We are providing this section for our new brothers and sisters, so that they can have more information about the teachings of Islam, the religion of absolute submission to the one God, Allah.
We sincerely hope that you benefit from this and that you can deepen your knowledge and increase your interest in Islam. Although we live in the 21st century – probably the most secular and religious era in history – many of us are still inclined to stop now and then to think about religion. And yet, we find that there are so many different opinions about religion. Religions seem to be fanatically attached to their own beliefs. Each, in turn, seems to claim to have the whole truth, while all the others are lost in an irremediable error.
In a time torn by hatred, war and race between races, many of us look to religion for guidance for peace and brotherhood and are disappointed when we find in most of them intolerance and narrowness of spirituality.
So, we may ask, is there a religion that teaches the Oneness of God and the oneness of humanity, and at the same time is tolerant of other points of view? This is exactly the teaching of Islam. In fact, Islam teaches that this message of the Oneness of God and the brotherhood of all races is the original message that Allah has sent to all prophets and religions since the dawn of human history.
However, man changed this original teaching of Unity and developed from numerous mutually antagonistic sects. As Allah says in the Quran, Allah’s revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings be upon him):
“But men, among them, cut the bonds that bound them into pieces. Each party is happy with what it has. So, leave them, Muhammad, immersed in their confusion, until a certain time. ” [Holy Quran 23: 52-53]
Islam still preserves this teaching of the Oneness of God and the brotherhood of all mankind. Islam seeks to implement this spirit among all races and, at the same time, remains tolerant and respectful of all other heavenly religions and their followers who share the belief in the one and only God. The Holy Quran teaches:
“There is no compulsion in religion! Indeed, there is a difference between righteousness and depravity. Then, whoever disown At-Tāghūt and believes in Allah, in effect, will stick to the firm unbreakable handle. And Allah is Omnivorous, Omniscient. ” [Holy Quran 2: 256]
The Meaning of Islam
It is false to call Islam Mohammedanism, as has so often been done in the West. We have already shown that Muslims believe that Islam is the eternal message that Allah has sent to all prophets, that peace be with them, since the dawn of humanity, and not a new belief that started with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Muslims call their religion Islam, and the Arabic word Islam implies obtaining peace through submission to Allah. The word Muslim is an adjective derived from the noun Islam, and implies one who has peace within himself as a result of his submission to God.
Muslims believe in the One, Eternal God, Who created the heavens and the earth and all that exists. In Arabic, God is called Allah. There is absolutely no difference between Allah and the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them all. Muslims do not believe that the prophet Muhammad ﷺ was the only prophet, instead, they believe that he was the last of the prophets sent by God. The Holy Quran is the sacred and revealed scripture of Islam and teaches:
“Say,“ We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us, and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and to the tribes; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets, by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. And for Him, we are muslimes. ”[Holy Quran 2: 136]
Some Basic Beliefs of Islam
The most fundamental concept of Islam and the backbone of all its other principles and practices is the Oneness of God – Tawhiid. Islam is monotheism in its purest form, and the logic of pure monotheism is the thread that runs through the entire fabric of the Islamic way of life. Islam teaches a fundamental difference between Allah, the Creator and what He created. The sky, the moon, the stars, the harmony and perfection of the natural world, the grace and beauty of the human body and the excellence of the human mind, the alternation of day and night, the change of seasons and the mystery of life and death all point to something beyond, greater than themselves. For the believer, these are all signs (ayaat) of Allah. Islam teaches that Allah is not to be compared to anything He created. He’s all-powerful, Omniscient. It is beyond any imperfection and is the fulfillment of all perfection. He is not a substance, nor is he like any of His creatures. He is not a distant and distant God, nor is he an inaccessible ideal. He is all-good, all-merciful and all-compassionate.
Islam teaches that Allah is eternal. He was not generated by himself, nor did he, in turn, father a son or daughter. Islam rejects the concept of the incarnation of God, which is found in Hinduism, Christianity and other religions, and believes that the concept of the incarnation limits the concept of God and destroys the believer’s belief in God’s Activity and Perfection.
The Qur’an describes Allah as perfect and active:
“Allah, there is no god but Him, The Living One, the One who subsists by Himself. They take Him neither drowsiness nor sleep. HIS is what is in heaven and what is on earth. Who will intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows his past and his future. And they include nothing of His science but what He wants. His Throne encompasses the heavens and the earth. And do not wear it out to guard them. And He is the Most High, the Magnificent. ” [Holy Quran 2: 255]
Islam rejects the notion that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was the son of God. On the contrary, he honors and respects him as one of Allah’s great messengers and prophets for the children of Israel.
Islam rejects the concept of trinity and considers it a contradiction of pure monotheism. It also rejects the argument of some Christians that God made Himself incarnate in Jesus, so that God could be known to men, and also rejects the argument that Jesus, died on the cross for the sins of humanity. To begin with, Islam believes that man can come to know God and feel close to Him through proper prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage and righteous acts. The very practice of Islam is designed to purify the soul of the believer and bring him closer to Allah. With regard to the second argument, Islam teaches that no human being can shoulder the burden of another’s responsibility.
Allah is very aware of our human weaknesses and imperfections. He does not condemn us because we are created imperfect; instead, He guides us to self-perfection and He forgives us and pours His mercy on us when we fail and then sincerely ask for His forgiveness.
Muslims believe in the divine origin of the Old and New Testaments, although Muslims doubt the historical authenticity of some parts of the Old and New Testaments and do not believe that they are accurate representations of what Allah originally revealed. The Qur’an confirms this view of the Old and New Testament text hundreds of years ago, and in recent years this view has been confirmed by textual studies by biblical scholars. Muslims believe in the Angels of Allah and in His Prophets, that peace be upon them. They believe in the resurrection of the dead at the end of the world; they believe in the coming of Judgment Day and eternal life in Paradise or Hell.
Although Muslims believe that Allah is Almighty and maintains complete control over His creation, they also believe that Allah created man with free will and the ability to choose and act, and that Allah is only making man morally responsible for what he does during your life. It is false to say that Islam teaches its followers to renounce, humbly and passively, whatever their fate or destiny. Instead, Islam challenges the believer to fight against evil and oppression and to fight for the establishment of justice and justice.
