Introduction To Islam
I. Islam and Muslims
The name of this religion is Islam, the root of which, Silm or Salam,
means peace. Salam is also part of the greeting of peace among Muslims.
In addition, one of the beautiful names of God is As-Salam, meaning "The
Peace". The word, however, means much more than just "peace". It means
submission to the One God, as well as to live in harmony with other people and
with the environment. A Muslim is, therefore, any person, anywhere in the
world, whose obedience, allegiance and loyalty are to God, Lord of the
Universe, and who strives to live in accordance with God's laws.
 
Masjid Al-Haram, Mecca (Left) and Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Mosque (Right)
II. Muslims and Arabs
The followers of Islam are called Muslims. We should not confuse Muslims with
Arabs. Muslims may be Arabs, or they may be Turks, Persians, Indians,
Pakistanis, Indonesians, Europeans, Africans, Americans, Chinese, or any other
nationality. Islam is not limited to any nationality or race.
Arabs, also, are not limited to only one religion. An Arab may be a Muslim, a
Jew, a Christian, an atheist, or part of any other belief system. Any person
who adopts the Arab language as his or her mother tongue is called an Arab.
While there are over one billion Muslims in the world, there are about 200
million Arabs, among whom about ten percent are not Muslim. Thus, Arab Muslims
constitute only about twenty percent of the Muslim population of the world.
The language of the Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, is Arabic. Muslims all over
the world try to learn Arabic so that they may be able to read the Qur'an and
understand its meaning. They pray in the language of the Qur'an, but
supplications to God may be in any language.
III. Allah, the One and the Only God
Allah is the name of the One and Only God. Allah has ninety-nine beautiful
names, such as: The Gracious, The Merciful, The Beneficent, The Creator, The
All-Knowing, The All-Wise, The Lord of the Universe, The First, The Last, and
many others.
He is the Creator of all human beings. He is the God for the Christians, the
Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus and all others, including those
who do not even believe in Him. Muslims worship God, and put their trust in Him
as they seek His help and guidance.
IV. Muhammad
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was chosen by Allah to deliver His Message of
Peace, namely Islam. He was born in 570 C.E. (Common Era) in Makkah, Arabia. He
was entrusted with the Message of Islam when he was at the age of forty years.
The revelation that he received is called the Qur'an, while the message is
called Islam.
Muhammad (PBUH) is the very last Prophet of Allah to mankind. He is the final
Messenger of Allah. His message was and still is to all of mankind, including
the Christians and Jews. He was sent to those religious people to inform them
about the true mission of Jesus, Moses, David, Jacob, Isaac and Abraham.
Muhammad (PBUH) is considered to be the summation and culmination of all the
prophets and messengers that came before him. He purified the previous messages
from adulteration and completed the Message of Allah for all humanity. He was
entrusted with the power of explaining, interpreting and living the teachings
of the Qur'an.
V. Sources of Islam
The legal sources of Islam are the Qur'an and the Hadith.
The Qur'an is the exact words of Allah; its authenticity, originality and
totality are intact. The Hadith are the reports of the sayings, deeds and
approvals of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet's sayings and deeds are called
Sunnah. The Seerah is the writings of followers of Muhammad about the life of
the Prophet. Hence, it is the life history of the Prophet Muhammad which
provides examples of daily living for Muslims.
VI. Some Islamic Principles
A. Oneness of Allah
He is One and the Only One. He is not two in one or three in one. This means
that Islam rejects the idea of trinity or such a unity of God which implies
more than one God in one.
B. Oneness of mankind
People are created equal in front of the Law of Allah. There is not superiority
of one race over another. Allah made us of different colors, nationalities,
languages and beliefs so as to test who is going to be better than others. No
one can claim that he is better than others. It is only Allah Who knows who is
better. It depends on piety and righteousness.
C. Oneness of Messengers and the Message
Muslims believe that Allah sent different messengers throughout the history of
mankind. All came with the same message and the same teachings. It was the
people who misunderstood and misinterpreted them. Muslims believe in Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. The Prophets
of Christianity and Judaism are indeed the Prophets of Islam.
D. Angels and the Day of Judgment
Muslims believe that there are unseen creatures such as angels created by Allah
in the universe for special missions. Muslims believe that there is a Day of
Judgment when all people of the world throughout the history of mankind till
the last Day of life on earth, are to be brought for accounting, reward and
punishment.
E. Innocence of Man at Birth
Muslims believe that people are born free of sin. It is only after they reach
the age of puberty and it is only after they commit sins that they are to be
charged for their mistakes. No one is responsible for or can take
responsibility for the sins of others. However, the door of forgiveness through
true repentance is always open.
F. State and Religion
Muslims believe that Islam is a total and a complete way of life. It
encompasses all aspects of life. As such, the teachings of Islam do not
separate religion from politics. As a matter of fact, state and religion are
under the obedience of Allah through the teachings of Islam. Hence, economic
and social transactions, as well as educational and political systems, are a
part of the teachings of Islam.
VII. Practices of Islam
Allah instructed the Muslims to practice what they believe in. In Islam there
are five pillars:
A. Creed (Shahadah)
The verbal commitment and pledge that there is only One Allah and Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah, is considered to be the Creed of Islam.
B. Prayers (Salat)
The performance of the five daily prayers is required of Muslims.
C. Fasting (Saum)
Fasting is total abstinence from food, liquids and intimate relations from dawn
to sunset during the entire month of Ramadan.
D. Purifying Tax (Zakat)
This is an annual payment of a certain percentage of a Muslim's property, which
is distributed among the poor or other rightful beneficiaries.
E. Pilgrimage (Hajj)
The performance of pilgrimage to Makkah is required once in a lifetime if the
means are available. Hajj is, in part, a memorial to the trials and
tribulations of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hagar and his eldest son, Prophet
Ishmael.
VIII. Other Related Aspects
A. Calendar
Islamic practices are based on the lunar calendar. However, Muslims also use
the Gregorian calendar in their daily religious lives. Hence, the Islamic
calendar includes both the common era and the migration (Hijra) year of
the Prophet of Islam from Makkah to Madinah in the year of 623 C.E.
B. Celebrations (Eid)
Muslims have two celebrations (Eid): the Eid of Sacrifice and the Eid of
Fast-breaking. The Eid of Sacrifice is in remembrance of the sacrifice to have
been made by Prophet Abraham of his son. The Eid of Fast-breaking comes at the
end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
C. Diets
Islam allows Muslims to eat everything which is good for the health. It
restricts certain items such as pork and its byproducts, alcohol and any
narcotic or addictive drugs.
D. Place of Worship
The place of worship is called the Mosque or Masjid. There are three holy
places of worship for the Muslims on the world. These are the Mosque of the
Kaabah in Makkah, the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad in Madinah, and Masjid Aqsa,
adjacent to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
A Muslim may pray anywhere in the world, whether in a Mosque, a house, an
office, or outside. The whole world is a place of worship. It is preferable
that Muslims pray in a congregation, but he/she may pray individually anywhere.
E. Holy Day
The holy day of the Muslims is Friday. It is considered to be sacred, and the
Day of Judgment will take place on Friday. Muslims join together shortly after
noon on Friday for the Friday congregational prayer in a Mosque. A leader (Imam)
gives a sermon (khutbah) and leads the congregational prayer.
F. Distribution of Muslims in North America
There are approximately seven million Muslims in North America and are
distributed all around the continent, including major cities.
G. Contributions in North America
Muslims are now established in North America. The Sears Tower and John Hancock
buildings in Chicago were designed by a Muslim chief architect, Fazlur Rahman,
originally from Bangladesh. Muslims have established academic institutions,
community centers and organizations, schools and places of worship. They live
in peace and harmony among themselves and among other groups of people in the
society. The rate of crime among Muslims is very minimal. Muslims in North
America are highly educated and have added to the success of American
scientific and technological fields.
The Muslims of the early period of the Islamic era were pioneers in medicine,
geography, navigation, arts, poetry, mathematics, algebra, logarithms,
calculus, etc. They contributed to the Renaissance of Europe and world
civilization.
IX. Non-Muslims
Muslims are required to respect all those who are faithful and God conscious
people, namely, those who received messages. Christians and Jews are called
People of the Book. Muslims are asked to call upon the People of the Book for
common terms, namely, to worship One Allah, and to work together for the
solutions of the many problems in the society.
Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims throughout centuries in the
Middle East and other Asian and African countries. The second Caliph, Umar, did
not pray in the church in Jerusalem so as not to give the Muslims an excuse to
take it over. Christians trusted the Muslims, and as such, the key of the
Church in Jerusalem is still in the hands of Muslims.
Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and they were welcomed by the
Muslims. They settled in the heart of the Islamic Caliphate. They enjoyed
positions of power and authority.
Throughout the Muslim World, churches, synagogues and missionary schools were
built within the Muslim neighborhoods. These places were protected by Muslims
even during the contemporary crises in the Middle East.
For more information about Islam, please visit following
informative websites:
http://www.islam-brief-guide.org
http://english.islamway.com
http://www.islamonline.net
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