72. What makes a person a good Muslim?

A Muslim is a person who is submitted to God/Allâh. Evidence of submission to Allâh is provided by reciting the ‘shahadah’ or ‘creed’ of Islâm confessing that there is only One God and Muhammed is His Prophet. Once a person utters this creed he or she is expected to perform prayers/salat five times per day and attend the Mosque on Friday for prayers and listen carefully to a sermon from the Sheik, Imam or Mullah. The devoted Muslim will also fast each year for 30 days at Ramadan and arrange a Haj or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in His lifetime. A good Muslim would also seek to participate in Jihadist activities and obey the Qur’an in all its aspect. They would also seek advice from the Hadith about how to behave and make decisions and obey the commandments of the Qur’an as much as possible.

Giving alms to the poor and helping people make a pilgrimage to Mecca are definitely evidences that a person is a good Muslim. The Qur’an states very clearly that a good Muslim is one who is truthful – see Surah 23 ayat 70-71. Commands such as Surah 10 ayah 94 which implore Muslims to read the Book and the Truth of the People of the Book are also what makes a good Muslim. There are many commands in the Qur’an, Hadith and Seerah that Muslims need to be familiar with so they can obey them and demonstrate that they are good Muslims.

Having a good family, taking care of all the members of one’s family impartially and encouraging the ‘ummah’ or local Muslim community are also important duties to be a good Muslim.