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Source:
A Brief Illustrated Guide To Understanding Islam
by Homaidan Al-Turki
islam-guide.com
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What is Islam?
The religion of Islam is the acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of God which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad .
Who is Allah?
The Arabic word Allah means God (the one only true God who created the whole universe).
This word Allah is a name for God, which is used by Arabic speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians.
This word cannot be used to designate anything other than the one true God.
What is the Holy Quran?
The Quran, the last revealed word of God, is the primary source of every Muslim’s faith and practice.
The Quran is the literal word of God, whic He revealed in Arabic only to His Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel.
What is the Quran About?
It deals with all the subjects which concern human beings:
wisdom, doctrine, worship, transactions, law, etc., but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures.
At the same time, it provides guidelines and detailed teachings for a just society, proper human conduct, and an equitable economic system.
Who is Muhammad?
Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, is the prophet of Islam. He was bon in Mecca in the year 570 AD.
He was known by his people as al-amin: the trustworthy one. He was an unlettered man, meaning that he could neither
read nor write. At the age of 40, the angel Gabriel came to him with revelations that established his prophethood.
The revelations continued for 23 years, and they are collectively known as the Quran.
He was ordered first to instruct his immediate family on Islam, including his beloved wife Khadija,
but eventually it was revealed to him that he should begin delivering the message to all mankind.
As soon as he began to recite the Quran and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him,
he and his small group of followers suffered persecution from unbelievers.
The persecution grew so fierce that in the year 622, God gave them the command to emigrate.
This emigration from Makkah to the city of Madinah, some 260 miles to the north,
marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
In the next 20 years of his life, he communicated the message of Allah to his people,
and set an example for how each human being should lead her or his life.
Within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the west and as far east as China.
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the truth and clarity of its doctrine.
Islam calls for faith in only one God, Who is the only one worthy of worship.
The Prophet Muhammad was a perfect example of an honest, just, merciful, compassionate, truthful,
and brave human being. Though he was a man, he was far removed from all evil characteristics and strove
solely for the sake of God and His reward in the Hereafter.
Moreover, in all his actions and dealings, he was ever mindful and fearful of God.
Some Basic Islamic Beliefs
- Belief in God
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone.
He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes.
No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes. In the Quran, God describes Himself:
Say, “He is God, the One. God, to Whom the creatures turn for their needs.
He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none like Him.” (Quran, 112:1-4)
- Belief in the Angels
Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures.
The angels worship God alone, obey Him, and act only by His command.
Among the angels is Gabriel, who brought down the Quran to Muhammad.
- Belief in God’s Revealed Books
Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind and as guidance for them.
Among these books is the Quran, which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, the Bible revealed to Jesus, and the
Torah revealed to Moses.
- Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God
Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting with Adam,
including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them).
Muslim believe that all prophets and messengers were created human beings who had none of the divine qualities of God.
- Belief in the Day of Judgment
Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all people will be resurrected for God’s
judgment according to their beliefs and deeds.
- Belief in Al-Qadar
Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine Predestination does not mean
that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill.
This means that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices.
The belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:
- God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen.
- God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
- Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does not happen.
- God is the Creator of everything.
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What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life.
They are the testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan,
and the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.
- The Testimony of Faith
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.”
This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),
and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”
The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone,
and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada,
a simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam.
The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.
- Prayer
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform.
Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God.
There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night.
A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
- Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy)
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.
The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’
Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’
The percentage which is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams
of gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent.
Our possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of
plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.
- Fasting the Month of Ramadan
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink,
and sexual relations. Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of
spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time,
a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.
- The Pilgrimage to Makkah
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and
financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the
globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of
the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and
culture so that all stand equal before God.
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