Islamic Resources

Allah is the Arabic name for Almighty God and is used by Arabic speakers regardless of religious inclination and can be used interchangeably with all of the names that Allah has given Himself. In Islam the most important concept is the fact that Allah is One and nothing shares His attributes. He has no partners, no parents or offspring and is the ultimate Creator of the universe. He is the One who was the beginning and will continue after the end as we know it. Allah has created all things with a design and purpose. Included in this is the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and all of humankind. Allah is same Creator that has been worshipped throughout time as the Originator of the universe.

For various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than the God of Moses and Abraham and Jesus. This is certainly not the case, since the Pure Monotheism of Islam calls all people to the worship of the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all of the other true prophets.

For more information on the concept of God in Islam please visit here

The word "Islam" is an Arabic word that means "submitting and surrendering your will to Almighty God (Allah)". The word comes from the same root as the Arabic word "salam", which means peace. The name for the religion of Islam was both revealed by Allah and carries a deep spiritual meaning - only by submitting one's will to Allah can one obtain true peace both in this life and in the life hereafter. Islam teaches that all divinely revealed religions originally had the same essential message - which was to submit whole-heartedly to the will of Allah and to worship Him and Him alone. For this reason, Islam is not a new religion but is the same divinely revealed Truth that Allah revealed to all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (May Allah's peace and blessing be upon them all).

Islam has 5 Pillars

Faith (Iman) - Belief that no deity is worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad (May Allah's Peace and Blessing be upon him) is His Last Prophet and Messenger.

Prayer (Salat) - Prayers are performed 5 times a day.

Fasting (Siyam) - Fasting in the month of Ramadaan and abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations with spouses from dawn to sunset.

Charity (Zakat) - Charity is the requirement of 2.5% of a Muslim's saved earnings given to the poor once a year to purify his wealth.

Pilgrimage (Hajj) - Pilgrimage is a journey to the sacred city of Mecca. Muslims are required to do this once in a lifetime if they are physically and financially able.

Belief in Allah, His Oneness and ascribing no partners to Him.

Belief in the Angels (Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, etc.).

Belief in the Qur'an and all other revealed scriptures/books (i.e. Torah, Psalms, Gospel) as in their original revealed form, not as they exist today.

Belief in Allah's Messengers (Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and many more).

Belief in the Day of Resurrection.

Belief in Pre-Ordainment which is ordered or decreed by Almighty Allah.

The Arabic word "Muslim" literally means "someone who submits to the Will of Allah". The message of Islam is meant for the entire world and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth. Over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabs!

Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. If one takes a look at the various people who live in the Muslim World - from South Africa to Norway and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups and nationalities. From the very beginning, Islam had a universal message for all people. This can be reinstated by the fact that some of the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) included Arabs, Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans.

Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience to the revealed Will of Almighty Allah. A Muslim is a person who freely accepts to base his beliefs, values and faith on the Will of Allah. One of the misconceptions is that Europeans were taught for centuries that Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) in the same way that Christians worship Jesus (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him). This is absolutely not true since a Muslim is not permitted to worship anyone or anything besides Almighty Allah. In fact, worshipping Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) or praying to him is considered a major sin in the religion of Islam.

Prophet Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.

Prophet Muhammad was of a deeply religious nature and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the 'Mountain of Light' near Makkah.

Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) was the last and final prophet that Allah sent to humanity. Muhammad explained, interpreted and lived the teachings of Islam.

The Prophet Muhammad is the greatest of all prophets for many reasons, but mainly because the results of his mission have brought more people into the pure belief in Oneness of God than any other prophet. Even though other religious communities claimed to believe in One God, over time they had corrupted their beliefs by taking their prophets and saints as intercessors with Almighty God. Some religions believe their prophets to be manifestations of God, "God Incarnate" or the "Son of God". All of these false ideas lead to the creation being worshipped instead of the Creator, which contributed to the idolatrous practice of believing that Almighty God can be approached through intermediaries. In order to guard against these falsehoods, the Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) always emphasised that he was only a human being tasked with the preaching of Allah's Message. He taught Muslims to refer to him as "the Messenger of Allah and His slave".

To Muslims, Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) is the supreme example for all people - he was the exemplary Prophet, statesman, military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbour, husband, father and friend. Prophet Muhammad's life story was meticulously recorded by his companions and is available for us to examine.

Even when his followers only numbered a few dozen, Allah informed Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) that he had been sent as a mercy to all of humankind. Allah took it upon Himself to protect the message revealed to Muhammad. This was because Almighty Allah promised not to send another messenger after him. Since all of Allah's messengers have preached the message of Islam - i.e. submission to the Will of Allah and the worship of Him alone - Muhammad is actually the last prophet of Islam, not the first.

For more information on Prophet Muhammad please visit here

The Qur'an is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorised by Muhammad and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Surahs, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Qur'an is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.

The Holy Qur’an is the final revelation of the Will of Almighty Allah to all of huhumankind, which was conveyed through the Angel Gabriel, in Arabic, to the Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) in its sound, word and meaning. The Qur’an, (sometimes spelled Koran), was then relayed to the Prophet's companions, who memorised it verbatim, and which has been publicly and continually recited by them and their successors until the present day.

In short, the Qur’an is the book of guidance from Allah par excellence. The Qur’an is still memorised and taught by millions of people. The language of the Qur’an, Arabic, is still a living language to millions of people. So unlike the scriptures of certain other religions, the Qur’an is still read in its original language by millions of people. The Qu'ran is a living miracle in the Arabic language; and is known to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact. Allah's final revelation to humankind, the Qur’an, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) over a period of 23 years.

The Qur’an, in contrast to many other religious books, was always understood to be the Word of Allah by those who believed in it. Also, the Qu'ran was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The entire Qur’an was also completely written down during the lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the Prophet memorised the entire Qur’an word-for-word as it was revealed. So unlike other scriptures, the Qur’an was always in the hands of the common believers. It was always understood to be Allah's word and, due to wide-spread memorisation, it was perfectly preserved. In regards to the teachings of the Qur’an - it is a universal scripture, and it is addressed to all of humankind, and not to a particular tribe or "chosen people".

The message that it brings is nothing new, but the same message of all of the prophets - submit to Almighty Allah and worship Him alone. As such, Allah's revelation in the Qur’an focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Unity of Allah and framing their lives around the guidance, which He has sent. Additionally, the Qur’an contains the stories of the previous prophets, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus; as well as many commands and prohibitions from Allah. In modern times in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and "political correctness", the Qur’anic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today.

You can download a free soft copy of the Qur'an here

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The Qur'an, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time, it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system.

Simply by saying with conviction "La Ilaha Illah Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah" (There is no one worthy to be worshipped except Allah Alone, and Muhammad is his Messenger), one converts to Islam and becomes a Muslim.

If you are ready to accept Islam, then please book an appointment with the Imam. Be ready, prepare your heart and mind to be reverted back to Islam, and submit to the will of Allah. In accepting Islam, you adopt it as your way of life, practising it's worship, and adopting its values principles and ethics in your daily life.

Please ensure you make Ghusl when coming, "Ghusl" is a full bath (or shower), thoroughly washing the entire body with the intention of entering into Islam.

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