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Islam At A Glance
ISLAM AND MUSLIMS The Arabic word Islam means peace. Once the designer and creator of all complex beings is recognised, man would naturally want to know and submit to 'His' higher and wiser formula of living. The religion of Islam is the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He also works for building human society on the same basis. "Muhammadanism is a misnomer for Islam and offends its very spirit. In Islamic tradition God is one, the obsolute and eternal, without partner and there is none comparable to him. 'Allah' is the name of God in Arabic. It is a unique term because it has no plural or feminine gender. CONTINUITY OF MESSAGE Islam is not a new religion. It is, in essence, the same message and guidance which Allah revealed to all Prophets: "Say. we believe in Allah and that which has been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ismael and Issac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to other Prophets, from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit". (Qura'n 3:83). The message which was revealed to Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), the last Prophet in Islam, is in its comprehensive, complete and final form. THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM - the foundation of Muslim life: 1. The declaration of faith : To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His final messenger till the Day of Judgement. The Prophethood of Muhammad obliges the Muslims to follow his exemplary life as a model. 2. Prayers : Daily prayers are offered five times a day. They strengthen and enliven the belief in Allah and inspire man to a higher morality. They purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong-doings and evils. 3. Fasting the month of Ramadhan : The Muslims during the month of Ramadhan not only abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, but also from bad intentions and desires. It teaches sincerity, self restraint, unselfishness, empathy and devotion. 4. Zakat: To pay 2.5% of one's net savings annually as a purifying sum to be spent on the poor and needy. It develops a social conscience and responsibilty for the unfortunate. This is not to be mistaken with the general voluntary charity above and beyond the zakat. For the voluntary charity the higher aim would be to become soft hearted and inclined to helping the needy that the 'left hand does not know what the right hand has given in charity' 5. Pilgrimage to Makkah: It is to be performed once in a lifetime, if financially and physically able. With millions taking part from around the world, it has been a humbling recognition for centuries how muslims practically believe in the brotherhood of man. A striking witness to this was malcolm X, a black American seperatists who believed the white man was the devil. After performing the pilgrimage, he retracted his confrontational ideas and was willing to work with people of all colours and faiths to help the black people of America get equal rights . Besides these pillars every action which is done with the awareness that it fulfills the will of Allah is also considered an act of worship. Islam enjoins faith in the Oneness and Sovereignty of Allah, which makes man aware of the meaningfulness of the Universe and of his place in it. This belief frees him from all fears and superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of the Almighty Allah and of man's obligations towards Him. This faith must be expressed and is tested in action. Faith alone is not enough. It is manifested in action. Belief in one God requires that we look upon all humanity as one family under the universal Omnipotence of God - the Creator and Nourisher of all. Islam rejects the idea of a chosen people, making faith in God and good action the only way to heaven. Thus, a direct relationship is established with God, without any intercessor. Mecca, Saudi Arabia MAN: THE FREE AGENT Man is the highest creation of God. He is equipped with the highest of potentialities. He is left relatively free in his will, action and choice. God has shown him the right path, and the life of Prophet Muhammad provides a perfect example. Man's success and salvation lies in following both. Islam teaches the sanctity of the human personality and confers equal rights upon all without any distinction of race, sex or colour. The law of God, enunciated in the Qura'n and exemplified in the life of the prophet, is supreme in all cases. It applies equally to the highest and the lowest, the prince and the peasant, the ruler and the ruled. LIFE AFTER DEATH The world according to Islam is a place of trial and man is being judged in it. Man is accountable to Allah for all that he does herein. Life on earth will, one day, come to an end; and after that a new world will be resurrected. It will be in this life after death that man will be rewarded or admonished for his deeds and misdeeds. QURA'N AND HADITH The Qura'n is the last revealed word of God and the basic source of Islamic teachings and laws. The Qura'n deals with the bases of creeds, morality, history of humanity, worship, knowledge, wisdom, God-man relationship, and human relationship in all aspects. Comprehensive teachings on economics, politics, international relations, legislation, jurisprudence are important contents of the Holy Qura'n, onwhich can be built sound systems of social justice. Muhammad (PBUH) himself was an unlettered man who could not read or write. Yet, the Holy Qura'n was committed to memory and writing by his followers, under his supervision, during his lifetime. The original and complete text of the Qura'n is available to everybody in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed. Translations of the meaning into many languages are widely used. Hadith, the teachings, sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad, meticulously reported and collected by his devoted companions, explain and elaborate the Qura'nic verses. CONCEPT OF WORSHIP Islam does not teach or accept mere ritualism. It emphasizes intention and action. To worship God is to know Him, love Him, to act upon His law in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness and forbid wrong-doing and oppression, to practice charity and justice and to serve Him by serving mankind. The Qura'n presents this concept in the following sublime manner; "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but righteous is he who believes in God and the Last Day and the Angels and the Books and the Prophets; and gives his wealth for love of Him to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask; and to set slaves free; and observes proper worship and pays the Zakat. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress, such are those who are sincere. Such are the God fearing." (Qur'an 2: 177). The ISLAMIC WAY OF LIFE Islam provides specific guidelines for all people to follow in their daily lives. Its guidance is comprehensive and includes the social, economic, political, moral, and spiritual aspects of life. The Qur'an reminds man of the purpose of his life, of his duties and obligations toward himself, his family and relatives, his community, his fellow human beings, and his Creator. Man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then confronted with the challenges of human existence so that he may put these high ideals into practice. In Islam, a person's life is regarded as a holistic and integrated unity and not a collection of fragmented and competitive parts. The "sacred" and "secular" are not separate parts of man; they are united in the nature of human being. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born in the year 570 A.C. in the city of Makkah in Arabia. He came of a noble family; he received the first revelation at the age of forty. As soon as he started preaching Islam, he and his followers were persecuted and had to face severe hardships. He was, therefore, commanded by God to migrate to Madina, another city in Arabia. During a short span of 23 years, he completed his mission of prophethood and died at the age of 63. He was put to rest in the city of Madina. He left no wealth or property. He led a perfect life and set an example for all human-beings. His biography illustrates in real life, the meaning and implications of the Qura'nic teachings. ISLAM'S RATIONAL APPEAL Islam in its clear and direct way of expressing truth has a tremendous amount of appeal for any seeker of knowledge. It is a solution for all the problems of life. It is a guide towards a better and complete life. Glorifying in all its phases God, the Almighty Creator and the Merciful Nourisher. MUSLIM POPULATION About 1 in 5 people in the world are Muslim, the majority of whom are not Arab. JIHAD This seems to be one of the most misunderstood concepts. To Muslims everything in their life can be seen as a Jihad. It means struggle. It is essentially a personal struggle of oneself to become a better person. It could be making the effort to stop smoking, swallowing your anger when provoked, being hard working and being patient, being honest in your trade though it may be easier otherwise, giving time to your child after work though you are tired, to organise events for the betterment of society though you may be a shy person. The more commonly known perception of Jihad, though not so common, can be physically defending the rights of others who are unable to defend themselves, only after all other peaceful means are exhausted. The latter concept of Jihad is expressed in the Qur'an as, "What has happened to you? Why don't you fight in the way of Allah in support of men, women and children whom finding helpless, they have repressed; and who pray, 'O Allah! Liberate us from this habitation which is ruled by tyrants.'" (Holy Qur'an 4:75) ISLAM - THE SOLUTION OF MODERN PROBLEMS THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN: A major problem which modern man faces is that of racism. The materially advanced nations can send man to the moon but they cannot stop man from hating and fighting his fellow man. Islam, over the last 1400 years, has shown in practice how racism can be ended. Every year, during Hajj, the Islamic miracle of real brotherhood of all races and nations can be seen in action. THE FAMILY The family which is the basic unit of civilization is disintegrating. Islam's family system brings into a fine equilibrium the rights of man, wife, children and relatives. Islam nourishes human unselfishness, generosity and love in a well-organised family system. UNFRAGMENTED VIEW OF LIFE Human beings live according to their view of life. The tragedy of secular societies is that they fail to connect the different aspects of life. The secular and the religious, the scientific and the spiritual seem to be in conflict. Islam puts an end to this conflict and brings harmony to man's vision of life. |
