Discover Islam

Introducing Islam

There are few people on earth today who have not heard something about Islam. Yet, one is often surprised to learn that it is really quite different from his initial impression. For Islam is not as it is represented in the Western media, nor is it Arab culture, nor is it a religion in the sense of mere private conviction (or more often, speculation) concerning the state of existence.

Islam is very widely known in the West for what it is not! Active slandering and tarnishing of Islam has become a mission and a career of some groups in politics, the media and the entertainment field. Also, the average person has heard of or has read about Islam mostly through sources that are critical (even hostile), or writers who have had colonial or missionary motives, which usually have given a certain slant to their interpretation of Islam to the western mind.

Islam is a voluntary relationship between an individual and his Creator. The outstanding difference between this and other religions is that Islam refuses to accept any form of creation whatsoever as a deity worthy of worship. It emphasizes the exclusive worship of the One who created the heavens and the earth, to whom all creation will finally return. It is not a new religion but the continuation and culmination of preceding monotheistic religion - the same truth revealed by God to every prophet. Hence, it is for all peoples and all times.

Who are the Muslims?

Over one and a half billion people (about one fourth of the world's population) from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe are united by the common Islamic faith. Of these, about 18 percent live in the Arab world. The world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia, and substantial parts of Asia and much of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in Russia, as well as China, North and South America, Europe and Oceania. For Muslims, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life.

Meaning of "Islam"

Of all the major religions of the world, Islam stands apart in that it does not derive its name from a tribe or a person or a locality; like Judaism (from Judea), or Christianity (from Christ) or Buddhism (from Buddha), or Hinduism (from the land of Hind). Islam does not derive its name from the Prophet Mohammad. Mohammad is not worshipped, nor is he regarded as either the founder of Islam or the author of its Holy Book, the Qur'an. The term "Islam" is given in more than one place in the Qur'an itself. It is derived from the Arabic root (SLM) which connotes "peace" or "submission". Indeed, the proper meaning of "Islam" is the attainment of peace, both inner and outer peace, by submission of oneself to the will of God (Allah). And when we say submit, we are talking about conscious, loving and trusting submission to the will of Allah, the acceptance of His grace and the following of His path. In that sense the Muslim regards the term Islam, not as an innovation that came in the seventh Century with the advent of the Prophet Mohammad, but as the basic mission of all the prophets throughout history. That universal mission was finally culminated and perfected in the last of these prophets, Prophet Mohammad.

Islamic Monotheism

Muslims do not have a "separate god of their own" whom they call Allah. The name "Allah" has no connotation at all of a tribal god, an Arabian or even a Muslim god. "Allah" simply means the One and Only True, Universal God of all. "Allah " is a proper name belonging only to the one Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them, the Eternal and Absolute, to Whom alone all worship is due. God mentions in the Qur'an that His name is Allah. Hence, Muslims refer to and call on Him by His proper name, Allah.

What are the basic attributes of Allah? The Qur'an mentions the "best names" (or attributes) of Allah. Instead of enumerating them all, we will examine a few. Some attributes emphasize the transcendence of Allah. The Qur'an repeatedly makes it clear that Allah is beyond our limited perception: "There is nothing like unto Him."(Qur'an 42:11) "Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision."(Qur'an 6:103) "Nor is there to Him any equivalent."(Qur'an 112:4) A Muslim never thinks of Allah as having any particular image, whether physical, human, material or otherwise. Such attributes as "the Perfectly-Knowing," "the Eternal," "the Omnipotent," "the all-Encompassing," "the Just," and "the Sovereign" also emphasize transcendence. But this does not mean in any way that for the Muslim Allah is a mere philosophical concept or a deity far removed. Indeed, alongside this emphasis on the transcendence of Allah, the Qur'an also talks about Allah as a God who is close, easily approachable, Kind, Affectionate, Loving, Forgiving and Merciful. The very first passage in the Qur'an, which is repeated at the start of every chapter (113 times), is "In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful…" The Qur'an tells us that when Allah created the first human He "breathed into him from His [created] element of life."(Qur'an 32:9) and that Allah is "closer to him (the human) than [his] jugular vein."(Qur'an 50:16) In another beautiful and moving passage we are told, "And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided."(Qur'an 2:186)

For the Muslim, monotheism does not mean simply the unity of God, because there can be different persons in unity. Monotheism in Islam is the absolute Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah, which precludes the notion of persons sharing in Godhead. The opposite of monotheism in Islam is called in Arabic "shirk", associating (or joining) others with Allah. This includes not only polytheism, but also dualism (believing in one God for good or light and another for evil or darkness). The concept of "shirk" also includes pantheism, the idea that God is in everything. All forms of God-incarnate philosophies are excluded by Islam's monotheism, as is blind obedience to dictators, to clergy, or to one's own whims and desires. These all are regarded as forms of "associating" others with Allah (shirk), whether by believing that such creatures of Allah possess divinity or by believing that they share the Divine Attributes of Allah. It should be added that, to the Muslim, monotheism is not simply a dogma. Islam's pure, pristine and strict monotheism is much more than a thought or a belief; it is something that deeply influences the Muslim's whole outlook on life.

What Do Muslims Believe?

Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, in the angels created by Him, in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind, in the Day of Judgement and individual accountability for actions, in God's complete authority over human destiny*, and in life after death. * (Allah's knowledge encompasses every aspect of His creations in the past, present and future. Nothing occurs but with His knowledge, and by His will. Good and evil exist by Allah's decree, and everyone gains one or the other through his own choice and by the exercise of his own free will. Nonetheless, the good occurs only with the help of Allah, and the evil occurs not against His will but only by His leave.)

Islam teaches that human diversity is a sign of the richness of Allah's mercy. Allah has willed that human beings compete with each other in righteousness in order to test who is the best in deeds, and this is the reason for the creation of the universe. Allah alone is the judge of human righteousness, and it is Allah alone who rewards and punishes in this life and in the Hereafter.

Allah is the Creator and Sustainer of this universe. Since man cannot know his Creator through the physical senses, Allah has revealed Himself through a series of messengers or prophets. We are familiar with some of them through earlier scriptures such as the Torah and the Gospel. Every people on earth was at some time sent a messenger from Allah, but with the passing of generations men tended to deviate from the true religion, often replacing it with alien ideas and practices. Each prophet was sent to reform his people and turn them back to the worship of Allah alone. The last of these prophets was Mohammad, through whom Allah's message was completed. Allah promised that this final message would be preserved for all mankind. And the words revealed by Allah through the angel Gabriel to Prophet Mohammad have indeed been passed down to us in their original Arabic text, unchanged since the time of revelation. This scripture is called the Qur'an.

The essence of Allah's message through all of the prophets was: "O mankind, worship Allah, you have no deity other than Him."(Qur'an 7:59,65,73,85; Also 11:50,61,84; and 23:23,32) Allah further states that He made this life in order to test man so that every person may be recompensed after death for what he has earned: "[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving."(Qur'an 67:2)

Nothing is worthy of worship except Him who created you - not stone idols or fire, not heavenly bodies such as the sun and moon, not animals, not angels, and not other men (including prophets) - for all of these are His creations.

Allah is one. His unity is evident in the order, arrangement and symmetry of the universe. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. He is completely just and merciful. Allah has revealed certain names and descriptions of Himself so that we may have some understanding of His qualities and therefore love, and at the same time, fear Him.

This universe was not formed by chance, nor is it left to chance. Allah created it for a purpose and subjected it to physical laws for an appointed period of time. Man was created for a purpose as well - to worship Allah on earth and live according to His law. This is the essence of Islam, a word which means literally: submission to the will of Allah. It is Allah alone (who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves) who has the right to govern our lives. And His law means justice for all people regardless of gender, nationality, colour or social status. Human beings are judged only on the basis of righteousness.

Man has been given a free will and has been left the choice of whether or not he will follow the way of Allah. Furthermore, he has been given a mind with which he is able to reason and choose wisely. One may, by his own efforts, gain knowledge that enables him to recognize the evidence of Allah in His creation. By contemplation one may weigh, measure and learn from all situations. And finally, because the human mind and experience is limited, Allah has revealed the guidance we need through prophets.

After making available the information necessary for one to choose His way, Allah informs us in the Qur'an that after passing through a temporary stage of death man will bear the consequences of his choice in a greater life to come: "Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned."(Qur'an 21:35) Every individual is personally responsible for his own deeds - both good and evil. No one else can carry the burden of his sins.

On the other hand, Allah is always prepared to accept and forgive any servant who has gone astray and then repents and turns back to Him. The compensation for evil will be exact justice, but the compensation for good will be much greater - complete satisfaction and happiness.

This last message revealed by Allah to mankind through Prophet Mohammad is the final and complete religion and legal code for mankind. Just as a new revised law supersedes and invalidates what came before it, Islam now nullifies all former religions on earth. It corrects the deviations that had crept into religion previously, in the realm of both belief and practice. The text of the Qur'an has been preserved by Allah in order that humanity may no longer have an excuse to deviate and that there may always be men who keep the true religion.

The final prophet sent by the Creator to mankind was an example to be followed and obeyed. Prophet Mohammad patterned his life on the teachings of the Qur'an, which were revealed to him by Allah. True Muslims try to follow this noble example. A high moral standard is clearly the goal of Islam. It is the duty of every Muslim to learn and put into practice all that he can of his religion in order to earn the pleasure of Allah before returning to Him.

Muslims have two distinct advantages to help them in the practice of Islam as their way of life: 1. The sacred scripture, the Qur'an, is the recorded words of Allah Himself dictated verbatim to Prophet Muhammad in instalments, verse by verse or a group of verses, through the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years between 610 and 633 AD. It was immediately memorized and put down in writing. It is divided into 114 units, each called a surah. The Qur'an still remains authentic in its original Arabic text, word for word and letter for letter. This language is used and understood by millions of people in the world today. The Qur'an is the final Revelation of Allah to all mankind. It contains Allah's guidance in teachings and commandments, which are valid for all times and places and which encompass all spheres of human life such as doctrine, worship, morals, transactions, law, wisdom, etc.

Many confuse the Qur'an with the "Hadeeth," or sayings, of the Prophet. The Hadeeth is quite separate from the Qur'an. It is important to emphasize that the Qur'an was neither written nor composed by Mohammad. To hold such a view would contradict what the Qur'an says of itself and of Mohammad; that the prophet is not speaking of his own but only transmitting the revelation dictated to him by the angel Gabriel (Qur'an 53:3-5). To suggest that the Qur'an borrowed from or copied from previous revelations, be it the Bible or otherwise, is, for a Muslim, an accusation of "prophetic plagiarism". The fact that there are similarities between the Qur'an and previous scriptures is simply explained by the fact that He Who spoke through those earlier prophets is He Who revealed the Qur'an to Mohammad, the one and only true God, Allah. However, the Qur'an is the last revealed Holy Book, which supersedes previous scriptures and the only one still available in the exact words and language of revelation.

2. The example of Prophet Mohammad lives on as well. There is a complete and authentic record showing how he exemplified the teachings and commandments of Allah and elaborated the principles laid down in the Qur'an - all in order to provide a sure guidance for their interpretation and application for all later times and soc