Our fellow countrymen think that Islam is the religion of "Muslims only" and Muslims alone can derive benefits and blessings from it, that Muhammad ï·º was the founder of the religion of Islam and he is the Prophet and leader of Muslims alone, that the Qur’an is the religious book of Muslims and contains instructions and commands for Muslims only, or that it shows the path of success exclusively for Muslims. However, the reality is quite different. This misconception has developed because of the attitude and behaviour of Muslims themselves; otherwise, the fact is that Islam is for all humanity, and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a prophet, well-wisher, saviour, and guide for the entire humanity. 

The meaning of Islam

The word Islam is derived from the letters S, L and M of the Arabic language. The word that is formed by these letters has two meanings. One is 'peace' and the other is 'submission'.  In Islamic terminology, the meaning of Islam is to acquire peace and tranquillity by completely submitting oneself before the commands, wishes and injunctions of God. Islam means to be at peace with one's personality and spirit, peace with other people, peace with other ways of life, peace with the universe, peace with God and being at peace in the After-Life.

The fundamentals of the Islamic Faith

The religion of Islam and the Islamic way of life is based on pure monotheism. Under it, we have the concepts of 'Life after Death' and 'Prophethood'. Thus, in the Islamic faith, we have 3 fundamentals:

Monotheism 

God is One, the Absolute. There is none like unto Him. He does not depend on anyone. Everything, living or non-living, depends on Him. He alone deserves to be worshipped and revered. He does not have an equal or partner sharing in His divinity. Neither was He born nor does He give birth (Qur’an: Surah 112). This is the essence of monotheism in Islam. 

God is all-Wise, all-Powerful, all-Knowing, Self-Subsisting and able to do all things. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Cherisher, and Lord of the Universe. He alone gives life, death, health, disease, grief, and joy.

God created man's destiny. He will do complete justice in the After-Life with those who do good deeds and obey God, as well as with those who do evil deeds and disobey God. There will not be any bias nor would anyone’s intercession work before God. 

Life after Death

If you read the history of previous eras and look at the present world, your nation, society, polity, and judiciary, you will find that there is much oppression and injustice. There are crimes and acts of moral depravity, exploitation, corruption, loot, bribing, misappropriation, genocide, fraud, embezzlement, violence, scandals and scams. There are various kinds of polytheistic practices and rebellion against the rights and commands of God. Human rights are being abused. But for all these crimes, how many people are punished? And even if they are punished, what is the quantum of their punishment? How many people get justice, and what is the speed of dispensing justice? Is it possible for every victim to get complete justice, and can adequate punishment be awarded to every criminal? Does this mean that this world is a place of darkness and despair? Is God Almighty watching all this as a silent spectator? Will He not do justice and punish the criminals?

According to Islamic belief in the Hereafter, the invisible angels of Allah are recording all the deeds of man. Every moment is being recorded. This life is not the only life or the last life that we lead. There will come a day when all the people of the world will be brought back to life. They will be gathered on the Day of Judgment. They will be held accountable for all the rights that they have usurped and the duties that they have failed to discharge- of people and God. There will be no discrimination between weak and powerful, big and small.  There will be divine justice based on the record of the deeds of people. The evil ones shall be dispatched to Hell, in which they will dwell forever. Virtuous people will enter Paradise, in which they will reside forever.

In this way, Islam awakens the sense of accountability in every person and thus establishes piety- both in the individual and in society. 

Prophethood

What is the reality of Prophethood? What is the relation between man and God and what should be the nature of that relationship? How should we obey God and how must we worship Him? We cannot fathom the answers to these questions until God arranges to answer these questions in a proper and reliable manner. God’s form is beyond our comprehension, so in which form must He appear before man and which Divine Attributes should He forgo for that purpose? Then, an entity of the nature of God Almighty can never be emulated by man as a role model. So, what is the solution to all these problems? Islam solves all these issues with the concept of Prophethood.

 God selects a truthful, virtuous, sincere, gentle, reliable, wise and honest person.  He conveys (through the medium of angels) His message and will (commandments, instructions, guidance, directives, rules, and teachings) upon his heart, mind, and consciousness; so that he can instruct mankind accordingly and present himself as the example and embodiment of divine ordination. This provision and process is called ‘Risalat’ or ‘Nabuwat’ (Prophethood) in Islamic terminology. That ideal person is called ‘Rasool’ or ‘Nabi’ (Prophet, Messenger, Apostle). 

According to Islamic belief, the chain of Prophethood began at the advent of mankind. According to the (Qur’an 13:7), Prophets were sent to every nation and community in this world. With time, people forgot the Prophetic guidance; there was deterioration in the character of the individual and the morals of the community, people started violating the divine code of conduct, they started indulging in polytheism and idol-worship instead of worshipping the One Creator. This paved the way for the advent of a new prophet/apostle. The prophet would re-establish and revive the divine teachings. Some prophets also received the divine law (Shariah) which used to be preserved in the Holy Scriptures.

The last link in this long chain of prophets was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the last Holy Scripture was given to him in the form of the Holy Qur’an. This prophethood is a mandatory part of the Islamic faith and the correct understanding, knowledge, and meaning of monotheism will be incomplete without it. In Islam, the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad as the last Prophet of God and the Holy Qur’an being the last revelation from God is an obligatory article of faith. 

The basic pillars of Islam

If we compare Islam with a huge and grand building in which the individual, the family, the society and the collective system is embodied at the spiritual, ethical and physical levels with peace, prosperity, justice, success both in this temporal world and the Hereafter; then the three fundamentals of Islam namely Monotheism, Prophethood and Life After Death make the foundation of the building. The building (of Islam) rests on five pillars.

1. Shahadah (Testimony of faith)

It means to give verbal testimony of the faith established in one's heart before people that: “I testify that there is no God worthy of worship besides Allah, He has no partners, and I testify that Muhammad is the Slave and the Prophet of Allah”. 

This testimony and affirmation are mandatory for any person qualifying to become a Muslim. After this declaration, it becomes obligatory for a person to:

• Submit himself before God

• Accept that the divine will, likes-dislikes, commands, instructions, laws and decisions of God will take precedence, primacy importance and preference over his own will, likes-dislikes, inclinations and decisions. 

• Accept the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the real source of guidance and lead his entire life accordingly.

• Acknowledge that he will not obey any word, teaching or principle which challenges and contradicts Allah and His Prophet (pbuh).

• Make efforts and struggle to make conditions amenable (to obey Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) if forced to act otherwise.

2. Namaz (Prayer)

Every Muslim, male and female, who is sane and has reached the age of maturity, must pray 5 times every day. The quantum and timing of prayer varies according to certain prescribed rules of prayer. It has been highly recommended and encouraged for men to pray a certain portion of the prayer in congregation (together behind an "Imam") in the masjid. This enables both the individual as well as society to derive the benefits of socialization and discipline.

Muslims are trained by their system of prayer to stand, bow, sit and prostrate 5 times a day before Allah at fixed intervals. This develops in them the habit of submitting before the Creator mentally, physically as well as spiritually. This breaks the ego and pride of a person and develops humility in him. He undergoes spiritual upliftment. The faith and feeling that ‘God is watching me’ gets refreshed periodically throughout one's life. Consequently, a person who prays 5 times a day develops the courage, power and energy to do good, while inculcating the habit of avoiding evil, sin, crime, misbehaviour and keeping away from disobeying the commands of God whether it be day or night, both when he is alone or in public. 

3. Zakat (Charity)

Prayer is a physical form of worship. Wealth has great importance in a person's life. Islam has therefore established Zakat as a basic form of worship in the economic domain. Wealth should not circulate only among the rich and the affluent - stored in their vaults and banks; rather, it should be passed on to the economically deprived, poor, needy, sick, orphans, widows and the destitute. Islamic Shariah has made it obligatory to pay 2.5% of one's annual savings to avoid class struggle, antagonism between the haves and have-nots and end exploitation of the poor. Zakat is not a tax but a kind of worship. One can overcome poverty and hunger very easily using the instrument of Zakat.

4. Roza (Fasting)

The fourth pillar of Islam is Fasting. In Ramzan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, it is compulsory for every mature and healthy man and woman to fast. The main aim of fasting is to avoid ‘disobeying God and avoid sins’ (Qur’an 2:183). This is a one-month training course to remain away from the disobedience (sin, bad-deeds, lies, evil, vice, exploitation, rebellion, bad behaviour, injustice etc.) of Allah and obey Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) by performing good deeds, service to mankind and worshipping God.

From dawn to dusk, Muslims have to keep away from eating and drinking, smoking and having sex; this develops a firm determination in them which leads to the assurance that if a Muslim can keep away even from the permissible and pure things on the mere command of God; then surely he will be able to shun prohibited, illegal, impermissible and immoral things along with sins and vices for the sake of Allah.

In the month of Ramzan, it has been encouraged to offer more and more prayers, remembering Allah and along with that - loving mankind, helping them, showing sympathy, sharing their grief, supporting the poor with emphasis on charity along with glad tidings that these noble deeds will fetch them Paradise.

In this way, after passing through a month-long refresher course, every Muslim is trained to spend the rest of his 11 months as a pious, virtuous, sincere, excellent and noble person. This is a life-long process and has been prevalent in the Muslim community since the past 1400 years, and shall continue till the last day.

5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It dates back to 4000 years in history. The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) along with his son Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him) constructed a cubical room (Ka’aba) in a small valley in the midst of the dry mountains of Makkah, under the command of Allah. This was the first and only prominent symbol for pure monotheism in a world where polytheism and idol worship were rampant and widespread. By giving the command of the circumambulation of the Ka’aba (Tawaf) to Prophet Ibrahim, a unique mode of worship began. It was a pledge for those who adopted monotheism. It was an affirmation that their way of life will revolve around this Centre of Monotheism (Ka’aba). This is the significance and meaning of the circumambulation around the Ka’aba (Tawaf).

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) continued this tradition, and on the command of Allah, made it mandatory for the believers to perform the Hajj at least once in their lifetime provided: (1) they can afford it (2) they are physically fit and capable of making that journey (3) the journey to Makkah is safe and conducive.

The Hajj is performed on the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of the month of Zul-Hajj. The pilgrims are required to travel between Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah (about 30 square kilometres) at fixed timings and for fixed periods. This entails strenuous physical exertion and various acts of worship for Allah. People supplicate to Allah. The believers cry, extol their Lord and seek forgiveness for their sins from their Creator. Allah is remembered a lot and the spiritual relationship with God is strengthened. The pilgrims reaffirm their oath to be loyal and obedient to God and develop piety and God-consciousness. Pardon and forgiveness are sought for the sins, disobedience, and wrongdoings, and God is beseeched to grant them the strength to tread the True Path and lead a virtuous life.

Almost 2.5 million people dressed in two simple white sheets discarding all pretence of being rich or poor, forgetting their race, colour, class, nationality, country and language and putting behind their differences in position, status, age and profession - chant only one slogan: "Here I am O Allah, here I am, You have no partners in Your Divinity....". 

After five days of this Holy Training Camp (spiritual and physical), there develops a feeling of rejuvenation that the entire mankind is one big family. The holy string of monotheism binds the noble principles of egalitarianism, equality, brotherhood, and humaneness into a strong relationship.

SOME IMPORTANT SUBJECTS RELATED TO ISLAM

Shariah

Islam has ordained laws for worship, life-style, family relations, transactions, rights and responsibilities, social issues, finance, agriculture, business, trade, wealth and charity, domestic life, politics, the judicial system, war and peace, and international relations. All these laws combined together are known as the Shariah. Shariah is based on the Qur’an and the Hadith. No person, group, power, community or even the entire Muslim nation has the power to change the Shariah. Religious scholars have formulated the definition, explanation, and the rules of application of the laws of the Shariah according to the Qur’an and the Hadith. 

Equality and Brotherhood

By declaring the entire humanity to be the progeny of the same parents (Adam and Eve), Islam establishes equality and brotherhood among all mankind. It says that the differences in colour, race, tribe and community are for recognizing one and another (Qur’an: 49:13) and not for racial discrimination and class distinction. The honourable among you are the pious and the virtuous.

Human Rights

There are hundreds of passages in the Holy Qur’an and thousands of Hadith about teachings, rules, instructions and laws regarding human rights. The rights of parents, women-rights, the rights of children, conjugal rights, the rights of relatives, neighbours, orphans, widows, elders and the mutual rights of employers and employees and even the rights of animals are all specified in Islam. The specialty of Islam is that it balances all these rights with responsibilities and secures responsibilities by clubbing them along with rights.

Politics

The political system has an extraordinary impact on the individual, social and community life. Hence, Islam has given it great importance. Islam is opposed to monarchy and dictatorship. Islam promotes democracy but is qualitatively different from the democracy that is prevalent today which has discarded the Creator, Lord, Master and the Merciful and Beneficent Law Giver, Who is the knower of all secrets in the universe. Contemporary democracy has replaced God with popular majority. God as Sovereign and Law-Giver has been replaced by man who has become lawmaker. However, man has an inherent human weakness which makes him biased and prejudiced while legislating.

Islam considers God to be the real Sovereign-Authority and Lawmaker. Islam considers the function of the people's majority to implement divine laws. Islam invalidates the dominion of man or his authority to act as a sovereign who is entitled to rule over people. Islam proposes the name of the ruler to be suggested by the people who may elect him based on the principle of ‘majority vote’. Every level of authority (even the President and Prime Minister) shall be accountable before the Court just like ordinary citizens. He will be given the same punishment that applies to an ordinary citizen under Islamic law and there is no need for a separate “Lokpal” for him.

Economy

Islam establishes an excellent and comprehensive welfare state in its true sense. Instead of the extremes of capitalism and socialism, it establishes a balanced economy. This system neither allows capitalists to exploit the people and the administration nor permits the government to exploit the rich, industrialists, farmers, and labourers. It does not give unlimited power to lawmakers, the ruling class, the legislature, the judiciary, the public, the industrialists, landlords, farmers, bourgeois or the bureaucracy. 

Islam dismantles the foundations of the exploitative, interest-based economy. It makes provisions to ensure the balanced distribution of national wealth. In an interest-based economy, the wealth of millions of people is drawn into the control of a few people, banks, insurance companies, and corporate houses. Islam is opposed to this idea. Islam's approach towards wealth is that it should be in circulation in society and must not be confined into the control of a few hands. 

Islam instructs that after the death of a person his wealth and property should be distributed among his heirs so that the wealth of his ancestors should not accumulate in a few hands; rather, it should keep circulating at a larger level.

In this way, the Islamic economic system manages the income, expenses and utilization of resources in a praiseworthy manner and ensures an increase in savings and wealth. It ensures that the wealth and property of the deceased gets distributed after his death among his heirs and advocates the utilization of wealth (and farm produce) in charity and social-service. It achieves all this through its excellent lessons and rulings in order to establish an ideal society. By adopting this way of life, man spends his life according to the wishes of his Creator, pleases Him and spends this worldly life in peace and tranquillity. It also enables him to tread the way for everlasting Paradise in the Hereafter. 

Family system

The family system of Islam makes families strong and united. The foundation of a family is laid by the marital union of a man and a woman. The man is the head of the family. The mutual love between husband and wife, their mutual trust and cooperation helps secure a family. The rights and responsibilities of every member of the family are fixed. The responsibility of the husband is to fulfil the needs of his family members through his earnings. The wife may assist her husband in this endeavour. In the same way, it is the responsibility of the wife to look after the home in an excellent manner. The husband is expected to assist her wife in that. 

Every member of the family has certain rights. Taking care of the children and ensuring their education is the responsibility of both the parents. Loving and caring for the children, respecting the elders and treating them well is the responsibility of every member of the family. 

The family system has been accorded great importance in Islam because that is the system,which nurtures future generations and elders get security and respect. Every member gets rights and fulfils his/her responsibilities.

Spiritual System 

Those who pay obeisance to the ‘representative’ image of God feel that there exists a conflict between body and soul, both belong to different worlds and the demands of both are different and antagonistic. They feel that both body and soul cannot flourish at the same time. The world of the materialistic body remains a prison for the soul. The worldly life, human relationships, its attractions are handcuffs from which the soul yearns for liberation. Islam paves the way for the spiritual elevation and upliftment amidst the worldly life. 

1. The first stage in this path is faith. It wants man to firmly believe that God is his Master, Ruler, and worthy of being worshipped. Pleasing God should be the alpha and omega of all human endeavours and he should derive solace in the obedience of God. The more rooted and firm this belief becomes, the more complete will be his Islamic orientation and he will embark on the path of spirituality with firm steps.

2. The second stage in this path is obedience. Man must discard his freedom voluntarily and submit himself before his Creator for all practical purposes. In the words of the Qur’an, this obedience and submission is called ‘Islam’.

3. The third stage is piety or God-consciousness which can be explained as the diligent discharge of one's duties and having a feeling of responsibility. God-consciousness means that man should work in every domain of his life with the belief that he will be accountable before God for all his words, deeds and thoughts. He should refrain from all those things which God has prohibited and hasten to do those things which God has commanded. He must use his knowledge and judgment to spend his life discerning between right and wrong, good and evil.

4. The final and the highest stage is called ‘ehsaan’ (excellent conduct). It means the will of man is synchronized with the Will of God. Whatever pleases God should be the same in which man derives pleasure and whatever displeases God should become something which man too despises. Man should not only keep away from the evils which God does not want to see on the earth, but even strive to remove and put an end to them and apply all his efforts and resources towards that end.  Man should not only try to make the virtuous and good things which God wants to see on the earth as part of his life, but strive his utmost to spread those good things and make efforts to establish them. Only by these deeds can man come near God and this is the zenith of his spiritual progress and development.

This path of spiritual development not only applies to individuals but also to classes and communities. Just like a person, a nation can also pass through the steps of obedience and God-consciousness and reach the zenith of its progress and development.