Understanding Islam part 5 : Who Is ALLAH ?

Some of the biggest misconceptions that many non-Muslims have about Islam have to do with the word “Allah.” For various reasons, many people have come to believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews. This is totally false, since “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for “God” - and there is only One God. Let there be no doubt - Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - peace be upon them all. However, it is certainly true that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have different concepts of Almighty God. For example, Muslims - like Jews - reject the Christian beliefs of the Trinity and the Divine Incarnation. This, however, does not mean that each of these three religions worships a different God - because, as we have already said, there is only One True God. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim to be “Abrahamic Faiths”, and all of them are also classified as “monotheistic.” However, Islam teaches that other religions have, in one way or another, distorted and nullified a pure and proper belief in Almighty God by neglecting His true teachings and mixing them with man-made ideas.


First of all, it is important to note that “Allah” is the same word that Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use for God. If you pick up an Arabic Bible, you will see the word “Allah” being used where “God” is used in English. This is because “Allah” is a word in the Arabic language equivalent to the English word “God” with a capital “G”. Additionally, the word “Allah” cannot be made plural, a fact which goes hand-in-hand with the Islamic concept of God.

It is interesting to note that the Aramaic word “El”, which is the word for God in the language that Jesus spoke, is certainly more similar in sound to the word “Allah” than the English word “God.” This also holds true for the various Hebrew words for God, which are “El” and “Elah”, and the plural or glorified form “Elohim.” The reason for these similarities is that Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic are all Semitic languages with common origins. It should also be noted that in translating the Bible into English, the Hebrew word “El” is translated variously as “God”, “god” and “angel”! This imprecise language allows different translators, based on their preconceived notions, to translate the word to fit their own views. The Arabic word “Allah” presents no such difficulty or ambiguity, since it is only used for Almighty God alone. Additionally, in English, the only difference between “god”, meaning a false god, and “God”, meaning the One True God, is the capital “G”. Due to the above mentioned facts, a more accurate translation of the word “Allah” into English might be “The One -and-Only God” or “The One True God.”

More importantly, it should also be noted that the Arabic word “Allah” contains a deep religious message due to its root meaning and origin. This is because it stems from the Arabic verb ta’allaha (or alaha), which means “to be worshipped.” Thus in Arabic, the word “Allah” means “The One who deserves all worship.” This, in a nutshell, is the Pure Monotheistic message of Islam.

Suffice it to say that just because someone claims to be a “monotheistic” Jew, Christian or Muslim, that does not keep them from falling into corrupt beliefs and idolatrous practices. Many people, including some Muslims, claim belief in “One God” even though they’ve fallen into acts of idolatry. Certainly, many Protestants accuse Roman Catholics of idolatrous practices in regards to the saints and the Virgin Mary. Likewise, the Greek Orthodox Church is considered “idolatrous” by many other Christians because in much of their worship they use icons. However, if you ask a Roman Catholic or a Greek Orthodox person if God is “One”, they will invariably answer: “Yes!.” This claim, however, does not stop them from being “creature worshipping” idolaters. The same goes for Hindus, who just consider their gods to be “manifestations” or “incarnations” of the One Supreme God.

Before concluding… there are some people out there, who are obviously not on the side of truth, that want to get people to believe that “Allah” is just some Arabian “god”[1], and that Islam is completely “other” - meaning that it has no common roots with the other Abrahamic religions (i.e. Christianity and Judaism). To say that Muslims worship a different “God” because they say “Allah” is just as illogical as saying that French people worship another God because they use the word “Dieu”, that Spanish-speaking people worship a different God because they say “Dios” or that the Hebrews worshipped a different God because they sometimes call Him “Yahweh.” Certainly, reasoning like this is quite ridiculous! It should also be mentioned, that claiming that any one language uses the only the correct word for God is tantamount to denying the universality of God’s message to mankind, which was to all nations, tribes and people through various prophets who spoke different languages.

We would like to ask our readers about the motives of these people? The reason is that the Ultimate Truth of Islam stands on solid ground and its unshakeable belief in the Unity of God is above reproach. Due to this, Christians can’t criticize its doctrines directly, but instead fabricate things about Islam that aren’t true so that people lose the desire to learn more. If Islam were presented in the proper way to the world, it surely might make many people reconsider and re-evaluate their own beliefs. It is quite likely that when they find out that there is a universal religion in the world that teaches people to worship and love God, while also practicing Pure Monotheism, would at least feel that they should re-examine the basis for their own beliefs and doctrines.


Footnotes:
[1] Such as the claim propagated by Robert Morey in his work, The Moon-god Allaah in the Archeology of the Middle East. For a discussion of this work, please see the following links:
(http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/moongod.html)

Undertsanding Islam Part 4 : How Does Some One Become A Muslim ?

How Does Someone Become a Muslim?

Simply by saying with conviction, “Asyhadu alLa ilaha illa Allah, wa asyhadu anna Muhammadur rasoolu Allah,” one converts to Islam and becomes a Muslim. This saying means “I testify, there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and I testify, 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. To be a Muslim, one should also:




a. Believe that the Holy Quran is the literal word of God, revealed by Him.

b. Believe that the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) is true and will come, as God promised in the Quran.

c. Accept Islam as his or her religion.

d. Not worship anything nor anyone except God.

The Prophet Muhammad peace Be Upon Him said: {God is more joyful at the repentance of someone when he turns to Him in repentance than one of you would be if he were riding his camel in the wilderness, and it runs away from him, carrying his food and drink, so that he loses all hope of getting it back. He comes to a tree and lies down in its shade (awaiting death), for he has lost all hope of finding his camel. Then, while he is in that state (of desperation), suddenly it is there before him! So he seizes its halter and cries out from the depth of his joy, “O God, You are my servant and I am Your Lord!” His mistake comes from the intensity of his joy.}

The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-requisites. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in the presence of others.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one needs to do is pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith, without further delay. The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam.

With the pronunciation of this testimony, or “Shahada”, with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold of Islam.

Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all of one’s previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness. The Prophet said to a person who had placed the condition upon the Prophet in accepting Islam that God would forgive his sins:

“Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?” (Saheeh Muslim)

When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins committed before their acceptance. The person’s record is clean, and it is as if he was just born from his mother’s womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible.

The Holy Quran and Hadeeth (prophetic sayings) both stress the importance of following Islam. God states:

“...The only religion in the sight of God is Islam...” (Quran 3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Quran, God states:

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the Hellfire).” (Quran 3:85)

In another saying, Muhammad, the Prophet of God, said:

“Whoever testifies that there in none worthy of being worshipped but God, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Prophet, and that Jesus is the Slave of God, His Prophet, and His word[1] which He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created from Him; and that Paradise (Heaven) is true, and that the Hellfire is true, God will eventually admit him into Paradise, according to his deeds.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet of God, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, also reported:

“Indeed God has forbidden to reside eternally in Hell the person who says: “I testify that none has the right to worship except Allah (God),’ seeking thereby the Face of God.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The Declaration of the Testimony (Shahada)

To convert to Islam and become a Muslim a person needs to pronounce the below testimony with conviction and understanding its meaning:

I testify “La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”

The translation of which is:

“I testify that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and that Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet) of God.”

To hear it click here or click on “Live Help” above for assistance by chat.

When someone pronounces the testimony with conviction, then he/she has become a Muslim. It can be done alone, but it is much better to be done with an adviser through the “Live Help” at top, so we may help you in pronouncing it right and to provide you with important resources for new Muslims.

The first part of the testimony consists of the most important truth that God revealed to mankind: that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God. God states in the Holy Quran:

“We did not send the Messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘none has the right to be worshipped except I, therefore worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)

This conveys that all forms of worship, whether it be praying, fasting, invoking, seeking refuge in, and offering an animal as sacrifice, must be directed to God and to God alone. Directing any form of worship to other than God (whether it be an angel, a messenger, Jesus, Muhammad, a saint, an idol, the sun, the moon, a tree) is seen as a contradiction to the fundamental message of Islam, and it is an unforgivable sin unless it is repented from before one dies. All forms of worship must be directed to God only.

Worship means the performance of deeds and sayings that please God, things which He commanded or encouraged to be performed, either by direct textual proof or by analogy. Thus, worship is not restricted to the implementation of the five pillars of Islam, but also includes every aspect of life. Providing food for one’s family, and saying something pleasant to cheer a person up are also considered acts of worship, if such is done with the intention of pleasing God. This means that, to be accepted, all acts of worship must be carried out sincerely for the Sake of God alone.

The second part of the testimony means that Prophet Muhammad is the servant and chosen messenger of God. This implies that one obeys and follows the commands of the Prophet. One must believe in what he has said, practice his teachings and avoid what he has forbidden. One must therefore worship God only according to his teaching alone, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by God.

One must try to mold their lives and character and emulate the Prophet, as he was a living example for humans to follow. God says:

“And indeed you are upon a high standard of moral character.” (Quran 68:4)

God also said:

“And in deed you have a good and upright example in the Messenger of God, for those who hope in the meeting of God and the Hereafter, and mentions God much.” (Quran 33:21)

He was sent in order to practically implement the Quran, in his saying, deeds, legislation as well as all other facets of life. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, when asked about the character of the Prophet, replied:

“His character was that of the Quran.” (As-Suyooti)

To truly adhere to the second part of the Shahada is to follow his example in all walks of life. God says:

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love God, then follow me.’” (Quran 3:31)

It also means that Muhammad is the Final Prophet and Messenger of God, and that no (true) Prophet can come after him.

“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you but he is the Messenger of God and the last (end) of the Prophets and God is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)

All who claim to be prophets or receive revelation after Muhammad are imposters, and to acknowledge them would be tantamount to disbelief.

We welcome you to Islam, congratulate you for your decision, and will try to help you in any way we can.

Wahai Muslimah, Ayunya Diri Mu Dengan Syariat

8 Tips Kecantikan Muslimah

1) Jadikan "ghaddul basar" sebagai hiasan mata nescaya mata anda akan kelihatan bening dan jernih buat selama-lamanya.

2) Oleskan lipstik kejujuran pada bibir nescaya bibir semakin manis dan memikat semua hati orang.

3) Gunakan pemerah pipi dengan kosmetik yang diperbuat dari rasa malu yang boleh didapati secara langsung di salun keimanan nescaya pipi anda akan kelihatan bersih dan suci serta menyenangkan hati semua orang.


4) Gunakan sabun istighfar yang amat mujarab untuk menghilangkan dosa dan kesalahan yang dilakukan nescaya anda lebih berseri, memikat dan menyenangkan hati semua orang.

5) Rawatlah rambut anda dengan jibab Islam yang dapat mengelakkan dari pandangan ajnabi nescaya rambut anda akan kelihatan lebih bermaya dan menawan.

6) Hasilkan kedua tangan anda dengan gelang tawadhu’ dan jari-jemari dengan cincin ukhwah nescaya tangan dan jari anda lebih manis dan cantik.

7) Kalungkan leher dengan kalung kesucian nescaya anda akan kelihatan lebih berseri.

8) Bedakilah wajah anda dengan air wudhu’ nescaya wajah anda akan lebih bercahaya dan anggun walaupun anda telah mengembara hingga ke akhirat.

** Ghaddul Basar = menundukkan pandangan


Pada 31 January 1992, aku didatangi oleh sahabat ku, Raja Chulan yang bekerja sebagai Pegawai Perhubungan Antarabangsa dalam sebuah organisasi d Malaysia. Bersama-samanya ialah saudara Muhamad Siddiq Bin Ahmad.

Biodata Muhammad Siddiq Bin Ahmad
Dia adalah anak kepada salah seorang bekas rektor di UIA. Berdarah Pakistan. Warganegara Malaysia. Beliau mempunyai kelulusan dibidang undang-undang, tetapi bekerja di London dibawah organisasi yang digerakkan oleh Yusuf Islam. Pendekata saudara Muhamad Siddiq Bin Ahmad adalah orang kanan Yusuf Islam. Antara aktiviti Yusuf Islam ialah memungut zakat dari hartawan dan ahli perniagaan Islam di Eropah. Duit zakat itu akan diagih-agihkan kepada sekolah-sekolah agama Islam seluruh dunia khususnya negara-negara Islam yang miskin.

Misi Muhamad Siddiq Bin Ahmad bersama Raja Chulan adalah untuk meng"explore" pesantren-pesantren di Sumatera Utara bagi penyaluran dana.

Raja Chulan menghubungi ku di USM. Katanya ada urusan penting, dan dia memerlukan khidmat ku. Masih basah dalam ingatan ku, nota ringkas yang ditinggalkan untuk ku melalui seorang siswi USM. Nota itu diserahkan kepada ku di library USM pada 31 Januari 1992. Nota berbunyi :

Assalamu a'laikum (dalam tulisan jawi). Kita perlu ke Sumatera Utara segera. Raja Chulan.

Sewaktu menerima nota tersebut, aku agak rungsing. Berdasarkan berita yang baru aku baca di beriteks, Sumatera Utara sedang bergolak oleh pemberontak Aceh. Urusan kali ini agak sukar, dan aku berniat untuk menolak saja tawaran kerja tersebut atas dasar keselamatan walaupun upahnya lumayan. Atas dasar persahabatan, aku gagahkan untuk bertemu Raja Chulan di rumah sewa ku yang berhantu.

(untuk makluman, rumah sewa ku di Taman Century, Penang itu dikatakan berhantu oleh penduduk taman tersebut. Sudah agak lama rumah tersebut kosong.Rumah berkembar tiga tingkat. Master bed roomnya tempat kami bermain badminton. Menurut penduduk setempat, penyewanya tak bertahan lama. Paling lama pun seminggu. Lalu rumah itu kosong selama hampir 3 tahun. Disebabkan aku dan sahabat-sahabat ku terdiri dari golongan fuqara wal masakin, kami sewa rumah tersebut dengan harga sewa yang amat murah)

Dalam pertemuan dengan Raja Chulan, belum sempat aku bersuara menyatakan niat ku, Raja Chulan terus memperkenalkan aku kepada Muhamad Siddiq Ahmad dan misi operasi kali ini; menyalurkan dana kepada pesantren-pesantren yang memerlukan bantuan. Selesai Raja Chulan menyatakan misi operasi kali ini, tak sampai hati pula untuk aku menolak.Dalam hati ku, walaupun berrisiko, tapi dapat membantu pesantren-pesantren yang ada di Sumatera. Hmmmm .... terpaksa tuang kuliah lagi. Tapi tak pelah, upahnya lumayan dan yang paling penting, dana dapat disalurkan kepada pesantren.

4 Februari 1992, aku, Raja Chulan, Mohamad Siddiq Ahmad dan Hanif Abd Rahman, menaiki ferry dari Penang ke Medan. Ketibaan kami disambut oleh Pak Saiful Nazli, orang hubungan ku di Medan. Kami akan bermalam di rumahnya di Sei Asahan.

Malam itu, aku, Raja Chulan dan Pak Saiful merancang perjalanan mengelilingi Sumatera Utara. Selepas solat Subuh, kami bertolak dengan Super Kijang. Pak Saiful, bersama dua orang pembantunya, Hermanto dan Nasir. Dari Kota Medan kami bergerak menuju Banda Aceh. Kami melalui Beras Tagi, lalu bermalam di Pesantren Pak Udin Shamsudin di atas gunung yang berjeram di Kota Canai.

Sepanjang perjalanan banyak pesantren dan peristiwa yang kami lalui dan tempohi.Antara pengalaman menarik dalam operasi kali ini ialah, dalam perjalanan ke Banda Aceh, kami berhenti di sebuah masjid untuk bersolat pada jam 12 tengah malam. Belum sempat aku berwudhu, rombongan kami di kepung oleh ABRI (Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia = tentera ). Muncung M16 dihalakan ke arah kami. Barang-barang dan kenderaan digeledah. Ketua ABRI, membuat kesimpulan ... "Wajah salah seorang dari bapak (Muhamad Siddiq Ahmad) menyerupai wajah suspek Arab yang membekalkan senjata kepada pemberontak Aceh. Sila ke berek tentera untuk disoal siasat"

(Muhammad Siddiq Ahmad berdarah Pakistan, kulit cerah, tinggi, handsome, berjanggut, berjambang, macam rupa Sami Yusuf)

Malam itu juga kami di masukkan ke dalam bilik tahanan di kem tentera ABRI. Bilik tahanan bersebelahan dengan surau. Seorang demi seorang dari kami di panggil untuk disoal siasat. Mula-mula di panggil ialah Pak Saiful, kemudian Pak Udin Shamsudin (dia ikut dalam XPDC kami sewaktu kami singgah di pesantrennya), kemudian Raja Chulan, kemudian giliran aku. Begitulah turutan orang yang disoal siasat berdasarkan cerita Hermanto. Terus terang aku nyatakan, sesampai saja aku di bilik tahanan kem tentera, aku terus berwudhu, terus solat jamak qasar, terus tidur keletihan sehingga aku dibangunkan untuk disoal siasat.

Banyak soalan yang ditanya dalam sesi soal siasat. Tapi aku hanya ingin menceritakan pengalaman ku berhadapan dengan satu soalan provokasi.

Dalam bilik soal siasat, ada 3 orang tentera. Mukanya tak pernah senyum dan bengis. Salah seorangnya berpangkat jeneral, yang dua lagi tu aku tak tahu pangkat amender.

Biliknya kecil, ada satu lampu mentol, ada satu meja, satu kerusi. Aku didudukkan di atas kerusi sambil tentera yang 3 orang itu berlegar-legar dalam bilik sambil mengajukan soalan. Antara soalan yang menarik ialah .......

Penyoal : Rakan anda menyatakan bahawa anda ini semua pendakwah Islam, bukannya pemberontak. Apakah benar ?

Aku : Ya benar

Penyoal : Mengapa Islam meletakkan taraf seorang wanita terlalu hina ?

Aku : Itu suatu kenyataan yang salah. Islam amat memuliakan taraf wanita.

Penyoal : Kalau Islam memuliakan wanita, mengapa jika seorang lelaki yang sudah berwudhu, terbatal wudhunya jika bersentuhan dengan wanita. Jika lelaki menyentuh babi, wudhunya tak pula batal. Bukankah Islam meletakkan taraf wanita lebih rendah dari babi ?

Aku : Silap tu. Bila lelaki yang telah berwudhu menyentuh wanita yang bukan muhrim, wudhunya lelaki itu terbatal, tetapi jika lelaki itu menyentuh babi wudhunya tak terbatal. Itulah bukti betapa mulianya wanita.

Penyoal : Apa alasan anda kata begitu ?

Aku : Wudhu sesuatu yang mulia. Dengan berwudhu, kita boleh berhubung dengan ALLAH dalam solat. Bila lelaki berwudhu, lelaki tersebut di kira berada di dalam keadaan suci dan mulia. Tetapi jika dia menyentuh wanita yang bukan muhrim, lelaki itu telah menceroboh kehormatan wanita tersebut maka terbatallah wudhunya. Bila terbatal wudhu, hilanglah kesucian dan hilanglah kemuliaan seorang lelaki. Hanya kerana lelaki tersebut menyentuh wanita yang tak halal baginya. Dengan menyentuh wanita, lelaki telah mencemar kemuliaan yang ada pada dirinya sendiri. Jadi, bila lelaki menyentuh perempuan sehingga terbatal wudhu, itulah bukti betapa mulianya wanita. Jika seorang lelaki yang berwudhu, yang suci, yang mulia, menceroboh kemuliaan wanita walau hanya dengan satu sentuhan, hilanglah kesucian, hilanglah kemuliaan lelaki itu disebabkan wudhunya telah terbatal. Itulah bukti Islam memuliakan wanita.

Aku : Dalam Islam taraf wanita sentiasa tinggi mulia. Sama sekali babi itu hina dan tak pernah menjadi mulia. lebih-lebih lagi mustahil babi menjadi lebih mulia dari wanita.

Penyoal : Tapi kalau lelaki yang berwudhu menyentuh babi, wudhunya tidak batal.

Aku : Benar, lelaki yang berwudhu bila menyentuh babi, wudhunya tidak batal. Tapi, lelaki tersebut wajib menyamak anggota yang menyentuh babi. Mana lebih susah ? Nak berwudhu ? Atau nak menyamak ? Nak berwudhu cukup dengan air. Nak menyamak, kena ada air dan tanah, dibasuh tujuh kali. Susah bukan ? Sebab babi itu terlalu hina, nak menyucikannya sangat susah.

Begitulah antara sessi soal siasat yang kami alami. Sekembalinya aku ke bilik tahanan sekitar jam 5.00 pagi, aku lihat Hanif Abd Rahman sedang menangis. Aku tanya Hermanto, Hermanto kata, Hanif menangis ketakutan sejak awal tadi, sejak masuk ke bilik tahanan. Aku pula tak ambil pusing waktu itu sebab keletihan, sesudah solat terus aku bantai tidur sebelum dibangunkan jam 3.00 pagi untuk di soal siasat hehehe.

Tepat jam 12 tengahari kami dibebaskan. Sebelum keluar dari kem, Jeneral tersebut berkata :

"Bapak beruntung. Tiada yang keluar dari kem ini hidup-hidup melainkan dimasuk dalam guni lalu dicampak ke laut, atau ditanam hidup-hidup atau ditembak di kepala"

..... barulah aku tahu mengapa Hanif tu menangis meraung ketakutan, sedangkan aku lena tidur berdengkur hehehehe .....

wahai wanita , jagalah aurat mu kerana ia adalah maruah diri mu ..............

Understanding Islam Part 3 : The Five Pillars Of Islam

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 Five Pillars of Islam are :

1. The testimony of faith
2. Prayer ( Solat )
3. Giving zakat (Support the needy )
4. Fasting In The Month of Ramadhan
5. The pilgrimage to Makkah



1) 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),1 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 (as explained previously on this page). The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.

2) 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. The Prophet Muhammad said: {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it. Bilal was one of Muhammad’s companions who was charged to call the people to prayers.

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.

(For detailed information on how to perform prayer, please refer to the links at How to Perform Prayer or refer to the book entitled A Guide to Salat (Prayer) by M. A. K. Saqib.)

3) 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.

4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:

Every year in the month of Ramadan,4 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.

5) 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.

Pilgrims praying at the Haram mosque in Makkah

Pilgrims praying at the Haram mosque in Makkah. In this mosque is the Kaaba (the black building in the picture) which Muslims turn toward when praying. The Kaaba is the place of worship which God commanded the Prophets Abraham and his son, Ishmael, to build.

The rites of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven times and going seven times between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafa5 and ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment.

The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers. This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the two annual festivals of the Muslim calendar.

Undertsanding Islam Part 2 : An Introduction To Islam

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 SAW.

Some Basic Islamic Beliefs :

1. Belief in God:
2. Belief in the Angels
3. Belief in God’s Revealed Books
4. Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment
6. Belief in Al-Qadar



1) 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)

Chapter 112 of the Quran written in Arabic calligraphy

Chapter 112 of the Quran written in Arabic calligraphy.

No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of worship, but God alone.

God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner, His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen. No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not and will never be. His will is above the will of all the creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do everything. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent. In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him, we are told that God is more merciful to His creatures than a mother to her child.1 God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she can ask God directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.

God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God. Even Jesus himself rejected this. God has said in the Quran:

Indeed, they have disbelieved who have said, “God is the Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary.” The Messiah said, “Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever associates partners in worship with God, then God has forbidden Paradise for him, and his home is the Fire (Hell). For the wrongdoers,3 there will be no helpers.” (Quran, 5:72)

God is not a trinity. God has said in the Quran:

Indeed, they disbelieve who say, “God is the third of three (in a trinity),” when there is no god but one God. If they desist not from what they say, truly, a painful punishment will befall the disbelievers among them. Would they not rather repent to God and ask His forgiveness? For God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a messenger... (Quran, 5:73-75)

Islam rejects that God rested on the seventh day of the creation, that He wrestled with one of His angels, that He is an envious plotter against mankind, or that He is incarnate in any human being. Islam also rejects the attribution of any human form to God. All of these are considered blasphemous. God is the Exalted. He is far removed from every imperfection. He never becomes weary. He does not become drowsy nor does he sleep.

The Arabic word Allah means God (the one and 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. The Arabic word Allah occurs in the Quran about 2700 times. In Aramaic, a language related closely to Arabic and the language that Jesus habitually spoke,4 God is also referred to as Allah.

2) 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 .

3) 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 . God has guaranteed the Quran’s protection from any corruption or distortion. God has said:

Indeed, We have sent down the Quran, and surely We will guard it (from corruption). (Quran, 15:9)

4) 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). But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet sent by God, as God has said:

Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the prophets... (Quran, 33:40)

Muslims believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings who had none of the divine qualities of God.

5) 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.

6) 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:
1) God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen.
2) God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
3) Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does not happen.
4) God is the Creator of everything.


..... To Be Continue......