What is Islam?
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللہُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدً اعَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُوْلُهٗؕ
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah alone, without any partners,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger.
...Islam is nothing new.
It is almost certain that Islam is not what you think it is. All of us put labels on things, put them into categories, into our own private filing system, but what ever your pre-conceptions about Islam are try to forget about them. They have nothing to do with Islam. Islam is not what we think it is.
Islam is nothing new. Islam has been the natural disposition of humanity since the start of time. It is our primal instinct. It is not Arab or Pakistani, African or Malaysian. It is not a religion. It is not culture. It is not Mosques or minarets or buildings. It is not some glorious past. You might call it the science of being human. Islam is the natural way for human beings to live, and it has nothing to do with our concepts of religion, it is a lot simpler than that, God guides whom He wills to His Light. It is based on two things: the worship of God and generosity towards your fellow men and women.
God (Allah) in Islam is not a concept, not a Divine authority figure, nor a bearded man in the sky. God is The One who created everything and continues to do so and who supports and sustains everything He has created. Not some distant potentate, but an ever-present Provider who cares for every element of His creation and yet is not contained in it nor limited by it. He cannot be associated with any 'thing', yet every atom is humming with His presence.
...The word islam (islaam) is an Arabic verbal noun from the triliteral root s-l-m which carries, amongst others, the meanings of safety and security (salaam), freedom from harm or defect (salaamah), and peace (silm). The verb aslama from which the word islam derives means literally to submit, to enter into a state of peace, to surrender (particularly to the will of God), or to commit oneself to God, and to enter the religion of Islam.
The word Muslim, meaning an adherent of the religion of Islam is the active participle of the noun islam and means one who submits his/herself to God. Because it is an active participle it implies action and it is not simply an adjective like the word 'Christian' meaning Christlike. This is partly why the word 'Mohammedan' is not used by Muslims to describe themselves, although the word has been used by Orientalists in the past, thankfully it is largely out of fashion to do so now.
In the last section of the book Nahj al-Balaghah containing the speeches of Imam 'Ali, the Imam describes the meaning of islam in detail:
"Islam is submission (tasleem);
Submission is certainty (yaqeen);
Certainty is confirmation of belief (tasdeeq);
Confirmation of belief is declaration (iqraar);
Declaration is performance (adaa');
Performance is appropriate action."
(Nahjul Balagha, Aphorism no.126)
...Islam is to live with ease and to do your best at all times. It is knowing how to behave. Saying and doing the right thing at the right time. Islam is about correct living, it is about being decent to oneself. If I am not kind to myself how can I be kind to others?
Islam is the art and the science of correct living which results in success. Mankind strives towards success, and although success is differently defined from time to time and from place to place, we all seek a way of existence that brings the minimum of trouble and the maximum of happiness and joy. The art of achieving this is the core of all spiritual endeavours and this can be considered the heart of Islam.
Since it is a comprehensive art of living, Islam is concerned with integrity and the integration of all things and instills a full understanding of the meaning behind life. However, unless it is applied by those who have attained fulfillment and inner awakening, it is most likely to end up being of palliative use, or at best, distorted.
Being a Muslim is that others are safe from your hand and your tongue; that is, others should not be harmed by your actions or words.
The Muslim is one who is constant in their equilibrium; they are analytically aware of the causal world in which they are living and are spontaneously aware of this awareness and their state of being.
The Muslim is one who is in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.
The Muslim is one who does not look back in time with regret and does not look forward with desires and expectations, but is living in the present moment fully.
The Muslim is one who is living the present fully - outwardly responsible and active and inwardly free and watchful.
The heart of the Muslim in its purity reflects the truth behind creation and is constantly polished and purified as they journey towards higher consciousness.
Because Islam is concerned with life, the Muslim has to relate and connect with all aspects of life in a totally integrated fashion.
Therefore the objective of Islam is the identification and the tuning in to the unific reality that underlies all known and unknown, visible and invisible creation.
It is such a wide web that there is nothing that does not come under its sovereignty or jurisdiction.
"Lift up your face to the [one true] faith, turning away from all that is false, in accordance with the natural disposition (fitrata) which Allah has instilled into man [at birth]: for, not to allow any change to corrupt what Allah has thus created - this is the purpose of the one [true] faith; but most people know it not." Qur'an (30:30)
...Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers, and over 1.6m in the UK. There are several different groups of Muslims, but all of them, in every country and community, regard their faith as a bond between them, and as a major part of their identity. Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only One God. The Arabic word for God is Allah. According to Muslims, God sent a number of prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law. Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as prophets of God. They believe that the final Prophet was Muhammad (peace be upon him). Muslims believe that Islam has always existed since the time of Adam, Adam being the first Prophet of Islam. But for practical purposes, Muslims date their religion from the time of the migration of Muhammad. Muslims base their laws on their holy book the Qur'an, and the Sunnah. The Sunnah is the practical example of Prophet Muhammad.
...There is the Old Testament, the New Testament and for the Muslims the Holy Qur'an is the 'Last' Testament, God's final message to Mankind and the Prophet Muhammad is God's final prophet sent to guide humanity. Contrary to a common belief the Holy Qur'an was not written by Muhammad. God communicated the Holy Qur'an through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet and his scribes (as he was unlettered) preserved it in written form. This process was completed before his death, thus safeguarding it from alteration. In short the book the Holy Quran is the same scripture now as it was then.
To read the Quran please "click here". Using the index is a great way to start.
...There are five basic Pillars of Islam. These pillars are:
1. The declaration of faith. To bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His final messenger.
2. To pray five times a day.
3. Giving money to charity.
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. The pilgrimage to Mecca if one is physically and financially able.
Compiled from various sources
