Islam Explained - by Ahmad Rashid Salim
ISBN: 9781646113231Date read: 2025-07-14
How strongly I recommend it: 6/10
(See my list of 430+ books, for more.)
Go to the Amazon page for details and reviews.
On this subject, I preferred the book What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam but since I read that three years ago, I was ready for another refresher on the subject, as I’m spending time in Muslim countries.
my notes
Any shortcomings in this work are mine, and any goodness you see in this work is a reflection of your state.
Islam is derived from the Arabic root s-l-m, which contains the meanings of peace, serenity, submission, and surrender.
Understand and align with the Divine Will.
That, in turn, leads to experiencing peace both in the heart and in human interactions.
The Qur’an professes one of the names of God to be as-Salaam (the Source of Peace).
Humans have direct access to God through prayer, worship, revelation, and reflection.
Abraham, alongside his son Ismail, built the sacred Ka’ba, a cube structure in the city of Mecca.
Abraham and Ismail are both considered important prophets in Islam.
There is no room for the worship of anything but God.
Everyone is born pure and sinless.
Adam is the first in the line of prophets.
The chief archangels in Islam are:
Gabriel (who brings revelation from God to prophets)
Michael (tasked with providing bodies and souls with nourishment)
Azrael (tasked with taking the soul from the body).
Angels do not possess any independent power or agency.
Angels are the record keepers for the actions of humankind.
124,000 prophets were sent to different people and places.
God’s messengers do not commit any sin and do not fall into temptations, confusions, or contradiction.
Obedience to them is deemed mandatory.
Muslims are judged according to what they know, rather than all that there is to know.
Be in this world as a traveler.
The life of this world is the field of action.
Islam does not believe that there is absolute predestination or absolute free will, but that life has areas of both.
Five Pillars Declaration of Faith:
1. SHAHADAH: declaration of faith
2. SALAT: daily prayers
3. ZAKAT: almsgiving
4. SAWM: fasting
5. HAJJ: pilgrimage
Community of believers: ummah
Daily prayers: salat
FAJR : dawn, two units
DHUHR : noon, four units
ASR : afternoon, four units
MAGHREB : evening, three units
ISHA : night, four units
Prior to prayer, a ritual washing - called an ablution:
Washing the face and arms
Wiping the head
Wiping the top of the feet to the ankles
Bowing or prostrating to anything or anyone else would contradict prayer.
Masjid literally means a place of prostration - the act of placing the forehead on the ground.
Call to prayer: adhan
The adhan’s lines vocalize the following:
God is the Greatest;
There is no god but God;
Muhammad is the Messenger of God;
Hasten to Prayer;
Hasten to Success;
Hasten to the best of actions;
God is the Greatest.
Muslims will gather at the mosque for a special congregational prayer performed on Fridays that takes the place of the noon prayer.
This prayer includes a sermon recited by the scholar of the mosque.
The sermon is equivalent to two units of the noon prayer.
The sermon has a number of parts, including reminders to be conscious of God, requests for forgiveness for those present, remembrances for those who have passed, and prayers for all
It also refers to socio-ethical-political matters that impact the community and offers guidance and encouragement.
The issue of poverty is not one of resource scarcity but rather of wealth not being properly managed and utilized to benefit wider society.
Thus, zakat is seen as a religious act that has an immediate impact on social and economic order.
Sadaqah is voluntary charity that is not confined to any exact calculation like zakat.
Greater Jihad is to overcome the ego and temptations.
Lesser Jihad is the effort to ensure the safety and protection of one’s family, religion, and society.
Jihad does not mean “war” and cannot be used to oppress, harm, or generate injustice.
Fast during the month of Ramadan.
Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, so each year the start of Ramadan changes on the Gregorian calendar.
Ramadan is the time in which the first Qur’anic verses were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
One shifts from the consumption of food and satiating the senses toward an inward realm.
The end of the month of Ramadan is marked by one of the major holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr, “festival of the breaking of the fast.”
To celebrate Eid, visit relatives and friends, prepare special sweets and treats, wear new clothes, and give money to children.
Sensitizing yourself to the plight of the poor and needy - those who cannot eat or drink whenever they desire.
Those on hajj can help those Muslims not on hajj by praying for them or making specific supplications on their behalf - forgiveness, health, marriage, safety, etc.
Walking around the Ka’ba is called tawaf . The circumambulation is done seven times.
A famous tale that illustrates Muhammad’s high character is the story of the repair of the Ka’ba.
After years of neglect, the structure of the Ka’ba was in disrepair and the Meccans had agreed to rebuild it.
When the reconstruction was finished, a dispute arose about which tribe would have the honor of placing the black stone back onto the Ka’ba.
The disagreement became heated, and one of those present said that the next person to arrive would be called on to settle the dispute.
Muhammad soon arrived and was informed of the situation.
Muhammad counseled for the stone to be placed on a cloak and for members of each tribe to hold an equal part of the cloak.
Once raised, the cloak was brought to the Ka’ba. Muhammad put the stone back, but each tribe shared in the act.
This (Ka’ba cloak) caught the attention of a wealthy matron, an older woman named Khadija.
She hired Muhammad to lead a caravan and later asked for his hand in marriage.
At the age of 25, Muhammad married Khadija, aged 40.
They had six children - two boys and four girls.
Both of the boys died in infancy, but the girls survived.
A cave in Mount Hira was the focus for his meditation.
Islamic tradition holds that inside this cave, Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur’an and was tasked as the Final Prophet of God.
At this time he was 40 years of age.
Received his first revelation of the Qur’an on Mount Hira
610 CE: Start of his public preaching
619 CE: The year of sorrow. Deaths of his wife Khadija and his uncle Abu Talib
620 CE: Isra’ wal Mi’raj or The Night Journey
622 CE: The Hijrah or migration from Mecca to Madinah - marks the start of the Islamic calendar
622 CE: The Charter of Madinah is drafted, ensuring religious and social freedom for all inhabitants
624 CE: Battle of Badr - a turning point against the Meccan tribes
630 CE: Muhammad and his followers gain control of Mecca without violence - his enemies and the inhabitants of the city are forgiven
632 CE: The Farewell Pilgrimage - the Prophet informs the Muslims that he will soon depart this world
632 CE: Muhammad dies in Madinah
Muhammad continued to receive the revelation of the Qur’an over a span of 23 years.
The first occasion of revelation coincides with the Islamic month of Ramadan.
Subsequent marriages of the Prophet were entered into to bring affiliation with different tribes, prevent war, and create kinship.
None of the other women he married conceived children.
“The evil of the whispering, elusive tempter”
Islam’s view on Satan can be summarized with that fourth verse.
Satan is a category of “temptresses to evil and wickedness,” intent on derailing humanity from the realization and worship of God.
The Qur’an describes Satan as “an enemy to mankind”.
Satan does not have independent power over humankind, but rather entices, seduces to wrongdoing, and pushes humans to deviate from righteousness and God-consciousness.
Because Satan is deceptive and a sworn enemy of humankind, Satan acts as a necessary challenge for humanity, thereby helping them develop the capacity to withstand temptations and incitements.
The first two people to accept the Islamic faith and the prophethood of Muhammad were his wife Khadija and his cousin Ali.
Year 622 CE: In Yathrib, the Prophet established the first mosque and saw his role extend to contexts such as judge, mediator, ruler of a diverse people, and military commander. Muhammad’s focus was on the maintenance of a harmonious society.
This period is highlighted by the signing of a charter or constitution known as the Charter of Madinah, as the city was now renamed to honor the Prophet.
The document established Madinah as a plural and multireligious society, ruled by justice and fairness.
The charter committed to ending war and conflicts between the different tribes, including Jews and other groups.
The Prophet was winning over new converts and was intent on establishing a society highlighted by justice and compassion.
In Madinah, new revelations enlightened the Prophet, informing him that Muslims can fight those who fight them.
Although the verses related to fighting allowed Muslims the right to defend themselves and Madinah against outside forces, there were strict rules and requirements regarding combat and ensuring that these battles were defensive battles.
In 632 CE, Muhammad informed the community that he would not live for much longer and announced that his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, would be the leader of the Muslims after Muhammad’s death.
Shi’as believe that the Prophet Muhammad, following God’s command, announced to the community that Ali was to be the leader ( mawla ), of the community after him.
They hold that this leadership ( imamate ) includes both political and spiritual authority.
They hold that the lineage of leadership continued in the family of Muhammad.
Sunnis, on the other hand, maintain that the Prophet did not necessarily mandate Ali as his successor, leaving the issue for the people to decide.
They contest that mawla means “friend,” differing from the Shi’a interpretation.
They maintain that the community selected a number of individuals as the caliphs or rulers.
The Shi’a-Sunni disagreement appeared immediately after Muhammad’s death.
Sufism, or Tasawwuf, is the inner, mystical teachings of Islam.
It is not a separate school of thought, such as the Shi’a and Sunni, but an orientation toward a more subtle experience and understanding of Islam.
The term derives from the word meaning “pure” or “wool.”
Sufism emphasizes the purification of the heart, asceticism, and the inner realities of Islamic teachings.
Sufis are historically profound contributors to Islamic art, literature, and music.
Shi’as pray with their hands open, while some Sunnis pray with their hands crossed on their stomach and others pray with their hands open.
Shi’a-majority populations are in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran.
The Qur’an is a collection of chapters - 114 in total - composed of verses.
Chapters are called surahs
Verses are called ayahs
A chapter can range from three verses to 286 verses.
Chapters of the Qur’an are not arranged chronologically in the order in which they were revealed.
Chapters are categorized as either Meccan or Madinan.
Meccan chapters tend to be shorter and deal with the general principles of faith: belief in the Oneness of God, the Day of Judgment, doing good, etc.
Madinan chapters are more attuned to the specifics of the faith: fasting, prayer, charity, issues dealing with law, and similar matters.
Every Muslim learns to memorize chapters and verses from the Qur’an in Arabic.
The most commonly recited verses of the Qur’an are the seven verses that form the opening chapter.
Three verses of chapter 112 are also recited daily.
Other shorter chapters, such as 97, 103, 108, 113, and 114, are widely known and recited.
The Qur’an has not been changed and will never be changed or altered.
The Qur’an includes verses that are “clear” as well as those that are “allegorical”
The language of revelation carries multiple layers of meaning and nuance that are not found in the same way in other languages.
Every letter of the Qur’an recited counts as 10 blessings and also leads to the forgiveness of 10 sins.
The body of commentary and explication aimed at explaining the Qur’an is known as tafsir.
Approaches to tafsir can range from the very literal to the mystical and nuanced.
Ritual ablution is required before Muslims may touch the text of the Qur’an.
The Qur’an is generally wrapped in a scarf or other fabric and placed on the highest shelf.
When first holding the Qur’an, Muslims do so with two hands and kiss the book as a sign of care and recognition of its sacredness.
The first verse of the Qur’an, “In the name of God, the Compassion, the uniquely Merciful,” is recited invarious aspects of daily life such as getting up, starting an activity, or eating food.
Individuals specialize as reciters by studying the art of tajwid (Arabic for “beautification”).
The Qur’an should be recited in a methodic and melodic voice.
Detailed examples of how and when Muhammad did certain things is gathered as Sunnah: the “art of action.”
His sayings: the hadith.
These two categories, in addition to the Qur’an, form the most important sources for Islamic law and religious life
Unlike the Qur’an, not everything that is reported in Sunnah to be valid in the way that the Qur’an is.
There are those who interpret the Sunnah literally and consider the same material as essential, while others look at the intent and spirit of the Sunnah and how they would materialize today.
There’s a clear distinction between the Qur’an as divine revelation - and the hadith as words or sayings attributed to the Prophet.
A man who fills his stomach while his neighbor is hungry is not a believer.
Laws of Islam came to be codified under the Shari’a.
“Shari’a” can be translated as “the path leading to water.”
Water purifies both literally and figuratively. It is also the source of life.
Thus, the Shari’a is both the determination of practical laws that are morally binding and a purifying agent.
The Shari’a is by nature pluralistic and considers social norms and customs when arriving at legal conclusions.
Muslims who become expert jurists, or mujtahid, have independence in their legal conclusions.
As long as their method is sound and aligns with the science of jurisprudence, their conclusion is valid.
The Shari’a may return results in several categories beyond binary right and wrong. These are:
OBLIGATORY
RECOMMENDED
INDIFFERENT (neither sinful nor of any particular merit)
REPREHENSIBLE (better to avoid, but not in the category of sin)
FORBIDDEN
Earning an income through honest work to provide for one’s family is considered worship, as is playing with children or smiling with one another.
Muslims are encouraged to attend the funeral and burial of other Muslims.
Interest is considered unlawful in Islam.
Loans and credit exist in Muslim society, but loans are interest-free.
Islamic banking has a number of considerations that incorporate a refusal of usury, avoidance of speculation, mutual agreement, clarity of terms between parties, and a requirement to engage only in ethical fields and industries.
Wash hands before and after eating and say “Bismillah” before a meal.
The Arabic word for festival is eid.
EID AL-FITR: The completion of the fast of Ramadhan
EID AL-ADHA: linked with God’s testing of the Prophet Abraham when he is informed that he will need to sacrifice his beloved son, the Prophet Ismail.
To mark this festival, Muslims sacrifice an animal - usually a sheep or lamb - and distribute the meat, particularly to the needy.
The sacrifice of the animal is intended to convey the killing of the ego.
In regular interactions and social settings, a Muslim’s character, intelligence, and skills should be prominent, not their bodily form.
In the words of the Qur’an: “There is no compulsion in religion”