1. Islaam and Muslims
4. The Qur'aan
The word "Islam" is
an Arabic word which means "submission to the will of God". This
word comes from the same root as the Arabic word "salam", which
means "peace". As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order
to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God
and live according to His Divinely revealed Law. The most important truth
that God revealed to mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy
of being worshipped except for Almighty God, thus all human beings should
submit to Him. The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will
of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background.
Being a Muslim entails wilful
submission and active obedience to God, and living in accordance with His
message. Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for
Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are there
converts to Islam in every corner of the world, especially in England and
America, but by taking a look at the Muslim World from Bosnia to Nigeria,
and from Indonesia to Morocco, one can clearly see that Muslims come from
many various races, ethnic groups and nationalities. It is also interesting
to note that in actuality, more than 80% of all Muslims are not Arabs -
there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in the whole Arab World! Therefore,
although it is true that most Arabs are Muslims, the large majority of
Muslims are not Arabs. However, anyone who submits completely
to God and worships Him alone is a Muslim.
Continuity of the Message
Islam is not a new religion because "submission to the will of God", i.e. Islam, has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight of God. For this reason, Islam is the true "natural religion", and it is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God's prophets and messengers. Muslims believe that all of God's prophets, which include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, brought the same message of Pure Monotheism. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of a new religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was the Final Prophet of Islam. By revealing His final message to Muhammad, which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham, who was one of the earliest and greatest prophets. Suffice it to say that the way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham, because both the Bible and the Qur'aan portray Abraham as a towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to God and worshipped Him without intermediaries. Once this is realised, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and universal message of any religion, because all prophets and messengers were "Muslims", i.e. those who submitted to God's will, and they preached "Islam", i.e. submission to the will of Almighty God.
The Oneness of God
The foundation of the Islamic
faith is belief in the Oneness of Almighty God - the God of Abraham, Noah,
Moses and Jesus. Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive
in human beings and thus fulfils the natural inclination of the soul. As
such, Islam's concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to
understand. Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human beings
are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that God's revelations
to man are not clouded by self-contradictory mysteries or irrational ideas.
As such, Islam teaches that even though God cannot be fully comprehended
and grasped by our finite human minds, He also does not expect us to accept
absurd or demonstrably false beliefs about Him. According to the teachings
of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should never be
compromised by associating partners with Him - neither in worship nor in
belief. Due to this, Muslims are required to maintain a direct relationship
with God, and therefore all intermediaries are absolutely forbidden. From
the Islamic standpoint, believing in the Oneness of God means to realise
that all prayer and worship should be exclusively for God, and that He
alone deserves such titles as "Lord" and "Saviour".
Some religions, even though
they believe in "One God", do not make all of their worship and
prayers for Him alone. Also, they also give the title of "Lord"
to beings that are not All-Knowing, All-Powerful and Un-Changing - even
according to their own scriptures. Suffice it to say that according to
Islam, it is not enough that people believe that "God is One", but
they must actualise this belief by proper conduct. In short, in the Islamic
concept of God, which is completely based on Divine Revelation, there is
no ambiguity in divinity - God is God and man is man. Since God is the
only Creator and continual Sustainer of the Universe, He is transcendent
above His creation - the Creator and the creature never mix. Islam teaches
that God has a unique nature and that He is free from gender, human weaknesses
and beyond anything which human beings can imagine. The Qur'aan teaches
that the signs and proofs of God's wisdom, power and existence are evident
in the world around us. As such, God calls on man to ponder over the creation
in order to build a better understanding of his Creator. Muslims believe
that God is Loving, Compassionate and Merciful, and that He is concerned
with the daily affairs of human beings. In this, Islam strikes a unique
balance between false religious and philosophical extremes. Some religions
and philosophies portray God as just an impersonal "Higher Power"
who is uninterested, or unaware, of the life of each individual human.
Other religions tend to give God human qualities and teach that He is present
in His creation, by being incarnate in someone, something - or even everything.
In Islam, however, Almighty God has clarified the truth by letting mankind
know that He is "Compassionate", "Merciful", "Loving"
and the "Answerer of Prayers". But He as also emphasised strongly
that "there is nothing like unto Him", and that He is high above
time, space and His creation.
Finally, it should be mentioned
that the God that Muslims worship is the same God that Jews and Christians
worship - because there is only one God. It is unfortunate that some people
mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jews and Christians,
and that "Allah" is just the "god of the Arabs". This myth,
which has been propagated by the enemies of Islam, is completely false
since the word "Allah" is simply the Arabic name for Almighty God.
It is the same word for God which is used by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians.
However, it should be clarified that although Muslims worship the same
God as Jews and Christian, their concept of Him differs somewhat from the
beliefs of other religions - mainly because it is based completely on Divine
Revelation from God. For example, Muslims reject the Christian belief that
God is a Trinity, not only because the Qur'aan rejects it, but also because
if this was God's true nature, He would have clearly revealed it to Abraham,
Noah, Jesus and all of the other prophets.
The Qur'aan
The Arabic world "Al-Qur'aan"
literally means "the recitation". When used in regards to Islam,
the word Qur'aan means God's final message to mankind that was revealed
to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur'aan, sometimes spelled Koran, is
the literal the word of God - as it clearly says time and time again. Unlike
other sacred scriptures, the Qur'aan has been perfectly preserved in both
its words and meaning in a living language. The Qur'aan is a living miracle
in the Arabic language; and is known to be inimitable in its style, form
and spiritual impact. God's final revelation to mankind, the Qur'aan, was
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. The Qur'aan,
in contrast to many other religious books, was always thought to be the
Word of God by those who believed in it, i.e. it wasn't something decreed
by a religious council many years after being written. Also, the Qur'aan
was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities
during the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The entire Qur'aan was also completely
written down in the lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of
the Prophet memorised the entire Qur'aan word-for-word as it was revealed.
So unlike other scriptures, the Qur'aan was always in the hands of the
common believers, it was always thought to be God's word and, due to wide-spread
memorisation, it was perfectly preserved.
In regards to the teachings
of the Qur'aan - it is a universal scripture, and it is addressed to all
of mankind, and not to a particular tribe or "chosen people". The
message that it brings is nothing new, but the same message of all of the
prophets - submit to Almighty God and worship Him alone.
As such, God's revelation in the Qur'aan focuses on teaching human beings
the importance of believing in the Unity of God and framing their lives
around the guidance which He has sent. Additionally, the Qur'aan contains
the stories of the previous prophets, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses and
Jesus; as well as many commands and prohibitions from God. In modern times
in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and "political
correctness", the Qur'anic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness
of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today. In short,
the Qur'aan is the book of guidance par excellence.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
Unlike the founders of many
religions, the final prophet of Islam is a real documented and historical
figure. He lived in the full light of history, and the most minute details
of his life are known. Not only do Muslims have the complete text of God's
words that were revealed to Muhammad, but they have also preserved his
saying and teachings in what is called "hadith" literature. This
having been said, it should be understood that Muslims believe that the
Prophet Muhammad was only a man chosen by God, and that he is not divine
in any way. In order to avoid the misguided wish to deify him, the Prophet
Muhammad taught Muslims to refer to him as "God's Messenger and His
Slave".
The mission of the last
and final prophet of God was to simply teach that "there is nothing
divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God", as well
as being a living example of God's revelation. In simple terms, God sent
the revelation to Muhammad, who in turn taught it, preached it, lived it
and put it into practice. In this way, Muhammad was more than just a "prophet"
in the sense of many of the Biblical prophets, since he was also a statesman
and ruler. He was a man who lived a humble life in the service of God,
and established an all-encompassing religion and way of life by showing
what it means to be an ideal friend, husband, teacher, ruler, warrior and
judge. For this reason, Muslims follow him not for his own sake, but in
obedience to God, because Muhammad not only showed us how to deal with
our fellow human beings, but more importantly, he showed us how to relate
to and worship God, worship Him in the only way pleasing to Him.
Like other prophets, Muhammad
faced a great deal of opposition and persecution during his mission. However,
he was always patient and just, and he treated his enemies well. The results
of his mission were very successful, and even though his mission started
in one of the most backward and remotest places on earth, within a hundred
years of the death of Muhammad, Islam had spread from Spain to China. The
Prophet Muhammad was the greatest of all of God's prophets, not because
he had new doctrines or greater miracles, but because the results of his
mission have brought more human beings into the pure
and proper belief in the One True God than any other prophet.
The Islamic Way of Life
In the Holy Qur'aan, God
teaches human beings that they were created in order to worship Him, and
that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings
of Islam encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is
encouraged in all human affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts
are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to
His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals.
The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul,
and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly
encouraged. Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness,
since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness. The Islamic
view of the nature of man is also realistic and well balanced. Human beings
are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable
of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand.
God has given people free will, and the measure of one's faith is one's
deeds and actions. However, human beings have also been created weak and
regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being as created
by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently "corrupt" or in need
of repair. This is because the avenue of repentance is always open to all
human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner more than one
who does not sin at all.
The true balance of an Islamic
life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a sincere
belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and
disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God will
not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In light of this, Islam
teaches that: only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord.
Additionally, the Holy Qur'aan, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad,
contains a great deal of teachings about the life hereafter and the Day
of Judgement. Due to this, Muslims believe that God will ultimately judge
all human beings for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives.
In judging human beings, Almighty God will be both Merciful and Just, and
people will only be judged for what they were capable of. Suffice it to
say that Islam teaches that life is a test, and that all human beings will
be accountable before God. A sincere belief in the life hereafter is key
to leading a well-balanced life and moral. Otherwise, life is viewed as
an end in itself, which causes human beings to become
more selfish, materialistic and immoral.
Islam for a Better Life
Islam teaches that true happiness can only be obtained by living a life full of God-consciousness and being satisfied with what God has given us. Additionally, true "freedom" is freedom from being controlled by our base human desires and being ruled by man-made ideologies. This stands in stark contrast to the view of many people in the modern world, who consider "freedom" to be the ability to satisfy all of their desires without inhibition. The clear and comprehensive guidance of Islam gives human beings a well-defined purpose and direction in life. In addition to being members of the human-brotherhood of Islam, its well-balanced and practical teachings are a source of spiritual comfort, guidance and morality. A direct and clear relationship with Almighty God, as well as the sense of purpose and belonging that ones feels as a Muslim, frees a person from the many worries of everyday life. In short, the Islamic way of life is pure and wholesome. It builds self-discipline and self-control through regular prayer and fasting, and frees human beings from superstition and all sorts of racial, ethnic and national prejudices. By accepting to live a God-conscious life, and realising that the only thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their consciousness of Him, a person's true human dignity is realised.