Lesson 1 : The True Belief

Allah, ta^ala, said in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

Ya ayyuhal-ladhina amanut-taqullaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun.

Ayah 102 of Suratu Al ^Imran means: {O believers, fear Allah properly (as you should) and do not die but as Muslims.}

The Religion of Islam: Islam is the true Religion that the sound mind supports, and it is appropriate for every age and time. It is the Religion of all the prophets from the first of them, Adam, to the final one, Muhammad, may peace be upon them all. Allah sent the prophets to guide the people to what is good and beneficial, to guide them to piety, and to teach them to be steadfast on this Religion until the end of their lives.

Piety: Piety (Taqwa) occurs by doing all the obligations and avoiding all the sins. Whoever achieves this state becomes a pious person. The first among these obligations is knowing and believing in Allah, ta^ala, and His Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.

Professing the Two Shahadahs: In regards to the blasphemer who wants to embrace Islam, the belief is not accepted without one uttering the Two Testifications (Shahadahs). In addition, the Muslim is obligated to recite the Two Testifications (Shahadahs) in every prayer for validity of that prayer. The Two Testifications are: I testify that no one is God except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

The meaning of the Two Shahadahs:

· The meaning of Ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah is: I know, I believe, and I declare that no one is God except Allah, i.e., no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah.

· The meaning of Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah is: I know, I believe, and I declare that our Master Muhammad, the son of ^Abdullah, is the Messenger of Allah to both the humans and jinn, and that he is truthful in all of what he conveyed from Allah.

The purpose of the Two Testifications: To confirm that Allah is the One and only God, and that Muhammad is His Messenger, while rejecting that which contradicts this.

Allah, ta^ala, said in the Qur’an:

وَمَن لَّمْ يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَإِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَعِيرًا

Wa mal lam yu’mim billahi wa rasulihi fa’inna a^tadna lil-kafirina sa^ira.

Ayah 13 of Suratul-Fath means: {Those who do not believe in Allah and His Messenger are blasphemers, for whom Allah has prepared Hellfire.}

Questions:

1. State an ayah from the Qur’an that orders the believers to be firm on Islam.
2. What is the Religion of all the prophets?
3. Why did Allah send prophets?
4. What is the meaning of piety (taqwa)?
5. What is the first obligation upon the accountable person?
6. What is the meaning of “No one is God except Allah”?
7. What is the meaning of “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”?
8. What is the purpose of the Two Testifications?
9. State an ayah from the Qur’an that proves the obligation to believe in Allah and His Messenger.