20 April, 2024

11 Shawwal, 1445 H

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"Silence saves you from regret"

- Imam Ali (as) -

Learning
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Core Curriculum
Section 1 - God, Religion and Islam: An Introduction

  • Topic 1.1 - God, Allah and Religion

  • Topic 1.2 - What is “Religion” and What’s the Point of it Anyways?

  • Topic 1.3 - Introduction to Islam

  • Topic 1.4 - A Brief Introduction to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet of Islam

Section 2 - Foundations of Islam - Theology

  • Topic 2.1 - Satan, Jinns and Angels: Their Influence in the World

  • Topic 2.2 - The Islamic Concept of the Nafs: Battling the Human Ego

  • Topic 2.3 - The Sharīʿa: Purpose and Practice

  • Topic 2.4 - Nubuwwa: The Purpose of Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 2.5 - Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

  • Topic 2.6 - The Usūl al-Dīn: The Fundamental Beliefs of Islam

  • Topic 2.7 - Adala: Divine Justice in Islam

  • Topic 2.8 - Entering Islam: The Shahada

  • Topic 2.9 - Maʿād: The Day of Judgment in Islam

  • Topic 2.10 - Imāmah or divinely guided leadership in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad.

Section 3 - Foundations of Islam - Obligatory Acts

  • Topic 3.1 - Accepting Islam: Putting Faith into Action

  • Topic 3.2 - The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

  • Topic 3.3 - Salāt: Obligatory Ritual Prayers in Islam

  • Topic 3.4 - Fasting in Islam, its Purpose, Dos and Don’ts

  • Topic 3.5 - The Hajj Pilgrimage

  • Topic 3.6 - The Purpose of Zakat and Khums in Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.7 - Jihād in Islamic Law and Spirituality

  • Topic 3.8 - Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil in Islam

  • Topic 3.9 - Tawalla and Tabarra, its Basics and Purpose

  • Topic 3.10 - The Five Categories of Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.11 - Niyya: Religious Intention as the Foundation of Islamic Practice

  • Topic 3.12 - Ritual Purity in Islamic Law: Understanding Tahāra and Najāsa

  • Topic 3.13 - Other Obligatory and Forbidden Acts in Islam

Section 4 - Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 4.1 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Childhood (PART I of III)

  • Topic 4.2 - Bio: The Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet of God (PART II of III)

  • Topic 4.3 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Character (PART III of III)

  • Topic 4.4 - The Prophet Muhammad (s) as Messenger and Teacher

  • Topic 4.5 - The Prophet and his Relationships

  • Topic 4.6 - The Prophet’s Sunnah and Hadith

  • Topic 4.7 - Ghadīr and Arafah: The Two Last Sermons of the Prophet

  • Topic 4.8 - Jesus and Mary in Islam

Section 5 - The Qur'an and Hadith

  • Topic 5.1 - Islam and Other Religions

  • Topic 5.2 - What is the Qur’an? A Short Introduction to Islam’s Holy Book

  • Topic 5.3 - The Structure of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.4 - The Quran and Islamic law

  • Topic 5.5 - The Qur’an, Allah and Humankind

  • Topic 5.6 - Hadith and Sunnah, difference and variations

  • Topic 5.7 - The Reliability of Hadiths

  • Topic 5.8 - A Reflection on Verses of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.9 - Hadith al-Thaqalayn

  • Topic 5.10 - Imam Ali (as) and Nahj al-Balagha.

  • Topic 5.11 - Taqlid and Tawḍih Al Masail Genre of Literature

Section 6 - Measuring Good and Bad in Islam

  • Topic 6.1 - Guidance According to Islam

  • Topic 6.2 - Life and Death in Islam

  • Topic 6.3 - Heaven and Hell in Islam

  • Topic 6.4 - The Effects of Our Actions in this World

  • Topic 6.5 - The Gray Areas of Islamic Law and Morality

  • Topic 6.6 - Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

  • Topic 6.7 - Good and Bad Deeds: The Spiritual Consequences of our Choices

  • Topic 6.8 - The Effect of Culture and Environment in Shaping our Religious Choices

  • Topic 6.9 - Fate and the Consequences of our Choices in Islam

  • Topic 6.10 - Trivializing the Harām

  • Topic 6.11 - Sinning Against Others and their Delayed Punishment

  • Topic 6.12 - The Three Kinds of Rights in Islam

  • Topic 6.13 - Major Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.14 - Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.15 - Kufr in Islam

  • Topic 6.16 - Why Allah Allows People to Sin

Section 7 - The Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 7.1 - Islam and Knowledge: the Importance of Islamic Education

  • Topic 7.2 - The Ahl al-Kisa

  • Topic 7.3 - Imamah in the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.4 - Fatima al-Zahrah (as)

  • Topic 7.5 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam al-Hasan until Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)

  • Topic 7.6 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq until Imam Hasan al-Askari)

  • Topic 7.7 - A Brief Look at the Life and Importance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)

  • Topic 7.8 - Salawat and Atonement in Islam

  • Topic 7.9 - The Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet According to the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.10 - Clerical Hierarchies in Muslim Communities

  • Topic 7.11 - Mosques in Islam

  • Topic 7.12 - The Philosophy of Karbala and Majalis

  • Topic 7.13 - A Brief Biography of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

  • Topic 7.14 - The Battle of Karbala: A Brief History

Section 8 - Islamic Relationships, Sects and Conflicts

  • Topic 8.1 - Islam and Rights

  • Topic 8.2 - Islam and Religious Conflicts

  • Topic 8.3 - Major Sects of Islam

  • Topic 8.4 - Sunnism and Shi’ism, beginnings and historical developments.

  • Topic 8.5 - Misconceptions about Shi’ism

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Special Topics
Section 9 - Independent Topics

  • Topic 9.1 - Muslim Converts – Welcome to Islam!

  • Topic 9.2 - Basic Dos and Don’ts of Being a Muslim

  • Topic 9.3 - Halal Food and Zabiha

  • Topic 9.4 - Modesty in Islam

  • Topic 9.5 - Family, Parents and Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.6 - Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.7 - Islam and Sex

  • Topic 9.8 - Women’s Menstruation in Islam

  • Topic 9.9 - Music, Alcohol, Drugs and Pork in Islam

  • Topic 9.10 - Islam and Science

  • Topic 9.11 - A Reading List of Islamic Knowledge

  • Topic 9.12 - Islam and Sufism

  • Topic 9.13 - Ritual Prayers and Supplications in Islam

  • Topic 9.14 - Death & Burial Rituals in Islam

  • Topic 9.15 - The Battle of Armageddon: An Islamic View

  • Topic 9.16 - The Muslim Calendar

  • Topic 9.17 - Muslims and non-Muslims in the Shariah

  • Topic 9.18 - A Timeline of Major Events in Islamic History

  • Topic 9.19 - Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

  • Topic 9.20 - The School of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

  • Topic 9.21 - Major Fields in Islamic Studies

  • Topic 9.22 - The Caliphate in Sunni and Shia Islam

  • Topic 9.23 - The Spread of Islam: After the Prophet until the Ottoman Empire

  • Topic 9.24 - Islam, Racism and Anti-Semitism

Section 10 - Islam, Religion, and Modern Controversies

  • Topic 10.1 - Modern Fallacies about God: where Theists and Atheists Agree

  • Topic 10.2 - Tawhīd: The Muslim God according to the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 10.3 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Being (Wujūd)

  • Topic 10.4 - God’s Existence: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

  • Topic 10.5 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Design

  • Topic 10.6 - The Problem of Evil, Suffering and Pain

  • Topic 10.7 - Why did God Create Us? The Purpose of our Creation

  • Topic 10.8 - Why Humans Need Religion according to Islam

  • Topic 10.9 - Jahl and Spiritual Ignorance in Islam

  • Topic 10.10 - Faith in Islam: Belief without Evidence?

  • Topic 10.11 - Do Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

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The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

Abstract

The Furūʿ al-Dīn: the fundamental core practices of Islam that all Muslims must heed after believing in Islam and accepting the usūl al-dīn.  

INTRODUCTION 

 

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm, As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. 

 

Welcome back to the Muslim Converts Channel! Our last lesson was more of a philosophical discussion concerning the idea of putting belief into practice. We argued that Islam is both belief and practice, without the latter, there is no Islam.  

 

We further argued that Islamic practices often come in the form of obligations, meaning that we have no choice but to follow them through, unless we want to oppose God’s commandments and fall into sin. Obeying the law is part of being faithful to our covenant to God. 

 

This lesson will be an introduction to the most fundamental practices of Islam called the furūʿ al-dīn.  These practices are obligations and they embody the core spirit of obedience to God. We will first establish their relationship to the usūl al-dīn and then we will briefly outline the ten obligatory practices that make up the furūʿ al-dīn. 

 

BODY OF TEXT 

 

And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. (Chapter 2, verse 25 of the Holy Qur’an) 

 

The usūl al-dīn are the fundamental principles of Islamic belief. The usūl al-dīn can also be literally translated as the “roots of religion.” Roots are what animate a tree, without roots, a tree cannot survive. The five fundamental beliefs of Islam are what give life to Islam. Without them, the tree of Islam cannot survive for long.  

 

Furūʿ al-dīn literally means the “branches of religion.” Just like the roots feed a tree and keep it alive, branches, along with their leaves, also nourish the roots in return. The furūʿ al-dīn are ten: ṣalāt (obligatory prayers), fasting, Hajj, Zakāt, Khums, Jihad, Commanding the Good (amr bi al-maʿrūf), Forbidding Evil (nahi an al-munkar), Tawalla and finally Tabarra. 

 

The furūʿ al-dīn are not only wājib, but they are also farḍ. In the English language, both mean obligatory, but what makes farḍ special is that it is an obligation that is clearly found in the Qur’an. So in this sense, salāt is not just wājib, but also farḍ since it is explicit in the Qur’an. For example, salāt is wājib, but since it is explicitly found in the Qur’an, it is also farḍ. 

 

The furūʿ al-dīn obviously don’t exhaust the entirety of Islamic law. They act as a legal umbrella that cover a series of rules that encompass most if not all of Islam’s commandments and prohibitions. For example, although the prohibition against stealing isn’t explicitly part of the furu al-din, it is a subcategory of “Forbidding Evil” , the 8th furūʿ al-dīn.  

 

The following is a brief outline of the ten furū al-dīn: 

 

Salāt: Salāt generally refers to the five obligatory prayers that a Muslim must perform on a daily basis. The five prayers are composed of 17 units in total and begin with the dawn prayer (fajr) and end with the night prayer (ʿishā). Salāt is different than supplications (duʿā) where one sits and personally speaks with God, or begs Him for things. The distinct practice of duʿā is not obligatory but salāt is. If a person denies its obligatory nature after being informed about it, he or she cannot be a Muslim. 

 

Fasting: Fasting, also known as siyām in Arabic, is the obligatory fast during the Holy month of Ramadan. One fasts for around 30 days from dawn until sun set and refrains from food, intimate relations, drink, smoking, as well as sins like gossiping. Fasting is there to help people psychologically detach oneself from things that are regularly allowed. This helps us resist things that are prohibited. 

 

Hajj: The pilgrimage that every capable Muslim must make to the Holy Kaba in the city of Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. The Hajj is an opportunity for Muslims from all around the world from all races and cultures to gather and worship God together as equals. 

 

Zakāt: Zakāt comes from the word tazkīyah, which means to purify, as in purifying one’s wealth by giving part of it to the poor. Zakāt is a special tax that all eligible Muslims must pay to the poor. The Zakāt tax is intended to help the poor and help them with their need for food and shelter.  

 

Khums: Khums means “one fifth.” Khums is a tax where one fifth of one’s unused sitting income at the end of the year is given to charity. Khums can be taken from other things, but we won't go into its details here. Khums is meant to help finance many of the religious institutions in Islam. 

 

Jihād: Jihād is of two kinds, one is inner and the other external. Jihad means to struggle. The inner jihad is a jihad against the nafs or egoic self that commands to evil. The external jihad is a self-defense mechanism whereby a person must defend himself or herself in case a warring group attacks his or her locality.  

 

Commanding the Good: In His religion, Allah has already established what is good. Among other things, these include telling the truth, marriage, establishing salāt, etc. Commanding the good is encouraging yourself and members of the Muslim community to do good. By commanding the good, one betters one’s community and its future. 

 

Forbidding Evil: Allah has also told us what is evil. These include fornication, lying, cheating, alcohol, stealing and so on and so forth. A Muslim’s duty is to forbid these sin through peaceful advice. 

 

Tawalla: Tawalla literally means to direct oneself, as in, direct oneself to the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as) and love them wholeheartedly. Only by loving them, and associating oneself with those who love them, does one gain closeness to Allah for they are His representatives and His dearest of creatures on earth.  

 

Tabarra: Tabarra is the opposite of Tawalla. It is to disassociate oneself from the enemies of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as). This done for several reasons. The first is out of respect and love of Allah and avoiding those whom are hateful to God. Second, everyone is susceptible to influences by people. Associating with evil people will inevitably leave its mark on our hearts. As such, for our own sake, we must disassociate from such people just like one would disassociate from disease infested places.  

 

In the following lectures, we will discuss each of the furūʿ al-dīn in more detail.  

 

Until Next Time, Thank you for watching. As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh 

Furūʿ al-Dīn

The 10 fundamental obligatory practices of Islam

Salāt

five obligatory daily prayers 

Siyām

Fasting during the month of Ramadan 

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca 

Zakat

obligatory tax for the poor

Khums

1/5th tax on one’s sitting or special-sourced income 

Jihad

Struggling for the sake of God 

Amr bi al-Maʿrūf

Commanding the Good 

Nahī ʿan al-Munkar

Forbidding Evil 

Tawalla

Loving the Prophet (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

Tabarra

Disassociating from the enemies of the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt (as) 

 

Wājib

Obligatory act 

Farḍ

Obligatory act that is in the Qur’an 

Tazkīyah

spiritual purification 

Q1

What is the furū al-dīn?

The most fundamental core practices of Islam 

Q2

Telling the truth is not part of the 10 furūʿ al-dīn, does this mean it’s not important?

Telling the truth is part of the 7th furūʿ al-dīn, i.e. commanding the good. The furuʿ al-dīn are umbrella practices, they are general points that cover most Islamic practices. 

Q3

What’s the difference between usūl al-dīn and furūʿ al-dīn?

The former are the fundamental core beliefs of Islam, the latter are its fundamental core practices. 

Q4

If I don’t believe in practicing the furūʿ al-dīn, can I still be a Muslim?

If you do so knowing that Islam makes it obligatory, then no, you cannot be considered a Muslim. 

Q5

Are the furūʿ al-dīn obligatory or recommended?

Obligatory.

Sharīʿa
Sharīʿa law
Shariah law
Islamic law
Prophet Muhammad
Islam
God’s will
good and evil
Muslim God
covenant
belief & creed
Faroo-e-Deen
God and His Justice
Islamic community
sins
Islamic ummah

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