Meaning of the Word ‘Islam’


The Arabic word ‘Islam’ means ‘peaceful worship and submission to the One God.’ A person who believes in and practices Islam is known as a ‘Muslim.’ Islam brings a person into a relationship with God based on love, fear, submission, and hope.

Islam is not a new teaching, but a continuation of the Truth that was brought in the past by Moses, Jesus, and other great prophets. Islam did not begin with Muhammad, rather it is the same pure message taught by previous prophets but was altered and changed by human interference. In other words, ‘Islam’ in the time of Moses was to believe and worship God alone and to follow the Prophet Moses. ‘Islam’ in the time of Jesus was to believe and worship God alone and to follow the true teachings of Jesus. ‘Islam’ after the coming of the Prophet Muhammad is to believe and worship the same God, but to follow the last and final prophet, Muhammad, peace be on them all.

The Six Articles of Faith


Muslims share a common set of basic beliefs known as “Articles of Faith”:

1. Belief in One God


The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped. Also, the biggest sin in Islam is to direct worship to other objects or beings, either in association with God or towards them entirely. In fact, it is the only sin that God will not forgive if a person dies without repenting from it.

2. Belief in Angels


God has created beings from light called angels. What do angels do? Basically, they bring messages, more broadly, they carry out God's commands in nature and the universe. Muslims also believe that angels watch over mankind and that every human has them as constant companions. They keep a record of everyone’s good and bad deeds. Not a word is uttered without it being registered by them.

3. Belief in Revealed Books


Muslims believe that God revealed His wisdom and instructions through ‘books’ to some of the prophets. God revealed the Psalms to David, the Torah to Moses, and the Gospel to Jesus. Over time, however, the original teachings of these books got changed or lost. Muslims believe that the “Quran” (also spelled ‘Koran’) is God’s final revelation that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran has been fully preserved in its original language, Arabic.

4. Belief in Prophets of God


Muslims believe that God communicates with us through human prophets that were sent to all races and peoples at different times. The line of prophets started with Adam and includes Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. The series of prophets ended with Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Every prophet brought the same truth from the same source; therefore we honor and believe in all of them. Their main message was always that there is only One true God and that He alone deserves to be prayed to and worshipped. Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet of God like prophets before him, he was not the son of God as Muslims believe that God has no children.

5. Belief in Day of Judgment


Life does not end with death. Islam teaches that this world and the human race will come to an end at an appointed day. At that time, God will bring every person back to life from the dead. He will examine each person’s life and will judge every soul according to two criteria: faith and deeds. It is the balance between the good and bad we have done that will determine our final place. God will show mercy and fairness in judgment. According to Islamic teachings, those who submitted themselves in worship to God and performed good deeds will be rewarded with Paradise. Those who rejected faith in God and cared less for good will be punished in Hell.

6. Belief in Destiny


Muslims believe that nothing in our life happens by pure chance. Everything happens with the full knowledge and permission of God since He is the Sustainer of all life. This belief does not contradict the idea of free will. God does not force us, though, as our choices are known to Him beforehand because His knowledge of future is complete. Thus, He knows what we will do. This recognition helps a Muslim through difficulties and hardships.

The Five “Pillars” of Islam


A pillar is a support, something that holds up a structure. Islam is like a house built on a rock of submission and supported by these five ‘pillars’ or fundamental practices. The implication is that everything else depends upon them. They are: declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.

1. The First Pillar: Declaration of Faith


Entrance into Islam begins with reciting a simple statement:

“None deserves worship except God (Allah), and Muhammad is His Messenger (Prophet) of God”)

A person from any race, country, or ethnicity can accept Islam and become a Muslim. The doors of God’s acceptance and forgiveness are open to every human being. When you accept God, you take God as the greatest influence in your life. Following God’s will and doing what pleases God becomes more important than anything else, including the demands of the body and ego. When you acknowledge Muhammad as God’s messenger, you pledge to follow his teachings because they come from God.

2. The Second Pillar: Daily Prayer


Prayers are central to Muslim life, providing spiritual strength and peace of mind. It is a direct link connecting a Muslim with God, performed five times a day. A mosque is where Muslims gather for prayers, even though they can be offered at any place. Friday is the most important day when Muslim men are required to attend the mosque in the after-noon to listen to a short sermon and attend a group prayer.

3. The Third Pillar: Charity (Zakah)


Zakat is a charity required of every Muslim who has sufficient means to pay it. The annual charity is seen as purification of one’s wealth. It reminds us that all things come from God and all things belong to God. We are only the custodians of whatever has come to us. In Islam, it is the duty of the rich to help the poor.

4. The Forth Pillar: Fast the Month of Ramadan


Muslims who are able to do so are commanded to fast one month every year from dawn to sunset. This period of intense spiritual devotion is known as the fast of Ramadan in which no food, drink, sex, arguing, or fighting is allowed. Ramadan is a month to practice self-control and focus on prayers and devotion. During the fast, Muslims learn to sympathize with those who have little to eat.

5. The Fifth Pillar: Pilgrimage to Mecca


All Muslims are required to make pilgrimage to Mecca (located in Saudi Arabia) if they can afford to do so. The Ka’ba, a black cube at the heart of Mecca, is the most sacred place in Islam and was built by Prophet Abraham and his son, Ishmael. Muslims throughout the world perform all their prayers facing the Ka’ba. The Hajj is the most intense spiritual experience for a Muslim. Two to three million Muslims from around the globe perform the pilgrimage yearly.


God


The Word for God in the Arabic language is ‘Allah.’ To Muslims, Allah is not just their God, but He is the Lord of the entire universe. One of the greatest misconceptions about Islam has to do with the Arabic name of God. Some non-Muslims assume that ‘Allah’ is a God other than the God of Judaism or Christianity. Interestingly, Arabic speaking Jews and Christians use the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all believe in the same Creator and their roots go back to Prophet Abraham.

‘We believe in God, And what has been sent down to us,What has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, And Isaac and Jacob and their offspring, And what was given to Moses and to Jesus, And all other prophets by the Lord.We make no distinction among them.’ 

(Quran:2:136)

While they believe in the same God, how they think of God differs greatly. For example, Christians believe that God has a son, whereas Islam teaches that God does not have any children.

‘The disbelievers say, ‘The Lord of Mercy has a son.’ This is certainly a monstrous lie! It almost causes the heavens to be torn apart, the earth to split asunder, the mountains to crumble to pieces, That they attribute offspring to the Lord of Mercy. It does not befit the Lord of Mercy to have a son: There is no one in the heavens or earth who will not come to the Lord of Mercy as a servant.’

(Quran 19:88-93)

Arabic does not have an equivalent of ‘it.’ Therefore, in Arabic, God is referred to in the masculine form “He” or the royal plural “We.” These words have to do with the limits of human language. In Islam, Allah is neither male nor female, but the Creator of both genders.

In Islam, faith in God consists of four matters:

(1) God exists

(2) God is the Supreme Lord

(3) Only God must be worshipped

(4) We know God by His Most Beautiful Names and Attributes

1.God’s Existence


God is real and His existence is true. God’s existence is recognized by the innate nature of every human being. From a castle one learns of the castle-maker, from the universe one learns of its Creator. God’s existence is also known by answers to prayers, miracles of prophets and the books God revealed. Neither is God part of His creation, nor does He dwell in it. He is separate and above what He has created.

2 . God is the Supreme Lord


God is the sole Lord and Ruler of the world. He has no sons or wife. He does not sleep or get tired. He is unique, everlasting, powerful, and eternal.

God is the ‘Lord’ means that He is the Creator, Controller, and Owner of the universe. God is the King and the Savior, a Living God, a Loving God, full of wisdom. The kingdom of the heavens and the earth belong exclusively to Him. Angels, prophets, and human beings are under His control.

“Is He not closer than the vein of your neck? You need not raise your voice, For he knows the secret whisper, And what is yet more hidden. . .He knows what is in the land and in the sea; No leaf falls but He knows it; Nor is there a grain in the darkness under the earth, Nor a thing, green or dry, but it is recorded.”

(Quran 6:12, 59)

God is also the ‘Ruler’ of human beings. Just like the physical world submits to its Lord, human beings must submit to the teaching of their Lord. God distinguishes right from wrong. God alone has the authority to determine acts of worship and set standards of human behavior.

3.Only God must be worshipped


The most fundamental teaching and core of Islam and the purpose of our creation is to worship and serve God. God must be worshipped by one’s heart and limbs. No one can be worshipped apart from Him, no one can be worshipped with Him. He has no son, daughter, helper, partner or associate in worship. Worship, in its comprehensive sense, is for God alone. A person becomes Muslim by testifying to God’s right to be worshipped. 

It was the central message of all prophets of God. Moses declared, "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord."5 Jesus repeated the same message when he said,

"The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.’"6 Finally, the call of Muhammad some 600 years after Jesus was, "And your God is One God: there is no god but He…"

(Quran 2:163)

4 .We know God by His Most Beautiful Names and Attributes


We cannot see God in this life and Islam does not allow making statues or pictures of God. So, how do we know Him? We know God by His Names and Attributes that describe Him. More than  ninety-nine beautiful Names and many more Attributes come to us from the Quran and the teachings of His Prophet, Muhammad.

"And the Most Beautiful Names belong to God, so call on Him by them."

(Quran 7:180)

We will give example of two Names of God and one attribute. Two of the most frequently used Names of God are, "the Most Merciful." (ar-Rahman in Arabic) ad "the Most Compassionate" (ar-Raheem in Arabic). All chapters of the Quran (the Muslim scripture), except one, begin with the phrase, "I begin in the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate." Muslims utter this phrase to remind themselves of God’s loving grace and mercy every time they eat, drink, write a letter, or perform anything important.

One of the most beautiful attributes of God is forgiveness which defines His relationship with human beings. Human beings are weak and prone to sin, but God is willing to forgive.The Prophet Muhammad said,

"God’s mercy outweighs His wrath." 

Bukhari

In Islam, there is no concept of original sin, children are born innocent and sinless, and you do not confess sins to any middlemen. The faith teaches that you go directly to God, acknowledge your weakness, and ask for His forgiveness. How do you do that? Here is a beautiful example – a prayer for forgiveness taught by Prophet Muhammad,

“O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship except You. You created me and I am Your servant. I adhere to Your covenant and Your promise as much as I am able to. I seek protection with You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to You your blessings on me and I admit to my sins. So forgive me, for there is no one who can forgive sins except You.’

Tirmidhi

The Last Day 


One thing is certain in this life, and that is death. Not only does Islam explain what the purpose of life is, but it also speaks clearly about life after death and how this life and the next one are related. Our duration on this earth is short and temporary. The end of this life is the beginning of another one that will last forever. That is why it is called the ‘Last Day.’ The universe will come to an end on that day. Everything will be annihilated. The Quran describes the Day of Resurrection as follows:

“When the sky bursts open, When planets are dispersed, When the seas spill forth, When graves are turned over, Then each soul will know what it sent forward and what it left behind.”

(Quran 82:1–5)

Everyone will stand to be judged by a Fair, Just, and Merciful God about the choices they made in this life. Those who were good will be admitted into Paradise. Those who rejected faith and did evil, will be punished in Hell.

Why a Judgment Day?


Over one quarter of the Quran deals with the next life. That is understandable because for the Muslim, the real life is yet to come. Islamic stress on the life to come does not dismiss participation in affairs of this life, neither does it encourage a life of self-denial. Islam is against today’s materialism that chokes the spirit, but it is also against withdrawal from society.

To understand the reasoning behind a Judgment Day, we have to remember our purpose of life. We are here to be tested by God in our belief and actions. Through this test, we try to develop ourselves and raise our soul to the highest level of purity. We accomplish this through belief in God, seeking His guidance through Books He revealed and following the example of prophets He send, and living a life devoted to good deeds and seeking repentance when we fall short. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that there must be an end to this test and that each of us will receive our grade eventually.

Judgment is necessary. The idea that truly evil people in this world can escape punishment simply by dying is unimaginable. Can Adolph Hitler escape retribution? Think of all the abused children, war-crimes, mistreated animals, thefts, and rapes. The view of life which says we are all just intelligent animals who live only once, is an open license for irresponsible behavior. To them, you live only once and if you can get away with your crimes, so be it. Islam contends that it is not consistent with God's perfect Justice that all people be treated the same.

“On that Day will men proceed in groups sorted out, To be shown the deeds that they had done. Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it.”

(Quran 99:6-8)

Every single soul that ever lived will be brought back to life for final judgment. Judgment Day will manifest divine grace and justice in their perfection. The rules of engagement have been clearly laid down in the Quran and by the Prophet of Islam:

(1) Perfect Justice


God will judge between people with perfect justice. God’s court will not discriminate based on race, color, sex, or mere verbal affiliation to a religion. No person will be treated unjustly, even as little as a ‘seed,’

‘Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, And they will not be treated unjustly.’

(Quran 2:181)

(2) Each On His Own


God’s justice will judge everyone individually, no one will bear the sins of the other.

‘And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, And He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.’

(Quran 6:164)

(3) Written Records


People will be handed their personal “diary” containing all their deeds, the good and the bad.

‘And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], And you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, And they will say, "Oh, woe to us!  What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?"And they will find what they did present [before them].  And your Lord does injustice to no one.’

(Quran 18:49)

(4) Divine Grace


The Prophet of Islam informed us,

‘God Almighty has divided mercy into one hundred parts. He kept ninety-nine parts and sent down one part to earth. Because of that one single part, creatures are merciful to one another so that even the mare will lift its hooves away from its foal so that it does not trample on it.’

(Bukhari)

Paradise

Paradise is not God’s residence or a spiritual state of everlasting communion with God as some think. The Quran describes it as a beautiful and wonderful place that awaits those who believe in God, His prophets, and do righteous good deeds. Paradise is a spiritual and sensual residence of pleasure in which all one’s senses will be gratified to the fullest. It is an abode of manifold enjoyments for the faithful, its dwellers will not feel the least pain or sadness, where every aspiration will be finally realized. It is a place of peace, with rivers and fruits, sweet smells, goblets of gold, and the shade of God Himself. The Quran tells us that the joys of Paradise are beyond our comprehension:

“No person knows what delights of the eye Are kept hidden in reserve for them, As a reward for their good deeds.”

(Quran 32:17)

Both men and women will live in Paradise.

“God has promised to believers, men and women, Gardens underneath which rivers flow, To dwell therein, And beautiful mansions in Gardens everlasting. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of God; That is the supreme felicity.”

Quran 9:72

The people of the Garden will be happy and experience true inner peace.

“The righteous will be amid gardens and fountains. Their greeting will be, ‘Enter here, in peace and security.’ And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of grudge. They will be like brothers, Joyfully facing each other on thrones. There, no sense of fatigue shall touch them, Nor shall they ever be asked to leave.”

(Quran 15:45–48)

Hell Fire


Just as the good will be rewarded for their efforts, those who rejected God and rebelled against His laws will face punishment in the life to come. The Fire of Hell is described to serve as a warning about the consequences of the choices people make in life. In Islam, Hell is depicted as a fierce fire that will burn and punish those who are caged in it. It is a place of intense heat and suffering, with boiling water, hot wind, and black smoke. In Hell people are burned and dragged in chains. They are given boiling water to drink and thorny plants to eat. There is no relief for the punished.

“So taste the results of your evil; No increase shall We give you,Except in torment.”

(78:30)

The only people who will be eternally punished in Hell without escape are those who disbelieve in God and associate others with Him in their worship. The Quran says,

“But those who reject God, for them will be the Fire of Hell. No term shall be appointed for them, So they should die, Nor shall its punishment be lightened for them. Thus do We reward every ungrateful one!”

(Quran 35:36)

Those who believe in God may spend some time in Hell for sins they fell into during their lives. Sins such as arrogance, pride, murder, lying, oppression, immorality, slander, and miserliness may be punished if they are not repented for before death. Similarly, one may be punished for being neglectful of duties owed to God.

Despite the graphic images of Hell, the overwhelming message of Islam is of God’s Mercy and Compassion as the Prophet of Mercy stated,

‘When God decreed the creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over My wrath.’

Bukhari

‘He was of a certainty a most unique and special man who demonstrated within his own life the virtues of humility, compassion, obedience, and a thirst for justice, and a call for all men to worship the one and only God of all creation…The message of Muhammad was, and remains to this day, a message of peace, mercy, and compassion.’

William W.  Baker, former college Professor of Ancient History and Biblical studies, member of Near East Institute of Archaeology and the Oxford Philosophical Society in


More in Common Thank You Think, 1988 Defenders Publications. p. 6-7.

Chronology of the Life of the Prophet

570 C.E. Prophet Muhammad is born.

610 C.E. He receives the first revelation of the Quran.


612 C.E. Prophet Muhammad begins to preach publicly.


615 C.E. The Muslim community is persecuted by the rich and powerful in Mecca.


622 C.E. Hijrah – Seventy Muslim families migrate to Madina followed by Prophet Muhammad.


624 C.E. The Battle of Badr – Muslims win a dramatic victory over Meccan forces.


625 C.E. The Battle of Uhud – Muslim forces suffer losses after an initial victory.


627 C.E. The Battle of the Trench – Muslims hold off and defeat a besieging Meccan army.


628 C.E. Peace treaty is signed between Mecca and Madina.


630 C.E. Mecca violates the peace treaty. Prophet Muhammad and his army enter Mecca unopposed.


632 C.E. Death of Prophet Muhammad.

Muslims believe that God send prophets to every civilization and people. Some are mentioned in the Quran by name, others are not. As mentioned in Part 1, under the “Six Articles of Faith,” the prophets brought the same message: worship God alone and follow the prophet He send. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was God’s final prophet send to all mankind. He was a descendant of Prophet Ishmael, the son of Prophet Abraham. He never claimed to be God or have the powers of God. He did not ask for any special reverence or recognition for himself. His message is completely preserved and will be discussed in Part 4. They also believe that his coming was foretold in the Bible in numerous verses, for example:

“I (God) will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee (Moses), and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”1


“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”2


Muhammad, whose name in Arabic means ‘the praised one,’ was born in the town and commercial center of Mecca which is situated in Saudi Arabia today. He was the son of a young couple from the tribe of Quraish. His father, Abdullah, died two months before his birth, and his mother, Aamina, died when he was six years old. Both his parents came from a humble, but eminent background. His grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, was the virtual head of the Meccan commonwealth and the custodian of the Ka’ba, the cube-shaped building in Mecca built by Prophet Abraham for the worship of God. Upon the death of his grandfather, Muhammad was adopted by his uncle, Abu Talib who was a generous and gentle man, but was not rich. The young Muhammad had to earn his own livelihood. He first served as a shepherd, then as an assistant to his uncle’s trading caravans, travelling to northern Arabia and Syria. It was on these ‘business trips’ that he learned trading skills. These skills were later noticed by Khajida, a wealthy widow business-woman. She hired Muhammad to run her commercial enterprise. They were married when she was forty and Muhammad was twenty-five. The marriage produced six children, two boys who died as infants, and four girls. He remained married to his wife for a period of twenty-five years until her death, despite the fact that taking multiple wives was culturally accepted. 

For several years he practiced meditation and contemplation at a cave in Mt. Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca. It was here, at the age of forty, that he heard the voice‘Proclaim in the Name of your Lord and Sustainer, Who has created –  Created humanity out of a mere clot.

Proclaim – for your Lord Is the Most Gracious One Who has taught (the use of) the Pen, Taught humanity what they did not know!’

(Quran 96:1-5)

Thus began the revelation from God, through the angel Gabriel, to Muhammad, the Prophet of God.

The leaders of Mecca were displeased with the new message which rejected their idol-worship. Most of the early believers were from the lowest class of society who were attracted to the message of human equality and justice. The powerful Meccans tortured them. After years of abuse, the Prophet Muhammad send some Muslims to a just and fair Christian king in Africa. 

The year 620, when he was fifty, was marked by sorrow and sadness as both his wife and uncle, Abu Talib, passed away in the same year. Without the protection of his uncle, the Prophet Muhammad turned to other cities for support and shelter. Finally, the people of Madina invited the Muslims to their city and treated them as family.

In Madina, the Prophet Muhammad wrote a city charter guarantying the rights of all residents and made treaties with all neighboring tribes and cities. No one was forced to convert to Islam. Over the coming years, several battles ensued until a truce was stuck at Hudaibiya. When the truce was violated, the Prophet Muhammad marched on Mecca. Instead of vengeance and plunder, the Prophet Muhammad granted amnesty. Meccans, for their part, accepted Islam.