Islam: The Universal Religion of Peace and Submission to God, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Religion

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INTRODUCTION

TO

ISLAM

WHAT IS ISLAM? •^

Islam is the complete way of life for all humanity.

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It is the religion of submission to one God, the religion ofpeace, mercy, and forgiveness.

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It is the universal religion that calls for “ONE PEOPLEUNDER ONE GOD.” WHAT DOES ISLAM MEAN

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Islam means submission to one God and it also means‘peace.’

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The word Muslim means the one who has submittedhim/herself to God and lives with peace.

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If one’s life is not peaceful, he/she should be concernedabout his/her level of submission to God. The more yousubmit yourself to God, the more you enjoy peace,tranquility, and contentment in life.

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Muhammad was the son of Abdullah and Amina and wasborn in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in 570 CE.

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God chose him to be the last prophet, the seal of prophetsand prophecy, at the age of 40.

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He died in Madina(Saudi Arabia) at the age of 63. Hecommunicated the message of Islam to humanity.

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He was known as Amin(trustworthy), Sadiq(truthful) from hischildhood. He was humble and sincere, loving and caring,forgiving and showing mercy to all.

WHO IS MUHAMMAD

WHAT IS QUR’AN?

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Qur’an is the record of exact words revealed by God through the AngelGabriel to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

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It was revealed piece by piece over about 23 years, then memorized andwritten down by the early followers of Islam.

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This makes Qur’an, the unique and miraculous text preserved as it wasrevealed in the textual history of world religions.

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The Quran amazingly contained information 1400 years ago that only todayare we finding out about scientifically. All Praise Belongs to the Lord of the UniverseThe most Beneficent and MercifulOwner of the Day of JudgementYou alone we worship and You alone we seek help fromShow us the right pathThe Path of which You have blessedNot the path of those who have earned your anger or have gone ashtray

Click here to hear the sound

1- Believing in One God

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Muslims believe in one unique, Incomparable,superior undivided God. Muslims belief thatGod is one and one only, he has no wife,children. He has never been born and shallnever die.

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The Word Allah Is an Arabic translation for Lordor God and it is the same word used by ArabChristians and Jews.

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Say: He is God, the One and Only;

God, the

Eternal, Absolute;

He begets not, nor is He

begotten; And there is none like unto Him.(Quran: 112)

2- Believing in Angels

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Muslims belief in the Angles created by Godand that they are created from light and theynever disobey God. Among the Angles nameswe know:

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Gabriel (Archangel) the angle of revelation..

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Mikail (Angel of Weather).

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Israfel (Angel of Death).

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Kiramun and Katibeen (Writer of the Deeds)

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Munkir and Nakeer (Questioners in theGraves)

4- Believing In The Revealed

Prophets

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Muslims belief in all the Prophets through whomGod’s revelations were brought to humankind,beginning with Adam and including:

• Noah (Nuh),• Isaac (Ishaq),• Moses (Musa)• Solomon (Sulayman)• Elias (Ilyas)• John the Baptist (Yahya)
  • Muhammad

(The final messenger and Prophet of Allah);

peace be upon them all.

• Abraham (Ibrahim),• Jacob (Ya'qub),• Joseph (Yusuf),• Moses (Musa)• David (Daoud)• Jesus (Isa),

5- Believing in The Hereafter, Resurrection,

Day of Judgment, Heaven and Hell

And

The Pre-Destination

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The Day of Judgment is coming. When God will resurrect theentire mankind.

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In the hereafter every Individual is accounted for his/her actionsand deeds in their life.

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Every soul will be brought back to life and our deeds will beartheir fruits good or bad.

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God's complete authority over our destiny.

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Human’s free will to choose their path in their life weather itsgood or bad.

.^ Shahada (to witness)

: It is to witness that there is no god but

One God and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messengerand servant of God. The declaration of Shahada is necessary ifone is to be a Muslim and joins Muslims in worship.

1- Declaration of Faith

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Salat (worship)

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A Muslim has to worship God five times a day.

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It is better to worship in congregation in a mosque. One can still performthe worship at home, at work, or anywhere else.

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Friday is the sacred day of Islam. All Muslims are to leave their jobs andassemble in the central mosque of the area for a sermon and congregationalworship at noon.

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Worship in Islam is a direct communication of an individual with God. It isa highly spiritual and a continuous reminder of one’s duty toward God. It isalso highly social, teaching unity, equality, and the universality of Islam.

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These five prescribed prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are saidin Arabic, the language of the Revelation. Personal supplications, however,can be offered in one's own language and at any time

Prayer Times •^

pre-dawn

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noon

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mid-afternoon

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after sunset

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night

God is Great !, God is Great !I bear witness that there is no God but AllahI bear witness that Muhammad is His MessengerCome for PrayerCome for GoodnessGod is Great !, God is Great !There is no God but Allah

Click here to hear Adhan

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Fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory on all adult, sane,and healthy Muslims.

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Fasting means abstaining from any food, drink, and sexual relations.

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Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

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Fasting teaches self-control and self-restraint.

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It is highly spiritual activity constantly reminding the believers to beconscious of God.

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Fasting teaches Muslims to be in control of their tongue, to berespectful and to be forgiving.

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But spiritual uplifting in Ramadan is once again tied with helping theneedy. Before the end of Ramadan, every head of the Muslimhousehold who can afford should pay an amount of about 5-8 dollarsper member of his/her family to the poor in the area.

4- Sawm (Fasting)

5. Hajj (pilgrimage)

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Hajj is obligatory on every Muslim once in a lifetime who can afford it.

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Hajj is to commemorate the works of Abraham (peace be upon him), his teachings of One God,and his sacrifices in the path of God. He and son Ishmael built the Ka`ba(the House of God)and since then people have been asked to perform the pilgrimage to the House of God.

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When Muhammad (peace is upon him) came, he recalled the commitment of Abraham to oneGod. He performed the Pilgrimage and asked Muslims to follow.

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Hajj is highly spiritual but at the same time highly social and universal activity of Islam. It isa practical demonstration of Islam’s call for “ONE PEOPLE UNDER ONE GOD.”

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When Malcolm X went on the Hajj and witnessed the universality of Islam, he returned toAmerica as a new man, preaching the concept of One God and one humanity.

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About 2-3 million people perform the Hajj annually

Does Islam Tolerate Other Beliefs?

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Yes. The Quran states unequivocally: "There isno compulsion in religion." (Quran 2:256).

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The original, unchanged revelations given toAbraham and other prophets came from the OneGod. This common origin explains the similaritiesand is why Islam tolerate all other religions.

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Protection of the rights of non-Muslims to worshipis an intrinsic part of Islamic law. It is also statedin the Quran.

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Historically, Christians & Jews have always livedpeacefully under the Islamic state.

Status of Women in Islam

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Woman is recognized by Islam as a full and equalpartner of man. She is equal to man in bearing personaland common responsibilities and in receiving rewardsfor her deeds.

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She is equal to man in the pursuit of education andknowledge.

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She is entitled to freedom of expression as much asman is.

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Woman enjoys certain privileges of which man isdeprived.

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Women are not blamed for violating the "forbiddentree," nor is their suffering in pregnancy and childbirth apunishment for that act.