We are going to be talking a lot about Islam and since there may be some of you who don’t know about it, we will be covering the basics of it.
Words
Muslim: A follower of Islam
Quran: It’s a book that Muslims follow, which they believe is the exact words of Allah
Allah: The god of the Quran
Hadith: A collection of traditions containing sayings of Muhammad
Injeel: The Arabic name for the Gospels
Muhammad: In Islam, Muhammad is considered the founder of the religion and the last prophet in a long line of prophets
Aisha bint Abi Bakr: Was the third and youngest wife of Muhammad
Dawah: The act of inviting or calling people to Islam, whether to learn about it or to convert
Kaaba: A cube-shaped building in the Great Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is Islam’s holiest shrine
The Black Stone: A black stone that Muslims believe came from space, and they believe it can forgive sins
Section One: The Quran
The Quran has 111 to 116 chapters in it. The Chapters depend on which Quran you are reading, although most Muslims say, “There is only one Quran, and that Quran has 114 chapters in it.” Talking about the Quran Chapters, we should also talk about the verses within the Quran. The most common Arabic Quran is called the Hafs Quran. Depending on where you buy the Quran, will change the meaning of the verses inside the Quran1
When I quote the Quran, it’s going to look like this:
Surah 33:21 or Quran 33:21a
Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern b (of conduct)c for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.
(a): Surah/Quran used in this way shows the chapter of the Quran, and if you see that line under a word, you can click on it and it will take you to the source or YouTube video.
(b): When I highlight anything in white (like this), it’s the important part.
(c): Anytime brackets (like this) are used in a Quran (or Hadith), the words that are in the brackets are not in the Arabic Quran (or Hadith) and the translator added the words in.
Things Muslims Believe About The Quran
I. Muslims believe that the Quran is the direct word of Allah (Surah 2:2)
II. The Quran is free from error and contradiction (Surah 4:82)
III. Allah protects the Quran from corruption (Surah 15:9)
Section Two: Allah
As I said before, “Allah is the god of the Quran,” but what does the Quran say about him?
I. Allah is all-powerful (Surah 2:106)
II. Allah is all-knowing and wise (Surah 24:21)
III. Allah is not a trinity (Surah 4:171)
IV. Allah does not like unbelievers (Surah 3:32)
Section Three: Hadith
There are three main types of Muslims, and they each follow different sources. Let’s examine them.
Sunni Muslims: Sunni Muslims Follow the Trusted Hadiths and the Quran.
Shia Muslims: Shia Muslims only follow narrations from the Prophet’s family and the Quran.
Quranist: Quranists only follow the Quran because they find the Hadiths unreliable.
Most Muslims, when they read a Hadith they only read Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim.
When I quote a Hadith, it will look like this:
| Reference | : Sahih al-Bukhari 3017 a |
|---|---|
| In-book reference b | : Book 56c, Hadith 226 d |
| USC-MSA web (English) reference | : Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 260 |
Narrated `Ikrima:e
Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn Abbas, who said, “Had I been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet (ﷺ f) said, ‘Don’t punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment. g ‘No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.’ “
(a) This spot will have the Hadith Book in it. Right now it has Sahih al-Bukhari.
(b) This is showing where to find this page in the Book(specifically the Sunnah website)
(c) The section of the Book
(d) The pages inside the Book
(e) This is the person who is narrating the page or quoting Muhammad
(f) This ( ﷺ ) Arabic character means: Peace be upon him AKA (PBUH)
(g) When I highlight anything (like this), it’s the important part.
The Trustworthiness of The Hadiths
If it is a Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, Scholars will trust 99.99% of it. But if it is not one of those two, then it will have a grading system, and here are the names of the grades
I. Sahih = Authentic
II. Hasan = Good
III. Da’if = Weak
IV. Muwathaq = dependable
Scholars only use Sahih or Hasan hadiths. They don’t even touch Da’if or Muwathaq unless they really need to
Conclusion
Now I hope you have understood the basics. There is more “basics” out there, like the History of Islam, the history of Muhammad, how to read the Quran in context, etc, but this is all I think you guys need to know. And if there is something about Islam in a later post that is not in the basics, I will be sure to break it down🕺
