DIPLOMA IN BIBLE AND THEOLOGY

Course Title: Introduction to Islam

Course Code: DBT 2213

Credit Hours: 3 Hours

Prerequisite: Introduction to Missions – DBT 2113

Islam is the religion of the followers of Muhammad, founder of the religion in the 7 th

century ACE in Arabia.

The Arabic word al-‘islam literally means “surrender or submission” (Bond 345).

Another word derived from the same root is salaam (“peace”).

“Islam” is thus a peaceful and voluntary submission to Allah. According to Charles

Adams, “Islam” describes the proper relationship between human beings and Allah, and

Muhammad called on people to surrender to the will of Allah (491).

The Qur’an claims that from ancient times the word “Islam” has been used by all divine

messengers (e.g. Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus etc.) and their followers as the name for their

religion (Draz 3). Adherents of Islam are called, “Muslims”. Islam, along with Judaism and

Christianity is a monotheistic religion because of its belief in one God and also “Abrahamic

Religion” because of its descent from Abraham.

Jesus vs Mohammed
Jesus and Mohammed lived in two different periods. Mohammed is known to have lived 600

years after Jesus. Jesus and Mohammed had different views and also propagated different

philosophies.

First of all, let us look at the death of the two great souls. Jesus is known to have resurrected

from His grave on the third day after the Romans crucified Him. On the other hand, Mohammed

is known to have died in the arms of one of his wives.

When Jesus heard God speak to Him, He went into the desert very boldly to be tempted. But

when Mohammed heard God speaking to him, he was frightened and even wanted to commit

suicide. Jesus has called Himself the Son of God, and Mohammed called himself as the

messenger of God.

When Jesus got instructions directly from God, Mohammed received instructions from an angel.

Jesus had never married whereas Mohammed had 11 wives.

Jesus is known to have performed many miracles which included raising people from the dead,

healing people, and calming storms. Mohammed is not known to have performed any miracles in

his life. Jesus is known to have never sinned in His life.

Mohammed had taught that salvation was possible by following the Five Pillars of Islam. He said

that salvation depended on one’s own efforts. Jesus had taught that God created human beings

for a relationship with Himself, and He adopted human beings into His abode as His beloved

children.
Islam may be described as the religion of –

A. Beliefs and

B. Practices

It means: Iman (beliefs) + Amal (practices or right action) = A true believer

A. Beliefs

Islam begins with belief and the Arabic word for it is “Iman”. It literally means to know or to put

one’s trust in someone or something. It is extremely essential for a Muslim to have belief. If one

wants to be a true believer, he must not only testify his belief by pronouncing it but also by

adhering to it. He has to be convinced beyond the least shadow of doubt. The relation of Islam to

belief is the same as of a tree to its seed. As a tree cannot sprout without its seed similarly, it is

not possible for a man to become a Muslim who has no belief to start with. Therefore, it is clear

that without belief and right action no man can be a true Muslim. Where there is no belief there

is no Islam. From the view point of belief, men may be classified into four categories:

i. Those who have firm belief.

ii. Those who do have belief but, their belief is not deep and strong.

iii. Those who do not possess belief at all but do right actions.
iv. Those who neither possess belief nor do right actions.

Islam believes that: Once the Angel Jibril came to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and asked1

“What are the beliefs in Islam?” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) replied: “The beliefs in Islam are

to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His prophets, The Resurrection Day, and to believe

in the Predestination.” THIS BROUGHT ABOUT THE ARTICLES OF FAITH…

Articles of Faith

There are six beliefs in Islam and these are also called the “Articles of Faith”. The denial of any

one of beliefs or part of it renders a man unbeliever.

i. Tauheed (Oneness of Allah)

ii. Malaikah (Angels)

iii. Risalah (Prophethood)

iv. Kutub-e-Samaviyah (Revealed Books)

v. Akhirah (Life Hereafter)

vi. Taqdeer (Predestination)

1. Tauheed

Islam believes in Tauheed and it is the spirit of Islam. It is not merely monotheism i.e. belief in

one unique God, but much more. Tauheed literally means “unification” i.e. “asserting oneness”

and is derived from the Arabic word “Wahid” which means to unite, unify or consolidate. In a

bigger context Tauheed means Allah has no partner. He exists by Himself. Nothing can rival
Him as a source of power or love. There is no one worthy of worship other than Allah. He is

always near us; he cares for us and we owe our existence to Him alone. Allah alone is the creator

of the universe including human beings. He is the only possessor of all powers. He is

Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent. That is, He knows everything; He sees everything,

and He is present everywhere; although invisible to the eyes. All these factors and many more

are part of Tauheed. Comprehensively, Tauheed is defined in Qur’an as: “Say, He is Allah, the

One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, and Absolute; He begets not nor is He begotten; And there is

none like unto Him.’’ - Qur’an 112:4

The concept of Tauheed can be summed up into 3 categories:

a. Tauheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship): The first category is

‘Tauheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’. ‘Ruboobeeyah’ is derived from the Arabic word “Rab” meaning

Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher. Therefore, ‘Tauheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah’ means maintaining the

unity of Lordship. This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah alone caused all

things to exist when there was nothing. He created and originated all that exists out of nothing.

He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universe.

b. Tauheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes):

The second category is ‘Tauheed al Asmaa was Sifaat’ which means maintaining the unity of

Allah’s name and attributes. This category is further divided into three portions:

i. Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself Allah must be referred to without

giving Him any new names or attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name al-

Ghaadib (the Angry One), despite the fact that he has said that He gets angry, because neither

Allah nor His messenger have used this name.

we should strictly abstain from giving Him the attributes of those He has created. For instance in

the Bible, God is portrayed as repenting for his bad thoughts in the same way as humans do

when they realize their errors. This is completely against the principle of Tauheed. God does not

repent and He does not commit any mistakes or errors.

iii. Allah’s name cannot be given to a human or his other creatures. To refer to a human or his

other creatures with the attributes of Allah is also against the principle of Tauheed.

c. Tauheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship): The third category is Tauheed al-

Ibaadah which means maintaining the unity of worship. Ibaadah is derived from the Arabic word

“Abd” meaning slave or servant. Thus Ibaadah means servitude and worship3 . Salah4 is one of

the highest forms of Ibaadah i.e. worship but not the only form. People misunderstand that

worship of Almighty God only means ritual prayers but the concept of worship in Islam includes

total obedience, submission and servitude.

NB: All three categories have to be followed simultaneously. Only believing in the first two

categories of Tauheed without implementing Tauheed-al-Ibaadah is useless. Thus, Tauheed

alIbaadah is the most important aspect of Tauheed. He alone deserves worship and He alone can

grant benefit to man for his worship. The omission of any of the above mentioned categories of

Tauheed or deficiency in the fulfillment of any criteria of Tauheed is referred to as “shirk”.

2. Malaikah

In Arabic, angels are called Malaikah, which means "to assist and help." Angels are a creation of

Allah. Just as humans are made of clay, and jinn are made of smokeless fire, Angels have been

created from Noor (light) and are unseen. There are many millions of Angels in the sovereignty
of Allah but they are invisible to the human eyes. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has instructed

us to have faith in the existence of Allah’s angels.

Unlike humans, angels do not have a free will of their own and hence they always obey the

commandments of Allah. Due to the absence of free will they cannot disobey Allah. They are

always praising and glorifying Allah and they never become tired of doing this and waiting for

His orders to be carried out. They do not commit any mistake and are free from sin, desire,

hunger, and thirst. They are continuously present on earth. Human beings cannot see angels but

certainly, angels can see human beings and are in constant touch with them. They always keep a

watch on them on behalf of Allah and many of them are eternally busy recording all of our

thoughts, words, and deeds. They cannot deviate from Allah’s commands even by the slightest

fraction of a second. They have no share in Allah’s divinity. Since angels are a creation of Allah,

human beings must not worship them. The Angels, who continuously praise and glorify Allah,

have been given the necessary qualities and powers to perform specific functions. By Allah,

different angels have been appointed for different tasks to perform. Some of the angels and their

tasks have been mentioned here:

Jibril – Angel Jibril used to bring revelation to the Prophets and would appear in various forms.

Mikail – Angel Mikail looks after the sustenance of mankind. He also controls the rain.

Mu'aqqibat - They are protectors, who keep people from death until its decreed time. They also

bring down blessings.

Izrail – Angel Izrail is called Malak-ul Maut (angel of death). He takes away the souls of human

beings. Israfil – Angel Israfil in charge of blowing the trumpet. He will blow it on the Last Day

and at the time of the Resurrection.

of the people in it. Malik – Angel Malik is in charge of the Hell. He looks after the implementing

the punishment to the wrong doers at the Hell.

Munkar – Angel Munkar is the questioner in the grave. His duty is to question the man after

death about their actions while they were alive.

Nakeer – Angel Nakeer is also the questioner in the grave. His job is the same as Angel Munkar

does. Raqib – Angel Raqib records the good actions of human being when they were alive. He is

on the right side of a man.

Atid – Angel Atid records the bad actions of human being when they were alive. He is on the left

side of a man.

Angels Raqib and Atid are also called “Kirman Katibin”

3. Risalah

Allah created humans for a noble purpose i.e. to worship Him alone and lead a virtuous life

based on His teachings and guidance. However, one cannot fulfill this purpose without receiving

clear guidelines from Allah. Allah did not leave us to wander on the Earth aimlessly. In order to

inform us of our purpose He appointed certain individuals to communicate and demonstrate His

message to all mankind. These individuals are known as Prophets. Therefore, Prophets are the

selected representatives from the people by Allah for the guidance of the whole mankind.

THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF PROPHETS

 Prophets Receive Revelation - The main difference between an ordinary human being and a

Prophet is that a Prophet receives revelation from Allah.

character and righteousness. They lived in obedience to Allah, with excellent morals and were

always truthful in speech and conduct.

 Prophets Perform Miracles - Many Prophets performed miracles, usually in a field which their

people excelled. For example, the people of Moses (pbuh) excelled in magic; therefore, Moses

(pbuh) was able to perform miraculous acts which even magicians could not perform. The people

of Jesus (pbuh) excelled in matters of medicine; therefore, Jesus (pbuh) was able to perform acts

of healing beyond the skill of his own people. The people of Muhammad (pbuh) excelled in

poetry; therefore, Muhammad (pbuh) delivered the Quran, containing such eloquent words

which no poet could ever compete with.

The Common Message of the Prophets

Since all Prophets were sent by the Allah, they all conveyed the same message and had the same

mission. Their message had been:

 Clarify the true concept of God and reject false beliefs

 Teach the true purpose of life

 Demonstrate how Allah should be worshipped

 Convey Allah's definition of righteous and sinful conduct and advise people accordingly

 Describe the rewards for obedience (Heaven) and warn of the punishment for

disobedience (Hell)

 Explain commonly misunderstood issues such as the soul, angels and spirits, the afterlife

and fate.
  The main focus of all the Prophets was to clarify the concept of Allah, that He has no

partners or equals, and that all worship should be directed exclusively towards Him.

NB: Following a Prophet is obedience to God and rejecting a Prophet is disobedience to

God. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the last of the Prophets, so God's guidance was

complete with his coming, and our salvation is complete with the obedience to God and His

Final Prophet.

4. Kutub-e-Samaviyah

The books, Kutub-e-Samaviyah are those revelations, which Allah sent down to mankind for the

guidance through His prophets so that they may know Allah and His Messengers and carry out

their commands. These books are fundamentally the same in principle and meant for spreading

to humanity both by the Prophets and the followers, however, the minor details of these differ

depending on the time and society. These communications began from the time of Prophet Adam

(pbuh) and continued unto the last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). No one knows how many books

Allah sent to us. It is possible that Allah may have sent several revelations in different ages for

the guidance of human beings but those were lost over the period of time. Only four revelations

are mentioned by name in the Qur’an i.e. Torah, Zabur, Injil and Qur’an

Torah is the Wahy, the revelation which was revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh).

Zabur (the original Psalms) is the Wahy, the revelation which was revealed to Prophet David

(pbuh).

Injil (new Testament) is the Wahy, the revelation which was revealed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
Qur’an is the last and final Wahy, the final revelation, which was revealed to the Last and Final

Messenger Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Muslims must accept and believe in all of the Books of Allah. It is a required part of their faith.

They cannot accept the book revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and reject the book of the

Prophet Moses. Each of the revelations, prior to the revelation of the Glorious Qur’an, was meant

only for a particular time period and for a particular group of people. Since the Qur’an was the

last and final revelation of Allah, it was revealed not only for the Muslims or the Arabs but it was

revealed for the whole of humanity.

5. Akhirah

All the prophets called their people to worship Allah and to believe in Life Hereafter. Allah has

created man as an eternal creature and has divided his life into two parts. The present world, in

which we live after birth is the first part and the next world where we live after death is the

second part, this second part is called Life Hereafter.

The limited period before death is meant for a man to be tested, while Life Hereafter will be the

period for his reward and punishment. Man is born with unlimited potential, yet he finds very

limited use for it in this present world. According to his nature, man wants to live eternally, but

very soon death arrives and puts an end to his life.

This world will come to an end someday, and the dead will rise on the Day of Judgment to stand

for their final and fair trial. Everyone will appear before the Allah and face the consequences of

their deeds done in this life. Thus, life in the Hereafter is a continuation of the earthly life but

different in nature.
Everything that they do, every intention that they have, every move that they make, every

thought that they entertain, and every word that they say, are all counted and kept in accurate

records. On the Day of Judgment, they will be brought forth. People with good records will be

generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to the Paradise of Allah, and those with bad records

will be punished and cast into Hell. The real nature of Paradise or Hell, and the exact description

of them are known to Allah only. There are descriptions of Paradise and Hell in the Qur'an. In

Paradise, explained the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), there are things, which no eye has ever seen,

no ear has ever heard, and no mind has ever conceived.

“(Remember) the Day We shall summon every people with their record [of deeds]. Then

whoever is given his record in his right hand - those will read their records, and injustice will

not be done to them. And whoever is blind in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter and more

astray from the way.” - Qur’an 17: 71, 72 “Death, from which you are running away from, will

certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the

Visible (i.e. Allah) and He will inform you about what you did.” - Qur’an 62:8

The belief in the hereafter divides people into three categories:

First, there are those who do not believe in the Hereafter and regard life on this earth as the only

life. They judge something to be good if it produces desirable results and evil if it brings about

undesirable results.

Second, there are those who believe in the Hereafter, but do not do righteous deeds therefore,

they depend on the intercession or atonement of someone to absolve them of their sins. This

deprives them of the moral advantage, as a result their behavior becomes very much like that of

those who deny the Hereafter.

anyone can intercede on their behalf. They hold themselves accountable for their actions and

their belief in the Hereafter becomes a great moral force, which cautions and admonishes them

whenever they deviate from the right path.

Belief in Life after Death and man's accountability to Allah gives a sense and meaning to one's

life and differentiates human beings from animals. Therefore, belief in the Life after Death

serves as a reminder against crime, corruption, immorality, and injustice on this earth. Man has

to pass his life in this world in such a way that every happening becomes for him a reminder of

the Day of Judgment. His sleeping and rising should also serve as reminders of life after death.

Whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief, it has been the most ideal and

peaceful society, free of social and moral evils. Justice, Mercy, Human values, or the concept of

good and bad have no meaning if there is no Life Hereafter.

6. Taqdeer

Faith in predestination is one of the 6 pillars of beliefs. Defining predestination is one of the

most complex matters of theology. Many a times it has caused some to succumb to a feeling of

helplessness, and for some the concept has led them astray and away from their firmness upon to

believe in God. It has also been misused to lead others astray, to confuse them and to cause

doubt about God almighty. Acceptance of it is a basic requirement for a Muslim and not

believing it certainly negates ones faith.

Predestination means to believe that Allah knows everything that is in the earth and in the

heavens. There is absolutely nothing that happens except through the complete knowledge of

Allah. Whatever Allah destines will happen and whatever He does not, will not happen.
Everything is already written that’s going to happen. There is a word for predestination in Arabic

called Qadar.

The man is bestowed with the power of free will. He can differentiate the bad from good and is

free to choose his way but his choice has already been written down because Allah knew what he

would choose.

So, in that hour everything that will occur until the Day of Resurrection was recorded.

Belief in predestination is based on four things:

i. Al-Alam (Knowledge): That Allah knows what His creation will do, by virtue of His eternal

knowledge, including their choices that will take place.

ii. Kitabat (Writing): That Allah has written everything that exists including the destiny of all

creatures in Lauhe Mehfooz prior to creation.

iii. Mashii’at (Will): That what Allah wills it happens and what He does not will does not

happen. There is no movement in the heavens or on earth but happens by His will. This does not

mean that He forces things to happen the way they happen in the area of human beings voluntary

actions. It means that He knew what they will choose, wrote it and now lets it happen.

iv. Al-Khalaq (Creation): That Allah is the Creator of all things including the actions of His

servants. They do their actions in a real sense, and Allah is the Creator of them and of their

actions.

There are 3 stages where predestination is determined:

i. The Decree of Allah that is written in Lauhe Mehfooz before the creation of the universe. This

destiny written in the preserved tablet is never changed and encompasses everything that will be.
ii. Allah made a divine decree after the creation of Adam. Allah took out all of the progeny of

Adam and asked them “Am I not your Lord?” and all of the humans responded “We testify that

You are our Lord” Then Allah decreed to them who shall go to paradise and who shall go to hell.

iii. When a baby is conceived in the womb of the mother Allah sends an angel to put a soul into

the baby and the angel writes down the decree that Allah has made; his life span, his sex, his

sustenance and whether he will be a dweller of Paradise or a dweller of Hell.

B. Practice

Practices are issues related to how actions of worship are performed and there are 5 pillars which

are essential for a Muslim to act in:

i Profession of Faith (shahada).

ii. Namaz /salat (prayer)

iii. Zakat (Alms)

iv. Roza (Fasting)

v. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

1. Profession of Faith (shahada).

The belief that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" is central to

Islam. This phrase, written in Arabic, is often prominently featured in architecture and a range of

objects, including the Qur'an, Islam's holy book of divine revelations. One becomes a Muslim by

reciting this phrase with conviction.

Namaz is the second pillar of the five pillars of Islam. It means worshiping Allah Almighty with

specific words and actions; beginning with saying “Allahu Akbar” and ending with saying “As-

Salaamu Alaikum”. The position of Namaz in Islam

Namaz is the best of actions.

Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said, Islam is based on five principles:

i. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's

Messenger (pbuh).

ii. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.

iii. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity).

iv. To perform Hajj.

v. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

Namaz is a collection of some regularized and spirituality guided physical actions coupled with

the recitation of Qur’an and the phrases that contain Allah’s greatness. The physical postures

include:

- Qiyam (the standing)

- Ruku (bowing down)

- Sujood (prostration)

- Qa’dah (sitting on the knees)

A complete set of these postures is called Rak’at. However, the more important aspect of Namaz

is the inner feelings of a man. The worshipper must be absorbed in the thought of Allah and must

present himself to Allah with humility and humbleness. The fear of Allah is the main feature of

Namaz and the worshiper should imagine as if he is looking at Allah and if it is not possible then

at least he should imagine that He is looking at him. The combination of right inner feeling and

the correct performance of outwardly actions will contribute in the perfection of Namaz and it

will bring the desired benefits to the worshipper. The Namaz is performed 5 times a day and is

taken as an identity of a Muslim.

For every compulsory prayer, there is a specific time, before and after which the Salah will be

invalid.

The 5 daily prayers and their timings

Fajr (early Morning Prayer): It is offered between dawn and sunrise

Zohar (noon prayer): It is offered between noon and mid after noon

Asr (after noon prayer): It is offered late after noon

Maghrib (sunset prayer): It is offered immediately after sun set

Isha (night prayer): It is offered after the disappearance of twilight from the horizon

Requirements of a Valid Prayer

 To have neat and clean body, clothes and the place of prayer.
 To have a valid ablution.

 Covering of the private parts of the body. In case of man it is from navel to knee and in case of

a woman it is all parts of her body except the face and the two palms.

 To face the Qibla.

 To be sure of the proper time of the particular prayer.

The Essentials of the Prayer

Farz - Obligatory acts:

1. Intention

2. Standing for takbir

3. Facing towards Qibla

4. Recitation of Al-Fateha

5. Ruku (bowing down)

6. To stand up right for a while after Ruku

7. Sujud (prostration)

8. To sit for a short while on the heels before the second Sujud, resting the knees on the ground.

9. Second Sujud

10. Sitting for Tashahhud, and end Namaz with Salam.

1. To think about anything other than Allah.

2. To look anywhere other than at the place of Sujud.

3. To move or shake the organs.

4. To sneeze, cough or make any noise voluntarily.

5. To pray in tight clothes which outline ones private parts or shape of the body, transparent

clothes.

6. To pray with clothes which have pictures on them.

2. Zakat (Alms)

Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. There are two forms of charity in Islam one is obligatory that is

Zakat and the other is voluntary that is Sadaqa. Zakat, which literally means purification that

means a Muslim, gives up a fixed amount of his wealth to purify the remainder. In Islam, the

form of worship is broadly divided into two; physical and financial. Zakat is the financial one. It

involves money. Namaz is purely a physical form of worship whereas Hajj is a combination of

physical and financial forms of worship. So, Zakat can be called the obligatory annual charity

system that is unique in Islam. But in Islamic terminology, it can be defined as the compulsory

disbursement of a certain amount in form of charity to the poor and needy on the accumulation

of wealth like gold, silver or cash. This wealth should remain with the owner for a period of one

complete year at a specified quantity. This specified quantity is known as Nisab. There is

separate Nisab for each kind of wealth. The money should not remain with the rich people only.
It should have a judicious distribution in the society. Zakat should not be taken as only a measure

of uplifting the economic condition of the poor but it has its own spiritual benefits.

Zakat becomes due on the following 4 conditions:

i. Resting on gold and silver; whereas Nisab of gold is 85 grams and for silver it is 595 grams.

Anything less than this does not require the owner to pay the Zakat. In case of cash the Nisab of

silver will be the standard. The Zakat is 2.5% of the total saving amount.

ii. Zakat on farm product. On the farm product; immediately after the harvest, Zakat must be

paid. Zakat of farm product is called Ushr15 and it is payable if the land is watered by rains or

has a natural fertility. But if it is irrigated by artificial and laborious means then only 1/20 of the

total harvest will be given out. This Nisab in case of farm product is five Wasaq, which is equal

to 612 kg approximately. There is no Ushr on vegetables fruits and spinach etc.

iii. Zakat is on domestic animals such as camels, cows, and goats if they are for the reproduction

and procreation of dairy products or kept for trade. The Nisab is 5 camels, 30 cows and 40 goats,

and their Zakat is prescribed accordingly.

iv. Zakat is due on all trade goods provided its value reaches the Nisab and it completes a years.

The same measures can be applied to houses for rent.

According to Surah at-Taubah (60:9) there are 8 areas of distribution, where Zakat can be

spent:

i. Al-Fuqra (the poor):

ii. Al-Masakeen (the needy):

iv. Ibn al-Sabil (traveler):

v. Al-Amiloon Aleha (the officials):

vi. Al-Mu’allifatu Qulubuhum (whose hearts are to be won):

vii. Al-Riqab (in freeing slaves): Zakat can be given in buying the freedom for a slave

completely or help a slave in buying his freedom.

viii. Al-Gharimoon (the debtors): The debts of a Muslim can be reimbursed by Zakat.

3.Roza/sawm ( fasting)

Roza is the fourth pillar of Islam. It means “To worship Allah by abstaining from the ingestion

of food, drinks, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset.” It is a physical worship and is

obligatory to all Muslims with few exceptions. The fasting entails absence from eating, drinking

and corporal enjoyments from dawn to dusk during the whole month of Ramadhan.

The month of Ramadan is chosen for fasting because the revelation began in this month as a

blessing and blissful guidance for the people.

Few set of laws to the performance of Roza

A – Bodily appearance

The fast begins with suhur (in Urdu, sahri), which means eating something that can sustain an

individual throughout the day. It does not mean a bellyful of heavy food. The day must be spent

free from evil practices. A fasting man must not talk obscene, should not create unpleasant noise
and if another man scolds him or fights with him, he should say that, ‘I am fasting’. The social

evils like telling lie, backbiting and accusing others are also fatal to the spirit of fasting.

B – Exemptions

The following people are exempted from keeping the fast:

i. Those who are on journey.

ii. The children.

iii. Insane people.

iv. Perpetually sick and very old people.

v. Women during the menstruation period.

vi. Women during the bleeding period after child’s birth.

vii. Women sucking a child.

C- Spoilers of Fasting: There are some actions, which if committed knowingly or unknowingly,

may render a fast invalid:

i. Sexual inter course breaks the fast.

ii. The intentional discharge of sperms.

iii. Intentional eating or drinking.

iv. The blood transfusion into the body.

v. The injecting of energetic medicines into the body.

4. Hajj

The last of the five pillars is the making pilgrimage to Makkah once in a life time. The Hajj

requires an adequate amount of money and a strong and healthy body. Thus it is a physical as

well as financial form of worship. The pilgrims come to perform Hajj from all corners of the

world having different colors, speaking different languages and practicing different customs and

traditions but in the same kind of dress to the same direction with the same objective and spirit.

Every pilgrim wears the Ihram. It comprises of two pieces of unsown white cloth. One is to

cover the lower part of the body, and the other one to wrap round the shoulders. The head is not

covered. The women wear the usual dress covering all parts of the body except face and palm.

The Islamic society

is based on morality and it is formulated by Qur’an and Sunnah. A person is supposed to live in

the society, earn his living, raise a family, and pay the dues of other people; all in the framework

of Islam. He must live in the society with his parents, wife, children, near and far relatives, co-

workers, friends and foes, and try to be as much beneficent as possible to the other members of

the society. The secluded life and withdrawal from the lawful worldly engagement is highly

discouraged in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) refused the permission when one of the

companions made a request to lead such life. The family is the first unit in the structure of

Islamic society. The parents and children, wife and husband, brother and sister, employee and

employer, Muslim and non-Muslims, neighbours, and other relatives, even animals and other
creatures all are included in this wide range of rights and obligations. The rights and duties of

each one of them have been categorically defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Some of the rights are:

i. The rights of Parents

ii. The rights of Relatives

iii. The rights of Neighbours

iv. The rights of Muslims or men.

v. The rights of Other human beings

vi. The rights of all Creations

THE FOUNDER OF ISLAM

His birth. Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Makkah in the Arabian Peninsula.26 In the 6th

century AD, Makkah was the most important town in Arabia because it was strategically situated

on the trade route from north to south thereby serving as a meeting place of commercial

caravans; and also because of its own commercial activities. But the religious or spiritual status

of Makkah surpassed its commercial value. All the people of Arabia revered Makkah because

Prophet Ibrahim had founded it and it had Baytullah (the house of Allah) that is Ka’bah, which

had actually been turned to house of idols by the people of Makkah who worshipped them.

However, there were pockets where Christianity, Judaism and other religions were practiced

without intimidation. Desert and Bedouins dominated the peninsula of Arabia with few centers

of settled life. Commonly, the socio-political set up of Arabia was tribal. This period is however,
known as al-Asr al-Jahili (the period of Ignorance) because of the existing polytheism, tribal

feuds, female infanticide and some other morally degraded habits. The city of Makkah was

inhabited by Quraish, one of the leading tribes of Arabia during that time. The Quraish enjoyed

the respect of the people in Arabia. Among the different clans of Quraish, Banu Hashim was

considered the superior one because they shouldered the dignified responsibility and privilege of

al-Siqayah wa al-Rifadah (feeding and watering the pilgrims during the time of Hajj). There

were, of course, inter-clan jealousy and rivalry, which sometimes altered their fortune. By the

time of Prophet (pbuh) birth, his grandfather Abdul Muttalib was the chief of Makkah or the

chief of the tribe of Quraish. Abdul Muttalib was a respected leader. He had 13 sons. One of

them was Abdullah. He married Hazrat Aminah from the clan of Zuhra. Abdullah did not live

long after the marriage and while he was on his way back to Makkah from a commercial journey,

died on the way. His child was born a couple of month after his death. Muhammad (pbuh) was

born in the family of Banu Hashim in the tribe of Quraish in the city of Makkah in 570 AD.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) spent 40 years in Makkah before he proclaimed himself a Prophet.

As an infant, he was taken care of by Halima.28 He was brought back to the mother but barely a

year after; she died on her way back to Makkah from Yathrib where she had gone to visit the

grave of her husband along with the child. Prophet (pbuh) then came under the direct care of his

grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. He also did not live long and died after two years. Now it was the

turn of his uncle Abu Talib. For next 41 years, Muhammad (pbuh) lived under his protection and

care. As a young boy, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) often accompanied his uncle Abu Talib on

trading journeys to Syria and even earned a little money by grazing the sheep of the people of

Makkah.
His Marriage. At the age of he was employed by Hazrat Khadija to carry and sell her

merchandise. He managed these responsibilities with utmost honesty and proficiency, earning

huge profit. His qualities left a very good impression on Hazrat Khadija that she asked for his

hand in marriage. The marriage took place in 595 AD.

Divine Inspiration . As a thoughtful person Muhammad (pbuh) was never satisfied by the

religious environment of al-Kaaba. From his childhood, he never took part in any form of idol

worshipping. Dissatisfied and disgusted by the attitude and deeds of his people. He developed a

tendency of seclusion and pondered over the complexities of the universe. His meditation

sometime took several days. The cave of Hira was the place where he spent most of his time in

mediation and it was here that the angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to read in

the name of God. This was the beginning of the Wahy. It happened in 610AD. The coming of

revelation meant the commencement of the Prophethood. Gradually, the doubts cleared away and

he found himself ready for the task i.e. inviting the whole humanity to surrender to Allah’s Will

which is “Islam”. The first revelation in the cave of Hira was: Read! In the name of your Lord,

Who created He created a man from a clot of blood Read! And your Lord is the most

Generous Who has taught the use of pen Who taught a man what he knew not. - Qur’an:

96:1-5.

The period of pause in revelation for six months and suddenly revelation started: Narrated Jabir

bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari (while talking about the period of pause in revelation) reporting the

speech of the Prophet: "While I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I

looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair

between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in

blankets).' And then Allah revealed the following Holy Verses (of Quran): 'O you (i.e.
Muhammad)! ‘Wrapped up in garments!' Arise and warn (the people against Allah's

Punishment),... up to 'and desert the idols.' (Qur’an: 74.1-5) after this the revelation started

coming strongly, frequently and regularly." - Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 3

The beginning of the Mission. In the beginning, the preaching was limited to his family and

friends. So Hazrat Khadija his wife; Hazrat Ali his cousin; Hazrat Zaid bin Harith his freed slave,

and Hazrat Abu Bakr his close friend were the first to accept Islam. His early messages focused

on the oneness of Allah, good deeds, the Day of Judgment, caring for the poor, orphans and

widows. The secret preaching persisted for almost 3 years until he was asked to call the people

publicly to believe in the Oneness of Allah and worship Him alone. He began his public

preaching by inviting Meccans. The pattern of the reaction was obvious. At first there was

persuasion to stop the preaching subsequently came the vocal resistance that changed into

hostility, which resulted in the serious persecution of weaker Muslims. His direct and honest

approach won many followers and the news of appearance of a Prophet in Makkah spread even

to the far-lands which were not even visited by Prophet (pbuh).

As the number of Muslims grew, the Meccans also came out with fierce opposition and severe

persecution. It compelled many Muslims to leave Makkah and migrate to Ethiopia. Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh) propagated Islam in Makkah and its vicinity for almost 13 years but with

little success. The 13 years of struggle in Makkah tell a story of hardship and obstructions, tears

and toil, oppression and persecution. The Muslims, including Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were

mocked at and the weaker ones were subjugated to cruel and inhuman treatment. In 619, the

Prophet (pbuh) and his community were forced to stay in the valley outside Makkah and were

socially boycotted by the people of Makkah for 3 long years. The physical strain Muslims

experienced during the 3 years made many of them succumb to death. Abu Talib and Hazrat
Khadija (r. a.),36 the two most affectionate and beloved relatives of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

passed away immediately after the boycott. This year is remembered as ‘Aam al-Huzn’ (the year

of sorrow).

LIFE AT MADINA. Migration During, the next 3 years some people from the oasis of Yathrib

around 500 km north to Makkah visited Makkah for pilgrimage. They were introduced to Islam

by Prophet and gradually the Muslims began to move towards Yathrib in twos and threes so the

Meccans might not notice their absence immediately. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) left Makkah

secretly with Hazrat Abu Bakr (r. a.) leaving Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (r. a.), behind to settle the

trusts and other matters. It was an arduous journey but they reached Quba, a settlement in the

suburb of Yathrib and stayed there for 5 days. Finally the Prophet (pbuh) entered Yathrib. This

migration took place in 622 AD.

Brotherhood. Upon arrival in Madina Prophet (pbuh) established a bond of brotherhood

between Ansar and Muhajirun. One Ansar would take one Muhajir as his brother and would be

responsible for his housing and feeding until the Muhajir became capable of looking after

himself. This transformed the burden into compassion and a spirit of fraternity and harmony

prevailed between them. However, very soon the Muhajirun became self-sufficient.

Building the Mosque Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) immediately built a mosque after his arrival

in Madina. This mosque was called Masjid-e Nabawi. This mosque worked as a worshipping

place as well as the head quarter of Islamic government. It also serves as the beginning point of

Islamic education.