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).
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. 
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