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SECTION I: ISLAM
The Religion of Man
What is Islam
Islamic Beliefs
1. Belief in God
2. Belief in the Angels
3. Belief in the Prophets
i. The Early Prophets
ii. The House of Abraham
iii. The Mosaic Period
iv. The Kingdom Prophets
v. The Christian Era
vi. The Dawn of Islam
vii. The Revival of Islam
viii. The Prophets of Other Religions
4. Belief in the Revealed Books
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment
6. Other Important Beliefs of Muslims
Islamic Acts of Worship
1. Declaration of Faith
2. Prayer (Salat)Adhan or the Call to
Prayer
Wudhu or Ablution:
Etiquettes of Prayer
Translation of the Prayer
3. Fasting
4. Pilgrimage
5. Zakat or Prescribed Alms
Codes for Social and Moral Behavior
Sadaqah
The Orphans, the Wayfarer, the
Neighbour
Discharging of Trusts
Truthfulness
Carrying out of Justice
Kindness to Parents and Children
Duty to Animals
Prohibition from Social Vices
Foods
Drinks
Gambling
Taking of Interest
Penal Laws in Islam and Punishments
Jihad
Islamic Manners and Etiquettes
D Islamic Philosophy of Life
E The Sources of Islamic Law
The Holy Quran
The Tradition
Ijtihad or Exercise of Judgment
F The Four Schools of Law in Islam
The Hanifiyya School
The Malikiyya School
The Shafiyya School
The Hanbaliyya School
G The Names of Islamic Months
SECTION 2
THE HOLY QURAN
GUIDANCE FOR MANKIND

WHAT IS REVELATION
The Muslims believe that God speaks to
His chosen servants through the
process of revelation. It is through this
process that spiritual knowledge and
wisdom is given to man by God. The
knowledge received through revelation
is considered to be the truest form of
learning.
Revelation can be of many kinds. It may
comprise ordinances, laws and
injunctions. It may be prophetic in nature
and bring knowledge of future events. It
may bring great insights into matters of
material or spiritual nature. It may
convey God's goodwill, pleasure and
love; or it may be the medium of God's
warning, displeasure and rebuke.
The nature of revelation varies
according to circumstances and the
spiritual station of the recipient. Muslims
believe that of all revelations and divine
communications, the most complete, the
most perfect and the most
comprehensive is the Holy Quran.
WHAT IS THE QURAN
The Quran is a compilation of the verbal
revelations given to the Holy Prophet
Muhammad over a period of twenty two
years. The language of the Quran is
Arabic. The word Quran means
something that is "read" or "recited".
The diction of the Quran could be best
described as poetic prose and its
language is a model of linguistic purity
and stylistic elegance.
The Quran is the Holy Book or the
Scriptures of the Muslims. It lays down
for them the law and commandments,
codes for their social and moral
behaviour, and contains a
comprehensive religious philosophy. It is
the ultimate source of the Islamic law
and a complete guidance for the
Muslims. Besides its proper name, the
Quran is also known by the following
names:
al Kitab The Book
al Furqan The Discriminant
al Dhikr The Exposition
al Bayan The Explanation
al Burhan The Argument
al Haqq The Truth
al Tanzil The Revelation
al Hikmat The Wisdom
al Huda The Guide
al Hukm The Judgment
al Mau'izah The Admonition
al Rahmat The Mercy
al-Noor The Light (64:9)
al-Rooh The Word (42:53)
Surahs And Verses
The Quran is divided into 114 Surahs or
Chapters and each Chapter consists of
individual Ayaat or verses. There are in
total 6,348 verses in the Holy Quran.
The Surahs are of varying lengths,
some consisting of a few lines while
others run for many pages. Surah al
Baqarah is the longest Chapter
comprising 287 verses while Surah al
Kauthar is the shortest with only four
verses including the tasmia.
Writing And Recording Of The Holy
Quran
For a time the Quran was being
preserved by the early Muslims who
would memorize the revelations
received by the Holy Prophet. This was
the normal practice at that time and the
pre Islamic Arabic poems were treated
in the same way. However, as the
revelations grew in number and as
some of the Muslims who had
memorized the Quran started to be lost
in battles, the Holy Prophet appointed
some scribes to write down the Quran.
As the Quranic verses were revealed in
passages of varying sizes and
belonging to different Surahs, the text of
the Holy Quran did not exist in one
volume during the life of the Prophet
Muhammad. It was during the
Caliphates of Abu Bakr and Omar that
the task of collecting the Quran in one
volume was entrusted to Zayd bin
Thabit. During the time of Uthman, the
third Caliph of Islam, an authorized
version of the Quran was established
which was then used for making
duplicate copies. These duplicate copies
were sent to various parts of the Muslim
world to be used as standard texts for
further copying.
The text of the Holy Quran has
remained unchanged over the past 1400
years. The millions of copies of the
Quran circulating in the world today are
all identical down to a single letter. And
this is not strange since God says in the
Holy Quran that He Himself will guard
this book:
"Surely it is We Who have revealed the
Exposition, and surely it is We Who are
its guardians" (15:10)
WHAT DOES THE HOLY QURAN
CONTAIN
To the Muslims, the Quran is the Word
of God and contains complete guidance
for mankind. Much of the Quran is about
God, His attributes and man's
relationship to Him. But it also contains
directives for its followers, historical
accounts of certain prophets and
peoples, arguments for accepting
Muhammad as a genuine Prophet and
good news for the believers and
warnings for the disbelievers. Broadly
speaking, the contents of the Holy
Quran fall into five main categories:
1. Nature of the Spiritual World
2. The Law and Commandments
3. Historical Accounts
4. The Wisdom
5. The Prophecies
One by one we will discuss these
various aspects of the Holy Quran.
1. The Nature of Spiritual World
The central theme of the Quran is, of
course, the doctrine of One God. The
God of Quran is All Powerful, All
Knowing, Merciful and Compassionate,
and the sole Creator of the universe. He
is the One Who gave us fire, and when
we die it is to Him that we will return. He
not only listens to our prayers, but
provides for our needs without even our
asking; He is a Generous and Gracious
God. In Surah al Hashr, some of God's
attributes are described as follows:
He is God, there is no god except Him;
The Knower of the unseen and the
seen;
He is the Gracious, the Merciful.
He is God, there is no god except Him;
The Sovereign, the Holy One, the Giver
of peace, the Bestower of
Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the
Subduer, the Exalted.
Glory be to God, above that they
associate.
He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the
Fashioner.
His are the most beautiful names.
All that is in the heavens and the earth
glorifies Him,
He is the Mighty, the Wise. (59:23 25)
Besides containing illuminating facts
about the various attributes of God, the
Quran explains the rest of the spiritual

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world in considerable detail: the purpose
of creation, the nature of angels, the
nature of hell and heaven, the
continuation of fire after death, the
divine revelations and the concept of the
Day of Judgment.
Scriptures of other religions also talk
about these spiritual things, but the
philosophy contained in the Quran is far
more rational, meaningful and capable
of standing up to the test of time.
2. The Law and Commandments
Most of all, the Quran is the Law for the
Muslims. It lays down commandments
for worshipping God and contains
numerous codes for the social and
moral behaviour of its followers. In this
respect, the Quran supersedes all
previous Laws and Dispensations given
to earlier prophets. The commandments
in the Quran clearly tell the Muslims
what to DO and what NOT to do. The
following are some of the "positive"
commandments in the Quran:
o worship One God (2:22)
o pray to the Lord in humility and in
secret (7:56)
o observe the Daily Prayer (2:44)
o enjoin Prayer on your household
(20:133)
o keep the fasts during the month of
Ramadhan (2:184)
o pay the Zakat (2:44)
o spend secretly and openly (14: 32)
o perform the pilgrimage (2:197)
o perform ablution before the Prayer
(5:7)
o obey God and His prophets and those
in authority among you (4:60)
o ask forgiveness of God (4:107)
o seek refuge with God from Satan, the
cursed (16:99)
o be patient (3:201)
o follow the way of Abraham (16:124)
o strive in the way of God (2:191)
o vie with one another in good works
(2:149)
o eat of the good and pure things
(2:173)
o give the orphans their due (4:3)
o make peace between the parties that
fight each other (49:10)
o call the people to their Lord with
wisdom and exhortation (16:126)
o fulfill the covenants (16:92)
o discharge the trusts (4:59)
o observe justice (4:136)
o keep the oaths and fulfill the promises
(5:2), (5:90)
o be good to others (16:91)
o be good to the parents (2:84)
o look after the kinsman, the poor and
the wayfarer (2:84)
o give full measure and full weight (7:86)
o guard your chastity (24:31)
o face the Sacred Mosque during the
Prayer (2:150)
o seek help through perseverance and
Prayer (2:154)
o give the women their dowries (4:5)
o greet each other with a greeting (4:87)
o invoke blessings on the Prophet (3:57)
o keep silent when the Quran is recited
(7:205)
Similarly, there are "negative"
commandments in the Quran which
prohibit or forbid the Muslims from:
o associating any other deity with God
(2:23)
o reviling other people's deities (6:109)
o making friends with people with whom
God is angry (60:14)
o killing other people (2:105)
o stealing other people's property (5:39)
o devouring the property of the orphan
(17:35)
o eating certain forbidden foods (2:174),
(5:4)
o consuming alcoholic drinks (5:91)
o giving false testimony (2:284)
o taking interest (3:131)
o uttering unseemly speech in public
(4:149)
o indecency and manifest evil (16:91)
o gambling (5:91)
o marrying idolatrous people (2:222)
o entering homes before asking for
permission (24:28)
o spreading disorder in the earth (7:57)
o letting one people deride another
people (49:12)
o becoming disdainfully proud (17:38)
o becoming divided (3:106)
o exceeding the limits in the matter of
religion (4:172)
o using compulsion in the religion
(2:257)
o being suspicious, spying and
backbiting (49:13)
o following the footsteps of Satan
(24:22)
o killing children for fear of poverty
(17:32)
Besides the above mentioned DO's and
DON'T's, there are many other
commandments in the Quran which
control the institutions of marriage,
divorce, inheritance and fighting.
All Muslims are supposed to follow
these commandments. The willful
violation of any of these commandments
constitutes sin, and the violation of
some of the social commandments can
even be punishable by the society.
3. Historical Accounts
The Quran contains historical accounts
of many earlier prophets and peoples.
The purpose of narrating these stories is
to show mankind how loving and faithful
God can be to His true servants and
chosen people and also how utterly
destructive His wrath can be upon those
who disregard His Commands.
The various prophets whose lives are
narrated in the Quran include Abraham,
Joseph, Moses and Jesus, among
others. Some of the earlier peoples that
are mentioned in the Quran include,
among others:
o The people of A'd to whom Hood was
sent
o the people of Thamood to whom
Saleh was sent
o the people of Midian to whom Shoaib
was sent
o the people of the Wood
o the people of the Hijr
o the people of Tubba
o the people of the Elephant
Many Surahs of the Holy Quran are
named after the Prophets such as
Younas, Hood, Yousaf, Ibrahim,
Luqman, Muhammad, and Nooh. These
Surahs, however, are not exclusively
devoted to the accounts of these
prophets and also contain other
narratives and commandments. The
only Surah that is entirely devoted to the
account of one prophet is Surah Yousaf.
The Quran also gives an account of
many incidents that took place during
the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
However, not many contemporaries of
the Holy Prophet are mentioned by
name. The only two persons whose
names appear in the Quran are Zayd,
the freed slave and adopted son of the
Prophet and Abu Ahab, an uncle and
arch enemy of his. Zayd's name occurs
in Surah al Ahzab, verse 38, and Abu
Lahab's name occurs in Surah Ahab,
the 111th Chapter of the Holy Quran.
The Prophet's own name, Muhammad,
is mentioned only four times in the Holy
Quran. At all other places he is referred
to as the Prophet, the Messenger, the
Warner or by some other similar title.
4. The Book of Wisdom
Most important of all, the Holy Quran is
the Book of Wisdom. Any person,
whether he is a Muslim or not, can
benefit from this treasure of God's
Wisdom. Below are given some
samplings of this wisdom:
" "A kind word and forgiveness are
better than charity followed by injury "
(2:264)
" "God burdens no soul beyond its
capacity" (2:287)
" "Man is created of haste" (21:38)
" "If God helps you, none can overcome
you; but if He forsakes you, then who is
there who can help you beside Him"
(3:161)
" "No soul that bears a burden shall bear
the burden of another" (53:39)
" "Man will have nothing but what he
strives for" (53:40)
" "If you keep away from more grievous
of the things which are forbidden to you,
God will remove from you your minor
evils" (4:32)
" "And if you try to count the favours of
God, you will not be able to count them"
(14:35)
" "And We created not the heaven and
the earth and all that is between the two,
in sport" (21:17)
" "God cannot be questioned for what
He does" (21:24)
" "O children of Adam, We have given
you garments to cover your
nakedness... but the garment of piety is
the best of all garments" (7:27)
" "God deprives no people of the
favours, until they change their own
condition" (8:54)
" "And how many a sign is there in the
heavens and the earth, but men pass
them by, turning away" (12:106)
" "Those who prefer the life of the
present world to that of the next, and
hinder men from the way of God, and
seek to make it crooked, have fallen into
deepest error" (14:4)
" "Verily, he truly prospers who purifies
himself" (87:15)
" "You prefer the life of this world,
whereas the Hereafter is better and
everlasting" (87:17 18)
" "We have surely created man to (face)

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hardships" (90:5)
" "Surely, man is ungrateful to His Lord;
and surely, he is very keen for the love
of wealth" (100:7 9)
" "Mutual rivalry in seeking worldly
gains, diverts you from God" (102:2)
" "Wherever you may be, death will
overtake you, even if you be in strongly
built forts" (4:79)
" "And know that your possessions and
your children are but a trial and that it is
God with Whom there is a great reward"
(8:29)
" "Certainly, God wrongs not men at all,
but men wrong their own souls" (10:45)
" "Wealth and children are an ornament
of the life of this world. But lasting good
works are better in the sight of thy Lord"
(18:47)
" "If the ocean became ink for the words
of my Lord, surely, the ocean would be
exhausted before the words of my Lord
came to an end" (18:110)
" "And God increases in guidance those
who follow guidance" (19:77)
" "Every soul shall taste of death"
(21:36)
" "ls not God sufficient for His servant?"
(39:37)
" "Man does not tire of praying for good;
but if evil befalls him, he despairs, giving
up all hope" (41:50)
" "When We bestow a favour on man,
he goes away, turning aside; but when
evil befalls him, behold! he starts
offering long prayers" (41:52)
" "Verily, the most honourable among
you, in the sight of God, is he who is the
most righteous among you" (49:14)
" "It is most hateful in the sight of God
that you should say what you do not do"
(61:4)
" "God will soon bring about ease after
hardship" (65:8)
" "Verily, getting up at night is the most
potent means of subduing the self and
most effective in respect of words of
prayer" (73:7)
" "It is for Us to give life and death; and
it is We Who are the sole inheritor"
(15:24)
" "And call not any other beside God.
There is no god but He; everything else
will perish. His is the Judgment, and
unto Him shall you return" (28:89)
" "Among His signs are the creation of
the heavens and the earth, and the
diversities of your tongues and your
colours. In that indeed are signs for
those who ponder" (30:23)

And, in the context of earlier
generations of people:
" "Those are a people that have passed
away; for them is what they earned, and
for you shall be what you earn and you
shall not be questioned as to what they
did." (2:142)
5. Prophecies in the Holy Quran
The Quran contains numerous
prophecies which cover a wide span of
time. Some of these prophecies were
realized within days of the original
revelation while others took months or
years. Many were fulfilled after the
death of the Holy Prophet and some
relate to events, inventions and
discoveries of the present day. Some of
the prophecies even concern events of
the distant future, up to the Day of
Judgment. As God says in the Quran:
"For every prophecy there is a fixed
time" (6:68). Below are given some of
the prophecies as examples:
(i) When the Holy Prophet was leaving
Mecca at the time of Al-Hijrah, he
received the revelation:
"He Who has made the Quran binding
on thee will most surely bring thee back
to thy birth place" (28:86)
This prophecy was eventually fulfilled
with the conquest of Mecca and the
triumphant return of the Holy Prophet.
(ii) In the year 622 A.D., Chosroe's
armies gained victories against
Heraclius, the Emperor of Rome. The
Iranians got control of Syria, Palestine,
Egypt and Asia Minor and their armies
reached within ten miles of the city of
Constantinople. The people of Mecca
rejoiced at this victory of the fire
worshipers of Iran against the People of
the Book. At this time the Holy Prophet
received the following revelation:
"The Romans have been defeated in the
land nearby, And they, after their defeat,
will be victorious in a few years; The
dominion belongs to God, before and
after, And on that day the believers will
rejoice over the help of God" (30:36)
This prophecy of Surah Room was
fulfilled in a few years when the Romans
defeated the Iranian armies and
recovered their lost territories. This
victory of the Romans also coincided
with the victory of the Muslims at Badr
and thus the second part of the
prophecy, that the Muslims will rejoice
that day, was also fulfilled.
(iii) In Surah ar Rahman, there is a
prophecy:
"He has made the two bodies of water
to flow. They will one day meet.
Between them there is a barrier which
they cannot surmount... There come out
from both of them pearls and
coral"(55:20.23)
This prophecy was fulfilled with the
construction of Suez and Panama
Canals in 1869 and 1914 respectively.
The Suez Canal joined the Red Sea
with the Mediterranean and the Panama
Canal joined the Atlantic with the Pacific
Ocean.
(iv) In Surah al-Hijr is a prophecy
concerning the safe guarding of the Holy
Quran:
"It is We Who have revealed the
Exposition, and it Is We Who are its
guardians" ( 15:10)
The preservation of the Holy Quran in its
original form is a well known fact. God
has indeed guarded the Quran from any
alteration, addition or omission. Of all
the revealed books in the world, the
Holy Quran is the only one which has
remained completely unchanged since it
was first compiled.
PRAYERS IN THE HOLY QURAN
Besides the ritual Prayer called Salat,
Muslims are enjoined to pray to their
Lord for all their spiritual and worldly
needs. These Silent Prayers or
supplications can be offered at any time
during the day and in any language
convenient to the believer.
All prayers in Islam are addressed
directly to God, without going through
the agency of any intermediary. The
Holy Quran teaches its reader the
proper words for prayer and
supplication. This is achieved by direct
exhortations to the believers as well as
by examples of the prayers of earlier
prophets and peoples.
The most well known and oft repeated
prayer in the Holy Quran is Surah al
Fatihah, the first Chapter of the Holy
Quran. This prayer is recited in all the
Daily ritual Prayers:
In the name of God, the Gracious, the
Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds,
The Gracious, the Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment,
Thee alone do we worship, and Thee
alone do we ask for help.
Guide us along the straight path,
The path of those upon whom Thou
bestowed Thy blessings,
Not of those who incurred Thy wrath,
Nor of those who have gone astray. "
(1:1 7)
















































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There are no official Islamic symbols,
but several symbols or images have
a special place in Islam.

Star and Crescent Symbol
The star and crescent is the best-
known symbol used to represent Islam.
It features prominently on the flags of
many countries in the Islamic world,
notably Turkey and Pakistan.
Surprisingly, the symbol is not Muslim in
origin. Rather, it was a polytheistic icon
adopted during the spread of Islam, and
its use today is sometimes controversial
in the Muslim world. The crescent and
star are often said to be Islamic
symbols, but historians say that they
were the insignia of the Ottoman
Empire, not of Islam as a whole.
It is important to keep in mind that Islam
has few traditional symbols, and the
crescent moon and star are not ones
that are recognized by as traditional
symbols by Muslims. The symbol is due
to cultral diffusion and the spread of
Islam to the Ottoman turks who ruled a
large area and also put the crescent
moon and star symbol on their flag. It
has since become associated with
Islam.
Islamic Color Symbolism
In early accounts of Muslim warfare,
there are references to flags or battle
standards of variouscolors: black,
white, red, and greenish-black. Later
Islamic dynasties adopted flags of
different colors:
The Ummayads fought under
white banners
The Abbasids chose black
The Fatimids used green
Various countries on the
Persian Gulf have chosen red
flags
These four colors (white, black, green
and red) dominate the flags of Arab
states.
The color green has a special place in
Islam, and is often used to represent it
among other world religions. One can
often find it in mosques and other
important places, as well as on the flag
of Saudi Arabia. Some say green was
Muhammads favorite color and that he
wore a green cloak and turban, while
others believe it symbolizes vegetation
and life. Some say that after
Muhammad, only the caliphs were
allowed to wear green turbans. In the
Qur'an (Surah 18:31), it is said that the
inhabitants of paradise will wear green
garments of fine silk. While the
reference to the Qur'an is verifiable, it is
not clear if other explanations are
reliable or mere folklore.
Regardless of its origins, the color green
has been firmly cemented in Islamic
culture for centuries; for example, it is
absent in many medieval European
coats of arms, as during the Crusades,
green was the color used by the Islamic
soldiers. Additionally, in the palace of
Topkapi in Istanbul, there is a room with
relics of Muhammad. One of the relics,
kept locked in a chest, is said to have
been Muhammad's banner, under which
he had went to battle. Some say that
this banner is green with golden
embroidery; others
say that it is black.
Other Islamic
Symbols
Certain words in
Arabic script or
characters can be
regarded as visually
representing Islam,
such as "Allah" at the top of this page,
or the Shahada.
A Shi'ite symbol is the sword, which is
identified with Iimam Ali, who they
believe fought with this sword and his
life for Islam.
The gardens of the Mughal Empire in
India were symbols of paradise
(Jannah).

Islam at a glance

The word Islam means 'submission to
the will of God'.
Islam is the second largest religion in
the world with over 1 billion followers.
The 2001 census recorded 1,591,000
Muslims in the UK, around 2.7% of the
population.
Muslims believe that Islam
was revealed over 1400 years ago
in Mecca, Arabia.
Followers of Islam are called
Muslims.
Muslims believe that there is only
One God.
The Arabic word for God is Allah.
According to Muslims, God sent a
number of prophets to mankind to
teach them how to live according
to His law.
Jesus, Moses and Abraham are
respected as prophets of God.
They believe that the final Prophet
was Muhammad.
Muslims believe that Islam has
always existed, but for practical
purposes, date their religion from
the time of the migration of
Muhammad.
Muslims base their laws on their
holy book the Qur'an, and the
Sunnah.
Muslims believe the Sunnah is the
practical example of Prophet
Muhammad and that there are five
basic Pillars of Islam.
These pillars are the declaration
of faith, praying five times a day,
giving money
to charity, fasting and
a pilgrimage to Mecca (atleast
once).

Basic articles of faith
Muslims have six main beliefs.
Belief in Allah as the one and only
God
Belief in angels
Belief in the holy books
Belief in the Prophets...
e.g.
Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), M
usa (Moses), Dawud
(David),Isa (Jesus).
Muhammad (peace be upon
him) is the final prophet.
Belief in the Day of Judgement...
The day when the life of
every human being will be
assessed to decide whether
they go to heaven or hell.
Belief in Predestination...
That Allah has the knowlege
of all that will happen.
Muslims believe that this
doesn't stop human beings
making free choices.
Allah
Allah is the name Muslims use for the
supreme and unique God, who created
and rules everything.
The heart of faith for all Muslims is
obedience to Allah's will.
Allah is eternal, omniscient,
and omnipotent...
Allah has always existed and
will always exist.
Allah knows everything that
can be known.
Allah can do anything that
can be done.
Allah has no shape or form...
Allah can't be seen.
Allah can't be heard.
Allah is neither male nor
female.
Allah is just...
Allah rewards and punishes
fairly.
But Allah is also merciful.
A believer can approach Allah
by praying, and by reciting the
Qur'an.
Muslims worship only Allah...
because only Allah is worthy
of worship.
The one and only God
All Muslims believe that God is one
alone:
There is only one God.
God has no children, no parents,
and no partners.


"Allah" in Arabic

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God was not created by a being.
There are no equal, superior, or
lesser Gods.


Introduction
Jihad
The literal meaning of Jihad is
struggle or effort, and it means much
more than holy war.
Muslims use the word Jihad to describe
three different kinds of struggle:
A believer's internal struggle to live
out the Muslim faith as well as
possible
The struggle to build a good
Muslim society
Holy war: the struggle to defend
Islam, with force if necessary
Many modern writers claim that the
main meaning of Jihad is the internal
spiritual struggle, and this is accepted
by many Muslims.
However there are so many references
to Jihad as a military struggle in Islamic
writings that it is incorrect to claim that
the interpretation of Jihad as holy war is
wrong.
Jihad and the Prophet
The internal Jihad is the one
that Prophet Muhammad is said to
have called the greater Jihad.
But the quotation in which the Prophet
says this is regarded as coming from an
unreliable source by some scholars.
They regard the use of Jihad to
mean holy war as the more important.
The internal Jihad
The internal Jihad
The phrase internal Jihad or greater
Jihad refers to the efforts of a believer to
live their Muslim faith as well as
possible.
All religious people want to live their
lives in the way that will please their
God.
So Muslims make a great effort to live
as Allah has instructed them; following
the rules of the faith, being devoted to
Allah, doing everything they can to help
other people.
For most people, living God's way is
quite a struggle. God sets high
standards, and believers have to fight
with their own selfish desires to live up
to them, no matter how much they love
God.
The five Pillars of Islam as Jihad
The five Pillars of Islam form an
exercise of Jihad in this sense, since a
Muslim gets closer to Allah by
performing them.
Other ways in which a Muslim engages
in the 'greater Jihad' could include:
Learning the Qur'an by heart, or
engage in other religious study.
Overcoming things such as anger,
greed, hatred, pride, or malice.
Giving up smoking.
Cleaning the floor of the mosque.
Taking part in Muslim community
activities.
Working for social justice.
Forgiving someone who has hurt
them.
The Greater Jihad controversy
The Prophet is said to have called the
internal Jihad the "greater Jihad".
On his return from a battle, the Prophet
said: "We are finished with the lesser
jihad; now we are starting the greater
jihad." He explained to his followers that
fighting against an outer enemy is the
lesser jihad and fighting against one's
self is the greater jihad (holy war).
This quotation is regarded as unreliable
by some scholars. They regard the use
of jihad as meaning 'holy war' as the
more important.
However the quotation has been very
influential among some Muslims,
particularly Sufis.
Holy war
When Muslims, or their faith or territory
are under attack, Islam permits (some
say directs) the believer to wage military
war to protect them.
However Islamic (shariah) law sets very
strict rules for the conduct of such a war.
In recent years the most common
meaning of Jihad has been Holy War.
And there is a long tradition of Jihad
being used to mean a military struggle
to benefit Islam.
What can justify Jihad?
There are a number of reasons, but the
Qur'an is clear that self-defence is
always the underlying cause.
Permissable reasons for military Jihad:
Self-defence
Strengthening Islam
Protecting the freedom of Muslims
to practise their faith
Protecting Muslims against
oppression, which could include
overthrowing a tyrannical ruler
Punishing an enemy who breaks
an oath
Putting right a wrong
What a Jihad is not
A war is not a Jihad if the intention is to:
Force people to convert to Islam
Conquer other nations to colonise
them
Take territory for economic gain
Settle disputes
Demonstrate a leader's power
Although the Prophet engaged in
military action on a number of
occasions, these were battles to survive,
rather than conquest, and took place at
a time when fighting between tribes was
common.

6
The rules of Jihad
The rules of Jihad
A military Jihad has to obey very strict
rules in order to be legitimate.
The opponent must always have
started the fighting.
It must not be fought to gain
territory.
It must be launched by a religious
leader.
It must be fought to bring about
good - something that Allah will
approve of.
Every other way of solving the
problem must be tried before
resorting to war.
Innocent people should not be
killed.
Women, children, or old people
should not be killed or hurt.
Women must not be raped.
Enemies must be treated with
justice.
Wounded enemy soldiers must be
treated in exactly the same way as
one's own soldiers.
The war must stop as soon as the
enemy asks for peace.
Property must not be damaged.
Poisoning wells is forbidden. The
modern analogy would be
chemical or biological warfare.

Hijab
Introduction

Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier
or partition.
In Islam, however, it has a broader
meaning. It is the principle of modesty
and includes behaviour as well as dress
for both males and females.
The most visible form of hijab is the
head covering that many Muslim women
wear. Hijab however goes beyond the
head scarf. In one popular school of
Islamic thought, hijab refers to the
complete covering of everything except
the hands, face and feet in long, loose
and non see-through garments. A
woman who wears hijab is called
Muhaajaba.
Muslim women are required to observe
the hijab in front of any man they could
theoretically marry. This means that
hijab is not obligatory in front of the
father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or
young children.
Hijab does not need to be worn in front
of other Muslim women, but there is
debate about what can be revealed to
non-Muslim women.
Modesty rules are open to a wide range
of interpretations. Some Muslim women
wear full-body garments that only
expose their eyes. Some cover every
part of the body except their face and
hands. Some believe only their hair or
their cleavage is compulsory to hide,
and others do not observe any special
dress rules.
In the English speaking world, use of the
word hijab has become limited to mean
the covering on the head of Muslim
woman. However, this is more
accurately called a khimaar.
The khimaaris a convenient solution
comprising usually one, but sometimes
two pieces of cloth, enabling Muslim
women to cover their hair, ears and
neck while outside the home.
Hijab, in the sense of veiling, can also
be achieved by hanging a curtain or
placing a screen between women and
men to allow them to speak to each
other without changing dress. This was
more common in the early days of
Islam, for the wives of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Niqab
Introduction
Niqab is different from hijab. Hijab
refers to covering everything except the
hands and face. Niqab is the term used
to refer to the piece of cloth which
covers the face and women who wear it
usually cover their hands also. It is worn
by many Muslim women across Saudi
Arabia and the Indian subcontinent and
is worn by many women in the West.
Historically, the veiling of the face was
practised by many cultures before Islam
and scholars say the adoption of its
practice by Muslims was part of fitting
into the society.
Although the majority of scholars agree
that hijab is obligatory, only a minority of
them say that the niqab is.
The scholars who do say it is obligatory
are further divided by exactly what they
believe needs to be covered. Some say
that the eyes may be left unconcealed,
while others say that everything must be
concealed.
However, those scholars who rule that
niqab is not an obligation do not
necessarily oppose those who choose
to wear it.
The most authentic ruling according to
the majority of scholars is that it is not
necessary and, unlike hijab, there is no
sin if it is not worn. Some of these
scholars state that wearing the niqab as
an act of extra piety, provided they do
not believe it is an obligation, will be
rewarded.
Muslim headscarves

The word hijab comes from the
Arabic for veil and is used to
describe the headscarves worn
by Muslim women. These
scarves come in myriad styles
and colours. The type most
commonly worn in the West is a
square scarf that covers the
head and neck but leaves the
face clear.


7
The niqab is a veil for the face
that leaves the area around the
eyes clear. However, it may be
worn with a separate eye veil. It
is worn with an accompanying
headscarf.

The burka is the most
concealing of all Islamic veils. It
covers the entire face and body,
leaving just a mesh screen to
see through.

The al-amira is a two-piece veil.
It consists of a close fitting cap,
usually made from cotton or
polyester, and an
accompanying tube-like scarf.

The shayla is a long,
rectangular scarf popular in the
Gulf region. It is wrapped
around the head and tucked or
pinned in place at the
shoulders.

The khimar is a long, cape-like
veil that hangs down to just
above the waist. It covers the
hair, neck and shoulders
completely, but leaves the face
clear.





Sharia
TAll aspects of a Muslim's life are
governed by Sharia. Sharia law comes
from a combination of sources including
the Qur'an (the Muslim holy book),
theHadith (sayings and conduct of the
prophet Muhammad) and fatwas (the
rulings of Islamic scholars).
Many people, including Muslims,
misunderstand Sharia. It's often
associated with the amputation of limbs,
death by stoning, lashes and other
medieval punishments. Because of this,
it is sometimes thought of as draconian.
Some people in the West view Sharia as
archaic and unfair social ideas that are
imposed upon people who live in
Sharia-controlled countires.
Many Muslims, however, hold a different
view. In the Islamic tradition Sharia is
seen as something that nurtures
humanity. They see the Sharia not in the
light of something primitive but as
something divinely revealed. In a society
where social problems are endemic,
Sharia frees humanity to realise its
individual potential.
Muslim holy days
There are only two Muslim festivals set
down in Islamic law: Eid ul Fitr and Eid
ul Adha (Eid or Id is a word meaning
festival). But there are also several other
special days which Muslims celebrate.
Some Muslims disapprove of
celebrating the birthday of the
Prophet, on the grounds that it is an
innovation, and innovations in religious
matters are forbidden.
Some Muslims say that if changes were
made in religious matters it would imply
that Islam was not complete when it was
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, or
that the Prophet did not tell Muslims
everything that was revealed to him.
This would be seen as highly
sacrilegious by many Muslims.
Ashura (10 Muharram)
Ashura has been a day of fasting
for Sunni Muslims since the days of the
early Muslim community. It marks two
historical events: the day Nuh (Noah)
left the Ark, and the day
that Musa(Moses) was saved from the
Egyptians by Allah.
Shi'a Muslims in particular use the day
to commemorate the martyrdom of
Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet, in
680 CE.
In Shi'ite communities this is a solemn
day: plays re-enacting the martyrdom
are often staged and many take part in
mourning rituals.
Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal)
The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE
by the Prophet Muhammad with his
friends and relatives after the victory of
the battle of Jang-e-Badar.
Muslims are not only celebrating the end
of fasting, but thankingAllah for the
help and strength that he gave them
throughout the previous month to help
them practise self-control.
The festival begins when the first sight
of the new moon is seen in the sky.
Muslims in most countries rely on news
of an official sighting, rather than looking
at the sky themselves.

8
The celebratory atmosphere is
increased by everyone wearing best or
new clothes, and decorating their
homes.
There are special services out of doors
and in mosques, processions through
the streets, and of course, a special
celebratory meal - eaten during
daytime, the first daytime meal Muslims
will have had in a month.
Eid is also a time of forgiveness, and
making amends.
Lailat al Qadr (27 Ramadan) - Night of
Power
Lailat al Qadr, the Night of Power,
marks the night in which theQur'an was
first revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad by Allah.
Muslims regard this as the most
important event in history, and the
Qur'an says that this night is better than
a thousand months (97:3), and that on
this night the angels descend to earth.
This is a time that Muslims spend in
study and prayer. Some will spend the
whole night in prayer or in reciting the
Qur'an.
Lailat al Qadr is a good time to ask for
forgiveness.
Whoever establishes the prayers on the
night of Qadr out of sincere faith and
hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to
show off) then all his past sins will be
forgiven.
Hadith, Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2:34
Lailat al Qadr takes place
during Ramadan. The date of 27
Ramadan for this day is a traditional
date, as the Prophet Muhammad did not
mention when the Night of Power would
be, although it was suggested it was in
the last 10 days of the month.
Because of this, many Muslims will treat
the last 10 days of the month of
Ramadan as a particularly good time for
prayer and reading the Qur'an.
Milad un Nabi (12 Rabi-ul-Awwal) -
Birthday of the Prophet
Milad un Nabi marks the birthday of
theProphet Muhammad.
Muslim parents will tell stories of the
Prophet's life to their children. Those
Muslims who celebrate this festival do
so joyfully.
It may seem strange to non-Muslims,
but many Muslims do not believe in
celebrating birthdays or death
anniversaries because there is no
historical evidence that the Prophet
Muhammad ever did this.
A blessing for the whole universe
Despite this, large numbers of Muslims
do commemorate the birth anniversary
of the Holy Prophet, which falls on 12
Rabi-ul-Awwal of the Islamic lunar
calendar.
This date is important to Muslims
because the birth of the Prophet
Muhammad is regarded as a great
blessing for the whole of humanity.
The Prophet Muhammad is deemed to
be the chief of all the Prophets sent on
earth and it is to him that the
Holy Qur'an was revealed.
A quiet festival
There are only restricted festivities on
Eid Milad-Un-Nabi because the same
day also marks the anniversary of the
death of the Prophet.
Focussing on the Prophet
The event is marked by public
gatherings of Muslims. At these
meetings religious leaders make
speeches about the life of the Prophet.
Stories are told about different aspects
of the life of the Prophet, his birth,
childhood, youth and adult life.
The most important part of Eid Milad-
Un-Nabi is focusing upon the character
of the Prophet; on his teachings,
sufferings, and how he forgave even his
most bitter enemies.
Muslims think about the leadership of
the Prophet, his bravery, wisdom,
preaching and his final triumph over the
Meccan Muslims.
Festivities
As well as recounting the Prophet's life,
salutations and songs in his praise are
recited. In some countries, streets and
mosques are decorated and illuminated
at night.
Some Muslims donate to charity.
Families gather together, feasts are
arranged and food is served to guests
and the poor.
Al-Hijra (1 Muharram): New Year's
Day
Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is the
first day of the month of Muharram. It
marks the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 CE
when theProphet Muhammad moved
from Mecca to Medina, and set up the
first Islamic state.
The Muslim calendar counts dates from
the Hijra, which is why Muslim dates
have the suffix A.H. (After Hijra).
It's a low-key event in the Muslim world,
celebrated less than the two major
festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.
New Year rituals
There is no specific religious ritual
required on this day, but Muslims will
think about the general meaning of
Hijra, and regard this as a good time for
'New Year Resolutions'.
The start of Islam as a community
The date marks the beginning of Islam
as a community in which spiritual and
earthly life were completely integrated. It
was a community inspired by God, and
totally obedient to God; a group of
people bound together by faith
By breaking the link with his own tribe
the Prophet demonstrated that tribal and
family loyalties were insignificant
compared to the bonds of Islam.
This Muslim community grew steadily
over time, unifying the many tribes that
had made up the Arab world
beforehand.
Earthly and heavenly power
Islam now developed as a combined
spiritual and earthly community, with
political and military power working hand
in hand with spiritual power and
guidance.

9
At the same time the community
developed the religious and
ethical codes of behaviour that still
provide the foundation of Muslim life.
Eid ul Adha (10 Dhul-Hijja) - the
festival of sacrifice
This is a four-day public holiday in
Muslim countries.
The festival remembers the
prophet Ibrahim's willingness to
sacrifice his son when God ordered him
to.
Ibrahim's sacrifice
God appeared in a dream to Ibrahim
and told him to sacrifice his son Isma'il.
Ibrahim and Isma'il set off to Mina for
the sacrifice.
As they went, the devil attempted to
persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and
not to sacrifice his beloved son. But
Ibrahim stayed true to God, and drove
the devil away.
As Ibrahim prepared to kill his son God
stopped him and gave him a sheep to
sacrifice instead.
Celebrations
Ibrahim's complete obedience to the will
of God is celebrated by Muslims each
year.
Each Muslim, as they celebrate,
reminds themselves of their own
submission to God, and their own
willingness to sacrifice anything to God's
wishes.
During the festival Muslims who can
afford to, sacrifice domestic animals,
usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibraham's
sacrifice. (British law insists that the
animals must be killed in a proper
slaughterhouse.)
The meat is distributed among family,
friends and the poor, who each get a
third share.
As with all festivals there are prayers,
and also presents.
Lailat al Miraj (27 Rajab)
The night journey and ascent of
the Prophet Muhammad, and the
revelation of Salat.
The festival is celebrated by telling the
story of how the Prophet Muhammad
was visited by two archangels while he
was asleep, who purified his heart and
filled him with knowledge and faith.
The Prophet travelled from Mecca to
Jerusalem in a single night on a strange
winged creature called Buraq. From
Jerusalem he ascended into heaven,
where he met the earlier prophets, and
eventually God.
During his time in heaven Muhammad
was told of the duty of Muslims to
recite Salat (ritual prayer) five times a
day.
Ramadan
When is Ramadan?
Find the dates for Ramadan 2012 in
the multifaith calendar
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast
during daylight hours.
There are several reasons why
Ramadan is considered important:
The Qur'an was first revealed
during this month
The gates of Heaven are open
The gates of Hell are closed and
the devils are chained up in Hell.
The Qur'an revealed
The month of Ramadan in which was
revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for
mankind and clear proofs for the
guidance and the criterion (between
right and wrong)
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
The actual night that the Qur'an was
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad is
called Lailat ul Qadr, and to stand in
prayer on this one night is said to be
better than a thousand months of
worship.
Ramadan is often called 'month of the
Qur'an' because of this, and Muslims
attempt to recite as much of the Qur'an
as they can during the month. Most
mosques will recite one thirtieth of the
Qur'an each night during the Taraweeh
prayers.
No one knows on which particular night
the Qur'an was first revealed, but it is
said to be one of the last ten nights of
Ramadan.
The gates of Heaven are open and
the gates of Hell are closed
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"When Ramadan comes, the gates of
Paradise are opened and the gates of
Hell are closed, and the devils are put in
chains."
(Agreed upon)
Muslims believe that their good actions
bring a greater reward during this month
than at any other time of year, because
this month has been blessed by Allah.
They also believe that it is easier to do
good in this month because the devils
have been chained in Hell, and so can't
tempt believers. This doesn't mean that
Muslims will not behave badly, but that
any evil that they do comes from within
themselves, without additional
encouragement from Satan.
Almost all Muslims try to give up bad
habits during Ramadan, and some will
try to become better Muslims by praying
more or reading the Qur'an.
Muslims believe that this is one way that
the chaining up of the devils is
manifested, since there is no other
reason for them to do so.
Special practices
There are a number of special practices
which are only done during Ramadan.
Fasting the whole month long
Although Muslims fast during other
times of the year, Ramadan is the only
time when fasting, or sawm, is
obligatory during the entire month for
every able Muslim.
Ramadan is intended to increase self-
control in all areas, including food,
sleeping, sex and the use of time.

10
Taraweeh Prayers
These are long night prayers, which are
not obligatory, but highly recommended.
Mosques are filled with worshippers who
go to attend these prayers, which
usually last for one and a half to two
hours.
These prayers also give Muslims a
chance to meet at the mosque every
day, and so they also help to improve
relationships in the Muslim community.
I'tikaf
I'tikaf refers to going into seclusion
during the last ten nights of Ramadan, in
order to seek Lailat ul Qadr by praying
and reading the Qur'an. Some people
live in the mosque during this time for
serious reflection and worship. Others
spend a few hours at the mosque or
home.

The date of Ramadan
Find the dates for Ramadan 2012 in
the multifaith calendar
Confusion
Ramadan is the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar and as with all months
in the Islamic calendar, its start is based
on the sighting of the new moon.
There can be confusion and
disagreement over the starting date of
this month. Since the month is full of
blessings and marks the beginning of
fasting, or sawm, accuracy is very
important.
Since Muslims live all over the world,
but Islam started in what is now known
as Saudi Arabia, they may not agree as
to which countrys first moon sighting
marks the start of the month.
But although Muslims do often start and
end Ramadan on slightly different days,
there is little real ill will, and it is
forgotten once the fasting starts.
Sighting in each country
Some Muslims believe that a new moon
sighting from their individual country
marks the start of Ramadan.
One argument for accepting this is that
Islam is regarded as a way of life for all
people. Choosing a local sighting
includes those who do not have access
to technology or fast communication.
It's argued that unity within a known
geographic location is more important
than celebrating Ramadan with people
who live in another country or continent.
Sighting in Saudi Arabia
Other Muslims believe that the sighting
of the new moon from Saudi Arabia
marks the beginning of Ramadan.
They believe this unifies all Muslims, as
well as carrying on the tradition of the
Prophet Muhammad.
Technology
Some Muslims believe that technology
should be used to mark the true date.
In 2006, the Fiqh Council of North
America decided they will no longer use
naked eye sightings of the moon, but
will use astronomical calculations
instead to determine the start of
Ramadan. Not all Muslims agree with
this approach.
Health advice
Advice on health during Ramadan
In this section, Professor Saghir
Akhtar gives his health tips for fasting.
Ramadan is a month where believers
learn to exercise self-control. A major
facet of this is the abstinence from food
and drink that is prescribed to all healthy
Muslims during the hours of sunrise to
sunset. Although the sick are exempt,
many continue to fast and therefore
abstain not only from eating and
drinking water but also from consuming
oral medications and intravenous
nutritional fluids. This article provides a
personal reflection on what advice might
be pertinent for fasting Muslims in good
health and those on medication.
Advice on diet

During years where Ramadan falls in
the winter, and the long hot days of the
summer a mere distant memory, most of
the health problems are likely to arise
from inappropriate diet, over-eating and
insufficient sleep. Firstly, there is no
need to consume excess food
at Iftar(the food eaten immediately after
sunset to break the fast), dinner
or Sahur (the light meal generally eaten
about half an hour to one hour before
dawn).
The reasons for this are two-fold. Firstly
and most importantly such a lifestyle
contradicts the principal aims and spirit
of Ramadan. A learned scholar once
said that "There is no receptacle more
odious to God, than a belly stuffed full of
food after a fast" and therefore "of what
use is the Fast as a means of
conquering God's enemy and abating
appetite, if at the time of breaking it one
not only makes up for all one has
missed during the daytime, but perhaps
also indulges in a variety of extra
foods?" Indeed, there is a concern that it
is becoming customary for some to
"stock up" for Ramadan, so that more is
consumed during this time than in the
course of several other months
combined. It is therefore worth reflecting
on the true objective of fasting which is
to experience hunger and to check
desire in an attempt to reinforce the soul
in piety.
Secondly, the body has regulatory
mechanisms that reduce the metabolic
rate and ensure efficient utilization of the
body's fat reserves in times of hunger.
Add to this the fact that most people
assume a more sedentary lifestyle whilst
fasting and the implication is that a
balanced diet that is even less in
quantity that normal will be sufficient to
keep a person healthy and active during
the month of Ramadan.
To remain healthy during Ramadan,
normal quantities of food from the major
food groups: bread and cereal, milk and
dairy product, fish, meat and poultry,
bean, vegetable and fruit should be
consumed. (Vegetarians and Vegans
should amend this list as appropriate).
Intake of fruits after a meal is strongly
suggested. In actual fact, our diet in
Ramadan should not differ very much
from our normal diet and should be as
simple as possible. The diet should be
such that we maintain our normal
weight, neither losing nor gaining.
However, if one is over-weight,
Ramadan is an ideal time to shed those
extra pounds!
In view of the long hours of fasting, we
should consume the so-called 'complex
carbohydrates' or slow digesting foods

11
at Sahur so that the food lasts longer
(about 8 hours) making you less hungry
during the day. These complex
carbohydrates are found in foods that
contain grains and seeds like barley,
wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans,
lentils, wholemeal flour, and unpolished
rice.
In contrast, refined carbohydrates or
fast-digesting foods last for only 3 to 4
hours and may be better taken at Iftar to
rapidly restore blood glucose levels.
Fast-burning foods include foods that
contain sugar and white flour. Dates are
an excellent source of sugar, fibre,
carbohydrates, potassium and
magnesium and have been
recommended since the days of the
Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) as a good
way of breaking the fast.
Fried foods, very spicy foods and foods
containing too much sugar such as
sweets, the delight of many Muslims,
can cause health problems and should
be limited during Ramadan. They cause
indigestion, heartburn, and weight
problems. Fasting can often increase
gastric acidity levels in the stomach
causing a burning feeling, a heaviness
in the stomach and a sour mouth. This
can be overcome by eating foods rich in
fibre such as whole wheat bread,
vegetables, humus, beans and fruits.
These foods trigger muscular action,
churning and mixing of food, breaking it
into small particles, and thus help
reduce the build up of acid in the
stomach.
Drinking of sufficient water and juices
between Iftar and sleep to avoid
dehydration and for detoxification of the
digestive system should be encouraged
in fasting individuals. However, the
intake of large amounts of caffeine-
containing beverages should be avoided
especially at Sahur. For example,
drinking too much tea will make one
pass more urine and inevitably cause
the loss of valuable mineral salts that
your body would otherwise need during
the day. Fruits such as bananas are a
good source of potassium, magnesium
and carbohydrates. However, bananas
can cause constipation and their intake
has to be balanced with adequate fibre
intake.
It is recommended that everyone
engage in some kind of light exercise,
such as stretching or walking. Exercise,
together with a balanced diet, should
help everyone watch their weight during
Ramadan. Anyone overweight should
increase the amount of exercise and
reduce the amount of food intake to help
reduce weight.
It is also important to follow good time
management procedures for Ibada
(prayer and other religious activities),
sleep, studies, work, and physical
activities or exercise. A good balance in
the amount of time attributed for each
activity will lead to a healthier body and
mind in Ramadan.
Advice for the sick who fast during
Ramadan
Ramadan fasting is obligatory for the
healthy adult but when fasting may
significantly affect the health of the
fasting individual or when one is
genuinely sick, Islam exempts him from
fasting. "God intends every facility for
you, he does not want to put you into
difficulties" (Quran 2:185). However, a
significant number of ill patients, for
whatever reasons, do decide to observe
the fast. And it is these patients who
need to seek the opinion of health
professionals on an individual basis.
Those suffering from minor ailments
really do not have any problems fasting.
Those suffering from acute conditions
may need advice about altering their
dosing regimen i.e. the amount and
frequency of their medication. Drugs
that are normally required to be taken
frequently, such as many antibiotics,
can be problematic for the fasting
patient. However, the increasing
availability of alternative drugs with long
half-lives (circulation times in the body)
and the increasing formulation of short-
acting drugs as sustained release
preparations have offered much needed
assistance to fasting patients.
For example patients suffering from
acute upper respiratory infections such
as a severe sore throat may still be able
to fast. Normally such a patient may be
prescribed antibiotics that have to be
taken 3 or 4 times a day and would not
be able to fast. However in order to
facilitate fasting, the patient could be
given a long-acting antibiotic such as
Septrin (co-trimaxozole), which only
needs to be taken once every 12 hours,
or Zithromax (azithromycin), which only
needs to be taken once daily. This can
only be done when the infecting
organisms are treatable with the
alternative antibiotics and this needs to
be discussed with the patient's own
medical practitioner on a case-by-case
basis.
An example where alternative routes of
drug administration may help fasting
patients is the use of transdermal (skin)
patches. For example some patients
suffering from mild forms of angina
pectoris, a heart condition, could benefit
from taking their medication, glyceryl
trinitrate, as a skin patch rather than
sub-lingual tablets. Here, the drug would
be effective by entering the blood
stream through the skin, and not orally
(which would break the fast). Again, this
may only be possible in specific patients
and needs to be discussed with the
patient's doctor. Pharmacists are
generally willing to advise patients on
the availability of alternative dosage
forms for medication during Ramadan.
An example of where sustained release
formulations may help is that of the
fasting patients suffering from mild
forms of hypertension (high blood
pressure). These patients can be given
their drug in formulations that only
require once-daily dosing. Here the drug
can be administered orally at Sahur and
the special formulation then allows the
drug to slowly release into the body over
a day. In fact, there is a school of
thought among medical practitioners
that those patients who have mild to
moderate high blood pressure and are
also overweight should be encouraged
to fast as fasting may help to lower their
blood pressure. Such patients should
see their physician to adjust medication.
For example, the dose of diuretics
should be reduced to avoid dehydration,
and sustained release formulations such
as Inderal LA can be given once a day
before the pre-dawn meal.
An increasing case where practitioners
are likely to advise patients on fasting is
in those suffering from Diabetes
mellitus. Many Muslims, especially of
Asian descent, have an increased risk of
suffering from some form of diabetes.
The International Journal of Ramadan
Fasting Research has suggested the
following guidelines for health
professionals treating Muslim patients
with diabetes: "Diabetic patients who
are controlled by diet alone can fast and
hopefully, with weight reduction, their
diabetes may even be improved.
Diabetics who are taking oral
hypoglycaemic agents along with the
dietary control should exercise extreme
caution if they decide to fast. These
patients should consult their medical
doctor for dose adjustment. If they
develop low blood sugar symptoms in
the daytime, they should end the fast
immediately."
In addition, diabetics taking insulin
should consult their doctor to see if their
dose can be adjusted for them to fast
during Ramadan. In all cases of Muslim
diabetics fasting, they should closely
monitor their blood sugar levels
especially before and after meals.
In summary, Islam offers an exemption
to the sick from observing their fast
during the holy month of Ramadan.
However, some patients may be able to
fast if their health is not adversely

12
affected during the period of fasting. In
such cases, advice from pharmacists
and doctors about changing
prescriptions to equally effective drugs
that have reduced dosing, such as
sustained release formulations, may be
beneficial to the fasting Muslim. In all
cases of illness, it is recommended that
Muslim patients, if they do fast, do so
under medical supervision.

PRACTICES
The Five Pillars of Islam
The most important Muslim practices
are the Five Pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam are the five
obligations that every Muslim must
satisfy in order to live a good and
responsible life according to Islam.
The Five Pillars consist of:
Shahadah: sincerely reciting the
Muslim profession of faith
Salat: performing ritual prayers in
the proper way five times each day
Zakat: paying an alms (or charity)
tax to benefit the poor and the
needy
Sawm: fasting during the month of
Ramadan
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
Why are they important?
Carrying out these obligations provides
the framework of a Muslim's life, and
weaves their everyday activities and
their beliefs into a single cloth of
religious devotion.
No matter how sincerely a person may
believe, Islam regards it as pointless to
live life without putting that faith into
action and practice.
Carrying out the Five Pillars
demonstrates that the Muslim is putting
their faith first, and not just trying to fit it
in around their secular lives.
Salat
Salat is the obligatory Muslim prayers,
performed five times each day by
Muslims. It is the second Pillar of
Islam.
God ordered Muslims to pray at five set
times of day:
Salat al-fajr: dawn, before sunrise
Salat al-zuhr: midday, after the sun
passes its highest
Salat al-'asr: the late part of the
afternoon
Salat al-maghrib: just after sunset
Salat al-'isha: between sunset and
midnight
All Muslims try to do this. Muslim
children as young as seven are
encouraged to pray.
Prayer sets the rhythm of the day
This prayer timetable gives Muslims the
pattern of their day.
In Islamic countries, the public call to
prayer from the mosques sets the
rhythm of the day for the entire
population, including non-Muslims.
A universal Muslim ritual
The prayer ritual, which is over 1400
years old, is repeated five times a day
by hundreds of millions of people all
round the world.
Carrying it out is not only highly spiritual,
but connects each Muslim to all others
around the world, and to all those who
have uttered the same words and made
the same movements at different times
in Islamic history.
Prayers of body, mind and soul
The set prayers are not just phrases to
be spoken.
Prayer for a Muslim involves uniting
mind, soul, and body in worship; so a
Muslim carrying out these prayers will
perform a whole series of set
movements that go with the words of
the prayer.
Muslims make sure that they are in the
right frame of mind before they pray;
they put aside all everyday cares and
thoughts so that they can concentrate
exclusively on God.
If a Muslim prays without the right
attitude of mind, it as if they hadn't
bothered to pray at all.
Woe to those who pray, but are
unmindful of their prayer, or who pray
only to be seen by people
Qur'an 107:4-6
Muslims don't pray for God's benefit
Muslims do not pray for the benefit of
Allah.
Allah does not need human prayers
because he has no needs at all.
Muslims pray because God has told
them that they are to do this, and
because they believe that they obtain
great benefit in doing so.
Muslims pray direct to God
A Muslim prays as if standing in the
presence of Allah.
In the ritual prayers each individual
Muslim is in direct contact with Allah.
There is no need of a priest as an
intermediary. (While there is a prayer
leader in the mosque - the imam - they
are not a priest, simply a person who
knows a great deal about Islam.)
Praying in the mosque
Muslims can pray anywhere, but it is
especially good to pray with others in a
mosque.
Praying together in a congregation helps
Muslims to realise that all humanity is
one, and all are equal in the sight of
Allah.
Ritual washing
Muslims must be clean before they pray.
They make sure of this by
performing ritual washing, called
wudhu. Mosques have washing
facilities.

Hajj
Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic
group, colour, social status, and culture
gather together in Mecca and stand
before the Kaaba praising Allah
together.
It is a ritual that is designed to promote
the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and
sisterhood by showing that everyone is
equal in the eyes of Allah.

13
The Hajj makes Muslims feel real
importance of life here on earth, and the
afterlife, by stripping away all markers of
social status, wealth, and pride. In the
Hajj all are truly equal.
The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white
clothes called Ihram. During the Hajj the
Pilgrims perform acts of worship and
they renew their sense of purpose in the
world.
Mecca is a place that is holy to all
Muslims. It is so holy that no non-
Muslim is allowed to enter.
For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and
final pillar of Islam. It occurs in the
month of Dhul Hijjah which is the twelfth
month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is
the journey that every sane adult Muslim
must undertake at least once in their
lives if they can afford it and are
physically able.
History
History of the Hajj
Four thousand years ago the valley of
Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place.
Muslims believe the
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was
instructed to bring his wife, Hajira
(Hagar) and their child Is'mail to Arabia
from Palestine to protect them from the
jealousy of Ibrahim's first wife Sarah.
Allah told the Prophet Ibrahim to leave
them on their own, and he did so, with
some supplies of food and water.
However the supplies quickly ran out
and within a few days Hajira and Is'mail
were suffering from hunger and
dehydration.
In her desperation Hajira ran up and
down two hills called Safa and Marwa
trying to see if she could spot any help
in the distance. Finally she collapsed
beside Is'mail and prayed to Allah for
deliverance.
Is'mail struck his foot on the ground and
this caused a spring of water to gush
forth from the earth. Hajira and Is'mail
were saved. Now they had a secure
water supply they were able to trade
water with passing nomads for food and
supplies.
After a while the Prophet Ibrahim
returned from Palestine to check on his
family and was amazed to see them
running a profitable well.
The Prophet Ibrahim was told by Allah
to build a shrine dedicated to him.
Ibrahim and Is'mail constructed a small
stone structure - the Kaaba or Cube -
which was to be the gathering place for
all who wished to strengthen their faith
in Allah.
As the years passed Is'mail was blessed
with Prophethood and he gave the
nomads of the desert the message of
surrender to Allah.
After many centuries, Mecca became a
thriving city thanks to its reliable water
source, the well of Zam Zam.
Gradually, the people began to adopt
polytheistic ideas, and worship spirits
and many different gods. The shrine of
the Prophet Ibrahim was used to store
idols.
After many years, Allah told the Prophet
Muhammed that he should restore the
Kaaba to the worship of Allah only.
In the year 628 the Prophet Muhammed
set out on a journey with 1400 of his
followers. This was the first pilgrimage in
Islam, and would re-establish the
religious traditions of the Prophet
Ibrahim.

Guide to going to Mecca
It's best to travel light, so only take
essentials.
Many pilgrims fly to Jeddah, and then
travel to Mecca by bus.
Once you get to Mecca, there are two
rituals which you can perform; the lesser
pilgrimage or Umra, and the main
pilgrimage or Hajj.
The Umra is an extra, optional
pilgrimage and does not count as the
once-in-a-lifetime Hajj. Although it
includes some of the rituals of the Hajj,
they are shortened and there are fewer
of them.
Most pilgrims who come for the Hajj
arrive a few days before it actually starts
and perform Umra first. Combining the
Hajj with the Umrah is called a Hajji-
Tamattu.
Being pure
To carry out the pilgrimage rituals you
need to be in a state ofIhram, which is a
special state of ritual purity.
You do this by making a statement of
intention, wearing special white clothes
(which are also called ihram) and
obeying the regulations below.
The person on the Hajj may not:
Engage in marital relations
Shave or cut their nails
Use cologne or scented oils
Kill or hunt anything
Fight or argue.
Women must not cover their faces,
even if they would do so in their
home country.
Men may not wear clothes with
stitching.
Bathing is allowed but scented
soaps are frowned upon.
Umra
The Hajj is a real pilgrimage - a journey,
with rites and rituals to be done along
the way.
You begin at a place just outside Mecca
called the Miqat, or entry station to the
Hajj.
There you bathe, put on the Ihram (the
special white clothes), make the
intention for Umra and begin reciting the
Talbiya Du'a (prayer).
Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here
I am at your service! You have no
partner. Here I am at your service. All
praise and blessings belong to you. All
dominion is yours and You have no
partner.
Talbiya Du'a
Then you go to the Masjid al Haram and
walk around the Ka'ba seven times
repeating du'as and prayers. This is
called the Tawaf. Afterwards you should
sip some Zam Zam water.

14
Zam Zam water is water from the Zam
Zam well, the sacred well which opened
in the desert to save Hajira and Is'mail
from dying of thirst.
Next you go to the walkway between the
hills of Safa and Marwa and walk back
and forth between them seven times.
This completes the Umra portion of the
Hajj rituals and some of the Ihram
restrictions are relaxed.
Hajj
Now make your intention for the Hajj
and put on the Ihram garments again.
Travel to Mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah
(a date in the Islamic calendar) and
remain there until Fajr (dawn) next
morning.
Then you travel to the valley of Arafat
and stand in the open praising Allah.
The heat of Arabia at midday provides a
hint as to what the Day of Judgement
will be like.
At the end of the day, travel to Muzdalifa
for the night. Gather together 49 or 70
small stones together to use the next
day.
In the morning you return to Mina and
throw the stones at pillars called
Jamraat. These represent the devil.
Then a sacrifice called a Qurbani should
be made in which a lamb or sheep is
slaughtered and the meat distributed
among the poor. After this, men's heads
are shaved and women cut a lock of
their hair.
Then return to Mecca and make
a Tawaf (this is the ritual of walking
around the Ka'aba seven times). Then
it's back to Mina for 3 or 4 days, stoning
the pillars each day.
Finally do a farewell Tawaf in Masjid-al
Haram on the twelfth day of the month
of Dhul Hijjah, ask Allah's forgiveness,
make du'aand the Hajj is finished.
Many people then go to the Prophet's
Mosque in Medina, but this is optional.
A man who has completed the Hajj is
called a Hajji, a woman who has
completed it is called a Hajjah.
At the end of the Hajj, Muslims from all
over the world celebrate the holiday
known as the Eid ul Adha or Festival of
the sacrifice.
This festival commemorates the
obedience of the Prophet Ibrahim when
he was ordered to sacrifice his son
Is'mail.
Ibrahim proved his love and devotion to
Allah by showing his willingness to kill
his beloved son if Allah wished it. In the
end Ibrahim did not have to kill his son
as Allah gave him a ram to sacrifice
instead.


Shahadah
"There is no God but Allah, and
Muhammad is his messenger."
This is the basic statement of the
Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite
this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim.
When a Muslim recites this they
proclaim:
That Allah is the only God, and that
Muhammad is his prophet
That they personally accept this as
true
That they will obey all the
commitments of Islam in their life
The Shahadah is the first of the Five
Pillars of Islam.
Becoming a Muslim
Reciting this statement three times in
front of witnesses is all that anyone
need do to become a Muslim.
A Muslim is expected to recite this
statement out loud, with total sincerity,
fully understanding what it means.
The Arabic can be transliterated into the
Roman alphabet like this:
Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa
Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu
Allah
Transliteration of the shahadah from
the Arabic
The Shahadah is written in Arabic on
the flag of Saudi Arabia, the state that
contains Islam's holiest places.

Zakat
Zakat is the compulsory giving of a set
proportion of one's wealth to charity. It is
regarded as a type of worship and of
self-purification. Zakat is the third Pillar
of Islam.
Zakat does not refer to charitable gifts
given out of kindness or generosity, but
to the systematic giving of 2.5% of one's
wealth each year to benefit the poor.
The benefits of Zakat, apart from
helping the poor, are as follows:
Obeying God
Helping a person acknowledge that
everything comes fromGod on
loan and that we do not really own
anything ourselves
And since we cannot take
anything with us when we die
we need not cling to it
Acknowledging that whether we
are rich or poor is God's choice
So we should help those he
has chosen to make poor
Learning self-discipline
Freeing oneself from the love of
possessions and greed
Freeing oneself from the love of
money
Freeing oneself from love of
oneself
Behaving honestly
The 2.5% rate only applies to cash, gold
and silver, and commercial items. There
are other rates for farm and mining
produce, and for animals.


15
Mosque
Muslims worship in a building called a
mosque. An alternative word for
mosque, from the original Arabic,
is masjid, meaning place of prostration.
Outside every mosque, or just inside the
entrance, is a place where worshippers
can remove and leave their shoes.
There is also a place where they can
carry out the ritual washingrequired
before prayer.
The main hall of a mosque is a bare
room largely devoid of furniture. There
are no pictures or statues. Muslims
believe these are blasphemous, since
there can be no image of Allah, who is
wholly spirit.
Everyone sits on the floor and
everywhere in the mosque is equal in
status.
A niche in one of the walls, called a
mihrab, shows the direction that the
worshippers should face in order to face
Mecca.
Many mosques have a minaret which is
a tall thin tower. A muezzin stands at the
top of the tower and calls Muslims to
prayer at the five ritual times of the day.
Not all mosques in the UK have a
minaret.
Women can attend the mosque and
when they do they sit separately from
the men. This is out of modesty and to
prevent any distraction. It is more usual
for women to pray at home.
WUDHU
Hands
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said
'cleanliness is half of faith'. Wudhu is the
ritual washing performed by Muslims
before prayer. Muslims must be clean
and wear good clothes before they
present themselves before God.

Muslims start in the name of God, and
begin by washing the right, and then the
left hand three times.

Takbir
Although Muslims can pray to God at
any time, there are five prayers they are
obligated to perform throughout the day.
They follow the same pattern so
everyone can follow in congregation,
and set prayers are always recited in
Arabic.

Takbir is entering into the state of prayer
by glorifying God. Muslims face towards
Makkah and make the intention to pray.
To begin the act of prayer, they say
'Allahu Akbar' meaning God is great,
raising the hands to the ears or
shoulder.

Muslim birth rites
Muslims have some very simple rites for
welcoming a child.
The Muslim call to prayer or adhaan
("God is great, there is no God but
Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of
Allah. Come to prayer.") are the first
words a newborn Muslim baby should
hear. They are whispered into the right
ear of the child by his or her father.
The baby's first taste should be
something sweet, so parents may chew
a piece of date and rub the juice along
the baby's gums. It was a practice
carried out by the Prophet
Muhammadand is believed to help tiny
digestive systems to kick in.
There are a number of events that take
place on or after the seventh day.
After seven days the baby's head is
shaved (a tradition also carried out
by Hindus). This is to show that the
child is the servant of Allah. Although
Hindus may take the baby's hair to India
and scatter it in the holy river Ganges,
Muslims weigh it and give the equivalent
weight in silver to charity.
Ideally, Muslim baby boys
are circumcised when they are seven
days old although it can take place any
time before puberty. It is also tradition to
choose a name for the baby on the
seventh day.
The aqeeqah is also traditionally carried
out on the seventh day. This is a
celebration which involves the slaughter
of sheep. Sheep are sacrificed (in
Britain the meat is ordered at the
butchers) and the meat is distributed to
relatives and neighbours and also given
to the poor.
Muslim weddings
Muslim weddings vary enormously
according to the culture of the people
involved.
Many people in the UK, for example,
confuse the celebrations at a Pakistani
or Bangladeshi wedding with an Islamic
wedding, and assume they are the
same thing. This is not so, of course, for
many of the Muslims who marry are
from widely different cultures - for
example European, Turkish, African,
Malaysian, and so on.
Secondly, it is important to realise that
the 'wedding' means different things too.
For many Muslims, it is the Islamic
ceremony that counts as the actual
wedding, and not the confirmation of
that wedding in a registry office.
Oddly enough, although mosques are
obviously places of worship, the majority
of them in the UK have not yet been
officially registered as such, and so any
Islamic wedding that merely takes place
at a mosque has to be registered legally
with the UK law as well, in order to be
seen as valid in the UK.
Having said that, of course it is a fact
that many couples live together these
days as 'partners', and 'common law
wives' have recently been accorded
various legal rights they were not
entitled to previously.
Muslim law
A legal contract
In Islam, a person should be properly
married, and this should include both
the religious ceremony and the legal
requirements of the law of the land -
something not of prime concern to
certain Muslims. However, Muslims who
marry without legal registration are
putting their womenfolk at some risk,
and their children are not legitimate in
the eyes of the UK law - and no Muslim
should wish to put his wife and children
in this difficult position.
In Islam, marriages are not considered
to be 'made in heaven' between 'soul-
mates' destined for each other; they are
not sacraments. They are social
contracts which bring rights and
obligations to both parties, and can only
be successful when these are mutually
respected and cherished.
If and when such contracts are broken,
either party is entitled to seek divorce. It
is not assumed that a couple will remain
together 'till death do us part'. Islam is
realistic, and aware that many
marriages go wrong and break down for
all sorts of reasons. However, most
marriages commence with the best of
intentions, and the state of marriage is
regarded as the ideal way for Muslims to

16
live. Celibacy is disapproved, as it may
lead to all sorts of psychological and
physical tensions and problems. Sexual
intimacy outside marriage is forbidden to
Muslims, including all varieties of
relationship - homosexual as well as
heterosexual.
It is important, therefore, that persons
getting married should do their utmost to
make the partner happy and satisfied in
every respect. Truly practising Muslims
will keep the rules, and may only have
one sexual partner in the whole of their
lives. In some Muslim communities
divorce is common and frequent, but in
others it is strongly disapproved of and
divorced women would find it difficult to
find a later partner.
In Islam, it is commendable if women
can be taken care of, and so efforts
should be made to settle them with good
husbands so far as is possible. Many
Muslim marriages are very happy,
sometimes even if the couple have not
seen each other before the marriage,
but have trusted in the judgement of
their parents to arrange a good match
for them. However, it is recommended
that prospective spouses do see each
other, and have a guardian or wali to
make discreet inquiries about the
intended to discern if the marriage has a
good chance of success.
Polygyny
At the time of the revelation of
the Qur'an it was normal procedure for
men to have more than one wife, up to
the limits of their ability to support them.
Also, powerful and wealthy women also
had marital arrangements with more
than one partner. One difference
between Islam and other faiths is that to
this day a man may have more than one
wife, up to the limit of four wives
simultaneously - so long as it is not
done to the detriment and hurt of the
existing Muslim partner(s).
The refusal to hurt or abuse another
Muslim is a basic requirement in Islam,
and is assumed in polygamous marriage
considerations. If a man feels unable to
treat all parties with kindness, love and
scrupulous fairness, he is ordered by
God not to take more than one wife.
Muslim women are required to have
only one husband at a time - they may
still marry more than one man in a
lifetime, but consecutively.
In Islam, not every person
consummates their marriage physically
straight away; sometimes the girl may
be very young, and it is considered
more suitable to wait until she is older.
Sometimes the couple may not be able
to live together for some reason. A
wedding contract may be arranged,
signed and witnessed without the bride
actually being present, or intending to
live with the spouse straight away.
Muslims are encouraged to look for a
spouse on the grounds of compatibility
through piety, rather than for good
looks, or wealth, or prestige. People
from very diverse backgrounds can be
very happy together if their
understanding and practice of Islam is
compatible.
Mahr and the ceremony
Arranged marriage
Muslim marriages are frequently
arranged by the parents of the young
people. This is not an Islamic necessity,
but parents are encouraged to do their
best to see their offspring settled with
good life-partners. Although divorce is
allowed, the ideal is to settle down with
a life-partner, and of all the things God
does permit, divorce is said to be the
thing He likes least.
Most young Muslims live sheltered lives,
and are not encouraged to mix freely
with the opposite sex - and
consequently are protected from the
business of 'falling in love', which can
lead to all sorts of heartaches, clouded
judgement, unsuitable relationships, and
tragic consequences.
It is forbidden in Islam for parents (or
others) to force, coerce, or trick
youngsters into marriage.
Unfortunately, there have been cases in
the UK where this has happened
amongst Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs
from the Indian subcontinent - but
publicity and education in Islam is
improving the situation rapidly. Although
many marriages are arranged, it has to
be with the willing consent of the couple
involved, and they should be able to
reject possible suitors without
embarrassment.
A Muslim girl (and boy) is expected to
be a virgin at the time of the first
marriage. Obviously, this would not be
the case for a subsequent marriage.
Mahr
A Muslim husband has to agree a
financial deal with the prospective wife
before marriage. This money present is
known as the mahr, and is a payment
made to the bride which is hers to keep
and use as she wishes. The reason is
that even if the girl has nothing, she
becomes a bride with property of her
own. If the bride later seeks a divorce
which the husband does not wish for,
she is allowed to return him the money
and seek what is known as
a khul divorce. Normally, if a divorce
takes place for the usual reasons, the
bride would be entitled to keep the
mahr.
Sometimes a bride (or her family)
demands an enormous mahr.
The Prophet (pbuh) set the example of
modest sums, and many Muslim women
generously use their money to support
their husbands and families in some
way, although they are not obliged to do
so.
If a woman has money of her own, she
is not obliged to spend it on her
husband or family, but a Muslim
husband has the obligation to be able to
keep and support his wife and children
himself, at his own expense. If a wife
goes out to work, or donates money,
this is to her credit and is regarded as
an act of charity (sadaqah).
The ceremony
The actual Muslim wedding is known as
a nikah. It is a simple ceremony, at
which the bride does not have to be
present so long as she sends two
witnesses to the drawn-up agreement.
Normally, the ceremony consists of
reading from the Qur'an, and the
exchange of vows in front of witnesses
for both partners. No special religious
official is necessary, but often the Imam
is present and performs the ceremony.
He may give a short sermon.
There are certain things which are basic
to all Muslim marriages. Marriages have
to be declared publicly. They should
never be undertaken in secret. The
publicity is usually achieved by having a
large feast, or walimah - a party
specifically for the purpose of
announcing publicly that the couple are
married and entitled to each other.
Many wedding customs are a matter of
culture and not of Islam. The bride and
groom may be obliged to sit on 'thrones'
on a platform, to be seen by the guests.
They may receive gifts, or gifts of
money.
The majority of brides favour a
traditional white wedding dress, but
brides from the Asian subcontinent often
favour a shalwar-qameez outfit in scarlet
with gold thread, and have their hands

17
and feet patterned with henna. They
might also have vast feasts with
hundreds of guests, usually with the
males in a separate room from the
females. Other Muslims have simple
celebratory parties with only close
friends and relatives.
In some cultures there may be dancing,
firing of guns, lots of noise and hilarity.
Asian weddings often include pre-nuptial
parties and gathering too - the whole
process may last several days.
Sufism
Non-Muslims often mistake Sufism as a
sect of Islam. Sufism is more accurately
described as an aspect or dimension of
Islam. Sufi orders (Tariqas) can be
found in Sunni, Shiaand other Islamic
groups. Ibn Khaldun, the 14th century
Arab historian, described Sufism as:
... dedication to worship, total dedication
to Allah most High, disregard for the
finery and ornament of the world,
abstinence from the pleasure, wealth,
and prestige sought by most men, and
retiring from others to worship alone.
Ibn Khaldun, quoted in Keller, Nuh Ha
Mim, The Place of Tasawwuf in
Traditional Islam, www.masud.co.uk,
1995
Ibn Khaldun's words are an accurate
description of Sufis today.
Sufis are emphatic that Islamic
knowledge should be learned from
teachers and not exclusively from
books. Tariqas can trace their teachers
back through the generations to
the Prophethimself. Modelling
themselves on their teachers, students
hope that they too will glean something
of the Prophetic character.
Although Sufis are relatively few in
number they have shaped Islamic
thought and history. Through the
centuries Sufis contributed hugely to
Islamic literature for example Rumi,
Omar Khayym and Al-Ghazali's
influence extended beyond Muslim
lands to be quoted by Western
philosophers, writers and theologians.
Sufis were influential in spreading Islam
particularly to the furthest outposts of
the Muslim world in Africa, India and the
Far East.
Sunni and Shi'a
Introduction
The division between Sunnis and Shi'as
is the largest and oldest in the history of
Islam.
They both agree on the fundamentals of
Islam and share the same Holy Book
(TheQur'an), but there are differences
mostly derived from their different
historical experiences, political and
social developments, as well as ethnic
composition.
These differences originate from the
question of who would succeed
the Prophet Muhammad as leader of
the emerging Muslim community after
his death. To understand them, we need
to know a bit about the Prophet's life
and political and spiritual legacy.
The Prophet Muhammad
When the Prophet died in the early 7th
century he left not only the religion of
Islam but also a community of about one
hundred thousand Muslims organised
as an Islamic state on the Arabian
Peninsula. It was the question of who
should succeed the Prophet and lead
the fledgling Islamic state that created
the divide.
The larger group of Muslims chose Abu
Bakr, a close Companion of the
Prophet, as the Caliph (politico-social
leader) and he was accepted as such by
much of the community which saw the
succession in political and not spiritual
terms. However another smaller group,
which also included some of the senior
Companions, believed that the
Prophet's son-in-law and cousin, Ali,
should be Caliph. They understood that
the Prophet had appointed him as the
sole interpreter of his legacy, in both
political and spiritual terms. In the end
Abu Bakr was appointed First Caliph.
Leadership claims
Both Shi'as and Sunnis have good
evidence to support their understanding
of the succession. Sunnis argue that the
Prophet chose Abu Bakr to lead the
congregational prayers as he lay on his
deathbed, thus suggesting that the
Prophet was naming Abu Bakr as the
next leader. The Shi'as' evidence is that
Muhammad stood up in front of his
Companions on the way back from his
last Hajj, and proclaimed Ali the spiritual
guide and master of all believers. Shi'a
reports say he took Ali's hand and said
that anyone who followed Muhammad
should follow Ali.
Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr
should have been the Prophet's
successor have come to be known as
Sunni Muslims. Those who believe Ali
should have been the Prophet's
successor are now known as Shi'a
Muslims. It was only later that these
terms came into use. Sunni means 'one
who follows the Sunnah' (what the
Prophet said, did, agreed to or
condemned). Shi'a is a contraction of
the phrase 'Shiat Ali', meaning 'partisans
of Ali'.
The use of the word "successor" should
not be confused to mean that those
leaders that came after the Prophet
Muhammad were also prophets - both
Shi'a and Sunni agree that Muhammad
was the final prophet.

The Qur'an
The Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims,
revealed in stages to theProphet
Muhammad over 23 years.
Qur'anic revelations are regarded by
Muslims as the sacred word of God,
intended to correct any errors in
previous holy books such as the Old
and New Testaments.
Origin
The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad by God in Arabic.
Some Qur'anic fragments have been
dated as far back as the eighth, and
possibly even the seventh, century. The
oldest existing copy of the full text is
from the ninth century.
Although early variants of the Qur'an are
known to have existed, Muslims believe
that the text we have today was
established shortly after the death of the
Prophet by the Caliph Uthman.
Contents
There are 114 chapters in the Qur'an,
which is written in the old Arabic dialect.
All the chapters except one begin with
the sentence Bismillahir rahmanir
raheem, 'In the name of Allah the most
merciful and the most kind'. This is the
thought with which Muslims should start
every action.
The longest chapter of the Qur'an is
Surah Baqarah (The Cow) with 286
verses and the shortest is Surah Al-
Kawther(abundance) which has 3
verses.
The arrangement of surahs does not
correspond to the chronological order in
which they were revealed.
The Qur'an is sometimes divided into 30
roughly equal parts, known as juz'.
These divisions make it easier for
Muslims to read the Qur'an during the
course of a month and many will read
one juz' each day, particularly during the
month of Ramadan.