What is Islam?
"Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood." -Al Baqarah (256)
The Message of Tawheed
"Tawheed" (تَوْحيد) is the basis of Islam. The literal meaning of this word is unification (making something one) or "asserting oneness". It's the concept of one, indivisible, all-powerful God, and no other god but Him. He sees and hears all and is the Creator of everything, living and non-living, in the universe and beyond. Allah refers to Himself in the Quran with 99 different names, which are His attributes. Tawheed means specifically that there is no other being or deity worthy of worship except Allah.
"Islam" (اسلام) in Arabic means "submission to the will of God". "Islam" is derived from the Arabic word "sal'm" which literally means peace. Everything and every phenomenon in the world other than man and jinn are completely obedient to Allah and submissive to His laws. Humans and Jinn possess the qualities of intelligence and choice, thus they are invited to submit to the good will of Allah and obey His law, i.e., become a Muslim.
The 6 Articles of Faith
1. To believe in the Oneness of God (Allah)
Monotheism (belief in one God) is the most important and foundational concept in Islam. Muslims believe in one God who created everything in the universe for a reason and has power over everything within it. He is unique and exalted above everything He creates, and His greatness cannot be compared to His creation. Furthermore, He is the only one deserving of any worship and the ultimate purpose of all creation is to submit to Him.
2. To believe in the Angels (Malaikah)
Angels are heavenly beings who are God's first creation and who always obey Him. They have various roles, such as praising Allah, interacting with humans and protecting them, and carrying out laws of nature by the command of God. God passed messages (risalah), to His prophets via the angels.
3. To believe in the Books of Allah
Muslims believe in the Revelations sent by God to His Prophets and Messengers, including the Qur’an (which is the unchanged word of God, revealed to the Final Messenger, Muhammad), the Torah (revealed to Moses), the Gospel (revealed to Jesus), the Psalms (revealed to David) and the Scrolls of Abraham.
4. To believe in all the Prophets
God sent messengers to every nation to guide people in fulfilling this purpose. Some of these messengers included Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon all of them. They all taught a consistent message about God by affirming His greatness as the Creator and guiding people to worship Him alone. No Muslim can be a Muslim without believing in all the Messengers of God.
5. To believe in the Day of Judgement (Qiyamah) and Afterlife (Akhirah)
One basic Islamic belief is that this life is a test and that all people from the beginning of time till the end will be brought back to life after death on the Day of Judgement, which only God knows when it will occur. On the Day of Judgement, everyone will be judged by Allah according to their sins and good deeds and then sent to either Heaven (Jannah) or Hell (Jahannam) where they will remain forever. Allah is the Most Fair and everyone will be judged fairly.
6. To believe in the Divine Decree (Qadr)
Al-Qadr is the Islamic concept of predestination. Allah is All-Knowing, is the Owner of unlimited power, and has Creator of all creation. He has already planned everything and every single event that has passed or is to come. No action by any creation can be taken without Allah's permission.
According to Hadith:
Abdullaah bin 'Amr bin Al-'Aas said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Allah recorded the measurement of all matters pertaining to creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth.” [Saheeh Muslim]
The 5 Pillars of Islam
The 5 pillars of Islam are basic, mandatory acts in Islam, that are the foundation of Muslim life.
1. Profession of Faith (Shahada)
Shahada (لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله) is the declaration of faith. It translates to "I bear witness that here is no God but Allah and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is his Messenger". The Shahada is the basic foundation of Islamic beliefs. To become a Muslim and convert to Islam, it is essential to recite the Shahada in Arabic. The Shahada, or profession of faith is said five times a day during prayer. It is the first thing said to a newborn, and the last thing by a person on their death-bed.
2. Prayer (Salah)
The second pillar of Islam is Salah. These prayers are done five times a day and are mandatory on every Muslim starting at the age of seven. Salah is a means of purification of oneself. Furthermore, Muslims do not pray for the benefit of Allah, as He has no needs; Muslims pray because we have been ordered to do so by Allah and will be rewarded by Him. The purpose of Salah is to ensure that one stays
3. Alms-Giving (Zakat)
Zakat is the obligatory charity for Muslims whose wealth is above a threshold figure. Zakat is 2.5% of wealth that has been in one’s possession for a lunar year.
4. Fasting (Sawm)
Muslims are obliged to fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days during Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar year. While fasting, Muslims abstain from eating any food, drinking any liquids, smoking cigarettes, and engaging in any sexual activity, from dawn to sunset. Ramadan allows Muslims to strengthen their relationship with God, to engage more in worship and prayer and encourages generosity and charity. Fasting reminds us of our dependence of Allah, and makes us feel what it is like to be poor, so that we are encouraged to help them. Muslims also try to give up bad habits during Ramadan such as swearing, gossiping, and listening to music. There are exceptions to fasting, however, such as for those who are ill, pregnant or nursing, menstruating, or traveling, and for young children and the elderly.
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)
"To give charity publicly is good, but to give to the poor privately is better for you, and will absolve you of your sins. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do."
Al-Baqarah (271)