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.

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Basic Beliefs in Islam

Oneness of God: "Tawheed"
Muslims believe that there is ONLY One supreme God (Allah). In Islam to believe in Allah is not only to believe in Allah's existence but also to believe in all Allah's attributions, to worship Allah alone, and to obey all Allah's commands. Tawheed includes the oneness of the Lordship, oneness of Worship and oneness of Names and Attributes:

A) Oneness of Lordship: To believe that Allah is The ONLY Creator, Provider, and The Commander.

B) Oneness of Worship: To believe that Allah is the ONLY God who should be worshipped, and obeyed as Allah prescribed.

C) Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes: To believe that Allah Is Perfect and His Names and Attributes are Perfect according to what Allah tells us about Himself in the Quran, believing that those Names and Attributes, in their perfection, belong only to Allah.

◊ Muslims believe that NO one shares Allah's divinity that is neither angel nor human. Allah says: "And Allah makes none to share in His decision and His rule." (Holy Quran 18:26)

◊ Muslims do not believe that Allah sleeps, gets tired, or dies. Those attributes are only for Allah's creations. Allah has neither Weakness nor Weariness.

◊ Muslims do not believe that human beings are created in the image of Allah.

◊ Muslims believe that there is no intermediary who will take any one nearer to Allah or plead on anyone's behalf. They believe that any individual can directly supplicate to Allah and ask for anything he/she wants.

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Oneness of Mankind

◊ People are created equal in the sight of Allah. There is no superiority of one over another for any reason except piety and righteousness. Muslims are required to respect the dignity of mankind, regardless of religion, race, nationality, or place of birth, all of mankind are honored.

◊ People are not to be judged on factors that they had no choice over, such as gender, color, size, race, health, etc. Islam teaches that human diversity is a sign of the richness of Allah's mercy and the beauty of His creation. Prophet Muhammad said: "Surely Allah does not look at your faces or your bodies, but looks at your hearts and your deeds".

◊ In Islam there are no priests, priesthood or holy men, and no one has special access to sacraments, there are however, scholars who are knowledgeable of Islam, and their duty is to truthfully explain Islam to others. THEY ARE JUST ADVISORS.

◊ Islam teaches people to be moderate in their life. Muslims should not give up totally this life for the hereafter, nor give up the work for the hereafter totally for this life only.

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Oneness of The Message

Muslims believe that Allah Sent Messengers to each nation hroughout the history of humankind. Messengers came with the same message: to worship the One Supreme God and to obey His Commands.

Innocence of mankind at Birth. Muslims believe that people are born free of any sin and bear no responsibility for other's faults and sins. It is only after they reach the age of puberty, and they knowingly commit sins that they will be held responsible for their actions in this life and the hereafter.

There is no original sin in Islam. Muslims believe that both Adam and Eve were equally tempted, both sinned, and were both responsible for disobedying Allah. Both were remorseful and repented, and Allah forgave both of them.

Muslims believe that no soul is responsible for the sins and faults of others, even if they are their parents, children, wives or husbands.

Muslims believe that forgiveness is always available through repentance. Muslims pray for repentance directly to Allah, without any intermediary.

Salvation in Islam is only through belief and practice. both go together, side-by-side, to be granted salvation.

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Pillars of Islam

There are five pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada (Testify)
2. Salah (Prayer)
3. Seyam (Fasting)
4. Zakat (Charity)
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Shahada (Creed) 
The verbal commitment and pledge that there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
See Shahada Video for correct pronunciation.

Salah (Mandatory Worship [Prayer])
It is the duty of every Muslim, male and female, after reaching the age of puberty, to perform five Salats (Prayers) at specific times during the day and night. These five specific times are: - Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, and Night. A ritual called Wudu (Cleaning several parts of the body with water) is a prerequisite to Salah.

The above picture is one "rak'a", i.e, one set of standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. Each Salah consists of several Rak'a. Muslims are strongly encouraged to pray in the masjid, but if that is beyond their ability, they can pray anywhere that is clean; Muslims do not make Salah in a bathroom.

Siyam (Fasting)
Fasting during the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the lunar calendar) is from sun up to sun down only and is an obligation on every adult healthy Muslim, male or female. Fasting is total abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, intimate relations, and taking anything into the body. If a person is ill and needs to take medication, s/he cannot fast. Fasting is also a time to discipline one's self from bad behaviors, such as arguing and saying mean things. Those who are ill or unable to fast for health or reasons of age are exempt from fasting. However, they should feed the poor one meal for every day they miss of fasting. Women who are pregnant, menstruating, or nursing, or any who are traveling, are also exempt from fasting. However, when their situation changes, they make up the days of fasting or feed the poor one meal for each day of fasting they missed.

Zakah (Charity) 
Zakat is an annual obligatory charity on every Muslim, male or female, who possesses over the last year money or property that exceeds their minimum needs. The requirement is 2.5% of one's excess wealth. It is also called a tax because it supports the government workers who are not free to make money elsewhere.

Hajj (Pilgrimage) 
The performance of the pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim, if financially able, as well as physically able. Hajj begins every year during the month of Dul Hejja; Dul Hejja is the 12th month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar year. The Hajj is a spiritual journey where a Muslim forgets all worldly things and devotes his\her attention and time to Allah alone.

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Pillars of Faith

In Islam, there are six pillars of faith: Belief in Allah, His angels, His books to mankind, His Prophets and Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Destiny.

1. Belief in God (Allah)
Islam teaches that there is one Unique God (Allah) who should be worshipped and obeyed.

2. Belief in Mala-eka (Angels) 
Muslims believe that Allah created unseen creatures such as Angels. Muslims believe in their existence, their names, their tasks, and descriptions as explained in the Quran and in the Sunnah (Teachings of the Prophet).

3. Belief in the Books of Allah 
Muslims believe that Allah from time to time revealed books to mankind through His Prophets. These books originated from the same divine source; they are all divine revelations. Muslims believe in the original text of these books when they were revealed. The five prominent divine books are: 1) Abraham's Scrolls; 2) Zabur (Psalms) revealed to Prophet David; 3) Tawrah (Torah) revealed to Prophet Moses; 4) Injil (Gospel) revealed to Prophet Jesus; 5) Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

4. Belief in the Prophets of Allah 
Muslims believe that Allah sent Prophets to all mankind as messengers for their guidance. Muslims believe in their existence, their names, and their messages, as Allah and His Prophet informed about them. Prophets are void of divinity because divinity is exclusive only to Allah (God) the Almighty. They are all righteous, truthful, and pious men chosen by Allah to be models to all mankind, both their words and deeds being in accordance with the divine commandments.

5. Belief in Yawm al-Qiyama (Day of Judgement) 
Muslims believe that the life of this world and all that is in it will come to an end on one appointed day, when everything will be annihilated. This day will resurrect all the dead; Allah will judge with perfect justice each person individually according to his good or bad actions that he did during his life, and every victim will have his/ her rights. Allah will reward those who lead a righteous life and did good deeds by sending them to Paradise (Jannah). Allah forgives whom He pleases of those who disobeyed His Command, or punish them in the Hellfire (Jahannam).

6. Qada wal-Qada (Destiny, Divine Decree) 
Muslims believe that since the whole universe is entirely under the direction and control of Allah, then everything that is or that happens in this universe, from the smallest to the greatest event is governed by Allah. Muslims put their trust in Allah only. They are required, however, to make a sincere effort to strive and do their best, and not simply sit back and let things take their course in blind resignation. Such belief gives a person a tremendous degree of inner certainty, confidence and peace of heart, especially in the face of afflictions. Moreover, he lives with the assurance that whatever is to come to any individual, including death, cannot fail to come at its appointed time.

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The Islamic Shariah (Laws of Islam)

Shariah is the divine code of practice which guides a Muslim in all affairs of his/her life, it is divided into two categories: Ebadat (system of worship), and Muamalat (system of dealing). The main source that governs all the laws of Islam is Allah through two channels; the first is the Quran, the book of Allah, and the second is the Sunnah, which is the authentic recording of the sayings, traditions of the Prophet and whatever his companion said or did to which he showed no objection.

The Lawful and the Unlawful in Islam

The basic rule governing the issue of the lawful and the unlawful is that things are lawful unless one of the sources of the Islamic laws specifies that they are unlawful. In Islam it is prohibited to drink alcohol, use drugs, use interest, and all immoral conducts. It is also prohibited to eat the meat of pork, predators (animals and birds) and all dead animals.

War

War is not an objective of Islam nor is it the normal course of Muslims; it is only the last resort and is used under the most extraordinary circumstances, when all other attempts at just and peaceful solutions to the dispute fail. In Islam, every being is entitled to enjoy a free and peaceful life, regardless of religious, geographical or racial considerations. If non-Muslims are living peacefully or even indifferently with the Muslims, there can be no grounds or justification to declare war on them or to begin hostilities, embark on any act of aggression, or violate their rights.

Jihad

In Islam Jihad does not mean "Holy war". And is not a declaration of war against other religions and certainly not against Christians and Jews, as some people want it to be perceived. Jihad literally means "striving, struggling or exerting more effort than usual for the betterment of one's self and the community at large." It has an internal, societal and combative dimension.

- The internal dimension of Jihad encompasses the struggle against the evil inclinations of the self; it involves every Muslim's earnest, moral efforts to resist all internal or external inclination towards sin of all kinds. This includes the struggle to overcome problems, difficulties, tasks, and temptations.

- The social dimension includes struggling against social injustice and creating a communal identity based on charity, respect and equality. Also it takes the form of calling people with the community to enjoin good and forbid evil.

- Finally, the combative aspect of jihad is in the form of a just war to be used against aggression or to fight forces of tyranny and evil oppression, and, even then, to observe the strict limits of conduct prescribed by Islam that preserves the life of innocents and the sanctity of the environment.

- Islam rejects all forms of terrorism, extremism, fanatism and fundamentalism. The religion of Islam guarantees the sanctity of life (the life of a non-Muslim is considered as sacred as that of a Muslim), honor, property, and freedom to embrace and practice any religion they freely choose, and all other conducts as long as those conducts do not hurt others. To terrorize people or spread fear in any society or hurt others; all are considered major sins in Islam; Allah prescribed severe punishments for those who are involved in such actions.

Women in Islam

Islam looks at the woman as an equal, mature and capable partner of a man, without whom a family cannot exist and teaches that men and women are all the creation of Allah, existing on a level of equal worth and value.

In some societies women are treated according to ancestral customs and tribal tradition, but in Islam they are treated with full respect and honor. Islam preserves women's honor and dignity, and requires that she must be treated with respect and honor. Her femininity should not be exploited in any way, rather she is to be regarded and treated as human individual whose sexuality does not enter into her relationship with any person other than her husband.

In Islam marriage cannot take place unless the female freely agrees to it and a dowry is given to her. Islam puts priorities for the husbands and wives. The responsibility for providing for the family is on the husband, while the responsibility to care for the house and raising the children is on the wife. These are the main priorities, but cooperation between the husband and the wife is required and highly recommended.

Dress

For both males and females, Islam requires that they wear proper, decent, modest, and clean clothes.

Muslim women also are instructed by Allah in the Quran to wear as a minimum Hijab (head covering). At home, with her immediate family like her husband children, brothers, uncles, grandfathers and other males (family members who are forbidden to them to marry her), and with other women, a Muslim woman may take her outer garments off, and be free to beautify herself as she wants.

Unlawful clothing and adornment:

-Tight clothing, transparent clothing, clothes that expose those parts of the body which are sexually attractive, extravagant clothes, swim suits, makeup or perfume in public, wigs and hairpieces. Gold and silk are prohibited to Men only, but lawful for Women.

Generally in Islam, women's beauty and sexual attributes are not for public display.

Traditions Interfering with Isla

The adherence to Islam (as with other religions) varies with the strength of the beliefs of the people. Sometimes culture and traditions interfere with religion, or even overshadow the religion. Some people claim that something in their culture or tradition is part of the religion, when it is not. Or do things that have no justification in Islam and are prohibited; yet that gets portrayed by others as the tenets of the religion of Islam.

Also the beliefs and practices of Muslims should not be judged according to the beliefs and the laws of other religions since some lawful practices of one religion can be portrayed by other religion as unlawful or even wrong.

Sometimes a conduct of certain people can be offensive to others and vice versa in spite of the fact that this conduct is not meant to offend others. For example Islam commands Muslims to lower their eyes when they are talking to people of opposite gender out of respect and honor for the others. This can be offending to other cultures where eye contact is very important when communication.

To live in peace and harmony in this world, one should realize that people were created differently and vary in the colors of their skin, their languages, and in their religions, cultures, and traditions. Some people may be different, but it does not mean that they are bad or evil.

The Purpose Of Life

I’m very honored to have this opportunity to address you here. And I want to say that this is not a lecture…I don’t think that I’m prepared to lecture. But it’s sort of…advice to myself. Because I see myself sitting in these chairs in front of me. Just a few days ago, few years ago, just a little while ago - I was sitting right there where you are, whatever nationality - it doesn’t matter. A human being that was not aware of Islam. And at that particular time, I was someone who did not really understand… the purpose of life!

So with that note, I would request you to think of what I’m saying to you just as information and as advice - not a lecture. The information which I wish to share with you, it may seem a bit extensive. When you consider the capacity of the human brain and the amount of information it can store and that it can decipher - then with the few pages of information today, I’m sure it will not overburden you.

It is my responsibility to address the topics of our discussion today - what is the purpose of our life? And also ask the question - “What do you know about Islam?” I mean - what do you really know about Islam? Not what you’ve heard about Islam; Not what you’ve seen as actions of some Muslims, but - what do you know about Islam?

I’m honored to have this opportunity, and I would like to begin by saying that all of you have an equal responsibility… And that responsibility is to read or listen - with an open heart and an open mind.

In a world filled with prejudice and cultural conditioning it is very hard to find people that are able to take a moment to think. To think about life objectively, to try to arrive at the truth about this world and the real purpose of our lives. Unfortunately, when you ask most people the question - “What is the purpose of our life?” which is such a fundamental and important question, they will not tell you what they have concluded through observation or analytical reasoning. In most cases, they will certainly tell you what someone else said... Or they will tell you what is commonly presumed by others. What my father said the purpose of life is, what the minister of my church said the purpose of life is, what my teacher in school said, what my friend said.

If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating, “Why do we eat?” Most people will answer, in one word or another, “It’s for nutrition!” Because nutrition sustains life… If I asked anyone why they work? They will say, because it’s necessary in order to support themselves and to provide the needs of their family. If I asked anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, etc., they will answer - “This is a common necessity for all human beings.” We can follow this line of questioning with a hundred questions, and receive the same or similar answers from anyone, in any language, in any place in the world, simple! “Why is it, that when we ask the question, ‘What is the goal and the purpose of life?’, that we get so many different answers?” That’s because people are confused, they don’t really know. They’re stumbling in the dark. And rather than saying, “I don’t know,” they just offer any answer that they’ve been programmed to answer.

Let’s think about this. Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Why are we born? What is the object of our existence, and what is the wisdom behind creation of man and this tremendous universe? Think about that question!

Some people argue that there is no proof of any divine origin, there is no proof that there’s a God, there’s no proof that this universe has come about through any divine purpose. There are people who believe this way - and they say that perhaps this world came about by chance. A big bang, and this whole great world with all of its orchestration just came together. And they argue that life doesn’t have any definite purpose and that there’s nothing that can be proven through either logic or science that there is a God, or purpose, or any divine reason behind this world.

Here I would like to mention a few verses from the Quran that address this subject.

“Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding, who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and conclude), “Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose, glory to You! Grant us salvation from the torment of the Fire.” [Quran 3: 190-191]

In the above verses, Allah has mentioned very clearly to us, by first drawing our attention to the creation of our own being. The different postures of the human body, the different attitudes of people. He draws our attention to the heavens. The alternation of the night and the day. The firmament, the stars, the constellations… And then He says to us that He has not created all of this for any foolish purpose! Because when you see the design of it, you know that the design of it is very powerful and very precise. And something very powerful and very precise that is beyond our own calculation and imagination - it cannot be foolish. It cannot be just thrown together.

For instance, if you took ten marbles and numbered them one to ten. And all of them were different colors. And you put them inside of a bag and you shook the bag. And then, closing your eyes, reached inside that bag and I told you, “Pull out marble number one. And then pull out marble number two. And then pull out marble number three, in order.” What’s the chance of you pulling out those marbles in order? Do you know what the chances are? Twenty six million to one! So what are the chances of the Heavens and the Earth being thrown in a big bang, and being orchestrated like they are? What’s the chance of that?

My dear respected guests- we have to ask ourselves one more question… When you see a bridge, a building, or an automobile - you automatically consider the person or the company that constructed it. When you see an airplane, a rocket, a satellite, or a large ship - you also think about how incredible a vehicle that it is. When you see a nuclear plant, an orbiting space station, an international airport equipped with everything, also if you consider other structures that exist here, in this country - you have to be thoroughly impressed with the engineering dynamics that are involved.

Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. What about the human body with its massive and intricate control system? Think about it! Think about the brain— how it thinks, how it functions, how it analyzes, stores information, retrieves information, distinguishes and categorizes information in the millionth of a second! The brain does all of it constantly. Think about a brain for a moment. This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ship, the boats, and the so and so. Think about the brain and who made that. Think about the heart, how it pumps continuously for sixty or seventy years – in taking and discharging blood throughout the body, and maintaining that steady precision throughout the life of that person. Think about it! Think about the kidneys - what kind of function they carry? The purifying instrument of the body, which performs hundreds of chemical analyses simultaneously and also, controls the levels of toxicity in the blood. It does this automatically. Think about your eyes - the human camera that adjusts focus, interprets, evaluates, and applies color automatically. The natural reception and adjustment to light and distance – all automatically. Think about it - who created that? Who has mastered that? Who plans that? And who regulates that? Human beings - themselves? No… of course not.

What about this universe? Think about this. The Earth is one planet in our solar system. And our solar system is one of the systems in the Milky Way. And the Milky Way is one of the constellations in that galaxy. And there are millions of galaxies like the Milky Way. Think about that. And they are all in order. They are all precise. They are not colliding with each other; they are not conflicting with each other. They are swimming along in an orbit that has been set for them. Did human beings set that into motion? And are human beings maintaining that precision? No, of course they’re not.

Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, and bacteria, the chemical elements that have not been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet, each one of them has a law which they follow. Did all of this synchronization, balance, harmony, variation, design, maintenance, operation, and infinite numeration - did this happen by chance? And also, do these things function perpetually and perfectly also by chance? And do they keep on reproducing themselves and maintaining themselves also by chance? No, of course not.

To think so would be illogical and foolish. At the very least it would indicate that however it came to be, it is totally outside the realm of human capabilities. We would all agree to that. The being that is deserving of praise and gratitude is the almighty power - God. God created all of this, and is responsible for maintaining all of this. Therefore, God is the only one that deserves of praise and gratitude.

If I gave each one of you a hundred dollars, for no reason, just for coming here, you would at least say, “Thank you.” However, what about your eyes, your kidneys, your brain, your life, your breath, your children? What about that? Who gave you that? Is He not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of your worship and your recognition? My brothers and sisters that, in a nutshell, is the purpose and the goal of this life.

Allah says in the Quran:
“I have not created the jinn, the spirits, nor the human beings, for any other purpose except to worship Me.” (Quran 51: 56)

This is what God Almighty said. So our purpose in this life is to recognize The Creator and to be grateful to The Creator. To worship The Creator. To surrender ourselves to The Creator, and to obey the laws that He has determined for us. In a nutshell, it means worship. This is our purpose in this life. And whatever we do in the course of that worship-- the eating, the drinking, the dressing, the working, the enjoyment between life and death-- all of this is just consequential. We have been created for worship - that’s the purpose of our life. I believe that even someone who is scientific or analytical would agree with that purpose. They might have some other ulterior purpose within themselves, but that’s something they have to deal with between themselves and Almighty God.

Now on to the second half of our topic. What do you know about Islam? Not what you’ve heard about Islam. Not what you have seen in the actions of Muslims, because there’s a difference between Islam and Muslims. Just like there’s a difference between a man and a father. A man who has children - he is a father, but being a father is a responsibility. If a man does not fulfill those responsibilities, he is not necessarily a good father. Islam is a rule and an order. If a Muslim does not fulfill these rules and orders, he is not a good Muslim. So you cannot compare Islam by Muslims.

We hear the terms ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslims’ quite often. And we read about Islam and Muslims in the periodicals, textbooks of colleges and universities. We hear and see a lot of inaccurate, misleading, and purposeful misinformation through the media. And I have to admit that some of this misinformation and misrepresentation have been perpetuated by Muslims themselves. Yet one of every five persons in this world of some five billion people is a Muslim! One out of five people in this world is a Muslim! This is a statistic that you can verify in the encyclopedia, or the almanac, or in other sources that you like to look at. How is it that if one out of five people in this world is a Muslim, that we don’t know something about Islam? The facts about Islam. If I told you that one out of five people in this world was Chinese, which is a fact – there are one billion Chinese in the world, one out of five people is Chinese! Then we know the geographical, the social, the economical, the political, the philosophical, the historical factors about China and Chinese! How come we don’t know about Islam?

What is it that joins so many different nations and this universal configuration into a common fraternity? What makes a brother or sister in Yemen my brother or sister, and I’m from America. And makes this brother from Eritrea my brother or sister. And makes another brother from Indonesia my brother. And from Africa my brother. And another one from Thailand my brother. And from Italy, Greece, Poland, Austria, Colombia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, China, from Spain, from Russia, and so forth… What makes them my brother or sister!? We with different cultural and psychological backgrounds! What is it about Islam that automatically embraces us and joins us together as a brotherhood? What are the accurate characteristics of this misunderstood way of life that is followed by a great part of humanity?

I will try to provide you with some facts. But in addition to this, as I’ve mentioned to you before, it is necessary for you to be open-minded and open-hearted - because, if I turned the glass upside-down and poured water on it, I’ll never get a glass of water. It has to be the right side up. Facts alone do not lead to understanding, but rather a combination of tolerance, ambition, and the ability to appreciate and accept the truth when you hear it.

The word ‘Islam’ means surrender, submission, and obedience. Surrender, submission, and obedience to the law of Almighty God. You can say ‘Allah.’ You can say ‘The Creator.’ You can say ‘The Supreme God,’ ‘The Supreme Force,’ ‘The All-Wise,’ all of these are His names.

Muslims use the Arabic word for God, Allah, because in Arabic there is no other expression. The word Allah cannot be applied to any created thing. Other words that people use for Almighty are also applied to created things. For example, “the almighty dollar.” “Oh I love my wife, she is tops!” Or, “He’s the greatest.” No, no, no, no… But the word ‘Allah’ can only be applied to the One who has created all of this that we have previously described. So from this point, I’m going to use the word ‘Allah,’ and you know whom I’m speaking about.

The word ‘Islam’ is derived from the root ‘Salama’ - it means to be at peace. Therefore, a Muslim is a person who surrenders, submits, and obeys the law of Almighty God.

And through this submission obtains peace and serenity for themselves. We can immediately see, that by such a definition, the Arabic word ‘Islam’ describes the same manner and behavior of all the well-known and respected prophets and messengers of Almighty God… All of them including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, John the Baptist, Suleiman, Jesus the son of Mary, and Muhammad (May Allah’s peace be upon them all.) All of these men, these prophets and messengers, came from the same Almighty God, with the same message, with the same chain of transmission, and they said one thing - obey God! Worship Almighty God and fulfill the purpose of life and do good actions, and you will be rewarded with another life. That’s all they said! Don’t make it more than that! That’s all they said, regardless of what language and what time, whom they came to - that’s all they said.

If you read the scriptures carefully, without your own interpretation or somebody else’s addition or fabrication - you will find that this was the simple message of all those prophets who confirmed one another. Not one of those prophets ever said, “I am God - worship me.” You will not find it in any of the holy books that you have - not the Bible, not the Torah, not the New Testament, not the Psalms of David - you will not find it in any book. You will not find it in the speech of any prophet. Go home tonight and palm through all the pages of your Bible, and I guarantee you - you will not find it once. Anywhere! So where did this come from? That’s something that you’ll have to investigate.

We can easily see that by such a definition, the Arabic word describes what all the prophets did. They all came and submitted themselves to God; Surrendered themselves to God; Called the people to God; And asked the people and insisted upon the people to do deeds of righteousness. The Ten Commandments of Moses - what was that? The speech of Abraham - what was that? The Psalms of David - what was that? The Proverbs of Solomon - what did he say? The Gospel of Jesus Christ - what did he say? What did John the Baptist say? What did Isaac and Ishmael say? What did Muhammad say? Nothing more than that!

“And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practice regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.” [Quran 98:5]

This is what Allah said. And they were ordered nothing except to worship Allah, being sincere toward Him. And this was the straightway, this was the original message.

By the same token, it would also be appropriate here to consider both prophets and messengers as Muslims, because a ‘Muslim’ is what? Don’t think about the Arabic terminology, don’t think about how we address them— don’t think about Mecca, or Saudi Arabia, or Egypt. No! Think about what the word ‘Muslim’ means. ‘He who surrenders himself to Almighty God, and obeys the laws of the Almighty God,’ in that case whether naturally or in a dialectical manner - everything that surrenders to the law of Almighty God is a Muslim!

So, when a child comes out of a womb of its mother at the time that God has ordered - what is it? It’s a Muslim. When the sun goes around in its orbit - what is it? It’s a Muslim! When the Moon goes around the Sun - what is it? It’s a Muslim! The law of gravity - what is it? It’s a Muslim law! Everything that submits to the Almighty God is a Muslim! Therefore, when we willfully obey Almighty God we are Muslims! Jesus Christ was a Muslim. His blessed mother was a Muslim. Abraham was a Muslim. Moses was a Muslim. All the prophets were Muslims! But they came to their people and they spoke different languages. The prophet Muhammad (SAW) spoke the Arabic language. And so, in the Arabic language the one who submits and surrenders is Muslim. Every prophet and messenger of Almighty God brought the very same and fundamental message-- ‘Worship Almighty God and be sincere towards Him.’ As we examine the message of each of the well-known prophets, we could easily conclude this fact.

Where there is a conflict, it is a result of false assertions, fabrications, exaggerations, personalized interpretations of alleged writers, historians, scholars, and individuals. For instance, let me point something out to you that you may have already looked at. As a Christian I’ve looked at it before I became a Muslim and… I didn’t understand it. How come throughout the Old Testament God is always referred to as One--the Master and Lord and King of the Universe. And that in the first commandment given to Moses, He did not allow anybody to worship any graven images; Or to bow down to anything in the Heavens, or the Earth, or the sea below - He’d never allow that. All the prophets said that there is only One God. Throughout the Old Testament this is repeated over and over again. And then, all of a sudden we get four testimonies - four Gospels called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew who? Mark Who? Luke who? John who? Four different Gospels that were written forty- eight years apart. And none of these men, who did not collaborate with each other, none of them, wrote their last name. If I gave you a check for your pay this month and I wrote my first name on the check and told you to take it to the bank - would you accept that check? No, you wouldn’t… If the policeman stopped you and asked for your identification or passport and you only had your first name, would that be acceptable to him? Could you get a passport with your first name? Did your mother and father only give you one name? Where in the history of men is one name accepted as a documentation, where? Nowhere! Except in the New Testament.

And how can you base your faith upon four Gospels that are written by four men that didn’t seem to know their last names? Then, after those four Gospels, there are fifteen more books written by a man who was an apostate who killed Christians, tortured Christians, and then said that he in a vision saw Jesus. And he was commissioned as an Apostle of Jesus. If I told you that Hitler, after he killed all the Jews, then he himself decided that he wanted to be saved. And he met Christ or Moses on the path and he became a Jew. And he wrote fifteen books and added them to the Torah - would this be acceptable to the Jews? No, you wouldn’t accept that. So how can four books written by men without a last name, and fifteen other books written by another man--and this is the first time that God is called a man, and the first time that God is called three, and the first time God was given a son-- how is this acceptable to Christians? How? Think about it! We won’t argue that point. I’ll just give you something to think about.

The advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did not bring a new religion or a way of life as some people ominously claim. On the contrary, the prophet (SAW) confirmed the life and message of all the previous prophets and messengers. Both through his personal conduct and through divine revelations he received from the Almighty. The sacred scripture that Muhammad (SAW) brought is called the Quran. It means ‘that which is recited.’ Because Muhammad (SAW) did not write the Quran. He did not author the Quran. Nobody came and helped him write the Quran. And nobody collaborated with him on this. The Angel Gabriel recited the words to him! And Almighty God made his heart a receptacle of that. The Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) heart was a receptacle of revelation and we have this Quran that has been preserved for years without any change. Is there any other book in the world that you know of that has been preserved as it was revealed without any change? No book… Only the Quran.

Don’t take my word for it! Go to the library and read what the Encyclopedia Britannica, or the World Encyclopedia, or the Americana’s Encyclopedia, or any other universal encyclopedia of the world that was not written by Muslims. Read what it says about Islam, the Quran, and Muhammad (SAW). Read what non-Muslims say about the Quran, Islam, and Muhammad (SAW). Then you will accept that what I’m saying is universally documented and clear! That Muhammad (SAW) is the most profound individual in the history of humanity. Read what they say. That the Quran is the most incredible, the most profound piece of literature in the annals of history! Read what they say. That the Islamic way of life is categorized and so precise and dynamic! ...It has never changed.

The sacred scripture that Muhammad (SAW) received is called ‘The Quran.’ And each of the prophets and messengers also received the scripture. In the Quran, these prophets, their scriptures, their stories, and the principle of their mission is mentioned with profound detail. Did Muhammad (SAW) meet them, talk with them, eat with them, and collaborate with them to write their biographies? No, of course he didn’t. In the Quran, Muhammad (SAW) is referred to as the messenger of Almighty God and the seal of the previous prophets-- which is the limit of his role as a human being.

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” [Quran 33:40]

Muslims do not worship Muhammad, we’re not ‘Muhammadans.’ We have not the right to change the name ‘Muhammad’ and say we are ‘Muhammadans.’ No, the people who had followed Moses, they were not ‘Moseans.’ The people who followed Jacob were not ‘Jacobites.’ Or the people who followed Abraham were not ‘Abrahamians.’ Or ‘Davidians.’ ...No, no ,no. So how do people call themselves ‘Christians?’ Christ did not call himself a ‘Christian,’ so how do people call themselves ‘Christians?’

Jesus Christ (PBUH) said that whatever he received from Almighty God was the word of God, and what he heard is what he said! That’s what he did! So how do people call themselves ‘Christians?’ We have to be Christ-like! And what was Christ like? He was a servant of the Almighty God; so we should be servants of Almighty God, that’s all!

As the final scripture and divine revelation, the Quran makes the very clear and concise statement, "This day have I perfected your religion and completed my favor upon you. And chose the Islam as a complete way of life." [Quran 5:3]

So through the Quran, the word ‘Islam’ came. Because, when the building is complete, you call it ‘a house.’ When the car is on the assembly line, it is not ‘an automobile’ - it is in the process of assembly! When it has been completed, it has been certified, it has been test-driven - it is now ‘an automobile.’ When Islam was completed as a revelation, as a book, as an example through the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), it then became ‘Islam.’ It became a complete way of life.

So it is the word that was new… But not the practice...not the prophet...not the order from God...not a new God...not a new revelation...But only the name, Islam. And as I said previously, who were all the prophets? They were all Muslims. Another distinction to keep in mind is that Muhammad (PBUH), unlike his predecessors - he did not come to the Arabs or to his own people exclusively. No… Therefore, Islam is not a religion of the Arabs. Although the Prophet Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, was born in Mecca, a city in the Arabian Peninsula, and was an Arab by birth, he did not bring Islam to only the Arabs. He brought Islam to all people.

Although the Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, it dispels any inclinations or assertions that the message of Muhammad was limited or meant for the Arabs exclusively. In the Holy Quran Allah says, “And you have not been sent, oh Muhammad, except to the all of humanity.” [Quran 21:107]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said: All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White; except by piety and good actions.

As such, Muhammad (PBUH) is the finality and crown of the great prophets and messengers before him. Most human beings--they simply don’t know this information. And since I am making reference to the Quran to support my presentation, I will give some background information on the Quran itself. First of all, the Quran makes the claim that it is the product of divine revelation. That is, it was sent down from the Almighty God to Muhammad for inspiration.

Allah says, “Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.”

“It is no less than inspiration sent down to him.” [Quran 53:3-4]

Muhammad is not speaking for himself, his ideas, his own ambition, or his own emotion and feelings. But, this is a revelation which is being revealed to him! This is the statement of Allah. Therefore, if I am to convince you of the authenticity of the Quran, I must prove - one, that it was impossible for Muhammad to have manufactured such a book. Secondly, I must prove that it was equally impossible for any human agency to have created it. Let us think about this.

The Quran makes the statement, “And we created the human beings from the hanging clot that was clinging to the wall of the womb.” [Quran 23:13]

“Created man from a clinging substance.” [96:2]

How did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) know that the embryo started out as a clot hanging and clinging to the wall of the uterus of the mother? Did he have a telescope? Did he have a cystoscope? Did he have some kind of x-ray vision? How did he receive this knowledge, when it was just discovered forty seven years ago?

Likewise, how did he know that the oceans have a barrier between them to separate the salt and the fresh water?

“And it is He Who has let free the two seas (kinds of water), one palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter, and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.” [Quran 25:53]

How did he know this?

“It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.” [Quran 21:33]

How did he know that the Sun, and the Moon, and the planets are all swimming in an orbit that had been ordered for them? How did he know this? And on, and on, and on - how did he know these things? These things have just been discovered twenty five or thirty years ago. Technology and science, the sophistication of which you and I well know have just been discovered. How did Muhammad (PBUH), who lived more than 1500 years ago-- an uneducated shepherd who was raised in the desert, not knowing how to read or write-- how could he know something like this? How could he produce something like this? And how could anyone else living with him, before, or after, produce something that has just been discovered recently. That’s impossible!! How could a man who never left the Arabian Peninsula, a man who never sailed on a ship, who lived more than 1500 years ago --make such clear and astounding descriptions that were just recently discovered in this half of the twentieth century?

Also, if this is not enough, let me mention that the Quran has a hundred and fourteen chapters, over six thousand verses. And there were hundreds of people in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who memorized this book entirely. How did that happen? Was he some kind of genius? Did anyone memorize the Gospel - any of them? Did anybody memorize the Torah, the Psalms, the Old Testament, the New Testament? Nobody has done that. Not even the Pope.

But there are millions of Muslims today who have memorized this entire book. This is the ambition of every Muslim. Not some – but every! How many Christians have you ever met in your life, that has memorized the Bible? None. You’ve never met any Christian that memorized the whole Bible, because you’ve never met a Christian who even knew what was the whole Bible. Why is that? Because, Christians themselves have over seven hundred different denominations, and there are approximately thirty nine different versions of the Bible--with different books and different versions. Different number of verses and different number of chapters. And they don’t agree to that. So how could they even memorize what they don’t agree about.

It’s just some facts about the Quran. The Quran has been universally preserved without the slightest alteration of any kind in fifteen centuries. And I’m not speaking in a condemning fashion. I’m a person who was a Christian. A person who found out these things by my own investigation. A person who is now sharing this information with you. Overturning some rocks for you to look under. And it’s up to you!

Just think about if all of this were true. Would you agree that this book is quite profound? And unique, to say the least? Would you be honest enough to say that? Of course you would, if you were honest. And you are. Within yourselves, you have to come to that conclusion. Many other non-Muslims came to the same conclusion. People such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Winston Churchill, to name a few. Many more and I could go on, and on, and on. They came to the same conclusion. Whether they accepted Islam openly, or not. They came to that conclusion-- that there is no other literature in the world as profound as the Quran, a source of wisdom and healing and direction.

Now that we have settled the issue of authenticity of the Quran, let us turn to another subject matter: the basic themes of the Quran. The supreme oneness of Almighty God, which includes His names, His attributes, the relationship between God Almighty and His creation, and how human beings should maintain that relationship. The continuity of prophets and messengers, their lives, their messages, and their overall mission. The insistence upon following the final and universal example of Muhammad (pbuh), the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers. Reminding human beings of the shortness of this life and calling them towards the eternity of the life hereafter. Life hereafter, meaning after here. Hereafter, you leave this place and you’re going somewhere; I don’t mean tonight. But after you die and you leave this Earth, you are going somewhere, whether you accept it, or don’t know about it; You’re going there, and you are responsible, because you have been told-- even if you have rejected it. Because the object of this life is not for you to sit here, and after this do nothing and have no effect. Every cause has an effect! And you came into this life for a cause and a purpose, and it must have an effect! It must warrant some sort of effect! You don’t go to school to just stay there! You don’t go to work not to get paid! You don’t build a house and don’t move into it! You don’t get a suit made and don’t wear it! You don’t grow up as a child and don’t become an adult! You don’t work without expecting a reward! You cannot live without expecting to die! You cannot die without the expectancy of the grave! And you cannot expect that the grave is the end. Because that would mean that God has created you for a foolish purpose. And you have not gone to school, worked, or done anything, or have chosen a wife, or chosen the name of your children for a foolish purpose. How could you assign to God something less than yourselves?

In an attempt to capture and convince the imagination and faculties of reasoning, the Quran goes through great length and beauty to expound upon the oceans and rivers, the trees and plants, the birds and insects, the wild and domestic animals, the mountains, the valleys, the expansion of the heavens, the celestial bodies and the universe, the fish and the aquatic life, the human anatomy and biology, human civilization and history, the description of paradise and hell, the evolution of the human embryo, the missions of all the prophets and messengers, and the purpose of life on Earth. And how could a shepherd boy, born in the desert, who grew up illiterate and could not read-- how could he expound upon things that he was never exposed to? The most unique aspect of the Quran, however, is that it serves to confirm all the previous revealed scriptures. And, after examining the religion of Islam, you should decide to become a Muslim, you do not have to consider yourself changing your religion! You are not changing your religion…You see, if you lost some weight, you wouldn’t throw that $500 suit away--of course you wouldn’t! You would take it to a tailor and say, ‘Listen, take this in a little bit for me, please. Make some alterations to this because I like this suit.’ Likewise, with your belief, your honor, your virtue, your love of Jesus Christ, your attachment to God, your worship, your truthfulness, and your dedication to Almighty God - you don’t change that and throw it away! You hold on to that! But, you make alterations where you know that the truth has been revealed to you! That’s all!

Islam is simple: to bear witness that there’s none to be worshiped except Almighty God. If I asked any of you to bear witness that your father is your father--how many of you would say, ‘Yes, my father is my father; My son is my son; My wife is my wife; I am who I am.’ Then how is it that you hesitate to bear witness that the Almighty is One and the Almighty God is the only One, and that the Almighty God is your Lord and your creator? Why are you arrogant to do this? Are you being glorious? Do you possess something that God doesn’t possess? Or, are you confused? That’s the question you have to ask yourself.

If you had the chance to put things straight with your conscience, and to put things straight with God, would you do so? If you had the chance to ask God to accept the best of your deeds, would you do so? If you had the chance to do this before you died, and you thought that you would die tonight, would you not hesitate to bear witness that there’s only one God? If you thought that you would die tonight and that in front of you was paradise and in your back was hellfire, would you not hesitate to bear witness that Muhammad is the final messenger of God and representative of all the prophets? You would not hesitate to bear witness that you are one of those who would like to be written down in the book of God as those who submit!

But, you think you’re gonna live a little while. And of course, you’re not ready to pray every day! That’s because you think you’re gonna live a while. But how much is ‘a little while?’ How long ago was it when you had a full head of hair? How long ago was it when your hair was all black? You got aches and pains in your knees and elbows and in other places! How long ago was it when you were just a child, running and playing without a care? How long ago was it? It was yesterday! Yes. And you’re gonna die tomorrow. So how long you wanna wait?

Islam is to bear witness that Almighty God is God, the only God, the only One without any partners. Islam is to acknowledge the existence of the Angels who were sent with the duty of revealing the revelations to the prophets. Carrying the message to the prophets. Controlling the winds, the mountains, the oceans, and taking the life of those whom God has ordered to die. Islam is to acknowledge that all the prophets and messengers of Almighty God were righteous men. And that they were all sent by Almighty God acknowledging the fact that there will be a final day of judgement for all creatures. Islam is to acknowledge that all good and evil has been proportioned by Almighty God. Finally, Islam is to acknowledge that there will definitely be a resurrection after death.

Islam is like a big house. And every house has to be built with a foundation and pillars to support a house. Pillars and a foundation. And you have to build a house with rules. The pillars are the rules! And when you build your house, you must follow the rules.

The fundamental duties incumbent upon every Muslim are simple, and are summed up in just 5 simple rules, the so-called Five Pillars of Islam: Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage.

The most important rule of Islam is to uphold the strict code of monotheism. That is, to not accept any partners with God. Not to worship anything along with God. The believer worships God directly without the intercession of priests or clergy or saints. Not to say anything about God that you have no right to say. Not to say, ‘he has a father, a son, a daughter, a mother, an uncle, an aunt, a board of trustees.’ Not to say anything about God that you have no right to say. When you bear witness, you sentence yourself. You take the sentence that you want. You either sentence yourself to peace and paradise, or you sentence yourself to confusion, frustration, hellfire and punishment. You sentence yourself.

So ask yourself, “Do I bear witness that there is only one God?” When you ask yourself that question, you should answer, “Yes, I bear witness.” Then ask yourself the next question. Do I bear witness that Muhammad is a messenger of Almighty God? “Yes, I do bear witness.” If you bear witness to that, then you are a Muslim. And you don’t have to change what you were. You just have to make alterations in what you were--in your thinking and practice.

Finally, I ask you an honest and direct question: Have you have understood what I said to you? If you agree with what I said and are ready to enter Islam, you are ready to become a Muslim. To become a Muslim, you must first declare the Shahada “the testimony”; which is to declare the belief in the Oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as God’s prophet.

Ash-hadu anlaa ilaaha ill-Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulu llah.

“Which means that you believe that there isn’t any God except the one and only true God who created everything “Allah” and Muhammad is the messenger of God.

Please see Video for correct pronunciation!

May Allah bless us. May Allah guide us. I would like to say to all of the non-Muslim readers of this publication---Be very honest with yourself. Think about what you have read. Take this information with you and absorb it. Sit down with a Muslim person and let them explain a little further to you the beauty of Islam. Take the next step!

When you are ready to accept Islam and become a Muslim, wash yourself before formally becoming a Muslim. Accept Islam. Know about Islam. Practice Islam. And enjoy the bounties that Allah has bestowed upon you, because faith is The most important rule of Islam is to uphold the strict code of monotheism. That is, to not accept any partners with God. Not to worship anything along with God. The believer worships God directly without the intercession of priests or clergy or saints. Not to say anything about God that you have no right to say. Not to say, ‘he has a father, a son, a daughter, a mother, an uncle, an aunt, a board of trustees.’ Not to say anything about God that you have no right to say. When you bear witness, you sentence yourself. You take the sentence that you want. You either sentence yourself to peace and paradise, or you sentence yourself to confusion, frustration, hellfire and punishment. You sentence yourself.

If you don’t put it into practice, you lose it like a fragrance. May Allah guide us. May Allah help us. And I appreciate the honor of being able to speak to you through this publication.

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

[Arabic for “Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”]

Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi

Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi
Title	Shaykh al-Hadith[1] Qutb al-Aqtab Barakat al-`Asr
Born	Muhammad Zakariya 2 February 1898 Kandhla, North-Western Provinces, British India
Died	24 May 1982 (aged 84) Medina, Saudi Arabia
Resting place	Jannat al-Baqi` Medina, Saudi Arabia
Nationality	Indian Saudi Arabian (1976/77–1982)
Ethnicity	Indian
Occupation	Islamic scholar, Sufi shaykh, Author, Teacher
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Muslim
Jurisprudence	Hanafi
Movement	Dawah
Main interest(s)	Hadith studies, Sufism
Notable work(s)	Awjaz al-Masalik Al-Abwab wa at-Tarajim Faza'il series Khasa'il-i Nabawi
Alma mater	Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur
Sufi order	Chishti (Sabiri-Imdadi)
Disciple of	Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (Granted khilafah)
Influenced by[show]

Part of a series on
Deobandi movement
Darul Uloom Deoband, India
Ideology and influences
Dars-i Nizami Maturidi theology Hanafi fiqh
Founders and key figures
Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi Rashid Ahmad Gangohi Husain A. Madani Mahmud al-Hasan Ashraf Ali Thanwi Anwar Shah Kashmiri Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi
Notable institutions
Darul ulooms and madrasas Deoband Mazahir Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Dabhel Hathazari Madrassah Ashrafia Karachi Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia Bury In'aamiyyah List of Deobandi universities
Centres (markaz) of Tabligh
Nizamuddin Raiwind Dhaka Dewsbury
Associated organizations
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Tablighi Jamaat
v t e

Muḥammad Zakarīyā ibn Muḥammad Yaḥyá Ṣiddīqī Kāndhlawī Sahāranpūrī Muhājir Madanī (Muḥammad Zakarīyā ibn Muḥammad Yaḥyá aṣ-Ṣiddīqī al-Kāndahlawī as-Sahāranfūrī al-Madanī; 2 February 1898 – 24 May 1982) was a Sunni Hanafi Islamic scholar of the Deobandi school of Islamic thought in India, particularly known as a scholar of hadith and an influential ideologue of Tablighi Jamaat,^[1][2] the missionary and reform movement founded by his uncle, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas. The writings of Zakariya constitute much of the group's basic reading material in the form of Faza'il-i A`mal. Originally composed in Urdu but translated into several languages, Faza'il-i A`mal contains several of his treatises on the virtues of different subjects, including Faza'il-i Qur'an (Virtues of the Qur'an), Faza'il-i Ramazan (Virtues of Ramadan), and Faza'il-i Namaz (Virtues of Salah). Also notable among his works, which number over one hundred, are Awjaz al-Masalik, an Arabic commentary in six volumes on Imam Malik's Muwatta, and Khasa'il-i Nabawi, an Urdu translation and commentary on Imam at-Tirmidhi's Shama'il.

Zakariya was born at Kandhla in 1898, the son of Maulana Muhammad Yahya. He spent ten years in Gangoh, where he attended his father's madrasah. In 1910, he moved to Saharanpurto study at Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, a madrasah closely affiliated with Darul Uloom Deoband, the birthplace of the Deobandi Islamic revivalist movement in India. He learned hadith from his father and from Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. After graduating in 1915, he secured a position as a teacher at the school.

Zakariya was also a prominent Sufi shaykh of the Sabiri-Imdadi branch of the Chishti order. He was a khalifah (spiritual successor) of Maulana Saharanpuri, who initiated him in the Sufi path in 1915 and gave him permission to initiate others in the four major tariqas (Chishtiyah, Naqshbandiyah, Suhrawardiyah, and Qadiriyah) in 1925.

He taught at Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur from 1916 to 1969, becoming well known by the title "Shaykh al-Hadith", a title given to him by his shaykh, Maulana Saharanpuri, for his extensive knowledge in the field of hadith. After he stopped teaching due to developing cataracts, he focused on the spiritual training of his numerous disciples. In 1973, he permanently migrated to Medina, Saudi Arabia, where he died in 1982.

His thousands of international students and disciples include his beloved student and disciple and khalifah (spiritual successor), Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Yusuf Motala, who is a teacher of Hadith to many Ulama and a spiritual guide to thousands worldwide.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1Name
• 2Early life and education
  • 2.1Early education in Gangoh
  • 2.2Start of studies at Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur
  • 2.3Dawrah of hadith
• 3Teaching career
• 4Death
• 5Sufism
• 6Household
• 7Written works
  • 7.1Arabic works
  • 7.2Urdu works
• 8See also
• 9Notes
• 10References
• 11External links

Name[edit]

His ism (given name) was Muhammad Zakariya. His nasab (patronymic) is as follows: Muḥammad Zakarīyā ibn Muḥammad Yaḥyá ibn Muḥammad Ismā‘īl ibn G͟hulām Ḥusain ibn ḤakīmKarīm Bak͟hsh ibn Ḥakīm G͟hulām Muḥīyuddīn ibn Maulawī Muḥammad Sājid ibn ibn Maulawī Muḥammad Faiz̤ ibn Maulawī Muḥammad Sharīf ibn Maulawī Muḥammad Ashraf ibn Shaik͟h Jamāl Muḥammad Shāh ibn Shaik͟h Bāban Shāh ibn Shaik͟h Bahā’uddīn Shāh ibn Maulawī Shaik͟h Muḥammad ibn Shaik͟h Muḥammad Fāz̤il ibn Shaik͟h Quṭb Shāh.^[3]

His name is usually mentioned with one or more nisbahs (attributive adjectives). He was Kandhlawi (of Kandhla) by origin, then Gangohi (of Gangoh), then Saharanpuri (of Saharanpur), then Madani (of Medina).^[4] Muhajir Madani indicates his hijrah (immigration) to the Islamic holy city of Medina. By lineage he was Siddiqi, denoting descent from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq.

Early life and education[edit]

Muhammad Zakariya was born at 11 pm on Thursday, 11 Ramadan 1315 AH (Wednesday, 2 February 1898)^{[note 1]} in the house of his mother's step-grandmother, Maryam, in the town of Kandhla in the present-day state of Uttar Pradesh, India.^[5][6][7][8] He was born to a family of Islamic scholars that traced their ancestry to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, a companion of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.^[9]

Zakariya's father, Maulana Muhammad Yahya Kandhlawi was a student and disciple of Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi.^[7][8][9] Born in 1287 AH (1870/1871), he received his early education from his father and later studied hadith under Maulana Gangohi and Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri. He would routinely recite the entire Qur'an daily.^[7] After completing dawrah of hadith with Maulana Gangohi, Yahya stayed with him in Gangoh.^[6][7] Maulana Yahya's father, Maulana Muhammad Ismail Jhanjhanawi died twenty days after the birth of Zakariya, who would be Yahya's only son.^[5][7][8]

Early education in Gangoh[edit]

In 1318 AH (1900), at the age of two, Zakariya moved to Gangoh, where his father lived with Maulana Gangohi.^[6] In Gangoh, Zakariya was one of eighty students who studied in his father's madrasah.^[7] His education began with Hakim `Abd ar-Rahman of Muzaffarnagar, a pious doctor, with whom he studied Qa`idah Baghdadi, a common primer for learning Arabic script.^[6][9] He then began hifz (memorizing the Qur'an) with his father, who required students to revise their daily lesson 100 times.^[6] After hifz, books studied included Bahishti Zewar, Hamasah, the first volume of Hidayah, and other books in Urdu and Persian.^[6][7] The introductory books of Persian were taught by his uncle, Muhammad Ilyas, while the books of Arabic grammar (sarf and nahw) were taught by his father.^[6]

In Gangoh, Zakariya saw much of his father's shaykh, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, with whom he had an affectionate relationship.^[5][6][9] Gangohi died on 8 Jumada ath-Thani 1323 AH (11 August 1905), when Zakariya was seven.^[5]

Start of studies at Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur[edit]

In Rajab 1328 AH (July 1910), at the age of 12, Muhammad Zakariya traveled with his father to Saharanpur to attend Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, where his father had moved to teach hadith at the request of Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.^[6] Zakariya began studying texts on Arabic grammar, morphology, literature, and logic.^[6][9] Texts studied with his father included Sarf-i Mir, Panj Ganj, Fusul-i Akbari, Kafiyah, Qasidah Burdah, Qasidah Banat Su`ad, as well the 30th juz' of the Qur'an and a collection of 40 hadith.<sup>[10]</sup> His teachers in the rational sciences were Maulana `Abd al-Wahid Sanbhali and Maulana `Abd al-Latif, the nazim (director) of the madrasah.^[6]

Dawrah of hadith[edit]

The year 1333 AH (1914/1915) was Zakariya's final year of studies, known in the Dars-i Nizami curriculum as dawrah of hadith, and involving intensive study of hadith. Zakariya was strictly observant in never missing a lesson and always studying with wudu (ablution). He studied the six major hadith collections under his father, with the exception of Sunan ibn Majah, which he studied with Maulana Thabit `Ali.^[6] When his father was teaching him, Zakariya was treated differently from the other students. For example, he writes that when studying the hadith collection Mishkat al-Masabih, he was not allowed to refer to Mazhar-i Haq, its Urdu translation and commentary. Another rule in his studies was that he had to state whether or not a hadith was consistent with Hanafi fiqh, and, if not, support the position taken by the Hanafi school.^[7] Zakariya completed his studies and graduated in 1333 (1915).

In 1333 AH (1915), Zakariya gave bay'ah (oath of allegiance to a Sufi shaykh) at the hand of Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri before the latter left for Hijaz.^[6][11]

On 10 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1334 (September 1916), when Zakariya was 18, his father died.^[7]

Maulana Saharanpuri returned to India at about the same time. In 1334 (1916) he requested Zakariya to study Sahih al-Bukhari and Jami` at-Tirmidhi a second time with him.^[6] He then selected Zakariya to assist him in writing Badhl al-Majhud, a commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud.

Teaching career[edit]

After completing his academic studies, Muhammad Zakariya was appointed as a teacher at Mazahir Uloom on 1 Muharram 1335 AH (c. 29 October 1916).^{[4][6][9][12]} At the age of 18, he was one of the youngest members of the staff.^[8][9] He was initially assigned to teach books on Arabic grammar, morphology, and literature, as well as some primary texts of Islamic jurisprudence. He later advanced to teaching books of hadith and other daurah books.

The initial books he was assigned were ‘Ilm aṣ-ṣīghah, Mi’at ‘āmil manẓum, Sharḥ mi’at ‘āmil, Khulāṣah naḥw mīr, Nafḥat al-yaman, Munyat al-muṣallī, *Uṣūl ash-Shāshī, and Qāla aqūl. The next term, from Shawwal 1335 AH (1917), he taught Mirqāt, Qudūrī, Sharḥ Tahdhīb, Kāfiyah, Nūr al-iḍāḥ, Uṣūl ash-Shāshī, Sharḥ Jāmī, Baḥth fa‘l, Baḥth ism, ‘Ajab al-‘ujāb, and Nafḥat al-yaman. In Shawwal 1336 AH (1918) there was further promotion; he was given higher books including Maqāmāt, Sab‘ah mu‘allaqah, Quṭbī, Mīr Qutbī, and Kanz ad-daqā’iq. In Shawwal 1337 AH (1919) he was given Ḥamāsah and Hidāyah awwalīn.^[6][12] At the end of term in Shaban 1338 AH (1920), Zakariya traveled with Khalil Ahmad to the Hejaz and performed his first Hajj. He returned to Saharanpur in Safar 1339 AH (1920).^[4][12]

The books Zakariya taught in each of the next few years are not recorded in detail, but he writes that he was given Quṭbī, Mīr Qutbī, Tahdhīb, and Sharḥ Tahdhīb nearly every year, as the more senior teachers disliked teaching mantiq(logic). He also taught Hidāyah awwalīn a total of three times, and Nūr al-anwār followed by Husāmī three times.^[12]

Beginning in 1341 AH (1923) he was given books of hadith to teach. On the instruction of Maulana Khalil Ahmad, in Rajab 1341 AH (1923) three sections of Sahih al-Bukhari were transferred to Zakariya from Maulana Abdul Latif, the madrasah's nazim (administrator/principal). In the next three terms, from Shawwal 1341 to Shaban 1344 AH (1923–1926), he taught Mishkat al-Masabih.^{[4][6][8][9][12]} In Shawwal 1344 AH (1926) he traveled once again to the Hejaz, this time staying there for over a year. After performing Hajj, he arrived in Medina in Muharram 1345 AH (1926).^[4][12] During his stay there he taught Sunan Abu Dawud at Madrasah al-`Ulum ash-Shar`iyah.^[9][12]

Upon Zakariya's return to Saharanpur in Safar 1346 AH (1927), Sunan Abu Dawud was transferred to him from Maulana Abdul Latif. In this year he also taught Sunan an-Nasa'i, Muwatta Malik in the transmission of ash-Shaybani, and parts 12 to 16 of Sahih al-Bukhari. After Eid al-Adha the first volume of Sahih al-Bukhari was transferred to Zakariya, while the second volume remained with Maulana Abdul Latif.^[6][9][12] From Safar 1346 AH onward Zakariya also taught Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Sahih Muslim, and other daurah books when teachers were unavailable due to sickness or travel.^[12]

In 1373 AH (1954) Maulana Abdul Latif was unavailable due to travel, so Zakariya was given both volumes of Bukhari to teach in addition to his usual assignment of Abu Dawud. The same arrangement was made in 1374 AH (1955) when Abdul Latif was ill. In 1375 AH (1956), after the death of Maulana Abdul Latif, Sunan Abu Dawud was transferred to Maulana As'adullah, and Sahih al-Bukhari was transferred to Maulana Zakariya.^[6][12]

Zakariya continued teach until 1388 AH (1968), when he developed cataracts. In total, he taught half of Sahih al-Bukhari 25 times, the complete work 16 times, and Sunan Abi Dawud 30 times.

Death[edit]

Muhammad Zakariya fell ill on Sunday 16 May 1982 in the blessed city of Medina, Saudi Arabia. His condition deteriorated a week later resulting in serious breathing problems on Monday 24 May 1982. His final words were "Allah, Allah." and he died at 5:40 pm, exactly an hour and a half before the day's sunset prayers (maghrib). The shaykh's body was prepared for burial through washing before the Sunset prayers and burial took place after the night prayer (Isha) on the same day.

The funeral prayers were led by the Imam of the Prophet's Mosque, Shaykh Abdullah al-Zahim, and the body was taken for burial in the nearby Jannatul Baqi graveyard. Muhammad Zakariya's wish was to be buried close to the Prophet's family members (ahl al-bayt) and as per his wish, his grave was dug just outside their enclosure.^[13]

Sufism[edit]

In 1333 AH (1914 or 1915 CE), Muhammad Zakariya gave bay'ah at the hands of Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, taking him as his spiritual guide.

During his second journey to Hijaz with Khalil Ahmad, his sheikh conferred upon him khilafah in four silsilas (Chistiyya, Suhrawardiyya, Qadiriyya and Naqshbandiyya).^[1]

Household[edit]

Muhammad Zakariya married twice. He first married the daughter of Shaikh Ra'uf ul Hasan in Kandhla. She bore him eight children: three sons and five daughters. She died on the 5th of Dhu l-Hijja, 1355 AH (16 FEB 1937). He then married his first cousin, the daughter of Muhammad Ilyas, in 1356 AH (1938 A.D.). She bore him three children: one son and two daughters.

Written works[edit]

Muhammad Zakariya authored works both in Arabic and Urdu. A number of them treat specialized subjects intended for scholars and the rest have been written for the general public.

His first written work was a three-volume commentary of Alfiyah Ibn Malik, which he wrote as a student when he was only thirteen.

His work, Fadha'il-e-Qur'an has been translated into eleven languages, Fadha'il-e-Ramadan into twelve languages, and Fadha'il-e-Salaah into fifteen languages.

According to Wali ad-Din Nadwi, Muhammad Zakariya wrote 4 books on tafsir and tajwid, 44 books on hadith and its related sciences, 6 books on fiqh and its related sciences, 24 historical and biographical books, 4 books on aqidah, 12 books on zuhd (abstinence) and riqaq (heart-softening accounts), 3 books on Arabic grammar and logic, and 6 books on modern-day groups and movements.

According to Muhammad Shahid Saharanpuri (Muhammad Zakariya's maternal grandson), his written works amount to 103, of which 42 have been published and 61 remain unpublished. He wrote 2 books on tafsir, 60 books on hadith, 4 books on fiqh and usul al-fiqh, 22 books on tarikh and sirah, 2 books on tajwid and qira'ah, 3 books on Arabic grammar, classical logic, and geometry, 3 books on suluk and ihsan, 4 books in defense of Islam, and 3 books on miscellaneous subjects.^[14]

Arabic works[edit]

• Awjaz al-Masalik ila Muwatta' Malik (Arabic: أوجز المسالك إلى موطأ مالك‎, Awjaz al-Masālik ilá Muwaṭṭa’ Mālik)
• Lami` ad-Darari `ala Jami` al-Bukhari (Arabic: لامع الدراري على جامع البخاري‎)
• Al-Kawkab ad-Durri `ala Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Arabic: الكوكب الدري على جامع الترمذي‎, al-Kawkab ad-Durrī ‘alá Jāmi‘ at-Tirmidhi)
• Al-Abwab wa at-Tarajim li Sahih al-Bukhari (Arabic: الابواب والتراجم لصحيح البخاري‎, al-Abwāb wa at-Tarājim li-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
• Juz' Hajjat al-Wida` wa `Umrat an-Nabi (Arabic: جزء حجة الوداع وعمرات النبي‎, Juz' Ḥajjat al-Widā‘ wa ‘Umrāt an-Nabī)

Urdu works[edit]

• Shama'il Tirmidhi ma` Urdu Sharh Khasa'il Nabawi
• Faza'il-e-Quran (Urdu: فضائلِ قرآن‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Ramadan (Urdu: فضائلِ رمضان‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Tabligh (Urdu: فضائلِ تبلیغ‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Namaaz (Urdu: فضائلِ نماز‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Hajj (Urdu: فضائلِ حج‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Sadaqat (Urdu: فضائلِ صدقات‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Zikr (Urdu: فضائلِ ذکر ‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Durood-Sharif (Urdu: فضائلِ درود شریف‬‎)
• Faza'il-e-Tijarat (Urdu: فضائلِ تجارت‬‎)
• Hikayat-e-Sahabah (Urdu: حکایت صحابہ‬‎)
• Al-I`tidal fi Maratib ar-Rijal (Arabic: الإعتدال في مراتب الرجال‎), also known as Islami Siyasat (Urdu: اسلامی سیاست‬‎)
• Dari ka Wujub (Urdu: داڑھی کا وجوب‬‎)
• Aap Beti"Part 1"part2 (Urdu: آپ بیتی‬‎)
• Shari`at wa Tariqat ka Talazum (Urdu: شریعت و طریقت کا تلازم‬‎)
• Um al-Amrad
• Fitna-e-Maududiat (Urdu: فتنہ مودودیت‬‎)
• Maut ki Yad (Urdu: موت کی یاد‬‎)
• Tarikh Masha'ikh-e-Chisht (Urdu: تاریخ مشائخ چشت‬‎)
• Ikhtilaf al-A'immah
• Jama`at-e-Tabligh par I`tarazat ki Jawabat (Urdu: جماعت تبلیغ پر اعتراضات کے جوابات‬‎)
• Miswak (Urdu: مسواک‬‎)
• Nisbat-o-Ijazat
• Sila' Rahmi
• Akabir ka Suluk o Ihsan
• Namaz ki Ahmiat
• Ulama e Akhirat ki Pehchan
• Akabir ka Ramadan