Islam At A Glance

'ISLAM' AND 'MUSLIM'

Islam is an Arabic word which means peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. The religion of Islam is the complete acceptance of the teachings and the guidance of God, (i.e surrender to the Will of Allah).

A muslim is one who accepts freely and willingly the supreme power of Allah and strives for total reorganisation of this life according to the revealed teachings of God. He also works towards the establishment of a just social order which would totaly reflect the guidance of God.

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Every action which is done with the awareness that it fulfils the will of Allah is considered an act of worship in Islam. Nevertheless, the specific acts of worship, termed the pillars of Islam, provide the framework of spiritual life.They are the following:

ONENESS OF GOD

Islam enjoins faith in the oneness and Sovereignty of God, Which makes man aware of the meaningfulness of the Universe and his place in it. This belief frees him from all fears and superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of Almighty Allah and of man's obligations towards Him. Belief in one God requires that we look upon all humanity as one family irrespective of colour, class, race or territory, under the Omnipotence of Allah the creatot and good action the only way to Heaven. Thus a direct relationship is established with Allah, open to all alike, without any intercessor.

LIFE AFTER DEATH:

The world according to Islam, is a place of trial and man is being judged in it. Man is accountable to Allah for all that he does herein. Life on earth will, one day, come to an end; and after that a new world will be resurrected. It will be in this Life after Death that man will be rewarded or punished for his deeds and misdeeds. Allah will judge man on the day of existence which leads to further blessings, or to Hell, a stage of suffering and punishment.

ISLAMIC WAY OF LIFE:

Islam provides definite guidelines for all people to follow in all walks of life. The guidance it gives is comprehensive and includes the social, economic, political, moral and spiritual aspects of life. The Qur'an reminds man of the purpose of life on earth, and his duties and obligations towards himself, his kith and kin, his community, his fellow human beings and his Creator. Man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then he is left with the challenge of human existence before him so that he might put these high ideals into practice. In Islam man is a wholesome, intergrated unit and not a collection of fragmented, competitive parts. The sacred and secular are not seperate parts of man; they are united in the nature of human being.

ISLAM'S RATIONAL APPEAL:

Islam is a simple, rational and practical religion. The unity of God, the Prophethood of Muhammad and the concept of life after death are the basic articles of faith. There is no hierarchy of priests and there no complicated rites and rituals. Everybody may approach the Qur'an directly and translate its dictates into practice.

Islam stands for the middle path and the goal of producing a moral man in the service of a just society.

'Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter (Qur'an 2:201)
Islam guides towards a better and complete life glorifying in all its praise Allah, the Almighty Creator.

STATUS OF WOMEN

No discrimination is made on the basis of sex. Islam recognises that the sphere of potential capabilities and hence responsibilities of men and women are equally important in themselves but not exactly the same. The roles of men and women are complementary to each other.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN

A major problem which modern man faces is that of racism. The materially advanced nations 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 ended. Every year during the Hajj, the Islamic miracle of the real brotherhood of all races and nations can be seen in action.

THE FAMILY

The family which is the basic unit of civilisation is disintegrating in all western countries. Islam's family system brings into a fine equilibrium the rights of man, wife, children and relatives. Islam nourishes human unselfishness, generosity and love in a well organised family system. 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 this conflict and brings harmony to man's vision of life.

Islam has come to liberate man from the worship of man and to establish the worship of Allah. Islam - The Solution for Modern Problems