2. BASIC ISLAM

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion. According to Islam it is the true religion. Islam is based on Quran, the book, believed to be revealed by God to Mohammed and is considered by its adherents to be the word of God. According to Quran there is only one God and Mohammed (570 – 632 AD) is the messenger and the last Prophet. An adherent of Islam is called Muslim or Musolman. They are also known as Muhamedan in English.

Pillars of Islam

There are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. The Quran presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the shahadah (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) alms giving (zakat), (4) fasting during Ramadan and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. All Muslims of different sects agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts.

Shahadah

The Shahadah, which is the basic creed of Islam that must be recited under oath with the specific statement: "'ashaduallailahailla-llahuwaashaduannamuhammadanrasulu-llah", or "I testify that there is no God other than Allah alone and I testify that Muhammad is his Messenger." This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to recite the creed.

Salat

Ritual prayers, called Ṣalāh or Ṣalāt, must be performed five times a day. Salat is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with God that expresses gratitude and worship. Salat is compulsory but flexible. This prayer is also called Namaz. Believers pray five times a day which is time specific. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Quran. The prayers are done with the face in direction of the Kaaba though in the early days of Islam, Namaz were done in the direction of Jerusalem.

A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, who often refer to it by its Arabic name, masjid. The word mosque in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated to Islamic worship but there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger, "collective" mosque.  Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also important to the Muslim community as a place to meet and study. Muslims are permitted to pray anywhere at specific time but praying in a mosque along with other Muslims is preferable. Friday afternoon prayer is considered most sacred. All Muslims try to offer namaz on Friday afternoon at a mosque.

Zakāt

Zakat is giving a fixed portion of accumulated wealth by those who can afford it to help the poor or the needy. Freeing captives, slaves or paying debts of the debtors and helping needy travellers are considered as zakat. Zakat brings Muslims together. It is considered a religious obligation (as opposed to voluntary charity) that the well-off owe to the needy because their wealth is seen as a trust from God's bounty. Conservative estimate of annual zakat collection is about 15 times global humanitarian aid contributions. All Muslims who can afford must pay zakat. Zakat is paid on capital assets (e.g. money) and it is 2.5% (1/40 of the value of capital assets) per year. The Quran and the hadith also urge a Muslim to give even more as an act of voluntary alms-giving called Sadaqah.

Fasting

Fasting from food and drink (among other things) must be performed from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadhan. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during Ramadhan Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy. It is not obligatory for several groups (Pregnant women, children and unwell) for whom it would constitute an undue burden. For others, flexibility is allowed depending on circumstances, but missed fasts usually must be made up quickly.

Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage, called the ḥajj, has to be done during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. Rituals of the Hajj include: spending a day and a night in the tents in the desert plain of Mina, then a day in the desert plain of Arafat praying and worshiping God, following the footsteps of Abraham - spending a night out in the open, sleeping on the desert sand in the desert plain of Muzdalifah, and then moving to Jamarat, symbolically stoning the Devil recounting Abraham's actions. Then going to Mecca and walking seven times around the Kaaba which Muslims believe was built as a place of worship by Abraham. Finally believers walk seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah recounting the steps of Abraham's wife, while she was looking for water for her son Ismael in the desert before Mecca developed into a settlement.

Apart from five pillars Muslims believe some basic concepts of Abrahamic religions. These are as follows :-

Satan

Satan exists side by side of God. Satan always tries to take men away from the right way, way of God. Satan advised Adam and Eve to partake fruit of wisdom which God had advised them not to. Then God banished Adam and Eve from Heaven.

Gabriel and Messengers of God

Belief in angels is fundamental to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for angel means "messenger", like its counterparts in Hebrew (malakh) and Greek (angelos). According to the Quran, angels do not possess free will, and therefore worship and obey God in total obedience. Angels' duties include communicating revelations from God, glorifying God, recording every person's actions, and taking a person's soul at the time of death. Muslims believe that angels are made of light. They are described as "messengers with wings—two, or three, or four (pairs): He [God] adds to Creation as He pleases...". Angels are countless in number.

Houries

Heaven is full of streams of sweet water, fruits of all kinds and beautiful virgin young girls. These virgin girls are Houries. In Islam, life in Heaven is depicted as a place of desire. Only Muslims can go to Heaven. Houries will serve them and fulfil their desire. It has a tremendous motivating effect.

The day of Judgement

Belief in the "Day of Resurrection", Yawm al-Qiyāmah is also crucial for Muslims. They believe the time of Judgement is preordained by God but unknown to man. On the day of judgement, all the dead will be resurrected (Bodily revived) and God will give them reward or punishment for the deed they had done during their lifetime. The trials and tribulations preceding and during the Qiyamah are described in the Quran and the hadith, and also in the commentaries of scholars.

On Yawm al-Qiyāmah, Muslims believe all mankind will be judged on their good and bad deeds. The Quran describes this as, "So whoever does a feather's weight of good will see it and whoever does a feather's weight of evil will see it." The Quran lists several sins that can condemn a person to hell, such as disbelief in God and dishonesty. However, the Quran makes it clear God will forgive the sins of those who repents if He so wills. Good deeds, such as charity, prayer and compassion towards animals, will be rewarded with entry to heaven. Muslims view heaven as a place of joy and bliss, with Quranic references describing its features and the physical pleasures to come. Mystical traditions in Islam place these heavenly delights in the context of an ecstatic awareness of God.

Finality of Islam

Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal faith that was revealed by God many times before, through prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims believe that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time. God wanted to intimate mankind what is correct way of God. So, the verses of the Quran were revealed to Mohammed by God through the archangel Gabriel on many occasions between 610 AD until his death on June 8, 632 AD. While Muhammad was alive, all of these revelations were written down by his companions, although the prime method of transmission was orally through memorization.

Quran tells Islam is the true religion. Other Abrahamic religions are deviation from truth. Religions based on multitude of Gods are infidelity. Atheism is satanic. All are non-believers. It is religious duty of every Muslim to bring non-believers to the path of truth, Islam.

Jihad

Jihad means "to strive or struggle" (in the way of God). Jihad, in its broadest sense, is "exerting one's utmost power, efforts, endeavours, or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation". Depending on the object being a visible enemy, the devil, and aspects of one's own sinful behaviour; different categories of jihad are defined. Jihad, when used without any qualifier, is understood in its military aspect, i.e. war against non-believers.

Within Islamic jurisprudence, jihad is usually taken to mean military exertion against non-believer/non-Muslim/deviant Muslim. Here Islam gets redefined. An ideal Muslim is required to take up Jihad ostensibly to convince non-believers the right way of God. A Muslim participating in Jihad is called “Mujahid”. The Jihad must continue till whole world accepts Islam or liquidated. Since Jihad is war, a Muslim is free to break truss, trust and laws as long as his aim is true to Islam. Aim of Jihad is to spread Islam. Quran allows believers to kill non-believers, to keep their property, to enslave their women and children. And if Muslim fails in his endeavour, God will reward him to Heaven with Houries and other pleasures. Concept of Jihad has turned Muslims into a military force. Quran encourages every able body man to wage war with non-believers. If one is not so inclined then Quran asks the next person to take up in his place and punish the person who refuses God’s work. Quran divides the world into Dar-al- Islam and Dar-al-Harb. The former means land of pure i.e. of Muslims or the land which is under control of Muslims. The later means land of war, the land of the non-believers. Jihad must continue till whole World is converted to Dar-al-islam.  Wager of Jihad is benefitted both ways. Win, you become “Gaji”, die in the process, you become martyr. If you win you get booty including females for sex and if you become martyr, you go to Heaven directly where you are served by virgin Houries. It is but natural that Islam produced countless warriors who did not fear death. Today same concept is responsible for development of Islamic terrorism. “Mujahideen” do not fear death. They are assured of great afterlife. They are soldiers of death.

Jihad is the sixth (virtual) and most dangerous pillar of Islam.

Islam is total way of life;-

Islam is not only a religion. It is a total way of life. The Quran is more concerned with moral guidance than legal instruction, and is considered the "sourcebook of Islamic principles and values”. Muslim jurists consult the hadith ("reports"), or the written record of Prophet Muhammad's life, to both supplement the Quran and assist with its interpretation. The knowledge of Quranic commentary and exegesis is known as tafsir.

The Sharia (literally "the path leading to the watering place") is Islamic law formed by traditional Islamic scholarship, which most Muslim groups adhere to. Sharia constitutes a system of rights and responsibilities that are incumbent upon a Muslim by virtue of his or her religious belief. Sharia is generally based upon Quran. When Quran or the Hadiths did not clearly specified, Shariah adopted local practice if it did not contradict Quran. As Muhammad's companions went to new areas, they were pragmatic and in some cases continued to use the same ruling as was given in that area during pre-Islamic times. If the population felt comfortable with it, it was just and they used common sense to deduce that it did not conflict with the Quran or the Hadith. This made it easier for the different communities to integrate into the Islamic State and that assisted in the quick expansion of the Islamic State. Since the Constitution of Medina, drafted by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, allowed the Jews and the Christians to use their own laws, they continued to be governed by their own laws and had their own judges in all Islamic States.

Much of the knowledge about Mohammed was narrated by Aisha, wife of Mohammed. Aisha raised and taught her nephew Qasimibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, the grandson of Abu Bakr and the grandfather of Ja'far al-Sadiq. Aisha also taught her nephew Urwahibn Zubayr. He then taught his son Hishamibn Urwah, who was the main teacher of Malik ibnAnas. These people influenced early Islamic knowledge.

Law and jurisprudence

Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. Religious concepts and practices mainly include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship. It is also obligatory for a Muslim to follow Sharia or Islamic laws, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious topics from banking and welfare, to family life and the environment.

The Islamic law covers all aspects of life, from matters of state, like governance and foreign relations, to issues of daily living. The Quran defines hudud as the punishments for five specific crimes: unlawful intercourse, false accusation of unlawful intercourse, consumption of alcohol, theft, and highway robbery. The Quran and Sunnah also contain laws of inheritance, marriage, and restitution for injuries and murder, as well as rules for fasting, charity, and prayer.

Etiquette and diet

Many practices fall in the category of adab, or Islamic etiquette. This includes greeting others with "as-salamu `alaykum" ("peace be unto you"), saying bismillah ("in the name of God") before meals, and using only the right hand for eating and drinking. Islamic hygienic practices mainly fall into the category of personal cleanliness and health. Circumcision of male offspring is practiced in Islam. Female organ trimming  (Sunnat) is also practiced by some sects. Islamic burial rituals include saying the Salat al-Janazah ("funeral prayer") over the bathed and enshrouded dead body, and burying it in a grave. Muslims are restricted in their diet. Prohibited foods include pork products, blood, carrion, and alcohol. All meat must come from a herbivorous animal slaughtered in the name of God by a Muslim, Jew, or Christian, with the exception of game that one has hunted or fished for oneself. Food permissible for Muslims is known as halal food.

Family life

The basic unit of Islamic society is the family, and Islam defines the obligations and legal rights of family members. The father is seen as financially responsible for his family, and is obliged to cater for their well-being. The division of inheritance is specified in the Quran, which states that most of it is to pass to the immediate family, while a portion is set aside for the payment of debts and the making of bequests. With some exceptions, the woman's share of inheritance is generally half of that of a man with the same rights of succession. Marriage in Islam is a civil contract which consists of an offer and acceptance between two qualified parties in the presence of two witnesses. The groom is required to pay a bridal gift (mehr) to the bride, as stipulated in the contract.

The Quran limits the number of wives to four and only if a man could treat them with fairness and equity. Most families in the Islamic world are monogamous today as the rule was functional in a warring community where female outnumber men by a factor. According to Islam, it is lawful for male masters to have sexual relations with female captives and slaves, regardless of whether the slave woman gives her consent or not. Actually Muslim men have religious approval for raping non-Muslim woman.

Science

Science, from an Islamic standpoint, is the study of nature as stemming from Tawhid. In Islam, nature is not seen as something separate but as an integral part of a holistic outlook on God, humanity, the world and the cosmos.

Muslims believe that the creation of everything in the universe was brought into being by God’s sheer command, “‘Be’ and so it is,” and that the purpose of existence is of human being is to worship God. Theory of evolution is directly opposing Islamic thought. Man travelling to moon is not acceptable. Every aspect of a Muslim’s life is directed. Free thinking is not permitted. A good Muslim is not permitted to mix with people having contrary opinion. All Muslims must behave like robot.

It is difficult for a Muslim to reconcile Islam with science.

Economy

To reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, Islamic economic jurisprudence encourages trade, discourages hoarding of wealth and outlaws interest-bearing loans (usury; the term is riba in Arabic). Therefore wealth is taxed through Zakat, but trade is not taxed. Usury, which allows the rich to get richer without sharing in the risk, is forbidden. Profit sharing and venture capital where the lender is also exposed to risk is acceptable.

The prohibition of usury has resulted in the development of Islamic banking. During the time of Mohammed, any money that went to the state was used to help the poor. Then in 634, Umar formally established the welfare state Bayt al-mal. The Bayt al-mal or the welfare state was for the poor, needy, elderly, orphans, widows, and the disabled Muslims. The Bayt al-mal ran for hundreds of years under the Rashidun Caliphate in the 7th century and continued through the Umayyad period and well into the Abbasid era. Umar also introduced Child Benefit and Pensions for the children and the elderly.

State and Religion

Mainstream Islamic law does not distinguish between "matters of church" and "matters of state". The scholars function as both jurists and theologians. Islam guides how to maintain foreign relation, how to keep internal peace and practically all aspects of social, religious and political governance.

So Islam is in contradiction with democracy. According to Islam ruler must be a learned person who will rule as per God’s wishes and His laid-down direction. Ruler is God’s representative. How can he be elected by common people? Then Islam considers women are unequal to men. Actually women have only half witness value. They inherit half that of a man of equal standing. Women are not permitted to go out in the open alone. They need male relative to accompany.   And non-Muslim have no rights at all in a Muslim ruled country. How can Islam accept equal right to all citizens? Democracy is therefore, an incompatible concept to Islam.

Conclusion

Mohammed was an intelligent person. He was not lettered. But he studied societies around him including Arabs. He was quite conversant with Judaism and Christianity. Possibly he picked up knowledge of scriptures from his early life trade sojourns. He sincerely believed that God wants him to take the Arabs to the path of prosperity. He transformed feuding Arab tribes in a devastating force which overran half of the world in a century and continued to rule large part of earth for next fourteen centuries. He tried to remove superstitious practices from Arab society. Improve personal hygiene. Improve family and social rules. The rules he incorporated were quite modern to his time. But as human societies progressed, these rules became outdated. Mohammed did not keep any provision to improve, modify or develop the faith. Islam is now also deeply rooted in 6^th century Arab traditions. Even today Muslims try to wage jihad. A devout Muslim is a violent man. Devout Muslims internally want to convert every non-believer. Failing which, he would like to destroy non- believer. If he himself cannot do then he will support those who did. Devout Muslims will never criticize terrorist acts unless it is against Muslims. That is why Muslims rejoice in the misfortune of non-believers. Muslims of Azarbaijan rejoiced the deadly earthquake in Christian Armenia. Muslims over the world celebrated World Trade Centre collapse.

Human society is now moving beyond religion. There is no interfaith rivalry. All are able to accept religion as individual choice. Atheism is also acceptable.  Muslims are also drawn towards modernity. This is not acceptable to 6^th century Islam. Muslims are trying to keep their flock together by declaring jihad. The new Mujahideen are terrorising the whole World. They particularly want to control power of Muslim countries to wage war with non-Muslim countries, especially Western Nations. But the first step is to fight for the power in Muslim countries. So today we see mayhem in all Muslim countries. Muslims are fighting themselves to establish pure Islamic state which Mohammed had established. Every group considers themselves more Islamic than others. All are fighting all others. Islam is really in danger of losing its way and getting dumped by history.

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