Islam is your
Birthright
WAMY Series on
Islam No. 14
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Mankind and the universe were not created by
accident or chance, but according to the plan of
the Creator, who is known as Allah (lit.: the one
God) in Islam. The Qur'an states that it is the
duty of all individuals to learn about Allah and
to live according to His will. As we cannot
accomplish this be ourselves, Allah has sent
messengers and prophets to guide humanity All of
these chosen individuals have brought the same
message and have served as examples to their
people of how Allah desires all human beings to
live. Through these selected people, we have been
told why mankind was created, what will happen to
us after death, and what Allah expects of us. But
most importantly, we have been told that Allah is
unique-He has no partners, no sons or daughters,
and no competitors, as so many other man-made
religious systems have postulated. This message
always remains the same, whereas the laws laid
down for a particular might show some slight
differences.
Muhammad, the last of Allah's prophets, was sent
to present Allah's revelation in its final form
and for the last time. This was necessary because
the message delivered by the previous prophets and
messengers had been corrupted or distorted by
their followers. They had been mixed with
philosophical speculations, superstitions, myths,
and neglect. Therefore, Islam is not a new
religion-it is a restatement of the original
religion of Allah in its purest form and is
designed to provide humanity with the uncorrupted
message of Allah.
Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission
and obedience to Allah. It also means
"peace," for it brings peace of mind as
well as peace on the individual and the social
levels.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
In Islam, the term "worship" covers
any action that one does in accordance with the
will of Allah. It can be mental, physical, spoken,
or otherwise. All such actions will be rewarded.
There are five acts of worship that are so
fundamental that the Prophet grouped them together
as the five pillars of Islam. Every Muslim is
expected to fulfill these obligations. They are:
THE DECLARATION OF MONOTHEISM:
Recognizing and acknowledging the monotheistic
nature of Allah stands at the core of Islam. This
consists of a public affirmation that "there
is no god but Allah (God), and Muhammad is His
Messenger." One cannot be a Muslim until he
states this fact in the presence of Muslim
witnesses.
PRAYERS:
A Muslim must perform the five daily prayers.
These must be performed at specific times,
corresponding roughly with dawn, noon, afternoon,
sunset, and nightfall. The prayers can be made in
any clean place, but it is preferable to pray them
with others in a mosque, for this communal
undertaking acts as a reminder that all Muslims
are equal. When many people are praying together,
it becomes clear that color, economic status,
social position, and all other artificial
distinctions have no importance to Allah, for all
Muslims are commanded to stand together, shoulder
to shoulder, and prostrate themselves before Him.
There are no exceptions. Prayers also elevated the
individual to a higher level of morality, purifies
his heart, and helps him to resist his desire to
engage in forbidden activities.
FASTING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN:
Every year during the Muslim month of Ramadan,
Muslims abstain from food, drink, and sexual
activity from dawn to sunset. While this gives the
body a much needed rest and improves ones health
by getting rid of excess weight, it also increases
ones commitment to Allah, develops his social
conscience, and reminds him of how the less
fortunate live every day In addition, it
strengthens one's patience, self-restraint, will
power, and sincerity.
CHARITY (Zakat):
Every Muslim whose net annual savings are
above a certain specified minimum must pay an
annual amount of 2.5% to the poor and needy This
action purifies one's accrued wealth, fosters the
quality of sacrifice, and rids him of selfishness
and greed. It also helps to reduce resentment and
envy between a society's poor and rich classes.
HAJJ (Pilgrimage to Makkah):
Hajj is an act of worship that is to be
performed at least once in a lifetime, provided
that one is physically and financially able to do
so. During this time, Muslims meet from all
corners of the world in an international
congregation for the sole purpose of responding to
the call of Allah. It also reminds the
participants that all Muslims are equal,
irrespective of their geographical, cultural, or
racial origins.
THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
All Muslims believe in:
. The oneness of Allah. Allah has no partner, son,
daughter, helper, or competitor. There is nothing
that even remotely resembles Him, for He is
unique.
. All of the messengers and prophets of Allah. The
Qur'an states that each people has received
revelation from Allah in its own tongue so that
all individuals know what is required of them. The
Qur'an mentions twenty-five of them by name, among
them Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, Joseph,
Moses, David, Solomon, John, Jesus, and Muhammad.
There are, however, many others who are not named.
Muhammad, the last prophet, was sent with a
universal message meant for all of humanity The
message revealed through him is the Qur'an, which
is Allah's final presentation of the original
revelation received by mankind in its purest form.
A Muslim must accept all of Allah's prophets and
messengers as legitimate, for denial of one means
denial of all. For western readers who are not
convinced that Muhammad is a prophet of Allah,
proof of this claim can be found in the Bible
(Deut. 18:15-18, 33:2-3; Isaiah 29:12; Songs of
Solomon 5:16;John 14:1516, 16:12-14) as well as in
the biographical accounts of Muhammad's life,
which was lived in full view of his
contemporaries.
. The original messages revealed through Allah's
various prophets and messengers. The purest of
these is the Qur'an, for it was recorded during
the lifetime of the Prophet and under his direct
supervision. The revelations mentioned in the
Qur'an as having been received by other prophets,
such as the Suhuf of Abraham, the Torah of Moses,
the Zubur (Psalms) of David, and the Injeel
(Bible) of Jesus, have all been either lost or
corrupted.
. The existence of angels as part of the unseen
world. They are spiritual beings who have no need
for food, drink, or sleep.
. The Day of Judgment. The Qur'an teaches that
life is a test for each individual, for everyone
must choose whether he will or will not follow the
commands of Allah. On this day, a person will be
resurrected and asked to account for what he did
while he was alive. Those with good records will
be rewarded and enter paradise, while those with
bad records will be punished by being sent to
hell. This belief develops within the individual
an awareness of Allah's presence and a desire to
obey His laws sincerely and voluntarily
. A Muslim believes that nothing happens without
the knowledge and permission of Allah. While we
may not understand why certain things happens, it
is part of the divine plan for our lives.
MUSLIMS: THE MODERATE NATION
Islam does not divide life into
"spiritual" and "secular"
realms. As all of life is thus unified and
interconnected, Islam avoids the dangers of the
extreme ritualism, secularism, or materialism that
is found in other civilizations. Activities are
not classified as belonging to the state or the
individual, religion or daily life, but as
belonging to Allah alone, Who has provided
guidelines for individuals. These are to be
followed in every aspect of their lives:
individual, social, governmental, political,
economical, spiritual, and otherwise Reflecting
this moderation, the Qur'an has entitled the
Muslims the "moderate nation. "
SOURCES OF ISLAMIC TEACHINGS
The Islamic way of life is based on the
teachings and laws found in the Qur'an and the
example (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Qur'an is the word of Allah and was revealed
in potions to Muhammad, via the Angel Gabriel,
over a twenty-three year period. Each portion was
recorded in writing by his official scribes and
memorized by thousands of his followers. After his
death, the written collection was given to Abu
Bakr, the first caliph, who oversaw its collection
into one volume. The third caliph, Uthman,
prepared several copies and sent them to different
Muslim territories. Ever since that time, the same
version has been used by Muslims. The wording,
order, and language have never been altered in the
slightest manner. No other book claiming to be a
divine revelation can make this claim, and no one
has ever been able to refute the claim of the
Qur'an to complete authenticity
The Sunnah consists of the teachings, sayings, and
actions of Prophet Muhammad. This information was
meticulously reported and collected by his
Companions. It is essentially an elaboration of
the Qur'anic verses that shows how they are to be
implemented in one's daily life.
ISLAM: THE RELIGION OF EQUALITY
Islam recognizes no man-made artificial
distinctions based on color, tribe, race,
nationality, or otherwise. As all people come from
the original couple-Adam and Eve-they are all one
family and therefore equal before God. What
distinguishes people from each other is their
commitment to Islam: "The most honored in the
sight of Allah is (he who is) most
righteous." (Qur'an 3:86).
ISLAM IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT
Islam states clearly that everyone is born a
Muslim and is therefore monotheistic by nature. We
read in the Qur'an that humanity has been created
with the natural disposition towards the unity of
God. This is to be expected, for Allah, who has
breathed His spirit into each of us, is Himself
the example of perfect unity. In the words of the
Prophet Muhammad: "Every person is born with
the innate religious faith (to submit to God
Almighty)." Thus when an individual accepts
Islam, he is not turning his back on any prior
revelation but rather is returning to the original
and true revelation of Allah and to his own nature
as a creation of Allah. This being the case, Islam
is your birthright-other religious or ideological
systems are either corruptions our outright
denials of Islam.
CRITERIA FOR TRUTH
How do you know if your belief system is true?
Take a moment to look at the following list.
. Are the teachings of your belief system
rational? Do they conform to the norms of human
reason and intellect?
. Is the creator of your belief system perfect?
Allah, the creator of Islam, is. . Does your
belief system contain superstitions or myths?
Islam presents humanity with only true knowledge.
. Can your belief system withstand the discoveries
and claims of modern science? Islam can and does.
. How accurate are your belief system's prophecies
and predications? Islam's are always completely
accurate.
. Could a person have devised your belief system?
No one has ever been able to imitate the Qur'an,
although many have tried over the centuries.
Islam is not a new religion founded by Muhammad,
but a final restatement of the original revelation
that has been conveyed to humanity by messengers
and prophets sent by Allah for that very purpose:
"This day I have perfected your religion for
you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen
for you Islam as your religion" (5:3). As the
Qur'an is the final revelation and Muhammad is the
final prophet, humanity is obligated to accept it:
"If anyone desires a religion other than
Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in
the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who
have lost all spiritual good" (3:86).
THE CHOICE IS YOURS TO MAKE!!!
