Leisure reading from the world of Islam is a not-to-be-missed experience! Here are some very enjoyable books, both classic and modern, to feast your mind upon: Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid Muhammad. The Alchemy of Happiness. London: The Octagon Press, 1983. Al-Jahiz, Abu Uthman ibn Bahr. The Book of Misers. Translated by R.B. Serjeant. London: Garnet Publishing Limited, 1997. Asad, Muhammad. The Road to Mecca. Gibralter: Dar Al-Andalus, 1980. Atiyeh, George N. The Book in the Islamic World. Albany: State University of New York, 1995. Attar, Fariduddin. The Conference of Birds. New York: Penguin, 1995. Baig, Reshma. The Memory of Hands. New York: International Books and Tapes Supply, 1999. Burton, Sir Richard. The Arabian Nights. New York: The Modern Library, 1932. Hafiz, Shamsuddin Muhammad. The Gift: Poems by Hafiz. Translated by Daniel Ladinsky. New York: Penguin, 1999. Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, 1978. Helminski, Kabir and ...
The Arabic word “Islam” literally means “submission.” Islam, as a faith, means total and sincere submission to God. Such submission to God brings peace and tranquillity.
The name Islam is universal in its meaning. Islam is not named after a tribe of people or after an individual, as Judaism is named after the Tribe of Judah, Christianity is named after Christ, and Buddhism is named after Buddha. Islam was not a name chosen by human beings; it was divinely communicated from God. Islam is a complete way of life, implying a total submission to God. One who submits his or her will to God, voluntarily, is called a Muslim. It was not Muhammad but Adam (Peace be upon them) who first brought Islam to humanity. Then, each Prophet and Messenger (Peace be upon them) came to exhort the people to clear understanding of God’s Commandment and offered teachings pertinent to that time, until finally the Prophet Muhammad came with the Last Testament.
Allah is the proper Name of the One True God who Created the heavens and the earth. It should be mentioned that Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians call God by the Name Allah.
MONOTHEISM
The concept of monotheism (known as tawheed in Arabic) is the single most important concept in Islam. Monotheism is similar to the first of the Ten Commandments, and everything in Islam is built upon it. Islam calls humanity to worship the One and only true God. No act of worship or devotion has any meaning or value if this concept is in any way compromised.
Due to its importance, the concept of monotheism must be properly understood.
Everything that we know with regard to the Divine Unity of God must be cherished.
For ease of discussion, monotheism can be looked at from the following three perspectives:
1. The Oneness of God in His Lordship
2. The Devotion of All Worship to The One God Alone
3. The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes
This breakdown is by no means the only way to approach the subject of God’s Unity, but it allows the topic to be easily analysed and discussed.
THE ONENESS OF GOD IN HIS LORDSHIP
The Oneness of God in His Lordship means that God Has Absolute Mastery over the universe. He alone is the Creator of all things. He alone Causes everything to happen. He is the One Who Provides all sustenance and Who Determines life and death. He is All-Powerful, absolutely Perfect, free from any defect. No one shares in His Dominion. None can resist His Decree. He is the One Who Created each of us from a single cell and Made us into what we are. He is the One Who Created billions of galaxies and every electron, neutron, and quark contained within them, Keeping all that exists and all the laws of nature in perfect measure. Not a leaf falls from a tree without His Permission and Account.
He is far Greater than our imagination. He is so Powerful that for anything to be Created He simply Says, “Be,” and it is. He Created time, space, and all the known and unknown worlds, yet He is not part of any of them. Most faiths recognise that the Creator of the universe is One, without partner. Islam includes the knowledge that God is not a part of His creation and none of His creation shares in His Power.
To believe that any of God’s creation shares in any of His Power or Attributes would be considered polytheism and disbelief. Examples of such false beliefs would be to consider that fortune tellers and astrologers can predict the future; God Says only He Has Knowledge of the future. Only the Divine can bring Divine help! No being has the ability to give Divine help or Divine guidance. Believing good luck charms and talismans have Divine power is a form of polytheism. These concepts are renounced in Islam.
THE DEVOTION OF ALL WORSHIP TO THE ONE GOD ALONE
The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes indicates that God does not Share in the attributes of created beings, nor do they share in any of His. God is Unique in every way. He Cannot be limited in any way, for He is the Creator of everything. God The Most High Says, “God! None is Worthy of worship but He, The Ever Living, The One Who Sustains and Protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He Knows what happens to them [His creatures] in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He Wills. His Kursi [Throne] extends over the heavens and the earth, and He Feels no fatigue in Guarding and Preserving them and He is the Most High, The Supreme.” [Qur’ān 2:255]
God Has Divine Will. The human being also has a will. God’s Will always Comes to pass. Like His Divine Knowledge, It Is Timeless and Unchanging, Encompassing all things that God Wants to come to pass in creation, past, present, and future. Human will, on the other hand, is merely an intention, a desire. It can only come to pass if God Wills it to happen.
Human attributes cannot be ascribed to God. All human attributes are limited. He has no gender, deficiency, or weakness.5 It is a form of polytheism to ascribe to God attributes of created things. It is likewise a form of polytheism to ascribe to created things Attributes that belong to God alone. For instance, anyone who believes that any other than God is All-Knowledgeable or All-Powerful has committed the sin of polytheism. “Blessed be the name of your Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty, and Honor.” [Qur’ān 55:78]
THE SIX ARTICLES OF FAITH
There are certain things that every Muslim must believe. A person who doubts any of these things cannot be considered a Muslim. These articles of faith are:
1. Belief in God
2. Belief in His Angels
3. Belief in His Books
4. Belief in His Prophets and Messengers
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment
6. Belief in God’s Divine Decree
BELIEF IN GOD
Islam emphasizes that God is One, The Creator of all that exists, and He is Unique in every way. Only God Has the right to be worshipped.
BELIEF IN HIS ANGELS
The angels are creations of God. God Created them from light. They are powerful and always do precisely as they are Commanded by God.
God has Revealed to us the names and the duties of some of the angels. A Muslim must believe in the existence of angels. Gabriel and Michael are among the angels mentioned in the Qur’ān. For instance, it is Gabriel’s duty to take God’s Revelation to the Prophets and Messengers (Peace be upon them).
Muslims do not consider the Bible that is presently in circulation in various editions and versions to be an accurate representation of the older scriptures that were revealed before the Qur’ān. According to the Qur’ān, people have distorted these scriptures for their own worldly gain. What remains of them is a mixture of original divine text, man-made interpretation, and contamination (falsehood). Although Muslims believe in all the previous books, they only live and are guided by the Qur’ān and the authentic traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
BELIEF IN HIS PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS
The Prophets and Messengers were individuals who received Revelation from God and conveyed it to mankind. They were Sent to humanity to return people to monotheism and to guide them to the path of salvation. None of the Prophets and Messengers share in any part of God’s Divinity. They were merely human beings. It is forbidden for a Muslim to worship them or to use them as a conduit to God. A Muslim should never invoke them, make supplications to them, or seek God’s Mercy and
Forgiveness through them. All such acts are polytheistic, and anyone who engages in them is outside the fold of Islam as taught by every single Messenger.
The Prophets, from Adam to Muhammad (Peace be upon them), were all brothers in faith. They all called people to the same truth. Different Messengers came with different sets of laws that God Sent through them to guide and govern the people, but the essence of their teachings was the same. They all called people away from the worship of created things to the worship of The Creator.
Muslims are required to love and respect all of the Prophets and Messengers of God (Peace be upon them). If a person rejects or dislikes any one of them, that person is not a believer.
In Islam, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has the distinction of being God’s final Messenger and the seal of the Prophets. This is because God Completed His Revelations to mankind and Perfectly Preserved them forever in the Qur’ān, and because His final Prophet and Messenger was able to lead an exemplary life for the twenty-three years of his Prophethood and set clear guidelines for all the generations to follow.
to be continued.....
The name Islam is universal in its meaning. Islam is not named after a tribe of people or after an individual, as Judaism is named after the Tribe of Judah, Christianity is named after Christ, and Buddhism is named after Buddha. Islam was not a name chosen by human beings; it was divinely communicated from God. Islam is a complete way of life, implying a total submission to God. One who submits his or her will to God, voluntarily, is called a Muslim. It was not Muhammad but Adam (Peace be upon them) who first brought Islam to humanity. Then, each Prophet and Messenger (Peace be upon them) came to exhort the people to clear understanding of God’s Commandment and offered teachings pertinent to that time, until finally the Prophet Muhammad came with the Last Testament.
Allah is the proper Name of the One True God who Created the heavens and the earth. It should be mentioned that Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians call God by the Name Allah.
MONOTHEISM
The concept of monotheism (known as tawheed in Arabic) is the single most important concept in Islam. Monotheism is similar to the first of the Ten Commandments, and everything in Islam is built upon it. Islam calls humanity to worship the One and only true God. No act of worship or devotion has any meaning or value if this concept is in any way compromised.
Due to its importance, the concept of monotheism must be properly understood.
Everything that we know with regard to the Divine Unity of God must be cherished.
For ease of discussion, monotheism can be looked at from the following three perspectives:
1. The Oneness of God in His Lordship
2. The Devotion of All Worship to The One God Alone
3. The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes
This breakdown is by no means the only way to approach the subject of God’s Unity, but it allows the topic to be easily analysed and discussed.
THE ONENESS OF GOD IN HIS LORDSHIP
The Oneness of God in His Lordship means that God Has Absolute Mastery over the universe. He alone is the Creator of all things. He alone Causes everything to happen. He is the One Who Provides all sustenance and Who Determines life and death. He is All-Powerful, absolutely Perfect, free from any defect. No one shares in His Dominion. None can resist His Decree. He is the One Who Created each of us from a single cell and Made us into what we are. He is the One Who Created billions of galaxies and every electron, neutron, and quark contained within them, Keeping all that exists and all the laws of nature in perfect measure. Not a leaf falls from a tree without His Permission and Account.
He is far Greater than our imagination. He is so Powerful that for anything to be Created He simply Says, “Be,” and it is. He Created time, space, and all the known and unknown worlds, yet He is not part of any of them. Most faiths recognise that the Creator of the universe is One, without partner. Islam includes the knowledge that God is not a part of His creation and none of His creation shares in His Power.
To believe that any of God’s creation shares in any of His Power or Attributes would be considered polytheism and disbelief. Examples of such false beliefs would be to consider that fortune tellers and astrologers can predict the future; God Says only He Has Knowledge of the future. Only the Divine can bring Divine help! No being has the ability to give Divine help or Divine guidance. Believing good luck charms and talismans have Divine power is a form of polytheism. These concepts are renounced in Islam.
THE DEVOTION OF ALL WORSHIP TO THE ONE GOD ALONE
The Uniqueness and Oneness of God in His Names and Attributes indicates that God does not Share in the attributes of created beings, nor do they share in any of His. God is Unique in every way. He Cannot be limited in any way, for He is the Creator of everything. God The Most High Says, “God! None is Worthy of worship but He, The Ever Living, The One Who Sustains and Protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He Knows what happens to them [His creatures] in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He Wills. His Kursi [Throne] extends over the heavens and the earth, and He Feels no fatigue in Guarding and Preserving them and He is the Most High, The Supreme.” [Qur’ān 2:255]
God Has Divine Will. The human being also has a will. God’s Will always Comes to pass. Like His Divine Knowledge, It Is Timeless and Unchanging, Encompassing all things that God Wants to come to pass in creation, past, present, and future. Human will, on the other hand, is merely an intention, a desire. It can only come to pass if God Wills it to happen.
Human attributes cannot be ascribed to God. All human attributes are limited. He has no gender, deficiency, or weakness.5 It is a form of polytheism to ascribe to God attributes of created things. It is likewise a form of polytheism to ascribe to created things Attributes that belong to God alone. For instance, anyone who believes that any other than God is All-Knowledgeable or All-Powerful has committed the sin of polytheism. “Blessed be the name of your Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty, and Honor.” [Qur’ān 55:78]
THE SIX ARTICLES OF FAITH
There are certain things that every Muslim must believe. A person who doubts any of these things cannot be considered a Muslim. These articles of faith are:
1. Belief in God
2. Belief in His Angels
3. Belief in His Books
4. Belief in His Prophets and Messengers
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment
6. Belief in God’s Divine Decree
BELIEF IN GOD
Islam emphasizes that God is One, The Creator of all that exists, and He is Unique in every way. Only God Has the right to be worshipped.
BELIEF IN HIS ANGELS
The angels are creations of God. God Created them from light. They are powerful and always do precisely as they are Commanded by God.
God has Revealed to us the names and the duties of some of the angels. A Muslim must believe in the existence of angels. Gabriel and Michael are among the angels mentioned in the Qur’ān. For instance, it is Gabriel’s duty to take God’s Revelation to the Prophets and Messengers (Peace be upon them).
Muslims do not consider the Bible that is presently in circulation in various editions and versions to be an accurate representation of the older scriptures that were revealed before the Qur’ān. According to the Qur’ān, people have distorted these scriptures for their own worldly gain. What remains of them is a mixture of original divine text, man-made interpretation, and contamination (falsehood). Although Muslims believe in all the previous books, they only live and are guided by the Qur’ān and the authentic traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
BELIEF IN HIS PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS
The Prophets and Messengers were individuals who received Revelation from God and conveyed it to mankind. They were Sent to humanity to return people to monotheism and to guide them to the path of salvation. None of the Prophets and Messengers share in any part of God’s Divinity. They were merely human beings. It is forbidden for a Muslim to worship them or to use them as a conduit to God. A Muslim should never invoke them, make supplications to them, or seek God’s Mercy and
Forgiveness through them. All such acts are polytheistic, and anyone who engages in them is outside the fold of Islam as taught by every single Messenger.
The Prophets, from Adam to Muhammad (Peace be upon them), were all brothers in faith. They all called people to the same truth. Different Messengers came with different sets of laws that God Sent through them to guide and govern the people, but the essence of their teachings was the same. They all called people away from the worship of created things to the worship of The Creator.
Muslims are required to love and respect all of the Prophets and Messengers of God (Peace be upon them). If a person rejects or dislikes any one of them, that person is not a believer.
In Islam, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has the distinction of being God’s final Messenger and the seal of the Prophets. This is because God Completed His Revelations to mankind and Perfectly Preserved them forever in the Qur’ān, and because His final Prophet and Messenger was able to lead an exemplary life for the twenty-three years of his Prophethood and set clear guidelines for all the generations to follow.
to be continued.....
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