There
is no God Except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
As-Shahadah Page
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
The most important question that people ask
concerning faith is "what is Awalud-Deen"'[the foundation of
religion], and the answer is that "the foundation of religion is
Ma'rifatullah [to know Allah]". To know Allah is to have faith
in Allah's absolute existence, that is, to profess it verbally, to have
full conviction of it, and to reflect it
into actions in the daily life.
Hence, from the bottom of our heart that is full of sincerity, care and
love, we, from the www.islamic-world.net, would like to beseech you to
come into the deen of Islam, the deen of peace and harmony,
simply by making a declaration of faith that:
Laa Ilaha Illallah Muhammad Rasullullah
There is no God Except Allah, and Muhammad the
Messenger of Allah
Only through full and correct understanding of these professions
of faith, man can realize that he is created to serve certain divine purpose in this world. The most important role of man being created
is to be the vicegerent of Allah on earth. That is to ensure the
continuous progress of Allah's creation. In so doing, man has a
responsibility to perfect himself, to perfect his society and to perfect
the world accoding to the devine will of Allah SWT. This role is possible
through the endownment of free will by Allah to man who is led by a
divinely-revealed guidence. Man must fulfil his destiny to be the best vicegerent
and devoted slave of Allah on Earth. In order for man to really uderstand
the real meaning of being vicegerent of Allah, he has to conceive and to
reach true conviction that the existence of God is the absolute truth and
there should not be more than one God. Such conviction will lead man toward
understanding the real meaning of the unity of the creation, embodied in
the concept of tawheed. Nevertheless, no man can concieve the very
existence of God, untill God revealed Himself through revelation and
made known to mankind that He is Allah.
" Allah is He, than Whom there is no
other god:- Who knows (all things)Both secret and open; He, Most Gracious,Most
Merciful."{22} " Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- The Sovereign,
the Holy One, The Source of Peace (and Perfection), The Guardian of Faith
The Preserver of Safety, The Exalted in Might, The Irresistible,the justly
Proud Glory to Allah! (High is Above the partners They attribute to Him."{23}
"He is Allah, the Creator, The Originator, The Fashioner, To Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in The Heavens and on earth, Doth
declare His Praises and Glory: And He is the Exalted In Might, the Wise.
"{24} [Qur'an, S. 59: 22-24] Tawheed: the Concept of Unification
Does the concept of Tawheed signify the belief of Monotheism?
According to Moulavi M.H. Babu Sahib:
Monotheism: To believe in the unity of Divinity by attributing:
(a) Separate, but non-real entity
to things other than Allah without giving that belief any practical use.
(This may be taken as a preparatory stage (in Islam) as long as one is
in the stage of shari’ah, but otherwise it is a deceptive and concealed
form of polytheism, it is only when one advances to higher stage of spirituality
(Tariqah and Haqiqah) one arrives at the stage of seeing Allah as the only
real entity).
(b) No separate real entity to things
other than Allah by practically using that knowledge. (This is known as
Wahdatul Wujud).This is the belief of the vast majority of the most prominent
sufis. (In other words it is to believe that in reality He (Allah) alone
is and nothing else is). This is quite often wrongly classed under pantheism,
because of the confusion of certain scholars and writers. For, the pantheists,
while establishing distinct and real entity for things other than God,
proclaim that God is in all such things, whereas the Muslim (MuwaHHidun)
do not establish a distinct and real entity for things other than God.
They establish real existence for God alone and hold that the existence
of all things other than Him is only tropical or transitory. And they rise
to heights by seeing God through things seen as other than God and reach
accomplishment by seeing things seen as other than God through God. In
this process of advancement there are stations and mansions according to
the stages of which the understanding of God varies from sufi to sufi,
' because, they are varied in their stages of advancement.
This is the reason for the unstable and apparently heretic-and inconsistent
remarks made by certain sufis. As for those who have climbed up the
ladder they are very stable. For Babu Sahib, However, Allah (or
God) is not a concept, because, Allah is not conceivable or comprehensible.
Allah is all existences together in one single existence and is the Single
Existent Who encompasses all the existences. Therefore, Allah is
the only Existent in reality. The apparent existence of things that appear
to exist is only one of the two exclusive intellectual primordial possibilities
of “existence" and "non-existence" out of which "existence" has been given
to the things which appear to exist, by a Cause which cannot be otherwise
than the Really Existent, Whose existence is necessary. He is One in the
sense that He is the Only Being and Unique in His attributes and Matchless
in His actions.Therefore, He is not One in the sense of number,i.e.: He
is not a number.TawHid literally means unification of more than one thing.This
term has been used by the doctors of Islamic Theology to mean: "The consideration
in one’s mind of God as a single entity".Therefore, the "Concept
of TawHid” or the "Concept of Unification" may be taken to mean variously
as:
The physical bringing together of the divergent
things, physical or otherwise . (i.e.: the fusion of the divergent things
into one single entity).
The consideration in the mind only of some or
all of the divergent things as a single entity.
The realization of oneness in the divergence of
all things of the universe.
The realization of the oneness of real existence
by realizing the non-reality of the plurality of existence.
The realization of the one's being really non-existent
and one's existence only through the existence of the Really Existent.
Of these varying descriptions of the "Concept of TawHid or Unification!"
let us,first take the description of the Islamic Theologians. It reads:
"The consideration in one's mind of God (Allah) as a single entity". It
is merely a consideration and not a realization, therefore, whether or
not it is so in reality is not clear in this description. And though all
the Islamic Theologians are agreed in Allah's being the Necessary Being,
the only Real Being and the Really Existent and in all other things being
only possible beings, tropical beings and non-real beings, they differ
in opinion in respect of the term God (Allah) in the above description,
as to whether it applies to the Necessary Being Who is the Real Being,
alone, to the exclusion of the tropical beings which are non-real beings,
or it applies to the Necessary Being without separating the non-real beings.
This intellectual tussle has divided the Islamic Theologians into two:
camps, one is that of the Dualists and the other is that of the Unitarians,
because, this difference of opinion leads them to differ in their opinion
about what is to be unified, whether it is the Really Existent Necessary
Being, separate and distinct from the really non-existent possible beings
or it is the Really Existent Necessary Being without taking into count
the possible beings, since they are really non-existent things.
This difference of opinion has led each of these two camps to accuse
the other camp of being Mushriks (those who make partners unto God), and
books have been written, for and against, both of these opinions. But in
reality there is no difference of opinion, because, both of these camps
agree on Allah's being the Necessary Being and the being of the creatures
as possible beings, and recognize Allah as the Only Real Being or the Being
in Reality and the creatures as tropical beings or non-real beings. Their
difference of opinion only resulted from seeing God as the Creator, and
the universe and its contents as creatures. This is because 'Creator" is
a concept which is completely different from the concept of "creature"
and the intellect does not permit any unity or unification between the
two. But this differentiation between the Creator and the creature depends
heavily on what is the intended meaning of the act of "creation" here,
whether it is in the popularly known sense or in some special sense. It
cannot be in the popularly known sense, because, the creation in the popular
sense requires a material cause whereas the creation of i.e.: by Allah
does not require any material cause.
For Allah Says:
Certaily His Affair,
if He Intends a thing, is to say to it "be" and "it is" [Qur'an, S. 36:82]
The concept of God in Islam, though He is not One Who can be conceived
in the true sense, is based on two-fold evidences, one is through the study
of His attributes which are manifest in the many things of the universe
and the other is through His benevolent grant through revelation. As for
certain aspects of the concept of God the evidences obtainable through
the study of His attributes which are manifest in the universe are affirmed
by the evidences obtained through revelation and as for certain other aspects
the evidences obtained through revelation are affirmed by the evidences
obtained through the study of His attributes which are manifest in the
universe. In any case the concept of God in Islam is based on both the
revealed evidences and the intellectual evidences. The concept of God is
clearly given in the Qur'an and in the sayings of the Prophet. He is One
Who is Existent, Eternal, Everlasting, Dissimilar to things other than
Him, Self-Dependant, Living, Powerful, Intending, Knowing, Hearing, Seeing
and Speaking. He is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth, therefore,
He is the Knowledge of the Heavens and the Earth, i.e.: He is the knower,
the known and the means whereby knowledge takes place in the Heavens and
the Earth.He is the First, the Last, the Apparent and the Hidden. Therefore,
He has no father, no mother, no spouse, no child and no kindred. He does
not eat, drink, sleep or forget. He has no laughter, no lamentation, no
happiness and no sorrow. He shall not be attributed with either health
or illness. He has no colour, no size, no measure and no sex. He is a Self-Dependant
Existent Who is neither an accident, nor a body nor a substance with any
specification or location nor does He occupy any space nor has He any direction
nor is He integrated with the universe nor is He disintegrated from the
universe, nor is He inside the universe nor is He outside the universe,
because the universe is only the manifestation of His attributes. Behind
all the divergent qualities of things and the apparent incompatibilities
and the variations of colour, size, form, shape, weight, measure, time,
space, direction etc., there is an inherent unity, cohesion and harmony
without which there would have been a chaos. The order of the universe
and the cohesiveness and harmony among its parts are the proofs that unity
underlies the concept of the universe and the concept of God Who is the
Creator of the universe.
The Noble Qur'-an proves it by saying:
"Had there been in the Heavens and the Earth
more gods than Allah both would have been a chaos". (For
further reading please refer to his remarkble book on The Tenets of
Islam),pp.10-13
Al-'Aqaa'id[Belief]TawheedThe
Fundamental Concept of Tawheed
What
should be Learn after taking Confession
Hadith
on the Pillar of Islam:
Narrated by Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said: Islam is based on (the following)
five (principles):
1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped
but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle.
2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers
dutifully and perfectly.
3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) .
4.To observe fast during the month of Ramadhan.
5.To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca)[As-Sahih
Al-Bukhari,Volume 1,Book 2,Number 7]
The Pillars of Islam The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
said: Islam is based on five pillars:
I-
Shahadah (the profession of faith)
Its also called the Kalimah (it connots the "words that form
a full sentence which is meaningful"),which must be recited by anyone embracing
Islam.It means, "There is no true god except Allah, and Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah." This means that nothing and no one is worthy of being
worshipped but Allah, and that He must be worshipped only according to
the teaching of His Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him. Abdullah bin
Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah said : A man will be brought along
to the balances on the Day of Resurrection, and there will be brought out
for him ninety nine scrolls, every scroll of them stretching when unrolled)
as far as an eye can reach, in which are written his sins and his guilty
acts, and they will be put in one pan of the Balances. Then a small card
will be brought out on which is written the Testimony of Faith: There is
no true god except Allah, and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, which
will be put in the other pan, and it will outweigh all his wrongdoing.
This means that if a person professes the testimony of faith fulfilling
its conditions, Allah forgives his sins regardless of how many sins he
may have committed. The Conditions of Testimony of Faith Pronouncing
the testimony of faith is sufficient to make one a revert [we use the word
revert instead of convert, becuase we believe that every born with its
[Fitrah], and Islam is a Religion of Fitrah] to Islam. There are however,
six conditions that must be observed before it can effectively make one
a Muslim. These are:
(a) Al-Ilm, Knowledge, knowing both concepts of the testimony of faith
i.e., disclaiming all deities, denouncing shirk, polytheism, and affirmig
the Oneness of Allah. Allah the Exalted, addressed His Messenger, peace
be upon him,
Saying: "Know, therefore, that there is no true god but Allah.
" Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:"He
who dies while still acknowledging there is no true god except Allah will
assuredly enter Jannah. And he said:"Allah
will forbid the fire [from touching] anyone who has testified ‘There is
no true god except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
(b) Al-Yaqeen, Certainty: The heart must be firmly certain of the meaning
of shahadah without a blemish of doubt. Allah the Exalted Says:
Verily, the believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and
His Messenger, and then doubt not . Allah praises such believers saying:
It is they who are the truthful. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon
him, said:
"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and I am the Messenger of Allah. No slave meets Allah with this testimony,
having no doubt in t but shall enter Jannah."
c) Al-Ikhlaas, Sincerity: Allah, the Exalted,Says: And they were not
commanded but to worship Allah, being sincere in devoting religion to Him.
[Quran. S. Abu Hurairah said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be
upon him: 'Messenger of Allah! Who will be most fortunate to enjoy your
shafa'ah (intercession) on the Day of Resurrection ? The Messenger of Allah,
peace be upon him, said: 'I was certain that no one else would ask me about
this other than you, because I have noticed your keenness for hadeeth.
The most fortunate of men who will enjoy my shafa'ah on the Day of Resurrection
is the one who says: (La Ilaha Illa Allah) "None has the right to be worshipped
except Allah", sincerely from his heart.
(d) As-Sidq, Truthfulness:Allah The Exalted says:
"But he who has brought the truth, and those
who testify to the truth, these it is who are the righteous." [Quran. S.
The Messenger of Allah said: "Anyone testifies that there is no god but
Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, truthfully from his heart,
Allah would forbid his admittance to the Fire."
(e) Al-Mahabbah, Love and affection.
Allah says
"Allah shall bring forth a people whom He loves
and they love Him. " The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
said: "There are three (qualities), whoever possesses them, will taste
the sweetness of Iman (belief): to love Allah and His Messenger more than
anyone else, to love the Muslim only for the sake of Allah, and to dread
returning to kufr (apostasy) as he dreads being thrown in fire." The Prophet,
peace be upon him, also said:"None of you shall (really) believe until
I become dearer to him than his own father, and son and all mankind."
(f) Al-Inqiyaad, Submission internally and externally: Allah, the Exalted,
says:
"And he who submits himself to Allah, and does
good, he has surely grasped a strong handle."
Allah also says: "And turn you to your Rubb, and
submit yourselves to Him."
(g)Al-Qubool, Acceptance and conformity
All the above conditions must be fulfilled and adhered to. In other
words, none of the conditions or requirements of the testimony of faith
should be rejected. Allah says: When it was said to them, 'There is no
od but Allah, they used to turn away with arrogance, and say, 'Are we going
to relinquish our gods for an insane poet'. Abu Musa al-Ash'aree reported
that the Prophet, peace be upon him said: The parable of guidance and knowledge
which Allah has sent me with is like a rain which fell on a land. A patch
of that land received the water and produced much herbage and grass. And
a patch which was barren. The latter retained water wherewith Allah extended
benefits to men: they drank from it, irrigated and planted their vegetation.
And a patch which was a sandy plain, it neither retained water nor produced
herbage. This is parallel to the person who conceived the religion of Allah
and benefited from the Message with which Allah has sent me, whereby he
learnt and taught others. The other person turned away from it (from my
Message), and rejected the guidance of Allah with which I am sent.
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II-Solat (Prayer)
Solat literally mean Do'a [prayer]; and technically means an
act of worship which is started by TakbirraIhram [Allahu Akbar] followed
by series of formatted movements, Qur'anic recitations, and ended by Salam
[Assalamu'alaikum Warah MatuLlah] The obligatory of Salat is well preserved
in the Quran, Allah Says:
Recite what is sent of the Book by revelation
to you, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful
and unjust deeds; and remembrance of God is the greatest (thing in life)
without doubt. And God knows the (deeds) that you do. [Quran, S: 29: 45.]
Remember Me, then, and I will remember you. Give thanks to Me and never
deny Me. [Quran, S: 2: 152.] He is the Living One; there is no god but
Him. Pray to Him, then, and worship none besides Him. Praise be to Allah,
Lord of the Worlds. [Quran, S: 40: 65.]Celebrate the praise of you Lord
and seek His pardon. He is ever disposed to Mercy. [Quran, S: 110: 3.]
Say: He is God, the One and only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets
not, nor is He begotten; and none is equal to (Him). [Quran, S: 112: 1-4.]
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i- Who is Obligated to Perform Solat?
The performance of the five prescribed daily prayers is obligatory
(Fardh)beginning at the age of reason, which is deemed to
be ten years. Each unit of solat is called rak'ah (pl. rak'at) which shall
be explained in the format of Solat, Some prayers are performed
silently in whole or in part; that is to say, the Fatihah, or the opening
surah of the Qur'an and the chosen passage of the Qur'an are not recited
in audible voice. Prayer is clearly the most important pillar after shahadah
. Each unit of solat, called rak'ah (pl. rak'at). It is a daily act of
worship. The performance of solat at five prescribed times daily is obligatory
(fardh).
The Five Obligatory Daily Prayers
The Format of Solat (prayer): Prophet Muhammad (SAW)was
reported to have said that:
"Pray as the way you see Me praying"
a) Salatul-Fajr or
Salatul Subuh [dawn prayer], consisting of two upererogatory rak'aat
followed by two obligatory rak'aat during which the Qur'anic passages are
recited loudly[Jahar], . Its time is from dawn to sunrise.
b) Salat adth-Dhuhr,
the noonday prayer; two rak'aat followed by another two supererogatory.
Then four obligatory with quiet recitation, and then two more supererogatory
rak'aat. It is performed after the moment the sun passes its zenith until
the time of Asr.
c) Salat al-Asr,
the late afternoon prayer, consists of only four obligatory rak'aat. with
quiet recitation. It is performed when the shadow of a vertical stick becomes
equal to the length of the stick until just before sunset.
d) Salat al-Maghrib
prayer, consists of three obligatory rak'aat , the first two of which are
recited in audible voice
[Jahar], while the third is recited
quietly. The three obligatory rak'aat are followed by two supererogatory
ones. This prayer may be performed as soon as the sun sinks below the horizon
until the red glow disappears, but is best performed immediately after
sunset.
e) Salat al-Isha',
or night prayer. Its four rak'aat, the first two are recited in audible
voice [Jahar], and the last two quietly. They are followed
by two supererogatory rak'aat. It is performed after the onset of night
until the dawn, but are preferably performed before midnight. An additional
two rak’aat followed by odd one, called witr may be prayed before going
to sleep. Besides the five prescribed daily prayer, there are also certain
special congregational prayers that are in common observance. The most
important of them is the Jum'ah, Friday congregational prayer performed
in place of the normal noon prayer. It can only be performed in congregation
following a khutbah, or preaching delivered by the imam. There are also
special prayers for time of lunar or solar eclipse. There are thirteen
Arkanu as-Solat or fundamental requirements that must be
observed in order that the prayer be accepted:
(1) An-niyyah (intention), i.e., stating in mind what prayer service one
proposes to perform:
Usalli Fardha al-Dhuhri Arba'a Raka'atin [Imaman/ Ma'muman] lillahi
Ta'alaa
Usalli Fardha al-'Ashir Arba'a Raka'atin [Imaman/ Ma'muman] lillahi Ta'alaa.
Usalli Fardha al-Maghribi Thalatha Raka'atin [Imaman/ Ma'muman] lillahi
Ta'alaa.
Usalli Fardha al-'Isha-i Arba'a Raka'atin [Imaman/ Ma'muman] lillahi
Ta'alaa.
Usalli Fardha al-Subhi (Fajr) Raka'ataini [Imaman/ Ma'muman] lillahi Ta'alaa
(2)Al-qiyam (standing), i.e., taking up one’s position standing,
facing the qiblah towards the Kabah in Makkah and ready for prayer.
(3)Takbiratu-al-Ihram (sanctification), i.e., pronouncing takbeer [saying.
“Allahu akbar”, whereby the worshipper cuts himself off from profane things
for the period of prayer].
(4)Al-qira’ah (recitation), i.e., the recitation of the Al-Fatihah (Surah
1) and some other portion from the Qur’an.
(5) Al-ruku’(bowing),
i.e., bending the body so that the palms grab the knees; and it is recommeneded
by the Prophet (SAW), to recite, at least three time or at more is eleven
time of Subhana Rabbi al'Adhimi- wa- Bihamdihi [Glory to
the Almighty Lord of the Universe and all Praise be to Him. Then, say sami`a
'allãhu liman hamidahu [Allah Listens to Whoever praise
Him]
(6)I'tidal (standing before prostration); it is recommended to recite
Rabbanã
LaKal Hamdu min ul-Samawati- wa- min ul-Ardhi- wa- min huma Shi'ta min
shaiin Ba'du or Rabbanã wa lakal-hamdu [O Lord of the Universe
to You All the Praises from the Heaven and Earth, and of Your Will for
both and for whatever after them].
(7)As-sujud (prostration of obeisance), i.e., going down on hands and
knees so that the forehead touches the praying place.And it is recommended
by the Prophet (SAW), to recite, at least three time or at more is eleven
time of Subhana Rabbi al'A'la- wa- Bihamdihi [Glory to the
Most High Lord of the Universe and All Praise be to Him].
(8)Sitting between Two Prostrations; herein Prophet (SAW) recommended
believers to recite, Rabbi-ghfirli, WarHamni, WajJburni, WarFa'ni, WarZukni,WaHdini,
Wa'Afini, Wa'Fu'anni [O My Lord of the Universe Forgive me and Have Grace
on me and Have mercy on me and... and Raise me to the higher rank and Sastein
me and Guide me and Pardon me.
(9)Sitting for the first Tashahud (Witnessing); followed by the recitation
of Attaa-Hiyyatu- l-Mubarakatu- s-Salawatu- t-Toibatu- LiLlah, as-Salamu
'AlaiKa Ayyuhan Nabiyyu WarahmatuLLahi Wabarakatuh, as-Salamu 'Alaina-
wa-'Ala 'IbadiKa-s-Salihin. Ash-Hadu-Al-La Ila-ha- il-LaLLah, Wa-Ash- Hadu
An-Na Muhammad-ur-RasulALLah.
(10)Sitting for the Final Tashahud (Witnessing);Attaa-Hiyyatu-
l- Mubarakatu- s-Salawatu- t-Toibatu- LiLlah, as-Salamu 'AlaiKa Ayyuhan
Nabiyyu WarahmatuLLahi Wabarakatuh, as-Salamu 'Alaina- wa-'Ala 'IbadiKa-
s-Salihin. Ash-Hadu-Al-La Ila-ha- il-LaLLah, Wa-Ash- Hadu An-Na Muhammad-ur-RasulALLah.
(11)Salat 'ala an-nabi = Asking Allah's mercy on the Prophet Muhammad
[pbuh]):
Kama SallaiTa 'Ala Ibrahim- wa- 'Ala Ali Ibrahim..
Allahumma Salli 'Ala Muhammad- wa- 'Ala Ali Muhammad
(12)At-tasleem (salutation), which ends the formal prayer. Assalamu'alaikum
WarahmatuLLah, to the right and to the left.
(13)At-tarteeb (arrangement), i.e., performing all the above in proper
sequence. Prophet [SAW] said: Prayer is one of the greatest pillars of
Islam. It is the first act of worship about which man shall be questioned
about on the Day of Reckoning. If Prayer of a Muslim is accepted by Allah,
then the rest of man's good deeds are accepted too. Prophet [SAW] said:
Whoever offers prayer consistently, indeed he/ she has strenthen the religion,
But whoever neglect prayer, indeed he/she has destroy the religion.
Individual and Congrational Solat
The five prayers may be performed either individually, but it is strongly
recommended to peform it in congregation. In congregation, they are led
by an imam who directs the ritual. At these five times a day there is an
adthan , or a call to announce the time for prayer, and to summon Muslims
to the masjid for prayer. To perform prayer, the person must be in the
sate of ritual purity conferred by the wudu’, or ablution. A prayer must
be performed in a clean place, facing the qiblah, the direction of Makkah,
a direction which is indicated in a masjid by a mihrab, or a notch in one
of the masjid walls.
Special Related Links Praying
postures for Females ||Prayer
Times & Rakats ||Prayer
Time ||Preparing
for Prayer
Special Recommended Prayer
(1)Salat At-Tahajjud [night praye], the prayer which is offered at 1/3
of the night. It is highly recommended by the Prophet (SAW), for it is
the best and favourable time to Allah the most Extalted to answer all the
prayer of His devoted servants.
(2) Salatul-Istisqaa' time of drought, a two rak'at prayer supplicating
Allah for rain. It is to be performed by the community in the open. Janazah,
funeral prayer, is performed for the recently dead by the mourners and
by anyone present in the masjid at the time.
(3) Salatul-Khawf, (prayer of fear), is performed in place of normal
prayer in the battlefield. (4) A-Eedain prayers, for the two annual festivals,
the first al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Fasting month of Ramadhan
and the al-Adh-ha, the sacrificial festival which marks the end of the
Pilgrimage. Cyber
Salat
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III-
Zakah
Zakah means "purification". Consists of giving up a certain percentage of
the wealth one may possess for a whole lunar year to be given to needy
Muslims in order thereby to purify or legitimize one’s wealth and property.
Zakah is one of the greatest financial institutions of Islam as practical
sharing with those less fortunate, the bounty one receives from Allah.
A sharing which reflects characteristics of a true Muslim. Zakah is levied
annually on certain types of food, grain, cattle, and cash retained for
one lunar calendar year to be given out to the poor, the needy, and other
specified classes of people.The amount due varies according to different
kinds of properties.
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Further
Reading of Zakah ||Method
of Zakah Distribution and Its Portions.
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IV-
Sawm (Fasting)
Sawm (Fasting) is to be observed during the month of Ramadhan (the ninth month
of the Muslim lunar calendar). The beginning of the fasting is announced
in all Muslim countries by the appearance of the new moon of Ramadhan,
and ends with the appearance of the new moon of Shawwal. All Muslims in
normal health abstain from food, drink, and sexual enjoyment from dawn
to sunset. Fasting is a beneficial act of worship that helps one who observes
it to attain piety and humbleness and to share the feelings of the bereft
and hungry in the community so as to be more benevolent and charitable.
Meritorious fasting is also recommended on various occasions throughout
the year. Such as 6 days in the month of Shawal, 8-9(The Day of 'Arafah)
Zulhijja, 10th of Muharram (The Day of Ashu'ra), every mid of the month,
and every Monday and Thusday of the week. More Reading on Fasting
(Sawm).
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Hajj ( pilgrimage)
to the sacred sites in certain Makkan Mukarramah areas, each with its
own special rites and ceremonies is an elaborate series of symbolic acts
requiring several days for their accomplishment. It is performed at a particular
period of the Islamic year at the al-Masjid al-Haram, the Sacred Masjid
in Makkah, and in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, which are the places directly
adjacent to Makkah. is obligatory for those whose health and means permit
it once in a lifetime. Umrah, however, is voluntary act of worship. The
Hajj rites take place during the Islamic or lunar months of Shawwal, Dthul-Qi'dah,
and the first ten days of Dthu-Hijjah only. It is a pre-condition for the
pilgrim to enter the state of ihram at a certain point before entering
the boundaries of Makkah. The Doctrines of Islam Iman, or faith may be
strengthened by obedience to God Almighty Allah, and may be weakened by
acts of disobedience. Iman has over seventy branches; its uppermost is
the testimony of faith; "There is no true god except Allah", and the lowermost
of which is removing a harmful object from the road.
Further
Reading about Hajj ||Hajj
and Umrah
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The Six Pillars
of Faith [The Arkanul Iman]
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Belief
in the Oneness of Allah
1) Belief in the Oneness of Allah, Who is the sole Creator upon Whom
all the creation depend for their means of subsistence. Everything stands
in need of Allah, but He stands in need of no one. This belief entails
also believing in Allah as the only God who is worthy of being worshipped,
and in the uniqueness of His attributes.
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He is not a body that has been
formed. He does not resemble any created thing, nor does any created thing
resemble Him. Space does not encompass Him, nor do the earth and the heavens
contain Him. He is situated above His Great Throne in the manner which
suits His Majesty. Although He is above His Throne and separated from all
His creatures, yet in spite of this He is near to every existing thing.
He is nearer to man than his jugular vein. Allah is known by the intellect
to be existing in His essential being. Thus it follows for Islam that the
greatest of all sins is shirk, i.e., associating partners with Allah or
giving to anyone or anything even the smallest share in Allah’s unique
sovereignty.
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Belief
in angels
2) Sexless creatures created of light. Allah has created the angels
and tasked them to perform numerous duties besides worshipping Him. They
are His obedient slaves. "They stand in awe of Him." Some of them are mentioned
in the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions such as "Jibreel" the angel
that brings down the divine revelation to the Prophets and Messengers,
"Mika’eel" the angel of provisions, "Israfeel" the angel of the trumpet
of doom, "Izraiel" the angel of death, "Ridhwaan" the guard of the Jannah,
"Malik" the guard of Hell, Raqeeb and Ateed, the two angels who record
mans deeds and guard of the Hell , "Munkar and Nakeer" the questioners
of the dead, "Kiraman Katibien" the Recorder, and the Throne bearers, and
others.
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Belief
in His Scriptures
3)Belief in His Scriptures, specifically that they were free from
any imperfection or errors at the time of their revelation. All Scriptures
preceding the Qur'an have been tampered with or distorted by the people
of the Book, whereas the Qur'an is protected by Allah from change or tampering.
He sent down Scriptures to Abraham, Isma'il, Is'haq, Ya'qoob (Jacob) and
his twelve sons, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon them. Scriptures
were revealed through Jibreel to the various Prophets in succession. Thus
Scriptures are really one and each successive book confirms those that
preceded it. With the revelation of the Qur’an, all previous Scriptures
were abrogated, and what the Jews and the Christians now have are not the
original Torah of Musa (Moses), and Gospel of Issa (Jesus) but later productions
written by the hands of men.
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Belief
in His Messengers
4) Belief in His Messengers whom Allah has chosen at various times
from among mankind whom He has honored by making them mediators between
Himself and His slaves. They were sent in order to give good tidings of
rewards to those who do good, and to warn those who do ill of coming punishment.
It is equally important to believe that the information they brought is
characteristically and necessarily veracious. The Messengers were to make
clear to people all they need to know of what was befitting in religion
and in secular life, and to make specific to them the acts of worship whereby
they would attain the highest ranks in the Hereafter.
Allah, the Glorious,
aided His Messengers by clearly apparent signs and by splendid miracles.
The first of the Prophets series was Adam, and the last of them is our
Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon them all. Believing in the Messengers of
Allah means also believing that they were trustworthy in what they transmitted
to men, and that they were preserved from anything that would contradict
their mission by Allah. Among whom the most prominent and steadfast are
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them. They are
human and slaves of Allah. Every Prophet or Messenger before Muhammad,
peace be on them, was sent to his own people, but Muhammad, peace be on
him, is sent to all mankind. Allah says: Blessed is He Who has sent down
the Qur'an to His slave so that it might be a warner to the worlds. None
of Allah's Messengers or Prophets claimed to be god or part-god. Allah
says: Allah has not taken unto Himself any son, nor is there any god with
him, for otherwise each god would have taken away what he had created,
and some of them would surely have dominated over the others. Far be Allah
above all that which they attribute to Him. Muslims accept all the Prophets
and Messengers sent by Allah as theirs, moreover they accept Jesus, not
as Christians claim him to be the Divine manifestation or son of God, but
as a Messenger, albeit of miraculous birth since he was born of a virgin,
hence he is called Jesus son of Mariyam (Mary). Although Jesus is highly
respected in Islam, yet Islam does not concede any idea of his divinity,
or believe that he is the son of God. This, or any Trinitarian idea of
God, or any suggestion that Jesus is somehow an hypothesis of God, is utterly
rejected in Islam. Jesus did not die upon the cross, rather someone else
was substituted for him. Allah says: They slew him not, nor did they crucify
him not but it appeared so to them. But God took him up to Him. Allah is
ever Mighty, Wise.
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Belief
in the Last Day
5) Belief in the Last Day, i.e. the Day of Resurrection. Allah has
pre-decreed a term for each creature, and a term for the life of this world.
Allah will assuredly raise the dead from their tombs. The end of this world
will be marked by the sounding of the Trumpet. Then the Trumpet will sound
again and mankind shall be resurrected so that every person will stand
before the Rubb of the worlds and be questioned about his or her deeds
in this world. Allah, the Exalted, has created the Jannah and has prepared
it as an eternal dwelling for His pious slaves who He will honor by the
vision of His face. He has also created Hell for those who disbelieve in
Him.
On the Day of Resurrection, rewards and penalties are assigned, the
balances will be set up for weighing the works of men and those whose balance
weighs heavy will be those who will prosper. Everyone will be given his
record sheet. It is to be believed that the Bridge over Hell is real, and
men will have to cross it. The pious of them will do so safely, and the
impious will fall in Hell.
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Belief
in Al-Qada, and Qadar
6) Belief in Al-Qada, and Qadar, or predestination, of both good and
evil consequences. All man’s thoughts, words, and deeds were foreordained,
determined and decreed by Allah for all eternity, and that everything that
happens takes place according to what has been written for it. Allah has
created everything in due proportion. His determination of the nature of
things was established fifty-thousand years before He created the Heavens
and the earth. Nothing occurs or takes shape within the heavens or on earth
but with His knowledge and by His order. In other words, man's life as
predestined in the sense that nothing can finally oppose the Will of Almighty
Allah. Man nonetheless has the gift of free will in that he does make choices
and decisions.
Believing in predestination however, necessitates believing:
that the knowledge of Allah encompasses all things, and that nothing escapes
His knowledge, be it in the heavens or on the earth. Allah has known His
creatures before he brought them into existence. He reassigns their provisions,
term of life, utterances, deeds, actions, movements, their internal and
external affairs, and who of them is assigned for Jannah, and which of
them is doomed to Hell.
that Allah has pre-decreed what to come into existence. This in turn requires
believing in the Pen which records all the divine decrees, and in the Preserved
Tablet on which the decrees are recorded.
that the will of Allah is effective and His capacity is inexhaustible and
inclusive. Doubtlessly, whatever Allah wills does take place, and whatever
He does not will does not take place due not to incapacity rather to His
infinite wisdom. There is nothing that frustrates the capacity of Allah.
that Allah, the Exalted, is the sole Creator of all things. All praise
is due to Him. He is the One other than Whom there is no god.
Conclusion
Having studied the Qur'an thoroughly, and made extensive researches
on its contents, Dr. Maurice Bucaille came to the conclusion: I could not
find a single error in the Qur'an. I had to stop and ask myself: if a man
were the author of the Qur'an, how could he have written facts in the Seventh
century AC that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific
knowledge? There was absolutely no doubt it: the text of the Qur'an we
have today is most definitely a text of the period, What human explanation
can there be for this observation? In my opinion there is no explanation;
there is no special reason why an inhabitant of the Arabian Peninsula should,
at a time when King Dagobert was reigning in France (629-639 AC), have
had scientific knowledge on certain subjects that was ten centuries ahead
of our own? In conclusion, it should be borne in mind that Islam is not
just a set of rituals restricted to the above, rather, it is a set of statutes
and injunctions that regulate every aspect of man's life; from cradle to
grave. Now that you have read this booklet and become more acquainted with
the central principles of Islam, it is up to you to make the choice. Every
one is heading for the same end, but he or she may choose one route or
another. Allah is so merciful; He is far removed from injustice. Allah
says: We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.)
[This Article is quoted from "This Message is For You" by Mahmoud
Murad]
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