The New Muslim Guide website is a project of the Contemporary Guide Company. It has been produced in more than 26 languages ​​and the content is available in a number of distinctive digital formats.

Preliminaries

Allah has bestowed countless blessings upon us. He has endowed us with the gifts of sight and hearing, the intellect, health, wealth and family. He has even subjected everything in the universe for us: the sun, the moon, the heavens and the earth, and many countless things, as the Qur’an states, “If you tried to number Allah’s blessings, you could never count them.” (Soorat Al-Maa’idah, 16:18)

The Greatest Blessing Ever

Many thinkers and ordinary people alike are puzzled by the answer to the most important question in our lives: Why do we exist? What is the purpose of our lives?

The Purpose of Human Existence

Islam is a universal religion in that its Prophet was sent to all peoples of the world, regardless of their race, colour, culture, traditions and geographical location, as the Qur’an states, “We have only sent you (O Muhammad) as a mercy to all the worlds.” (Soorat Al-Anbiyaa’, 21:107)

Islam is a Universal Religion

Many religions have given certain religious privileges to some individuals and made people’s worship and faith dependent upon such individuals’ approval. In other words, they constitute intermediaries between God and them and falsely claim they can pardon their sins and even have knowledge of the unseen!

No Intermediaries between God and Man

Islam is a religion which balances the worldly life and the life to come. According to Islam, the worldly life is like a farm in which a Muslim sows the seeds of good deeds in all aspects of life in order to reap the rewards of his hard work both in this life and the hereafter. This endeavour requires an optimistic attitude, dedication, seriousness and determination.

Islam Is a Religion of Life

A Muslim is required to learn about the Islamic rulings in all aspects of life—acts of worship, social relationships, among other things—in order to carry out his duties with accurate knowledge and immense certainty, as the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whomever Allah wishes to show goodness, He gives him understanding of the religion.” (Saheeh AlBukhaaree: 71; Saheeh Muslim: 1037)

Learning Islamic Rulings

Islamic rulings are the conditions that include all of a person’s words, actions, and behaviors.

The Five Islamic Rulings

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Islam has been built on five [pillars]: Testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying zakaat, making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadaan.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 8; Saheeh Muslim: 16)

The Five Pillars of Islam

If a person attracts an illness and wants to get medical treatment, he will definitely look for the most proficient doctors he could possibly find to obtain the most effective treatment possible for his illness. He will certainly not take a prescription from any doctor because his life is dear to him.

Religion is undoubtedly the most important thing in our life, and we must therefore do our best to find out about its rulings and teachings and seek answers to questions about matters we do not know from trustworthy, know ledgeable scholars.

How to Find out about the Rulings of Islam

The Qur’an says, “Keep to the right course as you have been commanded, and also those who turn with you to Allah, and do not exceed the bounds. He sees what you do.” (Soorat Hood, 11:112)

This means: Be steadfast in following the truth, to the best of your ability, without overstepping the limits through exaggeration and extremism.

Islam is a Moderate Religion

Islam is not just a spiritual need that Muslims practice in mosques through supplication and prayer. Rather, it is a comprehensive approach that encompasses all aspects of life, with all its dimensions and horizons.

Islam Covers All Aspects of Life

By the same token, if you find some Muslims who follow some bad practices, you may mistakenly assume that such practices reflect the spirit of Islam, which is obviously not true. Just because the wrong practices of that doctor or teacher cannot be possibly attributed to the medical or educational profession, such Muslims’ bad practices cannot, with an even stronger reason, be attributed to Islam; they merely constitute an aspect of human weakness and could therefore be attributed to wrong cultural practices which have nothing to do with Islam.

Islam Must Be Judged by its Sublime Principles and not by the Bad Conduct of Some Muslims

Islam came to preserve five necessities in life so that the Muslim can live in peace and security, working for his worldly life and the hereafter.