Islam

Islam

Believe In God Believe In angels Believe In God's Revealed Books Believe In The Messenger And Prophets Of God
• Believe In The Day Of Judgment

A True Religion

Islam

• Each person is born in a circumstance which is not of his own choosing. The religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. By the time he reaches his teens, he is usually fully brain-washed into believing that the beliefs of his particular society are the correct beliefs that everyone should have. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other belief-systems, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs. • The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that each and every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man. Indeed, they all encourage people to do good. So, which one is right? They cannot all be right since each claims all others are wrong. Then how does the seeker of truth choose the right way?. God gave us all minds and intellects to enable us to make this crucial decision. It is the most important decision in the life of a human being. Upon it depends his future, Consequently, each and every one of us must examine dispassionately the evidence presented and choose what appears to be right until further evidence arises. Like every other religion or philosophy, Islam also claims to be the one and only true way to God. In this respect it is no different from other systems. • This booklet intends to provide some evidence for the validity of that claim. However, it must always be kept in mind that one can only determine the true path by putting aside emotions and prejudices, which often blind us to reality. Then, and only then, will we be able to use our God-given intelligence and make a rational and correct decision. • There are several arguments, which may be advanced to support Islam's claim to be the true religion of God. The following are only three of the most obvious. The first argument is based on the divine origin of the names of the religion and the comprehensiveness of its meaning. The second deals with the unique and uncomplicated teachings concerning the relationship between God, man, and creation. The third argument derives from the fact that Islam is universally attainable by all men at all times. The significance of the name Islam (submission to God), Islam's fundamental acknowledgment of the uniqueness of God and Islam's accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support Islam's claim that from the beginning of time in whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone has been, and will be the true religion of God.

A way Of Life Solution To Modern Problems

Islam

• The Brotherhood of Man: A major problem which modern man faces is that of racism. The materially advanced nations can send man to the moon but they cannot solve man's existing problems on earth. Islam, over the last 1400 years, has shown in practice how racism can be ended. Every year during Hajj, the Islamic miracle of real brotherhood of all races and nations can be seen in action. • The Family: The family which is the basic unity of civilization is disintegrating in all western countries. Islam's family system brings into a fine equilibrium the rights of man, wife, children and relatives. Islam nourishes human unselfishness, generosity and love in a well organized family system. Human beings live according to their view of life. The tragedy of secular societies is that they fail to connect the different aspects of life. The secular and the religious, the scientific and the spiritual seem to be in conflict. Islam puts an end to, this conflict and brings harmony to man's vision of life. • Conclusion: What is the state of the world today? Has man freed himself from all superstitions, imbecilities and absurd beliefs? Has he discovered the man from within himself? Has he liberated himself from the yoke of worldly tyrants indulging in the exploitation of man by man? If such a millennium has not been achieved despite all developments in science and technology, then Islam has still a great and glorious part to play.

God And Creation

• Since the total submission of one's will to God represents the essence of worship, the basic message of God's divine religion, Islam, is the worship of God alone. It also requires the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than God. Since everything other than God, the creator of all the things, is God's creation, it may be said that Islam, in essence, calls man away from worship of creation and invites him to worship only his Creator. He is the only one deserving of man's worship, because it is only by His will that prayers are answered. Accordingly, if a man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it is not the tree which answers his prayers but God, who allows the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, "That is obvious". However, to tree-worshippers, it might not be so. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna or Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them, but are answered by God. Jesus did not tell his followers to worship him but to worship God, as the Quran states: "And behold! Allah will say: 'O Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say to men, worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah?, He will say: "Glory to you, I could never say what I had no right (to say)." [Quran 5:118] • It is worth emphasizing that the basic message of Islam (namely, the worship of God alone) also proclaims that God and His creation are distinctly different entities. God is neither equal to His creation nor a part of it, nor is His creation equal to Him or a part of Him. This might seem obvious, but man's worship of creation, instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance, or neglect, of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of God is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some parts of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of God's creation and naming it the worship of God. However, the message of Islam, as brought by the prophets of God, is to worship only God and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly. • In the Qu'an God clearly states: "For we assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command Worship Me and avoid false Gods." [Quran 16:36] • When idol worshippers are questioned as to why they bow down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but God who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for God's essence and is not in itself God! One who has accepted the concept of God being present in any way within His creation will be obliged to accept this argument for idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never agree to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that God is present in man. Taking one step further, they claim that God is more present in them than in the rest of us, and that other humans should therefore submit to them and worship them as God in person or as God concentrated within their persons. Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their deaths have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. It should be abundantly clear by now that one who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstance. God's religion, in essence, is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:

Recognition Of God

All people be expected to believe in the one true God, given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be held responsible for worshipping the one true God, they all need to have access to knowledge of Him. The final revelation teaches that all humans being have the recognition of the one true God imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created. In the seventh chapter of the Qur'an (Al-A'raaf, verses 172-173), God explained that when He created Adam He caused all of Adam's descendants to come into existence and He took a pledge from them saying: "'Am I not your Lord?' To which they all replied, 'Yes, we testity to it'" Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and the only true God worthy of worship. He said: "That was in case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, 'Verily we were unaware of all this'" [Qur'an 7:172] That is to say, we cannot claim on that day that we had no idea that Allah, was our God and that no one told us that we were only supposed to worship Allah alone. Allah went on to further explain that: "It was also in case you should say, 'Certainly it was our ancestors who made partners (with Allah) and we are only their descendants; will you then destroy us for what those liars did?'" [Qur'an 7:173] Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in God and an in-born inclination to worship Him alone. This in-born belief and inclination is called in Arabic the Fitrah. The Prophet Muhammad reported that Allah said, "I created my servants in the right religion, but devils made them go astray." The Prophet also said, "Each child is born in a state of Fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian." If the child were left alone, he would worship God in his own way, but all children are affected by the environment. So, just as the child submits to the physical laws, which Allah has imposed on nature, in the same way his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, if his parents try to make him follow a different path, the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. In such cases, the religion, which the child follows, is one of custom and upbringing, and God does not hold him to account or punish him for his religion up to a certain stage of his life.

Signs Of God

• Throughout people's lives, from childhood until the time they die, signs of the one and only true God are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). God says in the Quran • "We will show them our signs In the furthest regions (of the earth) and in their souls, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth." [Quran 41:53] • The following is an example of God revealing by a sign to one man the error of his idol-worship. In the south-eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their man-idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The following day a young man entered the hut to pay homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog slunk into the hut. The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift his hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple; but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the Universe. God must be elsewhere, he concluded. As strange as it may seem, the dog urinated on the idol was a sign from God for that young man. This sign contained the divine message that what he was worshipping was false. It liberated from slavishly following his traditionally learned worship of a false god. As a result, this man was given a choice: either to seek the true god or to continue in the error of his ways. Allah mentions Prophet Abraham's quest for God as an example of how those who follow His signs will be rightly guided. • "So also did we show Abraham the power and the Laws of the heavens and the earth that he might (with understanding) have certitude. • When the night covered him over, he saw a star. He said: 'This is my Lord.' But when it set, he said: 'I love not those that set' • When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said: 'This is my Lord.' But when the moon set, he said: 'Unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.' • When he saw the rising sun in splendor, he said: 'This is my Lord this is the greatest (of all).' But when the sun set, he said; 'O my people I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah. • For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah" [Quran 6:75-79] • Prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in God and man's in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by God. Although much of these prophets' teachings became distorted, portions revealing their God-inspired messages have remained untainted and have served to guide mankind in the choice between right and wrong. The influence of God-inspired messages down through the ages can be seen in the "Ten Commandments" of Judaism's Torah which were later adopted into Christianity's teachings, as well as in the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies throughout the ancient and modern world. As a result of God's signs to mankind through the ages combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recognize the one only true God. Consequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in God and its acceptance of the true religion of God, namely Islam, which means total submission to the will of Allah.

History Of Islam

Spread Of Islam

• From the oasis cities of Makkah and Madinah in the Arabian desert, the message of Islam went forth with electrifying speed. Within half a century of the Prophet's death, Islam had spread to three continents. Islam is not, as some imagine in the West, a religion of the sword nor did it spread primarily by means of war. • It was only within Arabia, where a crude form of idolatry was rampant, that Islam was propagated by warring against those tribes which did not accept the message of God-- • whereas Christians and Jews were not forced to convert. Outside of Arabia also the vast lands conquered by the Arab armies in a short period became Muslim not by force of the sword but by the appeal of the new religion. It was faith in One God and emphasis upon His Mercy that brought vast numbers of people into the fold of Islam. The new religion did not coerce people to convert. Many continued to remain Jews and Christians and to this day important communities of the followers of these faiths are found in Muslim lands. Moreover, the spread of Islam was not limited to its miraculous early expansion outside of Arabia. • During later centuries the Turks embraced Islam peacefully as did a large number of the people of the Indian subcontinent and the Malay-speaking world. In Africa also, Islam has spread during the past two centuries even under the mighty power of European colonial rulers. Today Islam continues to grow not only in Africa but also in Europe and America where Muslims now comprise a notable minority.

Islam Is A

Global Religion

Islam is a religion for all people from whatever race or background they might be. That is why Islamic civilization is based on a unity which stands completely against any racial or ethnic discrimination. • Such major racial and ethnic groups as the Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians, Chinese and Malays in addition to numerous smaller units embraced Islam and contributed to the building of Islamic civilization. • Moreover, Islam was not opposed to learning from the earlier civilizations and incorporating their science, learning, and culture into its own world view, as long as they did not oppose the principles of Islam. • Each ethnic and racial group which embraced Islam made its contribution to the one Islamic civilization to which everyone belonged. • The sense of brotherhood and sisterhood was so much emphasized that it overcame all local attachments to a particular tribe, race, or language all of which became subservient to the universal brotherhood and sisterhood of Islam. • The global civilization thus created by Islam permitted people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to work together in cultivating various arts and sciences. Although the civilization was profoundly Islamic, even non-Muslim "people of the book" participated in the intellectual activity whose fruits belonged to everyone. • The scientific climate was reminiscent of the present situation in America where scientists and men and women of learning from all over the world are active in the advancement of knowledge which belongs to everyone. • The global civilization created by Islam also succeeded in activating the mind and thought of the people who entered its fold. • As a result of Islam, the nomadic Arabs became torch-bearers of science and learning. The Persians who had created a great civilization before the rise of Islam nevertheless produced much more science and learning in the Islamic period than before. The same can be said of the Turks and other peoples who embraced Islam. • The religion of Islam was itself responsible not only for the creation of a world civilization in which people of many different ethnic backgrounds participated, but it played a central role in developing intellectual and cultural life on a scale not seen before. For some eight hundred years Arabic remained the major intellectual and scientific language of the world. • During the centuries following the rise of Islam, Muslim dynasties ruling in various parts of the Islamic world bore witness to the flowering of Islamic culture and thought. In fact this tradition of intellectual activity was eclipsed only at the beginning of modern times as a result of the weakening of faith among Muslims combined with external domination. And today this activity has begun anew in many parts of the Islamic world now that the Muslims have regained their political independence.

History Of Islam

After The Mangol Invasion

The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the Sinai Desert to India for a century. But they soon converted to Islam and became known as the Il-Khanids. They were in turn succeeded by Timur and his descendents who made Samarqand their capital and ruled from 1369 to 1500. The sudden rise of Timur delayed the formation and expansion of the Ottoman empire but soon the Ottomans became the dominant power in the Islamic world.

Sunnah Of The

Holy Prophet (PBUH)

Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Master of the Prophets and Messengers, and upon all his family and companions. The Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach the Sunnah to his companions in word and deed, and urged them to follow it, as he said in his hadeeth: "Adhere to my Sunnah" and "Whoever neglects my Sunnah does not belong to me." 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no Prophet whom Allaah sent to any nation before me, but he had disciples from among his nation, and companions who followed his Sunnah and obeyed his commands." (Narrated by Muslim, no. 71). Some aspects of the Sunnah are waajib (obligatory) and some are mustahabb (encouraged). The Muslim should follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whether it is waajib or mustahabb, as long as it is proven in sound reports. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to spread the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) among people and they called people to follow it.

Faith

The declaration of faith is what is needed to enter into Islam

It consists of two parts. "I testify there is no God but Allah." Allah (pronounced: Allah) is the Arabic word for God. It is the same word used by Jewish and Christian Arabs to refer to God. The most literal meaning of the declaration is not the intended one, as there are many things human beings worship instead of the One God. The true meaning is "I testify there is none worthy of worship but Allah." This statement combines negation and affirmation. It denies the right of anything in creation to be worshipped, and it affirms that right for the Creator. The concept of worship is probably more comprehensive in Islam than in any other religion. It includes devotional rituals, but it also includes all transactions between individuals and groups. It also includes emotional states and actions of the heart, such as love, hate, hope, fear, etc. In fact, every action that pleases God is considered an act of worship in Islam. I testify that Muhammad is the [final] Messenger of God Without it, implementing the first part of the declaration of faith becomes very difficult. The Quran says,"You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day and who remembers Allah profusely." Following the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has been made a litmus test for the love of God: "Say: 'If you do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" Accepting the rules revealed by God through Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has also been made a test of true faith; "But no, by your Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction."

Prayer (Salat)

1st Pillar of Islam

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Moses, He said, "And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance." [Taha 13-14] Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his ascension to heaven. Furthermore, when Allah praises the believers, such as in the beginning of surah al-Muminoon, one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers. Once a man asked the Prohpet (peace be upon him) about the most virtuous deed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer. The man asked again and again. The first three times, the Prophet (peace be upon him) again answered, "The prayer," then on the fourth occasion he stated, "Jihad in the way of Allah." [This is form a hadith recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban. According to al-Albani, the hadith is hasan. Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Sahih al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1982), vol. 1, p. 150] The importance of prayer is demonstrated in the many of the Prophet's statement. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [Recorded by al-Tabarani. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol.1, p. 503. The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the msot important aspect is one's relationship to Allah, that is, one's faith (imaan), God-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of Allah ('ibaadah). This relationship with Allah is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the prayer. Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself stated. In reality, the prayer is performed properly – with true remembrance of Allah and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will have a lasting effect on the person. After he finishes the prayer, his heart will be filled with the remembrance of Allah. He will be fearful as well as hopeful of Allah. After that experience, he will not want to move from that lofty position to one wherein he disobeys Allah. Allah has mentioned this aspect of the prayer when He has said, "Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds" (al-Ankaboot 45). Nadwi has described this effect in the following eloquent way, Its aim is to generate within the subliminal self of man such spiritual power, light of faith and awareness of God as can enable him to strive successfully against all kinds of evils and temptations and remain steadfast at times of trial and adversity and protect himself against the weakness of the flesh and the mischief of immoderate appetites. [Nadwi, p. 24] The overall affect that the properly performed prayers should have upon humans is described in other verses in the Quran: "Verily, man was created impatient, irritable when evil touches him and niggardly when good touches him. Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers…" (al-Maarij 19-23). As for the Hereafter, Allah's forgiveness and pleasure is closely related to the prayers. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Allah has obligated five prayers. Whoever excellently performs their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, prostrations and khushu' [Khushu' in the prayer is where the person's heart is attuned to the prayer. This feeling in the heart is then reflected on the body. The person remains still and calm. His gaze is also lowered. Even his voice is affected by this feeling in the heart. For more details on this concept (as well as the difference between it and khudhu'), see Muhammad al-Shaayi, al-Furooq al-Laughawiyyah wa Atharahaa fi Tafseer al-Quran al-Kareem (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ubaikaan, 1993), pp. 249-254.] has a promise from Allah that He will forgive him. And whoever does not do that has no promise from Allah. He may either forgive him or punish him." [Recorded by Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'I and others. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol. 1, p. 616.] ] The prayers are a type of purification for a human being. He turns and meets with his Lord five times a day. As alluded to above, this repeated standing in front of Allah should keep the person from performing sins during the day. Furthermore, it should also be a time of remorse and repentance, such that he earnestly asks Allah for forgiveness for those sins that he committed. In addition, the prayer in itself is a good deed that wipes away some of the evil deeds that he performed. These points can be noted in the following hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?" The people said, "No filth would remain on him whatsoever." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, "That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The five daily prayers and the Friday Prayer until the Friday prayer are expiation for what is between them.

Zakat

Charity is an act common to all divinely revealed religions

Even people with no religion at all recognize generosity as an admirable quality. The desire to possess is a natural, inborn urge. It is not in itself a bad thing. It is the basis of self-preservation. It leads parents to provide homes, food, clothing and other needs for their children. It also leads people to provide goods and services for each other. But the urge to possess needs to be controlled and balanced with generosity; otherwise it becomes dangerous. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) pointed out this tendency when he said, "If a descendant of Adam possessed a valley of gold, he would crave another one. And nothing will fill his mouth but the dust [of the grave]. But God will accept the penance of one who repents."1 Generosity requires a struggle against the inborn tendency to be selfish. To provide the setting where generosity can be exercised, God created some people poor and some people rich. Not only that, but He takes some people from lavish wealth to grinding poverty and vice-versa. The realization that even if you have money now, you may lose it all at any moment is a great leverage by which Satan influences people to be stingy. The Qur'an says, "Satan threatens you with poverty and enjoins you with lewdness." God, on the other hand, has promised that wealth will never be decreased by charity. "Whatever you spend [for good] He replaces it, and He is the best of Providers." The Islamic concept of charity is based on the Islamic concept of wealth. Wealth is considered a trust placed in one's hands by God. A person who believes he owns more money than another because he is smarter or worked harder than him has a deficient understanding. How many people are hard working and smart yet poor? And how many people of mediocre ability and energy are rich? God is the ultimate provider of wealth and he is its actual owner. Prophet Muhammad observed, "The son of Adam claims, 'My wealth, my wealth.' But, O son of Adam, was any of your property really yours, except what you consumed and destroyed, or wore until it wore out, or gave as charity and sent ahead Because wealth ultimately belongs to God, its temporary possessor does not have a blanket right to do whatever he or she wants with it. It is unlawful to waste wealth. It is also unlawful to use wealth to buy substances prohibited in Islam. Also, the poor have a due right on a portion of the wealth placed in one's possession. Giving them their due right is not doing them a favor, because that portion of one's wealth is actually for them. A person who doesn't give it has, in reality, confiscated something that does not belong to him. Zakaah is an obligatory form of charity on savings. It is not an income tax, but a savings tax. Its major recipients are the working poor, who cannot meet all of their needs without some additional help, and the destitute, who cannot even meet their basic needs. It is also used to pay off the debts of those who are unable to pay off their own debts, to free slaves and ransom prisoners of war and to reconcile the hearts of new Muslims who may not yet have a firm foundation of faith. Other lawful recipients are stranded travelers, those engaged in jihad and employees of the state working to collect and distribute zakaah. Their wages come from it. Zakaah is due on the following forms of wealth : Gold and silver (this includes paper money) The amount due is 2.5% of savings when it reaches the equivalent value of 85 grams (approximately three ounces) of gold. This minimum amount on which zakaah is due is called the nisaab. Although some scholars say that money should be pegged to the nisaab of silver, i.e., 595 grams, the majority considers gold to be a more reasonable peg for developed economies. Consider the difference in value between the two nisaabs: If gold is worth $300 per ounce, the nisaab is equal to $900. If silver is worth $8 an ounce, the nisaab is equal to approximately $167. In most cities of the Western world, $167 would not be enough to rent a room for a month, much less an apartment. The principle behind zakaah is that the rich should pay it to the poor. A person with only $167 in savings would be more likely to need zakaah than be in a position to pay it. Zakaah is due on savings of gold and silver one year after the nisaab has been reached. Business inventors : This includes all goods acquired or held with the intent of selling them. It would include store merchandise, land bought for resale, stocks bought for resale, etc. Zakaah is not due on factories, machinery being used to produce goods, or property being held for rental income. However, zakaah would be due on the income generated by such properties if it is saved for a year. The retail value of business inventory is calculated then added to the savings of gold, silver, and currency. 2.5% of the total is due. Livestock : Such as cows, sheep and camels. There is a different nisaab for each type of animal and a rather detailed and complicated table of how much is due for different amounts of each type. Any fiqh book can be consulted for the details. Fiqh as-Sunnah is one of the better books available in English. Agricultural produce : The nisaab is five wasqs, which is equivalent to 825 liters. 10% of the harvest is due if the land is watered by rainfall. 5% is due on land irrigated by wells, canals or mechanical systems. Buried treasure : According to some scholars, this applies to all mineral wealth extracted from land. This is more relevant than the explanation that it refers only to valuables buried by non-Muslims before Islam. One-fifth is due as zakaah

Fasting

Fasting is obligatory on healthy, adult Muslims only in Ramadaan

Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly, or on o journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer) from puberty, although many start earlier.Although the fast is most beneficial to the health it is regarded principally as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one's spiritual life. Fasting is a practice common to many religious traditions. The Quran alludes to that fact in the verse that prescribed fasting upon the Muslims: "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you might achieve piety."Fasting is obligatory on healthy, adult Muslims only in Ramadaan. However, there are a number of other days when it is recommended, such as three days at the middle of each month and every Monday and Thursday. Regular fasting helps to maintain the state of mind achieved in Ramadaan.

Pilgrimage (Hajj)

In many verses, the Quran alludes to life being a journey toward the Creator.

"Verily, we belong to God, and, verily, to Him we are returning." "Everything in the heavens and in the earth belong to God; and to God all things will be returned." "And unto Allah leads the [straight] Way, but there are ways that deviate." "Hasn't he had news of what was in the books of Moses and Abraham…that your Lord, He is the [final] goal?" "[The believers say,] 'We hear, and we obey, [we seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord; and to You is the end of all journeys.'" Hajj is a reminder that life is a journey. You disentangle yourself from the routine of life and forego the comforts and familiarity of home. You expose yourself to uncertainty, inconvenience - maybe even danger - in search of a spiritual gain Of course, pilgrimage is a feature of many or most religions. One of the things that makes Hajj unique is that this pilgrimage is made to the first house ever built for the worship of the One God. Allah says in the Quran, " The first House [of worship] appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Mecca), a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples." "And remember [that] Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House." Hajj is a reminder that life is a journey. You disentangle yourself from the routine of life and forego the comforts and familiarity of home. You expose yourself to uncertainty, inconvenience - maybe even danger - in search of a spiritual gain Of course, pilgrimage is a feature of many or most religions. One of the things that makes Hajj unique is that this pilgrimage is made to the first house ever built for the worship of the One God. Allah says in the Quran, "The first House [of worship] appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Mecca), a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples." "And remember [that] Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House."