NAME- AMIR SUBHANI KHAN

ROLL NO – 10 (2ND YEAR)

SUBJECT- ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE
TOPIC- WHO IS MUSLIM
SUBMITTED TO- DR. GHULAM YAZDANI
Who is Muslim?

Today, Islam is numerically the second largest religion in the world, claiming, according to a
range of estimates, somewhere between one and 1.5 billion adherents. The word Islam means
‘submission’ or ‘surrender’ and a Muslim is ‘one who surrenders’ (to the will of God).

Muslims believe that Islam is the basic monotheistic faith proclaimed by prophets throughout
history. The Qur'an is not seen as presenting a new revelation but rather as providing a complete,
accurate, and therefore final record of the message that had already been given to Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, and other earlier prophets. As the basis for a historical community and tradition of
faith, however, Islam begins in Mecca with the life and work of the Prophet Muhammad in the
early seventh century.

To most Muslims, Islam is not simply a religion but ‘a way of life’. Muslims believe that Islam is
a system that encompasses all spheres of life, social and personal. Islam provides a social and
legal system and governs issues such as family life, law and order, ethics, dress and cleanliness,
as well as religious ritual and observance1. Muslims base their laws on their holy book the
Qur'an, and the Sunnah, the practical example of Prophet Muhammad.

It is important to understand, however, that various levels of observance exist amongst Muslims.
Some Muslims prefer their religion to be a private matter while others may want it to be the basis
of all of their social interaction.

In simple terms a Muslim is a follower of a religion Islam.  The word Muslim means one who
submits to the will of God. This is done by declaring that ;there is no god except one God
and Muhammad is the messenger of God.; In a broader sense, anyone who willingly submits to
the will of God is a Muslim. Thus, all the prophets preceding the prophet Muhammad are
considered Muslims. The Quran specifically mentions Hazrat Abraham who lived long before
Hazrat Moses and Jesus Christ that, ;he was not a Jew or a Christian but a Muslim,; because,
hehad submitted to the will of God. Thus there are Muslims who are not submitting at all to the
will of God and there are Muslims who are doing their best to live an Islamic life. One cannot
judge Islam by looking at those individuals who have a Muslim name but in their actions, they
are not living or behaving as Muslims. The extent of being a Muslim can be according to the
degree to which one is submitting to the will of God, in his beliefs and his actions.A Muslim is
one who freely and willingly accepts the supreme power of God(Allah) and strives to organize
his life in total accord with the teachings of God. He also works for building social institutions,
which reflect the guidance of God. There are no formal induction ceremonies into Islam.
To formally become a Muslim, one has to bear witness to the statement of faith (La Ilaha Il-lal-
1
.Lessons in Islamic Jurisprudence,Muhammad Baqis( One World)
lah, Muhammadun Rasoolullah;) by saying it. To become a true Muslim, one has to confirm the
belief in that statement by heart, tongue and actions

The evidence on this point is divided under:

(1) From the Glorious  Quran, extracts showing that belief in God and His messenger makes a
person a;Muslim ; means believing in the Kalima –e-Tauheed.which means Onness of God and
His last Messenger.

(2) From the Hadith and Sunnah, incidents showing that during the life-time of the Noble
Prophet Muhammad people embraced Islam by reciting the Kalima Shahadah.

(3) Opinion of Muslim authorities, throughout the history of Islam, again showing that to be
known as a Muslim and included in the Islamic community, a person has only to profess
the Kalima.

The Five Pillars of Islam

The religious practice of Islam, which literally means "to submit to God", is based on tenets that
are known as the Five Pillars, arkan, to which all members of the Islamic community, Umma,
should adhere.2

1. The Profession of Faith—The Shahada

The Profession of Faith, the shahada, is the most fundamental expression of Islamic beliefs. It
simply states that “There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet.” It underscores the
monotheistic nature of Islam. It is an extremely popular phrase in Arabic calligraphy and appears
in numerous manuscripts and religious buildings.

2. Daily Prayers—Salat

Muslims are expected to pray five times a day. This does not mean that they need to attend a
mosque to pray; rather, the salat, or the daily prayer, should be recited five times a day. Muslims
can pray anywhere; however, they are meant to pray towards Mecca. The faithful pray by
bowing several times while standing and then kneeling and touching the ground or prayer mat
with their foreheads, as a symbol of their reverence and submission to Allah. On Friday, many
Muslims attend a mosque near midday to pray and to listen to a sermon, khutba.

2
Conflict and Tension in Islamic Jurisprudence,Noel J Coulson( Islamic Book Trust)
3. Alms-Giving—Zakat

The giving of alms is the third pillar. Although not defined in the Qu’ran, Muslims believe that
they are meant to share their wealth with those less fortunate in their community of believer.

4. Fasting during Ramadan—Saum

During the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims are
expected to fast from dawn to dusk. While there are exceptions made for the sick, elderly, and
pregnant, all are expected to refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca—Hajj

All Muslims who are able are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and the surrounding
holy sites at least once in their lives. Pilgrimage focuses on visiting the Kaaba and walking
around it seven times. Pilgrimage occurs in the 12th month of the Islamic Calendar.

Character of a Muslim
A believer is one who deserves Allah's pleasure and for him there will be a good life and
happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. The believer is the one in whom the following
characteristics are found:

1. Doing what are lawful and righteous deeds.

2. Having good morals and treating people with respect.

3. Having a purified heart and soul, neither hating others nor being hypocritical.

4. Spending whatever he has out of his wealth in the cause of Allah i.e. in the fields of charity.

5. Being offensive to no one.

6. Causing no harm to others.

7. Respecting other people's rights.

8. These characteristics are only found in truly faithful persons who know Allah well and fear
His punishment because those who know Him do not think much of this world's life, and wish
only to achieve the performance of as many good deeds as possible in it, in order to be rewarded
in the life hereafter.

COURT OF LAW

The simple definition of a muslim has been propounded by Justice Amir ali in his book on
muslim law which says “Any person who professes the religion of Islam, in other words, accepts
the unity of god and the prophetic character of Mohammad is a Muslim”
In Jiwan khan v. Habibi.. (Lahore high court)

“Every person who believes in the unity of god and the mission of Muhammad as a prophet is a
mussulman to whatever sect he may belong.” In this case it was also held that Shias are muslims.

In Narantakath v. Parakkal

The question before the madras high court was that whether Ahmadiyas, the followers of
Ghulam Ahmad or Qadiyan were muslims or not. The court cited a passage from the writings of
Gulam Ahmad in which he says:

“we are muslims by the grace of god: Muhammad (PBUP), the holy prophet of Arabia, is our
leader and guide. The wine of our spiritual knowledge is from the cup of the book of god which
is called Koran: every prophethood has found its culmination in that messenger of god whose
name is Muhammad. The revelation and inspiration that we receive have not been granted us
independently, but it is through him that we have received this gift.”

It also says that “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. He is one, having no partner, and
Muhammad is the servant and Messenger of god.”

The court held that even Qadiyans are Muslim.

In a recent case Shihabuddin v. K.P. Ahammed 3, it has once again contended that Qadiyans or
Ahmadiyas are not muslims. In a learned judgment delivered by Justice V.R. Krishna iyer it was
held that –“Ahmad claimed to be a prophet, not a plenary one but secondary to the holy prophet
and did accept Muhammad as a messenger of god …Looking at the issue devoid of sentiment
and passion and in the cold light of the law, I have no hesitation to hold that the Ahmadiya sect is
of islam and not alien.”

To the argument that many Muslims in Malabar regard Ahmadiyas as non-muslims , he

answered :“Islam is an international religion, as it were, and is not confined to Malabar or India
Justice Iyer cited a passage from Mulla’s book to the effect that a person born a Muslim remains
a Muslim until he renounces Islam.

3
AIR 1971 KER 206
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS REFERRED TO
1 .LESSONS IN ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE- MUHAMMAD BAKIR

2.CONFLICTS AND TENSION IN ISLAMIC JURISORUDENCE- NOEL J COULSON

WEBSITES REFERRED TO

1. https://www.jstor.org
2. shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in