By
Dr. Norlain Dindang Mababaya 
7.
Practice at least the basic teachings of Islâm
It is a must to know Islâm so that we know at
least the basic teachings (pillars and articles of faith) of Islâm.
Examples are the very basic pillars of Islâm, the articles of belief and
ihsan (perfection of faith). The
following are some authentic Ahâdîth that precisely answer the basic
concepts that we are supposed to know and believe in:
Abu Hurairah t
narrated
that one day while Allâh’s Messenger r
was sitting with the people, a man came to him walking and said,
“O Allâh’s Messenger. What is Belief?” The Prophet r
said, “Belief is to believe in
Allâh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the meeting with Him, and to
believe in the Resurrection.” The
man asked, “O Allâh’s Messenger. What is Islâm?” The Prophet r
replied, “Islâm is to worship Allâh and
not worship anything besides Him, to offer prayers perfectly, to pay the
(compulsory) charity, i.e. Zakat, and to fast the month of Ramadan.”
The man again asked, “O Allâh’s Messenger. What is Ihsan (i.e.
perfection)?” The Prophet r
said, “Ihsan is to worship Allâh
as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then
(believe that) Allâh sees you.” The
man further asked, “O Allâh’s Messenger. When will the Hour be
established?”
The Prophet r
replied, “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the questioner
does, but I will describe to you its signs.
When the lady slave gives birth to her mistress, that will be of its signs; when
the bare-footed naked people become the chiefs of the people, that will be of
its signs. The Hour is one of five things, which nobody knows except Allâh.
Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allâh (alone). He sends down the
rain, and knows that which is in the wombs.”
(31:34) Then the man left. The Prophet r
said, “Call him back to me.”
They went to call him back but could not see him. The Prophet r
said, “That was Gabriel who came
to teach the people their religion.”
(Bukhâri 6/300 and 1/47)
Abdullâh ibn Umar ibn Al-Khattab t
narrated
on the authority of Yahya ibn Ya'mar that the first man who discussed Qadr
(Divine Decree) in Basrah was Ma'bad al-Juhani… My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab t,
told me: “One day we were sitting in the company of Allâh’s Messenger r when there appeared before us a man
dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extra ordinarily black. There were no
signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the
Messenger r
He knelt before him placed his palms on his
thighs and said, “Muhammad,
inform me about al-Islâm.” Allâh’s
Messenger r said, “Al-Islâm implies
that you testify that there is no god but Allâh and that Muhammad is Allâh’s
Messenger, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and
perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense
of) the journey.” He (the
inquirer) said, “You have told
the truth.” He (Umar ibn
al-Khattab) said, “It amazed us
that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth.”
He (the inquirer) said, “Inform
me about Iman (faith).” He (the
Prophet r)
replied: “That you affirm your faith in Allâh, in His angels, in His Books,
in His Messengers, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the
Divine Decree about good and evil.” He
(the inquirer) said, “You have
told the truth.” He (the
inquirer) again said, “Inform me
about al-Ihsan (performance of good deeds).”
He (the Prophet r)
said, “That you worship Allâh as
if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you.”
He (the inquirer) again said, “Inform
me about the hour (of the Doom).” He
(Prophet r)
remarked: “One who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about
it).” He (the inquirer) said,
“Tell me some of its indications.”
He (the Prophet r)
said, “That the slave-girl will
give birth to her mistress and master, that you will find barefooted, destitute
goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent
buildings.” He (the narrator,
Umar ibn al-Khattab) t
said,
“Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the
Prophet r)
for a long while. He then, said to me: “Umar, do you know who this inquirer
was?” I replied: “Allâh and His Messenger knows best.”
He (the Prophet r)
remarked: “He was Gabriel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you
in matters of religion.” (Muslim
1)
Correct knowledge and sincere adherence to the basic concepts of Islâm are
essential for our ultimate success. If
we adhere to them in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah, we are assured
of our success and entrance in Paradise:
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyub t
that
a man came to the Prophet r
and said, “Direct me to a deed
which draws me near to Paradise and takes me away from the Fire (of Hell).”
Upon this he (the Prophet r)
said, “You worship Allâh and
never associate anything with Him, establish prayer, and pay Zakat, and do good
to your kin. When he turned his back, Allâh’s Messenger remarked: if he
adheres to what he has been ordered to do, he would enter Paradise.”
(Muslim 1/13)
[Home]
[Oneness of Allah]
[Islam]
[Muhammad][Qur'an & Sunnah]
[Knowledge]
[Da'wah][Ideal Muslims][Public Speaking]
[Links][WISDOM]
The
Divine Message for All Mankind
[Islamic
CDs for Sale] [Download
E-Books]