A Brief Introduction to Islam

Note:- This item has been created to explain what Islam is. It has not been created for religious arguments, so please don't leave such reviews. Many terms may not be known to you, so I have created an {/item:It'll exist again when I get an upgrade} for that purpose. If you still feel that some term has been left which you don't understand, please inform me and I'll gladly add it to the glossary. Thank you.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM

         Nowadays, when there is so much misunderstanding about Islam, it is very important for those, who call themselves Muslims, to defend their religion, to eliminate ignorance about it from this world and show that they really are the true followers of Islam. Ignorance which is resulting in deaths, terrorism, false accusations, grief and anger. In short, it is a global issue. This creation of mine is a small effort in promoting this noble cause of eliminating ignorance and lack of knowledge about Islam. Islam is a very comprehensive religion, and can not fit into the folds of such a small piece of writing, so I have explained only the main Islamic beliefs.

What is Islam?

         Islam is the second largest religion in the world. It was introduced by Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him & his progeny). It originated from the city of Makkah and spread to the neighboring areas. Slowly at first, then at a rapid rate, it spread throughout the Arabian peninsula and the adjoining areas in just twenty-three years.

What does "Islam" mean?

         Islam means "submitting to the will of Allah." "Submitting to the will of Allah" does not mean turning your back on everything to pray to Him and praise Him. It means to worship Him in the way he has ordered.
         In Islam, worshiping Allah is done in three ways.

1) Praying to Him,
2) Having a good character,
3) Looking after His creation to the maximum extent possible.

         They are described as below:

1) Praying to Him:
         It includes everyday prayers(Salaat/Namaaz), fasting(in the month of Ramazan), Hajj(pilgrimage to Makkah), etc.

2) Having a good character:
         It means to behave properly with everyone, control one's anger, have a respectable character which everyone likes, etc.

3) Looking after His creation:
         It means to safeguard the rights of others, even non-Muslims, take care of His every creation i.e. animals, plants, birds, etc.

         In short, his worship includes every aspect of human life. If you help someone, it's His worship. If you hurt someone on purpose, you'll get punished for it. Keep on praying and hurt His creation, your prayers are useless.

         To be a Muslim, you should believe that:

1) There is no god except Allah
2) Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) is His last prophet
3) The twelve Imams(A.S.)[this is a Shi'a Muslim belief]
4) The Holy Quraan
5) The Day of Judgement

         The beliefs are explained below:

1) There is no god except ALLAH:
         This means that there exists no supreme being other than Allah. He has no relatives. He has been forever, is and will remain the only One. He is the creator of all.

2) MUHAMMAD(S.A.W.W.) is His last prophet:
         This means that Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) is His last prophet. There are 124,000 prophets in all, including Eesa(A.S.)[Jesus], Moosa(A.S.)[Moses], Yaqoob (A.S.)[Jacob], etc,and Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) is the last and the greatest.

3) The twelve IMAMS(A.S.):[this is a Shi'a Muslim belief]
         The twelve Imams(A.S.) are the spiritual leaders appointed by Allah for the safeguard and promotion of Islam after Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) The last Imam and the twelfth descendant of Muhammad(S.A.W.W.), Imam Muhammad Mehdi(A.S.) is alive but in occultation. He will reveal himself by the will of Allah and slay the one-eyed Dajjal(Biblical Antichrist). Hazrat Eesa(A.S.)[Jesus] will be revealed with him. This is according to Shi'a Muslim beliefs but most Ahle-Sunnat also believe in this.

4) The Holy Quraan:
         The Holy Quraan is the last book of Allah on earth and the most complete. It encompasses all views of human life and needs and there will be no need for another book after it.

5) The Day of Judgement:
         It is the day when the dead will rise, the universe will be destroyed and all will be called for the judgement of their deeds, according to which heaven and hell are to be awarded.

         These are the main beliefs in Islam. But nowadays the acts and beliefs of people have deviated from what was revealed 1400 years ago. People have gone to extreme ends thinking that they are doing what Allah has ordered. They cover their women from head to toe completely, while Islam teaches a woman to cover herself adequately to save herself from the stares and ill-will of the non-mahrams(all men except family). The hair should be hidden but the face can be left open. People cover their faces too. The rest of the body ahould be covered in such a manner that it doesn't arouse any desire in non-mahrams.

         Men don't let their family's females out of their homes to be educated as they try to enforce strict purdah on them. The Talibans are a very good example. This is wrong according to Islam, as it stresses the need of education for all, whether it is religious, scientific, moral or any other type. The Holy Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) has said:

"Acquiring education is obligatory on all men and women."

         This acquirement of education is useless, unless it is used for some constructive purpose. Islam stresses the need for this, too.

         A very good misconception of the modern day extremist Muslim, which has done a great deal in creating this misunderstanding about Islamic teachings, is the concept of Jihad(Holy War). 'Jihad' means 'to try'. All efforts to do or create something good are united under this word. Jihad can be performed through pen and paper, good character, sword(arms war), tongue or any other means by which evil can be eliminated from the society. Jihad through sword is obligatory for the safeguard of one's own life, property, country, the life of those one is related to and for the safeguard of a noble cause, when all other means of Jihad become useless. In short, Jihad through sword(or any other weapon) is the last straw. If Jihad is waged to safeguard one's identity and country upon the attack of an enemy, then one is allowed to kill only the enemy's soldiers, not it's civilians. And Jihad through sword is allowed only to the extent till which it is needed. Annexation of enemy territory isn't allowed unless it is necessary.

         The World Trade Center attacks were conducted by such extremists, who did not have the bravery and valor to fight soldiers but the cowardice to kill unarmed and innocent civilians. Suicide bombings are another good example. They are not only being conducted on non-Muslims, but on Muslims, too. Personally, I condemn these bombings, but, it does not mean that I support the armies and governments which are suppressing the right of the Muslims. I condemn them too.

         Another misconception which I came to know about on this site is that some Muslims believe that in Islam, you must kill a non-Muslim you can't convert. This is not true. If this was true than Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) would have ordered the killing of all non-Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula and beyond and there would have been no other religion today. Islam teaches to behave in the best possible way with everyone, even one's enemies. It is a very famous saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.W.) that

"The best Muslim among you is the one who has the best manners."

         I hope this gives people a little knowledge of what Islam is and makes them understand that Islam is not a terrorist religion. It is pure of all ills! One should not judge a whole community by the acts of a few individuals.

         If you want me to clarify anything, please tell me. I would be very pleased to do so. May Allah bless you!