 |
Islam 101- What is Islam?
Author: Laura Cosse'  | Posted: 09-12-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 13 | Rating: (52)  (?) 
Islam 101
What is Islam?
This short article is the first in a seven part series called Islam 101. As the name indicates, this series of articles is meant to, Insha Allah, give a brief, succinct overview of some of the basic beliefs of Islam.
So what exactly is Islam? The name itself comes from the root word “salam” which means “peace” in Arabic. “Islam” actually means “submission”, which is understood as submission of the human being’s will to the will of God. So, a complete definition for the word Islam would be “submission to God in order to obtain peace.” And a Muslim, coming from that same root word s-l-m, is a person who submits himself to God in order to obtain peace.
How do we submit ourselves to God? The answer is that it is not easy, it is extremely difficult. To submit yourself to God means putting your own natural human desires on the back shelf when they conflict with God’s desires. It means caring more about the next life than this one. It means desiring the intangible good of the hereafter more than the material things of this world. It means conquering our inner pride, loving the things that God loves and hating the things that He hates. It’s a tall order for a mere human.
Islam is more than just a religion that one should think about once a week; Islam is an entire way of life. Islam gives guidance for every aspect of a person’s life, including what food to eat, what clothes to wear, and how to act as a mother, father, brother, sister and member of society in general. It’s all inclusive, or at least it should be. If all people perfectly submitted their wills to God’s we would have a near utopian society.
Human beings need structure in their lives, which is observable in day to day activities. There are 5 pillars of Islam which provide that crucial structure to a person’s life. These 5 pillars are the foundation of an individual’s religion, without them there can be no Islam, but they are only the bare minimum requirements.
The first is the shahada, or the declaration of faith. It is when a person says and believes that there is no deity worth of any type of worship except for God, and that Muhammad is His messenger. The second is the prayer which should be performed a minimum of 5 times each day. The third is zakat which can be thought of as a tax to feed the poor and purify your money. The fourth is fasting for the entire month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset each day. Last but not least, the fifth is the hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The hajj should be performed at least once in a person’s life if they are able.
There is so much more that can be said on this topic, but we will leave it here until next time. Thank you for reading and God bless!
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/islam-101-what-is-islam-278584.html
About the Author:Laura Cosse' converted to Islam in 1996. She is the author of several Islamic children's books and she currently resides in Virginia Beach, VA with her husband and twin sons, Muhammad and Hamza. For more info and articles please visit www.AdvocateIslam.com
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Latest Religion Articles
This is Allah (31) Did Allah Forgive Adam and Eve?
By: Safaa Abdel-Aziz | 06/10/2008
Many people do not know Allah. This series is an attempt to help them in order to know their Creator.
Verses 7:23-25 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) Did Allah forgive Adam and Eve? 2) What Adam and Eve said when they realized that they disobeyed Allah? 3) The Golden words of Adam that became a way for him and his progeny to repentance, 4) Allah is the Relenting, the Merciful, the One Who overlooks misdeeds and 5) The Golden words of Adam that became a way for him and his progeny to repentance.
Importance of Speciality Summer Camps
By: Jacksamul | 06/10/2008
Kids are very much excited just by listening to the idea of going to a summer camps. They think as a mode of relaxation and an opportunity to be among the same age group of people, away from home and visualize the best days without school, without the guidance of any adult but in actual practice it is a chance wherein the children are provided with the opportunity to develop some of the new skills and they also learn the tact to socialize with the new people around themselves
Tarot Card Definitions For Major Arcana
By: Matthias Zeitler | 06/10/2008
This card stands for qualities like stagnation, fear of death and change, delay in completion, guilt, separation and loss, rebirth, awakening, accomplishments, vitality, health, turning points.
You Can't Go to Heaven!
By: Ernie Fitzpatrick | 05/10/2008
God is Spirit. That should give us a clue about the whole concept of heaven and hell, but somehow the church keeps bringing us back to a physical Jesus return and a corporate rapture.
The Prayer of Unbelief
By: Ernie Fitzpatrick | 05/10/2008
So often we are the blockage of the prayer that we're speaking because in the very act of asking, we're exercising unbelief.
This is Allah (30) Allah Told Adam That Satan is His Manifest Enemy
By: Safaa Abdel-Aziz | 05/10/2008
Many people do not know Allah. This series is an attempt to help them in order to know and acknowledge their Creator.
Verses 7:19-22 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) Allah told Adam that Satan is his manifest enemy, 2) It is both Adam and Eve who did wrong and Eve was not the Leading, 3) The First Oath in the History was a big Lie, 4) Satan knows very well the man's weak point and 5) Satan made the first nakedness in the History manifest
How Brokenness Can Lead You to Your True Purpose in Life
By: Christopher Beard | 05/10/2008
Have you ever found yourself putting great dependence on some area of your life or confidence in yourself? Maybe an area that you take great pride in, your education, your career, your possessions, your wealth, your good looks, your achievements , athletic ability, you communication skills, your intelligence, your status...
Islam - a Brief Introduction
By: Ahsan raza | 05/10/2008
an Introduction to religion of islam.
More from Laura Cosse'
Finding Halal Work for Muslims in the West
By: Laura Cosse' | 10/03/2008 | Home Business
Discussing some of the most common issues facing the Muslim community today and how the advent of the internet and home based businesses may help solve these problems.
Why Abunza is Every Network Marketer's Dream
By: Laura Cosse' | 09/03/2008 | Online Business
Overview of the new phenomenon sweeping the web, Abunza. What is it that sets this company so far apart from the rest of the competition?
You are the Most Important Factor in Any MLM
By: Laura Cosse' | 09/03/2008 | Online Business
Looking at some of the common myths and pitfalls of network marketing and home based business. Discusses some of the key attributes of dynamic leaders.
The History Behind the Quran Chapter 105
By: Laura Cosse' | 14/01/2008 | Religion
It is often difficult to understand the meaning of some chapters and verses in the Qur'an without knowing any Islamic history, this is a brief history behind the 105th chapter of The Qur'an.
Will Barack Obama be the Next Jfk or Bhutto?
By: Laura Cosse' | 05/01/2008 | Politics
Barack Obama stands for change, and he's asking us to believe that change is possible. I, for one, do. But will America allow that change to happen or will we resort to our violent past surrounding progressive leaders?
The Barak Obama is a Muslim Controversy
By: Laura Cosse' | 03/01/2008 | Religion
Daniel Pipes has regurgitated the highly disputed March 16th article printed in the Los Angeles Times to once again bring Senator Barak Obama's religious history into the spotlight. The following is an excerpt from his article which appeared the Frontpagemag.com website on Dec. 26, 2007:
Common Arabic Words Used by Muslims
By: Laura Cosse' | 31/12/2007 | Religion
Have you ever wondered what 'Allahu Akbar' means or any other common phrases that you may hear in movies or from your Muslim friends and family members? Well, this is a short article designed to give you the basics of the Muslim vocabulary by defining 30 common terms.
Islam 101- Does Islam Promote Terrorism?
By: Laura Cosse' | 26/12/2007 | Religion
This is the seventh and final article in this short series introducing Islam and Muslims to the west today. In this article we will look at the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith, the primary sources of Islam, to determine if Islam in fact promotes terrorism or if terrorists are hijacking Islam.
|
|
News and Society 
