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Islam: A Brief Introduction

By Hassan A. El-Najjar *

Al-Jazeerah, May 20, 2007

On the authority of Abu Abdul Rahman Abdullah, the son of Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with both of them), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say:

"Islam has been built on five (pillars) ¹: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat ², making the pilgrimage to the House ³, and fasting in Ramadhan." ⁴

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     The word "Islam" means believing in Allah (the God) ⁵ to the extent of surrendering your will to Him. In this sense, the previous messengers of God such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ and their righteous followers are considered Muslims. It is one religion, revealed to people for thousands of years to guide them in this life and reward them in the hereafter. Muhammed, peace be upon him,  is the last one of these prophets and messengers of God.

Sources of the Islamic teachings:

1. The Holly Book, the Qur'an (Koran) is the first source of Islamic teachings. It was revealed, in the 7^th century, to the Prophet Muhammed in 23 years, through the angel Jibril (Gabriel). It includes the basic teachings found in the Old Testament and the New Testament. It also includes clarifications about the differences between Jews and Christians such as the nature of Jesus and his message to the world. The Qur’an in its Arabic original version and its translations into other languages can be found in many libraries and internet sites.

2. The traditions of the Prophet, or the Sunna ⁶ (Hadith) It includes sayings, actions, and approval of the Prophet.

The Sunna explains the Qur’an in more details.

3. Research conducted by Islamic scholars concerning contemporary issues. Their discussions and arguments are guided by the first two sources.

Five Islamic Obligations:

A Muslim is obligated to perform the following five rituals. They are considered the pillars of Islam.

1. In order to be a Muslim, a person has to announce the testimony of faith, which says: "There is no other God but Allah, and Muhammed is His messenger."

2. A Muslim has to perform prayers five times a day, before the Sun rises, at noon, at mid afternoon, after the Sun sets, and at twilight (about one and a half hours after the Sun sets). Prayers include reciting certain verses from the Qur’an accompanied by doing certain movements that range between standing, kneeling, and sitting down on the floor.

3. A Muslim has to give Zakat. This is an assistance to the poor in society. It is, at least, 2.5 percent of a person’s annual savings.

4. A Muslim has to fast during the month of Ramadhan. This means that Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and having pleasures of life during the day time. This extends from about one hour before the Sun rises until it sets. The objective is to train one’s spirit to resist body desires and to feel for the hungry poor. It also has benefits to the body.

5. A Muslim has to go to Makkah (Mecca) in pilgrimage, Haj, at least once in one’s lifetime. This is a visit to the first House of God on Earth. It is now in Saudi Arabia. There, about two million Muslims gather to confirm their faith, remember, and act out the story of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) when he left his son, Ismael, and his wife Hajar (Hagger), there. Then, when Ismael grew older, Ibrahim came to slaughter him in obedience to God. They passed the test, and Ibrahim was given a sheep to slaughter instead. Then, the two of them built Al-Ka'aba, the House of the Lord, the most sacred place of worship for Muslims.

* Dr. Hassan Ali El-Najjar has a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Georgia, USA.

Notes:

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1. The word "pillars" does not appear in the Arabic text but has been supplied for clarity of meaning. Pillars (arkan) isthe generally accepted term in this context.

2. Often rendered as "alms-tax" or "poor-due," it is a tax levied on a man's wealth and distributed among the poor.

3. The Ka'aba and the Holy Mosque in Makkah.

4. Translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies (Abdul Wadoud), "An-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths." 1976. Dar Al-Manar.

5. Allah is the name of God in Arabic. It means "the God," or "Al-Ilah." In addressing God, a Muslim may say in Arabic "Ilahi" (my God). However, Muslims usually refer to God with the definite article, as Allah.

The definite article (the) in Arabic takes two forms: "El" and "Al." Almost all usage of the definite article in the Holy Qur'an is in "Al" form. However, there are three words in the Holy Qur'an, which include the "El" form. These are used in reference to the Prophet "El-Yass" (Elijah or Idris), his house "El-Elyassin" and Prophet "El-Yassa'a," with the Hamza under the Alef, for which the English vowel "E" is the correct translation (Chapter 6, Verse 85 and Chapter 37, Verse 130).

The definite article "El" was also used in in the ancient Arabic dialect spoken in Palestine at the time of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him), known as Aramaic. The Bible tells us that Jesus used to address God the same way Muslims address Him today (Ilahi or my God).

In Mark 15, Verse 34 (The words are also mentioned in Ps. 22:1 and Mat 27: 46), the Bible says: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eloi, Eloi, la ma sabchtani? which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?"

The current Arabic form of the question attributed to Jesus Christ in the Bible may be "Ilahi, ilahi, li ma sayabtani? 

While "Ilahi, Ilahi li ma" are standard Arabic words, which can be understood by the average educated Arabs, the word "sayabtani" is most spoken in Egypt but understood by most Arabic speakers.

Apparently, the sound "h" in "ilahi" was missed during one of the successive translations of the Bible from Aramaic to Greek, Roman, old English, and middle English. 

It is noteworthy that Christian Arabs also refer to the word God as Allah, and a famous Christian Arab phrase is "Allah Mahabah," or "God is love."

This should be enough evidence for non-Muslims to know that the name of God (Allah) was used by messengers of God who preceded Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon all of them).

^6. Allah, praise to Him, says: "Whatever the Messenger came to you with, take it; and whatever he prohibited you, abide by it (The Holy Qur'an, Al-Hashr (59): 7). Yusuf Ali's translation of the same verse: "Take what the Apostle assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you."

The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, "You need to follow my Sunna (path) and that of the guided successors after me. Stick to it strongly." (This was a translation of the meaning of the Hadith, the Arabic text of which can be found in "Riyadh Al-Saliheen," Hadith Number 157.

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Other Articles by Hassan El-Najjar about Islamic issues:

Six Questions About Islam, Muslims and Jews By Hassan El-Najjar and Andee Goldman

Food Islamic Rules and Teachings By Hassan El-Najjar

Five Islamic Issues, predestination and choice, position toward other religions, angels, and the End of Days, by Hassan El-Najjar and Chris Hatcher

Are Muslim women second-class citizens By Hassan El-Najjar, Donna Jmsn, and Tim Symonds

The French Ban on Islamic Headscarf, an Interview with Hassan El-Najjar, By Paula Montebruno