The Message Of Truth-ISLAM
The Meaning of Islam:
Islam is an Arabic word which denotes submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allaah - that is why it is called Islam. The other literal meaning of the word Islam is “peace” and this signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and mind only through submission and obedience to Allaah. Such a life of obedience brings peace of the heart and establishes real peace in society. As Allaah Says (what means): “Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allaah – indeed it is in the remembrance of Allaah alone that the heart of man finds rest –those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return:” [Quran: 13:28-29]
The basic Islamic concept is that the whole universe was created by God, whom Islam calls “Allaah” and who is the Lord and the Sovereign of the Universe. He is the Lord of the Universe, which He Alone sustains. He created man and appointed for each human being a fixed period of life, which he is to spend upon the earth.
Allaah has prescribed a certain code of life as the correct one for him, but has, at the same time, conferred upon man freedom of choice as to whether or not he adopts this code as the actual basis of his life. One, who chooses to follow the code, revealed by Allaah becomes a Muslim (believer) and one, who refuses to follow it, becomes a Kaafir (disbeliever).
A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in the Oneness of Allaah and the Prophethood of Muhammad . Both these beliefs are epitomised in the Kalimah (Article of Faith): 'Laa ilaaha illallaah Muhammadur-Rasoolullaah.' (i.e., there is no trie deity except Allaah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.)
The first part of this Kalimah (sentence) presents the concept of Tawheed (Oneness of God) and its second part affirms the Prophethood of Muhammad .
Islam is an Arabic word which denotes submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allaah - that is why it is called Islam. The other literal meaning of the word Islam is “peace” and this signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and mind only through submission and obedience to Allaah. Such a life of obedience brings peace of the heart and establishes real peace in society. As Allaah Says (what means): “Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allaah – indeed it is in the remembrance of Allaah alone that the heart of man finds rest –those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return:” [Quran: 13:28-29]
The basic Islamic concept is that the whole universe was created by God, whom Islam calls “Allaah” and who is the Lord and the Sovereign of the Universe. He is the Lord of the Universe, which He Alone sustains. He created man and appointed for each human being a fixed period of life, which he is to spend upon the earth.
Allaah has prescribed a certain code of life as the correct one for him, but has, at the same time, conferred upon man freedom of choice as to whether or not he adopts this code as the actual basis of his life. One, who chooses to follow the code, revealed by Allaah becomes a Muslim (believer) and one, who refuses to follow it, becomes a Kaafir (disbeliever).
A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in the Oneness of Allaah and the Prophethood of Muhammad . Both these beliefs are epitomised in the Kalimah (Article of Faith): 'Laa ilaaha illallaah Muhammadur-Rasoolullaah.' (i.e., there is no trie deity except Allaah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.)
The first part of this Kalimah (sentence) presents the concept of Tawheed (Oneness of God) and its second part affirms the Prophethood of Muhammad .
What are Muslims
The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islaam (submission to the will and law of Allaah)”.
The message of Islaam is meant for
the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim.
Some
people mistakenly believe that Islaam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing
could be further from
the truth.
In actuality, over 80% of the world's Muslims
are not Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are
Christians, Jews and atheists.
If one just takes a look at the various peoples
who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to
Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different
races, ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities.
Islaam has always been a
universal message for all people. This can be seen in the fact that some of the
early companions of the Prophet Muhammad were not only Arabs, but also
Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans.
Being a Muslim entails complete
acceptance and active obedience to the revealed teachings and laws of Allaah
the Exalted.
A Muslim is a person who freely accepts basing his beliefs, values
and faith on the will of Almighty God.
In the past, even though you do not see
it as much today, the word “Mohammedans” was often used as a label for Muslims.
This label is a misnomer, and is the result of either willful distortion or
sheer ignorance. One of the reasons for the misconception is that Europeans
were taught for centuries that Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the
same way that Christians worship Jesus.
This is absolutely not true, since one
is not considered a Muslim if he worships anyone or anything besides Allaah the
Exalted.
Who is Allah
Often
one hears the Arabic word “Allah” being used in discussions regarding Islaam.
The word “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God, and is the same
word used by Arabic speaking Christians and Jews.
As a matter of fact, the word
Allah was in use far before the word God ever came into existence, since
English is a relatively new language. If one were to pick up an Arabic
translation of the Bible, one would see the word “Allah” being use where the
word “God” is used in English.
For instance, Arabic speaking Christians say
that Jesus is, according to their canon belief, the Son of Allah. In addition,
the Arabic word for Almighty God, “Allah”, is quite similar to the word for
God in other Semitic languages.
For example, the Hebrew word for God is “Elah”.
For various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a
different God than the God of Moses and Abraham and Jesus.
This is certainly
not the case, since the Pure Monotheism of Islaam calls all people to the
worship of the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets,
peace be upon them.
The Merits of Islam
By
Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
There are many religions.
Why do Muslims think that Islam
is true. Is there any factual basis?
Praise
be to Allah.
This
is a reasonable enough question for one who has not entered Islam, but one who
believes in and practices this religion already knows the blessings which are
his because of this religion. There are many reasons for this, which include
the following:
(1)
The Muslim worships One God, Who has no partner, and Who has the most beautiful
names and the highest attributes. Thus the Muslim’s focus and aim is
concentrated, focused on His Lord and Creator; he puts his trust in Him and
asks Him for help, patience and support; he believes that Allah is able to do
all things, and has no need of a wife or son. Allah created the heavens and
earth; He is the One Who gives life and death; He is the Creator and Sustainer
from Whom the slave seeks provision. He is the All-Hearing Who responds to the
supplication of His slave, and from Whom the slave hopes for a response. He is
the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving, to Whom the slave turns in repentance when
he has committed a sin or fallen short in his worship of Allah. He is the
Omniscient and All-Seeing, who knows all intentions and what is hidden in
people’s hearts. The slave feels ashamed to commit a sin by doing wrong to
himself or to others, because his Lord is watching over him and sees all that
he does. He knows that Allah is All-Wise, the Seer of the Unseen, so he trusts
that what Allah decrees for him is good; he knows that Allah will never be
unjust to him, and that everything that Allah decrees for him is good, even if
he does not understand the wisdom behind it.
(2)
The effects of Islamic worship on the soul of the Muslim include the following:
Prayer
keeps the slave in contact with his Lord; if he enters it in a spirit of
humiliation and concentration, he will feel tranquil and secure, because he is
seeking a "powerful support," which is Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted. For this reason, the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) used to say: "Let us find relaxation and joy in prayer." If
something distressed him, he would hasten to pray. Everyone who finds himself
faced with disaster and tries prayer finds strength, patience and consolation,
because he is reciting the words of his Lord, which cannot be compared to the
effect of the words of a created being. If the words of some psychologists can
offer a little comfort, what do you think of the words of the One Who created
the psychologist?
Now
let us look at Zakat, which is one of the pillars of Islam. Zakat purifies the
soul from stinginess and miserliness, and accustoms people to being generous
and helping the poor and needy. It will bring a great reward on the Day of
Resurrection, just like other forms of worship. It is not burdensome, like
man-made taxes; it is only 25 in every thousand, which the sincere Muslim pays
willingly and does not try to evade or wait until someone chases him for it.
Fasting
involves refraining from food and sex. It is a form of worship, and a way in
which one can feel the hunger of those who are deprived. It is also a reminder
of the blessings of the Creator, and it brings rewards beyond measure.
Hajj
is the Pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah, which was built by Ibrahim
(Abraham, upon whom be peace). By performing Hajj one is obeying the command of
Allah and the call to come and meet Muslims from all over the world.
(3) Islam
commands all kinds of good and forbids all kinds of evil. It encourages good
manners and proper treatment of others. It enjoins good characteristics such as
truthfulness, patience, deliberation, kindness, humility, modesty, keeping
promises, dignity, mercy, justice, courage, patience, friendliness,
contentment, chastity, good treatment, tolerance, trustworthiness, gratitude
for favours, and self-control in times of anger. Islaam commands the Muslim to
fulfil his duty towards his parents and to uphold family ties, to help the
needy, to treat neighbours well, to protect and safeguard the wealth of the
orphan, to be gentle with the young and show respect to the old, to be kind to
servants and animals, to remove harmful things from the road, to speak kind
words, to forgive at the time when one has the opportunity to take revenge, to
be sincere towards one’s fellow-Muslims, to meet the needs of the Muslims, to
give the debtor time to repay his debt, to prefer others over oneself, to
console others, to greet people with a smiling face, to visit the sick, to
support the one who is oppressed, to give gifts to friends, to honour his
guest, to treat his wife kindly and spend on her and her children, to spread
the greeting of peace (salaam) and to seek permission before entering another
person’s house, lest one see something private that the other person does not
want one to see.
Some
non-Muslims may do these things out of politeness or good manners, but they are
not seeking reward from Allah or salvation of the Day of Judgement.
If we
look at what Islam has prohibited, we will find that it is in the interests of
both the individual and society as a whole. All these prohibitions serve to
safeguard the relationship between the slave and his Lord, and the relationship
of the individual with himself and with his fellow-man. The following examples
demonstrate this:
Islam
forbids the association of anything in worship with Allah and the worship of
anything other than Allah, because this spells doom and misery. Islam also
forbids visiting or believing soothsayers and fortune-tellers; magic or
witchcraft that may cause a rift between two people or bring them together;
belief in the influence of the stars on events and people’s lives; cursing
time, because Allah is directing its affairs; and superstition, because this is
pessimism.
Islam
forbids cancelling out good deeds by showing off, boasting or reminding others
of one’s favours; bowing or prostrating to anything other than Allah; sitting
with hypocrites or immoral people for the purposes of enjoying their company or
keeping them company; and invoking the curse or wrath of Allah on one another
or damning one another to Hell.
Islam
forbids urinating into stagnant water; defecating on the side of the road or in
places where people seek shade or where they draw water; from facing the qiblah
(direction of prayer) or turning one’s back towards it when passing water or
stools; holding one’s penis in one’s right hand when passing water; giving the
greeting of salaam (peace) to one who is answering the call of nature; and
putting one’s hand into any vessel before washing it, when one has just woken
up.
Islam
forbids the offering of any nafl (supererogatory) prayers when the sun is
rising, when it is at its zenith, and when it is setting, because it rises and
sets between the horns of Shaytaan (Satan); praying when there is food prepared
that a person desires; praying when one urgently needs to pass water, stools or
wind, because that will distract a person from concentrating properly on his
prayer.
Islam
forbids the Muslim to raise his voice in prayer, lest it disturb other
believers; to continue offering supererogatory prayers at night when one feels
drowsy - such a person should sleep then get up; to stay up all night in
prayer, especially one night after another; and to stop praying when there is
doubt as to the validity of one’s wudoo’ - unless one hears a sound or smells
an odour.
Islam
forbids buying, selling and making "lost and found" announcements in
the mosque - because it is the place of worship and remembrance of Allah, where
worldly affairs have no place.
Islam
forbids haste in walking when the iqaamah (call immediately preceding
congregational prayer) is given, and prescribes walking in a calm and dignified
manner. It is also forbidden to boast about the cost of building a mosque; to
decorate a mosque with red or yellow paint or adornments which will distract
the worshippers; to fast day after day without a break; and for a woman to
observe a supererogatory fast when her husband is present without his
permission.
Islam
forbids building over graves, making them high, sitting on them, walking
between them wearing shoes, putting lights over them or writing on them. It is
forbidden to disinter the dead or to take graves as places of worship. Islam
forbids wailing, tearing one’s clothes or leaving one’s hair unkempt when a
person dies. Eulogizing the dead in the manner of the times of Ignorance
(Jaahiliyyah) is also forbidden, although there is nothing wrong with informing
others that a person has died.
Islam
forbids the consumption of riba (interest); all kinds of selling which involve
ignorance (of the product), misleading and cheating; selling blood, wine, pork,
idols and everything that Allah has forbidden - their price, whether bought or
sold - is haraam; najash, which is offering a price for something one has no
intention of buying, as happens in many auctions; concealing a product’s faults
at the time of selling; selling something which one does not own or before it
comes into one’s possession; undercutting, outbidding or out bargaining
another; selling produce before it is clear that it is in good condition and
free of blemish; cheating in weights and measures; and hoarding. A partner who
has shares in a plot of land or a date palm tree is forbidden to sell his share
without consulting his partners. It is forbidden to consume the wealth of
orphans unjustly; to bet or gamble; to take anything by force; to accept or
offer bribes; to steal people’s wealth or to consume it unjustly; to take
something for the purpose of destroying it; to undermine the value of people’s
possessions; to keep lost property which one has found, or to keep quiet about
it and not announce it, for it belongs to the one who recognizes it; to cheat
in any way; to ask for a loan with no intention of repaying it; to take
anything of the wealth of a fellow-Muslim, unless it is given freely, because
what is taken because of another person’s shyness is haraam; and to accept a
gift because of intercession.
Celibacy
and castration are forbidden, as is marrying two sisters, or a woman and her
aunt (paternal or maternal), whether he marries the aunt after marrying her
niece or vice versa, for fear of breaking the ties of kinship. It is forbidden
to make deals in marriage, such as saying "Let me marry your daughter and
I will give you my daughter or sister in marriage." Such reciprocal deals
are a form of oppression and injustice, and haraam. Islam forbids mut’ah
(temporary marriage), which is a marriage contract for a period of time agreed
by the two parties, at the end of which the marriage expires. Islam forbids
intercourse with a menstruating woman, until she has purified herself (by
taking a bath after her period ends), and also forbids anal intercourse. A man
is forbidden to propose marriage to a woman when another man has already
proposed to her, unless the other man withdraws his proposal or gives him
permission. It is forbidden to marry a previously-married woman without
consulting her, or a virgin without seeking her permission. It is forbidden to
wish (a newly married couple) "Bi’l-rafaa’ wa’l-baneen (a joyful life and
many sons)," because this is the greeting of the people of Jaahiliyyah,
who hated daughters. The divorced woman is forbidden to conceal what Allah has
created in her womb (if she is pregnant). A husband and wife are forbidden to
speak (to others) about the intimacies of married life. It is forbidden to turn
a woman against her husband or to take divorce lightly. It is forbidden for a
woman to ask for another’s divorce, such as asking a man to divorce a woman so
that she can marry him. A wife is forbidden to spend her husband’s money
without his permission, or to keep away from his bed without good reason,
because the angels will curse her if she does that. A man is forbidden to marry
his father’s wife, or to have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant from
another man. It is forbidden for a man to practise ‘azl (coitus interruptus)
with his free wife without her permission. It is forbidden for a man to return
home from a journey late at night and startle his family, unless he has
previously notified them when he will arrive home. A man is forbidden to take
anything of his wife’s mahr (dowry) without her consent, or to keep annoying
his wife so that she will give up her wealth.
Islam
forbids women to make a wanton display of themselves (tabarruj). It also
forbids extreme forms of female circumcision. Women are forbidden to admit
anyone into their husband’s home without his permission; his general permission
is acceptable so long as they stay within the limits of sharee’ah. It is
forbidden to separate a mother and child (in case of divorce); to let one’s
womenfolk behave foolishly (in an immoral fashion) and not say anything; to let
one’s gaze wander everywhere; and to follow an accidental glance with an
intentional glance.
Islam
forbids the eating of dead meat, regardless of whether it died by drowning,
strangulation, shock or falling from a high place; eating blood, pork and
anything slaughtered in a name other than that of Allah or for idols; eating
the flesh or drinking the milk of beasts that feed on filth and waste matter;
eating the flesh of every carnivorous beast that has fangs and every bird that
has talons; eating the meat of domesticated donkeys; killing animals by keeping
them and throwing stones at them until they die, or detaining them without food
until they die; slaughtering with teeth or nails; slaughtering one animal (for
food) in front of another; or sharpening the knife in front of the animal to be
slaughtered.
In the
area of clothing and adornment, men are forbidden the extravagance of wearing
gold. Muslim are forbidden to be naked or to expose their thighs; to leave
their clothes long (below the ankles) and trail them on the ground for the
purpose of showing off; and to wear clothes that will attract attention.
It is
forbidden to bear false witness; to make false accusations against a chaste
believing woman; to accuse someone who is innocent; to utter lies; to slander
and backbite; to call people by offensive nicknames; to spread gossip and
malicious slander; to make fun of the Muslims; to boast about one’s status; to
shed doubts on a person’s lineage; to utter slander, insults and obscenities;
to speak in an indecent or rude manner; or to utter evil in public, except by
one who has been wronged.
Islam
forbids telling lies; one of the worst kinds of lie is to lie about dreams,
like fabricating dreams and visions in order to prove one’s virtue, or make
some material gains, or to frighten an enemy.
Muslims
are forbidden to praise themselves, or to talk in a secret way: two may not
converse secretly to the exclusion of a third, because this is offensive. It is
forbidden to curse a believer or someone who does not deserve to be cursed.
Islam
forbids speaking ill of the dead; praying for death; wishing for death because
of some suffering that one is passing through; praying against one’s self,
one’s children, one’s servants or one’s wealth.
Muslims
are told not to eat the food that is directly in front of others or to eat from
the centre of the dish or platter; rather they should eat from what is directly
in front of them or thereabouts, because the barakah (blessing) comes in the
middle of the food. It is forbidden to drink from a broken edge of a vessel,
because this could cause harm; or to drink from the mouth of a vessel; or to
breathe into it. It is forbidden to eat while lying on one’s stomach; to sit at
a table where wine is being drunk; to leave a fire burning in one’s house when
one sleeps; to sleep with Ghamr in one’s hand, like an offensive smell or the
remainder of food (grease); to sleep on one’s stomach; or to talk about or try
to interpret bad dreams, because these are tricks of the Shaytaan.
It is
forbidden to kill another person except in cases where it is right to do so; to
kill one’s children for fear of poverty; to commit suicide; to commit
fornication, adultery or sodomy (homosexuality); to drink wine, or even to
prepare it, carry it from one place to another, or sell it. Muslims are
forbidden to please people by angering Allah; to offend their parents or even
to say "Uff" (the slightest word of contempt) to them; to claim that
a child belongs to anyone but his real father; to torture by means of fire; to
burn anyone, alive or dead, with fire; to mutilate the bodies of the slain; to
help anyone commit falsehood; or to cooperate in wrongdoing and sin.
It is
forbidden to obey any person by disobeying Allah; to swear falsely; to swear a
disastrous oath; to eavesdrop on people without their permission; to invade
people’s privacy or look at their private parts; to claim something that does
not belong to one or that one did not do, for the purpose of showing off; to
look into someone’s else’s house without permission; to be extravagant; to
swear an oath to do something wrong; to spy on others or be suspicious about
righteous men and women; to envy, hate or shun one another; to persist in
falsehood; to be arrogant or feel superior; to be filled with self-admiration;
to be pleased with one’s arrogance. Islam forbids taking back one’s charity,
even if one pays to get it back; employing someone to do a job without paying
him his wages; being unfair in giving gifts to one’s children; bequeathing
everything in one’s will and leaving one’s heirs poor - in such a case the will
should not be executed; writing a will that concerns more than one third of
one’s legacy; being a bad neighbour; or changing a will to the detriment of one
or some of one’s heirs. A Muslim is forbidden to forsake or shun his brother
for more than three days, except for a reason sanctioned by sharee’ah; to hold
small stones between two fingers and throw them because this could cause injury
to eyes or teeth; to include his heirs in a will, because Allah has already
given heirs their rights of inheritance; to disturb his neighbour; to point a
weapon at his Muslim brother; to hand someone an unsheathed sword, lest it harm
him; to come (walk) between two people except with their permission; to return
a gift, unless there is some shar’i objection to it; to be extravagant; to give
money to foolish people; to wish to be like someone to whom Allah has given
more of something; to cancel out his charity by giving offensive reminders of
his giving; to wilfully conceal testimony; or to oppress orphans or scold one
who asks for help or money. It is forbidden to treat with evil medicines,
because Allah would not create a cure for this ummah which includes something
that He has forbidden. It is forbidden to kill women and children in warfare;
to boast to one another; or to break promises.
Islam
forbids betraying a trust; asking for charity that one does not need; alarming
a Muslim brother or taking away his possessions, whether jokingly or seriously;
changing one’s mind after giving a gift, except in the case of a gift from a
father to his child; practising medicine without experience; or killing ants,
bees and hoopoe birds. A man is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah (private parts)
of another man, and a woman is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of another
woman. It is forbidden to sit between two people without their permission; or
to greet only those whom one knows, because the greeting is to be given to
those whom you know and those whom you do not know. A Muslim is forbidden to
let an oath come between him and good deeds; he should do what is good and make
expiation for the oath. It is forbidden to judge between two disputing parties
when one is angry, or to judge in favour of one party without hearing what the
other has to say. It is forbidden for a man to walk through the market-place
carrying something - like a sharp weapon - that could harm the Muslims, unless
it is properly covered. A Muslim is forbidden to make another person get up, so
that he can take his place.
There
are more commands and prohibitions which came for the benefit and happiness of
individuals and mankind as a whole. Have you ever seen any other religion that
can compare to this religion?
Read
this response again, then ask yourself: is it not a great pity that I am not
one of them? Allah says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): "And
whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him,
and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." [Aal
‘Imraan 3:85]
Finally,
I hope that everyone who reads this will be guided to the correct way and to
follow the truth. May Allah protect you and us from all evil.
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