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What is Islam?
A holistic vision
Who
are Muslims?
Think you can recognise a Muslim by dress or
nationality? Think again. Almost one-fourth of the
world's population is Muslim. And although some
people mistakenly believe that all Muslims are Arab
(or vice versa), Arabs make up only 18% of the
world's Muslim population. Muslims are found
everywhere from West Africa to Eastern Europe to
China and the Philippines, and they are establishing
a growing presence in the West. Muslims come in all
races and colours, are found in all professions and
walks of life, and have made significant
contributions to every field of human endeavour
since the beginning of Islam, from science and
mathematics to art and the humanities. In today's
'global village,' there is no place on earth that
they are not making an impact. Furthermore, despite
media bias, the vast majority of Muslims belong to
stable, loving families, and have nothing to do with
terrorism or other acts of violence.
What
is Islam?
The word 'Islam' comes from the Arabic root aslama,
which means peace and submission; a practising
Muslim strives to submit wholeheartedly to God,
thereby achieving peace in this life and the Next.
Submitting to God's will does not mean that a person
need no longer think, or that he must give up his
free will to choose; rather, like a law-abiding
citizen, a person who observes God's commands
benefits himself and others by respecting Divine
laws and using his freedom wisely. The Islamic
concept of submission is thus an active one; a
Muslim struggles to increase his knowledge, develop
his character, and do what is right to the best of
his ability - after which he accepts that the
outcome of his affairs is ultimately in God's hands.
What
do Muslims believe in?
One
God
Islam is based on faith in a Higher Power, the
Gracious Lord and Creator of the Universe, without
family or partners, called 'Allah'. Muslims prefer
to use the Arabic word Allah for God, because it has
no plural, feminine or diminutive form that could be
associated with idolatry (i.e. gods, goddesses or 'demi-gods').
Although Allah is referred to as 'He,' it is
understood that God is Self-Sufficient, and
transcends both duality and gender; the 99 Names of
Allah mentioned in the Qur'an contain 'feminine'
attributes (such as the Compassionate) as well as
'masculine' ones (i.e. the Almighty). Allah is
Merciful and Just, All-Knowing and All-Seeing,
Friend and Guide, and the only one worthy of our
worship and devotion.
Prophethood
Islam teaches that belief in a Higher Power, coupled
with a universal code of ethics (summarised in the
simple maxim 'believe in God and be good'), is the
natural religion of mankind. This religion (or way
of life), in its diverse manifestations, has been
taught by prophets, who were sent by Allah to every
nation and tribe at some point in time. Prophets
called people to a personal relationship with their
Lord, and set a blessed example of how to live. When
people forgot or corrupted the message, He sent
another prophet to restore it. The Qur'an mentions
25 prophets by name; of these, five were great
Messengers: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and
Muhammad. Each prophet received Divine revelation,
and some were given books of Scripture. Muslims
believe that Allah revealed Jewish and Christian
Scriptures in their original versions, but that
their texts have since been corrupted. The Qur'an,
revealed to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel,
holds the unique position of being God's final
message to humanity, and He has promised to preserve
it intact until the end of time. Interestingly,
scholars have verified that the Qur'an is the only
world scripture that has but a single version (in
Arabic), identical to the text that was revealed
more than 1400 years ago. It is also the only
scripture that can be committed to memory by people
of all ages, regardless of their native tongue.
Life
after Death
Although people are inclined to forgetfulness and
sin, Islam affirms an overall positive view of man -
who has been created as God's representative on
earth - and teaches that faith and appreciation of
goodness is inherent to human nature. Furthermore,
children are born in a state of purity and do not
'inherit' sin. Life's test is to do one's best and
to resist evil in the world and within oneself, so
that one can stand before Allah with a clean heart
on the Day of Judgement. Those who are successful
will be rewarded in Paradise, but those who have
neglected their souls will be doomed to Hell. Each
individual is responsible for his own actions, and
cannot rely on the goodness of others to absolve him
of his sins. Although in the end, no one can attain
salvation except by Allah's grace, the normal
prerequisites will be faith accompanied by good
works that, together, weigh heavier in the balance
than the wrong that one has done. Reward will be
granted in proportion to effort. Paradise is a place
of physical and spiritual beauty and perfection,
where people will have their hearts' desires and
will be blessed with the vision of Allah Most High.
What
religious obligations do Muslims have?
(1) The first step is to declare with conviction
that 'there is none worthy of worship but Allah
(God), and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah' (the
shahadah). This is the first 'pillar' of Islam, and
when said before witnesses it marks a person's entry
into Islam. A sincere Muslim also undertakes to
perform four acts of worship that complete the Five
Pillars. These are:
(2) Prayer (salat) - Every believer should offer
five prayers daily, at certain times of day (dawn,
noon, afternoon, sunset and evening); the obligatory
prayers take 5-10 minutes, engage body, mind and
soul, and are offered in congregation whenever
possible. Regular prayers help one to establish a
direct link with God and are a means of purifying
the heart; they can be likened to connecting to a
power source and recharging one's being. Group
prayers, in which believers stand, humbly, shoulder
to shoulder, also help people to transcend false
barriers of race, ethnicity, and class.
(3) Charity (zakat) - Muslims are expected to donate
a minimum of 2.5% of their net yearly savings to
charity, in the form of money or goods. This is
collected by the community annually and distributed
to those in need. The word zakat means purification
and growth: one's wealth is not pure for one's own
use until it has been shared with those less
fortunate; being charitable leads to spiritual
growth.
(4) Fasting (sawm Ramadan) - During the lunar month
of Ramadan, the faithful abstain from food, drink
and sexual relations between dawn and sunset, and
are also expected to control their tongue and
temper. Meals are taken before dawn and after
sunset. Fasting in Ramadan teaches self-restraint
and empathy for the poor, builds willpower and
God-consciousness, and it is a time during which
Muslims strengthen their ties with the community and
their Creator.
(5) Pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj) - Every Muslim who
is financially and physically able must visit Makkah
once in his or her lifetime, during the Hajj season.
The Pilgrimage puts the reality of human life into
perspective: it serves as a vivid reminder of the
struggles and sacrifices made by the prophets; it
strengthens the bonds of brotherhood between the
international community of Muslims, who come from
every corner of the world to join in this unique
'annual convention;' and it prepares the pilgrim for
the profound journey that each of us must undergo
from this life to the Next.
Not
just a 'religion,'
but
a way of life
There are many other acts of worship that are
recommended in Islam, such as offering personal
prayers and supplications, reading the Qur'an,
volunteering in service of the community, etc.,
besides which everything a person does with the
intention of pleasing God is considered an act of
worship. In contrast, there are things that God has
prohibited because of the harm they engender to
individuals and society; these include lying,
stealing, disrespecting one's parents, extra-marital
affairs, drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other
destructive or unethical behaviour. The guidelines
for these commands and prohibitions are found in the
Shari'ah, or Sacred Law, which is derived from the
Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.*
The Shari'ah is unique in that it provides guidance
not only on 'religious matters,' but addresses every
aspect of life, including issues of social justice,
politics, trade, international relations, family
life, and even animal rights and the environment.
A
solution to today's problems
Despite the negative manner in which Muslims are
often portrayed by the media, many people are
surprised to find, upon deeper investigation, that
Islam provides a solution to their spiritual,
personal and social needs. It offers a faith based
on reason, free of superstition or the need for
intermediaries between oneself and God; it actively
promotes racial brotherhood and harmony; and its
economic guidelines encourage fair exchange between
rich and poor, capital and labour. Its political
system (in the original, pure form) is based on a
deep concern for justice and human rights, and it
provides guidelines by which people of different
faiths can live with one another in harmony.
Furthermore, its model for family life offers an
alternative to the current breakdown of the family
in Western society, and the ensuing social
disintegration and chaos.
Putting
it all together: the parable of 'the good tree'
The image of a healthy tree, evergreen, giving shade
and bearing delicious, fragrant fruit year-round, is
a parable of a balanced Muslim. The source of this
parable is the Qur'an, which says, 'A good word is
like a good tree whose root is firmly fixed, and
whose branches reach to heaven; bearing fruit in all
seasons by the permission of its Lord' (Qur'an
14:24-5).
If we imagine that the tree represents a Muslim who
is sincerely striving to embody Islamic ideals, then
the seed of this tree is the shahadah. This
affirmation of God's unity permeates and colours
every cell, so that his every thought, word and
action is formed within the matrix of this
understanding. The roots, which nourish the tree and
grant it stability, can be likened to the Articles
of Faith - belief in God, His angels, holy books,
prophets, the Day of Judgement and Divine destiny.
The trunk grows through faith in Allah and His
Messenger, which extends from the seed to the
branches. Five branches represent the Five Pillars:
they give the tree its shape and habit. Furthermore,
the leaves represent Islamic manners and customs
(such as greeting with 'salaam' or wearing modest
dress). They are what make the tree attractive and
recognisable from a distance, and provide shade to
other creatures. In the end, however, a tree's
purpose remains unfulfilled until it bears fruit.
The fruits of the tree are good character: qualities
such as truthfulness, patience, courage, empathy,
love, and compassion, along with all the other
things that we desire in a friend, spouse or
colleague; namely, the things that make us human.
www.wamy.co.uk
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What they say about Islam
The Islam that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
is the continuation and culmination of all the
preceding revealed religions and hence it is for all
times and all peoples. This status of Islam is
sustained by glaring facts. Firstly, there is no
other revealed book extant in the same form and
content as it was revealed. Secondly, no other
revealed religion has any convincing claim to
provide guidance in all walks of human life for all
times. But Islam addresses humanity at large and
offers basic guidance regarding all human problems.
Moreover, it has withstood the test of fourteen
hundred years and has all the potentialities of
establishing an ideal society as it did under the
leadership of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
It was a miracle that Prophet Muhammad could bring
even his toughest enemies to the fold of Islam
without adequate material resources. Worshippers of
idols, blind followers of the ways of forefathers,
promoters of tribal feuds, abusers of human dignity
and blood, became the most disciplined nation under
the guidance of Islam and its Prophet. Islam opened
before them vistas of spiritual heights and human
dignity by declaring righteousness as the sole
criterion of merit and honor. Islam shaped their
social, cultural, moral and commercial life with
basic laws and principles which are in conformity
with human nature and hence applicable in all times
as human nature does not change.
It is so unfortunate that the Christian West instead
of sincerely trying to understand the phenomenal
success of Islam during its earlier time, considered
it as a rival religion. During the centuries of the
Crusades this trend gained much force and impetus
and huge amount of literature was produced to
tarnish the image of Islam. But Islam has begun to
unfold its genuineness to the modem scholars whose
bold and objective observations on Islam belie all
the charges levelled against it by the so-called
unbiased Orientalist.
Here we furnish some observations on Islam by great
and acknowledged non-Muslim scholars of modern time.
Truth needs no advocates to plead on its behalf, but
the prolonged malicious propaganda against Islam has
created great confusion even in the minds of free
and objective thinkers.
We hope that the following observations would
contribute to initiating an objective evaluation of
Islam
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