The following is a very brief account of Islam, and some of its teachings.
ISLAM, THE RELIGION OF PEACE: The word Islam literally means (1) peace, (2) the way to achieve peace (3) submission, as submission to another’s will is the safest course to establish peace. The word in its religious sense signifies complete submission to the Will of God.
OBJECT OF THE RELIGION : Islam provides its followers with the perfect code whereby they may work out what is noble and good in man, and thus maintain peace between man and man.
THE PROPHET OF ISLAM: Muhammed, popularly known as the Prophet of Islam, was, however, the last Prophet of the faith. Muslims, ie, the followers of Islam, accept all such of the world’s Prophets including Abraham, Moses and Jesus, as revealed the Will of God for the guidance of humanity.
THE QURAN : The gospel of the Muslims is the Qur-an . Muslims believe in the divine origin of every other sacred book, in as much as all such previous revelations have become corrupted , through human interpolation. The Quran , the last book of God came as a recapitulation of the former gospels.
ARTICLES OF FAITH IN ISLAM: these are seven in number, belief in (1) Allah (2) Angels (3) Books from God (4) Messengers from God (5) the Hereafter (6) the Premeasurement of god and evil ( 7) Resurrection after death.
The life after death , according to Islamic teaching, is not a new life, but only a continuance of this life , bringing its hidden realities into light. It is a life of unlimited progress, those who qualify themselves in this life for the progress will enter into Paradise, which is another name for the said progressive life after death, and those who get their faculties stunted by their misdeeds in this life will be the denizens of the hell- a life incapable of appreciating heavenly bliss, and of torment- in order to get themselves purged of all impurities and thus to become fit for life in heaven. State after death is an image of the spiritual state in this life.
The sixth article of faith has been confused by some with what is popularly known as Fatalism. A Muslim neither believes in Fatalism nor Predestination , he believes in Premeasurement. Everything created by God is for good in the given use and under the circumstances. Its abuse is evil and suffering.
PILLARS OF ISLAM: These are five in number. (1) Declaration of faith in oneness of God, and in the Divine Messengership of Muhammad, (2) Prayer, (3) Fasting, (4) Alms giving, (5) Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine Mecca.
ISLAMIC REVIEW
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD: Muslims worship one God- the Almighty, the all-knowing the all just, the cherisher of all the worlds, the friend, the guide, the helper. There is none like Him. He has no partner. He is neither begotten nor has he begotten any son of daughter. He is indivisible in person. He is the light of the heaven and the earth, the merciful, the Compassionate, the Glorious, the Magnificent, the beautiful the Eternal, the Infinite, the First and the Last.
FAITH AND ACTION : Faith without action is a dead letter. Faith by itself is insufficient, unless translated into action. A Muslim believes in his own personal accountability for his action in this life and in the hereafter. Each must bear his own burden and none can expiate for another’s sin.
ETHICS OF ISLAM: “Imbue youself with divine attributes”, says the noble prophet. God is the prototype of man and His attributes form the basis of Muslim ethics. Righteousness in Islam consists in leading a life in complete harmony with divine attributes. To act otherwise is sin.
CAPABILITIES OF MAN IN ISLAM: the Muslim believes in the inherent sinlessness of man’s nature, which, made of the godliest fibre is capable of unlimited progress , setting him above the angels , and leading him to the border divinity.
THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN ISLAM: man and woman come from the same essence, possess the same soul, and they have been equipped with equal capability for intellectual, spiritual and moral attainments. Islam places man and woman under like obligations, the one to the other.
EQUALITY OF MANKIND AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF ISLAM: Islam is the religion of the unity of God and the equality of mankind. Lineage, riches and family honours are accidental things, virtue and service of humanity are the matters of real merit. Distinctions of colour, race and creed are unknown in the ranks of Islam. All mankind is of one family, and Islam, has succeeded in welding the black and the white into one fraternal whole.
PERSONAL JUDGEMENT: Islam encourages the exercise of personal judgement and respects difference of opinion, which according to the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, is a blessing of God.
KNOWLEDGE: The pursuit of knowledge is a duty in Islam and it is the acquisition of knowledge that makes men superior to angels
