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ISLAM.. What is
Islam? how do i become a Muslim??
Islam is a religion of Peace, a religion
of wisdom, a religion of fairness and equality. islam is the perfect
way of life*
-The Meaning of Islam
"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 has 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.
Articles of Faith
1. 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 sons 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 Quran.
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 favours upon us, we cannot, because
they are countless. In return for all the great favours 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.
2. 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 Quran 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.
3. Revelations and the Quran
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 right path of Allah 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 Quran 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 Quran 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 Quran broadly consists of three fundamental ideas:
Oneness of Allah, Prophethood and life after death. The success of
human beings on this earth and in the life hereafter depends on
obedience to the Quranic teaching.
The Quran 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 Quran today is the same as it
was revealed. Muslims till today memorize the Quran word by word as a
whole or in part. Today, the Quran is the only authentic and complete
book of Allah. Allah is protecting it from being lost, corrupted or
concealed.
4. The Angels
There are purely spiritual and splendid beings created by Allah. They
require no food or drink or sleep. They have no physical 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.
5. The Day of Judgement
A Muslim believes in the Day of the Judgement. 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 judgement.
Everything we do, say, make, intend and think are accounted for and
kept in accurate records. They are brought up on the Day of Judgement.
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 Quran.
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 Judgement. 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 Judgement. The time of the Day of Judgement is
only known to Allah and Allah alone.
6. Qadaa and Qadar
A Muslim believes in Qadaa and Qadar which relate to the ultimate
power of Allah. Qadaa and Qadar means 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 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.
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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.
Status of Human Beings
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 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 Quran is the word of Allah revealed to
prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. The Quran was revealed
from Allah on various occasions to answer questions, solve problems,
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 Quran 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 Quran and the Hadiths of
Prophet Muhammad are the primary sources of knowledge in Islam.
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. The five pillars of Islam are:
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 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 Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah
An English translation would be:
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His Messenger
PRAYER (SALAH)
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).
Obligatory prayers: Five daily prayers, the Friday's noon congregation
prayer and the funeral prayer. Times of obligatory prayers:
Early morning: After dawn and before sunrise.
Noon: After the sun begins to decline from its zenith until it is
about midway on its course to set.
Mid-afternoon: After the expiration of the noon prayer time until
sunset.
Sunset: Immediately after sunset until the red glow in the western
horizon disappears.
Evening: After the expiration of the sunset prayer until dawn.
Highly recommended prayer:Those accompanying the obligatory prayer and
the two great festival prayers.
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 favours 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.
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
purifies 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.
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).
FASTING (SAWM)
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.
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 Judgement 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.
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