Islam
February 4th, 2008 by ZA
This site is designed to educate people about Islam, and to answer as many questions as possible and elucidate any misconceptions that they might have about this great religion. The topics that I’ll be touching on, are the most common questions asked by other faiths (non-muslims). Also Visit: Islamicworld.tmdtube.com
About Islam
February 4th, 2008 by ZA
Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad. Those who follow Islam are called Muslims.
Muslims believe that there is only one God. The Arabic word for God is Allah.
All aspects of a Muslim's life are governed by Sharia. Sharia law comes from a combination of sources including the Qur'an, the sayings of the prophet and the rulings of Islamic scholars. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to
God (Arabic: Allāh). An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)". In 2007 the muslim population was 1.8 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity.
Articles of faith
The Qur'an mentions the names of numerous figures considered prophets in Islam, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, among others.
The Qur'an calls Jews and Christians "People of the Book" (ahl al-kitāb), and distinguishes them from polytheists. Muslims believe that parts of the previously revealed scriptures, the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospels), had become distorted—either in interpretation, in text, or both.
Although Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, they reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, comparing it to polytheism. In Islamic theology, Jesus was just a man and not the son of God; God is described in a chapter (sura) of the Qur'an as:
God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worshipped but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is his Apostle (Messenger).
The Holy Book: Qur'an
Muslims consider the Qur'an to be the literal Word of God; it is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad (PBUH) by God through the Angel Gabriel on many occasions between 610 and his death on July 6, 632.
The Qur'an is more concerned with moral guidance than legal instruction, and is considered the "sourcebook of Islamic principles and values".Muslim jurists consult the hadith, or the written record of Muhammad's life to both supplement the Qur'an and assist with its interpretation.
The science of Qur'anic commentary and exegesis is known as
tafsir.
The Qur'an states that all Muslims must believe in God, his revelations, his angels, his messengers, and in the "Day of Judgment’’.
The Custodian of the Holy book is Allah and the Arabic words in the Holy Book are Inimitable and Superlative.
In response to those who doubt the Authorship of the Quran, Allah almighty has challenged the most articulate Arabs to produce a whole book, ten chapters or even one solitary chapter which can be remotely comparable to the Quran. But to this day, no one has succeeded in meeting the challenge of the almighty.
Say, if the whole of mankind and Jinn’s were to gather together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof; even if they backed up each other with help and support.
Angels
Belief in angels is crucial to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for Angels (malak) means "messenger", like its counterparts in Hebrew (malakh) and
Greek (angelos).
According to the Qur'an, angels do not possess free will, and worship God in perfect obedience.
Angels' duties include communicating revelations from God, glorifying God, recording every person's actions, and taking a person's soul at the time of death. They are also thought to intercede on man's behalf.
The Qur'an describes angels as "messengers with wings—two, or three, or four (pairs): He [God] adds to Creation as He pleases…"
Muhammad (PBUH)
Muhammad's full name was Abu al-Qasim Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah Ibn Abd al-Muttalib Ibn Hashim. Prophet Muhammad (c. 570 – July 6, 632) was an Arab religious, political, and military leader who founded the religion of Islam as a historical phenomenon.
Muslims view him not as the creator of a new religion, but as the restorer 
of the original, uncorrupted monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham and others.
In Muslim tradition, Muhammad is viewed as the last and the greatest in a series of prophets—as the man closest to perfection, the possessor of allvirtues.
For the last 23 years of his life, beginning at age 40, Muhammad reported receiving revelations from God. The content of these revelations, known as the Qur'an, was memorized and recorded by his companions.
Statement of The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) “Before me, every prophet was given a miracle and they practised it during their life-time: i.e. Jesus (PBUH) used to cure the sick and make the dead alive, e.t.c..., Moses (PBUH) was given a stick e.t.c...,
and I have been given the permanent miracle of the Quran till the hour is established, so i hope that my followers will be in number than all the other apostles’ as my miracle will last till the day of Resurrection, and it is a glorious Book; when anyone reads it, even if he is a pagan, e.t.c he is convinced that it was not written by any human being or any created thing (angels, e.t.c.,) but it is from the creator of the heavens and the earth.”
Five Pillars of Islam
Shahadah: The basic creed or tenet of Islam: "'ašhadu 'al-la ilaha illa-llahu wa 'ašhadu 'anna muhammadan rasulu-llah", or "I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." 
Salah: Or ritual prayer, which must be performed five times a day.
Zakat: Or alms-giving: This is the practice of giving based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. A fixed portion is spent to help the poor or needy.
Sawm: Or fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must not eat or drink (among other things) from dawn to dusk during this month, and must be mindful of other sins. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God, and during it Muslims should express their gratitude for and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and think of the needy.
Hajj: Pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime.
Sharia Law
The Sharia Law: (literally: "the path leading to the watering place") is Islamic law formed by traditional Islamic scholarship. In Islam, Sharia is the expression of the divine will, and "constitutes a system of duties that are
incumbent upon a Muslim by virtue of his religious belief".
Islamic law covers all aspects of life, from matters of state, like governance and foreign relations, to issues of daily living.
The Qur'an defines hudud as the punishments for five specific crimes: unlawful intercourse, false accusation of unlawful intercourse, consumption of alcohol, theft, and highway robbery.
The Qur'an and Sunnah also contain laws of inheritance, marriage, and restitution for injuries and murder, as well as rules for fasting, charity, and prayer.
Jihad
Jihad means "To Strive or Struggle," (..in the way of God) and is considered the "sixth pillar of Islam" by a minority of Muslim authorities.
Jihad, in its broadest sense, is classically defined as exerting one's utmost
power, efforts, endeavors, or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation.
Depending on the object being a visible enemy, the devil, and aspects of one's own self, different categories of Jihad are defined.
Jihad when used without any qualifier is understood in its military aspect. Jihad also refers to one's striving to attain religious and moral perfection.
