Concept of Islam

Concept and Meaning of Islam

The basic Islamic concept is that the whole universe was created by Allah, whom Islam calls Allah, and
who is the Lord and the Sovereign of the universe, which He Alone sustains. He created man and
appointed for each human being a fixed period of life that he is to spend upon the earth. Allah has
prescribed a certain code of life as the correct one for mankind, but has, at the same time, conferred
upon man the freedom of choice as to whether or not he adopts this code as the actual basis of his life.
One who chooses to follow the code revealed by Allah becomes a Muslim (believer) and one who
refuses to follow it becomes a kafir (disbeliever).

A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in the oneness of Allah and the
prophet hood of Muhammad. Both of these beliefs are epitomized in the kalimah (the article of faith):

La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah. (There is no Allah except Allah; Muhammad is His Prophet.)

The first part of the kalimah presents the concept of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and its second part
affirms the prophet hood of Muhammad.

Khurshid Ahmad is his book “Islam its meaning and message” explains the meaning of Islam as follow:

“Islam is an Arabic word. it means the act of resignation to God. The root word is SLM pronounced 'slam'
which means peace from which comes the word 'asalama' which means he submitted, he resigned
himself. Islam is a religion which brings peace to mankind when man commits himself to God and submit
himself to his will. According to the holy Quran revealed to prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
this is the only true religion professed by all Prophets from Adam to Mohammed, the last Prophet. A
Muslim is a is one who resigns himself to God and thereby professes the faith of Al Islam.”

Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission, surrender, and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands
for complete submission and obedience to Allah - that is why it is called Islam. The other literal meaning
of the word "Islam" is "peace." This signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and of mind only
through submission and obedience to Allah. Such a life of obedience brings peace of the heart and
establishes real peace in society at large.

Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah-indeed it is in the
remembrance of Allah alone that the heart of man finds rest-those who believe and act righteously, joy
is for them, and a blissful home to return to. (13: 28-29)

This message was preached by all the Prophets of Allah, who guided man to the right path. But man not
only veered away from the right path again and again, but also lost or distorted the code of guidance
that the prophets had bequeathed. That was why other prophets were sent to restate the original
message and guide man back to the right path. The last of these prophets was Muhammad, who
Presented Allah's guidance in its final form and arranged to preserve it for all time. It is this guidance
that is now known as Islam and is enshrined in the Qur'an and the life-example (Sunnah) of the Prophet.
Say, "[0 Muhammad] we believe in Allah and in the Revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac Jacob and the Tribes. We believe in the Revelation that was sent to Moses, Jesus and all other
Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between them, and to Him we surrender." (3:83;
2:136)

Scope of Islam
The name Islam is universal in meaning. Islam is not named after a tribe of people or an individual, as
Judaism is named after the tribe of Judah, Christianity after Christ, and Buddhism after Buddha. Islam is
not a name chosen by human beings; it was divinely communicated from God.

As Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi in his book named “Towards understanding Islam” elaborates the
universality of Islam in these words:

“The word ‘Islam’ does not confer any such relationship-for it does not belong to any particular person,
people, or country. It is neither the product of any human mind nor is it confined to any particular
community. It is a universal religion and its objective is to create and cultivate in man the quality and
attitude of Islam.”

According to Quran the concept of Islam

Quran endorses this fact as,

“ The true religion with Allah is Islam” (Surah Al-Imran :19)

This very fact has been pointed out in another verse as :

And whosoever seeks a Deen other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him. (Surah Al-Imran :85)

Islam is a complete code of life. Discuss. (2012)

Islam is the religion of truth. It is the embodiment of the code of life which Allah, the Creator
and Lord of the universe, has revealed for the guidance of mankind.

1. Elements required for proper development of human life

For the proper development of human life, man needs two elements:

(a) the resources to maintain life and to fulfill the material needs of the individual and society,
and
(b) knowledge of the principles of individual and social behavior to enable man to fulfill himself
and to maintain justice and tranquility in human life.

The Lord of the universe has provided for both of these in full measure. To cater to the material
needs of man, He has put all of nature's resources at his disposal. To provide for his spiritual,
social, and cultural needs, He has raised His prophets from among men and has revealed to
them the code of life that can guide man's steps to the right path. This code of life is known as
Islam, the religion preached by all of the prophets of Allah.

Allah said:

Say, "[0 Muhammad] we believe in Allah and in the Revelation given to us, and to Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac Jacob and the Tribes. We believe in the Revelation that was sent to Moses, Jesus
and all other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between them, and to Him we
surrender." (AL-Baqarah :136)

He has revealed to you (O Muhammad) the scripture with truth, confirming that which was
revealed before it even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel before as a guide to mankind
and has revealed the Criterion (for judging between right and wrong). (al- Imran :3-4)

All of them called humanity to the way of the Lord, the way of submission to Allah. All of them
gave the same message, and all of them stood for the same cause: Islam.

2. Basic Characteristics of Islam

George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said:

"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful
vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the
changing phases of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him -
the wonderful man - and in my opinion far from being an Antichrist, he must be called the
Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the
modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much
needed peace and happiness. I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be
acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of
today."

The question is, what are those characteristics of Islam which have won millions of followers to
the Faith in the past and which make it so appealing to the modern age? Some of the major
characteristics of Islam are given in the following pages.

1. Simplicity, Rationality and Practicality.

2. Islam is a religion without any mythology.
3. Its teachings are simple and intelligible.
 4. It is free from superstitions and irrational beliefs.
- (The oneness of Allah, the prophet hood of Muhammad, and the concept of life
after death are the basic articles of its faith.) They are based on reason and
sound logic.
5. All of the teachings of Islam flow from those basic beliefs and are simple and
straightforward.
6. There is no hierarchy of priests, no farfetched abstractions, no complicated rites and
rituals.
7. Everybody may approach the Qur'an directly and translate its dictates into practice.
8. Islam awakens in man the faculty of reason and exhorts him to use his intellect. It
enjoins him to see things in the light of reality.

The Qur'an advises him to pray: O, my Lord! Advance me in knowledge (20:1 14).

It asserts that those who have no knowledge are not equal to those who have (39:9),

The Prophet of Islam said: "He who leaves his home in search of knowledge walks in the path of
Allah" (Tirmidhi

Again, Islam is a practical religion and does not allow indulgence in empty and futile theorizing.
It says that faith is not a mere profession of beliefs, but rather that it is the very mainspring of
life. Righteous conduct must follow belief in Allah. Religion is something to be practiced and not
an object of mere lip-service. The Qur'an says:

Those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return to. (13: 29)

And the Prophet Muhammad said:

"Allah does not accept belief if it is not expressed in deeds, and does not accept deeds if they
do not conform to belief." (Tabarani)

Thus Islam is a simple, rational and practical religion.

3. Islam: A complete way of life

Islam is not a religion in the common and distorted sense, for it does not confine its scope to
one's private life. It is a complete way of life and is present in every field of human existence.
Islam provides guidance for all aspects of life - individual and social, material and moral,
economic and political, legal and cultural, and national and international. The Qur'an enjoins
man to embrace Islam without any reservation and to follow Allah's guidance in all areas of life.
In fact, it was an unfortunate day when the scope of religion was confined to the private life of
man and its social and cultural role was reduced to naught, as has happened in this century. No
other factor, perhaps, has been more important in causing the decline of religion in the modern
age than its retreat into the realm of private life.
In the words of a modern philosopher:

"Religion asks us to separate things of Allah from those of Caesar. Such a judicial separation
between the two means the degrading of both the secular and the sacred ... That religion is
worth little if the conscience of its followers is not disturbed when war clouds are hanging over
us all and industrial conflicts are threatening social peace. Religion has weakened man's social
conscience and moral sensitivity by separating the things of Allah from those of Caesar."

Islam totally denounces this concept of religion and clearly states that its objectives are the
purification of the soul and the reform and reconstruction of society. As we read in the Qur'an:

We have sent our messengers with explanations, and sent the book and the balance down with
them, so that mankind may conduct themselves with all fairness. We have sent down iron
wherein is great violence as well as benefits for mankind, so that Allah may know who is
supporting Him and His messenger even though (He is) unseen. (57:25)

1-Discretion belongs only to Allah.

He has ordered you to serve Him alone; such is the right religion, even though
most men do not realize it. ( 1 2: 40)

(Muslims are) those who, if We establish them in the land will keep up prayer
(salah) and pay the welfare due (zakah); command what is proper and forbid
what is improper. (22:40-41)

The Holy Prophet said:

"Each of you is a keeper or a shepherd and will be questioned about the well-
being of his fold. The head of the state will be questioned about the well-being
of the people of the state. Each man is a shepherd to his family and will be
answerable about every member of it. Each woman is a shepherd to the
family of her husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And
each servant is a shepherd to his master and will be questioned about the
property of his master." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Balance between individual and societal life

Thus even a cursory study of the teachings of Islam shows that it is an all-
embracing way of life and does not leave out any field of human existence to
become a playground for the forces of evil. Balance between the Individual
and Society. Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance
between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual personality
of man and holds everyone personally accountable to Allah. It guarantees the
fundamental rights of the individual and does not permit anyone to tamper
with them. It makes the proper development of the personality of man one of
the prime objectives of its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view
that man must lose his individuality in society or in the state.

According to the Qur'an:

Man shall have nothing but what he strives for. (53:39)

And whatever suffering you suffer, it is what your hands have wrought. (42:30)

Allah does not change what any people have until they change what is in
themselves. (13:11)

Allah only assigns to a soul what it can cope with: in its favor stands whatever
it has earned, while it is held responsible for anything it has brought upon
itself. (2:286)

For us are our deeds and for you are yours. (28:55)

awakens a sense of social responsibility in man

On the other hand, it also awakens a sense of social responsibility in man,

organizes human beings in a society and a state, and enjoins the individual to
subscribe to the social good. Prayer, in Islam, is offered in congregation, a
situation that inculcates social discipline among Muslims. Everyone is
enjoined to pay zakah, and it has been laid down in the Quran that:

The beggar and the destitute have due rights in their (i.e., the rich man's)
wealth. (51:19)

Jihad has been made obligatory, which means that the individual should,
when the occasion arises, offer his life for the defense and protection of Islam
and the Islamic state. The Prophet said:

"All mankind is a fold, each member of which shall be a keeper or shepherd to

every other, and be accountable for the entire fold."

"Live together; do not turn against each other; make things easy for others
and do not put obstacles in each other's way."

"He is not a believer who takes his fill while his neighbor starves. "
"The believer in Allah is he who is not a danger to the life and property of any
other."

In short, Islam neglects neither the individual nor society - it establishes a

harmony and a balance between the two and assigns to each its proper due.

Universality and Humanism.

The message of Islam is for the whole of the human race. Allah, in Islam, is
the Allah of all the world (Qur'an 1:1) and the Prophet is a Messenger for the
whole of mankind. In the words of the Quran:

O People! I am but a Messenger from Allah to you all. (7:158)

We have sent you only as a mercy for everybody in the universe. (21:107)

In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or nationality.
It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false
barriers of race, status, and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that
such barriers have always existed and continue to exist today in the so-called
enlightened age. Islam removes all of these impediments and proclaims the
ideal of the whole of humanity being one family of Allah.

Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit barriers
and distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory, as was the case
before the advent of Muhammad. Unfortunately, these prejudices remain
rampant in different forms even in this modern age. Islam wants to unite the
entire human race under one banner. To a world torn by national rivalries and
feuds, it presents a message of life and hope and of a glorious future.

The historian, A. J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to make in

this respect. In Civilization on Trial, he writes:

"Two conspicuous sources of danger - one psychological and the other

material - in the present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat, i.e.,
[westernised humanity] with the dominant element in our modern Western
society are race consciousness and alcohol; and in the struggle with each of
these evils the Islamic spirit has a service to render which might prove, if it
were accepted, to be of high moral and social value.

"The extinction of race consciousness between Muslims is one of the

outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world
there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic
virtue ... It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be the timely
reinforcement which would decide this issue in favor of tolerance and peace.

"As for the evil of alcohol, it is at its worst among primitive populations in
tropical regions which have been 'opened up' by Western enterprise ... the
fact remains that even the most statesmanlike preventive measures imposed
by external authority are incapable of liberating a community from a social
vice unless a desire for liberation and a will to carry this desire into voluntary
action on its own part are awakened in the hearts of the people concerned.
Now Western administrators, at any rate those of 'Anglo-Saxon' origin, are
spiritually isolated from their 'native' wards by the physical 'color bar' which
their race-consciousness sets up; the conversion of the natives' souls is a task
to which their competence can hardly be expected to extend; and it is at this
point that Islam may have a part to play.

"In these recently and rapidly 'opened up' tropical territories, the Western
civilization has produced an economic and political plenum and, in the same
breath, a social and spiritual void ...

"Here, then, in the foreground of the future, we can remark two valuable
influences which Islam may exert upon the cosmopolitan proletariat of a
Western society that has cast its net around the world and embraced the
whole of mankind; while in the more distant future we may speculate on the
possible contributions of Islam to some new manifestation of religion."