What is Islam
Islam, an approach to life:
Islam is not just a religion instead it is a way of how to lead life. Meaning of Islam is to surrender oneself to the will of Allah the Almighty. It means that when one embraces Islam, on agrees to lead all his life according to the teachings that have been prescribed by Allah in the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Islam is not just about prayers and fasting. Instead, the religion tells us the Islamic way of dealing with matters pertaining to economic, social, moral, cultural, legal and ethical or any other possible aspect of life. There is no subject in the big wide world about which Islam has not laid its principles. So it is best put this way that Islam is an approach to life.
Five Pillars of Islam:
As of any building which is held firmly by its pillars the religion of Islam stands firm on the five fundamental pillars. These are as follows: –
Belief in the Oneness of Allah
This is the core of Islam around which all the teachings revolve. Tawheed refers to the belief that there is only One God that is Allah and it is His Supremacy and Throne that exceeds over all the worlds and beyond. Allah does not share his authority with anyone. Hence, it is only Allah who is worthy of worship. In order to become a Muslim, you must believe it in your heart that Allah is the only god. Not just that, you have to proclaim this belief by the following testimony of belief: –
“Laa ilaha illa Allah Muhammad Rasoolullah” which means “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
Another important part of the testimony is that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is Allah’s last messenger.
Salaat
Muslims are ordered by Allah to offer five times obligatory prayers in a day. The prayers begin before sunrise at different times of the day till the night is dark. The idea is to begin the day with the name of Allah and remembering him at all intervals of the day. This indicates that a Muslim submits himself to Allah when he enters Islam. Salaat helps to build a connection between man and Allah which is extremely strong and beneficial for the man.
Zakat
Islam is a religion that advocates charity and giving to the extent that Zakat is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. At many places in the Quran Allah orders Muslim to establish prayer and give charity.
Fasting
Fasting is one of the most beloved acts of worship of Allah. Muslims fast from dawn till dusk by abstaining from food, drink, and sexual activity. They are also supposed to refrain from any evil act especially when they are in a state of fasting. Fasting is done in the Islamic month of Ramadan. By fasting, Muslims are able to feel the hunger of those who can ill afford three times meal in a day. Moreover, it is a great way of cleansing your soul by exercising patience and perseverance.
Hajj
Hajj is the annual pilgrimage that Muslims offer in the month of Dhul Hijjah. Every Muslim is required to perform Hajj once during his lifetime. However, if a person is not financially sound enough, he is exempted from this worship. This is the worship that involves submitting oneself completely to Allah. All the Muslims from different parts of the world, belonging to different races and cultures unify in the same colored cloth and submit themselves as Allah’s slaves.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Finality of Prophethood
Description of Islam would be incomplete without the mention of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He is the one who brought the message of Islam to this world. Allah assigned him the enormous task of spreading the word of Allah. Allah revealed his last book, the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims are supposed to seek guidance from the Holy Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to lead life according to Islam.
The day of Judgment:
Islam revolves around the concept of accountability for one’s deeds. Allah says that every soul shall taste death. Whoever has been created will die. Then on Resurrection Day everyone would be brought to life again and would be asked to give an account of what he had been doing in this world. On the basis of that, Allah will decide who would go to heaven and who would rot in hell.
Conclusion:
When answering the question as to what is Islam it requires a lot more details. However, these were some of the basic concepts around which Islam revolves.