The Islam Message

In or about the year 570 the child who would be named Muhammad and who would become the Prophet of one of the world's great religions, Islam, was born into a family belonging to a clan of Quraysh, the ruling tribe of Mecca, a city in the Hijaz region of northwestern Arabia.

Originally the site of the Ka'bah, a shrine of ancient origins, Mecca had with the decline of southern Arabia (see Chapter l ) become an important center of sixth-century trade with such powers as the Sassanians, Byzantines, and Ethiopians. As a result the city was dominated by powerful merchant families among whom the men of Quraysh were preeminent.

Muhammad's father, 'Abd Allah ibn'Abd al-Muttalib, died before the boy was born; his mother, Aminah, died when he was six. The orphan was consigned to the care of his grandfather, the head of the clan of Hashim. After the death of his grandfather, Muhammad was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. As was customary, Muhammad as a child was sent to live for a year or two with a Bedouin family. This custom, followed until recently by noble families of Mecca, Medina, Tayif, and other towns of the Hijaz, had important implications for Muhammad. In addition to enduring the hardships of desert life, he acquired a taste for the rich language so loved by the Arabs, whose speech was their proudest art, and learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of solitude he first shared and then came to understand and appreciate.

There Is No Place For Valentine's Day In Islam

On 14th February Every year many people celebrates Valentine's Day which is also called day of Love. It was a Roman Festival if we see its history. On this day Boys purpose Girls and gives flowers and gifts to them. Valentine's Day is part of Western Culture but unfortunately from last few years many people has started promoting it in our culture as well.

There is no place for events like Valentine's Day in Islam. Firstly its a festival of Non Muslims. Secondly celebrating such days spreads many problems in the society. Many boys uses this day as a chance to attack respect of girls. This day also becomes cause of wrong relationships between girls and boys outside the marriage. Islam has clearly set guidelines for us that only relationship of husband and wife is Halal.

Many people tries to justify this day by saying that its a day of Love and peace. My answer to such people is that why you restrict love and peace to one day?? we should love and spread peace others 365 days of the year.

Famous Scholar Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer said about this day that "the sensual form of love is only allowed between Husband and wife in Islam. Valentine day does not promote love between husband and wife .It basically promotes extramarital relations which are not allowed in Islam .We as Muslims need to discourage these kinds of events to save our society from free mixing .If these kinds of events will be tolerated we will be victims of immodesty and ultimately will not be able to protect our society from adultery and fornication."

So we should keep ourselves away from such events and tries to follow Sunnah in every matter of life.

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Control Your Tongue To Protect Yourself From Sins

A Human uses different parts of his body for doing different types of sins. For Example a human uses his eyes to see Haram things, he uses his hands for doing different haram works, a human uses his legs to go towards a sin. One of the major part of human body which he uses for doing sins is his tongue.

Just think From this tongue how many times we uses bad words everyday which keeps on increasing our sins. We use this tongue to abuse others, to speak against others, to speak lie, to show anger on others and to spread hatred between people.

Now think if we start controlling our tongue from speaking all these bad things we will be able to save ourselves from how many sins?? A Hadith of Prophet Muhammad SAW says a person who guarantees me to guard his tongue i guarantee him about paradise. Another Hadith says remaining silent is better than speaking bad.

We should also remember that a person is known from how he speaks??? a person who speaks good from his language will also be liked and respected by others. on other hand a person who lies, abuses and speaks bad from his tongue is not liked by anyone. There is a famous quotation "first think then speak".

The Summary of this article is that if we will control our tongue from speaking bad we will not only get success and respect by the society in this world but we will also get success in hereafter. May Allah SWT help us all to use our tongues for right purposes.

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Why should I pay Zakat?

Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted- Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala) commands in the Quran, "Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." [Al-Quran 9:103]

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle; to offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly; to pay Zakat (i.e. alms); to perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca), and to observe fast during the month of Ramadan. (Al-Bukhari, Vol.1, Book 2, No.7).

collected from:http://www.hidaya.org/

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What is the meaning of Zakat?

Zakat literally means "to be clear, to grow, to increase." It comes from the root letters za, kaf, ya, which has several meanings: to be clean [Al-Quran Chapter 24: Verse 21, Chapter 23: Verse 4], to pay the obligatory charity [Al-Quran 2:43], to be pure, innocent [Al-Quran 19:19, 18:74], to be better in purity [Al-Quran 18:81, 19:13], and to praise oneself, to justify [Al-Quran 53:32]. It has been used in the Quran to mean all of these things. It can also be considered a form of sadaqah (charity), given to the poor.

Zakat is:

Levied on specific assets only, identified by Shariah (Islamic Law) as assets having the potential for growth.

Levied at the rate of 2.5% each year (calculated according to the lunar calendar*) on the market value of the Zakat-able assets after deducting therefrom specified liabilities.

The compulsory transfer of ownership of a portion of the property of the giver, calculated at the rate of 2.5% as aforesaid, to a poor and needy Muslim who qualifies to receive Zakat according to the Shariah.

An Ibada'h (worship) and not a tax, Obligatory on every Muslim who owns Nisab viz. 613.35 grams of silver, or 87.49 grams of gold or who owns one or more assets liable to Zakat as set out below, equal in value to 613.35 grams of silver or 87.49 grams of gold. . (See Sections 12.1 and 12.2 for more on Nisab).

* Zakat is calculated according to the lunar year. Those who pay Zakat according to the solar year should accordingly, in order to take into account the difference in days, add 3% to the amount of Zakat payable.

With regard to calculations (and specific information throughout this flyer), we have followed the opinion of the Hanafi school of thought. Information on other schools may be found by researching Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) texts, books, or consulting local scholars in this regard.

collected from:http://www.hidaya.org

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Details of Zakat

What is Zakat (Obligatory Charity)?

Zakat is an obligatory act ordained by Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) to be performed by every adult and able bodied Muslim. It is an important pillar among the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is a part of the wealth and property that Muslims must pay annually, to help the poor of their community. One of the main purposes of Zakat is to keep those who are wealthy clean, monetarily, from sin. It is a form of Sadaqah (charity) which is obligatory on Muslims.

collected from:http://www.hidaya.org/

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What is Zakat? | Benefits of giving Zakat | calculate Zakat

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It has been mentioned, along with daily Prayers (Salaat / Namaz), over seventy times in the Quran. Allah's word commanding ".....and establish regular Salaat and give regular Zakat....." are referred to in many parts of the Quran. From this we can conclude that after Salaat, Zakat is the most important act in Islam.

Just as Salaat is the most important act of worship which has to be performed bodily, so is Zakat the main act of worship which has to be performed monetarily. Those who fulfill this duty have been promised abundant reward in this world and hereafter. Whoever evades Zakat has been sternly warned in the Qur'an and Hadith of the consequences.

Linguistically, Zakat has two meanings: purification and growth. Technically, it means to purify one's possession of wealth by distributing a prescribed amount to the poor, the indigent, the slaves or captives, and the wayfarer.

There are many major benefits of giving Zakat:

It reminds Muslims of the fact that whatever wealth they may possess is due to the blessings of Allah and as such it is to be spent according to the His commands.

Zakat functions as a social security for all. Those who have enough money today pay for what they have. If they need money tomorrow they will get what is necessary to help them live decently.

Tau’bah (Seeking Forgiveness)

Allah (Subhanahu WaTaala), the all-Merciful and all-Forgiving, declares in the Holy Qur’an:

“Say: O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Qur’an 39: 53]

It is the nature of mankind to be forgetful and to commit sins. However, Allah has given us the ability to rectify ourselves by turning to Him and begging for His forgiveness. Our mountains of evil deeds are nothing before the vast ocean of the mercy of Allah.

Abu Dhar RadiyAllahu `anhu reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam in a Hadith Qudsi (a hadith in which the Blessed Prophet s quotes Allah) said: “Indeed Allah the Almighty and Majestic says:

“O My slave! Verily, as long as you worship Me and have hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done; O My slave! If you meet Me with an earthful of sins, but do not associate any partner with Me, I would grant you a forgiveness as great as the whole world.” (Musnad Ahmad)

Committing sins may make you sorrowful, depressed and deeply disappointed with yourself. But if you return to Allah with a few tears and beseech Him for mercy, He will certainly forgive you. There is no other door to knock to solve our issues. None can forgive sins except Him. He calls us to the abode of peace (Paradise); He is the Almighty who hides our faults and He alone can replace our bad deeds with good deeds.

The door of repentance is always open for a person until he dies or until the sun rises from the west, whichever comes first. When something is a necessity Allah provides it in abundance like air and water. Since we are always sinful and negligent of Allah and Satan and the self are always inciting us towards evil, therefore tau’bah is provided in abundance so we can turn back to Allah.

Allah has created a solution to every sickness even if it may be the poison of a snake. Satan and sins are a major sickness and the cure for it is in tau’bah and istighfar, crying in front of Allah with deep regret in the heart.

Whenever our tau’bah breaks we should make tau’bah again. Some people despair and think they are sinners and will go to Hellfire. Tau’bah is so powerful that it can take a person from the lowest levels of Hellfire and raise him to the highest levels of Paradise.

Allah (Subhanahu WaTaala), the Lord of Mercy, puts mercy in the hearts of every mother in the world by which they love and care for their children. We make mistakes but Allah overlooks our faults. Our worship and good deeds are not perfect but Allah accepts them and multiplies the reward.

Do not fall into minor sins. Minor sins leads to major sins the way a spark may start a fire and burn down a house. A believer should run away from sin as one runs away from a snake. Even a minor sin makes a true believer restless as if a mountain is above his head and is about to fall on him and crush him.

Make a U-turn in life, wash off your slate of deeds – eliminate the bad deeds and protect your good deeds.

Method of making Tau’bah:

The Rights of Relatives in Islam

Relatives are those who are related to you through blood and close-ties; such as the brother, the uncle, the aunt, or their children. Everyone who has a tie of relation with you has certain rights upon you, in accordance with how closely they are related to you. About this, Allaah - the Most High - said:

"And give to the relative his right." [Soorah al-Israa' 17:26]

Allaah - the most high - also said:

"And worship Allaah alone, and do not set-up any partner to Him in worship,

and be kind and good to the parents, and to the relatives." [Soorah an-Nisaa 4:36]

So it is obligatory upon everyone to treat their relatives in the best possible manner, and to support them in accordance with their needs, and what they seek of help and support. And this is what is necessitated by the Sharee'ah (Prescribed Islaamic law), the 'aql (sound reasoning) and the fitrah (natural state).

And there are many textual evidences encouraging and silatur-raheem (joining the ties of relations); such as what Aboo Hurayrah radiyallaahu 'anhu relates from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), that he said "Indeed Allaah created the creation, until he was finished doing so, the Rahm: (womb/ties of relation) stood-up and said: Is this the place of one who seeks refuge in you from those who severe and cut ties with me. So Allaah said: Yes, Indeed Would it please you that I keep ties with those who keep ties with you, and cut-off ties with those who cut-off lies with you? So the Rahm': said: Yes, indeed' So Allaah said: Then this is for you. Then Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Recite if you wish: "Would you then, if you were given the authority, cause corruption in the land, and cut-off lies of relations. They are those upon whom is the curse of Allaah, so that He makes them deaf and blinds them." [Soorah Muhammad 47:22-23] [2]

Islam - Brief Introduction

ALLAH - for Muslims the greatest and most inclusive of the Names of God, an Arabic word of rich and varied meaning, denoting the one who is adored in worship, who creates all that exists, who had priority over all creation, who is lofty and hidden, who confounds all human understanding. It is exactly the same word that the Jews, in Hebrew, use for God (eloh), the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity and Islam; Allah is the same God worshipped by Muslims, Christians and Jews.

"He is God, the One God Independent and sought by all; He begets not, nor is begotten, and there is none like unto Him" (The Holy Qur 'an - Chapter 112 - Al-Ikhlas- Sincerity of Faith)

Islam teaches that all faiths have, in essence, one common message:

the existence of a Supreme Being, the one and only God, whose Sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history.

Islam, An Arabic word, rich in meaning. One important dimension is the "commitment to submit and surrender to God so that one can live in peace"; Peace (Salam) is achieved through active obedience to the revealed Commandments of God, for God is the Source of all Peace. Commitment to Islam entails striving for peace through a struggle for justice, equality of opportunity, mutual caring and consideration for the rights of others, and continuous research and acquisition of knowledge for the better protection and utilization of the resources of Creation.

Islam teaches that the objective of the Commandment of God is that peace should be established in the human societies of this world, in preparation for a further dimension of human existence in the world to come, the Afterlife. Islam's vision of peace is therefore truly universal; it transcends time and belongs to the order of God's eternity.

Islam does not regard itself to be a new teaching, different or separate from that of other world religions. It is the reaffirmation of the ancient yet living truth of all religions, which can be expressed in the following beliefs:

The Uniqueness of the one and only God who is Sovereign of the universe;

Funeral Rites in Islam: Everyone Shall Taste Death

In this still sparkling, bright 21st century many of us have forgotten about death. It is a scary stranger. One we do not dare think about for fear that it will creep up behind us and whisk us away from the only life we know. In the past however, death was an ever present friend. People were born and died at home, surrounded by family or friends, death was accepted as an inevitable part of life. Death has become a stranger confined to cold hospital mortuaries and quiet, manicured funeral homes. The rights of the dying and the dead are no longer of paramount concern.

Death will come for each and every one of us. Prophet Muhammad,peace be upon him, said, “Always remember the destroyer of pleasures – death”.[1] The religion of Islam has not forgotten death, nor has it forsaken the rights of the dying. Islam provides us with a complete set of instructions for the one who is dying, those who are present at the time of death and those responsible for burying the deceased individual.

“Everyone shall taste death.” (Quran 3:185)

How those facing death should behave

Death is inevitable however there are certain things that a believer can do to prepare for his departure to life everlasting.

The first is to remain patient in the face of an event over which we have no control, and those suffering illness or injury should refrain from accusing or cursing God for his or her misfortunes. There are many authentic sayings and traditions from Prophet Muhammad that explain how and why illness and injury expiate sins and evil deeds. On this web site you will find articles that go into great detail about the benefits of patience and accepting the will of God[2].

“How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is also good for him.”

The Purpose of islam

We know that the One God exists and we know that we are a product of His creation. But we often forget to remember that we were created for a specific purpose. If ten of us try to find out what our purpose is on our own, without considering the Revelation, we might find ten different purposes. However, if we look at the Qur'an, we will find out that the purpose of our lives is clearly defined.

Allah The Most High says, "O Mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those before you so that you may become God-fearing." (Q, 2:21)

And He said, "And I created not the Jinns and men except that they may worship Me (Alone)." (Q, 51:56)

Allah also says in the Qur'an: "Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is able to do all things. Who has created death and life, that He may test which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving." (Q, 67:1-2)

These verses where revealed to us by Allah in order to inform us of why we are here on the Earth, what we should be doing and where we are heading. Not to benefit Himself, or because He needs our worship. Rather, because we are in need of Him.

Allah says, "O mankind! It is you who stand in need (who are poor) of Allah, but Allah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise." (Q, 35:15)

What is meant by "to test which of you is best in deed"? Al-Fudayl Ibn `Iyyaad said, "The best deed is that which is most devoted and most proper." He was asked, "How should it be most devoted and most proper?" He responded, "For if the deed was devoted but was not proper it would not be accepted, and if it was proper but was not devoted it would not be accepted; the devoted is to be for Allah alone, and the proper is to be in compliance with As-Sunnah."

We were created for this one reason: to worship Allah and to strive to be the best in deed. It is not only a matter of how many deeds we do, it is also a matter of quality. Should we take for granted that our deeds are accepted or should we strive to perfect them and make them pure for Allah's sake and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him)?

ALLAH Mentioned in other scriptures

Almost all the major religious scriptures of the world contain the word "Allah" as one of the names of God.

Elohim El, Elah, Alah

In the Bible, God is very often referred to as ‘Elohim’ in the Hebrew language. The ‘im’ in the ending is a plural of honour and God is referred to as ‘El’ or ‘Elah’ in the English Bible with commentary, edited by reverend C. I. Scofield. ‘Elah’ is alternatively spelled as ‘Alah’. The difference in spelling is only of a single ‘L’. Muslims spell Allah as ‘Allah’ while the Reverend has spelled it as Alah and they pronounce it as ‘Elah’. Muslims pronounce it as Allah. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages therefore we say it should be pronounced as ‘Allah’ and not as ‘Elah’.

When I was in school, I was taught ‘D, O’ is do, ‘T, O’ is to. What is ‘G, O’ It is ‘go’ and not ‘gu’. ‘N, U, T’ is nut, ‘C, U, T’ cut; ‘B, U, T’ is but, what is ‘P, U, T’? Not ‘pat’ but it is ‘put’. If you ask "Why?" The answer is "It is their language". If I have to pass I have to say ‘P, U, T’ is ‘put’ and not ‘pat’. Similarly the right pronunciation for A, L, L, A, H, is Allah.

Jesus (pbuh) cried out Allah Allah when he was put on the cross

It is mentioned in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mathew, chapter 27 verse 46 as well as Gospel of Mark, chapter 15 verse 34 when Jesus (pbuh) was put on the cross.

Jesus cried with a loud voice saying "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni?" that is to say, ‘My God, My God why hast Thou Forsaken Me?’ Does this sound like Jehovah! Jehovah! why has thou forsaken me? Does it sound like Abba Abba? The answer is ‘No’. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages and if you translate "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni" into Arabic it is ‘Allah Allah lama tarak tani’ does it sound similar?

This statement of Jesus (pbuh), "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni" is preserved in its original Hebrew in each and every of its translation which is available in more than 2000 different languages of the world and in each and every of them, "Allah" is present.

"Allah" in Sikhism

One of the names by which Gurunanak Sahib referred to God is "Allah".

"Allah" in Hinduism

"Allah" in Rigveda Book 2 Hymn I verse II

Even in the Rigveda which is the most sacred scripture of the Hindus, one of the attributes given to God Almighty in Book no 2 Hymn no I verse II, is ‘Ila’ which if pronounced properly is the same as Allah.

Allo Upanishad:

Amongst the various Upanishads one of the Upanishad is named as ‘Allo’ Upanishad in which God is referred to as "Allah" several times.

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Greatness of Allah

Allah governs the affairs of the various kingdoms and He commands and forbids, creates, sustains, gives death, gives life, gives power, strips power (to and from whom He wills) and alternates the night and day. He gives varying fortunes to people and alternates governments (and states), destroying some and bringing some into existence. 

His Command and Power are dominant in the heavens and their zones, the earth and all that which is on and in it, in the seas and in the air. His Knowledge has encompassed everything and He counted everything. He hears all types of voices and they do not confuse Him. Rather, He hears each voice in its distinct language and need, and no voice will make Him busy from fulfilling the need of another, and no need will ever escape His Perfect Knowledge (and His Power to deliver).

He does not become bored because of the many needs of those who need. His Sight encompasses all that which there is. He sees the movement of a black ant on a barren rock during a dark night. To Him, the Unseen is uncovered end the secret is secret no more, "Whosoever is in the heavens and on Earth begs of Him (its needs from Him). Every day He has a matter to bring Forth (such as giving honor to some, disgrace to some, life to (some, death to some, etc.)." [55:29]

He forgives an evil deed, makes depression vanish and brings reprieve from disasters, relief for whoever needs it, wealth for the poor, guidance for the misguided, light for the lost, help for he who is desperate, fullness for the hungry, cover for the barely clothed, cure for the ill and ease for he who suffers. He accepts he who repents, gives reward for he who does good, gives aid for he who was dealt with injustice, destroys an arrogant person, covers mistakes, gives safety after fear end elevates some people and humiliates others. If those who inhabit His heavens and His earth and all those whom He created, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the most pious heart, His Kingdom will not increase. 

The Message Of Islam

Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the essence of worship, the basic message of Allah's divine religion, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah.Since everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things, is Allah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. He is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered.

 If man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did nottell his followers to worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur'aan states:

"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')" (Soorah Al-Maa'idah- 5:116)

Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of the Qur'aan, known asSoorah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:

"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help".

Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah also said:

"And your Lord says:"Call on Me and I will answer your(prayer)."(Soorsh Mu'min 40:60)

it is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.

This might seem obvious, but, man's worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation though such worship maybecalled the worship of Allah through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our'aan Allah clearlystates:

"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet,(with the command) worship meand avoid false gods " (Soorsh Al-Nahl 16:36)

When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allah's essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. 

Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allah according to their false beliefs, is in all of us, He is more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either God in person or God concentrated within the person.

Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:

"Laa Elaaha lllallaah" (There is no god but Allah)

Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.

Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise".(Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).

It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.

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THE RELIGION OF ISLAM

The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's" religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". 

The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.

Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah states the following:

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion". (Soorah Al-Maa'idah 5:3)

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be accepted of Him" (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:85)

"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim." (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:67)

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos which means the annointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.

For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he warned them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.

According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: "Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".

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God’s Sole Right to Worship

“O mankind, worship your Lord who has created you and those before you, that you may become righteous. He Who has made the earth a resting-place for you and the sky a canopy, and has sent down water from the sky and thereby brought forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, claim that there is any power that could rival God, when you know.” (Quran 2:21-22)

In these verses is the first commandment mentioned in the Quran, God proves the illogicality of worshipping others besides or instead of Him. He addresses humanity as a whole to direct all acts of worship to Him alone. He announces to them that He is their Lord, Sustainer, and Creator. Human beings did not appear out of nowhere, but rather God is the One who brought them into being out of nothingness. After their creation, God did not leave them on their own, rather He took care of them when they were in the womb of their mothers, and God has been caring for them throughout their life by providing for them various sources of sustenance. He created things in this life in such a way that they would be of benefit and comfort for people. Therefore, it is the Sole right of God – who created us and those who came before us - that He be worshipped, for it is He and none else who provided us these things.

Everything apart from God, such as humans, angels, and spirits, are created by God. Thus, creation should not be adored and worshipped as God. No created being owns or controls anything in the universe and, therefore, can neither harm nor benefit without God’s permission. God asks us rhetorically, how can we worship other beings besides Him while we know deep inside that God has no equal or rival? Due to this, God, and none other, has the sole right to command and He, and none else, deserves our strict obedience. He deserves to be singled out in all acts of worship, without association of any partners.

But so often we see worship being reduced to dry, empty rituals. God informs us in this verse that the goal of worship is to achieve Taqwa. In most Quran translations, Taqwa is translated as fear, piety, or righteousness. Perhaps a more accurate translation is ‘God-consciousness’ or ‘God-awareness.’ Taqwa is to be aware of God’s presence at all times and to put a shield between oneself and God’s displeasure by doing what is right. God does not benefit and is not in need of our worship, rather worship, as all His other commandments, is of benefit to our own selves. When a person worships God, they are reminded about Him, and in turn reminded of the purpose of their life, and they themselves will be discouraged from committing vein and evil deeds. These reminders lead to Taqwa or God-consciousness. If a person achieves this state of being, they do or say nothing except that they keep in mind the true reality of that deed, whether it is pleasing to his Lord or incurs His anger.

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Salvation from Hellfire

God has said in the Quran:

“Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them if one offered it as a ransom. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.” (Quran 3:91)

So, this life is our only chance to win Paradise and to escape from Hellfire, because if someone dies in disbelief, he will not have another chance to come back to this world to believe. As God has said in the Quran about what is going to happen for the unbelievers on the Day of Judgment:

“If you could but see when they are set before the Fire (Hell) and say, “Would that we might return (to the world)! Then we would not reject the verses of our Lord, but we would be of the believers!” (Quran 6:27)

But no one will have this second opportunity.

The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said: “The happiest man in the world of those doomed to the Fire (Hell) on the Day of Judgment will be dipped in the Fire once. Then he will be asked, ‘Son of Adam, did you ever see any good? Did you ever experience any blessing?’ So he will say, ‘No, by God, O Lord!’”

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Real Happiness and Inner Peace

Real happiness and peace can be found in submitting to the commands of the Creator and the Sustainer of this world. God has said in the Quran:

“Truly, in remembering God do hearts find rest.” (Quran 13:28)

On the other hand, the one who turns away from the Quran will have a life of hardship in this world. God has said:

“But whoever turns away from the Quran,[1] he will have a hard life, and We will raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.” (Quran 20:124)

This may explain why some people commit suicide while they enjoy the material comfort money can buy. For example, look at Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam), formerly a famous pop singer who used to earn sometimes more than $150,000 a night. After he converted to Islam, he found true happiness and peace, which he had not found in material success

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Allah - No Trinity

It is unthinkable and impossible for a Muslim to believe in the existence of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the New Testament sense. Whoever says that God has a partner, companion or an equal God beside him will, from an Islamic point of view, fall into an unforgivable sin (like the sin against the Holy Spirit in Christianity). Consequently, the Islamic confession of faith declares not just the uniqueness of Allah but at the same time firmly rejects the deity of Christ and the deity of the Holy Spirit.

In the Arabic language, the name Allah is a study in itself. The word can be understood as a sentence: al-el-hu. "El" is an old Semitic name for God meaning "the strong and mighty". The Islamic name, Allah, corresponds to the Hebrew name Elohim, which can also be understood as a statement: Al-el-hum. Although the Hebrew name Elohim contains the possibility of a plural (hum), the name of Allah (hu) can only be singular. Thus, Allah in Islam is always only one and never a unity of three, even if such a unity was complete in itself. When Christians claim that their Trinity does not mean three different, separated persons, but a unity in a Trinity, Muslims must repudiate this concept. For them Allah is never a triune God, but one person alone