Welcome to all brothers and sisters in Islam and to all non-Muslims who are interested. This is some introductory information for all those curious to learn more about our way of life. What is Islam all about? Islam is the religion of the oneness of God, of belief in all of His prophets and messengers (peace be upon them), belief in the angels, belief in the Hereafter, belief in His holy scriptures, and belief in predestination. Islam is an Arabic word which means "submission (to God)". The condition of the Muslim in his worship is fear of God's wrath and hope in His mercy. These two are like the wings of a bird and they guide us to righteousness. Entering the Religion of Allah is easy The Shahada The Shahada is our testimony of faith, it is the testimony of the oneness and uniqueness of Allah. The one who utters the words "La ilaha illaAllah, Muhammad ar-rasool Allah" (There is no god except God and Muhammad is His Messenger), while believing them firmly in his/her heart, has entered Islam. It is not necessary to recite it before witnesses, you can do it by yourself and don't have to tell anyone else. The Shahada is the necessary condition of success in the Hereafter. It was narrated by Mu'adh ibn Jabal: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Mu`adh! Do you know what Allah's Right upon His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "To worship Him (Allah) Alone and to join none in worship with Him (Allah). Do you know what their right upon Him is?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Not to punish them (if they do so). (Bukhari 7373) Allah appreciates those who remember Him The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Allah Almighty says: Whoever comes with a good deed will have the reward of ten like it and even more. Whoever comes with an evil deed will be recompensed for one evil deed like it or he will be forgiven. Whoever draws close to me by the length of a hand, I will draw close to him by the length of an arm. Whoever draws close to me the by length of an arm, I will draw close to him by the length of a fathom. Whoever comes to me walking, I will come to him running. Whoever meets me with enough sins to fill the earth, not associating any idols with me, I will meet him with as much forgiveness." Practicing Islam is easy The five daily prayers The salah (ritual prayer) is the means by which Muslims draw closer to Allah and seek protection in Him from the evil of sin. The first prayer of the day is the Fajr prayer, it is observed between dawn and sunrise. The second prayer is the Dhuhr prayer, it is observed between midday and the afternoon. The third prayer is the Asr prayer, it is observed between afternoon and sunset. The fourth prayer is the Maghrib prayer, it is observed between the sunset and dusk. The fifth prayer is the Isha prayer, it is observed between dusk and midnight. There are other voluntary prayers along with these. Fasting The sawm (ritual fasting) is the third pillar of Islam and one of the greatest acts of worship. Giving up your desire and your food for the sake of Allah is a virtuous deed of especially high value. Muslims are obligated to fast for 30 days of the year during the month of Ramadan. The fast is different from other acts of worship because it is difficult. This is the reason why it will cause those who used to practice it to be rewarded handsomely on the Day of Judgment. Fasting begins at the start of Fajr time and lasts until the start of Maghrib. In this time, you cannot eat or drink anything and you can't touch your partner with desire. Zakat The zakat (charity) is an obligation upon the Muslims who possess wealth to give to those who do not. 2.5% of your wealth is contributed yearly to help those in need and it is a part of caring for the poor and needy that is central to our religion. Hajj The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetimes if they are able. The Kaaba, which is located in Mecca, is the holiest site in Islam. Dua Dua (supplication) is not among the five pillars of Islam but its importance merits it being mentioned here. Dua is the most powerful tool of the Muslim and a great way of drawing closer to Allah. The one who wants to make Dua simply raises his hands and calls upon Allah for whatever he wants or needs. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Dua is worship". Allah accepts the Dua of everyone, if you are patient, sincere and call upon Him alone. Character and morals The Muslim should hold himself or herself to a higher standard than the rest of society when it comes to embodying an upright character, morality and virtue. Islam enjoins truthfulness, kindness, caring for the needy, obedience to parents, upholding ties to family, speaking that which is good, defending the oppressed, and much more of good and upright behavior we find in the Qur'an and the Prophetic tradition. And Allah knows best. For more on the teaching and practice of Islam refer to our other threads: >>210 >>211 >>212 >>251