Salat is the principle of inner cultivation. Al-Islam requires that the believers perform Salat, which means Prayer, at least five times per day. The Qur’an instructs the Muslim to pray in the early morning (Fajr Prayer), a little after high noon (Zuhr Prayer), in the afternoon; midway between noon and sunset (Asr Prayer), a little after sunset (Maghrib Prayer), and at night time (Isha Prayer).

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Prophet Muhammad has taught us that if a person prays at these regular intervals throughout the waking hours, his or her soul will be cleansed, heart will be purified and character made pleasing to oneself, one’s neighbor, and to Almighty Allah.

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The Muslim practice of prayer ritual, practice, tradition has been designed by Allah to help cultivate the inner self of the one who believes. Thus, the submission of one’s will to the Will and Guidance of Allah is actually a benefit to the self.

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Allah tells us that if everyone on earth were to suddenly begin worshipping HIM, it would not add a single thing to HIM or if everyone were to suddenly turn away from HIM; it would not take away a single thing from HIM. Hence, our prayers do not magnify Allah, nor do they stroke HIS ego (for HE has no ego). Indeed, our giving of spirit and action to HIS guidance is a requirement of the nature in which HE made us in order for us to find and grow into a state of Peace, Wholeness, and Security, which is Al-Islam.

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The Muslim prayer (Salat) requires use of the mind, heart, and the body. This teaches the Muslim that to serve Allah, one must do so with mind, body, and soul. This is our whole self.

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There are many other types of prayers that Muslims make; such as Sunnah prayers, Eid prayers, Funeral prayers, and more. Al-Islam is a way of life that contains practices, such as prayer, which cultivate the inner soul, which results in Muslims, as a whole, being among the best people to have in society.

The ritual of fasting in Al-Islam is filled with wisdom. To fast is to refrain from eating food or drink, to abstain from sex, from emotional extremes, and from the pleasures in which we normally overindulge in during the daylight hours. We perform this fast for 29 or 30 days during the Islamic month of Ramadhan.

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During this month, Muslims also pray more and they read more of the Generous Qur’an. In fact, it is the goal of every Muslim to read the entire Qur’an by the end of the month by reading 1/30th of the book each day.

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The ritual of restraining oneself from eating and drinking and indulging in our other appetites is symbolic of the real principle of the Ramadhan fast, which is the mastery over self. You master yourself by mastering your appetites and your desires. He or she who can discipline their desires, drives, the urgings of their body can guide that body and its miraculous powers to make progress in the world in service to Allah and humanity.

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The fast of Ramadhan gives the individual the opportunity to bring himself or herself back into harmony by disciplining the physical, mental, and spiritual (emotional) appetites. A corollary to this self-control is the strengthening of one’s resistance to temptation, wrongdoing, and bad behavior and bad thinking.

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All of the activities that occur during Ramadhan are geared towards returning the individual back to the state of being that Allah intended when HE first created the human being. This natural state is called Fitrah and the great celebration or Holiday (Holy Day or Wholesome Day) that commemorates the victory over self is called Eidul Fitr or the return to the original (self).

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When the human being gains control over self and resists wrong-mindedness they will automatically and naturally return back to their good state of mind and spirit. When a human being returns to the natural state that Allah intends, they will solve all of the problems that confront them and they will be inspired to many beautiful and useful things into the world.

The third great pillar or principle in the way of life of Al-Islam is Zakat; usually translated as charity. Charity is the giving of something that you possess to another free of charge, without seeking something in return, out of the goodness of your heart to help another person or thing.

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Muslim society has also institutionalized the concept of Zakat and Muslims are told by some scholars that they are required to give 2.5% of their gross wealth to Zakat or charitable causes, such as feeding the poor and helping the needy and those burdened with unexpected tragedy and hardship. In addition to this many Muslims further build perception of Zakat upon the meaning of the word Zakat. Literally, Zakat means “to increase.”

Thus, we give with the consciousness that we are hoping to increase the good of situation. For example, we know that by helping the weakest and most vulnerable members of society, we are increasing the strength of the society. For the stronger its weakest members, the more help the society gets and the less burdened down it is.

We are taught in Al-Qur’an to spend out of what Allah has provided to us. Some of us have more than others and each of us has something unique and special that Allah has given to us. Hence, with all of us giving of our talents and gifts, we increase the overall well being of each other, our families, and our society.

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However, it is important to note that Muslims do not believe in being wasteful spendthrifts. We do not give with the spirit of the gambler or the showoff or recklessly. Allah tells us that the one who squanders what Allah has given them is practicing an evil. Why is this so? Because, to waste or act recklessly does not lead to increases for the better. Such behavior usually leads to a loss of wealth, resources for self and family, and takes away from the person’s ability to contribute in a way that increases.

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Charitable giving is not just a material giving. Zakat includes giving a helping hand, making someone smile, taking the time to console a friend, make a child laugh, speak words that touch the soul of the wife or husband, that gives hope for a brighter day.

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We believe that the Muslim is a person who has internalized the concept of zakat and will carry the spirit of increasing and advancing and enhancing lives and circumstances wherever he or she is.

At least once in their lifetime a Muslim is to make the Hajj, if they can afford it. The Hajj is a practice where Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform rituals in and near the sacred masjid, near the Kaaba. Most people in the world are familiar with the picture shown above of a million Muslims circling around the Kaaba, which is believed to be the first house built to commemorate the worship of the One G-d, the Creator of the skies and the earth.

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At the Hajj, many rituals are performed and these rituals contain tremendous symbolic meaning and wisdom, which cannot be fully explained in this short description of the Hajj. But, Imam Mohammed has described the meaning of these rituals and in time we will include these descriptions on this website.

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Some of the major rituals that are performed are the circling of the Kaaba seven times in a counter-clockwise direction, the running back and forth between two mountains, drinking from the well of ZamZam, throwing stones at the heads of the devil,  climbing up the mountain of Arafat, kissing the black stone, prayers, sacrificing an animal and feeding it to the people, and a few more other practices.

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But, these are the practices of making the Hajj. We referred to the Hajj as a great principle of Al-Islam. What is that principle? It is the principle that humanity is on a lifetime journey back to its unity as a human family, practicing the noble principles and values under G-d, the Creator of the skies and the earth. This is our great destiny as human beings.

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For most Muslims, making the Hajj is a life-changing or inspirational experience. The Hajjis (males) and Hajjahs (females) return filled with stories to tell of their experiences, their contemplations, and their struggles.

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The apex of the Hajj is the celebration of Eidul-Adha, which is a celebration commemorating the human being’s return to enlightenment. Eidul-Adha is the second Holy Day for Muslims and we celebrate with food, prayer, socializing, and much much more.

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Allah says in 22:27, “and proclaim the Hajj among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways.”

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So, every Muslim seeks to make this journey, for its message is so important to inculcate into our heart and this powerful set of rituals helps to plant those lessons, feelings, and ideas deep within the love in our hearts.

The Five Pillars of Islam

The Last Revelation

The Meaning of Islam

"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root salaama peace, purity, submission and obedience. In the religious sense, Islam means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.

Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than man and jinn is administered totally by God-made laws, they are obedient to God and submissive to His laws, i.e. they are in the state of Islam. Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the good will of God and obey His law, i.e. become a Muslim. Submission to the good will of God, together with obedience to His beneficial law, i.e. becoming a Muslim, is the best safeguard for man's peace and harmony.

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Islam dates back to the age of Adam and its message has been conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Islam's message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious evolution by God's last Prophet and Messenger Muhammad.

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The word ALLAH in the Arabic language means God, or more accurately The One and Only Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, Lord of all lords, King of all kings, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. The word Allah to mean God is also used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians.

Al-Qur’an is the book of scripture, the book of revelation that guides the thinking, feelings, and actions of every believing Muslim on the planet earth. It literally means ‘A Reading’ and ‘A Proclamation.’

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The Qur’an is inspiration that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad over 1,400 years ago and the Qur’an is still inspiring millions today. The Qur’an gives guidance specifically and majestically designed for human beings. As such, it speaks to our intellect, our emotions, our material appetites and concerns, our relationship with each other and our environment. Its goal is not to turn human beings into unnatural spiritual beings or into unnatural materialistic “animals,” but to help us preserve the natural human qualities that allow us to fulfill the potential and qualities that Allah put in the human so that he can live a life with the peace that only Allah can give to us.

Muhammad the Prophet was the man who Allah chose to inspire with the divine revelation that we call the Glorious or Noble or Generous Qur’an. It has these titles and more because the way the content is expressed is truly glorious and the ideas and principles it espouses are truly noble and what its message offers to its readers is truly generous.

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Well, such a message could only be entrusted to a man with a heart and mind worthy of such a trust. That man was Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, whose natural orientation and inclinations were honorable, humble, fair, just and all of the qualities that we wish for in an exemplary human being.

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Not only did he have the right character, he had a desire to see the lives of his people be liberated from enslavement to ignorance and decadence. So, he search in himself and to a greater source for answers.

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Allah rewarded this man with the gift of the last revelation to humankind and grew and guided him to be the final prophet to humans with a completed message for all humans.

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His achievements and accomplishments in history are phenomenal. Allah has told us that he is the most excellent model of conduct among us, but that he is just a human person like us who has demonstrated the kind of person that we should all become.

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Muslims look to the example of Prophet Muhammad to acquire understanding of the qualities and goals that Allah intends for us all.​

​​6. Qadaa and Qadar​​​​​​​​​​​

A Muslim believes in Qadaa and Qadar which relate to the ultimate power of Allah. Qadaa and Qadar means the Timeless Knowledge of Allah and His power to plan and execute His plans. Allah is not indifferent to this world nor is He neutral to it. It implies that everything on this earth originates from the one and only Creator who is also the Sustainer and the Sole Source of guidance.

Allah is Wise, Just, and Loving, and whatever He does must have a good motive, although we may fail sometimes to understand it fully. We should have strong faith in Allah and accept whatever He does because our knowledge is limited and our thinking is based on individual consideration, whereas His knowledge is limitless and He plans on a universal basis. Man should think, plan and make sound choices, but if things do not happen the way he wants, he should not lose faith and surrender himself to mental strains or shattering worries.

Islamic Video-Lectures

By Imam W D Muhammad

It is not very difficult to become a Muslim in name or by declaration, but becoming a Muslim in its fullest sense; in the way that leads to all of the blessings that being a Muslim in substance brings, is a journey that lasts a lifetime.

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When a person becomes aware of the religion of Al-Islam and spends some time becoming familiar with its teachings; its beliefs, principles, ideas and practices, they may decide that they would like to become a Muslim.

To become a Muslim one need only attend a gathering of Muslims and let an Imam or someone in the gathering know that they desire to publicly make a declaration of faith in Allah and HIS messenger Muhammad. This declaration of faith is called the Shahadatain, which literally means I witness twice.

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The Muslims will gather around the new person and one of them will administer the Shahadatain. They will ask the new person to repeat the following declaration after them, first in Arabic and then in English (or their native tongue).

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Ash’haadu an-la elaha  il-lallah, which means I witness that there is no G-d, but G-d (Allah, the Creator).

Ash’hadu anna Muhammadan Rasuululah, which means I witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of G-d (Allah, the Creator).

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Upon making these two public declarations, the Muslims will declare that they recognize the new person as a Muslim and a member of the family of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world and they will all shake his hand and give him hugs and make du’a (prayer) for his success.

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At this moment, the new person is officially a Muslim. After this moment, the new Muslim then starts his new life and path on the road of Al-Islam; that is the road to Peace and Wholesomeness. From here the person begins to study and learn in depth the beliefs, ideas, principles, and practices of a Muslim.

The new person not only engages in learning to enlighten his mind and increase his knowledge, but he or she cleanses their heart and strengthens their moral character and courteous behavior.

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The Muslim life, called Al-Islam (The Peace) or Deen Al-Fitrah (The Way of Nature) requires a journey back to the natural, wholesome human self that Allah intended for him or her to be. This journey leads to great rewards not only at the destination, but all along the way.

If you are a new Muslim, we pray that Allah will bless you to enjoy your new life.

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Islam

Complete Way of Life