Understanding Islam

understanding islam

                             UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

                               meaning of Islam and shahada.

Islam literally means peace, it is peace acquired by submitting oneself to the will of Almighty Allah, it is peace gotten from the creator Allah to His creatures. Before someone truly becomes a Muslim it is obligatory on him or her to say the kalimatu shahada.

Kalimah literally means the “word” but it is here used to refer to the Kalimat  shahada ( the dual term of declaration) that is (la ila ha illa Allah muhammadu rasul Allah) the meaning of these terms are far deeper and wider than the ordinary literal meaning attach to them, that is there is no God but (or except) Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah OR there is no deity (or object) worthy of being worshiped except Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

                             The meaning of Kalimah shahada(declaration)

 

if someone utters  the Kalimah( there is no God worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is his last prophet, what the person is saying is that I do hereby declare:

(a) that the creator of the universe, the earth, heaven and all that is between/withing and beyond them, known and unknown is Allah.

(b) that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah, I will therefore worship, obey and follow the orders of none but He.

© that Muhammad(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) is the prophet of Allah, whom Allah sent as the last messenger to the whole of humanity with the last and eternal message, therefore I will do my duty as Allah Himself  wants and directs through his prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) brought from Him.

(d) that Muhammad by virtue of being the messenger of Allah is also the model after which I will pattern my life as an individual and my family and my society after his society.

                          The shahada(declaration) as a covenant.

The shahada is a kind of covenant which a Muslim pledges with Allah. The moment he (Muslim) utters the shahada it becomes compulsory upon him to fulfill the covenant.

Allah, the Almighty says in the Qur'an(16:91-92) and (Q16:95-96)

“Fulfill the covenant of God when ye have entered into it, and break not your oaths after ye have confirmed them, indeed ye have made God surety, for God knoweth all that ye do.

(vs92) And be not like a woman who breaks into untwisted strands of yarn which she has spun after it has become strong. Nor take your oath to practice deception between yourselves lest one party should be more numerous than another, for God will test you by this and on the day of judgment he will certainly make clear to you the truth of that wherein ye disagree.

(vs95) Nor sell the covenant of God for a miserable price, for with God is a prize far better for you, if only ye knew.

(vs96) what is with you must vanish, what is with God must endure And we will certainly bestow on those who patiently persevere their reward according to the best of their action.

So by these verses, Muslims have taken covenants with Allah in the form of an oath which they solemnly swear to abide by.

Shahada is also seen as a contract or bargain entered into between an individual or group of individuals and the Almighty Allah. Allah's part of the contract is the continuous support and protection and a reward of paradise in the hereafter, the contract is entered the moment the person utters the shahada,  Allah continue to assure those who entered into His contract that the fulfillment of His own side(paradise and help) is compulsory on Himself, he says in Qur'an (61:10-11):

O you believers shall I lead you to a bargain that will save you from a painful doom? It is  that you should believe in Allah and his messenger and that you should make jihad in the course of Allah with your  wealth and lives. That  is better for you if you did but know. The price of this shall be Allah)will forgive your faults and bring you into paradise, that is a great price and in addition to this He will give you another reward which you love, help from Allah and instant victory. Rejoice believers(Q61:10-11).

                           chapter2: the significance of Muslim salat(prayer)

To be a Muslim is more than mere utterance of the kalimah(declaration) that testifies to the oneness of God and the messenger-ship of the prophet. Islam goes beyond that, although the kalimat marks the first step into it, a Muslim must back up and reaffirm the kalimat by performing recommended actions in obedience to His God most High.

Therefore it is obligatory upon every Muslim to observe the ordinances such as prayer, Alms giving(charity),fasting,pilgrimage( if opportune) and other recommended five pillars of Islam as prescribed by Allah most gracious.

The importance of salat(prayer) cannot be over emphasized, it is the mainstay of conviction, the chief of good works and the best act of obedience. Prayer was prescribed  for the refinement of the heart, the renewal of divine remembrance and to secure the knot of the faith. Ritual prayer is the criterion that distinguishes between unbelief and Islam, it takes precedence over the pilgrimage and other forms of worship, it is unique for having great consequence for its abandonment.

In the tradition of the prophet(pbuh) Ahmad has reported thus: if a man performs the five prayers, in a proper state of purity and at the time prescribed, there will be a light and a proof for him on the day of resurrection. But he who misses them will be resurrected along with pharaoh and Hamen. Abu Daud also reported that: the key to paradise is ritual prayer.

Allah the exalted said in the glorious Qur'an(Al-muminum23:1):

“successful are the believers who in their prayers are humble.

                 

                        Chapter3: the Muslim compulsory Ramadan fasting

The only religion recognized by Allah is Islam. The word Islam literally means peace or submission. The word in its religious sense signifies complete submission to the divine will of Allah. All prophets and their true followers are all Muslims. Being a way of life, Islam seeks to transform the human society in accordance with its own tenets. Islam does not have any expansionist aims. For this reason if the whole world accepts Islam today as a faith, it will not be of any gain to the almighty Allah and His religion. Similarly, if the whole world  should refuse to accept Islam today, they will not reduce anything from Allah and Islam, it is no secret that Allah promised to protect his only religion on earth(Islam).

To be a Muslim, one must accept in totality the five pillars of Islam and that:

(a) that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

(b) must observe the five daily prayers

© fast during the month of Ramadan

(d) must pay zakat(alms giving or charity)

(e) perform the holy pilgrimage to mecca at least once in ones lifetime

All Muslims must believe in the article of faith(pillars of Islam) among which includes:

(I)   Believe in all the prophets including Jesus.

(II)                        Believe in the revealed book

(III)                    Believe and accept that both good and evil come from Allah the most gracious.

Some non Muslims claim that they cannot fast for fear of hunger which they also say results in emaciation, ulcer of the stomach, weakness of the body cells, death etc. Ironically, they forget that those who do not fast die and suffer from all sorts of diseases including the ones mentioned above. This is to say that Muslims or non Muslims(that do not fast) die and suffer from any disease that Allah wills. Therefore, intending Muslims should embrace the religion of Islam without fear.

Fasting being an apocalypse cannot be difficult. Remember Allah has never put any load heavier than we can carry on us. It is Allah that helps and guides all those who partake in fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Fasting is abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and having sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset throughout the month of Ramadan. Fasting is the third pillar of Islam. The practice of fasting has been recognized universally among all communities and particularly it was made compulsory on the followers of the previous books including the original book given to prophet Jesus not the present day bible. Allah Almighty said:

                             “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed fro you

                               as it was  prescribed for those before you,so that

                               you may guard against evil(Qur'an2:183).

The true followers of prophet Jesus fast and so did those of prophet Moses, David etc(peace be upon them all). Fasting should be embraced rather than feared.

Allah said in the Qur'an:

                               “The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an

                                 was revealed as guidance to men and clear proof of

                                 guidance and distinction, therefore whoever of you

                                 witnesses (the coming of the month), he shall fast(Qur'an2:185)

The regulations are given and again coupled with an insistence on two things: (a) the facilities and concessions given and (b) the spiritual significance of the fast without which it is like an empty shell without a kernel. If we realize this, we shall look upon Ramadan, not as a burden but as a blessing and  we shall be duly grateful for the lead given to us in this matter. Fasting keeps man away from evils and makes man to have sympathy for the poor and needy one who scarcely feed once a day or eat at all. Fasting trains the social conscience and consciousness in many ways.

It strengthens will power and enables the individual to surmount temptations. Fasting  exalts man to spiritual heights, as he resists temptations and endures the call of hunger. This brings him spiritually nearer to Allah and thereby he becomes morally stronger. As we know, it brings about purging of the soul through hard struggle and patients.

Furthermore , fasting implants a feeling of charity and kindness towards the weak, the poor and the neighbors, sharing their feelings and problems. The holy prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) urged people to act kindly towards the needy, in connection with this he said:

                     “show your love to me by being kind to the weak,

                       you chances of success and gain depend upon it.

Bukhari quotes the following hadith showing the importance of fasting in the month of Ramadan, from Abu Hurairah(may Allah be pleased with him) he reports that the prophet said:

                   “Fast are shield  (against sins) and so let him( who is fasting) not utter

                     obscene or indecent terms, and if anybody picks up quarrel with him

                     or if he abuses him, let him say twice, I am fasting. By Allah in whose

                     hands my life is, the smell that emanate from the mouth of the faster

                     is more sweet smelling than the fragrance of musk.

For Allah says: he (the faster) forsakes his food, drink and other desires for Me, the fasts are for Me and I would reward for it, the reward for every good deed is its ten times.

Indeed  the non Muslims are forgetting the importance of fasting as enumerated from both the Qur'an and the hadith, the write ups above sound as an enticing factor to you in holding firmly and embracing Islam rather than allowing fasting scare you from Islam.

The rules governing fasting are very simple. First and foremost, there must be an intention before observing the fasting of Ramadan. Secondly, a faster must not eat, or drink, or indulges in any carnal pleasures( or sex) between dawn and sunset. Doing any of the above nullifies the fast regardless of whether it is done willfully or intentionally or not. To this end the holy Qur'an states:

                        

                          ….... and eat and drink until the whiteness of the day

                                  becomes distinct from the blackness of the night

                                  at dawn.....(Qur'an2:187).

Those exempted from fasting include:

(a) Those who suffer from illness(patients) or extreme exhaustion

(b) Travelers

© Women under pregnancy, nursing mother or on the period of monthly course or in the birth-blood. However the above categories of people are required to compensate by fasting an equal number of days when they are free from the above exercises.(d)children that are not up to fasting age.

For breaking the fast intentionally at unusual time(before sunset), one of the following penalties given below is imposed and that should be compensated with another days fasting, they are:

(a) one time meal for sixty poor men(this is most preferable)

(b) Fast for two months successively

          © To free a slave.

Finally may Allah guide us to the straight path and may Allah give the non Muslims a better understanding of the points raised in this write-up so that they may joyfully accept the Islamic faith without fear(s) in their minds.