11. Allah knows what is in our hearts.
These are some of the basic guidelines Muslims follow in their knowledge of God:
1. Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their conception of Allah. His attributes are not like human attributes, despite similar labels or appellations.
2. Have unwavering faith in exactly what Allah and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described Allah to be, no more, no less.
3. Eradicate any hope or desire of learning or knowing the modality of His names and attributes.
4. Believe totally in all the names and attributes of Allah; one cannot believe in some and disbelieve the others.
5. One cannot accept the names of Allah without their associated attributes, i.e. one cannot say He is Al-Hayy - ‘The Living’ and then say that He is without life.
6. Similarity in names (or meanings) does not imply similarity in what is being described (referents). As a robotics arm differs from a human arm, so the “hand” of Allah is nothing like a human hand, His speech is nothing like human speech, etc.
7. Certain words are ambiguous or vague in their meanings, and thus may be susceptible to misinterpretation. Only those meanings that are in accordance with what is specified by Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) are acceptable.
A Complete Way Of Life !
Islam is a religion, but not in the western meaning of religion. The western connotation of the term “religion” is something between the believer and God. Islam is a religion that organizes all aspects of life on both the individual and national levels.
Islam organizes your relations with God, with yourself, with your children, with your relatives, with your neighbor, with your guest, and with other brethren. Islam clearly establishes your duties and rights in all those relationships.
Islam establishes a clear system of worship, civil rights, laws of marriage and divorce, laws of inheritance, code of behavior, what not to drink, what to wear, and what not to wear, how to worship God, how to govern, the laws of war and peace, when to go to war, when to make peace, the law of economics, and the laws of buying and selling. Islam is a complete code of life.
Islam is not practiced in the mosque only, it is for daily life, a guide to life in all its aspects: socially, economically, and politically.
Islam is complete constitution. Thus Islam keeps the Muslim away from confusion, because Islam is logical and rational. Allah is one. Allah is one Allah has no sons. Allah is not associated with trinity. Allah does not kill to save. No mediation is required between Allah and man. Islam organizes human nature, but does not go against it. There is not a class of clergy in Islam; nor is there celibacy. Islam is complete way of human life.
Definition Of Islam
The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning: peace, and submission to God. This submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort to submit to the one Almighty God. One must consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the Qur’an) and what His beloved Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur’an).
Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.
Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh), prayer, fasting the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah; and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God’s decree, whether for good or ill.
There are other injunctions and commandments which concern virtually all facets of one’s personal, family and civic life. These include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygiene, interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance, civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with non-Muslims, and so much more.
Islamic Sources : Quran And Sunnah
Qur’an
”The ultimate manifestation of God’s grace for man, the ultimate wisdom, and the ultimate beauty of expression: in short, the word of God.”
This is how the German scholar, Muhammad Asad, once described the Qur’an, and if one were to ask any Muslim to describe it, they would most likely offer similar words. The Qur’an, to the Muslim, is the irrefutable, inimitable Word of God.
The Qur’an was revealed by God Almighty to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) over a period of twenty-three years. The Prophet (pbuh) himself had no role in authoring the Qur’an, and was simply inspired to speak what he heard from the Divine Creator :«”He (Muhammad) does not speak of his own desire. It is no less than an Inspiration sent down to him.”» [53:3-4]
The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic. It is composed in a style so unique, that it cannot be deemed either poetry or prose, but somehow a mixture of both. The Qur’an is inimitable; it cannot be simulated or copied, and God Almighty challenges mankind to pursue such an endeavor if he thinks he can: «”Or do they say he forged it? Say: Bring then a chapter like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can, beside God, if it be you speak the truth.” »[10:38].
The Qur’an’s language is indeed sublime, its recitation moving, as one non-Muslim scholar noted, it was like “the cadence of my heartbeat”. Due to its unique style of language, the Qur’an is not only highly readable, but also relatively easy to remember. This latter aspect has played an important role not only in the Qur’an’s preservation, but in the spiritual life of Muslims as well. God Himself declares, «”And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; then is there anyone that will receive admonition?” »[54:17]
One of the most important characteristics of the Qur’an is that it remains today, the only holy book which has never changed; it has remained free from any and all adulterations. Sir William Muir noted, “There is probably in the world no other book which has remained (fourteen) centuries with so pure a text.”
The Qur’an was written down during the lifetime and under the supervision of the Prophet, who himself was illiterate, and it was compiled together shortly after his death by a rigorous method which scrutinized both written and oral traditions. Thus its authenticity is unblemished, and is its preservation is seen as the fulfillment of God’s promise: “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message, and We will assuredly guard it from corruption.” [15:9]
The Qur’an is a book which provides the human being the spiritual and intellectual nourishment he/she craves. Its major themes include:
• the oneness of God,
• the purpose of human existence,
• faith and God-consciousness,
• the Hereafter and its significance.
The Qur’an also lays a heavy emphasis upon reason and understanding. In these spheres of human understanding, the Qur’an goes beyond just satisfying the human intellect; it causes one to reflect on implications. There are Qur’anic challenges and prophecies. One of the most exciting fields in recent years has been the discovery that, of the significant amount of scientific information in the Qur’an, including:
• the event of the Big Bang,
• embryological data,
• and other information concerning astronomy biology, etc.,
There is not a single statement that has not been borne out by modern discoveries. In short, the Qur’an fulfills the heart, the soul, and the mind.
Perhaps the best description of the Qur’an was given by Ali, the cousin of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he expounded upon it as,
“”The Book of God. In it is the record of what was before you, the judgment of what is among you, and the prophecies of what will come after you. It is decisive, not a case for levity. Whoever is a tyrant and ignores the Qur’an will be destroyed by God. Whoever seeks guidance from other than it will be misguided. The Qur’an is the unbreakable bond of connection with God; it is the remembrance full of wisdom and the straight path. The Qur’an does not become distorted by tongues, nor can it be deviated by caprices; it never dulls from repeated study; scholars will always want more of it. The wonders of the Qur’an are never ending. Whoever speaks from it will speak the truth, whoever rules with it will be just, and whoever holds fast to it will be guided to the straight path.”” [Al-Tirmidhi]
Sunnah
The term Sunnah comes from the root word sanna, which means to pave the way or make a path easily passable, such that it becomes a commonly followed way by everyone afterwards.
Thus sunnah can be used to describe a street or road or path on which people, animals, and cars travel. Additionally, it can apply to a prophetic way, i.e. the law that they brought and taught as an explanation or further clarification of a divinely revealed book. Normally, the prophetic way includes references to his sayings, actions, physical features and character traits.
From the Islamic standpoint, Sunnah refers to anything narrated or related about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), authentically traced to him regarding his speech, actions, traits, and silent approvals, before and after the revelation.
Each narration is composed of two parts: the isnad (the chain of people who narrated a particular narration) and the matn (the actual text of the narration). The isnad must comprise upright and sincere individuals whose integrity is unquestionable.
The Speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
The speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) refers to his sayings. For example, he said: “”Actions are judged by their intentions; everyone will be rewarded according to his/her intention. So whoever migrates for the sake of Allah and His Prophet then his migration will be noted as a migration for the sake of Allah and His Prophet. Conversely, one who migrates only to obtain something worldly or to marry a woman, then his migration will be worth what he had intended.” ”[Bukhari].
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