Discover the core beliefs and values.
Principles of Islam
Offers a clear and accessible guide to the fundamental concepts of Islam, including the nature of God, the importance of community, and the path to spiritual fulfillment. Perfect for those seeking to gain a deeper understanding of one of the world's major religions, this book provides insights that promote mutual respect and interfaith harmony
FORWARD
If an ordinary Muslim like me came across a non-Muslim on a street, or in a community gathering, or suppose I am travelling on a bus, sitting next to a non-Muslim, and they want to find out all about Islam in a few minutes. Surely, within that confined space and time, it will be quite impossible for a normal Muslim like me to explain the principles of Islam thoroughly and in an articulated manner. Even if I try my best, the listener may not be attentive, and they may start disagreeing or start arguing with me about what they witnessed in media about the negativity of Islam, and Muslims around the world. Our discussion may turn bitter and that may also upset fellow passengers.
Back in the mid-nineties, when I was at college, at the end of the lesson, I had a little discussion with one of my favourite lecturers about Islam and he was interested to find out more about it. So, I went to an Islamic book shop and purchased a few books for him. As a youth, merely relying on my pocket money, it was not easy for me to pay for those several books. Likewise, for various reasons, it is not always possible for many Muslims to go out and buy appropriate books for individual non-Muslims. Especially, like my lecturer, every non-Muslims will not eagerly read different books to gather their understanding on the principles of Islam.
Therefore, I felt the need for a simple and comprehensive collection of information on Islam which can be compiled in a single collection from various Islamic sources, so that an ordinary Muslim like me could just simply give it to a non-Muslim. Moreover, over one-fifth of the world’s population is Muslim, but still Islam is often misunderstood and misrepresented by many non-Muslims. I hope and pray that this collection of information would enlighten the reader’s knowledge on Islam.
Since my youth, on and off, more, or less, I had started reading from various Islamic sources and picked up the information that would be appropriate for a non-Muslim to grasp the basic understanding and principles of Islam. Although long ago, I had the good will and enthusiasm to pursue this collection, but throughout the years, facing ups and downs in life, but to be honest, I must admit, it was my laziness and procrastination that took me to complete this compilation in 2022.
Throughout the ages, prophets and messengers were sent to every nation by God Himself to guide human beings to Him, to make them aware of Him, and to have them worship Him alone. All the prophets and messengers came with the same message to testify that
“there is none worthy of worship except God alone”
It was the central message of all prophets and messengers sent by God – the message of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, may God praise them all. As Mohammed is the last prophet in Islam, known as the ‘Seal of the Prophets’, so the obligation of conveying the message of Islam falls upon all Muslims.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for accepting this information, and if I may ask you to spare some time to read it, please. Thank You.
Information Compiler: Shafiq Choudhury
Is there is a God?
Those who deny God claim to rely on science, Philosophy, or special theories of knowledge. Their arguments are sometimes inapplicable, sometimes irrelevant, always complex, and often incomprehensible. However, the developed mind will find its way to God. Failure to find the way does not mean that there is no God. Denial of reality does not make it unreal.
As we look around in our environments, we see that every family has a head; every school has a head, every city or town has a mayor; every province or state has a governor; and every nation has a head of state. Moreover, we know beyond doubt that every beautiful art is the creation of some great artist. All this is obvious, yet it does not satisfy the hunger for knowledge and the curiosity of people about the great things in the world. One often wonders at the beauties of nature with its scenic charm and marvels; the almost endless horizons in the sky and their far-reaching expansions; the ceaseless succession of day and night in the most orderly manner; the course of the sun, the moon, and the great stars; the world of animate and inanimate objects, the continuous process and evolution of man, generation after generation. One often wonders because one would like to know the maker and maintainer of all these things with which we live and which we immensely enjoy.
Can we find an explanation of the great universe? Is there any convincing interpretation of the secret of existence? We realise that no city can successfully exist without sound administration, and that no state can survive without a chief of some kind. We also realise that nothing comes into being on its own. Moreover, we observe that the universe exists and functions in the most orderly manner, and that it has survived for billions of years. Can we, then, say that all this is accidental, unplanned and disorganised? Or can we attribute the existence of man and the whole world to chance?
If man were to come into being by accident or by sheer chance, his entire life would be based on chance, and his whole existence would be meaningless, and no sensible being would leave his existence at the mercy of unpredictable chance. Every reasonable human being tries to make his life as meaningful as possible and set for himself a model of conduct according to some design. Individuals, groups, and nations do plan their course of action and every careful plan produces some desired effects. The fact of the matter is that people do engage in planning of one sort or another and can appreciate the merits of good planning.
Yet humanity represents only a small portion of the great universe. And if people can make plans and appreciate the merits of planning, then their own existence and the survival of the universe must also be based on a planned policy. This means that there is a Designing Will behind our material existence, and that there is a Unique Mind in the world to bring things into being and keep them moving in order. The marvelous wonders of our world and the secrets of life are too great to be the product of random accident or mere chance.
In the world, then, there must be a Great Force in action to keep everything in order. In the beautiful nature, there must be a Great Artist who creates the most charming pieces of art and produces everything for a special purpose in life. This force is the strongest of all forces, and the Artist is the greatest of all artists. The true believers and deeply enlightened people recognise this Artist and call Him God.
They call him God because He is the Creator and the Chief Architect of the world, the Originator of life and the Provider of all things in existence. He is not a man because no man can create or make another man. He is not an animal, nor is He a plant. He is neither an idol nor is He a statue of any kind because none of these things can make itself or create anything else. He is not a machine. He is neither sun nor is He the moon or any other star because these things are controlled by a great system and are themselves made by someone else. He is different from all these things because He is the Maker Keeper of them all. The maker of anything must be different from and greater than the thing which he makes. We also know that nothing can come to life on its own and that the marvelous world did not create itself or come into existence by accident. The continuous changes in the world prove that it is made and everything which is made must have a maker of some sort.
The maker and Sustainer of the world, the Creator of and Provider for man, the Active Force and Effective Power in nature are all one and the same and He is known to be Allah or God.
The Truth about God
The creator must be of a different nature from the things created, because if He is of the same nature as they are, he will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, He must be Eternal. But, if He is Eternal, He cannot be caused, and if nothing caused Him to come into existence, nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, which means that He must be self-sufficient. And, if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then that existence can have no end. The creator is therefore Eternal and Everlasting: He is The First and The Last. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.
“God is the Creator of everything. He is the Guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens (the entire creation) and the earth.” (Quran 39:62-63)
It means; the control of entire creation is in the Merciful Hand of God, His is the dominion and to Him belongs all praise and He is able to do all things.
“He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a seed in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record”. (Quran: 6:59)
There is no creature on earth which is not dependent upon God for its provision. He knows where it lives and where it dies.
(Quran 11:06)
God’s Attributes
If the creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be Eternal and Everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then His Attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be for example two absolutely powerful creators? A moment’s thought shows that this is not possible.
If a maker is absolutely powerful, it follows that He is absolutely free to do whatever He likes. But if another maker with similar powers exists and they differ over the making of something, then one of two things can occur. Either one will overcome the other, in which case the latter cannot be absolutely powerful, or they will neutralise each other, in case the powers of both are limited. Even, if we assume that they agree on everything, they cannot both be absolutely powerful because, for one at least, the execution of his intention will not depend solely on his own power, but on the condition, though a passive one, that the other does not interfere. The Quran summarises the argument in the following verses:
“God has not taken to Himself any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. (If there had been), then each deity would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified is God above all that they attribute to Him! (Quran 23:91)
“Had there been within (the heavens and the earth) (gods) besides God, then verily, both the heavens and earth (His entire creation) would have been ruined.” (Quran 21:22)
“There is none worthy of worship except God, (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him Belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.” (Quran 2:255)
“There is none who has the right to be worshipped but God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.” (Quran 2:163)
What is Islam?
What is Islam, and who are Muslims?
The word “Islam” is an Arabic word, which literally means “submission to God”, and Muslims are those who willfully submit to and actively obey God, living in accordance with His message.
Who is ALLAH?
Some of the biggest misconceptions that many non-Muslims have about Islam have to do with the word “Allah”. For various reasons, many people believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews. This is not true, since “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for “God” – and there is only One God.
Allah is the same word that Arabic speaking Christians and Jews use for God. In an Arabic Bible the word “Allah” is used where “God” is used in English.
Monotheism in Islam
Monotheism means the doctrine or belief that there is only one God, or belief in the oneness of God. The concept of monotheism is the single most important concept in Islam. Everything in Islam is built upon it. Islam calls to the absolute oneness of God. No act of worship or devotion has any meaning or value if this concept is in any way compromised. Monotheism can be looked at from the following three angles:
- The Oneness of God in His Lordship
- Devotion of All Worship to God Alone
- The Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes
These three angles can be elaborated upon as follows:
The Oneness of God in His Lordship
The oneness of God in His Lordship means that God has complete mastery and control over the universe in every way. He alone is the Creator of all things. He alone causes everything to happen. He is All-Powerful. No one shares in His authority.
This concept is one that most people on Earth would agree with and recognise that the Creator of the universe is One and Only.
Devotion of All Worship to God Alone
None worthy of worship except Allah (God) alone. This concept is the central idea that was declared by all the Prophets throughout the ages. It is the most important creedal belief in Islam. God created human beings to worship Him alone.
All the Prophets and Messengers, from Adam to Muhammad (may God praise them all) called people to worship God alone. This is the purest, simplest, most natural faith. The truth is that the natural religion of humanity is to worship God alone. People later came along and corrupted this religion, introducing into it the worship of other beings. Some people tend to focus their devotions on something physical, something imaginable, even though they have an instinctive knowledge that the Creator of the universe is far beyond their imaginations. Throughout human history, God sent Prophets and Messengers to call people back to the worship of the One True God.
According to Islam, God (Allah) is the only One worthy of our worship, having no partners, no associates, no sons, no daughters, no one whom He must consult, and no one or anything which has any comparison with Him. All the praise is for Allah Who is the King of all who claims sovereignty, the only One who has the right to legislate for his creatures. He is the Giver of life and death, whilst death has no effect upon Him, because He is the Ever-Living, Self-Existing, the Eternal and the only Absolute. All the praise is for Allah who has power over all things, and there is no power and no strength, no influence to cause benefit or harm except through Him.
It is He who created this complex world, the seen and the unseen, the evident and the speculative, the earth and all that is on it and everything that is in it.
It is He Who sent His messengers, and prophets with the common message of strict monotheism, which simply means that there is absolutely no one worthy of worship except the Almighty, the One, the Absolute and Who has no partners.
The Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes
The oneness of Allah (God) in His names and attributes implies that God does not share in the attributes of created beings, nor do they share in any of His. God is unique in every way. Muslims believe in all the attributes that God proclaims for Himself.
God’s attributes are all attributes of perfection and completeness. Human deficiencies cannot be ascribed to God. God has no deficiency or weakness whatsoever. For instance, anyone who believes that another being is All-Knowledgeable or All-Powerful has committed the sin of polytheism, which is the greatest of all sins in Islam.
What is Polytheism?
The most fundamental belief in Islam is the concept of One God. He has no sons, daughters, associates, or intermediaries. He does not have partners or subordinates; therefore, there are no demigods or minor deities inherent in the concept of God. He is not part of His creation and God is not in everybody and everything. Praying to images, icons, statues, animals, or stones is a grave sin. Believing that someone or something other than God alone can affect one’s life or future is a grave sin. Worshipping something or someone along with or instead of God and not sincerely repenting before death is the only unforgiveable sin in Islam. The belief in more than one God, and associating anyone, any objects or anything with God is called polytheism and the pure monotheism of Islam is directly opposed to it.
FAITH IN ISLAM - The basis of the religion of Islam is the testimony to two phrases:
Phrase 1: There is none worthy of worship except Allah alone (God).
Who neither gives birth nor was born Himself, and has no share in His caretaking; God in Islam is the Sole Creator, Lord, Sustainer, Ruler, Judge, and Savior of the universe. He has no equal in His qualities and abilities. He is the Ever-Ruling King and the Savior, the Loving God, full of wisdom.
Giving anyone else – prophets, angels, idols, or nature a portion of one’s worship, which is essentially due only to God, is polytheism and it is the most enormous of sins in Islam. Polytheism is the only unforgivable sin if not repented from, and it denies the very purpose of creation.
“God does not forgive anyone for associating something with Him, while he does forgive whomever He wishes to for anything else. Anyone who gives God partners has invented an awful sin.” (Quran 4:48)
“And do not invoke, along with God, anything that can neither benefit you nor harm you, for behold, if you do it, you will surely be among the evildoers!” (Quran 10:106)
Belief in the Oneness of Allah: its meanings, virtues, and conditions.
One needs to testify with full conviction and understanding that “there is none worthy of worship except Allah (God)”. This declaration sums up and encompasses faith. This conveys that all forms of worship, whether it be praying, fasting, invoking, seeking refuge in, and offering an animal as sacrifice, must be directed to God and to God alone. Directing any form of worship to other than God (whether it be an angel, a messenger, Jesus, Muhammad, a saint, an idol, the sun, the moon, and so on) is seen as a contradiction to the fundamental message of Islam and it is an unforgivable sin unless it is repented from before one dies. All forms of worship must be directed to God only.
Worship means the performance of deeds and saying that please God, things which He commanded or encouraged to be performed. Thus, worship includes every aspect of life. Providing food for one’s family and saying something pleasant to cheer a person up are also considered acts of worship, but only if such is done with the intention of pleasing God. All acts of worship must be carried out sincerely for the Sake of God alone. As Allah says:
Say (O Muhammad): “Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah (God),
the Lord of the mankind and all that exists. (Quran: 06:161-163)
The one who declares the testimony must be certain about what this statement implies. Faith will not benefit him at all unless he is certain, beyond and shadow of doubt. Allah says:
“Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not...” (Quran: 49: 15)
Belief in the Oneness of Allah must be reflected in one’s Actions.
Therefore, theoretical Belief in the Oneness of Allah is not sufficient for a person to be counted as a believer. Because the Creator, the Provider, the Bestower of blessings, the Giver of bounty, the Giver of life and death, the One Who bears the attributes of perfection and is far above any shortcomings, is the only One Who is deserving of worship. Everything and everyone else subject to His Lordship and Divinity, and does not have the power to cause harm or bring benefits to itself, so how can it be worshipped instead of Allah?
Most idolaters, polytheists and many others do believe that God is the only creator, Unique in His provision, power over life and death, and sovereignty, but they refuse to worship Him alone to the exclusion of all others. This is an awful contradiction, for the One Who is Unique in His powers of creation. He is the only One deserving of worship, total submission, and glorification.
Phrase 2: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (God)
According to Islam, the correct way of finding God is through the preserved teaching of the prophets. They were sent by God Himself throughout the ages to guide human beings to Him.
The ultimate goal of every Divine Message has always been the same: to guide mankind to God, to make them aware of Him, and to have them worship Him alone. Each Divine Message came to strengthen this meaning, and the following words were repeated on the tongues of all the Messengers: “there is none worthy of worship except Allah (God)”. This message was conveyed to humanity by prophets and messengers whom God sent to every nation. All these messengers came with the same message, the message of Islam. They faithfully delivered the message, without hiding, altering, or corrupting it. It was the central message of all prophets and messengers sent by God – the message of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, the Hebrew prophets, Jesus and Mohammed, may God praise them all. For instance, Moses declared:
“Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord”. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Jesus repeated the same message 1500 years later when he said:
“The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.’’’ (Mark 12:29)
And reminded Satan:
“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” (Matthew 4:10)
Finally, the call of Mohammed some 600 years after Jesus echoed.
“And your God is One God: there is no God but He” (Quran 2:163)
They all declared clearly:
“Worship God! You have no other God but Him” (Quran: 7:59, 65, 73, 85) (Quran: 11:50, 61, 84) (Quran: 23:23)
“And We never send any Messenger before you (O Mohammed) without having revealed to Him: none has the right to be worshiped but I, therefore you shall worship Me (Alone)” Quran (21:25)
God sent to every nation a prophet, mostly from amongst them, to call them to worship God alone and to reject false gods.
“And ask (O Mohammed) those of Our prophets whom We sent before you: ‘Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful (God)?’’’ (Quran 43:45)
Muslims believe in those prophets mentioned by name in Islamic sources, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, may God praise them all. A general belief is held in those not mentioned by name, as God says:
“And, indeed We have sent prophets before you (O Mohammed), of some of them We have related to you their story, and of some We have not related to you their story.” (Quran 40:78)
The First Generation of Mankind Believed in the Oneness of Allah
Adam (peace be upon him) came down to earth, and from his offspring Allah created a nation which believed in oneness of Allah, as Allah says:
“Mankind were one community....” (Quran 2: 213)
they all believed in oneness of Allah and followed the true religion. Then they differed.
“...And Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent down the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed...” (Quran 2: 213)
Muslims firmly believe, the final prophet was the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed, and there will be no prophet or messenger after him. Muhammad was sent with the final message, and there is no prophet to come after him. His message is final and eternal, and through him God completed His Message to humanity.
“Mohammad (Peace be upon him) is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)
A Muslim is one who testifies that “there is none worthy of worship except Allah (God), and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (God).” By making this simple declaration with pure sincerity one becomes a Muslim. This declaration affirms Islam’s absolute belief in the oneness of God and His exclusive right to be worshipped.
The second part of the testimony of faith states that Muhammad, may God praise him, is a prophet of God like Abraham, Moses and Jesus before him. Muhammad brought the last and final revelation. In accepting Muhammad as the “seal of the prophets,” Muslims believe that his prophecy confirms and fulfills all the revealed messages, beginning with Adam’s. In addition, Muhammad serves as the role model through his exemplary life. A believer’s effort to follow Muhammad’s example reflects the emphasis of Islam on practice and action.
Those who call themselves Muslims today do not follow a new religion; rather they follow the religion and message of all prophets and messengers which were sent to humanity by God’s command, also known as Islam.
There are other aspects of belief in which one who adheres to Islam must have firm conviction. From those aspects, the most important are as follows:
Belief in the Prophets
Belief in the Messengers is one of the basic principles of faith. Whoever does not believe in the Messengers has gone astray and is a loser:
“…And whosoever disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day (day of judgement) has certainly gone far astray.” (Quran 4:136)
Whoever disbelieves in the Messengers whilst claiming to believe in Allah is a disbeliever in the sight of Allah, and his belief will not benefit him anything. Allah says:
“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, ‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers…” (Quran 4: 150-151)
“And whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will put him into the fire, to abide eternally therein; and he shall have a disgraceful punishment.” (Quran 4:14)
Making a distinction between Allah and His Messengers is disbelief. This is disbelief because Allah commanded upon people to worship Him in the way which He prescribed via His Messengers. If we deny the Messengers, then we deny their teachings, thus we fail to achieve the true servitude to Allah which is commanded upon them.
People need to know about the Messenger and the message he brought, to believe what he told us and to obey what he instructed us to do because there is no way to know about good and evil in detail except through them. No one can attain the pleasure of Allah at all except through following their teachings. Good words, deeds and attitudes can only be attained through their guidance and the teachings they brought. They are the standard example: attitudes, manners and actions are to be measured against their words and attitudes. Following them makes the people of misguidance stand out.
“The prophet (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in God, His Angels, His books, and His prophets. (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between one another of His prophets.’’’ (Quran 2:285)
God conveys His message and relates His will through human prophets. They form a link between the earthly beings and the heavens, in the sense that God has picked them to deliver His message to human beings. There are no other channels to receive divine communications. It is the system of communication between the creator and the created. God does not send angels to every single individual, nor does He open the skies so people can climb up to receive the message. His way of communication is through human prophets who receive the message through angels.
To have faith in the prophets (or messengers) is to firmly believe that God chose morally upright men to bear His message and pass it to humanity. They faithfully delivered the message, without hiding, altering, or corrupting it. Rejecting a prophet is rejecting the one who sent him, and disobeying a prophet is disobeying the One who commanded to obey him.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: the complete number of Prophets were ‘124,000, among whom the Messengers were three hundred and fifteen, a large number.’’
Difference between a messenger and a prophet
The messenger is the one who is sent with new legislations. Whereas the prophet is the one who comes as a follower of a previous set of legislations that were revealed to the messenger before him. That means a prophet succeeds a messenger with no sets of new legislations or constitutions, but he is only a continuation of the message of a messenger before him. In Islam, every messenger is also a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger. So, we say prophet Muhammed, or messenger Muhammed, like wise prophet Muses, or messenger Muses.
According to Islam, Aaron was a prophet, and he was the older brother of Moses. In the absence of Moses, Aaron led the children of Israeli, so he was appointed as a prophet, following the same legislations that were revealed to Moses.
The Purpose for Sending Prophets
We can identify the following main reasons for sending prophets:
- Guiding humanity from the worship of created beings to the worship of their Creator, from being in a state of servitude to the creation to the freedom of worshipping their Lord.
- Clarifying to humanity the purpose of creation: worshipping God and obeying His commands, as well as clarifying that this life is a test for everyone, a test of which its results will decide the type of life one will lead after death; a life of eternal misery or eternal bliss. There is no other definite way to find the true purpose of creation.
- Showing humanity, the right path that will lead them to paradise and to salvation from hellfire.
- Establishing proof against humanity by sending prophets, so people will not have an excuse when they will be questioned on the Day of Judgment. They will not be able to claim ignorance to the purpose of their creation and life after death.
- Uncovering the unseen ‘world’ which exists beyond the normal senses and the physical universe, such as the knowledge of God, existence of angels, and the reality of the Day of Judgment.
- Providing human beings practical examples to lead moral, righteous, purpose-driven lives, free of doubts and confusion. Naturally, human beings admire fellow human beings, so the best examples of righteousness for humans to imitate are those of God’s prophets.
- Purifying the soul from materialism, sin, and carelessness.
- Conveying to humanity the teachings of God, this is for their own benefit in this life and in the Hereafter.
Their Message
The single most important message of all prophets to their people was to worship God alone and none else and to follow His teachings. All of them, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Jesus, Muhammad and others, in addition to those we do not know – invited people to worship God and shun false gods.
The Quran tells us that Allah sent all the Messengers with one mission:
“And We did not send any Messengers before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying):
(None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (Alone and none else)”. (Quran: 21:25)
Sometimes Quran narrates the stories of the Prophets and the Messengers, all following the same path, and describes them as being one nation with one God:
“Truly, this nation of yours is one nation and I am your Lord, so worship Me (Alone)”. (Quran: 21:92)
“And who turns away from the religion of Ibraaheem (Abraham) (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) except one who makes a fool of himself?...” (Quran: 2:130)
And the religion of Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) is defined as:
“Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth (Islamic Monotheism, i.e., worshipping none but Allah alone), and I am not one of the Polytheists.”
(Quran: 6:79)
Sometimes, it explains that this was the advice that the Messengers and Prophets gave to those who came after them:
Or were you present when death came to Ya’qoob (Jacob) and he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship when I am gone?’ They said, ‘we will worship your God, the God of your forefathers, Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) and Ishaaq (Isaac) one God. (Quran: 2: 133)
And sometimes it states that the religion brought by the great Messengers is one:
“He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islamic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nooh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Ibraaheem (Abraham), Moosa (Moses and ‘Eesa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion and make no divisions in it.” (Quran: 42:13)
The tasks and missions of the Messengers
The Messengers are Allah’s ambassadors to His servants. They are the bearers of His revelation. Their primary mission is to convey this trust to the servants of Allah. To quote the Quran:
“O’ Messenger (Muhammad)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message...” (Quran 5:67)
“And verily, We have sent among every community, nation a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) all false deities. (Quran 16:36)
Every Messenger said to his people
So, fear Allah, keep your duty to Him, and obey me”
(Quran 26:108, 110, 126, 131, 144, 150, 163, 179)
The Message Bearers
Prophethood is a divine gift which cannot be attained merely by longing and hoping, or by striving and trying. God chose the best among humanity to deliver His message. Prophethood is not earned or acquired like higher education. God chooses whom He pleases for this purpose.
They were the best in morals, and they were mentally and physically fit, protected by God from falling into major sins. They did not err or commit mistakes in delivering the message.
People went to extremes with the prophets. They were rejected and accused of being magicians, madmen, and liars. Others turned them into gods by giving them divine powers.
In truth, they were fully human with no divine attributes or power. They were God’s worshipping servant. They ate, drank, slept, and lived normal human lives. They did not have the power to make anyone accept their message or to forgive sins. Their knowledge of future was limited to what God revealed to them. They had no part in running the affairs of the universe.
Out of the Infinite Mercy and Love of God, He sent to humanity prophets, guiding them to that which is the best. He sent them as an example for humanity to follow, and if they follow their example, they will live a life in accordance with the Will of God, earning His Love and Pleasure.
The General message and the specific message
The previous Divinely revealed Messages were sent to specific people, but the final Message which was revealed to the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers was a general Message for all of mankind. This implies that this Message should be distinct from other Messages in a manner that makes it suitable for all times and places. Allah has made it so; He revealed to His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) just before he died:
“…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”. (Quran 5:3)
All these Messages were tailored to their circumstances and suited to deal with those circumstances. All of them called people to One God – which is Islamic Monotheism – and all of them called people to submit themselves solely to this One God – which is Islam. But each of them had a law to be implemented in real life that was suited to that group, that environment, that time and those circumstances.
Until, when Allah willed to conclude His Message to mankind, He sent to all of mankind a Messenger, the seal of the Prophets, with a Message for mankind, not for a group or people in a specific environment, at a specific time, in specific circumstances, a message for mankind that exceeds circumstances, environment and time, because it is addressed to human nature which does not alter or change.
“Allah’s fitrah (i.e., Allah’s Islamic Monotheism) with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in the religion of Allah - (i.e., let people remain true to their Islamic Monotheism), that is the correct religion…” (Quran 30:30)
In this Message, He sent a detailed law which deals with all aspects of human life and activity, setting out holistic principles and general rules about matters which develop and alter according to time and place, and detailed rulings and laws regarding matters which do not develop and alter according to time and place.
JESUS CHRIST IN ISLAM
Jesus is a figure who is loved and revered by billions of people in the world. Muslims and Christians both hold Jesus in high regard but view him in very different ways. Then again, the Islamic view of Jesus lies between two extremes. The Jews, who rejected Jesus as a prophet, called him an imposter, while the Christians, on the other hand, considered him to be the son of God and worship him as such.
Islam considers Jesus to be one of the greatest and most forbearing of prophets, chosen by God as a Prophet and sent to the Jewish people. He never preached that he himself was God or the actual son of God. He was miraculously born without a father, and he performed many amazing miracles such as healing the blind and the lepers and raising the dead – all by God’s permission. Muslims believe that Jesus will return before the day of Judgement to bring justice and peace to the world. This Islamic belief about Jesus is similar to the belief of some of the early Christians. In the Quran, God addresses the Christians about Jesus in the following way:
O People of the Book (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not say anything about God except the truth. The Messiah (Jesus) son of Mary; was nothing more than a messenger of God, and His Word, (“Be!” – and he was) which He bestowed on Mary and a sprit created by Him; So, believe in God and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” – stop [this], that is better for you – God is only one God, He is far above having a son, everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him and He is the best one to trust. Quran: 4:171
Even though Christian and Jews may violate some of the monotheistic tenets of their original Abrahamic faith, Islam refers to them as the ‘People of the Book’, because they have received revealed laws and scriptures from God and do recognise some of His Prophets. Islam is not just another religion. It is the same message preached by Moses, Jesus and Abraham. Islam literally means ‘submission to God’ and it teaches us to have a direct relationship with God. It reminds us that since God created us, no one should be worshipped except God alone. It also teaches that God is nothing like a human being or like anything that we can imagine. The concept of God is summarised in the Quran as:
"Say, He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him." (Quran 112:1-4)
Accepting Islam is not turning one’s back to Jesus. Rather, it is going back to the original teachings of Jesus and obeying him.
The Early Christians
Historically there were many sects in early Christianity who had a range of beliefs regarding Jesus. Some believed Jesus was God, others believed Jesus was not God but partly divine, and yet others believed he was a human being and nothing more. Trinitarian Christianity which is the belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one in three persons became the dominant sect of Christianity, and it was formalized as the state religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century.
It was in the ancient city of Nicea (which was located in modern day Turkey approximately 700 miles or 1100km NNW of Jerusalam near the eastern Roman capital that the First Council of Nicea convened 325 years after the birth of Jesus. It was at this council that Jesus was declared by the majority of the council members to be divine rather than God’s Prophet and Messenger. The concept of the trinity was established by declaring that Jesus was the same as and equal to God. This is in direct opposition to the Abrahamic principles of monotheism.
Christians who denied Jesus being God were persecuted by the Roman Authorities. From this point onwards the Trinitarian belief became widespread amongst Christians. There were various movements in early Christianity which denied the Trinity, among the more well-known of them is Adoptionism and Arianism.
Since there were so many sects in early Christianity, each with different beliefs about Jesus and with their own versions of the Bible, which one can we say was following the true teachings of Jesus?
It does not make sense that God sends countless Prophets like Noah, Abraham, and Moses to tell people to believe in one God, and then suddenly sends a radically different message of the Trinity which contradicts his previous Prophets teachings. It is clear that the sect of Christianity who believed Jesus to be a human Prophet and nothing more, were following the true teachings of Jesus. This is because their concept of God is the same as that which was taught by the Prophets in the Old Testament.
The Prophets of the Old Testament such as Abraham, Noah and Jonah never preached that God is part of a Trinity and did not believe in Jesus as their saviour. Their message was simple: there is one God and He alone deserves your worship. It does not make sense that God sent Prophets for thousands of years with the same essential message, and then suddenly, he says he is in a Trinity and that you must believe in Jesus to be saved.
Message of Jesus
The truth is that Jesus preached the same message that the Prophets in the Old Testament preached. There is a passage in the Bible which really emphasises his core message. A man came to Jesus and asked "Which is the first commandment of all? “Jesus answered,
"The first of all the commandments is Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.’’ [Mark 12:28-29].
So, the greatest commandment, the most important belief according to Jesus is that God is one. If Jesus was God he would have said ‘I am God, worship me’, but he didn’t. He merely repeated a verse from the Old Testament confirming that God is One.
Born of a Virgin Mother
Jesus was born of a virgin. This was one of the many miracles regarding Jesus given by God. Jesus was born without a father. God created Jesus as He created everything else in existence. Jesus, Adam and Eve were all uniquely created. Jesus was created without a father, Adam and Eve were created without a father or a mother. The rest of us were all created with a mother and a father.
Like Christians, Muslims believe that Mary, Maria in Spanish, or Maryam as she is called in Arabic, was a chaste, virgin woman, who miraculously gave birth to Jesus. Jesus’ birth in itself was a miracle in that he had no father. God describes his birth in the Quran as follows:
“And mention in the Book (the Quran), Mary, when she withdrew in privacy from her family to a place facing east. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her a spirit from Us, (the angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. She said: ‘Verily, I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (God) from you, if you do fear God.’ (The angel) said: ‘I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.’ She said: ‘How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste (sinful)?’ He said: ‘So (it will be), your Lord said That is easy for Me (God): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (God), and it is a matter (already) decreed (by God).’”
(Quran 19:16-21)
This fact, however, does not necessitate that Jesus is divine in essence or spirit, nor is he worthy of worship, for Adam’s existence was more miraculous than that of Jesus. If his miraculous birth was a proof that Jesus was God incarnate or His son, then Adam would have more right over this divinity than him. Rather, both are prophets who were inspired with revelation from God Almighty, and both were servants to Him living according to His commandments.
“Indeed, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said to him: ‘Be!’ and he was.’” (Quran 3:59)
Miracles
Muslims, like Christians believe that Jesus performed miracles. These miracles were performed by the will and permission of God, Who has power and control over all things.
(Remember) when God will say (on the Day of Resurrection), “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My Favour to you and to your mother when I supported you with the Holy Spirit (the angel Gabriel) so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel; and you made out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, by My Permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My Permission, and you heal those born blind, and the lepers by My Permission, and when you brought forth the dead by My Permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from (violence to you) as you came unto them with clear proofs/signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’” (Quran 5:110)
God sent all prophets with miracles specific to the nation to whom they were sent to prove the truth of their message. These miracles were not performed of their own accord; rather, they were only manifest in their hands by God's will. The miracles performed by Jesus were no different. The Jews were well advanced in the field of medicine, and the miracles which Jesus brought were of this nature, proving the truth of His message and in order to convince the Jews.
His Divinity
Muslims believe in the Absolute Oneness of God, Who is a Supreme Being free of human limitations, needs and wants. He has no partners in His Divinity. He is the Creator of everything and is completely separate from His creation, and all worship is to be directed towards Him alone.
This was the same message brought by all prophets of God, including Jesus. He never claimed any qualities of divinity, nor did he claim that he deserved to be worshipped. He did not say that he was the “son” of God or part of the “Trinity”, but rather he was only a servant of God sent to the Jews to bring them back to the true religion, worshipping One God and following his instruction. The majority of the verses in the Quran which mention Jesus discuss this aspect. They prove that he was only taken as an object of worship, as a result of falsehood which people invented against him. It confirms accounts of his life where Jesus himself clearly denies that he deserved any worship, and it supports the notion that the stories and examples which God has given showed his mortal nature, not his divinity or family relationship to God. God narrates of Jesus in the Quran:
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘God is the Messiah (Jesus), the son of Mary.” But the Messiah (Jesus) said, “O Children of Israel! Worship God, my Lord and your Lord...’”
(Quran 5:72)
God says about the belief that Jesus is part of a “Trinity”:
“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘God is the third of three (in a Trinity).” (Rather) there is none worthy of worship except One (God). And if they do not cease from what they are saying, verily, a painful punishment will befall on the disbelievers among them.
So, will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? And God is Forgiving and Merciful.
The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books. They both ate food (as any other mortals do, while God does not eat). See how We make Our (signs, proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, revelations, and so on) clear to them; yet look how they are deluded/running away (from the truth)!” (Quran 5:73-75)
God deems this belief as an enormity against His Essence:
“And they say: ‘The Most Merciful (God) has taken (for Himself) a son or offspring or children) (as the Jews say: Uzair (Ezra) is the son of God, and the Christian say that He has taken a son (Jesus), and the pagan Arabs say that He has taken daughters (angels and others).”
Surely, you utter a hideous thing. Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split apart, and the mountains fall in ruins, that they ascribe unto the Most Merciful a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Gracious (God). But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Merciful (God) that He should take a son. There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Merciful as a slave.” (Quran 19:88-93)
On the Day of Judgment, Jesus again will free himself from this false attribution. God gives us a glimpse of what he will say when he is asked about why people worshipped him:
“And (remember) when God will say (on the day of judgement), “O Jesus, Son of Mary! Did you say to the people, “Take me and my mother as deities besides God?’” He will say, ‘Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right (to say). If I had said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner self thought, and I do not know what is within Yours. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. I said not to them except what you commanded me to say: Worship God, my Lord and your Lord…’” (Quran 5:116-117)
In these verses, God proclaims that ascribing to Jesus the attribute 'son of God' or 'part of a Trinity' is indeed a great blasphemy. The reason for this return to the key fundamental declaration that God is Unique and unlike any of his creation; as well as in His Essence, He is Unique in His Divinity, His Attributes and His Lordship. All of the above make up the strict monotheism which He revealed in His Scriptures, from them the first of the Ten Commandments:
“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:1-3)
Ascribing a son to God is in clear opposition to that principle for which He created the Creation and sent prophets. God says in the Quran:
“And I did not create the jinn (spirits) and mankind except to worship Me (Alone).” (Quran 51:56)
He also said:
“And verily, We have sent among every community, nation a Messenger, (saying), ‘Worship God (Alone), and avoid all false objects of worship, i.e., do not worship anything besides God. (Quran 16:36)
His Mission
As discussed earlier, the Quran clearly affirms that Jesus was a prophet, as well as the fact that he was no more than that. Prophets are indeed the best of creation. They are those whom God chose to receive His revelation, yet at the same time, they are mere ambassadors of God and do not deserve to receive worship. Jesus, as mentioned in the Quran, is no different than any of them in this respect.
Throughout the Quran, Jesus is identified fundamentally as a prophet of God sent to the Jews who had over time deviated from the teachings of Moses and other messengers.
“And (remember) when Jesus, son of Mary, said: ‘O Children of Israel, I am the Messenger of God sent to you, confirming the Torah (which came) before me...’” (Quran 61:6)
Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, was the last in the line of Jewish prophets. He lived according to the Torah, the Law of Moses, and taught his followers to do likewise. In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus stated:
“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the (way of) the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.”
In this aspect, he and his message was no different than the previous prophets chosen by God, all called to the worship of God and God alone, as well as to obedience to His commandments. As he was miraculously supported by God in his conception, birth, and childhood, he was also supported by numerous miracles to prove that he was a messenger from God. However, the majority of the Jews rejected his prophethood.
Not only did Jesus affirm the scriptures revealed before him, but he also predicted of another prophet to come after him. God says:
“And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: ‘O Children of Israel! Indeed, I am the messenger of God unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing glad tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name shall be the Praised One (the Prophet Muhammad).’” (Quran 61:6)
This fact is also mentioned in the New Testament. Careful study shows that Jesus, peace be upon him, refers to the same prophet in John 14:16-17:
“And I will give you another Counsellor (the Prophet Muhammad), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth.”
His Crucifixion
God clarified in the Quran that Jesus was not crucified; rather, it was made to seem that way to the Jews, and that God raised him to the Heavens. The Quran does not explain, though, who was the person crucified instead of Jesus.
“…They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared so to them (the resemblance of Jesus was put over another man and they killed that man…” (Quran 4:157)
“But God raised him (Jesus) up unto Himself (Jesus he is in the heavens). And God is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.” (Quran 4:158)
As such, Islam denies that Jesus came to this earth with the purpose of sacrificing himself for the sin of Adam, Eve, and the rest of humanity, freeing them from its burden. Islam strictly rejects the notion that any person bears the sin of another. God says:
“No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.” (Quran 39:7)
Islam also stresses the notion that God is able to forgive all sins, if a person truly repents and then refrains from repeating it. God does not need any blood sacrifice for that, let alone descend in the form of man himself and die for every person's sins. Rather, God’s mercy extends to all creatures, believers, and disbelievers alike. The door to forgiveness and guidance is open to anyone who sincerely seeks it.
The Second Coming of Christ
As Christians do, Muslims also believe in the return of Jesus the Messiah to earth, although his role and reason for his return does differ from what the Christians propose. He will return to earth first and foremost to prove his mortality and refute the false beliefs people held about him. He will live a normal life and die as any other human. At that point, the matter will be clear concerning him, and all people will have believed that he was truly mortal.
Jesus will also fight the false Christ, who will call people to the belief that he is God, and who will appear just before he returns. Jesus will defeat the antichrist, and all people will accept the true religion of God. The world will see a type of peace and tranquility unfelt in history, all worshipping the same God, subservient to Him alone, and at peace with one another.
“And there is none of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) but must believe in him, (Jesus, son of Mary, as only a Messenger of God and a human being) before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.”
(Quran 4: 159)
When Jesus returns, he will not come in the capacity of a Prophet and Messenger to bring new revelations. Rather, he will be the commander of the faithful and will destroy the antichrist, who will have brought to the earth enormous trials, tribulations and evil. Jesus will follow the final manifestation of the law that was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon them).
Conclusion
There is only One God who created one race of human beings and communicated to them one message: submission to the worship of God and God alone and following His instruction – known in Arabic as Islam. That message was conveyed to the first human beings on this earth and reaffirmed by all the prophets of God who came after them throughout all the ages.
Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, performed miracles and invited the Israelites to the same message of submission (Islam) as did all the prophets who preceded him. He was not God, nor was he the ‘Son of God’, but was the Messiah, a well-known prophet of God. Jesus did not invite people to worship himself; rather, he called them to worship God, Whom he himself worshipped. He confirmed the laws of the Torah which Prophet Moses taught; he lived by them and instructed his disciples to follow them to the finest detail, after allowing those things which the Jews made illegal upon themselves. Before his departure, he informed his followers of the last prophet, Muhammad of Arabia, who would come after him, and instructed them to observe his teachings.
In the generations after Jesus’ departure from this world, his teachings were distorted, and he was elevated to the status of God. Six centuries later, with the coming of Prophet Muhammad, the truth about Jesus Christ was finally retold and preserved eternally in the last book of divine revelation, the Quran. Furthermore, many of the laws of Moses, which Jesus followed, were revived in their pure and untampered form, and implemented in the divinely prescribed way of life known as Islam, while many other aspects and injunctions of the laws which had been brought by the earlier prophets were lightened or dropped altogether.
Consequently, the reality of the prophets, their uniform message, and the way of life which they followed, can only be found preserved in the religion of Islam, the only religion prescribed by God for humanity. Furthermore, only Muslims today actually follow Jesus and his true teachings. Their way of life is much more in tune with the way of life Jesus practiced than any of the modern day “Christians.” Love and respect of Jesus Christ is an article of faith in Islam, and God stressed the importance of belief in Jesus in numerous places in the Quran.
What has been mentioned in this chapter is just a brief introduction to the truth which God revealed about Jesus. Should you interested to find out more about Jesus and his true message, please refer to www.islamreligion.com and in its search section type in the following headings.
- IS JESUS GOD (PART 1 – 4)
- IS JESUS GOD OR SENT BY GOD (PART 1)
- JESUS CHRIST – SON OF GOD? – THE MEANING OF “SON OF GOD” (PART 1 OF 2)
- JESUS CHRIST – SON OF GOD? “SON” OR “SLAVE”? (PART 2 OF 2)
Belief in Life after Death
Islam provides the most graphic details of what comes after death and lies beyond. It views death to be a natural threshold to the next stage of existence.
Islamic doctrine holds that human existence continues after the death of the human body in the form of spiritual and physical resurrection. There is a direct relation between conduct on earth and the life beyond. The afterlife will be one of rewards and punishments which are corresponding to earthly conduct. A day will come when God will resurrect and gather the first and the last of His creation and judge everyone justly. People will enter their final abode, Hell or Paradise.
Faith in life after death urges us to do right and to stay away from sin. Think of a child who does not put his hand in fire. He does not do so because he is sure it will burn. When it comes to doing schoolwork, the same child may feel lazy because he does not quite understand what a sound education will do for his future. Now, think of a man who does not believe in the Day of Judgment. Would he consider belief in God and a life driven by his belief in God to be of any consequences? To him, neither obedience to God is of use, nor is disobedience of any harm. How, then, can he live a God-conscious life? What incentive would he have to suffer the trials of life with patience and avoid greed or excessiveness in worldly pleasures? The acceptance or rejection of life after death is perhaps the greatest factor in determining the course of an individual’s life.
“Verily, that which you are promised (i.e., Resurrection (the day of Judgement) in the Hereafter and receiving the reward or punishment of good or bad deeds) is surely true.” (Quran 51:5)
“Allah! (None has the right to be worshipped but He). Surely, He will gather you together on the Day of Resurrection (Day of Judgement) about which there is no doubt…” (Quran 4:87)
“Surely, that which you are promised, will verily, come to pass…” (Quran 6:134)
On the Day of Judgement, all created beings will be gathered in one huge place. Allah calls the Day of Judgement, the Day of Gathering because Allah will gather all His servants together. In that gathering, the first and the last will all be included.
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘(Yes) verily, those of old, and those of later times. All will surely be gathered together for appointed Meeting of a known Day.” (Quran 56: 49-50)
Those who deny the resurrection, they see how people die then turn into dust, and they think that it is impossible for them to be restored after that.
“And they say (the disbeliever):
‘When we are (dead and become) lost in the earth, shall we indeed be created anew? ...’” (Quran 32:10)
In the context of disproving those who do not believe in the resurrection. Allah says:
..He (the disbeliever) says:
‘Who will give life to those bones after they are rotten and have become dust?’ Say (O Muhammad): He (Allah) will give life to them who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!’ (Quran: 78-79)
The initial creation is used as evidence that re-creation is possible. Every rational person will understand that One Who is able to do the former is able to do the latter. If He were unable to do the latter, He would be even more unable to do the former.
Those who seek proof of the recreation after death ignore the fact that their own creation is the greatest proof. The One Who is able to create them is Able to recreate them.
“And man (the disbeliever) says:
‘When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?’ Does not man remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?” (Quran:19: 66-67)
In some places, Allah, the All-Glorious, All-High, commands His Messenger to swear that the resurrection will indeed happen; this is in the context of disproving those who deny it. For example, Allah says:
“The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected (for the account). Say (O’ Muhammad): ‘Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did…” (Quran 64:7)
“And they ask you (O’ Muhammad) to inform them (saying): ‘is it true (i.e., the torment and the establishment of the Hour – the day of resurrection)?’ Say: ‘Yes! By my Lord! It is the very truth! ...” (Quran 10:53)
Elsewhere, Allah --- condemns those who deny the resurrection, as when He says:
“…Ruined indeed will be those who denied the meeting with Allah and were not guided”. (Quran 10:45)
“…Verily, those who dispute concerning the Hour – (the day of resurrection) are certainly in error far away”. (Quran: 42:18)
“Does man (a disbeliever) think that We shall not assemble his bones? Yes, We are Able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers. Yet! Man (denies Resurrection and Reckoning. So, he) desires to continue committing sins.
(Quran 75: 3-6)
If it is God who created man in the first place, why should it be impossible for Him to re-create him when he dies? Resurrection should be easier than original creation.
Why is resurrection (Day of Judgement) desirable? Without the idea of resurrection, God would not be the just and wise and Merciful God that He is. God created people and made them responsible for their actions. Some people behave well, and others do not. If there is no future life in which the virtuous are rewarded and the vicious are punished, there would be no justice and there would be no purpose in creating people with a sense of responsibility and in sending prophets to them to remind them of these responsibilities. Actions without purpose are not expected of man known to be rational and just.
The Quran says:
Does man think that he will be left neglected (without responsibility, or without being returned to the Creator for judgement). (Quran 75:36)
“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”
(Quran 23:115)
The state of the disbelievers and polytheists on the Day of Resurrection
When the disbelievers and polytheists see the punishment and humiliation that befalls on them, they will be filled with grief and regret. Because of the grief that the punishment will bring, Allah also called that Day, the Day of grief and regrets:
“And warn them (O Muhammad) of the day of grief and regrets, when the case has been decided, while (now) they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not.” (Quran 19:39)
On that Day, the disbelievers and polytheists will know for sure that their sins are not forgiven and that their excuses are not accepted. So, they will despair of the mercy of Allah:
“And on the Day when the Hour will be established, the Mujrimum (disbelievers, sinners, criminals, polytheists) will be plunged into destruction with (deep regrets, sorrows, and) despair.” (Quran 30:12)
On that Day, the disbelievers and polytheists will wish that Allah would destroy them and turn them into dust:
“On that Day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger (Muhammad) will wish that they were buried in the earth…” (Quran 4:42)
Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment on the Day when a man will see what he has done, (the deeds he did in this world) and the disbeliever, polytheist will say, “Woe to me! I wish that I were dust!”. (Quran: 78:40)
It has been mentioned in the Quran that the disbelievers and wrong doers will only wish for that when Allah passes judgement between all the animals that were in the worldly life. He will rectify matters between them with His just wisdom that does not wrong anyone. Even the hornless sheep will be allowed to take revenge itself against the sheep with horns. Then, when the judgement between them is finished, He (Allah) will say to them (the animals), "Be dust.'' So, they will all become dust. Upon witnessing this, the disbeliever will say, (Would that I was dust!) meaning, ‘I wish I were an animal so that I would be returned to dust.'
Resurrection will be preceded by the end of the world. God will command a magnificent angel to blow the Horn. At its first blowing, all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will fall unconscious, except those (i.e., angels) spared by God. The earth will be flattened, the mountains turned into dust, the sky will crack, plants will be dispersed, and the graves overturned.
“The Horn will be blown and those are in the heavens and those are in the earth will all lose consciousness, except those Allah Wills. Then it will be blown a second time and at once they will be standing upright, looking on (waiting)”.
(Quran: 39:68)
The horn will blow again upon which people will rise from their graves, resurrected!
“And the Horn will be blown (i.e., the second blowing) and at once they will be sliding from their graves towards their Lord. They will say: ‘Woe to us! Who has raised us up from our place of sleep?’ (It will be said to them): ‘this is what the Most Gracious (Allah) had promised, and the Messengers spoke truth!’ It will be but a single (shout), and they will all be summoned to Our presence. (Quran: 36:52-53)
God will gather all humans, believers, disbelievers and jinns, (spirit), even wild animals. It will be a universal gathering. The angels will drive all human being naked and bare footed to the great plain of gathering. People will stand in wait for judgment and humanity will sweat in agony. The righteous will be sheltered under the shade of God’s magnificent Throne.
“…And we shall gather them all together so as to leave not one of them behind.” (Quran 18:47)
BARZAKH
(Death Until Resurrection)
Upon dying, a person enters an intermediate phase of life between death and resurrection. Many events take place in this new “world”, such as the “trial” of the grave, where everyone will be questioned by angels about their religion, prophet, and Lord. The grave is a garden of paradise or a pit of hell; angels of mercy visit the souls of believers and angels of punishment come for the unbelievers.
Most people hate death and try to keep it away from their thoughts, because it is the end of their worldly pleasures and delights, and of the ties and attachments they appreciate in this life. Indeed, death is a horrific barrier that every human must cross along his way to the hereafter.
A righteous believer longs to meet Allah: When the reality of death comes to a true believer, he welcomes it and earnestly longs to meet his Lord in paradise. In return for this longing, Allah also longs to meet His beloved servant. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever loves meeting Allah, Allah loves meeting him. And whoever hates meeting Allah, Allah hates meeting him. (Hadith)
Contrary to a believer, a nonbeliever hates to meet his Lord, and his Lord equally hates to meet him. Death brings to him unpleasant news of the great punishment that awaits him. It brings to the end of his worldly pleasures, allowing him no chance to do any good that could possibly save him from the punishment. Allah says:
If you could only see when they (the nonbelievers) will be terrified (at death and in the hereafter), and there is no way out, and they will be seized (by angels and by their own deeds) from a place so close to them.
They will then say (in the Hereafter), “we do now believe (now); in it (Islam)!” But how could they reach (for faith) from so far away (i.e., to return to the worldly life again)
Indeed, they did disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah, Islam, the Quran and Muhammad) before (in this world), and they (used to) cast doubts about the Unseen (i.e., the Hereafter, Hell, Paradise, Resurrection and the Promise of Allah, (by saying) all that is untrue), from a far place (from truth). (Quran: 34:51-53)
As soon as a nonbeliever enters his grave, he realises his bad performances in the worldly life, and is given a preview of the severe punishment that awaits him. Seeing his difficult and unpleasant situation, he wishes to be given a second chance to correct his deeds. Allah says:
(The nonbelievers continue in their wrongdoing and lying) until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord! send me back,
Perhaps, I may do good regarding the things I failed to do!” No indeed! it is but a (false) word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh) (i.e., death until resurrection) until the Day when they will be resurrected. (Quran: 23:99-100)
The above verse from the Quran do not only apply to nonbelievers, but also to hypocrites, wrongdoer, and sinful believers who committed many atrocities and freely transgressed Allah’s limits. At the time of death, they see what punishment awaits them in the grave and in the hereafter, so they too wish to return to the worldly life to correct their failings. Allah addresses the believers by saying:
And (O believers,) spend (in Allah’s way) from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, “My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.”
And Allah will not give anyone more time, once their time has come. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do. Quran: 63:10-11)
Agonies of Death - Death arrives with pains and agonies that every human must taste. These agonies put the dying person in a numb state (deprived of the power of physical sensation) that seem like intoxication. Allah says:
The intoxication of death arrives, bringing with it (for the human being) the truth, (and he is told) “This is what you were trying to avoid.” (Quran: 50:19)
Even the prophets tasted the pangs of death. Aisha, the daughter of the prophet said:
“I never saw anyone suffering more pain (at the time of death) than Allah’s Messenger” (Hadith)
Contrary to a wrongdoer, a righteous believer’s agonies end by his death. Shortly before the Prophet passed away, his daughter Fatima visited him and found him undergoing periods of unconsciousness. She said, “oh, how great is my father’s suffering!”. He Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Your father will have no suffering after today”. (Hadith)
The Angel of Death – Allah does not take our souls directly with His hand. Rather, He appointed the Angel of Death to do this. He says:
Say (O Muhammad), “The Angel of Death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be returned to your Lord.” (Quran: 32:11)
When death comes to one of you, Our messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. (Quran: 06:61)
The Eyesight Follows the Soul: When the soul departs from a person’s body, his gaze remains fixed in the direction where it departed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Don’t you see that when a person dies his gaze becomes fixed? This happens because his eyesight follows his (departing) soul. (Hadith)
With the approach of death, a believer is pleased because the physical barrier of this world is about to dissolve, and he is, therefore, about to meet his Lord. His soul departs with ease, producing beautiful odours that delight the angels.
On the other hand, a wrongdoer is terrified to realise that his worldly pleasures are over, and his great punishment is eminent. His soul is extracted from his body by force, producing the most disgusting odours.
A believer Dies While Praising Allah:
Prophet (peace be upon him) said Allah says:
“Indeed, my believing servant has an excellent status with Me: He praises Me even while I pull his sour from his body.” (Hadith)
Glad Tidings Brought by The Angels of Mercy
Together with the Angel of Death, the assistant angels of mercy come to a believer at the time of death in a reassuring manner. They kindly handle his soul and tell him of his great rewards in paradise. Allah says:
Indeed, those who say, “Our Lord is Allah Alone,” and stand firm (in obedience), the angels descend upon them (at the time of death) saying, “Do not fear or grieve. We bring you glad tidings of paradise that you have been promised. We are your allies in the worldly life and in the hereafter. (Quran: 41: 30-31)
A companion of the Prophet reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Indeed, when a believer is at the point of departure from the worldly life, and is about to enter the next life, angels descend from the heaven, their faces white (bright) as the sun. They carry with them a shroud from the fabric of paradise, giving a pleasant fragrance of paradise. They sit away from at the limit of his eyesight.
The Angel of Death then arrives, sits by his (the believer’s) head, and says, “O good and peaceful soul, depart to Allah’s forgiveness and acceptance.” On hearing this, the soul leaves the body (as easily) as water drops from the spout of a water skin, and he (the Angel of Death takes it).
When the soul leaves the body, all angels between heaven and earth, and all angels in heaven, pronounce “salah”. This means “they ask that he be forgiven.” All gates of heaven open for him, the guardians of every gate pleading Allah that his soul climbs in their direction.
When the Angel of Death takes the soul, they (the other angels) do not leave it in his hand for as little as the blinking of an eye. They take it and place it in its shroud, giving a pleasant fragrance on it; and from it issues the best scent of fragrance that ever existed on earth. (Hadith)
Another companion of the Prophet reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Indeed, when death descends upon a believer, and he witnesses things (indicating his imminent rewards), he wishes that his soul would depart (quickly), and Allah loves to meet him. When he (i.e., his soul) is being taken, the angels of mercy come to him with a piece of white silk (a shroud), and (the Angel of Death) says, “Depart, O good soul that inhabited a good body; depart gracefully, and receive glad tidings of happiness, sweet aromas, and Lord who is not displeased (with you).” This continues to be said to the soul until it leaves the body, releasing the most beautiful scent of musk. The angels even pass it to each other, each one smelling it. (Hadith)
Death of the Nonbeliever
Together with the Angel of Death, the assistant angels of punishment come to nonbelievers, wrongdoers, and to evil people at the time of death in a cruel and terrifying manner. Allah says:
And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of the nonbelievers (at death); they strike their faces and backs, (saying), “Taste the punishment of the blazing Fire.”
This is for what (evil) your hands have put forth. And verily, Allah is not unjust to His slaves”. Quran: 08:50-51
The day when the nonbelievers see the angels, they will receive alarming words from them. This happens at the time of death when the angels give them news of the Fire and of the Almighty’s displeasure.
And indeed, when a nonbeliever is at the point of departure from the worldly life, and is about to enter the hereafter, strong build angels with dark faces descend to him from the heavens. They bring with them tough fabrics from the Fire. They sit away from him at the limit of his eyesight.
The Angel of Death arrives, sits by his head, and says, O evil soul, depart to the wrath and anger of Allah.” On hearing this, it becomes terrified, and clings to the body, but the Angel of Death extracts it (by force), like a needle is pulled from wet wool., causing the veins and nerves to burst, and he (the Angels of Death) takes it.
Every angel between the heavens and earth, and every angel in the heavens, curses him. The gates of the heavens are shut, and the guardians of every gate implore Allah that this soul does not climb in their direction.
When he (the Angel of Death) takes the soul, they (the other angels) do not leave it in his hand for as little as the blinking of an eye. They put it in that tough fabric, and from it gives the most disgusting odour of a decaying corpse that ever existed on earth. (Hadith)
In continuation of earlier combined narration, the Prophet said:
And when death descends upon an enemy of Allah (a nonbeliever, wrongdoer or an evil person), and he witnesses things (indicating his imminent punishment), he wishes that his soul would never depart, and Allah hates to meet him. The Angels of punishment come to him with rough fabric (a shroud), and (the Angel of Death) says, “depart, O hateful soul that inhabited a hateful body; depart disgracefully to Allah’s wrath; and receive evil words of boiling fluids and dirty wound discharges (to drink), and other types of suffering of similar nature – all paired together.” This continues to be said until it departs, smelling like the worst of decayed corpses. (Hadith)
Belief in Angels
Angels are beings of a different kind than man. While man is created from soil and the angels are created from light before human beings were created.
Angels are not divine or semi divine, and they are not God’s associates running different districts of the universe. Also, they are not to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God. They all submit to God and carry out His commands. They are real created beings who will eventually suffer death but are generally hidden from our senses.
In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into ‘good’ and ‘evil’ angels. Human beings do not become angels after death. Satan is not a fallen angel but is one of the jinn (devils/demons), a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels.
The beauty of the angels
Allah has created them in a noble and beautiful form with wings as describes in Muslim scripture. The idea that angels are beautiful is well-established in people’s minds, just as the idea that devils are ugly is also well-established.
They do not eat or drink. Allah has told us that the angels came to (Abraham) in human form, and he offered them food, but they did not stretch out their hands towards it. He felt afraid of them, but when they told him of their identity, his fear left him.
“When they (angels) came into him and said: ‘Salaam, (peace be upon you)! He answered: ‘Salaam, (peace be upon you), and said: ‘You are a people unknown to me.’
Then he turned to his household and brought out a roasted calf (as the property of (Abraham) was mainly cows). And placed it before them (saying): ‘Will you not eat?’
He felt afraid of them (when they ate not). They said: ‘fear not.’ And they gave him glad tidings of a son having knowledge (about Allah and His religion of True Monotheism). (Quran 51: 25-28)
Seeing the angels
Because the angels have bodies of light which are of a low density, mankind cannot see them, especially since Allah has not given our eyes the ability to see them.
No one has seen the angels in their true form apart from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He saw Gabriel twice in the form in which Allah created him. But usually, Gabriel used to visit Prophet Mohammed in different forms. Sometimes, he would appear in the form of one of his handsome companions, and sometimes in the form of a desert Bedouin. Angels have the ability to take human forms in some circumstances involving common people. But human beings are only able to see the angels when the angels appear in human form.
Gabriel is God’s heavenly messenger to mankind. He would convey the revelation from God to His human messengers.
Angelic Ability
The angels possess great powers given to them by God. They can take on different forms. The Muslim scripture describes how at the moment of Jesus conception, God sent Gabriel to Mary in the form of a man:
“…. Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.” (Quran 19:17)
The status of the angels
The best way the angels are described is slaves of Allah, but they are honoured slaves.
“In the hands of scribes (angels). Honourable and obedient”
(Quran 80: 15-16)
Allah has described angels as being “honourable and obedient”, i.e., He has created them honourable, good, and noble. Their actions are obedient, pure, and perfect.
The angels are slaves who bear all the characteristics of being a slave of Allah in the fullest sense: they serve Allah and carry out His instructions. The knowledge of Allah encompasses them, and they cannot go beyond what He commands them to do or go against the instructions that are given to them.
One aspect of the angels being a slave of Allah in the fullest sense that they do not make any suggestions before their Lord, and they do not oppose any of His commands. Rather, they do as they are commanded and hasten to respond.
“They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command”. (Quran: 21:27)
They do not do anything except that which they are commanded. The command motivates them, and the command makes them stop. The Messenger of Allah said to Gabriel, “why do you not visit us more often?’’ Then the following verse was revealed:
“And we (angels) descend not except by the Command of your Lord (O Muhammad). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two; and your Lord is never forgetful”. (Quran 19:64)
Examples of their worship
The angels are slaves of Allah whose responsibility is to worship Him. They fulfill their responsibility and worship Him with the greatest of ease. The angels remember Allah.
And all the angels glorify Him:
“And the angels glorify the praises of their Lord.” (Quran 42:5)
They glorify Allah constantly, without ceasing:
“They (i.e., the angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never become less active (to do so)”. (Quran 21:20)
“And verily, we (angels) stand in rows (for the prayers as you Muslims stand in rows for your prayers).
And verily, we (angels), indeed are those who glorify (Allah’s Praises, i.e., perform prayers) (Quran 37: 165-166)
Their fear of Allah
Because the angels have such a great knowledge of their Lord, their veneration of Him and their fear of Him are very great. Allah says of them:
“And they stand in awe for fear of Him” (Quran 21: 28)
Tasks of the Angels
Some angels are put in charge of executing God’s law in the physical world. Michael is responsible for rain, directing it wherever God wishes. He has helpers who assist him by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as God wills. Another is responsible for blowing the horn, which will be blown by Israafeel at the start of the Day of Judgment. Others are responsible for taking souls out of the bodies at the time of death: the angel of death and his assistants. God says:
Say:
“the angel of Death, put in charge of you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to your Lord.”
(Quran 32:11)
Then there are angels responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad. These are known as the “honorable scribes (angels).”
“But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you. (Honourable) – writing down (your deeds), they know all that you do”. (Quran 82: 10-12)
For every person, Allah has appointed two angels who are always present and who never leave him; they record in detail all that he does and says:
“And indeed, We have created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our knowledge).
And the two recording angels are recording,
one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions)
Not a word does he or she utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)” (Quran 50: 16-18)
The apparent meaning is that the angels who are appointed to watch a person write down everything that he/she does or says, and they do not leave anything out.
Therefore, each person will find that his book contains everything that he/she said or did. When the polytheists, disbelievers and sinners see their books of deeds on the Day of Resurrection, they will cry out:
“Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing but has recorded it with numbers!’ And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice”. (Quran 18:49)
When we die, our books will be rolled up and tied to our necks in our graves, until we emerge on the Day of Resurrection. Then Allah will say:
“And We have fastened every man’s deed to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open.
(It will be said to him): ‘Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day.’ (Quran 17: 13-14)
There are other angels responsible for other responsibilities.
Befriending all the angels
A Muslim must like all the angels without any discrimination between one angel and another in that regard, because they are all the slaves of Allah who do that which He commands and abstain from that which He prohibits. In this sense they are all the same, and do not differ at all.
Who is superior – the angels or the sons of Adam?
There is no one who is dearer to Allah than the good people among the descendants of Adam and the evidence from the Quran as follows:
“Verily, those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messenger (Muhammad) including all obligations ordered by Islam) and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures”. (Quran 98:7)
Another indication of man’s superiority is that man’s obedience to Allah is more difficult. Man is inclined towards his physical desires, greed, anger, and a sudden desire or change of mind, and these things are not present in the angels.
As we have learnt from above, the angels are impressive creation of God, varying in numbers, roles, and abilities. God is in no need of these creations but having knowledge and belief in them adds to the awe that one feels towards God, in that He is able to create as He wishes, for indeed the magnificence of His creation is a proof of the magnificence of the creator.
Belief in Scriptures
Belief in the scriptures revealed by God is one of the articles of Islamic faith.
We can identify four main reasons for the revelation of scriptures as follows.
1) The scripture revealed to a prophet is a point of reference to learn the religion and obligations towards God and fellow human beings. God reveals Himself and explains the purpose of human creation through revealed scriptures.
2) By referring to it, ‘disputes and differences between its followers in matter of religious belief and practice or in matters of social practice could be settled.
3) The scriptures are meant to keep the religion safe from corruption and deterioration.
4) It is God’s proof against human beings.
A Muslim firmly believes that divinely revealed books were revealed by the compassionate God to His prophets to guide mankind. The Quran is not the only spoken word of God, but God also spoke to prophets before Prophet Mohammed.
“…and to Moses God spoke directly.” (Quran 4:164)
God describes true believers are those who:
“…believe in what has been sent down to you (Muhammad) and what has been sent down before you.” (Quran 2:4)
Muslims uphold and respect the following scriptures:
- The Quran itself, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
- The Torah (Tawrah in Arabic) revealed to the Prophet Moses (different from the Old Testament read today).
- The Gospel (Injeel in Arabic) revealed to Prophet Jesus (different from the New Testament read in churches today).
- The Psalms (Zaboor in Arabic) of David.
- The Scrolls (Suhuf in Arabic) of Moses and Abraham.
Muslims believe whatever is true in them and has neither been altered or deliberately misinterpreted. Islam affirms that God revealed the Quran as a witness over the previous scriptures and confirmation of them, because He says therein:
“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (the Quran) in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it and trustworthy in highness and a witness over it (the collection of old scriptures)” (Quran 5:48)
Meaning the Quran confirms whatever is true in previous scriptures and rejects whatever alternations and changes human hands have made to them.
Original Scriptures and the Bible
We must distinguish between two matters: The Original Torah, Gospel, and Psalms and the present-day Bible. The originals were God’s revelation, but the present-day Bible does not have the exact original scripture.
No divine scripture exists today in the original language that was revealed in, except the Quran. The Bible was not revealed in English. Different books of today’s Bible are at best tertiary (a lay associate of certain Christian monastic organization’s) translations and different versions exist. These multiple translations were done by people whose knowledge, skill, or honesty is not known. As a result, some bibles are larger than others and have contradictions and internal inconsistencies! No original exists.
The Quran, on the other hand, is the only scripture in existence today in its original language and words. Not one letter of the Quran has been changed since its revelation. It is internally consistent with no contradictions. It is today as it was revealed 1400 years ago, transmitted by a rock-solid tradition of memorization and writing. Unlike other sacred texts, the entire Quran has been memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation!
The Holy Quran
The Quran is different from other scriptures in the following respects:
- The Quran is miraculous and inimitable. Nothing like it can be produced by human beings.
- After the Quran, no more scriptures will be revealed by God. Just as the Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, the Quran is the last scripture.
- God has taken it upon Himself to protect the Quran from alternation, to safeguard it from corruption, and to preserve it from alteration. On the other hand, previous scriptures suffered alternation and do not remain in their original revealed form.
- The Quran, for one, confirms early scriptures and, for another, is a trustworthy witness over them.
- The Quran abrogates them, meaning it cancels the rulings of the previous scriptures and makes them inapplicable. The law of the old scriptures is no longer applicable, like the Law of Moses.
If we were to assume the law, that is the lawful and the prohibited, contained in the previous books that did not suffer corruption, the Quran still put an end to those rulings. It cancels the old law which was suitable for its time and no longer applicable today. For example, the old laws relating to the diet, ritual prayers, fasting, inheritance, marriage, and divorce have been cancelled (or, in many cases, reaffirmed) by the Islamic Law.
Saying Of the Prophet (Hadith/Sunnah)
Following verses of the Quran confirms that, in addition of the Quran, Prophet Muhammad’s words are also revelation from Allah.
By the star when it descends,
Your companion (Muhammad) is not misguided or mislead,
Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
It is nothing but Revelation revealed,
He has been taught (this Quran) by one mighty in power Jibrail (Gabriel). (Quran: 53: 01:05)
Allah takes an oath by the setting of the stars that the Prophet Muhammad did not make a mistake and wasn’t deceived by what he was receiving (Quran). Allah then stresses this subject with the next verse saying, “Nor does he speak of (his own) desire” and emphasis it again by literally saying “He has been taught (this Quran) by one mighty in power Jibrail (Gabriel)”.
The verses tell us that it is absolutely impossible for the Messenger to come up with lies and attribute them to Allah. Nothing he uttered of his own wish or desire. Prophet Muhammad only conveyed what he was commanded to do so, and in its entirety, without additions or deletion.
Whatever, the Prophet said and did in carrying out his duties as a Prophet, his position in it was of the representative of divine will, and his saying and act of doing anything towards propagating the message of Allah was derived from the light of the knowledge which Allah had blessed him with.
That is why, very rarely, whenever his personal judgment or understanding was even slightly turned away from Allah’s pleasure, it was immediately rectified by sending the Prophet Precise, Direct and Open Revelation. In Islamic Jurisprudence it is termed as (wahi-jaleel). This means, Allah sent down verses of the Quran to rectify the Prophet. The complete Quran was revealed through sending Precise, Direct and Open Revelation (wahi-jaleel), words of Allah which the Prophet distinctly recognised. This rectification of some of his personal judgments is itself a proof that all the rest of Prophet’s religious judgments and interpretations were precisely in accordance with divine will.
It also means, other than the Precise and Distinct message of the glorious Quran, the Lord Most High also sent many messages or inspirations either directly to the Prophet’s heart as hidden inspirations or it was revealed to him by the Angel Gabriel. In Islamic term, saying of the Prophet called Hadith or Sunnah.
Clearly, the messenger of Allah was able to distinguish between the Revelations of the Quran (Wahi Jaleel) and the hidden inspirations (Wahi Khafi) - saying of the Prophet - Hadith or Sunnah.
Hadith or Sunnah teach Muslims how to live their lives, and they laid down restrictions, invitation to Islam, rules of conduct in clear terms, teaching of the doctrine of “Oneness of God”, news about the gathering of all mankind on the Day of Resurrection and their accountability, principles of leading a pure life, some news of the Hereafter, about the life of the Prophet Muhammad, his character and so on.
Our Lord has revealed guidelines for human life together since the dawn of time, and for over fourteen centuries Muslim had the tradition of their Prophet Mohammed, and his council on how to live a moral and decent life. The Prophet’s life, character and his personality are not hidden in darkness. but is manifest like the bright dawn.
It was the character of the Prophet that won over peoples' hearts. It was the character of the Prophet both at home and in public. Prophet Mohammed’s character was of a natural disposition. Everywhere he was one and the same, and that was the beauty of his character. Therefore, Allah praised Prophet Mohammed in the Quran mentioning:
And verily, you (O Mohammed) are on an exalted, lofty (standard of) character. (Quran: 68:04)
Nobody can claim to know a man more intimately about his character, behavior and personality than his own wife. It cannot also be argued that nobody can be more aware of the weaknesses of a man than his own wife.
Therefore, no man, howsoever great or truthful, can allow his wife to tell others everything she knows about him. Nobody can take this risk even if he has only one wife. The Prophet Muhammad however, he had more than one wife, and he had permitted them all to tell everyone whatever they saw of him doing in the light of the day or in the darkness of the night. Explicitly, he asked them not to keep anything secret about him. Is there even one example of a similar self-confidence and moral courage exhibited by any man in any age?
Prophet Muhammad is seen as the 'living Quran, the absolute example and the perfect model of God's will in his behavior and words. It was reported by Qatadah that: I said to Aysha (wife of the Prophet), “O mother of the believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be upon him,” Aysha said, “Have you not read the Quran?” I said, “Of course.” Aisha said, “Verily, the character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran.”
Importance of the Quran and the Hadith/Sunnah in Islam:
Prophet Muhammad in his last sermon said: “…I leave behind me two things, the Quran and the Hadith/Sunnah, and if you follow these, you will never go astray..."
Thus, in addition to the Quran, Muslims also seek guidance from the Hadith/Sunnah. It is a major source of Islamic law. They were remembered by his family members and his close companions and were later recorded and written down.
In this collection, I am also using references from Hadith/Sunnah
Free Will and Belief in Divine Decree
Freedom is one of the most valuable things there is, although many of us have no idea how precious it is until we suffer the loss of it. Belief in the freedom of the human spirit is one of the key things God has revealed down the ages. In Islam, we are taught that it was something God granted to human beings which He did not grant to angels. We may not be able to choose what we are physically, but we choose what we will do as regards to our soul-activity. We are requested by God to take control of ourselves and make particular choices and act in particular ways - but He never forces us. We do not even have to believe in Him, and we may choose to ignore Him or disobey Him. Millions of people do.
As it happens, we are not programmed robots. We do not react in the same way to given situations; some of us are much more unselfish, generous, forgiving, helpful and able to cope than others. Now, if God can do anything He wants, then it would obviously be perfectly possible for Him to control our minds and our choices. This is a matter that is within the capabilities of human beings themselves, and it would be only too easy for God. However, the very fact that He allows people to choose not to believe in Him and not to do what He wants, demonstrates conclusively that God does not robotise peoples’ minds.
Each of the prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, taught that what people chose to do with respect to belief in God and obedience to His will made a very great difference to the final outcome of their affairs. Humans have a tremendous ability to love and be kind, or to hate and be destructive. This means that although they may have all been born with souls of equal worth, they do not remain equal. Freewill is the most difficult of God’s gifts to understand or appreciate. The point of freewill is to make sense of human morality - without it there is no such thing as good or evil conduct, for we should simply be robots.
If we cannot make real free choices, then judgment cannot apply to us - it would be totally against justice. Whenever people are not free to make choices, then they cannot be held responsible. Prophet Mohammed made it clear that those whose freedom or intellect was limited - for example, those too young or too ignorant, or whose balance of mind was disturbed - could not be held morally responsible for their actions, either in an Islamic court of law, (or a UK court, for that matter), or in the judgment to come. God would not hold us responsible for something unless we were capable of doing it.
“God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear.” (Quran: 2:286)
So, what about the Muslim concept of al-Qadr (Devine decree)? How does one balance the idea of God knowing absolutely everything with the idea of freewill? If God knows in advance everything that will happen, then surely a person’s life must be entirely predestined? Furthermore, if God does not intervene to stop particular things happening, then one can say that He alone is responsible for them. This is linked to the problem of evil. Who is responsible for evil if God is ultimately responsible for everything? A thief might plead innocence, because he was surely predestined to steal, and therefore how can it be his fault?
Many people think that all Muslims believe since ‘everything is written’ and that God knows everything in advance - therefore it must all be predetermined. But the whole business of God sending Messengers with revelations surely indicates that humans are expected to listen, and then make choices, and then adjust their lives accordingly.
God decreed that man should be a free agent, but He knows before creating every man how he will use his free will – for example, how he will react when a prophet clarifies God’s message to him. This foreknowledge and its being recorded in a ‘Book’ with God is called Qadar (Divine decree).
“Did you know that God knows (all) that is in the heavens and the earth? It is (all) in a record. Surely that is easy for God.” (Quran 22:70)
God knows what the creatures will do, encompassing everything by His knowledge. He knows all that exists, in entirety and totality, by virtue of His eternal foreknowledge.
“Truly, nothing is hidden from God, in the earth or in the heavens.” (Quran 3:5)
Allah the Exalted says:
“Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
(Quran 13:11)
The above verse certainly indicates that humans have the power to change through their own freewill, and these decisions alter their fates. It must be true that God does know everything and every possibility, but humans do not. Therefore, if a human chooses a particular thing, there will be a particular outcome leading to a particular conclusion. If the human chooses a different course of action, then the outcome and conclusion will be different. If you choose to swallow a whole bottle of painkilling tablets, you will die; but if you choose to swallow only one or two, it may cure your headache and you may live to be a hundred. God knows all the possible outcomes, but He leaves the choice to you.
If it were impossible for people to choose because their futures and destinies were already fixed, not only would God be unfair instead of just, but there would also seem to be very little point in us even trying to live good lives.
So, what does God want for us? He wants us to achieve happiness and success in this world and hereafter. True happiness is to look after that which God has loaned to us and entrusted to our safe-keeping for such a brief time - our bodies, our families, our talents, and our sensitivity towards others. This means not being free to give in to our desires. The person who gives up that kind of selfish freedom and agrees to be God’s servant will always be truly free. They will know that they have done their best; their consciences will be clear, their inner persons confident and full of hope.
In Islam, there are also five essential observances that all practicing Muslims accept and follow. They are “The Five Pillars of Islam” represent the core that unites all Muslims.
- The ‘Declaration of Faith’ (Shahadah): First and foremost, it is obligatory for every person intending to enter Islam to believe and to say, ‘I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.’ With this simple, important, and powerful declaration, a person is considered a Muslim.
By believing and saying the testimony of faith, a person rejects all false objects of worship and declares that God is the only one to be worshipped. God is without equal or partner. God promises that once a person affirms and sincerely proclaims this declaration, all their previous sins are forgiven.
- The prayer: Prayers are prescribed five times a day. It strengthens and brightens up the belief in God and inspires people to a higher morality. It purifies the heart and controls temptation towards wrongdoing and evil. It resets the spiritual focus, reaffirms total dependence on God. The Prayer is a mean in which a relationship between God and His creation is maintained. It includes recitations from the Quran, praises of God, prayers for forgiveness and other various supplications. The prayer is an expression of submission, humility, and love of God. A Muslim may also voluntarily perform prayers more often. Prayers, in the general sense of supplication, can be offered practically at any time or place.
- The fast of Ramadan: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar which is spent in fasting. Healthy Muslims abstain from dawn to sunset from food, drink, and sexual intercourse, and from all evil intentions and desires. It teaches sincerity, self-control, devotion, and patience. Like prayer, fasting is a way of turning to God in sincere worship.
Fasting reminds us of the conditions of the needy and gives us appreciation for the simple blessings we often take for granted, such as drinking a glass of pure water or eating food at will.
- The Pilgrimage to Mecca: At least once in a lifetime, every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able, is required to sacrifice time, wealth, status, and ordinary comforts of life to make the pilgrimage, putting their selves totally at God’s service. Every year over two million Muslims from a diversity of cultures and languages travel from all over the world to the sacred city of Mecca to response to God’s call.
The ritual of pilgrimage originated from prophet Abraham and was restored by prophet Muhammad. Every year, during the pilgrimage season, the world witnesses the wonderful spectacle of this international exhibition of Islam in leveling all distinctions of race, colour and rank. It compels the pilgrims to break down the racial, economic, and social barriers that may be experienced in their societies. Not only the Europeans, the Africans, the Persians, the Indians, the Chinese, but all meet together in Mecca as members of one divine family. It also invites each pilgrim to practice patience, self-restraint, and piety.
They are all dressed in one plain dress that strip away the distinctions of class and culture, repeating, “Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty. You have no partner.” Each of the obligatory acts of worship keeps the remembrance of God alive and reminds all Muslims that from God we come and to God we will all return. Thus, there remains nothing to differentiate the high from the low and every pilgrim carries home the impression of the international significance of Islam.
- Paying the Yearly Alms/Charities (Zakah): in Islam, the true owner of everything is God, not man. People are given wealth as a trust from God. The Compulsory Charity is part of worship and thanksgiving to God by supporting the poor, and through it one’s wealth is purified. It is a means to directly distribute wealth throughout society and help the poor and needy.
Alms (Zakah) also purifies the soul of the giver, reduces greed, and strengthens compassion and generosity among humanity. The basic rate of these alms is two and a half percent of the wealth that has been held in savings for an entire year. These alms are required on savings, not income. Therefore, the compulsory Charity is not mere “charity”; it is an obligation on those who have received their wealth from God to meet the needs of less fortunate members of the community. It is used to support the poor, orphans, and widows and help those in debt.
PARADISE
The door to eternal paradise
Paradise is a place where all blessings have been created perfectly and where people will be offered everything their souls and hearts will desire, and that people will be far removed from want and need, anxiety or sadness, sorrow, and regret. Every kind of beauty and blessing exists in Paradise will be revealed with a perfection never seen or known before. God has prepared such blessings there as a gift, and these will be offered only to people with whom He is pleased.
In the Quran, Allah, the Exalted, praises faith and the people of faith, in verses such as the following:
“Successful indeed are the believers” (Quran 23:1)
“They are on (true) guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful” (Quran 2:5)
Allah promised them Paradise:
“These are indeed the inheritors, who shall inherit the Paradise. They shall dwell therein forever” (Quran 23 10-11)
The Eternalness of the Hereafter
The Pleasures of this world are temporary whilst the joys of the hereafter are lasting and eternal. In this life, when a person enjoys something, it is only a short while before they get bored with it and proceeds to search for something they feel is better, or they may not feel a need for it altogether. As for the delights of Paradise, a person will never feel bored with anything, but rather, its goodness will increase each time they indulge in it.
Whereas the life of this world we have on this earth is truly short. Humans only live on this earth for a short while, and very few people reach the age of eighty.
The pleasures of this world are temporary, whilst the joys of the Hereafter are lasting and eternal. Therefore, Allah calls the pleasures of this world “temporary conveniences” because they are enjoyed for a short while, then they come to an end, but the joys of the Hereafter have no end:
“…Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears God…” (Quran 4:77)
In Paradise, people will live forever. God says:
“…its provision is eternal and so is its shade…” (Quran 13:35)
“What is with you must vanish, and what is with God will endure…” (Quran 16:96)
“(It will be said to them): This is Our (Allah) Provision, which will never finish” (Quran 38:54)
None will die in Paradise. All shall live eternally, enjoying the pleasures therein. Also, the Paradise is eternal and will never fade away or cease to exist.
“They will never taste death therein except the first death (of this world), and He will save them from the torment of the blazing fire” (Quran 44:56)
“Verily! Those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus (Paradise) for their entertainment, wherein they shall dwell (forever). They will not desire from it any transfer.” (Quran 18: 107-108)
The Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said that a caller will call out in Paradise when people enter it:
“Indeed, may you be healthy and never be sick again, may you live and never die again, may you be young and never grow weak again, may you enjoy, and never feel sorrow and regret again.” (Hadith)
In another report the Prophet Mohammad informed of how death will be slaughtered in a place between Paradise and Hell, and then it will be said to the people of Paradise and Hell:
“O’ people of Paradise, it is eternal, there is no death; O’ people of Hell, it is eternal, there is no death.” (Hadith)
What these indicate is that Paradise has been created in such a way that neither it nor its inhabitants will ever parish.
What has been mentioned only a mere comparison to understand the nature of Paradise, but as God said, its delights are truly hidden:
“No person knows what is kept hidden from them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.” (Quran 32:17)
What God has kept hidden from us the delights of Paradise is beyond our ability to comprehend. The Prophet said that God said:
“I have prepared for My slaves what no eyes has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart can imagine.” (Hadith)
In another report the Prophet said:
“Never mind what God has told you; what he has not told you is even greater.” (Hadith)
In another report the Prophet Muhammad told us that the lowest in rank among the dwellers of Paradise will have ten times of this world, and he or she will have whatever he or she desires, and ten times like it. (Hadith)
“… and they will have there all that their hearts desire, and their eyes find delight in, and you will abide therein forever. (Quran 43:71)
The Prophet Muhammad also said: “The most miserable man in the world of those meant for Paradise will be dipped once in paradise. Then he will be asked, ‘Son of Adam, did you ever face any misery? Did you ever experience any hardship?’ So, he will say, ‘No, by God, O Lord! I never faced any misery, and I never experienced any hardship.” (Hadith)
The people of Paradise
The people of Paradise are the believers in the Oneness of Allah and His Prophet. All those who associate others with Allah, or disbelieve in Him, or deny any of the principles of faith, will not be allowed to enter Paradise. Their destination will be Hell fire.
The Quran states that the people of Paradise are the believers in the Oneness of Allah, and they do righteous deeds.
“Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is (only) Allah,” and remain firm (on that path) on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Such shall be the companions (dwellers) of the Garden (Paradise), dwelling therein: a reward for their good deeds”.
(Quran 46: 13-14)
But, whoever comes to Him (Allah) as a believer (in the Oneness of Allah) and has done righteous good deeds, for such are the high ranks (in the Hereafter), - ‘And (Eden) Paradise (everlasting gardens), under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever: such is the reward of those who purify themselves”.
(Quran 20: 75-76)
“(It will be said to the true believers (in the Oneness of Allah): My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve, - (You) who believed in verses of the Quran and were Muslims (i.e., who submitted totally to Allah’s Will, and believed in the Oneness of Allah), enter Paradise, you and your wives, in happiness”. (Quran 43: 68-70)
The Superiority of the Delights of Paradise over the Pleasures of this World
The pleasures of this world are visible, noticeable and present, “here and now,” whilst the delights of Paradise are yet unseen promises. People are readily influenced by what they can see and know instantly. It is hard enough for them to miss something that is in front of them for the sake of something else that is in the future, so how much harder it is if the promise will not be attained until after death! So, Allah, drew a comparison between the pleasures of this world and the joy of Paradise, and explained that the delights of Paradise are far superior to this world’s pleasures. The Quran speaks at length denouncing this world and praising the virtues of the Hereafter, to encourage man to strive hard for success in the next world.
“…Say: “Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears Allah…” (Quran 4: 77)
The prophet Mohammad illustrated the inferiority and brief nature of the pleasures of this world in comparison with the delights of Paradise:
“By Allah, this world in comparison with the Hereafter is nothing more than as if one of you put his finger” – and he gestured with his forefinger – “in the sea: let him see how much water he would retrieve.” (Hadith)
A finger dipped in the ocean would not even pick up one drop; this is how little this world is worth when compared with the Hereafter.
Salvation from Hellfire
“Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them if one offered it as a ransom. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.” (Quran 3:91)
So, this life is our only chance to win Paradise and to escape from Hellfire, because if someone dies in disbelief, not having faith in the Oneness of Allah and His Prophet, he will not have another chance to come back to this world to believe. As God said in the Quran about what is going to happen for the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment:
“…. when they are standing before the Fire and saying, ‘Oh! If only we could be sent back again, we would not deny the Signs of our Lord and we would be among the believers.’”
(Quran 6:27)
But no one will have this second opportunity.
“They will want to get out of the Fire but they will not be able to. They will have an everlasting punishment.” (Quran 5:37)
They are the disbelievers and polytheists who will abide therein forever, never leaving it and never dying. Allah says:
“But those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), for them will be the fire of Hell. Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die, nor shall its torment be lightened for them…” (Quran 35:36)
“Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, will have the Fire of Hell, remaining in it timelessly, forever? That is the great disgrace.” (Quran 9:63)
“Verily, those who disbelieve and die while they are unbelievers, the curse of Allah is upon them and that of the angels and all mankind. They will abide therein (under the curse in Hell), their punishment will neither be lightened, nor will they be pardoned. (Quran 2: 161–162)
Hell is an extremely troublesome and outrageous place of punishment for disbelievers and wrong doers. Torture and punishment: for the body and the soul: burning by fire, boiling water to drink, awful food to eat, chains, and choking columns of fire. Unbelievers will be eternally damned to it.
Hell will be the final dwelling place for those who denied God, worshipped other beings besides God, rejected the call of the prophets, and lead sinful, unrepentant lives. However, sinful believers will eventually be taken out of Hell and enter Paradise.
“Verily, whoever comes to his Lord as a Mujrim (criminal, polytheist, sinner, disbeliever in the oneness of Allah and His Messenger), for him is Hell, wherein he will neither die or live. But whosoever comes to Him (Allah) as a believer (in the oneness of Allah), and has done righteous good deeds, for such are the high ranks (in the Hereafter). (Quran 20:74-75)
The prophet Muhammad said:
“The happiest man in the world of those doomed to the Fire (Hell) on the Day of Judgment will be dipped in the fire once. Then he will be asked, ‘Son of Adam, did you ever see any good? Did you ever experience any blessing? So, he will say, ‘No, by God, O Lord!’’’ (Hadith)
The happiest man in the world who was a disbeliever or a wrong doer, had abundance of wealth, experienced all kind of joy and happiness, and may not ever experienced any kind of sorrow, sadness or distress, but in the hereafter, only a dip in the Hell fire will make him forget the comfortable, luxurious and happiest life that he had lived in this world. Let us imagine the torture and punishment a disbeliever or a polytheist will have to suffer in the eternal Hell fire.
So, only the way we could save ourselves from the eternal Hell fire is by having firm faith in the Oneness of Allah and in His Prophet and doing righteous good deeds as it is prescribed in the Quran and following the tradition of His Prophet.
As Allah says in the Quran:
“Verily, those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messenger (Muhammad) including all obligations ordered by Islam) and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures”. (Quran 98:7)
Allah the Exalted says:
Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Quran 25:70)
Those are involved in polytheism and transgressed against themselves, if they repent and believe in the Oneness of Allah and His messenger prophet Muhammad and do righteous deeds; for them Allah will replace their sins into good deeds. Whilst in the state of polytheism, no matter how much sins were committed, purely for the sole reason of accepting Islam, Allah will forgive and replace all their sins with good merits.
THE BENEFITS OF ACCEPTING ISLAM
Accepting Islam answers all life’s BIG questions.
Accepting Islam lifts the fog. Suddenly life, and all its ups and downs start to become clearer, and it all makes more sense. At any time during our lives, when we stand on the cliff, we ask ourselves – “Is this it, is this really all there?” Well, no, this is not all there. Islam answers the questions and asks us to look beyond materialism and see that this life is little more than a transient stop on the way to life everlasting. Islam gives a clear aim and purpose to life. A Muslim finds answers in the words of God, the Quran, and in the example of Prophet Muhammad.
Being Muslim indicates complete submission to the Creator and the fact that we were only created to worship God Alone. That is the reason we are here, on this spinning planet in the seemingly infinite universe; to worship God and God Alone. Accepting Islam frees us from the only potentially unforgiveable sin, which is to associate partners with God.
“And I (God) created not the jinn (sprits) and humankind, except to worship Me (Alone).” (Quran 51:56)
“Oh humankind, worship God, you have no other god but Him.” (Quran 7:59)
It must be said however, that God is not in need of human worship. If not a single human worshipped God, it would not lessen His glory in any way, and if all of humankind worshipped Him, it would not increase His glory in any way. We, humankind, need the comfort and security of worshipping God.
Accepting Islam gives answers to the question - Why God allows sufferings?
In addition to the commandment of God that we live righteous life, He also informed us that on this earth, we will be tested, so He advises us to bear our trials and tribulations patiently.
“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient ones. (Quran 2:155)
Patience has great status in the sight of God. If one is patient in all their sufferings, then the patient ones will receive plenty of rewards for their good deeds. God Almighty said: “Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning (without limit, calculation, and estimation).” (Quran: 39:10)
In this world, we face many difficulties, trials, and sufferings, but we have to be patient because God loves those who are patients in their difficult times. “Surely, God is with those who are patient.” (Quran 8:46)
Those who will remain patient will enter paradise. “Those will be rewarded with the highest place (In Paradise) because of their patience. Therein they shall be met with greetings and the word of peace and respect.” (Quran: 25:75)
Paradise is a place where all blessings have been created perfectly and where people will be offered everything their souls and hearts will desire, and that people will be far removed from want and need, anxiety or sadness, sorrow, and regret. Every kind of beauty and blessing exists in Paradise will be revealed with a perfection never seen or known before. God has prepared such blessings there as a gift, and these will be offered only to people with whom He is pleased.
Once a person accepts Islam, they begin to understand that the trials, tribulations, and achievements of this life are not random acts of a cruel and unorganised universe, but they understand that our existence is part of a well-ordered world, and life is unfolding in exactly the way God, in His infinite wisdom has ordained.
For a true Muslim, accepting Islam makes every day a delight. No matter what circumstances they find themselves in, they are secure in the knowledge that nothing in this universe happens without the permission of God. For the believers in the Oneness of God, the tests, trials, and successes are all good and if only faced with complete trust in God, they will lead to a happy conclusion and real contentment. Prophet Muhammad said,
“Indeed amazing are the affairs of a believer! They are all for his benefit. If he is granted ease then he is thankful, and this is good for him. And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and this is good for him”. (Hadith)
God tells us we will be tested, and He advises us to bear our trials and tribulations patiently. This is difficult to understand unless one embraces the Oneness of God, the religion of Islam, where God has given us clear guidelines about how to behave when faced with trials and tribulations. If we follow these guidelines, found in the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, it is possible to bear afflictions with ease and even be grateful.
Prophet Muhammad said, “A man will be tested according to the level of his religious commitment, and the trials will keep affecting a believer until he is left walking on the face of the earth with no burden of sin whatsoever”. A Muslim knows with certainty that this world, this life, is no more than a passing place, a stop on the journey to our eternal life in either the hell fire or the paradise. To face the Creator with no burden of sin is a marvellous thing, certainly worth the tests that befall us.
Accepting Islam makes all relationships harmonious.
God knows what is best for His creation. He has complete knowledge of the human soul. Consequently, Islam clearly defines the rights and responsibilities we have towards God, our parents, spouses, children, relatives, neighbours and so on. This brings order out of chaos, harmony out of confusion and replaces friction and conflict with peace. Accepting Islam allows one to face all situations with confidence. Islam can guide us through all aspects of life, spiritual, political, familial, societal, and corporate.
When we fulfil our obligation to honour and obey God, we automatically acquire all the manners and high standards of morality that Islam demands. Accepting Islam means submitting to the will of God and this entails honouring and respecting the rights of humankind, all living creatures and the environment. We must know God and submit to Him in order to make decisions that will earn His pleasure.
Accepting Islam establishes a lifelong connection to the Creator.
Every single human race is born naturally knowing that God is One. Prophet Muhammad said that every child was born in a state of fitrah (most pure and natural condition), with the correct understanding of God. According to Islam, this is a natural state of being, instinctively knowing there is a Creator and naturally wanting to worship and please Him. Thus, for many allowing God into their lives and worshipping Him in a way that is pleasing for them, and it gives a whole new meaning to life.
“Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find peace.”
(Quran 13:28)
Happiness, tranquility, and inner peace can be achieved by accepting Islam.
Islam itself is naturally associated with inner peace and tranquility. The words Islam, Muslim, and salaam (peace) all come from the root word "Sa - la – ma" meaning peace, security, and safety. When one submits to the will of God, he or she will experience an instinctive sense of security and peacefulness.
Perfect happiness exists only in Paradise. There we will find total peace, tranquility and security and be free from fear, anxiety and pain that are part of the human condition. However, the guidelines provided by Islam allow us, imperfect humans, to seek happiness in this world. The key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of God, and worshipping Him, without associating partners with Him.
Accepting Islam allows every aspect of life to be an act of worship.
“God created death and life that He may test you, which of you is best in good deed”. (Quran: 67:02)
Providing food for one’s family and saying something pleasant to cheer up a person, honouring and respecting the rights of humankind, and the environment, these are all considered as good deeds. But only if such is done with the intention of pleasing God.
The religion of Islam was revealed for the benefit of all humankind who will exist until the Day of Judgement. It is a complete way of life, not something only practiced on the weekend or at annual festivals. A believer’s relationship with God is 24/7. It does not stop and start. Through His infinite mercy, God has provided us with a holistic approach to life, one that covers all aspects, spiritual, emotional, and physical. He has not left us alone to stumble in the darkness rather God has given us the Quran, a book of guidance. He has also given us the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad that explain and expand on the guidance of the Quran.
Islam fulfils and balances our physical and spiritual needs. This system, designed by the Creator for his creation, not only expects a high standard of behaviour, morality, and ethics, but it also allows each and every human act to be transformed into worship. In fact, God commands the believers to dedicate their lives to Him.
“Say: ‘Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for God, the Lord of all the worlds.’” (Quran 6:162)
Accepting Islam reveals God’s mercy and forgiveness towards His creation.
As weak human beings, we often feel lost and alone. It is then that we turn to God and seek His Mercy and Forgiveness. When we turn to Him in true submission, His tranquillity descends upon us. We are then able to feel the quality of His mercy and see it evident in the world around us. However in order to worship God, we need to know Him. Accepting Islam opens the gateway to this knowledge, including the fact that God’s forgiveness knows no bounds.
Many people are confused or ashamed of many sins they have committed over the course of their lives. Accepting Islam completely washes those sins away; it is as if they never happened. A new Muslim is as pure as a new-born baby.
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven…” (Quran 8:38)
A benefit of accepting Islam is that God promises Paradise to the believer.
Paradise, as described in many verses of Quran, is a place of eternal happiness and it is promised to believers. God shows his mercy to the believers by rewarding them with Paradise. Whoever denies God or worships something with, or instead of Him, or claims that God has a son or daughter or partner, will be doomed in the Hereafter to the hellfire. Accepting Islam will save a person from the torment of the grave, suffering on the Day of Judgement and eternal hellfire.
"And those who believe (in the Oneness of God) and do righteous good deeds, to them We shall surely give lofty dwellings in Paradise, underneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever. Excellent is the reward of the workers." (Quran 29: 58)
Perfect happiness exists only in Paradise. Inhabitants of Paradise will find total peace, tranquility and security and be free from the fear, anxiety and pain that are part of the human condition. However, the guidelines provided by Islam allow us, imperfect humans, to seek happiness in this world. The key to being happy in this world and the next is by seeking the pleasure of God, and worshipping Him, without associating partners with Him.
HOW DO I BECOME A MUSLIM?
The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process. If anyone has a real desire to become a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, one needs to pronounce the testimony of faith (shahada), without further delay, ideally witnessed by fellow Muslims.
The “shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam. With the pronunciation of this testimony, with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold of Islam. Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all of one’s previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness.
When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins committed before their acceptance. Accepting to Islam, the person’s record becomes spotless, and it is as if he was just born from his mother’s womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his record clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible.
The declaration of the Testimony (shahada)
To revert to Islam and become a Muslim, a person needs to pronounce the below testimony with full conviction and understanding its meaning, ideally witnessed by fellow Muslims.
“Ash hadu Allah e-laha, il-lal-lah,
Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadur Rasulull-lah.”
“I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (God), and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (God)”.
When someone pronounces the testimony with convictions, they become a Muslim.
Please accept my gratitude for reading this information. If you believe that ‘there is a God or a supreme power up there’, then please sincerely pray to Him that “He may Guide you on the Straight Path, the Path of those He blessed, not (the way) of those who earned His anger, nor of those who went astray/misguided”. Surely, God guides those who want to be guided. Indeed! He is The Best Guide.
For further information, please refer to the Quran
“That is the Book, without any doubt. In it a guidance for those conscious of God”. (Quran: 2:2).
In compiling this collection, mostly I gathered information from ‘Islamic Creed Series’, author: ‘Umar S. al-Ashqar, which consists of eight volumes, and information from www.islamreligion.com, as well as ipci-iv.co.uk
Over the past many years, I also gathered information from many other leaflets and booklets, for which I did not make a note for reference, nor I can now recall their titles. May God reward all the authors immensely from His infinite bounty.
With regards to quoting reference from the Quran, I used ‘interpretation of the Meaning of the noble Quran’, published by Darussalam, Riyadh. www.islamreligion.com, and THE QURAN’, www.quranproject.org