Al-Islam

 

Al-Islam, which is commonly called Islam, is the religion of submission. It is to submit your face, your created character, your will, your total being peacefully to the will of G-d without coercion, force, or without hating it. Thus one who does so is called Muslim. The religion is patterned upon the same essential pattern as the creation of man and the universe. It is built upon five basic principles of the declaration of witnessing G-d and His Messenger, Prayer, Charity, Fasting, and Pilgrimage to the House in Mecca the Ka’bah.

 

 

Muslim Beliefs

 

The Muslim believes in the unity of G-d, that is G-d shares divinity with no one, and He is the creator of everyone and everything. The Muslim believes in all of the Prophets sent by G-d and makes no distinct separations amongst them. The Mulsim believes all scriptures revealed to the prophets of G-d especially the Torah, Gospel, and the Qur’an. Thus Muslim believes in the Angels and the Day of Judgment.

 

 

The Two Declarations

 

The first declaration is that there is nothing worthy of worship except G-d whose name in the Arabic language is Allah. The name Allah did not start with Muhammed the Prophet. It was known and used to denote the deity, the creator of everything, long before Muhammad exited. Many scholars may differ upon the origin of the word Allah because it is such an ancient word. However, they will agree that it has always been used to denote the deity, the creator of everything. Muslims believe that the creator of everything is one and one alone.

 

The second declaration is that Muhammed is the Messenger of G-d. Muhammed is a flesh and blood human being born in Mecca, Arabia, which is now Saudia Arabia. He was born the year 570 A.D. of Abdu-Allah and Aminah. Muhammed is not an angel nor does he share in the divinity of the Creator. Unlike other prophets of scriptures, his history as a flesh and blood man is documented from his birth to his death outside of the scriptural writings. Muhammed received revelation at the approximate age of 40, which we know as the Qur’an, the Holy Scriptures, and the beginning of Al-Islam as a social religion.

 

 

Prayer

 

The Muslim is obligated to offer prayer, a defined form of worship five times daily. The prayer is called Salat in the Arabic language, which is the official language of the Qur’an. It consist of the positions of standing, bowing, prostration, and sitting in units of 2, 3 or 4. The times of the prayer are before dawn, at noon, afternoon, sunset, and night. Supplications are said in each position of the prayer, however the most essential of them is the reading of the opening chapter of the Qur’an called Al-Fatihah. This is followed by a short reading of other short verses from the Qur’an.

 

 

Charity

 

Charity, which is called Zakat, like many religions is an obligation upon every Muslim rich or poor. Essentially the charity is for relatives, the poor, the needy, the traveler, and those who are destitute. Charity is also collected for the upkeep and services offered by a Mosque and for the Muslim community.  

 

 

Fasting

 

Fasting is an obligation to be performed by every adult Muslim who is capable without hardship. The fast is performed during the Islamic month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month based upon a lunar calendar. The fast is to restrain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from the rise of dawn to the setting of the sun. In addition lying, backbiting, bickering, obscene and idle conversation is also avoided. Any acts that would detach our hearts from the remembrance of G-d and the behavior that he wants for  us would be diverting the Muslim from his/her goal.

 

 

Pilgrimage

 

The performance of the pilgrimage to the House called Ka’bah located in Mecca, Saudia Arabia, is incumbent upon every Muslim. Those who have the means, are physically able and free from danger in traveling are obligated to visit the house at least once in their lifetime. The Ka’bah is the house built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ismael. The house is recognized as the first house of worship for the one and universal G-d, the Creator. It is a house built for all people, the home of humanity. The main pilgrimage is performed in the first ten days of the Islamic month of Thu-Hijjah. Other times Muslims may visit the house as a lesser Pilgrimage.