5 Shocking Things you Must Know as a Muslim

In this blog post, we will go in depth on 5 things every Muslims needs to know and practice otherwise Jannah is not guaranteed. I know this will definitely help expand your wisdom and help you get into Paradise, Insha'Allah.

I have made sure to include references and links if you would like extra information.

1. Seeking Knowledge is Compulsory on every Muslim

Every Muslim is dutybound by Allah to seek knowledge, to learn and educate oneself and to spread and help others with beneficial reminders. Knowledge is what makes possible the internet, the tallest building and even the spread of Islam. It is a valuable asset that can help you attain success in this world and in the hereafter.

This is why it is very important and why Allah made it compulsory for every Muslim to seek knowledge as best as they possibly can.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ

"Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim (and Muslimah)." - Sunan Ibn Majah

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

"He who does not acquire knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allah but for worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of Resurrection." - Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1391 [Abu Dawud]

And the fragrance of Jannah can smelt from the distance of 500 years. SubhanAllah.

So it is extremely important that as Muslims, we keep seeking knowledge not for ourselves but for the sake of Allah and the religion of Islam. Not just Worldly Knowledge but also Divine Knowledge that helps us become the best of people. If you are interested in Divine Knowledge, you should check out our vast range of Islamic Books.

2. Importance of the 5 Daily Prayers (Salah)

Salah is obligatory on every Muslim. We must pray five times a day because this is a pillar of Islam. It is what makes you Muslim and its help us towards goodness and restrains us from sins. This is made evident when Allah says:

"Verily, Salah restrains (oneself) from shameful and unjust deeds…" - Quran 29:45

Salah is also the reason why we call ourselves Muslim, it the key factor of being a Muslim as we establish a connection with the Almighty on a consistent basis. Otherwise we would be no different from a non-Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr." - Sunan Ibn Majah 1079

“On the Day of Judgment, a slave will be questioned about his prayers first. If his prayers are good, his other deeds will be good, too. If his prayers are bad, his other deeds will be bad, too.” - Tabarani, Targhib

“When a person who abandons prayers reaches Allah, he will see that Allah will have inflicted His wrath on him.” - Bazzar, Tabarani, Majma’uz Zawaid

No matter how good or bad your day is going, you must pray 5 times a day. Structure each day around your daily salah, remove friends from your life if you need too. There is Barakat (blessing) in everything Allah has made halal and compulsory for us.

3. Hijab and Haya

Islam is all about Haya. Haya doesn't just mean modesty, it also translates too decency, honor, humility, inhibition, self-respect, shame, shyness and timidity.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Haya does not bring anything except good." - Bukhari and "The character of Islam is Haya" -  Abu Dawood, al-Muwatta

So having Haya is a very important characteristic that we should develop and embrace in our lives. This should be complemented with a Hijab, a Hijab for men and women.

For men, they are required by Islam to cover their knees, lower their gazes and wear clothing that does not cause indecency within the community. Similarly Muslim women must wear a physical veil on their heads, cover their awrah and lower their gazes.

"Women who are naked even though they are wearing clothes, go astray and make others go astray, and they will not enter the Garden and they will not find its scent, and its scent is experienced from as far as the distance travelled in five hundred years." - USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 48, Hadith 7

"Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is fully Aware of what they do." - Quran 24:30

"And tell the believing women to reduce some of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which necessarily appears thereof and to wrap a portion of their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment [i.e., beauty]" - Quran 24:31

So it is very important for both men and women to have Hijab and Haya.

4. Star Signs / Superstitions

Astrology, horoscopes, superstition, zodiac signs, black magic and fortune telling are all actions of Jahiliya (Ignorance) which Islam came to show as false and to explain that they are shirk, because they involve depending on something other than Allah and believing that benefit and harm come from something other than him.

“Whoever seeks knowledge from the stars is seeking one of the branches of witchcraft…” - Narrated by Abu Dawood 

"He who visits fortune teller and asks him about anything, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights." - Sahih Muslim 2230

Therefore it is a major sin to believe, use or have any association with them. It is best not to discuss them, to stay far away from them. As Muslims we should not even go near Haram, let alone be associated ourselves with Shirk and Ignorance.

5. People who you call Friends

Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:

"A good friend is like a perfume seller. The perfume seller might give you perfume as a gift or you might smell of him, or at least might smell it's fragrance - A bad friend is like a blacksmith, he might singe your clothes and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace." - Bukhari, Muslim

When you realise the power of influence, you won’t surround yourself with just anyone. Be careful of who you call your friend. Their influence will rub off on you over time. If you accompany yourself with wrongdoers, your likelihood of becoming like them increases exponentially.

It is best to become friends with people who make you a better person or encourage you towards righteousness. We should be helping each other in the best manner, in a character similar to the Prophet ﷺ that invites people closer towards the beauty of Islam and does not push people away.

Good friends stay by your side, they are always honest with you and give you advise in your best interest according the Sunnah and Quran. Keep people like that close to you and watch how they put Barakat (blessing) in your life and you in theirs.

We hope you took something good from this blog post and if you are interested in expanding your Islamic knowledge, you should definitely look into our range our Islamic Books.