[Quran 1:5]
O Allah! I
Ask you (to bestow me with) guidance, Piety, Chastity & Self Sufficiency.
What is Islam?
Islam is not merely as Religion but a 'Deen' means it's a way of Life.
The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah/God 's" religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.
The name of God's
religion Islam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was
chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man.
In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'an, Allah states the
following:
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"This day have I
perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen
for you Islam as your religion". (Qur'an 5:3)
"If anyone desires
a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be
accepted of Him" (Qur'an 3:85)
"For
We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command) worship
me and avoid false gods " (Qur'an 16:36)
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Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos which means the anointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.
Meaning of Islam:
"Islam" means "surrender" or "submission". "Salam" (which means "peace") is the root word of "Islam". In a religious context the word "Islam" means "the surrendering of one's will (without compulsion) to the true will of God in an effort to achieve peace".
Contrary to popular belief Islam is not just a religion but a way of life. Which teaches peace
Faith , submission, pillars, basic belief,
It provides not only spiritual but also a complete socio economic, business, law & order system in its teachings. One trait among the many, that differentiates it from other of the religions. Another is the fact that it follows a monotheistic faith. It is not a new religion but it has its roots in Abraham (A.S) an the beginning of time as claiming Adam( A.S) the Messenger to teach the word of Allah to his sons and daughters and their sons and daughters, as he lived for 930 years.
Islam is a magnificent way of life. It gives us a purpose of life. It fills the life with peace & serenity it teaches us how to control our worldly desires and be thankful no matter what. It tells us that the death is not the end but a new beginning. And the good people will be rewarded a never ending happy ever after in beyond imaginable Jannah (Paradise). While the bad will suffer for their actions in Hell where the Satan/Devil will suffer as them(he is not the ruler of hell but he merely will be another prisoner)
Life in Makkah before Islam
It is also important to know where & how Islam began & flourished. Who were the people who living around Muhammad(pbuh). And how come with 25 years an ordinary illiterate man succeeds and Islam arises as the largest religion(second largest because of the mass killings of muslims around the world & forced conversions in India & Africa).
Idoltry was prevelant, although Arabs did believe in Allah but they made partners with him. They believed that a female Jinn(a type of demon) was his wife and angels are his daughters (Astaghfirullah-God forbid). There were 360 idols placed inside Holy Kaba. They believed these children(idols) were intermediaries between them and Allah. They worshiped the idols, which they thought would bring them closer to God. They deviated from the monotheistic belief that commanded they worship God alone, and thus they committed the sin of idolatry by associating partners with God.
Women were taken as property and treated as slaves. If a girl was born it was taken disgust & misfortune. They often buried their daughters alive. Womens had no rights.
The pre-islamic Arab is often remembered as the time of Ignorance.
The Message of Islam
"There is But One God"
Islam offers an experience and the opportunity to get one's life in order, without needing to confess ones sin and need of salvation. In fact, Islam makes quite a point of denying these truths. It tells people they do not need salvation; all they need is to follow the "guidance" of God's law, and they will make it to heaven. That is something the natural man likes to hear.
A true Muslim who truly follows the teaching of Islam soon attracts the attention of the people. Because of his cleanliness (cleans himself five times a day to offer his daily five prayers a wears clean cloths). He never ever lies. He is always thankful and calm on the worst loss or best benefit. He respectful (disregard to his race & ethnicity never looks down on people based on their colour) and caring(toward man and animals both. He respects elders and kind to young ones. He is very brave.
There is But One God, Allah!
"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary
Did you say to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will
say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')"
[Qur'an 5:116]
[Qur'an 5:116]
Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he
worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of
the Qur'an, known as
"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek
help".
[Quran 1:4]
[Quran 1:4]
'And your Lord says: "Call on Me and I will answer
your prayer" '.
[Quran 40:60]
It is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.
When the idol worshipper is questioned as
to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is
that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is
present within it.(Idolatry entered in Christianity) They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for
Allah's(God's) essence and is not in itself Allah(God)! One who has accepted the concept of
the presence of God's being within His creation in any way will be obliged to
accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic
message of Islam and its implications would never concede to idolatry no matter
how it is rationalized.
Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said,
"Any one who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that
(belief) will enter paradise". Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
It
consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His
commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.
Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.
He has commanded that you only
worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand ".
[Qur'an 12:40]
[Qur'an 12:40]
"I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship
me "
[Qur'an 51:56]
Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by Allah in his final revelation to man:
"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with
Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes "
[Qur'an 4:48 and 116]
The religion of Islam is universal and covers every aspect of
life, such that it has legislated laws and regulations concerning transactions,
warfare, marriage, economy, politics and acts of worship and so on. This builds
a perfect society; even if mankind gathers together to produce something like
it, they would never be able to do so. The more a society furthers itself from
these laws and regulations, the more corrupt it becomes.
Allah (SWT) says:
“And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an
exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who
have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims).”
[Quran 16:89]
Although the two religions share
some terminology and even some theology (monotheism, for instance), Islam is
fundamentally different from Christianity. Islam is a works-oriented religion, while Christian faith is based
on salvation bygrace through faith as a
result of the shed blood of Christ.
In Islam, if God wants to forgive
sin, He simply says, “It is forgiven.” Christianity recognizes the necessity of
the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin (Hebrews
9:22).
Islam Explains
Islam explains the beginning
creation of human and the end of their life and the purpose why they were
created. Allah
says in these ayah :
'From it [i.e. the earth] We created you, and into it. We still
return you, and from it We will extract you another time". [Taha:55]
" And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to
worship Me". [Adh-Dhariyat:56]
Islam pays attention to
the use of mind and asks to think,
Islam is a religion of knowledge:
Knowledge is compulsory for every muslim men and women.
Knowledge will raise one's degree who has it to the highest degree. Knowledge
and practice like two sides of a coin, There is no practice without knowledge
and there is no knowledge without practice. Allah criticises one's who
practices without knowledge as one's who goes asthray, and one's who has
knowledge but does not practice it as a furied person.
" Allah will raise those who have believed among you and
those who were given knowledge, by degrees.......[al-mujadillah: 11]
Islam criticizes ignorance and blind follow. In soorah Az-Zumar;
9 Allah The Most High says;
" Say, " Are those who know equal to those who do not
know ?"
" And do not pursue [do not assume and do not say] that you
have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - [about] all
those [one] will be questioned." [Al-isra': 36].
the meaning of knowledge here is adheen, the knowledge based on
Quran and Sunnah according to understanding of the righteous predecessors
[salaf as salih], i.e' sahabah, tabiin, and tabiut tabiin and imaams who follow
them.
6. In Islam there are solutions for every problems, like life problems, family problems
etecera, shariah and its basic lessons cover all the islamic law for every
unlimited things.
Islam
shariah is the most wisdom in conducting all nations, the most appropriate in
giving solution, pays attention to the benefits and to the human rights.
8. Islam is flexible. It is applicable for every
nation, in every place, periods,situation and in every kind of condition. The
most modern and the most development nation always find new proofs that point
to the validity of islam and its high value.
9. Islam is a religion of love, unity, friendship and love
amongst mukmin.
" The believers are brothers, so make settlement between
your brothers. and fear Allah that you may receive mercy". [Al-hujurat;
10]
10. Islam is far from contradiction.
" Then do they reflect upon quran ? if it had been from[any]
ather then Allah, they would have found within much contradiction".
[Quran 4:82]
11. Islam is easy and clear and can be understood by everyone.
for example; salat is compulsory for every muslim, but if you
cannot do salat by standing you can sit, if you cannot sit, you can lie down,
if you cannot lie down you can do salat by giving sign. but do not skip salat
at all.
12. Islam asks the followers to have high moral and pious deed.
" Enjoin what is good, and turn away from the
ignorant". [al-araf:199]
" Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better, and
thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he
was a devoted friend [fusilat; 34]
13. Islam takes care of healthy. Many argumentations from quran
and sunnah about how to keep healthy. From sunnah The prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him mentioned about eating habit. Let us take a look this hadeeth.
On the authority of al-Miqdaam ibn Maadly Karib who said: I
heard The Mesengger of Allah saying : " No human ever filled a veseel worse
than the stomach. sufficient for any son of Aadam are some morsels to keep his
back straight. But if it must be, tehn one third for his food, one third for
his drink and one third for his breath." [Hadeeth saheeh by Ahmad,
Al-Tirmidhee, An-nasaie, Ibn Majh]
- Ibn Masaweh, a muslim doctor said :
" If the people only used these words, they would avoid all
disease and maladies and the clinics and pharmacies would idle."
- another doctor, Al-Harith ibn Kaladsa said : " That which
has killed mankind is the introduction of food on top of food before it has
been digested."
Allah says in holy quran ;
" and eat and drink but be not
excessive. Indeed, He likes not those commit excess". [Al-a'raf;31].
Amongst the requirement of keeping healthy, Islam prohibits the
harm food to be consumed.
" He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the
flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah.."
[Al-baqarah: 173]
Allah says about alcholic drinks [intoxicants] in soorah
Al-maidah;90 ;
" O you who believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling
[sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and diving arrows are but
defilement from the work of satan, so avoid it that you may be successful."
[Qur'an 5:90]
Intoxicant is prohibited [haraam], because it can harm one's
mind, weaken the heart, harm the lever and cause other diseases. In the
remedial ala The Messenger, he mentioned the useful of honey, blackseed and
olive oil.
14. Islam is in line with modern scientific invention. Many ayahs and hadeeths mention
about. Almost 1,000 ayahs have been found in the quran that speak about
scientific facts and processes that were known to Allah for all time but that
have only recently been discovered and proven as scientific facts by mankind.
For example, quran speaks about the stages of development of the creation of
the human being. Allah says :
" And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay.
then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging (i.e, the womb). Then We
made (from) the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We
developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of
creators." [Quran12-14].
In this ayahs Allah describes in detailed and precisely the condition
of the fetus that are portrayed with pinpoint accuracy. This facts were
discovered by modern science during the past 30 years of embryological
observation and made possible by high-tech medical equipment.
Noble readers, those are some facts about islam characteristics
that I can mention. For those who are muslims I hope this brief article can
improve our knowledge about our religion, for those who are non muslim I hope
you can understand better about islam.
The Ayahs [verses] and hadeeths mentioned above are not Arabic quran themself. Rather, they are only the English translation of their meaning.
Islam comes directly from the
side of Allah The Most High. It was
not created by human. Muhammad May Peace be upon him is the messenger. It is
from Allah The Most High, because Allah as the creator know best and knew the
need of His slaves.
Allah says:"Does He who created not know, while He is the
subtle, the acquinted?".
[Quran 67:14]
Five Pillars of Islam
There are
five pillars of Islam for each and every Muslim to keep. These five tasks are
obligatory to all Muslims.
1. Shahada الشهادة (Faith/Belief):
Shahada الشهادة literally means ‘Testimony’. Shahada means believing
and declaring on the Tawhid, "Oneness of God.Which is as following.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh,
muhammadun rasūlu-llāh
There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Salat: Prayer
is the Islamic prayer. Salat consists of five daily prayers.
Muslims must clean themselves doing a wudu before performing the prayer wear
clean cloths and pray on a clean place.
Zakāt
Zakāt is an act of donation. Zakat is obligatory
to all Muslims. They must donate to the poor and homeless among them for a
healthy movement of wealth to keep the society a better place. Purifies wealth
and keeps the greed of human in place.
Sawm:
Fasting
Fasting is an obligatory
act during the month of Ramadan. Obligatory on all healthy
Muslims and those ill or traveling must count and Fast on the other days.
Purify/cleanse body and keeps it healthy.
Everything has Zakat(a certain percentage of one's income/property given to charity). And the zakat of the body is fasting." Prophet Muhammad PBUH
Everything has Zakat(a certain percentage of one's income/property given to charity). And the zakat of the body is fasting." Prophet Muhammad PBUH
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah
The Hajj is
a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah to the holy city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make
the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life
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Reference:
http://www.islamtomorrow.com/true_religion.asp
http://www.30factsaboutislam.com/
www.theclearpath.com
Note: The Ayahs [verses] and hadeeths mentioned above are not Arabic quran themself. Rather, they are only the English translation of their meaning.
http://www.30factsaboutislam.com/
www.theclearpath.com
Note: The Ayahs [verses] and hadeeths mentioned above are not Arabic quran themself. Rather, they are only the English translation of their meaning.
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