Who is ALLAH & What is Islam

Who is ALLAH and what is Islam? Islam is several things and the topic is very huge and very vast. I am only going to define the word, and in more to come I will explain different topics in Islam such as prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), praying, women in Islam, etc. Before I define Islam I must explain who is Allah. Allah is arabic for God. However, it is unique and cannot be used to refer to anyone but the ONE and ONLY God. Unlike the word god which can be pluralized (gods) or can have gender assigned (god= male/ goddess=female) the word Allah cannot be changed like this. Is Allah different from God mentioned in the Bible? NO. Muslims belive in the same God in the Bible. The same God as Adam, Abraham, Lot, Noah, Moses, David, Jesus, and all the other prophets. In any Bible written in Arabic, you will find the name Allah, not God. All Christians who speak Arabic say Allah, not God. Please visit this site to get a better explaination of who Allah is.

Islam is both a verb and a noun. As a verb Islam is five things:
1. surrender
2. submission
3. obey
4. sincerity
5. peace
As Muslims, we surrender our lives to Allah and submit to His Will. We obey His commands. We must be very careful to always be sincere and pure in our intentions. It's very dangerous to do anything for other than the sake of Allah. Peace (Salam in arabic) in your heart and your life is an action saught after. It is accomplished only after you have surrendered, submitted, and are obeying Allah with a pure, sincere heart.

As a noun, Islam is the six beliefs, the five practices (actions), a complete way of life, and moderation. I will very briefly describe these, then go into more details at future times. The six beliefs of Muslims are:
1. Allah- Allah is ONE, Unique, Perfect
2. Angels- Made from light, follow Allah's Will perfectly (shayton/ Iblis is NOT a fallen angel in Islam) 3. Books- Torah (first 5 chapters of Old Testament), Suhoof (scriptures revealed to Abraham and Moses), Zabur (Psalms revealed to David) Enjil (Evangel or first 4 chapters of New Testament), Quran (recitation to Muhammad, peace be upon him)
4. Prophets- Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Jacob, Moses, Jonah, David, Jesus, Muhammad, and others mentioned in the Books, peace be upon them all
5. Resurrection- everyone, belivers and nonbelievers, will be brought back to life on Judgement Day to answer to Allah
6. Predestination/ Divine Destiny- Allah has total control of all things, good and bad, and only He has full knowledge of it

Five actions that Muslims must practice:
1. shahada- to declare that Allah is ONE and Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His last messenger
2. 5 daily salat- specific form of worship often called prayer where we stand, bow and prostrate to Allah (the shahada is said twice during each prayer)
3. fast Ramadan- the month of Ramadan is special because this is when it was revealed to the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, through angel Gabreal, the first verses of the Quran. We do not eat or drink during daylight hours for the entire month
4. zakat (alms tax/charity)- 2 1/2% of your annual excess wealth which is to be donated to the poor and needy
5. hajj- pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your life if it's physicaly and financially possible

Islam is a complete way of life. Muslims surrender their entire life to Allah. He created us, and when we die, we return to Him. The life here on earth is a brief stay, a visit, a test. Eternity in Jennah (Heaven) is what we seek, so we strive to obey and please Allah to gain Jennah. In doing so, every aspect of our life is centered around Allah and His Will. "Islam is careful to remind us that it's not a religion to be paid mere lip service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be practiced continuously for it to be Islam."- Sheikh Yusuf Estes

Islam stresses balance. 'All things in moderation' is a famous saying. Allah calls us in the Quran the 'balanced nation.' We are careful not to be extreme to the right or the left, but to be in the middle path. Please visit here to see more details of what I've mentioned above.

I will close with the shahada which is the statement that we say when we first accept Islam as our religion. It is also said during our daily prayers. written in transliteration (arabic pronunciation) and verses from the Quran. Allah Willing, this has helped answer questions, and increased your understanding of Islam. Shahada: 'Ashadu ana la illahi illa Allah wa ashadu ana Muhammad abduhu wa rasulluh'= I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.

"...This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion..." Sura 5 Al-Maida Ayat 3

"When it is said to them 'Come to what Allah hath revealed; come to the Apostle' they say:'enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.' What! even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?(104 O ye who believe! Guard your own soul: if ye follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray. The goal of you all is to Allah: it is He that will show you the truth of all that ye do(105 Sura 5 Al-Maida Ayat 104 & 105