Islam’s universality: All people who believe in One True God without partners and submit themselves to Him are called Muslims

Islam’s universality: All people who believe in One True God without partners and submit themselves to Him are called Muslims

The message of Islam is the continuation of the clear and profound message of pure monotheism revealed by God throughout history to all of His prophets in every place on earth. Allah had sent us prophets who all taught the same religion: {“He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islam) which He ordained for Noah, and that which We revealed to you (Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus”} (Qur’an 42:13).

Anyone, born in any place, and at any period of time, can become a Muslim because Islam is what the prophets had been teaching ever since the time of Adam. All people who followed one of the many prophets, who believe in One True God without partners, and submit themselves to Him are called Muslims – a person who submits his will to the will of God according to the teachings of the prophets.

The true religion of God cannot be confined to any one person, place, or period of time. If we were to claim that a certain religion is true, then it has to be accessible at any period of time, anywhere. Because if it doesn’t, then how can a person attain salvation and follow a religion claimed to be true if he was born and died before the religion even exists?

The test of its universality then is the hallmark of a true religion, because for it to be true, a religion has to be accessible to mankind at all times under all circumstances. And within the central principle of Islam and its definition – the surrender of one’s will to God – rests the roots of Islam’s universality – the religion that man can practice from the time of Adam until the end of time.

With its universality, Islam is attainable by all mankind at all times by rejecting the worship of creation and worshiping One God purely. In every age of human history, and in every place on earth, all people who have believed and followed their prophets had lived this simple practice of faith. They were all Muslims, irrespective of whether they call Islam with a different name in their language.

It is not necessary that the name of the religion is Islam. People who followed their prophet from different parts of the world in separate periods of time have a variety of ways to express the term man’s submission to the will of God. People from different places have their own distinct languages, and prophets that were sent to them brought Islam in the language that they understand, and so it is only natural that they call Islam with a different name in their own language.

Islam alone is, and always has been, the universal message from God

Whatever its name was, it signified submission to God’s will and therefore it is Islam and nothing but Islam. Islam’s accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support Islam’s claim that from the beginning of time, in whichever place it was taught, and whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone is, and always has been, the universal message preached by all the prophets of God. Its appeal is for the whole of humanity, and anyone, born in any place, and at any point in time can become a Muslim because Islam was already been in existence since the time of Adam.

All prophets who have appeared from time to time brought the message of Islam. They were born on separate periods of time and came with different forms of commandments sent by God to guide and govern people, but the essence of their teachings were the same – the surrender of one’s will to God. Allah had sent us prophets who all taught the same religion: {“He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islam) which He ordained for Noah, and that which We revealed to you (Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus”} (Qur’an 42:13).

After the creation of the first man – Adam – only one message has been repeatedly delivered to mankind throughout the history of humanity. Thus, to remind people about it and bring them back on track, prophets and messengers including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad were sent to convey only one message, the message of submitting oneself to the will of God, which is translated in Arabic as Islam.

The pure essence of the beliefs and teachings that were revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad are the same as God taught to all the other prophets of the past.
Islam – the pure submission to and worship of God alone – was the message of all prophets since the time of Adam. However, after the coming of Prophet Muhammad, there is a further distinction that needs to be made. Before the time of Prophet Muhammad, one could say that they were many “Islam”.

That is, each nation had their prophet, followed their teachings and was on the right path of Islam. But at the same time, if a new prophet would come to them, they will have to follow that new prophet. God sends a new prophet to either reveal new commandments applicable to the people, or to bring them back to the right path after they had deviated from the teachings of the previous prophet over the passage of time. Thus, after the time of Prophet Muhammad, since he is the last of the prophets, there is only one acceptable manner of worshiping and submitting to God.

All the Prophets, from the first to the last brought the same message: to worship Allah alone without partners. In our time, this message still remains, in the form of the Qur’an and the life-example of the last prophet. This is the only path that today can truly be called submitting oneself to the will of God as taught by prophets of the past. Today, the only option left to be on the path of Islam and follow the way of all the earlier prophets is by following Prophet Muhammad.

Prophet Muhammad did not bring something new

God’s messengers had been raised among every people, and they all conveyed essentially that same religion which Prophet Muhammad brought. Muhammad was the last in the series of prophets since the time of Adam. All the prophets of God – from Adam to Muhammad – have brought one and the same religion. Although the Divine Message that Allah revealed to each prophet differed in form to suit the needs of the community to which he was sent, but the identifying nature of the message is the same – the principle of Tawheed.

The only thing that distinguishes Prophet Muhammad from all other prophets is that the prophets of the past came with the Divine message of Islam in its different forms that suits to a particular people in a certain place and for a specific periods of time, whereas the Last Prophet brought the Divine Message of Islam in its Last Form for the whole of humanity and for all time to come.

Prophet Muhammad did not bring something new. He only brought the same message that was also brought by the prophets that came before him. And a person can become a Muslim and follow Islam even before Prophet Muhammad’s time because Islam was already been in existence since the time of Adam. Islam has had existed since Adam’s time. All people who followed one of the many prophets, all people who believed and worshiped the One True God without partners, and submitted themselves to Him are called Muslims.

A Muslim doesn’t necessarily mean a follower of Prophet Muhammad, the reality is that there are people who were true believers in God and His message even before the time of Muhammad, and each and every one of them is labeled a Muslim – a person who submits his will to the will of God according to the teachings of the prophets.

Prophet Muhammad’s message was the same as that was conveyed by prophets of the past in different periods of time. All of them came with one message – the message of Islam. The word Islam is the name of the central principle of the religion, and that is submission of man’s will to the will of God. And anyone who does so is a Muslim, regardless of whether he had or she had lived in the time of Noah, David, Solomon, Jacob, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, or Adam. Whoever submits their will to God according to the teachings of the prophets – as they originally taught them – then that person is a Muslim.

The Oneness of the Creator: The concept of Oneness of God is the single most important concept in Islam

The Oneness of the Creator: The concept of Oneness of God is the single most important concept in Islam

 
The Oneness of the Creator.
The Creator-glorified & exalted is he- identifies Himeslf to us saying : {"Say (O Muhammad):"He is Allâh, (the) One.
"Allâh-us-Samad" [Allâh the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]."He begets not, nor was He begotten. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."} (Sûrat Al-Ikhlâs).

 It is the oneness(unity) that has no equivalent, similar, or identical,which all prophets & apostles proclaimed. The Almighty God says: "Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) âlihah (gods) besides Allâh, then verily both would have been ruined. “ Glorified be Allâh, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above all that (evil) they associate with Him!" ( Al-Anbia'a).

 If there were many gods, the universe would have been ruined. Presumably, these so-called gods have free wills ,which would certainly conflict concerning one creature. whenever they conflict, they will fight. Then,the system of the creature would be ruined ,and the whole universe is created & united with a unite of system-as observed. Scientists & sages have provided clear proves & confutations about the oneness (unity) of the Almighty Creator.

First proof: If there was a partner with God each one's need for the other would be undeniable. But, God-who is absolutely perfect- doesn't need since the need is imperfection.

Second proof: If there was a partner with God, each one could either prevent the other or couldn't .If one of them could, the other would be prevented & deprived. & if he was unable to prevent the other, he would be deficient & imperfect. Incapacity is not a trait of God. So in both cases, It's impossible that God has a partner. And it's proven that there is only one God who has no partner & who is absolutely able.

Third proof: The existence of God necessitates His absolute ability & power over all. That He can defeat absolutely all which encounters Him. Otherwise, the lack of such ability is imperfection. Consequently, It's intuitive that the partner is defeated, & obvious that it is impossible to be other than God the only one.

Fourth proof: If there was a partner with God, three cases wouldn't be exceeded. 1-Both are capable of applying the system. 2-Both are incapable. 3-They are different & unequal in their capacity. If both are capable, then one of them is supernumerary (unneeded). If both are incapable, the both are useless. If one is capable & the other is not, then the divinity is attributed to the capable & doesn't fit the other. So, divinity is attributed to the powerful only God with no partner or equivalent.

The whole world testifies that it is created by the only One. Your food depends on the function of your stomach & intestines. and doctors say that the function of intestines depends on the blood circulation.& the latter depends on breathing & air. And good air depends on plants.& plants depend on the sun.& the existence of the sun depends on he existence of other planets & stars. Thus,everything depends –in its existence & function- on another thing, as observed that the stomach is connected with the stars, which testifies that all are the creation of one God!

Tawheed is the belief that Allah is:

1. One without partner in His Dominion and Actions
2. One without similarity in His Essence and Attributes
3. One without rival in His Divinity and Worship

This is the core of the matter in Islam: that Allah is One without partner in His Dominion and Actions – He alone is the One who has the absolute control over creation, He alone has the power over all things; He is One without similarity in His Essence and Attributes – no other entity can in any way have the attributes of the Creator, He is far beyond our imagination and bears no resemblance to any of His creation; And He is One without rival in His Divinity and Worship – to single out the Creator alone for all worship, and not to worship anything along with Him.

The absence of any of the above aspects of Tawheed is referred to as Shirk, literally means sharing. It refers to the worship of others instead of Allah or along with Him. It is an act of assigning partners to Allah in whatever form it may take. In Islam, the main objective is to ensure the Oneness of God. It is not enough that people believe that “God is One”, but they must follow up this belief by worshiping that One God alone.

This simple concept of Tawheed has to be explained in detail because for some people, even though they believe in “One God”, do not direct all of their worship and prayers to Him alone. They call on numerous saints for every specific need, in statues made of stone, etc. Their argument is that they are not actually worshiping the stone image or the statue, but God who is present within it. They claim that the stone idols and carved images are only the focal point for God’s essence and is not in itself God.

They try devising a “rational excuse” for their actions. But obviously, this is faulty reasoning. This is not from God – this is idolatry. This is the worst sin that a man can commit. The belief in Tawheed means to deny all forms of association of partners with Allah. It rejects the use of all intermediaries between God and man, and stresses that people approach God directly and reserve all worship for Him alone.

If someone faces an idol or to a stone image and prays, he has associated a partner with Allah, because worship is being shared between Allah and His creation. Likewise if someone prays to a prophet, to so-called saints asking for help from Allah thru them, has also committed shirk. Shirk can take many forms: facing to idols or statues while praying, calling upon saints for help, believing that God became man, etc.

All forms of shirk must be avoided, no matter what shape, form, or name. Shirk simply means an act of worship for other than Allah, or along with Allah. In other words, it is an act of calling, supplicating, and praying to created beings instead of the Creator. The greatest sin in Islam is to engage in practices which contradict or compromise Tawheed. This direct or indirect association of partners with Allah is referred to as Shirk.

Allah created humans to worship Him, that’s why Shirk represents the greatest act of rebellion against God because it contradicts the purpose of our creation, and is thus the ultimate sin. It is a sin so great that it virtually cancels out all good a person may do and guarantees its perpetrator eternal in Hell if he does not give it up before his death:
{“If you were to join other gods with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will surely be among the losers (in the hereafter)”} (Qur’an 39:65).

Of course, if a person does give up this sin of idolatry before his death, then he is safe from such eternal punishment in Hell fire. Islam’s greatest commandment is to worship Allah alone, and its strictest prohibition is worshiping others besides Him or along with Him.

Man-made religions in one way or the other invite their followers to the worship of creation. Some people are called upon to pray to a man, a prophet named Jesus, whom they have claimed to have been the “son of God”. They also pray to Mary as the “mother of God”, as well as human saints, etc. They made a god out of Jesus and directed their prayer to him and his mother. They have saints for every occasion to whom they direct their prayers in the belief that these saints can directly influence the affairs of this world. They also use their priests as intercessors between themselves and God, in the mistaken belief that the priests are closer to God due to their celibacy and piety, and thus more likely to be listened to by God.

Since the greatest sin in God’s sight is the worship of others besides Him or along with Him, and everything besides Him is creation, the principles of Islam are all either directly or indirectly opposed to the worship of creation. The fundamental tenets of Islam make a very clear distinction between the Creator and what He has created. The Creator and the created are separate and distinct. The Creator is invisible in this life.

No one can see Him in this earthly life. Thus, He is not manifested or incarnated in any other life forms. Therefore, the commandments in Islam concerning worship clearly indicate that Allah is not to be found in created beings, He is totally separate from them, and thus any worship in His creation or thru His creation is the greatest of sins: {“Joining others in worship with Allah is indeed the greatest sin”} (Qur’an 31:13)

The concept of Oneness of God is the single most important concept in Islam.

The concept of Oneness of God is the single most important concept in Islam. This is the most fundamental principle, it is this concept of Tawheed which is at the core of Islam. It calls humanity away from the worship of any part of creation to the worship of The One and Only True God, The Creator.

Some religions claim that God cannot forgive man directly therefore He sends His so-called “only begotten son” to save mankind from their sins. Others interpret this concept that God came down to earth and became a human being to save mankind’s sins. By claiming that God cannot forgive humans directly, people turn to false gods for help. These false gods come in different forms, and anyone who is in his right mind can tell that these so-called gods are indeed false because these are created beings like him.

False religions either claim that God became man, or that God may be worshiped in the form of His creation thru carved-images of different idols. But as has been revealed in the Qur’an, God was not born nor does He give birth, and His being is distinct and separate from His creation. Therefore, He did not become a part of creation by becoming a human being.

Islam strongly stresses that God did not became man nor did He sent a so-called “only begotten son” to save the sins of the world because He can forgive man directly anyway. There is no need to shed blood to an innocent person just to save mankind from its sins because God is perfectly capable of bestowing His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness to whomever He chooses.

Islam teaches that God should be approached directly without any intermediaries. That is because the Most Merciful, All-Knowing God is completely in control of everything that exists, and that He can bestow His forgiveness and mercy on His creatures as He pleases. Islam commands Man to pray to God directly seeking mercy and forgiveness only to Him. It also forbids man to worship something created because the One True God has to be the Creator and not a part of creation that He creates.

Even though other religions have claimed to believe in One God, over time, some man-made ideas entered into their beliefs and practices leading them away from the pure teachings of the prophets. They carved different images and statues and worshiped them, despite the fact that they know that they are the ones who made these things.

They worship something that they made by their own hands that cannot hear or answer them. Some even believed that their prophet were the manifestations of God, or “Son of God”. All of these misconceptions lead to the worship of created beings instead of the Creator. But divine revelation makes it very clear that: {“Allah has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him.”} (Qur’an 23:91).

This means that Allah does not have a son nor share his divinity with others. By neglecting the true teachings of the prophets and mixing them with man-made ideas, other religions have distorted and nullified the pure belief of “One God” even though they claim that they believe in such. Tawheed is not just simply believing that God is One, but it further emphasize to worship that One God alone.

Some people say that they pray to and worship others besides God only to get closer to Him. They often approach God through an intermediary, such as a saint, an angel, a human being like Virgin Mary or to a prophet like Jesus – obviously, these are all God’s creation. In Islam, there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the created.

The Creator of everything must be different from and greater than the things that He creates. There is no confusion in divinity. Anything that is created is not deserving of worship, and only the Creator is worthy of being worshiped. It is made clear that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshiped except the One True God, the Creator. Or to put it in one simple statement, “Worship the Creator and not His Creations”.

In Islam, there is no such thing as an intercessor or intermediary in all forms of worship. You don’t need to seek help on anyone such as patron saints, or to call upon to so-called “son of God”, or to seek mercy to the supposed “mother of God”, or to go to a priest to confess your sins and ask for forgiveness, or to face an idol made of wood and stones when you pray, etc. It is only in Islam that a person is required to pray only to God, direct and without any intermediary. There is no need to call on anyone whether it is a saint, an idol made of wood and stones, or someone who is believed to be the “son of God”, because clearly all these are created beings like us.

We can easily determine if a religion is false by looking at the object of their worship. If they worship anything or anyone besides the Creator, then it must be false. It just makes sense to us that the only one who deserves to be worshiped is the One who created us, and not His creations. By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, we can easily detect false religions and the man-made nature of their origin.

False religions teach the greatest evil – the worship of creation. For example, Prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship God, but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was God, which is the exact opposite of what Jesus said. Jesus did not claim to be God, nor did he told his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet today most people who claim to be his followers have taken him to be God and pray to images and idols made in their perception of his likeness.

The message of Islam, as brought by the prophets of God, is to worship only the Creator and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly. It is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. The objective of Islam is to call people away from the worship of creation and to direct them towards the worship of the Creator alone.

The belief in only One Creator is not all there is to a proper belief in God. Throughout history, it has been the case that some people stopped at this clear premise and deemed that such was all there was to the belief in God. This belief is definitely necessary but not sufficient. This belief must be followed up with the rejection of worshiping others instead of God, or along with Him. Then, and only then that a person will be fulfilling what it truly means to believe in One God. The most important message that God revealed to mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshiped except Him. This is the very essence of the divine message brought by all the prophets, and it is what Islam really is all about – to worship One God alone.

Islam’s concept of Oneness of God that is Tawheed is very simple and clear, and leaves no room for any type of misconceptions which often lead to the worship of creation that is Shirk. Thus, a person who truly believes in the Oneness of God has to worship Him alone and refrain from associating any partner with Him of any kind. Islam strongly emphasizes the worship of Allah alone without ascribing to Him any partner.

The basic and most fundamental teaching of Islam invites man to worship only its Creator and to avoid the worship of creation in any way shape or form.

In Islam, there is no such thing as “Trinity” because Allah has no partners with Him being God, and He does not share His perfect attributes to anyone. Understanding that Allah is the only Supreme Being means denying the existence of any other god. The concept of Tawheed is straightforward, clear and easy to understand. It is free from irrational, mysterious or confusing ideas. That there is only One God – not in a Trinity or a multitude of gods – is something that even a small child can understand without difficulty.

Thus, simply believing in “One God” is not enough to become a Muslim because other religions also have this belief. This belief in “One God” needs to be supported with practice by worshiping that “One God” alone and no one else. For a Muslim, the belief of “One God” is in its purest, absolute meaning of the word. He refrains from worshiping anything or anyone besides the “One God”.

In Islam, the worst possible sin is to worship anything or anyone other than God, even if the worshiper intends to draw nearer to God by offering devotions to another being. So even though other religions also claim to believe in One God, they fall short and violate this belief by worshiping others alongside Him, which is, as all of the prophets taught, the greatest sin.

Prophet Muhammad was instructed by Allah to tell people what is really forbidden to them: {“Say (tell them Oh Prophet Muhammad): Come, I will recite to you what Allah has really forbidden to you: Do not setup anything (in worship) with Him”} (Qur’an 6:151).

Because of this, Islam considers associating any god or personality along with Allah as a deadly sin that He will never forgive, despite the fact that He may forgive all other sins. The act of associating others in worship with Allah is the most sinful act that Prophet Muhammad has informed us.

Words of Wisdom from Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)

Words of Wisdom from Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)

 

by Dr. Shahid Athar   

"Acquire knowledge, it enables its professor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to heaven. It is our friend in the desert, our company in solitude and companion when friendless. It guides us to happiness, it sustains us in misery, it is an ornament amongst friends and an armour against enemies." (widely attributed to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh))

"A Muslim who plants a tree or sows a field, from which man, birds and animals can eat, is committing an act of charity." (Muslim)

"There is a polish for everything that takes away rust; and the polish for the heart is the remembrance of Allah." (Bukhari)

"What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the sufferings of the injured." (Bukhari)

"The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self." (Bukhari)

"If you put your whole trust in Allah, as you ought, He most certainly will satisfy your needs, as He satisfies those of the birds. They come out hungry in the morning, but return full to their nests." (Tirmidhi)

"When Allah created his creatures He wrote above His throne: 'Verily, my Compassion overcomes my wrath." (Bukhari & Muslim)

"Allah will not give mercy to anyone, except those who give mercy to other creatures." (Abdullah b. Amr: Abu Daud & Tirmidhi)

" 'Son, if you are able, keep your heart from morning till night and from night till morning free from malice towards anyone.' Then the Prophet said: 'O my son! This is one of my laws, and he, who loves my laws verily loves me.' " (Bukhari)

"Say what is true, although it may be bitter and displeasing to people." (Baihaqi)

"Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith." (Muslim)

"When you see a person who has been given more than you in money and beauty, look to those, who have been given less." (Muslim)

"If you do not feel ashamed of anything, then you can do whatever you like." (Abu-Masud: Bukhari)

"O Lord, grant me your love, grant me that I love those who love you; grant me, that I might do the deeds that win your love. Make your love dearer to me than the love of myself, my family and wealth." (Tirmidhi)

"It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad; and it is better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent; but silence is better than idle words." (Bukhari)

"Verily, a man teaching his child manners is better than giving one bushel of grain in alms." (Muslim)

"Whoever is kind, Allah will be kind to him; therefore be kind to man on the earth. He Who is in heaven will show mercy on you."(Abu Daud: Tirmidhi)

"It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path, that leads to bliss." (Muslim)

"Once a man, who was passing through a road, found a branch of a tree with torns obstructing it. The man removed the thorns from the way. Allah thanked him and forgave his sins." (Bukhari)

"Who are the learned? Those who practice what they know." (Bukhari)

"Allah has revealed to me, that you must be humble. No one should boast over one another, and no one should oppress another." (Iyad b. Hinar al-Mujashi: Muslim)

"Who is the most favoured of Allah? He, from whom the greatest good comes to His creatures." (Bukhari)

"A true Muslim is thankful to Allah in prosperity, and resigned to His will in adversity." (Muslim)

"A Muslim who meets with others and shares their burdens is better than one who lives a life of seclusion and contemplation." (Muslim)

"Serve Allah, as you would if you could see Him; although you cannot see Him, He can see you. (Umar: Muslim)

"Allah does not look at your appearance or your possessions; but He looks at your heart and your deeds." (Abu Huraira: Muslim)

"The best richness is the richness of the soul." (at the field ofTabuk, Syria, Rajab 9 A.H.: Bukhari)

"Keep yourselves far from envy; because it eats up and takes away good actions, like a fire eats up and burns wood." (Abu Daud)

"Much silence and a good disposition, there are no two things better than these." (Bukhari)

"Verily, Allah is mild and is fond of mildness, and He gives to the mild what He does not give to the harsh." (Muslim)

"Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him." (Bukhari)

"Once the Prophet was asked:'Tell us, which action is dearest to Allah?' He answered:'To say your prayer at its proper time.' Again he was asked: 'What comes next?' Mohammed said: 'To show kindness to parents.' 'Then what?' he was asked, 'To strive for the cause of Allah!' " (Ibn Masad: Bukhari)

"When two persons are together, two of them must no whisper to each other, without letting the third hear; because it would hurt him." (Bukhari & Muslim)

"Verily, it is one of the respects to Allah to honor an old man." (Bukhari)

"All Muslims are like a foundation, each strengthening the other; in such a way they do support each other." (Abu Musa: Bukhari & Muslim)

"Strive always to excel in virtue and truth." (Bukhari)

"You will not enter paradise until you have faith; and you will not complete your faith till you love one another." (Muslim)

"He, who wishes to enter paradise at the best gate, must please his father and mother." (Bukhari & Muslim)

"I am leaving two things among you, and if you cling to them firmly you will never go astray; one is the Book of Allah and the other is my way of life." (Farewell Pilgrimage: Muatta)

"Allah is One and likes Unity." (Muslim)

"The best of alms is that, which the right hand gives and the left hand knows not of." (Bukhari)

"The perfect Muslim is not a perfect Muslim, who eats till he is full and leaves his neighbors hungry." (Ibn Abbas: Baihaqi)

"He is not of us who is not affectionate to the little ones, and does not respect the old; and he is not of us, who does not order which is lawful, and prohibits that which is unlawful." (Ibn Abbas: Tirmidhi)

"No man is a true believer unless he desires for his brother that, what he desires for himself." (Abu Hamza Anas: Bukhari & Muslim)

"To strive for the cause of Allah from daybreak to noon and sunset is better than the goods and enjoyment of the whole worldly life." (Bukhari)

"Be not like the hypocrite who, when he talks, tells lies; when he gives a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he proves dishonest." (Bukhari & Muslim)

"The proof of a Muslim's sincerity is, that he pays no heed to that, which is not his business." (Abu Hureira: Tirmidhi)

"Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind." (Muslims & Bukhari)

"Conduct yourself in this world, as if you are here to stay forever; prepare for eternity as if you have to die tomorrow." (Bukhari)

     "The worldly comforts are not for me. I am like a traveller, who takes a rest under a

       tree in the shade and then goes on his way." (Tirmidhi)

Repentance in Islam: IS ANY CRIME OR TOO MANY CRIMES TOO BIG TO BE FORGIVEN?

Repentance in Islam: IS ANY CRIME OR TOO MANY CRIMES TOO BIG TO BE FORGIVEN?

Feelings of remorse and guilt are natural reflections of sinning, if the person who has sinned has a conscious which is alive.

After committing a sin, a person who fears Allah and give high respect to Him would feel a sense of despondency and despair thinking, "How will God forgive me for this sin?" However, it is noteworthy that despairing of God's mercy is in itself one of the major sins in Islam for God is ever merciful, ever forgiving.

As He says in the Qur'an:

"Do not despair of God's mercy; He will forgive you of all your sins".Qur'an (39:53).

In another verse, Allah says:

"And He wishes to forgive you" Qur'an (4:146).

Islam fully understands the temptations that come in the way of everyone of us, and that which some of us might go for. Only through repentance, that one can wipeout those sins and past misdeeds and gradually get freed from the clutches of the ego.

Repentance is the most noble and beloved form of obedience in the eyes of Allah the All Mighty. He loves those who repent. Repentance has a status that no other form of worship has. This is why Allah is extremely happy when a servant repents just as a traveller is happy when he finds his lost mount in the desert.

Feeling Allah's satisfaction has its great impact on the heart of the one repenting. Hence, the repenting person reaches the status of being amongst the beloved through his repentance.

Moreover, repentance brings about humbleness and a sense of helplessness to the only Creator; Allah, and that is not easily acquired through other forms of worship.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"Except those who repent, have faith and good deeds, those Allah will charge their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is most forgiving and merciful." (Qur'an 25:70)

This is a greatest glad tiding for those who repent and combine their repentance with deep faith and good deeds.

Repentance breeds good deeds, whilst sinning (without repentance) can cause deprivation of obedience altogether. It has been said that committing sins regularly will darken and harden the heart and make purifying it once again a difficult mission. It may even lead a person to reject Allah completely (Allah forbid) or lead him to commit a bigger sin. There is no recourse for a sinner except to ask Allah for forgiveness and to feel great regret for his actions.

Repentance is to repent from the heart, to train the heart into obedi ence and to make a firm resolution never to commit the sin again.

How to repent?

For repentance to be accepted by Allah, one should go through these four stages:

1- Stop the sin.
2- Regretting deeply and truly for the sin you committed.
3- Return to Allah for forgiveness.
4- Strong intention never to return to that same sin again.

What would help in fulfilling the above four stages?

The repenting person should remember three facts:

1. The grave consequence of sins.
2. The painful punishment for sins and
3. How week a person is when committing such sins.

Abu Bakr Al siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him), narrated:

"I heard Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) saying: ‘There isn’t a man who, when he commits a sin, rises, makes ablution, and offers two rak'as of prayers, but Allah forgives his sins.’

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"Those (are the true believers) who, when they commit an evil deed, or wrong their souls, remember Allah, and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who but Allah forgives sins? They do not insist upon the sins they have committed, and they know (that Allah is forgiving)." (Qur'an 3:135)

http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/spot_full_story.asp?service_id=688

Forgiveness in Islam

By Shahid Athar, M.D.

Allah (SWT),who named Himself Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent) and Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) is also Al-Ghafoor (The Forgiving). His Mercy overtakes His punishment and anger. He is more merciful to His creations than a mother can be to her infants. He created "man with weakness"; thus He knows and we should know that "to err is human," and "no one is perfect."

Iblis (Satan), the cursed one, out of envy to Adam, has promised to himself "to attack children of Adam on their way to their journey toward God, so that those who fall prey to his attack will also have the same fate as himself (I'll take you down with me!). So he says, "I'll attack men from the front, behind and sides." (7:17) This means he will disguise himself as our friend, as our opponent, and side distractions of the world. He will then make us do wrong by presenting evil as good (poison candy in a nice wrapper), making us angry, jealous, envious, just "follow-the-leader" type, and we wrong ourselves and fall prey to his temptation. Iblis and his followers have a feast of joy and laugh at man's foolishness, until the man realizes his mistakes, repents and asks for forgiveness and he is forgiven, and then Iblis cries again.

Giving up Hope of the Mercy of Allah is a crime in itself:

"Say: 'O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins (except shirk): for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" (39:53)

"And it is He who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons the evil deed and knows what you do." (42:25)

In order for forgiveness to be accepted, these conditions should be met:

(1) The crime is committed out of ignorance, not with the intention that, "Let us go ahead and commit this crime as Allah is forgiving, so He will forgive us.";

(2) Quickly turn into shame and repentance after committing a crime out of ignorance;

(3) After asking for forgiveness, make a promise or pledge to "mend his ways", and to stick to his promise. Let us examine verses of Quran.

"...if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (your conduct), lo! Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (6:54)

"Forgiveness is only incumbent on Allah towards those who do evil out of ignorance and then turn quickly (in repentance) to Allah. Toward them will Allah turn in mercy; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom." (4:17)

"Forgiveness is not for those who do ill until death faces one of them, who then says, 'Lo! I repent now, nor for those who die as disbelievers, for such we have prepared a painful doom.'" (4:18)

IS ANY CRIME OR TOO MANY CRIMES TOO BIG TO BE FORGIVEN?
Let us examine two Hadith.

1) Hadith Qudsi: Allah, the Almighty, has said:

O Son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth, and were you then to face Me ascribing no partners to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.

2) Prophet (SW) has said:

A certain person had committed 99 murders. He went to a scholar and asked, is there any chance of my being forgiven? The scholar said no, you have committed too many crimes. The man killed the scholar too, but his heart was restless, so he went to another scholar and asked the same question. He was told yes, but you must leave this town of bad people and go live in the next town in the company of good people.

So the man set out to the town he was told to go to. On the way he died. A man passing by saw two angels arguing over his dead body. The Angel from Hell said, 'His body belongs to me as he had not done any good in his life.' The Angel from Heaven said, 'His body belongs to me as he had repented and was set out to be with good people.' The man who was the passer-by said, 'Let us measure the distance of his body from the town he left and the town he was going to.'

This was done. He was found to be nearer to the town he was going to. In another version, the earth was ordered by Allah to shrink and make the distance smaller, so that he was admitted to Heaven.

How does Allah forgive us?

When we commit a sin, four witnesses are established against us.

a) The place we did the crime (i.e., scene of the murder).

"On that day, the earth will reveal all its secrets." (99:4)

b) The organ we used to commit the crime. "When their ears, their eyes, their skin will testify against them." (41:21)

"That day we seal up mouths, and hands speak out and feet bear witness to all that they did." (36:65)

c) The Angels who record the deeds (Kiraman Katebeen).

"The honored writers know what you do." (82:11)

d) "We record that which they send before them, and their footprints, and all things we have kept in a clear register." (36:12)

Now, with four such strong witnesses, how can we present ourselves to Allah? So He (the Al-Wakeel--the Defender), like a smart lawyer, removes all the witnesses against those whose repentance has been accepted, so that we present ourselves with a clean record. Case dissolved due to lack of witnesses. Hadith is like this. "When Allah accepts repentance and forgives His servant, then recording angels erase their records, organs lose their memories, and earth removes its stains of evidence so that when that person appears before Allah, there is no one to be a witness against him. Subhan Allah.

How to ask for forgiveness when Adam and Eve realized they had done wrong but did not know how to ask for forgiveness:

Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of forgiveness, and his Lord turned toward him, for He is Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful. (2:37)

What were those words taught to Adam?

They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged our souls and if you forgive us not, and bestow not upon us your mercy, we shall be losers. (7:23)

How did the Prophet Muhammad (AS) teach Aisha (RA) to ask for forgiveness in Ramadan?

O my Lord, forgive me, because you love to forgive, thus forgive me, O you Merciful!

Remember, asking for forgiveness is not just for our sins, but also for our needs as well.

And I have said! Seek forgiveness from your Lord. Lo! He is oft-forgiving (if you ask for forgiveness). He will give you plenty of rain, He will give you wealth and sons, and assign you Heaven and Rivers in the Heaven. (Surah Nuh:10-12)

Thus after repenting and asking for forgiveness, we must mend our ways and not go back to Kufr and fall prey to the tactics of Satan (Iblis) again. While we expect Allah to be kind and merciful and forgive our major and minor sins, we are unforgiving towards our fellow human beings. http://www.islamfortoday.com/athar12.htm

God Bless the World!: Understanding Islam and Muslims after the Tragedy of September 11th

God Bless the World!: Understanding Islam and Muslims after the Tragedy of September 11^th

by Dr. Shahid Athar

In every tragedy and after every loss, there is something good that may come out of it.  Thus, after an earthquake, we try to rebuild our lives and after manmade disasters such as September 11^{th 2001}, we try to rebuild our faith.  A question I have been asked is whether such tragedies are an act of God or an act of the devil. 

My position has been that these are acts of humans who are not acting on orders of God but are acting on orders of the devil.  Thus, the role of religion in instilling peace, non-violence and love for each other, becomes so important that we must safeguard the sanctity of life and “desire for others which we desire for ourselves”. 

The attack on the WTC and Pentagon was not an attack by a particular faith on other because people of many  faiths died in that tragedy or were affected in many ways.  Unfortunately, only one particular faith was blamed and therefore, the defenders of that faith were asked to explain about their faith.  The Quran says clearly “ O mankind, we created you by a single pair of man and woman and made you into nations and tribes that you know each other, not that you despise each other” (49:12).  

Thus, one of the purposes of the creation was that we know others, their culture and their faith and live in harmony with them, not in contempt with them.  If is for this reason the value of interfaith is in our lives.  In a given faith, even in a single family, all of the members are not at the same level of spirituality and belief, therefore interfaith takes place within each family in each house.  We must extend this to our neighborhoods, our organizations and our work place.  It is the apprehension of others that leads to hostility.  We should never do things to others which we would not like to have done to us.

Interfaith is a window of showing your faith, not merging your faith nor compromising your faith.  Our country is a country of 85 different nationalities and 14 different religions that were represented in the parliament of world religions in 1999 where I participated.  To me, people of different faiths are like a flower garden with flowers of different colors and smells adding to the beauty of the garden or they are like mountain climbers trying to reach the same peak from a different direction. 

The fact that in this interfaith conference, Islam has been invited to participate and  Muslim has been asked to be a keynote speaker, attests to the diversity and greatness of our nation.  I am here today on behalf of Muslims and on behalf of the Interfaith leadership to share with you my understanding of Islam, the religion of peace, whose image has been distorted by some people professing to be in that faith but not living up to that faith.  This can also be said by some other folks living in other faiths, but I am not here to point fingers.  You are well aware of them. 

I begin my presentation about understanding Islam and Muslims with an Islamic greeting “Assalamulaikum” peace be upon you and the return of peace is peace be upon you too, “Wa alaikum assalam”.  But, I must tell you that this is not a greeting of Muslims only, this is a greeting of peace from all religions.  If you consult the Bible, you will read in Matthew 10:5, “ As you enter the house, give it your greeting, let peace rest on it and let peace return to you.” 

There is a need for Americans to learn about Islam

There is a need for Americans to learn about Islam because of the prevailing misconceptions about Islam.  Most Americans, when poled in 1993 L.A. Times, did not have a favorable opinion about Islam.  When asked “ What is you  opinion of Islam?”, 64% said either that they did not know or were not aware of much about Islam.  Only 14% had a favorable impression and 22% had an unfavorable impression.  When asked “ Do you think Islam is compatible with western style political democracy?” 31% said that Islam is an anti-democratic religion, 10% said it was compatible with democracy and again, 49% did not know. 

When asked “ Does Islam pose a threat to the security of the United States?” and again, remember that this was in 1993, 37% said there was no threat, 29% said there was a threat and 34% did not know.  But, the perception of Islam worsened after the tragedy of September 11^th.  A study published in July 2003 showed that 44% of Americans now believe that Islam is more likely to encourage violence than other religions which is up from 25% in 2002.  54% of conservative Christians and 32% of liberals hold the above view of Islam.  Only 22% of Americans feel that Islam and their faiths have some common features which is down form 37% in 2001.

I have been asked to say a few words about the basic tenants of my faith.  To be specific, Islam is not a new religion.  We believe it is the continuation of the same religion which was revealed to Adam and subsequent prophets.  In Quran ( 2:136), we hear “ We believe in God and that which is revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, to Moses and Jesus and to other prophets by their Lord.  We make no distinction among any of them and to God we have committed ourselves.” 

One becomes Muslim by declaring “ there is no God except one God and Mohammad is a messenger of God.”  The five pillars of Islam are faith, prayer, fasting, charity and Hajj.  Charity is of 2 types.  One is obligatory charity called Zakat that one must give a part of their money ( 2 ½ % of savings) for the welfare of the needy and non-obligatory or sadaqa.  Faith in Islam means not only believing in one God and the prophet Mohammad but believing in the other prophets and angels and belief in the holy books given to those prophets and belief in the concept of destiny that whatever happens in ones life, good or bad, is God’s will and finally the belief in the day of judgment and life thereafter. 

The divine books that we are supposed to believe in are Torah  of Moses, Psalms of David, Gospel of Jesus and finally the last testament that is Quran.  The message of Quran and Bible in terms of morality is very similar.  If you compare the 10 commandments to references in Quran, you will find a very comparable description of all the injunctions.  These have been outlined in my booklet,  “ 25 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Islam”.  Part of our ritual is 5 daily prayers. 

These are in addition to any prayer that you can make while carrying on with your day to day life.  The formal prayer 5 times is in standing, then bowing down then prostration.  These are done at appointed times and they can be done in congregation or individually.  But, again this prayer is not new to Islam.  If you read in the Bible, Deuteronomy 8:8, Ezra praised the great Lord and all people lifted their hands and responded Amen, Amen.  They  bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 

Once a year, those who can afford it in their lifetime, can go for pilgrimage to Mecca to participate in the rituals of the prophet Abraham, who along with his son Ishmael, built the first house of worship, that is called Kaba   About 2 ½ million Muslims each year, coming from every direction of the world, pray there for several days.  This is the annual Hajj.  After Hajj, one is purified and becomes sinless if Hajj is accepted. 

About Mohammad, the prophet born to a noble tribe from the descendents of Abraham in the line of Ishmael.  Karen Armstrong has written a very nice book on the life of Mohammad (p). His father died before his birth and his mother died when he was 6.  He did not attend a formal school as he was raised first by a nurse, as was the custom in those days and then by his grandfather and uncle.  As a young man he was know to be a righteous person.  He used to meditate in a cave. 

At age 10 he was given prophet hood and the angel Gabriel appeared in the cave.  Subsequently, the revelations came over 23 years and were compiled in the form of a book called Quran which Muslims consider the final revelation from God.  The Quran has been preserved, unchanged in its original form.  When the angel appeared in the cave and asked him to recite Quran, Prophet said that he was illiterate and did not know how to read.  The angel asked 3 times and he refused.  Then the angel embraced him and the knowledge came to him. 

 This event is mentioned in the Bible in Isaiah, 29:12 “ The book is delivered to him that I have not learned, saying read this and I pray thee and he said I am not learned.”  Again in the Bible in Deuteronomy verse 18 we read, “ I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like unto thee that is Moses and I will put my words into his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command.”  

Jesus had foretold the coming of a new prophet

Jesus had foretold the coming of a new prophet in John 14:16 “ Unless I go away the counselor will not come to you and he will not speak on his own, he will speak on what he hears and will tell you what is yet to come.”  He was a man of compassion, not a terrorist and one of his famous sayings  when asked what are the most excellent actions, he said to gladden the hearts of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the suffering of the injured. 

What about Jesus?  We consider him a prophet of Islam.  We love him and we believe in miracles that were given to him including speaking as an infant from the cradle.  We believe in the miraculous birth and we are told that the signs which were given to Him from God including healing the blind and the lepers, making birds from clay and reviving the dead.  We also believe that He was not crucified and we are waiting for His return.  There are many misconceptions about the most misunderstood religion, Islam. 

One of them is the treatment of women.  Islam gave many rights to women.  Unfortunately Muslim men have taken back some of those rights. 

According to Quran men and women who are believers and protectors of each other, God will reward both men and women in the life hereafter equally and punish them equally.  A woman is the owner of her own earnings and women in Islam can own property. 

A woman has the right to inherit her rightful share.  She has the right to choose her husband and she has the right to seek separation or divorce if she wishes.  These rights were given to Muslim women in the year 570 when Christian women and other women in the world, like in India, had no specific rights.  As time went by, because of cultural influences and colonization, women were confined to their houses and some of these rights were taken away from them by Muslim men in some countries. 

Hajab or head cover, came for the protection of women because women were being molested in the streets of Mecca at the time of the prophets and it was necessary that Muslim women be identified and Muslim men will go after protecting them.  The extent of hajab is a personal choice and the classical burqa that you see being used by the Taliban and other tribal people is not necessarily an Islamic injunction.

Holy war is not Jihad.  In fact, no war is holy.  Jihad means striving in the cause of God.  It is an inner struggle to achieve peace.  It is also described by prophet as a struggle to control evil temptations.  We are asked to do jihad by pen, which is by writing and jihad by charity and use the Quran for jihad, although Quran is not a weapon. 

A form of jihad is taking up arms in defense of Islam and Muslims when Islam and Muslims are attacked.  That form of jihad has to be declared only by a practicing Muslim head of state or a group of religious scholars.  The individual jihad is always an inner struggle, which we call internal jihad.  Quran clearly says about jihad in 2:190, “Fight in the cause of God against those who fight against you but begin not the hostility.  God does not love aggressors”. And “ How should you not fight in the cause of God and of the oppressed people, men, women and children who are crying our Lord, save us from oppressors, give us a protecting friend and protector” (4:75)

terrorism

Now, coming to terrorism.  According to Webster’s dictionary, terrorism is creating intense terror in the opponent by using brutal, cruel, merciless, immoral, improper and unsanctioned means of creating fear.  There are many forms of terrorism, not only just religious terrorism.  There is individual and group terrorism, state and political terrorism, terrorism by mafia and criminal gangs and verbal terrorism. 

Verbal terrorism is no different than a shouting match on 2 sides of the Atlantic.  On one side we hear the shouts of “death to America”, “the great Satan” and “jihad against enemies of Islam”, not knowing that they themselves are the enemies of Islam by misrepresenting Islam.  On the other side we hear false statements against Islam and Muslims by many evangelists and anti-Islam writers in the media. 

However, there are people who are peace-loving, understanding and speak the truth on both sides.  There are Muslim leaders and heads of state who have denounced terrorism and participated in interfaith dialogues, trying to bring peace and sense to this world and on the other side there are Christian and Jewish leaders who have done the same. 

Not only writers like Karen Armstrong, who speaks highly of Islam and Mohammad but we have a Pope this time who spoke in 1979 addressing Catholics in Turkey, “ my brothers, when I think of this spiritual heritage (Islam) and the value it has for man and society, its capacity of offering guidance for life, filling the gap left by materialism, I wonder if it is not urgent, especially today, when Christians and Muslims develop a spiritual bond that unites us in order to preserve and promote peace, liberty and social justice for the benefit of all men.” 

Islam is against terrorism and for the sanctity of human life.  We are told in Quran that anyone who has killed one life as if he has killed all mankind and anyone who has saved one life as if he has saved all mankind but having said that, we know that Muslims do act in violence as do people of other faiths.  Unfortunately, it is the media who always call Muslims who do violence terrorists but if someone like Tim McVay does violence, he is not called a terrorist, so the name is reserved just for Muslims. 

For me when asked the question “ How are terrorists created?”  I must say that battered children become abusive parents and violent adults as we learn in Psychiatry and so the youths growing up in refugee camps with anger and no hope for justice, aim to strike against all those who they see responsible for their misery, directly or indirectly. 

You leave them with AK 47s but no food and see what happens.  Terrorists try to take up the cause of these oppressed people to get media attention.  One may ask the question “ How should Muslims fight terrorism?”  This goes back to what Prophet Mohammad has said “ If you see an evil act, stop it by your hand with force.  If you can not, then by your tongue speak against it and if you are so weak that you can not do either, then feel bad in your heart”.  So, in summary what it means is use all means at your disposal to fight terrorism and wrongdoing.  I feel that terrorism is like a modern plague. 

Like disease, it is an epidemic now and affects people of all faiths.  Terrorists may be born into a particular religion but have no faith.  It is our common enemy and our common jihad to eradicate it from all corners of the world at any price.  The moderate Muslims who speak against it need to be supported by everyone who is fighting terrorism.  In an article by an Israeli writer Amos Oz, in the L.A Times, under the title “ The Cure for Islam Gone Mad”, he says, “ I believe that the cure for Islam gone mad can be found within the realm of moderate sane Islam. 

The same is true for other cultures that contain seeds of internal insanity.  We cannot cure madness by smashing it rather than wag our fingers at Islam, or at Jews, or at the West, let us find and reinforce the moderates in every society.  Let us help them prevail, tame and heal the contaminated parts of their own family”. 

God Bless the World

As an American citizen, it is so painful for me to see not only our people being affected by terrorism but also, in spite of all of our efforts and all of the aid we give to the rest of the world, the popularity of the USA is falling.  Again, in the PEW study reported in the New York Times on September 11, 2003, the popularity of the USA in Morocco had fallen from 77 % to 27 % from 2000 to 20003, Indonesia 75 % to 15, % Turkey 52 to 15 % and Pakistan from 23 to 13 %.  But these are the “ friendly” Muslim countries. 

Look at the Western countries in which you will see in Germany the popularity fell from 78% to 45%, France from 62% to 43%, South Korea from 58% to 36% and Brazil from 56% to 34%.  One may wonder why.  I am not a politician to answer this question, but I feel that once America is seen as a liberator and a benefactor to the oppressed people, this popularity will improve again. 

One of the E-mails that I received from California by a Chaplain  Paul  who wrote that “we Americans must not sing God Bless America but we should sing God Bless the World.  According to him, keeping God’s blessing just for us was a selfish act.  We should share it with the rest of the world.” (HSH)