Welcome to SF*BASIC, your source of insider news on the Bay Area Shia community!

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you,

Welcome to SF*BASIC, your source of insider news on the San Francisco Bay Area Shia Islamic community!

SF*BASIC is an independent community news website dedicated to the awaiting of al-Imam al-Mahdi (الإمام المهدي، عليه السلام), Peace be upon him, and the Messiah Jesus son of Mary (المسيح عيسى بن مريم، عليهما السلام), Peace be upon them, advancing Shia Islam in the Bay Area and beyond, and combating takfiri (التكفيريين) and takhwini (التخوينيين) terror organizations (e.g., al-Qaeda, the Basij, Hezbollah, etc.) and false ideologies and concepts (e.g., Ruhollah Khomeini's Velayat-e Faqih) by promoting the inherent and vast tolerance (سماحة الإسلام) of true Islam.

«سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ» (الإسراء)

"Glory to (God) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless." (Quran 17:1)

So What is True Islam?

Islam is very much misunderstood by too many people, both Muslims and non-Muslims!  Some people think that the word Islam (إسلام) is Arabic for submission. This translation of the word Islam is certainly FALSE as submission is Arabic ikhdhaa' (إخضاع).

The word Islam is very beautiful and a joy to say. Try it: "Islam, Islam!" But the meaning of the word Islam is even more beautiful as Islam is Arabic for "enter into Peace."

The base of the word Islam is Salam (سلام), which is one of the Holy Names (الأسماء الحسنى) of God (Allah - الله)! Salam is Arabic for Peace! Salam is the sister of the word Shalom (שלום), which is Hebrew (עברית) for Peace! Shalom is also one of the Holy Names (שם קדוש) of God (Elohim - אלוהים)!

      Indeed, the beautiful word Islam is about harmony, mercy, Peace, order, selflessness, security, and serenity because Islam, the Religion of Peace (الإسلام دين السلام), requires its adherents to be Universally Benevolent.      

2006-01-02 (Hajj Season 1426 H)

SF*BASIC Photo: The Kaaba (الكعبة، أعزها الله) in al-Masjid al-Haram (المسجد الحرام), in Mecca (Makkah - مكة المكرمة), al-Hijaz (الحجاز), Saudi Arabia, at sunset. Photo by Sam Bazzi. "Verily, the very first House of Worship set up for mankind was indeed the one in Bakkah (Mecca): Rich in blessings and a source of guidance for all peoples."  (Quran: 3:96)

The word Salam, like its sister Shalom, is used for greeting others. While the words Hello, Hi, and Howdy, are cool, they are philosophically empty.  Saying "as-Salam alaykum" (السلام عليكم) to someone means "Peace be upon you!"

When a Muslim greets another person with "Peace be upon you," the greeter is in fact proclaiming a contract (عقد) of Peace with the other person. Hence, if the greeter has non-peaceful intentions towards the other person, he would be engaging in hypocrisy (نفاق), which is one of the Major Sins (الذنوب الكبيرة - الكبائر) in Islam! According to the Islamic faith, when a Muslim who engages in hypocrisy dies, the angels spiritually mark his shroud with the word "Hypocrite!" (منافق)

When someone, whether Muslim or not, greets a Muslim person with "as'Salam alaykum," it becomes obligatory for the other person to respond to the greeter and complete the contract with "wa'alaykum as'Salam" (وعليكم السلام), which is Arabic for "and upon you may Peace be."  Thus, Islam is primarily about true commitment to universal Peace among mankind.

Muslims believe that all Prophets, since Adam (آدم، عليه السلام), Peace be upon him, practiced and preached Islam.  Indeed, in the Qur'an (Koran - القرآن), God commands mankind to "follow the Creed of Ibrahim (Abraham - إبراهيم، عليه السلام), the Man of Pure Faith, who was not a polytheist."  (Qur'an: 3:95)

Islam, the Religion of Peace, was reestablished mor  e than 1,400 years ago by Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him and his family.  So, who is Prophet Muhammad?

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