Introduction to Islaam

Islaam is the complete submission and obedience to Allah (God).

The name Allah (God) in Islaam never refers to Muhammad (pbuh), as many Christians may think;

Allah is the personal name of God.
What do Muslims believe about Allah?

1. He is the one God, Who has no partner.
2. Nothing is like Him. He is the Creator, not created, nor a part of His creation.
3. He is All-Powerful, absolutely Just.
4. There is no other entity in the entire universe worthy of worship besides Him.
5. He is First, Last, and Everlasting; He was when nothing was, and will be when nothing else

   remains.

6. He is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful, the Supreme, the Sovereign.
7. It is only He Who is capable of granting life to anything.
8. He sent His Messengers (peace be upon them) to guide all of mankind.
9. He sent Muhammad (pbuh) as the last Prophet and Messenger for all mankind.
10. His book is the Holy Qur’aan, the only authentic revealed book in the world that has been

    kept without change.

11. Allah knows what is in our hearts.

These are some of the basic guidelines Muslims follow in their knowledge of God:

1. Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their conception of Allah. His

   attributes are not like human attributes,despite similar labels or appellations.

2. Have unwavering faith in exactly what Allah and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) described Allah to

   be, no more, no less.

3. Eradicate any hope or desire of learning or knowing the modality of His names and

   attributes.

4. Belief totally in all the names and attributes of Allah; one cannot believe in some and

   disbelieve the others.

5. One cannot accept the names of Allah without their associated attributes, i.e. one cannot

   say He is Al-Hayy – ‘The Living’ and then say that He is without life.

6. Similarity in names (or meanings) does not imply similarity in what is being described

   (referents). As a robotic arm differs from a human arm, so the “hand” of Allah is nothing like a

   human hand, His speech is nothing like human speech, etc.

7. Certain words are ambiguous or vague in their meanings, and thus may be susceptible to
   misinterpretation. Only those meanings that are in accordance with what is specified by Allah

   and His Prophet (pbuh) are acceptable.

Islaam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and spiritual aspects. On the

physical side, Islaam requires the Muslim to clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the

whole community, and he is rewarded by God for doing so. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, for

example:

While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute, Islaam insists on it , making

it an indispensible fundamental of the faith. A muslim is required to to be pure morally and

spiritually as well as physically. Through the Qur’aan and Sunnah Islaam requires the sincere

believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life. In the Qur’aan Allah commends those who

are accustomed to cleanliness:

In Islaam the Arabic term for purity is Taharah. Books of Islaamic jurisprudence often contain an

entire chapter with Taharah as a heading.

Allah orders the believer to be tidy in appearance:

The Qur’aan insists that the believer maintain a constant state of purity:

Ritual impurity refers to that resulting from sexual release, menstruation and the first forty

days after childbirth. Muslims also use water, not paper or anything else to after eliminating

body wastes.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised the Muslims to appear neat and tidy in private and in public.

Once when returning home from battle he advised his army:

On another occasion he said:

And on another:

Moral hygeine was not ignored, either, for the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged the muslims to make a

special prayer upon seeing themselves in the mirror:

And modesty in dress, for men as well as for women, assists one in maintaining purity of thought.

Being charitable is a way of purifying one’s wealth. A Muslim who does not give charity (Sadaqah)

and pay the required annual Zakah, the 2.5% alms-tax, has in effect contaminated his wealth by

hoarding that which rightfully belongs to others:

All the laws and injunctions given by Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) are pure; on the other hand,

man-made laws suffer from the impurities of human bias and other imperfections. Thus any formal

law can only be truly just when it is purified by divine guidance – as elucidated by the Qur’aan

and the Sunnah – or if it is divinely ordained to begin with – the Shari’ah.

Astronomy

Muslims have always had a special interest in astronomy. The moon and the sun are of vital

importance in the daily life of every Muslim. By the moon, Muslims determine the beginning and

the end of the months in their lunar calendar. By the sun the Muslims calculate the times for

prayer and fasting. It is also by means of astronomy that Muslims can determine the precise

direction of the Qiblah, to face the Ka’bah in Makkah, during prayer. The most precise solar

calendar, superior to the Julian, is the Jilali, devised
under the supervision of Umar Khayyam. The Qur’aan contains many references to astronomy.

These references, and the injunctions to learn, inspired the early Muslim scholars to study the

heavens. They integrated the earlier works of the Indians, Persians and Greeks into a new

synthesis. Ptolemy’s Almagest (the title as we know it is Arabic) was translated, studied and

criticized. Many new stars were discovered, as we see in their Arabic names – Algol, Deneb,

Betelgeuse, Rigel, Aldebaran. Astronomical tables were compiled, among them the Toledan tables,

which were used by Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and
Kepler. Also compiled were almanacs – another Arabic term. Other terms from Arabic are zenith,

nadir, albedo, azimuth.

Muslim astronomers were the first to establish observatories, like the one built at Mugharah by

Hulagu, the son of Genghis Khan, in Persia, and they invented instruments such as the quadrant

and astrolabe,
which led to advances not only in astronomy but in oceanic navigation, contributing to the

European age of exploration.

Geography

Muslim scholars paid great attention to geography. In fact, the Muslims’ great concern for

geography originated with their religion. The Qur’aan encourages people to travel throughout the

earth to see God’s signs and patterns everywhere. Islaam also requires each Muslim to have at

least enough knowledge of geography to know the direction of the Qiblah (the position of the

Ka’bah in Makkah) in order to pray five times a day. Muslims were also used to taking long

journeys to conduct trade as well as to make the
Hajj and spread their religion. The far-flung Islaamic empire enabled scholar-explorers to

compile large amounts of geographical and climatic information from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Among the most famous names in the field of geography, even in the West, are Ibn Khaldun and Ibn

Batuta, renowned for their written accounts of their extensive explorations.

In 1166, Al-Idrisi, the well-known Muslim scholar who served the Sicilian court, produced very

accurate maps, including a world map with all the continents and their mountains, rivers and

famous cities. Al-Muqdishi was the first geographer to produce accurate maps in color.

It was, moreover, with the help of Muslim navigators and their inventions that Magellan was able

to traverse the Cape of Good Hope, and Da Gama and Columbus had Muslim navigators on board their

ships.

Humanity

Seeking knowledge is obligatory in Islaam for every Muslim, man and woman. The main sources of

Islaam, the Qur’aan and the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad’s traditions), encourage Muslims to seek

knowledge and be scholars, since this is the best way for people to know Allah (God), to

appreciate His wondrous creations and be thankful for them. Muslims were therefore eager to seek

knowledge, both religious and secular, and within a few years of Muhammad’s mission, a great

civilization sprang up and flourished. The
outcome is shown in the spread of Islaamic universities; Al-Zaytunah in Tunis, and Al-Azhar in

Cairo go back more than 1,000 years and are the oldest existing universities in the world.

Indeed, they were the models for the first European universities, such as Bologna, Heidelberg,

and the Sorbonne. Even the
familiar academic cap and gown originated at Al-Azhar University.

Muslims made great advances in many different fields, such as geography, physics, chemistry,

mathematics, medicine, pharmacology, architecture, linguistics and astronomy. Algebra and the

Arabic numerals were introduced to the world by Muslim scholars. The astrolabe, the quadrant, and

other navigational devices and maps were developed by Muslim scholars and played an important

role in world
progress, most notably in Europe’s age of exploration.

Muslim scholars studied the ancient civilations from Greece and Rome to China and India. The

works of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid and others were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars and

scientists then added their own creative ideas, discoveries and inventions, and finally

transmitted this new knowledge to
Europe, leading directly to the Rennaissance. Many scientific and medical treatises, having been

translated into Latin, were standard text and reference books as late as the 17th and 18th

centuries.

Mathematics

It is interesting to note that Islaam so strongly urges mankind to study and explore the

universe. For example, the Holy Qur’aan states:

This invitation to explore and search made Muslims interested in astronomy, mathematics,

chemistry, and the other sciences, and they had a very clear and firm understanding of the

correspondences among geometry, mathematics, and astronomy.

The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word “cipher” comes from Arabic sifr), and they

organized the numbers into the decimal system – base 10. Additionally, they invented the symbol

to express an unkown quantity, i.e. variables like x.

The first great Muslim mathematician, Al-Khawarizmi, invented the subject of algebra (al-Jabr),

which was further developed by others, most notably Umar Khayyam. Al-Khawarizmi’s work, in Latin

translation,
brought the Arabic numerals along with the mathematics to Europe, through Spain. The word

“algorithm” is derived from his name.

Muslim mathematicians excelled also in geometry, as can be seen in their graphic arts, and it was

the great Al-Biruni (who excelled also in the fields of natural history, even geology and

mineralogy) who established trigonometry as a distinct branch of mathematics. Other Muslim

mathematicians made significant progress in number theory.

Medicine

In Islaam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it is created by Almighty Allah (God).

How it functions, how to keep it clean and safe, how to prevent diseases from attacking it or

cure those diseases, have been important issues for Muslims.

Prophet Muhammad himself urged people to “take medicines for your diseases”, as people at that

time were reluctant to do so. He also said,

This was strong motivation to encourage Muslim scientists to explore, develop, and apply

empirical laws. Much attention was given to medicine and public health care. The first hospital

was built in Baghdad in 706 AC. The Muslims also used camel caravans as mobile hospitals, which

moved from place to place.

Since the religion did not forbid it, Muslim scholars used human cadavers to study anatomy and
physiology and to help their students understand how the body functions. This empirical study

enabled surgery to develop very quickly.

Al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, the famous physician and scientist, (d. 932) was one of the
greatest physicians in the world in the Middle Ages. He stressed empirical observation and

clinical medicine and was inrivalled as a diagnostician. He also wrote a treatise on hygeine in

hospitals. Khalaf Abul-Qasim Al-Zahrawi was a very famous surgeon in the eleventh century, known

in Europe for his work, Concessio (Kitab al-Tasrif).

Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as Avicenna, was perhaps the greatest physician

until the modern era. His famous book, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, remained a standard textbook even in

Europe, for over 700 years. Ibn Sina’s work is still studied and built upon in the East.

Other significant contributions were made in pharmacology, such as Ibn Sina’s Kitab al-Shifa’

(Book of Healing), and in public health. Every major city in the Islaamic world had a number of

excellent hospitals, some of them teaching hospitals, and many of them were specialized for

particular diseases, including mental and emotional. The Ottomans were particularly noted for

their building of hospitals and for the high level of hygeine practiced in them.

The word Islaam has a two-fold meaning: peace, and submission to God. This submission requires a

fully conscious and willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must consciously and

conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to act on what Allah enjoins

all of us to do (in the Qur’an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged us to do

in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur’an).

Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit totally to Allah, and to Him
exclusively, in faith and in action, we will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace

in our hearts will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.

Islaam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip service; rather it is

an all-encompassing way of life that must be practiced continuously for it to be Islaam. The

Muslim must practice the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness of

Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting the month of Ramadan, alms-tax,

and the pilgrimage to Makkah; and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy

Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God’s decree, whether for good or ill.

There are other injunctions and commandments which concern virtually all facets of one’s

personal, family and civic life. These include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygeine,

interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards parents, spouse and children,

marriage, divorce and inheritance, civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islaam,

relations with non-Muslims, and so
much more.

Islaam has been from its inception very concerned with issues of human rights. Privacy, freedom,

dignity and equality are guaranteed in Islaam. The holy Qur’an states clearly:

And there are no reliable reports to confirm the old accusations that when the Muslim armies were
expanding into Asia, Africa and Europe the people were put to the sword if they failed to convert

to Islaam. The best proof is that not only did the Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Hindus in

those areas not perish or otherwise disappear, they actually flourished as protected minority

communities, and many individuals rose to prominent positions in the arts, sciences, even in

government.

The lives,property and privacy of all citizens in an Islaamic state are considered sacred,

whether or not the person is Muslim. Non-Muslims have freedom of worship and the practice of

their religions, including their own family law and religious courts. They are obliged to pay a

different tax (Jizyah) instead of the Zakah, and the state is obligated to provide both

protection and government services. Before the modern era it was extremely rare to find a state

or government anywhere in the world that was as solicitous of its minorities and their civil

rights as the Islaamic states.

In no other religion did women receive such a degree of legal and moral equality and personal

respect. Moreover, racism and tribalism are incompatible with Islaam, for the Qur’an speaks of

human equality in the following terms:

Muslims believe that Jesus was born immaculately, and through the same power which had brought

Eve to life and Adam into being without a father or a mother.

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. The Qur’aan tells us that he said:

Muhammad and Jesus, as well as the other prophets, were sent to confirm the belief in one God.

This is referred to in the Qur’an where Jesus is reported as saying that he came:

Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of Jesus by saying:

Islaam urges people to read and learn on every occasion. The verses of the Qur’an command,

advise, warn, and encourage people to observe the phenomena of nature, the succession of day and

night, the movements of stars, the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies. Muslims are urged to

look into everything in the universe, to travel, investigate, explore and understand them, the

better to appreciate and be thankful for all the wonders and beauty of God’s creations. The first

revelation to Muhammad showed how much Islaam cares about knowledge.

Learning is obligatory for both men and women. Moreover, education is not restricted to religious

issues; it includes all fields of knowledge, including biology, physics, and technology. Scholars

have the highest status in Islaam, second only to that accorded to prophets.

Almost from the very beginnings of the Islaamic state Muslims began to study and to master a

number of fields of so-called secular learning, beginning with linguistics and architecture, but

very quickly extending to mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, medicine, chemistry and

philosophy. They translated and synthesized the known works of the ancient world, from Greece,

Persia, India, even China. Before long they were criticizing, improving and expanding on that

knowledge. Centuries before the European Renaissance there were Muslim “Renaissance” men, men who

were simultaneously explorers, cientists, philosophers, physicians and poets, like Ibn Sina

(Avicenna), Umar Khayyam, and others.

Shahadah

The first pillar of Islaam is that a Muslim believe and declare his faith by saying the Shahadah

(lit. ‘witness’), also known as the Kalimah:

This declaration contains two parts. The first part refers to God Almighty, the Creator of

everything, the Lord of the Worlds; the second part refers to the Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh) a

prophet and a human being, who received the revelation through the Archangel Gabriel, and taught

it to mankind.

By sincerely uttering the Shahadah the Muslim acknowledges Allah as the sole Creator of all, and

the Supreme Authority over everything and everyone in the universe. Consequently the Muslim

closes his/her heart and mind to loyalty, devotion and obedience to, trust in, reliance on, and

worship of anything or anyone other than Allah. This rejection is not confined merely to pagan

gods and goddesses of wood and stone and created by human hands and imaginations; this rejection

must extend to all other conceptions,
superstitions, ideologies, ways of life, and authority figures that claim supreme devotion,

loyalty, trust, love, obedience or worship. This entails, for example, the rejection of belief in

such common things as astrology, palm reading, good luck charms, fortune-telling and psychic

readings, in addition to praying at shrines or graves of “saints”, asking the dead souls to

intercede for them with Allah. There are no intercessors in Islaam, nor any class of clergy as

such; a Muslim prays directly and exclusively
to Allah.

Belief in the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh) entails belief in the guidance brought by him and

contained in his Sunnah (traditions of his sayings and actions), and demands of the Muslim the

intention to follow his guidance faithfully. Muhammad (pbuh) was also a human being, a man with

feelings and emotions, who ate, drank and slept, and was born and died, like other men. He had a

pure and upright nature, extraordinary righteousness, and an unwavering faith in Allah and

commitment to Islaam, but he was not divine. Muslims do not pray to him, not even as an

intercessor, and Muslims abhor the terms “Mohamedan” and “Mohamedanism”.

Salah

Prayer (Salah), in the sense of worship, is the second pillar of Islaam. Prayer is obligatory and

must be performed five times a day. These five times are dawn (Fajr), immediately after noon

(Dhuhr), mid-afternoon (‘Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and early night (Isha’). Ritual cleanliness and

ablution are required before prayer, as are clean clothes and location, and the removal of shoes.

One may pray individually or communally, at home, outside, virtually any clean place, as well as

in a mosque, though the latter is preferred. Special is the Friday noon prayer, called Jum’aah.

It, too, is obligatory and is to be done in a mosque, in congregation. It is accompanied by a

sermon (Khutbah), and it replaces the normal Dhuhr prayer.

There is no hierarchical clerical authority in Islaam, no priests or ministers. Prayers are led

by any learned person who knows the Qur’an and is chosen by the congregation. He (or she, if the

congregation is all women) is called the imam. There is also no minimum number of congregants

required to hold communal prayers. Prayer consists of verses from the Qur’an and other prayers,

accompanied by various bodily postures – standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. They are said

in Arabic, the language of the
revelation, though personal supplications (Du’ah) can be offered in one’s own language.

Worshippers face the Qiblah, the direction of the Ka’bah in the city of Makkah.

The significance of prayer lies in one’s maintaining a continuous link to God five times a day,

which helps the worshipper avoid misdeeds if he/she performs the prayers sincerely. In addition

it promotes discipline, God-consciousness and placing one’s trust in Allah alone, and the

importance of striving for the Hereafter. When performed in congregation it also provides a

strong sense of community, equality and brotherhood/sisterhood.

Sawm

The fourth pillar of Islaam is fasting. Allah prescribes daily fasting for all able, adult

Muslims during the whole of the month of Ramadhaan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar,

beginning with the sighting of the new moon. Exempted from the fast are the very old and the

insane. On the physical side, fasting is from first light of dawn until sundown, abstaining from

food, drink, and sexual relations. On the moral, behavioral side, one must abstain from lying,

malicious gossip, quarreling and trivial nonsense.

Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are menstruating, pregnant, or

nursing are permitted to break the fast, but must make up an equal number of days later in the

year. If physically unable to do so, they must feed a needy person for each day missed. Children

begin to fast (and to observe the prayers) from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although fasting is beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method of

self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly pleasures and comforts, even for a short

time, the fasting person gains true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly, and achieves

growth in his spiritual life, learning discipline, self-restraint, patience and flexibility.

In addition to the fast proper, one is encouraged to read the entire Qur’aan. In addition,

special
prayers, called Tarawih, are held in the mosque every night of the month, during which a whole

section of the Qur’aan (Juz’) is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire Qur’aan has

been completed. These are done in remembrance of the fact that the revelation of the Qur’an to

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was begun during Ramadhaan.

During the last ten days – though the exact day is never known and may not even be the same every

year – occurs the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr). To spend that night in worship is equivalent

to a thousand months of worship, i.e. Allah’s reward for it is very great.

On the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted, a special

celebration is made, called ‘Id al-Fitr. A quantity of staple food is donated to the poor (Zakat

al-Fitr), everyone has bathed and put on their best, preferably new, clothes, and communal

prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends.

There are other fast days throughout the year. Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in

Shawwal, the month following Ramadhaan, Mondays and Thursdays, and the ninth and tenth, or tenth

and eleventh of Muharram, the first month of the year. The tenth day, called Ashurah, is also a

fast day for the Jews (Yom Kippur), and Allah commanded the Muslims to fast two days to

distinguish themselves from the People of the Book.

While fasting per se is encouraged, constant fasting, as well as monasticism, celibacy, and

otherwise retreating from the real world, are condemned in Islaam. Fasting on the two festival

days, ‘Id al-Fitr and ‘Id al-Adha, the feast of the Hajj, is strictly forbidden.

Zakah

The third pillar of Islaam is the alms-tax (Zakah). It is a tax on wealth, payable on various

categories of property, notably savings and investments, produce, inventory of goods, salable

crops and cattle, and precious metals, and is to be used for the various categories of

distribution specified by Islaamic law. It is also an act of purification through sharing what

one has with others.

The rationale behind this is that Muslims believe that everything belongs to God, and wealth is

held by man as a trust. This trust must be discharged, moreover, as instructed by God, as that

portion of our wealth legally belongs to other people and must be given to them. If we refuse and

hoard this wealth, it is considered impure and unclean. If, for example one were to use that

wealth for charity or to finance one’s pilgrimage to Makkah, those acts would also be impure,

invalid, and of course unrewarded. Allah
says:

The word Zakah means purification and growth. Our possessions are purified by setting aside that

portion of it for those in need. Each Muslim calculates his or her own Zakah individually.

For most purposes this involves the payment each year of 2.5% of one’s capital, provided that

this
capital reaches a certain minimum amount that which is not consumed by its owner. A generous

person can pay more than this amount, though it is treated and rewarded as voluntary charity

(Sadaqah). This amount of money is provided to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and

can be used in many useful projects for the welfare of the community.

Historically the pillar of Zakah became mandatory on Muslims form the second year after the

Hijrah, 622 C.E. It is mentioned more than thirty times in the Qur’an, usually in the same breath

as Salah. So important is this pillar that one is not considered a part of the Islaamic

brotherhood if one ignores this obligation.

Hajj

The fifth pillar of Islaam is to make a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah, in Saudi Arabia, at least

once in one’s lifetime. This pillar is obligatory for every Muslim, male or female, provided that

he/she is physically and financially able to do so. Prerequisites for performing the Hajj are to

be a Muslim, to be
free, to be an adult or mature enough, to be of sound mind, and to have the ability to afford the

journey and maintain one’s dependents back home for the duration. The reward for the Hajj is

nothing less than Paradise.

The Hajj is the ultimate form of worship, as it involves the spirit of all the other rituals and

demands of the believer great sacrifice. On this unique occasion, nearly two million Muslims from

all over the globe meet one another in a given year. Regardless of the season, pilgrims wear

special clothes (Ihram) – two, very simple, unsewn white garments – which strips away all

distinctions of wealth, status, class and
culture; all stand together and equal before Allah (God).

The rites of Hajj, which go back to the time of Prophet Abraham who built the Ka’bah, are

observed over five or six days, beginning on the eighth day of the last month of the year, named

Dhul-Hijjah (pilgrimage). These rites include circumambulating the Ka’bah (Tawwaf), and going

between the mountains of Safa and Marwah, as Hajjar (Abraham’s wife) did during her search for

water for her son Isma’il. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafah and join

in prayers for God’s forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment.

The pilgrims also cast stones at a stone pillar which represents Satan. The pilgrimage ends with

a festival, called ‘Id al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers, the sacrifice of an animal, and

the exchange of greetings and gifts in Muslim communities everywhere.

Muhammad (pbuh) was an illiterate but wise and well-respected man who was born in Makkah in the

year 570 C.E., at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. His first

years were marked by the deaths of his parents. Since his father died before his birth, his

uncle, Abu Talib, from the respected tribe of Quraysh, raised him. As Muhammad (pbuh) grew up, he

became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his

ability to arbitrate in disputes. His
reputation and personal qualities also led to his marriage, at the age of twenty-five, to

Khadijah, a widow whom he had assisted in business. Thenceforth, he became an important and

trusted citizen of Makkah. Historians describe him as calm and meditative.

Muhammad (pbuh) never felt fully content to be part of a society whose values he considered to be

devoid of true religious significance. It became his habit to retreat from time to time to the

cave of Hira’, to meditate near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the “Mountain of Light”, near Makkah.

At the age of 40, while engaged in one such meditative retreat, Muhammad (pbuh) received his

first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for

twenty-three years, is known as the Qur’aan, the faithful recording of the entire revelation of

God. The first revelation read:

It was this reality that he gradually and steadily came to learn and believe, until he fully

realized that it is the truth.

His first convert was Khadijah, whose support and companionship provided necessary reassurance

and
strength. He also won the support of some of his relatives and friends. Three basic themes of the

early message were the majesty of the one, unique God, the futility of idol worship, the threat

of judgment, and the necessity of faith, compassion and morality in human affairs. All these

themes represented an attack on the crass materialism and idolatry prevalent in Makkah at the

time. So when he began to proclaim the message to others the Makkans rejected him. He and his

small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622

C.E., God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijrah (migration), in which they

left Makkah for the city of Madinah, some 260 miles to the north, marked the beginning of a new

era and thus the beginning of the Muslim calendar. During his suffering, Muhammad (pbuh) drew

comfort from the knowledge revealed to him about other prophets, such as Abraham, Joseph, and

Moses, each of whom had also been persecuted and tested.

After several years and some significant battles, the Prophet and his followers were able to

return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islaam definitively. By the

time the Prophet died, at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia had accepted Islaam, and

within a century of his death, Islaam had spread as far west as Spain and as far east as China.

It was clear that the message was not limited to Arabs; it was for the whole of humanity.

The Prophet’s sayings (Hadith), are also believed to be revelation. The number of sayings

collected by his followers and scholars is about 10,000. Some typical examples of his sayings are

as follows:

Although Muhammad is deeply loved, revered and emulated by Muslims as God’s final messenger, he

is not an object of worship.

Islaam is the religion of all prophets. Muslims believe that all the prophets were sent to their
respective peoples from God (Allah). They all had the same mission and message – guiding people

to the right path.

The three revealed, monotheistic religions, Islaam, Christianity, and Judaism, go back to

Abraham. The prophets of these religions were directly descended from him – Moses, Jesus and

others from Isaac, but Muhammad from Ismail. It was Prophet Abraham who had established the

settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and with his son Ismail built the Ka’bah, which

Muslims all over the world face when they pray.

Christians and Jews hold a special place in Islaam. They are called the People of the Book (Ahl

al-Kitab), since the original Torah and Gospel were also divinely revealed and they shared in the

prophetic tradition. Islaamic states have nearly always shown their religious minorities

tolerance and respect and those communities flourished under Islaamic rule. God says:

Setting up the Islaamic state in Madinah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) further warned:

In setting up the Islaamic state, Prophet Muhammad made it inclusive of the Arabian Jews and

Christians. Their persons, properties, churches and synagogues were protected, freedom of worship

was guaranteed, and they controlled their own community affairs with their own civil and

religious laws and courts. For most of the first century of the Islaamic state, in fact, the

majority of the citizens were Christians, enjoying peace and liberty such as they had not had

even under Christian Rome or Byzantium.

The Jews, from the very beginning in Madinah, and later everywhere else, were lifted from the

burden of being clients of individual Arab tribes to being citizens of the state, thus freeing

them to focus on their Jewishness. When the Islaamic state expanded outside Arabia the Jews of

other lands were treated for the first time as liberated citizens. Judaism flourished as never

before, with Jews even serving in Muslim armies and administrations while their culture bloomed

in the arts, sciences, medicine and philosophy. This knowledge they transmitted to their brethren

in the hostile climate of Christian Europe.
Even Jewish mysticism originated under the influence of sufism and spread to northern Europe.

When Islaam reached Persia the concept of People of the Book was extended to the Zoroastrians as

well. Later, when the Muslims conquered parts of India and encountered Buddhists and Hindus, who

appeared to worship idols, the question was referred to the ulema (council of scholars), who

judged that even they could have the same protected status as the Jews and Christians, so long as

they did not fight Islaam and they paid the Jizyah tax.

“Peace” is the most common word on a Muslim’s tongue. Whenever two people meet, they exchange

greetings, wishing each other peace: “Peace be upon you.” But peace cannot prevail except through

justice. Since the concept of justice may differ from one man to another, or from one society to

another, Muslims believe that real justice is that which is specified by Allah (God).

Islaam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of the religion, or by those who have been

expelled forcibly from their homes. At the same time, Islaam requires one to treat one’s enemy

mercifully. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming

civilians and against destroying crops, trees, and livestock. Islaam also requires that if an

enemy declares his desire to end hostilities and seek peace, the Muslims must do the same.

The concept of Jihad (struggling in the cause of Allah) is stated in the Qur’an. Allah said:

Jihad is never to be waged to force anybody to choose a particular religion. On the contrary, it

is waged to protect his right to choose freely. Therefore, if there is a force in the world that

tries to prevent a person from practicing this right, Jihad may lead to fighting the force that

is trying to prevent him from exercising free will.

Muhammad showed how important plants and trees are by saying:

Even in the territory of an enemy, Islaam’s care for plants, animals, and trees is profound. Abu

Bakr, the first Caliph, or successor, to Muhammad (pbuh), instructed his troops that he was

sending into battle not to cut down any trees or kill any animals except for food.

These are but a few examples of how Islaam remains relevant in the modern world.

The ultimate manifestation of God’s grace for man, the ultimate wisdom, and the ultimate beauty

of expression: in short, the word of God. This is how the German scholar, Muhammad Asad, once

described the Qur’aan. If one were to ask any Muslim to depict it, most likely they would offer

similar words. The Qur’aan, to the Muslim, is the irrefutable, inimitable Word of God. It was

revealed by God Almighty, through the instrument of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh)

himself had no role in authoring the Qur’aan, he was merely a human secretary, repeating the

dictates of the Divine Creator:

The Qur’aan was revealed in Arabic, to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), over a period of twenty-three

years. It is composed in a style so unique, that it cannot be deemed either poetry or prose, but

somehow a mixture of both. The Qur’aan is imimitable; it cannot be simulated or copied, and God

Almighty challenges mankind to pursue such an endeavor if he thinks he can:

The Qur’aan’s language is indeed sublime, its recitation moving, as one non-Muslim scholar noted,

“it was like the cadence of my heartbeat”. Due to its unique style of language, the Qur’aan is

not only highly readable, but also relatively easy to remember. This latter aspect has played an

important role not only in the Qur’aan’s preservation, but in the spiritual life of Muslims as

well. God Himself declares,

One of the most important characteristics of the Qur’aan is that it remains today, the only holy

book which has never changed; it has remained free from any and all adulterations. Sir William

Muir noted, “There is probably in the world no other book which has remained (fourteen) centuries

with so pure a text.” The Qur’aan was written down during the lifetime and under the supervision

of the Prophet, who himself was illiterate, and it was canonized shortly after his death by a

rigorous method which scrutinized both written and oral traditions. Thus its authenticity is

unblemished, and is its
preservation is seen as the fulfillment of God’s promise:

The Qur’aan is a book which provides the human being the spiritual and intellectual nourishment

he/she craves. Its major themes include the oneness of God, the purpose of human existence, faith

and God-consciousness, the Hereafter and its significance. The Qur’aan also lays a heavy emphasis

upon reason and understanding. In these spheres of human understanding, the Qur’aan goes beyond

just satisfying the human intellect; it causes one to reflect on implications. There are

Qur’aanic challenges and prophecies. One of the most exciting fields in recent years has been the

discovery that, of the significant amount of
scientific information in the Qur’aan, including the event of the Big Bang, embryological data,

and other information concerning astronomy biology, etc., there is not a single statement that

has not been borne out by modern discoveries In short, the Qur’aan fulfils the heart, the soul,

and the mind. Perhaps the best description of the Qur’aan was given by Ali, the cousin of

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he expounded upon it as,

Sunnah

The term Sunnah comes from the root word sanna, which means to pave the way or make a path easily
passable, such that it becomes a commonly followed way by everyone afterwards. Thus sunnah can be

used to describe a street or road or path on which people, animals, and cars travel.

Additionally, it can apply to a prophetic way, i.e. the law that they brought and taught as an

explanation or further clarification of a divinely revealed book. Normally, the prophetic way

includes references to his sayings, actions,
physical features and character traits.

From the Islaamic standpoint, Sunnah refers to anything narrated or related about the Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh), authentically traced to him regarding his speech, actions, traits, and silent

approvals, before and after the revelation.

Each narration is composed of two parts: the isnad and the matn. The isnad refers to a chain of

people who narrated a paricular narration. The matn is the actual text of the narration. The

isnad must comprise upright and sincere individuals whose integrity is unquestionable.

The Speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

The speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) refers to his sayings. For example, he said:

The Prophet (pbuh) also said:

The above two accounts clearly show that the Prophet (pbuh) spoke these words. Consequently,

these are known as his speech.

The Actions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

His actions pertain to anything he did, as authentically reported by the Sahabah (Companions).

For instance, Hudhayfah reported that whenever the Prophet (pbuh) got up at night, he would clean

his teeth with a tooth-stick. Also A’ishah reported that the Prophet (pbuh) loved to do

everything starting with the right side – putting on shoes, walking, cleaning himself, and in all

his affairs generally.

The Silent Approvals of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

His silent approvals on different issues meant his not opposing or minding what he saw, heard or

knew of the actions or sayings of his Companions. On one occasion, for example, the Prophet

(pbuh) learned of actions of some of his Companions from other Companions. Soon after the battle

of Khandaq, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave the order to the Companions to move quickly to surround

the tribe of Banu Quraydah, encouraging them to hurry so that perhaps they would pray ‘Asr (the

late afternoon prayer) there. Some of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) responded immediately

and left without praying ‘Asr. They arrived after sunset, pitched camp and prayed ‘Asr- after

sunset. At the same time another group of Companions formulated their judgment differently. They

thought that the Prophet (pbuh) was merely encouraging them to hasten to their destination,

rather than to delay ‘Asr until after sunset. Consequently, they decided to stay in Madinah until

they had prayed ‘Asr. Immediately thereafter, they hastened towards the tribe of
Banu Quraydhah. When the Prophet (pbuh) was told of how each group responded differently to his
announcement, he (pbuh) affirmed both judgments.

Physical and Moral Traits of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Everything authentically narrated concerning the Prophet’s complexion and the rest of his

physical
features is also included in the definition of sunnah. Umm Ma’bad described what she saw of the

great Prophet (pbuh). She said:

Along with his physical features, his Companions also described his habits and behavior with

people. Once Anas reported:

From the above we can clearly see that when the term sunnah appears in a general context refering

to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it comprises anything narrated about the Prophet (pbuh) and

authentically traced to him. Once a Muslim learns of the authenticity of any narration, he/she is

obliged to follow and obey it accordingly. Such obedience is mandated by Allah as He declares

At times, some Muslims are perplexed when people say that sunnah is something only recommeded and

is not mandatory. Thus they conclude that we are only required to follow the Qur’an and not the

Sunnah. Such an argument results from a gross misunderstanding. Scholars of Islaamic

jurisprudence use the term sunnah to denote what is authentically established of Prophet Muhammad

(pbuh) in deeds which were not subsequentlly
made mandatory by Allah.

They further hold that this includes any saying of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) where he encourages

Muslims to do a particular task and compliments those who imbibe such attributes. Thus to them,

the term sunnah denotes what is authentically established of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in deeds

which he did voluntarily and which were not subsequently made mandatory by Allah. They further

hold that this includes any saying
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) where he encourages Muslims to do a particular task and compliments

those who imbibe such attributes. Thus to them, the term sunnah refers to what is “recommended”

and is not mandatory (fard or wajib).

From the above, we can clearly see that the term sunnah takes on different meanings when used by
different Islaamic disciplines.

It is one function of Islaamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is

why
non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islaamic world. Islaamic law also

permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts to implement family laws drawn up by the

minorities themselves and to govern their own affairs.

History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths. When the great leader

and second Caliph, Umar, entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islaam guaranteed freedom of worship

to all religious communities in the city. In fact, so careful was Umar in setting an example for

his people that he not only went to a church to pray, he prayed outside in the courtyard, lest

his followers after his death be tempted to convert the church into a mosque.

Islaam teaches that the closest to Allah and the most beloved of Allah are those who are the

best in piety. Thus all people, male and female, and regardless of race, color, nationality or

ethnicity, are considered and treated as equal before Allah and before the law. This concept of

tolerance did not reach the West even in theory until the 18th century, and in practice not until

the 20th century.

Thus Islaam is not restricted to any particular race or nation, as many other religions are, but

is universal, meaning that its message applies to all humanity, at all times, in all places.

Since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the last prophet and messenger, his message applies to all

future generations. All previous prophets, from Adam, Noah and Abraham to Moses and Jesus, were

also Muslims:

Since the Qur’aan is the final testament, with every word and every letter unadulterated and

unchanged, and protected by Allah from any change or tampering, it is the final revelation, and

no other law will ever supersede it.

It applies, moreover, to every aspect of one’s daily life, including personal, social, legal,

economic, political, even military. Furthermore, Islaam affects every part of the individual –

physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Prophet Muhammad said:

Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same soul. Both were equally guilty of

their sin and fall from grace, and both were forgiven by Allah. Many women in Islaam have had

high status; consider the fact that the first person to convert to Islaam was Khadijah,the wife

of Muhammad, whom he both loved and respected. His favorite wife after Khadijah’s death, A’isha,

became renowned as a scholar and one of the greatest sources of Hadith literature. Many of the

female Companions accomplished great deeds and achieved fame, and throughout Islaamic history

there have been famous and influential scholars, jurists and mystics.

With regard to education, both women and men have the same rights and obligations. This is clear

in
Prophet Muhammad’s saying:

This implies men and women.

A woman is to be treated as God has endowed her, with rights, such as to be treated as an

individual, with the right to own and dispose of her own property and earnings, enter into

contracts, even after marriage. She has the right to be educated and to work outside the home if

she so chooses. She has the right to inherit from her father, mother, and husband. A very

interesting point to note is that in Islaam, unlike any other religion, a woman can be an imaam,

a leader of communal prayer, for a group of women.

A Muslim woman also has obligations. All the laws and regulations pertaining to prayer, fasting,
charity, pilgrimage, doing good deeds, etc., apply to women, albeit with minor differences having

mainly to do with female physiology.

Before marriage, a woman has the right to choose her husband. Islaamic law is very strict

regarding the necessity of having the woman’s consent for marriage. A marriage dowry is given by

the groom to the bride for her own personal use. She keeps her own family name, rather than

taking her husband’s. As a wife, a woman has the right to be supported by her husband even if she

is already rich. She also has the right to
seek divorce and custody of young children. She does not return the dowry, except in a few

unusual situations.

Despite the fact that in many places and times Muslim communities have not always adhered to all

or even many of the foregoing in practice, the ideal has been there for 1,400 years, while

virtually all other major civilzations did not begin to address these issues or change their

negative attitudes until the 19th and 20th centuries, and there are still many contemporary

civilzations which have yet to do so.