Category Archives: WHAT WE BELIEVE
Character & Conduct
Character & Conduct
Character and conduct are integral to faith. One cannot exist without the other. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) has said “I was only sent to perfect good character”. Faith without deeds is fruitless, while deeds without faith is mistaken.
A Muslim must not only believe in the precepts of Islam, but embody them in his dealings with others and his overall character. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him)
said "Faith is seventy some branches; the highest of which is testifying that there is no one worthy of worship but God Almighty; the lowest of which is to remove something harmful from a path; and shyness is a branch of faith."
said "Faith is seventy some branches; the highest of which is testifying that there is no one worthy of worship but God Almighty; the lowest of which is to remove something harmful from a path; and shyness is a branch of faith."
Statements, actions, and beliefs are integral to truly manifesting faith; we here at ICNEF strive to not only teach our faith, but to live it and share it with others through good deeds. To see some of the things we do here at ICNEF to live our faith, check out our event calendar. If you have suggestions on how we can further our faith through actions, drop us a line through the "Contact Us" link above.
Pillars of Practice
Pillars of Practice
There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered someone that has truly submitted himself to God Almighty. These pillars of practice relate directly to our fundamentals of faith and effect our character and conduct:
1- Testifying that God Almighty is one, without spouse, son, or partner and that Muhammad (Peace and Blessing Be Upon Him) is the last Prophet & Messenger of God Almighty.
This testimony pronounced to become a Muslim, and is repeated several times a day in prayers and devotions as an affirmation of God's oneness and a confirmation of faith.
2- Formal prayer five times a day.
By praying five times a day, one actively submits his will to God Almighty and devotes his mind, body, and soul to his worship. Formal prayer is both preventative and prescriptive; it serves as a reminder to avoid evil deeds and helps to expiate the effects of any sin committed throughout the day.
3- Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast each day from dawn to dusk by refraining from food, drinks and sensual pleasures. These outward actions have an effect on the inward, reminding believers that instead of being dependent on corporeal stimuli, they must rely on God Almighty alone. Abstaining from food & drink serves another purpose, that is to remind the believer of his duty to those less fortunate amongst fellow man, and that with God's bounties comes responsibility to our brothers and sisters in humanity.
4- Alms to the Poor (Zakat).
With the blessing of wealth comes responsibility to give back to those less fortunate. Zakat, the Arabic word for obligatory alms, is a purification of wealth and a method of redistributing wealth to those in need.
5- Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able.
Pilgrimage to Mecca commemorates the rites of Abraham in devoting his life to God Almighty. It is the culmination of the previous four pillars of Islam, consisting of prayers, devotions, charity & sacrifice.
Articles of Faith
Articles of Faith
The following are the six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are:
- Belief in God Almighty; that he is the Creator, Sustainer, and the only one that controls and holds dominion over all of creation. Belief in Him requires recognizing that because of the previous He Almighty is the only one worthy of our devotion, supplications, and worship.
- Belief in all the Prophets of God; Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and Muhammad (Peace and Blessing Upon Them All), as well as those not mentioned. We believe in all of them, recognize their mission, and follow them in their message.
- Belief in the original scriptures revealed by God Almighty to his Prophets; the Torah having been given to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and the Quran given to Muhammad (Peace and Blessing Upon Them All). All of these scriptures are recognized by Muslims as revelation. The Quran, God’s Almighty's final revelation is a culmination of message of the previous scriptures; it is a standard by which we live by containing eternal guidance for the salvation of Mankind.
- Belief in the angels; that they are the unseen servants of God Almighty's, implementing his will and watching over mankind.
- Belief in the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter; that all of mankind will be called to account for their deeds, and be righteously judged accordingly on the last day.
- Belief in Divine design and decree; that God Almighty's has knowledge of all things, has written all things, and all things he has willed must come to pass.
