1

ISLAM IS. ISBN 0-919158-0-6

(opvright 2002 Pete Seda All rights resered
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long as the inormation used is not in anv wav quoted out o context or used or proit.
1his material has been reiewed and orwarded or publishing and distribution bv the Lnglish
language section o the Department o Islamic Resources.
lorm 4: 22
Date: 531424
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contact us at:
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2
Islam is.
An Introduction to Islam &
its Principles
3
1able of Contents
Preace 5
\hat Is Islam 6
Monotheism 8
1he Oneness o God in lis Lordship Omnipotence, 8
1he Deotion o All \orship to the One God Alone 9
1he Uniqueness and Oneness o God in lis Names and Attributes 11
1he Six Articles o laith 14
Belie in God 14
Belie in lis Angels 14
Belie in lis Books 15
Belie in lis Prophets and Messengers 16
Belie in the Dav o Judgment 18
Belie in Diine Decree 19
1he lree \ill o the luman Being 21
1here Is No (ompulsion in Religion 22
1he lie Pillars o Islam 23
1he Declaration o laith Shahadah, 23
Praving lie 1imes a Dav Salah, 24
Paving the \earlv Alms Zakah, 25
lasting During Ramadan Sawm, 26
Making the Pilgrimage to Makkah lajj, 26
1he Our'an 28
1he Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah Peace be upon him, 32
1he Dangers o Innoations in Islam Bid'ah, 34
1he Storv o Adam and Le 36
Jesus Peace be upon him, 39
4
Sin and Repentance 41
Organizational Structure o Islam 43
Islamic Law 45
1he Islamic Dress (ode 4
\omen in Islam 49
Male (hauinism and the Muslim \orld 51
Science and 1echnologv 54
Summarv 56
Lditor`s Note 58
5
Preface
1he purpose o this work is to present the authentic teachings o
Islam. \e do not present anv speciic ersion or a unique inter-
pretation o Islam. \e present Islam as it is. without sugarcoat-
ing. and we allow it to stand on its own merits. 1here is onlv one
Islam and onlv one example o how it is to be lied - that o the
Prophet Muhammad ,.
1
Our intention is to proide a basic
oeriew o the main tenets o Islam as gien in the Our'an and
as exempliied bv the Prophet ,. \e also intend to address
some o the commonlv asked questions about Islam.
Despite the act that oer one-ith o the world`s population is
Muslim. Islam is oten misunderstood and misrepresented in con-
temporarv \estern societies. It is hoped that this work will help
shed light on Islam as it was diinelv communicated to Muham-
mad , and dispel anv commonlv held misconceptions that per-
petuate prejudice and hatred. \e write this booklet in the hope
that people o all aiths will join us in making this a world o tol-
erance. kindness. understanding. and peace.
1
1he svmbol , means Peace and Blessings be upon him or them,`. It is an
Islamic tradition to oer blessings o peace to all the Prophets and Messengers
o God. 1o respect God`s representaties is to respect God.
6
What is Islam?
1he Arabic word Islam literallv means surrender` or submission.`
Islam. as a aith. means total and sincere surrender to God so that
one can lie in peace and tranquilitv. Peace Salam in Arabic. Sha-
lom in lebrew, is achieed through actie obedience to the re-
ealed commandments o God. or God is 1he Just. 1he
Peace.
2
1he name Islam
3
is uniersal in meaning. Islam is not named ater
a tribe o people or an indiidual. as Judaism is named ater the
tribe o Judah. (hristianitv ater (hrist. and Buddhism ater Bud-
dha. Islam is not a name chosen bv human beings: it was diinelv
communicated rom God. Islam is a global aith. not o the Last
or the \est. Islam is a complete wav o lie. implving total sub-
mission to God. One who surrenders his or her will to God. ol-
untarilv.
4
is called a Muslim. It was not Muhammad , but Adam
, who irst brought Islam to humanitv. 1hen. each Prophet
and Messenger came to exhort the people to a clear understand-
ing o God`s commandments. 1hev oered teachings releant to
that time. until God chose the inal Prophet. Muhammad ,. to
come with the Last 1estament reerred to as the Our'an.
Allah is an Arabic word. meaning 1he One and Only 1rue
Deity'. the proper name o 1he One who created the heaens
and the earth. Arabic-speaking Jews and (hristians also call God
2
1he words in bold throughout the text indicate either a erse rom the
Our'an or one o the names and attributes o God.
3
Some Muslims are uncomortable calling Islam a religion.` as Islam is not
an institutionalized aith. In Arabic Islam is reerred to as a Deen. \av o
lie.` 1his is the same as earlv (hristians who also called their aith 1he \av.`
4
Voluntarilv` in this sense means more than not being coerced.` It means
surrendering to God without ulterior moties or reserations. and with genu-
ine wholeheartedness.
7
bv the name Allah. lor a Muslim. Allah is the greatest and most
inclusie o names or God. denoting 1he One who is adored in
worship. 1he One who created all that exists.
8
Monotheism
1he concept o monotheism known as tawheed` in Arabic, is
the single most important concept in Islam. Monotheism points
to the irst o the 1en (ommandments. and in Islam eervthing is
built upon the oneness o God. Islam calls humanitv awav rom
the worship o anv part o creation to the worship o 1he One
and Only 1rue God. No act o worship or deotion has anv
meaning or alue i the concept o monotheism is in anv wav
compromised.
Due to its importance. the concept o monotheism diine unitv
and singularitv, must be properlv and ullv understood. lor ease
o discussion. monotheism can be looked at rom the ollowing
three perspecties:
a. 1he Oneness o God in lis Lordship Omnipotence,
b. 1he Deotion o all worship to 1he One God Alone
c. 1he Uniqueness and Oneness o God in lis Names
and Attributes
1his breakdown is bv no means the onlv wav to approach the
subject that God is one and unique. but it allows the topic to be
easilv analvzed and discussed. Monotheism is the kev to under-
standing Islam. and reisiting this concept is recommended.,
1he Oneness of God in His Lordship
1he oneness o God in lis Lordship means that God. 1he
Originating Creator of the Heavens and the Larth. has abso-
lute and perect masterv oer the unierse. le alone is 1he
Creator o all things. le alone causes eervthing to happen. le
is 1he One who proides all sustenance and who determines all
lie and death. le is 1he Powerful. 1he Omnipotent. abso-
lutelv perect and ree rom anv deect. No one shares in lis
9
dominion. None can resist lis decree. le is 1he One who cre-
ated each o us rom a single cell and made us into what we are.
le is 1he One who created oer a hundred billion galaxies and
eerv electron. neutron. and quark contained within them. keep-
ing all that exists and all the laws o nature in perect measure.
Not a lea alls rom a tree without lis permission. Lervthing is
kept in a precise record.
le is ar greater than our imagination. le is so powerul that or
anvthing to be created le simplv savs. Be!` and it is. le created
time. space. and all the known and unknown worlds. vet le is
not part o anv o them. Most aiths recognize that 1he Creator
o the unierse is one. without partner. Islam includes the knowl-
edge that God is not a part o lis creation and none o lis crea-
tion shares in lis power.
In Islam. to beliee that anv o God`s creation shares in lis
power or attributes is considered polvtheism and disbelie. Lx-
amples o such alse belies would be to consider that ortune-
tellers or astrologers can predict the uture: God. 1he All-Aware.
savs that onlv le possesses the knowledge o the uture. Onlv the
Diine can gie diine help. No being except God has the abilitv
to gie diine help or diine guidance. Belie that good luck
charms and talismans hae anv power is a orm o polvtheism.
1hese concepts are renounced in Islam.
1he Devotion of All Worship to the One God Alone
Onlv God. 1he Appreciative. is to be worshipped. 1his was
proclaimed bv all the Prophets and Messengers o Islam who
were sent bv God throughout the ages. and is the core belie o
Islam. God tells us that the purpose o the creation o humanitv
is to worship lim alone. 1he purpose o Islam is to call people
awav rom the worship o creation and to direct them toward the
worship o 1he Creator alone.
10
1his is where Islam diers rom other religions. Although most
religions teach that there is a creator who created all that exists.
thev are rarelv ree o some orm o polvtheism idolatrv, with
respect to worship. 1hese religions either call on their adherents
to worship other beings besides God though usuallv placing
these other gods on a lower leel than the God who is 1he Crea-
tor,. or thev demand that their adherents call on other beings as
intercessors between themseles and God.
All the Prophets and Messengers o God. rom Adam , to
Muhammad ,. called people to worship God alone. without
partner or intermediarv. 1his is the purest. simplest. most natural
aith. Islam rejects the notion held bv cultural anthropologists
that the earlv religion o human beings was polvtheism - which
graduallv eoled into monotheism. In act. Muslims beliee just
the opposite. human cultures descended into idolatrv during the
interals o time between the manv Messengers o God. Len
while the Messengers were among them. manv people resisted
their call and practiced idolatrv despite their warnings. Subse-
quent Messengers were commissioned bv God to bring people
back to monotheism.
God created humans with an innate. natural inclination toward
the worship o lim alone. Satan. on the other hand. does his ut-
most to get people to turn awav rom monotheism. enticing man-
kind to the worship o creation idolatrv,. Most people hae a
tendencv to ocus their deotion on something thev can isualize.
something imaginable. een though thev hae an instinctie
knowledge that 1he Creator o the unierse is ar greater than
their imaginations. 1hroughout human historv. God sent a suc-
cession o Prophets and Messengers to call the people back to the
worship o 1he One and Only 1rue God. Due to the allure o
Satan. people repeatedlv deiated to the worship o created be-
ings idolatrv and polvtheism,.
God created human beings to worship lim alone. In Islam. the
greatest possible sin is to worship anvthing or anvone other than
11
God. een i the worshipper intends to draw nearer to God bv
oering deotions to another being. God. 1he Sufficient. does
not need intercessors or intermediaries. le hears all o our
pravers and has complete knowledge o eervthing that happens.
At the same time. God does not need our worship. but le savs
that it is pleasing to lim. le is completelv independent o all
things. All creation is dependent upon lim. I eerv person in
the world were to come together to worship onlv God. it would
not beneit God in the least. It would not add an atom`s weight
to lis majestic dominion. (onerselv. i all creation abandoned
the worship o God. it would not decrease lis dominion in the
least. Bv worshipping God. we beneit our own souls and ulill
the noble purpose or which we were created. God has no needs:
le is 1he Lternal. 1he Absolute.
\orship is not just traditional religious ceremonies or practices.
1he concept o worship is inclusie. (hanging a diaper. honoring
and caring or one`s parents. as well as picking up a piece o bro-
ken glass rom the sidewalk - all can be orms o worship i thev
are done with the primarv intent to please God. I anv sort o
gain. be it wealth. job. power. or recognition. becomes more im-
portant than pleasing God. een that is a orm o polvtheism.
1he Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His
Names and attributes
1he uniqueness and oneness o God in lis names and attributes
indicates that God does not share in the attributes o created be-
ings. nor do thev share in anv o lis. God is unique in eerv wav.
le cannot be limited in anv wav. or le is 1he Creator o eerv-
thing. God. 1he Most Great savs.
God! None is worthy of worship but He,
1he Lver Living, 1he One who sustains
and protects all that exists. Neither slum-
12
ber nor sleep overtakes Him. 1o Him be-
longs whatever is in the heavens and what-
ever is on the earth. Who is he that can in-
tercede with Him except with His permis-
sion? He knows what happens to them
His creatures in this world, and what will
happen to them in the Hereafter. And they
will never encompass anything of His
knowledge except that which He wills. 1he
pedestal of His throne extends over the
heavens and the earth, and He feels no fa-
tigue in guarding and preserving them.
And He is 1he Most High, 1he Supreme.
|Our'an 2,:255|
In Islam it is orbidden to attribute to God characteristics o lis
creation. 1he onlv attributes that mav be ascribed to God are the
ones le reealed limsel in the Our'an or those used bv the
Prophet , to describe lim. Manv o God`s names and attrib-
utes seem to hae equialents on the human leel. but this is onlv
a relection o human language. God`s attributes. like God lim-
sel. are unlike anvthing in our experience. lor instance. God has
diine knowledge. Man has knowledge. God`s knowledge how-
eer. is nothing at all like the knowledge o human beings. God`s
knowledge is unlimited omniscient. 1he All Knowing,. It is nei-
ther learned nor acquired. God`s knowledge encompasses all
things without experiencing increase or decrease. luman knowl-
edge. on the other hand. is acquired and limited. It is constantlv
changing. increasing and decreasing. and subject to orgetulness
and error.
God. 1he Irresistible. has diine will. 1he human being also has
a will. God`s will alwavs comes to pass. Like lis diine knowl-
edge. lis will encompasses all things that God wants to come to
pass in creation - past. present. and uture. luman will. on the
13
other hand. is merelv an intention. a desire. It can onlv come to
pass i God wills it to happen.
luman attributes cannot be ascribed to God. All human attrib-
utes are limited. God has no gender. weakness. or deiciencv.
God is bevond the human and creation attribute o gender. lere
we hae used the pronoun le` onlv because there is no gender-
neutral pronoun in LnglishSemitic languages. and it ollows the
conentions o Lnglish usage. \hen the roval \e` is used in
the Our'an to reer to God. it is or respect and in no wav implies
pluralitv. 1o ascribe to God attributes o created things is a orm
o polvtheism. It is likewise a orm o polvtheism to ascribe to
cre ated things attributes that belong to God alone. lor instance.
anvone who beliees that anv other than God is 1he All-Wise or
All Powerful has committed the sin o polvtheism.
Blessed be the name of your Lord, full of
majesty, bounty, and honor.
|Our'an 55:8|
14
1he Six Articles of Iaith
1here are certain tenets one must beliee without anv doubt in
order to be considered a Muslim. 1hese articles o aith are as
ollows:
a. Belie in God
b. Belie in lis Angels
c. Belie in lis Books
d. Belie in lis Prophets and Messengers
e. Belie in the Dav o Judgment
. Belie in God`s Diine Decree
Belief in God
Islam emphasizes that God is 1he One without partner. 1he
Lncompassing of all that exists, and le is unique in eerv
wav. Onlv God. 1he Most Benevolent. has the right to be wor-
shipped.
Belief in His Angels
1he angels are creations o God. God. 1he Originator. created
them rom light. 1hev are powerul. and alwavs do preciselv as
thev are commanded bv God.
God has reealed to us the names and the duties o some o the
angels. A Muslim must beliee in the existence o angels. Gabriel
and Michael are among the angels mentioned in the Our'an. lor
instance. it is Gabriel`s , dutv to take God`s reelation to the
Prophets and Messengers.
15
Belief in His Books
Muslims beliee in all o the original scriptures reealed bv God
to lis Messengers. A Muslim must beliee in eerv scripture
mentioned bv God in the Our'an. God. 1he Giver. reealed
them and thev were. in their original orms. the actual word o
God. 1he scriptures God mentions in the Our'an are as ollows:
1. 1he original Scrolls as reealed to Abraham
2. 1he original 1orah as reealed to Moses
3. 1he original Psalms as reealed to Daid
4. 1he original Injeel Gospel o Jesus, as reealed to Jesus
5
5. 1he Our'an as reealed to Muhammad which still remains in
its original orm,
Muslims do not consider the scriptures reealed beore the
Our'an. which are presentlv in circulation in arious editions and
ersions. to be an accurate representation o their original re-
ealed orm. According to the Our'an. people hae distorted
these scriptures or their own worldlv gain. 1hese distortions
hae occurred in manv dierent wavs. such as additions or dele-
tions o text or changes in the meaning or the language. 1hese
distortions were adopted oer time and what remains is a mixture
o the original diine text with manmade interpretation and con-
tamination. Although Muslims beliee in all the preious reealed
books. the inal means bv which thev judge dierent matters and
seek ultimate guidance is sought through the Our'an and the au-
thentic traditions o the Prophet Muhammad ,.

5
1he dierent gospels in todav`s Bible were written ater the time o Jesus
, bv other authors. 1he Injeel mentioned in the Our'an reers onlv to the
reelations that came through Jesus ,. the son o Marv.
16
Belief in His Prophets and Messengers
1he Prophets and Messengers were indiiduals who receied
reelation rom God and coneved it to the people. 1hev were
sent to humanitv to return people to monotheism. to sere as li-
ing practical examples o how to surrender to God. and to guide
people to the path o salation. None o the Prophets and Mes-
sengers share in anv part o God`s diinitv. 1hev were merelv
human beings. It is orbidden or a Muslim to worship them or to
use them as a conduit to God. A Muslim should neer inoke
them. make supplications to them. or seek God`s mercv and or-
gieness through or rom them. 1hereore. the term Muhamma-
danism` is an insult and should neer be applied to Muslims.
Lerv single Prophet and Messenger taught that all such acts are
polvtheistic. and anvone who engages in them is outside the old
o Islam.
1hroughout the ages. God. 1he Bestower of Good. has sent
Prophets to people all oer the world. A Muslim must beliee in
all o the Prophets and Messengers sent bv God. God has men-
tioned some o them in the Our'an. Among those mentioned bv
name are Adam. Noah. Abraham. Moses. Jesus. and Muhammad
,.
6
All the Prophets and Messengers o God brought the teachings
o Islam. 1hroughout historv. all monotheistic people who
submit ted to the will o God and ollowed God`s reelation to
the Prophets and Messengers o their time are considered
Muslims. 1he entitlement to Abrahamic inheritance is acquired
through one`s adherence to Abraham`s monotheistic aith and
surrender to God. not bv lineage alone. \hen Moses , came
and proclaimed Prophethood. all those who trulv ollowed him in
monotheism were Muslims. Likewise. when Jesus , came and
6
1he Prophets mentioned in the Our'an are: Adam. Lnoch Idris,. Noah.
lud. Salih. Abraham. Lot. Ishmael. Isaac. Jacob. Joseph. Shu`avb. Job. Moses.
Aaron. Lzekiel. Daid. Solomon. Llias. Llisha. Jonah. Zachariva. John 1he
Baptist`. Jesus. and Muhammad Peace be upon them all,.
17
theism were Muslims. Likewise. when Jesus , came and de-
clared his Prophethood with clear signs and miracles. it was
obligatorv or eervone to accept him unconditionallv i thev
were to be considered Muslims. All those who rejected Jesus ,
became disbelieers in Islam because o that rejection.

Rejecting
or disliking anv o God`s Messengers disqualiies one as Muslim.
Muslims are required to loe and respect all the Prophets and
Messengers o God who called upon humanitv to worship 1he
Creator alone without ascribing to lim anv partner. All the
Prophets and Messengers surrendered completelv to God. which
is Islam.
1he Prophets. rom Adam , to Muhammad ,. were all
brothers in aith. 1hev all called people to the same truth. Dier-
ent Messengers came with dierent sets o laws sent bv God to
guide and goern the people. but the essence o their teachings
was the same. 1hev all called people awav rom the worship o
created things to the worship o 1he Creator. 1he Supreme.
In Islam. Muhammad , has the distinction o being God`s inal
Messenger and the Seal o the Prophets.
8
1he reason or this is.
irst. because God completed lis reelations to humanitv and
perectlv presered them oreer in the Our'an. and second. lis
inal Prophet and Messenger , led an exemplarv lie or the
twentv-three vears o his Prophethood. establishing clear guide-

God reealed to Muhammad ,. 1he same religion has He established

for you as that which He enjoined on Noah, that which We have sent by
inspiration to thee, and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses,
and Jesus: Namely, that you should remain steadfast in religion, and
make no divisions therein. 1o those who worship other things than God,
hard is the way to which you call them. God chooses to Himself those
whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn to Him.
|Our'an 42:13|
8
Some Muslims reer to the ollowing Biblical erses as the oretelling o the
Prophet Muhammad ,: |Deut. 18:15. 18:18: John 1:19 - 21. 14:16. 14:1.
15:26. 16: - 8. 16:12 - 13|
18
lines or all generations to ollow. God savs in the Our'an that no
Prophet or Messenger will come ater him. 1his is the reason
Muhammad , is known as the Seal o the Prophets. 1his means
the diine law that was reealed and embodied in the teachings o
Prophet Muhammad , is or all o humanitv until the Dav o
Resurrection Dav o Judgment,. 1o be a belieer. it is obligatorv
to beliee in Muhammad , and the laws that hae been re-
ealed through him. as well as in all the Prophets and Messengers
o God who came beore. Muhammad and the Prophets and
Messengers , beore him also had to beliee in. obev. and sur-
render to 1he Almighty God. Although Muslims beliee in all
the Prophets and Messengers , o God. thev ollow and emu-
late the teachings and example o the inal Messenger Muham-
mad ,. God 1he Most Glorious. states about Muhammad ,.
And We have not sent you, but as a mercy
to the worlds.
|Our'an 21:10|
Belief in the Day of Judgment
Muslims must beliee. without anv doubt. in the Dav o Judg-
ment and the phvsical resurrection. when the bodv will be recre-
ated and the soul will surelv be reunited with the bodv bv God`s
unlimited power. Just as God. 1he Gatherer of Mankind. cre-
ated us the irst time. le is surelv 1he Resurrector who will
bring us orth rom death to stand in perect judgment beore
lim. Ater the Dav o Judgment. death will no longer be. and our
existence will be oreer. 1he Dav o Judgment is when each and
eerv indiidual will stand beore 1he Creator and be questioned
about his or her deeds. On that momentous dav. we will each see
in detail the results o een the smallest good and the smallest eil
we hae set orth in this lie. On that dav. lving and deception will
no longer be possible. 1he ultimate reward is Paradise and the
19
penaltv is lell. leaen and lell are literal places that actuallv ex-
ist. 1hev are not svmbols or metaphors.
God. 1he Recognizer and Rewarder of Good. describes Para-
dise leaenlv garden, as a wonderul place o pleasure. illed
with amazing eternal gardens with riers lowing beneath. In
Paradise. no heat or cold. no disease. atigue. or eil will exist.
God. 1he Giver of Security. will remoe disease rom the heart
and bodv o its inhabitants. and eervthing one wishes or will be
granted. It will be said to those who enter Paradise. 1his Para-
dise vou hae inherited as a result o God`s mercv and vour good
deeds.` 1he greatest o pleasures in the lereater will be the be-
lieers` abilitv to see the ace o God. 1he Most High. Being a
Muslim in and o itsel does not assure Paradise unless one dies
in a state o Islam- submission to 1he One God alone.
God. 1he Reckoner. describes lell as an eternallv horrible
place. bevond imagination. a ire whose uel is men and stone.
\hen stern angels place people in lell. thev will sav.
1his is that which you used to deny.
|Our'an 83:1|
\e beliee God is 1he Most Compassionate and 1he Most
Merciful: howeer. le is also seere in lis punishment to those
who desere it.
God`s ininite justice is absolute and perect. On the Dav o
Judgment. all deeds will be reealed and eervone will be justlv
treated. \e will not enter Paradise because o our deeds alone.
but bv God`s mercv.
Belief in God's Divine Decree
God. in lis timelessness. knows eervthing that goes on in lis
creation. lrom the perspectie o temporal beings like us. this
means that God. 1he Lver Watching. knows eervthing that
20
happened in the past. eervthing that is now taking place. and
eervthing that will happen in the uture. God`s diine knowledge
is perect. God is 1he All Knowing. and all that le knows will
come to pass.
God. 1he Subduer. las absolute soereigntv oer lis creation.
Lervthing that exists within lis creation and eerv eent that
occurs is a direct result o lis creating it. Nothing happens in
creation except bv lis power. lis will. and lis knowledge.
21
1he Iree Will of the Human Being
An important aspect o Islam is that eerv human being has the
ree will to choose between right and wrong. God. 1he Giver.
has honored humanitv with this great git. It comes with heav
responsibilitv. and on the Dav o Judgment. we will be account-
able or our use o this git.
luman ree will does not in anv wav contradict the act that God.
1he Witness. knows eervthing that will eer occur in creation.
Someone might ask. I God knows that I am going to commit a
sin tomorrow. then it is unaoidable that I do so because God`s
knowledge is inallible. and what God knows will come to pass.`
God`s knowledge o this person`s decision does not mean that he
or she is being orced to make that decision.
luman ree will does not in anv wav contradict God`s absolute
soereigntv oer eervthing in creation. Neither does it contradict
the act that nothing happens in creation except what God wills.
Some might sav. 1hereore. I hae no ree will. Mv ree will is
but an illusion.` On the contrarv. God created within each o us
the abilitv to ormulate an intention. God wants us to be able to
make our own choices. \hen a person makes a choice. God. bv
lis diine will. creates the actions and circumstances that allow
the person`s intention to be carried out. It is God`s will that hu-
man beings hae ree will. God is not alwavs pleased with the de-
cisions people make. but le wants them to be able to make these
decisions bv their own ree choice. An example o this is a per-
son`s will to do a good deed. 1he good deed mav neer be carried
out. but God mav reward the person or his or her intention to
do a good deed. I the good deed comes to pass. God`s will al-
lowed it to take place. and God will reward both the intention
and the action. In other words. God. 1he Judge. mav reward
vou or good deeds willed but not carried out: howeer. le does
not punish people or bad intentions not acted upon.
22
1here is No Compulsion in Religion
lrom this emphasis on ree will. it ollows that Islam can onlv be
accepted bv ree choice. 1he purpose o human lie is to worship
God o one`s own ree will. 1hereore. matters o aith hae alue
onlv i thev are accepted on the basis o reedom o choice. I a
person is coerced into accepting anv religion. that acceptance is
alse and has no alue. God. 1he Gentle. savs.
1here is no compulsion in religion. 1ruth
stands out clear from error: whoever rejects
evil and believes in God has grasped the
most trustworthy handhold that never
breaks. And God hears and knows all
things.
|Our'an 2:256|
23
1he Iive Pillars of Islam
1here are ie obligatorv acts o worship that eerv Muslim must
dutiullv carrv out. lailure to do so is a grae sin. 1he ediice o
Islam rests upon these ie pillars. One cannot be considered a
Muslim i he or she denies that anv one o these acts is obligatorv.
1he ie obligations o Muslims are as ollows:
a. 1he declaration o aith. to 1estiv that there is no true
deitv except God. and that Muhammad is lis Messenger`
Shahadah,
b. 1o prav ie times a dav Salah,
c. 1o pav the vearlv alms Zakah,
d. 1o ast during the month o Ramadan Sawm,
e. 1o make the pilgrimage to Makkah lajj,
1he Declaration of Iaith (Shahadah)
It is obligatorv or eerv person intending to enter Islam to be-
liee and to sav. I testiv that there is no true deitv except God.
and that Muhammad is lis Messenger.` \ith this simple. impor-
tant. and powerul declaration. a person is considered a Muslim.
1here is no initiation into the old o Islam.
1he concepts within the testimonv o aith can be explained bv
analvzing each o three parts within the testimonv. 1he irst part
No true deitv.` is a negation o polvtheism.
9
It is a negation o
the existence o anv true deitv other than God. or anv entitv that
9
1his negation means that nothing is to be worshipped except God. nothing
has diinitv except God. none share the attributes o God. and none can be
the creator or sustainer o creation except God. who is without equal or part-
ner.
24
shares in anv o the diine attributes o God. 1he second part
.except God` is an airmation o monotheism. God is the
onlv one worthv o worship.
Muhammad is God`s Messenger` is the third part o the declara-
tion o aith. It is an airmation o the Prophethood o Muham-
mad , as the inal Prophet and Messenger o God.
10
1his re-
quires the unconditional acceptance o the Our'an and the au-
thentic savings and traditions o Muhammad ,.
Bv belieing and saving the testimonv o aith. a person rejects all
alse objects o worship and asserts that God is the onlv one to
be worshipped. God is without equal or partner. God promises
that once a person airms and sincerelv savs. I testiv that there
is no true deitv except God. and that Muhammad is lis Messen-
ger.` all o his or her preious sins are orgien. One`s preious
good deeds mav also be rewarded bv God. 1he Most Iorgiving.
Praying Iive 1imes a Day (Salah)
It is required or eerv Muslim to perorm ie obligatorv pravers
a dav. A Muslim turns toward Makkah Mecca, when perorming
these pravers. acing the irst house built or the worship o 1he
One God. 1his house is called the Ka`bah. an emptv cube-like
structure which is located in what is now Saudi Arabia. It was
erected bv Abraham , and his son Ishmael , or the wor-
ship o 1he One and Only 1rue God.
10
One mav ask. I Islam teaches that all the Prophets and Messengers are
equal. then whv does the testimonv o aith onlv airm the Prophethood o
Muhammad without mentioning the other Prophets` It must be understood
that anvone who airms the Prophethood o Muhammad , is acknowledg-
ing all the Prophets and Messengers o God that came beore him. I one were
to testiv or example. that. 1here is no deitv except God. and Moses is the
Messenger o God.` this does not necessitate the person`s acceptance o the
Prophets and Messengers that ollowed Moses ,. such as Jesus, or
Muhammad ,.
25
One must remember that Islam does not hae anv sacred relics or
svmbols. \e are not worshipping the Ka`bah: we simplv worship
God while acing the Ka`bah. lacing the Ka`bah to prav uniies
the worshippers in their praver to 1he One God. Anvone who
worships the Ka`bah or anv other created thing would be consid-
ered an idol worshipper. 1o put it plainlv. the building materials
that make up this house are no more sacred than anv other build-
ing materials.
1hese pravers take place throughout the dav and night. and are a
constant reminder o a person`s dutv and surrender to God. 1he
pravers are a direct link between the worshipper and God. It is a
chance to turn to God in worship. to gie thanks. to ask or or-
gieness. and to ask or lis guidance and mercv.
A Muslim mav oluntarilv perorm pravers more oten. Pravers.
in the general sense o supplication. can be oered practicallv at
anv time or place.
Paying the Yearly Alms (Zakah)
It is a religious dutv or eerv Muslim who is prosperous enough
to accumulate and retain a suicient amount o saings to gie a
portion o his or her wealth to the needv each vear. 1hese alms
are called Zakah in Arabic. which literallv means puriication.` All
things belong to God. 1he Most Merciful. and wealth is held in
trust bv human beings. Paving these alms is a wav or people who
are inanciallv able to puriv the ethicallv gained wealth that God
has bestowed upon them. In addition. it is a means to directlv
distribute wealth throughout societv and help the poor and needv.
Zakah alms, also puriies the soul o the gier. reduces greed.
and strengthens compassion and generositv among humanitv.
1he basic rate o these alms is two and a hal percent o the
wealth that has been held in saings or an entire vear. 1hese alms
are leied on saings. not income.
26
Iasting During Ramadan (Sawm)
A phvsicallv able pubescent Muslim must ast during the lunar
month o Ramadan. 1his month is signiicant because the irst
reelations o the Our'an to Muhammad , occurred during this
month. Since a vear in the lunar calendar is eleen davs shorter
than the solar calendar. the month o Ramadan graduallv passes
through all seasons o the vear. Just as almsgiing is a orm o
wealth puriication. asting is a orm o sel- puriication. lasting
begins at dawn and ends at sunset. local time. During davlight
hours. a asting person must abstain rom ood. drink. and mari-
tal sexual intercourse.
11
1hese actiities are permissible rom sun-
set to the ollowing dawn. lasting teaches sel-control and pa-
tience. Like praver. asting is a wav o turning to God in sincere
worship. 1he two holidavs or Muslims are `Lid Al-litr which is
celebrated at the end o Ramadan. and `Lid Al-Adha which is
celebrated at the end o hajj. lasting reminds us o the conditions
o the needv and gies us appreciation or the simple blessings we
oten take or granted. such as drinking a glass o pure water or
eating ood at will.
Making the pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj)
Lerv Muslim is to make the pilgrimage to the Ka`bah. in Mak-
kah. once in a lietime i he or she has the abilitv and means to do
so. Muslims rom all oer the world gather together or the pur-
pose o worshipping and pleasing God alone. Millions o pilgrims
isit the Ka`bah and perorm hajj annuallv.
1he rite o hajj originated rom the Prophet Abraham , and
was restored bv Muhammad ,. 1he pilgrimage to Makkah
compels the pilgrims to break down the racial. economic. and
social barriers that mav still plague their societies. It also inites
each pilgrim to practice patience. sel-restraint. and pietv. 1he
11
Islam requires chastitv and orbids anv premarital sexual relationships.
27
pilgrims wear simple garments that strip awav the distinctions o
class and culture. Lach o these obligatorv acts o worship keeps
the remembrance o God alie and reminds all Muslims that rom
God we come and to God we will all return.
28
1he Qur'an
1he Our'an is the inal. inallible. direct. and complete record o
the exact words o God. brought down bv the angel Gabriel
12
and
irmlv implanted in the heart o lis inal Prophet and Messenger.
Muhammad ,. 1he Our'an was learned and memorized bv
manv o Muhammad`s , companions and passed down to us
ia meticulous oral primarv, and written secondarv, presera-
tion through the centuries.
1he books that came beore the Our'an through God`s Prophets
and Messengers , were also sent bv God. Bv reealing the
Our'an. God`s message was restored and clariied. 1he Our'an is
unique in a number o wavs. God. 1he Guardian. has perectlv
presered the Our'an and guaranteed it rom corruption until the
end o time. 1he Our'an is regarded. not just bv Muslims but also
bv historians o religion. as the most authentic religious text
among the world`s religions.
13
None o the other reealed books
hae reached us in their original orm or language. Some o them.
like the scrolls that were reealed through Abraham ,. hae
not reached us at all. Oer the course o time. parts o other
scriptures were rewritten and some parts remoed. distorting
their message.
God did not allow this contamination to happen to the Our'an
because it is lis inal book or all o humanitv until the Dav o
12
It is taught in Islam that the spirit o the lolv One` is the angel Gabriel.
who should neer be worshipped. Belie in the trinitv clearlv contradicts the
core principle o the Islamic aith - monotheism.,
13
See Joseph an Lss. Muhammad and the Our'an: Prophecv and Reela-
tion` in (hristianitv and the \orld Religions: Paths to Dialogue with Islam.
linduism. and Buddhism. edited bv lans Kung Garden (itv. N\: Doubledav
& (o.. 1986,: and Michael Sells. Approaching the Our'an: 1he Larlv Reela-
tions Ashland. OR: \hite (loud Press. 1999,.
29
Judgment. No new Prophet or Messenger is going to be sent. I
God had not protected the Our'an. it would hae neer reached
us in its original pure orm. lor this reason. God did not entrust
human beings with presering the Our'an.
14
Diine preseration o the earlier scriptures was not as critical
because God continued to send a succession o Prophets and
Messengers to the people. 1he law as embodied in these older
scriptures was not in its inal complete orm. Bv God`s order. Je-
sus , came with modiications to the law. or instance. making
lawul some things that had preiouslv been unlawul without
making anv changes to the core concept o monotheism.
Another unique qualitv o the Our'an is that it is an amazing
miracle in and o itsel. A miracle is a phenomenon that goes
against the natural order o things and clearlv demonstrates the
direct interention o God. 1he Almighty.
All the Prophets and Messengers brought miracles rom God that
clearlv demonstrated the truthulness o their claim to
Prophethood. Abraham , suried being thrown into a blaz-
ing ire without being harmed. Moses , raised his sta and
the sea parted or him bv God`s mercv. Jesus ,. the son o
Marv. touched the dead and terminallv ill and restored them to
lie and ull health bv the permission o God. All o these mira-
cles reealed the legitimacv and aliditv o the Prophets and Mes-
sengers. but these miracles could onlv be witnessed bv the people
who were actuallv there at that time.
\hile the Prophethood o Muhammad , was similarlv at-
tested to bv arious miraculous occurrences. bv ar the most im-
portant o all is the Glorious Our'an. God challenges all those
who doubt the authenticitv o the Our'an to produce a single
14
1he Our'an consists o 114 chapters and is a single book. unlike the arious
current ersions o the Bible. Protestant (hristians count 66 books in their
ersion and Roman (atholic (hristians count 2 books. 1here are een more
books in other ersions.
30
chapter similar to a chapter o the Our'an. It should be pointed
out that the smallest chapter o the Our'an is composed o just
three short erses., 1his has neer been accomplished though
there hae been manv people throughout historv who would hae
loed to discredit the Our'an and do awav with Islam. God`s chal-
lenge remains open until the Dav o Judgment. One o the
Our'an`s miracles is that it is the pinnacle o literarv excellence. It
is the most eloquent Arabic prose in existence. It has a stvle like
no other work in the Arabic language. a stvle that is inimitable.
1he Our'an is or all people and is aailable to us in its original.
liing language. Arabic. which is still greatlv used throughout the
world bv millions o people. 1he original texts o manv other re-
ligious books hae been lost oer time and were originallv written
in languages that are no longer commonlv spoken.
Not a single word in the Our'an is the word o Muhammad ,.
but all are the words o God. Muhammad , actuallv did not
know how to read or write. le recited the Our'an preciselv as it
was reealed to him bv the angel Gabriel ,. while his compan-
ions. at his direction. recorded it in writing and memorized it. 1he
Our'an is the direct word o God. 1hereore. the Our'an is the
onlv book we hae todav that is known to be authored bv God
alone. 1here are no other ersions o the Our'an. Although there
are manv translations o the meaning o the Our'an. thev are not
nearlv as magniicent and beautiul as the Our'an`s plain Arabic
text. lere is a sample o the Our'an. chapter 112 o the Lnglish
translation o its meaning:
In the name of God, 1he Most Gracious,
1he Most Merciful
J. Say: He is God, 1he One and Only,
2. God, 1he Lternal, Absolute,
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten,
31
4. And there is none comparable unto
Him.
32
1he Prophet Muhammad ( ) and his
Sunnah
Muhammad , was born in the vear 50 (L rom the honorable
lineage o the two great Prophets o God. Abraham , and his
irstborn son. Ishmael ,. Muhammad , grew up with the
title o 1he 1rustworthv`. At the age o ortv. Muhammad ,
was chosen bv God to be lis last Prophet and Messenger.
1he Sunnah reers to the savings. actions. and tacit approals o
the Prophet Muhammad ,. 1he reports and narrations about
the Sunnah are known as ladith. and are collected in well-known
books. Like the Our'an. the Sunnah is inspired bv reelation rom
God through the Prophet Muhammad ,. Unlike the Our'an. it
is not the direct. literal word o God. 1he teachings came rom
God diine reelation, and the words were rom the Prophet
Muhammad , an example or humanitv,. 1he Sunnah was also
meticulouslv presered.
It is obligatorv or Muslims to ollow the Sunnah o the Prophet
Muhammad ,. In the Our'an. God orders the belieers to obev
the Messenger lis representatie,. God savs.
Obey God, and obey the Messenger.
|Our'an 4:59|
1he purpose o lie is to sere and obev God. 1his is achieed
through ollowing the teachings and practices o the Prophet ,.
God savs.
You have indeed in the Messenger of God
a beautiful pattern of conduct for anyone
whose hope is in God and the final day,
and who engages much in the praise of
God.
|Our'an 33:21|
33
1he Prophet , showed Muslims how to perorm all aspects o
worship. le died at the age o 63 in the vear 632 (L, and was
buried at his home in the citv o Medina \athrib,. le alwavs
greeted and parted rom his companions with salutations and in-
ocations o peace. which is recommended or all Muslims.
\ithin a centurv. Islam spanned three continents. rom (hina
across Asia. throughout Arica. and into Spain in Lurope.
34
1he Dangers of Innovations in Islam
(Bid'ah)
God ordered Muslims not to diide themseles into sects. Inno-
ations and diisions in matters o religion and worship within
Islam are considered to be contamination. error. and deiation.
Larlier heinous deiations rom monotheism. such as worship-
ping creation. resulted in condemnation bv God. loweer. in-
noations in other matters. such as science and technologv to im-
proe lie. are greatlv encouraged., God. 1he Most Compas-
sionate. has told us through lis last Prophet Muhammad ,.
when Muhammad , was nearing the end o his lie. that le had
completed the religion o Islam. Muslims must recognize that anv
change in matters o worship is strictlv orbidden. No change in-
troduced bv humankind. who is constantlv under the inluence o
Satan. could eer add anvthing positie and would onlv contrib-
ute to the degradation o the completed and perected religion
estab lished bv God. All innoations in matters o religion lead to
straving. and all straving leads to hellire. People must not allow
anv deiation addition or deletion,. een as small as one degree.
in matters o worship.
15
I anv changes are allowed. those deia-
tions will be compounded bv uture generations. and the result
will be another manmade religion. not the Islam as it was per-
ected bv God. 1he 1ruth. 1o build a aith using a shopping
cart` approach or the blind ollowing o anv religious leader is in-
admissible.
1he changing o God`s laws is orbidden in Islam. God con-
demns religious leaders who alter diine principles. One who at-
tempts to make changes places him or hersel on the same leel
15
Islam teaches that or an act o worship to be accepted bv God it must ulill
two conditions: 1he intention must be irst and oremost to please God. and
the act must be done according to the Sunnah o the Prophet Muhammad ,.
35
with God. committing polvtheism. An example o this would be
to make the killing o innocents lawul. 1he laws o God are per-
ect and do not need to be modernized` bv anvone. God allows
us the reedom to obev or disobev lim bv choosing to ollow
lis aith or to ollow our own desires. loweer. le orbids us to
change lis religious principles.
It is interesting to note that the crescent moon is not representa-
tie o the religion o Islam. as the Prophet Muhammad ,
neer used or mentioned it. It was a pagan svmbol and an innoa-
tion brought about bv later generations as a political svmbol.
Sadlv. it is commonlv adopted and mistaken as an Islamic svm-
bol.,
36
1he Story of Adam and Lve
1he storv o Adam and Le is told in the Our'an. Although it is
similar in manv wavs to what is ound in the suriing remnants
o the preious scriptures. some important principles dier.
God announced to the angels that le was placing a new species
on earth. God created Adam ,. ashioning him rom clav. le
breathed the soul into Adam ,. taught him the names o all
things. and created rom the same soul his wie. Le. God al-
lowed them to dwell in Paradise with ree will. God said to the
angels. Bow down to Adam 1hev did so in a orm o respect.
not worship,. Satan was present among the angels. though he was
not one o them. le was o the jinn.
16
a race o beings. possess-
ing ree will. that God created beore Adam , rom a smoke-
less lame o ire. \hen God ordered the angels and those in
their companv to bow down to Adam ,. thev all did so except
Satan. who reused out o pride and arrogance. claiming to be
better than Adam , because he was created rom ire. whereas
Adam , was created rom clav. Indeed. Satan was the irst rac-
ist.
Satan ell rom God`s grace. God. 1he Reckoner. condemned
him or his disobedience. but Satan. the accursed. asked God to
gie him respite until the Dav o Judgment resurrection,. so he
could make Adam , and his descendants unworthv. Satan
said. Verily I will mislead them and surely I will arouse in
them vain desires. God granted him this respite as a trial or
humanitv. God knows what Satan knows not. It is important to
note that there is no wav Satan could eer war` with God. be-
16
1he jinn were created beore Adam: thev hae ree will. Disobedient jinns
are demons. 1hev lie here with us in some manner bv which thev can see us
but we cannot see them unless thev choose to make themseles appear. Sor-
cerv. which is orbidden in Islam. is also perormed through them.
37
cause just like eervthing else. he is God`s creation. Satan exists
onlv bv God`s \ill: he is completelv under God`s power. I God
did not want Satan or his helpers to exist. thev would not be able
to remain in existence or een a moment.
Islam does not gie Satan anv share o God`s diinitv. It does not
attribute to him anv godlike or diine qualities. Islam rejects the
notion that Satan went to war with God and took a third o the
hosts o leaen with him. Satan is an aowed enemv o human-
itv. but he is merelv a creature. absolutelv dependent upon God
or his erv existence.
1hough prideul. accursed. and allen rom the grace o God. Sa-
tan seres a purpose. God wanted humans to hae ree choice
between right and wrong. le granted human beings an innate
abilitv to recognize 1he Creator and turn to lim. 1he human
being is considered to be originallv good bv nature. born pure in
the state o Islam submission,. Satan and his hosts order eil and
oppose good. seeking to misguide humanitv. his aowed enemv.
into eil and idolatrv. awav rom monotheism. righteousness. and
the path o God. God. 1he All Wise. inites Muslims to enjoin
good and orbid eil. Because we exercise ree will. bv resisting
the temptation o Satan. humans can attain a great leel o honor.
1he ollowing is a summarv o the trial o Adam and Le in
Paradise. 1hev enjoved perect reedom and happiness in Para-
dise. God told them to eat o the ruits o the Garden with pleas-
ure and delight as thev pleased. le orbade them rom approach-
ing one tree. and warned them that i thev did. thev will both be
o the wrongdoers. Satan came and deceied them. saving that
God onlv orbade them rom eating o that tree because it would
make them immortal or thev would become like the angels. 1hev
were thus deceied bv Satan and ate o the tree.
Adam and Le elt shame. 1hev turned to God in sincere repen-
tance and God. 1he All-Iorgiving. 1he Most Gracious. 1he
Most Merciful. orgae them. Islam clearlv rejects the concept o
38
original sin. or the notion that all humans are born sinners be-
cause o the actions o Adam. No human shall eer bear the bur-
den o another or God is 1he Just,. Lerv human being is re-
sponsible or his or her actions and is born as a Muslim. pure and
ree rom sin. It is important to note that Islam does not place
the blame on Le. Both Adam and Le had ree will. Both o
them ate o the tree. 1heir sin and disobedience was a joint en-
ture. Islam rejects the idea that women are wicked temptresses or
cursed with the burden o menstruation and pain o childbirth
due to the sin o Le.
God remoed Adam and Le rom Paradise and made them to
dwell on earth. God had earlier said to the angels that le was
placing a new being on earth. Larth is where God. rom the time
o creation. in lis timeless knowledge. wanted us to be.
39
Jesus ( )
Jesus , was a Prophet and Messenger o God. le called to
the oneness o God. le neer claimed diinitv or himsel. nor
did he eer ask to be worshipped.
le was born o a irgin. 1his was one o the manv miracles re-
garding Jesus , gien bv God. Jesus , was born without a
ather. God savs in the Our'an.
1ruly the likeness of Jesus with God is as
the likeness of Adam. He created him of
dust and then said to him Be!' and he
was.
|Our'an 3:59|
God created Jesus , as le created eervthing else in exis-
tence. Jesus ,. Adam and Le were all uniquelv created: Jesus
, was created without a ather: Adam and Le were created
without a ather or a mother. 1he rest o us were all created with
a mother and a ather. 1o beliee that Jesus , is the begotten
son o God or that God has anv relaties such as a ather.
mother. son. or daughter. gies the attribute o procreation to
1he Creator.
1
Muslims beliee this to be polvtheism and it is
absolutelv orbidden in Islam. Likewise. giing attributes o 1he
Creator to lis creation is a great sin. which. in Islam. is clearlv in
opposition to monotheism. 1his belie is in contradiction to the
1
It was in the ancient citv o Nicea which was located in modern-dav 1urkev
approximatelv 00 miles or 1100 km NN\ o Jerusalem near the eastern Ro-
man capitol, that the lirst (ouncil o Nicea conened. 325 vears ater the birth
o Jesus ,. It was at this council that Jesus , was declared bv the major-
itv o the council members to be diine rather than God`s Prophet and Mes-
senger. 1he concept o the trinitv was established bv declaring that Jesus ,
was the same as and equal to God. 1his is in direct opposition to the Abra-
hamic principles o monotheism. which Jesus , himsel called people to
and airmed.
40
teachings o all the Prophets and Messengers o God.
18
God is
bevond anv created or human attributes. Jesus , is the Mes-
siah. the (hrist. the word o God. the anointed one. sent bv 1he
Most Merciful God as a Prophet and Messenger.
God also inorms us that Jesus ,. the son o Marv. is not
dead. and that le raised Jesus , up to lim. Muslims beliee
that the return o Jesus , will be a sign o the Last Dav. \hen
Jesus , returns. he will not come in the capacitv o a Prophet
and Messenger to bring new reelations. Rather. he will be the
commander o the aithul and will destrov the antichrist. who
will hae brought to the earth enormous trials and eil. Jesus
, will ollow the inal maniestation o the law that was re-
ealed to Muhammad ,.
18
Len though (hristians and Jews mav iolate some o the monotheistic ten-
ets o their original Abrahamic aith. Islam reers to them as the People o the
Book`. 1hev are reerred to in this wav because thev hae receied reealed
laws and scriptures rom God and do recognize some o lis Prophets.
41
Sin and Repentance
Sin is willullv and knowinglv disobeving God. 1he greatest o all
sins is polvtheism. though anv intentional iolation o the com-
mandments o God is a sinul act. God. 1he Preventer. has pro-
hibited a number o things that are harmul to the indiidual or to
societv. Murder. assault. thet. raud. usurv ootnote 19,. ornica-
tion. adulterv. sorcerv ootnote 16,. consumption o alcohol. eat-
ing pork. and the use o illicit drugs are all examples o sinul acts.
Islam rejects the doctrine o original sin. No soul shall bear the
burden o another. as this would be a great injustice. because
God. 1he Most Merciful . is 1he Just. Lach o us is accountable
beore God. 1he All-Seeing. or our own deeds. loweer. i
one person encourages another to commit a sin. both are punish-
able. One o them deseres punishment or actuallv committing
the sin: the other deseres punishment or encouraging it.
\hen a person commits a sin. he or she is desering o God`s
punishment. lortunatelv. God is 1he Most Compassionate and
1he Oft-Iorgiving. God acts out o ininite knowledge and jus-
tice. Muslims do not beliee that Jesus ,. the son o Marv. had
to die or the sins o mankind. God. 1he Most Compassionate.
orgies whomeer le chooses. 1o beliee that it was necessarv
or Jesus , to suer and die in order to hae our sins orgien
denies God`s ininite power and justice. God is unlimited in lis
mercv.
God. 1he Answerer. promises us that le will orgie us i we
turn to lim in sincere repentance. Repentance is a serious mat-
ter. It is the wav a person can attain salation bv the mercv o
God. Repentance cannot be taken lightlv. Sincere repentance has
the ollowing conditions:
42
1. 1he person must recognize and acknowledge that he or
she has committed a sin and must trulv regret haing
done so.
2. 1he person must humblv turn to God or orgieness.
3. 1he person must hae a sincere resole not to commit
the sin again.
4. I the sin caused harm to someone else. the person
must make eerv possible attempt to remedv the harm.
1his does not mean that i the person returns to the same sin in
the uture. his or her ormer repentance is annulled. \hat is
needed is a serious commitment in the heart not to sin again. Be-
cause we do not know what the uture holds. the door to repen-
tance is alwavs open. God. 1he Oft-Pardoning. is pleased when
the children o Adam turn to lim or lis abundant orgieness.
Repentance is a orm o worship.
No one can orgie sins except God. It is orbidden or a Muslim
to seek diine orgieness or sin through or bv turning to anvone
else. as Muslims beliee this would be considered polvtheism.
43
Organizational Structure of Islam
Islam places great emphasis on the indiidual`s relationship with
God. 1he ramework or this relationship ollows the guidelines
set out bv the Our'an and Sunnah. 1his relationship. in turn. de-
ines a Muslim`s relations with eervone. which brings about jus-
tice. organization. and social harmonv.
1he Our'an savs.
Verily the most honorable of you with
God are the most pious among you.
|Our'an 49:13|
1he wise. the pious. the knowledgeable in Islam. and the true in
practice are Islam`s natural leaders.
Islam is not speciic as to who can become a scholar. Anvone
with enough intelligence. studv. and determination can strie to
become a scholar. but not eervone will hae the time and re-
sources to do so. All people should strie to learn as much as
possible. while recognizing that God is 1he One. 1he Bestower
o knowledge and understanding.
1he scholar plavs a critical role in Muslim societv. le or she de-
otes vears to the studv o Islam. Scholars cannot orgie sins.
bless people. or change the law o God. 1hev impart the inorma-
tion thev hae acquired bv reerence to the Our'an and Sunnah:
bv the nobilitv o their character thev inspire others to be better.
Some hae used the word cleric` to describe a Muslim scholar.
1his is a misnomer. 1here is no ormal clergv. no ordaining bodv.
and no hierarchv. 1he relationship between the indiidual and
God is a direct one. No one besides God can declare what is law-
ul and what is sinul. No created being can bless another. Lach
indiidual is directlv accountable to his or her Lord and (reator.
44
One isiting a mosque mav see a person leading the congrega-
tional pravers. \heneer Muslims prav together. thev must select
one indiidual to stand in ront and lead the others in praver so
that all might prav in unitv and harmonv. It is best to select a per-
son who has the most knowledge o the Our'an and Islam. 1his
person is called an Imam. which literallv means the one who is
leading.` At middav on lridavs. there is a special congregational
praver. All Muslim men are required to attend: it is oluntarv or
women. 1his weeklv praver is preceded bv a short sermon. 1he
one who gies this sermon should be the best aailable in terms
o his deep understanding o Islamic principles.
45
Islamic Law
Islamic law is deried onlv rom the Our'an and the Sunnah o
the Prophet Muhammad ,. Like the Our'an. the Sunnah is an
inspired reelation rom God. Islamic law coers all aspects o
lie. It deals with how to worship God and how to deal with oth-
ers. God commands the belieers to do certain things and bans
them rom doing others. God alone. 1he All-Knowing. 1he
Just. has the right to make some things lawul and other things
sinul and orbidden. An Islamic societv can legislate anv laws or
the improement o lie e.g.. traic laws, as long as thev are not
in contradiction to Islamic law. God. 1he Guide and 1he Di-
rector. encourages some things without commanding them and
discourages some behaiors without prohibiting them outright.
All o these injunctions. taken together. orm the law o Islam.
\hen we add the act that there are issues that Islamic law con-
siders simplv permissible. this results in ie basic rulings under
which eerv human action can be classiied :
1. Obligatorv
2. Lncouraged
3. Permitted
4. Discouraged
5. lorbidden
Islamic law is o diine origin. 1he reason we obev these laws is
because God commands us to do so. \e are encouraged to un-
derstand the wisdom behind the law. vet we are expected to obev
een when we do not ullv understand the reasons whv. Under-
standing is an added git. lor example. eating pork is orbidden
because God made it so. \e rerain rom eating it or that rea-
son. and not because we also happen to know scientiicallv that it
contains unique diseases and is the least healthv meat. Len i
46
scientists were able to geneticallv breed pigs to be a disease-ree
and most nutritious ood. it would still be orbidden to eat pork.
loweer. someone mav eat pork to sae his or her lie i there
are no other options let. and there would be no sin in doing so.,
1he sources o Islamic law are the Our'an and Sunnah. God con-
siders it polvtheism to allow a religious leader to change God`s
command bv making lawul what God has made orbidden. or bv
making orbidden what God has made lawul.
19
In this world.
God alone determines what is good and what is sinul. In the
lereater. God alone has the power and wisdom to reward those
who do good and punish those who do eil.
19
(harging anv amount o interest on a loan. or usurv. was originallv orbid-
den in Judaism. (hristianitv. and Islam. loweer. (hristians in Lurope rom
the time o the Middle Ages graduallv changed this prohibition. 1odav. een
Islamic` countries hae allowed this gross iolation o God`s law.
47
1he Islamic Dress Code
Islam promotes modestv and seeks to minimize ice and immor-
alitv in societv. One o the wavs it does so is bv requiring modest
dress. Islam sets the standards o decencv or both men and
women.
In most \estern countries there are laws deining what is decent.
1his usuallv amounts to the male haing to coer his genitals and
the emale haing to coer her genitals and her breasts. I this
minimum requirement is not met. the most a person can be
charged with is indecent exposure. 1he reason cited or the di-
erence in required clothing between men and women in this
matter is the dierence in their anatomies.
Islam prescribes a more conseratie minimum dress code or
both men and women. In Islam. both men and women are ex-
pected to dress simplv. modestlv. and with dignitv. A man must
alwavsbe coered in loose and unreealing clothing rom his n a-
el to his knee. 1his is the absolute minimum coering required.
le must neer. or example. go out in public wearing a short
bathing suit. \hen leaing the home. a Muslim woman must at
least coer her hair and bodv in loose and unreealing clothing.
obscuring the details o her bodv rom the public: some also
choose to coer their ace and hands. 1he wisdom behind this
dress code is to minimize sexual enticement and degradation in
societv as much as possible or both men and women. Obeving
this dress code is a orm o obedience to God. Islam orbids anv
sex appeal and phvsical allurement outside o marriage. In con-
trast. Islam encourages sex appeal and phvsical attraction or both
men and women within the priacv between married couples.
Some \estern obserers hae assumed that the head coering o
a woman is meant to show her inerioritv to men. 1his could not
be urther rom the truth. In Islam. a woman who dresses this
48
wav commands respect. and through her modestv. she rejects
sexual seritude. 1he message that the woman gies when she
wears Islamic dress in societv is. Respect me or who I am. I am
not a sex object.`
Islam teaches that the consequences o immodestv all not onlv
on the indiidual but also upon the societv that permits women
and men to mingle reelv. displav themseles. and compete or
allure one another through sexual attraction. 1hese consequences
are signiicant and cannot be ignored. 1o make women into sex
objects or the pleasure o men is not liberation. In act. it is a
dehumanizing orm o oppression rejected bv Islam. 1he libera-
tion o the Muslim woman is that she is recognized bv the con-
tent o her character rather than bv the displav o her phvsical
attributes. lrom the Islamic point o iew. liberated` \estern
women- who must oten worrv about their looks. igure. and
vouth or the pleasure o others- are trapped in a orm o slaerv.
49
Women in Islam
\omen and men are equal beore God. Both are accountable
beore God. 1hev equallv receie their reward in the lereater
or their aith and good deeds.
Marriage is stronglv encouraged and is both a legal agreement and
a sacred bond. Islam sees eerv woman. married or unmarried. as
an indiidual in her own right. She has the same right to own
propertv. earn wealth and spend it as a man has. ler wealth does
not become the propertv o her husband ater marriage or di-
orce. A woman has the right to choose whom she marries and.
when married. does not change her last name. out o respect or
her lineage. A woman can seek diorce i her marriage does not
work out.
Lconomicallv. each man and woman is an independent legal en-
titv. Men and women hae the right to own their indiidual prop-
ertv. engage in business. and inherit rom others. Both hae the
equal right to receie an education and to enter into gainul em-
plovment. as long as Islamic principles are not iolated.
Seeking knowledge is the obligation o eerv Muslim. male or e-
male. 1he tvpe o knowledge that is most emphasized is religious
knowledge. It is also required within a societv to hae proession-
als o both genders aailable or the beneit o the public. lor
example. societv requires doctors. teachers. counselors. social
workers. and manv other important ocations. \hen there is a
shortage o qualiied personnel. it mav become obligatorv or
women or men to gain expertise in these ields to ulill the needs
o the Muslim communitv. In this situation. the guidelines o Is-
lam are to be upheld.
\omen are encouraged to seek Islamic knowledge. pursue their
academic endeaors within the ramework o Islam. and strie to
50
ulill their intellectual curiositv. 1o preent anvone rom getting
an education is contrarv to the teachings o Islam.
A man is responsible or maintaining and protecting his amilv
and proiding the basic needs such as ood. clothing. and shelter
or his wie. children. and i needed, other emale relaties in the
household. \omen are not primarilv responsible or this. een i
married. 1he Prophet Muhammad , said that the most perect
in aith among belieers is he who is best in manners to his wie.
51
Male Chauvinism and the Muslim
World
Manv people perceie Islam as a chauinistic religion that belittles
women. 1hev cite the condition o women in some Muslim`
countries to proe this point.
20
1heir mistake is that thev ail to
separate the culture o a gien people rom the true teachings o
the religion thev mav proess. It is appalling that todav the op-
pression o women still exists in manv cultures around the world.
\omen in manv 1hird \orld countries lie horrible lies. 1hev
are dominated bv men and denied manv basic human rights. 1his
does not applv to Muslim countries alone. nor does it applv to all
Muslim countries. Islam condemns this oppression. It is a tragic
injustice to blame these cultural practices on religious belies
when the teachings o the religion do not call or such behaior.
1he teachings o Islam orbid the oppression o women and
clearlv emphasize that men and women are to be respected
equallv.
Unortunatelv. oppressie practices against women that exist in
certain parts o the world hae mistakenlv been associated with
Islam bv some people. One o these practices is the ancient pagan
custom o emale genital mutilation. sometimes mistakenlv called
emale circumcision. which originated and is still practiced in the
Nile Rier Vallev and surrounding areas. It is practiced bv a num-
ber o ethnic groups o a wide arietv o aiths throughout parts
o Arica. especiallv in northeastern Arica. Manv women in A-
rica are ictims o this horrible. dismembering. barbaric custom.
lemale genital mutilation is an abomination and is absolutelv or-
bidden in Islam. It is unortunate that. een though Islam orbids
20
Unortunatelv. an Islamic` countrv does not necessarilv mean that the coun-
trv`s goernment or the people are ollowing Islamic law Shari'a,.
52
it. certain ethnic groups hae perpetuated this practice een ater
their acceptance o Islam. leading some to assume that it is a part
o Islam. 1odav. as these people graduallv gain a better under-
standing o Islam. thev are abandoning this cruel pagan practice.
In Kenva. or example. one group o people who do not practice
emale genital mutilation are the Muslims.
Male circumcision. howeer. is clearlv an Islamic practice and in
act was taught bv God`s Prophets and Messengers. including the
Prophet Abraham ,. 1here should be no conusion between
the prohibited act o emale genital mutilation and the encour-
aged act o male circumcision.
Another horrible practice is that o honor killing`. when a man
kills a emale relatie in his amilv because he eels disgraced and
humiliated bv her behaior. 1his conduct. although extremelv
rare. is practiced bv certain groups o people in the Indian sub-
continent. the Middle Last. and other places. 1his is outright
murder in Islam. It is not permissible or a person to kill anvone
out o some notion o honor`. It is bv no means exclusie to
Muslims and Islamic` countries. and it iolates Islamic law. Ra-
cism. sexism. and all orms o bigotrv or prejudice are also pro-
hibited in Islam.
Unortunatelv. orced marriage is practiced in manv traditional
societies. It is another practice that is orbidden in Islam. Some
athers had orced their daughters into marriage at the time o the
Prophet Muhammad ,. \hen the women complained to the
Prophet , o this. he nulliied their marriages or gae them the
option o ending the marriage een i it had alreadv been con-
summated. establishing the clear precedent or Islamic law con-
cerning reedom o choice about marriage and putting an end to
this oppressie practice. Sadlv. this still goes on in manv parts o
the world todav. including in a number o Islamic` countries. Al-
though this practice is illegal in almost all countries. manv women
in traditional societies either do not know their rights or are too
araid to demand them.
53
All o these practices are against Islamic law. and it is the respon-
sibilitv o all Muslims to eradicate them in their societies. \es.
Islam is tolerant o cultural diersitv and does not beliee in
eradicating the wavs o lie o dierent people. nor does it orce
people to gie up their cultural identitv when thev embrace Islam.
loweer. when the cultural practices o a people contraene the
laws o Islam or deprie people o their God-gien. inalienable
rights and reedom o choice. it becomes a religious obligation to
abandon those practices.
54
Science and 1echnology
One o the hallmarks o Islam is its complete harmonv with sci-
ence. A Muslim considers conlict between scientiic acts and
religion to be impossible. Religion comes rom God. 1he Iirst
and 1he Last. and so does the unierse that le alone created. It
is impossible or one to contradict the other.
A Muslim assumes that a natural explanation can be ound or
eervthing in God`s creation- rom the ormation o the stars and
galaxies to the origin and diersitv o dierent species. A Muslim
should neer relv on miracles to explain natural phenomena. A
Muslim beliees that miracles are instances where God contra-
enes lis own natural laws or a speciic reason. such as to assist
one o lis Prophets or to answer a praver. Miraculous explana-
tions should neer be resorted to in order to explain something in
the natural world or to coer up human ignorance on a scientiic
matter.
1here has neer been a scientiic act or a alid scientiic theorv
that contradicted the teachings o Islam. \hateer science un-
coers. it onlv increases our knowledge o God`s magniicent
creation. 1his is whv Islam actielv encourages scientiic endea-
ors and whv the Our'an commands us to studv God`s signs in
nature. In act. the Our'an has manv amazing scientiic reer-
ences. that with the help o todav`s modern technological ad-
ancements. are just recentlv becoming ullv understood.
Islam also allows us to ullv enjov the ruits o human ingenuitv.
\e are encouraged to strie to better the world. Islam welcomes
technological adances. 1echnologv can be emploved or good or
eil. 1echnologv itsel is neutral. It is our responsibilitv to use the
knowledge that God has blessed us with or the betterment o all
humanitv.
55
In the earlv davs o Islam. when people adhered to its belies and
principles. there was a lowering o science. culture. trade. and
technologv. Scholars in the Islamic world researched and ad-
anced the ields o mathematics. chemistrv. phvsics. medicine.
astronomv. architecture. art. literature. geographv. historv. and
more. Muslim scientists inented the magnetic compass. the as-
trolabe. and the clock pendulum. to name a ew. Manv critical
svstems such as algebra. the Arabic numerals which are the same
numbers that we currentlv use,. and the erv concept o zero i-
tal to the adancement o mathematics, were introduced to me-
dieal Lurope through Muslim scholars. 1he teachings o Islam
brought about this scientiic awareness. which eentuallv ignited
and propelled the Luropean Renaissance. It was onlv ater people
began deiating rom the simple original Islamic principles and
belies that the adancements and scientiic achieements o the
Muslim world began to cease and all into obscuritv.
56
Summary
Islam is. a religion o justice. peace. mercv. and orgieness. a
aith which is oten misunderstood and misrepresented. Islam
means to surrender one`s will to God. 1he Peace. Islam is the
wav o lie or anvone who chooses to accept that there is one
God onlv. and none is worthv o worship but lim. 1his world is
temporarv and no more than a trial or humanitv. ater which we
will all die and return to God. 1he 1aker. 1he lie o the lerea-
ter is oreer. God. 1he Light, or the guidance o the children
o Adam ,. sent us Prophets: Abraham ,. Moses ,.
Jesus ,. Muhammad ,. all Prophets o Islam. God chose
Muhammad , as lis inal Prophet and Messenger and honored
him with the priilege o reealing the Our'an through him. 1he
Our'an is the direct unalterable word o God. not the word o
Muhammad ,. who was an unlettered man. God has presered
the Our'an with its teachings or all o humanitv.
1he ie undamental acts o worship or Muslims are as ollows:
1. 1o testiv that there is no deitv except God. and that Muham-
mad is lis Messenger`
2. 1o prav ie times a dav
3. 1o pav the vearlv alms
4. 1o ast during Ramadan
5. 1o make the pilgrimage to Makkah.
God states that there is no compulsion in religion. luman rights
and reedom o choice are sacred. In Islam. women plav a erv
important role. \omen are equal to and required to be honored
bv men.
God mentions in the Our'an that le has perected Islam as a re-
ligion or all o humanitv. thus completing lis aor upon us.
57
God has prepared or us the light o Islam as a guide or human-
itv`s return to lim.
58
Lditor's Note
\e are told bv scientists that space contains oer 120 billion gal-
axies. \e know that eerv one o us was created bv God 1he
Most Magnificent. rom a single cell. \hen I think about this. I
can`t help but be humbled and realize mv extreme insigniicance
in the light o God`s amazing splendor. Satan swore to deceie
humanitv. to bring us misunderstanding. animositv. hatred. and
war. 1o do mv part in opposing Satan. mv moties are to please
mv Lord bv promoting peace through understanding.
Lie is short and precious: it is tragic to waste it bv piling up tem-
poral material gain while ignoring the true purpose o creation: to
worship God alone. Manv people spend their precious lies ac-
cumulating temporal material wealth. 1hrough Islam. God inites
us to turn to that which is eerlasting. eternal. On the Dav o
Judgment. we will be accountable or what we knew and how we
had applied it. \e will be asked about our worship. Now is the
time or us to prepare or the answer.
1his book is based on the lectures I hae been giing on Islam
or the past two decades. It would not hae been possible with-
out God`s mercv and the help and assistance o mv brothers and
sisters. I thank vou. mv readers. or vour time and interest in un-
derstanding Islam. the aith o one-ith o the world`s popula-
tion. \e also welcome vour questions as well as vour comments
and eedback or consideration in this ongoing work. I inite vou
to share anv or all o this material. I ask onlv that vou do not
quote this inormation out o context.
Please orgie me i in this work I hae oended anvone. Because
o mv passion or Islam. I express mv aith stronglv. I greatlv
alue indiidual choice and respect dierences. Understanding
and justice are the wav to peace. and because Islam is oten per-
ceied in the \est as a religion o narrow-minded zealots out to
conert the world bv orce. I eel it is ital that I conev mv aith
in clear and unambiguous language to counter misconceptions.
59
Mav God bless us all with guidance. Anv good that comes rom
this work is bv God`s beneolence. and i I hae said anvthing
unhelpul. it is mv shortcoming. God. 1he Lxalted and 1he
Loving. is perect.
Oh. 1he All learing. protect us rom all eil and guide us to the
truth.`
Peace be upon those who ollow the Righteous Guidance.
Pete Seda