Here are a few aspects of Islam, based on the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him).
I hope and pray that this will convince you that Islam is the truth from our Creator.
The Creator of the Universe
All religions have tried in one way or another to explain the meaning and mystery of life. And they have all declared that there is a Creator-Sustainer for the universe.
This Source of all in existence is recognized as the One True God and He is called by different names such as – Yahweh, Brahma, God, and Allah. But they all signify the same Supreme Being who willed this universe into being and sustains it every moment.
Islam means unconditional submission to the One and Only Creator-Sustainer.
All beings in the universe owe their existence to the Creator-Sustainer, who alone is without beginning, without end.
And among the created living beings, only man is endowed with reason and freewill – two special traits that together form the basis of human creativity, and our potential for greatness and evil.
God’s Last Prophet
From the very inception of humankind on earth, God sent His chosen prophets, including, among others: Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon them all.
God sent His prophets to all nations. These prophets, with Divine revelation, taught humanity ways of tempering their passions to lead a life of virtue and peace.
Generation after generation, as humanity made progress, God made His guidance available to them in the teachings of the prophets and in the Divine books He revealed to them.
But as mankind came of age at the dawn of modern civilization, God completed and perfected His Guidance through the last Prophet.
His name is Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) and the book of God revealed to him was the Quran.
Islam The Natural Religion
In the Quran, Allah Almighty tells us how He took the covenant of all human souls:
{When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): “Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”- They said: “Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: “Of this we were never mindful”.} (Al-A`raf 7:172)
This means that Allah asked all the souls before birth to testify that He is their Lord. And we did so, willingly. And so, every child is born with a natural belief in Allah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone.
This also means that there will be a Day of Judgment when each soul will be answerable for their willful actions.
But as each soul is born into this world and lives here, they come under various influences that prompt them to ignore their innate and natural yearnings towards God.
But there are signs in all regions of the earth and in our own souls, which awaken, from time to time, the glimmerings of the truth of God. And we can hear from the four corners of earth the echo of the testimony before God: “I bear witness that there is no god other than Allah”.
And so, if the people are honest with themselves, they will reject their false gods and hasten towards Allah alone.
Islam The Rational Religion
Islam as a religion is not only natural, but also rational, in the sense that it bases its fundamental beliefs on principles furnished by reason.
In fact, the elemental simplicity of its creeds points to its natural and rational basis.
It is no wonder therefore, that its creed (belief in the oneness of God and following the example of the prophets) is devoid of any theological complexity, and as such, they are easily understood by the average man or woman.
It is also important to note the egalitarianism of Islam as a great service to the cause of humanity.
As H.A.R Gibb has noted:
No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavors so many and so various races of mankind […] Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of East and West is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition. In its hands lies very largely the solution of the problem with which Europe is faced in its relation with East. If they unite, the hope of a peaceful issue is immeasurably enhanced. But if Europe, by rejecting the cooperation of Islam, throws it into the arms of its rivals, the issue can only be disastrous for both. (H.A.R. Gibb: “Whither Islam” London, 1932, p.379.)
God’s Final Guidance
Allah, in the Quran, commands Muslims to learn lessons from history, so that they don’t repeat old mistakes. And the Quran also helps Muslims discover new ways of solving problems, while making headway in different areas of life.
Deriving inspiration from the Quran, Muslims ought to not only undertake the quest for knowledge with the intention of discovering the meaning of existence, but also to work for the welfare of all human beings, indeed of all creation.
In fact the Holy Quran, as well as the Example of the Prophet, teaches them to combine faith in God with love for His creation.
This means that Islam can lead the world to peace, progress, and happiness in the future, IF only Muslims once again “hold fast to the Rope of Allah all together” (Aal `Imran 3:103) and “strive with their might and main” (At-Tawbah 9:20) in the Way of Allah Almighty.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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