Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes. In the Quran, God describes Himself:
Say, “He is God, the One. God, to Whom the creatures turn for their needs. He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none like Him.” (Quran, 112:1-4)
No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of worship, but God alone.
God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner, His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen. No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He wills, is, and whatever He does not will, is not, and will never be. His will is above the will of all the creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do everything. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent. In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) , we are told that God is more merciful to His creatures than a mother to her child.1 God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she can ask God directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.
God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God.2 Even Jesus himself rejected this.
God has said in the Quran:
Indeed, they have disbelieved who have said, “God is the Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary.” The Messiah said, “Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever associates partners in worship with God, then God has forbidden Paradise for him, and his home is the Fire (Hell). For the wrongdoers,3 there will be no helpers.” (Quran, 5:72)
God is not a trinity. God has said in the Quran:
Indeed, they disbelieve who say, “God is the third of three (in a trinity),” when there is no god but one God. If they desist not from what they say, truly, a painful punishment will befall the disbelievers among them. Would they not rather repent to God and ask His forgiveness? For God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a messenger... (Quran, 5:73-75)
Islam rejects that God rested on the seventh day of the creation, that He wrestled with one of His angels, that He is an envious plotter against mankind, or that He is incarnate in any human being. Islam also rejects the attribution of any human form to God. All of these are considered blasphemous. God is the Exalted. He is far removed from every imperfection. He never becomes weary. He does not become drowsy nor does he sleep.
The Arabic word Allah means God (the one and only true God who created the whole universe). This word Allah is a name for God, which is used by Arabic speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians. This word cannot be used to designate anything other than the one true God. The Arabic word Allah occurs in the Quran about 2700 times. In Aramaic, a language related closely to Arabic and the language that Jesus habitually spoke,4 God is also referred to as Allah.
2) Belief in the Angels:
Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures. The angels worship God alone, obey Him, and act only by His command. Among the angels is Gabriel, who brought down the Quran to Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).
3) Belief in God’s Revealed Books:
Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind and as guidance for them. Among these books is the Quran, which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) God has guaranteed the Quran’s protection from any corruption or distortion. God has said:
Indeed, We have sent down the Quran, and surely We will guard it (from corruption). (Quran, 15:9)
4) Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God:
Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting with Adam, including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them). But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) . Muslims believe that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the last prophet sent by God, as God has said:
Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the prophets... (Quran, 33:40)
Muslims believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings who had none of the divine qualities of God.
5) Belief in the Day of Judgment:
Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all people will be resurrected for God’s judgment according to their beliefs and deeds.
6) Belief in Al-Qadar:
Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices.
The belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:
1) God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen.
2) God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
3) Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does not happen.
4) God is the Creator of everything.
1)Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2754, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5999.
(2) It was reported by the Associated Press, London, on June 25, 1984, that a majority of the Anglican bishops surveyed by a television program said, “Christians are not obliged to believe that Jesus Christ was God.” The poll was of 31 of England’s 39 bishops. The report further stated that 19 of the 31 bishops said it was sufficient to regard Jesus as “God’s supreme agent.” The poll was conducted by London Weekend Television’s weekly religious program, “Credo.”
(3) The wrongdoers include the polytheists.
(4) NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible, Douglas, p. 42
Pillars of Islam
There are five pillars of Islam:
1. Shahada (Testify)
2. Salah (Prayer)
3. Seyam (Fasting)
4. Zakat (Charity)
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Shahada (Creed)
The verbal commitment and pledge that there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the messenger of Allah.
Salah (Mandatory Worship [Prayer])
It is the duty of every Muslim, male and female, after reaching the age of puberty, to perform five Salats (Prayers) at specific times during the day and night. These five specific times are: - Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, and Night. A ritual called Wudu (Cleaning several parts of the body with water) is a prerequisite to Salat.
Siyam (Fasting)
Fasting during the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the lunar calendar) is from sunrise to sunset only and is an obligation on every adult healthy Muslim, male or female. Fasting is total abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, intimate relations, and taking anything into the body. If a person is ill and needs to take medication, s/he cannot fast. Fasting is also a time to discipline one's self from bad behaviors, such as arguing, and saying mean things. Those who are ill or unable to fast for health or reasons of age are exempt from fasting. However, they should feel the poor one meal for every day they miss of fasting. Women who are pregnant, menstruating, or nursing, or any who are traveling, are also exempt from fasting. However, when their situation changes, they make up for the missed days of fasting.
Zakah (Charity)
Zakat is an annual obligatory charity on every Muslim, male or female, who possesses over the last year money or property that exceeds their minimum needs. The requirement is 2.5% of one's excess wealth.
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The performance of the pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim, if financially able, as well as physically able. Hajj begins every year during the month of Dul Hejja; Dul Hejja is the 12th month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar year. The Hajj is a spiritual journey where a Muslim forgets all worldly things and devotes his\\her attention and time to Allah alone.
…why is Islam the fastest growing religion in the world?
- Oneness of God - Islam is the only religion on the face of earth which strongly believes and adheres to the concept of One True God. In Islam, the concept of one God is very clear and its whole foundation is based on Monotheism
- Eloquence of Quran’s language – The uniqueness and beauty of Quran’s text has been marveled by the best of Arab linguists and scholars from the days it was revealed until today. The more knowledgeable people are in the language, the more they appreciate the wonders of the textual fluency of the Quran.
- Overwhelming scientific evidence and proofs – The Quran, revealed more than 1400 years ago has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era.
- Divine wisdom behind various social issues – The Quran provides a solution to numerous social issues, a deviation from which has known to cause societal chaos at all levels.
- Divine
Text –
Quran’s language and prose is very different from the language in
the hadith (Prophet’s sayings) thus proving that Quran is not the
“imagination” or words of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him),
as many doubters have alleged in the past and do so even today.
…why do Muslims regard the Qur'aan as a living Miracle?
- The Quran is the only book that has remained in its original form since it was revealed. It has, and continues to be memorised word for word, from cover to cover by millions of Muslims throughout the world, thus ensuring that not even a word can be changed.
- The Quran, revealed more than 1400 years ago has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era.
- It cannot be reproduced by a human : God, in the quran challenges people to reproduce something similar to the Quran: “Do people imagine that this Qur’an is not from Us, and that you, O Prophet are falsely attributing to us? Tell them that if they are speaking truly they should produce ten surahs (chapters) resembling the Qur’an, and that they are free to call on the aid of anyone but God in so doing.” (11:13)
- “Oh
people, if you doubt the heavenly origin of this Book which We have
sent down to Our servant, the Prophet, produce one surah (chapter)
like it.” (2:23)
A
yet stronger challenge occurs in another chapter:
“Or
do they say: 'He forged it'? Say: 'Bring then a sura (Chapter) like
unto it and call [to your aid] anyone you can”. (10:38)
…why some scientists have accepted Islam after studying the Qur'aan?
…why Islam is portrayed so negatively in the media?
1) Ignorance regarding Islam and its beliefs.
2) In todays time, nudity, vulgarity, adultery, drinking and other such social maladies have been the order of the day which has devoured the moral fabric of our society.
Islaam promotes a wholesome lifestyle enriched with:
- Peace (Assalaamualaikum – a universal greeting used at anytime of the day or night which means “may peace be upon you” a verbal agreement informing the person you are speaking to that they are saved from any harm from yourself
- Modesty (eg of a females dressing hijaab + Virgin Mary as depicted in Nativity plays),
- Honesty (incl Qur’aanic ayah)
- Obedience to parents (Qur’aanic ayah – lower the wings of mercy unto them, have mercy upon them as they had mercy on me when I was small)
- etc
3) Islam has a governing system which if implemented will bring an end to most of the problem facing countries today such as crime, immorality, drinking, drugs, poverty, corruption, and inequality.
This is a threat to those in power who are benefiting from the status quo by oppressing people and making money off them. Therefore, by painting a negative image of Islam, it furthers the interests of the elite and also create a negative view of Islam amongst people.
