From: al739@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ghousuddin Syed)
Subject: Islam at a glance...
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Originator: Mughal@Romeo.Caltech.Edu (Asim Mughal -Moderator)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 19:19:00 GMT


[Postmarked: 12 Aug 92 ]

                BIS-MIL-LAH-HIR-RAH-MAN-NIR-RAH-HEEM

        (In the name of the the most benificial and merciful)



                        Islam at a glance..



Islam and Muslims



        Islam is an Arabic word which means peace, purity, acceptance

and commitment.  As a religion, Islam calls for complete acceptance of

the teachings and guidance of God.



        A Muslim is one who freely and willingly accepts the supreme power

of God and strives to organize his life in total accord with the teachings

of God.  He also works for building social institutions which reflect the

guidance of God.  "Muhammadanism" is a misnomer for Islam and offends it

very spirit since the Prophet Muhammad was a messenger of God, and not a 

divine being worshipped by Muslims.



        Muslims use the word "Allah" for the English word "God."  The

understanding of Deity in Islam differs from some of the connotations

in the English word, God.  For the convenienc of English speaking readers, 


the word God is used in this message except when the word "Allah" is in

the quotations from the Qur'an.



Continuity of The Message

        Islam is not a new religion.  It is, in essence, the same message

and guidance which God revealed to all His previous messengers.  

                "Say:  We believe in Allah and that which was revealed to 

                us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and 

                Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to 

                Moses and Jesus and to the Prophets from their Lord; we
make 

                no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit". 

                Qur'an 3:83.



        The message which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be
upon
        him) is Islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form.



The Five Pillars of Islam



        Every action done with the awareness that it fulfills the Will of 

God is considered an act of worship in Islam.  But it is the specific acts

of worship termed the Pillars of Islam which provide the frameword of
Muslim
spiritual life.  These are given below:



1.  The declaration of faith.  "I bear witness that there is no one worthy
of
worship except God (Allah), and that Muhammad is His servant and
messenger."
The Prophethood of Muhammad obliges Muslims to follow his exemplary life in

every respect.



2.  Prayers are prescribed five times a day as a duty towards God.  Prayer

strengthes and enlives belief in God and inspires man to higher morality.

It purigies the heart and controls temptation, wrong-doing, and evil.



3.  Fasting during the month of Ramadan. This means absentation from food, 

beverages, and sex from dawn to sunset, and curbing evil intentions and

desires.  It teaches love, sincerity, and devotion.  It develops patientce,

unselfishness, social conscience, and willpower to bear hardship.



4.  Zakah is a proportionately fixed contribution collected from the wealth

earnings of the well to do and rich.  It is spent on the poor and needy in

particular, and the welfare of the society in general.  The payment of
Zakah
purifies ones income and wealth and helps to establish economic balance and

social justice in the society.



5.  Hajj, or pilgrimage to the Ka'bah in Makkah, once in a lifetime,
provided
one has the means to undertake the journey.



Oneness of God



        Islam enjoins faith in the oneness and sovereignty of God, which 

creates an awareness of the unity and meaningfulness of the universe and of

the man's place in it.  This belief frees him from all fears and
superstitions
by making him conscious of the presence of the Almighty God and of man's 

obligations to Him.  But this realization must be expressed and tested in

action.  Faith alone is not enough.  Belief in one God requires that we
look 

upon all humanity as one family under the universal omnipotence of God -
the
Creator and Nourisher of all.  Islam rejects the idea that there is a
"chosen 

people" making pure intention, fait in God, and good deeds the only way to 

heaven.  Thus a direct relationship is established with God, open to all 

alike, without any discrimination or intercession.



The Qur'an and Hadith



        The Qur'an is the last revealed word of God and the basic source of

Islamic teachings and laws.  It deals with a variety of subjects including 

the basic beliefs of Islam, morality, worship, knowledge, wisdom,
God-and-man
relationship, and relations among human beings.  Comprehensive teachings on

which sound systems of social justice, politics, economics, legislation,

jurisprudence, law and international relations can be built form an
important
part of the Holy Qur'an.



        Though Prophet Muhammad did not receive a formal education, the

Qur'an, as soon as it was revealed to him in the spoken word, was committed

to writing by his secretaries.  In this way every word was written down and

preserved during his lifetime by his companions.  The original and complete

text of the Qur'an is in Arabic and translations of this meaning in most 

known languages are available in major libraries and bookstores.



        Hadith, the teachings, sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad, 

accurately reported and collect by his devoted companions, explain and 

elaborate the Qur'anic verses.



Concept of Worship



        Islam does not teach ritualism.  It places great emphasis on inten-

tion and action.  To worship God is to love Him and to act upon His
commands
in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness and forbid wrong-doing and 

oppression, to practice charity and justice and to serve Him by serving
man-
kind.  The Qur'an presents this sublime concept in the following manner:



                "It is not righteousness that you turn your 

                faces to the East or the West, but righteous

                is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day

                and the Angels and the Book and the Prophes;

                and gives his wealth for love of Him to kins-

                folk and to orphans and the needy and the way-

                farer and to those who ask, and sets slaves 

                free; and observes proper worship and pays the

                Zakah.  And those who keep their treaty when 

                they make one, and the patient in tribulation

                and adversity and time of stress; such are 

                those who are sincere.  Such are the God-fearing.

                Qur'an 2:177.



Man, A Free Agent



        Man is the highest creation of God and he has a free will to make
his
own decisions.  God has shown him the right path, and the life of Prophet

Muhammad provides a perfect example for achieving success and salvations.  

Islam stands for the sanctity of human personality and confers equal rights

on all without distinction of race, nationality or sex.



        The law of God set down in the Qur'an and exemplified in the life
of 

the Prophet is supreme in all cases.  It applies equally to the prince and 

the pauper, the ruler and the ruled, the saint and the sinner.



Man's Accountability to God



        Man's life is not limited to the shot span of eatly existence.  On 

the day of judgement the entire human race will be resurrected; everyone
will 

appear before the Almighty God and face the consequences of his deeds in
this
life.  Thus, life in the Hereafter is a continuation of the eartly life.



        Belief in man's accountability to God gives a sense and meaning to 

life and differentiates human beings from animals and inanimate objects. 
It
serves as a reminder against crime, corruption, immorality, and injustice.



Human Rights



        Islam protects all noble values and human rights.  Freedom,
equality, 

justice, and the right to life, liberty, and security of person are of
prime
concern in Islamic Law.



                "Whosoever kills a human being for

                other than manslaughter or corrup-

                tion in the eath, it shall be as if 

                he had killed all manking, and who-

                soever saves the life of one, it shall 

                be as if he had saved the life of all

                mankind..." Qur'an 5:32.



                "There is no compulsion in religion."

                Qur'an 2:256.



        Islam places great emphasis on social justice.  It opposes all
those
exploit, oppress and deal unjustly with people.



                "O you who believe:  Be steadfast wit-

                nesses for Allah in equity and let not

                hatred of any people seduce you that 

                you deal not justly.  Be just; that is

                nearer to piety".  Qur'an 5:8.



Science and Technology



        Islam encourages the use of science and the scientific method.  Ac-

quisition of knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female.  In

Islam, science and technology should be used for moral ends and serve all

legitimate needs of manking.  Moreover, both are viewed as yet another
means
to understand and see the power and glory of God.



                "He it is Who created for you all that

                is in the earth."  Qur'an 2:29.



                "It is your Lord, the Most Bounteous

                Who taught by the pen, taught man

                that which he knew not..." Qur'an 96:2-5.



                "We shall show them Our Signs on

                the horizons and within themselves

                until it will be manifest unto them

                that is the Truth..." Qur'an 41:53.



Islam:  The Cure for Modern Ills



        Racisims is a major problem in manyu materially advanced countries.

Prejudice and discrimination against racial groups is a common phenomenon

even today.  For 1400 years Islam has shown in practice how racism can be 

ended.  The Islamic social scene, particularly during the Hajj, is a unique

example of the brotherhood of men of all races and natiions under One God.



        Similarly, the family, the basic unit of civilization has also
become
something of a problem in the West.  It is in visible decay.  The family
sys-
tem of Islam brings the rights of husband, wife, children, and relatives
into 

a fine equilibrium.  Islam nourishes generosity in the family and holds it

together under the clear Qur'anic laws and teachings of the Propher
Muhammed,
peace be upon him.



Some Misconceptions  About Islam



        It is unfortunate that some teachings of Islam have been distorted
and 

misrepresented in the West and the communist world.  The main distortions

relate to the status of women, marriage and divorce, Jihad or so-called 

"Holy War", the authenticity of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon 

him), and the distinction between the Qur'an and hadith.  The accurate
teach-
ings of Islam on these matters can be obtained only from authentic Islam 

writings.  Some of these are listed below:



Some Useful Books on Islam



Islam and Universal Peace by Syed Qutb. 



Towards Understanding Islam by Syed Abul Ala maududi



Family Structure in islam by hamudah Abdul Ati.



On the Political System of Islamic State by Mohammed S.  El-Away.



Jesus, A Prophet of Islam by Sulaiman Mufassir.



Islam:  Its meaning and Message, ed. Khurshid Ahmad.



        These and other books may be ordered from Islamic Book Service,

10900 West Washinton Street, Indianapolis, IN 46231.  Telephone (317)

839-8150





Sorry about the spacing, I know it's messed up.  I used a ascii upload.


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