HowToDoThings.com Islam

How To Differentiate Between a Sunni Muslim and a Shiite Muslim

Timmy — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:31:28 -0500

“After my death my nation will be divided into 70 sects, all will go to hell but one.” This is what the prophet Mohammad foretold, and this is what happened as far as I know, but surely no one can tell which sect will go to heaven concerning the second part of the prophecy, although each sect proclaims that they’re the ones. The two major sects in Islam are the Sunni sect and the Shiite sect. They are called Sunnis because they follow the Sunna of the Prophet Mohammad, which means his sayings and doings. And the others are called Shiites because they are the followers or supporters of Ali ibin abi Talib, the Prophet’s Cousin and son-in-law, so they’re called Shi’at Ali, or the partisans of Ali. You can tell if a person is a Sunni or Shiite based on names, appearance, slight differences in prayers, places of prayers, and certain special rituals and celebrations.

How To Fast During Ramadan

sadaf — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:51:32 -0500

Ramadan is one of the most blessed months in the Islamic Calendar. It is a month of worship, which requires a Muslim to fast from dawn to dusk, consecutively for twenty-nine or thirty days. Every Muslim knows that fasting in Ramadan is obligatory. Some have been doing it all their life, more as a cultural byproduct of being born in a Muslim household than as an expression of religious commitment; others start at a later stage in life, perhaps after converting to Islam. What stands true for all, however, is the fear of this form of worship being "difficult to do." Below is a practical guide to how Muslims can make fasting in Ramadan both easier and more spiritually rewarding:

Make your intention Allah's pleasure:

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How To Strengthen Your Faith in Allah

sadaf — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:53:04 -0600

All of us, being human, experience fluctuations in our level of faith -- denoted by the Arabic word "imaan" -- during the course of our day-to-day lives. It is perfectly normal to experience this. For Muslims, what is faith or "imaan"? It is the belief that resides in our hearts regarding Allah, His revealed Divine books (Quran, Bible, Torah, Abraham's scriptures), His Prophets, His angels, His Divine Decree (or what is more commonly knows as "fate"), and the Last Hour or Last Day (when all humans will be resurrected for account-taking of their actions).

How To Convert to Islam

Noelle359 — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 09:59:00 -0500

Islam is considered by Muslims to be a very simple and straightforward religion. There is no religious hierarchy and the practice of Islam is composed of five pillars, which are expected to be followed by all Muslims. The first pillar, the shahada, is required to enter Islam while the other four pillars are required to practice Islam. Because Arabic is the language of revelation of the Qur'an, the language has always been closely tied to Islam. Therefore, it is important to become familiar with some common Arabic words and phrases which I will use to express many of the religious terms.

How To Do Islamic Prayer

tamershaban — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:36:23 -0600

In Islam there are five Islamic prayers each day that must be done (obligatory), and there are non-obligatory prayers.

Preparing to do Islamic prayer (in Arabic, called salat):

How To Guard Your Husband's Honor as a Muslim Wife

sadaf — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:17:15 -0500

Traditionally, occupations such as cooking, sewing, fashion designing and interior decorating were considered the exclusive terrain of women. Today, however, they have all witnessed incursions by men, to some extent. One domain, though, still remains predominantly women’s-only, and that is home-making. This is because it is woman’s innate nature to be the master of her home. As manager, guard and coordinator, she happily does the household chores and caters to her family’s needs, while the husband, more often than not the chief breadwinner, remains absent throughout the day at work.

Allah has acknowledged this aspect of the functional family unit, by instructing women to be “guards” of their husband’s property and honour in the latter's absence:

“Therefore, the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to the husband), and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard…”

How To Live According to the 5 Pillars of Islam

sadaf — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:31:54 -0600

Pillars uphold the main body of any structure. If any pillar is weak, broken, or missing from its position, the stability of the entire structure is jeopardized. Moreover, whenever a building or object has to be erected, its pillars are prepared first; once the pillars are firmly placed in the foundation, the structure can be erected atop them. In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad [may peace be upon him] detailed the five essential pillars of Islam: testifying that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger; establishment of regular daily prayers (salaah); establishment of the system of “Zakaah” or the obligatory charity that has to be given by every Muslim; performing the once-in-lifetime pilgrimage, or “Hajj”, to Makkah in Saudi Arabia; and last but not least, fasting during the month of Ramadan.

How To Be a Friend for the Sake of Allah

sadaf — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:54:10 -0500

"To love for the sake of Allah" means loving someone above worldly motives or gains; it is the love that exists between two people because of their mutual yearning for higher levels of piety and a common desire to lead a devout Muslim life. This kind of love might exist between two school-going youngsters, a couple of stay-at-home mothers in the same neighborhood, or two men frequenting the same mosque on a regular basis. It might even exist between close family members and/or relatives. Its chief characteristics are sincerity, selfless empathy and compassion.

Those who love for the sake of Allah help and support each other in becoming better Muslims. They usually meet on a collective level for the promotion or betterment of Islam, or that of Muslims in general, by organizing welfare, educational and entertainment programs for the community.

How To Celebrate the Islamic Festival of `Eid Al-Fitr

sadaf — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:50:17 -0500

After the culmination of the month of worship - Ramadan - the first day of the next month, Shawaal, is the day of `Eid Al-Fitr. "`Eid Al-Fitr" means "the festivity of breaking the fasting (routine)". In Arabic, the word "`Eid" literally means "that which returns" and "Fitr" means "breaking/splitting". In other words, it is a day that returns every year in the Islamic lunar calendar, that signifies the end of the Ramadan fasting.

It is a day of rejoicing, because in Islam, devout worship and the performance of good deeds to get the Pleasure of Allah are considered just cause for celebration. After a month of continuous fasting, Muslims are endorsed to rejoice.

How To Learn to Recite the Qur'an

sadaf — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:02 -0500

The Qur'an is Islam's Book of Divine Guidance. It is in Arabic, and is the spoken word, or "kalam", of Allah (God). It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad [صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم] via Archangel Jibrael [علیہ السلام] more than fourteen centuries ago. It has laws and commands that govern how Muslims should live, communally and individually. Unparalleled by any other book in the world, it has the unique honor of being memorized in its entirety by hundreds of thousands of Muslims, those who understand its Arabic, and also those who do not. Another distinguishing quality of this "book" is that its recitation is an act of worship, one which draws the reciter closer to Allah and earns him a multitude of reward. It also exalts his or her status among the Muslims.