Download General Overview of Islam and Its main

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General Overview of Islam and Its main
Characteristics
• The word “Islam” is derived from “salm” or “silm”, meaning literally:
submission, surrender, safety/protection and peace.
• As a religion, Islam stands for “complete submission and obedience
to Allah”. It is the religion of Allah (S.W.T) which is revealed to
mankind.
• It was so named by God.
”‫سال َم دِينًا‬
َ ُ‫“اليَ ْو َم أَ ْك َم ْلتُ َل ُك ْم دِي َن ُك ْم َوأَتْ َم ْمت‬
ْ ‫اإل‬
ِ ‫ع َل ْي ُك ْم نِ ْع َمتِي َو َر ِضيتُ لَ ُك ُم‬
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my
favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”(5:
3)
• Islam is the name of religion brought by all messengers of Allah from
Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon them.
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The Hadith of Jibril on Islam, Iman & Ihsan
Umar ibn al-Khattab said : One day while we were sitting
with the Messenger of Allah, there appeared before us a
man whose clothes were all white and whose hair all
black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and
none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the
Prophet. Resting his knees against his and placing the
palms of his hands on his thighs, he said:"O Muhammed,
tell me about Islam".
The Messenger of Allah replied: "Islam is to testify that
there is no god but Allah and Muhammed is the
messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the
zakat, to fast during the month of Ramadhan, and to
make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do
so.“
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• He said:"You have spoken rightly", and we were amazed
at him asking him and saying that he had spoken rightly.
Then he said: “Now, tell me about iman.
• The Prophet said:"It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His
books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe
in God’s decree, both the good and bad thereof.“
• He said:"You have spoken rightly". He said: " Then tell me
about ihsan.“
• The Prophet said: "It is to worship Allah as if you see Him,
and even if you do not see Him, He truly sees you."
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• He said: "Then tell me about the Hour".
• The Prophet said: "The one questioned about it knows no
better than the questioner.“
• He said: "Then tell me about its signs.“
• The Prophet said: “When the slave-girl will give birth to
her mistress and when you will see the barefooted,
naked, destitute people competing in constructing high
buildings.“
• Then he took himself off and I stayed for a time. Then he
said: "O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?" I
said: "Allah and His messenger know best". He said: "He
was Jibril (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your
religion.” (True report transmitted by Imam Muslim)
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‫اإليمان‬: al-Iman
• The word “īmān”, derived as it is from “amn” and “aman”,
denotes the state of security and safety that a person
enjoys when he is attached to his Creator
• Technically, however, īmān is the totality of Islamic faith
which consists of the following articles:
• Belief in Allah ‫اإليمان باهلل‬
• Belief in His angels ‫اإليمان بمالئكته‬
• Belief in His revealed books ‫اإليمان بكتبه‬
• Belief in His messengers ‫اإليمان برسله‬
• Belief in hereafter ‫اإليمان باليوم اآلخر‬
• Belief in predestination ‫اإليمان بالقدرخيره وشره‬
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Four Meanings of Islam ‫اإلسالم‬

There are four basic meanings for the word islam (as submission),
ranging from the broadest to the narrowest:
1. The natural submission of all creatures to the Law of Allah:
َ ُ‫ض َط ْوعًا َوك َْر ًها َو ِإلَ ْي ِه يُ ْر َجع‬
َ ُ‫اَّلل يَ ْبغ‬
"‫ون‬
ِ ‫اوا‬
ِ ‫ِين ه‬
ْ َ ‫ون َولَهُ أ‬
ِ ‫ت َواأل َ ْر‬
‫سلَ َم َم ْن فِي ال ه‬
َ ‫س َم‬
ِ ‫"أَفَغَ ْي َر د‬
“Do they seek for other than the religion of Allah? while all creatures in
the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to his will
(accepted Islam), and to him shall they all be brought back.” (3: 83)
2. The voluntary submission of human beings to the guidance of Allah as
revealed through His messengers (3:85;
َ ‫" َو َمن يه ْبت َ ِغ‬
َ ‫س ِر‬
“‫ين‬
ِ ‫اآلخ َر ِة ِم َن ال َخا‬
ِ ‫الم دِينًا فَلَن يُّ ْقبَ َل ِم ْنهُ َو ُه َو فِي‬
ْ ‫اإل‬
ِ ‫س‬
ِ ‫غ ْي َر‬
“If anyone seeks a religion other than al-Islam, never will it be accepted
of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have
lost (all spiritual good).” (3: 85)
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3.
The voluntary submission of human beings to the guidance of Allah
as revealed through Prophet Muhammad:
“‫سال َم دِينًا‬
َ ُ‫"ال َي ْو َم أَ ْك َم ْلتُ َل ُك ْم دِي َن ُك ْم َوأَتْ َم ْمت‬
ْ ‫اإل‬
ِ ‫ع َل ْي ُك ْم ِن ْع َم ِتي َو َر ِضيتُ لَ ُك ُم‬
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my
favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (5:
3)
Only the third of these can properly be translated as Islam (with
capital “i” –i.e. Islam the proper name of the true and only religion
acceptable to Allah S.W.T.
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As its root word indicates (s-l-m), Islam brings ‘peace’ to one’s soul,
mind and body, because it will lead the person who embraces it to
return to his/her true nature (fitrah). Hence, Islam is the religion of
fitrah and peace (salam)
 Every Muslim has to utter “salam” at least 5 times a day at the
end of each of the five daily prayers.
 Muslims also salute one another with “as-Salam ‘alaykum”,
meaning “peace be unto you”.
 Not only in this world would the Muslim exchange this
salutation but also in the hereafter “and ‘Peace’ will be their
greeting therein”
َ ‫ ِّ العَالَ ِم‬
“‫ين‬
ِ ‫خآخ ُر دَع َْوا ُه ْم أ َ ِن ال َح ْمدُ ِ ه‬
ِ ‫سال ٌم َو‬
َ ‫س ْب َحانَ َك الله ُه هم َوت َ ِحيهت ُ ُه ْم فِي َها‬
ُ ‫"دَع َْوا ُه ْم فِي َها‬
ِ ‫َّلل َر‬
“(This will be) their cry therein: "Glory to thee, O Allah!" And
"Peace" will be their greeting therein! And the close of their cry
will be: "Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the
Worlds!" (10:10)
• Allah (swt) calls into the Abode of Peace.
"‫ستَ ِقيم‬
ْ ‫الم َويَ ْهدِي َمن يهشَا ُء ِإلَى ِص َراط ُّم‬
‫اَّللُ يَ ْدعُو ِإلَى د َِار ال ه‬
‫" َو ه‬
ِ ‫س‬
“But Allah does call to the home of peace; He does
guide whom He pleases to a path that is straight.” (10: 25)
• Paradise is nothing but the abode of peace:
َ ُ‫س َمع‬
"‫سال ًما‬
ْ َ‫"ال ي‬
َ ‫سال ًما‬
َ ‫ون ِفي َها لَ ْغ ًوا َوال تَأ ْ ِثي ًما ِإاله ِق ْيال‬
“They shall not hear therein vain or sinful discourses.
Only the saying: ‘Peace, Peace” (56:25-26).
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• Muslims are enjoined to enter into peace wholeheartedly:
ُ ‫الس ْل ِم كَافهةً َوال تَت ه ِبعُوا ُخ‬
َ ‫"يَا أَيُّ َها الهذ‬
‫عد ٌُّو‬
َ ‫ان ِإنههُ لَ ُك ْم‬
‫ت ال ه‬
ِ ‫ط َوا‬
ِ ‫ِين خآ َمنُوا ا ْد ُخلُوا ِفي‬
ِ ‫ش ْي َط‬
ٌ ِ‫ُّمب‬
"‫ين‬
“O ye who believe! enter into Islam whole heatedly; and
follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an
avowed enemy.” (2: 208)
• In fact, the enjoinment of peace is not just within the
Muslims but extended to non-Muslim communities:
"‫س ِمي ُ العَ ِلي ُم‬
َ ‫اجنَحْ لَ َها َوتَ َو هك ْل‬
ِ ‫علَى ه‬
ْ َ‫س ْل ِم ف‬
‫اَّلل ِإنههُ ُه َو ال ه‬
‫" َو ِإ ْن َجنَ ُحوا ِلل ه‬
“But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also)
incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for he is the one
that heareth and knoweth (all things).” (8: 61)
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‫ اإلحسان‬al-Ihsan
• The word “ihsan” literally means doing the best,
that is, in a nice, kind, beautiful manner.
• Technically, “Ihsan means to worship Allah as if
you see Him, for even though you do not see Him,
indeed He sees you”.
َ َ‫أن تعبد هللا كَأنّ َك تراهُ ف ِإن لم تَكُن تَراهُ ف ِإنهُ ي‬
• As in the hadith: ‫راك‬
• It also means doing good and worshipping Allah
in the manner He likes.
• Moreover, it means unwavering fear of Allah and
constant awareness of His presence, watching
everything one does.
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•
Ihsan in the Qur’anic context
َ‫س َن ُك هل شَيء َخلَقَهُ َوبَدَأ‬
ُ ‫ش َهادَ ِة العَ ِز‬
‫ ِّ وال ه‬
َ ‫الر ِحي ُم لذهي أَح‬
‫يز ه‬
ِ ‫“ذَ ِل َك عَا ِل ُم الغَي‬
“ (32:6-7).‫ان ِمن ِطين‬
َ ‫َخ‬
َ ‫اإلن‬
ِ ‫لق‬
ِ ‫س‬
•
Just as Allah has created everything in a perfect manner and
has made everything beautiful, including human beings, as
stated in this verse, so must we imitate Him in doing what is
good and beautiful particularly in relation to Allah as well as to
fellow creatures.
•
When we do Ihsan and become Muhsinun, we become
protected servants of Allah (S.W.T).
َ ‫ِين اتهقَوا هوالهذ‬
َ ‫هللا َم َ الهذ‬
(16:128).“ ‫سنُون‬
ِ ‫ِين ُهم ُّمح‬
َ ‫“ ِإ هن‬
In this verse, Allah promises support to those who
beautify their deeds.
(2:195). “‫سنين‬
ِ ‫ ِّ ال ُمح‬
ِ ‫• ” َوأَح‬
ُّ ‫هللا يُ ِح‬
َ ‫سنُوا ِإ هن‬
This verse, Ihsan is related to Allah, to what we do in all our life.
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(29:69) “
‫هللا لَ َم َع ال ُمح ِس ِنين‬
َ ‫“ َوالَّ ِذ‬
ُ ‫ين َجا َهد ُوا ِفينَا لَنَه ِديَنَّ ُهم‬
َ ‫سبُلَنَا َو ِإ َّن‬
In this verse, Allah makes Ihsan as a condition for providing
guidance to us and showing us the right path, the right way and
correct deed which will make us successful in Dunia (‫ ) الدنيا‬and
Akhirah ( ‫) اآلخرة‬.
ِ ‫“ومن أَحسن ِديناً ِِّمَّن أَسلَم وجهه‬
ِ ‫هلل وهو ُُم ِسن واتَّبع ِملَّةَ إِبر‬
”‫يم َحنِيفا‬
‫اه‬
ََ
ََ َ ٌ
َُ
َُ َ ُ َ َ َ
َ َ
(4:125)
•
In this verse, Ihsan is linked with the perfect and correct
religion: the most perfect person in the religion is the one who
is Muhsin, meaning he does things in very beautiful manner.
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Taqwa )‫(تقوى‬
• Taqwa is perhaps the most important single term
in the Qur’an.
“‫اب‬
َِّ َ‫ُول األَلْب‬
َّ ِ ‫ون ََّي أ‬
َِّ ‫الز َِّاد التَّ ْق َوى َواتَّ ُق‬
َّ ‫” َوتََزَّوُدوا فَِإ َّن َخْي ََّر‬
“And make provision for yourself; the best provision is taqwa".
(Quran, 2:197).
• Taqwa is one of the many words in
Islamic
vocabularies whose exact equivalent cannot be
found in English. It has been translated as "fear
of Allah", "piety", "righteousness", "dutifulness"
and "God-wariness“.
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• The word taqwa is derived from the Arabic root
(waqa), whose verb signifies “to guard or protect
against something.
• Taqwa has the sense of protecting oneself from
moral peril, preserving one's
virtue,
and
guarding oneself against the harmful or evil
consequences of one’s conduct (and thus the
displeasure of the Almighty).
• Taqwa
is thus a kind of awareness or
consciousness by means of which one protects
oneself from sliding into evil.
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• the Qur'an teaches that both the sinful tendency
and taqwa are inspired into the soul of man by
Allah. This is not to say that Allah inspires us to
be sinful.
• One
who
has
taqwa
has
wariness
of associating others with Allah, wariness of sin
and evil, and even wariness of that which is
dubious.
• We learn from the Qur'an that the outward
observance of ritual is not sufficient for taqwa.
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• Taqwa thus seems to have practical social
and political
implications. It is not a meditative state which isolates one
from the world, but a provision for finding one's way
through the world, which in its social and political
dimensions requires justice and fairness.
• Indeed, the historian, Marshall Hodgson. attributes the
success of early Islamic civilization not to favorable
economic conditions or military power. but to the Taqwa of
the Muslims.
• The command issued to the believers "Ittaquallah", is a
command to be vigilant over oneself with awareness of
the presence of Allah, a religious form of the admonition
"Watch Yourself" directed to one whose misbehavior is
imminent.