9 Facts About Islam Explained Briefly
Out of the numerous things that have triggered confusion and argumentation among people, the religion Islam is perhaps the most discussed one. In addition to the non-Muslims who analyze Islam without any knowledge of its true preaching, there are Muslims as well who have little knowledge of the religion and put to practice the traditions that have nothing to do with Islam.
The need at present for Muslim is to get as much knowledge about Islam as possible, so that firstly they could put the true Islam into practice and secondly for argumentation purposes they could bring about the best evidence to support their argument. The lines below explain the major 10 facts about Islam in a brief manner.
Kalmah or Shahadah is the entry gate to Islam. It is a proclamation in which a Muslim attests to the oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There are two things to be remembered pertinent to Kalmah. The first thing is that its proclamation is not something that is only done verbally, rather, a Muslim has to believe in it from the heart as well. The second thing to consider pertaining to Kalmah is that it does not attest to the Oneness of Allah only, rather a person cannot become a Muslim or have the faith complete without believing in Prophet (PBUH) along with attesting to the One Allah. Along with The Kalmah, there are 6 Kalmah of Islam which are available in the form of Smartphone app. With the help of these Kalmahs in app form, a Muslim can learn about other elements of faith and Islam and get greater knowledge about the religion.
A Religion Of Peace:
“Islam is the religion of peace,” this statement has become a cliché, but it is a fact. Islam in its literal meaning is ‘peace’ and the majority of preaching that Islam gives with regards to the world and living in it have peace as their bases. The followers of Islam are expected to live in this world in a docile manner where they protect the life and property of others in the same way as they care for theirs. In Islam there is no room for violence and even if it comes to taking violent measures out of necessity, Islam never encourages its followers to be among the ones who initiate violence. Rather, the only condition for use of force is in defense of one’s self. Therefore, on contrary to the common perception, the fact is that Islam is a religion of peace that promotes love and harmony. The Following Image represents the words of Allah on spreading peace, justice, and equality.
The one activity that represents Islam on a global level with unanimity is Salat. Muslims all over the world offer Salat five times every day. The general notion is that it is a form of worship and is only a means of worshipping Allah Almighty or supplicating to Him. Although these two are the prime objectives associated with Salat, however, the fact of the matter is that Salat is a far greater tool than its apparent use. Salat protects a person from doing sin, it keeps a person away from pride, it is a means of showing gratitude to Allah, the offering of it in congregation helps Muslims socially interact with each other. Therefore, considering Salat as only an obligation that has to be offered is merely undermining its potential.
Zakat is the obligatory charity in Islam. Its obligatory nature does not mean that everyone is supposed to give Zakat, rather, Allah Almighty has given the guidelines in Shria that clearly state when a person is eligible for Zakat and when not. Moreover, to keep the charity system more fair and to ensure that the deserving receive the charity, Islam has also defined the people who deserve Zakat. The thing to understand is that Zakat is not with the intention that a Muslim is to be deprived of the wealth he has earned, rather the objective behind it is to think of others before one’s self and focus on the greater good. Thus, by taking a certain portion from the wealth of the rich, Islam actually circulates wealthy in the non-wealthy parts of the society so that they could also enjoy better living standards. In this regard, Zakat Calculator is an excellent app that can help Muslims calculate the amount of Zakat due on their wealth so that they could perform this obligation aptly. The following infographic further explains about Zakat and its requisites.
The general conception is that Quran is a book that contains doctrines for Muslims. It means that the use of Quran is limited to religious activities and rituals only and it has no other implications. The fact of the matter is that Holy Quran, is not just a book with doctrines rather it contains almost all kinds of codes and guidelines that a Muslim needs in order to live life in a better way. It speaks of sociology, economics, politics, governance, business, science, learning and so on. Like Islam is a complete code of life, similarly, Quran contains all the codes that are required to live a righteous life. This is why Muslims try to understand the meaning of Quran in addition to simply learning to read it. Therefore, all Muslims should go for Quran tutoring programs and classes that teach Quran with understanding.
Hajj or Pilgrimage is a religious ritual that is performed by Muslims once in a year. Like Zakat it is also an obligation upon only the selected people who have the means of performing it. Therefore, the ones that people see during the Hajj season in Makkah are only the tip of the iceberg. In addition to being a religious ritual, at a symbolic level Hajj symbolizes the unity and equality of Muslims throughout the world. In the days of Hajj Muslims come together and perform the ritual regardless of their cultural, social, political, racial or strata difference. Therefore, Hajj is not just a ritual, rather it also represents the ideology of Islam on a global level. In order to help Muslims during the ritual, the Complete Hajj Guide is an excellent app that contains a detailed plan for the pilgrim along with all the necessary and precautionary measures.
There are several confusions when it comes to Islam’s stand on marriage. The ignorant Muslims take pride in the fact that Islam allows them to have four wives at once. What they do not realize or fail to understand is the logic and the proper process behind it. Firstly, if a Muslim man is to marry another woman, then if the first wife is alive he needs to seek her permission. If the permission is not granted then the man cannot marry the second time. Secondly, if the man gives divorce to the first wife, then it is his responsibility to take care of her by providing her financial assistance, the amount of which increases if there is a child form the first marriage. Therefore, the notion that in Islam men can do anything pertaining to marriage is a false propagation and there are rules and conditions that have to be fulfilled for a man to marry more than once.
Another notorious allegation against Islam is that it is a religion that oppresses women and does not let them rise to their full potential in the society. Like other misconceptions, this notion is also wrong and Islam gives respect and equality to women. In Islam, women are an embodiment of respect and reverence in their social roles. They are to be respected as mothers, taken care off as sisters and daughters and loved and provided for as wives. Therefore, Islam gives women rights that none of the other religions gives them.
It is a general perception that religion and science are two separate things. When it comes to Islam, the fact of the matter is that science and religion are intertwined with each other. The instructions and revelations of Islam that are primarily present in Quran are what the science of present has proved word for word. Whatever Quran has revealed pertaining to natural or scientific phenomena has been proven right by science and there is no single scientific fact that refutes the revelation of Quran pertaining to universe and human existence.
For the past few decades Islam has been one of the most discussed topics among people. It faces accusations, allegations and numerous misconceptions are associated with it, therefore, the need of today is that Muslims learn about Islam in detail and instead of relying on word of mouth of every person that mentions Islam, one should do research and find the true preaching of the religion regarding the allegations it faces at present.