بسم
الله الرحمن
الرحيم
(In The Name of Allah The Beneficent, The Merciful)
What does Islam stand for?
Let me say what it isn’t.
q In the eyes of a non-Muslim Islam was viewed as a religion of:
¨ Backwardness
¨ Arab philosophies, Arab culture
¨ A religion that calls for the use of force; hence, the concept of spreading by the sword, the concept of Holy War
¨ A religion unjust to its treatment of women especially highlighting issues such as Inheritance, Polygamy and Leadership are some of the examples highlighted as blasphemous to this noble religion.
¨ In today’s world Islam has become synonymous with terrorism, and other blasphemous names
A point to note that Islam, Christianity and Judaism are the only Three Faiths that have a great deal of commonality amongst them, even though we may have our differences:
¨ Creation of man (Adam & Eve)
¨ The oneness of God (Monotheistic Faiths)
¨ Angels (Gabriel, Michael)
¨ The Prophets of God and in particular Abraham.
¨ The Books of God.
¨ Moral values and immoral values
¨ The Hereafter –Heaven and Hell. Etc.
¨
The biggest difference maybe with salvation.
q Muslims on the other hand by their actions do give credence to some of these misconceptions.
¨ The ritualistic approach – Prayer. Nothing much to offer society.
¨ Spiritual approach – give up this world
¨ Legalistic approach – Muslim countries.
¨ Cultural Islam – This is where the media finds pleasure to highlight.
q What is the meaning of Islam?
Its root word is from the Arabic word "Salima" which means
¨ Peace
¨ Submission to Allah SWT.
q What are the fundamentals in Belief?
¨ Belief in Allah SWT
¨ Belief in Angels
¨ Belief in Books
¨ Belief in Messengers
¨ Belief in Judgment and Hereafter
¨ Belief in the ultimate decision of Allah SWT.
q What are the basic practices in Islam:
¨ Shahadah
¨ Salaah –Prayer
¨ Saum- Fasting
¨ Zakaah – Charity
¨ Hajj - Pilgrimage
q What does Islam stand for?
¨ It liberates an individual, a community, a nation, a humanity from dogmatism. It gives a new approach of revelation and reason.
Revelation and Reason are the criteria of what is right and what is wrong.
Revelation from God; as words from God
Reason is where our intellect is challenged. That is why The Quran asks: knowledge, don’t you use your intellect, don’t they reflect . In 51/21 Allah SWT says:
وَفِي
أَنفُسِكُمْ
أَفَلَا
تُبْصِرُونَ
And in your own
selves. will you not then see?
In another verse 23/80 He says:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ And it is He Who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of night and day. Will you not then understand?
In 28/71 we read:
قُلْ
أَرَأَيْتُمْ
إِن جَعَلَ
اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ
اللَّيْلَ
سَرْمَدًا
إِلَى يَوْمِ
الْقِيَامَةِ
مَنْ إِلَهٌ
غَيْرُ
اللَّهِ
يَأْتِيكُم
بِضِيَاءٍ
أَفَلَا
تَسْمَعُونَ
Say (O
Muhammad SAW):
"Tell me! If Allâh made night continuous for you till the Day of
Resurrection, who is an ilâh (a god)
besides Allâh who could bring you light? Will you not then hear?"
In
47/24 Allah SWT says:
أَفَلَا
يَتَدَبَّرُونَ
الْقُرْآنَ
أَمْ عَلَى
قُلُوبٍ
أَقْفَالُهَا
Do
they not then think deeply in the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up (from
understanding it)?
In
6/50 He says:
قُل لاَّ
أَقُولُ
لَكُمْ
عِندِي
خَزَآئِنُ اللّهِ
وَلا
أَعْلَمُ
الْغَيْبَ
وَلا أَقُولُ
لَكُمْ
إِنِّي
مَلَكٌ إِنْ
أَتَّبِعُ
إِلاَّ مَا
يُوحَى
إِلَيَّ قُلْ
هَلْ
يَسْتَوِي
الأَعْمَى
وَالْبَصِيرُ
أَفَلاَ
تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I don't tell you that with me are the treasures of Allâh, nor (that) I know the unseen; nor I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me by inspiration." Say: "Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then take thought?"
¨ Islam liberates humanity from Taghut, injustice, oppression, inequity, exploitation and it teaches man to obey One God 16:36
وَلَقَدْ
بَعَثْنَا
فِي كُلِّ
أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً
أَنِ
اعْبُدُواْ
اللّهَ
وَاجْتَنِبُواْ
الطَّاغُوتَ
فَمِنْهُم
مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ
وَمِنْهُم
مَّنْ
حَقَّتْ
عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ
فَسِيرُواْ
فِي الأَرْضِ
فَانظُرُواْ
كَيْفَ كَانَ
عَاقِبَةُ
الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)." Then of them were some whom Allâh guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth).
¨ Islam stands for liberation from particularism and distinctive qualities based on blood, race, color, ethnicity and it offers humanity a system based on a single brotherhood created by a single God for a single purpose. That our ethnicities and distinctive qualities are only manifestations of God’s power.
Allah SWT says in 49/13
يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّاسُ
إِنَّا
خَلَقْنَاكُم
مِّن ذَكَرٍ
وَأُنثَى
وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ
شُعُوبًا
وَقَبَائِلَ
لِتَعَارَفُوا
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ
عِندَ
اللَّهِ
أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ
اللَّهَ
عَلِيمٌ
خَبِيرٌ
O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa ( God –Consciousness) Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
In 30/23 Allah SWT says:
وَمِنْ
آيَاتِهِ
خَلْقُ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ
وَاخْتِلَافُ
أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ
وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ
لَآيَاتٍ
لِّلْعَالِمِينَ
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge.
¨ Islam liberates us from the bondage of culture in which we do not see beyond our culture as if nothing else exists. It creates a new culture a culture of moral values.
q Islam presents a new understanding of man, culture and universe, the environment. Allah SWT says in 10/23
يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّاسُ
إِنَّمَا
بَغْيُكُمْ
عَلَى
أَنفُسِكُم
مَّتَاعَ
الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا
ثُمَّ
إِلَينَا
مَرْجِعُكُمْ
فَنُنَبِّئُكُم
بِمَا
كُنتُمْ
تَعْمَلُونَ
O mankind! Your iniquity will rebound against your own souls,- an enjoyment of the life of the present: in the end, to Us is your return, and We shall show you the truth of all that ye did.
1. Islam rejects the idea:
¨ that religion is a set of rituals,
¨ or that religion is personal salvation,
¨ or religion as mere spirituality
¨ Rather it is a Deen or complete way of life. We cannot lead a life of servitude of God in the Mosque and follow the devil outside the Mosque.
2. When we talk of Deen we talk of supremacy of law given to us by God. Islam is not a matter of personal beliefs but obedience to laws of God.
¨ Islam has given laws for every aspect of human life:
v Spiritual Life
v Moral
v Economic
v Political
v Social
v Legal
¨ If our legal system differs from our social life; and our social life come into conflict with our political life and our political life comes into conflict with our religious life we end up living in ten different worlds all at the same time.
¨ Islam wants us to have a unified approach. Life should not be made into compartments but instead unified. There is no difference between divine and worldly.
Allah SWT says in 28/77
وَابْتَغِ
فِيمَا
آتَاكَ
اللَّهُ
الدَّارَ
الْآخِرَةَ
وَلَا تَنسَ
نَصِيبَكَ
مِنَ الدُّنْيَا
وَأَحْسِن
كَمَا
أَحْسَنَ
اللَّهُ
إِلَيْكَ
وَلَا تَبْغِ
الْفَسَادَ
فِي الْأَرْضِ
إِنَّ
اللَّهَ لَا
يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
"But
seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you in the Hereafter and do
not forget your portion in this world: but do good, as Allah has been good to
you, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not
those who do mischief."
3. Islam stands for the establishment of justice and end to persecution. It stands for the realization of social justice not only for Muslims but also for all humanity. Human beings are dignified by Allah SWT. Allah SWT says 17/70
وَلَقَدْ
كَرَّمْنَا
بَنِي آدَمَ
وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ
فِي الْبَرِّ
وَالْبَحْرِ
وَرَزَقْنَاهُم
مِّنَ
الطَّيِّبَاتِ
وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ
عَلَى
كَثِيرٍ
مِّمَّنْ
خَلَقْنَا
تَفْضِيلاً
We have honored the children of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors, above a great part of our creation.
4. Islam hopes to achieve the inner peace and the outer peace.