rathickal - Introduction

Assalamualaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

Praise and gratitude is due to Allah, He the One, who sent

the Final Messenger with the Guidance and the True Way.

Peace and Salutations be upon the Final Messenger Muhammad( صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Surely, in the creation
of the heavens and the earth,
and in the alternation of night and day,
You have not created these in falsehood.

In the name of Allah,
the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
The Compassionate, the Merciful.
Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.

You alone do we worship,
and You alone do we ask for help.

Guide us on the straight path,
the path of those who have received your grace;
not the path of those who have brought down wrath,
nor of those who wander astray.

(Amin)

(Al Qur'an chapter one)

Ya Allah, Guard us against
the punishment

of the Fire.

Ya Allah, we have heard the caller

calling to belief,

‘Believe in your Lord!’

So we believe.

Our Lord, forgive us our sins

and acquit us of our evil deeds,

and take us to You in death with righteousness.

Ya Allah, we have believed

Ya Allah accept our humble effort.

Introduction to the Holy faith

Umar ibn al-Khattab رضى الله تعالى عنه(may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم).(i.e. Prophet Muhammed, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet . Resting his knees against his (the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم ) and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said:

O Muhammed, tell me about Islam.

The Messenger of Allah said:

Islam is

to testify thatthere is no god but Allah and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah,

to perform the prayers,

to pay the Zakat

to fast in Ramadhan and

to make the pilgrimage to the House (Kaaba) if you are able to do so.

He said: You have spoken rightly, and we were amazed at him asking him (the Prophet

) and saying that he had spoken rightly.

He said: Then, tell me about Iman.

The Prophet(

) said:

It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.

He said: You have spoken rightly.

He said: Then, tell me about Ihsan.

He (the Prophet

) said:

It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing him, and while you see Him not, He nevertheless sees you.

He said: Then, tell me about the hour.

He (the Prophet

) said:

The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner. He said: Then, tell me about its signs.

He (the Prophet ) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.

Then, he took himself off and I stayed for some time.
Then he (the Prophet

) said: O Umer, do you know who the questioner was?

I said: Allah and His Messenger know better.
He(the Prophet

) said: It was Jibril (Gabriel)

who came to you to teach you your religion.

^{The Messenger of Allah} صلى الله عليه وسلم^{told the truth.}

^{This Hadith was related by Muslim.}