Bismilläh Ar-Rahmän Ar-Rahīm

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

GREETINGS IN ISLÄM
 Greetings when you meet or address someone
AsSalämu Alaikum (short form)
(Peace be upon you)
 Return greetings
WaAlaikum Saläm (short form)
(Peace be upon you, too)

Hi
Isläm 101

Saeed Shaikh
North Stonington, CT
 PRAYER
Chapter 1, “Al-’Fatihäh” (The Opening), The Qur’än
2. In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
3. All praise belongs to God.
4. Lord of all Worlds.
5. The Compassionate, the Merciful.
6. Ruler of the Day of Judgment.
7. It is You that we worship, and to You we appeal for help.
8. Show us the straight path, the path of those You have
graced, not of those who earned Your anger, nor of those
who wander astray.

If it starts well, it ends well. 3

 INVITATION
“ 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 knows
the best, who have strayed from His
Path, and who receive guidance. ”
(The Qur’an: Chapter 16 (An-Nahl), Verse 125).

Invitation to all in humanity

4
 PURPOSE
 Information
 What does Isläm mean?
 What does Isläm stand for?
 Why do you want to learn about Isläm?
 What’s the structure of Isläm?
 How could we help you more?

How about being Muslim for this hour?

5
 BACKGROUND
 What’sreligion?
 What are the major religions?

♥ Judaism, Christianity, Isläm

♥ Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism
♥ Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism
 Where does Isläm fit?

Major Religions
6
 RELIGION
 Dictionary Meaning of Religion:
Belief in God or gods to be worshipped,
usually expressed in conduct and ritual.
 Islämic Understanding of Religion:

Religion is called Dīn in Isläm and the

word Dīn is employed to mean the religion
together with its practices.
 Dīn ≡ Religion + Practices ≡ Milläh ≡ Way
of Life.
What’s religion?
7
 World Population
Growth based on Last
50 Years* Comparative
(in millions) Chart
(Based on Last 50
Years Years) Musli
Chan 20 20 20 Y Christ
Item ge* 02 102 15 ear ian m
Christian 1.00% 00 274 23
21 1 27% 12%
2.90 17 21 90
24 900
2 30% 19%
Muslim % 00 37 65
Jew -0.10 15 15 15 000
2 29% 21%
%
Hindu 2.10% 82 0 968 10
74
005
2 28% 23%
Buddhist 1.20% 37 407 43 010
2 26% 26%
0 2
Sikh 2.00% 25 29 32 015
2 26% 27%
Confucia -0.25 32 314 31 020
nist % 0 0 2 25% 30%
Shintoist 2.10% 70 83 92 025
Others** 2.10% 80 945
0 71 78
10
48
World 2.30 62
% 20 71
**African, Communist,
religious, etc
non-58 Major Religions
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 8
 Descendents of Abraham (P)
A
dam
N
oah
Abrah 1900
Where does Isläm fit?

am BC
Isaac Ishma
el Hindui 1500
Tora
h M smJudais BC
1300
oses m BC
Bibl Buddhi 525
e Jesus sm BC
Christia 4 BC
Christ
Qur’ nity
änMuham Islä 610
mad m AD
2008
AD
 ISLÄM
As a noun, "ISLÄM"
As a verb, "ISLÄM" means:
means:

 Surrender to Almighty Alläh  6 Articles of Belief

 Submission to His Will  5 Pillars of Action

 Obey His Commandments  Complete Way of Life

 Sincere Worship Only For Him  Rights & Limitations

 Peace in Mind, Heart & Soul  Moderation in All Things

What does Isläm mean? 10

 MUSLIM
Verb
Verb + “er” = Noun
Talk
Talk + er = Talker
Walk + er = Walker
Isläm + er = Islämer
Mu + Isläm = Muslim ≡ Islämer
One who does the “Isläm” thing

Who is Muslim?
 ISLÄM & MUSLIMS
The name of this religion is Isläm. The root of
the word is Silm and Saläm, which means
peace. Saläm also means: Submission to the
One God, and to live in peace with the Creator,
within one’s self, with other people and with the
environment. Thus, Isläm is a total system of
living. A Muslim is to live in peace and harmony
with all. A Muslim is someone living anywhere
in the world whose obedience, allegiance, and
loyalty are to the One and Only God, the Lord
of the Universe.
Muslims could be from anywhere; Arabs
could be Muslims, Christians, Jews or Atheists.
 WHAT DOES ISLÄM
STAND FOR?
• Worship of One and Only God
• Equality and brotherhood for all
• No compulsion in religion
• Love for all His creatures
• Righteousness (Taqwä) and faith in One God
• Simplicity, dignity and respect for all
• Peace and justice for all

Essence: Peace and Justice

 WHY LEARN
ABOUT ISLÄM?
• An informed citizen is an educated citizen
• It’s a major world religion
• It’s the fastest growing religion in the world
• Every 4th person on the earth is a Muslim
• Populations in the West are on increase
• Your neighbor could be a Muslim
• The 9/11 brought spotlight to Isläm & Muslims

Learning removes bias and arrogance

 ISLÄM: THE STRUCTURE
 Isläm is the universal religion for all mankind.
 'Isläm' means submission to the will and law of God.
 The other meaning of the word is peace (through God).
 A Muslim willingly submits to the will and laws of God.

5 Pillars of
Isläm

Faith Pray Fasti Poor Pilgrima

Shahä er ng Due ge
dä Salä Zakäh Hajj
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 15
 The Five Pillars Of Action
and Six Pillars of Faith
 Faith: in the existence of the One & Only God: Sole
Creator of the universe. He is Everlasting, All-Powerful,
All-Knowing, Self-Sufficient, & Self-Sustaining.
 Faith in all the Prophets of the past, and acceptance that
Muhammad is the last Prophet.
 Faith in all the Revealed, Unaltered, Holy Books of God.
 Faith in the Angels of God.
 Faith in life after death and the Day of Judgment.
 Faith in Divine Decree (fate).
 Prayer: During prayer, one seeks forgiveness, help, and
guidance from God directly.
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 16
 The Five Pillars of Action (cont’d)
3. Fasting: Ramadän fasting is obligatory…..refrain from
food, drink, and sex from dawn to sunset.
4. Poor Dues: Pay annually 2½% of his cash savings and
liquid assets (such as gold, silver etc.) to his less fortunate
fellow human beings.
 Pilgrimage: Travel to Mecca to worship God at the
Kä’bah & Arafat to mark the occasion when Abraham was
willing to sacrifice his son (Ishmael) (Genesis 22:2).
 This is an obligation at least once in a lifetime, if
financially and physically able to do so.
 Every male wears two pieces of white unstitched cloth to
cover the body and perform all the rituals. (Women wear
their usual attire).
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 17
 QUR’ÄN
 Qur’än ≡ Koran
 It’s the Holy Book of Muslims
 Literal Word of Alläh (The Most Exalted)
 Not a word has changed in 1400 years
 Primary Source of Islämic Knowledge
 Two original copies still exist
 More than 10 M have memorized it
 114 Chapters, over 6600 verses
 Other Names: Kitäb, Furqän, Hudä, etc.
 Subject Matter: Man and his relationship
with God and His creation
All praise belong to God, the Lord of the Worlds. (1:1)
 HADITH, SUNNÄH
 Hadith ≡ Narration of a saying, tradition, etc.
 Sunnäh ≡ Practice of the Qur’än by the
Prophet (P)
 Second Primary Source of Knowledge
 Two Parts: Sanad(Narration) + Matn (Text)
 Sahih (Correct) ≡ Most Authentic
 Two most famous collections among many:

Bukhari, Muslim
 Verification ~ Credit Card verification

What is it? Prophetic Traditions?

 MUHAMMAD (PBUH)
 Last Messenger of Alläh till the Day of
Judgment.
 He is not Alläh, has no divinity whatsoever.
Muslims do not worship him.
 Muslims are not Mohammedans.
 The Qur’än is the literal Message of Alläh
came to Muhammad (pbuh) through Angel
Gabriel. “It’s God’s words in his mouth.”
 The Message was received over 23 years.
the Qurän was revealed for mankind.

The Prophet of Islam, The Best of Humanity

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 MUHAMMAD (PBUH), Cont’d
 Bernard Shaw: “…the Savior of Humanity…if a man
like him were to assume the dictatorship of the
modern world, he would succeed in solving its
problems…” (The Genuine Isläm)
 Gandhi: “…it was not the sword that won a place for
Isläm…It was the rigid simplicity…his absolute trust
in God and in his own mission…” (Young India)
 Michael Hart: “My choice of Muhammad to lead the
list of the world’s most influential persons…he was
supremely successful on both the religious and
secular levels.” (The 100: A Ranking of the Most
Influential Persons in History)

What did they say about him?

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 MUHAMMAD (PBUH), Cont’d
 He was famous for his trustworthiness,
truthfulness, generosity and sincerity even
before prophethood.
 Alläh chose him to be His last prophet when
he was 40 years old.
 He was born in the year 570 AD in Meccä,
Säudi Arabiä and died in the year 632 AD in
Madinä, Säudi Arabiä.
 According to Islämic traditions, he was the
best of creation and best of moral character.

Perfection in Creation and Morality

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ALLÄH (THE MOST EXALTED)
 The proper name of the God in Arabic and
even among Christian Arabs
 Only singular, no plural; no gender
 It’s “Al + Elah (Eloh)” ≡ Alläh ≡ The God
 The One and Only; The Eternal, Absolute
 No qualities of “created”; no family
 None like unto Him
 99 other beautiful names (attributes)

The Touchstone of Theology

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 WORSHIP (‘IBÄDÄH)
 Anything that you intend, do, or say that is
pleasing to Alläh, the Most High, is called the
worship in Isläm.
 It includes ritual worship (five pillars of Islam),
and every act of your life, at all the times , as
long they are pleasing to Him.
 All activities, everywhere, not just in the
Houses of Worship, involve worship.
 No difference between secular and sacred.
 How can you, then, separate the State and
Mosque?

“Pray without ceasing”1 Thessalonians 5:17

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 What Does Islam Say About…
 Human Rights: Privacy, freedom, dignity, & equality are
guaranteed in Isläm. God says: "There is no compulsion in
religion." (Qur'än 2:256).
 Universality of Isläm: God says: “We have sent you
(Muhammad) as a mercy for all nations” (Qur’än 21:107).
"Whoever oppresses any non-Muslim, I shall be his
prosecutor on the Day of Judgment." (Muhammad).
 Jihäd means any effort in the path of God. Constant
struggle against the evil desires within oneself is Jihad.
 If an Islämic state is attacked, it is the duty of all Muslims to
defend themselves from the attack. This is Jihäd.
 Jihäd is never meant to force anybody to choose a particular
religion. An unjust effort or war cannot be called Jihäd.
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 25
 Status & Responsibility of Women in Islam
 Isläm enjoins morality in behavior and appearance. Fashions
that reduce women to sex objects are not acceptable.
 Isläm gave women the right of inheritance and independent
ownership.
 Women can seek employment. Muhammad’s first wife was a
successful business woman.
 Protection of Women's Honor: “…who launch a charge
against women...produce four witnesses…" (Qur’än 24:4).
 Muhammad said: “…treat your women well and be kind to
them for they are your partners and committed helpers".
 “The best of you are those who are kindest with your wives"
 “….generous who are good to women, and…wicked who
insults them".
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 26
 Status and Responsibility
of Women in Isläm, cont’d
 Status of Mother:“A man asked Muhammad: 'Whom
should I honor most?' The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'.
'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied:
'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The
Prophet replied: 'Your mother!’ 'And who comes next?'
asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your father’”
 Marriage: “…He created for you mates from among
yourselves… dwell in tranquility with them and He has put
love and mercy between your hearts…" (Qur’än 30:21).
 Independent Identity: A married woman in Isläm retains
her independent legal personality and her family name. She
is not the property of her husband in any way!
(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 27
 Status and Responsibility
of Women in Isläm, cont’d
Wife’s Property: From the 7th century, a woman does not
need to present gifts (dowry) to attract potential husband.
 The groom must present the bride with a marriage gift. The
bride retains her marriage gift even if she is later divorced.
 She is never obliged to act as a co-provider for the family
unless she herself voluntarily chooses to do so.
Divorce: Isläm discourages divorce, yet recognizes the rights
of both partners to end their matrimonial relationship.
 "Live with them on a footing of kindness and equity…"
(Qur’än 4:19).
 "A believing man must not hate a believing woman. If he
dislikes one of her traits he will be pleased with another".
(Muhammad). (c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 28
 Status and Responsibility
of Women in Isläm, cont’d
The Veil: "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and
the believing women that they should cast their outer
garments over their bodies so that they should be known
and not molested" (Qur’än 33:59).
 Islämic veil is a means of protection from unwanted
attention.

(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 29

 Polygamy
Polygamy in the West: Serial polygamy: marriage,
divorce, marriage, divorce, etc; a married man with one or
more girlfriends; an unmarried man with a number of
girlfriends.
Polygamy addresses orphans and widows in society.
Billy Graham, the Evangelist said: “Isläm has permitted
polygamy as a solution to social ills… Christian countries
make a great show of monogamy, but actually they practice
polygamy.… Isläm is a fundamentally honest religion…”
Many non-Muslim and Muslim countries have outlawed
polygamy. Cheating on the wife or using women without
taking responsibility are common.
Is the law designed to reward deception and punish honesty?

Nearly 4 out of 5 who come to Islam in the USA are Women..

(c) Madina Masjid, Houston, Texas 30
 THINGS THAT UNITE US
 Monotheistic religions
 Common ancestry: Abraham, Noah, Adam
(peace be upon them)
 Belief in all the prophets including, Moses
and Jesus (peace be upon them)
 Belief in Mary (peace be upon her). She is
one of the four most admired women in Islam
 Belief in the miraculous birth of Jesus (peace
be upon him), and his miracles. Many of them
are confirmed in the Qur’än
 Belief in the return of Jesus (peace be upon
him)
Aren’t We the Part of the Same Family?
31
THINGS THAT UNITE US, cont’d
 Regard Prophet Moses (peace be upon him),
as one of the great prophets of Alläh, the
Most Exalted.
 Thank Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)
for us having only 5 daily prayers and not 50.
 In addition to our Prophet Muhammad, the
most referred to Prophet in the Qur’än is the
Prophet Moses (peace be upon them).
 List goes on…
 Parts of the same family…
 Branches of the same tree (of life)…

Aren’t We the Part of the Same Family?

32
 AL-ISLÄM
 Beliefs
Call of the Heart

 Manners and Behavior

Call of the Limbs

 Hudood (Rights and Limits)

Call of the Mind

What is it? Major Components?

 HOW COULD
WE HELP YOU MORE?

?
 ??
 ???

Questions and Answers

34
 QUESTIONS…
 What’s Isläm?
Isläm is a total peaceful system of living.
 Who is Muslim?
A person who completely obeys and submits to
the Will of the God; who is sincere in his worship
to God, and who is at peace within himself, with
his God and with His creation is a Muslim.
 Who is Alläh?
The One and Only Singular God (Creator)
worthy to be worshipped. Has no partner, no
parents, no family. Has no gender and no
plurals. He is Absolute and Eternal. There is
nothing like Him.

Answers..Answers..Answers 35
 QUESTIONS…
 Who is Muhammad?
Muhammad is the last prophet of God to the
mankind. He brought the Message of peace for
all called Isläm.
 What is Qur’än?
The Qur’än is the exact Word of God. Its
authenticity, originality and totality are in tact. It’s
the primary source of information in Isläm. Its
knowledge is beyond senses and reason. It’s the
highest form of knowledge.
 What’s Sunnah?
The Prophet’s sayings, deeds, instructions,
advice and traditions are called the Sunnah.

Answers..Answers..Answers 36
 QUESTIONS…
 What are the five pillars of Isläm?
They are: Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting, Pilgrimage
 What is faith?
It’s something that takes root at the heart and
immediately followed up by the limbs. For Muslims,
it’s: “There is no god worthy to be worshipped but
God (Alläh), and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
 How many times Muslims pray to the God in a day?
Five times: At dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and at
night before bedtime.
 How much Muslims have to give in charity?
Muslims have to give 2½% of the savings in charity.

Answers..Answers..Answers 37
 QUESTIONS…
 What’s pilgrimage?
Muslims go to Meccä in Saudi Arabia to visit the Holy
Mosque for pilgrimage called Hajj. Muslims believe
that that was the first House of Worship built on the
earth by Prophet Adam (P). It was later rebuilt by
Prophet Abraham (P) and his son Ishmael (P). The
Hajj ceremony commemorates traditions that are
related in all three monotheistic religions.
 What are the six pillars of Imän (faith) in Isläm?
They are: Belief in God, His Angels, His Books, His
Prophets, the Last Day and the Hereafter, and the
destiny.

Answers..Answers..Answers 38
 QUESTIONS…
 What are some of the principles of Isläm?
Oneness of God (Tauhid):
He is One and Only God. It’s dogmatic in Isläm.
There is no compromise on this issue.
Oneness of Mankind:
All are created equal in front of the Law of God.
There is no superiority by anyone. Only discriminator
used by Him to judge people among them is piety
(Taqwä).
Oneness of Messengers and the Message:
Muslims believe that all Messengers came with the
same message and the same teachings; that He is
the One and Only. Muslims believe in all the
prophets and make no distinction between them.

Answers..Answers..Answers 39
 QUESTIONS…
 What are some of the principles of Isläm?
Angels and the Day of Judgment (DoJ):
Angels are His creatures who perform His special
missions. The DoJ is the day accounting, reward and
punishment.
Innocence of Man at Birth:
Muslims believe that the people are born free of sin.
No one is responsible for or can assume the
responsibility of the sins of others. However, the door
of forgiveness is always open through supplication
and repentance.
State and Religion:
It’s a total way of life. Every second of life should be
spent in seeking His pleasure. You cannot separate
the two.
Answers..Answers..Answers 40
 QUESTIONS…
 What are some other aspects of Isläm?
Calendar:
Based on lunar calendar. 12 months. Hijri (migration)
year is 1429 AH.
Celebrations:
Muslims have two celebrations called Eid, namely
Eid of Sacrifice and Eid of Fast-Breaking.
Diets:
No pork and its by products, alcohol, narcotic or
addictive drugs.
Place of Worship:
It’s called Masjid or Mosque. Three most important
are: Al-Masjid Al-Haräm @ Makkah, Al- Masjid Al
Nabwi @ Madinä,and Al-Aqsä @ Jerusalem.
Answers..Answers..Answers 41
 QUESTIONS…
 What are some of the misconceptions about Isläm?
Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists:
The biggest and the most untrue misconception
mainly due to stereotyping. Nothing could be farther
from the truth.
Isläm oppresses the women:
Wrong. Veil is not oppression; it’s a religious
requirement. Cultural practices of some Muslim
majority countries have no basis in Isläm. Divorce is
very uncommon in Isläm. Unlike in many other
religions, in Islam, women had rights to own the
property, inherit property, etc. some 1400 years ago.
Muslims worship a different God:
Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, the One and
Only, for all.
Answers..Answers..Answers 42
 QUESTIONS…
 What are some of the misconceptions about Isläm?
Isläm was spread by the sword and intolerance:
Wrong again. Read comments of some of the great
scholars, historians and politicians including Gandhi.
All Muslims are Arabs.
No, only about 18% are Arabs.
The Nation of Isläm is a Muslim Group:
No, it’s more like a cult and not a religion.
All Muslim men marry four wives:
Polygamy is simply permitted, not the norm nor
encouraged.

Answers..Answers..Answers 43
 QUESTIONS…
 Whatare some of the misconceptions about Isläm?
Muslims don’t believe in Jesus and any other
prophets.
Wrong. Muslims believe in all the Prophets, including
Jesus (A).
Muhammad was the founder of Isläm, and Muslims
worship him:
Muhammad (P) established the Islämic community
when he migrated to Madinä. Muslims do not
worship Muhammad (P).
Muslims are barbaric, backward people:
Simply a stereotyping, and not true.

Answers..Answers..Answers 44
 PRAYER

Chapter 103, “Al-’Asr” (The Time), The Qur’än

l By Al-’Asr (the time).
l Verily! Man is in loss.
l Except those who believe and do righteous
good deeds, and recommend one another to
the truth and recommend one another to
patience.

Essence: Correct Faith & Righteous Deeds

45
 GREETINGS IN ISLÄM
 Greetings when you meet or address someone
AsSalämu Alaikum (short form)
(Peace be upon you)
 Return greetings
WaAlaikum Saläm (short form)
(Peace be upon you, too)

Goodbye
FOR MORE INFORMATION…

Islamic Center of New London

16 Fort Street, Groton, CT 06340
860 405-8006
www.islamiccenterofnewlondon.com
or
www.icnl.com
or
Saeed Shaikh, 860 535-4079

47