ISLAM

  Islam means to submit to the will of God and is founded upon TAWHEED which means to single out God ALONE for worship. God (Allah) is the only One worthy of worship because He ALONE is the Originator and Creator of all that exists. God and creation are not one in the same nor does God exist within His creation. God exists exclusively ABOVE His creation and is neither male nor female, has Two Hands and a Face and other Attributes which resemble NOTHING from His creation.

 The name that God chose for Himself is ALLAH which comes from two arabic words joined together to mean The One worshipped ( AL= The. & iLLah= One worshiped). 

  Allah sent  prophets to every nation calling their people back to TAWHEED after they began to worship false gods (and/or abandoned Allahs laws ). All prophets including Abraham,  Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (May Allah be pleased with them ) called their people to TAWHEED. Each prophet was sent to a specific people except for the last of Allah's prophets, prophet Muhammad ( may peace and blessings be upon him) who was sent to ALL of mankind and jinn. Jinn are another free willed creation on earth  which exists in spiritual form without physical bodies. NOTE- The devil was a jinn and NOT a fallen angel. 

 Prophet Muhammad ( may peace and blessings be upon him) was sent by Allah to convey His message (The Quran) as a favor and guide to mankind and jinn and to show us how to implement the Quran (perform acts of worship). The speech and actions of prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessing be upon him) are called The Sunnah. The Quran and the Sunnah TOGETHER make up Islam. 

Summary: There is no God worthy of worship IN TRUTH but Allah and prophet Muhammad is His last Messenger. 

-To become Muslim simply say the above statement out loud (with certainty and sincerity based upon knowledge and a willingness to obey Allah and His Messenger (prophet Muhammad PBUH) starting with the 5 pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada =The above statement

2. Salah = Five daily prayers

3. Zakat = Charity

4. Sawm = Fasting the month of Ramadan

5. Hajj = Pilgrimage to Mecca).

Please watch the following videos to strengthen your understanding of Islam.

If Ghusl does not meet these conditions, it is NOT VALID: 1- intention to remove impurity, 2- purity of water, 3- the water should reach the entire body, 4- continuity between the parts of Ghusl and not allowing any lengthy interruption between them. 

Praise be to Allah.

“The things that make Ghusl obligatory are six things. If one of them happens then the Muslim has to do Ghusl . 

1. Emission of Maniy (semen) from its exit in the male or female, which happens either when one is awake or when one is asleep. If it is emitted when one is awake, there is the condition that one feels pleasure when it is emitted. If it is emitted without pleasure, then Ghusl is not required, such as if it is emitted as the result of sickness. If it is emitted when one is asleep, this is what is called Ihtilam (erotic dream) and Ghusl is required in all cases because he was not aware (of whether there were feelings of pleasure or not) and he may not experience feelings of pleasure. If a sleeper wakes up and finds traces of Maniy, then he must do Ghusl. If he has an erotic dream but no Maniy comes out of him, and he does not find any trace of it, then he does not have to do Ghusl . 

2. Penetration of the penis into the vagina, even if no ejaculation takes place, because of the Hadith narrated by Muslim and others from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “When a man sits between the four parts (arms and legs of his wife) and has intercourse with her, then Ghusl is obligatory.” So Ghusl is required of both parties involved by mere virtue of penetration having taken place, even if no ejaculation takes place, because of this Hadith and because there is scholarly consensus on this point. 

3. According to some scholars, Ghusl is required when a non-Muslim becomes Muslim, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told some of those who became Muslim to do Ghusl. Many scholars think that it is recommended, not obligatory, for a non-Muslim who becomes Muslim to do Ghusl because it is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told everyone who became Muslim to do that. So it may be understood that it is recommended, so as to reconcile the evidence. 

4. Death – the deceased person must be washed, except for the martyr who falls in battle, who is not to be washed. 

5 and 6 – Menses and postpartum bleeding, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When your menses ends , then do Ghusl and pray.” And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when they have purified themselves” [Al-Baqarah 2:222], referring to menses – they should purify themselves by doing Ghusl after their menses ends .” (Al-Mulakhkhas Al-Fiqhi by Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) 

And Allah knows best.

10 conditions of wudu:

1. Islam
2. Sound intellect.
3. Age of discernment.
4. Intentions.
5. Maintaining Intentions throughout the wudu.
6. Ceasing what breaks wudu.
7. Istinja / istijmar (cleaning private area with water 1 to 3 times after using the bathroom. If there is no water then use something dry like paper etc..).
8. Using pure water.
9. Removing what prevents water from reaching the skin.
10. The entrance of the prayer time for those who constantly break their wudu.

Things that break the wudu are six.

1. Something exiting the private areas (front and back)
2. Filth exiting the body.
3. Losing consciousness
4. Touching the private parts without a barrier (front and back).
5. Eating canal meat.
6. Apostasy (may Allah protect us. Ameen).