Islam its Basic Practices & Beliefs
It is reported from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab: One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet. Resting his knees against his and the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said, 'O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah said, "Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so." He said, 'You have spoken the truth,' and we were amazed at him asking him and saying that he had spoken the truth. He said, 'Then tell me about Iman (faith).' He said, 'It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in the decree both of good and evil.' He said, 'You have spoken the truth.' He said, 'Then tell me about Ihsan.' He said, 'it is to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him. Even though you do not see Him, He sees you.' In the end the Prophet informed them that it was Jibril (Gabriel) who had come to teach them their religion (deen). Using as a Framework the most famous and authentic of all the classical definitions of Islam - the Jibril hadith - the author takes the reader step by step through all the basic practices and beliefs which make up the daily lives of every Muslim, giving a picture of Islam that is both completely traditional and also excitingly contemporary. The Five Pillars of Islam: The Six Fundamentals of Iman (Faith): The Stages of the Self: ( this part is often ignored by many but it is the vital part of the Hadith) An-Nafs al-'Amara: the insinuating self An-Nafs al-Lawwama:the self-reproaching self An-Nafs al-Mulhama: the inspired self An-Nafs al-Mutma'inna: the self at peace About the Author Abdalhaqq Bewley accepted Islam in 1968 and spent some time in Morrocco learning about Islam. Since that time he has worked with Shaykh Dr abdalqadir as-Sifi on the establishment of Islam and Muslim Communities. He also collaborates with his wife Aisha Abdurrahman at Tarjumana Bewley in translation of classical Arabic work into English. They not t only understands Arabic but she is also aware of the basic meanings and nature of teachings and history of Islam. Their knowledge is born of experience and direct transmission, not merely academic theory and learning by rote.