Concept of islam

The Meaning of Islam

Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission, surrender, and obedience.

As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah -
that is why it is called Islam. The other literal meaning of the word "Islam" is
"peace." This signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and of mind
only through submission and obedience to Allah. Such a life of obedience
brings peace of the heart and establishes real peace in society at large.

Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah-
indeed it is in the remembrance of Allah alone that the heart of man finds rest-
those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to
return to. (13: 28-29)

This message was preached by all the Prophets of Allah, who guided man to
the right path. But man not only veered away from the right path again and
again, but also lost or distorted the code of guidance that the prophets had
bequeathed. That was why other prophets were sent to restate the
original message and guide man back to the right path. The last of these
prophets was Muhammad, who Presented Allah's guidance in its final form
and arranged to preserve it for all time. It is this guidance that is now known
as Islam and is enshrined in the Qur'an and the life-example (Sunnah) of the
Prophet.

The basic Islamic concept is that the whole universe was created by
Allah, whom Islam calls Allah, and who is the Lord and the Sovereign of
the universe, which He Alone sustains. He created man and appointed for
each human being a fixed period of life that he is to spend upon the earth.
Allah has prescribed a certain code of life as the correct one for mankind, but
has, at the same time, conferred upon man the freedom of choice as to
whether or not he adopts this code as the actual basis of his life. One who
chooses to follow the code revealed by Allah becomes a Muslim (believer)
and one who refuses to follow it becomes a kafir (disbeliever).

A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in
the oneness of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad. Both of these
beliefs are epitomized in the kalimah (the article of faith):
La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah. (There is no Allah except Allah;
Muhammad is His Prophet.)

The first part of the kalimah presents the concept of tawhid (the oneness of
Allah) and its second part affirms the prophet hood of Muhammad.

Tawhid: The Bedrock of Islam

Tawhid is a revolutionary concept and constitutes the essence of the

teachings of Islam. It means that there is only one supreme Lord of the
universe. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and the sustainer of the world and of
mankind.

Now can one observe the inexhaustible creativity of nature, its

purposefulness, its preservation of that which is morally useful and destruction
of that which is socially injurious, and yet fail to draw the conclusion that
behind nature there is an all-pervading mind of whose incessant creative
activity the processes of nature are but outward manifestations? The stars
scattered through infinite space, the vast panorama of nature with its charm
and beauty, the regular waxing and waning of the moon, the astonishing
harmony of the seasons - all of these point towards one fact: there is a Allah.
We witness a superbly flawless plan in the universe - can it be without a
planner? We see great enchanting beauty and harmony in its working�can
they be without a creator? We observe wonderful design in nature�can't be
without a designer? We feel a lofty purpose in physical and human existence -
can it be without a will working behind it? We find that the universe is like a
superbly written, fascinating book - can it be without an author? Truly, Allah
said:

O, Mankind: worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so
that you may ward off evil; Who has made the earth a resting place for you,
the sky a canopy and Who causes water to pour down from the heavens,
thereby producing fruits as food for you. So do not set up rivals to Allah, when
you know better. (Qur'an 2:21-22)

This is the basic tenet to which Muhammad asked humanity to adhere. It is an

important metaphysical concept and answers the riddles of the universe. It
points to the supremacy of law in the cosmos and the all-pervading unity
behind the manifest diversity. It presents a unified view of the world and offers
the vision of an integrated universe. It is a mighty contrast to the piecemeal
views of the scientists and the philosophers and unveils the truth before the
human eye. After centuries of groping in the dark, man is now coming to
realize the truth of this concept, and modern scientific thought is moving in this
direction.

But it is not merely a metaphysical concept: it is a dynamic belief and a

revolutionary doctrine. It means that all men are the creatures of one Allah
and that they are therefore all equal. Any discrimination based on color, class,
race, or territory is unfounded and illusory. It is a remnant of the days of
ignorance that chained men down to servitude. Humanity is one single family
under Allah, and there can be no sanction for those barriers. Men are one -
and not bourgeois or proletarian, white or black, Aryan or non-Aryan,
westerner or easterner. Islam gives us a revolutionary concept of the unity of
mankind. The Prophet came to unite humanity on the word of Allah, which
says:

Cling firmly together by means of Allah's rope, and do not be divided.

Remember Allah's favor towards you when you were enemies; He united your
hearts so that you became brothers because of His favor. (Qur'an 3:103)

This concept also defines the true position of man in the universe. It says that
Allah is the Creator and the Sovereign, while man is His vicegerent on the
earth. This exalts man to the noble and dignified position of being Allah's
deputy on earth and endows his life with a lofty purpose: to fulfill the will of
Allah on earth. This will solve all the perplexing problems of human society
and establish a new order wherein equity and justice, as well as peace and
prosperity, will reign supreme.

The starting point of Islam is the belief in the oneness of Allah (tawhid).

Prophet hood and Life after Death

The second part of the kalimah, on the other hand, signifies that Allah has not
left man without any guidance for the conduct of his life. He has revealed His
guidance through His prophets, and Muhammad was the last prophet. To
believe in a prophet means to believe in the revelation that he has received, to
accept the law that was transmitted to him by Allah, and to follow the code of
conduct that he was instructed to pass on to humanity. Thus the second basic
postulate of Islam is to believe in the prophet hood of Muhammad, to accept
the religion that he presented, and to follow his commands and his example.

Every prophet of Allah, according to the Qur'an, strove to build man's

relationship with Allah on the principle of His sovereignty and the individual's
acknowledgment of the authority of the Prophet as a source of divine
guidance. Every one of them said: "I am to you Allah's apostle, worthy of all
trust. So be committed to Allah, heed Him, and obey me."

The guidance is revealed through the prophets. It is a part of their mission to

translate it into practice in their own lives and in the society they try to reform.
All of the prophets are representatives of Allah, but they are human beings
and their lives are models for mankind. Muhammad, since he was the last
prophet, is the final model for mankind. To believe in him as a prophet of Allah
means to accept his authority as representative of the Supreme Ruler and to
follow his example in thought and behavior. The code of behavior, the
standard that determines rightness or otherwise (halal or haram) of any
particular thing, was revealed to the Prophet and is known as the Shari'ah (the
path). Belief in the Prophet involves acceptance of the Shari'ah and the
attempt to implement it in all matters of daily life. This is how the will of Allah is
fulfilled on earth. The Qur'an says:

We have not sent any Messenger but that he was to be obeyed with Allah's
permission. (4:64)

And about the Prophet, it is explicitly stated that:

Yet by your Lord, they will never believe until they make you a judge
concerning what they are disputing among themselves; then they will find no
inconvenience for themselves concerning whatever you have decided and
submit completely. (4:65)

The test of one's acceptance of Allah and His Prophet lies in conducting all
human affairs in accordance with the Law revealed to them:

And those who do not judge by what Allah has sent down are disbelievers.
(5:44)

Thus belief in Allah and His Prophet means commitment to obey them and to
fashion individual and collective life in the light of the law and the guidance
that Allah revealed to His Prophet.
This automatically raises the question: Are those who follow the law and those
who refuse to accept or abide by it on the same level of existence? Are they
going to be treated in the same way? What are the consequences of differing
attitudes and behaviors? This brings us to the third basic postulate of Islam:
belief in the Hereafter.

The world, according to Islam, is a place of trial, and man is being judged in it.
One day, he will have to give an account of all that he did during his lifetime.
After his death, he will be resurrected in a new world, and it is here that he will
be rewarded or punished for his deeds and misdeeds. Those who live a life of
obedience to the Lord in the present world will enjoy eternal bliss in the
Hereafter, and those who disobey His commands will have to face the bitter
fruits of their disobedience. According to the Quran:

And every man's deeds have We fastened around his neck, and on the day of
resurrection will We bring forth a book which shall be proffered to him wide
open: (It will be said to him) "Read your record: This day there need be none
but yourself to make out an account against you." (17: 13-14)

Whoever comes with a good deed, for him there shall be the like of it tenfold,
while whoever comes with an ill-deed, he shall be required with only one like
it, and they shall not be treated unjustly. (6:160)

Thus the basic articles of Islamic faith are: (a) belief in the oneness of Allah,
(b) belief in the prophets and in the guidance that they bequeathed, (c) belief
in the angels, (d) belief in the books, (e) belief in the Day of Judgment, and (f)
belief in fate. Whoever professes these beliefs is a Muslim. And all of these
concepts are epitomized in the kalimah: There is no Allah but Allah;
Muhammad is His Prophet.
Some Basic Characteristics of Islam

George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said:

"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of
its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that
assimilating capacity to the changing phases of existence which can make
itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful man - and in my
opinion far from being an Antichrist, he must be called the Savior of Humanity.
I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern
world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it
much needed peace and happiness. I have prophesied about the faith of
Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is
beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today."

The question is, what are those characteristics of Islam which have won
millions of followers to the Faith in the past and which make it so appealing to
the modern age? Some of the major characteristics of Islam are given in the
following pages.

Simplicity, Rationality and Practicality. Islam is a religion without any

mythology. Its teachings are simple and intelligible. It is free from superstitions
and irrational beliefs. The oneness of Allah, the prophet hood of Muhammad,
and the concept of life after death are the basic articles of its faith. They are
based on reason and sound logic. All of the teachings of Islam flow from those
basic beliefs and are simple and straightforward. There is no hierarchy of
priests, no farfetched abstractions, no complicated rites and rituals. Everybody
may approach the Qur'an directly and translate its dictates into practice. Islam
awakens in man the faculty of reason and exhorts him to use his intellect. It
enjoins him to see things in the light of reality. The Qur'an advises him to pray:
O, my Lord! Advance me in knowledge (20:1 14). It asserts that those who
have no knowledge are not equal to those who have (39:9), that those who do
not observe and understand are worse than cattle (7:179), that the meanings
of revelation become manifest to those who have knowledge (6:97) and who
have understanding (6:98), that whosoever has been given knowledge indeed
has been given an abundant good (2:269), that the basic qualifications for
leadership are, among other things, knowledge and physical strength (2:247),
and that of all things it is by virtue of knowledge that man is superior to angels
and has been made vicegerent of Allah on earth (2:30).

The Prophet of Islam said: "He who leaves his home in search of knowledge
walks in the path of Allah" (Tirmidhi and Darimi) and "To seek knowledge is
obligatory for every Muslim" (Ibn Majah and Bayhaqi). This is how Islam
brings man out of the world of superstition and darkness and initiates him into
the world of knowledge and light.

Again, Islam is a practical religion and does not allow indulgence in empty
and futile theorizing. It says that faith is not a mere profession of beliefs, but
rather that it is the very mainspring of life. Righteous conduct must follow
belief in Allah. Religion is something to be practiced and not an object of mere
lip-service. The Qur'an says:

Those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to
return to. (13: 29)
And the Prophet Muhammad said:

"Allah does not accept belief if it is not expressed in deeds, and does not
accept deeds if they do not conform to belief." (Tabarani)

Thus Islam is a simple, rational and practical religion.

Unity of Matter and Spirit. A unique feature of Islam is that it does not divide
life into watertight compartments of matter and spirit. It stands not for denial of
life but for the fulfillment of life. Islam does not believe in asceticism. It does
not ask man to avoid material things. It holds that spiritual elevation is to be
achieved by living piously in the rough and tumble of life, not by renouncing
the world. The Qur'an advises us to pray as follows:

"Our Lord! Give us something fine in this world as well as something fine in
the Hereafter." (2:201)

Allah strongly censures those who refuse to benefit from His blessings. The
Qur'an says:

Say: "Who has forbidden Allah's finery which He has produced for His
servants and the wholesome things from (His) provision?" (7:32)

Islam's injunction is:

Eat and drink, but do not be extravagant. (7:31)

The Prophet said:

"A Muslim who lives in the midst of society and bears with patience the
afflictions that come to him is better than the one who shuns society and
cannot bear any wrong done to him."

And:

"Keep fast and break it (at the proper time) and stand in prayer and devotion
(in the night) and have sleep - for your body has its rights over you, and your
eyes rights over you, and your wife has a claim upon you, and the person who
pays a visit to you has a claim upon you."

On another occasion he said:

"These three things are also enjoined upon the faithful: (a) to help others,
even when one is economically hard-pressed, (b) to pray ardently for the
peace of all mankind, and (c) to administer justice to one's own self."

Thus Islam does not admit any separation between "material" and "moral,"
"mundane" and "spiritual" life, and enjoins man to devote all of his energies to
the reconstruction of life on healthy moral foundations. It teaches him that
moral and material powers must be welded together and that spiritual
salvation can be achieved by using material resources for the good of man in
the service of just ends and not by living a life of asceticism or by running
away from the challenges of life.

The world has suffered at the hands of the one-sidedness of many other
religions and ideologies. Some have laid emphasis on the spiritual side of life
but have ignored its material and mundane aspects. They have looked upon
the world as an illusion, a deception, and a trap. On the other hand,
materialistic ideologies have totally ignored the spiritual and moral side of life
and have dismissed it as fictitious and imaginary. Both of these attitudes have
resulted in disaster, for they have robbed mankind of peace, contentment, and
tranquillity. Even today, the imbalance is manifested in one or the other
direction. The French scientist Dr. De Brogbi rightly says: "The danger
inherent in too intense a material civilization is to that civilization itself; it is the
disequilibrium which would result if a parallel development, of the spiritual life
were to fail to provide the needed balance."

Christianity erred on one extreme, whereas modern western civilization, in

both of its variants of secular capitalistic democracy and Marxist socialism,
has erred on the other. According to Lord Snell:

"We have built a nobly-proportioned outer structure, but we have neglected

the essential requirement of an inner order; we have carefully designed,
decorated and made clean the outside of the cup; but the inside was full of
extortion and excess; we used our increased knowledge and power to
administer to the comforts of the body, but we left the spirit impoverished ."

Islam seeks to establish an equilibrium between these two aspects of life - the
material and the spiritual. It says that everything in the world is for man, but
man was created to serve a higher purpose: the establishment of a moral and
just order that will fulfill the will of Allah. Its teachings cater to the spiritual as
well as the temporal needs of man. Islam enjoins man to purify his soul and to
reform his daily life - both individual and collective - and to establish the
supremacy of right over might and of virtue over vice. Thus Islam stands for
the middle path and the goal of producing a moral man in the service of a just
society.

A Complete Way of Life. Islam is not a religion in the common and distorted
sense, for it does not confine its scope to one's private life. It is a complete
way of life and is present in every field of human existence. Islam provides
guidance for all aspects of life - individual and social, material and moral,
economic and political, legal and cultural, and national and international. The
Qur'an enjoins man to embrace Islam without any reservation and to follow
Allah's guidance in all areas of life. In fact, it was an unfortunate day when the
scope of religion was confined to the private life of man and its social and
cultural role was reduced to naught, as has happened in this century. No other
factor, perhaps, has been more important in causing the decline of religion in
the modern age than its retreat into the realm of private life. In the words of a
modern philosopher:

"Religion asks us to separate things of Allah from those of Caesar. Such a

judicial separation between the two means the degrading of both the secular
and the sacred ... That religion is worth little if the conscience of its followers is
not disturbed when war clouds are hanging over us all and industrial conflicts
are threatening social peace. Religion has weakened man's social conscience
and moral sensitivity by separating the things of Allah from those of Caesar."

Islam totally denounces this concept of religion and clearly states that its
objectives are the purification of the soul and the reform and reconstruction of
society. As we read in the Qur'an:

We have sent our messengers with explanations, and sent the book and the
balance down with them, so that mankind may conduct themselves with all
fairness. We have sent down iron wherein is great violence as well as benefits
for mankind, so that Allah may know who is supporting Him and His
messenger even though (He is) unseen. (57:25)

Discretion belongs only to Allah. He has ordered you to serve Him alone; such
is the right religion, even though most men do not realize it. ( 1 2: 40)

(Muslims are) those who, if We establish them in the land will keep up prayer
(salah) and pay the welfare due (zakah); command what is proper and forbid
what is improper. (22:40-41)

The Holy Prophet said:

"Each of you is a keeper or a shepherd and will be questioned about the well-
being of his fold. The head of the state will be questioned about the well-being
of the people of the state. Each man is a shepherd to his family and will be
answerable about every member of it. Each woman is a shepherd to the
family of her husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And
each servant is a shepherd to his master and will be questioned about the
property of his master." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Thus even a cursory study of the teachings of Islam shows that it is an all-
embracing way of life and does not leave out any field of human existence to
become a playground for the forces of evil. Balance between the Individual
and Society. Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance
between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual personality
of man and holds everyone personally accountable to Allah. It guarantees the
fundamental rights of the individual and does not permit anyone to tamper
with them. It makes the proper development of the personality of man one of
the prime objectives of its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view
that man must lose his individuality in society or in the state.

According to the Qur'an:

Man shall have nothing but what he strives for. (53:39)

And whatever suffering you suffer, it is what your hands have wrought. (42:30)

Allah does not change what any people have until they change what is in
themselves. (13:11)

Allah only assigns to a soul what it can cope with: in its favor stands whatever
it has earned, while it is held responsible for anything it has brought upon
itself. (2:286)

For us are our deeds and for you are yours. (28:55)

On the other hand, it also awakens a sense of social responsibility in man,

organizes human beings in a society and a state, and enjoins the individual to
subscribe to the social good. Prayer, in Islam, is offered in congregation, a
situation that inculcates social discipline among Muslims. Everyone is
enjoined to pay zakah, and it has been laid down in the Quran that:

The beggar and the destitute have due rights in their (i.e., the rich man's)
wealth. (51:19)
Jihad has been made obligatory, which means that the individual should,
when the occasion arises, offer his life for the defense and protection of Islam
and the Islamic state. The Prophet said:

"All mankind is a fold, each member of which shall be a keeper or shepherd to

every other, and be accountable for the entire fold."

"Live together; do not turn against each other; make things easy for others
and do not put obstacles in each other's way."

"He is not a believer who takes his fill while his neighbor starves. "

"The believer in Allah is he who is not a danger to the life and property of any
other."

In short, Islam neglects neither the individual nor society - it establishes a

harmony and a balance between the two and assigns to each its proper due.
Universality and Humanism. The message of Islam is for the whole of the
human race. Allah, in Islam, is the Allah of all the world (Qur'an 1:1) and the
Prophet is a Messenger for the whole of mankind. In the words of the Quran:

O People! I am but a Messenger from Allah to you all.

(Surah Al Hujirat Chapter No. 7 verse no.158)

We have sent you only as a mercy for everybody in the universe. (21:107)

In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or nationality.
It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false
barriers of race, status, and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that
such barriers have always existed and continue to exist today in the so-called
enlightened age. Islam removes all of these impediments and proclaims the
ideal of the whole of humanity being one family of Allah.

Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit barriers
and distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory, as was the case
before the advent of Muhammad. Unfortunately, these prejudices remain
rampant in different forms even in this modern age. Islam wants to unite the
entire human race under one banner. To a world torn by national rivalries and
feuds, it presents a message of life and hope and of a glorious future.
The historian, A. J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to make in
this respect. In Civilization on Trial, he writes:

"Two conspicuous sources of danger - one psychological and the other

material - in the present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat, i.e.,
[westernised humanity] with the dominant element in our modern Western
society are race consciousness and alcohol; and in the struggle with each of
these evils the Islamic spirit has a service to render which might prove, if it
were accepted, to be of high moral and social value.

"The extinction of race consciousness between Muslims is one of the

outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world
there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic
virtue ... It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be the timely
reinforcement which would decide this issue in favor of tolerance and peace.

"As for the evil of alcohol, it is at its worst among primitive populations in
tropical regions which have been 'opened up' by Western enterprise ... the
fact remains that even the most statesmanlike preventive measures imposed
by external authority are incapable of liberating a community from a social
vice unless a desire for liberation and a will to carry this desire into voluntary
action on its own part are awakened in the hearts of the people concerned.
Now Western administrators, at any rate those of 'Anglo-Saxon' origin, are
spiritually isolated from their 'native' wards by the physical 'color bar' which
their race-consciousness sets up; the conversion of the natives' souls is a task
to which their competence can hardly be expected to extend; and it is at this
point that Islam may have a part to play.

"In these recently and rapidly 'opened up' tropical territories, the Western
civilization has produced an economic and political plenum and, in the same
breath, a social and spiritual void ...

"Here, then, in the foreground of the future, we can remark two valuable
influences which Islam may exert upon the cosmopolitan proletariat of a
Western society that has cast its net around the world and embraced the
whole of mankind; while in the more distant future we may speculate on the
possible contributions of Islam to some new manifestation of religion."

Permanence and Change. The elements of permanence and change coexist

in human society and culture and are bound to remain so. Different ideologies
and cultural systems have erred in leaning heavily towards one or other of
these ends of the equation. Too much emphasis on permanence makes the
system rigid and robs it of flexibility and progress, while a lack of permanent
values and unchanging elements generate moral relativism, shapelessness,
and anarchy.

What is needed is a balance between the two-a system that could

simultaneously cater for the demands of permanence and change. An
American judge, Mr. Justice Cardozo, rightly says "that the greatest need of
our time is a philosophy that will mediate between conflicting claims of stability
and progress and supply a principle of growth." Islam presents an ideology
which satisfies the demands of stability as well as of change.

Deeper reflection reveals that life has within it elements of permanence and
change - it is neither so rigid and inflexible that it cannot admit of any change
even in matters of detail, nor it is so flexible and fluid that even its distinctive
traits have no permanent character of their own. This becomes clear from
observing the process of physiological change in the human body, for every
tissue of the body changes a number of times in one's lifetime even though
the person remains the same. A tree's leaves, flowers, and fruits change but
its character remains unchanged. It is a law of life that elements of
permanence and change must co-exist in a harmonious equation. Only such a
system of life that can provide for both these elements can meet all of the
cravings of human nature and all of the needs of human society. The basic
problems of life remain the same in all ages and climes, but the ways and
means to solve them as well as the techniques of handling the phenomenon
undergo change with the passage of time. Islam brings to focus a new
perspective on this problem and tries to solve it in a realistic way.

The Quran and the Sunnah contain the eternal guidance given by the Lord of
the universe. This guidance comes from Allah, Who is free from the limitations
of space and time and, as such, the principles of individual and social
behavior revealed by Him are based on reality and are eternal. But Allah has
revealed only broad principles and has endowed man with the freedom to
apply them in every age in the way suited to the spirit and conditions of that
age. It is through ijtihad (intellectual effort to arrive at the truth) that people of
every age try to implement and apply the divine guidance to the problems of
their times. Thus the basic guidance is of a permanent nature, while the
method of its application can change in accordance with the peculiar needs of
every age. That is why Islam always remains as fresh and modern as
tomorrow's morn.

Complete Record of Teachings Preserved. Last, but not least, is the fact
that the teachings of Islam have been preserved in their original form. As a
result, Allah's guidance is available without adulteration of any kind. The
Qur'an is the revealed book and word of Allah, which has been in existence
for the last fourteen hundred years. It is still available in its original form.
Detailed accounts of the life of the Prophet and of his teachings are available
in their pristine purity. There has not been even one change made in this
unique historic record. The sayings and the entire record of the life of the
Prophet have been handed down to us with unprecedented precision and
authenticity in works of the hadith and the sirah. Even a number of non-
Muslim critics admit this eloquent fact. Professor Reynold A. Nicholson, in his
A Literary History of the Arabs, says:

"The Koran is an exceedingly human document, reflecting every phase of

Muhammad's personality and standing in close relation to the outward events
of his life; so that there we have materials of unique and incontestable
authority for tracing the origin and early development of Islam, such materials
as do not exist in the case of Buddhism or Christianity or any other ancient
religion."

These are some of the unique features of Islam that establish its credentials
as the religion of man the religion of today and the religion of tomorrow. These
aspects have appealed to millions of people in the past and the present and
have made them affirm that Islam is the religion of truth and the right path for
mankind. There is no doubt that these aspects will continue to appeal to even
more people in the future. Men with pure hearts and sincere longing for truth
will always continue to say:

"I affirm that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, that He is One,
sharing His authority with no one, and I affirm that Muhammad is His Servant
and His Prophet."

The Three Fundamental Unities of Islam: God, Humankind, and Religion

s

Islam is a universal faith for all times, all places, and all peoples. It is predicated on
the belief that there is but one God, Allah, the Creator of the universe and of
humankind. The Qur'an opens with the words, "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the
Compassionate." Mercy and compassion are his principal qualities. The relationship
which exists between God and His creation is based on one religion. These
fundamental unities are the foundation of faith.

The Qur'an refers to the creation of the earth and other celestial bodies out of the
darkness of chaos. Scientific theories that hive evolved about the creation highlight
the unity of the universe. If God created this unique universe and shaped humankind
to inhabit it, it follows that God would also have communicated with humankind
through a single religion, even though it be in successive revelations. Islam is the last
and most all- encompassing message of God.

If one believes that there is but one humankind which is part of a single universe
created by one God, then one believes in an interrelationship among all created things.
Religion in this context is a set of rules that regulate the relationship between the
Creator and the created and establish the basis of accountability in the hereafter. It
also sets forth the framework for permissible economic, social and political systems
and formulates the principles and rules through which people should deal with one
another. In effect, it provides a variety of prescriptions and guidelines as well as
inspiration.

In this respect, Islam is very much a law-oriented religion. It provides the guidelines
and principles upon which laws and regulations can be established. The influence of
Islam must not be viewed in a narrowly legalistic light but rather as providing a
framework which guarantees basic fairness and justice to all.

Islam is holistic, requiring that its followers have iman (faith) to fulfill the
requirements of its religious tenets. The Muslim is required to express his Ibada,
service to Allah, through his deeds, conduct, and words. The Qur'an enjoins that
Muslims do good and abjure evil. Life in this world is a passage, and the eternal soul
shall be judged by the Almighty on Judgment Day by intentions as well as by deeds.
Reward and punishment shall be meted out in heaven and hell, but Allah is merciful to
those who repent and do good. Repentance and mercy are among Islam's great
themes.
"Islam is built on five (pillars) testifying that there is no god but Allah and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat,
making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan."
The Prophet's Hadith
Bearing Witness to the One and Only God (shehada)

Allah in Arabic implies the one and only true God, the beginning and the end of
everything, neither born nor giving birth. The Qur'an states that He is beyond human
description, but is referred to in the Qur'an by ninety-nine attributes, such as the
merciful, the compassionate, the forgiving. Together with the command to bear
witness and acknowledge the singularity, centrality, unity, and uniqueness of God, the
believer is enjoined to confess that Muhammad is God's messenger and prophet.

Religious Tax (zakat)

Although required by the Qur'an, zakat is specified in detail only in the practice and
teachings of the Prophet and in later interpretations. It is the payment of a certain
percentage of one's income to support the needy and to fulfill other objectives of the
community. While this can be rightly equated to a combination of taxation and
charity, zakat is different from sadaqa, charity, which is equally mandated by the
Qur'an but left to the discretion of the individual Muslim, depending upon
circumstances. Sadaqa is both tangible and intangible a kind word, for example, may
be a form of Sadaqa. But Zakat is tangible. It is paid at the end of the Ramadan fast.
Non-Muslims, the people of the book (Christians and Jews), are not required to pay
Zakat but another tax, called Jizyah.

Fasting during Ramadan (siyam)

Fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the
Islamic lunar calendar, is required of those whose health permits. (The Islamic lunar
calendar is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, thus the annual shift of
Ramadan's occurrence in relationship to the Gregorian calendar.) It is a complete fast,
requiring that nothing be taken into the body but needed medication. During Ramadan
there is an emphasis on piety and religious observances. Those who are ill or traveling
do not have to fast during Ramadan but must compensate by fasting and by
contributing to the Zakat.

Ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you,
That ye may (learn) self-restraint,...
Qur'an 2:183
The Pilgrimage (hajj)

The pilgrimage to Mecca once in one's lifetime is required of all those who have the
physical and financial ability to make the journey. The practice derives from the
divine mandate given Muhammad to rebuild the first temple of worship to God in
Mecca. The pilgrimage requirement makes this desert city a gathering place for
people from all parts of the world once a year. The rituals of the hajj were established
by the Prophet. They emphasize repentance, resulting in forgiveness by God. The
practice also strengthens the bond among the faithful from all walks of life and
regions of the world. It is performed during the Islamic lunar month of Dhu al-hijja.

Makkah al-Mukarramah—"Makkah the Honored"—was the birthplace of the Prophet

Muhammad in 570. Within today's city, at the center of the Sacred Mosque is the
focal point of Islamic prayer worldwide—the Ka'ba. The 15-meter-high (48'), roughly
cubical structure was first built as a place for worship of the one God by Ibrahim
(Abraham) and Isma'il (Ishmael), and it is thus a physical reminder of the links
between Islam and the dawn of monotheism, between the Qur'an and previous
revelations, and between the Prophet Muhammad and earlier Messengers of God.
(Aramco World Magazine, January-February 1999; photo Peter Sanders).

And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (With this
prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the
All-knowing.
Qur'an 2:127
Prayers (salat)

The Qur'an does not state the number and manner of prayers; these were established
by the Prophet. The required individual prayers are said five times a day: at dawn,
noon (when the sun is at the center of the sky), afternoon (when the sun is halfway to
sunset) sunset, and night (after sunset but before sunrise). The only required
communal prayer is the Friday noon prayer. Like the Christians' Sunday or the Jews'
Sabbath, Muslims consider Friday the last day of Creation.

Prayers can also be communal; that is, in fact, the preferred way. When so conducted,
the prayers are led by an im am, who is usually either a person schooled in Islam or
simply one among the group who is more knowledgeable, older, or recognized by the
others as being especially pious.

Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder and kneel a number of times, depending on

whether it is the morning prayer (twice) or the late-night prayer (four times). Standing
shoulder to shoulder, irrespective of status in life, symbolizes equality before God. In
Islam, as the Prophet said, no man is better than another save for his piety, which only
Allah can judge. At each kneeling, the Muslim places his forehead on the ground, a
symbol of the equality of all men, humility, worship of the Creator, and the fact that
from earth we come and to earth we return. All praying Muslims face Mecca, where
the Ka'ba is located. It is the qibla (the direction) which provides unity and uniformity
for all Muslims. At an earlier time, it was the practice to face Jerusalem, the second
holiest city in Islam. The Ka'ba holds the remnants of Abraham's temple.

In the only European nation with a Muslim majority, Albania's population again
throngs to the mosques since the downfall of Communism in 1990. (Aramco World
Magazine, July-August 1992; photo Larry Luxner).
The imam does not necessarily have any special religious status in Sunni tradition just
because he is the prayer leader However, he could be a person whose schooling or
training conferred on him special status, as is the case with the ulema (or scholars,
plural of alem). One attains this status after having pursued an extensive education in
theology throughout secondary, college, and graduate study at a theological
university.
Before prayers, Muslims are required to perform ablutions, which include washing the
face, arms, and feet in a ritual prescribed by the Prophet. This is not only for the
purposes of cleanliness, but to provide a break from prior activity. Before ablutions
and prayers, a Muslim must confirm within himself his intention to pray.
The prayers are usually announced by means of a summons or call to prayer (the
adhan) by the muadhin, who chants or intones it. There is no particular religious status
conveyed by this responsibility; the muadhin is usually a pious member of the
community who has a particularly strong or resonant voice. The call to prayer starts
with "Allahu akbar" (God is great), words frequently used by Muslims either in
prayers or in other contexts as a reaffirmation of the oneness and omnipotence of the
Creator. The expression "al-hamdu lillah" (thanks be to God) is also among the
phrases most commonly used by Muslims. They are used in any situation in which a
grateful or thankful response is apposite. They are a reminder that God's will and
bounty are everything.

The mosque is a symbol of the uncompromising nature of Islamic monotheism. It has

a distinctive architecture, which includes a minaret for the call to prayer. It does not
contain any images that might be associated with religious idolatry, which Islam
forbids. The architecture of mosques built over fourteen centuries in various parts of
the Muslim world is an unsurpassed artistic legacy. The floors of mosque are
sometimes covered with straw mats or rugs. Muslims remove their shoes before
entering so as not to soil the place where they touch their foreheads to the floor to
pray.

Let there be no no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever
rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that
never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things.
Qur'an 2:256
"The best of you are those who have the most excellent morals."
The Prophet's Hadith

What do Muslims believe?

 Muslims believe in God the Creator of the universe. The Arabic term for God is
Allah. Sometimes Muslims prefer to use the name Allah over God because Allah
linguistically does not have a gender and cannot be made plural. The English name
God could become goddess or gods. The main message of the Qurʾān is that God
is one. He has no partner, child, or helper.
  Muslims believe in angels. There are many angels and that all obey God. Unlike
humans, angels do not have free will and must obey all the commands of God.
Different angels have different tasks. For example, the angel Gabriel was
responsible of communicating the message of God to human Prophets and
Messengers. The Angel Michael (Mikaaeel) was responsible for rain. Angels also
help and assist believers in times of difficulty.

 Muslims believe in all Prophets and Messengers. A Muslim is required to

believe in Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph, Jesus, and Muhammad
peace be upon all of them. They all came with the same message, to worship one
God and not associate any partners with him.

 Muslims also believe in all previous scripture that God sent to His Prophets
and Messengers. Moses was given the Torah, Abraham was given the scrolls,
David was given the Psalms, and Jesus was given the Injeel. With the exception of
the Qurʾān, no previous scripture is completely preserved in its original form.
With time, many of these scriptures were lost or corrupted. The Qurʾān was sent
as a the “final testament” and it functions as God’s final message to mankind.

 Muslims believe in the afterlife. There will be a day of judgment where God will
hold people accountable for their actions in this world. Those who did good will
enter paradise and those who did evil will either be forgiven or punished in hell.
Everyone will be compensated for their actions in this world.

 Lastly, Muslims believe in God’s divine will and decree. God has knowledge of
all things that will happen. He does not force humans to make decisions, we
choose what we want to do. However, there are certain things that God decreed
and are outside of our control. These things include the time and place we were
born, where and when we will die, and anything that happens that is outside our
control. Muslims submit to these things as part of God’s decree and will.

Belief in these six items is what makes one a Muslim. One might not practice Islam
perfectly, they may commit sins and make mistakes, but as long as they have these
beliefs they are considered to be a Muslim. Put differently, these are the most basic
requirements of being a Muslim. Have more questions? Call us at 877-WhyIslam, you
deserve to know!