The reason that Islam is often considered a religion that sanctions violence is because it is studied with reference to terrorist activities with the label of Islam to support their unislamic violent ideology; while earlier it used to be studied with reference to its original sources: the Quran and Sunnah. To understand the true face of Islam we have to make a proper distinction between Islam as enshrined in its original sources, and the politically motivated ‘Islamic terrorism’.
The terrorists have concocted a wrong interpretation of the Quran; this interpretation has it that the killing of non-Muslims whom they refer to as Kafirs is an act of worship and guarantee of entry into Paradise. The movement of the terrorists is a movement against humanity. To put an end to this movement, what is required is to bring about a de-conditioning of its adherents. This can be done only by meeting them on an intellectual level and impressing upon them the true and positive picture of Islam based on the ideology of peace rather than on their deceitful ideology of violence.
Islam is a religion of peace in the complete sense of the word. To understand the Islamic position on self-styled jihadi terrorist movements, I would suggest you read my book ‘The Age of Peace,’ which attempts to examine how these movements stand in relation to the Islamic ideology based on the Quran and the Hadith—the original sources of Islam. This book may be regarded as a study of Islam with reference to terrorism, or, conversely, as a study of terrorism with reference to Islam.
Source: The Age of Peace
Islam is an ideology. The true of Islam can be found in its original sources—Quran, the word of God, and the Sunnah, the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. To study Islam in an objective manner, it is imperative that a distinction must be made between the source of Islam and the practice of Muslims. Today, there are many misconceptions prevalent about Islam and we must take an objective view of each misconception judging them in the light of original Islamic sources rather than by the conduct of Muslims to reveal the true face of Islam. Using this approach, I have understood the true face of Islam, and given it in my literature and talks. People can refer to this material to understand Islam for themselves.
If people want to study Islam on their own, the following is a concise yet comprehensive course of study that people can follow:
1. The Quran
2. Biography of the Prophet by Ibn Kathir
3. Mishkat al-Masabih, a book of Hadith
4. Lives of the Prophet’s Companions by Muhammad Yusuf Kandhalvi
These are well-known and readily available books. Though originally written in Arabic, they have been translated into and published in several languages. They can be acquired and read in the language of one’s choice.
Source: Spirit of Islam September 2019
There are many misconceptions that result in the general public having a negative perception of Islam. It is common for Muslims to be asked whether they are moderate Muslims. They are also asked what the difference is between a moderate and an extremist Muslim. Some people ask why Muslims are engaged in jihad, does Islam sanction violence, and whether triple talaq is allowed in Islam.
Such misconceptions arise when people fail to differentiate between Islam and Muslims (or the alleged followers of Islam). To clear misconceptions about Islam, Muslims must be judged in the light of Islamic teachings and not vice versa. People need to distinguish between Islam, on the one hand, and Muslims, on the other. They must not label the actions or behaviour of Muslims as ‘Islamic’. The behaviour of Muslims must be judged on the basis of Islam, and not Islam sought to be understood on the basis of Muslim behaviour. Islam is an ideology. A person can be truly considered to be a Muslim only if he follows the teachings of Islam. Those who do not follow Islam’s teachings do not have anything to do with Islam, even if they claim to be its champions. I reveal the true face of Islam to people following this method.
Source: Spirit of Islam October 2018
The following are some principles to follow to lead an Islamic way of life:
Avoidance of transgression: God Almighty has declared in the Quran: “Eat of the good things we have given for your sustenance, and do not transgress with respect to them.” (20:81)
Self-reliance: One should try one’s utmost to earn one’s daily bread by one’s own efforts, without being dependent on anybody else. The Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, is reported to have said repeatedly: “The best food one has ever had is that which one has earned with one’s own hands.” (Sunan al-Nasa’i, Hadith No. 4397)
Avoidance of niggardliness and spending in charity: When one is fortunate enough to earn even more than it takes to meet one’s own needs, one should not try to be parsimonious with one’s earnings. Instead, one should rather extend a supporting hand to less fortunate or even destitute members of society. Otherwise, one’s wealth will become a curse for oneself rather than a blessing. Hence, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “There is not a day upon which the servant awakens but that two angels descend. One of them says: O God, repay one who spends in charity! The other says: O God, give destruction to one who withholds charity!” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1442, Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1010)
Contentment: To attain inner peace and real happiness, one has to remain content with what one has been able to earn independently and lawfully. The Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, says in this respect: “Indeed, he has attained eternal success and prosperity who accepted Islam, and God has filled his heart with contentment towards whatever he was given.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith no. 125) On behalf of Angel, the Prophet also said: “A little that suffices is much better than a surfeit that causes disturbance.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 21721)
Simplicity: Last, but not least, an important Islamic principle concerning one’s livelihood is simplicity. The Prophet’s own lifestyle was a unique example of simplicity. In one of his sayings he has even considered it one of the signs of true faith (Ibn Majah). In another hadith, he warns his companions: “Stay away from the luxurious life. For the servants of God do not indulge in luxury.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 22105)
Source: Islam Rediscovered
When a person adopts Islam in the true sense, it becomes the throb of his heart as it permeates his emotions. It enters his thoughts, moulding his intellect in its own fashion. It becomes the eye with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks, the hands and feet with which he performs his daily functions. It takes possession of a person, to the exclusion of everything else. His every statement bears the stamp of Islam and his every action becomes dyed in Islamic colours.
If Islam is like a stone in water in a person’s life, it is not Islam at all. Faith should be absorbed in a person like dye is dissolved in water. Just as the emotions of love and hate are felt by the whole body, so, when one adopts Islam in the real sense of the word, it becomes an issue affecting one’s whole existence. The Muslim and Islam become inseparably attached to one another.
By way of introduction to the Islamic way of life, some sayings of the Prophet Muhammad are mentioned here:
“Let him who believes in God and the Last Day be generous his neighbour; and let him who believes in God and the Last Day honour his guest; and let him who believes in God and the Last Day either speak good or keep silent.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6018)
“Fear God wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out, and behave well towards people.” “Righteousness is good-naturedness, and evil is what wavers in your soul that you would not like people to find out about you.” “None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
A man came to the Prophet and said: “Messenger of God, tell me something which, if I do it, will win me the love of both God and men.” The Prophet said, “If you renounce the world, God will love you; and if you renounce what people possess, they will love you.”
These are some principles that one follows when one adopts an Islamic way of life.
Source: Spirit of Islam November 2019
The Islamic way of life, in a word, is a God-oriented life. The greatest concern of a Muslim is God Almighty. The focus of his whole life is Akhirat, that is, the ideal world of God. He always obeys divine injunctions in every aspect of life. His life becomes a practical expression of the Quranic verse:
“Take on God’s own dye. And who has a better dye than God’s? And we are His worshippers. (2:138)
‘Taking on God’s dye,’ means being of a ‘godly character’ in all the personal, social and economic affairs of one’s life. The following pages of the chapter are devoted to portraying various aspects of this ‘godly’ character as personified in a Muslim individual whose words and deeds in family matters, or with respect to earning one’s livelihood and whose dealings with other members of society, always seem to be distinguishably ‘dyed in the divine hue.’
Here is an example to illustrate this point. When a stone is dropped in water, it descends to the bottom and settles there. It is in the water but separate from it. On the other hand, if a dye is put into the same glass, the dye and water combine. The water is not separate from the dye. Both have intermingled in such a way that no one can detect any difference between the two. The relationship between Islam and a true believer should be like that of dye and water, not of stone and water. Islam should not be just an accessory to a Muslim’s life; it should merge with his whole being; as the Quran says, Islam should be entered into ‘in its totality’. (2:208)
Source: The Man Islam Builds
Man is God’s servant, and indeed, the only proper way for man in this world is to live as the servant of God. Islam, in fact, is another name for this life of servitude to God. Where the Islamic life is devoted to the service of God, the un-Islamic life unashamedly flouts the will of God. Islam teaches man to lead an obedient life and surrender himself completely to the will of God. It is people who do so who will share God’s blessings in the next world.
Islam means submission. The religion of Islam is so named because it is based on obedience to God. A true believer in Islam is one who subordinates his thinking to God, who follows God’s dictates in all aspects of his life.
Islam is the religion of the entire universe. For the entire universe and all its parts are functioning in accordance with the law laid down by God.
Such behaviour is also desired of man. Man should also lead his life as God’s obedient servant just as the rest of the universe is fully subservient to God. The only difference is that the universe has submitted to God compulsorily, while man is required to submit to the will of God by his own choice.
When man adopts Islam, first of all it is his thinking which comes under Islam, then his desires, his feelings, his interests, his relations, his loves and his hatred. All are coloured by his obedience to God’s will.
When man, in his daily life comes under God’s command, his behaviour with people, his dealings all are molded by the demands of Islam. From inside to outside he becomes a person devoted to God.
Source: Simple Wisdom
A believer is necessarily a lover of peace. In his mind faith and a desire for peace are so closely interlinked that, regardless of the circumstances, he will strive to the utmost for the maintenance of peace. He will bear the loss of anything else, but the loss of peace he will not endure.
The life that the true believer desires in this world can be lived only in the propitious atmosphere which flowers in conditions of peace. Conditions of unrest breed a negative atmosphere, which to him is abhorrent.
But if peace is to be maintained, it calls for a certain kind of sacrifice. That is, when conditions become disturbed, the believer must overlook both the misdeeds leading up to this situation and the identity of the wrongdoers. He must suffer all the harm and injustice done to him without making any attempt either to retaliate, or to bring the miscreants to book, so that a state of peace should continue to prevail. The believer has to be willing to pay this price, so that his pursuance of constructive ends should proceed unhampered.
The believer is like a flower in the garden of nature. Just as a hot wind will shrivel up a bloom and cause it to die, so will constant friction distract the believer from achieving positive goals. And just as a cool breeze will enable the flower to retain its beauty for its natural lifespan, so will a peaceful atmosphere enable the believer to fulfill the obligations of divine worship in a spirit of great serenity. Peace is thus central to the life of the believer.
Islam is a religion of peace. And peace is a universal law of nature. That is because God loves the condition of peace, and disapproves of any state of unrest. God’s predilection for peace is quite enough reason for the believer also to love peace. In no circumstances will the true believer ever tolerate the disruption of peace.
Source: Principles of Islam
Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Quran calls its way ‘the paths of peace’ (5:16). It describes reconciliation as the best policy (4:128), and states that God abhors any disturbance of the peace (2:205).
The root word of Islam is ‘silm’, which means peace. So the spirit of Islam is the spirit of peace. The first verse of the Quran breathes the spirit of peace. It reads: “In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.”
This verse is repeated in the Quran no less than 114 times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches to such values as Mercy and Compassion. One of God’s names, according to the Quran, is as-salam, which means peace. Moreover the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. (21:107)
A perusal of the Quran shows that most verses of the Quran (and also the Hadith) are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The ideal society, according to the Quran is Dar as-Salam, that is, the house of peace (10:25).
The Quran presents the universe as a model which is characterised by harmony and peace (36:40). When God created heaven and earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other part. The Quran tells us that “the sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit runs.” (36:40)
For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.
These are only but a few references to show what great importance Islam attaches to peace. In fact, Islam cannot afford not to be in a state of peace because all that Islam aims at—spiritual progress, intellectual development, character building, social reform, educational activities, and above all dawah—can be achieved only in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.
According to Islam, peace is not simply an absence of war. Peace opens doors to all kinds of opportunities which are present in any given situation. It is only in a peaceful situation that planned activities are possible. It is for this reason that the Quran says, ‘reconciliation is the best’ (4:128). Similarly the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, has observed: “God grants to gentleness (rifq) what he does not grant to violence (unf). (Sunan Abu Dawud 4/255)
No wonder, then, that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, so earnestly used to entreat his Lord in his daily prayer: “O God, you are the original source of Peace; from You is all Peace, and to You returns all Peace. So, make us live with Peace; and let us enter paradise: the House of Peace. Blessed be You, our Lord, to whom belongs all Majesty and Honour!”
Source: The Man Islam Builds
Contrary to the common belief, Islam does not teach violence. It is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The first verse of the Quran breathes the spirit of peace. It reads:
“In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.”
This verse is repeated in the Quran no less than 113 times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches to such values as Mercy and Compassion. Moreover the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. (21:107)
A perusal of the Quran shows that most verses of the Quran (and also the Hadith) are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The ideal society, according to the Quran is Dar as-Salam, that is, the house of peace (10:25).
The Quran presents the universe as a model that is characterized by harmony and peace (36:40). When God created heaven and earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other part. The Quran tells us that “the sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit runs.” (36:40)
For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.
These are only but a few references to show what great importance Islam attaches to peace. In fact, Islam cannot afford not to be in a state of peace because all that Islam aims at—spiritual progress, intellectual development, character building, social reform, educational activities, and above all Missionary work—can be achieved only in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.
Source: The True Face of Islam
The model world according to Islam is a world of peace. Islam in itself means a religion of peace. The Quran says: And God calls to the home of peace. (10:25) This is the message of Islam to mankind. It means that ‘Build a world of peace on earth so that you may be granted a world of peace in your eternal life in the Hereafter’.
Now what are the basic elements of building of a culture of peace, according to Islam? To be brief, these are three: compassion, forgiveness and respect for all.
Let us take compassion first. If you go through the Quran and Hadith, you will find many verses in the Quran and Hadith, which lay great stress on compassion. For instance, the Prophet of Islam said: O people, be compassionate to others so that you may be granted compassion by God.
Thus Islam makes compassion a matter of self-interest for every man. As one’s own future depends on one’s compassionate behaviour to other fellowmen. In this way Islam motivates us to be compassionate in our dealing with each other. One who wants to receive God’s grace will have to show compassion to others.
Then, let us take forgiveness. The Quran has to say this in this regard “when they are angered, they forgive.” There are a number of verses in the Quran which promote forgiveness.
Then there is a hadith. Once a person came to the Prophet and asked him, “O Prophet, give me a master advice by which I may be able to manage all the affairs of my life.” The Prophet replied: “Don’t be angry.” It means that ‘forgive people even at provocation.’ That is, adopt forgiveness as your behaviour at all times.
Now let’s take the third principle—Respect for all. There is a very interesting story, recorded by al-Bukhari in this regard.
The Prophet of Islam once saw a funeral procession passing by a street in Madina. The Prophet was seated at that time. On seeing the funeral the Prophet stood up in respect. At this one of his companions said: ‘O Prophet, it was the funeral of a Jew (not a Muslim). The Prophet replied: ‘Was he not a human being?’ What it meant was that every human being is worthy of respect. There may be differences among people regarding religion and culture, but everyone has to respect the other. For, according to Islam, all men and women are blood brothers and blood sisters. And all are creatures of one and the same God.
These three principles are the basic pillars to form a peaceful society. Wherever these three values are to be found the result no doubt will be a society of peace and harmony.
The above references are enough to show that Islam is a culture of peace. It is true that some Muslims are engaged in violence in the name of Islam. But you will have to differentiate between Islam and Muslims. You have to see Muslims in the light of Islam and not vice versa.
Source: Principles of Islam
The greatest issue facing man in this world is how to secure salvation in the life after death so that he may find his true abode and have a share in God’s eternal blessings.
Every man who is born in this present world has to enter another world after death. In this world, man was granted life’s opportunities as a matter of being tested by them. Whatever man receives in the next world will be purely on the basis of his deeds in this world. This means that in the world before death, man has been given a great number of things and opportunities, whether or not he deserved them. But after death, the criterion of receiving will only be a matter of his just deserts; nothing will be given to him to try him.
Therefore, those who have done nothing to deserve God’s blessings will have nothing whatsoever in store for them. They will be compelled to live in a state of utter deprivation.
This is man’s greatest problem. To what should he give the greatest attention so that he may not be held undeserving in the life to come? Everyone has to exert himself to the utmost to become deserving of Paradise in the Hereafter.
Paradise in the next world is the most perfect and eternal world. There, all kinds of pleasures and happiness have been stored up for mankind. It is that world that man should cherish most, and it should be the place to which he most earnestly aspires. But the time for action to secure a place in that blessing-filled world is not the world after death, but the world before death. The present world is the place for action, while the next world is the place for reaping the reward for one’s deeds.
Salvation in the life Hereafter is only for those who prove themselves deserving of it. In this regard, God gives a four-point formula in the Quran in these words, “I swear by the passage of time, that man is surely in a state of loss, except for those who believe and do good deeds and exhort one another to hold fast to the Truth, and who exhort one another to steadfastness.” (103:1-3)
Source: The Spirit of Islam
Man’s true purpose in life can only be one, which reflects the higher side of his personality; one, which displays him as the superior being, he is.
If one pauses at this stage to take note of what the Quran has to say, one will find that it gives us clear guidance in this matter. Man’s purpose in life has been explained in the Quran in the following words:
“I created mankind and the jinn that they might worship Me. I demand no livelihood of them, nor do I ask that they should feed me. God alone is the Munificent Giver, the Mighty One, the Invincible.” (51:56-58)
These verses specify man’s purpose in life as worship. This is a purpose, which elicits from man his uniqueness in its ultimate form. It raises man to a much higher plane than that of animals. Not a trace of animalism contributes to the achievement of such a goal. God does not demand of you a livelihood, the verse states, rather He himself is responsible for your livelihood. This means that worship of God is a purpose, which is motivated neither by inward desires nor outward influences. Rather it comes into being through thought alone. Only when a person goes beyond his self and his environment can he understand that there is a higher purpose on which he should focus his life.
The motive force towards the fulfilment of this purpose is not the urge to satisfy one’s needs or those of others. The worshipper seeks neither to gratify his own desires nor those of the Being he worships. It is a purpose which sets before man a goal far above all these things—a goal which does not follow internal needs or external pressures, but results purely from conceptual thought.
When a person works, makes money, builds a house, makes an effort to improve his standard of living, he appears to be engaged in efforts towards some worthy end. But a life of this nature cannot be called a purposeful life, for these activities do not demonstrate man’s unique status. It might seem as if they are the result of deliberation, but if one looks at the matter in depth, one will see that in actual fact the motive force behind these actions is the same urge that motivates an animal in various ways, in its concern for its own survival. It is the driving force of one’s desires; the pressure of one’s needs, and the wish to fulfil the demands of one’s self that underlie such a life. These are the considerations which, in fact, guide a person in his search for his livelihood.
When man grows up, he realizes that there are certain material necessities without which he cannot live. He requires food, clothes, a place to live; he requires a reliable source of income to sustain him throughout his life. He is forced by these considerations to obtain these things. Then he sees that those who have an abundance of these material things enjoy respect and apparently possess every form of happiness and luxury in this world. Thus he is driven on to do more than just seek a livelihood; he desires to earn to a degree greatly in excess of his actual requirements.
In bustling markets, grandiose offices, and opulent buildings, he is not really guided by deliberate thought. Rather, he is being guided by inflated ideas of his own needs, desires, longings and ambitions to achieve fame and high status in this world. For this reason these activities cannot be considered as being directed towards the purpose which sets man apart from the animal and lends him a higher distinction.
To determine the purpose of life is, in short, the effort to make life meaningful. It must surely, therefore, be one which is in accordance with man’s unique status; it must be one which leads man on the path to success and progress in terms of his true nature.
Source: The Spirit of Islam
Akhirat means the Hereafter. Man is an eternal creature. However, his life-span has been divided by God into two parts. A very tiny part of it has been placed in this world, while all of the remainder has been placed in the Hereafter or the Akhirat. The present world is the world of action, while the world of the Hereafter is the place for reaping the harvest of actions. The present world is imperfect, but the world of the Hereafter is perfect in every respect. The Hereafter is a limitless world where all things have been provided in their ideal state.
God has placed His heaven—full of all kinds of blessings—in that world of the Hereafter. Those who prove to be God-fearing and pious in this world will enter into that world to find the gates of heaven eternally open for them.
But those who are oblivious of God in this present world or who opt for the path of contumacy in regard to God’s matters are criminals in God’s eyes. All such people will be deprived of the blessings of the Hereafter.
God is invisible in this present world, and will appear in all His power and majesty only in the world of the Hereafter. Then all human beings will bow low before Him. But at that time, surrendering will be of no avail. Self-abnegation and acceptance of God is desired only while God is still invisible. Surrendering before God after seeing Him in the Hereafter will not benefit anyone.
Death is not the end of a person’s life. It is only the beginning of the next stage of life. Death is that interim stage when man leaves this temporary world of today for the eternal world of tomorrow. He goes out of the temporary accommodation of the world to enter the eternal resting place of the Hereafter. The coming of this stage in the Hereafter is the greatest certainty in one’s life. No one can save himself from this fate in the Hereafter.
Source: Principles of Islam
Prophethood is one of the fundamental articles of faith in Islam. A Muslim should believe in prophethood and in all the prophets sent by God and make no distinction between them.
The Prophet’s responsibility was to communicate the divine message to humanity. In doing so, if he received a negative response from the people, or even in extreme cases was persecuted, nevertheless, he had to follow a strict policy of avoidance of confrontation, and had unilaterally to adopt the path of patience and forbearance. He was responsible only in so far as the conveying of the message was concerned. As for the response to, or acceptance of the message, that was entirely dependent on the addressees. But clearly, the greater the number who accepted the message, the greater the sphere in which a practical system of guidance sent by God became established.
God’s messengers came in every age and to every region. According to a Hadith (words of the prophet)—starting with Adam and ending with the Prophet Muhammad—1,24,000 messengers were sent to different nations, time and again, to guide the people to the right path. The prophets mentioned by name in the Quran are about twenty-four in number. The five well known prophets who came before Muhammad were Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The Prophet Muhammad, the last in this long line of prophets, was known as the ‘Seal of the Prophets’.
All the prophets, according to Islam, brought the same basic truth: that there is only one God and that all human beings are accountable to God for their actions; On the Day of Judgement, they will be judged according to their good and bad deeds. Those who believe in God and His Prophet and do good deeds shall be rewarded in the next world. In contrast, those who disbelieve and do bad deeds shall be punished in the next world.
The prophets who were given divine revelations in the form of books were called rasul, while those who did not were called nabi. Of the Spirit of Islam Issue 27 March 2015 41 holy books, four find mention in the Quran: the Sahifa or the scrolls given to Abraham; the Torah, the revelations to Moses; the Zabur, the psalms of David; the Gospel, the teachings given to Jesus. Each of these was originally a complete revelation, but unfortunately, these books and teachings were not properly preserved. Some, like the Sahifa, were lost completely. Others were changed in various ways by human intervention and are no longer in their original form. They could best be described as edited versions of divine revelations, which have been altered from time to time by editors and commentators.
In the past, the need for new prophets had arisen because God’s religion was no longer in its pristine form, having been distorted in a number of different ways. New prophets had to come to the world periodically in order to revive the true spirit of religion, and thus restore it to its original form. After the Prophet Muhammad, there was no need for another prophet, for the Book— the Quran—which he gave to the world has been preserved intact, in its original form. The Quran is a collection of the divine revelations which the Prophet received over a period of 23 years.
The records of all the prophets have been rendered historically unreliable by interpolations with the sole exception of Prophet Muhammad. Firstly, this is because the Prophet Muhammad was born in an age when the history of the world was already being extensively chronicled and secondly because of a strong team amongst his followers. This in itself made circumstances conducive to authentic records being kept of God's messages and the Prophet's exemplary life. The relevant facts were passed on from one generation to the next by both oral and written tradition, and with the advent of the printing press, came the modern guarantee that no changes would ever be made in the divine scriptures. This renders unassailable the position of the Prophet Muhammad as God's final messenger. Professor Philip Hitti has acknowledge this in the following words “Mohammad is born within the full light of history”.
Source: Spirit of Islam March 2015
Human destiny, by Islamic teachings, is a matter of man having been placed on this earth by God, so that he may be put to the test—the test of his capacity to make correct moral choices. It is for this purpose that man has been given complete freedom, for without such freedom, the divine test would have no meaning, no validity. It is required of man that he should lead his life on earth following a regimen of strict self-discipline. Wherein should he find the guiding principles for such a course? The true source of guidance, according to Islam, is to be found in prophethood.
God has endowed man with a thinking mind so that he may understand. But this mind can only grasp things that are apparent. It cannot go beyond the perceivable, and there are many things to be apprehended, for which superficial knowledge is insufficient. The higher realities of this world are beyond the scope of the human mind, and as far as God and the next world are concerned, they must remain forever invisible—beyond the reach of human perception.
What the Prophet does is to enlighten people so that they may overcome the human inadequacy of not knowing things beyond the scope of the human mind. He tells of the reality of things here and now and also gives tidings of the next world. He thereby enables the individual to formulate a plan for his entire existence in the full light of knowledge and awareness so that he may carve out a successful life for himself.
Throughout the history of mankind, God appointed certain human beings—prophets—who would be the recipients and conveyors of His guidance as sent through His angels. The last in the series was the Prophet Muhammad.
Source: Spirit of Islam March 2015
Fundamental to the religious structure of Islam is the concept of tawhid, or monotheism. As the seed is to tree, so is tawhid to Islam. For monotheism in Islam does not simply mean belief in one God, but in God’s oneness in all respects. No one shares in this oneness of God.
As proof of the Creator’s existence, the Quran advances the fact of the very existence of the universe. All studies of the universe show it cannot be sui genesis: some other agent is essential for the universe to have come into existence. This means the choice is not between a universe with God and one without God, rather it is between a universe with God, and no universe at all. And so, we are left with only the option of a universe with God — a condition also necessary for the existence of human beings.
As the Quran expresses it: “God; there is no deity save Him, the Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belong whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who can intercede with Him, except by His permission? He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them. They can grasp only that part of His knowledge, which He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth; and their upholding does not weary Him. He is the Sublime, the Almighty One.” (2:255)
God acquires a very prominent position in the Quran. Every chapter in the Quran begins in the name of God. People often believe that in Islam belief in God is a matter of blind faith, but if you read the Quran you will find that the Quran treats belief in God as a matter of realization resulting from thinking and pondering over the world around us.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
Islam means submission and peace. The religion of Islam is so named because it is based on obedience to God with a peaceful character. A true believer in Islam is one who subordinates his thinking to God, who follows God’s dictates in all aspects of his life and becomes a peaceful person of society. The Prophet of Islam said, “Be God-conscious wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and behave with good character towards people.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 1987)
Islam is the religion of the entire universe. For the entire universe and all its parts are functioning in accordance with the law laid down by God.
Such behaviour is also desired of man. Man should also lead his life as God’s obedient servant just as the rest of the universe is fully subservient to God. The only difference is that the universe has submitted to God compulsorily, while man is required to submit to the will of God by his own choice.
When man adopts Islam, first of all it is his thinking, which comes under Islam, then his desires, his feelings, his interests, his relations, his loves and his hatred. All are coloured by his obedience to God’s will.
When man, in his daily life comes under God’s command, his behaviour with people, his dealings all are moulded by the demands of Islam. From inside to outside he becomes a person devoted to God.
Man is God’s servant, and indeed, the only proper way for man in this world is to live as the servant of God. Islam, in fact, is another name for this life of servitude to God. Where the Islamic life is devoted to the service of God, the un-Islamic life unashamedly flouts the will of God. Islam teaches man to lead an obedient life and surrender himself completely to the will of God. It is people who do so who will share God’s blessings in the next world.
Source: The Quran (Introduction)
Intention or niyyah is of utmost important in Islam. The Prophet of Islam said, “Verily, the people will only be raised for judgment based on their intentions.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 4229)
No act, simply on account of its appearance of being commendable can be acceptable to God. God accepts only such deeds as have been performed with the right intention. No act done with evil intention is acceptable to God. When a person performs some task solely for God’s pleasure and with the aim of being rewarded for it in the Hereafter that shows he is a person of good intention.
On the contrary, when a person acts in a way that is ostensibly religious, with the hope of promoting some worldly interest thereby, receiving appreciation, gaining in popularity among others and finding a place of honour among them, that shows an evil intention.
Intention relates to one’s thinking or inner state. People may not be able to discover the inner state of a person’s mind when he performs a certain action. But God is fully cognizant of what is going on in his mind. He knows what kind of feelings he had at that time. People may mistake an evil act for a good act, but God has full knowledge of all things and will deal with everyone accordingly. He will reward a person exactly as he deserves.
The significance of intention is that of truth and meaningfulness. When something is lacking in truth and meaningfulness, it is of no value. Indeed, any act which is done without the right intention is valueless. It has no importance either in the eyes of people or in the eyes of God.
An act is worthy of esteem only when it is pure in intention. Any act done without the right intention is impure in nature.
Source: The Spirit of Islam
As per the creation plan of God, utmost importance is given to intentions. The Prophet said:
“Whoever comes to his carpet intending to stand for prayer at night, yet his eyes are overcome with sleep until morning, his intention is recorded for him and his sleep is charity for him from his Lord Almighty.” (Sunan al-Nasa’i, Hadith No. 1787)
Right intention is the moral purposiveness, which underlies all actions performed solely for God’s pleasure. One who acts on such feelings will be rewarded by God in the Hereafter.
Ill-intention, on the other hand, is a negative spur to worldly attainment. Ostensibly religious acts, if performed for worldly gain or public commendation, are in this sense ill intentioned. Any fame, honour or popularity, which ensues from an ill-intentioned act, is a hollow triumph and is looked upon by the Almighty with extreme disfavour.
Intention is rooted in man’s inner thinking and feelings. A common man is unable to penetrate the inner recesses of a person’s mind but God knows full well what a man’s thought processes and feelings are. People can be deluded by appearances, but God has complete knowledge of everything. He will deal with people according to His knowledge and will reward everyone exactly as he or she deserves.
Things are of value only when they are pure, without any adulteration. An act done with right intention is a pure act, and an act performed without right intention is an impure act.
Source: Spirit of Islam May 2019
