Indeed the knowledge of Islam is very necessary, not only for non-muslims, but also for those who call themselves as Muslims, because we have a lot of different and contradictory religions, each one is named or considered as Islam.
For example we have Sunnis and Shiites, two contradictory religions, each one has its own sources، belief, and books, and nevertheless each one is considered as islam.
So we have a huge need to define what is Islam, and that is what I will do throughout the following axes
- What does islam mean?
- What are the basics of Muslim's belief?
- What is islam in practice?
- The pillars of Islam
What does islam mean?
Islam is derived from the verb Aslama, which means sallama, which can be translated by giving, submission and surrendering, hence islam means give himself to Allah alone without a partner, as Allah said:
وَمَن أَحسَنُ دينًا مِمَّن أَسلَمَ وَجهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبراهيمَ حَنيفًا وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبراهيمَ خَليلًا
Approximate translation:
And who is better in religion than one who aslama (gives or submits) himself to Allah, while being a doer of good, and follows the way of Abraham inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.
An-Nissa, 125.
Definitions
Muslim is someone who submits to Allah alone.
Mushrik is someone who submits to Allah and others at the same time.
So Islam is a decision to submit oneself to Allah alone without a partner, this submission must be voluntary, complete and exclusive.
Voluntary submission
This submission must be voluntary, because if you accept Islam by fear of someone, you aren't a totally submissive to Allah, this person that made you a Muslim has an authority upon you, and your submission to his authority makes you a Mushrik. Therefore it's impossible to be forced to accept Islam, and that is what Allah mentioned in His saying:
لا إِكراهَ فِي الدّينِ قَد تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشدُ مِنَ الغَيِّ فَمَن يَكفُر بِالطّاغوتِ وَيُؤمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ استَمسَكَ بِالعُروَةِ الوُثقى لَا انفِصامَ لَها وَاللَّهُ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ
Approximate translation:
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
Al-Baqara, 256.
To get a voluntary submission to Allah, you must be convinced that Allah sent down Muhammad with evidences, because if you accept Islam by imitation of your society, you aren't a true Muslim according to the previous verse and the following hadith, because by submission to your society you became a Mushrik.
عَنْ فَاطِمَةَ، عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ، قَالَتْ: أَتَيْتُ عَائِشَةَ وَهِيَ تُصَلِّي فَقُلْتُ: مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ؟ فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَإِذَا النَّاسُ قِيَامٌ، فَقَالَتْ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، قُلْتُ: آيَةٌ؟ فَأَشَارَتْ بِرَأْسِهَا: أَيْ نَعَمْ، فَقُمْتُ حَتَّى تَجَلَّانِي الغَشْيُ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِي المَاءَ، فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: ” مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ أَكُنْ أُرِيتُهُ إِلَّا رَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَقَامِي، حَتَّى الجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ، فَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ: أَنَّكُمْ تُفْتَنُونَ فِي قُبُورِكُمْ – مِثْلَ أَوْ – قَرِيبَ – لاَ أَدْرِي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ – مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ، يُقَالُ مَا عِلْمُكَ بِهَذَا الرَّجُلِ؟ فَأَمَّا المُؤْمِنُ أَوِ المُوقِنُ – لاَ أَدْرِي بِأَيِّهِمَا قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ – فَيَقُولُ: هُوَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، جَاءَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالهُدَى، فَأَجَبْنَا وَاتَّبَعْنَا، هُوَ مُحَمَّدٌ ثَلاَثًا، فَيُقَالُ: نَمْ صَالِحًا قَدْ عَلِمْنَا إِنْ كُنْتَ لَمُوقِنًا بِهِ. وَأَمَّا المُنَافِقُ أَوِ المُرْتَابُ – لاَ أَدْرِي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ – فَيَقُولُ: لاَ أَدْرِي، سَمِعْتُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ شَيْئًا فَقُلْتُهُ “
Approximate translation:
From Fatima, from Asmaa, she said: I came to Aisha and she was praying, so I said: "What is the matter with the people?" She pointed to the sky, while all the people were standing. I asked: "Is this a sign?" She nodded her head and said: "Yes". I stood until the darkness covered me, and I began to pour water on my head, then the Prophet (peace be upon him) praised Allah and thanked Him. Then he said: "There is nothing that I did not see except I saw it in my place, even Paradise and Hell. It was revealed to me that you are being tested in your graves, like the tribulation of al-Masih ad-Dajjal (the false Messiah), it is said: "What do you know about this man?" As for the believer or the one who is certain (I do not know which one Asmaa said), he will say: "He will say: "He is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, he came to us with clear evidences and guidance, and we responded to him and followed him. He is Muhammad, three times. It is said: "Sleep righteously, we have known you were surely believe in him." As for the hypocrite or the doubter (I do not know which one Asmaa said), he will say: "I do not know, I heard people saying something, so I said it."
Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 86.
As you see, who said Muhammad is a messenger of Allah, because people around him say it, isn't a Muslim, only who understands the message that Muhammad pbuh has brought, and finds it clear evidences and guidance, and follows Muhammad is a true Muslim.
Complete and exclusive submission
Islam is also a complete and exclusive submission to Allah as Allah mentioned:
قُل إِنَّ صَلاتي وَنُسُكي وَمَحيايَ وَمَماتي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمينَلا شَريكَ لَهُ وَبِذلِكَ أُمِرتُ وَأَنا أَوَّلُ المُسلِمينَ
Approximate translation:
Say, indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, No partner has He, and this I have been commanded and I am the first of the submissives.
Al-An'am, 162-163.
So all your life is for Allah alone, including your social life, political life, economic life, all of that is for Allah alone, only Allah is who commands and you obey.
That implies that you aren't submitted to any authority except the authority of Allah, and that is what Allah emphasis by saying after the previous verses:
قُل أَغَيرَ اللَّهِ أَبغي رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيءٍ
Approximate translation:
Say is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things?
Al-An'am, 164.
Islam is the religion of all prophets peace be upon them, because all of them had come to invite their people to submit to their God Allah alone without a partner, and that is what we call Islam.
Commonly we call Islam the religion sent down to Muhammad peace be upon him, contained in the Quran and Sunnah.
What are the basics of Muslim's belief?
By the permission of Allah now we will explain what is a Muslim convinced of, because the creed from the point of view of Islam, is conviction based on facts and evidences.
Therefore by talking about what is a Muslim convinced of, we talk about the fondements of Muslim's belief, the basics of Muslim's faith:
Iman in Allah
The Muslim bases his conviction on fact that he and all the world, are creatures created by one creator called Allah in Arabic language, for one claire purpose, so we are belong to Him, and we live on His earth, under His sky, by His food, and everything we have is belong to Him, so logically and intuitively we must obeying Him alone without a partner, and that is what we call Iman in Allah.
When we accept what is previous, and we must to accept it, because no one of us dare claiming that he created himself, or created the earth, we must know that Allah sent to us several messengers with books and evidences that they are sent to us, the first one of them is our father Adam, and the last one is Muhammad, peace be upon all of them.
The mankind was divided between submissives whom accept the truth that the messengers have brought, and recalcitrants whom refuse the evidences, and follow their desire, thereby we have two identities, a submissive, and a stubborn one, as Allah mentioned:
هُوَ الَّذي خَلَقَكُم فَمِنكُم كافِرٌ وَمِنكُم مُؤمِنٌ وَاللَّهُ بِما تَعمَلونَ بَصيرٌ
Approximate translation:
It is He who created you, and among you is the recalcitrant, and among you is the believer. And Allah of what you do is Seeing.
At-Taghabun, 2.
So there is no difference between any Muslims, however their geography origine, however their languages, their skin's color, their age, all of them are the same, and no one becomes a Muslim until he loves them all, and manifests the brotherhood with them all, because when we became submissives we take off our old identity (ignorance Identity) however was it, national identity, tribe identity, racially identity, and we wear our new identity as believers, as submissives, who is Muslim is our brother, and who is stubborn is foreign to us, even if he is our biologically brother or father.
This point is always misunderstood by non-muslims, they always consider that Islam is only the religion of Arabs, like Judaism is only for jews, however the truth is that Islam is the religion of all prophets and believers from Adam until the Last Day, and not all Arabs are Muslims.
Iman in angels
The Muslim is also convinced that there are the angels, Allah created them for doing some specific tasks, and only Allah knows how many are them.
Among them Gabrielle who brings the messages of Allah to the messengers, and among them Azrael who is charged with death.
Iman in Last Day
The Muslim is also sure that there will be the Judgment Day, in which everyone will be compensated for his deeds in the worldly life, whoever was a submissive he will enter Paradise, and whoever was a recalcitrant he will be eternally punished in Hellfire.
The Last Day is the day that Muslims work for, because the life in the Hereafter is an infinite life.
Iman in fate
The surrendered is also sure that nothing, no matter how good or evil, happens without Allah's permission, so he is always satisfied, because he knows perfectly well that Allah is Merciful, and that good is in what Allah has chosen.
What is islam in practice?
If we analysis the previous definition of Islam, we will find that Islam is a very deep decision, according which everything, however so small, or so big, is for Allah alone, and that's what Allah mentioned in:
قُل إِنَّ صَلاتي وَنُسُكي وَمَحيايَ وَمَماتي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمينَلا شَريكَ لَهُ وَبِذلِكَ أُمِرتُ وَأَنا أَوَّلُ المُسلِمينَ
Approximate translation:
Say, indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, No partner has He, and this I have been commanded and I am the first of the submissives.
Al-An'am, 162-163.
So all your life is for Allah alone, including your social life, political life, economic life, all of that is for Allah alone, only Allah is who commands and you obey.
That implies that you aren't submitted to any authority except the authority of Allah, and that is what Allah emphasis by saying after the previous verses:
قُل أَغَيرَ اللَّهِ أَبغي رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيءٍ
Approximate translation:
Say is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things?
Al-An'am, 164.
So in practice the surrendered (Muslim) must limit his sources of orders he receives, in Quran and Sunnah only, because Allah didn't send to us anything but Quran and Sunnah.
That means the Muslim is not subject neither to the county law, nor the society law, nor even his own passion, and that's what makes practicing Islam difficult, because no one will easily accept rebelling against his law, hence the governing authority will torture, and persecute all who decided to surrender to Allah alone, and that what always happened with Muslims in the history of humanity.
For example when the magicians of Pharaoh announced that they submit to the Lord of Moses:
وَأُلقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ ساجِدينَقالوا آمَنّا بِرَبِّ العالَمينَرَبِّ موسى وَهارونَ
Approximate translation
And the magicians fell down in prostration, they said we have believed in the Lord of worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron
Al-A'raf, 120-122.
Pharaoh threatened them by torment as Allah told us in:
قالَ فِرعَونُ آمَنتُم بِهِ قَبلَ أَن آذَنَ لَكُم إِنَّ هذا لَمَكرٌ مَكَرتُموهُ فِي المَدينَةِ لِتُخرِجوا مِنها أَهلَها فَسَوفَ تَعلَمونَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيدِيَكُم وَأَرجُلَكُم مِن خِلافٍ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُم أَجمَعينَ
Approximate translation:
Said Pharaoh you believed in him before I gave you a permission, indeed this is a conspiracy which you conspired in the city to expel therefrom its people. But you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify you all
Al-A'raf, 123-124.
Pharaoh threatened them because he perfectly knows that the magicians have broken his law by believing in the Lord of Moses, because believing in Allah means don't observe any law including the Pharaoh law except the Allah's law.
Allah has told us in several times in Quran that the implementation of the decision of Islam is not easy, and need a lot of sacrifices and endurance:
أَم حَسِبتُم أَن تَدخُلُوا الجَنَّةَ وَلَمّا يَأتِكُم مَثَلُ الَّذينَ خَلَوا مِن قَبلِكُم مَسَّتهُمُ البَأساءُ وَالضَّرّاءُ وَزُلزِلوا حَتّى يَقولَ الرَّسولُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا مَعَهُ مَتى نَصرُ اللَّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصرَ اللَّهِ قَريبٌ
Approximate translation:
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said: when is the victory of Allah? Unquestionably the victory of Allah is near.
.Al-Baqara, 214
وَلَنَبلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيءٍ مِنَ الخَوفِ وَالجوعِ وَنَقصٍ مِنَ الأَموالِ وَالأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَراتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصّابِرينَالَّذينَ إِذا أَصابَتهُم مُصيبَةٌ قالوا إِنّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيهِ راجِعونَأُولئِكَ عَلَيهِم صَلَواتٌ مِن رَبِّهِم وَرَحمَةٌ وَأُولئِكَ هُمُ المُهتَدونَ
Approximate translation:
And we will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits but give good tidings to the patient who when disaster strikes them, say indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we will return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy and it is those who are (rightly) guided.
Al-Baqara, 155-157.
because to be a slave to Allah alone means to be against all the world, hence all the world will fight you in all possible ways
Your country will be the first who will fight you, because your Islam means breaking its law, therefore you will be put in jail، or you will evade in the countryside where you will not be under their authority.
Your family also will be angry against you, because by your Islam you have broken your belonging to them, and your relationship with them from now on, is defined by what is Islam says.
And only at this moment the previous verses will be fulfilled in you, and you can hope that you will be among the companions of Paradise.
Certainly it's so hard to be fought by all the world, but Allah will give you the inner peace, tranquillity and happiness, because that's what He has promised who follows His revelation in:
قالَ اهبِطا مِنها جَميعًا بَعضُكُم لِبَعضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَإِمّا يَأتِيَنَّكُم مِنّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشقى
Approximate translation:
Said: descend from it all, being enemies to one another. And if there should come to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer.
Taha, 123.
In the opposite side, If you refuse submitting to Allah by following His guidance, your life will be empty and so difficult, even though you have money and all you want, because you will never feel inner peace, so you will always be worried about the future, expecting the worst, and that is what Allah said in the following verses:
وَمَن أَعرَضَ عَن ذِكري فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحشُرُهُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ أَعمىقالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرتَني أَعمى وَقَد كُنتُ بَصيرًاقالَ كَذلِكَ أَتَتكَ آياتُنا فَنَسيتَها وَكَذلِكَ اليَومَ تُنسىوَكَذلِكَ نَجزي مَن أَسرَفَ وَلَم يُؤمِن بِآياتِ رَبِّهِ وَلَعَذابُ الآخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبقى
Approximate translation:
And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed he, will have a depressed life (difficult), and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind, he will say my Lord why have you raised me blind while I was seeing? Allah will say, Thus did our signs come to you and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day forgotten. And thus do We recompense he who transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring
Taha, 124-127.
In conclusion we can say that although practicing Islam is not easy, it is still the best way to live this life due to the inner peace and tranquility it brings, and of course it is the only way to avoid the severe torment of the hereafter.
The pillars of Islam
When the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him was asking about Islam, he replied:
Islam is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that the Muhammad is Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying Zakat, fasting the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the house of God for those who are able to reach it
By the permission of Allah we will analyse this hadith in the following:
The testimony that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah
The testimony that there is no god but Allah means the announcement of not submitting to anyone but Allah and not hoping help from anyone but Allah, because the word “ilah” in Arabic language means who we submit to and who we ask help from.
The meaning of the testimony that there is no god but Allah is contained in the verse:
إِيّاكَ نَعبُدُ وَإِيّاكَ نَستَعينُ
Approximate translation:
It is to You alone we submit and You alone we ask for help.
Al-Fatihah, 5.
Submission to Allah alone, means following exclusively the Messenger of Allah, because no one came to us from Allah but Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him.
To validate your testimony, you have to be honest when you say it, this means if you say this testimony but in fact you submit to others than Allah by following others than the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him, you aren’t yet a Muslim even you consider yourself as a Muslim.
Therefore you have to be sure that you don’t follow anyone but the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him, by asking evidence from Qur’an or Sunnah upon all what is presented to you, because the Messenger of Allah didn’t bring anything but the Qur’an and Sunnah.
This issue is very important, because a lot of people who think that they are Muslims, instead of following the Messenger of Allah, they follow their scholars under the pretext that what they teach them is extracted from the Qur’an and Sunnah, whereas in many cases that is not true at all, and if Allah wills I will return to this topic in the future articles .
Establishing prayer
Prayer is the greatest form of Ibadah after the decision of Islam, it is the biggest gift and honour that Allah gave the Muslim, because it is a direct meeting with Allah the Entirely Merciful the Especially Merciful, as the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him, told us in Sahih Muslim hadith number 395.
This meeting is full of love and compassion, it starts by this conversation:
The slave says:
بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمنِ الرَّحيمِالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمينَ
Which means by the name of Allah the Entirely Merciful the very Merciful I began.
All praise to Allah the Lord of universes.
Allah replies:
حمدني عبدي
Which means: My slave has praised Me.
The slave says:
الرَّحمنِ الرَّحيمِ
Which means: the Entirely Merciful the very Merciful.
Allah answers :
أثنى عليّ عبدي
Which means :My slave has complimented Me.
The slave says:
مالِكِ يَومِ الدّينِ
Which signifies: the Sovereign of the Day of surrendering.
Allah replies:
مجدني عبدي
Which means: My slave gloried Me.
The slave says:
إِيّاكَ نَعبُدُ وَإِيّاكَ نَستَعينُ
Which means: we don’t submit to anyone but You, we don’t seek help from anyone but You.
Allah replies
هذا لي، ولعبدي ما سأل
Which means: this is for Me and for my slave all he asked.
The slave says:
اهدِنَا الصِّراطَ المُستَقيمَصِراطَ الَّذينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِم غَيرِ المَغضوبِ عَلَيهِم وَلَا الضّالّينَ
Which means:
Guide us to the straight path, The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
Allah says:
هذا لعبدي ولعبدي ما سأل
Which means: This is for my slave and for My slave what he asked.
Then the slave listens to Allah by reciting some of Qur’an, then he bows and glories Allah, then he stands and praises Allah, then he prostrate and talk to Allah all he wants and asked Allah all he wants, then he sits and ask Allah again, then he prostrate again and talk to Allah as he wants, then he stands and do the same until his prayer finishes.
As you can see, prayer is the source of strength, tranquility and happiness because it is a meeting with Allah SWT, so every time the Messenger of Allah faces a problem he resorts to prayer.
Paying Zakat
The third pillar of Islam is the payment of zakat, and the word zakat in Arabic means purification, which is the payment of a certain part of the money, and this act purifies those who do it, because it frees him from the bondage of money, which is the main reason for many bad morals, and this act purifies society from the envy of the poor for the rich.
Fasting Ramadan
The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting in the month of Ramadan, in the month of Ramadan the slave overcomes the desire to eat, drink and have sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset.
Fasting Ramadan brings a Muslim closer to Allah because the weaker the slave becomes, the more he turns to Allah, and vice versa.
The richer a slave thinks, the more tyrannical he becomes, as Allah says
كَلّا إِنَّ الإِنسانَ لَيَطغىأَن رَآهُ استَغنى
Approximate translation:
Nay! Man is most surely inordinate, Because he sees himself free from want.
Al-Alaq, 6-7.
Pilgrimage to the House of Allah
The last pillar of Islam is the pilgrimage to the house of God for whoever can reach it, on specific days of the lunar year, in the pilgrimage all Muslims from all over the world gather in the same place wearing the same clothes and saying the same words, which is:
لبيك اللهم لبيك ، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك، لا شريك لك.
Which means:
At your service, O Allah, at Your service, at Your service, You have no partner, at Your service, praise and grace are Yours and the kingdom is Yours, you have no partner.
Hajj is full of meanings from which the unity of the Islamic Ummah, all Muslims belong to the same society, the Islamic community, as Allah Almighty stated:
إِنَّما وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسولُهُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنُوا الَّذينَ يُقيمونَ الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤتونَ الزَّكاةَ وَهُم راكِعونَ
Approximate translation:
Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].
Al-Ma'ida, 55.
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