Islam In Brief-An Introduction To Islam-What You want To Know About Islam

Islam In Brief-An Introduction To Islam-What You want To Know About Islam

مقدمة

This little book is a guiding
book to Islam, where we are trying to vanish away the chaos that is
hiding the reality of Islam. Therefore, we hope that you receive this
book with open arms without a jot of prejudice to understand Islam as it
is not as it has been depicted in the media. Then, let's pray God-Allah
Almighty that this book would be a good introduction for the correct
knowledge of Islam, the religion of all the messenger of Allah Almighty
from Adam to Mohammad peace be upon them.

Chapter One : The Creator

الفصل الأول : الخالق

The name Allah (God) in Islam is
the personal name of God. The most concise definition of God in Islam
is given in four verses of Surah Al-Ikhlaas in the Holy Qur'an

{{Say, "He is Allah, [Who is] One,

Allah, the Eternal Refuge,

He neither begets nor is born,

Nor is there to Him any equivalent."}}

(Holy Qur'an 112: 1-4)

To Muslims, this four-line
definition of Almighty God serves as the touchstone of the study of God.
Any candidate to divinity must be subjected to this ‘acid test' and
since the attributes of The Creator given in this chapter are unique,
false gods and pretenders to divinity can be easily dismissed using
these verses

i) The first criterion is «"Say, He is Allah, one and only"»

Can there be more than one god?
This verse tells us that The Creator is the only one who has total and
absolute power, unique in His names and attributes

ii) The second criterion is, «'Allah is absolute and eternal’»

The word that is translated as
“The Eternal, Absolute” from Arabic is something that can be attributed
only to The Creator as all the other existent beings temporal or
conditional? It also means that Allah is not dependant on any person or
thing, but all persons and things are dependant on Him

iii) The third criterion is «‘He begets not, nor is He begotten’»

This means God was not born, nor
does He give birth and share his divinity with others. Nor does He have
a family or relationship with another being

iv) The fourth test - which is the most stringent - is, «"There is none like unto Him"»

The moment you can imagine or
compare ‘God’ to anything, then he (the candidate to divinity) is not
God. It is not possible to conjure up a mental picture of the One True
God because of the simple fact, as creation, we only know creation

The Muslims prefer calling the
Supreme Creator, 'Allah', instead of the English word ‘God’. The Arabic
word, ‘Allah’, is pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’, which
can be played around with. For example, If you add ‘s’ to the word God,
it becomes ‘Gods’, that is the plural of God. Allah is one and singular,
there is no plural of Allah. If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’ it
becomes ‘God-father’. God-father means someone who is a guardian. There
is no word like ‘Allah-father’. If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’,
it becomes ‘God-mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-mother’ in Islam.
Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any mental picture nor
can it be played around with. Therefore, the Muslims prefer using the
Arabic word ‘Allah’ for the Almighty

Unity of God

وحدانية الله

Some people pretend that the
existence of more than one God is not illogical. Let us point out to
them that if there were more than one God, they would dispute with one
another for each god tries to fulfill his will against the will of the
other gods. This can be seen in the mythology of the polytheistic and
pantheistic religions

If a ‘God’ is defeated or unable
to defeat the others, he is surely not the one true God. It is also
popular among polytheistic religions the idea of many Gods for each one
is having different responsibilities. Each one would be responsible for a
part of man’s existence e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God, etc. This indicates
that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts, and moreover, he is also
ignorant of the other Gods’ powers, duties, functions and
responsibilities. It cannot be an ignorant and incapable God. If there
were more than one God, it would surely lead to confusion, disorder,
chaos and destruction in the universe. But the universe is in complete
harmony. The Glorious Qur’an says

{{Had there been therein (in the
heavens and the earth) gods besides Allâh, then verily both would have
been ruined. Glorified be Allâh, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He)
above what they attribute to Him!}}

(Holy Qur'an 21: 22)

If there were more than one God, they would have taken away what they created. The Holy Qur'an says

{{No son (or offspring or children) did Allâh beget, nor is there any ilâh (god)
along with Him; (if there had been many gods), behold, each god would
have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to
overcome others! Glorified be Allâh above all that they attribute to
Him!}},

(Holy Qur'an 23:91)

Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme, Almighty God, is the only logical concept of God

What are the proofs that betoken Allah Almighty's existence

دلائل وجود الله عز وجل

Allah, to Whom be ascribed all
perfection and majesty, has made demonstrations in this universe to
enunciate His existence and His singleness

He has made the signs in the
universe as his elementary device to let the human being grasp by
his/her brain. The reason can perceive the existence of Allah Almighty
by the use of the rational evidence which is put in the world by the
Creator

These demonstrations are as follows

الظواهر التالية

1. The evidence of creation

دليل الخلق

It is known that the human being
does neither create him/herself nor does he/she the animals, the
plants, and the earth he/she lives on.

The Holy Qur'an has stated this fact in the following verse

{{Or were they created of nothing,
or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and
the earth? Rather, they are not certain.}},

(Holy Qur'an 52: 35-36(

2. The evidence of charge

دليل المسئولية ( عن الخلق )

The vestiges of Allah's
attributes and the features of His magnificent creation are existing in
every corner of the whole world. Everything is made in the universe is
considered as a sign that betokens Allah Almighty Who has created,
brought to perfection and excelled in making His creatures

The unbeliever is the one who
finds an elegant dress, and then he/she does not deduce that the
existence of this dress gives evidence of the one who has made it. He
imputes the existence of the dress to the “Coincidence" that has
interfered to make the tip of the thread to get by itself into the
threading hole of the needle which moves in a counted movement to end up
with the dress by all its minute wonderful details

Is it possible that a rational
person thinks that "the chance" or " the coincidence" is able to make a
car that is found in front of his house

Would he/she say that a wind has
blown to gather the pieces of plastic upon the pieces of iron with a
pinch of rubber and fragments of glass to make a car??!! ….Or would
he/she wonder who has innovated this car by its capacities and accuracy

Thus, a rational person would
not accept that the universe, including its galaxies, planets, earth,
seas, is simply created by an irrational nature which has neither an
essence nor an existence

Would a judicious person think
that the human body, including its limbs whose structures and duties are
accurate, is working as a thorough system depending on the creation of
coincidence

All the data of the modern science highlights of a capable and creative Creator of the world, and its containing

{{Were they created of nothing, Or were they themselves the creators?}}

(Holy Qur'an 52: 35)

3. The evidence of guidance

دليل الهداية

When Pharaoh had asked the prophet Moses, peace be upon him, the answer was herewith

{{Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "Who
then, O Mûsa (Moses), is the Lord of you two?" [Mûsa (Moses)] said: "Our
Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it
aright."}},

(Holy Qur'an 20: 49-50)

In the simple explanation of
Holy Qur'an: " Moses had answered: Our Lord is He Who has given
everything He has created its fitting feature to be a sign of His
perfect creation. Then, He guided each creature to what is made to
accomplish on earth

Henceforth, Allah Almighty has
created each genre of the creatures to be guided to its kind of
life-style and to its devices he/she/it provided with

The birds are lead to migrate
thousands of kilometres and then come back to their nests of which they
have been already guided to build it

The fish is also directed to
migrate thousands of kilometres and to get back by the same way to its
birthplace. For example, the Salmon, which migrates from some of the
American rivers to the shores of Europe, is totally capable to come back
to the river where it has been born. It simply swims on the opposite
direction of the river to put its eggs and to die therefore. The next
generation is spontaneously able to do the same steps. To boot, Allah
has guided the animals to the way of its nutrition and the manners of
hunting. Some other creatures are acquainted with the stratagems of
disguise and deviousness etc

One has mentioned some examples of Allah Almighty's guidance to his creatures

يمكننا ذكر بعض الأمثلة لهداية الله لمخلوقاته

When the cat excretes, it does not leave the place unless it covers its stool with the dust

- The amazing defense in the
beehive since it is defended by its bees till the last bee dies during
their fight against the hornets. One might wonder Who has taught the
bees to make sacrifice of themselves to keep their hive

- The members of the beehive,
who are the workers, are used to choose among the working maggots a
larva that is assumed to turn out the queen by consuming the royal
nutrition in case of the queen death without progeny

- The mosquito that is used to
put its eggs as bags in the quagmires so as to buoys on the surface of
water. Who has taught it the buoyancy rule of Archimedes

-Who has taught this mosquito to
get its nurture from the blood of the human being? Thus, how does it
get the substance to secrete in order to stop the thrombosis of the
blood and to remain fluid as soon as it inserts its suckers

- The desert trees which
engenders wings to its seeds to fly far away and through miles to look
for good opportunities to be implanted over there; Who has taught these
trees to make these wings and sunshades? - Who has taught the firefly to
be illuminated at night to attract the mosquitoes in order to eat them

- And the hornet who inserts its
stinger inside of the nervous center of the victim insect to be numbed
and paralyzed; then, it brings it to its nest to put on it one
egg….whenever it hatches, the small insect can find its nurture is fresh
and ready to eat. From where does the hornet learn the surgery and the
anatomy of the nervous system

How do all these creatures get its knowledge and regulation but from its Creator

كيف تحصل كل تلك المخلوقات على معرفتها ونظام حياتها سوى من خالقها

Sheikh Muhammad Al Ghazali has written

Whatever the human being gets
through his/her effort and thought that he/she has a limited quality in
comparison to what occurs in his/her worldly surroundings. I remember
the time I have walked about the industries of sugar where the tunnels
are abounded with juice and the ovens are full of fuel. The machines are
covering a vast area of the earth. I have looked around me here and
there to say spontaneously: Praise the Lord! The interior of the bee can
do this duty…the duty of making the sugar without the use of all these
rotary machines and the clamorous noise!

Herewith, I have imagined that the
human innovations are an intelligent hint to the wonders that occur in
the universe without these complex interventions and the multiple
devices.

{{Verily! In the creation of the
heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the
ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind,
and the water (rain) which Allâh sends down from the sky and makes the
earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures
of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds
and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayaât (proofs, evidences, signs, etc.) for people of understanding.}}

)Holy Qur'an 2:164)

Why Does Allah create the human being?Does Allah create us in vain?

لماذا خلق الله البشر ؟ هل خلقهم على سبيل العبث ؟

The brain is aware of the
existence of Allah Almighty by the use of the signs in the universe. The
human brain recognizes that the Creator of the universe is
Knowledgeable and Wise. Thus, it is quite impossible that He creates us
in vain and without a special target. Otherwise, this fact would not be
in tandem with His wisdom, Glory be to Him

{{"Did you think that We had
created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be
brought back to Us?” So Exalted be Allâh, the True King, Lâ ilâha illa
Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the
Supreme Throne!!}},

(Holy Qur'an 23: 115-116)

Though, we cannot know what does
the Creator want from us, How to worship Him as He really wants us to
do? How to thank Him? This is why He has sent to us messengers to tell
us about Himself (Allah Almighty) and the reason He has created the
universe. Why he has created us? What is the life-style He has depicted
for us to follow? And what He has preserved to us whether it is a reward
or a punishment

{{Messengers as bearers of good
news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea
against Allâh after the Messengers. And Allâh is Ever AllPowerful,
AllWise.}}

(Holy Qur'an 4: 165)

The messengers, whom Allah has
picked out from the best of His creatures, were under the custody and
the protection of Allah. They have brought miracles from Allah Almighty
to give evidence of their truthful message. Allah has sent down to them
the procedure of life which must be performed by the humankind. As it
is, he who has obeyed Allah and his messengers will be perfectly
rewarded by Allah Almighty; and he who has disobeyed Allah will be
punished for sure

{{And whoso obeys Allâh and the
Messenger (Muhammad), then they will be in the company of those on whom
Allâh has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqûn (those
followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in
them.), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these
companions are!}}

(Holy Qur'an 4: 69)

Furthermore, Allah Almighty has confirmed in the Holy Qur'an

{{And whosoever disobeys Allâh and
His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him
into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful
torment.}}

(Holy Qur'an 4:14)

Allah Almighty has explained to us that the creation is certainly for specific wisdom

{{And We created not the heaven and
the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the
consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve
(in Islamic Monotheism) from the Fire!}}

(Holy Qur'an 38:27)

Allah Almighty has made it clear to us to know the reason behind the creation of the humankind

{{And I (Allâh) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).}}

(Holy Qur'an 51: 56)

It goes without saying that
worshiping Allah is not only praying, genuflecting, and fasting, but it
contains also all the deeds and the behavior which Allah loves us to do.
Taking care of the orphan is considered as worshipping. Visiting a sick
person is part of worshipping. Taking away anything that might hurt the
others in the road is a way of worshipping. Greeting the others is also
worshipping….etc

Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah has confirmed

Worshipping is a name that is
connected to everything Allah Almighty loves and agrees on whether it is
related to sayings, interior and exterior deeds. Prayer, giving alms,
fasting, doing the pilgrimage, saying the truth, loyalty, filial
devotion, good contact with one's relatives, fulfillment of the pact,
Ordering to work out kindness and avoiding badness, striving against the
unbelievers and hypocrites, the philanthropy to the neighbours,
orphans, indigent, vagabond, slaves, animals, invocation of Allah,
reading…are all kinds of worshipping Allah Almighty.

The love of Allah and His
messenger, the fear of Allah, deputation to His Almighty, keeping
loyalty to His religion, being patient to his orders, being thankful to
His beneficence, the contentment towards His fate, the reliance on him,
Beseeching His mercy and apprehending his excruciation, and the like are
all kinds of worshipping Allah Almighty.

Attributes of God (Allah)

صفات الله

To Allah belong the most beautiful names. The Holy Qur'an says

{{" Say (O Muhammad): "Invoke Allâh
or invoke the Most Beneficent (Allâh), by whatever name you invoke Him
(it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names. And offer your Salât (prayer) neither aloud nor in a low voice, but follow a way between.}}

) Holy Qur'an 17:110 (

Sources of Islam give no less
than ninety-nine different attributes to Allah Almighty. The Holy Qur'an
refers to Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious), Ar-Raheem (Most Merciful)
and Hakeem (All Wise) among many other names

God does not take human form

الله لا يتصرف مثل البشر

Many religions at some point
believe, directly or indirectly, in the philosophy of anthropomorphism
i.e. God is palatable to become a human. Their contention is that God
Almighty is so pure and holy to the extent that He is unaware (It is
true that Allah is not like us, but this does not mean that He is
unaware of our situations!!!?- I would rather say: is far away) of the
hardships, shortcomings and feelings of human beings. In order to set
the rules for human beings, He came down to earth as a human. Let us now
analyze this argument and see if it stands to reason

Suppose I manufacture a
videocassette recorder (VCR). Do I have to become a VCR to know what is
good or what is bad for the VCR? What do I do? I write a manual
instruction. "In order to watch a video cassette, you should insert the
cassette and press on the play button. In order to stop, press on the
stop button. If you want to fast forward, press on the FF button. Do not
drop it from a height or it will get damaged. Do not immerse it in
water or it will get ruined". These manual instructions list the various
do’s and don’ts for the machine. Similarly, our Lord and Creator, Allah
does not need to take the human form so as to know what is good or bad
for the human being. He chooses to reveal the manual instructions. The
last and final manual instruction that is sent down to the human beings
is the Glorious Qur'an whose ‘do's’ and ‘don’ts’ are mentioned to the
human beings through the Holy Verses

If you allow me to compare human
beings with machines, I would say humans are more complicated than the
most complex machines in the world. Even the most advanced computers,
which are extremely complex, are pale in comparison to the physical,
psychological, genetic, and social factors that affect individuals and
collective human life. The more advanced the machine is, the greater the
need for its manual instruction is. By the use of the same criteria,
don't the human beings require a manual instruction by which it is easy
to govern their own lives

Therefore, Allah does not come
down personally to give the manual instruction. He chooses a man amongst
men to deliver the message and communicates with him at a higher level
through the medium of revelations. Such chosen men are called messengers
and prophets of God

God does not perform ungodly acts

الله لا يتصرف تصرفات غير ربانية

The attributes of Almighty God
preclude any evil since God is the source of justice, mercy and truth.
God can never be thought of as doing an ungodly act. Hence, we cannot
imagine God telling a lie, being unjust, making a mistake, forgetting
things, or having any such human failings. Similarly, God can do
injustice if He chooses to, but He will never do it because being unjust
is an ungodly act. The Holy Qur'an says:

{{Surely! Allâh wrongs not even of
the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done),
He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward..}}.

(Holy Qur'an 4:40)

God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the moment God does injustice, He ceases to be God

God does not make mistake

الله لا يرتكب أخطاء

God can make mistakes if He
wants to, but He does not make mistakes, because making a mistake is
ungodly act. The Holy Qur'an says

{{… My Lord is neither unaware nor He forgets,}}

) Holy Qur'an 20:52)

The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to be God

God does not forget

الله لا ينسى

God can forget if He wants to.
But God does not forget anything because forgetting is an ungodly act,
which reeks of human limitations and failings. The Holy Qur'an says

{{… My Lord is neither unaware nor He forgets,}}

( Holy Qur'an 20:52)

Chapter Two : What is Islam

الفصل الثانى : ما هو الإسلام ؟

Islam means submission,
obedience, surrender and compliance with the command and prohibition of
the commander without objections. Allah has named the true religion,
‘Islam’ for it is an obedience to him, submission to His Commands
without any resistance, purifying acts of worship for Him, believing in
His words and having faith in Him. Islam then became a proper name for
the religion brought by Muhammad {P.B.U.H}.

Why was this religion named Islam?

لماذا سمى هذا الدين بالإسلام

Adherents of various religions
all over the world have named their religions, either with the name of a
man or a particular race like Christianity, which was named after Jesus
Christ; and Buddhism was named after its founder Buddha; and
Zoroastrianism was named after its founder and flag banner, Zoroaster.
Judaism had also emerged among the tribe of Judah and so on. The
All-Mighty Allah Himself called it Islam when He said,

{{Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. (Submission to His Will)}}

(Holy Qur'an 3:1)

It is only Islam that is not
attributed to any particular man or nation. Its name indicates a special
characteristic that the meaning of Islam denotes. It is evident in this
name that no man has any role in bringing this religion into existence
and that it is not peculiar with any nation to the exclusion of others.
Its only goal is to make all people of the earth have characteristics of
Islam. So, whoever is characterized with the qualities of Islam among
ancient people and contemporary people is a Muslim, just as he shall be
called a Muslim, and anyone who possesses its qualities among the coming
generations