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About Islam"
2012
What is Islam?
The word Islam means to surrender oneself to the will of Allah () alone. The people
who follow Islam are known as Muslims. There are more than 1.5 billion Muslims all around
the world, comprising of different races, cultures and traditions. We, Muslims, believe that
Allah (L) is only one, there is no partner to Him and only He is the master of all the
things in the universe and beyond. This includes the belief that He neither begets, nor is
begotten i.e. He has no son, daughter, wife, etc.
Moreover, Muhammad (May Peace and Blessings of Allah (L) be Upon Him) is believed
to be the last and final messenger of Allah (L). Muslims believe that Quran () is
the message of Allah (L) and it was revealed upon Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 1400
years ago. It has never been changed since its revelation, unlike other holy books, and
remains in its original form, and provides guidance to all Muslims in their daily actions. Allah
(L) says in the Quran:
And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His words. And He
is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. (Quran 6:115).


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The Five Pillars of Islam
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1. Shahadah (Testimony):
"I testify there is no one worthy of
worship other than Allah ()
alone and I testify that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah ()."

This testament is a foundation
for all the beliefs and practices in
Islam. Muslims must repeat the
shahadah in prayer, and non-
Muslims wishing to convert to
Islam are required to recite it as
well.
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2. Salaat (Prayer):
A ritualistic prayer that must be
performed five times a day at
specific times. Each prayer does
not take more than a few minutes
to perform. Salaat is intended to
focus the mind on Allah (L),
and is seen as a personal
communication with Him that
expresses gratitude and worship.




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3. Zakat (Annual Charity):
Zakat is a religious obligation and
a way to help the poor and needy
people of the society. Anyone
with any type of accumulated
wealth such as assets, jewelry, etc.
must pay 2.5% of that wealth to
poor people. In addition to
Zakat, Qur'an also prescribes a
Muslim to give even more as an
act of voluntary alms giving.



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4. Fasting
Fasting is the act of avoiding
foods, drinks, and sexual
relations from sunrise to sunset
during the month of Ramadhan
of the Islamic calendar. It
encourages spirituality towards
Allah (L), self control and
gratitude for all the things we
have in our lives and others
dont.
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5. Pilgrimage to Makkah
(Hajj):
This annual pilgrimage is
performed in Makkah, Saudi
Arabia. Every Muslim with
physical and financial means to
take this journey must do it at
least once in his or her lifetime. It
consists of many ritualistic
worship methods which are
completed by approximately 3.4
million Muslims every year.
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You may visit
http://www.hajinformation.co
m/main/d21.htm for more
comprehensive information.
(http://www.oxfordislamicstudi
es.com)
(http://www.islam-guide.com/)
There are five Pillars of Islam, which are considered obligatory for all believers and
specifically mentioned in the Quran. They are described as follows:



About Islam 2012
Contact Information:
To know more about Islam, you may
contact the Islamic Union of Hong Kong
through:
Website: iuhk.org
Phone: 852-2575 2218
To contact the Muslim Students in PolyU
whove organized this event, please contact:
Name: Ibrahim Gorgec
Mobile: 9852 7271


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Festivals in Islam
1. Eid-ul-Fitr (1 Shawwal)
This marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is a community festival of great celebration.
Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah (L) for the help and strength that he gave them
throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control.
Muslims start off the day with morning prayers, exchange greetings, and visit friends and relatives. Eid-ul-
Fitr is also a time of forgiveness, making amends and share our happiness and wealth with poor people
with less resources. It is pronounced as a public holiday in Islamic countries.

2. Eid-ul-Adha (10 Dhul-Hijja):
This is the festival of sacrifice in Islam. It marks the end of the Hajj (holy pilgrimage). The festival
remembers the prophet Ibrahims (]L) willingness to sacrifice his son when Allah (L) ordered
him to do it. Ibrahim went to sacrifice his dutiful son Ishmael ({)];) despite repeated attempts by the
devil to dissuade them and at the final moment Allah (L) stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice
instead. Ibrahims complete submission to the will of Allah (L) is celebrated by Muslims each year.

Each Muslim, as they celebrate, reminds themselves of their own submission to Allah (L), and their
own willingness to sacrifice anything to Allah (L)s wishes. During the festival Muslims who can afford
to, sacrifice domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. The meat is distributed
among family, friends and the poor, who each get a third share.
There are two festivals in Islam as described below:

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Islam is a comprehensive way of
life and ethics have a great
importance in our religion.
Quran tells us to treat our
neighbors equally as ourselves
and be their companion in grief
and celebration alike. Never
discomfort our neighbor in any
way.
Islam tells us to be kind to the
needy and poor and to help them
in every way. Our religion also
teaches us to be respectful to our
parents, and never misbehave or
argue with them. Also, be
truthful and honest. If someone
entrusts us with any work, we
should fulfill it honestly without
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any
selfishness
and greed.
We should be
the trustee of
others goods
and property
and should
not use them
for our own
personal
advantage
Islam does not allow profiteering,
i.e. creating a shortage of goods in
the market so as to sell them at a
higher price in future to earn
more profit. Moreover, Islam
does not allow the concept of
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Interest () on the loan.
Earning income in the form of
interest in loan is strictly
forbidden in Islam.

Who is Muhammad
(PBUH)?
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the last
messenger Allah (L). He is guidance and an
example not only for Muslims but for the whole
mankind. Born in a noble family of Makkah in
570 AD, he received the first revelation at the age
of 40 from Allah (L) through the angel
Gabriel. He preached brotherhood, equality,
simplicity in life and respect for all mankind. He clarified the real messages of Jesus,
Moses, Abraham and all other messengers of Allah (L) as messengers only, not sons.
Muhammad (PBUH) believed in showing by example. He used to do all his work by
himself, lived in not palace, but a mere sand-made cottage, forgave those who persecuted
him and his followers and lifted women from being considered as usable toys (much like
today in the modern world) to respected functioning members of the society. To find out
more about what non-Muslims say about Muhammad (PBUH), please visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wXhVzaU0o&feature=related
Ethics in Islam

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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 rights in a great many
respects, so much so that women have been mentioned 112 times in the
Quran itself. The Quran states about Mary (g):
"And among His signs is this: that He created mates for you from
yourselves that you may find rest and peace of mind in them, and He
ordained between you love and mercy. Certainly, herein indeed are
signs for people who reflect." [Holy Quran 30:21]
And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! V erily,
Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief),
and chosen you above the women of the whole world (Quran 3:42)
A woman is to be treated as Allah (L) 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 inherit from her father, mother, and husband.
There is a share for men and a share for women from what is left by
parents and those nearest related, whether the property be small or
large - a legal share. (Quran 4:07)
She has the right to be educated and to work outside the home if she so
chooses. A very interesting point is that in Islam, unlike any other religion,
a woman can be an imam, a leader of communal prayer, for a group of
women as well.
One of the most common phrases in Islam is the 'Paradise lies under
the feet of the mother'. Allah (L) has given great impedance to
women and for that reason He orders their children to address them in
terms of honor. The history of Muslims is rich with women of great
achievements in all walks of life from as early as the seventh century.

Women in Islam

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Concept of Halal in
Islam
The word Halal Literally means permissible and in
translation, it is usually used as lawful. Within the
Islamic religion, a strong emphasis is placed on
cleanliness- both spiritually and in the context of
food and drink. Under the Islamic Law, all sources of
food are lawful except the following sources,
including their products and derivatives, which are
considered unlawful:


1) Swine/pork and all its by-products or any derivatives.
2) Animals not slaughtered according to the Islamic requirements.
3) Alcohol and intoxicants.
4) Carnivorous animals, birds of prey.
5) Blood and blood by-products.
6) Foods contaminated with any of the above products.
7) Food products and ingredients such as enzymes, gelatin, emulsifier, are considered doubtful
and must be verified before its application.
Islamic Law also regulates the slaughtering procedure of lawful animal. All lawful animals
should be slaughtered in compliance with the Islamic rules with the following requirements:
1. The person should be a Muslim who is mentally sound and knowledgeable of the Islamic
slaughtering procedures.
2. The animal to be slaughtered should be lawful according to Islamic Law.
3. The animal to be slaughtered should be alive or deemed to be alive at the time of
slaughtering.
4. The phrase "Bismillah" (In the Name of Allah (L)) should be invoked immediately
before the slaughter of each animal.
5. The slaughtering device should be sharp and should not be lifted off the animal during the
slaughter act.
6. The slaughter act should sever the trachea, esophagus and main arteries and veins of the
neck region.

All food that is prepared, processed, packaged, transported and stored in such a manner fulfills
the halal definition mentioned above.