Islam
From Mw
Islam (Arabic: الإسلام literally: "submission [to God]") is a Monotheistic religion followed by Muslims. It is the religion followed by the Prophets of God, who were sent to mankind to proclaim one fundamental message: worship the one true God without any partners. Islam has an estimated 1.3 billion followers,[1] and is considered to be the fastest growing religion in the world.
Beliefs in Islam are derived from the Qur`an, the revelation of God to the Prophet Muhammad, and the Sunnah, the actions and sayings of Muhammad.
Islam has a creed that defines the set of beliefs that are fundemental to Islam. Islam also contains a set fundamental requirements, the Five Pillars of Islam. Both the creed and the five pillars are derived directly from the Qur`an and the Sunnah.
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[edit] Islamic Creed
The Islamic creed, known in Arabic as the `Aqidah, is derived from two main sources: the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Islamic creed is divided into the Five Pillars of Islam, and the Six articles of of faith.
[edit] Six articles of faith
Iman is that you affirm your faith in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.[2]
1. Allah: belief in the One and only True God, Creator of all that exists
- A Muslim believes in One God, who is Supreme, Eternal, Merciful, and Compassionate. None is equal unto Him. It is He who created all things, and sent down the Qur`an.
2. Angels: belief in the angels
- Angels are purely spiritual beings, and have been created by God from light.[3] They do not have any physical desires, such as food, drink, or sleep. Angels spend their time worshiping Allah. Jibril, Israfil, Mika'il, and Malik are four most notable of them.
3. Revelations: the revelations sent by Allah to mankind. These are: the scrolls (suhuf) of Abraham and Moses, the Psalms, the Torah, the Gospels, and the Qur`an
- The belief in all of the scriptures and revelations of God, in their original form (see tahrif), is compulsory upon each and every Muslim. These revelations or scriptures were sent by Allah to selected people, i.e. the prophets and messengers, to guide their people. These revelations carried the same basic message, which was to worship Allah alone without any partners. The last revelation was the Qur`an which was sent to the Prophet Muhammad
.
4. Messengers of God: belief in the prophets and messengers send by God to mankind
- Throughout the time mankind was on earth, Allah sent different messengers to different nations to guide their people. These messengers were all mortal, human beings, who were endowed with Divine revelations. The Holy Qur`an only mentions 25 of these messengers and prophets and states that there were others. Some these include: Abraham, Ishmael, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad.
5. Qiyamah/The Last Day: belief in the Last Day and the Day of Judgment
- All Muslims believe that this universe will come to an end, and the dead will be brought back to life again and held accountable for what he did in this life. Those who had done good, and believed in God, will go to Paradise; similarly, those who did not obey Allah will go to Hell.
6. Predestination/Divine Decree: belief in Predestination and Decree of Allah
- A Muslim believes in al-qada' and and qadar which relate to the ultimate power of Allah. These two words mean the Timeless Knowledge of Allah and His power to plan and execute them.
[edit] Five Pillars of Islam
- Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey.[2]
Islam is built on five pillars[4], the first of which is a state of faith, the other four are major exercises of faith of which some are daily, some weekly, some monthly, some annually and some are required as a minimum once in a lifetime. These exercises of faith are to serve man's spiritual purposes, satisfy his human needs and to mark his whole life with a Divine touch.[5]
1. Shahada: The Testimony of Faith; to say "I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except for Allah, and that Muhammad is His messenger."
- The Arabic transliteration of the phrase is ashhadu an la ilaha illa allah wa ashhadu anna muhammadun rasulullah. The witnessing of the Oneness of God must also come with the witnessing of His Messenger.
2. Salat: The ritual prayer prayer performed by Muslims five times a day
PRAYER (SALAH) Praying to the Creator on a daily basis is the best way to cultivate in a man a sound personality and to actualize his aspiration. Allah does not need man's prayer because He is free of all needs. Prayer is for our immeasurable benefit, and the blessings are beyond imagination. In prayer, every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of Allah. Prayer is an act of worship. It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all combined.
Offering of prayers is obligatory upon every Muslim male and female who is sane, mature and in the case of women free from menstruation and confinement due to child birth. Requirements of prayer: performing of ablution (Wudu), purity of the whole body, clothes and ground used for prayer, dressing properly and having the intention and facing the Qiblah (the direction of the Ka'bah at Mecca).
Obligatory prayers: Five daily prayers, the Friday's noon congregation prayer and the funeral prayer. Times of obligatory prayers:
Early morning: After dawn and before sunrise.
Noon: After the sun begins to decline from its zenith until it is about midway on its course to set.
Mid-afternoon: After the expiration of the noon prayer time until sunset.
Sunset: Immediately after sunset until the red glow in the western horizon disappears.
Evening: After the expiration of the sunset prayer until dawn.
Highly recommended prayer:Those accompanying the obligatory prayer and the two great festival prayers.
Optional prayer:Voluntary prayer during the day and night.
Prayer should be offered in its due time, unless there is a reasonable excuse. Delayed obligatory prayers must be made up. In addition to the prescribed prayer, a Muslim expresses gratitude to God and appreciation of His favours and asks for His mercy all the time. Especially at times of, for example, childbirth, marriage, going to or rising from bed, leaving and returning to his home, starting a journey or entering a city, riding or driving, before or after eating or drinking, harvesting, visiting graveyards and at time of distress and sickness. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html
3. Zakat: Charity
OBLIGATORY CHARITY (ZAKAH) Obligatory charity giving is an act of worship and spiritual investment. The literal meaning of Zakah is purity and it refers to the annual amount in kind or coin which a Muslim with means must distribute among the rightful beneficiaries. Zakah does not only purifies the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed. It also purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness and it fosters instead good-will and warm wishes for the contributors. Zakah has a deep humanitarian and social-political value; for example, it frees society from class welfare, from ill feelings and distrust and from corruption. Although Islam does not hinder private enterprise or condemn private possession, it does not tolerate selfish and greedy capitalism. Islam adopts a moderate but positive and effective course between individual and society, between the citizen and the state, between capitalism and socialism, between materialism and spiritualism.
Zakah is paid on the net balance after paying personal expenses, family expenses, due credits, taxes, etc. Every Muslim male or female who at the end of the year is in possession of the equivalent of 85 grams of gold (approx. $1400 in 1990) or more in cash or articles of trade, must give Zakah at the minimum rate of 2.5%. Taxes paid to government do not substitute for this religious duty. The contributor should not seek pride or fame but if disclosing his name and his contribution is likely to encourage others, it is acceptable to do so.
The recipients of Zakah are: the poor, the needy, the new Muslim converts, the Muslim prisoners of war (to liberate them), Muslims in debt, employees appointed to collect Zakah, Muslims in service of research or study or propagation of Islam, and wayfarers who are foreigners in need of help.
Note the obligatory nature of Zakah; it is required. Muslims can also go above and beyond what they pay as Zakah, in which case the offering is a strictly voluntary charity (sadaqa). http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html
4. Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan
FASTING (SAWM) Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking, intimate sexual contacts and smoking from the break of dawn till sunset. It is a matchless Islamic institution which teaches man the principle of sincere love to God. Fasting teaches man a creative sense of hope, devotion, patience, unselfishness, moderation, willpower, wise saving, sound budgeting, mature adaptability, healthy survival, discipline, spirit of social belonging, unity and brotherhood. Obligatory fasting is done once a year for the period of the month of Ramadan; the ninth month of the Islamic year. Recommended fasting includes every Monday and Thursday of every week, three days in the middle of each Islamic month, six days after Ramadan following the Feast Day and a few days of the two months before Ramadan. Fasting of Ramadan is a worship act which is obligatory on every adult Muslim, male or female if he/she is mentally and physically fit and not on a journey. Exceptions: women during their period of menstruation and while nursing their child, and also in case of travel and sickness for both men and women. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to the Kaaba once in a lifetime, if capable
THE PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ) It is a pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime and it is obligatory upon every Muslim male and female who is mentally, physically and financially fit. It is the largest annual convention of faith on earth (in 1989: 2.5 million). Peace is the dominant theme. Peace with Allah, with one's soul, with one another, with all living creatures. To disturb the peace of anyone or any creature in any shape or form is strictly prohibited. Muslims from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe assemble in Mecca in response to the call of Allah. There is no royalty, but there is loyalty of all to Allah, the Creator. It is to commemorate the Divine rituals observed by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the house of Allah on earth: the Ka'bah. It is also to remember the great assembly of the Day of Judgement when people will stand equal before Allah.
Muslims go to Mecca to glorify Allah, not to worship a man. The visit to the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at Madena is highly recommended but not essential in making the Hajj valid and complete. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html
[edit] Sources of Islam
Two sources are used for Islam: the Qur`an and the Sunnah of Muhammad.
[edit] Qur`ān
The Qur`an, Islam's holy book, is believed by Muslims to be the infallible word of God revealed to the Final Prophet, Muhammad. The word qur`ān literally means "recital". Muslims recite the Qur`an a minimum of five times a day in their daily prayers.
[edit] Sunnah
The Sunnah is the collection of sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur`an says to perform Salat, but the Sunnah shows how it was done by the Prophet Muhammad 
. The Sunnah is preserved within the hadith collections and by those who lived during the first few generations after the Prophet's death.
[edit] Allah
In Islam, Allah with it's Arabic meaning of 'The only true God' is the sole creator and sustainer of all that exists, the source of everything we know and see. Although Allah's existance is known through reflection on his creation and our natural inclination to the existance of the creator fitra, Allah's attributes are known only through the revelations in the Qu'ran and Authentic Sunnah. In particular Allah is know through the 99 names of Allah. And although Allah has informed us of his attributes, nothing in the heavens and the earth equal those attributes, they are a mere guidance. For example one of the names of Allah is Ar-Rahman meaning the Most Merciful, this is an attribute that we can relate to, that is of having Mercy. However we cannot fathom, the concept of complete mercy.
There are no pictorial descriptions of Allah, in order to safeguard against the non-muslim, misguided or heretic worship of that which Allah is not.
Allah mentions in the Qu'ran in Surah al-Ikhlas:
"Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him."
[edit] Prophets
Allah informed us in Surah an-Nahl that he has sent many prophets to mankind. It is also reported in a hadith attributed to the prophet that there have been a total of one hundred twenty thousand prophets (nabi) sent to mankind, and of these prophets three hundred thirteen were messengers (rasul).[6]
"For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle, (with the Command), "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil": of the People were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth)"
The prophets that are specifically mentioned in the Qu'ran by name are Adam, Enoch, Noah, Heber, Shelah, Lot, Ibrahim, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, Ezekiel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Zacharias, John the Baptist, Jesus and Muhammed.
Every one of the prophets brought the same fundamental message: worship Allah alone with no partners.
[edit] Islam & Terrorism
Terrorism has affected many nations over the years. There has been a tendency in recent times for the media to link it with ‘militant Islam’. This association has haunted ordinary Muslims causing them untold misery. Many Muslims are now caught in the middle. They feel they have to make a choice between extremist Muslims and very secular standpoints. Some Muslims become apologetic about their religion and begin to judge it through value systems that are alien to the faith. Others go to another extreme and allow their hate and frustration to taint their Islamic principles. But there is a third alternative: Islam correctly understood. Islam pure, simple and without prejudice.
A detailed document produced by the Islamic Society of Britain & The Young Muslims UK (http://www.isb.org.uk) to explode the myths surrounding this issue, and to clarify the correct Islamic (and mainstream) position, for both Muslims and the general public.
[edit] Islam & Racism
Islam's answer to racism did not remain as some pious exhortation, but went on to sound the death knell of racial discrimination in much of the world. This was signalled in the earliest days of Islam through the example set by the final messenger of God, Muhammad(pbuh), and was to be borne out by the subsequent events in the history of Muslim nations. Muslim Spain represents a shining example of a progressive, cohesive and advanced multicultural society, the like of which was never to be witnessed in the world again. History bears testimony to the fact that Islam has, uniquely and with no parallel from world religions and world civilisations, overcome the problems of colour and racial prejudice.
A detailed document produced by the Islamic Society of Britain & The Young Muslims UK (http://www.isb.org.uk) to explode the myths surrounding this issue, and to clarify the correct Islamic (and mainstream) position, for both Muslims and the general public.
[edit] Demographics
[edit] History
[edit] Empires
[edit] Science
[edit] See Also
[edit] Further Reading
[edit] References
- ↑ http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Islam
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 001
- ↑ Sahih Muslim, Book 042, Number 7134
- ↑ Sahih Bukhari, Volume 001, Book 002, Number 007
- ↑ http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html
- ↑ See http://understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?type=question&qid=27
