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Islam is
an arabic word which means peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. The
religion of islam is the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance
of God ( allah being his proper name ). i.e. surrender to the will of God.
A muslim is one who accepts freely and willingly the supreme power of God
and strives for total recognition of his life according to the revealed
teachings of God. he also works towards the establishment of a just and
equitable social order which would totally reflect the guidance of God.
Islam is not a new religion. it is, in essence, the same message and
guidance which God revealed to all his prophets ( may his peace be upon
them all ).
"say. we believe in God and that which was revealed to us and that
which was revealed to abraham and ishmael and isaac and jacob and the
tribes and that which was given to moses and jesus and to the prophets from
their lord: we make no distinction between any of them, and to him we
submit. (the holy quran).
the message which was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon .him), the last
prophet, is islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form.
THE 5 PILLARS OF
ISLAM:
Every
action which is done with the awareness that fulfils the will of God is
considered an act of worship in islam. nevertheless, the specific acts of
worship, termed the pillars of islam, provide the framework of spiritual
life.
they are the following:
1. Shahaadah (the
declaration of faith)
"I
bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God, and that
Muhammad (peace be upon .him) is his servant and messenger."
the prophethood Muhammad (peace be upon .him) obliges the muslims to follow
his exemplary life in every way
.
2. Salah (prayers)
P
rayers are prescribed five times a day as a duty towards God. they
strengthen and enliven the belief in God and inspire man to a higher
morality. they purify the heart and control temptation towards wrong doing
and evil. it should be stressed that while allah does not need our prayers
we cannot survive without his blessings and guidance.
"o you who believe ! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer,
for allah is with those who patiently persevere". (the holy quran)
3. Sawm (fasting)
Fasting
is observed once each year during the month of ramadan. this means
abstention from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, and
also from all evil intentions and desires. it teaches love, sincerity and
devotion. it develops a sound social conscience, patience, unselfishness
and willpower. when we fast by choice, God remembers our sufferings. he
appreciates it all.
4. Zakat (charity)
Zakat
payment annually of 2.5% of one's net savings as a purifying sum to be
spent on the poor and needy. zakat implies that everything man possesses
belong to God and; therefore, anyone in need has a share in it.
5. Pilgrimage (
hajj ) to the holy city
of makkah
once in a lifetime provided one has the means to do so. hajj implies man's
temporary suspension of all worldly activities and his realization of
himself as a naked soul in front of God alone.
Oneness of God: Islam enjoins faith in the oneness
and sovereignty of God, which makes man aware of the meaningfulness of the
universe and of his place in it. this belief frees him from all fears and
superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of almighty God and
of man's obligations towards him. belief in one God requires that we look
upon all humanity as one family irrespective of color, class, race, or
territory, under the omnipotence of God the creator and nourisher of all.
Man, the free agent: Man is the highest creation of God and
chooses his own way. created with the highest potentialities, man is left
relatively free in his will, action and choice. God has shown him the right
path and the life of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon .him) provides a
perfect example. man's success and salvation lie in following them. islam
teaches the sanctity of the human personality and confers equal rights upon
all without any distinction of race or sex.
the law of allah, enunciated in the holy quran and exemplified in the life
of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon .him), is supreme in all cases. it
is applied equally to the highest and the lowest, the prince and the
peasant, the ruler and the ruled.
Life after death:
The
world according to islam, is a place of trial and man is being judged in
it. man is accountable to allah for all that he does herein. life on earth
will, one day, come to an end; and after that a new world will be
resurrected. it will be in this life after death that man will be rewarded
or punished for his deeds and misdeeds. God will judge man on the day of
judgment and send him either to heaven, a stage of existence which leads to
further blessings, or to hell, a stage of suffering and punishment.
Quran and Hadith:
The
holy quran is the last revealed word of God and as such affirms and completes
the total process of revelation which has come from the divine, for the
guidance of the human race. The holy quran is the basic source of islamic
teachings and laws and deals with the bases of creeds, morality, history of
humanity, worship, knowledge, wisdom, God-man relationship ( he is our
master, creator, and lord, we are his servants ), and human relationships
in all aspects.
comprehensive teachings on which sound systems of social justice,
economics, politics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international
relations can be built, are important contents of the holy quran.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon .him) himself was an unlettered man who
could not read or write. the holy quran was revealed to him over a period
of 23 years and committed to memory and writing by his followers under his
supervision during his lifetime. the original and complete text of quran is
available to everybody in arabic, the language in which it was revealed.
translations of the meaning into many languages are widely used.
Hadith, the teachings, sayings, and actions of the holy prophet Muhammad
(p.b.u.h.), meticulously reported and collected by his devoted companions,
explain and elaborate quranic verses.
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