Who isMuhammad ?

Muhammad, peace be on him, is the last ofAllah’s Messengers and Prophets. His name is Muhammad son of Abdullah.He was born in Makkah 570 A.D. Due to the fine reputation he enjoyedamong his people, they nicknamed him ‘the Trustworthy’. At the age of40, he was endowed with the prophethood when Allah the Exalted,revealed to him, through the angel Gabriel the first Qur’anic verses,Muhammad, peace be on him, was asked to preach the belief in theOneness of Allah and warn people against polytheism.The Makkan polytheists opposed Muhammad,peace be on him, and his few followers harshly, but that did not shakehis faith nor waiver his steadfastness, nor did it stop more peoplefrom responding to his preaching. Finally, when the majority of thepeople of Madinah embraced Islam, the Makkan Muslims took flight toMadinah, Later on, the Messenger of Allah himself migrated to Madinahto establish the Islamic State. Few years later the polytheists ofMakkah and their allies succumbed to the growing power of the Muslims,and Makkah was conquered. Some thirty years after the death of theProphet Muhammad, peace be on him, Islam had already spread throughoutthe world sweeping the two greatest empires in existence; the Persianand the Roman.

What is Islam ?

TheArabic term ‘Islam’, meaning «submission», points to thefundamental religious creed which dictates that a Muslim submit to thewill of Allah, conforming inwardly and outwardly to His laws. Thereligion of Islm lays great emphasis on uncompromising monotheism andstrict adherence to certain creeds and acts of worship. It enjoinssubmitting to the will of Allah and following the exemplary way of thelife of Muhammad, the last of the Prophets and Messengers, may peace beon them all. Allah, the Exalted created the universe and what is in itthat He be recognized as the One and only God. He created man and jinnonly to celebrate His praise and worship Him. His words signify: “Ihave only created Jinns and men, that they may Serve Me”9.The ways and acts of worship are not left to man’s option or choice.Allah is the One Who ordains and decrees all acts of worship and themeans in which they must be observed. Since Islam deals in every aspectof life, spiritual and physical, its jurisprudence is based on creeds,acts of worship and ordinances regarding social, economical andpolitical transactions. Because Islam is a perfect way of life, itenjoins maintaining a refined code of manners. The Messenger of 9.turban 51: 56. Allah said: ”Verily, I have been sent to accomplish thefine manners”.       Allahhas praised the fine manners of His Messenger saying: “And surely thouhast sublime morals””. A’ishah. the wife of the Messenger of Allah,peace be on him, was asked about his manners. She said: “His mannerswere al-Qur’an”. A’ishah meant that the Prophet, peace be on him, clungto the Qur’an, it rules of discipline. its commands. its prohibitions,and the excellent, beautiful and gracious things comprised in it. Forthis reason Allah commands the believers to follow the exemplary lifeof His Messenger, peace be on him. saying: ”Ye have indeed in theMessenger of Allah an excellent exempler”l’. Islam enjoins good manners for every occasion. seeking permission,greeting, sitting, eating, learning, teaching. sporting. travelling.dressing. visiting, sleeping, marriage, treating people, particularlyrelatives and neighhours with kindness. etc. Codes of all such greatmanners are found in both the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions ofthe Messenger of Allah . peace he on him. The family enjoys a highstatus in Islam. It is the core of society; a healthy family means ahealthy society; hence Allah, the Exalted commands to treat them withgentleness and submissiveness saying: “Thy Lord hath decreed that yeworship none but Him, and that ye he kind to parents. 10. Qur’an 68: 4.11. Qur’an 33: 21.Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to themaword of contempt, nor repel them but address them, in terms of honour.And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘MyLord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me inchildhood”l2. Next to family comes the kindred. The Messenger ofAllah, peace be on him, said that Allah has promised to he kind to himwho behaves kindly to his kindred, and to sever him who severs hiskindred by unkind hehaviour . 12. Qur’an 17: 23, 24.

The Pillars of Islam

The Messenger of Allah, peace be on him, said:-Islam is built on five pillars:1. ash-Shahaadah (the profession offaith) which must he recited by anyone embracing Islam. ( La ilahai11a/lah, Muhammad Rasoolullah ) meaning: « There is no true godexcept Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah». This meansthat there is no god worthy of being worshipped but Allah, and that Hemust be worshipped only according to the teaching of His MessengerMuhammad peace he on him.2. Salat ( prayer ), whichmust he performed five times a day. The first is Fajr prayer, [tworak’aat (units)]; which may he performed between dawn and sunrise. Thesecond. Dhuhr. just afternoon. [four rak’aat]. The third Asr. in thelater afternoon. [four rak’aat]. The fourth. Maghrib. [three rak’aat]immediately after sunset. The fifth. Isha’. [four rak’aat], after thesun’s redness disappears from the horizon. Prayer, however, must hepreceded by ablution which is washing hands, face, wiping over thehead, washing the forearms and the feet.Prayer is one of the greatest pillars ofIslam. It is the first act of worship about which man shall he asked onthe Day of Reckoning. If it is accepted by Allah, then the rest ofman’s good deeds are accepted took.3. Zakat ( the poor-due ) isone of the greatest financial institutions of Islam, literally meaning’purification’, indicating that such a payment makes the rest of theMuslim’s wealth pure. Zakat is levied annually on certain types of foodgrain, cattle and cash possessed for one lunar calendar year to begiven out to the poor, the needy and other specified classes of people.4. Sawm ( fasting ) to beobserved during the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Muslimlunar calendar). It begins at daybreak ( dawn ), and ends at sunset.Eating, drinkingi4 and sexual activities with one’s wife are forbidden.Besides health benefits which one gainsthrough fasting it is an act of worship which helps one who observes itattain piety, humbleness and share the feelings of the beret and hungryin the community. Fasting also allows one to be more benevolent andcharitable.5. HaiJ ( pilgrimage ) toMakkah, prescribed for those Muslims who can afford the tripfinanciallyS and health 13. Man shall be held accountable for everyminute and thing he does, and shall stand all by himself on the Day ofJudgment or Reckoning to be questioned by the Almighty Allah. Every oneshall be held accountable for his own deedsThe I if e in the Hereaher is eithereverlasting happiness or everlasting torment .14. Drinking, refers to water, fruit juicesand other non-alcholic and soft drinks; liquour and smoking areprohibited in Islam.15. This means that one must have enoughprovisions for his journey and for his family during his absence. wise,once in a lifetime. The Hajj rites take place during the Islamic orlunar months of Shawwal, Dthul-Qi’dah and the first ten days ofDthu-Hijjah only. It is a precondition for the pilgrim to enter thestate of Ihram’6 at a certain point before entering the boundries ofMakkah.16. Abram is the intention to perform Hajjor Umrah by wrapping a piece of cloth covering his body from the chestdown. Another piece of cloth covers the upper body: excluding the head.Ihram makes it unlawful for the pilgrim to wear sewed garments. shoes.to have sexual activities with his wife, to hunt and the like. Undernormal circumstances, once a Muslim enters the state of Ihram, he maynot break it until he has completed all Hajj or Umrah rituals. But ifone is held hack from completing Hajj or Umrah. for health reason, fearof enemy or great danger, he may then quit his Ihram and sacrifice asheep. goat, cow or camel as an expiation.