Islam Spirit and Form

295 Pages·2020·4.607 MB·English

by  Osman Nûri Topbaş

İSTANBUL - 1427 / 2006
ERKAM
PUBLICATION
Organize Sanayi Bölgesi Turgut Özal Cad. No: 117 / 4 Başakşehir / İSTANBUL
Tel: [phone] (Pbx) Faks: (0212) 671 07 17
Ankara Cad. No: 60/5 Cağaloğlu / İSTANBUL Tel: [phone]
ISL AM
SPIRIT FORM
AND
By
Osman Nuri Topbaş
ERKAM PUBLICATIONS
(cid:2) ISLAM: SPIRIT AND FORM
© Erkam Publications 2003 / 1423 H
Published by:
Erkam Publications
Ikitelli Organize Sanayi Bölgesi
Turgut Özal Cd. No: 117/2
Başakşehir, Istanbul, Turkey
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ISBN: 975-6736-62-3
Cover photo : Blue Mosque Istanbul
Cover design : Altinoluk Graphics
(cid:3)Typeset by : Altinoluk Graphics
Printed by : Erkam Printhouse
IV
TABLO OF CONTENTS (cid:2)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ISLAM AND
ITS SUBLIME NATURE / 1
Five Pillars of Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
THE EXPRESSION OF FAITH
AND ITS PILLARS / 27
Faith in Allah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Belief in the Angels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Belief in the Books of Allah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Belief in the Prophets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Belief in the Hereafter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Belief in Destiny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Two Aspects of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
The Weightiest Statement on the Balance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Declaration of Faith at the Last Breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
PRAYER
(SALAT / NAMAZ) / 123
Prerequisites of Prayer: Pious Reverence (Khushu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Prayers by the Prophet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
(cid:3)
Prayers by the Pioneers of Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
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The Five Compulsory Daily Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Optional Prayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Prayer in Congregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Prayer as a Unique Refuge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Regular Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Prayers Done Unwarily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Those Who Keep Themselves Away from Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Prayers is a Means of Differentiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Summing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Minor Ablution, Major Ablution of the Body, Ablution
with Sand or Earth in the Absence of Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
ZAKAT AND INFAQ
(POOR-DUE AND SPENDING FOR OTHERS) / 185
Important Rules of Paying Zakat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206
‘Ushr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
The Etiquette of Spending. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222
The Requirements of Zakat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA / 231
The Construction of Ka’aba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
The Lesser Pilgrimage (Umrah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258
THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN
AND FASTING / 263
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VI
PREFACE (cid:2)
PREFACE
D
ear Readers!
Praise be to Allah the Almighty, who has granted us the serenity
of belief in Islam, and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad who has
guided mankind from darkness to light.
Every sound human being can understand that this world has
been created for a purpose. In order to fulfill this purpose Allah the
Almighty has sent prophets with religions to guide mankind. All these
religions have been the same in essence and they have been called
Islam. Islam is Allah’s greatest gift to man since through Islam people
of faith may preserve the purity of their divine-given nature and may
change their world into a rose garden. At our core is a deep longing to
return to the Creator and the state of tawhid in Islam makes this pos-
sible. It enables us to spiritually return to our Lord and this is life’s
greatest pleasure.
Those who want to be sincere servants of Allah should cultivate an
understanding of the inner aspects of Islam and should fulfill its com-
mandments. Those who realize a high level of religious practice both
in form and spirit will attain to the love and reward of Allah. On the
other hand, those who do not heed Allah’s invitation to return to Him,
will be doomed and will be losers in the Hereafter. The blue skies have
(cid:3)
never shed tears over sinners, and it is the same skies that have
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destroyed the enemies of Allah through fierce thunder and torrential
rain. Our sun is the same sun that once illuminated the castles and
palaces of Pharaoh, Nimrod and other unfortunate people. Today it
illuminates the ruins of their kingdoms. Hence none of them could
attain eternal life as they had wished. Only those who have served
Allah sincerely have attained this felicity and its concomitant rewards.
The essence of Islamic faith is to declare that there is no God but
Allah and Prophet Muhammad is his messenger. After declaring this
fact one becomes a believer, but Islam is not only a religion of dogma.
One needs to complement his faith with good deeds. The holy Quran
always mentions having faith in Allah and doing good deeds together.
Faith is perfected through both the worship of Allah the Almighty and
good deeds. Historically, those believers who have perfected their faith
have found neither life’s difficulties nor the threats of the non-believers
to be problematic. When the tyrant Pharaoh severely punished the
magicians for their faith in Moses (a.s.) they did not abandon their
faith but rather said: “Our Lord: Pour out upon us patience and cause
us to die in submission” (Araf, 7:126) Likewise, the early Christians who
were thrown to wild animals because of their faith did not renounce
faith in the unity of God but chose instead to taste the spiritual plea-
sure of martyrdom. Hadrat Sumayya, who had feared even a needle
prick in her past, did not fear the hot irons as they branded her body
due to her strong faith in Islam. Her husband followed suit as he
refused to turn back from the path of Islam even though he was sav-
agely killed. The lives of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) and
the lives of some of the followers of other holy religions before the
advent of Islam repeatedly testify to the ability of faith to conquer dis-
belief.
History bears witness that so long as Muslims have practiced
Islam as dictated by Allah the Almighty, their civilization has embod-
ied in all aspects of life a culture known for great refinement. They
have been in the forefront of science, politics, economics and other
fields of life. However, when they have abandoned the practice of
Islam or they have only practiced it in form and not in spirit they have
(cid:3)
correspondingly lost their strength and unity. They have ceased to be
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PREFACE (cid:2)
world leaders in politics, economics and other fields of cultural inqui-
ry. Hence, once more we deeply need to return to our faith with sincer-
ity and to practice it not only in form but also in spirit.
It is with this need in mind that I have analyzed the spiritual
dimension of Islam. Initially, the foundation of our faith has been
explored and to the best of my ability the wisdom behind it has been
unveiled. Following the principles of faith, I have delved into the spiri-
tual aspects of Islamic worship. Although Islam as a faith may be noted
for the degree to which it is practiced, unfortunately usually in our
times this practice has lacked the spirit of Islam. The rituals are
mechanically performed as if only a kind of social custom while the
spirit of Islam has been almost totally lost. This book aims to illumi-
nate the spiritual radiance of Islamic worship and to clothe it in stories
of the lives of the prophets and their companions and also in the lives
of exemplary Sufis. In particular many references to the poetry of
Rumi, Yunus Emre and other Sufis aim to bond the passion of our
practice with its ritual form.
The chapters on paying charity and poor-due have been empha-
sized. The deep analysis they afford of the economic philosophy inte-
gral in Islam, abundantly demonstrates their inherent value in our
grossly material world. Islam strives not only to render spiritual but
also material guidance. Hence I have emphasized the economic com-
mandments of Islam in order to assist us in our battle against material
want.
In the course of writing this book, I would like to render special
thanks to Mr. Muhammad Eshmeli for both his ongoing support and
too in the editing of the book. I also pray for the other brothers who
have taken part in the printing process and pray that this book will be
a source of spiritual blessing and a continuous source of charity for all
of them in the Hereafter.
I would also like to extend my very special thanks to Dr. Suleyman
Derin and to Dr. Ali Köse for their assistance in the translation of this
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book and also to the editors who have struggled to make it as articu-
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(cid:2) ISLAM: SPIRIT AND FORM
late as possible. May Allah accept their well-intentioned efforts and
reward them generously.
May Allah make those who are touched by this book benefit from
it as they grow to more deeply understand Islam both in form and
spirit, and may Allah bless us with a due portion of light flowing from
the meaning of the following verse when we meet our Lord in the
Hereafter:
“Verily among those who followed his Way was Abraham,
Behold! he came unto his Lord with a sound heart” (Saffat, 37:84)
Amen
Osman Nuri Topbaş
01-16-2003
Uskudar
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