Overview

Introduction to Islam is a book which has been compiled from various books, treatises and lectures which include:

The Message of Islam by AbdurRahman Al-Sheba,

Fundamentals of Islam by Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab At-Tamimi

The Educational Aspect of Islam by Dr Norlain bint Muhammad Dindang

Principles of Economy in Islam (Khutba) by Sheikh Husayn Aal-Shaykh

Authentic Proofs of the Excellence of Islam by Dr Norlain bint Muhammad Dindang and Dr M. Omar Mababaya

Ten Things that Nullify One’s Islam by Sheikh Abdul Azeez ibn Abdullah ibn Baaz

Though the title suggests that the book would be very basic in content, this is not the case. It is a very cleverly put together compilation. The content of the book, is quite diverse, and covers many aspects of Islam, much more in depth than the title suggests. It is much more than an Introduction to Islam as it not only covers the fundamentals of Islam, it also touches upon more in depth subjects such as trading, economics and is multi-faceted. It flows with a consistency and continuity one might not expect from such a compilation, various eminent ulema are quoted throughout the book which adds interest and diversity. Clear daleels are presented on every topic within the book.  Attention is drawn to the moral aspects of Islam very strongly throughout the book, which makes, for very pleasant reading.

Evaluation

The fact that this book is a compilation does not detract from the subject -matter in any way, neither is it a clumsy attempt to cover various aspects of Islam. Rather, it is a clever compilation and actually makes for a much more refreshing and interesting read as the tone changes as the authors change. Therefore, the reader doesn’t fall into complacency when reading, as the changing tones keeps one’s attention levels alert. For example, Chapter 2 excerpts from “The Message of Islam” introduce the concept of tahweed briefly with various ayats from the Qur’an as daleels, and in next Chapter “Fundamentals of Islam” the Sheikh discusses in depth this principle along with other aspects of the Islamic belief. I particularly like the way the Sheikh illustrated the “Four important points every Muslim needs to learn” it’s very cleverly condensed as; knowledge of Allah, His Messenger and Islam, acting according to the knowledge, calling others to this knowledge and patience in hardship as a result of calling people to the religion. The Sheikh then uses Sura Asr as a daleel to back up these principles. I found this to be a very simple illustration, and yet profound. A large concept is eloquently put forward by a few sentences, I really liked this.

The Sheikh then goes on to discuss “The Three Fundamentals” and I love the methodology of the author, the way in which he breaks down topics and then categorises each topic is excellent. The three fundamentals are the three questions everyone will be asked by Munkar and Nakeer in the grave. Therefore, it is imperative to know and understand these principles. I remember quite a few years ago this subject was the discussion at a halaqa and one sister casually said, that, she knew the principles and she would simply say, that, ‘Islam was her religion and that Muhammad   was the Messenger.’ And I remember thinking that, she said it so casually as if it was going to be a friendly chat over a cappuccino! However, this is not the case and one will be asked these questions in the belly of the earth, alone, dark with only our deeds as company. Therefore it is imperative, that Muslims understand these principles. If one is asked regarding these principles, then one must have knowledge regarding his Rabb and His religion and the Messenger of Allah 

The Sheikh discusses tawheed in depth, which is really nice and beneficial. Considering this compilation as a whole, I must say that I particularly enjoyed Chapter 3; I thought the simplicity in which the Sheikh illustrated with the relevant daleels, topics such as fear, hope, trust remorse etc.  Really first class. In addition to this, the subject of Tawghoot is discussed and broken down into five main categories, making it very easy for the reader to understand the principles being discussed. Again the author takes a very simplistic approach, to explain, what constitutes the five main heads of tawghoot. This section was especially interesting, highly informative.

Included in this compilation are various Chapters and excerpts from the book The Message of Islam by AbdurRahman Al-Sheba. One thing that stands out very clearly from this author is the moral theme when discussing Islam, even when illustrating the basics such as the five pillars of Islam; the author draws the reader’s attention to the benefits that are derived from these pillars, as opposed to them being just religious rituals. For example regarding the five pillars the author states: “Islam does not intend these pillars to be mere appearances. It aims at purifying and refining their souls through the performance of these devotions.” I found this to be a very effective and enlightening approach. If a Muslim’s behaviour is not refined by practising his/her religion, then something is not correct and should be cause for reflection.

Allah says regarding the high moral character of the believers:

 “Ye are the best community that has been raised up for mankind; you enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency……”  (3: 110)

I really liked the way the prohibitions and commandments were illustrated in chapter 5, Qur’an and ahadeeth were used as evidences, the authors style is simple and very easy to read. Clear daleels are presented on every topic throughout the book, leaving readers more inclined to understand the actual sources. There is no doubt, that, the evidences, explanations and analysis clarify the principles.

In Chapter 6; I really liked the way the author presented Islamic etiquettes, subjects ranging from Etiquettes of joking to etiquettes pertaining to sexual relations. This section was pleasantly diverse and fit well with the informal style of the author.

I was pleasantly surprised to see “The Educational Aspect of Islam” being addressed in Chapter 8;

I particularly liked the way the obligation of gaining Islamic knowledge is put forward using the relevant daleel of Qur’an and ahadeeth. The author stresses the importance of Ikhlass in all actions and this is certainly food for thought. The ahadeeth that are quoted regarding gaining Islamic knowledge from the same Chapter are inspirational and very informative.

An example of this would be the following hadith. Hassan al Basri   narrated that Allah’s Messenger   said: “He whom death overtakes while he is engaged in acquiring knowledge, with a view to reviving Islam with the help of it, there will be one degree between him and the Prophets in Paradise.”  (Tirmidhi and Darimi) How could this not inspire one to seek knowledge?

Excellent daleels are put forward for each point being made the book is therefore an excellent source to increase the reader’s knowledge of both Qur’an and ahadeeth.  It is nice to see ahadeeth used from books that have yet to be translated into English; therefore, the English speaker would not normally have access to these books, such as Musnad Imam Ahmed, Baihaqi and Hakim etc. However, I did feel the book would have benefitted from including the original Arabic for Qur’an and ahadeeth as it is always nice to read the Arabic even if the reader only recognised some of the words. Perhaps not for the whole book, due to size but at the very least the du’aa included, an example of this can be found on page 73, rather than just putting transliteration, to have included the Arabic would have enhanced this section without making any difference in terms of bulk.

I was pleasantly surprised to see such a comprehensive section on Islamic Education, the authors approach was both simple and informative. The daleels put forward, at the risk of sounding repetitive, are just excellent. The sources used as daleel throughout the book, is what makes the book so enjoyable and truly beneficial. A perfect example is the following hadith used in relation to seeking knowledge from chapter 8;

Abu Dharr   narrated that Allah’s Messenger  said: “He has been successful whose heart Allah has made sincere towards faith, whose heart He has made free from disbelief, his tongue truthful, his soul calm, his nature straight, whose ear He has made attentive and his eye observant. The ear is a funnel and the eye is a repository for what the heart learns. He is successful whose heart has been made retentive.”  (Tirmidhi, Ahmed and Bayhaqi) The ahadeeth quoted regarding gaining Islamic knowledge in this Chapter are inspirational for those wanting to increase their Islamic knowledge and understanding.

What makes this book work is the variety of sources, Principles of Economics, a khutba given from a Sheikh in Medina, I felt was a really nice touch, the different sources assure the readers interest. Great points were made by the Sheikh, very informative khutba.

I felt that, Chapter 12 could have benefitted from stipulating the 3 categories of tawheed; I have included this in my recommendations. For example page 91 of this Chapter, the bottom paragraph would have been an ideal slot to just mention the three categories. As relevant subjects are being discussed, such as there are no intermediaries in Islam, those who worship idols and state “they are only bringing us closer to Allah” and legislation by other Shari’ah are being discussed.

I noticed in Chapter 12 two ahadith are used, that, Sheikh Albani has graded as fabricated. The ahadith are; “Seek knowledge even if it were in China.” And “Scholars ink will be weighed against martyr’s blood.”  Sheikh Albani graded both these ahadeeth as fabricated. They can be found in 100 Fabricated Hadeeth, by Sheikh Faisal, regarding seeking knowledge all the way to China, this can be found on page 45 and the ink of the scholar is on page 106. The eBook is available here (http://www.kalamullah.com/hadith.html)

I was very impressed the compilation included “Ten things to nullify one’s Islam” by Sheikh Bin Baaz, what an excellent way to end the book.  Many Muslims nowadays think on shirk will take one out of Islam and as the eminent Sheikh Bin Baaz explains, this is not the case. It is very issues the Sheik clarifies and of upmost importance.

Most books are informative, but not all books are interesting, the compilation I feel is very cleverly put together and a pleasure to read. The various sources are just excellent and all the fundamentals that, one could think of pertaining to “An Introduction to Islam” have been included.

Recommendations

I noticed that, despite tawheed being discussed in depth, nowhere in the book are the three categories of tawheed actually categorised. If the one reading already knows the categories then it is easy for the reader to understand the daleels perfectly well. The daleels have been adequately presented for each category -- MashAllah -- but the tawheed categories have not been stipulated. So if one was not familiar with Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah and Tawheed Al-Asma wa Siffat, then the significance of each daleel could possibly be overlooked by the reader.

Regarding Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah Allah Tala says:

 “Indeed creation and Command are His. Exalted is Allah, the Lord of Creation.”  (7: 54)

Regarding worshipping Allah alone, Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah – Allah Tala says:

 “Worship Allah alone, making all worship purely for Him, and do not associate anything in worship along with Him.”  (4: 36)

And lastly regarding Tahweed al-Asma was Siffat, Allah Tala says:

 “Allah has the Most Excellent Names so call on Him with them.”  (7: 180)

That is one angle I felt could have been improved upon, and yes, categorising tawheed is something the latter ulema have done and the Salaf did not feel the need for such categorisation. However, nowadays Muslims are weak in knowledge, therefore categorising tawheed is beneficial for the layman. In my humble opinion it would simplify the concept of tawheed for the reader by mentioning the three categories.

Another thing I noticed is that, the book does not address “Women in Islam” or “The status of women” etc. If the book only dealt with a very basic introduction to Islam, i.e. the five pillars of Islam, six pillars of emaan, then perhaps this would not be necessary. However, the book is much more than, just an Introduction to Islam. For example, economics, education and military aspects have all been briefly touched upon and I felt that, women’s status in Islam could have also been briefly discussed. For example, in the West, Islam is being attacked on the basis of protecting “women’s rights”.  As a result subjects like the niqab and hijab are very misunderstood, even by the Muslim women. These are subjects that pertain to Muslim women in their daily lives and are very largely misrepresented.

Regarding not displaying one’s beauty Allah says:

 “And say to believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof….” (24: 31)

Modernism is a big problem nowadays especially in the West, and the two things being targeted are the Sunnah and Muslim women. It would have been nice to see women’s issues being briefly addressed. For example, the fact that Islamically women should be educated was touched upon in Chapter 8, which is enlightening especially for those who are not familiar with these Islamic principles.  I felt the book could have benefitted from just briefly mentioning issues pertaining to women such as inheritance rights, right to one’s own wealth, niqab being presented as a protection and honour for women and a personal choice, as opposed to popular words that are currently being propagated by Western politicians such as “debasement of women” or “oppressive and submissive” etc. I do feel the book could benefit from briefly mentioning the honourable status of women in Islam, as this is one of the things that attracted me to Islam. I liked that, in Chapter 7; rights of the wife and husband are discussed, the honour that Islam places on both husband and wife is clearly demonstrated in this section, in a very nice and simple style.

 

Comments/Reactions

I found myself reflecting in-terms of the moral implications of being a Muslim and how our everyday behaviours and habits should go hand in hand with our beliefs. There is no doubt regarding the status of good character in Islam. An individual with an upright character (adalah) plays a constructive part in society. Upright character here, does not mean observing a few simple etiquettes, rather, it refers to noble characteristics such as, truthfulness, forgiveness, fairness, gentleness and justness, to name just a few. Having good morals and manners will be heavy on the scales on the Day of Reckoning, the Prophet   said nearest meaning: “On the Day of Resurrection, nothing is heavier in the scale of the believer than good manners (husn al-khulq).”  “Husn al-khulq is a comprehensive term that may be said to consist of three components parts, relating firstly to thought and intention; secondly to speech and conduct; and thirdly to honouring certain individuals and personalities in particular” 

Allah encourages these noble qualities into the hearts of those who believe through the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Allah Tala says:

 “Verily, Allah loves those who do good.”  (2: 195)

An Arab poet said: “A nation’s life support is its manners, if its manners go, it goes with them.”

Rather, than taking an academic approach, the theme throughout the book encourages the reader to reflect on their daily dealings, in terms of good character and morals, and this is something all Muslims should strive to achieve. Therefore, I felt this approach to be very applicable to my everyday life, and on this merit alone the book stands out from others I have read.

Another aspect which touched me is the manner in which the author starts the book, highlighting the importance of ikhlass and one’s niyyah, for all deeds.  It is so important that as Muslims we purify our intentions, for the sake of Allah Taala. I found myself giving thought to my intentions due to this; it really is a good and beneficial way to start the book. Niyyah is the foundation of any action, and each man will receive according to his intentions. Imam Ahmed rahimullah observed that the fundamental precepts of Islam are found in three ahadith; that of Umar   “Deeds are but by intention”   that of Aeisha    “Whoever innovates a matter of ours”   and that of Nu’man bin Basheer    “Halal is clear and haram is clear.” 

Conclusion

I felt the book’s primary purpose is to help the reader realise the practical, spiritual and moral principles of Islam. Several things about the book caught my attention immediately. First, the moral theme, second the excellent evidences presented and the variety of authors works very well.

 I really enjoyed reading the book I found it informative, the style informal, easy to understand, excellent sources and basically it ticked all the boxes. The sources and arguments used throughout the book are effective and the methodology is well thought out. It is refreshing to see a book, that, explains the fundamentals of Islam, and more, with emphasis put on the moral etiquettes that are derived from these principles. Therefore, this book will suit all non-Muslims and Muslims alike and I would certainly not hesitate in recommending it.