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“Islam” is not a name, but rather a description meaning “Submission” —submission to the one and only God, our Creator.
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Submitters (Muslims) are those who submit to God alone and worship Him alone under all circumstances. While every religion has been corrupted by innovations, traditions, and false, idolatrous doctrines, there may be "Submitters" within every religion. There may be Submitters who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or anything else. These Submitters, collectively, constitute the only religion acceptable to God. All Submitters who are devoted to God ALONE, and do not set up any idols beside God, are redeemed into God's eternal kingdom (2:62). A criterion of the true submitters is that they will find nothing objectionable in the Quran.
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One of the prevalent myths is that Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Although Islam, total submission to God alone, is the only religion recognized by God since the time of Adam (Quran 3:19, 85), Abraham is reported in the Quran as the first user of the word “Islam” (Submission) and the one who called us “Muslims”, i.e., Submitters (Quran 22:78).
The Quran repeatedly informs us that Submission is the religion of Abraham (Quran 3:95, 4:125, 6:161, 22:78). Abraham received a practical "scripture," namely, all the duties and practices of Submission [the Contact Prayers (Salat), the obligatory charity (Zakat), the fasting of Ramadan, and the Hajj pilgrimage]. Muhammad was a follower of Abraham's religion, as we see in Quran 16:123; he delivered this Final Testament, the Quran.
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Allah is an Arabic word that means God. We worship the one and only true God, Lord of universe, our Creator.
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Unity of all submitters worldwide is based on this verse. To be a submitter you must meet these three criteria as stated in:
[2:62] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
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1- Shahaadah: One God— bearing witness that God is the only God.
2- The Contact Prayers (Salat)
3- Fasting (Seyaam)
4- The Obligatory Charity (Zakat)
5- Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca
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The five daily contact prayers are the main meals for the soul. While a soul may attain some growth and development by leading a righteous life, and without observing the contact prayers, this would be like surviving on snacks without regular meals.
We learn from 2:37 that we can establish contact with God by uttering the specific Arabic words given to us by God. Sura 1, The Key, is a mathematically composed combination of sounds that unlocks the door between us and God:
The Dawn Prayer must be observed during two hours before sunrise (11:114, 24:58).
The Noon Prayer is due when the sun declines from its highest point at noon (17:78).
The Afternoon Prayer can be observed during the 3-4 hours preceding sunset (2:238).
The Sunset Prayer becomes due after sunset (11:114).
The Night Prayer can be observed after the twilight disappears from the sky (24:58).