ISLAM: THE BENEFACTOR OF HUMANITY The noblest of you with God is that one of you who best performs his duty. (Qur’an, 49:13)

 

CONCEPT OF ONE GOD IN ISLAM
The very first and important concept of Islam is that there is no one worthy of (any) worship but Allah. Islam enjoins faith in the Oneness and Sovereignty of God, which makes man aware of the meaningfulness of the Universe and of his place in it. This belief frees him from all fears and superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of the Almighty God and of man’s obligations towards Him. This faith must be expressed and tested in action. Faith alone is not enough. Belief in one God requires that we worship Him and look upon all humanity as one family under the universal Omnipotence of God, the Creator of all.



CONCEPT OF PROPHETHOOD IN ISLAM
Man is the highest creation of God and He has given him the power of discrimination between good and evil and the desire to take to virtue and to ward off evil. But God neither left the issue of man’s guidance or straying to his nature alone, nor was this nature and its guidance considered adequate to qualify for the reward or be condemned to the punishment of Hereafter. Instead He sent His messengers and apostles to fulfill the requirements of his nature and his potential capabilities and to conclusively convince His creatures, so that people may not be left on the Day of Reckoning with any plea against God that they did not know the path of virtue and truth and so they strayed into the valleys of misguidance.
Allah kept on sending apostles to various lands and peoples. But when, through the teachings and training of the prophets, the moral and social consciousness of man was awakened enough to live under a universal Just Order, and along with that the material resources of social and cultural order had developed to a considerable degree, ensuring that the message could easily reach each and every corner of the world, Allah sent the Last Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). Now, no apostle or messenger of God would come. The life of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) is the perfect example and ideal for all human beings, and for all times to come.
The Qur’ān is the Holy Scripture that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God, in the Arabic language. This book is not only still in its original form, but the life of the man whom it was revealed to is also recorded in authentic historical records so meticulously that some of the Westerners who studied his life have described him as being “the only historical figure among founders of religions”.
So, no scriptures other than the Qur’ān could be proved historically reliable, truly practicable and satisfactorily comprehensive. The Qur’ān available today is certainly the same communicated by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) to the world in the seventh century; its teachings have all successfully been implemented, and are still, to a great extent, being practised. Its principles encompass the entire gamut of human life. The Qur’ān deals with both the questions: how to establish and strengthen the relationship with Allah, and how to maintain bonds with society. There is a misconception among the people that the Holy Qur’ān is the asset of Muslims alone. It is not so. Truly, the Qur’ān is from God for mankind. So every person has the right to take it, to read it and to follow it, so that he might get the success Here & Hereafter.



CONCEPT OF LIFE AFTER DEATH
All the prophets of God called their respective peoples to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on this belief and they were greatly opposed on this matter but the prophets had dealt with it very confidently and uniformly without any shred of doubt. No doubt, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes irrelevant. If we accept the existence of one God, we will have to accept that He is just. He has the power to punish the tyrants whose crimes are beyond count: having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created great corruptions in the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc.
The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the Hereafter, but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities. Similarly, the denial of life after death has its worse consequences not only Hereafter but also in this world. When a society or a nation denies it, all kinds of evils and corruptions become rampant in that society.



CONCEPT OF WORSHIP IN ISLAM
Islam does not teach or accept mere ritualism. It emphasises intention and action: To worship God in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness and forbid wrongdoings and oppression, to practise charity and justice and to serve Him by serving mankind.
 The Holy Qur’ān presents this concept in the following sublime manner:
“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West (to worship), but righteous is he who believes in God and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophet; and gives his wealth for love of Him to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observes proper worship and pays the Zakah. Those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress; such are those who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing.” (Qur'an, 2:177)



ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE
Human beings live according to their view of life. The tragedy of secular societies is that they fail to connect the different aspects of life. The secular and the religious, the scientific and the spiritual seem to be in conflict. Islam puts an end to these conflicts and brings harmony to man’s vision of life.
Therefore, we can say that Islam is the complete way of life and provides definite and comprehensive guidelines for all the people to follow in all walks of life, including the social, economical, political, moral and spiritual aspects of life. The Qur’ān reminds man of the purpose of his life on earth, of his duties and obligations towards himself, his kith and kin, his community, his fellow human beings and his Creator.



ISLAM - THE SOLUTION TO MODERN PROBLEMS
Islam is a solution for all the problems of life. It is a guide towards a better and complete solution. A major problem which modern man faces is that of racism. The nations, who have the materialistic approach, can send man to the moon but they cannot stop man from hating and fighting his fellow man. Islam, over the last 1400 years, has shown in practice how racism can be brought to an end. All the people stood up in one queue whether they are prince or beggar. Hazrat Bilal, who was a slave and black Negro, had the equal importance in Islamic group, created by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).
The other major problem of today is that the family, the basic unit of civilization, is disintegrating. The Islamic family system brings into a fine equilibrium between the rights of man, wife, children and relatives.
Terrorism is also a major problem of today. This is also a tragedy that terrorism is being related to Islam. Though Islam regards humanity and guarantees the safety of human beings. Islam teaches that human blood is always sacred and cannot be spilled without justification. If anyone violates this sanctity of human blood by killing a soul without justification, the Qur’ān equates it to the killing of entire mankind.
"...Whosoever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed mankind, and whoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of mankind."(5:32)
Further the Qur'an says:
"...Persecution is worse than slaughter."    &    "...Persecution is worse than killing." (Qur'an, 2:191 & 217)
Islam strictly forbids oppressing women, children, the old, the sick or the wounded. Women’s honour and chastity are to be respected under all circumstances. The hungry must be fed, the naked clothed and the diseased treated medically.



HUMAN RIGHTS IN ISLAM
Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. The Qur’ān very clearly states:
"O believers! Be you securers of Justice, Witness for God. Let not detestation for a people move you not to be equitable; be equitable - that is nearer to God-fearing.” (Qur’ān, 5:8)
Human rights in Islam really mean that these rights have been granted by God. The rights granted by kings, dictators or legislative assemblies can also be withdrawn in the same manner in which they are conferred. But since in Islam God has conferred human rights, no legislative assembly in the world or any government on earth has the right or authority to make any amendment or change in the rights conferred by God. Every Muslim or administrator, who claims to be Muslim, will have to accept, recognise and enforce them. If they fail to enforce them, and start denying the rights that have been guaranteed by God, make amendments and changes in them, or practically violate them while paying lip service to them, the verdict of Holy Qur’ān for such people is clear and unequivocal:
"Those who do not judge by what God has sent down are the disbelievers." (Qur’ān, 5:44)



SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The teachings of Islam concerning social responsibilities are based on kindness and consideration of others. Since a broad injunction to be kind is likely to be ignored in specific situations, Islam lays emphasis on specific acts of kindness and defines the responsibilities and rights of various relationships in a widening circle. According to the Qur’ān and Sunnah, a Muslim has to discharge his moral responsibilities not only to his parents, relatives and neighbours, but to the entire mankind, animals and trees and plants. For example, hunting of birds and animals for the sake of game is not permitted. Similarly, cutting trees and plants which yield fruit is forbidden unless there is very pressing need for it. Thus Islam generates kindness, generosity, mercy, sympathy, peace, disinterested goodwill, scrupulous fairness and truthfulness towards all creation in all situations. It nourishes noble qualities from which only good may be expected.
“Exult not, surely Allah loves not those who exult; and seek the Home of the Hereafter through that which Allah has bestowed on thee; and neglect not thy lot in this world; and do good to people as Allah has done good to thee; and seek not to create mischief in the land, surely Allah loves not the mischief makers.”(Qur’ān, 28:77)