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1:1 In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 1:2 Praise be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the world; 1:3 Most Gracious, Most Merciful; 1:4 Master of the Day of Judgment. 1:5 Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. 1:6 Show us the straight way, 1:7 The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.
Outline • ISLAM – An Overview • ESSENTIALS OF THE ISLAMIC FAITH • PILLARS OF ISLAM • UNDERSTANDING ISLAM • WOMEN IN ISLAM
What is Islam and Muslim? • Islam (silm) = "peace" and "submission.“ • "Salaam alaykum,“= ("Peace be with you"), the universal Muslim greeting. • Islam is submission or surrender of one's will to the God, Allah, and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim" .
Historical Background • Dates back to 7th century • First Came in Arab Peninsula • Holy Book – Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) in 23 years
Cont’ • It was not a new religion. • The name of lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. • In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'an, the God states the following: "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion". (Qur’an 5:3)
Jahiliyye (Time of Ignorance) • Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, appeared at a time when people had no knowledge of the true religion and therefore worshipped a great number of idols. As stated in the Qur’an: They were serving, apart from God, what hurts them not, neither profits them, and they say: These are our intercessors with God. (Qur’an 10:18)
Cont’ • They shaped idols of stones, earth, bread, even cheese, and then said: ‘These are our intercessors with God.’ They were so degraded in thoughts and morals that, they would sit at meal-time, cut their idols into pieces and eat them. The only excuse offered was that they were following in the steps of their forefathers. When it is said to them, ‘Follow what God has sent down’, they say, ‘No; but we follow that wherein we found our fathers.’ (al-Baqara, 2.170)
Cont’ • They buried their daughters alive. In the words of the holy Qur’an: When any of them is given the good tidings of a girl, his face is darkened and he chokes inwardly, as he hides himself from the people because of the evil of the good tidings that have been given to him, whether he shall preserve her in humiliation, or trample her into the dust. (16, 58-59)
Cont’ • One day, after Muhammad(pbuh)’s declaration of his Prophethood, one of his Companions came to him and said: O Messenger of God, I had a daughter. One day I told her mother to dress her as I was taking her to her uncle - the poor mother knew what this meant, but she could do nothing but obey and weep. My wife dressed the infant, who was rejoicing at the news of going to the uncle. I took her near a well, and told her to look down into the well. While she was looking into the well, I kicked her into it. While she was rolling down, she was shouting ‘Dad, Dad!’ As he was recounting this, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sobbed as if he had lost one of his nearest kinsfolk.
Then Prophet Muhammed came… • Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last messenger of the God. • He was born to a noble family of Makkah in Saudi Arabia in 571 CE. • First verses of the Qur'an revealed when he was 40: "Read: In the name of your Lord, Who created (this universe). Who created man from a clot (of blood). Read: Your Lord is Most Noble. Who taught (man) by the pen. Taught man, what he did not know." (96:1-5) • He received further revelations from the God.
From Others • “ It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. (Annie Besant, The Life and The Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932) • At Muhammad’s own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: ‘ If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives forever.” (James A. Michener, ‘Islam The Misunderstood Religion’, 1955)
Principles of Faith • Allah • His Angels • His Books • His Prophets • The Hereafter • The Divine Decree and Destiny
Faith in Allah • “La ilaha illallah” – Word of Tavhid There is no deity but Allah • Allah is the only creator of everything. • He is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. • We praise Allah with his names: e.g., er-Rahim(The Merciful), el-Qadir(The Able), el-Hakim(The Wise), er-Rahman(The Compassionate) • “The highest aim of creation and its most important result is belief in God. The most radiant happiness and sweetest bounty for human beings is the love of God” – Said Nursi
From The Noble Qur’an • "...He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do" (Qur'an 57:4). • "That is Allah, your Lord! There is no god but He, the Creator of all things; then worship Him, and He has power to dispose of all affairs. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision; He is the Sublime, Well-Aware" (Qur'an 6:102-103)
Faith in His Angels • God Employs Angels • Angels have no freewill, they do not eat and drink • Four Archangels: Gabriel, Mikhael, Israfel, Isra’il (Death Angel)
Faith in His Books • God revealed to prophets • Four major books: • Torah (Moses) • Zaboor (David) • Gospel (Jesus) • Qur’an (Muhammed) • Qur’an • revealed in 23 years • 114 chapters, 6666 verses
Faith in His Prophets • A Muslim should believe all prophets • Adam (pbuh) – the first prophet Muhammed (pbuh) – the last prophet • Revealed prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Solomon, David, John the Baptist, Jesus, Zachariah, Elias, Muhammed (pbut)
Faith in the Hereafter • Accountability of how you lived your life – Judgement Day • Paradise and Hell
Faith in the Divine Decree and Destiny • Destiny - predetermine Decree - implement • Destiny - everything that exists is known by the God. Decree - carrying out Destiny's decisions or judgments. • We will and the God creates. • The God creates our actions as a result of our decisions
Pillars of Islam • There are 5 Pillars of Islam. • Declaration of Faith (Shahada) • Prayer (Salah) • Purification of Wealth (Zakah) • Fasting (Sawm) • Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Declaration of Faith • The first pillar of Islam is that a Muslim believe and declare his faith by saying the Shahada (lit. 'witness'), also known as the Kalimah: La ilaha ila Allah; Muhammadur-rasul Allah. “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammed is his Messenger.” • Every Muslim should say this from heart.
Cont’ • By sincerely uttering the Shahada the Muslim acknowledges Allah as the sole Creator of all, and the Supreme Authority over everything and everyone in the universe. • Belief in the prophethood of Muhammad entails belief in the guidance brought by him and contained in his Sunnah (traditions of his sayings and actions).
Prayer (Salah) • The Prayer (Salah), in the sense of worship, is the second pillar of Islam. • Performed 5 times a day: • pre-dawn • noon • mid-afternoon • after sunset • Night • Prayer consists of verses from the Qur'an and other prayers, accompanied by various bodily postures - standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. • Ritual cleanliness and ablution are required before prayer, as are clean clothes and location, and the removal of shoes.
Cont’ • One may pray individually or communally, at home, outside, virtually any clean place, as well as in a mosque, though the latter is preferred. • A continuous link to the God five times a day. • Helps to avoid misdeeds if performed sincerely. • It promotes discipline, God-consciousness and placing one's trust in the God alone, and the importance of striving for the Hereafter. • When performed in congregation it also provides a strong sense of community, equality and brotherhood/sisterhood.
The Zakah • The third pillar of Islam is the zakah (alms-tax). • Eligible Muslims pay alms on an annual basis that helps to “purify” their wealth. • It is also an act of purification through sharing what one has with others. • Funds collected are distributed to the poor, orphans, and needy in society. • Zakah consists of giving 2.5% of one’s accumulated wealth • A generous person can pay more than this amount, though it is treated and rewarded as voluntary charity (Sadaqah).
Fasting • The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting. • Allah prescribes daily fasting for all able, adult Muslims during the whole month of Ramadan. • On the physical side, fasting is from first light of dawn until sunset, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. • On the moral side, one must abstain from lying, malicious gossip, quarreling and trivial nonsense.
Cont’ Fasting helps Muslims: • strengthen will-power • feel compassion • purify body • strengthen their community relations • thankfulness Fasting can be done any other time of the year
Pilgrimage • The fifth pillar of Islam is to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, at least once in one's lifetime.
Cont’ • once in a lifetime if physically and financially able • commemorates the trials of Abraham and his family • the thoughts are concentrated on worshipping God with intense devotion
Cont’ • pilgrims wear special clothes (Ihram) - two, very simple, unsown white garments - which strips away all distinctions of wealth, status, class and culture; all stand together and equal before the God • about 2-3 million people gather regardless of color, race, region or culture, as one international family
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM • Islam is a religion of peace, love, compassion, and tolerance. • “Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the way farer (you meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious.” (Verse 4:36)
WOMEN IN ISLAM • Man and woman are equal servants of God. • “If any do deeds of righteousness be they male or female and have faith, they will enter paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them” (Quran, 4:124). • Man and woman are created to complement each other. • “And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them and he has put love and mercy between you” (Quran, 30:21).
1400 years ago… • Some of the women’s rights protected by Islam: • The right and duty to obtain education • The right to own independent property • The right to work and earn money, if they need it or want it • Equality of reward for equal deeds • The right to express their opinions and be heard • The right to provisions from the husband for all her needs • The right to negotiate marriage terms • The right to obtain a divorce • The right to keep all her own money (she is not responsible to maintain any relations) • The right to refuse any marriage proposal • The right to vote
