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Chapter
11: What is Islam? "Did
you think that We had created you in play, and that you would not be
returned unto Us?" The noble Qur'an, Al-Muminoon(23):115. This chapter
shall, in great brevity, present some of the fundamental teachings of
Islam. The following chapter will then present some of the details of a
Muslim's faith. 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 Gotama 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. "O humankind! Verily! We have
created you from a male and female, and have made you nations and tribes
that you may know one another. Verily! the noblest among you in the
sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily! Allah is The Knower, The
Aware." The Qur'an, Al-Hujrat(49):13. Levels of Islam:
Islam consists of three levels, each
building upon the lower ones. They are: 1) Islam:
2) Faith (Iman):
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)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. "And We have sent down unto you (O
Muhammad) the Reminder (one of the names of the Qur'an), that you may
clarify to mankind that which was sent down to them" The noble Qur'an, Al-Nahil(16):44 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". "The good deed and the evil deed
are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better"
The noble Qur'an, Fussilat(41):34 "Verily! Allah does not forgive
that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgives (all) save that
to whom He will. Whoso ascribes partners to Allah, he has indeed
invented a tremendous sin." The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):48. "Whatever of misfortune strikes
you, it is what your right hands have earned. And He forgives
much." The noble Qur'an, Al-Shurah(42):30 "And those who, when they do an
evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness
for their sins. Who forgives sins save Allah only? and they do not
knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did. The reward of such will be
forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens underneath which rivers flow,
wherein they will abide for ever, a bountiful reward for workers!" The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran(3):135-136. "He knows the treachery of the
eyes, and that which the chests do hide." The noble Qur'an, Ghafir(40):19. "He is the One that accepts
repentance from His Servants and forgives sins: and He knows all that
you do." The noble Qur'an, Al-Shurah(42):25. "The likeness of those who spend
their wealth in Allah's way is as the likeness of a grain which grows
seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase
to whom He will. Allah is All Embracing, All Knowing." The noble Qur'an, al-Bakarah(2):261 "Say: My slaves who have been
prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who
forgives all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Turn unto Him
repentant, and surrender unto Him, before there comes unto you the doom,
when you cannot be helped. And follow the better (guidance) of that
which is revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom comes on you
suddenly when you know not, Lest any soul should say Alas, my grief that
I was unmindful of Allah, and I was indeed among the scoffers! Or should
say: if Allah had but guided me I should have been among the dutiful! Or
should say, when it sees the doom: Oh, that I had but a second chance
that I might be among the righteous! (But now the answer will be): Nay,
for My revelations came unto you, but you denied them and were scornful
and were among the disbelievers." The noble Qur'an, Al-Zumar(39):53-59. 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. Names of God: The people of Christianity have been taught
to refer to their deity as "God." If you were to ask one of
them: "What is your god's name?," they would respond
"God!" (there are some exceptions). They object to Muslims
worshipping "Allah," and usually picture "Allah" as
some pagan god. Some of them will even go so far as to curse
"Allah," not realizing that they are cursing "God." Now the question becomes: where did the
name "God" come from? Did Jesus (pbuh) ever say
"God"? Did Moses (pbuh) ever say "God"? No! The Jews
and Arabs are both Semitic tribes which descended from one father,
Abraham (pbuh). Their languages are quite similar. The Old Testament
tells us that Moses (pbuh) referred to God as "El" or "Elohiym."
Jesus (pbuh) too, referred to God using a similar construct. Jesus (pbuh)
spoke Aramaic, however, the ancient copies of the Gospel available to us
today are mostly written in Greek. Very little of Jesus' actual words
have been preserved to this day. However, we do know from Mark 15:34
that Jesus (pbuh) referred to God as "Eloi." "Eloi"
is an Aramaic word which means "My God." It is pronounced as
{el-o-ee'}. The Arabs would say the same word as "Elahi,"
pronounced {el-ah-ee'}. So Muslims refer to God with virtually the exact
same word Jesus (pbuh) used. Muslims are taught that Allah Almighty has
more than one hundred names, the most well known among them being
"Allah." These names are to be found in many places throughout
the Qur'an. They embody the major characteristics of Allah Almighty such
as "The Gracious," "The Merciful," "The
Majestic," "The Supreme"...etc.. These names are usually
considered adjectives, unless they are applied to Allah Himself, in
which case they are treated as proper nouns. For instance: "Allah's are the fairest names.
Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His
names. They will be requited what they do." The noble Qur'an, Al-Aaraf(7):180. "Say (unto mankind): Supplicate
unto Allah, or supplicate unto the 'Rahman'
(Compassionate/Merciful/Gracious), unto whichever you supplicate (it is
the same). His are the most beautiful names." The noble Qur'an, al-Isra(17):110. "Allah! There is no god save Him.
His are the most beautiful names.." The noble Qur'an, Taha(20):8. "Not equal are the Companions of
the Fire and the Companions of the Garden: The companions of the Garden,
they are the triumphant. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain
verily you would have seen it humble, rent asunder for fear of Allah.
Such are the similitudes which We propound to humanity that they may
reflect. He is Allah, other than whom there is no other god, He is the
'Knower' of (all things) both the unseen and the seen; He is the
'Gracious' the 'Merciful'. He is Allah, other than whom there is no god,
the 'Sovereign' the 'Holy One' the (source of)'Peace,' the 'Guardian of
Faith' the 'Overseer,' the 'Majestic,' the 'Irresistible,' the
'Supreme': Glory be to Allah! (highly exalted is He) above the partners
they attribute to Him. He is Allah the 'Creator,' the 'Innovator,' the
'Fashioner'. His are the Most Beautiful Names: Whatever is in the
heavens and on earth do glorify Him: and He is the 'Mighty' the
'Wise'." The noble Qur'an, al-Hashir (59):20-24. To learn more about the teachings of Islam,
please read
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