Islam

Step 7: Following the path.

Principle: Humility

The body of Islamic law as a whole is known as Shari'a, which means path. According to Islam this is a divinely appointed path explicity 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
Undersirable acts - ought not to be performed
Permissible acts - to perform or not to perform

These acts define what Muslim faith prohibits and what it reqires 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'.

Resources

IMAN, Iranian Muslim Organization of North America (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)

IMAAM Indonesian Muslim Association in America (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)

Islamic Center of America (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)

Islamic Foundation (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)

Nation of Islam Study Center (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)

Qur'an (to order) - Islamic Discovery (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)

U.S. Organization of Islam (go to Links menu to connect to the web site)