The Purpose Of Creation Of Mankind

The Universal Brotherhood Of Islam

The Islamic belief in the unity of mankind is the corollary of the doctrine of the Unity of God. The self-same God is the Creator and Nourisher of the men and women of all nations, races, colors, creeds and cultures. And hence all mankind may be regarded as God's big family:

 (Mankind are one community.)

 According to Islam, all human beings have been created by one and the same God, and for this reason belong to one great brotherhood. So far as their earthly origin is concerned, they are all descendants of the first pair of human beings ever created by God — Adam and Eve. In their subsequent spread over different parts of the world, variations in geographical conditions produced a diversity of skin colorings, languages and other racial characteristics.

The Islamic Greeting And It's Etiquette

Islam has professed the use of the Islamic greeting when encountering another Muslim or leaving the company of another Muslim because it unifies the hearts and strengthens bonds between Muslims.

Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "I swear by the one whose hand my soul is in that you will not enter paradise until you believe. And you won’t be believed until you love one another. May I tell you something, that if you practice it you will love another, spread the (salam) Islamic greeting among you." This makes it clear to us, that spreading salam among Muslims is the first step towards paradise. This is because spreading salam leads to increasing the love between our hearts. And the increase of love between our hearts will increase the Iman, (faith).

An authentic hadith reported by Imams At-Termithi and Ibn Majah that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Oh you people, spread salam among you, serve the food, behave kindly with your blood relations, and offer prayer at night when others are asleep, and you will enter paradise safely." And Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that a man asked the prophet (S.A.W.), "what in Islam is the best?" He (S.A.W.) answered, "To feed people and to say salam to everyone whether you know them or not."

What is the history of the Islamic greeting, when did it start, and who was the one who chose it?

Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "When Allah created Adam he told him to go and say Assalamu Alikum to a group of Angels and listen to their reply. It is your greeting and the greeting of your descendants. Adam went and said: Assalamu Alikum they said Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatulah."

The complete form for the Islamic greeting is Assalamu Alilkum Wa Rahmatulah Wa Barakatuh meaning peace, mercy, and blessings be upon from Allah (S.W.T.). This is because Imams Abu-Dawood and At-Termithi reported in a good hadith that a man came to the prophet (S.A.W.) and said, "Assalamu Alikum." The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "Ten rewards." Another man came and said, "Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatullh." The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "twenty rewards."

Then another man came and said: Assalamu Alakum Wa Rahmatulah Wa Barakatuh. The prophet responded and the man sat down. The prophet said, "thirty rewards."

The Scholars have agreed that starting with salam is highly recommended. And responding is obligatory because Allah (S.W.T.) said in surat An-Nesa’, (verse 86), what can be translated as, "When a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or at least of equal courtesy."

It is enough for one to say the Islamic greeting to a group and it is enough for one of the group to return it. This is the meaning of the two ahadith that were reported by Imams Abu Dawood and Malik.


From the Etiquette of Salam:
The one who comes greets the Muslims that are present.
The one who is riding greets the one who is walking.
The one who is walking greets the one who is sitting.
The smaller group greets the bigger group.
The young greet the elder.

Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said, "A rider should greet a pedestrian, a pedestrian should greet one who is sitting, and a small party should greet a large party, a younger should greet an elder one."

Salams are recommended when leaving as well as when you meet. Imams Abu-Dawoud, and At-Tirmith reported in a good hadith that the prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.) said, "When one of you joins a gathering he should greet those present; and when he leave them he should greet them because the first salutation is not better than the last one."

What does Islam say about saying salams to the people of the book?

The majority of scholars reported that starting with Assalamu Alikum is not permitted. They refer to the hadith of the prophet that was reported by Imam Muslim in which the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Don’t start with the (salam) Islamic greeting when encountering Jews or Christians."

Some scholars see no problem in starting with the Islamic greeting. Some of the Shafies agree with this. This is the opinion of Ibn-Abbas one of the companions of the prophet. He said that this hadith was special for the Jewish of Quraizah, not for all of the people of the book.

What if the people of the book start with the salams with the Muslims. Some of the scholars, like Ahnaf say that it is allowed to return salam and others say it’s obligatory.

Ibn Abbass said, "Whoever says Assalamu Alakum to you, you have to return his greeting even if he was a Majos (fire-worshipper). He was referring to a verse from surat An-Nesa’ (verse 86), what can be translated as, "When a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or at least of equal courtesy."

The scholar had agreed upon starting the greeting with the non-Muslims is allowed with any word but Assalamu Alikum, like good morning, how are you? etc..

When meeting another Muslim shaking hands is highly recommended, along with a great smile, because it increases the love and respect among Muslims.

It was reported by Imam Bukhari that Qatadah asked Anass (R.A.) if shaking hands was practiced by the companion at the time of the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). He said, "Yes."

Shaking hands with another Muslim will result in forgiveness from Allah (S.W.T.).Imams Abu Dawood and At-Termithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "If Muslims meet and shake hands with each other, they will be forgiven before they leave."

Imam At-Termithi reported a good hadith that a man said: "O messenger of Allah if one of us meets his brother or friend, should he bend down to him? The prophet said, " No." He asked should he hug him and kiss him? The prophet answered, "No." He asked should he take his hand and shake it. The prophet answered, "Yes."

Imam At-Termithi reported that Anass (R.A.) said, "When the prophet use to meet a man, he shook hands with him and the prophet (S.A.W.) would not pull away his hand until the man would pull his hand away first."

Reference:

http://islam1.org/khutub/Islamic_Greeting.htm

(Friday speech delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC on February 22, 1988.)

Significance Of Sunnah And Hadeeth In Islam

There are two main fundamental sources of knowledge in Islam – The Qur’an and the Hadeeth. Often people associate Islam with teachings and commandments of only Qur’an; this is true for both Muslims and non-Muslims. However this attitude of ignoring the Hadeeth or Sunnah has lead to many misunderstandings about the already misunderstood way of life, Islam. Best example being that of the perception of Islam promoting hatred. Such doubts and baseless allegations arise mostly due to partial study of Islamic literature.

Adhan - The Call To Prayer In Islam

The adhan is the call to the prayers in Islam, recited by the muezzin usually from the minarets of a mosque. The main purpose behind the loud pronouncement of adhanfive times a day is to remind the believers to discard all worldly activities at prayer time and assemble for the mandatory (fard) prayers. Click on Continue Reading to learn more about Adhan.

Polygamy In Islam

Polygamy (plurality of wives) is one of the controversial questions in the family system of Islam. The following are a few points worth of consideration in an effort to clarify the wisdom of polygamy and when it can be used:

Introduction

Islam has emphasized that taking advantage of the

permission of polygamy is conditional on the observance of several factors and circumstances -as it will be explained later. If the man lacks those material and moral conditions, or he is not competent enough to satisfy all of them, then he will not be eligible to take more than one wife. Also, Islam has emphasized that the basic objective of healthy marital life comes from mutual love and benevolence between the husband and the wife which normally can be found in the form of regular marriage - monogamy. Preservation of that cordiality, stability, and purity in the family life can be seen clearly in the Quranic doctrines as well as in the tradition of the prophet (Peace be upon him): 

The Promise Of Allah To The Believers - "Paradise"

To those who will come into His Presence as believers, Allah gives the promise of Paradise, wherein they will remain forever. As there is no doubt that this promise will be fulfilled, those who believe with certainty will never doubt its truth. Moreover, if they have surrendered their souls to Him as believers, they know that their sins will be forgiven and that they will be accepted into Paradise. The following verse makes this clear:

"Gardens of Eden which the All-Merciful has promised to His servants in the Unseen. His promise is always kept". (Surah Maryam, 61)

Important Cities Of Islam

Mecca - The Holiest City In Islam

The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba is a mosque (built by Abraham according to Muslim tradition) built around a black stone. The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam and the direction (qibla) in which all Muslims should offer their prayers.

The Ka'ba is believed to be the first place that was created on earth and the place at which heavenly bliss and power touches the earth directly. Mecca is located in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. The city lies inland 73 kilometers east of Jiddah, in the narrow, sandy Valley of Abraham. The Holy City is 277 meters (909 feet) above sea level.

Azaan Dua

Source: Digital Art by Billax on DeviantArt

ALLAH : The Creator And The Only God

http://www.pureislamicdesigns.com

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus(Peace be upon him) and a sister language of Arabic.

The Five Pillars Of Islam

Five Pillars of Islam

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA); Allah's Apostle (SAW)said; Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):

1. Shahādah: To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle.
2. Salāh: To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
3. Zakāt: To pay Zakāt (Obligatory Charity).
4. Sawm / Roza: To observe fast during the month of Ramadan. (Sawm / Roza).
5. Hajj: To perform Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca).

 (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 17).

Let us learn briefly about these pillars.

The Meaning Of Islam

Islam is an Arabic word and denotes acceptance of God as the Supreme and the Ultimate Reality. It means submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to God- that is why it is called Islam. 

The other literal meaning of the word Islam is peace and this signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and of mind only through submission and obedience to God. Such a life of obedience brings peace of heart and establishes real peace in society at large. Unlike many other faiths, the name Islam is neither related with its founder (as in Buddhism or Christianity) nor tribe or race (like in Judaism) nor with land and soil (as in Hinduism). 

Islam : Basic Concepts

ISLAM is the religion of truth. It is the embodiment of the code of life which God, the Creator and the Lord of the universe, has revealed for the guidance of mankind. For the proper development of human life man needs two kinds of thing, viz.: (a) resources to maintain life and fulfil the material needs of the individual and society, and (b) knowledge of the principles of individual and social behavior to enable man to have self-fulfilment and to maintain justice and tranquility in human life. The Lord of the universe has provided for both of these in full measure. 

TAWHID: The Bedrock of Islam

Tawhid is a revolutionary concept and constitutes the essence of the teachings of Islam. It means that there is only One Supreme Lord of the universe. He is all Powerful, all Knowing and the Sustainer of the world and of mankind. 

What Is Islam?

Islam is the religion articulated by the Qur’an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of the single incomparable God. Muslims believe that God revealed his final message to humanity through the Islamic prophet Muhammad via the archangel Gabriel. For them, Muhammad was God’s final prophet and the Qur’an is the holy book of revelations he received over more than two decades.

In Islam, prophets are men selected by God to be his messengers. Muslims believe that prophets are human and not divine, though some are able to perform miracles to prove their claim. Islamic prophets are considered to be the closest to perfection of all humans, and are uniquely the recipients of divine revelation—either directly from God or through angels.