An Overview of Islam

An Overview of Islam

Islam is a monotheistic religion which is based on the belief that there is no God except Allah. Allah is the One God and the Eternal, and there is nothing like Him.

"Islam" is an Arabic word which means submission. Thus, a Muslim is a person who has submitted himself to God.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household) is the final Prophet and the Holy Quran is the Final Revelation. The Holy Quran has not been changed, and the Quran we read today is the same one which Allah sent to His Prophet. It has not been altered in any way.

Many Non-Muslims might ask if Islam considers the Torah and Bible as divine revelations. The answer is that Islam maintains that God sent the Torah to Moses and the Bible to Jesus, but these two holy books have been distorted over time.

Resurrection Day is inevitable. Each human will rise from his grave on that day to be asked about all his deeds in worldly life. The final fate will be Heaven for a righteous believer and Hell for the disbelievers and the wicked.

Islam is not only a belief in the heart or a verbal declaration of adherence. A Muslim must act according to what his faith dictates. Here, we shall explain some of the main pillars of Islam.

1-Prayer: A Muslim performs prayer five times a day. Prayer is a constant reminder to return to Allah, our Creator, who has bestowed so many favors upon us. It is religiously recommended to pray at mosques, but this does not mean that prayers are only offered at mosques. One may perform prayer anywhere: at home, at work, at university, and even in nature.

2-Fasting: Muslims are required to fast the entire holy month of Ramadan. Fasting time begins at dawn until after sunset. The timing of the month of Ramadan may differ along the years. Sometimes it might come in the winter, and at other times it might coincide with the long summer days. This is because the timing of Ramadan is determined according to the Islam Lunar calendar, and not the Gregorian one.

3-Paying Alms: Zakat and Khoms. Allah is the one who grants us wealth and abundance and orders that we should pay a portion of our wealth to the poor and needy. The amount which should be paid is given in detail in books of jurisprudence.

4-Performing Pilgrimage (Al-Hajj): Allah commands Muslims to go to pilgrimage to the Holy Kaaba in Mecca. Going to pilgrimage only one time in one's lifetime is enough to fulfill this religious duty.

One may behold a beautiful sight at the Hajj: Muslims from different countries gather together to worship Allah alone. It is a declaration of faith and Muslim brotherhood. Allah says in the Holy Quran: {O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into races and tribes, so that you may know one another. Surely the noblest of you, in Allah’s sight, is the one who is most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.}

Allah considers everyone as equal and that what makes a person more noble than another is his/her piety. In Islam, all forms of discrimination are rejected. Our beauty lies in our diversity, and the difference in our skin coloring and physical appearance does not grant anyone superiority over the other.

5-Jihad: We must clearly explain this concept, and this is of utmost importance in the present time and the news we hear everyday. Everyone has heard of Isis- the militant group which falsely declares that it is Islamic. It pretends to carry the banner of Islam, but in reality all that Isis is doing is distorting the image of Islam. It claims to be religious and that it strives to establish a Caliphate in the name of Islam. However, what Isis is actually doing is the horrible slaughter of innocent people, atrocious acts towards women, occupying land, and blowing up mosques and homes. Isis considers that those who do not agree with it are infidels and apostates, and uses terror to achieve its aims.

Thus, it is essential to clarify what Jihad is. "Jihad" in Arabic means making a great effort. In Islam, Jihad does not only refer to military actions. There is a Minor and a Major Jihad. Major Jihad is the combat with one's own self. It is a spiritual struggle to prevent one's self from sinning. On the other hand, the Minor Jihad indicates military combat. Aggression against other people and transgressing their rights is not allowed in Islam.

In this site, we shall discuss Jihad in detail under an independent heading and clarify its main principles. This is very necessary in the light of many people's misunderstanding of Islam.