Islam - Birthright of Adam's Children

 

Mankind
and the universe were not created by accident or chance,
but according to the plan of the Creator, who is known
as Almighty Allah (lit.: the
one God) in ISLAM.

Allah
sent messengers called prophets to mankind throughout
history to remind them of their natural state they were
born into - the state of "Peace through submission
to Almighty God." Some of His prophets, He sent with
revelations like the Old Testament (Torah), the New Testament
(Gospel or Injil) and His Final Testament, The Qur'an
(The Recitation).

The
Quran teaches mankind they must learn about Almighty Allah
and His Commandments and then live by them according to
His Will. Naturally, we are not perfect nor are we angels.
Therefore, it is necessary for us to look to the prophets
of Almighty Allah for our guidance. Each prophet brought
the same message and acted as examples for their people
to know how Almighty Allah wants us all to live. It is
through knowing these great and wonderful prophets we
learn why Almighty Allah created us and what will happen
to us after death.

Above
all we have been told Allah is "Unique" - He
has no partners or associates. There really is only "One
God" and we can not have other 'gods' beside Him.
He has no daughters, sons or competitors, as many man-made
religions have claimed. The message remains the same today
as it was with Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon and
Jesus - and of course with Muhammad, peace be upon them
all. The message is clear and plain for all to understand:
"Thou shalt not have any other gods besides Almighty
Allah."

The
Arabic statement of "Laa elaha illa lah, Muhammad
Rasoolulah" simply means, "There are no other
gods to worship besides Almighty Allah and Muhammad is
a prophet of Almighty Allah."

Muhammad,
the last of Allah's prophets, was sent to present Allah's
revelation in its final form and for the last time. This
was necessary because Almighty Allah has permitted the
previous messages (scriptures) delivered by the previous
prophets to be corrupted or distorted by their followers
over time. They had been mixed with philosophical speculations,
superstitions, myths, and human mistakes.

While
certain dietary restrictions and dress codes may have
varied from one prophet's time to another, the basic message
still is for all humans to be aware of their One and only
Creator, Sustainer and Judge on the Day of Judgment, Almighty
Allah.

We
immediately see Islam is not really a new religion at
all. It is merely a restatement of the original message
of Almighty Allah but it is still in the purest form and
it is designed to give all humans the uncorrupted message
- "Worship the Creator, not His creation."

ISLAM
is an Arabic word and should be understood from the Arabic
language. It comes from a verb root, "sa-la-ma"
(silm) and it means; 'Surrender, submission, obedience,
sincerity and peace of mind and heart on all levels of
life."

ISLAM is also known as a noun in that it is the name of the
"Way of the last prophet, peace be upon him."
As such, it has certain requirements in belief as well
as actions.

Before
any actions can be acceptable to Almighty Allah, there
must first be the correct belief in the mind and love
in the heart for Allah. The intentions are held very dear
in Islam and there is no deed acceptable without proper
intention.

The
Pillars of Belief (Aqeedah) in Islam are:

1. Allah - He is Unique without any partners. All worship
   is for Him alone.
2. Angels - Creations of Allah. They obey His commands at all times.
3. Books - All original revelations; Old Testament, New Testament,
   Last Testament (Quran) are from Allah.
4. Messengers - (prophets) of Allah. All prophets were humans and they
   came with a message for their people, in the language
   of the peole, so they could understand, "There is
   only One God - Worship Him alone, without partners."
5. Day
   of Judgment - All humands, good and bad will be raised
   up for Judgment.
6. Predestination - Allah already Knows the outcome of everything. There
   is nothing that happens in the heavens and the earth,
   except Allah has full knowledge and controla over it.

THE
FIVE PILLARS WORSHIP IN ISLAM

Once the "Pillars of Belief" are understood and
accepted it is necessary to preform the following "Actions
of Islam."

The
term "worship" extends over all actions done for
the sake of Almighty Allah according to His Will. Whether
mental, physical, spoken or otherwise, all actions are recorded
and then repaid according to the intention.

The
following acts of worship were considered by the prophet,
peace upon him, so fundamental that he grouped them together
and referred to them as "pillars" of Islam. Every
Muslim is expected to fulfill these duties.

SHAHADAH or "Declaration
of Faith"

The
first action necessary to establish "Islam"
in the life of a Muslim is to declare his or her belief
in the "Unity of Almighty God" and the prophethood
of all the prophets, starting with Adam and continuing
with Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus Christ and
Muhammad, peace be upon them all, and they are all messengers
and prophets of Allah.

This
is done by first taking a bath or shower to symbolize
the washing away of the old person and becoming the new
born person, returning to his birthright - "Surrender
to the Will of God."

The statement should be done in Arabic and in the person's
own language. It is pronouced, "Ash Shadu Anna
Laa elah illa lah. Wa ash Shadu anna rasoolullah."

Simply
put it means, "I bear witness there is none worthy
of any worship except almighty Allah and I bear wintenss
that Muhammad is His Messenger."

The
shahadah should be done in the presents of Muslims to
witness the testimony of faith. However, if there are
no Muslims present, it may be done over the phone or even
out loud anywhere, as Almighty Allah is All Hearing and
He is the Witness over everything.

Recognizing
and acknowledging the monotheistic nature of Allah stands
at the core of Islam.

SALAH
or "Prayers":

Muslims
must perform five daily "salahs." These rituals
are done at certain times, simliar to dawn, noon, afternoon,
sunset and night.

Cleanliness
is important, so washing face, arms, hands, head and feet
prepares the body. The area for the salah should also
be as clean as possible.

Location
and direction are also taken into consideration while
making salah. Facing toward Mekkah, the salah can be done
in any clean area (never the bathroom) and is preferred
for the men to do their salah with other men while in
congregation, and women to preform their salah at home
in safety and privacy.

Salah
is one of the ways Islam demonstrates the equality of
humans and helps to remind us that we are all the same
underneath. All of us are humans from Adam, all of us
need to make contact and communicate with the Almighty
and seek His bounties and repent for our sins. Race, color,
culture, social station, wealth or any rank considered
by humans to be of importance hold nothing with Allah.
Standing together, shoulder to shoulder and bowing in
unison and prostrating with heads on the ground we all
become alike as one big family, all simply children of
Adam. Allah is only looking at the hearts and when the
hearts are at peace in surrender to Him, then He is pleased
with His servants.

Salah
elevates the Muslim to a higher degree of consciousness,
morality and purifies the heart to help resist the temptation
of doing the forbidden things.

SAUM
RAMADHAN (Fasting the Month of Ramadhan)

One
month out of every year Muslims do not eat or drink or
have intimate relations with their spouses during the
daylight hours. From dawn to dusk the Muslims are abstaining
from all nourishment and liquid and avoiding evil deeds,
even backbiting and spreading tales.

Fasting
has been ordained for Muslims as it was for those before
them, to achieve piety and righteousness. Some may consider
the health aspect and benefits derived from fasting, however,
fasting is a commandment of Allah and not open for interpretation.
The clear statement of the believers according to the
Quran is, "We hear and we obey."

There
is a tremendous commitment to Allah, developing social
conscience and remiding us of those who are poor and hungry
must live every day. Fasting also increases self-restraint,
will power, sincerity and patience.

ZAKAT
(Alms Tax)

The
obligation to offer charity is only for those who are
wealthy enough to afford it. It is calculated according
to the amount of wealth one has for the entire year and
it is two and one half percent (2.5%) of the total. This
is not an income tax and it is not required to donate
every week, rather it is only once a year.

Zakat
may be paid directly to those in need according to those
closest to you. The close family comes first, then the
extended family and after that, the poor close at hand
and then the general community.

"ZAKAT"
literally means "purification of wealth" and
it gives a sense of purifying wealth gained over time
and fosters the quality of sacrificing and helps to remove
selfishness and greed. It also helps to eliminate resentment
and envy of the community's poor against the rich and
upper class.

When
those who have wealth follow this simple Commandment of
Allah there is hardly anyone going without food, clothing
and the essentials needed to sustain life. While it may
seem a small thing to do for most of us, this act of generosity
carries such blessings with Almighty Allah, that entire
communities are spared draughts and disasters such as
hurricanes, earthquakes and even tsunamis.

HAJJ
(Pilgrimage to Mekkah)

Once
in the life of a Muslim, provided he or she is financially
and physically able to do so, it is required to make the
"HAJJ" or travel to Mekkah in Arabia.S

The
occassion symbolizes the sacrifices of Abraham thousands
of years ago when Allah Almighty had asked him to sacrifice
his son. The rituals are not something new, rather they
commemorate the prophethood of Abraham and his family.

Hajj
is definitely a time to observe the true meaning of racial
equality and brotherly love, while Muslims from all around
the world collect together to share in this amazing once
in a lifetime experience. Words cannot describe the feelings
of belonging, acceptance and deep sense of awareness of
Almighty Allah during Hajj. This important Commandment
of Allah is performed along with three million other believers
who love Allah and have humbled themselves to come to
the same location for the very same reason to do the same
thing. Everyone stiving and working alongside of each
other, praying, walking, running and following the course
of prophets before, each one takes home his or her own
special memories of the Hajj.

MUSLIMS
- MODERATION

ISLAM
is understood at once, as a complete and fulfilling way
of life. There is no concept of seperating the spiritual
aspect from the secular realm in Islam.

All
of life is naturally unified and connected together, as
such Islam avoids the danger of extreme with regard to rituals
or worship that occur in other civilizations. Actions are
not classified along the lines of belonging to the state
or belonging to the individual, or religion, or daily life.
Everything is catergorized as belonging to Allah, as He
Alone is the One who has provided guidelines for His creation.
His Laws are to be observed in all aspects of daily life,
whether individual, social, political, economical, spiritual
and with regard to this state of moderation, Allah labels
Muslims in His Quran, as "Nation of the Middle Path"
= A Balanced Nation.

ISLAM
is based solely on the teachings of Allah and can only be
interpreted by His messenger and prophet, Muhammad, peace
be upon him.

This
indicates immediately, that only the way of life spelled
out in the Quran and example (SUNNAH) of Muhammad, peace
be upon him, are going to be considered as the basis for
the LAW of ISLAM.

QURAN
OF ISLAM

The
word "QURAN" means "That which is recited"
and it is the exact Recitation of the Speech of Allah to
His angel Garbriel (Jibreel in Arabic), who then recited
it to Muhammad, peace be upon him. Muhammad memorized it
and then taught it to his companions in the same manner
as he had learned it from Jibreel.

Revelation
of the Quran occured over a span of 23 years, all of it
being committed to memory by thousands of Muslims and at
the same time, written down by scribes of Muhammad, peace
be upon him, to provide a perfect system to verify and protect
the Last Testament of Almighty Allah.

After
the death of Muhammad, the written collection was given
to Abu Bakr, the first khalif (leader of the Muslims), who
himself had memorized it, and he oversaw the collection
being written down as one single volume.

After
the death of Abu Bakr, the second khalif of the Muslims
was 'Umar. His daughter, Hafsa had been married to Muhammad
and she had been in posession of a written copy of the Quran,
known as "Hafs."

Uthman
the next (3rd) khalif after Umar, had also memorized the
Quiran and he ordered all the copies people were making,
brought to Madinah to be replaced with copies made directly
from the memories and written manuscripts there in Madinah.
These newest copies were checked against the memories of
many companions, and the written scrolls as well, and then
sent throughout the Muslim nation. Several of these same
ones still exist today and are located in museums from England
to Turkey and even to the former Soviet Union.

Ouran
has never suffered the slightest alteration or change in
any manner over the last 14 centuries. Muslims around the
world, in many different countries all recite the Quran
in the original Arabic language, just as the Angel Jibreel
recited it to Muhammad, in 610 AD.

Over
nine million (9,000,000) Muslims have memorized the entire
Quran from cover to cover, in the original Arabic even though
the majority of them (85%) are non-Arabs speaking other
languages. No other book of its stature can make such a
claim. No one has been able to refute the claim of the Quran
to be complete and authentic in every aspect.

Miracles
and scientific evidences in today's world totally amaze
those who take the time to investigate the claims and statements
made in the Quran regarding everything from the tiniest
atom under the microscope to the creation of the entire
univese and everything in between. The formation of the
human as an embryo created in layers of darkness as a leech-like
clot of blood, clinging to the wall of the uterus, is only
one of hundreds of examples of the unbelievable accuracy
the Quran has for describing things fourteen hundred years
ago, that we are only "discovering" in the west
today.

SUNNAH

The
SUNNAH or way of Muhammad, peace be upon him, consists of
the traditions and narrations which have been recorded by
his companions, meticulously collected, authenticated and
preserved and then passed down for generations for Muslims
to continue to understand the Will of Almighty Allah for
His creation.

SUNNAH
of Muhammad, peace be upon him, is clarification and explanation
of Quran with the example of the prophet's lfie to show
us how to implement and carry out the Commandments of Almighty
Allah in our daily lives.

ISLAM - EQUALITY OF MAN

ISLAM
does not recognize man-made distinctions between humans
based on color, tribe, race, nationality, place of birth
or anything else. Islam teaches all humans came from one
man, Adam, and from him, Allah made his mate (Eve) and from
them both He brought forth many men and women. We are all
one family, the children of Adam.

Distinction
between one and another with Almighty Allah will only be
according to piety and righteousness. The more committment
to believing and following what Alimghty Allah has commanded
for us, the more He will accept from us.

Quran
says, "The most honored amongst you in the Sight of
Allah are those who are most righteous." [3:86]

ISLAM
- THE BIRTHRIGHT

ISLAM
teaches, everyone is born in "Surrender and obedience
in peace with the Almighty Allah." Therefore, the belief
in One God and to do as He Orders is natural from birth.
Every child has the natural disposition to accept the Unity
of God.

Allah
Almighty has breathed His spirit into each and every person.
He has given us a brain, a heart and a choice. To do good
and worship Him alone without partners - or to do anything
we like, following our own lusts and desires to whatever
evil end we may choose.

The prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "Every child is born in the
Peaceful Surrender to Allah -
[ISLAM]"

When
someone would like to accept Islam by their choice, it would
not be "converting" to another religion as much
as it should be thought of as "reverting" back
to the original, natural way of life in surrender and obedience
in peace with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

ISLAM
is therefore, your birthright and anything else is just
a religion or ideological system that corrupts or denies
the BIRTHRIGHT of ISLAM.

TRUTH
- BASIS

How
can someone know if their system of belief is true? Take
a moment to consider the following list.

• Do
  the teachings conform to the norms of human reason and
  intellect?
• Are
  they rational claims and statements?
• Is
  the Creator of the system perfect or imperfect?
• Does
  the belief system carry superstitions or myths?
• Can
  the belief system withstand new discoveries in modern
  science?
• How
  accurate are the predictions or prophecies?
• Is
  the text preserved in the original form, in the original
  language, complete?
• Is
  there any particular group or individual who gains over
  others in this system?
• Could
  someone have made up some or any part of the belief system?

ISLAM
is not something new that came with Muhammad, peace be upon
him, fourteen hundred years ago.

The
QURAN is still today just as it was fourteen centuries ago,
still in the original language, memorized by all the Muslims
everywhere.

ISLAM
is the last and final statement being simply restated just
as the original revelation was conveyed by the first prophets,
peace be upon them all.

The
message is still exactly the same one: "Worship God,
without any other gods beside Him."

Finally,
your BIRTHRIGHT has been referred to clearly in QURAN in
a positive and beautiful verse, when Almighty Allah says
to you;

"On
this day I have perfected for you, your complete way of
life, and I have conpleted My favor upon you, and I have
chosen for you to surrender to Me (ISLAM) as your Way of
life."

[Quran 5:3]

QURAN is the Final Revelation and Muhammad is the last prophet
and as such, humanity today is obligated to accept it. Allah
Almighty says:

"If
anyone desires a Way of life other than Surrender to Me
in Peace, it will never be accepted from him and in the
Hereafter he will be amongst the loosers"

[QURAN 3:85]