"BISMILLAH IR-RAHMAN IR-RAHIMn

WITH THE NAME OF ALLAHI MOST GRACIOUS MOST MERCIFUL

1

..,------ ----------1~--~H--t-~......-«;,.~>~-~.
__ -=_E -~-~:
_D ~---d-.--_

,71III idl' JR. JR .

.SG1E VERY lMP<Rl'1\NI' ISUMICTER1S .

As-SalaamuAlaikumWaRahmatuliah WaBarakatuhu,

I give Thanks and Praises to Allah (swt) for guiding me to the supreme fountain

of Wisdan"AIr-ISLMM"
and giving rre the ability to share this knowledgewith others.

The most rnistmderstcx:xltenns of the Arabic language are: "ALlAH,ISI..1VIM,

& MUSLIM:

I will, with the help of Allah (swt) try to explain these words to the best of my know-

ledge. I h~ and pray to Allah (swt) that~, as Muslimswill invite others to orr

'Imaan (Faith) with wisdan as instructed in the Holy Qur'an by Allah (swt). Most people

whenthey hear the tem "ALIMI"maythink that ~ are talking about sore kind of an

old manin space sarewhere or in heaven, and when~'re speaking of the tenn "ISIlI}IM"

they maythink that ~'re speaking of sore kind of a cult, and when~'re speaking of

a "MUSLIM"
they may think that ~'re speaking of sarecne who canits rdJberies, steals,

radicles, bad pecple, etc. and ~ shruJdn't blarre sore of these people far even thinking

the way they do and far being afraid to even attempt to accept Islaam because these

are the ideas and coo.cepts they have received by the ones calling themselves Muslims

around them while at the sane tine are witnessed doing ungodly works. So, let us not

be the cpposite exarrples of our :Eeligicn (Din) because Allah (swt) is strict in Ptmish-

nent for such acts. It is also a great fact that sore ammg the Muslimswho are yrung

in Islam dcn't tmderstand Islam or even the tenn of being a Muslims. SCltemay accept

Islam for the sake of changing their lives and are sincere in seeking the knowledge

taught by Allah (swt) in the Holy Qur'an and the character exarrplified by His Prcphet (s}

in the Sunnah; sane accept Islam because of a friend or a hone-boy and yet sore may

accept Islam far sore material reascn~. But, all reascns will fail a person except ene,
,
. .~
and that reasrn is the pcsitive attitude for accepting Al-Islam. The positive attitude

is to accept Al-Islam for the sake of seeking Allah's pleasures and forgiveness for our

shartcanings, and for the betterment of orr grcMth and developnent and that it is the

most clean, positive, and productive way of life for the humanbeing because Allah (swt)

paved the road first, then He (swt) created the humanbeing and placed him en that road.

Here we will learn heMwas this done. we hear others around us who tries to always tell

sareone that everything in life is wrcng, fake, and corrupt except what they believe;

but, In' Shaa'Allah we will prove them wrong because "TlUI'H"always stands cut clear

frcm "ERR:m", and Praise be to Allah (swt) for Islam because it teaches us not to follow
blind canceptims but to seek rut the evidence of everything we read, hear or study.

Far the Muslims, it is inprrative that whendiscussing Al-Islaarn with sareone or

whenin the pra:ess of Da'wah, please master the rooaning of these greately misunderstocrl

words not mly by non-Muslimsbut sate Muslims, too.

I
""-
I. ALL A H «ill t) is translated in English as meaning "GCD"but that

is not so, because if we say ALIIIHis GCD,we are cxmniting SHIRK,the

worst of sins that Allah (swt) never forgives and that is joining Part-

ners with Allah (swt). well, hew can this be? sinple!. Don't yru knew

that Shay'tan (the ~il) used and is still using wards to trick and
"'
cxm.fusethe masses of pecple' ,in this world? words are very :important

to study and find out where they care fran, what root do they have and

what their root really rreans. The ward IlGOO"

is translated to nean a

Suprane Being (The Big Boss) in the sky and nONwhenwe are using the

tenn "GOD~
the first thing pops in the minds of the people will be

Prcphet 'Isa (Jesus Christ). "GOD"in English has a "GODDESS",

but let

us look at the definition if the ward "GOD"in Webster.

G<D= any of various beings cxm.ceivedof as supernatural, irmPrtal, and

having power over people or nature; deity, especially a male one, an

idol, a person or thing deified. They go en and telling us that by

-2-
 adding a capi~ -G- to the word ged, then it means in rronotheistic

religions, the creator and ruler of the universe; SuprerreBeing.

In the Arabic language the ward "AI.l.AH" derives fran the ward "IIAH~

The prefix "AL= J\" in Arabic means "THE".The ward ":rIAH"itself

means "CREATCR".
'Whenwriting the ward Allah, the letter "I" is drcpped
I
fran the word "IIlIH = O!" and placed with the prefix "AL== J\".
"AL= THE and LAH= CREATOR".
So, the wcrd "ALI.1\H" means "THEC'REATOR~

Sane people wruld go as far as telling you that Allah means "THEGm" as

though nothing :important; but little do they understand that while

they think is not :important, they are telling the truth recause Allah is

"THEGODof all gods they have made rut of wend, stOles, passions,

desires, rocney, people, and so 01. Allah is the Gcd of all these false

gcrls because ALIAH (swt) is THECREATOR

of the Heavens and the Earth and

what is in be~ them. The Arabic word .At..lJ\H is not a word where one

can add a geddess or subtract anything fran it, you will care up with

rnly me thing and that is THECREATOR.

The Creator is a spirit not

physical, yet He (swt) creates the physical. In the English tenn G<J);

~ can see fran the definition that the r:evil can re sarecne's Gcd because

<II .
[THE HOLY QUR'AN
SAYS THAT THE
DEVIL HAS NO MORE
POWER Ov.:ER 'tOO THAN
_ -- ' -
he has power over people and he is imoortal till

but the r:evil carinot and will never re ALlAH - THECREATOR

..
the day of Judgrrent,

bec&.iSe
-_he - is -
WHliT YOU GIVE HIM].!
~reated. The r:evil himself recognizes Allah as his lord and Master and

he himself knowthat he is dc.ared far eternity. So, what retter word

and in what better language one should call upal his Maker that is !TOre

pure and unidolaterated than the Arabic language "Al:.IAH~ '!he r:evil has

never stopped fran the time MaInwas created, to _take original and

meaningful "IoJOrds
and things and change them around so that their real

meaning be last and confused. That's why so manyevil things 01 earth

these days seem to be so nice and so gend, so canfactable and so pleasing,

yet, they are the most distructive things man can participate in. Even

-3-
 in our thinking we are polluted because the Devil is nothing physical,

he is an evil, devilish spirit that enters our minds, rur hearts and

brings al:xJutall types of devilish suggestions and ideas to rur minds:

and the next thing we knav, people becaoo like roootts to these thoughts

and ideas thinking that it is their a-m. There is no justification

for one to fall into the Devil' s traps and say "The Devil mademe do it"

because ALlAH(swt), The Creator that designed, and created you, gave

yoo.and I sarething that He (swt) didn't give the Angels, and that is

'!HE INTELIECl'.
The ability to reason, to grow, to develop, to do or don't,

etc., we have that limitted free will, whereas the Angels doesn't have

any free will. Allah gave us this intellect, intelligence to be the

rulers of the earth, life en earth, so, therefore, we are the masters

over our thoughts and ideas. Whenwe allow thooghts and ideas to master

us, then we are surely paving our way to total distruction.

Youcan go in the Old testanent, in the NewTestanent, and in every

so-call Testanent in this world fran the beginning of time, and you

will find the 'WOrd

"A L LA H" in every one of them. But through time

and ages, The Devil has done a good jab to lose mankindfran their

original path. Whenone does thorough studies· of these languages, Hebrew,

Sarnatic, Annaic and Arabic, then you will, perhaps realize heMbadly

yru, too, have been misled fran TRUTH.

2. I S L A A M (_/) ~ t), this is another Arabic word which is greately

misunderstood by so manypeople around the 'WOrld.Islam is an arabic

word derived fran the root word "SIM", and it's found in S.II:208 of the

Holy Qur'an. By nen-Muslimsthis word "ISIllM"is translated as meaning

the M.lslimReligion. They are right, but again they are wrcng because

Islaam is the Religion of every living thing in the Universe, including

planets and galaxies. In o;rder for us to understand why, we must go on

and understand the actual meaningof the word "ISLMM"itself.

-4-
The root word fran which the word "ISI.N\M"derives fran is the sane

root word fran which the ward "MUSLIM"

and "SALAAM
-PEACE"derives

fran, but \..e will go in details even with those two (2) wards~ first

\..e 'WOUld
like to understand the word "ISLMM~ The root word "SIM"in

Arabic ItEans, "Total su1:missicnto the Will of Allah; Peace, faith,

sa£ety, security, purity~ etc •• When\..e lode at life in general, I ItEan

everything, fran the humanbeing to the fly~ w:! see that everything is

created in "Total sul:rnissim to the will of Allah, The Creator", and

whenusing this tenn in Arabic, \..e say that everything is created in

the state of Islaam, total sul:rnission to the Will of Allah.Even when

the baby is bom, it doesn't matter to what parent, what nationality,

or what language, the first word cares out of the Baby'.s mcuth is the

ward "AI.I.1IH~
The letter "Alif = 'A' in inhaling its breath, life, and

"lAH"in exhaling, and whenyou look at it, you have the word AI..I.AH.

Even a new bom baby, in its first word brings us the news "that Allah

is LIFE", and \..e knowthat that baby, like us, w:!re created in the

state of Islaarn and shaped and molded in the state of Islam for nine (9)

mcnths in the wanbs of cur mothers. Then when\..e are bom, as scx:mas

the Doctor spanks us, we scream, A':r..IAH!.

As a sign of this, we centinue

this state of Islaarn, total sutmissien to the will of Allah because we

are ~ to stand up on our arm, 50 we continuely walk and drag our-selves

in total prostration for a year and a half to two (2). Every tinE we

are hungry and have a problem, we scream "A':r..IAH!"

till sane one will

hear us and attend to oUr need. But as Bahies we are not aware of this,

whenwe begin to wake up and are being taught by parents, brothers and

sisters, society and gCJVermleIlt,

instead of crying and screaming A'I.l.AH

\~ cry and scream "I am a man, I den' t need no body!", we cry and

scream, "Freak books" we cry and scream all kind of evil, and in this

course we are being destroyed. So we need to get back in tune with our

-5-
natural selves. Every one is bom a Muslim, but their parents maket.han

a Jew, a Christian or a Sabian. ~ all need Allah (swt) and \fleall need

Islaarn, to su1:mitour wills to the will of Allah (swt) and leam hCM

to get back to the natural path, to the Natural Man (Mind). ~ need

to sulmit our devilish thlnkings and ideas, thoughts and ways, and leam

to walk in the natural path that Allah placed us on in the begining, in

the Path that He created us in, "AIrISIJV.\M".The Holy Qur'an calls

this Religion "DIN",xreaning"SENTENcnl;,

~, A WAY OFLIFE, and

all three (3) definitions makesplenty of sense because Religion xreans

to be ALIVE,physically, xrenta1ly, morally and spiritually. By us

knowingthat Mam, our spiritual father violated Allah's ocmnandby

eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden, and because of that, he was

expelled fran Heavenand placed on earth for a period determined by

Allah (swt), and while on earth, Allah (swt) gave them Al-Islaam as

a way of life in order to reach back to the same state of falicity which

he was to begin with. Islam was also a way of Mercyto Adambecause

it was Allah's guidance to Mamand his descendants to get back to

heaven by xreansof Islam, total su1:missionto the Will of Allah and

fallCMing His guidance. Andit's the cnly way to get to Heavenis by

SUhnitting rur wills to the Will of Allah (swt): even whenwe are in

error, or sin, let's sul:rnit to Allah (swt) and ask His guidance and

protection fran the accursed ~l, our enemyon earth. This way of

life called Islaam, has beliefs and principles. This Islam is established

upon five (5) pillars. "FAITH,(IN ALIAH

~): PRAYER,
(FIVETIMES
A

DAY); F~, (IX.JRJN;"mE

MCNlli
CFRtIMAOOAN):
rnARITY,~% of oor

yearly earnings to the poor: and HAJJ (Pilgrimage to Kabbah)at least

once in our life-titre. Faith in Allah (swt) without Prayer, is no good,

Prayer withcut Fasting is no good, Fasting without Olarity is no good,

and Charity without pilgrimage is no good. It's just like a tent with

five (5) pillars, one pillar needs the support of the ~.

-6-
 The beliefs that \E have in Islam are also (5). Webelieve in Allah

alene Whohas no partnership with Himin His Kingdon; ~ believe in

His Angels; we believe in All of His Prophets, fran.Adam to Prophet

Muhamnad(Maythe Peare and blessings of Allah be upon all of them),

we believe in His Bocks, Torah, Zabur, Injil, and the Qur'an; we

believe in the ray of Judgrrent and in the Predestinatian of good and

evil.

3. MUS LIM (~), Muslim is translated by English speaking

people as being one whobelieves in Islam, or a foll~ of Muharrmad

(s),

Cne who surrenders to Allah (swt). But let us look at the actual neaning

of the word itself and see what does a MUSLIM

really llEans and what

a MUSLIM
really carries with this narre. Everybody that may say they are

MUSLIMS
doesn't necessarily llEans that they are actual Muslims because

even the devil himself is a muslim because he sul:mits to the will of

Allah (swt) willingly or unwillingly, but the devil doesn't carry out

the llEaning of the word MUSLIM,

he does the opposite. Praise be to Allah

Whohas blessed us with kncwledge, wisdan and \Ulderstanding, Praise be

to Allah, Whohas guided our hearts to Islaam, to the moral and spiritual

light where \'>'9 can see the devil fran thousands of miles away and be able

to put him back in its hole fran lying and decieving people with his

HASa:ME and FAISEHCOD

falsehood. The Holy Qur'an says that TRlJ'lH VANISHES.

Let us not ·farget the root word "SIM"that we explained an page #5,

because we will see it here again. The word MUSLlM

is another Arabic

word that has bIu (2) carpct'lel1tsand both of them are llnpartant to know

and tmderstand. 'Ihe word Muslimhas two (2) words "MU- _:i" and "SIM-~ ~
J}
The prefix "MU- J:)" llEans "'!hose who are of; '!bose of 1 and the

word "SIM-~ " !lEanS"Total sulxnissicn to the will of Allah; Feare,

Safety; security; Faith: Purity; etc •• So, fran the actual IlEaning of

the word MUSLIM

we see that a Muslim is Che who surrenders and sul:mits

-7-
h:i.mself to the Will of Allah (swt): he is one "Who carries Peaoe, safety,

security, Faith, Purity of Faith, a Muslim is a PEACEMAKER. Not everybody

who call themselves MUSLIM

make PEACE
be~ people; so we have to

knowwhat a MUSLIM
really neans and what a Muslim really is. sinoe we

learned the actual :rreaningof the word Muslim, let us see what Prophet

lIsa (Jesus) said ccnoeming this word Muslims. He said "BIESSED

ARETHE

PFACH1AKERS,
FOR'IHEYSHALL
BE CALIED
THEaUIDREN (F ALIAH".The language

that he spoke in, the word used by him for PEACEMAKERS was MUSLIMrN.

That is plural of MUSLIM.

Nowsinoe we learned the actual :rreaningof the word Muslim, let us

learn the Character of a MUSLIM

as defined py Prophet Muharnnad(saaws).

The Prophet (saaws) said "AMUSLIM

IS HEFln1 WHCSE
HANDS
AND'RNIDES

MUSLIMS
ARESAFE~He was asked what was a ''MOlMIN':
he said "A MU'r.tIN,

(Believer) IS HEWHO
IS TRUS'1.ED
WI'IHLIVESANDPRlFERl'Y~
Fran these hadith

we learn ooe of the most important characters of a Muslim and heMto

recognize a sinoere Muslim, a fo.1uslim

must be sinoere Muslim in order to

reach the stage of being a Mu'min. A Muslim will not do anything with his

hands (actioos) that will haJ:mother Muslims, physically, mentally,

rrorally, or spiritually; nor will he use his tc:ngue to haJ:mother Muslims

by means of slander, backbiting, gossip, jestures or jokes. He who harms

the honor of a Muslim is su:relly cursed by Allah (swt) till he makes

arrends far his behavior. The Prophet (saaws) said in a Hadith that if

the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth were to share in hanning a

Believer, He will overturn them all in Hell. He said that the lives of

all Muslims are equal and no Muslim shculd be ha.nred due to an infidell.

The Prophet (saaws) also said in a Hadith that if anyooe of you would

assist even in a half a word in haJ:m.inga fo.:1uslim,

Allah will OI1erturn

you in Hell. So, my brothers, there is no escape fran Allah's punishIrent

but to Allah. 'Ihe Character of a Muslim described by the Prophet of

Islam is exoellent character for us to desire and to live it, because

-8-
 The Prophet Himself (saaws) lived this Character. He said that a Muslim

should not hate his Muslimbrother, should not envy him, should not lie

to hi,m, should not cheat him, should not jcke with him, should not rejoice

at his brother Muslim's misfortune, should not be inquisi ti ve about

his Muslimbrother's personal affairs, should not makehim a pranise that

you wcn't keep, etc., etc., etc •• A Muslimdefends another Muslims in

his absence fran slander and backbiting as though it's defending himself.

The PrqJhet (saaws) said that if any of ycu defend a Muslimbrother

fran a hypocrite, fran slander and backbiting in his absence, Allah will

make easy for him the path (Siraat) in the day of Jusdgrrent. The rewards

are manyand great for defending a Muslim, physically, mentally, morally

and spiri tuall y~ just as the Punishrrents of Allah for hanning a Muslim

even with a half a word that you mayconsider unimportant.

So, nowthat 'We learn these misunderstcxrl terms, there should be no reason or

justifications far cne to say that they never heard this or that. Brothers, the only

language I amunable to read in this world are Chinese, Indian, Hebrew, and Japanise:

and there maybe a few more, rut I guarantee you not more than 7 in all. I said this

to say that the above material which you have read, is not misleading, and I challange

anyone to take these sane pages and do your 00lIl research and if you find any error

in the above tenns which I explained fran the top of myhead (nanory), I will accept

your definition and will help you propagate it. But until then, I advise you to live

Al-Islam and be a Muslimas Allah (swt) created you and I by nature, and willingly or

unwillingly, to Himis our return. (he must knowthe nature of the subject he's teaching

before he teach it to sore one: one must master the subject befor trying to govern

others by the subject: so, ~ trust understand the nature of Al-Islam and learn howto

live it in our lives before ~ try to teach others.

Accepting Islam and beoaning a Muslimfar any other reascn than being a Muslim

and practising Islam, seeking Allah's pleasures, will fail you and you will run in

great disappoint:lrents in your life tirre because Allah, or Islam is not a joke to play

with. Allah is AIr-H1V)';2

~ THETRUTH,
THETRUE
REALITY.
01e cannot play with REALITY.

-9-
 I hcpe and pray to Allah (swt) that \\e have all leamed sarething fran these

ten (10) pages. untiLmy next lesson, let us study these tenns, not only in their ~rd

tenninology, but in our actions, in our vocabulary, in oor behavior, in our daily practi-

ses. let us explain the truth of Islam as revealed by Allah (swt) in the Qur'an and

do as instructed by Allah (swt), "ANDSPEAKTHEmRD DIRECl'LY

TO THERIGHT,ANDBEATNO!'

ABaJr THEBUSH,IN ORDER THATALIMIMAYPERFECl' yam CCNOOCl'':

Allah (swt) is telling

us that by speaking the Truth directly to the right, He will perfect our conduct because

Allah (swt) is THETIUlH and He loves the Truth. We shouldn't tell the truth only in

areas where it points at others and cover the truth where it points at us. That is very

unjust and displeasing to Allah (swt), it was a practise that destroyed the Jews and

the Olristians rrorall y and spiri tuall y, and \\e don't need that same distruction fran

Allah (swt) i that's why Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur'an to stand rot as Witnesses

for Allah (swt) even if it be against cur-selves, our parents, kin or kith ••• Wehave

to pay heed to this message, but if \\e doo' t tell the truth because \\e are afraid to

lose friendship or partnership with a hareboy or a so-call friend, then be ready for

Allah's chastisercent because these are the things that Allah (swt) is pranising us in

His Book. (Qur'an) and He never fails in His pranise.

let us be Muslims and Practise Al- Islam not games and jokes, not slander and back-

biting, not gossip and mischief, not sl..irre and slickness because these things are not

a part of Islam and they are not a part of a Muslim Character. Allah (swt) will not

change the condition of any people until they change what troubles their hearts first.

MayAllah (swt) bless us with knowledge, wisdan and understanding. I close with

a Du'a:

"0 ALI.AH!LETNor ClJRHEARI'S

DEVIATE
NCMAFTERTHCXJ
HASGUIDED
US

TO T!UI'H
i KEEPCURFEETFIR-1LY
ESTABLISHED·
IN SIRMT-al-MUSTAQEEM

lINDHEIP US ]\J3AINST
THEDISBELI:EVIN;
PEOPLE. GIVEUS GOCDIN THIS

IDRIDANDIN THENEXT.WEBOOOF THEESAFETY,SEClJRITY

& PRCYl'ECl'IOO

FRCMTHEEVIL CF CURSELVES,
ANDWEBOOCF THEEFOffiIVENESS
lINDMERCY

FRCMTHYPRESENCE"
Arreen.

~ 1\MID . SA ZUBER!
 "BISMILLAH IR-RAHMAN IR-RAHIM"

-'>----=-- ---- rlf~-:-ZnE---------~---,--.-..,<

WITH THE NAME OF ALLAH~ MOST GRACIOUS~ MOST MERCIFUL

THE STRAIGHT PATH

"THE STATE OF FALICITY,

PAR A DIS E,
H E AVE N~

Jf~<~
.-
y~n:J(;_;

Y.tJI~~ ~;~ ~
-- , ~ -J"$ _- - q- _ ~ II
Ul
H
)j_.e. <;ilJ/ : 1~·...9 <: ~'J
l'l
z
H
(:~f;r~~~
- .. -
16IJl _;(~t :/~/~(~ ~ t
~ ~ - - 1"" -
!:l

~.:!~3J1 ~

'ABDULrAIi b. MAstUD TOLD HOWALLAH"S MESSENGER DREW A LINE FOR THEM

AND SAID,' ",THIS IS ALLAH'S PATH." THEREAFTER HE DREW SEVERAL LINES
ON HIS RIGHT AND LEFT AND SAID, "THESE ARE PATHS ON EACH OF WHICH
THERE IS A DEVIL WHO INVITES PEOPLE TO FOLLOW IT." AND HE RECITED,
"~ THAT THIS IS MY PATH, STRAIGHT; FOLLOW IT ••• " (S. 6 : 153) •
Ahmad, Nasa'I and Darimi transmitted it.

In another Hadith it says:

IBN MAS' OD REPORTED ALLAH' S MESSENG~ AS SAYING, " ALLAH HAS PROPOUNDED
AS A PARABLE A STRAIGHT PATH ON THE SIDES OF WHICH ARE WALLS WITH OPEN,
DOORS OVER WHICH CURTAINS ARE HANGING DOWN. AT THE TOP OF THE PATH THERE
IS ONE WHO CALIS, 'GO STRAIGHT ON THE PATH AND DO NOT FOLLOW AN IRREGULAR
COURSE.' ABOVE THAT ONE IS ANOTHER WHOCALLS OUT AS OFTEN AS ANYONE TRIES
TO OPEN ANY OF THOSE DOORS, 'WOE TO YOU! Do NOT OPEN IT, FOR IF YOU OPEN
IT YOU WILL GO THROUGH IT!" HE THEN INTERPRETED IT TELLING THAT THE PATH
IS ISLAAM, THE OPEN DOORS ARE THE THINGS ALLAH HAS FORBIDDEN, THE CURTAINS
HANGING DOWNARE THE LIMITS ALLAH HAS SET, THE CRIER AT THE TOP OF THE
PATH IS THE QUR' AN, AND THE ONE ABOVE HIM IS ALLAH'S MONITOR IN EVERY
BELIEVER'S HEART. RazIn and Ahmad transmitteded it. BaihaqI transmitteded
it in Shu'ab al-Iman from an-Nawwas b. Sim'an, as did TirmidhI in a
more concise form.
"THE STATE OF FALICITY, ~-

PAR A DIS E, Ii1

8
H E AVE N~'
r£l~
~~
...:lJ:il
::r:
\\ \ -~
,

~
0
E-t
~Z
C§~(9
J1lQ
tt:::>
8t-:l

~
o
s:
U)'
H ;.
::r:
8
Z
H ~.
-.,

..vi~,l;A~ ~\)
r-.~I
~

L-~
~;:-:. L•

~ ~~~
BY

THE STRAIGHT PATH J_~~IM.~.Z~~

 Amid; m. m. zu ~eri
BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHEEM
WITH THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, THE COMPASSIONATE

DATE: April 15, 1986-Revised By Imam Amidi M.M Zuheri 12/09/91

FROM: Masjid
TO: The Member of Masjid
RE: THE MOSQUE [MASJID]

AS-Salaamu-Alaikum

Beloved Brothers:

The following material is ~n accordance with "kverday Fiqh,"

Which is the Islamic Jurisprudence and legal system as deduced
and evolved by different schools of law from the Qur'an, and/
or the Sunnah, and/or the Holy prophet's traditions and pract-
ices.
"ONLY .•. [THESE] PEOPLE DESERVE
TO BE THE GUARDIANS AND SERVANTS
OF ALLAH'S HOUSE OF WORSHIP:
••• [THOSE] WHO BELIEVE IN ALLHA
AND THE LAST DAY, AND ESTABLISH
SALAT AND PAY Z~KAT DUES, AND
REAR NONE BUT ALLAH ••• n [9:18]

There is a certain manner in which Muslims are supposed to

conduct themselves while in the Mosque [Masjid1, and it is
important that we establish and enforce this manner in our
Masjid.
 Respect and Reverence for the Mosque [Masjid]

1. One should place his right foot first in the Masjid, and,
after invoking Allah's blessing for the Holy Prophet,
say:
[Allahum-aftah-li-abwabas rah-
matika] "0 Allah! Open for me
the doors of thy mercy." [Mus-
lim]

2. On leaving the Masjid, one should step out on his left

foot and should humbly say:
[Allahumma inni as'aluka min
fadlika wa rah-matika] "0 allah!
I beg Thee for Thy bounty, grace
and mercy."

3. After entering the Masjid, one should first of all greet

the Masjid with two rak'ahs of Nafl, for the Holy Prophet
has said:
When any of you enters a Masjid,
he should not sit until he has
observed two rak'ahs of prayer,"
[Bukhari, Muslim]

4. One should sit with perfect calmness, humility, and dig-

nity in the Masjid with the heart over-awed by the fear
and reverence of Allah, and should abstain from raising
noise and laughter, passing comments on worldly matters,
indulging in trade and business, etc., because these are
against the sanctity of the Masjid and have been forbidden
by the Holy Prophet. He said:
"A time will come when the peo-
ple will indulge in mere worldly
matters while sitting in the
Masjid; you should not join
them, because the prayers of
such people will not be accept-
able to Allah."

One should enter the Masjid humbly and sit wherever one
finds a place; it is very undesirable that one should
try to go to the front by jumping over the shoulders of
people and disturbing them unnecessarily. It is also
undersirable that one should run in the Masjid in order
to join the Imam in the Ruku position to gain a rak' ah;
instead, one must always walk humbly and in a dignified
manner in the Masjid, for the Holy Prophet has said:
"You should adopt perfect calm-
ness and tranquility in the
Masj ide n

-2-
5. One should avoid coming to the Masjid carrying or having
eaten something that gives an unpleasant smell. The Holy
Prophet has warned:
"Do not come to our Masjid with
your mouths smelling of garlic
or onion, for anything which
disturbs human beings disturbs
the angels, too." [Bukhari,
Muslim1

6. The Masjid should not be made a thoroughfare, for when

a person has entered the Mosque, he becomes honor-bound
to pray in it, recite the Quran, and remember Allah.
Passing through the Masjid carelessly for one's personal
convenience is a sheer violation of its sanctity and -sho-
uld be scrupulously avoided.

7. One should have deep love and natural inclination for

the Masjid, and should attend the Masjid zealously at
every prayer time. The Holy Prophet has said:
"On the dreadful Day of Resur-
rection, when there will be
no shade except under the Divine
Throne, seven kinds of people
will be provided a place there-
under. One kind will be those
people whose hearts were much
inclined for prostration [in
the MasjidJ." [Bukhari1

Then he said:
"Allah arranges a guest's recep-
tion for those people who regu-
larly visit the Masjid in the
morning and in the evening."
[Bukhari, Muslim1

And he said:
For the person who goes to pray
in the Masj id after performing
Wudu well at home, Allah feels
as much overjoyed on his reach-
ing the Masjid as the people
of a house do on the return
of a traveler." [Ibn Khuzaimah]

According to Hadrat Saiid bin AI-Musayyab, the Holy Pro-

phet said:
"The person who performed his
Wudu well and left his house
for the Masjid, whether it is
near or far from his house,
gets a reward on each right
step and is forgiven a sin on

-3-
 each left step taken forward.
Then, after coming to the Mas-
jid, If he completed his prayer
with the congregation, or if
he joined last and completed
his prayer independently, or
if he missed the congregation
altogether and completed his
prayer individually, in the
Masjid, he is entitled to full
rewards from Allah."

8. The Masj id deserves to be kept clean at all times and

also perfumed, if possible, for, according to the Holy
Prophet, looking after the Masjid well, sweeping" and keep-
ing it clean and free of all sorts of dirt, and perfuming
it, especially on Firdays, entitles one to enter Paradise.
[Ibn Majaf, Tabarani]

9. One is forbidden to enter the Masjid in an unclean state,

for instance, after having intercourse, or during the
mense or Nifas, etc., unless it is unavoidable on account
of a genuine need.

10. There should be a proper system for pronouncing Azan and

holding congregational prayers in tlle Masj id, and only
such people should be selected and appointed as seem to
the Mu'azzin and Imam to be the best, morally and in the
practice and knowledge of Islam, among the worshippers.
Also. those appointed should be prepared to carry out
these obligations gratis, only for the sake of recompense
in the Hereafter.

Hadrat Uthman bin Abi aI-As says that he requested that

the Holy Prophet appoint him [Hadrat Utdman bin Abi aI-As]
Imam for his people. The Holy Prophet replied:
"You are appointed their Imam,
so have a regard for the weak,
and appoint a Mu azzin
I who
does not charge anything for
pronouncing Azan."

11. It is the duty of the people of the habitation to see

that the Masjid remains well attended and that people
visit it frequently to offer prayers, recite Quran, ob-
serve voluntary prayers, and remember Allah. The Masjid
being Allah's house of worship, deserves to be shown due
respect and reverence and used as much as possible for
prayers and devotions to Allah by the people who profess
to be Muslims. The Quran says:
n Only •.• [these] people deserve
to be the guardians and ser-
vants of Allah s house of wor-
I

ship: ..• [those] whobelieve

in Allah and the Last Day,
and establish Salat and pay

-4-
 Zakat dues, and fear none but
allah .••" [9:18]

12. The Friday Prayer [Juma Prayer]

A. It is obligatory to listen to the sermon peacefully

and with full attention, whether the listener is sitting
near. the Imam or away from him.

B. It is desirable that one should sit close to the

Imam during the sermon and face toward him. [Mishkat]

C. When the Imam has stood up to deliver the sermon,

no one should offer an individual prayer, nor should one
engage in conversation. It is forbidden to talk, offer
prayer, busy oneself in meditation, eat, drink, greet
or respond to greeting, or do anything which may distract
one from the sermon: even giving religious instructions
or exhorting others to do good is forbidden. The Holy
Prophet has said:
"The person who talks when
the sermon is in progress is
like a donkey loaded with books
and the one who tells another
one to be quiet during the
sermon has lost his own Friday
Prayer." [Musnad, Ahmad,
Tabarani]

However, one is permitted to offer amissed prayer during

the sermon, if it is really necessary.

D. One may invoke Allah's blessing for the Holy Prophet

inaudibly when his name is mentioned in the sermon. Reg-
ulations for Lining-up.

1. Utmosf care has to be exercised to keep the rows

straight and balanced. The Holy Prophet has instructed:
"keep your rows straight and
balanced in the prayer, for
proper alignment is a necessary
condition of observing prayer
well." [Bukhari, Muslim]

2. The front rows should be filled and completed first.

3. The people possessing deep knowledge and understanding

of religion should stand close to the Imam, and behind
him: then, those who are next to them in knowledge and
understanding; and then, those who are next in knowledge
and understanding, etc.

4. The followers should stand behind the Imam in a

balanced way, equally on the right and left, keeping him
in the middle in front.

-5-
 5. If the front rows are complete and there is no room
for a late comer, he should avoid standing alone behind
them, and should pull a person back from the front row
and make a separate row in the rear.

CLOSINGREMARKS

My Beloved Brothers, out of great love do I exhort you

to observe the proper way of governing yourselves while in
the Masj id. I t is Allah's house, and we as believers should
display better conduct and respect for the Masjid.

We should have a burning desire to please Allah, for it

is Him who we displease when we violate the sanctity of the
Masjid. LET'S BE TRUEMUSLIMS!!!

-6-
DATE: November 4, 1992
From: Amir of Da'wah
To: Imam Zuberi, Asst. Imam, and the general Muslim Ummah

Allah (swt) in commissioning the Arch Angel Gabriel to deliver His Divine Revelation (The Holy Qur'an ) to our
Prophet Muhammad [saws] issued forth His very first command by means of revealing Surah 96:1-5. In it, Allah
(swt) instructs the Prophet [saws] to Proclaim or Preach or Propagate (Da'wah) this universal Truth of Al-Islam to
the whole of humanity.

He (Allah [swt)) further states in this very first Ayat that our Da'wah efforts or propagating efforts should not be
done in the cause of any worldly gain or pursuits; but rather "in the name [cause] of our Lord and Cherisher only!".
Once we proceed with this thought foremost in our minds and hearts, (that we propagate Al-Islam only for the
satisfaction and favor of Allah [swt)) then we can rightly ell:pectsome form of benefit (Blessings) as a natural
consequence of being obedient to Allah [swt]. Such blessings can come in many forms: Materially, Intellectually
or Spiritually; or even in a combination of all three [3] forms. But be assured that such blessings will come; for our
Creator (Allah [swt] ) has promised this to us and He [swt] never goes back on His promise.

"PROPOSED STRATAGEM FOR DA'WAH"

Our objectives in these efforts are to project and present this "Blessed way of life" (Al-Islam) in the best possible
light as to ensure that we as Muslims keep ourselves blame free from distorting or misrepresenting what Allah
[swt] has entrusted to us. He (Allah swt ) gave Islam to us in its purest form, therefore, it is a grave sin for us to
give it to any other person except in the "Purity" in which it was given to us.

We know that good Muslim conduct in itself carries much weight when it comes to inviting people to Al-Islam. It
is said that a single picture takes the place of a thousand words. This means that our outer conduct or image
(picture) as Muslims will naturally speak much louder than what we might otherwise say out of our mouths,
particularly when we are inviting those who doesn't know a thing about Al-Islam other than what they can see
manifest in us.

So the best and initial stages of any Da'wah efforts which will make any degree of lasting impression in the minds
of others has to derive from what they can see in us individually as well as collectively. With this thought
foremost in mind, my #1 proposal is that we immediately implement the "MUSLIM CODE OF CONDUCT"
formulated by Imam Zuberi, which we as an Ummah reviewed and agreed.

We, with the help and guidance of Allah [swt] want a strong, assertive and progressive Ummah which will make
for the very best example for others to look to and become interested in what it is that motivated the Muslims to
behave so superbly. So, the Code of Conduct is an important document that we intend to take seriously and it is
the responsibility of every Muslim who receive a copy to immediately incorporate it within his conduct.
The Da'wah committee members which I am requesting are the following six [6] brothers listed below. Before I
mention them, let me say that any brother who is not listed doesn't mean that he doesn't have the responsibility of
propagating Islam, nor does it mean that he doesn't have a right to attend meetings or classes, make suggestions,
etc..

As Amir in this area, I welcome each and every brother's participation and attendance. Da'wah is too important to
limit it to just 6 or 7 brothers. However, for the purpose of organization, cooperation and structure, this committee
is formed with the following brothers:

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

This committee will formulate specific Da'wah goals and objectives which will include the following, but not
limited to:

(A) Correct intentions or motives for wanting to invite people to the Deen.

(B) Developing a combination of the best Da'wah approaches.

(C) Concentrated efforts and planning designed for particular segmented groups and developing specific
Da'wah presentations for that group. Example: A Da'wah program designed for older gentlemen, one for
younger persons, one for Hispanics, one for caucasions and one for new arrivals to this institution, etc.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Committee members will be responsible to go out in small groups of possibly two and gather information from
each segment group by asking questions in ways that are best and most gracious as to why in their minds Islam
doesn't appear to have an attraction to them. Once we get their answers, we can then develop presentations based
in truth which will destroy the false claims of their inhibitions to at least acknowledge the truth of this Deen.
Though they themselves may not be ready (in their minds) to surrender to it, it will In'sha-Allah help us to refine
our presentations.

Please note: Organization is one of the strongest factors which lead to the success of any movement. Our
movement is the Islamic movement with its many dimensions and nothing else.
 .~. 1

~. \
BISMILLAH ir-RAHMAN ir-RAHIM
With the name Allah~ Most Gracious~ Most Merciful

FROM: The Maj 1is Ash-Shura [QADI 'S GUIDELINES]

TO: IMAM Amidi M. M. ZuberL Asst. Imam and The Ummah

As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu~

As Muslims "Islam" has a right over us as followers of it

and as such we are to make it the sole judge in all our affair~
without any feelings of annoyance or irritation. Only in this
way do we deserve the title Mu'min or Believer.
In Surah 4:59 Allah [swtl says: "0 ye who believe! Obey
Allah and obey the Apostle~ and those charged with authority
among YOU. If ye differ in anything among yourselves~ refer
it to Allah and His Apostle~ if ye believe in Allah and the
Last Day: That is best and most suitable for final determination
S. 4:65 says: "But no~ by thy Lord~ they can have no IreaIJ
Faith until they make thee Judge In all disputes between them~
and find In their souls no resistance against thy Decision but
accept them with the fullest conviction.
S. 33:36 Says: "It is not fitting for a bellever~ man or
woman~ when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle
to have any OPtion about their decision: If anyone disobeys
Allah and His Apostle~ he Is Indeed on a clearly wrong Path".
In these various ayat of the Qur'an we are instructed to
refer to Allah [swt] and His Apostle as the final Judge in
settl ing any and all disputes~ misunderstandings~ arguments or
anything which may bring about disunity (in all its many sinful
and ugly forms) within our Muslim Ummah.
Functioning in the capacity of an elected QADI in this
Community~ it is my responsibility to search out and find the
answer to any prob 1em that we .ight encounter.· Any and all
decisions or answers I may bring -r0rth to the Ummah will not be
made on my own accord or based on anytMing other than what Allah·
[swtl and His Messenger has already decided. This is what the
Muslim means when he says thQ~· there is no room for feelings
when it comes to Islam. This means that we cannot allow feelings
J
 or emotions to cause us not to follow what Allah [swt] and His
Messenger [saaws] has already decided. This is Hguidonce in the
N

true sense of the word and we as Muslims are to turn to certain

sources for our answers.
Do recall that Allah [swt] in S. 4:59 says that we are to
obey Him.. His Apostle and those charged with authority among
you. What this is saying in regard to the highlighted caption is
that we are to obey those who are authorities (learn) in terms
of the knowledge of Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet
Muhammad [saaws] and while they themselves follow it.
Abu Bakr (R.A.) the first to succeed the Prophet [saaws]
and was the first Khalif ..after he was elected he addressed the
Muslim Ummah and in this address he said "Obey me as long as I
obey Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey Allah and His
Messenger ..yoU are free to disobey me".
With this in mind ..we will turn to the following authoriti-
es in reaching a just and final deciSion in any matter of
..dis-agreemenr:.and --wiLh -Allah beiw the- al-rTmate---Author
ity-~ we
naturally must turn first to:
1. The Holy Qur'an - a devine revelation and each and every
word is from Allah (swt].
If a clear cut answer cannot be found here which will allow
the Qadi to reach a deCiSion or settle said dispute ..he Is to
turn to:
2. Sunnoh (Hadith) - The word Sunnah means a system ..
path or an example. In Islam it refers to
the practise of the Prophet [saows] ..his Life
example. It is embodied in the Ahadith [plural
of Hadithl.
Which are the Prophet's [saaws] sayings ..actions
and the actions done with his approval.
Ahadith have been very carefully collected and copield
since the death of the Prophet [saaws]. SIx [6] collections of
Hadith are regarded as the most authentic. The are:
I. SAHIH AL-BUKHARI
2. SAHIH MUSLIM
3. SUNNAN ABU DAWUD
4. SUNNAN IBN MAJAH
-2-
 5. JAMI' AT-TIRMIDHI
6. SUNNAN AN-MASA'I

3. IJMA' (consensus) - applies to a situation

where no clear conclusion can be made from
the Qur'an and the Sunnah. In this situation the

representatives of the Ummah who· are well-versed

in in the Qur'an and the Sunnah will sit together
and work out an agreed formula to solve
the particular problem, This process or method
(Ijma' or consensus)
developed or came about during the period
of the Rightly Guided Khalifah (known in Arabic
as the AI-Khulafa Ar-Rashidun)

4, Qlyos - (analogy or reasoning on the bases

of similar circumstances). These sources [Qiyas]
must must still be based on the
Qur'an and the Sunnah.
Qiyas means a reference or alalogy or a comparsi-
on of one thing with a similar one, It is
applied in circumstances where guidance from
the Qur'an and Sunnah are not directly available;
A solution to a problem is reached by a process
of deduction from a comparsion with similar
Situations in the past.
5. FIQH - Is the Science of Islamic Law or
jurisprudence.
It refers to the collection and compilation
of Islamic Laws based on the Qur'an and the
Sunnah of the Prophet [saaws] .The word
FIQH means knowledge and understanding. Some great Muslims
devoted themselves to the task of developing the science of
understanding Islamic Law and its practise. The four [4] best
known compilers of Islamic Law or Shari'ah are:
1. Imam Abu Hanifah (born 80 A.H.~ died 150
A. H. )
2. Imam Malik (93 - 179 A.H.)
-'3 -
 3. Imam Shafi'i (150 - 240 A.H.)
4. Imam Ibn Hanbali (164 - 241 A.H.).
Islamic Law divides human activities into five
(5) catagories:

1. FARDH or WAJIB [duty or obligatory~ a must]

Performance of these actions is rewarded and
their omission is punished.

2. MANDUB - (recommended) - actions~ the perform

ance of which is rewarded~ but omission of which
is not punishable.

3. MUBAH (silent) - actions permitted by silence.

4.MAKRUH (disliked) - actions disapproved

of but not punishable.

5. HARAAM (forbidden) - actions punishable

by Law.

The scholars and experts on Islamic law have made Shari'ah

(Code of law for the Islamic way of life) easier to understand
and practice by means of the science of Fiqh. Fiqh is the
explanation of the Islamic laws based on the Quar'an and Sunnah.
These explanations which has come from aur learned scholars
and experts is what makes UP the four Schoo 1s of Thought-and
all of them fall under the catagory of Sunnah (practice of the
Prophet) .
These are the five(5) major sources in which the Qadi and
his designated Qadi Commitee members will work in settling
disputes. Noted once again for £larity; these sources are:
1.) The Qur'an
2.) The Sunnah
3.) Ijma (Consenses)
4.) Qiyas (analogy or reasoning)
5.) Fiqh (Islamic law / juriprudence)
 However~ because of our limited amount of Islamic
literature~ our present situation of incarceration and the fact
that we are not under an Islamic Government our main sources for
settling disputes will be Qur'an~ the Sunnah and fiqh. "Fiqh"
in itse If incarcerates with in the use of Ijma (consenses) and
Qiyas (analogy or reasoning).

General Guidelines And

Procedures in Settling Disputes
1.) The Qadi or member of the Qadi Commitee must be fully aware
of the nature of the dispute or problem; hearing both sides of
the problem.

2.) In the process of correction a problem or dispute and

method used in solving said problem or dispute can not create a
situation where a greater wrong or problem is created.

3.) 1m settling disputes or correcting a problem the Qadi or

any of the members of the commitee can not be guilty himself of
the problem or wrong in which he is rendering a dicision on.

4. ) Once a dispute or problem is brought to the attent ion os

the Qadi~ he or a member of the commitee will inform all parties
concerned of a scheduled meeting. All parties concerned will be
required to attend. If said party fails in attending scheduled
meeting it will be an indication that he is being somewhat rebe-
llious in adhering to the Islamic system we are striving to
establish here which will (in'sha' Allah) cause us to be more
conscious and obedient to what Allah says - while enjoining this
on oneanother. If a brother .has a legitimate excuse for his
absence the meeting will be continued or commenced as scheduled;
at the discretion of the Qadi. If the meeting is held without
the brother being presenC a deciSion shall be reached in his
absence and he will be epected to adhere to that deciSion.
5.) Appeal a brother may appeal a decision by means of
 it be ing rev iewed and dec ided by a fu II Qad i

Board commitee and then it can be appealed

to the Majlis board (all office holders of
the community) for final disposition.

6.) In starting meetings two Rakah of mafl prayer will

be offered to Allah and three Takbirs. Two
readings from the Qur/an pertaining to the
problem(s) shall be read. And then we will
proceed in getting to the root of the dispute
or problem (insha Allah).
l

7.) There will be a maximum of three (3) days in reaching a

decision or solving a problem. The progress of the Ummah as a
whole is too important to be held-up by evasive tactics within
these meetings; atttitudes" anger" hidden envy" jealous" etc.
and therefore" such immature behavior will not be tolerated-with
the backing of the force of the Ummah if need be. We are Musli~
adults and we should conduct ourselves as such. Allah" through
his grace has joined our hearts in love and we should always
remember this. We are brothers!

The Qadi Commitee

The Qadi Commitee will be composed of certain brothers

appointed by the Qadi. In exercising their sense of judgement
from an Islamic perspective and also to train themseles in being
able to quickly and effectively turn th the major sources of re-
ference for research and reaching just decisions in accordance
with what Allah says; shall peck certain areas of interest to
discuss with the Ummah(an area which is not clear-cut) and show
the method or formula on how to solve a particular problem or
reach a better understanding and knowledge of a particular
subject matter. It eill be discussed with the Qadi members as
tO how frequent we shall do this" but we would like to do this
at Ieast once a week-insha Allah.
l
It is reported by Bukhari

-~ -
and Mus 1im that Abu Bakr sa id that he heard the messenger of
Allah(saw) say: no judge must give judgement between two people
when he is angry,

Buraida repeorted also that Allah's messinger(saw) said;

"Qadi's are of three type; one of whom go to paradise and two to
hell, The one who will gO to paradise is a man who knows what
is right and gives judgement accordingly; but a man who knows
what is right and acts tyronnically in his judgement fpr people
when he is ignorant will gO to hell!"
The Imam and Asst, Imam '$Ii 11 be kept we 11 informed as to
the praposed activities of the Qadi Commitee when it involves
the whole of the Ummah, We will do this so as not to conflict
with any scheduled activities they may have arranged,

As-salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu.

-7-