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THE DECLARATION OF FAITH

  Question Answer
1. What is the first principle of Islam ?

The first principle of Islam is to declare:
La ilaha ill-Allah Muhammad-ur-rasoolullah

i.e., "There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah."
2. Q. Are there any other forms of the Declaration of Faith?
A. Yes, there are four other forms, viz.:-

(1) Kalimatush-Shahadat
Declaration or Submission of Evidence, viz.,

Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu we rasooluh.

I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, Who Is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Apostle.

(2) Kalimatut-tamjeed

Declaration of the Glory of Allah, viz.,

Subhana-Allahi walhamdu lillahi-Allahi walhamdu lillahi wa la ilaha ill-Allahu wallahu Akbar, wa la haula wa la quwwata illa billahil aliyyil-'Azeem.

i.e., 'Glory be to Allah and praise; there is no deity but Allah; Allah is Most Great, there is no Power, no might but from Allah, the Most High, the Great.'

(3) Kalimtut-tauhid

Declaration of the Oneness of Allah ; viz.,

La ilaha ill-Allahu Wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, Yuhyi wa
Yumeetu biyadihilkhairu, wa huwa 'ala kullishai-in Qadeer.

i.e., "There is none worthy of worship but Allah; He is One and has no partner; His is theKingdom (of the whole universe) and unto Him is due all Praise ; He gives life and He causes death ; In His hand is all good, and He has power over all things.

(4) Kalimatu raddil-kufr.

Declaration of the Refutation of Disbelief, viz.,

Allahumma inni a'oozu bika min an ushrika bika shai'an wa ana a'lamu wa astaghfiruka lima la a'lamu innaka anta "Allam ul-ghuyoobi tubtu anhu wa tabarratu 'an kulli deenin siwa deen il-lslami wa aslamtu wa aqoolu la ilaha ill-Allahu Muhammad-ur-rasool-ullah

i.e., Oh Allah ! verify do I seek refuge in Thee from associating any partner with Thee knowingly; I beseech Thy forgiveness for the sins which I am not aware of; verily, Thou art the Best Knower of al I secrets. I repent for all the sins and make myself proof against all teachings except the teachings of Islam. I have entered the fold of Islam, and I hereby declare :- There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.
3. Who was Muhammad? Muhammad was the Rasool., i.e., the Messenger and Prophet of Allah who received the Message from Allah through Divine revelation and conveyed the same to humanity
4. Where was the Prophet Muhammad born? Muhammad, the Messenger and Prophet of Allah. was born at Mecca in Arabia
5. Do you know the genealogy (Lineage or Pedigree) of the Prophet Muhammad? Yes. I can name up to his father's great-grand. father, and know that he Is descended from Prophet Abraham. He was the son of 'Abdullab, whowas theson of 'Abdul Muttalib, who was the son of Hashim, who was the son of 'Abd Manaf.
6. How was the Prophet brought up? Abduliah, the Prophet's father died before his birth, and he lost his mother, Amina, during his infancy. He was, then, for a short time under the care of his grand-father, 'Abdul Muttalib, who also expired a few years later. His uncle, Abu Talib, then, became his guardian.
7. How was the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) educated? He did not receive any instruction through human agency, and as such, he did not know how to read or write. His education was solely due to Divine Sources.
8. When and where was the Message of Allah first revealed to our Prophet? The Message of Allah was first revealed to our Prophet through angel Jibreel (Gabriel), at the age of forty, in the cave at the foot of Mt. Hira in Mecca.
9. What regard had the people of Mecca had for our Prophet before he announced his Prophethood?

The people of Mecca had a very great regard for him. They honoured and respected him for his integrity and honesty, and were so much impressed by them and the nobility and gentleness of his character that they conferred upon him the title of

i.e the Trustworthy, before he proclaimed his Prophethood.
10. Did the people of Mecca in general accept Muhammad as a Prophet when he first delivered to them the Message from Allah? No. The people of Mecca In general did not accept Muhammad as a Prophet, when he first delivered to them the Message of Allah against idols and idolatry. Only a few embraced Islam. Others persecuted him and his followers so much that he, along with his followers, was compelled to seek refuge in Medina.
11. What is the migration of our Prophet from Mecca to Medina called? The migration of our Prophet from Mecca to Medina is called AL HIJRA. The Muslim Calendar commences from the day of the migration.
12. How did the people of Medina receive our Prophet? Most of the people of Medina received our Prophet with kindness, believed in his teaching and mission and embraced Islam.
13. When did our Prophet die and where was he buried? Our Prophet died at the age of sixtv-three and was buried in Medina, where his tomb now stand
14. Should we visit the tomb of our Prophet?

Yes, we should visit the tomb of our Prophet at Medina, preferably after the performance of Hall (Pilgrimage) to Mecca, for our Prophet has said:

i.e., whoever (of my followers) visits my tomb it is binding on me to plead for (Mercy and Forgiveness) on his (or her) behalf (on the Day of Judgement).
15. Should you love your Prophet? Yes, I should love my Prophet and pay greater respect to him than to any other human being including my parents.