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Islam a brief guide
ISLAM Islam is a complete code of life. It tells man about the purpose of his creation and existence, his ultimate destiny, his place among other creatures and, more importantly, provides him with the guidance to lead a purposeful life to be rewarded in the life hereafter. The Arabic word ISLAM means voluntary surrender to the will of Allah and obedience to His commands. Allah, also an Arabic word, is the proper name of God. Muslims prefer to use the name Allah rather than the word God. The Islamic way of life is based on total obedience to Allah. This is the way to obtain peace here and hereafter; hence Islam also means peace.

MUSLIM A person, who freely and consciously accepts the Islamic way of life and practices it, is called a Muslim.

BASIC BELIEFS The three fundamental Islamic beliefs are: Tawhid (oneness to Allah) Risalah (prophethood) Akhirah (life after death) TAWHID is the most important Islamic belief. It implies that everything on this earth originates from the one and only Creator who is also the Sustainer and the sole Source of Guidance. This belief governs all aspects of human life. Islam views human life as a compact whole and rejects any compartmentalization. The Creator and the Source of Guidance is one and the same, and therefore deserves worship and obedience from mankind. There is no scope for any partnership. Tawhid is pure monotheism. It tells man that Allah is neither born nor is anyone born to Him. He has no son or daughter. Human beings are His subjects. He is the supreme and ever active Lord of the Universe. He is Allah, the One. Tawhid brings a total change in the life of a believer. This belief makes him bow down only to the One and only Creator who is ever watchful of all his actions on earth. He must work for the supremacy of his Creator in all areas of life and by doing so he achieves the purpose of his life --- the pleasure of Allah.

RISALAH is the channel of communication between Allah and mankind. Allah, the Creator has not left man without guidance (Hidayah) for the conduct of his life. Since the beginning of creation, He has sent down His guidance to through selected people to convey it to their fellow men. These chosen people are called prophets and messengers. The chain of Risalah begins with Adam (peace be upon him)included Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Lot, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jesus, and ended with Muhammad (peace be upon them all). The message of all the prophets and messengers is one and the same. They all urged the people of their time to obey and worship Allah alone and none other. It was necessary to send prophets at different times to bring back straying human beings from deviations to right course (Siratul Mustaqim). Our Merciful Creator has not only sent prophets and messengers to guide us: He has also sent down books of guidance with them. The Qur´an, which was revealed to Muhammad, (pubh) is the last of these books of guidance.

AKHIRAH  means life after death. This belief has far-reaching on the life of a believer. A believer is accountable to his Creator on the day of Judgement. Belief in Akhirah implies that all our actions will be judged by Allah in the life hereafter. A person who obeys Allah throughout his life will be rewarded and will be assigned a permanent place of happiness in Paradise; the person judged to be an evil-doer will be punished and sent to Hell, a place of suffering.One who believes in Akhirah is not expected to behave against the Will of Allah. He will always bear in mind that allah is watching all his actions and angels are recording them. Many present day problems in the world would disappear if everyone acted fully in accord with this belief.

FIVE BASIC DUTIES OF ISLAM
Islam has five basic duties called pillars of Islam. Performed regularly and correctly with an awareness of their relevance to practical life, these duties bring a Muslim’s life into line with the wishes of Creator and Master. He then is able to fit himself neatly into the system of Islam which aims at the establishment of Truth and the eradication of untruth. In fact, the performance of these duties in the manner required can revolutionise the whole concept of living and give meaning and purpose to life.

1.	ASH-SHAHADAH, the first of the five basic duties is to pronounce knowingly and voluntarily the first Kalimah, known as the declaration of faith: La ilah illal lah Muhammadur rasulul lah « There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is Allah’s messenger » This declaration contains within it the two basic concepts of Tawhid and Risalah stated earlier. The other four pillars of Islam revolve round this central pillar.

 2.	           SALAH (compulsory prayers) is offered five times a day individually or in congregation. It is practical demonstration of faith. It has been designed to keep a believer in constant touch with his Creator, and make him conscious of his basic duty to work for the establishment of true order in society and to remove untruth, evil and indecent. Salah induces in a person the qualities of self-discipline, steadfastness and obedience to the Truth. It makes him honest, truthful and courageous. Five times a day, Salah provides a wonderful chance of making adjustments and corrections in life. It is both a moral and a physical training aimed at keeping a man truly obedient to his Creator. The five daily prayers are: FAJR          (dawn prayer) ZUHR         (after mid-day prayer) ASR            (late afternoon prayer) MAGHRIB  (after sunset prayer) ISHA           (night prayer) 3.	ZAKAH (welfare contribution) is a compulsory payment from the annual savings of a Muslim. The rate of payment is 2 ½ percent on cash, jewellery and precious metals and there is another rate for animals and agriculture produce. It is neither a charity donation nor a tax. Charity is optional, and taxes can be used for any governmental purpose. But Zakah can only be spent on fixed headings like helping the poor and needy, the disabled, the oppressed and lonely, to free captives and debtors and for other welfare purposes.Zakah is an act of worship. It is one of the fundamental principles of Islamic economy, designed to develop an equitable society where everyone has a right to contribute and share. Zakah is paid with the consciousness that the wealth of a person actually belongs to Allah and the person owning it is merely a trustee of the wealth.

4.	SAWM (fasting in Ramadan) is the third basic duty that a Muslim is required to undertake to please his Creator. From dawn to sunset everyday of the month of Ramadan, the nine month of the Islamic calendar, a Muslim refrains from eating, drinking, smoking and conjugal relations. It is a means of achieving self-control, designed to raise a person’s moral and spiritual standards above selfishness, greed, laxity and other vices. Sawm is a yearly training programme to refresh a person’s determination to fulfil his obligations towards Allah, his Creator and Sustainer.

5.	HAJJ (pilgrimage to the house of Allah) is an annual event obligatory on those Muslims who can afford to undertake it at least once in a lifetime. It is a journey to the house of Allah(Al-ka’bah) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Hajj symbolises the unity of mankind and is the Annual Assembly of the Muslim community (ummah). Hajj stands as the peak of the obligatory duties in that it lays bare to a Muslim that he belongs to none but his Creator. Hajj also demonstrates the equality of mankind.

THE QUR’AN
The Qur’an is a sacred book of the Muslims. It is the last book of guidance from Allah, sent down to Muhammad (pbuh) through the angel, Jibrail (Gabriel). Evey word of it is the word of Allah. It was revealed over a period of 23 years in the Arabic language. It contains 114 Surahs (chapters) and 6236 verses. Muslims usually learn to read it and memorise it by heart. They are expected to understand its meaning and practise its teachings.The Qur’an is unrivalled in its recording and preservation. The astonishing fact about this book of Allah is that it has remained unchanged even to a dot over the past fourteen hundred years. The Qur’an deals with man and his ultimate goal in life. Its teachings cover all areas of this life and the life after death. It contains principles, doctrines and directions for every sphere of human life. The theme of the Qur’an broadly consists of three fundamental ideas: Tawhid, Risalah and Akhirah. The success of human beings on this earth and in the life hereafter depends on obedience to the Quaranic teachings.

THE SUNNAH
Sunnah is the practice of the prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). It is contained in the Hadith, which is a collection of his sayings, actions and the actions done with his approval. One needs to know Hadith in order to understand and interpret the Qur’an. Hadith has been meticulously recorded by the companions of the prophet since his death. Six collections of Hadith have become prominent and are regarded as the most authentic. They are: Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawd, Nasai and Ibn-i-Majah.

MUHAMMAD (Pbuh)
Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last messenger of Allah, was born in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in the year 571 (Christian era). His father, Abdullah, died before his birth and he lost his mother, Aminah, when he was only six. He married Khadijah, a noble lady of Makkah, when he was 25. He received revelation from Allah at the age og 40 in 611cE, nad that marked the beginning of his work as Allah’s messenger.

People of Makkah at that time worshipped idols. Muhammad (Pbuh) invited them to Islam. Some responded favourably and became Muslims, while others rebuked him and turned against him. Undaunted he continued to preach the message of Allah and gradually the number of his followers increased. He and his followers had to undergo terrible suffering and face stiff opposition from the idolators. In the twelfth year of his prophet hood in 622 CE, he migrated from Makkah to Madinah. The people of Madinah accepted him as their leader and he established the first Islamic state there. The Islamic calendar begins from the day of the migration of the prophet. Muhammad (Pbuh) went on organising his followers and preaching the message of Allah with unmatched patience and wisdom. Eventually Islam was established in the whole of Arabian peninsula and it was set to make a tremendous contribution to the history and civilization of the world. Within a short span of time, the message of Islam spread from Arabia to most parts of the world of that time. Over a billion Muslims of the present day world still bear testimony to this message. The ideology of Islam, completed at that time of Muhammad, is capable of solving present day human problems. Islam is the only hope for the present as well as for the future. The need is to practice faithfully. Muhammad (Pbuh) according to Qur’an, the blessing for the Universe and the perfect example to follow, died in 632 CE. He left behind him the Qur’an and his Sunnah as the source of guidance for all generations.

FESTIVALS
These occasions are observed with due solemnity to seek the pleasure of Allah, the corner-stone of all Islamic activity. There is no concept of a festival for pleasure’s own sake; but there are occasions of joy and happiness. The happiest occasion of a Muslim’s life is to see the sovereignty of Allah established in its totality in his land. The two major occasions of joy and happiness in Islam are: IDUL FITR is observed at the end of the month of Ramadan. On this day after the month of fasting, Muslims express their joy and happiness by offering a congregational prayer preferably in an open field wherever possible. They express their gratitude to Allah for enabling them to observe fasting which is a training programme designed to prepare them to live as a practicing Muslim. Special dishes are prepared and it is customary to visit friends and relatives and to give presents to children to make the occasion lively and a special one for them.

IDUL ADHA begins on the 10th of Dhul Hijja and continues until the 12th day of month. This celebration is observed to commemorate the sacrifices of Abraham when he was asked by Allah to sacrifice his own son, Ishmael. Abraham showed his readiness and Allah was pleased. A lamb was sacrificed instead of Ishmael on Allah’s command. Muslims offer congregational prayer on the day, and after the prayer they sacrifice animals like sheep, goat, cow, camels, to seek the pleasure of Allah. The meat of the sacrificed animal is eaten and shared among relatives, neighbours and the poor. Some other occasions to remember include the beginning of HIJRA (migration of the prophet), Lailatul Miraj (Night of Ascension) and dates of the Islamic battles fought by Muhammad (Pbuh). There is a night of special significance in Ramadan known as Lailatul Qadr (Night of Power). It occurs in one of the odd numbered nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. The Qur’an mentions it as a night “better than a thousand months”. Islamic festivals are observed according to the Islamic Calender which is based on Lunar months. The Lunar Year is shorter by about 10 days than a Solar Year. Festival dates are determined by the appearance of the Moon.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE
Marriage is the basis of family life in Islam. It is a solemn contract between a bridegroom and a bride. Muslim marriages are generally arranged by parents with the consent of the boy and the girl. Marriages are performed in a simple but magnificent ceremony in the presence of the relatives, friends and neighbours.

Islam does not free mixing of grown up boys and girls; nor does it allow sex before marriage. Extra marital sex is severely punished. No discrimination is made on the basis of sex. Husband and wife are equal partners of the family and play their part in their respective fields. Divorce is permitted but is regarded as the most abominable of lawful acts.

DIET
There are some regulations regarding diet which must be observed by all Muslims. A Muslims is not allowed to eat the meat of: Dead animals (due to disease and natural cause) Animals slaughtered without invoking the name of Allah Animals strangled to death Pigs Carnivorous animals Animals devoured by wild beasts and the blood of an animal.

Fish and vegetables are permitted. Islamic law requires an animal to be slaughtered by a sharp knife penetrating the inner part of the animal’s neck to allow maximum drainage of blood. The invocation of the name of Allah is obligatory at the time of slaughter. All varieties of alcoholic drinks such as bear and spirits are prohibited. These rules aim at rooting out the evil effects of food and drink on the health of prople living in a society.

DRESS
A muslim is required to cover his body properly and decently. No particular dress is recommended. Outlines for guidance include:

(1)	For men, covering from navel to knees is a must. (2)	For women, covering of the whole body except face and hands is compulsory. Women above the age of puberty are required to cover their face while going out and meeting strangers. A woman must not wear a dress which arouses man’s base feelings, e.g. transparent, skin-tight, or half naked dress. (3)	Pure silk and gold are not allowed for men. (4)	Prohibition of women’s clothes for men and vice cersa. (5)	Symbolic dress of other religions is not allowed.

Simplicity and modesty are encouraged. Dresses expressing arrogance are disliked. The style of dress depends on local custom and climatic conditions.

SOCIAL MANNERS
Islam teaches decency, humility and good manners. A Muslim greets another Muslim saying: As-salamu’Alaikum (peace be on you) And it is reciprocated by: Wa’alaikumus salam-(peace be on you too).

Keeping one’s promise, truthfulness, justice, fairplay, helping the poor and needy, respect for parents, teachers and elders, love for children, good relations with one’s neighbors are the most valued virtues of a Muslim.

Islam condemns enmity, back-biting, slander, blasphemy, ridicule, use of offensive names, suspicion and arrogance. Muslims must not adopt these bad habits.

MUSLIM COUNTRIES AND POPULATION
There are over 45 Muslim states in the world at present, and the total population of Muslims is more than a billion. Some of the Muslim countries with their population are:

Indonesia           161 million Bangladesh        100 million                      Iraq                 14.5 million Pakistan               90 million                      Syria                  11 million Nigeria               100 million                      Saudi Arabia'''   10.5 million Turkey               66  million                     Tunisia                7  million Iran                      48   million                     Senegal               7 million Egypt                   51   million                     Somalia               5 million Algeria                 22   million                     Chad                   4 million Morocco               24   million                     Jordan                 3 million Afghanistan          18   million                     Libya                   3 million Sudan                    22   million                     Mauritania          2 million Malaysia               14.5 million                     Kuwait               1 million

''' Some of the countries with Muslim minorities are:  India                       100 million U.S.S.R.'''                  60   million China                       90   million U.S.A.'''                       3    million France                       2    million U.K.'''                          2    million W. Germany           1.5   million