The Religion of All
By, Muhammad Taufiek Ahmad
Dear Sisters & Brothers,
Have you ever thought about religion?
How many different opinions one has about it? Have you noticed the enmity, which reigns amongst the different races?
Each one believes he practices the right religion and even if he would worship only a stone as his God.
Have you noticed how fanatic many people are in their beliefs? I am certain that your mind is already preoccupied with this, and you may find out that that the only right thing is to be reached if there would exist one religion only, and that this one should be understood by all humanity.
Each human being ought to feel by himself without any teaching that he has to live after these three following principal points:
Believe only in one god, spread philanthropy amongst his fellow beings, ad believe that God send His Prophets to teach humanity these two main sacred rules.
If you think about these matters you will ask yourself if there really exists such a religion! Yes, indeed, from the beginning of the world this one religion has existed inspired by God. With this religion God has send all prophets, so it is God’s religion, but the people wrongly named it after the prophets of every period. This incorrect nomination was the route of misunderstanding and fanaticism between various elements of humanity.
The partition of that one religion has brought humanity to the point where the true faith has been almost forgotten. Islam has been called Mohammedanism with relation to the prophet Mohammed, as well as other religions have been called after the names of their prophets while all of them recognize a single faith in one God.
The word “Islam” means peace among humanity and humbleness to God. In spite of not being a missionary, I feel it my duty to explain in a few words the meaning of this religion. But if other believers remain in ignorance of Islam and its teachings, their prejudices against this religion will, from the start, hinder them from comprehending its principles, and no result of any impont will be reached.
Islam as we have said means also peace with oneself and with others and devotion to God. These meanings are summed up in the Qur’an, and one is taught to do good to others and purify oneself by carrying out its teachings. Muhammad was last the last and not the only prophet of Islam. The Muslim believes in all the prophets of all times-in Abraham, Moses and Jesus, etc. God has sent his prophets to mankind to tell them to fulfil His will and to lead a sound life.
The Holy Scripture of To Islam is the Qur’an, which contains the real teachings of all the Holy Scriptures. Islam teaches the Moslem to believe in one God, in the Angles, in the Holy Scriptures, in His prophets in the resurrection after death, and in the day of judgement.
Erroneously one may speak of fatalism and predestination in Islam: the Moslem believes in direct separation of good and evil, all that is created by God is good, and in case of being used after its true direction will lead to happiness, but if it is abused, will lead to evil and sorrow.
All Moslems pray to their one God, who is the Almighty, the All-knowing, the All-just, and the All-helping of all the world. He has neither been born, nor has he born either a son or a daughter. He is indivisible. He is the light of Heavens and Earth. He is pitiful, merciful. He is the First and the last, He is Eternal.
If Jesus called God his father this does not exactly mean that he is His Father, but it is only a sign of God’s goodness and mercy. God is everywhere, and when Jesus prayed to God in Heaven, he does not mean that God is only in Heaven, but it is simply a sign of the Highness of God.
Belief and deed: belief without deed is dead letters; belief alone is not sufficient as long as it is not transformed into deeds, The Moslem believes in the responsibility of his own deeds either be it in this world or in the other. Each Moslem carries his own burdens and none can take the responsibility of other’s sins.
The Position of the Woman in Islam:
Man and woman are of the same nature, and possess the same soul and are provided with equal capacity to intellectual and moral deeds. Islam puts man and woman under the same responsibilities; and considers the woman capable to undergo life difficulties to a certain extent. She and man together have to act in their life on the ground that each has his own natural position.
The natural position of the “Moslema” as a wife is to look after the affairs of her husband, and as a mother should be attentive to her young. In other words she has to pass most of her time in good management and prudence in the house, as her essential duty>
I can say from a true Islamic point of view that our woman is highly considered and respected anywhere, but if in some places in the Orient she is put in a low position, this is due to the fact that the instructions and teachings of Islam are not perfectly practiced in these places.
The evil ideas that are published about Islam in the books of the fanatic writers are not true and it is not right on their part to suppose false views in their writings which they spread throughout the world.
A fair judge should acquaint himself with the fundamental teachings of the case, so as to be able to give a right opinion about it ; but those fanatics seem to be after the favor of serving colonization, they say nothing as to persecution of the West endured by the disarmed East.
At the time they fight he idea of slavery they already commit it under the mask of reform and protection of the so-called (savages). It is easy to weaken and corrupt a pure nation by spreading alcoholics and prostitution; are such to be the reforms introduced to the Oriental nations by the West?!
Equality and Fraternity in Islam:
Islam is the religion of God’s oneness and the equality of manhood before Him. Although people are created in different positions in this world, they are forced to co-operate with one another and there must exist among them a universal relation of mutuality. For example, the rich support and the poor give their attention and efforts to their work. These mutual duties are included in what we call the discipline of creation
Prejudices of nations and colors as well as verities of beliefs are unknown within Islam. All humanity in the view of Islam forms one family in which it succeeds in combining the black and white into one unity of brethren.
Personal Judgement: Islam encourages personal opinion and respects everyone’s doctrine within the limits of the right comprehension of the true religion.
Science: Islam orders studying of science and considers it holy to gain knowledge of it as high as the angels and even more.
Work: “pay the workman before his sweat is dry”. These are the well-known words of the holy Prophet. Any work which provides mankind with an honorable living is respected; and idleness is a sin.
Liberalities: Human potentialities are a gift God. They are to be used for the benefit of humanity and it is everyone’s duty to live for others as well as for himself. Liberality must exclude differences.
The Moslem is ordered through his religion to help the poor and the needy as far as he can.
The following principal duties to be done by the Moslems beside the main belief of one God etc. are: -
The Qur’an teaches that nobody ought to be forced to believe in a certain thing and forbids any aggressive action. All the Islamic wars were only for the sake of defending religion & holy belief.
At a time the rulers in Islamic countries went into war on worldly ambitions, hence they began to fall from the summit of glory achieved by their ancestors by keeping to the sound teachings of their religion, therefore the religion is not to blame for such a failure as it is against such war.
Islam gives you entice freedom of thoughts and deeds. It allows humanity and soul to develop for the good and nobility; in such case no fighting would exist, only peace and elevation of feelings.
To be a Moslem you need not go through any ceremony. Islam is not only a wide-spreading, practical and useful religion, but it is also in full harmony with the natural disposition.
Every child is born with these dispositions; on one needs to pass through any transformation to be a Moslem. Now you see from my brief explanation what Islam is and how false and prejudicial the opinions of enemies of Islam are!
Islam is the only religion in the world that imposes itself as a universal religion of all humanity in all times and as such:
Such as to believe in one God, the indivisible one, who is everywhere and not bound to a certain place, who resembles nobody, and none is like Him the Creator of all. I believe in all His prophets without any discrimination, between Moses, Jesus or Muhammad.
I expect and beg help, consultation and forgiveness of any sins directly from God without the aid of a mediator. I do not forget my God for one moment, I feel Him in me, all around wherever I am; He is the measure for all my deeds.
I live after God’s teachings introduced by the Qur’an. I carry out the principles of Islam: I pray, fast, give alms, and undertake the pilgrimage to Makkah. I do not commit suicide, nor do I commit a murder. Islam commands humanity to keep peace. I do not commit adultery, and I avoid temptation that may lead me astray as we are all aware of the fact that flesh is weak.
Islam forbids any social intercourse with the opposite sex before marriage. Any psychologist will tell us the effect of trying to remain within the bounds of decency in such cases as dancing or association of any kind with the opposite sex, we may succeed but the cost will be grave just the same.
The real joys are those we get without repentance afterwards. The are possessed by the high sentiments of the soul and safeguarded by our spiritual strength. We find a good example in the story of the man who had the wicked desire to commit adultery and yet his conscience would not allow him but when under the influence of drink he forgot himself so far as to give into the evil temptation and when faced by the rightful intruder to whom the wretched woman belonged, he murdered him in a struggle while unconscious under the effect of alcohol – from this we conclude that intoxicants are the route to sins.
I do not gamble, not even for small items in any way. A gambler or a speculator loses respect of his own earnings. To place one’s luck in the balance of a deal in cards or the like is a shameful weakness in character.
I do not borrow or lend money for interest, it is the way to ruin. A Moslem may give loan if in his power just to help the needy, in the meantime he can take, in securities in order to ensure return of his giving, meanwhile he is forbidden to use these securities if they consist of articles of any use such as household articles.
I do not speak evil of others or tell tales to the disadvantage of my fellowmen, to those who do so; is given instance in the Holy Qur’an showing them as if they were eating the flesh of the dead; apparently meaning to say slandering others behind their back while they have no chance to answer for them- selves.
I do not swindle the property of a widow or an orphan if I am appointed as a trustee to such things taking advantage of their helplessness. I fulfil my promises and treat any sort of business I take on with complete honesty.
Now brothers, read this with attention and devote a part of your time to study the peaceful teachings of this institution in favor of the relief of our long suffering humanity afflicted by false information laid by selfish calumniators.
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