Islam By Adil Rasool

1st Edition

Contents 1. Beliefs and Teachings

2. Practices

3. Sources of wisdom and authority

4. Forms of expression and ways of life

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The six articles of faith or iman in Islam are fundamental belief that every Sunni Muslim should believe in. They are the articles ‗which it says have been revealed from Allah. The articles of faith can also be closely compared to the five pillars of Islam. The six articles are:

-Allah

-His angles

-His books

-His messengers

-The homecoming

-Predestination

Six articles of faith and Usul ad-din

Key Questions

What are the articles of faith?

What are Usul ad Din ?

Usul al-Din can be literally translated as principles of religion that are applied only to Shia Muslims . There are five root. These essential beliefs are in accordance to the twelve imams and the Quran.The five roots are:

1) Belief in Oneness and Unity of God: Al-Tawhid

2) Belief in Divine Justice: Al-Adl

3) Belief in Prophethood: Al-Nubuwah

4) Belief in Imams: Al-Imamah

5) Belief in Day of Resurrection: Al-Ma‘ad

A picture of a Quran. The holy book in Islam.

A picture of a Muslim man teaching his son basic beliefs.

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A picture of a sunni and shia family despite the conflict between these two groups.

Key Questions

What is the nature of Allah and his oneness?

What is tawhid?

Allah and the tawhid

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In islam the central belief is that there is one god. It is so important that if you don't follow this simple rule you could be committing shirk which is the worst sin in Islam. This is also the first pillar called the shahadah.

Tawhid is the belief in Allah but literally it is translated to mean to make something one or to call something one so it is called a unity. Islamically Tawhid is that is Allah is one and the only one god. For ex-ample prayer should only be in Allah's name, charity should be for Allah's pressure, sacrifice should only be done in his name and jihad's should only be for the sake for Allah's religion.Tawhid has 3 sections which are -

1. Unity of Lordhsip– This means that Muslims accept that Allah is the only real power in the universe. That he is omnipotent, he is also known as the creator as Muslims believe that he caused all things to exist even when there was nothing.

2. Unity of Allahs names and attributes— This means to describe Allah with only the ames on which he has described himself as in the Quran or what the prophet (pbuh) has used to describe Allah.This is because Allah is the greatest and his names are called Asma al Husna.

3. Unity of worship– this means that we direct all your prayer to Allah and him only as he is the only one who could answer your prayers.

The word for God in Arabic. The god of Muslims.(Allah)

Tawhid mini test

1. Islamically, what does tawhid mean?

2. Explain the meaning of the uni-ty of Woship?

3. How many gods are there in Is-lam?

Find the answers at the back of the book

The prophethood

The prophets in Islam are very important people. They are also related to as the Rasool translated as messengers. A prophet of Islam is any man whom Al-lah chose for his message.to be conveyed to people.Allah sent his messengers with miracles to aid them for example Prophets Musa‘s rod which turned into a snake, Thegreatest miracle is believed to be the quran which was handed to the prophet Muhhamed (pbuh).

Allah sent messengers to their people with the same message . Allah says, ―And We surely amongst every people a messenger (Rasool) [with the com-mand]: ‗WorshipAllah and keep away from the Taaghoot.‘‖Taghhot refers to anything that is worshipped and isn‘t Allah.To believe in all the messengers ins one of the articles of faith and whoever denies them is a disbeliever.

Prophet Isaa (Jesus) was born miraculously without a father but this does not make him the son of god and Muslims don't believe this as Adam neither had a fa-ther but isn‘t named the son of God. When he grew into manhood Allah sent him the Injeel (Gospel) to expose and to refute the changes they had intro-duced into Allah‘s religion. Allah supported him within a number of miracles.one of them oc-curred when he was still a baby in the cradle when his mother accused of a crime as she had no husband.He amazingly said ―I am indeed a servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet and He has blessed me wherever I may go and has enjoined on me salaat(prayer) and Zakkat as long as I live [Allah has made me] dutiful to my mother and not die, and the day I shall be raised to be life again.‖ (Surat Maryam, 19:30-3)

Prophet Moosa (AS) was born at the time of Fir'aun. Fir'aun was a king who hated the Bani Israa'eel, who were the tribe of Prophet Moosa (AS). A short while before Prophet Moosa (AS) was born, Fir'aun was told that a boy from the Bani Israa'eel would soon be born and at whose hands Fir'aun's kingdom would be destroyed. On hearing this, the cruel king ordered that

The word for Jesus in Arabic. A prophet of Islam.

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every male child born to the Bani Israa'eel should be killed.

Prophet Moosa (AS) told Fir'aun that he was a Messenger of Allah and that he had brought clear proofs that he was speaking the truth. He threw his stick on the ground and it changed into a snake. The miracle frightened Fir'aun and he turned to his ministers for advice. They told him that Prophet Moosa (AS) was just a good magician and that their own magicians could easily perform such tricks. With the help of Allah Musa freed the believers and overthrowed the pharaoh.

Muhammad (pbuh) was born in the year of the elephant or 570CE. He was a poor orphan as his parents died by the time he was 6.he went to live with his uncle who was a trader and he was soon brought up into the profession. He was so trustwor-thy that people called him al-amin.when he was 25 he married his employer , a rich widow called Khadija who was 40.

He bcame upset about the conditions in Mekkah at the time and the polythe-ism.The prophet(pbuh) was a very thoughtful and would often spend nights in prayer. One night he as praying in a cave when he jeard an angle.it was Jibril .the angle told him to recite something. These were the first words of the quran.At the age of 40 he became a prophet.

The word for Muhammad in Arabic. A prophet of Islam. You cant draw the prophet as it might cause people to worship him.

Key Questions

Who are the Rasool?

What are prophets in Islam?

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Task

Research another prophet and make notes

Books

The next article of faiths is the holy books of god. The main one being especially the Quran other books that Islam recognises are the bible and the torah. The books from all the abrahamic religions. The word "Quran" means "recitation" in Ara-bic. Muslims believe the Quran to be an errorless record of the angel Ga-briel's revelations to Muhammad, from 610 until his death in 632 AD. It is also believed to be a perfect copy of a Quran that has existed eter-nally in paradise

There are five Holy books in Islam. Qur'an, the bible, the tawrah, the zabur, and the suhuf.

1. The Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims, revealed in stages to theProphet Muhammad over 23 years. There are 114 chapters in the Qur'an, which is written in the old Arabic dialect.

2. The Christian Bible has two sections, the Old Testament and the New Tes-tament. The Old Testament is the original Hebrew Bible, the sacred scrip-tures of the Jewish faith, written at different times between about 1200 and 165 BC.

3. The Torah is the first part of the Jewish bible. It is the central and most important document of Judaism and has been used by Jews through the ages.

4. Zabur in islam is believed to be the book of Dawud. The only record of this is in the Quran but there is not much record of them.

5. In islam Suhuf are believed to be the scrolls of Ibrahims but not much is known about this either.

These books are believed to be rule

A collection of Holy books.

Key Questions

What is the Quran?

What are the holy books of Is-lam?

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Angels The angles of Allah. In Arabic they‘re referred to as the Mikaeel.Angles are crea-tures that Allah has created and they will only serve his purpose. They will only obey his command. Angels are often found in Islam art, revealing their importance to the Islamic worldview.Exmples of these angles are:

1. Jibril: To deliver the Divine Revelations from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) to His chosen Messengers from among the prophets (alayhum salam).

2. Mikail: To manage man‘s mundane necessities, bring forth rain and oversee the cultivation of crops.

3. Israfil: To blow the Trumpet: once, for the destruction of the universe; and again, for the Resurrection of all accountable beings to face Judgment Day.

4. Izrail: Angel of Death, the most fearsome of them all, who does not delay nor expedite the hour of claiming the soul.

5. Maalik: Guardian of Jahannum (Hell-fire), an unwelcome sight, for the unfor-tunate and wretched dwellers of the eternal fire.

6. Ridwan: Guardian of Paradise, who welcomes the Prophets (alayhum salam) and the righteous who have been blessed by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala).

7. Munkar : To question the dead on issues relating to his/her God, prophet Salla Allahu ta‘ala ‗alayhi wa Sallam, religion, belief, deeds, etc. Questioning in the grave.

8. Nakir: To question the dead on issues relating to his/her God, prophet Salla Al-lahu ta‘ala ‗alayhi wa Sallam, religion, belief, deeds, etc.

9. Raqib: Sits on man‘s right shoulder to record his/her good deeds.

10. Atid: Sits on man‘s left shoulder to record his/her evil deeds.

Key Questions

What is the Quran?

What are the holy books of Is-lam?

Task

Draw a comic representing the jobs of at least 5 angels.

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Depiction of an angle in Is-lam

Predestination

Muslims (believe that on a day decided by Allah, and known only to Allah, life on earth will come to an end and Allah will destroy everything. On this day all the people who have ever lived will be raised from the dead and will face judgement by Allah. Muslims believe that they will remain in their graves un-til this day. This day is called by several names:

the Day of Resurrection (yawm al-Qiyamah)

the Day of Judgement (yawm ad-din)

the Last Hour (as-sa‘a)

Allah will balance the good deeds a person has done in their life against the bad deeds.If the good deed prevail then they will remain in heaven for the whole of eternitiy.

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Akhirah The last article of Islam is life after death. Islam teaches that Allah (God) has full control over all that happens. Nothing can happen unless permitted by Al-lah.

However, Allah has also given humans free will; people are able to choose be-tween right and wrong, and are responsible for their actions. This life is a preparation for the eternal life to come (Akhirah). Humans have one life and it is up to them how they choose to live it.

A representation of life after death.

Key Questions

What is the Quran?

What are the holy books of Is-

Task

Draw a comic representing the jobs of at least 5 angels.

The five pillars of Islam also known as the duty of every mulsim.These are the basic principles of Islam.These are the obligatory acts a Muslim must complete throughout there life time.These are the building blocks of Islam like the pillar holding the foundation of the religion up.every different pillar is a way that Muslims worship Allah(Allah is the Muslim god).These actions were practice by the prophet Muhhamed (PBUH) so there are sunnah for the muslim ummah to copy in his footsteps.the prophet was taught these action by the Ark angle Jibril. Then firthermore the prophet took these actions and then taught them ti his ummah.The ummah of the phrophet are the people who followed him.They also beieve by following the prophets actions they are strenthening ther love for Allah. The five pillars of islam is :

1) Shahadah

2) Slat

3) Zakat

4) Sawm

5) Hajj

Five pillars and Ten obligatory acts of Islam

Key Questions

What are the five pillars?

What are the ten obligatory acts ?

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The ten acts obligatory acts of shia islam are closely related to to the five pil-lars of Islam. Except there are a few more .These are the basic principles that evry shia should follow . They are:

1) Salat

2) Sawm

3) Hajj

4) Zakat

5) Khums

6) Jihad

7) Amr bil Maroof

8) Nahil Anril Munkar

9) Tawalia

10) Tabarra

Shahadah In islam expression or your testimony of faith is known as the shahadah.Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no go but Al-lah), which mens that no other being is worthy of our worship except Allah.Many people belive in this but don‘t aknowledge the second part which com-mands was ashudu aqnna Muhammadan rasulu Allah meaning that you must also believe that Muhhamed (pbuh) is his messenger.

This testimony has 8 cnditions to make it authentic. They are :

1) Knowledge-This means the true knowledge of what the words of the testi-mony means and the actions re-quired.

2) Certainty– This means belief with certainty, without even a slight doubt

3) Acceptance-This means aceepting the testimony and not rejecting its true message

4) Submission-This means obedience and totalsubmission to all Allah‘s com-mands.

5) Truthfulness-

6) Sincerity-Opposite of shirk

7) Love-love for Allah

8) Disbelief-In any other god

The flag of Saudi Arabia in which the Shahadah is written on.

Task

Draw a comic representing the jobs of at least 5 angels.

Key Questions

What is the Quran?

What are the holy books of Is-

Fun Fact

The shahadah is also recited in the muzzein's call to prayer, included in the salat (daily ritual prayer) and incorporated in Sufi contemplative prayer. It is also recited in the mo-ments before death. From the shaha-da are derived the other fundamen-tal doctrines of Islam: angels, the Quran and the Bible, the prophets, and the Day of Judgment.

In my opinion as a young Muslim shahdah is one of the easiest of the five pillars to follow as it isn‘t a physical task but mental, To me shahadah means to believe in God an his prophet (PBUH) . This is my main cause of faith . Sometimes I do find it hard when you see places around the world and people are dying , it sometimes makes me ting twice about Allah. For example things that could affect young Muslims are war, poverty and violation of human rights, - Ismaeel Rasool

Salah Salah (prayer) is an obligation upon every muslim male and female. Islam con-siders it as the ―foundation of the religion‖ and is the next most important pillar after the Shahadah also referred to as the declaration of faith . It is also the first of the actions about which a person will be question on the day of judgment; if his prayers are in good oreder, then he will sucseed and prosper , but if they fail he will be a loser.Slah is also the main criteon that splits a muslim and a hypocrite.

The frequency and timings of the obligatory prayers never let a Muslim forget the reason for which Allah created him in the midst of wordly activities . The five stated prayers are :

1. Fajr-The dawn prayer , whose time begins with the true dawn and lasts until sunrise. It is preferred however, it is permissible to offer at an early time.

2. Dhuhr-The dhuhr prayer whose time begins when the sun has crossd the ce-lestial meridian and continues until an objects shadow is about the same length as the object yourself.

3. Asr– The afternoon prayer whose time begins in the afternoon when the shadow of an object itself and continues until and sunset.

4. Magrib– the sunset prayer whose time begins with the disappearance of the sun and lasts until the red twilight ends.

5. Isha-The night prayer whose time begins with the dissapearence of the red twighlight and continues up to half the night.

Salah also teaches muslims to observe punctuality as it is prescribed at the syated times.It is also an abundant source source of courage and patience and a great and a great support in times of distress and difficulty.

When the faithful observe it regularly they develiop a strong desire to do virtous deeds anticipating Allah‘s reward in the hereafter. When they perform it in congregation, they establish strong social relationships with oth-ers and stenghthen these brotherly ties with such qualities as love, kindness, respect and co-operation.

Muslim praying in congregation

Key Questions

What is the Salah?

How is salah observed by Mus-lims?

Sawm

Sawm also known as fating means to restrain from food, drink and intimate relationship with ones spouse from dawn to sunset with the intentions of seek-ing Allah's pleasure. Fasting helps the faithful develop a strong personality and character, it instils in them and the quality of determination and helps them develop the virtue of displaying affection toward the poor and the dis-tressed; for when the person fasts and undergoes the pangs of hunger of hun-ger he actually remembers the distress of the poor. This is also reminds of Al-lahs favour upon him when he experiences hunger while he is fasting ;this re-minder promts him to give thanks for his boundless bounties.

Fasting also develops the quality of patience and nurtures a kind and for beading character. It also strengthens the body and is sure cure for ,any known diseases. It also helps relax ones digestive system and cause the body to get rid of accumulated wastes which are detrimental to health. Many people that are not Muslim now heal by fasting.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory on all sane, adult physically Muslims who are not ill or travelling .For women, they should meet these con-ditions as well as not being in their menstrual cycle or post natal bleeding.

Muslim fast for 30 days in Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Is-lamic year which is observed as a strict time for sawm for each day in the month,

A meal enjoyed by many Muslims after a day of fasting.

Key Questions

What is the Sawm?

How is Ramadhan observed by Muslims?

Task

Make a time table that a muslim could use during Ramadhan.

Zakat Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. Zakat is also an obligation of every Muslim who owns the least amount that requires a Muslim to pay charity that he has owned for at least a period of a year. This charity is given to 8 different types of people mentioned in the Quran. Zakat does not refer to charitable gifts giv-en out of kindness or generosity, but to the systematic giving of 2.5% of one's wealth each year to benefit the poor.

Zakat is an expression of affection towards the poor and needy, which helps satisfy their needs and settle debts. The literal translation from Arabic is puri-fication. There also other forms of Zakat that can be given at special times.

Zakat ul Fitr is another type of Zakat which muslims have to pay. Its an obli-gotary form of charity on evry individual muslim, regardless of status , age or anything . It is given by the muslim and every is legally bounded to support. In a hadith spoken by the prophet Muhhamed (PBUH) it is made clear that this zakat is to be paid before offering the Eid-Al-Fitr prayer.Although it is better to do it on the the day, it is acceptable to do it one or two days in ad-vance.

In islam there is another voluntary charity called Sadaqah. It is given to seek Allahs pleasure,it can be in the form of money,food clother or anything else.IIt‘s a virtuous deed which islam considers as proof of ee-man.Allahencourages muslims to give chaity and help the needy.However sa-daqah must be done sincerely for the sake of Allah and spent from lawful sources because Allah only excepts that which is good.

A catoon depicting money being given to poor and needy people.

Key Questions

What is the meaning of Zakat?

What are the types of Zakat?

Hajj

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is pilgrim-age to Makah,. It‘s a religious duty that one must carry out a least one during a lifetime if they‘re physically and financially able. Hajj is the largest yearly gathering of faith , in which Muslims from all races, colours and ethnicity gather to glorify Allah, remember him and seek his forgivness.They observe pilgrimage rites as described and demonstrates by the prophet (saw) during his gathering they also get to know one another and discuss their common affairs. It is a demonstration of the university of Islam and the unity and Equali-ty of all Muslims.

Hajj also confirms the commitment that a Muslim puts in to their creator and their readiness to give their materialistic objects in order to complete Allah's ser-vice.

How to perform HaJJ

Day 1—Put on ihram again, and declare one‘s intention of performing Hajj. Per-form tawaf of the kabah and sa‘y, if not performed earlier and leave for Mina early in the morning. Stay overnight in Mina. This day is known as the day of re-flection.

Day 2- Go to Arafat, stand here with devotion, until sunset, praying and asking God for forgiveness. This day is known as the day of forgiveness. In the evening move to Muzdalifah, rest there at night & collect small pebbles for stoning in Mi-na.

Day 3 -Go to Mina and throw small stones at the satan pillars. Offer sacrifice and have the hair shaved or trimmed. Go to Makkah perform tawaf then return to Mina. This day is known as the day of sacrifice.

Day 4-Stay in Mina and throw pebbles at Satan pillars. This day and the next two days are known as ‗the days of drying meat.‘

Day 5=Stay in Mina and throw pebbles at Satan pillars. Return the same day to Mak-kah and perform tawaf, then drink the wa-ter of Zamzam. This ends the Hajj.

This the Kaabah. ―Allah‘s House‖ in which Muslim visit during Hajj.

Key Questions

What is Hajj?

How is it performed?

Jihad Jihad can be literally translated to mean struggle or effort but many people in the modern era misinter-pret it to mean holy war.The types of struggle that jihad describes are:

1) A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible

2) The struggle to build a good Muslim society

3) Holy war: the struggle to defend Is-lam, with force if necessary.

A concept that modern scholars have derived from the word jihad is internal spiritual struggle which is accepted by many Muslims.

The internal jihad is also known to be the greater jihad as narrated by the Prophet (PBUH) . The phrase internal jihad refer to the effort that Muslims need to put in to reach their best level of faith.

The five Pillars of Islam form an exercise of Jihad in this sense, since a Muslim gets closer to Allah by performing them.

Other ways in which a Muslim engages in the 'greater Jihad' could include:

Learning the Qur'an by heart, or engage in other religious study.

Overcoming things such as anger, greed, hatred, pride, or malice.

Giving up smoking.

Cleaning the floor of the mosque.

Taking part in Muslim community ac-tivities.

Working for social justice.

Forgiving someone who has hurt them.

Key Questions

What is Jihad?

How is it performed?

Depiction of a man struggling physical-ly in relation to Jihad

Festivals in Islam

Eid is the Arabic word for festival.There are only two eids in Islam. They are Eid al Adha and Eid al fitr .Eid al fitr iscelebrated on the first lunar month of Shwaal. It is an expression of giving thanks to Allah for enabling his faithful servants to observe the fasting o the month of Ramadhan. This is why it is also reffered to as ―the festival of the breaking of the fast‖ Meanwhile eid al adha also known as the festival of sacrifice.It is celebrated on the 10th of the lunar month of Dhul Hijjah to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim‘s readinessto sacrifice his son ishmaeel to Allah. It is strictly forbidden to fast on these two occasions.

It was the practice of the Prophets companions to beautify themselves on the-se two occasions by doing such things as taking Ghusl, putting on the best available clothes and wearing perfume. It was also their practice to pronounce the Takbir out loud.They would also congratulate others and have fun. Not only do they eat the meat they have sacrificed but also give to others and the poor.

Eid Prayer

The eid prayer consists oftwo rakahs is performed without Adhhan or Iqaamah and is followed by a Khutbah that is delivered in to parts with a short break inbetween.

The two prayers are a confirmed practice of the prophet (PHUH)which he al-ways observed but not only encourage men but children and women to do it too.

Muslim Kid celebrating Eid.

Key Questions

What is Eid?

How are festivals celebrated in Islasm?

The Quran is the holy book of Islam. It was revealed to the prophet Mo-hamed (PBUH) over a period of 23 years. Revelation that have come from the Quran are regarded by Muslims as the Words of Allah. Muslims believe the book was sent to also correct errors in previous holy books such as the Torah and old testament. The Quran was originally revealed to the Proph-et (PBUH) in Arabic but overtime has been translated into many different languages.

There are 114 chapters in the Qur'an, which is written in the old Arabic dia-lect.All the chapters except one begin with the sentence Bismillahir rah-manir raheem, 'In the name of Allah the most merciful and the most kind'. This is the thought with which Muslims should start every action.The long-est chapter of the Qur'an is Surah Baqarah (The Cow) with 286 verses and the shortest is Surah Al-Kawther(abundance) which has 3 verses.The ar-rangement of surahs does not correspond to the chronological order in which they were revealed.The Qur'an is sometimes divided into 30 roughly equal parts, known as juz'. These divisions make it easier for Muslims to read the Qur'an during the course of a month and many will read one juz' each day, particularly during the month of Ramadan.

The Revelation

The Quran was revealed to the prophet (PBUH) in sections throughout the twenty three years of his prophet hood. He became a prophet when Angel Jibril first approached him at the age of 40.Whenever a problem arose , or whenever Allah wanted to the prophet (PBUH) and his followers special advice , he would send down Jibril with a part of the Quran that would be recited to the prophet (PBUH). Thus the Quran wasn‘t revealed all at once in its complete form like earlier book of revelation but in parts over a pe-riod of time

The Quran

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A beautiful image of a Quran.

Key Questions

What is Quran?

Why is it important to Muslims?

Muhammad (PBUH) was the son of Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib; his mother was Aminah. His father belonged to the family of Hashim which was the no-bilest tribe of the Quraish section of Arabian race. He was born in Aam Al-feel also known as the year of the elephant in the year 571 ADin Makkah. Before he was bron his father died and his mother passed away when he reached the age of 6 so he grew up as an orphan.

In Arabia at the time is was tradition to let other woman nurse your children. The first lady to nurse after his mother was Thuaybah,then he was nursed by Haleemah for the famous tribe of Banu Sa‘d which was known for its Desert air.His grandfather then took care of him until he died when Muhhamed was only 8. Later his uncle Abu Talib took him into his care.

The Prophet (PBUH) Today

One in every five persons on this earth firmly believes that the Prophet Mu-hammad is the last Messenger of God. He was a Muslim and there are more than 1.3 billion such Muslims today. [Editor's Note: 1.6 billion as of 2010]

Not only individuals but entire countries take pride in declaring their alle-giance to him. There are 54 such Muslim states today, ranging from those as large as Indonesia and Bangladesh, with populations of 200 and 125 million respectively, to those as tiny as the Maldives or Brunei with populations of 230,000 and 260,000. Even in non-Muslim countries, large Muslim popula-tions constitute significant minorities; as much as 120 million in India and 20 million in China. Indeed, within the last half century, Islam, the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad, has become the second largest religion in most European countries, as also in America and Canada.

Black and white, red and yellow, followers of the Prophet Muhammad come from all human races. Whether in Asia or Europe, Africa or America, in every nook and cranny of this globe, you are sure to find Muslims. They live in the most advanced, sprawling megalopolis as well as in the most primitive no-madic tent, village, hamlet, and even in the bush.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Key Questions

What is Quran?

Why is it important to Muslims?

Muhammad (PBUH) writer in calligraphy

The Prophets (PBUH) family

The above diagram shows the Family of the Prophet Muhammad)

In Islamic history, upon the death of Muhammad, his followers were faced with the decision of who should take his place as the leader of Islam. This lead-ership position was called the kalifa, which means "deputy" or "successor" in Arabic. The decision over who should be the first caliph (the anglicized form of kalifa) resulted in a division that has endured to this day. One group of fol-lowers held that Muhammad himself had chosen 'Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, as his successor. Others insisted that Abu Bakr, Muhammad's good friend and father-in-law, be given the caliphate. In the end, Abu Bakr would be-come the first of four caliphs, each of whom contributed significantly to the development and spread of Islam.

Those who chose Ali are known as Shias.

While those who chose Abu Bakr are known as Sunni

The Hadith

A hadith stands for what has been transmitted on the authority of the Proph-et (PBUH), his sayigns, actions ,tacit approval or description of his moral traits or physical traits or physical appearance.

The impotance of the Hadith lies in the fact that it is the second most im-portant source of leglilation in Islam after the Quran. The most famous books on Hadith are:

Al-Bukhari (d. 870 CE)-

Muslim Ibn Al-Hajjaj (d. 875)-

Abu Da'ud (d. 888)-

Al-Tirmidhi (d. 892)-

Ibn Maja (d. 886)-

Al-Nasa'i (d. 915)

The main example I am using is the one regarding war (when Hadith is nedded)as today many Muslims interpret this message wrong and the conse-quences are great. This part of the sharia law was revealed when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was having trouble and hardships with his home tribe in Mecca called the Quraysh. This is an example of when the prophet was asked a Question and the answer came in the Quran.These questions came from his followers to him and then Allah answers through the ark angle Jibril (Gabriel) who taught him the Quran and the messages he should therefore convey to his Ummah.(Ummah is the people that are Muslim that follow the Prophet Mo-hamed (SAW)The sunnah is the teachings of the Prophet Mohamed and I will discuss how they relate in the example I am using. people who misinterpret this are people known as extremists.

My example is that the prophet was asked by his followers if he should engage in warfare as he was having trouble with the local tribe. responding to this Al-lah commander a knew rule and law and it said that they could commit to warfare as long as it followed the rules of warfare and it was lawful.They had asked this question as the prophet Muhhamed had always been a pacifist meaning that he was for peace so he hated war.Allah answered in the Quran.

A collection of Islamic books and Hadith

"SAHIH INTERNATIONAL

They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the bounties [of war]. Say, "The [decision concerning] bounties is for Allah and the Messenger." So fear Allah and amend that which is between you and obey Allah and His Messenger, if you should be believ-ers."

The previous line shows that Allah is answering there question and telling them to keep there faith strong.

SAHIH INTERNATIONAL

[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, "I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip."

This shows that Allah has commanded them to commence in war when it says to strike them as Allah will reinforce them.this also tells the Muslim of that area to commence in lawful war

Later on this was added to sharia law.this whole chapter or surah talks about how Muslims should conduct warfare .ISIS has misinterpreted as they think they should attack all disbelievers yet they don't refer to sunnah which tell you only to defend your self.

Key Questions

What are Hadith?

Why is it important to Muslims?

Task

Research and make notes

An Example of a book of Hadith

The Sharia Law

The shariah covers all aspects all aspects of life and refers to whatever beleifs acts of worship,dealings and models of lifethat Allah has legislated,The term shariah exclusively refers to whatever has come down to Muslims from Al-lah.As Allah is the legislator (Ash-Shaan). It is not right to use the word Shari-ha to refer to man-made laws.

The sahriah includes bothe faiths and practices, it embraces wor-ship,individual attitude and conduct as well as social norms and laws, whether political, economic,family, criminal or civil.

The term means "way" or " path"; it is the legal framework within which the public and some private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based on Islam.

Sharia deals with all aspects of day-to-day life, includ-ing politics, economics, banking,business law, contract law, sexuality, and so-cial issues.

There is not a strictly codified uniform set of laws that can be called Sharia. It is more like a system of several laws, based on the Qur'an, Hadith and centu-ries of debate, interpretation and precedent.

An picture of Saudi Arabia where Sharia Law is implemented.

The Imam

The primary responsibility of an imam is to lead Islamic worship services. In fact, the word "imam" itself means "to stand in front of" in Arabic, referring to placement of the imam in front of the worshippers during prayer. The imam recites the verses and words of prayer, and the people follow his movements. During the service, he stands facing away from the worshipers, toward the di-rection of Makkah.

The Sunni branch of Islam does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a, an important distinction often overlooked by those outside of the Islamic faith. In everyday terms, the imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads Is-lamic formal (Fard) prayers, even in locations besides the mosque, whenever prayers are done in a group of two or more with one person leading (imam) and the others following by copying his ritual actions of worship. Friday ser-mon is most often given by an appointed imam. All mosques have an imam to lead the (congregational) prayers

An picture of an Imam

Key Questions

What is an Imam?

Why are they impotant to the community?

Task

Find out other roles Imam‘s take in a community and present it in a creative format.

Ummah is Arabic translates to mean community. In Islam it refer to the wider community around the world and every Muslim. The term is usually used when referring to the prophet Mohamed (PBUH) and his ummah. Ummah in this sense means his fol-lowers and even thought the prophet has passed away many years ago. The Muslim ummah today would still be consisted his followers.

Welcoming a child into the Ummah

1. The Muslim call to prayer or adhaan ("God is great, there is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer.") are the first words a new born Muslim baby should hear. They are whispered into the right ear of the child by his or her father.

2. The baby's first taste should be something sweet, so parents may chew a piece of date and rub the juice along the baby's gums. It was a practice carried out by the Prophet Muhammad and is believed to help tiny digestive systems to kick in.

3. After seven days the baby's head is shaved .Muslims weigh the hair and give the equivalent weight in silver to charity.

4. Ideally, Muslim baby boys are circumcised when they are seven days old although it can take place any time before puberty.

5. They also choose a name for the baby on the seventh day .

6. The aqeeqah is also traditionally carried out on the seventh day. This is the sacrifice of an animal. (in Britain the meat is ordered at the butchers) and the meat is dis-tributed to relatives and neigh-bours and also given to the poor.

The Muslim ummah

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An picture of the Muslim com-munity in a congregational

prayer

Key Questions

What is a muslim ummah?

Why are they impotant to the community?

Muslim Aid

Muslim aid is an islam charity that is based in London but had been Working in over 70 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe Muslim aid targets poor people overcome things like natural disasters and lack of life‘s basic necessities. They work with all in need, regardless of their race, religion, gender, nationality or political opinion.

They have many programs around the world that help with these fol-lowing problems ;

Education

Skills training

Provision of clean water

Healthcare

Income generation projects

These projects ensure that individuals can have access to basic necessities and the skills necessary to generate an income so that they are not perma-nently dependent on aid agencies for food and shelter.

Key Questions

What is Muslim aid?

How to religious charities effect the wider community?

Halal and Haram

The word ‗halal‘ literally means permissible- and in translation it is usually used as lawful. The antonym to halal is haram, which means unlawful or forbidden. This could refer to actions a person takes. ie. Good or bad deed. Most muslims automatically know if something is good or bad like if it halal or haram.

Yet it is more commonly known for its relation and ruling on food That are guided from the shariah. Law.

Halal foods are permitted to be eaten by Muslims they are the following:

1. Milk (from cows, sheep, camels, and goats) 2. Honey 3. Fish 4. Plants which are not intoxicant 5. Fresh or naturally frozen vegetables 6. Fresh or dried fruits 7. Legumes and nuts like peanuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, etc. 8. Grains such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, oat, etc.

Animals such as cows, sheep, goats, deer, moose, chickens, ducks, game birds, etc., are also Halal, but they must be Zabihah (slaughtered according to Islamic Rites) in order to be suitable for consumption. The procedure is as follows: the animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim. The animal should be put down on the ground (or held it if it is small) and its throat should be slit with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3 main blood vessels are cut. While cutting the throat of the animal (without severing it), the person must pronounce the name of Allah or recite a blessing which contains the name of Allah, such as "Bismillah Allah-u-Akbar".

Haram foods are as followed :

1. Meat from swine - pork, ham, gammon, bacon, etc

2. Pork-based products and by-products - sausages, gelatine etc

3. Animals improperly slaughtered, or al-

Key Questions

What is Halal and Haram?

What are halal foods?

ready dead before slaughtering is due to take place

4. Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah.

5. Intoxicants

6. Most carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without exter-nal ears (i.e., snakes, reptiles, worms, insects etc.)

7. Blood and blood by-products

Forms of Islamic Art Calligraphy in Islam also known as beautiful writing is the reformed form way of artistic expression for Muslim fitting in with sharia law concerning Art.It is the best way of showing art in the Islamic world. Through the act of writing the Quran, Artist have been reworked into an elegant visual form. Consequently, the Arabic script was continuously refined and imaginatively embellished to become the most recognizable and ubiquitous symbol of Islam.

Adapted to every possible surface—from monumental stone structures to deli-cate silk robes—words, both religious and secular, were employed not only to impart information, but also to lend visual beauty to these works.

Music has traditionally been one of the more controversial issues in the Muslim world. While all Muslim scholars have always accepted and even encouraged chanting the call to prayer and the Qur'an, the permissibility of other forms of music, especially instrumental music, has been problematic. In Arabic, the word musiqa, which is translated as "music," even has a more narrow sense than does the English word "music." Musical in Arabic refers mainly to popular and instrumental music and excludes genres such as Qur'anic chanting and the Muslim call to prayer (adh'an). Yet Muslims can be listen to only vocal which are called Nasheeds.

Architecture is one of the greatest Islamic art forms. An Islamic style is seen in mosques but also in Muslim houses and gardens.

Some of the typical features are:

It's hidden - another term is "the architecture of the veil"

A traditional Islamic house is built around a courtyard, and shows only a wall with no windows to the street outside

It thus protects the family, and family life from the people outside, and the harsh environment of many Islamic lands - it's a private world

Concentration on the interior rather than the outside of a building - the common Islamic courtyard structure provides a space that is both outside, and yet within the building

Key Questions

What is Caligraphy?

What are other forms of Islamic art ?

Mosque

The mosque also referred to as a masjid is a place of worship where Mus-lims carry out Salah. It is the pivot in which the whole life of the Muslim community revolves. Because of the importance of the masjid,the first task of the Prophet (PBUH) undertook the following his migration to Me-dina was the construction of a Mosque.

Outside every mosque, or just inside the entrance, is a place where wor-shippers can remove and leave their shoes. There is also a place where they can carry out the ritual washing required before prayer.

The main hall of a mosque is a bare room largely devoid of furniture. There are no pictures or statues. Muslims believe these are blasphemous, since there can be no image of Allah, who is wholly spirit.

Everyone sits on the floor and everywhere in the mosque is equal in status.

A niche in one of the walls, called a mihrab, shows the direction that the worshippers should face in order to face Mecca.

Many mosques have a minaret which is a tall thin tower. A muezzin stands at the top of the tower and calls Muslims to prayer at the five ritual times of the day. Not all mosques in the UK have a minaret.

Women can attend the mosque and when they do they sit separately from the men. This is out of modesty and to prevent any distraction. It is more usual for women to pray at home.

Key Questions

What is a mosque

What does a mosque contain ?

You enjoin what is right, and forbid what is reprehensible.― and are considered positive roles in helping others to take the straight path and abstain from repre-hensible acts.

This expression is the base of the Islamic institution of hisbah. It forms a central part of the Islamic doctrine for all Muslims. It is also explicitly referred to in the two Shi'a Ancillaries of the Faith,commanding what is just and forbidding what is evil.

ENJOINING GOOD & FORBIDDING EVIL

Sufism

Sufism is less a sect Islam than a mystical way of approaching the Islamic faith. It has been defined as "mystical Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God."

Islamic mystics are called Sufis and their way of life is Sufism (also spelled Su-fism). These terms evolved in Western languages in the early 19th century and derive from the Arabic term for a mystic, sufi, which in turn derives from suf, ―wool.‖ This likely refers to the woollen garment of early Islamic ascetics.

Similarly, Islamic mysticism in general is called tasawwuf (literally, ―to dress in wool‖) in Arabic. Sufis are also referred to as fuqara, ―the poor,‖ the plural form of the Arabic faqir. The Persian equivalent is darvish. These are the roots of the English terms fakir and dervish, used interchangeably for an Islamic mystic.