What is Islam?
Islam is a religion which is sent by the creator of this universe ALLAH through
his selected messengers. It guides its followers in every aspect of their
lives. It is a way of life.
Islam
is the modern version of the message sent by Allah the Almighty through Adam,
Noah, Ibrahim, Moosa and Isa. Islam was perfected to mankind through the Prophet
Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wasallam (peace be upon him).
Islam
is a religion which seeks to give a meaningful purpose to life of both human
beings and Jins. It seeks to guide us in fulfilling that purpose by creating
harmony between ourselves, our Creator and fellow human beings.
Islam
presents a complete code for life on earth and its message extends to the
eternity.
Islam
teaches the mankind what should be the goal of life here and warns the people
of a life hereafter which is more important than the present life.
Islam is a system
for all people, whatever race or background they
might be. That is why Islamic civilization is based on a unity which stands
completely against any racial or ethnic discrimination. Such major racial and
ethnic groups as the Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians, Chinese and
Malays in addition to numerous smaller units embraced Islam and contributed to
the spread of Islam.
It
tries to inculcate in the mind of each man and woman a feeling of belongingness
wherever in the universe he /she may be. Islam breaks the shell of narrow
nationalism and tribalism and calls for a universal brotherhood which is
exemplified by the pilgrims at the time of Hajj to Makkah, the holiest city on
earth. The sense of brotherhood
and sisterhood was so much emphasized that it overcame all local attachments to
a particular tribe, race, or language, all of which became subservient to the
universal brotherhood.
Once
one enters into Islam he becomes a person with a vast and deep outlook about
the life. He is not moved by the momentary joys or by passing sorrows. The
pains that he undergoes, he believes, are destined by Allah, the Almighty even
before the creation of the whole universe. So he is not bothered about the dark
side of the present life. But all that matters is his life hereafter. Anything
that hinders his spiritual progress makes him worry.
But
this does not mean that a Muslim should keep abstinent from the whole joys of
present life. The Holy Qur'an itself has clarified the importance of the life
here. While explaining an exemplary Muslim it stated that a Muslim is one who
prays
O Allah give us the good here and the good hereafter. (Qur'an)
Islam
very strongly emphasizes on the rights and duties which people have over each
other. It seeks to preserve peace in society by training and urging its
followers to fulfill the rights of each other. In Islam, salvation is not
possible by just fulfilling the rights of God; one has to fulfill the rights of
other human beings also.
The One & Only
God
Islam is a monotheistic religion. It teaches that there is only one God who is
the creator of the universe. This is the foundation of Islam, and is reflected
in the famous testimony which says لا
اله الا الله
محمد رسول
الله (LAA ILAAHA ILLALLAH, MUHAMMADUN
RASOOLULLAH) (There is no god but Allah And Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) is the messenger of Allah.
The
belief in ALLAH relates us to our CREATOR and guides us throughout our life.
The belief in one God shows that man should not worship any material/spiritual
thing or person in this universe.
By
teaching that there is only One God for all humans, Islam promotes the sense of
brotherhood and equality in human society--all are equally related to God in
the same way. The Qur'an, the last message of ALLAH says:
قُلۡ
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ
أَحَدٌ (١)
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ
(٢) لَمۡ
يَلِدۡ
وَلَمۡ
يُولَدۡ (٣)
وَلَمۡ يَكُن
لَّهُ ۥ
ڪُفُوًا
أَحَدُۢ (٤)
Say He (ALLAH) is One,
ALLAH is Eternal;
He has neither begotten,
nor has He been begotten;
and there is no one equal to Him.
(Chapter 112)
The Purpose of Life
Our life on this earth has a specific purpose; it is not the result of nature's
accident, nor is it a punishment for eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. We
are here according to God's plan. The worldly life is a test; it is a chance to
prove ourselves as deserving of the eternal blissful life hereafter. God did
not create us just for few years of this life. To be created just for this
world's life would amount to a joke played by the Creator with the human
species.
According to Islam, the final destination of
mankind is the life hereafter. At the end of time, all human beings will be
resurrected and will be held accountable for their worldly life. The life
hereafter will be an eternal life. However, whether it will be blissful or full
of sorrow depends on how we spend our present life.
It
was to help mankind in achieving this objective that ALLAH sent various
prophets and messengers to guide them. Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wasallam is
the last prophet, and Islam is the final and complete version of Allah's
message.