What is Islam?

'Islam' simply means 'submission', and derives from a word meaning 'peace'. In a religious context it means complete sub-mission to the will of God. Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which have come to be associated with their faith.

What do Muslims Believe?

Muslims believe in:

1. One, Unique, Incomparable God.2. The Angels created by God.3. The books sent by God.4. The prophets through whom God’s revelations were brought to mankind.5. God's complete authority over human destiny.6. The Day of Judgment.7. Life after death.

On the Day of Judgment the entire record of people from the age of puberty will be presented before God. God will weigh everyone’s good and bad deeds according to His Mercy and His Justice, forgiving many sins and multiplying many good deeds. One who excels in goodness will be rewarded generously, whereas one whose evils and wrongs overweigh his good deeds will be punished. Those who emerge successful in this judgment will go to paradise and the doors of eternal bliss will be opened to them. Those who are condemned and deserve punishment will be sent to Hell - the abode of fire and torture.

Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist 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 (peace be upon him) through Angel Gabriel.

Who is Muhammad?

Muhammad (peace be upon him), was born in Mecca in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the ‘Quran’. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622, God gave them the command to emigrate. This migration, in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Mecca, where they forgave their enemies and estab-lished Islam definitively. Before the Prophet died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.

What Is the Quran?

The Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.The Quran, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects that concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system.

What Are the Five Pillars of Islam?

They are the framework of the Muslim life: faith, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.

FAITH

The following declaration of faith is a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce.

1. There is no other god worthy of worship except the One Almighty God and;2. Muhammad is His final messenger.

PRAYER

The obligatory prayers are performed five times a day, and a direct link between the worshipper and God. These five prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the

Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language. Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day.

FASTING

Every year in the Islamic month of ‘Ramadan’, all Muslims fast from dawn until dusk, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are exempt from fasting. Although the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method of 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 one's spiritual life. ZAKAT

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word ‘Zakat’ means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this charity encourages new growth. Each Muslim calculates his or her own charity individually. For most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital.

PILGRIMAGE

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Mecca each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique oppor-tunity for those of different nations to meet one another. The annual pilgrimage begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year. Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

Social Manners

Islam teaches decency, humility and good manners. Muslims greet each other by saying: ‘Peace be upon you’. Keeping promises, truthfulness, justice, fair play, helping the poor and needy, respect for parents, teachers and elders, love for children and good relations with neighbors and rela-tives are the most valued virtues of a Muslim. Islam condemns enmity, back-biting, slander, blasphemy, ridicule, use of offensive names, suspi-cion and arrogance.FamilyThe family is the foundation of Islamic society. The peace and security offered by a stable family unit is greatly valued, and seen as essential for the spiritual growth of its members. Parents

In Islam, it is not enough that we only pray for our parents, but we should act with limitless compassion, remembering that when we were helpless children, they preferred us to themselves. Mothers are particularly honored. God instructs Muslim to treat their parents with mercy and kindness when they reach old age.

Woman

The rights and responsibilities of women are equal to those of men but they are not necessarily identical. This difference is understandable because men and women are different, in their physiological and psycho-logical make-up. With this distinction in mind, there is no room for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Thus it is perhaps more apt to refer to the Islamic approach on gender relations, as one of "equity" rather than the commonly used word "equality", which could be misunder-stood to mean equality in every minute aspect of life, rather than overall equality.

but they are not necessarily identical. This difference is understandable because men and women are different, in their physiological and psycho-logical make-up. With this distinction in mind, there is no room for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Thus it is perhaps more apt to refer to the Islamic approach on gender relations, as one of "equity" rather than the commonly used word "equality", which could be misunder-stood to mean equality in every minute aspect of life, rather than overall equality.

Men and women are of the same family, and as such have similar rights and duties. The husband is responsible for the maintenance, protection and overall leadership of the family within the framework of consultation and kindness. The mutuality and complementarity of husband and wife does not mean 'subservience' by either party to the other.

Islam grants women equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and possess independently. A woman's life, her property and her honor are as sacred as those of a man. If she commits any offense, her penalty is no less or more than of a man's in a similar case. If she is wronged or harmed, she gets due compensation equal to what a man in her position would get.

Terrorism

Islam enjoins upon its believers to strive utmost, in purifying themselves, as well as in establishing peace and justice in the society. A Muslim can never be at rest when she sees injustice and oppression around her. However, regardless of how legitimate the cause may be, Islam never condones the killing of innocent people. Terrorizing the civilian popula-tion.

What Do Muslims Believe about Jesus?

Muslims respect and revere Jesus `peace be upon him,' and await his Second Coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God's messen-gers to mankind. Jesus was born miraculously by the command of God, the same command that had brought Adam into being, with neither a father nor a mother. The Quran confirms his virgin birth and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation.

How Does Someone Become a Muslim?

Simply by saying 'there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers, and the scriptures they brought.

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