Introduction to Islam

1. Meaning of Islam

Islam is an Arabic word which means peace, purity, submission and obedience.

In the religious sense, Islam means the complete submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.

Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than humankind, is administered totally by God-made laws; they are obedient to God and submissive to his laws. Therefore they are in a state of Islam.

Humankind possesses the qualities of intelligence and choice, thus he/she is invited to submit to the good will of God, obeying His law, i.e. become a Muslim.

Islam dates back to the age of Adam and its message has been conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including Noah, Abrahim, Moses, Jesus and Muhammed (may the peace and blessing of God be upon them).

Islam's message has been restored and manifested in the last stage of the religious evolution by God's last Prophet and Messenger, Muhammed (peace be upon him).

Allah in the Arabic language refers to God, or more accurately: The One and Only Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, Almighty, Omnipotent, Most Compassionate and Merciful.

2. Articles of Faith

1. A muslim believes in One God, Supreme, Eternal, Infinite, Mighty, Compassionate and Merciful. Creator and Provider.

God is free from all dependents yet all are dependent on Him. God neither begets nor was begotten and there is none comparable unto Him. He has no sons or daughters, father or mother. None equivalent to Him.

God is the Lord of all humankind, not of a special tribe or race.

God is high and supreme but He is very near to the pious, thoughtful believers. He loves the people who love Him and forgives their sins. He gives them real peace, happiness, knowledge and success.

God is the Loving and the Provider, the Generous and the Benevolent, the Rich and the Independent, the Forgiving and the Clement, the Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the Judge and the Peace.

God creates in humans the mind to understand, the soul and conscience to be good and righteous, the feeling and sentiments to be kind and humane. God's blessings are countless.

God asks us to know Him, to remember Him, to love Him and to enforce His law for our own benefit.

2. A Muslim believes in all Messengers and Prophets of God without any discrimination.

All messengers and prophets were mortals, human beings, endowed with Divine revelations and appointed by God to teach mankind.

These include Noah, Abrahim, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and Muhammed (peace be upon them). Their message is the same; Islam, and it came from the One and the Same source: God.

3. A Muslim believes in all scriptures and revelations of God, as they were complete in their original form; the Scrolls of Abrahim, the Torah revealed to Moses, Psalms to David, Gospel to Jesus, and the Quran to Muhammed (peace be upon him).

Revelations were given to guide people to the right path of God.

Today, the books before the Quran do not exist in their original form. They are in-part lost, corrupted or concealed. Weakness in the early period of Judaism and Christianity are partly responsible.

The Quran reiterates, reinforces and completes the message of previous scriptures. It is the only authentic and complete book of God. No scholar has questioned the fact that the Quran today is the same as it was more than 1400 years ago.

4. A Muslim believes in the angels of God.

5. A Muslim believes in the Day of Judgement.

This world as we know it will come to an end and the dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial. Everything we do, say, make, intend and think are accounted for and kept in accurate records.

People with good record will be generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to God's Heaven. People with bad records will be justly punished and cast in to Hell.

Some people who commit sins, neglect God and indulge in immoral activities, seem superficially prosperous in this life, but absolute justice will be performed on the Day of Judgement.

6. A Muslim believes that the purpose of life is to worship God.

3. Application of Faith

God has ordained four major exercises of faith, some are daily, some weekly, some monthly, some annually and some are required at least once in a lifetime.

1. Prayer

It is a matchless and unprecendented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all combined.

The meaning of prayer is many-fold: It is a lesson of discipline, a practice in devotion and remembrance of God, a safeguard to indecency, an expression of gratitude and repentance to God, a demonstration of true equality and fellowship, a course of inner peace and stability.

Obligatory prayers include the five daily prayers, the Friday's noon and congregational prayer, and the funeral prayer.

2. Fasting

Fasting is abstaining completely from eating, drinking and sexual relations from the break of dawn till sunset. It is performed once a year for the duration of the lunar Islamic month of Ramadan.

It is a matchless Islamic institution which teaches one the principal of sincere devotion to God.

3. Charity (Zakah)

Zakah refers to the annual amount which a Muslim with means must distribute among the needy and the poor

Zakah has a deep humanitarian and socio-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 possessions, it does not tolerate greedy capitalism.

Every Muslim, male and female at the end of the year must give Zakah at the minimum rate of 2.5% on the net savings after paying expenses, taxes, etc.

4. Pilgrimage (Hajj)

The pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime is obligatory upon every mentally, physically and financially fit Muslim.

It is the largest annual convention of faith on earth (more than 2.5 million in 1995). Muslims from every corner of the globe assemble to demonstrate the unity of humankind in response to the call of God.

Peace is the dominant theme. Peace with God, with one's soul, with one another, with all living creatures. To disturb the peace in any way is strictly prohibited.

Hajj commemorates the Divine rituals observed by Prophet Abrahim and his son Ishmael, who were the first pilgrims to the house of God; the Ka'bah. It is performed in the remembrance of the grand assembly on the Day of Judgement when people will stand equal before God.

4. Islam is a Complete, Comprehensive Code of Life.

Islam is the God-given system of life based on Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

Islam brings man close to God, taking into consideration his material and spiritual demands, thus elevating his spiritual status and controlling his physical desires.

Islam extends its sense of organization to all walks of life: individual and social behaviour, labour and industry, economice and politics, national and international relations, and so on.

Islam adopts a moderate but positive and effective course between individual and society, between citizen and state, between capitalism and socialism, between materialism and spiritualism. Examples:

1. Spiritual Life: Prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, love for God and His Messenger, love for truth and humanity, hope and trust in God and doing good for the Sake of God.

2. Intellectual Life: Islam demands faith in God on the basis of knowledge and research and leaves wide open all fields of thought before the intellect to penetrate as far as it can reach. The Quran itself is a rich source of knowledge about the universe.

3. Personal Life: Purity and cleanliness, a healthy diet, proper clothing, proper behaviour, and healthy sexual relations within marriage.

4. Family Life: Since the family is the backbone of society, Islam builds the family on solid grounds that are capable of providing continuity, true security, mature intimacy, sincere reciprocity and moral gratification. Marriage is a strong bond and a commitment to life itself, to society, and a dignified, meaningful survival of the human race. Motherhood is more cherished than fatherhood.

5. Social Life: Man is ordained by God to extend his utmost help and kindness to other family members, relations, and neighbours. There is no superiority on account of class, race, gender, origin or wealth. The unity of humanity is not only its origin but also its ultimate aims.

6. Economic Life: Earning one's living through decent labour is not only a duty but a great virtue as well. Earning is one's private possession. The individual is responsible for the prosperity of the state and the state is responsible for the security of the individual. One comes to this world empty-handed and departs empty-handed. The real owner of things is God alone. One is simply a trustee.

7. Political Life: The sovereignty in the Islamic state belongs to God; the people exercise it by trust from Him to enforce His laws. The ruler is chosen from the best qualified citizens by the people to administer justice, provide security, etc., through consultation, within the Laws ordained God. A religious hierarchy or clergy does not exist. Non-Muslims are entitled to full protection and freedom to practice their religion.

War is only justified if state security is endangered. During war, destruction of crops, animals and homes, killing non-fighting women, children and aged people are forbidden.