Principle: Honesty

The Qur’an frequently depicts unbelievers as having hearts which are diseased. This belief is in alignment with the medical model of addiction – for those who meet the criteria of dependence, it is a disease. It also aligns with the fundamental belief that those who do not have spirituality in their life, experience dis – ease for which they continually seek external means of fulfillment. In Islam, Allah provides the solution which again parallels the 3rd Step – submission to the will of Allah.

Text or Verse

The avarice of plenitude keeps you occupied
Till you reach the grave.
But you will come to know soon;
Indeed you will come to know soon.
And yet if you knew with positive knowledge
You have indeed to behold Hell;
Then you will see it with the eye of certainty.
Then on that day you will surely be asked about the verity of pleasures.
The Qur’an 102:1-8

Do not confound the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth.
The Suras of Mecca

Practice

Following is a list of actions which are prohibited by the Qur’an:

Assist others in committing sin(s) or injustice(s)

Be indifferent to the wrath of Allah

Deny the existence of miracles

Deny life everafter

Deny the need for obedience to Islamic Law

Refuse to commemorate the holy names of Allah

Ridicule those who believe in Allah and follow the rules and practices of the Qur’an

Persist in committing sin

Muslims wholeheartedly believe that Allah will show them the path to liberation and salvation. “God guides to the right path whomever He wants.” (2:213). However, it requires that each person make their spiritual path and work their lifetime work. The results are not up to God, but a combination of God’s mercy and man’s right actions. “Those who seek the protection of God will certainly be guided to the right path.” (3:101) The path is described by Allah as an “uphill path” and outlines the required works: freeing people in bondage, helping those in need, and feeding the poor.

Text or Verse

But the Prophet and those who have embraced the faith with Him,
and have fought wealth and soul (in the way of God),
are blessed and will be successful.
The Qur’an 9:88

They alone are believers who come to believe
in God and His Apostle, then never doubt again,
and struggle wealth and soul in the way of God.
They are the truthful and the sincere.
The Qur’an 49:15

I call to witness the sun and his early morning splendor,
And the moon as she follows in his wake,
The day when it reveals his radiance,
The night when it covers him over,
The heavens and its architecture,
The earth and its spreading out,
The soul and how it was integrated
And given the faculty of knowing what is disruptive
and what is intrinsic to it.
He who nourishes it will surely be successful,
And he who confines it will surely come to grief.
The Qur’an 91:1-10

Satan only wishes to create among you
enmity and hatred through wine and gambling,
and to divert you from the remembrance of God and prayer.
Will you therefore not desist?
The Qur’an 5:91

Practice

The practice describes doing good works: setting free those who are in bondage, helping those in need, feeding the poor and providing resources for those without.

Faith in Islam is called Iman. It requires complete submission to the will of God (Allah) which includes belief, profession, and full commitment to Allah’s will. Iman has two aspects: recognizing and affirming that there is only one Creator of the universe and worshipping only this Creator. According to Islamic thought, this comes naturally because faith is an instinct of the human soul. The other aspect is willingness and a commitment to Allah and His prescriptions for living.

Submission to Allah have four key components:

Remembering Allah often(dhikr)

Belief and adherence to the teachings of the Prophet(s)

Repentance in order to receive forgiveness from Allah and salvation

Performance of good works

Text or Verse

Tell them: “O people of the Book,
let us come to an agreement on that which is common between us,
that we worship no one but God,
and make none His peer,
and that none of us take any others for lord apart from God.”
If they turn away you will tell them:
“Bear witness that we submit to Him.”
The Qur’an 3:64

Practice

Remembrance of Allah (dhikr) can take many forms, but the most common is repetition of simple praises which can be repeated during every day activities.

“All praise is due Allah” (alhamdulillah)

If we practice dhikr and hold the essence of the praise in our hearts, we can transcend worldly attachments and cravings and live in the ways demonstrated by the Prophet(s)

Righteousness, as taught in the Qur’an, is a commitment to acting in accordance with the will of Allah. Specifically, it means living one’s life from a deep sense of justice, equality and fairness. It encompasses a generosity of spirit and deeds, reaching out to those in need, maintaining one’s inner strength to stand firm against the powers of evil, and carefully fulfilling one’s duty each day. It is obedience to the Law of Islam.

Text or Verse

We sent before you none (as apostles) but men,
to whom We sent revelations.
In case you are unaware, enquire
of those who are keepers of the Oracles of God.
We had sent them with miracles and Books;
and We have sent to you this Reminder
so that you may explain distinctly to men
what was sent down to them:
They may haply reflect.
The Qur’an 16:43-44

Believers,
if an evil-doer brings you a piece of news inquire first into its truth,
lest you should wrong others unwittingly and then regret your action.

Do not follow what you do not know.
Human eyes, ears, and heart –
each of these senses can be closely questioned.
Suras of Mecca

Practice

Practices related to the pursuit of righteousness are study, teaching and scholarly pursuit of the writings and laws. Tafsir, which is commentary on the Qur’an, uses one verse of the Qur’an to interpret another. Hadith are the collections of Muhammad’s sayings and are regarded by all traditional schools of jurisprudence as important tools for determining the Muslim way of life. Hafiz is one who memorizes the Qur’an.

Ablution or cleansing is a ritual (rak’at) preceding prayer which Muslims perform in order to purify and ready themselves for prayer. These preparations known as wudu’ are obligatory if water is available. The first step is an acknowledgement of one’s obedience to the practice and to Allah. (See Practice below.) In addition to the washing ritual, one’s clothes must be clean, and one must be modestly attired. Allah only hears prayers if one is physically clean.

Text or Verse

O believers, when you stand up for the service of prayer
wash your faces and hands up to elbows,
and also wipe your heads
and wash your feet up to the ankles.
If you are in a state of pollution,
then bathe and purify yourself well.
but in case you are ill or are traveling,
or have satisfied the call of nature,
or have slept with a woman,
and you cannot find water,
then take wholesome dust
and pass it over your face and your hands,
for God does not wish to impose any hardship on you.
He wishes to purify you,
and grace you with His favors in full
so that you may be grateful.
The Qur’an 5: 6

Practice

The ritual of wudu’ requires one to:

wash their hands up to their wrist three times

rinse out their mouth three times

cleanse their nostrils by sniffing water three times

wash their face from forehead to chin and from ear to ear

wash their forearms up to the elbow three times

pass a wet hand over the whole of their head

wash their feet up to the ankles three times, the right and then the left

Fasting is performed by Muslims in obedience to Allah. It helps Muslims learn the practices of discipline and self-restraint. It also clears the mind and the body and readies it for open and receptive communication with Allah through prayer and meditation.

Text or Verse

O believers,
fasting is enjoined on you
as it was on those before you,
so that you might become righteous.
The Qur’an 2:183

Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed
as guidance to man and clear proof of the guidance,
and criterion (of falsehood and truth).
So when you see the new moon you should fast the whole month;
but a person who is ill or traveling
(and fails to do so) should fast on other days,
as God wishes ease and not hardship for you,
so that you complete the (fixed) number (of fasts),
and give glory to God for the guidance,
and be grateful.
The Qur’an 2:185

Practice

Fasting is a lifelong practice performed by every devout Muslim annually during the season of Ramadan. From sunrise to sunset Muslims are required to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual intercourse. Each reads the Qur’an introspectively, and performs acts of worship. The intent of this practice is to develop self-restraint and a balanced lifestyle.

The body of Islamic law is known as Shari’a, which means path. According to Islam this is a divinely appointed path explicitly laid out for humanity to follow in order to reach salvation. It has two primary sources, the Qur’an and the Sunna. The Sunna is significant to the spirituality of Islam because it teaches Muslims how Muhammad acted during his life. The Sunna addresses ways of life dealing with friends, family, and government. In order to live in integrity with the law it is necessary to understand the five categories of acts:

Obligatory acts – must be performed

Prohibited acts – may never be performed

Recommended acts – ought to be performed

Undesirable acts – ought not to be performed

Permissible acts – to perform or not to perform

These acts define what Muslim faith prohibits and what it requires of them.

Text or Verse

Do not strut about the land with insolence:
Surely you cannot cleave the earth,
nor attain the height of mountains in stature.
All these are evil and odious to your Lord.
The Qur’an 17:37-38

Practice

The importance of humility in Islam is unquestioned. During the prayer rituals (rak’ats), Muslims prostrate themselves before Allah as an act of submission. The word mosque (masjid), their place of worship, translates literally as ‘place of prostration’.

The body of Islamic law is known as Shari’a, which means path. According to Islam this is a divinely appointed path explicitly laid out for humanity to follow in order to reach salvation. It has two primary sources, the Qur’an and the Sunna. The Sunna is significant to the spirituality of Islam because it teaches Muslims how Muhammad acted during his life. The Sunna addresses ways of life dealing with friends, family, and government. In order to live in integrity with the law it is necessary to understand the five categories of acts:

Obligatory acts – must be performed

Prohibited acts – may never be performed

Recommended acts – ought to be performed

Undesirable acts – ought not to be performed

Permissible acts – to perform or not to perform

These acts define what Muslim faith prohibits and what it requires of them.

Text or Verse

Do not strut about the land with insolence:
Surely you cannot cleave the earth,
nor attain the height of mountains in stature.
All these are evil and odious to your Lord.
The Qur’an 17:37-38

Practice

The importance of humility in Islam is unquestioned. During the prayer rituals (rak’ats), Muslims prostrate themselves before Allah as an act of submission. The word mosque (masjid), their place of worship, translates literally as ‘place of prostration’.

All human beings have five debts we need to repay during our lifetimes:

1. We must express our gratitude to the gods for their blessings by honoring them through ritual.
2. We must pay the debt we owe our parents and teachers by supporting them, and passing on their knowledge to our children.
3. We treat guests visiting our homes as if they are deities.
4. We treat all human beings with the respect, which is their due.
5. We offer help to those who are in need.

Text or Verse

If you perform the duties of your own nature imperfectly, that is no reason to abandon those duties and begin something else, for all your undertakings, at the outset, are enveloped by evil, as smoke surrounds fire.
Bhagavad Gita 18:48

Practice

The ultimate goal of Hindu spirituality is liberation from the wheel of rebirth. To assist us there are Ten Commitments which are moral and ethical tenets of practice. Patanjali, a yogic philosopher, defined the Commitments. The first five are yamas or ethical practices of self control which must be practiced in thought, spoken word and deeds:

1. Non-injury to others (ahimsa)
2. Honesty (satya)
3. Not stealing (asteya)
4. Continence (bramacharya)
5. Noncovetousness (aparigraha)

Islam requires true repentance in order to receive Divine mercy, forgiveness and eternal salvation.

Text or Verse

But there are others who admit their sins
of mixing good deeds with evil.
It may be that God will accept their repentance,
for God is forgiving and kind.
Accept the offerings they make from their wealth
in order to cleanse and purify them for progress,
and invoke blessings upon them.
Your blessings will surely bring them peace,
for God hears all and knows every thing.
The Qur’an 9:102-103

To God belongs all
that is in the heavens and the earth;
and whether you reveal
what is in your heart or conceal it,
you will have to account for it to God
who will pardon whom He please and punish whom He will,
for God has the power over all things.
The Qur’an 2:284

Practice

The practice of repentance means to truly regret one’s actions and to resolve not to commit the act again. It also requires asking Allah for forgiveness which is a rudimentary expression of one’s faith in Him. Repentance also includes amends or the immediate payment of retribution for the action done. Repentance must be sincere and result in making positive changes in one’s life.

Prayer is called 5 times daily and devout Muslims stop and pray at these times. The prayer leader (muezzin) chants the Call to Prayer (see following) in Arabic. Muslims pray to express their faithfulness to God and to remind themselves of their devotion to Him and to His way of life. Prayer is a commitment of faith, it removes evil, and prepares one for final rewards in Heaven.

Call to Prayer:
God is most great- four times -(Allahu akhar)
I testify that there is no god but God – twice – (Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah)
I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God – twice–
(Ashadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah)
Hurry to prayer – twice – (Hayya ‘ala al-saat)
God is most great – twice – (Allahu akhar)
I testify that there is no god but God – – (La Ilaha illa Allah)

Prayer times:

• Dawn (Salat at Fajr)
• Noon (Salat at Zuhr)
• Afternoon (Salat at Asr)
• After sunset (Salat at Maghrib)
• Late evening (Salat at Isha)

Text or Verse

So extol God
when the evening comes and the day dawns,
For His is the praise in the heavens and the earth
and at nightfall and the time of noon.
He brings the living from the dead,
the dead from the living.
and quickens the earth after it had died.
so will you be brought forth (from the dead).
The Qur’an 30:17-19

Practice

Many a time we have seen you (Muhammad) turn your face towards heaven. We will make you turn towards a quiblah (direction) that will please you. Turn your face towards the Holy Mosque; wherever you (the faithful) be, turn your faces towards it.

Repeated Invocation of God’s Name (Dhikr)

Al-Qabid (The Constricor)
Al- Khafid (The Abaser)
Al-Hadi (The Guide)
Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger)
Al-Mumit (The Creator of Death)
Al-Mujib (The Responsive)
Al-Wakil (the Trustee)
Al-Muhsi (The Reckoner)
Al-Awwal (The First)
Al-Khaliq (The Creator)
Al-Basit (The Expander)
Al-‘Afuw (The Pardoner)
Al-Wadud (The Loving)
Al-Ghafur (The All-forgiving)
Al-Muhyi (The Giver of Life)
Al-Akhir (The Last)
Al-Batin (The Hidden)
Al-Bari’ (The Evolver)
Az-Zahir (The Manifest)
Ar-Rahman (The Beneficient)
Ar-Rafi’ (The Exalter)
As-Sabur (The Patient)
As-Samad (The Eternal)
Ar-Rahim (The Merciful)

The sense of solidarity shared by Muslims is highly valued. They view themselves as a community (umma) who share their belief in Allah. They value their spiritual kinship and their own individual freedom.

The pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), which is described below, has the ultimate benefit of receiving forgiveness for one’s sins. The actual events heighten one’s God consciousness and create a sense of spiritual fulfillment. Muhammad promised that those who perform the Hajj will return from it as a ‘newly born baby’ implying a freedom from sin. It also encompasses the three main practices necessary to achieve eternal salvation: hard work, prayer and forgiveness from sin from Allah.

Text or Verse

Your community is but one community,
and I am Your only Lord.
Therefore serve Me.
People have divided themselves into factions,
but to Us they shall all return.
Suras of Mecca

Practice

The pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca to visit the Ka’aba is life-time goal of every Muslim, it is one of the five pillars or requirements of the faith. It is often a mystical or peak experience. Muslims prepare mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically for the trip. All are required to wear white robes which is a symbol of unity. The ritual includes the following:

Cleanse oneself

Circle (tawaff) the Ka’aba (a stone building 33 ft wide by 40 ft long) seven times reciting verses and offering prayers

Run 7 times between the two hills of Mecca (symbolizing Hagar’s frantic search for water)

Drink at the well of Zamzam (symbolizing Hagar’s ability to fulfill Ishmael’s needs)

Travel 13 miles to the plain of Arafat where Muhammad preached his last sermon

Stand from noon to sunset (symbolizing Muhammad’s standing in the community)

Travel to Mina to throw 7 stones (symbolizing when Ishmael threw stones at the Devil to resist temptation)

Sacrifice an animal (symbolizing the ram offered by Abraham in place of Ishmael)

Return to Mecca and repeat the circling of Ka’aba and the running between the two hills