Islam_Is.pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

# Topic Page #

1. Foreword ...................................................................................................................1

2. What is Islam? ..........................................................................................................1

3. Monotheism ..............................................................................................................1

4. The Oneness of God in His Lordship .......................................................................2

5. The Devotion of all Worship to The One God Alone...............................................2

6. The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes.........................3

7. The Six Articles of Faith...........................................................................................4

8. Belief in God.............................................................................................................4

9. Belief in His Angels..................................................................................................5

10. Belief in His Books.................................................................................................5

11. Belief in His Prophets and Messengers...................................................................5

12. Belief in the Day of Judgment ................................................................................6

13. Belief in Divine Decree ..........................................................................................7

14. The Free Will of the Human Being.........................................................................7

15. There is No Compulsion in Religion ......................................................................8

16. The Five Pillars of Islam.........................................................................................8

17. The Declaration of Faith (Shahada) .......................................................................8

18. Praying Five Times a Day (Salat) ...........................................................................9

19. Paying the Yearly Alms (Zakat) .............................................................................9

20. Fasting During Ramadhan (Sawm) .......................................................................10

21. Making a Pilgrimage to Makka (Mecca) (Hajj) ....................................................10

22. The Qur’ān ............................................................................................................10

23. The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ...................................12

24. The Story of Adam and Eve..................................................................................12

25. Jesus (Peace be upon him) ....................................................................................14

26. Sin and Repentance...............................................................................................14

27. Organizational Structure of Islam .........................................................................15

28. Islamic Law...........................................................................................................16

29. The Islamic Dress Code ........................................................................................17

30. Women in Islam....................................................................................................17

31. Male Chauvinism and the Muslim World.............................................................18

32. Islam, Warfare, and Jihād .....................................................................................19

33. Science and Technology .......................................................................................21

34. The Dangers of Innovations in Islam (Bid’ah) .....................................................22

35. Fundamentalism and Terrorism ............................................................................23

36. Conclusion ............................................................................................................24

37. Editor’s Note.........................................................................................................25

ISLAM IS… ISBN 0-9719158-0-6

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information used is not in any way quoted out of context or used for profit. First Printing 2/02 www.islam-is.com

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Islam Is… 1

1. FOREWORD

The purpose of this work is to present the authentic teachings of Islam. There is

only one Islam, and only one example of how it is to be lived - that of the Prophet

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) . 1 Our intention is to provide a basic overview of the main

tenets as given in the Qur’ān and by the example set by the Prophet. We also attempt

to address some commonly asked questions about Islam.

Despite the fact that over one-fifth of the world’s population is Muslim, Islam is

often misunderstood and misrepresented in contemporary Western society. It is hoped

that this work will help shed light on Islam, which was divinely communicated to

Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and dispel any commonly held misconceptions that ignite

prejudice and hatred.

We write this in the hope that people of all faiths will join us in making this a

world of tolerance, kindness, understanding, and peace.

2. WHAT IS ISLAM?

The Arabic word “Islam” literally means “submission.” Islam, as a faith, means

total and sincere submission to God. Such submission to God brings peace and

tranquility.

The name Islam 2 is universal in its meaning. Islam is not named after a tribe of

people or after an individual, as Judaism is named after the Tribe of Judah, Christianity

is named after Christ, and Buddhism is named after Buddha. Islam was not a name

chosen by human beings; it was divinely communicated from God. Islam is a complete

way of life, implying a total submission to God. One who submits his or her will to

God, voluntarily, 3 is called a Muslim. It was not Muhammad but Adam (Peace be upon

them) who first brought Islam to humanity. Then, each Prophet and Messenger (Peace be

upon them) came to exhort the people to clear understanding of God’s Commandment

and offered teachings pertinent to that time, until finally the Prophet Muhammad came

with the Last Testament.

Allah is the proper Name of the One 4 True God who Created the heavens and the

earth. It should be mentioned that Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians call God by the

Name Allah.

3. MONOTHEISM

The concept of monotheism (known as tawheed in Arabic) is the single most

important concept in Islam. Monotheism is similar to the first of the Ten

Commandments, and everything in Islam is built upon it. Islam calls humanity to

1 . It is Islamic tradition to offer blessings of peace to all the Prophets and Messengers of God. Not to do so when

they are named would be considered a withholding of respect.

2 . Some Muslims are uncomfortable calling Islam a “religion,” as Islam is not an institutionalized faith. In Arabic

Islam is referred to as a Deen, “Way of life.” This is the same as early Christians who also called their faith “The

Way.”

3 . Voluntarily in this sense means more than not being coerced. It means submitting to God without ulterior

motives or reservations, and with genuine wholeheartedness.

4 . The additional capitalization found throughout this text reflects respect for God and sets His Divine Attributes

apart from all creation.

2 Islam Is...

worship the One and only true God. No act of worship or devotion has any meaning or

value if this concept is in any way compromised.

Due to its importance, the concept of monotheism must be properly understood.

Everything that we know with regard to the Divine Unity of God must be cherished.

For ease of discussion, monotheism can be looked at from the following three

perspectives:

1. The Oneness of God in His Lordship

2. The Devotion of All Worship to The One God Alone

3. The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes

This breakdown is by no means the only way to approach the subject of God’s

Unity, but it allows the topic to be easily analyzed and discussed.

4. THE ONENESS OF GOD IN HIS LORDSHIP

The Oneness of God in His Lordship means that God Has Absolute Mastery over

the universe. He alone is the Creator of all things. He alone Causes everything to

happen. He is the One Who Provides all sustenance and Who Determines life and

death. He is All-Powerful, absolutely Perfect, free from any defect. No one shares in

His Dominion. None can resist His Decree. He is the One Who Created each of us

from a single cell and Made us into what we are. He is the One Who Created billions

of galaxies and every electron, neutron, and quark contained within them, Keeping all

that exists and all the laws of nature in perfect measure. Not a leaf falls from a tree

without His Permission and Account.

He is far Greater than our imagination. He is so Powerful that for anything to be

Created He simply Says, “Be,” and it is. He Created time, space, and all the known

and unknown worlds, yet He is not part of any of them. Most faiths recognize that the

Creator of the universe is One, without partner. Islam includes the knowledge that God

is not a part of His creation and none of His creation shares in His Power.

To believe that any of God’s creation shares in any of His Power or Attributes

would be considered polytheism and disbelief. Examples of such false beliefs would be

to consider that fortune tellers and astrologers can predict the future; God Says only He

Has Knowledge of the future. Only the Divine can bring Divine help! No being has the

ability to give Divine help or Divine guidance. Believing good luck charms and

talismans have Divine power is a form of polytheism. These concepts are renounced in

Islam.

5. THE DEVOTION OF ALL WORSHIP TO THE ONE GOD

ALONE

Only God is to be worshipped. This was proclaimed by all the Prophets and

Messengers of Islam who were Sent by God throughout the ages and is the core belief

of Islam. God Tells us that the purpose of the creation of mankind is to worship Him

alone. The purpose of Islam is to call people away from the worship of creation and to

direct them toward the worship of the Creator only.

This is where Islam differs from other religions. Though most religions teach that

there is a Creator Who Created all that exists, they are rarely free of some form of

polytheism (idolatry) with respect to worship. These religions either call on their ad-

herents to worship other beings besides God as gods (though usually placing these

Islam Is… 3

other gods on a lower level than the God Who is the Creator), or they demand that

their adherents call on other beings as intercessors between them and God.

All the Prophets and Messengers of God, from Adam to Muhammad (Peace be upon

them all) , called people to worship God alone with neither partner nor intermediary. This

is the purest, simplest, most natural faith. Islam rejects and refutes the notion held by

cultural anthropologists that the early religion of human beings was polytheism, which

gradually evolved into monotheism. In fact, the truth is just the opposite – human

cultures descended into idolatry during the gaps between the many Messengers of God.

Subsequent Messengers were Commissioned by God to bring people BACK to

monotheism.

The authentic, natural religion of humanity is to worship God alone. Satan, on the

other hand, does his utmost to get people to turn away from monotheism, inviting man

to the worship of other beings. Most of mankind seem to have a tendency to focus their

devotion on something they can visualize, something imaginable, even though they

have an instinctive knowledge that the Creator of the universe is far greater than their

imaginations. Throughout human history, God Sent Prophets and Messengers to call

the people back to the worship of the One True God, and repeatedly, people deviated

to the worship of created beings (idolatry and polytheism).

God Created human beings to worship Him alone. The greatest possible sin is to

worship any other than God, even if the worshipper intends to get nearer to God by

offering devotions to another being. God does not need intercessors or intermediaries.

He Hears all of our prayers and Has Complete Knowledge of everything that happens.

At the same time, God does not need our worship, but He Says that it is pleasing to

Him. He is completely Independent of all things. All creation is dependent upon Him.

If every person in the world were to come together to worship only God, it would not

benefit God in the least. It would not add an atom’s weight to His Dominion.

Conversely, if all creation abandoned the worship of God, it would not decrease His

Dominion in the least. By worshipping God, we benefit our own souls and fulfill the

noble purpose for which we were Created. God Has no needs; He is The Eternal, The

Absolute.

Worship is not just traditional religious ceremonies and practices. The concept of

worship is inclusive. Changing a diaper or a tire or picking up a piece of glass from the

sidewalk all can be forms of worship if they are done to please God. If any sort of

gain—wealth, job, power, recognition—becomes more important than pleasing God,

even that is a form of polytheism.

6. THE UNIQUENESS AND ONENESS OF GOD IN HIS NAMES

AND ATTRIBUTES

The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes indicates that

God does not Share in the attributes of created beings, nor do they share in any of His.

God is Unique in every way. He Cannot be limited in any way, for He is the Creator of

everything. God The Most High Says, “God! None is Worthy of worship but He, The

Ever Living, The One Who Sustains and Protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor

sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on

the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He

Knows what happens to them [His creatures] in this world, and what will happen to

4 Islam Is...

them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge

except that which He Wills. His Kursi [Throne] extends over the heavens and the

earth, and He Feels no fatigue in Guarding and Preserving them and He is the Most

High, The Supreme.” [Qur’ān 2:255]

It is forbidden in Islam to attribute to God characteristics of His creation. The only

attributes that are permitted to be ascribed to God are the ones He Revealed Himself in

the Qur’ān or those used by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to describe Him. Many of

God’s Names and Attributes seem to have equivalents on the human level, but this is

only a reflection of human language. God’s Attributes, like God Himself, are unlike

anything in our experience. For instance, God Has Divine Knowledge. Man has

knowledge. God’s Knowledge, though, is nothing at all like the knowledge of human

beings. God’s Knowledge Is Unlimited, Timeless, and Unchanging. It is neither

learned nor acquired. It Encompasses all things without experiencing increase or

decrease. Human knowledge, on the other hand, is acquired and limited. It is

constantly changing, increasing and decreasing, and subject to forgetfulness and error.

God Has Divine Will. The human being also has a will. God’s Will always Comes

to pass. Like His Divine Knowledge, It Is Timeless and Unchanging, Encompassing all

things that God Wants to come to pass in creation, past, present, and future. Human

will, on the other hand, is merely an intention, a desire. It can only come to pass if God

Wills it to happen.

Human attributes cannot be ascribed to God. All human attributes are limited. He

has no gender, deficiency, or weakness. 5 It is a form of polytheism to ascribe to God

attributes of created things. It is likewise a form of polytheism to ascribe to created

things Attributes that belong to God alone. For instance, anyone who believes that any

other than God is All-Knowledgeable or All-Powerful has committed the sin of

polytheism. “Blessed be the name of your Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty, and Honor.”

[Qur’ān 55:78]

7. THE SIX ARTICLES OF FAITH

There are certain things that every Muslim must believe. A person who doubts any

of these things cannot be considered a Muslim. These articles of faith are:

1. Belief in God

2. Belief in His Angels

3. Belief in His Books

4. Belief in His Prophets and Messengers

5. Belief in the Day of Judgment

6. Belief in God’s Divine Decree

8. BELIEF IN GOD

Islam emphasizes that God is One, The Creator of all that exists, and He is Unique

in every way. Only God Has the right to be worshipped.

5 . God is beyond the human attribute of gender. Here we have used the pronoun “He” only because there is no

gender-neutral pronoun in Semitic languages, and it follows the conventions of English usage. When the royal

“We” is used in the Qur’ān to refer to God, it is for respect and in no way implies plurality.

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