Introduction to Islam Aunali Khaku (adapted from Prof Takim's book)

8/14/2019 Introduction to Islam Aunali Khaku (adapted from Prof Takim's book)

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Do you want to know what Islam Is?

In the name of God, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful

We the Muslim Students Association have prepared this booklet to introduce Islam to thecollege community. Please do take the time to read it, and pass it on to others who may

be interested. However we sincerely request: please approach the articles with a free

conscience. Do not let the contemporary political scene or other such biases cloud your judgment. Please also note that we do not intend to hurt or undermine anybody or anyones faith or beliefs. If the articles and views expressed in this booklet offend you inanyway, we apologize in advance and are more than willing to address them. We wouldlove to hear from you and discuss with you. Have a pleasant reading!

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you!

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Indeed, one out of every five personson this earth is a Muslim. Muslims live in different parts of the world ranging fromChina to Argentina, Russia to South Africa. There are nearly six million Muslims living

in North America alone, and the number is growing. Yet unfortunately, Islam is also themost misunderstood religion.

Islam literally means submission and in particular, it means active submission to God. Itis a strictly monotheistic religion since it restricts worship to the One Supreme Lord whois the Originator and Creator of the universe. Islam teaches that happiness and peace (theroot word from which the word Islam is derived) is attained through complete obedienceto the commandments of God, for God is the source of all peace, and happiness.

Muslims are those who believe in one God and in Muhammad as the final Prophet of God. They devote their lives to the service of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the

universe.

Islam teaches that God (called Allah in Arabic) is the source of all creation and thathuman beings are the best of His creation. He communicates by inspiring them towardsgoodness and by sending Prophets who deliver God's message. Muslims believe in allthe Prophets of the Old Testament. The first Prophet was Adam followed by a long chainof divinely ordained Prophets to guide humanity. The Qur'an, according to Muslim

belief, is the word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad. The Quran also mentionsmany other Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Jacob, Joseph andJesus. All the Prophets brought the same message, i.e. belief in one God, upright humanconduct, and belief in the accountability of human acts at the end of time.

Judaism and Christianity

Islam sees itself as a continuation of the Judeo-Christian tradition. As such, Muslimsconsider Jews and Christians as people of the book -those upon whom Allah has revealedHis teachings in the written word. To Moses, Allah revealed the Torah, to David, thePsalms, and to Jesus the Injeel or the Bible. Jesus, called Isa ibn Maryam in the HolyQur'an, is revered by Muslims as a great Prophet but not as divine. Muslims accept his


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miraculous birth and the honorable status of the blessed virgin Mary, for whom a chapter is named in the Qur'an. Muslims do not believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, but they doaccept his second coming. The Qur'an, in reference to Mary and Jesus says: "Behold!the angel said: 'God has chosen you and purified you and selected you above thewomen of all nations. O Mary! God gives you the good news of a word from Him,

whose name shall be Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and thehereafter, and one of those brought near to God" (3:42).

Islam has much in common with Judaism and Christianity. The Muslim Divine Law hasstriking resemblance to the Jewish Halakha. Muslims are enjoined to invite Christiansand Jews to affirm the oneness of God and the Quran preaches tolerance towards allfaiths. The Quran says: "Say, we believe in God , and that which was revealed unto usand that which was revealed unto Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes and that which was entrusted unto Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. Wemake no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have submitted" (3:84).

Islam sees itself as the final religion revealed to human beings through the last Prophet,Muhammad. He was born in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) in the year 570 A.D. Muhammadwas a very truthful and honest person. He was also very pious and detested the moraldecadence of his society. At the age of forty, God asked him, through the angel Gabriel,to proclaim the religion of Islam publicly. God's message to humanity was delivered inthe Qur'an which was revealed to Muhammad. The Qur'an, which is the holy book for Muslims, contains 114 chapters. Muslims believe that it is the pure word of God,unadulterated over fourteen centuries. It deals with issues which affect human beings intheir earthly lives and about spirituality. It adresses issues like piety, human conduct,worship, the creation of a just and virtuous society, economics, politics, ethics, and more.

The Teachings of IslamIslam teaches that human beings are born pure and sinless. No one is responsible for or can take the responsibility for the sins of others. However, the doors of forgiveness arealways open for those who repent sincerely. God continuously reminds us in the Qur'anof His Infinite Mercy and Compassion. Muslims are enjoined to maintain inner spiritual

purity through constant remembrance and prayer to God. Islam balances the spiritualdimension by emphasizing human responsibility. Human beings are created with a

purpose. Attainment of piety is but one dimension of this purpose; playing an active rolein the creation of a just society is another. Because Muslims attach importance to whathappens in this world, they have made substantial contributions to the development of

science, medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, philosophy, andliterature. Muslims like Avicenna and Averroes have played major roles in theadvancement of science in the West. The first university in the world was established byMuslims in Cairo, Egypt. Many crucial systems such as the Arabic numerals, algebra, thefirst navigational map of the globe, and more were developed by Muslims and adopted bymedieval Europeans. Just like their predecessors, Muslims today contribute to and play

prominent roles in all aspects of modern life.


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Apart from human responsibility, Islam also teaches human accountability. The finaldestination of human beings is the hereafter. Muslims believe that, at the end of time, allhuman beings will be resurrected to account for their deeds. Those who have beenrighteous and performed good deeds will be rewarded with eternal bliss in heaven andthose who have performed evil acts will be punished in hell.

Muslim Practice

Salat (Prayers) : Muslims are required to pray five times every day. Prayers are offeredin Arabic. Personal supplication may be recited in any language in the pursuit of closeness to the Lord. On Fridays special congregational prayers are held at noon.Prayers engender inner strength and inspire one to a closer relationship with the Creator.The hadith (sayings of the Prophet) describe the prayer as punctuating every day with areminder of ones purpose on earth. Muslims pray towards the Ka'ba , in Mecca. It was

built by Abraham and Ishmael over four thousand years ago.

Saum (Fasting): Discipline in a believer is further inculcated by fasting. Every year inthe month of Ramadhan , Muslims must fast by refraining from food and drink during theday time. Since Islam believes in values like chastity and morality, it prohibits all actswhich lead to moral corruption. Drugs, alcohol, and substance abuse are strictly

prohibited in Islam.

Zakat (Alms) Muslims see wealth as a trust from God, to be dispensed in His way.Therefore, they are asked to purify their wealth by spending a portion of their income for those in need (called zakat ). Giving the zakat helps fulfill the Islamic vision of creating a

just and equitable society.

Hajj (Pilgrimage): Once in their lifetime, Muslims are commanded to go for pilgrimageto Mecca provided there are no financial or physical constraints. Every year, about twomillion Muslims from all over the world converge in Mecca to perform the hajj . Apartfrom the physical rituals, the experience of hajj is often described by hajis (those who

perform the hajj) as an intensely spiritual and moving experience. During the rituals, pilgrims of all ethnic and financial backgrounds wear white clothing and stand shoulder to shoulder in the worship of God. Islam recognizes no racial or ethnic boundaries. Thehajj is the perfect example of the oneness of people of all races and nations, worshippingand serving the Lord. The most well known personal experience of hajj by an AmericanMuslim can be found in the autobiography of Malcolm X.

Islam and War

The concept of Jihad (wrongly translated as holy war) literally means a struggle, primarily and most importantly against ones own self / vices. It is every Muslims dutyto restrain themselves from their low and vain desires that lead to evil. On a secondarylevel, it is a call for Muslims to oppose all forms of injustice, tyranny, and oppressionwithin their own selves and societies or elsewhere. With this Islam envisages the creationand maintenance of a God conscious and harmonious society. In the unfortunate yet


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sometimes inevitable circumstance of war, fighting is permitted only in self-defence. Thekilling of innocent civilians, women, and children or the destruction of churches,synagogues, or other places of worship, is strictly prohibited. It is also forbidden to denyfood and water to the enemy. As such the concept of terrorism is alien to Islam.

Islam and Human Rights

Islam teaches that human beings have a moral obligation to live in harmony with oneanother. Islam recognizes and accords rights to all human beings regardless of race,color, religion, or creed. Islam requires its followers to show respect and tolerance evento those who do not share their faith. The Quran states: Revile not ye those whom theycall upon besides Allah. (6:108) The Holy Prophet Muhammad said: "God has nomercy on one who shows no mercy to others." Freedom of conscience is guaranteed bythe Qur'an. It explicitly states: "There is no compulsion in religion " (2:256). Islamiclaw stipulates that Muslims should protect the status of minorities. Therefore the life and

property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred, whether a person is a

Muslim or not. Because of this, non-Muslim places of worship have survived andflourished all over the Muslim world. Judaism for instance flourished in Muslim NorthAfrica / the Middle East when Jews were persecuted in Europe. Islam further encouragesMuslims to respect the rights of all living things. Therefore, Muslims are required to beconscious of the environment and are not allowed to cause harm to nature.

It is important to realize that far from being extremists and fanatics, most Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens of the countries in which they live. This stance isderived directly from the Qur'an which states: "O mankind, We have created you from amale and female (Adam & Eve), and made you into different tribes and nations so that

you may know each other (and not so that ye may despise each other)" (49:13).

Islam and Women

Muslim women have all the rights of their male counterparts. Islam granted full rights toMuslim women fourteen hundred years ago. In an age when it was unheard of, Islamallowed women to own and dispose property, work, chose their marriage partners,

participate in politics and much more. Muslim women may not be forced to marryagainst their will.

To preserve chastity, respect, and moral values in society, Muslim men and women arerequired to dress in a manner which is considered modest and dignified. Women are

enjoined to cover their hair and dress decently. The diversity of the female dress in someMuslim countries is often an expression of local customs. Most Muslim women, whowear the hijab , do so of their own free will and often feel empowered by it

Spectrum of Islam

The Muslim population of 1.2 billion is divided into two major schools of thought. Theyare united in the affirmation of the basic tenets of the faith as described above. They


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differ in the question of succession to the prophet. The Sunnis believe that the HolyProphet Mohammed did not explicitly designate a successor. The Shias believe that TheHoly Prophet explicitly designated Ali by divine command as his successor during thelast pilgrimage. Ali was married to the daughter of the Holy Prophet, Fatemah, whoalong with Khadija-the Prophets wife, Asiah-the pharaohs wife, and the Blessed Virgin

Mary are honorable female role models for Muslims.

For the Sunnis, the successor can be elected by the people. The Shiites believe that thesuccessor has to be divinely appointed , and should possess the deepest knowledge of The Quran, and the Prophets teachings, and the inward function of guiding towardssanctity. These sanctified beings are referred to in the Quran (33:33).

The Shiite Muslims consider the Imams as divinely appointed successors to the BlessedProphet. The Imams are twelve in number. They are considered to be sinless and are

perceived as intercessors for the believing and practicing Shiites. The twelfth Imam (theMahdi) who is at present in occultation, like the prophet Elijah, will reappear towards the

end of time along with the second coming of Christ to establish the golden era and heraldthe end of time.

There remain minor differences between Shias and Sunnis in the interpretation of theDivine Law. In Shiism the person who interprets the divine law in the occultation of theMahdi is called a Mujtahid . The Mujtahids qualify to issue religious edicts, based on theQuran and the Sunnah , after a period of rigorous religious and secular training in theHawzahs (seminaries). Most Shiites emulate the teachings of the Mujtahid who isunanimously known as the most learned. A prominent mujtahid is Sayyid Seestani inIraq.

Since Islam is a universal religion, it is easy to become a Muslim. One has to believe andaffirm that " There is none worthy of worship but God and that Muhammad is theMessenger of God ". The Islamic community in Europe / North America is growingrapidly with Muslims playing major roles in virtually all sectors of society. MuhammadAli (Cassius Clay), Malcolm X, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Keith Ellison, Yvonne Ridley,and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are a few of the well-known converts to Islam.

We Hope you enjoyed learning about Islam. If you liked this and want to learn morecheck out the works of these Authors: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, John Esposito, WilliamChittick, Sachiko Murata, Titus Burckhardt, Martin lings, Karen Armstrong, MichaelWolfe, Annemarie Schimmel... Websites: www.al-islam.org, www.thisistruth.org,www.quran.org.uk, www.uga.edu/islam, www.islamicity.com

This booklet was compiled by Aunali Khaku for the Muslim Students Association at theUniversity of Rochester. Comments and questions are welcome.

Email: [email protected]

May the blessings of the Almighty God be with you!
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Documents

Introduction to Islam Aunali Khaku (adapted from Prof Takim's book)