islamic information

8/8/2019 Islamic Information

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Islamic Information

AqabahA place just outside of Mecca, in Mina where the first Muslims from Madinah pledged

allegiance to the Prophet in the year 621 C.E. A similar meeting too place the ne!tyear when more Muslims from "athri# pledged their allegiance to the Prophet.

Ayat-ul-Kursi

$t is called the throne of the %uran.

Badr&he first full military confrontation #etween the Muslims and the enemies of Allah.

&he #attle too place #etween the Muslims and the %uraysh of Mecca in the secondyear of 'ijrah (62) CE*. E+en though the Muslims were outnum#ered, the final result

was to their fa+or.

Hadith Qudsi&he 'adith %udsi are hadiths in which the Prophet says the Allah says so and so.

&he meaning of the these 'adith was re+ealed to the Prophet #ut he put them in his

own words, unlie the %uran which is the word of Almighty Allah and the Prophetcon+eyed it e!actly as it was re+ealed to him.

HajjMeans effort.

Hanif

People who during the time of jahiliyyah rejected the idolatry in their society. &hesepeople were in search for the true religion of Prophet A#raham.

545: -irth of A#dullah, the 'oly Prophets father.

571: -irth of the 'oly Prophet. "ear of the Elephant. $n+asion of Maah #y A#raha

the iceroy of "emen, his retreat.577: &he 'oly Prophet +isits Madina with his mother. /eath of his mother.5!: /eath of A#dul Muttali#, the grandfather of the 'oly Prophet.

5": &he 'oly Prophets journey to 0yria in the company of his uncle A#u &ali#. 'ismeeting with the mon -ahira at -isra who foretells of his prophethood.

5#: &he 'oly Prophet participates in the war of ijar.5$1: &he 'oly Prophet #ecomes an acti+e mem#er of 'ilful udul, a league for the

relief of the distressed.5$4: &he 'oly Prophet #ecomes the Manager of the #usiness of 3ady 4hadija, and

leads her trade cara+an to 0yria and #ac.

5$5: &he 'oly Prophet marries 'adrat 4hadija. 0e+enth century

#!5: &he 'oly Prophet ar#itrates in a dispute among the %uraish a#out the placingof the -lac 0tone in the 4aa#a.

#1!: &he first re+elation in the ca+e at Mt. 'ira. &he 'oly Prophet is commissionedas the Messenger of 5od.

#1": /eclaration at Mt. 0ara in+iting the general pu#lic to $slam.

#14: $n+itation to the 'ashimites to accept $slam.

#15: Persecution of the Muslims #y the %uraish. A party of Muslims lea+es forA#yssinia.

#1#: 0econd 'ijrah to A#ysinnia.

#17: 0ocial #oycott of the 'ashimites and the 'oly Prophet #y the %uraish. &he'ashimites are shut up in a glen outside Maah.


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#1$: 3ifting of the #oycott. /eaths of A#u &ali# and 'adrat 4hadija. "ear of sorrow.#%!: ourney to &aif. Ascension to the hea+ens.

#%1: irst pledge at A7a#a.#%%: 0econd pledge at A7a#a. &he 'oly Prophet and the Muslims migrate to "athri#.

#%": 8ahla e!pedition.#%4: -attle of -adr. E!pulsion of the -ani %ainu7a ews from Madina.

#%5: -attle of 9hud. Massacre of :; Muslims at -ir Mauna. E!pulsion of -anu 8adirews from Madina. 0econd e!pedition of -adr.

#%#: E!pedition of -anu Mustali7.

#%7: -attle of the &rench. E!pulsion of -anu %uraiu %issa and A#ra7. -attles of -uafar

and 8a7ra. Campaigns against -ani &amim and Musailima, the 3iar.#"": Campaigns in -ahrain, ?man, Mahrah "emen, and 'adramaut. =aids in $ra7.-attles of 4a


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##%: 4hawarij re+olts.###: =aid of 0icily.

#7!: Ad+ance in 8orth Africa. 97#a # 8afe founds the town of %airowan in &unisia.Con7uest of 4a#ul.

#7%: Capture of the island of =hodes. Campaigns in 4hurasan.#74: &he Muslims cross the ?!us. -uhara #ecomes a +assal state.

#77: ?ccupation of 0arnarand and &irmi


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&he All@ise, &he 3ord of the 9ni+erse, &he irst, &he 3ast, and others.

'e is the Creator of all human #eings. 'e is the 5od for the Christians, the ews, theMuslims, the -uddhists, the 'indus, the atheists, and others. Muslims worship 5od

whose name is Allah. &hey put their trust in 'im and they see 'is help and 'isguidance.

&uhammadMuhammad was chosen #y 5od to deli+er 'is Message of Peace, namely $slam. 'ewas #orn in D:; C.E. (Common Era* in Maah, Ara#ia. 'e was entrusted with the

Message of $slam when he was at the age of forty years. &he re+elation that herecei+ed is called the %uran, while the message is called $slam.

Muhammad is the +ery last Prophet of 5od to manind. 'e is the final Messenger of

5od. 'is message was and is still to the Christians, the ews and the rest ofmanind. 'e was sent to those religious people to inform them a#out the true

mission of esus, Moses, aco#, $saac, and A#raham.

Muhammad is considered to #e the summation and the culmination of all theprophets and messengers that came #efore him. 'e purified the pre+ious messages

from adulteration and completed the Message of 5od for all humanity. 'e wasentrusted with the power of e!plaining, interpreting and li+ing the teaching of the%uran.

*ourc' of Islam

&he legal sources of $slam are the %uran and the 'adith. &he %uran is the e!actword of 5odB its authenticity, originality and totality are intact. &he 'adith is the

report of the sayings, deeds and appro+als of the Prophet Muhammad. &he Prophetssayings and deeds are called 0unnah. &he 0eerah is the writings of followers of

Muhammad a#out the life of the Prophet. 'ence, it is the life history of the ProphetMuhammad which pro+ides e!amples of daily li+ing for Muslims.

*om' Islamic +rinci,l'sA (n'n'ss of )od: 'e is ?ne and the ?nly ?ne. 'e is not two in one or three inone. &his means that $slam rejects the idea of trinity or such a unity of 5od which

implies more than one 5od in one.

B (n'n'ss of man.ind: People are created e7ual in front of the 3aw of 5od. &hereis no superiority for one race o+er another. 5od made us of different colors,

nationalities, languages and #eliefs so as to test who is going to #e #etter thanothers. 8o one can claim that he is #etter than others. $t is only 5od @ho nows who

is #etter. $t depends on piety and righteousness.

/ (n'n'ss of &'ss'n0'rs and th' &'ssa0': Muslims #elie+e that 5od sent

different messengers throughout the history of manind. All came with the same

message and the same teachings. $t was the people who misunderstood andmisinterpreted them. Muslims #elie+e in 8oah, A#raham, $saac, $smail, aco#, Moses,

/a+id, esus, and Muhammad. &he Prophets of Christianity and udaism are indeedthe Prophets of $slam.

An0'ls and th' ay of 2ud0m'nt: Muslims #elie+e that there are unseen

creatures such as angels created #y 5od in the uni+erse for special missions.Muslims #elie+e that there is a /ay of udgment when all people of the world

throughout the history of manind till the last day of life on earth, are to #e #rought


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for accounting, reward and punishment.

3 Innoc'nc' of &an at Birth: Muslim #elie+e that people are #orn free of sin. $t isonly after they reach the age of pu#erty and it is only after they commit sins that

they are to #e charged for their mistaes. 8o one is responsi#le for or can tae theresponsi#ility for the sins of others. 'owe+er, the door of forgi+eness through true

repentance is always open.

*tat' and 'li0ion: Muslims #elie+e that $slam is a total and a complete way oflife. $t encompasses all aspects of life. As such, the teachings of $slam do not

separate religion from politics. As a matter of fact, state and religion are under theo#edience of Allah through the teachings of $slam. 'ence, economic and social

transactions, as well as educational and political systems are also part of theteachings of $slam.

+ractic's of Islam5od instructed the Muslims to practice what they #elie+e in. $n $slam there are fi+e

pillars, namely

A /r''d 6*hahada: &he +er#al commitment and pledge that there is only ?ne5od and that Muhammad is the Messenger of 5od, is considered to #e the Creed of$slam.

B +ray'rs 6*alat: &he performance of the fi+e daily prayers is re7uired of

Muslims.

/ astin0 6*aum: asting is total a#stinence from food, li7uids and intimateintercourse (#etween married couples* from dawn to sunset during the entire month

of =amadan.

+urifyin0 8a9 6a.at: &his is an annual payment of a certain percentage of a

Muslims property which is distri#uted among the poor or other rightful #eneficiaries.

3 +il0rima0' 6Hajj: &he performance of pilgrimage to Maah is re7uired once in

a life time if means are a+aila#le. 'ajj is in part in memory of the trials andtri#ulations of Prophet A#raham, his wife 'agar and his eldest son Prophet $shmael.

(th'r 'lat'd As,'cts

A /al'ndar: $slamic practices are #ased on the lunar calendar. 'owe+er, Muslimsalso use the 5regorian calendar in their daily religious li+es. 'ence, the $slamic

calendar includes #oth the common era and the migration ('igra* year of theProphet of $slam from Maah to Madinah in the year of 62 C.E.

B /'l'brations 63id: Muslims ha+e two cele#rations (Eid*B namely, Eid of 0acrifice

and Eid of ast-reaing. &he Eid of 0acrifice is in remem#rance of the sacrifice to #e#y Prophet A#raham of his son. &he Eid of ast-reaing comes at the end of the

month of fasting, =amadan.

/ i'ts: $slam allows Muslims to eat e+erything which is good for the health. $trestricts certain items such as por and its #yproducts, alcohol and any narcotic or

addicti+e drugs.

+lac' of ;orshi,: &he place of worship is called Mos7ue or Masjid. &here are


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three holy places of worship for the Muslims in the world. &hese are Mos7ue of4aa#a in Maah, Mos7ue of the Prophet Muhammad in Madinah, and Masjid A7sa,

adjacent to the /ome of the =oc in erusalem. A Muslim may pray any where in theworld whether in a Mos7ue, a house, an office, or outside. &he whole world is a place

of worship. $t is prefera#le that Muslims pray in a congregation, howe+er, heFshemay pray indi+idually anywhere.

3 Holidays: &he holy day of the Muslims is riday. $t is considered to #e sacred and

the /ay of udgment will tae place on riday. Muslims join together shortly afternoon on riday for the riday congregational prayer in a Mos7ue. A leader ($mam*

gi+es a sermon (4hut#a* and leads the congregational prayer.

istribution of &uslims in


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8h' &'anin0 of IslamI*=A& is deri+ed from the Ara#ic root 0A3EMA peace, purity, su#mission and

o#edience. $n the religious sense, $slam means su#mission to the will of 5od ando#edience to 'is law.

E+erything and e+ery phenomenon in the world, other than man is administered

&?&A33" #y 5odmade laws i.e. they are o#edient to 5od and su#missi+e to 'is lawsi.e. they are in the 0&A&E ? $03AM. Man possesses the 7uality of intelligence and

choice, thus he is in+ited to su#mit to the good will of 5od and o#ey 'is law ie.#ecome a Muslim. 0u#mission to the good will of 5od, together with o#edience to 'is

#eneficial law, i.e. #ecoming a Muslim is the #est safeguard for mans peace andharmony.

$slam dates #ac to the edge of Adam and its message has #een con+eyed to man

#y 5ods Prophets and Messengers including A#rahim, Moses, esus and Muhammad.$slams message has #een restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious

e+olution #y 5ods last Prophet and Messenger Muhammad.

&he word Allah in the Ara#ic language means 5od, or more accurately &he ?ne and

?nly Eternal 5od, Creator of the9ni+erse, 3ord of all lords, 4ing of all ings,MostCompassionate, Most Merciful. &he word Allah to mean 5od is also used #yAra#ic speaing ews and Christians.

Articl's of aith

Allah> th' (n' and (nly )od

A muslim #elie+es in ?8E 5?/, 0upreme and Eternal, $nfinite and Mighty, Mercifuland Compassionate, Creator and Pro+ider. 5od has no father nor mother, no sons nor

was 'e fathered. 8one e7ual to 'im. 'e is 5od of all manind, not of a special tri#eor race.

5od is 'igh and 0upreme #ut 'e is +ery near to the pious thoughtful #elie+ersB 'eanswers their prayers and help them. 'e lo+es the people who lo+e 'im and forgi+estheir sins. 'e gi+es them peace, happiness, nowledge and success. 5od is the

3o+ing and the Pro+ider, the 5enerous, and the -ene+olent, the =ich and the$ndependent the orgi+ing and the Clement, the Patient and the Appreciati+e, the

9ni7ue and the Protector, the udge and the Peace. 5ods attri#utes are mentioned inthe %uran.

5od creates in man the mind to understand, the soul and conscience to #e good and

righteous, the feelings and sentiments to #e ind and humane. $f we try to count 'isfa+ours upon us, we cannot, #ecause they are countless. $n return for all the great

fa+ours and mercy, 5od does not need anything from us, #ecause 'e is 8eedless and

$ndependent. 5od ass us to now 'im, to lo+e 'im and to enforce 'is law for our

#enefit and our own #enefit and our own good.

&'ss'n0'rs and +ro,h'ts of )odA Muslim #elie+es in all the Messengers and Prophets of 5od without any

discrimination. All messengers were mortals, human #eings, endowed with /i+inere+elations and appointed #y 5od to teach manind. &he 'oly %uran mentions the

names of 2D messengers and prophets and states that there are others. &heseinclude 8oah, A#rahim, $shmael, $saac, Moses, esus and Muhammad. &heir

message is the same and it is $slam and it came from ?ne and the 0ame 0ourceB


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5od, and it is to su#mit to 'is will and to o#ey 'is lawB i.e., to #ecome a Muslim.

'?'lations and th' QuranA Muslim #elie+es in all scriptures and re+elations of 5od, as they were complete and

in their original +ersions. Allah, the Creator, has not left man without guidance forthe conduct of his life. =e+elations were gi+en to guide the people to the right path of

Allah and sent down to selected people, the prophet and messengers, to con+ey it totheir fellow men.

&he message of all the prophet and messengers is the same. &hey all ased the

people of their time to o#ey and worship Allah and none other. A#rahim, Moses,/a+id, esus and Muhammad who were re+ealed their own #oo of Allah, were sent

at different times to #ring #ac straying human #eing from de+iation to =ight Course.

&he %uran is the sacred #oo of the Muslims. $t is the last #oo of guidance fromAllah, sent down to Muhammad, peace #e upon him, through the angel i#raeel

(5a#riel*. E+ery word of it is the word of Allah. $t was re+ealed o+er a period of 2

years in the Ara#ic language. $t contains 11) 0urahs (chapters* and o+er 6;;;+erses.

&he %uran deals with man and his ultimate goal in life. $ts teachings co+er all areasof this life and the life after death. $t contains principles, doctrines and directions for

e+ery sphere of human life. &he theme of the %uran #roadly consists of threefundamental ideas ?neness of Allah, Prophethood and life after death. &he success

of human #eings on this earth and in the life hereafter depends on o#edience to the%uranic teaching.

&he %uran is unri+alled in its recording and prser+ation. &he astonishing fact a#out

this #oo of Allah is that it has remained unchanged e+en to a dot o+er the pastfourteen hundred years. 8o scholar has 7uestioned the fact that the %uran today is

the same as it was re+ealed. Muslims till today memori


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Allahs 'ea+en. People with #ad records will #e fairly punished and cast into 'ell. &hereal nature of 'ea+en and 'ell are nown to Allah only, #ut they are descri#ed #y

Allah in mans familiar terms in the %uran.

$f some good deeds are seen not to get full appreciation and credit in this life, theywill recei+e full compensation and #e widely acnowledged on the /ay of udgement.

$f some people who commit sins, neglect Allah and indulge in immoral acti+ities,seem 09PE=$C$A33" successful and prosperous in this life, a#solute justice will #e

done to them on the /ay of udgement. &he time of the /ay of udgement is onlynown to Allah and Allah alone.

Qadaa and QadarA Muslim #elie+es in %adaa and %adar which related to the ultimate power of Allah.%adaa and %adar means the &imeless 4nowledge of Allah and 'is power to plan and

e!ecute 'is plans. Allah is not indifferent to this world nor is 'e neutral to it. $timplies that e+erything on this earth originates from the one and only creator who is

also the 0ustainer and the sole source of guidance.

Allah is @ise, ust and 3o+ing and whate+er 'e does must ha+e a good moti+e,although we may fail sometimes to understand it fully. @e should ha+e strong faith in

Allah and accept whate+er 'e does #ecause our nowledge is limited and ourthining is #ased on indi+idual consideration, whereas 'is nowledge is limitless and'e plans on a uni+ersal #asis. Man should thin, plan and mae sound choice, #ut if

things do not happen the way he wants, he should not lose faith and surrenderhimself to mental strains or shattering worries.

8h' +ur,os' of =if'

A Muslim #elie+e that the purpose of life is to worship Allah. @orshipping Allah doesnot mean we spend our entire li+es in constant seclusion and a#solute meditation. &o

worship Allah is to li+e life according to 'is commands, not to run away from it. &oworship Allah is to now 'im, to lo+e 'im, to o#ey 'is commands, to enforce 'is

laws in e+ery aspect of life, to ser+e 'is cause #y doing right and shunning e+il and

to #e just to 'im, to oursel+es and to our fellow human #eings.

*tatus of Human B'in0A Muslim #elie+es that human #eing enjoys an especially high raning status in thehierarchy of all nown creatures. Man occupies this distinguished position #ecause he

alone is gifted with rational faculties and spiritual aspirations as well as powers ofaction. Man is not a condemned race from #irth to death, #ut a dignified #eing

potentially capa#le of good and no#le achie+ements.

A Muslim also #elie+es that e+ery person is #orn muslim. E+ery person is endowed#y Allah with spiritual potential and intellectual inclination that can mae him a good

Muslim. E+ery persons #irth taes place according to the will of Allah in reali


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practice. aith without doing good deeds is as insufficient as doing good deedswithout faith.

Also, a Muslim #elie+es that Allah does not hold any person responsi#le until he has

shown him the =ight @ay. $f people do not now and ha+e no way of nowing a#out$slam, they will not #e responsi#le for failing to #e Muslim. E+ery Muslim must

preach $slam in words and action.

Acc',tanc' of aithA Muslim #elie+es that faith is not complete when it is followed #lindly or accepted

un7uestioningly. Man must #uild his faith on wellgrounded con+ictions #eyond anyreasona#le dou#t and a#o+e uncertainty. $slam insures freedom to #elie+e and

for#ids compulsion in religion (one of the oldest synagogues and one of the oldestchurches in the worlds is in Muslim countries*.

A Muslim #elie+es that the %uran is the word of Allah re+ealed to prophet

Muhammad through the Angel 5a#riel. &he %uran was re+ealed from Allah on

+arious occasions to answer 7uestions, sol+e pro#lems, settle disputes and to #emans #est guide to the truth. &he %uran was re+ealed in Ara#ic and it is still in its

original and complete Ara#ic +ersion until today. $t is memori


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Hi0hly r'comm'nd'd salah: &hose accompanying the o#ligatory salah and the two

great festi+al salahs.

(,tional salah: oluntary salah during the day and night.

8im's of (bli0atory *alah:1. Early Morning after dawn and #efore sunrise.

2. 8oon after the sun #egins to decline from its aah does not only

purifies the property of the contri#utor #ut also purifies his heart from selfishness

and greed. $t also purifies the heart of the recipient from en+y and jealousy, fromhatred and uneasiness and it fosters instead goodwill and warm wishes for the

contri#utors.

>aah has a deep humanitarian and socialpolitical +alueB for e!ample, it freessociety from class welfare, from ill feelings and distrust and from corruption.

Although $slam does not hinder pri+ate enterprise or condemn pri+ate possession, itdoes not tolerate selfish and greedy capitalism. $slam adopts a moderate #ut positi+e

and effecti+e course #etween indi+idual and society, #etween the citi


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state, #etween capitalism and socialism, #etween materialism and spiritualism.

>aah is paid on the net #alance after paying personal e!penses, family e!penses,due credits, ta!es, etc. E+ery Muslim, male or female who at the end of the year is in

possession of the e7ui+alent of GD g of gold (appro!. H1);; in 1II;* or more in cashor articles of trade, must gi+e >aah at minimum rate of 2.DJ. &a!es paid to

go+ernment do not su#stitute for this religious duty. Contri#utor should not seepride or fame #ut if disclosing his name and his contri#ution is liely to encourage

others, it is accepta#le to do so.

&he recipient of >aah are the poor, the needy, the new Muslim con+erts, theMuslim prisoners of war (to li#erate them*, Muslim in de#t. Also employees

appointed to collect >aah, Muslim in ser+ice of research or study or propagation of$slam, wayfarers who are foreigners in need of help.

8h' +il0rimma0' 6Hajj$t is a pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime and it is o#ligatory upon e+ery

Muslim male and female who is mentally, physically and financially fit. $t is thelargest annual con+ention of faith on earth (in 1IGI 2.D million*. Peace is the

dominant theme. Peace with Allah, with ones soul, with one another, with all li+ingcreatures. &o distur# the peace of anyone or any creature in any shape or form isstrictly prohi#ited.

Muslim from all wals of life, from e+ery corner of the glo#e assem#le in Mecca in

response to the call of Allah. &here is no royalty #ut loyalty of all to Allah, theCreator. $t is to commemorate the /i+ine rituals o#ser+ed #y the Prophet A#rahim

and his son $shmael, who are the first pilgrim to the house of Allah on earthB the4a#ah. $t is also to remem#er the grad assem#ly of the /ay of udgement when

people will stand e7ual #efore Allah.

Muslims go to Mecca in glory of Allah, not to worship a man. &he +isit to the tom# of

Prophet Muhammad at Madena is highly recommended #ut not essential in maingthe 'ajj +alid and complete.

Islam is a /od' of =if'$t is a Muslim #elief that Muhammads mission was for the whole world and for all the

timeB #ecause

$ts uni+ersality has #een clearly confirmed #y the %uran (0urah : +erse 1DG, 61I,)2G, G12:*.

$t is a logical conse7uences of the finality of his prophethood. 'e had to #e the guide

and the leader for all men and for all ages.

Allah has pro+ided, through him, a complete code which is to #e followed, and this initself supports the concept of finality, #ecause without completeness, the need for

other prophets would remain.

$t is a fact that during the last 1);; years no man has arisen whose life and wors#ear e+en the slightest resem#lance to that of a prophet. 8or has anyone presented

a #oo which could #e remotely considered a di+ine communication. 0till less hasthere #een a man to claim legitimate authority as a lawgi+er fro manind.


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&he mission of Muhammad, as well as of other prophets who #rought the uni+ersalmessage of $slam, does not end with the announcement of the message. 'e has to

guide the people #y e!plaining to them the implications of the $slamic creed, themorale code, the di+ine injunctions and commandment, and the form of worship that

sustains the whole system. 'e has to e!emplify the faith so others can pattern theirparticipation in the e+olution of $slamic culture and ci+ili


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Int'rnational =if': Man has a common origin, human status and aim. ?therpeoples interests and right to life, honour and property are respected as long as the

right of Muslim are in tact. &ransgression is for#idden. @ar is only justified if thestate security is endangered. /uring war, destruction of crops, animals and homes,

illing nonfighting women, children and aged people are for#idden.

Introduction$slam is a religion #ased upon the surrender to 5od who is ?ne. &he +ery name of

the religion, alislam in Ara#ic, means at once su#mission and peace, for it is insu#mitting to 5ods @ill that human #eings gain peace in their li+es in this world and

in the hereafter. &he message of $slam concerns 5od, who in Ara#ic is called Allah,and it addresses itself to humanitys most profound nature. $t concerns men and

women as they were created #y 5odnot as fallen #eings. $slam therefore considersitself to #e not an inno+ation #ut a reassertion of the uni+ersal truth of all re+elation

which is 5ods ?neness.

+ro,h'tshis truth was asserted #y the prophets of old and especially #y A#raham, the fatherof monotheism. $slam re+eres all of these prophets including not only A#raham, who

is the father of the Ara#s as well as of the ews, #ut also Moses and Christ. &heProphet and Messenger of 5od, Muhammadmay peace and #lessings #e upon him,his family and his companions, was the last of this long line of prophets and $slam is

the last religion until the /ay of udgement. $t is the final e!pression of theA#rahamic tradition. ?ne should in fact properly spea of the udeoChristian$slamic

tradition, for $slam shares with the other A#rahamic religions their sacred history, the#asic ethical teachings contained in the &en Commandments and a#o+e all, #elief in

the ?ne 5od. And it renews and repeats the true #eliefs of ews and Christianswhose scriptures are mentioned as di+inely re+ealed #oos in $slams own sacred

#oo, the %uran.

Quran

or Muslims, or followers of $slam, the %uran is the actual @ord of 5od re+ealedthrough the archangel 5a#riel to the Prophet of $slam during the twentythreeyearperiod of his prophetic mission. $t was re+ealed in the Ara#ic language as a sonoral

re+elation which the Prophet repeated to his companions. Ara#ic #ecame thereforethe language of $slam e+en for nonAra# Muslims. 9nder the direction of the Prophet,

the +erses and chapters were organi


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refers, in a language rich in its +aried terminology, to the importance of seeing,contemplating, and reasoning a#out the world of creation and its di+erse

phenomena. $t places the gaining of nowledge as the highest religious acti+ity, onethat is most pleasing in 5ods eyes. &hat is why where+er the message of the %uran

was accepted and understood, the 7uest for nowledge flourished.

+ro,h'ts of Islam&he Prophet of $slam is lo+ed and re+ered #y Muslims precisely #ecause he was

chosen #y 5od to re+eal 'is @ord to manind. &he Prophet Muhammad is notconsidered to #e di+ine #ut a human #eing. 'owe+er, he is seen as the most perfect

of human #eings, shining lie a jewel among stones. 'e was #orn in D:; A. /. in oneof the most powerful tri#es in the Ara#ia of that time, for it had guardianship o+er

the 4a#ah in Maah. An orphan #rought up #y his grandfather and later #y hisuncle, the young Muhammad displayed e!ceptional +irtue as a trustworthy indi+idual

whom mem#ers of +arious tri#es would in+ite to act as ar#itrator in their disputes.

3arly @'arsAt that time the Ara#s followed a form of idolatry, each tri#e eeping its own idols atthe 4a#ah, the cu#ical structure #uilt originally #y A#raham to cele#rate the glory of

the ?ne 5od. -ut the monotheistic message of A#raham had long #ecome forgottenamong the general population of the Ara#ian peninsula. &he young Muhammad,howe+er, was a #elie+er in the ?ne 5od all of his life and ne+er participated in the

idolatrous practices of his tri#e.

An0'l )abri'l@hen forty years old, during one of the retreats which he made ha#itually in a ca+e

on top of a mountain outside Maah, Muhammad first saw the archangel 5a#rielwho re+ealed 5ods @ord to him, the %uran, and announced that Muhammad is the

messenger of 5od. or the ne!t thirteen years he preached the @ord of 5od to theMaans, in+iting them to a#andon idolatry and accept the religion of ?neness. A few

accepted his call #ut most Maans, especially those of his own tri#e, opposed him

+iolently, seeing in the new religion a gra+e danger to their economic as well associal domination #ased upon their control of the 4a#ah. -ut the Prophet continuedto call the people to $slam and gradually a larger num#er of men and women #egan

to accept the faith and su#mit themsel+es to its teachings. As a result, persecution of Muslims increased until the Prophet was forced to send some of his companions to

A#yssinia where they were protected #y the Christian ing.

3arly days of Islam&he Maan period was also one of intense spiritual e!perience for the Prophet and

the no#le companions who formed the nucleus of the new religious community whichwas soon to spread worldwide. $t was during this period that 5od ordered the

direction of prayers to #e changed from erusalem to Maah. &o this day erusalem

remains along with Maah and Madinah one of the holiest cities of $slam.

&i0ration

$n 622 A. /. the Prophet was ordered #y 5od to migrate to "athri#, a city north ofMaah. 'e followed the /i+ine Command and left with his followers for that city

which henceforth was nown as &he City of the Prophet (Madinat alna#i* or simplyMadinah. &his e+ent was so momentous that the $slamic calendar #egins with this

migration (hijrah*.

$n Madinah, the Prophet esta#lished the first $slamic society which has ser+ed as the


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model for all later $slamic societies. 0e+eral #attles too place against the in+adingMaans which the Muslims won against great odds. 0oon more tri#es #egan to join

$slam and within a few years most of Ara#ia had em#raced the religion of $slam.

ictory at &a..ahAfter many trials and e+entually successi+e +ictories, the Prophet retumed

triumphantly to Maah where the people em#raced $slam at last. 'e forga+e all hisformer enemies and marched to the 4a#ah, where he ordered his companion and

cousin Ali to join him in destroying all the idols. &he Prophet reconstituted the rite of pilgrimage as founded #y A#raham. &he Prophet then returned to Madinah and made

another pilgrimage to Maah. $t was upon returning from this last pilgrimage thathe deli+ered his farewell address. 0oon he fell ill and after three days died in 62 A.

/. in Madinah where he was #uried in the cham#er of his house ne!t to the firstmos7ue of $slam.

*unnah&he practices and traditions (0unnah* of the Prophet which includes his sayings

('adith* #ecame the guide for Muslims in the understanding of the %uran and thepractice of their religion. &he %uran itself asserts that 5od has chosen in the Prophet

an e!ample for Muslims to follow. -esides this emulation of the Prophet in all aspectsof life and thought, his sayings were assem#led #y +arious scholars. inally theywere codified in #oos of 'adith where the authentic were separated from the

spurious. &he 0unnah has always remained, after the %uran, the second source ofe+erything $slamic.

Islamic 'li0ion

According to a famous saying of the Prophet $slam consists of fi+e pillars which areas follows affirmation of the faith (shahadah*, that is, witnessing that 3a ilaha

illa3lah (&here is no di+inity #ut Allah* and Muhammadun rasul Allah (Muhammad isthe Messenger of Allah*B the fi+e daily prayers (alsalat* which Muslims perform

facing MaahB fasting (alsawm* from dawn to sunset during the month of

=amadanB maing the pilgrimage to Maah (alhajj* at least once in a lifetime ifones financial and physical conditions permit itB and paying a 2 1F2J ta! (al


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all Muslims to this day were de+eloped early in $slamic history. &his 3aw, while #eingrooted in the sources of the $slamic re+elation, is a li+ing #ody of law which caters to

the needs of $slamic society .

$slamic laws are essentially pre+entati+e and are not #ased on harsh punishmente!cept as a last measure. &he faith of the Muslim causes him to ha+e respect for the

rights of others and $slamic 3aw is such that it pre+ents transgression from taingplace in most instances. &hat is why what people consider to #e harsh punishments

are so rarely in need of #eing applied.

8h' s,r'ad of Islamrom the oasis cities of Maah and Madinah in the Ara#ian desert, the message of

$slam went forth with electrifying speed. @ithin half a century of the Prophets death,$slam had spread to three continents. $slam is not, as some imagine in the @est, a

religion of the sword nor did it spread primarily #y means of war. $t was only withinAra#ia, where a crude form of idolatry was rampant, that $slam was propagated #y

warring against those tri#es which did not accept the message of 5odwhereas

Christians and ews were not forced to con+ert. ?utside of Ara#ia also the +ast landscon7uered #y the Ara# armies in a short period #ecame Muslim not #y force of the

sword #ut #y the appeal of the new religion. $t was faith in ?ne 5od and emphasisupon 'is Mercy that #rought +ast num#ers of people into the fold of $slam. &he newreligion did not coerce people to con+ert. Many continued to remain ews and

Christians and to this day important communities of the followers of these faiths arefound in Muslim lands.

Moreo+er, the spread of $slam was not limited to its miraculous early e!pansion

outside of Ara#ia. /uring later centuries the &urs em#raced $slam peacefully as dida large num#er of the people of the $ndian su#continent and the Malayspeaing

world. $n Africa also, $slam has spread during the past two centuries e+en under themighty power of European colonial rulers. &oday $slam continues to grow not only in

Africa #ut also in Europe and America where Muslims now comprise a nota#le

minority.

/haract'ristics of Islamic /i?iliCationslam was destined to #ecome a world religion and to create a ci+ili


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emphasi


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continue during this period through 8orth Africa to 0pain and rance in the @est andto 0ind, Central Asia and &ranso!iana in the East, #ut the #asic social and legal

institutions of the newly founded $slamic world were esta#lished.

Abbasids&he A##asids, who succeeded the 9mayyads, shifted the capital to -aghdad which

soon de+eloped into an incompara#le center of learning and culture as well as theadministrati+e and political heart of a +ast world.

&hey ruled for o+er D;; years #ut gradually their power waned and they remained

only sym#olic rulers #estowing legitimacy upon +arious sultans and princes whowielded actual military power. &he A##asid caliphate was finally a#olished when

'ulagu, the Mongol ruler, captured -aghdad in 12DG, destroying much of the cityincluding its incompara#le li#raries.

@hile the A##asids ruled in -aghdad, a num#er of powerful dynasties such as the

atimids, Ayyu#ids and Mamlus held power in Egypt, 0yria and Palestine. &he most

important e+ent in this area as far as the relation #etween $slam and the @esternworld was concerned was the series of Crusades declared #y the Pope and espoused

#y +arious European ings. &he purpose, although political, was outwardly torecapture the 'oly 3and and especially erusalem for Christianity. Although there wasat the #eginning some success and local European rule was set up in parts of 0yria

and Palestine, Muslims finally pre+ailed and in 11G: 0aladin, the great Muslim leader,recaptured erusalem and defeated the Crusaders.


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"emen, 'adramaut and parts of the Ara#ian peninsula remaining #eyond theircontrol. &hey reached their and dynasty soon too o+er to #e o+erthrown #y the %ajars in1::I who made &ehran their capital and ruled until 1I21 when they were in turnreplaced #y the Pahla+is.

&alaysia and Indon'siaarther east in the Malay world, $slam #egan to spread in the 12th century in

northem 0umatra and soon Muslim ingdoms were esta#lishd in a+a, 0umatra andmainland Malaysia. /espite the coloni


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$slam. &he tradition of Ale!andrian learning did not die, howe+er. $t was transferredto Antioch and from there farther east to such cities as Edessa #y eastern Christians

who stood in sharp opposition to -y


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Astronomy

$n astronomy the Muslims integrated the astronomical traditions of the $ndians,Persians, the ancient 8ear East and especially the 5rees into a synthesis which

#egan to chart a new chapter in the history of astronomy from the Gth centuryonward. &he Almagest of Ptolemy, whose +ery name in English re+eals the Ara#ic

origin of its 3atin translation, was thoroughly studied and its planetary theorycritici


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)'om'try&he Muslims also e!celled in geometry as reflected in their art. &he #rothers -anu

Musa who li+ed in the Ith century may #e said to #e the first outstanding Muslimgeometers while their contemporary &ha#it i#n %urrah used the method of

e!haustion, gi+ing a glimpse of what was to #ecome integral calculus. Many Muslimmathematicians such as 4hayyam and al&usi also dealt with the fifth postulate of

Euclid and the pro#lems which follow if one tries to pro+e this postulate within theconfines of Eucledian geometry.

8ri0onom'tryAnother #ranch of mathematics de+eloped #y Muslims is trigonometry which wasesta#lished as a distinct #ranch of mathematics #y al-iruni. &he Muslim

mathematicians, especially al-attani, A#ul@afa, $#n "unus and $#n al'aytham,also de+eloped spherical astronomy and applied it to the solution of astronomical

pro#lems.


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nowledge that was a+aila#le to them from 5ree, Persian and $ndian sources. Atfirst the great physicians among Muslims were mostly Christian #ut #y the Ith

century $slamic medicine, properly speaing, was #orn with the appearance of themajor compendium,

=haahrawi (the 3atin Al#ucasis* whose medicalmasterpiece 4ita# altasrif was well nown in the @est as Concessio. ?ne must also

mention the $#n >uhr family which produced se+eral outstanding physicians and A#u

Marwan A#d alMali who was the Maghri#s most outstanding clinical physician. &he

well nown 0panish philosophers, $#n &ufayl and $#n =ushd, were also outstandingphysicians.

$slamic medicine continued in Persia and the other eastern lands of the $slamic world

under the influence of $#n 0ina with the appearance of major Persian medicalcompendia such as the &reasury of 0haraf al/in alurjani and the commentaries

upon the Canon #y ahr al/in al=a


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and interest in acupuncture among Muslims. &he $slamic medical tradition wasre+i+ed in the 0afa+id period when se+eral diseases such as whooping cough were

diagnosed and treated for the first time and much attention was paid topharmacology. Many Persian doctors such as Ayn alMul of 0hira< also tra+elled to

$ndia at this time to usher in the golden age of $slamic medicine in the su#continentand to plant the seed of the $slamic medical tradition which continues to flourish to

this day in the soil of that land.

&ajor Hos,itals&he ?ttoman world was also an arena of great medical acti+ity deri+ed from the

heritage of $#n 0ina. &he ?ttoman &urs were especially nown for the creation ofmajor hospitals and medical centers. &hese included not only units for the care of the

physically ill, #ut also wards for patients with psychological ailments. &he ?ttomanswere also the first to recei+e the influence of modem European medicine in #oth

medicine and phammacology.$n mentioning $slamic hospitals it is necessary to mention that all major $slamic cities

had hospitalsB some lie those of -aghdad were teaching hospitals while some lie

the 8asiri hospital of Cairo had thousands of #eds for patients with almost any typeof illness. 'ygiene in these hospitals was greatly emphasi


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#est nown Ara#ic wor on agriculture, the 4ita# alfalahah, was written. &heMuslims also showed much interest in


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parcel of the technology of the newly founded order. Muslims also imported certaininds of technology from the ar East such as paper which they #rought from China

and whose technology they later transmitted to the @est. &hey also de+eloped manyforms of technology on the #asis of earlier e!isting nowledge such as the

metallurgical art of maing the famous /amascene swords, an art which goes #acto the maing of steel se+eral thousand years #efore on the $ranian plateau. 3iewise

Muslims de+eloped new architectural techni7ues of +aulting, methods of +entilation,preparations of dyes, techni7ues of wea+ing, technologies related to irrigation and

numerous other forms of technology, some of which sur+i+e to this day.

&an and


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whether it was literature or architecture, where there was not some influence of$slam present. $slamic learning #ecame in this way part and parcel of @estern

ci+ili


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$slamic world were formed into independent national states. &here were, howe+er,e!ceptions. &he Muslim states in the 0o+iet 9nion failed to gain their autonomy or

independence. &he same holds true for 0iniang (called Eastem &urestan #y Muslimgeographers* while in Eritrea and the southern Philippines Muslim independence

mo+ements still continue.


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coming from a seculari

islamic information

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