How to Become a

Muslim

by

Abd Ar-Rahman bin Abd Al-Karim Ash-Sheha


All praises are due to Allah, and may Allah exalt the praises and send Peace upon our Prophet
Muhammad, and upon his Family and Companions.
To begin with, I would like to sincerely congratulate you from the bottom of my heart, which
loves you for the sake of Allah, for the guidance Allah has granted and favored upon you to
accept the correct religion and to act according to it. I ask Allah that he keeps us both, as well
as all the Muslims, firm upon this great religion until we meet Him, and not becoming
apostate nor being put through a trial.
Indeed a true Muslim feels great joy when someone accepts Islam, for he wishes well for
others and wants them to live as he does himself: a life of comfort and delight with spiritual
joy and mental stability. This can only result from implementing the teachings of Islam. Allah
(
) says:
Whoever works righteousness - whether male or female while he [or she] is a true
believer, verily, to him we shall give a good life, and we shall pay them certainly a good
reward according to the best of what they used to do. [Surah an-Nahl (16):97]
Allah (
) clarified the condition of those who do not believe in Him and what He revealed.
Allah (
) says:
And whoever turns away from My Reminder, verily, for him is a life of hardship, and
We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection. * He will say, O my Lord! Why
have I you raised me up blind, while [before] I had sight. * He [Allah] will say, Like
this Our Aayaat [proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.] came to you,
but you disregarded them, and so this Day, you will be neglected. [Surah Taa-Haa
(20):124-126]
A true Muslim also wishes that they live happily forever in the Hereafter, whose delights are
never-ending. Allah (
) says:
Verily those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have the Gardens of Firdaws (the
highest level of Heaven) for their entertainment. * Therein they shall dwell [forever]. No
desire will they have for removal therefrom. [Surah al-Kahf (18):107-108]
The end is inevitable; it is either eternal happiness or eternal remorse. Whoever dies upon
disbelief - and refuge is sought in Allah - he will reside in Hellfire for eternity. Allah (
)
says:
Verily those who disbelieve from the people of the Book and the polytheists will abide
in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures. [Surah al-Bayyinah (98):6]
My noble brothers and sisters, indeed it is a great blessing and favor of Allah that He has
guided you to Islam and has saved you from disbelief. There are many who have not been
granted the guidance to realize that Islam is the correct religion; and there are others who
have, but have not been granted the guidance to follow it. You must thank Allah, my brothers
and sisters, for this favor from Allah and this sacred gift which He has chosen for you over
others. Ask Allah that He keeps you firm upon this religion until you meet Him. Allah (
)
says:

They regard as a favor to you [O Muhammad ()] that they have embraced Islam Say,
Count not your Islam as a favor to me. Nay but Allah has conferred a favor upon you
that He has guided you to the Faith, if you indeed are true. [Surah al-Hujuraat (49):17]
We are all humans, and all humans are in dire need of Allah. Allah (
) says:
O Mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah. But Allah is Rich (Free of all needs),
Worthy of all praise. [Surah al-Faatir (35):15]
Allah (
) is in no need of us: He neither benefits from our obedience and worship, nor is He
harmed by our disbelief and disobedience. Allah (
) says:
If you disbelieve, then verily Allah is not need of you, He likes not disbelief for His
slaves. And if you are grateful [by being believers] He is pleased with that for you.
[Surah az-Zumar (39):7]
The Messenger of Allah () said in a Hadeeth Qudsi1,
Allah said: O My servants! I have forbidden dhulm (oppression and injustice) for
Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My
servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from
Me and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except those whom I
have fed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked
except those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you. O
My servants, you commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek
forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming
Me so as to harm me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My
servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the Jinn2 of
you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this
would not increase My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last
of you, and the humans of you and the Jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most
wicked heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom
an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and
the Jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give
everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is
decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it. O My servants, it is but your
deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let
him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.
(Muslim)

How Does One Enter the Fold of Islam?

In order to enter the fold of Islam and become a Muslim, there are no specific religious rituals
or customs that one need to perform, neither in specific areas nor in front of specific people.
1

Hadeeth Qudsi: A hadeeth is a narration of the speech, actions, tacit approvals, and characteristics of the Prophet
(). A Hadeeth Qudsi is a hadeeth in which the Prophet () narrates from Allah in the first person (I).

Jinn: A creation from the Unseen having free will like the humans, made from a smokeless flame of fire.

This is due to the fact that Islam is a direct relationship between the slave and His Lord
without any intermediaries. Also one does not need to exert great efforts [to enter its fold], he
merely needs to utter a few words which are easy on the tongue but very weighty in meaning.
One who has decided to become Muslim says the following words in order to enter the fold
of Islam, which is called the Shahaadataan3:
Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abd-ullahi wa
rasooluh.
I testify that there is no true deity except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His
slave and Messenger.
This statement is the key to the door of Islam. Whoever utters it shuns all other religions
besides Islam and all beliefs which differ from it. Through this statement, he receives the
rights which all other Muslims receive, and he must fulfill the rights which all other Muslims
must fulfill. His wealth, honor and blood become consecrate and protected, except for those
cases in which the Islamic law needs to intercede. It is true that one is regarded to be a
Muslim by what is outward and apparent and that only Allah knows what is truly in his heart,
but one must know the meanings found in the Shahaadataan.

The Shahaadataan

The Meaning of Laa Ilaaha Ill-Allah

This is the phrase of Tawheed4. Due to this concept Allah brought the creation into being,
and due to this concept He created Paradise and Hellfire. Allah (
) says:
And I have neither created the Jinn nor humans except to worship Me. [Surah adhDhaariyaat (51):56]
This is the belief which all the Prophets and Messengers called to, from Adam, the first
Prophet, to Muhammad, the last messenger, may the Safety and Blessings of Allah be upon
them all. Allah (
) says:
And we have not sent before you any messenger except that We have revealed to him
that there is no deity that is worshipped in truth except Me, so worship and obey Me.
[Surah al-Anbiyaa (10):25]

The Meanings of the Shahaadah:

There is no Creator of this existence except Allah. Allah (
) says:

Shahaadatan: Literally, the two testimonies.

Tawheed: The concept of the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah.

Such is Allah, your Lord! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He), the Creator of all things. So worship and obey Him (Alone), and He is the
Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things. [Surah al-Anaam
(6):102]
There is no True Master and Owner present in this existence except Allah.5 Allah (
)
says:
Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the
aalameen (mankind, Jinns and all that exists)! [Surah al-Araaf (7):54]
No deity deserves servitude and worship except Allah.6 Allah says:
No doubt! Verily, to Allah belongs whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the
earth. And those who worship and invoke others besides Allah, in fact, follow not the
(Allahs so-called) partners, they follow only a conjecture and they only invent lies.
[Surah Yunus (10):66]
All the Names and Attributes of Allah are perfect and complete.7 He is high above and free
from all faults and shortcomings. Allah (
) says:
And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave
the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names.
They will be requited for what they used to do. [Surah al-Araaf (7):180]

The Conditions of the Shahaadah

It is not enough that one merely utter the Shahaadah for it to be accepted by Allah. It is the
key to the gates of Paradise, but in order for it to work, it needs to have the right ridges. The
Shahaadah must meet the following conditions for it to be accepted by Allah:
1) Knowledge: One must have knowledge that all other deities worshipped besides Allah are
false, so there is no deity worshipped in truth except Allah. Never should anyone else be
worshipped, even if he be a prophet, a messenger or an angel. Allah is the only one who
deserves all types worship, such as prayer [Salaah], supplication (duaa), hope, sacrificial
slaughtering, making oaths, etc. Whoever directs any type of worship to other than Allah has
committed kufr8, even if he uttered the Shahaadataan.
2) Certainty: One must have certainty in the Shahaadah. Certainty is the opposite of doubt,
so there is no room for a person to doubt or waver in his belief. Allah (
) says:

Point number one and two is the concept known as Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, or the Oneness of Allah in His
Attributes of Lordship. This is the belief that there is no Creator, Sovereign Master, Administrator, Provider,
Sustainer, and Owner except for Allah.

This is concept is known as Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, or the Oneness of Allah in His Worship. This is the belief
that no worship should be directed to any except Allah.
7

This concept is known as Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat, that Allah has all the Best of Names and Attributes,
and that there are none equal, comparable to, or like them.
8 Kufr:

Disbelief.

The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and
afterward doubt not, and strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah.
Those! They are the truthful. [Surah al-Hujuraat (49):15]
3) Acceptance: One should accept the Shahaadah fully and not reject it.9 Allah (
) says:
Truly, when it was said to them, Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (no deity is worshipped in truth
except Allah), they puff themselves up with pride and deny it. [Surah as-Saffaat
(37):35]
4) Compliance, obedience and acting upon all what the Shahaadah necessitates.10 A person
must do according to what Allah ordered and abstain from what He prohibited. Allah (
)
says:
And whosoever submits his face to Allah, while he is a Muhsin11 (doer of good), then he
has grasped the most trustworthy handhold [La ilaha ill-Allah]. And to Allah return all
matters for decision. [Surah Luqman (31):22]
5) Truthfulness: One must be truthful in his shahaadah.12 Allah (
) says:
They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. [Surah al-Fat-h (48):11]
6) Sincerity of worship: One must make his worship and obedience sincerely for Allah
alone.13 Allah (
) says:
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, following the religion purely
and sincerely for Him, turning away from other religions. [Surah al-Bayyinah (98):5]
7) Love: One must love Allah, His Messenger, and His righteous slaves. He must hate and
show enmity towards all who show enmity to Allah and His Messenger. He must prefer what
Allah and His Messenger love, even if it is different to what he desires. Allah (
) says:
Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth
that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in
which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and fighting in
His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides
not the people who are faasiqoon (the rebellious and disobedient to Allah). [Surah atTawbah (9):24]

It is not sufficient that a person merely know what the Shahaadah means and believe it with certainty. Rather he
must accept it my pronouncing it openly and accepting to become a Muslim.
10 It is not sufficient that a person merely know what the Shahaadah means and believe in it with certainty, accept it
by pronouncing it and accept to become a Muslim, but moreover, he must act according to it.
11 Muhsin: Literally, a person who does something well. Here it means one who does righteous deeds sincerely for
Allah, according to the method the Prophet () taught us. Here we see that Allah mentions both submission to
Allah along with doing righteous deeds, and only if a person does this has he grasped onto the sure handhold of the
Shahaadah.
12

Even though a person may be doing all these things on the outside, he might be hiding disbelief in his heart, like
the hypocrites.

13 It may be that one fulfills all the previous conditions, but he directs worship to other than Allah at times, like
supplicating to the dead, etc. He has not made his worship purely for Allah.

The Shahaadah also necessitates that Allah is the only one who has the right to legislate,
whether it be in matters concerning worship, or matters concerning the government of human
relations in both the individual and public affairs. The act of making something prohibited or
lawful is for Allah alone. His Messenger () merely explained and clarified Allahs
commandments. Allah (
) says:
And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you,
abstain (from it). [Surah al-Hashr (59):7]

The Fruits of having Eemaan14 (Belief) in Allah

1) In realizing and implementing the Shahaadah fully, one frees himself from the worship of
humanity and instead worships his only Lord and God. In doing so, one ceases to be
dependent upon the creation, whether in worship, fear, hope, and the likes. Allah (
) says:
Say: Tell me then, the things that you invoke besides Allah, if Allah intended some
harm for me, could they remove His harm, or if He (Allah) intended some mercy for me,
could they withhold His Mercy? Say: Sufficient for me is Allah; in Him those who
trust (i.e. believers) must put their trust. [Surah az-Zumar (39):38]
2) Peace of heart, mind and soul. Allah (
) says:
Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts
find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts
find rest. [Surah ar-Rad (13):28]
3) The sense of security which is realized through the knowledge that there is someone to turn
to in times of hardship. Allah (
) says:
And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish
from you except Him (Allah Alone). But when He brings you safely to land, you turn
away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful. [Surah al-Israa (17):67]
4) The spiritual joy which one feels in worshipping Allah. This is due to the fact that the goal
which he is trying to achieve (Paradise) cannot be reached except after death. So you see him
persistently striving to achieve this goal by doing righteous deeds, rendering servitude
sincerely and purely to Allah alone. Allah (
) says:
Say: Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah,
the Lord of the aalameen (mankind, Jinns and all that exists). He has no partner. * And
of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. [Surah al-Anaam
(6):162-163]
5) The Guidance and Success which is granted by Allah to those that believe in Him. Allah
(
) says:
and whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart [to the true Faith with
certainty], and Allah is the All-Knower of everything. [Surah at-Taghaabun (64):11]
14 The word Eemaan is usually translated as belief, but in reality has a wider meaning, for it entails internal belief, as
well as outer speech and deeds. If a person was to believe in Islam without ever acting upon it, it would not be said
that he has Eemaan and therefore his belief would not be accepted.

6) The love of righteousness and its propagation amongst the masses. Allah (
) says:
So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.
[Surah al-Zilzaal (99):7]
The Prophet () said:
Indeed the one who leads another to do a righteous deed is like the one who actually
does it out (i.e. he will receive the same reward). (Tirmidhi)
One who has Eemaan in Allah must also have Eemaan in all the things which He has
informed us, and from them are the following:
Eemaan in the Angels
To have Eemaan in the angels is to believe that from the creations of Allahs are the angels.
No-one knows their exact number except Him. They are from the world of the Unseen, and
Allah (
) created them to worship and obey Him. They carry out the commands of Allah in
various affairs, such as administration, observation, and guarding and protecting the universe
as well its creatures, all according to Allahs Will and Order. Allah (
) says:
The Messiah (Jesus ) will never be so proud to reject being a slave to Allah, nor
[will] the angels who are near (to Allah). [Surah an-Nisaa (4):172]
The angels act as emissaries between Allah and His messengers amongst humankind. Allah
(
) says:
Which the trustworthy Spirit [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought down; * Upon your
heart (O Muhammad ) that you may be (one) of the warners, * In a plain Arabic
language. [Surah ash-Shuaraa (26):193-195]
Allah created them to take charge of different tasks which He commands them:
They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded. [Surah anNahl (16):50]
The angels are not partners, associates, or rivals with Allah, nor are they His children; but one
must still respect and love them. Allah (
) says:
And they say: The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a child [from the angels].
Glory to Him! They (the angels), are but honored slaves. They speak not until He has
spoken, and [then] they act on His Command. [Surah al-Anbiyaa (21):26-27]
They constantly engage their time worshipping and obeying Allah, glorifying Him and
praising Him. Allah (
) says:
They (i.e. the angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (in
doing so). [Surah al-Anbiyaa (21):20]
The angels were created from light. The Prophet () said:

The angels were created from light, the Jinn were created from a smokeless flame of
fire, and Adam was created from what was described to you (in the Qur`an: black dry
clay). (Muslim)
Although they were created from light, they cannot be seen. Allah (
) has, though, given
them the ability change their appearance in order to be seen and witnessed. Allah informed us
that Jibreel () came to Maryam (Mary) in the form of a human:
She placed a screen [to screen herself] from them; then We sent to her a Spirit from us
(Jibeel ), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. * She said:
Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah. *
[The angel] said: I am only a Messenger from your Lord, [to announce] to you the gift
of a righteous son. [Surah Maryam (19):17-19]
The Prophet (), though, did see Jibreel () in the true form Allah created him. He had six
hundred wings, and the whole horizon was obstructed due to his great size.
Allah informed us of the names and tasks of some of the angels. One of them is Jibreel (),
and he was given the task of revelation. Allah (
) says:
Which the trustworthy Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought down; * Upon your heart
(O Muhammad ) that you may be (one) of the warners. [Surah as-Shuaraa (26):193194]
Israafeel is the angel who was given the task to blow the horn on the Day of Resurrection,
and Meekaa`eel is in charge of the rain and the plants. Also, every human has been appointed
with two angels, one which records his righteous deeds and another which records his sins.
Allah (
) says:
(Remember!) that the two recorders (angels) record, sitting on his right and his left.
Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).
[Surah Qaaf (50):17-18]
The angel of Death (Malak-ul-Mawt) is the angel given the task of taking peoples souls at
the time of death. Allah (
) says:
Say: The angel of death who is set over you will take your souls, then you shall be
brought back to your Lord. [Surah as-Sajdah (32):11]
Maalik is the angel who was given the task of guarding the Hellfire. Allah (
) says:
And they will cry: O Maalik! Let your Lord make an end of us. He will say: Verily
you shall abide forever. [Surah az-Zukhruf (43):77]
Ridwaan is the angel who is charged with guarding Jannah15, and there others as well
charged with guarding humans. There are many more, and each has been assigned a specific
task. Some have been mentioned in the Qur`an and the Sunnah16, while others have not, but
we must have Eemaan in them all.

15

Jannah: Heaven, paradise. The everlasting abode reserved only for the believers

16 Sunnah: The Way of the Prophet (). It sometimes denotes the way he did something. Here it means the
collection of the speech, deeds, and tacit approvals of the Prophet (), also known as hadeeth.

Fruits of Eemaan in the Angels

Through the belief in Angels, one benefits in the following ways:
1) We come to know the Magnificence of Allah (
), His ability, and His All-Encompassing
Knowledge and Will, for indeed the magnificence of His creation is a proof of the
magnificence of the Creator.
2) When a Muslim feels that there are angels closely watching what he is saying and doing,
and that everything he does is either for him or held against him, he is keen to perform
righteous deeds and abstain from sins, whether he is alone or in public.
3) One is saved from fables and superstitions held by those who do not believe in the Unseen
[properly].
4) One comes to know the Mercy which Allah shows to His righteous slaves.

Eemaan in Allahs Books

To have Eemaan in Allahs books is to believe that Allah (
) revealed heavenly books to His
messengers in order to convey them to humankind. These books contain nothing but the truth;
they do not contain any falsehood. In them is the message of the Oneness of Allah (
): that
there is no creator, administrator, or owner except Him, that all worship should be directed to
Him and none else, and that to Him belong all excellent Names and Attributes. He is nothing
like His creation, and none can be compared to Him. Allah (
) says:
Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the
Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice. [Surah al-Hadeed
(57):25]
Some of those books are the following:
1) The Scriptures of Ibraaheem () (Abraham) and Musaa () (Moses): The Qur`an
has given a brief insight about the religious basic principles found in these scriptures. Allah
(
) says:
Or is he not informed with what is in the Scriptures of Musaa? And of Ibraaheem who
fulfilled (or conveyed) all that [what Allah ordered him to do or convey]? That no
burdened person [with sins] shall bear the burden (sins) of another. And that man can
have nothing but what he [himself] strove for. And that his deeds will be seen [in the
Herafter]. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense. [Surah anNajm (53):36-41]
2) The Tawraah: The Tawraah is the Sacred Book which was revealed to Musaa (). Allah
(
) says:
Verily, We did send down the Tawraah [to Musaa], therein was guidance and light, by
which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allahs Will, judged the Jews. And the
rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Tawraah after those Prophets] for to
them was entrusted the protection of Allahs Book, and they were witnesses thereto.
Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable

10

price. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the
disbelievers. [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):44]
3) The Zaboor: The Zaboor is the Book which was revealed to Dawood () (David). Allah
(
) says:
and to Dawood We gave the Zaboor. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):163]
4) The Injeel: The Injeel is the Sacred Book which was revealed to Eesaa () (Jesus).
Allah (
) says:
And in their footsteps, We sent Eesaa, son of Maryam (Mary), confirming the
Tawraah that had come before him. And We gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance
and light and confirmation of the Tawraah that had come before it, a guidance and an
admonition for the Allah-fearing. [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):46]
A Muslim must believe in all the Heavenly Books. He must believe that they are from Allah
(
), but he is required not act upon or follow them, for they were revealed for a specific time
and people.
The Qur`an has explained some of the teachings which were found in the Tawraah and the
Injeel. Allah (
) says that from the things they mentioned was the prophecy of Muhammad
():
and My Mercy embraces all things. That [Mercy] I shall ordain for those who are
Allah-fearing, and give Zakaah; and those who believe in Our aayaat; Those who follow
the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (Muhammad ) whom they
find written with them in the Tawraah and the Injeel, - he commands them all good
things; and forbids them from of all kinds of evil; he allows them as lawful all good and
lawful things, and prohibits them as unlawful all evil and unlawful things; and he
releases them from their heavy burdens [of Allahs Covenant], and from the fetters
(bindings) that were upon them. [Surah al-Araaf (7):156]
5) The Noble Qur`an: One must hold the following beliefs concerning it:
a) One must believe that the Qur`an is the exact and literal Speech of Allah which Jibreel
() brought to Muhammad () in a clear Arabic language. Allah (
) says:
Which the trustworthy Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought down; * Upon your heart
(O Muhammad ) that you may be (one) of the warners, * In a plain Arabic language.
[Surah as-Shuaraa (26):193-195]
b) One must believe that the Qur`an is the last of the heavenly books, giving truth to the
previous books in their message of the Tawheed of Allah and the obligation to worship and
obey Him Alone. Allah abrogated all the previous books by the Qur`an. Allah (
) says:
[It is] He Who has sent down the Book (the Qur`an) to you (Muhammad ) with truth,
confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Tawraah and the Injeel.
Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind, And He sent down the Furqaan (The Criterion)
[of judgment between right and wrong (this Qur`an)]. [Surah Aali Imraan (3):3-4]
c) One must believe that the Qur`an embodies all divine teachings. Allah (
) says:

11

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and
have chosen for you Islam as a religion. [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):3]
d) One must believe that it was revealed to all of humanity, and not to a specific nation or
specific time period unlike the previous heavenly books. Allah (
) says:
And We have not sent you [O Muhammad ] except to all of humanity, as a giver of
glad tidings and a warner, but most people know not. [Surah Saba (34):28]
e) One must believe that Allah has protected the Qur`an from all types of distortion, whether
addition, deletion, substitution or interpolation. Allah (
) says:
Indeed it is We ourselves who have sent down the Remembrance (the Qur`an) and
surely, it is We who shall guard it [from distortion]. [Surah al-Hijr (15):9]

The Fruits of Eemaan in Allahs Books

Through the belief in Allahs books, one benefits in the following ways:
1) One realizes the Mercy and Love Allah has for His slaves, in that He revealed to them
books directing them to the path which leads to His Pleasure. He did not leave them to linger
in confusion, leaving them for the Shaytaan17 or their desires to snatch them away.
2) One realizes the Wisdom of Allah, in that He legislated for each specific nation what was
suitable to their specific needs and conditions.
3) To distinguish the believers truthful in their faith from others, for it is incumbent upon one
who believes in his own Book to believe in the other Heavenly Books which it prophesized.
4) As a multiplication of good deeds, for those who believe in their own Book and in addition
to that believe in the Books of Allah which came after it will receive double reward. Allah
(
) says:
Those to whom We gave the Scripture [i.e. the Tawraah and the Injeel, etc.] before it, they believe in it (the Qur`an). And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in
it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those
who submit themselves to Allah in Islam as Muslims (like Abdullah bin Salaam and
Salmaan al-Faarisi, etc.). These will be given their reward twice over, because they are
patient, and repel evil with good, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided
them. [Surah al-Qasas (28):52-54]

Eemaan in Allahs Messengers

To have Eemaan in Allahs Messengers is to believe that Allah (
) selected the finest
amongst humanity as messengers whom He sent to His creation with specific legislations: for
them to worship and obey Allah and to establish His Religion and His Tawheed in His
17

Shaytaan: Satan: A Jinn named Iblees who disobeyed Allahs order to prostrate to Adam, and therefore was
cursed for eternity. He asked Allah for respite, which He in turn granted, to strive to lead humanity to the Hellfire
with him.

12

Lordship, Worship, and Names and Attributes. He ordered His messengers to convey this
message to people so that they would not have any proof against Allah18 or excuse for
disobedience after He sent them. They give glad-tidings of the Pleasure of Allah and His
Jannah reserved for those who believe in them and their teachings, and give stern warning of
the Anger of Allah and His Punishment reserved for those who disbelieve in them and their
teachings :
And We send not the Messengers but as givers of glad tidings and as warners. So
whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds, upon such shall come no fear, nor
shall they grieve. * But those who reject Our Aayaat (verses, signs, proofs), the torment
will touch them for their disbelief. [Surah al-Anaam (6):48-49]
There are many prophets and messengers; no-one knows their exact number except Allah.
Allah (
) says:
And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad ); of some of them
We have related to you their story, and of some We have not related to you their story.
[Surah al-Ghaafir (40):78]
One must believe in all of them and that they were purely and truly only human in nature;
they were not supernatural beings. Allah (
) says:
And We sent not before you (O Muhammad ) but men to whom We inspired, so ask
the people of the Reminder (Scriptures) if you do not know. And We did not create
them (the Messengers, with) bodies that ate not food, nor were they immortal. [Surah
al-Anbiyaa (21):7-8]
They do not share any characteristics specific to Allah whatsoever. They can neither bring
benefit nor can they cause harm. They do not have any control over the universe whatsoever,
nor can they do with it as they please. They cannot do anything which only Allah is able to.
Allah (
) says:
Say (O Muhammad ): I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah
wills. If I had the knowledge of the Unseen, I should have secured for myself an
abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. [Surah al-Araaf (7):188]
If one believes in only some of them and not all, he has committed kufr and is considered to
be outside the fold of Islam. Allah (
) says:
Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction
between Allah and His Messengers saying, We believe in some but reject others, and
wish to adopt a way in between. * They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared
for the disbelievers a humiliating torment. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):150-151]
From among the messengers were those who Allah called Ulul-Azm or those of strong
determination. They were the strongest of the Messengers in carrying the Message,
conveying it to their people and being patient and steadfast in their mission. They were Nooh

18

They will not be able to say:

Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger? We should then have followed Your Ayat (Verses
of the Qur'an) and should have been among the believers. [Surah al-Qasas (28):47]

13

(Noah), Ibraheem (Abraham), Musaa (Moses), Eesaa (Jesus), and Muhammad, may the
utmost of Allahs Safety and Mercy be upon them all.
The first messenger was Nooh (). Allah (
) says:
Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad ) as We inspired Nooh (Noah) and the
Prophets after him. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):163]
Muhammad () was the last and final messenger; no messenger will come after him until the
Final Day. Allah (
) says:
Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah
and the last (end) of the Prophets. [Surah al-Ahzaab (33):40]
The religion of Muhammad () completed Allahs message to humanity, and thus has
abrogated all the religions which preceded it. It is the complete and final religion of truth
which is obligatory to be followed, and it will continue to be so until the Last Hour.
Who is Muhammad ()?
His name is Muhammad bin19 Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib bin Haashim, and his kunyah20 is
Abul-Qaasim. He was from the Arab tribe of Qureish whose ancestry traces back to Adnaan.
Adnaan was from the children of Ismaa`eel (), the prophet of Allah and son of Ibraaheem
(), the Khaleel21 of Allah. The Prophet () said:
Indeed Allah chose the tribe of Kinaanah over other tribes from the children of
Ismaaeel; He chose the Qureish over other tribes of Kinaanah; He chose Banu
Haashim over the other families of the Qureish; and He chose me from Banu Haashim.
(Muslim)
He received his first revelation from Allah at the age of forty, and he remained in Makkah
thereafter for thirteen years calling to Tawheed of Allah. He then migrated to Madeenah and
called its inhabitants to Islam, which they accepted. There, Allah revealed the remaining
legislations. He conquered Makkah eight years after his migration, and Allah took his soul at
the age of sixty-three, after revealing to Him the entire Qur`an. All the legislations of the
religion were revealed, completed and perfected, and the majority of the Arab nation accepted
Islam.
The Fruits of Eemaan in the Messengers
Through the belief in Allahs Messengers, one benefits in the following ways:
1) One realizes the Mercy and Love Allah has for His slaves, in that He sent to them
Messengers conveying to them His religion, and as examples showing how His religion
should be implemented and propagated.
19

Bin pl. Banu: the son of, pl. the children of

20

Kunyah: Traditionally and until today, the Arabs name a person, Abu(the father of so and so), or Umm
(the mother of so and so).

21 Khaleel is one who is loved the highest form of love, which has no fault or shortcoming. The Prophet () is also
the Khaleel of Allah. In a hadeeth narrated by Bukhari, Indeed Allah has chosen me as a Khaleel, just as He
chose Ibraheem as a Khaleel.

14

2) To distinguish the believers truthful in their faith from others, for it is incumbent upon one
who believes in his own Messenger to believe in the other Messengers prophesized in their
books.
3) As a multiplication of good deeds, for those who believe in their own messenger, and in
addition to that believe in the messengers of Allah who came after him will receive double
reward.

Eemaan in the Last Day

To have Eemaan in the Last Day is to believe that the life of this world will one day come to
an end. Allah (
) says:
Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. [Surah ar-Rahmaan (55):26]
When Allah wills this world to come to an end, Allah will order an angel called Israafeel to
blow a horn. At that point, everything in the heavens and earth will perish, except who Allah
wills. Then He will order him to blow it again, and upon that, all people will rise from their
graves, alive and in their own bodies. Everyone from all parts of the world, from the time of
Adam () until the end of time, will be resurrected. Allah (
) says:
And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the
earth will collapse and die, except him whom Allah will. Then it will blown a second
time and behold, they will be standing, looking on (waiting). [Surah az-Zumar (39):68]
To have Eemaan in the Last Day means to have Eemaan in all of what Allah (
) and His
Messenger () informed us of what will occur after death. From these things is the following:
1) To believe in the life of the Barzakh: This life is the time after ones death until the Last
Day. In it the believer will live a life of pleasure while the rejecting disbelievers will be
punished. Allah (
) says:
The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon, and on the Day when the
Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): Cause Firawns (Pharaoh)
people to enter the severest torment! [Surah al-Ghaafir (40):46]
2) To believe in the Resurrection: This is the Day on which Allah will resurrect the whole
creation, naked, barefoot, and uncircumcised just as they were born. Allah (
) says:
The disbelievers falsely think that they will never be resurrected (for the Account).
Say: Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of
(and recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for Allah. [Surah at-Taghaabun
(64):7]
3) To believe in the Gathering: Allah will gather all of the creation together and call them to
account. Allah (
) says:
And (remember) the Day We shall cause the mountains to pass away (like clouds of
dust), and you will see the earth as a leveled plain, and We shall gather them all together
so as to leave not one of them behind. [Surah al-Kahf (18):47]
4) To believe that people will be set before Allah: Allah (
) says:
15

And they will be set before your Lord in (lines as) rows, (and Allah will say): Now
indeed, you have come to Us as We created you the first time. [Surah al-Kahf (18):48]
5) To believe that ones limbs will bear witness. Allah (
) says:
Till, when they reach it (Hellfire), their hearing (ears) and their eyes, and their skins
will testify against them as to what they used to do. * And they will say to their skins,
Why do you testify against us? They will say: Allah has caused us to speak, He causes
all things to speak: and He created you the first time, and to Him you are made to
return. * And you have not been hiding yourselves (in the world), lest your ears, and
your eyes, and your skins testify against you; but you thought that Allah knew not much
of what you were doing. [Surah al-Fussilat (41):20-22]
6) To believe in the Questioning. Allah (
) says:
But stop them, verily they are to be questioned. * What is the matter with you? Why
do you not help one another [as you used to do in the world]? * Nay, but that Day they
shall surrender. [Surah as-Saaffaat (37):24-26]
7) To believe in the Siraat, and that everyone must pass over it.22 Allah (
) says:
There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord a Decree
which must be accomplished. [Surah Maryam (19):71]
8) To believe in the weighing of deeds on the Scale. Allah will call people to account and
pay them their exact dues for their deeds. He will reward those who did well with what they
deserve, due to their righteous deeds, their Eemaan, and following the messengers, and He
will punish those who did evil, as a payback for what they committed of evil, disbelief, and
disobedience to their messengers. Allah (
) says:
And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be
dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will
bring it. And Sufficient are We as Reckoners. [Surah al-Anbiyaa (21):47]
9) To believe in the handing out of scrolls and books. Allah (
) says:
Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, he surely will receive
an easy reckoning. * And he will return to his family in joy! * But whosoever is given his
Record behind his back. * He will invoke (his) destruction. * And he shall enter a
blazing Fire and made to taste its burning. [Surah al-Inshiqaaq (84):7-12]
10) To believe that people will be rewarded with either Jannah or Hellfire in an everlasting
and eternal life which will never end. Allah (
) says:
Verily those who disbelieve from among the people of the Book (Jews and Christians)
and the mushrikoon (pagans) will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of
creatures * Verily, those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the best of
creatures. * Their reward with their Lord is the Paradise of Adn (Eden) (Gardens of
Eternity), underneath which rivers flow. They will abide therein forever, Allah will be
22 The Siraat is a bridge set over the Hellfire over which all must pass, thinner than a strand of hair and sharper than
a sword. Some will cross it as fast as lighting, some like a gust of wind, some like the speed of a fast horse, while
others will cross it crawling, each according to his deeds.

16

pleased with them, and they with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord. [Surah alBayyinah (98):6-8]
11) To believe in the Hawd23, Intercession24, and all other things which the Messenger of
Allah () informed us.
The Fruits of Eemaan in the Last Day.
Through the belief in Last Day, one benefits in the following ways:
1) In preparing for that Day, by continually performing good deeds and competing in doing
so, hoping for its reward, and abstaining from sins and removing oneself from them, fearing
Allahs punishment.
2) In comforting the believers, that whatever they leave from the entertainment of this life
will be exchanged with a better reward in the Hereafter.
3) To distinguish the believers truthful in their faith from others.
Eemaan in Qadaa and Qadar25
To have Eemaan in Qadaa and Qadar is to believe that Allah always26 knew everything
before its came into being, and what will happen to them afterwards. He then brought them
into existence, all in accordance to His Knowledge and Measure. Allah (
) says:
Verily, We have created all things with Qadar. [Surah al-Qamr (54):49]
Everything which occurred in the past, is occurring in the present, and will occur in the future
in this universe was known to Allah before it came to be. Then Allah brought it into being, all
in accordance to His Will and Measure. The Messenger of Allah () said:
A person is not a Muslim until he believes in Qadar, its good and its evil effects until
he knows that whatever happened to him would have never missed him, and what did
not happen to him would never have occurred. (Tirmidhi)
The belief in Qadar means to believe in four things:
1) To believe that Allah always knew everything the creation would do, and there was never a
time in which He did not know.
2) To believe that Allah wrote all of this in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh-ul-Mahfoodh).
The Prophet () said:
23

Hawd: Literally: pool. The pool from which the true followers of Muhammad () will drink, after which they will
never feel thirst again.

24

Intercession, or Shafaaah: Allah will allow certain people to intercede for others, and from those will be the
intercession of the Prophet ().

25

Qadaa and Qadar: These two Arabic words are usually translated as fate, destiny, or pre-ordainment. Many
of these English words lead to incorrect belief this concept, so the original Arabic terms have been retained in order
that one understand them in their true sense.

26

There was never a time when He did not know, rather, He always knew it.

17

The first thing which Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it, Write. It
responded, What should I write? He said, Write everything that will occur until the
Day of Ressurection. (Abu Dawood)
3) The belief in the Will of Allah which always comes to be, and his Absolute Ability and
Power over all things. This is to believe that whatever Allah wills comes to be, and whatever
He does not will does not come to be.
4) The belief that there is no creation in the earth or in the heavens except that Allah (
)
created it. There is no Creator, Lord or Sovereign other than Him.27
This belief is not in opposition to the fact that one must do everything in his means to achieve
things. For example, if someone wants children, he must fulfill those means which allow him
to achieve this goal, such as marriage. But after fulfilling these means, he may be granted the
results he hoped for which are children - or he may not, all according to the Will of Allah
(
). The reason for this is that the means are not the true causes of things, but rather the true
cause is the Will of Allah (
). These means that we strive to fulfill are also from the Qadar of
Allah (
), and for this reason, the Prophet () explained to the Sahaabah28 when they asked
him:
O Messenger of Allah, do the verses and supplications we recite, the medicine we take
to cure ourselves, and the various shields we use to ward harm change the Qadar of
Allah (
)? [He replied,] They are from the Qadar of Allah. (Taleeqaat ar-Radiyyah)

The Fruits of Eemaan in Qadaa and Qadar

Through the belief in Qadaa and Qadar, one benefits in the following ways:
1) It strengthens his dependence upon Allah [in achieving results] after fulfilling its means.
2) One becomes pleased with whatever results, which in turn produces peace of heart and
spiritual satisfaction. There is no room left for stress, worry, or sadness felt due to the
outcomes of affairs. Allah (
) says:
No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees
(Al-Lawh Al-Mahfoodh), before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah.
* In order that you may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because
of that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not prideful boasters. [Surah alHadeed (54):22-23]
3) It eases the effects of calamities faced by humans. The Prophet () said:
The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, and in
each one there is good. Be keen to do what benefits you and seek help in Allah, and do
not be neglectful in doing so. And if any mishap befalls you, do not say, If only I had
only done such and such, but rather say, This is the Qadar of Allah, and whatever He
Wills He does (Qaddarullaah wa maa shaa faal), for indeed [the saying of] if opens
the door for Shaytaans works. (Muslim)
27

Rawdat-un-Nadiyyah Sharh Aqeedat-il-Waasitiyyah, p.352-353.

28 Sahaabah: The Companions of the Prophet (). Any one who met the Prophet () as a Muslim and died as a
Muslim.

18

4) It increases ones reward and wipes away sins. The Prophet () said:
No Muslim is fatigued, is stricken with illness, feels stress, worry, sadness, or harm, not
even a thorn which pricks him, except that Allah forgives sins through it. (Bukhari)
Belief in Qadar is not, as some mistakenly think, a call to put one trust in Allah without
striving or fulfilling the means, for as the Messenger of Allah () himself replied to a person
who asked him:
Should I leave my camel untied and trust in Allah? He said, Tie it and trust in
Allah. (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan)

The Testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

To bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah necessitates the following:
1) To believe that he is a Messenger, and to believe that he is the best, the last, and the seal of
the Messengers; no messenger will come after him. Allah (
) says:
Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah
and the last (end, seal) of the Prophets. [Surah al-Ahzaab (33):40]
2) To believe that he is infallible in the teachings he conveyed from Allah (
), due to His
saying:
Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. * It is only an Inspiration that is inspired.
[Surah an-Najm (53):3-4]
As for the affairs of this world, he was a human, and he used his own personal judgments (i.e.
it was not revealed to him by Allah). The Prophet () said:
Indeed I am only a human. It may be that a claimant comes to me with a dispute, and
due to one of them being more coercive in speech than the other, I may rule in his favor.
Whoever was ruled in his favor while he is wrong, [what he is receiving without right] is
only a portion of the Hellfire, so let him take it or leave it. (Muslim)
3) To believe that he is a messenger to all of creation, both the Jinn and Humans, until the
Last Hour. Allah (
) says:
And We have not sent you (O Muhammad ) except to all of humanity, as a giver of
glad tidings and a warner, but most people know not. [Surah Saba (34):28]
4) To obey the Prophet () in what he ordered, to believe in everything he said, and to abstain
from what he has forbidden and warned against. Allah (
) says:
And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you,
abstain (from it) [Surah al-Hashr (59):7]
5) To follow and cling to the Prophets () Sunnah without adding to it. Allah (
) says:
Say (O Muhammad  to mankind): If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will
love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Surah Aali Imraan (3):31]
19

What One Should Do After Pronouncing the Shahaadataan

After pronouncing the Shahaadataan, it is from the Sunnah that a person do the following
things:
1) It is recommended that one perform a complete bath (ghusl) with pure water and then
perform a prayer consisting of two rakahs29. In a hadeeth, a person named Thumaamah alHanafi was taken captive while he was a disbeliever. The Prophet () would repetitively
approach him saying:
What do you say, O Thumaamah? He would say, If you decide to kill me, you would
be killing [in right] because I have killed; if you let me free, you would be letting free
one who shows gratitude; and if you desire wealth, we will give you what you please.
The Companions of the Prophet () liked to ransom captives, and so they said, What
would we gain if we killed him? So finally one day, the Prophet () decided to set
[Thumaamah] free, and [upon that] he accepted Islam. The Prophet () untied him and
sent him to the walled garden of Abu Talhah, commanding him to take a complete bath
(ghusl). He performed a complete bath and prayed to rakahs, and the Prophet () said,
Your brothers Islam is sincere. (Saheeh ibn Khuzaimah)

A Description of a Complete Bath (Ghusl)

The Intention (Niyyah). One must intend in his heart that he is performing ghusl to
remove himself from a major state of impurity30 whether janaabah31, menstruation or
postpartum bleeding without uttering such intention vocally.

Mentioning the Name of Allh. One should say, Bismillah (trans. In the Name of
Allh).

He should wash his hands, and then his private parts removing the filth.

Next, he should perform a complete ablution (wudoo)32 as he would for the Prayer. He
may delay washing his feet until the end of his ghusl.

He should pour [at least] three handfuls of water on his head, running his fingers
through his hair and beard so that water reaches the roots of his hair and scalp.

Then he should pour water over the rest of his body, rubbing it, beginning with the right
side and then the left. He should take care that water reaches his armpits, ears, navel, and in
29

Rakah: a cycle consisting of one standing, bowing, and two prostrations. It will be explained further in detail
later.
30

A state of impurity is a state one enters after having done specific acts. There are two types, major and minor, and
both will be explained later.
31 A state of Janaabah is a spiritual state of impurity which one enters after having sexual intercourse, or after
ejaculation of men or the release of orgasmic fluid for women.
32 The ablution, or wudoo in Arabic, is washing specific parts of the body to remove oneself from a state of minor
impurity. It will be explained in detail later.

between the folds of the skin if he were fat, for these folds of flesh which form in the obese
prevent water from reaching the areas of skin concealed within the folds, and thus may
remain dry. He should then wash his feet if he had not already done so while making wudoo
[before performing the ghusl]. Aa`ishah () reported:
When Allhs Messenger () would perform ghusl due to sexual intercourse, he would
first wash his hands, then pour water with his right hand into his left, washing his
private parts. After that he would perform wudoo as he would for the Prayer, and then
take water and rub it in to the roots of his hair with his fingers. [Lastly] he would wash
his feet. (Muslim)

Ghusl becomes obligatory after one of the following things:

1) Ejaculation, whether the semen of men or the fluid released by women upon having an
orgasm, due to desire, nocturnal emission, or the like.
2) Sexual intercourse, even if it does not result in ejaculation.
3) Following the cease of ones menses, and
4) Following postpartum bleeding.

The Wudoo

One should know that one must perform wudoo before the Prayer, due to the saying of the
Prophet ():
No Prayer is accepted without purification, and no charity is accepted from earnings
made from impermissible sources. (Muslim)
Allah (
) says:
O you who believe! When you intend to offer the Salaah, wash your faces and your
hands up to the elbows, pass wet hands over your heads, and [wash] your feet up to the
ankles. [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):6]
One should perform wudoo in the following manner:
Homraan the freed slave of Uthmaan bin Affaan () said:
I saw Uthmaan () perform wudoo. He poured water on his two hands thrice, then
he rinsed his mouth and nose, washed his face thrice, washed his right hand up to his
elbow thrice, washed his right hand up to his elbow thrice, wiped over his head once,
washed his right foot thrice, and then his left foot thrice. He then said, I saw the
Messenger of Allah () perform wudoo like this wudoo, and then say: Whoever
performs wudoo like my wudoo I have just performed, and then prays two rakahs not
thinking about anything else, Allah will forgive him all his previous sins. (Bukhari)
1) One should intend with his heart that he is performing wudoo to purify himself from a
minor state of impurity. The evidence that the intention (niyyah) is obligatory is the statement
of the Prophet ():

21

All deeds depend on their intention, and each person will be rewarded according to
what they intend (al-Bukhri)
2) One should say, Bismillaah (In the Name of Allah), before commencing the wudoo.
The Prophet () said:
There is no Prayer for one who does not perform wudoo, and there is no wudoo for
one who does not mention the Name of Allh. (Abu Dawood)
3) One should wash his hands thrice in the beginning of the wudoo, due to the hadeeth of
Aws bin Aws ath-Thaqafi () in which he said:
I saw Allhs Messenger () wash his hands three times when he performed wudoo.
(Ahmad)
4) One should rinse his mouth and rinse his nose by inhaling water into it thrice. He should
exhale the water from the nose with the help of the left hand.
5) One should wash his face thrice. The face consists of the area starting from the forelock at
the top of the forehead of a normal haired man to the bottom of the [chin or] beard, vertically,
and from right earlobe to the left, horizontally.
6) One should wash his hands from the tips of fingers up to and including the elbow,
beginning first with the right hand, then the left. If he happens to be wearing a ring or a
watch, they must move it in order to allow the water to reach the skin underneath it.
7) One must wipe over his head once. This is done by wetting the hands and passing them
over the head, beginning from front, proceeding to the back, then passing them back over the
head to the front. Abdullah ibn Zaid () narrated:
Allhs Messenger () passed his two hands over his head starting from the front,
proceeding to the back. He started from his forehead and passed them over to the top of
his neck, and then passed them back to the place where he started from. (Saheeh ibn
Khuzaimah)
8) One should wipe over his ears by inserting his wet index fingers [which he used to wipe
his head] into the cavity if the ears, while wiping the outside with his wet thumbs. In ibn
Abbaass description of the wudoo of the Prophet (), he said:
He wiped his head and ears once. (Abu Daawud)
In another narration, he said:
He then wiped over his head and out his two index fingers into his ears, He wiped the
outside of his ears with his thumbs, and the insides of his ear with his index fingers.
(Abu Daawud)
9) One should wash his feet three times from the tips of the toes up to and including the
ankles. Abu Hurairah () said that he saw a person who did not wash his heels, and he said to
him:
Woe to the heels from the Hellfire! (Muslim)
10) One should wash the parts of wudoo in the correct sequence. He should wash one part
after another in the order that Allah commanded. He should not wash one body part before

22

another which it should come after, for in the verse quoted previously, Allh mentioned the
obligatory acts of wudoo in a specific sequence.
11) One should make wudoo in succession, meaning that one should not delay washing one
part of the body so long that the previous washed part becomes dry. In a hadeeth, the Prophet
() saw a man praying, but a portion of his foot the size of a dirham was not wet. Upon this,
the Prophet () ordered him to repeat his wudoo and Prayer.33 (Abu Dwud)
One must remove anything from the parts that must be washed in the wudoo which might
prevent water from reaching the skin underneath it, such as paint and other similar things.
One remains in a state of wudoo unless something invalidates it, such as urination,
defecation, passing of gas, pre-seminal fluid, prostratic fluid, false menstruation (vaginal
bleeding other than menses), eating of camel meat, touching the private parts with ones hand
without there being a barrier, or deep sleep.

Tayammum (Dry Ablution)

If there is no water available to perform wudoo or ghusl, or there is any other factor present
which prevents the use of water, such as illness, or the inability to use water, it is allowed to
perform tayammum. Tayammum takes the place if water in purifying oneself from states of
impurity, and it is performed as follows:
1) One should strike the ground with his two hands once with fingers spread.
2) One should then wipe over his face once with the bottom of his hands.
3) One should wipe both hands until his wrists once with his palms.

The Salaah (Prayer)

It is obligatory upon you to establish the Salaah, for it is the backbone of the religion; without
it, ones Islam cannot stand upright. The Prophet () said [striking an example between the
religion and a camel]:
As for the head of the religion, it is Islam (the Shahadataan); as for its backbone, it is
the Salaah, and as for the highest part of its hump, it is Jihad34. (Haakim)
The Salaah is a term which denotes a group of words and actions which start with the takbeer
(saying Allahu Akbar, meaning Allah is the greatest) and end with the tasleem (saying
As-Salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaah).
The Fruits of Salaah
When one establishes the Salaah, he benefits in the following ways:
33

Note that he did not merely order him to wash his foot, but rather he ordered him to repeat the whole wudoo as
well as his Prayer.
34

Jihad: Fighting against the disbelievers to raise Allahs word and establish the laws of Islam.

23

1) Spiritual joy: The Salaah establishes a relationship between the slave and Allah. He
converses with Him, supplicating to Him in sincere humbleness.
2) Peace at heart and tranquility. The Prophet () said:
I have been made to love women, perfume, and the Salaah has been made the delight of
my eyes. (Haakim)
3) The Salaah prevents from all sinful and licentious deeds. Allah (
) says:
Verily, the Salaah prevents from licentiousness, and every kind of evil wicked deed,
and the praising of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your
praising Allah in prayers]. [Surah al-Ankaboot (29):45]
4) The Salaah strengthens the bonds of love and unity between the Muslims. It breaks down
all social differences that may exist between them; they all stand together side by side in
rows, the old and young, the rich and poor, and the noble and ignoble. All people are the
same, humbling themselves before Allah, facing the same direction (the Qiblah35),
performing the same actions, reciting the same recitation, all at the same time.
The Timings of the Salaah
There are five prayers during the day and night which are obligatory upon every Muslim. All
men should establish the Salaah along with the congregation (jamaaah) in the masjid, unless
they have a valid excuse, while the women should pray in their homes. These five prayers are
as follows:

Name of Prayer
& Type of
Recitation

# of
Rakahs

Its Time

# of
Sunnah
Prayers36

Dhuhr (Noon)

It starts from the time the Sun starts to

descend towards the west after its zenith,
and ends when length of an objects
shadow is equal to the actual objects
height.

4 rakahs
before
and 2
rakahs
after.

It starts when the time of Dhuhr ends, and

ends when the sun sets.

It starts when the Sun has totally set, and

ends when red color of dusk disappears.

2 rakahs
after

It starts when the time of Maghrib ends,

and ends at the first appearance of light
before dawn.

2 rakahs
after

Silent

Asr (Afternoon)
Silent

Maghrib (Dusk)
Audible

Ishaa (Night)
Audible

35

Qiblah: the direction of the Kabah.

36 These are the Sunnah prayers which are emphasized; there are others related to each prayer which the author did
not mention for the sake of brevity.

24

Fajr (Dawn)

It starts at the first appearance of light at

dawn, and ends when the sun starts to rise.

Audible

2 rakahs
before

The Messenger of Allah () himself established the times for the Prayer. He () said:
The time of Dhuhr is when the sun declines from its zenith until a persons shadow
becomes equal to his height, and that is the time of Asr. The [recommended] time of
Asr continues until the sun starts to turn yellow [at which point it becomes makrooh37].
The time of Maghrib remains until the red color of the horizon disappears, and the time
of Ishaa remains until the first appearance light before dawn until the sun starts to
rise. If the sun starts to rise, then abstain from Prayer, for indeed it rises between the
two horns of the Shaytaan. (Muslim)

The Prerequisites of Salaah

Know that the Salaah has certain prerequisites; if one leaves them, the Prayer is invalid. They
are as follows:
1) Praying them in their proper times.
2) One must have performed purification from the minor and major states of impurity. Allah
(
) says:
O you who believe! When you intend to offer the Salaah, wash your faces and your
hands up to the elbows, pass wet hands over your heads, and [wash] your feet up to the
ankles. If you are in a state of janaabah (state of major impurity), purify yourself (bathe
your whole body). [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):6]
3) Ones body must be clean from any impurities. The Prophet () said:
Be careful to keep yourself clean from urine, for indeed the majority of the punishment
of the graves is due to people not doing so. [Daraqutni]
One must also keep his clothes pure from any impurities. Allah (
) says:
And purify your garments. [Surah al-Muddathir (74):4]
One must as well make sure that the place he is praying is also free from impurities. In a
hadeeth, a bedouin once urinated in the masjid, so the people stood up to confront and stop
him. Upon that the Prophet () said:

37

Makrooh: Something disliked in the religion. If a person does it, he will not be punished, but if he leaves it, he will
be rewarded. It is preferred to pray Asr before the sun starts to appear yellow, but it is still permissible until the sun
reddens before the time of sunset. Other hadeeth show that the time of Asr lasts until just before the sun sets. On
another occasion, the Prophet () showed the companions the last time they could pray each prayer. For the time of
Asr, the Prophet (): delayed the Asr Prayer until the time that upon finishing it, a person would say
that the Sun had reddened (which occurs just before sunset.) (Muslim)

25

Leave him (to finish i.e. now that he has started) and pour a bucket of water where he
urinated, for you have been sent to make things easy, not to make things hard.
(Bukhari)
4) Covering ones awrah38. For a man, it is the area between the naval and the knees, but in
Salaah, it includes the two shoulders. As for a woman, it is her whole body, but in Salaah, she
does not need to cover her face and hands. Allah (
) says:
O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing clean clothes), while
praying. [Surah al-Araaf (7):31]
5) One must face the Qiblah. Allah (
) says:
So turn your face in the direction of al-Masjid al-Haraam (at Makkah). And
wheresoever you are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction. [Surah al-Baqarah
(2):144]
A woman experiencing menstruation and postpartum bleeding must not pray until her
bleeding ceases. She should then perform a complete bath (ghusl) and then start to pray again,
performing ablution (wudoo) for each Prayer if she invalidates it. She should not make up
any prayer she missed while bleeding.

A Description of the Salaah

1) One should first perform a complete and perfect wudoo, as Allah () ordered:
O you who believe! When you stand to offer as-Salaah (the prayer), wash your faces
and your hands up to the elbows, pass wet hands over your heads, and [wash] your feet
up to ankles. [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):6]
2) One should face the Qiblah, which is the Kabah, with his whole body and intend with his
heart the specific Prayer he is about to perform, without uttering his intention vocally.
3) One should pronounce the Takbeerat-ul-Ihraam by saying Allahu Akbar (Allah is the
Greatest). He should do so looking at the place where he will prostrate, raising his hands
level to his shoulders or his ears, extending his fingers [with his palms] facing the Qiblah.
4) One should put his hands on his chest, placing his right hand over his left, and recite the
opening supplication (Duaa-ul-Istiftaah):
Subhaanak-Allahumma wa bi hamdika, wa tabaarak-Asmuka, wa taaala jaddukka
wa laa ilaaha ghayruka.
I declare You free and far removed from all imperfections, O Allah, and all praise is
for You. Blessed is Your Name. Great and Exalted is Your Kingdom. None has the right
to be worshipped besides You.
One should then say:
Aoodhu billaahi min ash-Shaytaan ir-Rajeem. Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem.
38

Awrah: The parts of the body which is forbidden for other to look at.

26

I seek refuge with Allaah from Satan, the Rejected One. In the Name of Allah, the
Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Then one should recite Surah al-Faatihah39, saying Aameen after finishing it aloud in those
prayers recited out loud, and silently in those prayers recited silently. After this one should
recite whatever is easy for him from the Qur`an.
5) After completing recitation, one should bow (Rukoo), by bending ones back forward. First
he should say:
Allahu Akbar.
Allah is the Greatest.
and raise his hands to his shoulders or ears while doing so. Then he should go into the
rukoo, extending his back, making his heading level with it. At this point he should place his
hands with fingers spread on his knees, keeping the elbows away from his sides and not
tucked inside. In the rukoo, one should say three times,
Subhaana Rubbiy-il-Adheem.
I declare my Lord, the Most Magnificent, be exalted and High Above from all
deficiencies.
6) One should raise his head [and upper body] from the rukoo, raising his hands to his
shoulders or ears, saying:
Samiallahu liman Hamidah.
Allah hears those who praise and extol Him.
One should say this whether he is praying alone or leading others in Prayer. After fully
returning to a standing position, one should say:
Rabanaa wa lak-al-Hamd.
Our Lord, and to You is all praise.
But if one is praying behind an Imaam40, he should say while standing:
Rabanaa wa lak-al-Hamd.
Our Lord, and to You be all praise.
It is recommended that one should place his hands on his chest as he did in the first standing
before the rukoo.
7) Next one should descend and prostrate (Sujood). He should say:
Allahu Akbar.
Allah is the Greatest.
without raising his hands [to his shoulders or ears]. He should then descend, placing his
knees on the ground before his hands if it is not hard for him, and prostrate upon his forehead
39

See appendix I.

40

Imaam: Literally: leader. Here, it means one who leads others in Prayer.

27

and nose, his two hands, his two knees, the bottom of the toes of his two feet. The fingers of
his two hands and his toes should be facing the Qiblah, and his fingers should be joined
together (not spread apart). He should keep his elbows away from his sides and not tuck them
inside [but rather he should spread them]. He should keep his knees away from his stomach,
keep his thighs away from his legs, and lift his elbows and forearms up off the ground. He
should then say three times:
Subhaana Rubbiy-il-Alaa.
I declare my Lord, the Most High, be exalted and High Above from all deficiencies.
One should supplicate as much as possible41 in the sujood, for the Prophet () said:
As for the rukoo, magnify the Lord (), and as for the sujood, make as much
supplication as you can, for [it is the place where] it is most likely to be accepted.
(Muslim)
8) One should raise his head from the sujood and say, Allahu Akbar. One should not raise
his hands to his shoulders or ears while saying so. He should lay his left foot flat on the
ground [pointing to the right] and sit upon it, and prop his right foot upright [with the bottom
of his toes on the ground facing the Qiblah]. One should place his hands on his thighs and
knees, and then say thrice:
Rubbighfir li.
My Lord, forgive me.
In addition to this, he may say:
Allahumm-aghfir li, warhamni, wahdini, warzuqni, wa aafini, wajburni.
O Allah, forgive me, have mercy upon me, grant me sustenance, keep me in a state of
safety and wellbeing, and strengthen my weakness.
9) Then one should perform a second sujood saying, Allahu Akbar, without raising his
hands. He should do as he did in the first sujood.
10) One should raise his head [from sujood] saying, Allahu Akbar, without raising his
hands [to his shoulders or ears], and stand up and perform the second rakah, taking support
on his knees if he is able. If it is hard for him, he should take support on the ground with his
two hands. While standing, he should recite Surah al-Faatihah along with whatever is easy
from the Qur`an after it, just as he did in the first rakah.
11) If one is performing a prayer which consists of two rakahs, such as Fajr, Jumuah, or
Eid, after the second prostration he should sit with his right foot propped up, sitting on his
left foot laid flat [pointing to the right]. He should clench his right hand and place it on the
lower part of his right thigh, and he should point with his finger during his supplication and
mentioning Allah (the tashahhud), symbolizing His Tawheed. He should place his left hand
on the bottom part of his left thigh and knee and recite the tashahhud:
At-tahiyyaatu lillaahi, was-salawaatu, wat-tayyibaatu, as-Salaamu alayka ayyuhanNabiyyu, wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh. As-Salaamu alaynaa wa alaa ibaadillaah-is-saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan
41

This may be said in his own words, and need not be reported of the Prophet (). If he does not know Arabic, he
may ask Allah in his native language.

28

abduhu wa rasooluh. Allahumma salli alaa Muhammad wa alaa Aali Muhammad

kamaa sallayta alaa Ibraaheem, wa Aali Ibraheem innaka Hameedum-Majeed. Wa
baarik alaa Muhammad wa alaa Aali Muhammad kamaa baarakta alaa Ibraaheem,
wa Aali Ibraaheem, innaka Hameedum-Mujeeb.
All words of praise and glorification are for Allah alone, and all prayers and acts of
worship, and pure words and attributes. May the Security of Allah be you, O Prophet,
and may Allahs Mercy and Blessings be upon you. May Allah send His Peace and
Security upon us, and upon all of Allahs righteous servants. I bear witness that none
has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His
slave and messenger. O Allaah! Extol and honor Muhammad and the true followers of
Muhammad, just as You extolled and honored Ibraaheem and the righteous offspring of
Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are deserving of all praise, Perfect in Glory and Honor. O
Allaah! Send continual blessings upon Muhammad and upon the true followers of
Muhammad, just as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the righteous
offspring of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are deserving of all praise, Perfect in Glory and
Honor.
He should then seek refuge from four things:
Allaahumma innee aoodhu bika min adhaabi jahannam, wa min adhaab-il-qabr, wa
min fitnat il-mahyaa wal-mamaat, wa min fitnat il-maseeh id-Dajjaal.
O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hellfire, from the Punishment
of the Grave, from the Trials of Living and Dying, and from the Trials of the False
Messiah (Anti-Christ).42
Then one should ask Allah with whatever supplication he wishes,43 asking whatever he
desires from the good things of this life and next.
12) Lastly, one should make the tasleem to the right, by turning his head to the right saying:
As-Salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaah.
May the Safety and Mercy of Allah be upon you.
Then he should make tasleem to his left, by turning his head to the left, saying, As-Salaamu
alaykum wa Rahmatullaah.
13) If one is performing a three rakah Prayer, such as Maghrib, or a four rakah prayer, such
as dhuhr, Asr or Ishaa, after saying Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa ash-hadu anna
Muhammadan Abduhu wa Rasooluhu, in the tashahhud mentioned previously, he should
stand up and pray the third rakah for a three rakah prayer, or the third and fourth rakahs for
a four rakah prayer. He should stand, seeking support on his knees if he is able, and raise his
hand level with his shoulders [or ears] saying, Allahu Akbar. He should place his hands
on his chest, grasping the right hand over the left, and recite Surah al-Faatihah. He should do
42 The Trials of Living are that which a person encounters in life with regard to being enticed by the worldly life
and the desires to which it gives rise. The Trials of dying are the trials of the grave, and the questioning by the
two Angels. The Trials of the False Messiah are the supernatural occurrences that will happen at the AntiChrists hands, called the Dajjaal in Arabic: things that will lead many people to go astray, to follow him and accept
his claim to divinity.
43

This may be said in his own words, and need not be reported of the Prophet (). If he does not know Arabic, he
may ask Allah in his native language.

29

the same as he did in the previous rakahs. He should then sit for the last tashahhud, and after
its recitation, he should finish his Prayer by making the tasleem.
Voluntary Prayers
You should know that there are certain Prayers known as as-Sunan-ur-Rawaatib, by which
one may earn extra reward and raise his level in Jannah. Through them, one makes up any
deficiencies found the obligatory Prayers. They have been mentioned previously in the table.
The Forbidden Times of Prayer
Voluntary prayers other than those mentioned may be performed at any time other than those
specifically forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (). They are as follows:
1) After the Fajr Prayer until the sun rises a spears length.44
2) The time when the sun reaches its zenith until it descends.
3) After the Asr prayer until the sun sets.
The Witr Prayer is also a Sunnah Prayer, and it consists of one rakah. It should be the last
prayer one performs at night.

Zakaah

Upon becoming Muslim, one must pay the Zakaah to those who deserve it. The Zakaah is a
right from the rights of Allah (
) which a Muslim must pay to his brothers from the poor and
needy to cover their requirements and save them from the humility of asking others. Allah
(
) says:
And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none
but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and establish the Salaah
and give the Zakaah: and that is the upright religion. [Surah al-Bayyinah (98):5]
There is a great wisdom and many reasons why Zakaah has been prescribed. From them may
be the following:
1) It purifies the souls of the rich Muslims and cleanses them from greed, selfishness, base
covetousness, and the love of this temporal world and drowning in its desires.
2) It purifies the soul of the poor from hate and jealousy which they might feel for the rich.
They see them giving from their wealth that which Allah ordered, continuously caring for
them, by giving them money and treating them well.
3) It causes a Muslim to grow fond of good manners, such as giving charity, expending
efforts, and preferring others to ones self.
4) It uproots poverty in the Muslim society and alleviates the dangers which result from it,
like theft, murder, and acts of transgression against peoples honor. It brings the spirit of the
44

About 15-20 minutes after the sun has risen.

30

mutual dependence and the brotherhood of the Muslim society to life, by fulfilling the needs
of Islam and the Muslims.
5) It plays a role in spreading the call to Islam in the world. Through it, the non-Muslims are
shown the religion of Islam and its beauty, and it is hoped that they accept it.

The Conditions of Zakaah

1) Possession in the nisaab, which is that amount of wealth that upon which Islam has
legislated Zakaah. This amount is equal to 85 grams of gold.
2) The elapse of one year, if one possesses the nisaab for a period of a complete year.

Those Eligible for Zakaah

Allah has specified those people who are eligible to receive Zakaah. Allah (
) says:
As-Sadaqaat (here Zakaat) are only for the fuqaraa and masaakeen (the poor) and
those employed to collect [the funds]; and for to attract the hearts of those who have
been inclined [towards Islam]; and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for
Allah's Cause (i.e. for Mujaahidoon - those fighting in Jihad), and for the wayfarer (a
traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is AllKnower, All-Wise. [Surah at-Tawbah (9):60]

Important Notes
1) There is no Zakaah due on those items which one possesses for personal use, such as
houses, furniture, cars, and animals used specifically for riding (horses, donkeys, etc.).
2) There is no Zakaah due on those assets one holds for rental purposes, like cars, shops,
houses. Zakaah though must be paid on the rental payment if it, combined with his other
wealth, reaches the nisaab and remains in his possession for a period of one year.

The Fast (Siyaam) of Ramadaan

Upon becoming Muslim, one must fast the month Ramadaan, every year. One must abstain
from anything that breaks the fast, such as food, drink, and sexual intercourse, from the time
of Fajr until Maghrib as an act of obedience to Allah. Allah (
) says:
O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those
before you, that you may become from the pious. [Surah al-Baqarah (2):183]
The objective of fasting is not that one merely abstain from the material and physical things
which break ones fast, but rather, one must also refrain from those intangible things which
wipe [the reward] of ones fast, such as lying, backbiting, tale-bearing, cheating, deception,
false talk, and other offensive behavior. He should keep in mind that it is obligatory upon him

31

to abstain from these offensive acts outside of Ramadaan, but more so in this month, due to
the saying of the Prophet ():
Whoever does not refrain from false speech and deeds, Allah had no need for him to
leave his food and drink. (Bukhari)
There are many reasons and great wisdoms why the Siyaam has been prescribed. From them
may be the following:
1) It is spiritual exercise for the believer, for his soul is making jihad45 against his wants and
desires.
2) Keeping the Muslims soul above all offensive speech and deeds. The Prophet () said:
When one of you is fasting, he should not speak evil, nor should he yell and shout, and
if someone were to curse or fight him, let him say, Indeed I am a fasting person.
(Bukhari)
3) Through fasting, one realizes how his needy brothers feel, and this encourages him to
fulfill their rights, ask about their welfare, and look into their needs.

Note:
It is not allowed for a women experiencing menstruation or postpartum bleeding to fast until
her bleeding stops. Once it does, she must perform a complete bath (ghusl) and make up the
fasts she missed. If one is ill or traveling, it is permissible for him not to fast, but those days
should be made up at a later time.46

Hajj

Upon becoming Muslim, one must perform Hajj once in his lifetime. Hajj is the pilgrimage
one makes to the Sacred House of Allah (the Kabah) in order to perform certain rites at
specific places at specific times. This pillar of Islam is obligatory upon every Muslim, male
or female, who is sane and has reached the age of puberty once in their lifetime, if they have
the physical and monetary ability. If a person has an incurable disease which prevents him
from performing Hajj, but he does have enough money, he must assign someone to perform
Hajj for him. But if a person does not have more money than what he needs to fulfill his daily
requirements or those whom he supports, Hajj is not an obligation upon him. Allah (
) says:
And the performing of Hajj to the House (Kabah) is a duty that mankind owes to
Allah, those who can afford the expenses; and whoever disbelieves, then Allah stands
not in need of any of the aalameen (mankind and Jinns). [Surah Aali Imraan (3):97]
There are many reasons and great wisdoms why Hajj has been prescribed. From them may be
the following:
45

Jihad: Here the word is used in its literal sense, which means to strive against.

46

One must make up the fasts before the arrival of the following Ramadaan.

32

1) To increase ones good reward due to his act of obedience, for the reward for a Hajj which
has been accepted by Allah is nothing but Jannah. The Messenger of Allah () said:
An Umrah47 followed by another is an expiation for the lesser sins one performed
between them, and there is no reward for a Hajj which has been accepted by Allah
except Jannah. (Bukhari)
2) To realize the unity of the Muslims, for Hajj is the largest Islamic gathering. Muslims from
all over come together at one place and time, calling to the same Lord, wearing the same
clothes, and performing the same rituals. There is no difference between the rich and the
poor, the noble and the ignoble, white and black, Arab and non-Arab. All are the same in
front of Allah; there is no difference between them except in piety (taqwaa). The Hajj is an
event which emphasizes the brotherhood of all Muslims and the unity of their hopes and
feelings.
3) It is a spiritual exercise which trains one to exert his efforts, physically and monetarily, in
the Way of Allah and seeking His Pleasure.
4) It is a purification of ones sins and wrongdoings. The Prophet () said:
Whoever performs Hajj to this House (the kabah) and does not indulge in foul speech
or commit any sin, he will return [sin-free] like the day his mother gave birth to him.
(Bukhari)

A Description of Hajj
Hajj is of three types, each one has its specific rites. The best type is what is called Tamattu,
which is that one performs both a Hajj and an Umrah separately, both in the Sacred Months
of Hajj. It is done as follows:
1) One should enter a state of Ihraam48 from the Meeqaat49 before the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah. He
should pronounce his entrance into a state of Ihraam saying:
Labbayk-Allahumma Umratan mutamittian bihaa ilal-Hajj.
Here I am at your service, O Allah, performing Umrah and then a Hajj [separately].
2) Once you have arrived Makkah, perform Tawaaf50 around the Kabah51 and perform the
Sai for Umrah, and then shave or shorten the hair of your head. Women should shorten [and
not shave] their hair about a third of a fingers length.

47

Umrah: Lesser pilgrimage. It consists of Tawaaf and Sai whilst in a state of Ihraam. These terms will be explain
later.

48

Ihraam: A state in which certain things become forbidden for a pilgrim.

49

Meeqaat: Particular places which one cannot cross without entering a state of Ihraam if he wishes to perform
Umrah or Hajj.

50

Tawaaf: The act of circling the Kabah counter-clockwise.

51

The Kabah is the first place which was made for the worship of Allah on the face of the earth. It was built by
Ibraheem and Ismaaeel, may the Safety and Mercy of Allah be upon them both, upon the command of Allah (
).
Allah said:

33

3) On the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah, which is called the day of Tarwiyah, one should enter
the state of Ihraam at the time of duhaa52, from the place you are. He should then go to
Minaa53, and there he should perform the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Ishaa prayers. He
should shorten the Dhuhr, Asr and Ishaa prayers [as a traveler does], but he should not
combine them together.54
4) After the sun has risen on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the Day of Arafah55, one
should leave Minaa and head towards Arafah. When the time of Dhuhr arrives, he should
pray Dhuhr and Asr, both two rakahs, combining them together. After completing them, he
should put all his efforts and spend his time mentioning Allah, supplication with sincere
humility. One should seek from Allah whatever he wishes raising his hands facing the Qiblah.
5) When the sun sets on the Day of Arafah, one should set out for Muzdalifah56. Once he has
reached, he should pray the Maghrib and Ishaa prayers, combining both prayers together,
making the Ishaa prayer two rakahs only. He should spend the night in Muzdalifah, and
once Fajr arrives, he should pray the Fajr prayer in its earliest acceptable time, and then he
should spend his time supplicating until the sky appear bright.
6) But before the sun has risen, he should leave Muzdalifah for Minaa. Once he arrives, he
should throw seven pebbles at Jamrat-ul-Aqabah57, saying Allahu Akbar with each throw.
The pebbles should be about the size of a chickpea.
7) After this, he should slaughter his sacrificial animal, and then shave or shorten the hair of
his head. Shaving is better for men, but as for women, she should shorten her hair about a
third of a fingers length. She should not shave her head.
8) One may now exit his state of greater Ihraam, but he still remains in a state of lesser
Ihraam. He may wear normal clothes and do everything which is allowed for a normal person
except for having marital relations with is wife.
9) One should then proceed to Makkah and perform the Tawaaf and Sai, both for Hajj. Upon
completion, he should return to Minaa and spend the nights of the eleventh and twelfth of
Dhul-Hijjah there. During the days, he should throw seven pebbles at all three of the
Jamaraat, saying Allahu Akbar with each pebble. He should do so after the sun starts to
decline from its zenith. He should start with the smaller Jamrah, and then proceed to the
middle and then the largest.
10) Once a person has thrown pebbles at the Jamaraat on the twelfth day, he may leave
Minaa or he may spend another night in Minaa, throwing pebbles at the three Jamaraat on

And Hajj to the House (Kabah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the
expenses; and whoever disbelieves, then Allah stands not in need of any of the Aalameen (mankind
and jinns). [Surah Aali Imraan (3):97]
52

Duhaa: Forenoon. The time after the sun has risen a spears length until before it reaches its zenith.

53

Minaa: A valley within the sacred precincts of Makkah.

54 Allah has legislated that a traveler shorten the Dhuhr, Asr and Ishaa prayers from four rakahs to two rakahs. A
traveler may also combine the Dhuhr with the Asr prayer, by praying them together, one after the other, as well as
the Maghrib with the Ishaa prayer.
55

Arafah: A plain just outside the sacred precincts of Makkah.

56

Muzdalifah: A hilly area between Arafah and Minaa.

57

There are three pillars in Minaa, the small, the medium and the large. The largest is called Jamrat-ul-Aqabah.

34

the thirteenth day after the sun starts to decline from its zenith as explained earlier, and this is
what is best.
11) Once one intends to return home, he should proceed to Makkah and perform Tawaaf alWadaa58. This Tawaaf is not an obligation for a woman experiencing menses or postpartum
bleeding. Once a person has done this, his Hajj is complete.

The Worship of Allah

Know, dear brothers and sisters, that worship is obligatory upon every Muslim who is
mentally sane and has reached the age of puberty. Performing these pillars of Islam is a
means to enter Jannah after receiving the Mercy of Allah (
). The Prophet () once said to a
bedouin who came and asked:
O Messenger of Allah, tell me what Allah has obligated upon me in terms of the
prayer. He replied, The five [daily] prayers, except if you wish to perform some
voluntary ones. He asked, Tell me what Allah has obligated upon me in terms of the
fasting. He replied, The month of Ramadaan, except if you wish to perform some
voluntary ones. He said, Tell me what Allah has obligated upon me in terms of
Zakaah. [The narrator] said So the Messenger of Allah () informed him of the
legislations of Islam. The bedouin said, By Him who has honored you, I will not do any
voluntary acts, and I will not leave anything of what Allah has ordered me. The
Messenger of Allah () said, He has succeeded (or, He will enter Jannah) if he is
saying the truth. (Bukhari)

The Individual and Social Effects of Worship

1) The believers will achieve happiness and success in the life of this world as well as the
Hereafter. Allah (
) says:
Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success, [as well as he who] remembers
(glorifies) the Name of his Lord, and prays. [Surah al-Alaa (87):14-15]
2) Physical and spiritual strength which results when one amiably and privately converses
with Allah. Allah (
) says:
Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him), and those who are
muhsinoon (good-doers). [Surah an-Nahl (16):128]
3) The Help of Allah and establishing His believing slaves authority on the earth. Allah (
)
says:
Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). * Truly, Allah is All-Strong, AllMighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) order the
establishment of the Salaah, the paying of the Zakaah, and they enjoin all good, and
forbid all evil [i.e. they make the Qur`an as the law of their country in all the spheres of
58 The Tawaaf al-Wadaa, or the Farewell Tawaaf, is the Tawaaf which one performs when a pilgrim intends to
return to his homeland. It is the last rite which is perfomed in Hajj, and should be the last thing one does at the
House of Allah.

35

life]. And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures). [Surah al-Hajj (22):4041]
4) The building of ties of brotherhood, cooperation, bonding, and security between the
individuals in an Islamic society. Allah (
) says:
The believers, men and women, are awliyaa (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors)
of one another, they enjoin all good, and forbid from all evil; they establish the Salaah
and give the Zakaah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on
them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. [Surah at-Tawbah (9):71]
5) The Guidance of Allah and the Success which is only granted by Him. Allah (
) says:
O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqaan (a criterion
to judge between right and wrong), and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you.
[Surah al-Anfaal (8):29]
6) An abundance of provision from Allah and way out of hardship. Allah (
) says:
And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to
get out (from every difficulty). * And He will provide him from (sources) he never could
imagine. [Surah at-Talaaq (65):2-3]
7) A multiplication of reward and expiation of sins. Allah (
) says:
And whosoever believes in Allah and performs righteous good deeds, He will remit
from him his sins, and will admit him to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) to
dwell therein forever, that will be the great success. [Surah at-Taghaabun (64):9]

The Commandments of Islam

Noble brothers and sisters, let the path you tread in your relationship with society and others
around you be guided by the saying of the Prophet ():
Avoid the prohibited and you will be the best worshipper, be pleased with the
sustenance Allah has provided for you and you will be the richest of people, be good to
your neighbor and you will be a true believer, desire for others what you desire for
yourself and you will be a true Muslim, and do not laugh much, for indeed laughing
much causes the heart to die. (Tirmidhi)
as well as his () saying:
A true Muslim is he whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand, and a
true muhaajir59 is one who has left what Allah has forbidden. (Bukhari)
In the goal of Islam in its decrees and prohibitions is the formulation of a well knit society in
which the individuals show mutual mercy and love, exemplifying the saying of the Prophet
Muhammad ():
59

Muhaajir: a person who has made hijrah: migration from a land of disbelief to a land of Islam for the sake of
Allah.

36

The believers in their love, mercy and their feeling for each other are like one body: if
one part feels pains, all the other parts feel pain by fever and sleeplessness. (Muslim)
There is no good value or manner except that Islam commands and encourages it, and there is
no baseness or lewdness in speech or deed except that Islam warns against it and commands
that it be avoided. Islam commands the following things:
1) It commands one to believe in the Tawheed of Allah and forbids associating partners with
Him (shirk). Allah () says:
Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He
forgives whom he pleases sins other than that. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):116]
The Prophet () said:
Avoid the seven deadly sins. They asked, O Messenger of Allah, what are they? He
replied, Associating partners (shirk) with Allah, magic, killing someone who Allah has
forbidden without right, taking interest, consuming the wealth of orphans, fleeing upon
confronting the enemy in battle, and accusing chaste women believers who are far
removed from committing any licentious acts. (Bukhari)
2) It commands treating others well and forbids false consummation of wealth, such as
interest, theft, deception, usurpation of property, and the like. Allah () says:
O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a
trade amongst you, by mutual consent. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):29]
3) It commands justice and equity and forbids all types of oppression and transgression
against others. Allah () says:
Verily, Allah enjoins justice and al-Ihsaan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties
to Allah, totally for Allahs sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the
Prophet in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin; and forbids all
licentious acts, evil, and oppression, He admonishes you, that you may take heed.
[Surah an-Nahl (16):90]
4) It commands that people cooperate in righteousness, and it forbids that they cooperate in
evil. Allah () says:
Help you one another in righteousness and piety; and do not help one another in sin
and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment. [Surah alMaa`idah (5):2]
5) It commands safeguarding life, and forbids killing and participating in it by any means,
except with due right. Allah () says:
Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person
not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he
killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all
mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidences,
and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by
doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allah by committing
the major sins) in the land! [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):32]

37

Allah () also said:

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and
the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for
him. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):93]
6) It commands well-treatment of ones parents and forbids that one disobey them. Allah ()
says:
And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to
your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a
word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor . * And lower
unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: My Lord!
Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small. [Surah alIsraa (17):23-24]
7) It commands joining ties of relation and forbids cutting them. Allah () says:
Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever
your ties of kinship? * Such are they whom Allah has cursed, so that He has made them
deaf and blinded their sight. [Surah Muhammad (47):22-23]
The Prophet () said:
One who cuts ties of relations will not enter Paradise. (Muslim)
8) It commands and encourages marriage. The Prophet () said:
O youngsters! Whoever is able to get married let him do so, for it lowers ones gaze
and keeps one chaste. Whoever is not able, then let him fast, for indeed it acts like a
shield for him. (Bukhari)
It forbids fornication and homosexuality and all things which lead to it. Allah () says:
Say (O Muhammad ): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are the
fawaahish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) whether
committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining
partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things
about Allah of which you have no knowledge. [Surah al-Araaf (7):33]
9) It orders the protection of the wealth of orphans and their well-treatment, and it forbids
consuming their wealth without right. Allah () says:
Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, they eat up only a fire into
their bellies, and they will be burnt in the blazing Fire! [Surah an-Nisaa (4):10]
It forbids grieving and ill-treating them. Allah () says:
Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression. [Surah ad-Duhaa (93):9]
10) It orders that one be truthful in his testimony and forbids that one bear false witness. The
Prophet () said:
Shall I not tell you the three greatest sins? They said. Indeed O Messenger of Allah.
He said, Associating partners with Allah (shirk) and ill-treatment of parents. He was

38

leaning [while he mentioned that], but then he sat up straight (as if he was alarmed) and
said, ..and bearing false witness. [The narrator] said, He continued to repeat this
until we wished that he would stop. (Bukhari)
11) It commands that one fulfill his oaths and forbids that one intentionally lie in ones oath,
especially if it were in order to deprive anothers right. Allah () says:
Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allahs Covenant and their
oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to
them, nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they
shall have a painful torment. [Surah Aali Imraan (3):77]
12) It commands humans to take care of themselves and forbids suicide, whether directly or
indirectly, such as dealing with intoxicants, drugs, cigarettes, and other things which modern
medicine has proven to be causes of destructive diseases. Allah () says:
And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you.
* And whoever commits that through aggression and injustice, We shall cast him into
the Fire, and that is easy for Allah. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):29-30]
13) It commands truthfulness, trustworthiness, and that one fulfill his oaths; and it forbids
lying, deception and treachery. Allah (
) says:
O you who believe! Betray not Allah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your
amaanaat (things entrusted to you, and all the duties which Allah has ordained for
you). [Surah al-Anfaal (8):27]
14) It commands love and unity, and it forbids that one disassociate from others as well as all
other things which lead to hate and enmity, such as bearing grudges, hatred, and envy. The
Prophet () said:
To not hate each other, do not envy each other, and do not turn your backs on each
other (cut off), but rather be true slaves of Allah as brothers. It is impermissible for a
Muslim to cut off from his brother more than three days. (Bukhari)
15) It commands generosity and forbids greed and stinginess. The Prophet () said:
There are two manners which Allah loves: good manners and generosity, and there are
two manners which Allah hates, bad manners and stinginess. When Allah desires good
for someone, he uses him to fulfill the needs of others. (Abu Nuaim, al-Iraaqi)
16) It commands providence and forbids wastefulness and squandering money uselessly.
Allah (
) says:
And give to the kindred his due and to the miskeen (poor) and to the wayfarer. But
spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, spendthrifts
are brothers of the Shayateen (devils), and the Shaytaan (Devil, Satan) is ever
ungrateful to his Lord. [Surah al-Israa (17):26-27]
17) It commands moderateness and forbids strictness and extremism in religion. Allah (
)
says:
Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.
[Surah al-Baqarah (2):185]

39

The Prophet () said:

Be aware and stay away from extremism in religion, for indeed the only thing which
destroyed those before you was extremism in religion. (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan)
18) It commands humility and forbids pride and arrogance. Allah (
) says:
And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice.
Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass. [Surah Luqmaan
(31):19]
About pride, the Prophet () said:
He who has even a mustard seeds worth of pride in his heart will not enter Jannah. A
person asked, O Messenger of Allah, people like to wear nice clothes and sandals. He
said, Indeed Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. Pride is that one rejects the truth
and sees others to be lower than himself. (Muslim)
The Prophet () said about self-conceit:
Whoever drags his clothes on the ground out of self-conceit, Allah will not look at him
on the Day of Resurrection. (Bukhari)
19) It commands people to console others and not feel happy about others grief. The Prophet
() said:
Do not feel happy about your brothers grief, it might be that Allah will show mercy to
him and put you through a trial. (Tirmidhi)
20) It forbids Muslims from interfering into affairs which do not concern them. The Prophet
() said:
Indeed from the good traits of a true Muslim is that he leaves that which does not
concern him. (Tirmidhi)
21) It commands respecting people and forbids debasing them and holding them in contempt.
Allah (
) says:
O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are
better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the
latter are better than the former. And do not defame one another, nor insult one
another by nicknames. [Surah al-Hujuraat (49):11]
22) It commands one to jealously protect and guard ones mahrams60, and it forbids
cuckoldry. The Prophet () said:
Three will not enter Jannah: one who maltreats his parents, a cuckold, and women
who act like men. (Haakim)
23) It prohibits resembling members of the opposite sex. Ibn Abbaas () said:

60

Mahram: Those relatives who are forbidden for a person to marry due to their closeness in blood, marriage, or
due to wet-nursing, such as mothers, mothers in law, wet-nurses, sisters, aunts, etc.

40

The Messenger of Allah () cursed those men who make themselves to resemble
women and those women make themselves to resemble men. (Bukhari)
24) It commands that people exert efforts in doing good to others, and it forbids that they
remind them of their favors. The Prophet () said:
Be warned and stay away from reminding people of your favors to them, for indeed it
causes ungratefulness [in the one to whom the favor was shown] and extinguishes the
reward [he would have received for that deed]. Then he recited Allahs (
) saying,
O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your
generosity or by injury. [Surah al-Baqarah (2):264]61
25) It commands thinking good about others, and it forbids spying and backbiting. Allah (
)
says:
O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicion is sin. And spy not,
nor backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?
You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who
accepts repentance, Most Merciful. [Surah al-Hujuraat (49):12]
26) It commands that one guard his tongue from all evil talk, and that he use it in that which
leads to good, whether to the individual or the society, such as mentioning Allah and reform.
It forbids us from letting our tongues loose without any benefit. The Prophet () said:
May your mother bereave you O Muadh!62 Are people thrown into the Hellfire on
their faces or nostrils except for what their tongues reaped? (Tirmidhi)
27) It commands with well-treatment of the neighbor and forbids showing them harm. The
Prophet () said:
By Allah he is not a true believer! By Allah he is not a true believer! By Allah he is not
a true believer! It was said, And who is he, O Messenger of Allah? He replied, Him
whose neighbor is not safe from his evil. (Bukhari)
28) It commands that one seek company with the righteous and forbids that one seek
company with the evil. The Prophet () said:
The example of a righteous and evil companion is like one who carries perfume and
another who is a blacksmith. As for the one who carries perfume, he will either give you
some perfume, you might buy some, or [at least] you will find a pleasing scent with him.
As for the blacksmith, either he (the blacksmith) will burn his clothes, or he will find a
hideous odor from him. (Bukhari)
29) It orders people to strive to bring harmony to any disunity amongst people, and it
prohibits anything which leads to enmity and hatred. Allah (
) says:
There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah
(charity in Allah's Cause), or maroof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and
righteous deeds which Allah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind, and he
61

Narrated by Dhahabi in Al-Kabaa`ir.

62

This is an Arabic expression of condemnation in which the literal meaning is not intended.

41

who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward.
[Surah an-Nisaa (4):114]
30) It orders that people be sincere to each other [by advising them] and forbids that advice be
withheld when it is sought. The Prophet () said:
The religion is sincerity. We asked, To whom? He replied, To Allah, to His Book,
to His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their general folk. (Muslim)
31) It orders people to help relieve worries of Muslims, to give them respite [in paying back
debts], and to conceal their faults. The Prophet () said:
Whoever relieves some worry of a believer, Allah will relieve a worry of his on the Day
of Judgment. Whoever makes things easy for one in times of hardship [by giving respite
to one who is not able to pay back a debt], Allah will makes things easy upon him in this
life and the next. And whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his
fault in this life and the Hereafter. Allah helps his servant as long as he helps his
brother. (Muslim)
32) It orders that one have patience and fortitude in times of hardship, and forbids that one
become worried and discontent. Allah (
) says:
And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives
and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient ones. * Who, when afflicted with calamity,
say: Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. * They are those on
whom are the Blessings (etc.) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His
Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones. [Surah al-Baqarah (2):155-157]
33) It orders that one forgive, pardon, and turn away from one who does evil to him, and
forbids that one seek revenge and retribution. Allah (
) says:
And hurry to (that which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as
wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for the Muttaqoon (the pious, Allahfearing). * Those who spend [in Allahs Cause - deeds of charity, alms, etc.] in
prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah
loves the muhsinoon (the good doers). [Surah Aali Imraan (3):133-134]
34) It commands mercy and it forbids cold-heartedness. The Prophet () said:
Allah shows mercy to those who show mercy. Show mercy to those on earth, He Who is
above the heavens will show mercy to you. (Tirmidhi)
35) It commands kindness and softness, and it forbids harshness and strictness. The Prophet
() said:
Nothing is done with kindness except that it is beautified, and nothing is devoid of
kindness except that it is disfigured. (Muslim)
36) It commands that one return evil with good, and forbids that one reciprocate evil with the
same. Allah (
) says:
And the good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is
better (i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to

42

excuse those who treat them badly): then verily he, between whom and you there was
enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. [Surah Fussilat (41):34]
37) It commands the spreading of knowledge and forbids hiding it. The Prophet () said:
Whoever was asked about knowledge but conceals it, he will be brought on the Day of
Resurrection leashed with the muzzles of Hellfire. (Haakim)
38) It commands that Muslims enjoin virtue and righteousness and prevent evil and vice, each
according to his ability. The Prophet () said:
Whoever of you sees an evil act, let him change it with his hand, if he is not able, then
with his tongue, and if he is not able, then with his heart, and that is the lowest of
Eemaan. (Muslim)

Various Prohibitions

Some of the things which Islam forbids are the following:

1) Wine, and all other drugs which come under this heading, whether it is ingested, inhaled or
injected. Allah (
) says:
O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-ansaab
(Stone altars on which the polytheists slaughtered to their idols), and al-azlaam (arrows
for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of the Shaytaans handiwork; so avoid
(strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. * The Shaytaan
wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks,
etc.) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the Salaah
(the prayer). So, will you not then abstain? [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):90-91]
2) Eating the meat of carrion, pigs, and all other things mentioned in Allahs () saying:
Forbidden to you (for food) are: al-maytah (dead animals - cattle-beast not
slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered
as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which
Allahs Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been
killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns
- and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal - unless you are able to
slaughter it (before its death) and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on nusub (stone
altars). (Forbidden) also is to use arrows seeking luck or decision, (all) that is fisq
(disobedience of Allah and sin). [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):3]
3) Eating that over which the Name of Allah was intentionally not pronounced, or that over
which other than the Name of Allah was pronounced upon slaughtering. Allah () said:
Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allahs Name has not been pronounced
(at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is fisq (a sin and disobedience
of Allah). [Surah al-Anaam (6):121]

43

4) Eating those animals which have canine teeth, such as lions, leopards, wolves and the like,
as well as those birds which have talons, like eagles, falcons, hawks and the likes. Ibn
Abbaas said:
The Prophet () forbid us from [eating] any carnivorous animal which has canine
teeth, and every bird which has talons [with which it catches its prey]. (Muslim)
5) What was slaughtered by other than the Jews and the Christians. It is considered carrion
and it is impermissible to eat.
Made lawful to you this day are all good and pure things. The food (slaughtered cattle,
eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to
you and yours is lawful to them. The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of
the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to
them. [Surah al-Maa`idah (5):5]
6) Any food or drink which is apparently harmful to ones body, such as cigarettes and
similar things, are impermissible. Allah () says:
And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to
you. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):29]
7) Wearing of silk, gold, and silver for men; they are permissible for women. The Prophet ()
said:
The wearing of silk and gold has been permitted for the women of my nation but not
its men. (Ahmad)
It is not allowed, though, for both males and females, to eat, drink, or perform wudoo from
utensils made from either gold or silver, for the Prophet () said:
Do not drink from gold or silver utensils and do not eat from its plate for indeed it is
for them (the kuffaar) in this life and for us in the next. (Bukhari)

Selected Supplications, Words of Remembrance, & Islamic Etiquettes

1) Mention the name of Allah [by saying Bismillaah] before you start eating or drinking,
and thank Allah [by saying Alhamdulillaah (Allah praise and thanks be to Allah)] upon
finishing. You should eat from what is in front of you [and not from in front of someone
else], and eat with your right hand, for the left hand is mainly used to clean what is held
detestable (like cleaning oneself after relieving himself). Umar bin Abi Salamah () said:
When I was a young boy, I was in the room of the Messenger of Allah (), and my hand
[was taking food from] all sides of the plate [while eating]. So the Messenger of Allah ()
said to me:
Young boy, mention the name of Allah [before you start to eat], eat with your right
hand, and eat from in front of you. (Bukhari)
2) Never find fault in food, however unpleasant it may be. Abu Hurairah () said:

44

The Messenger of Allah () never found any fault in food. If he liked it he ate it, and if
he did not he left it. (Bukhari)
3) Do not enter houses except after seeking permission [by knocking or the like]. Allah (
)
says:
O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked
permission and greeted those in them. [Surah an-Noor (24):27]
Do not persist in seeking permission [more than thrice]. The Prophet () said:
One should seek permission thrice. If you are granted permission, [then enter,] and if
not, go back. (Muslim)
5) Greet all Muslims, whether you know or do not [by saying As-Salaamu alaykum], due to
the love and friendship which it brings about. The Prophet () said:
You will never enter Jannah until you believe, and you will never believe fully until you
love each other. Shall I not lead you to something that if you do it, you will love each
other? Spread the greetings of Salaam amongst yourselves. (Muslim)
6) If someone greets you with Salaam, return him with the same greetings or one better.63
Allah (
) says:
When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at
least) return it equally. [Surah an-Nisaa (4):86]
7) When you feel like yawning, you should try to stop it as much as possible. The Prophet ()
said:
Yawning is from the Shaytaan. When one of you feels like yawning, let him stop it as
much as he can. And if one of you sighs, Aahh! [while doing so], the Shaytaan
laughs. (Bukhari)
If he is unable to stop it, he should cover his mouth with his hand. The Prophet () said:
If one of you yawns, then let him hold his mouth with his hand, for indeed the
Shaytaan enters [it]. (Muslim)
8) When you sneeze, say, Alhamdulillaah. If another Muslim sneezes and says,
Alhamdulillaah, you should reply by saying, Yarhamuk-Allahu (may Allah have
mercy on you). If someone replies to you by saying, Yarhamuk-Allahu, reply to him by
saying, Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum (may Allah guide you and make
improve your heart, your living, and your affairs).
When one of you sneezes, let him say, Alhamdulillaah, and then let his brother or
companion say to him, Yarhamuk-Allahu, and then let him (the one who sneezed) say,
Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum. (Bukhari)
If a disbeliever says, Alhamdulillah, you should reply by saying, Yahdeekumullaah wa
yuslihu baalakum, only.64 Abu Musa () said:
63

When someone says As-Salaamu alaykum, one should respond with, wa alaykum As-Salaam, at the very least.
It is better that one add, wa Rahmatullaah, and even further, wa Barakaatuh.

45

The Jews would try to make themselves sneeze while in the company of the Prophet
() hoping that he would say, Yarhamukumullaah. Instead, he would say,
Yahdeekumullaah wa yuslihu baalakum. (Tirmidhi)
From its manners is what Abu Hurairah () related, that when the Messenger of Allah
sneezed, he would put his hand or his clothes in front of his mouth and lower his voice [in
doing so].
9) Do not belch in public. Ibn Umar () said:
A man belched while in the company of the Messenger of Allah (), and so he said to
him: Save us from your burping, for the most satiated in this life will be hungry for the
longest time on the Day of Resurrection. (Tirmidhi)
10) If you joke, do not say anything to harm or maltreat others. The Prophet () said:
Let not anyone take his brothers things (to anger him) seriously or jokingly. (Abu
Dawud)
Do not let your joking be untrue, leading you to lie to make others laugh. The Prophet ()
said:
Woe to the one who lies in his speech to make people laugh, woe be to him! Woe be to
him! (Abu Dawud)
11) When you wish to sleep, mention the Name of Allah and lie down on your right side.
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan said:
When the Prophet () would retreat to his bed, he would say:
Bismika amootu wa ahyaa.
In your Name I die and I live.
Upon rising, he would say:
Alhamdulillaah-illadhi ahyaanaa bada maa amaatanaa wa ilayh-in-nushoor.
All praise and thanks be to the One who brought us to life after having caused us to
die,65 and to Him will we be resurrected. (Bukhari)
12) Before having marital relations with your wife, say:
Bismillaah. Allahumma
razaqtanaa.

jannibnash-Shaytaan,

wa

jannib-ish-Shaytaana

maa

In the Name of Allah. O Allah, keep the Shaytaan away from us, and keep the
Shaytaan away from what you grant us [from offspring]. (Bukhari)
64 A person should refrain from saying, God bless you, or any other supplication other than what the Prophet ()
made.
65

Sleep is a lesser form of death, as Allah says in the Qur`an:

It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die when their
sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term
appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply. [Surah az-Zumar (39):42]

46

The Prophet () said:

If someone says when he approached his wife (before sexual intercourse), In the Name
of Allah. O Allah, keep the Shaytaan away from us, and keep the Shaytaan away from
what you grant us [from offspring], if Allah grants them a child he (the Shaytaan) will
not harm him. (Bukhari)
Also, keep whatever takes place between you and your partner private. The Prophet () said:
Indeed from the worst stations of people on the Day of Resurrection is one who has
marital relations with his wife and then spreads her private matters. (Muslim)
13) Upon leaving your home, say the corresponding supplication. The Prophet () said:
Whoever says, meaning upon leaving ones home:
Bismillaahi, tawakkaltu alAllahi, laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah.
In the Name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah, There is no ability nor might except with
Allah.
it will be said to him, Your affair has been taken care of, your have been protected
[from all evil], and the Shaytaan moves away from you. (Tirmidhi)
14) When you visit the ill, invoke the supplication which has been narrated of the Prophet
(). When he would visit the ill, he would sit close to his head and say the following seven
times:
Asalullaah al-Adheem, Rubb al-Arsh il-Adheem an yashfiyak.
I beseech Allah, the Magnificent, the Lord of the Magnificent Pedestal, that He cure
you.
The Prophet () said:
If Allah has written for him to live longer, he will be cured from this sickness.
(Saheeh ibn Hibbaan)
15) When you enter the toilet, enter with your left foot and say:
Bismillah Allahumma inni aoodhu bika min al-kubthi wal-khabaa`ith.
In the Name of Allah, O Allah, indeed I seek refuge in you from filth and the evil
Jinns. (Bukhari)
When you leave the toilet, exit with your right foot and say:
Ghufraanak.
I ask of your forgiveness. (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan, ibn Maajah)66

Brotherly Advice

66

Albani graded it as Saheeh.

47

1) Know that upon entering the fold of Islam, Allah has wiped away all yours previous sins
and evil deeds. The Prophet () said:
Do you not know that Islam wipes away what comes before it? (Muslim)
Rather, even the evil deeds which you committed before you entered Islam are changed into
good deeds by the Bounty of Allah. Allah (
) says:
And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such life as
Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and
whoever does this shall receive the punishment. * The torment will be doubled to him on
the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace. * Except those who
repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah
will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Surah al-Furqaan (25):68-70]
Listen to this good news from Allah (
): those who embrace this religion from the People of
the Book will be given a double reward due to their belief in their Messenger and their belief
in the prophethood of Muhammad ()! Allah (
) says:
Those to whom We gave the Scripture [i.e. the Tawraah and the Injeel, etc.] before it, they believe in it (the Qur`an). And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in
it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those
who submit themselves to Allah in Islam as Muslims (like Abdullah bin Salaam and
Salmaan al-Faarisi, etc).These will be given their reward twice over, because they are
patient, and repel evil with good, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided
them. [Surah al-Qasas (28):52-54]
The Prophet () said:
Whoever accepts Islam from the people of the two Books (the Jews and Christians),
they will have a double reward. The will receive the rights we enjoy, and they must give
the rights we give. And whoever accepts Islam from the pagans [other than them], will
have their reward, and they will receive the rights we enjoy, and they must give the
rights we give. (Ahmad)
Your records are white and clean, so be careful not to commit any bad deeds and try to keep
your records white and clean, and continually seek repentance for any mistakes you make.
2) You now know the truth, so try to set a portion of your time to understand your religion by
seeking beneficial knowledge from authentic sources. The Messenger of Allah () said:
If Allah desires good for a person, He gives him understanding of the religion.
(Bukhari)
Make seeking knowledge of Aqeedah (the Islamic belief system) your first priority, and then
study everything else you need in your daily life to keep your religion upright, such as
Purification, Prayer, and the likes. You should also study the rulings of trade, monetary
transactions, and social interaction, as well as the rulings pertaining to your source of
livelihood so that you do not unintentionally fall into things which are impermissible. Also,
set out a portion of your time to memorize the Book of Allah.
You should understand your religion from its proper and trusted sources- the Book of Allah
and the authentic Sunnah of His Messenger (). Let the Messenger of the religion,
48

Muhammad (), be your role model and leader and learn his biography so you can follow
role. Try as much as possible to accompany the scholars and students of knowledge who
practice what they preach, and know that not all of those who say they are Muslims should be
trusted in knowledge; rather, you must make sure and carefully examine those who you take
your knowledge from or read, by comparing them with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of
His Messenger, Muhammad (), and his rightly guided successors. The Prophet () said:
I advise you to have taqwaa67, hearing and obeying even if it be to an Ethiopian slave
with amputated limbs (if he be your leader). For indeed, whoever lives long amongst you
will see many differences. So stick to my Sunnah, and the Sunnah of the rightly guided
successors. Hold tight and cling on to it with your molar teeth. And stay far away from
newly invented matters [in religion], for indeed every invented matter is an innovation,
and every innovation is misguidance. (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan, Abu Dawood)
Whatever is in accordance with his Sunnah, then take it, and whatever opposes it, leave it.
The Prophet () said:
The Jews split into seventy-one sects, one is in Jannah and seventy are in the Hellfire.
The Christians split into seventy-two sects, seventy-one are in the Hellfire and one is in
Jannah. By Him in Whose Hands is the soul of Muhammad, my Ummah (nation) will
split into seventy-three sects, one will be in Jannah and seventy-two will be in the
Hellfire. It was said, O Messenger of Allah, who are they? He answered, The
Jamaaah68. (ibn Maajah)
3) Love and enmity. You must love and ally with the believers, and you must hate the
disbelievers and take them as enemies. But to hate them does not mean to oppress and
transgress against them or usurp their rights. You should not hate them merely for their
selves, but rather due to their disbelief and misguidance. This should encourage you to do
your utmost to help save them from the Hellfire. Do not prefer disbelievers over Muslims,
and do not help them against Muslims. Allah (
) says:
The believers, men and women, are awliyaa (helpers, supporters, friends, allies,
protectors) of one another. [Surah at-Tawbah (9):71]
4) Know that there are usually none who enter Islam except that they face opposition,
disagreement and harm, especially from those closest to them. You should keep this in mind
and know that through this is an elevation of your level, a purification of sins, and a test
through which Allah is trying you to see the extent of your truthfulness and steadfastness on
your religion. Allah (
) says:
Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: We believe, and will not
be tested? * And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly
let it (it) be known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly let (it) be known
(the falsehood of) those who are liars. [Surah al-Ankaboot (29):2-3]
Also, the Prophet () was asked:

67

To have taqwaa means to shield yourself from the punishment of Allah by avoiding sins and doing deeds of
righteousness.
68

Jamaaah: The general body of the Sahaabah and those who follow them.

49

Which people are the most tested? He replied, The Prophets, then the righteous,
then those after them, and then those after them. Every person is tried according to the
strength of his religion, if his religion is strong, he is tested more, and if his religion is
weak, his trial is lessened. A person continues to be tested and tried until he walks on
the earth totally free of sin (due them being forgiven through trials). (Ahmad)
Know that they will try to make you doubt in Islam and constantly mention these doubts to
you. So try as much as possible to ask the people of knowledge so that you may find a proper
reply to those doubts, from the Qur`an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ().
5) Calling to the religion of Allah (dawah) and his authentic Sunnah. You must be
knowledgeable to what you call to. Know the doubts that the enemies of Islam instigate about
it so that it will be easy for you to answer them. Let the way you do dawah be led the saying
of Allah (
):
Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur`an) and fair preaching, and argue with
them in the best way. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path,
and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided. [Surah an-Nahl (16):125]
Try as much as possible to help save others from the Hellfire, just as Allah saved you from it,
and start with those closest to you. Always keep this saying of the Prophet () in front of
you:
Allah did not send me to make things hard nor obstinate and inflexible, but rather as a
teacher and to make things easy. (Muslim)
Know that there is much good and great Bounty from Allah in helping a person to become
Muslim, The Messenger of Allah () said to Ali ():
That Allah guides through you even one person is better for you that a red camel69.
(Bukhari)
The reason for that is that you will receive the same reward as all those who have been guided
through you, without their reward being decreased in the least. The Prophet () said:
Whoever calls to guidance, he will receive an additional reward equal those who
follows him, without that reducing their reward in the least. Whoever calls to
misguidance, he will receive the sin of those who follow him, without that reducing their
punishment in the least. (Muslim)
Know that conveying this religion to non-Muslims and calling them to it is a trust upon the
back of every Muslim, so do not fall short in doing so as other have. The Messenger of Allah
() said:
Convey to others from me, even if it be one verse. (Tirmidhi)
You should be from those who cause people to like the religion of Allah. The Prophet ()
said:
Give good tidings, and do not cause people to flee from the religion; make things easy
for people and dont make things hard. (Muslim)
69

A red camel was a highly prized species.

50

Know that in calling others to Islam you are not responsible for the results, for your call is
restricted to merely clarifying and showing people the way to the truth. Allah (
) says:
And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path
(i.e. Allahs religion of Islamic Monotheism). * The Path of Allah, to Whom belongs all
that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all the matters at the end go to
Allah (for decision). [Surah ash-Shooraa (42):52-53]
As for the Guidance to actually practice Islam, that is from Allah only. Allah (
) says:
Verily! You (O Muhammad ) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He
wills. And He knows best those who are the guided. [Surah al-Qasas (28):56]
6) Try as much as possible to choose righteous companions who encourage and help you to
do good, warn and prevent you from doing evil, and will be a support for you in your life
after Allah. The Prophet () said:
The example of a righteous and evil companion is like one who carries perfume and
another who is a blacksmith. As for the one who carries perfume, he will either give you
some perfume, you might buy it, or [at least] you will find a pleasing scent with him. As
for the blacksmith, either he (the blacksmith) will burn his clothes, or he will find a
hideous odor from him. (Bukhari)
7) Be careful not to go to extremes in the religion. There is neither extreme asceticism nor
fanaticism in the religion. One should act according to the saying of Allah (
):
Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.
[Surah al-Baqarah (2):185]
Anas bin Maalik () said:
Three people came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet () asking about the
worship of the Prophet (). When they were informed, they thought it was too little [for
them] and said, Who are we in comparison to the Prophet (), for indeed Allah has
forgiven him whatever he did in the past as well as the future. One of them said, As
for me, I will pray the whole night. Another said, I will fast every day without rest,
and yet another said, I will stay away from women and never marry. The Messenger
of Allah () came [and when he heard of this, he] said, Are you the people who said
such and such? As for me, by Allah, indeed I am the most fearing of Allah and most
protective of not earning his punishment from amongst you, but I fast and I eat, I pray
and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever desires other than my Sunnah, then he is not
from me. (Bukhari)
On the other hand, there should be no shortcoming or softening in regards to the rulings of the
religion. The Prophet () said:
Leave me to what I have ordered you. Indeed those before you were destroyed due to
their [persistent] questioning, and opposing their Prophets. If I forbid you from
something, stay far away from it, and if I command you with something, do as much as
it is possible. (Bukhari)
8) You will see many Muslims who fall short in fulfilling the obligations and refraining from
the prohibitions of the religion. You will see that they fall short in dawah as well. The extent

51

to which one fall short differs from person to person, but it is all due to the fact that Shaytaan
is trying his utmost to misguide the children of Adam. Allah (
) says:
[Iblees (Satan)] said: By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all. [Surah asSaad (32):82-83]
He threatened that he would exert all his efforts in misleading them. Allah () says:
And surely, We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you shape (the noble
shape of a human being), then We told the angels, Prostrate to Adam, and they
prostrated, except Iblees (Satan), he refused to be of those who prostrate. * (Allah) said:
What prevented you (O Iblees) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you?
Iblees said: I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You
created from clay. * (Allah) said: (O Iblees) get down from this (Paradise), it is not for
you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced. *
(Iblees) said: Allow me respite till the Day they are raised up (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection). * (Allah) said: You are of those allowed respite. * (Iblees) said:
Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings)
on Your Straight Path. * Then I will come to them from before them and behind them,
from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones
(i.e. they will not be dutiful to You). * (Allah) said (to Iblees) Get out from this
(Paradise) disgraced and expelled. Whoever of them (mankind) will follow you, then
surely I will fill Hell with you all. [Surah al-Araaf (7):11-18]
Do not let this discourage you from fulfilling the obligation of dawah to the religion of
Allah, and let this be your biggest incentive to try your hardest in serving this religion and
calling to it.
9) Adorn yourself with the manners of Islam and apply them in your daily life, such as
helping someone who is in need whether you know him or not and smiling at your brothers.
The Prophet () said:
Smiling at your brother is regarded as charity, enjoining good and prohibiting evil is
charity, showing someone the way when he is lost is charity, helping the weak-sighted is
charity, removing a rock, a thorn, or bones from the path is charity, and pouring water
from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity. (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan)
Your clothes and all your things should be clean. A Muslim must always be clean, for his
religion is one of cleanliness. Allah (
) says:
O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while
praying. [Surah al-Araaf (7):31]
Islam stresses that a person differ from other religions and their bad habits. The Prophet
Muhammad () said:
Clean your courtyards, for indeed the Jews do not clean their courtyards. (Suyooti)
You should try to do as many good deeds as possible, such as giving charity, performing
voluntary prayers and others.
When one performs these deeds [mentioned above] they are giving indirect dawah to the
Muslims, in that others will try as well to implement these manners. Through them one gives

52

dawah to the non-Muslims as well, in that they become interested to learn about this religion
which calls to cleanliness and good character.
Treat your relatives well, and do not cut ties with them even if they are opposed to you
accepting Islam. Your relations should be even better than before so that they might come to
like your new way of life. They will come to know that Islam only improved your good
relations and manners. Asmaa () said:
My mother, who was a pagan during the life of the Messenger of Allah (), came to
me, and so I asked the Messenger of Allah (): My mother came to me wanting [to
meet me]. Should I keep ties with my mother? He () said: Yes, keep your ties of
relation with your mother. (Bukhari)
10) Know that the struggle between good and evil will continue until the Final Hour. The
weakness of the Muslims and the material strength of the disbelievers, the minority of
Muslims and the majority of the disbelievers, the backwardness of the Muslims and the
advancement of the disbelievers, the decrepitness of the Muslims and the might and honor of
the disbelievers; none of these things indicate the falsity of Islam. Rather, they are definite
results of the shortcomings of the Muslims in implementing the legislation of their Lord and
their abandoning righteous deeds and calling to Allah. Umar ibn al-Khattaab (), the second
Khaleefah (successor) to the Prophet () said:
We are a people who Allah honored and gave might through Islam. If we were to seek this
honor in something else, Allah would humiliate us. The truth has most right to be followed,
for indeed Allah created Heaven and Hell, and He has promised that each one will be filled.
11) Know my brothers and sisters that we are in the last of times (the Last Day is near), and
that each year that passes, we become closer to the end of the world and the establishing of
the Hour. The Prophet () said:
I myself and the Hour have been raised like these two, and he joined his index and
middle fingers. (Bukhari)
The Prophet () foretold the state of Islam [and Muslims] in this time. He () said:
Islam started as a strange thing, and it will again be like it was before: strange. So may
glad tidings be to the strangers. (Muslim)
Having many followers is not a proof for the correctness of a methodology. Allah () said:
And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's
Path. [Surah al-Anaam(6):116]
Also, the Prophet () said:
Glad tidings to the strangers! Glad tidings to the strangers! Glad tidings to the
strangers! Someone asked, Who are the strangers O Messenger of Allah? He said,
Righteous people amongst many evil ones. Those who disobey them are more than
those who obey. (Ahmed)
He also clarified the state in which the Muslim who holds on to his religion will be, and the
various restrictions he will face [in practicing his religion], whether physical or
psychological. The Prophet () said:
Enjoin the good and forbid the evil, but when you see that greed is obeyed, desires
followed, the life of this world playing its affect on people, and that people are pleased
with their own opinions, stick to yourselves and leave commanding the general public
53

with good, for indeed there will be days after you, having patience in them is like
grasping a hot coal. One who does righteous deeds in them will receive the reward of
fifty people doing the same deed. (Saheeh ibn Hibbaan)
The Prophet () informed that when the Day of Resurrection draws near, the religion will
dwindle away into nothing. No person who says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah will remain on the face
of the Earth, and only the most evil of the creation will remain upon whom the Hour will
strike. In a long hadeeth of Nawwaas ibn Samaan which describes the story of the Dajjaal,
the descending of Eesaa ibn Maryam, and the coming of Yaooj and Majooj70, it says:
then Allah will send a good and pure wind which will take them underneath their
armpits. It will take the soul of every Mumin71 and Muslim, and only the most evil of
people will remain. They will have sex in the public in front of people like donkeys, and
upon them the Hour will strike. (Muslim)
12) Know that all affairs are judged by the way they end, so be keen to always ask Allah that
He keep you steadfast upon Islam, and that He cause you to die with a good end. Make sure
your speech and deeds are purely for Allahs sake, that they are done according to what He
legislated, and that you spend your time in Allahs () obedience. Take account of yourself,
before you are taken to account, and let Allah see you doing what He commanded not what
He forbade.
May Allah keep all of us steadfast on his religion, and cause us to die as Muslims.

Appendix I
Various Chapters of the Qur`an

1) Surah al-Faatihah (The Opening) (1:1)

Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem. * Al-Hamdu lillaahi Rubb il-Aalameen. * ArRahmaan ir-Raheem. * Maaliki yawm id-deen. * Eyyaaka nabudu wa eyyaaka
nastaeen. * Ihdinas-siraat al-mustaqeem. * Siraat al-ladheena anamta alayhim. *
Ghayr il-maghdoobi alayhim wa lad-daalleen.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. * All the praises and
thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). * The
Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. * The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of
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Yajooj and Majooj: two tribes which will be let loose before the Last Day creating havoc on the earth.

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A Mumin is one who has fulfilled the level of both Islam and Eemaan, and is therefore stronger in faith than a
mere Muslim, or one who has submitted to Allah.

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the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). * You Alone we worship, and You
Alone we ask for help. * Guide us to the Straight Way. * The Way of those on whom
You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of
those who went astray.
2) Surah al-Ikhlaas (The Purity 112:1-4)

Qul Huw-Allaahu Ahad. * Allaah us-Samad. * Lam yalid, walam yoolad. * Wa lam
yakul-lahu kufuwan ahad.
Say [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)]: He is Allah, [the] One. * Allah-us-Samad
(The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need while He is not in need of them). *
He begets not, nor was He begotten. * And there is none co-equal or comparable unto
Him.

3) Surah al-Falaq (The Daybreak 113:1-5)

Qul aoodhu bi Rabb-il-falaq. * Min sharri maa khalaq. * Wa min sharri ghaasiqin
idhaa waqab. * Wa min sharrin-naffaathaati fil-uqad. * Wa min sharri haasidin idhaa
hasad.
Say: I seek refuge with [Allah] the Lord of the daybreak. * From the evil of what He
has created. * And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness
(or the moon as it sets or goes away). * And from the evil of the witches when they blow
in the knots; and from the evil of the envier when he envies.

4) Surah an-Naas (Mankind 114:1-6)

Qul aoodhu bi Rabb in-naas. * Malik in-naas. * Ilaah in-Naas. * Min sharr il-waswaas
il-khannaas. * Aladhi yuwaswisu fee sudoor in-naas. * Min al-jinnati wan-naas.

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Say: I seek refuge with [Allah] the Lord of mankind. * The King of mankind. * The
deity of mankind. * From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers evil in the hearts
of men) who withdraws [from his whispering in ones heart after one remembers Allah].
* Who whispers in the breasts of mankind. Of jinns and men.

5) Surah al-Kawthar (108:1-3)

Innaa ataynaa kal-kawthar. * Fa salli li rubbika wanhar. * Inna shaani`aka huw alabtar.
Verily We have granted you (O Muhammad ) al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise).
Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord only and sacrifice. For he who makes you angry
(O Muhammad ) he will be cut off (from every good thing in this world and in the
Hereafter).
6) Surah al-Asr (Time: 103:1-3)

Wal-Asr. * Innal-insaana la fee khusr. * Illalladheena aamanoo wa amil us-saalihaati

wa tawaasaw bil-haqqi wa tawaasaw bis-sabr.
By Al-Asr (the time). Verily! Man is in loss. Except those who believe (in Islamic
Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth
and recommend one another to patience.
7) Ayat-ul-Kursi (The Verse of the Pedestal) [Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow (2):255]

Allaahu laa ilaaha illaa huw al-Hayy ul-Qayyoom. Laa takhudhuhoo sintataw wa laa
nawm. Lahu maa fis-samaawaati wa maa fil-ard. Man dhal-ladhee yashfau indahu
illaa bi idhnih. Yalamu maa bayna aydeehim wa maa khalfahum. Wa laa yuheetoona
bi shay`im min ilmihee illaa bimaa shaa. Wasia kursiyuhus-samaawaati wal-ard. Wa
laa ya`ooduhu hif-dhuhumaa wa huwal-Aliyy ul-Adheem.
Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who
sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him
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belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can
intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His
creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will
never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Footstool
extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and
preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Appendix II
Supplications to be recited after the Obligatory Prayers
It is from the Sunnah of the Prophet () that you say the following supplications after every
obligatory prayer, following his () guidance.
1.
.
Astaghfir-ullaah, Astaghfir-ullaah, Astaghfir-ullaah.
I seek Allahs forgiveness, I seek Allahs forgiveness. I seek Allahs forgiveness.
2.
.



Allaahumma ant as-Salaam wa mink as-Salaam tabaarakta yaa dhal-Jalaali walIkraam.
O Allah, You are free from all defects and deficiencies, and from you is all peace,
Blessed are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor.
3.
.@ .





. .

Laa ilaaha ill-Allahu wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa
alaa kulli shay`in qadeer. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah, laa ilaaha ill-Allah,
wa laa nabudu illaa iyaah. Lahun-nimatu wa lah-ul-fadl, wa lah uth-thanaa ul-hasan,
laa ilaaha ill-Allah, mukhliseena lah ud-deena wa law karih al-kaafiroon.
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without partner, to him
belongs all sovereignty and praise, and He is able to do all things. There is no might nor
power except with Allah. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and we
worship none but Him. For Him is all favor, grace, and glorious praise, none has the
right to be worshipped except Allah, we are sincere in faith and devotion to Him,
although the disbelievers hate it.

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4.

.

Allaahumma laa maania lima atayt, wa laa mutiya lima manat, wa laa yanfau
dhal-jaddi min kal-jadd.
This supplication means that none can prevent what Allah gives, and none can give what
Allah prevents, and that a rich persons wealth can not benefit him, rather all creation are in
need of Allah.

5. Then after that he should say 33 times:

. @
Subhaan-Allaah. Al-Hamdu lillaah. Allaahu Akbar.
How perfect Allah is. All praise is due to Allah. Allah is the Greatest.

6. Then to complete 100, you should say once:

.



Laa ilaaha ill-Allahu wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lah ul-mulk wa lah ul-hamd wa huwa
alaa kulli shay`in qadeer.
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without partner, to him
belongs all sovereignty and praise, and He is able to do all things.
7. Then He should recite the Verse of the Footstool (Aayat-ul-Kursi).
8. After this, he should recite Surah al-Ikhlaas, Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Naas.

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