Sunday, March 21, 2010

Universal appeal of a comprehensive religion

Islam is a universal message because God sent every previous prophet to his own people for limited periods of time except Prophet Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon him) who was sent to all people; black and white, rich and poor, the ruler and the ruled, Arabs and non-Arabs, the slave and the master. Islam is for all people from when it was revealed until the Day of Judgment. It is universally attainable in the sense that it can be practiced anywhere on earth ((or even on the surface of the moon)).



God has made the message of Islam easy to understand and to follow. He annulled some previously prescribed rites and practices while affirming others according to His wisdom and hence, the Islamic law suits all peoples’ spiritual, psychological, social and economical needs, for all times.

Islamic teachings have the following unique features:

1. Rational teachings: The seeker of truth will find the teachings of Islam to be quite logical and reasonable.

2. Perfection: Since God is perfect, His teachings must also be perfect and free from any contradiction or error.

3. Clarity: God is the Most Compassionate. He guides us through clear and simple revelation free of myths, superstitions and mysteries.

4. Scientific: It is not surprising to find in the Qur’an and statements of Prophet Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon him) some information which has only recently been discovered by modern scientists. This points to the fact that Qur’an is the word of God and that Muhammad (mercy and peace of God be upon him) is a prophet of God.

5. Prophecy: Many of the events prophesized in the Qur’an and Prophet’s sayings (Sunnah) have come to pass.

6. Moderate: In Islam, there is no conflict between spiritual and mundane life. Man is accountable for all his actions and everyday activities. Provided they are done with the correct intention, they are a means to achieve divine reward in the same way that specific acts of worship are. So, secularism, materialism, monasticism and extreme asceticism are all rejected in Islam, which provides a middle way to achieve harmony and balance between the spiritual and material needs of man. This is why God called the muslim nation in the Qur’an:
the Moderate Nation. The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 143

7. Comprehensive: Islamic teachings provide to people definite guidelines to follow in all walks of life: spiritual, individual, social, moral, political, economical, etc.

8. Inimitable: Islamic teachings are an infallible living miracle that cannot be imitated by people.

9. Equality: Islamic teachings do not discriminate between people on the basis of colour, tribe, race, nationality, etc. because people descend from one father and one mother namely Adam and Eve. Islam teaches that the criteria of good and bad is righteousness (i.e., the best person in the view of God is the most righteous). A verse of Glorious Qur’an reads: : “The best of you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous. ” The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 49, Verse 13

From Islam is your birthright by Majed S.Al-Rassi


Back to Main Topic

No comments:

Post a Comment