Practical Guide to Being a Muslim Man

Faith in The Six Articles - Iman

A muslim must believe sincerely in Allah as the only God, in the existence of the Angels, in
the truth of the Holy Books, in the Prophets, in the coming of the Day of Judgement and in
Gods predestination.

Testimony - Shahada
A muslim must frequently testify that there is only one god (tawhid) and that his messenger
is Muhammad, peace be upon him. This testimony should be given in arab, and transliterated
to Spanish it reads as follows: Ash jad
u anlaaa ilaja il la lah wa ashadu anna Mujanmma dor
rasul ulah. Sometimes the saying is accompanied by pointing up with the index finger.

Prayer - Salat
Salat is the performance of the muslim prayer, and must be done five times a day. It is obligatory
for all muslims except those who are prepubescent, menstruating, or experiencing bleeding in
the 40 days after childbirth. It must be preceded by ritual ablution and done without allowing
the mind to wander.

Fasting - Sawm
Fasting during the daylight hours is a mandatory act of worship for most muslims during the
month of Ramadan, although there are exceptions. It must be done in a certain way. Due to the
nature of this document (a quick reference), the details for Sawm should be read in Wikipedia.

Right way of living - Adab

A muslim man should live a simple life, dedicated to earning sustent through honorable working,
marrying a good believing women, being a good husband, starting a family, being a good father
and last but not least contributing to his society.

Remembrance of God - Dhikr

A muslim should remember God often along the day. This practice was explained by the
Prophet, peace be upon him, as the greatest optional activity in which a muslim can engage.
One way to do it is to use many phrases that, in some way, reference God. Some examples or
this are Alhamdulillah (Spanish equivalent would be aleluya), Inshallah (like ojala), Mashallah
(after hearing good news), Allahu Akbar (to express excitement), Bismillah (in the name of
God, used before starting something), Rahimakallah (equivalent to Spanishs Jes us), Enna lillah
wa enna elaihe Rajioun (equivalent to Spanishs polvo eres y en polvo te convertiras), Astaghfiru
lillah (to ask for forgiveness after doing something wrong), Assalamu Alaikom (hi), A-ozu billahi
mena shaitaan Arrajeem (used when feeling unsafe, to seek Allahs refuge), Baraka Allahu fika
(Spanishs que Dios te lo pague), Allahu Alam (Spanishs sabra Dios).

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Meditation - Muraqaba
Meditation is an optional devotional practice that the Prophet himself used to engage in. It is
widely practiced by sufis, as a way of becoming friends with the angels. Angels are said to come
visit when meditators have practiced enough, as a way of reward for their effort. The way to
perform Muraqaba is to pay sustained attention to the feeling caused by ones own breath as
it goes through the nostrils, resisting the urge to let the mind wander. This technique slowly
develops the power of concentrated and stable attention, which can be used afterwards for
more advanced devotional practices, as the ones detailed in the book ((The Mind Illuminated))
by John Yates.

Pilgrimage - Hajj
Charity - Zakah
Reflection - Tafakkur
Tafakkur was another personal favourite of the Prophet, peace be upon him. It is a devotional
optional practice which consists of contemplating the wonders of the world and recognizing in
it the presence of God. Tafakkur can be performed by contemplating in wonder the beauty of
nature, the human body or any creation of God for this matter.

Mental Strength - Hilm

On the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: ((The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah that the week believer,
while there is good in both.)) Muslims need mental strength to remain true to their values in
the face of adversity, to avoid sinning and to be useful to the muslim society. The following
is from Al Quraan, 3:146. ((How many of the Prophets fought in Allahs way, and whith them
large bands of godly men? But they never lost heart if they met with disaster, nor did they
weaken in their will nor give in. And Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast.)) It is also
written (3:186): ((Ye shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal
selves; and ye shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book
before you and from those who worship partners besides Allah. But if ye persevere patiently,
and guard against evil, then that will be of great resolution.))

Peacefulness - Best word for this?

A muslim should never begin an aggression or commit an excess during war. The following are
extracts from Al Quraan:

((Begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.)) (2:190)

((Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits, for Allah
loveth not transgressors)). (2:190)

((Take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law.)) (6:151)

Dignity - Best word for this?

A muslim should be peaceful and avoid fighting and war as much as he can. However, if a
wrong is done to him, to his family, to his wife, to his friends or to other muslims, he should
defend himself. Being ready in case this kind of situation arises is encouraged, as well as having

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moderation when fighting back and never overdoing it or harming an innocent person. The
following quotes are extracted from Al Quraan.

((If any do help and defend themselves after a wrong done to them, against such there is
no cause of blame.)) (42:41)

((To those against whom war is made, permission is given to fight back, because they are
wronged.)) (22:39)

((For those who believe (. . . ) when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on them (. . . ) they
should defend themselves.)) (42:36-39)

((Let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the latter are better that
the former.)) (49:11)

Kindness towards the wife - Best word for this?

The Prophet himself was a very good example of how a muslim should treat his wife. He said:
((The most perfect muslim in the matter of faith is someone who has excellent behavior, and
the best among you are those who behave best towards their wifes.))

Loyalty
A muslim should be loyal to his friends, to his family and to his wife. One day the Prophet,
peace be upon him, was asked by Aisha the following thing about his first wife: ((Why do
you keep talking about that old woman? Allah gave you better ones than her.)) After hearing
this, the Prophet got upset and said the following:((Allah has not given me a better one. She
believed in me when no one else did, she accepted Islam when people rejected me, she helped
and comforted me when there was noone else to lend me a helping hand. She used her property
for me when noone gave me anything and she gave me children when noone gave me children.))

Elegance
A muslim man should wear elegant clothes and nice smelling perfumes, but should avoid osten-
tation and wearing gold or other jewelry, as well as feeling any pride. Once, the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: ((No one will enter paradise who has an atoms weight of pride in his heart.))
After hearing this, a man said: ((What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to
look good?)) to which he answered: ((Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying
the truth and looking down on people.))

Honesty
A muslim should not lie or conceal the truth. The following is a quote from Al Quraan (2:42):
((Cover not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth when ye know what it is.))

Frugality and Generosity

A muslim should be content without having many material possesions, and should not attempt
to accumulate wealth. Instead, he should use his money to help his community and the poor.
The following are quotes from Al Quraan:

((Waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters.)) (6:141)

((Give of the good things you have honorably earned.)) (4:29)

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Gratitude
A muslim should always feel grateful to his God for his creation. It is written in Al Quraan,
39:7. ((Allah liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you.))
On top of this, a muslim should be grateful to his parents for his whole life, as written in Al
Quraan, 17:13. ((Be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life,
say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And,
out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: My Lord! Bestow on them Thy
Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.))

Justice
A muslim should always be fair and judge in equity. The following are quotes from Al Quraan:

((Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your
parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect
both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve.)) (4:135)

((Allah loveth those who judge in equity.)) (5:42)

Kindness
Kindness is one of the most important behaviours that a muslim must display. It is encouraged
many times in Al Quraan:

((Allah loveth those who are kind.)) (5:13)

((Be kind as Allah has been kind to you)) (28:77)

((And show kindness to your parents and to near relatives, orphans, and the needy and to
the neighbour who is your relative and the neighbour who is not your relative . . . )) (4:36)

Mercy
Good Taste for Women
A muslim man should choose a believing and virtuous woman who can support him in his faith,
teach him, and give him a happy life. He should not choose his wife looking for wealth, social
status or beauty.

Work Ethics
Muslims are encouraged to work hard and well. Al Quraan considers idleness, or squandering
of time in pursuit of unproductive work, as the manifestation of lack of faith and of unbelief.
Man is called upon to make best of the time provided in pursuit of work by declaring that God
has made the day as means of seeking sustenance. Allah likes trade but hates usury.

Moral Excellence - Futuwwa

Futuwwa is a Quranic term that is particularly hard to translate into English. Normally trans-
lated as chivalry, it describes a nobility and strength of character that each Muslim should aim
to demonstrate. Historically it has been used to describe a form of noble warrior-hood. It may
also be described as the practice of higher ethical values.

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Benevolence - Hilm
Hilm is the ability to control anger and remain perfectly calm in the face of adversity. Hilm
does not forbid taking action, but action must be always taken from a place of self-control and
rationality, not out of an emotional outburst or a sudden anger.