Islam Introduction

What is Islam?

 Islam did not start with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)in the 7th century. Technically, Islam is the message that was delivered by all the prophets of God from Adam to Muhammad. Islam is neither named after a person or a tribe nor does it end with an -ism. Though each prophet had a relatively different law, the essence of the message of Islam was always the same: have faith in one God and do good. In the Bible, the first four of the Ten Commandments enjoin the worship of one God, the rest urge believers to avoid what is wrong and to do what is good. All prophets and their followers (including Jesus and his disciples) are simply called “Muslims” in the Quran. Hence, anyone who submits to God and strives to be a good person can be called a “muslim’ (with a small ‘m’) from a linguistic perspective.

Every human being is born with the innate will (fitrah) to submit to God, but parents and society change this nature, and in order to relate to the Almighty, many have put a face on God (mostly human or animal) throughout history. The process of restoring the fitrah is called reversion.
 
Islam is not only a religion, but a comprehensive way of life. Based on common sense and clear-cut teachings, Islam defines the rights and responsibilities of every individual in regards to their relationship with God and His creation. It balances the spiritual and material needs of its followers and helps them gain happiness in this life and salvation in the next. 

Who is a Muslim?

A ‘Muslim’ (with a capital ‘M’) is someone who practices Islam. Muslims follow the five pillars of Islam:

  1. Shahadah – testifying that there is only One God and Muhammad (PBUH) is His last Prophet
  2. Salah – praying five times a day
  3. Sawm – fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan
  4. Zakat – paying alms-tax on savings worth 85 g of gold or more, if the amount is kept for a year
  5. Hajj – performing pilgrimage to Mecca, if physically and financially able to.

Muslims also believe in the six articles of faith:

  • Almighty God
  • His angels
  • His prophets
  • His scriptures
  • Free choice, fate and destiny
  • The Day of Judgment

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Totalling around 2 billion, Muslims make up one-quarter of the worlds population. Muslims comes from different ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds. Contrary to the common belief, not all Muslims are Arab; not all Arabs are Muslim. Arabs make up less than 18% of the world’s Muslim population. Indonesia (a single non-Arab Muslim country in Southeast Asia) has more Muslims than all Arab countries combined. Islam should not be judged by what any Muslim does, but Muslims should be judged based on what Islam teaches. Islam is perfect; Muslims are not


Why do Muslims call god ‘Allah’?

Arab Muslims, Christians, and Jews call God ‘Allah.’ The word ‘Allah’ is unique in the sense that it has no plural or gender. It literally means in Arabic “the One, True God.” Allah has many attributes and beautiful names such as the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, the All-Loving, the Judge, the Creator and the Provider. In his native tongue of Aramaic, Jesus used Alaha to refer to God. Moses used, among other things, Eloh in Hebrew. Allah, Alaha, and Eloh come from three Semitic languages: Arabic, Aramaic, and Hebrew, respectively.

The proper name ‘Allah’ can be translated as God. Even though this is an imperfect translation, it leaves readers unfamiliar with Arabic with a better understanding and connection to the translation. 


source: The clear Quran by Dr. Mustafa Khattab