what is islam

what is islam

The word Islam is derived from the Arabic word Islam, Salam. Islam means peace and security. And in religious terms, Islam means surrendering to Allah Ta’ala and obeying His rules. Islam is the ideal and healthy way of life taught by God’s prophets and messengers for the complete welfare of mankind. And so Islam means the religion of peace.

The literal meaning of the word Islam in Arabic is surrender. To humble oneself in the worship of or for the purpose of worshiping Almighty Allah, obeying all His orders, obeying His commands and prohibitions without any objection and worshiping only Allah Rabbul Alamin with all one’s heart.

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what is islam : Regarding Islam, it is said in the Qur’an, “Surely Islam is the (only chosen) religion with Allah”. (Surah Al Imran, Verse No. 19). It is said in the Qur’an that Islam is the chosen religion of Allah. From the first prophet and man of the world, Hazrat Adam (A.S.) to Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.), all the prophets preached Islam. But over time people have distorted Islam.

That is why Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent as the last prophet to propagate Islam properly and appeared for the welfare of mankind. Al-Qur’an mentions the main points of all divine books revealed to the world and Al-Qur’an is the last divine book. Whoever accepts Islam is called a Muslim (follower of Allah).

Islam in Arakan or Fundamentals of Islam –

Islam is founded on five pillars or principles. These are –

1. Kalima or Faith –
   “The Five Pillars of Islam” – beginning with the Kalima or Faith. Which is not only a matter of words, but of believing in the heart and turning it into action. The word Iman is Arabic and literally means to believe, to accept, etc. Kalima or Iman is the belief and acceptance that “There is no true god or deity except Allah and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah”. Along with this belief is to believe broadly or in detail “in Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, in predestination, in the good and bad of fate from Allah, and in the resurrection after death”.
2. Prayer –
   “Prayer” is the second and most important pillar of Islam. Which is considered as a differentiating indicator between Muslims and non-Muslims and only Muslims have the obligation to pray 5 times a day. Namaz or Salat is a daily regular and obligatory act of worship in Islam. All adult men and women are required to pray five times a day in a specific manner as described in the Quran and Hadith. Punishment is mentioned if it is not observed or left without a Shariah-compliant reason. It is a daily religious act for Muslims, but apart from the daily obligatory or fard, there are other prayers that are time-based or topical.
3. fasting –
   “Fasting” is the third and most important pillar of Islam. The exchange or recompense will be given by Allah Almighty himself. The word roza means ‘abstaining’. And in Arabic its name is Sawm, Siam in plural. Which literally means refraining from doing something. Fasting is the abstinence from all kinds of eating, drinking, sinning, sexual immorality and also from all pleasures and luxuries from dawn till sunset. According to Islamic law, it is obligatory for every adult Muslim to fast every day during the month of Ramadan, which means, of course, observance.
4. Zakat –
   Zakat is a word that means purification, increase, sanctification, abundance, praise etc. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is the practice of distributing a fixed portion of one’s income and property to the poor and needy by every free, adult Muslim man and woman every year, if it exceeds the Islamic Shariah prescribed limit (nisab amount).
5. Hajj –
   Hajj or Hajj is an obligatory act of worship or religious worship for Muslims. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is fard or obligatory for every physically and financially able Muslim man and woman to perform Hajj once in a lifetime. 8th to 12th of the Arabic Zilhaj month is the appointed time for Hajj. To perform Hajj, travel and stay in present-day Makkah city of Saudi Arabia and nearby places such as Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah etc. are necessary.

Sources of Islamic Shari’ah –

Shariah or Shari’at means course of action. Islamic law or Shari’a law is the way of life and religious law that is an adjunct to the Islamic tradition. According to Islamic terminology, Shari’ah is the set of commands, rules and guidelines given to Muslims by the Creator Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). And so the Shariah is the sum of the guidance of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH).

Therefore, the main or fundamental sources of Shari’ah are two – the Word of Allah or Al-Qur’an and the words, deeds and tacitness or Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Later, two more matters of Shari’ah were determined based on the recognition and guidance of Al-Qur’an and Sunnah. These are Ijma and Qiyas. So, there are four sources of Islamic Shari’ah namely –

1. Quran
   Al-Qur’an is the collection of all the revelations or words that Almighty Allah revealed to our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the angel Jibraeel (AS) for twenty-three years. It is the first and foremost source of Islamic law.
2. Sunnah or Hadith
   The words, actions and deeds of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are called Sunnah or Hadith. It is the second source of Islamic law.
3. Ijma
   Ijma is an Arabic word. It literally means the agreement of all people on something. Ijma is the third source of Muslim law. The consensus of Islamic jurists is called Ijma. If there is no clear guidance on a matter in the Qur’an or the Sunnah, it is resolved with the help of Ijma. According to modern Muslim scholars, ijma is an important source of Muslim law, as a large part of Muslim law is based on consensus. Islamic law is created through Ijma. In fact, a large part of Muslim law is based on the consensus of the ulama.
4. Kias
   If a problem cannot be solved through the Qur’an, Sunnah and Ijma, the help of Qiyas is taken. It is the fourth source of Muslim law. Qiyas does not lay down any principles but merely analyzes the interpretations of conventional principles. However, a qiyas becomes legal if it is supported by ijma. So it can be said that Qiyas does not create any law but it reveals the law.

The injunctions and prohibitions laid down for Muslims by the above-mentioned four documents are called Ahkame Shariat or Laws of Shariat.

Shariah provisions

Ahkame Shariat or the provisions of Shariat are generally divided into ten parts. Namely –

1. Obligation – All the acts which are proved by clear or irrefutable documents in Islam and must be observed. If you don’t observe it, it is a sin and severe punishment is mentioned, and if you refuse it, you become a disbeliever, it is called Fard. There are two types of obligation. Namely –

** Obligatory Acts – Those acts which are obligatory for every Muslim are called obligatory acts. Namely – prayer, fasting etc.

** Obligatory Kefaya – Those acts which are obligatory for every Muslim but if performed by one of them, it is paid by all are called Farje Kefaya. For example – funeral prayer, burial-shroud etc.

2. Wajib – Those religious acts which are documented by Janni or ambiguous evidence but are obligatory for every Muslim are called Wajib. For example – Witr prayer.
3. Sunnah – The acts done by the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions other than Fard and Wajib are called Sunnah. There are two types of circumcision. Namely –

***Sunnah Muakkadah – The actions which the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions always observed and gave special insistence to observe, and if they are observed, there is a special reward and if they are not observed, it is a sin. For example – Fajr, Zohr, Maghrib and Esha. Rakat sunnat prayer.

***Muakkadah outside the Sunnah – The acts which the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions have ever performed and also abandoned and did not urge to perform them, and if they are performed, there is reward and if they are not performed, there is no sin. For example – four rakat Sunnah prayers before Asr and Isha obligatory prayers.

4. Mustahab or Nafal – All the actions that Rasool (PBUH) ever performed and also abandoned are called Mustahab or Nafal. If you observe them, you will be rewarded and if you do not observe them, there is no sin. For example – nafal prayer.
5. Halal – Limits set by Allah on what is permissible and forbidden for believers. In the Qur’an, Allah forbids crossing this line. Those things which are permissible or lawful to eat or consume according to Islamic law are called halal. Namely – earning legally, getting married etc. If a halal act is regarded as haram, one becomes a disbeliever.

6. Haram – Those acts, goods and things which are not proven to be prohibited according to Islamic Sharia are called Haram. Namely – taking interest, bribery, etc.
7. Makruh – All actions that are wrong and harmful are called Makruh. There are two types of makruh. Namely –

*** Makruh Tahreemi – Actions which are proved by ambiguous documents are called Makruh Tahreemi. For example – wiping the dust from the forehead during prayer.
***Makruh Tanyhi – Actions that are inconsistent and unjust according to the Shari’ah and which are all sins are Makruh Tanyyhi. Namely – standing on one leg during prayer.

8. Mufsid – All the activities that nullify prayer and fasting are called Mufsid. For example – talking during prayer, eating something intentionally during fasting.
9. Mubah – Those actions which have no command or prohibition in the Shariah and which do not incur any sin-sawab are called mubah. For example – drinking, wearing good clothes etc.
10. Bid’a’t – That which is not mentioned in the Qur’an-Hadith and which is not found even in the era of the Prophet (PBUH) or his companions and followers, is called Bid’a’t. If it results in the benefit and preservation of Islam, it is hasan in Bid’ah. And if it causes harm to Islam, then it is bid’ah sayyyah. Doing this is a sin. Namely – lighting a lamp on a grave and taking vows at a dargah.

Rewards and Sins According to Islamic Shari’ah –

1. Reward – All the deeds that Allah has commanded and He is pleased and satisfied with doing them, there is reward for doing them. For example – praying, fasting. In one word, obeying Allah’s commands and prohibitions is a reward.

2. Sin – Doing all the things that Allah has forbidden and makes Him unhappy and displeased, is a sin. For example – not praying, not fasting. In one word, disobeying God’s commands and prohibitions is a sin. There are two types of sin – namely –

*** Kabira Gunah – Those acts which are haram according to Islamic Shari’ah and for which severe punishment is prescribed, are called Kabira Gunah or major sins. Namely – associating someone with Allah, killing someone unjustly, hurting parents, having adultery or illicit sex, calling a Muslim an infidel.

***Sagira Gunah – A sin for which no specific punishment has been prescribed in the Shariah is called Sagira Gunah or minor sin.

Kabira sins are not forgiven without repentance. If you don’t repent, you will have to suffer the terrible punishment of hell. Sagira – Regardless of the poets, all Muslims should repent and seek forgiveness as soon as they commit a sin.

Repentance and Istegfar

1. Repentance – Repentance means turning back. When people commit a sin, go astray or go astray, turning back to the right path or good path from there is called repentance. The literal meaning of repentance is to be ashamed. That is, to return to the right path after being ashamed of one’s actions. Repentance involves being ashamed and repentant of one’s actions, making a strong conviction and determination not to commit that crime again, and focusing more on good deeds.

Regarding repentance, the Qur’an says, “O you who believe! Repent to Allah—pure repentance, perhaps your Lord will forgive your sins and admit you to Paradise under whose feet rivers flow. On that day Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him.” . Their light will shine before them and to their right. They will say, O our Lord! Complete our light for us, surely You have power over everything.” (Surah Tahrim, verse 8).

2. Istighfar – Istighfar means asking for forgiveness. Allah is Ghafir-Forgiving, Gafur-Forgiving, Ghaffar-Most Forgiving. Istighfa is a separate prayer, it is not performed to forgive any sin or sin. For example, sins are forgiven by performing prayers, fasting, Hajj, etc., but committing sins is not a condition for performing these acts of worship. Repentance and forgiveness is one of the most beloved acts of worship to Allah.

So the beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) used to repent and seek forgiveness 70 to 100 times a day despite being innocent. It is Sunnah to recite Istighfar three times after performing this prayer, despite the fact that prayer is the main and greatest act of worship after similar faith. That is, Istighfar is done not only after sin, but also after worship. As the Qur’an mentions about asking for forgiveness after the Hajj, “(After the Hajj) then go out, as people go out, and seek forgiveness from Allah. Surely Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. (Surah Baqarah, verse – 199).

It is also said in the Qur’an about Istighfa, “Then I said, Ask your Lord for forgiveness, surely He is Oft-Forgiving” (Surah Nuh, verse 10).

It is also said in this regard, “Then you should praise your Lord and declare His holiness and glory and ask Him for forgiveness, surely He is the Accepting of Repentance”. (Surah Nasr, verse – 3).

It is also said, “And Allah is not that you should be among them while He punishes them, and Allah is not that they should ask for forgiveness while He punishes them.” (Surah Anfal, verse – 33).

In other words, Almighty Allah asked people to repent more and more so that people can get His forgiveness.

Sayyidul Istighfar –

Sayyidul Istighfar is the best supplication for forgiveness. Rasulullah (SAW) said, “Whoever recites this dua with firm faith, recites it during the day and dies at night, or recites it during the night and dies during the day, he will enter Paradise.” (Bukhari Sharif, Mishkat Sharif – Hadith No. 2335) .

Pronunciation – Alla-humma anta rabbi la ila-ha illa anta khalaqtani, wa ana ‘abduka wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mastatwa’tu, a’uzubika min sharri ma chana’tu. Abuu laka bini’matika ‘alaiya wa abuu biyambi fagfirli fainnahu la yagfiruz junuba illa anta.

Meaning- “O Allah! You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You have created me. I am Your slave. I am firm in my pledges and promises to You as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the harm of my deeds.” I acknowledge Your grace upon me and I acknowledge my sins. So forgive me. For there is none to forgive sins but You.”

Prayer of Repentance – Astaghfirullah Rabbi min kulli zambio wa atubu ilaihi wa la hawla wala kuwata illabillahil a’liyyil a’zeem.

Meaning- I seek forgiveness from Allah for all my sins, I return (repentance) to Him. Without the help of Allah, there is no power to avoid sin and do good deeds. (Muslim and Tirmidhi).

Four levels of destiny

There are a total of four levels of belief in fate. Namely—

1. Knowledge means believing that Allah knows everything. It is stated in the Holy Qur’an, “Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise” (Surah Nisa, verse 11).
2. Fortune-telling i.e. establishing the belief that Allah Ta’ala has written down the fate of everything in the Mahfuz. Al-Qur’an says, “Don’t you know that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and the earth. All this is in one book (1); Indeed, it is easy for Allah.” ’ (Surah Hajj, verse – 70).
3. Will means nothing happens in the heavens and the earth except by the will of Allah. The Qur’an states, “Surely I have created every thing in its measure”. (Surah Qamar, verse – 49).
4. Creation means everything that is in the heavens and the earth is God’s creation. Almighty Allah says, “He Who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth; He has not begotten any child; He has no partner in sovereignty. He created everything. Then He determined it in due proportion.” (Surah Furqan, verse-2).

And regarding the prohibitions of religion and observance of religion, Surah Kafirun, verse-1 says, “Say, O disbelievers! I do not worship that which you worship, and you are not the worshipers of that which I worship. And I am not the worshiper of that which you worship.” Whom you worship. And you will not worship him whom I worship. Your religion (shirk) is for you and my religion (Islam) is for me.

This surah is very important in Islam. Almighty Allah has explained to all the disbelievers in this surah that those whom Allah knew about will die as disbelievers. Their death will also be in the state of shirk. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If Allah the Exalted had not written guidance for you, then you would have been deprived of Allah’s guidance”. Guidance or misguidance is ordained by Allah for every human being no matter how hard they try in this world.

Guidance and Misguidance-

Hidayat is an Arabic word, its Bengali meaning is guidance. According to Islamic Shari’ah, the path prescribed by the Prophet and his followers is the right path. The word Hidayat in the Qur’an means “to guide one with grace to the destination”. So ‘guidance’ is truly the work of Allah Ta’ala alone. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an, “He leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills to the right and straight path” (Surah al-Anayam, verse – 39).

Al-Qur’an repeatedly mentions the actions of the human heart and organs as the cause of guidance and misguidance. Therefore, here the actions of the heart and the limbs are called for guidance. Misguidance can be called the same as guidance. Good deeds in human life are the result of Hidayat. The more good deeds you do, the more guidance you will receive. Similarly, the more sinful deeds are, the more misguidance there will be. Because Allah likes good deeds, He rewards the righteous with guidance and success. He dislikes sin and punishes the wrongdoer with misguidance and suffering.

Allah is good, so He loves the good and the righteous. He draws their hearts to Him according to their good deeds. And since He hates wrongdoing, He turns their hearts away from Him according to the amount of wrongdoing. The first principle is the following words of Allah, “Alif-lam-meem. This is the Book, in which there is no doubt, guidance for the righteous”. (Surah Baqarah, Verses – 1-2).

The second principle, wickedness, pride, lies, etc., are the causes of misguidance. For example, Allah Ta’ala says, “Surely Allah does not hesitate to give the likeness of a mosquito or anything smaller than that.”

Then those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord. But those who have disbelieved say that for what purpose did Allah present this parable? By this he misled many, and guided many. And He misleads none by it except the transgressors. Those who, after binding themselves to a firm covenant with Allah, break it, and sever the bond which Allah has commanded to be kept intact, and create mischief on the earth, they are the losers.” (Surah Baqarah) , verses – 26-27).

Allah also said in this regard, “And they said, ‘Our hearts are covered’, rather Allah has cursed them because of their disbelief. So few of them believe.”

Paradise and Hell

1. heaven
Jannat means densely enclosed gardens, gardens. Jannat in Islamic terminology refers to the place that Allah Almighty has reserved for His loyal servants. A charming garden with picturesque mansions adorned with various flowers which stretch the horizon; Different types of rivers and streams flow along its side. Where eternal spring reigns. Paradise is a place of eternal peace. There is the ultimate and ultimate system of comfort, happiness, peace, amusement, entertainment and pleasure.

In this temporary human life, those who follow the commands of Allah Almighty, reject or leave the prohibitions and live in the way prescribed by the Shari’ah, and on the Day of Judgment, those who will be blessed with Allah’s mercy, forgiveness and forgiveness will be destined for Paradise and they will stay there forever. There will be no suffering. In this regard, it is said in the Qur’an, “They will never suffer there, and they will never be expelled from it” (Surah Hijr, verse – 48).

Almighty Allah has prepared 8 paradises for the believers. Among them, Jannatul Firdaus is the best. In this regard, it is said in Al-Qur’an, “Verily, Jannatul Firdaus is for the hospitality of those who believe and do righteous deeds. They will remain there forever, from there they will not want to move.” (Surah Al-Kahf, verse – 107-108).

May Almighty Allah grant us Jannatul Firdaus.

2. the hell

the hell
Hell is a vast prison of various kinds of excruciating pain in the Hereafter which is a vast area where different areas are designated for different types of punishment. Hell is a place of eternal suffering, humiliation, humiliation, irony, misfortune, shame, hunger, thirst, fire, turmoil, despair, screaming, crying, punishment, cursing, torment and dissatisfaction. There is no trace of peace. Hands, feet and neck will be chained and shackled and cast into the abyss of hell. Where there is nothing but fire of extreme brightness and inflammable power.

The flames of Hell will touch them from above, below and right and left, burning them. Once the skin is burned, new skin will grow again to taste the fire again and again. Thirst will melt the heart and soul of the stomach. This is punishment upon punishment. Thirst will not decrease but will intensify. Their food will be very stinking jakkum and thorny grass and gyslin. When the stomach burns because of the urge to eat, it will increase the pain inside the stomach. Food and drink will be one of the instruments of punishment.

In this temporary human life, those who do not obey the commands of Allah Almighty, live according to their own pleasure without discarding or abandoning the prohibitions, and those who fail to receive Allah’s mercy, forgiveness and forgiveness on the Day of Judgment will be destined for Hell and they will stay there forever. There every moment they will wish for their death but they will not die.

In this regard, Al-Qur’an said, “Indeed, Hell is a place of return for the transgressors, waiting to be raised. There they will stay for ages”. (Surah Naba, Verses – 21-23).

Allah has prepared 7 hells for sinners. May Allah protect us all from the torment of hell.

The main goal of all of our lives should be to gain the forgiveness and satisfaction of Almighty Allah. For this we need to follow the way and way prescribed by the Shariah. May Almighty Allah guide us to the right path and faith and grant us guidance. Grant us the opportunity to live a full and honest life according to the Islamic Shari’ah and give us the opportunity to follow all the rules of religion. Provide the capacity and opportunity to be tolerant and respectful of others and of other religions. May this be the pledge of all of us in the holy month of Ramadan.

References – Al Qur’an, Hadith.

HAZZAZ BIN YOUSUF