What is Islam
Indeed the knowledge of Islam is very necessary not only for non-muslims, but also for those who call themselves as Muslims, because we have a lot of different and contradictory religions, each one is named or considered as Islam.
For example we have Sunnis and Shiites, two contradictory religions, each one has its own sources، belief, and books, and nevertheless each one is considered as islam.
So we have a huge need to define what is Islam, and that is what I will do throughout the following axes :
What does islam mean?
What is a Muslim convinced of ?
What does practically islam mean?
The pillars of Islam
What does islam mean?
Islam is derived from the Aslama, which means sallama, which can be translated by giving, submission and surrendering, hence islam means give himself to Allah alone without a partner, as Allah said:
﴿وَمَن أَحسَنُ دينًا مِمَّن أَسلَمَ وَجهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبراهيمَ حَنيفًا وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبراهيمَ خَليلًا﴾
Approximate translation
And who is better in religion than one who aslama (gives or submits) himself to Allah, while being a doer of good, and follows the way of Abraham inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.
Chapter 4, verse: 125.
Definitions
Muslim is someone who submits to Allah alone.
Mushrik is someone who submits to Allah and others at the same time.
So Islam is a decision to submit oneself to Allah alone without a partner, this submission must be voluntary, complete and exclusive.
Voluntary submission
This submission must be voluntary, because if you accept Islam by fear of someone, you aren't a totally submissive to Allah, this person that made you a Muslim has an authority upon you, and your submission to his authority makes you a Mushrik. Therefore it's impossible to be forced to accept Islam, and that is what Allah mentioned in His saying:
﴿لا إِكراهَ فِي الدّينِ قَد تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشدُ مِنَ الغَيِّ فَمَن يَكفُر بِالطّاغوتِ وَيُؤمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ استَمسَكَ بِالعُروَةِ الوُثقى لَا انفِصامَ لَها وَاللَّهُ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ﴾
Approximate translation
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance] the religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong.
Chapter 2, verse 256
To get a voluntary submission to Allah, you must be convinced that Allah sent down Muhammad with evidences, because if you accept Islam by imitation of your society, you aren't a true Muslim according to the previous verse and the following hadeeth, because by submission to your society you became a Mushrik.
عَنْ فَاطِمَةَ، عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ، قَالَتْ: أَتَيْتُ عَائِشَةَ وَهِيَ تُصَلِّي فَقُلْتُ: مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ؟ فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، فَإِذَا النَّاسُ قِيَامٌ، فَقَالَتْ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، قُلْتُ: آيَةٌ؟ فَأَشَارَتْ بِرَأْسِهَا: أَيْ نَعَمْ، فَقُمْتُ حَتَّى تَجَلَّانِي الغَشْيُ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِي المَاءَ، فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: ” مَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ أَكُنْ أُرِيتُهُ إِلَّا رَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَقَامِي، حَتَّى الجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ، فَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ: أَنَّكُمْ تُفْتَنُونَ فِي قُبُورِكُمْ – مِثْلَ أَوْ – قَرِيبَ – لاَ أَدْرِي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ – مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ، يُقَالُ مَا عِلْمُكَ بِهَذَا الرَّجُلِ؟ فَأَمَّا المُؤْمِنُ أَوِ المُوقِنُ – لاَ أَدْرِي بِأَيِّهِمَا قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ – فَيَقُولُ: هُوَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، جَاءَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالهُدَى، فَأَجَبْنَا وَاتَّبَعْنَا، هُوَ مُحَمَّدٌ ثَلاَثًا، فَيُقَالُ: نَمْ صَالِحًا قَدْ عَلِمْنَا إِنْ كُنْتَ لَمُوقِنًا بِهِ. وَأَمَّا المُنَافِقُ أَوِ المُرْتَابُ – لاَ أَدْرِي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ أَسْمَاءُ – فَيَقُولُ: لاَ أَدْرِي، سَمِعْتُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ شَيْئًا فَقُلْتُهُ “
Approximate translation
From Fatima, from Asmaa, she said: I came to Aisha and she was praying, so I said: "What is the matter with the people?" She pointed to the sky, while all the people were standing. I asked: "Is this a sign?" She nodded her head and said: "Yes". I stood until the darkness covered me, and I began to pour water on my head, then the Prophet (peace be upon him) praised Allah and thanked Him. Then he said: "There is nothing that I did not see except I saw it in my place, even Paradise and Hell. It was revealed to me that you are being tested in your graves, like the tribulation of al-Masih ad-Dajjal (the false Messiah), it is said: "What do you know about this man?" As for the believer or the one who is certain (I do not know which one Asmaa said), he will say: "He will say: "He is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, he came to us with clear evidences and guidance, and we responded to him and followed him. He is Muhammad, three times. It is said: "Sleep righteously, we have known you were surely believe in him." As for the hypocrite or the doubter (I do not know which one Asmaa said), he will say: "I do not know, I heard people saying something, so I said it."
Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 86.
As you see, who said Muhammad is a messenger of Allah, because people around him say it, isn't a Muslim, only who understands the message that Muhammad pbuh has brought and finds it clear evidences and guidance and follows Muhammad is a true Muslim.
Complete and exclusive submission
Islam is also a complete and exclusive submission to Allah as Allah mentioned:
﴿قُل إِنَّ صَلاتي وَنُسُكي وَمَحيايَ وَمَماتي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمينَلا شَريكَ لَهُ وَبِذلِكَ أُمِرتُ وَأَنا أَوَّلُ المُسلِمينَ﴾
Approximate translation
Say, indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, No partner has He, and this I have been commanded and I am the first of the surrenderers.
Chapter 6, verses 162-163
So all your life is for Allah only, including your social life, political life, economic life, all of that is for Allah only, only Allah is who commands and you obey.
That implies that you aren't submitted to any authority except the authority of Allah, and that is what Allah emphasis by saying after the previous verses:
﴿قُل أَغَيرَ اللَّهِ أَبغي رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيءٍ﴾
Approximate translation
Say is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things?
Chapter 6, verse: 164.
Islam is the religion of all prophets peace be upon them, because all of them had come to invite their people to submit to their God Allah alone without a partner, and that is what we call Islam.
Commonly we call Islam the religion sent down to Muhammad peace be upon him, contained in the Quran and Sunnah.
What is a Muslim convinced of ?
The Muslim bases his conviction (Iman) on fact that he and all the world, are creatures created by one creator called Allah in Arabic language, for one claire purpose, so we are belong to Him, and we live on His earth, under His sky, by His food, and everything we have is belong to Him, so logically and intuitively we must obeying Him alone without a partner, and that is what we call Iman in Allah.
When we accept what is previous, and we must to accept it, because no one of us dare claiming that he created himself, or created the earth, we must know that Allah sent to us several messengers with books and evidences that they are sent to us, the first one of them is our father Adam, and the last one is Muhammad, peace be upon all of them.
The mankind is divided between surrenderers whom accept the truth that the messengers have brought, and recalcitrants whom refuse the evidences and follow their desire, thereby we have two identities, a surrenderer, and a stubborn as Allah mentioned:
﴿هُوَ الَّذي خَلَقَكُم فَمِنكُم كافِرٌ وَمِنكُم مُؤمِنٌ وَاللَّهُ بِما تَعمَلونَ بَصيرٌ﴾
Approximate translation
It is He who created you, and among you is the recalcitrant, and among you is the surrenderer. And Allah of what you do is Seeing.
Chapter 64, verse 2.
So there is no difference between any Muslims, however their geography origine, however their languages, their skin's color, their age, all of them are the same, and no one becomes a Muslim before he loves them all, and manifests the brotherhood with them all, because when we became surrenderers we take off our old identity (ignorance Identity) however was it, national identity, tribe identity, racially identity, and we get our new identity as believers, as surrenderers, who is Muslim is our brother, and who is stubborn is foreign to us, even though he is our biologically brother or father.
This point is always misunderstood by non-muslims, they always consider that Islam is only the religion of Arabs, like Judaism is only for jews, however the truth that Islam is the religion of all prophets and believers from Adam until the Last Day, and not all Arabs are Muslims.
The Muslim is also convinced that there are the angels, Allah created them for doing some specific tasks, and only Allah knows how many are them.
Among them Gabrielle who brings the messages of Allah to the messengers, and among them Azrael who is charged with death.
The Muslim is also sure that there will be the Judgment Day, in which everyone will compensated for his deeds in the worldly live, whoever was a surrenderer he will enter the Paradise, and whoever was a stubborn he will eternally punished in the Hellfire.
The Last Day is the day that Muslim works for, because the life in Hereafter is an infinite life.
The surrenderer is also sure that nothing, no matter how good or evil, happens without Allah's permission, so he is always satisfied, because he knows perfectly well that Allah is Merciful, and that good is in what Allah has chosen.
What does practically islam mean ?
If we analysis the previous definition of Islam, we will find that Islam is a deep decision, according which everything, however so small, or so big, is for Allah only, and that's what Allah mentioned in:
﴿قُل إِنَّ صَلاتي وَنُسُكي وَمَحيايَ وَمَماتي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمينَلا شَريكَ لَهُ وَبِذلِكَ أُمِرتُ وَأَنا أَوَّلُ المُسلِمينَ﴾
Approximate translation
Say, indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, No partner has He, and this I have been commanded and I am the first of the surrenderers.
Chapter 6 verses 162-163
So all your life is for Allah only, including your social life, political life, economic life, all of that is for Allah only, only Allah is who commands and you obey.
That implies that you aren't submitted to any authority except the authority of Allah, and that is what Allah emphasis by saying after the previous verses:
﴿قُل أَغَيرَ اللَّهِ أَبغي رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيءٍ﴾
Approximate translation
Say is it other than Allah I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things?
Chapter 6 verse: 164
So in practice the surrenderer (Muslim) must limit his sources of orders he receives, in Quran and Sunnah only, because Allah didn't send to us anything but Quran and Sunnah.
That means the Muslim is not subject neither to the county law, nor the society law, nor even his own passion, and that's what makes practicing Islam difficult, because no one will easily accept rebelling against his law, hence the governing authority will torture, and persecute all who decided to surrender to Allah alone, and that what always happened with Muslims in the history of humanity.
For example when the magicians of Pharaoh announced that they submit to the Lord of Moses:
﴿وَأُلقِيَ السَّحَرَةُ ساجِدينَقالوا آمَنّا بِرَبِّ العالَمينَرَبِّ موسى وَهارونَ﴾
Approximate translation
And the magicians fell down in prostration, they said we have believed in the Lord of worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron
Chapter 7 verses 120-122
Pharaoh threatened them by torment as Allah told us in:
﴿قالَ فِرعَونُ آمَنتُم بِهِ قَبلَ أَن آذَنَ لَكُم إِنَّ هذا لَمَكرٌ مَكَرتُموهُ فِي المَدينَةِ لِتُخرِجوا مِنها أَهلَها فَسَوفَ تَعلَمونَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيدِيَكُم وَأَرجُلَكُم مِن خِلافٍ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُم أَجمَعينَ﴾
Approximate translation
Said Pharaoh you believed in him before I gave you a permission, indeed this is a conspiracy which you conspired in the city to expel therefrom its people. But you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify you all
Chapter 7 verses 123-124
Pharaoh threatened them because he perfectly knows that the magicians have broken his law by believing in the Lord of Moses, because believing in Allah means don't observe any law except the Allah's law.
Allah has told us in several times in Quran that the implementation of the decision of Islam is not easy, and need a lot of sacrifices and endurance:
﴿أَم حَسِبتُم أَن تَدخُلُوا الجَنَّةَ وَلَمّا يَأتِكُم مَثَلُ الَّذينَ خَلَوا مِن قَبلِكُم مَسَّتهُمُ البَأساءُ وَالضَّرّاءُ وَزُلزِلوا حَتّى يَقولَ الرَّسولُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا مَعَهُ مَتى نَصرُ اللَّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصرَ اللَّهِ قَريبٌ﴾
Approximate translation
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said: when is the victory of Allah? Unquestionably the victory of Allah is near.
Chapter 2 verses 214
﴿وَلَنَبلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيءٍ مِنَ الخَوفِ وَالجوعِ وَنَقصٍ مِنَ الأَموالِ وَالأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَراتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصّابِرينَالَّذينَ إِذا أَصابَتهُم مُصيبَةٌ قالوا إِنّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيهِ راجِعونَأُولئِكَ عَلَيهِم صَلَواتٌ مِن رَبِّهِم وَرَحمَةٌ وَأُولئِكَ هُمُ المُهتَدونَ﴾
Approximate translation
And we will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits but give good tidings to the patient who when disaster strikes them, say indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we will return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy and it is those who are (rightly) guided.
Chapter 2 verse 155-157
because to be a servant to Allah alone means to be against all the world, hence all the world will fight you in all possible ways .
Your country will be the first who fight you, because your Islam means broken its law, therefore you will be putting in jail، or you will evade in the countryside where you will not be under their authority.
Your family also will be angry against you, because by your Islam you had broken your belonging to them, and your relationship with them from now on is defined by what is Islam says.
And only at this moment will the previous verses be fulfilled in you, and you can hope that you will be among the companions of Paradise.
Certainly it's so hard to be fighted by all the world, but Allah will give you the inner peace, tranquility and happiness, because that's what He has promised who follows His revelation in:
﴿قالَ اهبِطا مِنها جَميعًا بَعضُكُم لِبَعضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَإِمّا يَأتِيَنَّكُم مِنّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشقى﴾
Approximate translation
Said: descend from it all, being enemies to one another. And if there should come to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer.
Chapter 20 verse 123.
In the opposite side, If you refuse submitting to Allah by following His guidance, your life will be empty and so difficult, even though you have money and all you want, because you will never feel inner peace, so you will always be worried about the future, expecting the worst, and that is what Allah said in the following verses:
﴿وَمَن أَعرَضَ عَن ذِكري فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحشُرُهُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ أَعمىقالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرتَني أَعمى وَقَد كُنتُ بَصيرًاقالَ كَذلِكَ أَتَتكَ آياتُنا فَنَسيتَها وَكَذلِكَ اليَومَ تُنسىوَكَذلِكَ نَجزي مَن أَسرَفَ وَلَم يُؤمِن بِآياتِ رَبِّهِ وَلَعَذابُ الآخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبقى﴾
Approximate translation
And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed he, will have a depressed life (difficult), and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind, he will say my Lord why have you raised me blind while I was seeing? Allah will say, Thus did our signs come to you and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day forgotten. And thus do We recompense he who transgressed and did not believe in the signs of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and more enduring
Chapter 20 verses 124-127
The pillars of Islam
If Allah blesses you and gives you the courage to make the decision to give yourself to Him, this decision will be manifested practically by fulfilling the pillars of Islam, and this is what we will detail in the following:
The testimony that there is no "ilah" but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
The word "ilah" means God, authority and Lord, so by saying:
"la ilah illa Allah" there is no ilah but Allah
You confirm that you don't have any God, authority or lord to submit to but Allah.
Allah didn't send to us any person but Muhammad pbuh, so the testimony that there is no ilah but Allah in practice means don't follow anyone except Muhammad pbuh, and that's what means the testimony that Muhammad pbuh is the Messenger of Allah.
The five daily prayers
The distribution of the five daily prayers along the day makes sure that you are in continuous worship of Allah, and that is what you decided when you decided to give yourself to Allah.
Paying Zakat
For proving that you gave your money to Allah, you must take some portion of your money and give it to the poorers.
Fasting Ramadan
To prove that you have defeated your desire, you should refrain from eating, drinking and having intercourse during all days of the month of Ramadan.
Pilgrimage to the house for those who can find a way to it
Leaving your home, your family and answer the call of Allah to make pilgrim to His house, and gathering with your brothers and sisters from all the world in the same place, wearing the same clothes proves that you are belong Allah, His Messenger and the Muslims nation, not belong anyone else, so you fulfilled :
﴿إِنَّما وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسولُهُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنُوا الَّذينَ يُقيمونَ الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤتونَ الزَّكاةَ وَهُم راكِعونَ﴾
Approximate translation
Your ally is none but Allah and His messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give Zakat and they bow (in submit)
Chapter 5 verse 55.
If you have any question or comment please write it down, I will answer you as soon as possible inshallah
May Allah make us true Muslims, amen.
Source: https://www.thereform.net/2022/11/what-is-islam.html