Islam is the only religion which insists upon worship of the Creator alone and completely rejects the worship of any aspect of creation. Islam dispenses with all intermediaries between man and God and allows every individual to contact Him directly.
Islam is an Arabic word which means “surrender, submission, commitment and peace.” Thus, Islam can be defined as a path to attain complete peace through voluntary submission to the divine will.
In essence, the same message and guidance which God revealed to all the prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, David, Moses and Jesus).
But the message which was revealed to prophet Muhammad is Islam in it’s comprehensive, complete and final form.
There are few things you should know before becoming a Muslim, please allow us to explain them for you in seconds:
What does Islam mean?
Islam is an Arabic word which means “surrender, submission, commitment and peace.” Thus, Islam can be defined as a path to attain complete peace through voluntary submission to the divine will.
Who is Allah (God)?
“Allah” is simply the Arabic word for God. He is the same universal God worshiped by people of all faiths. The word “Allah” is sometimes preferred over God because it is neither masculine nor feminine. Also, there is no plural for “Allah.”
What do Muslims believe?
Muslims have six articles of faith and five pillars of Islam which are foundation of Muslim life:
Six Articles of Faith
The following six articles of faith are those that are commonly held by Muslims, as laid out in the Quran and Hadith:
- Belief in the Oneness of God: Muslims believe that God is the creator of all things, and that God is all-powerful and all-knowing. God has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
- Belief in the Angels of God: Muslims believe in angels, unseen beings who worship God and carry out God’s orders throughout the universe. The angel Gabriel brought the divine revelation to the prophets.
- Belief in the Books of God: Muslims believe that God revealed holy books or scriptures to a number of God’s messengers. These include the Quran (given to Muhammad), the Torah (given to Moses), the Gospel (given to Jesus), the Psalms (given to David), and the Scrolls (given to Abraham). Muslims believe that these earlier scriptures in their original form were divinely revealed, but that only the Quran remains as it was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
- Belief in the Prophets or Messengers of God: Muslims believe that God’s guidance has been revealed to humankind through specially appointed messengers, or prophets, throughout history, beginning with the first man, Adam, who is considered the first prophet. Twenty-five of these prophets are mentioned by name in the Quran, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last in this line of prophets, sent for all humankind with the message of Islam.
- Belief in the Day of Judgment: Muslims believe that on the Day of Judgment, humans will be judged for their actions in this life; those who followed God’s guidance will be rewarded with paradise; those who rejected God’s guidance will be punished with hell.
- Belief in the Divine Decree: This article of faith addresses the question of God’s will. It can be expressed as the belief that everything is governed by divine decree, namely that whatever happens in one’s life is preordained (predestination), and that believers should respond to the good or bad that befalls them with thankfulness or patience. This concept does not negate the concept of “free will” since humans do not have prior knowledge of God’s decree, they do have freedom of choice.
Five Pillars of Islam?
These are guides for daily life for putting the beliefs of Muslims into practice:
- Shahadah (the testimony or declaration of faith) — to testify that: There’s no one deserves to be worshiped except almighty God (Allah) and Muhammad is His Messenger.
- Salat (ritual prayer) — the five daily prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night. The prayers are offered in Arabic language and facing the direction of Mecca.
- Zakah (alms tax) — Giving 2.5% of one’s wealth to the poor and needy.
- Sawm (fasting) — Muslims fast during the daylight hours in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar called Ramadan. The purpose is to remind people of the goodness of what they have and to show equality with the poor. Ramadan is a time for study and self-discipline.
- Hajj (pilgrimage) — Muslims believe in making a pilgrimage to Mecca to the Ka’bah at least once in their lifetime. The Ka’bah is believed to have been built by Ibrahim (Abraham) and one of his sons. Muhammad restored it to worship Allah. For this reason it is a very sacred place to Muslims.
What is the final revealed scripture (a sacred text) for Muslims?
Muslims believe that the last revealed scripture sent by God is the Quran. It is the speech of God revealed in the Arabic language to Muhammad during his mission of twenty-three years. The Quran was written down by scribes and memorized during the lifetime of Muhammad. The Quran emphasizes moral, ethical and spiritual values with the aim of establishing justice for everyone. Many Muslims try to learn to read the Quran in its original language, Arabic. It is not uncommon for Muslims to memorize whole chapters of it. They read part of it every day. The Sunnah is a record of Muhammad’s words and deeds. The Sunnah is used to help interpret the Quran. There is also instruction in it on belief, worship and behavior.
Shahadah (The Testimony)
Is an Islamic oath and creed, and one of the five pillars of Islam. It reads: “I testify that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. The Shahadah declares belief in the oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as God’s messenger. A single honest recitation of the Shahadah is all that is required for a person to become a Muslim.
When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:
- That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet
- That they personally accept this as true
- That they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life
The Shahadah is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Becoming a Muslim
Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all that anyone need do to become a Muslim.
A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.
The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this:
The Shahadah can be declared as follows:
“ASH-HADU ANN LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASULU ALLAH.”The English translation is:
“I testify that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”Transliteration of the Shahadah from the Arabic
ASH-HADU ANN LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASULU ALLAH.
I testify that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
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