Islam In Brief

ISLAM IN BRIEF

Osaid al-Houtary

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WHAT IS ISLAM? 1. The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from a word meaning ‘peace’ (sal m). In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. 2. Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His Prophets to every people. Muslims believe that there is only one religion which is (alMonotheism and all the Messengers and the Prophets called for this religion. And 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 ( ) through Gabriel ( ). 3. Muslims are One billion people which means fifth of the world' s population. Arabs represent only 18% of Muslims. 4. Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life.

WHAT DOES ISLAM CONSIST OF?

Islam Consist of: 1. Belief. (the act of the heart) 2. Doing righteous good deeds. (the acts of the organs)

More than 50 verses in the Qur’an indicate that the way to Paradise is consist of the aforementioned two steps: And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous good deeds, that for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow [Paradise]. (Qur’an: 2: 25)

And those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah ( )/ Islamic Monotheism] and do righteous good deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they will dwell therein forever. (Qur’an: 2: 82) But those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism] and do deeds of righteousness, We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), abiding therein forever. Therein they shall have Azwajun Mu ahharatun [purified mates or wives (having no menses, stools, urine, etc.)] and We shall admit them to shades wide and ever deepening. (Qur’an: 4: 58)

1. WHAT DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN?

Muslims believe in: 1. One Unique and Incomparable God (Allah). 2. The Angels created by Him. 3. God’s Books. 4. The Prophets through whom His Revelations were brought to mankind. 5. The Day of Judgment and in life after death. 6. God’s Predestination: complete authority over human destiny, and Fate: individual accountability for his actions.

A. Who Is Allah? 1. ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. 2. Allah is only One God, He is the Lord and none has the right to be worshipped but Him. This is the Islamic Monotheism. Therefore this God is:

a. One: He is not three in one, He is not more or less than that. He is simply One God. He is the Creator of the universe, its Organizer, Planner, Sustainer, and the Giver of security, etc. Therefore, this God is one and is doing a lot of things. He is not only watching his creation. This is called: Oneness of the Lordship of God. b. This God has the right to be worshipped and none has this right but Him. So worshipping Buda, Krishna, Moses, Jesus or even Muhammad is not acceptable. This is called: Oneness of the worship of God. c. Nothing like unto Him. Therefore, everything that we can imagine is not God. “The Hand of Allah is over their hands.” (Qur’an.48:10). This confirms two Hands for Allah ( ), but there is no similarity for them. This is called: Oneness of the Names and the Qualities of Allah.

B. The Belief in Allah’s Books (the Scriptures) 1. Muslims believe in the Books Allah revealed to His Prophets and Messengers. 2. Allah, Who revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad ( ) had revealed other books to other Messengers who came before him. There are Books mentioned in the Qur’an and Books that were not. The Books mentioned are:

a. The Torah, which was revealed to Moses ( ). God ( ) said: Verily We did send down the Torah, therein was guidance and light, by it the Prophets who submitted themselves to the will of Allah [Muslims], judged the Jews. And the Rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by, the Torah after those Prophets]. for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book, and they, were witnesses thereto. (Qur’an 5:44) b. The Bible, which was revealed to Jesus ( ). God ( ) said: We sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before hint and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirmation of the Torah that had come before it, and a guidance and admonition for the pious. ( Qur’an 5:46) c. David’s Psalms, which were revealed to David ( ): We have preferred some of the Prophets above the others, and to David We gave the Psalms. (Qur’an 17:5 5) d. The Scriptures, which were revealed to Moses and Abraham ( ). Allah ( ) said: Or has he not been informed of what is in the Scripture of Moses; and Abraham, who fulfilled his pledge? That no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another, and that mankind shall have only what he has striven for; and that his striving shall soon be seen; then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense; and to your Lord is the final return. (Qur’an 53:36 - 42). God ( ) also said: Prosperous is he who purifies himself, and glorifies the Name of his. Lord and the prays. Yet you prefer this life while the hereafter is better and everlasting. Surely all this is written in the earlier scriptures of Abraham and Moses. (Qur’an 87:14 - 19)

3. Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the last Book revealed from Allah the Most High, and that Allah distinguished it from the previous Scriptures in the following manner: a. It contains all the divine teachings. It also supported the ideas already established in the previous scriptures such as conceding the Oneness of Allah, and worshipping and obeying Him. The Qur’an is also a comprehensive Book for all the good deeds and good manners that were scattered in the previous scriptures. It also functions to expurgate whatever changes or corruption happened to earlier Scriptures. And We have sent down to you the Book [Qur’an] in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and trustworthy in highness and a witness over it. (Qur’an 5:48) The Qur’an is the only divine Book which Allah promises to keep and preserve: Verily! We: It is We Who have sent down the Qur’an, and We will guard it [from corruption]. (Qur’an 15:9) c. The Qur’an was revealed to reach the whole of humanity and not a certain people like the earlier Scriptures. Therefore, Allah preserves it from corruption at the hands of people in order to provide right guidance till the Day of Judgment. 4. Muslims believes that the previous Scriptures were distorted and a lot of evidences prove this event, among such evidences: a. The original copies of the Scriptures revealed before the Qur’an have been lost, and what people have now are but translations. Whereas contrarily, the Qur’an is still

preserved with its mirahs, ayahs, and grammatical inflections in the same way the Angel Gabriel recited them to Muhammad ( ), and he, in turn, recited them to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). b. The other Scriptures are a mixture of Allah’s words and man’s words, which contain interpretations, history, the stories of the Prophets and their disciples, and the deductions made by scholars. No one can distinguish Allah’s words from those of the people’s. The Qur’an is entirely the word of Allah, it does not include what, the Prophet ( ) or the Companions said c. Those Scriptures were not proven, by any reliable document, to belong to the Messenger. For example, the Scriptures of the Old Testament known as the Torah, were written down many centuries after the death of Moses ( ).

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. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters (Suras) has been changed over the centuries, so that the Qur' an is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago. The Qur’an, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim' s faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects

which 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.

C. Believing In the Angles Belief in the angels is one of the six pillars of faith. It means to believe that Allah has angels. Angels: 1. They are created from light. 2. The relationship of the angels to Allah is that of absolute service, obedience, and submission to His commands. They are not gods, or as the earlier polytheists claimed, sons and daughters of God. 3. They never disobey God’s Commands. 4.

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Thus, they are one kind of Allah’s creatures. One is not considered a real believer till one believes in their existence and in everything the Qur’an and Sunnah mention about them, their characteristics, and their activities, without additions, omissions, or change. God ( ) said: Any who denies Allah, His Angles, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment has gone far astray. (Qur’an 4:136)

D. Who are The Prophets of Allah? 1. Muslims believe in all the Prophets and Messengers whom Allah named in His Book (al-Qur’an). 2. Muslims believe in a chain of Prophets started with Adam and ended with Muhammad ( ). 3. All Prophets and Messenger preached for one religion which is al- anafiyyah: Monotheism but different laws (Shra’i‘). 4. Muslims believe that Allah sent other Messengers than those mentioned, though neither their precise number nor their identities are known to Muslims except to God ( ). Allah ( ) said: And indeed We have sent Messengers before you [O’ Muhammad ( )]; some of them We have related to you their story and some We have not related to you their story ... (Qur’an 40:78) 5. The Prophets and the Messengers mentioned in the Qur’an are exclusively twenty-five: Adam, Noah, ldr s (Enoch), " li#, Abraham, H d , Lot, Jonah, Ismail (Ishmael), Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Shu‘ayb, Moses, Aaron, Elisha, Dhul-Kifl (Isaiah), David, Solomon, Zachariah, Elias, John, Jesus, Muhammad , may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all.

6. Muslims obey these Prophets and Messengers because obeying them is a sign of obeying Allah is stated in Qur’an: He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah ... (Qur’an 4:80). 7. Musilms follow Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad ( ):Allah ( ) said: And whatsoever the Messenger [Muhammad ( )] gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain [from it]. (Qur’an 59:7).

WHO IS MUHAMMAD? Muhammad ( ) was born in Mecca in the year 570. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. At that time, Arabs worshipped idols, they were pagans. 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 ( ) 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 Hir ’ near the summit of Jabal an-N r, the ‘Mountain of Light’ near Mecca. 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 Qur’an. As soon as be began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel ( ), and to preach the truth and the Islamic Monotheism which God ( ) had revealed to him. He ( ) and his small group of Companions suffered bitter persecution which grew so fierce so that in the year 622 God ( ) ordered them to

emigrate. They left Mecca for the city of Medina some 260 miles to the north. After several years and several battles with Quraysh and the pagans of Arabia, the Prophet and his Companions were able to conquer Mecca, where they forgave their yesterday 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.

E. Belief in the Day of Judgment 1. Muslims Believe in the Day of Judgment and everything related to it. Allah ( ) stated in His Book and informed His Prophet ( ) about concerning what comes after death, i.e. like the grave and its comfort or torture, Resurrection, the assembling of scrolls, the account, the Balance, the Bridge of Hell-fire ( the cistern, intercession, Paradise and Hell, and what Allah prepared for the inhabitants thereof. 2. The man was not created absurdly and without wisdom and that his life on earth is temporal and limited to this very short time man lives and sins. 3. The man will not be left without any reward-, the oppressor will not be punished for his oppression, the just will not be rewarded for his justice, the reformer will not be compensated for the reformations he has made, the corrupt will not be punished for his corruption and the wrong doer will not be punished for his mischief.

4. Thus belief in Resurrection is conducive to the glory, justice, and wisdom of Allah ( ). Any man of sight will admit it and any unadulterated instinct (fitrah) will be comforted with its belief.

F. Faith in Allah’s Predestination and Fate Faith in Predestination includes five-grades: 1. Faith in Allah’s prior knowledge that is knowledge of His servant’s deeds before they do them. Allah ’s Knowledge is just knowledge without forcing them to do whatever they do. So who does good deeds Allah will award him and who does wrong Allah will punish him. 2. The writing that is in the Book of Decrees. Allah wrote His servant’s deeds in the Book of Decrees. 3. Allah has an ultimate will and a comprehensive capability. 4. The creation of all creatures from nothing by Allah Who is the Creator and all else being the created. 5. Faith in Predestination Does Not Contradict the Rule of Cause and Effect: We should always remember that we are commanded to believe in the rule of cause and effect, in addition to our submission to the Almighty Allah, trusting that He

possesses everything. We trust the causes do not give the effect except through Allah’s permission. The Creator who has created the causes is He who creates the consequences and the fruit. Whoever desires to have good progeny has to have a cause for that, which is a lawful marriage. But such a marriage may and may not bear its fruit, which is progeny, according to Allah’s Will, Allah ( ) said: To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens. and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female [offspring] upon whom He wills, and bestows male [offspring] upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things. (Qur’an 42:4950) For that reason, the Muslim is forbidden to abandon the cause and effect, for if he seeks not his fortune he will be a sinner, though his fortune is in the hands of Allah.

2. RIGHTEOUS GOOD DEEDS A. PRAYER

Sal h 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. Prayers are performed 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.

B. THE ‘ZAKAH’ (Obligatory Alms)

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. 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 sadaqah (voluntary charity)

C. THE FAST 1. Literally:

The Arabic word for “fasting” (sawm) is derived from the root s ma literally means “to restrain” or “to refrain”, so ‘fasting’ is refraining from normal things, such as eating, drinking, talking. If any one refrain from these thing, he is considered s ’im which means the observer of fast. 2. Religiously: Fasting means to refrain from things that invalidate (break) the fasting from Morning Prayer time (break dawn), with intention to please Allah ( ), till Sunset Prayer time. Things That Invalidate (Break) the Fasting are: a. Food and Drink b. Sexual intercourse

c. Masturbation (most scholars say this not allowed even when not fasting). However, Ramadan is much more than just not eating, not drinking, and abstaining from other physical needs, it is also: d. Refraining of the heart and the mind from evil, thoughts. e. Refraining of the tongue from evil words. f. Refraining of other body parts from evil and actions.

D. PILGRIMAGE (Hajj)

Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (In Saudi Arabia) Hajj is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. 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: 1. Circling the Ka’ba seven times, 2. Going seven times between the mountains of "af and Marwah as did Hagar during her search for water. 3. The pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of ‘Arafat 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-todate 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.

E. Good Manners

The Prophet ( ) said: “I was sent (a Messenger and Prophet to all the nations) to complete the good manners.” [ $ ! % hadith Number 8882 (Arabic version)] The Prophet ( ) said: “By Him in Whose Hand is my life, none of you (truly) believes till he likes for his brother, or he (the Holy Prophet) said: for his neighbour, whatever he likes for himself.” [ a Muslim, Book 1,chapter 18, hadith Number 0073]

HOW DOES SOMEONE BECOME A MUSLIM?

Simply by: 1. Believing by his heart and saying by his tongue : ' There is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.'By this declaration, the believer announces his or her faith in all God’s Messengers, and the Scriptures they brought. 2. Doing the aforementioned things.

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