Our Faith

‘Islam’ is an Arabic word which have many meanings: submission, surrendering, and peace. They can be combined to mean that ‘surrendering and submitting to the Will of Allah, God Almighty will result in peace’. Therefore, the followers are called ‘Muslims’ which means ‘those who have submitted’.

Muslims are monotheistic, they believe in One God without any partner. He is the One and Only Creator and Master of the entire creation with none to share his Divine attributes. There is nothing like Him, He is Unique and without comparison. He has no family, no father, mother, nor child; He is Alone with nothing like Him.

He created people with the purpose to worship Him and obey His commands for success in this life as well as the hereafter. And this is why He sent Prophets who were the best of men chosen from their community to teach and convey the message from their Creator. This is the tradition of the sending of Messengers from whom there were Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad, may peace and blessing be upon them all.

The fundamentals of Islam which is maintained by all Muslims is called the ‘Five Pillars of Islam’; they are the five tenants which each believer must do.
They are:

Shahadah – The Testification:
It is to say, “I testify that there is no God but Allah, One and Alone without partner, and Prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger.’
A Muslim believes in this statement beginning from their heart, then professes it on their tongue and then implement it in their actions.
Salat – The Prayer
A Muslim is required to pray five times a day, this prayer is a worship keeping the Muslim connected with Allah and leading a life while being conscious of Him.
Zakat – Mandatory Charity
It is an annual charity which is mandatory on every Muslim who is wealthy for the maintenance and caretaking of the poor and less fortunate of the community.
Sawm – Fasting in the month of Ramadan.
Every Muslim of age and good-health must fast in the month of Ramadan which comes once a month; this is the prohibition of eating and drinking for the entire month from pre-dawn to sunset.
Hajj – Pilgrimage to the Ka’bah And once in a lifetime, a Muslim who has the ability and meets necessary requirements should visit the Ka’bah in Makkah. It is an annual worship in the month of Dhil-Hijjah, the last year of the Islamic calendar.

A Muslim is also required to believe in the ‘The Six Articles of Faith’ which outline the fundamental beliefs.
They are:

Belief in Allah:
It is to believe in the Oneness of God without partner. He is All-Powerful and has Dominion over all things. He created everything; all needs Him and He needs none. He has no family, no partner nor equal.

Belief in Angels:
It is to believe in the creation of the Angels created from pure light. They are His servants who do not have free-choice (unlike us) and do whatever He commands without resistance.

Belief in the Books:
It is to believe in the Holy Scriptures which were revealed to the Messengers. They were the words of Allah (SWT), his commands and his speech to mankind for their guidance.

Belief in the Prophets:
It is to believe in the men who were chosen by Allah to be teachers and guide the people. Their mission was to call the people to the unity of Allah (SWT), guide them to the truth and deter them from the falsehood spread by the Shaytan (Satan), the devil.

Belief in the Day of Judgment:
It is to believe in the Last Day which is also called the Day of Accountability. It is the beginning of the Hereafter when all people will be raised from the dead and give account for their deeds. They will be questioned on the way of life they lead and the choices they made. In the end, it will be paradise or hell depending on their actions.

Belief in Fate; good and bad:
It is to believe that everything which happens whether it is good or bad is by the Will of Allah. Nothing in this universe takes place without His knowledge, He is All-Seeing, Hearing and Knowledgeable. And everything takes place with His permission and His allowing for it to take place.