Introductiom to Islam

 Who is Allah (SWT)?

The absolute greatest misinterpretations that numerous non-Muslims have about Islam have to do with "ALLAH". For different reasons, many individuals have come to accept that Muslims love an alternate God than Christians and Jews. This is absolutely bogus, since "ALLAH" is essentially that Arabic word for "God" - and there is just a single God. Muslims love the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - harmony arrive all. Nonetheless, it is unquestionably a fact that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have various ideas of Almighty God.

Who is Muhammad (PBUH)?

One in each five people on this planet immovably accepts that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the last Messenger of God. He was a Muslim and there are more than 1.3 billion such Muslims today. People as well as whole nations invest heavily in announcing their devotion to him. There are 54 such Muslim states today, going from those as extensive as Indonesia and Bangladesh, with populaces of 200 and 125 million individually, to those as minuscule as the Maldives or Brunei with populaces of 230,000 and 260,000. Indeed, even in non-Muslim nations, enormous Muslim populaces comprise huge minoriti.es; as much as 120 million in India and 20 million in China

WHAT IS ISLAM?

"Islam" is Arabic word that impli.es submitting and giving up your will to Almighty God. The religion of Islam is the acknowledgment of and dutifulness to the lessons of God, which He uncovered to His last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Conviction:

There are six articles to conviction;
1. Faith in God.
2. Faith in the holy messengers.
3. Faith in God's uncovered books.
4. Faith in the Prophets.
5. Faith in the Day of Judgment.
6. Faith in Al-Qadar (divine fate).

•    Belief in God is to accept that He is One, The Creator, Sustainer, Provider, and the One who discards all issues.

•    Belief in the heavenly messengers is to accept that they exist and that they are regarded animals. Heavenly messengers are made from light, which love God alone, submit to Him, and act just on His order. Among the holy messengers is Gabriel, who cut down the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

 Belief in Allah's uncovered books and Prophets Impli.es that Allah sent couriers like Noah, Abraham Moses, Jesus, Muhammad (PBUH). Furthermore, the books that accompanied them like the Torah, Zaboor (Psalms), Injeel, Quran to call individuals to revere Allah alone, connecting nothing with him. He sent the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the last couri.er, and repealed every one of the past books with the Quran.

Belief in the Day of Judgment is to accept that the Day of Resurrection, when all individuals will be revived for Allah's judgment as indicated by their convictions and deeds.

Belief in Al-Qadr is having faith in divine destiny. So all that fortunate occurs or happens as indicated by what Allah has fated. Divine destiny remembers conviction for four things;

1. Allah knows it all. He realizes what has occurred and what will occur.

2. Allah has recorded all that has occurred and all that will occur.

3. Whatever Allah wills to occur, occurs. Also, whatever He wills not to occur doesn’t occur.

4. Allah is the maker of everything.

Supernatural Occurrences of the Quran.

Fourteen centuries prior, God sent down the Qur'an to humanity as a book of direction. He called upon individuals to be directed to reality by holding fast to this book. From the day of its disclosure to the Day of Judgment, this last heavenly book will stay the sole aide for humankind.

The incomparable style of the Qur'an and the prevalent shrewdness in it are unmistakable proof that it is the expression of God. Furthermore, the Qur'an has numerous phenomenal qualiti.es demonstrating that it is a divine revelation. One of these traits is the way that various logical facts that we have simply had the option to uncover by the innovation of the twentieth century were expressed in the Qur'an 1,400 years prior.

Be that as it may, the Qur'an isn't a book of science; it is a book of Signs! Numerous logical realiti.es that are communicated in an amazingly succinct and significant way in its refrains have just been found with the innovation of the twentieth century. These realiti.es couldn't have been known at the hour of the Qur'an's disclosure, and this is even more verification that the Qur'an is the expression of God.

To comprehend the logical supernatural occurrence of the Qur'an, we should initially investigate the degree of science when this sacred book was uncovered.

In the seventh century, when the Qur'an was uncovered, Arab society had numerous offbeat and baseless convictions where logical issues were concerned. Without the innovation to analyze the universe and nature, these early Arabs had faith in legends acquired from past ages. They assumed, for instance, that mountains upheld the sky above. They accepted that the earth was level and that there were high mountains at it’s the two closures. It was believed that these mountains were columns that kept the vault of paradise high above.

Anyway this load of eccentric convictions of Arab society was disposed of with the Qur'an. In Surahh Sad, refrain 2, it was said: "God is He who rose up the sky with no support..."(The Qur'an, 38:2). This refrain discredited the conviction that the sky stays above due to the mountains. In numerous different subjects, significant realities were uncovered when nobody might have known them. The Qur'an, which was uncovered when individuals knew very little with regards to space science, physical science, or science, contains key realities on an assortment of subjects like the production of the universe, the making of the person, the construction of the climate, and the fragile equilibrium that make life on earth conceivable.
Islam and women's rights

God teaches men to be pleasant to their spouses and to treat them well as well as could be expected: "And live with them in kindness..." (Quran 4:19)

The Messenger of God said, the absolute best of devotees to conviction is awesome of them in character. The best of you are the people who are awesome to their ladi.es. The Prophet of Mercy discloses to us that a spouse's treatment of his better half mirrors a Muslim's decent person, which thus is an impression of the man's confidence.

Ladies in Islam are believed to be enslaved, debased, persecuted - however would they say they are truly?

Are a huge number of Muslims essentially that severe or are these confusions created by a one-sided media?

"Also, for ladi.es are rights over men, like those of men over women. Qur’an 2:228

More than fourteen hundred years prior, Islam gave ladi.es rights that ladi.es in the West has as of late delighted in. In the 1930's, Annie Besant noticed, "It is just over the most recent twenty years that Christian England has perceived the right of lady to property, while Islam has permitted this right from all occasions. It is a defamation to say that Islam lectures that ladies have no spirits." (The Life And Teachings Of Muhammad, 1932).

People all dropped from a solitary individual - the Prophet Adam (harmony arrives). Islam doesn't acknowledge for both of them everything except equity and kind treatment. The most effective method to CONVERT TO ISLAM

Chapter by chapter guide

1.    Declaration of Faith (shahada) .

2.    Why Convert to Islam?

3.    Frequently Asked Questions

4.    Live Islam Chat

5.    Stori.es of Converts to Islam

The word 'Muslim' in a real sense impli.es an individual who submits to the desire of God, paying little mind to their experience.

Changing over to Islam is an extremely simple measure and should be possible online in protection, or you can likewise do it within the sight of different Muslims. On the off chance that you want to be a Muslim and accept that Islam is the genuine religion of God, then, at that point, you should simply say the "Shahada" (Declaration of Faith). The "Shahada" is the first of the five mainstays of Islam.

When you say the Sand have confidence in it genuinely, you promptly enter the overlap of Islam and have turned into a Muslim!

When you convert to Islam for God, Allah excuses ALL of your past sins and you start another existence with a fresh start, as though you had been renewed!

When you acknowledge Islam, it is a programmed contrition from your past convictions and ways. Your record is presently spotless and you should attempt to keep your record perfect however much as could reasonably be expected.

The Declaration of Faith (Shahada)

To change over to Islam and become a Muslim, you should simply say the beneath declaration with conviction and understanding its significance:

"Debris Shadoo a La ilaha illa Allah, Wa Ash Shadoo ana Muhammadan rasoolu Allah."

The interpretation of which is:

"I take the stand there is no obvious god with the exception of God (Allah), and I give testimony Muhammad is the (Final) Messenger of God."

When you articulate the above declaration with conviction, you have turned into a Muslim! You can do it single-handedly, or you can do it with a counsel, i.e. another Muslim so they can help you.

Welcome to Islam and congrats on your choice!

The initial not many days can be a little overpowering so the main asset that we might want to give you is a site called New Muslim Academy. This site is committed to new Muslims and assists with directing you bit by bit to make the entire experience simple for you. Simply watch the video underneath for Andrew's story and the amount it has helped him.

Why Convert to Islam?

When you articulate your announcement of confidence, you will feel a staggering inclination! This inclination is a huge number of holy messengers of the greatest positions sliding from the sky to observe you saying it and they carry with them, leniency from your Lord. Watch the video beneath named 'Muslim Heart Softness Test' to see the effect of that exact second!

Allah is making an arrangement with you and Allah never comes up short in keeping His part of the bargain. Allah says that the subsequent you articulate (say) your affirmation of confidence, He wipes away ALL of the transgressions that you have at any point submitted in your life regardless of how incredible or little the wrongdoing was so you start your life from that second, renewed and without transgression.

Isn't that a brilliant arrangement?

All things considered, Allah makes a surprisingly better arrangement than that. Not exclusively will He wipe away ALL of your wrongdoings yet He will change those transgressions into remunerations and give them back to you, so in addition to the fact that you start your life from that second without wrongdoing, you will be way in front with those prizes and will be the jealousy of each Muslim out there on the grounds that we as a whole actually have sins.

It is dependent upon you to avoid sin with the goal that you can hold your high status in Islam.

Would you like to know what the last individual to get into heaven gets?

The last individual into heaven is an individual that hasn't carried out any beneficial things in his day to day existence however he has confidence in the revelation of confidence i.e. "Debris Shadoo a La ilaha illa Allah, Wa Ash Shadoo ana Muhammadan rasoolu Allah".... In the event that I disclosed to you that you would get an entire country to yourself, for you to keep, would that fulfill you? Shouldn't something be said about the entire Earth? Indeed, the last individual to get into heaven will get multiple times this Earth and everything in it in size!!!

Would you be able to envision claiming land that is multiple times the size of this Earth?

All things considered, that is the LAST individual on level 1 and there are 99 levels in heaven. Level 1 contrasted with level 2 resembles the size of a ring that you wear on your finger contrasted with the whole desert. So your ring is level 1 and the desert is level 2.

Level 2 is a ring in level 3's desert, etc. as far as possible up to even out 99.

So if level 1 will get multiple times this Earth, what will even out 2 get?

It is dependent upon us to attempt to accomplish the most elevated level in Paradise and that ought to consistently be your objective i.e. by carrying out beneficial things.

The ones who are generally meriting your great deeds are your folks and aiding your folks will procure you the most elevated rewards so work well for them.

We just get 1 possibility at life so use it carefully in light of the fact that we don't have the foggiest idea when it will be our chance to pass on and when we kick the bucket, that is it, we won't be returning to attempt once more. There’s no point in discussing this further.

On the off chance that you do end up falling into transgression later on, consistently go to Allah in apology i.e. Always request that Allah pardon you.

Allah said that if the child of Adam (i.e. all people) came to me with sins mounting to the sky, without partner any accomplices with me and they requested that I pardon them, I would excuse them.

So make certain to consistently go to Allah for in atonement.

Keep in mind, don't attempt to do everything simultaneously on the grounds that it will be overpowering for you. Make everything in child strides i.e. 1 thing at a time.

The principal gradual step was your assertion of confidence. The following small step is figuring out how to supplicate.

Make certain to visit New Muslim Academy to start your child steps.

Ramadan origin and fasting.

Prologue to Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Its name and Origin, Prayer and perusing of The Qur'an, Events of Ramadan and health advantages of fasting. Name Origin
Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an began to be revealed.

The name "Ramadan" is taken from the name of this month; the word itself derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground, and shortness of rations. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, swam (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month.

Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power), which falls during the last third, commemorates the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an and is considered the most holy night of the year. Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid.

Eid ul Fitr, On which feasts are held. During the month following Ramadan, called Shawwal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days.
Prayer and Reading of the Qur'an
In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an.

Sunni Muslims tend to perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (juz, which is 1/30 of the Qur'an) is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire Qur'an has been completed. Tarawih is an Arabic phrase referring to those extra prayers. This prayer is performed after salah of Isha'a, but before the witr rakat.

Muslims also pay Zakat (only applicable if one can afford it) during the month. For those who qualify to pay Zakaat, as per the Islamic Nisab (that is those whose wealth exceeds their necessiti.es), of the leftover of their wealth earned in that Islamic calendar year. Although Zakat can be paid any time of the year, it has to be calculated on a year to year basis, and many Muslims use Ramadan as the month for calculation and disbursement.

Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment, establishing a link between God Almighty and themselves by prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others.

Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it, this can involve buying new clothes, shoes and other items of need. There is also a social aspect involved - the preparing of special foods and inviting people for the Iftar meal (the meal to break the Fast).

In many muslim  and non  muslim countries with large Muslim populations, markets close down in the evening to enable people to perform prayers and consume the Iftar meal (the meal to end the fast) - these markets then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating and spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours.
Events of Ramadan
Laylat al-Qadr , literally the "Night of Decrees" or "Night of Measures" or "Night of Power", is the anniversary of two very important dates in Islam that occurred in the month of Ramadan. Muslims believe that it was the night of the Laylat al-Qadr that the Quran's first verse was revealed. The exact night of the Laylat al-Qadr is only known to God and Muhammad but he chose to keep it to himself so that Muslims won't pray only that night. That is why Muhammad indicated that it was one of the last ten odd nights of Ramadan.

The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, as per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast, a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-Fitr), everyone puts on their best, preferably new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is an optional prayer as opposed to the compulsory 5 daily prayers. According to one current school of thought (Ankaboot), it is suggested that North American Muslims arrange their work-schedule for Eid by requesting the two most likely days of Eid as Holidays or simply as days off from work. This allows for quality family time, and is akin to the Christian/North American tradition of taking Christmas and Christmas Eve off as holidays. This also allows for time off to celebrate the Eid prayer at a mosque and with family. The fast always ends after 29 or 30 days of fasting, and thus the request would be for the 29th and 30th day after the start of the fast.

Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in Shawwal, the month following Ramadan that begins after Eid ul-Fitr; these days need not be consecutive. According to hadith, one who fasts the month of Ramadan and six days during Shawwal will be rewarded as though he fasted the entire year.
Medical Benefits of Ramadan
Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such di.et plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calories intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self-training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantiti.es.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension.

In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studi.es on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patient’s health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from severe diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting." This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calori.es output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in haddith Qudsi that "Fasting is for me and I only will reward it". In another haddith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drink.

Learn how to pray the right way.

 
Prayer in Islam is worship of Allah the Almighty, Praising and Thanking Him, acknowledging His Sovereignty and committing oneself to obey and remember Him at all times. It is the central part of a way of life, which is based on submission to the Creator of us all.
The five prayers are among the best acts of worship that the Muslim performs. Performing them is the best deed after having the correct belief in God and His Messenger. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was asked what the best deed was and he said it was performing the obligatory prayers at the beginning of their times.

When we say "prayers" we are referring to an act of worshipping God which has a specific format as God revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The prophets, from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), ordered their followers to pray as per God's orders.

Since the prayer is the most important matter of Islam after having the correct belief in God and

 His Messenger, one must plan his life around the prayer. It would be a great sin to neglect praying when at work if a prayer was required at that time. If a believer is shopping at the mall or waiting at the airport and there is no way to get home or to a mosque, he is still obligated to perform the prayer within its due time instead of purposely leaving out or delaying the prayer. This indicates the importance of the obligatory prayer. Performing the obligatory prayer on time takes priority over other non-obligatory matters.

Each of the 5 prayers have different number of units (Raka'at) for each.

Fajr (Dawn Prayer) is 2 units (Raka'at)
Dhor (Noon prayer) is 4 units (Raka'at)
Asr (Afternoon prayer) is 4 units (Raka'at)
Maghrib (Sunset prayer) is 3 units (Raka'at)
Isha (Night prayer) is 4 units (Raka'at)

A unit (Raka'a) of prayer is from step 1 to step 8 of the 'Full Prayer Mat' tutorial below.

Step 1 to step 8 is repeated for each unit (Raka'a) of prayer.

Step 9 is the completion of the first 2 units (Raka'at) of prayer.

If the prayer is only 2 units i.e. Fajr, then after you complete step 9, move onto steps 10 and 11 to complete your prayer.

If the prayer is 4 units then complete steps 1-8 twice then step 9 and then repeat for the next 2 units and then move onto steps 10 and 11 to complete your prayer.

If the prayer is 3 units then complete steps 1-8 twice then step 9 and then steps 1-11 to complete your prayer.

The first 2 units (Raka'at) of prayer consist of 2 surah(chapters) from the Qur'an and the 3rd and forth unit is only 1 surahh (chapter). The first surah(chapter) that is recited is surah (chapter) 1 of the Qur'an 'Al Fatiha' (The Opening).

Al fatiha (The opening) is recited for each and every unit of prayer. When praying the first 2 units, recite Al Fatiha (The opening) and also one of the short surah (chapters) of the Qur'an such as surah (chapters) 112-114. You are free to recite any of the surah(chapters) of the Qur'an after Al Fatiha even the lengthy ones but I recommend that you start with the short ones as they will be easi.er to memorize.

Eg. 1st unit (Raka'a) of prayer = surah (chapter) 1 plus surah (chapter) 112
2nd unit (Raka'a) of prayer = surah (chapter) 1 plus surah (chapter) 113
3rd unit (Raka'a) of prayer = surah (chapter) 1 only
4th unit (Raka'a)of prayer = surah (chapter) 1 only

Be sure to watch the step by step video guide below to put everything into perspective for you.

Shortened Prayer
Until you memorize the full prayer, you can perform a shortened prayer.

Please note, the shortened prayer is NOT meant to replace the full prayer but rather it can be done in the short term while you are memorizing the full prayer.

Below, in the 'Prayer Mat' section, there is a 2 part shortened prayer mat that you can print out and stick together. Place the print out in front of you so that you can see it while you are praying.

There is also an image of the prayer mat complete, so you can see it complete but we have cut it into part 1 and part 2 for printing purposes.

You will also find, in the prayer mat section, the full prayer as well, also divided into part 1 and part 2.

You will also find a prayer booklet which will put everything into perspective for you and also give you a background.

Lastly, we recommend that you watch the video below which will show you step by step how to perform the prayer and also give you a background on prayer itself.

We recommend that you first read the booklet, then watch the video with the prayer mat open so that you can visualize everything, then perform the prayer.

Memorization
In relation to memorization of the Qur'an, the best and easiest transliteration is This One

The best way that we found to memorize verses from the Qur'an is to repeat the verse 20 times before moving onto the next verse. Then repeat the next verse 20 times. Then repeat the first and second verse together 10 times then move onto the 3rd verse and so on.

For example, the first verse in Surah (surah (chapter)) Al Fatiha (The opening) is "AL-HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL'AALAMEEN"

Repeat the first verse 20 times (This is only when memorizing the Qur'an, not while praying)

The Second verse in Surah(chapter)) Al Fatiha (The opening) is "ARRAHMAANIR RAHEEM"

Repeat the second verse 20 times

Then combine what you have just memorized "AL-HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL'AALAMEEN, ARRAHMAANIR RAHEEM"

Repeat the combination of the first 2 verses 10 times then move onto the 3rd verse

The 3rd verse in Surah (surah (chapter)) Al Fatiha (The opening) is "MAALIKI YAWMIDEEN"

Repeat the third verse 20 times

Then combine what you have just memorized "AL-HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL'AALAMEEN, ARRAHMAANIR RAHEEM, MAALIKI YAWMIDEEN"

Repeat the combination of the first 3 verses 10 times then move onto the 4th verse and so on and so on.

Baby steps and patience is the key to success!