The Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah are the only two sources for the essential beliefs of those people who call themselves Muslims. Among those beliefs the most important one is that there is no deity other than Allah. This is the first half of the attestation of every Muslim, the second half being that Muhammad is Allah's Prophet. There are a few other fundamental principles that a Muslim is required to accept. Thers are some people who have no attachment with Islam, still they insist on misusing the names of "Islam" and "Muslim" either intentionally or in ignorance. In this article, we will try to briefly show how many "religious" groups around the world who use the name of Islam are in fact clearly and absolutely in violation of certain basic principles contained in the Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah.

The followers of the Nation Of Islam believe in (all quotes taken from their homepage or their publications): ...one God (Allah) and that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long awaited 'Messiah' of the Christians and the 'Mahdi' of the Muslims.

However, the Holy Qur'aan states in chapter 4, verse 36, "Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him." And according to Islamic belief Allah do not appear in any person's shape. Although it is a Hindu belief that God appears in shape of man, which they term as 'Avtar', but Islam denies that. The followers of the Nation of Islam further believe "in the resurrection of the dead -- not in physical resurrection -- but in mental resurrection. We also believe that the so-called Negroes are most in need of mental resurrection; therefore, they will be resurrected first." But the Holy Qur'aan states in chapter 20, verse 55, "From the earth did We Create you, and into it Shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again."

Even more pointedly, the Holy Qur'aan also states in Surah 64, verse 7, The Unbelievers think that they will not be raised up (for Judgement). Say: "Yea, by my Lord, Ye shall surely be Raised up: then shall ye Be told (the truth) of All that ye did. And that is easy for Allah."

Besides the above two differences, the followers of the Nation of Islam also believe in other things contrary to Islam as defined in the Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah, such as: [We, the Black Muslims, believe] "in the truth of the Bible, but we believe that it has been tampered with and must be reinterpreted so that mankind will not be snared by the falsehoods that have been added to it."

The problem with this belief is that Islam says that Bible is adulterated but there has not been any mention of reinterpretation of Bible, because the Holy Qur'aan has replaced every previous Book and every human and genie has to ask guidance from the Holy Qur'aan in all matters.

Further, the Nation of Islam's says, "That we who declare ourselves to be righteous Muslims, should not participate in wars which take the lives of humans. We do not believe this nation should force us to take part in such wars, for we have nothing to gain from it unless America agrees to give us the necessary territory wherein we may have something to fight for".

The problem with this belief is that the Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah are crystal clear on the necessity of going to war when the situation demands.

The Nation of Gods and Earths (5% Nation of Islam) is apparently an offshoot of the so-called Nation of Islam. Like its parent, this group's beliefs clearly identify it as being fundamentally outside the pale of Islam. Specifically, and we quote (from their homepage): The original man is the Asiatic Blackman, the maker, the owner, the cream of the planet Earth, father of civilization, God of the Universe. ...the blackman is god and his proper name is Allah. Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head.

This is in clear contradiction with one of the essential axioms of Islam, namely that Allah (God) is Creator and all else (including men -- Asiatic blacks or otherwise) is created. In chapter 25, verse 54 of the Holy Qur'aan, Allah says that He has created man, therefore it is logically impossible for man to be Allah. The second quote above is a prime example of a tendency of the "Nation of Gods and Earths" to conjure up beliefs that are, to a large extent, highly confused. Some examples of these beliefs that have nothing to do with Islam are "supreme mathematics and alphabet", an evil person named Yacob, a prophet named WD Fard, and a belief that black people are superior in some way.

The true Prophet of Islam, Hadhrat Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), refuted this last racist belief in his Farewell Address, 'O people! Verily your Lord is one and your father is one. All of you belong to one ancestry of Adam, and Adam was created out of clay. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for white over the black nor for the black over the white, except in piety. Verily the noblest among you is he who is the most pious.' For a deeper expose of this group and its parent -- Nation of Islam -- the interested reader might wish to examine the autobiography of the late Malik Al-Shabaz (Malcolm X).

The Ah Movement, which originated in the Indian subcontinent, espouses beliefs, which leave no doubt as to their apostasy from Islam.

Among their erroneous beliefs is their denial of the Finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), an article of faith endorsed by the Holy Qur'aan and Hadith, and reports as well as the consensus of the Companions and scholars.

The Holy Qur'aan states: "O people! Muhammad has no sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Messenger of Allah and the last in the line of Prophets. And Allah is aware of everything." (33:40)

The true Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), observed: "The tribe of Israel was guided by prophets. When a prophet passed away, another succeeded him. But no prophet will come after me; only caliphs will succeed me." (Sahih Bukhari)

The followers of the Ah Movement are followers of a certain Mirza, who lay claim to prophethood and used fabricated Hadith reports and twisted meanings of some Qur'aanic verses to support himself. The Mirza, quoting the verse of the Holy Qur'aan about the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), wrote in his book 'Aik Ghalati Ka Izalah' (A remedy to an error): "Muhammadur Rasoolullah: In this revelation I have been 'Muhammad' and 'Prophet' also."

This means that he did not only claim to be Prophet Muhammad by himself but also to be a prophet. He also opined in his other books that he was the reincarnation of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam).

However, the true Prophet of Islam warned of this danger explicitly, "The Hour will not come ... until nearly thirty "Dajjals" (liars) appear, each one claiming to be a messenger from Allah." (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

Shortly after the death of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), a man named Musailamah, a claimant of prophethood, was fought against together with his followers for their apostasy. It is worth noting that Musailamah did not deny the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) and nor did his followers. It is also worth noting that it was misinformation that led the tribe of Banu Hunaifa to accept Musailamah's false claims.

Nevertheless, the consensus of the Companions (Radhi Allaho anhum) was to declare them apostates and wage a war against them. This is evidence enough to declare the Ahmadis as non-Muslims. For a more thorough treatment of this subject consult this article.

Another example of the rejection of the Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah by the followers of this movemnet is their contention that Jesus Christ had died and the Mirza was a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In fact, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1985, the Mirza claimed to be not only Jesus Christ but Prophet Muhammad, the Mahdi, and the Hindu god Krishna.

It suffices to refer back to the essence of Islam, which is the Uniqueness of God: any concept of man becoming god, worse yet a Hindu god who is one out of many, is false according to the Holy Qur'aan. On this, Islam is un-comprising, hence this error of the followers of the Ah Movement is the foremost indication of their exit from Islam.

The Submitters are followers of the late Rashad Khalifa, a man who claimed to be a Messenger of Allah. This claim in itself is sufficient to remove the Submitters from Islam as the Holy Qur'aan clearly states: "O people! Muhammad has no sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Messenger of Allah and the last in the line of Prophets. And Allah is aware of everything." (33:40)

As quoted above from the Sahih Bukhari, Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) informed the Ummah that the tribe of Israel was guided by prophets, when a prophet passed away, another succeeded him, but no prophet will come after Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), only caliphs would succeed him.

Much of Rashad Khalifa's misguidance can be traced to his obsession with numerology, an obsession which has misguided many different people throughout history. Khalifa alleged that the Holy Qur'aan contained a mathematical code which revolved around the number 19.

Khalifa even went to the extent of removing two verses from the Holy Qur'aan, because according to him "the word 'God' ... is not a multiple of 19, unless we remove [it]", and the "sum of all verse numbers where the word 'God' occurs is ... 19x6217 ... If the false verse 9:129 is included, this phenomenon disappears."

By rejecting a single verse of the Holy Qur'aan, the Submitters bring themselves under the judgement of another verse, "Do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in another part? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom." (2:85)

It is interesting to note that Khalifa was a numerologist who did his blighted profession justice: he predicted the end of the world. However, Allah says in the Holy Qur'aan, "They ask you about the (last) hour, when will be its taking place? Say: The knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none but He shall manifest it at its time; it will be momentous in the heavens and the earth; it will not come on you but of a sudden. They ask you as if you were solicitous about it. Say: Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know." (7:187)

The Submitters also reject the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) -- not part of it, but the whole of it. For the Submitters, the Sunnah is not a source of Islam.

The problems this presents are overwhelming, for by doing so the Submitters have effectively destroyed their ability to perform: Salaat (obligatory prayers), the second pillar of Islam; Zakat (obligatory tax), the third pillar of Islam; Sawm (fasting), the fourth pillar of Islam; Hajj (pilgrimage), the fifth pillar of Islam. With four out of the five pillars of Islam removed, the Submitters have little to back their claim to being "Muslims". The true Messenger of Islam (saws) warned Muslims of falling into this trap, Narrated AbuRafi':

This is the story of Maryam (Mary) daughter of Imran and mother of Isa (Jesus) [Alaihis salaam]. She was respected by both Muslims and Christians, but there are some aspects on which the two religionists differ. Let us see the facts that the learned writer has compiled about her.

Allah declares He has no son:

In many verses of the Glorious Qur'aan, Allah the Exalted denied the claim of the Christians that He has a son. A delegation from Najran came to Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam). They began to talk about their claim about the Trinity, which is that Allah is three in one, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with some disagreement among their sects. That is why Allah affirmed in many verses of the Holy Qur'aan that Jesus is a slave of Allah, whom He moulded in the womb of his mother like any other of His creatures, and that He created him without a father, as He created Adam without a father or mother. It means Maryam is not the wife of God.

Maryam--member of the chosen family:

Allah the Almighty said, "Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above the Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their times). Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Maryam's birth:

"(Remember) when the wife of Imran said: "0 my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.

"Then when she delivered her (child Mary), she said: "0 my Lord! I have delivered a female child," -- and Allah knew better what she delivered, -- "and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the outcast." (3:33-36)

Maryam's sustenance:

"So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakaria. Every time he entered the Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), he found her supplied with sustenance.

"He said, '0 Maryam! From where have you got this?' She said, 'From Allah. Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit." (3:37)

Maryam's family history:

Allah declared that He had elected Adam and the elite of his offspring who obey Allah. Then He specified the family of Ibrahim, which includes the sons of Ismail, and the family of Imran, the father of Maryam. Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was Imran Ibn Bashim, Ibn Amun, Ibn Misha, Thn Hosqia, Ibn Ahriq, Ibn Mutham, Ibn Azazia, Ibn Amisa, Thn Yamish, Ibn Ahrihu, Ibn Yazem, Thn Yahfashat, Thn Eisha, Thn Iyam, Thn Rahbaam, Ibn David (Dawood).

A mother's longing:

Prophet Zakaria's sister-in-law had a daughter named Hannah. She was married to Imran, a leader of the Israelites. For many years the couple remained childless. Whenever Hannah saw another woman with a child, her longing for a baby increased. Although years had passed, she never lost hope. She believed that one day Allah would bless her with a child, on whom she would shower all her motherly love. She turned to the Lord of the heavens and the earth and pleaded with Him for a child. She would offer the child in the service of Allah's house, in the temple of Jerusalem. Allah granted her request. When she learned she was pregnant, she was the happiest woman alive, and thanked Allah for His gift. Her overjoyed husband Imran also thanked Allah for His mercy.

However, while she was pregnant, her husband passed away. Hannah wept bitterly. Alas, Imran did not live to see their child for whom they had so longed. She gave birth to a girl, and again turned to Allah in prayer: "0 my Lord, I have delivered a female child, ... and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast. (3:36)

Zakaria as Maryam's guardian:

Hannah had a big problem in reference to her promise to Allah, for females were not accepted into the temple, and she was very worried. Her brother-in-law, Zakaria, comforted her, saying that Allah knew best what she had delivered and appreciated fully what she had offered in His service. She wrapped the baby in a shawl and handed it over to the temple elders. As the baby was a girl, the question of her guardianship posed a problem for the elders. This was a child of their late and beloved leader, and everyone was eager to take care of her. Zakaria said to the elders: "I am the husband of her maternal aunt and her nearest relation in the temple, therefore, I will be more mindful of her than all of you."

As it was their custom to draw lots to solve disagreements, they followed this course. Each one was given a reed to throw into the river. They agreed that whoever's reed remained afloat would be granted guardianship of the girl. All the reeds sank to the bottom except that of Zakaria. With this sign, they all surrendered to the will of Allah and made him the guardian of Maryam.

Maryam's high status:

To ensure that no one had access to Maryam, Zakaria built a separate room for her in the temple. As she grew up, she spent her time in devotion to Allah. Zakaria visited her daily to see to her needs, and so it continued for many years. One day, he was surprised to find fresh fruits, which was out of season, in her room. As he was the only person who could enter her room, he asked her how the fruit got there. She replied that these provisions were from Allah, as He gives to whom He wills. Zakaria understood by this that Allah had raised Maryam's status above that of other women. Thereafter, Zakaria spent more time with her, teaching and guiding her. Maryam grew to be a devotee of Allah, glorifying Him day and night.

The adage that ignorance is bliss could not be farther from the truth when seriously put into practical application. Throughout the annals of time, what great accomplishments has ignorance made? What great empires and what marvels of science and technology now bear witness to ignorance's strength and power? That's right, none. Nothing of true worth is achieved without wisdom and knowledge.

It was with supreme knowledge that Allah Almighty laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth. It was with wisdom, knowledge and understanding that Hadhrat Sulaiman (Alaihis Salaam) ruled the greatest empire the world has ever known. Our own Prophet, Hadhrat Mohammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) told us that acquiring knowledge was a duty placed on each and every Muslim. But the knowledge of what and who, remains the question.

Many of us have used the above saying of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), to justify dealing in Riba (interest), in order to send our sons and daughters to the finest universities to become doctors, lawyers and engineers. We use it to justify sending our children to private schools, because they supposedly have higher academic standing and prestige than ordinary Muslim schools. We say we are doing it, because the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said to get knowledge, but is this the knowledge he was speaking about?

It is narrated by Hadhrat Abu Musa (Radhi Allaho anho) that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said: "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain-water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rain- water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilised it for drinking, (making their animals drink from it) and to irrigate the land for cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren, which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then the land was of no benefit). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit from the knowledge, which Allah has revealed through me and learns and then teaches it to others. The (last example is that of a) person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's Guidance revealed through me (He is like the barren land.)" (Bukhari)

Through the above narration, the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) is telling us of the superiority of religious knowledge. This is the knowledge that we should give priority to. All other knowledge will not be of benefit if we do not have this one. First and foremost, comes the knowledge of Allah. Knowing His names and His attributes. Knowing what is expected of us in regard to our servitude to Him, and what mutual rights exist between us.

Secondly, we should strive to know Allah's Book, the Holy Qur'aan. We should learn to read it in Arabic, if we don't already know how to do so. We should also be trying to memorise as much of it as possible, and stressing the importance of both of these things to our children. Reading the Holy Qur'aan should be something commonplace in every Muslim home, and is an activity that the whole family can, and should participate in.

Thirdly, we should know about Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) and his Companions. It's by reading their stories that we learn of their bravery, love for the religion and their complete devotion to Allah. It's by knowing them that we grow to love them, and through loving them, we strive to become more and more like them. This is especially true, when most children nowadays want to be like Mike (Michael) or Janet Jackson or some other celebrity. They want to emulate these people, because they know so much about them. It then becomes increasingly important for us, Muslims, to introduce our children to our heroes. Who were braver in battle than Hadhrat Umar and Hadhrat Hamza (Radhi Allaho anhuma); who was more wise and gentle than Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhi Allaho anho); and which women were more graceful and honourable than the wives of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) were?

Shaqiq al-Balkhi (Rahmatullah alaihe) said that one of the knowers of Allah said, "Know that purity of state is only attained by the purity of one's realisation of four matters:

1. Knowing the Lord (Mighty and Exalted),

2. Knowing the lower self (nafs),

3. Knowing death,

4. Knowing that which comes after death of promises and warnings.

This is because the one who knows his Lord (Most High) fulfils His rights. Whoever knows his lower self (nafs) opposes it. Whoever knows death prepares for its coming. Whoever witnesses the promise of Allah (Most High) obeys His commands. And whoever witnesses His warnings avoids His prohibitions.

These matters are governed by three things:

1. Loyalty (wafa'),

2. Propriety (adab),

3. Dignified behaviour (muru'a).

As for loyalty, it is to make one's sole concern Allah's Solitariness (fardaniyya), to remain firm upon beholding His Oneness (wahdaniyya), and to find intimacy in the light of His Firstness (awwaliyya).

As for propriety, it is to guard one's movements and thoughts, to preserve one's moments, and to leave the interdicted.

As for dignified behaviour, it is to remain steadfast upon remembrance (Zikr) with purity, in word, deed, and intent; to protect oneself from prohibited and doubtful matters of the outward and inward; to hold fast to proper manners to be mindful of what is coming; and to make up anything missed, whether minor or major.