What is Islam?

Islam is to declare that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allah. By declaring this a person accepts the message of Allah Almighty that is revealed to humanity through the last prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). After accepting Islam it is obligatory on Muslim to observe all other Islamic obligations like:

• Salat – Obligatory prayers performed daily at five set times

• Zakat - Charitable giving of qualifying wealth as a form of religious social welfare

• Fasting - from dawn till dusk in the month of Ramadan

• Performing the Hajj – this is a holy pilgrimage obligatory on those that are capable of doing this physically and financially.

These are some obligatory things that a Muslim must follow after the proclamation of Islam. The rules of Islam come more easily to those who have prepared their hearts with Iman (faith). Collectively, these foundations of the faith are referred to as the ‘Five Pillars’.

IMAN = FAITH

Iman or “faith” is the first thing that we have to learn in our religion because it acts as our roots.

Iman is basically to believe in:

• Allah

• The Angels,

• The Books,

• The Messengers and all the scriptures which He sent down before.

As Allah Almighty states in The Holy Quran:

“O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger, (in) the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray” (Quran, 4: 136)

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What is Ihsan?

Ihsan is excellence in faith. It is a definition that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described in a hadith:

“To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you.”

The concept of Ihsan in Islam also requires that a Muslim is a responsible person where he does things in a good manner. In The Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:

“Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct (Ihsan), and giving to relatives (and He) forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded” (Quran, 16: 90).

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The Quran

Quran (Arabic: “Recitation”) the sacred scripture of Islam. The Quran was revealed by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over a period of 22 years from 610 CE to 632 CE.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived in the old towns of Makkah/Mecca and Madinah/Medina in present day Saudi Arabia.

What makes the Quran authentic and the word of God?

Before the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was preaching Islam and throughout his lifetime he was always known to have unique qualities among his community such as:

• The honest one

• The most trustworthy

• The truthful one

• The one people found comfort with

• Gentle in nature

These qualities of the Prophet can be verified by a number of sources. Based upon these qualities and more, the Prophets accounts and the testimony of his 100,000 companions'. Muslims consider it an article of faith and a fact that the Quran is the words of Allah.

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What is the Hadith?

The Hadith are the recorded traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, revered and received as a major source of religious law and moral guidance, second only to the authority of the Quran, the holy book of Islam.

Unlike the Quran the Hadith are graded at different levels of authenticity

A beautiful example of a Hadith, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"The best of companions in the sight of Allah Almighty is the best of them towards his companion, and the best of neighbours in the sight of Allah is the best of them towards his neighbour.”

(ref: Al adab Al mufrad 115)

We hope that the Islamic Society of Hitchin can really promote this spirit in our community.

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Meet with Us

Do you personally know any Muslims?

Do you have unanswered questions?

Why not meet with us and learn more about Islam and Muslims. We are not judgemental and would love to meet and help dispel myths and any misconceptions you may have.

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