Islam
“La ilaha illallah” (There is no God but Allah)
“Muhammadur Rasulullah”(Muhammad is His messenger)
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The word Muslim in Arabic refers to a person who has entered the faith of Islam, and thus is living according to the commandments from Allah. To become a Muslim, your faith should be publicly declared through the two sentences above.
You have successfully become a Muslim as soon as this is done. It becomes a requirement to understand and accept the six articles of faith as well as the five pillars of worship. A brief explanation of them is as follows.
Six Articles of Faith(Iman)
- Belief in Allah
- Belief in the Angels
- Belief in the Holy Books
- Belief in the Prophets
- Belief in the Day of Judgment
- Belief in predestination
Five Pillars of Worship (Ibadah)
- Faith (Shahadah)
- Prayer (Salaat)
- Charity (Zakat)
- Fasting (Saum)
- Pilgrimage (Hajj)
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Apart from what is mentioned above, refraining oneself from the following acts are also all considered to be Ibadah.
Some examples are, murdering of an innocent, harming others and transgressing their rights, various actions that go against justice, taking substances that will make one lose their conscience, actions that harm the honor and dignity of an individual such as illicit sexual relationship, engaging in interests, deceiving others, lying, not listening to one’s parents, etc.
As Muslims, even when we become lazy in following such requirements and engage in actions that are prohibited, if we sincerely regret and ask Allah for forgiveness, He can forgive them all. However, if one does not seek for forgiveness and change his ways, though he/she still is a Muslim, they can be subject to punishments in the Hereafter.
The Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), when talking about faith and actions that follow it, explains the characteristics of a true believer as below.
“It is that you worship Allah as if you see Him. And even though you do not see Him, [you know] He sees you.”
This is perhaps the essence of what Islam teaches. Whether you can see or not, and whether the action is major or minor, Muslims are always required to keep Allah in mind in whatever they do. Allah, the All Able, All Knowing, sees us at all times, and knows all actions we take. As long as we always remember Allah, we can protect ourselves from committing acts that are harmful and will be able to save ourselves from falling in to the state of despair. This is because we know that Allah is by our side at all times.
