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What Does "Islam" Mean?
The word "Islam" itself means
"Submission to Allah." The religion of Islam is not named after a
person as in the case of "Christianity" which was named after Jesus
Christ, "Buddhism" after Gutama Buddha , "Marxism" after Karl Marx,
and "Confucianism" after Confucius. Similarly, Islam is not named
after a tribe like "Judaism" after the tribe of Judah and "Hinduism"
after the Hindus. The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or
surrender of one's will to the will of the only true god worthy of
worship, "Allah" (known as God "the Father" in Christianity).
Anyone who does indeed submit to
the will of Allah as required by Islam is termed a "Muslim," which
means one who has submitted to the will of Allah. Many people in the
West have developed the sad misinformed trend of calling Islam
"Muhammadenism" and it's followers "Muhammadins." This is a totally
foreign word to Muslims and unrecognized by them. No Muslim has ever
called his religion "Muhammadenism" or called himself a
"Muhammadin."
What Is The Basic Concept of
Islam?
Islam teaches us that this life is a
life of worship. We are placed on this earth in order to worship
Allah and obey His command. During this earthly life we are
subjected to a series of trials. We have the option of enduring
these trials and conforming to certain laws, and our reward will be
great in the next life, or we may decline to endure these trials and
choose to not conform to the law, then we will be made to regret it
in the next life.
Each person will be solely and
completely responsible for their own final reward. We are also told
that God has designed these laws to make this life a better, safer,
and more tolerable one for us. If we elect to conform to them then
we will see the result in this life even before moving on to the
next.
We are told that the earthly life is a
life of faith and work, and the next life is one of reward and no
work. We have been placed on this earth to worship God, fast, pray,
be industrious, good, kind, respectful, and a source of uprightness
and morality. We are told that God has no need of our worship. Our
worship can not increase the kingdom of God nor add to His power,
however, it is in our best interests both in this life and the next
that we do.
Unlike some other religions which claim
that God entered in a covenant with a certain group of people and
that this group is genetically better than all other human beings,
or closer to God, Islam on the other hand teaches that no color,
race, tribe, or lineage is better than any other. Islam teaches that
all humans are equal in the sight of Allah and that the only thing
that can distinguish them in His sight is their piety and worship.
Levels of Islam
Islam consists of three levels, each
building upon the lower ones. They are:
1) Islam:
- Testify that there is no god
but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
- Establish the daily prayers
- Pay Zakat (Obligatory charity
due the poor)
- Observe the fast of Ramadan
- Perform pilgrimage to the
Ka'aba (in Makkah ) once in your life if you are able
2) Faith (Iman):
- To believe in Allah
- To believe in His angels
- To believe in His Books
(Scriptures)
- To believe in His Messengers
- To believe in the Day of
Judgment
- To believe in the Divine Decree
(Divine fate) whether good or evil
3) Excellence/Goodness (Ihsan )
To worship Allah (God) as if you see
Him, for if you can not see Him, He assuredly sees you.
In Sahih Muslim, Abdullah ibn Umar ibn
al-Khattab narrated:
"My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told
me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (pbuh)
when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes,
his hair was extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on
him, but none among us recognized him.
This man came and sat beside the
Apostle (pbuh) kneeling before him and placing his palms on his
thighs. He then said: Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but Allah and
that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer,
pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to
the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the
journey.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told
the truth.
He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It
amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself
verify the truth.
He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about
Iman (faith). He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your
faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the
Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree,
either good and evil.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told
the truth. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsan
(performance of good deeds).
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you
worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see
Him, He, verily, sees you. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me
about the hour (of the judgment).
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: The one
who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it).
He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of
its indications.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the
slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, and that you
will find barefooted, destitute goat-herders vying with one another
in the construction of magnificent buildings.
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab)
said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with the
messenger of Allah for a long while. The prophet Muhammad then, said
to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and
His Apostle know best.
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was
Gabriel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in your
religion."
What Are The Pillars of Islam?
Islam is built upon five major
pillars. A Muslim is taught that anyone who dies observing these
five basic pillars will enter heaven. As mentioned, they are:
(1) To bear witness that there is
no entity worthy of worship except Allah(God) alone, and that
Muhammad (pbuh) was His messenger. This establishes obedience to God
Almighty alone.
(2) To perform five prescribed
prayers to God every day according to a specific prescribed method
and at specific prescribed times. This continually reminds us to
bear God in mind in all actions, either before or after any given
prayer.
(3) To pay two and a half percent
(2.5%) of ones wealth to charity every year if their savings exceed
a certain minimum level which is considered above the poverty level.
(This is the basic concept, the actual calculation is a little more
complex).
(4) To fast the month of Ramadhan
(from the Islamic Lunar calendar) every year from sun rise until
sunset. This involves not eating, drinking, or having marital
relations, from sun rise until sun set.
(5) To perform a pilgrimage to
Makkah (in the Arabian Peninsula) once in a Muslim's lifetime if it
is financially possible and their health permits. During this
period, Muslims come from all over the world to join together for
six days in a prescribed set of acts of worship. All Muslim men are
mandated to wear the same garment which was designed to be very
plain, simple, and cheap to obtain.
Mu'ad ibn Jabal said: I said to
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him): Inform me about an act which
would entitle me to enter into Paradise, and distance me from the
Hell-Fire. He (the Prophet) said:
"You have asked me about a matter
[which ostensibly appears to be] difficult but it is easy for those
for whom Allah, the Exalted, has made it easy. Worship Allah and do
not associate anything with him, establish prayer, pay the Zakat,
observe the fast of Ramadhan and perform Hajj to the House
(Ka'aba)." (Narrated by Ahmed, al-Tirmathy, and ibn Majah)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Muslims are taught that prophets
are humans who have been selected by God for a special purpose. They
are given miracles to assist them in their message but these
miracles are not performed through their own power, but through the
power of God. The prophets of God have no divine powers of their
own, nor even the power to decide who will go to heaven or to hell.
They are merely there to convey the message entrusted to them by God
to the best of their ability.
In a similar manner, Muhammad
(pbuh) was assisted by God with a number of miracles and entrusted
to convey His message to mankind. Muhammad (pbuh) himself, however,
was just a regular human being. He could not issue passes to heaven.
He could not condemn people to hell. He could not change what was in
people's hearts. He could only convey the message and hope that they
would believe.
Muhammad (pbuh) lived like any
other man or woman of his people. He dressed like they dressed. He
ate the same food they ate. He lived in the same manner and in the
same sort of houses they did. It would be impossible for someone who
did not know him to pick him out of a crowd.
Muhammad (pbuh) taught his
followers through example. If he commanded his followers to do
something, he would be the first to abide by this command. He never
broke his word, he was by far the most charitable man among his
people. He was the most God-fearing and the least attached to this
life.
He never in his life accepted
charity, but worked for a living. He never lied. It was not at all
uncommon for him to spend months on end enduring severe hunger never
seeing a single cooked meal. He taught his followers to be merciful
to their children and respectful to their elders. He commanded them
to never taste alcohol, gamble, engage in usury (interest),
fornication, envy, deceit, or back-biting.
Muhammad (pbuh) taught that no
human being needs any other human being to intercede for him with
God. He showed them that God is within the reach of all his
creation. He hears and sees all and answers His servant's prayers.
Muhammad (pbuh) further severely
cautioned against promoting any of God's creation or groups thereof
to higher levels of divine authority and closeness to God than
others, or the excessive glorification of any human being. This
includes the prophets of God themselves. He taught that the very
best of God's servants are those who continuously seek out knowledge
and that God sees all that they do.
Muhammad (pbuh) taught his
followers to be industrious and to earn an honest living. He taught
them that the best Muslims are those who are not overly obsessed
with earthly wealth since excessive wealth usually leads to
corruption.
However, he also taught that a
wealthy person who is not blinded by his wealth is not condemned by
God and may even be able to utilize his wealth in acts of worship
not available to the poor. In other words, Muhammad (pbuh) taught
moderation in all things.
There is much more that could be
said about the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), however, probably one
of the most general summaries made by Muhammad (pbuh) in this regard
was:
"Righteousness is good conduct,
and sin is that which weaves inside your chest and you hate for it
to be revealed to mankind."
No 'Religious' Hierarchy
In Islam, there is no hierarchy of
religious leadership such as the people of some other religions may
have come to expect. There are no priests, bishops, monks, Popes,
...etc. Muslims define a scholar of Islam as an 'Imam' (not to be
confused with the "Imams" of Iran who claim to have boundless
supernatural powers and divine attributes). In any given
neighborhood, the Imam is the person that a Muslim seeks for
religious rulings.
For example, if a Muslim dies and his
sons want to distribute his inheritance, they go to the Imam and he
presents them with the verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah which
describe the required procedure. This man will also usually give
religious lectures to teach the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
The Muslim Imams and scholars have no
special divine powers. They cannot forgive sins. They do not receive
divine "inspirations." They cannot issue passes to heaven. They do
not have knowledge of the unseen. The can not change the law. They
are just regular Muslims who have distinguished themselves with
their study and their knowledge.
No Monasticism (monkhood)
Islam commands Muslims to obey Allah and
follow his command. It specifies acts of worship which are
acceptable. It encourages Muslims to work and be industrious. It
forbids 'monkhood ' and excessive 'spritualization' or 'Zen' and
other such practices. A Muslim is commanded not to forbid upon
himself that which was made lawful by Allah, nor to introduce new
and innovative acts of worship into the religion.
This means that a Muslim should not
decide that even though Islam allows marriage, he will forbid
it upon himself and remain celibate (he may choose not to marry, but
he can not forbid it upon himself). If he wishes to perform
extra worship, there are many avenues open to him, such as nightly
prayer, charity, abstinence from sin....etc.
Muhammad (pbuh) once gave the example of
two men. One was practicing monasticism and excessive worship,
totally detaching himself from this worldly life. The other was
working for a living and paying for the food and drink that the
"monk" was consuming each day. Muhammad (pbuh) told his followers
that the man who was making an honest living and supporting the
'monk' was greater in reward in the eyes of Allah.
The Law
Islam, like Judaism, is a structured
set of laws and commandments. The basis of Islam is the five pillars
mentioned previously. Anyone who dies observing the five pillars
will enter heaven. Anyone who does not may enter Hell (there are
exceptions). However, there are many subtle levels both above and
below these. These levels are governed by the law.
Islam teaches us that Muslims will be
rewarded in proportion to their good deeds, their restraint from
evil deeds, and their faith. In this manner we will have people who
will enter different levels of heaven, as well as different levels
of hell, in direct proportion to their faith and deeds.
We learn about the laws of Islam from
the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The Qur'an is the Holy book of Islam
which contains the words of Allah Almighty and the broad guidelines
of Islam. The Sunnah, is the traditions of the prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) which included both his words and his actions.
The Sunnah usually provides the
details for those laws which are drawn out in broad outlines in the
Qur'an. Each one of these two sources has a dedicated and very
complex science associated with it.
Al-Bukhari narrated upon the
authority of Abu Hurairah, that he said: Allah's Messenger (peace be
upon him) said:
"Allah said: 'I will declare war
against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And
the most beloved things with which My slave draws nearer to Me is
that which I have ordained upon him. My slave continues to draw
closer to Me through performing 'Nawafil' (supplementary worship)
till I love him.
So I become the sense of hearing with
which he hears, and the sense of sight with which he sees, and the
hand with which he grips, and the leg with which he walks. And if he
asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks my protection, I will
protect him'"
The Way of Life
Islam is not the same as some other
religions from the point of view that it is not confined to a
certain place of worship or a certain act, or acts, of worship.
Islam teaches it's followers that every single aspect of their life,
from eating, to drinking, to sleeping, and everything in-between can
be done in one of two ways: Either a way that pleases God, or one
that displeases Him.
Islam is also a social, economic, and
political way of life. Every single aspect of human existence is
governed by the law of Islam. A Muslim is commanded to respect his
elders and to show humility and respect to his parents. He is also
commanded to show kindness and mercy to those who are younger or
weaker than himself as well as all of God's beasts.
A Muslim is commanded to have
nothing whatsoever to do with usury, gambling, or alcohol. A Muslim,
however, is not passive and weak. He is commanded that if he sees
the laws of God being violated or an injustice being committed, he
must stand up for the truth and fight to establish the law of God,
defend the oppressed, and establish justice and peace.
A Just But Merciful Law
Islam, as mentioned above,
involves a structured set of laws and acts of worship. Some are more
strict and rigid than others. For instance, there can be no excuse
whatsoever for worshipping any entity other than Allah alone. Here
there is no room for compromise. On the other hand, Islam is
designed to also be flexible and lenient.
For instance, if a Muslim is
sick and can not fast during the month of Ramadhan without incurring
bodily harm to himself, then even though this is one of the five
pillars of Islam , he is not mandated to fast. In fact he is
encouraged not to fast. The law allows for leniency in this, and
most other cases.
Muslims are taught that each
good deed is multiplied by Allah Almighty till it becomes the
equivalent of anywhere from ten up to seven hundred similar good
deeds (sometimes more). An evil deed, however, is either counted as
a single evil deed or is forgiven by Allah.
A Muslim is further taught that
as long as there is life there is hope. So long as death has not yet
overcome him, he can still repent from his evil deeds and, if his
intentions are sincere, Allah is willing to forgive all of his past
evil deeds no matter if they exceed the drops of water in the ocean.
Islam teaches Muslims that God
holds them responsible for their INTENTIONS and not necessarily for
their DEEDS. This is revealed by the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the
following saying which was narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab in Sahih
Al-Bukhari:
"The Prophet (pbuh) said, "O
people! The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every
person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So,
whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration
was for Allah and His Messenger, and whoever emigrated to achieve a
worldly benefit or for a woman to marry, then his emigration was for
that which he emigrated for".
Abu Hurairah narrated that
Allah's messenger (pbuh) said
"When Allah completed the
creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His throne:
Verily, 'My Mercy has overcome my Anger'." Narrated in Sahih
Al-Bukhari.
Abu Hurairah furhter narrated :
I heard Allah's messenger (pbuh) saying:
"Allah has divided His Mercy
into one hundred parts, and He kept ninety nine parts with Him and
sent down one part on the earth, and because of that one single
part, His creatures are merciful to each other, so that even the
mare lifts up it's hoof away from it's baby animal, lest it should
trample it." Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari.
To learn more about the
teachings of Islam, please read
http://islamtoday.net/
الاسلام اليوم
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