Islam

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".

The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures. The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgment and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation.

Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of time. In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life regardless of human changes. Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage. At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the earth.

Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Islam is based on five articles:

1. To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.

2. To observe Prayer (Salat).

3. To Pay Zakat (Alms giving)

4. To perform the Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Hajj).

5. To Observe fasting during Ramadhan." (Bukhari) Abdullah ibn Amr bin Aas, may Allah be pleased with them, relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "A Muslim is one against whose tongue and hands other Muslims are secure, and an Emigrant is one who departs from what Allah has forbidden." (Bukhari)

A Muslim expresses his/her faith (Iman) in the following words: Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu

The English translation of the Shahadah is as follows: I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. The declaration of faith consists of two distinct parts, i.e., the absolute belief in the Unity of Allah (God) and the belief in the Holy Prophet Muhammad as a mortal human being and the Messenger of Allah. Islam's fundamental belief is the Unity of God. All other beliefs hang on this belief. Therefore the acknowledgement and 'bearing witness' of this is the key to the Muslim faith. Unless this is observed one cannot be a Muslim.

A Muslim accepts Allah as the only God, and only Master, Lord and Ruler with no partner sharing in any way His Being, Powers and Attributes. He is One; He is Unique; He is not the father of any one, nor He has or had any father. He is Almighty and Self-Sustaining. He is there forever, and will be there forever. A Muslim believes in Allah as the Ruler and must not disobey Him. In fact everything that exists in the universe obeys Him. He is the Fashioner of all the Universes that may exist. The belief in the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) as the servant and Messenger of Allah completes one’s faith. The Holy Prophet was the greatest of all the Prophets of Allah, yet he was only a human being with no share in Divinity. This is a very important belief that keeps Muslims from associating partners with Allah. This part of the Declaration of Faith where reinforces the first part of Allah being the only Supreme Being with no partners also establishes the absolute authority of the Holy Prophet as the Messenger of Allah, who must be obeyed as well in all the matters of faith. The Holy Prophet is the last prophet who brought us the last Book (the Holy Quran) to be followed. He lived among his people for a long time and his life is documented in utmost detail. He lead his followers by example. The way he lived his life and admonished his followers to live their lives is called Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. The second part of the Declaration of Faith makes obeying and following the advice of the Prophet Muhammad equally important to the belief in absolute Unity of Allah. This declaration make one to completely submit to the Will of Allah and that is why one who declares this belief is called a Muslim - one who completely submits to the will of Allah.

Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam; it is a most important constituent of the faith. It is prayer of a very high level. The Holy Quran repeatedly enjoins the offering of salat and indeed declares it to be a fundamental trait of a believer. The benefits of salat are countless. The Holy Quran says: "And enjoin Prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not for provision; it is We that provide for thee. And the end is for the righteous". Salat strengthens man's spiritual faculties. It is the best way to form a relationship with one's Creator. It purifies one's spirit, and through it, constant remembrance of Allah delivers one of the self that incites to evil. God created man to worship Him and salat is the most excellent kind of worship. The Holy Quran also says: "Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book, and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil, and remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue. And Allah knows what you do." (29:46) Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, say: "Tell me if one of you had a stream running at his door and he should take a bath in it five times every day would any dirt be left upon him? He was answered: No dirt would be left on him. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) observed: This is the case of the five prayers. Allah wipes out all faults in consequence of them." (Bukhari)

As for the punishment of not observing the salat, all matters of reward and punishment rest solely with Allah. Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say: "Giving up prayer is tantamount to disbelief and associating partners with Allah." (Muslim) Five Daily Prayers Salat, the obligatory Muslim prayer, is said at appointed time fixed in relation to the sun's position. The time of Fajr, the Morning Prayer begins at dawn and ends just before sunrise. The time of Zuhr, the midday prayer, begins after the sun has crossed the zenith point and has begun to decline. The Asr prayer is said when the sun has further advanced in decline, in the late afternoon. The time of the Maghrib prayer begins immediately after sunset. It lasts till dusk. The Isha prayer can be said after dusk has finally disappeared, giving way to darkness of the night.

Fajr Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha'

Along with salat, another important form of worship is fasting. It is obligatory for each Muslim, apart from some exemptions, to fast in the month of Ramadhan. During the hours of fasting, food and drink and conjugal relations between husband and wife are forbidden. It is enjoined that during fasting one should pay attention to remembrance of God and study the Holy Quran in abundance. One should try to curtail one's worldly pastimes as much as possible during Ramadhan, and to be particularly inclined towards charity and alms giving. Human life is dependent on food and drink and the continuation of the human race depends on the marital relationship. While fasting one refrains from them both, as if bearing witness to God that for His pleasure man gives up the factors (temporarily) upon which his very existence depends. The various other benefits of fasting are that man gets to exercise sacrificing physical comfort and to endure hunger and thirst. Fasting creates a sense of equality between the rich and the poor. By developing an appreciation of hunger and thirst, it makes the well-off think of the needs of the poor and impresses a feeling of compassion in their hearts. It makes them appreciate, through the practicality of it, the state a human being endures when hungry and thirsty. Ramadhan is a most effective and excellent means of spiritual development for mankind.

Zakat (Alms giving) is a part of devotion enjoined upon Muslims by the Holy Quran. It is a means where the well-off pay a set amount of their wealth. Zakat means to purify oneself. It is obligatory on Muslims to pay a little percentage of their accumulated wealth towards Zakat, which is used for the benefit of the needy and the poor. Zakat is not levied on one's property that is in personal use, rather on the assets which have a means of increasing and which are surplus to one's needs. It is a means of social justice and order. It teaches sympathy of the highest order.

Hajj is the fifth Pillar of Islam and another form of worship. It is an annual pilgrimage to the holy sites in Mecca which each adult Muslim, who can afford it, has to perform once in life time. Apart from the financial aspect, the ability to afford the pilgrimage also means that one is able to travel and perform the Hajj in peace. Muslims perform Hajj in order to visit for themselves the holy sites where their faith started. More importantly it is a pilgrimage to the Ka'aba, which we believe is the first place of worship ever built on this earth; Muslims thus refer to it as House of God. The ceremony of Hajj is also symbolic of the Unity of God; all Muslims gather from four corners of the earth in one spot at an appointed time and worship God. There are no difficulties to perform Hajj apart from the obvious financial commitment in order to travel to Mecca. That is the reason why, strictly speaking, Hajj is only obligatory to those who have fulfilled all their worldly needs and have no pressing commitments left and indeed can afford the passage to Mecca. It is a Muslim belief that God is everywhere and He answers those who truly seek Him. In this respect indeed going to a particular place to seek the pleasure and nearness to God is not the issue. However, it is the physical presence of being in the holiest of the holy places for the Muslim faith and indeed the congregational worship with millions of other fellow Muslims that leaves an indelible mark on the spiritual life of a person. It is a most supreme form of worship and is most desirable to God. During Hajj, the person who intends to perform it is required to travel to Mecca during the prescribed days and observe all the rites and ceremonies.

During Hajj Muslims from all corners of the world gather in Mecca and perform the rites of Hajj and thus strengthen the bond of Muslim unity. During Hajj each place brings to mind some event of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him). It refreshes the memory of the supreme sacrifices made by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him) for the sake of Islam.

There are six articles of faith in Islam:

1. Belief in Allah

2. Belief in Angles,

3. Belief in the Books (Scriptures) of Allah

4. Belief in the Prophets of Allah,

5. Belief in the Day of Judgment and

6. Belief in the Divine Laws Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, relates: We were sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when suddenly a man arrived. He was wearing clean, white clothes and his hair was jet black. He did not look as though he were a traveler and he was not known to any of us. He sat down close to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his knees touching the knees of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He said: O Muhammad, tell me something about faith. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, replied: "Faith is that you should believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Prophets; that you should believe in the Day of Judgment and that you should believe in the Divine Laws relating to good and evil." (Tirmidhi) Ali ibn Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "The faith is that one recognizes God at heart, accepts Him verbally and acts on His commandments." (Ibni Majah)

Burial

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".

Burial is a natural and reasonable system. A decent burial and not burning of the dead-body has been recommended by almost all the religions of the world. As dead-bodies must be respected, the system of burial was introduced as far back as the time of Adam. It is for the earth either to consume the dead-body or not to consume. The earth has, however no power to consume the dead bodies of Prophets. Body is made of earth, and it is nourished by fruits and crops grown from the earth. Then it will again return to earth. This is the natural state of things, because “everything returns to its origin”. Soul is not from earth but from God’s essence, and hence it will return to its origin. Therefore reason dictates that the best method of displaying of the dead body is burial.

Procedure of Burial. The grave must be excavated deep in order to keep the dead body at a safe depth from sanitary point of view. The dead body shall then be placed upon the ground of the grave with its face turned towards the direction of Holy Kaba. An invocation as recorded in tradition 30:92 shall then be read. Near the head, three stones or pieces of earth shall be placed either with the recitation of the first and last portion of the chapter Cow of the Holy Quran or with the following “From it we have created thee, and unto it we shall send three back, and from it we shall raise thee a second time – 20:55 Q. Then Bamboos or woods be placed in a horizontal or oblong manner at a little distance above the dead body to prevent earth from falling down, and spreading of earth will begin from the side of the head – 30:43 Q. When everything is complete, the earth shall be made high in the center like the back of a Camel and water shall be spread over it. Then after invocations for the good of the deceased and forgiveness for his sins, all will depart from the place.

Abominable things. The Holy Prophet greatly disliked high constructions over the graves and condemned even plastering of grave. Inscriptions of any kind over the grave in commemoration of the deuced have been banned. Some times he ordered to demolish high domes over the graves. He discouraged even prayer over the graves.

Pyramid

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".

A pyramid is any three-dimensional polyhedron where the faces other than the base are triangular and converge on one point, called the apex. The base of a pyramid can be any polygon; it is typically a square or a triangle, leading to four or three non-base faces.

A pyramid is said to be regular if its base is a regular polygon and its upper faces are congruent isosceles triangles.

Cutting off the top of a pyramid, using a plane parallel to the plane of the base, leaves a frustum of a pyramid, sometimes called a flat-topped pyramid, though it no longer satisfies the definition of a pyramid.

Pyramid-shaped structures were built by many ancient civilizations.

List of Pyramids Worldwide

India

Detail of the main gopura (tower) of the Thanjavur Temple pyramid in Thanjavur, Tamilnadu

Many giant granite temple pyramids were made in South India during the Chola Empire, many of which are still in religious use today. Examples of such pyramid temples include Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. However the largest temple pyramid in the area is Sri Rangam in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. The Brihadisvara Temple was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987; the Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram were added as extensions to the site in 2004.

China

There are many flat-topped pyramids in China. The First Emperor of Qin (circa 221 B.C.) was buried under a large pyramid outside modern day Xi'an. In the following centuries about a dozen more Han Dynasty royals were also buried under flat-topped pyramidal earth works.

Egyptian pyramids

The ancient pyramids of Egypt

The most famous pyramids are the Egyptian pyramids — huge structures built of brick or stone, some of which are among the largest man-made constructions. In Ancient Egypt, a pyramid was referred to as mer, literally "place of ascendance." The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. Until Lincoln Cathedral was built in 1300 A.D., it was the tallest building in the world. The base is over 13 acres in area.

It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the only one of the seven to survive into modern times. The Ancient Egyptians capped the peaks of their pyramids with gold and covered their faces with polished white limestone, though many of the stones used for the purpose have fallen or been removed for other structures.

France

There is a Roman era pyramid built in Falicon, France. There were many more pyramids made in France in this period.

Greece

Pyramid of Hellinikon

There are several structures in Greece that archaeologists have called pyramids. Dotted throughout the landscape are remains of buildings that were described by ancient travelers as pyramids, they were first excavated by Americans and Germans in the early 1930s and the 1990s.

Pausanias, a Greek traveler in the second century A.D. described several of the structures as pyramids. One of these pyramids was located in Hellenikon, Ελληνικό in Greek, a village near Argos near the ancient ruins of Tiryns. The story surrounding the monument was that it was built as a polyandria, a common grave, for those soldiers who had fallen in the struggle for the throne of Argos back in the 14th Century B.C. He described the structure as something that resembled a pyramid with the decorations of Argolic shields, showing the military connection to it. Another pyramid that Pausanias saw on his journeys was at Kenchreai, another polyandria dedicated to the Argives and Spartans who lost their lives at the Battle of Hysiai in 669 B.C. Unfortunately neither of these structures remain fully intact today to test how closely they resembled the pyramids of Egypt nor is there any proof that they even resembled an Egyptian pyramid at all.

There are two surviving pyramid-like structures still available to study, one at Helleniko and the other at Ligourio, a village near the ancient theatre Epidaurus. With these two pyramid’s base stones remaining, it is possible to determine that Grecian pyramids existed, but were not used as the Egyptians used them. These buildings were not constructed in the same manner as the pyramids in Egypt. The buildings at Helleniko and Ligourio were no more than 100 feet tall and were surrounded by walls, with the base of the Helleniko pyramid being nine meters by 7 meters. The stone used to build the pyramids was limestone quarried locally and was cut to fit, not into freestanding blocks like the Great Pyramid of Giza. The base of the structures also differed from the Egyptian pyramids as they were rectangular, not square. This simple construction shape made it very difficult to make the top of the building come together in a point. As such, it makes more sense that these structures could have been peaked by a roof or platform.

There are no remains or graves in or near the structures. Instead, the rooms that the walls housed were made to be locked from the inside. This coupled with the platform roof, means that one of the functions these structures could have served was as watchtowers. Another possibility for the buildings is that they are shrines to heroes and soldiers of ancient times, but the lock on the inside makes no sense for such a purpose.

The dating of these ‘pyramids’ has been made from the pot shards excavated from the floor and on the grounds. The latest dates available from scientific dating have been estimated around the 5th and 4th centuries. There are many researchers who have given dates to the structures that pre-date the pyramids at Giza, but the method to obtain these dates was thermo luminescence of the stone. Normally this technique is used for dating pottery, but here researchers have used it to try and date stone flakes from the walls of the structures. This has created some debate about whether or not these ‘pyramids’ are actually older than Egypt, which is part of the Black Athena controversy. The basis for their use of thermo luminescence in order to date these structures is a new method of collecting samples for testing. Scientists from laboratories hired out by the recent excavators of the site, The Academy of Athens, say that they can use the electrons trapped on the inner surface of the stones to positively identify the date that the stones were quarried and put together.

The issue with this method is that they date the pyramids with a margin of error of up to over 700 years. This method dated the Helleniko pyramid to 2730 B.C. with an error factor of plus or minus 720 years. It also dated the Ligourio pyramid to 2260 B.C. with an error of plus or minus 710 years. Though these initial dates are indicative of these structures being built before the pyramid complex at Giza, it also means that they could have been built well after Khufu’s Great Pyramid was erected. Some archaeologists, however, have indicated that these samples may have been very select in their choice of which stones to sample. Further excavations of the site at Helleniko reveal that it was constructed on a previously existing structure, giving a possibility that the new methods of dating may be a misinterpretation.

Along with these two structures there are 14 more pyramid-like buildings, or their remains, scattered throughout the rest of the country side of Greece. These sites do not get as much attention as the two at Helleniko and Ligourio as they are the only ones mentioned in surviving accounts of ancient travelers

Mesoamerican pyramids

Pyramid in the Mayan city of Chichen-Itza, Mexico

Pyramid of the Sun on the city of Teotihuacán, Mexico

A number of Mesoamerican cultures also built pyramid-shaped structures. Mesoamerican pyramids were usually stepped, with temples on top, more similar to the Mesopotamian ziggurat than the Egyptian pyramid. The largest pyramid by volume is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state of Puebla. This pyramid is considered the largest monument ever constructed anywhere in the world, and is still being excavated. There is an unusual pyramid with a circular plan at the site of Cuicuilco, now inside Mexico City and mostly covered with lava from an ancient eruption of Xictli. Pyramids in Mexico were often used as places of human sacrifice.

Mesopotamian pyramids

The Mesopotamians also built pyramids, called ziggurats. In ancient times these were brightly painted. Since they were constructed of mud-brick, little remains of them. The Biblical Tower of Babel is believed to have been a Babylonian ziggurat.

North American pyramids

Many mound-building societies of ancient North America built large pyramidal earth structures known as platform mounds. Among the largest and best-known of these structures is Monk's Mound at the site of Cahokia, which has a base larger than that of the Great Pyramid at Giza. While the North American mounds' precise function is not known, they are believed to have played a central role in the mound-building people's religious life.

Nubian pyramids

Nubian pyramids were constructed (roughly 220 of them) at three sites in Nubia to serve as tombs for the kings and queens of Napata and Meroë.

The Nubians built more pyramids than the Egyptians, but they are smaller. The Nubian pyramids were constructed at a steeper angle than Egyptian ones and were monuments to dead kings.

Pyramids were still being built in Nubia up to AD 300.

Rome

Pyramid of Cestius.

The 27-meter-high Pyramid of Cestius was built by the end of the first century BC and still exists today, close to the Porta San Paolo. Another one, named Meta Romuli, standing in the Ager Vaticanus (today's Borgo), was destroyed at the end of the 15th century.

These Roman imitations of Egyptian monuments are important as contemporary "portraits" of the Egyptian ones, providing some sense of their original color and smoothness.

Medieval Europe

Pyramids have occasionally been used in Christian architecture of the feudal era, e.g. as the tower of Oviedo's Gothic Cathedral of San Salvador. In some cases this leads to speculations on masonic or other symbolical intentions.

Modern pyramids

The Louvre Pyramid, a modern pyramid built as an entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris

Examples of modern pyramids are:

• The Louvre Pyramid in Paris, France, in the court of the Louvre Museum, is a 20.6 meter (about 70 foot) glass structure which acts as an entrance to the museum. It was designed by the American architect I. M. Pei and completed in 1989.
• The Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, California, designed by William Pereira.
• The 32-story Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee (built in 1991) was the home court for the University of Memphis men's basketball program, and the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies until 2004.
• The Slovak radio building in Bratislava, Slovakia. This building is shaped like an inverted pyramid.
• The Walter Pyramid, home of the basketball and volleyball teams of the California State University, Long Beach, campus in California, United States, is an 18-story-tall blue pyramid.
• The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, United States, is a 30-story pyramid with light beaming from the top.
• The Summum Pyramid, a 3 story pyramid in Salt Lake City, Utah, used for instruction in the Summum philosophy and conducting rites associated with Modern Mummification.
• The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana, Kazakhstan.
• The three pyramids of Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.
• The Co-Op Bank Pyramid or Stockport Pyramid in Stockport, England is a large pyramid-shaped office block in Stockport in England. (The surrounding part of the valley of the upper Mersey has sometimes been called the "Kings Valley" after the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.)
• The GoJa Music Hall in Prague.
• The Muttart Conservatory greenhouses in Edmonton, Alberta.
• The unfinished Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang.
• Small pyramids similar to those of the Louvre can be found outside the lobby of the Citicorp Building in Long Island City, Queens NY.