Monday, August 17, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
About Islam (IISNA pamphlet)
Belief and Worship of The One True God is the cornerstone of a Muslim’s belief.
Many religions also claim belief in One God however, they associate partners with Him. The following are examples:
1. Worshipping or asking forgiveness of God through His creation
2. Delegating some of God’s attributes to other objects or beings
3. Setting up rivals with God by elevating something to be in opposition to Him
The above mentioned beliefs or actions all go against the very principles of Islam.
About Allah
Allah is the personal name of the One True God.
The name “Allah” is the combination of two Arabic words, “Al” and “ilah”. “Al” means “The”, and “ilah” means “God”. These two words come together and refer to “The God”, which implies “The Only God”, or “The Only True God”.
Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word “god” which can be made plural (i.e. gods) or feminine (i.e. goddess). Muslims believe that Allah is:
The One:
1. Allah is one and has no partners at all
2. Allah has no equals or associates
3. Islam rejects characterizing Allah in any human form
4. None of His creation resembles Him
5. There is nothing comparable to Allah
6. No part of Allah is present in anyone (although his knowledge encompasses everything)
The Praiseworthy:
1. No being or object is worthy to be worshipped except Allah
2. Any worship and prayers directed towards (or through) saints, prophets, other human beings or nature is considered idolatry
3. Allah hears all who praise Him
4. Everyone has direct access to Allah
5. Muslims have a direct connection with Allah without the need for any intermediaries [such as idols, saints, angels, priests, planets, Jesus (peace be upon him), animals, graves or statues]
The All-Just:
1. Allah judges everyone based on their own deeds and everyone is accountable for his/her own actions
2. Humans may distinguish themselves and earn Allah's favor through virtue and piety only (not through race or wealth)
The Most High:
1. Allah is over His creation separated from his creatures
2. Allah is high above being compared to anything
The All-Merciful:
1. Allah is incomparably more merciful to His creation than a mother to her baby
2. No one is “born into sin”
3. Allah forgives all sins
The All-Powerful:
1. Allah has no rivals
2. The concept that Allah rested on the 7th day of creation has no basis in Islam
3. Allah has control over everything
4. Obedience to Allah does not increase His Power, and disobedience to Allah does not decrease His Power in any way
5. Not a leaf falls without the permission of Allah
To truly ponder the majesty of Allah makes one humble. This is what Allah calls us to do - to know Him through His attributes and names, realize His Omnipotence and Majesty, call upon Him, and humble ourselves to Him. Allah’s beautiful names and attributes also include:
1. The Creator and Sustainer
2. The Forgiver and Pardoner
3. The Appreciative
4. The All-Knower and All-Aware
5. The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him
6. The One free and far removed from any deficiency
7. The incomparably Great
About the Qur'an
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the literal word of God (1). Together with the authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is the main source of Islamic knowledge. The following are some verses that confirm what has been discussed:
1. “Allah is He, other than Whom there is no other god.” Qur’an 59:22
2. “And worship Allah and associate none with Him.” Qur’an 4:36
3. “So set no equals to Allah while you know (there is none equal to him).” Qur’an 2:22
4. “Say: ‘How do you worship besides Allah something which has no power either to harm or benefit you?" Qur’an 5:76
5. “There is nothing like Him and He hears and sees all things.” Qur’an 42:11
6. “Your Lord says: ‘Call upon Me, I will answer you.” Qur’an 40:60
About Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Muslims believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final Prophet in a long chain of Prophets sent to call the people to the obedience and worship of God alone. Some of these Prophets include Adam, Noah, Joseph, Jacob, Abraham, David, Jesus and Moses (peace be upon them all).
Muslims do not worship or ask divine guidance of Muhammad (peace be upon him). He warned: “Do not exceed bounds in praising me as the Christians do in praising Jesus, Son of Mary. I am only the Lord’s servant; then call me the Servant of Allah and His Messenger.”
Just as Muslims believe that Moses (peace be upon him) was sent with the Torah (2) and that Jesus (peace be upon him) was sent with the Gospel (3), Muslims also believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent with The Qur’an to demonstrate how its teachings should be applied.
Some sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) include:
1. “Among the best of you are they who have the best character.”
2. “Allah will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.”
3. “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.”
4. “Look at the person who is below you; and do not look at one who is superior to you. Thereby you would be able to better appreciate the favors that God has bestowed upon you.”
5. “Do not consider even the smallest good deed as insignificant; even meeting your brother with a cheerful face.”
6. “Be humble and do not harm or consider yourself superior to others.”
About Worship
We have established that Islam teaches that only God alone deserves worship. So what is worship?
Muslim scholars have defined “worship” as, “An all-inclusive term for those internal and external sayings and actions of a person that are pleasing to Allah.”
In other words, the concept of worship in Islam is not limited to rituals such as praying, fasting, giving charity, and performing pilgrimage - it is much more.
A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or her intention and sincerely seeking Allah’s pleasure through these activities. Allah’s Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Greeting a person is charity. Acting justly is charity. Helping a man with his horse is charity. A good word is charity. Every step taken on the way to performing prayers is charity. Removing an obstacle from the road is charity.”
Even earning a living can be done for the sake of God if done for the right reasons (e.g. working to support a family). If however one works to show off or earn fame then this can not be considered worship.
The above might sound strange to those who view religion only as a personal relation between the individual and God and as having no impact on those activities that are not connected specifically with any religious rituals. For Muslims however, Islam is not just a religion, but a complete way of life.
-----
1. Any Quranic translation, either in English or any other language, is neither a Qur’an, nor a version of the Qur’an, but rather it is only a translation of the meaning of the Qur’an. The Qur’an exists only in the Arabic in which it was revealed.
2,3. Only the Qur’an has remained unchanged and preserved, while the other original revelations have been lost or corrupted.
Many religions also claim belief in One God however, they associate partners with Him. The following are examples:
1. Worshipping or asking forgiveness of God through His creation
2. Delegating some of God’s attributes to other objects or beings
3. Setting up rivals with God by elevating something to be in opposition to Him
The above mentioned beliefs or actions all go against the very principles of Islam.
About Allah
Allah is the personal name of the One True God.
The name “Allah” is the combination of two Arabic words, “Al” and “ilah”. “Al” means “The”, and “ilah” means “God”. These two words come together and refer to “The God”, which implies “The Only God”, or “The Only True God”.
Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word “god” which can be made plural (i.e. gods) or feminine (i.e. goddess). Muslims believe that Allah is:
The One:
1. Allah is one and has no partners at all
2. Allah has no equals or associates
3. Islam rejects characterizing Allah in any human form
4. None of His creation resembles Him
5. There is nothing comparable to Allah
6. No part of Allah is present in anyone (although his knowledge encompasses everything)
The Praiseworthy:
1. No being or object is worthy to be worshipped except Allah
2. Any worship and prayers directed towards (or through) saints, prophets, other human beings or nature is considered idolatry
3. Allah hears all who praise Him
4. Everyone has direct access to Allah
5. Muslims have a direct connection with Allah without the need for any intermediaries [such as idols, saints, angels, priests, planets, Jesus (peace be upon him), animals, graves or statues]
The All-Just:
1. Allah judges everyone based on their own deeds and everyone is accountable for his/her own actions
2. Humans may distinguish themselves and earn Allah's favor through virtue and piety only (not through race or wealth)
The Most High:
1. Allah is over His creation separated from his creatures
2. Allah is high above being compared to anything
The All-Merciful:
1. Allah is incomparably more merciful to His creation than a mother to her baby
2. No one is “born into sin”
3. Allah forgives all sins
The All-Powerful:
1. Allah has no rivals
2. The concept that Allah rested on the 7th day of creation has no basis in Islam
3. Allah has control over everything
4. Obedience to Allah does not increase His Power, and disobedience to Allah does not decrease His Power in any way
5. Not a leaf falls without the permission of Allah
To truly ponder the majesty of Allah makes one humble. This is what Allah calls us to do - to know Him through His attributes and names, realize His Omnipotence and Majesty, call upon Him, and humble ourselves to Him. Allah’s beautiful names and attributes also include:
1. The Creator and Sustainer
2. The Forgiver and Pardoner
3. The Appreciative
4. The All-Knower and All-Aware
5. The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him
6. The One free and far removed from any deficiency
7. The incomparably Great
About the Qur'an
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the literal word of God (1). Together with the authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is the main source of Islamic knowledge. The following are some verses that confirm what has been discussed:
1. “Allah is He, other than Whom there is no other god.” Qur’an 59:22
2. “And worship Allah and associate none with Him.” Qur’an 4:36
3. “So set no equals to Allah while you know (there is none equal to him).” Qur’an 2:22
4. “Say: ‘How do you worship besides Allah something which has no power either to harm or benefit you?" Qur’an 5:76
5. “There is nothing like Him and He hears and sees all things.” Qur’an 42:11
6. “Your Lord says: ‘Call upon Me, I will answer you.” Qur’an 40:60
About Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Muslims believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final Prophet in a long chain of Prophets sent to call the people to the obedience and worship of God alone. Some of these Prophets include Adam, Noah, Joseph, Jacob, Abraham, David, Jesus and Moses (peace be upon them all).
Muslims do not worship or ask divine guidance of Muhammad (peace be upon him). He warned: “Do not exceed bounds in praising me as the Christians do in praising Jesus, Son of Mary. I am only the Lord’s servant; then call me the Servant of Allah and His Messenger.”
Just as Muslims believe that Moses (peace be upon him) was sent with the Torah (2) and that Jesus (peace be upon him) was sent with the Gospel (3), Muslims also believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent with The Qur’an to demonstrate how its teachings should be applied.
Some sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) include:
1. “Among the best of you are they who have the best character.”
2. “Allah will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.”
3. “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.”
4. “Look at the person who is below you; and do not look at one who is superior to you. Thereby you would be able to better appreciate the favors that God has bestowed upon you.”
5. “Do not consider even the smallest good deed as insignificant; even meeting your brother with a cheerful face.”
6. “Be humble and do not harm or consider yourself superior to others.”
About Worship
We have established that Islam teaches that only God alone deserves worship. So what is worship?
Muslim scholars have defined “worship” as, “An all-inclusive term for those internal and external sayings and actions of a person that are pleasing to Allah.”
In other words, the concept of worship in Islam is not limited to rituals such as praying, fasting, giving charity, and performing pilgrimage - it is much more.
A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or her intention and sincerely seeking Allah’s pleasure through these activities. Allah’s Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Greeting a person is charity. Acting justly is charity. Helping a man with his horse is charity. A good word is charity. Every step taken on the way to performing prayers is charity. Removing an obstacle from the road is charity.”
Even earning a living can be done for the sake of God if done for the right reasons (e.g. working to support a family). If however one works to show off or earn fame then this can not be considered worship.
The above might sound strange to those who view religion only as a personal relation between the individual and God and as having no impact on those activities that are not connected specifically with any religious rituals. For Muslims however, Islam is not just a religion, but a complete way of life.
-----
1. Any Quranic translation, either in English or any other language, is neither a Qur’an, nor a version of the Qur’an, but rather it is only a translation of the meaning of the Qur’an. The Qur’an exists only in the Arabic in which it was revealed.
2,3. Only the Qur’an has remained unchanged and preserved, while the other original revelations have been lost or corrupted.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Fog is Lifting (8 Parts)
Film Synopsis
Unreliable sources have made Islam by far the most misunderstood religion in the world.
The Fog is Lifting is a series of documentaries that challenges your knowledge about the Islamic faith and traditions.
In this DVD titled Islam in Brief - the first part of The Fog is Lifting- you will learn in 74 minutes more information than what you can acquire in 74 days of reading.
For the viewers convenience, the Film consists of ten chapters; each one deals with one or more specific concept, belief or ritual, even though it is recommended to watch the chapters in order.
Chapter One: The Meaning of Islam; An explanation of the meaning of the word Islam linguistically and idiomatically, and explains why the word Muslim in Arabic doesnt mean literally a follower of Prophet Muhammad.
Chapter Two: Does God exist? Challenging Atheism and proving the concept of Intelligent Design, as well as comparing the words of Philosophers with the words of the Quran.
Chapter Three: Islamic Perspectives; Some Muslim parents tried to force their Jewish sons to convert to Islam, what was the position of the Quran? In this Chapter there is an explanation of the Islamic perception on Original Goodness, Freedom of Choice and equality.
The Six Beliefs
Chapter Four: Islamic Beliefs 1; Is Allah the God of Muslims alone? Or Is Allah the God of non Muslims like Jews and Christians as well?
Chapter Five: Islamic Beliefs 2; an explanation of the Muslims beliefs in the Angels, and the Scriptures of God, including the Quranic position from the Torah and the Gospel, you will also listen to the Quran recited in Arabic.
Chapter Six: Islam and Science; an amazing presentation of the position of science in Islam, and of few scientific miracles of the Quran.
Chapter Seven: Islamic Beliefs 3; what do Muslims believe about messengers, about Jesus Christ and about Muhammad?
Chapter Eight: Islamic Beliefs 4; an explanation of the Islamic Beliefs on resurrection and on Divine Destiny.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Chapter Nine: Pillars of Islam 1; an explanation of the real meanings of the Shahada (testimony of faith), and the ways of communication with Allah.
Chapter Ten: Pillars of Islam 2; how much do Muslims pay as a financial obligation and to whom? What makes a Muslim fasts and abstain from the lawful including eating and drinking for about 15 hours a day in Ramadan, The power of Hajj (Pilgrimage) in changing people highlighting the experience of Malcolm X.
Islam in Brief is originally a power point presentation given by Fadel Soliman-the author of the film- to over 40,000 non Muslims all over the globe in Churches, universities, conferences and government agencies, etc
Islam: a Religion of Peace or War? is the title of Part II of The Fog is Lifting is planned to be out in 2008, focusing on the concept of Jihad and contemporary worlds problems like terrorism and fanaticism.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Introduction to Islamic Beliefs and Practices (III&E brochure)
7 basic beliefs and 7 basic practices
by M. Amir Ali, Ph.D.
The approach to the presentation of Islamic beliefs and practices depends upon the addressee's religion and culture. A reference point of commonalty or contrast is useful. For example, the Christians believe in the "original sin"; the connotation is that a human being has the stigma of being born as a sinner and is dirty filthy by nature. What has a newborn done to be a sinner or to be a filthy person? Contrast this with the Islamic teaching that every human being is born in nature, meaning good with no stigma of any kind and, if left alone without any brain washing will do no wrong. Such a person has a natural ability to distinguish between right and wrong and his tendency is to do right. In the society which raises a person brain washed, many times when he reaches puberty he is all confused – good has become bad and bad has become good under the influence of the society. He was not dirty by birth but the society has made him dirty in beliefs and practices.
Purification
When clothes get dirty, they are washed; when the body gets dirty, a bath or a shower is in order. Similarly, when beliefs and practices have become dirty, a purification job is in order and this purification is the entry into Islam through the door of witnessing or shahadah. Once a person has entered Islam he is purified as a newborn and has a second chance to start over again. His past sins are washed away while keeping his good works as assets.
Analogy of a Building
There are two aspects of purification: (a) physical, and (b) spiritual. Physical purification consists of purifying the body, clothes and environment. Spiritual purification consists of purifying beliefs and practices (works or deeds). The analogy of Islam is that of a building. A building has its foundation, pillars, roof, walls and other components. The foundation of a building is underground and not visible; similarly, the foundation of Islam consists of beliefs and remains invisible. The pillars, walls, roof and other parts of a building are visible. Similarly, what a Muslim says and does is visible and becomes the pillars, roof and walls of Islam. Frequently, Muslims talk about the five pillars of Islam without thinking that five pillars cannot stand without a foundation and only pillars standing on the ground are not called a building. It is, therefore, necessary that Islam be presented in its totality not just five pillars. Five pillars are a necessary but small part of a Muslim's life.
Beliefs as the Foundation of Islam
As the foundation of a building consists of many components, such as, steel, cement, rocks, etc., the foundation of Islam consists of seven components.
1. Allah, the Only True God
Nothing is made without its planner and maker. Similarly, this universe, the earth and life on it, did not happen by itself - the first cause is the Creator, Allah or the God. Allah is the Creator of life and death, hence He is free of death and is Ever Living or Eternal. He created males and females for procreation, hence He is free of gender. Whatever He created He knows in its minutest detail, hence He is All-Knowing. Similarly, He is All-Seeing, All-Hearing, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Forgiving, Just; He has many attributes or good names – Muslims are told that He has ninety-nine names. All of His names are not abstract words but they have relevance in every Muslim's life. He created everything and humankind for a purpose: to serve Him. The God, in Islam, is the bedrock of the foundation of Islam.
2. Prophets and Messengers
Only Allah can tell the purpose of the creation of humankind which He does through his chosen human beings called prophets and messengers. Islam recognizes many prophets of the Bible, such as, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and many in between them. Muhammad Ibn Abd-Allah Ibn Abd-al Muttalib was the last prophet-messenger of Allah who lived fourteen centuries ago. He received guidance from Allah, gave its meaning in words and deeds, thus becoming the role model for humankind.
3. The Guidance from Allah
When one accepts a new job he is given a job description and someone shows him how to do various tasks. Similarly, Allah gives the job description in His revelations and the Prophet shows the meaning and implementation of what and how. All the prophets of the Bible fulfilled their duties and the last prophet, Muhammad, did also. He left behind the Word of Allah, the Qur'an, and his teachings, Hadith, were collected by his companions. The Qur'an and the Hadith are the textual sources of Islamic teachings and will remain so as long as there is life on earth. Allah Himself has taken the responsibility for their preservation.
4. The Angels
Another creation of Allah, scattered all over the universe doing the work for Him, is angels. Human beings have been given very little knowledge about angels. One much honored angel, Gabriel or Jibrail, brought Allah's guidance to the prophets. Along with other angels mentioned in the Qur'an there are two angels with each human being writing his deeds.
5. The Last Day
Allah has created everything with a preset life span. Everything and everyone, from the moment of creation, are running towards its destruction or death. Modern sciences have arrived at the same conclusion. Science tells us that the solar system is middle-aged; when sun arrives at the moment of its death, that will be the end of its planets, including the earth. Similarly, the whole universe has its life span and there will be a Big Crush, the opposite of the Big Bang.
The last day for each human being is the day of his/her death, as there is a last day for life on earth. On the last day of the earth, there will be earthquakes, mountains will either be rendered to sand or will float in space like carded wool, water of the oceans will either be sucked into the earth or will boil away and the valleys thus created will be filled with earth or rocks. The earth will become smooth without mountains or valleys with no life on it. However, this is not the end of human beings. There is life hereafter or the after life.
6. The Life Hereafter
Allah is Just but there is much injustice on earth. Murderers are getting away with murders, embezzlers are getting away with their loot, dictators are getting away with their oppression and injustices, and other criminals are getting away with their crimes. Are they really getting away with their crimes? No, it only appears that way. Everyone will be accountable for his deeds to Allah on the Day of Judgment and will receive reward or punishment. The life of the earth is the life of trials, not the place of real reward or punishment. This leads to the reality of Life Hereafter. After destruction of life on earth Allah will command human beings to come back to life with body and soul, their resurrection. Resurrection is followed by the judgment by Allah. No judgment is complete without reward for good doers and punishment for evil livers. The reward is the life of paradise and punishment is the life of hell. Both are believed to be eternal.
7. Al Qadr (Measure, Destiny, Decree)
People are created as males and females, short or tall, black, white, brown, yellow, smart or not so smart, with appointed parents, having a given time and place of birth and death and so on. All this is decreed by Allah. However, human beings have choices and enjoy limited freedom. The result of their activities depends upon their level of knowledge, level of effort and permission of Allah to succeed. Since human beings do not have perfect knowledge, sometimes they succeed and other times they fail in their pursuits. The admission that only Allah has perfect knowledge and human knowledge is imperfect and practical implications of this admission is Qadr.
Works and Deeds as the Building of Islam Above Ground
The visible part of a building is whatever exists above ground built on a stable foundation. Similarly, a Muslim's life, his talk and his activities must represent his beliefs. They are summarized below.
Five Rites (Acts) of Worship
The term worship has two aspects: (a) Love for Allah more than the love for anyone or anything in life, including the love of one's own life. It simply means that one is willing to give up anyone or anything for the love for Allah. (b) Obedience of Allah and His Messenger for the love of them. If one looks for worldly benefits in obedience of Allah or desires to avoid worldly harm by obeying, then it is for business not for the love of Allah. Five rites of worship are given below.
1. Shahadah, Witnessing
If one believes in the seven aspects of beliefs and is willing to live his life accordingly, he declares his intention voluntarily and publicly or at least in front of two or more witnesses. Such declaration consists of pronouncing, "La Ilaha illa-Allah wa Muhammadur-Rasool-Allah" meaning there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. This pronouncement has the connotation that my Creator, Provider and Sustainer Lord is Allah and I have been brought to this world by Allah to serve Him for which I will be accountable on the Day of Judgment. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(S), brought the guidance from Allah, delivered to me and became a role model for me, therefore, I am going to live by the Qur'an and Sunnah (the way of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(S)).
2. Salah, Prescribed Prayers
Once a person takes shahadah, he is a Muslim and is required to perform the five daily prescribed prayers. In prayers a person addresses Allah directly without any intermediary or intercessor. Islam is the only religion in the world which has removed all kinds of intermediaries and intercessors between man and Allah.
3. Zakah, Wealth Cleansing Tax
The basic principle is that Allah is the owner of heavens and the earth, therefore, He is my owner and everything in my possession belongs to Him. I am only a trustee of Allah for anything in my possession. I must do whatever Allah requires me to do. Allah demands that when a certain amount of money is in one's possession for a year, a small percentage (typically 2.5%) must be spent for Allah's causes. In general, collection of Zakah is spent to help the poor and needy and other Islamic causes.
4. Sawm, Fasting in the Month of Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of Islamic lunar calendar. During this month Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk, meaning not to eat, drink, smoke or indulge in sex. After sunset all lawful food, drink and sex are allowed. However, one must implement the moral code of Islam very strictly because non-adherence has double jeopardy, namely, violating the moral code and nullification of the fast. The fast is a test of one's sincerity to Allah.
5. Hajj, Pilgrimage to Makkah
A Muslim must perform Hajj once in a life time provided expenses can be met without borrowing or owing any money to anyone, health is good and the way is safe. Hajj is the re-creation of some of the trials and tribulations of Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, and Hagar, the wife of Abraham, with a few additional rituals. The Hajj lasts for five days from the 8th to 12th of Dhul Hijjah. Approximately two million people perform Hajj every year.
Significance of the Pillars
The above mentioned five rites of worship are also called the five pillars of Islam. Pillars are supporters of roofs and walls. If the pillars fall down there is no building left. Similarly, if a Muslim is not doing his five daily salah, this pillar is absent from his building of Islam and part of the building is destroyed. He may claim to be a Muslim but in practice he is a hypocrite. The same analogy is applied to other pillars.
Excellence in Knowledge and Conduct
A good believing and practicing Muslim is a role model for the people and the Muslim Ummah is the role model for all other societies. A Muslim scientist must be the best among his peers, a doctor must be the best, a car mechanic must be the best and so on. A role model must excel in all aspects of his life, that is, in knowledge, profession, on the job, in his moral character and honoring other people's rights. Most importantly he must excel in his service to his Lord, Allah.
Islamic Moral Code, Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
Islam requires Muslims to be righteous, truthful, fulfill their promises, be courteous, gentle in disagreements, have humility, keep the trust and keep all other well known virtues. Naturally, Islam condemns the immoral and criminal acts of lying, cheating, backbiting, slandering, breaking promises, breaching the trust, arrogance, haughtiness, and all other well known vices. It is not enough to stay away from vices and adopt all virtues but he has a duty to promote the same good in the society and do everything possible to stop evil and vice.
Fulfill the Duty to Others
There are mutual rights and duties. However, Allah will not ask on the Day of Judgment if you have received all your rights but He will ask if you have done all your duties. Human duties fall under four categories:
1. Duty to Allah
The first and foremost duty is to Allah. There are three duties to Allah, (a) not to associate partners with Him, (b) not to worship anyone but Allah, and (c) not to depend upon anyone for help but Allah.
2. Duty to Other Human Beings
Whenever there is interaction with another person there are mutual rights and duties. One person's rights are other person's duties. There are duties to parents, spouse, children, relatives, neighbors, buyers, sellers, ruler, ruled, boss, subordinates and so on.
3. Community Duty
There is a duty to defend the family, the country and the community as a whole. In addition there are people who cannot provide for themselves, such as, the poor, orphans, widows, handicapped, refugees and others whom a single person cannot support fully but the community as a whole can. Every Muslim should be a part of such a support system. Every human being has five basic rights, namely, food, clothing, shelter, education and health maintenance; every Muslim should be part of the system providing basic rights to all those who cannot provide for themselves.
4. Duty to Manage the Earth
Allah has appointed man Khalifah on the earth, meaning that man is a trustee or manager of the earth for the owner, Allah. Humankind, in general, and Muslims, in particular, have the duty to see that the resources of the earth are not abused: air and water are not polluted, animals are not killed for fun or for greedy people, trees are not cut down unnecessarily and so on. Use resources of the earth but do not abuse them.
Lawful (Halal) and Unlawful (Haram)
This is a part of Islamic Shari'ah, civil and criminal law. Every Muslim is not going to be an Islamic lawyer or a judge, but he should know about a few unlawful things. The basic principle is that everything is lawful except those things which are explicitly unlawful. A few things are doubtful therefore it is advisable to avoid them. The unlawful things fall under four categories.
1. Food and Drink
There are a number of things which have been forbidden as food and drink, such as, flesh of swine, blood, anything offered in the name of anyone other than Allah, flesh of dead animals, carnivorous animals, birds of prey, all intoxicants including alcoholic liquor and drugs of abuse and anything poisonous to humans.
2. Sources of Income
Any business involving production, distribution or sale of unlawful food or drinks is unlawful. In addition, all trades of exploitation or taking others rights away are unlawful, such as, prostitution, gambling, usury and interest, stealing, robbery, embezzlement, monopolizing and hoarding to raise prices and others.
3. Spending the Wealth
It has been mentioned that all wealth is owned by Allah and human beings are trustees for whatever they possess. It is, therefore, necessary that Allah's wealth not be spent wherever Allah does not desire it to be spent. A few examples of such unlawful areas are already given above. One person's spending is another person's source of income. Additional unlawful areas are spending money on unlawful food and drinks to serve others.
4. Sexual Relations
A simple principle is no sex without marriage. An engagement is a social custom not a religious rite. A person closest in blood relation lawful to marry is a first cousin. There is no permission for homosexuality or such "marriages" in Islam.
Conveying the Message of Islam
A duty of every Muslim, male and female, individually and collectively, is to present Islam to the non-Muslims. A Muslim, by the Grace and Mercy of Allah, may go to paradise but a non-Muslim has no such chance. At least, a person must convey the message of Islam to his loved ones, giving them a chance to save themselves from the hell fire.
Implementation of the Rule of Allah
Every aspect of a Muslim's life should be guided by Allah, including personal, family, social, economic and political life. None of the aspects of human life are outside the domain of Allah.
In summary, there are seven essential components of beliefs and seven essentials of good works required of every sane adult Muslim, male and female. The Qur'an and Hadith are essentially explanations of beliefs (Iman) and good works ('Amal-us-Salihat) and learning them in detail could be a life long pursuit.
by M. Amir Ali, Ph.D.
The approach to the presentation of Islamic beliefs and practices depends upon the addressee's religion and culture. A reference point of commonalty or contrast is useful. For example, the Christians believe in the "original sin"; the connotation is that a human being has the stigma of being born as a sinner and is dirty filthy by nature. What has a newborn done to be a sinner or to be a filthy person? Contrast this with the Islamic teaching that every human being is born in nature, meaning good with no stigma of any kind and, if left alone without any brain washing will do no wrong. Such a person has a natural ability to distinguish between right and wrong and his tendency is to do right. In the society which raises a person brain washed, many times when he reaches puberty he is all confused – good has become bad and bad has become good under the influence of the society. He was not dirty by birth but the society has made him dirty in beliefs and practices.
Purification
When clothes get dirty, they are washed; when the body gets dirty, a bath or a shower is in order. Similarly, when beliefs and practices have become dirty, a purification job is in order and this purification is the entry into Islam through the door of witnessing or shahadah. Once a person has entered Islam he is purified as a newborn and has a second chance to start over again. His past sins are washed away while keeping his good works as assets.
Analogy of a Building
There are two aspects of purification: (a) physical, and (b) spiritual. Physical purification consists of purifying the body, clothes and environment. Spiritual purification consists of purifying beliefs and practices (works or deeds). The analogy of Islam is that of a building. A building has its foundation, pillars, roof, walls and other components. The foundation of a building is underground and not visible; similarly, the foundation of Islam consists of beliefs and remains invisible. The pillars, walls, roof and other parts of a building are visible. Similarly, what a Muslim says and does is visible and becomes the pillars, roof and walls of Islam. Frequently, Muslims talk about the five pillars of Islam without thinking that five pillars cannot stand without a foundation and only pillars standing on the ground are not called a building. It is, therefore, necessary that Islam be presented in its totality not just five pillars. Five pillars are a necessary but small part of a Muslim's life.
Beliefs as the Foundation of Islam
As the foundation of a building consists of many components, such as, steel, cement, rocks, etc., the foundation of Islam consists of seven components.
1. Allah, the Only True God
Nothing is made without its planner and maker. Similarly, this universe, the earth and life on it, did not happen by itself - the first cause is the Creator, Allah or the God. Allah is the Creator of life and death, hence He is free of death and is Ever Living or Eternal. He created males and females for procreation, hence He is free of gender. Whatever He created He knows in its minutest detail, hence He is All-Knowing. Similarly, He is All-Seeing, All-Hearing, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Forgiving, Just; He has many attributes or good names – Muslims are told that He has ninety-nine names. All of His names are not abstract words but they have relevance in every Muslim's life. He created everything and humankind for a purpose: to serve Him. The God, in Islam, is the bedrock of the foundation of Islam.
2. Prophets and Messengers
Only Allah can tell the purpose of the creation of humankind which He does through his chosen human beings called prophets and messengers. Islam recognizes many prophets of the Bible, such as, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and many in between them. Muhammad Ibn Abd-Allah Ibn Abd-al Muttalib was the last prophet-messenger of Allah who lived fourteen centuries ago. He received guidance from Allah, gave its meaning in words and deeds, thus becoming the role model for humankind.
3. The Guidance from Allah
When one accepts a new job he is given a job description and someone shows him how to do various tasks. Similarly, Allah gives the job description in His revelations and the Prophet shows the meaning and implementation of what and how. All the prophets of the Bible fulfilled their duties and the last prophet, Muhammad, did also. He left behind the Word of Allah, the Qur'an, and his teachings, Hadith, were collected by his companions. The Qur'an and the Hadith are the textual sources of Islamic teachings and will remain so as long as there is life on earth. Allah Himself has taken the responsibility for their preservation.
4. The Angels
Another creation of Allah, scattered all over the universe doing the work for Him, is angels. Human beings have been given very little knowledge about angels. One much honored angel, Gabriel or Jibrail, brought Allah's guidance to the prophets. Along with other angels mentioned in the Qur'an there are two angels with each human being writing his deeds.
5. The Last Day
Allah has created everything with a preset life span. Everything and everyone, from the moment of creation, are running towards its destruction or death. Modern sciences have arrived at the same conclusion. Science tells us that the solar system is middle-aged; when sun arrives at the moment of its death, that will be the end of its planets, including the earth. Similarly, the whole universe has its life span and there will be a Big Crush, the opposite of the Big Bang.
The last day for each human being is the day of his/her death, as there is a last day for life on earth. On the last day of the earth, there will be earthquakes, mountains will either be rendered to sand or will float in space like carded wool, water of the oceans will either be sucked into the earth or will boil away and the valleys thus created will be filled with earth or rocks. The earth will become smooth without mountains or valleys with no life on it. However, this is not the end of human beings. There is life hereafter or the after life.
6. The Life Hereafter
Allah is Just but there is much injustice on earth. Murderers are getting away with murders, embezzlers are getting away with their loot, dictators are getting away with their oppression and injustices, and other criminals are getting away with their crimes. Are they really getting away with their crimes? No, it only appears that way. Everyone will be accountable for his deeds to Allah on the Day of Judgment and will receive reward or punishment. The life of the earth is the life of trials, not the place of real reward or punishment. This leads to the reality of Life Hereafter. After destruction of life on earth Allah will command human beings to come back to life with body and soul, their resurrection. Resurrection is followed by the judgment by Allah. No judgment is complete without reward for good doers and punishment for evil livers. The reward is the life of paradise and punishment is the life of hell. Both are believed to be eternal.
7. Al Qadr (Measure, Destiny, Decree)
People are created as males and females, short or tall, black, white, brown, yellow, smart or not so smart, with appointed parents, having a given time and place of birth and death and so on. All this is decreed by Allah. However, human beings have choices and enjoy limited freedom. The result of their activities depends upon their level of knowledge, level of effort and permission of Allah to succeed. Since human beings do not have perfect knowledge, sometimes they succeed and other times they fail in their pursuits. The admission that only Allah has perfect knowledge and human knowledge is imperfect and practical implications of this admission is Qadr.
Works and Deeds as the Building of Islam Above Ground
The visible part of a building is whatever exists above ground built on a stable foundation. Similarly, a Muslim's life, his talk and his activities must represent his beliefs. They are summarized below.
Five Rites (Acts) of Worship
The term worship has two aspects: (a) Love for Allah more than the love for anyone or anything in life, including the love of one's own life. It simply means that one is willing to give up anyone or anything for the love for Allah. (b) Obedience of Allah and His Messenger for the love of them. If one looks for worldly benefits in obedience of Allah or desires to avoid worldly harm by obeying, then it is for business not for the love of Allah. Five rites of worship are given below.
1. Shahadah, Witnessing
If one believes in the seven aspects of beliefs and is willing to live his life accordingly, he declares his intention voluntarily and publicly or at least in front of two or more witnesses. Such declaration consists of pronouncing, "La Ilaha illa-Allah wa Muhammadur-Rasool-Allah" meaning there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. This pronouncement has the connotation that my Creator, Provider and Sustainer Lord is Allah and I have been brought to this world by Allah to serve Him for which I will be accountable on the Day of Judgment. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(S), brought the guidance from Allah, delivered to me and became a role model for me, therefore, I am going to live by the Qur'an and Sunnah (the way of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(S)).
2. Salah, Prescribed Prayers
Once a person takes shahadah, he is a Muslim and is required to perform the five daily prescribed prayers. In prayers a person addresses Allah directly without any intermediary or intercessor. Islam is the only religion in the world which has removed all kinds of intermediaries and intercessors between man and Allah.
3. Zakah, Wealth Cleansing Tax
The basic principle is that Allah is the owner of heavens and the earth, therefore, He is my owner and everything in my possession belongs to Him. I am only a trustee of Allah for anything in my possession. I must do whatever Allah requires me to do. Allah demands that when a certain amount of money is in one's possession for a year, a small percentage (typically 2.5%) must be spent for Allah's causes. In general, collection of Zakah is spent to help the poor and needy and other Islamic causes.
4. Sawm, Fasting in the Month of Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of Islamic lunar calendar. During this month Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk, meaning not to eat, drink, smoke or indulge in sex. After sunset all lawful food, drink and sex are allowed. However, one must implement the moral code of Islam very strictly because non-adherence has double jeopardy, namely, violating the moral code and nullification of the fast. The fast is a test of one's sincerity to Allah.
5. Hajj, Pilgrimage to Makkah
A Muslim must perform Hajj once in a life time provided expenses can be met without borrowing or owing any money to anyone, health is good and the way is safe. Hajj is the re-creation of some of the trials and tribulations of Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, and Hagar, the wife of Abraham, with a few additional rituals. The Hajj lasts for five days from the 8th to 12th of Dhul Hijjah. Approximately two million people perform Hajj every year.
Significance of the Pillars
The above mentioned five rites of worship are also called the five pillars of Islam. Pillars are supporters of roofs and walls. If the pillars fall down there is no building left. Similarly, if a Muslim is not doing his five daily salah, this pillar is absent from his building of Islam and part of the building is destroyed. He may claim to be a Muslim but in practice he is a hypocrite. The same analogy is applied to other pillars.
Excellence in Knowledge and Conduct
A good believing and practicing Muslim is a role model for the people and the Muslim Ummah is the role model for all other societies. A Muslim scientist must be the best among his peers, a doctor must be the best, a car mechanic must be the best and so on. A role model must excel in all aspects of his life, that is, in knowledge, profession, on the job, in his moral character and honoring other people's rights. Most importantly he must excel in his service to his Lord, Allah.
Islamic Moral Code, Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
Islam requires Muslims to be righteous, truthful, fulfill their promises, be courteous, gentle in disagreements, have humility, keep the trust and keep all other well known virtues. Naturally, Islam condemns the immoral and criminal acts of lying, cheating, backbiting, slandering, breaking promises, breaching the trust, arrogance, haughtiness, and all other well known vices. It is not enough to stay away from vices and adopt all virtues but he has a duty to promote the same good in the society and do everything possible to stop evil and vice.
Fulfill the Duty to Others
There are mutual rights and duties. However, Allah will not ask on the Day of Judgment if you have received all your rights but He will ask if you have done all your duties. Human duties fall under four categories:
1. Duty to Allah
The first and foremost duty is to Allah. There are three duties to Allah, (a) not to associate partners with Him, (b) not to worship anyone but Allah, and (c) not to depend upon anyone for help but Allah.
2. Duty to Other Human Beings
Whenever there is interaction with another person there are mutual rights and duties. One person's rights are other person's duties. There are duties to parents, spouse, children, relatives, neighbors, buyers, sellers, ruler, ruled, boss, subordinates and so on.
3. Community Duty
There is a duty to defend the family, the country and the community as a whole. In addition there are people who cannot provide for themselves, such as, the poor, orphans, widows, handicapped, refugees and others whom a single person cannot support fully but the community as a whole can. Every Muslim should be a part of such a support system. Every human being has five basic rights, namely, food, clothing, shelter, education and health maintenance; every Muslim should be part of the system providing basic rights to all those who cannot provide for themselves.
4. Duty to Manage the Earth
Allah has appointed man Khalifah on the earth, meaning that man is a trustee or manager of the earth for the owner, Allah. Humankind, in general, and Muslims, in particular, have the duty to see that the resources of the earth are not abused: air and water are not polluted, animals are not killed for fun or for greedy people, trees are not cut down unnecessarily and so on. Use resources of the earth but do not abuse them.
Lawful (Halal) and Unlawful (Haram)
This is a part of Islamic Shari'ah, civil and criminal law. Every Muslim is not going to be an Islamic lawyer or a judge, but he should know about a few unlawful things. The basic principle is that everything is lawful except those things which are explicitly unlawful. A few things are doubtful therefore it is advisable to avoid them. The unlawful things fall under four categories.
1. Food and Drink
There are a number of things which have been forbidden as food and drink, such as, flesh of swine, blood, anything offered in the name of anyone other than Allah, flesh of dead animals, carnivorous animals, birds of prey, all intoxicants including alcoholic liquor and drugs of abuse and anything poisonous to humans.
2. Sources of Income
Any business involving production, distribution or sale of unlawful food or drinks is unlawful. In addition, all trades of exploitation or taking others rights away are unlawful, such as, prostitution, gambling, usury and interest, stealing, robbery, embezzlement, monopolizing and hoarding to raise prices and others.
3. Spending the Wealth
It has been mentioned that all wealth is owned by Allah and human beings are trustees for whatever they possess. It is, therefore, necessary that Allah's wealth not be spent wherever Allah does not desire it to be spent. A few examples of such unlawful areas are already given above. One person's spending is another person's source of income. Additional unlawful areas are spending money on unlawful food and drinks to serve others.
4. Sexual Relations
A simple principle is no sex without marriage. An engagement is a social custom not a religious rite. A person closest in blood relation lawful to marry is a first cousin. There is no permission for homosexuality or such "marriages" in Islam.
Conveying the Message of Islam
A duty of every Muslim, male and female, individually and collectively, is to present Islam to the non-Muslims. A Muslim, by the Grace and Mercy of Allah, may go to paradise but a non-Muslim has no such chance. At least, a person must convey the message of Islam to his loved ones, giving them a chance to save themselves from the hell fire.
Implementation of the Rule of Allah
Every aspect of a Muslim's life should be guided by Allah, including personal, family, social, economic and political life. None of the aspects of human life are outside the domain of Allah.
In summary, there are seven essential components of beliefs and seven essentials of good works required of every sane adult Muslim, male and female. The Qur'an and Hadith are essentially explanations of beliefs (Iman) and good works ('Amal-us-Salihat) and learning them in detail could be a life long pursuit.
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