The Principal of Islam
The Meaning and Essence of Islam
The lexical meaning of Islam is
submission, and adherence to the commands
of Allah without objection. This is ttre true
essence of Islam. By obeying Allah and
observing His commands, the Muslim would
be in harmony with the universe in which he
lives, for everything in this universe abides
by the commands of Allah.
It is an established fact that
everything in this universe follows certain
rule, and an unalterable law to which it
submits; the sun, the moon, the stars, the
night, the day, the land, the trees, and the
beasts; all submit to a rule which Allah, the
Creator, has designated for all these things.
Even man himself, when you consider his
physical construction, and biological
compounds, his need for water and
nutrition, heat, air, light, rest, or sleep you
would find him submittins to a law under
which he has no choice, just like other
creatures.
This inclusive law to which
everything submits, is rhe work of Allah,
the Majestic King, ro Whom belong the
creation and the authority. Both of the
upp-er and the lower worlds submit willingly
to the Creator, the Capable King.
Due to the fact that the linguistic
meaning of Islam is submission, and
adherence without objection, Islam, from
this point of view, is rhe faith of the
universe. Man in this sense, does not differ
from the other creatures. Since Allah, is the
Creator and the Provider, He has given man
the freedom of choice, and has shown him
both, the path of guidance, and the path of
deviation through the Messengers that He
sent to mankind throughouthe ages; the last
of whom is Muhammad, peace be upon them
all. Therefore, he who chooses the path of
guidance of his own free will, and futfills
the duties with which he is charged, and
refrains from the prohibition, then he
becomes the legitimate Muslim.
As for him who chooses the Path of
deviation, neglecting the acts of worship,
and commining the prohibitions, he is thus
an unbeliever. Each of them will receive
his requital on the Day he will meet his
Rubbr when the records of deeds will be
displayed. Allatr says:
So whoever does good equal to the weight of
an ant shall see it and whoever does evil equal
to the weight of an ant shall see it.
Based on this gift that Allah has granted
man; which is one of the greatest, i.e., the
freedom of choice, and after subjugating for
him the land, the sea, the night and the day,
Allah has commanded man to worship Him
alone, and has forbidden him to ascribe
1 Sorne ranslate the term "Rubb" into 'lord. but
since the meaning of 'Rubb' is far more
comprehensive than to be restricted to a single word
such as 'lord'. Among other things the term 'Rubb'
means, the Creator, the Cherisher, the Sustainer, or
Provider.
partners to Him, and has promised him in
return great rewards for his obedience.
Among the promised rewards are the
following :
l - Allowing man to benefit from the
signs of Allah that are scattered throughout
the universe proving the fact that Allah is
the true God Who deserves to be
worshipped.
2- The ability to lead a fear-free life in
this world, and to render sound his state of
affairs. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
said: "How wonderful is the believer's state
of affairs. All his affairs yield good
consequences. If he encounters a pleasant
situation, he would show gratitude to Allah,
and this response would be good for him,
and if he experiences distressing situation,
he would endure it patiently, and it would
be good for him. This applies only to the
believer. "
The believer knows that his duty in
this world is to worship Allah alone. Allah,
has created the jinn and man only to
worship Him. Allah does not seek
provisions from them, nor does he ask that
ttrey should feed Him. It is He Who is the
Provider, the Most Powerful.
The believer also knows that he will
finally meet his Rubb on the Day of
Requital. He also knows that he came into
existence by the word of Allah who created
him, cherished him, and bestowed upon him
His favors, the seen and the unseen thereof,
and He has subjected everything for him.
Ailatr says:
Do you not scc that Allah has subjecrcd for
you what is in the heavens and what is in thc
carth, and that Hc has bestowcd amply upon you
His apparent and hiddcn graces2
And Allah says:
Allah is thc One Who has crcated catrlc for
you so that you may ride on some of them, and
eat. thc meat of some of them.3
2 e. 3l:20
3 q. cO:79
Allah is the One Who has created the
heavens and the earth, and Who sends down
water from the sky, and brought forth thercby
fruits as provisions for you; and He has made
the- ships to bc of service to you, that they may
sail easily through by His command, and HL
has also made rivers to be of senrice to you.a
And Allah says:
Do you nor see that Allah has subjected for you
everything in the earth. 5
3- The Muslim leads his life knowing
that this world is not perrnanent, rather it is
a transitory to the etemal life, and a supply
station, and a starting point of a race to win
the pleasure of Allah.
Consequently, the Muslim is content
with whatever means of subsistence that
become available for him in this world,
knowing that such means are only a
temporal pleasure.
a q.zz:6s
5 q. ru:lz-33
6
4- The believer will, on the DaY of
Resurrection, win the pleasure of his Rubb,
the only means of escaping the Fire and
entering Jannah. Allah says:
Ho-who is moved awdy from the Fire, and
admitted to Jannah has indecd prospcrcd, and
the lifc of this world is but a dcceiving
pleasure.6
After this short introduction, You
may want to know more Islam, the onlY
religion acceptable to Allah. The Religion in
ttre sight of Allah is Islam.
If anyone desires a religion other that Islam,
ncver will it be accepted of him; and in the
hereaftcr he will bc among the losers.T
What is the means of knowing
the commands of Allah, and His laws?
6 q. ::r58
7 e. 3:85
Regardless how much power, reason,
or shrewdness man is given, he can never
know the statutes of Allah, and His laws,
commands, or prohibitions by employing
such faculties. If man is unable to know
what is in the mind of another human being,
unless the latter expresses his thoughts
verbally or practically, how would man ,
then, be able to know the intention of Allah,
the Creator of the universe. Consequently,
no one is able to make laws for the creatures
except their Creator, the One who knows
what is in their minds, and what is good for
them, and what renders their affairs aright
in the present and in the future.
It is only through the divine revelation
conveyed to mankind by the Messengers
who explained to rheir people the purposes
of Allah and the means by which they may
attain His pleasure. The last of those
Messengers is Muhammad, son of Abdullah,
the Hashimite, the last of the Messengers,
peace be upon him.
KNOWING THE MESSENGERS
You have known that the Messengers
are the men responsible for conveying the
laws and commands of Allah. What are the
means of recognizing the Messengers and
the proofs of their veracity'?
Proofs of
veracity
the Messengers'
We have , after that , to recognize the
proofs of Prophethood. Among such proofs
of the Messengers' veracity are :
1- They do not seek anything for their
personal interest, rather they seek things for
the public interest by waming their people
against what may harm them.
2- What the Messengers reported to
their people about the unseen world, no one
can concieve through his intellect, and yet
the realiry always verified their statements.
3- Every Messenger is supported by a
miraculous sign that his people could not
challenge or match. Noah, for example,
challenged his people to kill him, yer rhey
werc unable to do so, although he was living
amongst them without guards, surrounded
by the disbelievers hatred. Similarly, neither
the people of Ibraheem and Hood were able
to harm them. Allah, the Exalted, supported
Musa, peace be upon him, by making his
cane to change into a snake whenever Musa
wanted it to be so. While Issa, peace be
upon him, healed the blind, and the leper,
and revived the dead with the permission of
Allah. Muhammad, peace be upon him,
received the great Qur'an. Bearing in mind
that he was unlettered, and did not study
under the instruction of any person, yet his
people were unable to produce a book
similar to the Qur'an as a whole, nor were
they able to produce ten chapters the like
thereof. Finally, Allah challenged them to
produce a single chapter similar to that in
l0
the Qur'an, but they failed to meet the
challenge. Never will any one be able to do
so.
Allatr says:
If mankind and the jinn gathered togcther to
producc thc like of this Qur'an, thcy would
hever bc able to do so even if they helpe/ each
other.t
AUafr sent a Messenger to every nation,
and supported him with a miracle that suited
the nature of his people. And since Allatt
sent every Messenger with a Message
concerning that particular nation, and
because those Messages were not final nor
perrnanent, those Messages faded away
along with the nations to whom they were
sent. But the Message with which
Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent is
the last and perpetual. Hence, the miracles
of the previous Messengers were, generally,
of materialistic nature, whereas the Qur'an
lt
8 q. rZ:88
is an intellectual and scientific Miracle, thus
to suit the human intellect throughout the
ages.
Now that you have known the means
of recognizing the deen of Allah, the Islam,
what then is Islam of which Allah approves,
and accepts from His slaves? Let us explore
Islam in detail. Islam as you have alieady
known, means, submitting to the will of
Allah, the Exalred with obedience. It means
worshipping Allah alone, ascribing no
partners to Him. Islam consists of rites and
actions fulfilled by man out of obedience to
Allah, and in conformiry with the Message
of the Messengers, the last of whom is
Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Muhammad's set of laws conclude all
previous divine laws. Any other laws that
disagree with his are null and void, because
they disagree with Allah's final and
perrnanent le gislation.
These rites express the iman, (faith)
in the heart of the believer, for whatever is
t2
based on faith and certainty, externally or
inrcmally is the true deen of Islam. Islam is
the means by which man acquires the
pleasure of his Rubb, his Creator, and the
means of salvation that delivers him from
the torment of the Day of Resurrection.
Islam is based on five Pillars:
l- The testimony of faith: "There
is no true god except Allah, and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The requirements of this Testimony
is the submission and declaration that Allah
is the true God, and that all other deities are
false, and are not capable of neither
harming or benefiting, nor do they deserve
to be worshipped.
Allah is also the Ruler who has a free
hand in the disposal of the affairs of the
universe. People must rule by His laws and
commands.
r3
It is only rhe Book of Allah to
Whom men should refer their disputes and
affairs. Any judicial decision other thar
Allah's is a decision based on ignorance or
q're-Istamic era, which entails injustice and
deviation. All legitimate rites of worship
must be dedicated to Allah alone.
Among other requirements of the
Testimony of Faith is that no one should
bow down, or lower his head humbly to
anyone, nor supplicate another human
qt-lilg him to fulfill his needs, for only
Allah is capable of fulfilling man's needs.
As for the requirements of the
Testimony: 'Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah', it entails recognition of Muhammad
as the true Messenger of Allah. This
Testimony also attests to his veracity,
trustworthiness and infallibiliry in
everything that he related ro Allah, the
Exalted, about the past, the future, and the
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unseen world. Because everything he
related is only revelation from Allah.
It is obligatory to obey his commands
and to rcfrain from his prohibitions because
obeying him is in fact obeying Allah. The
Prophet, peace be upon him, is the one
commissioned by Allah to convey His
message, laws, and commands. Therefore,
it is not permissible to disobey the
Messenger, peace be upon him, for
disobeying him means disobeying Allah.
2- As-Salah :
As-Salah, or prayer is the second
pillar of Islam. It begins with the
purification of the body and ends with the
purification of the soul. It is performed
five times in the day and the night. Prayer
may be considered as an energizing charge
man needs whenever he tends to be heedless
of the remembrance of his Rubb. In order
to rcnew the contact with his Rubb, the
l5
first thing man starts off his day with, is
prayer. The time of the first prayer of the
day begins with the dawn and ends with the
sunset. Having spent the first half of the day
working, heedlessness is apt to befall man;
by then the mid-day salah or prayer
becomes due for which the Muslim renews
purification, and his contact with his Rubb
asking His help, mercy, and success
throughout this life, and forgiveness in the
Hereafter to efface his sins and errors.
Thus man moves from one prayer to
another until he meets with his Rubb. The
Messenger, peace be upon him, said:
Consider a river running by your door in which
you wash yourself five times a day. Would that
spare any soiled spot on your body? (His
listeners) said : "Certainly not" He said : So do
the five daily prayers with which Allah effaces
the sins.
Performing prayer in the masjid helps
Muslims maintain strong relation with one
another in brotherly atmosphere, and
promotes among them love and mercy.
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Prayer deters reprehensible and evil deeds.
It also helps the slave in all his affairs.
Allah says :
And seek help through patience and prayer.
3- Az-Zakat
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is
a financial act of worship, which is due on
the wealth kept in possession for one year.
A certain percentage is taken from every
kind of property to be given out to the poor
to enable them meet their needs. Ttte Zakat
fulfills the poor's needs, and purifies the
donors from selfishness, anatural tendency
in men.
Allatr says:
And you love wealth with exceeding love.
T\e Zakar augments the wealth, and
adds barakahe to it. The Prophet, peace be
upon him said: "Never will charity
diminish the wealth, rather it augments it. "
9 Barattah, abundant and continual good.
t7
Thus the Zakat is a means of
augmenting the wealth, and purifying the
souls from miserliness, stinginess and
selfishness. It is a manifestation of social
mutual responsibility among the Muslims,
that the wealthy among them may
sympathize with the poor and the poor
among them may love the wealthy.
After all, the zakat is an act of
worship dedicated to Allah and a positive
response to His command and a means of
gaining His pleasure.
4- A s-S iyam
As-Siyam, in the month of Ramadan is
the fourth pillar of Islam. Through fasting all
aspecB of worship become integrated, and the
sense of obedience, and the will to observe is
strengthened. Fasting is an act of worship, and
a means of bringing man closer to Allah, refining the manners, self-restraint and setting
the behavior aright. It is also a means of
maintaining the fear of Allah.
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Alatr says:
O, you who bclieve fasting is prescribed
to you as it was prcscribed to those before you,
that you may anain piety.
Fasting was prescribed to previous
nations too as a means of purification and
help against life's inconveniences, because
fasting requires patience, and patience is one
of the strongest means for acquiring the
happiness in the Hereafter.
AUatr says:
nnd seck Allah's help through
pcrseverancc and prayer.
s- Hajj :
T}lre Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam.
This pillar has the same objectives like those
of the other pillars of Islam . The H aj j
trains self-restraint, endurance, resisting
hunger, enduring patiently the hardship of
the journey, leaving the family behind, and
other desirous things. The Hajj like the
7akat, has a financial aspect. It also shares
l9
with the prayer many physical aspects such
as Tawaf,Saee,ro and moving from one
ritual site to another. It includes as well, the
talbiyah,n the dthikr rz and the like. Hence,
the Hajj is act an of worship involving the
financial, physical, and those aspects related
to prayer. Like congregational prayer, Hajj
also is an occasion for congregating the
Muslims in one place at one time, with one
mone distinction, that is , all Muslims then
wear the same outfit regardless of their
heterogeneity, home lands, 'tongues,
or
classes. The H a j j, in its general
l0 Th" Sa'ee, walking back and forth seven rimes
betwccn the two hills of As-Safa and Marwah. Onc
of the rites of Pilgrimage both Umrah and Flajj, and
is perfurmcd immediately after the circumambularion
of the Ka'bah.
I I Thc recitation of the words: Labbaikallahumma
Labbaik. etc. meaning: Herc am I. O Allah! Here am
I. Hcre am I dcclaring no associates with You.
Surely, praise and blessings, and dominion are
Yours. I associate none with You.
12 Thercmembrance of Attah as an acr of worship.
2n
manifestation is a convention that comprises
all groups of Muslims who come from
different countries and from different
descents to attend and participate in this
great beneficial function. The Messenger of
Allah, peace be upon him, made his speech
in Arafat conveying to the Muslims the
message from his Rzbb, calling on Allah to
be his witness that he has indeed conveyed
the Message. The Muslims have the best
example in the Messenger of Allah, peace be
upon him. The H aj j is performed in
compliance to Allah's commands. When
Ibraheem, peace be upon him, had
completed erecting the Ka'bah, Allah
commanded him to declare to the people:
Allah has enjoined Hajj on you. Therefore
perform it. Allah says:
And proclaim to mankind the Pilgrimage. Thcy
will come to you on foot and on every lean
camel coming by every distant rrack.13
l3qu/an 22:27
zl
A Muslim who fulfills the five pillars
of Islam believing that Allah is his Rubb,
and Islam is his faith, and Muhammad is hie
Prophet and Messenger, and dies while
upholding this belief, he will eventually gein
thc pleasurc of his Rzbb, and admittance to
Jannah. But if a person has fulfilled the
pillars of Islam without faith, it would not
benefit him nor would it deliver him from
the punishment promised by his Rubb even
though he appears to be a Muslim.
THE ARTICLES OF IMAN
(frith)
We have already mentioned that the
first article of iman is the Testimony:
"Therc is no true god except Allah and that
Muhammad, is the Messenger of Allah",
peace be upon him. The second part of the
Testimony necessitates attesting to the tmth
that he is sent by Allah to mankind at large,
and it is imperative to attest to the veracity
of everything he told, to obey him, and
22
avoid his prohibitions. And of the things he
commanded is believing in Allah. His
angels His Scriptures , His Messengers, the
I-ast Day , and the Qada' and Qadar.tr
I. THE BELIEF IN ALLAH : ThC
firm belief that Allah is the self-sufficient,
who stands in need of none of His creaturcs.
Allah is neither an offspring of previous
roots, nor does He have offspring. Allah
describes Himself saying: He neither begets,
nor is He begotten. He is far removed
from having a spouse or a son. He is
qualified with all attributes of perfection.
It is imperative to believe that Allah
is ever-living, unaffected by cessation or
extinction, and that He is ever alert, and He
is the Proprietor of all. It is also incumbent
upon us to believe that intercession is valid
only after He permits, and that He is the One
and only, having no partner in His
t4
23
Ruboobiyyahrs, nor in H'is divinity, nor is
there anyone to share His names and
attributes. He has no intermediaries from
among His creatures. It is He in Whose
hand is the provision, life and death, and
harm and benefit. He hears their
supplications, responds to the distressed
when they call Him for help. Allah's
creatures stand in need of Him, while He
stands in need of none. Believing in all this
makes man expect relief from Allah alone,
and fear Him alone, ask Him alone without
going through middlemen or intercessors.
Allah's creatures have no power without
Him to extend benefit, or cause harm to
anyone. What some allege that there are
intermediaries or intercessors to whose
graves they go seeking help, and whom they
call, awliya, or the favorites of Allah is not
only false allegation, but it is paramount to
shirk, or ascribing partners to Allah, the
15 Ruboobryah Inf. of Rubb.
Ever living , the All-knowing, the Allpowerful.
2. THE BELIEF
ANGELS:
IN THE
The angels arc part of the unseen world
about which Atlah ttre Exalted, has informed
His Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon
him. The angels are honorable slaves of
Allah. Allatr says:
Thcy do not rcbcl against His commands, and
do exactly what they are commanded.
AUah has crcated the angels to worship
Him, and charged them with duties that 0rey
fulfill obediently as Allah the Exalted,
mentions in the Qur'an rebuffing thus what
some people falsely believe that the angels
are the intercessors and the daughters of
Allah.
Since it is imperative to believe in
the existence of the angels, it is also
imperative to believe in what Allah, and
25
what Muhammad, peace be upon him, have
informed about them, including the fact that
Jibreel (Gabriel) is one of them, and that he
was the one who brought down revelation to
the Messengers of Allah.
Among the angels also are those who
keep count of man's deeds; the record which
will be shown to man on the Day of
Resurrection when man will be able to
recognize his record of deeds, and would
deny none of its content. Once he denies
any of his deeds, man's own organs will
testify against him.
3- THE BELIEF IN THE
DIVINE SCRIPTURES :
Believing in the divine Scriptures is
one of the articles of faith. It is mandatory
to believe that they are reVealed and sent
down by Allah. Belief in the Scriptures is of
two levels; general, and particular. The
gen,:ral entails believing in all Scripture sent
down to any of Allah's Messengers, whether
we know him by name or not. As for the
particular belief, we must believe in every
Scripture that is mentioned in rhe Qur'an by
name. They are five:
l- The Qur'an, which is in our hands,
the Book that was sent down to Muhammad,
peace be upon him.
2- \\e Torah, The Old Testament. senr
down to Musa, peace be upon him.
3- The Injeel, The Evangel, or The
New Testament, sent down to Isa (Jesus),
peace be upon him.
4- Az-Zaboor, the Psalms, sent down to
Dawood, (David), peace be upon him.
5- The Sheets of Ibrahim, peace be
upon him.
We know that it is obligatgry ro believe
in all those Books. But, do we have to
believe in all of the Scriptures circulated
today? Or, are the Scriptures available today
the sanre as those revealed to the Messengeri
of Allah? These are general questions. The
1'7
answer is that although the Scriptures that
preceded the Qur'an may contain parts of
the original texts, but they cannot be
considered as genuine, for the following
reasons:
1- The complete original texts of those
Scriptures are no longer in existence. What
is available today is only the translation with
which the opinions of the translators, and
the exegeses are mixed.
2- The original texts of those Books
were not written down during the
Messengers' lifetime, rather, they were
written down hundreds of years thereafter.
They were collected from reports given by
the Messengers'followers as was the case of
the Bible. The original text itself
disappeared and was compiled for the
second time from reports and narratives,
and so was the case of the Torah.
3- All previous Scriptures were not
meant to address mankind at large, rather
each Book was sent to one particular nation,
28
for the divine Message was not completed
then. Every Messenger gave his people the
good news of the Messenger who would
succeed him.
4- The languages of those Scripturcs
have been altered, or became archaic. Even
if those Scriptures were available today in
their original texts, it is most unlikely that
therc would be any people, who would be
able to decode their languages, thus such
Scriptures would not be valid to use without
understanding their texts. As for the text of
the Qur'an, it is still available in its original
language in which it was sent down to
Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Qur'an
maintains its originality and validity for the
following reasons :
l- Allah Himself has promised ro
prcserve the Qur'an. He said :
29
We it is Who sent down the Dlhikr l6and we
are preserving it .17
2- The Qur'an was written down
during the lifetime of the Prophet, peace be
upon him. Whenever a verse, or a surah
was revealed, the Messenger , peace be upon
him, would dictate it to a scribe, telling him
to place it in the order and the surah it
belonged to. Besides, many companions had
committed the Qur'an to memory, and knew
the circumstantial events that prompted the
revelation of the surahs, or the verses. All
this information is compiled in authentic
works.
3- Jibreel, used to review the Qur'an
with the Prophet, peace be upon him, once a
year. The year in which the Prophet, peace
be upon him, died , Jibreel reviewed the
Qur'an with him twice.
l6 Among other meanings,'dthikr' significs, the
Qu/an. It also signif,res the Prophetic traditions.
17 e.
30
4- The men around the Prophet, peace
be upon him, committed the Qur'an to
memory. Therefore no one would have
been able to change anything in the Qur'an,
for any supposed alternation would have
been spotted right away by those who
memorized the Qur'an.
5- The language in which the Qur'an
was revealed is still the same, therefore
anyone who knows Arabic can easily
understand the Qur'an and the signification
of its text.
6- The exegetes have separated their
commentaries from the main text of the
Qur'an to keep the letter chaste.
There is another important proof of
the Qur'an's originality. If samples of the
Qur'an copies were collected at random
from Arab and non-Arab countries and
compared with each other, they would have
been found identical. Those who have
committed the whole Qur'an to memory,
would have ascertained this fact.
3r
7 - The Qur'an is the last Book revealed
to the last of the Messenges.. The wisdom
necessitates preserving it. Had the Qur'an
been affected by any change, mankind
would have been left without a chaste Book
as a reference. The infinite wisdom of
Allah and His mercy necessitate that Allah
would not neglect His creatures, or leave
them to their own whimsical opinions
staggering in the darkness of ignorance, and
deviation.
4- The Belief in the Messengers.
Believing in the Messengers is an
article of faith. This does not mean to
recognize some of the Messengers and deny
the others. Rather it is obligatory to believe
in all of them in general, whether we know
their names or not. Those Messengers whose
names are mentioned in the Qur'an must be
recognized in particular. Allah has made
mandatory recognizing them all, for they
are like a chain whose rings are connected
32
to one another; everyone of them
completed the Message of the proceeding
Messenger until Allah has sent Mohammed,
peace be upon him as the last Messenger
with whom He concluded their line. Peace
be upon them all. A person who
acknowledges some of the Messengers, and
denies the others is as though he has broken
their chain.
The Qur'an mentions the names of
only twenty-five Messengers. Allah says:
-
And We sent Mcsscngers whom We have
alrcady mentioned to you, and some
Mcssengers whom Wc have not mentioned to
You'18
The belief in the Messenger is
indispensable due to the fact that it is
impossible to know the Message of Allah
without the Messengers, for it is they who
conveyed His message. It is obligatory to
believe in them indiscriminately.
It Q.4:164
33
As for the privileges with which
Muhammad, peace be upon him, has been
distinguished, they are as follows:
l- All of the Messengers that preceded
him were sent to their own peoples in
particular, where as, Muhammad, peace be
upon him, was sent to mankind at large, for
he would be succeeded by no Prophet, or
Messenger.
Z- The teachings of the preceding
Prophets, and the signs of their veracity had
vanished along with them. The proof of
Mohammed's veracity, is still and will
remain effective until the end of time. His
teachings are preserved in the books that are
available to public.
3- The Message of Mohammed, peace
be upon him, includes the Messages of the
preceding Messengers. The Message and the
teachings of the Messengers are like a palace
which is erected by the joint efforts of men;
each constructed a section thereof. and
34
Muhammad, peace be uPon him, has
completed the whole structure.
5- The belief in the Final daY.
This belief necessitates :
l- Believing that this world and all that
is in it has an end.
2- Allah, the exalted, will resulrect the
creatures once again.
3- The people will be held accountable
for their deeds. He who does good, it will
be good for him, and he who errs, will
suffer the consequences. Everyone will be
held responsible for his own deeds.
4- Mankind's deeds are being recorded
and will be reviewed by them on the Day of
Reckoning.
5- The Muslim will eventuallY be
admitted to Jannah, (the heavenly garden),
and the unbeliever will be admitted to Hell
Fire.
Hence, it is obvious that death is not
the end of life, rather it is a borderline
35
between the short transitional life, and the
eternal life. But will all men lead the same
life ? Certainly not! They arc not alike.
Those who obey Allah will certainly be
rcwarded; and those who disobey Him will
be punished. Believing in the I-ast Day is an
intellecnral necessity, for man in this world
do things the resultsof which do not appear,
or may not exist. Query! Would this world
terminate in the same manner? Would the
oppressor get away with his oppression,
while the oppressed to be left unprotected?
This surely would have been unwise and
unfair. Hence, justice is indispensable, but
in a world other than this; the world to
come. The Prophet's authentic traditions
pertaining the world to come are sufficient
to confirm this fact. The ultimate purpose
of believing in the Day of Resurrection is
to motivate the believers to make vigorous
efforts to achieve good deeds, and
discourage others from committing
imperious deeds and acts of disobedience,
36
and the results of the tests and afflictions in
this world will become evident in the next
world.
6- The belief in Al-Qadar.
Believing in Al-Qadar is one of the
central fundamentals of Islam. Allah does
not accept any good deed frorn a person
until he believes in the al-Qadar, even if he
observes fasting, performs prayers, and
claims to be a Muslim, because he did not
maintain sound belief in Allah. He who does
not believe in al-Qadar, implies that Allah
is incapable, unaware of the events taking
place in the universe, and impotent .Such is
not fit to be a god; for among the intrinsic
attributes of Allah the Ever-living, the One
Who sustains and maintains the creatures,
the Omnipotent, the All-Hearing, AllSeeing, and the rest of the attributes of
perfection. Disbelieving in al -Qadar
necessitates denying Allah all of these
37
attributes of perfection. Far is Allah
removed from every imperfection.
The belief in al-Qadar necessirares
believing that :
l- Allah has known all things and
recorded them before bringing them into
existence.
2- When Allah, the Exalted, wills
something to take place, He would only say
to it: "Be". and it is. If Allah wants
something to exist, it will exist, and if He
does not want it to exist, it will not exist.
3- Every existing thing, other than
Allah is created by Allah, be it good or evil,
and that He has brought it into existence for
wise purpose known to Him. Therefore,
there is nothing in the universe that exists
without a wise purpose. Allah is the AllKnowing, All-Wise.
4- Nothing occurs, or takes place in
this universe withou; the will of Allah, and
His permission. Allah is capable of
38
preventing what He does not perrnit to take
place. It should be borne in mind however,
that this does not mean that Allah approves
of everything in existence. Allah, for
instance, does not approve of disbelief, nor
does He enjoin mankind the commission of
the abominable, nor does He love
corruption. In fact, He does not prevent
these things to exist for a wise purpose
known to Him. The purpose of believing
rn al-Qadar is
that it provides man with the capability
of achieving good deeds knowing that life
and death are in the hand of Allah, the
Exalted. Hence, no one else can prolong or
shorten his life-term by a single second.
Once his term is over, there is none to
withhold its termination. Allah says:
And when their term has come, they cannot
rcmain behind a single moment, nor can they
get ahead of it.l9
19 Q.7:34
39
This belief provides man with the
sense of security and contentrnent when he
knows that nothing would befall him except
that which has already been assigned for
him. If all mankind gather to ward it off
him, they would not be able to do so, nor
would they be able to grant him what Allatl
has withheld from him. And because man
knows that his duty is to pursue all available
legal means to earn his living, he also
knows the results remain in the hand of
Allah. Among the issues discussed earlier, in
which we are obliged to believe, are things
that are neither tangible nor can they be
defined by the senses. What is our attitude
towards these things ?
N
The Belief in al-Ghaib.zo
Believing in al-ghaib is also a central
fundamental in Islam. Allah has endowed us
with the ability to believe in it. Man cannot
perceive the essence of Allah, His nature, or
attributes with his senses, nor can he
imagine them in his mind, and yet he sees
the effects of Allah's existence, and His
disposal of the affairs of the universe. Of
the greatest graces that Allah conferred on
man is enabling him to believe submissively
in the issues of al-ghaib.
Among the issues of cl-g haib in
which we submissively believe without
conceiving their nature is the soul. If the
belief in al-ghalib is not acquired, man
would have lost many fundamentals of his
faith. Man would have lacked the belief in
2O et-Ghafb , the world that is hidden from , or
bcyond rhe perception by senses unless by means of
divine rcvelation with which the Prophet, peace be
upon him, has acquainted the Muslims such as thc
events of the Day of Resurrection, and of Jannah and
Hcll.
4l
A-[fr, His angels , the Final D.y, and other
ghaib matters. Belief in ai-ghalib is
important enough that Allah considers as
one of the most particular characteristics of
the God-fearing people. Allah savs :
This is the Btiok, wherein there ii no doubt, a
gu-tlanc.e tothose who arc God-fearing. Who
bclieve in the glaib, perform prayer, ant spcnd
out of what We have providcd them.2l
It is good enough reason for us to
believe in al- ghaib as Allah, the Exalted, is
the One who has informed us about it by ttre
tongue of His Messenger, peace be upon
him. Consequently, he who does not
believe in al-ghaib denies Allah and His
Messengers , peace be upon them all.
The Shari'ah and the Deen
The Shari'ah 22 is part of the Deen, or
faith. The application of which is an act of
2l Q.2:3 22The d.ivine laws consisting of ordinances and acts
of worship such as fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, and
42
ibadah, or worship in itself, for ibadah
signifies obedience to Allah by adhering to
His commands, and refraining from His
prohibitions.
AUatt has commanded us to adhere to
what He has sent down to us. Allah says:
Adhere to what has been sent down to you from
yorr Rubb.
And He says :
And (say) this is My path leading
straight. So follow it, and do not follow other
ways lest they lead you away from His way.23
AUah has made manifest in His Book
everything mankind need, and has been
interpreted and expounded perfectly, and
sufficiently by His Messenger, peace be
upon him. All of which is preserved, and
made available to all at all times and places.
The main objective of Islam is to preserve
the following basics:
l- The Deen
all the other acts of worship, or thc acts of obedience
to Allah.
23 e. 6:153
43
Allah has passed the laws and
ordinances, sent the Messengers, and
revealed His Books to preserve the deen,
and guard it against deviation, and to
dedicate all acts of worship to Allah alone.
He has prescribed the Jihad in order to keep
His Word supreme, .and to efface the
barriers that bar men from worshipping
their Rubb.
2- The Intellect
Islam prohibits everything that
incapacitates the intellect whether it is food,
drink, or the like. Allah says:
Verily, the liquor, gambling, the idols, and
divining arrows are only abomination of
Satan's work.24
3- The Individual
Islam prohibits too, everything that
destroys the individual. A person is not
allowed to inflict any harm upon himself, or
24 Q.5:9
44
to cornmit suicide. Inflicting harm upon
others is also prohibited, and so is killing
others or giving them what may weaken
them physically. Hence requital in the cases
of homicide is legitimized for the protection
of man's life. Executing an evil person is
better than sparing his life to kill more
people. There is no sense in showing
mercy to the murderer, and depriving the
victimized of it, i.e. the victim's family.
+ The Property
Earning one's own living, and making
money are legitimate quests, and so is
preserving them. Wasting wealth is
unlawful, and spending it extravagantly on
lawful things is prohibited in Islam. Allah
says:
Eat and drink, and do not be wasteful.
It is unlawful for a person to abuse his
own wealth, or abuse the wealth of others.
It is not permissible for any one to help
himself to others' properties without their
consent. It is prohibited to possess people's
45
property illegally. It is for this reason that
the thief's hand is amputated as a
punishment. Similarly, usury is prohibited
to safeguard people's properties against
abusiveness.
5- The Honor
Islam protects man's honor, and
prohibits libeling, or abusing the honor, or
reputation of the others. Therefore Islam
preserves the right of people to protect their
honor, and renders it inviolable, and the
abuse of which is made punitive.
After this review of the five basic
necessities that Shari'ah purposed to
preserve, we must know the sources of the
Shari'ah from which we deduce the laws,
and rulings.
THE Shari'as' Sources
The sources of the Slrari'ah are the
Qur'an, and the Sunnah of the Messenger,
46
peace be upon him, which is the explanation
of the Qur'an. The scholars have exerted
great efforts for the deduction of rulings
from these two great sources. Since the
Islamic Shari'ah is the last of all divine laws,
it is designed to suit every age and place.
Hence, the judicial rulings deduced by the
jurists are not alike, because such rulings
are based on their understanding of the
texts. The deduced rulings referred to as
al-fiqh.2s, or jurisprudence, where later
compiled by different imams. There are
four renowned madthahibsz6, or schools of
thoughts established by different imams or
scholars, whose teachings were widespread,
and adhered to by large number of
students. The four schools of thoughts are:
1- Al-Hanafi madth'hab,by Imam Abu
Hanifa, @.rson 6'7).
25 The science which deals with observance of the
acts of wonhip, transactions, and the like.
26 m. of madih,-tab, school of law.
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