Basics of becoming Muslim

Islam is an Arabic word and it connotes submission, surrender and
obedience. As a religion, Islam stands forcomplete submission and
obedience to Allah(God).
Islam, in fact, is an attributive title. Anyone who possesses this
attribute, whatever race, community, country or group he or she
belongs to, is a Muslim. According to the Qur'an (the Holy Book of the
Muslims), among every people and in all ages there have been good and
righteous people who possessed this attribute - and all of them were
and are Muslims.
Islam is a universal and eternal religion. Its appeal is to the whole
humanity. Any person who declares belief in La ilaha illallah
Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah (there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is
His Prophet) enters the fold of Islam and entitles him or herself to
the same rights as those of other Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) has
enjoined us to believe in five articles of faith:
1.Belief in one God Who has absolutely no associate with Him in His divinity;
2.Belief in God's Angels;
3.Belief in God's Books, and in the Holy Qur'an as His Last Book;
4.Belief in God's Prophets, and in Muhammad (blessings of Allah and
peace be upon him) as His Last and Final Messenger; and
5.Belief in life after death.
One who believes in these articles enters the fold of Islam and
becomes a member of the Muslim community. But one does not become a
complete Muslim by mere vocal profession alone. To become a complete
Muslim one has to fully carry out in practice the (blessings of Allah
and peace be upon him) as ordained by God.
These five articles form the foundation for the superstructure of
Islam. Their gist is contained in the short sentence known
asKalimah-Tayyibah. When you declareLa ilaha illallah(their is no
deity but Allah), you give up all false deities, and profess that you
are a creature of the One God; and when you add to these
wordsMuhammad-ur-Rasulullah(Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) you confirm
and admit the Prophethood of Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be
upon him).
With the admission of his Prophethood it becomes obligatory that you
should believe in the divine nature and attributes of God, in His
angels, in His Revealed Books and life after death, and earnestly
follow that method of obeying God and worshipping Him which the
Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) has asked
us to follow.
Now let us see what code of conduct Muhammad (blessings of Allah and
peace be upon him) has taught as ordained by God Almighty. The first
and foremost things in this respect are the 'Ibadah (or worships) -
the primary duties which must be observed by each and every person
professing to belong to the Muslim community.'Ibadahis an Arabic word
derived from 'Abd (a slave) and it means submission. The concept of
'Ibadah is very wide. All your activities are 'Ibadah if they are in
accordance with the law of God and your ultimate objective is to seek
the pleasure of God. A set of formal 'Ibadah (worships) are thus on
which the edifice of Islam rests:
1.Salah (prayers)- The most fundamental and the most important of
these obligations. Salah are the prescribed daily prayers which
consist in repeating and refreshing five times a day the belief in
which you repose your faith.
2.Fasting- What prayers seek to do five times a day, fasting in the
month of Ramadhan (the ninth month of the lunar year) does once a
year. What is it that makes us voluntarily undergo hunger or thirst
from dawn to dusk? It is nothing but faith in God and the fear of Him
and the Day of Judgment. This consciousness of duty and spirit of
patience that incessant fasting during a whole month helps us
strengthen our faith.
3.Zakah- Its fundamental importance lies in the fact that it fosters
in us the quality of sacrifice and rids us of selfishness and greed.
Islam accepts within its fold only those who are ready to give away in
God's way some of their wealth willingly. Every Muslim whose finances
are above a certain specified minimum must pay 2.5% of their cash
balance annually to the deserving.
4.Hajj (pilgrimage)- Mecca today stands at the site of a house that
the Prophet Abraham (God's blessing be upon him) built for the worship
of Allah. Allah rewarded him by calling it His own House and making it
the center towards which all must face when saying prayers. He has
also made it obligatory on those who can afford it to visit this place
to perform the Hajj, at least once in a lifetime. The pilgrimage is,
in a way, the biggest of 'Ibadah. For unless a person really loves God
he would never undertake such a long journey.
The Opening Chapter, Al-Fatihah, Surah 1 (The Holy Qur'an)
In the name of Allah (God), the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1.All Praise is due to Allah (God), Lord of the worlds,
2.the Beneficient,
3.the Merciful,
4.Owner of the Day of Judgement.
5.Thee alone we worship and Thee alone we ask for help.
6.Show us the straight path,
7.the path of those whom Thou hast favoured, not (the path of) those
who earn Thine anger nor (of) those who go astray. (Ameen)

Women To Whom Marriage is Prohibited

It is permanently haram for a Muslim to marry a woman who belongs to
one of the following categories:
1.Thefather's wife, whether divorced or widowed. During the period of
jahiliyyah such marriages were allowed. Then Islam prohibited them,
for once a woman is married to a man's father she acquires the status
of his mother, and this prohibition is out of honor and respect for
the father. Moreover, as this inviolable prohibition leaves no room
for sexual attraction between the son and his step-mother, they are
able to develop a relationship of respect and honor.
2.Themother, including the grandmothers on both sides.
3.Thedaughter, including the granddaughters from the son or daughter.
4.Thesister, including the half, and step-sisters.
5.Thepaternal aunt, whether she is the real, half, or step-sister of the father.
6.Thematernal aunt, whether she is the real, half, or step-sister of the father.
7.Thebrother's daughter, i.e., his niece.
8.Thesister's daughter, i.e., her niece.
All these female blood-relatives are a man's muharramat and he is
mahrem to his corresponding female relatives. Marriage to any mahrem
whomsoever is permanently prohibited. Thereasons for this
prohibitionare as follows.
a.Entertaining any sexual thoughts concerning such close relatives as
one's mother, sister, and daughter is instinctively abhorrent to human
nature; there are even certain animals which avoid mating with such
closely-related animals. The respect a man feels for his aunts is like
the respect he has for his mother, and likewise uncles are regarded as
fathers.
b.Since the family must live together in intimacy and privacy but
without incestuous relations, the Shari'ah intends to cut at the roots
of any sexual attraction among such close relatives.
c.Since there is natural love and affection among such close blood
relatives, the intent of the Shari'ah is to expand the circle of love
and kinship by prohibiting incest and thereby directing the man's
search for women outside the family. Thus each marriage extends the
sphere of love, bringing new people within this ever-expanding network
of affection: "And He has put love and mercy between you." ( Surah 30:
Verse 21)
d.The natural sentiments of love and affection between a man and the
above-mentioned female relatives must be kept strong forever. If
marriage were permitted between such relatives, it would cause
jealousies, dissensions, and the disruption of families, destroying
the very sentiments of love and affection which give cohesiveness and
permanence to the family structure.
e.The offspring of marriages to such close blood relatives would most
probably be defective and weak. Moreover, if physical or mental
defects are present in the members of a family, they would become more
pronounced among the children of such marriages.
f.The woman needs someone to champion her rights and support her case
against her husband, especially when relations between the two of them
become strained. If those women who could defend her became rivals,
how would this be possible?
Marriages Prohibited by Reason of Fosterage
1.The foster mother: It is haram for a Muslim to marry a woman who has
suckled him during his infancy, for suckling makes her like his real
mother, since milk has gone into the making of his flesh and bones.
Nursing consciously or unconsciously produces feelings of motherhood
in a woman and of kinship in a child, and although these feelings
might seem to disappear as the child grows and becomes a man, they
remain hidden in the unconscious.
However, the prohibition of marriage based on fosterage is effective
only if the suckling occurred before the time of weaning; that is,
when milk was the primary source of food. Another condition is that
the child has suckled his fill on five separate occasions, a fill
being defined as when the child leaves off suckling of his own accord.
After a survey of all the ahadith on this subject, the fixing of five
sucklings as the minimum seems to be the preferred view.
2.Foster sisters: Just as a woman become a mother to a child by virtue
of suckling, likewise her daughters become his sisters, her sisters
his aunts, and so on. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: "What is
haram by reason of genealogy is haram by reason of fosterage."
(Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Thus the foster-sisters,
foster-aunts, and foster-nieces are all muharramat and marriage to
them is permanently prohibited.
In-law Relationships
1.Themother-in-law: Marriage to the wife's mother is permanently
prohibited from the time a man enters into a marriage contract with a
woman, whether he and his wife have engaged in sexual intercourse or
not. The act of marriage itself gives the mother-in-law the same
status as the mother.
2.Thestep-daughter: A man cannot marry his step-daughter (his wife's
daughter by a previous marriage) if sexual intercourse has taken place
with her mother, his wife. However, if a man divorces his wife without
having had intercourse with her, it is permissible for him to marry
her daughter by a previous marriage.
3.Thedaughter-in-law: That is, the wife of the real son, not that of
the adopted son. In fact, Islam abolished the permissibility of the
system of legal, formalized adoption, because this is contrary to fact
and to reality, resulting in the prohibiting of what is essentially
halal and the permitting of what is essentially haram. Allah Ta'ala
says: ...Nor has He made your sons by adoption your (real) sons. Those
are simply words from your mouths....(33:4) meaning that it is merely
an expression of the language which does not alter reality nor
transform an outsider to the family into a blood relative.
These three types of female relatives are forbidden in marriage in
order that peaceful relationships may be maintained among the in laws.
Sisters as Co-Wives
1.As opposed to the practice of the period of jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic
era), Islam forbade taking two sisters as co-wives at the same time,
because the feeling of love and sisterliness which Islam wants to
maintain between sisters would be destroyed if one sister became the
co-wife of the same husband.
While the Qur'an mentioned the two sisters, the Prophet (peace be on
him) added, "A man may not be married to a woman and her paternal aunt
(at the same time), nor to a woman and her maternal aunt". (Reported
by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) and he said, "If you do this, you will
sever your ties of kinship." (Reported by Ibn Hibban.) And how could
Islam permit the breaking of such kinship ties when it places so much
importance on them?
Married Women
1.As long as a woman is married, her marriage to any other man is
prohibited. She may marry another man only when two conditions are
fulfilled:
a.Her marriage tie is broken either because of thedeathof herhusbandor
because ofdivorce;
b.She has completed the period of waiting ('iddah) ordained by Allah.
For a pregnant woman this period ends when she delivers the baby. If
she is widowed but not pregnant, the period of 'iddah is four months
and ten days, while if she is divorced and it is not known whether or
not she is pregnant, the 'iddah is three menstrual cycles. This 'iddah
relates to the woman who has menstrual periods; for a woman who does
not menstruate, the 'iddah is three months.
Allah Ta'ala says:
"And divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly
periods. And it is not permissible for them to conceal what Allah has
created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day." (
Surah 2: Verse 228)
"...and As for those who have no further expectation of menstruation
among your women, if you are in doubt, the waiting period is three
months, as well as for those who have no menses. And for those who are
pregnant, their period is until they deliver their burdens." ( Surah
65: Verse 4)
And, "For those of you who die and leave behind widows, they shall
wait concerning themselves for four months and ten days..." ( Surah 2:
Verse 234).
Of thesefifteencategories of female relatives to whom marriage is
prohibited,fourteen are mentioned in Surah al-Nisa:
"And do not marry those women whom your fathers married, except what
is past; indeed, it was an indecency and an abomination, and an evil
path. Forbidden to you are your mothers and your daughters, and your
sisters and your father's sisters and your mother's sisters, and your
brothers' daughters and your sisters' daughters, and your foster
mothers and your foster sisters, your wives' mothers, your
stepdaughters under your guardianship born of your wives to whom you
have gone in—and if you have not gone into them there is no blame on
you—and the wives of your sons proceeding from your loins, and that
you should marry two sisters at one time, except what is past; indeed
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." ( Surah 4: Verses 22-23)
The prohibition against being married to a woman and any of her aunts
at the same time is derived from the hadith cited above.

Women Site, - Belief in the Heavenly Books - I

In the cave of Hiraa' and away from people, Jibreel )Gabriel( came
down to our Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, while he
was worshiping Allaah The Almighty The One Who Has no partner and said
to him: "Recite." Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "I
cannot recite,". Jibreel pressed him hard and repeated the order
'Recite.' 'I cannot recite' said he trembling and terrified, and once
again he pressed him hard and said: 'Recite.' Again he answered while
shaking and trembling 'I cannot recite.' Jibreel held him for the
third time then released him and said:}Recite in the name of your Lord
who created.{]Quran 96: 1[
Then this situation comes to an end and Jibreel disappears. Muhammad
hurries back home, trembling and sweating profusely. He enters upon
his wife Khadeejah and says to her:Cover me, cover me.]Al-Bukhari[ She
covers him with wool covers, and wipes the sweat from his forehead.
The Will of Allaah The Almighty has been fulfilled and the seal
prophet on earth was chosen to convey the call of Allaah The Almighty
to His slaves. The verse mentioned above was the first verse that
Allaah The Almighty revealed to His Messenger from the Noble Quran
which is the book that Allaah The Almighty chose to be the
ever-lasting miracle and clear argument with the seal of the Prophets.
This book is not the only book that Allaah The Almighty has sent down;
rather, there are other books such as Tawraah )Torah( Injeel )Gospel(,
Zaboor )Psalms(, and Suhuf )Scriptures(.
The Muslim individual believes in all books that Allaah The Almighty
revealed to His Prophets and Messengers in much the same way as he
believes in the Noble Quran which Allaah The Almighty revealed to
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Allaah The Almighty mentioned
some of these books in the Noble Quran and did not mention some
others. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Mankind was ]of[ one
religion ]before their deviation[; then Allaah sent the prophets as
bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the
Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in
which they differed. And none differed over the Scripture except those
who were given it - after the clear proofs came to them - out of
jealous animosity among themselves. And Allaah guided those who
believed to the truth concerning that over which they had
differed.{]Quran 2: 213[
Amongst the books that Allaah The Almighty mentioned in the Noble Quran are:
1. The Scriptures of Ibraaheem )Abraham( and Moosa )Moses(, may Allaah
exalt their mention:
They are the Scriptures that Allaah The Almighty sent down to
Ibraaheem and Musa, may Allaah exalt their mention. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:
•}Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses.
And ]of[ Abraham, who fulfilled ]his obligations[{]Quran 53: 36-37[
•}Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, The scriptures of Abraham
and Moses{]Quran 87: 18-19[
Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: I said: O Messenger
of Allaah! How were the Scriptures of Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his
mention? He said: They were full of examples; O Arrogant tested
domineering king! I have not sent you to collect the vain gains of
this world, but rather I sent you to respond to the supplication of
the wronged person on my behalf for I never reject it even if it is
from a disbeliever. Every sane person must – as long as his mind is
not absent - take time to invoke his lord, time to bring himself to
account, time to contemplate the creation of Allaah The Almighty, and
time to seek his needs from food and drinking.
Every sane person must not move except for three things: preparing the
provision for the appointed time, improving his life and enjoying a
lawful pleasure. Also, every sane person must be mindful of his time,
must look after his affairs and protect his tongue )from obscene
speech(. Whoever thinks of his speech as part of his deeds, he will
not speak except in what is beneficial for him.
Then I said: O Messenger of Allaah! How were the Scriptures of Moosa
)Moses(, may Allaah exalt his mention? He said: "They were full of
wisdoms: I am amazed at the one who is certain of death and then he
feels happy. I am amazed at the one who is certain of Hell and then he
laughs. I am amazed at the one who is certain of preordainance and
then he exhausts himself. I am amazed at the one who has seen the
world and how the fortunes of its people change and then he feels
reassured. I am amazed at the one who is certain of Reckoning tomorrow
and then he does not work."
2. Tawraah )Torah(
It is the book that Allaah The Almighty revealed to Moosa )Moses(, may
Allaah exalt his mention, and ordered the prophets who came after him
to establish and fulfill its rulings, for Allaah The Almighty sent
them and did not send any books with them; rather, He made Tawraah
their book and religion. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and
light. The prophets who submitted ]to Allaah [ judged by it for the
Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were
entrusted of the Scripture of Allaah , and they were witnesses
thereto.{]Quran 5: 44[ Allaah The Almighty called he Tawraah
"Al-Furqaan" in the Noble Quran.
3. Az-Zaboor )Psalms(
It is one of the heavenly books. Allaah The Almighty revealed it to
Daawood )David(, may Allaah exalt his mention. Allaah The Almighty
Says )what means(:}And to David We gave the book ]of Psalms[.{]Quran
17: 55[ Daawood, may Allaah exalt his mention, used to read a great
deal in Az-Zaboor which the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, named Quran because of its similarity to the Noble Quran in
their miraculousness. He, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"The
reciting of the Zaboor )i.e. Psalms( was made easy for Daawood. He
used to order that his riding animals be saddled, and would finish
reciting the Zaboor before they were saddled. And he would never eat
except from the earnings of his manual work."]Al-Bukhaari[
Allaah The Almighty sent down in Az-Zaboor precious wisdoms and
praises of Him. Allaah The Almighty did not reveal in it any rulings
of the permissible and prohibited actions for they were enjoined to
take their rulings from the Tawraah.
4. Injeel )Gospel(
Allaah The Almighty revealed it to 'Eesa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his
mention. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary,
confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him
the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which
preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the
righteous.{]Quran 5: 46[
•}Then We sent following their footsteps Our messengers and followed
]them[ with Jesus, the son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel{]Quran 57:
27[
Wisdom behind revealing Books
The Muslim individual believes that these books were revealed by
Allaah The Almighty. They called to At-Tawheed )monotheism( and to
associating nothing with Him. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, ]saying[,
"Worship Allaah and avoid Taghut.{]Quran 16: 36[
The Muslim believes that the wisdom behind revealing books is to guide
human beings to the straight path of Allaah The Almighty, eliminate
disagreement and discord from among them, bear for them the glad
tidings of the pleasure of Allaah The Almighty if they obeyed Him and
warn them against His punishment if the disobeyed Him; and that the
heavenly books – other than the Noble Quran – have not remained in
their original state in which Allaah The Almighty sent them down;
rather, they were exposed to alteration and distortion and the words
of humans have mingled with the Words of Allaah The Almighty in them.
Forms of the distortion of the Divinly Revealed Books
Distortion of the divinely revealed books took different forms. The
Noble Quran mentioned some of them such as:
1- Hiding some verses, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}O People
of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to
you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking
much.{]Quran 5: 15[
2- Misinterpretation of the intended meanings of the verses, Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}And indeed, there is among them a
party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it
is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say,
"This is from Allaah," but it is not from Allaah. And they speak
untruth about Allaah while they know.{]Quran 3: 78[
3- Displacing verses from their original places. Allaah The Almighty
Says )what means(:}Among the Jews are those who distort words from
their ]proper[ usages and say, "We hear and disobey.{]Quran 4: 46[
4- Adding what is not from the Book to it; Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the
Scripture except in wishful thinking, but they are only assuming. So
woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say,
"This is from Allaah ," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe
to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what
they earn.{]Quran 2: 78-79[
Distortion of the Tawraah )Torah(
Belief in the Tawraah that Allaah The Almighty revealed to Moosa, may
Allaah exalt his mention, is one of the main pillars of the religion
of Islam. Muslims believe that it included all goodness, called for
the worship of Allaah Alone and it was a light and guidance. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in
which was guidance and light.{]Quran 5: 44[
However, the Tawraah that was revealed to Moosa, may Allaah exalt his
mention, does not exist anymore in its original state. The claimed
Tawraah of nowadays was written by many writers and in different
times. It was distorted and altered.
Amongst the material proofs of its distortion is that the Tawraah that
is in the hands of Christians is different from the one that is in the
hands of Jews. The Noble Quran recorded that distortion and rebuked
the Jews for their distortion and alteration of the Tawraah. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}Do you covet ]the hope, O believers[,
that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the
words of Allaah and then distort the Torah after they had understood
it while they were knowing?{]Quran 2: 75[
They had the nerve to distort and alter the Book of Allaah The
Almighty to hide the truth that it contained and all that can prove
the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, although
they knew him well. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Those to
whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons. But
indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know ]it[.{]Quran
2: 146[ Though they knew him well, they did not believe in him and
were too arrogant to do so. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}Among the Jews are those who distort words from their ]proper[
usages.{]Quran 4: 46[
Amongst the evidences that prove the distortion of the current Tawraah
are the descriptions mentioned in it which do not befit the Majesty
and Perfection of Allaah The Almighty such as: And the LORD God said,
Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil."
]Genesis 3: 22[ and "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on
the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. ]Genesis 6: 6[."
Can these be the Words of Allaah The Almighty? Can grief and regret be
attributed to Allaah The Almighty? In fact, such malicious claims
entail that Allaah The Almighty did not have knowledge of the results
of His actions. No, Allaah The Almighty is high above any defect and
shortcoming. Allaah The Almighty has comprehensive knowledge that
encompasses everything. Exalted is He and high above what they say by
great sublimity.
Another proof of the distortion of the current Tawraah is what is
mentioned in it of describing prophets in a way that negates the
infallibility that Allaah The Almighty granted them. They mentioned
that Ibraaheem )Abraham( is a liar, that Haroon )Aaron( called Banu
Israa'eel )Children of Israel( to worship the Calf, and that Sulaymaan
)Solomon( worshiped idols to please his wife. Can any human being who
has a sound mind say such words; let alone being revealed by Allaah
The Almighty to guide humans with it?

Women Site, - Belief in the Heavenly Books - II

Distortion of the Injeel )Gospel(
The Injeel was also distorted and altered and is not in its original
state in which Allaah The Almighty revealed it. Christians contintued
altering and changing its facts so as to attain their desired worldly
gains.
The distortion of the current versions of the Injeel can simply be
proved if we know that they are four versions of the Injeel selected
from many more versions. Such versions reported the words of Prophet
'Eesa, may Allaah exalt his mention. Their writers are known and their
names are written on them. In the library of one of the princes in
Paris, a version of the Injeel – Injeel )Gospel( of Barnabas - was
found. It differed greatly from the other four selected versions of
the Injeel and agreed with the Noble Quran in many beliefs and
principles.
After we have known for certain that those books have been distorted,
then what is the meaning that the Noble Quran came to confirm in the
divine books that preceded it? This simply means that the Noble Quran
came to enhance and support the truth which was mentioned in the books
that came before it, mainly worshiping Allaah The Almighty Alone,
believing in His Messengers, believing in the reward, observing rights
and justice, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and adhering to noble
moral standards. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Say, "O People
of the Scripture, you are ]standing[ on nothing until you uphold ]the
law of[ the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from
your Lord."{]Quran 5: 68[
Consequently, the Quran is the only way with which we can know the
sound divine teachings. It is the book whose fundamental principles
are preserved, its teachings are not distorted, and the Ummah received
it from the angel who brings down the Revelation to the Messengers -
Jibreel, may Allaah exalt his mention - who came down to the
Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. This preservation was not
granted to any book other than the Noble Quran. In fact, the Quran
comprises the most sublime principles, methods and systems. It has all
that humans need of beliefs, acts of worship, morals, and
transactions. It befits all times and places. It is sufficient to
create a Muslim individual, a virtuous family and a righteous society.
Truthful is the one who speaks with it. Just is the one who passes
judgment according to it. Guided to the right path is the one who
adheres to its teachings. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}There
has come to you from Allaah a light and a clear Book. By which Allaah
guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings
them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides
them to a straight path.{]Quran 5: 15-16[
The Previous Divinely Revealed Books Were not Universal
The books that Allaah The Almighty revealed, other than the Quran,
addressed certain people in certain times and they agreed with the
Noble Quran in some rulings and laws. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for
an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and
for wounds is legal retribution.{]Quran 5: 45[
Muslims believe in what is mentioned in these books as long as it does
not contradict with the Quran. They also believe that the Noble Quran
is the main constitution for all people.
Characteristics of the Noble Quran
The Noble Quran has many characteristics that distinguish it from the
books that came before it. Amongst such characteristics are:
• It has all the divine instructions that Allaah The Almighty revealed
in the Tawraah, the Injeel, and all the teachings that Allaah The
Almighty revealed.
• It supports the truth which was mentioned in these books regarding
worshiping Allaah The Almighty Alone, believing in His Messengers,
believing in reward, observing and establishing rights, enjoining good
and forbidding evil, and adhering to noble moral standards. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:}And We have revealed to you, ]O Muhammad[,
the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture
and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allaah has
revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come
to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a
method.{]Quran 5: 48[
That is to say, Allaah The Almighty revealed the Noble Quran which is
truthful in all that is mentioned in it and it confirms the preceding
Scriptures that were revealed by Allaah The Almighty. It is a witness
over them. It explains the distortion and alteration that inflicted
them. Then Allaah The Almighty ordered His Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, to judge between all people, Muslims and
non-Muslims, by what Allaah The Almighty has revealed in the Noble
Quran and not to follow them in disobeying Allaah The Almighty.
• Allaah The Almighty prescribed a law for every nation with its
rulings and different interactions that befit its nature and
inclinations in the best way. The main pillars of creeds are the same
in all messages. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}He has
ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which
We have revealed to you, ]O Muhammad[, and what We enjoined upon
Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be
divided therein.{]Quran 42: 13[
Then when Islam came, it abrogated all other laws and methods. It
established only one creed and method for all people.
• The original versions of the books that were revealed before the
Quran were lost. Nothing remained of them except their translations,
unlike the Noble Quran which was preserved as a whole with its
Soorahs, verses, words, and letters exactly as Jibreel, may Allaah
exalt his mention, recited it to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam. In the previous books, the words of humans were
mixed with the Words of Allaah The Almighty. No one can recognize the
words of Allaah The Almighty from those of humans. As for the Noble
Quran, all of its words are from Allaah The Almighty and they were
never mixed with the Hadeeths of the Messenger or the speeches of the
companions or any other person.
• None of those books can in any way be attributed to the Messenger to
whom it was revealed. The Tawraah )Torah( was not written by Moosa
)Moses(. In fact, it was written many centuries after Moosa. The Noble
Quran is the only book that was proved to be decisively attributed to
the Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )even if he did not
write it down himself, for he ordered the writers of the revelation to
record every verse immediately after it was revealed to him(.
• The teachings of the Noble Quran are the Words of Allaah The
Almighty that can achieve happiness to all humanity. So Allaah The
Almighty Willed for it to last forever. He preserved and protected it
from distortion. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And indeed, it is a mighty Book Falsehood cannot approach it from
before it or from behind it; ]it is[ a revelation from a ]Lord who is[
Wise and Praiseworthy.{]Quran 41: 41-42[
•}Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its
guardian{]Quran 15: 9[
The wisdom behind that is to make the Quran the argument of Allaah The
Almighty over people. The Quran is for all worlds and all people. It
is not for a specific people unlike the previous heavenly books.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And We have not sent you except
comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a
warner.{]Quran 34: 28[
• The Quran is the guidance that leads to all that is good. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:}Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about
which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of
Allaah{]Quran 2: 1-2[ Allaah The Almighty wants His word to spread and
reach minds and ears everywhere. This will not be attained except if
the Quran is easy to memorize and understand. Nothing in the Quran is
difficult for people to understand or fulfill. Allaah The Almighty
Says )what means(:}And We have certainly made the Quran easy for
remembrance, so is there any who will remember?{]Quran 54: 17[
• The Quran is also the miracle of the Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. In fact, if the whole world gathered in order to produce
something like what is mentioned in the Quran, they could not produce
the like of it for it is as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And
indeed, it is a mighty Book. Falsehood cannot approach it from before
it or from behind it; ]it is[ a revelation from a ]Lord who is[ Wise
and Praiseworthy.{]Quran 41: 41-42[
• The Quran is an invitation to every good matter and forbids every
vice. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}O mankind, there has come
to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the
breasts.{]Quran 10: 57[
• The Quran is a cure for souls. It purifies them from their diseases.
It is a remedy from disbelief, misguidance, hatred and envy. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}And We send down of the Quran that
which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase
the wrongdoers except in loss.{]Quran 17: 82[