Core Values of Islam

 

It is difficult to limit all of Islam into a few core values.  Nevertheless, the most important beliefs and religious practices were identified by Prophet Muhammad himself.  Thus, there is general agreement on them among all Muslims.  It provides an interesting comparison since modern Jews and Christians do not have similar uniformity in their belief systems.  Christians, for example, have numerous creeds[1] and Jews do not have any agreed upon beliefs.  Modern Jews mostly agree over the 613 commandments that Maimonides, a Jewish rabbi from Muslim Spain, recorded and classified in the 12th century.

Additionally, Muslim scholars, past and present, have also identified and in certain cases agreed on the core teachings of the Quran, of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and the ‘essentials’ of Islamic Law (Shariah).

Core Islamic Beliefs: Six Articles of Faith

More than a billion Muslims share a common set of fundamental beliefs that are described as "Articles of Faith." These articles of faith form the foundation of Islamic belief system.

1.  Belief in One God: The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped.  Also, the biggest sin in Islam is to worship other beings with God.  In fact, Muslims believe that it is the only sin that God does not forgive if a person dies before repenting from it.

2.  Belief in Angels: God created unseen beings called angels who work tirelessly to administer His kingdom in full obedience.  The angels surround us at all times, each has a duty; some record our words and deeds.

3.    Belief in Prophets of God: Muslims believe that God communicates His guidance through human prophets sent to every nation.  These prophets start with Adam and include Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them.  The main message of all the prophets has always been that there is only One true God and He alone is worthy of being supplicated to and worshipped.

4.    Belief in Revealed Books of God: Muslims believe that God revealed His wisdom and instructions through ‘books’ to some of the prophets like the Psalms, Torah, and the Gospel.  Over time, however, the original teachings of these books got distorted or lost.  Muslims believe the Quran is God’s final revelation revealed to Prophet Muhammad and has been fully preserved.

5.    Belief in Day of Judgment: The life of this world and all that is in it will come to an end on an appointed day.  At that time, every person will be raised from the dead.  God will judge each person individually, according to his faith and his good and bad actions.  God will show mercy and fairness in judgment.  According to Islamic teachings, those who believe in God and perform good deeds will be eternally rewarded in Heaven.  Those who reject faith in God will be eternally punished in the fire of Hell.

6.    Belief in Destiny and Divine Decree: Muslims believe that since God is the Sustainer of all life, nothing happens except by His Will and with His full knowledge.  This belief does not contradict the idea of free will.  God does not force us, our choices are known to God beforehand because His knowledge is complete.  This recognition helps the believer through difficulties and hardships.

Core Religious Practice of Islam: The Five "Pillars" of Islam

In Islam, worship is part of daily life and is not limited to mere rituals.  The formal acts of worship are known as the five "pillars" of Islam.  The five pillars of Islam are the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.

1.    Declaration of Faith: The "Declaration of Faith" is the statement, "La ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammad Rasul-ullah", meaning "There is no deity worthy of being worship except God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God".  The Declaration of Faith is more than just a statement; it must be shown with one's actions.  To convert to the faith of Islam, a person has to say this statement.

2.    Daily Prayer: Prayer is a method by which a Muslim connects to God and gathers spiritual strength and peace of mind.  Muslims perform five formal prayers a day. 

3.    Zakah: A type of charity.  Muslims recognize that all wealth is a blessing from God, and certain responsibilities are required in return.  In Islam, it is the duty of the wealthy to help the poor and needy. 

4.    Fast of Ramadan: Once each year, Muslims are commanded to fast for an entire month from dawn to sunset.  The period of intense spiritual devotion is known as the fast of Ramadan in which no food, drink and sex is allowed during the fast.  After sunset one can enjoy these things.  During this month Muslims practice self-control and focus on prayers and devotion.  During the fast, Muslims learn to sympathize with those in the world who have little to eat.

5.    The Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca: Every Muslim strives to make once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the sacred sites in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia.  It is the most intense spiritual experience for a Muslim.  Typically, 2-3 million perform hajj every year.

Core of the Quran: Surah (Chapter)al-Fatihah

Scholars consider Surah al-Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran, to be the core of the Quran.  It is recited in every formal prayer in the Arabic language.  The translation follows:

"I begin with the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.   All praise and thanks are for God, the Lord of the worlds.  The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.  You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.  Guide us to the Straight Path (of Islam), the path of those You have blessed, not the path of those who have incurred Your wrath nor of those who have gone astray."

To listen the recitation of Surah al-Fatiha click here

Core Teachings of Prophet Muhammad

Classical scholars of Islam have condensed the teachings of Prophet Muhammad into a few statements.  These comprehensive statements touch every aspect of our lives.  Some of them are:

1)Actions are judged by the intention behind them.

2)God is Pure and does not accept anything unless it is pure and God has commanded the faithful with what He commanded the prophets.

3)Part of a person’s good observance of Islam is to leave aside what does not concern him.

4)A person cannot be a complete believer unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

5)One should not harm himself or others.

6)Don’t let your focus in this life be to amass worldly gain and God will love you.  Don’t be concerned with what people have, and they will love you.

Core of Islamic Law or Shariah

The core of Islamic Law is preservation of:

1)Religion

2)Life

3)Family

4)Mind

5)Wealth

6)Some contemporary scholars suggest either justice or liberty to be the sixth category.

In the vision of Islam, they are known as "essentials" because they are considered essential to human welfare.

In conclude, if someone were to ask, what is the core of Islam in the fewest possible words, the answer would be, "it is within the word Islam itself: to serve, worship, and lovingly submit to God."

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]www.creeds.net

What is the Criteria for a True Prophet?

 

Masjid at Melaka, Malaysia

Rays from the Same Lamp

A natural question to ask someone who believes in any prophet is: ‘What are the criteria for your belief in him?’  Reasonable criteria would be:

(i)   evidence for his claim.

(ii)  consistency in his teachings (about God, afterlife, and similar issues of belief)

(iii) similarity to the teachings of earlier prophets.

(iv) integrity: he must be a man of high morals.

The Bible lends support to our criteria.  The Old Testament says of a false prophet:

1.    Pretends to be sent by God.[1]

2.    Described as covetous,[2]  drunken,[3]  immoral and profane,[4]  influenced by evil spirits.[5]

3.    Prophesizes falsely,[6]  lies in the name of the Lord,[7]  out of his own heart,[8]  in the name of false gods.[9]

4.    Often practices divination and witchcraft.[10]

5.    Leads people into error,[11]  makes to forget God’s name,[12]  teaches profaneness and sin,[13]  and oppresses.[14]

The New Testament says of Jesus’ criteria to identify false prophets:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."[15]

We learn the following:

(i)   prophecy will continue after Jesus.

(ii)  beware of false prophets.

(iii) the criteria to identify a false prophet is his fruits, that is his works or deeds.[16]

As stated earlier, Muhammad claimed unequivocally, ‘I am God’s Messenger.’  If a person evaluates his claim on the above criteria, he will find it meets the criteria completely.

In Islamic doctrine, all prophets constitute a spiritual fraternity of brothers with a single ‘father,’ but different ‘mothers.’  The ‘father’ is prophethood and unity of God, the ‘mothers’ are the different Laws they brought.  Emphasizing the spiritual fraternity of all prophets, Prophet Muhammad said:

"I am the closest of all people to the son of Mary (Jesus).  The prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers are different, but their religion is one." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

All prophets are ‘rays’ from the same ‘Lamp’: the central message of all prophets throughout ages was to dedicate worship to God only.  That’s why Islam views denying a single prophet as equivalent to denying them all.  The Quran states:

"Indeed, those who deny God and His messengers, and wish to separate God from His messengers, saying: ‘We believe in some but reject others’ and want to pursue a path in-between - it is they, they who are truly denying the truth: and for those who deny the truth We have readied shameful suffering.  But as for those who believe in God and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them - unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full].  And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace." (Quran 4:150-152)

Denying the prophethood of Muhammad is tantamount to denying all prophets.  The prophethood of Muhammad is known just like the prophethood of Moses and Jesus is known: the numerous reports of their miracles that have reached us.  The Book brought by Muhammad (the Quran) is fully preserved, and His Law is complete and applicable to today’s world.  Moses brought the Law and justice, Jesus brought grace and flexibility.  Muhammad combined between the Law of Moses and the grace of Jesus.

If someone were to say, ‘he was an imposter,’ others are more fit to be charged with this accusation.  Hence, denying Muhammad is denying one’s own prophets.  If a reasonable person looks at two bright stars, he must acknowledge both are stars, he cannot say to one, ‘Yes, this one is a bright star,’ but deny the other!  Doing so would be denying reality and a lie.

Make a table of all the prophets you believe in.  Start from the first one to the last one you believe in.  Answer the following questions:

What is the evidence I believe he was a true prophet?

What was the mission of the prophet in his own words?

Did he bring a Law?  Is his Law applicable today?

What scripture did he bring?  How is its content and meaning?

Is the scripture preserved in the original language it was revealed in?  Is it considered a literary authority, free of internal inconsistencies?

What do you know of his morals and integrity?

Compare all the prophets you have listed and then answer the same questions about Muhammad.  Then ask yourself, ‘Can I honestly take Muhammad out of my list because he does not meet the criteria as other prophets?’  It will not take too much effort to discover that the evidence for Muhammad’s prophethood is stronger and more convincing.

A skeptic need consider what is so unusual about Muhammad’s claim to be a prophet?  When did God declare an end to prophecy before him?  Who decided that there would not be any more divine communication with human beings?  With no evidence to block divine revelation, it is natural to accept a continuity of revelation:

"Indeed, We have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner: for there never was any community but a Warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst." (Quran 35:24)

"And We sent forth Our messengers, one after another: [and] every time their messenger came to a community, they gave him the lie: and so We caused them to follow one another [into the grave], and let them become [mere] tales: and so - away with the folk who would not believe!" (Quran 23:44)

This is true especially when the truth was perverted by Jews and Christians, the Christians claiming Jesus was the son of God and Jews calling him an illegitimate son of Joseph the Carpenter.  Muhammad brought the truth: Jesus was God’s noble prophet born of a miraculous virgin birth.  As a result, Muslims believe in Jesus and love him, neither going to the extreme like the Christians, nor disparaging him like the Jews.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Jer 23:17,18,31

[2]Mic 3:11

[3]Isa 28:7

[4]Jer 23:11,14

[5]1Ki 22:21,22

[6]Jer 5:31

[7] Jer 14:14

[8]Jer 23:16,26; Eze 13:2

[9]Jer 2:8

[10]Jer 14:14; Eze 22:28; Act 13:6

[11]Jer 23:13; Mic 3:5

[12] Jer 23:27

[13] Jer 23:14,15

[14]Eze 22:25

[15]Matthew 7:15-17 (King James Version)

[16]According to ‘Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.’

Some of the Scientific Miracles in Brief

 

Ever since the dawn of mankind, we have sought to understand nature and our place in it.  In this quest for the purpose of life many people have turned to religion.  Most religions are based on books claimed by their followers to be divinely inspired, without any proof.  Islam is different because it is based upon reason and proof.

There are clear signs that the book of Islam, the Quran, is the word of God and we have many reasons to support this claim:

·There are scientific and historical facts found in the Quran which were unknown to the people at the time, and have only been discovered recently by contemporary science. 

·The Quran is in a unique style of language that cannot be replicated, this is known as the ‘Inimitability of the Quran.’

·There are prophecies made in the Quran and by the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, which have come to be pass. 

This article lays out and explains the scientific facts that are found in the Quran, centuries before they were ‘discovered’ in contemporary science.  It is important to note that the Quran is not a book of science but a book of ‘signs’.  These signs are there for people to recognise God’s existence and affirm His revelation.  As we know, science sometimes takes a ‘U-turn’ where what once scientifically correct is false a few years later.  In this article only established scientific facts are considered, not just theories or hypothesis.

Scientific Facts in the Quran

The Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.

Science at the time was primitive, there were no telescopes, microscopes or anything even close to the technology we have today.  People believed that the sun orbited the earth and that the sky was held up by big pillars at the corners of a flat earth.  Within this backdrop the Quran was revealed, and it contains many scientific facts on topics ranging from astronomy to biology, geology to sociology.

Some people may claim that the Quran was changed as new scientific facts were discovered but this cannot be the case because it is a historically documented fact that the Quran is preserved in its original language[1].  The Quran was written down and memorised by people during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad.  One of the copies of the Quran which was written a few years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad is preserved in a museum in Uzbekistan.  This copy is over 1400 years old and is exactly the same as the Arabic Quran that we have today[2].

The following are nine scientific facts found in the Quran:

1.  Origin of Life

Water is essential for all living things.  We all know that water is vital to life but the Quran makes a very unusual claim:

We made every living thing from water? Will they not believe? (Quran 21:30)

In this verse water is pointed out as the origin of all life.  All living things are made of cells.  We now know that cells are mostly made up of water[3].  For example, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell material) of a standard animal cell is described as water in biology textbooks.

The fact that living things consist mostly of water was discovered only after the invention of the microscope.  In the deserts of Arabia, the last thing someone would have guessed is that all life came from water.

2.  Iron

Iron is not natural to the earth.  It did not form on the earth but came down to earth from outer space.  This may sound strange but it’s true.  Scientists have found that billions of years ago the earth was stuck by meteorites.  These meteorites were carrying Iron from distant stars which had exploded[4].

The Quran says the following on the origin of Iron:

“We sent down Iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind.” (Quran 57:25)

God uses the words ‘sent down’ for Iron.  It is clear from the verse that Iron is not an earthly material, but was sent down for the benefit of humanity.  The fact that Iron came down to earth from outer space is something which could not be known by the primitive science of the 7th century.

3.  Sky’s Protection

The sky plays a crucial role in protecting the earth.  The sky protects the earth from the lethal rays of the sun.  If the sky did not exist then the sun’s radiation would have killed off all life on earth.  It also acts like a blanket wrapped around the earth, to protect it from the freezing cold of space.  The temperature just above the sky is approximately -270oC.  If this temperature was to reach earth then the planet would freeze over instantly.  The sky also protects life on earth by warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night[5].  These are some of the many protective functions of the sky.

The Quran asks us to consider the sky in the following verse:

“We made the sky a protective ceiling.  And yet they are turning away from Our signs!” (Quran 21:32)

The Quran points to the sky’s protection as a sign of God.  The protective properties of the sky were discovered by scientific research conducted in the 20th century.

4.  Mountains

The Quran draws our attention to a very important characteristic of mountains:

“Did We not make the earth a resting place? And the mountains as stakes?” (Quran 78:6-7)

The Quran indicates that mountains have deep roots by using the word stakes to describe them.  In fact mountains do have deep roots, and the word stakes is an accurate description for them.  A book titled ‘Earth’ by Geophysicist Frank Press explains that mountains are like stakes, and are buried deep under the surface of the earth. Mount Everest (pictured below), the height of which is approximately 9 km above ground, has a root deeper than 125 km.

The fact that mountains have deep ‘stake’ like roots was not known, until after the development of the theory of plate tectonics in the beginning of the 20th century.[6]

5.  Expansion of the Universe

At a time when the science of Astronomy was still primitive, the expansion of the universe was described in Quran:

“And it is We who have built the Universe with [Our creative] power and keep expanding it.” (Quran 51:47)

The fact that the universe is expanding was discovered in the last century.  The physicist Stephen Hawking in his book ‘A Brief History of Time’ writes, “The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.”.

The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe even before the invention of the telescope!

6.  Sun’s Orbit

In 1512 the astronomer Nicholas Copernicus put forward his theory that the Sun is motionless at the centre of the solar system, and that the planets revolve around it.  The belief that the Sun is stationary was widespread amongst astronomers until the 20th century.  It is now a well-established scientific fact that the Sun is not stationary, but is moving in an orbit around the centre of our Milky Way galaxy[7].

The Quran mentions the orbit of the Sun:

“It is He who created night and day, the Sun and the Moon, each floating in its orbit.” (Quran 21:33)

The Quran would have been wrong according to astronomers just a couple of decades ago.  But we now know that the Quranic account of the Sun’s motion is consistent with modern Astronomy.

7.  The Ocean

The Quran uses imagery to covey its deep meanings, here it describes the state of the unbelievers as:

“Darkness out in a deep ocean which is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds, layers of darkness, one upon the other.  When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it.  Those God gives no light to, they have no light.” (Quran 24:40)

It is commonly thought that waves only occur on the surface of the ocean.  However oceanographers have discovered that there are internal waves that take place below the surface of the ocean.  These waves are invisible to the human eye, and can only be detected by specialist equipment[8].  The Quran mentions darkness in a deep ocean above which are waves, above which are waves, then clouds above that.  This description is not only remarkable because it describes the internal waves in the ocean, but also because it describes darkness deep in the ocean.  A human being can dive no more than 70 metres without breathing equipment.  Light is present at that depth, but if we go down 1000 metres it is completely dark[9].  1400 years ago there were no submarines or specialist equipment to discover internal waves or the darkness deep inside the oceans.

8.  Lying and Movement

There was a cruel oppressive tribal leader named Abu Jahl who lived during the time of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  God revealed a verse of the Quran to warn him:

“No Indeed! If he does not stop, We will seize him by the forehead, his lying, sinful forehead.” (Quran 96:15-16)

God does not call this person a liar, but calls his forehead (the front part of the brain) ‘lying’ and ‘sinful’, and warns him to stop.

This verse is significant for two reasons.  The first is that the front part of our brain is responsible for voluntary movement[10].This is known as the frontal lobe.  A book titled ‘Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology’ which includes the results of research on the functions of this area states: The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area[11].  The part of the brain that is responsible for movement is said to be seized if the man does not stop.

Secondly, numerous studies have shown that this same region (frontal lobe) is responsible for the lying function of the brain[12].  One such study at the University of Pennsylvania in which volunteers were asked questions during a computerized interrogation, it was found that when the volunteers were lying there was significantly increased activity in the prefrontal and premotor cortices (frontal lobe region)[13].

The front part of the brain is responsible for movement and lying.  The Quran links movement and lying to this area.  These functions of the frontal lobe were discovered with medical imaging equipment which was developed in the 20th century.

9.  Pain Receptors

For a long time it was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was dependent on the brain.  However it has been discovered that there are pain receptors present in the skin[14].  Without these pain receptors, a person would not be able to feel pain.

Consider the following verse on pain:

“We shall send those who reject Our revelations to the (Hell) Fire.  When their skins have been burned away, We shall replace them with new ones so that they may continue to feel the pain: God is Almighty, All-Wise.” (Quran 4:56)

God tells the people who reject his message that when they are in Hell and their skins are burnt off (so they can’t feel any pain), he will give them new skins so that they continue to feel the pain.

The Quran makes it clear that pain is dependent upon on the skin.  The discovery of pain receptors in the skin is a fairly recent discovery for Biology.

Conclusion

These are just some of the many scientific facts found in the Quran.  It is important to note that the Quran is not a book of science, but that it is consistent with science.  To claim that scientific facts in the Quran are due to coincidence would be irrational.  The best explanation is that God revealed this knowledge to the Prophet Muhammad.

Just like the Quran contains knowledge about the natural world, it also contains information about the inner dimensions of our souls.  It relates to our feelings, wants and needs.  The Quran informs us that we have a purpose in life, and that following God’s guidance will lead us to inner peace in this life, and Paradise in the hereafter.  And that rejection of his message will lead to depression in this life and Hellfire after death.

“We shall show them Our signs in the Universe and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.  Is it not enough that your Lord is the witness of all things?” (Quran 41:53)

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]The Magnificent Qur’an: A Unique History of Preservation

[2](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4581684.stm)

[3]Bruce Alberts, Essential Cell Biology

[4]M. E. Walrath, History of the Earth’s Formation

[5]Joseph M. Moran, Meteorology: the Atmosphere and the Science of Weather [7] Terry A. Hicks, How Do Mountains Form? [8] Frank Press and Raymond Siever, Earth

[6]Naomi Oreskes, Plate Tectonics: An Insider’s History Of The Modern Theory Of The Earth [10] Stephen Hawking, A Brief History Of Time

[7]Lambert M. Surhone, Orbital Period: Orbit, Sun, Earth, Conjunction, Orbital Node, Apsis, Semi-Major Axis

[8]M. Grant Gross, Oceanography: A View of Earth

[9]Danny Elder, Oceans

[10](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2289137)

[11]Rod R. Seeley, Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology

[12](http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/1/205.full.pdf)

[13] (http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/2002/3/diogenes-new-lamp)

[14] Michael Darmon, Molecular Biology of the Skin: The Keratinocyte