Every Muslim should know this about Islam!
The facts I will be sharing in this article are the basic Islamic knowledge one should have. This knowledge binds worldwide Muslim community together.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
- The Shahadah — There is no God but Allah & Prohphet Muhammad (Sallahualaihiwasallam) (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah
- Prayer — Salah – obligatory prayers
- Charity — Zakat -obligatory charity
- Fasting — Obligatory fasting in Ramadan
- Pilgrimage — Hajj
SIX PILLARS OF FAITH IN ISLAM
- Belief in Allah (All His names and Attributes)
- Belief in Angels
- Belief in the Revealed Scriptures (Torah, Injeel etc.)
- Belief in the Prophets & Messengers of Allah
- Belief in the Last Day (Day of Judgement)
- Belief in the Divine Decree (Al Qadr)
Verses from the Holy Quran about Iman (Faith) — 4:136
O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray
FIVE DAILY PRAYERS (SALAH)
The first thing for which a human will be brought to account on Day of Judgement will be Salah. If they are complete, he will have succeeded. If he is lacking he would be failed.
Obligatory Daily Salah
- Fajr — The Morning Prayer – 2 Rakat
- Dhur — The Noon Prayer – 4 Rakat
- Asr — The Euening Prayer -4 Rakat
- Maghrib — The Sunset Prayer – 3 Rakat
- Esha — The Night Prayer – 4 Rakat
ISLAMIC CALENDAR
The Hijri Calendar, also known as Islamic Calendar consists of 12 lunar months. These months depend on new moon. A Hijri year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian Calendar.
This Calendar was named after the migration that is Hijrah of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) from Makkah to Madina
The 12 Months of Hijri (Islamic) Calendar
- Muharram
- Safar
- Rabi al-Awwal
- Rabi al-Thani
- Jumada al-awwal
- Jumada al-akhirah
- Rajab
- Shaban
- Ramadan
- Shawwal
- Dhu al-Qadah
- Dhu al-Hijjah
THE PROPHETS
Prophets & Messengers are individuals chosen by Allah (SWT) who spread the message of Islam. Some Prophets (Nabi) were also called as Messengers (Rasul) who received divine revelations from Allah, most of them through interaction of an Angel of Allah (SWT)
Messengers (Rasul) came with a new book/shariah law.
Prophets (Nabi) do not comes with new books but only reaffirm the messages of the previous Messengers Every Messenger is a Prophet but not vice versa.
| 1.Adam (as) |
| 2.Idrees (as) |
| 3.Nuh (as) |
| 4.Hud (as) |
| 5. Salih (as) |
| 6.Ibraheem (as) |
| 7.Lut (as) |
| 8.Ismail (as) |
| 9.Ishaq (as) |
| 10. Yaqoub (as) |
| 11. Yusuf (as) |
| 12. Ayub (as) |
| 13. Shuaib (as) |
| 14. Musa (as) |
| 15. Haroon (as) |
| 16. Dawud (as) |
| 17.Sulaiman (as) |
| 18. Ilyas (as) |
| 19. Al-yasa (as) |
| 20.Zul Kifl (as) |
| 21. Yunus (as) |
| 22.Zakariya (as) |
| 23. Yahya (as) |
| 24. Isa (as) |
| 25. Prophet Muhammed SAW (PBUH) |
CALIPHS OF ISLAM
The term “Caliph” (Khalifah in Arabic) is generally regarded to mean successor of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh)
They were also called as “Khulafaa-e-Rashidun” or “Rightly Guided Caliphs”
| Caliph | Name | Period of Caliph C.E. | Dead Hijri/CE |
| 1. | Abu Bakr as-Siddiq | 632 – 634 | 13/634 |
| 2. | Umar Ibn al-Khattab | 634 – 644 | 23/644 |
| 3. | Uthman Ibn Affan | 644 – 656 | 35/656 |
| 4. | Ali Ibn Abi Talib | 656 – 661 | 40/661 |
