Frequently Asked Questions What is Islam? Who are the Ahlul Bayt (`a)? Where can I find a guide that teaches me how to perform the daily prayers (salat)? Where can I obtain information on how to become Muslim and other information about Islam? What are Al-Islam.org and the DILP? How can I be kept informed when new resources are added to Al-Islam.org? What do the various Arabic terms and abbreviations used on this site mean? Where can I purchase in book-form the textual materials available on Al-Islam.org? How can I order items from your art gallery? How can I order audio or video items from your multimedia gallery in cassette or CD format? I have a question regarding the audio/video material available on the Islamic Gallery (http://al-islam.org/gallery). Why can't I view the Arabic pages on Al-Islam.org? Can I link from a website I maintain to resources on your website? Can I make use of some of the textual or graphical resources from Al-Islam.org for my own website or a newsletter I am publishing? How can I contribute to the DILP? Where can I find a list of Islamic organizations worldwide? How can I contact the DILP? What is Islam? Al-Islam, commonly referred to as Islam, is an Arabic term which means "the active submission to the one God". Islam is a religion which guides its followers in every aspect of their lives. It is a way of life. Islam is the modern or latest version of the message sent by God through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all). Islam was sent to mankind through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). Islam is "modern" in the sense that it has come to complement the teachings which were introduced through Moses and Jesus. Islam is a religion which seeks to give a meaningful purpose to our life on this earth. It seeks to guide us in fulfilling that purpose by creating harmony between ourselves, our Creator and fellow human beings. A Muslim is one who submits to the will of God... [more] Back to Top >> Who are the Ahlul Bayt (`a)? According to the most authentic traditions narrated in the collections of all Muslim schools of thought, the Ahlul-Bayt (a) (People of the House) of the Prophet are one of the two most precious Symbols of Islam after the departure of the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) reminded us to adhere to these two weighty things (al-Thaqalayn), namely the Quran and Ahlul-Bayt, in order not to go astray after him. The Messenger of Allah (s) also informed us that these two weights are non-separable and are with each other till the day of Judgment. Therefore, in order to understand the interpretation of the Quran and the Tradition of the Prophet (s), we should refer to those who are attached to it, namely, Ahlul-Bayt (a). The Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet (s) consist of the following individuals: The Prophet Muhammad (s) Fatimah al-Zahra (a) Imam Ali (a) Imam al-Hasan (a) Imam al-Husain (a) The nine descendants of Imam al-Husain (a) See Chapter 1a of A Shi'ite Encyclopedia and Hadith al-Thaqalayn, A Study of its Tawatur Back to Top >> Where can I find a guide that teaches me how to perform the daily prayers (salat)? See Factsheet: How to Perform the Daily Prayers translated into multiple languages, Play & Learn or the Emari Islam Page Back to Top >> Where can I obtain information on how to become Muslim and other information about Islam? Please write to Islamic Education Board Dar al Tableegh Jackets Lane Harefield, Middlesex UB9 6PZ United Kingdom IEB@world-federation.org Back to Top >> What are Al-Islam.org and the DILP? Al-Islam.org is a work of the Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project (DILP), which is a non-profit Internet-based group of people operating from throughout the world. Our objectives are to digitise and present on the Internet quality Islamic resources, related to the history, law, practice, and society of the Islamic religion and the Muslim peoples with particular emphasis on Twelver Shia Islamic school of thought...[more] Back to Top >> How can I be kept informed when new resources are added to Al-Islam.org? Enter your email address here in order to be added to our read-only, low-traffic DILP Announcements mailing list. Back to Top >> What do the various Arabic terms and abbreviations used on this site mean? swt = "Subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa" = Exalted He is (used for Allah) pbuh&hf = Peace be upon him and his family (used for Prophet Muhammad) (a) or (as) = "`alayhi/`alayhaa al-salaam" = Peace be upon him/her (used for the Prophets and the Ahlul Bayt (`a)) ra = "Radhiyallaahu `anhu/`anha" = may Allah be pleased with him/her Back to Top >> Where can I purchase in book-form the textual materials available on Al-Islam.org? How can I order items from your art gallery? How can I order audio or video items from your multimedia gallery in cassette or CD format? The DILP does not sell any of the resources available on Al-Islam.org. We do maintain a list of booksellers who may carry some of these resources. Back to Top >> I have a question regarding the audio/video material available on the Islamic Gallery (http://al-islam.org/gallery). Please see the Gallery Audio/Video FAQ. Back to Top >> Why can't I view the Arabic pages on Al-Islam.org? Please see the Arabic Viewing Guidelines. Back to Top >> Can I link from a website I maintain to resources on your website? Yes, you may do so, with the condition that you clearly acknowledge the destination of the link on your page as an external resource (The Ahlul Bayt DILP or Al-Islam.org). Please contact us for exceptions to this condition. Back to Top >> Can I make use of some of the textual or graphical resources from Al-Islam.org for my own website or a newsletter I am publishing? For most of our textual resources, we do not own the copyright. However, after seeking permission, we have been permitted by the copyright-holders to digitise their material for educational purposes. If you wish to reproduce only a small portion of a textual resource (such as a chapter from a book) for a newsletter, you may wish to explore the possibility of doing so without permission under the fair use clauses of copyright legislation. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any further detailed guidance on this aspect. However, if you wish to use the materials for any other purposes (such as for your own website), or modify or summarise them, you will need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder directly. Most graphics on Al-Islam.org have been created internally by the Ahlul Bayt DILP team and the copyright rests exclusively with us. We allow you to make use of these for non-profit educational purposes as long as the source is clearly identified and, in the case of a website, a link is provided to our website. Back to Top >> How can I contribute to the DILP? The DILP is a registered, tax-exempt non-profit organization. Please contact us if you regularly visit this site and wish to show your appreciation by contributing towards our significant maintenance costs and/or if you wish to see further development of Al-Islam.org. We also welcome your contributions to the resources on the site. Back to Top >> Where can I find a list of Islamic organizations worldwide? Please see http://www.shia.org/organizations.html and http://www.islam-pure.de Back to Top >> How can I contact the DILP? Please see our Contact Us information. Back to Top >>