Islam FAQ

• Q58: How to worship Allah? How to increase my Imann ?
• Q59: What do Muslims practice ? What are the bases of Islam ?
• Q60: Gotcha! What are those spiritual superstitions ? Why you do those movements in Salat ?
• Q61: What is Zakat ?
• Q62: Why 2.5% ? it's too little or too much.
• Q63: What is Fasting ?
• Q64: What is Hajj ?
• Q65: In Hajj, What is that Black thing in the middle of AlMasjud Al-Haram ?
• Q66: You savages, why do you kill those innocent Lambs, Veals, Camels in Hajj and Al-Adha (sacrifice) day ?

How to Worship Allah ?

• Q58: How to worship Allah? How to increase my Imann ?
  A: By doing any good deed, The Imaan has seventy-something branches, from the highest (that is to believe in Allah), to just removing harmful things from the street. Provided that you meet the following two conditions;

  First, it should be legitimate (in Islamic law شريعة), confirming with Sunnah (to do it the way prophet Muhammad did it before, the way his companions understood it), for example, one can't harm himself and consider that worshiping. Another example, giving away toxic drugs for poor people is NOT a good deed.

  Second, It should be done with sincere pure intention, it should be done for the sake of Allah, only Allah. As if one did it to impress the media for example, let he take his reward from the media, almighty Allah do not accept associates.

  When we say any good deed, we meant it. Smelling is good deed, Going to your work is a good deed, authoring a useful book is a good deed, even sleeping or taking a rest could be a good deed! Provided that it was done sincerely. For example, if you smile before a brother, to spread love, kindness and tenderness (just like Muhammad did) for the sake of Allah, not because that person is rich nor because he is voter. Another example, two people could do a legitimate good deed one get rewarded and the other don't. Consider two people, and a needy brother, the first one did not give him money but he was so kind with him the other one gave him some money, he did that before other people's eyes, and every time, he used to harm his feeling. The first one could be rewarded, the second deserve no reward, as intention is a prerequisite for accepting deeds.

  But be aware, "Good intentions does not fix bad deeds" (a saying for Ibn Tayimiah, an antedate reply to Machiavellians) this mean that good intention should be practiced through good means too, one can't steal money so that he go to Harvard to heal poor people! The practice should be legitimate and the intention should be pure.

  In Islamic law, things can be (according to most Islamic schools) obligatory, recommended/optional, neutral, discouraged or forbidden. They are enforced through ethical education, "this is what Allah wants us to do", rather than any other mean. Many forbidden things have no punishment, many obligatory things have no punishment for those who don't practice them. Real reward or punishment comes from Allah in the day of judgment.

• Q59: What do Muslims practice ? What are the bases of Islam ?
  A: The following are the obligatory Islamic practices, The five Islam bases as mentioned in one Haddeth in Sunnah (a Hadith founded in both Saheh Bukhari and Saheh Muslim) are:

  1. The two witnesses "لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله" (meaning to believe that "No god but Allah, Muhammad is his messenger")
  2. Establishing Salat (the daily prayer)
  3. Giving Zakat (obligatory charity)
  4. Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Mecca (at least once in life, for those who could)
  5. Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

  They are also mentioned in Quran in many verses (usually separately), like V2:177 (read it in next question).
• Q60: Gotcha! What are those spiritual superstitions ? Why you do those movements in Salat ?
  A: Salat (and Zakat and other practices) are specific to Muslims, who believe in Allah, and obey him. Allah want us to pray like that, we obey and pray like that. How (you mortal) dare to question his wisdom ? But we have the answer for that, any way.

  We do NOT recognize the word "spiritual", few Muslims do advocate spiritual concepts and spiritual education ...etc., but in deed, there are no spiritual things in Quran and Sunnah, the word "spiritual" was never used by companions. (spirit/soul is among the unknowns الغيب that we believe in its existence, but it's unknown, undetectable and imperceptible) Salat (Prayer) is NOT ambiguous voodoo we read, nor stupid movements we do before useless things. Prayer is standing before Allah, in any clean place, side by side, shoulder by shoulder (no gaps in between, white, black, rich, kings, poor, and needy all are one unit), facing toward the first mosque on Earth, and asking Allah, submitting to him, and only to him, reading Quran, which is clear and understood, this will emphasize on Islamic ethics, and guide us to the right { لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآَخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآَتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآَتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ } meaning { Righteousness is not whether you face towards the east or the west. But righteousness is to believe in Allah and the Last Day, in the angels and the Book, and the Prophets, and to give wealth however cherished, to kinsmen, to the orphans, to the needy, to the destitute traveler, and to the beggars, and to ransom the slave; who establish their prayers and pay the obligatory charity; who are true to their promise when they have promised. Who are patient in misfortune and hardship and during the time of courage. Such are the truthful; such are the cautious. } (V2:177) There are 5 daily prayers, each have specific time, and specific number of bows and prostrates. The prayer is done in the very specific manner done by prophet Muhammad (PBUH). { وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُواً وَلَعِباً ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ * قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ هَلْ تَنْقِمُونَ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ آَمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَاسِقُونَ } meaning { When you call to prayer, they treat it as a jest and a pastime. That is because they are a people who have no understanding. * Say: 'People of the Book, do you blame us for any reason other than that we believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down before us, and that most of you are evildoers? ' } (V5:58-59)

• Q61: What is Zakat ?
  A: Zakat is an annual known and fixed percentage (2.5% for usual money) of excess money (if it exceed a known and fixed limit called lower bound or Nisaab نصاب, and if it was treasured for a whole lunar year, in case of no debts). Zakat also applies to business profits (but not the assets). On the other hand, Jewelry, Cars, Books (and scientific tools) and Buildings (no matter how expensive) does NOT count if they are not the trading goods themselves. For example, for a taxi owner (or taxi company owner), the price of his car does not count what counts is the net profits, which is checked to against the lower bound (Nisaab) if it exceed the limit, he should give 2.5% of his net profits for charity. (This is just a tutorial, there are so many cases, those are just the most common cases)

  One should give this percentage of money to well-specified people (namely; poor, needy, freeing slaves or captives, destitute traveler, debtors, and disposed money needed to collect it, all of them or some of them, it's up to the donor), Zakat in not centralized process, the nearer (to the donor) the better as Zakat is not allowed to be sent to other countries except in case of a catastrophe (priority is given to relatives and neighbors among the specified people, but not his father or children).

• Q62: Why 2.5% ? it's too little or too much.
  A: neither you nor me decide, it's Allah. Any way, giving 2.5% of excess non-assets money is not too much (for every 1,000 USD, one give 25 USD for a whole year), it's a marginal percentage. If you consider it too little, then you can give more optional charity (but not as Zakat) with whatever amount you want, the optional charity could be given to who ever you want.
• Q63: What is Fasting ?
  A: Fasting is a change in eating habits, by reordering meals, so that one do not eat or drink at all in daylight (from Fajr to Maghrib prayer), while he could eat and drink else where. This does not affect body metabolism, as fasting don't deny the body from getting needed energy, but it changes the schedule. The are so many healthy advantages for this, and there are so many ethical lessons from this.

  Consider a working day, rich people and poor people, they both share the same feelings (not just assumed to be equal, they are equal), the rich person don't just throw a dollar in the face of a poor person, and go away.

• Q64: What is Hajj ?
  A: Hajj is a pilgrimage journey to Mecca, to pray Allah in the AlMasjud Al-Haram mosque in a specific way. The world greatest Conference, millions (indeed) are gathering from all over the world, all nationalities, black, white, red and yellow people, east and west, north and south, poor people, rich people, kings, presidents, ministers,...etc. all of them, come for the same purpose; submitting to Allah, disbelieving in all claimed associates, by saying "لبيك اللهم لبيك. لبيك لا شريك لك، لبيك. إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك. لا شريك لك" meaning "We are responding to you, O Allah! We are responding to you only, no associates with you. Thanks to you. Favors from you. Kingdom is yours, no associates with you." there are a lot of ethical lessons in Hajj, there is a great wisdom behind it, { وَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً مَا أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ } meaning { and brought their hearts together. If you had given away all the riches of the earth, you could not have so united them, but Allah has united them. He is Almighty, Wise. } (V8:63) males wear shroud-like clothes (clothing of dead people), in a scene that remind people with the gathering in Resurrection day (females wears the usual clothes).
• Q65: In Hajj, What is that Black thing in the middle of AlMasjud Al-Haram ?
  A: It's the Ancient House البيت العتيق, it's called Alka'aba الكعبة, it's a symbol of smashing idols, as prophet Abraham and prophet Ishmael (peace be upon them) raised its foundations (again) long long ago. It's the first Mosque on Earth. And in case you are wondering, we don't worship it, It's merely a place where we worship Allah only, this is so obvious just listen to them. It's also called Qibla (Arabic word which means the direction mark). As a symbol of unity of all Muslims, because we face the same direction in praying, we pray side by side, no matter who is rich and who is poor, ..etc.
• Q66: You savages, why do you kill those innocent Lambs, Veals, Camels in Hajj and Al-Adha (sacrifice) day ?
  A: This the most silly question in deed, we don't kill those animals for fun or for religious rituals, we just feed the poor fresh meat, best quality slaughtered meat in deed, poor people in some countries never tasted fresh meat they in best cases eat excess canned meat manufactured from the worst meat ever taken from intestines, and in some cases they could die before knowing the real taste of meat, and in case you don't know, Human is a predator, we need proteins to live and get them from animals (vegetarian proteins are not well absorbed by our body) this is a fact. In Islamic communities there is no cast systems, all people should get food they need, { لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ } meaning { that they witness profitable things for them and mention the Name of Allah on well known days over the flocks which He has provided them. Eat thereof, and feed the wretched poor. } (V22:28) we feed the poor the best fresh food all the year, but in that specific day, we feed the poor from fresh best quality slaughtered meat, { وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ } meaning { And the camels We have made a part of the waymarks of Allah. In them is good for you. Pronounce over them the Name of Allah, when they are hobbled; and when they have fallen down on their sides, eat of them and feed the impoverished nonrequestor and the requestor. As such We have subjected them to you, in order that you give thanks. } (V22:36), the word الْبُدْنَ translated as camels actually means best quality lumpy edible meat and usually refers to camels (but according to Hanfi school and Maliki school it may include other kinds like caws). The next verse clarify that it's not a pagan religious ritual { لَنْ يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ } meaning { Their flesh and blood does not reach Allah rather it is piety from you that reaches Him. As such He has subjected them to you, in order that you exalt Allah for guiding you. And give glad tidings to the generous. } (V22:37) Spreading fresh meat to poor people is done in a way that does not hurt their feelings, as in that day, we give shares (need not be equal shares) to three types of people; relatives, neighbors (even if they are rich) and the needy people, every body accept them as it's not a donation, it's not something they owe, it's not a shame to accept them (as rich people get a share, no one would say "how dare you consider me poor!") yet the majority of meat goes to poor people.