http://www.youtube.com/user/SalafyInk

Related Links:

• The Reality of Hijaab, The Muslim Woman’s Dress
• Common Misconceptions about Islam
• Misconceptions about women in Islaam: Why two women witnesses?

Secularity, reality and danger

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

The word “Secularity” – (Al-`Ilmâniyya) in the Arabic language – is a term that has absolutely no relation with the word “Science” (`Ilm) or its derivations. From the political point of view, secularity means “Irreligious power” (i.e. religion should not be involved in power). It is commonly defined in many Islamic books as “The separation of religion from the state”. However, this meaning is limited and does not state the reality of secularity, which involves the individual and the behavior that have no relation with the state. This is why we can express it differently in a more conformable way to the reality of secularity, which is “The establishment of an irreligious life”. Regardless the fact that secularity, whose doctrine and philosophy emerged under the protection of the western civilization, was influenced by the falsified Christianity^[1] and socialism, the irreligious secularity is a worldly ideology aiming at isolating the religious influence on life. It calls to set up life on material basis in its different domains: political, economical, social, ethic, judicial and others, also on the bases of the absolute worldly knowledge, under the power of reason and experimentation, taking into consideration interest, by adapting the principle of utilitarianism over all the domains of life, in power, politics and ethics based on the Machiavellian principle “The end justifies the means”. Thus, far from the religious recommendations and prohibitions which are restricted in the individual’s mind and do not go with them beyond his personal and private relation between him and his Lord. Furthermore, he is not allowed to express himself, but only in matters of religious rituals and ceremonies, which consist of weddings, festivals, funerals and others.

Secularity, which is based on the materialistic tendency, is soon emanated from the irreligious doctrine, whose utmost aim is fighting religion and removing it from all fields of the public life, in addition to excluding people of religion and its protectors and limiting their influence by isolating them from educational domains, institutions and scientific institutes, and preventing religious knowledge. So, its highest aim is to establish a state and a society where religion is confined to the individual level, and make people of the Islamic society feel brotherhood in state, regardless the fact that they are not brothers in religion.

Nevertheless, the truth is not really perceived by those who divide secularity, on the one hand, into atheistic one, which radically denies the existence of the Creator and does not at all recognize something in matter of religion, and on the other hand, into non-atheistic secularity that believes, theoretically, in the Creator but rejects any relation between Allah عز وجل and the men’s life. It calls to isolate religion from the world and life, and rejects, explicitly or implicitly, the legislation of Allah. Because atheism is the nature of secularity in all its forms since atheism is to depart and to deviate from Allah’s religion and legislation including all leaning or tendency towards religion. This is what essentially leads to incredulity in Allah, the association to Him in what is illicit, transgress something forbidden by Him, and leave any of the recommendations of Allah^[2].

Besides, the origin of atheism is all what contains the association to Allah in His general Lordship, and denying Allah’s Names, attributes or Acts.

The predication of secularity represents a huge danger to the religion of Islam and to Muslims, and the majority of the Muslims are not aware of its reality because it disguises behind different masks such as patriotism, socialism, nationalism, and others. As well as, it hides behind destructive theories like Freudianism, Darwinism, or Evolutionism^[3] and others. Its partisans pretend relying on attested scientific arguments whereas they are just weak, deficient and specious arguments rejected by reason and reality:

﴿كَمَثَلِ الْعَنكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنكَبُوتِ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ [العنكبوت: 41].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾As the parable of the spider that makes for itself a house; and most surely the frailest of the houses is the spider’s house did they but know﴿ [Al-`Ankabût (The Spider): 41].

Especially, the one that gives the appearance of a partisan to the religion in order to confuse and to lead ordinary Muslims astray. In fact, it does not prevent the pilgrimage and prayer in the mosques. On the contrary, it contributes in their construction, it takes part in celebrations and festivals, it offers rewards and gifts for the imams and those who learn the Koran by heart, and show neither struggle nor antagonism against religion but with very fervent attempts to restrict religion in mosques and isolate it from the domains of life.

Among the aspects and domains of secularization which are kept off from religion:

- Politics and power, the adaptation of secularization in these fields is apparent and not hidden from the observers.

- Secularization of teaching and its methods, a fact not refuted by those who are reasonable.

- Secularization of economy and financial structures, clearly known by experts.

- Civic, social and ethic laws are undoubtedly secularized.

In fact, secularism makes of the spiritual values negative ones. In this manner, it makes the way free to the spread of atheism, westernization, libertinism and ethic anarchy. It calls for the women’s liberation according to the western style that does not condemn illegal relations between the two sexes. This is what helps to open widely the doors to shameful practices that, consequently, lead to the destruction of the family’s existence and to its disunion. Thus, with such practices, generations are formed with an irreligious education, in a society where neither an impediment or a religious barrier nor a voice of a living consciousness exist, which are substituted by agitations of worldly passions like interest, covetousness, the struggle for life, and other material hopes regardless of spiritual values.

It is this kind of secularity that is spread in the Muslim and Arab world, through the effect of colonialism and the campaigns of Christianization and evangelization. Also, because of the improvidence of our compatriots, deluded with illusions, who brandished its slogan, and executed the plans of those who have drawn them and supported them to confuse ordinary people with specious arguments and pretensions of extreme disorientation that founded their predication, which consists of:

- Slandering the Noble Quran and making the prophecy doubtful.

- Pretending that the revelation is inactive and unable to adapt itself with civilisation, and Europe progressed only after getting rid of religion.

- Pretending that Islam neglects the pursuit of the evolution of life, calls for repression, and persecutes the freedom of thought.

- Pretending that Islamic religion has already completed its aims and remains in it only a set of rituals and spiritual practices.

- Pretending that the Arabic language lacks or takes a long time to adapt itself with science and progress, and it is unable to pursuit civilization and development process. However, even if Arabic is the official language in Muslim countries, but still it is marginalized in the majority of administrative institutions, in universities and medical fields, especially in North African countries where the French language has replaced it and really becomes the practiced language of speaking and of communication. Nevertheless, the Arabic language has gradually regressed and loses ground according to plans already prepared and studied after knowing that Arabic is the language of the Quran and the key of the revelation sciences.

- Pretending that the revelation has already been practically applied at the level of politics, power, and in other domains. Because, they pretend that the Islamic jurisprudence draws its prescriptions from the Roman law.

- Pretending the harshness of the revelation in its retributions such as: lex talionis, amputation, being stoned to death, flagellation … and decide on retributions that are more appropriate by taking irreligious laws and methods from the West, by imitation, which are considered more clement and more lenient.

Eventually, these are the set of pretensions that secularists rely on, who work in order to interrupt the revelation of Allah عز وجل by different means such as personalities, magazines, journalism, and other plans. In addition to this, they want to separate the authentic religion from the social life, and reduce it in the narrowest limits and domains according to the leanings and practices of the West who aims at breaking the commandments of Islam and releasing it from all its obligations and values. Besides, they want to alter the Muslim identity, cut them off from their religion, and lose their loyalty to it and membership to their community through the alliance to the West full of hatred, and by interchanging the values, notions, terms and authentic Islamic conceptions with western ones, in a manner that the lifestyle will be changed to that of the West, and by changing the way of thinking and acting so that it suits the thinking and deeds of the West. They also aim at changing the ethical and social behavior with the allegation that it is a modernization of the legislative, juridical and penal systems; and this in a manner that goes with the civilizational way, by imitating the western systems and legislations, all this under the banner of development and renewal.

Many individuals of the Islamic nation were deeply influenced by secularity, and this is obvious in the fields of institutions, power, Sharia, jurisprudence and education. This influence is due to what was spread of ambiguities around Islam, its language, Quran and Prophet, as we previously mentioned.

Many social and political institutions were influenced by these pernicious notions and proceeded to develop their countries by focusing on secularizing the state, whether under the guise of nationalism, socialism, patriotism or others. As for the other institutions with Islamic tendency, they are also influenced by secularity – save those whom Allah Has protected by His mercy – they have of religion a limited conception since they restrict it to its civilizational aspect.

Islam, religion and state rejects categorically this duality, which consists of making a strong barrier between the material and the spiritual world; it is considered an apostasy. Moreover, Islam, within its sane and pure nature, its correct dogma and morality, does not accept the spread of the western social evils such as atheism, libertinism, ethic anarchy, and other vices, ideological and moral impurities which bring the destruction of the doctrine’s unity, the family and the society existence.

In fact, Islam commands to Muslim to be entirely to Allah in all domains of life: his deeds, his words, and his behaviors. His life as well as his death belongs to the Allah عز وجل:

_{﴿قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ}﴾  [الأنعام: 162-163].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم): “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists) He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims﴿ [Al-An`âm (The Cattle): 162-163].

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

How To Become A Muslim

Published by The Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance – Riyadh

All praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the universe. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon Mohammad, His last messenger.

The purpose of this hand-out is to correct a false idea spread among those willing to adopt Islam as their faith. Some people have a wrong notion that entering into the Islamic fold requires an announcement from the concerned person in the presence of high ranking scholars or shaikhs or reporting this act to courts of justice or other authorities. It is also thought that the act of accepting Islam, should, as a condition, have a certificate issued by the authorities, as evidence to that effect.

We wish to clarify that the whole matter is very easy and that none of these conditions or obligations are required. For Allaah, Almighty, is above all comprehension and knows well the secrets of all hearts. Nevertheless, those who are going to adopt Islam as their religion are advised to register themselves as Muslims with the concerned governmental agency, as this procedure may facilitate for them many matters including the possibility of performing Hajj (Pilgrimage) and Umrah .

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allaah for all human-beings, then, o­ne should pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith, without further delay.

The Holy Qur’an is explicit o­n this regard as Allaah states:

“The Religion in the sight of Allaah is Islam”  [ Qur'an 3:19 ]

In another verse of the Holy Qur’an, Allaah states:

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allaah), Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the hell fire).”  [ Qur'an 3:85 ]

In addition, Islam is the o­nly religion prevailing over all other religions. Allaah states in the Holy Qur’an:

“To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety:…” [ Qur'an 5:48 ]

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: Allaah’s Apostle said: Islam is based o­n (the following) five (principles):

1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah and Muhammad is Allaah’s Apostle.
2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity).
4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca)
5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

The Shahada can be declared as follows:

“ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-Allaah WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-Allaah”.

The English translation is:

“I bear witness that there is no deity (none truly to be worshipped) but, Allaah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allaah”

However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to o­nly utter this testimony oraly either in private or in public; but rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable faith. If o­ne is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all his life, he will find himself a new born person.

This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.

What would be next after declaring o­neself a Muslim? o­ne should then know the real concept underlying this testimony which means the o­neness of Allaah and meet its requirements. o­ne must behave accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing o­ne speaks or does.

What do the words of the “Shahada” signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allaah. He – glory be to Him – is the o­nly true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allaah, Who alone is worthy of worship.

The second part of the Shahada (i.e., Wa ash-hadu anna Mohammadan rasul-Allaah ) means that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allaah. No o­ne must have two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allaah alone according to the message revealed to him, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by Allaah.

What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service, showing reverence for Allaah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allaah’s commandments both in utterances and actions of man whether explicit or implicit.

Worship fall into two categories:

• Visible (manifest or outward)
• Invisible (concealed or inward)

Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the “Shahada”, performing prayers, giving Zakah (the poor-due), recitation of the Holy Qur’an, supplication, adoring Allaah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.

This type of worship is associated with movement of the parts of the human body.

Invisible worship is to believe in Allaah, in the Day of Judgement (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allaah, in the Prophets of Allaah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allaah alone).

This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing o­n o­ne’s heart which subsequently affects o­ne’s way of life.

It should be borne in mind that any worship not dedicated to Allaah alone will be rejected as o­ne form of polytheism and this causes apostasy from the Islamic fold.

The next step for a newly revert to Islam is to purify himself by taking a complete bath. He should then resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is o­ne of the equisites of the motto of Islam – that is, Laa Ilaha IllAllaah .

Allaah states in the Holy Qur’an:

“… whoever rejects evil and believes in Allaah hath grasped the most trustworthy Hand-hold, that never breaks…” [ Qur'an 2:256 ]

We have to consider that when we declare from our heart that “there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshiped but Allaah”, it implies o­n our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislations which are legally binding o­n all Muslims. It is a requirement of “there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allaah” to love for the sake of Allaah and to reject for the sake of Allaah.

This is the firmest anchor of belief which materialise the meaning of “AL WALA” and “AL BARA” . It means that a Muslim should love and be loyal to his Muslim brothers. He should, as a practice, dissociate himself completely from the unbelievers and refuse to be influenced by them, both in worldly and religious matters.

We conclude with a humble prayer to Allaah that may He cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Aameen.

Description from the publisher:

In this brief treatise, the author sets out to clarify Islam’s true position towards Jesus, which is the middle course between two extremes. At one extreme there are those who believe that Jesus is God, the Son of God or part of a divine trinity while on the other extreme there are others who slander him and deny his message.

The correct belief regarding Jesus as confirmed in the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings is that he was no more than a prophet and messenger of God sent with the same message as all the prophets before him such as Moses, Abraham and Noah. That message was to worship God alone and avoid false deities. This is the one true unwavering message of the Creator to His creation throughout the course of time, and it is the same message that Jesus brought to his people and which Muhammad brought to his people after him.

We hope that this short treatise will serve as an invitation to Christians to reflect on the beauty and simplicity of Islam, which has taken a moderate stance towards Jesus, assigning him a lofty role as one of the foremost messengers of God.

About the Author:

Dr. Rabee’ Ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee is one of the well-known scholars of Saudi Arabia. He is a former graduate and professor at the renowned Islamic University of Madeenah. He has authored numerous books and treatises about Islam which clarify misconceptions and false notions concerning it.

[Read the Book : The Status of Jesus in Islam ]

A: Allah’s knowledge encompasses all things and His mercy, wisdom and justice embrace all things. Allah (Glorified be He) knows best what benefits His servants. He shows them mercy. He conducts all His affairs with wisdom. He commands His servants to do what brings felicity to them in this life and the life to come. He makes lawful all good things which benefit them and makes unlawful to them all harmful things.

Allah has declared the flesh of swine as prohibited and stated that its flesh is impure.

Allah (Exalted be He) states:

Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): “I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maitah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine (pork); for that surely is impure or impious (unlawful) meat (of an animal) which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh (or has been slaughtered for idols, or on which Allâh’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering).

Allah (Exalted be He) also states:

and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods)

• Factual evidence has proved that pigs feed on dirt and impure things which they eat avariciously.
• Medical experts state that worms are formed in the abdomen of eaters of the flesh of swine.
• It also weakens the human sense of honor and destroys chastity.
• Other harmful effects include indigestion and the inability to secrete digestive juices.

If their findings are proven true, then the flesh of swine is as an evil and impure substance. But if their findings are proven false, one of sound mind must still trust in Allah’s statement in the Qur’an which judges swine as impure. One must also believe in the prohibition of eating its flesh and submit entirely to Allah’s judgment.

It is Allah (Glorified be He) Who created it and He alone knows best its inherent harms. Does He know not that which He created while He is the Subtle, the All-Aware?

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholary Research and Ifta’

Member     Member     Deputy Chairman     Chairman
Abdullah ibn Qa`ud     Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan     Abdul-Razzaq `Afify     `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz

Source : http://alifta.com

Happiness is a common goal that everyone strives to attain. Philosophers, intellectuals, doctors and artists alike, all are in search of the causes of happiness and ways to escape anxiety. The reality is however, that the solutions being presented achieve only partial or imaginary happiness. They are more or less like drugs, taken to feel temporary relief, but when their effect withdraws, anxieties return twice fold. This booklet before you invites you to ultimate happiness and will take you by the hand towards true success. An invitation from Dr. Saleh as Sindee of the Islamic University of Madeenah, Saudi Arabia.

Before you begin however, I would like you to take a moment and try and open your heart and mind to it, an intelligent individual searches for and accepts the truth, no matter where it lies.

A reality that cannot be denied is that permanent happiness cannot be achieved except by believing in God and following His guidance. Since it is He who created mankind, therefore it is He who knows what pleases, benefits, saddens and harms them. A number of philosophers have admitted that religious people lead content, worriless lives. So if believing in God leads to ultimate happiness, then how can this be achieved?

There are numerous religions and a variety of creeds, whoever analyzes them would realize that they differ in core issues making it impossible for all of them to be correct. So which is the correct religion, and which is the correct creed that God is pleased with and requires us to believe in? Which one of these creeds would guarantee us happiness in the life of this world and the hereafter?

Before I tackle these questions, we must first establish a correct basis, which we would then use to lead us to the correct religion and creed:

Any intelligent individual would agree that being raised upon a certain religion, in a society and with parents who adhere to that religion, does not necessitate that it is correct. So long as there aren’t any other substantial evidences to prove and convince people that this is the case. Since it is intellect that distinguishes us from animals, we must apply our intellect when studying an issue as grave and important as this.

A short journey into the world of religions and shifting through various creeds is a good method in arriving at the desired conclusion. In order to save you the time and effort, I say with full conviction and confidence; no matter how much you investigate this issue, you would only arrive at one reality, that the true and correct religion is Islam and true happiness and content lies with it.

Before you hastily rebut this statement and stop reading, please realize that completing the rest would not harm you in anything, and may benefit you.

You are an intelligent being, with intellect you distinguish things, and you can distinguish the truth from falsehood.

Why Islam?

An important question, indicating that the questioner is of sound mind and intellect, in response I say:

Islam is a religion that includes a number of characteristics that are absent from other religions, it contains substantial evidences that establish that it is the true religion sent by God. You can validate the authenticity of this statement by calmly and deeply thinking about the following:

Islam has a lot of merits and characteristics which makes it impossible to elaborate on all of them, however, I will present a few which can be summarized as follows:

1. Amongst the greatest merits of Islam, is that it fulfills the spiritual aspects of the human being and enables those who embrace it to have an ongoing connection with God. This makes it possible for them to be at ease spiritually. It shields them from chaos, being lost, and being spiritually anxious or psychopathic.
2. Another of Islam’s merits is that it never contradicts intellect. All of the Islamic legislation and its rulings can be acknowledged intellectually, they can never contradict intelligence. This is why we find that when a gentleman who embraced Islam was asked why he did so, he replied:
   

   ‘Islam never ordered me to do anything that I later wished that such an issue was not ordered, it also never forbade me from anything that I later wished that such an issue wasn’t forbidden.’

   It is difficult to accept a lot of principals that are present in other religions, principals that cause confusion, making one wonder about a lot of the essentials of other religions. On the other hand, we find that Islam respects intelligence, prohibits ignorance and condemns blind following.

3. Islam converges both religious and worldly life, it attends to both spirit and body. Practicing Islam does not mean that one has to be isolated, following a specific demeanor. It does not prohibit indulging in the finer things in life. Rather, a Muslim can be religious as well as lead a normal life, indulging himself in the best life has to offer, allowing him to reach the highest of positions and to achieve the greatest of achievements.
4. Amongst the merits of Islam, is that it is a comprehensive religion. Every aspect of a person’s life is regulated by Islam. There is not a problem except that a solution for it lies in Islam, which makes it possible to embrace and practice it in every time period or region How can this not be the case in such a well organized religion, it has rules and regulations for every aspect of life, starting from the rulings of judging and resolving disputes, moving on to the rulings of buying and selling, trade, social and marital relations, and ending with regulations concerning greeting, the mannerisms of the walkways, as well as regulating how a person deals with even his own self in issues related to sleeping, eating and dressing. All these regulations are addressed in detail, causing the mind to pause in wonder. Know that Islam even provides directions on how to wear and remove footwear, it encourages people to use their right hand when eating, drinking, shaking hands, giving and receiving items. As for disliked affairs such as using the bathroom, the left hand is to be used.When its time to sleep, Islam has wonderful directions regarding going to sleep and getting up. When two Muslims meet, Islam regulates how they should greet each other; a rider should initiate the greeting with a pedestrian, the young should initiate the greeting with the elderly, a small group should initiate the greeting with a larger group. These are but a few of Islam’s many comprehensive regulations for all aspects of life.
5. Another of Islam’s merits is that it establishes good for mankind in all its regulations and safeguards them from evil, it is mankind himself who benefits from these regulations. When Islam prohibits alcohol or drugs for example, this is only because of the great harms they have over the mind and health of a person. You can witness the state of a drunken man, no longer human except in appearance. A lot of murders, disputes, traffic accidents and rapes would not have taken place were it not for consuming these mind altering products. Islam prohibits sexual relations outside marriage, this is so mankind can avoid destructive diseases such as aids and so on, and so societies can be free of bad manners and avoid the existence of a bastard generation, a generation that is deprived of a mother’s love and a father’s upbringing, a generation that may be burdensome on a society. Islam prohibits women from displaying their bodies publicly in the presence of strange men, this is because it considers women to be esteemed, preserved pearls, not some cheap merchandise, to be displayed for all to see. It does so to protect women from the wolves of mankind, those who are only concerned with satisfying their lusts, even if it is at the cost of a woman’s honor, nobility, status and purity.On the other hand, Islam permits all harmless and beneficial drinks. It permits married couples to indulge in sexual relations within a happy home.In conclusion, Islam dose not limit freedom, it only regulates it for the benefit of mankind and the society that we live in.
6. A radiant aspect of Islam is that it pays a great deal of attention to praiseworthy manners and prohibits mankind form oppression, transgression and bad mannerisms. Islam is a religion of unity and mercy, it regulates an individual’s relationship with his parents, relatives, neighbors, friends and all people. It sows the best of manners in those who believe in Islam and prevents them from leading a selfish lifestyle, it encourages them to help others, take other’s feelings into consideration, such as the poor, orphans, the elderly and widows. They all have rights in Islam that must not be taken lightly by Muslims. Muslims shouldn’t feel like they are bestowing favors upon others when giving them their due rights, rather these rights are obligations upon Muslims. It is considered to be a sin in Islam for one to go to sleep with a full stomach knowing that his neighbor is hungry.Islam even prohibits two people from whispering to each other in the presences of a third, taking his feelings into consideration. Islam goes even further than that, obligating treating animals kindly and prohibiting harming them. From the particulars of Islam in such issues, is that it prohibits slaughtering an animal while another watches, or sharpening a knife while it is watching, so that it is not killed twice.Truthfulness, trustworthiness, bravery, generosity, humility, abiding by promises are all mannerisms that Islam encourages, in addition to visiting the sick, attending funerals, being dutiful to parents, visiting relatives and neighbors, and striving to help others are all manners that are encouraged by Islam.On the other hand, Islam utterly prohibits mankind from oppression, lying, being conceited, jealousy, mockery and insulting or betraying others. It is impermissible in Islam to speak ill of a person in his absence, even if what is being said is true. It encourages people to take the middle ground regarding spending their money, neither being spendthrifts nor misers.

During times when a lot of societies complain about cold heartedness, materialism, being conceited and so on, we find that Islam has the solutions for all these problems.

If what has preceded has given you a summarized introduction to Islam and some of its merits, then it would be appropriate to mention here that Islam is a clear religion that can be easily understood by anyone, it is a religion that has it’s doors wide open, they do not shut for anyone who wants to open them.

Since understanding all the regulations of Islam with a short article like this is impossible, then expounding shortly upon its most important regulations should at least increase in further clarifying it for those who want to learn about it.

All of Islam’s regulations and teachings are important, but some are more important than others, and there are six important articles of faith that one must believe in, and five pillars that have to be practiced.

As for the six articles that must be believed in:

1. Believing in Allah (God) alone, associating no partners unto Him in worship. This is done by believing that Allah alone is the creator of this universe and everything that is within it, and that it is He alone who disposes its affairs as He sees fit. Since this is the case, consequently worship can only be offered to Him alone. Worship is performing the regulations of Islam and implementing the legislation of Islam while believing that all other religions are false.
2. Believing in the angels. Angels were created by Allah but we can not see them. They worship Allah and never disobey Him, Allah orders them to carry out a lot of the affairs of the universe. The angel Gabriel for example, may peace be upon him, he delivers Allah’s revelation to the messengers. Another is Mikayeel, may peace be upon him, he is charged with the affairs of rain. Amongst them are angels who are charged with writing the deeds of mankind, deeds which they will be held accountable for on the day of resurrection. It is essential to believe that these angels only act upon the order of Allah and only do what He wills.
3. Believing in the Books of Revelation. This is done by believing that Allah revealed books to His servants containing His words. Books that contain bliss for mankind, clarifying what pleases Allah as well as what He dislikes. The Angel charged with delivering revelation to the Prophets is Gabriel, may peace be upon him, the greatest of angels. A prophet then conveys the revelation to the rest of mankind.Allah has revealed many books, amongst them: The Torah, Allah sent it to Moses, may peace be upon him. The Zabur which was revealed to David, may peace be upon him. The Bible, which was sent down to Jesus, may peace be upon him, and the Quran which was revealed to Muhammad, may peace be upon him.One must believe that all these books have been abrogated by the Quran, meaning that it is now the only book that must be acted upon after the Prophet (Muhammad) was sent. Not to mention that the Quran combines all the merits of past books and further supplements them. Know that the Quran if from the greatest of evidences that this is an authentic religion, revealed by Allah (God) the Majestic. The Quran was revealed 1400 years ago. Since then to this day, no mistakes or contradictions were found in the Quran, not even a single letter. Modern scientific discoveries revealed in the Quran are still being discovered today. Since that time until today, nothing has been added to or subtracted from the Quran, as is the case with previous revelations. It is for this reason that you can pick up a copy of the Quran in the far east and find it to be exactly the same as one you picked up in the far west. If you were to come across a copy of the Quran that is hundreds of years old, you would also find that it is exactly the same as one being printed currently, you wouldn’t be able to find even one letter that is different. This is because of Allah’s protection over this Book, a Book that sealed all other religions.Speaking about the Quran would take a lot of time, but it is enough for you to know that there is nothing like it, in terms of technique, the effect it has on people, and in terms of foretelling of future events as well as events that took place in the past.
4. Believing in the Prophets. This is done by believing that Allah has chosen the best of mankind to send His revelation down to and ordered them to convey His religion to the people. There are numerous Prophets, amongst them are; Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Lot, Joseph, Moses and others, may peace be upon all of them. Amongst them is Jesus, it is imperative to believe that he is amongst the best of Prophets, to love and respect him. Whoever hates him or denies the fact that he is a prophet is not Muslim. Likewise it is compulsory to believe that Allah created him from only a mother, with no father, as Allah was able to create Adam without neither a mother nor a father.Having mentioned this, we now know that Jesus is a noble messenger and not God, nor is he a son to God. He foretold of the coming of a prophet who would come after him; Muhammad son of Abdullah, the last of the prophets, there will be no prophet after him.Muhammad son of Abdullah, may peace be upon him, who was sent 1400 years ago, it is compulsory for every one who came after him to the Day of Judgment to believe in him, his message and obey his orders and prohibitions.All those who studied the biography of this messenger have agreed that he is a grand personality, who has been bestowed with the best of manners and the highest of characteristics by Allah. He had characteristics which were not present in anyone before him and would not be present in anyone after him. Anything that you read about him, no matter how small it is, would confirm what I am saying.Allah has also granted him proofs and evidences that establish the authenticity of his prophet hood, rendering having doubt in this fact intellectually impossible. Having been given such proofs and evidences of his prophet hood, whoever denies his truthfulness, would make it impossible for that individual to establish the truthfulness of any other prophet.
5. The last day. This is done by firmly believing that after this life of ours is over, there is another more complete life. There is an immense reward and magnificent luxuries in it, as well as punishment. Luxury is in Heaven and punishment in Hell. So whoever is righteous and believes in the religion of Islam would enter Heaven, a place which contains untold luxuries as well as bliss that cannot be imagined. All the luxuries present on earth cannot be compared to it at all. Whoever enters Heaven would continue to live in such luxuries for eternity, death does not exist therein.As for those who act upon evil and do not believe in Islam, they would end up in Hell, which contains fires and punishment that can not be imagined, all of the fires of earth and forms of punishment cannot be compared to the punishment of the hellfire at all.The existence of punishment and reward after this life is an issue that is intellectually acknowledged, because it is impossible for this world to exist and then just diminish into nothingness. This is trifling about, and our Lord, the creator, does not engage in trifle activities.
6. Believing in Divine Decree. This is done by believing that everything that takes place in this world is due to Allah’s knowledge and will. Nothing except what He wills takes place, and what He does not will, does not take place. Allah has written everything in a great book (the guarded scriptures). Believing in divine decree also includes believing that Allah created everything.

As for the five pillars that must be practiced:

1. Uttering a phrase that is the key to embracing Islam. It is a contract between a servant and his Lord, signifying that he is upon this religion:”Ashhadu an la ilaha ila Allah, wa ashadu ana Muhammad `abduhu wa rasulahu.””I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”It means that a person affirms and admits that worship must only be offered to Allah alone, in addition to acting upon that, that the religion of Islam is the correct religion, the only true God deserving worship is Allah, that all other gods are false and all other religions are also false [or abrogated].
2. The Prayer. It is only combination of specific as well as splendid sayings, actions and invocations. It is performed five times daily and doesn’t take much time at all. In fact, a prayer may not take more than five minutes. Prayers are the link between a servant and his Lord, it enables a Muslim to be confident, mentally and spiritually at rest, calm and untroubled.
3. The Zakaat. A wealthy Muslim must give a small portion of his money to the poor, 2.5 percent of his wealth to be exact. It is a minute amount, but it enables the Muslim community to be conciliated and merciful amongst each other. It propagates brotherhood, love and concern amongst Muslims. I repeat, Zakaat is only to be given out by the wealthy, not the poor.
4. Fasting. What is meant by fasting, is that a person withholds from eating, drinking and sexual relations during the month of Ramadan every year, between sunrise and sunset. The sick, travelers and those with valid excuses are pardoned from fasting, they are permitted to eat and drink but must make up missed days the following year after their excuses have expired.Fasting has a lot of health, personal as well as social benefits. Amongst them are; giving the digestive system a break, allowing Muslims to grow spiritually and practice good mannerisms. It enables Muslims to be conscious of their needy brothers and sisters, those who are unable to find enough food to satisfy their needs throughout the whole year. Consequently, Muslims would treat them with humility and strive to help them.
5. Hajj. It is a form of worship that must be performed only once in a lifetime, in Makkah. The sick and those who are not financially able to perform it are pardoned from doing so.There are many magnificent benefits in Hajj; the gathering of Muslims from all around the globe in one place, getting to know each other and displaying love for one another. In addition, Muslims achieve spiritual purification and rectify their mannerisms due to experiencing such a spiritual environment in the shade of Hajj.

To proceed, this should be sufficient in expounding some of the merits of Islam. I call on all Non-Muslims, listen to an honest person who only wants good for you: Save yourself before death takes you by surprise, dying as a Non-Muslim, what a great loss that is.

Do you know what dying as a Non-Muslim means? It means that you would enter the Hellfire, abiding therein for eternity. This is what Allah promised those who die as Non-Muslims. So how can you be negligent of an issue as grave as this?

I’m going to ask you a question, I hope that you can answer it honestly:

What would you lose if you embrace Islam?

If you embrace Islam, you could continue living your normal ordinary life, but in a more spiritual, organized and pleasant fashion, and after death, tremendous delight and eternal luxury awaits you.

If you reached a level of conviction, knowing that Islam is the true religion, but fear that embracing Islam would bar you from indulging in pleasures that you cannot live without, then compare these temporary pleasures with eternal pleasure. Which of the two is more important?

Furthermore, you can embrace Islam and then gradually try to reduce such pleasures, and if you were to honestly invoke Allah, He would surely aid you. In any case, embracing Islam and being sinful is better than not embracing Islam at all.

If your refusal of Islam is due to having a weak personality, the inability to make such a big decision, fearing what people may say about you, or people mocking you, know that these are just unrealistic thoughts. You would not be the first non-Muslim to embrace Islam, a lot of others have done so. They did not lose anything, their lives were not ruined nor do they have any regrets. Furthermore, can you possibly risk your own well being, contempt in the life of this world and in the hereafter just because you fear mockery or admonishment?

This affair is worthy of your time, contemplating upon it deeply.

My last words: Do not lose yourself! I ask Allah to bless you with true guidance.

D. Saleh Abdul Azeez.

One who wishes only the best for you.

Translated upon request by Shaykh Saaleh as Sindee to be printed and distributed freely.

Translated by: Abu `Abdul Waahid, Nadir Ahmad.

Internet Source : http://theclearsunnah.wordpress.com/