The First Pillar of Islam

I've been a Muslim for about 3 ½ years, and in that time, I've just about heard it all in regard to what Muslims supposedly worship and believe in. I've been told (by very well-meaning people who have only my best interests at heart, I'm sure), that we actually worship the moon or some ancient "moon god" from Arabia. I've heard that we worship a black box in the desert. Some non-Muslim explained to me in great detail once, that we believe Muhammed (pbuh) is going to return at the end of the world and fight Satan in the final battle between good and evil. And, just a few days ago, a friend of mine - a brand-new Muslim - was not-so-politely informed that it was not Muhammed (pbuh) who died for our sins, but Jesus (pbuh). That last one shocks me every time I hear it. The truth is that none of these statements are the truth.

The first pillar of Islam is shahadah. Shahadah is the declaration that there is nothing worthy of worship except God and that Muhammed is His prophet. That seems pretty straightforward to me, but I've gotten this far before and had people tell me that the Arabic word for God actually refers to the ancient moon god of Arabia. So, I'm going to break it down. The Arabic word for god (little g) is illah. Illah is anything that someone serves and pays his or her devotion to. Illah is anything that takes precedence over our worship of the One God. To the ancient Arabians, illah were about 360 statues, which people would travel for hundreds of miles to bow down to. To many modern people, illah is what is commonly known as "the almighty dollar". The Arabic word for God (big G) is Allah. Allah is a contraction of al, meaning "the", and illah. Allah is used uniquely for the One God. Nothing else can be called Allah. Anything else would be called illah.

Now, some people still might not be convinced that the One we worship is the One God that most people know about. Some people may say that we believe the Arabian moon god is actually the One God. In answer to this, I'll have to bring in one of our six articles of faith: that we believe in all the prophets sent by God. We believe in Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and all the other prophets of the Christians and the Jews. So, if we believe in those prophets, then it must naturally follow that we would believe in their God, right? To my knowledge, those prophets were not aware of any moon god. They were only aware of the One God, Creator and Sustainer of the worlds. Yes, it's true. Muslims worship the same God as the Christians and the Jews.

When Muhammed, pbuh, was receiving the revelations of God, the question was put to him, "What is God?" In answer, God said in the Quran, "Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him." (Surah Ikhlas)

There are just a few more little misconceptions that I want to clear up about what Muslims worship. That black box in the desert that I mentioned is called the Kabbah. The Kabbah is actually the first building that was ever erected for the sole purpose of worshipping God. It was built by the prophet Abraham (pbuh) and his son Ishmael. Some commentators also say that Isaac helped to build the Kabbah. I couldn't say for sure. Muslims bow in the direction of the Kabbah when we pray simply as a sign of unity, much the same way that the Jews pray facing Jerusalem. We don't worship the Kabbah. We don't bow to the Kabbah. We worship only God.

The question of who is returning at the end of the world and who died for our sins requires a whole separate article. I will say that we believe it will be Jesus (pbuh) who will return to lead the army of the righteous in the final battle between good and evil. I will also say that we do not believe Muhammed, or anyone, died for our sins. Simply put, God forgives whom He wills.

So, as the first pillar of Islam states, I testify that there is nothing to be worshipped except the One God and that Muhammed is His prophet and messenger.