Islam 101 - Concepts

1. What is Islam? (see terminology above)
2. Allah, creation, the purpose
3. What are the "5 Pillars of Islam"?
4. What are the pillars of Iman?
5. The daily worship: Salat, supplication and beyond
6. What is Ihsan, piety?
7. What is moderate Islam?
8. What are the key Objectives (Maqasid) of Islam?
9. What are the major principles of Islam?
10. Muslim sects, factions, schools of thought

1. What is Islam?

Islam, as a religion, can refer to 2 related levels or contexts:

1. The context of the unifying belief or message sent to all the messengers and prophets, beginning with Adam, through Noah, Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Issa), and thousands of others, and ending with Muhammad. The main essence of that message is submitting to Allah as the one and only God and creator of the universe, emphasizing his oneness, dominion, ultimate wisdom, and source of guidance.

2. The second context is that of the final message, revelation to prophet Muhammad through which Allah has chosen this comprehensive, finalized, Islam to be the religion, i.e. way of life to mankind and the worlds.

2. Allah, Creation, The Purpose

Allah (God) is the creator of everything "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs." (39:62). Allah is the one and only deity to be worshipped, and the lord of the worlds to refer to in all matters, and to seek help and guidance. (1:1-7). Allah traditionally has 99 or more names and attributes referred to as "the fine names of Allah". Contemplating these names usually can lead to understanding the all-capabilities of Allah, and the sempiternal existence of Allah. Furthermore, this can also be arrived at through the indirect manifestations of Allah's signs in nature and the world.
Creation: Allah Created the heavens and the earth (the entire universe) and everyone and everything in them, including Man (the human beings). Special focus on the creation of Man and Jinn was elaborated on in the Quran. Notably, the story of the  creation of Adam (origin of Humanity) to be vicegerent on Earth, and the dialogue that ensued with the angels, and the animus stand of Satan all represent a thought-provoking epic regarding the role of mankind.
Purpose: Allah states in the Quran: "And I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me." (51:56). Thus, the clear purpose for creation of mankind is to worship Allah. However the Arabic interpretation of the word "Ibadah" (worship) can have different implications. In Islamic thought, worship can imply Submission to Allah in all aspects of human behavior. In other words, one understanding of that would be that as Man assumes his role of being vicegerent on Earth, and as he goes about his usual "human" functions, he should be doing that from a "submission to Allah" perspective.

3. What Are The 5 Pillars of Islam?

1. To bear witness that there is no God but God (Allah) and that Muhammad is his last messenger

2. To establish prayer (performing Salat)

3. To give alms / Mandatory charity (Zakat)

4. To perform pilgrimage (Hajj) to the sacred house in Mecca. (once per lifetime)

5. To fast the month of Ramadan (annually).

4. What are the pillars / articles of Iman (Faith / Creed)?

1. To believe in Allah

2. To believe in angels

3. To believe in Allah's books (heavenly messages) that he revealed to his messengers. (the Quran, the Gospel, the Torah, Psalms, etc.)

4. To believe in all of Allah's prophets and messengers

5. To believe in the hereafter

6. To believe in Allah's Predestination, the good one and the bad one.

5. The daily worship: Salat, supplication, etc

Depending on the context in which it is used, the concept of worship (Ibadah) in Islam may carry two meanings: A limited or specific one and a broad one. The specific worship is the one that receives the main focus and includes various rituals and acts that are meant to establish a spiritual connection with Allah, and may also serve other righteous purposes. Examples of this main form of worship include Salat, supplication, fasting, and performing Hajj.

The broader use of Ibadah usually encompasses heeding of Allah's commands and behaving righteously all around. Thus, to work, for example and be a productive member of society (without violating the Shari'a (Islamic) code, would be considered a form of worship. Here, we will focus on the main, specific form of worship:

1. Salat: This is the most important worship. Besides being one of the 5 pillars of Islam, it is considered "the pillar of Din (religion)". It is the first thing one would be asked about on the day of judgment.

6. What is Ihsan / piety ?

In the famous authentic Hadith of "Jibril" in which the archangel Jibril came disguised as a stranger man to teach the people around the prophet about their religion. He came and sat in facing the prophet and asked him 3 questions: 1. Tell me about Islam, 2. about Iman, and 3. about Ihsan. 
Thus, some rank rank these 3 categories in the same order, whereby, Ihsan is considered the highest level a Muslim can attain. It is simply "to worship Allah as if you are looking at him, for, even though you do not see him, he does see you" This was the answer the prophet (PPBUH) gave to Jibril. So, Ihsan can be viewed as doing your best or excelling at what you do for the pleasure of Allah. It is very similar to piety (Taqwa), the level of faith by which a Muslim is always mindful of Allah.

7. What is moderate Islam?

It is declared in the Quran that Muslims are to be moderate, not extreme, sort of a just community, middle ground, which empowers them to be "witnesses over the people" (And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you) (2:143). This attribute of Islam is termed "Wasattiah" (moderation / centrism). It implies that a Muslim should neither be squandering or compromising their religion, nor exceeding the just or due limits. 

8. The 5 Maqasid (essential objectives)

Scholars classified 5 major objectives of Islam that they deem essential to preserve, based on Quran and Sunnah, and they are:

1. To preserve Din (religion)
2. To preserve Nafs (sole, life)
3. To preserve Aql (mind)
4. To preserve Nasl (offspring / reproduction)
5.  To preserve Mal (property / wealth)

9. Important Islamic Principles

These usually come next after the essential objectives. However, depending on the situation, they are important in and of themselves. They include:

1. Justice 
2. Balance and Moderation 
3. All Virtues and Manners combined
4. Responsibility / Trust
5. Prioritization 
6. Peace and Prosperity
7, Ease and Facilitation
8. Freedom (relative)

10. Muslim sects, factions, schools of thought

This is an area that may be associated with some sensitivity in the Muslim world. Although Islam is supposed to be a unified and uniform religion or ideology, because of the commonly agreed upon source, message, prophet, and unaltered book (the Quran), History did carry with it differences, conflicts, and Fitnah (sedition and strife) - leading to the rise of sects and Madhahib (schools of thought). The names for these sects are arbitrary. Many followers may not recognize such identification.
Among such sects, the following stand out:
1. Sunni: Followers of the Sunnah of the prophet (which technically include all Muslims).
2. Shiites: Their belief system include other elements such as the flawless Imams.
The major Madhahib (schools of thought) include:
1. Maliki
2. Hanafi
3. Shafi'i
4. Hanbali
There are many books on the subject dealing with the "4 Madhabs" or the "4 Imams".
For a simple Introduction to Madhabs, this video by Omar Suleiman is worth watching. CLICK TO WATCH