by Sadaf Farooqi

Created on: April 28, 2009

The word "Muslim" linguistically means "the person who enters into peace" or "the one who submits". Anyone who enters the foray of Islam by pronouncing the "shahadah": the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah - the one and only God - and that Muhammad is Allah's slave and His (last) Messenger, becomes a Muslim.

However, being a Muslim means much, much more than the utterance of a few words. It embodies an entire lifestyle change - undoubtedly, a change that is for the better. A Muslim embodies firm, unflinching belief in, and submission to, Allah's commands, as explained by the Holy Book of Islam: the Quran, and the authentic narrations of the Prophet Muhammad [may peace of Allah be upon him]. A Muslim becomes a devout servant of Allah, putting the obedience of His Creator's commands and His Pleasure before everything else in his or her life; even before his own logic or common sense.

Therefore, it is not at all surprising to see Muslims doing things, or living in a way, that might seem unusual for other people; for example, a Muslim girl might be seen with her head and arms covered in a weather in which most other women excitedly reduce the amount of clothing on their bodies; a Muslim man might get up in the middle of an important examination, corporate meeting, conference or lecture to spread out a mat in a corner somewhere and engage in a series of actions and body postures that could make a total stranger to Islam confused, or even bemused; a Muslim could be spotted giving back a large amount of money to a bank teller - money that is supposedly his - stating that he doesn't consume or pay interest, to the total bafflement of onlookers; Muslims might be seen abstaining from eating food at a party or restaurant, because it is classified as impermissible for consumption according to Islamic standards, no matter how great the temptation, or how appetizing its aroma; a Muslim young man might be seen lowering his eyes and looking away when an attractive young woman, dressed in tank-top and shorts, jogs by him on his path. Many such situations might arise for a Muslim; situations in which he or she might literally be considered weird or silly for doing things that are considered otherwise normal' for others. However, that is what it means to be Muslim: to submit to Allah and His commands in order to please Him.

Being a Muslim implies living a simple life with the belief that the true, real and perpetual life will be that of the Hereafter

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