ISLAM ITS CONCEPTS AND MEANINGS:

Islam is the embodiment of the code of life which God,the Creator and Lord of the universe
has revealed for the guidence of mankind.All of its teachings are harmoniously conceived
and to compliment each other,nothing is superflous and nothing is lacking. With the result
of solid composure and absolute balance its teachings and postulates both create a strong
and long lasting impression on both beleivers and non believers.it is a religion which purely
provides guidence for each and every aspect of mankind and the universe.

Man requires two significant things for the proper development of his existence.He requires
resources to maintain life and fulifill the needs of both the individual and the
society.Secondly he must attain the knowledge regarding the principles of individual and
social behaviour which enables him maintain justice and tranquility in human life.The Lord
of the universe had provided for both of these in full measure.In order to cater for the
individual needs of man God has provided nature with all kinds of resources which lie at the
disposal of man.To provide for his spiritual,social and cultural needs He has raised His
prophets from among men and revealed to them the code of life which can guide man's
steps to teh right path.This code of life is known as Islam,the religion preached by all the
prophets of God.According to the Holy quran,

"He has ordained for you (O Muhammad) that faith which He commended to Noah and that
which he commended to Abraham ,Moses and Jesus saying,"Establish the Faith and be not
divided therein".

Thus all of the Prophets were the messengers from God who have been revealed the real
truth regarding the existence of this universe and who were assigned the task to guide men
to the right path.All of them gave the same message and all of them stood for the same
cause,Islam.
As it has been stressed in Quran,
" O you who beleive! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and make not your deeds vain".

THE MEANING OF ISLAM:

Islam,an arabic word which denotes submission.surrender, and pure obedience of Allah.The
literal meaning of the word is 'peace' which signifies the most vital aspect of the islamic
religion that a person can acheive the true tranquility of both heart and mind only through
his obedience of one God who is Omnipotent,Omnipresent and the Sustainer of the
universe.Such a life with obedience can also help in the establishment of peace and
harmony among the memebers of teh society.As Quran says,
"Mankind is a single nation. So Allah raised Prophets as bearers of good news and as
warners, and He revealed with them the book with truth, that it might judge between
people concerning that in which they differed . And none but the very people who were
given it, differed about it after clear arguments had come to them, envying one another. So
Allah has guided by His will those who believe to the truth about which they differed. And
Allah guides whom he pleases to the right path " [2:213]

According to the Quran ,

"Those who believe and whose heart find rest in the remembrance of Allah -indeed it is in
the thought of Allah alone that the heart of man really finds rest-those who believe and act
righteously ,joy is for them and a blissful home to return to."

This message was preache by all the prophets of God,who showed men the right way of
life.But man veered away from this path again and again and also distorted the code of
guidence which prophets had bequeathed.That is why other prophets were sent to restate
the original message and guide man to the right path.The last of these prophets was
Muhammad (PBUH) who presented God's guidence in its final form.and arranged to
preserve it for all the time.It is this guidence which is known as "Al Islam" and is enshrined
in the quran and is the lif example of the Prophet (PBUH)

BASIC CONCEPT OF ISLAM:

The basic Islamic concept is based on Tauheed and the belief that Muhammad (PBUH) is the
last prophet sent by God as a messenger to guide and teach the mankind to the right path.
The beleif of Tauheed is a revolutionary concept and constitutes the essence of teh
teachings of islam.It means that there is only One Supreme Lord of the universe who is the
sustainer of mankind.His presence and governess can be felt if we observe the scattered
stars in the infinite space, the harmony of seasons,the vast panorama of nature with its
charm and beauty all point towards one fact that this system of universe is being governed
by only one God who has created all of the things around us.Truly Allah said,

"O,Mankind worship your Lord,who created you and those before you,so that you may ward
off evil.Who has appointed the earth a resting place for you,the sky a canopy?and who
causes water to pour down from the heavens ,thereby producing fruits as food for you?So
do not setup rivals to Allah ,when you know better".

The second part of the islamic belief signifies that God has not left any man without any
guidence for the conduct of his life.He has made revelations to his prophets who further
became apostels of God and guided men towards the teachings of Allah.The Quran said,

"Every Messenger who was sent by Us was sent for the purpose that he should be obeyed
under the sanction of Allah."

The third and very significant postulate of the Islamic concept is the belief in the life
hereafter.
The world according to Islam is a place of trial and man is accountable for whtever deeds he
performs in this world.It will be in life after death that man will be rewarded or punished for
his deeds and misdeeds.Those who live in the present world a life in complete obedience to
God will enjoy eternal bliss and those who disobey his commands will ahve to suffer for his
misdeeds in the life of eternity.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY:

SIMPLICITY:

Islam's as a religion is simple as it is free from superstitions and irrational beliefs.The unity
of God,the Prohethood of Muhammad (PBUH) and the concept of life after death are the
beasic articles of this faith.All the teachings of Islam follow from these three articles and are
based on sound logic and reason.In Islam there is no heirarchy of priests,no far fetched
abstarctions,no complicated rites and rituals and everybody can translate the book of God
and dictates it into practice.

RATIONALISM:

Islam enjoins man to see things in the light of reality.It teaches man to use his intellect and
observe as well understand the real meanings of the presence of the things around him .The
Prophet of Islam said,

"He who leaves his home in the search of some knowledge walks in the pathof God."

Quran advised man to pray ,"O ,my Lord! Advance me in Knowledge"

Muhammad (PBUH) also stressed regarding the attainment of knowledge in the following
words,

"To seek knowledge is obligatory for mankind."

Islam appreciates the intellectual activites of man to such a degree as to place him above
the angels.No other religion went ever so far in asserting the dominance of reason and ,of
learning above all other manifestations of life.As Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also asserted
in the following words,

"If anybody goes on his way in search of knowledge,God will make easy for him the way to
Paradise."
And also,

"The superiority of a learned man over a mere worshipper is like the supeiority of the moon
on a night when it is full over all other stars."

Thus from the above mentioned hadith's it can be vividly understood that Islam as a religion
teaches rational approach towards life.

PRACTICAL:

Islam, as a religion is not based on empty or futile theories .Infact it intensely educates in
attaining a practical approach towards one's existence both as an individual and as a social
being.It says that Islam is not a mere profession of beleifs ,it is the essence of life.It is a
religion which is something to be lived and not an object of mere lip service.The Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) said in this regard,

"God does not accept belief,if it is not expressed in deeds,and does not accept deeds,if they
do not conform to beleif".

Material prosperity in islam is desireable,though not the goal in itself.The goal of all our
practical activities always should be the creation and maintenece of both personal and social
conditions which can be helpful in the development of a moral stamina in man.In other
words,Islam leads man towards a conciousness of moral responsibility by his adoption of
practicality in his life.

UNITY BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT:

One of the unique characterisitics of Islam is that it does not divide life in water tight
compartments of matter and spirit.It is against ascetisim and believs in the achievemnet of
spiritual elevation by living piously in this world with a complete sense of virtue and morality
instead of renouncing the world.Every individual Muslim has to regard himself as personally
responsible for all the happenings around him and to strive for the establishment of Right
and abolition of Wrong at every time and every direction.A sanction for this attitude can be
found in the verses of Quran,
"You are the best community that has been sent forth unto mankind :You enjoin the Right
and forbid the Wrong and you have faith in God."
Islam stresses again and again in the attainment of moderation and decency in all walks of
life.It's injunction is,
"Eat and drink but do not exceed".
The Holy Prophet said that,
"A Muslim who lives in the midst of the society and bears with patience and afflictions that
come to him is better than the one who shuns society and cannot bear any wrong done to
him."

Islam enjoins man to devote all his energies to the reconstruction of life on healthy and
moral foundations.It teaches that both moral and material powers can be welded together
and spiritual salvation can be acheived by using teh material resources for the betterment
of man in the service of just ends instead of runing away from the challenges of life.An
establishemnt of of a equilibrium is strongly desired by the religion of Islam between both
the material and spiritual aspects of life.

COMPLETE WAY OF LIFE:

Islam as a religion has a wide horizon and a scope.It is not only restricted to the private
matters and affairs concerning an individual rather it deals with all the fields of human
existence.It carries withing its teachings a complete guidence concerning the individual and
social,material and moral,economic and political,legal and cultural,national and
international.It also clearly states that its objectives are the purification of teh soul and the
reformation of the society.As Quran says,

"We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs and revealed with them the Scripture and
the Balance,that mankind may observe justice and the right measure."

Islam is a complete way of life as it integrates man with God, awakens in him a new moral
conciousness and invites him to deal with all problems of life in complete accordance with
his commitment to God.

UNIVERSALITY AND HUMANISM:

God in Islam is the God of all the world.In Islam there is no distinction on the basis of
colour,creed ,language or nationality.All men are equal in the eyes of Islam and it insits in
the removal of all the impediments on the basis of status,wealth and social status.
"O Lord! Lord of my life and of everything in the universe! I affirm that all human beings are
brothers to one another."

Islam wants to unite all the human race under one code of life and presents
a message of hope and a glorious future for its followers.According to Holy Prophet (PBUH),
"Respect God and be affectionate to the family of God."

Islam leads man to a unification of all aspects of life.Its a universal religion which stresses
on the equality of all human beings with basic equal rights for all.It is a dynamic belief and a
revolutionary doctrine.It means that all men are the creatures of one God .Discrimination
based on colour,class,race or territory is unfounded and illusionary.It is remnant of the days
of ignorance which chained men down to servitude.Humanity is one single family of God and
there can be no sanction for those barriers.Men are one and gives a revolutionary concept
of the unity of mankind.
DEEN AND MAZHAB
(differnence and concept that islam is not a religion or mazhub but a deen a complete code
of life.)

Meaning of Deen

Allah says
"Certainly, the religion (deen) with Allah is the submission (Islam) (to His Will and
guidance). Those who had been given the book (of laws) differed only after knowledge had
come to them, through transgression among themselves. Whoever rejects Allah (His
revealed verses), will certainly find Allah swift at reck**ing (will be punished).

This shows that the beliefs and the practices in life should be based on obedience of God's
guidance through revelations. The word deen is generally translated as religion, but actually
it means the beliefs of one about conducting affairs in life and the practices in accordance
with those beliefs in the society as a community and not only personally. Religion gives the
impression of belief in God and following Him without any concern with the society, but for
one's good in the life after death.

Whereas, in deen, we follow God's guidance in this life as a whole nation and expect the
rewards in this life as well as in the hereafter. Deen means obedience to God's laws, the
true faith, the religion (J. Penrice), moral laws (M. Asad). Hence, deen means a code of life
given by God, and religion means faith in God and His worship ritually, which has nothing to
do with man's actions in the society as a whole. Religion is defined as belief in God or gods,
divine powers to be obeyed and worshipped as a ruler or rulers, and the expression of such
a belief in conduct and ritual. It is also defined as a system of specific belief and worship
often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy such as humanism as a religion. For
religion the Arabic word is Mazhab (a way of living according to one's beliefs). But Deen
implies a code of life given by God, instead of human beings. In Mazhab human beings set
the laws according to their understanding of the Hadith or Fiqh. These laws may not be in
accordance with the Quran. They may be additional or different.

The concept of Deen covers the whole life and not just ritual worship or belief in God;
whereas, the concept of religion covers only belief in God and His worship ritually. It is
considered a personal matter between a person and his or her God. But in Deen a nation
has to follow the code of life collectively as well as personally. Thus the range of Deen is
much wider and covers all actions, public and private. Hence the right word for Deen in
English is God's code of life given by His revealed word.

Different Concepts of Deen

The Quran clearly explains that the true concept of Deen is to follow God's guidance only;
whereas, the concept misconceived by human beings is belief in God and worshipping Him
ritually. Man's concept of Deen has nothing much to do with following His commands about
leading one’s life. God gave the Deen to the prophets, but the human beings distorted
the revealed message and replaced it with their own laws by changing God's laws. About
the Jews doing so, the Quran says in ,
Have you any hope (O Mohammed) that they (the Jews) will be true to you when a part of
them used to change the word of God (His revealed message), after they had understood it,
knowingly.

About additions and alterations in the word of God, the Quran says in,
Therefore, woe be to those who write the Book (of Law) with their own hands, and then say,
This is from Allah that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that
their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.

Thus, we find that God gave His true Deen to the human beings through the Prophets, but
they changed it by their own beliefs saying that they were from God thereby creating their
own concept of Deen. The pagan Arabs also believed in Abraham’s Deen, which had
been distorted by their elders and they believed in it as a true religion. But God clearly tells
them that the true Deen is one that is given by Mohammed, the true Prophet of God. These
two different concepts have been explained in Sura 109. It says ,
"Say, O disbeliever ,I worship not that which you worship Nor will you worship that which I
worship And I will not worship that which you worship. Nor will you worship that which I
worship, unto you is your religion (deen) and unto me is my religion (deen)"

We find here that the Prophet’s religion was the revealed word of God and the pagan
Arabs rejected it. Their religion was the belief in whatever their religious leaders told them
about their gods and the practices to worship them. They had no place for good conduct.
Only rituals were important things in their religion. But in the true religion of God serving
Him by obeying His commands was important. The difference pointed out here is worship of
God and the worship of gods considered as the daughters of God.

Ibaadah actually means service or working for the fulfillment of one's duties, which is real
worship. In Arabic abdun means a servant or slave. At that time the Prophet only followed
commands such as avoiding shirk, not taking others as gods; whereas the pagan Arabs
were engaged in ritual worship only, which is just lip service. The Jews were also following
their religious leaders who had a distorted view of the revealed religion of God with changes
made by them. In the true Islam the ritual worship started after thirteen years in Madina.
The point here is that God’s revealed message in the form of the Quran is the only true
Islam and the true Deen. The religious leaders’ concept of the Deen is their own
opinions about God. They ask their followers to believe in those opinions and act accordingly
in life. For example, the pagan Arabs asked them to consider the idols as the daughters of
God who will intercede for them before Him.

Deen means the beliefs and practices as told by God through the Holy Prophet. This is that
they should submit themselves to God's guidance and obey His commands given through
the Prophet. It is not the religion of ritual worship only. The actual worship is the obedience
to His commands. His command is to develop taqwaa, doing their duty to God by following
all His instructions given in the Quran, the revealed word of God.

Islam and Guidance:

Another aspect of Islam is God's guidance that is to be followed by all Muslims. This
guidance is mainly about how one should lead his or her life in this world. God has asked all
to submit to whatever He says and not to follow the religious leaders who distort His
message. As He says:

So if they dispute with you (O Muhammed) say, “ I have submitted my face (whole
attention) to Allah. And so have those who follow me. And say to those who have God's
Book to read and to those who have no Book to read, Do you submit to God If they do, they
are in the right guidance, but if they turn back, your duty is only to convey the message.

Here every one is told that the right way to believe and to act accordingly is to follow God's
commands and not those of the religious leaders or their forefathers. They must all follow
God's commands. This is the true religion, the beliefs and the practices enjoined upon by
God. In 3:85, He says:

If anyone desires a religion (deen) other than submission to Allah (Islam), never will it be
accepted of him; and in the hereafter, he will be among those who have lost.

Thus we find that Islam is the only true religion acceptable to God, because man's concept
of religion is a distorted and changed version of the true religion. The right way to believe
and to adopt any faith and practice is to take the guidance from God. Hada in Arabic means
to lead in the right way, to follow a right course of action. Hence God says that Islam,
obedience to Him, is the only right way to lead one's life. God says:

So for those whom Allah wills to guide (to the right path), He opens their breast to Islam;
and for those whom He wills to leave them in their wrong path, He makes their breast close
and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies. Thus does Allah lay abomination on
those who refuse to believe.

Here Islam is described as guidance from God. Everyone should obey God. This is the right
thing to do. Man's religion is not God's religion. Man has made up his own faith and
practices for his own interest or that of his own community; but God's religion is for the
good of all human beings. It is the light from God, which makes all the beliefs, and practices
clear for him. As God says:

Is one whose heart Allah has opened to submission to Him (Islam), so that he has received
the light (guidance)) from Allah, (not better than one hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose
hearts are hardened against the remembrances of God (His message). They are manifestly
wandering in error.

Therefore one must obey God’s commands and always remember them so that he may
follow them.According to God,
:
Allah has revealed the best statements (ahsanal hadith) in the form of a book, consistent
with itself, and repeating (its teachings); whereat does creep the flesh of those who fear
their Lord (and they dont disobey) so that their flesh and their hearts soften at Allah's
remembrance (of His message). Such is Allah's guidance (huda Allah) wherewith He guides
whom He wills. And him whom Allah sends astray (on the wrong path), for him there is no
(one to) guide.

Here God clarifies that man's religion is wrong and His religion, the code of life (deen) is the
right thing to follow.Islam is a complete code of life,a complete guide and a true
embodiment of the principles God has given for the benefit for the whole humanity.