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Old 09-15-2015, 01:58 AM
 
Location: Not-a-Theist
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodrow LI View Post
That would be true if the Qur'an taught how to perform Islam. Which it does not do.

Muhammad(saws) taught how to perform Islam and that is summarized in the madhabs. I follow the Hanafi because it is the oldest and therefore the one most likely to be what Muhammad taught. Although sunni are in agreement that all 4 madhabs contain what Muhammad(saws) taught as Islam and a Sunni can follow any one of the 4 but can not choose parts from one and parts from another
I find the above phrase 'perform Islam' very odd and meaningless.

To put in perspective,

1. A Muslim, sometimes spelled Moslem, relates to a person who follows the religion of Islam, a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion based on the Quran ... which is the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. [wiki]

2. Thus to qualify as a Muslim per se one must adopt, conform, comply and execute in according to whatever terms and conditions that are solely in the Quran as mentioned in 1 above and no where else.
There is no question of 'how to perform Islam' to qualify as a Muslim.

3. The Quran introduced the term 'hanif' which is synonymous with 'Muslim' but not exactly the same if we take the context and sense into account. The Quran labelled some believers [Pre 622 AD] who share some basic elements with Muhammad's Quran as 'hanif' aka 'Muslim' but this is for reference only for various purposes. 'Hanif' as 'Muslim' is not Muslim per-se as in 1 and 2 above.


4. Madhabs:
A madhhab is a school of thought within fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). In the first 150 years of Islam, there were numerous madhāhib; several of the Sahabah ("companions" of Muhammad) are credited with founding their own. Over the centuries they have variously grown, spread, split, and been absorbed; at one time, there were 130 schools, most have become obsolete.
It is wrong to say a Madhhab teaches on how to perform Islam.
It is only true to say a Madhhab teaches one how to perform their own specific set of teachings, with the expectation that the performer will comply with the terms and conditions of the Quran.
But the teachings of the various Madhhabs in fact [separate OP to discuss this] do contain a lot of elements that are contradictory, in excess, deviate, exaggerated from the true principles of the Quran as revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Thus there is a possibility for one to deviate from being a true Muslim if one is focusing on certain elements of the Madhhab that do not align with the principles and elements in the Quran.

Therefore the phrase 'how to perform Islam' is meaningless and irrelevant.

The proper point is;
To qualify as a Muslim proper one must adopt, conform, comply and execute in accordance to whatever terms and conditions that are solely in the Quran [the 6,236 verses] as mentioned in 1 above and no where else.

Views?
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Old 09-15-2015, 02:58 AM
 
Location: Not-a-Theist
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As with other religions, there is no such thing as
-perform Christianity
-perform Buddhism
-perform Hinduism
-perform Judaism

There are denominations and schools of thoughts in Christianity, Buddhism, etc. just like the Madhhabs with Islam.
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Old 09-15-2015, 04:12 AM
 
Location: Not-a-Theist
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3:7. He [Allah] it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture [The Quran] wherein are clear revelations. They are the substance of the Book, and others (which are) allegorical.
But those [doubters] in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its [allegories'] explanation save Allah. And those [Muslims] who are of sound instruction say: We [Muslims] believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.

I believe the 'substance' of the Book refer to the clear principles that are sufficient to explain 'Who is a Muslim.'

I also believe those who are responsible in coming up with the various Madhhabs are the 'doubters' referred in verse 3:7 above and they end up causing dissensions and thus disservice to Islam.
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Old 09-15-2015, 09:28 AM
 
Location: Logan Township, Minnesota
15,501 posts, read 16,996,535 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Continuum View Post
3:7. He [Allah] it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture [The Quran] wherein are clear revelations. They are the substance of the Book, and others (which are) allegorical.
But those [doubters] in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its [allegories'] explanation save Allah. And those [Muslims] who are of sound instruction say: We [Muslims] believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.

I believe the 'substance' of the Book refer to the clear principles that are sufficient to explain 'Who is a Muslim.'

I also believe those who are responsible in coming up with the various Madhhabs are the 'doubters' referred in verse 3:7 above and they end up causing dissensions and thus disservice to Islam.
Again I have not made it cleat to you that Islam is not Mohammedanism, which is what many Non_Muslims have fabricated.

It is not a dogma or a set of rituals. Islam is simply the action of performing Islam. Islam It is a specific action. The methodology of which is spelled out in the Madhabs.

The Basics are virtually the same in all the Madhabs past and presentt spelled out in 5 required Actions (Pillars) and Dependent upon 6 shared beliefs

5 pillars of Islam
1) The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam (as explained previously on this page). The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.
2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad said: {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.}2 Bilal was one of Muhammad’s companions who was charged to call the people to prayers.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
(For detailed information on how to perform prayer, please refer to the links at How to Perform Prayer or refer to the book entitled A Guide to Salat (Prayer) by M. A. K. Saqib.3)
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ The percentage which is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.

4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.

5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah:
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.

Fundemental Beliefs
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), Musa (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 Allah is all Knowing...
That Allah has the knowlege of all that will happen.
Muslims believe that this doesn't stop human beings making free choices.

While the reason and the need for doing such are spelled out in the Qur'an the Methodology of doing such is not.. That comes from the Madhabs which in turn are a summation of the Qur'an, Ahadith, Sunnah and Sira

Last edited by Woodrow LI; 09-15-2015 at 09:51 AM..
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Old 09-15-2015, 07:25 PM
 
Location: Not-a-Theist
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodrow LI View Post
Again I have not made it cleat to you that Islam is not Mohammedanism, which is what many Non_Muslims have fabricated.

It is not a dogma or a set of rituals. Islam is simply the action of performing Islam. Islam It is a specific action. The methodology of which is spelled out in the Madhabs.
Btw I did not assert Islam is Mohammedanism in this particular instance. However in general, it is not wrong at all to refer Islam as Mohammedanism as a verifiable fact.

Islam is NOT the specific actions of certain religious performances.
Islam is a religion.

As we had discussed before we need to agree with 'what is a religion'.
Generally a religion, as a concept must have certain basic dimensions [properties].
I had proposed Ninian Smart 7 Dimensions [plus the existential dilemma] as the most effective to represent what as religion us.
untitled

The Ritual and Methodology represent merely one dimension of the necessary 7+1 dimensions of that represent what is a religion.

Since the Madhhab is merely the methodology, i.e. one aspect of a religion of Islam, it is wrong to assert Islam is represented by the Madhhab.

It is only true that Islam is represented solely by the Quran within the necessary 7+1 dimensions of religion.


Quote:
The Basics are virtually the same in all the Madhabs past and presentt spelled out in 5 required Actions (Pillars) and Dependent upon 6 shared beliefs

5 pillars of Islam
1) The Testimony of Faith:
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam (as explained previously on this page). The testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.
2) Prayer:
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad said: {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.}2 Bilal was one of Muhammad’s companions who was charged to call the people to prayers.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
(For detailed information on how to perform prayer, please refer to the links at How to Perform Prayer or refer to the book entitled A Guide to Salat (Prayer) by M. A. K. Saqib.3)
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’ Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.’ The percentage which is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.

4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.

5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah:
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.

Fundemental Beliefs
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), Musa (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 Allah is all Knowing...
That Allah has the knowlege of all that will happen.
Muslims believe that this doesn't stop human beings making free choices.

While the reason and the need for doing such are spelled out in the Qur'an the Methodology of doing such is not.. That comes from the Madhabs which in turn are a summation of the Qur'an, Ahadith, Sunnah and Sira
The basic of all the Madhabs may be the same, but the full Madhab of each are different from each other.
As I had mentioned many times, an apple and an orange are both basically recognized as belong to the category 'fruit' BUT an apple is NOT an orange. You get the point?
It is very unfortunate you are not able to see the truth of the matter.

The religion of Islam is represented solely by the Quran [revealed by God via Gabriel to Muhammad] within the necessary 7+1 dimensions of religion.

The Ahadith, Sunnah and Sira which are merely expositions and interpretations by fallible humans at most are to be accepted as guides. These expositions are written hundreds of years after the Quran and are surrounded by very much controversies.
There is no issue where Muslims accept these exposition but they must comply with the principles in the Quran.

It is ridiculous to define Islam from the Madhab. It is like defining Christianity or Buddhism by its main denominations/schools. The critical elements to define a religions is by its 7+1 Dimensions and not solely by its methodology.

In fact some of the hadiths insults the prophet and the religion. Note the views by Sheikh Yasser al-Habib

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6-KgmCbp40

The Sunni on the other hand will critique the Shia Hadiths.
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Old 09-15-2015, 11:02 PM
 
Location: Logan Township, Minnesota
15,501 posts, read 16,996,535 times
Reputation: 7539
Quote:
Originally Posted by Continuum View Post
Btw I did not assert Islam is Mohammedanism in this particular instance. However in general, it is not wrong at all to refer Islam as Mohammedanism as a verifiable fact.

Islam is NOT the specific actions of certain religious performances.
Islam is a religion.

As we had discussed before we need to agree with 'what is a religion'.
Generally a religion, as a concept must have certain basic dimensions [properties].
I had proposed Ninian Smart 7 Dimensions [plus the existential dilemma] as the most effective to represent what as religion us.
untitled

The Ritual and Methodology represent merely one dimension of the necessary 7+1 dimensions of that represent what is a religion.

Since the Madhhab is merely the methodology, i.e. one aspect of a religion of Islam, it is wrong to assert Islam is represented by the Madhhab.

It is only true that Islam is represented solely by the Quran within the necessary 7+1 dimensions of religion.



The basic of all the Madhabs may be the same, but the full Madhab of each are different from each other.
As I had mentioned many times, an apple and an orange are both basically recognized as belong to the category 'fruit' BUT an apple is NOT an orange. You get the point?
It is very unfortunate you are not able to see the truth of the matter.

The religion of Islam is represented solely by the Quran [revealed by God via Gabriel to Muhammad] within the necessary 7+1 dimensions of religion.

The Ahadith, Sunnah and Sira which are merely expositions and interpretations by fallible humans at most are to be accepted as guides. These expositions are written hundreds of years after the Quran and are surrounded by very much controversies.
There is no issue where Muslims accept these exposition but they must comply with the principles in the Quran.

It is ridiculous to define Islam from the Madhab. It is like defining Christianity or Buddhism by its main denominations/schools. The critical elements to define a religions is by its 7+1 Dimensions and not solely by its methodology.

In fact some of the hadiths insults the prophet and the religion. Note the views by Sheikh Yasser al-Habib

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6-KgmCbp40

The Sunni on the other hand will critique the Shia Hadiths.
There will be differences in How Muslims Practice Islam, None of us accept all as being the proper way. But It is what tthe individual believes is Islam.

The concept of denominations is difficult to apply to Islam, because there would essentialy be 1.5 billion different denominations if you tried to apply rhe religious definition of denomination to Islam.

Islam is not a religion in the concept of Christianity. Individual Muslims have about as much in common as Atheists have in common with eachother.

The common fiber that connects Atheists is the belief god does not exist. The common bond that connects Muslims is the belief Allaah(swt) exists.

The only way you can define Islam in a way that is applicable to all Muslims if to define it as the act of Submitting to Allaahof one's own free will, with sincerity and to the best of their ability and their level of knowledge.

today the simpilist way to label a Muslim is to say that the minimum requirement is it is a person who has said the Shahadah with sincerity. But that is not 100% true as Babies up until the age of Accountability are Muslim by default even though they never heard of Islam or Muslims. so also are people that through no fault of their own have no knowledge of Muhammad(saws) or the Qur'an. but sincerly want to submit to the Creator, by what every name they identify him by.

We do not know who is performing Islam and is a Muslim. We only know people that claim they are doing so. Those we accept as being Muslim. But it is possible their are people performing Islam and are unaware it is called Islam. Many of us do accept the possibility that some Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians and others might be Muslim. It is not our place to say they are not.

It all goes back to what the individual's understanding, Knowledge and abilities are; not what any definition is. We all could come up with a definition, but there will always be the probability of exception based upon individual circumstances.
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Old 09-16-2015, 12:45 AM
 
Location: Not-a-Theist
3,440 posts, read 2,627,542 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodrow LI View Post
There will be differences in How Muslims Practice Islam, None of us accept all as being the proper way. But It is what the individual believes is Islam.
It would appear you are defining Islam yourself, i.e. making your own association with Allah and that would be a great sin.

Quote:
The concept of denominations is difficult to apply to Islam, because there would essentialy be 1.5 billion different denominations if you tried to apply rhe religious definition of denomination to Islam.

Islam is not a religion in the concept of Christianity. Individual Muslims have about as much in common as Atheists have in common with eachother.

The common fiber that connects Atheists is the belief god does not exist. The common bond that connects Muslims is the belief Allaah(swt) exists.

The only way you can define Islam in a way that is applicable to all Muslims if to define it as the act of Submitting to Allaahof one's own free will, with sincerity and to the best of their ability and their level of knowledge.

today the simpilist way to label a Muslim is to say that the minimum requirement is it is a person who has said the Shahadah with sincerity. But that is not 100% true as Babies up until the age of Accountability are Muslim by default even though they never heard of Islam or Muslims. so also are people that through no fault of their own have no knowledge of Muhammad(saws) or the Qur'an. but sincerly want to submit to the Creator, by what every name they identify him by.

We do not know who is performing Islam and is a Muslim. We only know people that claim they are doing so. Those we accept as being Muslim. But it is possible their are people performing Islam and are unaware it is called Islam. Many of us do accept the possibility that some Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians and others might be Muslim. It is not our place to say they are not.

It all goes back to what the individual's understanding, Knowledge and abilities are; not what any definition is. We all could come up with a definition, but there will always be the probability of exception based upon individual circumstances.
It seem I would NOT be able to get my point through to you because of your 'inoculation theory'. But I will say my piece any way.

I am not trying to define Islam at all by myself, other than from the Quran as it is. Here is how I had approach it;

1. First we agree on the proper definition of what is a Religion since Islam is generally agreed to be a Religion. No one would dispute that. Would you?

2. We can perhap agree - A 'Religion' is one that contain 7+1 imperative dimensions. If you disagree to this, then we discuss till we agree on the 'concept'.

3. Once we agree on 'what is a religion' - the only way forward to define the religion of Islam is to describe it within the above framework and solely from the Quran, i.e. God's word. There is no other way otherwise we will be putting our own words in God's mouth.

If you review any topic on the religion of Islam you will find that the Madhhabs are merely sub-sub section of within the topic of religion of Islam.
For example refer to wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam#Denominations
It would be same if you refer to any encyclopedia or other articles.

It is wrong to start from the Madhhab to define what is Islam.

To define what is Islam we start from a top-down approach [not bottom up from the subsections of the Madhabs. Thus we start from the following rough definition;
Islam is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a religious text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allāh) as revealed to Muhammad. -wiki

From the above the main element of what is Islam is the Quran as revealed to Muhammad.
Then we get to the details of the structure of the religion as per the 7+1 dimension from solely the Quran and no where else.

The Madhabs are merely specific guides and do not determine what is 'Islam.'

As I had explained in terms of concepts, we do not define tree starting with different types of orange trees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept
We define 'tree' from their essential common qualities and elements of what is a 'tree'.
Then if a thing fulfill the elements of a 'tree' we call it a 'tree' and if it has additional qualities we call that tree by a specific name, e.g. an orange tree which bear fruits that are orange of the citrus family, etc.

So, it is wrong to start from the Madhhab to define what is Islam.
If you insist, can you demonstrate how you can do that.
I don't think you can, because there are Muslims who follow the religion of Islam and they do not adopt any Madhab at all.

The only way to define what is Islam is from solely and only the Quran as revealed to Muhammad.

The Quran mentioned 'Islam' in the sense of those believers of old before Muhammad, e.g. re Abraham. This is only for reference and cannot be regarded as Islam-proper.
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Old 09-16-2015, 07:38 AM
 
Location: Logan Township, Minnesota
15,501 posts, read 16,996,535 times
Reputation: 7539
Quote:
Originally Posted by Continuum View Post
It would appear you are defining Islam yourself, i.e. making your own association with Allah and that would be a great sin.

It seem I would NOT be able to get my point through to you because of your 'inoculation theory'. But I will say my piece any way.

I am not trying to define Islam at all by myself, other than from the Quran as it is. Here is how I had approach it;

1. First we agree on the proper definition of what is a Religion since Islam is generally agreed to be a Religion. No one would dispute that. Would you?

2. We can perhap agree - A 'Religion' is one that contain 7+1 imperative dimensions. If you disagree to this, then we discuss till we agree on the 'concept'.

3. Once we agree on 'what is a religion' - the only way forward to define the religion of Islam is to describe it within the above framework and solely from the Quran, i.e. God's word. There is no other way otherwise we will be putting our own words in God's mouth.

If you review any topic on the religion of Islam you will find that the Madhhabs are merely sub-sub section of within the topic of religion of Islam.
For example refer to wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam#Denominations
It would be same if you refer to any encyclopedia or other articles.

It is wrong to start from the Madhhab to define what is Islam.

To define what is Islam we start from a top-down approach [not bottom up from the subsections of the Madhabs. Thus we start from the following rough definition;
Islam is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a religious text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allāh) as revealed to Muhammad. -wiki

From the above the main element of what is Islam is the Quran as revealed to Muhammad.
Then we get to the details of the structure of the religion as per the 7+1 dimension from solely the Quran and no where else.

The Madhabs are merely specific guides and do not determine what is 'Islam.'

As I had explained in terms of concepts, we do not define tree starting with different types of orange trees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept
We define 'tree' from their essential common qualities and elements of what is a 'tree'.
Then if a thing fulfill the elements of a 'tree' we call it a 'tree' and if it has additional qualities we call that tree by a specific name, e.g. an orange tree which bear fruits that are orange of the citrus family, etc.

So, it is wrong to start from the Madhhab to define what is Islam.
If you insist, can you demonstrate how you can do that.
I don't think you can, because there are Muslims who follow the religion of Islam and they do not adopt any Madhab at all.

The only way to define what is Islam is from solely and only the Quran as revealed to Muhammad.

The Quran mentioned 'Islam' in the sense of those believers of old before Muhammad, e.g. re Abraham. This is only for reference and cannot be regarded as Islam-proper.

We are getting too complicated. The vast majority of Muslim agree that:

Islam is an action. That Action being the Submission to Allaah(swt) to the best of one's ability and knowledge.

A Muslim is a person who performs Islam

Views as to what Islam is and who Muslims are from assorted and various Muslims

Quote:
The word Islam means voluntary “Submission” or “Surrender” to the Will of God. It derives from the root word “salam,” meaning peace.

In the Quran, God defines that the only purpose for which He created mankind is to Worship Him. Islam recognizes that humankind has free choice in whether to obey or disobey God, but ultimately we will be held accountable to God in the next life for the choices that we make in this life. (Read more: Concept of God in Islam)
What is Islam?

Who is a Muslim?

Since there is no priesthood in Islam, no clergy and no official religious institution, all one has to do to become a Muslim is to be personally convinced of the truth of what Islam teaches and bear witness that "There is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Prophet."

One of the great beauties of Islam is its simplicity, its naturalness, and its lack of formalities. Islam is the religion of Adam and of mankind in its earliest and most advanced stages of development. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

"So set your face to the religion of Islam as a man by nature upright, the nature of Allah with which He has inspired mankind and molded them. There is no changing to the creation of Allah. That is the right religion, but most men know not." (Qur'an 30:30)
What Is Islam? The Meaning of Islam, Some Basic Beliefs of Islam

Who are Submitters and what is Submission?

Whether you have heard the usage of the words “Submitters” and “Submission” in religious context before, if you do not know exactly what they mean, you are not alone. But we hope that this is the right time for you to check out their true meaning. You may be surprised to find out that you have actually been a Submitter all your life but have not realized you were one, God willing, until you read this article.
Submitter and Submission

Although the word “Submitter” is the English equivalent of the Arabic word “Muslim,” and the word “Submission” is the English equivalent of the Arabic word “Islam,” the underlying implication of these words is very profound, and far from the superficial meanings that are traditionally understood or used.

A Submitter can be defined as a person who submits to the will of God. The state of Submission, which can only take place between the person and God Almighty, is considered to be the only acceptable form of worship by God. (3:19, 85). Therefore, Submission is not just a name of a religion; rather it describes one’s devotion to God alone.

Submission is a religion whereby one recognizes God’s absolute authority, and reaches a conviction that only God possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power that is independent of Him. The natural result of such a realization is to devote one’s life and one’s worship absolutely to God alone. This is the First Commandment in all the scriptures, including the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Final Testament (The Quran).

Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is One God!
Therefore you shall adore
the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
[Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Mark 12:29-30, Quran 3:18]
Submission (Islam)

Degrees of Islam

Are there degrees of Islam, and what are they?.
Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, there are three degrees of Islam, which are: Islam, eemaan and ihsaan. Each of them has a meaning and certain pillars or essential parts.

1 – Islam, which in Arabic means submission. In sharee’ah terminology its meaning varies according to usage, and it may mean one of two things:

(i) When the word is used on its own and is not accompanied by the word eemaan (faith, belief), it refers to the religion as a whole, including both major and minor issues of belief, words and deeds, as in the verses where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
Degrees of Islam - islamqa.info

There are other verses to this effect. The repeated mention of Islam is indicates its high position and glorifies its status.

Islam has an outward aspect (dhahir) and an inward aspect (batin). Its outward aspect is to agree with Allah (High is He), and its inward aspect is to not dispute with Him.



Islam is action of the bodies, while refraining from disputation and istislam[1] (surrender) is action of the hearts. Islam is like an appearance, and istislam is the spirit of that appearance. Islam is outward and istislam is its inward aspect. The Muslim is the person who submits himself to Allah, thus outwardly obeying him and inwardly surrendering to his power.



The station of istislam is established by avoiding disputing Allah’s rulings and resigning to Him with respect to what He does and undoes. So anybody who claims to be practicing Islam is asked to practice istislam: “Say [O Muhammad!]: ‘Bring your proof, if you are truthful’” (from 2.111).
Submitting One

SUBMISSION
TO THE WILL OF GOD

Allah. Allah is His name; and He is the All-mighty God, the Creator of the Universe. There is none equal to Him. None is worthy of worship except Him alone.

Islam is submission to the Will of Allah. It is the only religion preached by all the prophets and messengers; worship Allah alone and submit to Him alone.

O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those before you, that you may guard yourselves against evil. Who made the earth a floor for you, and the sky as a roof, and caused water to come down from the clouds to bring forth fruits for your sustenance, so do not set up equals to Allah, while you know it. [The Holy Qur'an, Surah 2:21-22]
Submission to the Will of God / www.convertingtoislam.com

Therefore, the true Muslim is not reluctant in submitting himself in humiliation to Allah obeying His commands, hastening to fulfill the obligations of Islam, abandoning its prohibitions and believing that what Allah commanded us to do is in our best interest and what He prohibited entails evil.
Difference between faith [Iman] and Islam

Meaning of Islam

Islam means to submit freely to The Commandments and Will of The One and Only God (Allah). This submission should come from within, from sound belief in and conviction to Allah, with no doubt. It should also come from love, trust, and affection.

Allah is not a special god for Muslims, but Allah is The Creator of all creatures, including mankind.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace on him) is the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace on him) received The Word of Allah (revelation), through the archangel Gabriel (The Holy Spirit). This revelation comprises the Religion of Islam.

The Qur'an is the authentic collection of this revelation recorded in book form. It is the exact, unchanged Word of Allah to all mankind.

A Muslim is any male or female person who believes in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace on him) as His Messenger who then testifies to that belief to witnesses announcing his/her acceptance of Islam as his/her religion. "Muslim' should not be confused with "Arab"; A Muslim is a person who follows the religion of Islam and s/he can be of any race while Arab refers to a race of people. An Arab can choose to be of any religion or belief system be it Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, atheism, or any faith. Arabs make up less than 18% of the Muslim population of the world today, which is estimated to be over one-fifth of the world's population, or more than a billion people.

Islam is a simple and practical religion. It has established, clear, and easily understandable beliefs and laws that any follower or student of the religion can easily understand. Islam affirms belief in a decent, civilized society. Islam also does not demand impossible goodness of its followers, but it recognizes that all human beings make mistakes and sin. No one is exempt. Islam preaches peace, mercy, justice, tolerance, equality, love, truth, forgiveness, patience, morality, sincerity and righteousness. Islam is the religion that preaches the Oneness of God, the Oneness of mankind and the Oneness of the Message.

Islam is the religion that preaches the Oneness of God, the Oneness of mankind and the Oneness of the Message.

Islam Beliefs and Practices
The only things in Common are the concepts:

Islam is an action

A Muslim is a person who does Islam
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Old 09-16-2015, 09:13 PM
 
Location: Not-a-Theist
3,440 posts, read 2,627,542 times
Reputation: 481
Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodrow LI View Post
We are getting too complicated. The vast majority of Muslim agree that:

Islam is an action. That Action being the Submission to Allaah(swt) to the best of one's ability and knowledge.

A Muslim is a person who performs Islam

Views as to what Islam is and who Muslims are from assorted and various Muslims


The only things in Common are the concepts:

Islam is an action

A Muslim is a person who does Islam
Where did all the above views, ideas and concepts of yours and the links you provided come from??
Answer - The Quran!

You will note all the points from the links you provided quote the Quran as the authority and not the texts of the Madhhab.

"Islam is an action" you said.
But those actions are ultimately based on what source?
Answer - The Quran!

"A Muslim is a person who does Islam"
What is the authority on the above?
Answer - The Quran!

The Madhabs, Hadiths, Sira also rely on the final authority of the Quran.

The common problem seem to be, because most typical Muslims focus so much on the secondary texts, they seem to forget the Quran - as the supposed words of God - should be the final authority arbiter.

My point is the definitions of what is Islam and who is Muslim are ultimately dependent on the Quran.
How one learn to be a Muslim therefore has to be from the Quran.
The Madhhabs [has differences amongst themselves] which are merely expositions by humans are merely secondary quides and they do not necessary comply with the Quran in totality.

Since the Madhhabs do contain deviations from the Quran, a responsible person must fall back on the Quran as it is easily accessible.

To understand the Quran thoroughly one need to fall back on the 6,236 verses of the Quran.
To do this one will have to use the 6,236 verses as a checklist to check the deviations of the secondary texts from the Quran and one own performance as a Muslim.

Your Point:
As I understand it, you think the Quran do not has detailed actions of what to do, so Muslims has to refer to some detailed recipe with a 'to-do listings.' My point is whilst a detailed 'to do listings' may be useful it cannot represent 'what is Islam' and 'who is a Muslim'. Such a detailed 'to do listing' must be cross-checked with the final authority, i.e. the Quran.

Re the OP:
From the above points, the Quran is the final authority on the definitions of 'what is Islam,' 'Who is a Muslim' and How a Muslim should act in principle.

Last edited by Continuum; 09-16-2015 at 09:22 PM..
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Old 09-17-2015, 07:30 AM
 
Location: Logan Township, Minnesota
15,501 posts, read 16,996,535 times
Reputation: 7539
Quote:
Originally Posted by Continuum View Post
Where did all the above views, ideas and concepts of yours and the links you provided come from??
Answer - The Quran!

You will note all the points from the links you provided quote the Quran as the authority and not the texts of the Madhhab.

"Islam is an action" you said.
But those actions are ultimately based on what source?
Answer - The Quran!

"A Muslim is a person who does Islam"
What is the authority on the above?
Answer - The Quran!

The Madhabs, Hadiths, Sira also rely on the final authority of the Quran.

The common problem seem to be, because most typical Muslims focus so much on the secondary texts, they seem to forget the Quran - as the supposed words of God - should be the final authority arbiter.

My point is the definitions of what is Islam and who is Muslim are ultimately dependent on the Quran.
How one learn to be a Muslim therefore has to be from the Quran.
The Madhhabs [has differences amongst themselves] which are merely expositions by humans are merely secondary quides and they do not necessary comply with the Quran in totality.

Since the Madhhabs do contain deviations from the Quran, a responsible person must fall back on the Quran as it is easily accessible.

To understand the Quran thoroughly one need to fall back on the 6,236 verses of the Quran.
To do this one will have to use the 6,236 verses as a checklist to check the deviations of the secondary texts from the Quran and one own performance as a Muslim.

Your Point:
As I understand it, you think the Quran do not has detailed actions of what to do, so Muslims has to refer to some detailed recipe with a 'to-do listings.' My point is whilst a detailed 'to do listings' may be useful it cannot represent 'what is Islam' and 'who is a Muslim'. Such a detailed 'to do listing' must be cross-checked with the final authority, i.e. the Quran.

Re the OP:
From the above points, the Quran is the final authority on the definitions of 'what is Islam,' 'Who is a Muslim' and How a Muslim should act in principle.
While the Qur'an is the final source of Islam, there were prior sources most notably the Torah, Psalms and the Gospel of Jesus,

It is noticed that if you use the Aramaic Gospel of Matthew you will find both Islam and Muslim being used notably in relation to submission to God(swt) in Matthew 28: 18-19 Althugh it is used 58 times in Matthew.

This covers it better than I can:

http://rootsofislamtruehistory.com/s...m_the_Word.PDF

Islam is not a new religion and the Qur'an was not a new revelation. There were souces on how to perform Islam before the Qur'an. It is simply that there are no new sources after the Qur'an. But a person is not going to be held accountable or responsible for that which they do not know. A person with no knowledge,through no fault of his own, can still perform Islam based upon what he does know and his abilities.

Quote:
Question

I'm still student and want to know Islam deeply! as we know that non-Muslim will go to hell if they don't take Islam as their way of life. If someone never heard/known of Islam, Will they go to hell? If this type of people go to hell, Allah is not fair to His creatures. Please give me any dalil or statement from Hadith or Quran to assure me. Wassalam
Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad , is His slave and Messenger.

This question deals with the last part of the verse (what means): {And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).}[Quran 17:15] In fact, this verse includes three things of utmost importance:

Firstly, it is the person who decides his own fate, be it good or bad. It is he who masters his own mind and his own senses. Indeed Allaah has shown all the people the way that leads to the good and the one that leads to the bad.

Secondly, no person bears another person's burden no matter how close they may be to one another. As a matter of fact, everybody bears his own burden and shall not blame but his own soul when he finds himself alone on the Day of Resurrection.

Thirdly, Allaah provided His slaves with a great blessing when He decided not to punish people until He had sent a messenger to warn them against the evil and call them to the good. Allaah Says (what means): {Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his own self. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another's burden. And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).}[Quran 17:15]

There are many verses dealing with the same issue. All of them agree that Allaah does not throw anyone into Hell unless He has sent messengers to them.

To conclude, Allaah makes it clear that He will not punish any people before sending a messenger to them to guide them to the right path and warn them of the consequences of going astray giving evidence, setting Sharee’ah rules and calling to the good and correct religion. There is no difference in this regard between the era of Prophet Muhammad , and the consecutive eras that came after him. However, if the call to Islam does not reach someone and he does not hear about Prophet Muhammad , then the ruling on him is the same as the one who dies before the sending of Muhammad , as a Prophet and did not know about other prophets. It is narrated in a Hadeeth that such people will be tested and tried on the Last Day. Imaam Ahmad may Allaah have mercy upon him narrated that the Prophet , said: “Four people will protest on the Day of Judgement: a deaf person who does not hear anything, an insane person, a decrepit person, and one who dies in a period where no Prophet was sent (Fatrah). As for the deaf person, he will say, ‘O my Lord, Islam came (to me) while I could not hear’; the insane person will say, ‘O my Lord, Islam came (to me) while children were throwing dung at me’; the decrepit person will say, ‘O my Lord, Islam came while I could not understand anything;’ and one who died in a period where no prophet was sent will say, ‘O my Lord, no prophet came to me.’ Then Allaah will take a covenant from them that they will obey Him and then send one to tell them to enter Hell. By Him in whose Hand is my soul, if they enter Hell, it will be cool and a means of safety for them.”

Also, it is narrated in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet , said: “By him in whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), shall be but one of the denizens of the Hellfire.”

Allaah Knows best.

http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/ar...twaId&Id=82190
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