HOW TO CONVERT TO ISLAM

 

It is very easy to convert to Islam. It is necessary to pronounce the testimony (shahada), which in Arabic sounds something like this:

"Ashkhadu alla ilaha illaLlah. Va ashkhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu va rasulukh".

"I testify that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah. And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger."

The main provisions of the faith that a person who accepts Islam should recognize are as follows:

- God is One. He has no partner, no son or daughter. He is one in the true sense of the word, in which there is no place for the concept of the trinity or any other beliefs that hide behind the word "monotheism", but in fact – hidden polytheism.

- Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the last Messenger of Allaah, after whom there will be no more messengers or prophets of Allaah (in any sense).

- The Noble Qur'an is the last Divine Scripture revealed to our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and everything contained in it is the truth.

- Life after death is an eternal life that everyone will live after death and in which they will receive retribution for their good and bad deeds.

- All the precepts of the Noble Qur'an and our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are correct and true in an absolute and clear form.

When a person accepts all these basic tenets of faith as true – in words and in heart – he becomes a Muslim.

The main pillars of faith are contained in these words:

"I believed in Allah, His angels, His books (in the form in which they were originally revealed to the prophets), in His messengers, on the Day of Judgment, that all good and bad things are from Allah Almighty, and that we will be resurrected after death."

The Shahada is often recited in the presence of two witnesses, usually in a mosque. However, this is not necessary. You can convert to Islam all alone. Simply put, if you believe that God is one and that Muhammad is His Prophet, you can already consider yourself a Muslim and say the shahada.

If you come to Islam from another religion, you also need to get rid of beliefs that were part of your past faith and do not correspond to Islam. For example, a Christian must testify that he no longer considers Jesus to be God.

If you are not yet ready to fulfill all the practical prescriptions of religion, this is not an obstacle to accepting Islam. The main thing is to recognize that all Islamic institutions are legitimate, that is, that every Muslim is really obliged to pray five times a day, fast in the month of Ramadan, do not eat pork and do not drink alcohol, and so on. Even if you understand that, unfortunately, you will not be able to immediately begin to comply with all the regulations, this is not a reason to postpone the adoption of Islam.

Being a non-Muslim is much worse than being a Muslim who sins.

Nevertheless, we must realize that accepting Islam is a serious step. And it will be better if you start practicing religion from the first day and try not to sin.

IMAN

The word "iman" in Arabic means "faith". Faith is the most precious thing we have. She is more precious than all worldly goods. Earthly riches are a grain of sand compared to true faith. Iman is the key to salvation in eternal life.

It is important to understand that this does not mean any faith, but only the Islamic one – the true one. It is not enough just to believe in something "supernatural" - you need to believe correctly. The belief that there are many gods, the belief in the trinity, or human reincarnation has no value. This is the "fool's gold". Such faith is worthless.

"They know only the obvious about the worldly life, and they are heedless of the Hereafter" (Surah 30 "Ar-Rum", verse 7).

A believer worships his Creator, an unbeliever worships anything but God: nature and natural phenomena, idols, rulers, his passions and desires. It does not happen that a person does not worship anyone or anything. Sometimes, however, he convinces himself that he does not worship anyone. But this is not true. This usually means that he worships himself.

One of the great earthly rulers said to a Muslim known for his piety: "I will fulfill your every wish, ask for whatever you want." He replied, "How can I ask you for anything if you are my slave's slave?" The ruler asked, "How can I be your slave's slave if I am a rich ruler?" The God-fearing believer replied: "You are a slave to your passions, and I rule over my passions."

The guide for the believer is the Law of Almighty, All–knowing Allah. And the unbeliever follows the laws invented by people. Human laws are constantly changing and contradicting each other; this is a very unreliable guideline.

Iman is the path that the reasonable choose, and disbelief is the path of fools. Reflecting, a person comes to the conclusion that God exists, that He is Alone, that He is free from flaws and that the prophets convince us that they are, in fact, sent by God, with the help of miracles. Islam is a religion in which reason is valued, and faith does not contradict reason.

There are six pillars of faith (iman):

- Faith in Allah.

- Faith in His angels.

- Faith in His Books.

- Faith in His messengers and prophets.

- Faith in the Day of Judgment.

- The belief in predestination, that all good and bad things happen according to the Will of the Almighty.

If a person does not recognize at least one of these pillars, then his faith is not considered valid.

Faith in Allah

Faith in Allah implies faith in One God, Who has no beginning and will never die. He is perfect, free from all flaws and described by special – uncreated – divine qualities. He created this world, and He Alone has the power to create.

What is tawhid?

The word "tawhid" means "Monotheism". Muslims believe that God is One. Proving the truth of this Islamic belief, from the point of view of reason, is very simple. There can only be one creator, because if there were two of them and they wanted to create something, they would need to agree on a form. If they didn't agree with each other, it means that the one who didn't get what he wanted is weak. So he is not God, because God cannot be weak. If they always agreed with each other, it would mean that they are both weak, because they need to agree with each other, and the need for something (in this case, the need for compromise) is weakness.

So, tawhid is the belief that Allah has no companions, neither in Essence, nor in the qualities by which He is described, nor in actions. In other words, there is no other entity similar to the Essence of Allah, and no one has such qualities as described by Allah, and only Allah creates and destroys, and no one else can do it. No one but Allah can create and rule the world. He alone is worthy of worship. Only He has the exclusive right to establish Sharia, that is, the Law. Allah, unlike everything else, is absolutely self-sufficient.

Polytheism is giving Allah a partner. Polytheism is called "shirk" in Arabic. Shirk is the biggest sin, moreover, it is the only sin that the Lord does not forgive, and the polytheists will be in Hell forever. The people who associate with Allah are not Muslims.

Therefore, the accusation of polytheism is the most terrible accusation that can be imagined. And without knowledge, you can't blame anyone for this, especially if a person calls himself a Muslim. Not everything that might seem like a shirk to someone is. Sometimes Muslims go to extremes: they see polytheism in innocent things. To figure out where the truth is, you need to gain knowledge.

It is very important to take care of yourself, not allowing the thought that someone other than the Almighty can influence the course of events. Neither the black cat that ran across the road, nor the location of the stars, nor witchcraft – all this has no power. If Allah wants something to happen, then even if all the people and jinn come together, they will not be able to prevent it. Therefore, Muslims often pronounce: "La haula wa la kuvvata illa biLlah", which means: "No one has any power or might except Allah."

"There is nothing like Him."

This is part of the verse of the Noble Qur'an, which reveals the beliefs of Muslims (Surah 42 "Ash-Shura", verse 11).

This verse expresses the fundamental postulate of the Islamic faith. Muslims believe that God is like nothing else. And this statement means not only the recognition of the fact that the image of God cannot be painted on canvas or molded from clay. This statement is understood absolutely. Allah Almighty is like nothing at all.

"Whatever you imagine, Allah is not like that."

This belief is one of those that create a gap between Monotheism in the Islamic sense and other worldviews claiming to be monotheism.

Islam teaches us that we cannot believe that God has a body, that He occupies a place, that He is in any direction (be it up, down, right or left), that He has parts, size, and so on. All the characteristics inherent in creations cannot be attributed to the One Who created them, and are a disadvantage that is alien to God.

Perhaps it will be easier to realize this in connection with the following reasoning. Everything that surrounds us is defined in one way or another. For example, living and inanimate things in the world have a color, and you can ask what color it is. Everything has its weaknesses, and you can ask what they are, how they manifest themselves. When we think about something, we specify what size, gender, age, and character it has. Everything has its own characteristics and parameters. Parameters, limitations, qualities about which one can ask: "How?" are all characteristics of creations. After all, every thing that has parameters has a Creator Who created it and defined these parameters. And absolutely all the characteristics of the creations are exactly like this: they are specified and have limits.

For example, the girl Safiya. What is her age? She is five years old. Who does she love? Mom and Dad. What are her advantages? She is very generous, especially when she is in a good mood. What are her disadvantages? She's afraid of the dark. Who determined all this? Only the One Who created it, Allah, can determine this.

All the qualities of creations, without exception, need to be defined. But Allah himself was not created by anyone, and therefore He is not described by qualities that have limits. In other words, all the qualities of the Creator are fundamentally different from any quality of creation, that is, a quality about which one can ask: "How?". Therefore, Allah is different from anything that man can imagine.

All attempts to imagine God should be banished from oneself. In particular, this is important for children who begin to think and realize that Allah exists, begin to pray to Allah and may try to draw some kind of picture in their minds, try to imagine who they are addressing. This verse is a cure for delusion.

Allah created this world

An example with an orchard that helps to understand that the world has a Creator:

"If the owner of an orchard suddenly finds trees felled and scattered in his possessions one morning, he will take it as the result of a hurricane or some kind of natural disaster.

However, if there is not, say, a third tree in its place in each row, then he will immediately guess that it was not the wind that did it, but an intelligent being, some kind of malefactor.

When does a person who cannot even admit that the order in five or ten fallen trees is just an accident think that this harmonious world is an accident? How can he think that this world created itself?"

The logical proof of the existence of Allah:

Initial condition A: We exist here today.

Initial condition B: Our existence was preceded by a series of events that occurred one after another and led to our existence today.

If we exist here and now, then it is obvious that the series of events preceding our appearance has a beginning. Anyone who says that this series of events is endless, thereby asserts that infinity has come to an end, and this contradicts logic. It's as if someone says, "The car will reach its destination only after its wheels have turned infinitely many times," and then declares that the car has arrived at its destination. Nevertheless, it is clear that the car would never have arrived at its destination if an infinite number of revolutions had been a condition of its arrival.

If the world has a beginning, then there must be a Creator who gave existence to a series of events, since they did not exist before they began. Having a beginning and being a creation are the same thing. To create is to bring into being, and everything that has a beginning must appear.

Everything that is not Allah Almighty is created and is called "peace".

The world created by Allah Almighty is designated in Arabic by the term "al-alam". This term comes from the word "al-alamat", which is used in the sense of "pointing to something".

The world itself (al-alam) contains a clear indication of the Creator who created it.

The Syfats of Allah

The word "syfat" in Arabic means "quality". Allah Almighty has a lot of perfect qualities – an unlimited number. There is a necessary minimum that should be known - 14 syfats.

So, a Muslim must know the following qualities that describe Allah:

- Existence (Al-Wujud). Allah exists, and common sense cannot imagine that He does not exist.

- Beginningless (Al-Qidam). Allah has no beginning, He was not born, He was not created. Everything that has a beginning must have a Creator. Allah is uncreated and without beginning.

- Infinity (Al-Baka). Allah is infinite, He will never die.

- Uniqueness (Al-Wahdaniya). Allah is Alone, He has no partner, no accomplice. There is no one who resembles Him in Essence, in qualities or in actions.

- Unseemly creations (Al-Muhalyafat lil-khawadis). Allah is not like creatures.

- Self-sufficiency (Al-Qiyam binafsihi). Allah does not need anything. Allah does not need a place. Allah does not need anyone to make a choice. Everything needs the Almighty, and He needs nothing.

- Life (Al-Hayat). Allah is alive and does not change.

- Knowledge (Al-Ilm). Allah knows everything, His Knowledge does not change. He initially knows everything that will happen.

- Hearing (As-Sam). Allah hears everything, even the way an ant crawls on a stone. The Almighty does not hear with the help of ears or any other organs.

- Vision (Al-Basar).

- Allah sees everything, but not with the help of eyes or any other organs.

- Will (Al-Irada). Nothing happens without the Will of the Almighty. The usual order of things is usually observed in the world: the knife cuts, the fire burns, and so on. However, these are only external links – everything happens according to the Will of Allah. If Allah wills, then the usual order of things will be disrupted. So, when the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was thrown into the fire, the flame did not touch him.

- Power (Al-Qudra). Nothing is impossible for Allah, He can do anything.

- Speech (Al-Qalyam).

The speech of Allah is not like that of his creations, it is eternal, not created, does not consist of sounds and letters. The Quran is uncreated and eternal. However, every specific voicing of the Koran in this world, for example, the recitation of the Koran by a reader, is created. This is a difficult question of doctrine, it is dealt with in detail in books. It is enough to know that the Speech of Allah is eternal and uncreated, and not to doubt it. 

You should also know that Allah Almighty:

- Alive.

- Knowledgeable.

- Willing.

- The almighty.

- The listener.

- The Seer.

- Talking.

The Almighty still has an optional, but possible, acceptable quality for Him. It is the creation of something. If He wants something to exist, He creates it; if He doesn't want it, He doesn't create it. Allah does not have to create this world. But He wanted to, and He created it. The Almighty creates without the need to create. It must be remembered that all the qualities of the Almighty are fundamentally different from human ones, although the same word is sometimes used to designate them. The knowledge of Allah, for example, is completely different from human knowledge. All the syphats of Allah are eternal and not created.

Faith in Angels

A person who believes in Allah Almighty must believe in His angels. This is the second pillar of faith.

A Muslim must firmly realize that the possibilities of his senses are limited. If we don't see, hear, or feel something, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The creatures of Allah differ from each other by their nature. Angels are among those creatures that a person cannot know with the help of the senses. But faith is obligatory for us, since Allah Almighty informed us about the existence of angels in the Qur'an, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned angels in hadith.

Angels are made of light, they do not need food, drink, have no gender and are always busy worshipping Allah Almighty. Unlike humans, angels do not sin and strictly follow all the commands of Allah. Each angel is entrusted with his own special task.

Let's list the names and duties of the main angels of Allah Almighty.

Jibril is the most important angel through whom Allah Almighty transmits revelations to the prophets, peace be upon them all.

Mikail is an angel who is responsible for such natural phenomena as rain, snow, wind, etc.

Israfel is an angel who blows a horn, announcing the coming of the Day of Judgment and the resurrection of the dead.

Azrael is the angel of death who takes a person's soul when they die.

Munkar and Nakir are angels who will interrogate a man about his religion in the grave.

In addition, angels are assigned to each person who record his deeds – good and bad. If a person has time to repent before his bad deed is recorded, the sin will be forgiven, and this offense will not appear in the book of his deeds. A Muslim should always remember that angels are next to him and they record his deeds, and he will keep an account for each of his actions.

Angels have their duties, but this does not mean that Allah Almighty needs them to take away a soul, interrogate in the grave or record a person's affairs. Allah Almighty does not need anyone or anything, but He wished to create the world in this way, and every decision of Allah has its own wisdom.

Faith in Books

Allah Almighty, through the prophets, peace be upon them all, sent down the Holy Scriptures teaching people to believe in One God and calling them to worship only Him and not to associate Him with others. The Prophets, peace be upon them all,

Allah Almighty, through the prophets, peace be upon them all, sent down the Scriptures teaching people to believe in One God and calling them to worship only Him and not to associate Him with others. The prophets, peace be upon them all, transmitted the revelations they received from Allah in full, without any distortions, additions or abbreviations, explained them to people and followed them themselves. Each Scripture contained a call to Monotheism, knowledge about Allah Almighty, special commands and prohibitions for each historical period, and taught people how to achieve happiness in this life and after death. The new Scripture could repeal the laws contained in the previous one. Separate pages (scrolls) were sent down to some of the prophets. For example, the Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, received from Allah Almighty 10 pages of Holy Scripture, the Prophet Shis, peace be upon him, 50 pages, the prophet Idris, peace be upon him, 30 pages, and the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, 10 pages.

It is known for certain that four books were sent down to people at different times:

1. The Taurat (Torah) was revealed to the prophet Musa (Moses), peace be upon him.

2. Zabur (Psalter) was sent down to the prophet Dawud (David), peace be upon him.

3. The Injil (Gospel) was revealed to the prophet Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him.

4. The Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless and greet him.

Some of the Scriptures were intended for individual peoples or tribes, but the Noble Quran with its provisions is universal and intended for all people until the Day of Judgment. A Muslim is obliged to believe in all the Scriptures that Allah has sent down in their original form. But we cannot believe in those versions of the Taurat and Injil that are available today, because all books, except the Noble Quran, have changed over time for various reasons and are no longer the Word of Allah Almighty in the true sense.

The Noble Quran

The Noble Quran is the last of the Scriptures that people received from God through the prophets, peace be upon them all. Muslims believe that the Noble Quran is the Word of Allah.

The noble Qur'an was sent down to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gradually over the course of 23 years. It is known that in history there were at least seven people who fully memorized the Noble Quran from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah himself, may Allah bless and greet him. By the time of the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Noble Quran was written in parts — on palm fibers, bones and other materials available at that time. The righteous Caliph Abu Bakr became the ruler of the Muslims, may Allah be pleased with him. The Caliph eventually decided to assemble the Koran into a single scroll. This is how the first complete scrolls of the Noble Quran appeared.

The noble Qur'an is revealed in Arabic. The Quran consists of 114 surahs (parts/chapters). Each surah is divided into verses (separate lines).

The Quran is extremely easy to memorize, which is one of the miracles that Allah Almighty has given to Muslims. Most Muslims in the world are not Arabs, but they master the science of reading the Quran and memorize it from beginning to end in a short time. A person who knows the Noble Quran by heart and keeps it in his heart is called by the Arabic word "hafiz". Among Muslims, praise be to Allah, there have always been and are people who keep the Koran in their hearts.

Every year in the month of Ramadan, the Noble Quran is read in full, from beginning to end, in the Tarawih prayer. There is a special wisdom in this — for the past fourteen centuries, Muslims around the world have been repeating the Koran in full in every community every year.

This is how Allah Almighty keeps His Book, because He promised that He would keep the Quran unchanged until the Day of Judgment, and the Lord does not break His promises.

"Indeed, We have sent down a Reminder (the Qur'an), and We protect it (from addition, reduction or modification)" (Surah 15 Al-Hijr, verse 9)

Faith in the Prophets

A prophet is someone who has received a Revelation from Allah Almighty and teaches people the right faith, and a messenger is someone who, in addition to teaching Islam, brings new laws for people. Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger.

Allah chooses prophets from among people, no one can become a prophet at will or through diligence in worship. The most worthy people become prophets.

Muslims should believe in all the prophets of Allah Almighty and that they all called for Monotheism. The first prophet was Adam, peace be upon him, and the last was Muhammad, may Allah bless and greet him.

The names of the following prophets are mentioned in the Quran (the traditional Russian biblical name is given in parentheses): Adam, Idris (Enoch), Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Alyasa (Elisha), Ishaq (Isaac), Ismail (Ishmael), Salih, Zakariyah (Zachariah), Ayyub (Job), Musa (Moses), Shuaib (Jethro), Dawud (David), Harun (Aaron), Yusuf (Joseph), Hood, Lut (Lot), Ilyas (Elijah), Zul-Kifl, Yahya (John the Baptist), Suleiman (Solomon), Uzair (Ezra), Isa (Jesus), Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon them all, and Muhammad, may He bless May Allah greet him. Some refer to the prophets also mentioned in the Quran as Dhul-Karnain, Khizr, Luqman and Yushaa, while others consider them righteous, but not prophets. Not all prophets are mentioned in the Quran. Only Allah Almighty knows how many prophets there were. There is a version that there were one hundred and twenty-four thousand of them.

The Qualities of the Prophets

The Almighty gave people new prophets whenever they deviated from the true path and began to worship someone or something other than Allah. In order for people to follow the prophets, Allah endowed them with excellent qualities:

1. Truthfulness. The prophets have never lied, deceived, or betrayed in their lives.

2. Reliability. The prophets could always be trusted, they did not appropriate anything that did not belong to them.

3. Infallibility. Allah Almighty protects the prophets, peace be upon them all, from all kinds of sin. Even before the beginning of their prophetic mission, the prophets did not sin and had a reputation for pious people. No prophet was a pagan before he became a prophet. They never doubted the existence of Allah and did not worship idols. None of them believed that Allah could have a partner or a son, that Allah was like His creations, etc.

4. Intellectual excellence. All the prophets were intelligent and insightful.

5. The Transmission of Revelation. The prophets transmitted everything that was sent down to them without hiding anything, and they themselves strictly followed what they taught people.

In addition, all the prophets were very beautiful in appearance. The prophets, like other people, ate, drank, and slept.

As a testimony to the prophetic mission, Allah Almighty gives the prophets the ability to perform miracles. A miracle happens to prove that the prophet is indeed a prophet.

The prophets are the best of men, and the best of them is the last Messenger of Allah Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Faith in the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless and greet him.

Muslims believe that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a prophet and messenger. He was sent to all people, Arabs and non-Arabs, and jinn. There will be no more prophets after him, and his law is valid until the Day of Judgment.

Allah Almighty granted the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, miracles. His main miracle is the Koran. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) claimed that the Quran would never be changed. 1400 years have passed, and there is still only one version of the Quran.

In addition to miracles, the proof of the truth of the prophetic mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the perfection of his personality — inner perfection and perfection in deeds.

The perfection of the personality of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) can be judged by the changes that took place after the beginning of his prophecy.

Mohammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, became a prophet at a time when misconceptions and sins were widespread. The Jews likened Allah to creatures and changed the Holy Books. Christians could not reconcile a lot of contradictory beliefs, for example, the belief in the Trinity and the belief that the Creator is merged with his creations. The Arabs worshipped idols and plundered. But after the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came, delusion and impiety were replaced by faith in One God and an extraordinary measure of obedience to Him.

In addition, the Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was able to unite and improve the Arab society, which before his call was divided into tribes and family clans, constantly at war with each other. After the adoption of Islam, they united to defend the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his message, left their homeland, left their families and spared no property and lives for the sake of Islam. And they did all this solely for the sake of the Islamic call and the elevation of religion, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not promise them any earthly benefits if they followed him.

Belief in the Day of Judgment

A Muslim should believe in the coming of the Day of Judgment.

The world that Allah created is not eternal. Someday this world will come to an end, but this does not mean that everything will end on earth. Eternal life after death awaits everyone, and his fate in the next world depends on how a person lived in this world. Everyone will stand before the Court of Allah and answer for what they have done in this life, therefore, it is necessary to prepare for the Day of Judgment in advance.

Faith in the Day of Judgment presupposes faith in resurrection, accountability for deeds, weighing good and bad deeds on special scales, a bridge to Paradise, a reward for believers after death and eternal torment for non-believers, reservoirs from which Muslims will quench their thirst forever, intercession of prophets, angels and great Muslims (by the Will of Allah).

A believer must be convinced that on the Day of Judgment everyone will get what they deserve. Those who have not received punishment for their vile sins and injustice in this life will receive it in the next. Those who have performed many good deeds and have not received a reward for them during their lifetime will receive it after death.

Belief in the Day of Judgment is very important for a Muslim. It should awaken in a person responsibility for his actions and the desire not to waste time in vain, because he knows that he will be asked for all his sins, both obvious and hidden, as well as for how he took advantage of the benefits that Allah Almighty gave him. This belief protects a person from the forbidden and improves his morality.

Faith in predestination

Faith in predestination is the belief that everything, both good and bad, happens according to the Will of Allah Almighty and in accordance with His eternal Knowledge.

In this case, the question arises: is a person responsible for his actions, according to Islam? Yes, he answers. Responsibility is related to the intentional actions that we do every day. These actions are performed by our bodies or in our thoughts, however, they are predetermined and created by Allah.

Our life consists of many intentions and decisions. And the fact that Allah knows what decision everyone will make in a particular situation does not free us from the need to choose — and make the right decisions. We don't know predestination. The Almighty creates our intentions, but it is we who carry them out. When we make an intention for something, we feel the opportunity to make an intention for something else, we are not forced to make a choice.

It should be remembered that Allah could have created us immediately in the fire of Hell — without any prior action on our part. It would be a torment, not a punishment. By His Grace, He did not do this, but created us in this world and gave us rules to follow. Torment in the next life in accordance with deliberate disobedience to Allah in this life is called punishment, unlike the imaginary case if someone were immediately created in the fire of Hell.

One may ask: "Is it fair that Allah makes one person a Muslim and rewards him, and another a Hindu and punishes him?" Allah is not obliged to do anything, and your actions do not affect Allah. Good deeds do not give you the right to enter Paradise; entering Paradise is a mercy from Allah. Allah has made it easier for some to do good deeds, but not for some. He gave some the ability to overcome difficulties in doing good, and some did not. Allah created some people for Hell, and some for Paradise. This is not an injustice, because Allah has no creator or judge to whom He is accountable. All His creations are completely His, and He can do with them what He wants. It is unacceptable to talk about the cruelty of Allah, because one cannot judge Allah by human criteria (and no other).

Allah says in the Qur'an (meaning):

"Allah be praised to Him Almighty! — they do not ask about what He does, because He alone is the Lord Supreme, to Whom all greatness belongs. And they will be asked about what they did" (Surah 21 Al-Anbiya, verse 23)

Judging the actions of Allah is nothing but disobedience.

The great scholar, Imam at-Tahawi, said:

"Predestination is a secret of Allah that relates to His creatures. Neither the angel's confidant nor the sent-down prophet is given knowledge about this. To delve deeply into this and think a lot [about the essence of predestination] is a path to error, a ladder to deprivation and to sin. Therefore, beware, beware of excessive reflection, immersion, random thoughts, because, indeed, Allah hid the knowledge of predestination from mankind and forbade seeking it."

Will non-Muslims be in Paradise?

In the modern world, it is widely believed that "God is one, and there are different roads to him." Most people believe that Truth is relative, that each nation has its own religion and, despite external differences, they are all faithful and pleasing to God in their own way. Such ideas are lies and the most dangerous misconception.

Islam is the only religion of Truth, the observance of which is the basis of salvation from the Fire of Hell.

The Noble Qur'an says (meaning):

"Indeed, the religion before Allah is Islam" (Surah 3 "Ali Imran", verse 19).

In order to be a believer, it is not enough to just talk: "There is a God," or, "I believe in God." A person is a true believer only when he has a correct idea of God, when He describes the Almighty Allah only by what is worthy of Him, denies any shortcomings in relation to Him — all this can be found only in Islam.

Islam is the religion of all the prophets, peace be upon them. Muslims believe in them and are convinced that they all called for Monotheism at different times and were Muslims. This is an integral part of the Islamic faith. All the prophets taught to worship Allah Almighty — this is the Truth. But we know that over time, the laws and provisions of faith with which they came were changed by people. For example, those who call themselves followers of the prophets Musa or Isa today, peace be upon them, follow distorted teachings, and not what these prophets came with. People who refused to accept the message from God, refused to believe in the prophecy of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), cannot be considered adherents of Monotheism in any way.

A person who rejects at least one of the pillars of Islam becomes an apostate and will not receive forgiveness in eternal life unless he repents and converts to Islam again. So what can we say about those who reject the truth of all the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and do not want to accept religion at all?

There are many verses in the Noble Qur'an that Islam is the only right way, for example:

"Whoever adheres to any religion other than Islam, his religion will not be accepted, and on the Day of Judgment he will be one of those who inflicted damage on himself" (Surah 3 "Ali Imran", verse 85).

Abolished religions have no value before Allah, but one should not think that Muslims are sure that they are guaranteed Paradise, are proud of it and are happy that other people will suffer in Hell forever. This is far from the case. Every believer is afraid that he may die outside of Islam. After all, faith is not a personal merit of a person, not the result of his work, but a gift from Allah Almighty, Who guides whomever He wants to the True Path. A Muslim wants to convert to Islam and earn the satisfaction of the Creator, but this can only be done through following His religion — all other ways are wrong.

ISLAM. TAKLIF

Islam is submission to the One God in accordance with His laws. The law that Muslims follow includes everything that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from Allah Almighty.

Islam is based on five pillars:

1. Shahada is an Islamic testimony.

2. Daily performance of the five-fold prayer.

3. The annual observance of fasting in the month of Ramadan.

4. Annual zakat payment (for wealthy people).

5. Performing Hajj once in a lifetime (for those who have the opportunity).

First of all, a person must convert to Islam and say the shahada, then learn how to perform prayer. When the month of Ramadan comes, he must start fasting. When the time of Hajj comes, he must go on Hajj if he has the material and physical capabilities to do so. At the end of the lunar year, a wealthy Muslim must pay zakat — to give part of the surplus of his property in favor of poor Muslims.

Observing the pillars of Islam is an obligation for every mukallaf. Mukallaf is a reasonable person who has reached puberty. As soon as a person becomes a mukallaf, all the prescriptions of Sharia apply to him. Taklif (obligation to observe Islam) does not apply to crazy and underage children. If a person deliberately does not observe the pillars of Islam, he commits a sin and causes himself great harm.

Shahada

The first thing an adult reasonable person who has heard the call of Islam must do is to say the shahada. Shahada is a testimony, after pronouncing which a person becomes a Muslim. It is necessary to say the following:

Ashkhadu alla ilaha illaLlah. Va ashkhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu va rasulukh.

I testify that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah. And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Shahada, despite its brevity, contains many meanings and actually includes all the pillars of faith. Shahada is the gateway to Islam, the words that make a person a member of the Islamic Ummah. It is necessary to pronounce the shahada from the bottom of your heart, with sincere conviction and understanding of its meaning. The condition for the validity of the shahada is the renunciation of one's past beliefs that contradict Islam and the desire to follow religion in practice. It is advisable to say the shahada in Arabic in the presence of Muslims.

When a person first accepts Islam, he, as a rule, does not yet know in detail all the provisions of the faith and the precepts of Sharia. At this stage, there is enough common faith and conviction in the truth of Islam. If a question is not yet clear to a person, it should be kept in mind: "I believe in this in the form that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) conveyed it," and be sure to seek clarification from knowledgeable people.

Prayer

The performance of prayer (Arabic. salat) It is the second pillar of the religion of Islam. It is the duty of every adult Muslim in his right mind to perform it. Prayer is prescribed to believers in the Qur'an, and the way it is performed has come down to us from the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless and greet him

Muslims perform obligatory prayer (namaz) five times a day: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening and at night.

Prayer can be performed almost anywhere: in a mosque and at home, in the workplace and in an educational institution, on the street, that is, in any clean place. You can pray individually or in a jamaat (collectively).

Prayer is the most important requirement of religion and its support, it ensures the connection of the believer with Allah Almighty, therefore it is obligatory in all conditions, even during illness, on the road and in war. Namaz should not be skipped. If, for one reason or another, a person did not have time to perform prayer in due time, it must be filled up as soon as possible. Those who cannot get up to perform prayer can pray sitting down, those who cannot sit down can pray lying down. The traveler has the right to shorten the prayer.

From a practical point of view, namaz is a combination of words and movements. Before prayer, ablution is performed, then the Muslim stands in the direction of the Kaaba, focuses on the upcoming prayer and accepts the intention to perform obligatory prayer in the name of Almighty Allah, then raises his hands and pronounces the words "Allahu Akbar" (Allah above all). In prayer, a Muslim recites surahs from the Koran, the words of remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and supplication (dua). The prayer ends with the greeting "Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah" (peace and mercy of Allah be upon you) to the right and to the left.

Namaz should be taught from childhood. Prayer should be perceived by a child as an integral part of life from an early age. He should see his parents praying, and then soon he will begin to repeat their movements. This can be observed in any Muslim family, because children tend to copy everything that their parents do, and it is impossible not to notice that your parents pray if they are observant Muslims. The children spread the mat themselves, repeat the azan after their parents and follow them in prayer. By the age of seven, the child must be taught all the prayers and commanded to perform prayer regularly.

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From a practical point of view, Islamic fasting is abstinence from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse during daylight hours, that is, from dawn to sunset.

Fasting is prescribed for Muslims in the Noble Qur'an:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, just as it was prescribed for those who were before you, so that you may be God—fearing!" (Surah 2 Al-Bakara, verse 183)

From a moral point of view, fasting is designed to cleanse a person from sins, to allow him, by refusing to satisfy the needs of the body, to direct all his attention to fulfilling religious duties, reflections and useful deeds, to become like angels who do not need food and drink and constantly worship Allah Almighty.

If fasting is easy, the believer thanks Allah Almighty. And if fasting is hard, the believer rejoices and hopes that for his patience, Allah Almighty will forgive him his bad deeds and strengthen his faith.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us that fasting brings nothing but hunger and thirst to many people. Therefore, a Muslim should not limit himself to a formal refusal to eat and drink. Everyone should pay attention to the inner meaning of fasting to the best of their ability. You should protect your eyes — look away from the forbidden, your tongue — leave useless conversations, gossip, arguments, slander, ears — do not listen to how others slander or gossip; hands should not touch what is forbidden to touch, and feet should not go to places where sins are committed. It is also necessary to protect your stomach: a Muslim should especially make sure that the food he takes on Suhur and Iftar is allowed and should not feast during iftar. The feeling of hunger and weakness during fasting is good for the believer.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is a Muslim's duty, and additional fasting is a very valuable form of worship. Ramadan is a month of special grace. Muslims are waiting for a month of fasting with the hope of doing as many good deeds as possible and earning forgiveness of sins. Allah Almighty has made this month special — in Ramadan it is easier to give up the forbidden, it is easier to worship and change your habits, and the rewards for good deeds increase many times this month. Allah Almighty showers the believer with His mercies during Ramadan, so a reasonable person will show respect for fasting and try to spend this month in the best possible way.

Zakat

Wealthy Muslims are obliged to pay 2.5% of their property to poor co-religionists once a year. This is a kind of tax, which in Islam is called "zakat", which literally means "purification".

Paying zakat is a duty, one of the pillars of Islam, and not just a voluntary alms or donation. The true owner of everything we have is Allah Almighty. If God has given you more wealth than other Muslims, you have the responsibility to share the surplus with those in need.

Zakat is not paid from property that a person uses in everyday life — from housing, vehicles, clothing or household utensils. Only the one who owns a certain amount of money in the form of savings, gold, silver, owns livestock, goods for sale, etc., is obliged to pay zakat.

According to Sharia law, less wealthy people are not obliged to ask for financial assistance from the wealthier ones, since they have the legal right to receive zakat, and the rich, by giving them part of their property, fulfill their religious duty.

Allah Almighty has defined in the Quran the categories of people who are eligible to receive zakat. Zakat is intended for beggars who have no property at all, those who are unable to earn a living, the poor, debtors who are unable to repay their debts, people who collect and distribute zakat, those who have recently converted to Islam and need support, slaves who can be freed for ransom, people who have dedicated to serve Islam, and to travelers who found themselves without means on the way.

In addition to zakat from property, Muslims pay a cleansing alms (zakat al-fitr) once a year at the end of the month of Ramadan. In order for the payment of this alms in favor of the poor to become obligatory for a Muslim, it is not a condition to own a fixed amount of property for the entire lunar year, it is enough to be in prosperity on a holiday when this type of zakat is paid.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned Muslims against stinginess and passion for hoarding. Anyone who accumulates property and does not pay zakat from it will be severely punished after death. Zakat is intended to cure the poor of envy, and the rich of avarice and selfishness, and to establish good relations in society between the rich and the poor.

Hajj

Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca in the month of Dhul Hijjah, which every Muslim who has the material and physical opportunity to do so is obliged to make once in his life. Mecca is the main Muslim holy city located on the Arabian Peninsula.

Hajj consists of a series of special rituals, which include dressing in ihram, standing on Arafa, walking around the Kaaba, running between the hills of Safa and Marwa, throwing stones, sacrifice, etc. Each place where the Hajj rite is performed is associated with some historical event, and each rite has its own meaning and history.

During the Hajj, all Muslims of the planet unite. All believers, regardless of race, nationality, perform the same rites and rituals, offer prayers to the Lord, Who is One for all. During the Hajj rites, all people are equal: master and servant, ruler and subject — all are on the same level. All Muslim men, rich and poor, wear the same clothes - two pieces of white cloth.

Hajj serves as a reminder to believers about the Day of Judgment, when all people will appear before Allah Almighty without clothes, expecting that they will have to answer for everything they have done; on this day, neither their origin, nor the property they have accumulated in this life, nor their position in society will help a person.

Performing Hajj is the most important event in a Muslim's life, an opportunity to earn forgiveness of sins, rethink his life and change it for the better. Many Muslims begin to live differently after the Hajj, abandon past sins, acquire the ability to understand and feel Islam more deeply, fear Allah more, and begin to divide their lives into "before" and "after" performing the Hajj.