Islam is your Birthright

Islam is your Birthright
WAMY Series on Islam No. 14


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Mankind and the universe were not created by accident or chance, but
according to the plan of the Creator, who is known as Allah (lit.: the
one God) in Islam. The Qur'an states that it is the duty of all
individuals to learn about Allah and to live according to His will. As
we cannot accomplish this be ourselves, Allah has sent messengers and
prophets to guide humanity All of these chosen individuals have
brought the same message and have served as examples to their people
of how Allah desires all human beings to live. Through these selected
people, we have been told why mankind was created, what will happen to
us after death, and what Allah expects of us. But most importantly, we
have been told that Allah is unique-He has no partners, no sons or
daughters, and no competitors, as so many other man-made religious
systems have postulated. This message always remains the same, whereas
the laws laid down for a particular might show some slight
differences.
Muhammad, the last of Allah's prophets, was sent to present Allah's
revelation in its final form and for the last time. This was necessary
because the message delivered by the previous prophets and messengers
had been corrupted or distorted by their followers. They had been
mixed with philosophical speculations, superstitions, myths, and
neglect. Therefore, Islam is not a new religion-it is a restatement of
the original religion of Allah in its purest form and is designed to
provide humanity with the uncorrupted message of Allah.

Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission and obedience to
Allah. It also means "peace," for it brings peace of mind as well as
peace on the individual and the social levels.




THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
In Islam, the term "worship" covers any action that one does in
accordance with the will of Allah. It can be mental, physical, spoken,
or otherwise. All such actions will be rewarded.

There are five acts of worship that are so fundamental that the
Prophet grouped them together as the five pillars of Islam. Every
Muslim is expected to fulfill these obligations. They are:




THE DECLARATION OF MONOTHEISM:
Recognizing and acknowledging the monotheistic nature of Allah stands
at the core of Islam. This consists of a public affirmation that
"there is no god but Allah (God), and Muhammad is His Messenger." One
cannot be a Muslim until he states this fact in the presence of Muslim
witnesses.

PRAYERS:

A Muslim must perform the five daily prayers. These must be performed
at specific times, corresponding roughly with dawn, noon, afternoon,
sunset, and nightfall. The prayers can be made in any clean place, but
it is preferable to pray them with others in a mosque, for this
communal undertaking acts as a reminder that all Muslims are equal.
When many people are praying together, it becomes clear that color,
economic status, social position, and all other artificial
distinctions have no importance to Allah, for all Muslims are
commanded to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and prostrate
themselves before Him. There are no exceptions. Prayers also elevated
the individual to a higher level of morality, purifies his heart, and
helps him to resist his desire to engage in forbidden activities.

FASTING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN:

Every year during the Muslim month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from
food, drink, and sexual activity from dawn to sunset. While this gives
the body a much needed rest and improves ones health by getting rid of
excess weight, it also increases ones commitment to Allah, develops
his social conscience, and reminds him of how the less fortunate live
every day In addition, it strengthens one's patience, self-restraint,
will power, and sincerity.

CHARITY (Zakat):

Every Muslim whose net annual savings are above a certain specified
minimum must pay an annual

amount of 2.5% to the poor and needy This action purifies one's
accrued wealth, fosters the quality of sacrifice, and rids him of
selfishness and greed. It also helps to reduce resentment and envy
between a society's poor and rich classes.

HAJJ (Pilgrimage to Makkah):

Hajj is an act of worship that is to be performed at least once in a
lifetime, provided that one is physically and financially able to do
so. During this time, Muslims meet from all corners of the world in an
international congregation for the sole purpose of responding to the
call of Allah. It also reminds the participants that all Muslims are
equal, irrespective of their geographical, cultural, or racial
origins.




THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
All Muslims believe in:

.. The oneness of Allah. Allah has no partner, son, daughter, helper,
or competitor. There is nothing that even remotely resembles Him, for
He is unique.

.. All of the messengers and prophets of Allah. The Qur'an states that
each people has received revelation from Allah in its own tongue so
that all individuals know what is required of them. The Qur'an
mentions twenty-five of them by name, among them Noah, Abraham,
Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, John, Jesus, and
Muhammad. There are, however, many others who are not named. Muhammad,
the last prophet, was sent with a universal message meant for all of
humanity The message revealed through him is the Qur'an, which is
Allah's final presentation of the original revelation received by
mankind in its purest form. A Muslim must accept all of Allah's
prophets and messengers as legitimate, for denial of one means denial
of all. For western readers who are not convinced that Muhammad is a
prophet of Allah, proof of this claim can be found in the Bible (Deut.
18:15-18, 33:2-3; Isaiah 29:12; Songs of Solomon 5:16;John 14:1516,
16:12-14) as well as in the biographical accounts of Muhammad's life,
which was lived in full view of his contemporaries.

.. The original messages revealed through Allah's various prophets and
messengers. The purest of these is the Qur'an, for it was recorded
during the lifetime of the Prophet and under his direct supervision.
The revelations mentioned in the Qur'an as having been received by
other prophets, such as the Suhuf of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, the
Zubur (Psalms) of David, and the Injeel (Bible) of Jesus, have all
been either lost or corrupted.

.. The existence of angels as part of the unseen world. They are
spiritual beings who have no need for food, drink, or sleep.

.. The Day of Judgment. The Qur'an teaches that life is a test for each
individual, for everyone must choose whether he will or will not
follow the commands of Allah. On this day, a person will be
resurrected and asked to account for what he did while he was alive.
Those with good records will be rewarded and enter paradise, while
those with bad records will be punished by being sent to hell. This
belief develops within the individual an awareness of Allah's presence
and a desire to obey His laws sincerely and voluntarily

.. A Muslim believes that nothing happens without the knowledge and
permission of Allah. While we may not understand why certain things
happens, it is part of the divine plan for our lives.




MUSLIMS: THE MODERATE NATION
Islam does not divide life into "spiritual" and "secular" realms. As
all of life is thus unified and interconnected, Islam avoids the
dangers of the extreme ritualism, secularism, or materialism that is
found in other civilizations. Activities are not classified as
belonging to the state or the individual, religion or daily life, but
as belonging to Allah alone, Who has provided guidelines for
individuals. These are to be followed in every aspect of their lives:
individual, social, governmental, political, economical, spiritual,
and otherwise Reflecting this moderation, the Qur'an has entitled the
Muslims the "moderate nation. "




SOURCES OF ISLAMIC TEACHINGS
The Islamic way of life is based on the teachings and laws found in
the Qur'an and the example (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Qur'an is the word of Allah and was revealed in potions to
Muhammad, via the Angel Gabriel, over a twenty-three year period. Each
portion was recorded in writing by his official scribes and memorized
by thousands of his followers. After his death, the written collection
was given to Abu Bark, the first caliph, who oversaw its collection
into one volume. The third caliph, Uthman, prepared several copies and
sent them to different Muslim territories. Ever since that time, the
same version has been used by Muslims. The wording, order, and
language have never been altered in the slightest manner. No other
book claiming to be a divine revelation can make this claim, and no
one has ever been able to refute the claim of the Qur'an to complete
authenticity

The Sunnah consists of the teachings, sayings, and actions of Prophet
Muhammad. This information was meticulously reported and collected by
his Companions. It is essentially an elaboration of the Qur'anic
verses that shows how they are to be implemented in one's daily life.




ISLAM: THE RELIGION OF EQUALITY
Islam recognizes no man-made artificial distinctions based on color,
tribe, race, nationality, or otherwise. As all people come from the
original couple-Adam and Eve-they are all one family and therefore
equal before God. What distinguishes people from each other is their
commitment to Islam: "The most honored in the sight of Allah is (he
who is) most righteous." (Qur'an 3:86).




ISLAM IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT
Islam states clearly that everyone is born a Muslim and is therefore
monotheistic by nature. We read in the Qur'an that humanity has been
created with the natural disposition towards the unity of God. This is
to be expected, for Allah, who has breathed His spirit into each of
us, is Himself the example of perfect unity. In the words of the
Prophet Muhammad: "Every person is born with the innate religious
faith (to submit to God Almighty)." Thus when an individual accepts
Islam, he is not turning his back on any prior revelation but rather
is returning to the original and true revelation of Allah and to his
own nature as a creation of Allah. This being the case, Islam is your
birthright-other religious or ideological systems are either
corruptions our outright denials of Islam.




CRITERIA FOR TRUTH
How do you know if your belief system is true? Take a moment to look
at the following list.

.. Are the teachings of your belief system rational? Do they conform to
the norms of human reason and intellect?

.. Is the creator of your belief system perfect? Allah, the creator of
Islam, is. . Does your belief system contain superstitions or myths?
Islam presents humanity with only true knowledge.

.. Can your belief system withstand the discoveries and claims of
modern science? Islam can and does.

.. How accurate are your belief system's prophecies and predications?
Islam's are always completely accurate.

.. Could a person have devised your belief system? No one has ever been
able to imitate the Qur'an, although many have tried over the
centuries.

Islam is not a new religion founded by Muhammad, but a final
restatement of the original revelation that has been conveyed to
humanity by messengers and prophets sent by Allah for that very
purpose: "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed
My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your
religion" (5:3). As the Qur'an is the final revelation and Muhammad is
the final prophet, humanity is obligated to accept it: "If anyone
desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him;
and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost
all spiritual good" (3:86).




THE CHOICE IS YOURS TO MAKE!!!
Return to islamworld.net
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