The principles of Islam

1. Sh.Hmoud I'L Al Lahiil
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4o

2. llhe Principles of
Islam
Compiled by
Sh. Hmoud M. Al-Lahim
Translationand Commentaryby
Mahmoud Ridha Murad

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lsBN 9960- 798- 07- 0
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4. The Meaning and Essenceof Islam
The lexical meaning of Islam is
submission,and adherenceto the commands
of Allah without objection. This is ttretrue
essenceof Islam. By obeying Allah and
observingHis commands,the Muslim would
be in harmonywith the universein which he
lives, for everythingin this universeabides
by thecommandsof Allah.
It is an established fact that
everythingin this universefollows certain
rule, and an unalterablelaw to which it
submits; the sun, the moon, the stars,the
night, the day, the land, the trees,and the
beasts;all submitto a rule which Allah, the
Creator,hasdesignatedfor all thesethings.
Even man himself, when you considerhis
physical construction, and biological
compounds, his need for water and
nutrition, heat,air, light, rest,or sleepyou
would find him submittins to a law under

5. which he has no choice, just like other
creatures.
This inclusive law to which
everything submits, is rhe work of Allah,
the Majestic King, ro Whom belong the
creation and the authority. Both of the
upp-erand the lower worlds submitwillingly
to the Creator,the CapableKing.
Due to the fact that the linguistic
meaning of Islam is submission,and
adherencewithout objection, Islam, from
this point of view, is rhe faith of the
universe. Man in this sense,doesnot differ
from the other creatures.SinceAllah, is the
Creatorand the Provider,He hasgiven man
the freedomof choice,and has shownhim
both, the path of guidance,and the path of
deviationthroughthe Messengersthat He
sentto mankindthroughouttheages;thelast
of whom is Muhammad,peacebe uponthem
all. Therefore,he who choosesthe pathof
guidanceof his own free will, and futfills
the duties with which he is charged,and

6. refrains from the prohibition, then he
becomesthelegitimateMuslim.
As for him who choosesthe Pathof
deviation, neglecting the acts of worship,
and commining the prohibitions, he is thus
an unbeliever. Each of them will receive
his requital on the Day he will meet his
Rubbr when the recordsof deedswill be
displayed.Allatr says:
So whoeverdoesgoodequalto theweightof
an ant shallseeit andwhoeverdoesevil equal
to theweightof anantshallseeit.
Basedon this gift thatAllah hasgranted
man; which is one of the greatest,i.e., the
freedomof choice,andaftersubjugatingfor
him the land, the sea,the night andthe day,
Allah hascommandedman to worshipHim
alone, and has forbidden him to ascribe
1 Sorneranslatethe term "Rubb" into 'lord. but
since the meaning of 'Rubb' is far more
comprehensivethanto berestrictedto a singleword
suchas 'lord'.Amongotherthingstheterm
'Rubb'
means,theCreator,theCherisher,theSustainer,or
Provider.

7. partnersto Him, and has promised him in
return great rewards for his obedience.
Among the promisedrewardsarethe
following :
l - Allowing man to benefit from the
signs of Allah that are scatteredthroughout
the universe proving the fact that Allah is
the true God Who deserves to be
worshipped.
2- The ability to lead a fear-freelife in
this world, and to rendersound his stateof
affairs. The Prophet,peacebe upon him,
said: "How wonderful is thebeliever'sstate
of affairs. All his affairs yield good
consequences.If he encountersa pleasant
situation,he would showgratitudeto Allah,
and this responsewould be good for him,
and if he experiencesdistressingsituation,
he would endureit patiently,and it would
be good for him. This appliesonly to the
believer. "
The believerknows that his duty in
this world is to worshipAllah alone. Allah,

8. has created the jinn and man only to
worship Him. Allah does not seek
provisionsfrom them,nor doeshe askthat
ttreyshouldfeedHim. It is He Who is the
Provider,the Most Powerful.
The believeralso knows that he will
finally meet his Rubb on the Day of
Requital. He alsoknowsthathe cameinto
existenceby theword of Allah who created
him,cherishedhim,andbestoweduponhim
His favors,the seenandtheunseenthereof,
and He has subjectedeverythingfor him.
Ailatrsays:
Do you not sccthatAllah hassubjecrcdfor
you what is in the heavensand what is in thc
carth,andthatHc hasbestowcdamply uponyou
His apparentandhiddcngraces2
And Allah says:
Allah is thcOneWho hascrcatedcatrlcfor
you sothatyou may rideon someof them,and
eat.thcmeatof someof them.3
2e. 3l:20
3q. cO:79

9. Allah is the One Who has createdthe
heavensand the earth,and Who sendsdown
water from the sky, and broughtforth thercby
fruits asprovisionsfor you; andHe hasmade
the-shipsto bc of serviceto you, that they may
sail easily through by His command,and HL
hasalsomaderivers to beof senriceto you.a
And Allah says:
Do you nor seethat Allah hassubjectedfor you
everythingin theearth.5
3- The Muslim leadshis life knowing
that this world is not perrnanent,ratherit is
a transitory to the etemal life, and a supply
station,and a startingpoint of a raceto win
the pleasureof Allah.
Consequently,the Muslim is content
with whatever means of subsistencethat
becomeavailablefor him in this world,
knowing that such means are only a
temporalpleasure.
aq.zz:6s
5q. ru:lz-33
6

10. 4- The believer will, on the DaY of
Resurrection,win thepleasureof hisRubb,
the only meansof escapingthe Fire and
enteringJannah.Allahsays:
Ho-who is movedawdyfrom the Fire, and
admittedto Jannahhasindecdprospcrcd,and
the lifc of this world is but a dcceiving
pleasure.6
After this short introduction, You
may want to know more Islam, the onlY
religion acceptable to Allah. The Religion in
ttre sight of Allah is Islam.
If anyonedesiresa religionotherthatIslam,
ncverwill it be acceptedof him; andin the
hereaftcrhewill bcamongthelosers.T
What is the means of knowing
the commandsof Allah, and His laws?
6q. ::r58
7e. 3:85

11. Regardlesshow much power, reason,
or shrewdnessman is given, he can never
know the statutesof Allah, and His laws,
commands,or prohibitionsby employing
suchfaculties. If man is unableto know
what is in themind of anotherhumanbeing,
unless the latter expresseshis thoughts
verbally or practically,how would man ,
then,be ableto know the intentionof Allah,
the Creatorof the universe. Consequently,
no one is ableto makelaws for thecreatures
excepttheir Creator,the One who knows
what is in their minds,and what is goodfor
them, and what renderstheir affairs aright
in thepresentandin the future.
It is only throughthe divine revelation
conveyedto mankind by the Messengers
who explainedto rheir peoplethe purposes
of Allah and the meansby which they may
attain His pleasure. The last of those
Messengersis Muhammad,sonof Abdullah,
the Hashimite,the last of the Messengers,
peacebe uponhim.

12. KNOWING THE MESSENGERS
You haveknownthattheMessengers
arethe men responsiblefor conveyingthe
laws andcommandsof Allah. Whatarethe
meansof recognizingthe Messengersand
theproofsof theirveracity'?
Proofs of
veracity
the Messengers'
We have , after that , to recognizethe
proofs of Prophethood.Among suchproofs
of the Messengers'veracityare :
1- They do not seekanythingfor their
personalinterest,ratherthey seekthings for
the public interestby waming their people
againstwhat may harm them.
2- What the Messengersreportedto
their people aboutthe unseenworld, no one
can concievethroughhis intellect,and yet
the realiry alwaysverified their statements.

13. 3- Every Messengeris supportedby a
miraculous sign that his people could not
challenge or match. Noah, for example,
challengedhis peopleto kill him, yer rhey
werc unableto do so,althoughhe wasliving
amongst them without guards, surrounded
by the disbelievershatred.Similarly, neither
the people of Ibraheemand Hood were able
to harm them. Allah, the Exalted,supported
Musa, peacebe upon him, by making his
caneto changeinto a snakewheneverMusa
wanted it to be so. While Issa,peacebe
upon him, healedthe blind, and the leper,
and revived the deadwith the permissionof
Allah. Muhammad, peace be upon him,
received the greatQur'an.Bearingin mind
that he was unlettered,and did not study
under the instruction of any person,yet his
people were unable to produce a book
similar to the Qur'an as a whole, nor were
they able to produce ten chaptersthe like
thereof. Finally, Allah challengedthem to
produce a single chapter similar to that in
l0

14. the Qur'an,but they failed to meet the
challenge.Neverwill anyonebe ableto do
so.
Allatrsays:
If mankind and the jinn gatheredtogcther to
producc thc like of this Qur'an, thcy would
heverbc ableto do soevenif they helpe/ each
other.t
AUafrsenta Messengerto everynation,
and supportedhim with a miracle that suited
the nature of his people. And since Allatt
sent every Messengerwith a Message
concerning that particular nation, and
becausethoseMessageswere not final nor
perrnanent, those Messagesfaded away
along with the nationsto whom they were
sent. But the Message with which
Muhammad,peacebe uponhim, wassentis
the last and perpetual. Hence,the miracles
of thepreviousMessengerswere,generally,
of materialisticnature,whereasthe Qur'an
lt
8q. rZ:88

15. is an intellectualandscientificMiracle,thus
to suit the human intellectthroughoutthe
ages.
Now that you haveknown the means
of recognizingthedeenof Allah, the Islam,
whatthenis Islamof which Allah approves,
andacceptsfrom His slaves?Let usexplore
Islam in detail. Islam as you havealieady
known, means,submittingto the will of
Allah, the Exalredwith obedience.It means
worshipping Allah alone, ascribing no
partnersto Him. Islamconsistsof ritesand
actionsfulfilled by manout of obedienceto
Allah, and in conformirywith the Message
of the Messengers,the last of whom is
Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Muhammad'sset of laws conclude all
previousdivine laws. Any otherlaws that
disagreewith his arenull andvoid, because
they disagree with Allah's final and
perrnanentlegislation.
Theseritesexpress theiman, (faith)
in the heartof the believer,for whateveris
t2

16. based on faith and certainty, externally or
inrcmally is the true deen of Islam. Islam is
the means by which man acquires the
pleasureof his Rubb, his Creator, and the
means of salvation that delivers him from
the torment of the Day of Resurrection.
Islam is based on five Pillars:
l- The testimony of faith: "There
is no true god except Allah, and that
Muhammadis the Messengerof Allah.
The requirementsof this Testimony
is the submissionand declarationthat Allah
is the true God, and that all otherdeitiesare
false, and are not capable of neither
harming or benefiting, nor do they deserve
to be worshipped.
Allah is alsothe Ruler who hasa free
hand in the disposal of the affairs of the
universe. Peoplemust rule by His laws and
commands.
r3

17. It is only rhe Book of Allah to
Whom men should refer their disputesand
affairs. Any judicial decision other thar
Allah's is a decisionbasedon ignoranceor
q're-Istamicera, which entails injustice and
deviation. All legitimate rites of worship
mustbe dedicatedto Allah alone.
Among other requirementsof the
Testimony of Faith is that no one should
bow down, or lower his head humbly to
anyone, nor supplicate another human
qt-lilg him to fulfill his needs,for only
Allah is capableof fulfilling man'sneeds.
As for the requirementsof the
Testimony:'Muhammad
is the Messengerof
Allah', it entailsrecognitionof Muhammad
as the true Messenger of Allah. This
Testimony also atteststo his veracity,
trustworthiness and infallibiliry in
everything that he related ro Allah, the
Exalted,about the past,the future, and the
t4

18. unseenworld. Becauseeverythinghe
relatedis only revelationfrom Allah.
It is obligatoryto obeyhis commands
andto rcfrainfrom his prohibitionsbecause
obeyinghim is in fact obeyingAllah. The
Prophet,peacebe upon him, is the one
commissionedby Allah to convey His
message,laws,andcommands.Therefore,
it is not permissibleto disobey the
Messenger, peace be upon him, for
disobeyinghimmeansdisobeyingAllah.
2- As-Salah:
As-Salah,or prayeris the second
pillar of Islam. It begins with the
purificationof the body andendswith the
purificationof the soul. It is performed
five timesin the dayandthenight. Prayer
may be consideredasan energizingcharge
manneedswheneverhetendsto beheedless
of the remembranceof his Rubb. In order
to rcnewthe contact with his Rubb, the
l5

19. first thing man startsoff his day with, is
prayer. The time of the first prayer of the
day beginswith the dawn andendswith the
sunset.Having spentthefirst half of theday
working, heedlessnessis apt to befall man;
by then the mid-day salah or prayer
becomesdue for which the Muslim renews
purification, and his contactwith his Rubb
asking His help, mercy, and success
throughoutthis life, and forgivenessin the
Hereafter to efface his sins and errors.
Thus man moves from one prayer to
anotheruntil he meetswith his Rubb. The
Messenger,peacebeuponhim, said:
Considera river runningby yourdoor in which
you washyourselffive timesa day.Would that
spare any soiled spot on your body? (His
listeners)said: "Certainlynot" He said: Sodo
thefive daily prayerswith which Allah effaces
thesins.
Performingprayerin the masjidhelps
Muslims maintain strongrelationwith one
another in brotherly atmosphere, and
promotes among them love and mercy.
t6

20. Prayerdetersreprehensibleandevil deeds.
It alsohelpstheslavein all hisaffairs.
Allah says:
Andseekhelpthroughpatienceandprayer.
3- Az-Zakat
Zakat is thethirdpillar of Islam.It is
a financialactof worship,whichis dueon
thewealthkeptin possessionfor oneyear.
A certainpercentageis takenfrom every
kind of propertyto be givenout to thepoor
to enablethemmeettheirneeds.TtteZakat
fulfills the poor'sneeds,andpurifies the
donorsfrom selfishness,a naturaltendency
in men.
Allatrsays:
And you love wealthwith exceedinglove.
Te Zakar augmentsthe wealth, and
addsbarakahe to it. The Prophet,peacebe
upon him said: "Never will charity
diminish the wealth,ratherit augmentsit. "
9 Barattah, abundantandcontinualgood.
t7

21. Thus the Zakat is a means of
augmenting the wealth, and purifying the
souls from miserliness, stinginess and
selfishness. It is a manifestationof social
mutual responsibilityamong the Muslims,
that the wealthy among them may
sympathize with the poor and the poor
amongthemmay love thewealthy.
After all, the zakat is an act of
worship dedicatedto Allah and a positive
responseto His command and a meansof
gainingHis pleasure.
4- A s-Siyam
As-Siyam,in the month of Ramadanis
the fourth pillar of Islam.Through fastingall
aspecB of worship becomeintegrated, and the
senseof obedience, and the will to observe is
strengthened. Fastingis an act of worship, and
a means of bringing man closer to Allah, re-
fining the manners, self-restraint and setting
the behavior aright. It is also a means of
maintaining the fear of Allah.
18

22. Alatr says:
O, you who bclieve fasting is prescribed
to you asit wasprcscribedto thosebeforeyou,
thatyou may anainpiety.
Fasting was prescribed to previous
nations too as a meansof purification and
help againstlife's inconveniences,because
fastingrequirespatience,andpatienceis one
of the strongestmeans for acquiring the
happinessin the Hereafter.
AUatrsays:
nnd seck Allah's help through
pcrseveranccand prayer.
s- Hajj :
T}lreHajj is the fifth pillar of Islam.
This pillar hasthe sameobjectiveslike those
of the other pillars of Islam . The H ajj
trains self-restraint, endurance,resisting
hunger, enduring patiently the hardship of
the journey, leaving the family behind, and
other desirousthings. The Hajj like the
7akat, hasa financialaspect.It alsoshares
l9

23. with the prayer many physical aspectssuch
as Tawaf,Saee,ro and moving from one
ritual site to another. It includesaswell, the
talbiyah,n thedthikr rz andthe like. Hence,
theHajj is act an of worship involving the
financial, physical,and thoseaspectsrelated
to prayer. Like congregationalprayer,Hajj
also is an occasion for congregatingthe
Muslims in one place at one time, with one
monedistinction, that is , all Muslims then
wear the same outfit regardlessof their
heterogeneity,home lands,'tongues,
or
classes. The H aj j, in its general
l0 Th" Sa'ee,walking back and forth sevenrimes
betwccnthe two hills of As-Safaand Marwah.Onc
of the rites of Pilgrimage both Umrah and Flajj, and
is perfurmcdimmediatelyafterthe circumambularion
of the Ka'bah.
I I Thc recitationof the words: Labbaikallahumma
Labbaik.etc.meaning:Herc am I. O Allah! Heream
I. Hcre am I dcclaring no associateswith You.
Surely, praise and blessings,and dominion are
Yours. I associatenonewith You.
12Thercmembranceof Attahasanacrof worship.
2n

24. manifestationis a conventionthat comprises
all groups of Muslims who come from
different countries and from different
descentsto attend and participate in this
greatbeneficialfunction. The Messengerof
Allah, peacebe upon him, madehis speech
in Arafat conveying to the Muslims the
messagefrom his Rzbb, calling on Allah to
be his witnessthat he has indeedconveyed
the Message. The Muslims have the best
examplein the Messengerof Allah, peacebe
upon him. The H ajj is performed in
compliance to Allah's commands. When
Ibraheem, peace be upon him, had
completed erecting the Ka'bah, Allah
commandedhim to declareto the people:
Allah hasenjoinedHajj on you. Therefore
perform it. Allah says:
And proclaim to mankindthePilgrimage.Thcy
will come to you on foot and on every lean
camelcomingby everydistantrrack.13
l3qu/an 22:27
zl

25. A Muslim who fulfills the five pillars
of IslambelievingthatAllah is his Rubb,
andIslamis his faith, andMuhammadis hie
Prophetand Messenger,and dies while
upholdingthisbelief,hewill eventuallygein
thc pleasurcof his Rzbb,andadmittanceto
Jannah. But if a personhas fulfilled the
pillars of Islamwithoutfaith, it wouldnot
benefithim nor would it deliverhim from
thepunishmentpromisedby hisRubb even
thoughheappearsto bea Muslim.
THE ARTICLES OF IMAN
(frith)
We have alreadymentionedthat the
first article of iman is the Testimony:
"Therc is no true god except Allah and that
Muhammad, is the Messengerof Allah",
peacebe upon him. The secondpart of the
Testimony necessitatesattestingto the tmth
that he is sentby Allah to mankind at large,
and it is imperativeto attestto the veracity
of everything he told, to obey him, and
22

26. avoid his prohibitions. And of the things he
commanded is believing in Allah. His
angelsHis Scriptures , His Messengers,the
I-astDay , andthe Qada' and Qadar.tr
I. THE BELIEF IN ALLAH : ThC
firm belief that Allah is the self-sufficient,
who standsin needof none of His creaturcs.
Allah is neither an offspring of previous
roots, nor does He have offspring. Allah
describesHimself saying: He neitherbegets,
nor is He begotten. He is far removed
from having a spouse or a son. He is
qualified with all attributesof perfection.
It is imperativeto believethat Allah
is ever-living, unaffectedby cessationor
extinction,and that He is ever alert, and He
is the Proprietorof all. It is alsoincumbent
upon us to believethat intercessionis valid
only after He permits,andthat He is the One
and only, having no partner in His
t4
23

27. Ruboobiyyahrs,nor in H'isdivinity,nor is
there anyone to share His names and
attributes. He has no intermediariesfrom
amongHis creatures.It is He in Whose
handis the provision,life and death,and
harm and benefit. He hears their
supplications,respondsto the distressed
when they call Him for help. Allah's
creaturesstandin needof Him, while He
standsin needof none.Believingin all this
makesmanexpectrelief from Allah alone,
andfearHim alone,askHim alonewithout
going throughmiddlemenor intercessors.
Allah's creatureshave no power without
Him to extendbenefit,or causeharm to
anyone. What someallegethat thereare
intermediariesor intercessorsto whose
gravestheygo seekinghelp,andwhomthey
call,awliya, or thefavoritesof Allah is not
only falseallegation,but it is paramountto
shirk, or ascribingpartnersto Allah, the
15Ruboobryah Inf. of Rubb.

28. Ever living , the All-knowing, the All-
powerful.
2. THE BELIEF
ANGELS:
IN THE
Theangelsarcpartof theunseenworld
aboutwhich Atlah ttreExalted,hasinformed
His MessengerMuhammad,peacebe upon
him. The angelsare honorableslavesof
Allah.Allatrsays:
ThcydonotrcbclagainstHiscommands,and
doexactlywhattheyarecommanded.
AUah hascrcatedthe angelsto worship
Him, and chargedthem with dutiesthat 0rey
fulfill obediently as Allah the Exalted,
mentions in the Qur'an rebuffing thus what
somepeoplefalsely believethat the angels
are the intercessorsand the daughtersof
Allah.
Since it is imperativeto believe in
the existenceof the angels, it is also
imperative to believe in what Allah, and
25

29. what Muhammad,peacebe upon him, have
informed about them, including the fact that
Jibreel (Gabriel) is one of them, and that he
was the one who brought down revelationto
the Messengersof Allah.
Among the angelsalsoarethosewho
keep count of man'sdeeds;the record which
will be shown to man on the Day of
Resurrection when man will be able to
recognizehis record of deeds, and would
deny none of its content. Once he denies
any of his deeds,man's own organs will
testifyagainsthim.
3- THE BELIEF IN THE
DIVINE SCRIPTURES:
Believing in the divine Scripturesis
one of the articlesof faith. It is mandatory
to believe that they are reVealedand sent
down by Allah. Belief in the Scripturesis of
two levels; general, and particular. The
gen,:ralentailsbelievingin all Scripturesent
down to any of Allah's Messengers,whether

30. we know him by name or not. As for the
particular belief, we must believe in every
Scripturethat is mentionedin rhe Qur'anby
name.They are five:
l- The Qur'an,which is in our hands,
the Book that was sentdown to Muhammad,
peacebe upon him.
2- e Torah,The Old Testament.senr
down to Musa,peacebe uponhim.
3- The Injeel, The Evangel, or The
New Testament,sent down to Isa (Jesus),
peacebe uponhim.
4- Az-Zaboor,the Psalms,sentdown to
Dawood,(David),peacebe uponhim.
5- The Sheetsof Ibrahim, peace be
uponhim.
We know thatit is obligatgryro believe
in all thoseBooks. But, do we have to
believe in all of the Scripturescirculated
today?Or, arethe Scripturesavailabletoday
thesanreasthoserevealedto theMessengeri
of Allah? Thesearegeneralquestions.The
1'7

31. answer is that although the Scripturesthat
precededthe Qur'an may contain parts of
the original texts, but they cannot be
consideredas genuine, for the following
reasons:
1- The completeoriginal textsof those
Scripturesareno longer in existence. What
is available today is only the translationwith
which the opinions of the translators,and
theexegesesaremixed.
2- The original texts of those Books
were not written down during the
Messengers' lifetime, rather, they were
written down hundredsof years thereafter.
They were collected from reportsgiven by
the Messengers'followersaswasthecaseof
the Bible. The original text itself
disappearedand was compiled for the
second time from reports and narratives,
and so wasthe caseof theTorah.
3- All previous Scriptureswere not
meant to addressmankind at large, rather
eachBook wassentto oneparticularnation,
28

32. for the divine Messagewasnot completed
then.EveryMessengergavehis peoplethe
good news of the Messengerwho would
succeedhim.
4- The languagesof thoseScripturcs
havebeenaltered,or becamearchaic. Even
if thoseScriptureswereavailabletoday in
their original texts,it is mostunlikely that
thercwould be any people,who would be
able to decodetheir languages,thus such
Scriptureswouldnotbevalid to usewithout
understandingtheir texts. As for thetext of
the Qur'an,it is still availablein its original
languagein which it was sent down to
Muhammad,peacebeuponhim. TheQur'an
maintainsits originalityandvalidityfor the
following reasons:
l- Allah Himself has promisedro
prcservetheQur'an.He said:
29

33. We it is Who sentdown theDlhikr l6and we
arepreservingit .17
2- The Qur'an was written down
during the lifetime of the Prophet,peacebe
upon him. Whenevera verse,or a surah
was revealed,the Messenger, peacebe upon
him, would dictateit to a scribe,telling him
to place it in the order and the surah it
belongedto. Besides,manycompanionshad
committedthe Qur'anto memory,andknew
the circumstantialeventsthat promptedthe
revelationof the surahs,or the verses.All
this information is compiled in authentic
works.
3- Jibreel,used to review the Qur'an
with the Prophet,peacebe uponhim, oncea
year.The year in which the Prophet,peace
be upon him, died , Jibreel reviewed the
Qur'anwith him twice.
l6 Among othermeanings,'dthikr'significs,the
Qu/an. It alsosignif,restheProphetictraditions.
17e.
30

34. 4- The men around the Prophet, peace
be upon him, committed the Qur'an to
memory. Therefore no one would have
been able to changeanything in the Qur'an,
for any supposedalternation would have
been spotted right away by those who
memorized the Qur'an.
5- The languagein which the Qur'an
was revealed is still the same, therefore
anyone who knows Arabic can easily
understandthe Qur'an and the signification
of its text.
6- The exegeteshave separatedtheir
commentariesfrom the main text of the
Qur'an to keep the letter chaste.
There is anotherimportant proof of
the Qur'an'soriginality. If samplesof the
Qur'an copies were collected at random
from Arab and non-Arab countries and
comparedwith eachother,they would have
been found identical. Those who have
committed the whole Qur'an to memory,
would have ascertainedthis fact.
3r

35. 7- The Qur'anis the last Book revealed
to the last of the Messenges..The wisdom
necessitatespreserving it. Had the Qur'an
been affected by any change, mankind
would havebeenleft without a chasteBook
as a reference.The infinite wisdom of
Allah and His mercy necessitatethat Allah
would not neglect His creatures,or leave
them to their own whimsical opinions
staggeringin the darknessof ignorance,and
deviation.
4- The Belief in the Messengers.
Believingin the Messengersis an
article of faith. This does not mean to
recognizesomeof the Messengersanddeny
the others. Ratherit is obligatoryto believe
in all of themin general,whetherwe know
their namesor not.ThoseMessengerswhose
namesare mentionedin the Qur'anmustbe
recognizedin particular. Allah has made
mandatoryrecognizingthem all, for they
are like a chain whoserings are connected
32

36. to one another; everyone of them
completedthe Messageof the proceeding
Messengeruntil Allah hassentMohammed,
peacebe upon him as the last Messenger
with whom He concludedtheir line. Peace
be upon them all. A person who
acknowledgessomeof theMessengers,and
deniestheothersis asthoughhehasbroken
their chain.
The Qur'anmentionsthe namesof
onlytwenty-fiveMessengers.Allahsays:-
And We sent Mcsscngerswhom We have
alrcady mentioned to you, and some
Mcssengerswhom Wc havenot mentionedto
You'18
The belief in the Messengeris
indispensable due to the fact that it is
impossibleto know the Messageof Allah
without the Messengers,for it is they who
conveyedHis message.It is obligatoryto
believein them indiscriminately.
It Q.4:164
33

37. As for the privileges with which
Muhammad,peacebe upon him, has been
distinguished,they areasfollows:
l- All of the Messengersthat preceded
him were sent to their own peoples in
particular, where as, Muhammad,peacebe
upon him, was sentto mankind at large,for
he would be succeededby no Prophet,or
Messenger.
Z- The teachings of the preceding
Prophets,and the signsof their veracityhad
vanishedalong with them. The proof of
Mohammed's veracity, is still and will
remain effective until the end of time. His
teachingsarepreservedin the books that are
availableto public.
3- The Messageof Mohammed,peace
be upon him, includesthe Messagesof the
precedingMessengers.The Messageandthe
teachingsof the Messengersarelike a palace
which is erectedby thejoint efforts of men;
each constructed a section thereof. and
34

38. Muhammad,peace be uPon him, has
completedthewholestructure.
5- The belief in the Final daY.
Thisbeliefnecessitates:
l- Believingthatthisworldandall that
is in it hasanend.
2- Allah, theexalted,will resulrectthe
creaturesonceagain.
3- The peoplewill be heldaccountable
for their deeds. He who doesgood,it will
be good for him, and he who errs, will
sufferthe consequences.Everyonewill be
heldresponsiblefor hisown deeds.
4- Mankind'sdeedsarebeingrecorded
andwill be reviewedby themon theDay of
Reckoning.
5- The Muslim will eventuallYbe
admittedto Jannah,(theheavenlygarden),
andthe unbelieverwill be admittedto Hell
Fire.
Hence,it is obviousthatdeathis not
the end of life, rather it is a borderline
35

39. betweenthe short transitionallife, and the
eternallife. But will all men lead the same
life ? Certainly not! They arc not alike.
Those who obey Allah will certainly be
rcwarded; and thosewho disobeyHim will
be punished.Believing in the I-ast Day is an
intellecnral necessity,for man in this world
do things the resultsof which do not appear,
or may not exist. Query! Would this world
terminate in the samemanner? Would the
oppressor get away with his oppression,
while the oppressedto be left unprotected?
This surely would have been unwise and
unfair. Hence,justice is indispensable,but
in a world other than this; the world to
come. The Prophet'sauthentic traditions
pertaining the world to come are sufficient
to confirm this fact. The ultimate purpose
of believing in the Day of Resurrectionis
to motivate the believersto make vigorous
efforts to achieve good deeds, and
discourage others from committing
imperious deedsand acts of disobedience,
36

40. andtheresultsof thetestsandafflictionsin
this world will becomeevidentin thenext
world.
6- The beliefin Al-Qadar.
Believingin Al-Qadaris oneof the
centralfundamentalsof Islam. Allah does
not accept any gooddeedfrorn a person
until hebelievesin theal-Qadar,evenif he
observesfasting, performsprayers,and
claimsto be a Muslim, becausehe did not
maintainsoundbeliefin Allah.He whodoes
not believein al-Qadar, impliesthatAllah
is incapable,unawareof theeventstaking
placein theuniverse,andimpotent.Suchis
not fit to be a god;for amongthe intrinsic
attributesof Allah theEver-living,theOne
Who sustainsandmaintainsthe creatures,
the Omnipotent,the All-Hearing, All-
Seeing,and the rest of the attributesof
perfection. Disbelievingin al -Qadar
necessitatesdenyingAllah all of these
37

41. attributes of perfection. Far is Allah
removedfrom every imperfection.
The belief in al-Qadar necessirares
believingthat :
l- Allah has known all things and
recorded them before bringing them into
existence.
2- When Allah, the Exalted, wills
somethingto takeplace, He would only say
to it: "Be". and it is. If Allah wants
somethingto exist, it will exist, and if He
doesnot wantit to exist,it will not exist.
3- Every existing thing, other than
Allah is createdby Allah, be it goodor evil,
andthat He hasbroughtit into existencefor
wise purposeknown to Him. Therefore,
there is nothing in the universethat exists
without a wise purpose.Allah is the All-
Knowing,All-Wise.
4- Nothing occurs,or takesplacein
this universewithou; the will of Allah, and
His permission. Allah is capable of
38

42. preventing what He doesnot perrnit to take
place. It shouldbe borne in mind however,
that this does not meanthat Allah approves
of everything in existence. Allah, for
instance,doesnot approveof disbelief, nor
doesHe enjoin mankind the commissionof
the abominable, nor does He love
corruption. In fact, He does not prevent
these things to exist for a wise purpose
known to Him. The purposeof believing
rn al-Qadar is
that it providesman with the capability
of achievinggood deedsknowing that life
and death are in the hand of Allah, the
Exalted. Hence,no oneelsecanprolongor
shortenhis life-term by a single second.
Once his term is over, there is none to
withholdits termination.Allah says:
And when their term hascome, they cannot
rcmain behinda singlemoment,nor can they
getaheadof it.l9
19Q.7:34
39

43. This belief providesman with the
senseof securityand contentrnentwhenhe
knowsthatnothingwouldbefallhim except
that which has alreadybeenassignedfor
him. If all mankind gatherto ward it off
him, they would not be ableto do so,nor
would theybe ableto granthim whatAllatl
haswithheld from him. And becauseman
knowsthathis dutyis to pursueall available
legal meansto earn his living, he also
knows the resultsremain in the hand of
Allah. Amongtheissuesdiscussedearlier,in
which we areobligedto believe,arethings
that are neither tangiblenor can they be
definedby thesenses.Whatis our attitude
towardsthesethings?
N

44. The Belief in al-Ghaib.zo
Believing in al-ghaib is alsoa central
fundamentalin Islam. Allah hasendowedus
with the ability to believein it. Man cannot
perceivethe essenceof Allah, His nature,or
attributes with his senses,nor can he
imagine them in his mind, and yet he sees
the effects of Allah's existence,and His
disposalof the affairs of the universe. Of
the greatestgracesthat Allah conferredon
man is enabling him to believe submissively
in theissuesof al-ghaib.
Among the issuesof cl-g haib in
which we submissivelybelieve without
conceiving their nature is the soul. If the
belief in al-ghalib is not acquired,man
would have lost many fundamentalsof his
faith. Man would have lackedthe belief in
2Oet-Ghafb , the world that is hidden from , or
bcyondrheperceptionby sensesunlessby meansof
divine rcvelation with which the Prophet,peacebe
uponhim, hasacquaintedthe Muslims suchasthc
eventsof the Day of Resurrection,andof Jannahand
Hcll.
4l

45. A-[fr, His angels, theFinalD.y, andother
ghaib matters. Belief in ai-ghalib is
importantenoughthat Allah considersas
oneof the mostparticularcharacteristicsof
theGod-fearingpeople.Allah savs:
Thisis theBtiok,whereinthereii nodoubt,a
gu-tlanc.etothosewhoarcGod-fearing.Who
bclievein theglaib,performprayer,antspcnd
outofwhatWehaveprovidcdthem.2l
It is good enough reason for us to
believein al- ghaib asAllah, theExalted,is
the One who hasinformed us aboutit by ttre
tongue of His Messenger,peacebe upon
him. Consequently,he who does not
believein al-ghaib deniesAllah and His
Messengers, peacebe uponthemall.
The Shari'ah and the Deen
The Shari'ah 22is part of theDeen, or
faith. The applicationof which is an act of
2l Q.2:3
22Thed.ivinelawsconsistingof ordinancesandacts
of worshipsuchasfasting,prayer,pilgrimage,and
42

46. ibadah, or worshipin itself,for ibadah
signifiesobedienceto Allah by adheringto
His commands,and refrainingfrom His
prohibitions.
AUatthascommandedusto adhereto
whatHehassentdownto us. Allah says:
Adhereto whathasbeensentdowntoyoufrom
yorr Rubb.
AndHesays:
And (say) this is My path leading
straight. So follow it, and do not follow other
ways lest they leadyou awayfrom His way.23
AUah has mademanifest in His Book
everything mankind need, and has been
interpreted and expounded perfectly, and
sufficiently by His Messenger,peace be
upon him. All of which is preserved,and
madeavailableto all at all timesandplaces.
The main objective of Islam is to preserve
thefollowing basics:
l- TheDeen
all the other actsof worship,or thc actsof obedience
to Allah.
23e. 6:153
43

47. Allah has passedthe laws and
ordinances, sent the Messengers,and
revealedHis Books to preservethe deen,
and guard it against deviation, and to
dedicateall actsof worship to Allah alone.
He hasprescribedtheJihad in orderto keep
His Word supreme, .and to efface the
barriers that bar men from worshipping
theirRubb.
2- The Intellect
Islam prohibits everything that
incapacitatesthe intellect whetherit is food,
drink, or the like. Allah says:
Verily, the liquor, gambling, the idols, and
divining arrows are only abominationof
Satan'swork.24
3- The Individual
Islam prohibits too, everything that
destroys the individual. A person is not
allowed to inflict any harm uponhimself, or
24Q.5:9
44

48. to cornmitsuicide. Inflictingharm upon
othersis alsoprohibited,andso is killing
othersor giving them what may weaken
themphysically.Hencerequitalin thecases
of homicideis legitimizedfor theprotection
of man'slife. Executingan evil personis
betterthan sparinghis life to kill more
people. Thereis no sensein showing
mercyto the murderer,and deprivingthe
victimizedof it, i.e.thevictim'sfamily.
+ The Property
Earningone'sown living, andmaking
money are legitimatequests,and so is
preservingthem. Wasting wealth is
unlawful,andspendingit extravagantlyon
lawful thingsis prohibitedin Islam. Allah
says:
Eat anddrink, anddo not bewasteful.
It is unlawful for a personto abusehis
own wealth, or abusethe wealthof others.
It is not permissiblefor any one to help
himself to others'propertieswithout their
consent.It is prohibitedto possesspeople's
45

49. property illegally. It is for this reasonthat
the thief's hand is amputated as a
punishment.Similarly, usury is prohibited
to safeguard people's properties against
abusiveness.
5- The Honor
Islam protects man's honor, and
prohibits libeling, or abusingthe honor, or
reputation of the others. Therefore Islam
preservesthe right of peopleto protecttheir
honor, and renders it inviolable, and the
abuseof which is made punitive.
After this review of the five basic
necessitiesthat Shari'ah purposed to
preserve,we must know the sourcesof the
Shari'ah from which we deducethe laws,
andrulings.
THE Shari'as' Sources
The sourcesof the Slrari'ah are the
Qur'an,and the Sunnahof the Messenger,
46

50. peacebe uponhim, which is theexplanation
of the Qur'an. The scholarshave exerted
great efforts for the deduction of rulings
from these two great sources. Since the
IslamicShari'ahis the lastof all divinelaws,
it is designedto suit every age and place.
Hence, the judicial rulings deducedby the
jurists are not alike, becausesuch rulings
are based on their understandingof the
texts. The deducedrulings referredto as
al-fiqh.2s, or jurisprudence,where later
compiled by different imams. There are
four renownedmadthahibsz6,or schoolsof
thoughtsestablishedby different imams or
scholars,whoseteachingswere widespread,
and adhered to by large number of
students.The four schoolsof thoughtsare:
1- Al-Hanafimadth'hab,byImamAbu
Hanifa, @.rson6'7).
25 The sciencewhich dealswith observanceof the
actsof wonhip, transactions,andthelike.
26 m. of madih,-tab,schoolof law.
47

51. 2- AshShafiee,by ImamMuhammad
bin Idreesash-Shafi'ee(d 2051820).
3- Al-Malikee,by Imam Malik bin
Anas(dn9n9r.
4- Al-Hanbali, by Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal(d 2411855).
A person who is incapable of
comprehendingrulings, or deducingthem
from the Book and the Sunnah, he may
consult any trustworthy man of knowledge
who is known to be adhering to the colrect
conviction of ahlus-Sunnahwal-Jama'ah.
AL-JIHAD
In order to preserve Islam, and
convey it to people at large, and to remove
the obstaclesin its way, Allah, the Exalted,
hasdecreedjihad as a legitimateinstitution
or warfare. Jihad also is meantto deliver
man from those who enslave them, and
from submissivenessto men, suchas rulers,
48

52. and shai*s, and to stoPthem from grave,
tree, stoneworshipping,and from all other
idols,andmakethemsubmitto Allah alone
after having lived in the darkness of
ignorancebercftof the light of thetruth. kt
other words,jihad is legitimizedto help
people shunworshippingtheir fellow men
to worshipthe Rubb of men, and replace
them the straitnessof this world with the
amplenessof theworld to come.
Having reviewed the principles of
Islam, we realizethat it is incumbentupon
us, asindividualsandcommunity,to aPply
themall.
49

53. The Duties Incumbent on the
Individual
Every individualin the communityhas
rights, and is chargedwith duties. In brief,
the rights that are due on individuals are
four:
l- The rightsof Allah.
2- The person'sown Rights.
3- The rightsof humanbeings.
4- The rights of the creatures,and all
that is in the possessionof man that are
lawful to use,or utilize.
It is the duty of everytrue Muslim
to know thesefour typesof rights,and to
fulfill them truthfully and sincerely. The
Shari'ah has clearly definedeachtype of
theserightsseparately,andhasdirectedman
to the methodsand waysof fulfilling these
rights in such a mannerthat noneof these
50

54. rights may be neglectedwithin the scopeof
man'sability.
THE RIGHTS OF ALLAH:
The first of Allah's rights is
believing in Him, asthe only true God, Who
deservesto be worshippedalone,associating
no partner with Him, nor taking gods or
lords beside,or insteadof Him. This right
may be fulfilled by believing in theKalimah
, meaning: "There is no true god except
Allah, asexplainedearlier.
The secondof Allah's rights is to
submitcompletelyto ttretmth andguidance
that camedown from Him by following His
Messenger,Muhammad,peacebe uponhim,
and this is the meaning of "Muhammadis
the Messengerof Allah", the secondpart of
the Testimonyof Faith.
The third of Allah's rights is that He
mustbe obeyedby adheringto His laws that
arc mademanifestin the Glorious Book of
5l

55. Allah, andexpoundedby theSunnah,of the
Messengerof Allah,peacebeuponhim.
The fourth of Allah's rights is the
fulfillment by man the above-mentioned
dutieswith which Allah haschargedhim.
Onemust sacrificehis own as well as the
rights of his fellow-humanbeingsfor the
sakeof this right. When a Muslim for
instance,performs prayer, or observes
fasting,he in fact, sacrificesmany of his
particularrequirements.He wakesup early
in the morningto performablutionfor the
dawnprayer.He leavesbehindmanyof his
important occupationsmore than once
during the day and night to performhis
prayer. He also refrainsfrom eatingand
drinking, and restrainshimself just to
observefasting throughoutthe month of
Ramadhan.A Muslimgivespreferenceto
the love of Allah overhis love of wealth
whengivingout theZakah,andhe endures
hardshipsof the Pilgrimagetrip, leaving
behindhis belovedones,andhis business,
52

56. andexpendsfrom his wealthto performthis
duty. He alsosacrificeshis wealthandlife
in thejihad for the sakeof Allah alone.
Besidesthat,a Muslimsacrificesmanyof
his possessions,i.e. slaughteringsacrificial
animals,aswellasexpendingin charity.
Allah , the Exalted,on the other
hand,hasput limitsto thefulfillmentof His
rightsso thatHe may not overburdenHis
slaves. Takeprayerfor instance,Allah
doesnot imposehardshipon His slavesfor
performingit. If wateris not available,or
if a person is sick, he may perform
tayammum.2T A travelingpersonmay
shortensomeof the obligatoryPrayers.Or
if a personis sick, he may perform his
prayerwhile sitting,or even lying down.
TheQur'anicrecitationduringthecourseof
prayer,on theotherhand,doesnot haveto
27 Te purificationby sandor dustinsteadof water,
rcplacingthe customaryablution.the substitutionis
made if water is not available or if, for health
rcasons,onecannotusewater.
53

57. be long. If a personis not in a hurry,he
may take his time reciting longerchapter
suchassurat al-Baqarah,Aali Imran,an-
Nisa, or any other long chapter.It is not
permissiblethoughfor an imam,who leads
the prayer,to prolongprayingperiod by
reciting longer chapter,for theremay be
behindhim thosewho aresick, or weakof
whomhemustbeconsiderate.
Allah lovesthatHis slavesperform
supererogatoryprayers following the
obligatoryprayers,but not to the point of
deprivingthem of sleepand rest, or on
accountof earningone'sliving, nor to the
point of neglectingone's own rights
altogether,or the rightsof otherslavesof
Allah.
Thesameappliesto fasting. Allah
hasmadeobligatoryobservingfast of the
monthof Ramadhanonly. Eventhen,when
a personhappensto besick,or on ajourney
duringthatmonth,it is permissiblefor him
to deferobservingfastuntilheis wellagain,

58. or when he returnshome. He may make up
the numberof daysthat aremissedout after
Ramadhan. On the other hand, it is not
permissibleto add an extra minute to the
fasting period of the day, nor to delete a
minute therefrom. The fastingpersonmay,
during the night in Ramadhan,eat and drink
until the white threadbecomesdistinct to
him from the black thread of the dawn.
Once it is sunset,a personmust break his
fast right away.
Although Allah loves His slaves to
observevoluntaryfasting, He doesnot like
them to continuefastingfor more than one
day without taking food or drink. Such
observance drains the energY, and
incapacitatesman.
Islam has imposedas Zakah only a
fraction percentageto be given out in
charity.It is only imposedon thosewho are
liable for Zakah.AlthoughAllah lovesthose
who expendin His cause,yet He doesnot
want His slaveto forfeit his rights,or his
55

59. wealthfor charityandbe left empryhanded.
Rather a person must keep within the
reasonable limits when it comes ro
expendingin charity.
Now considerthefardh of Hajj, or
pilgrimage. It is obligaroryonly on
-thor.
who can afford it financially and health_
wise, and can endurethe hardshipof the
journey. To makeit eveneasier,Allah has
madethis rite obligatoryoncein a lifetime.
Moreover, if a personis worried abouthis
s-aiety,or doesnot havereadyfunds,he may
defer the trip until suchtime when the trip
becomesaffordable.
It is also imperativethat the person
who intendsto perform pilgrimagethat he
shouldseekhis parents'perriissioi lestthey
may be inconveniencedby his absence,duL
to their old age or disability. It has thus,
become clear that Allah has given
considerationto many rightsof His slaves
on accountof His Own. Glorybero Allah.
56

60. The greatestsacrifice man offers is in
thejihad. Man in theiihad, sacrificeshis as
well as the others'wealth and lives just
seekingthe pleasureof Allah, keepingHis
word the supreme. Even then, Allah
commandsthe muiahid to kill only those
who mustbekilled, not to attackthedisable,
women,childrenor the wounded. He also
commandsthem to fight only those who
fight them from the people of falsehood,
and not to act injuriouslyand corruptlyin
the enemy's land unnecessarily,or
insensibly.Moreover, they must apply
justice in dealingwith the enemy if they
conquer their land, and to observeany
treatythey enterwith them. If the enemy
hasgivenup fightingandresistingthetruth,
and ceaseto support the falsehood,the
mujahideen muststopfightingthem. All
this signifies that Allah, the Exalted,
permittedonly this indispensablesacrifice
on the partof His slavesin orderthatthey
fulfill His right.
57

61. The Individual'sOwn Rights
We now discussthe secondpart of
rights man oweshimself. Man may afflict
injusticeuponhimselfmorethanafflicting it
upon others,becauseevery one feels and
believesthat his own self is dearerto him
than anyone else. There is no one who
believesthat he is his own enemy. But if
you reflect upon this issue, the truth
becomesclearto you.
One of the most distinctive,and
innatepoint of weakness,is that whenman
is possessedby a desire,he would entirely
succumbto it unmindfulof whateverharm
he may encounter,whetherbeingawareof
it or not. An alcoholicmay suffer greatly
jeopardizing his health, wealth , and
58

62. reputationfor the sake of satisfying his
addiction.Another,hasbeenenslavedby his
psychologicaldesires,doingthingsthatlead
him into destruction. These are only
samplesof manydemeritorioussocialfacets
denoting man'simmoderationin this world
thatwe encountereverynow andthen.
SincetheShari'ah is setfor man's
prosperityandhappiness,it lays,therefore,
i strlss on the rule that is laid down by the
Messengerof Allah,peacebe uponhim, that
dictatesJ"Indeed,your own self hasa right
upon you." This rule restrainsman from
takingany harmfulthing,i.e.,liquor,drugs,
andany otherintoxicatingmatters.This rule
alsodeclaresasunlawfultheconsumptionof
the flesh of dead animal,swine,and the
fleshof the wild carnivorous,or venomous
animals. Theseanimalsare hazardousto
man'shealth,mentalfaculty,manners,and
spirit. [n return,the Islamic laws have
madelawful for him everygood,pure and
59

63. healthything,instructinghim not to deprive
himself of suchgood things.,for you owe
your body a right.
The Shari'ah forbids nudity, and
commandsman to enjoy the ornamentsthat
Allah has granted in this world, but
commandshim too"[o coverhis body,and
in particular,thosepartsof his body thatare
indecentto expose. The Shari'ah, on the
other hand, commandsman to exert his
effort to earnhis living, not to stayhome
jobless,or beg for food and other needs,
Rather,the Shari'ah encouragesman to
utilize the facultiesthat Allah has granted
him, to earn his living through the
legitimatewaysand meansthat Allah has
createdin the heavensand the earthfor his
happiness,comfort,andnourishment.
TheShari'ah doesnot demandman
to suppress,his desireall the way, rather,it
enjoinsmarriageon him, thathe maysatisfy
his sexualneeds.It make.sit unlawfulfor
him to degrade himself by shunning
60

64. moderatepleasures.The Shari'ah suggests
ttratif manseeksspiritualuplifting, nearness
to Allah, andsafetyin theHereafter,he does
not need to neglect this world. Obeying
Allah while enjoyingHis graces,refraining
from the actsof disobedience,andfollowing
His laws is the most effective means of
successandprosperityin this world, and in
the world to come.
The Shari'ah prohibits man from
committingsuicide,becauseman'sown life
doesnot belongto him. It is Allah who
owns it. Allah hasentrustedman with it
that he may use it for a limited periodof
time, not to abuseit, or terminate it with
hisownhand.
The Rights of human beings
Shari'ah hascommandedman to fulfill
his own rights,on one hand, while, on the
6l

65. other, it has commanded him to do so
without encroachingon the rights of others.
If a person fulfills his desires in rhis
manner,he would defile and injure himself.
It is for this reasonthe Shari'ah has made
unlawful robbing, stealing, bribery,
treachery,forgery, treason,usury, and the
like. Any profit or interestaccruedthrough
such methodswould be accruedon account
of others.Shari'ah prohibits all gamesof
chance, becausewhatever gain a gambler
may make out of gambling, or lottery, it
would be basedon the lossesof thousandsof
people. Prohibited too are all forms of
bartering that involve cheating, or
deceiving, and all other financial
transactionsthat may entail injusticeto one
of the two parties.
Homicide, promoting corruptionon
earth, and transgressionare all prohibited.
No one is allowedto kill or hurt another,or
embezzle his property, for the sake of
satisfying his thirst for revenge.
62

66. Fornicationis prohibited along with other
evil deeds,thatendangerthe healthandthe
conduct,andleadto promiscuity,flippancy'
and recklessnessin society. Suchactsalso
cause fatal diseases,damage human
relations,androck thebasesof civilization.
Theseare restrictionsthat the Islamic
Shari'aft has imposedon man so that a
personmay not plunderthe rightsof others,
or diminishthem in the courseof securing
hisown.
Encroachingon the rights of others
doesnot help reachingthe objectiveof the
advancementof human civilization. It is
rather important that human relationsbe
basedon mutual cooperationon issuesof
common social intereststo reach that
objective.
The following synopsisincludeexcerpts
of theShari'ah'slawsfor thispulpose.
A . Human relationsbegin with the
family which shouldbe consideredbefore
anythingelse. The family, in fact, is the
63

67. unit comprising two spousesand their
children. The foundationuponwhich Islam
bases the family is the fact rhat the
husband'sduty is to earnthe family'sliving,
meet its needs,and defend it. While the
wife's duty is to managethe domesticaffairs
of the family, to provide all means of
comfort for her husbandand children,and
to look after the children. The children's
dut!, on the other hand, is to obey their
parents, respect them, and to be in their
servicewhenthey reachold age.
In order to keep the family system
on the right direction, Islam hasoptedtwo
measures:
The first, the husband,or the fatheras
the headof the family, and the managerof
its affairs. It is impossibleto renderthe
family's systemsound without having the
fatheras its ruler and manager. Chaoi and
disorderwould definitelyprevailin a family
of which each member imposeshis own
opinion,on the restof the family members,
&

68. being irresponsible about the
consequencesof his actions.Such family
would definitely lack the senseof security,
and happiness. In order to eliminate this
comlptn;ss, the family must havea headto
run iis affairs. It is only man who can be
responsiblefor looking after the family and
protectingit.-
The secondmeasure,having charged
man with the duty of handlingthe external
affain of thefamily, theShari'aftcommands
woman to stay home, not to go out
unnecessarily.Woman, accordingly, is
relievedof the exteriordutiesto enableher
to fulfill the internal dutiespeacefullyso
that the homeordermay not be disturbedby
her outing.
This of course,doesnot meanthatit
is not permissiblefor womanto go out. She
may do so wheneverthereis a needfor it.
Thus to keep home as the natural
environment of her duties utilizing her
energy and intelligence in raising her
65

69. childrento becomegoodMuslim,capableof
enduringlife's burdens.
The family circle grows wider by
blood relations and intermarriages. In
order that the members of this circle
maintain cooperationand support among
themselves,theShari'qhhasprovidedthem
with wiserules,of which are:
1- It is unlawful for the membersof
the same family to marry each other i.e.,
the siblings, the motherand her son, the
fatherand his daughter,the step-fatherand
the step-daughter,the step-motherand her
step-son,andthe brotherandsister,andher
milk-brother,and the uncle and his niece.
and the aunt and her nephew, and the
mother-in-lawand her son-in-law,and the
father-in-lawandhis daughrer-in-law.
Among the other purposes of
illegalising such matrimonial relations
between siblings is helping the family
members to retain pure, and natural
relationship.Interminglingwith eachorher,
66

70. the siblings exchange mutual love and
sincerity without susPicions or
inconvenience.
2- Islam has legalizedmatrimonial
rclationsbetweenthe other membersof the
family circles to strengthentheir ties and
love. Those who understandeach other's
preferences,and customs would usually
have more successfulmarriagesthan those
who do not. It is for this reasonIslam
recommendsthe guardiansto give their
daughtenin marriageto competentmen.
3- The family circlemay comprisethe
rich and the poor. Hence,of all human
rights,Islamconsidersas mostoutstanding
ttreright of kinship.Suchright is referred
to in the Shari'ahas'silat ar-rahm', thatis
maintaininggoodrelationswith one'sown
kin. This kinshipis emphasizedin many
placesin the Qur'an,and the Sunnah"
Severingthis relationis one of the gravest
sins. If a poor member of the family
suffersa misfortune,it becomesincumbent
67

71. uponthe well-off membersof hisfamilv to
help,andsupporthim. One'sown relatlves,
deservehis charitymorethantheoutsiders.
4- Islam has organizedthe laws of
inheritancedivision. When a persondies
leavingbehindan estate,the ownershipof
this estaterransfersto rhe legalheirsof the
deceased. The esrareleft behind by the
deceasedmustnor remainwithin thehind of
a singleheir.Rathereachheir is entitledto
a shareof thatestate,in accordancewith the
Qur'anicguidelineof inheritancedivision.
The estate,thusis distributedamongmany
heirsof thedeceasedrelatives.
The Islamic law of inheritance
divisionis secondto nonein the world's
ancientor modemman-madelaws. There
are some nations,in this age that have
started applying the Islamic laws of
inheritance.
SomeMuslimhave,unfortun_arely
begunto disregardthe lawsof inheritance
due to their ignorance,and simple_
68

72. mindedness.The ntalaiseof deprivinggirls
from their rightful shareof inheritancehas
begun to be felt. It is abhorrentinjustice,
and a rebellion against the pertinent
conspicuousstatutesof the Qur'an.
Beyond the familY relations,a
person comes in contactwith his friends,
neighbors,peoplein his district,and town,
as well as thosewith whom he may deal in
his daily life. Islam enjoins dealing with
such people on the basis of truthfulness,
faimess,and goodbehavior.In otherwords,
he must treatothersin the samemanner he
would like them to treat him. A person
shouldkeephis mischiefawayfrom themas
he likes them to keeptheirsaway from him
out of cooperatingon righteousdeedsand
fine manners.
There is, of coursePrioritieswith
respectto man'srelationswith others. The
closestto him are his immediatekinship
members,followed by his neighbors. It is
mentioned in the authentic, Prophetic
69

73. traditions that Jibreel persisted in
necommending to the Prophet, peace be
upon him, treating neighbors with comely
manner until he thought that Jibreel would
assign a share from the inheritance to the
neighbor. This only signifies the greatness
of the neighbors' right even if he happensto
be non-Muslim. The Prophet, peace be
upon hirn, visited a neighborof his who was
a Jew. There are other duties upon the
Muslim, that is to give food and clothing to
the poor among the Muslims, help their
handicapped, and console their less
fortunate, visit their sick, help out the
needy,earn living for his family, and teach
the misguided. The Prophet,peacebe upon
him, said: "The Muslim is thebrotherof the
Muslim. He neitheroppresseshim, nor does
he let him down. Allah says:
And help one anotherin righteousness,and
piety; but do not helponeanotherin erringand
transglcssion.2s
70
28q. s:2

74. AndHesays:
Vcrily, only thcbelicversarebrothers.D
There are many other kinds of
relations between Muslim and those to
whom a Muslim feelsobliged, suchasthose
referredto in the wordsof Allah :
And if anyone of the idolaters seek your
protcction,thengranthim protection,sothathe
may hearthe wordsof Allah (theQu/an) , and
thcnescorthim to hissecurcplace.rc
From this limited circle we move into
the universalcircle which comprisesall
Muslimsof theworld. Islamhasconstituted
laws and regulationsto make the Muslims
supporteachother,andhelp oneanotherin
righteousnessand piety thus to providefor
themselvesan environmentin which their
lives and honor areprotectedwithin certain
regulations:
l - Islam prohibits indiscriminate
intermingling of non-sibling, men and
29e.49:10
30q. e:6
7l

75. women to restrain the behavior and
safeguardthe Muslim's reputation. Allah
commandshis slavesto avoid looking at
thingsthat areunlawful to look at, i.e.,men
to avoid looking at strangerwomen, and
womenat strangermen,becauseeye-con&act
is the first stepof establishingrelation.
Allatr says:
And tcll the believersto lower their gazcand
guard their private parts (of their Mles from
illegalsexualacts.)Thatis purerfor them.
Allah has designateddutiesfor womenthat
are hard for men to observe, and has
designatedfor men dutiesthat are hard for
womento observe.He commandswomento
stay home to maintain tranquillity and
comfort in it. Allah has madethe wife a
gannent for her husband,and an abodeof
rest. Man, on the otherhand,toils outside
hometo earnthe family'sliving, and when
he returnshome,he needsrestand comfort
that he finds availablewith his wife who
72

76. stays home preparing food, and looking
after the domesticduties.
On the oppositeside,the wife who
works in shops, restaurants,factories, or
other occupations,returnshome at the end
of the day to be just like her husband,too
exhaustedto be ableto combinebetweenher
own comfort and her husband's.
2- Islam has forbidden women to
beautifythemselves,anddisplaytheir beauty
in public. Doing so would causeharm to
men by exciting their desires,and luring
them into illicit acts. This prohibition
protectswomenagainstany consequencesof
suchbehavior. Both sexesare commanded
to wearthe garmentwhich suitesit in a way
that doesnot excitetheother.
3- Islam abhors singing and musical
entertainment,because they degenerate
peoples' morals, and arouse their lower
desires, wastetheir time and money, and
affect their health.
73

77. 4- As a meansof preservingthe the
Muslims' unity, and their harmony,Allah
has commandedthem to avoid discord
amongstthemselves,and shunall meansof
conflict. If they haveany dispute,theymust
refer it to the Book of Allah, and the
Sunnahof His Messenger,peacebe upon
him, and commit their affairs to Allah
alone. The Muslims are commandedto
support each other in order to achieve
success,andharmony.They must obeytheir
authority, and ostracizethoseamong them
who create commotion, and strife in the
community, lest their power falters, and
exposetJreirown nation to enemy while
warring againstthemselves.
5- The Muslimsarepermittedto study
science,and other humanarts,and to learn
beneficial methodsfrom the non-Muslims.
They are forbidden, however, from
imitating the unbelievers'way of life. Only
the nation that admits defeat, and
humiliationtriesto copy what is believedto
74

78. be a superiornation. This imitation reflects
the lowest form of slavery.Degradationis
an open recognition of the inevitable
consequencesof imitation. It is for this
reason the Prophet,peace be upon him,
vehementlyforbade copying the foreign
nations,or adoptingtheirway of life. It is
quite understandablethat the Muslim
nation'spowerdoesnot dependon the dress
code,nor on the life style of the foriegn
nations.Rather it dependson the strong
faith in the Onenessof Allah, and the
adherenceto the Book of Allah and the
Sunnahof theMessengerof Allah, peacebe
uponhim. Thenation'spower alsodepends
on its wealth of knowledge, and
organization. Therefore, he who seeks
power,andperfection,mustavoid imitating
theKafir (unbelievers)nations.
The Muslims are also forbiddento
treatthe non-Muslimthroughthe parochial
mentality,andfanaticism.The Muslimsare
even forbiddento abusethe gods of the
75

79. unbelieversor insult their denominationsso
that the latter would not revile Allah
ignorantly. The Muslims are also
prohibited to initiate disputeswith the non-
Muslims. Ratherthe Muslims shouldinvite
them to Islam instead, as long as the
unbelieversare seekingreconciliation,and
peacewith Muslims.They shouldoffer them
the chanceof discoveringthe religion of
Allah.
Our Islamic mannersdictate that we
should invite the non-Muslims to the
rcligion of Allah of which He approves.The
Muslim must set himself to be a good
examplefor othersto follow. The Muslims
must show the non-belligerentun-believers
the fine Islamic manners. It is un-Islamic
to treatothersharshly, becausethe Muslim
is supposedto be a model of refined
mannersandpertinence,that he may attract
others into the folds of Islam without
humiliation nor indifference. Furthennore,
the Muslim are commandedto extend
76

80. protectionto thosewho seekit amongthe
unbelievers.
Allahsays:
And if anyoneof the idolatersseekyour
protection,thcngranthimprotection,sothlt hc
mayhearthewordsof Allah(thceu/an) , and
thencscorthimtohissccureplace.
Thus Allah has commanded the Muslim
to give protection to an unbeliever who asks
for it, and invite him to the truth before
escorting him to safety.
The Rights of the Rest of Creation
Allah hasdistinguishedman overmany
of His creatures,and permitted him t;
utilize them as he choosesafter having
subjectingthem to him. This is a part ol
man's legitimateright, being the best of
creatureson earth. In return, Allah has
charged man with certain obligations
towards these creatures. Of such
obligations;man must not abuse,harm, or
endanger these creaturesunnecessarily,
unlessthere is no alternative. Man muit
77

81. choose the best way of utilizing these
creatures, and enjoy them in the best
possibleway.
Therearemany rulings in the Shari'ah
that deal with this issue. Man is permitted
to kill animals only for food, or for
protecting himself from their danger.
There is a stern warning against killing
animalssenselessly,or for the fun of doing
so. As for animalthatarekilled for human
consumption,thereis a designatedmethod
for slaughteringthem. It is the bestmethod
for utilizing their meat for food. Any
method other than the Islamic one,
regardlesshow humane it may appear,
would only lessenthebenefitof theanimals
meat, and if it is less humane,it would
subjectthe animal to more torture. Islam
recommendsneithermethods.
Killing animalsin a harshwaY is
strictly forbidden in Islam. Exterminating
dangerous,and venomous animals is
permissibleonly becausehumanlife is more
78

82. preciousthansuchanimals'life. Even then,
Islam forbids subjectingtheseanimal to
torture. Starvinganimalsthat are usedfor
hauling and toiling, overburdeningthem, or
beatingthem harshlyis prohibitedin Islam.
So is trappingbirds without valid rcason.
Islam does not allow destroying trees
senselessly,let aloneharming animals.We
may harvestthe fruits off the trees,or the
flowers, but not to destroythem or uproot
themunnecessarily.wasting lifelessthings
suchas water,or the like is not permissible
either.
The Perpetual Universal Shari'ah
The foregoingis just a synopsisof the
laws,and regulationsof the chasteShari'ah
with which our Prophet,Muhammad,peace
beuponhim, is sentto mankindat large.
Only the correctcreed,anddeedare
the criteriafor distinguishingoneman over
anotherin Islam. In fact, man-madelaws,
and religionsthat distinguishbetweenone
man and anotheron the basisof lineage,
79

83. countryof origin, color,andwealtharenot
fit to be universalreligion,because,in such
religions,it is impossiblefor a memberof
oneraceto exceloveranotherfrom a lower
race.Suchdenominationsmay be restricted
to oneparticularnationonly. In thefaceof
all these denominations,Islam has
introducedthe universalShari'ahwhichis
opento anyonewho upholdsits creed,i.e.,
the Testimony of Faith that signifies:
(Their is no true god except Allah,
Muhammad is the Messengerof Allah), and
enjoy, as a result the same rights that all
other Muslims do. There is no
considerationgivenin the IslamicShari'ah
to lineage,language,country of origin,
color,or wealth.
Besides,the Islamic Shari'ah is
perpetual. Its lawsarenot basedon norrns
of a certainnation,or one particularage.
Ratherit is assignedto fulfill man'sneedsin
everyageandeverywhere,for theOneWho
has legislatedit is the One Who created
80

84. man. Heknowswhatsuitsman'snaturebest
atall agesandeverywhere.
The last of our supplicationsis:
"All praiseis due to the Rubb of the
worlds."
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