BASIC TEACHING OF ISLAM

Lecture given by: Shaheed Ayatollah Dr. Beheshti Preface to the 4th Edition The present book is part of the invaluable legacy of the martyr Ayatollah Dr. eheshti.

Despite its briefness! it successfully presents the principles and outlines of "#LA$"% %&DE &' E(A")"&*+. The attractive comprehensiveness of the book together ,ith the need to illuminate the high station of that great "slamic figure! impelled the "slamic Propagation &rgani-ation ."P&/ to present a re0edition of the ,ork ,hich ,as first published by The "slamic %enter of (amburg. ".P.&. 1. Introdu tion Dear Ladies and gentlemen: Let me greet first those ,ho0 free from arrogance and pre1udice0 seek the truth! those ,ho humble themselves in its presence regardless of ,hat the truth may be! those ,ho do not blindly oppose it ,hen it re2uires apprehension and ,hen it ought to be embraced! those ,ho carefully and ,isely investigate each problem and having in good conscience evaluated it follo, nothing but the best. 3oran says: "And thus preach joy to My servants. Those who listen to the word and follow the best of it. Those are the ones whom Allah has guided and they are the wise people." .45:67068/ 9ou have invited me to talk to you about "slam today. The actual reason seems to be that you have heard of :Islam: and thereby have been urged to seek further kno,ledge and learn of its truth. Let me give you good tidings: should you set out on this high,ay ,ith sincerity and thus follo, it! the gate,ay of a true understanding of "slam ,ill be opened up to you and you shall pursue your course smoothly. " shall attempt in short a talk to e;plain the cornerstone of "slamic teachings and some of its fundamental features. "t ,ill be your turn to consider matters carefully and if you come across anything you ,ould like to understand more throughly! do not hesitate to set forth your 2uestions. The sub1ect ,ill be much clarified in the process of 2uestion and ans,er. "n order to banish any lingering
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restraint you may have at 2uestion time! let me tell you that " am as keen to hear you as you are at the moment to hear me. $ay " finally add that ,hat " may relate about "slam is confined to the results of my personal in2uiries! and " have not relied upon inherited beliefs and dogmas or upon the ideas of other thinkers. " have primarily relied upon the 3oran ,hich is the sacred te;t of all $uslim! a book revealed to $ohammad .#A</ so that it may be available to all men at all times and is the most fundamental source of ac2uaintance ,ith "slam. A book ,hich in myriads of copies has been available to all peoples throughout the centuries. The 2uestion results! if one can rely on a better and more trust,orthy source to get ac2uainted ,ith "slam. "f ,e are of the opinion that 3oran can be considered the most important "slamic source! it does not mean that sources! for e;ample (adith .statements or actions of the Prophet .#A</! handed do,n to us/! are absolutely of no value. There is no doubt that a remarkable portion of "slamic teachings ought to be understood by means of these sources. $ohammad.#A</. Doubtful traditions are therefore no acceptable source to us. "n order that the false and doubtful traditions e;ercise no disadvantageous influence on "slam! the principles of this religion demand all traditions0 (adith! etc.0 be first compared ,ith 3oran! thus eliminating such relevant points ,hich do not comply. Therefore! everybody ,ho ,ants to reali-e a true investigation of "slam and its principles must conse2uently first throughly kno, 3oran in each and every respect and compare each and every theme in tradition! history and similar fields ,ith the same. Only One God! The cornerstone of "slam is :Tauhid:! i.e. $onotheism. :Tauhid: means belief in only one =od and that e;istence in general00 among other things the order of nature00is a manifestation of (is grand design! as ,ell as turning to =od in prayer and glorification! a,ay from ,orshipping any other. The first article of faith is: :La ilaha, illa llah:00 :There is no =od but Allah.: ut (adith and similar sources are only valuable! if they report truly on statements or actions of the Prophet

And the first step to,ards "slam: :Ashhadu an la ilaha illa llah: 00 :" testify that there is no =od beside Allah.: >ot only my tongue but also my heart and inner light all proclaim that there is no other than the %reator of the ,orld ,ho is ,orthy of adoration. All the other teachings of "slam are founded upon this and have their sources here. Accordingly "slam proclaimed monotheism to be the path to salvation: : !ulu la ilaha illa llah, tuflihu: 00:#ay: There is no =od but Allah! and thereby you ,ill attain salvation.: This means: #ay and act sincerely! and believe ,ith all your heart that apart from the only %reator of the ,orld there is nothing ,orthy of adoration and this shall be your path to salvation. Corre t "no#led$e o% God "slam has attached importance! more than anything else! to the proper kno,ledge of =od! free from any aberration. "t is chiefly here that "slam is outstanding. %onse2uently! in the course of my talk ,ill have to be a basis for your future ac2uaintance ,ith "slam! " shall attend to this feature. The In&isi'le God The only =od to ,hom "slam invites everyone is inaccessible to the senses. (e is beyond the reach of eyesight nor is (e open to touch. 3oran says in this respect: ""o vision can grasp #im but #is grasp is over all vision. #e is above all comprehension yet $mniscient." .?:6@4/ )ision does not penetrate beyond colour and figure but =od has neither one nor the other . (is glory is beyond the reach of vision and other senses in general. God (nli)e Anythin$ Else <e generally have a mental picture of things ,e kno,! for e;ample: flo,ers and fruits! hills and dales! sun ! moon and stars and human being as ,ell. ut ,hat about =odA %an ,e also form an image of (imA >everB
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ecause our notions are a result of our e;periences! or constructions out of our e;periences or of analysis carried on by our restless mind! yet having their roots in things ,e have come to kno, through our senses. "n this respect 3oran says: "The %reator of the heavens and of the earth. #e has created pairs of yourselves as well as pairs of the animals thereby #e multiplies you. "othing is li&e onto #im and #e is the All hearing, the All seeing." .4C:66/ 9es ! =od can be represented neither in form of a painting nor a statue. (e can also not be conceived. God* The O+nis ient* The Mi$hty &n various occasions! 3oran mentions different and absolute attributes for =od: "#e is the %reator, the $mniscient, the All hearing , the All seeing, the All guiding, the 'upporter, the (orbearer, the Amiable, the Always forgiving, the 'elf sufficient... a )od who &nows our most secret thoughts, Listens to the prayers of all #is servants, grants each and everyone his due* a )od who is nearer and more gracious to us than any other being." ,raise o% God #ince manDs mind has more to do ,ith relative ideas! that is to say his ideas are of relative things! even in the understanding of those of (is attributes ,hich the 3oran mentions! man is liable to go astray and fall into error. "t is o,ing to this shortcoming of the human mind that there are many verses in the 3oran ,hich attribute to =od purity from imperfections ,hich have their seat in the native deficiency of our thoughts. ,raise o% God #ince manDs mind has more to do ,ith relative ideas! that is to say his ideas are of relative things! even in the understanding of those of (is attributes ,hich the 3oran mentions! man is liable to go astray and fall into error. "t is o,ing to this shortcoming of the human mind that there are many verses in the 3oran ,hich attribute to =od purity from imperfections ,hich have their seat in the native deficiency of our thoughts.
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Has God Any ChildrenAmong these erroneous ideas is the notion that =od has children. There are people ,ho believe that Eesus0peace be ,ith him0 is the son of =od. There have also been people and perhaps there still are! ,ho fancy that angels are =odDs daughters. "n this respect the (oly 3oran says: "... And they falsely, having no &nowledge, attributed to #im sons and daughters. +raise and glory to #im, #e is far above whatever they attributed to #im. The %reator of the heavens and the earth, wherefrom could #e have a child, when #e has no consortAnd #e has created everything and &nows everything. That is )od , your Lord, There is no )od but #e, the %reator of all things. Then worship #im and #e is the )uardian of all things." .?:6@@06@4/ "And they say. /Allah begot a son. +raise and glory be to #im, "ay, to #im belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth, everything renders worship to #im." .C:66?/ The 3oran ,arns us against considering angels and apostles as =odDs offspring. They are (is bondsmen! though admittedly eminent among them. ut by no means may they be considered as (is children. Adam! >oah! Abraham! Lot! (ud! #aleh! "smael! "saac! Eacob! #hoaib! $oses Eoshua! Enoch! Eohn! Eesus! $ohammad! and the other apostles are like us in so far as they are men and =odDs servants. (e has created them as (e has created others. #hould those ,ho say that Eesus is =odDs son mean that =od is a father as ,e are to our children! then their characterisation of (im is improper. =od is elevated above such immature fancies. &n the other hand! if they mean something different they should use a different notion to e;press it! rather than the misleading term : 'on of )od: The Dan$er o% Co+.arison /Anthro.o+or.his+0 *sing such e;pressions as :#on of =od: al,ays involves the danger of the only =od! to <hom nothing is alike! appearing to men as a magnified human being living beyond the clouds. This is the danger of anthropomorphism ,hich is a stumbling block on the path of a correct ac2uaintance ,ith =od! deviating the course of menDs thinking.
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The unfounded and fanciful beliefs of many believers and the ,eak ob1ections made by many agnostics and atheists are nearly entirely the result of these unfitting ideas ,hich are in turn produced by the anthropomorphising imagination of man. elievers create in their fancy something they call =od and ,orship this image! and unbelievers considering this product find it an idea ,ithout any foundation and thereupon re1ect to believe in (is e;istence at all. ut truly! both are in error. The only =od to <hom "slam invites all men to believe and to ,orship is neither this nor that but far above such false images. "t is for these considerations that one of the primary teachings of "slam is a total abstinence from comparison .anthropomorphism/. Isla+ and The 1elation 'et#een God* Man and The (ni&erse "slam considers a correct ac2uaintance ,ith =od as being related to a proper understanding of man and universe. According to its teachings the better our kno,ledge of manDs nature and being ! the more perfect our kno,ledge of =od and the truer. 00:<hoever kno,s himself kno,s (is Lord.: This also holds true of creation in general. A better understanding of the creatures is a real help to,ards better understanding of =od! the %reator. &n the other hand! any kind of deep0 rooted error or unfounded fancy about man and universe! particularly =odDs relation to man! universe and to angels leads to an erroneous idea of =od! the $aker because the kno,ledge of cause and effect are intimately related. There are many verses in 3oran inviting man to reflect upon himself and the universe in order to ac2uire a better understanding of =od. Thus t,o pertinent verses of 3oran read as follo,s: "In the creation of the heavens and the earth , and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding 0definite1 proof." "2ho thin& of Allah, standing, sitting and lying and thin& about the creation of the heavens and the earth...." .4:65@0656/
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"t is easy to deduce from these verses the close correlation: +ecognition of =odFcognition of man and universe. The 56st verse of the ?th sura reads as follo,s: "They did not esteem Allah according to #is value when they said. /Allah has not sent anything down to man /, 'ay, who then has sent the boo& which Moses brought as a light and guidance for man&ind, but you have made of it sheets of paper which you show while you conceal much." A group of Ee,s ,ho had dealings ,ith the $eccanDs heard that a messenger had arisen from among the 3oreish saying: D=od has revealed to me so that " may rise up against those ,ho take partners unto (im! and to rise up against ignorance and oppression. " have been ordained by (im to place ,ithin the reach of men the divine truths! so that all may kno, =od and the right ,ay of life! pleasing (im ! and to deliver them from errorD. Accepting the truth that $ohammad ,as the prophet of =od ,as for many reasons unpalatable to those Ee,s! so that they attempted to sabotage the progress and spread of "slam from many directions and eventually decided to fight "slam. They employed various methods in their struggle. &ne ,ay ,as to cast doubt in the humble minds of the Arabs. Among other things! they said that it is impossible that =od should reveal (is message to a man and it has not been kno,n of =od that (e has done so. "n reply to this the 3oran says: D<hat about the book brought by $osesA 'rom ,here did it come to himA "s it not true that e;actly like the 3oran it ,as sent do,n as a revelation on one ,ho had been chosen for prophecy! so that he may guide menD. )erily! $oses too ,as a man to ,hom a (oly ook had been revealed as ,ell! and that

illusory claim0D=od never sent a revelation to manD0 is based on ignorance. The un,ise claim by the Ee,s ,as directly related to the problem of the revelation! but 3oran has considered it as a result of their ,rong conception of =od. Man and (ni&erse /1ECOGNI2E 3O(1SELF40 "slamic teachings say: :&h man B & you! ,ho from time to time forgets his noble station bo,ing do,n in fear to sun! moon! stars! mountain and ,ind! and in ,hose sight they appear
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so great and po,erfulB & 9ou! ,hose mind and soul have been con2uered by the ma1esty and grandeur of the rich and mighty gaping at them in a,e! taking them to be divine =ods! ,orshiping them in humility and enslaving yourself to themB <ake up from your deep sleepB >o earthly or heavenly thing has ascendancy over youB 9ou have not recognised your ,orth and have cast yourself for no price at their feetB AriseB Learn of your strength ,ith ,hich =od has endo,ed you and employ your faculties rightlyB "f you attend to =odDs bidding! you ,ill see that you are neither as little nor those as great as you fancy.: Do+inatin$ Nature "slam has openly proclaimed that manDs true ,orth lies in the measure he has con2uered nature and tamed it. The C@th verse of the 46st sura reads as follo,s: "#ave you not seen that Allah has subjected to your 0use1 everything, all things in the heavens and on the earth and has made #is bouties flow to you in e3ceeding measure, 0both1 seen and unseen -..." $oreover verses 4C044 of the 64th sura have the follo,ing ,ording: "It is Allah who has created the heavens and the earth, sent down water from the s&y, brought out fruits therewith to feed you* rendered ships to your service that they may sail through the sea according to #is will and #e subjected streams and rivers to you." And #e has subjected sun and moon to you, both diligently pursuing their courses. And the day and the night has #e subjected to you and #e has given you all that you as& for. And if you count the favours of Allah, you won/t be able to number them. 4erily, man is unjust and ungrateful." These verses and many others point to the possibility of man to dominate nature. 'ourteen centuries ago man had progressed only so far as to control sheep and cattle! camel and elephant. (e had learnt to use their milk and meat and hide! ride them or bear his cargo on their backs. (e had learnt to con2uer someho, the restless sea! ride its billo,s in small or large vessels and cross that seas ,ith his merchandise. (e had also learnt to harness turbulent

rivers and by building dams or channelling off their angry ,aters drive them to serene orchards and fields. ut did man al,ays have control of such thingsA There ,as a time ,hen even such paltry things ,ere beyond his reach. &n the contrary! fearing all or some of them! he could not muster courage to face them. "n the course of time he came to learn that he had no reason to fear them and casting off his irrational fear! his inner faculties opened up and in the light of labour and thought! he con2uered and came to master them. >o, the 3oran inspires man to consider his area of influence ,ider. Let man kno, that day and night! the sun! moon and stars and in a ,ord >ature in all its ma1esty is a,aiting his con2uest! on condition that he does 1ustice to himself and does not give in to ignorance and lust! on condition that he does not strike the ,rong path but chooses the straight road ,hich =od has set before him and that he be not thankless to his %reator. Man And God /1ECOGNI2E 3O(1SELF ONCE AGAIN40 Although "slam inspires man ,ith the fire of con2uest! it <arns him at the same time: :&h man! let not your feeling of increasing strength lead to vanity! the other e;tremity of the middle ,ayB &nce again consider yourself ho,! despite your might ! you are like a bubble riding the seas. "t ,ill not be long before you lose your youth and freshness! your ,ill to ,ork and po,er to think. Despite your search for strength through art and science! from time to time you still suffer illness and ,eakness or old age and uselessness! so that you cannot drive a,ay a mite from yourself. Do you kno, to ,hat this change pointsA "t points to the fact that though <e spoke of your high station! you are part of the universe in ,hich nothing o,es its life to itself nor is anything in it everlasting! and everything in it a ray of =od the only lasting thing! independent of all else. (ence! never banish from your soul the thought of (im! on <hom you depend for your life and your very e;istence. $ake your bond ,ith (im secure and attempt to get closer to (im.:

A..roa hin$ God (o, can ,e dra, near to =odA =odDs perfection and e;istence kno, no bounds! ,hile the e;istence of all other beings! ho,ever! is relative. The relative beings of our universe are on the path of evolution and through their inner light seek perfection. #eeking perfection is to search for =od. The more one ac2uires relative perfection! the nearer he gets to =od! the Absolutely Perfect. $an is also one of those beings ,ho of their inner light seek perfection! but ho,ever hard he may try he cannot cast off his relativity. (e can but keep on the path and increase his measure of perfection and thus approach =od! the Absolutely Perfect. This is the true meaning of approaching =od in "slam. According to the teachings of "slam any act of ,orship in general may be considered as a means of approaching =od only if it helps man on his path to perfection or maintains the development he has already attained. ,rayer =od is available to all men! at all times! in all places. Anyone may turn to,ards (im and seek (is help. )erse 68?! sura C reads as follo,s: "And when My servants as& thee concerning Me. I am indeed close 0to them1. I respond to the prayer of every petitioner, when he calls on Me." The basic condition of prayer is that man turn to =od in all sincerity. "t is only then that =od ,ill ans,er his prayer! regardless of time and place and needless of intercession. Sin* 1e.entan e* And 1e+ission #inners may also turn a,ay from sin at any time and place and take the path of goodness and e;pect =odDs mercy and they need nothing and nobody else to have recourse to. "n this respect 3oran says:

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"'ay. /$h, My servants who have transgressed against themselves, 5espair not of the mercy of Allah. Allah forgives all sins #e is oft forgiving, most merciful.66 "Turn ye to your Lord 0in repentance1 and bow to #is will, before the punishment comes on you, and ye shall not be helped any more.".45:G40G4/ God And (ni&erse The universe and all it contains is a creation of =od. The la,s governing the universe! including the la,s of nature! are =odDs la,s and the ,ays and habits! ordained by (im. Among the verses of the 3oran ,e find that events generally attributed to nature .and from one point of vie, this is true/ are considered as =odDs ,ork. )erse 4C! sura 64 says in this respect: "It is Allah 2ho has created the heavens and the earth, sent down water from the s&y, brought out fruits therewith to feed you, rendered ships to your service that they may sail through the sea according to #is will and #e subjected streams and rivers to you." #uch verses teach us that according to the "slamic notion the natural order is not in opposition to =od and (is la,s. +ather! it is regarded as part of creation and =odDs divine order. (ence! belief in =od and (is infinite po,er does not imply an attitude of disregard to,ards nature. >either should manDs belief in =odDs infinite po,er result in holding him back from its scientific understanding or practical acceptance of nature nor should concern ,ith nature result in a disbelief in =od. The scientific kno,ledge of a believer in =od is similar to the scientific kno,ledge of a disbeliever! both in theory and in practice. "n understanding nature and harnessing its forces they both proceed hand in hand. They differ only in so far that the man of science believing in =od does not imprison himself ,ithin the bounds of nature although he is engaged in scientific research and technical application. 'or him! nature is a mirror in ,hich he sees =od! its %reator. The disbelieving man of science on the other hand is so engrossed ,ith nature that he cannot penetrate its veil and reach beyond it to its %reator.

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Mira les Even believing in miracles does not affect the ,ork of a $uslim scientist! because they are e;tremely rare accurrings in keeping ,ith their particular order only ,hen necessary. The ratio of these events to natural ones is less than even one in a billion and it is an accepted principle in the methodology that such e;ceptions do not affect the value of a scientific la, or its technical application. Therefore! belief in miracles does not imply a re1ection of nature and vice versa. Ser&ants O% God >ature and its numerous active elements serve =od. The staggering order of nature is an emanation of =odDs ,ill. All nature phenomena! results of causes! actions and reactions of a material and natural kind are at the same time a ray of =odDs omnipotence! omniscience and (is divine ,ill because natural causes are at =odDs command eternally. Endless (ni&erse )erses from the 3oran openly proclaim that the ,orld in ,hich ,e live is endless. "If you count )od/s blessings, you shall never number them." .6?:68/ 'urther! =od is incessantly in the act of creation! increasing creation as (e ,ills. "#e increases in the creation as #e will. Allah has power over all things.".4G:6/ Therefore! manDs progress in science and technology ,ith an eye to using the limitless resources of the universe can never come to a halt and the door of ,ork and endeavour ,ill al,ays be left open. Fate And Free 5ill The teaching of "slam concerning free ,ill! predestination and immortality lays great stress on strengthening manDs ,ill to ,ork and try correctly against a background of correct thinking! using up his immense capacity for kno,ledge! correct 1udgement and initiative

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,hich =od had endo,ed in him ! on the one hand and increase his capacity of endurance and resistance against difficulties and tribulations! normally occurring in life on the other hand. #uch teachings are opposed to all manner of indolence! and fatalism ,hen man is faced ,ith natural and social difficulties! and fro,ns upon those ,ho are not robust and possess no self0 assurance ,hen facted ,ith the bitter facts of life. Isla+* Modern S ien e* And Te hnolo$y 'rom ,hat has already been discussed it is 2uite clear that "slam is not only not opposed to scientific and technological progress! on the contrary! it encourages it! laying stress only on t,o points: 6. #cientific! technological and social progress shall not result in man ,a;ing proud and thereby disregarding his %reator. C. This endeavour and progress shall be utili-ed to better the condition of men and never be used in propagating sin or to buttress the foundations of cruelty and oppression. ,ro.he y $anDs thought soars above the clouds in problems concerning nature and he can e;pect increasing progress of his faculties. "t is precisely for this reason that =odDs messengers have had no special functions there. ut in order to solve problems beyond the realm of nature! and to gain an insight into the after life and manDs ultimate goal ! he is surely in need of guidance from =od. The =od gives men and the guidance (e sends do,n upon them is through men to ,hom (e makes revelation! ordaining them to guide their fello,s and to teach men ,hat has been revealed to them. They are the prophets. The teachings of the prophets are neither the result of scientific research nor that of personal e;perience! but =odDs teachings ,hich are sent do,n to them through revelation. "And #e does not spea& out of caprice. It is nought but a revelation revealed, taught him by one terrible in power.".G4:040G/
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1i$ht Esti+ation o% The ,ro.hets The 3oran from time to time reminds us that the prophets are men in their substance and they are distinct from others o,ing to their ability to receive and pass on revelations in order to lead men. "n other aspects they do not differ from other human beings. E;actly like others! they are born! eat! drink! sleep! procreate! rear children! and live their span of life! and then pass a,ay. The 3oran says of $ohammad.pbuh/: "'ay, I am only a man the li&e of you, it is revealed to me that your )od is the only )od, so whoever, he hopes for encounter with his Lord, shall wor& righteously, and in the worship of his Lord admit no one as #is partner.".68:66@/ "slamic teaching concerning all messengers of =od! among them Adam! >oah! Abraham! $oses! and Eesus is the same. They are all men raised to the station of prophecy and their only distinction is that they receive =odDs revelations to hand over to their fello,men. Mira les 'y ,ro.hets 3oran speaks! too! of miracles ,orked by the prophets ! but in many verses it is stressed that to ,ork miracles is not left at their discretion. They do not possess an e;tra faculty to those ,e o,n! thus ,orking miracles on re2uest. Those opposed to "slam constantly re2uested miracles from the Prophet. They ,ould say that if he ,as truly a prophet of =od he ought to be able to do e;traordinary things ,ithout further ado. The Prophet ,ould reply: :"t is not left to me to perform miracles at your caprice.: The miracles you have heard of =odDs prophets are =odDs ,orks performed e;ceptionally ,hen conditions have rendered them necessary! regardless of the personal inclination of the prophet concerned. Accordingly! miracles do not raise a prophet above the station of other men. #ee 3oran! sura ?! verse 6@5! sura 67! verses 5@054 and many other verses.
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S ien e61eason And 1e&elation efore coming to kno, the prophets of =od ,e have only one source of kno,ledge! e;periment and thought! science and reason. &nce ,e have kno,n the messengers of =od and got sure that they utter nothing but from =od ,e have gained a ne, source to reali-e the truth! i.e. the teachings of the prophets ,hich originate from the revelation. $an has no better source of ac2uainting himself ,ith =od! the problems of the hereafter and a ,ay of life both pleasing his =od and resulting in eternal happiness. Belie&in$ in And Honourin$ All ,ro.hets The 3oran openly proclaims that "slam is not the creed of $ohammad .#A</ aloneH it is the religion of all the prophets of =od. ecause "slam! ,hich means surrendering to the truth! is accepting the teachings of =od! ac2uaintance ,ith =od and obeying (im and being a,are of selfishness and bias in these matters. Accordingly "slam is not only the creed of the prophets but it is the religion of men seeking the truth. This is ,hy $uslims respect all prophets! and their scriptures! and believe in them. 3oran says. "The messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers* each one believes in )od and #is angels and in #is boo&s and #is messengers 0and says1. /we ma&e no distinction between any one of #is Messengers* and they say. /2e hear and obey. $ur lord, grant us Thy forgiveness* unto Thee is the homecoming,".C:C8G/ De&iation The teachings of the messengers of =od ,ere gradually tainted by impure hands and various superstitions introduced. $atters ,ould go so far that even 2ualified scholars ,ere not able to distinguish the true teachings of the prophets after hard labour and scholarship because those ignorant friends as ,ell as foes ,ith ill intentions had tampered ,ith the sources of religion and even ,ith the divine scriptures. *nder such conditions the only remedy ,as to send a ne, prophet to ,hom revelation ,ould be made again and thus the divine truths ,ould be made available ane,. The 3oran has in the course of relating the stories of most prophets e;plained this point.

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Moha++ad/SA50 And The "oran This state of affairs ,as rene,ed in the seventh century. "f anyone sincerely sought after the teachings of Abraham! $oses and Eesus or the other prophets of =od! it ,as no longer possible for him to attain to the truth. because there ,as no reliable source at hand. >either the Pentateuch had a clever history nor the =ospels or the teachings of the other prophets. These books had been tampered ,ith and this had rendered them valueless. At this time $ohammad.#A</ ,as raised by =od to accept his revelations and hand the them over to mankind. According to the un2uestionable evidence of history! the verses of the 3oran ,hich $ohammad.#A</ as prophet delivered from =od had an entirely ne, and miraculous style ,hich ,as inimitable. This feature ,as effective in guarding the 3oran from alteration. $oreover! these verses! named the 3oran! ,ere made available to everybody and spread rapidly. This rapid spreading of 3oran during 6444 years since the death of $ohammad.#A</ has also protected the 3oran from all the causes of alteration and tampering. "t is today available slightest difference in its innumerable copies. (aving such a source book of high authority is a distinction of "slam not shared by any other religion! making it possible for anyone at any time and place to understand it directly and immediately! protecting himself from any error in its understanding. The A%terli%e &ne of the teachings of the prophets is that manDs e;istence does not cease ,ith death. Death is only the end of the period of manDs struggle and endeavour. During this period he has to find out for himself ,ith his o,n 1udgement the right path from the ,rong and decide upon his course. (e finds his conditions during this period in a state of flu; and seeks to preserve it! if good! and to alter it for the better! if bad. <ith the advent of death! change gives ,ay to eternity. 'rom then on,ards his state is unalterableH it ,ill be ,hat he has made of it in his period of evaluation and endeavour and the afterlife is ,here he achieves the fruit of his struggle during the previous period. This is "slamic teaching about life and death and the hereafter. 3oran says.

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"$n that day shall men be scattered and see their wor&s, and who has done an atom weight of good shall see it, and who has dane an atom weight of evil shall see it.".55:?08/ ,aradise And Hell <hat is paradiseA "t is the eternal home of the blessed and the blissful and of peace! a home ,hich the righteous have prepared for themselves during their lifetime by honesty and sincerity and =od pleasing endeavour. <hat is hellA The abode of eternal pain and punishment ,hich evildoers have built for themselves by taking the ,rong path! doing evil and oppression and spreading ,rong doing. Other Tea hin$s o% Isla+ <hat has been said heretofore are the basic teachings of "slam. "slam has a lot of detailed teachings in other fields. &n the one hand they depend on these basic teachings and on the other hand on individual! family and social needs of men spiritually as ,ell as physically. Prayer! fasting! the (a11 pilgrimage! struggle and endeavour in making kno,n =odDs religion and relieving (is servants from oppression! supervising government! attempting to establish a 1ust and true social and economic order! love of fello,0men and helping the needy and helpless! orphans and the poor! truth and honesty! purity and a constant effort in attaining physical and spiritual hygiene from some aspects of this teaching. Their detailed description cannot be e;pected in one or t,o short talks. " hope by means of numerous talks or printed information about "slam! ,hich ,e ,ill place at your disposal! you ,ill get ac2uainted ,ith them.

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