Guide To Islam
Welcome to the Guide to Islam: Your friendly resource for exploring the faith, practices, and values of Islam for Muslims that are new to the religion
What Is Islam
“Islam” is an Arabic term which means to submit oneself to the will of God. Islam is a monotheistic religion that teaches that there is only one divine being, one supreme Creator of the universe. Muslims believe that Islam is the true religion of God revealed to humanity. The central concept of this way of life is total submission to God.
Islam is a complete, holistic way of living that covers every aspect of life. Islam leaves no stone unturned as it teaches mankind on how to behave in every area of life: individual, social, material, moral, ethical, legal, cultural, political, economical, and global.
What Is Islam
A Muslim is one who believes in the religion of Islam and one who submits their will to the one and only true God who is worthy of worship, “Allah” (God). A Muslim also believes in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last and final messenger of God.
For a person to become a Muslim and accept Islam as their faith, they must say and believe in the following phrase:
La ilaha illa Allah. Muhammad Rasool Allah
This sentence literally means “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.” The sentence also means “There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.” The moment a person says this phrase and begins to act upon it they become a Muslim.
Who Is Allah
Allah is the name God Almighty has given Himself as is mentioned many times in the Holy Quran.
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ. وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ
Qul huwal laahu ahad. Allah hus-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yoolad. Wa lam yakul-lahoo kufuwan ahad.
The above means “He is Allah, (the) One; Allah, the Eternal; He did not beget (give birth) and He was not begotten (given birth to); And there has never been anyone equal to Him.”
Muslims believe He has no partners in divinity, which includes having no offspring, and nothing in the universe is similar to Him. Muslims believe that Allah is the Originator and Sustainer of the universe and that he created human beings for only one purpose: to worship Him alone.
Basis Of Islam
Islam is founded on a framework of faith and practice that guides the lives of Muslims. These include the 5 pillars of Islam and 6 articles of faith
5 Pillars Of Islam
Belief in One God and the Testimony of Faith (Tawheed)
Tawheed (pronounced tow-heed) is an Arabic term which refers to the unique belief in the oneness of God. It is Islam’s concept of monotheism in which the religion’s core tenets are built upon.
Prayer (Salah)
The prayer is the second most important pillar in Islam, and it is the first thing that a person will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment.
Giving Wealth to Zakat
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is a specified portion of a Muslim’s wealth that is given to those in need. It is the amount given once a year to support specific categories of people. The amount is about 2.5% of total wealth such as gold, cash, precious metals, stocks and shares, real estate and cash.
Fasting in the month of Ramadan
Fasting in the month of Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam. It refers to the practice of abstaining from eating food, drinking liquids, and having intercourse from the break of dawn until sunset.
Hajj – The Pilgrimage to Makkah
The fifth and final pillar of Islam is to perform the hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah. Every year millions of Muslims make their way to the Kaba, the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah to perform the pilgrimage.
6 Articles Of Faith
Belief In Allah
It is to believe that Allah is the only Creator, Sustainer, King, and Planner of everything in existence.
Belief In Angels
It is upon the Muslim to believe that the angels exist, that they are the creation of Allah, and that some of them have been given names. Some of these names are Jibreel (Gabriel), Mikail, Israfeel, and Malik.
Belief In Books
In Islam it is a part of faith to believe all the books that were revealed to the messengers. They include the Torah which was sent to Moses, the Gospel which was sent to Jesus, the Psalms (Zaboor) which was sent to David, the scriptures of Ibrahim (Abraham), and the Qur’an itself which was sent to Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
Belief In Messengers
It is upon the Muslim to believe in all the messengers that were sent. Among the messengers that were sent are those that have been told to us, ones we know by name, and those that were not mentioned.
Belief In Judgement Day
The Day of Judgment is the day when Allah judges mankind for their deeds. Every human being will be resurrected from their graves and will be given their book of deeds – both good and bad.
Belief in Divine Decree
Decree (Al-Qadar) is what Allah decrees for every single creation based on what has preceded in terms of His Knowledge and in accordance with His Wisdom. Belief in this pillar is to believe that everything that happens, good or bad, happens only according to Allah’s divine decree.
Prayers
Salah or prayers is a special form of worship that is the second most important pillar of Islam after the shahada (testimony of faith). It is an obligatory form of prayer performed five times a day that was revealed in the Holy Qur’an and taught to us by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
“But those who hold fast to the Book and establish prayer – indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the pious.” Qur’an – Chapter 7, Verse 170
The salah involves a number of physical movements from standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. One also has to recite verses from the Holy Quran in Arabic along with a number of dua (supplications).
“Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” Qur’an – Chapter 29, Verse 45
Prayer Checklist
Before you begin your salah (prayers), you need to observe the following items as pre-salah checklist
- Have wudu ready/make wudu
- Check to see if its time to pray
- Dress appropriately
- Find a clean place to pray
- Face the Qibla (direction of Kaaba)
What Is Wudu
Wudu (ablution) is a purification process that every Muslim must perform before their prayer can be performed. Before we can perform salah we need to prepare ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. A large portion of this preparation is what is known as wudu. It is such an important part of the salah that if anyone decides to leave it due to ignorance, forgetfulness, or negligence then their prayer will not be accepted by Allah.
Prayer - Step By Step
Below are the steps to salah and terminology of each step. Prayer is made up of rakah, or units of prayer. Every rakah has the same basic steps within it. Depending on which prayer you are performing there will be slight differences in how these rakahs are performed.
- Standing
- Takbir
- Fatihah – Recitation
- Ruku – Bowing
- Sujud – Prostration
- Tashahud – Sitting
