HADJI YAHYA, Abdul Hamid B.

Written Report
MODULE 2
LESSON 1: THE FUNDAMENTAL TEACHINGS OF ISLAM
Islam as a Religion
To start our lesson let us ponder on this question “What is Islam?” Islam is the world's second
largest religion, after Christianity, with approximately 1.8 billion adherents. Although Islam's origins
date all the way back to the seventh century, scholars generally date its establishment to the seventh
century, making it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam began in Mecca, present-day Saudi
Arabia, during the prophet Muhammad's lifetime. Today, the faith is rapidly spreading across the
globe.
According to Islam, the words Salam and Silm both mean peace, while the word Silm is
another word for surrender or submission. Islam as a religion represents complete submission to
Allah's will and, as a result, harmony with the Creator and everything He has created. Submission to
Allah's Will brings about inner peace. Therefore, Islam distinguishes itself from other religions in that
it has no such ties to any individual, group of people or country. It is not a product of human
imagination. It is a universal religion whose goal is to instill in man the qualities and attitudes associated
with Islam.
According to the Arabic language, "Deen" is a term that refers to a philosophy, a way of life,
a code of conduct, an ideology, an act of obedience, submission, and compensation. The term "deen"
refers to a way of life, code of conduct, or ideology that adheres to Islamic principles.
Iman
Iman is an Arabic word that can be translated as "to know," "to believe," or "to be completely
persuaded." Faith is the word used in English. As a result, Iman is a firm belief based on knowledge
and conviction that cannot be shaken. In Islam, a "Mu'min" is a person who knows and believes in
Allah, as well as in other articles of belief (Faithful). Therefore, no Muslim can be sincere if he does
not have faith (iman). It is the most important, or rather the very first step, that must be taken before
any further progress can be made. Islam and Iman are similar to a tree and its seed in that they are
both interconnected. A non-believer cannot become a Muslim in the same way that a tree cannot grow
without seeds.

There are Six Articles of Faith that my report is focused on: 1. Allah, 2. All His Angels, 3. All
His Books, 4. All His Messengers or Prophets, 5. The Day of Judgment, and 6. that the power of
doing good or bad actions proceeds from Allah and Allah alone. (Divine Predestination or Qadar)

To start with the Belief in Allah (Al Imanu Billah). Confidence in Allah's Oneness is the
most fundamental and important message conveyed by Prophet Muhammad. It signifies that Allah is
one-of-a-kind and unrivaled. He is neither begotten nor begotten of any other being. He is a single
individual. He doesn't have a beginning or an end. Salutations to As-Salam, the Merciful and
Compassionate One. Allah is the creator of the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. This
faith must be based on complete trust in God, complete surrender to His Will, and complete reliance
on His assistance in order to be effective. Solace from feelings of anxiety, despair, guilt, and perplexity.

Second is the Belief in All His Angels (Al Imanu bi Malaa-ikatihi). Faith in Allah's Angels
is the subject of the second article. The Angels are spiritual beings created by Allah who are endowed
with life, speech, and reason. They do not have a sexual orientation or a gender. They do not have any
parents, no spouses, and no children to care for them. They have no physical body and are capable of
taking on any shape. They do not eat, drink, or sleep in the same way that we do. They are devoid of
carnal appetites and rage, and they are peaceful. They are unable to deviate even a fraction of an inch
from God's instructions. They are unable to present to God any design that they have created for
themselves, and they are also unable to intercede on behalf of any man with God.

Angels are pure, holy, upright, true, and obedient to Allah's Will, as evidenced by their
appearance. According to the Prophet Muhammad, Allah's angels surround us, attach themselves to
us, and are always present with us at all times. They keep track of both our good and bad deeds and
report back to us. They serve as a record of every man's life. The exact number of Angels is unknown.
Nobody knows how many there are because Allah is the only one who knows how many there are.
We are completely unaware of the inherent nature of angels. It is solely because God's true Messenger
told us to believe in them that we have come to accept them.

But there are important or general angels who have been named by Allah.

1. Jibreel - the angel of revelation. Jibra'il is the archangel responsible for revealing the
Quran to Muhammad, verse by verse. Jibra'il is the angel who communicates with all of
the prophets and also descends with the blessings of God during the night of Laylat al-
Qadr ("The Night of Divine Destiny (Fate)").

2. Mikael - the archangel of mercy, is often depicted as providing nourishment for bodies
and souls while also being responsible for bringing rain and thunder to Earth. Some
scholars pointed out that Mikail is in charge of angels who carry the laws of nature.

3. Israfeel - is the archangel who blows into the trumpet in the end time, therefore also
associated with music in some traditions. Israfil is responsible for signaling the coming
of Qiyamah (Judgment Day) by blowing a horn.

4. Izrael - is the archangel of death. He and his subordinative angels are responsible for
parting the soul from the body of the dead and will carry the believers to heaven (Illiyin)
and the unbelievers to hell (Sijjin).

5. Ridhwan - the keeper of Paradise.

6. Maalik - Chief of the angels who govern Jahannam (Hell).

 7. Raqib & Atheed - (Honourable Recorders), two of whom are charged to every human
being; one writes down good deeds and another one writes down evil deeds. They are
both described as 'Raqeebun 'Ateed' in the Qur'an

8. Munkar and Nakir - who question the dead in their graves.

Thirdly is the Belief in All His Books (Al Imanu bi Kutubihi). According to the third
article of faith, "belief in all of Allah's books" is required. Allah's commandments and religious rules
(kutub) were transmitted to different Messengers throughout history in order to guide the human race.

The Revealed Books (Kutub) are four in number:

1. Tawruh (Torah), revealed to Prophet Musa (Moses) (AS);

2. Zabur (Psalms), revealed to Prophet Dawud (David) (AS)

3. Injil (Gospel), revealed to Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus) (AS) and

4. Qur’an revealed to Prophet Muhammad

The Qur'an revealed significant revisions to the rules and teachings in Towrah, Zabur, and
Injil, which were not previously known. The Qur'an is in its purest and most unadulterated form.
Prophet Muhammad received the Qur'an in fragments for a period of twenty-three years. The Qur'an
is considered to be Allah's final word. ibadah is the relationship between the Creator and His creature
(mua'malah), and it includes all of the understanding directions, regulations, and issues that are
relevant. The divine Books that came before the Qur'an should only be believed if they were all from
God, were true and were sent down to accomplish the same goal as the Qur'an. Man's religious belief
should be founded on the conviction that the Quran is God's own words, that it is completely truthful,
that everything it says is correct, that he has a binding obligation to obey it in all aspects of his life,
and that anything contrary to it must be rejected.

And lastly, the Belief in All His Messengers/ Prophets (Al Imanu bi Rusulihi). Islam's
fourth article of faith is the belief in all of Allah's prophets. As a result, Allah sent Prophets to guide
mankind throughout history at various points in time. They serve as role models for the rest of
humanity, teaching them Allah's commands and following them themselves.

In order to warn people of their sins and guide them, Allah sent prophets to all nations at all
times throughout history. People were taught by the Prophet to worship and fear Allah, as well as to
obey all of His commands. A Muslim is expected to place equal faith in all of God's messengers.
Tradition has it that 124,000 prophets were sent to various peoples at various times throughout
history. This number does not appear to be excessive when compared to the number of peoples and
nations that have existed on the planet since its inception. They were referred to as "national" or
"local" messengers, with the exception of Muhammad. As long as they were communicating the same
message, they were able to accomplish the same goal: guiding humanity down the Straight Path of
God. The Prophets mentioned in the Qur'an were revered by Muslims, and they believed in their
prophecies. It is instructed to the rest of the population to believe that Allah sent true Prophets to
guide mankind.
Among the Prophets mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an are
1. Adam - First Prophet and the First human.
2. Idris - Inventor of the pen; inventor of the needle.
3. Nuh - Survivor of the Great Flood.
4. Hud – Merchant.
5. Salih - Camel breeder.
6. Ibrahim - Builder of the Kaaba.
7. Lut - Historian and traveler.
8. Ismail - Founder of the Arabian people.
9. Ishaq - Founders of the Israelite people.
10. Ya’qub - Founders of the Israelite people.
11. Yusoph – Inventor.
12. Yunus - Swallowed by fish.
13. Ayyub - Known for his patience.
14. Shu’aib – Shepherd.
15. Harun – Vizier.
16. Musa - Challenged the Pharaoh and lead the migration back to Israel.
17. Alyasa -
18. Dil Khifl -
19. Da’wad - Military commander, second king of Israel.
20. Sulaiman - Copperworker, third and last king of the United Monarchy; built the First
Temple; Son of Dawud.
21. Ilyas - Silk weaver.
22. Zakariyyah - Father of Yahya; was assassinated.
23. Yahya - was assassinated.
24. Issa - The Messiah.
25. Muhammad - Shepherd, merchant, founder of Islam; Seal of the Prophets.