and that violence has no place in Islam.

One point that should be stressed at the outset is that the identities of
the perpetrators of the acts of terrorism which targeted the United
States are not yet determined. There is a chance that these horrible
attackers are linked to quite different centers. It may well be a
communist organization harboring rage and hatred against American
values, a fascist organization opposing federal administration or a
secret faction in another state. Even though the hijackers have
Introducing Islam Part I & II 447
Muslim identities, the questions regarding by whom and for what
purposes these people were used will probably remain to be a
mystery.
The fact remains however, that even if the terrorists have Muslim
identities, the terror they perpetrated cannot be labeled "Islamic
terror", just as it would not be called "Jewish terror" if the
perpetrators were Jews or "Christian terror" if they were Christians.

That is because, as we will examine in the following pages,


murdering innocent people in the name of religion is
unacceptable. We need to keep in mind that, among those who
were killed in Washington or New York, there were people who
loved Jesus (Christians), Prophet Moses (Jews) and Muslims.
According to Islam, murdering innocent people is a great sin that,
unless forgiven by God, brings torment in Hell.

Thus, a religious person who has fear of God can never commit
such an act.

In fact, the aggressors can commit such violence only with the
intention of attacking religion itself. It may well be that they carried
out this violence to present religion as evil in the eyes of people, to
divorce people from religion and to generate hatred and reaction
against pious people. Consequently, every attack having a
"religious" facade on American citizens or other innocent people is
actually an attack made against religion.

All the three Theistic religions command love, mercy and peace.
Terror, on the other hand, is the opposite of religion; it is cruel,
merciless and it demands bloodshed and misery. This being the case,
while looking for the perpetrators of a terrorist act, its origins should
be sought in disbelief rather than in religion. People with a fascist,
communist, racist or materialist outlook on life should be suspected
as potential perpetrators. The name or the identity of the triggerman
is not important. If he can kill innocent people without blinking an
eye, whatever his label is, and then he is a disbeliever, not a
believer. He is a murderer with no fear of God, whose main
ambition is to shed blood and to give harm.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 448
For this reason, "Islamic terror" is quite a erroneous concept which
contradicts Islam's message. That is because; the religion of Islam
can by no means concur with terror. On the contrary, Muslims are
responsible for preventing terrorist acts and bringing peace and
justice to the world.

The Values of the Qur'an


demands Goodness, Justice and Peace:
Terror, in its broadest sense, is violence committed against non-
military targets for political purposes. To put it in another way, the
targets of terror are entirely innocent civilians whose only crime is,
in the eyes of terrorists, to represent "the other".

This is an act bereft of any moral justification. This, as in the case of


murders committed by Hitler or Stalin, is a crime committed against
"mankind".

The Qur'an is a Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path


and in this Book, God commands man to adopt good morals. This
morality is based upon concepts such as love, compassion, tolerance
and mercy. God calls all people to Islamic morals through which
compassion, mercy, peace and tolerance can be experienced all over
the world:
You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow
in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-
Baqara, 2:208)

The values of the Qur'an hold a Muslim responsible for treating all
people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly,
protecting the needy and the innocent and preventing the
"dissemination of mischief". Mischief comprises all forms of
anarchy and terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As God
says in a verse, "God does not love mischief makers". (Surat al-
Qasas: 77)

Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious


examples of mischief. God repeats in the Qur'an a command He
formerly revealed to Jews in the Old Testament thus:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 449
So We decreed for the tribe of Israel that if someone kills another
person - unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing
corruption in the earth - it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And
if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to
all mankind. Our Messengers came to them with Clear Signs but
even after that many of them committed outrages in the earth. (Surat
al-Ma'ida: 32)

As the verse suggests, a person who kills even a single man, "unless
it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in
the earth", commits a crime as if he had murdered all mankind on
earth.

It is worth mentioning that in that period, Eastern Christians - the


people of Byzantium, for instance - who were culturally far ahead of
Western Christians, espoused more humane values. Both before and
after the Crusaders' conquests, Orthodox Christians managed to live
together with Muslims. According to Terry Johns, the BBC
commentator, with the withdrawal of the Crusaders from Middle
East, "civilized life started again and members of the three
monotheistic faiths returned to peaceful coexistence." [1] The
example of the Crusaders is indicative of a general phenomenon:
The more the adherents of an ideology are uncivilized, intellectually
underdeveloped and "ignorant", the more likely they are to resort to
violence. This also holds true for ideologies that have nothing to do
with religion. All communist movements around the world are
prone to violence. Yet the most savage and blood-thirsty of them
was the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia. That is because they were the
most ignorant.

Just as ignorant people may take a violence-ridden opinion to the


point of insanity, so they may confuse violence with an opinion
against violence (or to religion). The Islamic world also experienced
such cases.

The Bedouin Character in the Qur'an


In the period of our Prophet, there existed two basic social
structures in Arabia City-dwellers and Bedouins (Desert Arabs). A
sophisticated culture prevailed in Arab towns. Commercial relations
linked the towns to the outer world, which contributed to the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 450
formation of "civilized life" among Arabs dwelling in cities. They
had refined aesthetic values, enjoyed literature and, especially
poetry. Desert Arabs, on the other hand, were the nomad tribes
living in the desert who had a very crude culture. Utterly unaware of
arts and literature, they developed an unrefined, harsh character.

Islam was born and developed among the inhabitants of Mecca, the
most important city of the peninsula. However, as Islam spread to
the peninsula, all tribes in Arabia embraced it. Among these tribes
were also Desert Arabs, who were somehow problematic: their poor
intellectual and cultural background prevented them from grasping
the profundity and noble spirit of Islam. Of this God states the
following in a verse:
The Desert Arabs are more obdurate in disbelief and hypocrisy and
more likely not to know the limits which God has sent down to His
Messenger. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 97)

The Desert Arabs, that is, social groups who were "obdurate in
disbelief and hypocrisy" and prone to disobey God's commands,
became a part of the Islamic world in the Prophet's lifetime. In latter
periods, they became a source of trouble for the Islamic world. The
sect called "Kharijis" that emerged among Bedouins was an
example. The most distinctive trait of this perverse sect (which was
called "Kharijis" the rebels because they greatly deviated from
Sunni practises), was their extremely vulgar, wild and fanatical
nature. The "Kharijis", who had no comprehension whatsoever of
the essence of Islam or of the virtues and the values of the Qur'an,
waged war against all other Muslims and based this war on a few
Qur'anic verses about which they made distorted interpretations.
Furthermore, they carried out "acts of terrorism". Caliph Ali, who
was one of the closest companions of the Prophet and was described
by him as the "gate of the city of knowledge", was assassinated by a
Kharijite.

In latter periods, "Hashashis" (Assassins), another brutal


organization, emerged; this was a "terrorist organization" made up
of ignorant and fanatical militants bereft of a profound
understanding of the essence of Islam and thus who could be readily
influenced by simple slogans and promises.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 451
In other words, just as the Crusaders distorted and misinterpreted
Christianity as a teaching of brutality, some perverted groups
emerging in the Islamic world misinterpreted Islam and resorted to
brutality. What is common to these sects and the Crusaders was their
"Bedouin" nature. That is, they were ignorant, unrefined,
uncultivated, vulgar, and isolated people. The violence they resorted
resulted from this social structure, rather than the religion to which
they claimed to adhere.

The Actual Source of Terrorism


The Third World Fanaticism
These examples from history are enlightening for a better
understanding of the phenomenon, the so-called "Islamic terror",
which is nowadays on the top of the international agenda. That is
because those who emerge and carry out acts of terrorism in the
name of Islam or those who back such acts -these people, no doubt,
represent a minority in the world of Islam- stem from this "Bedouin
character", not from Islam. Failing to understand the essence of
Islam, they try to make Islam, essentially a religion of peace and
justice, a tool of barbarism, which is simply an outcome of their
social and cultural structure. The origin of this barbarism, which
may well be called the "Third World Fanaticism", is the benighted
initiatives of people who are devoid of love for humans.

It is a fact that, for the last few centuries, Muslims in all corners of
the Islamic world are being subjected to violence by Western forces
and their affiliates. The colonialist European states, local oppressive
regimes or colonialists backed by the West (Israel, for instance)
caused great suffering for Muslims at large. However, for Muslims,
this is a situation that has to be approached and responded to from a
purely Qur'anic stance.

In no part of the Qur'an does God command believers to "respond to


violence with violence". On the contrary, God commands Muslims
to "respond to evil with goodness":

A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with
something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone
else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surat al-Fussilat: 34)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 452
It is no doubt a legitimate right of Muslims to react against cruelty.
However, these reactions should never turn into a blind hatred, an
unjust enmity. God warns about this in the following verse: "... Do
not let hatred for a people who debar you from the Masjid al-Haram
incite you into going beyond the limits. Help each other to goodness
and heedfulness. Do not help each other to wrongdoing and enmity.
Heed God Allah (alone)..." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 2)

Consequently, carrying out terrorist acts under the pretence of


"representing the oppressed nations of the world", against the
innocent people of other nations is by no means compatible with
Islam.

Another point that deserves a special mention here is that the entire
Western world cannot be held responsible for the aforementioned
colonialist (or "neo-colonialist) violence and oppression against
Muslims. Actually, the materialist, irreligious philosophies and
ideologies that prevailed in the 19th century are responsible for these
dismal acts. European colonialism did not originate from
Christianity. On the contrary, anti-religious movements opposing the
values of Christianity led the way to colonialism. At the roots of the
greatest brutalities of the 19th century lies the Social Darwinist
ideology.

In the Western world today, there are still cruel, mischievous and
opposing elements as well as a culture dominated by peaceful and
just elements that have its roots in Judeo-Christian faith. As a matter
of fact, the main disagreement is not between the West and Islam.
Contrary to the general opinion, it is between the religious people of
the West and of the Muslim world on the one hand, and the people
opposing religion (like materialists and atheists.) on the other.

Another indication that Third World Fanaticism has nothing to do


with Islam is that, until recently, this fanaticism has been identified
with communist ideology. As is known, similar anti-Western acts of
terror were carried out in 1960s and 70s by Soviet-backed
communist organizations. As the impact of the communist ideology
faded, some of the social structures which gave birth to communist
organizations have turned their attention to Islam. This "brutality
presented under the guise of religion", which is formulated by the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 453
incorporation of some Islamic concepts and symbols into the former
communist rhetoric are entirely against the moral values
constituting the essence of Islam.
A last remark about this issue is that Islam is not peculiar to a
particular nation or geography. Contrary to the dominant Western
perception, Islam is not an "Eastern culture". Islam is the last
religion revealed to mankind as a guide to the true path that
recommends itself to all humanity. Muslims are responsible for
communicating the true religion they believe in to all people of all
nations and cultures and making them feel closer to Islam.

Consequently, there is a unique solution for people and groups who,


in the name of Islam, resort to terror or establish oppressive regimes
and turn this world into a dreadful place instead of beautifying it:
revealing the true Islam and communicating it so that the masses
can understand and live by it.

Conclusion:
Recommendations to the Western World
Today, the Western world is concerned about the organizations that
use terror under the guise of Islam and this concern is not
misplaced. It is obvious that those carrying out terror and their
supporters should be punished according to international judicial
criteria. However, a more important point to consider is the long-
term strategies that have to be pursued for viable solutions to these
problems.

The assessments above reveal that terror has no place in Islam. They
further show the inherently contradictory nature of the concept of
"Islamic terror". This provides us with an important vantage point:
1) The Western world, especially the United States, will surely
take the most dissuasive measures to cope with terror and it has
the right to do that. However, it has to state explicitly that this is
not a war waged against Islam and Muslims but, on the contrary,
a measure serving the best interests of Islam. The "Clash of
civilizations", the dangerous scenario envisioned in the 90's
should be at all costs prevented.
2) Support should be provided for the spread of "True Islam",
which is a religion of love, friendship, peace and brotherhood
and for its true understanding by Islamic societies. The solution
Introducing Islam Part I & II 454
for radical factions in Islamic countries should not be "forced
secularization". On the contrary, such a policy will incite more
reaction from the masses and feed radicalism. The solution is
the dissemination of true Islam and the appearance of a Muslim
role-model who embraces Qur'anic values such as human rights,
democracy, freedom, good morals, science and aesthetics, and
who offers happiness and bliss to humanity.
3) The source of terrorism is ignorance and bigotry and the
solution is education. To the circles who feel sympathy with
terror, it should be said that terror is utterly against Islam that
terror only does harm to Islam, Muslims and to humanity at
large. Besides, these people have to be provided with education
in order to be purified of this barbarism. The United States'
support to such an education policy will yield very positive
results.

Our hope is that these measures will help to the world get rid of
terrorism and all other bigoted, brutal, barbarous structures. With its
Christian-dominated culture and population, the United States,
which defines itself as "a nation under God", is in fact a real friend
of the Muslims. In the Qur'an, God draws attention to this fact and
informs us that Christians are those who are "most affectionate to
those who believe". (Surat al-Ma'ida: 82)

In history, some ignorant people (for instance, Crusaders) failed to


understand this fact and caused conflicts between these two great
religions. To prevent the repetition of this scenario, true Christians
and Muslims need to come together and co-operate. [Harun Yahya]

59.00.00: RESPONSIBILITY
59.01.00: Original Sin and Personal Responsibility
Muslims do not believe in the concept of Original Sin. They do not
believe that the entire humanity is responsible for the sin committed
by Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God, and ate fruit from the
forbidden tree. Muslims believe that when God admonished Adam
and Eve for what they had done, both of them repented, and God
forgave them. Then God sent Adam and Eve to earth, not as
punishment, but for them to propagate and inhabit here. This was
God’s plan.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 455
Someone asked Prophet Muhammad, “O Messenger of God, ‘Tell
me some thing about Islam which I will not ask anyone else after
you.” The Prophet replied, “Say, God is my sustainer, and then be
steadfast. Follow the right path of faith strictly, and be steadfast, and
keep in mind that no person can achieve salvation through his good
deeds.” At this point, another person asked, “not even you, O
Messenger of God?” The Prophet replied, “Not even me, except, on
whom God bestows His Mercy and Grace.”

In Verse 19, Chapter 41 of The Qur’an, God reminds us that on the


Day of Judgment, our body parts will be a witness against us.

Prophet Muhammad said: “On the Day of Judgment, God will speak
with everyone amongst you without an interpreter. Man would look
to his right, and would find nothing but his deeds, which he had
done before, and he would look to his left, and would find nothing
but the deeds, which he had done before. He would look in front of
him and would find nothing, but the fire just before his face. So
protect yourselves from fire even if with half a date (fruit) given as
charity, or even by saying a good word.”

Prophet Muhammad said: “None of you should desire death because


of any misfortune which befalls him. If he cannot help doing so, he
should say, O’ God, keep me alive as long as life is better for me,
and cause me to die when death is better for me.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

59.02.00: Responsibilities to God


A Muslim has five primary responsibilities to God Almighty, and
these are referred to as the Five Pillars of Islam. These are:
Shahdah or Affirmation that there is only one God, without any
partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

Salaat or Daily Obligatory Prayers to be offered five times a day.


These prayers are offered at the time of dawn (Fajr), at noontime
(Zuhr), late afternoon (Asr), immediately after sunset (Maghrib),
and at nighttime (Ish’a). Although it is preferred, and the reward is
much greater if the prayers are offered at a Mosque, but one is
allowed to offer them at home, at his place of work, at the airport or
anywhere else. On Fridays, in lieu of the regular noon prayers,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 456
congregational prayers are offered after a sermon has been delivered
by the Imam (Minister). In order to make an announcement of the
time for each prayer, Adhan or a call for prayers is made. Before
offering prayers, Muslims are required to perform ‘Wadhu’ or
Ablution. Ablution is an act of purifying one’s self prior to
appearing before the Creator. It consists of Cleaning one’s mouth
and nose, and washing one’s hands, face, fore arms and feet with
water.

Zakaat or Poor Due: It is an annual tax of 2.5 percent on a Muslim’s


savings that he did not use for his needs during the past twelve
months, and on certain business assets.

Saum or Fasting During the Month of Ramadhan: Muslims are


obligated to fast from dawn till sunset for each day of the entire
month of Ramadhan, the 9th lunar month, by abstaining from
eating, drinking any fluids, smoking, and sexual contact. Those who
are sick, or traveling, pregnant or nursing a baby are excused from
fasting during the month but are required to make up for the lost
days later on. The observance of the Ramdhan starts with sighting of
the new moon for the 9th month, and ends with sighting of new
moon for the following month. Consequently, Ramadhan lasts for
29 or 30 days. Since a lunar year is 10 days shorter than the solar
year, a Muslim gets to observe the month of Ramdhan at different
times of the year in his/her life time. The conclusion of the
Ramdhan is marked by a day of celebration or feast, Eid-ul-Fitr.

Hajj or Pilgrimage to Makkah: In the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia,


is the Islam’s holiest shrine, The Ka’aba. This cubicle structure was
the first house of worship built by Prophet Adam on this planet, was
destroyed by the flood during the time of Prophet Noah, and rebuilt
by prophet Abraham with his son Ishmael. Muslims all over the
world turn towards the Ka’aba at the time of daily prayers. Hajj
includes a visit to the Ka’aba, and to other holy sites in and around
the city of Mecca. Every Muslim who has the financial means and is
physically capable of traveling is required to perform Hajj once in
his lifetime. In conjunction with the observance of Hajj, Muslims
throughout the world sacrifice animals to commemorate the
tradition of Prophet Abraham, when he made the ultimate sacrifice
by attempting to slaughter his first born son (Ishmael) in order to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 457
carry out God’s command. This day of celebration or feast is called
Eid-ul-Adha. [www.understandingislam.org]

59.03.00: Responsibilities to Family


Islam places great emphasis on respect and responsibilities towards
one’s family.

Verse 187 of the 2nd Chapter of the Qur’an, refers to a wife as the
man’s garment, and to the husband as the wife’s garment. Prophet
Muhammad said, “The best among you is the one that treats his wife
in the best manner.”

Someone asked Prophet Muhammad, “Who should I obey?” The


prophet replied: “Your mother.” The questioner again asked the
same question, and the Prophet again said, “Your mother.” The
questioner asked again, and the Prophet gave the same answer,
“your mother.”

The questioner asked the same question one more time, to which the
Prophet replied, “Your father.”

Prophet Muhammad said, “The best gift a father can give to a child
is the best education.” The Prophet also said that if someone has
three daughters and raises them with kindness, and gives them good
education, then he (the Prophet) would guaranty that the parents
would go to paradise. Hearing this, one of the Muslims asked:
“What if someone has only two daughters?” The Prophet replied,
“He too.” Then another person asked: “What if someone has only
one daughter?” The Prophet replied again, “He too.”

Prophet Muhammad also said, “Worship God alone, and do not


associate anything with Him, and give up all that your ancestors
said; and He commands us to establish prayer, to speak the truth, to
be pious, and to strengthen the ties of kinship.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

59.04.00: Responsibilities to Mankind


Verse 36, Chapter 4 of the Holy Qur’an reminds mankind to “Serve
God, and join not any partners with Him; And do good to parents,
kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors
Introducing Islam Part I & II 458
who are strangers or live far, the companions by your side, the
wayfarer you meet, and the captives you take in war, for God loveth
not the arrogant, the vainglorious.”
Prophet Muhammad said, “He will not enter paradise whose
neighbor is not secure from his wrongful conduct.” And, “You are
not a believer if your neighbor goes to bed hungry and you had
eaten.”

The Prophet also said that the Arch Angel Gabriel reminded him so
many times about the rights of neighbors that he thought, may be
the neighbors would become participants in the heritance as well.”
He also said, “The best among you is the one who gives the
maximum benefits to others.”

Prophet Muhammad said: “God will question a person on the Day


of Resurrection saying:

‘O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit me.’ The person
will say: ‘O my Lord, how could I visit thee when Thou art the Lord
of the worlds?’ Thereupon God will say: ‘Didn’t you know that a
servant of mine was sick but you did not visit him, and were you not
aware that if you had visited him, you would have found me by
him?’

God will then say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food but you did
not feed me.’ The person will say: ‘My Lord, how could I feed Thee
when Thou art the Lord of the Worlds?’ God will say: ‘Didn’t you
know that a servant of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed
him, and were you not aware that if you had fed him you would
have found me by his side?’
[www.understandingislam.org]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 459

60.00.00: Muslim Contributions to Humanity


Muslims was a worldwide power found simply on faith.
Election of A Leader: After the death of Prophet Muhammad, in 632
AD, Muslims elected Abu Bakr to be their leader and the Head of
the Islamic State. Except for the Roman Empire, no one in the world
had, at that time heard of electing a Head of State. That was
democracy.

Water Purification & Distribution: Tunisia, North Africa – Muslims


designed an ingenious water purification system using two water
basins and gravity to filter clean water from one basin to the other.
They built a distribution system so that the cities had clean running
water. This was hundreds of years before anyone in Europe thought
of having running water in the cities.

Baghdad: 200 years after Prophet Muhammad’s death, the borders


of the Islamic empire stretched from Spain to India. It took nearly a
year to travel from one end of its borders to the other. At its heart
was the fabled city of Baghdad. It had exquisite neighbor- hoods
filled with parks on both sides of the river. It was a city of learning,
filled with the best scholars, the best thinkers, and the best artists.
People from all over the empire came there looking for solutions to
their staggering scientific and engineering problems. Baghdad’s
renowned House of Wisdom and its public libraries attracted
Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars from all over the world.
Muslim scholars embraced the ideas of Aristotle and Plato, writers
that Christian world considered blasphemous. Renaissance had its
true beginning during this period. It was during this period that
Muslims began to challenge the earlier knowledge. Spirit of
scientific investigation and search to develop new solutions was
everywhere. System of Arabic numerals, Algebra, Trigonometry,
engineering, Astronomy, and countless other disciplines trace their
roots to this era.

At the time when Europeans were praying to the bones of their


saints to cure their illnesses, Muslims determined that tiny
Introducing Islam Part I & II 460
organisms transmitted disease from one person to another. They
concluded that a sick person should be quarantined to protect the
rest of the community from germs. This is the beginning of the
modern hospital. Separate wards for patients suffering from
different diseases were established. They even studied mental
illness. Their study of anatomy was so advanced that their
discoveries remained unchallenged for the next 600 years.

The father of optics was a Muslim named Ibn Al-Hatem. He


produced the first treatise as to how the eye sees. A thousand years
before the European doctors attempted, Muslim doctors were
surgically removing the cataracts.

For all this knowledge to be copied and communicated throughout


the vast empire, there was a new invention, paper. Around 750 AD,
when Muslims reached Central Asia, they found paper. Within 50
years, it was all over their empire, including Spain. From there,
Europeans learned to make paper. Scribes were writing books on
paper. Baghdad had streets of booksellers, some with as many as a
hundred shops selling books. This was at a time when in Europe, a
monastery would be lucky if it had five or ten books.

During the dark ages, Cordoba in Spain was the most sophisticated
metropolis in Europe. It had roads, lights, libraries, hospitals,
palaces, running water, and people lived in big houses. The Great
Mosque of Cordoba is now the famous Roman Catholic Cathedral.
What is now its steeple was once a minaret. A Christian nun in the
10th century called this mosque the “Ornament of The World”. Al-
Hambra is the best remaining example of what a Muslim palace
looked like. In the 10th century, here the Muslim elite enjoyed the
good life, while Europeans struggled thru the “Dark Ages”.
[www.understandingislam.org]

61.00.00: ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION


On September 26, 2001, Carly Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett Packard
delivered a speech in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The speech was
titled, Technology, Business and Our Way of Life: What’s Next?

She ended her speech by telling a story.


“There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 461
It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from
ocean to ocean and from northern climes to tropics and deserts.
Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of
different creeds and ethnic origins.
One of its languages became the universal language of much of the
world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies
were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military
protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never
been known. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended
from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.

And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention.


Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its
mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would
enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its
doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for
diseases. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars,
and paved the way for space travel and exploration.

Its writers created thousands of stories and Stories of courage


romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before
them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.

When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on


them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out
knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the
knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.

While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the


civilization I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year
800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of
Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like
Suleiman the Magnificent.

Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other


civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The
technology industry would not exist without the contributions of
Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged
our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to
our notions of tolerance and civic leadership.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 462

And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: It was


leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership
that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population–that
included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions.

This kind of enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured


culture, sustainability, diversity and courage — led to 800 years of
invention and prosperity.”

These are profound words of Carly Fiorina, CEO, Hewlett Packard


Company.
[www.understandingislam.org]

62.00.00: A Jewel to be Uncovered


Islam is a jewel that has, over the centuries, gotten covered with
layers of ignorance and prejudice. It teaches human beings to be
peaceful, caring, humble, and God conscious.

Prophet Muhammad said that a person is not a Muslim unless he


wishes for another human being what he wishes for himself. He also
said that a person is not a Muslim if his neighbor goes to bed
hungry, while he himself has eaten a meal.

A Muslim is not allowed to start a war, but is obligated to defend


him and others when attacked. Even when defending himself, he
must not harm or attack non-combatants, elderly, women, and
children. He is not allowed to cut even a single tree, damage the
water supply, or do any other harm to the environment.

Chapter 5, Verse 32 of The Qur’an, translated reads; “…That if


anyone slew a person – unless it be (after due process) for murder or
for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the
whole people. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved
the life of the whole people.”

Chapter 2, Verse 256 of The Qur’an, translated reads; “Let there be


no compulsion in religion.” Chapter 109, Verse 6 of The Qur’an
translated reads; “To you be your way, and to me mine.”
Introducing Islam Part I & II 463
As Muslims, Christians, Jews, and followers of many other faiths,
we believe that we all had a common father and a mother, i.e.
Prophet Adam and Eve. We all have love and affection for our
immediate biological brothers and sisters. Why not remind us that
every human being is our biological brother or sister, though
somewhat removed. We all carry the same genes that we inherited
from our parents, Prophet Adam and Eve. We should never allow
ourselves to get so angry that we forget our blood relationship, and
cause pain to each other.

We need to be God conscious. Islam teaches us that there are only


two states of beings; the Creator, and the Creation. In other words,
we as human beings need to be conscious of our kinship with
everything around us. Our Creator had a reason and a purpose for
creating each and every one of us, and every thing around us,
animate as well as inanimate. We as humans, are allowed to use and
consume some of these things to take care of our needs, but we are
not allowed to waste or destroy. We must constantly remind
ourselves that each of us will be held accountable for what we do,
and will face the consequences.

It is our hope and prayer that God Almighty will guide us all to the
right path, and help us become better human beings. Amen.

“Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the hereafter,
and save us from the torment of the (Hell) fire.” (The Qur’an,
2:201)

“Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If Though forgive us


not And bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.”
(The Qur’an, 7:23)
[www.understandingislam.org]

63.00.00: Intention and Deeds


Islam gives great importance to a person’s intentions when carrying
out any deed, good or bad.

Prophet Muhammad said, “Verily the deeds are by the intentions,


and for every person (there is in store for him) what he intended.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 464
God looks not to your figure, nor to your wealth, but He looks to
your heart, and deeds.”

The Prophet also said: “When two Muslims fight each other with
swords, the killed and the killer both are doomed to hell.” Then the
Prophet was asked, O’ Messenger of God, as to the one who kills, it
is understandable, but what about the “killed”? The Prophet replied,
“The other longed to murder his opponent.”

God Almighty reminds us in the Holy Qur’an about doing good


deeds:
“And whatsoever good you do, God is aware of it.” (Chapter 2,
Verse 215).

“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it.”
(Chapter 99, Verse 7).
“If anyone does a righteous deed, it inures to the benefit of his own
soul; if he does evil, it works against his own soul. In the end will ye
all be brought back to your Lord.”

The Prophet also said: “Three things follow a dead body: The
members of his family, his possessions, and his deeds. Two of them
return back and only one accompanies him. The people and his
wealth return back, but his deeds remain with him.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

64.00.00: Knowledge
Islam places great emphasis on learning and knowledge.
Chapter 20 Verse 114 of The Holy Qur’an reminds us that God is
above every human event or desire. His purpose is universal, but He
is the Truth, the absolute Truth: and His kingdom is the true
kingdom that can carry out His Will that truth unfolds itself
gradually, as it did in the gradual revelation of one Qur’an to
Prophet Muhammad. But even after it was completed in a volume,
its true meaning and purpose only gradually unfold themselves to
any given individual or nation. No one should be impatient about it.
On the contrary, one should always pray for an increase in one’s
knowledge, which can never at any given moment be complete.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 465
In Chapter 58, Verse 11 of the Qur’an, God Almighty says that faith
makes all people equal in His Kingdom, as regards the essentials of
citizenship in the Kingdom. But then are leadership, and rank, and
degree, joined with greater or lesser responsibility, and that depends
on true knowledge and insight.

Prophet Muhammad said: “Anyone who travels on a road in quest


of knowledge, God will cause him to travel on one of the roads of
Paradise. The angels will lower their wings over the seeker of
knowledge. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and the fish
in the depth of water will seek forgiveness for him. The superiority
of the learned worshiper is like that of the full moon over the rest of
the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who leave no
inheritance of wealth, but only of knowledge, and that who acquires
it, acquires an abundant portion.”

The Prophet also said: “Learn from cradle to grave”, and travel to
China if you have to for the sake of knowledge.”
[www.understandingislam.org]

65.00.00: Islam's Rational Appeal


Islam is a simple, rational and practical religion. The unity of God,
the Prophethood of Muhammad (SAW) and the concept of life after
death are the basic articles of its faith. There is no hierarchy of
priests no complicated rites, and rituals. Everybody may approach
the Qu'ran directly and translate it's dictates into practice.
Islam stands for the middle path and the goal of producing a moral
man in the service of a Just Society.

"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the hereafter".
(Holy Qu'ran )

Islam is a guide to towards a better and complete life and glorifying


in all its phases, God the Almighty Creator.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 466

66.00.00: Patience
Several verses of the Qur’an, talk about patience. Let us share the
translation of a few:
O’you who believe, be patient, and out do all others in endurance”
(Chapter 2, Verse 200).

“Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without


measure” (Chapter 39, Verse 10).

Be sure, We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some
loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your labor, but give glad
tidings to those who patiently persevere – who say when afflicted
with calamity: To God we belong, and to Him is our return. They
are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy,
and they are the ones that receive guidance” (Chapter 2, Verse 155
thru 157).
“We will surely test you until we know the valiant and the steadfast
among you” (Chapter 47 Verse 31).

God Almighty has said: “I have no reward other than paradise for a
believing servant of mine who remains patient when I take away his
loved one from among the denizens of the world.”

Prophet Muhammad said: “How excellent is the case of a faithful


servant; there is good for him in everything. If prosperity attends
him, he expresses gratitude to God, and that is good for him, and if
adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently, and that is better for
him.”

The Prophet also said: “Never a believer is stricken with discomfort,


hardship or illness, grief or even with mental worry that his sins are
not expiated for him. His sins drop away just as a tree sheds its
leaves.” [www.understandingislam.org]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 467

67.00.00: Manners:
67.01.00: Anger and Good Manners
Someone asked Prophet Mohammad for a simple advice that he
could follow. His answer was, “Do not get angry.”

The Prophet also said: “The strongest among you is not the one with
most power or the one in authority or the one with the most money.
It is the one who can control his anger.”

The Prophet also gave some practical advice as how to control


anger. He advised Muslims that when they are angry, to make
ablution or wash their face, forearms, and feet with water. Also that
if they are standing to sit down and if they are sitting, to lie down.

Prophet Muhammad said: “Seven kinds of people will be sheltered


under the shade of God on the Day of Judgment. They are:
A just ruler;
A young man who passed his youth in the worship, and service of
God;
One whose heart is attached to the mosque;
Two people who love each other for the sake of God;
A man who is invited to sin but declines, saying: “I fear God”;
One who spends his charity in secret, without making a show;
And one who remembers God in solitude so that his eyes overflow.
The Prophet also said: “A believer, through his good manners, may
achieve the status of the one who regularly fasts to please God
during the day, and spends the night in prayer.”
[www.understandingislam.org]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 468

68.00.00: Status Of Women In Islam


Contrary to the customs practiced in most of the Muslim world
today, Islam granted equal but not the same status to men and
women, 1400 years ago.

The Qur’an specifically declares that the souls of men and women
are equal, and that obligations and rewards are equally bestowed
upon both. In Verse 124 Chapter 4 of The Holy Qur’an, God
Almighty says:
“If any do deeds of righteousness – Be they male or female – and
have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be
done to them.”

Although, men and women are equal in the eyes of God, Islam
acknowledges that they are physically, biologically, and emotionally
different. It is for this reason that some lifestyle details are different.
A woman is made to be a mate or companion for man, and is not to
be considered a source of all evil, but a blessing from God.

Islam granted women complete economic independence, before and


after marriage. A Muslim woman is under no obligation to provide
for or supplement the family income. The husband has the entire
responsibility.

Islamic law gives women the right to choose their husbands and to
initiate a divorce. Muslim women have always had the right to vote,
a right achieved by the women in the West only recently.

Prophet Muhammad said: “Paradise is under the feet of your


mother.”
[www.understandingislam.org]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 469

69.00.00: Shariah Law


This is the Law of Islam which is based on the Qur'aan and on the
authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. It is the only
law that has the solution for every single problem on earth. It is a
heavenly law - Divine.

Every law in the Shariah is placed in order to protect Human beings


from all forms of evil. The five main necessities of existence are
protected and all the laws are derived to protect these five points.

69.01.00: Protection of life on earth


As Muslims we believe that life is given by God Almighty and
whether it is human, animal, insect, bird, fish or even plant life, it is
forbidden to take it away without the permission or command of
God Almighty.

In the case of humans, it is only a court of justice that can decide to


take away the life of a person for the known reasons. Individuals
who take the lives of humans are guilty of murder. The Shariah has
a similar ruling on murderers as the Bible - life for life - but only if
it is proven beyond any doubt whatsoever. Two eyewitnesses of an
extremely good background of honesty and truthfulness must bear
witness separately and describe the entire incident from the
beginning to end. If either witness has the slightest difference, then
the sentence of death will not be served but it will be up to the
presiding judge to look into a suitable lower punishment. This is the
case in all cases of the Shariah Courts. If there is the slightest doubt
the alleged perpetrator will be given the benefit of that doubt. The
laws are greatly deterrent rather than anything else.

In the case of animal life, it is only for food, clothing or any other
valid reason which the Shariah recognizes that one may take the life
of the animal away. Another example is when a dangerous animal is
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in sight and may attack, then in order to defend, it becomes
necessary to take the life of that animal. However, the conditions of
taking the life of animals are as follows:
a) It should be done as quick as possible with the least suffering to
the animal
b) The Name of God Almighty should be said - seeking permission
from the giver of that life to take it away. What gives us the right to
take away any life that God has given?

In the case of animals being killed for food there are a few more
conditions
c) The maximum blood must be drained from the animal.
d) A knife or very sharp object must be used and the killing should
be done from the throat.

It has been proven that the animal dies without suffering at all if it is
killed from the throat and all major veins are quickly cut. This is
because the message from the point of bleeding (the throat)
informing the brain that "you are hurt" does not get to the brain at
all because it is already cut off. The animal numbs and dies without
feeling. This is known as Halaal. If an animal is not Halaal,
Muslims consider it condemned because it has literally been
"stolen" from the property of God Almighty without seeking His
permission or without following the manner taught by Him which is
th quickest manner. International Standards of W.H.O. have agreed
that Halaal manner of slaughter is the most hygienic in that all the
blood is drained so any disease is eradicated with the eradication of
the blood, and has least suffering for the animal.

Some animals have been prohibited and deemed totally unfit for
human consumption either because they are poisonous or they cause
sickness and disease or they weaken the brain etc. Examples are
pigs, dogs, monkeys, lions etc.

Going around killing animals without an acceptable purpose is


prohibited in Islam.

Destruction of plants unnecessarily or the underwater life etc is also


prohibited under the same Law. It is only when one needs to use
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firewood, or has a recognized need such as wanting to build
something, may he uproot the trees and plants.

Also under the protection of life, we find the Shariah has prohibited
backbiting, arguing, causing conflict, not sorting out
misunderstandings etc because all these may lead to death if out of
proportion.

Similarly suicide is prohibited because one will be taking away life


that God Almighty gave. Speeding above limits is a religious sin
because one will be putting his own as well as other people's lives in
danger and it is a category of suicide as well. This law is so vast and
wide, but we have just touched on it to make it easy to understand.

69.02.00: Protection of the human brain


The difference between man and animal is the brain. God Almighty
has chosen us to be above animals through the brain he has granted
us. For this reason we must protect it by all means. Anything that
will result in the harming of the human brain is strictly forbidden. It
would be like rejecting Gods gift and slapping it back at Him.
Rather we must acknowledge this gift and protect it totally.

Drinking is prohibited under this Law and so are drugs and other
intoxicants. Intentionally causing mental stress or tensions to a
person is forbidden.

69.03.00: Protection of individual wealth


Every human has the right to own property. None besides himself or
herself will have a say in the manner in which it is used so long as it
is within the parameters of that which is permissible and correct
according to Shariah.

For us to be protected, we need to protect the wealth of each other.


No stealing, cheating, deceiving, conning, forging or robbery etc
will be tolerated.

Similarly it is prohibited to leave one's valuables in such a manner


that one would be inviting theft. In the case of stealing, the Shariah
has prescribed a very harsh deterrent. If proven without any doubt at
all that property worth more than approximately US$30 has been
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robbed from a place which is regarded as safe for that property by a
sane, mature human, then only will the robber have his hand
amputated in public. It is not easy to prove without doubt that one
has stolen, and in this manner the punishment serves as a very great
deterrent. Countries such as Saudi Arabia are enjoying the fruits of
this law.

69.04.00: Protection of the family lineage


Each person that is born has a father, a mother and a lineage. It is a
very great responsibility to have children especially upon the father
and mother. The father must provide food, clothing and
accommodation for both his wife (the mother of the child) and the
child. He needs to fulfill the basic requirements of the family. The
mother too, needs to looks after the child and ensure that he/she has
a sound upbringing. Islam teaches leading by example. Children
should not be expected to leave evil if the parents are engrossed in
it.
Adultery is therefore prohibited because it results in the loss of the
lineage and it is "running away" from responsibility. Baby dumping
is prohibited. A divorced male must continue to maintain his
children till the age of majority in the case of a male and till
marriage in the case of a female.

69.05.00: Interesting Biblical Story.


In Islam the role played by the father, mother and children in the
home is almost depicted in the story of Joseph PBUH that appears
in the Qur'aan and the Old Testament.
The dream of Joseph where he saw the sun, the moon and eleven
stars is not just a story to be read and appreciated, but it has deeper
meanings if we take a closer look. The sun depicted the father
(Jacob), the moon depicted the mother and the stars were the eleven
children.

If we take a close look at the qualities of the sun, we will find that
they are surely the qualities that are expected from the father of the
home. The sun is strong; it shines so bright one cannot look at it
directly. The sun provides a sense of protection as well as
sustenance in that people work during the day. The sun brings
warmth and it is only through the brightness of the sun that the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 473
moon shines and the stars twinkle. These are some of the qualities
of the father in the home.

The moon has the qualities required by every successful mother. It


shines but derives it's light from the sun. A strong father in the home
makes the moon shine ever brighter. The stars appear when the
moon is around depicting the very close link between the mother
and the children. One can look straight into the moon and admire
the beauty of the moon. There is a sense of peace, quiet and inner
serenity when the moon is shining.

The stars have the qualities that we need in our children. They
twinkle with the moon and yet they appear not to be around when
the sun is out. They are definitely there, but the brightness of the sun
makes them fall under him. The hold of the father and his careful
nurturing of his children is vital. If respect for the father is lost, we
have driven into a road that will lead to everything being lost.

Now, take a look at the sun and moon. When the sun wants to do
what the moon is doing and when the moon wants to do what the
sun is doing and they both want to appear in each others places,
what do we have? An eclipse! Where both the sun and the moon
become insignificant and disappear. The stars are no where to be
spotted. There is turmoil and disaster.

Similarly, when the mother wants to play the role of the father and
the father wants to play the roles of the mother in the home, there is
a "social eclipse" where the family unit is disintegrated. Both
become insignificant and lose their status. The children lose the
most since they will have no guidance whatsoever. There will be no
love and peace in the home. The home will be lacking goodness and
purity, safety and happiness. This is why it is important to
understand that God Almighty has created each person with a
specific role to play. We should all fulfill our correct roles and
please God. It is only through such means that we will achieve
happiness.

69.06.00: Dressing in Islam


Also under the protection of lineage, certain dress codes have been
established for both men and women. Men should cover from navel
Introducing Islam Part I & II 474
to knees in public. Women should dress modestly and cover their
beauty in public. This is in order to protect society directly from ills
such as immorality. Revealing the face, hands and feet is
permissible. The idea is to safeguard the precious jewels of beauty
that lie there under. A jewel will be kept in a jewelry box in the safe
under lock and key, far from the public who may pounce on it and
pinch it if it is not properly guarded. Dressing appropriately sends a
clear message to the children. A policeman who has no uniform will
wave his hand all day trying to bring the vehicles to a halt, but he
will not succeed because he is not properly dressed. An ordinary
person in police uniform will succeed in stopping any vehicle the
moment he makes a single sign with his hand. Parents who do not
dress properly will not be able to control the dressing of their kids,
no matter how hard they try. Lead by example.

It is encouraged to dress similar to the Messengers of God. Studies


have proven that they have all dressed in a very similar manner.

An interesting example is that of electricity. Regarded as a


necessity, electricity has become vital in our day to day lives. Any
village with no electricity is termed "backward". Electricity brings
light in the home, food, comfort, warmth, security, happiness, ability
to see etc. However the wires between the switch and the bulb are
compulsorily hidden in both clinging insulators as well as conduit
piping. This is necessary in order to protect a mad man, a child or
even a normal person out of error who may touch a loose wire.
Dangling wires are death. If we see a naked wires, we will
immediately call a qualified electrician, and in the mean time we
will put up a big notice in clear red ink saying "Danger!" or we will
put a person in place to make sure there is no fatality.

Electricity is regarded as good but why hide the current? As if it is


touched by anyone other than a qualified electrician then there will
be the disaster. Similarly, a female brings in all the goodness in the
home. If she is uncovered, she may be touched by men who are not
qualified to touch her and this can only result in disaster. This is
why it is only correct for women to be asked to dress modestly. If
we see women in public inappropriately dressed, it should hurt us
and we should try to explain to them in the best, most polite and
effective manner.
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Islam prefers a wife over an illegal relationship with a female, the


latter being prohibited. Taking a woman as one's wife is safeguards
her in that the husband will take full responsibility of all her needs
and her children too. Marriage is very strongly encouraged. Men
should marry one wife, but they are permitted to take up to four
wives if they are able to maintain them and be just and equal to
them.

This prevents promiscuity and assists young widows, divorcees,


women who cannot get married and are ageing as well as physically
challenged women. It is also the solution to the problem of extra
marital affairs which is rampant in most societies. A prohibited
woman is only seen when she is needed and therefore she appears to
be better than the legal wife of a man, who is with him at all times.
The true colors of such a woman will only be known if she is
married and brought on the same footing as the first wife. The man
will soon come to realize who she is.

Divorce is permitted only as a last resort and is regarded as the most


disliked of the permissible acts. Divorce can be revocable or
irrevocable, and it is very simple. A man can divorce his wife. A
woman can have her marriage nullified through the Shariah Court or
through a panel of Scholars in her country.

69.07.00: Protection of belief and religion


If we try to count what God Almighty has given us it will be like
trying to count the stars in the sky. He has showered us with all sorts
of goodness. Muslims are taught to look at those who have less or
those going through more difficulty. This will allow us to appreciate
what God Almighty has given us. If we look at those who have
more or those who are better off than ourselves we will never be
able to appreciate God's gifts upon us.

We need to worship God in return, and stay far away from


associating partners with God Almighty. None must be worshipped
besides God. No act of worship must be rendered for anyone other
than Him. It is not permissible to use any human being as a stepping
stone between a person and God.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 476
Each person must have direct contact with His Creator. It is also
prohibited to worship someone or something else (no matter who or
what it is) together with God Almighty. No prophet, angel, saint,
priest, Imam, Sheikh or others can be given any act of worship at
all.

This means that we should only worship God Almighty in the


manner He has prescribed. It is incorrect to create and innovate acts
of worship using our own brains.

Under this law, Muslims must fulfill all their obligations and stay
away from all prohibitions. Similarly, all religions must be tolerated
(freedom of religion and belief) so long as they tolerate us.
Interference in Islam will not be tolerated, just as other religions
would not tolerate interference in theirs.

The Qur'aan clearly states that there is no compulsion regarding


entering the religion. Meaning each person, after being told the
truth, is free to choose the truth or remains as he/she is.

69.08.00: Turning to God Almighty


The Creator/worshipper relationship must be very strong. The
Qur'aan states that God Almighty answers the call of every caller
positively. Repentance which is coupled with regret and an
undertaking not to repeat the sin, is always accepted, making the
worshipper pure once again. The Prophet Muhammad has said, "All
children of Adam err, but the best of those who err are those who
constantly repent!"

Similarly, entering the fold of Islam literally deletes all previous sins
no matter how major they are. The manner in which to enter the fold
of Islam is very simple. Simply declare that that there is no god
worthy of worship besides Allah (God Alone), and that Muhammad
PBUH is His Messenger and Prophet. Then follow what has been
mentioned above.

[By Abu Fawzaan, Mufti Isma'il ibn Musa Menk - Harare,


Zimbabwe. Courtesy: www.everymuslim.com]
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70.00.00: Islam is a Complete,


Comprehensive Code of Life
Islam is the God-given system of life based on Quran and the
teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

Islam brings man close to God, taking into consideration his


material and spiritual demands, thus elevating his spiritual status
and controlling his physical desires.

Islam extends its sense of organization to all walks of life:


Such as: Individual and social behaviors, labor and industry,
economics and politics, national and international relations, and so
on.

Islam adopts a moderate but positive and effective course between


individual and society, between citizen and state, between capitalism
and socialism, between materialism and spiritualism. Examples:

Spiritual Life: Prayer, fasting charity, pilgrimage, love for God and
His Messenger, love for truth and humanity, hope and trust in God
and doing well for the Sake of God.

Intellectual Life: Islam demands faith in God on the basis of


knowledge and research and leaves wide open all fields of thought
before the intellect to penetrate as far as it can reach. The Quran
itself is a rich source of knowledge about the universe.

Personal Life: Purity and cleanliness, healthy diet, proper clothing,


proper behavior, and health sexual relations within marriage.

Family Life: Since the family is the backbone of society, Islam


builds the family on solid grounds that are capable of providing
continuity, true security, mature intimacy, sincere reciprocity and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 478
moral gratification. Marriage is a strong bond and a commitment to
life itself, to society, and a dignified, meaningful survival of the
human race. Motherhood is more cherished that fatherhood.
Social Life: Man is ordained by God to extend his utmost help and
kindness to other family members, relations, and neighbors. There is
no superiority on account of class, race, gender, origin or wealth.
The unity of humanity is not only its origin but also its ultimate aim.
Economic Life: Earning one’s living through decent labor is not
only a duty but a great virtue as well. Earning is ones private
possession. The individual is responsible for the prosperity of the
state and the state is responsible for the security of the individual. In
comes to this world empty-handed and departs empty-handed. The
real owned of things is God alone. One is simply a trustee.

Political Life: The sovereignty in the Islamic state belongs to God;


the people exercise it by trust from Him to enforce His laws. The
ruler is chosen from the best-qualified citizens by the people to
administer justice, provide security, etc., through consultation,
within the Laws ordained by God. A religious hierarchy or clergy
does not exist. Non-Muslims are entitled to full protection and
freedom to practice their religion. War is only justified if state
security is endangered. During war, destruction of crops, animal and
homes, killing non-fighting women, children and aged people are
forbidden. [Dr. Mohamed I. Elmasry]

71.00.00: Summary of the Lessons,


Rewards and Benefits of Prayer
You should know - My dear Brother and Sister Muslim that the
following has been authentically reported from our Messenger (sas)
regarding the lessons, benefits and rewards of the five daily prayers:
01. That Allah the Exalted wipes away sins by the five prayers.
02. That the five prayers are expiation for what occurs between
them, if major sins are avoided.
03. That sins burn and destroy a person and thus it is necessary to
extinguish that with the prayers.
04. That the Muslim reaches the level of the truthful and the
martyrs on account of his prayers, charity and fasting.
05. The superiority of prayer over other actions.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 479
06. That Allaah the Exalted bestowed a favour upon that companion
by entering him into Paradise before his brother who died as a
martyr because he prayed more than him.
07. That the prayer is light which illuminates the path of the servant
in this world and the hereafter.
08. That an abundance of prostrations and prayers is the way to
accompany the Messenger (sas) in Paradise.
09. That a two rakah prayer is more loved by the dead person than
the world and what is in it.
10. That emptying the heart for Allaah in the prayer puts a person in
the same condition as the day when his mother gave birth to
him.
11. That should a person enter the Fire - refuge is sought from that -
the angels will remove him from it and will recognise him by
the marks of prostration.[2]
12. That the prayer participates in undoing the knots which
Shaytaan places at the top of ones head.
13. That the night prayer is the most excellent prayer after the
obligatory prayers.
14. That the one who prays at night obtains a reward which most of
mankind do not.
15. Gratitude is shown to Allaah with the (obligatory) prayer and
night prayer.
16. That the prayer most loved by Allaah is the prayer of Daawood
(as) which is to pray for a third of the night and to sleep for two
thirds of the night.[3]
17. That has Allaah has bestowed a favour upon His servant by the
hour during the night in which the supplication is answered. It is
befitting for the Muslim that he aspires for it and seeks to find it
so that he is given the good of this world and the Hereafter.
18. That the night prayer is an evidence for righteousness and
taqwaa and it expiates the sins and prevents one from falling
into them.
19. That Allaah Azzawajall covers the husband and wife who help
each other in performing the night prayer with His mercy. If one
of them refuses, the other sprinkles water on his or her face.
20. That two rakahs of prayer at night makes a person amongst the
men who remember Allaah often or the women who remember
Allaah often.
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21. That Allah is amazed by the man who gets up from his sleep,
leaving his bed sheet, his wife and his love for her in order to
perform prayer. Allah laughs at him and informs the angels
about him.
22. That there is no jealousy or competition except with regard to
two men, one of whom prays at night reciting the Qur'an which
Allah has bestowed upon him.
23. That whoever recited ten verses in the night (in prayer) will not
be written amongst the heedless, a Qintaar of reward will be
written for him and Allah the Exalted will say to him: "Recite
and rise by one degree with every verse", until he comes to the
last verse he knows. Allah favors him by giving him eternity.
24. That whoever prays at night with a hundred verses is written
amongst the devout worshippers and whoever prays with a
thousand verses is written amongst the Muqantareen and
whoever prays with two-hundred verses is written amongst the
devout worshippers and sincere ones.
25. That the one who walks to the prayer (in the mosque) is raised
in ranks and has his sins removed, both while he goes to the
mosque and when he returns from it.
26. That for every step he takes he receives ten good deeds.
27. That the Muslim is written amongst the worshippers from the
time he leaves the house till he returns to it.
28. That the one receiving the greatest reward for the prayer is the
one who walks the furthest towards it and then the one further
than him (from the mosque).
29. That one step which a servant takes to the prayer in
congregation is counted as an act of charity for him.
30. That taking many steps towards the mosque is from ar-Ribaat
(guarding the frontiers)
31. That every time a servant leaves for the mosque in the morning
or the evening Allah prepares for him a feast in Paradise.
32. That Allah makes the light of those who walk through the
darkness to the mosques complete and perfect on the Day of
Judgment.
33. That the reward for the one who leaves his house in a state of
purity for the obligatory prayer is like the reward of the pilgrim
in the state of ihraam.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 481
34. That the one who leaves for the mosque has a guarantee from
Allah in that he should provide for him sustenance and suffice
him (in his affairs).
35. That the one who walks for the prayer in congregation, after
having beautified his wudhu and travels to visit Allah the
Exalted, is bestowed with a great favor in that Allah honors
those of his servants who visit Him, and Allah's honoring of
them is increasing their Eemaan, showing benevolence to them,
rewarding them, raising their ranks, removing their difficulties
and making their hearts content and happy.
36. The obligation to pray in congregation.
37. That the Prophet (says) did not make a concession for the old
blind man by allowing him to leave the congregational prayer.
How then can those who are fit and well be allowed a
concession?
38. That whoever abandons the congregational prayer has been
threatened with heedlessness and having a seal placed on his
heart.
39. That staying away from the congregational prayer is a sign of
hypocrisy.
40. The extreme striving of the Companions (ra) for attending the
congregational prayer in spite of difficult circumstances.
-------------------------
Footnotes
1.Its condition is that the Aqeedah of the person is correct, sound
and in accordance with the Pious Predecessors of this Ummah.
2.The condition for being removed from the fire due to the
intercession of the angels (and others) is that a person should be
from the People of Tawheed. Intercession is only for the People of
Tawheed.
3.Due to his (sas) saying: "...He used to sleep half the night, then
prayer for a third and then go to sleep for a sixth of it." When a
half is added to a sixth they give two-thirds.
[English Translation by Amjad ibn Muhammad Rafiq]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 482

72.00.00: Significance Of
Physical Postures in Prayer
It is pity that so much effort is being wasted in transcendental
meditation (TM) to revive human consciousness (the soul) to the
supreme Reality of the Universe. A cursory study of history shows
that this technique was never really effective even in the old days
and was only confined to a few hermits and Rishis. It was an
intellectual exercise of the mind which was practiced by a very few
individuals of very high caliber to quench their thirst for the Divine
Union and was practically beyond the comprehension of the
common man in the street. It is a mental exercise which quietness
the mind so long as the person is in that state of meditation but has
no permanent effect which can give an individual peace of mind in a
practical way.

Transcendental meditation (TM) without any conscious objective


cannot bring permanent peace of mind. It is a negative approach to
human problems and history bears witness to the fact that such
intellectual and mental exercises have never achieved anything
permanent. It has, however, a temporary effect. It is true that one
experiences a soothing effect when in the state of transcendental
meditation, but this effect is not confined to this method alone. Any
kind of mental exercise, in TM in Subud, or in any other form, will
affect the body's physiology and thereby cause changes in an
electroencephalogram (EEG or brain waves) and produce similar
effects. But it is yet to be proved that such changes do produce any
effect of a permanent nature. The human mind is affected by
various kinds of creative mental exercises (based on the science of
creative intelligence) but such exercises have long been confined to
intellectuals or hermits among Hindus or Christians. They are
beyond the comprehension of ordinary individuals. Moreover,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 483
mental exercises which provide some temporary comfort to an
individual cannot be effectively used to solve the complicated
problems of mankind.

Above all, it is a mental exercise in a vacuum without any conscious


objective or goal. One practices T.M without any clear goal before
him going from nowhere to nowhere and such an exercise cannot
really be expected to produce fruitful and beneficial results of any
permanent value. In the olden days, Rishis and hermits did practice
it, but they had a clear vision of their objective. They wanted to
achieve nearness to their Creator through creative reflections
(meditations) O It was not an exercise in a vacuum, like modern
T.M. But even this did not achieve very encouraging results for it
remained an intellectual luxury of the few and was never considered
a recipe for the ills of mankind..

Now the question arises: do we need such mental exercises for fun,
or momentary excitement and comfort, or something which may
provide a real solution to our problems? Obviously mankind is in
need of something positive, practical and realistic that may help to
secure peace, and happiness at individual as well as at national
level. People have lost peace of mind through over-indulgence in
pleasures and neglect of their celestial and spiritual needs.

A philosophy of life which can bring proper coordination and


understanding between the physical and spiritual needs of man
could solve many of the problems that face him today. Man has lost
his relationship with the Creator and is new wandering around in the
wilderness of abstract thinking in search of peace. Surely he can
regain his peace of mind through re-establishing his link with his
Creator. And the shortest route to renew their relationship is to open
dialogue with Him through prayers.

It seems very likely that there exists every intimate relationship


between the performance of prayer and Divine favors. Presumably
the physical postures and movements of prayer have a deep
significance and important function in revitalizing and re-igniting
the potential of enlightenment and energy inherent in every man.
Prayer is composed of four main postures or movements of the
body, i.e., qiy'am, ruku, sajdah and qaadah. It is very important that
Introducing Islam Part I & II 484
these four movements in the prayer are performed exactly in the
same manner as taught by the Messenger of God. We offer our
prayer to God because the Holy Prophet told us to do so. It is,
therefore, absolutely essential that it must be performed in its every
detail in the way it was performed by the Messenger of God
himself.

Obligatory duty:
Prayer is an obligatory duty and mere performance of it will no
doubt absolve a believer of his duty to God, but if he wants to
nourish and develop his self and soul, he must perform it in the way
it was performed by the Messenger of God himself. The Holy
Prophet laid great emphasis on the right performance of every act of
prayer.

Qiy'am must be performed properly; one must not bend forward


or backward or lean side wards but stand straight with eyes fixed at
the place of sajdah and not looking around.

Ruku must be moderate, neither too low nor too high but in line
with the body as taught by the Holy prophet. There must be a
reasonable gap between ruku and sajdah and between the two
sajdahs, as advised by the Holy Prophet.

The importance of the proper performance of each part of prayer is


emphasized by the Holy Prophet o Anas reported God's Messenger
as saying, " perform the bowing and the prostration properly, for I
swear by God that I can see you behind me" According to Abu
Masud A1 Ansari the Messenger of God said, "A man's prayer do
not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and
prostrating himself." (1) Abu Qatada reported the Messenger of
God as saying, "The one who commits the worst theft is he who
steals from his prayer." When asked how one could steal from his
prayer, he replied, "By not performing his bowing and prostration
perfectly".

There are details of qiy'am, ruku and sajdah in the hadith to help
the believers to offer their prayer perfectly.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 485
According to A'isha, "God's Messenger used to begin prayer with
takbir and the recitation of Surah Fatiha when he bowed, he neither
kept his head up nor bent it down, but kept it between these
extremes; when he raised his head after bowing he did not prostrate
himself until he had stood erect; when he raised his head after
prostration he did not prostrate himself again until he was in the
proper sitting position."

If there is any slackness on the part of a believer in performance of


any part of prayer, his prayer becomes void and he does not gain
anything from it.

According to Abu Hurairah, a man entered the mosque when the


Messenger of God was sitting in it and offered his prayer. He then
came and said, "Peace be upon you" and God's Messenger replied,
"peace be upon you. Go back and offer your prayer, for you have
not prayed." He returned and prayed, then came and said, "Peace be
upon you." The Messenger of God replied, And peace be upon you.
Go back and pray again, for you have not prayed." On the third or
fourth occasion he said, "Teach me, Messenger of good God." So
he said, "When you turn to the qibla and say, Allahu-Akbar, then
recite a convenient portion of the Qur’an; then bow and remain
quietly in that position; then raise yourself and stand erect; then
prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that position; then raise
yourself and sit quietly."

This hadith confirms our assumption that performance of each part


of prayer properly and perfectly as taught by the Holy Prophet is
essential. Any variation or alteration in the performance of any part
of prayer from what was taught by the Holy Prophet renders it a
meaningless exercise.

This great emphasis on the proper performance of prayer, even in


minute details, is a testimony to the fact that there is a close
relationship between the various postures and movements in prayer
and the acquisition of Divine favors and enlightenment. The Holy
Prophet emphasized again and again the deep significance of the
actual performance of the different parts of prayer. It must therefore
be performed exactly in the way it was taught by the Holy Prophet,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 486
otherwise it will not be a prayer but an exercise of the body
performed to please yourself or just a habitual act.

Relationship between the


movements of prayer and Divine blessings:
There seems to be an intimate relationship between the movements
of prayer and Divine blessings. If it is offered perfectly, then it helps
man to benefit from his inner potential energy in the development of
his self and his soul. In daily prayer, God has given man the shortest
and the quickest method of obtaining His Grace and Blessings.
People in the past have spent ages, and sometimes, all their lives, to
obtain a glimpse of His Glory and many have failed and died in the
wilderness of disillusionment. A very few have received some form
of enlightenment after years of hard and strenuous effort.

People have starved themselves to annihilate their physical self in


order to strengthen their soul and receive Divine Enlightenment, but
without success.

Some have spent all their lives with very little food and water in the
jungles and in the valleys of mountains in the hope of rekindling
and rejuvenating the dying light in their souls but with no, or Only
partial success.

Prayer is a wonderful gift of God:


Prayer is a wonderful gift of God. There is no need in Islam to go to
the mountains or jungles to kill your physical self in order to obtain
dhyan (unbroken concentration) and through these forms of self-
annihilation to reach for salvation. Prayer provides all the essential
requisites for preparing the mind and transforming it into an
extraordinary state capable of receiving the Divine Light. It
provides physical as well as mental exercise in such a balanced way
that neither is ignored orover emphasized.

This harmonious functioning of body and mind at the correct level


and in the most balanced way is achieved only through prayer. All
the movements of the body from the standing position to the
prostrating position are the expression of the extreme humility of
the body before the Supreme Being. It is, in fact, total submission of
the physical self before the Supreme Authority. Recitation of Divine
Introducing Islam Part I & II 487
words and praises of God in prayer have a cumulative effect on
the mental powers of man, And in this process of submission of the
body and the mind to the Divine Will through the synchronization of
movements and recitation of the Qur'anic verses in prayer, the
spiritual power of man becomes stronger and gains full control over
the physical self and gradually lifts it up to the Supreme Being.

This process of the total submission of the body and the mind before
the Ultimate Authority is explained in the words of the Holy Qur
'an: "When you threw (a handful of dust), it was not your act, but
God's."(8:17). The action of the Holy Prophet in throwing stones at
his enemies was entirely in obedience to the Command of God and
there was no personal motive or any realization of his own physical
self. In fact every action of the faithful servants of God, performed
in obedience to His Command, can be ascribed to God Himself.

According to Abu Hurairah, the Holy Messenger said: "God says,


'My servant becomes closer to Me by performing those deeds which
are obligatory on him And he gets close to Me through constant
observance of optional (nafila) prayer until he becomes My beloved.
When he becomes My beloved, I become his ears through which
hears, his eyes through which he sees, and his hand with which he
holds, and his feet with which he walks." This hadith shows that all
the powers of his body and mind come under the Guidance of God
and man attains very close relationship with his Lord.

This harmonious working of the body and the mind helps in


concentrating and thereby activating the latent energies of the
physical self. This process gradually transforms the centrifugal (out-
going) forces operating in mind and body into centripetal (inward-
going) and unifying forces which lift man from the world of matter
into the world of spirit and show him glimpses of the boundless
spiritual world. In the course of the transformation of the concealed
energies of the physical self into active unifying forces, the mind is
slowly but surely released from the limitations of the physical self
and is then able to conceive and grasp the meaning of the
manifestations of the Supreme Being.

At this stage, man is fully prepared and ready, provided he


maintains the standard of performance of his prayer, to receive the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 488
Blessings and Favors of the Supreme Power. In other words, he has
reached the stage where he is in a position to establish close
communion with God. And why not? After all, man represents the
two important aspects of God's Creation, as stated by the Holy
Qur’an in these words "That which I have created with both My
Hands." (38:75)

"Both hands" refers to the two aspects of God's Creation. He has a


physical body, which makes him one of the animals, and he has a
soul, which makes him supreme over all other creation, including
angels. When he is at his best in prayer, he leaps towards his
spiritual world and establishes close contact with his Lord. And this
is confirmed by a hadith, according to which a Muslim achieves
audience with God (hudhur) in prayer. "Prayer is Miraj of the
believers" Muslim jurists have taken this hadhur to mean the
presence of angels in prayer.
This may be explained in another way. The harmonious working of
body and mind helps to awaken the Spiritual or super-sensory
powers in man. The greater the harmony between the former two
forces of man, the stronger the awakening of the super-sensory
power in man. The proper balance between the triangular forces of
body, mind and spirit acts like an electrical wire, which transfers the
necessary electrical current from the main generating station to the
electrical lamp. Just as it is unthinkable to transfer electricity direct
from the main power house to a small electric lamp, similarly it is
inconceivable to receive Divine Light or communion with God
without proper harmony between the afore said forces.

It may, therefore, be said that a harmonious functioning of the


triangular forces in man is absolutely necessary before any progress
can be made in this direction. Unless body, mind and spirit (or the
soul) is properly functioning in harmony, it is not possible for man
to rekindle his soul from the Light of the Power of God or to
achieve any sort of close communion with Him. People have in the
past adopted various methods to achieve this harmonious
functioning of the triangular forces within the self but have often
taken years for very little or partial success.

Islam has given man a very short but effective recipe in the form of
prayer to achieve the required harmony between the triangular
Introducing Islam Part I & II 489
forces within him. Just study the form and the words of the prayer
and how it is performed, and you will notice the wonderful
combination it provides for body, mind and soul which no other
religion or system has yet suggested. This process of the activation
of spiritual or super-sensory powers in man can also be explained in
this way. Man is a psychosomatic organism- he has a body, which is
the external part of him and a mind, which is the internal part of him
His body is composed of matter which, in the ultimate physical
analysis, consists of atoms. His mind represents the entire world of
ideas, beliefs, hopes, fears and aspirations. All these belong to the
world of consciousness, i.e. the inner side of man. This
consciousness (mind) of man plays a vital role in relating the soul of
man to his environment. In other words, it is a vital factor in relating
spirit to matter.

There are thus two worlds in man: the physical, represented by body
and, the spiritual, represented by mind. The latter belongs to the
invisible world which exists side by side with the visible world
disclosed by sense perception. The latter is dimensional while the
former is extra-dimensional. Internally man belongs to the invisible
world, that is to say, his soul or spirit belongs to that world,
externally he belongs to the visible world, that is to say, his body
belongs to that world, but through consciousness man is related to
both the Worlds. If a man looks within his self he moves towards
higher levels of consciousness and a deeper understanding of
spiritual values. If, on the other hand, he devotes himself to the
external world of matter, he tends to move away from the higher
Spiritual values to the lower values of the visible world.

Regular prayer:
Regular prayer helps to attain the right equilibrium between the
spiritual and the material worlds of man. He lives in the world of
matter, works in it for his livelihood and satisfies all his material
Needs, but, at the same time, he keeps his link with the spiritual
world and further strengthens it. Prayer enables him to develop and
widen his perception of the extra dimensional spiritual world to
such an extent that he is able to perceive and understand the things
of a higher level of consciousness which he could hardly visualize
before.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 490
Establishment of prayer:
Establishment of prayer will strengthen the extra dimensional
powers of man to such a degree that he will be able to establish
close relationship with the Ultimate Power.

It must, however, be emphasized that this link can not be maintained


without the establishment of regular prayer. Prayer is the means as
well as the end. It helps man to establish and maintain his link with
God. If the institution of prayer or its proper performance is lost, the
link with the spiritual world will automatically be cut off. Man has
not yet known any other effective means of establishing and then
maintaining his relationship with God. It is like a wire, as explained
before, connected with the main Generator. As soon as the wire is
disconnected from the main source of power, the light goes off, and
all is darkness again. This wire is prayer.
Thus prayer, through multifarious ways beyond human
comprehension, acts and reacts on the human mind until the latter is
enlightened spiritually with the Nur (Ultimate Light) of the
Universe. As all men do not possess similar or equal power, their
personal experiences may very considerably. Each man gains this
experience according to his own internal as well as external powers.
But regular prayer does provide opportunities to every believer to
develop his latent energies within his self according to his
potentialities and thereby establish his link with God. The greater
the perfection in the performance of prayer will be the closer the
relationship with God.

Prayer was a mi’raj for believers:


Communion with the Divine Being is attained when prayer is
performed perfectly and properly in body, mind and soul as
instructed by the Holy Prophet. This is why the Holy Prophet said
that prayer was a mi’raj for believers. It provides an opportunity to
believers to have direct and close relationship with God as did the
Holy Prophet during the night of the mi’raj. This is also explained
by an- other hadith when the Holy Prophet said "When you perform
prayer, think that you are standing in front of God and seeing Him
with your eyes. And if it is not possible for you to see Him, at least
think that He is seeing you" When one achieves this mi’raj in
prayer, he is bound to rise far above the physical barriers of this
ethereal world and enter into the world of the unknown,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 491
experiencing new and wonderful things which he could never think
of in his ordinary state of mind. The Companions of the Holy
Prophet often experienced this in their prayer.

Long ruku and sujud


Anas used to perform long ruku and sujud; people often thought
he had forgotten that he was offering his prayer. Abdullah bin
Zubair often stood in qiyam like a lifeless pillar and spent so much
time in sajdah that pigeons of Baitullah sat on his back taking it to
be an inanimate object.

Once, two Companions of the Holy Prophet were on night sentry


duty on the battlefield. One was sleeping and the other stood in
prayer. One arrow struck him while he was in prayer. He was
bleeding but he completed prayer. After completing his prayer, he
woke up his colleague on duty and told him that he was reciting one
Surah of the Holy Qur’an when the arrow struck him but he did not
want to finish prayer without completing that Surah. Once an arrow
struck Ali; It was very deep and could not be pulled out. Ali asked
his companion to pull it out while he was in prayer. He offered two
rakat prayers and the arrow was pulled out of his leg, but he
continued his prayer without feeling any pain.

Religious ambition sees


higher than the ambition of philosophy:
Dr. Iqbal recognizes the human quest for a Divine mission in these
words. "But as I have said before, religious ambition sees higher
than the ambition of philosophy. Religion is not satisfied with mere
conception; it seeks a more intimate knowledge of and association
with the object of its pursuit (God). The agency through which this
association is achieved is the act of worship, ending in a spiritual
illumination. The act of worship, however, affects different types of
consciousness differently. In the case of the prophetic
consciousness, it is mainly creative, i.e. tends to create a fresh
ethical world wherein the Prophet, so to speak, applies the
pragmatic test to his revelations.

Thus you will see that, psychologically speaking, prayer is


instructive in its origin. The act of prayer, aiming at knowledge,
resembles reflection Yet prayer at its highest is much more than
Introducing Islam Part I & II 492
abstract reflection. Like reflection it too is a process of assimilation,
but the assimilative process in the case of prayer draws itself
closely together and thereby acquires a power unknown to pure
thought. In thought, the mind observes and follows the working of
reality; in the act of prayer it ceases to be a seeker of slow-footed
universability and rises higher than thought towards Reality itself,
becoming a conscious participator in its life. There is nothing
mystical about it. Prayer, as a means of spiritual illumination, is a
normal, vital act by which the little island of our personality
suddenly discovers its situation in a larger whole."

"Do not think I am talking of auto-suggestion. Auto suggestion has


nothing to do with the opening up of the sources of life that lie in
the depths of the human ego. Unlike spiritual illumination which
brings fresh power by shaping the human personality, it leaves no
permanent life. Nor I am speaking of some occult and special way
of knowledge. All that I mean is to fix your attention on a real
human experience which has a history behind it and a future before
it. The quest of nameless nothing, as disclosed in Neo-Platonism
mysticism be it Christian or Muslim-cannot satisfy the modern mind
which, with its habits of concrete thinking, demands a concrete
living experience of God. And the history of the race shows that the
attitude of the mind embodied in the act of worship if a condition
for such an experience. In fact prayer must be regarded as a
necessary complement to the intellectual activity of the observer of
Nature. (5)

While discussing the real object of prayer, Dr, Iqbal says," prayer,
then, whether individual or associative, is an expression of man's
inner yearning for a response in the awful silence of the universe.

It is a unique process of discovery whereby the searching ego


affirms itself in the very moment of self negation, and thus
discovers its own worth and justification as a dynamic factor in the
life of the universe. True to the psychology of mental attitude in
prayer, the form of worship in Islam symbolizes both affirmation
and negation. Yet, in view of the fact borne out by the experience of
the race that prayer, as an inner act, has found expression in a
variety of forms, the Qur’an says: "To every people We have
appointed ways of worship which they observe. Therefore let them
Introducing Islam Part I & II 493
not dispute this matter with you, but invite them to your Lord for
you are on the right way, but if they dispute with you, then say,
God best knows what you do; He will judge between you on the
Day of Judgment, in the matters wherein you differ. (22:66-69)."

"The form of prayer ought not to become a matter of dispute.


Which side you turn your face is certainly not essential to the spirit
of prayer. The Qur’an is perfectly clear on this point: 'The East and
West is God's, therefore whichever direction you turn, and there is
the face of God (2:109). And again, 'There is no piety in turning
your faces towards the East or West, but he is pious who believes
in God, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Books and the
Prophets, who for the love of God gives his wealth to his kindred,
and to the orphans, and to ransom the slaves; who observes prayer
and pays zakat, and fulfils the contracts which he has made; and is
patient in pain and hardship, and in time of trouble; those are they
who are just, and those are they who fear the Lord (2:177).' "Yet we
cannot ignore the important consideration that the posture of the
body is a real factor in determining the attitude of mind".
Prayer is the key which opens
the gate of the kingdom of God:
To sum up, prayer is the key which opens the gate of the kingdom of
God. And, according to Ibn 'Arabi, creative prayer becomes a
dialogue between man and God and provides an opportunity to the
earthly creature to open up his heart before his creator. It is creative
because it is at once God's prayer and man's prayer. Such an
effective prayer opens up new horizons for man beyond the
comprehension of an ordinary being. Surah Fatiha in the prayer
provides this opportunity to man to enter into such a dialogue and
enjoy the excitement and ecstasy of Divine vision.

According to the hadith reported by Abu Hurairah, the Holy


Messenger said, "God says that I have divided the prayer between
Myself and My servant into two parts. Half of it is for Me and half
for MY servant and I give whatever he asks me for. When the
servant says:
'All praise is for the Lord of the universe,' God replies, 'My servant
is grateful to me'.
When he says, 'Most Gracious, Most Merciful,' God says 'My
servant has praised Me.'
Introducing Islam Part I & II 494
When he says 'Master of the Day of Judgment, 'God says, "My
servant has exalted Me'
When the servant says, 'You do we worship and Your help do we
seek,' God says This portion is shared between Me and My servant.
I bestow whatever he asks.'
When he says,' Guide me to the straight path, the path of those
whom You blessed, not of those who earned Your anger or went
astray.' God says, 'This is for My servant and bestow what he has
asked for."

This hadith throws some light on the unusual greatness and


effectiveness of this prayer:
First: nothing can be better and more exalted than what is
demanded in the prayer: the servant is asking from God guidance to
the right path to reach Him In other words, he is requesting God to
show him the way to get closer to Him.
Second: it starts with thanks-giving and those attributes of God
which entitle him to His blessings
Third: by saying, 'We obey You and ask Your help alone' he puts
himself completely in the hands of God. He has put his entire trust
in Him and thrown himself at His door. He has cut all his relations
and come to build only one relation, i.e. with God. There is no
reason why his request should not be granted. The final words of the
prayer provide the best intercession.

The servant prays for guidance to God and requests to be granted


the ability and power to tread that path which leads to Him. In these
words, God has Himself taught man how to reach Him, get near to
Him and open a dialogue with Him.
[By: Afzalur Rahman
Prayer Its Significance and Its Benefits, Chapter-3
References: 1. Mishkat; 2. Forty hadith;
3. Reconstruction of Religious Thought, Dr. Iqbal;
4. Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn Arabi, Henry Corbin;
5. Tadabbur e Qur’an]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 495

73.00.00: Why are we not able


to wake up for Fajr?
Our Prophet (sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam) is our exemplar who
provided the best example in spending long hours of the night in
prayer and waking in time for Fajr Prayer. This record was
authentically known of him both in his teachings and his living
example as he did not like sleeping before Ishaa [night] Prayer and
discouraged his followers from useless talk after it.

In this he was followed by his companions and all the Muslims up


to a time not very far from our own days. They knew the reasons
which cause laziness and lessen motivation to observe prayers in
time (be such prayers Fard [obligatory] or Nafla [optional]) and
warned people against them so much that some of them are reported
to have said: "If you are unable to pray at night, then that is a clear
sign that your sins have shackled you and deprived you of good
deeds". Al-Hasan al-Basri was once asked: "Why is it that we
cannot uphold prayers at night?" He answered: "You are shackled in
your own sins".

Motivation is presently lacking among Muslims. Otherwise they


would not have given in to sleep even if they had to stay awake in
the first part of the night. When one of them is required by his work
arrangements or for his own worldly benefit to wake early at dawn,
he would no doubt take the necessary precaution not to miss his
appointment. He will forsake his peace of mind and have a restless
sleep just for fear he might be punished or have his salary reduced.
When it comes to prayer, they have no excuse especially when in
our modern times Allah has provided us with alarm clocks which
would be set at any time we wish. The problem therefore, is one of
laziness. Such people do not know what they are missing. The
Prophet (sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam) said with respect to those who
Introducing Islam Part I & II 496
do not observe Ishaa and Fajr prayers: "Had one of them known that
he would find a wholesome meal or two good targets, he would
have come for Ishaa prayer."

All in all, for him who sincerely wants to purify his soul from the
attributes of the hypocrites, let him steer clear of laziness, be active,
put into practice the action inspiring instructions laid out in our
religion, accustom himself to take the initiative and realize what he
and everybody in his position are missing in terms of the health of
the body and great reward from Allah. Only then will his
performance improve, Allah willing, and he will make up for what
he has missed and follow the lead of the best of generations.

Allah, the Most High and Exalted, is the Provider of success and
assistance. Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammed, his
household and followers. [Signed: Abdullah Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan al-
Jibreen]

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The Text
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Most surely all praise belongs to Allah, we praise Him and we seek
His Aid and Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of
our souls and from the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allah
guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever He misguides
there is none to guide. I send prayers and blessing upon our leader
Muhammed with the best of prayers and the most complete
submission.

To proceed: One of the ill-seeming phenomena and most serious


precedents boding impending danger and punishment, giving reason
to fear and calling for most urgent consideration on our part
requiring immediate investigation into its causes and treatment of its
symptoms is the fact that a growing number of observers of prayer
deliberately shun Fajr prayer in congregation and only perform it at
times other than its lawful time.

It may be the case that this is due to their wasting away long hours
at night engaged in idle and leisure pursuits. Our ancestors not very
long ago used to make a point of going to bed early, to lock their
Introducing Islam Part I & II 497
doors after Ishaa prayer and to make their dinner light so as to be
able to wake up for Fajr prayer in an energetic state. That is why
they led a happy, peaceful and healthy life experiencing the real
taste of life.

The advent of modern civilization spoiled both our religious


observances and our worldly arrangements. As a result, we have
fallen into laziness and inertia; our bodies grew fat and flabby; we
move about less frequently whilst showing a greater readiness to
sleep and a marked inability to perform the most trivial of manual
actions.

The present paper attempts therefore to suggest ways which may be


of help in inducing us to wake up for Fajr Prayer; for instance:

ONE: To make sure to go to bed early as the Prophet (sallallaahu-


alaihi-wasallam)used to discourage sleep before performing Ishaa
prayer and especially engaging in conversation after it. Certain
cases were accepted, some of which are enumerated by Imam
Nawawi in his explanation of Muslim's account. Nawawi, may
Allah have mercy upon him says:

The reason why conversation after it is discouraged is the fear lest it


leads to staying awake for long , which might induce drowsiness
and difficulty with observing night prayers or Subh [dawn] prayer in
their permitted, preferred or best times. The topics covered by this
restriction are all fulfilling no good useful purpose. However, as to
useful verbal activities, such as the pursuit of knowledge, listening
to the wise tales of righteous people, talking to one's guest or bride,
or members of one's family for the sake of company, interacting
with travelers with a view to protect themselves and their goods,
embarking on talks designed to conciliate between people or
intercede before them in a good cause or to enjoin good and forbid
evil and admonish people by pointing to a beneficial course of
action to follow etc. there are no such restrictions.

TWO: To be assiduous in observing the Aadaab [good manners


prescribed in Islam] as to what to do before sleep such as making
Du'aa [supplication], bringing one's palms together, very mildly
spitting into them and reciting the last three soorah's of the Qur'an
Introducing Islam Part I & II 498
into them and them wiping them over one's face, head and body,
being physically and religiously pure and performing a two rakah
voluntary prayer after wudhoo [ablution].

A muslim has to ask his wife, parents, relatives or neighbors to help


waking him up. Once waken up, he should not linger lazily for long
in bed, lest he acquires the vices of the hypocrites who come to
prayer showing ample signs of laziness and lack of enthusiasm.

THREE: To fill one's heart with faith and good deeds. Once faith is
alive in the heart, it induces the person to do good deeds and strive
unremittingly hard. Faith is like a tree which only yields good fruit
when irrigated from the streamlets of good deeds, thus bringing
about an improvement both in personal conduct and at the
international level with society at large.

The lack of such streamlets or water supplies proportionately causes


faith to wither and wilt. The heart is highly sensitive to external
hardening stimuli, such as excess food or drink or aberrations in
watching or listening (letting your eyes and ears loose to what is
unlawful for them). You should therefore protect your heart from
such external allurements.

FOUR: To keep away from Ma'aasi [acts of disobedience to Allah]


by protecting the eyes, the tongue, the hearing and all the senses
from indulging in the perception of objects that Allah has made
unlawful for us. As an alternative, one should concern himself with
matters pertaining to the worship of Allah, such as devoting one's
sight to the reading of Allah's Book, meditating over the creatures
that Allah has created in this universe, reading books of knowledge
etc. One member of the rightly guided early generations was asked
about the reason why people found it difficult to uphold voluntary
prayers at night. He answered: "Your sins have shackled you". No
doubt sins can be a major cause for a persons inability to enjoy the
blessings of piety. As Imaam Ibn ul-Qayyim said, sins are wounds
and some wounds can be fatal.

FIVE: To bear in mind the great reward for attending Fajr prayer in
congregation on time, and the strong rebuke for him to fails to
observe it and to satisfy its conditions.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 499

Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan related: I heard Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu-


alaihi-wasallam) say: "He who prays Ishaa in Jamaa'ah
[congregation] is as if he has prayed for half the night. As to him
who (also) prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he has prayed all
night." [narrated by Maalik and the wording is that of Muslim who
also reported it].

Similarly, Bukhaaaree and Muslim and An-Nasaaee related on the


authority of Ibn Mas'ud (radiallaahu-anhu) that he said: The case of
a man who slept all the night up to sunrise (without waking up for
Fajr) was related to the Prophet(sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam)
whereupon he said: "That was a man in whose ear Shaytaan has
urinated", or he said "in both his ears".

The urinating is literally true, as Imaam Qurtubi says, since


Shaytaan urinates and has sexual intercourse and procreates in a
manner that Allah alone knows (1). To ascertain for yourself the
truth of this assertion, look at the faces of those who come to deal in
their daily business without having prayed Fajr in congregation at
due time; look at their faces at working hours. You will surely ask
Allah for refuge from a lot as miserable as theirs. But, after all what
do you expect from a person in whose heart Shaytaan has
urinated!!!

SIX: To realise the bad effects resulting from one's failure to pray
Fajr, such as the melancholic and depressive state of mind and the
loss of many religious and worldly benefits, and the good effects
resulting from managing to perform it. In this respect the Prophet
(sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam) said:

"Shaytaan ties three knots on the crown of any one of you in your
sleep. He says upon each knot that he ties: "You have a long night
before you, therefore sleep". But if you wake up and mention Allah,
Most Exalted in remembrance one knot will be untied. If you then
make ablution another knot will be undone. If you then proceed to
pray the last knot will be disentangled. Thus, you will feel in the
morning energetic and in good spirits. Otherwise you will feel in a
despicable state, lazy". [Narrated by Maalik, Bukhaaree, Muslim
and Abu Dawood]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 500

The time following Fajr prayer is full of goodness and blessings.


At-Tirmidhee narrated upon the authority of Al-Ghamdi that the
Prophet (sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam) said: "O Allah blesses my
Ummah in its early rising!" and whenever he dispatched an
expedition or army he sent them early at the beginning of the day.
Sakhr was a merchant who always sent his merchandise early in
morning thus, becoming wealthy (3). That is why we find the
craftsmen and traders are particular about making good use of this
time. Those who sleep up to the late morning have denied
themselves the blessings of this early hour.

There are many benefits to the health derived from waking up for
Fajr prayer. For instance, the highest proportion of ozone gas (O3)
in the atmosphere is registered at dawn. It then gradually fades away
until complete disappearance by sunrise. This gas has a very
beneficial effect on the nervous system as it vivifies the brain and
energizes the muscles such that when a person inhales the beautiful
breeze of the dawn, known as the SABAA wind, he will experience
a pleasure that is unparalleled at any other time of the day or night
(4).

SEVEN: To lose no time to categorically clear yourself from the


stigma of hypocrisy. Because of the difficulty of waking for this
time, praying Fajr in congregation provides evidence that a person
has firm faith and is free from hypocrisy. That is why in a hadeeth
narrated by Bukhaaree and Muslim, the Prophet (sallallaahu-alaihi-
wasallam) said:

"Indeed, the most difficult of prayers to bear, for the hypocrites, are
Ishaa [night] and Fajr prayers. If only they knew what they are
missing, they would sooner come, even if crawling on their knees".

The most worthy companion, Abdullaah and Ibn Mas'ood


(radiallaahu-anhu) asserts "The only one indeed who misses them
[i.e. Ishaa and Fajr prayers] is a confirmed hypocrite" (5).

Ibn Umar (radiallaahu-anhu) said "When we find a man missing


from the Ishaa and Fajr prayers we nurture suspicions about
him"(6).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 501

If you want a criterion for evaluating a person's degree of faith and


truthfulness monitor his observance of Fajr prayer. If he passes the
test, that should be taken as a sign indicating the strength of his
Eeman [belief, faith]. Let us then testify to his truthfulness since he
managed to achieve the greatest victory over himself and to be
superior to the pleasure of sleeping in bed. If he fails the test, this is
an index to his weakness in faith, hardness in his heart, an
indulgence in Self-gratification and a defeat against his own whims.

How is it then that he who indulges in sleep and misses prayer


should conceivably feel comfortable while people are delighting in
the mosques in the company of the Qur'aan, listening rapturously to
Allah's message, and basking happily in His gardens. He who
prefers the pleasures of the bed to the pleasure of the communion
with Allah is the real loser.

These are a few suggestions to help you wake up for Fajr prayer.
May Allah make them useful. Glory be to Allah, Most Exalted over
any false attributions and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all Beings.

[Written by an anonymous student of Islamic knowledge


with an introduction by Sheik Abdullah Ibn Jibreen]

74.00.00: Go Back and Pray,


For You Have Not Prayed!
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
During the night, Abu Lu’lu’ Al Majoosi hid in the shadows in
preparation for the Fajr Salah where he would execute his satanic
mission: to Murder the Ameer of the Believers ‘Umar ibn Al-
Khattab(Radi Allahu Anhu).’ Umar would lead the Fajr with a long
surah, giving time for the community to join the congregation. As he
led that Salah, Abu Lu’lu advanced from a dim pillar, a poisoned
dagger hidden in his sleeve. He jumped in front of Umar(Radi
Allahu Anhu) and tore open his stomach with the dagger. Abu Lu’lu’
then attempted an escape through the congregation, slashing left and
right, murdering in his path many others. One Companion threw a
cloth over and – realizing that he was caught – Abu Lu’lu’ killed
Introducing Islam Part I & II 502
himself. Umar completed the Fajr Salah and passed away later in
his bed(Radi Allahu Anhu).

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is


the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one
becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets
and for all peoples. Allah declared its obligatory status under
majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to
Moses, He said:
"And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you.
Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so
worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance." [Taha
13-14]

Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet


Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his ascension to heaven.
Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the
beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He
states is their adherence to the prayers. [Successful are the believers,
those that offer their Salah with all earnestness and full obedience.
Al-Mu’minoon, 23:1-2]

The importance of prayer is demonstrated in many of the Prophet’s


statements. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the
Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his
deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will
be bad." [Recorded by al-Tabarani. According to al-Albani, it is
sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol.1, p. 503]

In reality, when the prayer is performed properly – with true


remembrance of Allah and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will
have a lasting effect on the person. After he finishes the prayer, his
heart will be filled with the remembrance of Allah. He will be
fearful as well as hopeful of Allah. After that experience, he will not
want to move from that lofty position to one wherein he disobeys
Allah. Allah mentioned this aspect of the prayer:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 503

"Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds"
(Al-Ankaboot 45).

However amongst our community of Musalleen (those who perform


Salah) we find some hazy actions that need to be brought back into
focus.

Some do not concentrate on what they are saying.


Some speed when they pray.
Some wander with their gaze during Salah,
· The number of raka’aat performed is constantly forgotten.
· For some, the Dunya hugs their hearts during Salah and clouds
their minds.
· Sometimes, before the Imam says Allahu Akbar, some in the
congregation are already in the next prostration.

Compare this to those that came before us: People used to think that
ar-Rabee' bin Khaitham, due to his constant lowering of his gaze
and keeping his head low (in Salah), was blind. He used to live
behind the house of Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood for twenty years and
when his servant girl used to see him she would say: Your blind
friend is coming, and Abdullaah used to laugh at her speech.

In Bukhari and Muslim, from Abu Hurayrah - Radi Allahu Anhu, a


man entered the Masjid and the Messenger of Allah - Sal Allaahu
alayhi wa Sallam - was sitting. The man prayed (2 raka’) and then
came to the Prophet - Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam - and said
salam. The Prophet - Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam - replied the
salam and then said, “Go back and pray for you have not prayed.”
So the man went back, prayed (2 raka’) like he did the first time and
then came back and repeated the salam. The Prophet - Sal Allaahu
alayhi wa Sallam - replied the salam and then said, “Go back and
pray for you have not prayed.” So the man went back, prayed (2
raka’) like he did the first time and then came back and repeated the
salam. The Prophet - Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam - replied the
salam and then said, “Go back and pray for you have not prayed.”
He said it three times until – on the third time the man said, “By He
who sent you with the truth O Messenger of Allah, I do not know
any better than this. Teach me.” The Prophet - Sal Allaahu alayhi
Introducing Islam Part I & II 504
wa Sallam - then said, “If you stand up for Salah say ‘Allahu
Akbar.’ Then read what comes easy for you from the Quran. Then
bow until you are comfortable in your ruku’. Then stand up until
you are standing up straight. Then prostrate until you are
comfortable in your Sujood. Then sit until you are comfortable in
your Juloos. Then prostrate until you are comfortable in your
Sujood. And do this in your entire Salah.”

Let’s go back and do our Salah again. This is our topic for today.
· Why do we come to the Masjid, why do we perform Salah? We do
it in application of the command of our Creater Subhaanahu wa
Ta’aala. Why should we then lose the blessing and reward because
of a wandering heart and an itchy hand? Concentration is the soul
of our Salah. Concentration is the fruit of our Eeman. Yet
regardless of this understanding, people still leave their Salah and
only a small portion of it is written for them because of their
imperfection of it.

The Prophet - Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam - said, “Verily, a man


will leave from (his Salah) and only a tenth of his Salah is written
for him, a ninth, an eighth, a seventh, a sixth, a fifth, a forth, a third,
half.” [Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi]

Uthman ibn Abi Dahshah said, “I have never prayed a Salah that I
have not asked Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala to forgive for my
shortcomings in that Salah.”
Someone who short changes his Salah is a thief. The Prophet(Sal
Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: “The evilest thief is he who steals
from his Salah.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how does he
steal from his Salah?” He - Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam - said,
“He does not perfect it’s ruku’ and Sujood.” – Authentic

Because of the speed some apply to their Salah, it is as if they are


pecking up and down like a bird. Narrated Ahmad, Abu Dawood
and others, the Prophet(Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam) forbade that
someone should peck (in Salah) like a crow…”
Introducing Islam Part I & II 505
Umar(Radi Allahu Anhu) once stood on the pulpit and addressed the
community with a loud powerful voice, “A man may grow old in
Islam and never have completed to Allah a single Salah!” They
said, “How is this?” He said, “He does not perfect his
concentration, or his humbleness, or his focus on Allah - Azza wa
Jall.”

Once, Ma’roof Al-Karkhee – Rahimahu AllahimahUllah – stood


amongst some of his students and one said to the other, “Please lead
the Isha Salah.” The first student accepted but said, “I shall lead the
Isha’ Salah on condition that you lead the Fajr Salah and not me.”
Ma’roof Al-Karkhe was shocked at what he said and commented,
“By Allah, if you think that you’ll be alive at Fajr then – by Allah –
you have not yet perfected your Salah.”

Part II How to Concentrate in Salah:


Al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad(Rahimahu Allah) said, “I went out one
day, and whenever I would go out I would always pass by Aisha -
Radi Allahu Anha - and give her my Salam. That day I went out and
when I found Aisha she was praying Salat al-Duha, reciting over
and over the verse of Allah Saying:
‘Aforetime we were afraid with our families (from the Punishment
of Allah). But Allah was gracious on us and saved us from the
torment of the Fire.” [At-Tur, 52:26-27]

She was crying and invoking Allah - Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala - and


repeating the verse. I stood there waiting until I got tired; she
remained as I found her. When I saw this I said to myself, ‘let me
go to the market, do what I have to do and come back.’ So, after I
had finished what I needed to do at the market, I returned to Aisha -
Radi Allahu Anha. She was as I left her, repeating the verse,
invoking Allah, and crying.

How do we concentrate in Salah?


From the Sunnah, the Prophet(Sal Allahu Alayhi wa sallam)taught
the following:
1. Come early for Salah and prepare yourself to concentrate.
Repeat the Adhan to yourself with the Mu’adhdhin, and - after
the adhan - say the prescribed supplication. Between the Adhan
Introducing Islam Part I & II 506
and Iqamah make dua’. Do Wudu properly, cleanse your
mouth, and wear your finest clothes.

2. Aim to get the entire reward of your Salah.


Abu Bakr ibn ‘Iyaash said, “I saw Habeeb ibn Thabit in
Sujood. If you saw him you would think he was dead (by how
long he held his Sujood).”

3. Contemplate the aayaat and adhkaar being recited during the


prayer.
Think about the meanings of the verses that you are reciting.
Isn’t is disheartening that someone may perform Salah for
decades, day after day, and he/she still does not know what they
are saying?
The Qur’aan was revealed to be pondered over! Allah revealed:
“(This is) a Book (the Qur’aan) which We have sent down to
you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and
that men of understanding may remember.” [Saad 38:29].

4. Pray in congregation. Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala commands:


And perform Salah, give Zakah, and bow with those that
bow. [Al-Baqarah, 2:43]

5. Never miss your Nafl Salah, especially those that the


Prophet(Sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam) used to pray constantly,
especially Witr and the sunnah of Fajr.

6. Do not speed up your Salah. Take your time and do not allow
your Salah to become the most invaluable action of your day.
Ibn Wahb said, “I saw Ath-Thowree at the Ka’bah. After
Maghrib, he got up to pray and then prostrated. He did not
come out of that prostration until the Adhan for Isha’ was
given.”

7. Know that Allah responds to your prayer:


The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Allah, the Blessed and Exalted has said: ‘I have divided the
prayer between My-self and My slave, into two halves, and My
slave shall have what he has asked for.” When the slave says
‘Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My slave
Introducing Islam Part I & II 507
has praised Me.’ When the slave says, ‘The Most Merciful, the
Bestower of Mercy,’ Allah says, ‘My slave has extolled me.’
When the slave says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgment,’ Allah
says, ‘My slave has glorified me.’ When the slave says, ‘It is
You alone we worship and it is You alone we ask for help,’
Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My slave, and My slave
shall have what he asked for.’ When the slave says, ‘Guide us to
the Straight Path, the path of those whom You have favoured,
not the path of those who receive Your anger, nor of those who
go astray,’ Allaah says, ‘All these are for My slave, and My
slave shall have what he asked for.’” [Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab
al-Salaah, Baab wujoob qiraa’at al-Faatihah fi kulli rak’ah).
8. Pray with a barrier (sutrah) in front of you and pray close to it:
Another thing that will help one to have khushoo’ is paying
attention to the matter of having a sutrah and praying close to it,
because this will restrict your field of vision, protect you from
the Shaytaan and keep people from passing in front of you,
which causes a distraction and reduces the reward of the prayer.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:


“When any one of you prays, let him pray facing a sutrah, and
let him get close to it.” (Abu Dawood, no. 695, 1/446; Saheeh
al-Jaami’, no. 651).

9. Seeking Refuge in Allah from the Shaytaan.


The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught
us the following methods of combatting the whispers of
Shaytaan.

Abu’l-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he


said, “O Messenger of Allah, the Shaytaan interrupts me when I
pray, and I get confused in my recitation.” The Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “That is
a shaytaan whose name is Khanzab. If you sense his presence,
seek refuge with Allah from him, and spit [dry spitting] towards
your left three times.” [Abu’l-‘Aas] said: “I did that and Allaah
took him away from me.” (Reported by Muslim, no. 2203)

10. Pray as if you were told that after Salah you would be going
back to Allah.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 508
Abu Bakr Al-Muzanee said, “If you want your Salah to benefit
you, and then say, ‘I shall die after this Salah!’”

[By Muhammad Al-Shareef, LL.B. Shari’ah


http://alshareef.homepage.com/khutbah.html ]

75.00.00
Islam is your Birthright
The Choice Is Yours To Make!!!

Mankind and the universe were not created by accident or chance,


but according to the plan of the Creator, who is known as Allah (lit.:
the one God) in Islam. The Qur'an states that it is the duty of all
individuals to learn about Allah and to live according to His will. As
we cannot accomplish this be ourselves, Allah has sent messengers
and prophets to guide humanity. All of these chosen individuals
have brought the same message and have served as examples to
their people of how Allah desires all human beings to live. Through
these selected people, we have been told why mankind was created,
what will happen to us after death, and what Allah expects of us.
But most importantly, we have been told that Allah is unique-He has
no partners, no sons or daughters, and no competitors, as so many
other man-made religious systems have postulated. This message
always remains the same, whereas the laws laid down for a
particular might show some slight differences.

Muhammad, the last of Allah's prophets, was sent to present Allah's


revelation in its final form and for the last time. This was necessary
because the message delivered by the previous prophets and
messengers had been corrupted or distorted by their followers. They
had been mixed with philosophical speculations, superstitions,
myths, and neglect. Therefore, Islam is not a new religion-it is a
restatement of the original religion of Allah in its purest form and is
Introducing Islam Part I & II 509
designed to provide humanity with the uncorrupted message of
Allah.

Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission and obedience to


Allah. It also means "peace," for it brings peace of mind as well as
peace on the individual and the social levels.

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM


In Islam, the term "worship" covers any action that one does in
accordance with the will of Allah. It can be mental, physical,
spoken, or otherwise. All such actions will be rewarded.

There are five acts of worship that are so fundamental that the
Prophet grouped them together as the five pillars of Islam. Every
Muslim is expected to fulfill these obligations. They are:

The Declaration of Monotheism:


Recognizing and acknowledging the monotheistic nature of Allah
stands at the core of Islam. This consists of a public affirmation that
"there is no god but Allah (God), and Muhammad is His
Messenger." One cannot be a Muslim until he states this fact in the
presence of Muslim witnesses.

Prayers:
A Muslim must perform the five daily prayers. These must be
performed at specific times, corresponding roughly with dawn,
noon, afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. The prayers can be made in
any clean place, but it is preferable to pray them with others in a
mosque, for these communal undertaking acts as a reminder that all
Muslims are equal. When many people are praying together, it
becomes clear that color, economic status, social position, and all
other artificial distinctions have no importance to Allah, for all
Muslims are commanded to stand together, shoulder to shoulder,
and prostrate themselves before Him. There are no exceptions.
Prayers also elevated the individual to a higher level of morality,
purify his heart, and help him to resist his desire to engage in
forbidden activities.

Fasting The Month Of Ramadan:


Introducing Islam Part I & II 510
Every year during the Muslim month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain
from food, drink, and sexual activity from dawn to sunset. While
this gives the body a much needed rest and improves ones health by
getting rid of excess weight, it also increases ones commitment to
Allah, develops his social conscience, and reminds him of how the
less fortunate live every day In addition, it strengthens one's
patience, self-restraint, will power, and sincerity.

CHARITY (Zakat):
Every Muslim whose net annual savings are above a certain
specified minimum must pay an annual amount of 2.5% to the poor
and needy This action purifies one's accrued wealth, fosters the
quality of sacrifice, and rids him of selfishness and greed. It also
helps to reduce resentment and envy between a society's poor and
rich classes.

HAJJ (Pilgrimage to Makkah):


Hajj is an act of worship that is to be performed at least once in a
lifetime, provided that one is physically and financially able to do
so. During this time, Muslims meet from all corners of the world in
an international congregation for the sole purpose of responding to
the call of Allah. It also reminds the participants that all Muslims are
equal, irrespective of their geographical, cultural, or racial origins.

THE ARTICLES OF FAITH


All Muslims believe in:
The oneness of Allah.
Allah has no partner, son, daughter, helper, or competitor. There is
nothing that even remotely resembles Him, for He is unique.

All of the messengers and prophets of Allah.


The Qur'an states that each people has received revelation from
Allah in its own tongue so that all individuals know what is required
of them. The Qur'an mentions twenty-five of them by name, among
them Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David,
Solomon, John, Jesus, and Muhammad. There are, however, many
others who are not named. Muhammad, the last prophet, was sent
with a universal message meant for all of humanity The message
revealed through him is the Qur'an, which is Allah's final
presentation of the original revelation received by mankind in its
Introducing Islam Part I & II 511
purest form. A Muslim must accept all of Allah's prophets and
messengers as legitimate, for denial of one means denial of all. For
western readers who are not convinced that Muhammad is a prophet
of Allah, proof of this claim can be found in the Bible (Deut. 18:15-
18, 33:2-3; Isaiah 29:12; Songs of Solomon 5:16;John 14:1516,
16:12-14) as well as in the biographical accounts of Muhammad's
life, which was lived in full view of his contemporaries.

The original messages revealed through


Allah's various prophets and messengers.
The purest of these is the Qur'an, for it was recorded during the
lifetime of the Prophet and under his direct supervision. The
revelations mentioned in the Qur'an as having been received by
other prophets, such as the Suhuf of Abraham, the Torah of Moses,
the Zubur (Psalms) of David, and the Injeel (Bible) of Jesus, have
all been either lost or corrupted.

The existence of angels as part of the unseen world.


They are spiritual beings who have no need for food, drink, or sleep.

The Day of Judgment.


The Qur'an teaches that life is a test for each individual, for
everyone must choose whether he will or will not follow the
commands of Allah. On this day, a person will be resurrected and
asked to account for what he did while he was alive. Those with
good records will be rewarded and enter paradise, while those with
bad records will be punished by being sent to hell. This belief
develops within the individual an awareness of Allah's presence and
a desire to obey His laws sincerely and voluntarily.

A Muslim believes that nothing happens without the knowledge and


permission of Allah. While we may not understand why certain
things happen, it is part of the divine plan for our lives.

Muslims: The Moderate Nation


Islam does not divide life into "spiritual" and "secular" realms. As
all of life is thus unified and interconnected, Islam avoids the
dangers of the extreme ritualism, secularism, or materialism that is
found in other civilizations. Activities are not classified as
belonging to the state or the individual, religion or daily life, but as
Introducing Islam Part I & II 512
belonging to Allah alone, Who has provided guidelines for
individuals. These are to be followed in every aspect of their lives:
individual, social, governmental, political, economical, spiritual,
and otherwise reflecting this moderation, the Qur'an has entitled the
Muslims the "moderate nation."

Sources of Islamic Teachings


The Islamic way of life is based on the teachings and laws found in
the Qur'an and the example (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Qur'an is the word of Allah and was revealed in potions to


Muhammad, via the Angel Gabriel, over a twenty-three year period.
Each portion was recorded in writing by his official scribes and
memorized by thousands of his followers. After his death, the
written collection was given to Abu Bark, the first caliph, who
oversaw its collection into one volume. The third caliph, Uthman,
prepared several copies and sent them to different Muslim
territories. Ever since that time, the same version has been used by
Muslims. The wording, order, and language have never been altered
in the slightest manner. No other book claiming to be a divine
revelation can make this claim, and no one has ever been able to
refute the claim of the Qur'an to complete authenticity

The Sunnah consists of the teachings, sayings, and actions of


Prophet Muhammad. This information was meticulously reported
and collected by his Companions. It is essentially an elaboration of
the Qur'anic verses that shows how they are to be implemented in
one's daily life.

Islam: The Religion Of Equality


Islam recognizes no man-made artificial distinctions based on color,
tribe, race, nationality, or otherwise. As all people come from the
original couple-Adam and Eve-they are all one family and therefore
equal before God. What distinguishes people from each other is
their commitment to Islam: "The most honored in the sight of Allah
is (he who is) most righteous." (Qur'an 3:86).

Islam Is Your Birthright


Islam states clearly that everyone is born a Muslim and is therefore
monotheistic by nature. We read in the Qur'an that humanity has
Introducing Islam Part I & II 513
been created with the natural disposition towards the unity of God.
This is to be expected, for Allah, who has breathed His spirit into
each of us, is Himself the example of perfect unity. In the words of
the Prophet Muhammad: "Every person is born with the innate
religious faith (to submit to God Almighty)." Thus when an
individual accepts Islam, he is not turning his back on any prior
revelation but rather is returning to the original and true revelation
of Allah and to his own nature as a creation of Allah. This being the
case, Islam is your birthright-other religious or ideological systems
are either corruptions our outright denials of Islam.

Criteria for Truth


• How do you know if your belief system is true? Take a moment
to look at the following list.
• Are the teachings of your belief system rational? Do they
conform to the norms of human reason and intellect?
• Is the creator of your belief system perfect? Allah, the creator of
Islam, is. . Does your belief system contain superstitions or
myths? Islam presents humanity with only true knowledge.
• Can your belief system withstand the discoveries and claims of
modern science? Islam can and does.
• How accurate are your belief system's prophecies and
predications? Islam's are always completely accurate.
• Could a person have devised your belief system? No one has
ever been able to imitate the Qur'an, although many have tried
over the centuries.
• Islam is not a new religion founded by Muhammad, but a final
restatement of the original revelation that has been conveyed to
humanity by messengers and prophets sent by Allah for that
very purpose:
"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My
favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion"
(5:3).
• As the Qur'an is the final revelation and Muhammad is the final
prophet, humanity is obligated to accept it:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 514
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be
accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of
those who have lost all spiritual good" (3:86).

Note: This has been taken from the article of


WAMY Series on Islam No. 14
islamworld.net

An appeal from the author:


I would like to draw the kind attention and fruitful
consideration of all the non-Muslim brothers and sisters
after study the summarized contents of the next chapter
which might be guided towards the truth InshaAllah.
76.00.00
Invitation to Islam
Allah (God)
Islam is the complete submission and obedience to Allah (God). The
name Allah (God) in Islam never refers to Muhammad (pbuh), as
many Christians may think; Allah is the personal name of God.

What do Muslims believe about Allah?


He is the one God, Who has no partner.
Nothing is like Him. He is the Creator, not created, nor a part of His
creation.
He is All-Powerful, absolutely just.
There is no other entity in the entire universe worthy of worship
besides Him.
He is First, Last, and Everlasting;
He was when nothing was, and will be when nothing else remains.
He is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful, the Supreme, the
Sovereign.
It is only He Who is capable of granting life to anything.
He sent His Messengers (peace be upon them) to guide all of
mankind.
He sent Muhammad (pbuh) as the last Prophet and Messenger for
all mankind.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 515
His book is the Holy Qur'an, the only authentic revealed book in the
world that has been kept without change.

Allah knows what is in our hearts.


These are some of the basic guidelines Muslims follow in their
knowledge of God:
Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their
conception of Allah. His attributes are not like human attributes,
despite similar labels or appellations.

Have unwavering faith in exactly what Allah and Prophet


Muhammad (pbuh) described Allah to be, no more, no less.

Eradicate any hope or desire of learning or knowing the modality of


His names and attributes.
Belief totally in all the names and attributes of Allah; one cannot
believe in some and disbelieve the others.

One cannot accept the names of Allah without their associated


attributes, i.e. one cannot say He is Al-Hayyu - 'The Living' and
then say that He is without life. Similarity in names (or meanings)
does not imply similarity in what is being described (referents). As a
robotics arm differs from a human arm, so the "hand" of Allah is
nothing like a human hand, His speech is nothing like human
speech, etc.

Certain words are ambiguous or vague in their meanings, and thus


may be susceptible to misinterpretation. Only those meanings that
are in accordance with what is specified by Allah and His Prophet
(pbuh) are acceptable.

Cleanliness
Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and
spiritual aspects. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to
clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the whole community,
and he is rewarded by God for doing so. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
said, for example:
"Removing any harm from the road is charity (that will be rewarded
by Allah)." [Bukhari]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 516
While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute,
Islam insists on it , making it an indispensable fundamental of the
faith. A Muslim is required to to be pure morally and spiritually as
well as physically. Through the Qur'an and Sunnah Islam requires
the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life.

In the Qur'an Allah commends those who are accustomed to


cleanliness:
"Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those
who keep themselves pure and clean." [2: 22]
In Islam the Arabic term for purity is Taharah. Books of Islamic
jurisprudence often contain an entire chapter with Taharah as a
heading.

Allah orders the believer to be tidy in appearance: "Keep your


clothes clean." [74:4]

The Qur'an insists that the believer maintain a constant state of


purity:
"Believers! When you prepare for prayer wash your faces, and your
hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water) and
(wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are ritually impure bathe
your whole body." [5: 6]

Ritual impurity refers to that resulting from sexual release,


menstruation and the first forty days after childbirth. Muslims also
use water, not paper or anything else to after eliminating body
wastes.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised the Muslims to appear neat and


tidy in private and in public. Once when returning home from battle
he advised his army:
"You are soon going to meet your brothers, so tidy your saddles and
clothes. Be distinguished in the eyes of the people." [Abu Dawud]
On another occasion he said:
"Don't ever come with your hair and beard disheveled like a devil."
[Al-Tirmidhi]
And on another:
"Had I not been afraid of overburdening my community, I would
have ordered them to brush their teeth for every prayer." [Bukhari]
Introducing Islam Part I & II 517

Moral hygiene was not ignored, either, for the Prophet (pbuh)
encouraged the Muslims to make a special prayer upon seeing
themselves in the mirror:
"Allah, You have endowed me with a good form; likewise bless me
with an immaculate character and forbid my face from touching the
Hellfire." [Ahmad]

And modesty in dress, for men as well as for women, assists one in
maintaining purity of thought. Being charitable is a way of purifying
one's wealth. A Muslim who does not give charity (Sadaqah) and
pay the required annual Zakah, the 2.5% alms-tax, has in effect
contaminated his wealth by hoarding that which rightfully belongs
to others:
"Of their wealth take alms so that you may purify and sanctify
them." [9: 103]

All the laws and injunctions given by Allah and His Prophet (pbuh)
are pure; on the other hand, man-made laws suffer from the
impurities of human bias and other imperfections. Thus any formal
law can only be truly just when it is purified by divine guidance - as
elucidated by the Qur'an and the Sunnah - or if it is divinely
ordained to begin with - the Shari'ah.

Muslims Contribution to Science


Astronomy : Muslims have always had a special interest in
astronomy. The moon and the sun are of vital importance in the
daily life of every Muslim. By the moon, Muslims determine the
beginning and the end of the months in their lunar calendar. By the
sun the Muslims calculate the times for prayer and fasting. It is also
by means of astronomy that Muslims can determine the precise
direction of the Qiblah, to face the Ka'bah in Makkah, during prayer.
The most precise solar calendar, superior to the Julian, is the Jilali,
devised under the supervision of Umar Khayyam. The Qur'an
contains many references to astronomy.

"The heavens and the earth were ordered rightly, and were made
subservient to man, including the sun, the moon, the stars, and day
and night. Every heavenly body moves in an orbit assigned to it by
God and never digresses, making the universe an orderly cosmos
Introducing Islam Part I & II 518
whose life and existence, diminution and expansion, are totally
determined by the Creator." [Qur'an 30:22]

These references, and the injunctions to learn, inspired the early


Muslim scholars to study the heavens. They integrated the earlier
works of the Indians, Persians and Greeks into a new synthesis.
Ptolemy's Almagest (the title as we know it is Arabic) was
translated, studied and criticized. Many new stars were discovered,
as we see in their Arabic names - Algol, Deneb, Betelgeuse, Rigel,
Aldebaran. Astronomical tables were compiled, among them the
Toledan tables, which were used by Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and
Kepler. Also compiled were almanacs - another Arabic term. Other
terms from Arabic are zenith, nadir, albedo, and azimuth.

Muslim astronomers were the first to establish observatories, like


the one built at Mugharah by Hulagu, the son of Genghis Khan, in
Persia, and they invented instruments such as the quadrant and
astrolabe, which led to advances not only in astronomy but in
oceanic navigation, contributing to the European age of exploration.

Geography: Muslim scholars paid great attention to geography. In


fact, the Muslims' great concern for geography originated with their
religion. The Qur'an encourages people to travel throughout the
earth to see God's signs and patterns everywhere. Islam also requires
each Muslim to have at least enough knowledge of geography to
know the direction of the Qiblah (the position of the Ka'bah in
Makkah) in order to pray five times a day. Muslims were also used
to taking long journeys to conduct trade as well as to make the Hajj
and spread their religion. The far-flung Islamic empire enabled
scholar-explorers to compile large amounts of geographical and
climatic information from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Among the most famous names in the field of geography, even in


the West, are Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Batuta, renowned for their
written accounts of their extensive explorations. In 1166, Al-Idrisi
the well-known Muslim scholar who served the Sicilian court,
produced very accurate maps, including a world map with all the
continents and their mountains, rivers and famous cities. Al-
Muqdishi was the first geographer to produce accurate maps in
color. It was, moreover, with the help of Muslim navigators and
Introducing Islam Part I & II 519
their inventions that Magellan was able to traverse the Cape of
Good Hope and Da-Gama and Columbus had Muslim navigators on
board their ships.

Humanity: Seeking knowledge is obligatory in Islam for every


Muslim, man and woman. The main sources of Islam, the Qur'an
and the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad's traditions), encourage
Muslims to seek knowledge and be scholars, since this is the best
way for people to know Allah (God), to appreciate His wondrous
creations and be thankful for them. Muslims were therefore eager to
seek knowledge, both religious and secular, and within a few years
of Muhammad's mission, a great civilization sprang up and
flourished. The outcome is shown in the spread of Islamic
universities; Al-Zaytunah in Tunis and Al-Azhar in Cairo go back
more than 1,000 years and are the oldest existing universities in the
world. Indeed, they were the models for the first European
universities, such as Bologna, Heidelberg, and the Sorbonne. Even
the familiar academic cap and gown originated at Al-Azhar
University.

Muslims made great advances in many different fields, such as


geography, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine,
pharmacology, architecture, linguistics and astronomy. Algebra and
the Arabic numerals were introduced to the world by Muslim
scholars. The astrolabe, the quadrant, and other navigational devices
and maps were developed by Muslim scholars and played an
important role in world progress, most notably in Europe's age of
exploration.

Muslim scholars studied the ancient civilizations from Greece and


Rome to China and India. The works of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid
and others were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars and
scientists then added their own creative ideas, discoveries and
inventions, and finally transmitted this new knowledge to Europe,
leading directly to the Renaissance. Many scientific and medical
treatises, having been translated into Latin, were standard text and
reference books as late as the 17th and 18th centuries.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 520
Mathematics: It is interesting to note that Islam so strongly urges
mankind to study and explore the universe. For example, the Holy
Qur'an states:
"We (Allah) will show you (mankind) Our signs/patterns in the
horizons/universe and in yourselves until you are convinced that the
revelation is the truth." [Qur'an, 14:53]

This invitation to explore and search made Muslims interested in


astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and the other sciences, and they
had a very clear and firm understanding of the correspondences
among geometry, mathematics, and astronomy.

The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word "cipher"
comes from Arabic sifr), and they organized the numbers into the
decimal system - base 10. Additionally, they invented the symbol to
express an unknown quantity, i.e. variables like x.

The first great Muslim mathematician, Al-Khawarizmi, invented the


subject of algebra (al-Jabr), which was further developed by others,
most notably Umar Khayyam. Al-Khawarizmi's work, in Latin
translation, brought the Arabic numerals along with the mathematics
to Europe, through Spain. The word "algorithm" is derived from his
name.

Muslim mathematicians excelled also in geometry, as can be seen in


their graphic arts, and it was the great Al-Biruni (who excelled also
in the fields of natural history, even geology and mineralogy) who
established trigonometry as a distinct branch of mathematics. Other
Muslim mathematicians made significant progress in number theory.

Medicine: In Islam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it


is created by Almighty Allah (God). How it functions, how to keep
it clean and safe, how to prevent diseases from attacking it or cure
those diseases, have been important issues for Muslims.

Prophet Muhammad himself urged people to "take medicines for


your diseases", as people at that time were reluctant to do so. He
also said: "God created no illness, but established for it a cure,
except for old age. When the antidote is applied, the patient will
recover with the permission of God."
Introducing Islam Part I & II 521

This was strong motivation to encourage Muslim scientists to


explore, develop, and apply empirical laws. Much attention was
given to medicine and public health care. The first hospital was built
in Baghdad in 706 AC. The Muslims also used camel caravans as
mobile hospitals, which moved from place to place.

Since the religion did not forbid it, Muslim scholars used human
cadavers to study anatomy and physiology and to help their students
understand how the body functions. This empirical study enabled
surgery to develop very quickly.

Al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, the famous physician and


scientist, (d. 932) was one of the greatest physicians in the world in
the Middle Ages. He stressed empirical observation and clinical
medicine and was unrivaled as a diagnostician. He also wrote a
treatise on hygiene in hospitals. Khalaf Abul-Qasim Al-Zahrawi was
a very famous surgeon in the eleventh century, known in Europe for
his work, Concessio (Kitab al-Tasrif).

Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as Avicenna, was
perhaps the greatest physician until the modern era. His famous
book, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, remained a standard textbook even in
Europe, for over 700 years. Ibn Sina's work is still studied and built
upon in the East.

Other significant contributions were made in pharmacology, such as


Ibn Sina's Kitab al-Shifa' (Book of Healing), and in public health.
Every major city in the Islamic world had a number of excellent
hospitals, some of them teaching hospitals, and many of them were
specialized for particular diseases, including mental and emotional.
The Ottomans were particularly noted for their building of hospitals
and for the high level of hygiene practiced in them.

Definition: The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and


submission to God. This submission requires a fully conscious and
willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must
consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah.
This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the
Qur'an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh)
Introducing Islam Part I & II 522
encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings
personifying the Qur'an).

Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit


totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we
will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts
will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.

Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip


service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be
practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice
the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness
of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting
the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah;
and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy
Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God's
decree, whether for good or ill.

There are other injunctions and commandments which concern


virtually all facets of one's personal, family and civic life. These
include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygiene,
interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards
parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance,
civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with
non-Muslims, and so much more.

Human Rights
Islam has been from its inception very concerned with issues of
human rights. Privacy, freedom, dignity and equality are guaranteed
in Islam. The holy Qur'an states clearly:
"There is no compulsion in religion."

And there are no reliable reports to confirm the old accusations that
when the Muslim armies were expanding into Asia, Africa and
Europe the people were put to the sword if they failed to convert to
Islam. The best proof is that not only did the Christians, Jews,
Zoroastrians and Hindus in those areas not perish or otherwise
disappear, they actually flourished as protected minority
communities, and many individuals rose to prominent positions in
the arts, sciences, even in government.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 523

The lives, property and privacy of all citizens in an Islamic state are
considered sacred, whether or not the person is Muslim. Non-
Muslims have freedom of worship and the practice of their
religions, including their own family law and religious courts. They
are obliged to pay a different tax (Jizyah) instead of the Zakah, and
the state is obligated to provide both protection and government
services. Before the modern era it was extremely rare to find a state
or government anywhere in the world that was as solicitous of its
minorities and their civil rights as the Islamic states.

In no other religion did women receive such a degree of legal and


moral equality and personal respect. Moreover, racism and tribalism
are incompatible with Islam, for the Qur'an speaks of human
equality in the following terms:
"Mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and
made you into nations and tribes, that you may come to know one
another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest
of you in piety."

Jesus
Islam honors all the prophets who were sent to mankind. Muslims
respect all prophets in general, but Jesus in particular, because he
was one of the prophets who foretold the coming of Muhammad.
Muslims, too, await the second coming of Jesus. They consider him
one of the greatest of Allah's prophets to mankind. A Muslim does
not refer to him simply as "Jesus," but normally adds the phrase
"peace be upon him" as a sign of respect.

No other religion in the world respects and dignifies Jesus as Islam


does. The Qur'an confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Qur'an is
entitled "Mary"), and Mary is considered to have been one of the
purest women in all creation. The Qur'an describes Jesus' birth as
follows:

"Behold!' the Angel said, God has chosen you, and purified you, and
chosen you above the women of all nations. Mary, God gives you
good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah,
Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and in the Hereafter, and
one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from
Introducing Islam Part I & II 524
his cradle and in maturity, and he shall be of the righteous. She said:
"My Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?'
He said: "Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a
thing, He says to it, 'Be!' and it is." [3:42-47]

Muslims believe that Jesus was born immaculately, and through the
same power which had brought Eve to life and Adam into being
without a father or a mother.

"Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam.


He created him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was."
[3:59]

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. The


Qur'an tells us that he said:
"I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out
of clay, as it was, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it
becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers,
and I raise the dead by God's leave." [3:49]

Muhammad and Jesus, as well as the other prophets, were sent to


confirm the belief in one God. This is referred to in the Qur'an
where Jesus is reported as saying that he came:
"To attest the law which was before me, and to make lawful to you
part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign
from your Lord, so fear God and obey me." [3:50]

Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of Jesus by saying:


"Whoever believes there is no god but Allah, alone without partner,
that Muhammad is His messenger, that Jesus is a servant and
messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit
emanating from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be
received by God into Heaven." [Bukhari]

Knowledge
Islam urges people to read and learn on every occasion. The verses
of the Qur'an command, advice, warn, and encourage people to
observe the phenomena of nature, the succession of day and night,
the movements of stars, the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies.
Muslims are urged to look into everything in the universe, to travel,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 525
investigate, explore and understand them, the better to appreciate
and be thankful for all the wonders and beauty of God's creations.
The first revelation to Muhammad showed how much Islam cares
about knowledge.
"Read, in the name of your Lord, Who created..." [96:1]
Learning is obligatory for both men and women. Moreover,
education is not restricted to religious issues; it includes all fields of
knowledge, including biology, physics, and technology. Scholars
have the highest status in Islam, second only to that accorded to
prophets.

Almost from the very beginnings of the Islamic state Muslims


began to study and to master a number of fields of so-called secular
learning, beginning with linguistics and architecture, but very
quickly extending to mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography,
medicine, chemistry and philosophy. They translated and
synthesized the known works of the ancient world, from Greece,
Persia, India, even China. Before long they were criticizing,
improving and expanding on that knowledge. Centuries before the
European Renaissance there were Muslim ³Rennaissance² men, men
who were simultaneously explorers, scientists, philosophers,
physicians and poets, like Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Umar Khayyam, and
others.

Main Pillars
Shahadah
The first pillar of Islam is that a Muslim believes and declares his
faith by saying the Shahadah (lit. 'witness'), also known as the
Kalimah:

La ilaha ila Allah; Muhammadur-rasul Allah. 'There is no god but


Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'

This declaration contains two parts. The first part refers to God
Almighty, the Creator of everything, the Lord of the Worlds; the
second part refers to the Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh) a prophet
and a human being, who received the revelation through the
Archangel Gabriel, and taught it to mankind.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 526
By sincerely uttering the Shahadah the Muslim acknowledges Allah
as the sole Creator of all, and the Supreme Authority over
everything and everyone in the universe. Consequently the Muslim
closes his/her heart and mind to loyalty, devotion and obedience to,
trust in, reliance on, and worship of anything or anyone other than
Allah. This rejection is not confined merely to pagan gods and
goddesses of wood and stone and created by human hands and
imaginations; this rejection must extend to all other conceptions,
superstitions, ideologies, ways of life, and authority figures that
claim supreme devotion, loyalty, trust, love, obedience or worship.
This entails, for example, the rejection of belief in such common
things as astrology, palm reading, good luck charms, fortune-telling
and psychic readings, in addition to praying at shrines or graves of
"saints", asking the dead souls to intercede for them with Allah.
There are no intercessors in Islam, nor any class of clergy as such; a
Muslim prays directly and exclusively to Allah.

Belief in the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh) entails belief in the


guidance brought by him and contained in his Sunnah (traditions of
his sayings and actions), and demands of the Muslim the intention
to follow his guidance faithfully. Muhammad (pbuh) was also a
human being, a man with feelings and emotions, who ate, drank and
slept, and was born and died, like other men. He had a pure and
upright nature, extraordinary righteousness, and an unwavering faith
in Allah and commitment to Islam, but he was not divine. Muslims
do not pray to him, not even as an intercessor and Muslims abhor
the terms "Mohamedan" and "Mohamedanism".

Salah (Prayer)
Prayer (Salah), in the sense of worship, is the second pillar of Islam.
Prayer is obligatory and must be performed five times a day. These
five times are dawn (Fajr), immediately after noon (Dhuhr), mid-
afternoon ('Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and early night (Isha'). Ritual
cleanliness and ablution are required before prayer, as are clean
clothes and location, and the removal of shoes. One may pray
individually or communally, at home, outside, virtually any clean
place, as well as in a mosque, though the latter is preferred. Special
is the Friday noon prayer, called Jum'ah. It, too, is obligatory and is
to be done in a mosque, in congregation. It is accompanied by a
sermon (Khutbah), and it replaces the normal Dhuhr prayer.
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There is no hierarchical clerical authority in Islam, no priests or


ministers. Prayers are led by any learned person who knows the
Qur'an and is chosen by the congregation. He (or she, if the
congregation is all women) is called the imam. There is also no
minimum number of congregates required to hold communal
prayers. Prayer consists of verses from the Qur'an and other prayers,
accompanied by various bodily postures - standing, bowing,
prostrating and sitting. They are said in Arabic, the language of the
revelation, though personal supplications (Du'ah) can be offered in
one's own language. Worshippers face the Qiblah, the direction of
the Ka'bah in the city of Makkah.

The significance of prayer lies in one's maintaining a continuous


link to God five times a day, which helps the worshipper avoid
misdeeds if he/she performs the prayers sincerely. In addition it
promotes discipline, God-consciousness and placing one's trust in
Allah alone, and the importance of striving for the Hereafter. When
performed in congregation it also provides a strong sense of
community, equality and brotherhood/sisterhood.

Sawm (Fasting)
The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting. Allah prescribes daily fasting
for all able, adult Muslims during the whole of the month of
Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar, beginning with the
sighting of the new moon. Exempted from the fast are the very old
and the insane. On the physical side, fasting is from first light of
dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual
relations. On the moral, behavioral side, one must abstain from
lying, malicious gossip, quarreling and trivial nonsense.

Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are
menstruating, pregnant, or nursing are permitted to break the fast,
but must make up an equal number of days later in the year. If
physically unable to do so, they must feed a needy person for each
day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayers) from
puberty, although many start earlier.

Although fasting is beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally


as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly
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pleasures and comforts, even for a short time, the fasting person
gains true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly, and achieve
growth in his spiritual life, learning discipline, self-restraint,
patience and flexibility.

In addition to the fast proper, one is encouraged to read the entire


Qur'an. In addition, special prayers, called Tarawih, are held in the
mosque every night of the month, during which a whole section of
the Qur'an (Juz') is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire
Qur'an has been completed. These are done in remembrance of the
fact that the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
was begun during Ramadan.

During the last ten days - though the exact day is never known and
may not even be the same every year - occurs the Night of Power
(Laylat-ul-Qadr). To spend that night in worship is equivalent to a
thousand months of worship, i.e. Allah's reward for it is very great.

On the first day of the following month, after another new moon has
been sighted, a special celebration is made, called E'id-ul-Fitr. A
quantity of staple food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-Fitr),
everyone has bathed and put on their best, preferably new, clothes,
and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by
feasting and visiting relatives and friends.

There are other fast days throughout the year. Muslims are
encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following
Ramadan, Mondays and Thursdays, and the ninth and tenth, or tenth
and eleventh of Muharram, the first month of the year. The tenth
day, called Ashurah, is also a fast day for the Jews (Yom Kippur),
and Allah commanded the Muslims to fast two days to distinguish
themselves from the People of the Book.

While fasting per se is encouraged, constant fasting, as well as


monasticism, celibacy, and otherwise retreating from the real world,
are condemned in Islam. Fasting on the two festival days, 'Id al-Fitr
and E'id-ul-Adha, the feast of the Hajj, is strictly forbidden.

Zakah
Introducing Islam Part I & II 529
The third pillar of Islam is the alms-tax (Zakah). It is a tax on
wealth, payable on various categories of property, notably savings
and investments, produce, inventory of goods, salable crops and
cattle, and precious metals, and is to be used for the various
categories of distribution specified by Islamic law. It is also an act
of purification through sharing what one has with others.
The rationale behind this is that Muslims believe that everything
belongs to God, and wealth is held by man as a trust. This trust must
be discharged, moreover, as instructed by God, as that portion of our
wealth legally belongs to other people and must be given to them. If
we refuse and hoard this wealth, it is considered impure and
unclean. If, for example one were to use that wealth for charity or to
finance one's pilgrimage to Makkah, those acts would also be
impure, invalid, and of course unrewarded. Allah says:
"Of their wealth, take alms so you may purify and sanctify them."
[9:103]

The word Zakah means purification and growth. Our possessions


are purified by setting aside that portion of it for those in need. Each
Muslim calculates his or her own Zakah individually.

For most purposes this involves the payment each year of 2.5% of
one's capital, provided that this capital reaches a certain minimum
amount that which is not consumed by its owner. A generous person
can pay more than this amount, though it is treated and rewarded as
voluntary charity (Sadaqah). This amount of money is provided to
bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and can be used in
many useful projects for the welfare of the community.

Historically the pillar of Zakah became mandatory on Muslims form


the second year after the Hijrah, 622 C.E. It is mentioned more than
thirty times in the Qur'an, usually in the same breath as Salah. So
important is this pillar that one is not considered a part of the
Islamic brotherhood if one ignores this obligation.

Hajj
The fifth pillar of Islam is to make a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah,
in Saudi Arabia, at least once in one's lifetime. This pillar is
obligatory for every Muslim, male or female, provided that he/she is
physically and financially able to do so. Prerequisites for
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performing the Hajj are to be a Muslim, to be free, to be an adult or
mature enough, to be of sound mind, and to have the ability to
afford the journey and maintain one's dependents back home for the
duration. The reward for the Hajj is nothing less than Paradise.

The Hajj is the ultimate form of worship, as it involves the spirit of


all the other rituals and demands of the believer great sacrifice. On
this unique occasion, nearly two million Muslims from all over the
globe meet one another in a given year. Regardless of the season,
pilgrims wear special clothes (Ihram) - two, very simple, unseen
white garments - which strips away all distinctions of wealth, status,
class and culture; all stand together and equal before Allah (God).

The rites of Hajj, which go back to the time of Prophet Abraham


who built the Ka'bah, are observed over five or six days, beginning
on the eighth day of the last month of the year, named Dhul-Hijjah
(pilgrimage). These rites include circumambulating the Ka'bah
(Tawwaf), and going between the mountains of Safa and Marwah,
as Hajjar (Abraham's wife) did during her search for water for her
son Ishmael. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of
Arafah and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is often
thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment. The pilgrims also cast
stones at a stone pillar which represents Satan. The pilgrimage ends
with a festival, called E'id ul-Adha, which is celebrated with
prayers, the sacrifice of an animal, and the exchange of greetings
and gifts in Muslim communities everywhere.

Muhammad (Peace be Upon him)


Muhammad (pbuh) was an illiterate but wise and well-respected
man who was born in Makkah in the year 570 C.E., at a time when
Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. His first years
were marked by the deaths of his parents. Since his father died
before his birth, his uncle, Abu Talib, from the respected tribe of
Quraysh, raised him. As Muhammad (pbuh) grew up, he became
known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was
sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. His reputation and
personal qualities also led to his marriage, at the age of twenty-five,
to Khadijah, a widow whom he had assisted in business.
Thenceforth, he became an important and trusted citizen of Makkah.
Historians describe him as calm and meditative.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 531

Muhammad (pbuh) never felt fully content to be part of a society


whose values he considered to be devoid of true religious
significance. It became his habit to retreat from time to time to the
cave of Hira', to meditate near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the
"Mountain of Light", near Makkah.
At the age of 40, while engaged in one such meditative retreat,
Muhammad (pbuh) received his first revelation from God through
the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three
years, is known as the Qur'an, the faithful recording of the entire
revelation of God. The first revelation read:
"Recite: In the name of your Lord Who created man from a clot (of
blood). Recite: Your Lord is Most Noble, Who taught by the pen,
taught man what he did not know." [96:1-5]

It was this reality that he gradually and steadily came to learn and
believe, until he fully realized that it is the truth.

His first convert was Khadijah, whose support and companionship


provided necessary reassurance and strength. He also won the
support of some of his relatives and friends. Three basic themes of
the early message were the majesty of the one, unique God, the
futility of idol worship, the threat of judgment, and the necessity of
faith, compassion and morality in human affairs. All these themes
represented an attack on the crass materialism and idolatry prevalent
in Makkah at the time. So when he began to proclaim the message
to others the Makkans rejected him. He and his small group of
followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in
the year 622 C.E., God gave them the command to emigrate. This
event, the Hijrah (migration), in which they left Makkah for the city
of Madinah, some 260 miles to the north, marked the beginning of a
new era and thus the beginning of the Muslim calendar. During his
suffering, Muhammad (pbuh) drew comfort from the knowledge
revealed to him about other prophets, such as Abraham, Joseph, and
Moses, each of whom had also been persecuted and tested.

After several years and some significant battles, the Prophet and his
followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their
enemies and established Islam definitively. By the time the Prophet
died, at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia had accepted Islam,
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and within a century of his death, Islam had spread as far west as
Spain and as far east as China. It was clear that the message was not
limited to Arabs; it was for the whole of humanity.

The Prophet's sayings (Hadith), are also believed to be revelation.


The number of sayings collected by his followers and scholars is
about 10,000. Some typical examples of his sayings are as follows:
"To pursue knowledge is obligatory on every believing (man and
woman)." [Ibn Majah]
"Removing a harmful thing from the road is charity." [Bukhari,
Muslim]

"Those who do not show tenderness and love cannot expect to have
tenderness shown to them."
[Bukhari]
"Adore Allah (God) as though you see Him; even if you do not see
Him, He nonetheless sees you." {Bukhari, Muslim]

Although Muhammad is deeply loved, revered and emulated by


Muslims as God's final messenger, he is not an object of worship.

Women
At a time when the rest of the world, from Greece and Rome to
India and China, considered women as no better than children or
even slaves, with no rights whatsoever, Islam acknowledged
women's equality with men in a great many respects. The Qur'an
states:
"And among His signs is this: that He created mates for you form
yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He
ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs
for people who reflect." [30:21]

Prophet Muhammad said:


"The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in
manners and kindest to his wife." [Abu Dawud]

Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same
soul. Both were equally guilty of their sin and fall from grace, and
both were forgiven by Allah. Many women in Islam have had high
status; consider the fact that the first person to convert to Islam was
Introducing Islam Part I & II 533
Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, whom he both loved and
respected. His favorite wife after Khadijah's death, Aeisha, became
renowned as a scholar and one of the greatest sources of Hadith
literature. Many of the female Companions accomplished great
deeds and achieved fame, and throughout Islamic history there have
been famous and influential scholars, jurists and mystics.

With regard to education, both women and men have the same
rights and obligations. This is clear in Prophet Muhammad's saying:
"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer." [Ibn Majah]

This implies men and women.


A woman is to be treated as God has endowed her, with rights, such
as to be treated as an individual, with the right to own and dispose
of her own property and earnings, enter into contracts, even after
marriage. She has the right to be educated and to work outside the
home if she so chooses. She has the right to inherit from her father,
mother, and husband. A very interesting point to note is that in
Islam, unlike any other religion, a woman can be an imam, a leader
of communal prayer, for a group of women.

A Muslim woman also has obligations. All the laws and regulations
pertaining to prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, doing good deeds,
etc., apply to women, albeit with minor differences having mainly to
do with female physiology.

Before marriage, a woman has the right to choose her husband.


Islamic law is very strict regarding the necessity of having the
woman's consent for marriage. A marriage dowry (money) is given
by the groom to the bride for her own personal use. She keeps her
own family name, rather than taking her husband's. As a wife, a
woman has the right to be supported by her husband even if she is
already rich. She also has the right to seek divorce and custody of
young children. She does not return the dowry, except in a few
unusual situations.

Despite the fact that in many places and times Muslim communities
have not always adhered to all or even many of the foregoing in
practice, the ideal has been there for 1400 years, while virtually all
other major civilizations did not begin to address these issues or
Introducing Islam Part I & II 534
change their negative attitudes until the 19th and 20th centuries, and
there are still many contemporary civilizations which have yet to do
so.

Other Religions
Islam is the religion of all prophets. Muslims believe that all the
prophets were sent to their respective peoples from God (Allah).
They all had the same mission and message - guiding people to the
right path.

The three revealed, monotheistic religions, Islam, Christianity, and


Judaism, go back to Abraham. The prophets of these religions were
directly descended from him - Moses, Jesus and others from Isaac,
but Muhammad from Ishmael. It was Prophet Abraham who had
established the settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and
with his son Ishmael built the Ka’bah, which Muslims all over the
world face when they pray.

Christians and Jews hold a special place in Islam. They are called
the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab), since the original Torah and
Gospel were also divinely revealed and they shared in the prophetic
tradition. Islamic states have nearly always shown their religious
minorities tolerance and respect and those communities flourished
under Islamic rule. God says:
"[T]hose who believe (in the message of Islam), and the Jews, the
Sabaeans, and the Christians - all those who believe in Allah and the
Last Day, and act righteously - no fear shall come upon them..."
[5:69]

Setting up the Islamic state in Medina, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


further warned:
"Whoever oppresses any Dhimmi (non-Muslim citizen of the
Islamic state), I shall be his prosecutor on the Day of Judgment."

In setting up the Islamic state, Prophet Muhammad made it


inclusive of the Arabian Jews and Christians. Their persons,
properties, churches and synagogues were protected, freedom of
worship was guaranteed, and they controlled their own community
affairs with their own civil and religious laws and courts. For most
of the first century of the Islamic state, in fact, the majority of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 535
citizens were Christians, enjoying peace and liberty such as they had
not had even under Christian Rome or Byzantium.

The Jews, from the very beginning in Medina, and later everywhere
else, were lifted from the burden of being clients of individual Arab
tribes to being citizens of the state, thus freeing them to focus on
their Jewish ness. When the Islamic state expanded outside Arabia
the Jews of other lands were treated for the first time as liberated
citizens. Judaism flourished as never before, with Jews even serving
in Muslim armies and administrations while their culture bloomed
in the arts, sciences, medicine and philosophy. This knowledge they
transmitted to their brethren in the hostile climate of Christian
Europe. Even Jewish mysticism originated under the influence of
Sufism and spread to northern Europe.
When Islam reached Persia the concept of People of the Book was
extended to the Zoroastrians as well. Later, when the Muslims
conquered parts of India and encountered Buddhists and Hindus,
who appeared to worship idols, the question was referred to the
ulema (council of scholars), who judged that even they could have
the same protected status as the Jews and Christians, so long as they
did not fight Islam and they paid the Jizyah tax.

Peace
"Peace" is the most common word on a Muslim's tongue. Whenever
two people meet, they exchange greetings, wishing each other
peace: "Peace be upon you." But peace cannot prevail except
through justice. Since the concept of justice may differ from one
man to another or from one society to another, Muslims believe that
real justice is that which is specified by Allah (God).
Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of the religion, or
by those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. At the
same time, Islam requires one to treat one's enemy mercifully. It
lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against
harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees, and livestock.
Islam also requires that if an enemy declares his desire to end
hostilities and seek peace, the Muslims must do the same.

The concept of Jihad (struggling in the cause of Allah) is stated in


the Qur'an. Allah said:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 536
"Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not
transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." [2:19]

Jihad is never to be waged to force anybody to choose a particular


religion. On the contrary, it is to waged to protect his right to choose
freely. Therefore, if there is a force in the world that tries to prevent
a person from practicing this right, Jihad may lead to fighting the
force that is trying to prevent him from exercising free will.

Relevance
Since Islam is the last religion revealed by Allah, it possesses some
elements that make it unique. One of these is its relevance for
human beings regardless of place and time.

This means that Islam - submission to God - is a comprehensive


institution which includes all the guidelines necessary for all aspects
of life. Therefore, the best way to understand Islam is to look at it as
more than a religion - as a complete way of life. In other words, it is
a system which regulates every aspect of life, dealing with all issues
- social, economic, educational, judicial, health, and even military.
Thus, it is suitable for all human beings and for all times, since it is
the final religion. Islamic law aims to achieve five goals for human
beings in life: protecting the religion, protecting one's self,
protecting one's possessions, protecting one's mind, and protecting
one's offspring.

Therefore, God (Allah) decided on two main domains of law:


If the domain always requires change and progress, Allah legislate
comprehensive yet flexible rules and gave people the chance to
create and develop the necessary laws to satisfy the specific needs
of a certain period of time. For example, in the rule of consultation
(Shura), Allah decided that it should be the general rule for any
government; however, its form and style are left open for people to
choose and decide according to their needs.

If the domain does not require or lend itself to change or progress,


Allah legislated fixed and detailed laws that govern all issues related
to a specific area. Thus, there is no way for man to change or
develop those laws, which were made for the welfare of all
mankind. For example, the area of worshipping God contains fixed
Introducing Islam Part I & II 537
details which cannot be changed at all. These regard prayer, fasting,
making pilgrimage, etc. Another example is in family matters, such
as the laws of marriage, divorce, and inheritance.

To show how Islam cares for the environment, one can cite the
many laws that protect the environment. About fourteen hundred
years ago. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
"The world is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you as
His stewards over it. He sees how you acquit yourselves."

Muhammad showed how important plants and trees are by saying:


"Whoever plants a tree and looks after it with care until it matures
and becomes productive will be rewarded in the Hereafter."

Even in the territory of an enemy, Islam's care for plants, animals,


and trees is profound. Hadrat Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, or
successor, to Muhammad (pbuh), instructed his troops that he was
sending into battle not to cut down any trees or kill any animals
except for food.
These are but a few examples of how Islam remains relevant in the
modern world.

Sources
The ultimate manifestation of God's grace for man, the ultimate
wisdom, and the ultimate beauty of expression: in short, the word of
God.² This is how the German scholar, Muhammad Asad, once
described the Qur'an. If one were to ask any Muslim to depict it,
most likely they would offer similar words. The Qur'an, to the
Muslim, is the irrefutable, inimitable Word of God. It was revealed
by God Almighty, through the instrument of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) himself had no role in authoring the
Qur'an, he was merely a human secretary, repeating the dictates of
the Divine Creator:
"He (Muhammad) does not speak of his own desire. It is no less
than an Inspiration sent down to him." [53:3-4]
The Qur'an was revealed in Arabic, to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),
over a period of twenty-three years. It is composed in a style so
unique, that it cannot be deemed either poetry or prose, but
somehow a mixture of both. The Qur'an is imitable; it cannot be
Introducing Islam Part I & II 538
simulated or copied, and God Almighty challenges mankind to
pursue such an endeavor if he thinks he can:
"Or do they say he forged it? Say: Bring then a chapter likes unto it,
and calls (to your aid) anyone you can, beside God, if it be you
speak the truth." [10:38].

The Qur'an's language is indeed sublime, its recitation moving, as


one non-Muslim scholar noted, it was like ³the cadence of my
heartbeat². Due to its unique style of language, the Qur'an is not
only highly readable, but also relatively easy to remember. This
latter aspect has played an important role not only in the Qur'an's
preservation, but in the spiritual life of Muslims as well. God
Himself declares.

"And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and


remember; then is there anyone that will receive admonition?"
[54:17]

One of the most important characteristics of the Qur'an is that it


remains today, the only holy book which has never changed; it has
remained free from any and all adulterations. Sir William Muir
noted, "There is probably in the world no other book which has
remained (fourteen) centuries with so pure a text." The Qur'an was
written down during the lifetime and under the supervision of the
Prophet, who himself was illiterate, and it was canonized shortly
after his death by a rigorous method which scrutinized both written
and oral traditions. Thus its authenticity is unblemished, and is its
preservation is seen as the fulfillment of God's promise:
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message, and We will
assuredly guard it from corruption." [15:9]

The Qur'an is a book which provides the human being the spiritual
and intellectual nourishment he/she craves. Its major themes include
the oneness of God, the purpose of human existence, faith and God-
consciousness, the Hereafter and its significance. The Qur'an also
lays a heavy emphasis upon reason and understanding. In these
spheres of human understanding, the Qur'an goes beyond just
satisfying the human intellect; it causes one to reflect on
implications. There are Qur'anic challenges and prophecies. One of
the most exciting fields in recent years has been the discovery that,
Introducing Islam Part I & II 539
of the significant amount of scientific information in the Qur'an,
including the event of the Big Bang, embryological data, and other
information concerning astronomy biology, etc., there is not a single
statement that has not been borne out by modern discoveries In
short, the Qur'an fulfills the heart, the soul, and the mind.

Perhaps the best description of the Qur'an was given by Ali, the
cousin of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he expounded upon it
as,

The Book of God


In it is the record of what was before you, the judgment of what is
among you, and the prophecies of what will come after you. It is
decisive, not a case for levity. Whoever is a tyrant and ignores the
Qur'an will be destroyed by God. Whoever seeks guidance from
other than it will be misguided. The Qur'an is the unbreakable bond
of connection with God; it is the remembrance full of wisdom and
the straight path. The Qur'an does not become distorted by tongues.
nor can it be deviated by caprices; it never dulls from repeated
study; scholars will always want more of it. The wonders of the
Qur'an are never ending. Whoever speaks from it will speak the
truth, whoever rules with it will be just, and whoever holds fast to it
will be guided to the straight path." [Al-Tirmidhi]

Sunnah
The term Sunnah comes from the root word Suannh, which means
to pave the way or make a path easily passable, such that it becomes
a commonly followed way by everyone afterwards. Thus Sunnah
can be used to describe a street or road or path on which people,
animals, and cars travel. Additionally, it can apply to a prophetic
way, i.e. the law that they brought and taught as an explanation or
further clarification of a divinely revealed book. Normally, the
prophetic way includes references to his sayings, actions, physical
features and character traits.

From the Islamic standpoint, Sunnah refers to anything narrated or


related about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), authentically traced to
him regarding his speech, actions, traits, and silent approvals, before
and after the revelation.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 540
Each narration is composed of two parts: the isnad and the matn.
The isnad refers to a chain of people who narrated a particular
narration. The matn is the actual text of the narration. The isnad
must comprise upright and sincere individuals whose integrity is
unquestionable.

The Speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


The speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) refers to his sayings. For
example, he said:
"Actions are judged by their intentions; everyone will be rewarded
according to his/her intention. So whoever migrates for the sake of
Allah and His Prophet then his migration will be noted as a
migration for the sake of Allah and His Prophet. Conversely, one
who migrates only to obtain something worldly or to marry a
woman, then his migration will be worth what he had intended".
[Bukhari]

The Prophet (pbuh) also said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the
Last Day should say something good or keep quiet."

The above two accounts clearly show that the Prophet (pbuh) spoke
these words. Consequently, these are known as his speech.

The Actions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


His actions pertain to anything he did, as authentically reported by
the Sahabah (Companions). For instance, Hudhayfah reported that
whenever the Prophet (pbuh) got up at night, he would clean his
teeth with a tooth-stick. Also A'ishah reported that the Prophet
(pbuh) loved to do everything starting with the right side - putting
on shoes, walking, cleaning himself, and in all his affairs generally.

The Silent Approvals of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


His silent approvals on different issues meant his not opposing or
minding what he saw, heard or knew of the actions or sayings of his
Companions. On one occasion, for example, the Prophet (pbuh)
learned of actions of some of his Companions from other
Companions. Soon after the battle of Khandaq, Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) gave the order to the Companions to move quickly to
surround the tribe of Banu Quraydah, encouraging them to hurry so
that perhaps they would pray 'Asr (the late afternoon prayer) there.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 541
Some of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) responded
immediately and left without praying 'Asr. They arrived after sunset,
pitched camp and prayed 'Asr- after sunset. At the same time
another group of Companions formulated their judgment differently.
They thought that the Prophet (pbuh) was merely encouraging them
to hasten to their destination, rather than to delay 'Asr until after
sunset. Consequently, they decided to stay in Madinah until they
had prayed 'Asr. Immediately thereafter, they hastened towards the
tribe of Banu Quraydhah. When the Prophet (pbuh) was told of how
each group responded differently to his announcement, he (pbuh)
affirmed both judgments.

Physical and Moral Traits of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


Everything authentically narrated concerning the Prophet's
complexion and the rest of his physical features is also included in
the definition of sunnah. Umm Ma'bad described what she saw of
the great Prophet (pbuh). She said:

"I saw a man, his face radiant with a bright glow, not too thin or too
fat, elegant and handsome. His eyes had a deep black hue with long
eyelashes. His voice was pleasant and his neck long. He had a thick
beard. His long black eyebrows were beautifully arched and
connected to each other. In silence, he remained dignified,
commanding utmost awe and respect. When he spoke, his speech
was brilliant. Of all people he was the most handsome and the most
pleasant, even when approaching from a distance. In person, he was
unique and most admirable. Graced with eloquent logic, his speech
was moderate. His logical arguments were well organized as though
they were a string of gems. He was not too tall or too short, but
exactly in between. Among three, he appeared the most radiant and
most vibrant. He had companions who affectionately honored him.
When he spoke, they listened to him attentively. When he gave
orders, they were quick to execute them. They rallied around him
guarding him. He never frowned or spoke frivolously." [Hakim]

Along with his physical features, his Companions also described his
habits and behavior with people. Once Anas reported:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 542
"I served the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) for ten years. Never once did
he so much as express any bit of displeasure nor did he ever ask
'Why did you do it?' for something I did or 'Why didn't you do it?'
for something I didn't do."

From the above we can clearly see that when the term sunnah
appears in a general context referring to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
it comprises anything narrated about the Prophet (pbuh) and
authentically traced to him. Once a Muslim learns of the
authenticity of any narration, he/she is obliged to follow and obey it
accordingly. Such obedience is mandated by Allah as He declares
"...and obey Allah and His Prophet and do not turn away when you
hear (him speak)." [8:20]

At times, some Muslims are perplexed when people say that sunnah
is something only recommended and is not mandatory. Thus they
conclude that we are only required to follow the Qur'an and not the
Sunnah. Such an argument results from a gross misunderstanding.
Scholars of Islamic jurisprudence use the term sunnah to denote
what is authentically established of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in
deeds which were not subsequently made mandatory by Allah.

They further hold that this includes any saying of Prophet


Muhammad (pbuh) where he encourages Muslims to do a particular
task and compliments those who imbibe such attributes. Thus to
them, the term sunnah denotes what is authentically established of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in deeds which he did voluntarily and
which were not subsequently made mandatory by Allah. They
further hold that this includes any saying of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) where he encourages Muslims to do a particular task and
compliments those who imbibe such attributes. Thus to them, the
term sunnah refers to what is "recommended" and is not mandatory
(fard or wajib).

From the above, we can clearly see that the term sunnah takes on
different meanings when used by different Islamic disciplines.

Tolerance
Introducing Islam Part I & II 543
Freedom of belief is guaranteed in Islam. It should be very clear that
Islam tolerates not only other faiths but even its enemies. This is
stated clearly in the Qur'an:
"God forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for
(your) faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly
and justly with them, for God love those who are just." [60:8]
It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of
minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have
flourished all over the Islamic world. Islamic law also permits non-
Muslim minorities to set up their own courts to implement family
laws drawn up by the minorities themselves and to govern their own
affairs.

History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other


faiths. When the great leader and second Caliph, Umar, entered
Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam guaranteed freedom of worship to
all religious communities in the city. In fact, so careful was Umar in
setting an example for his people that he not only went to a church
to pray, he prayed outside in the courtyard, lest his followers after
his death be tempted to convert the church into a mosque.

Islam teaches that the closest to Allah and the most beloved of Allah
are those who are the best in piety. Thus all people, male and
female, and regardless of race, color, nationality or ethnicity, are
considered and treated as equal before Allah and before the law.
This concept of tolerance did not reach the West even in theory until
the 18th century and in practice not until the 20th century.

Universality
In the Qur'an, Allah says:
"We have sent you (Muhammad) as a mercy for all nations."
[21:107]
Thus Islam is not restricted to any particular race or nation, as many
other religions are, but is universal, meaning that its message
applies to all humanity, at all times, in all places.

Since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the last prophet and


messenger, his message applies to all future generations. All
previous prophets, from Adam, Noah and Abraham to Moses and
Jesus, were also Muslims:
Introducing Islam Part I & II 544
"Not a single messenger did We send before you without this
inspiration sent by Us to him that there is no god but I, therefore
worship and serve Me." [21:25]

Since the Qur'an is the final testament, with every word and every
letter unadulterated and unchanged, and protected by Allah from
any change or tampering, it is the final revelation, and no other law
will ever supersede it.

It applies, moreover, to every aspect of one's daily life, including


personal, social, legal, economic, political, and even military.
Furthermore, Islam affects every part of the individual- physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Apendix I
Islam Glossary
A

Abbasids*
The Abbasids--a dynasty of Sunni Moslems--took over
the Caliphate from the Umayyads in 750 and held it
until 1258. They established their capital in Bagdad.
During their reign, Islamic arts, literature, and culture
blossomed and flourished. The location of the capital
in Bagdad had a big impact on Islam, transforming it
from a distinctly Mediterranean religion to one with
more eastern elements.
Abraham*
Called Ibrahim in Arabic, Abraham is considered to be
the first Moslem, that is, the first person to submit
himself to Allah. He was also prophet. According to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 545
moslem belief, he and his son Ismail (i.e., Ishmael)
built the Kaba and established the practice of Hajj.
Abu Bakr*
The first of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, Abu
Bakr was an early believer and follower of Mohammed
who became a close advisor to him. When Mohammed
was ill towards the end of his life, Abu Bakr lead the
congregational prayers and the nineth Hajj. In 632, he
became the first successor to Mohammed following
Mohammed's death. Abu Bakr died in 634.
Adhan
The call to prayer, which traditionally the muezzin
calls from a mosque's minaret five times a day. This
lets moslems know it is time to pray, whether they
come to the mosque or pray where they are. The
muezzin faces Mecca when he calls the Adhan.
Ali*
At the age of ten, Ali Ibn Abi Talib was the second
person to belief in the teachings of Mohammed, after
Khadija. A close associate and advisor of Mohammed
all his life, Ali was renowned as a pious man, an honest
judge, a warrior, and a leader. Shortly after the hijra
(the moslem exodus to Medina), he married
Mohammed's daughter Fatima, thus making him
Mohammed's son-in-law as well as his cousin. After
Mohammed's death, Ali became the focus of the first
major split among Moslems. On the one hand, he
became the Fourth Rightly Guided Caliph in 656, for
which Sunni Moslems still revere him. On the other
hand, Ali thought that the caliphate should have gone
to him because he was Mohammed's closest male
relative. Those who agreed with him became known as
the Shia (i.e., the "party"). After his murder in 660, his
followers split from the other Moslems and became
known in English as the Shiites. Shiite belief elevates
Ali to the position of a "Friend of Allah"--next to
Mohammed--and the center of the differences between
Introducing Islam Part I & II 546
the Shiites and the Sunnis. In Shiite belief, Ali is the
first Imam.
Allah*
Allah is the one, single god of Islam; he is considered
to be the same god as that worshipped by the Jews and
the Christians (although Moslems believe the Christian
Trinity misrepresents his nature). The word "Allah" is
a contraction of the Arabic words "al illah" which
mean "the god"; thus, like Christianity which calls its
god "God," Moslems called their god "The God."
According to Mohammed, Allah is a singular being
who was neither born nor gives birth (in contrast to
Christian beliefs). He is the Creator, the Merciful
Judge who will bring the believers into heaven and put
the unbelievers and sinners into hell. In Islam, he is the
object of submission; that is to say, in accordance with
the meaning of "Islam," Moslems submit to Allah.
Almsgiving*
Almsgiving (zakat in Arabic) is one of the Five Pillars
of Islam, almsgiving constitutes one of the main means
by which Islam strives for an economically just
society. It is an obligatory "poor tax"--reckoned at
somewhere between two and ten percent of income
and holdings--which can be given directly to the poor
or to a distribution official. The money is used for
hospitals, schools, helping indigent debtors and freeing
slaves, as well as poor support. From the perspective of
the giver, "zakat" (as it is known in Arabic) purifies the
giver and the remainder of his "wealth." It is also
envisioned as a loan to Allah, who will repay it double.
Angel
In Islam, angels are thought to be created out of light.
Their main job is to praise Allah, and they obey him
perfectly. Gabriel is considered the chief angel. Angels
are not Jinn.
Arabs*
Introducing Islam Part I & II 547
The Arabs are the Semitic peoples who originally lived
in the Arabian Peninsula (i.e., modern day Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, etc.). Today, large groups of them also
live in northern Africa, as far west as Morocco. They
all speak the Arabic language and share a number of
cultural commonalities. Most Arabs are Moslem, the
rest (only three or four percent) are Christian.
Ayatollah*
A Shiite who is learned in Sharia, Koran, and the
Hadith, and who is known for their piety. This person
is considered by his followers as the most learned
person of his time period, which gives him the
authority to make independent judgments.

Caliph*
Caliph (Arab. kalifa) was the title used by the people
who took over the leadership of the Umma (the
Moslem community) after the death of Mohammed. It
means something like "vice-regent" and implies that
they are the temporal leader, fulfilling roles such as
judge, administrator, and general. However, they are
neither the spiritual leader of the community (in Sunni
Islam there is no spiritual leader for the entire
community) nor are they a prophet like Mohammed.
The institution of the caliphs is called the "Caliphate."
The office of caliph was held first by the Four Rightly
Guided Caliphs, then by the Umayyads, and then the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 548
Abbasids. The death of the last Abbasid emperor ended
the caliphate for all intents and purposes.
Charity *
The third of the Five Pillars of Islam is more
accurately called almsgiving. In Islam, charity (Arab.
zadaqah) is better known as the voluntary giving of
money, food, etc. to the poor. It differs from
almsgiving, which is obligatory.
Christians
See People of the Book.

David
Islam views King David as a prophet.
Dome of the Rock *
The Dome of the Rock is the shrine in Jerusalem
which makes Jerusalem the third holiest city in Islam.
It is set over an outcropping of bedrock on which the
Holy of Holies of the Jewish Temple supposedly
rested. It is from here that Mohammed rose into
heaven on his Night Journey. Although the shrine is
sometimes called "The Mosque of Omar," the Dome of
the Rock is technically not a mosque.

Eid al-Adha
This is one of two main religious festivals in Islam (not
including Ramadan and the Hajj), the other is Eid al-
Fitr. It is also known as the Festival of the Sacrifice or
the Major Festival. It is called the Festival of the
Sacrifice for two reasons. First, the first day is the 10th
day of the month Dhul al-Hijja, the day when the
pilgrims on Hajj offer the sacrifice in the valley of
Introducing Islam Part I & II 549
Mina, which is one of the final acts of the Hajj.
Second, the festival commemorates the day on which
the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) tried to fulfill Allah's
command to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Ismael), but
was prevented from doing so by an angel. The festival
lasts for four days and is a time of feasting, rejoicing
and remembrance.

Eid al-Fitr
This is the second of the two main religious festivals in
Islam (not including Ramadan and the Hajj), the other
is Eid al-Adha. It is also know as the "festival of the
breaking of the fast" or the Minor Festival. It is a time
of celebration and rejoicing for it officially brings the
observance of fasting during Ramadan to a close.
Although called the "Minor" festival, it is often
celebrated with much more rejoicing and gaity than the
"Major" festival.

faqir
In general, "faqir" means "poor." In Islam, it is
particularly applied to a Sufi who has voluntary
become poor. In Sufism, it also applies to one who is
"poor in spirit," who has according to Sufi belief
humbled himself before Allah.
Fasting*
Fasting (sawm in Arabic) is one of the Five Pillars of
Islam. All healthy and sane Moslems are expected to
fast (to abstain from food, drink, smoking and other
bodily pleasures) during the daylight hours throughout
the entire month of Ramadan. This means that they rise
before dawn to eat breakfast and then eat a large meal
after dusk. While they fast during the day, Moslems are
Introducing Islam Part I & II 550
expected to reflect on themselves and their standing
before Allah, and ask for forgiveness for their sins. The
evening meal, by contrast, is often a time of enjoyment
and the gathering of friends and relatives.
Fatima*
The daughter of Mohammed and Khadija. She married
Ali who became the fourth Rightly Guided Caliph and
the leader of the Shia.
Five Pillars*
The Five Pillars of Islam indicate the main values and
practices of Islam. They are: the Shahadah, Prayer,
Almsgiving, Fasting, and the Hajj.
Four Rightly Guided Caliphs*
These are Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. They are
the first four leaders of Islam after the death of
Mohammed. They took the title "caliph" to make it
clear that they were not a prophet like Mohammed; it
is often translated as "vice-regent," which indicates
that the holder is an administrator (as well as a
warrior). After the killing of Ali, the Umayyad dynasty
became the leaders of the Islamic world. See also
Caliph.
Friday Mosque*
On Friday, moslems are expected to gather in
community prayer at noon. This is usually done in a
large, centrally located mosque called a "Friday
Mosque." For further discussion, click here.

Gabriel*
The angel who served as a messenger between Allah
and Mohammed to bring him the visions and the
Koran. The Arabic word for Gabriel is Jabreel
(=Jabril).
God
Introducing Islam Part I & II 551
See Allah.

Hadith*
The stories about and sayings of Mohammed. After his
death, these were tested for accuracy and collected into
an organized body of material. They provide examples
of proper behavior and instances of Mohammed's
understanding of his role.
Hajj*
The fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam. It lays out the
goal of each Moslem performing a pilgrimage to
Mecca to worship at the Kaba and to rededicate
themselves to Allah at sites important in his life. The
Hajj is immediately followed by the festival of Eid al-
Adha.
Hanif
A pre-Islamic term referring to certain individuals in
the Hejaz region who pursued experience of and
interaction with the gods of the region. Mohammed,
for example, was initially a hanif of Allah.
Hejaz
The mountainous region of the Arabian Pennisula that
is located along the north-east coast of the Red Sea. It
is here that both Mecca and Medina are located. At the
time of Mohammed's birth, it was populated by
numerous, rival Arab tribes.
Hijra*
The exodus of Mohammed and his followers from
Mecca to Medina in 622.

Ibrahim, Ibraheem
Introducing Islam Part I & II 552
See Abraham.
Imam*
(1) In Sunni Islam, the leader of worship in a mosque.
(2) In Shiite Islam, a spiritual leader whose authority
comes from Mohammed through his son-in-law Ali.
According to Shiite belief, there is an unbroken
succession of Imams after Ali, although particular
Imams may be hidden by Allah for protection. The line
of Imams living in the world has now ceased, although
most Shiites believe that the final one, the Mahdi, is
alive in hiding (occultation) and will return.
Ishmael*
The son of Abraham, Ishmael is known as Ismail in
Arabic. For Islam, Ishmael is the ancestor of the
(northern) Arabs. He is a prophet, and assisted
Abraham in building the Kaba. He is seen as the most
important of Abraham's two sons; this is the reverse of
Judaism and Christianity which sees Isaac as the
dominant son. Indeed, in the story about Abraham
almost sacrificing his son, Islam identifies the son as
Ishmael, not Isaac.
Islam*
The religion which focuses on the human submission
to Allah. The term "Islam" itself derives from two
different roots, one which means "submission" and the
other which means "peace." A person enters Islam by
saying the Shahada. Approximately 80% of Moslems
follow the Sunni line, while something over 15% are
Shiites. According to Islam, Allah is the god of the
Jews and the Christians--indeed, many Jewish and
Christian figures are considered Islamic prophets, such
as Abraham, David, and Jesus--but Mohammed is the
final prophet, who managed to bring to humanity the
complete and true understanding of Allah.
Ismail
See Ishmael.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 553
J

Jabril, Jabreel
See Gabriel.
Jerusalem*
The third most holy city in Islam. This is due to its
importance to the prophets of Islam that are also
recognized by Judaism and Christianity. It also comes
from the belief that Mohammed's night visit to heaven
began from the ruined Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In
691, Moslems built the Dome of the Rock over that
specific location. In the earliest years of Islam,
Moslems prayered towards Jerusalem, until the
direction was changed to Mecca.
Jesus*
In Islam, Jesus is considered an important prophet who
came to deliver Allah's message to humanity.
Unfortunately, that message was not transmitted
accurately and, in Moslem eyes, resulted in the false
notion that Jesus was more than a prophet.
Jews
See People of the Book.
Jihad*
There are two types of Jihad. The Lesser Jihad is the
expectation that Moslems will defend their homeland
and Islam from attack. The Greater Jihad is the inner
battle which Moslems continually fight within
themselves to submit to Allah and to fulfill his
expectations of humans.
Jinn*
Invisible begins, in Islamic belief, who were created
from fire. They can be good or bad, are held eternally
accountable for their actions.

K
Introducing Islam Part I & II 554

Kaba*
A rectangular structure (about 20 feet by 30 feet and
about 50 feet high) which is build with a special holy
stone as its cornerstone. It is in the center of a large
mosque in Hajj. The Kaba serves as the center of the
Moslem world and all Moslems pray towards it,
whereever they may be in the world.
Khadija*
Khadija was Mohammed's first wife and his first
follower. She was a moderately wealthy widow who
hired Mohammed to manage the caravan business left
to her by her first husband. Five years later, when
Mohammed was 25 and Khadija was 40, she proposed
marriage to him. They had a happy marriage with
several children, including daughter, Fatima. During
her lifetime, Mohammed took no other wives. She died
in 619.
Koran*
According to Moslem belief, Allah composed the
Koran (=Quran) and had his angel Gabriel transmit it
to sura by sura. These transmissions--called
recitations--began in 610 and continued until
Mohammed's death in 632. Gabriel would teach each
recitation to Mohammed, who would memorize it and
then teach it to his followers, who would also
memorize it. The third Caliph Uthman had the Koran
written down, with the help of Islam's best
memorizers, thereby establishing a fixed text. The
Koran is Islam's sole sacred text; to be sure, the hadith,
the sunna, and other writings are important, but they
are the work of humans whereas the Koran comes from
Allah himself. Since the Koran is the direct words of
Allah, it provides God's final and definitive revelation.
Koreish*
At the time of Mohammed's birth, the Koreish tribe
controlled Mecca and the area around it, including the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 555
Kaba. Since they gained income both from trade that
passed through their territories and from pilgrimage to
the Kaba, they opposed Mohammed's message of
monotheistic worship of Allah. After the Moslems left
for Medina, the Koreish tribe led armies out to defeat
the Medinans. After their own defeat in 630, the
Koreish tribe converted to Islam.

Masjid
See Mosque.
Mecca, Makkah*
This is the town in the Hejaz where Mohammed was
born. It was the stronghold of the Koreish tribe and the
location of the sacred site of the Kaba. After
Mohammed was driven out by the Koreiysh tribe in
622 for teaching the monotheistic worship of Allah, the
Meccans tried to kill Mohammed through military
attacks. In 630, the Meccans were definitively defeated
by Mohammed's Medinan forces, and the Moslems
took over Mecca and the Kaba. Since then Mecca has
been the most holy site in Islam (followed by Medina
and Jerusalem) and the destination of the Hajj.
Medina, Madina*
Originally called Yathrib, in 622 the elders of this town
asked Mohammed to come and govern them. He
agreed on the conditions that they accept him as a
Prophet and allow him to bring his followers.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 556
Mohammed governed this town until his death in 632.
During his stay, the town came to be known as
Medinat al-Nabi ("City of the Prophet"), or Medina for
short. The Moslem exodus to Medina is known as the
hijra. The year of the hijra, 622, became the first year
of the Moslem calendar. Since Mohammed was buried
in Medina, it is considered the second most holy city in
Islam, after Mecca.
Minaret*
The minaret is a tower attached to a mosque from
which the muezzin issues the call to prayer (the
adhan). Although the tower can be any shape, it is
typically round.
Mohammed, Muhammad*
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE. He was
orphaned early in his life and was raised by his uncle.
Mohammed worked in his uncle's business and quickly
established a reputation as a highly honest person. At
the age of twenty he was hired by a wealthy widow
named Khadija to manage her late-husband's caravan
business. When Mohammed was 25, Khadija proposed
marriage and Mohammed accepted. Although several
children were born to them, only one survived into
adulthood, their daughter Fatima. In 610, Mohammed
sought out and began to have visions from Allah.
Through the angel Gabriel, Allah transmitted the entire
Koran to Mohammed. When Mohammed began to
preach his new religion, the rulers of Mecca were
strongly opposed. In 622, Mohammed was approached
by the elders of a town some 250 miles to the north
and asked to be their ruler. Mohammed accepted on the
conditions that they would also accept him as a prophet
and that he could bring his followers. The exodus to
this town, Medina as it later came to be known, was
called the hijra. The Meccans attacked the Medinans
several times, but the Medinans always managed to
drive them off. In 630, the Meccans were defeated by
Introducing Islam Part I & II 557
Mohammed's forces and the Moslems returned to
Mecca to rule there and cleanse the Kaba of all its
idols. Mohammed continued to rule Medina, where he
died in 632. Islam considers Mohammed the last of a
long line of prophets of Allah and has given him the
title of the Seal of the Prophets.
Mosque*
The mosque (masjid in Arabic) is a house of prayer for
community worship. The main prayer hall of a mosque
is usually fairly empty; having floors covered with fine
carpets rather than chairs. The hall has a niche--called
a mihrab--which indicates the direction of Mecca,
towards which prayers are offered. Although the
prayers which Moslems pray five times a day can be
said in private--or whereever a person happens to be--
the mosque is seen as the place for communal prayer,
especially on Friday. To call worshippers to prayer, the
muezzin climbs the mosque's minaret and chants the
call. As a religious center, a mosque may have a
number of institutions attached to it; these may include
a college, an alms kitchen for the poor, a hospital, a
library, a primary school, a cemetery, and so on. See
also Friday Mosque.
Moslem, Muslim*
(1) A person who practices Islam. (2) The adjective of
the noun "Islam."
Muezzin
The muezzin calls moslems to prayer five times a day
from a high place, usually the minaret of the local
mosque by crying out the Call to Prayer (Arab. adhan).
Mullah*
In Sunni Islam, a mullah is a scholar who is learned in
the Sharia.

N
Introducing Islam Part I & II 558
Night Journey *
In the Night Journey of Mohammed, Gabriel took
Mohammed from Medina to Jerusalem. They stopped
momentarily on the spot that later became the Dome of
the Rock. From there, Mohammed ascended into
heaven to visit with prophets who had gone before
him. For a long story about the journey, along with a
picture of the Dome of the Rock, click here.

People of the Book*


Islam considers the Jews and the Christians to be
People of the Book. This gives them a special legal
status within Islamic regions, essentially one of
second-class citizenship, but with clearly defined rights
and responsibilities. In Arabic, this status is that of
dhimmi. In contrast to other non-Moslems, they could
worship as they wished, own property, and had legal
rights in Moslem courts. They could also serve in
government. By contrast, they could not build new
synagogues or churches, proselytize, or serve in the
military. These rights gave them a place in Moslem
society and protected them from persecution.
Pilgrimage
See Hajj.
Prayer*
Prayer (salat or salah in Arabic) is one of the Five
Pillars of Islam. All Moslems are expected to pray five
Introducing Islam Part I & II 559
times a day. These are fixed prayers (including the
Shahada and the opening Sura of the Koran) which can
be said in private, where ever one happened to be when
the time for prayer comes, or with the community in a
mosque.
Prophets*
Since Islam considers Allah to be the god of the Jews
and the Christians (see also People of the Book), it
views the important figures of those two religions as
prophets of Allah. Some of the figures Islam considers
prophets are: Adam, Abraham, Ishmael, David, and
Jesus. All these prophets delivered Allah's message,
but somehow it was corrupted or shortened and so their
work was only partially successful. This is why
Mohammed is considered the Seal of the Prophets,
because he brought the complete, final, and
uncorrupted message of Allah to humanity.

Quran
See Koran.
Quraysh
See Koreish.

Rabia
A woman who was an important eighth-century Sufi.
She introduced the emphasis on love of Allah into
Sufism. From her perspective, selfless love of Allah
was all important, and was vastly superior to loving
him because of fear of hell or desire of heaven.
Ramadan*
Introducing Islam Part I & II 560
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year. It is
considered holy because it was during this month that
Mohammed received the first revelation of the Koran.
During this month, Moslems fast during the daytime.
At the end of the month, the festival of the Breaking of
the Fast (Eid al-Fitr) occurs. It lasts for several days,
during Moslems exchange gifts and greetings, and
engage in feasting.

Salat
See Prayer.
Seal of the Prophets*
Mohammed is considered the "Seal of the Prophets."
That is, he is the final prophet--the "Seal"-- in the line
of Islamic prophets that goes back through Jesus,
David, and Moses to Adam. The teachings Allah gave
through him--the Koran-- are the final revelation to
humanity.
Shahada*
The Shahada is the central Moslem statement of faith.
It is short, but in two parts. The first is: "There is no
god but Allah" (Arab. "La illahah illah 'lla"). The
second is: "And Mohammed is his Prophet" (Arab.
"Wah Mohammadan rasulu 'llah"). Saying the Shahada
in Arabic with the intent of becoming a Moslem
immediately makes a person a member of the Umma
(i.e., the Islamic Community).
Shaikh, Sheikh*
(1) The leader of a town or village. (2) The head
religious (Islamic) functionary in a town or region. (3)
In Sufism, a spiritual master. This individual collects
disciples around him to teach them the way of Sufism,
and ultimately how to become a shaikh themselves.
Sharia*
Introducing Islam Part I & II 561
(1) Historically, the term "Sharia" refers to all the
elements of a proper--i.e., righteous--Islamic life; these
include proper moral behavior, proper respect towards
Allah, correct belief, proper personal piety, and so on.
In other words, it means the right way to life one's life
as a Moslem. (2) In more recent times, it has come to
refer to a much narrower notion, that of "Islamic Law."
This usage is quite common in the Western press.
Shia*
The term "Shia" means "party" or "partisans," and
refers to the followers of Ali who held that Mohammed
had appointed Ali as his successor. After Ali's
assassination, they split from their fellow Moslems
(who became know as the Sunni Moslems). In English,
this branch of Islam is called Shiite Islam.
Shiite Islam*
Today, Shiite Moslems make up about 15 percent of all
Moslems (the rest are Sunni). The main reason for their
split from the rest of the Umma lies in their different
understanding of the proper succession after
Mohammed's death. The Shiites believed that
Mohammed had designed Ali as his successor and
spiritual heir. There are two important aspects here.
First, the idea that Mohammed's heir should be from
Mohammed's family. Second, that unlike the caliphate,
the successor should be a religious and spiritual leader
as well as a wielder of worldly and temporal power.
Thus the leader was called Imam rather than caliph.
The Twelver Shiites believe in the ongoing succession
of Imam, although the last living Imam was the
twelveth (born in 873); he has become the Hidden
Imam, the coming messianic figure whose arrival will
usher in the end of time (and the Day of Judgment).
Sufi, Sufism*
Sufism is a term that designates Islam's mystical and
ascetic movements. A Sufi is one who practices
Sufism. Sufis attempt to go beyond the restrictions of a
Introducing Islam Part I & II 562
"typical" Moslem life and to seek Allah in more
intimate ways. They strive to break down the barriers
between themselves and Allah by replacing their
human characteristics with divine ones. In many ways,
this is similar to the Buddhist's attempts to reach
enlightenment (the realization that all is one). Since
Allah is one himself, the attempt to reach him can
become the realization of the oneness of all things.
Sufis focus on three kinds of mysticism to accomplish
this: love mysticism (see Rabia), ecstatic mysticism,
and intuitive mysticism (see Smith, pp. 259-261).
There has always been a tension between Sufism and
classical Islam because many of the beliefs, actions,
and statement of Sufism appear heretical to non-Sufis.
Sunna*
The sunna is the paradigm of the behavior of the
perfect Moslem, based on the example set by
Mohammed. It includes aspects of ethics and morality,
purity, prayer and worship, as well as matters of social
and familial relations. This paradigm is derived from
the hadith, the stories and about sayings of
Mohammed.
Sunni Islam*
The followers of Sunni Islam make up the vast
majority of Moslems, some 80 to 85 percent. Indeed,
when people speak about "Islam," or say "Moslems
believe..." or "Moslems do...", they are usually
referring to Sunni Islam. The basis for the difference
between Sunni Islam and Shiite Islam lies in their
beliefs about the successor to Mohammed. Sunnis
believe that Mohammed did not appoint a successor,
and therefore one had to be appointed by the Moslems
themselves. This lead to the establishment of the
Caliphate, a series of men who took over Mohammed's
worldly and temporal power, but who made no claim
to be Mohammed's spiritual successor.
Sura*
Introducing Islam Part I & II 563
The Arabic term for a chapter in the Koran.

Twelvers *
The Twelvers are the largest branch of Shiite Islam,
and are also known as the Imamiyya. They are named
after their belief that the twelth Imam, Mohammed al-
Mahdi disappeared, being taken by Allah. They expect
him to return before the Judgement Day as a messiah
figure. The Mahdi is know as the Hidden Imam.

Ulama
See Mullah.
Umma*
The entire community of Moslems, those who have
submitted themselves to Allah. (See also Islam.)
Umar*
Umar was the second of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
He took over after Abu Bakr's death in 634 and ruled
until being killed by an angry slave in 644. He began
the administrative and religious regulations that
enabled the expansion of the Islamic empire.
Umayyads*
After initially opposing Mohammed, the Umayyad
family became strong Moslems. They became rulers of
the Islamic Empire (as Caliphs) from 661-750, after
the death of Ali, the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Headquartered in Damascus, they ruled the entire
Islamic Empire--from Spain, across North Africa into
the Middle East and beyond--until they were
overthrown by the Abassids.
Uthman*
Introducing Islam Part I & II 564
Uthman was the third of the Rightly Guided Caliphs,
and ruled from the death of Umar in 644 to 656. Under
Uthman, the Quran was edited into its final form.
Uthman was a controversial appointment as Caliph,
since his extended family--the Umayyads--had been
fierce opponents of Mohammed. He was assassinated
in 656.

Wali An Islamic term for saint.

zakat
See Almsgiving.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 565

Apendix II
Adhan - the call to prayer.

al-Aqaba - literally the steep slope, a mountain pass to the north of Makkah just off
the caravan route to Madina, where the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) met in secret
with the first Muslims from Madina, in two successive years. On the first occassion,
they pledged to follow the Messenger, and on the second, or Great Pledge of Aqaba,
to defend him and his companions as they would their own wives and children.

al-Aqia - a valley four and a half miles west of Madina.

Arafa - a plain 15 miles to the east of Makkah on which


stands the Jabl al-Rahma, the Mount of Mercy, where it is
said Adam was re-united with Hawwa (Eve) after years of
wondering following their expulsion from the Garden of Adn
(Eden). One of the essential rites of the Hajj is to stand on
Arafa on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah.

Balat - a paved area of Madina


between the mosque and the
market.

Baqi - the cemetary of the people


of Madina where many of the family
of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)
and his companions are buried.

al-Bayda - a place sixty kilometres south of Madina on the route to Makkah, near
Dhul Hulayfa.

Bida - innovation.

Black Stone - See Hajar al Aswad below

Dhat al-Jaysh - a place about twelve miles from Madina.

Dhikr - literally remembrance. In a general sense all ibadat (see below) is dhikr. In
common usage it has come to mean invocation of Allah by repetition of His names or
particular formulae.

Dhul Hijjah - the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar, the month of the Hajj
(pilgrimage). One of the four Sacred Months in which fighting is prohibited.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 566
Dhul Hulayfa - the miqat (see below) of the people of Madina, now near Bayar Ali.

Dhu Tuwa - famous well, now within Makkah, but in earlier times outside it.

Du'a - Supplication to God as opposed to ritual Prayer.

Eid - a festival. There are two main festivals in the Islamic year, on the first day of
which Eid prayers are prayed.

• Eid al-Adha - a four day festival at the time of Hajj. The Eid of the
sacrifice starts on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah (the month of Hajj), the day
that the pilgrims sacrifice their animals. An animal such as a sheep or goat
is sacrificed as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's (pbuh) willingness
to sacrifice his son for God.
• Eid al-Fitr - the festival at the end of the month of fasting (Ramadan).

Ezaar - Lower cloth of Ihram.

Fidya - literally means ransom. It is compensation paid for rites missed or wrongly
performed because of ignorance or ill-health.

Fiqh - jurisprudence. The science of the application of Shariah (see below).

Fitra - the first nature, the natural, primal condition of mankind in harmony with
nature.

Ghusl - the full ritual washing of the body.

Hady - An animal offered as a sacrifice during the Hajj

Hajj - The pilgrimage (journey) to Makkah (in modern-day Saudi Arabia) undertaken
by Muslims in commemoration of the Abrahamic roots of Islam. The Hajj rites
symbolically reenact the trials and sacrifices of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hajar, and
their son Isma'il over 4,000 years ago. Muslims must perform the Hajj at least once
in their lives, provided their health permits and they are financially capable. The Hajj
is performed annually by over 2,000,000 people during the twelfth month of the
Islamic lunar calendar, Dhul-Hijjah.

Hajj al Ifrad - The type of Hajj where the pilgrim pronounces his niyyah
(i.e.intention) to perform only Hajj at Miqat while changing into Ihram.

Hajj al Qiran - The 'joined' hajj, where the pilgrim pronounces his intention to
perform both Umra and Hajj together with the same Ihram at Miqat.

Hajj al Tamattu - The 'interrupted' hajj, where the pilgrim pronounces his
intention to perform only Umra at Miqat when changing into Ihram. A second niyyah,
and a second change into Ihram follow on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah for the performance
of the remaining rites of Hajj.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 567
Hajr al Aswad - The sacred Black Stone built into the south-
east corner of the Ka'bah at a height of approximately four feet
from which Muslims begin the Tawaf (circumambulation of the
Ka'bah). The stone does not belong to the geology of the region
and is a part of the original construction of the Ka'bah by Prophet
Ibrahim (pbuh). The Black Stone was personally installed in the
wall of the Ka'bah by the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) himself
during its reconstruction following its destruction by a flash flood.
The Prophet (pbuh) also kissed it during his Last (Farewell) Hajj.
Thus, touching and kissing (Istilam) of Hajar al Aswad during
Umra and Hajj is considered sunnah.

Halq - The complete shaving of the head by the male pilgrim on


the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. This is the last thing he does before leaving the state of
Ihram. See Taqseer also. For female pilgrims, the requirements of Halq and Taqseer
are satisfied if they trim their hair by approximately half an inch.

Haram ash Shareef - The mosque around the Kabah in Makkah, as well as the
mosque in Medina. The latter, also known as Al Masjid un Nabawi, contains the grave
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Haramain - The two sacred mosques in Makkah and Medina.

Hijaz - the region along the western seaboard of Arabia, in which Makkah, Medina,
Jeddah and Ta'if are situated.

Hijr - the semi-circular unroofed enclosure at one side of the Ka'ba, whose low wall
outlines the shape of the original Ka'ba built by Prophet Ibrahim (AS). Tradition has it
that Hajar (wife of Prophet Ibrahim [pbuh]) is buried in this enclosure. It is highly
recommended that the pilgrim should offer sunnah prayers and supplications to Allah
in this area. However, this is not a part of the official rites of Hajj.

Hijra - to emigrate in the way of Allah. Islam takes its dating from the Hijra of the
Prophet (PBUH) to Madina.

Ibada - act of worship.

Idtiba - The mode of Ihram used during Tawaf al Qudoom. The male pilgrim drapes
one end of the top part of his Ihram over his left shoulder back-to-front. The other
end goes across his back, under his right arm, across his front, and is finally draped
over his left shoulder. Idtiba is not observed in any other type of Tawaf.

Ifadah - Refers to the Tawaf performed by a Muslim when she/he comes from
Muzdalifah.

Ihram - Ihram literally means forbidding; here it signifies the intention to enter into
the performance of the rites of Hajj or Umra, or both (qiran). The term is also used
to denote the Pilgrim's habit worn on occassion of the Hajj, and the state in which
the Pilgrim has to remain until he lays aside the garb. The distinctive garb of the
pilgrim consists of two pieces of white, plain and unsewn cloth for the male. One of
the pieces (ezaar) is wrapped around the midriff to cover his body from just above
his navel to below his ankles, and the other (reda) is draped around his shoulders to
Introducing Islam Part I & II 568
cover the upper body, and sometimes exposing the right shoulder of the Sunni male.
For ladies, ordinary, and unpretentious clothes of daily wear constitute their Ihram.

Iqama - the call which announces that the obligatory prayer is about to begin.

Istislam - Literally means submission but here refers to the greeting of the Black
Stone and Yemeni corner of the Ka'ba during tawaf by kissing, touching or
outstretched hand.

I'tikaf - seclusion, in a mosque paricularly in the last ten dyas of Ramadan.

Jamra- Literally a small walled place, but meant here a stone-built pillar and in
particular the three stone pillars in Mina which symbolically represent the locations
where the devil (shaytan) attempted to tempt Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) away from the
path of Allah. The pilgrim symbolically stones these pillars on the 10th through to the
13th of Dhul Hijjah in commemoration of the rejection of the devil by Prophet
Ibrahim, and of his steadfastness to the cause of Allah.

Jamrat al Aqaba - The last stone pillar in the line. It is situated at the entrace of
Mina from the direction of Makkah

Jamrat al Ula - The first stone pillar in the line.

Jamrat al Wusta - The second (middle) stone pillar in the line.

Janaba - The state of impurity in which a person requires ghusl.

Ji'rana - a place near Makkah, when the Messenger of God (PBUH) distributed the
booty from the Battle of Hunany and from where he went into ihram to perform
umra.

al-Juhfa - the Miqat (see below) of the people of Syria and Europe.

Jumu'a - the Day of Gathering, Friday, and in particular the Jumu'a prayer.

Ka'bah - A cubic structure originally built by Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and his
eldest son Ishmael. It is now housed within the Haram ash Shareef in
Makkah. During Hajj, the essential rite of Tawaf is performed around the
Ka'bah. Every day, millions of Muslims perform prayers (salat) facing the
direction of the Ka'bah.

Kaffara- prescribed way of making amends for wrong actions, particularly missed
obligatory actions.

Khutba - literally a specch, and in particular the adresses given by the Imam on the
day of Jumu'a and the two Eids. On Jumu'a there are two khutbas seperated by a
short pause during which the Imam sits down.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 569
Labbayk - A call meaning "Here I am at Thy service". It is the Muslim's expression
of answering the invitation of God to perform pilgrimage.

Madhab - a school of fiqh (see above). There are four main sunni madhabs :
Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.

Mahram - a person with whom marriage is expressly prohibited by the shariah


(e.g., father, brother, uncle, nephew, etc.) A woman must be accompanied by a
Mahram for Umra and Hajj.

Maqam Ibrahim - The stepping stone used by Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) during the
original construction of the Ka'bah. The stone carries the imprints of his feet, and is
housed in a glass enclosure on the north side of the Kabah. It marks the place of
prayer following tawaf of the Ka'ba.

Marwah - A rocky hillock located approximately 250 meters Northeast of the Ka’bah
inside Al Masjid ul Haram. It is the hill on which a pilgrim ends his/her Sai. The
pilgrim performs the devotional rite of Sai between the hillocks of Safa and Marwah.

Al-Mashar - The Valley between Muzdalifa and Mina,


where pilgrims should make a Du’a after they have slept in
Muzdalifah while they are going to Makkah to throw Jamrat
al-Aqabah on the morning of the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah.

Masjid al Haram - The Protected Mosque, the name of


the mosque built around the Ka'ba in the Haram at Makkah.
Also known as Haram ash Shareef.

Mina - A desert location approximately three miles east of


Makkah on the road to Arafah where several rites of Hajj are performed.

Miqat - The place where Muslims declare their intention to


make Hajj or Umrah and begin the state of Ihram. A
prospective pilgrim cannot cross the Miqat boundary without
first changing into Ihram. This boundary is anchored by
different townships and localities in different directions.

The locational Miqats are:

• Dhul Hulaifa (Masjid al Shajara)- the locational Miqat [place of Ihram]


specified for the people of Medina. It is a water place for Banu Jathm. It is
the farthest Miqat, for it is 450 kilometers from Mecca. Camels used to
take 9 days to cover the distance from Abyar `Ali to Mecca, making 50-
kilometer march a day (4 kilometers per hour). The Arabs used to call each
4 kilometers "a stage".
• Yalamlam - is a mountain in Tuhamah located two stages (8 kilometers)
away from Mecca. It is the Miqat for those coming from Yemen.
• Dhatu Irq - is so called because it has a mountain called "`Irq" close to
the Valley of Al-`Aqiq. It is a village 94 kilometers to the north-east of
Mecca. Despite the fact that this Miqat is not fixed by the Prophet (peace
be upon him), scholars have unanimously agreed upon it.
Introducing Islam Part I & II 570
• Juhfah - the locational Miqat specified for the people Egypt, Syria and
countries farther than them.
• Qarn al Manazel - is a mountain near `Arafah. It is the place for putting
on Ihram for the people of Al-Ta'if and for areas beyond.

Muhrim - A pilgrim in the state of Ihram

Multazam - The part of the Ka'bah between its door and Hajar ul Aswad. This is a
specially sacred part of the Ka'bah. It is recommended that, if possible, the pilgrim
should touch the Ka'bah at Multazam and offer supplications to Allah. However, this
is not a part of the official rites of Hajj.

Mutamatti - One who has performed Hajj ut Tamattu.

Muzdalifah - A place between Arafa and Mina where the pilgrims returning from
Arafa spend a night in the open between the ninth and tenth of Dhul Hijjah after
performing the Maghrib and Isha prayers.

Namira - A mosque in Arafat

Nafil - literally a gift. It means a voluntary act of inadat (see above).

Niqab - the face veil adorned by Muslim women

Niyyah - Intention. All acts of worship are preceded by an appropriate niyyah.

Qarin - One who has performed Hajj ul Qiran

Qasr - The mode of shortened prayers usually offered when on a journey.

Qibla - The direction faced in Prayer, which is towards the Ka'ba in Makkah.

Qiran - The type of Hajj where a pilgrim makes Umrah in the same state of Ihram.

Quba - a village on the outskirts of Madina.

Rakah - a unit of prayer.

Raml - 'hastening' in the tawaf, a way of walking briskly, moving the shoulders
vigorously. Ladies are not required to practice Raml.

Reda' - The upper cloth of Ihram.

Rummy - The act of symbolically stoning the devil (shaitan) in Mina on the 10th
through to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. This commemorates the tradition that Prophet
Ibrahim (pbuh) was tempted three times by the devil but rejected all three of the
Introducing Islam Part I & II 571
devil's attempts by stoning him and driving him away. These three locations are
symbolised by three stone pillars (jamaraat) in Mina.

Safa - A small hillock approximately 200 m Southeast of the Ka’bah, inside Al Masjid
ul Haram, on which a pilgrim begins his/her Sai (walking). The pilgrim performs the
act of Sai between Safa and Marwah.

Sai - the main rite of umra and part of hajj. It is proceeding between the hills of
Safa and Marwa seven times. This act retraces the footsteps of Hajar (wife of
Prophet Ibrahim), during her desperate search for water to quench the thirst of her
infant son Ishmael after they were left in the desert by Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) in
response to a divine vision.

Salat - Obligatory or supererogatory prayers. It consists of fixed sets of standing s,


bowings, prostrations and sittings in worship to Allah.

Shawt - One complete circumambulation, or circuit, of the Kabah. Each shawt (pl.
ashwaat) starts and ends at Hajar ul Aswad. Seven ashwaat constitute one Tawaf.

Shaytan - a devil particularly Iblis (Satan).

Talbiyah - A recital of the following words by the pilgrim during Umra and Hajj:
Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik, La Shareek Laka, Labbaik. Innal Hamdah, Wan
Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka
Translation: "Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service
and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone
is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners." The Talbiyah is a prayer as well as an
assertion of the pilgrim's conviction that he intends to perform Hajj only for the glory
of Allah. The pilgrim starts the recital upon changing into the Ihram, and continues
to recite it frequently throughout Hajj. Male pilgrims recite the Talbiyah loudly
whereas female pilgrims are required to recite it in a low voice.

Tamattu - The type of Hajj where a pilgrim starts with Umrah then makes Hajj later
on but in the same year

Taqseer - Shortening or clipping of the whole head of hair by the male pilgrim
following the completion of Hajj. This may be performed in lieu of Halq. However,
snipping off a few hairs here and there is not acceptable. The sunnah of Rasool Allah
(pbuh) supports only Taqseer and Halq.

Tarwiyah - The 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah.

Tashreeq - The 11th, 12th, and 13th days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Tawaf - The seven fold circumambulation of the Kabah while reciting prayers. It
constitutes an integral part of Umra and Hajj. There are five different types of Tawaf
(see below):

Tawaf al Ifadah - The Tawaf performed by the pilgrim on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah
as the last formal rite of Hajj in Makkah after changing into street clothes (also called
Tawaf uz Ziyarah).
Introducing Islam Part I & II 572
Tawaf al Nafl - A devotional Tawaf which may be performed any time.

Tawaf al Qudoom - The initial Tawaf performed by the pilgrim upon entering Al
Masjid ul Haram in Makkah pursuant upon his intention for Hajj.

Tawaf al Umra - The Tawaf performed as a rite of Umra.

Tawaf al Wida - The Farewell Tawaf performed by the pilgrim just before leaving
Makkah for his next destination.

Umra - An Islamic ritual that is performed at Makkah anytime of the year. Umrah, or
lesser Hajj, includes Tawaf and Sai, but unlike Hajj, does not involve the rites at
Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat. It also requires some obligations from the pilgrim until
the state of Ihram is ended.

Udhia - The animal sacrifice that a Muslim offers to God.

Waqfa - The ritual of waqfa (standing before Allah) is performed by pilgrims at the
Mount of Mercy in Arafat.It is a central rite of Hajj.

Wudhu - The ritual ablution usually performed prior to prayer.

Yaum al Nahr - The 10th of Dhul Hijjah. This day is designated as the preferred
day of sacrifice during Hajj.

Yaum al Tarwiyah - The 8th of Dhul Hijjah signifying the start of Hajj. The pilgrim
proceeds to Mina on this day.

Zamzam - The name of the sacred well of water which sprang forth miraculously
under Prophet Ishmael's (pbuh) feet as an infant. Zamzam is now enclosed in a
marble chamber about 150 m Southeast of the Ka’abah.

(Sources: Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik Ibn Anas, Translated by Aisha Bewley;


ummah.com; IslamiCity.com; al-Islam.com)

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