Download Gr10 LO2 AS4 Islam Explained

Islam Explained
Interview and information obtained from Ridwan Haniff, devout Muslim and training Imam
Is there more than one god in Islam? What names are given to the Islamic god(s)? How are they
related / linked?
Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing.
He is the only one who deserves worship, as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. The name
Allah in Islam never refers to the Prophet Muhammad; Allah is the personal name of God.
Who is the Prophet Muhammad?
Although Muhammad is deeply loved and revered as God's final messenger, he is not an object of
worship. Muhammad was a wise man who was born in Mecca, and became known for his truthfulness,
generosity and sincerity. Muhammad wasn’t happy to live in a society whose values didn’t have any true
religious significance. It often retreated to the cave of Hira' to meditate. Here he received his first
revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation was the Quran (Koran).
Basic themes of the early message were the majesty of the one unique God, the pointlessness of idol
worship, the threat of judgment, and the necessity of faith, compassion and morality in human affairs.
These opposed the common materialism and idolatry in Makkah (Mecca), so he was rejected for
speaking the message. God commanded him to emigrate.
This Hijrah (migration) marked the beginning of a new era - the beginning of the Muslim calendar. By the
time the Prophet died, the greater part of Arabia had accepted Islam, and within a century of his death,
Islam had spread as far as Spain and China. The message was not limited to Arabs; it was for the whole
of humanity.
Who is Jesus?
Islam honours and respects all prophets, but Jesus in particular, because he foretold the coming of
Muhammad. Muslims also await the second coming of Jesus. Muslims don’t refer to him simply as
"Jesus," but normally add the phrase "peace be upon him" as a sign of respect. The Quran confirms his
virgin birth, and considers Mary to be one of the purest women in all creation.
Muslims believe that Jesus was born perfect, through the same power that brought Adam and Eve to life
without a father or a mother. During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. Muhammad
and Jesus were both sent to confirm the belief in one God.
What are the “Five Pillars” of Islam?
Shahadah: The first pillar of Islam is that a Muslim believes and declares his faith by saying the
Shahadah: This declaration contains two parts. The first refers to God Almighty; the second part refers
to the Messenger, Muhammad. By sincerely uttering the Shahadah, Muslims acknowledge Allah as the
sole Creator and Authority over everything and everyone. Muslims pray directly and only to Allah. Belief
in the prophet-hood of Muhammad means belief in his guidance and his Sunnah. Muslims do not pray to
Muhammad.
Salah: Prayer as worship, is the second pillar. Salah is a spiritual relationship and communication
between the created and Creator. Prayer is obligatory and must be performed five times a day: Fajr
(Dawn), Zuhr (Noon), 'Asr (Afternoon), Magrib (Sunset), and 'Ishha' (Late Night). It is to be performed
with mental concentration, verbal communication, and physical movement to attain spiritual upliftment,
peace, and harmony. A congregational prayer happens on Friday noon with a sermon delivered by a
religious leader (Imam). To perform Salah, Muslims must have cleanliness of body, clothing, and place.
Zakah: The third pillar is the alms-tax. It is a purifying act to share what you have with others. Muslims
believe that everything belongs to God, and man holds wealth as a trust. Keeping your wealth is
considered impure and unclean. If you use your wealth for charity or to finance your pilgrimage to
Makkah, those acts would also be impure and unrewarded. Zakah is purification and growth. Setting
some aside for those in need purifies our possessions.
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Sawm: The fourth pillar is fasting. Allah asks for daily fasting for all able, adult Muslims during the
whole of the month of Ramadan. Physically, fasting is from first light of dawn until sunset, abstaining
from food, drink, and sexual relations. Morally, you must abstain from lying, gossip, fighting, and
unimportant nonsense. While fasting is encouraged, things like constant fasting, celibacy, and retreating
from the real world are condemned. Fasting on the feast of the Hajj is strictly forbidden.
Hajj: The fifth pillar is a compulsory pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, at least once in one's
lifetime. To perform the Hajj you must be: a Muslim, free, mature, and be able to afford the journey and
maintain your family back home during the trip. The reward for the Hajj is nothing less than Paradise.
What happens when a Muslim sins? How do they receive forgiveness?
Part of being human is making mistakes. Sometimes we make mistakes without intention. But
sometimes we deliberately sin and do wrong to others. As human beings we are responsible, and are
constantly need forgiveness.
Islam states two aspects of forgiveness:
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Allah’s forgiveness
Human forgiveness
We need both, because we do wrong in our relations to Allah as well as in our relations to each other.
Only through repentance, can one wipe out those sins and past misdeeds. Repentance is the most
noble and beloved form of obedience. Moreover, repentance brings about humbleness and a sense of
helplessness before Allah, and that is not easily attained through other forms of worship.
Why is Ramadan so significant in Islam? What traditions/rituals are practiced?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, beginning with the sighting of the new moon. Fasting
during the month of Ramadan is compulsory, because Allah has prescribed it for us in His Book. Since
fasting is worship, it must be done only for Allah’s pleasure. No other intention is accepted. Without a
correct intention, no deed is of any value in the Hereafter.
Although fasting is good for your health, it is essentially a method of self-purification. By cutting yourself
off from worldly pleasures and comforts, even for a short time, you gain true sympathy for those who
regularly go hungry. You achieve growth in your spiritual life - learning discipline, self-restraint, patience
and flexibility.
In addition to the fast, you are encouraged to read the entire Quran. Special prayers are held in the
mosque every night of the month, where a whole section of the Quran is recited, so that by the end of
the month the entire Quran has been read. During the last ten days is the Night of Power. Allah gives
great rewards to those who spend that night in worship.
On the first day of the following month, after another new moon is sighted, a special celebration is made.
Food is donated to the poor; everyone bathes and puts on their best new clothes. Communal prayers
are held in the early morning, which are followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends.
When may you break fast during Ramadan?
Excused from fasting are the very old and the insane. Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, as
well as women who are menstruating, pregnant, or nursing are allowed to break the fast, but must make
up an equal number of days later in the year. If physically unable to do so, they must feed a needy
person for each day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayers) from puberty, although
many start earlier.
What is Eid?
Eid is a celebration and a feast. In Islam, there are two major Eids. The first Eid is celebrated after
fasting for the month of Ramadan, as thanks and gratitude to Allah. The second Eid is the Feast of
Sacrifice and it celebrates the memory of prophet Ibrahim trying to sacrifice his son Ishmael. This Eid
lasts four days between the tenth and thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar.
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How do Muslims view death? What do Muslims believe happens after one dies?
Our final destination is the life of the Hereafter. Whether we end up in Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam
(Hell-fire) depends on what we work towards in this life. Every Muslim hopes and aims for Paradise. But
to achieve success, you must have a well-defined plan that must be implemented. The Prophet told us
that Paradise is filled with things that are beyond our imagination and comprehension. We all have our
own ideas of what eternal bliss would be, but Allah has so much more in store for the believers.
What is Jihad?
Jihad is a struggle in the cause of Allah. Jihad is not to force anybody to choose a particular religion. On
the contrary, it protects the right to choose freely. So if there is a force in the world that tries to prevent a
person from practicing this right, Jihad may lead to fighting that force preventing him from exercising
free will.
What are some of the most common misconceptions of Islam?
That in Islam, the denial of human rights is okay, and that Islam is against pure democracy and
tolerates slavery. Islam is a complete way of life, and given this, it is not surprising that the Creator is
concerned with the method that we choose to govern ourselves.
That women are inferior to men because:
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A man can marry up to 4 wives; a woman can marry only one man
A man's share of inheritance is bigger than a woman's
A man can marry a non-Muslim, a woman cannot
Women must wear the veil
Men and women are not the same and Allah does not favour one gender over the other in His attention
to us.
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That Islam is well suited only to the Arabs.
That Islam rejects Jesus because Allah considers the concept of the Trinity to be a falsehood.
Only Jesus as ‘the Son of God’ is rejected.
That Islam tolerates the killing of innocents, because Muslims engage in Jihad.
That Islam is intolerant of other religious because the Quran condemns other religions as
false.
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