Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodrow LI
How does a person perform Islam?
That is/or can be quite difficult to explain.
The most direct and simplist answer is to do the 5 pillars of Islam to the best of your ability.
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.
anyone who does those 5 things is performing Islam. Notice the things that are not obligated
Reading and studying the Qur'an
Attending a Mosque
Paying for the construction of a Mosque
tithing
Joining an organization
In addition there are 6 beliefs most Muslims share in common. The first one being essential, without out that belief it is pointless to go through the motions of performing Islam nor would a person not holding that belief be a Muslim as without it they could not recite the Shadah with sincerity.
The 6 basic beliefs being:
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), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus). ...
Belief in the Day of Judgement... ...
Belief Allaah knows all things that have happened, are happening and will happen
How does one learn how to perform the 5 Pillars of Islam (aka The 5 articles of Faith)
Through Family and or Friends
Through people at a Mosque
Through observation of Muslims
Through self study
Through formal training by an Islamic Instructor
NOTICE THAT IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO READ THE QUR'AN TO LEARN HOW TO PERFORM ISLAM
The longer a person performs Islam the more things they desire to do, such as:
Become Hafiz (A person who, from memory, can recite the Qur'an fully with proper pronunciation of each letter)
Engage in Islamic Studies
Study the Tafsir of recognized scholars
Study the Ahadith
Study Islamic Jurisprudence
Study Islamic History
Engage in Qur'anic Studies
Study Islamic traditions
and many more is we have the desire and abilities to do so.
It only takes a matter of seconds to become a Muslim, but an entire lifetime to be a Muslim.
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I don't agree the above is the efficient method to study, understand and perform Islam 100% as Allah intended.
In the above one merely jumped into details without grasping the basic mechanic and principle to account for 'what is Islam?' How do one know one is doing right unless the Quran [Allah's sole words] is understood completely. There is no guarantee the scholars-of-old can be 100% right and corrupting the intent of Allah.
What is Allah's intent of "What is Islam" to be learned, understood and performed [practiced] in a 100% package is within the MESSAGE delivered via messenger[s] in the Quran-ONLY and no where else.
THE MESSAGE of Allah within the Quran is 100% represented by the following;
1. 320,015 letters, [per Ibn Katheer]
2. 77,934 words
3. appx. 18,700 sentences [say 6,236 x average 3]
4. 6,236 verses
5. 114 Chapters
6. 1 Book
Note: Above 1, 2 and 4 are 95% accurate depending some nuances on how they are counted.
The number of sentences is highly estimated.
The point is 100% of Allah's MESSAGE which represent 'What is Islam' is contained within 1 to 6 above and no where else. This can only be the 100% starting point and no where else.
5:3. [O ye Muslims] ... ... This day have I [Allah] Perfected your religion [deenakum] for you [Muslims] and completed My favour unto you [Muslims], and have chosen for you [Muslims] as religion [deenan] AL-ISLAM. [al-islama deenan] Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Anything outside 1 to 6 is pseudo-Islam and it is not Allah's Islam as in 5:3.
The term how to "Perform" Islam is very misleading and this perspective is not the most critical element in Islam.
What is most critical with Islam and as per Allah intent within 1-6 above is in PRINCIPLE [not in practice] 'one must be a 100% Muslim' to ya'budu Allah only [51:56].
What is a 100% Muslim and how to be a 100% Muslim is completely and fully detailed within the Quran [elements 1 -6 above]. A Muslim must have 100% trust on this message [5:3].
Therefore, in PRINCIPLE, for any one to meet Allah's expectation 100% as a Muslim, the person must comply 100% with whatever is within the Quran-Only [100%] and no where else. There is no other ways about it as with this PRINCIPLE as conveyed in the MESSAGE.
This PRINCIPLE cannot be compromised principle wise.
However in the Quran [Message] Allah recognized human nature.
4:28. Allah would make the burden light for you [Muslims], for man was created weak.
Thus to adapt to the person's capability, Allah state the following;
2:286. [Part] Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. ..
The result is each Muslim's achievements as a "Muslim per Allah's Message" will be in different degrees, rank and grades.
46:19. And for ALL [jinn & mankind] there will be ranks [grades and degrees of achievement] from what they do, that He may pay [recompense, repay, compensate] them [jinn & mankind] for their deeds! and they will not be wronged [fairly judged].
The most critical matter here is how can a Muslim be the best Muslim he possibly can.
The only way is to understand and comply with as much as possible what is supposed to be Islam completely within the Quran [elements 1 to 6] and no where else. Any other source can only be pseudo-Islam
One real constraint is how to understand the Quran completely [100%] so that one can comply with the terms therein as much as possible.
The Quran [320,015 letters, 77,934 words, appx. 18,700 sentences & 6,236 verses] as it is presented is in a very big mess within 114 uncoordinated chapters with no head-to-tail theme.
Therefore to be a true Muslim [to the best of one ability] there must be an effort to understand the Quran [100%] in an efficient thematic form to facilitate compliance [as best as possible].
If one do not start with understanding 100% of the Quran-Only, one will not even know if one has gone astray as there is no 'compass' for one to check. This is what is likely to happen with the proposals in the OP.