It is a living miracle of the Truth of Islam that, though it has neither a backing of huge missionary corporations, nor does it have any authentic literature in foreign languages, yet people after people, attracted to it by its inherent magnetic force, keep on embracing this religion of love and universal brotherhood. For, whenever either by dint of personal research and study or by a chance contact with, and the consequent guidance of a real Muslim theologian, they learn the true facts about Islam, the invariable conclusion they arrive at is that Islam is a very simple religion and all its teachings are perfectly rational and in complete consonance with the laws of nature. 

It is not a new religion, but a divinely executed combination of all the old inspired ones and provides the via media, the golden means. On the one hand, its comprehensively high code of ethics, which is unique for many reasons, equips its votary for his journey towards the ultimate goal of a sincere seeker after Truth, Allah, and on the other directs its followers to fester and maintain fraternal relations with all the human beings and achieve the utmost progress in all the spheres of art and science and the material walks of life.

This is the only religion, the Sacred Book of which, the Holy Qur'an, is preserved intact in its pristine purity and an authentic record of the minutest details of the eventful life of its promulgator. Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him), is extant to this day after a lapse of more than thirteen centuries. 

The necessity of the presentation of the elementary teachings of Islam, explaining its Cardinal Articles of Faith and the Fundamental Principles in the simplest possible English language is there- fore, obvious; for such a publication would not only serve to acquaint the English-knowing new Muslims with the essentials of Faith and the directions fort engaging in devotion to Allah, but also supply the long-felt need of a handy book for imparting the rudiments of Islam to the Muslim children of those countries where the English Language rules supreme? and children are sent away to school using English as medium, of instruction, without having any knowledge, whatsoever, of their religion.

Realising the urgency of publishing such a volume, I, during my itinerary of Ceylon, Singapore, Penang, Java, etc., drafted out a skeleton according to the Shafi'i School in spite of numerous pre-occupations. My learned friend, Mr. M.I.M. Haniffa, B.A. (London), Advocate of Colombo, very kindly undertook to revise and touch it up, and it was due to his invaluable assistance that "A Short Catechism of the First Teachings of Islam" was published a few years ago, and has proved very beneficial. 

About the same time an incomplete and imperfect draft, according to the Hanafi School, was re- leased for publication in "The Real Islam" of Singapore on account of pressing demands. The present volume is a thoroughly revised and enlarged edition of that draft. While sending it to the press' I feel, I must acknowledge the co-operation, in this humble work, of Mr. K. S. Anwari, my Secretary, during the South and East African tour, and of my son-in- law Hafiz Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari, B.A. (Alig.). 

While expressing the hope that this little volume will serve the purpose in view and will meet the approval of all those concerned, I desire to record my sincere thanks to AI-Haj Mohammad Ibrahim of Trinidad for liberally undertaking the cost of printing and thus rendering a signal service to Islam and to the public. 

If it pleases Allah, a second volume, in which commonsense arguments in support of the Cardinal articles of Faith and a much more detailed treatment of the Principles of Islam and the laws governing society will be incorporated, will soon follow this modest attempt. 

May it please Allah to accept this humble service. Amen! 

MOHAMMED ABDUL ALEEM SIDDIQUI. 

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. A brief reference to the compilation of the present book has been made in the Preface to the third edition, herein included. The first edition was published as soon as the original draft was serialised in the "Real Islam" of Singapore. The second edition was brought out in South Africa by Mr. Makki, who actually made it the inaugural step in his great anc glorious campaign of service in the field of Islamic publications. Soon after that, it was thoroughly revised and enlarged and was published in the form in which it is being presented, now. Thereafter its popularity grew by leaps and bounds and the demand for it became world-wide. (Consequently it was printed so many times and in such number; that it is difficult for me to give the exact figures. 

I have never sought any commercial gains either from my speeches or from my writings. Many of my speeches were recorded in different countries of the world, but I never got their records registered in my name. Similarly, as regards my writings, I have always refrained from reserving their copy- right either in my own favour or in the favour of any other individual or organisation. This means that everyone is at liberty to publish any of my books, provided he does so for missionary purposes i.e., either to sell at moderate price or to distribute free among seekers of Islamic knowledge -- and not for making money. 

The present book could be no exception to the rule. Consequently, whenever anyone considered necessary to print it, he did so, sometimes even without intimating me. Hence fresh editions continued to come out, though in some cases certain changes and deletions were also made without my permission or knowledge. Thus, for instance, its name was changed to "Genuine Islam " in the Australian edition, while in the Egyptian edition, of which 5,000 copies were printed and distributed gratis in different parts of the world, all the questions were deleted and only their answers were retained and published. Side by side with the English editions, Mr. Eshack Abdullatif, the indefatigable Secretary-General of the 'Halqa-i-Qaderiyyah Isha'at-i-Islam', Mauritius, brought out his ably-executed French version, which was widely circulated among the French speaking people by the Egyptian friends. 

The demand for the book has, however, continued to increase with its circulation, and recently it was stressed by many friends from different parts of the world that a substantially-large edition of the complete English version, including Arabic passages, should be published. The appeals from Haji Muhammad Ibrahim of Trinidad (who had borne the expenses of the third edition) and the Anjuman Ikhwan-us-Safa of Durban were specially pressing. Hence I searched for a suitable publisher, and I am glad that my choice fell on the "Islamic Literature Publishing House" of Bangalore, Bharat, whose proprietor, Mr. A. J. Khaleel, BA., BL. accepted the job with the profoundest religious enthusiasm. In fact, he plans to publish not only the present English edition but also its translations in several languages. He has already distinguished himself in his great and noble scheme of publishing the translations of the Holy Qur'an in different languages of the world and of selling their copies at a very low price, and I have no doubt that in his hands the present job shall also be accomplished with glory and good name. 

It has been decided that while the "Islamic Literature Publishing House" shall act as the publisher of the present edition, it shall supply the required number of copies at cost price to Haji Muhammad Ibrahim and the Ikhwan-us-Safa, who shall act as sole distributors in their respective spheres, i.e., the former in North, (central and South America, and the latter in the continent of Africa and the adjoining islands, while the "Publishing House" itself shall work as sole distributor for the rest of the world. 

This being so, there is a moral obligation, that no one should print this book now so long as its copies are available with the above-mentioned parties, who have undertaken their present job solely for the sake of God and to whom any such step shall prove to be a source of under served financial difficulties. 

The second volume of the present book was promised in the Preface to the third edition. Its initial draft has been lying ready with me for sometime. But, formerly my missionary travels did not spare me the opportunity to give it final touches and make it ready for publication, while now that I am staying at Medina my health has not permitted me to take up the task. Anyway, I hope to deliver it to the Islamic Literature Publishing House for publication as soon as it is possible for me. May Allah grant me the requisite health and strength. Amen! Mohammed Abdul Aleem Siddiqui. 

Bab-u-Salam, 
MEDINA: 
14th Rajab, 1373 AS. 

The Principles of Islam I 

Know, child, that God is only one, 
And has no Partner or Son; 
He has made us and everything, 
All beasts, all fowls, all birds that sing, 
The Sun, the Moon, the Starry Sky, 
The land, the sea, the mountains high. 
He knows whate'er we think or act, 
By Him is seen the real fact. 
And only He does what He wills, 
He makes, He keeps. He saves, He kills. 
Fore'er the same, no age, no youth, 
He is Perfection, He is Truth. 
Almighty, All-seeing, Wise, 
He hath not form or shape or size. 
But Self-existing is our Lord, 
And is always to be adored. 

II

Our God is Just, and loves the right, 
The wrong is hateful to His sight. 
To all His creatures He is Kind, 
He gave us reason that we might 
Know good from bad wrong from right. 
This is the first to light our path, 
To gain His grace and shun His wrath. 
But gift of reason varies far, 
Some wise and others foolish are. 
The eyes of mind our passion dims, 
And reason oft is quenched by whims. 

For second guide we have the men 
Of larger mind and wider ken, 
Who could from God a message get,
His Law before the people set. 
We call them Prophets, know you well, 
Coming events they could foretell.
No nation was without such guide, 
To warn them and from sins to chide. 
Each Prophet taught in his own sphere, 
To worship God and Him to fear. 
But thousands of such Prophets came, 
Of whom we know not the name, 
Of some well-known I mention make, 
The Lord God bless us for their sake! 
Job, Jacob, Joseph, Abraham, 
Elias, David, Solomon, 
Lot, Moses, Aaron, Ishmael, 
Hud, Noah, Jesus, Daniel; 
With Adam first and Muhammad last, 
Between the two all others pass. 
Their minds were brighter than our own, 
But otherwise all flesh and bone; 
God did not in them incorporate. 
They were but men and separate. 

IV 

The Books of God, a third guide form, 
And us of His Commands inform, 
God sent them through His Prophets Great, 
Repealing Older by the Late; 
The Qur'an now the Law in force, 
The other Books have run their course. 

V 

In all these Books 'tis plainly said, 
The graves will once give up their dead; 
A new life God will give to men. 
Who made us once will quicken again. 
That day we shall, to judgement brought, 
Be called to answer what we wrought, 
And shall be judged by Faith we had, 
And work we did good or bad. 

The good shall get a festive treat - 
Everlasting bliss and heavenly seat, 
Where such the pleasure, such the mirth, 
We've never dreamt of on this earth. 
The bad shall go to hell and fire, 
And suffer pains and torture dire. 
But sense of guilt to conscious mind 
Is more than all the pains combined 
While sense of having pleased our Lord 
Is greatest bliss and highest reward.

VI 

The Qur'an teaches us to pray 
Our Lord God five times a day; 
To fast the days of Ramadan lent, 
To give alms to the indigent; 
To visit Mecca once in life,
And to make for God every strife. 
Find here the Muslim Laws in brief, 
May God guide all to this belief.

- Sayyed Mohammed.

---

The Prophet of Islam 

The crown of creation set with richest gems, 
Diamonds and rubies in value beyond ken, 
Unequalled in brilliance, unique of kind, 
Art thou, O Great Prophet! to all mankind. 
Truthful by nature and of most saintly mien, 
All called thee the Trusty, the Al-Ameen. 
Most loving to children, courteous to all, 
To animals, tender, alike to great and small; 
Never on earth a nobler soul has trod, 
Never had another shewed a true way to God. 

O sweetest flower that ever on earth did bloom, 
Matchless alike in divine beauty and perfume, 
O whitest lily that human eyes have seen, 
O loveliest rose that in the world has been, 
All nature join, in homage, all men adore 
Thee who brought light to a darksome world; 
Thee whose teachings are as a necklace of pearls, 
Which when worn does radiant beauty impart, 
Adding lustre to body, to soul and to heart. 
Ya Rasool-Allah! our dearest friend and guide, 
May God's eternal blessings with thee abide. 

From the Arabian deserts thou sounded thy call 
To the worship of God, the Lord of all, 
From the Arabian deserts thou taught mankind,
How the truest knowledge of God to find. 
Thy words flew as lightning the whole world around, 
Of Truth and Light they did fully abound, 
And nations, acknowledging the pow'r of their sway, 
Did find and follow the most truthful way. 
In the wake of thy words true piety did spring, 
And great knowledge and virtue did truly bring. 
Never on earth a better soul was born, 
Never the world did a purer soul adorn.

Man was fast sinking in idolatry and sin 
When thou the great mission did first begin. 
Then in place of darkness thou Light did give, 
And taught mankind the noblest way to live;
And reformed the world as never before, 
And unique blessings on it did bestow. 
Praise be to Allah for this favour divine 
In sending thee the wicked world to refine. 
Search the world though we may from pole to pole 
While the great ocean of time doth onward roll, 
A more perfect Prophet never can we find, 
Than thee who, thank God, gave Islam to mankind. 
Ya Rasool-Allah! my homage I make to thee, 
Ya Nabi-Allah! my love I tender thee, 
My life, my all, for thee I gladly give, 
Thy divine messages shall with me for ever live. 
My love for thee no bounds doth know, 
In my heart thy mem'ry shall for ever glow. 
May Allah shower His choicest blessings on thee, 
May Allah grant thee peace for all eternity. 

- M. J. Majid, 
Joint Secretary, 
The Ceylon Muslim Missionary Society, 
Colombo. 
 

Introductory Chapter 

1. 
Q. Who created you and all the worlds? 
A. Allah created me and all the worlds. 

2. 
Q. Who created Allah? 
A. Allah created us all. He is not created by anyone. 

3. 
Q. What are your duties to Allah (the Creator)? 
A. My duties to Allah are to have complete Faith (Iman) in Him and to submit myself entirely to His commands.

4. 
Q. How can you have knowledge about Him and His commands? 
A. I can have knowledge about Him. and His commands through His Apostles and Prophets. 

5. 
Q. What do you understand by an Apostle or a Prophet? 
A. An Apostle or a Prophet is a very true and pious man. He is chosen by Allah as His Messenger. Allah inspires him with His commands, and he conveys them to humanity. In this way, we may know the right path to lead a good life in this world and, thus pleasing Allah, may attain peace after death. 

6. 
Q. Were Prophets sent by Allah to all nations? 
A. Yes, Prophets were sent by Allah to all nations whenever and wherever there was a need for them. When all the nations were in need of one, Allah sent Prophet Muhammad for the whole world. 

7. 
Q. What did Prophet Muhammad teach you? 
A. Prophet Muhammad has taught me to render complete submission to the commands of Allah, which is called Islam. 

8. 
Q. What are the cardinal Articles of Faith in Islam ? 
A. The cardinal Articles of Faith in Islam are seven in number, viz: 

(1) To believe in the oneness of Allah. 
(2) To believe in all His Angels. 
(3) To believe in all His Books. 
(4) To believe in all His Prophets 
(5) To believe in the Day of Resurrection. 
(6) To believe in the Day of Judgement. 
(7) To believe that the power of doing all actions (whether good or bad) proceeds from Allah, but that we are responsible for our actions. 

9. 
Q. What are the Fundamental Principles of Islam? 
A. The Fundamental Principles of Islam are five in number, viz: 

(1) The declaration of La ilaha illallah Muhammad-ur-rasoolullah, meaning: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet. 
(2) The observance of the obligatory prayers five times a day. 
(3) distribution of Zakat (Islamic alms-fee) among the deserving amounting to one fortieth in one's possession for a complete year. 
(4) The observation of fasts during the daytime in the month of Ramadan. 
(5) The performance of Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Mecca, at least once in a lifetime, if circumstances permit.

Oneness of Allah 

1. 
Q. What do you mean by belief in the Oneness of Allah? 
A. By belief in the Oneness of Allah, I mean that Allah is one and that there is none like Him; He has no partner; He neither begets nor is He begotten; He is indivisible in person; He is eternal; He is infinite; He has neither beginning nor end; He is All-Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Just, the Cherisher of all worlds, the Patron, the Guide, the Helper, the Merciful, the Compassionate, etc. 

2. 
Q. Where is Allah? 
A. Allah is everywhere. 

3. 
Q. Does Allah know all the actions you do on earth? 
A. Certainly, Allah knows all the actions I do on earth, both good and bad. He even knows my secret thoughts. 

4. 
Q. What has Allah done for you?
A. Allah has created me and all the worlds. He loves and cherishes me. He will reward me in Heaven for all my good actions and punish me in Hell for all my evil deeds. 

5. 
Q. How can you win the love of Allah? 
A. I can win the love of Allah by complete submission to His Will and obedience to His Commands. 

6. Q. How can you know the Will and Commands of Allah? 
A. I can know the Will and Commands of Allah from the Holy Qur'an and from the Traditions of our Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). 

7. Q. What is Iman (Faith)? 
A. Iman means "to believe in", [i.e., to have] a firm and sincere belief in the cardinal Articles of Faith.

8. Q. What is Islam? 
A. Islam means "complete submission", i.e., submitting to the orders of Allah and acting in accordance with His Commands. 

Note: One who professes Iman is called a Mu'min (The Faithful), and one who observes all the principles of Islam is called a Muslim. 

The Angels of Allah 

1. 
Q. What kind of creatures are the Angels? 
A. Angels are spiritual creatures of Allah, ever obedient to His Will and Commands. They are neither male nor female; they have neither parents, nor wives, nor husbands, nor sons, nor daughters. They have no material bodies, but can assume any form they like. 

2. 
Q. Do Angels eat and drink like human beings?
A. Angels do not eat and drink like human beings, nor do they enjoy sleep. 

3. 
Q. Can you name some of the most important Angels of Allah? 
A. Yes, the most important Angles of Allah are four in number, viz., 

(1) Jibreel

(2) Mika'il

3) Israfeel

(4) 'lzra'eel

4. 
Q. Are there any other Angels besides those enumerated? 
A. .Yes, there are many other Angels, some of whom mentioned in the Qur'an are known to us, but we have no knowledge about the number, names and duties of others, which are known only to Allah. 

5. 
Q. What do you know about Angel Jibreel
A. Angel Jibreel was employed by Allah to convey His Messages to His Chosen Ones on earth and the Prophets, who appeared in all ages and all climes. It was the Angel Jibreel who communicated the revelations of Allah to our Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of be upon him). 

6. 
Q. Can you name some of the main qualities of Angels? 
A. Yes, the main qualities of Angels are purity, righteousness, truthfulness and obedience to the Will and Commands of Allah. 

7. 
Q. Can Angels do anything on earth without the express permission of Allah? 
A. No, the Angels only act in obedience to the Commands of Allah; hence they cannot do anything on earth without His order. 

8. 
Q. Do you worship Angels? 
A. No, I do not worship the Angels at all. I adore and pray Allah alone. Angels are the servants of Allah and they too worship Him. The Holy Qur'an explicitly says that we should not worship anyone but Allah nor should we associate any partner with Him. 

The Books of Allah 

1.
Q. What do you mean by belief in all the Books of Allah? 
A. By belief in all the Books of Allah I mean that Allah revealed Commandments and Codes of Religion to various Prophets at different stages of history for the guidance of mankind. 

2. 
Q. Do you know the names of Codes of Religion or the Books of Allah? 
A. Yes, the Codes of Religion or the Books of Allah are four in number, viz., 

(1) Taurat (Old Testament) 
(2) Zaboor (Psalms) 
(3) Injeel (New Testament) 
(4) The Holy Qur'an. 

3. 
Q. What are the names of the respective Prophets to whom these books were revealed? 
A. Taurat was revealed to Prophet Moosa (Moses), Zaboor to Prophet Dawood (David), Injeel to Prophet Isa (Jesus), and the Holy Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all!). 

4. 
Q. Do the Taurat, Zaboor and Injeel exist in their original forms? 
A. No, they do not exist in their original forms. The present-day editions are only interpretations by their respective followers of later ages. 

5. 
Q. Which Code of Religion do you follow? 
A. I follow the last Code of Religion, the Holy Qur'an. 

6. 
Q. What is the Holy Qur'an?
A. The Holy Qur'an is the Gospel of the Religion of Islam. The previous Commandments and the Codes of Religion are also incorporated in it. Its verses were inspired and revealed by Allah to Prophet Muhammad through Angel Jibreel, and they are still preserved intact in their original form in the Arabic language.

7. 
Q. Were the verses of the Holy Qur'an revealed to Prophet Muhammad at one and the same time? A. No, the verses of the Holy Qur'an were not revealed to Prophet Muhammad at one and the same time. They were revealed to him either singly or in batches during the last twenty-three years of his life, and were written down at his dictation and arranged under his direction during his lifetime. 

8. 
Q What does the Holy Qur'an teach you? 
A. The Holy Qur'an teaches me to worship Almighty Allah, Him and Him alone, to obey His orders contained therein, to follow the teachings and examples set by Prophet Muhammad, to do good to others, especially to my parents and relations, and to be honest and truthful in all my actions and dealings; in short, it gives me a complete Code for the rightful guidance of my life. 

The Prophets of Allah

1. 
Q. What do you mean by belief in all the Prophets of Allah? 
A. By belief in all the Prophets of Allah, I mean that at different stages of the History of Mankind, Allah sent Prophets as His Messengers for the guidance of mankind. I believe in all of them in general, and in those whose names are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an in particular. I cannot personify anyone as a Prophet if his name is not so mentioned in the Divine Book, nor can I deny the prophethood of any one whose name is so mentioned in the Divine Book. 

2. 
Q. Do you know the names of all the Prophets who delivered the Message of Allah to mankind? 
A. No, I do not know the names of all the Prophets who delivered the Message of Allah to man- kind, but the names of some of the great Prophets are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. 

3. 
Q. Can you give a list of the Prophets whose names are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an? 
A. Yes. Among the Prophets whose names are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an are: Adam, ldrees, Noah, Hood, Saleh, lbrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Issac), Ya'qoob (Jacob). Yusuf (Joseph), Ayyoob, Shuaib, Moosa (Moses), Haroon (Aaroon), Loot (Lot), Yoonus (Jones), AI-Yas'a, Zulkifl, Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), llya (Elias), Zakaria (Zacharias), Yahya, 'Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad. 

4. 
Q. Who are the most important from among these Prophets? 
A. They are: Adam, Noah, lbrahim, Moosa, 'Isa and the last and the greatest of all prophets, Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all!) 

5. 
Q. Who is a Prophet and what is his duty?
A. A Prophet is a Servant and Messenger of Allah who receives the Divine revelations. He is a model for human beings and teaches and practises the Commands of Allah. 

6. 
Q. Do you worship any of the Prophet? 
A. No, I do not worship any of the Prophets, but only love and revere them and consider them as models of conduct for myself as well as humanity at large. The Prophets themselves worshipped Allah and taught us to do the same. 

7. 
Q. Can any of the Prophets be called God?
A. None of the Prophets can be called God, for they were all created by Allah Who is Self-Existing and has no partner. 

8. 
Q. Did any of the Prophets claim Divinity?
A. None of the Prophets claimed Divinity, for, besides being Messengers and Servants of Allah, they themselves were human beings. 

9. 
Q. To what land and to what nation did Prophet Muhammad proclaim the Message of Allah? 
A. As all the nations of the world had either lost or forgotten the Messages delivered by the Prophets sent to them, Prophet Muhammad proclaimed the Message of Allah to all lands and to all nations. His prophethood is, therefore, not confined to any one land or one nation, but is universal, i.e., for the whole world and for all the nations. 

10. 
Q. Is there any need of a Prophet after Prophet Muhammad? 
A. No, there is no need of a Prophet after Prophet Muhammad, for the Message, i.e., the Holy Qur'an (that he has brought for the whole world) is the final and most complete Code of Religion, and is and will be preserved for all time absolutely intact in its original form; besides the authentic record of the Prophet's eventful life covering all human activities is also extant, and will always remain as a Model for mankind. Hence no Prophet either with or without code and commandments, is required after him, and therefore the Holy Qur'an says that Prophet Muhammad is the last and the Seal of all Prophets.

The Day of Resurrection and Judgment

1. 
Q. What do you know about the Day of Resurrection and Judgment? 
A. It is the Day on which Allah will resurrect the dead, i.e., make the dead live again. He will then judge each person according to his good or bad actions on earth. He will reward those who led righteous lives and pleased Him, by sending them to Heaven, and punish those who have disobeyed His Commands and incurred His displeasure by committing sins and bad actions, by consigning them to Hell. 

2. 
Q. What are Heaven and Hell? 
A. Heaven is an abode of peace and happiness where every wish Is fulfilled. Hell is a place of torture, pain and agony. 

3. 
Q. How long will a person remain in Heaven or Hell? 
A. A person who dies with complete Faith in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophet of Allah will remain in Heaven forever, while a person who dies without having any belief in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophets of Allah or having belief in others as partners of Allah will remain in Hell forever. 

4. 
Q. What will be the fate of those who die with complete Faith in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophets of Allah, but have committed sins? 
A. Those who have firm belief in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophets of Allah, but die without atoning for and repenting sins the have committed in this world, will be sent to Hell for a time, from where, after receiving due punishment, they will be liberated by the Mercy of Allah and sent to Heaven, where they will live forever.

The Power of Doing Good or Evil 

1. 
Q. What do you understand by your belief in the power of doing good or evil proceeding from Allah and Allah alone? 
A. I mean that Allah has given me the power of action (good or bad), but He has also given me reason and a code of life to choose between good and evil, and therefore, I am responsible for my actions. For example, Allah has given me the power of speech. It is for me to use the tongue for speaking the truth, or abuse its power by speaking lies. 

2. 
Q. How does Allah help you to do good acts? 
A. Allah helps us to do good acts by sending Messengers to guide us all along the right path, and Codes of Religion. 

3. 
Q. What is a sin? 
A. Any action against the Commands of Allah is a sin. 

4. 
Q. Who can forgive sins? 
A. Allah and Allah alone can forgive sins. 

5. 
Q. What should you do so that Allah may forgive your sins? 
A. In order that my sins be forgiven, I must pray to Allah with all my heart and, while atoning for all my evil deeds, resolve never to commit any such or other misdeeds again. 

6. 
Q. Which articles of food and drink have been decreed unlawful for a Muslim? 
A. The articles of food and drink that have been decreed unlawful for a Muslim are: 

(1) All kinds of intoxicating wines, liquors and spirits. 
(2) Flesh of swine and all wild animals that employ claws or teeth for killing their victims, e.g., tigers, leopards, elephants, wolves, etc., and all birds of prey as hawks, eagles, vultures, crows, etc. 
(3) Rodents, reptiles, worms, etc., 
(4) Flesh of dead animals that are otherwise sanctioned as legitimate. 
(5) Flesh of animals and birds (sanctioned) that are not slaughtered or slain in the prescribed manner. 
(6) Flesh of animals that are offered as sacrifice to Idols. 

7.
Q. How should an animal or a bird whose flesh is sanctioned to be lawful for food be slaughtered or slain? 
A. One should say "Bismillahi Allahu-Akbar"
at the time of slaughtering of slaying an animal or a bird whose flesh is sanctioned to be lawful for food, and pass the knife over its throat in such a manner that the main arteries are cut asunder, but the spinal chord is left alone for a while till all the blood oozes out. 

8. 
Q. Can you name some of the acts that are major sins and are liable for severe punishment ? 
A. Yes. Some of the acts that are major sins and are liable for severe punishment are:

(1) To believe in anyone as partner of Allah. 
(2) To disbelieve in Allah or His Prophets or His Books, or to deny any of the Fundamental Principles of Islam. 
(3) To lie. 
(4) To commit adultery or sodomy. 
(5) To rob or steal. 
(6) To cheat or deceive anyone. 
(7) To bear false witness. 
(8) To bring false charge against anyone. 
(9) To backbite. 
(10) To abuse anybody or injure anyone's feelings.