A little reflection about the universe and its perfect design leads a rational mind nowhere except to acknowledge the existence of a supreme creator and a marvelous designer.
How it is possible that this glorious mural of life was created without a purpose and without a wise artist.
It is not uncommon that wise people at some point in their life wonder:
- Who is this creator?
- Why were we created?
- Who are we?
- Where are we going?
Islam provides comprehensive solutions and satisfying answers to these and many other important similar life questions. Islam acknowledges this Creator as One All-Supreme God, the Almighty.
In Islam, The God is All-knowing, All-Seeing, All-powerful and without any imperfection and without any deficiency.
This article is a humble effort to introduce the basic teachings of Islam in clear and simple words. You are requested to read this with an open and rational mind for the sake of finding the ultimate truth.
O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God’s sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Quran, 49:13)
The meaning of the word “Islam”
The Arabic term Islam, come from the root word “Al-Silm”, which means peace. However, the predominant meaning in the Quranic texts, the word Islam means submission to the will of God, the Creator of this universe.
Any one, who becomes a true Muslim, has to submit himself or herself to follow the will of God and His commandments.
Belief in one God
Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God. The God believed by Muslims is the same Lord that all religions believed but lost the pure monotheistic view over the period of time.
He, glorified and most praised, is the absolute Creator of all existence. This is the reason why He is comparable to none. God is called “Allah” in Arabic.
He is the God about whom all prophets preached starting from Adam, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon them). He has no son, nor partner, and that no one else has the right to be worshipped but God alone.
Islam is a purely monotheistic religion, believing only in one God. The concept of belief in only and only One God is known in Islam as “Tawheed” and this is the foundation stone of Islam.
The Qur’ãn has presented the concept of monotheism in a short chapter. It says:
Say: He, God, is One. God is Eternal. He neither begets nor is He begotten. And there is no one equal to Him. (The Qur’ãn, chapter 112)
Purpose of Life in Islam
We are here according to God’s plan to pass a meaningful life so that we attain a blissful eternal life in the hereafter. According to Islam, the perfection of a human soul is reached when it attains a total submission to one God.
Prophet Muhammad said, “You have not been created to perish; on the contrary, you have been created for eternal life.” However, in order to attain the bliss and grace in the eternal life, we have to go through test and trial in this world.
The test is to see how much willingly we do submit ourselves to the commands of God. Everything that we do is a test and trial for us. If we follow God’s commandment, then we succeed; otherwise, we will get the eternal life but without any bliss or grace in it.
The Qur’ãn -The Holy Book of God
The Holy Quran was brought forth by the Angel Gabriel as revelations from God to Prophet Muhammad over a period of twenty three years.
This book known as “The Qur’ãn” is the direct message of God to humanity, and is free of any distortions or tampering.
In the “The Qur’ãn,” God Himself took the responsibility to protect this Holy Book. Due to this reason alone, “The Qur’ãn” has not been tampered with in any way to this day for the last fourteen centuries.
Day of Judgment as Defined in Islam
In Islam, belief in the Day of Judgment is incumbent upon all Muslims. All human beings are answerable to their creator for all their deeds.
All human beings will be raised again on the Day of Judgement. People who have done good deeds will be rewarded and those who have committed sins will be punished.
Muhammad -The Last Prophet of God
After a long line of Prophets including Prophet Moses and Prophet Jesus (Our blessings on them) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) was chosen by God as the last messenger. With his Prophethood, the process of guidance reached its peak and perfection.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) was born in the city of Mecca in Arabia in a family which traced its lineage back to the Prophet Abraham through his son Ishmael.
Prophet Muhammad lived a simple life. He was born an orphan and raised by his Grandfather and then his uncle. He was a Shepherd in the early years of his adult life.
The people of Mecca respected him dearly due to his noble character and he was awarded the title of “The Truthful” and “The Trustworthy” due to his honest dealings in times of moral corruption.
At the age of forty, Prophet Muhammad was commanded by Allah to proclaim his Prophethood. He called the people of Mecca who were mostly idol-worshippers to the worship of One God.
In line with the Prophets before him like Jesus and Moses, he urged people to worship only One God and not to associate partners with the God. He called all to the teachings of God and preached respect, love for humankind and high morality.
The pagans and idol worshippers of that time did not like his teachings that challenged their existing beliefs. The same response was demonstrated by the predecessors of these pagans, who also opposed the teachings of Moses and Jesus.
In the meanwhile, the Prophet’s message found a very receptive audience among the people of Medina, a city in northern Arabia. After preaching for thirteen hard years in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad migrated to Medina where he lived for the next and the last eleven years of his noble life.
The Household of the Prophet Muhammad: The Ahlul Bait
Ahlul Bait, Arabic word for ‘People of the House” are the chosen ones by God and include Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, her husband Imam Ali and her two sons Imam Hussain and Imam Hassan.
Following the teachings, training and role models of these members of Ahlul Bait, according to Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, is the responsibility of every Muslim who wants to pass his or her life according to the Will of God.
Human Being in Islam
Prime Creation: Human being is the prime creation of God. He says, “We have indeed honored the children of Adam; spread them in the land and the sea, provided them with good things; and preferred them in esteem over many things that We have created.” (17:70)
Born Sinless: Islam teaches that every human is born sinless; no one carries the burden of his or her ancestor’s sins. God says, “No carrier shall carry the burden of others.” (35:18) Each human being is born with a pure Conscience which can absorb and accept the true message of God.
Accountability: Islam emphasizes on the issue of responsibility and accountability of human beings—each person is responsible for his or her own actions. We surely are free in our actions and are, therefore, accountable for them.
God only provides guidance for us to know what is good and what is bad. He says, “We created man of a water-drop…Surely We guided them to the right way—now whether he (follows it and) be grateful or (goes astray and) be ungrateful is up to him.” (76:3)
No Racial Discrimination: Islam unconditionally rejects racial discrimination. It promotes the feeling of brotherhood and equality among its followers.
God clearly says, “O Mankind! We have created you from one male and one female, and then We made you into different races and tribes so that you may know (and easily recognize) each other.”
Therefore, no one can claim any superiority over others based on racial or tribal differences. A person is to be judged by his character, not by his color or race.
God continues, “Surely the most honorable of you in God’s sight is the person who is most upright in character among you.” (49:13).
In his last sermon, Prophet Muhammad reiterated this point and said “ All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.”
No Gender Preference: Regarding human rights in Islam, there is no difference between man and woman except in the type of responsibilities each ought to handle.
They are not assessed on basis of their gender, but on basis of their faith and character.
Fourteen hundred years ago, the Qur’ãn recorded God’s clear statements on this issue.: “Whoever, be it a male or a female, does good deeds and he or she is a believer, then they will enter the Paradise.” (4:124)
So there is no difference in the degree or level of woman’s humanity or honor in Islam.
Imamat
Holy Quran Says: “One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams" (17:71). Similar to Prophethood, Imamat is divinely appointed leadership.
The person who gets this position is called “Imam”, one who protects the divine bounds, defends the religion and invites people to Allah by means of logic, argument and good advice.
Holy Quran declares this position: "And when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain commands and he fulfilled them. Then He said: Lo! I appoint you an Imam for mankind." (2:124).
Holy Prophet specifically named 12 Imams, who were his successors. The name of the 12th one is Mohammad Mahdi (blessings on him), who is still alive and is in Occultation to this day.
Islamic School of Thoughts
Sunnis and Shias are two major schools of thought in Islam. They both believe in One God, in all the Prophets, in the Holy Quran and they all pray towards one direction, the holy Kaaba in Mecca.
They share their beliefs on many major aspects of the Islam. However, there exist a few differences.
The major difference arises on the issue of leadership after Prophet Muhammad. The Shias believe that Prophet Muhammad, by the Will of God, appointed Imam Ali as the leader of the Muslim nation.
This concept of Leadership after the Prophet Muhammad is called “Imamat” in the Shia School of thought and continues to this day.
On the contrary, the Sunnis believe that Prophet Muhammad did not appoint any leader after him and left the matter of choosing leadership to the public.
These two schools of thought have co-existed for centuries in the Islamic Heartlands.
A Summary Of Basic Beliefs And Commandments In Islam
- There is only One God. In Arabic it is called “Allah”
- God did not have any son, or any father, or any partner.
- God is All Supreme, The Creator of All Creations.
- God is Just.
- Prophet Moses and Jesus (Our Blessings on them), is one of many great Messengers chosen by God.
- The birth of Prophet Jesus (Our Blessings on him) from Holy Mary was a miracle as was the birth of Prophet Adam who did not have even a mother.
- It is incumbent upon all Muslims to revere and respect all the Prophets.
- God, through the Prophet Muhammad (Our Blessings on him) as the last Prophet of God, completed his message and chose Islam as the preferred religion.
- Holy Quran is a book from God and remains to this day, unaltered. Not a single word has been changed for the last 1400 years.
- All humans are born sinless.
- All humans are children of Adam.
- No human is superior to other except on the basis of piety in front of God.
- Islam prohibits racism.
- Islam prohibits all intoxicants.
- Islam encourages humans to achieve self-perfection.
- In Islam, everyone is accountable and responsible for each and every action one performs and everyone will get rewards or punishment accordingly.
- As humans by themselves cannot solve all their spiritual, social, economic and political problems, God has sent Prophets and Imams to guide the humans and to keep them on the right Path, the Path chosen by God.
Islam as defined by Imam Ali
It is indeed a religion founded on truth.
It is such a fountain-head of learning that several streams of wisdom and knowledge flow from it.
It is such a lamp that several lamps will be lit from it.
It is a lofty beacon of light Illuminating the path of God.
It is such a set of principles and beliefs that will fully satisfy every seeker of truth and reality.
Know you all that God have made Islam, the most sublime path for the attainment of His supreme pleasure and the highest standard of his worship and obedience. He has favored it with noble precepts, exalted principles, firm arguments, unchallengeable supremacy and undeniable wisdom.
It is up to you to maintain the eminence and dignity granted to it by the Lord, to follow it sincerely, to do justice to its articles of faith and belief, to obey implicitly its tenets and orders, and to give it the proper place in your lives.