Halal Halal (حلال, ḥalāl; also spelled halaal) is an Arabic word that translates to “permissible or lawful” in English. In the Quran, the word halal is contrasted with haram (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification known as “the five decisions”: mandatory, recommended, neutral, reprehensible and forbidden. Islamic jurists disagree on whether...
Farewell Sermon The Farewell Sermon (خطبة الوداع, Khuṭbatu l-Wadāʿ), also known as Muhammad’s Final Sermon or the Last Sermon, is a religious speech, believed by Muslims to have been delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on Friday the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH (6 March 632) in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat, during the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj. Muhammad al-Bukhari refers to the sermon...
Shia Islam Shia Islam or Shi’ism is one of the two main branches of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor and the Imam (leader) after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from the caliphate as a result...
Sunni Islam Sunni Muslims are the larger of the two main branches of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Sunnism or as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (أهل السنة والجماعة) (people of the example (of Muhammad) and the community). The word Sunni comes from the word Sunnah (سنة ), which means “example” and refers particularly to the the words and actions...
Calculation Of Zakat This article covers the calculation of Zakat. Zakāt (زكاة, zakāt, “that which purifies”, also Zakat al-mal, زكاة ألمال, “zakat on wealth”) is a form of alms-giving treated as a religious tax and/or religious obligation in Islam for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth, and one of the Five Pillars...
Zakat al-Fitr Zakat al-Fitr is a charity taken for the poor a few days before the end of fasting in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The Arabic word Fitr means the same as iftar, breaking a fast, and it comes from the same root word as Futoo which means breakfast. Zakat al Fitr is a smaller amount than Zakat al-Mal. See also:...
Zakat Zakat (زكاة ; zakāh, “that which purifies”, also Zakat al-mal, زكاة المال, “zakat on wealth”, or Zakah) is a form of alms-giving treated in Islam as a religious obligation or tax, which, by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer (salat) in importance. As one of the Five Pillars of...
Islamic Mythology Islamic mythology is the body of myths associated with Islam and the Quran. Islam is a religion that is more concerned with social order and law than with religious myths. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology identifies a number of traditional narratives as “Islamic myths“. These include a creation myth and a vision of afterlife, which Islam shares to some extent...
Women In Islam versus Judaeo-Christian Tradition This article explains the women in Islam versus Judaeo-Christian tradition. The Myth & the Reality Introduction Five years ago, I read in the Toronto Star issue of July 3, 1990 an article titled “Islam is not alone in patriarchal doctrines”, by Gwynne Dyer. The...
Women In Islam Situation of women in Islam is vary widely between and within different Muslim societies. At the same time, their adherence to Islam is a shared factor that affects their lives to a varying degree and gives them a common identity that may serve to bridge the wide...
What Is Sharia? Sharia, Sharia law, or Islamic law (شريعة) is a religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith. In Arabic, the term sharīʿah refers to God’s immutable divine law and is contrasted with fiqh, which refers to its human scholarly interpretations. It has been described as “one of the major intellectual...
Criticism Of Islamism This article covers the criticism of Islamism. The ideas and practices of the leaders, preachers, and movements of the Islamic revival movement known as Islamism (also referred to as Political Islam) have been criticized by Muslims (often Islamic modernists and liberals) and non-Muslims. Among those authors and scholars who have criticized Islamism, or...
Jihad With Different Aspects Jihad literally means striving or doing one’s best to achieve something, and its practitioners (mujahidin) are those who devote themselves fully to obtaining God’s good pleasure by opposing those forces that seek to defeat His religion and the upholding of His word. It is far more...
Islam And Secularism This article covers the relationship between Islam and secularism. Secularism has been a controversial concept in Islamic political thought, owing in part to historical factors and in part to the ambiguity of the concept itself. In the Muslim world, the notion has acquired strong negative connotations due to...
Jihad Jihad is an Arabic word which literally means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform to God’s guidance, such as the struggle against one’s evil inclinations, proselytizing, or efforts toward the moral betterment of the...
Cosmology In Medieval Islam This article covers cosmology in medieval Islam. Islamic cosmology is the cosmology of Islamic societies. It is mainly derived from the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah, and current Islamic as well as other pre-Islamic sources. The Qur’an itself mentions seven heavens. See also: Cosmology Metaphysical principles Duality In Islamic thought the cosmos includes both the Unseen...
The Wisdom In Islam: In Muhammad’s Words “Wisdom in Islam” encompasses in its radiant words the true goals that all of us must strive for. Its bounty of mercy, forgiveness and guidance is stunning in its clarity. Imagine using this wonderful guidance on a regular basis? It is important to...
Knowledge And Wisdom: Islamic Viewpoint We begin our first lesson with Knowledge and Wisdom, which is the first and original pillar of human distinctions and specialties. In the very first revelation to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) we read, Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man...
House Of Wisdom, Bayt al-Ḥikmah The House of Wisdom (بيت الحكمة; Bayt al-Ḥikmah) refers either to a major Abbasid public academy and intellectual center in Baghdad or to a large private library belonging to the Abbasid Caliphs during the Islamic Golden Age. The House of Wisdom is the subject of an active...
The Quran And Wisdom This article covers the relationship between The Quran And Wisdom. Wisdom is “a higher dimension of consciousness”, which many people who have not attained faith have not experienced. With such consciousness, the individual’s mind is very clear. However, what provides this clearness is neither the brain’s...