What is Islam?
Islam literally means “submission (to God) and a Muslim is the one who submits to the will of God.
Islam is the final completed and universal version of a monotheistic faith revealed at many times and places before, including, notably, to the prophets Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus). Previous messages and revelations have been changed and distorted over time. The message of Islam was revealed through the Quran to the final prophet sent to mankind Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) through the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel). The Quran is word of God revealed through Jibrīl to Muhammad. Muslims must adhere to the Quran and obey the laws within the Quran and the interpretation of the Quran and religion conveyed by prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) in the Hadith.
Articles of faith in Islam
The Qur’an states that all Muslims must believe in Allah, pray to Allah, give in charity every year, fast the month of Ramadan and perform Hajj if they are physically and financially able to once in their life time. In addition a muslim must believe in Allah’s revelations, his angels, his messengers, the decree of Allah (qadr) and in the “Day of Judgment”.
The Five Pillars of Islam are:
- The shahadah, which is the basic creed or tenet of Islam that must be recited with witnesses. The Shahadah is simple all you have to say is:”‘ašhadu ‘al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa ‘ašhadu ‘anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh” or “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to state the shahadah to become a Muslim.
- Salah, or prayer must be performed five times a day. Each salah is done facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salah is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. In many Muslim countries, reminders called Adhan (call to prayer) are broadcast publicly from local mosques at the appropriate times. The Salah is recited in Arabic, and consists of verses from the Qur’an.
- Zakat, or alms-giving. This is the practice of giving based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. A fixed portion is spent to help the poor or needy, and also to assist the spread of Islam. The zakat is considered a religious obligation (as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a “trust from God’s bounty”. The Qur’an and the hadith also encourage Muslims to give more charity (sadaqah) than the standard amount, especially to those in need.
- Sawm, or fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink (among other things) from dawn to dusk during this month, and must be mindful of other sins. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on God, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy. Sawm is not obligatory for several groups especially those who are ill, women when they are on their menstruation or pregnant, young children and for those who are travelling. However, any fasting days must be made up during the year. For a more detailed information on the Fasting please click here.
Hajj the pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah to the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. For more information on Hajj please checkout this link.
God
In Islam, the fundamental belief is that there is only one God (Tawhid). The Arabic term for God is Allāh.
The first of the Five Pillars of Islam, tawhīd is expressed in the shahadah (testification), which declares that there is no diety worthy of worship but Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. In Islam, Allah is beyond all comprehension, Muslims are not expected to visualize Allah. Although Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, they reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, the belief is that Jesus was just a man and not the son of Allah, but his a messenger of Allah just like all the messengers before him and the final messenger after him, Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). The best description of God in the Quran is in the surah (chapter of the Quran) called surah Ikhlas. Here is a recitation of surah Ikhlas.
Qur’an
Muslims consider the Qur’an to be the literal word of God; the Quran is in the Arabic language. Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the angel Gabriel on many occasions between 610 and his death on June 8, 632. The Qur’an was reportedly written down by Muhammad’s companions (sahabah) while he was alive, although the prime method of transmission was orally. Even to this day there are children as young as 7 who have memorised the entire Quran, which is an amazing feat.
The Qur’an is divided into 114 surahs, or chapters, which combined, contain 6,236 ayats, or verses. The chronologically earlier surahs, revealed at Mecca, are primarily concerned with ethical and spiritual topics. The later Medinan surahs mostly discuss social and moral issues relevant to the Muslim community.