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Discovering
ISLAM
Sayed
Moustafa Al-Qazwini
This book is dedicated to the master of all women
from the beginning of creation to the end,
Fatima al-Zahra
(peace be upon her),
beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah
(pbuh&hf), as we await her intercession on the final day.
Discovering
ISLAM
The Islamic Educational Center of Orange
Telephone: (714) 432-0060
Fax: (714) 432-0070
E-mail: info@iecoc.org
First
Copyright © 2001 by Moustafa Al-Qazwini
All rights reserved, including
the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, without the prior
written permission of the author.
The Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Al-Qazwini, Moustafa
Discovering
Islam/ Moustafa Al-Qazwini
p.
cm.
ISBN: 0-9711538-0-9
This book is dedicated to the master of all women
from the beginning of creation to the end,
Fatima al-Zahra
(peace be upon her),
beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah
(pbuh&hf),
Κas we await
her intercession on the final day.
PREFACE
As of June, 1999, I will have lived in The United
States for five years. During this time, I have met many intellectual
individuals who have inspired me to introduce the beautiful religion of Islam
to the public through speeches, writings, and articles. I also have had the
honor of spending almost three years with our future generation, the Muslim
youth, in
I would like to thank Sister Amina Inloes for her
help with editing this
work.
May Allah continuously guide me and all the
sincere brothers and sisters to His righteousness and piety.
Sayed
Moustafa Al-Qazwini
AUTHOR?S
NOTE
When the first edition of this book was published
in August of 1999, I received many words of encouragement and inspiration from
kind friends
within the community. In recent years, the need for approachable
Islamic publications has been recognized in order to clarify the misconceptions
surrounding Islam. Remarkably, within two years, three thousand copies of the
first edition of this book have been distributed. Thus, the thought of
reissuing the book surfaced. Yet, as a man begins to age, his approach to ideas
and conceptions evolve. I felt the book warranted a review and revision. With
Allah?s grace, this text reflects that intention.
The writing and publishing of this book would not
have been achieved without Allah the Almighty, and with the assistance of many
dedicated people within our community. Special thanks go to Sister Fatma Saleh
for her tremendous work in assisting with the second edition. A deep appreciation
and prayer goes to the Sajjad Foundation and its Trustees for making this book
available to readers. May Allah bless the aforementioned names and all of the
faithful people who spread the light of Islam.
Sayed
Moustafa Al-Qazwini
It is customary in Islam that when the names of
Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, other prophets, or imams (descendants and
successors of Prophet Muhammad) are enunciated, the following phrases are
mentioned:
Allah??Glorified and Exalted?
(Sabhanna wa-tallah).
Written
abbreviation?SWT
Prophet
Muhammad??Peace be upon him and his
family.?
Written abbreviation? pbuh&hf.
After the names of other prophets, imams from the
family of Prophet Muhammad and his daughter??Peace
be upon him/her.?
Written abbreviation?pbuh
.
With great respect, admiration, recognition, and
praise, I have omitted the mentioned phrases for the sake of continuity.
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Introduction |
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ΚΚΚ What is Islam? |
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ΚΚΚ Who are the Muslims? |
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ΚΚΚ How does one become a Muslim? |
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Pillars of Islam: Islamic Beliefs |
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Κ I The Oneness
of Allah (Tawhid) |
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ΚΚΚ Describing Allah |
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ΚΚΚ The ninety-nine names of Allah |
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ΚΚΚ Viewpoints of Islam and Christianity regarding Allah |
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Κ II Divine Justice (?Adil) |
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ΚΚΚ Predestination (Jabir) or free will (Tawhid)? |
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Κ III Prophethood
(Nubuwwa) |
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Κ ΚΚ Why did Allah send different prophets and different religions? |
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ΚΚΚ The life of Prophet Muhammad |
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Κ IV Succession
to Prophet Muhammad (Imamah) ΚΚΚ The family of the Prophet (Ahlul Bayt) |
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Κ V The Day of
Judgment and the Resurrection (Qiyama) |
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ΚΚΚ Death and life after death |
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ΚΚΚ Repentance and forgiveness |
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Islamic Practices |
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Κ I Prayers (Salaat) |
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ΚΚΚ The necessity of connection with the Absolute |
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ΚΚΚ When a society ceases to pray |
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ΚΚΚ Details of the five prescribed prayers |
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Κ II Fasting (Sawm) |
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Κ III-IV
Almsgiving (Zakat and Khums) |
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ΚΚΚ Specifics of the Zakat and Khums |
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Κ V Pilgrimage to
the City of |
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ΚΚΚ Significance of the Hajj |
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ΚΚΚ The rites of Hajj |
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Κ VI
StrivingΚ (Jihad) |
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Κ VII-VIII
Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ ΚΚΚΚ(Amr
Bil-ma?rouf~Nahiy an al-Munkar) |
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Κ IX Supporting
Those Who Walk in the Path of Allah ΚΚΚΚΚΚ (Tawalli li Awliyaa? Allah) |
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Κ X Turning away
from the Enemies of Allah ΚΚΚΚΚ (Tabari Min a?daa Allah) |
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Religious Texts |
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ΚΚΚ The Quran |
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Κ ΚΚScience and the Quran |
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ΚΚΚ The qualities of the Quran |
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ΚΚΚ The supplications to Allah (Du?a)Κ |
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ΚΚΚ Du?a Kumayl |
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Other Islamic
Issues |
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ΚΚΚ Leadership of the Muslims after Prophet Muhammad. |
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ΚΚΚ Social life in Islam |
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ΚΚΚ Marriage and family life |
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ΚΚΚ Women in Islam |
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ΚΚΚ Human rights in Islam |
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ΚΚΚ Islamic law and punishment |
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ΚΚΚ Mosques (Masjid) ΚΚΚ Epilogue ΚΚΚ Glossary ΚΚΚ |
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What is Islam?
Islam[1] means ?submitting or surrendering one?s will to the
will of Allah.?[2]
Humankinds? innate disposition naturally submits to the reverence of Allah;
this instinct was born with him or her on the day of creation. In reality, the
entire universe, through its ordered workings, all submit to the will of Allah.
Modern science calls these phenomena ?the laws of nature,? but these laws of
nature, from an Islamic perspective, are not just any laws of nature but the
laws of Allah for nature. Human beings depend on, and are in need of Allah?s
sustenance and guidance throughout their entire lives; thus, man must yield his
self-will and desires to the will of the Creator.
Submission to Allah does not entail
self-humiliation or a denial of human intellect; rather, it means trusting the
knowledge, wisdom, and fairness of the Creator. In some form of an act or
instance, people involuntary trust and depend on the safety of their lives to
others. Hence, the decision to trust a person with more knowledge is logical;
therefore, trusting the wisdom of Allah would not constitute abandoning one?s
intellect, but rat
her, it would constitute following one?s natural inclination.
Islam has other meanings; one of which is ?to have
peace.? Allah says in the Quran,[3]
?He is Allah, there is no Allah but
Him?the King, the Holy One, and the Peace? (59:23). Moreover, the Quran states ?And Allah invites to the abode of peace? (
By its connotations of peace and safety, Islam
indicates that the religion is free from any deficiencies or defects. As a
religion, Islam is considered perfect because it was ordained by Allah
and not invented or marked by humankind.
Commanded by Allah, Prophet Abraham was the first
person to use the words Islam and Muslims.[4]
?It [Islamic monotheism] is the religion
of your father Abraham. He [Allah] has named you Muslims both before and in
this [Quran]? (22:78
). ?Abraham was
neither a Jew, nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim [submissive to Allah]
and was not one of the polytheists? (3:67). Not only did Prophet Abraham call his religion Islam, but the
prophets after Abraham called their religion Islam. Prophet Joseph, in the
chapter entitled ?Joseph? of the Quran states:
My Lord! You have given me authority
and taught me the interpretation of things. O Creator of the heavens and earth!
You are my guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a
Muslim, submitting to Your will, and join me with the righteous (12:101).
Thus, Allah declares in the Quran, ?Truly the religion before Allah is Islam? (
Who are the Muslims?
Muslims are the followers of the religion of Islam
(those people who submit to the will of Allah as explained in the Quran and the
traditions[5]
of Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Islam). Today, the Muslim population is
about 1.2 billion, and it is spread over a vast range of races, nationalities,
and cultures. Approximately 18% of the Muslims live in the Arab world, but the
majority live in
HOW DOES
ONE
BECOME A MUSLIM?
The basic requirement to become a Muslim is to
declare, ?Ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa
Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah.? In English this means, ?I
testify that there is no Allah, but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah.? Anyone who proclaims this phrase joins the ranks of the Muslim
nation. The statement marks the beginning of one?s physical and spiritual
journey in practicing all aspects of Islam. A Muslim strives to become one whom
the Quran terms as the faithful (mu?min).
Although this journey in becoming faithful may be long, its rewards are
numerous for those who embark on it with sincere will and intention.
Practicing Islam requires learning Islamic ideas,
teachings, and practices?then adapting to them. Moreover, Islamic practice
requires some sacrifice. However, the necessity of sacrifice should not be a
deterrent. Prophet Muhammad states, ?Whenever
someone gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with
something better.?
Sincerity of belief also develops over time. When
Prophet Muhammad began spreading the message of Islam, some people came to him
and informed him that they were believers in Islam. In replying, Allah revealed
the following verse, ?Say [Muhammad]:
?You believe not,? but say, ?We have submitted to Islam,? for faith has not yet
entered your hearts? (49:14).
The successor
to Prophet Muhammad, Imam Ali[6],
has described the dynamic process of following Islam:
<
span style='font-family:Palatino'>
I am defining Islam as no one has
defined it before me: Islam is submission, submission is conviction, conviction
is affirmation, affirmation is acknowledgement, acknowledgement is performance
of obligations, and the performance
of obligations is good deeds.[7]
I
PILLARS OF ISLAM
ISLAMIC BELIEFS
THE
ONENESS OF ALLAH
(TAWHID)
Allah is the center of a Muslim?s belief. Whereas
certain religions focus on individuals, for example, Christianity?s focus on
Jesus Christ, Islam focuses solely on Allah. Islam is based on the Absolute
(Allah), not His manifestations. The Quran itself speaks of the oneness of
Allah:
Allah has borne witness that there
is no Allah but Him, and the angels, and those with knowledge also witness
this. He is always standing firm on justice.Κ
There is no Allah but Him, the Mighty, the Wise (
The
oneness of Allah is not only a philosophical argument, but also an affirmation
in which all human beings once declared the oneness of Allah before their souls
entered the body:
[Remember] when your Lord brought
forth the children of Adam from their loins and made them testify over
themselves, saying, ?Am I not your Lord?? They said, ?Yes!Κ We testify,? lest you should say on the Day
of Resurrection, ?Verily, we were unaware of this? (7:172).
At that time, every person to be
created proclaimed Allah?s majesty, sovereignty, power, transcendence, and
absolute oneness. Such was the covenant Allah made with all people at the time
of their creation, whether people presently
claim to believe in Allah or not. Similarly, all people today, regardless of
origin, are naturally inclined toward the idea that Allah i
s one and without a
partner. The Quran informs Prophet Muhammad of the following:
Set your face to the true religion
[Islamic monotheism], the natural inclination [fitra] with which Allah has created mankind.Κ [Let there be] no change in what Allah has
made; that is the straight religion, but most people do not understand (30:30).
Describing Allah
One of the shortest chapters in the Quran, ?The Oneness of Allah,?[8]
summarizes the nature of Allah in five verses:
In the name of Allah, the Infinitely Compassionate, the Most Merciful: Say