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ISLAM
Is the fastest growing religion in the world. Because Islam is a
complete way of life. It tells man about the purpose of his creation and
existence, his ultimate destiny, his place among other creatures and
more importantly, it provides him with guidance to lead a balanced and
purposeful life which will enable him to avoid the Hell-fire and be
rewarded with a place in Paradise in the life after death.
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 " Allah "
rather than God.
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MUSLIM
A person who
freely and consciously accepts the Islamic way of life and sincerely
practices it is called a Muslim.
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BASIC BELIEFS
The three
fundamental Islamic beliefs are:
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 which rejects any divisions of life into
religious and secular. Allah is sole source of Power and Authority,
therefore entitled to worship and obedience from mankind. There is no
scope for any partnership with the Creator. Tawhid tells man that Allah
is not born, nor is anyone born of Him. He has no son or daughter. Human
beings are His subjects.
RISALAH
means prophet hood and messenger ship. Allah has not left man without
Guidance for the conduct of his life. Since the creation of the first
man, 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 Quran.
The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon
him), as the final book of Guidance. It is unchanged and nobody can
change it.
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. A person who obeys and worships Allah will be
rewarded with a permanent place of happiness in Paradise (Jannah);
the person who does not do so will be sent to Hell (Jahannam), a
place of punishment and suffering.
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FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Islam has five
pillars or basic foundations to act. Acting correctly and sincerely on
these foundations will transform a Muslim’s life into the line of the
Creator. Faithful practice of these duties inspires him 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 contains
the two basic concepts of Tawhid
and Risalah. This is the basis of all actions in Islam, and the
four 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 constant touch with his
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 him
to be patient, honest and truthful in the affairs of his life.
The five daily prayers are:
·
FAJR between dawn and sunrise
·
ZUHR between midday and mid-afternoon
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ASR between mid-afternoon and sunset
·
MAGHRIB just after sunset
·
ISHA between nightfall and dawn
3. ZAKAH
(welfare contribution) is a compulsory payment from a Muslim’s annual
savings. It is an annual payment of 2.5% on the value of cash, jewelry
and precious metals; a separate rate applies to animals, crops and
mineral wealth. Zakah can only be spent on helping the poor, needy, the
disabled, the oppressed, debtors and other purposes as defined by the
Quran.
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 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 which 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 Makkah, Alhijjaz (Saudi Arabia), in the month of
Dhul Hijjah - the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Hajj
symbolizes the unity of mankind; Muslims from every race and nationality
assemble together in equality and humanity to worship their Lord. The
pilgrim, in the ritual clothing of Ihram, has the unique feelings of
being in the presence of his Lord.
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THE OUR' AN
The Quran
is the final Book of guidance from Allah, sent down to Prophet
Muhammad
(pbuh) through the angel Gabriel (Jibra’iI). Every word of the
Quran is the word of Allah. It was revealed in a period of 23
years in the Arabic language. Muslims learn to read it in Arabic and
many memorize it completely. Muslims are expected to try their best to
understand the Quran and practice its teachings.
The Quran is unrivaled in its recording and preservation. The
astonishing fact about this book is that it has remained unchanged even
to a letter for over fourteen hundred years.
The Quran
deals with man and his ultimate goal in life. Its teachings cover all
aspects of his life and the life after death.
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THE HADITH
The Hadith
is the collection of sayings, actions and silent approvals of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh). It explains the Quran, and how to practice
it. The Hadith were recorded meticulously by the Prophet’s
companions. Six particular collections have became prominent and are
regarded as the most authentic: Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud,
Nasa‘i and Ibni-Majah.
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PROPHET MUHAMMAD (peace be
upon him)
Muhammad
(pbuh), the final messenger of Allah and the best of creation, was
born in Makkah, Arabia, in the year 571 CE. His father,
Abdullah, died before his birth and his mother, Aminah, died
when he was only six. Later on he was looked after by his uncle Abu
Talib. He married Khadijah, a noble lady of Makkah,
when he was twenty five. He first received revelation from Allah
at the age of forty, marking the beginning of his work as the messenger
of Allah.
The people of Makkah at that time used to worship idols. The prophet
(pbuh) invited them to Islam. Some of them responded favorably
and became Muslims, while others rebuked him and turned against him. He
continued to preach the message of Allah
and, gradually, the number of his followers increased.
In the thirteenth year of his prophet hood, in 622 CE, Muhammad
(pbuh) migrated from Makkah
to Medina. The people of Medina accepted him as their leader
and he established the first Islamic state there. The Islamic calendar
begins from the day of the migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet
(pbuh).
The Prophet (pbuh) organized the early Muslims and preached the message
of Allah with unmatched patience and 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.
Islam,
as a way of life, can solve all human problems, and is the only hope for
the present as well as the future. The need is to practice it
faithfully.
Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) died in 632 CE at the age of sixty three. He left behind the
Quran
and his Sunnah as the source of guidance for all generations to
come.
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FESTIVALS
IDUL FITR,
one of the major festivals, is observed on the first day after the month
of Ramadan. On this day, Muslims express their joy and happiness
by offering a congregational prayer. Special food is prepared, and it is
customary to visit friends and relatives and to give presents to
children to make the occasion lively and special for them.
IDUL ADHA
begins on the 10th of the month of Dhul Hijjah and continues till
the 12th. This celebration is observed to commemorate the willingness of
Abraham
when he was asked to sacrifice his own son - Ishmael. Abraham
showed his readiness and Allah was very pleased. A lamb was
sacrificed instead of Ishmael on Allah’s command. Muslims
offer congregational prayer on the day, and afterwards they sacrifice
animals to seek the pleasure of Allah. The meat of the animal is
shared amongst poor, relatives, neighbors and friends.
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MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE
Marriage is the
basis of family life in Islam. It is a solemn and yet a simple
contract between a man and a woman. Marriages are generally arranged by
parents, but with the consent of the couple, as required by Islamic law
(Shari ‘ah). Marriages are performed in a simple ceremony in the
presence of relatives, friends and neighbors.
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.
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DIET
Muslims are
encouraged in the Quran to eat what is good for them, and are
specifically forbidden to eat:
1. Animals slaughtered
without invoking the name of Allah
2. Pork
3. Dead animals
4. The blood of animals
Islamic law requires an animal to be slaughtered Invoking the name of
Allah. All varieties of alcoholic drinks are prohibited. These rules
aim at rooting out the evil effects of food and drink in society.
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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, the following general guidelines should be
followed.
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A
man must cover his body from the naval to the knees.
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It
is compulsory for a woman to cover her whole body except the face and
hands.
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Both men and women must not wear a dress which arouses the other's base
feelings. 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.
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Pure silk and gold are not allowed for men.
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SOCIAL MANNERS
Islam teaches
decency, humility and good manners. A Muslim greets another Muslim 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 are the most valued virtues of a Muslim.
Islam condemns enmity, back-biting, slander, blasphemy, ridicule, use of
offensive names, suspicion and arrogance.
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