Welcome & Identity
The first five āyāt from the second sūrah of the Holy Qur’an—Surah al-Baqarah—define for us the character of al-muttaqīn, the righteous:
Alif. Lam. Meem.
This is the Book in which there is no doubt—a guidance for those who are righteous:
Those who believe in the Unseen, who establish the prayer, and spend out of what We have provided them;
Who believe in that which was revealed to you (O Muhammad), and in that which was revealed before you,
And who are certain of the Hereafter.
It is they who are upon guidance from their Lord, and it is they who will prosper.
(Qur’an 2:1–5)
These verses clearly outline the conditions that define righteousness—and thus, the qualities of a true believer and a Muslim.
The Requirements of a Muslim
If a person sincerely upholds the following six essentials, they fulfill the foundation of being counted among the righteous:
Belief in the Unseen — such as belief in the Creator (Allah) and in the Hereafter, without having seen them.
Establishing the five daily prayers — not occasionally, but with constancy.
Giving from what Allah has provided — spending in the way of God, including the giving of zakāt.
Belief in that which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) — the Qur’an, final and unaltered.
Belief in that which was revealed before him — including the Torah, the Injeel (Gospel), and earlier scriptures.
Certainty in the Hereafter — accountability, reward, and judgment.
Whoever fulfills these conditions is, by Qur’anic testimony, among the rightly guided—and such a person is, in truth, a Muslim and a believer.
What the Prophet (SAW) Taught
Authentic ahadīth of the Prophet (SAW) reaffirm what the Qur’an has already taught. These narrations further simplify, clarify, and confirm the essentials of Islam.
The Bedouin’s Question
A Bedouin once asked the Prophet (SAW):
Bedouin: What is Islam?
Prophet: Five daily prayers.
Bedouin: Do I have to add to them any more prayers?
Prophet: No, unless you volunteer.
Then the Prophet (SAW) mentioned fasting in the month of Ramadhan.
Bedouin: Do I have to add to that any other fasts?
Prophet: No, unless you volunteer. Then he mentioned zakāt.
Bedouin: Do I have to add to that?
Prophet: No, unless you volunteer.The Bedouin said: By God, I shall neither add to these nor subtract from them.
The Prophet then said:
The Bedouin has succeeded—if he is truthful.
The Simplicity of Islam
In another narration, a Bedouin came to the Prophet (SAW) and asked:
Advise me of a deed that, if I perform it, I will be admitted to Paradise.
The Prophet (SAW) said: Worship Allah, ascribe no partner to Him, establish the prescribed prayer, give zakāt, and fast during Ramadhan.
The Bedouin replied:
By Allah, in Whose hand is my soul, I shall not add to these nor subtract from them.
The Prophet (SAW) then said:
Whoever wishes to look at a man from the people of Paradise—let him look at this man.
Summary from the Sunnah
The Prophet (SAW) taught in clear, consistent language:
Islam is to testify that there is no deity but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
To establish the prescribed prayer.
To pay the prescribed charity.
To fast during the month of Ramadhan.
And for those able—to perform the pilgrimage to the House (Ka'bah).
As for faith (Imān), the Prophet (SAW) taught that it includes:
Belief in Allah,
His Angels,
His Books,
His Messengers,
The Day of Judgment,
And belief in Qadar (divine decree), both the pleasant and the unpleasant.
The Core of Submission
Thus, according to both Qur’an and Hadith, a true Muslim is one who accepts with conviction:
Allah’s Oneness,
Belief in the unseen realities,
Commitment to prescribed worship,
Belief in the Prophets and the scriptures,
Faith in the Day of Judgment,
And righteous action grounded in humility and sincerity.
Such a person, whether learned or simple, whether Arab or non-Arab, is a Muslim in good standing—and, as the Prophet (SAW) declared, a person of Paradise, if he or she is true to this commitment.