Basic Islamic Questions and Answers

Alhamdulillâh (Thanks and praise be to Allâh), I am a Muslim.

Knowing that there is only one Allâh and accepting the Holy Qur’ân and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as Allâh’s prophet.

I have been a Muslim since the time of “Balâ”.

It is a mithaq (covenant). That is, when Allâh Ta’âlâ created all the souls, He asked them: “Am I not your Rabb (Lord)”? They answered “Balâ (Yes), for certain you are our Rabb (Lord).” I have been a Muslim since that time.

Allâh.

Allâh.

I am the slave of Allâh.

I would say ‘there is only one God.’

It is the first Âyah (verse) of Sûrah Al-Ikhlas.

“Say my beloved: He is Allâh, the One and Only!”

The existence of this universe and the continuation of its system and order.

No, it wouldn’t. Because, reason is not able to understand it. One can only think about the attributes of Allâh.

To accept Faith as Firawn (Pharaoh) did just at the moment of death.

No.

It is the Tawbah (repentance) of a dying Muslim.

Yes, it is.

Islâm.

I believe in the Holy Qur’ân.

It is Ka’bah Al-Mu’azzamah.

I have descended from Hazrat Adam عليه السلام.

I belong to the Ummah (community) of Muhammad ﷺ.

He ﷺ was born in Makkah. He made Hijra (emigrated) to Madînah after the age of fifty. Now he is resting in his grave called “Rawzah Al-Mutahharah” (the pure garden) in Madînah.

He has many beautiful names. But, we should know at least four of them: Muhammad, Mustafâ, Ahmad, Mahmûd ﷺ.

Hazrat Muhammad Mustafâ ﷺ.

Hazrat Abdullah.

Hazrat Aminah.

Hazrat Halîmah Sa’diyyah.

Hazrat Shifâ Khâtun.

Abdulmuttalib.

He was 40 years old.

For 23 years.

He demised when he was sixty-three.

He had four daughters: 1. Zaynab رضي الله عنها 2. Ruqayyah رضي الله عنها 3. Umm Kulthum رضي الله عنها 4. Fâtimah رضي الله عنها.

He had three sons: 1. Qâsim رضي الله عنه 2. Abdullâh (or Tayyib) رضي الله عنه 3. Ibrâhîm رضي الله عنه.

1. Khadîjah رضي الله عنها 2. Sawdah رضي الله عنها 3. Â’ishah رضي الله عنها 4. Hafsah رضي الله عنها 5. Zaynab bint Khuzaymah رضي الله عنها 6. Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها 7. Zaynab bint Jahsh رضي الله عنها 8. Juwayriyah رضي الله عنها 9. Umm Habîbah رضي الله عنها 10 Safiyyah رضي الله عنها 11. Maimûnah رضي الله عنها 12. Mâriyah رضي الله عنها.

Hazrat Khadîjah رضي الله عنها was the first wife of our Prophet ﷺ. She was 15 years older than our Prophet ﷺ was and they led a happy life together for 25 years.

Our Prophet ﷺ got married in order to connect various tribes with Islâm, communicate Islâmic principles about women through his blessed wives, to save some of them from poverty, and to protect the chastity and purity of some others. The main aim was to spread Islâm through women.

Hazrat Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها.

Our Prophet Muhammad Mustafâ ﷺ.

Hazrat Hasan رضي الله عنه and Husayn رضي الله عنه.

They were Hazrat Ali’s رضي الله عنه and Fatima’s رضي الله عنها children.

A person who is charged by Allâh to communicate people the divine rules.

According to a tradition narrated by our Prophet ﷺ, one hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets were appointed. Yet, by another tradition, the number of Prophets is two hundred and twenty-four thousand.

Twenty-eight.

Âdam, Idrîs, Nûh, Hûd, Sâlih, Ibrâhîm, Lût, Ismâ’îl, Ishâq, Ya’qub, Yûsuf, Shuaib, Hârûn, Mûsâ , Dâwûd, Sulaymân, Ayyûb, Dhul-Kifl, Yûnus, Ilyâs, Al-Yasa’, Zakariyyâ, Yahyâ, Îsâ, Uzayr, Luqmân, Dhul-Qarnayn, and Muhammad Mustafâ, peace be upon them all. Some said Uzayr, Luqmân and Dhul-Qarnain عليهم السلام were Awliyâullah (special friends of Allâh)

He was born on a Monday on the 12th of Rabî’ Al-Awwal in 571 C.E. and demised on the 12th of Rabî’ Al-Awwal in 632 C.E.

He emigrated in 622 C.E., which we regard as the beginning of our calendar.

An angel is a being, created from light. They can take any shape or form. They are sinless and continually in a state of prayer.

Jibrâ’îl عليه السلام, Mikâîl عليه السلام, Isrâfîl عليه السلام, Azrâîl عليه السلام

The Taurâh to Mûsâ عليه السلام, The Zabûr to Dâwûd عليه السلام, The Injîl to Îsâ عليه السلام and the Holy Qur’ân to our Prophet Muhammad Mustafâ ﷺ.

They are the written pages (suhuf) which Allâh sent through Jibrâ’îl عليه السلام to some of the prophets. They are a hundred in total. Ten Suhuf to Âdam عليه السلام, Fifty Suhuf to Shîth عليه السلام, Thirty Suhuf to Idrîs عليه السلام and Ten Suhuf to Ibrâhîm عليه السلام.

It is the collection of religious rules and matters, derived from the sources of Shari’ah by the great Mujtahids (jurists).

There are two.

Hazrat Imâm Abû Mansûr Muhammad Mâturidî رحمة الله عليه and Imâm Abû Hasan Al-Ash’arî رحمة الله عليه

There are four of them.

They are the Hanafî, Shafi’î, Mâlikî and Hanbalî.

It is Ahl Al-Sunnah Wal Jamâ’ah.

It is Hanafî Madhhab. Its imâm is Hazrat Imâm Âzam رحمة الله عليه.

It is Imâm Abû Mansûr Muhammad Maturidî رحمة الله عليه.

Their imâm is Hazrat Abû’l Hasan Al-Ash’arî رحمة الله عليه.

He was from the village of Maturid of Samarkand.

He passed away in 333 (A.H) (Muslim calendar).

He was from Basra and passed away in 324 (A.H).

Three.

1. Sleep, 2. Not to find an opportunity while fighting against the enemy in battle, 3. Forgetting.

6 pillars of Îmân (Faith), 5 pillars of Islâm,), 4 of Wudhû (ablution), 3 of Ghusl, 2 of Tayammum and 12 obligatory acts of Salâh. In total, they are 32.

To believe in the existence and oneness of Allâh, in His Angels, Books, Prophets, in the Day of Judgment, and the Destiny, (i.e. that all good and bad comes from Allâh).

They are five; 1. Kalimah Al-Shahâdah, 2. Performing Salâh, 3. Giving Zakâh, 4. Sawm (fasting), 5. Going for Hajj.

They are four: 1. Washing the face from where the hair ends and ear lobes to the part under the chin, 2. Washing the arms up to and including the elbows, 3. Wiping a quarter of the head, 4. Washing the feet including the ankles.

They are three: 1. Rinsing the mouth with plenty of water, 2. Rinsing the interior nose with sufficient water, 3. Washing the whole body without leaving any dry point.

Yes, first I intend silently by saying the Basmalah. I wash my private parts. I perform Wudhu as I do before Salâh. While taking Wudhu, I rinse my mouth with a mouthful of water three times, and then I do it for my nose three times. Then I pour water from top to toe three times, then from the right shoulder three times, then from the left shoulder three times while rubbing my whole body each time. I wash my whole body until there remains no dry point, including under the rings and the navel. If there is something on the skin preventing water from reaching it, it should be removed. Women should wet inside their earring holes.

They are two: 1. Intention (for Tayammum), 2. Striking both hands twice on the soil; with the first wiping the face, with the second wiping the arms.

Simply, I make my intention. I strike my palms on clean earth and shake off the excess wiping between the fingers of my hand. Then I wipe my face. I again strike my palms on the clean earth, wipe my right arm with my left hand and then wipe my left arm with my right hand.

They are twelve in total: Six internal and six external.

Purification from Hadath (the state of impurity), purification from Najâsah (physical impurities), Satr Al-Awrah (Covering the private parts), Istiqbâl Al-Qiblah (Turning towards Qiblah), Waqt (Proper time), Niyyah (Intention).

The opening Takbîr, standing, reciting Qur’ân, Rukû’ (bowing), Sajdah (prostrating), and final sitting (To sit long enough to read Tahiyyât).

Salâh is performed five times a day: At dawn (Fajr), noon (Zuhr), late afternoon (Asr), sunset (Maghrib) and late evening times (Isha).

Fajr Salâh has four rakahs; two Sunnah and two Fardh. First the Sunnah is performed and then the Fardh. Zuhr Salâh has ten rakahs (units); four first Sunnah, four Fardh and two last Sunnah. First four Sunnah, then four Fardh and then the two last Sunnah are performed. Asr Salâh is eight rakahs (units); four Sunnah and four Fardh. First the Sunnah and then the Fardh are performed. Maghrib Salâh is five rakahs (units); three Fardh and two Sunnah. First the Fardh and then the Sunnah are performed. Ishâ Salâh is thirteen rakahs (units); first four Sunnah, then four Fardh, then two final Sunnah, and finally three Wâjib Witr. First four Sunnah then four Fardh, then two Sunnah and finally three witr are performed. Totally forty rakahs (units) are performed in a day.

A Sajdah Al-Sahw (forgetfulness prostration) should be done.

It is to be performed when one forgets or delays to do a Wâjib (required) act or delays a Fardh (obligatory) act in Salâh.

Salâh would be incomplete.

In the final sitting, after reading Tahiyyât and finishing the Salâh by giving Salâm to one side or both sides, one should perform two extra sajdahs and then recite “Attahiyyâtu”, “Allâhumma salli”, “Allâhumma bârik”, and “Rabbana Âtinâ” and finally finish the Salâh by again giving Salâms to both sides.

1. If I forget to recite a Sûrah after Fatiha Al-Sharîfah, 2. If I forget to say the second Takbîr (the Qunût Takbîr) while praying Witr Salâh, or forget to read the Qunût Duas (Supplications) or forget both, 3. In a four rakah Fardh Salâh, if I forget to stand up immediately after reciting “Tahiyyât” and instead continue to recite the following first words of the Salawât beginning with “Allâhumma salli ala Muhammadin”.

We call them the sacred nights.

There are five sacred nights in a year: 1. The Night of Mawlid, 2. The Night of Raghâib, 3. The Night of Mi’râj, 4. The Night of Barâ’ah, 5. The Night of Qadr.

It is the commemoration of the blessed night when our prophet ﷺ was born.

It is the blessed night when Hazrat Aminah understood that she was expecting our prophet ﷺ.

It is the blessed night of our Nabî Muhammad’s ﷺ miraculous journey to Heaven and other worlds by the invitation of Allâh.

It is the sacred night when the Holy Qur’ân was revealed from Lawh Al-Mahfuz (the divine tablet) to the lower heaven, when the yearly sustenances and the life of a person are reviewed and when forgiveness and other blessings are granted to all Muslims.

It is the sacred night when the revelation of the Qur’ân from the lower heaven to our prophet Muhammad ﷺ started.