What is Islam? DEFINITION OF ISLAM
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Why We Wrote This Directory
Islam is the fastest-growing religion with
over 1.9 billion followers all over the World.
By now you likely heard about Islam through the media,
conversations with a friend or coworker, or perhaps you stumbled upon it while
browsing the Web. Although Islam is the second most obeyed religion on
the earth planet after Christianity, it is also one of the most misperceived.
It can be overwhelming to determine the differences
between what Islam truly teaches from the misinformation and misconceptions
that are across the board. We built this directory for anyone who would like to
understand what Islam is really about from a genuine source.
Islam is a faith practiced by 1.6 billion people worldwide. Yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood
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We hope you will discover value in reading this
directory. It is by no means a complete directory that will teach you
everything about the religion from A to Z. However, here is more than enough
knowledge to help you understand the core principles and beliefs of the
religion.
Secondly, all of the verses from the Holy Quran and the
hadith from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had been written in English rather
than Arabic, their actual language. That means any verses or quotes you see
within this directory are only understandings of the meaning and not the same
word-for-word definition.
That ends our short introduction. Let’s get started!
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Who is this guide for?
People of Other Faiths
Are you
curious to learn more about Islam? Then this directory may be helpful for you
in understanding Islam.
New Muslims
This
article covers the basics of Islam and is a great resource of knowledge for new
Muslims
What
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DEFINITION OF ISLAM
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centered primarily
Around the Quran, a religious text that is considered by Muslims to be the
direct word of God as it was revealed to Muhammad, the main and final Islamic
prophet.
Or
“Islam”
is an Arabic term that means to submit one’s will 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. It is a universal religion that can be
practiced by anyone at any time and in every place. 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 how to behave in every area of life: individual, social,
material, moral, ethical, legal, cultural, politically, economically, and
global.
Or
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The religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah.
Or
Islam
is a word with numerous definitions. It is derived from an Arabic stem that
carries the meanings of peace and submission (to
Allah the Exalted and Almighty). All Abrahamic religions were sent down to
discipline mankind and qualify them spiritually, physically, and intellectually
in the way that is best for the Fulfillment of the mission they created for it.
Allah’s Messages meant to build up the human being fit for establishing
civilization and creating prosperity in the world. To this end, Allah commands
us to do what is advantageous to us and prohibits that entire cause
disadvantage to us.
Abrahamic religions were sent down to unblock human minds and
render them enlightened and mature through the religious light. Religion is not
meant to be different from reason and truth. Rather meant to be in harmony
with reason and help grow and illuminate it.
If the world’s nations look true forward to acquiring
world peace, the only way left for them is to embrace the Message of Allah that is based on establishing peace between man and Allah, and man and man.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in his teachings: “Allah shows mercy to those who are merciful to others. Show mercy to those on earth than He in heaven will show mercy to you.” [Reported by Abu-Dawud (4943) and At-Tirmidhi (1924) on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), and classified by At-Tirmidhi as Hasan Sahih.[1]]
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Moreover, the Glorious Qur’an explains our Prophet
Muhammad's (peace be upon him) sayings: “We have not sent you but as a mercy to
the worlds.” [Surat Al Anbiya’: 107]
Allah (Glory is to Him) says in the Glorious Qur’an:
“Allah invites to the abode of peace…” [Surat Yunus: 25].
Islam
establishes the greeting of peace for its adherents as an
invocation of peace and mercy to exchange whenever they meet.
In fact, Islam is not revealed to abrogate the previous
Messages of Allah, but rather to renew and perfect them. Therefore, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: “My similitude in comparison with the other Prophets
before me is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except
for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go around it and wonder at its
beautifulness, but say: “Would that this brick be put in its place!” So I am the
last (final) of the Prophets.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari (3342) and Muslim
22-(2286) on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)].
Allah
(Glory is to Him) says in the Glorious Qur’an: “Say: We believe in Allah and
(in) that which had been revealed to us, and (in) that which was revealed to
Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and (in) that which was
given to Musa and Isa, and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their
Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we
submit.” [Surat Al-Baqarah: 136].
In this regard, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also
said: “I have the best claim to ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Mariam(marry), among the
whole of mankind’s in this worldly life and the next life. Prophets are
brothers in faith, having different mothers. Their religion is one rather their
mothers are different.” [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu
Hurayrah (Sahih Bukhari (3259) and Sahih Muslim 143-(2365))].
Thus, Jesus (peace be upon him) was not sent to
abolish the Message of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) nor was Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent to strip Jesus of prophethood. Instead, each
prophet was sent to confirm the Message of his predecessor and pave the way for
his successor. The Glorious Qur’an is the aggregate source that gathers the
essence and wisdom of all the previous divine messages. It calls for believing
in all the Prophets; they have all been taught and sent by the one God: Allah,
to Whom all Majesty belongs.
[1]A sahih (literally: sound or authentic) hadith is one that has a continuous chain comprised of transmitters of trustworthy memory and integrity from similar authorities, and which is found to be free from any irregularities (i.e. in the text) or defects (i.e. in the chain of transmitters). A Hasan (literally: good) hadith is one that does not contain a disparaged transmitter in its chain and which is reported through more than one route of narration, with a chain containing truthful and reliable transmitters, but who is a degree less in their preservation/memory of hadith in comparison to the reporters of sahih hadith.
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What is a Muslim?
A Muslim is anyone 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 prophet of
God. By submitting oneself and worshiping Allah (God), a Muslim attains peace
through obedience to his commandments. Peace is a natural result of advancing
to the will of Allah.
For a person to become a Muslim and accept Islam as their faith,
they must say and believe in the following phrase:
لآ اِلَهَ
اِلّا اللّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُوُل اللّهِ
La ilaha illa Allah. Muhammad
rasool Allah
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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.
Say: 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.
Qu'ran, Chapter 112, Verses 1 - 4
Muslims believe He has no partners in
divinity, which includes having no son, 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.
To worship anything besides Allah is
considered a grave sin. The reward for worshiping Him alone and following his
path is goodness in this world and Paradise in the next.
“Truly, Allah will admit those who believe and do
righteous good deeds to Gardens underneath which rivers flow (in Paradise),
wherein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls and their
garments therein will be of silk.”
Qur'an, Chapter 22,
Verse 23
The Holy Quran
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A core belief taught in Islam is that
human beings are unique from among God’s creations. We have the ability to think
freely and choose to behave in any way we wish. In order to communicate and
guide mankind, Allah sends Prophets and Messengers with scriptures to teach
mankind about the true message.
Muslims believe that many scriptures have been
revealed to mankind in the past. They include the Torah sent to Moses, the
Psalms sent to David, and the Gospel sent to Jesus Christ (peace be upon them
all).
The Holy Qur’an is the last revelation from Allah sent to all of
mankind and it was revealed to his final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him).
Muslims believe that Islam is not a new
religion, but rather a continuation and completion of the message revealed to
the Prophets of the past. Allah teaches in the Quran:
Say (O Muhammad): “We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail, Ishaq (Isaac), Ya’qub (Jacob) and Al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya’qub (Jacob)] and what was given to Musa (Moses), ‘Isa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islam). Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 84
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And in another verse Allah tells us that Islam
is the final message for mankind:
“This day have I (Allah) perfected your
religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as
your religion”.
Quran, Chapter 5,
Verse 3
The Holy Qur’an contains 114 chapters and it
was revealed over 1,400 years ago to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Muslims believe it is Allah's verbatim word; it has not been tampered with, edited, or changed in any way throughout
those years. The Qur’an we have today is the same Qur’an that was originally
revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him). This scripture covers the major
themes of life such as piety, worship, belief, morals, good deeds, sins, death,
the afterlife, and much more.
Who is Prophet Muhammad?
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From the beginning of mankind until the present day Allah has sent a Prophet to every nation to guide them to the truth. They were sent to teach their people to worship God alone and not to ascribe any divine partners to Him.
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The names of these Prophets may sound familiar
to you. They include Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail, Ishaq
(Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Jesus, Muhammad, and many others (peace be upon them
all).
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