What does Islam mean?

1. Islamic belief:
Islam is an Arabic word, it means that you totally
surrender to God, and worship Him only.
Here also I must explain what does worship means? It
doesn't mean that you only pray, its meaning is much
much wider, to worship God is that you look at Him
as your ONLY master, no other master controlling
you, so He is the ONLY one you are loyal to , He is
the ONLY One you rely on, He is the ONLY one you
fear, He is the ONLY one who judges you and puts
rules for you, He is the axis your life rotates on, why?
because He is our Creator, He is the Creator of the
Universe and Creator of everything, He is the One
who manages the Universe, He is the strong, the
compassionate the merciful, He knows everything, He
can do everything. He is the One who controls the
Universe.
How did we know that? God sent prophets to us to
teach us this and to tell us the laws He gave for us to
go along our life, we will be accounted on this in the
Hereafter.
Don't think that the beginning of Islam was only since
Muhammad (Peace be upon him), no that's wrong,
Islam began from the beginning of creation, God
created Adam (Peace be upon him) and Adam was a
Muslim, because he really worshipped God only, and
began to have a family, all the family were
Muslims,and the life went on, then people began to
deviate from this meaning and forgot God, began to
worship idols, God sent the prophets: Noah, Hud,
Saleh, Abraham,Moses, David, Solomon,
Jesus,Muhammad and many other prophets (Peace be
upon them all), the mission of all these prophets was
to restore people back to the right way of God, and to
remind them of their reality.
But at the end all these prophets are not gods, they
don't have any divine nature,because Allah is the
ONLY God,so when Jews put very wrong concepts of
God that made Him like a child they are deviating
from concept of worshipping God, because they are
insulting Him, and when Christians say that Jesus is
God or God's son, or that God is one in Trinity, they
are really deviating from the concept , and when they
make their priests invent rules for them with no
evidence from what God said or what His prophets
said, they also are deviating from the concept of
worshipping God.
We in Islam refuse all these forms, if someone said
that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is our God, he
is a disbeliever, God is the ONLY God, If an Immam
said a Fatwa, he must give his evidence on this Fatwa,
he is not obeyed blindly, our standard is what Allah
and His prophet told us (because the Prophet is the
one whom God sent not because he has a divine
nature because he hasn't).
This is generally the Islamic belief.
2. Islamic morals:
God ordered us to be merciful, treat people well, help
people, He recommended us to treat our parents well,
and to keep always on helping them.
23. Thy Lord has commanded that ye worship none
but HIM, and that ye show kindness to parents. If one
or both of them attain old age with thee, never say to
them as much as ugh nor reproach them, but always
address them with kindly speech.
24. And lower them the wing of humility out of
tenderness. And say, `My Lord, have mercy on them
even as they nourished me when I was a little child.'
(Holy Quran 17:23-24)
even if they were not Muslims we must treat them
well but we don't obey them if they ordered us to
disobey God.
15. And if they contend with thee to make thee set up
equals with ME concerning which thou hast no
knowledge, obey them not, but be a kind companion
to them in worldly affairs, (Holy Quran 31:15)
God ordered us to keep always in contact with our
relatives God said: 36. And worship ALLAH and
associate naught with HIM, and show kindness to
parents, and to kindred (Holy Quran 4:36)
Also the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “ He/She
who believes in Allah , the Almighty and Day of
Judgment , must communicate , be good, courteous
and kind to his kith and kin or relatives.” (Narrated by
Bukhari and Muslim)
Also we are also recommended to treat the neighbors
well, even if they were not Muslims and even if they
treated us badly as God said:
and to the neighbour who is a kinsman and the
neighbour who is a stranger (Holy Quran 4:36)
Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “(Arch Angel)
Gbriel , PBUH, pressed on reminding me with the
right of the neighbor until I thought he is going to
consider him an heir ( of mine) .” (Narrated by
Bukhari and Muslim)
He also says: “ The best of neighbor s in the sight of
Allah, the Almighty, is the one who is best to his
neighbor”.(Narrated by Tirmithee)

God also told us to take care of orphans as in the same

verse and orphans
There was a very severe punishment to those who take
money of orphans as God said:
10. Surely they who devour the property of the
orphans unjustly, only swallow fire into their bellies,
and they shall burn in a blazing fire. (Quran 4:10)

God ordered us to be completely fair with people even

if I saw two people having a problem, one of them is
Muslim, the other is non Muslim, and I found the
right with the non-Muslim, I must judge for the non-
Muslim.
135. O ye who believe ! be strict in observing justice
and be witnesses for ALLAH, even though it be
against yourselves or against your parents or kindred.
Whether he, against whom witness is borne, be rich or
poor, ALLAH is more regardful of them both than
you are. Therefore follow not your low desires that
you may be able to act equitably. And if you hide the
truth or evade it, then know that ALLAH is Well-
Aware of what you do. (Quran 4:135)
God ordered us also not to do adultery except with our
wives, because it is not a mess, and because it
destroys the society and makes people deviate and
spoil, that's why God, ordered us to take all the
reasons to prevent this to happen, so He ordered
women to wear Hijab which covers their body and
heads so as not arise sexual desire in men, and it is
also a protection for the woman from being raped or
being annoyed by bad men. It makes women appear in
a respectful way, their body is not something public
seen by all people, it is only for the one she accepted
as her husband. He ordered them when talking with
men, not to talk in a way that arises their sexual desire
but to talk in a serious way.
31. And say to the believing women that they restrain
their looks and guard their private parts, and that they
display not their beauty or their embellishment except
that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw
their head-coverings over their bosoms (Quran 24:31)
So be not soft in speech, lest he, in whose heart is a
disease, should feel tempted; and speak decent words.
(Quran 33:32)
As God ordered women to cover their body, he
ordered men not to look at women, because this arises
their sexual desire, and may lead them to adultery, or
at least may lead them go astray from their duties in
this life.
30. Say to the believing men that they restrain their
looks and guard their private parts. That is purer for
them. Surely, ALLAH is Well-Aware of what they do.
(Holy Quran 24:30)
This is really one of the major problems the societies
in the West face.

God ordered us not to lie or to promise with

something and don't do, Prophet Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) said that these are the properties of
hypocrites.
119. O ye who believe ! fear ALLAH and be with the
truthful.(Quran 9:119)

and fulfill the covenant; for the covenant shall be

questioned about.
35. And give full measure when you measure and
weigh with a right balance; that is best and most
commendable in the end.(Quran 17:34-35)

70. O ye who believe ! Fear ALLAH and say the

straightforward word.
71. HE will set right you actions for you and forgive
you your sins. And whoso obeys ALLAH and HIS
Messenger shall, surely, attain a supreme triumph.
( Quran 33:70-71)

God ordered us to say good words and avoid bad

words and emphasized much on this because the slip
of the tongue may cause many problems.
24. Dost thou not see how ALLAH sets forth a
parable of a good word ? It is like a good tree, whose
root is firm and whose branches reach into heaven ?
25. It brings forth its fruit at all times by the command
of its Lord. And ALLAH sets forth parables for men
that they may be reminded.
26. And the case of an evil word, is like that of an evil
tree, which is uprooted from above the earth and has
no stability. (Quran 14:24-26)

God ordered us not to be arrogant but to be modest.

37. And walk not in the earth haughtily, for thou canst
not thus rend the earth, nor canst thou reach the
mountains in height. (Quran 17:37)

63. And the true servants of the Gracious God are

those who walk on the earth humbly and when the
ignorant address them, they avoid them gracefully by
saying, `Peace !' (Quran 25:63)

Finally God orders us to do everything good and

avoid everything bad.
90. Verily, ALLAH enjoins justice, and the doing of
good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids
indecency and manifest evil and transgression. HE
admonishes you that you may take heed. (Quran
16:90)

3. Islamic pillars:
They are five:
1. Witnessing that Allah is the only God and that
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His messenger: as
I explained in the beginning.
2. Praying: We pray to God five times a day in the
mosques, from the benefits of praying:
a. Having communication with God who created us
b. Meeting with Muslims periodically every day,
connecting with each other, which strengthens the
Islamic society.
3. Zakat: Every mature able Muslim pays 2.5% of his
income to help in building Islamic society, this is the
minimum, God promised us with high rewards for
paying more and more.
276. ALLAH will blot out interest and will cause
charity to increase. And ALLAH loves not anyone
who is a confirmed disbeliever and an arch-sinner.
(Quran 2:276)

4. Fasting: Every healthy mature able Muslim must

fast Ramadan (one of the Islamic months), all
Muslims fast together in this month by stop eating and
drinking along the day, they begin fasting at the dawn,
they have breakfast at the Sunset. This really builds
the Muslim character, trains him to control his desire
and his passion, besides when all Muslims fast
together, this gives a beautiful picture of the Muslims
being uniform, it also makes the rich feel the hunger
and thrusts of poor and motivates them to help the
poor.

5. Finally, the pilgrimage: Every healthy able Muslim

must do it once in his life. It is the annual Muslim
conference where about 2 million Muslims meet in
Mecca leaving their countries being at rest their
answering God's call, wearing simple clothes,
declaring their total obedience to God.
The rites of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven
times and going seven times between the hillocks of
Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for
water. Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafat and
ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness,
in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of
Judgment.
The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-
Adha, which is celebrated with prayers. This, and Eid
al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of
Ramadan, are the two annual festivals of the Muslim
calendar.