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Published as an e-book
in 1427 AH/ 2006 CE
By
SA’IDU SULAIMAN
E-mail address:
my-humble-gift@myway.com
“LET THER BE NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION: TRUTH STANDS OUT
CLEAR FROM ERROR, WHOEVER REJECTS EVIL AND BELIEVES IN GOD
HAS GRASPED THE MOST TRUSTWORTHY HANDHOLD THAT NEVER
BREAKS”.
QUR’AN 2:256
QUR’AN 34:28.
QUR’AN 16:125
Sa’idu Sulaiman
CONTENTS PAGE
PREFACE 1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Preaching Islam 2
CHAPTER TWO
Evolution or Creationism? 8
CHAPTER THREE
Scientific Reasoning 21
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
Universality of Islam 46
Shari’ah 46
CONCLUDING REMARKS 50
PREFACE
The author wants to use this medium to express his profound gratitude to
all people who, in one way or another, contributed to the production and
distribution of this book. May Almighty Allah grant them endless bliss in the
hereafter and continue to help and guide them here on earth.
Sa’idu Sulaiman
1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Preaching Islam
Islam, which means total submission to the will of Allah, is the body of
rules, regulations and guidance from Allah concerning the spiritual and
temporal life of Muslims. These rules, regulations and guidance are
permanent, unchangeable and devoid of defects. A Muslim on the other
hand, is someone who believes in Islam, so the difference between him and
the religion is that as a human being; he may have certain weaknesses in
observing some of its injunctions.
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fundamental human rights in many nations of the world is not a new thing
to Muslims because Islam granted this freedom over 1, 400 years ago.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
However, this verse does not mean that Muslims should not preach Islam.
It rather indicates that faith, which is something hidden in a believer’s heart
should not be imposed on him or her by force but through conviction. In
another verse of the Holy Qur’an Allah does not only enjoin Muslims to
preach but asks them to do so with wisdom.
“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful
preaching and argue with them in the ways that are best and
most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best who have strayed
from His path and who receive guidance”. Qur’an 16:125
It therefore stands clear that Muslims are enjoined to preach Islam with
wisdom. Preaching must not be dogmatic and offensive and the preacher’s
manners and arguments should be courteous and backed up with most
gracious examples. This is what this book attempts to do.
The Holy Qur’an and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him
(P.B.U.H), are the major sources of Islamic teachings. A lot will be quoted
from them in this book.
The Holy Qur’an contains nothing but the words of Allah, which were
revealed to Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) through Archangel Jibril
(Gabriel). The Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet in about 23 years in
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bits and in accordance with the needs of the time, events and situations.
Whenever a verse or verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H), he would recite them to his companions who were
memorizing and writing them down.
The Prophet had also been telling his companions where to place the
verses and to which chapters they belong. These companions compiled the
Holy Qur’an in form of a book after the demise of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.).
The Holy Qur’an was revealed, written and still exists in Arabic language. It
is being translated into many languages for the benefit of those who don’t
understand Arabic but these translations cannot totally replace or perform
the functions of the Arabic text.
The Holy Bible, which is also quoted in several places in this book, deserves
an introduction to the non-Christian readers of this book.
The Bible covers events right from the beginning of creation to the coming
of Jesus (peace be upon him) and beyond. It does not have a single author
but a myriad of authors, who according to the belief of the Christians, were
inspired by God when writing the books contained in it. The Bible being
used by the Protestants has 66 of such books, 39 of which formed the Old
Testament and the remaining 27 constituted the New Testament. Each
book has chapters and verses for easy reference. The Bible being used by
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the Catholics has 73 books. The Bible has versions like the King James
Version, the Revised Standard Version and the New International Version.
The very copy of the Holy Bible quoted in several places in this book is a
paraphrase, that is, a restatement of the contents of the Bible in a simple
language. Its title is The Living Bible Paraphrased, and was published by
Tyndale House Publishers in 1973. It was preferred for quotations in this
book because learned and well-versed Christian scholars wrote it in a
simple language; this makes it suitable for quotations in this book, which is
also written in simple and straightforward language for the benefit of
readers with different educational backgrounds.
Some quotations were also made from a book written by a Buddhist scholar
because the author could not have access to the Dhammapada, the main
book containing the teachings of Buddha. Commonsense and scientific
findings were also employed in this book to arrive at certain conclusions.
Islam encourages science, and its teachings are continuously being
supported by scientific findings. It also supports the use of commonsense
and rationality that is why only adults and sane people are held responsible
for the sins they commit.
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CHAPTER TWO
The universe refers to all creation. The theory of the origin of the universe,
which is called “cosmogony”, is an attempt by scientists to explain how the
universe came about.
Any thing that can be weighed, however light or heavy is called matter.
Matter can be in solid, liquid and gaseous state. A basic principle of physics
is that matter can be transformed from one state to another but it can
never arise from nothing or disappear into nothing. Water, wood, stone,
smoke and steam are made from matter and in the universe matter also
exists in terms of stars, planets, moon, debris, dust, comet, etc.
There are theories concerning the origin of the universe. There is the “big
bang” theory, which was made by a Belgian called George Lemaire who
said all matter was once squashed together into a mighty fireball. This ball
exploded, shooting matter out in all directions, which later cooled and took
the form of stars.
Another theory came later in England when Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold
and Fred Hoyle came up with the “steady state theory”. According to this
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theory, the universe had always existed and that as star groups speeded
off into space new ones were born to take their place with the universe
expanding.
A better attempt to explain how the universe had came about was made by
another scientist called Albert Hinkelbein in his book “Origin of the
Universe” published by Colins in 1972. Every matter, it is said, must occupy
a space however small, so without space there can never be matter. And
without matter and space the concept of time will not hold.
The Holy Qur’an has this to say concerning the universe and the origin of
living things.
“Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth
were joined together (as one unit of creation), before We
clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing.
Will they not then believe?” Qur’an 21:30
7
This message to mankind is contained in the Holy Qur’an for over 1,400
years ago while it was only in the 19th and 20th centuries that the theory of
evolution and “big bang” theory were made respectively.
“And God has created every animal from water: of them there
are some that creep on their bellies; some that walk on two
legs and some walk on four. God creates what He wills for
verily God has power over all things”. Qur’an 24:45
Evolution or Creationism?
Chairs, cars, goats, oceans, mountains and sand are some of the myriad
objects and creatures that surround us. Looking at the sky we also see the
sun, the stars and the moon. People make the chairs and the cars, but
what about the goats, the sun, and the stars?
People with religious beliefs argue that God, gods or goddesses, depending
on the peculiarities or nature of the religion in question, created everything.
This is what is referred to as creationism. Scientists that believe in the
existence of God believe that He has created the universe and what it
contains. These scientists are called creationists. Other scientists who deny
the existence of God and believe that the universe and what it contains
came about through evolution, are called evolutionists.
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Influenced by the Malthusian view, Charles Darwin came out with the
theory of “survival of the fittest”, that is, of all creatures only the strongest
would be able to survive and they would transmit their favourable
characteristics to their offspring. For this reason there would be a “natural
selection”, which according to Darwin would lead to emergence of new
species.
Darwin published his book Origin of Species in 1859, and twelve years
later, he published another book on the evolution of man called Descendent
of Man. Darwin theory was adopted and refined by other scientists. The
theory is known as “theory of evolution”.
The theory of evolution was based on evidences such as fossils, that is,
traces of former living organisms preserved in rocks, detailed comparison of
anatomy of related animals, for example patterns of their bones, the
evidence from the study of comparative embryology and so on.
The scientists found that life evolved on earth in stages and at the first
stage all living things came from oceans. Life, they said, first appeared
when warm oceans were like a broth of chemicals, which might have
produced first living things. These living things were tiny particles able to
use food, grow and reproduce themselves. Birds and mammals were said to
have evolved after a long time. Man’s ancestors were said to be apes. One
of the earliest apes whose skull was found was called “proconsul”, later on
there was another ape called “Homo erectus” which was capable of making
tools and walking upright.
Colby, who claims that many people, including some biologists, do not
have a correct understanding of evolution, provides a brief history of life.
He begins by testifying to the fact that the section on the history of life
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contains material that “ranges from some issues that are fairly certain to
some topics that are nothing more than informed speculation”. The
following is a summary of what he wrote on the history of life:
• Life evolved in the sea; it stayed there for the majority of the history
of earth.
• The first replicating molecules were most likely RNA, which is nucleic
acid similar to DNA.
• The first cells must have been anaerobic because there was no
oxygen in the atmosphere.
• Plants evolved from ancient green algae over 400 million years ago.
• Vertebrates moved onto the land by the Devonian period, about 380
million years ago.
Colby argues that the scientific community regards evolution and common
descent as fact. He criticizes creationists and accuses them of not raising
objections to evolution on the basis of scientific reasoning or data.
“Evolution is science. Creationism is not”, he concludes
(http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-intro-to-biology.html visited on 1st
July 2005).
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There are various forms of creationism, some based on religious teachings
and others on myths, so one cannot support every form of creationism.
Mark Isaak, in his article “What is Creationism”
(www.talkorigins.org/faqs/wic.html visited on November 6, 2004), sees
creationism and evolution as ends of a continuum in the Christian
creationism containing twelve different versions or views. He also explains a
number of beliefs in the non-Christian creationism, one of which is the
Raelians belief that scientists from another planet created life. On Islamic
creationism, Isaak simply gives the numbers of chapters and verses of the
Qur’an on creation without explaining their contents. The verses are 2:109-
111, 7:52-57, 16:1-17, 40:66-70, 41:9-12, 42:28 and 65:12.
The article also explains creation beliefs or myths of other cultures. One of
these myths is called creation by spoken word. As Isaak puts it, “at first
there was only sky above and water below. The gods, Sovereign Plumed
Serpent and Heart of Sky spoke together, joined their thoughts, and
conceived of creation”.
In view of the above one should not entirely accept creationism or reject
evolution because creationism has many forms some of which are based on
myths while evolution is largely based on speculations by scientists that
disagree with one another and who continue to revise their theories on
account of new discoveries.
Evolution does not provide a conclusive proof for the non-Existence of God
because of its limitations. There are a number of questions to which
evolution has no acceptable answers: if we accept that life evolved in the
sea from where did the sea come from? Who provided the atmosphere and
other conditions that make the evolution possible?
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Man’s beautiful and useful features are certainly according to the design of
God not by the accident of evolution. The designer and maker of man says:
Chris Colby also writes that Darwin’s book was titled The Origin of Species
despite the fact that Darwin “did not really address this question; over one
hundred and fifty years later, how species originate is still largely a
mystery” .
On the evidence for common descent and macroevolution, Colby states that
while microevolution can be studied directly, macroevolution cannot.
“Macroevolution could be postulated”, he says “But this extrapolation, in
and of itself, does not provide a compelling explanation of the patterns of
biological diversity we see today,”(http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-
intro-to-biology.html visited on July 1, 2005).
Despite the mystery surrounding the origin of species and the failure of
macroevolution to adequately explain the patterns of the biological diversity
we see today, Colby concludes his write-up by asserting that biologist can
provide an elegant answer to the question, “How did we get here?” and
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acknowledges the fact that science has no answer to the question, “Why
are we here?”
The second question for which Biology has no answer is very important;
we have to therefore, resort to what our creator says about the purpose of
our creation. As we shall see below, Biology cannot even provide an
elegant answer to the first question on how we arrive at where we are, this
is simply because it relies only upon empiricism.
Again in January 2005, BBC News item says that an astonishing new fossil
was unearthed in China and the discovery has overturned the accepted
view about the relationship between dinosaurs and early mammals.
Mammals were thought to be living in the shadow of the dinosaurs but the
US – Chinese team of researchers found a mammal with a dinosaur in its
stomach in the famous fossil beds of Liaoning Province in north – eastern
China. The discovery suggests that mammals were not the timid insect-
eaters they have been portrayed in the past (story from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4165973.stm accessed on
January 13, 2005).
It is only recently (2004 – 2005) that scientists discovered two new planets.
Astronomers using California’s Mount Polomar Observatory detected what
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could be the Solar System’s 10th Planet. The Planet, which they named
Sedna after the Inuit goddess of the ocean, measures 1,180 – 2,360 km
(730 – 1,470 miles) (http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/sci/tech/3511678.stm visited
on 15/5/2005).
There are still huge gaps in our knowledge about the natural
world that surrounds us. In fact, even by conservative
estimates, there are more living species on the planet that
haven’t been identified and documented than have
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk-news/magazine/4534871.stm
accessed on 15th May 2005).
For religions based on myths as well as the divine religions that have been
altered by man, or into which mythologies are introduced, the increasing
impact of science on the lives of people as a result of breakthroughs, is a
major factor distancing them from religious beliefs. In the Society and the
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Arts column of the News Week Magazine of July12, 1999, for instance, it
has been reported on page 48 that:
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Those who deny the existence of God, substitute Him with nature, and his
wonderful powers to create and control all existence, with laws of nature.
David Myatt defines nature as :
He further explains that nature is a living and changing entity “which is and
which becomes incarnate, in all living things, all of which have their own
nature, their own destiny or fate”.
Myatt does not imply that Nature refers to God by saying that it is a living
entity. He says:
The best thing for us is to differentiate between the Creator (God) and the
creature (everything that God had created), and to accept that the most
reliable source of knowledge about the nature of creature is the creator
Himself. If you want to know about the rocks, the sun, the moon, the
oceans, and about yourself as a human being, check the Qur’an first.
The holy Qur’an provides us with certain knowledge about the nature of
creature and enjoins us to study the creature in order to get further details.
The following are examples of verses of the holy Qur’an, which talk about
the nature of creature:
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“Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens
and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them
and made from water every living thing? Then will they not
believe?” (Qur’an 21:30).
This verse talks about the “big bang” that separated the earth from the
heavens and indicates that water is the origin of all living things.”
There is partition, which prevents the waters of two different oceans from
mixing with one another at a point where they meet one another. This is a
wonderful feature of oceans.
This verse talks about the general nature of creation, that things are
created in pairs or in the form of male and female. This applies to human
beings, animals, plants and things, which we don’t even know.
All the above verses indicate man can study and understand nature from
the holy Qur’an because it contains the words of the creator of nature. In
order to get the necessary details about nature, the same Qur’an enjoins
people to study the nature of creation. This study serves a number of
purposes: it enables us to be aware of and make the best use of things
which God had created for our own benefit, it enable us to protect
ourselves from harm and danger coming from what surrounds us, and it
provides us with the signs of the Creator and strengthen our belief in Him.
“Then do they not look at the camels – how they are created?
And the sky – how it is raised? And at the mountains – how
they are erected? And the earth – how it is spread out?”
(Qur’an 88:17-20)
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These verses invite us to study these creatures.
“So have they not travelled through the earth and have hearts
by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it
is not the eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts
which are within the breasts.” (Qur’an 22:46)
These two verses enjoin us to travel and observe creation and also to have
hearts with which to reason. Charles Darwin, during his H.M.S Beagle
voyage, had the eyes to observe things but could not have the heart to
reason well, so he came to a wrong conclusion that God did not create
things.
God had chosen not to be seen during our life on earth, and one of His
attributes is that He does not resemble anything that we see because He is
not made of matter, so we cannot prove His existence in the manner we
prove the existence of material objects. In the alternative, He reveals His
numerous signs in what He creates. The beauty of nature which we
appreciate, the wonderful laws of nature, which govern matter and energy
and allow us to measure and predict natural phenomena, and the
occurrences of natural disasters like the tsunami, earthquakes and
hurricane, which render man helpless despite all his knowledge of science
and technology, are all signs of God. They do not exist as a result of
accident; this is because they follow a pattern, they maintain a balance and
work according to a law and a design. There cannot be a law without a
lawgiver or a design without a designer. We make objects such as nails,
buckets and toothpicks for a purpose, God also created us for a purpose.
Science does not tell us the purpose of creation; it only attempts to explain
its origin. In so doing, science has no means of controlling our moral aspect
or dealing with our psychological and spiritual problems. It cannot for
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instance, control crimes, delinquency, and suicides because it has nothing
to do with the purpose for which we are created and to where we shall
return after death for the judgment of our actions.
The purposes of the signs of God are therefore to enable us have a faith in
His existence, if we refuse to do this, the result will be too bad for us:
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CHAPTER THREE
PROOFS OF THE ONENESS OF GOD
Let’s suppose that one believes in the existence of five gods. The first thing
to be considered is how they could have come into existence. Did they start
to exist at the same time or did some of them come into existence before
others? If some of the gods had created or gave birth to others do those
created or born have the same power with their creators or parents?
If the five gods do not have the same power how do they control the
universe and what it contains? This is because there is every possibility that
they can disagree over certain issues and some gods may try to dominate
others. Logically we should not worship gods that can be dominated or
controlled by other gods.
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fledged God (1/5 + 1/5 +1/5 +1/5 +1/5 = 5/5 = 1). This means
they have the same proportion of power for carrying out a single
task, which the one full-fledged God can do alone. If some of the
gods are more powerful or more knowledgeable than others, this
worsens the situation; they can dominate or outsmart the rests.
Commonsense and logic will not accept a situation of having either more
than one complete (independent) gods or more than one incomplete
(dependent) gods. There has to be only one God who has all powers which
He does not share with anyone and who does not have to seek help from
anybody.
Scientific Reasoning
In the previous chapter it was stated that God being independent of time,
matter and space, has no “before”, no “after” and cannot be symbolized by
matter.
These characteristics do not apply to idols, people, jinns and angels whom
some people worship as gods. These gods or idols have a beginning and an
end, they occupy a space because they started to exist after creation and
lastly, they are made of matter. It is because they are made from matter
that they can be seen and touched with the exception of angels and jinns.
Angels and jinns, as their creator informed us in the Holy Qur’an, are
created from fire and light respectively. Even though hidden, certain people
selected by God can see them.
In as much as we believe that God had created the universe from nothing
we should also believe that He does not need any kind of help from
anybody. This means there is no need for other gods to exist so as to assist
the true God
God has the power to create something (like the universe) from nothing. In
fact He created man from clay (no father no mother) as He created Prophet
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Adam (P.B.U.H) and created a woman from man (with no mother) as He
created Adam’s wife called Hauwa’ (Eve). Similarly God had created man
through a woman alone (no father) as He created Prophet Isa (Jesus)
(P.B.U.H). To regard anyone of the above-mentioned people, as a child of
God is to deride His power of creation to a mere birth through which people
and animals multiply themselves.
Jews and Christians, whom the Holy Qur’an addresses as the people of the
Book, fall into the mistake of ascribing sons to God. The Jews call Uzair
(Ezra) a son of God while the Christians call Jesus (P.B.U.H) a son of God.
The Holy Qur’an says a lot about Christians and Jews so much so that one
should not preach Islam to them without referring them to some Qur’anic
verses.
Below are some verses of the Holy Qur’an, which indicate the oneness of
God and the fact that He has no son, no equal, no end, no parents and
cannot be comprehended in terms of matter.
“Yet they make the Jinns equal with God, though God did
create the Jinns; and falsely, having no knowledge, attribute
to Him sons and daughters. Praise and glory be to Him. (For
He is) above what they attribute to Him. To Him is due the
primal origin of the heavens and the earth; How can He have
a son when He hath no consort? He created all things and He
hath full knowledge of all things. That is God, your Lord.
There is no god but He, the creator of all things: then worship
ye Him and He hath power to dispose all affairs. No vision can
grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all
comprehension, Yet is acquainted with all things.”
Qur’an 6:100 – 103.
On the mistakes of Jews and Christians of ascribing sons to God, the Holy
Qur’an says:
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“The Jews call Uzair a son of God and the Christians call
Christ the son of God. That is a saying from their mouth; (in
this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say.
God’s curse be on them how they are deluded away from the
truth.” Qur’an 9:30.
Still in the following verses of Holy Qur’an Allah warns mankind not to join
other gods with Him. We can also read that Jesus (P.B.U.H) did not call
himself God. It were his followers who, either because of their excessive
love for him or of an evil intention to distort his teachings, decided to
regard him as God. The verses also touched on the issue of the Holy
Trinity, which according to some Christians is made up of God the Father,
God the son and God the Holy Spirit or ghost. This is what Allah the Most
High said:
Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H) started existing when his mother Maryam (Mary),
who never had an affair with a man, became pregnant as a result of God’s
command- the word “Be” (and it is). That is why Jesus is also called Word
of God. Since Prophet Jesus had a beginning, he cannot be God.
In the Holy Bible it is stated that Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H) has always been
alive and created everything in the heaven and earth. Christians also
believe that Jesus (P.B.U.H) did not start existing only as a human being
born by Virgin Mary. The Holy Bible says:
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the creator who made everything in the heaven and earth”.
COLOSSIANS 2:15 – 16
If Jesus (P.B.U.H) “is the creator who made everything in the heaven and
earth”, it means the other God i.e. his “Father” did not create anything, but
then in another verse of the Holy Bible it is stated that Jesus (P.B.U.H)
admitted that he could not do anything by himself.
Here it is made clear that Jesus (P.B.U.H) could only imitate the Father and
by implication is not the only creator of “everything in the heaven and
earth”.
“Jesus replied: the one that says “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our
God is one and only God”. MARK 12:29
Still on the oneness of God, Jesus was reported to have said in the Holy
Bible:
From the above we can clearly understand that there is only one God and
he (Jesus) didn’t regard himself as God. The truth, as Muslims believe, is
that Jesus is a messenger and a Prophet of God. He was sent to preach the
words of God not his own. This true position of Jesus can still be
understood from this verse of the Holy Bible:
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Is it possible for God to be incapable of knowing the future? If the answer
is yes, it means God has a limited knowledge. Commonsense will not accept
this answer. Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H), a true messenger of God and whom
some people mistakenly regard as God, was reported in the Holy Bible as
saying that he had no knowledge of when the Last Day would come.
This verse points to the fact that Jesus had limited knowledge and
depended upon what God revealed to him. In another verse he was saying
that he was not co-equal with God when he declared “the Father is greater
than I” (John 14:28). It is a pity that Christians are made to believe that
these types of statements by Jesus and some of his behaviours, like crying
while on the cross, describe his human form only, and that as God, he is
above these limitations. It is not necessary for God to assume the position
of human beings before understanding their conditions and forgiving their
original sins.
The miracles performed by Jesus (P.B.U.H), do not make him God because
there are other people who performed the same or even greater miracles.
Jesus had no father; Eve (Hauwa in Arabic) had no mother and was created
from Adam who had no father and no mother. God miraculously created all
these people.
Lastly, Jesus should not be regarded as God simply because it was stated in
the Gospel of St. John (John 1:1-3) that as a word of God, he had been
with God and is God. The Holy Bible also speaks about the existence of a
“man” who had neither beginning nor end, and neither father nor mother
but is only a high priest, (refer to Hebrew 7:1-3). Some Christians say that
this man whose name is Melchizedek, is no one other than Jesus. This is
not true because Jesus was born by Mary, so unlike Melchizedek, he had a
mother.
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It could safely be concluded that there is only one God. Commonsense,
science and some of the quotations made from the Holy Qur’an and the
Holy Bible all support this conclusion.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Followers of every religion existing today believe that they are the only
ones practicing a true religion while other people have gone astray. As for
the atheists and agnostics, all religions are taboos or superstitious
practices.
The true situation is that there must be only one true religion at a particular
point in time and this implies that some religions are outcomes of taboos
and superstitions while others, even though divine, were supposed to have
expired with time. This chapter provides evidences of the continuity of
divine guidance from one God revealed to different Prophets and
messengers at different times.
Buddhism which, is also one of the major religions in existence today and
with a numerous followers in India, Thailand, Tibet, Japan, Nepal, Vietnam,
China and Cambodia can be cited here as an example of religions that are
founded by men or involve the worship of men.
Buddhism was founded by an Indian prince called Gautama and the most
famous of its scriptures is called Dhammaphada. Gautama was born to a
royal family in 560 BC at Lumbia village near Kapilavastu. An astrologer
foretold Gautama’s father that his child would forsake the throne, renounce
the world and become a wandering ascetic. To prevent these occurrences,
the father built a big palace for his son and provided him with food, drinks
and girls who were dancing and singing songs to entertain the young
prince.
At the age of 29, Gautama ran away from the palace to experience
suffering and to engage in a search for “reality”. He studied Hinduism (a
Hindu religion) and found it dissatisfying. He then took to meditation under
a bodhi tree. After passing through many stages of meditation, he finally
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attained enlightenment for which he got the title Buddha, meaning the
enlightened one. Gautama Buddha spent the rest of his life preaching and
he died in 480 BC (refer to Imran Nazar Hussein (1977), Islam and
Buddhism in the Modern world).
It is pertinent at this stage for the reader to know the meanings of the
words “Prophet” and “Messenger”. A Prophet is he who receives inspiration
from God and has not been asked to communicate it to others. A
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messenger or an apostle is he who receives inspiration from God and has
been asked to communicate it to others. All apostles are therefore prophets
but not all prophets are apostles.
“We did afore time sent Apostles before thee: of them there
are some whose story We have related to thee and some
whose story We have not related to thee.
Qur’an 40:78.
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is)
the Apostle of God and the Seal of Prophets.”
Qur’an 33:40.
It is pertinent to list down the names of the 25 Prophets that appear in the
Holy Qur’an because most of the names also appear in the Holy Bible. This
will prove that Islam, Christianity and Judaism originated from the same
and only God. The Prophets were not necessarily sent in the order given
below, however, Adam (P.B.U.H) came first and Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is
the last of all.
1. Adam
2. Nuh (Noah)
3. Ibrahim (Abraham)
4. Isma’il (Ishmael)
5. Ishaq (Isaac)
6. Idris (Enoch)
7. Salih
8. Shu’aib
9. Yusuf (Joseph)
10. Zul-Kifl (Ezekiel)
11. Dawud (David)
12. Zakariya (Zacharia)
13. Sulaiman (Solomon)
14. Hud
15. Ilyas (Elias)
16. Alyasa’a (Elisha)
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17. Ayub ((Job)
18. Harun (Aaron)
19. Yaqub (Jacob)
20. Yunus (Jonah or Jonas)
21. Yahaya (John)
22. Lut (Lot)
23. Musa (Moses)
24. Isah (Jesus)
25. Muhammad
The above names can be found in a number of verses of the Holy Qur’an,
for example the following verse mentions the names of eleven prophets of
Allah. Referring to Prophet Muhammad, Allah says:
The same and only one God who appointed the entire Prophets also
revealed all the Holy Books used at different times. Muslims are required to
believe in all the Holy Books and but follow the teachings of the Holy
Qur’an, which is the final revelation and the most comprehensive of all.
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The Jews were supposed to abandon Judaism and accept Jesus Christ
(P.B.U.H) as an Apostle of God. Had it been the Jews did not reject Jesus,
there could have not been any religion called Judaism existing side by side
with Christianity.
The evidence of the continuity we are talking about can be seen from many
verse of the Holy Qur’an before we turn to the Holy Bible. For instance,
Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H) confirmed the Law of Moses and this meant Moses
(P.B.U.H) is a true Apostle. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
In another verse of the Holy Qur’an we are informed that Jesus (P.B.U.H)
told his followers (Children of Israel) that he was an Apostle of God sent to
confirm what had come before him and to foretell the coming of prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
Ahmad or Muhammad means “the praised one”. A.Yusuf Ali, who made a
very popular English translation and commentary of the Holy Qur’an, wrote
that the name Ahmad is almost the translation of the Greek word
“Periclytos”. He also wrote that the Greek word “Paracletos” which means
the “comforter’ was an easy corruption from “Periclytos” which is almost a
literal translation of the name Ahmad or Muhammad. He also wrote that
there were Gospels that had perished but whose remnants can still be
found and they were specific in their reference to Prophet Muhammad,
peace be upon him. An example was the Gospel of St. Barnabas the Italian
translation of which still exists in a library at Vienna. It was also edited in
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1970 with an English translation (see a footnote to chapter 61:6 in A, Yusuf
Ali’s The Holy Qur’an: Text, Translation and Commentary published by the
Islamic foundation).
We can still find some evidences in the Holy Bible that point to the fact that
Jesus (P.B.U.H) foretold the coming of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and
which show that the relationship between Judaism, Christianity and Islam is
that of continuity of divine guidance from the one and only God.
Muslims believe that the Holy Bible suffered from loss and distortion so
much so that the true teachings of Jesus (P.B.U.H) became corrupted. This
will be proved here without any intention of disrespect to the Holy Bible.
The Holy Bible had undergone through a series of revisions apart from what
it suffered from in the course of its writing and various translations. Those
who compiled the Holy Bible in the form we see it today did not include
some written documents either intentionally or due to the in availability of
such documents during the compilation process.
It is unreasonable for one to state that the Holy Bible suffers from loss and
distortions unless the claim is proved. This proof is very simple because it is
not easy for man to distort God’s words or regard his own words as the
words of God without leaving loopholes in form of contradictions and
inconsistencies, which God will never make. Revision of the Holy Bible also
indicates that there is something wrong with what is being revised or that
some short – comings are bound to be discovered with time.
The distortions of what God revealed to Prophet Isa (Jesus) (P.B.U.H) and
the additions made to his teachings can be understood in terms of the
contradictions that abound in the Holy Bible despite St. Paul’s statement
that all scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Paul could be right if
he were referring to the revelations made by God to Apostles like Abraham,
David, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them, and could be
wrong if he was referring to all the writings of the many authors of the
books contained by the Holy Bible including his own epistles. The same St.
Paul acknowledged the fact that he spoke not on the command of God but
was simply giving his own personal opinion, (see 1 Corinthians 7:25). One
of the authors of the Holy Bible, James, also indicated that he and other
teachers of the Gospel made mistakes (James 3:2), this could mean that
their sayings and writings were not inspired by God.
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Let’s come back to the issue of contradiction, which we want to use as a
yardstick for measuring the genuineness and reliability of religious
teachings. A renowned Greek Philosopher, Plato, warned that truth could
not be contradictory and must be self-consistent (see Macmillan’s
encyclopedia of education Vol. 3, P. 419). Muhammad William Sheared, a
Christian convert to Islam, also wrote that “contradiction is the mortal
enemy, the fatal ambuscade of the liar” (see page 5 of his book Who
Founded Christianity, Jesus or Jewry? ).
God himself had stated in the Holy Qur’an that it would contain many
discrepancies or contradictions if it were invented by man (see Qur’an
4:82).
One interesting thing is that the Holy Bible too has provided its readers with
a means of detecting any addition or alteration made to it. It says every
word of God proves true and then warns, “Do not add to his words lest he
rebukes you and you be found a liar” (see Proverbs 30:5-6).
All the above statements and warnings point to the fact that contradictions
can serve as a criterion for judging the validity and authenticity of a Holy
Book.
There are clear contradictions in the accounts of how Paul was assigned to
preach Christianity. In Acts, 9:3-7 it has been stated that Jesus asked Paul
to enter the city to be told what to do but in Acts 26:13-18 Paul said that
Jesus himself told him what to do, that is, to preach the Gospel to the
Gentiles. Note the serious contradiction from the underlined words.
In Acts 9:37 it is stated that those traveling with Paul when the event
occurred heard the voice of Jesus but saw no one but in Acts 22:6 Paul said
those traveling with him saw a light but didn’t hear the voice of Jesus. This
is also another serious contradiction.
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corruption in the text or because of inadequacy of our present
knowledge of the language, the fact is indicated by a note.
On the issue of loss of portions of the Holy Bible, the preface also provides
some light. It says:
For the Old Testament only late manuscripts survive, all (with
the exception of the Dead Sea texts of Isaiah and Habakkuk
and some fragments of other books) based on a standardized
form of the text established many centuries after the books
were written.
The book has two sections. The first section contains the lost books of the
Bible, which are 27 in number. Some of them are 1 Clement, 2 Clement,
Romans, Trallians, Barnabas and the Last Gospel of Peter.
The second section of the book contains the “Forgotten Books of Eden”
which comprises of 20 books some of which are Judah, Dan, Joseph,
Benjamin, The Secret of Enoch and the Testament of Rueben.
Despite the above proofs that the Holy Bible suffers from loss, distortions
and corruptions, the attitude of Muslims towards it, as Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H) advised in a Hadith, should be a belief in all the revealed things it
contains, this is because the Bible is a mixture of the words of God,
Prophets and ordinary men or historians. Muslims must not disrespect it, in
fact, Islam does not support disrespect to the teachings of other religions.
Let us now trace the evidences of continuity of Allah’s religion from the
Holy Bible despite the distortions.
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In the Gospel of St. John we can find a place where Jesus Christ told his
followers about the coming of Prophet Muhammad even though we cannot
see the word “Muhammad” as it had been replaced by the word
“Comforter”. The Christians take the comforter to be the Holy Spirit who is
part of the Holy Trinity.
To find whether the word “comforter” as used in the Holy Bible was
originally meant to refer to Prophet Muhammad or to the Holy Spirit is an
easy task. This is because the attributes or characteristics of the Holy Spirit
who is seen as part of the Holy Trinity should not be the same as that of
Prophet Muhammad who is simply a servant and a messenger of God.
Let us read from the Holy Bible in order to find some of the attributes of
the Holy Spirit (comforter) as given by Jesus himself.
“But I will send you the comforter, the Holy Spirit, the source
of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell
you about me” JOHN 15:26.
“But now I am going away to the one who sent me: and none
of you seems interested in the purpose of my going; none
wonders why. Instead you are only filled with sorrow. But the
fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for
if I don’t, the comforter won’t come. If I do, he will-for I will
send him to you. And when he comes he will convince the
world of its sins and of the availability of God’s goodness and
of deliverance from judgment”. JOHN 16:5-8.
“When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, he will guide you
into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas but
will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you
about the future”. JOHN 16:13.
The following are some of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, which
appear in the verses quoted above:
a) He will come from God (the Father) and tell Christians about
Jesus.
b) He will not come unless Jesus goes away.
c) He will not be presenting his own ideas but passing on what he
has heard.
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The first characteristic of the Holy Spirit befits Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H). This is because the Prophet told Christians about Jesus Christ
(P.B.U.H). The Holy Qur’an and the Hadith of the Prophet mentioned a lot
about Jesus Christ and also confirmed his Prophethood. The Holy Spirit
does not say anything about Christ to the Christians as they are made to
believe. Some Christians believe that the Holy Spirit guides their thoughts
and actions, some claim to have knowledge of the future and powers of
healing because of the Holy Spirit. Some Christians believe that for one to
get the Holy Spirit one has to become a born-again Christian or has to be
baptized in the Holy Spirit. There are also Christians that claim to have
communication with the Holy Spirit when they speak in “tongues”. All these
mystical experiences and claims connected with the Holy Spirit cause
confusions in the religion and open the gates for new “Prophets” who claim
to have communication with God just for worldly gains. The fact is that the
Holy Spirit is not God but a Spirit of God given to Jesus Christ himself to
strengthen him. The Advanced Learners’ Dictionary (Revised and Updated)
too defines the word “comforter” as “strengthener”.
The second characteristic (He will not come unless Jesus goes away) also
suits Prophet Muhammad because God sent him many years after the
departure of Jesus Christ. If this characteristic is to apply to the Holy Spirit
it means that the Spirit was not present during the time of Jesus Christ.
The truth is that the spirit had always been with Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H). In
fact, Allah strengthened Jesus with Holy Spirit as the following verses of the
Holy Qur’an indicate.
These verses show that the Holy Spirit is not what the Christians imagine
they have with them but what was given to and co-existed with Jesus
Christ (P.B.U.H). Fortunately, the Holy Bible also shows that the Holy Spirit
co-existed with Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John states that God’s Spirit is
upon Jesus Christ without a measure of limit:
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“Those who believe in him discover that God is a fountain of
truth. For this one sent by God-speaks Gods words for God’s
Spirit is upon him without measure of limit. The Father loves
this man because he is his son and God has given him
everything there is”. JOHN 3:34-35.
Saying “God’s Spirit is upon him without measure of limit” had contradicted
the words: “it is best for you that I go away, for if I don’t, the comforter
won’t come.”
The last characteristic of the Holy Spirit according to the Holy Bible is that
he will not be presenting his own ideas. This is also a characteristic that
belongs to Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) as he did not invent the Holy
Qur’an nor did he tell his personal desires to his companions even in form
of a Hadith. The Holy Qur’an testified to this fact:
To apply this characteristic of not presenting one’s own ideas to the Holy
Spirit renders him dependent and puts him in the position of an apostle.
Anybody who is expected not to pass on his ideas to others but only say
what he is told by someone else is a messenger not a God. And Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is a servant and a Messenger of Allah.
The Holy Bible, despite the distortions it contains, proves the continuity of
divine guidance we have been talking about: there is only one God who
sent different Prophets to different people at different times.
To warn Jews and Christians whose religions, with the coming of Prophet
Muhammad, were supposed to have expired, and also to warn the rest of
mankind, Allah says:
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CHAPTER FIVE
Non-Muslims have the impression that the Holy Qur’an is a creative work or
the brainchild of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) whom they regard as a
false Prophet. Some of them believe that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
copied the Holy Bible in order to write the Holy Qur’an due to some
similarities in the two Holy Books. Yet others regard Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H) as one of the most pious and honest people the world ever had.
Non-Muslims historians who wrote about Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) all
agreed that he was unlettered, that is, he could not read and write. It is
also an undisputable fact that there was never a claim by anybody that he
taught Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) or saw the Prophet attending some
kind of a school. This chapter contains some reasons, which prove that
Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) did not invent the Holy Qur’an but God
revealed it to him.
Had it been that a liar wrote the Holy Qur’an, it could not have contained
historical accounts about the past prophets. Those who claim that Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) copied the Bible do so because of some similarities of
the historical accounts of events contained in the two Holy Books. These
people could not reason that these similarities are obtained due to the
relationship of continuity between Islam on the one hand and Christianity
and Judaism on the other. In the previous chapter an in depth discussion
was made about this relationship.
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“And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary,
confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him
the Gospel: therein was guidance and light and confirmation
of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an
admonition to those who fear God”. Qur’an 5:49.
When Christians read these verses they may feel contented with their
religion and regard Muslims as incapable of understanding the realities
because even the Holy Qur’an agrees that Christ’s birth was a great
miracle. But why shouldn’t the Christians and other non-Muslims also
reason that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) would not have written verses
like these in the Holy Qur’an if he were a liar and a false prophet? If he
were a liar he would have written verses that would tarnish the image of
Jesus Christ so as to make Christianity unattractive.
Creating Jesus with God’s word “Be” (and it is) does not make him a son of
God, Prophet Adam was also created form this same word of command – a
word that changed clay to a human being. Nothing is beyond the capability
of God.
The second reason that shows that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) did not
invent the Holy Qur’an has to do with the Muslims’ respect and regard for
all prophets of Allah. Muslims are not allowed to have less regard for any
prophet or messenger of Allah.
Muslims are required to respect all prophets and believe in what was
revealed to them as the following verses of the Holy Qur’an dictate:
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“Say ye: “We believe in God, and the revelations given to us,
and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, and
that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all)
prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between
one and another of them: and we bow to God (in
Islam).”Qur’an 2:136.
“Those who deny God and His Apostles and (those who) wish
to separate God from His Apostles, saying: “We believe in
some but reject others”, and (those who) wish to take a
course mid way, - they are in truth (equally) unbelievers and
We have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment.”
Qur’an 4:150 – 151.
In the second chapter of this book we have already read verses of the Holy
Qur’an that touched on issues relating to the “big bang” theory and the
origin of life. We are going to examine more scientific testimonies that
proved the divine nature of Islam and the true Prophethood of Muhammad
(P.B.U.H).
Captain Cousteau was told by a friend that what they discovered was also
stated in the Holy Qur’an. The captain was shown the verses as a result of
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which he was overcome with great astonishment and made the following
declaration:
History had never shown that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was an ocean
explorer, so how could he (without Allah’s inspiration) make statements on
the nature of oceans, which no explorer made until recently. These are the
verses of the Qur’an, which talk about the barriers between oceans.
“It is He who has let free the two bodies of flowing water:
one palatable and sweet and the other salty and bitter: Yet
has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is
forbidden to be passed”. Qur’an 25:53.
‘He has let free the two bodies of flowing water meeting
together: between them is a barrier which they do not
transgress.” Qur’an 55:19-20.
The verses which amazed the learned Professor were also quoted in the
magazine and here is just one of them.
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“Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then We
placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly
fixed. Then We made the sperm into a congealed blood; then
of that clot We made a (fetus) lump; then We made out of
that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We
developed out of it another creature. So blessed be God the
best to create.” Qur’an 23:12-14.
Here is what the unlettered prophet said about a housefly many centuries
ago:
Narrated Abu Huraira, Allah’s Apostle (P.B.U.H) said, “ If a fly falls in the
vessel of any of you, let him dip all of it (into the vessel) and then throw it
away, for in one of its wings there is a disease and in the other there is
healing (antidote for it) i.e. the treatment for that disease.” Bukhari Vol. 7
Hadith No. 673:
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CHAPTER SIX
Islam means total submission to the will of Allah. By that total submission it
is meant that whoever wants to become a Muslim must heartily accept all
what Allah commands him to do or not to do with regards to all aspects of
his life. In addition, he must act in accordance with what Allah decreed as
much as possible.
Islam is also said to mean peace. Peace here refers to the kind of situation
that will prevail when people accept and practice the teachings of Islam.
When they do so, they will have peace with their God as He will not punish
them but provide them with His uncountable blessings. Secondly, peace will
prevail among them, for they will form a community in which there is no
oppression, in which the poor is being helped by the rich, where social evils
are reduced to the barest minimum and where love and mutual respect
obtain. Therefore when it is said that Islam means peace, the peace is not
tolerating oppression in any form and from any quarters, is not forsaking
one’s rights, it is not condoning the imposition of values, laws and ways of
life that run counter to Islamic teachings.
Islam is not only a religion but also a comprehensive way of life. This is
because when you gather all the “do’s” and “don’ts relating to marriage,
child rearing, education, politics, business, visiting toilet and so on, which
are contained in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith (sayings) of Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) you find that a complete way of life is formed. The
religion of Islam is not a private affair, for it directs how its followers should
interact not only with one another but with non-Muslims too, it is therefore
concerned with the personal and public life of Muslims and rejects
secularism which robs people of divine guidance and places them at the
mercy of man-made laws that are replete with selfishness, inadequacies
and manipulations.
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Fundamental Pillars of Islam
Islam is built upon five fundamental pillars namely, Kalimah, Sallat, Zakkat,
Fasting, and Pilgrimage.
The Kalimah means saying of “La Ilaha Illal Lah, Muhammad Rasulul Lah”
and a belief in its full meaning. The translation of the Kalimah is: “There is
no deity worthy of being worshipped except Allah and Muhammad is His
Messenger.” In a nutshell, the Kalimah means there is only one God who
must be worshipped and whose dictates and guidance alone must be
accepted and observed. Secondly, Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the Messenger
or Apostle of the One and only God. Therefore whatever Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) brought to Muslims is from Allah and obedience to
him is obedience to Allah.
The moment a non-Muslim says the Kalimah, after knowing it’s meaning
and believing in it he becomes a Muslim. The saying and believing in the
Kalimah is the only means of accepting Islam and without it observing
other pillars of Islam is useless. Accepting the Kalimah means one has
made a pledge to abandon laws and regulations designed by himself or
other people, which oppose those made by God. The moment one
intentionally (without being forced) decides to drop the pledge one is at the
same time dropping the faith in Islam.
Faith in Islam has six articles namely: belief in Allah, His books, His
messengers, His angels, the Last Day and Destiny.
The first one is that one must believe that there is God and He is one and
only.
The second article requires one to believe that Allah revealed Holy Books to
His Prophets. He must believe in all what the Holy Books contain. If, for
example, a person does not believe in a single verse of the Holy Qur’an he
is not a Muslim. Of all the Holy Books revealed only the Holy Qur’an will
continue to exist in its perfect form. Up to today the Holy Qur’an remains
perfect because Allah promised to protect it from distortions.
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It is common to find many people, including children, who have
memorized the Holy Qur’an and could detect any mistake made in writing
or reciting its verses. In fact these people can detect even a change in a
vowel or consonant introduced into the Holy Qur’an. It is a favour to the
mankind that Allah protects the Holy Qur’an for it is His last revelation and
there won’t be any prophet after Prophet Muhammad (P.B.UH.).
A Muslim must also believe in all the prophets of Allah. He must believe
that angels exist and Allah creates them, some of these angels are Jibril
(Gabriel), Mika’il (Michael) and Malik.
The fifth article of faith is the belief in the Last Day. It means a Muslim
must believe that a time will come when he will be resurrected after his
death to account for his actions on earth. Lastly but not the least, a Muslim
must believe in Destiny. He must believe that whatever happens to him,
good or bad, is ordained by God. Nothing can happen without God’s will.
Despite being the controller of everything, God provides His creatures with
some freedom to act as they wish, to be righteous or to be rebellious, but
they are enjoined to be righteous and shun evils. God also sets limit to
one’s actions for example, one must eat, drink, go to the toilet, sleep and
die whether one likes it or not.
A belief in destiny does not mean folding your arms and waiting for God to
change your condition, you must strive and you must do the right thing.
Sallat as a pillar of Islam refers to the five compulsory and daily prayers,
which are spread along the length of the day and early part of the night.
The third pillar is Zakkat, which means compulsory alms given out of one’s
wealth to the poor, the needy and other categories of people recommended
by God in the Holy Qur’an. Zakkat is only compulsory upon one whose
wealth reaches or passes a given minimum amount (Nisab) and which must
remain intact for a full year. A fraction of that Nisab (1/40 in case of
money) is given out as Zakkat. Compared to the great tax burdens placed
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on people by secular tax systems, the Zakkat is very simple to observe.
Zakkat is a means of bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.
These are the fundamental pillars of Islam, which must be observed by all
Muslims. Being a fundamentalist is therefore a must; Islam accepts it but
rejects extremism (going beyond the teachings of Islam), mediocrity
(partial observance of the teachings of Islam) and laxity.
Universality of Islam
Islam is not a religion reserved only for the Arabs nor is it a foreign religion
to non-Arabs. Since there is only one God who created everything there has
to be a religion that is for all people, more especially when there will not be
new revelations and new prophets. Some prophets were in the past sent to
specific communities but prophet Muhammad (P.B.UH.) was sent to the
whole mankind and Islam is a universal religion. Referring to Prophet
Muhammad, Allah said:
Allah has chosen Arabic as the language of the Holy Qur’an not because
Islam is only for the Arabs. The use of a common language (Arabic) when
performing Sallat makes it possible for all ethnic groups to worship God in a
common place at the same time. That is why you hardly see different
mosques for different tribal groups, and this promotes unity.
Shari’ah
Shari’ah simply means rules, regulations and guidance, which govern the
temporal and spiritual life of Muslims, both as individuals and as members
of a community or nation. These rules, regulations and guidance are
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sourced from the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Qiyas and Ijma. The first two
sources, which have been explained in chapter one, are the major or
primary sources of the shari’ah.
Qiyas refers to personal deduction from what the major sources state,
when making a decision on a matter for which there is no direct ruling.
Ijma is a consensus of opinion reached by a group of learned people in
religious affairs, on matters for which there are no direct rulings. Qiyas and
Ijma make the Shari’ah dynamic even though they must not oppose the
Qur’an and Hadith of the prophet. the learned people in religious affairs
term bank interest as illegal despite the fact that banks did not exist during
the lifetime of prophet Muhammad (P.B.UH.), they do so because the
Qur’an and Hadith condemn usury or interest in any form. This is an
example of how Qiyas is made. A legislation by the majority of an assembly
cannot make what is unlawful in Islam lawful or what is lawful unlawful.
To be free from disgrace in this world and from grievous punishment in the
hereafter, Muslims must regard Allah’s laws as supreme and try to abide by
them as much as possible. When a Muslim willingly prefers man – made
laws to the Shari’ah he becomes an unbeliever.
“If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God hath
revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.” Qur’an 5:47
Whoever decides to reject Allah’s guidance and rules (Shari’ah) has gone
astray, as this is made clear in the Holy Qur’an:
“And who is more astray than one who follows his own lust
devoid of guidance from God?”
Qur’an 28:50
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“It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman when a
matter has been decided by God and His Apostle, to have
any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys God
and His Apostle he is indeed on a clear wrong path.”
Qur’an 33:36
From the foregoing it is clear that shari’ah is Islam, and Islam is shari’ah,
any attempt to prevent Muslims from implementing the shari’ah is a denial
of their freedom of worship and a mark of intolerance.
Islam is a religion that respects the dignity of all human beings regardless
of their beliefs, sex and social status. It does not condone oppression in
whatever form. It abolished maltreatment of women and provided people
with freedom and the fundamental human rights many centuries before the
Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Islam is against all forms of
injustice.
Islam has a legal system with provisions on how to settle criminal cases
and inter-personal disagreements over properties and issues. Islam,
therefore, does not support jungle justice and terrorism. Instances of
terrorism, a crime committed by some atheists as well as some deviant
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followers of the different religions we have, have no backing in the
Shari’ah. Terrorism is caused by frustration, ignorance, and oppression
coming from other quarters, and from despotic leadership, domination and
injustice. Solution to it lies in doing justice to all people and nations, respect
and tolerance for the religious beliefs of people and abstinence from
forceful imposition of uniform laws and ways of life by a section of nation
over other sections or by a powerful nation or nations over the weak ones.
Since people differ in terms of belief, culture, worldview and orientation,
pluralism, tolerance and non-interference in the affairs of one another are
the best means of reducing terrorism and promoting peace.
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CONCLUDING REMARKS
You have read the proofs on the existence of God, the justifications for the
expiration of other divine religions with the advent of Islam and the
Prophethood of Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), you have seen the inadequacies
and unreliability of “religions” that are based on hero worshipping and other
superstitious beliefs which science, logic and commonsense will not accept,
you are now in a position to talk to your inner self.
You should also note that the author of this book is not having a debate or
arguing with you on the issues raised in this book, he is simply enlightening
you and helping you to make the greatest decision in your life.
By the time you whole-heartedly believe in the following words and utter
them with your mouth, you automatically become a Muslim.
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