WHAT IS ISLAM?

The term Islam is derived from three Arabic letters, S (س) – L (ل) – M (م), which generate the word Islam. It means ‘peace,’ ‘surrender’ and ‘submission’ to the will of God (Allah).

Islam refers to the monotheistic religion revealed to all the Prophets, including Moses, Jesus and Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon them). Those who submit to the teaching of Islam revealed by Allah are called Muslims. In the Quran Allah says: “Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac – one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him’.” (chapter al-Baqarah 2:133)

Islam is not just a religion but a complete way of life for Muslims. The most important teaching in Islam is faith or believe in only one God, that is Allah. In the Quran Allah says: “Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah the eternally besought of all. He begetteth not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him.” (chapter al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

Believe in Allah is not complete until one worship in total submission to Him. That is the basic message of Islam. Allah has no son. Worshipping directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah is forbidden because everything other than Allah is Allah’s creation. Allah is the only one deserving of man’s worship. Thus, praying to a tree, fire, stone, wood, animals, idols, angels, or images of prophets or great men means worshipping the creation and is tantamount to idolatry.

Submission to the will of Allah and worshipping Him means that one is obliged to follow the principles of Islam, its rules and regulations in every aspect of life, as ordained by Allah through the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad.

The authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad are sometimes called the Sunnah. The Sunnah of the Prophet (which includes his sayings and deeds) explains and elaborates the message of the Quran. For example, when the Quran obligates Muslims to perform their prayers, the Sunnah details the time and steps to be taken to fulfill the prayers. Allah says in the Quran: “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is severe in punishment.” (chapter al-Hasyr 59:7)

Based on the Quran and the Sunnah, true Muslims believe in the Six Pillars of Iman (faith) besides practising and performing the Five Pillars of Islam.

THE SIX PILLARS (ARTICLES) OF IMAN (FAITH)

In Islam, Iman (faith) is a strong affirmation or belief that Muslims believe in, based on the Quran and the Sunnah. Muslims believe in the six Pillars of Faith without exception. The Six Pillars are based on many verses in the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad (Sunnah). For example, Allah says in the Quran: “O believers! Have faith in Allah, His Messenger, the Book He has revealed to His Messenger, and the Scriptures He had revealed before. Indeed, whoever denies Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day has clearly gone far astray”. (chapter an-Nisak 4:136)

The Six Pillars of Iman (faith) are:

1-    Belief in one God: This is the Tawhid. It means having absolute faith in the oneness of God and that God is only Allah. Allah is an Arabic word. It has no plural in Arabic, which shows that there is only one God. Muslims believe that no being is like Allah. Nothing is similar to Him. 

      Allah says in the Quran: “And your god is one God. There is no deity (worthy of worship) except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.” (chapter al-Baqarah 2:163)

2-  Belief in the Angels: Angels in Arabic is Malaikat. Angels are beings created by Allah. They are the obedient servants of Allah, thus, there are no fallen angels and they are not divided into ‘good’ and ‘evil’ angels. They consistently worship Allah and follow His orders. These angels, through the command of Allah, maintain and control the whole universe.

  Allah says in the Quran: “They (the Angels) fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.” (chapter an-Nahl 16:50)

3-    Belief in the Holy Books: Holy Books are revelations from Allah to the holy Prophets, for example, the Book of Abraham, the Taurah (Torah) to Moses, the Zabur (Psalms) to David and the Injil (Gospels). to Jesus (peace and blessings be upon them). Believing in all the Holy Books (in its original form) as the revelations from Allah is an essential part of the Islamic creed. The final Holy Book is the Quran, which is the unchanged word of Allah, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Allah says in the Quran: “(The righteous) are those who believe in what has been revealed to you, (O Muhammad), and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain in faith.” (chapter al-Baqarah 2:4)

4-  Belief in the Prophets: The Prophets of Allah are human beings chosen by Allah to deliver His message to mankind. They set the best examples of moral and spiritual conduct. They led mankind to Allah by conveying the Divine messages revealed to them, and also through their own good examples of purity and righteousness. Among the Prophets chosen by Allah (as mentioned in the Quran) are: Adam, Idris (Enoch), Nuh (Noah), Hud, Salih (Saleh), Ibrahim (Abraham), Lut (Lot), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishak (Isaac), Ya’kub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Ayub (Job), Zulkifli (Ezekiel), Yunus (Jonah), Shuaib, Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Daud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ilyas (Elias), Al-Yasa’ (Elisha), Zakaria (Zachariah), Yahya (John), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them). Muslims believe that the Prophets should be respected and followed but never worshipped.

Allah says in the Quran: “The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. And they proclaim, ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers’.” (chapter al-Baqarah 2:285)

5-   Belief in the Afterlife and the Day of Judgement: One of the most emphasized beliefs in the Holy Quran is the belief in the Day of Judgment (Yaumul Akhirat). Islam teaches that physical death is not the end of man’s existence, rather it is the door to the hereafter, the door to the Day of Judgement. According to the Holy Quran, on the Day of Judgment this entire universe will collapse and come to an end, and the dead will then be resurrected in a different world. The deeds of all human beings will be judged and will be rewarded accordingly by Allah. Those with good deeds will be sent to Paradise (Jannah), while those with bad deeds will be punished in Hell (Nar). It means that ultimately we will be held accountable for all our actions and deeds, no matter how small they are, in front of Allah as the Judge, in the hereafter. On the Day of Judgement nobody will be victimized.

Allah says in the Quran: “Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will indeed triumph. The life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.” (chapter Ali Imran 3:185)

6-   Belief in Predestination or the Divine Decree: This is the Qada’ and Qadar. Allah is the All-Knower and the All-Powerful and He creates everything. Everything in the universe (including things in the Unseen World) He creates according to His Master Plan. Everything also happens according to His Master Plan. Allah says in the Quran: “And We (Allah) did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly.” (chapter Sad 38:27)

But Allah also gives us free will. He allows us to choose and make our own decisions in certain aspects of our life. However all the choices that we make are within Allah’s knowledge. That is part of His Master Plan. He has honored humanity with this great gift. However, it comes with a heavy responsibility, and on the Day of Judgment we will be accountable for our use of this gift.

In the Quran Allah mentions about the people of Thamud (an ancient Arabian tribe that occupied the north-western Arabian peninsula during the late eighth century BCE), and the choices that they made: “As for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance, so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment seized them for what they used to earn.” (chapter Fussilat 41:17) 

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Iman (faith) is important but Iman alone is not enough to make one a good Muslim. To be a good Muslim, Iman (faith) should be followed by performing certain important duties as ordained in the Five Pillars of Islam. These Pillars are fundamental practices in Islam, considered to be obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. The Five Pillars of Islam are:

1-    The Shahadah (Declaration of Faith): This is the profession of Shahadah. Muslims have to testify that there is no true God except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger. This is a declaration of belief and with that one becomes a Muslim. Allah says in the Quran: “O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger..” (chapter an-Nisak 4:136)

2-    The Solah (Prayers): It is obligatory for all Muslims to pray five times a day. Allah says in the Quran: “Verily, prayer is enjoined on the believers (to be performed) at the fixed times.” (chapter an-Nisak 4:103) Based on the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, the five daily prayers are: 1- The Fajr or the dawn prayer, to be performed before sunrise. 2- The Dhuhr or the noon prayer. 3- The ‘Asr or the afternoon prayer. 4- The Maghrib or the dusk prayer, to be performed just after the sunset. 5- The ‘Isha or the night prayer.

3-    The Zakat (Almsgiving): This is an obligatory act of giving a portion of a Muslim’s wealth (for example, to contribute 2.5% of their business income yearly) to those in need throughout their lifetime. Allah says in the Quran: “(The successful believers) are those who are observant of zakat (giving alms).” (chapter al-Mukminun 23:4)

4-    The Sawm (Fasting): Muslims are obliged to fast one whole month in the month of Ramadan (the ninth month in the Islamic calendar) every year. Everyday in Ramadan fasting starts at dawn during the Fajr prayer and ends at sunset, about 14 hours daily, according to Malaysian time. Allah says in the Quran: “The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong. So those of you who witness the month (of Ramadan) must fast in it.” (chapter al-Baqarah 2:185)

5-    The Hajj (Pilgrimage): The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in a lifetime by all adult Muslims who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey. Every year, millions of Muslims converge on the city of Mecca to symbolically retrace the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim and his wife Siti Hajar, and to be reminded that they are part of the ummah — the worldwide community of Islam.

Allah says in the Quran: “The pilgrimage (Hajj) is in the appointed months. (For) whosoever undertakes the pilgrimage, let them stay away from intimate relations, foul language, and arguments during pilgrimage. Allah is Aware of whatever good you do. Provide well for yourselves, but the best provision is piety. And be mindful of Me, O  people of reason.” (chapter al-Baqarah 2:197)

Muslims converge on Mecca in the month of Zulhijjah (the last month of the Islamic calendar) to perform the Pilgrimage. The scene of Muslims performing Hajj embodies the basic principles of Islam that all Muslims are equal in the sight of Allah, regardless of their race, background, color, ethnicity and nationality. All pilgrims wear more or less the same type of clothes, do the same rituals and have the same status.

Malcolm X was a popular figure in U.S.A. during the civil rights movement. He went to Hajj in the year 1964. He went as an ardent believer in Black Nationalism and returned to America a changed man. He had a life-transforming experience. Prior to Hajj, he divided humanity into black and white and saw no possibility of uniting them. His experience of Hajj convinced him otherwise.

Malcolm X said: “Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors … from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.” (Malcolm X’s Hajj: An American Story | HuffPost Religion – extracted 1/1/23)

ISLAM THE MISUNDERSTOOD RELIGION

The above are some of the basic teachings of Islam. Today Islam is truly a misunderstood religion. Without proper understanding of Islam, misconception, hatred and Islamophobia will be the norms of the day. Understanding Islam (as with other religions) should be based on the authentic sources, and interpretation of these sources should be done using the correct methodology. For example, verses of the Quran concerning war and peace should not be interpreted out of context.

Here’s a true story about Mary Sue Malvar (Sue Watson). She came from California, America. She wrote: “Formerly, I was a professor, pastor, church planter and missionary.  If anyone was a radical fundamentalist it was I.. I had just graduated with my Master’s Degree of Divinity from an elite seminary.. What we had been taught about Islam is that it is a Demonic and Satanic religion.. Naturally, my first question centered on the deity of God.  Who is this God that the Muslims worship?  We had been taught as Christians that this is another god, a false god, when, in fact, He is the Omniscient-All Knowing, Omnipotent-All Powerful, and Omnipresent-All Present God – The One and Only without co-partners or co-equal.  It is interesting to note that there were bishops during the first three hundred years of the Church that were teaching as the Muslim believes, that Jesus (may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him) was a prophet and teacher!

My other important question centered on Muhammad (may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him). Who is this Muhammad? I found out that Muslims do not pray to him like the Christians pray to Jesus. He is not an intermediary and in fact it is forbidden to pray to him. He is a Prophet and a Messenger, the final and last Prophet.

Because prayer was a very important part of my Christian life I was both interested and curious to know what the Muslims were praying. As Christians we were as ignorant on this aspect of Muslim belief as on the other aspects. We thought and were taught that the Muslims were bowing down to the Kaaba (in Mecca).. Again, I was shocked to learn that the manner of prayer is prescribed by God, Himself. The words of the prayer are one of praise and exaltation. The approach to prayer (ablution or washing) in cleanliness is under the direction of God. He is a Holy God and it is not for us to approach Him in an arbitrary manner, but only reasonable that He should tell us how we should approach Him.

At the end, I knew cognitively that Islam was true. But I did not embrace Islam at that time because I did not believe it in my heart. I continued to pray, to read the Bible, to attend lectures at the Islamic Center. I was in earnest asking and seeking God’s direction. It is not easy to change your religion.. In my Master’s level, the professor I had was respected as an authority on Islam, yet his teaching and that of Christianity in general is full of misunderstanding. He and many Christians like him are sincere but they are sincerely wrong.

Two months later after having once again prayed seeking God’s direction, I felt something drop into my being. I sat up, and it was the first time I was to use the name of God (Allah), and I said, ‘God, I believe you are the One and Only True God.’ There was peace that descended upon me and from that day I have never regretted embracing Islam.” Sue Watson embraced Islam in October, 1993. {Refer: Sue Watson, Professor, Pastor, Church Planter and Missionary, Now in Saudi Arabia – The Religion of Islam (islamreligion.com) – extracted 2/1/23}.. {Video : Former Pastor Professor Sue Watson Accepts Islam – YouTube – extracted 2/1/23}

 

Written by:

Dato Dr. Danial Zainal Abidin,

Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.

1/1/2023

 

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