|
Introduction
Nearly every religion in the world has been named aftel
either the person it has been associated with or the people
or nation from which it originated. Christianity, for example, derives its name from Jesus Christ; Buddhism from
Gautama Buddha; Zoroastrianism from Zoroaster; and Judaism, the religion of the Jews, takes its name from both the
tribe of Judah and the country of Judea where it was bom.
The same is true of other religions. But not so with Islam. This religion enjoys the unique distinction of having no such
association with any particular person or people.
The word "Islam" does not convey any such relationship - for it does not belong to any person, people,
or country. Nor is it the product of any human mind. It is
a universal religion and its objective is to create and
cultivate within man the quality and attitude of Islam.
"Islam", in fact, is a descriptive title. Whoever possesses the qualities contained within this description, re-
gardless of his race, community, country or family, is a
Muslim. According to the Qur'an (the holy book of the
Muslims) among every society and in all ages there have
been good and righteous people who possessed these qualities - and all of them were and are Muslims.
This brings us to the question: What does Islam
mean? And who is a Muslim?
ISLAM - What does it mean?
"Islam" is an Arabic word meaning submission, surrender, and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to God -and this is why
it is called "ISLAM."
Everyone can see that we live in an orderly universe.
There is law and order among all the parts that make up
this universe. Everything is assigned a place in a grand
scheme which is working in a magnificent and superb
way. The sun, the moon, the stars, in fact all the heavenly
bodies are knit together in a splendid system. These
bodies follow an unalterable law and do not deviate even
slightly from their ordained course. The earth rotates on
its axis and in its revolution around the sun follows the
path laid out for it with precision. Everything in the world,
from the tiny whirling electron to the mighty galaxy,
constantly and ceaselessly follows its own laws. Matter,
energy and life - all obey laws, laws by which they must
grow or change, live or die.
Even in the human world, the laws of nature are quite
obvious. Man's birth, growth and life are all regulated by
a set of biological laws. He derives nourishment from
nature according to a law which cannot be changed. All
the organs of his body, from the small tissues to the heart
and the brain, operate according to the laws set out for
them. In short, ours is a law-governed universe and every-
thing in it is following the course that has been ordained
for it.
This all-powerful and all-penetrating law, which
governs everything that exists, from the tiniest particles
of matter to the most awesome galaxies in the high
heavens, is the law of God, the Creator and Ruler of the
universe. Since all created things obey the law of God, the
entire universe, therefore, literally follows the system of
Islam - for Islam signifies nothing but obedience and submission to God, the Lord of the universe. The sun, the
moon, the earth and all other heavenly bodies are thus
"Muslims" (obedient servants of God). So are the air,
water and soil, and all living things, the insects, birds and
mammals of the animal world, the shrubs, trees, vegeta-
bles and fruits of the plant world. Everything in the
universe is "Muslim"; for they all obey God Almighty by
submitting to His laws.
Even the man who denies the existence of God or
decides to worship a power other than God, is obligated
to be a "Muslim" as far as his bodily existence is con-
cerned. For this man's entire life, from the embryonic
stage to the dissolution of his body into dust after death,
must follow the course prescribed for it by God's law. His
every molecule, tissue and limb must endlessly obey the
universal laws laid down for them by Almighty God. His
tongue, which in his ignorance advocates the denial of
God or states that several gods exist, is by its very nature
a "Muslim". His head, which he willingly bows to others
besides God, is a bom Muslim. His heart, where in his
lack of true knowledge he cherishes love and reverence
for others, is "Muslim" by intuition. They are all obedient
to the Divine Law, and their functions and operations are
governed by the commandments of that law alone.
This, in short, is the real position of man and the
universe. Let us now examine the problem from a differ-
ent perspective. Man's character is such that there are two
separate aspects of his life, two distinct spheres of his
activity. In one sphere he finds himself totally regulated
by the Divine Law. He cannot budge an inch or move a
step away from it. Nor can he in any way slip away from
its all-embracing control. Man, for instance, has no control over the power of nature. Natural disasters occur
and he can neither evade them nor limit their course. In
one part of the earth, hurricanes and tropical storms rage,
in another severely cold weather and snow storms, in yet
another devastating tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanoes.
Man can find no refuge on the globe from such
events and when they occur in full force, he often calls
upon that very God Who controls these processes. Whose
help he did not bother to seek until disaster struck.
But there is another sphere of his activity as well. He
has been blessed with reason and intelligence. He has
the power to think and make judgments, to select or
reject, to adopt or spurn. He is free to follow whatever
way of life he chooses. He can select any religion,
assume any way of life, and fashion his living according to whatever ideologies he likes. He may prepare his
own code of conduct or accept one followed by someone else. He has been bestowed with free will and can
chalk out his course of behavior. In this respect, he, unlike
any other creature, has been given freedom of choice,
thought and action.
Both of these aspects are real, co-existing yet distinguishable parts of man's life
In the first, like all other creatures, man is a bom
Muslim, constantly obeying the orders of Almighty God
and is bound to do so. Regarding the second aspect, he is
free to become or not become a Muslim. Here is where
his gift of the freedom of choice becomes operative -
and it is the way a person exercises this freedom which
divides mankind into two groups: believers and non-believers. An individual who chooses to recognize the Crea-
tor, accept Him as his real Master, honestly and faithfully
submit to His laws and orders and follows the system of life
He has revealed for man, thereby becomes a perfect Muslim
Such a man has achieved completeness in his Islam by
consciously deciding to obey God through the use of those
very abilities of free thought, choice and action which God
Almighty blessed him with. Now his entire life has become
one of obedience to God. There is now no conflict in his
personality because he spends his time and energy working
for the pleasure of his Creator. He is a perfect Muslim and
his Islam is complete - as this submission of his entire self
to the will of God is Islam and nothing but Islam.
He has now consciously submitted to Him Whom he
had already been obeying unconsciously. He has now willingly offered obedience to the Master Whom he had already
owed obedience unintentionally. His knowledge is now
real- for he has acknowledged the Being Who blessed him
with the power to learn and to know. Now his reasoning and
his judgment are set on an even plane - for he has correctly
decided to obey the Being Who in fact gave him those abilities of thinking and judging. His tongue is now in its natural state for it truthfully asserts that it is the Lord Most High Who gave
it the faculty of speech. His entire existence is an example of
truth for, in all areas of life, he voluntarily as well as involun-
tarily obeys the laws of the same One God - the Master of
the universe. And by so doing he worships Him whom the
whole universe worships. This is the natural condition. And
such a man is truly God's representative on earth. The whole
world is for him. And he is for God.
THE NATURE OF DISBELIEF (KUFR)
In contrast to the man described above is the man who, although bom a Muslim, does not use his skills of reason,
intelligence and intuition to recognize his Lord and Creator. Rather, he misuses his freedom of choice by choosing
to deny Him. Such a man becomes a disbeliever in his
rejection of God.
The Arabic word for disbelief is kufr , which
literally means "to cover" or "to conceal". The man
who rejects God is called a concealer (kafir) because
he conceals by his disbelief what is inherently in his
nature and what is embalmed within his soul. For
indeed, his nature is instinctively imbued with "Islam". His whole body, every cell and each atom, functions in obedience to that instinct. Each and every particle
that exists - living or lifeless - functions in accordance
with "Islam" and is fulfilling the duty that has been
assigned to it. But the vision of this man has been
blurred, his common sense has been befogged, and he is
unable to see the obvious. His own nature has become
hidden from his eyes and he thinks and acts in complete
disregard of it. The real truth has become separated
from him and he gropes in the dark - such is the nature
of disbelief.
Disbelief (kufr) is not a form of ignorance; it IS
ignorance, pure and simple. What ignorance could be
greater than to be ignorant of God, the Creator, the Lord
of the universe? A person observes the vast panorama of
nature, the superb mechanism that is ceaselessly working,
the grand design that exists in every nook and comer of
creation - he observes the endless machinery, but does
not know who is its Maker and Director. He looks at his
own body, the wonderful organism that operates in an
intelligible and systematic fashion, and uses it to achieve
whatever goals he wishes.
Yet he is unable to comprehend the Force thai
brought it into existence, the Engineer Who designed and
produced this machine, the Creator Who made this unique
living being out of lifeless matter: carbon, calcium, sodium and so on. He sees how impressive is the plan by
which the universe operates but fails to see the Planner
behind it. He sees great beauty and harmony in its workings - but not the Creator Who allows it to work. He
observes the wonderful design of nature - but is blind to
the Designer!
No matter which way he turns , he sees magnificent
examples of skill in science and wisdom, mathematics and
engineering, design and purpose. Yet he ignores the Being
Who brought into existence all that is in this endless
universe. How can a man who has blinded himself to this
great and important reality approach the true perspectives
of knowledge? How can the prospects of truth and knowledge be opened to such a man? How can anyone who has
started out in the wrong place reach the right destination?
He will fail to find the clue to Reality. The Right Path will
remain hidden from him, and whatever his efforts in
science and the arts, he will never be able to discover the
light of truth and wisdom. He will be groping in darkness
and stumbling in the gloom of ignorance.
But this is not all; Disbelief is also a form of tyranny.
The worst, in fact, of tyrannies. And what is "Tyranny?"
It is an act of cruel and unjust use of any force or power.
If you force a thing to act unjustly or to act against its true
nature, its will and natural inclination, that is tyranny, root
and branch.
We have seen that whatever is in the universe is
obedient to God Almighty, the Creator of all that the
world contains. To obey, to live according to His Will and
Law, or to put it more precisely, to be a Muslim is
ingrained in the nature of things. God has given man
power over these things, but it is superimposed upon their
nature that they should be used to fulfill the Will and Law
of God and not otherwise. But the person who disobeys
God and resorts to disbelief perpetrates the greatest of
injustices, for he uses all the God-given powers of body
and mind to rebel against his natural state and becomes
an unwilling instrument in the drama of disobedience. He
forces his head to bow before gods other than the One
True God. He cherishes in his heart the love, reverence
and fear of other powers and utterly disregards the instinctive urge of his mind. He uses his power and the power
of all those things upon which he has authority against the
natural inclination of things, against the expressed will of
God. In this manner he establishes a reign of tyranny. Can
there be a greater example of injustice, tyranny and cruelty than the one exhibited by this man, who exploits and
misuses everything under the sun and forces them to
follow a course that is against nature and justice?
And disbelief is not mere tyranny. It is, at the very
least, sheer rebellion, ingratitude and treachery. After all,
what is man's real nature? What kind of power and
authority does he have? Is he himself the creator of his
mind, his heart, his soul, and other parts of his body - or
have they been created by God? Was it he who created
the universe and all within it - or has it been created by
God? Who has harnessed countless powers and energies
for the service of man, oil and electricity, sunlight and
atomic forces - man or God? If everything has been
constructed by God and God alone, then to whom do they
belong? Who is their real owner? Who is their rightful
guardian? Clearly, it is God and none else. And if God is
the Creator, the Master and the Sovereign, then who could
be a greater rebel than the man who uses God's creation
against His own regulations - who forces his mind to
plot against God, harbors in his soul thoughts against
Him, and uses his various abilities against the Almighty's
will. If a servant betrays his master, you denounce him as
faithless. If an army officer becomes disloyal to the state,
you proclaim him a traitor and renegade. If a person cheats
on his friend, you do not hesitate to condemn him as an
ingrate. But what match can this betrayal, this ingratitude
and this rebellion be to the one which the disbeliever
commits by his denial of God? Who is the source of all
power and authority? Who gave man command over the
resources? Who elevated people to positions of authority
and power? Who gave presidents, kings and governors
the power to rule and Who is the true provider and
distributor of wealth? All such things which men possess
and anything good which man uses to help others, are gifts
from God. The greatest obligation a man has is to his
parents. But who has implanted in the parents' hearts the
desire to love and cherish their children? Who gave the
mother the will and the power to nurture and nourish her
children?
A little reflection will reveal that God is the greatest
caretaker of man. He is the Creator, Master, Nourisher,
Sustainer, as well as the real King and President. And this
being the position of God as contrasted to man, what
greater betrayal, ingratitude, rebellion and treason can
there be than kufr (disbelief), through which a man denies
and disobeys his real Master and Ruler?
Do you think that man, by living the life of disobedience and denial, can do any harm to God Almighty? Not
in the least. Man is an insignificant speck on the face of
a tiny sphere within this limitless universe. What harm
can he do to the Master of the universe, whose territories
are so infinitely vast that we cannot even come close to
exploring their boundaries with the help of the most
powerful telescope or the fastest spacecraft? What harm
can he do to a God Whose power is so great that uncountable heavenly bodies like the earth, moon, sun and stars
are at His command, whirling like tiny balls; Whose
wealth is so boundless that he is the sole Master and
Controller of the entire universe; Who provides for all and
needs none to provide for Him? Man's revolt against Him
can do Him no harm. On the contrary- by his disobedience, man walks the path that will lead him to total ruin
and disgrace.
The inevitable result is a failure to achieve the basic
and furthest-reaching purposes and concepts of life.
These great concepts of truth were created for man by God
Himself. But this rebel will not find the thread of true
knowledge and vision. He will never find this knowledge,
for he has denied the existence of the One Who created
it. His intelligence and reason will always run astray. For
reasoning which fails to recognize the Being Who created
it cannot brighten the walkways of life. And without this
clear light brightening his way, man can never recognize
and put these truths into practice in his daily life.
The result is that a man like this will meet with failure
in all affairs of his life. His moral, civil and social life, his
struggle for prosperity and his family life, in short his
whole life, will be in turmoil. Disorder and confusion will
be spread on the earth by him. He will, without the leasi
reservation, shed blood, violate the rights of others, be
cruel to them and tyrannize them. By this behavior he will
create a general atmosphere of disorder and destruction
in the world. His perverted mind, blurred vision, distorted
values and evil-generating activities will make life miser-
able for both himself and those associated with him. Such
a man will destroy the peace and calm of life on earth:
tyranny and arrogance, destruction and decimation will
follow. And in the life hereafter, he will be held guilty
for the crimes he committed against his nature, skills and
resources. Every organ of his body - his brain, eyes,
hands and feet - will complain against the injustice and
cruelty done to them. Every tissue of his body will belittle
him before God Who, as the fountain of all justice, will
award him the full punishment he deserves. This is the
inglorious consequence of disbelief. It leads to the blind
alley of total failure, here and in the hereafter.
THE BLESSINGS OF ISLAM
We have surveyed the evils and disadvantages of disbelief. Let us now examine the blessings of Islam.
In the world around you, as well as in your immediate
surroundings, you find countless indications of God's
divine power. This majestic universe which ceaselessly
operates with unmatched order and organization, which
functions in harmony with laws that cannot be changed,
is in itself witness that its Creator, Designer and Governor
is a Great Being Who has knowledge and power over all
things. It is witness that this Being has command over
limitless resources, a Being Whose wisdom is perfect, and
Whom nothing in this universe dare disobey. It is within the nature of man and everything else in the universe to
obey Him. In fact, man is constantly obeying His Law
even though he may be unaware of it; and the moment he
disrupts this Law, he is exposed to death and destruction.
This is the law of nature, our everyday observation.
Besides giving man the capability to gain knowledge,
the ability to think and to ponder and the sense for
distinguishing right from wrong. God granted him a cer-
tain amount of will and action. It is within this freedom
that man's real test in this world lies. His knowledge and
intelligence, his ability to tell the good from the bad, and
his freedom of will and action are constantly being tried
and tested. In this trial, man has not been forced to follow
a specific direction, for the objective of the trial would be
defeated by compulsion. If, while taking an exam, you are
forced to write down a specific answer to a question, the
examination will be of no use. Your proficiency can be
properly judged only if you are allowed to answer the
question freely and according to what you know about the
subject at hand. If your answer is wrong you will fail and
your failure will hinder your future success and progress.
The situation faced by man in this world is precisely the
same. God has given man freedom of will and action so
that he can be free to select whatever way of life he likes
and considers proper for himself- Islam or disbelief.
On one hand, there is the type of man who understands neither the nature of himself nor that of the universe. He errs in recognizing who his real Master is, fails
to visualize His qualities and misuses his freedom by
pursuing the path of disobedience and revolt. Such a man
has failed in the trial of how his knowledge, intelligence
and responsibility were supposed to be used. He has failed to rise to the standard for which he was made, and does
not deserve a better destiny than the one outlined above.
On the other hand, there is another man. A man who
emerges successful in this trial. By correctly using his
knowledge and intelligence, he recognizes his Creator,
firmly believes in Him and, in spite of being under no
compulsion to do so, chooses the path of obedience to
Him. He does not err in telling the right from the wrong,
and chooses to follow what is correct despite having the
potential to lean towards evil. He understands his nature,
realizes the laws and truths of that nature and , despite
being free and able to select any direction, adopts the way
of obedience and loyalty to God the Creator. He is suc-
cessful in this trial because he has properly used his ability
to think and to reason. His other skills bear witness to this
truth as well. His uses his eyes to see the reality, his ears
to listen to the truth, his mind to form correct opinions and
puts his whole heart and soul into following the correct
way he has chosen. He chooses truth. He sees the Reality;
and willingly and joyfully submits to his Lord and Master.
He is intelligent, truthful and dutiful, for he has chosen
light over darkness. And seeing this light, he has re-
sponded to it with enthusiasm. Thus he has proved by his
conduct that he is not only a seeker after Truth but
recognizes it and worships it as well. Clearly he is on the
Right Path and is bound to succeed in this world and in
the life to come.
Such a man will always select the right path in every
field of knowledge and activity. The man who knows God
by recognizing all His attributes knows the beginning as
well as the ultimate end of Reality. He can never be led
astray, for his first step is on the right path. He is sure of
his direction and the destination towards which his life is
moving. In philosophy, he will ponder the secrets of the
universe, and will try to understand the mysteries of
nature, but, unlike an unbelieving philosopher, he will not
lose his way in the maze of doubt and skepticism. His path
is illuminated with Divine Vision; every step he takes will
fall in the right direction. In science, he will try to understand the laws of nature, uncover the hidden treasures of
the earth and direct all the hitherto unknown forces of
mind and matter - all for the betterment of mankind. He
will try his level best to explore all avenues of knowledge
and research, to harness all that exists in the earth and the
heavens in the interest of mankind. At every stage of his
inquiry, his God-consciousness will save him from using
science and the scientific method for evil and destruction.
He will never imagine himself nor claim to be the master
of all that is in the universe, boasting to be a conqueror of
nature, arrogating to himself godly and sovereign powers,
maintaining the ambition of subverting the world. He will
not seek to subdue the human race or to oppress the
people. Nor will attempt to establish his supremacy over
everyone and everything by any means fair or foul. Such
an attitude of revolt and defiance can never be entertained
by a Muslim scientist - only an unbelieving scientist can
become a victim of such delusions and, by serving them,
expose the entire human race to the danger of total de-
struction and annihilation.
In contrast, a Muslim scientist will behave in a radically different way. The deeper his insight into science,
the stronger will be his faith in God. His head will bow
down before Him in gratitude. He will feel that since his
Master has blessed him with greater power and knowledge, he must work hard for his own good as well as the
good of humanity. His freedom will not be used to promote violence and destruction. He will be guided by the
tenets of morality and Divine Revelation. Thus, instead
of becoming an instrument of destruction, science becomes an agency for the welfare of humanity. In this
manner, he will express his gratefulness to his Master for
the gifts and blessings He has given man.
In the same way, in history, economics, politics, law
and other branches of arts and science, a Muslim will
nowhere lag behind an unbeliever. Yet the way they view
these fields and the procedures they use to gain knowledge in them differ widely. A Muslim will study every
branch of knowledge, but will keep that knowledge in its
proper perspective. He will work hard to pursue the proper
objective of life and, through his study, will arrive at
proper conclusions. In history, he will leam from the past
experiences of mankind and will discover the true causes
for the rise and fall of civilizations. He will try to benefit
from all that was good and correct in the past and will be
careful to avoid anything which led to the decline and fall
of nations. In politics his sole objective will be to strive
for the establishment of a government where peace, brotherhood and goodness reign. He will seek to build that
government in which every human being is a brother to
one another, where no forms of exploitation or slavery are
rampant, where the rights of the individual are respectfully upheld. He will seek to build that government in
which the powers of the state are considered a sacred trust
from God and are used for the common welfare of all. In
the field of law, the Muslim will seek to offer a true
example of justice and to prove an authentic protector of
the rights of all - particularly of the weak. He will make
sure that all get their due share and no injustice or oppression is inflicted on anyone. He will respect the law, make
others respect it and will see that the law is administered
justly and fairly.
The moral life of the Muslim will always be filled
with godliness, righteousness and truthfulness. He will
live in the world with the belief that God alone is the
Master of all, that whatever he and other men possess is a
gift from God, that the powers he wields are only a trust
from God. He will think that the freedom he has been
endowed with is not to be used indiscriminately, and that it
is in his interest to use it in agreement with God's Will.
He will constantly keep in mind that one day he will have
to return to God Almighty and submit an account of his entire
life. Such a sense of accountability will remain so firmly
implanted in his thoughts that he will never behave in an
irresponsible manner.
Think of the moral excellence of the man who lives
within this mental framework: his will be a life of purity,
piety, love and altruism. He will be a blessing unto
mankind. His thinking will not be polluted with wicked
thoughts and perverted ambitions. He will abstain from
seeing evil, hearing evil and doing evil. He will guard his
tongue and never utter even a single lie. He will earn his
living through just and fair means and would rather go
hungry than eat food which was acquired through exploitation and injustice. He will neither oppress the people nor
violate human life and honor regardless of its form or
color. He will never yield to the forces of evil and corruption, regardless of what such opposition may cost him. He
will be an example of goodness and excellence and will uphold truth and justice even at the cost of his life. He will
abhor all forms of injustice and will stand for truth,
undaunted by the storms of adversity. Such a man will be
a power to be reckoned with. He is bound to succeed.
Nothing on earth can discourage him or impede his way.
He will be the most honored and respected one. No
one can surpass him in this respect. How can humiliation
ever overcome a person who is not prepared to bow his
head or even spread his hand for any favor before anyone
except God Almighty, the Master of the universe?
He will be the most powerful, the most effective. No
one can be more powerful than he - for he fears none
but God and seeks blessings from no one but Him. What
power can make him deviate from the right path? What
force can mold his conscience? What could possibly
coerce his behavior?
He will be the most wealthy and rich. No one in the
world can be richer or more independent than he - for
he will live a life of simplicity, satisfaction, and content-
ment. He will neither be impure, indulgent, nor greedy.
He will be satisfied with whatever he earns fairly and
honestly. Even if heaps of ill-begotten wealth are put
before him, he will not look at them, let alone try to benefit
from them. His heart will be full of peace and contentment
- and what wealth can be greater than this?
He will be most respected, popular and loved. No one
can be more lovable than he -for he lives a life of charity
and kindness. He will do justice to everyone and everything he meets, discharge his duties honestly and work foi
the good of others with sincerity. People's hearts will
naturally be drawn to him and they will love and respect him.
He will be most trusted and honored. No one can be
more trustworthy than he - for he will not betray his
trust, nor will he be led astray from righteousness. He will
be true to this word and honest in his transactions. Fairness and justice will be the rule in all his affairs, for he is
certain that God is present everywhere and is always
aware and watching. Words fail to describe the credit and
goodwill that such a man commands. Can mere be anyone
who will not trust him? Such is the life and character of a
Muslim.
If you understand the character of a true Muslim, you
will be convinced that he can not live in humiliation,
debasement, or subjugation. He is bound to prevail. No
power on earth can overwhelm or subdue him. Islam
instills in him the qualities which cannot be overshad-
owed by any attraction, pleasure, or illusion.
And after living a respectable and honorable life on
earth he will return to his Creator Who will shower upon
him the choicest of His blessings. God will bestow these
blessings on him because he discharged his duty ably,
fulfilled his mission successfully and emerged from the
trial triumphantly. He is successful in life in this world
and in the hereafter and will live in eternal peace, joy and
happiness.
This is Islam., the natural religion of man, the religion
which is not associated with any person, people, period
or place. In every age, in every country, and among every
people, all God-knowing and truth-loving men have believed and lived this very religion. They were Muslims
all, whether they called their way Islam or not. Whatever
the name, it signified Islam and nothing but Islam.
|
