What is Islam?

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WHAT IS ISLAM?

Literally speaking, Islam means "submission to the will of Allah."
It neither implies following a particular person, nor a definite geographical, political, economic or philosophical set-up.

Anyone, be he/she from any religion who follows his conscience and submits himself to the Will of his Maker, will be pronounced a MUSLIM.
Once Islam is seen in the above light, one can easily see that it is a religion meant for the Modern Age, since most of the teachings of Islam can be easily adapted to any modern mindset.

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I was born a Muslim. I did not choose it. I just am. And I am glad to say that being a Muslim is a good way to be.

The way of life shown by the Qur^an, preached by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and carried down the generations through teachings or hadiths is the "Straight Path" of the Faithful, the so-called "siratul mustakeem", that is mentioned in the very first Chapter(Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Qur^an.

This straight path enjoins the believer to simply practice the various tenets of Islam to the best of his abilities, without being diverted from these by the shenanigans of Shaitan(or the devil), who would try to lead us astray in all the minor things of life, his entry to Jannat(heaven) being forever barred by Allah.

The way I see it, Islam allows for a full life in this world, but more so, in the World Beyond, which is the True Life for a believer as life there has no beginning, and no end.

If the so-called Muslim runs amok in this world, and does or causes to do acts that are patently un-Islamic, then to him shall befall the unending fires of Hell. For him, there shall be no repentance, no mercy, no freedom.

To the true believer, though, will be promised everlasting happiness.

Thus, I am sure that the terrorists and wrong-doers have been led astray by Shaitan, and they shall have to face Allah on Judgment Day and account for their sins individually. While the true Muslim, who has remained on the siratul mustakeem has nothing to fear.

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Why is this religion called Islam? For all the religions on earth are called by various names, either the name of a specific man or a specific nation or a specific title achieved by its Prophet. So Christianity takes its name from Christ; Buddhism takes its name from its founder, the Buddha; the Zoroastrians became well known by this name because their founder and standard-bearer was Zoroaster. Similarly, Judaism took its name from a tribe known as Yehudah (Judah), so it became known as Judaism. And so on. Except for Islam, for it is not attributed to any specific man or to any specific nation, rather its name refers to the meaning of the word Islam. What this name indicates is that the establishment and founding of this religion was not the work of one particular man and that it is not only for one particular nation to the exclusion of all others. Rather its aim is give the attribute implied by the word Islam to all the peoples of the earth. So everyone who acquires this attribute, whether he is from the past or the present, is a Muslim, and everyone who acquires this attribute in the future will also be a Muslim.

(From Kitaab al-Islam Usooluhu wa Mabaadi’uhu by Dr. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Saalih al-Suhaym.) (www.islam-qa.com)

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Pickthal's translation of Qur^an gives the following description for believers(Al Moumenoon)(Chapter 23):

23: 1. Successful indeed are the believers
23: 2. Who are humble in their prayers,
23: 3. And who shun vain conversation,
23: 4. And who are payers of the poor-due;
23: 5. And who guard their modesty
23: 6. Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy,
23: 7. But whoso craveth beyond that, such are transgressors
23: 8. And who are shepherds of their pledge and their covenant,
23: 9. And who pay heed to their prayers.
23:10. These are the heirs
23:11. Who will inherit paradise. There they will abide.

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My own recollections of practice of Islam go back to an age when I was barely 4 or 5 years old. I was enrolled in a "Madrassa", or a religious school, where I was first introduced to the foreign tongue, to the foreign script(however will I master THAT?,I thought to myself) and made to recite a foreign dialect.

Slowly, Arabic and its beauty grew on me, as I began understanding various prayers and religious songs.

Then came Ramadan, and for the first time, I was actually trying to join the "Namaaz" instead of just standing next to my parents. I did my first "fast" or "soum" the same year, and my father was so ecstatic when I actually completed the fast that he had me garlanded and paraded down many different lanes and by-lanes of my city.

The arrival of the "Eid" heralded a round of freshly-pressed dresses, going over to visit relatives, drinking the tasty "Shirkhuma" and eating the heavenly "sevaiyan" (both the last two being sweet dishes made from semolina), and sitting down to a hearty meal of "Biryani", the rice and meat delicacy.

Death in the neighborhood brought to my consciousness the observation of death-rites in Islam, and I personally cried to see my neighbour being lowered into the 6'X 3'X 6' pit into the wet earth.

Marriage of my uncle meant celebrations of all kinds: Islam took a back seat, and yet, the actual taking of marriage vows by him, the acquiescence by the bride, the pronouncements of a successful marriage by the priest, all these again reminded me of my Islamic roots.

Then came my grandmother's' pilgrimage (with her son, my maternal uncle), to Mecca for the performance of "hajj" in 1972. I was twelve then, and already aware that this was one of the Pillars of Islam: Perform the Hajj, if you can afford to, at least once in your life-time. For me, though, their pilgrimage meant the early morning ride to the jetty, the romping up and down the landing platform, the chatting with the Captain of the ship, the eager waiting for their return, her return with her son's head shorn off of all hair and a white-robed attire that I positively freaked out on, and then the elaborate gifting of so many things by them... all sorts of toys, mixers, irons, clocks, and so on and so forth!

As the years passed, so did my knowledge of this great religion increase; the cup of knowledge was still mostly empty, though, and I tried learning more and more about Islam.

Then came my college days in Science, and immediately, the secrets of life began to get demystified: birth, death, decomposition, rejuvenation, etc. all had PROXIMATE SCIENTIFIC REASONS! No longer was I required to kiss a talisman to know that the sun WOULD rise the next day, or that my mother WOULD be able to wake up at half-past six the next morning, or the pregnant cat WOULD deliver her litter after precisely five more days.

Who indeed was Allah? He was NO ONE. Science was everything to me now. I began to stray off the Straight path, and began reading only science, science and more science. Namaaz, Soum and Qur^an, all began slipping away, as I discovered why anything happened, everything happened. I lost faith in all religious icons, systems and methods.

It seemed Islam had gone dead on me.

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Anyone could read and tell you what the basic tenets of Islam are:

a) Belief in one Allah, the Most Munificient and Merciful;

b) Belief in His Book, The Holy Qur^an: the book is so accurate, that as scholars all over the world have read and re-read it, it has revealed its accuracy more and more. For example, 900 years before Copernicus first said that the solar system is heliocentric, The Qur^an clearly enunciates it. Mathematical models, Genetic models, and many other scientific models have overwhelmingly ruled that the Qur^an indeed cannot BUT be a Celestial Revelation, for it has many modern precepts NOT HERETOFORE KNOWN IN MUHAMMAD'S TIME.

c) Belief in, and the emulation of, the Prophet's Way of Life, as told to us by his peers and seniors of his time, namely the Hadiths.

d) The five pillars: Namaaz, Zakaat, Hajj, Friday Prayers (Khums) and Soum (fasting in the holy month of Ramadan)

e)The principle that after reading about the correct "path", someone wishes to abjure that path and follow his own method, then that person is FREE to do whatever he wants , provided he knows that HE ALONE IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS, and MUST accept his Fate on the Day of Judgement... be it heaven ... or Everlasting Hell.

f)The basic principle that ALL MEN ARE EQUAL BEFORE ALLAH, and no one may seek preference in any way before HIM, AS THEY STAND IN ONE ROW(or saf) to pray the Namaaz.

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Islam is the only religion which tells the believer about every aspect of day to day life.

Minutest details of the prophet's life have been recorded, followed and sometimes enforced. This allows the believer "no latitude", which is one way of putting it, but in reality, it allows the follower to correctly do whatever it is that he is doing.

For example, Islam will tell you which foot to put outside the house first when you start on a journey; it will tell you that it is wrong to smoke, drink alcohol and do drugs; it will tell you which direction should the head of the deceased face in the grave; it will often tell you what to eat, and what not; it will show you how to make love in bed to your spouse.

Such detailed explanations have a major impact on the Muslim's life-style. Drinking water, wearing the veil correctly, avoiding usury in financial transactions, etc. are all guidelines laid down in the Qur^an, the Hadiths and so on, and reading them and following the precepts will make life clean, meaningful and decent for the Muslim.


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My mother died of cancer when I was but 11, and that took me further away from a "merciless" Allah. Then, small miracles began to come my way: my father re-married...to an absolutely nice woman; she bore him a son, my half brother; I cleared my pre-med with a 14th rank in the entire state! My medical curriculum progressed satisfactorily by leaps and bounds. I became a doctor of Medicine at 22!

Then, I fell in love with my future wife, cleared the Pediatrics exam, and got certified to practice Pediatrics, married my love, and she gifted me with two of the loveliest specimens of female humans, our darling daughters, Inas and Hannah.

Yes, slowly but surely, Allah's Will was asserting itself, as over the next 15 to 20 years, I received blessings from Him almost continually.

My faith in Allah was renewed! Today, I am a true Muslim, trying his darndest to practice Islam in all possible ways.

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And life goes on.

This is what Islam means to me.

© Dr. Taher Kagalwala

P.S. His blessings continue to adorn my life. In the year 2011, I moved to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to work as a specialist pediatrician with the Ministry of Health of the country; within the last one year, I have augmented my spiritual and worldly income, both. I performed Hajj about two weeks ago from the date of this writing. I feel blessed. The only negative thing (if you look at it purely from the P.O.V. of a human) was the passing away of my father last month. However, Allah knows best and probably has His own plans for my dad. May his soul rest in peace.