Monotheism – One God

The religion of Islam is based on one core belief, that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah.  When a person embraces Islam or a Muslim wants to renew or   confirm his or her faith, they profess their belief that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is His final messenger.  Ashadu an la ill laha il Allah wa Ashadu anna Muhammadan  Rasulullah, Saying these words, the Testimony of Faith,   is the first of five pillars or foundations of the religion of Islam.  Belief in God is the first of six pillars of faith.

Muslims believe that there is only One God.  He alone is the Sustainer and Creator of the universe.  He is without partners, children, or associates. He is the Most Merciful, the Most Wise, and the Most Just.  He is the all hearer, all seer, and the all knowing.  He is the First , He is the Last. 

“Say (O Muhammad), He is Allah, (the) One.  Allah-us-Samad (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.” (Quran 112)

“He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth.  How can He have children when He has no wife?   He created all things and He is the All-Knower of everything.  Such is Allah, your Lord!  La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things.  So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, over all things.  No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision.  He is the Most Subtle and Courteous, Well­ Acquainted with all things.” (Quran 6:101-103)

This belief is sometimes called Monotheism which is derived from the Greek words ‘monos’ meaning only and ‘theos’ meaning  god.  It is a relatively new word in the English language and it is used to denote a supreme being Who is all-powerful, the One who is responsible for life, the One who rewards or punishes.  Monotheism is directly opposed to Polytheism, which is belief in more than one god, and to Atheism, a  disbelief in all deities.

If we were to take into consideration the general meaning of the word ‘monotheism’  Judaism, Christianity, Islam   and  Zoroastrianism,  and some Hindu philosophies  could all be included. However it is, more commonplace to refer to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam  as the  three monotheistic religions and group them together; nonetheless, there are  glaring differences between Christianity and Islam.

The concept of a trinity inherent in most Christian denominations ostensibly includes aspects of plurality.  The belief that one God is some how three divinities (father, son, and holy spirit) contradicts the concept of Monotheism inherent in Islam, where the Oneness of God is unquestionable.  Some Christian groups, including those known as Unitarians believe that God is One and cannot be God and human at the same time.  They take the words of Jesus in John 17:3, “the One True God” literally.  However, the vast majority of Christians do not share this belief.

In the religion of Islam belief in One God, without partners or associates is essential.  It is the focal point of the religion and it is the essence of the Quran.  The Quran calls on humankind to worship God alone and to give up worshipping false gods or associates.  The Quran urges us to look at the wonders of creation and understand God’s greatness and power, and it speaks directly of His names, attributes, and actions.  The Quran commands us to reject anything that is worshipped instead of, or along with God.

“And I (God) created not the jinns and humankind except they should worship Me (Alone).” (Quran 51:56)

Islam is often referred to as  pure monotheism.  It is not adulterated with strange concepts or superstitions.  Belief in One God entails certainty.  Muslims  worship God alone, He has no partners, associates, or helpers.  Worship is directed solely to God, for He is the only One worthy of worship.  There is nothing greater than God Alone.

“Praise and thanks be to God, and peace be on His slaves whom He has chosen (for His Message)!  Is God better, or (all) that you ascribe as partners (to Him)?” (Of course, God is Better)

Is not He (better than your gods) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight?  It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any god with God?  Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!

Is not He (better than your gods) Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas (of salt and sweet water).Is there any  god with God?  Nay, but most of them know not.

Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. Is there any god with God?  Little is that you remember!

Is not He (better than your gods) Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy (rain)?  Is there any god  with God?  High Exalted be God above all that they associate as partners (to Him)!

 Is not He (better than your so-called gods) Who originates creation, and shall thereafter repeat it, and Who provides for you from heaven and earth?  Is there any god with God?  Say, “Bring forth your proofs, if you are truthful.” (Quran 27:59-64)

God bestowed might and power upon the angels

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Angels are beings created by God, from light.  They carry out the duties prescribed for them without flinching or hesitating.  Muslims gain their understanding of angels from the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad.  In part one we established that angels are beautiful winged creatures, which come in various sizes and by the permission of God, are able to change their form.  The angels have names and duties they are required to perform.

The name most familiar to Muslims and non-Muslims alike is Gabriel (Jibreel). The angel Gabriel is referred to in both Jewish and Christian traditions as an archangel and messenger of God, and he  holds great status in all three monotheistic religions.

“Verily, this is the Word (this Quran brought by) an honourable messenger (Gabriel), from God to the Prophet Muhammad.  Owner of power, and high rank with (God, the Lord of the Throne).  Obeyed (by the angels), trustworthy there in the heavens.” (Quran 81:19-21)

Gabriel brought down the words of God – the Quran – to Prophet Muhammad.

“...Jibreel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by God’s will, a confirmation of what went before, and guidance and glad tidings to those who believe”. (Quran 2:87)

Michael (Mikaeel) is the angel responsible for rain and Israfeel is the angel who will blow the trumpet on the Day of Judgement.  These three are from the greatest of the angels due to the great importance of their duties. Each of their duties deals with an aspect of life. Angel Gabriel brought the Quran from God to Prophet Muhammad, and the Quran nourishes the heart and the soul. Angel Michael is responsible for the rain, and it nourishes the earth and thus our physical bodies, Angel Israfeel is responsible for the blowing of the trumpet and it signals the beginning of life everlasting, either in Paradise or in Hell.

When Prophet Muhammad rose in the night to pray he would begin his prayer with the words, “O God, Lord of Jibreel, Mikaeel and Israfeel, Creator of heaven and earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen. You are the Judge of the matters in which Your slaves differ.  Guide me with regard to disputed matters of Truth by Your permission, for You guide whomever You will to the Straight Path.”

We also know the names of several other angels.` Malik, is the angel known as the gatekeeper of Hell. “They [the people in Hell] will cry: ‘O Malik! Would that your Lord put an end to us!’. . .” (Quran 43:77) Munkar and Nakeer are the angels responsible for questioning people in their graves. We know these names and understand that we will be questioned by angels in the grave as is mentioned in  the traditions of Prophet Muhammad.

“When the deceased is buried, there come to him two blue-black angels, one of whom is called Munkar and the other Nakeer. They ask him, ‘What did you used to say about this man?’ and he says what he used to say: ‘He is the slave and Messenger of God: I bear witness that there is no god except God and that Muhammad is the slave and Messenger of God. They say, ‘We knew beforehand that you used to say this.’ Then his grave will be widened for him to a size of seventy cubits by seventy cubits and it will be illuminated for him. Then they tell him, ‘Sleep.’ He says, ‘Go back to my family and tell them.’ They tell him, ‘Sleep like a bridegroom whom no-one will wake up except his most beloved,’ until God raises him up...”

In Quran we find the story of two angels named Haroot and Maroot, who were sent to Babylon to teach the people magic.  The use of magic is forbidden in Islam but these angels were sent as a test for the people.  Before revealing or teaching magic Haroot and Maroot clearly warned the inhabitants of Babylon that they were sent as a trial, and that the buyers of magic would have no share in the hereafter, i.e. they would go to hell. (Quran 2:102)

Although it is sometimes assumed that the Angel of Death is named Azraeel, there is nothing in Quran or the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad that indicates this.  We do not know the name of the Angel of Death but we do know his duty and that he has assistants.

“Say: “The Angel of Death, who is set over you, will take your souls. Then you shall be brought to your Lord.” (Quran 32:11)

Until when death approaches one of you, Our messengers (i.e. the Angel of Death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. Then they are returned to God, their Master, the Just Lord.” (Quran 6:61-62)

There are a group of Angels who travel throughout the world, seeking out people remembering God. From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad we know that, “God has angels who travel the highways seeking out the people of remembrance.  When they find people remembering God, they call out to one another, “Come to what you hunger for!” and they enfold them with their wings, stretching up to the lowest heaven. Their Lord asked then, and He knows better than them, “What are My slaves saying?” They say: “They are glorifying, magnifying, praising and extolling You.” He asks, “Have they seen Me?” They say, “No, by God, they have not seen You.” He asks, “And how would it be if they saw Me?” They say, “They would be even more fervent and devoted in their praise and worship.” He asks, “What are they asking me for?” They say, “They ask You for Paradise.” He asks, “And have they seen it?” They say, “No, by God, O Lord, they have not seen it.” He asks, “And how would it be if they saw it?” They say: “They would be even more eager for it and they would beseech You even more earnestly.” He asks, “And what do they seek My protection from?” They say, “From the Fire of Hell.” He asks, “Have they seen it?” They say, “No, by God, they have not seen it.” He asks, “And how would it be if they saw it?” They say: “They would be even more afraid and anxious to escape it.” God says: “You are My witnesses that I have forgiven them.” One of the angels says: “So-and-so is not really one of them; he came (to the gathering) for some other reason.” Allah says, “They were all in the gathering, and one of them will not be excluded (from forgiveness).”

Muslims believe that angels have special duties to perform pertaining to human beings. They guard and protect them, and two angels write down good and bad deeds. They witness prayers and one is even responsible for the foetuses in wombs.  In part three we will go into more detail and describe the associations between angels and human beings.

The World of the Jinn

Throughout history man has always had a deep attraction for the supernatural and the unseen.  The existence of a world parallel to our own has always fascinated people.  This world is commonly referred to as the spirit world, and almost every set of people have some concept of one.  With some people, these spirits are no more then the souls of dead people- or ghosts.  With others, spirits are either the forces of good or the forces of evil - both battling against one another to gain influence over humanity.  However, both of these explanations are more in tune with folk tales and fantasy.  The true explanation of such a world comes from Islam.  Like every other way, Islam also claims to explain this realm of the unseen.  It is from this realm that Islam explains to us about the world of the Jinn.  The Islamic explanation of the Jinn provides us with so many answers to modem day mysteries.  Without the knowledge of this world, the Muslims would become like the non-Muslims and be running around looking for any old answer to come their way.  So, who or what are the Jinn?

Existence

The Jinn are beings created with free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind.  The Arabic word Jinn is from the verb ‘Janna’ which means to hide or conceal.  Thus, they are physically invisible from man as their description suggests.  This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence.  However, (as will be seen) the affect which the world of the Jinn has upon our world, is enough to refute this modern denial of one of God’s creation.  The origins of the Jinn can be traced from the Quran and the Sunnah.  God says:

“Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud.  And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire” (Quran 15:26-27)

Thus the Jinn were created before man.  As for their physical origin, then the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, has confirmed the above verse when he said:

“The Angels were created from light and the Jinn from smokeless fire.” (Saheeh Muslim)

It is this description of the Jinn which tells us so much about them.  Because they were created from fire, their nature has generally been fiery and thus their relationship with man has been built upon this.  Like humans, they too are required to worship God and follow Islam.  Their purpose in life is exactly the same as ours, as God says:

“I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)

Jinns can thus be Muslims or non-Muslims.  However, due to their fiery nature the majority of them are non-Muslims.  All these non-Muslim Jinns form a part of the army of the most famous Jinn, Satan.  Consequently, these disbelieving Jinns are also called devils.  Jinns also become Muslims, as they did in the time of the Prophet when a group of them were amazed by the recitation of the Quran.  God orders the Prophet to tell the people of this event:

“Say (O’ Muhammed): It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened and said; ‘Indeed we have heard a marvelous Quran.  It guides unto righteousness so we have believed in it, and we will never make partners with our lord’.”(Quran 72:1-2)

In many aspects of their world, the Jinn are very similar to us.  They eat and drink, they marry, have children and they die.  The life span however, is far greater then ours.  Like us, they will also be subject to a Final Reckoning by God the Most High.  They will be present with mankind on the Day of Judgment and will either go to Paradise or Hell.

Abilities

That which clearly distinguishes the Jinn from mankind, are their powers and abilities.  God has given them these powers as a test for them.  If they oppress others with them, then they will be held accountable.  By knowing of their powers, we can often make sense of much of the mysteries which go on around us.  One of the powers of the Jinn, is that they are able to take on any physical form they like.  Thus, they can appear as humans, animals trees and anything else.  Thousands of people have sighted strange looking creatures all over the world - and it seems more plausible all the sightings of such creatures may have been Jinns parading in different forms.

The ability to possess and take over the minds and bodies of other creatures is also a power which the Jinn have utilized greatly over the centuries.  This however, is something which has been prohibited to them as it is a great oppression to possess another being.  Human possession is something which has always brought about great attention.  But the true knowledge of this subject is rare.  Over the last 3 decades the subject of possession has become very commercialized.  During the 70’s, films such as The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby were used to educate people about possession.  However, because such institutions (the film industry) were heavily influenced by Christianity, knowledge of the subject was non-existent.  Rather then educate people about Jinn possession, films such as The Exorcist just tended to scare the living daylights out of us!

 Only through Islam can we understand such a phenomena.  We know as Muslims, that Jinns possess people for many reasons.  Sometimes it is because the Jinn or its family has been hurt accidentally.  It could be because the Jinn has fallen in love with the person.  However, most of the time possession occurs because the Jinn is simply malicious and wicked.  For this reason we have been commanded to recite the Quran frequently in our houses as the Prophet said:

“Indeed, Satan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah (the 2nd chapter of the Quran) is recited.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

If a person does become possessed, then the name of God has to be used in expelling the Jinn.  If we look at the practice of the Prophet and his companions, we find many invocations to exorcise the Jinn.  All of them invoke God to help the possessed person.  How contrary this is to many modern-day exorcists.  Many exorcists, often invoke the names of others besides God to exorcise the Jinn.  When the Jinn does leave, these people believe that their way was successful.  However, this is a ploy of the Jinn, as it knows that if it obeys the exorcist, then it has succeeded in making him worship others besides God.  The Jinn often returns when the exorcist leaves, as it knows that nothing except the words of God can stop it from oppressing others.

It is not only humans which are possessed, but also animals, trees and other objects.  By doing this, the evil Jinn hope to make people worship others besides God.  The possession of idols is one way to do this.  Not so long ago the world-wide phenomenon of Hindu idols drinking milk, shocked the world.  From Bombay to London, Delhi to California, countless idols were lapping up milk.  Ganesh the elephant god, Hanuman the monkey god and even Shiva lingam, the male private organ (!), all seemed to guzzle down the milk as if there was no tomorrow! Unfortunately people were taken in by this and many flocked to feed the Hindu gods.  This feat was undoubtedly done by the Jinn as a classic attempt to make people worship false gods.

Prophethood in Islam: The Nature of Prophethood

Prophethood is not unknown to heavenly revealed religions, such as Judaism and Christianity.  In Islam, however, it has a special status and significance.

According to Islam, God created man for a noble purpose: to worship Him and lead a virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance.  How would man know his role and the purpose of his existence unless he received clear and practical instructions of what God wants him to do?  Here comes the need for prophethood.  Thus God has chosen from every nation at least one prophet to convey His Message to people.

One might ask, how were the prophets chosen and who were entitled to this great honor?

Prophethood is God’s blessing and favor that He may bestow on whom He wills.  However, from surveying the various messengers throughout history, three features of a prophet may be recognized:

1.    He is the best in his community morally and intellectually.  This is necessary because a prophet’s life serves as a role model for his followers.  His personality should attract people to accept his message rather than drive them away by his imperfect character.  After receiving the message, he is infallible.  That is, he would not commit any sin.  He might make some minor mistakes, which are usually corrected by revelation.

2.    He is supported by miracles to prove that he is not an imposter.  Those miracles are granted by the power and permission of God and are usually in the field in which his people excel and are recognized as superior.  We might illustrate this by quoting the major miracles of the three prophets of the major world religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Moses’ contemporaries were excellent in magic, so his major miracle was to defeat the best magicians of Egypt of his day.  Jesus’ contemporaries were recognized as skilled physicians, therefore, his miracles were to raise the dead and cure incurable diseases.  The Arabs, the contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, were known for their eloquence and magnificent poetry.  So Prophet Muhammad’s major miracle was the Quran, the equivalent of which the whole legion of Arab poets and orators could not produce, despite the repeated challenge from the Quran itself.  Again, Muhammad’s miracle has something special about it.  All previous miracles were limited to its time and place; that is, they were shown to specific people at a specific time.  Not so with the miracle of Prophet Muhammad the Quran.  It is a universal and everlasting miracle.  Previous generations witnessed it and future generations will witness its miraculous nature in terms of its style, content and spiritual uplifting.  These can still be tested and will thereby prove the divine origin of the Quran.

3.    Every prophet states clearly that what he receives is not of his own making, but from God, for the well-being of mankind.  He also confirms what was revealed before him and what may be revealed after him.  A prophet does this to show that he is simply conveying the message that is entrusted to him by the One True God of all people in all ages.  So the message is one in essence and for the same purpose.  Therefore, it should not deviate from what was revealed before him or what might come after him.

Prophets are necessary for conveying God’s instructions and guidance to mankind.  We have no way of knowing why we were created.  What will happen to us after death?  Is there any life after death?  Are we accountable for our actions?  These and so many other questions about God, angels, paradise, hell, and more, cannot be answered without direct revelation from the Creator and Knower of the unseen.  Those answers must be authentic and must be brought by individuals whom we trust and respect.  That is why messengers are the elite of their societies in terms of moral conduct and intellectual ability.

Hence, the slanderous Biblical stories about some of the great prophets are not accepted by Muslims.  For example, Lot is reported to have committed incestuous fornication while drunk.  David is alleged to have sent one of his leaders to his death in order to marry his wife.  Prophets, to Muslims, are greater than what these stories indicate.  These stories cannot be true from the Islamic point of view.

The prophets are also miraculously supported by God and instructed by Him to affirm the continuity of the message.  The content of the prophets’ message to mankind can be summarized as follows:

a)    Clear concept of God: His attributes, His creation, what should and should not be ascribed to Him.

b)    Clear idea about the unseen world, the angels, jinn (spirits), Paradise and Hell.

c)    Why God has created us, what He wants from us and what rewards and punishments are for obedience and disobedience.

d)    How to run our societies according to His will.  That is, clear instructions and laws that, when applied correctly and honestly, will result in a smoothly functioning, harmonious society.

It is clear from the above discussion that there is no substitute for prophets.  Even today with the advancement of science, the only authentic source of information about the supernatural world is revelation.  Guidance can be obtained neither from science nor from mystic experience.  The first is too materialistic and limited; the second is too subjective and frequently misleading.

The Basis of Islam

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The basis of the religion of Islam is the attestation to two phrases:

(i)   None is rightfully worshipped except God (La ilaaha ‘ill-Allah), and

(ii)  Muhammad is the Messenger of God (Muhammad-ur-Rasool-ullah).

This phrase is known as the shahaadah, or testimony of faith.  Through the belief and attestation of these two phrases one enters the fold of Islam.  It is the motto of the believers which they maintain throughout life, and the basis for all their beliefs, worship and existence. This article will discuss the first part of this testimony.

The Importance of the Statement ‘Laa Ilaaha ill-Allah’

As mentioned earlier, this testimony is by far the most important aspect of the religion of Islam, as it asserts the belief in Tawheed, or the Oneness and uniqueness of God, upon which the whole religion is built.  For this reason, it is called, “The declaration of Tawheed”.  This uniqueness and oneness necessitates God’s sole right to worship and obedience.  The religion of Islam is basically a way of life in which a person worships and obeys the orders of God and none else.  It is the only true monotheistic religion, stressing that no worship should be directed to any other except God.  For this reason, we see that in many narrations, the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said that whoever says this phrase and practices it will enter Paradise for eternity, and whoever opposes it will doomed to Hellfire for eternity.

This declaration also reiterates the purpose of one’s life, which is the worship of God alone, and obviously, the purpose of one’s existence and being is the most important aspect in one’s life.  God says in the Quran:

“And I have not created neither jinn nor humans, except to worship Me Alone.” (Quran 51:56)

The message of Tawheed found in this declaration is not particular to Islam.  Due to the importance, reality and truth of this message, it was the message brought by all prophets.  Since the dawn of humanity, God sent messengers to every people and nation, commanding them to worship Him Alone, and to reject all false deities.  God says:

“And indeed We have raised amongst every nation a messenger, (commanding them) ‘Worship God, and reject all false deities….” (Quran 16:36)

It is only when this notion of Tawheed is ingrained in the heart and minds of a person that they will willingly follow the commandments of God and render all worship to Him Alone.  For this reason, the Prophet called his people for thirteen years in Mecca to Tawheed alone, and only a minimal amount of worship was mandated at that time.  It was only when this notion became firm in the believers’ hearts and they were willing to sacrifice even their own lives for it that the majority of the other commandments of Islam were revealed.  If this base is missing, nothing after it will be of avail.

The Meaning of Laa Ilaaha ill-Allah

La ilaaha ill-Allah, literally means “There is no god (deity) except Allah”.  Here, god with a small case ‘g’ is anything which is worshipped.  What this declaration implies is that although there might be other gods and deities being worshipped by humans in existence, none of them are rightfully worshipped, meaning that no object considered as a god has any right to that worship, nor does it deserve it, except the One True God.  Thus, laa ilaaha ill-Allah means, “There is no god rightfully worshipped except Allah.”

La ilaaha… (There is no god rightfully worshipped…)

These two words deny the right of any created being to worship.  Muslims reject the worship of everything besides God.  This rejection extends to all superstitions, ideologies, ways of life, or any authority figures who claim divine devotion, love, or absolute obedience.  God in the Quran mentions in many places that all things which people take as objects of worship besides Himself do not deserve any worship, nor do they have any right to it, as they themselves are creations and have no power to bring any benefit.

“Yet they have taken besides Him other gods that created nothing but are themselves created, and possess neither [the power to] harm nor benefit for themselves, and possess no power [of causing] death, nor [of giving] life, nor of raising the dead.” (Quran 25:3)

Some worship another object or being because they believe that it has some special power, such as some control over the universe, some power to benefit or harm, or that it deserves worship in and of itself due to its greatness of being.  God negates the notion that these things which people take as objects of worship, whether they be aspects of nature, such as the wind, trees, stones, wind; or conscious beings, such as humans, prophets, saints, angels, kings, have any power in themselves.  They are mere creations like the worshippers themselves and have no power to help even their own selves, and thus they are not to be worshipped.  They are mere creations with deficiencies, subject to the Will of God, and thus they do not deserve any aspect of worship.

In reality, many believe in the ultimate control and power of God, but they imagine the Divine Kingdom of God to be like earthly kingdoms.  Just as a king has many ministers and trusted associates, they imagine ‘saints’ and minor deities to be our intercessors to God.  They take them as agents through whom God is approached, by directing some acts of worship and service to them.  God says:

“And verily, if you ask them: ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’

Surely, they will say: ‘God.’

Say: ‘Tell me then, the things that you invoke besides God, if God intended some harm for me, could they remove His harm, or if He intended some mercy for me, could they withhold His Mercy?’

Say : ‘Sufficient for me is God; in Him those who trust (i.e. believers) must put their trust.’” (Quran 39:38)

In truth, there are no intercessors in Islam.  No righteous person is to be venerated, nor is any other being to be worshipped.  A Muslim directs all worship directly and exclusively to God.

…Ill-Allah (…Except Allah)

After denying the right of any created being to be worshipped, the shahaadah affirms divinity for God alone, with ‘…except God’.  In many places in the Quran, after God negates that anything of the creation has power to bring benefit and harm, thus deserving no worship, He states that He Himself is to be worshipped, as He has control over and ownership of the whole universe.  It is God Alone who provides for his creation; He is in total control.  He is the only one who can bring benefit and harm, and nothing can impede His Will from becoming reality.  Thus it is He Himself, through His perfection, through His ultimate powers, due to his total ownership, and due to His greatness, who deserves all worship, service and veneration exclusively.

“Say: ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?’

Say: ‘(It is) God.’

Say: ‘Have you then taken (for worship) deities other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit or for harm to themselves?’

Say: ‘Is the blind equal to the one who sees?  Or darkness equal to light?  Or do they assign to God partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation [which they made and His creation] seemed alike to them?’

Say: ‘God is the Creator of all things, He is the One, the Irresistible.’” (Quran 13:16)

God also says:

“You worship besides God only idols, and you only invent falsehood.  Verily, those whom you worship besides God have no power to give you provision. So seek your provision from God (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him.  To Him (Alone) you will be brought back.” (Quran 29:17)

And God says:

“Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth and sends down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight?  It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees.  Is there any ilaah (god) along with Allah?  Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!” (Quran 27:60)

As God is the only being who is deserving of worship, anything worshipped besides or along with Him is done so wrongfully.  All acts of devotion are to be directed towards God alone.  All requirements should be sought through Him.  All fear of the unknown should be feared from Him, and all hope should be placed in Him.  All divine love should be felt for him, and all that one hates should be hated for His sake.  All deeds of good should be done to seek His favor and pleasure, and all wrong should be avoided for his sake.  In these ways do Muslims worship God alone, and from this, we understand how the whole religion of Islam is based upon this declaration of Tawheed.

Belief in Life after Death

Everyone is scared of dying and rightly so.  The uncertainty of what lies beyond is frightening. It may be that of all religions, Islam, provides the most graphic details of what comes after death and lies beyond.  Islam views death to be a natural threshold to the next stage of existence.

Islamic doctrine holds that human existence continues after the death of the human body in the form of spiritual and physical resurrection.  There is a direct relation between conduct on earth and the life beyond.  The afterlife will be one of rewards and punishments which is commensurate with earthily conduct.  A Day will come when God will resurrect and gather the first and the last of His creation and judge everyone justly.  People will enter their final abode, Hell or Paradise.  Faith in life after death urges us to do right and to stay away from sin.  In this life we sometimes see the pious suffer and the impious enjoy.  All shall be judged one day and justice will be served.

Faith in life after death is one of the six fundamental beliefs required of a Muslim to complete his faith.  Rejecting it renders all other beliefs meaningless.  Think of a child who does not put his hand in fire.  He does not do so because he is sure it will burn. When it comes to doing school work, the same child may feel lazy because he does not quite understand what a sound education will do for his future.  Now, think of a man who does not believe in the Day of Judgment.  Would he consider belief in God and a life driven by his belief in God to be of any consequence?  To him, neither obedience to God is of use, nor is disobedience of any harm.  How, then, can he live a God-conscious life?  What incentive would he have to suffer the trials of life with patience and avoid overindulgence in worldly pleasures?  And if a man does not follow the way of God, then what use is his belief in God, if he has any?  The acceptance or rejection of life after death is perhaps the greatest factor in determining the course of an individual’s life.

The dead have a continued and conscious existence of a kind in the grave.  Muslims believe that, upon dieing, a person enters an intermediate phase of life between death and resurrection.  Many events take place in this new “world”, such as the “trial” of the grave, where everyone will be questioned by angels about their religion, prophet, and Lord.  The grave is a garden of paradise or a pit of hell; angels of mercy visit the souls of believers and angels of punishment come for the unbelievers.

Resurrection will be preceded by the end of the world.  God will command a magnificent angel to blow the Horn.  At its first blowing, all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will fall unconscious, except those spared by God.  The earth will be flattened, the mountains turned into dust, the sky will crack, planets will be dispersed, and the graves overturned.

People will be resurrected into their original physical bodies from their graves, thereby entering the third and final phase of life.  The Horn will blow again upon which people will rise up from their graves, resurrected!

God will gather all humans, believers and the impious, jinns, demons, even wild animals.  It will be a universal gathering.  The angels will drive all human beings naked, uncircumcised, and bare-footed to the Great Plain of Gathering.  People will stand in wait for judgment and humanity will sweat in agony.  The righteous will be sheltered under the shade of God’s Magnificent Throne.

When the condition becomes unbearable, people will request the prophets and the messengers to intercede with God on their behalf to save them from distress.

The balances will be set and the deeds of men will be weighed.  Disclosure of the Records of the deeds performed in this life will follow.  The one who will receive his record in his right hand will have an easy reckoning.  He will happily return to his family.  However, the person who will receive his record in his left hand would wish he were dead as he will be thrown into the Fire.  He will be full of regrets and will wish that he were not handed his Record or he had not known it.

Then God will judge His creation.  They will be reminded and informed of their good deeds and sins.  The faithful will acknowledge their failings and be forgiven.  The disbelievers will have no good deeds to declare because an unbeliever is rewarded for them in this life.  Some scholars are of the opinion that the punishment of an unbeliever may be reduced in lieu of his good deeds, except the punishment of the great sin of disbelief.

The Siraat is a bridge that will be established over Hell extending to Paradise.  Anyone who is steadfast on God’s religion in this life will find it easy to pass it.

Paradise and Hell will be the final dwelling places for the faithful and the damned after the Last Judgment.  They are real and eternal.  The bliss of the people of Paradise shall never end and the punishment of unbelievers condemned to Hell shall never cease.  Unlike a pass-fail system in some other belief-systems, the Islamic view is more sophisticated and conveys a higher level of divine justice.  This can be seen in two ways.  First, some believers may suffer in Hell for unrepented, cardinal sins.  Second, both Paradise and Hell have levels.

Paradise is the eternal garden of physical pleasures and spiritual delights.  Suffering will be absent and bodily desires will be satisfied.  All wishes will be met.  Palaces, servants, riches, streams of wine, milk and honey, pleasant fragrances, soothing voices, pure partners for intimacy; a person will never get bored or have enough!

The greatest bliss, though, will be the vision of their Lord of which the unbelievers will be deprived.

Hell is an infernal place of punishment for unbelievers and purification for sinful believers.  Torture and punishment: for the body and the soul: burning by fire, boiling water to drink, scalding food to eat, chains, and choking columns of fire.  Unbelievers will be eternally damned to it, whereas sinful believers will eventually be taken out of Hell and enter Paradise.

Paradise is for those who worshipped God alone, believed and followed their prophet, and lived moral lives according to the teachings of scripture.

Hell will be the final dwelling place of those who denied God, worshipped other beings besides God, rejected the call of the prophets, and lead sinful, unrepentant lives.

Belief in the Prophets

Belief in certain prophets who God chose to relay His message to humans is a required article of Islamic faith.

“The Prophet (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers.  Each one believes in God, His Angels, His Books, and His prophets.  (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between one another of His prophets...’” (Quran 2:285)

God conveys His message and relates His will through human prophets.  They form a link between the earthly beings and the heavens, in the sense that God has picked them to deliver His message to human beings.  There are no other channels to receive divine communications.  It is the system of communication between the Creator and the created.  God does not send angels to every single individual, nor does He open the skies so people can climb up to receive the message.  His way of communication is through human prophets who receive the message through angels.

To have faith in the prophets (or messengers) is to firmly believe that God chose morally upright men to bear His message and pass it to humanity.  Blessed were those who followed them, and wretched were those who refused to obey.  They faithfully delivered the message, without hiding, altering, or corrupting it.  Rejecting a prophet is rejecting the One who sent him, and disobeying a prophet is disobeying the One who commanded to obey him.

God sent to every nation a prophet, mostly from amongst them, to call them to worship God alone and to shun false gods.

“And ask (O Muhammad) those of Our prophets whom We sent before you: ‘Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful (God)?’” (Quran 43:45)

Muslims believe in those prophets mentioned by name in Islamic sources, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, to name a few.  A general belief is held in those not mentioned by name, as God says: 

“And, indeed We have sent prophets before you (O Muhammad), of some of them We have related to you their story, and of some We have not related to you their story...” (Quran 40:78)

Muslims firmly believe the final prophet was the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and there will be no prophet or messenger after him.

To appreciate this fact, one must understand that the teachings of the last prophet are preserved in original language in their primary sources.  There is no need for another prophet.  In the case of earlier prophets, their scriptures were lost or their message was corrupted to the point that truth was hardly distinguishable from falsehood.  The message of the Prophet Muhammad is clear and preserved and will remain so till the end of time.

The Purpose for Sending Prophets

We can identify the following main reasons for sending prophets:

(1)  Guiding humanity from the worship of created beings to the worship of their Creator, from being in a state of servitude to the creation to the freedom of worshipping their Lord.

(2)  Clarifying to humanity the purpose of creation: worshipping God and obeying His commands, as well as clarifying that this life is a test for each individual, a test of which its results will decide the type of life one will lead after death; a life of eternal misery or eternal bliss.  There is no other definite way to find the true purpose of creation.

(3)  Showing humanity the right path that will lead them to Paradise and to salvation from Hellfire.

(4)  Establishing proof against humanity by sending prophets, so people will not have an excuse when they will be questioned on the Day of Judgment.  They will not be able to claim ignorance to the purpose of their creation and life after death.

(5)  Uncovering the unseen ‘world’ which exists beyond the normal senses and the physical universe, such as the knowledge of God, existence of angels, and the reality of the Day of Judgment.

(6)  Providing human beings practical examples to lead moral, righteous, purpose-driven lives free of doubts and confusion.  Innately, human beings admire fellow human beings, so the best examples of righteousness for humans to imitate are those of God’s prophets.

(7)  Purifying the soul from materialism, sin, and heedlessness.

(8)  Conveying to humanity the teachings of God, which is for their own benefit in this life and in the Hereafter.

Their Message

The single most important message of all prophets to their people was to worship God alone and none else and to follow His teachings.  All of them, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Jesus, Muhammad and others, in addition to those we do not know - invited people to worship God and shun false gods.

Moses declared: “Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

This was repeated 1500 years later by Jesus, when he said: “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.’” (Mark 12:29).

Finally, the call of Muhammad some 600 years later reverberated across the hills of Mecca:

“And your God is One God: there is no god but He...” (Quran 2:163)

The Holy Quran states this fact clearly:

“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): ‘none has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)

The Message Bearers

God chose the best among humanity to deliver His message.  Prophethood is not earned or acquired like higher education.  God chooses whom He pleases for this purpose.

They were the best in morals and they were mentally and physically fit, protected by God from falling into cardinal, major sins.  They did not err or commit mistakes in delivering the message.  They were over one hundred thousand prophets sent to all mankind, to all nations and races, in all corners of the world.  Some prophets were superior to others.  The best among them were Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.

People went to extremes with the prophets.  They were rejected and accused of being sorcerers, madmen, and liars.  Others turned them into gods by giving them divine powers, or declared them to be His children, like what happened to Jesus.

In truth, they were fully human with no divine attributes or power.  They were God’s worshipping slaves.  They ate, drank, slept, and lived normal human lives.  They did not have the power to make anyone accept their message or to forgive sins.  Their knowledge of future was limited to what God revealed to them.  They had no part in running the affairs of the universe.

Out of the Infinite Mercy and Love of God, He sent to humanity prophets, guiding them to that which is the best. He sent them as an example for humanity to follow, and if one does follow their example, they would live a life in accordance to the Will of God, earning His Love and Pleasure

Belief in Scriptures

Belief in the scriptures revealed by God is the third article of Islamic faith.

We can identify four main reasons for the revelation of scriptures:

(1)  The scripture revealed to a prophet is a point of reference to learn the religion and obligations towards God and fellow human beings.  God reveals Himself and explains the purpose of human creation through revealed scriptures.

(2)  By referring to it, 'disputes and differences between its followers in matter of religious belief and practice or in matters of social practice could be settled.

(3)  The scriptures are meant to keep the religion safe from corruption and deterioration, at least for some time after the death of the prophet.  At the present time, the Quran revealed to our Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, is the only scripture to remain safe from corruption.

(4)  It is God’s proof against human beings.  They are not allowed to oppose or overstep it.

A Muslim firmly believes that divinely revealed books were actually revealed by the Compassionate God to His prophets to guide mankind.  The Quran is not the only spoken Word of God, but God also spoke to prophets before Prophet Muhammad.

“…and to Moses God spoke directly.” (Quran 4:164)

God describes true believers are those who:

“…believe in what has been sent down to you (Muhammad) and what has been sent down before you…” (Quran 2:4)

The most important and central message of all scriptures was to worship God and God alone.

“And we sent never a prophet before you except that we revealed to him, saying, ‘there is no God but I, so worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)

Islam is more inclusive in the holy revelations it affirms than any other heavenly religion in its present form.

Muslims uphold and respect the following scriptures:

(i)   The Quran itself, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

(ii)  The Torah (Tawrah in Arabic) revealed to the Prophet Moses (different from the Old Testament read today).

(iii) The Gospel (Injeel in Arabic) revealed to Prophet Jesus (different from the New Testament read in churches today).

(iv) The Psalms (Zaboor in Arabic) of David.

(v)  The Scrolls (Suhuf in Arabic) of Moses and Abraham.

Third, Muslims believe whatever is true in them and has neither been altered or  deliberately misconstrued.

Fourth, Islam affirms that God revealed the Quran as a witness over the previous scriptures and confirmation of them, because He says therein:

“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (the Quran) in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it and trustworthy in highness and a witness over it (the collection of old scriptures)…” (Quran 5:48)

Meaning the Quran confirms whatever is true in previous scriptures and rejects whatever alterations and changes human hands have made to them.

Original Scriptures and the Bible

We must distinguish between two matters: the original Torah, Gospel, and Psalms and the present day Bible.  The originals were God’s revelation, but the present day Bible does not have the exact original scripture.

No divine scripture exists today in the original language it was revealed in, except the Quran.  The Bible was not revealed in English.  Different books of today’s Bible are at best tertiary translations and different versions exist.  These multiple translations were done by people whose knowledge, skill, or honesty is not known.  As a result, some bibles are larger than others and have contradictions and internal inconsistencies!  No originals exist.  The Quran, on the other hand, is the only scripture in existence today in its original language and words.  Not one letter of the Quran has been changed since its revelation.  It is internally consistent with no contradictions.  It is today as it was revealed 1400 years ago, transmitted by a rock-solid tradition of memorization and writing.  Unlike other sacred texts, the entire Quran has been memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation!

The previous scriptures essentially consist of:

(i)   Stories of man’s creation and earlier nations, prophesies of what was to come like signs before the Judgment Day, appearance of new prophets, and other news.

The stories, prophecies, and news in the Bible read in churches and synagogues today are partly true and partly false.  These books consist of some translated fragments of the original scripture revealed by God, words of some prophets, mixed with explanations of scholars, errors of scribes, and outright malicious insertions and deletions.  Quran, the final and trustworthy scripture, helps us sort out fact from fiction.  For a Muslim, it is the criterion to judge the truth from the falsehood in these stories.  For example, the Bible still contains some clear passages pointing to God’s unity.  Also, some prophecies regarding the Prophet Muhammad are found in the Bible as well.  Yet, there are passages, even whole books, almost entirely recognized to be forgeries and the handiwork of men

(ii)  Law and rulings, the allowed and prohibited, like the Law of Moses.

If we were to assume the law, that is the lawful and the prohibited, contained in the previous books did not suffer corruption, the Quran still abrogates those rulings, it cancels the old law which was suitable for its time and is no longer applicable today.  For example, the old laws pertaining to diet, ritual prayer, fasting, inheritance, marriage and divorce have been cancelled (or, in many cases,  reaffirmed) by the Islamic Law.

The Holy Quran

The Quran is different from other scriptures in the following respects:

(1)  The Quran is miraculous and inimitable.  Nothing similar to it can be produced by human beings.

(2) After the Quran, no more scriptures will be revealed by God.  Just as the Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, the Quran is the last scripture.

(3) God has taken it upon Himself to protect the Quran from alteration, to safeguard it from corruption, and to preserve it from distortion.  On the other hand, previous scriptures suffered alteration and distortion and do not remain in their originally revealed form.

(4)  The Quran, for one, confirms early scriptures and, for another, is a trustworthy witness over them.

(5)  The Quran abrogates them, meaning it cancels the rulings of the previous scriptures and renders them inapplicable.  The Law of the old scriptures is no longer applicable; the previous rulings have been abrogated with the new Law of Islam.

Belief in Angels

Reality of Angels

In common folklore, angels are thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images, or illusions.  Western iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or handsome young men or women with a halo surrounding their head.  In Islamic doctrine, they are real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden from our senses.

They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God’s associates running different districts of the universe.  Also, they are not objects to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God.  They all submit to God and carry out His commands.

In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into ‘good’ and ‘evil’ angels.  Human beings do not become angels after death.  Satan is not a fallen angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels.

Angels were created from light before human beings were created, and thus their graphic or symbolic representation in Islamic art is rare.  Nevertheless, they are generally beautiful beings with wings as described in Muslim scripture.

Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the sense that they are of different size, status, and merit.

The greatest of them is Gabriel.  The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original form.  Also, the attendants of God’s Throne are among the greatest angels.  They love the believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins.  They carry the Throne of God, about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God who carry the Throne.  The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey.” (Abu Daud)

They do not eat or drink.  The angels do not get bored or tired of worshipping God:

“They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken.” (Quran 21:20)

The Number of Angels

How many angels there are? Only God knows.  The Much-Frequented House is a sacred heavenly sanctuary above the Kaaba, the black cube in the city of Mecca.  Every day seventy thousand angels visit it and leave, never returning to it again, followed by another group.^[1]

The Names of Angels

Muslims believe in specific angels mentioned in the Islamic sources like Jibreel (Gabriel), Mika'eel (Michael), Israfeel, Malik - the guard over Hell, and others.  Of these, only Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the Bible.

Angelic Abilities

The angels possess great powers given to them by God.  They can take on different forms.  The Muslim scripture describes how at the moment of Jesus’ conception, God sent Gabriel to Mary in the form of a man:

“…Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.” (Quran 19:17)

Angels also visited Abraham in human form.  Similarly, angels came to Lot to deliver him from danger in the form of handsome, young men.  Gabriel used to visit Prophet Muhammad in different forms.  Sometimes, he would appear in the form of one of his handsome disciples, and sometimes in the form of a desert Bedouin.

Angels have the ability to take human forms in some circumstances involving common people.

Gabriel is God’s heavenly messenger to mankind.  He would convey the revelation from God to His human messengers.  God says:

“Say: whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by God’s will...” (Quran 2:97)

Tasks of the Angels

Some angels are put in charge of executing God’s law in the physical world.  Michael is responsible for rain, directing it wherever God wishes.  He has helpers who assist him by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as God wills.  Another is responsible for blowing the Horn, which will be blown by Israafeel at the onset of the Day of Judgment.  Others are responsible for taking souls out of the bodies at the time of death: the Angel of Death and his assistants.  God says:

“Say: the Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls, then shall you be brought back to your Lord.” (Quran 32:11)

Then there are guardian angels responsible for protecting the believer throughout his life, at home or traveling, asleep or awake.

Others are responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad.  These are known as the “honorable scribes.”

Two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, are responsible for testing people in the grave.

Among them are keepers of Paradise and the nineteen ‘guards’ of Hell whose leader is named ‘Malik.’

There are also angels responsible for breathing the soul into the fetus and writing down its provisions, life-span, actions, and whether it will be wretched or happy.

Some angels are roamers, traveling around the world in search of gatherings where God is remembered.  There are also angels constituting God’s heavenly army, standing in rows, they never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or prostrate, and never raise their heads, always worshipping God.

As we learn from above, the angels are a grandiose creation of God, varying in numbers, roles, and abilities. God is in no need of these creatures, but having knowledge and belief in them adds to the awe that one feels towards God, in that He is able to create as He wishes, for indeed the magnificence of His creation is a proof of the magnificence of the Creator.

Belief in God

Introduction

At the heart of Islam lies belief in God.

The core of the Islamic creed is bearing witness to the phrase, La illaha illa Allah, “There is no true deity deserving worship but God.”  The testimony to this belief, called tawhid, is the axis around which all Islam revolves.  Moreover, it is the first of the two testimonies by which a person becomes a Muslim.  Striving after the realization of that oneness, or tawhid, is the core of Islamic life.

For many non-Muslims, the term Allah, the Arabic name of God, refers to some distant and strange deity worshipped by the Arabs.  Some even think it to be some pagan “moon-god”.  However, in Arabic, the word Allah means the One True God. Even, Arabic speaking Jews and Christians refer to the Supreme Being as Allah.

Finding God

Western philosophers, Eastern mystics as well as today’s scientists attempt to reach God in their own way.  Mystics teach of a God who is found through spiritual experiences, a God who is part of the world and resides within His creation.  The philosophers seek God though pure reason and often speak of a God as a detached Watch-Maker with no interest in His creation.  A group of philosophers teach agnosticism, an ideology that holds that one can neither prove nor disprove God's existence. Practically speaking, an agnostic asserts he must be able to perceive God directly in order to have faith. God has said:

“And those who are devoid of knowledge say: ‘Why does not God speak unto us or why is not a [miraculous] sign shown to us?’  So said the people before them words of similar import.  Their hearts are all alike...” (Quran 2:118)

The argument is nothing new; people in the past and present have raised the same objection.

According to Islam, the correct way of finding God is through the preserved teachings of the prophets.  Islam maintains that the prophets were sent by God Himself throughout the ages to guide human beings to Him.  God says in the Holy Quran that the correct path to belief is to reflect upon His signs, which point to Him:

“…Indeed, We have made all the signs manifest unto people who are endowed with inner certainty.” (Quran 2:118)

Mention of God’s handiwork occurs often in the Quran as the locus of divine revelation.  Anyone who sees the natural world in all its wonder with open eyes and an open heart will see the unmistakable signs of the Creator.

“Say: Go all over the earth and behold how [wondrously] He has created [man] in the first instance: and thus, too, will God bring into being your second life – for, verily, God has power to will anything.” (Quran 20:29)

God’s handiwork is also present within the individual:

“And on earth there are signs [of God’s existence, visible] to all who are endowed with inner certainty, just as [there are signs thereof] within your own selves: can you not, then see?” (Quran 51:20-21)

The beauty and complexity of our universe.  The Cone Nebula pictured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.  (AP Photo/NASA)

Who are the Muslims

Muslims come from all races, nationalities and cultures across the globe. They have varied languages, foods, dress, and customs; even the way they practice may differ. Yet they all consider themselves to be Muslim.

Less than 15% of Muslims live in the Arab world; a fifth are found in Sub-Saharan Africa; and the world’s largest Muslim community is in Indonesia. Substantial parts of Asia, and almost all Central Asian republics, are Muslims. Significant Muslim minorities are found in China, India, Russia, Europe, North America and South America.

Over a billion people from all races, nationalities and cultures across the globe are Muslims-from the rice farms of Indonesia to the desert heart of Africa; from the skyscrapers of New York to the Bedouin tents in Arabia.

How did the spread of Islam affect the World?

The Muslim community continued to grow after Prophet Muhammad’s death. Within a few decades, vast numbers of people across three continents-Africa, Asia and Europe- had chosen Islam as their way of life.

One of the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the purity of its doctrine-Islam calls for faith in only One God. This, coupled with the Islamic concepts of equality, justice and freedom, resulted in a united and peaceful community. People were free to travel from Spain to China without fear, and without crossing any borders.

Many Muslims scholars traveled to these cities seeking knowledge. They translated into Arabic volumes of philosophical and scientific works from Greek and Syriac languages (the languages of Eastern Christian scholars), from Pahlavi (the scholarly language of Pre-Islamic Persia), and from Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language). As a result, Arabic became the language of worldly scholarship, and people migrated from all over the world to study in the Muslim Universities.

By 850, most of the philosophical and scientific works of Aristotle; much of Plato and the Pythagorean School; and the major works of Greek astronomy, mathematics and medicine such as the Almagest of Ptolemy, the Elements of Euclid, and the works of Hippocrates and Galen, were all rendered into Arabic. For the next 700 years, Arabic became the most important scientific language of the world and the repository of much of the wisdom and the sciences of antiquity.

The achievement of scholars working in the Islamic tradition went far beyond translation and preservation of ancient learning. These scholars built upon the ancient heritage with their own scientific advances. These advancements were a direct cause of the Renaissance in Europe.

Muslims excelled in art, architecture, astronomy, geography, history, language, literature, medicine, mathematics and physics. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and the very concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were formulated by Muslim scholars and shared with medieval Europe. Muslims invented sophisticated instruments that made future European voyages of discovery possible: the astrolabe, the quadrant, and detailed navigational maps and charts.

Muslims Contribution To Science

Astronomy

Muslims have always had a special interest in astronomy. The moon and the sun are of vital importance in the daily life of every Muslim. By the moon, Muslims determine the beginning and the end of the months in their lunar calendar. By the sun the Muslims calculate the times for prayer and fasting. It is also by means of astronomy that Muslims can determine the precise direction of the Qiblah, to face the Ka'bah in Makkah, during prayer.

The Quran contains many references to astronomy.

"The heavens and the earth were ordered rightly, and were made subservient to man, including the sun, the moon, the stars, and day and night. Every heavenly body moves in an orbit assigned to it by God and never digresses, making the universe an orderly cosmos whose life and existence, diminution and expansion, are totally determined by the Creator." (Quran 30:22)

These references, and the injunctions to learn, inspired the early Muslim scholars to study the heavens. They integrated the earlier works of the Indians, Persians and Greeks into a new synthesis. Ptolemy's Almagest (the title as we know it is Arabic) was translated, studied and criticized. Many new stars were discovered, as we see in their Arabic names - Algol, Deneb, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Aldebaran. Astronomical tables were compiled, among them the Toledan tables, which were used by Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and Kepler. Also compiled were almanacs - another Arabic term. Other terms from Arabic are zenith, nadir, albedo, azimuth.

Muslim astronomers were the first to establish observatories, like the one built at Mugharah and they invented instruments such as the quadrant and astrolabe, which led to advances not only in astronomy but in oceanic navigation, contributing to the European age of exploration.

Islamic Sources: Quran and Sunnah

The ultimate manifestation of God’s grace for man, the ultimate wisdom, and the ultimate beauty of expression: in short, the word of God.  This is how the German scholar, Muhammad Asad, once described the Quran.  If one were to ask any Muslim to depict it, most likely they would offer similar words.  The Quran, to the Muslim, is the irrefutable, inimitable Word of God.  It was revealed by God Almighty through Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  The Prophet himself had no role in authoring the Quran, he was merely a Messenger, repeating the dictates of the Divine Creator:

“He (Muhammad) does not speak of his own desire.  It is no less than an Inspiration sent down to him.” (Quran 53:3-4)

The Quran was revealed in Arabic, to Prophet Muhammad, over a period of twenty-three years.  It is composed in a style so unique, that it cannot be deemed either poetry or prose, but somehow a mixture of both.  The Quran is inimitable; it cannot be simulated or copied, and God Almighty challenges mankind to pursue such an endeavor if he thinks he can:

“Or do they say he forged it? Say: Bring then a chapter like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can, beside God, if it be you speak the truth.” (Quran 10:38)

The Quran’s language is indeed sublime, its recitation moving, as one non-Muslim scholar noted, “it was like the cadence of my heartbeat”.  Due to its unique style of language, the Quran is not only highly readable, but also relatively easy to remember.  This latter aspect has played an important role not only in the Quran’s preservation, but in the spiritual life of Muslims as well.  God Himself declares,

“And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember; then is there anyone that will receive admonition?” (Quran 54:17)

One of the most important characteristics of the Quran is that it remains today, the only holy book which has never changed; it has remained free from any and all adulterations.  Sir William Muir noted, “There is probably in the world no other book which has remained (fourteen) centuries with so pure a text.” The Quran was written down during the lifetime and under the supervision of the Prophet, who himself was unlettered.  Thus its authenticity is unblemished, and is its preservation is seen as the fulfillment of God’s promise:

“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message, and We will assuredly guard it from corruption.” (Quran 15:9)        

The Quran is a book which provides the human being the spiritual and intellectual nourishment he/she craves.  Its major themes include the oneness of God, the purpose of human existence, faith and God-consciousness, the Hereafter and its significance.  The Quran also lays a heavy emphasis upon reason and understanding.  In these spheres of human understanding, the Quran goes beyond just satisfying the human intellect; it causes one to reflect. Unlike other scriptures, there are Quranic challenges and prophecies. It is as well full of facts that have only recently been discovered; One of the most exciting fields in recent years has been the discovery of significant amount of scientific information in the Quran, including the event of the Big Bang, embryological data, and other information concerning astronomy biology, etc., there is not a single statement that has not been borne out by modern discoveries.  In short, the Quran fulfils the heart, the soul, and the mind.  Perhaps the best description of the Quran was given by Ali, the cousin of Prophet Muhammad when he expounded upon it as,

“The Book of God.  In it is the record of what was before you, the judgment of what is among you, and the prophecies of what will come after you.  It is decisive, not a case for levity.  Whoever is a tyrant and ignores the Quran will be destroyed by God.  Whoever seeks guidance from other than it will be misguided.  The Quran is the unbreakable bond of connection with God; it is the remembrance full of wisdom and the straight path.  The Quran does not become distorted by tongues;  nor can it be deviated by caprices. It never dulls from repeated study; scholars will always want more of it.  The wonders of the Quran are never ending.  Whoever speaks from it will speak the truth, whoever rules with it will be just, and whoever holds fast to it will be guided to the straight path.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

Islamic Concept of Spirituality

To answer this it is necessary to study carefully the difference between the Islamic concept of spirituality and that of other religions and ideologies. Without a clear understanding of this difference it often happens that, when talking about the spirituality in Islam, many of the vague notions associated with the word ‘spiritual’ unconsciously come to mind; it then becomes difficult for one to comprehend that this spirituality of Islam not only transcends the dualism of spirit and matter but is the nucleus of its integrated and unified concept of life.

Body-Soul Conflict

The idea which has influenced most the climate of philosophical and religious thought is that body and soul are mutually antagonistic, and can develop only at each other’s expense. For the soul, the body is a prison and the activities of daily life are the shackles which keep it in bondage and arrest its growth. This has inevitably led to the universe being divided into the spiritual and the secular.

Those who chose the secular path were convinced that they could not meet the demands of spirituality, and thus they led highly material and hedonistic lives. All spheres of worldly activity, whether social, political, economic or cultural, were deprived of the light of spirituality; injustice and tyranny were the result.

Conversely, those who wanted to tread the path of spiritual excellence came to see themselves as ‘noble outcasts’ from the world. They believed that it was impossible for spiritual growth to be compatible with a ‘normal’ life. In their view physical self-denial and mortification of the flesh were necessary for the development and perfection of the spirit. They invented spiritual exercises and ascetic practices which killed physical desires and dulled the body’s senses. They regarded forests, mountains and other solitary places as ideal for spiritual development because the hustle and bustle of life would interfere with their meditations. They could not conceive of spiritual development except through withdrawal from the world.

This conflict of body and soul resulted in the evolution of two different ideals for the perfection of man. One was that man should be surrounded by all possible material comforts and regards himself as nothing but an animal. Men learnt to fly like birds, swim like fish, run like horses and even terrorize and destroy like wolves but they did not learn how to live like noble human beings. The other was that the senses should be not only subdued and conquered but extra-sensory powers awakened and the limitations of the sensory world done away with. With these new conquests men would be able to hear distant voices like powerful wireless sets, see remote objects as one does with a telescope, and develop powers through which the mere touch of their hand or a passing glance would heal the un-healable.

The Islamic viewpoint differs radically from these approaches. According to Islam, God has appointed the human soul as His Khalifah (vicegerent) in this world. He has invested it with a certain authority, and given it certain responsibilities and obligations for the fulfillment of which He has endowed it with the best and most suitable physical frame. The body has been created with the sole object of allowing the soul to use it in the exercise of its authority and the fulfillment of its duties and responsibilities. The body is not a prison for the soul, but its workshop or factory; and if the soul is to grow and develop, it is only through this workshop. Consequently, this world is not a place of punishment in which the human soul unfortunately finds itself, but a field in which God has sent it to work and do its duty towards Him.

Therefore spiritual development should not take the form of a man turning away from this workshop and retreating into a corner. Rather, man should live and work in it, and give the best account of himself that he can. It is in the nature of an examination for him; every aspect and sphere of life is, as it were, a question paper: the home, the family, the neighborhood, the society, the market-place, the office, the factory, the school, the law courts, the police station, the parliament, the peace conference and the battlefield, all represent question papers which man has been called upon to answer. If he leaves most of the answer-book blank, he is bound to fail the examination. Success and development are only possible if man devotes his whole life to this examination and attempts to answer all the question papers he can.

Islam rejects and condemns the ascetic view of life, and proposes a set of methods and processes for the spiritual development of man, not outside this world but inside it. The real place for the growth of the spirit is in the midst of life and not in solitary places of spiritual hibernation.

Criterion of Spiritual Development

We shall now discuss how Islam judges the development or decay of the soul. In his capacity as the vicegerent (Khalifah) of God, man is answerable to Him for all his activities. It is his duty to use all the powers which he has been given in accordance with the Divine will. He should utilize to the fullest extent all the faculties and potentialities bestowed upon him for seeking God’s approval. In his dealings with other people he should behave in such a way as to try to please God. In brief, all his energies should be directed towards regulating the affairs of this world in the way in which God wants them to be regulated. The better a man does this, with a sense of responsibility, obedience and humility, and with the object of seeking the pleasure of the Lord, the nearer will he be to God. In Islam, spiritual development is synonymous with nearness to God. Similarly, he will not be able to get near to God if he is lazy and disobedient. And distance from God signifies, in Islam, the spiritual fall and decay of man.

From the Islamic point of view, therefore, the sphere of activity of the religious man and the secular man is the same. Not only will both work in the same spheres; the religious man will work with greater enthusiasm than the secular man. The man of religion will be as active as the man of the world indeed, more active in his domestic and social life, which extends from the confines of the household to the market square, and even to international conferences.

What will distinguish their actions will be the nature of their relationship with God and the aims behind their actions. Whatever a religious man does, will be done with the feeling that he is answerable to God, that he must try to secure Divine pleasure, that his actions must be in accordance with God’s laws. A secular person will be indifferent towards God and will be guided in his actions only by his personal motives. This difference makes the whole of the material life of a man of religion a totally spiritual venture, and the whole of the life of a secular person an existence devoid of the spark of spirituality.