Introduction Pillars of Islam Shahadah Salat Saum Zakat Hajj Articles of Faith
Introduction
The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for
the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God.
The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings on him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on
whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran
carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that
it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures.
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The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the
Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that
Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The
follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are:
God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam
to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgment and indeed the Decree
of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to
the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger,
observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of
Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.
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Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy
Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil
and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes
that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on
a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to
worship God and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and compassion.
Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated.
Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world
was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every
imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and
have stood the test of time.
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In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of
nature that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy,
active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage
patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for
the guidance of individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of
Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the
traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it
is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to
the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life
regardless of human changes.
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Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is
open to all. Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to
God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a
relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills
hearts with hope and courage.
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At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and
they form the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is
the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is reaching
millions in the far corner of the earth.
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Pillars
of Islam
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the
Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Islam is
based on five articles:
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1. To
bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allah and that
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of
Allah.
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2. To
observe Prayer (Salat).
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3. To Pay
Zakat (Alms giving)
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4. To
perform the Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Hajj).
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5. To
Observe fasting during Ramadhan." (Bukhari)
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Abdullah ibn Amr bin Aas, may Allah be pleased with them,
relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
said:
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"A Muslim is one against whose tongue and hands other
Muslims are secure, and an Emigrant is one who departs from what Allah has
forbidden." (Bukhari)
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Shahadah
A Muslim expresses his/her faith (Iman) in the following
words:
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Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu
wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu
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The English translation of the Shahadah is as follows:
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I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except
Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His
servant and His Messenger.
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The declaration of faith consists of two distinct parts,
i.e., the absolute belief in the Unity of Allah (God) and the belief in the
Holy Prophet Muhammad as a mortal human being and the Messenger of Allah.
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Islam's fundamental belief is the Unity of God. All other
beliefs hang on this belief. Therefore the acknowledgement and 'bearing
witness' of this is the key to the Muslim faith. Unless this is observed one
cannot be a Muslim. A Muslim accepts Allah as the only God, and only Master,
Lord and Ruler with no partner sharing in any way His Being, Powers and
Attributes. He is One; He is Unique; He is not the father of any one, nor He
has or had any father. He is Almighty and Self-Sustaining. He is there forever,
and will be there forever.
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A Muslim believes in Allah as the Ruler and must not
disobey Him. In fact everything that exists in the universe obeys Him. He is
the Fashioner of all the Universes that may exist.
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The belief in the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) as
the servant and Messenger of Allah completes one’s faith. The Holy Prophet
was the greatest of all the Prophets of Allah, yet he was only a human being
with no share in Divinity. This is a very important belief that keeps Muslims
from associating partners with Allah. This part of the Declaration of Faith
where reinforces the first part of Allah being the only Supreme Being with no
partners also establishes the absolute authority of the Holy Prophet as the
Messenger of Allah, who must be obeyed as well in all the matters of faith.
The Holy Prophet is the last prophet who brought us the last Book (the Holy
Quran) to be followed. He lived among his people for a long time and his life
is documented in utmost detail. He lead his followers by example. The way he
lived his life and admonished his followers to live their lives is called
Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. The second part of the Declaration of Faith makes
obeying and following the advice of the Prophet Muhammad equally important to
the belief in absolute Unity of Allah. This declaration make one to
completely submit to the Will of Allah and that is why one who declares this
belief is called a Muslim - one who completely submits to the will of Allah.
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Salat(pray
)
Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam, it is a most
important constituent of the faith. It is prayer of a very high level. The
Holy Quran repeatedly enjoins the offering of salat and indeed declares it to
be a fundamental trait of a believer. The benefits of salat are countless.
The Holy Quran says:
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"And enjoin Prayer on thy people, and be constant
therein. We ask thee not for provision; it is We that provide for thee. And
the end is for the righteous".
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Salat strengthens man's spiritual faculties. It is the
best way to form a relationship with one's Creator. It purifies one's spirit,
and through it, constant remembrance of Allah delivers one of the self that
incites to evil.
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God created man to worship Him and salat is the most
excellent kind of worship.
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The Holy Quran also says:
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"Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the
Book, and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and
manifest evil, and remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue. And
Allah knows what you do." (29:46)
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Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that
he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, say:
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"Tell me if one of you had a stream running at his
door and he should take a bath in it five times every day would any dirt be
left upon him? He was answered: No dirt would be left on him. The Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) observed: This is the case of the
five prayers. Allah wipes out all faults in consequence of them."
(Bukhari)
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As for the punishment of not observing the salat, all
matters of reward and punishment rest solely with Allah.
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Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he
heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
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"Giving up prayer is tantamount to disbelief and
associating partners with Allah." (Muslim)
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Five Daily Prayers
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Salat, the obligatory Muslim prayer, is said at appointed
time fixed in relation to the sun's position. The time of Fajr, the morning prayer
begins at dawn and ends just before sunrise. The time of Zuhr, the midday
prayer, begins after the sun has crossed the zenith point and has begun to
decline. The Asr prayer is said when the sun has further advanced in decline,
in the late afternoon. The time of the Maghrib prayer begins immediately
after sunset. It lasts till dusk. The Isha prayer can be said after dusk has
finally disappeared, giving way to darkness of the night.
Fajr Zuhr
Asr Maghrib Isha'
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Saum
Along with salat, another important form of worship is
fasting. It is obligatory for each Muslim, apart from some exemptions, to
fast in the month of Ramadhan. During the hours of fasting, food and drink
and conjugal relations between husband and wife are forbidden. It is enjoined
that during fasting one should pay attention to remembrance of God and study
the Holy Quran in abundance. One should try to curtail one's worldly pastimes
as much as possible during Ramadhan, and to be particularly inclined towards
charity and alms giving.
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Human life is dependent on food and drink and the
continuation of the human race depends on the marital relationship. While
fasting one refrains from them both, as if bearing witness to God that for
His pleasure man gives up the factors (temporarily) upon which his very
existence depends. The various other benefits of fasting are that man gets to
exercise sacrificing physical comfort and to endure hunger and thirst.
Fasting creates a sense of equality between the rich and the poor. By
developing an appreciation of hunger and thirst, it makes the well-off think
of the needs of the poor and impresses a feeling of compassion in their
hearts. It makes them appreciate, through the practicality of it, the state a
human being endures when hungry and thirsty. Ramadhan is a most effective and
excellent means of spiritual development for mankind.
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Zakat
Zakat (Alms giving) is a part of devotion enjoined upon
Muslims by the Holy Quran. It is a means where the well-off pay a set amount
of their wealth. Zakat means to purify oneself. It is obligatory on Muslims
to pay a little percentage of their accumulated wealth towards Zakat, which
is used for the benefit of the needy and the poor. Zakat is not levied on
one's property that is in personal use, rather on the assets which have a
means of increasing and which are surplus to one's needs. It is a means of social
justice and order. It teaches sympathy of the highest order
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Hajj
Hajj is the fifth Pillar of Islam and another form of
worship. It is an annual pilgrimage to the holy sites in Mecca which each
adult Muslim, who can afford it, has to perform once in life time. Apart from
the financial aspect, the ability to afford the pilgrimage also means that
one is able to travel and perform the Hajj in peace.
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Muslims perform Hajj in order to visit for themselves the
holy sites where their faith started. More importantly it is a pilgrimage to
the Ka'aba, which we believe is the first place of worship ever built on this
earth, Muslims thus refer to it as House of God. The ceremony of Hajj is also
symbolic of the Unity of God; all Muslims gather from four corners of the
earth in one spot at an appointed time and worship God. There are no
difficulties to perform Hajj apart from the obvious financial commitment in order
to travel to Mecca. That is the reason why, strictly speaking, Hajj is only
obligatory to those who have fulfilled all their worldly needs and have no
pressing commitments left and indeed can afford the passage to Mecca.
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It is a Muslim belief that God is everywhere and He
answers those who truly seek Him. In this respect indeed going to a
particular place to seek the pleasure and nearness to God is not the issue.
However, it is the physical presence of being in the holiest of the holy
places for the Muslim faith and indeed the congregational worship with
millions of other fellow Muslims that leaves an indelible mark on the
spiritual life of a person. It is a most supreme form of worship and is most
desirable to God.
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During Hajj, the person who intends to perform it is
required to travel to Mecca during the prescribed days and observe all the
rites and ceremonies. During Hajj Muslims from all corners of the world
gather in Mecca and perform the rites of Hajj and thus strengthen the bond of
Muslim unity.
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During Hajj each place brings to mind some event of the
blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him). It refreshes
the memory of the supreme sacrifices made by the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings on him) for the sake of Islam
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Articles of Faith
There are six articles of faith in Islam: 1. Belief in
Allah 2.Belief in Angles, 3. Belief in the Books (Scriptures) of Allah 4.
Belief in the Prophets of Allah, 5. Belief in the Day of Judgment and 6.
Belief in the Divine Laws
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Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, relates:
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We were sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, when suddenly a man arrived. He was
wearing clean, white clothes and his hair was jet black. He did not look as
though he were a traveler and he was not known to any of us. He sat down
close to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his
knees touching the knees of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him. He said: O Muhammad, tell me something about faith. The Holy
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied:
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"Faith is that you should believe in Allah, His
Angels, His Books and His Prophets; that you should believe in the Day of
Judgment and that you should believe in the Divine Laws relating to good and
evil." (Tirmidhi)
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Ali ibn Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that
he Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
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"The faith is that one recognizes God at heart,
accepts Him verbally and acts on His commandments." (Ibni Majah)
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