Introduction to Islam

ALLAH - for Muslims the greatest and most inclusive of the Names of God, an Arabic word of rich and varied meaning, denoting the one who is adored in worship, who creates all that exists, who had priority over all creation, who is lofty and hidden, who confounds all human understanding. It is exactly the same word which the Jews, in Hebrew, use for God (eloh), the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity and Islam; Allah is the same God worshipped by Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Islam, An Arabic word, rich in meaning. One important dimension is the "commitment to submit and surrender to God so that one can live in peace"; Peace (salam) is achieved through active obedience to the revealed Commandments of God, for God is the Source of all Peace. Commitment to Islam entails striving for peace through a struggle for justice, equality of opportunity, mutual caring and consideration for the rights of others, and continuous research and acquisition of knowledge for the better protection and utilization of the resources of Creation.

Islam teaches that the objective of the Commandments of God is that peace should be established in the human societies of this world, in preparation for a further dimension of human existence in the world to come, the Afterlife. Islam's vision of peace is therefore truly universal; it transcends time and belongs to the order of God's eternity.

Islam affirms these simple beliefs as the basis for the decent, civilized society towards which it strives. Its vision of society is, in essence, no different from that upheld by all monotheistic religions. This is particularly true of Judaism and Christianity which share with Islam the direct spiritual lineage of the Prophet Abraham. Islam affirms the divinely-ordained missions of the Prophet Moses, through whom God revealed the sacred scripture called the Torah, and of the Prophet Jesus, through whom God revealed the scripture known as the Gospel. The message of Islam is in essence the same as that which God revealed to all His prophets and messengers. The Prophet Muhammad (the peace and blessing of God be upon him) was commanded to recite in the Holy Qur'an:

The success of civilizations and cultures is directly related to the extent of their practice of the righteous way of life revealed in the teaching and commandments of God, and set forth in the monotheistic religions which are confirmed by Islam. God's revelation enshrines the highest values of humankind, and the divine commandments are essentially no different from the values which human beings have cherished and striven to maintain throughout history, regardless of cultural, racial, linguistic and socioeconomic differences. Success in this life is directly related to the practice of these values.

The irreducible minimum of faith is to believe in God as the sole sovereign Lord of this world and the next, and to believe in the reality of the Afterlife for which human beings are to prepare by living righteously in this world. God Alone is the Judge of human righteousness, and it is God Alone who rewards and punishes in this life and in the life hereafter.

Righteousness does not mean for you to turn your faces towards the East and towards the West, but righteousness means one should believe in God (Alone), the Last Day the angels, the Book and the prophets; and no matter how he loves it, to give his wealth away to near relatives, orphans, the needy, the wayfarer and the beggars, and toward the freeing of captives; and to keep up prayer and pay the welfare tax; and those who keep their word whenever they promise anything; and are patient under strain and hardship and in time of peril. Those are the ones who act loyally and perform their duty. (The Holy Qur'an 2:1 77)

The Sacred Scripture called the Qur'an, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th century of the Common Era, and which, after 1400 years, remains authentic in its original Arabic text, in the language which is still used and understood by millions of people throughout the world today; it contains God's guidance in teachings and commandments which are valid for all times and all places, and which encompass all spheres of human life.

The Prophet Muhammad, whom the Qur'an names as "the Seal (last) of the Prophets", and of whose life and mission there is a complete and authentic record in the Sira and the Hadith These show how he exemplified the teachings and commandments of God in practice, and elaborated the principles laid down in the Qur'an in order to provide a sure guidance for their interpretation and application for all later times and societies.

The Sacred Law, called the Shari'ah, which sets out the way of worship prescribed in the Qur'an and the Prophet's practice; it goes beyond the common understanding of worship as the performance of religious rituals, and encompasses the whole of human life, individual as well as social. Thus all so-called secular activities become acts of worship, provided they are performed with pure and righteous intention, seeking God's pleasure.

Fasting (Sawm), observed through the daylight hours of the 29/30 days of the Islamic month of Ramadan, involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and marital intercourse; this reminds the believers of their dependence upon God, as well as their kinship with, and responsibility for the millions of human beings in the world who experience involuntary fasting because of lack of food, or its unjust distribution.

Purification of wealth (Zakat); this requires the annual giving of a fixed amount of excess personal assets for the benefit of the poor, the incapacitated, the deprived, and the welfare of the community; it serves to remind Muslims that all beneficence comes from the bounty of God, and is enjoyed only through His mercy; sharing becomes an act of purification both of the wealth itself, and of the giver whose soul is disciplined against greed by the practice of selflessness.

Pilgrimage (Hajj), which all Muslims should perform at least once in a lifetime, if personal circumstances permit; it gathers the believers as members of the diverse human family into a single community. They perform prescribed acts of worship at the Holy House of the Ka'ba in Makkah (Mecca) which, according to the Qur'an, was originally built by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael; and at Mount Arafat, where they remember the pure and original way of life of Adam, the progenitor of the human race, reaffirmed by the Patriarch of the entire human family, the Prophet Abraham, and finally perfected and completed by God for all humanity through the mission of the Prophet Muhammad - the way of life known as Islam which has at its heart the doctrine of the unity and uniqueness of the One God.

Through these acts of worship God helps Muslims to fulfill the obligation of striving which He has ordained for this life; the striving actively and freely to surrender one's own will in obedience to the Will of God, inwardly in intention and outwardly in word and deed; individually in personal conduct and collectively in the improvement of society; the striving for peace in the world through the proclamation of true faith, and its defense against all that threatens it. Islam presents human beings with a simple twofold invitation:

This declaration is the door to a life of service, one of participation in a community of believers whose highest duty is to call on humanity to embrace what is righteous and good, and to reject what is evil and degrading. Muslims are brothers and sisters of all people of good faith, and wish to strive with them for peace in this world.

Humans were provided guidance from time to time through God's messengers and the Books revealed through them. But humans are not forced to follow the edicts contained in these books. They are however told of the advantages that would accrue in the Hereafter and in this world to them, to the society and to the world at large if they followed these and are warned of the consequences of ignoring or violating these. The decision is left to each individual.

The Qur'an revealed through the last prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the last revelation from God and contains absolute moral commandments. These are mostly the same as contained in all other earlier revealed Books. It however also lays down principles to be observed in every day life and in all affairs, to help in establishing, preserving and maintaining an Islamic society. These principles cover all aspects of life and are stated in such universal terms that these remain valid for all time and are applicable at all stages of civilizations and for all different parts of the world.

Each individual will have to render account on the Day of Judgment for all his actions in his worldly life. Those that believed in God and acted in their every day life according to His commandment as exemplified and amplified by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) can expect through His Grace to be granted eternal life of Bliss, Peace and Comfort. Others will have to face consequences of their disbelief and/or disobedience.

For instance, the Arabic word "Ibadat" is usually translated as Worship. The actual meaning is "to commit and act out of love for Him according to edicts laid down by Him in the Qur'an." This full meaning of the word Ibadat makes every act of a Muslim in his everyday life an act of worship provided he carries it out in the above spirit and accordance with the Quranic edicts.

The prescribed rituals of Prayers, Fasting, Hajj and Zakat and the ordained greetings, invocations, etc. are all important parts of worship (Ibadat) and one of their purposes is to make humans GOD CONSCIOUS in all their actions particularly those effecting or relating to other humans or creation. To constantly remind them that God is the creator and sovereign, while they are merely His agent authorized to act only in accordance with the directions given to them and are accountable on the Day of Judgment for their actions and deeds. A constant reminder has to have a benign influence upon the character of individuals and thus of nations. After all it is the ideals that form character. As one thinks in his heart, so is he.

The Islamic teachings and commandments are essentially no different from the values which human beings have cherished and striven to maintain throughout history irrespective of cultural, racial, linguistic and socioeconomic differences. The success of civilizations and cultures, as study of history and of current affairs will prove conclusively, is directly related to the extent of their practicing these. The basic difference is that Muslims perform these as acts of worship and have no authority to make changes in the Commandments, while others do so to comply with the prevailing laws and conform to ever-changing values of their society.

In the search for the ideal society various ideologies and systems have been tried without much success. The failure of finding guidance strictly through human wisdom is manifested in a plethora of man-made laws which concentrate authority in a few at the cost of individual freedom. The populace is caught in mismanagement, high taxes, curtailed freedom, high crime rates, delayed justice which is turning it into "justice for the rich,- broken families, and, in the technologically developed societies, unfulfilled prosperity. Completely forgotten is the fact that human wisdom is not only limited but is invariably subject to the influence of self, other interests and desires. Without the Divine Guidance, establishment of an ideal society remains a mirage.

The only way for humans, who wish to achieve an eternal life of bliss in the Hereafter and have Peace of Mind and success in this life, is to accept the existence of one and only GOD with all the attributes and implement that acceptance by being righteous in thought and deed as laid down in the Qur'an and amplified as well as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Those who do not know the Arabic language have access to many good translations and commentaries. However, no translation or commentary is perfect. Therefore, if at all possible, more than one translation or commentary should be studied. Also make use of the dictionary, "Lughat." The best way however is to learn the language of the Qur'an.

The name "Islam" simply means "Self-surrender to the Will of God". It is the way of life that all Prophets throughout history have taught, from those known in the Western world such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus to those sent to other parts of the earth like Salih, Shu'ayb and Luqman, the African. The last and final Guide was Muhammad, may he be blessed, who lived in sixth century Arabia. A "Muslim,"(ie. a self surrendered one,) is a follower of this faith. Nearly one in every five persons alive today is a Muslim.

Islam calls humanity to the service of the One, Omnipotent Creator, Who is known as "Allah, " (The Deity) in the Arabic language. It further instructs people on how they may live together in peace and harmony regardless of race, class or beliefs. The unity of purpose brought by all previous religious guides is highlighted as well as traditional morality, the equality of the sexes before God and the virtues of patience and humbleness.

Muslims have two major sources from which they derive their religious teachings. The first is a book known as "the Qur'an," the direct Revelation of God to His last Prophet, the blessed Muhammad. The second source is the collected sayings and pronouncements of the Prophet which are complementary to the Revelation. These are known as "the Hadith".

As a boy, Muhammad (pbuh), disliked the prevailing custom of idol worship practiced by his people. How many a night he must have paused to watch the stars and endless plains, while tending his uncle's flocks, and wondered at the real Creator of it all. He shunned the mischief of his fellow youth and soon developed a reputation for honesty, generosity and compassion.

Though time and circumstances had changed as he grew older and wiser, Muhammad (pbuh) still remained restless for the truth and he began to retreat to the solitude which could only be found outside the city of Mecca. He often went to a mountain where he would sometimes spend days thinking and contemplating about God, reality and the Divine way of life. Then on one glorious day, the Almighty revealed words of inspiration to him through His angel, Gabriel.

"Read!" the angel commanded him, "Read in the name of your Lord who created man from a clinging embryo... ' This was Muhammad (pbuh), for all his truthfulness, patience, piety and spirit, commissioned as the last and final Prophet of God to humanity. Though many trials, tests and triumphs lay ahead of him, he always called people to the service of the One God, to shun myths and idols and to do unto others only what is good and right. He always lived a frugal life, and even after all of Arabia was liberated from the darkness of ignorance, he, as the ruler, still slept on a reed mat and mended his own clothes.

He taught a new standard to people and brought civilization to an area of the world where it had long ago passed by. His lips moved with the Revelation of God and his life put its precepts into practice. Though persecuted by the idol worshipers for thirteen years in Mecca and followed faithfully by the believing citizens of Medina for ten thereafter, he remained unto his death a devoted father, husband, leader and Prophet. He was given the title of "Mercy to the worlds" by God Himself in the Qur'an and anyone who has studied the details and adventures of his life must necessarily declare the same. This man Muhammad (pbuh) is truly the hero of his age as well as an inspiration to ours.

Accordingly, Moses, who is regarded as the pivotal figure in Judaism, and Jesus, who is the central personality of Christianity, both taught Islam to their peoples. The teachings of these great Messengers of God did not go unchanged, however, over the centuries, and one can find that many practices, beliefs and customs practiced by the adherents of those faiths today differ from the original purity of their founder's message.

The problem is two-fold. On the one hand there are people in the world who claim to be Muslims, but who do not follow the ethical or religious teachings of the faith. Unfortunately, the media has a universal fascination with negative news and a reluctance to highlight the positive. On the other hand, much of what we read and learn about Islam in the west is written, interpreted and presented by those who either know very lime about Islam and the Muslim world, or are even hostile towards it.

An even more important area of misunderstanding lies in the basic assumptions about religion that the Western world and the Islamic world make. Because of the West's negative experience with religion, an alternate ideology known as secular-humanism had to be established to allow science, rationalism and free thought to flourish. Islamic civilization in contrast, never impeded science nor the development of human thought, so a break between secular values and religious ones never occurred. This is why Islam is often mix-labeled "Theocratic''. Education and improvements in global awareness, however, are slowly wearing down barriers to understanding, but it will require some effort from all of us to finally reach a point of tolerance and mutual good-will.

Muslims live in every country and region on earth from Norway to Malaysia and Morocco to Mexico. Muslims form a large percentage of the population in Russia, China, India, and Eastern Europe. Some Islamic lands are Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Egypt, and Nigeria. Arab Muslims form a small minority of the worldwide Muslim population. There are nearly six million Muslims in North America alone. That's more than the population of some states such as Alaska, Nevada, and Rhode Island.

There are no elaborate rituals or ceremonies to perform to enter Islam (Self-Surrender to God), for Islam is the faith of reason, and therefore it takes an exercise of reason to become a Muslim. Simply by declaring and believing in one's heart the following phrase: "There is no object of devotion save God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God," one thereby is a believer. As a consequence of making this statement sincerely, everything an individual did that was wrong or unethical in his life up to that point is forgiven by God, no matter what it was. From that moment onwards, the slate is cleared and you begin life again as a new person.

First, unlike other religions, Islam is the only religion which was given a name by its prophet and its holy book. Judaism is known after the region where the Jewish religion was born, and a Jew is one who belongs to the Hebrew race. Christianity is the name given by the Jewish followers of Jesus who regarded him the 'Messiah'. The Greek word for 'Messiah' is 'Kristos' or Christ which came in vogue long after Jesus had died.

Second, no other religious denomination carries a meaning or conveys any sense of its outlook on life as does Islam Judaism, Buddhism, Zorastrianism, Hinduism and Christianity are known either after their founders or after the place of their origin. None of them bears any specific meaning, whereas the word Islam not only has a meaning but carries in it the entire essence of its outlook on life as propounded in the Qur'an and taught by the Prophet.

Third, Islam alone, of all religions, has given the concept of a 'House of God on Earth,' which is a centralizing and binding force for its followers. The Ka'bah has conferred innumerable benefits on Muslims: it has made them seekers of knowledge, and has created among them a consciousness of human heritage from Ibrahim (Abraham) onward leading to a firm belief in brotherhood as one of the bases of life. Perhaps nowhere else can one see the diversity of the human race as at Makkah during the hajj (annual pilgrimage). Islam alone, with its belief in the unity of mankind, has been able to bring mankind together to a degree not achieved by other religions.

Fourth, Islam alone of all religions has provided a multipurpose institution in the form of 'mosque' to serve the religious, social, educational and political needs of the community at the grassroots. A unique feature of the mosque is that unlike the church in Christianity or the synagogue in Judaism, it is not governed or controlled by a religious hierarchy. It is grounded in the people who make it work through mutual consultation. As a divine and democratic institution, it has no parallel, either in the past or the present.

Jesus (peace be upon him) never envisioned the hierarchical structure of the church on the model of the Roman imperial institutions with a chain of command from the Pope downward through cardinals, bishops, fathers and other clerics. This rigid and inflexible edifice set up long after Jesus' death finally led many Christians to flee their native lands and establish Protestantism and its several denominations now common in North America. The prophet of Islam not only built the mosque but also demonstrated its uses. The mosque provides Muslims a means to remain vigilant 24 hours a day, to keep an eye on the mores and manners of the community 12 months of the year and to always guard the ummah (people) from external as well as internal dangers. As a watch-tower, a permanent source of integration and a place of cultural and religious revival, it is a most useful institution that could be conceived of provided it is used for the objectives it was intended for. Clean in its environment, corporate in its character, constructive in its approach and creative in its essence, the mosque is an outstanding contribution of Islam to humanity.

Fifth, of all religious books, the Qur'an alone has remained unaltered, unedited, unchanged. Whether non-Muslim scholars accept the Qur'an as the word of God or as the work of the Prophet is immaterial. What is important is that they are unanimous in the view that its language and its wording have remained in their original form. This is unique to Islam. All other divine books have been edited, rehashed and revised by their votaries with the passage of time. The followers of other religions do not deny this but claim that it was done by saintly persons under divine inspiration. In this respect, the Western world has adopted a double standard. On the one hand, it prefers the original works of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle to the interpretations and translations of later Muslim and non-Muslim thinkers. But on the other, when it comes to the Bible and the New Testament, it accepts all translations and interpolations as divinely inspired.

These few points distinguish Islam from other religions and philosophies and demonstrate the lasting character of its appeal, the practical nature of its teachings, the flexibility of its legal system and the meaningfully successful life of its Prophet His life has enormous potentialities for every human being who wishes success and respect in life.

The Qur'an makes it abundantly clear that Islam, the complete submission of man before God, is the one and only faith consistently revealed by God to Mankind from the very beginning. Noah, Abraham, Moses and Christ Prophets who appeared at different times and places all propagated the same faith. They were not founders of faiths to be named after them. They were each reiterating the faith of his predecessor.

The Word of God which reached us through Muhammad (pbuh) is pure divine language, free of human admixtures, and preserved in its original form. Its language is a living language, spoken, written and understood by millions of people, and whose grammar, vocabulary, idiom, pronunciation and script have remained unchanged from the time of revelation till today.

This has to be examined in the context of the sources of human knowledge. At the preliminary stage we gain knowledge through empirical observation. At higher levels comes deductive reasoning accompanied by scientific investigation. Man is sufficiently well-equipped in these fields not to require direct divine assistance. Though, no doubt, there is an ever present Divine Will helping man in his research and innovative endeavors and revealing to him progressively the mysteries of His creation. Some gifted individuals achieve, in moments of rare inspiration, new insights or discover new laws of nature. But there is another type of knowledge which is beyond the reach of our senses or scientific study. This sphere of knowledge does not submit to any instrument of scientific examination. Philosophy and science can only speculate about it. Human theories about ultimate realities, based on reason, never achieve the level of certainty, and their authors, conscious of their limitations, do not present them as conclusively proved. In respect of these realities man is dependent on whatever knowledge is communicated to him by God. How is this knowledge conveyed? Not through the operations of some publishing house, where books are printed and handed over to each man, with instructions to read them, and to discover the truth about himself, about the universe, and about the manner in which he should organize his life. To convey this knowledge to mankind, God chooses prophets as His messengers. He reveals the truth to them and they communicate it to the people.

He has to explain, according to what is revealed to him, the relationship between God and man and man and man as it factually is, and as it actually should be. He has to prescribe a moral code, enunciate the principles of culture and civilization, lay down the mode of worship, establish a frame-work of belief, and define the moral imperatives, which must govern our life. The Prophet determines the rules which should form the basis of social and cultural relationships, economic, judicial and political dealings, matters of war and peace and international affairs. The Prophet does not transmit merely a code of rituals commonly regarded as 'religion'. He brings with him a whole system of thought and action which is called Al-Deen in Islamic terminology. The mission of A Prophet does not end with the announcement of this way of life. He has to guide the people who follow him, explaining to them the implications of the Islamic creed, the moral code, the Divine Injunctions, and the form of worship that sustains the whole system. He has to demonstrate, by practice, the faith he preaches, and his life should be a model which people may be able to follow to organize their own lives. He must give training to the individuals and the Muslim society as a whole to prepare them for practical participation in the evolution of Islamic culture and civilization. The believers must grow under his guidance into an organized community engaged in establishing the Islamic system of life so that God's word should prevail over all other words. Every prophet had the same message, and it is a fact of history that Muhammad (pbuh) succeeded in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth, as it is in the heavens.

At no time was the invitation of the Qur'an addressed to the people of any particular race, color or language. The Qur'an always calls upon the "progeny of Adam" or "mankind" to accept Islam. The specific instructions and injunctions are meant for those who have come to believe in Islam, and they are always addressed as "those who believe". That the message of Islam was universal in character is proved by the fact that those who accepted the message acquired equal rights and status as believers, regardless of all the differences of origin. The Qur'an says, "The believers are all like brothers". The Prophet announced, "Listen! You have one God as you have one father (Adam). There is no distinction between an Arab and a non Arab. There is no preference for the black over the light-skinned, or the light-skinned over the black. There is distinction only in the submission to God. The most virtuous among you is the most honorable in the eyes of God".

Not just the conviction that He exists or that He is one - but that He alone is the Creator, Master, Ruler and Administrator of all that exists. The universe exists because God Wills it to exist, it functions because God Wills it to function, and God provides the sustenance and the energy which everything in the universe requires for its existence and growth. All the attributes of Sovereignty reside in God alone. He alone possesses all the attributes of Divinity. He views the whole universe, and all that it contains, in a single instantaneous glance. He has direct knowledge of the universe, and all that is there in the universe. He knows not only its present, but its past and its future as well. This omnipresence and omniscience is an attribute of God alone and of no other. There was none 'before' Him and there is none 'after' Him. He has been there always and will be there always - eternal and abiding. All else is transient. He alone is eternally living and present. He is no one's progeny and He has no progeny. Whatever exists, besides His self, is His own creation, and no other can identify himself in any manner with the Lord of the universe, or claim to be His son or daughter. He is man's single Deity.

God is the Creator of the world and He alone has complete and direct knowledge of the reality of man and of the world. Only He can guide man through the complicated course of life and instruct him regarding good and evil. Since God alone is the Creator and the Master he has exclusive authority over the universe and man. It is an act of blasphemy for man to become independent or claim authority over other men. His law has the status of the supreme law. Man can legislate subjects to His Supreme law.

Without this belief in the Prophet, belief in God would become a mere theoretical proposition. It is the example of practical leadership and the ideological guidance provided by the Prophet, which transforms belief in God into a culture and a civilization, and enables man to evolve a way of life. We get through the Prophet not only rules of guidance, but a complete scheme of values and a practical code of conduct. No one can be a practicing Muslim unless he believes in the prophethood of the Messenger and follows his life example as he believes in God.

The Prophet is no more than a servant of God. He was to make people servants of God and not servants vents of himself. At least seventeen times a day Muslims recite in their prayers: "I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is a servant of God and is His prophet". The Qur'an leaves no doubt that the Prophet is but a human being and has no share whatsoever in Divinity. The Prophet is neither superhuman nor is he free of human weaknesses. He owns no treasure of God, nor does he possess knowledge of the unknown to make him all knowing like God Almighty. Leave alone being able to benefit others or cause them harm, the Prophet (pbuh) cannot do so even in respect of himself. The precise task of the Prophet is to communicate the message of God. He has no powers to make people righteous and faithful. Nor can he call to account those who refuse to believe, and he certainly has no power to punish them for their disbelief. Muhammad (pbuh) is one of the Prophets of God, and above that he has no status. He cannot by himself prohibit or permit any thing. Without a mandate from God he cannot legislate for the people. He has to strictly conform to Divine commandments. Islam ensured that the believers should not turn the Prophet into a demi-god. Some of the earlier prophets suffered this fate at the hands of their followers. They attributed all kinds of supernatural powers to their leaders and made them into God's equal or progeny or incarnation. By discouraging such exaggeration, Islam has established the true position of the Prophet as follows:

No one can claim to be a believer without believing in the Prophet. He who obeys the Prophet, in fact, obeys God. God has not designated any Prophet except to be obeyed according to His will. The path of the Prophet is the path of Divine guidance. Whatever the Prophet ordains must be accepted, and whatever he instructs to avoid must be avoided. The Prophet clarified this when he said: I am a mortal like you. In matters revealed to me by God, you must obey my instructions. But you know more about your own worldly affairs than I do. The Sunnah of Muhammad (pbuh) is, in fact, an exposition of the purpose of the Qur'an, and this exposition too was conveyed to the Prophet by God Himself, as the author of the Qur'an. The Prophet's explanation of the Qur'an enjoys Divine Sanction, and no one else can interpret the Qur'an in a way which may be in conflict with or repugnant to the explanation given by the Prophet. God declared the life of Muhammad (pbuh) as a model life. Before deciding any matter Muslims must ascertain whether any analogous matter was decided earlier by God and His Prophet, and if a precedent exists they must follow it. God conveyed, through the Prophet to mankind, not only a supreme law but also a permanent scheme of values.

The judgment will rest not on God's own knowledge alone. The requirements of due process of justice will be fully observed. A complete record of the actions of every individual, without the slightest alteration, will be put in the open Court, and evidence, of different categories, will be presented to prove what was done by man in private or in public, and the motives which inspired his conduct.

The judgment will rest on one question: Did man conduct himself, in submission to God, in strict conformity with the truth revealed to the Prophets, and with the conviction that he will be held responsible for his conduct in life on the Day of Judgment? If the answer is in the affirmative, the reward will be Paradise, and if in the negative, Hell will be the punishment.

First, there are those who do not believe in the Hereafter and regard life on this earth as the only life. Naturally, they judge good and evil by the results which manifest themselves in this world. If an action produces beneficial results it is good, and if it brings about harmful results it is evil. Quite often the same action is regarded as good when the results are good and bad when its results are bad.

Second, those people who do not deny the Hereafter, but who depend on the intercession or atonement of someone to absolve them of their sins. Among them - there are some, who regard themselves as God's chosen people, who will receive only nominal punishment however grave their sins. This deprives them of the moral advantage which they could have derived from their belief in the Hereafter. As a result they also become very much like the people who deny the Hereafter.

Third, are those people who believe in the Hereafter in the form in which Islam presents it. They do not delude themselves that they have any special relationship with God, or that anyone can intercede on their behalf. They know that they alone are responsible for their actions. For them the belief in the Hereafter becomes a great moral force. A person who has the conviction that he is fully accountable for all his actions finds a permanent guard, stationed within himself, who cautions him and admonishes him whenever he deviates from the right path. There may be no court to summon him, no policemen to apprehend him, no witnesses to accuse him, and no public opinion to press him, but the guard within him is ever on the alert, ready to seize him whenever he transgresses. The consciousness of this inner presence makes man fear God even when he is all by himself. Should he succumb to temptation, and violate the law of God, he is ever ready to offer sincere regrets, and to enter into a firm contract with the future that he will not repeat the mistake. There can be no greater instrument of moral reformation nor any better method to help man to develop a sound and stable character. It is for this reason that Islam attaches great importance to the belief in the Hereafter, and without it even the belief in God and the Prophet is not sufficient for men's guidance.

It provides moral guidance in all walks of life. That is why Islamic values are not for the ascetic who renounces the world, but for him who actively participates in different spheres of life, and works within them. The moral values which people look for in convents, monasteries, and cloisters, are presented by Islam right in the current of life. Heads of governments, governors of states, judges, members of the armed forces and police services, elected representatives of the people in the parliaments, leaders of finance, trade and industry, college and university teachers and students alike receive guidance to organize their lives according to the principles of Islam. There is no distinction in Islam between private and public conduct. The same moral code which one observes at home applies to one's conduct in public. Every institution of society and every department of Government must conform to the laws of Islam. Politics must be based on truth and justice. Nations should deal with one another on the basis of mutual recognition of rights, and due discharge of obligations. When man decides to submit to the will of God, and accepts His law as the supreme law, and organizes his life and laws in accordance with the revealed moral code, on the principle of accountability of God, the quality and character of his life cannot be limited to the precincts of prayer halls. It must extend itself to every sphere of his work as a man of God.

"The essential and definite element of my conversion to Islam was the Qur'an. I began to study it before my conversion with the critical spirit of a Western intellectual .... There are certain verses of this book, the Qur'an, revealed more than thirteen centuries ago, which teach exactly the same notions as the most modern scientific researches do. This definitely converted me."

"I have read the Sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I found what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Holy Qur'an, compared to any other scripture I have read, is like the Sun compared to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the Word of Allah with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will become a Muslim."

"Only in Islam was my quest for absolute values satisfied. Only in Islam did I at last find all that was true, good and beautiful and which gives meaning and direction to human life and death while in other religions the Truth is deformed, distorted, restricted and fragmentary. If anyone chooses to ask me how I came to know this, I can only reply that my personal life experience was sufficient to convince me. My adherence to the Islamic faith is thus a calm, cool, but very intense conviction. "

Does that sound surprising? Not if you take a moment to first understand what is meant by "Muslim." The word "Muslim" refers to anyone who submits his or her will to the one true God. All the planets, stars and galaxies are in this sense Muslims because they follow the course designed for them by their creator, God. They do not deviate from that. All babies, too, are born in a purre, natural state. They know no sin. They do not have the capacity to differentiate between good and bad. Therefore they cannot be said to commit willful disobedience to God. In this sense, all babies are Muslims. You, too, were born a Muslim.

The objective of this article is to correct a false idea spread among those willing to adopt Islam as their faith. Some people are facing difficulties on the basis of their belief and wrong notion that entering into the Islamic fold requires an announcement from the concerned person in the presence of high ranking scholars or shaikhs or reporting this act to courts of justice or other authorities. It is also thought that the act of accepting Islam, should, as a condition, have a certificate issued by the authorities, as an evidence to that effect.

We wish to clarify that the whole matter is very easy and that none of the above mentioned conditions or obligations are required. For Allah, Almighty, is above all comprehension and knows well the secrets of all hearts. Nevertheless, those who are going to adopt Islam as their religion are advised to register themselves as Muslims with the concerned governmental agency, as this procedure may facilitate for them many matters including the possibility of performing Hajj and Umrah.

However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony orally either in private or in public; but rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakable faith. If he is truly sincere and comply with the teachings of Islam in all his life, he will find himself a new born man. This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.

What do the words of the "Shahada" signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is no god (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah (SWT). He - Glory be to Him - is the only true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allah (SWT), Who alone is worthy of worship.

The second part of the Shahada " i.e., Wa ashhadu anna Muhamadan abduhu wa rasuluh" means that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah (SWT). No one must have two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (pbuh), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allah (SWT) alone according to the message revealed to him.

Invisible worship is to believe in Allah (SWT), in the Day of Judgment, in the Hereafter, in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Prophets of Allah (SWT), in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah -SWT- alone). This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently affects his way of life.

The next step for a devoted (newly revert to Islam ) is to purify himself by taking a bath (total ablution). He should then resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous . Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the requisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illal Laah.

We have to consider chat when we declare from our heart that "there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshiped but Allah (SWT)", it implies on our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislations which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of "there is no god worthy to be wor{hipped but Allaj (SWT)" to jove for the sake of Allah (SWT) and to Leject for the sake of Allah (SWT). This is the firmest anchor of belief which materializes the meaning of "AL-WALA" and "AL-BARA". It means that a Muslim should love and be loyal to his Muslim brothers. He should, as a practice, dissociate himself completely from the unbelievers and refuse to be influenced by them, both in worldly and religious matters.