Narrated 'Umar, (an esteemed Companion of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)):
"One day while we were sitting with Allah's Messenger a man suddenly appeared before us,
wearing a very white dress and having very black hair, without any signs of journey upon him,
and none of us knew him.
He approached until he sat before the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with his knees touching the Prophet's knees and he placed his hands on his (the Prophet's) thighs and said:
"O Muhammad, inform me about Islam."
Allah's Messenger said: "Islam is to bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to offer Salat (Prayer), pay Zakat (Charity), fast during
the month of Ramadhan and to make Hajj (the Pilgrimage to Makkah) if you are able and have the means to make the journey."
The man said: "You spoke the Truth." We were surprised at his asking and confirming at the same time.
He said: "Inform me about Iman (Faith)"
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books and Messengers, the Last Day and to believe in the Divine Pre-ordainment of all that is good and evil."
He again said: "You spoke the Truth." He said: "Inform me about Ihsan."
He (Peace be upon him) said: "Ihsan (Perfection) is to worship Allah (God) as if you see him;
for although you do not see Him, He surely He sees you."
He (the man) said: "Inform about the Hour. (The final Hour, before the Day of Judgement)"
He (Peace be upon him) said: "The one asked, has no more knowledge of it than the one who is asking."
He (the man) said: "Inform me about its signs."
He (Peace be upon him) said: "(Its signs are) the slave-girl will give birth to her Mistress, and you will see the bare-footed, naked, impoverished shepherds competing with each other in constructing tall buildings."
Then the stranger left. The Prophet remained seated for quite a while, then he asked me:
"O 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?" I said: "Allah (God) and His Messenger know best."
He (Peace be upon him) said: "That was Jibreel (the angel Gabriel), he came to teach you your Religion."
(Reported in Sahih Muslim)
And Allah the Almighty states in the Qur'an, that piety and righteousness are the qualities of the one who:
" ...gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to
Al Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As Salat (the Prayer), and gives the Zakat (Charity), and who fulfill their
covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al muttaqun (the pious)."
(The Noble Qur'an Surah 2:177)
Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than man is administered TOTALLY by God-made laws i.e. they are obedient to God and submissive to His laws i.e. they are in the STATE OF ISLAM (Submission to the Creator's Will). Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the good will of Allah (God) and obey His law ie. become a Muslim (One who submits). Submission to the good will of Allah, 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 Allah's Prophets and Messengers including Ibraheem (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Eesa (Jesus) and Muhammad (May the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all). Islam's message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious evolution by Allah's last Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
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.
Allah is High and Supreme but He is very near (in His Knowledge) 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. Allah is Loving, as well as being 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. Many of Allah's attributes are mentioned in the Quran.
Allah 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, Allah 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... for our own benefit and our own good.
The message of all the prophets and messengers was, and is, the same. They all asked the people of their time to obey and worship Allah and none other. Ibraheem (Abrahim), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Eesa (Jesus) and Muhammad (Peace be upon them all), each of whom were given their own book from Allah, were sent at different times to bring back those human- beings who had deviated from the Right Course.
The Qur'an 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 Jibreel (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 Qur'an 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 Qur'an 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 Qur'anic teachings.
The Qur'an 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 Qur'an today is the same as it was revealed all those centuries ago.
Muslims 'till today memorize the Qur'an word by word, as a whole, or in part. Today, the Quran is the only authentic and complete book of Allah. For - as Allah the Almighty has stated within the Qur'an's pages - He will, and is protecting it from being lost, corrupted and/or concealed.
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 that the angels are recording them.
People with good records will be generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to Allah's Paradise (Al Jannah). People with bad and evil records will be fairly punished and cast into the Hell-Fire (Jahannum). The real nature of Paradise and Hell are known to Allah only, but they are described by Allah in man's familiar terms in the Qur'an.
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... but without doubt, it is surely coming.
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. The key is balance, and patience. For, in the end, Allah is All Powerful, and controls everything.
A Muslim also believes that every person is born muslim (One who submits to Allah's Will). Every person is endowed by Allah with 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. Indeed, it would not be just to have one man, or woman, carry the sin of another man, or woman. To each being is his/her own deeds... truly this is justice! 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, no original sin. Adam committed the first sin, he prayed to Allah for pardon and Allah granted Adam pardon.
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. Indeed, every Muslim must preach Islam, both in words and in action.
A Muslim believes that the Qur'an is the word of Allah revealed to prophet Muhammad through the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel). The Qur'an 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 Qur'an was revealed in Arabic and it is still in its original and complete Arabic version until today. As well, throughout history it has been memorised by billions of Muslims... In fact, It still is memorized by Muslims all around the Globe, being the most read book on Earth.
A Muslim also believes in a clear distinction between the Qur'an and the Traditions (called Hadeeths) of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Whereas, the Qur'an is the word of Allah, the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad (hadeeths i.e.: his teachings, sayings, and actions) are the practical interpretations of the Qur'an. Both the Qur'an and the Hadeeths of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) are the primary sources of knowledge in Islam.
1. Prayer (Salah)
Praying, to the Creator on a daily basis, is the best way to cultivate in humanbeings sound personalities and the actualization of their aspirations. Allah does not need man's prayer because He is free of all needs. Salah is for our benefit. The benefits of which are immeasurable and the blessings are beyond imagination.
In salah, every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of Allah. Salah is an act of worship. It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all combined.
Offering of salah 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 salah: performing of ablution (Wudu), purity of the whole body, clothes and ground used for prayer, dressing properly (covering one's nakedness) and having the intention (in one's heart), and facing the Qiblah; the direction of the Ka'bah (the world's oldest Mosque) at Makkah, in Saudi Arabia.
Obligatory Salah: Five daily salahs, the Friday's noon congregational salah, and the funeral salah.
Highly recommended salah: Those accompanying the obligatory salah and the two great festival ('Eid) salahs.
Optional salah: Voluntary salah during the day and night.
Times of Obligatory Salah:
1. Early Morning - after dawn and before sunrise.
2. Noon - after the sun begins to decline from its zenith until it is about midway on its course to set.
3. Mid-afternoon - after the expiration of the noon salah time until sunset.
4. Sunset - immediately after sunset until the red glow in the western horizon disappears.
5. Evening - after the expiration of the sunset salah until dawn.
Prayer (Salah) should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable excuse otherwise. Delayed obligatory salah must be made up. In addition to the prescribed salah, a Muslim expresses gratitude to Allah 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. For everything exists, and happens, only by the Will of the Creator.
2. Fasting
Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, and intimate sexual contacts, in fact, abstention from the intake of anything through the mouth, from the break of dawn till sunset. It is a matchless Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of sincere love to Allah. 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 Ramadhan; the ninth month of the Islamic year. It is also recommended to fast every Monday and Thursday of every week, three days in the middle of each Islamic month, six days after Ramadhan, following the Feast Day, and a few days of the two months before Ramadhan. The fasting of Ramadhan 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. The following is are the exceptions: women during their period of menstruation and while nursing their child, and also in case of travel and sickness.
3. Giving Charity (Zakah)
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 purify 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 socio-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 85g of gold (approx. $1400 in 1990) or more in cash or articles of trade, must give Zakah at 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. Also, 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.
4. The Pilgrimmage (Hajj)
It is a pilgrimage to Makkah, 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 the faithful 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 Makkah in response to the call of Allah the Almighty. There is no loyalty but the loyalty of all to Allah, the Creator. It is to commemorate the Divine rituals observed by the Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham) and his son Isma'eel (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 Makkah to glorify Allah, not to worship a man. The visit to the tomb of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) at Madinah is highly recommended but not essential in making the Hajj valid and complete.
*Its universality has been clearly confirmed by the Qur'an (Surah 7: verse 158, 6:19, 34:28, 81:27).
*It is a logical consequence of the finality of his prophethood. He had to be the guide and the leader for all men and for all ages.
*Allah has provided, through him, a complete code which is to be followed, and this in itself supports the concept of finality, because without completeness, the need for other prophets would remain.
*It is a fact that during the last 1400 years no man has arisen whose life and works bear even the slightest resemblance to that of a prophet. Nor has anyone presented a book which could be remotely considered a divine communication. Still less has there been a man to claim legitimate authority as a law-giver for mankind.
The mission of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), as well as of other prophets who brought the universal message of Islam, does not end with the announcement of the message. He has to guide the people by explaining to them the implications of the Islamic creed, the moral code, the divine injunctions and commandments, and the forms of worship that sustain the whole system. He has to exemplify the faith so others can pattern their participation in the evolution of Islamic culture and civilization. The believers must grow under his guidance into an organized community so that Allah's word will prevail over all other words.
1. Spiritual Life: Prayer (salah), fasting, giving charity (zakah), pilgrimage (hajj), love for Allah and His Messenger, love for Truth and humanity for the sake of Allah, hope and trust in Allah at all times and doing good for the sake of Allah.
2. Intellectual Life: True knowledge based on clear proof and indisputable evidence acquired by experience or experiment or by both. The Qur'an points to the rich sources of knowledge in the whole universe. Islam demands faith in Allah on the basis of knowledge and research and leaves wide open all fields of thought before the intellect to penetrate as far it can reach.
3. Personal Life: Purity and cleanliness, a healthy diet, proper clothing, proper behaviour, and good healthy sexual relations within the marriage unit.
4. Family Life: A family is a human social group whose members are bound together by the bond of blood ties and/or marital relationship and nothing else (adoption, mutual alliance, common law, trial marriage...etc.). Marriage is a religious duty on all who are capable of meeting its responsibilities. Each member of the family has rights and obligations.
5. Social Life: Man is ordained by Allah to extend his utmost help and kindness to other family members, relations, servants and neighbours. There is no superiority on account of class, colour, origin or wealth. Humanity represents one family springing from the one and the same father and mother. The unity of humanity is not only in its origin but also in its ultimate aim.
6. Economical Life: Earning one's living through decent labour is not only a duty but a great virtue as well. Earning is man's private possession. The individual is responsible for the prosperity of the state, and the state is responsible for the security of the individual. The Islamic economic system is not based on arithmetical calculations only but also on morals and principles. Man comes to this world empty-handed and departs empty-handed. The real owner of things is Allah the Almighty, alone. Man is simply a trustee.
7. Political Life: The sovereignty in the Islamic State belongs to Allah; the people exercise it by trust from Him to enforce His laws. The ruler is only an acting executive chosen by the people to serve them according to Allah's law. The State is to administer justice and provide security for all citizens. Rulers and administrators must be chosen from the best qualified citizens. If an administration betrays the trust of Allah and the people, it has to be replaced. Non-Muslims can administer their personal life of marriage, divorce, foods and inheritance according to the Islamic law or to their own religious teachings. They may pay Zakah or a different tax tribute: "Jizyah". They are entitled to the full protection and security of the State, including freedom of religion.
8. International Life: Man has a common origin, human status and aim. Other people's interests and rights to life, honour and property are respected as long as the right of Muslims are in tact. Transgression is forbidden. War is only justified if the state security is endangered. During war, destruction of crops, animals and homes, killing non-fighting women, children and aged people are forbidden.
2. Islam, An Introduction. Undated. Compiled by Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Elmasry c/o KW Islamic Association, P.O. Box 823, Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA N2J 4C2, (519) 885-2225.
