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The Basics
Second Edition
ISLAM
The Basics
Second Edition
Islam: The Basics Authored and edited by Naoman Kaleem First edition published by This-is-Islam.co.uk in June 2009 / Rajab 1430 AH Second edition published by Tranquil Heart Media in Nov 2012 / Muharram 1434 AH Copyright 2012/1434 AH Tranquil Heart Media. Permission is granted to reproduce this book in its entirety, without any alterations, for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, and lending is prohibited. www.this-is-islam.co.uk
Introduction
Islam is a universal faith that includes all people and cultures. Unfortunately, it has been widely misinterpreted, mainly due to a lack of knowledge about it. Without correct knowledge, people have developed wrong understandings, missed out important facts, and spread myths about this religion. The situation is worsened further by the fact that one often comes across prejudices in the information that is available about this tradition. Thus, there is a requirement to make clear what Islam is and who Muslims are. This book is a broad introduction to the key beliefs and principles of Islam. It concerns itself with subjects that are central to an accurate perception of the faith so that the above requirement can be met at a basic level. All good found in this book is from God, whilst all defects and faults it may contain are the responsibility of the author. And God alone gives success.
There are more than one billion Muslims in the world from a lot of races and cultures. The worlds largest Muslim society is in Indonesia. There are large Muslim populations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. There are also large Muslim minorities in Russia, China, India, and Europe. Muslims think Islam is a complete way of life. Thus, they take issues of religion very seriously. Divine Law is known as Sharia and Muslims believe that it is an important part of society.
Islamic Belief
Muslims believe in One, Unique, and Genderless God. They believe He is the Sole Creator of the Universe and has full Authority over destiny. Allah is the Arabic name of God, which is used by Arab Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The word Allah has a common origin with the Hebrew words Elah and Elohim, which were used to refer to God by the prophets Moses and Jesus. Muslims also believe in Angels that are created by God. Like God, these Angels are neither male nor female. They are created from light and follow the orders of God. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets through whom Gods revelations were brought to mankind. These prophets include the prophets Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, John the Baptist, and Jesus. The last of the prophets was the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of the Prophet Abraham through his eldest son Ishmael. MoABOVE: The Arabic and Hebrew names for God. BELOW: The tomb of the Prophet Abraham in Hebron. Islam, Christianity and Judaism can all trace their roots back to him.
ses and Jesus are descendants through Abrahams son Isaac. Thus, Christianity, Islam and Judaism have a shared heritage.
statement declares ones belief in God, in all His messengers, and in the revelations they brought.
Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad was born in the city of Makkah in Arabia in the year 570 CE. He is a direct descendant of the prophet Abraham through his eldest son Ishmael. His parents had both died by the time he was aged 7 years old, and so he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. Like many previous prophets, Muhammad spent his youth working as a shepherd. He quickly became known for his truthfulness and generosity. People would often ask him to help settle arguments, and he was known as Al-Amin, which means the trustworthy one. Muhammad was also known for being deeply religious. He hated the moral corruption and idol worship in his society. He started to meditate for periods of time in the Cave of Hira, which is located in the Mountain of Light on the outskirts of Makkah.
ABOVE: The entrance to the Cave of Hira on the outskirts of the city of Makkah. It was here that the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from the Angel Gabriel.
At the age of 40 years, whilst in the Cave of Hira, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation continued for twenty three years, and is known as the Quran. Muhammad began to preach to the people of Makkah. However, most of them opposed Muhammad. They fiercely persecuted him and his followers.
ABOVE: The route taken by the Prophet Muhammad on his Hijra from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE.
In the year 622 CE, the Muslims were ordered by God to emigrate to the city of Madinah, which is about 260 miles to the north of Makkah. This journey is known as the Hijra in Arabic, and is the start of the Muslim calendar.
ABOVE: A map showing the extent of the Muslim empire in 750 CE. This was only 100 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Quran
The Quran is a complete record of the exact words that God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. It was memorized by the Prophet Muhammad and many of his Companions. The Prophet Muhammad also dictated it to his scribes, who wrote it down and cross-checked it with him. The Quran consists of 114 chapters, and not one word in it has been changed over the centuries. It has been passed down the generations by memorization and by writing. The current Quran is the same unique text that was revealed over fourteen centuries ago.
BELOW: Extract from a Quranic manuscript that dates back to circa 7th-8th century CE. It is housed in Uzbekistan.
Muslims believe the Quran to be the last revealed Word of God and the main source of faith and practice. It deals with all subjects relating to humans, such as wisdom, worship and law; and it provides guidelines for a just and moral society with a fair economic system. However, its main theme is the relationship between God and His creation. The Sunna is the practice and example of the Prophet Muhammad. It is the second sacred source of authority for Muslims. It was recorded by the companions of the Prophet Muhammad via trustworthy reports of what he said, did, or approved of. These reports are known in Arabic as ahadith.
RIGHT: An astrolabe. This instrument was invented by Muslims to help in navigation of the oceans.
The ritual prayer, called Salat, is the second pillar of Islam. It is performed five times every day by Muslims and allows a direct personal link between the worshipper and God. The prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall; thus reminding one of God all through the day. Regular prayer helps prevent one from evil deeds and gives a chance to seek Gods pardon for any misdeeds. It consists of verses from the Quran and other supplications said in Arabic. Although it is preferred to pray together in a mosque for men, a Muslim can pray almost anywhere, such as at home, work or school. Before praying, one has to be ritually purified. This is achieved by the ablution, which consists of washing ones face, hands, forearms, and feet with water. Then when the time for prayer enters, a person in the mosque performs the Adhan, which is the call to prayer.
ABOVE: A picture of people performing the circumambulation of the Kaba as part of the Hajj pilgrimage.
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So the Prophet sent some of his group to seek refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia. The king paid attention to the envoy with great respect and gladly granted the Muslims refuge. Guarding of the rights of nonMuslims is a central part of Islamic law. It protects non-Muslim minorities and lets them set up their own courts, which apply family laws drawn up by themselves. The Quran explicitly forbids the forced conversion of a person to Islam. The past gives many examples of Muslim patience of other faiths. These include freedom of worship for all those in Jerusalem after its Muslim conquest and the good treatment of Jews and Christians in Muslim Spain.
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ABOVE: Some of the front page headlines that have appeared about Islam in the tabloids.
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War in Islam
Islam allows combat in self-defence, in defence of ones faith, or in defence of those whose human rights have been abused. However, even in these cases Islamic law lays down strict laws of war. Rules of war include a ban on hurting civilians and on damaging crops, trees and livestock. Thus, the bombing of urban zones with civilians is not allowed in Islamic law. Muslims believe that lack of justice and fairness would be dominant in the world if decent folk were not ready to fight for a just cause against the unjust. The Arabic word Jihad is commonly thought to mean holy war. This is a strange idea in Islam, and actually the word means to struggle. This struggle includes the internal effort against ones own evil, the exertion for morality and good amongst the public, and when required on the battleground. Thus, war is the last resort. Muslims respect those who have given their lives in protecting their nation and their way of life. Sincerely giving ones life for the sake of others is deemed a praiseworthy act. Nevertheless, deliberate suicide despite the aim is strictly denounced in Islam. A Muslim can only go to war with the permission of the leader of the land in which he or she is a resident. The Quran orders that warfare must stop if the foe desires it, and peace treaties have contributed in contact between Muslim and non-Muslim states in the past.
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Islamic Customs
The dietary law of Muslims is much simpler than that of the Jews and the early Christians. However, Islam does ban the intake of pig meat, the meat of animals that eat meat, and any intoxicant. The Prophet Muhammad taught the value of the body having rights. Thus, the consuming of healthy food and the leading of a healthy way of life are seen as religious duties.
RIGHT: Alcohol and pork are some of the foods that are forbidden in Islamic dietary law.
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Women in Islam
According to the Quran, men and women are equal in front of God. They have both been formed for the single aim of worshipping God by means of faith and good actions. Women are given precise rights in Islam, such as the right to learn, the right to earn, the right to select a husband, and the right to inherit. Muslims judge that male and female are balanced creatures that complement each other. They equally show basic aspects of the flawless creative action of God as all creation is either male or female. Women are presumed to perform all the basic Muslim religious customs just like men and are not barred from any of Islams sacred places. However, they are exempt from carrying out some practices when they go through menstruation or are pregnant.
TOP RIGHT: The entrance to the womens section of Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. Women are not barred from sacred places in Islam.
Just like in Orthodox Judaism, men and women in Islam are assigned their own separate spaces in places of worship. This is not done as a symbol of prejudice, but as a workable way of cutting the chance of distraction in worship. A Muslim marriage is not a sacrament but a plain legal contract in which each spouse is free to add in clauses. A dowry is bestowed by the groom to the bride for her own use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husbands. Divorce is not outlawed, but is considered the last option. The Quran permits a man to wed up to four wives at the same point in time. However, he must be able to give the same maintenance, time and housing for each wife. 15
Islam regards the body and soul to be strongly related, and so sex out of marriage is not allowed. Sex outside of the outline that is blessed by God will thus harm the soul rather than cleanse it, impair the institution of marriage and family, and may ease the spread of disease. Muslims believe that Gods aim for creating sex is to join two differing creatures that complement each other, and to produce offspring. Thus, homosexuality is viewed as improper. Muslim women dress in a way that is modest and honoured. The point of the clothes is to guard oneself from natural elements and to shield oneself from immorality and pride. The Muslim notion of dress relates to both men and women. It places requirements of moral and polite communication between men and women. This stops them from forming shallow opinions of other people based on how they look, and lets them focus on more important matters.
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Picture Sources
WIKIMEDIA.ORG pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 14, 15 and 16. Kaaba Mirror Image (page 10) taken by Muhammad Mahdi Karim, Micro2Macro.net Map of Hijra route (page 5) taken from Alamini.net. The Muslim empire 750 CE (page 5) taken from H.G. Wells, A Short History of the World, (London: 1922). An astrolabe (page 7) taken from agmgifts.co.uk. All images accessed in 2009.
Further Reading
Winter TJ & Williams JA. Understanding Islam and the Muslims: The Muslim Family and Islam and World Peace. Fons Vitae, 2002.
Internet Sources
http://this-is-islam.co.uk/ http://www.discoverislam.com/