FAQ in dawah: Basics of Islam

Last updated: 17 June 2025 From the section FAQ in dawah

What is Islam? Who is a Muslim?

  • 'Islam' is an Arabic word meaning 'Submission to the Will of God'
  • 'Muslim' is one who submits to that One God
  • Islam didn't begin in 7th century. All prophets are Muslim from Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc., to finally to Muhammad (peace be upon all of them)
  • Unlike other faiths, the religion is not named after a person or thing (e.g. Judaism from tribe of Judah, Christianity from Jesus Christ, Buddhism from Buddha, Hinduism from Indus River)
  • Islam is for everyone

7 things Muslims believe in (articles of faith)

  1. Belief in ALlah
  2. Belief in His Angels
  3. Belief in His Books (Kitabs)
  4. Belief in His Messengers (Nabis)
  5. Belief in the Day of Judgment (Qiyamat)
  6. Belief in Fate (Taqdeer)
  7. Belief in the Life after Death

5 pillars of Islam

  1. Belief (iman) in one God and that Muhammad is His final messenger
  2. Five daily prayers (salat)
  3. Fasting (siyam) during month of Ramadhan
  4. Donating 2.5% of one's excess wealth to charity (zakat)
  5. Making a pilgrimage (hajj) to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, once in a lifetime if possible

Who is God?

  • Name of god is 'Allah' (which means The One God)
  • He's referred to by 99 names in Qur'an, expressing His qualities (e.g. The Most Loving, The Most Merciful, The Most Forgiving, etc.)
  • Uniquely one - no partners or equal
  • Eternal and sustainer - we rely on Him and He doesn't rely on us
  • Not a human - so no sons, daughters, wife, etc. We only refer him to as 'He' for linguistic reason
  • Not like creation (e.g. energy, alien, etc.) and nothing comparable to Him
  • Described in Surah 112 Al-Ikhlas (The Sincerity)

Where does the knowledge come from (i.e. primary sources)?

  • Qur'an (recitation) = The holy book - direct speech of God, not Muhammad's
  • Sunnah = The example set by Prophet Muhammad (i.e. what he said and did)
  • Hadiths (prophetic tradition) = A collection of sayings or reports which describe the actions of Prophet Muhammad or actions that his companions attributed to his teachings
  • Traditionally, Muslims have also relied upon the expertise of scholars and followed their consensus as long as the advice was based upon Qur'an and Sunnah
  • Judge Islam on Qur'an and Sunnah and not by people (as people capable of doing good and bad)