In
the Name of Allah
the
Source of All Mercy the All Merciful
Islam
For Your Information . . .
Second
expanded edition
Anyone
wishing to reproduce this book in its entirety without making any changes,
additions or omissions may do so after receiving written permission from the
author. No part of this book may be reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any means,
including photocopying and recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher or the author
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Keysar@speednet.com.au
http://www.speednet.com.au/~keysar
Mobile:
0410 33 69 22
Sydney
Australia: 2001
ISBN:
0646386700
This book
is a FREE gift, it is NOT for sale.
First edition, Dec. 1999 5000
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Second edition 2001
All
gratitude to Allah, and peace and blessings upon His messengers.
Peace and
tranquillity come through following true guidance.
The
purpose of this booklet is to give a brief outline of the basic teachings of
Islam as these appear in the Holy Qur`an, the book that contains the words of
Allah the God and Creator of all that exists and as they appear in the Sunna of
the final messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and blessings upon him.
I originally wrote this material in
1995 after dealing with many questions about Islam from Muslims and
non-Muslims. This booklet developed over
the years and was completely revised
and printed in 1999. The first
book was distributed within a short period of time, the need for more
understanding in our world led to the reprint and expansion of the information
in the book. I pray that the reader will
find the answers that they seek in this book.
As for those who find that they have acquired more than one copy, I
earnestly request that they distribute them to friends, acquaintances or
neighbours so that the benefit of the book can spread and reach the maximum
number of people.
As before, I welcome any
constructive comment with respect to this humble offering. My email address is on the previous page,
this will give you, my dear reader, easy access to me. If for some reason, I change my ISP, simply
search for my name on the internet and you will find my new email address.
Finally, I would like to thank all
those who provided constructive feedback with respect to the English terms that
I use in order to express Arabic concepts.
In particular, I would like to thank
my son Mohammad and my daughter Sanna for proof-reading the final
manuscript. I would also like to thank
my other children, their teachers, in particular Mr. Peter Calman and all those
who gave me feedback on the first edition
God bless
you one and all.
Your
brother
August 2001
The Three Foundations of Islam
2 - Muhammad is the messenger of Allah to all Humanity
Elements of Faith (Arkanul Iman):
The Degree of Beauty (Al Ihsan):
The best words that one may speak:
The Qur`an’s advice
concerning parents, neighbours and kin:
The Qur`an commands kindness to parents even when the
parents are evil:
The Qur`an Recommends the Promotion of Virtue and the
Prohibition of Vice
Dealing with those who cause you harm:
The position of the Qur`an with respect to earlier
revelations:
Why do we say Allah when referring to God?
Why do we often say that a person reverted to Islam, and
not converted?
Why do we call ourselves Muslims?
Islam is a religion that promotes peace
Islam promotes peace even during times of war
Islam is a religion that condemns transgression
Islam promotes forgiveness, tolerance and understanding
How Religions Developed Their Names
Does Islam Have Anything In Common With Christianity And
Judaism?
God forgives the sins of those who repent
Islam is a religion of moderation
Architectural standards of mosques:
When is a Muslim obliged to go to the mosque?
Feast / Festive Occasions In Islam
Inviting Others To Islam (A Few Examples)
How Does A Person Embrace Islam?
Is a revert obliged to adopt a new name?
A person cannot be forced to revert to Islam:
=============================================================
Islam is
established on three basic premises, these are:
There is
only one God, per Sura[1]
112 of the Noble Qur'an
In the name of Allah the Source of
All Mercy the All Merciful
"Say:
He is Allah the One, Allah the absolute, He does not beget, Nor was He
begotten, and there is nothing comparable to Him."
"Allah declares that there is
no god except Him, as do the angels (witness) and those who are learned (give
witness), He establishes justice, there is no God except Him, the Glorious in
Might, the Wise." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 3; Aya[2]
18).
The oneness of God is attested in
many other Ayat[3] in the
Qur'an, as it is also attested in other divinely revealed books. Please refer to Appendix A for more on the
names and attributes of God.
Muhammad
is the final messenger of Allah. Muhammad peace and blessings upon him was
happy to be referred to as the servant and devotee of Allah. Muhammad peace and blessings upon him was a
human being who was chosen by Allah to deliver the perfect and complete message
of Islam, as presented in the Noble Qur'an, and the prophetic traditions.
The Qur`an
says:
"Muhammad is the messenger of
Allah." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 48: Aya 29)
"And Muhammad is no more than a
messenger, messengers have passed away before him." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Aya 144)
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah to
all humanity:
"Say: People, I am the
messenger of Allah to you all." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 7: Aya 158)
Resurrection is true; every thing
that lived in this world will be brought back to life and judged by God. This will take place after everything that
has been created perishes and nothing remains except Allah, the Owner of
Majesty and Honour.
"Then on the day of
resurrection you will be brought forth." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 23: Aya 16)
"Say: Yes, by My Lord, you will
be brought forth, then you will be informed of what you did." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 64: Aya 7)
The five
basic practices required of every Muslim (Arkanul Islam):
1. Testimony
of faith, this is referred to as Shahada, the Shahada is to bear witness that
there is no God except Allah and to bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger
of Allah.
2. Establishing
Salat, Salat may be described as prayer; Salat is the
formal form of worship that is performed by Muslims. The word Salat comes from the word Silat
which means connection, hence, Salat is the process where a Muslim
actually communicates with Allah and praises and worships Allah. In Salat, the Muslim recites the words
of Allah as these are learnt from the Noble Qur`an. Salat is a spiritual exercise that
actually helps a Muslim transcend the demands of the material world to focus on
his spirit and the ascension and growth of this spirit. The Salat is composed of words and
physical actions, the physical actions are: Standing, bowing, prostrating and
sitting[4].
The Qur`an states: “Establish Salat, pay Zakat and bow with
those who bow.” (The Noble Qur`an
Sura 2; Aya 43).
“Speak beautifully to people and
establish Salat.”
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 83)
“Believers! Seek help through
patience and Salat.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 153).
“Salat is at appointed times for the
believers.” (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 4; Aya 153).
“Salat deters a person from evil and
shameful behaviour.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 29; Aya 45).
Prior to engaging in Salat, the
Muslim must have a valid ablution: “Believers!
When you stand for Salat, wash your faces, your arms to the elbows, wipe your
heads and wash your feet to the ankles ...”
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 6).
3. Paying
the Zakat (prescribed obligatory charity), the Noble Qur`an states: “Establish Salat and pay Zakat.” (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 110).
“Establish Salat and pay Zakat and
obey the messenger.” The Noble Qur`an Sura 24; Aya 56).
“In fact, charity is (to be paid)
for the poor, the needy, those who work to collect it, those whose hearts are
ameliorated, to purchase the freedom of those who are unfairly detained or
enslaved, to assist debtors, in the path of Allah and for the wayfarer. This is imposed by Allah, Allah is
All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 9; Aya 60).
4. Fasting
during the month of Ramadan[5],
the Noble Qur`an states: “Believers!
fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you.” (Sura 2; Aya 183).
5. Performing
the pilgrimage (Haj) to
1. To believe in Allah,
2. To believe in the existence of His
angels,
3. To believe in His books,
4. To believe in His messengers,
5. To believe in the day of judgement, and
6. To believe in the decree and measure,
the good and the bad of it.
Muslims aim for Ihsan (beauty,
perfection and proficiency) in all aspects of our activities.
“Allah commands justice, Ihsan and
kindness to kin.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 16; Aya 90).
“Adopt Ihsan (in your actions),
Allah loves those who adopt Ihsan.” (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 195).
“The grace of Allah is with those
who apply Ihsan.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 7; Aya 56).
The messenger of Allah, Muhammad
peace and blessings upon him stated:
"Allah has decreed Ihsan with
respect to every activity."
Ihsan has been described by the
messenger of Allah as:
"Worshipping Allah as if we can
see Him[6], and if
we do not see Him, then to live with the knowledge that He sees us."
As Muslims we are also required to invite
to good works and to guide people away from evil.
The Noble
Qur`an states:
“Tell my
devotees to say that which is better.” (Sura 17; Aya 53).
"Who is better in speech than
the one who invites to Allah, performs good deeds and says: I am (one) of the
Muslims?"
(sura 41; Aya 33)
“Do you not see how Allah strikes an
example, a beautiful word is like a beautiful tree, its roots are stable and it
branches into the heavens.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 14: Aya
24).
The prophet Muhammad peace and
blessings upon him said: “Whoever
believes in Allah and in the final day should say good things or remain
silent.” (narrated in Bukhary, Muslim and others).
In addition to the individual duties
that are listed above under the heading: "The Five Basic Practices
...", the Muslim also has other duties.
These duties are both individual (referred to as Fard 'Ayn) and
collective (Fard Kifaya). There are
individual obligations towards parents, kin, neighbours, guests, colleagues,
companions and those charged with authority.
The collective duties cover
provision for the needy, and the destitute as well as an area in Islam that is
referred to as Hisba (literally; accountability), or Promoting Virtue and
Prohibiting Vice.
Collective duties are those that are
obligatory on the community, so, if a section of the community fulfils these
duties, other individuals will not need to focus their attention on them.
Collective duties may become
individual obligations in situations where the immediate attention of an
individual is required. For example,
when a person sees a need that must be addressed immediately, this person must
address this need if he is able to do so, without looking to refer it to someone
else.
If we take the example of promoting
virtue and prohibiting vice, if a Muslim sees another person about to commit a
crime, his immediate duty will be to assess the situation, and if he is able to
personally prevent the crime, he must do so.
Care would be required so as not to expose himself to direct danger.
"Your Lord decreed that you
worship none but Him and kindness to both parents, they may reach old age
whilst they are with you, one of them or both of them, so do not say to them:
‘uffen’[7] and do not yell at them. Speak honourably to them and lower to them
the wing of humility through compassion and say: My Lord have mercy on them as
they raised me when I was small." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 17: Ayat 23 - 24).
"Worship Allah and do not
associate in Him anything. Be kind to
your parents, your kin, the orphans, the needy, the neighbour who is near and
the neighbour who is far, and the companion who is by your side and the wayfarer and those whom your right
hand possesses. Indeed, Allah does not
love the one who is arrogant and boastful." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 4: Aya 36).
"We commended the human being
to be good to his parents. However, if
they strive against you to associate in Me that of which you have no knowledge,
then do not obey them. To Me is your
return and I will inform you of what you used to do."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 29: Aya 8).
"We commended to the human
being his parents, his mother carried him in weakness over weakness, then his
weaning in two years, be thankful to Me and to your parents, to Me is the
return. However, if they strive against
you to associate in Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. Accompany them in the world in goodness and
follow the path of the one who turns to Me.
To Me will be your return and I will inform you of what you used to
do." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 31:
Ayat 14 - 15).
"Let there be a group from
amongst you calling to goodness, commanding right conduct and prohibiting vice,
these are the successful." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Aya 104).
"You are the best community
that is brought forth for humanity, commanding decency and prohibiting vice,
and believing in Allah. Had the people
of the book[8]
believed, it would be good for them, some of
them are believers and the majority are deviant."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Aya 110).
"They are not the same, amongst
the people of the book is a group who recite the words of Allah during the
night whilst they are prostrate. They
believe in Allah and the final day and they command decency and prohibit vice
and they hasten to good works, these are the righteous."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Ayat 113 - 114).
"The believing men and the
believing women, some of them are protecting friends of some, they command
virtue and prohibit vice, they establish prayer and give in charity and obey
Allah and His messenger, those will have the mercy of Allah, Allah is Glorious
in Might, Wise." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 9: Aya 71).
The Qur`an
advises:
"Say to My devotees to speak
that which is better (or more beautiful), Satan indeed wishes to create enmity
amongst you. Verily Satan is an open
enemy for the Human being." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 17: Aya 53).
"Repel the bad deed with
goodness We are better knowing of what they describe." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 23: Aya 96).
"The good deed and the bad deed
are not equal, apply the one that is better, then the person between you and
whom there was enmity will become like a faithful friend." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 41: Aya 34
This contains actual words of God
that were revealed to prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon him over a
period of 23 years (610 - 633 CE). It
was dictated by the prophet peace and blessings upon him to his companions
(supporters) as soon as it was revealed.
The words in the Qur`an are the actual words of God as spoken by
God. The Qur`an has its own style of
recitation which is known as Tajweed.
The recitation of the Qur`an is an act of worship, because of the great
guidance that it contains, reciting the Qur`an earns the believer a blessing
from Allah that is equivalent to ten good deeds for each letter recited.
To assist the reader to understand
that the Qur`an contains only the words of God, the Qur`an gives the reader
some ideas as to ways that the reader may test the Qur`an. The reader may use these ideas as well as his
own tests to verify that the Qur`an is from God. Amongst these tests are the following:
The Qur`an challenges the reader to
find a fault with respect to its scientific, historical and geographical
accuracy, or to find a flaw in its cohesion:
"Alef, Lam Meem[9], that
is the book, there is no flaw in it, (it is) guidance for those who are
God-conscious."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Ayat 1 & 2).
"Do they not ponder over the
Qur`an, had it been from other than Allah, they would have certainly found many
inconsistencies in it." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 4; Aya 82).
The
Qur`an also issues a number of other challenges to those who doubt its
authenticity, it challenges them to try and emulate it or to emulate any of its
chapters.
"And if you are in doubt with
respect to what we revealed to Our servant, then come up with a Sura of its
likeness, and call your witnesses other than Allah if you are truthful." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 23).
"Or they say: he forged it,
say: come up with a Sura like it and call upon whoever you can other than
Allah, if you are truthful." (The Noble Qur`an sura 10; Aya
38).
The first challenge tells them to
come up with a Sura that is on par with a Sura in the Qur`an and asks them to
call their witnesses (or experts) to verify their claim to parity. The second Aya says that if you cannot do so
on your own, then call upon whoever you like to help you to compose such a
Sura.
"Or they say: he forged it,
say: come with ten Suwar[10] like it, forged, and call upon whoever you
can other than Allah if you are truthful." (The Noble Qur`an sura 11; Aya 13).
In this Aya, the Qur`an challenges
the doubters to come up with ten Suwar in order to circumvent a claim that if
they come up with only one Sura, this effort may not produce a meaningful
treatise.
"Say: if humanity and the Jinn
were to get together to come up with anything like this Qur`an, they would not
be able to come up with anything like it, even if they were supporters of one
another." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 17; Aya 88).
With this Aya, the Qur`an is telling
the sceptics that they will never be able to emulate it. However, Sura 52; Aya 34 gives them an easier
challenge, but even this challenge, they will never be able to meet:
"Let them come up with a
discourse like it if they are indeed truthful."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 52; Aya 34).
"Alif. Lam. Ra`[11]. A
Scripture that We have revealed unto you that thereby you may bring forth
humanity from darkness unto light, by the permission of their Lord, unto the
path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise," (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 14; Aya 1)
"We revealed to you the Book
with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Scripture and Muhayminan[12] over
it, therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow
their low desires (to turn away) from the truth that has come to you; for every
one of you did We appoint a law and a way, and if Allah had pleased He would
have made you (all) a single community, but that He might try you in what He
gave you, therefore strive with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds; to
Allah is your return, all (of you), He will let you know about that in which
you differed;"
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 48)
"We, reveal the Zikr[13], and
We are its Guardian." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 15; Aya 9)
In the above Aya, God is reminding
us that He - Most High - revealed the Qur`an, here referred to as Zikr, or oft
recited book, or reminder as it is usually translated, and He has guaranteed to
guard it and preserve it.
"Those who disbelieve in the
Zikr when it comes unto them (are
guilty), for it is an unassailable Scripture.
Falsehood
cannot come at it from before it or from behind it. (It is) a revelation from
the Wise, the Owner of Praise." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 41: Ayat 41-42)
The Hadith comprises of a collection
of the statements of the messenger Muhammad peace and blessings upon him. It also includes some statements that were
made by his closest disciples on issues that he did not personally discuss
during his lifetime. The Hadith has its
own science of authenticity, each Hadith carries the chain of narrators from
the messenger peace and blessings upon him or his disciples to the actual
person who placed the Hadith in a book.
There is a science of grading Hadith,
the most authentic Ahadith[14]
collections are those of Bukhari and Muslim.
The Muwatta is also an authentic collection, however this book is not a
collection of Ahadith, it is rather a collection of topics with the most
relevant Ahadith on the topic. In all,
there are over 20 collections of Ahadith.
The
science of Hadith includes biographies of every person who ever narrated a
Hadith.
The
importance of Hadith is described in the following Ayat:
"What the messenger brings you,
take it, and what he forbids you from, abstain from it" (The Noble Qur`an Sura 59; Aya 7)
"Obey Allah and the
messenger"
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Aya 32 & Aya 132)
"Obey Allah and Obey the
messenger"
(The Noble Qur`an 4:59, 5:92, 24:54, 47:33 & 64:12)
"Obey
Allah and His messenger" (The Noble Qur`an 8:1, 20, & 46, 58:13)
Sunna
refers to the way of life of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and
blessings upon him, this includes his Ahadith, his condoning of certain acts
without actually saying anything about them, and his general behaviour.
"Verily in the messenger of
Allah you have a beautiful example for the one who hopes for Allah and the Last
Day, and remembers Allah much." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 33; Aya 21)
Seerah
refers to the biography detailing the life of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad
peace and blessings upon him.
This
includes the opinions of scholars, who are referred to as the righteous
predecessors, on various issues. The
most famous of these scholars are Malik, Shafii, Abu Hanifa, and Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal. These venerable scholars are
credited with founding the schools of Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic
Jurisprudence is referred to as Fiqh.
Qiyas is
the legal process of comparing an issue to one that has already been dealt
with, if the issue is found to be on par with the previously decided issue,
then the same rules would be applied.
There may be modifications to the rules in accordance with the
variations in the issues. There are some
similarities between this concept and the condept of legal precedence.
The
Qur`an remains the ultimate authority, a scholar who wishes to interpret the
Qur`an must have studied the Qur`an thoroughly first. To interpret the Qur`an, the scholar is bound
to interpret the Qur`an through the Qur`an, if he fails, then he would turn to
what the Hadith says about certain Ayat, if he fails again, then he would turn
to what the companions of the messenger peace and blessings upon him said about
these Ayat. If the researcher fails
again, he would check what the righteous predecessors said. A scholar is only permitted to express his
opinion on the Qur`an after he / she has studied all the aforementioned
resources.
Sharia
refers to the system of laws within Islam, Sharia is derived from the Qur`an,
the Hadith, Ijma’ and Qiyas. Hudood are
the limits or the boundaries and the penalties that may be imposed when some of
the laws are breached. Only the more
serious breaches are subject to penalty or Hudood. In general, Hudood may be waived in the case
of reasonable doubt. The object of
Hudood is to deter people from open breaches of the law, hence, the stringent
evidentiary requirements and the strict penalties for false witness. A breach of Hudood that impacts on people may
be resolved by forgiveness and private contrition and amends, this is something
that is purely in the hand of the victim to decide, the victim may choose to
forgive or to take the matter to court.
On moral breaches that are consensual, the repentance can be private and
personal and there is no need for the matter to go before the court. For example, a person who commits adultery
and repents may do so privately without undergoing any penal process. In such cases, if the breach occurred in the
presence of witnesses, the witnesses are advised to provide private counselling
rather than bring the matter to court.
Generally, only open flagrant breaches are intended to be
penalised. The bulk of Sharia is there
to protect the life, safety and freedom of individuals and of society,
especially women, a small portion of Sharia relates to Hudood or penalties and
this portion is included to deter those who would threaten the freedom of
society.
"Allah! There is no God except
Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep (can ever) overtake
Him. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.
Who is he that intercedes with Him except by His permission? He knows that which is in front of them and
that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge except
what He will. His throne includes the heavens and the earth, and He is never
weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 255)
"Allah is the Light of the
heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a
lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. Kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither
of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself)
though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guides unto His light whom
He will. And Allah speaks to humanity in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all
things." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 24; Aya 35)
"There is nothing comparable to
Him, and He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 42; Aya 11).
"He is Allah, than Whom there
is no other God, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the
Beneficent, the All Merciful.
He is Allah, than Whom there is no
other God, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, The Peace, the Keeper of Faith,
the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from
all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him).
He is
Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most
beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He
is the Mighty, the Wise." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 59; Ayat 22 - 24)
"Say:
He is Allah, the One!
Allah,
the eternally Besought of all!
He
begets not nor was He begotten.
And
there is none comparable unto Him." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 111; Ayat 1 - 4)
The name Allah is perfect, it cannot
be made plural, or given a gender, it is the only word in Arabic, Hebrew,
Aramaic and many other languages that has this attribute. It is a perfect name for God, a name that God
revealed to humanity through His prophets and messengers.
There are
two opinions about this name, the other opinion states that the word is derived
from Al-Ilah meaning, the One God, or the One and Only God. I favour the former view which is supported
by the majority of Arab scholars that the word Allah is one of the names of
God.
The
messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said:
"Every child is born a Muslim,
it is his parents who make of this child a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.
..."
So when a person embraces Islam,
this person is reverting back to the religion to which he / she was born.
The word Muslim refers to: A person who
willingly submits to the law of Allah, or a person who knowingly applies the
law of Allah to his life. It is derived
from the word Silm and Salam, which means peace, and the word Sallam and Aslam
which mean submitted. Therefore, Islam
is the way of peace through following the Will of God. The word Islam has been used by all the
prophets of God as they are all Muslim and they all called to Islam.
In this context, the submission must
be a willing submission, that is, a person of his own free will decides to seek
the divine guidance and to attempt to comply with this guidance. A person who does comply with the divine
guidance will find peace on a number of important fronts, these include:
1
- Peace with himself = A person who complies with the divine guidance does not
experience bitterness about his physical condition, or about aspects beyond his
or her control. This person will seek
self improvement without feelings of bitterness, envy or grudge, this person
will be in fact in a state of peace with his or her condition.
2
- Peace with God = This person will not question the will of God but rather
will seek to understand the wisdom behind the divine guidance.
3
- Peace with our fellow human beings = A person who complies with the divine guidance
will seek to create peace on earth. This
person will accept others for what they are and will not behave in an arrogant
or condescending manner towards others.
This person will be helpful to others and will respect all other human
beings.
4
- Peace with other living things = This person will look to other living things
that share this world with us with understanding, he or she will not seek to
exploit them but rather will manage resources so that animals, birds and fish
will continue to live in harmony in this world.
5 - Peace with the environment = Again, a
person who complies with the divine guidance seeks to live a managed life with
the environment, he or she will not exploit or abuse resources but rather will
take what is necessary, recycle where possible and ensure that there will be a
process of regrowth and regeneration so that the world will remain safe for
succeeding generations of all living things.
The prophet Muhammad peace and
blessings upon him advises Muslims to establish peace, he stated:
“You will not enter paradise until
you believe and you will never be true believers until you love one another, do
you want to know how to create an atmosphere of love in your community? Promote peace amongst all.”
The
greeting that is used by Muslims is a greeting of peace and goodwill, the name
of the religion is derived from the word peace as indicated earlier and each of
the five daily prayers is concluded with words of peace.
The
Noble Qur`an states:
“Believers! Enter into a state of
complete peace[15].” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 208).
The Noble Qur`an also states: “Allah invites to the house of peace.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 10; Aya 25).
The Noble Qur`an clearly states that
when those who are fighting against you give any indication of a desire for
peace or capitulation, then the Muslims must also work for peace. This is stated at Aya 8 of Sura 61: “If
they incline towards peace, you must also incline towards it and place your
reliance on Allah.”
"Allah does not love those who
are involved in acts of transgression" (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 190 and Sura 5;
Aya 87).
“Forgive them and overlook (their
bad deeds towards you), Allah loves those who are kind.”
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 13).
“Hasten to forgiveness from your
Lord and a Garden the breadth of which is the Heavens and the Earth, prepared
for those who are God-conscious.
“Those who spend in ease and
hardship, those who suppress their anger and those who forgive people, Allah
loves those who are kind.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 3; Ayat
133 - 134).
As a religion of submission to God,
pursuit of the will of God, compliance with the divine guidance and a religion
that creates peace, I believe that any reader will agree that Islam, per this
definition is the ideal for all humanity and all living things. We as people, perhaps following religions
with different names only differ with respect to the name of our religions and
not with respect to the broader principles of peace, mutual respect and friendship.
In this regard, I offer statements
from other prophets of God where they invite others to the way of peace, the
way of seeking the will of God, the way that is summarised in the word “Islam”:
In Sura 10
Aya 72 Noah states:
" … If you turn away, I have
not asked you for any fee, my recompense is with Allah, and I have been
commanded to be of those who are Muslims."
Allah says in Sura 2 Ayat 130 -
131:
"Who would prefer other than
the way of Abraham except the one who deludes himself? Verily We have chosen him (Abraham) in this world
and indeed in the afterlife he will be among the righteous. As His Lord said to him: embrace Islam, he
said: I have submitted in Islam to the
Lord of the worlds."
Moses made the following
supplication along with the righteous of his followers, in Sura 7 Aya 126:
"Our
Lord bestow patience upon us, and cause us to die as Muslims."
Allah tells
us in Sura 3 Ayat 52 to 53:
"And when 'Eesa[16] felt rejection from them, he said: Who are my supporters to the way of
Allah? The disciples said: We are the supporters of Allah, we have
believed in Allah, bear witness that we are Muslims, Our Lord (Allah), we have
believed, and followed the messenger ('Eesa), so record us amongst the
witnesses."
Sura 2 Ayat 127 - 128:
"And Abraham would raise the
foundations of the house and Isma'il:
Our Lord accept it from us, verily You are the All Hearing the All
Knowing, our Lord, and make us Muslims to You, and of our progeny, a community
of Muslims to You."
Sura 2 Aya 132:
"And Abraham enjoined it on his
sons and Jacob, my sons, verily Allah has chosen for you the religion, so do
not die except that you are Muslims, or were you witnesses when death came to
Jacob, when he said to his sons: What
will you worship after me? They
said: We will worship your God and the
God of your fathers Abraham, Isma'il, and Isaac, One God, and to Him we are
Muslims."
Joseph says in Sura 12 Aya 101:
"My Lord, You have given me of
sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams, the Creator of the
heavens and the earth, You are my Patron in this world and in the hereafter,
cause me to die as a Muslim, and cause me to follow the righteous."
Allah says
in Sura 10 Ayat 84 to 85:
"And Moses said: O people, if you have believed in Allah, then
rely on Him if you are Muslims. They
said: On Allah we rely."
Then the letter that Solomon sent to
the Queen of Sheba as it appears in Sura 27 Aya 31:
"In the name of Allah the
Source of All Mercy, the All Merciful:
Do not go above me, and come to me as Muslims."
The queen of Sheba says in Sura 27
Aya 44:
"My Lord (Allah), I had
(previously) wronged myself, I have now become Muslim with Solomon, to Allah
the Lord of the worlds."
With the completion of the
revelation of the Holy Qur'an, Allah Glorified and Exalted tells us:
"Today, I have completed the
revelation of your religion for you, perfected My bounty upon you and accepted
for you Islam as your religion." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 3).
Again in
Sura 3 Aya 19 Allah Most Exalted says:
"Verily
the religion acceptable to Allah is Islam"
And at Aya
85:
"Whoever aims at other than
Islam for his religion, it would not be accepted from him, and in the after
life, this person will be one of the losers."
Sura 4 Aya 125:
"Who is better in religion than
the one who surrenders his face to Allah, whilst he is doing beautiful works,
and follows the way of Abraham who is upright? ..."
The messenger of Allah peace and
blessings upon him also tells us of the unity of the message of the prophets of
God, viz:
In Sahih Bukhary and Sahih Muslim,
the messenger of Allah peace and blessings upon him is reported as saying:
". . . All the prophets are
brothers; the children of the one faith, their mothers are varied, but their
religion is one."
"My example and the example of
the prophets before me is the same as that of a man who built a house, then
beautified it and decorated it, except for the position of one brick in one of
its corners, the people would go around this house, and marvel at it, and
say: If only this brick was put in
place? I am that brick, I am that brick,
and I am the
seal of the prophets." (That is:
There will be no prophet after him, peace and blessings upon him).
It is amazing that when one analyses
both Jewish and Christian beliefs, one finds that those who follow these belief
systems profess much of what the final messenger Muhammad peace and blessings
upon him came with. It seems that they
are either yet to accept or they do not accept in totality what Muhammad peace
and blessings upon him brought, this is usually so because they are yet to
acknowledge Muhammad peace and blessings upon him as a messenger from God. In this Regard, God says in the Noble Qur`an:
"Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 48;
Aya 29) and "He is the seal of the prophets" (The Noble Qur`an
Sura 33; Aya 40).
"If the people of the book were
to believe, it would be better for them." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 3; Aya 110).
"Those who follow the
messenger, the illiterate prophet, the one (whose detail) they find written
with them in the Torah and the Injeel[17] , he
commands them with decency and forbids them from vice, he makes the wholesome
things permissible for them and prohibits them from the evil things. He removes from them their burden and the
shackles that were over them. Those who
believe in him, honour him, support him and follow the light that was sent down
with him, they are the successful. Say:
"People, I am the messenger of Allah to you all, the One to Whom belong
the Heavens and the Earth, there is no god except Him, He gives life and causes
to die, believe in Allah and His messenger, the illiterate prophet who believes
in Allah and His words and follow him so that you may be guided." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 7; Ayat 157-158
)
The Qur`an states: "Allah commands justice, beautiful
conduct and caring for the kin. He
prohibits sin, corruption and transgression, He advises you so that you may
remember. Fulfil the pledge in Allah
that you have pledged, do not break your oaths after affirming them for you
have made Allah your guarantor, indeed, Allah knows what you are doing."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 16; Ayat 90-91).
The messenger of Allah, Muhammad
peace and blessings upon him summarised his prophetic mission in the following
words: "I have only been sent to
(teach people how to) behave with perfect Akhlaq." The word Akhlaq encompasses: morality,
manners, character, ethics and virtue.
The word Muslim describes a person
who accepts willingly the sovereignty of God in his / her life and who also
seeks to establish and promote peace.
Unfortunately, history shows that schisms occur within groups and
followers of the same religion decide to identify with a particular ideal, at
times, this ideal may be a particular belief from within their own religious
tradition. As a result, either the main
body or the schism decide to use a name that identifies with the principle or
the person that they feel the need to support.
For example, the Bible is clear in its reference to seeking the will of
the Father, or submitting to God, therefore, people felt that they need to
distinguish themselves from others who make the same claim. This need for distinction led to the creation
of additional descriptors. It is the use
of these descriptors that led to the alienation from the original name of
Islam.
If we
look at the definition of Islam and Muslim, no believer in God, irrespective of
religious tradition would ever deny that he or she is a Muslim. People differ with respect to two issues
relating to being labelled Muslim, firstly, they may not wish to identify with
some of the Islamic teachings, secondly, whilst they identify with the
dictionary definition, they do not wish to identify with the religion itself. As a result, people who believe in a
different religious tradition prefer to identify with the name of the reformer
/ man of God such as Buddhism and Christianity, or a particular place of
interest such as Hinduism or a combination of name, place and significant term
such as Judaism.
Examples of where a translation of
variations of the word Muslim is used in the Holy Bible:
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another
in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord.
Psalms 66:3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy
works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves
unto thee.
Psalms 66:4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall
sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Psalms 66:5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible
in his doing toward the children of men.
Psalms 66:6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went
through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
The Noble Qur`an instructs the
messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and blessings upon him to address the people
of the book, that is, the Jews and the Christians, in the following terms:
"Say: O People of the
Scripture! Come to a mutually agreeable term between us and you: that we shall
worship none except Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and
that we should not take each other as lords beside Allah. And if they turn
away, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.
“O People of the Scripture! Why will
you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till
after him? Do you not comprehend?
You are those who argue about that
of which you have some knowledge: Why then do you argue concerning that of
which you have no knowledge? Allah knows and you know not.
“Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a
Christian; in fact, he was an upright Muslim, and he was not of the idolaters.
Indeed those who have the best claim
to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet (Muhammad) and those who
believe; and Allah is the Protecting Guardian of the believers."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Ayat 64 to 68)
The Qur`an speaks of a number of
earlier revelations, however, it clarifies that these had been altered at the
hands of humans:
" . . . a party of them used to listen to the words
of Allah, then used to change them knowingly, even after they had understood
them." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 75)
The
Hadith tells us that there are seven most major or deadly sins, any person who
commits any of these will go straight to Hell unless there is true repentance
before this person dies. Such a
repentance would include serious efforts to make amends with any person who has
been wronged through these sins. These
sins are:
a -
Associating a partner to God,
b - Sorcery
and witchcraft,
c - Murder,
d - Taking
usury or interest,
e - Taking
the money of orphans unjustly,
f - Fleeing
from battle when the army is advancing (desertion),
g -
Maligning the honour of a woman.
(Please
note that this list is not exhaustive, it is only a guide)
Dishonouring
ones parent or parents or ingratitude to them.
Adultery
and fornication.
Gambling.
Consuming,
producing or selling intoxicants.
Lying.
Stealing.
Arrogance.
Homosexuality.
Giving
False Witness.
Committing
Suicide.
Treason.
Slander,
Defamation and backbiting.
"... Except the one who repents
and believes and does right. Such will
enter the Garden, and they will not be wronged in aught -
Gardens of Eden, which the
Beneficent has promised to His devotees in the unseen. Verily His promise is ever sure of fulfilment
-
They hear therein no idle talk, but
only Peace; and therein they have food for morn and eve." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 19; Ayat 60 -
62)
"The (faithful) devotees of the
Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones
address them answer: Peace;
And who spend the night before their
Lord, prostrate and standing,
And who say: Our Lord! Avert from us
the doom of hell; indeed, the doom thereof is anguish;
Verily it is wretched as abode and
station;
And those who, when they spend, are
neither prodigal nor miserly; and there is ever a firm station between the two;
And those who call not unto any
other god along with Allah, nor take the life which Allah has forbidden save in
(course of) justice, nor commit adultery - and whoso does this shall pay the
penalty;
The doom will be doubled for him on
the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein disdained for ever;
Save the one who repents and believes
and does righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to
good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
And whosoever repents and does good, he verily repents toward Allah with
true repentance -
And those who will not witness falsehood,
but when they pass near senseless play, pass by with dignity.
And those who, when they are
reminded of the revelations of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat.
And who say: Our Lord! soothe our
aspirations with respect to our spouses and our offspring, and make us
role-models for the pious.
They will be awarded the high place
forasmuch as they were steadfast, and they will meet therein with welcome and
peace,
Abiding there forever. Happy is it
as abode and station!" (The Noble Qur`an Sura 25; Ayat 63 - 75) (underlining mine).
Allah Most High says: "Believers, eat of the wholesome
things that We provide for you and thank Allah." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 172).
"Prohibited to you are carrion,
blood, the flesh of swine, that which had been slaughtered with other than the
name of Allah, that which had died through suffocation, that which had died
through beating, that which had died through falling from a height, that which
had died through goring by another animal and that which had been (partly)
eaten by a predator unless you (are able to) purify it (that is; slaughter it
in the appropriate manner before it dies), (prohibited is also) what is killed
on an altar, it is also prohibited to raffle meat, all this is deviation ...
." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 3).
"Believers! Intoxicants,
gambling, idols and divination are abominations, of the work of Satan, avoid
him if you wish to be successful. Satan
wishes to create enmity and hatred amongst you through intoxicants and gambling
and (wishes to) obstruct you from remembering Allah and from prayer, so will
you cease?" (The Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Ayat 90-91).
To clarify the topic further, Allah
Most High says concerning Himself: "He
has detailed to you what He had prohibited for you. ..." (The Noble
Qur`an sura 6; Aya 119).
In another verse, Allah Most High
states:
"Say: I find nothing in what
had been revealed to me prohibited for one seeking food to eat unless it be
carrion or blood that is shed or the flesh of swine, for it is filth or
deviation that has been slaughtered with other than the name of Allah ..."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 6; Aya 145).
Concerning intoxicants, The six most
authentic books of hadith state: "Every intoxicant is Khamr, and every
Khamr is prohibited."
The messenger of Allah, Muhammad
peace and blessings upon him also stated:
"Allah has cursed Khamr and cursed its drinker, the person who
serves it, the one who sells it, the one who purchases it, the one who presses
it, the person for whom it is rendered into juice, the person who transports
it, the person to whom it is being transported, and the person who takes its
price." Narrated by Abu Dawood and Al Hakem refer Saheeh Al Jame'ul
Sagheer hadeeth number 5091.
In another Hadith, the messenger of
Allah, Muhammad peace and blessings upon him said: "Anything, a large quantitiy of which
intoxicates, a small quantity of it is also forbidden." Narrated by
Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Tirmizy, refer Saheeh Al Jame'ul Sagheer hadeeth number
5530.
In general, seafood is permitted for
food, herbivorous animals are also permitted provided they are slaughtered in
the humane Islamic manner, most birds are also permitted as food. Carnivorous land animals are prohibitted to
Muslims. All mind altering drugs, including alcohol are also prohibited to
Muslims.
Whilst these prohibitions apply,
there is an allowance for emergency. If
a Muslim was stranded without access to permissible food and there was only
prohibited food available, he would be able to consume that quantity which will
save his life. This provision is stated
in the Qur`an in the following manner:
"... As for the one who is
forced by necessity, not intending nor transgressing, no sin is upon him, Allah
is Oft Forgiving, Merciful." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya
173).
"... Whoever is forced by
necessity, not intending nor transgressing, your Lord is indeed Oft Forgiving
Merciful." (The Noble Qur`an 6:145 & 16:115).
Whilst this is the case with food,
it does not extend to alcoholic beverages, the messenger peace and blessings
upon him even prohibited the use of alcoholic beverages for medicinal purposes,
refer to the following Hadith: "Allah did not make the remedy for a
disease in that which He had prohibited."
The messenger of Allah peace and
blessings upon him said: "Allah sent down disease and cure. He placed a cure for every ailment. Seek
cure, but do not seek it in the forbidden things." (reported in the
collection of Abu Dawood).
This prohibition forbids the
drinking of alcoholic beverages to treat aliments or for any other reason. The prohibition would extend to alcohol-based
mouthwash.
This prohibition does not forbid the
use of alcohol based antiseptics and disinfectants that are to be applied
externally to cuts or abrasions.
However, an alternative antiseptic would be preferred where one is
available.
The messenger of Allah peace and
blessings upon him said: “There are three for whom Paradise has been
prohibited - a habitual drinker, a person who is unkind to his / her parents,
and a negligent husband who brings impurity to his family." (reported
in the collection of Ahmad and Nasa`i).
Islam advises Muslims to wear modest
loose fitting clothing. There is a
slight variation between the standard of dress of a man and that of a woman.
To further promote virtue in
society, the Qur`an also advises both men and women not to ogle at members of
the opposite gender (unless they be their own spouses):
"Say to the believing men to
avert their glance and preserve their private parts, that is purer for them,
indeed, Allah is Well Informed with respect to what they are doing.
Say to the believing women to avert
their glance and preserve their private parts and not to reveal their
adornments except for what is normally manifest and to draw their veils over
their bosoms and not to reveal their adornments except to their husbands or
their fathers or the fathers of their husbands or their sons or the sons of
their husbands or their brothers or the sons of their brothers or the sons of
their sisters or their women or what their right hands possess or their male
servants who have no sexual desire or small children who are not yet alert as
to the nakedness of women. They should
not stamp their feet so that they do not reveal their concealed ornaments[18]. Repent to Allah, all of you O believers so
that you may find success." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 24; Ayat 30 - 31).
"Prophet; say to your wives and
your daughters and the wives of the believers to draw their cloaks over them,
that is better for them to be known so that they are not molested. Indeed, Allah is Oft-Forgiving All
Merciful." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 33; Aya 59).
The Hadith describes the nakedness
of a man that must be covered as being between the navel and the knees. It describes the nakedness of a woman that
must be covered as being the entire body including the head with the exception
of the face and the hands.
As the Noble Qur`an prohibits ogling
at members of the opposite gender, the religion by necessity prohibits free
mixing of the sexes. It also prohibits
touching between the different sexes unless they are intimate family.
Therefore, the general rule is that Muslims will not shake hands with members
of the opposite gender. Muslims will
also not attend gatherings where men and women mix freely unless there is a
compelling reason to attend such a gathering.
There is a
difference of opinion amongst Muslims whether the practice of the messenger
peace and blessings upon him not to shake hands with members of the opposite
gender was a prohibition or a personal act of self-purification. They opine that the statement in the Hadith
that prohibits touching is a reference to unwelcome touching that is harassing
in nature. That the prohibited form of
touching is that which would be regarded as intimate because intimacy is only
permitted in marriage. These Muslims
offer a number of Ahadith to support their view that if a lady reaches out to
shake their hand, they will allow her to do so because they do not wish to risk
offending her, though, they prefer not to shake hands with the opposite
gender. It is interesting that the first
Hadith below is explained by Fat-hul Bary[19],
as an indication of the humility of the messenger peace and blessings upon him,
that in humility, even if a female slave was to grab him by the hand and ask
him to help her with a task, he would do so without complaint, that he in fact
was a friend of the weak and helpless.
The Ahadith in question are:
Anas Ibn
Malek said that any slave girl from the slaves of Medina used to come and take
the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him by the hand, and take him
wherever she wished. Reported in the
Hadith collection of Bukhary
In the
Hadith collection of Ibn Majah, we have the Hadith: Anas Ibn Malek said that any slave girl from
the slaves of Medina used to come and take the messenger of Allah peace and
blessings upon him by the hand and he would not take his hand away from her
hand until she takes him wherever she wished in Medina to help her with her
task.
In the
Hadith collection of Ahmad, Anas Ibn Malek is reported to have said that any
young girl in Medina would come and take the hand of the messenger of Allah
peace and blessings upon him, he would not take his hand out of her hand until
she takes him to wherever she wished.
The Qur`an states: "Thus we
made you a moderate community, to be witnesses over people and for the
messenger to be a witness over you ... ."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 143).
The reference to being witnesses
over people in this context is a reference to the feasibility of a moderate
life, where people do not go or resort to extremes. The Qur`an is basically stating to those who
live in extremes of materialism or extremes of monasticism or extremes of
secularism or extremes of any 'Ism" that there is proof represented in the
billions of Muslims (throughout history) that life in moderation will be
spiritual, successful, blissful and contented.
It is also saying to these extremists that they can find moderation and
balance in their lives if they were to embrace the principles and tenets of
Islam.
The above verse is also telling the
Muslims that the messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and blessings upon him is a
model of moderation and that he is a witness over us in terms of the living
proof of his life which has been faithfully recorded in detail. So whilst the verse carries a warning to
non-Muslim extremists, it is also telling Muslims not to go to extremes because
Islam condemns extremism as will be shown in the succeeding references.
The Qur`an tells people who insist
on adhering to other creeds: "People of the Scripture, do not go to
extremes with respect to your religion and do not say concerning Allah anything
except the truth. ..." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 4: Aya 171).
"Say: People of the Scripture,
do not go to extremes in your religion beyond the truth and do not follow the
whims of people who had strayed before you and who had caused many to stray and
strayed far from the straight path." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 77).
The Qur`an also says: "Do not waste, He does not love those
who waste." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 6; Aya 141).
"Eat and drink but do not
waste, He does not love those who waste." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 7; Aya 31).
The messenger of Allah, Muhammad
peace and blessings upon him stated: "Any person who tries to go to extremes
in his religion will be defeated (by his own extremes)."
The Hadith also states: "Whenever the messenger of Allah,
Muhammad peace and blessings upon him was given a choice between two matters,
he chose that which was easier."
The Hadith relates the story of
three men who came to the home of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and
blessings upon him, they asked his family about his manner and frequency of
worship. When they received the
information, they reacted in a manner as if to indicate that it was too little,
they said: "Who are we in comparison to the prophet peace and blessings
upon him, Allah has forgiven all past errors and any possible future error of
his? One of them said: "As for me,
I will pray my entire nights forever."
Another one said: "As for
me, I will fast during the day forever."
Another said: "As for me, I
will keep away from women and will never marry." When the messenger of Allah peace and
blessings upon him saw them, he said:
"Are you those who said such and such? By Allah, I am more in Awe of Allah than you
and more conscious of Him and more pious than you, yet I fast and break my
fast, I pray and I rest and I do marry women.
Whoever adopts other than my way of life is not one of my
followers."
There are two types of places for
offering worship. One is referred to as
a Masjid , this is the term that is often used in the Qur`an, the second term
is Jame` , whilst colloquially, the terms are used synonymously, the Jame' is a
mosque that tends to have a minaret, a pulpit and a Mihrab (explained below),
though these are not requisites, a Masjid is any other place used by Muslims
for offering worship. A Jame’, once
identified as such, becomes a trust and cannot be converted to other use. The other term used for a place for offering
worship is Mussalla (prayer hall). The Qur`an states the following concerning
mosques:
"Mosques are for Allah, do not
call upon anyone with Allah." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 72: Aya 18).
"Those who bring to life the
mosques of Allah are they who believe in Allah and in the final day."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 9: Aya 18).
"Establish yourselves at every
mosque and call upon Him, sincere to Him in your religion." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 7: Aya 29).
"Progeny of Adam, adorn
yourselves at every mosque." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 7: Aya 31).
This verse is a command to people to be well presented when they go to
pray.
1. That it faces Mecca,
2.
That there be a minimum of two entrances one for the ladies and one for the
men.
3.
That the entrances be towards the back of the mosque
4.
That there be three steps or a higher elevation inside the mosque in the front,
for the Imam to ascend and deliver his sermon.
(The Imam is the Cleric who leads people in prayer and who attends to
the religious services of the congregation).
The steps serve to elevate the Imam so that his voice carries further
and so that he is visible to the congregation.
Today, most mosques have more than three steps and a platform with a
chair (The Pulpit, Arabic name "Mimbar"), the Imam uses the chair to
rest for a few seconds between the two Friday midday sermons. The Friday sermon is usually referred to as
two sermons although they can be described as one sermon with a few seconds
rest break in the middle or towards the end.
5.
A chair in the front, next to the steps, this is used to give lessons, lectures
or other religious talks by the Imam (this is actually where the term chairman originated).
6.
No images and no imagery are permitted inside the mosque. No idols are permitted in the mosque either.
7. Plenty of open floor space.
8. Perhaps the simplicity of the
mosque is best illustrated by the very first mosque that was ever built on
planet earth, this is the Ka'ba, the cubical structure inside the great mosque
in Mecca, it is simply a cubical building with no other external or internal
features, other than one of its cornerstones being a meteorite from paradise.
1.
A person sized niche was introduced inside the mosque at the front (Arabic name
is "Mihraab"), this serves two purposes, one purpose is that it
allows the Imam to stand further in front, thus giving more room behind him to
the worshippers. It also improves the
acoustics inside the mosque and gives the Imam's voice a resonance and allows
it to carry further.
2.
Over the years, the Muslim community decided to place a minaret, which
represents a tall tower-like structure that can be ascended by the Mu`azzin
(the person who calls to prayer) to call people to pray. Being an elevated tower like structure, the
minaret allows the voice of the Mu`azzin to reach further, as a result people
can hear his voice and will realise (if they are distracted) that the time of
praying is at hand and they will make preparations to come to the mosque.
3.
They also decided to place a dome on the roof of the mosque. The dome serves a number of practical as well
as aesthetic purposes. The dome helps
with the acoustics inside the mosque.
The dome allows the voice of the Imam to carry further or resonate
better inside the mosque and allows it to also reach the back of the
mosque. The dome also helps bring more
light inside the mosque as domes usually tend to have windows all around. The dome also provides for better air
circulation inside the mosque, this provides natural air-conditioning inside
the mosque. The aesthetic purposes are self-evident
as domes tend to be decorative in nature, domes tend to be also decorated with
calligraphy.
4.
Another development over the years was the placement of a crescent, or a
crescent and star at the top of the minaret and dome. This innovation was introduced over four
hundred years after the death of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and
blessings upon him. The crescent being
usually pointed serves as a lightning conductor, the star is purely for
decoration. The crescent and star are
not symbols of Islam, Islam has no symbolism, they are used mainly as
decoration.
5.
As no imagery is permitted in or around a mosque, Muslim artists have expressed
their love for Allah and for the mosque by either sculpting or drawing
geometric shapes, hence mosques tend to be decorated by calligraphy and
geometric shapes. In some mosques, the
calligraphy is actually carved into the stone walls of the mosques. The calligraphy used to decorate a mosque is
often either verses from the Qur`an (that is, words of God) or words from the
Hadith (oral tradition of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad, peace and blessings
upon him).
6.
Many mosques also tend to be decorated with a number of arches, the arches are
purely for aesthetic purposes.
Muslim men must go to the mosque for
the five daily prayers if they live within a sufficient proximity of a mosque
to be able to hear the call to pray. If
the call to pray will not reach them, they may pray where they happen to be. This is based on the Hadith of the messenger
of Allah, Muhammad peace and blessings upon him when he was asked by one of his
followers as to whether they had to pray at the mosque. The messenger replied: "Can you hear the
call to pray?" the man replied:
"Yes." The messenger peace and
blessings upon him advised him that he must come to the mosque to offer his
prayer.
The following Hadith authorises the
Muslim to pray wherever he or she may happen to be, if they are too far away
from a mosque:
"The entire earth is a clean
mosque for me." and
"Wherever you happen to be when
the time for Salat comes, then perform your Salat."
It is obligatory on Muslims to offer
the Friday congregational Salat in a mosque.
Decorum
is required inside the mosque, arguments and improper language are not
appropriate inside a mosque. A person
must be modestly attired before entering a mosque. The visitor to a mosque must also perform the
ablution as if for prayer. In some
cases, the visitor must take a shower prior to entering a mosque.
Ladies
who are menstruating may not enter a mosque until the menstruation is over and
they perform the ritual cleansing.
Similarly, ladies experiencing after birth bleeding may not enter the
mosque until the bleeding is over and they perform the ritual cleansing.
Islam strongly encourages the
pursuit of knowledge, the Noble Qur`an states:
“Allah raises those who believe
amongst you and those who have been given knowledge to high degrees.”
(58:11)
There are
more than 80 verses in the Noble Qur`an that use the word knowledge, there are
hundreds of others that call people to study, reflect, analyse, contemplate,
think and consider.
Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings
upon him stated: “The pursuit of knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim male
and female.”
There are
many other references that encourage the pursuit of knowledge. This encouragement to learn led to the
development of many sciences by Muslim scientists. Whilst Europe was going through its dark ages
and persecuting scientists, all those who wanted to learn would go to the
Muslim universities to pursue the science of their choice. Prominent Muslim scientists of that era
include: Ibn Sina (Avicenna), AlRazy,
Ibn Rushd (Averro), Ibnul Haytham (Alhazen), Gaber Ibn Hayyan (Algeber), Omar
Khayyam, Ibn Khaldun and many others.
One of the main aspects of Science
in Islam is that in Islam Science was not exploited for commercial or military
gain. Science was always developed for
the benefit of humanity and the environment.
Unfortunately, modern science, whilst producing many good discoveries,
also produced the means that produce great pollution and mass destruction. Muslim scientists on the other hand were on
the main, devout Muslims and focussed on the constructive sciences, following
the principle of “No harm.”
Whilst democracy has many positive
aspects, Islam believes in and endorses a higher principle, this principle is
referred to as Shura, or consultation.
Under this system all the important decisions are made in consultation
with the people. In fact this system is
even applied in the rituals of worship in that the congregation decides who
will lead the prayer. The process of
consultation is one of the strongest principles in the Qur’an, one entire Sura
(chapter) in the Qur`an is named after it.
I quote the following verses from this chapter:
Sura 42, verses 36-38: “Whatever you are given, this is the
provision for this worldly life, that which is with Allah is better and more
lasting for those who believe and on their Lord they rely. Those who keep away from major sins and from
ugly behaviour and if they become angry, they forgive. Those who respond to their Lord, establish
prayer and all their affairs are decided by mutual consultation amongst them,
and from what We bestowed upon them, they spend.”
The
Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon him used to always consult with
members of the Muslim community on matters that concerned them.
There are two major festive
occasions per year in Islam, one of these festive occasions is called Eid -ul -
Fitr, or the festival of breaking the fast, this is celebrated on the first day
after the conclusion of the lunar month of fasting which is known as Ramadan.
The second festive occasion is known
as Eid - ul - Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, this is celebrated on the
tenth day of the third lunar month after Ramadan. This is referred to as the month of Zul
Hijja, it is the final month of the Islamic Calendar. This is also the day of pilgrimage to
Mecca. On this day, Muslims sacrifice
food to the equivalence of a lamb or a sheep, generally, the sacrificed food is
given to the poor.
In addition to these two days, every
Friday is considered a festive day for every Muslim. However, whilst Muslims are not permitted to
work on the days of the two major festivals except in essential services, we
can work on Fridays except for the time of midday "Jum'a"[20]
prayer and services.
There are other festive occasions
that relate to specific activities that Muslims may undertake. For example, marriage entails festivities
(referred to as Waleema) as does the birth of a child (‘Aqiqa). These are not tied to a particular day of the
year, rather, they are associated with the event itself.
Muslims commemorate other events
such as Laylatul Qadr, literally; “The Night of Decree” sometimes referred to
as “The Night of Power.” This is
popularly believed to be on the night preceding the twenty-seventh day of the
month of Ramadan (The ninth month of the Islamic Calendar). Another event that is commemorated is the
night of Al Israa` Walmi’raj, this is the night of the Night Journey and
Ascension, this coincides with the Twenty-Seventh of Rajab, the seventh month
of the Islamic Calendar. Some Muslims
also commemorate the birth of the prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon
him, this falls on the 12th of the month of Rabi’ul Awwal, the third month of
the Islamic Calendar.
In recognition that Islam represents
guidance from God to help humanity live a life free of error or sin, Muslims
are obliged to share this guidance.
Hence, Muslims are generally eager to give correct information about
Islam. Whilst a Muslim feels the need to
share the message, a Muslim may only offer this information if the listener is
interested, a Muslim has no right to impose this information on others.
A Muslim presents the information in
the hope to assist his fellow person.
This springs from an innate love for others and a strong aspiration for
the betterment of society. The method of
discussion depends on whom the Muslim is holding discussions with, the
following verses explain this concept:
"Invite to the way of your Lord
with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way.
Verily, your Lord is Best Aware of those who stray from His path, and He is
Best Aware of those who go aright." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 16; Aya 125)
"O Messenger! Make known that
which has been revealed to you from your Lord, for if you do it not, you will
not have conveyed His message. Allah will protect you from humanity[21].
Verily, Allah guides not the disbelieving folk." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 5; Aya 67)
"Argue not with the People of
the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, except with such of them
as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which has been revealed unto us and
that which had been revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto
Him we surrender." (The noble Qur`an Sura 29; Aya 46)
By saying:
Ash hadu
Anna La Ilaha Illallaah, Wa Ash hadu Anna Muhammad Rasulullaah.
Meaning: I bear witness that there is no true god
except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
The above phrase is referrred to as
"Al Shahada", which means witnessing or testifying.
After Al Shahada the revert must
take a shower, and perform two units of prayer in gratitude to Allah for the blessing
of guidance to Islam.
The
prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon him would only recommend a change of
name to a revert if the name of the revert was ugly, repugnant or implied a
meaning that was contrary to the message of Islam. There were many reverts whose names he did
not change.
"There is no compulsion in
religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. Whoever rejects false deities and believes in
Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is All Hearing,
All Knowing."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 2; Aya 256).
"In truth We revealed it and in
Truth it came down. We sent you as a
conveyor of glad tidings and a conveyor of warning. Say; believe in it or do not believe, indeed,
those who have been given knowledge before, when it is recited to them, fall
down prostrate to their chins. They say:
Glory to our Lord, indeed the promise of our Lord is done." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 17: Ayat 106-108).
"Say: The truth is from your
Lord, so whoever wills, let him believe and whoever wills, let him
disbelieve."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 18: Aya 29).
"You cannot guide whom you
love, but Allah guides Mann Yashaa`. And
He is Best Aware of those who are guided[22]."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 28; Aya 56)
In embracing Islam, a person renders
a witness statement to three important facts.
Firstly, the person must deny all false deities by saying: “I bear
witness that there is no god.” The negation
is followed by an assertion that there is an exception to this statement, the
exception is: “Except Allah”, meaning that the person testifies that there is
no god except God. The third testimony
is: “I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
A person can only provide this
testimony if this person has witnessed it or this person has a strong
conviction that this is true. Thus, a
person cannot be compelled to be a witness, it is a testimony that must come
from the person without any external influence.
The statement: “I bear witness that there is no god except
Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” is recited by
all Muslims throughout the day. This fact
raises the question: “How do these
people make such a testimony?”
Allah states in the Qur`an that He
took a pledge from all humanity before He created our physical bodies: "As your Lord took from the children
of Adam, from their backs, their progeny, and made them bear witness concerning
themselves: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes, we witness. That you may not say on the day of
resurrection: we were to this fact, oblivious!" (The Noble Qur`an Sura 7; Aya 172).
This was the first meeting with Allah
and this was the prime knowledge of our Creator and of His Lordship.
The Qur`an also advises people to
reflect upon creation and ponder the different phenomenon in this universe,
look at what exists around you, most surely there is a great power that made
them and subjected them to certain laws.
Could it be: “A god with Allah?”
no indeed not: “Allah is above what they
associate.” (The Noble Qur`an Sura 27; Aya 63). The Qur`an repeats the question in the
succeeding verse: “A god with
Allah? Say: Bring your evidence if you
are truthful.” (Aya 64).
Hence, the Qur`an affirms the unity
of God and negates the possibility of additional deities.
Contemplating the phenomenon in this
universe, reflecting on the degree of order in this great plane of existence
all reinforce the perception that points to a wise Omnicient Creator.
A Muslim must by necessity utilise
his intellectual processes, a Muslim must think, must study, must reflect. With thought and reflection, obscurities tend
to fade and the Muslim will remember the pledge made to God. This leads the Muslim to assert with complete
certainty: “I am a witness that there is
no god except Allah.”
The next part of the testimony comes
as a matter of course. It was to
Muhammad peace and blessings upon him that the Qur`an was revealed, it was
through his lips that the words of the Qur`an were conveyed to humanity. Through him, we received information about
God that led us to make the first testimony with conviction. Hence, he must be a true messenger of God.
My duty
as a Muslim writing about Islam is to bring you the information about the
religion of Islam. Embracing Islam is a
personal lifestyle choice. This is a
decision that remains up to you, the reader, as an individual person.
Islam invites you to evaluate it
with your mind. It gives you the aspects
for your spirit, intellect, emotions, and body.
It deals with your individual role and your social role in every aspect
of life.
Islam is a religion that covers
every aspect of a believers life, it provides guidance for every moment, from
the moment of creation which is prior to the instant of conception to the
moment of entering paradise or descending into hell. It provides the Muslim parent with the
guidance with respect to choosing a partner, to what to pray at the time of
intercourse, to what to say at the time of death and even in the grave, after
one is buried.
Researching Islam gives a person
first hand access to the Divine Guidance.
The Divine Guidance in turn allows you as a person the opportunity to
establish the will of God in you life.
In essence, this enables you to arrive at the appropriate decision on
every occasion that you are faced with a decision to make.
Now that you have read about Islam,
I invite you to read the sources of Islamic guidance. The Qur`an in its language of revelation
(Arabic) contains the perfect words of God.
A translation to another language will always be nothing more than an
attempt to render the meaning in that language.
The issue with translation is that the translation will always be
limited to the linguistic and scientific knowledge of the translator(s). As such, a translation cannot encompass the
complete meaning of all the verses, it can only present the understood meaning
of the message.
Genuine attempts to translate the
Qur`an into English can be purchased from Islamic bookshops as can other good
Islamic books. If you encounter
difficulty obtaining copies of the books that I have described, please write to
me and I will insha Allah (God Willing) direct you to where you can obtain your
own copy.
If you have questions in relation to
Islam or in relation to this booklet, please write to me, and God willing, I
will get an answer to you.
You may write to me at the following
email address:
or visit my website:
http://www.speednet.com.au/~keysar
You may
also contact me on:
0410 33 69
22
"Believe in Allah and His
messengers, if you believe and ward off (evil) then you will have a reward that
is great." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Aya 179).
"Our people; respond to the one
who invites to Allah and believe in Him; He will forgive you from your sins and
give you protection against a painful doom." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 46: Aya 31).
"People: The messenger has come
to you with the truth from your Lord, so believe, this is better for you. If you disbelieve, to Allah belongs what is
in the Heavens and the Earth and Allah is All Knowing, Wise."
(The Noble Qur`an Sura 4: Aya 170).
"Believe in Allah and His
messenger and the light that We revealed, Allah, with respect to what you are
doing, is Well Informed." (The Noble Qur`an Sura 64: Aya 8).
"However, if they turn away,
say: Bear witness that we are
Muslims." (The
Noble Qur`an Sura 3: Aya 64).
Thank you for reading this book, my
gratitude to Allah for guiding me to this, and peace and blessings upon His
messengers.
Ahadith = plural of Hadith. Hadith represents statements or actions made
by the messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace and blessings upon him.
Akhlaq this word encompasses:
morality, manners, character, ethics and virtue.
Al Ihsan = Beauty, kindness,
proficiency and perfection.
Al Israa` Walmi’raj = The night
journey and ascension. This refers to
the miracle when the prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon him was taken by
the Archangel Gabriel from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascended to the heavens from
there and then returned to Mecca during the same night.
Arkanul
Iman = The pillars of faith.
Arkanul
Islam = The pillars of Islam.
Ayat is plural for Aya, the word Aya
refers to a verse in the Qur`an, it means: verse, sign, miracle, portent, etc..
'Eesa is the name of the Messiah (Christ)
the son of Mary in Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic.
Fard ‘Ayn = Individual duty.
Fard Kifaya = Collective duty.
Fiqh = Islamic Jurisprudence.
Hudood = Literally means borders,
boundaries or limits. This is a
reference to the limits that may not be breached, they indicate where your
freedom ends and the freedom of others begins.
This is also a reference to the penal provisions for the different
breeches.
Huj (or Hajj) = The pilgrimage to
Mecca.
Ihsan = Beauty, Excellence,
Proficiency, kindness, self-actualisation.
Injeel = Commonly translated as
Gospel.
Jum'a; Literally Friday or
congregation. The term is also used to
refer to the congregational services on Fridays.
Lailatul
Qadr = The night of Divine Decree, also referred to as the night of power.
Mann Yasha` means: "Who
wills." In Arabic, the
"Who" can be attributed to Allah as well as the person who seeks the
truth. The way this guidance works is that
Allah will guide the person who wills to be guided and who strives to find
guidance.
Muhayminan is usually translated as
guardian over, watcher over, or criterion over.
The Qur`an is basically the criterion by which one can judge the
remnants of earlier revelations. If an
academic wished to know which parts of the bible had not been misinterpreted,
then refer these parts to the Qur`an.
Therefore, if a biblical prophet is mentioned in the Qur`an, the
Qur`anic reference is the more accurate reference, similarly in matters of
creed, the creed described in the Qur`an prevails.
Prayer: There are three types of prayer in Islam,
there is the formal prayer which is referred to as Salat, this term is derived
from the word Silat which means link or connection. There are five formal prayers that every
Muslim must perform every day and night.
The first prayer is at dawn, the second immediately after midday, the
third at mid afternoon, the fourth after sunset and the fifth after the redness
disappears from the horizon. The Qur`an
states that these prayers must be performed in a timely manner, refer Sura 4;
Aya 103. These prayers must be offered
in congregation wherever possible. The
second type of prayer is referred to as Du'a`, Du’a` literally means
supplication. The third type is referred
to as Zikr, this entails either recitation of verses or sections from the Noble
Qur`an or the recitation of praises of Allah as narrated in the Hadith.
Ramadan = The month of Ramadan is
the 9th month of the lunar year.
Salat: refer to praying above.
Sawm = Fasting, fasting requires the
abstention from food, water and conjugal activity from dawn to sunset.
Shahada = The declaration of faith
is: "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and I bear witness
that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
This statement is referred to as the Shahada, meaning "The
Testimony" or "The Bearing of Witness." Reciting the Shahada with conviction brings a
person into the fold of Islam. The Arabic
transliteration of the Shahada is: "Ash Hadu Anna La Ilaha Illallah, Wa
Ash Hadu Anna Muhammad Rasulullah."
Sharia = Pronounced Shari’ah, this
refers to the body of law in Islam, it is derived from the Qur`an, the Hadith,
Ijma’ and Qiyas.
Suwar = plural for Sura. Sura = the name given to a chapter in the Noble
Qur`an, it comes from the word Sur, which means wall, usually used when
referring to the wall of a fort or in reference to a protective wall. Hence a Sura of the Qur`an also provides
fortification for the believer.
Uffen = a two letter exclamation of
anger in the Arabic language. This is
the shortest expletive in Arabic.
Zakat = Literally,
purification. This is a reference to
charity that is paid on saved wealth or on primary production. It is usually 2.5% of wealth (above a certain
sum) that has been held for one year.
The rate differs with primary production.
Zikr = That which is recited often,
that which is remembered and helps you remember. See reference to prayer above.
Names and Attributes of Allah
There are
ninety nine names and attributes of Allah that are mentioned in the Noble
Qur`an. These attributes are divided
into two categories, one of these categories is for Muslims to learn so that
they can live up to these sublime qualities and standards of love, mercy and
compassion. The second of these
categories describes the strong attributes such as might, vengeance and
pride. The Muslim must know that
attributes in the second category should be left to God and should not be
adopted.
The names
of attributes are:
|
1 - Allah |
2 – ArRahman = The Source of All Mercy |
|
3 – ArRaheem = The Most Merciful |
4 – AlMalek = The Sovereign |
|
5 – AlQoddoos = The Holy |
6 – AsSalam = The Source of Peace |
|
7 - AlMu`min = The Giver of Faith |
8 – AlMuhaymin = The Overall Controller |
|
9 - Al’Azeez = The Almighty |
10 – AlJabbar = The Subduer |
|
11 – AlMutakabbir = The Proud |
12 – AlKhaliq = The Creator |
|
13 - AlBare` = The Maker |
14 – AlMussawwer = The Fashioner |
|
15 - AlGhaffar = The Forgiver |
16 – AlQahhar = The Superior Force |
|
17 – AlWahhab = The Giver |
18 – AlRazzaq = The Provider |
|
19 – Alfattah = The Revealer |
20 - Al’Aleem = The All-Knowing |
|
21 – AlQabid = The Grasping |
22 – AlBasit = The Extender |
|
23 – AlKhafid = The Abaser |
24 - AlRafi’ = The Exalter |
|
25 - AlMu’izz = The Honorer |
26 – AlMuzill = The Dishonorer |
|
27 - AlSami’ = The All-Hearing |
28 – AlBaseer = The All-Seeing |
|
29 – AlHakam = The Judge |
30 - Al’Adl = The Just |
|
31 – AlLatif = The Gentle |
32 – AlKhabir = The All-Aware |
|
33 – AlHaleem = The Forbearing |
34 - Al’Azeem = The Limitless |
|
35 – AlGhafoor = The Forgiving |
36 – AlShakoor = The Responsive to Gratitude |
|
37 - Al’Aly = The Most High |
38 – AlKabeer = The Great |
|
39 – AlHafeez = The Protector |
40 – AlMuqit = The Sustainer |
|
41 – AlHaseeb = The Reckoner |
42 – AlJaleel = The Majestic |
|
43 - AlKareem = The Generous |
44 – AlRaqeeb = The Watchful |
|
45 – AlMujeeb = The Respondent |
46 - AlWase’ = The All-Encompasing |
|
47 – AlHakeem = The All-Wise |
48 – AlWadood = The Loving |
|
49 - The AlMajeed = The All - Glorious |
50 - AlBa’eth = The Resurrector |
|
51 – AlShaheed = The Witness |
52 – AlHaqq = The Truth (The Reality) |
|
53 – AlWakeel = The Patron Guardian |
54 – AlQawwi = The Strong |
|
55 – AlMateen = The Steady |
56 – AlWaly = The Patron |
|
57 – AlMuhhsy = The Counting |
58 – AlHameed = The All Worthy of Praise |
|
59 - AlMubdi` = The Originator |
60 - AlMu’eed = The Restorer |
|
61 – AlMuhyi = The Giver of Life |
62 – AlMumeet = The Giver of Death |
|
63 – AlHayy = The Ever living |
64 – AlQayyum = The Eternal Being |
|
65 – AlWajed = The Finder |
66 – AlMajed = The Giver of Glory |
|
67 – AlWahed = The One |
68 – AlSamad = The Eternal Cause of All Being |
|
69 – AlQader = The Able |
70 – AlMuqtader = The Prevailing |
|
71 – AlMuqaddim = The Promoter |
72 – AlMu`akhkhir = The Deferrer |
|
73 - Al Awwal = The First |
74 - Al Akhir = The Last |
|
75 – AlZhaher = The Manifest |
76 – AlBaten = The Unseen |
|
77 – AlWaal = The Supporter |
78 - AlMuta’al = The High Exalted |
|
79 – AlBirr = The Righteous |
80 – AlTawwab = The Acceptor of Repentance |
|
81 – AlMuntaqim = The Avenger |
82 - Al’Afuw = The Pardoner |
|
83 - AlRa`oof = The Compassionate |
84 - Malik AlMulk = Owner of Sovereignty |
|
85 – AlMuqsit = The Equitable |
86 - Zul Jalal WalIkram = The Owner of Majesty and Beneficence |
|
87 - AlJame’ = The Gatherer |
88 – AlGhany = The Self-Sufficient |
|
89 – AlMughny = The Enricher |
90 - AlMani’ = The Withholder |
|
91 – AlDarr = The Distresser |
92 - Alnafi’ = The Giver of Benefit |
|
93 – AlNour = The Giver of Light |
94 – AlHady = The Guide |
|
95 - AlBadee’ = The Originator |
96 – AlBaqy = The Everlasting |
|
97 – AlWareth = The Inheritor |
98 – AlRasheed = The Right-Minded |
|
99 – AlSabour = The Patient |
|
About this booklet
Comments
about the first edition:
“Who can say any better words than to invite
to Allah, do good work and says: I am one of the Muslims. The book: “Islam: Your Information” is
a glimmer of light in the path of every seeker of truth. May God bless those who read it.”
Shaykh
Taj Aldin Alhilali
Mufty
of Australia
“This
booklet fulfils the urgent need for information about Islam, ... very timely.”
Shaykh
Abdul Quddoos Azhary
Chairman,
Board of Imams, Queensland
“Harmony of thought, conviction of a
true believer and beauty of language which captures both the mind and the heart
of the reader.”
Shaykh
Fehmi El-Imam
Imam,
Islamic Society of Victoria,
General
Secretary, Board of Imams, Victoria
“Beautifully
written, well researched and presented ... one of the best books that I have
read on the subject.”
Shaykh.
Yahya A Ibrahim
Canada
“This book
is just the beginning – it is the introduction, the sparkle before the
Light. God bless.”
The
Author
[1]
Sura = the name given to a chapter in the Noble Qur`an, it comes from
the word Sur, which means wall, usually used when referring to the wall of a
fort or protective wall. Hence a Sura of
the Qur`an also provides fortification for the believer.
[2] Aya refers to a verse in the
Qur`an, it means: verse, sign, miracle, portent, etc..
[3] Ayat = plural for Aya.
[4] Please contact the author for more
information on how to perform Salat.
[5] Fasting, or Sawm requires the
complete abstention from food, water and conjugal activities from dawn to
sunset. The month of Ramadan is the
ninth Lunar month in the Islamic Calendar.
[6] Knowing fully well that no person
can actually see Allah with his / her eyes because Allah is not subject to the
limitations of sight, time or space.
Therefore, this vision must be one of perceiving the presence of Allah
and the cognisance that Allah sees us at all times..
[7] Uffen = a two letter Arabic
expression of annoyance, the usage of this term in the Qur`an is to indicate
that not even the slightest expression of anger is allowed with parents.
[8] People
of the book, this is a reference to people who believe in the Scriptures.
[9] Alef,
Lam Meem, three letters in the Arabic alphabet, the Qur`an is directing the
attention of the reader to the fact that it is made up of simple everyday
letters like these. Letters that are
used by all Arabs, if you think that it is not from Allah, try to use these
letters to produce words of such depth, beauty, eloquence and spiritual
meaning.
[10] Suwar = Plural for Sura, refer
earlier footnote.
[11] Alif, Lam, Ra`, more individual
letters as per footnote 9, page 9.
[12] Muhayminan is usually translated as
guardian over, watcher over, or criterion over.
The Qur`an is basically the criterion by which one can judge the
remnants of earlier revelations. If an
academic wished to know which parts of other scriptures had not been
misinterpreted, then refer these parts to the Qur`an. Therefore, if any prophet is mentioned in the
Qur`an, the Qur`anic reference is the more accurate reference, similarly in
matters of creed, the creed described in the Qur`an prevails.
[13] Zikr = informal prayers, literally:
remembrance, words and phrases that a person may use to praise and glorify
Allah. In this verse, Zikr is
predominantly referring to the words of the Qur`an. Words from the Qur`an are also referred to as
Zikr.
[14] Ahadith = plural for Hadith.
[15] The word used in the Qur`an in this
verse is Silm, Silm literally means peace.
In this context, the verse is generally interpreted as an invitation to
Muslims to comply with all aspects of Islam.
[16] ‘Eesa is the name of Christ the
Messiah the son of Mary in Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic.
[17] Injeel = Gospel
[18] This is a reference to bangles and
anklets that make a sound when a person is walking. Women are advised not to stamp their feet
when walking outside of the home so that a jingle will not emanate from the
bangles.
[19] 20 - Fat-hul Bary: This is a comprehensive commentary on the
Hadith of Sahih Bukhary compiled and explained by Ibn Hajar Al'Asqalani.
[20] Jum'a; Literally Friday or
congregation. The term is also used to
refer to the congregational services on Fridays.
[21] That is, Allah will protect you
from the designs of those who conspire to harm you.
[22] I have left the Arabic expression
here as the translation carries two meanings.
Mann Yashaa` means: “Who wills.”
In the Arabic, the “Who” can be attributed to Allah Most Exlated and can
also be attributed to the person who seeks the truth. The way this guidance works is that Allah
will guide the person who wills to be guided and who strives to find guidance.