Islam BAsic Beliefs Part 1 (Jesus, ritual, moral, punishment, reject)

[ahmedhelmy]

The Arabic word Islam means voluntary surrender

to the will of Allah and obedience to His commands.

Allah is an Arabic word, the proper name of God.

Muslims prefer to use the word Allah rather than

God. A person who freely and consciously accepts

the Islamic way of life and sincerely practices it is

called a Muslim.

BASIC BELIEFS

TAWHID

is the most important Islamic belief. It

implies that everything in existence originates from

the one and only Creator, who is also the Sustainer

and the sole Source of Guidance. This belief should

govern all aspects of human life. Recognition of

this fundamental truth results in a unified view of

existence that rejects any divisions of life into the

religious and the secular. Allah is the sole source

of Power and Authority and therefore entitled to

worship and obedience from mankind. There is no

scope for any partnership with the Creator. Tawhid

teaches man that Allah is not born, nor is anyone

born of Him. He has no son or daughter. Human

beings, like the rest of creation, are His subjects.

RISALAH

means Prophethood and

Messengership. Allah has not left humanity without

guidance for the conduct of our affairs. Since

the creation of the first human, Allah has revealed

His guidance to mankind through His prophets. The

prophets who received books from Allah are called

messengers. The message of all the prophets and

messengers is one and the same. They urged the

people of their time to obey and worship Allah alone

and none other. Whenever the teachings of a prophet

were distorted by people Allah sent another prophet

to bring human beings back to the Straight Path.

The chain of Risalah began with Adam, included

Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Lot, Jacob, Joseph,

Moses and Jesus, and ended with

Muhammad (peace be upon them all), as the final

messenger of Allah to mankind.

The revealed books from Allah are: the Torah

(Tawrah), the Psalms (Zabur), the Gospel (Injeel)

and the Qur’an. The Qur’an was revealed to Prophet

Muhammad (p)

1, as the final book of Guidance.

Among all these books, it is only the Qur’an that

remains unchanged, in its original revealed form.

AKHIRAH

means life after death. Belief in Akhirah

has a profound impact on the life of a believer. We

are all accountable to Allah on the Day of Judgment

when we will be judged according to how we

lived our lives. One who obeys and worships Allah

will be rewarded with a permanent place of happiness

and bliss in Paradise (

Jannah); One who does

not do so will be sent to Hell (

Jahannam), a place

of punishment and suffering.

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Islam has five pillars or basic foundations of action.

Acting correctly and sincerely on these foundations

transforms a Muslim’s life into one that is in harmony

with nature and thus in conformity with the

will of the Creator. Faithful practice of these duties

inspires her to work towards the establishment of

justice, equality and righteousness in society, and

the eradication of injustice, falsehood and evil.

1. SHAHADAH

, the first of the five basic foundations,

is the declaration, knowingly and voluntarily,

of:

La ilaha illal lahu Muhammadur rasulul lah. “There

is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger

of Allah”

This declaration is the basis of all actions in Islam,

and the other basic duties follow this affirmation.

2. SALAH

(compulsory prayer) is offered five times

a day. It is a practical demonstration of faith, and

keeps a believer in touch with her Creator. The benefits

of Salah are far-reaching, long lasting and immeasurable.

It develops in a believer the qualities of

self-discipline, steadfastness and obedience to the

Truth, leading her to be patient, honest and truthful

in the affairs of her life.

3. ZAKAH

(welfare contribution) is a compulsory

payment from a Muslim’s annual savings. It can

only be spent on helping the poor, the needy, and

the oppressed, and for the general upliftment of

society. Zakah is one of the fundamental principles

of Islamic economy, which insures an equitable

society where everyone has a right to contribute

and share.

4. SAWM

is the annual obligatory fasting during

the month of Ramadan - the ninth month of the

Islamic calendar. A Muslim, every day of this

month, refrains from eating, drinking, smoking, and

sex, from dawn to sunset. Sawm develops a

believer’s moral and spiritual standard and keeps

him away from selfishness, greed, extravagance

and other vices. Sawm is an annual training program

that increases a Muslim’s determination to fulfill

his obligation to the Almighty Lord.

5. HAJJ

(pilgrimage to the House of Allah) is an

annual event, obligatory on those Muslims who can

afford to undertake it, at least once in their lifetime.

It is a journey to the “House of Allah” (Al-Ka’bah) in

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the twelfth month of the

Islamic calendar. Hajj symbolizes the unity of humankind;

Muslims from every race and nationality

assemble together in equality and fraternity to worship

their Lord.

THE QUR’AN

The Qur’an is the final Book of guidance from Allah,

sent down to Prophet Muhammad (p) through

the angel Gabriel (Jibra’il). Every word of the Qur’an

is the word of Allah. The Qur’an is unrivaled in its

recording and preservation. Unlike other scriptures

that were corrupted with human interpolations and

omissions, the Qur’an has remained unchanged

even to a letter for over fourteen hundred years. The

Qur’an is the last and final revelation to mankind

and covers all aspects of human life, and its relation

to the life after death.

[ahmedhelmy]

THE HADITH

The Hadith is the collection of sayings, actions and

silent approvals of Prophet Muhammad (p). It explains

the Qur’an, and how to practice it. The Hadith

were recorded meticulously by the Prophet’s companions.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final messenger

of Allah, was born in Mecca, Arabia, in the

year 571 CE. His father died before his birth and

his mother died when he was only six. He received

first revelation from Allah at the age of forty.

The people of Mecca at that time used to worship

idols. The prophet (p) invited them to Islam. Some

of them accepted and became Muslims, while others

rebuked him and turned against him. In the

13th year of his prophethood, Muhammad (p) migrated

from Mecca to Madinah.

The Prophet (p) organized the early Muslims and

preached the message of Allah with patience and

profound wisdom. Eventually Islam was established

in the whole of Arabia and was set to make a tremendous

contribution to the history and civilization

of the world. Prophet Muhammad (p) died in

632 CE at the age of 63. He left behind the Qur’an

and his

Sunnah (way) as the source of guidance

for all generations to come.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE

Marriage is the basis of family life in Islam. It is a

solemn yet simple contract between a man and a

woman. Marriages are arranged with the consent

of the couple, as required by Islamic law. Islam

does not allow the free mixing of men and women;

nor does it allow sex before marriage. Extra-marital

sex is severely punishable. No discrimination

is made on the basis of sex. Husband and wife are

equal partners of the family and play their part in

their respective fields.

DIET

Muslims are encouraged to eat what is good for

them. Islamic law requires an animal to be slaughtered

while invoking the name of Allah. All varieties

of alcoholic drinks are prohibited. Pork and blood

are also forbidden.

DRESS

Muslims must cover their bodies properly and decently.

When it comes to dressing-up, simplicity

and modesty are encouraged. No particular dress

is recommended, however, men must cover their

body from navel to the knees. Women must cover

their whole body except the face and hands. Any

dress that is suggestive, transparent, skin-tight or

half-naked may send wrong signals to others; signals

that are contrary to Islam’s teachings. Pure

silk and gold are not allowed for men.

SOCIAL MANNERS

Islam teaches decency, humility and good manners.

Muslims greet each other by saying:

As-salamu

‘Alaikum

(peace be upon you) and the reply is:

Wa‘alaikumus salam

(peace be upon you too).

Keeping promises, truthfulness, justice, fair play,

helping the poor and needy, respect for parents,

teachers and elders, love for children and good relations

with neighbors and relatives are the most

valued virtues of a Muslim. Islam condemns enmity,

back-biting, slander, blasphemy, ridicule, use of offensive

names, suspicion and arrogance.

CONCLUSION

Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’ meaning

peace. When our individual and collective lives are

in harmony with nature and with the will of the Creator,

peace is inevitable. Islam, as a way of life, is

the solution to all problems of the human race, and

is the only hope for the present as well as the future.

The need is to practice it faithfully.