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De Koran

Islam

Brief definition of Islam

Praise be to Allah and peace and blessings be upon His Prophet, his family and companions.

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Our religion is Islam. It is the religion revealed to our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He has taught us not to worship anyone but Allah and to believe in and follow the Quran. He admonished us to do what is good and to stay away from what is bad.

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Islam is based on five pillars. These are believing that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, performing prayers five times a day at set times during the day and night, fasting during the month of Ramadan, giving alms to the poor and performing the pilgrimage once in a lifetime if one is able to do so.

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Islam organizes our entire life. A community must adhere to the teachings of Islam before achieving perfection. Islam regulates the relationship between the Muslim and his environment, the people around him and even with the animals. Islam influences everything in our lives and the more it is applied in life, the better one will feel.

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Sheikh Mohammed Saalih al-Munaddjid

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The 5 Pillars of Islam

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Islam is built on the following five pillars:

  1. Testifying that nothing or no one has the right to be worshiped except Allah, and that Muhammad peace be upon him is the Messenger of Allah.

  2. Maintaining Salaah (prayer).

  3. Giving Zakaah (poor tax).

  4. Fasting Ramadan.

  5. Performing the Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (Kacbah) for whoever is able.

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The pillars of Islam can be divided into two categories:

  1. Columns that are essential for construction. These pillars are called basic pillars Arkaanoe Asaas. These are:

  • Testifying that nothing or no one has the right to be worshiped except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

  • Maintaining Salaah (prayer).

  1. Additional columns that complete the construction. These pillars are called Arkaanoe Tamaam. These are:

  • Giving Zakaah (poor tax).

  • Fasting Ramadan.

  • Performing Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (Kabah) for whoever is able.

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The 6 pillars of faith

The Prophet said: “Faith means believing in:

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  • 1. Allah.
    That He is the One True Deity and that He is the Creator. He alone has the right to be worshipped. His Names, Attributes and Characteristics cannot be compared to any of His creatures.
     

  • 2.  His Angels
    They are creatures and servants of Allah, created from light, who are neither male nor female and who obey Him in whatever He commands them.
     

  • 3.  His revealed Books
    It concerns all the books that Allah has revealed to His Messengers, including the Torah, the Bible, the Psalms and the Quran... The Quran is a confirmation and a witness over the previous Books, and He also dominates over these books.
     

  • 4. His Messengers
    They are people chosen by Allah who conveyed Allah's Revelation to humanity; the first was Noah and the last was Muhammad (peace be upon him).
     

  • 5. The Last Day
    This is the Day of Judgment, the Day of Resurrection and the day when the creatures will be held accountable for their actions.
     

  • 6. Believing in (Divine) predestination, both the good and the bad of it.
    This means that everything that occurs in creation occurs with the Knowledge, Will and Power of Allah. The servants should resign themselves to everything that Allah has decreed for them.
     

  • Why did Allah create us?
    Allah created us to worship Him. In the Quran, Allah tells what can be translated as follows:
    And I have created the Jinns and mankind only to worship Me.
    (Surat adh-Dhaariyaat: 56)
     

  • What is worship?
    Worship (in Arabic cIbaadah) is an all-encompassing term for all actions and sayings that Allah loves and has prescribed, such as prayer, reading the Qur'an, giving voluntary alms, etc.
     

  • How do we worship Allah?
    We worship Allah in the manner in which He and His Messenger commanded us to do so. The Quran states:
    O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not nullify your works.
    (Surat Muhammad: 33)

Ihsaan

Linguistic meaning: the opposite of badness.

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Islamic meaning: awareness of Allah in secret and in public.

The pillars of al-Ihsaan

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Ihsaan is built on one pillar:

  1. That you worship Allah as if you see Him and if you do not see Him, He sees you.

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The levels of al-Ihsaan

Al-Ihsaan can be divided into two levels:

  1. The level of beholding: that you worship Allah as if you see Him.

  2. The level of knowledge and awareness: and if you do not see Him, He will see you.

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The categories of al-Ihsaan

Al-Ihsaan can be divided into two categories:

  1. Ihsaan versus creation. This concerns the following matters:

  • The possession

  • The reputation

  • The knowledge

  • The body

  1. Ihsaan in worshiping the Creator. This category of Ihsaan can be divided into two levels, as mentioned:

  • The sight.

  • Taking note and being aware.

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The evidence for al-Ihsaan

Allah's statement:

“Verily Allah is with those who fear (Him) and with those who are Muhsinoen (doers of good).”

(Surat an-Nahl: 128)

And from the Sunnah what is narrated in the narration of Jibreel, when he asked the Prophet peace be upon him: “Inform me about (the meaning of) al-Ihsaan.” He replied: “That you worship Allah as if you see Him and if you do not see Him, He sees you.”

(Muslim)[1]

[1] Macaarij ul-Qabul of Hishaam Aal-cOqdah, p. 309. Qawl ul-Mufid of Shaykh al-Wasaabiy, p. 71.

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