The word "ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic words "salaam", which means peace and "taslim", which

means submission. The follower of Islam is a Muslim. The word "Muslim" translated to English literally

means "the one with peace". To the Muslim it has a greater meaning, Muslims believe that true peace is

experienced only when Mankind acknowledges, obeys and worships the Creator, i.e. submits to the One

God. So to the Muslim it means "the one who submits in peace". According to Muslims, Islam is the way

upon them all). The prophet Moses (peace be upon him) said to his people; "Shalom I bring to you".

Shalom in Hebrew means Salaam (Arabic). The prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) said to the people;

"With Peace I was sent and Peace I bring to you."

Muslims call God "ALLAH", in Arabic it means "the One God", it does not have a plural equivalent and is

the only word in the Arabic language which does not have a gender.

The Holy Qu'ran is the book of the Muslims, it was revealed to the last of Allah's prophets and

The Qur'an describes the nature of the Creator and their (His creatures) relationship towards Him. It

conveys the duties of Mankind: to the Creator, to the rest of creation and to itself. To become a Muslim a

person has to declare, " there is No god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger."-This

known as the Shahada or the bearing of witness. The message of Islam is:

Introduction to Islam

1. UNITY OF GOD

a) Belief in the ONE GOD (TAWHEED), Allah (Arabic)...... the One God); He is neither male nor female,

He has no partners, He does not beget nor was He begotten, He is Omnipotent and Omnipresent, He is the

All Compassionate and All Merciful. God does not occupy space, nor is He restricted by time, He does not

eat, He does not sleep nor slumber and does not need rest. He is the Master of Time and there is none

2. DIVINE JUSTICE

Allah has commanded Mankind to be just while He Himself treats us with something even better, namely,

grace. He says; "Whoso bringeth a good deed will receive tenfold the like thereof, while whoso bringeth

an evil deed will be awarded the like thereof; and they shall not be wronged." [Qur'an 6:161]

Justice (al-'adl) means that He requites a good act with a good act and an evil act with an evil act. The

Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.&f) said; "None ever enters Paradise by virtue of their (good) actions, except

by the mercy of Allah the Glorious and Mighty.

3. PROPHETHOOD

would arrive at the truth and be at peace. Some of the prophets came with the Holy Books and are known

as Messengers. Some of the prophets of Islam, mentioned in the Holy Qur'an are: Adam - the first man,

and the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad is an article of faith.

4. IMAMATE

(deputies) and sometimes generations of vicegerents, to continue guiding in the same manner as they had

5. DIVINE REVELATIONS

The books mentioned in the Qur'an are: Torah - Moses, Psalms - David and Solomon, Evangel - Jesus, and

Qur'an - Muhammad.

6. RESURRECTION

Belief in the Day of Judgement when all of Mankind will be Resurrected from the dead and questioned on

how they spent their time in the material universe. According to Islam all mankind above the age of

puberty will be judged on their knowledge and how they acted upon it. For example a knowledgeable

person will not be judged like a ignorant person. If a person knowingly commits an act which is evil/bad

then he/she has sinned in the 'eyes of God'; for this reason Muslims believe that some non-Muslims will go

to Heaven ( those who unknowingly committed mistakes).

7. THE HEREAFTER

The Hereafter which is Eternal and consists of Heaven and Hell. The good will occupy one of the seven

Heavens and the Evil will occupy Hell.

8. THE BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF ANGELS AND JINN

Belief in The Jinn and in The Angels. The Angels being created of the purest form of light, i.e. light with

being created of the purest form of matter i.e. something that is affected by time, has mass and occupies

space.

9. ENJOINING GOOD AND FORBIDDING EVIL (Amar bil Ma'ruf wa Nahy an al-Munkar)

10. SALAT...... submission five times daily.

This is the five daily submission and remembrance of Allah the Creator. Muslims must face the Ka'bah

(the First House built by Mankind) in Makkah (Mecca) in Arabia. Salat also incorporates a prayer (du'a)

but the prayer does not necessarily have to be said during salat. Prayers can be said at any time.

afternoon, before sunset, after sunset and after nightfall. It involves physical movements of the limbs and

recitation of short verses, in Arabic, from the Qur'an.

Salat involves making the intention of submission to the Creator, recitation of short verses from the Holy

Qur'an, bowing, standing, sitting and prostrating on the earth with the forehead and praising God while

doing these acts. We commence salat by saying "God is Great" (Allahu Akbar) once and ending it by

saying "God is Great" three times.

The intention for the Dawn Salat is: "Oh Allah my Creator and my Lord, I intend to offer two rakath of

salat for Fajr. I face the Ka'bah and I submit only to You".

Each unit of: Recitation, bowing, standing, prostrating and sitting is called the Rakath.

The five daily prayers are:

Fajr (the Dawn Salat) must be performed after the first appearance of light and before sunrise - two

Dhur (the Mid-day Salat) time for salat starts immediately after "proper" noon and must be

Asr (the Afternoon Salat) starts immediately after the Mid-day Salat and must be performed before

Maghrib (the Dusk Salat) starts in between dusk and nightfall and can be said up to mid-night

Isha' (the Night Salat) starts immediately after the Dusk salat has been performed and must be

If two or more people are present, the salat should be said in congregation, where the salat is lead by one

person ( imam).

When performing salat the person has to be physically and ceremonially/spiritually clean. Physical

cleanliness is maintained by washing unclean (najis) things away from the body, i.e. washing after using

the toilet, touching dead or unclean animals, blood etc...... . Spiritual cleanliness is carried out by

performing ablution; before praying or reading the Holy Qu'ran. The place of salat has to be clean and the

consent of the owner of that place must be obtained beforehand in order to perform salat.

11. SIYAM..... fasting in Ramadan.

It is obligatory for a sane person who has attained the age of puberty to fast during the month of Ramadan

except if the person is travelling or is ill; or if a woman is in her monthly periods or is bleeding after the

delivery of a child. The intention of fasting from Dawn to Dusk must be made beforehand. e.g. "I intend to

fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan to attain nearness to you Oh Allah, my Lord and Creator, I only

fast for You."

Fasting for Muslims is abstaining from all things which invalidate it. According to Shari'ah (Islamic Law)

the following in validate a fast:

to submerge ones' head under water to tell lies (by words, writing or sign) about Allah, His Prophets

The end of Ramadan is celebrated as Eid-ul-Fitr one the 1st of Shawwal (the 1st day after the end of the

month of Ramadan) by giving alms (zakat-ul-fitr) to the needy, attending morning prayers (Salat-ul-Eid)

and a feast. Children receive presents on this day.

items after all expenses have to be paid as zakat:

It is also recommended to pay zakat on business capital; and also on profits gained from business. It is

obligatory to make intention when paying zakat.

II. KHUMS one-fifth or wealth-tax; payable by the wealthy.

In addition to Zakat it is an obligation on wealthy Muslims to pay Khums.

Khums means one-fifth from the word khamsa in Arabic for five. Twenty percent of the total value on the

following items must be paid as khums:

all profits from business, agriculture, industry or rent from land or property or any other source of

Khums is divided into five parts and each part is allocated for:

descendent of the Holy Prophet.

The following Qur'anic Verse commands Muslims to pay the Khums and how to distribute it: "And know

things." (Qur'an 8:41)

Muslims. In the above verse Allah says ..only those who pay the khums believe in Allah and the

Revelations.

(Arab-Ibraham) and his first born - Ishmael (Arab-Ismail). This House is known as the Holy Ka'bah. The

as a sacrifice. The last day of Hajj and the two days following are called Eid-ul-Ahza, day of sacrifice, on

this day a special congregational morning salat is offered and an animal is sacrificed to thank Allah for the

sparing the life of Abraham's son, the meat (4/5th) being distributed to the poor. All the rituals performed

during Hajj are re-enactments of the deeds and actions of Prophet Abraham (a.s) and his Household.

On one corner of the Ka'bah, which is a cubic shaped house built of bricks and covered by a black cloth, is

placed the black stone. The stone was sent from heaven as a sign to mankind and Adam (peace be upon

him) was instructed to place it in one corner of the House of God. The black stone is the corner stone of

the building!

The Holy Ka'ba in Makkah, Arabia

14. JIHAD..... Striving in the way of God.

Working for an honest living, studying to obtain knowledge, being kind to fellow creatures, helping the

needy, being obedient to parents and teachers is Jihad. It is also Jihad when fighting to liberate the

oppressed (the oppressed can be any of Allah's creatures) against the aggressors. Striving for justice in the

way animals are treated can be classified as Jihad. The ultimate Jihad in Islam is fighting within one's self

in order to destroy false pride, hate, envy and greed.

15. THE MUSLIM SOCIETY

The Muslims adhere to a strict dress code (hijab), abstain from certain types of food and drink. The

Muslim men and women have to be modest in the way they dress. They must not dress provocatively in

of animals which may be clean, but they have not been bled since blood is also forbidden. When the

animal is slaughtered without invoking the name of God, then the meat is also forbidden (haram). Alcohol,

drugs and all intoxicants are haram. Anything that is acquired by haram means i.e. theft, selling alcohol is

haram.

Everything that is forbidden is called haram, and everything that is permissible is known as halal.

16. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUALITY

for the pious who are always superior. We believe that each individual is responsible for his or her actions

so that the parent is not responsible for the actions of the child and nor the child responsible for the action

of the parent. We also believe that God the Most Just (al-Adhil) will only judge us according to our

knowledge and how we acted upon that knowledge.

After the death of the Holy Prophet the Muslims were divided into two schools - the Shi'ah and the Sunni.

Both agree that the religious rites and law (Shari) depend on existence of a vicegerent (deputy) and the

Supreme Jurist (Marja) and the Head of the Muslim Nation (Caliph).

The Imam (leader) must also be infallible (masoom) and cannot perform any sin or mistake, since God

will not allow the Muslims to be led astray by a wrongful person because he will not send any other

Prophet after Muhammad to guide mankind. The Shi'ah also believe after Muhammad (peace be upon him

& his descendants) there are only Twelve Imams; the first being Ali (peace be upon him), the cousin, the

adopted son and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet (also accepted by the Sunni's as the fourth Caliph); and

the last being the Mahdi (peace be upon him), the Awaited Saviour. Both Shi'ah and Sunni believe that the

prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) will reappear during the time of the Twelfth Imam.

Islam teaches the Muslims to live their lives according to what is revealed in the Holy Qur'an and the way

or example of the Prophet Muhammad (the Sunnah). The Shi'ah claim that the Sunnah can only be taught

by the Twelve Imams (peace be upon them), because only they, like the prophets are infallible; and cannot

knowingly or unknowingly mislead the People. The Shi'ah also believe that the head of the government

(Caliph) is a function of the Imam.

The Sunni school believe the head of the government (Caliphs) does not have to be infallible and also does

not have to be a descendant of Ishmael. After the death of the Prophet they accepted the caliphate of Abu

Bakr a companion of the Prophet. They accept the Twelve Imams as very pious scholars; along with

others, but do not accept them as leaders of the community. They accept religious teachings from the

Imams as well as from the companions of the Prophet; and even some disciples of these companions; and

make religious decisions on consensus (the Shi'ah accept only the teachings from the Imams who

according to them are the direct authority from Allah and his Messenger and there is no need for

consensus regarding their judgement).

The Sunni's themselves are divided into four other schools which have some minor differences in religious

law.

Although differences exist between the Shi'ah and the Sunni schools, they cannot be compared to the

differences between, for example, the Catholics and Protestants in Christianity since; both Shi'ah and

Sunni follow the same Holy Book (The Qur'an), they accept each other as Muslims, they pray in the same

Today, the World Muslim population is around two billion, the majority (70%) comprising the four Sunni

schools and the rest being Shi'ah.

Heretical Sects.

ahlulbayt@yahoo.com

The prophets of God were men who propagated the call of revelation and prophecy and brought

definitive proofs for their call. They propagated among people the elements of the religion of God

(which is the same divine law that guarantees happiness) and made it available to all men. Since

in all periods of history the number of persons endowed with the power of prophecy and revelation

has been limited to a few individuals, God--the Most Exalted--has completed and perfected the

guidance of the rest of mankind by placing the mission of the propagation of religion upon the

shoulders of His prophets. That is why a prophet of God must possess the quality of inerrancy

('ismah). In receiving the revelation from God, in guarding it and in making possible its reaching

the people, he must be free from error. He must not commit sin (ma's yah).

The reception of revelation, its preservation and its propagation are three principles of ontological

guidance; and error in existence itself is meaningless. Furthermore, sin and opposition to the

claims of the religious call and its propagation are impossible in a prophet for they would be a call

against the original religious mission; they would destroy the confidence of the people, their

reliance upon the truth and the validity of the call. As a result they would destroy the purpose of

the religious call itself.

God, the Exalted, refers in His word to the inerrancy of the prophets, saying, "And We chose them

and guided them unto a straight path" (Qur'an, VI, 88). And also, "(He is) the Knower of the

Unseen, and He revealeth unto none His secret, save unto every messenger whom He hath

chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him, that He may know

What the prophets of God received through revelation and as a message from God and conveyed

to mankind was religion (din), that is, a way of life and human duties which guarantee the real

happiness of man.

Revealed religion in general consists of two parts:

The doctrinal part of revealed religion conconsists of a series of fundamental principles and views

concerning the real nature of things upon which man must establish the foundations of his life. It

is comprised of the three universal principles of:

If there is any confusion or disorder in one of these principles the religion will not be able to gain

any following. The practical part of revealed religion consists of a series of moral and practical

injunctions covering the duties man has before God and human society. That is why the secondary

duties which have been ordered for man in different Divine laws are of two kinds: morals (akhlaq),

and actions (a'mal). The morals and actions related to the Divine are of two kinds, such as: first,

The Prophets of Allah

prayers, fasting, and sacrifice (called acts of worship and symbolising the humility and servitude of

man before the Divine Throne). The morals and actions related to human society are also of two

kinds, such as: first, the quality of love for other men, wishing well for others, justice and

generosity; and second, the duty to carry out social intercourse, trade and exchange, etc. (called

transactions).

Another point that must be considered is that since the human species is directed toward the

gradual attainment of perfection, and human society through the passage of time becomes more

complete, the appearance of a parallel development must also be seen in revealed laws. The Holy

Qur'an affirms this gradual development, which reason has also discovered. It can be concluded

from its verses that each Divine Law (Shari'ah) is in reality more complete than the Shari'ah

before; for instance, in this verse where He says, "And unto thee have We revealed the Scripture

with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it." (Qur'an, V,

48)'3

Of course, as scientific knowledge also confirms and the Qur'an states, the life of human society in

this world is not eternal and the development of man is not endless. As a result, the general

principles governing the duties of man from the point of view of doctrine and practice must of

necessity stop at a particular stage. Therefore, prophecy and the Shari'ah will also one day come

to an end when in the perfection of doctrine and expansion of practical regulations they have

reached the final stage of their development. That is why the Holy Qur'an, in order to make clear

that Islam (the religion of Muhammad) is the last and most complete of the revealed religions,

introduces itself as a sacred book that cannot be abrogated (naskh), calls the Prophet the "Seal of

the Prophets" (khatam al-anbiya'), and sees the Islamic religion as embracing all religious duties.

As He says, And lo! it is an unassailable Scripture. Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or

behind it" (Qur'an, XLI, 41-42). 14 And also, "Muhammad is not the father of any man among you

but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the prophets" (Qur'an, XXXIII, 40).'5 And, "We

Many modern scholars who have investigated the problem of revelation and prophecy have tried

to explain revelation, prophecy and questions connected with them by using the principles of

social psychology. They say that the prophets of God were men of a pure nature and strong will

who had great love for humanity. In order to enable mankind to advance spiritually and materially

and in order to reform decadent societies, they devised laws and regulations and invited mankind

to accept them. Since people in those days would not accept the logic of human reason, in order

to make them obey their teachings the prophets, according to such modern scholars, claimed that

they and their thoughts came from the transcendent world. Each prophet called his own pure soul

the Holy Spirit; the teachings which he claimed came from the transcendent world were called

"revelation and prophecy"; the duties which resulted from the teachings were called "revealed

Shari'ah"; and the written record of these teachings and duties were called a "revealed book."

Anyone who views with depth and impartiality the revealed books and especially the Holy Qur'an,

and also the lives of the prophets, will have no doubt that this view is not correct. The prophets of

God were not political men. Rather they were "men of God," full of truthfulness and purity. What

they perceived they proclaimed without addition or diminution. And what they uttered they acted

upon. What they claimed to possess was a mysterious consciousness which the invisible world had

bestowed upon them. In this way they came to know from God Himself what the welfare of men

was in this world and the next, and propagated this knowledge among mankind.

It is quite clear that in order to confirm and ascertain the call of prophecy there is need of proof

and demonstration. The sole fact that the Shari'ah brought by a prophet conforms to reason is not

sufficient in determining the truthfulness of the prophetic call . A man who claims to be a prophet,

in addition to the claim of the truth of his Shari'ah, claims a connection through revelation and

prophecy with the transcendent world, and therefore claims that he has been given by God the

mission to propagate the faith. This claim in itself is in need of proof. That is why (as the Holy

the prophets of God in order that the truthfulness of their call might be confirmed.

The meaning of this simple and correct logic is that the revelation, which the prophet claims is his

cannot be found among others who are human beings like him. It is of necessity an invisible

power which God miraculously bestows upon His prophets, through which they hear His word and

are given the mission to convey this word to mankind. If this be true, then the prophet should ask

God for another miracle so that people would believe the truth of his prophetic call.

It is thus clear that the request for miracles from prophets is according to correct logic and it is

incumbent upon the prophet of God to provide a miracle at the beginning of his call, or according

to the demand of the people, in order to prove his prophecy. The Holy Qur'an has affirmed this

logic, relating miracles about many prophets-at the beginning of their mission or after their

followers requested them. Of course many modern investigators and scientists have denied

miracles, but their opinions are not based upon any satisfactory reasons. There is no reason to

believe that the causes which until now have been discovered for events through in: investigation

and experiment are permanent and unchanging, that no event ever occurs for reasons other than

those which usually bring it about. The miracles related about the prophets of God are not

impossible or against reason (as is, for example, they claim that the number three is even).

Rather they are a "break In what is habitual" (kharq-i 'adat), an occurrence which, incidentally,

It is known through tradition that in the past many prophets appeared, and the Holy Qur'an

affirms their multitude. It has mentioned some of them by name or by their characteristics, but

has not given their exact number. Through definitive traditions also it has not been possible to

determine their number except in the well-known saying which Abu Dharr Ghifari has recited from

From what can be deduced from the Qur'an, it can be concluded that all the prophets of God did

Other prophets follow the Shari'ah of those who "possess determination." God has said in the

We inspire in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham and Moses and

Jesus" (Qur'an, XLII, 13).18 He has also said, "And when We exacted a covenant from the

Prophets, and from thee (O Muhammad) and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus son of

possesses a book and a Shari'ah and in whom Muslims have placed their faith. The Prophet

(sawas) was born fifty-three years before the beginning of the hijra calendar in Mecca in the Hijaz

amidst the family of Banu Hashim of the Tribe of Quraysh, who were considered the most

honoured of the Arab families.

His father was called 'Abdallah and his mother, Aminah. He lost both parents at the beginning of

childhood and was placed under the care of his paternal grandfather, 'Abd al-Mutalib, who also

soon passed away. At this time the Prophet (sawas)'s uncle, Abu Talib, took charge of him and

became his guardian, taking him into his own house. The Prophet (sawas) grew up in his uncle's

house and even before reaching the age of adolescence used to accompany his uncle on journeys

by caravan.

The Prophet (sawas) had not received any schooling and therefore did not know how to read and

write. Yet, after reaching the age of maturity he became famous for his wisdom, courtesy, and

trust- worthiness. As a result of his sagacity and trustworthiness, one of the women of the tribe of

Quraysh, well-known for her wealth, appointed him as the custodian of her possessions and left in

his hands the task of conducting her commercial affairs.

The Prophet (sawas) once journeyed to Damascus with her merchandise and as a result of the

ability he displayed was able to make an outstanding profit. Before long she asked to become his

wife and the Prophet (sawas) accepted her proposal. After the marriage, which occurred when he

until the age of forty, gaining meanwhile a widespread reputation for wisdom and trustworthiness.

He refused, however, to worship idols, as was the common religious practice of the

Arabs of the Hijaz. And oc- occasionally he would make spiritual retreats (khalwah)/)) in which he

prayed and discoursed secretly with God.

At the age of forty, in the cave of Hira', in the mountains of the Tihamah region near Mecca, when

he was in spiritual retreat, he was chosen by God to become a prophet and was given the mission

of propagating the new religion. At that moment the first chapter of the Qur'an ("The Blood-Clot"

[Surah-i 'alaq]) was revealed to him. That very day he returned to his house and on the way met

his cousin, Ali ibn Abl Talib, who after hearing the account of what had occurred declared his

acceptance of the faith. After the Prophet entered the house and told his wife of the revelation,

she likewise accepted Islam.

The first time the Prophet (sawas) invited people to accept his message he was faced with a

distressing and painful reaction. Of necessity he was forced henceforth to propagate his message

in secret for some time until he was ordered again by God to invite his very close relatives to

who in any case had already accepted the faith. (But in accordance with documents- transmitted

from the Household of the Prophet (sawas) and extant poems composed by Abu Talib, the

Followers of Ahlul Bayt believe that Abu Talib had also embraced Islam; however, because he was

the sole protector of the Prophet (sawas), he hid his faith from the people in order to preserve the

outward power he had with the Quraysh.)

After this period, according to Divine instruction, the Prophet (sawas) began to propagate his

mission openly. With the beginning of open propagation the people of Mecca reacted most

severely and inflicted the most painful afflictions and tortures upon the Prophet (sawas) and the

people who had become newly converted to Islam. The severe treatment dealt out by the Quraysh

reached such a degree that a group of Muslims left their homes. and belongings and migrated to

Abyssinia.

The Prophet (sawas) and his uncle, Abu Talib, along with their relatives from the Banu Hashim,

took refuge for three years in the "mountain pass of Abu Talib," a fort in one of the valleys of

Mecca. No one had any dealings or transactions with them and they did not dare to leave their

place of refuge. The idol-worshipers of Mecca, although at the beginning they considered inflicting

all kinds of pressures and tortures such as striking and beating, insult, ridicule and defamation on

the Prophet, occasionally would also show kindness and courtesy toward him in order to have him

turn away from his mission. They would promise him great sums of money or leadership and the

rule of the tribe. But for the Prophet (sawas) their promises and their threats only resulted in the

intensification of his will and determination to carry out his mission. Once, when they came to the

Prophet (sawas) promising him wealth and power, the Prophet (sawas) told them, using

metaphorical language, that if they were to put the sun in the palm of his right hand and the

moon in the palm of his left hand he would not turn away from obeying the unique God or refrain

from performing his mission.

About the tenth year of his prophecy, when the Prophet (sawas) left the "mountain pass of Abu

Talib," his uncle Abu Talib, who was also his sole protector, died, as did also his devoted wife.

Henceforth there was no protection for his life nor any place of refuge. Finally the idol-worshipers

of Mecca devised a secret plan to kill him. At night they surrounded his house from all sides with

the aim of forcing themselves in at the end of the night and cutting him to pieces while he was in

bed. But God, the Exalted, informed him of the plan and commanded him to leave for Yathrib.

The Prophet (sawas) placed Ali in place of himself in his bed and at night left the house under

Divine protection, passing amidst his enemies, and taking refuge in a cave near Mecca. After three

days when his enemies, having looked everywhere, gave up hope of capturing him and returned

to Mecca, he left the cave and set out for Yathrib. The people of Yathrib, whose leaders had

already accepted the message of the Prophet (sawas) and sworn allegiance to him, accepted him

with open arms and placed their lives and property at his disposal. In Yathrib for the first time the

and around the city as well as with the powerful Arab tribes of the region. He undertook the task

of propagating the Islamic message and Yathrib became famous as "Madinat al-rasul" (the city of

the Prophet).

Islam began to grow and expand from day to day. The Muslims, who in Mecca were caught in the

mesh of the injustice and inequity of the Quraysh, gradually left their homes and property and

migrated to Medina, revolving around the Prophet (sawas) like moths around a candle. This group

became known as the "immigrants" (muhajirun) in the same way that those who aided the

Prophet (sawas) in Yathrib gained the name of "helpers" -ansar).

Islam was advancing rapidly but at the same time the idol- worshipers of Quraysh, as well as the

Jewish tribes of the Hejaz, were unrestrained in their harassment of the Muslims. With the help of

the "hypocrites" (munafiqun) of Medina, who were amidst the community of Muslims and who

were not known for their holding any particular positions, they created new misfortunes for the

Muslims every day until finally the matter led to war.

Many battles took place between the Muslims and the Arab polytheists and Jews, in most of which

the Muslims were victorious- . There were altogether over eighty major and minor battles. In all

the major conflicts such as the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunayn, etc., the

Prophet (sawas) was personally present on the battle scene. Also in all the major battles and

many minor ones, victory was gained especially through the efforts of Ali. He was the only person

who never turned away from any of these battles. In all the wars that occurred during the ten

years after the migration from Mecca to Medina less than two hundred Muslims and less than a

thousand infidels were killed.

As a result of the activity of the Prophet (sawas) and the selfless effort of the muhajirun and ansar

during this ten-year period, Islam spread through the Arabian peninsula. There were also letters

written to kings of other countries such as Persia, Byzantine and Abyssinia inviting them to accept

Islam. During this time the Prophet lived in poverty and was proud of it. He never spent a moment

of his time in vain. Rather, his time was divided into three parts: one spent for God, in

worshipping and remembering Him; a part for himself and his household and domestic needs; and

a part for the people. During this part of his time he was engaged in spreading and teaching Islam

and its sciences, administrating to the needs of Islamic society and removing whatever evils

existed, providing for the needs of the Muslims, strengthening domestic and foreign bonds, and

similar matters.

After ten years of stay in Medina the Prophet (sawas) fell ill and died after a few days of illness.

According to existing traditions the last words on his lips were advice concerning slaves and

It was demanded of the Prophet (sawas), as it had been of other prophets, that he produce a

miracle. The Prophet (sawas) himself also confirmed the power of prophets to produce miracles as

has been asserted clearly by the Qur'an. Many miracles by the Prophet (sawas) have been

Ibrahim was born when his father Tarakh was seventy-five years old at the time. Both his parents

was the custom of the Babylonians he was known as the son of Ahzar after his parents death.

Ahzar was an idolator like the rest of the people of the Kingdom of Babylon and Ibrahim (a.s.) was

brought up in a house of idolaters.

His "father" Aazar was a well known idol sculptor that his people worshipped. As a young child,

Ibrahim used to watch his father sculpting these idols from stones or wood. When his father was

done with them, Ibrahim would use them as toys, riding on their backs, and kicking them at

times. Then after a while, he would see these same statues in the temple, and people prostrating

in front of them! Ibrahim asked his father: "Why do you take these toys to the temple?" His father

said: "They are statues that represent our gods. We worship them, we ask favors from them, and

we offer them presents." Ibrahim's mind rejected this idea, and he felt a repulsion towards the

Time went by, and Ibrahim became a young man. He still could not believe that his people were

worshipping the statues. He laughed whenever he saw them entering the temple, lowering their

heads, silently offering the statues the best of their food, crying and asking forgiveness from

them. He started feeling angry towards his people, who could not realize that these are only

stones that could neither benefit nor harm them. They could not be gods, they have no power.

God is Greater than what his people were worshipping, Most Powerful, Most Magnificent. One

could not find Him sitting on a table in a temple!

One night, Ibrahim went up to the mountain, leaned against a rock, and looked up to the sky. He

saw a shining star, and told his people: "Could this be my Lord?" But when it set he said: "I don't

like those that set." The star has disappeared, it could not be God. God is always present. Then he

saw the moon rising in splendor and told them: "Could this be my Lord?" But it also set. At

daybreak, he saw the sun rising and said: t "Could this be my Lord, this is bigger?" But when the

sun set he said: "O my people I am free from all that you join as partners with Allah! I have

turned my face towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give

partners to Allah." Our Lord is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything. He has

the power to make the stars rise and set. Ibrahim then heard Allah calling him: "O Ibrahim!"

Ibrahim said trembling: "Here I am O my Lord!" "Submit to Me! Be a Muslim!" Ibrahim fell on the

ground, prostrating and crying, he said: "I submit to the Lord of the universe!" Ibrahim kept

prostrating until night came again. He got up and went back to his home, in t peace, full of

The Father of the Prophets

A new life started for Ibrahim. His mission now was to call his people to the Truth. He would start

with his father who was the closest person to him, and whom he loved so much. He said to him in

the softest and kindest voice: "O father! Why do you worship that which doesn't hear, doesn't see,

and cannot avail you in anything? O father, I have got knowledge which you have not, so follow

me. I will guide you to a straight path." His father replied angrily: "Do you reject my gods, O

Ibrahim? If you don't stop I will stone you. Get away from me before I punish you." Ibrahim said:

He left his father after he lost hope to convert him to the right path, and directed his efforts

towards the people of the town, but they rejected his call and threatened him. By Allah, he said, I

shall plot a plan to destroy their idols. He knew that a big celebration was coming soon, where

everybody would leave town for a big feast on the riverbank. After making sure that nobody was

left in town, Ibrahim went towards the temple armed with an ax. Statues of all shapes and sizes

were sitting there adorned with decorations. Plates of food were offered to them, but the food was

untouched. "Well, why don't you eat? The food is getting cold." He said to the statues, joking;

then with his ax he destroyed all the statues except one, the biggest of them. He hung the ax

around its neck and left.

How big was the shock when the people entered the temple! They gathered inside watching in awe

their gods broken in pieces. They wondered who might have done this? Then they all remembered

that the young Ibrahim was talking evil of their idols. They brought him to the temple and asked

him: "Are you the one who has done this to our gods?" Ibrahim said: "No, this statue, the biggest

of them has done it. Ask them if they can speak." "You know well that these idols don't speak!"

They said impatiently. "Then how come you worship things that can neither speak nor see, nor

even fend for themselves? Have you lost your minds?"

They kept silent for a while, for he got a point there. Their minds and their senses were telling

them that the Truth is with Ibrahim, but their pride prevented them to accept it, and reject the

idols they were worshipping for generations. This they thought would be total defeat. They started

The decision to burn Ibrahim to death was affirmed by the priests and the king of Babylon,

Nimrod. The news spread like a fire in the kingdom, and people were coming from all places to

watch the execution. A huge pit was dug up and a large quantity of wood was piled up. Then the

biggest fire people ever witnessed was lit. The fire flames were so high up in the sky that the birds

could not fly over it for fear of being burned ! Ibrahim's hands and feet were chained, and he was

put in a catapult to throw him into the fire. At that time, Angel Jibreel came to him and said: "O

Ibrahim! Is there anything you wish for?" Ibrahim could have asked to be saved from the fire, to

be taken away, but no, he said: "I only wish that Allah be pleased with me." The catapult was

released, and Ibrahim was thrown in the heart of the fire. But Allah would not allow His Prophet to

be killed, He ordered the fire: "O fire! Be coolness and safety for Ibrahim!" And the miracle

happened. The fire obeyed and burned only his chains. Ibrahim came out from it as if he was

coming out from a garden, peaceful, his face illuminated, and not a trace of smoke on his clothes.

Ibrahim's notoriety grew bigger after this event and the king of Babylon felt that his throne was in

danger, and that he was loosing power, because he was pretending that he was a god. He sent for

Ibrahim. He wanted to debate with him and show his people that he, the king is indeed the god,

-My Lord is He Who gives life and death." Ibrahim said

-I give life and death. I can bring a person from the street and have him executed, and I can

grant my pardon to a person who was sentenced to death and save his life." The king said proudly

-Well my Lord Allah makes the sun rise from the East. Can you make it rise from the West?

The king was confounded. He was beaten at his own game, on his own territory, in front of his

own people! Ibrahim left him there speechless and went back to his important mission, calling

Only a woman named Sarah and a man named Lot believed in Allah, and followed Ibrahim. He

realized that nobody else would listen to him, and decided to emigrate for the cause of Allah, and

to spread His Message elsewhere. Before leaving, he tried once again to convert his father to

Islam, but to no avail. Ibrahim said to his father and his people: "We are free of you and of

whatever you worship besides Allah. We have rejected you and there has arisen between us and

you enmity and hatred forever unless you believe in Allah and Him alone."

Ibrahim, Lot and Sarah started their long travel. They crossed Babylon, went through Syria and

Palestine calling people to Allah, helping the poor and doing good deeds. By that time Ibrahim

married Sarah. Their hope was to have children who would spread the Message of Allah after their

death. As for Lot, he emigrated to the land of Sodom and settled there.

Time went by and no children were born to Sarah. She realized she was sterile. She accepted her

fate and submitted to the will of Allah. Ibrahim and Sarah moved to Egypt where the king gave

Sarah a woman to be her servant. The woman's name was Hajar. Sarah was seeing Ibrahim' s

hair getting white, and it grieved her to see his chance of having any child slipping away. She

offered Hajar her servant as a wife to her husband, and prayed Allah to bless Hajar and Ibrahim

need to have an offspring who would carry the Message after Ibrahim was greater than her pride.

Ibrahim woke up one day and asked Hajar to prepare herself and baby Ismail for a long travel.

Ibrahim and Hajar kept walking, crossed a fertile land followed by barren mountains till they

arrived at the Arabian desert. Ibrahim brought Hajar to a high hill called al-Marwa, made her and

her baby sit under a tree, placed a bag of dates and some water near her, and set out homeward.

Hajar ran after him and said: "Are you going to leave us in this desert where there is no one to

keep us company?" She repeated this many times but he would not look back at her. She asked:

"Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said yes. "Then He will not neglect us." She said. Ibrahim

walked away until he got out of their sight, he raised his hands and prayed Allah: "O our Lord! I

have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by Your Sacred House, in

order that they may offer prayers. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and

Hajar went on nursing Ismail and drinking from the water until it was all used up. She became

very thirsty and the child was crying. She left him on the al-Marwa hill and hurried to the nearest

hill, as-Safa. She stood there and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see

somebody, but she could not see anybody. She descended from as-Safa, crossed the valley

running and reached al-Marwa hill. She stood and started looking but could see nobody. She kept

running between as-Safa and al-Marwa seven times. When she reached al-Marwa for the last

said: "O whoever you might be! Have you got something to help me?' She saw an angel, Angel

Jibreel, digging the earth until water flowed! She built a little basin around it. She scooped water

with her hands, drank, filled her water-skin, and nursed her baby. The place from which water

flowed was Zamzam. Muslims till this day drink from the holy water of Zamzam, and during Hajj

they walk between as-Safa and al-Marwa seven times to commemorate this event.

Some Arabs traveling through Makkah saw birds flying around alMarwa. "They must be flying

around water." They said. When they arrived at the water, they found Hajar and asked her:

"Would you allow us to stay with you, and use the water from your well?" She agreed and was

pleased by their company. The people sent for their families, settled there and became permanent

residents. The whole valley became alive. Ismail grew up, learned Arabic, and later married a

woman from amongst the Arabs.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim who had not seen his son since he was a baby, came back to Makkah to visit

him. Upon arriving, he heard that Hajar had died, but Ismail was still living there. Ibrahim was

yearning to see his son whom he loved and missed a lot. He saw Ismail under a tree near

Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw his father, Ismail rose up, hugged him and greeted

him. It was the happiest moment for both father and son. But Allah wanted to put them to test,

and it was a tough test indeed. During one night, Ibrahim had a dream. He came to Ismail and

said: "O my son ! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you as a sacrifice to Allah, so

what do you think?" They both realized that this was an order from Allah. Ismail said without

hesitation: "Do what you are commanded, you shall find me very patient insha Allah." They had

both submitted to the will of Allah. Ibrahim laid his son prostrate, put his forehead on the ground

and directed a sharp knife towards his neck. At this very moment, Allah called him: "O Ibrahim!

You have fulfilled the dream! Thus do We reward the good doers !" A big sheep was sent down

from heaven to be slaughtered instead of Ismail, which Ibrahim did, and they both had a big

celebration that day. This event is celebrated every year by all Muslims. It is Eid al-Adha where we

slaughter the sacrificial sheep.

Ibrahim and Ismail kept on calling people to worship Allah. At that time there was no place built

for the worship of Allah. Ibrahim wished there could be such a place where people would be in

peace, and concentrate solely for the worship of Allah. His wish was answered when Allah ordered

him to build the Sacred House, the Ka'bah. Ibrahim said to Ismail: "O Ismail, Allah has given me

an order, will you help me execute it?" "Yes I will." Ismail said. "Allah has ordered me to build a

house here." He said, pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it. They went towards

the place and started building the foundations of the Ka'bah Ismail brought the stones and

Ibrahim built the walls, and when the walls became high, Ismail brought a large stone and put it

in front of his father who stood over it and carried on building, while Ismail was handing him the

stones. Both of them went on building and going around the Ka'bah, saying: "O our Lord accept

this service from us." When they finished the building, Angel Jibreel descended from heaven and

showed Ibrahim the rituals of Hajj. Then Ibrahim stepped on the stone and called on people: "O

people obey your Lord." This large stone which Ibrahim stepped on is still there to this day near

the Ka'bah. It is called Makam Ibrahim.

Thus ends the story of Ibrahim, the father of the prophets. From him descended all the prophets

who came later, including Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. Ibrahim devoted all his life

calling others to the True religion: Islam. Alone he stood against his people, his father, and even

the mighty king of Babylon, and never flinched. Yet his method was always to gradually persuade

them by bringing irrefutable proofs, that most often embarrassed those who refused to accept the

stations of Risalaa (Messengership), Nubawaa (prophethood), Walia (nearness to Allah and

guidance to mankind) and Khilafa (government).

The Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) was an Imam, but he did not hold the position of Khilafa, we know

from Al-Quran that he did hold the positions of Risaala, Nubuwaa and Walia. These Quranic Verses

clarify the positions of Ibrahim (a.s.):-

the way of Abraham the true in faith? For Allah did take Abraham for a friend. (4:125)

All the Prophets (a.s) were Imams and Walis (Guardians) of the people, some of them had a large

number of followers and others did not. Not all the Prophets were Messengers (Rasul), in fact

there were only five Messengers out of the One hundred and twenty four thousand that were sent

to us. The Messenger was the prophet who brought with him a new Law (Shariath) and a new

Book (kithab Allah) and they were; Noah , Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammed (a.s.). All the

prophets left behind them an executor of their message and will (wasi) and they were Imams and

Guardians over the people.

Muhammed (s.a.w.a.s.) was the Last Prophet and Messenger but the position of Imamate is

the advent of Ibrahim (a.s.) this position could be occupied by all the children of Adam (a.s.).

offspring!" He answered: "But my promise is not within the reach of evil-doers." (2:124)

From the above verses we learn that:

Allah also says in Al-Quran that it is an obligation to obey the Imams:

truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end. (4:59)

Here Allah is commanding the Believers to obey:

Imamate

We have to question ourselves:

handful of the Muslims? Or are the Imams to be chosen by Allah and appointed by the Prophet?

Some may argue that since Muhammed (s.a.w.a.s.) is the Last Prophet and Messenger and the

Imam after him can be from amongst any of the Muslims, this belief is however, contrary to the

above verse (2:124) and also contrary to their own belief that the Last Imam ( Al-Mahdi) being

from the descendants of Muhammed i.e. Ibrahim (peace be upon them all). The following hadeeth

from Bukhari may clarify this point:

Narrated Jabir bin Samura: I heard the Prophet saying, "There will be twelve imams of the

Muslims. He then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, "All of them (caliphs) will

be from Quraish." (Sahih Bukhari vol.9 no.329)

"Lantern of the Path" to Bukhari's hadeeth:

One day I was very troubled and visited Rasulullah (s) and asked him," Oh Prophet, what are we

to do when you are no longer with us, who will give us guidance ?" Rasul (s) replied," After me the

Ummah will be left with twelve successors from my Ahlul Bayt and it will be an obligation on my

Ummah to follow and aid them in all that they command."

I replied. " Oh Rasulullah., how are we to recognise them".

Rasul(s) replied" Oh, Salman you know Allah is AL-Hamid ( the Praise worthy) and I am

Mohammed (the one with praise) and you Know Allah is AL-Aliy (the Most Exalted) and you have

Ali (the one exalted above others) and you know Allah is al-Fathir (the Creator out of Nothing) and

you have Fathima the mother of my descendants and you know Allah is Al-Ihsan and you have

Hasan and you know Allah is al-Muhsin and you have Al-Hussein. My first successor will be Ali, my

brother, the one who is loved by Allah, then after him Hasan and then Hussein the sons of Ali and

Fathima and then Ali ibn Hussein then Mohammed ibn Ali and then Jafar ibn Mohammed and the

Musa ibn Jafar and the Ali ibn Musa and then Mohammed ibn Ali and then Ali ibn Mohammed and

then Hasan ibn Ali and finally ibne Hasan, the one named after me, the one with my kunya Abul

Qasim, he will be known as Mim Ha Dal al-Mahdi the one with Authority Al-Qaim. He will be

awaited by those who are weak and oppressed."

I replied, "Oh Rasullullah may I and my parents be your ransom, a great burden has been

removed from my heart."

I then left the prophet (s) at peace with the World and the World at peace with me and prayed to

We are also told in Al-Quran that the Imam must be the most qualified among ourselves; he must

be:

He pleaseth. Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things." (2:247)

From the above discussion the following can be concluded about Imamate:

Sura Ta Ha chapter 20 verses 25-36:

36. (He) said: You are indeed granted your petition, O Musa.

Muhammed (saws) is the Last and Final of the Prophets. His message is conclusive and therefore,

must succeed and stay forever.

Allah (swt) runs the affairs of the World usually according to the law of cause and effect and

through natural courses. Therefore, He did not order His Messenger Muhammed to face the whole

society at once with the invitation to Islam, because this would lead to the failure of the mission

rather to its success. Wanting him to go gradually in his invitation, He issued him a command

(after three years from the beginning of his messengership) to begin with his close relatives. Allah

says in al-Qur'an:

"And warn thy nearest kinsman. And lower thy wing to the believers who follow thee."

(26:214-215)

Abdul-Muttalib (they were forty men) to a banquet which contained little amounts of food and

milk. They ate and drank to their fill. The Messenger then spoke, saying: "O children of

Abdul-Muttalib, by Allah, I do not know of any young man from among the Arabs who has ever

brought to his people better than I what Im bring to you. I bring to you the goodness of the World

and of the Hereafter, and Allah has commanded me to invite you to it. Who is among you willing

in this mission."

The Prophet repeated his invition, but none responded except 'Ali who repeated his words. the

Prophet put his hand on the neck of 'Ali and said: "This is my brother, my executor and my

successor in you. Listen to him and obey him."

They laughed, saying to Abu Talib: " He ordered you to listen to your son and obey him. Thus, the

Messenger of Allah invited the nearest of his relatives to embrace islam, but his main purpose was

to find among them a person who would be willing to assist him in spreading the message.

The Prophet was about to confront all the idol-worshippers of Makkah. Therefore, he needed a

minister who had courage, sincerity and firmness. Forty men from the children of Abdul-Muttallib

would be an important asset for Islam if they adopted it. But if they were ordinary people they

would not be able to face the masses of Makkah and Arabia. Allah would soon command His

Messenger to extend his invitation to all the Arabs, and eventually to the rest of the nations, all of

whom would violently resist the invitation for years to come.

Forty average persons would be terrified by the hostiles of Makkah and Arabia; yet one man of

high courage will be able to face whatever the Messenger would face. This man we know was

Sura Ta Ha chapter 20 verses 25-36:

36. (He) said: You are indeed granted your petition, O Musa.

Muhammed (saws) is the Last and Final of the Prophets. His message is conclusive and therefore,

must succeed and stay forever.

Allah (swt) runs the affairs of the World usually according to the law of cause and effect and

through natural courses. Therefore, He did not order His Messenger Muhammed to face the whole

society at once with the invitation to Islam, because this would lead to the failure of the mission

rather to its success. Wanting him to go gradually in his invitation, He issued him a command

(after three years from the beginning of his messengership) to begin with his close relatives. Allah

says in al-Qur'an:

"And warn thy nearest kinsman. And lower thy wing to the believers who follow thee."

(26:214-215)

Abdul-Muttalib (they were forty men) to a banquet which contained little amounts of food and

milk. They ate and drank to their fill. The Messenger then spoke, saying: "O children of

Abdul-Muttalib, by Allah, I do not know of any young man from among the Arabs who has ever

brought to his people better than I what Im bring to you. I bring to you the goodness of the World

and of the Hereafter, and Allah has commanded me to invite you to it. Who is among you willing

in this mission."

The Prophet repeated his invition, but none responded except 'Ali who repeated his words. the

Prophet put his hand on the neck of 'Ali and said: "This is my brother, my executor and my

successor in you. Listen to him and obey him."

They laughed, saying to Abu Talib: " He ordered you to listen to your son and obey him. Thus, the

Messenger of Allah invited the nearest of his relatives to embrace islam, but his main purpose was

to find among them a person who would be willing to assist him in spreading the message.

The Prophet was about to confront all the idol-worshippers of Makkah. Therefore, he needed a

minister who had courage, sincerity and firmness. Forty men from the children of Abdul-Muttallib

would be an important asset for Islam if they adopted it. But if they were ordinary people they

would not be able to face the masses of Makkah and Arabia. Allah would soon command His

Messenger to extend his invitation to all the Arabs, and eventually to the rest of the nations, all of

whom would violently resist the invitation for years to come.

Forty average persons would be terrified by the hostiles of Makkah and Arabia; yet one man of

high courage will be able to face whatever the Messenger would face. This man we know was

Relationship between the prophets Musa (a.s.) and Haroon (a.s.).

Narrated Sad:

Allah's Apostle set out for Tabuk. appointing 'Ali as his deputy (in Medina). 'Ali said, "Do you want

to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet said, "Will you not be pleased that you

will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me." Bukhari vol. 5 no.700)

Sura Ar'af chapter 7 verse 142

those who do mischief."

Sura Anbiya chapter 21