Famous No -1 amil baba in Hyderabad ! Best No _ Astrologer in Pakistan, UK, A...
ISLAM Its Foundation And Concepts
1.
2. ISLA]UI
Its Foundation
And Concepts
Js
Dr, Muhammed bin Abdullah As-Suhaym
daarulatedfo
Abdur-Raafi Adewale lmaam
3. @ Muhammad Abdullah AhSuhaym, 2OOs
K ng Fahad NationalL ibrary Catalogni g-in-PublicationD ata
AIS u h aym, M u ham mad Abdul lah.
lslam:l ts FoundationA nd Concepts.M/ uhammad
AbdullahA l-SuhaymR.-i yadh2, 005
224 p 14x21cm
ISBN: 996047-538-7
1-l slam-G eneraPl rinciples l-Title
210 dc 142611239
Legal Deposit No. 1426/1239
ISBN: 9960-47-538-7
lst, Edition
1426A,H- .2 00sA.c.
All Rlghlr Rererved
4ilrr,9 etr6)l i.t- i Crri
.l;e 3.
Cr')l*ltf e.ttt lA!5
;r;J.rjJl9;3r.c'.tllf iial
O3i.tf a:J,t tt,
-2,idJ197..4jd1A ;e
4. lslaam:
Its Foundations and Concepts
9y
Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullaah As-Suhaym
Translated by
Abdur-Raafi Adewale lmaam
Translation and Publication Division,
lslaamic Propagation And Education Committee,
Al-Madeenah Al-Munawwarah
www.alharamai nonl ine.org
5. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
In the Nameo f Al laah,t he Gracious,t he Merci ful
Translator's note:
All praisei s due to AllaahlM ay peacea nd blessingsb e upont ne
Messengerh,i sh ouseholda ndc ompanions.
This booki s undoubtedlay commendablaet tempta t showingt he
beautieso f lslaamt o mankindd, rawinga comparisobne tweenth is
great religiona nd other world religionsin spiritualm, oral,s ocial
and intellectuaal spectsa nd acquaintingm ankindw ith rtsp rinciples
and fundamentalisn a logicalu, nambiguousc,o nvincingfr, ankb ut
graciousm anner.
We would howeverl ike to call the attentiono f the readert o some
pointsa s regardsth et ranslatioonf someo f the quotesa ndf oreign
namesi n this book.T he authorq uoteds ome passagesfr om the
Biblea nd otherb ooks,w hicha re not originallAy rabic.T houghw e
believet hat the proper academicm ethod in translatingth ese
passagesis to refert o theiro riginasl ourcess incem osto f them are
in English, we could not however do so because of therr
unavailabilittyo the translatorl.t is thereforeh opedt hat,t ranslation
of the passages rendered here are as close as possible in
meaningt,o theo riginatle xts.
As for the nameso f somea uthorsm entionedin the Booki n Arabic
letters, we exerted efforts to know the correct spelling of these
names in their originall anguagesB. ut due to the fact that the
' In transliteratingA rabic words,t he translator chose to use the double
vowel 'aa', 'ee'a nd'oo' to indicatem add [stretching]w ith fathah, kasr,
andd antmr espect ivelays i t is in'Al laah' , ' lslaam' , 'Tawheed' , 'soorah' ,
etc., becauseu; singt his methodr nakesi t easierf or non-Arabics peaking
readerst o pronouncet he words as closely as possiblet o the way the
Arabic speakersd o. This way hasb ecomes tandardw ay of transliteration
by nranyf amousM uslim writersa nd translatorsIi ke Dr Bilal Philipsa nd
others.
6. Islsam: Its Foundations And Concepts
author quoted excerpts from their books from secondary sources,
which are in Arabic, we could not have access to the original
books;h encet he namesw eret ransliteratefdr omA rabic.
Equally,t he nameso f foreignr eferencesm entionedin this book in
Englishm ay notb e the exactn amesg ivenb y theirv ariousa uthors.
Mosto f thesea re translatedfr om Arabic.
ln translatintgh e meaningso f the verseso f the GloriousQ ur'aanI,
completelyr eliedo n the translationd one by Al-Hilalai nd M. M.
Khan and printedb y King Fahd Complexf or the Printingo f the
HolyQ ur'an.I quotedt he translatioans it is withouta ny additiono r
omission.
As for the hadeethsI, largelyr eliedo n M. M. Khan'st ranslationif
the hadeeth is reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim or Al-
Bukhaareea lone.l f the hadeethi s reportedb y Muslim,I quoted
from Siddiqi'st ranslationO. therwise,t he hadeethsa re translated
by my humble self. In the footnote however, I deem it enough to
mentiono nly the collectoro f the hadeefhi n the footnote.I add the
initials' AA' at the end of the footnotesa dded by me to distinguish
between them and those of the author.
May Allaahm ake this book beneficiaflo r all and rewardi ts author
abundantlyin this worlda nd the Hereafter.
Abd ur-Raafi Adewale lmaam
lslaamic Propagation And Education
Committee,
Al-MadeenahA l-Munawwarah
www.alharamainonline.org
7. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
Author's preface
All praise is due to Allaah. We praise Him and seek for His
assistancea nd forgivenessW. e seek refugew ith Him from evilso f
our souls and our misdeeds. No one can mislead whosoever
Allaahg uidesa nd nonec an guidew hosoeveAr llaahc ausest o go
astray.
I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah
alone. He has no partner. I also testify that Muhammad blessings
and peace be upon him, is His slave and Messenqer.
Allaahs ent Messengertso mankindi n ordert hat peoplem ay not
have any plea against Him after He has sent these Messengers.
He alsor evealedB ooksa s guidancem, ercy,l ighta nd healing.
In the past, Messengersw ere especiallys ent to their peoplea nd
entrustedw ith the preservationo f their book. That was why their
writingsb ecamef orgottena nd their laws becamea ltered,b ecause
they were sent tot a specific nation on a limited period.
ThereafterA, llaah chose His ProphetM uhammad,b lessingsa nd
peace be upon him, and made him the last of all prophetsa nd
MessengersH. e says,
- 4 1 . z
^ J L > q 4I l J;3
, - i . - 2 , , ' - ' t - ( ' ' ' '
Fi "t6i u * t: '"3
rr L; F
+ ' . = J l
r l ; _ )
"Muhammad is not the father of anyone among you, but he is the
Messenger of Allaah and the last (end) of the Prophets.',1
rAl -Ahzaab3 3:40
8. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
Allaah honoured him wtth the best Revealed Book which is the
gloriousQ ur'aan;H e took it upon Himselft o preservei t and did not
assignt he obligationo f its preservatiotno any of His creaturesH. e
SAVS.
/ . z < ' . t . . r t i
# f i t , ' l ^ h 6 t < ) 4 )
v i - r ' v / /
6 c t t
ulr -) tU'
"Verily, We it is Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., Qur'aan) and
surely, We wilt guard it (from corruption)."1
He also makest he Law of Muhammadb, lessingsa nd peaceb e
uponh im,t he lastingo net illt he Dayo f ResurrectionH.e explained
that the perpetuityo f his Law necessitatesth e beliefi n it, calling
unto it and beingp atientw ith it. Hencet he path of the Prophet,
blessingsa nd peace be upon him, and his followersi s that of
callingto the way of Allaahw iths urek nowledgeW. hilem akingt his
wayc lear,A llaahs ays,
o f t-rI ,F':t-
,-;>a ; l , ' r a j 0 /'.a-) Je 4r Jr rje)r LIJF
d, o( .' .;.=;r -' -. r) r;^atr ,1c bl l-i aYl ,:r;,^3 1 , ! _ ; v - l ! l ) . t - v
"Say (O Muhammad). Ihls is my way; I invite unto Allaah with sure
knowledge, I and whosoever follows me. And Glorified and Exalted
be AIlaah.A nd I am not of the polytheists.'"
Altaahc ommandedth e Prophetb, lessingas nd peaceb e uponh im,
to bear whatever harm he suffered in the cause of Allaah with
patiencea nds ays,
' Al -Hi . ;lr5 : 9
I Yoosul1' 2.1 08
9. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
"Therefore be patient (O Muhammad) as did the Messengers of
strong will."'
He alsoe njoinsp atienceo n Muslims,
' f . 3 ' - . / I
l - -
1,,-:-'irJ.>..l.o-l
"O you who believe! Endure and be more patient and guard (your
territory by stationing army units permanenily at the places from
where the enemy can attack you) and fear Allaah, so fhat you may
be successful."'
In accordance with this gracious Divine Way, I write this book to
invitep eoplet o the religiono f Allaah,d erivingg uidancein doing
so, from the Booko f Allaaha nd the Sunnaho f His MessengerI.
briefly explained herein the story of the creation of the Universe,
the creation of man and how he was favoured by sending
Messengertso hima nd acquaintingh imw itht he situationosf past
religions.A fterwards,I made an introductionto lslaam as per its
meaninga nd pillars In this book, I have providede videncesto r
those who are looking for guidance, explained the way for those
who are lookingf or salvations, howedt he patht o thosew ho desire
to follow the track of the Prophets, Messengers and righteous
people. As for those who turn away from their path, such only
befoolt hemselvesa nd take to the erroneouso ath.
rAl-Ahqaaf46:35
2 Aal ' l rnraan3 :200
4. ,t;1i b;iiilri;; si+" y
./ .|i ,'t(-' '
.Jt-+r L(+u+ f'
10. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
It is a mattero f fact that adherentso f each religionc all otherst o it
and they believet hatt rutho nlya bidesi n theirr eligionl.t is alsoa
fact that adherents of each belief call others to follow their leader
and extolh im.A s for the Muslim,h e doesn ot callp eoplet o follow
hiso wn ideologyH. isr eligionis the religiono f Allaahw ithw hichH e
is pleasedA. llaahs ays,
"+ 3)"Aiilb
4 )rri ^i
"Truly, the religion with Allaah is lslaam"'
He also does not call people to glorify a human being, for all
human beings are equal in the Religion of Allaah; nothing
distinguisheosn e froma nothere xceptp iety.A Muslimr atherc alls
people to follow the path of their Lord, to believe in His
Messengers and follow His Law which He revealed to the last of
His MessengersM uhammadb lessingsa nd peaceb e upon him,
andw hichH e commandedh imt o convevt o all mankind.
It's on this account that I wrote this book in order to call people to
the Religiono f Allaahw hichH e is pleasedw itha nd withw hichH e
sent His Last Messengeirn ordert o guidet hosew ho are looking
for guidancea nd happinessB. y AllaahlN o humanb eingc an have
realh appinesse xceptt hroughth is religiona nd nonec an haver est
of minde xceptb y believingth atA llaahi s the only Lord( worthyo f
worship),t hat Muhammadb, lessingsa nd peaceb e upon him, is
His Messengera nd that lslaami s the only acceptablere ligiono f
Allaah.
Thousandso f those who embracedl slaamh avet estifiedt hat they
did not knowr eall ifeu ntila ftert heye mbracedls laama ndt hatt hey
did never tasted happinesse xcept under the shade of lslaam.
Since it is a fact that every human being looks for happiness,
peaceo f minda nd truth,I preparet hisw ork to helpt hem achieve
I Aal ' lmraan3 :19
11. 8 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
that. I pray that Allaah makes this work purely for His sake and let
it be well-accepteda nd make it one of those righteousd eedst hat
will benefiti ts doeri n thisw orlda nd the next.
I givep ermissiotno translatea nd publishth isb ooki n anyl anguage
to whoeverm ay want to do so with a conditiont hat the persona ct
honestlyi n translatingit and to do me a favourb y sendinga copy
to me to avoidu nnecessarrye petitiono f efforts.
I equallyr equestf rom whoeverh as any observationo r correction
either on the Arabic text of this Book or any of its translateo
versions to kindly send it to me through the below-mentioned
address.
All praisei s duet o Allaahf irstlya nd lasflyo, utwardlya nd inwardry.
All praisei s due to Him publiclya nd secreflyA. ll praisei s due to
Him in the beginninagn d the end.A ll praisei s due to hima s much
as can fill the heavens and the earth and whatever else that Our
Lordm ay wish.M ay Allaahb estowp eacea nd much blessingo n
our PropheMt uhammadh, is companionas nd all thosew ho follow
his path till the day of reckoning
The author,
Dr.M uhammabdi nA bdullaabhi nS aalihA s-suhaym
Riyadh,
Shawwaa1l 3,1420
P. O. Box 1032 Riyadh 1342, P O. Box 6249 Riyadh 1r1442
12. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
Where is the Way?
When man growsa nd startsu nderstandintgh ings,m any questions
come to his mind like: Where am I from? Why did I come (to
existence)?W hatw ill be my end?W ho createdm e and createdt he
universea roundm e? Who owns and controlsth is universe?A nd
othero uestionsli ket hese.
However, he is unable to provide himself with answers to these
questions. Even modern science is not capable of providing
answers to them because these issues fall within religious
domains That is why there are numerousn arrationsa nd different
superstitions and tales about them that only add to man's
confusiona nd distress.l t is impossiblefo r man to get a satisfying
answert o theseq uestionsu nlessh e is guidedb y Allaaht o thet rue
religiont hat is capableo f providingfi nal decisiono n these and
similari ssuesf;o r,t hesei ssuesa re amongt he divines ecretst hat
onlyt he truer eligionc ang ivec orrecta nda ccuratea nswerst o and
that is the only religiont hat Allaahr evealedto His Prophetsa nd
Messengers lt is then incumbent upon man to learn the true
religiona nd have beliefi n it in ordert o have his confusiona nd
doubtsr emoveda nd in ordert o be guidedt o the StraighPt ath.
In the followingp ages,I invitey ou to followt he StraightP ath of
Allaah and I present to you some evidences and proofs that you
may carefullya nd patientlyr eflecto n.
13. Islsam: Its Foundations And Conc
Existence of Allaah, His Lordship (over alt creation),
His Oneness and His being the only God worthy of
worship
0Manyp eopled o worshipm an-maded eitiesli ket rees,s tonesa no
evenh umanb eings;t hat is why the Jews and idolatersa skedt he
Messengeor f Allaah,b lessingsa nd peaceb e uponh im,a boutt he
characteristicosf his Lord.I n replyt o this questionA llaahr evealed,
dy, -Dii lt 1'l g; L.zti XnOi "Li ni i 'A y
{€:3;i Gh";j<
"Say (O Muhammad). He r's Altaah, (the) One, Attaah, the Self_
sufficient Master (whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor
drinks). He begets not nor is He begotten. And there is none co_
equal or comparable unto Him."1
He also savs.
, 4 . ' t t l , ' . - , , < , 7 l ' ? ' t
ry :4)b -t|+t ,-Ht G:*
' 6 . . l
Q'J;4
l-
.ti t-. i
ei-Ul JJl
t i t r i - t
n' jUt y-:
l a
q,.Pl
/ , t
. r l J r
Gfit
- t t .
*-Q.J I q
t 2t,
f-.,
i'-
L-Y
' ' l
t ,
P c>T-J I q
t
i : - , - . ? - r < . l a i
;t3 $rr 4 y1 :1r
'ryutiL,
' Al - lkhlaas1 12:l -4
,/ ..=4,
8 ) ( s- e) -l /.
14. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts ll
"lndeed your Lord is Allaah Who created the heavens and the
earih in Sx Days and then He lstawa (rose over) the Throne (really
in a manner thaf suifs His Majesty). He brings night as a cover over
the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the
stars subjected to His Command. S/essed be Allaah, the Lord of all
the world!"'
He also says,
t '
. - - ' ,7 i ' . ' . ' i z i y ,fF' ,)e 6Yt 6,;ttA ,
I w";lr';'i J3 ,;
'U
,bS e'.,'.lt
. : i )
L.)-
6?r,F*.fr9;Ai.fu3
,s;fi:r @t*;'E; ,q,r J,ie J$
,b g$i ,5 ,r:',1*is e3i W
L . . . . 1 .
{ jqlr JJr
"Allaah is He, Who raised the heaven without pillars that you can
see. Then He lstawa (rose above) the Throne (really in a manner
that suits His Majesty). He has subjected the sun and the moon (to
continue going round)! Each running (its course) for a term
appointed. He regulates all affairs, explaining the Aayaat (proofs,
evidences, verses, /essons, slgns, revelations, etc.) in detail, that
you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. And it
is He who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains
and rivers and of every kind of fruits He made in pairs. He brings
the night as a cover over the day..." until He says,
I Al-A'raaf 7r54.
15. t2 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
rr ,t.r. '; r ,t.- j t . . l : . : ' l t t t t ' i , . 1 . , , a . i fL-rYl e+ u'r Gt lp W L; & Ai F
'r*/ ,zl r :i
{tali, , =ii * f,A )t31r; ,i'*o 2,J ,p-,
{ rC Jt;lii
"Allaah knows what every female bears and how much the womb
falls short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him
is in due proportion. AII-Knower of the unseen and the- seen, the
Most Great, the Most-High."1
Allaah also says,
{e-tri
"Say (O Muhammad): Who is the Lord of the heavens and the
earth? Say: (lt is) Allaah. Say: Have you then taken (for worship)
protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit
or for harm to themselves? Say. ts the btind equat to the one who
sees? Or darkness equal to light? Or do they assign A)taah
parrners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation
' Ar -Ra ' dl 3 : 2 ,j , 8 , 9
16. Islasm: Its Foundations And Concepts 13
(which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say:
Atlaahi s the Creatoro f altt hings.H e is the One, the trresistibte."l
Whilee stablishinfgo r mankindH is signsa s evidencesa nd proofs,
He says,
t . ' . i - i . t . a . , 1 , , , , 2 r 7 , t r ' t i . r . pti rr"-*rt) jptr ))t t+ti Ui y
. " i a . , t t - 7 . .gtlr 14 tr#.t)Fu- ij
- ' . , J ' ' t
".^^r^tl-
IJJ--.1j )
. i -
t . ' l t . I l r
J ) - ^ J l q U J L J I J V '
' - ' ^ - i 7
- r ' ,
JPr .#
_ . 1 : < r- . - € . . i . l . i . i , - . i .
L^ti-'- I cS+lto ! c'-'s9,->j,-al; t^Jl t?e ali
{ (A '}i
".,-r,) si .k 'i)
"And from among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun
and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun or the moon, but prostrate
to Allaah who created them, if you really worship Him. But if they
are too proud (to do so), then those who are with your Lord
(angels) glorify Him night and day, and never are they tired. And
among His s4lns (in this), that you see the earth barren, but when
We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of
vegetations). Verily, He Who gives it life, sure is Able to give life to
the dead (on the Day of Resurrection)l.n deed He is Able to do all
things.''
He also says,
' Ar -Ra ' dI 3 :I 6
2F ussi la4t l :37-39
17. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
,2'3-:li i q'f.>
t vl 1 7 ,
t -'t^Jr-l
"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the eafth,
and the differences of your languages and colours. Verily, in that
are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. And among His
slgns ls your sleep by night and by day..."'
While describing Himself with Attributes of beauty and perfection
He says,
' ' r ' v ' / ( t ' ' . ' . i : ' i ' t t ' - i f ! ' 7 ' t r t ' 1 - ' 1 1 2
.g t- ,oi Ct YJ ij* ,o-rit-, Y (Pl GJt -* i] "J] Y ;frt y
t
. = . , ( r , - r . . t : ?. . o i , . , . o
-9ri )] ,.rrt . . i i l . r . .
Cl-i-g;-
tll lr g-. ,.f-,,yt C Ui ,>,'3>"11
-- )+i) t . t , j , * . , : i , r . . G ".& itbo.
" r-6-.- -s 4-*i 3;
L _ ,
/ . 1 .
( cL"1
urtlt:
clr
r:.,{r
"Allaah! None has the right fo be worshipped but He. The Ever-
Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exisfs. Neither
slumber nor sleep oveftakes Him. To Him belongs whatsoever is in
the heavens and whatsoever is in 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 wiil happen
' Ar-Room 30'.22-23
18. Islaam: Its Foundations And Conce.
to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of
Hisk nowtedgee xceptt hat whichH e wills."'
He also says,
4) .,^{ 1n7- ,;'rut, s: v$i *+ vFi gst -":i ;6 Y
t . 1 - ! ' i i
& ;) /'.2^)l
"The Forgiver of sins, the Acceptor of repentance' the Sfern ln
punishmeht, the Bestower (of favours)- Ld ilAha illa Huwa None
has the right to be worshipped but He. To Him is the finat retttrn.'2
He - may His praiseb e exalted-a lsos ays,
.r:tN' .-Jl iJi'l 4Jl i-b )l v---s- 6i*y
i i " , ' i i
' ' t . '
" 2 "
' <
4,:Va)" LA.;' ;',ii ;:-,; ti iYAii -1i
He is Ail6h besldes whom L6 itaha illa Huwa (none has the right to
be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all
defecfs, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the
Atl-Mighty, the Competter, the Supreme. Glory be to All^hl (High is
He) a-Ooiea tl thatt hey associatea s partnersw ith Him ''
This Wise and omnipotentL ordw ho made Himselfk nownt o His
slaves and established for them His signs and proofs and
described Himself with attributes of perfection had prophetic
ordainmentsh, umanw isdoma nd naturet estifyt o His existencet,o
His Lordship and being the only one having the right to be
I Al -Baqarah2 :255
r Ghaaf i r4 0:3
I Al -Hash5r 9:23
'
l t
19. Islaam: Its Foundations And
worshipped.I wiil -God wiiling-s how that to you in the foilowinq pages.
As for proofso f Hise xistencea nd Lordshipt,h eya re:
One: Creation of this universe and its wonderful design
O man! All this universet hat surroundsy ou, the heavens,t ne
stars,t he galaxiesa nd the eartht hat is spreadi n which there are neighbouringtr acts out of which differentp rantsg row bearino fruits, ail and on which you find ail creaturesi n pairsl.. tni, *iuEr"u
did not create itself and could never create itself. lt must then have
a creator.w ho then is that creatorw ho createdi t in this wonderful
designa nd perfectiona nd made it a sign for those wno can se"
save Allaah the one, the subduer whom there is no Lord oi o"ity
worthy of worship beside Him. He says,
'
, , - . , . t . ,,.),_,.;ili iit (i :i: 3;Ai j ii ,n * o Eu ?i y
(,O.,*i { "!
"Were they created by nothing or were they themsetves
c.reators?O r did they create the heavens and t'hee arth? Nay,
they have no firm betief."l
These two verses imply three questions:
the
but
1- Were they created from nothing?
2- Did they create themselves?
3- Did they create the heavens and the earth?
lf their creationw as not accidentara nd they had not created
themselveso r createdt he heavensa nd the earth;i t shourdt hen be affirmedt hatt heree xistsa creatorw ho createdt hem as weil as the
' At-Toor 52:35-36
20. Islaam: Its Foundations And Conc
heavens and the earth. That Creator is Allaah, the One, the
Subduer.
Two: The nature
All creaturesa re naturallyin clinedt o believei n the existenceo f the
creator; to affirm that He rs greater and mightier than all things.
This inclinationis more well-rootedin the naturet han elementary
mathematicsa nd does not need to be proved by any evidence
except for him who has an abnormal nature; a nature that has
been exposed to circumstancesth at turn it away from what it
should admit.' Allaah saYs,
.t)A- "t ll J"6i }u"a : ;ri /P"G-+ u.-rcYt.i +: 4i3Y
4 :7> oitl)'t oai ;ei 5;;t3 4i tli -!).5'$i
So sef you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) your face towards
the religion (of pure tstdmic Monotheism) Hanif (worship none but
Attah itone). Attdh's Fitrah (i.e. Attdh's lsl1mic Monotheism) with
which He h'as created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq-iilah
(i.e. the religion of All6h - lsllmic Monotheism): that is the
straightr etigion,b ut mosto f men know not'*
The Messengeor f Allaah,b lessingsa nd peaceb e uponh im,s aid'
,,Everyc hildi s bornw ith naturali nclinationto lslaamicM onotheism
and it is his parents who make him a Jew, a christian or a Magian3
fust as the animal gives birth to its young whole, wherein you find
no mutilation.T" hen Aboo Hurayrah( who is the narratoro f this
hadeeths) aid:" Reciteif you like( Allaah'ws ords):
' Majmoo' FatawaI bn Taymiyahl '.41- 49,'73
I Ar -RoomJ 0:30
I Magiansa ret hosew ho worshipf ire ando thern aturalp henomenaA. A
21. Isloam: Its Foundations And Conc
.ibJ- "lr+!
i
r{:.} ge.1i i r-Ai Ai g^1 -r;.i j.li <U;'*i
"All6h's Fitrah (i.e. Attah's tstamic Monotheism) with which He has
created mankind. No change ret there be in Kharq-irtdh (i.e. the
religion of Attah - lstamic Monotheism). that is the siraight'retigrcn,
but most of men know not "'1
He also said, "Verily, my Lord commanded me to teach you you what do not know of that which He has taught me today: ,Art rnon"y
that I endowed a slave with, is raMur (for n-iry. t createo my slaves
naturally inclined to lslaamic Monotheism and it were thL devils
wno came to them, led them away from their religion, forbidden -on
made
for them what I made lawiul and enjoineo
inem to
asso,cj?lep artnersw ith Me in worshipo f whichi diOn ot send any
oroof.' "'
Three: Consensus of all people
All past and modernn ationsa re in consensusth at this universe
has a creatorw ho is Allaaht he Lordo f all the worrds,t hat He is the
creator of the heavens and the earth and that He has no partner
among His creatures as He does not have a partner in His
Sovereignty.
No beliefh as ever been reportedf rom any of the past nationst hat
their false deities took part with Allaah in the creation of the
neavens and the earth. Rather, they all believed that it was Allaan
who created them and their goos, that there was no creator or
sustainebr esidesH im and that He aloneo wnst he powert o brino
' AI -Bukhaaree and Muslinr
2 Ahrlad and Musiim.
22. Islaom: Its Foundations And C,
benefiot r inflicth arm.tA llaahi nformsu s in the followingv erseso f
the idolatersa' ffirmationo f His Lordshipa nd guardianship,
o , i 1
. i : . i . . . . i 1 . , t . - . 1 . i : - . . , 1 . ' , . . . t . ' , i ' i . *, J*: r-': PI ,^-3 rJb)ltc)9-At,lt i fFU- ,*l-l I
- t :
t /
" , ' l l}J cljl v , tl ,
;i )+: -DV ,rt l;;- t o:li
'u;. 'Jri, .1.,' iK';:- SIJ
. : - . i - 1 ' I ' z t i z .r1 . a : i i - . . i . - . . - : i l t ' -
q-t ?u 'L-Jt -:--r Jt O^ ,4:JL-.41J :r)l ** zg
. - ' 1 . . , 1 - t t : 4 ^ , ' o o , " i 1
{ r:!i'oy'+ Y i-,r=-t Jq 4J r^!l f " - t ' 1 ' i t ! : - i , ' - . ' att' J>a W;'
4 et -r-,it !
"lf you were to ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the
earth and subiected the sun and the moon?" They will surely reply:
"NEh." How then are they deviating (as polytheists and
disbetievers)?A IIAhe nlargest he provisionf or whom He willso f His
s/aves,a nd straitensi t for whom (He wills). Verily,A lldh is the All-
Knower of everything. If you were to ask them: "Who sends down
water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the eafth after
its death?" They will surely reply: "All6h." Say: "All the praises and
thanksb e to Altdh!N" av! Mosto f themh aven o sense''"
; .. i-rrii ,;li:#)> i* Ut$tt,-'';ai'4> J -ea {rV
"And indeed if you ask them, 'Who has created the heavens and
the earth?' They will surely say: 'The All-Mighty' the All-Knower
created them.' 'u
' Ma. lnrooF' atawal4 :380-38i
t Al - 'A nkabot 29: 61- 63
j
Az-zukhruf 9
23. Islaam: Its Foundations And Ct
Four: The reason
Humanr easoni nevitablyc onfirmst hat this universeh as a great
creator;f or the soundr easona greest hatt his universei s a creited
thing that did not bring itself to being, hence, it must have an
originator.
Also, man knowst hat he falls into crisesa nd afflictionsa nd when
he is unable to prevent them or remove them, he faces the
heavens with his heart and seeks for His Lord's aid to remove his
distresse vent houghh e may denounceh is Lorda nd worshioh is
idols in his normald ays. This is an undisputablfea ct. Even tne
animal raises his head up and looks at the sky whenever it is
visited by an affliction.T he AlmightyA llah informs us that man,
wheneverh e is afflictedw ith harm, hastenst o his Lord and asks
Him to remove the harm. Allaah says,
d ' , ? : " - . 1 - r t ' , . . . t , i , 2 , , i e 1 . , - , t . . - - i , , , , . . . ./-:
5- "P
-tr-* Je -Lj4J l:l-rrl *. J.?i Ji ,y 4) tp4 jg
{,,1!1;6i-:e;fU fW
"And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Altah
Alone), turning to Him in repentance. But when He bestows a favor
upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for
before, and he sefs up rivals to NEh.'r
He also says about the idolaters,
I Az-Zunar 39:8
24. Islaam: Its Foundations And
6 &, 9K ,f c t{i r^;t;r!4c bt ltv r:i"**
c:1oui (a .V'u) "f*ri
, ' i - " .
A*"irr Jte
/ ,=- / i " :
& ; ; ) ' . . r . l . p
,-'.) vJ
t
;-P -b.-l
;-E t; 64-6+; u;t t*,a3ti t4i y
"He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when
you are in the ships, and they sail with them with a favorable wind,
and they are gtad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the
waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are
encircled therein. Then they invoke All6h, making their Faith pure
for Him Atone, (saying): "lf You (Neh) deliver us from this, we shall
truty be of the grateful." But when He delivered them, behold! They
rebet (disobey All6h) in the eafth wrongfully. O mankind! Your
rebetlion (disobedience to AIl6h) is only against your own se/ves, -
a brief enjoyment of this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us. is
your return, and We shalt inform you that which you used to do."'
He also says,
4.: 1'2: F ]1i JEi t u* .n;. t v:'3 ,^':'i
"And when a wave covers them like shades (i.e. like clouds or the
mountains of seawater), they invoke Aileh, making their
' Yoonusl0 :22-23
25. 22 Isluum: Its Foundations And Concepts
invocations for Him only. But when He brings them safe to tand,
there are among them those that stop in between (Betief and
disbelief). But none denies Our Signs except every perfidious
ingrate."'
This Lord who broughtt his universet o existencec, reatedm an In
the bestf orm,e mbeddedin hisn atures ervitudea nd submissiotno
Him,s ubjectedh umanr easont o the beliefi n His Lordshioa nd His
exclusivew orthinesso f being worshipped.l t is Allaah whom all
nationsu nanimousltye stifyt o His guardianship.a..s He should
inevitably be One in His Lordship and worthiness to be
worshipped.A s He has no partneri n creatingH is creatures,H e
shoulda lso have no partneri n Hisw orthinesso f beingw orshipped.
Therea re numerouse videncesfo r this,-s omeo f whicha re:
1- Therei s onlyi n this universeo ne God Who is the creatora nd
the sustainerso f all. None bringsh arm or benefite xceptH im. Had
there been any other god besides Him, that god would have had
his own work,c reationa nd commanda nd noneo f bothw ouldh ave
alloweda nothert o sharet he creationw ith him. Hence,o ne of them
must have overpowereda nd subduedt he other.I n that case, the
subdued could not have been a god and the Subduer should be
the real God with whom none can share the right to be worshipped
just as nones haresw ithH imH isg uardianshiapn d lordshipA. llaah
says,
ll S.-;'i,il'El; ,:^;J: rt; t -r
4 :l' J)r,-a,_ & ii :i*'uzl jo -fi; ,1,;,
iJ- q
"M son (or offspring) did AlEh beget, nor is there any il6h (god)
along with Him; (it there had been many gods), then each god
I Luqmaan *For 3 l :32
rnoreo f thesee videncess,e eK itaabut-Tawheebdy Muharnrnadlb n
Abdul Wahhaab.
lb n Ai ii C y
26. Isluam: Its Foundations And Concepts 23
woutd have taken away what he had created, and some would
have tried to overcome others! Glorified is Allah above all that they
attribute to Him!"1
2- None deserves to be worshipped but Allaah Who created the
heavens and the earths; for, man seeks to gain the favour of the
Lord Who brings him benefit and prevents harm, evils and
calamitiesfr om him and none but the One Who ownst he heavens
and the earth is capable of doing all these. Had there been any
other lordsa s the idolatersd o claim,h umanw ould have taken
ways that lead to the worship of Allaah Who is the True Sovereign.
This is because, all false deities that are worshipped besides the
True Lord, they themselves, used to worship Allaah and seek
nearnesst o Him alone.
Therefore,t hose who want to seek nearnesst o Allaah,W ho has
the power to give benefits and bestow harm, should worship the
TrueL ordW homa llt hati s in the heavensa ndt he earth- including
the falsed eities- do worship.L et those who are searchingf or the
truthr ead( thef ollowingv erse):
'<lt| .-' r.* o: re 'l Yi {i "r
O"it e:i -ts y
L^e+ J ui.r)r 4 )j '':jp-:Jt
, < t i - . i
- ' ' t r t "
4 ,"J :r)1,--l
'iJ ,i.r:c a'lJl ti::
Say:( O Muhammad( peaceb e upon him) to those polytheists,
pagans")C altu pon thosew homy ou assert( fo be associateg ods)
beiraes Attaht,h eyp ossessn ot evena n atom's( or a small ant's)
weight, either in the heavens or on the earth, nor have they any
sharei n either,n or there is for Him any supporterf rom among
' Al -Mu 'mi n o o2n3 : 9 1
27. 24 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
them. lntercesslon with Him profits not except for him whom He
permits."l
These verses and others keep the heart from inclining towards
othert hingsb esidesA llaaht hroughf ourf actors.
One: That those whom the polytheistsw orshipp ossessn ot even
the weight of an atom with Allaah, and he who possesses not a
weight of an atom cannot benefitn or harm and therefore,i s not
worthyo f beingw orshippeodr beingt akena s Allaah'sa ssociatein
worshipl t is Allaaha loneW ho ownst hema ndc ontrolsth em.
Two: That they possess nothing in the heavens and the earth ano
they do not even have an atom weight of share in them.
Three:A llaahh as no helpera mongH is creaturesR. ather,H e is
the one who helps them in what is of benefit for them and drives
away from them what harms them. For, He completely has no
need of them; it is they who are rather who are in absolute need of
Him.
Four: That these so-called associates are not capable of
intercedingw ithA llaaho n behalfo f theirf ollowersa nd thev will not
even be given permission to do so. Allaah does not qtve
permissionto intercede xceptt o His friendsa, nd His friendsS lso
cannot intercedee xcepto n behalfo f the one whom Allaah is
pleasedw ithh iss ayingsd, eedsa nd belief2
3- systematica rrangemenat nd precisee xecutiono f the affairso f
this universe is the strongest indication that its controller is one
Lord, one (King), beside Whom there is no other creator. As it is
impossiblefo r this universet o havet wo creatorss, o it is impossibre
for it to have two Lords. Allaah savs.
' saba' 34:22-23
r SecQ urrat'uu yoonil-muwalihidpe.e n 100
28. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts 25
e cii
"t
4,i . , ' t . ' . - ' i r 7 7
# U,L-.-oJ 4tJl r
"lt;
;A.
"Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) alihah
(gods)besrdes Attah, then verily both would have been ruined."'
Had it been assumed that there was in the heaven and the earth
another god besides Allaah, they would have been ruined.
Because; had there been another god besides Allaah, both [Allaah
and the otherg odl would need to be autocrattca nd have the right
of free disoosal. That would have then lead to contention and
fighting and the ruin of the heaven and the earth would have
occurred as a result. lt is impossible for the body to have two
controllinsgo uls;i f thath appenst he bodyw ill be destroyed- how
then can it be imaginedt hat this universew, hich is greater,s hould
have two lords?
4- Consensuso f the Prophetsa nd MessengersA: ll nationsa gree
that the Prophetsa nd Messengersa re the wisest,m ost intelligent,
best in morality,m ost sincere,m ost knowledgeabloef what Allaah
wants and the most rightlyg uidedo f all people,b ecause,t hey
receivedr evelationfr om Allaaha nd conveyedi t to people.A nd all
Prophetsa nd Messengers- right from Adam to the last Prophet
who is Muhammadp, eaceb e upont hema ll - havea ll calledt helr
peoples to the belief in Allaah and abstention from worshipping
anything besides Him and that He is the only True Lord. Allaah
says,
, a /
Y ,arl f;Jl
- ; l l
, > 9 J l ur4i c; y
t J a z r r . i
, l r * - r . ' - r --2JJJ r - t . . ' . e
/ t
. ' v '
{,.. 93i5ti
' Al -An b i y a2al : : 2
29. Islaam: Its Foundations And Conc
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad
(peace be upon him)) but We revealed to him (saying): La itaha itta
Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but | (NEh)) so worship
Me (Alone and none else) '
He also says about Noah - Peace be upon him - that he told his
peopre,
{tg- i,7 ' ,tn "64;ovi;17r sti;i5 { ,ri}
"T.hayt ou worshipn one but Allah;s urely, I fear for you the torment
of a painful Day.''
Allaah - may He be glorified- says about the last of all
MessengersM, uhammad,
r :jr Jj>:l-; ;i 3A" L iUl -raiil r-i jl ,g i r^rl A y
"Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) "tt is revealed to me
that your ll6h (God) is onty one ttdh (God - NEh) Wiil you then
submit to His Will (become Muslims and stop worshipping others
besides NEH?'S
This God ,, ,n" On" who wonderfullyc reatedt he universef rom
naught;H e createdm an in the bestf orm and perfectedh is creation
and impressedin his naturet he affirmationo f His Lordshipa nd His
exclusiver ightt o be worshrppedH. e lets him have peaceo f mind
throughh is submissionto Him and followingH is path and He
ordainedi t on his soul not to be at rest until it surrenderst o its
creatora nd be in continuousc ontactw ith Him. He also makesr t
impossibleto contactw ith Him exceptt hroughH is straightp ath,
I Al -Anbiyaa2 l :25
I Hoo<iI l :26
t AI -An b i y a a 2 l : 1 0 8
30. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
)'7
which the honourable Prophets conveyed. He gave man
intelligencew, hich only becomesu prighta nd functionsp roperly
whenh e believesin Allaah,G lorvb e to Him'
When one has an uprightn ature,a peacefusl oula nd a believing
heart, one achieves happiness, security and peace in this world
and the HereafterB. ut when man refusesa ll that,h e will live in the
alleys of this world disorganiseda nd divideda mong its gods,
ignorant as to who can benefit him or prevent harm from him. lt is
in order that true faith may be establishedin the heart and the
uglinesso f disbeliemf ay be exposedt hatA llaahm akesa parable
- for parablesb ringm eaningsc losert o understandingH. e makes
a parable of a man whose affair is divided between numerous gods
and a man who worships his Lord alone. He, may He be glorified,
says,
'J:'4;i :Li+*
"All6h puts fofth a similitude: a (slave) man belonging to many
partners (like those who worship others along with All6h) disputing
with one another, and a (slave) man belonging entirely to one
master (like those who worship All6h Alone). Are those two equal
in comparison? Allthe praises and thanks are to All6h! But most of
them know not."'
Allaahl ikenst he slavew ho is a polytheistto a slavew ho is owned
by differenta ssociatesa nd over whom they all contendw ith each
other. He is divided among them and every one of them directs him
and assigns responsibilitietso him. He is confuseda mong them
and rs always unstable. He is unable to satisfy their different and
contradictindge sirest hatt ear his energya nd directionsa part.
' Az-7,tntar 39:29
31. 28 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
He also likens the slave who is a monotheist to a slave who rs
owned by a single master. He knows what his master wants and
the assignmentsh e gives him. He is therebyc omfortablea nd
settled on a clear path. Both of these two slaves cannot be equal.
For, one submits to a single master and enjoys the pleasure of
uprightnessk,n owledgea nd certaintya nd the othero ne submitst o
different and disputing masters and is thereby punished ano
distressedH. e is nots tableo n a conditiona nd cannotp leasee ven
one of them let alone all of them.
After proofs on the existence of Allaah, His Lordship and His
exclusive right to be worshipped have become clear, we should
thena cquainot urselvesw ith Hisc reationo f the universea nd man
and knowH isw isdomb ehindt hat
32. Islaam: ItsF oundationsA nd Concepts 29
Creation of the Universe
This universew, ith its heavense, arth,s tars,g alaxiess, eas,t rees
and all livingt hingsa rec reatedf romn on-existencbey Allaah- the
Glorifieda nd ExaltedH e savs,
,rr:iti ,:rtt"ov3, ei r-uii J){t'yti
't
' , , , ' . t , : . . ; i - : . i : -
" . . ' r l ' . ' ! 2 : r . ? r ( - r t " ' ..:-f)J ril-ul ,"J, 4)'ct w-y- a.f-,it;L .S-ilt?, rrfu 15.-1u? l o F
'^-)i
A +'*iW ,'ui W !;t t{i ,,: e'i) W fi L.:;';tiALi 1
q" A,>rr-- {- "fr*i
{ - ; , *IJt ' , . J t
"Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) "Do you verily
disbelieve in Him Who created the earlh in two Days? And you set
up rivals (in worship) with Him? That is the Lord of the 'Alamin
(mankind,| nn and attt hat exisfs,)H. e placed therein( i.e. the earth)
firm mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and measured
therein lfs susfenance (for its dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e. all
these four days were equal in the length of time) for all those who
ask (about its creation) Then He (rose over) lstaw€t towards the
heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earlh: "Come
both of you willingly or unwillingly " They both said: "We come,
wittingty."T hen He completeda nd finishedf rom their creation( as)
seven heavens in two Days and He made in each heaven its affair.
And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to
be an adornment as welt as to guard (from the devils by using
33. 30 Islasm: Its Foundations And Concepts
them as miss/es against the devils). Such is the Decree of Him the
Al l- M ighty. th e All-Kn ower. "1
He also savs.
";i;{i;
r^., u:t+ r45 ,:,'+^:li Li ir; Uitt ; ;:li y
*i-; ,u" ,F ,t;i
lt^: aW uA u-t;.;
- t , - r . .
'r -lJ>q
eiri'nt tu-a:;; -ti ut;;; I) .r-r-ui. fet-l
, ,
4.'.V'tt:l "t* Qyl; Oo
Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the
earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted
them? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they
not then believe? And We have placed on the eafth firm
mountains, lest it should shake with them, and We placed therein
broad highways for them to pass through, that they may be guided.
And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well guarded. yet
they turn away fromits srgrns(i .e. sun,m oon, winds, clouds,e tc.).'2
Allaahc reatedt he universefo r manyg reatp urposesT. herea re tn
everyp arto f it greatw isdoma ndd azzlings rgns.lf you pondero ver
a singles ignt hereofy, ou wrlls eew onders.B eholdt he wonderso f
the creationo f Allaahi n the plantsi n whicha lmoste veryl eaf,s tem
and fruit is full of benefit that human intellect cannot fully
comprehenda nd understandit s details.B eholdt he waterc ourses
of thoset endera ndw eaks tems,w hiche yesc an hardlys eee xcept
by carefulo bservationh, ow they are able to draw water from tne
bottom to the top and the water then moves in those courses
accordingto theira cceptabilitayn d capacitiesl t then breaksi nro
particlesth at cannotb e perceivedb y humane yes.T hen behold
' Fussi la4t l :9-12
' Al -Anbi yaa2 l :30-32
34. Isluam: Its Foundations And Concepts 31
the fruit of a tree and how it moves from a stage to another like the
invinciblem ovemento f the conditionso f a foetus.Y ou see a tree
growing from a mere naked wood with no covering on it, then its
Lord and Creator covers it with leaves in the most beautiful
manner. He then brings out its fruit tender and weak after He has
broughto ut its leaf in ordert o preservei t and make it like ctothing
for that weak fruit so as to protect it against heat, cold and other
harmfulp henomena.H e then providess ustenancefo r these fruits
through their stems and watercoursess o that that can nourish
them,a s an infanti s nourishedb y the milko f its mother.H e then
nurturest he fruitsa nd developst hem untilt hey becomec ompletely
ripe. He therebyb roughto ut that deliciousf ruit out of that lifeless
wooden-likep article.
When you look at the earth and how it was created, you will see
that it is one of the greatests ignso f its Creator.A llaahm akes it a
resting place and as a bed, and subjected it to His slaves. He
makes theirs ustenancep, rovisiona nd sourceso f livelihoodth ere
and created therein for them ways and paths so that they can
move about to meet their needs. He fixed it firmly with mountains
and makest hem as pillarsi n ordert o protecti t againsts haking.H e
flattensi t, extendsi t and spreadsi t, makes it a receptaclefo r the
living that brings them together on its surface and makes it a
receptaclefo r the dead that bringt hem togetheri n its interiora fter
theird eath.l ts surfacei s a placeo f dwellingfo r the livinga nd its
interioris the placeo f abodef or the dead.
Then look at its revolving orbit, with its sun, moon, stars and
zodiacsa nd beholdh ow it continuouslrye volvesa roundt hisw orld
tillt he end of time in thiso rdera nd propers uccessiona nd see the
differencesi n the night, day, seasons,h eat and cold which are
resultso f these wonderfulm ovementsa, nd the benefitst hey give
to all kindso f animalsa ndp lantsa nda llt hate xistso n the earth.
Then reflect over the creation of the heaven and take another look
at it; you will see that it is one of the greatest signs of Allaah in
altitudee. xDansivenesasn d stabilitvT. herei s no pillaru nderneath
35. 32 Isluum: Its Foundations And Concepts
it and therei s no suspendero ver it but held by the infinitep owero f
Allaah which holds the heaven and the earth lest they fall asunder.
When you also look at this universe,t he compositiono f its parts
and its best arrangemen-t that show the perfecto mnipotenceo f
their Creatora nd His perfectk nowledgew, isdoma nd grace- you
will find that it is like a constructede dificei n which all rtst oolsa no
requirementsa re provided.T he heavenw as erectedw ith its roof
raised above it; the earth made like a place of rest and a carpet for
its dwellers;t he sun and moonw hich are like lamps illuminateth e
earth; and the stars which are its lanterns and adornment give
directionst o the travelleri n the paths of the universe.T he iewels
and minerals that are hidden in the earth like prepared treisures
are all made for the purpose that best suits them. All kinds of
plants and animals are also prepared for what they are good for.
Some animals are good for riding, some are good for milking;
some are good for food and some are better used as guards. And
He made man theirc ontrollera nd like an authorisedk inga bovea ll
of them.
lf you also pondero ver this universee itheri n every respecto r in a
parto f it, you will see a lot of wonders.l f you deeplyr eflecta nd you
are sincere with yourself and free yourself from the noose of
whims, capricesa nd blind imitation,y ou will know with certainty
that this universew as createdb y the All-Wise,A ll-powerfual nd All-
Knower, Who measured it in the best manner and arranged it in
the best form. You will atso know with certainty that it is simply
impossiblet hat the Creators hould be two; He is only One Lord
beside Whom there is none other worthy of worship and that hao
there been any other god in the heavens and the earth, their affarrs
would have been corruptedt,h eiro rderd isrupteda nd theirw elfare
broken down.
lf you howeveri nsisto n attributingth e creatronto othersb esidet ne
Creatorw, hatw illy ous ayo f them echanismth atr evolvesa rounda
river whose tools and composrtion have been perfected and
excellentlym easuredt hat the observerd oes not see any defecti n
it or its pictureT. hisr iveri s situatedin the middleo f a longg arden
36. Islaam: Its Foandations And Concepts 33
in whicht herea red ifferenkt indso f fruitst hatg ett heirw aterf rom
this river,a nd therei s in this gardena caretakewr ho bringsi ts
disunitedp artst ogethera nd perfectlyta kes care of it so that
nothingo f it becomesd efecteda nd nothingo f its fruitsb ecomes
decayedT. hisc aretaketrh enp ortionso ut its partst o the outlets
accordintgo man'sn eedsa ndn ecessitiegsi,v inge achg roupw hat
it deserveasn dp ortioninigt o uti n thisw ayc ontinuously.
Will you thens ay thata ll this happenedw ithouth e hando f any
creatorw, hoh asf reedomo f choicea ndi s a plannerW? illy ous ay
thatt hee xistencoef thatm echanisman dg ardenis j usta ccidental
withouat nyc reatoor r plannerC? any oui maginew haty ourr eason
will tell you if all thesew eret o comet o beinga ccidentallyC?a n
you imaginea s to wherey ourr easonw ill directy ou andc ounsel
you about?'
Theu nderlyingre asons:
Aftera ll theser eflectionosv er the creationo f the universew, e
deemi t fit to mentions omeo f ther easonfso rw hichA llaahc reated
theseh ugeb eingsa nda stoundinsgig ns.
1. To subject hem to man:W henA llaahd ecreedt o createa
successoorn t hise arthth atw ouldb ew orshippinHgim a ndi nhabit
the earth;H e createda ll theset hingsf or him,t hath e mighth ave
an uprighlti fea nd havem atterso f his presenlti fea ndt hato f his
finaal bodep utr ighfto rh im.A llaahs ays,
I This sectioni s expungedfr om differentp lacesf ionr the book," Miftaahu
daar is-sa'aadoa t2. 51- 269.
37. 34 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and allthat is in
the eafth; it is atl as a favor and kindness from Him.n
He also says,
,y -, '6_?G',,c: c-ai3 : Jlis u..,{ri o"iAi * ,sfr i'i y
E ;i"-t.;=ii i a &e. <ffine ;i"E Grty'Ai
/"'
t *i" itit';:1 ;Ai
:A,FIJ JJI ;i,A'A3'tl
jrj)l, . i , f z " = . r J - . i q . . i . . - _ i 2 . t i . , . L t t t i ( , , , . r t . 2 : -_t! t6t;! i ji'l{--.4 ls-i; OIt ;}:,:JL L vll^ Ot ftul;i
- - .. a / D t. /
( r'g)it"=- lrt'hJ
'All6hi s He Whoh asc reatedth eh eavensa ndt hee aftha nds ends
down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as
provision for you; and He has made the shrps to be of service to
you, thatt heym ay sailt hroughf he sea by HisC ommanda; nd He
has made rivers (also) to be of service to you. And He has made
the sun and the moon, both constantlyp ursuingt heir courses,f o
be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be
of service to you. And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if
you countt he Blessingso f All6h,n everw ill you be able to count
them. Verily!M an is indeeda n extremew rong-doera, disbeliever
(ane xtremein gratew, hod eniesA ll6h's8 /essrngbs y disbeliefa,n d
by worshippingo thersb esrdesA ll6h,a nd by di2obeyingA lldha nd
HisP ropheMt uhammad(p eaceb e uponh im)).'"
2. To maket he heavensa nd the eartha nd all that is in the
universep roofso f Allaah'sL ordshipa nd signso f His Oneness.
Becauset,h e greatestth ingi n thisl ife,i s to affirmt he Lordshipo f
Allaaha nd His OnenessA. nd becauseo f the fact that.i t is the
' Al -Jaathiya4h5 :l 3
2 lbraaheem1 4.32-34
'gt
38. Islaam: Its Foundotions And Concepts 35
greatest matter, Allaah has established in its support greatest
evidencesa nd signsa nd provedi t with the mostc onvincingp roofs.
So, Allaah created the heavens, the earth and all other beings to
maket hem evidencesfo r that.T hat is why statementsli ke," Among
His srgns" are mentioned in the abundance like in the following
verses.
a r -
4u.l{i ?';-ui Jtt -:;-t; us )
"And amongH ls SrErnlss fhe creationo f the heavensa nd the
eafth."
4 zQi;,FV*c '*'r; a:
"And among Hrs Srgns is the sleep that you take by night and by
day."
, r r l - i . , 1 . , ,
' . . a i ' ) ' , - ' .
t t'4JaJ tif OrCt e=.t-t -a:+te glJ f
"And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, for fear
and for hope."
| . a a - J ' , t . a .
4 ':rJ6tr:Cat f* 6t '1;'l; asb
"Anda mongH is Srgrnlss fhaft he heavensa nd the earths tandb y
His Command."'
3. To make them evidenceso f the existenceo f the Day of
Resurrectiosni,n cet hel ifei s twol ivesa, lifeo f thisw orlda nda life
' Ar-Roorn3 0:22-25
39. 36 Islaam: Its Foundations,And Concepts
of the Hereaftert hought he life of the Hereafteris the real.A llaah
says,
. a ' t
.v
t , . - . i ' i
i'll c--tl
'r;-ti
{r Wi1
. l
s.P c5Y
:+-
, t . . - / ' i " i l t .
( ,':r: .-r.,jp.lr? ttJu-
"And this life of the world is only amusement and ptay! Verily, the
home of the Hereafter - that is the life indeed (i.e., the eternat life
that will never end), if they but knew."I
This is because the home of the Hereafter is the home of
recompense and reckoning and there is there eternal bliss for
those who deserve it and eternal torment for those who deserve it.
Since man cannot reach that home except after he dies and is
resurrected;it s existencei s denied by those whose relationship
with their Lord has been cut, whose nature has suffered a relapse
and whoses enseo f reasoningh as beend amaged.l t is becauseo f
this that Allaah established proofs and evidences in order that
souls might believe and hearts might have conviction; for
reproductiono f the soul is much easiert han its first creationa nd
the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the
reproductiono f man.A llaahs avs,
t
'+'
j!.i ,^t ,1.;-I ,tt;Ji i"+ s. *i y
"AndH e it is Whoo riginatesth e creationt,h erywilrl epeati t (afteri t
hasb eenp erisheda) nd thisr 'se asierf or Him.'"
He also says,
' Al-Ankaboot2g:64
2 Ar-Room 30:27
40. Islaam: Its Foundotions And Concepts 37
! r6i ;oi ,*S ,'Ai O.t{i.2,'e-:ti ,p V
. t - . , .
t::l ).}.!l
"The creation of the heavens and the eafth is indeed greater than
thec reationo f mankindv. et mosto f mankindk nown ot."l
He also says,
- : . . t i ,47 ,
CJ t9+r 4irr f
,-4 SG;,i <ji w. ;tri';'j' ,# Ft 6A?5 ',ziit*Ai
t t l 4':t>'o*;'&t
"All6h is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you
can see. Then, He rose above (lstawd) the Throne (really in a
manner fhat suifs His Majesty). He has subjected the sun and the
moon (to continue going round), each running (its course) for a
term appointed. He regulates all affairs; explaining the Ay6t
(proofs, evidences, yerses, /essons, signs, revelations, etc.) in
detail,^that you may believe with ceftainty in the meeting with your
Lord.'*
After all this O man! lf this entire universe has been subjected to
you and all its signs and proofs have been shown to you, you will
testify that there is no Lord worthy of worship except Allaah Alone
Who has no partner.W hen you have knownt hat your resurrection
and life after death is easier than the creation of the heavens and
the earth, that you shall meet your Lord Who will call you to
account for your deeds and you have known that all this universe
I Ghaaf i r4 0:57
t Ar-Ra'd l3:2
*L:J | ,'.i,;
41. 38 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
worships its Lord that all His creatures glorify their Lord with
praisesa s confirmedb y Allaah,
/ ,-, z.i
.i :t7 ! ,i.: ,,1: i :r .- . z rl ,. . t
{ :,t. -=!cl-t J;)t ,J-J|A1 .:-ttli ;,r)i 4 t4 ,>''931 C Y * &;-y
"Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the eafth
glorifies Allah, the King (of everything), the Holy, the All-Mighty, the
Att-Wise."1
That,t hey all prostratefo r His Majestya s He says,
';a1
3Ai, u.r'lt g;p3,->,'9^aai n ,:"i. .J'-f-fi:ir ri ,r ,i y
"crii
*:; -si o1i G"i4,L. rittii';uii Jaji i$ii
"See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the
earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the
mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawab (moving (iving)
creatures, beasfs,), and many of mankind prostrate themselves to
Allah. But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is
iustified. And whomsoeverA ll6h^disgraces,n one can honor him.
Verily! Allah does what He wills.''
Even these beings worship their Lord in a way that suits them as
explainedb y Allaahi n this verse,
I Al -Jumu'ah6 2: l 'at.lr.aiizz:tt
'
) t ' i , - : , 4 1 ' - .
-z," t '. ,v.r. , ral L+J a! | .v' r*- v .. J tI
42. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
lL i "S-;-i* fuii *r{tr,.r"*ai a c*n
39
'4"^i lii ; ii V
"See you not (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) that All6h, He it
is Whom glorify whosoever is in the heavens and the eafth, and
the birds with wings out-spread (in their flight). Ot each one He
(AlEh) knows indeed hls Sa/df (prayer) and his glorification, (or
everyone knows hls Sa/df (prayer) and his glorification)."'
lf your entire body does actually work in order according to the
decreeo f Allaaha nd His regulationt:h e heart,t he lungs,t he liver
and all otherp artso f the bodys ubmita nds urrendertoth eirL ord...
Will your optional decision after all this be between belief in your
Lord and disbeliefi n Him?W ill your decisionb e antipathyt owards
and deviation from this blessed path of the world around you and
even of your body?
Actually,t he completelys ane man will considerh imselff ar above
choosing antipathy and deviation in the vastness of this great
universe.
I An-Noor 24:41
43. 40 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
Creating and Honouring Man
It was a decision of Allaah to create a creature that could inhabit
this universea nd His choicef ello n man. lt is also in accordance
with His Divine Wisdom that the matter from which man was
created was the earth. He originated his creation from clay and
thenm ouldedh im on this beautifusl hapet hat he has now.W hen
he has becomec ompletelyp erfecti n that shape,H e breathedl ife
Into him through His Spirit (Angel Jibreel -Gabriel) and He made
him become man in the best form; provided him with the abilitv to
hear, see, move and speak. Then his Lord made him live rn
Paradise,t aught him all that he neededt o know, made lawfulf or
him all that was in Paradise and forbade him from a sinqle tree -
as a test for him.
Allaah wanted to show man's position and standing; so He
commanded His Angels to prostrate for him. All of the Angels
prostrated but Satan arroganfly and obstinately refused to
prostrate.S o Allaah becamea ngryw ith him for his disobedience
and expelledh im from His Mercyb ecauseo f his arroganceS. atan
asked Allaah to extend his life and give him respite till the Day of
Resurrection. So, Allaah extended his life till the Dav of
Resurrection
Satanb ecamee nviouso f Adam becauseo f the preferenceh e and
his children were given over him. He swore by His Lord that he
would mislead all the children of Adam, that he would come to
them from their front and rear, and from their left and from their
righte xceptt he sincere,p iousa nd truthfuls laveso f Allaaha mong
them,f or suchA llaahh as protecteda gainstt he evil planso f Satan.
Allaah warned Adam of the evil plan of Satan, but Satan tempted
Adam and his wife Hawwa in order to get them out of paradise ano
to uncover for them that that was hidden from them of their orivate
parts. He swore by Allaah to them that he was a srncere well-wisherf
or them and that Allaah had not forbiddent hem from that
tree save they should become angels or become of the immortals.
44. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
4 l
Having been influenced by the deception of Satan, Adam and
Hawwa ate of the forbidden tree and the first punishment that
afflictedth em for theird isobedienceo f Allaah'sc ommandw as that,
which that was hidden from them of their private parts became
exposeda nd Allaahr emindedt hem of His warninga boutt he tricks
of Satan.
Adam then sought for the forgiveness of his Lord. So Allaah
forgaveH im, acceptedh is repentancec, hose him and guidedh im.
He then ordered him to descend from the Paradise where he was
living, to the earth wherein there was his abode and his enjoyment
for a time. He also told him that it was from earth that he was
created, that on it he would live and die and that !t is from it that he
would be resurrected.
Adam and his wife Hawwa then descended to the earth and their
childrenp rocreateda nd they all used to worshipA llaah,b ecause
their father Adam was a Prophet. Allaah tells us this story in the
gloriousQ ur'aanw hereH e says,
- i ' - t
" t t . 7 - ; - : , " , , , - i t - r t , " 2 : - s ' o t , - t ' - . ' r :
"e
i! r]r*--3 p:) l.e.r*;t is.fi"ll- t B t frf r* i " " i .
"!i F
1l,.ril. , . : " . , ' - ' i : . . t - : t , t . , . . . . . . . ' . z i - - 2 - - i Jtr JX;l 5l r--J ll..:1't t- Jt-ii!) a_t-)-:!At d/._,fu ) H)
i . , i r 1 . , . i , . " r . " . , . ' , t . - . ' , . , t - " . i . t . ' r -
Ol .rU otsv L.r qy L."r'U JLi ':ltt,* J. 'a;Art * s: ,tsil- ^'a -;;
. . . . ' . . , . . : - . c-[] Ju '.t"6, ;-la-rr2J IU], Jti :D rt"],-Aie ,tL) i;u W ;5i
. : t ' i a . : , 1 . . t 1 ' 1 1 - . - t :
"
, " 1
e :!.' 6:;;'.:*lt
gL'/" p trr;) e?t Li9 Jt i:!) cp-lh:Jl ;
w t** & Lt; us"t1r-i tiri.- q, tli J6 r31 3.6i
'1,t ^r; * ; <K'tei eLi:t .t"i ki ii6J; r1'3'*); i :.<.
45. 42 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
cl A#.,iu.ni Ct a*i ;D',gLsi j, vr<t t';Ai y- p
6i-'j1i**j :y u" ti?i tka u Js'r4 r* o, c+-eG ,j (
;Ab rt;,+ u+i ui',* Ci a- rvAi st: tJ'/+ siii
'ol 6 ,*ii ;ei ,;* * k;i if 1; c+tui"-4-i 4:i or
u^;;, a '*; i obu -:Lir * t,J:l r! ,?=)"q.3iL,: K jJ:hi
,r) c F3
e . t . . . " , r , 2 t . " . i i " . , ! , , . , . - . i . - 1 : L . i Je ud.>4r, lqb^.al JU :,;fi g_74;Jl U UF
, . J - . - . I t . - a
{ ::!) i;} q4ii;* t<+:i't+ wJ6;!) f J) yi"";u
And surely, We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you
shape (the noble shape of a human being); then We told the
angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam", and they prostrated
themselves, except lblis (Satan), he refused to be of those who
prostrated themselves. (NEh) said: "What prevented you (O lblis)
that you did not prostrate yourself, when I commanded you?" lbtis
said: "l am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and
him You created from clay." (NIeh) said. "(O lblis) get down from
this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you
are of those humiliated and disgraced." (lblis) said: "Allow me
respite till the Day they are raised up (i.e. the Day of
Resurrectrbn)." (All6h) said: "You are of those resplted." (tbtis)
said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait
against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will
come to them from before them and behind them, from their right
and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankfut
ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You) " (Neh) said (to tbtis) "Get
out from this (Paradise) disgraced and expelled. Whoever of them
(mankind) will follow you, then surety I wiil fiil Heil with you att."
"And O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradisea, nd eat thereof
46. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts 43
as you both wish, but approach not this tree othervvisey ou both will
be of the Zdtim1n( unjusta nd wrong-doers)."T hen Shaitdn( Satan)
whispered suggesflons to them both in order to uncover that which
was hidden from them of their privafe parts (before); he said: "Your
Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or
become of the immortals." And he (Shaitdn (Satan)) swore by All6h
to them both (saying): "Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers
for you both." So he misled them with deception. Then when they
tasfed of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame
(private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover
fhemse/ves with the leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their
shame). And their Lord called out to them (saying): "Did I not forbid
-yuonut oth at tree and tell you: Verily, Shaitdn (Satan) is an open enemy
you?" They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. lf
You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall
certainty be of the /osers. ' (Aileh) said: "Get down, one of you an
enemy to the other (i.e. Adam, HawwA' (Eve), and Shaltdn (Satan))
On earth witl be a dwelling-place for you and an enioyment for a
time." He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die,
and from it you shall be brought out (i.e. resurrected)."'
Considert he greatnesso f Allaah'sw ork in man. He createdh im in
the best form, clothed him with traits of honour like intellect,
knowledgee, loquence,a rt of speaking,b eautifufl igure,m oderate
body, ability to acquire knowledge through analogical deduction
and thinking and ability to acquire noble characteristicsli ke,
righteousnessa,c ts of obediencea nd submissionto Allaah.F ar is
his conditionw hileh e wasj ust a drop of spermk epti n the womb of
his motherf rom his creationw hilet he Angelw ill enter upon him in
the Paradise.
(,'C cn- r,r;i ;i'Ai tr(','l
I Al -A' r a a7f : l l - 2 5
47. Islaam: Its Foundations And C,
"So b/essed be Atl6h, the Best of Creators."l
This world is a villagea nd man is its inhabitantA. ll is preoccupied
becauseo f him and all is made to work for his interestsA. ll oiher
creatures are made to serve him and provide for his needs. The
angels are charged to protect him during day and night. Those of
them.who are charged with provision of rain and pllnts strive to
provideh im with his sustenanceo; rbitsa re made to surrendert o
him and revolve in his services; the sun, moon and stars are all
subjected to move in line with his time reckoning and for the
bettermenot f his fooda rrangementT. he aerialwortow itn its winds,
clouds,b irdsa nd all that it containsi s also subjectedt o him. so is
the lower world with all its seas and rivers, its trees and fruits. its
plantsa nd animalsa nda llthati s in it.A llaahs ays,
' " l : ' - ' - ' r r i - ' r . . t . . . - i ; i - . . - zi - i - . ' i , t -
,y ', (_Pv',t' ,l*, 4 oJ'J.f)tr1 9"2:^JJl dI; cj+Jl tii )
' ? i ' L ' . ^ * ^ ' ' r . : - i i - 1 t z - , r - i - , . . - * - i 1 , r - . d.r F-i -:fV 4t O 64 <-u;rEr ;i iKl u.,;, r'Ai
. = . n - v r r i - i ' 1 1 ' 2 i . ' . - -o - . , - . - ' - i f . . 1 , - t t ) i , . . - :T itillj JJr -<t r-_, eH.t) r4-artrr- *-.Jt E *i (:D ifry1
. l ' /
ir-"), ,_r! l^raa j ,iJtj^^! ts^i; olj ;;jL t_ J4 n 6i,ri
. - . . /
{ ;1Ei,k}= - t!-hJ
"Alldh is He who has created the heavens and the earth and sends
down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as
provision for you; and He has made the shrps to be of service to
you, that they may sail through fhe sea by His Command; and He
has made rivers (also) to be of service to you. And He h?s ffiade
the sun and the moon, both constantty pursuing their courses, to
be of seruice to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be
of service to you. And He gave you of att that you asked for, and if
you count the Blessings of All6h, never will you be abte to count
' Al-Mu'minoon23:14
48. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
45
them. Verily! Man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, a disbeliever
(an extreme ingrate, who denies Allah's 8/esslngs by disbelief, and
by worshipping others besides All6h, and by disobeying All6h and
His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him))."'
To complete His honour on man, He created for him all that he
needs in his worldly life and all that he needs that can make him
attaint he highestp ositionsi n the Hereafter.H e as such, revealed
to him His Booksa nd sent to him His Messengerse xplainingto
himt he Lawo f Allaaha nd callingh im untoi t.
Then Allaah created for him from his own self - meaning from
Adam himself- a wife,s o that he mighte njoyt he pleasureo f living
with her, in response to his natural needs, be it psychological,
intellectual and physical. He then found with her comfort,
tranquillity and stability and both of them found in their
togethernessp eace,c ontentednessl,o ve and mercy;b ecauseo f
their physical,p sychologicaal nd nervous composition,b oth of
them are made to respond to the desires of each other and both
are made to be in harmony in the process of producing new
generationsT. he soulso f botha re enrichedw itht hesef eelingsa nd
their relationshipi s filled with comfort for the soul and nerves,
peacef or the body and mind,s tabilityf or the life and subsistence,
familiaritfyo r soulsa nd consciencea nd a tranquillitfyo r the man
and woman on an equal basis.
Allaaht hen choset he believersa mongm ankinda nd madet hem
his frrends.H e madet hem obey Him and work for Him accordingto
his Laws in ordert o make them qualifyt o live in His Paradise.H e
chosea mongt hem ProphetsM, essengerss, aintsa nd martyrsa nd
blessed then in this world with the best favour that human souls
can enjoy:w orshippingA llaah,o beyingH im and supplicatintgo
him. He also distinguishetdh em with greatf avours- that others
cannotg et - amongw hicha re: peace,t ranquillitayn d happiness,
and greater than all this is the fact that they know the truth that was
broughtb y the Messengerasn d believei n it.A llaaht henk eepsf or
I Ibraaheernl4 :32-34
49. 46 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
them - in the Hereafter- the everlastingb lissa nd great success
that befit His generosityg, loryb e to Him. He will atso rewardt heir
beliefi n Him and theirs incerityto Hima ndw illg ivet hemm oreo ut
of His Bounty.
The position of woman:
In lslaam,t he womani s accordeda high positionw, hichs he was
not accordedi n any of the previousr eligionsa nd which no nation
will accord her but lslaam. This is because, both man and woman
on equalb asiss haret he honourt hat lslaamc onferredo n mankind.
Humans are equal before rules of Allaah in this world as they will
be equala s regardsH is rewarda nd recompenseo n the Last Day.
Allaah says,
"And indeed, We have honoured the chitdren of Adam."1
He also says,
914'ii! '; ti L+i ,s;ts; o]j.fii 9t4-;,!i;
/ / ' ' i l ' -
( i-,:,jjlj
"There is a share for men and a share for women from what is teft
by parents and those nearest retated.'2
' AI - lsraal 7:70.
2A n-Nisaa 4: 7
4.i:r; A, Lf tdt o y
6 e.ei Jt;1). y
6ii t" 33y
50. Isluam: Its Foundations And Concepts 47
"And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards
living expensess) lml/ar( to thoseo f their husbandso) ver them (as
regardso bediencea nd respectt)o whati s reasonable."'
/ . ' t i , r . f . t t , . ' | ' . . t i i . ' t ' . t l i ,
,$ u4r.t ;Q)l
-ie-b-r'. c*-'t)tt Of i"Jl : Y
t
"The betievers, men and women are Auliy6' (helpers, suppofters,
friends,p rotectorso) f one another.'"
(t" e;;t il'it; Ltil..llr;',n1 i, 4: ;es'o Y
lt 4 Ai r-';;t Si*i-;f Jii >n r;U tiUei e:i
ci;-i -,,j *i *:'ti b J:ri tvt ,:4 6a-it,@ ('"f
, , o r t . . . 1 . 1 . 1 . ' 4 :+=)t'r i-p rtq.i G{
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him And
thaty ou be dutifult o your parentsl.f one of themo r botho f them
attaino td agei n your life,s ayn ot to thema wordo f disrespecnt,o r
shouat t themb ut addressth emi n termso f honourA. ndl oweru nto
them a wing of submissiona nd humilityt hroughm ercy, and say;
'My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up
when I was young.u
'V, ! .,r i+i i+r r,t+;tr F
, , : l - i . t 2 l - ' : t , - " - - ' i . . r ' i . i i ^
{ ('i;i ft J 6" ** ,Y
' Al-Baqarah2:228
2A t -Tawbah9 :71
t Al-lsraa 17:23-24.
51. Islaam: Its Foundations And C,
"So their Lord accepted their supptication and answered them
(saying); 'Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he
male or female.'1
tf)- fs ; tt+; J+ cf > . t - , : t : . i
t a . . t t : , . - t
'4+--.D
*s ,;;t 5t
, = - , , . - - , , ( Lg--;" t . ' , . - - a t . . , t t , . o'^a l;la L. J;L, .^ii ;<-_i!;
"whoever works righteousness- whetherm ale or female- while he
(or she) is a true believer (of rslamic Monotheism) veriry, to him we
will give a good life (in this wortd with respect, contentment and
lavvful provision), and we shail pay them ceftainly a reward in
propottion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. paradise in the
Hereafter).2
olI;' . i l J:.' . ' ' : rtsit-, : , - i , l a a zt *. ' i . . '
' q Uy &i :i a . .+t n,:,-Lt/:i o "S;,a_ _r_r)j
4 ri) t4 t AL:. ,ti'tai
"And whoever does righteous good deeds, mate or female, and is a
(true) believer (in the oneness of Aildh (Muslim)) such will enter
Paradisea nd not the least injusticee, ven to the sizeo f a specko n
the back of a date-stone, will be done to them.',3
This honourt hatt he womane njoysi n lslaamh as no equali n any
other religion,c reed or law. Roman civilizationh ad it established
thatw omans houldb e a slavea nd a subordinatoef man and that
she-shoulda bsolutelyh as no rightsa t all. Therew as even a great
conferencei n Rome where affairso f the woman were discuised.
The conclusionr eacheda t the conferencew as that, the woman
' Aal - lmraan 3: l95
t An-Nahl l6: 97
3A n-Nisaa4 : 124
52. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts 19
was a lifelessb einga nd as such couldn ot have sharei n the life of
the Hereaftear nd that she was impure.
In Athens, woman used to be regarded as a scrap. She would be
sold and bought like any other commodity and she was being
regardeda n abominationo f Satan'sh andiwork.
According to the ancient lndian statutes, the plague, death, hell,
poison of serpents and fire are better than woman. Her right to live
used to end with the death of her husband - who was regarded as
her master. When she saw the corpse of her husband being burnt,
she must throw herself into it and if she did not, she would be
accursed.
As for Judaism,t he followingju dgementw as passedo n her in the
Old Testament.
"l applied mine heart to know and to search and to seek out the
wisdom and the reason of things and to know the wickedness of
folly even of foolishnessin madness..a nd I find more bittert han
death the woman and whose hearth is snares and nets and her
handsa s bandsw hosop leasethG od shalle scapef rom hellb ut the
sinner shall be taken bv her."'
Such was the conditiono f woman in the ancientt imes.A s for
medievala nd contemporaryt imes, the followinge vents explain
that.
I Ecclesiaste1s: 25-26.It is knownt hatt he Old Testamenits halloweda nd
believedi n by botht heC hristiansa ndt heJ ews.
Note: Christianso f pasta nd presenta gesh allow the two testamentbs ut
nowadayst,h ey only regardt he old testamenat s a holy book which they
are not obliged to follow. As for the Jews, they never regard the New
Testarnenat s a holy book for they never believedi n the Prophet[ i.e.
Jesuslt o whorni t is ascribed=. AA.
53. Islaam: Its Foundations And C,
The Danish writer, Wieth Kordsten explained the position of the
CatholicC hurcha s regardsw oman when he said, ,,Duringth e
medieval times, the concern that was had for European woman
was very limited and this is in conformity with the view of the
Catholic creed that used to regard woman as a second-class
human being."
In France,a conferencew as held in the year 586 A.D. where the
issue of woman was discussed as to whether she should be
regarded as a human being or not. At the end of the discussion,
the discussantsc oncludedt hat she was a human being but that
she was created for the service of man.
ln French law, article 217 says; "The married woman- even if her
marriage is based on separation between her right of ownership
and that of her husband-s houldn ot give anyoneo wnershipo f
anythingo f her propertyw ith or withoutc ompensatione xceptw ith
the participationo f her husbandi n the transactiono r his written
consent to that."
In England,H enry the Vlll prohibitedth e Englishw oman from
reading the Holy Book, until 1850, women were not considered
citizenso f Englanda nd up till1 882,t heyh adn o personalrights.l
As for the conditiono f woman in contemporaryE urope,A merica
and otheri ndustrianl ations,s he is regardeda s a commonc reature
that shouldb e utilizedf or commerciapl urposesf,o r she is a part of
commerciala dvertisementT. his has even reached a situation
where she is strippedn aked in ordert o advertisec ommoditieso n
her body.H er bodya nd honourh aveb ecomed esecratedb asedo n
regulationsla id down by men in order to make her an object of
enloymenet verywhere.
The contemporaryw oman is an abject of care and attentiona s
longa s she is ablet o give out her wealth,i ntelligencaen d body.
But when she becomes old and loses her means of giving, the
' Si lsi latum uqaaranataidl yaan- Dr . AhmadS halaby3 1210-213
54. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
51
society individuallya nd collectivelya bandons her and she lives
lonelyi n herh ouseo r in the sanatorium.
Compare the above - although they cannot be equal - with what
the NobleQ ur'aans ays,
t . " . r i . t - , t - t t . . . , . . , t 1 1 - . - t - . r f i . ;
(-.fr-? ;t!^gt g-6-.ar4 :.r:'.t-tt OtJi4tt,
"Theb elieversm, en and womena re Auliya'f telpers, suppofters,
friends,p rotectorso)f onea nother."'
, . ...1.1 , - ' , ' .oi t,, . t i . ,
4.qtFV,J#' 6rtJt ,-F: #s f
"And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards
tiving expenses) slml/ar (to those of their husbands) over them (as
regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable.'"
"Andy our Lord hasd ecreedt haty ou worshipn oneb ut Him.A nd
thaty ou be dutifult o your parents.lf one of them or both of them
attaino ld age in your life, say not to them a wordo f disrespectn, or
shouta t themb ut addressth emi n termso f honourA. nd loweru nto
them a wing of submisslon and humility through mercy, and say;
' At -Tawbah9 :71
2 Al-Baqarah2:228
55. 52 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
'My Lordl Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up
when I was young.'t
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And
that you be dutiful to your parents. lf one of them or both of them
attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor
shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto
them the wing 'My of submr'sslona nd humility through mercy, and say: Lord! Bestow on them your mercy as they did bring me up
when I was young."
WhileA llaahh onoursw oman,H e makesi t cleart o all mankindth at
He created her to be mother, wife, daughter and sister; and
ordainedf or these roles, special regulationsth at are peculiart o
her.
'Al - lsraa1 7:23-24.
' Al-lsraall :23-24
56. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
Why was man created?
53
It has been discussedi n the previousc haptert hat,A llaahc reated
Adam and created for him his wife, Hawwa and made them live in
Paradise. Then Adam disobeyed his Lord and later sought for His
forgivenessA. llaaht hen acceptedh is repentancea nd guidedh im.
Allaah then ordered him to go orit of the Paradise and descend
unto the earth. Allaah, glory be Him and He be exalted has in that,
a wisdomw hich human intelligenccea nnotp erceivea nd which
theirt onguec annotd escribe.W e are goingt o mentionh ere some
of thosew isdomsa ndu nderlyinrge asons.
1. Allaahc reatedt he creationfo r the purposeo f worshippinHg im.
He says,
- t t " . a . i a a ? ' , " . .
t I) o-r't='J- )l ;)lj Jtt c--hJ; ui ,
"And | (AlEh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they
should worship Me (Alone)."'
It is also knownt hat the perfectiono f the worshipt hat is requiredo f
man cannot take place in the abode of bliss and eternity but in the
abodeo f trialsa nd tribulationT. he abodeo f eternityi s that of bliss,
not that of tests and commandments.
2. Allaahw antedt o take amongm ankindP rophetsM, essengers,
friend and martyrs whom He would love and who would love Him.
He then left them alone with his enemies and put them to trial by
them. So when they preferred Him above all other things and
sacrificedt heir lives and propertiesi n order to gain His pleasure
and love, they attained of His love and pleasure what they could
not havea ttainedw ithoutt hat initiallyS. o the statuso f prophethood
and martvrdomi s of the best deqreesb eforeA llaaha nd could not
' Adh-Dhaar iyaa5tl : 56
57. 54 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
have attained that except by the way decreed by Allaah that
Aadama nd his offspringh ad to descendt o the earth.
3. Allaah is the only True and Evident King. The King is the One
Who commandsa nd forbids,r ewardsa nd punishesd; isgracesa nd
honours;s trengthensa nd debases.A llaah'ss overeigntyth erefore
necessitatesth at he sendsA dam and his offspringt o an abode in
which the rules of sovereigntyw ill be implementedo n them and
then move them to an abode where there is reward for all that they
did.
4. Allaah created Adam from a handful of all soils of the earth: and
there is good and bad and low and high in the land. Allaah knows
that there are among - the children of Adam - those who are
unsuitable to stay with Him in His House; therefore, He made
Adam descendt o an abode where He distinguishesb etweent he
good and bad ones. Then Allaah chose for them two distinct
abodes:H e madet he righteouso nes dwellerso f His Abode( made
them enter Paradise), and made the evil ones dwellers of the
abode of misery (Hell-Fire).
5. To Allaah belongt he BeautifulN ames.A mong His Names are:
Al-Ghafoor( the Oft-Forgiving)A, r-Raheem( the Most-Gracious).
Al-Afuww( Oft-PardoningA),l -Haleem( Most-ForbearingS).i ncet he
impacts of these names must manifest, the Wisdom of Allaah
necessitatetsh atA dam and his childrenm ustd escendt o an abode
where the impacts of the Beautiful Names of Allaah could
materialiseo n them. So that He might forgivew hoeverH e wills,
have mercy on whomever He wills, pardon whosoever He wills and
forbear for whosoever He wills and other different ways in which
His Namesa nd Attributesc an be manifest.
6. Allaahc reatedA dam and his childrenf rom a compositionth at is
naturally inclined to good and evil, responsive to the causes of
lustsa nd temptationsa nd to the causeso f reasona nd knowledge.
He created in him reason and lust and created in both necessary
factorss o that His Will might be accomplisheda nd that He might
show to His slaves His greatnessi n Wisdom,M ight;a nd His
58. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
f,f,
Mercy, Kindness and Benevolence in His Authority and
Sovereignty. He then, out of His Wisdom sent Adam and his
children to the earth so that the test might take place therein and
impacts of man's preparedness for these factors and his
responsivenestso them might become manifest,a nd Allaah may
then use that basis to award honour or disgrace to whom it is due.
7. Belief in the Unseen is the useful belief. As for the belief in the
seen, everyonew ill belreveo n the Day of Resurrectionl.f people
were createdi n the Abodeo f Bliss( Paradise)t,h ey would not have
attained the degree of belief in the Unseen that ends in enjoyment
and honour. lt is for this reason that Allaah sent them to the abode
in whicht hey couldh aveo pportunityto believei n the Unseen.
8. Allaah wants by that, to show His slaves on whom He has
bestowed His favour, the perfection of that favour and its greatness
so that they might thank Allaah and love Him the most and have
the fullest enjoyment of the bliss, which Allaah has bestowed on
them. Allaah therefore,s hows them what He did to His enemies
and the punishmentth at He has preparedf or them.H e also makes
them witness the highest kinds of bliss, which He has bestowed on
them, so that their joy might increase. This is an aspect of
completrngH is favourso n them.T herefore,t o make them achieve
all this, He must send them to the earth, put them to test and then
make whosoever He wills to succeed out of mercy and kindness
fromH im,a nd disgracew hosoeveHr e willsa mongt hemo uto f His
wisdoma ndj usticef,o r He is All-KnowerA, ll-Wise.
9. Allaah wants Adam and his children to go back to the Paradise
while they are in the best state. So before they enter it, He wants to
make them taste of the hardship,s orrowa nd distresso f the world
so that the valueo f enteringP aradisei n the Hereafterw ill be great
in their gstimationf,o r it is the oppositeo f an objectt hat shows its
beauty.'
' See:M iftaahd aaris-Sa'aadaIh / 6-l I
59. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
After the origin of man has been made clear, it is now appropriate
to explain his need for the true relioion.
60. Isloam: Its FoundationsA nd Concepts 57
Man's Need for Religion
Man's need for religion is greater than his need for other
necessitteso f life. For, man must know the things that please
Allaah as well as those that displease Him. He must also carry out
activitiesth at can bringh im benefitsa nd otherst hatc an avertf rom
him harm. So, it is the DivineL aw that distinguishesb etweent he
deeds that benefit and those that bring harm. That is Allaah's
justice in Hrs creation and His Light among His servants and it is
not possible for people to live without Divine Law with which they
can differentiateb etween what they should do and what they
should not do.
lf man actuallyh as a will,h e mustt hen knoww hat he wants.D oes
he want what will benefit him or what will harm him? Does he want
what will reform him or what will corrupt him? Some people know
this naturallys, ome know it througha pplicationo f theirs enseo f
reasoninga nd some yet do not know it exceptt hroughe xplanation
by the Messengerasn dt heirg uidance.'
However the atheistic and materialistic thoughts may be
widespread and adorned; and ideologies and theories thrive,
individualsa nd societiesw ill neverd o withoutt rue religion.F or
thesei deologiecsa n neverp rovidefo r man'ss pirituaal nd physical
needs. And the more man goes deeper in them, the more he is
convinced that they cannot glve him security nor satiate his thirst
andt hatt het ruer eligionis unavoidable.
ErnestR inans aid," Allt hingst hatw e holdd earc an dwindlea, nd
freedomo f usingo ne'si ntelligencek,n owledgea nd expertisec an
becomew orthless.B ut it is impossiblefo r religiont o be effaced.l t
wiil rather remain a living proof on the futility of material ideology
I SeeA t -Tadmur iyyahb y Shaykhul - lslaamIb n Taymiyyahp .213-214,
andM i f taahud aar is-Sa'aad2a /h 3 83
61. 58 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
thatw antst o restricmt an intod espicablnea rrowso f the earthly
life."1
Muhammad Fareed Wajdee said: "lt is impossible for religious
thinkingt o vanish,f or it is the highesta nd noblesto f humanm ind,s
inclinationsn, ot to mention the fact that it is an inclinationt hat
elevates man. Rather than dwindle, this inclination shall be
increasingR. eligiousn atureo f manw illa lwaysp ursueh ima s long
as he can discernw hat is beautifual nd what is uglya nd this nature
shall continue to increase in him according tg sublimity of his
mentalfacultieasn d progressin hisk nowledge."'
So if man keeps away from his Lord, it is through the sublimity of
his mental faculties and wideness of his knowledge that he
recognizesth e greatnesso f his ignorancea bouth is Lorda nd what
is due to Him, and his ignorance of his own self, what is good for
him and what is harmful to him; what gives him happiness and
what will causeh im misery.H e will also recogniseh is ignoranceo f
scientific details like astronomy, science of galaxies, reckoning,
nuclear sciences and so forth. lt is then that the world will abandon
the stage of delusion and arrogance to that of humility and
submissiona nd then believet hat there is behindt hese sciencesa
knowledgeablea nd Wise One and that there is behindt he nature
an Able Creator.T his realityw ill then forcet he impartiasl cholart o
believe in the unseen, to surrender to the upright religion and to
respond to the call of natural instinct. But when man withdraws
from this path, his nature will relapse and he will come down to the
level of dumb animals.
We concludef rom all the above, that the true religiosity- that
dependso n beliefi n the Onenesso f Allaaha nd performinga cts of
worshipa ccordingt o His injunctions- is a necessarye lemento f
life, so that man actualizes through that, his servitude to Allaah,
Lordo f all the worldsa nd attaint hrought hat,h appinessa nd safety
from destruction,h ardship and misery. lt is also necessaryf or
' SeeA d-Deenb y MuhamrnadA bdul lahD araazp .87.
t tbid. 88.
62. Islsam: Its Foundations And Concepts
59
perfectingth e theoreticaal ptitudei n man. lt is only throughi t that
the intellectual hunger can be satiated, and its highest goals
attained.
Equally,r eligioni s a necessarye lementf or purificationo f the soul
and refinemenot f emotionapl ower,f or nobles entimentsfi nd in the
religiona n abundants pacea nd a springw hosew ater does not dry
up wheren obles entimentsfi ndt heirg oalsa ttained.
It is a necessarye lementf or the perfectiono f will power because
of the support it gives it through great impetus and major means of
resistinge lementso f desPair.
In view of this, if there are some who say that man is civil by
nature,w e must also say:" Man is religiousb y nature",f or man has
two powers: scientific speculative power and will power. His
completeh appinessd ependso n perfectingh is scientifica nd will
power and the perfection of his scientific power cannot take place
exceptb y knowingt he following:
1. Knowing the True Lord Who is the Creator and the Provider,
Who createdm an from nothingnessa nd bestowedo n him favours.
2. KnowingH is Names and Attributesa nd all that is due to Him
and understandintgh e impactso f theseN ameso n His slaves.
3. Knowingt he way that leadst o Allaah,m ay He be glorified.
4. Knowingt he hindrancesa nd harms that preventm an from
knowing the way and the great bliss that the way leads to.
5. Having a real cognisance of your own soul, its needs,
recognisingw hat is good for it and what is harm to it, and knowing
its oualitiesa nd defects.
It is by knowingth esef tvet hingst hatm an can perfecth iss cientific
power.A nd perfectiono f his scientifica nd will powerc annoto ccur
except by respecting the rights of Allaah upon His slaves and
carrying out these rights sincerely, truthfully, accordtng to the
Sunnaho f the Prophetb, lessingsa nd peaceb e uponh im,a nd as
63. Islaam: Its Foundations And
a testimonyo f His favouro n him. There is no way to perfectiono f
these two powers except by His help. He therefore needs to be
gurdedto the StraighPt athw hichA llaahg uidedH isf riends.l
After we have known that the True Religioni s the Divines upport
for differenpt owerso f the soul,w e shoulda lsok nowt hat religionis
the protective shield for the society. This is because humin life
cannot be alright except through mutual cooperation and this
cooperation cannot take place except through a system that
regulates human relationships, defines their obligations and
guaranteest heir rights.T his system is also in need of a curbing
and restraininga uthorityt hat can preventt he soul from violating
the system,e ncouragei t to preservei t, guaranteesit s relevance
and preventsm en from desecratingit . What then is this power?
There is not on the face of this earth any power that can match the
power of religiosity or even close to that in guaranteeing the
respect for order, societal cohesion, stability of it,s system and
harmonisingth e meanso f comforta nd tranquillitiyn the society.
The underlyingr easonf or this is that, man is distinguishedfr om
otherl ivingt hingsi n that,a ll his voluntarym ovementsa nd actions
arec ontrollebdy an inaudiblea nd invincibleel ementT. hate lement
is faith, which refines the soul and purifies the limbs. Man, is
thereforea, lwaysc ontrolledb y a true or falseb elief.l f his beliefi s
correct,e verythingin him will be correct,b ut if his beliefi s corruot.
everythingin him will be corrupt.
Faithi s a spontaneousw atchero ver man; and it is - as noticedi n
all men - of two types:
- Beliefi n the value of moral excellenceh, uman dignitya nd
other ordinaryc onceptst hat high-mindedp eoplew ill feel shy to
violate even if they were free from externalc onsequencesa nd
materiarl ecompense.
I
Al-Fawaaid | 8, 19.
64. Islgam: Its Foundations And Concepts
61
- Belief in Allaah - may He be Glorified and Exalted - and the
fact that He is Ever-Watchfuol f the secretsa nd knows all that is
hiddenf;r omW hoseC ommandmentasn d prohibitiontsh e lslaamic
Law derivesi ts powera nd beforeW hom the sensesp rofuselyfe el
mortified out of love for Him or fear of Him or both. There is no
doubt that this type of faith is the stronger of both in exerting
authorityo ver human mind. lt is also the strongeri n resistingt he
tornadoeso f whimsa nd inconsistencoyf sentimentsa nd quickeri n
leaving impacts on the minds of people and their leaders.
It is because of this that religion is the best guarantor for the
establishmenotf relationshipasm ongp eopleo n the basiso f justice
and impartialityw, hich is a necessityi n any society.T here is no
wonder then that religion occupies in the human society the
positiono f the hearti n humanb ody.'
lf this is the positiono f religiong enerally- and what we see in
today's world is multiplicityo f religionsa nd creeds, where each
groupr ejoicesin its beliefa nd holdst enaciouslyto it - what then is
the true religion that can achieve for the human mind what it
yearnsf or?A nd whata re the generalc riteriao f the True Religion?
'Se e :A d - d e e np . 9 8 ,1 0 2
65. 62 Islaam: Its FoundationsA nd ConcEtts
Criteria for ldentifying True Religion
Everya dherento f a creed believest hat his creed is the true one,
and all followerso f a religionb elievet hat their religioni s the ideal
one and the most upright path. When you ask the followers of
adulterated religions or followers of man-made creeds about the
proof for their belief, they argue that they found their fathers on a
faith and are just following their paths. They then relate narrations
and storiesw hose chainso f transmittersa re not sounda nd whose
texts are not free from faults and defects. They only depend on
inherited books whose authors, recorders and even their original
languagesa nd theirs ourcesa re unknownT. heya re onlym ixed-up
stories concocted together, magnified and inherited generation
afterg enerationw ithouta ny scholasticv erificationo f theirc hainso f
transmittersa nd precisec heckingo f theirt exts.
These unknownb ooks, narrationsa nd blind imitationsc annot be
taken as evidences in matters of religions and beliefs. Or is it
possibleth ata ll thesea dulteraterde ligionsa nd man-madec reeds
are true or false?
It is impossiblteh ata ll theser eligionsa re true,f or truthi s onlyo ne
and cannot be numerous.l t is also impossibleth at all these
adulteratedre ligionsa nd man-madeb eliefsa re all fromA llaaha nd
thereforet rue. Then, since there are numerousr eligionsa nd the
true is only one, which of them is then the true religion?T here
should,t hereforeb, e criteriaf or distinguishintgh e true religionf rom
the false.l f we find that thesec riteriaf it a religionw, e know that it
is thet ruer eligiona; ndw hena llo r oneo f thesec riteriais lackingin
any religionw, e knowt hati t is a falser eligion.
The criteriab y whichw e distinguishth e true religionf rom the false
ones are:
One: That the religionm ust be from Allaah,r evealedth rougha n
angelt o one of His Messengersin ordert o conveyi t to mankind.
For the true religionis Allaah'sa, nd it is He Who will recompense
66. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
63
His slavesa nd take them to reckoningo n the Day of Resurrection
concernintgh e religionth atH e revealedto them.H e says,
J] t > r l q
(
. , | . . a r i . t
a o J l ' v ' + ' : - - r ) t a 7+) v , - I '
t
J) u;ii tx s:t -ct'ri -61' F
. t /- , | ,. - 2 ' , ,
t)t,/AJ etlY-J ?rtJ
4 {32t i} ; !,'3>r ('i:r'; 'r'o +;: t
"Verily, We have sent the revelation to you (O Muhammad (peace
be upon him)) as We sent the revelation to N1h (Noah) and the
Prophets after him; We (also) sent the revelation to lbrdhim
(Abraham), lsm6'il (lshmael), lshdq (lsaac), Ya'qlb (Jacob), and
Al-Asbat (the twelve sons of Ya'qlb (Jacob)) '/sd (Jesus), Ayylb
(Job), Y1nus (Jonah), Hdrin (Aaron), and Sulaimdn (Solomon),
and to Dawld (David)We gave the Zablr (Psalms)."'
He,m ay He be glorifieda-l sos ays,
t t t z t t , i
, l u t . . + - i - I l J . s
/ t
' t t ' - ' a ) '
"And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad
(peace be upon him)) but We revealed to him (saying) LA il6ha illa
Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I (NEh)) so worship
Me (Alone and none else).'"
Basedo n the abovev ersesa ndc riteriaa, ny religionth ati s brought
by any man and attributedto himselfa nd nott o Allaahi s definitely
a false religion.
I An -Ni s a4a: 1 6 3
2A l -Anbi yaa2 l :25
LiLrt t-, F
'i-). t t . a ' ,'r rJ^-sLi
' - '
: J
",ji- il ill { ,:;i 4) .,-; {l
67. 64 Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts
Two: That the religions houldc all to the worshipo f Allaaha lone;
shouldp rohibiSt htrk( polytheismof anyf orm)a nd all thatc an lead
to it. This is because:t he call to the Onenesso f Allaah is the
primarym issiono f all Prophetsa nd MessengersE. veryP rophet
told his people,
4., tJ;oA ; e v ii Uiii y
Worship Allah! You have no other ll6h (God) but Him. (Ld il6ha
iltaltdh:n one has the right to be worshippedb ut NeD.'r
Three: lt shouldb e in agreementw ith the principlesu ntow hich all
the Messengersc allt heirp eoplew hicha re to worshipA llaaha lone
and to avoid polytheismu, nrulinessto parents,k illingo f a person
unjustlya nd all otheri mmoratl hings,b e they hiddeno r apparent.
Allaah says,
3t o, ur3i q y
'l 'L
F r , . ) '
ii_2
' i - i - ' - ' " . i ' i , - l . i r t ' z ,s1i9l3 trl )l 4-Jl ,*t +)t.-fy, )J l*j U
"And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad
(peace be upon him)) but We revealed to him (saying): Ld ildha illa
Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I (NehD so worship
Me (Alone and none else).'"
He also says,
' Al-A'raaf Ll3
t Al- 2 r : 2 5
68. Islaam: Its Foundations And Concepts 65
b
it,iU €i -yii$Sr "4
E E ti* : euS'Qi rh ,ii^,)
: . i i . i , ' . 1 , 1 . , . _ ' r i- - . r r i i ' r a . .j .. *: - i . , . . , . . . . . , . . .
__i-.jt, :1 ^, lF JJI -- *njJl trUa: )j -'. ,b. Ui 4: P U ;r,Fll
, . t a 2 t t . L
{ i€) i+;:
'ftJ -- ,<'*t fi;:
"Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) "Come, lwill recite what
your Lord has prohibited you from. Join not anything in worship
with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children
because of povefty - We provide susfenance for you and for them;
come not near to Al-Fawdhish (shameful sins, illegal sexual
intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not
anyone whom All6h has forbidden, except for a just cause
(according to lsldmic law). This He has commanded you that you
may understand."'
And He says,
ut*lt J. , l l - r #
, t - . -
"And ask (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) those of Our
Messengers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint aliha
(gods) to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (NEh)?*
Four: lt shouldn otb e self-contradictibnyg c ommandinsgo mething
and contradictingit by another.l t shoulda lso not forbids omething
I Al -An ' a a r6n: l 5 l
2 Az-Zukhruf 43:45