May God's Peace, mercy and blessings be upon you,
Welcome to SF*BASIC, your source of news on The San Francisco Bay Area Shia Islamic Community!
SF*BASIC is an independent community news website dedicated to the awaiting of al-Imam al-Mahdi (الإمام المهدي، عليه السلام), Peace be upon him, and the Messiah Jesus son of Mary
(المسيح عيسى بن مريم، عليهما السلام), Peace be upon them,
advancing Shia Islam in the Bay Area and beyond, and combating
takfiri (التكفيريين)
and takhwini (التخوينيين) terror organizations (e.g., al-Qaeda, the Basij, Hezbollah, etc.) and false ideologies and concepts (e.g., Ruhollah Khomeini's Velayat-e Faqih) by promoting the inherent and vast tolerance
(سماحة الإسلام) of
true Islam.
So What is True Islam?
Islam is very much misunderstood by too many people, both
Muslims and
non-Muslims! Some people think that the word Islam (إسلام)
is Arabic for submission. This translation of the word Islam is
certainly FALSE as submission is Arabic ikhdhaa' (إخضاع).
The word Islam is very beautiful and a joy to say. Try it: "Islam, Islam!" But the meaning of
the word Islam is even more beautiful as Islam is Arabic for "enter into Peace."
True Islam, All of It, in One Wish: |
O God, ... and make my tongue with Thy remembrance accentuated and my heart with Thy love infatuated! |
| "اللهم ...
واجعل لساني بذكرك لهجا وقلبي بحبك متيما!" |
| Source: Du'aa Komeyl (المصدر:
دعاء كميل) |
The base of the word Islam is Salam (سلام),
which is one of the Holy Names (الأسماء الحسنى)
of God (Allah - الله)! Salam is Arabic for Peace! Salam
is the sister of the word Shalom (שלום), which is Hebrew
(עברית) for Peace! Shalom is also one of the Holy Names
(שם קדוש)
of God
(Elohim - אלוהים)!
Indeed, the beautiful word Islam is about harmony, mercy, Peace, order,
selflessness, security, and serenity because Islam, the Religion of Peace (الإسلام
دين السلام), requires its adherents to be Universally Benevolent.
| 2006-01-02 (Hajj Season 1426 H) |
 |
| SF*BASIC Photo: The Kaaba (الكعبة،
أعزها الله) in
al-Masjid al-Haram (المسجد الحرام),
in Mecca (Makkah - مكة المكرمة),
al-Hijaz (الحجاز), Saudi Arabia,
at sunset. "Verily, the
very first House of
Worship set up for mankind was indeed the one in Bakkah (Mecca): Rich in
blessings and a source of guidance for all peoples."
(Quran: 3:96) |
The word Salam, like its sister Shalom, is used for greeting others. While the words
Hello, Hi, and Howdy, are cool, they are philosophically empty.
Saying "as'Salam alaykum" (السلام
عليكم) to someone means "Peace be upon
you!"
When a Muslim greets another person with "Peace be upon you," the greeter is in fact proclaiming
a contract (عقد) of Peace with the other person. Hence, if the greeter has non-peaceful intentions towards
the other person, he would be engaging in hypocrisy (نفاق), which is one of the
Major Sins (الذنوب
الكبيرة - الكبائر) in Islam! According to the Islamic
faith, when a Muslim who engages in hypocrisy dies, the angels
spiritually mark his shroud
with the word "Hypocrite!" (منافق)
When someone, whether Muslim or not, greets a
Muslim person with "as'Salam alaykum," it becomes obligatory for the other
person to respond to the greeter and complete the contract with "wa'alaykum as'Salam"
(وعليكم السلام), which is Arabic for
"and upon you may Peace be." Thus, Islam is primarily about true
commitment to universal Peace among mankind.
God the Creator is All-Peace: |
O God! Thou art Peace, and Peace art from Thou, and Peace art for Thou, and Peace returns to
Thou. |
| "اللهم أنت
السلام، ومنك السلام، ولك السلام، وإليك يعود السلام!" |
| Source: Mafateeh aj-Jinan (المصدر:
مفاتيح الجنان) |
Muslims believe that all Prophets, since Adam (آدم،
عليه السلام),
Peace be upon him, practiced and preached Islam. Indeed, in the Qur'an
(Koran - القرآن), God
commands mankind to "follow the
Creed of Ibrahim (Abraham - إبراهيم، عليه السلام),
the Man of Pure Faith, who was not a polytheist." (Qur'an: 3:95)
Islam, the Religion of Peace, was reestablished more than 1,400 years ago by
Prophet
Muhammad, Peace be upon him and his family.
So, who is Prophet
Muhammad?
