About Islam

"Islam is a way of life, try it. Islam is a gift, accept it. Islam is
a journey, complete it. Islam is a struggle, fight for it. Islam is a
goal, achieve it.Islam is an opportunity, take it. Islam is not for
sinners, overcome it. Islam is not a game, don'tplay with it. Islam is
not amystery, behold it. Islam is not for cowards, face it. Islam is
not for the dead, live it. Islam is a promise, fulfill it. Islam is a
duty, perform it. Islam is a treasure (the Prayer),pray it. Islam is a
beautiful way of life, see it. Islam has a message for you, hear it.
Islam is love, love it..."
Islam is derived from the root word salaam which means Peace. Islam
was brought to India in the 8th century by traders, Islam became a
dominantreligious force in the country during the Moghul Empire. There
areestimated to be 1.4 billion adherents, making Islam the
second-largest religion in the world. Today, Muslims may be found
throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa,
South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The majority of Muslims
are not Arabs; only 20 percent of Muslims originate from Arab
countries. Islam is the second largest religion inthe United Kingdom,
and many other European countries, including France, which has the
largest Muslim population in Western Europe.
Birds Eye View Of Kaaba
Five Pillars of Islam TheFive Pillars of Islam is the term given to
what are understood among manyMuslims to be the five core aspects of
Sunni Islam. Shi'a Muslims accept the Five Pillars, but also add
several other practices to form the Branches of Religion.
1.Shahadah
The basic creed or tenet of Islam is found in the shahādatān ("two
testimonies"): 'ashadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa 'ashadu 'anna
muħammadan rasūlu-llāh ; "I testify that there is none worthy of
worship except God and I testify that Muhammad <(Sall-Allahu alayhi wa
sallam) is the Messenger of God."As the most important pillar, this
testament can be considered a foundation for all other beliefs and
practices in Islam. Ideally, it is the first words a new-born will
hear, and children are taught to recite and understand the shahadah as
soon as theyare able to. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer,
and non-Muslims must use the creed to formally convert to Islam.
2. Salat (Namaz)
Muslims performing salat (prayer)
Muslims must perform five daily prayers, salat, throughout the day as
a form of submission to God. The ritual combines specific movements
and spiritual aspects, preceded by wudu', or ablution. It is also
supposed to serve as a reminder to do good andstrive for greater
causes as well as a form of restraint from committing harmful or
shameful deeds.
It is believed that the prayer ritual was demonstrated to Muhammad
(Peace and Blessings be Upon him) by the angel Jabrīl, or Gabriel in
English.
Common mistakes usually we make in prayers
Listed below are the 7 Common mistakes usuallywe make in prayers
Mistake 1: Reciting Surat al-Fatiha fast without pausing after each
verse.
The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) used to pause after each
verse of this surah. (Abu Dawood)
Mistake 2 : Sticking the arms to the sides of the body, in rukoo' or
sujood, and sticking the belly to the thighs in sujood.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) said: "Let
not one of you support himself
on his forearms (in sujood) like the dog. Let him rest on his palms
and keep his elbows away from his body." (Sahih Muslim) . The
Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) used to keep his
arms away from his body
during rukoo' and sujood that the whiteness of his armpits could be
seen (Sahih Muslim).
Mistake 3: Gazing upwardduring prayer.
This may cause loss of concentration. We are commanded to lower our
gaze, and look at the point at which the head rests during sujood. The
Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) warned: "Let those who raise
their gaze up during prayer
stop doing so, or else their sights would not return to them. i.e.
lose their eyesight]." (Muslim)
Mistake 4 : Resting only the tip of the head on the floor during
sujood. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) said: "I am
commanded to prostrate on seven bones
the forehead and the nose, the two hands [palms], the two knees, and
the two feet." (Sahih Muslim) Applying the above command necessitates
resting the forehead and the nose on the ground during sujood.
Mistake 5 : Hasty performance of prayer which does not allow repose
and calmness in rukoo' or sujood.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) saw a man who
did not complete his
rukoo' [bowing], and made a very short sujood[prostration] ; he (Peace
and Blessings be Upon him)
said: "If this man dies while praying in this manner, he would die
upholding a religion other than the religion ofMuhammad." Abu
Hurairah (RA) said:
"My beloved friend, Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) forbade
me to perform postures of
prayer copying the picking of a rooster; (signifying fast performance
of prayer), moving eyes around like a fox and thesitting like monkeys
( i.e. to sit on thighs)." (Imam Ahmad & at-Tayalisi) The Messenger of
Allah (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) said: " The worst thief is the
one who steals from his own
prayer." People asked, 'Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from
his own prayer?' He (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) said: "By not
completing its rukoo' and
sujood." (At Tabarani & al-Hakim).
To complete rukoo' is to stay in that posture long enough to recite
'Subhana rabbiyal Adtheem' three times, SLOWLY, and 'Subhana rabbiyal-
a'ala' three times, SLOWLY, in sujood. He (Peace and Blessings be Upon
him) also announced: "He
who does not complete his rukoo' and sujood, his prayer is void." (Abu
Dawood & others)
Mistake 6 : Counting tasbeeh with the left hand
The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) used to count tasbeeh
onthe fingers of his right
hand after salah. Ibn Qudamah (RA) said: " The Messenger of Allah
(Peace and Blessings be Upon him) used his right hand for tasbeeh."
(Abu Dawood). The above
hadeeth indicates clearly that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be
Upon him) used only one hand
for counting tasbeeh. No Muslim with sound mind would imagine that the
Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) used his left hand for
counting tasbeeh. Aa'ishah (RA)
said that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) used his left
hand only for Istinjaa', or
cleaning himself after responding to the call of nature. He never used
it for tasbeeh. Yasirah (RA) reported: The Prophet (Peace and
Blessings be Upon him) commanded
women to count tasbeeh on their fingers.To complete rukoo' is to
stayin that posture long enough to recite
'Subhana rabbiyal Adtheem' three times, SLOWLY, and 'Subhana rabbiyal-
a'ala' three times, SLOWLY, in sujood. He (Peace and Blessings be Upon
him) also announced: "He
who does not complete his rukoo' and sujood, his prayer is void." (Abu
Dawood & others)
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) said: "They
(the fingers) will be made to
speak, and will be questioned (on the Day of Resurrection. )" (At-
Tirmidhi) .. The above Hadeeth indicates that it is preferable to
count tasbeeh on the fingers of the right hand than to do so on
masbahah (rosary).
3. Zakat
Zakat, or alms-giving, is amandated giving of charity to the poor and
needy by able Muslims based on the wealth that he or she has
accumulated. It is a personal responsibility intended to ease economic
hardship for others and eliminate inequality.
4. Sawm (Roza)
Sawm, or fasting, is an obligatory act during themonth of Ramadan.
Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from
dawn to dusk during thismonth, and are to be especially mindful of
other sins that are prohibited. This activity is intended to allow
Muslims to seek nearness to God as well as remind them of the needy.
Mistake 7 : Crossing in front of a praying person.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) warned:"Were
the one who crosses in
front of a praying personto know the consequences of doing so, he
would have waited for*forty better than to cross in front of
him." (Sahih Bukhari andMuslim). *The forty in thetradition may be
days months or even years. Allah knows best.
Common Errors in Prayer That MUST Be Avoided - Please inform your near
and dear ones to take care of the above.
Remember Muslim Ummah in your supplications
5. Hajj
The Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah
inthe city of Makkah. The pilgrimage is required for all Muslims who
are both physically and financially able to go andis to be done at
least once in one's lifetime.
The Pilgrimage ( hajj ) to Kaaba, Masjid al Haram, Makkah, is an
important practice for Muslims to perform
Maharashtra has a large Muslim population and Masjids or prayer halls
can be found in almost every village and city of the state. There are
several Masjids in Mumbai, big and small, simple and ornate. At the
same time, there are several Dargahs (tombs) of revered Muslim saints
that have become famous pilgrImages.
Most notable among the Dargahs in Mumbai is thetomb of the Muslim
saint Pir Haji Ali Shah. A landmark on the Mumbaiskyline, the
whitewasheddargah stands tall in Mahalaxmi at the end of a narrow
500-yard causeway jutting into theArabian Sea.