WAMY Series on Islam No.

1 ISLAM AND MUSLIMS The Arabic word "Islam" means peace, s bmission, and obedience. The reli!ion o" Islam consis#s o" #he comple#e accep#ance o" #he #eachin!s and ! idance o" $od as re%ealed #o &is 'rophe# M hammad (')U&*. A M slim is one who belie%es in $od and s#ri%es "or #he #o#al reor!ani+a#ion o" one,s li"e accordin! #o #he ! idance re%ealed b- $od.#he / r,an. and sa-in!s o" #he 'rophe#. A M slim also wor0s #o crea#e a h man socie#- on #he same basis. "M hammadanism" is a misnomer "or Islam and o""ends i#s %er- spiri#, "or i# implies #ha# M slims ha%e dei"ied and worship M hammad, as #he 1hris#ians did wi#h 2es s 1hris#. This prac#ice is condemned in #he / r,an and is #o#all- "orei!n #o #he Islamic belie" s#r c# re. The word "Allah" is #he proper name o" $od in Arabic. I# is a ni3 e #erm and has no pl ral or "eminine "orms. 14NTINUITY 45 M6SSA$6 Islam is no# a new reli!ion, b # a re.presen#a#ion o" #he same messa!e and ! idance #ha# Allah re%ealed #o all o" &is prophe#s. In / r,an (787*, we read8 Sa-, we belie%e in Allah and #ha# which has been re%ealed #o s, and #ha# which was re%ealed #o Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and 2acob and #he #ribes and #ha# which was !i%en #o Moses and 2es s and #o o#her 'rophe#s, "rom #heir Lord. We ma0e no dis#inc#ion be#ween an- o" #hem, and #o &im we s bmi#. The messa!e re%ealed #o 'rophe# M hammad is Islam in i#s comprehensi%e, comple#e, and "inal "orm.

MAN8 T&6 5966 A$6NT Man is #he hi!hes# crea#ion o" $od. &e has #he mos# po#en#ial o" an- par# o" $ods crea#ion and is le"# rela#i%el- "ree in his will, ac#ions, and choice. $od has re%ealed #he ri!h# pa#h, and #he li"e o" 'rophe# M hammad pro%ides a per"ec# e:ample. Man,s s ccess and sal%a#ion lie in "ollowin! bo#h. Islam #eaches #he sanc#i#- o" #he person and con"ers e3 al ri!h#s pon all re!ardless o" race, !ender, color, or o#her e:#ernal di""erences. The law o" $od, as en ncia#ed in #he / r,an and e:empli"ied in #he li"e o" #he 'rophe# is s preme in all cases. I# applies e3 all- #o #he hi!hes# and #he lowes#, #he prince and #he peasan#, #he r ler and #he r led . T&6 /U9,AN AND &ADIT& The / r,an is #he las# re%ealed word o" $od and #he basic so rce o" Islamic #eachin!s and laws. I# deals wi#h #he "o nda#ions o" creeds, morali#-, #he his#or- o" h mani#-, worship, 0nowled!e, wisdom, #he rela#ionship o" $od #o man and man #o $od, and all aspec#s o" in#erpersonal rela#ionships. I#s comprehensi%e #eachin!s are mean# #o be sed #o cons#r c# so nd s-s#ems o" social ; s#ice, economics, poli#ics, le!isla#ion, ; nspr dence, law, and in#erna#ional rela#ions, and represen# impor#an# sec#ions o" #he / r,an. M hammad (')U&* co ld no# read or wri#e. This did no# represen# an obs#acle, "or #he / r,an was commi##ed #o memor- and wri#in! b- his "ollowers d rin! his li"e#ime and nder his s per%ision. The ori!inal and comple#e #e:# o" #he / r,an is a%ailable #o e%er-bod- in Arabic, #he lan! a!e in which i# was re%ealed. Transla#ions o" #he meanin! in#o man- lan! a!es are widel- sed. The hadi#h, a #erm which co%ers #he li#era# re dealin! wi#h #he 'rophe#,s #eachin!s, sa-in!s, and ac#ions, was repor#ed and collec#ed wi#h !rea# care b- his de%o#ed companions. I#s main " nc#ion is #o e:plain and elabora#e #he / r,anic %erses. 14N16'T 45 W49S&I' Islam does no# #each or accep# mere ri# alism, b # ra#her emphasi+es in#en#ion and ac#ion. To worship $od is #o 0now and #o lo%e &im, #o obe- &is law in e%er- aspec# o" li"e, #o en;oin !oodness and "orbid wron!.doin! and oppression, #o prac#ice chari#- and ; s#ice, and #o

ser%e &im b- ser%in! man0ind. The / r,an presen#s #his concep# in #he "ollowin! s blime manner8 I# is no# ri!h#eo sness #ha# -o # rn -o r "aces #o #he 6as# or #he Wes#, b # ri!h#eo s is he who belie%es in $od and #he Las# Da- and #he An!els and #he )oo0s and #he 'rophe#s< and !i%es his weal#h "or lo%e o" &im #o 0ins"ol0 and #o orphans and #he need- and #he wa-"arer and #o #hose who as0< and #o se# sla%es "ree< and obser%es proper worship and pa-s #he =a0a#. And #hose who 0eep #heir #rea#- when #he- ma0e one, and #he pa#ien# in #rib la#ion and ad%ersi#- and #ime o" s#ress, s ch are #hose who are sincere. S ch are #he $od "earin!. (/ r,an >8 1??*. The ISLAMI1 WAY 45 LI56 Islam pro%ides speci"ic ! idelines "or all people #o "ollow in #heir dail- li%es. I#s ! idance is comprehensi%e and incl des #he social, economic, poli#ical, moral, and spiri# al aspec#s o" li"e. The / r,an reminds man o" #he p rpose o" his li"e, o" his d #ies and obli!a#ions #oward himsel", his "amil- and rela#i%es, his comm ni#-, his "ellow h man bein!s, and his 1rea#or. Man is !i%en " ndamen#al ! idelines abo # a p rpose" l li"e and #hen con"ron#ed wi#h #he challen!es o" h man e:is#ence so #ha# he ma- p # #hese hi!h ideals in#o prac#ice. In Islam, a person,s li"e is re!arded as a holis#ic and in#e!ra#ed ni#- and no# a collec#ion o" "ra!men#ed and compe#i#i%e par#s. There are no separa#e "sacred" and "sec lar" realms, "or all are ni#ed wi#hin #he na# re o" #he indi%id al. &IST49I1AL '69S'61TI@6 M hammad (blessin! and peace be pon him* was born #o a noble "amil- in #he -ear A?B A1 in Ma00ah, a #radin! cen#er loca#ed in #he Arabian penins la. &e recei%ed #he "irs# re%ela#ion when he was "or#- -ears old. As soon as he s#ar#ed callin! his people #o Islam, he and his "ollowers were persec #ed and "orced #o nder!o se%ere hardship. A"#er a while, $od commanded him #o mi!ra#e #o #he nearb- ci#- o" Madinah. 4%er #he ne:# #wen#-.#hree -ears he comple#ed his mission o" prophe# hood. &e died a# #he a!e o" C7. &e led a per"ec# li"e, as he was #he ph-sical embodimen# o" all #ha# #he / r,an #eaches, and #h s se# an e:ample "or all h man bein!s.

ISLAM,S 9ATI4NAL A''6AL Islam, wi#h i#s clear and direc# e:pression o" #r #h, has a !rea# appeal #o an-one see0in! 0nowled!e. I# has a sol #ion "or all problems #ha# arise d rin! #he co rse o" one,s li"e. I# is a ! ide #oward a be##er and comple#e li"e. ISLAM . T&6 S4LUTI4N "or M4D69N '94)L6MS The )ro#herhood o" Man8 A ma;or problem "acin! man0ind #oda- is racism. The de%eloped world can send a man #o #he moon b # canno# s#op man "rom ha#in! and "i!h#in! his "ellow man. 6%er since #he da-s o" #he 'rophe# M hammad "o r#een cen# ries a!o, Islam has !i%en a %i%id e:ample o" how racism can be ended8 #he ann al pil!rima!e #o Ma00ah re%eals #he Islamic miracle o" #he real bro#herhood o" all races and na#ions. The 5amil-8 The "amil-, which is #he basic ni# o" ci%ili+a#ion, is disin#e!ra#in! in all wes#ern co n#ries. Islam,s "amil- s-s#em brin!s #he ri!h#s o" #he h sband, wi"e, children, and rela#i%es in#o a "ine e3 ilibri m. I# no rishes h man nsel"ishness, !enerosi#-, and lo%e in #he "ramewor0 o" a well.or!ani+ed "amil- s-s#em. UN 59A$M6NT6D @I6W 45 LI56 & man bein!s li%e accordin! #o #heir %iew o" li"e. The #ra!ed- o" sec lar socie#ies is #ha# #he- "ail #o connec# #he di""eren# aspec#s o" li"e. The sec lar and #he reli!io s, as well as #he scien#i"ic and #he spiri# al seem #o be in cond c#. Islam p #s an end #o #his con"lic# and brin!s harmon- #o mans %ision o" li"e. The 5i%e 'illars o" Islam 1. The Declara#ion o" 5ai#h8 #o bear wi#ness (ha# #here is none wor#h- o" worship e:cep# Allah and #ha# M hammad is &is messen!er #o all h mani#- n#il #he Da- o" 2 d!men#. The prophe# hood o" M hammad obli!es M slims #o "ollow his e:emplar- li"e as a model. >. 'ra-ers8 Dail- pra-ers are o""ered "i%e #imes a da- as a d #- #oward Allah. Thes#ren!#hen and enli%en ones belie" in Allah and

inspire indi%id als #o de%elop a hi!her morali#- The- p ri"- #he hear# and help one #o resis# !i%in! in#o #emp#a#ion. 7. 5as#in! #he Mon#h o" 9amadan8 D rin! 9amadan, M slims abs#ain "rom "ood, drin0, and all se: al ac#i%i#- "rom dawn #o s nse#. In addi#ion, #he- m s# s#ri%e #o abs#ain "rom e%il in#en#ions and desires. This comm nal "as# see0s #o ins#ill wi#hin #he indi%id al "eelin!s o" lo%e, sinceri#-, de%o#ion, pa#ience, nsel"ishness, and will.power as well as #o de%elop a so nd social conscience. D. =a0a#8 An ann al pa-men# o" >.AE o" ones ne# sa%in!s #ha# has been in ones possession "or one -ear. This is a reli!io s d #and p ri"ies ones mone- I# m s# be !i%en #o #hose who are poor and in need. A. 'il!rima!e #o Ma00ah8 This m s# be per"ormed once d rin! one,s li"e#ime, pro%ided #ha# one can a""ord i# "inanciall- and wi#hs#and i# ph-sicall-. )esides #hese pillars, e%er- ac#ion done wi#h #he awareness #ha# i# " l"ills #he will o" Allah is also considered an ac# o" worship. Islam en;oins "ai#h in #he oneness and so%erei!n#- o" Allah, "or #his ma0es an indi%id al aware o" #he meanin!" lness o" #he ni%erse and o" his or her place in i#. This belie" "rees one "rom all "ears and s pers#i#ions b- ma0in! him conscio s o" #he presence o" Allah and o" mans obli!a#ions #oward &im. This "ai#h m s# be e:pressed and #es#ed in ac#ion, "ai#h alone is no# eno !h. )elie" in one $od re3 ires #ha# we loo0 pon all h man bein!s as one "amil- nder #he ni%ersal omnipo#ence o" Aliah, who has crea#ed and no rishes all par#s o" &is crea#ion. Islam re;ec#s #he idea o" a chosen people b- s#a#in! clearl- #ha# one m s# ha%e "ai#h in $od and do !ood wor0s in !ood ac#ion in order #o !ain en#rance #o hea%en. Th s, a direc# rela#ionship be#ween $od and each indi%id al is es#ablished, a "ac# #ha# also ma0es an in#ercessor nnecessar-.