Islam: basic principles & characteristics

 

Islam is the religion of truth. It is the embodiment of the code of life, which Allah, the Creator and Lord of the Universe, has revealed for the guidance of mankind.  

The Meaning of Islam:

Islam is an Arabic word which denotes submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah - that is why it is called Islam.  The other literal meaning of the word Islam is “peace” and this signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and mind only through submission and obedience to Allah. Such a life of obedience brings peace of the heart and establishes real peace in society. As Allah Says (what means): “Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah – indeed it is in the remembrance of Allah alone that the heart of man finds rest –those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return:” [Quran: 13:28-29]

The basic Islamic concept is that the whole universe was created by God, whom Islam calls “Allah” and who is the Lord and the Sovereign of the Universe. He is the Lord of the Universe, which He Alone sustains.  He created man and appointed for each human being a fixed period of life, which he is to spend upon the earth.

Allah has prescribed a certain code of life as the correct one for him, but has, at the same time, conferred upon man freedom of choice as to whether or not he adopts this code as the actual basis of his life.  One, who chooses to follow the code, revealed by Allah becomes a Muslim (believer) and one, who refuses to follow it, becomes a Kaafir (disbeliever).

A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad  (may Allah exalt his mention). Both these beliefs are epitomised in the Kalimah (Article of Faith): 'Laa ilaaha illallaah Muhammadur-Rasoolullaah.'  (i.e., there is no trie deity except Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.)

The first part of this Kalimah (sentence) presents the concept of Tawheed (Oneness of God) and its second part affirms the Prophethood of Muhammad .

Tawheed:  The Bedrock of Islam

Tawheed is a concept that was preached by every Prophet of Allah and, thus, constitutes the essence of the teachings of Islam.  It means that there is only One Supreme Lord of the Universe.  He is Omnipotent, Omni-present and the Sustainer of the world and of mankind.

We witness a superbly flawless plan in the universe - can it be without a Planner? We see great enchanting beauty and harmony in its working -  can they be without a Creator? We observe wonderful design in nature -  can it be without a Designer? We feel a lofty purpose in physical and human existence - can it be without a Will working behind it? We find that the universe is like a superbly written, fascinating book - can it be without an Author? Truly, Allah Says (what means): “O mankind! Worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous – [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].” [Quran: 2:21-22]

This is the basic tenet to which Prophet Muhammad  asked humanity to adhere.  It is an important metaphysical concept and answers the riddles of the universe.  It points to the supremacy of law in the cosmos, the all-pervading unity behind the manifest diversity.

Prophethood & Life After Death:

The second part of the Kalimah, on the other hand, signifies that Allah has not left man without any guidance for the conduct of his life. He has revealed His Guidance through His Prophets, and Muhammad  was the last of them.

Thus the second basic postulate of Islam is to believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad  to accept the religion which he presented and to follow his commands and his example.

Every Prophet of Allah, according to the Quran, strove to build man’s relationship with Allah on the principle of Allah’s sovereignty and acknowledgement of the authority of the Prophet as a source of Divine Guidance. Every one of them said:  “I am to you Allah’s apostle, worthy of all trust.  So be committed to Allah, heed Him, and obey me.”

The Guidance is revealed through the Prophets. It is a part of their mission to translate it into practice - in their own lives and in the society they try to reform. All the Prophets are representatives of Allah, but they are human beings and their lives are models for mankind. Prophet Muhammad  is the last Prophet and, as such, the final model for mankind. To believe in him means to accept his authority as representative of the Supreme Ruler and to follow his example in thought and behaviour.

The code of behaviour and the law which is used to decide the rightness or otherwise (Halal and Haram) of any particular thing, is given by Allah through the Prophet  and is known as the Sharee’ah (the path). Belief in the Prophet  involves acceptance of the Sharee’ah and its implementation in all matters of daily life. This is how the Will of Allah is fulfilled on earth.  The Quran says (what means): “And We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by permission of Allah…” [Quran: 4: 64]

And about the last Prophet  it is explicitly stated that: “But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.” [Quran:4:65]

Important:

Thus the basic articles of Islamic faith are three, viz.:

a)                       Belief in the Oneness of Allah;

b)                       Belief in the Prophethood of Muhammad  and in the Guidance which he bequeathed; and

c)                       Belief in Life after Death and in man’s accountability before Allah on the Day of Judgement.

Whoever professes these beliefs is a Muslim.  And all these concepts are epitomised in the Kalimah: “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is His Prophet.”

Some Basic Characteristics of Islam:

George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said: “I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion, which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phases of existence, which can make itself appeal to every age.  I have studied him  - the wonderful man - and, in ‘my opinion’ far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Saviour of Humanity.  I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much-needed peace and happiness: I have prophesised about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”

The question is what are those characteristics of Islam, which have won millions of followers to the Faith in the past and which make it so appealing to the modern age?  Some of the major characteristics of Islam are given in the following pages.

Simplicity, Rationality and Practicality

Islam is a religion without any mythology.  Its teachings are simple and intelligible. It is free from superstitions and irrational beliefs. The Oneness of Allah, the Prophethood of Muhammad  and the concept of Life after Death are the basic articles of its faith. They are based on reason and sound logic. All the teachings of Islam follow from those basic beliefs and are simple and straightforward.  There is no hierarchy of priests, no far-fetched abstractions, no complicated rites and rituals. Everybody may approach the Book of Allah directly and translate its dictates into practice according to the proper understanding of the Quran and Sunnah (the way of the Prophet .

Islam awakens in man the faculty of reason and exhorts him to use his intellect. It enjoins him to see things in the light of reality. The Quran advised him to pray (what means): “…My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” [Quran: 20:114] It asserts that those who have no knowledge are not equal to those who have [Quran: 39:9]; that those who do not observe and understand are worse than cattle [Quran: 7:179]; that the meanings of revelation become manifest to those “…who have knowledge…" [Quran: 6:97] and those “…who have understanding…” [Quran: 6:98]; and that: “…Whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good…” [Quran: 2:269]

The Prophet of Islam.  has said the following: “He who leaves his home in search of knowledge walks in the path of Allah.”  [Tirmithi & Daarimi]        “To seek knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.” [Ibn Majah & Bayhaqi] “Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it in the way of the Lord, performs an act of piety; he who disseminates it, bestows alms and he who imparts it to others, performs an act of devotion to God.”

This is how Islam brings man out of the world superstition and darkness and initiates him into that of Knowledge and Light.

Again, Islam is a practical religion and does not allow indulgence in empty and futile theorising. It says that faith is not a mere profession of beliefs; it is the very mainspring of life.

Unity of Matter and Spirit

A unique feature of Islam is that it does not divide life into watertight compartments of matter and spirit.  It stands, not for life-denial, but for life-fulfillment. Islam does not believe in asceticism. It does not ask man to avoid all things material. It holds that spiritual elevation is not to be achieved by living piously in the rough and tumble of life, and not by renouncing the world. The Quran advises us to pray as follows: “…'Our Lord! Give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the fire.'” [Quran: 2:201]

Allah strongly censures those who refuse to benefit from His blessings.  Allah Says (what means): “Say: 'Who has forbidden the adornment of [i.e., from] Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?'” [Quran: 7:32]

Islam’s injunction is: “…Eat and drink, but be not excessive...”  [Quran: 7:31]

The Noble Prophet  said: “A Muslim, who lives in the midst of society and bears with patience the afflictions that come to him, is better than the one who shuns society and can not bear any wrong done to him.”’

On another occasion he  said: “The three things are also enjoined upon the faithful: to help others, even when one is economically hard-pressed; to pray ardently for the peace of all mankind; and to administer justice to one’s own self.”

Thus, Islam does not admit any separation between “material” and “moral”, “mundane” and “spiritual” life, and enjoins man to devote all his energies to the reconstruction of life on healthy moral foundations. It teaches him that moral and material powers must be welded together and spiritual salvation can be achieved by using material resources for the good of man in the service of just ends. It does not advocate living a life of asceticism by running away from the challenges of life.

The world has suffered at the hands of the one-sidedness of many a religion and ideology.  Some have laid emphasis on the spiritual side of life, but have ignored its material and mundane aspects. They have looked upon the world as an illusion, a deception and a trap.

On the other hand, materialistic ideologies have totally ignored the spiritual and moral side of life and have dismissed it as fictitious and imaginary. Both these attitudes have spelt disaster. They have robbed mankind of peace, contentment and tranquillity. Even today the imbalance is manifest in one or the other direction. 

A French scientist, Dr. De Brogbi, rightly says: “The danger inherent in too intense a material civilisation is to that civilisation itself; it is the disequilibrium which would result, if a parallel development of the spiritual life were to fail to provide the needed balance.

"Christianity erred on one extreme; modern Western civilisation, in both of its variants of secular capitalistic democracy and Marxist socialism, has erred on the other.”

According to Lord Snell: “We have built a nobly-proportioned outer structure, but we have neglected the essential requirement of an inner order; we have carefully designed, decorated and made clean the outside of the cup; used our increased knowledge and power to administer to the comforts of the body, but we left the spirit impoverished.”

Islam aims at establishing an equilibrium between these two aspects of life - the material and the spiritual. 

Islam is not a religion in the common, distorted meaning of the word, confining its scope to the private life of man. It is a complete way of life, catering to all the fields of human existence. Islam provides guidance for all aspects of life – individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international. The Quran enjoins man to enter the fold of Islam without any reservation and to follow God’s guidance in all fields of life.

In fact, it was an unfortunate day, when the scope of religion was confined to the private life of man and its social and cultural role was reduced to naught, as has happened in this century. Perhaps no other factor has caused the decline of religion in the modern age, than its retreat into the realm of private life. A modern philosopher says: “Religion asks us to separate things of God from those of Caesar. Such a judicial separation between the two means the degrading of both the secular and the sacred… That religion is worth little, if the conscience of its followers is not disturbed when war clouds are hanging over us all and industrial conflicts are threatening social peace. Religion has weakened man’s social conscience and moral sensitivity by separating the things of God from those of Caesar.”

Islam totally denounces this concept of religion and clearly states that its objectives are the purification of the soul, and the reform and reconstruction of society. The Quran says (what means): “We have sent our Messengers with clear signs, and sent the Book and the Balance of right and wrong down with them, so that mankind may conduct themselves with all fairness. We have sent down iron wherein is great might as well as benefits for mankind, so that Allah may know who is supporting Him and His Messenger.”  [Quran 57:25]

The Prophet  (may Allah exalt his mention) said: “Everyone of you is a keeper or a shepherd and will be questioned about the well-being of his fold.  The head of the State will be questioned about the well-being of the people of the State.  Every man is a shepherd to his family and will be answerable about every member of it! Every woman is a shepherd to the family of her husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And every servant is a shepherd to his master and will be questioned about the property of his master.”

Thus, even a cursory study of the teachings of Islam shows that it is an all-embracing way of life and does not leave any aspect of human existence to become a playground for satanic forces.

Balance between the Individual and Society

Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual personality of man and holds everyone personally accountable to Allah. It guarantees the fundamental rights of the individual and does not permit anyone to tamper with them. It makes personality development one of the prime objectives of its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view that man must lose his individuality in society or in the State. According to the Quran (what means): “Man shall have nothing but what he strives for.” [Quran 53:39]

And (what means): “And whatever suffering you suffer, it is what your hands have wrought.” [Quran 42:30]

And (what means): “Allah does not change what any people have until they change what is in themselves.” [Quran 13:11]

And (what means): “Allah only assigns to a soul what it can cope with, in its favor stands whatever it has earned, while it is held responsible for anything it has brought upon itself.” [Quran 2:286]

And (what means): “For us are our deeds and for you are yours.” [Quran 28:55]

On the other hand, it also awakens a sense of social responsibility in man, organizes human beings in a society and a State and enjoins the individual to subscribe to the social good. In Islam, prayer is offered in congregation, which inculcates social discipline among Muslims. Everyone is enjoined to pay Zakah and it has been laid down in the Quran (what means): “The beggar and the destitute have due rights in their (i.e. the rich person’s) wealth.” [Quran 51:19]

Jihaad has been made obligatory, which means that the individual should, when the occasion arises offer even his life for the defense and protection of Islam and the Islamic State. The Prophet  said: “All mankind is a fold, each member of which shall be a keeper or shepherd to every other, and be accountable for the entire fold.”

He  also said: “Live together; do not turn against each other; make things easy for others and do not put obstacles in each other’s ways.”

The Messenger of Allah  further said: “He is not a believer, who takes his fill while his neighbor starves.”

The Prophet  said: “The believer in Allah is he, who is not a danger to the life and property of any other.”

In short, Islam neglects neither the individual nor society – it establishes a harmony and a balance between the two and assigns to each its proper due.

Universality and Humanism

The message of Islam is for the whole of the human race. Allah is the God of the entire world [Quran 1:1] and the Prophet  is a Messenger for the whole of mankind. In the words of the Quran (which mean): “O People I am but a Messenger from Allah to you all.” [Quran 7:18]  

Allah also Says (what means): “We have sent you only as a mercy for everybody in the Universe.” [Quran 21:107]

In Islam, all men are equal, whatever be their color, language, race or nationality. It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false barriers of race, status and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that such barriers have always existed, and do exist today in the so-called enlightened age. Islam removes all these impediments and proclaims the ideal of the entire humanity being one family.

Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit barriers and distinctions based on color, clan, blood or territory, as were prevalent before the advent of Muhammad  and which are rampant in different forms even in this modern age.  Islam unites the entire human race under one banner. In a world torn by national rivalries and feuds, it presents a message of life and the hope of a glorious future.

 The historian, A.J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to make in this respect.  In Civilization Trial, he writes: “Two conspicuous sources of danger – one psychological and the other material – in the present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat, i.e., (Westernized humanity) with the dominant element in our modern Western society are race consciousness and alcohol; and in the struggle with each of these evils, the Islamic spirit has a service to render which might prove, it were accepted, to be of high moral and social value.

“The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue… It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be the timely reinforcement, which would decide this issue in favor of tolerance and peace.”

PerPermanence and Change

The elements of permanence and change co-exist in human society and culture and will continue to do so in the future.  Different ideologies and cultural systems have erred in leaning heavily towards one or the other of these ends of the equation. Too much emphasis on permanence makes the system rigid and robs it of flexibility and progress; while lack of permanent values and unchanging elements generate moral relativism, shapelessness and anarchy.

What is needed is a balance between the two – a system that could simultaneously cater to the demand of permanence and change. An American judge, Mr. Justice Cardozo, rightly says:  “The greatest need of our time is a philosophy that will mediate between conflicting claims of stability and progress and supply a principle of growth.” Islam presents an ideology, which satisfies the demands of stability as well as of change.

Deeper reflection reveals that life has within it elements of permanence and change – it is neither so rigid and inflexible that it cannot admit any change even in matters of details, nor is it so flexible and fluid that even its distinctive traits have no permanent character of their own.

Only that system of life can cater to all the cravings of human nature and all the needs of human society, which can provide for both these elements.

The Quran and the Sunnah contain the eternal guidance given by the Lord of the Universe. This guidance comes from Allah, Who is free from the limitations of “space” and “time”; the principles of individual and social behavior revealed by Him are based on reality and are eternal. However, Allah has revealed only broad principles and has endowed man with the freedom to apply them in every age in the way suited to the spirit and conditions of that age. It is through the Ijtihaad that people of every age try to implement and apply Divine guidance to the problems of their times. Thus, the basic guidance is of a permanent nature, while the method of its application can change in accordance with the peculiar needs of every age. 

Complete Record of Teachings Preserved

Last, but not least, is a remarkable fact that the teachings of Islam have been preserved in their original form and Allah’s guidance is available in its pure form, without alteration of any kind. The Quran is the Revealed Book of Allah which has been in existence for the last 1400 years and is still available in its original form. Detailed accounts of the life of the Prophet of Islam  and his teachings are available in their pristine purity.  There has not been an iota of change in this unique historic record.

The sayings and the entire record of the life of the Noble Prophet  have been handed down to us with unprecedented precision and authenticity in works of the Hadeeth and the Seerah.

These are some of the unique features of Islam, which establish its credentials as the religion for the entire humankind, for all time. These aspects have appealed to hundreds of thousands of people in the past and the present and have made them affirm that Islam is the religion of Truth and the right path for mankind; doubtless, they will continue to appeal to people in the future. Men with pure hearts and sincere longing for Truth will always continue to say:

I affirm that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, that He is One, sharing His authority with no one; and I affirm that Muhammad is His servant and His Prophet. 

- islamweb.net