Within this page is a brief outline of some of the most important Islamic Concepts with many links for both new and non muslims.
The Arabic word Islam literally means "submission". Islam as a faith means total and complete submission, obedience and sincerity to God and His Laws. One wgo submits his or her will to God is therefore called a 'Muslim" (one who submits). It was not Muhammad (s.a.w) but Adam who was the first Muslim who brought Islam to humanity. Simple as ABC!
Many people think that Allah is some new god or idol.....well infact He isnt! Allah is the arabic name given to the Creator and Sustainer of the Heavens and the Earth, in other religions He may be called God or Jehovah but all 3 name are equal to the One same God. Yes, thats right! Muslims worship the same God as Christians, Jews, Jehovah's Witness and so on....
ALLAH- different name- SAME GOD!!
Muslims believe that Muhammad (s.a.w) is the last and final Messenger of Allah. Through him the Angel Gabriel revealed the Holy Quran, the last of the Holy Scriptures after the Psalms, Torah, and Gospel which Muslims all believe in (i.e they beleive in them in their ORIGIONAL form). Muhammad (s.a.w) confirmed and beleived in all the Prophets and Messengers who came before him. The religion of Islam started with Adam was completed with Muhammad.
ØTo testify La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur rasul Allah
ØTo perform As Salat (prayer)
ØTo pat Zakat (a certain amount of money taken from ur wealth annually and given to the poor)
ØTo perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) once in your life if you can afford it
ØTo observe the fasting during the month of Ramadan
What are the Pillars of Islam??
What are the conditions of doing good deeds??
The acceptance of the righteous deeds depends on the following to conditions which must be fulfilled.
1. The intentions while doing such deeds mist be totally for Allah’s sake only without any showing off or wanting to gain praise and fame by others.
2. Such deeds must be performed in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah [legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements) of Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (pbuh)
There are 6 pillars of faith.
vTo believe in Allah
vHis angles
vHis Messengers
vHis revealed Books
vThe Day of Resurrection
vAl Qadr (divine preordainment, whatever Allah has ordained must come to pass)
What are the Pillars of Faith??
This implies the Oneness of Allah and has 3 aspects:
åTawheed ar Rububiyyah (Oneness of the Lordship of Allah): this is to believe that there is only one Lord for all the universe, Who is its Creator, Organiser, Planner, Sustainer, and the Giver of security etc. and that is Allah.
åTawheed al Ibadah (Oneness of the worship of Allah): This is to believe that none has the right to be worshipped (eg. Praying, invoking, asking for help from the unseen, swearing, offering sacrifices, giving charity, fasting, pilgrimage) but Allah.
åTawheed al Asma wa Siffat (Oneness of the Names and Attributes of Allah): We must not name or qualify Allah except with what He or His Messenger (pbuh) has named or qualified Him. None can be named or qualified with the Names and Attributes of Allah eg. The All Seer. We must believe in all the qualities Allah which He has stated in His Book or mentioned through His Messenger (pbuh) without changing their meaning or ignoring them completely. We cannot twist the meanings or likening them to and of the created things.
Following Allahs Messenger (pbuh) is obligatory and part of Tawheed al Ibadah. This is included in the shahada [Quran 59:7 and 3:31]
What does Tawheed (the oneness of Allah mean)??
Shirk implies ascribing partners to Allah or ascribing divine attributes to others besides Allah and believing that the source of power, harm and blessings come from others besides Him. If one dies whilst they committing this sin they will never be forgiven for Allah says, what translated means:
[Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be ascribed to Him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever ascribes partners to Allah in worship, has indeed invented a tremendous sin] 4:48
1. Ash Shirk al Akbar (the Major shirk) and this has 4 aspects.
a) Shirk ad Dua (invocation) it implies invoking, supplicating, or praying ot others besides Allah [Quran 29:65]
b) Shirk al Niyyah wal Iradah was Qasd. This aspect implies intentions, purpose and determination in acts of worship or religious deeds for the sake of Allah but directed towards other deities. [Quran 11:15,16]
c) Shirk at Taah. This aspect implies remdering obedience to any authority against the order of Allah [Quran 9:31]
d) Shirk al Mahabbah. This implies showing the love which is due to Allah Alone to others than Him. [Quran 2:165]
2. As-Shirk as Asghar (minor shirk, showing off) which implies that acts of worship and good deeds are don’t only to be seen by others and praised by them and in order to gain fame or worldly benefit.
3. AshShirk as Khafi (the inconspicuous shirk). This implies being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for one by Allah; conscientiously thinking that had you done or not done such and such or you done or approached such and such, you would have had a better status, success etc.
What does Shirk (ascribing partners with Allah) mean??
It has been noticed that most of mankind, who embrace Islam, don’t understand the reality of the meaning of the fundamental testimony of faith.
You have to pledge a covenant with Allah on 4 points:
Point 1. A confession with ur heart that Allah is the Creator of everything
Point 2. A confession with your heart that you none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone. So pray only to Allah, invoke none but Allah, ask for help from none from the unseen except Allah, swear by none but Allah, offer an animal as sacrifice to none but Allah etc. All that Allah and His Messenger (pbuh) order you to do in the Quran and Sunnah you must do and all that they forbid you, you must not do.
Point3. A confession with your heart that Allah has the best of names and most perfect qualities with which He has named Himself in His Book or as His prophet (pbuh) has named or qualified Him. With this statement you believe that all those names and qualities are for Allah alone without changing their meanings or neglecting them completely or likening them to others.
Point 4. A confession with ur heart that u testify that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah. That means that none has the right to be followed after Allah but the prophet (pbuh) and he is the last of the Messengers.
It is essential to utter the Shahada [La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur rasul Allah] and not just say it in ur heart. When Abu Dharr Al Ghifari embraced Islam he went to Al Masjid al Haram and he proclaimed it loudly in front of the Quraish infidels until he was beaten badly.
It is essential that the limbs and all other parts and organs of ones body testify to it, and this is very important as regards to the meaning of the shahada. If you pledge to Allah that u will not commit sin and then you do so, ur body parts will testify against you on the day of judgment. We must use our body parts in worshipping Allah whether its prayer, smiling at a friend, fasting, intercourse with our spouse and so on.
What does the 'Shahada' (testimony of faith) mean??
What does the 'Kufr' (disbelief) mean??
Kufr is basically disbelief in any of the articles of faith and Islam. There are 2 aspects of disbelief.
Wal Kufr al Akbar (the major disbelief) this aspect excludes one completely from the fold of Islam. There are 5 types of this disbelief.
A) Kufr at Takdhib. This implies disbelieving the divine truth or denying of any of the articles of faith [Quran 39:32
B) Kufr al Iba was Takabbur maat Tasdiq. This imples rejection and arrogance to submit to Allah’s Commandments after conviction of their truth.. [Quran 2:34]
C) Kufr ash Shak waz Zann. This implies doubting or lacking of conviction in the six articles of faith. [Quran 18:35 to 38]
D) Kufr al Irad. This implies turning away from the truth knowingly or deviating from obvious signs which Allah has revealed. [Quran 46:3]
E) Kufr an Nifaq. This implies a hypocritical disbelief. [Quran 63:2,3]
Wal Kufr al Asghar (the minor disbelief). This aspect of disbelief does not exclude one from the fold of Islam. It is also termed Kufran Nimah. This implies disbelief manifesting itself in ungratefulness for Allah’s Blessings or Favours. [Quran 16:112
Assalamu Alaikum- Peace be upon you
Walaikum Salam- Peace be upon you too
Bismillah- In the Name of Allah
Mashallah- Allah has willed it
Subhanallah- Glory be to Allah
Alhamdulillah- Praise and thanks to Allah
Jazakallah Khair- May Allah reward you with good
Inshallah- Allah willing
Bi'ithmillah- By the permission of Allah
Salalahu alaihi wasalam- Peace & blessings of Allah be on him
Subhana wa ta'ala- Glorified & Exalted
Audhu billah- I seek refuge with Allah
Allahu Akbar- Allah is Great
Your conviction that this is the true religion of Allaah means that you must now take the ultimate step and pronounce the Shahaadatayn (the twin declarations of faith). then go and take a bath (ghusl). You must say:
“Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool-Allaah"
(I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah)
Then start to practice the rituals of this great religion, above all the five daily prayers at the appointed times, as Allaah enjoined them.
Know that one of the rules of Islam is that you should love Allaah and His Messenger, and that love for Allaah should take priority over love for anyone else. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allaah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allaah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allaah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqoon (the rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)” [al-Tawbah 9:24]
The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three things, whoever attains them will find the sweetness of faith: when Allaah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than everything else; when he loves another person he loves him only for the sake of Allaah; and when he hates to return to Kufr as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, no. 15)
So you want to revert...here's some advice
Learn how to pray and make wudu
So you reverted....now what??
So now you reverted! Alhamdulillah...so what do you do next? Islamic-knowledge.com provides useful info on what to do next and what to learn first and has a list of free books, lectures and links to other sites. This site is excellent for non-muslims too!
ISLAM! The Modern Alternative
This means that love for Allaah must come before love for one’s parents and any other created being. If there is a conflict between pleasing Allaah and pleasing your parents, then pleasing Allaah must take precedence. In your situation, as you have described it, we advise you to do the following with regard to your parents:
²Address them in the best of terms and treat them in the best manner
² If they insist that you follow kufr, then conceal your Islam if you fear that you are not able to confront them openly, and pray where they cannot see you
² Do not think at all that there is any burden or sin on you if they get angry with you for becoming a Muslim. Remember that when a person pleases Allaah even though it makes people angry, Allaah will be pleased with him and will make the people pleased with him.
² Keep on praying for them to be guided and call them to Islam with wisdom and beautiful preaching. Maybe Allaah will guide them through you.
We ask Allaah to help you in this world and the next. Peace be upon those who follow true guidance.
