ISLAM:
The
word Islam is the verbal noun of the verb “ASLAMA”. This verb is defined as, “He resigned or submitted himself”. When
used with respect to God, it means “He
became submissive to God”. Islam is the name given by GOD ALMIGHTY (ALLAH) to the religion revealed by Him
to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah on him) through the Holy Quran. It means the attainment
of peace through the surrender of one’s will to the Will of Allah. One who so
submits and follows the laws of Islam is called a Muslim.
HOLY PROPHET:
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
was the greatest of Allah's prophets, and the last of the law-bearing prophets.
The Holy Qur'an, the final revealed Book of Allah, was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad over a
period of 23 years. He was sent by Allah as a messenger to all of mankind, as
stated in the Holy Qur'an:
"We have sent
thee as a messenger to all mankind. Sufficient is Allah as a Witness."
[4:80]
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah on him) was surely the Perfect
Mentor.
“Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah on him)
is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the
Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
[Al-Quran 33:41]
HOLY BOOK:
Quran is
the Book of Allah with a message of
truth for all of Mankind.
“This
is the Book (the Quran), whereof
there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious and
righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil
deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good
deeds which He has ordained).”
[Quran,
Surah Al- Baqarah, verse 2]
MUSLIM:
Muslims
are people who have professed belief in Islam. As believers, they worship the
One ALLAH and revere Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as the last messenger of ALLAH.
They also believe all the prophets which preceded Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and
the holy books which they brought, such as Psalms, Torah and the Gospel. A
fundamental article of faith in Islam is belief in the Day of Judgement, when
all humanity will be recompensed for their deeds in this world. Muslim believes
in angels, as well as in predestination. There are between 1.2 and 1.6 billion
Muslims across the world. In fact Islam is the second fastest growing religion
in the world.
ISLAM AND
MUSLIMS:
The true purpose of a human being's life is the
worship of God, the attainment of His understanding and complete devotion to
Him. He should follow Him perfectly as a slave follows his master. Allah has
created human beings with the faculties that are appropriate for this aim, and
revealed the Qur'an so that he may seek Allah through it. Thus, a Muslim's first
duty is to His Creator; to worship Him and to follow His commands. This is
known as "Haqu-Allah." His second duty is to serve humanity,
"Haqul-Ibaad," for this is part of worship. A Muslim can show his
love for His Creator by expressing love and compassion for all His creation.
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
"And I have not created the Jinn and men but that they may worship Me." [51:5]
PRINCIPLES OF FAITH:
Acknowledgment
of the Oneness of Allah is the most important principle of Islam, being the
cornerstone of the faith and the basis for salvation. The most emphasized
aspect of Allah in Islam is His Unity. The Kalimah Tayyeba is the basic
doctrine of Islam. It is:
"La ilaha ilAllaho Muhammadur rasoolAllah."
There
is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.
Islam
requires belief in angels. They are spiritual beings created by Allah to obey
Him and carry out His commandments. Unlike man, angels have no free will and
cannot act independently. They control the forces of nature by Allah's command.
Also by Allah's command angels serve as intermediaries in carrying out His
will. In this sense they are also referred to as messengers (rasool) of Allah.
Indeed, amongst their tasks are: to bring divine revelations to the prophets;
bring punishment on the prophets' enemies; pray for and give glad tidings to
believers; glorify Allah with His praise; and keep records of man's deeds.
Four of the most well known angels are:
Gabriel (Jibraeel),
Michael (Mikaeel),
Raphael (Israfeel)
Israel
(Israeel)
3. Holy Books.
Throughout the ages, Allah revealed scriptures to some
of His selected prophets. Muslims must believe in Allah’s books, and it is one
of the key articles of faith that keep a Muslim within the fold of Islam.
Injeel: This is the book revealed to prophet Eesa (a.s) and
known commonly as the Gospel.
Taurat: This is the Torah, revealed to prophet Moosa
(a.s). Like the New Testament.
Zaboor: This is the book revealed to prophet Dawood,
known commonly as the Psalms.
Superiority of Quran: The Quran encompasses previous books and adds to
it, with the Prophet saying that the Mufassal surahs (short chapters) gives the
Quran its raised status. The Prophet said: “I have been given the long seven
Surahs instead of the Taurat, I have been given the Mi’un Surahs instead of the
Psalms (Zaboor), I have been given the Mathani Surahs instead of the Gospel
(Injeel) and I have been privileged with
the Mufassal portion"
All of Allah's prophets or messengers (rasool) are
believed in and revered by Muslims. The Holy Qur'an states that Allah raised up
prophets among the people of every nation, sending Divine messages and warnings
through these holy men. It says:
"... and there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent." [35:25]
Some of the prophets specifically mentioned in the
Holy Qur'an are: Adam, Eesa, Dawood, Hud, Ibrahim, Moosa, Ishaq,Ismail, Luqman, Noah, Saleh,
Suleman, Yousuf and Muhammad. There are many others as Allah says in the Holy
Qur'an:
"And We did send messengers before thee; of them are some
whom We have mentioned to thee, and of them there are some whom We have not
mentioned to thee;..." [40:79]
One
of the most emphasized beliefs in the Holy Qur'an is the belief in the Day of Judgement.
Islam teaches that physical death is not the end of man's existence, rather it
is the door to a higher form of life which can bring one closer to Allah,
depending on one's deeds in this life. According to the Holy Qur'an, on the Day
of Judgement this entire universe will come to an end, and the dead will be
resurrected. Their deeds will be judged and they will be rewarded accordingly.
Those with good records will merit Heaven, while those with bad deeds will be
punished in Hell. No intercession will be accepted, each soul will be rewarded
according to what it earns. However, Hell is a temporary condition and
eventually its inhabitants will leave it.
