Do you want to know what Islam Is?

In the name of God, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful

We the Muslim Students Association have prepared this booklet to introduce Islam to the
college community. Please do take the time to read it, and pass it on to others who may
be interested. However we sincerely request: please approach the articles with a free
conscience. Do not let the contemporary political scene or other such biases cloud your
judgment. Please also note that we do not intend to hurt or undermine anybody or
anyone’s faith or beliefs. If the articles and views expressed in this booklet offend you in
anyway, we apologize in advance and are more than willing to address them. We would
love to hear from you and discuss with you. Have a pleasant reading!

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you!

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Indeed, one out of every five persons
on this earth is a Muslim. Muslims live in different parts of the world ranging from
China to Argentina, Russia to South Africa. There are nearly six million Muslims living
in North America alone, and the number is growing. Yet unfortunately, Islam is also the
most misunderstood religion.

Islam literally means submission and in particular, it means active submission to God. It
is a strictly monotheistic religion since it restricts worship to the One Supreme Lord who
is the Originator and Creator of the universe. Islam teaches that happiness and peace (the
root word from which the word Islam is derived) is attained through complete obedience
to the commandments of God, for God is the source of all peace, and happiness.

Muslims are those who believe in one God and in Muhammad as the final Prophet of
God. They devote their lives to the service of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the
universe.

Islam teaches that God (called Allah in Arabic) is the source of all creation and that
human beings are the best of His creation. He communicates by inspiring them towards
goodness and by sending Prophets who deliver God's message. Muslims believe in all
the Prophets of the Old Testament. The first Prophet was Adam followed by a long chain
of divinely ordained Prophets to guide humanity. The Qur'an, according to Muslim
belief, is the word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an also mentions
many other Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Jacob, Joseph and
Jesus. All the Prophets brought the same message, i.e. belief in one God, upright human
conduct, and belief in the accountability of human acts at the end of time.

Judaism and Christianity

Islam sees itself as a continuation of the Judeo-Christian tradition. As such, Muslims

consider Jews and Christians as people of the book-those upon whom Allah has revealed
His teachings in the written word. To Moses, Allah revealed the Torah, to David, the
Psalms, and to Jesus the Injeel or the Bible. Jesus, called Isa ibn Maryam in the Holy
Qur'an, is revered by Muslims as a great Prophet but not as divine. Muslims accept his
miraculous birth and the honorable status of the blessed virgin Mary, for whom a chapter
is named in the Qur'an. Muslims do not believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, but they do
accept his second coming. The Qur'an, in reference to Mary and Jesus says: "Behold!
the angel said: 'God has chosen you and purified you and selected you above the
women of all nations. O Mary! God gives you the good news of a word from Him,
whose name shall be Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the
hereafter, and one of those brought near to God" (3:42).

Islam has much in common with Judaism and Christianity. The Muslim Divine Law has
striking resemblance to the Jewish Halakha. Muslims are enjoined to invite Christians
and Jews to affirm the oneness of God and the Quran preaches tolerance towards all
faiths. The Qur’an says: "Say, we believe in God, and that which was revealed unto us
and that which was revealed unto Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes and
that which was entrusted unto Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. We
make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have submitted" (3:84).

Islam sees itself as the final religion revealed to human beings through the last Prophet,
Muhammad. He was born in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) in the year 570 A.D. Muhammad
was a very truthful and honest person. He was also very pious and detested the moral
decadence of his society. At the age of forty, God asked him, through the angel Gabriel,
to proclaim the religion of Islam publicly. God's message to humanity was delivered in
the Qur'an which was revealed to Muhammad. The Qur'an, which is the holy book for
Muslims, contains 114 chapters. Muslims believe that it is the pure word of God,
unadulterated over fourteen centuries. It deals with issues which affect human beings in
their earthly lives and about spirituality. It adresses issues like piety, human conduct,
worship, the creation of a just and virtuous society, economics, politics, ethics, and more.

The Teachings of Islam

Islam teaches that human beings are born pure and sinless. No one is responsible for or
can take the responsibility for the sins of others. However, the doors of forgiveness are
always open for those who repent sincerely. God continuously reminds us in the Qur'an
of His Infinite Mercy and Compassion. Muslims are enjoined to maintain inner spiritual
purity through constant remembrance and prayer to God. Islam balances the spiritual
dimension by emphasizing human responsibility. Human beings are created with a
purpose. Attainment of piety is but one dimension of this purpose; playing an active role
in the creation of a just society is another. Because Muslims attach importance to what
happens in this world, they have made substantial contributions to the development of
science, medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, philosophy, and
literature. Muslims like Avicenna and Averroes have played major roles in the
advancement of science in the West. The first university in the world was established by
Muslims in Cairo, Egypt. Many crucial systems such as the Arabic numerals, algebra, the
first navigational map of the globe, and more were developed by Muslims and adopted by
medieval Europeans. Just like their predecessors, Muslims today contribute to and play
prominent roles in all aspects of modern life.
Apart from human responsibility, Islam also teaches human accountability. The final
destination of human beings is the hereafter. Muslims believe that, at the end of time, all
human beings will be resurrected to account for their deeds. Those who have been
righteous and performed good deeds will be rewarded with eternal bliss in heaven and
those who have performed evil acts will be punished in hell.

Muslim Practice

Salat (Prayers): Muslims are required to pray five times every day. Prayers are offered
in Arabic. Personal supplication may be recited in any language in the pursuit of
closeness to the Lord. On Fridays special congregational prayers are held at noon.
Prayers engender inner strength and inspire one to a closer relationship with the Creator.
The hadith (sayings of the Prophet) describe the prayer as punctuating every day with a
reminder of ones purpose on earth. Muslims pray towards the Ka'ba, in Mecca. It was
built by Abraham and Ishmael over four thousand years ago.

Saum (Fasting): Discipline in a believer is further inculcated by fasting. Every year in

the month of Ramadhan, Muslims must fast by refraining from food and drink during the
day time. Since Islam believes in values like chastity and morality, it prohibits all acts
which lead to moral corruption. Drugs, alcohol, and substance abuse are strictly
prohibited in Islam.

Zakat (Alms) Muslims see wealth as a trust from God, to be dispensed in His way.
Therefore, they are asked to purify their wealth by spending a portion of their income for
those in need (called zakat). Giving the zakat helps fulfill the Islamic vision of creating a
just and equitable society.

Hajj (Pilgrimage): Once in their lifetime, Muslims are commanded to go for pilgrimage
to Mecca provided there are no financial or physical constraints. Every year, about two
million Muslims from all over the world converge in Mecca to perform the hajj. Apart
from the physical rituals, the experience of hajj is often described by hajis (those who
perform the hajj) as an intensely spiritual and moving experience. During the rituals,
pilgrims of all ethnic and financial backgrounds wear white clothing and stand shoulder
to shoulder in the worship of God. Islam recognizes no racial or ethnic boundaries. The
hajj is the perfect example of the oneness of people of all races and nations, worshipping
and serving the Lord. The most well known personal experience of hajj by an American
Muslim can be found in the autobiography of Malcolm X.

Islam and War

The concept of Jihad (wrongly translated as holy war) literally means a struggle,
primarily and most importantly against ones own self / vices. It is every Muslim’s duty
to restrain themselves from their low and vain desires that lead to evil. On a secondary
level, it is a call for Muslims to oppose all forms of injustice, tyranny, and oppression
within their own selves and societies or elsewhere. With this Islam envisages the creation
and maintenance of a God conscious and harmonious society. In the unfortunate yet
sometimes inevitable circumstance of war, fighting is permitted only in self-defence. The
killing of innocent civilians, women, and children or the destruction of churches,
synagogues, or other places of worship, is strictly prohibited. It is also forbidden to deny
food and water to the enemy. As such the concept of terrorism is alien to Islam.

Islam and Human Rights

Islam teaches that human beings have a moral obligation to live in harmony with one
another. Islam recognizes and accords rights to all human beings regardless of race,
color, religion, or creed. Islam requires its followers to show respect and tolerance even
to those who do not share their faith. The Quran states: “Revile not ye those whom they
call upon besides Allah.” (6:108) The Holy Prophet Muhammad said: "God has no
mercy on one who shows no mercy to others." Freedom of conscience is guaranteed by
the Qur'an. It explicitly states: "There is no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Islamic
law stipulates that Muslims should protect the status of minorities. Therefore the life and
property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred, whether a person is a
Muslim or not. Because of this, non-Muslim places of worship have survived and
flourished all over the Muslim world. Judaism for instance flourished in Muslim North
Africa / the Middle East when Jews were persecuted in Europe. Islam further encourages
Muslims to respect the rights of all living things. Therefore, Muslims are required to be
conscious of the environment and are not allowed to cause harm to nature.

It is important to realize that far from being extremists and fanatics, most Muslims are
peaceful and law abiding citizens of the countries in which they live. This stance is
derived directly from the Qur'an which states: "O mankind, We have created you from a
male and female (Adam & Eve), and made you into different tribes and nations so that
you may know each other (and not so that ye may despise each other)" (49:13).

Islam and Women

Muslim women have all the rights of their male counterparts. Islam granted full rights to
Muslim women fourteen hundred years ago. In an age when it was unheard of, Islam
allowed women to own and dispose property, work, chose their marriage partners,
participate in politics and much more. Muslim women may not be forced to marry
against their will.

To preserve chastity, respect, and moral values in society, Muslim men and women are
required to dress in a manner which is considered modest and dignified. Women are
enjoined to cover their hair and dress decently. The diversity of the female dress in some
Muslim countries is often an expression of local customs. Most Muslim women, who
wear the hijab, do so of their own free will and often feel empowered by it

Spectrum of Islam

The Muslim population of 1.2 billion is divided into two major schools of thought. They
are united in the affirmation of the basic tenets of the faith as described above. They
differ in the question of succession to the prophet. The Sunnis believe that the Holy
Prophet Mohammed did not explicitly designate a successor. The Shias believe that The
Holy Prophet explicitly designated Ali by divine command as his successor during the
last pilgrimage. Ali was married to the daughter of the Holy Prophet, Fatemah, who
along with Khadija-the Prophet’s wife, Asiah-the pharaoh’s wife, and the Blessed Virgin
Mary are honorable female role models for Muslims.

For the Sunnis, the successor can be elected by the people. The Shiites believe that the
successor has to be divinely appointed, and should possess the deepest knowledge of
The Quran, and the Prophet’s teachings, and the inward function of guiding towards
sanctity. These sanctified beings are referred to in the Quran (33:33).

The Shiite Muslims consider the Imams as divinely appointed successors to the Blessed
Prophet. The Imams are twelve in number. They are considered to be sinless and are
perceived as intercessors for the believing and practicing Shiites. The twelfth Imam (the
Mahdi) who is at present in occultation, like the prophet Elijah, will reappear towards the
end of time along with the second coming of Christ to establish the golden era and herald
the end of time.

There remain minor differences between Shias and Sunnis in the interpretation of the
Divine Law. In Shiism the person who interprets the divine law in the occultation of the
Mahdi is called a Mujtahid. The Mujtahids qualify to issue religious edicts, based on the
Quran and the Sunnah, after a period of rigorous religious and secular training in the
Hawzahs (seminaries). Most Shiites emulate the teachings of the Mujtahid who is
unanimously known as the most learned. A prominent mujtahid is Sayyid Seestani in
Iraq.

Since Islam is a universal religion, it is easy to become a Muslim. One has to believe and
affirm that "There is none worthy of worship but God and that Muhammad is the
Messenger of God". The Islamic community in Europe / North America is growing
rapidly with Muslims playing major roles in virtually all sectors of society. Muhammad
Ali (Cassius Clay), Malcolm X, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Keith Ellison, Yvonne Ridley,
and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are a few of the well-known converts to Islam.

We Hope you enjoyed learning about Islam. If you liked this and want to learn more
check out the works of these Authors: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, John Esposito, William
Chittick, Sachiko Murata, Titus Burckhardt, Martin lings, Karen Armstrong, Michael
Wolfe, Annemarie Schimmel... Websites: www.al-islam.org, www.thisistruth.org,
www.quran.org.uk, www.uga.edu/islam, www.islamicity.com

This booklet was compiled by Aunali Khaku for the Muslim Students Association at the
University of Rochester. Comments and questions are welcome.

Email: aunalikhaku@gmail.com

May the blessings of the Almighty God be with you!