The Unity of God.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Question:

The concept of unity of God in the Qur’an is very clear, but do we have any evidence from other religious scriptures pointing in the same direction? And if so, what then seems to be the difference, if indeed any, between Islam and all these other religions?

Answer:

There are many reasons to believe that many of the other religious scriptures (other than the Qur’an) do contain within their pages truths originating from the one and only true God. To a Muslim, the great prophets (like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus) in Christianity and Judaism, are of course true prophets of Allah mentioned in the Qur’an. In Islam, these religions too are sometimes respectfully referred to as “religions from the sky”. Further to the 25 God’s Messengers (Rasul) mentioned by name, the Qur’an also made reference to the fact that there had been great many prophets (Nabi) whose names are not mentioned. So, Muslim scholars are always open to the possibility that God’s truths could well have found their way into numerous scriptures of religions other than Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Such being the case, it should not be at all surprising to a Muslim that the idea of Unity of God might well be found in many religious scriptures of the world. But is that really the case? Well, let us examine scriptures of some of the world’s major (other than Islam) religions :

Judaism

As exclaimed by Moses (pbuh): “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Deuteronomy 6:4.

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.”

Isaiah 45:5.

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

Exodus 20:3-5

Christianity

Jesus Christ (pbuh) said the following in the Bible:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

John 17:3

“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?”

John 5:44

“The most important commandments,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, is one Lord’”

Mark 12:29

As described by Paul in his Letter to Timothy:

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Timothy 1:17

Hinduism

“Ekam evadvitiyam“

(He (God) is One only without a second.)

Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1

Meaning in English: “Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names.“

Rigveda 1:164:46

“Ma cid anyad vi sansata sakhayo ma rishanyata“

(O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone.)

Rigveda 8:1:1

“Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan“

(There is only one God, not the second; not at all, not at all, not in the least bit.)

Brahma Sutra of Hinduism

Sikhism

“Ek Onkar, Sat Naam, Karta Purakh, Nirbhau Nirvair, Akal Murat, Ajuni, Saibham, Gurprasad”

(There exists but one God, who is called The True, The Creator, Free from fear and hate, Immortal, Not begotten, Self-Existent, Great and Compassionate.)

Granth Sahib, Mulmantra Pg.1

Meaning in English: “There is only the One Supreme Lord God; there is no other at all.”

Granth Sahib, Pg. 45

Meaning in English: “God is merciful and infinite. The One and Only is all-pervading.”

Granth Sahib, Pg. 710

Clearly, the above verses from religious scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism, without a doubt, affirmed the truth of the unity of God in the strongest of terms. It is very important to also note that, like the relevant verses of the Qur’an, many of the above verses are in the form of a statement that a father would use to remind his child not to fall for something dangerous, knowing fully well the child might just still fall for it! The child for example, might later fall for drugs taking, assuring his father:don’t worry dad, I only take it because it helps me, trust me!

So, with such amazing similarity on the concept of ‘Unity of God’ between all the above mentioned major world’s religions, what then seems to be the difference between them? From a Muslim’s point of view, the difference is in the ‘implementation’ of the concept in one’s daily ‘religious life’ and in fact also ‘normal life’. It could be that a certain scripture may state a certain principle ‘from the sky’, but then falls short in defining the daily life (including religious life) consequents of such principle. Worse still, things become ‘neutralised’ when other parts of the same scripture state principles in direct contradiction to the one ‘from the sky’.

Muslims also believe the Qur’an to be the only surviving verbatim (word for word) Word of God, no more no less words. As such, there is no vagueness or contradiction in it, especially with regard to important matters of basic belief in God. In Islam, the concept of ‘Unity of God’ is very basic and central to the belief in God, to the point, getting it even ‘very slightly wrong’ would render one’s ‘belief’ or ‘faith’ in God and religion, impotent, and in fact almost completely meaningless. Understandably so, for what use is submission and worship when it is directed to the wrong god? The great importance of the doctrine of the Unity of God in Islam is well reflected in the fact that in addition to being a constant reminder throughout the Qur’an, a whole chapter of the Qur’an is dedicated to it – an extremely brief (mere four short verses!) surah (chapter) number 112, also known as Al-Ikhlas, meaning ‘Sincerity or Purity’:

Say: He is Allah, the One and only. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him.

To summarise, in Islam, any and all worships must be directed to Allah alone, without any ‘intercessor’ or ‘partner’ alongside Him. As is well known, Muslims love and revere the last and final Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), but by his own teaching, would never ‘worship’ him as god. Doing so would amount to shirk (assigning partner to Allah) which is the biggest sin against God. Nothing and no one in the whole universe can benefit, aid or protect us without Allah’s will. The message to always remember is: “Worship only the Creator, not His creations.”

Reference : http://www.shahkirit.com/2008/05/27/unity-of-god/#more-19

Was Islam Spread By The Sword?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Question :

How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?

Answer :

It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.

1. Islam means peace.

Islam comes from the root word 'salam' which means peace. It also means submitting one's will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one's will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).

2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. Not each and every human being in this world is in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts its followers to fight against oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam, force can only be used to promote peace and justice.

3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O'Leary.

The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O'Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (page 8) "History makes it clear however, that the legend of the fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurb myths that historians have ever repeated."

4. Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years.

Muslim ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslim in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.

5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.

Muslims wee the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.

6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.

The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power to convert each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.

7. Indonesia and Malaysia.

Indonesia is a country that has the biggest number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?

8. East Coast of Africa.

Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?

9. Thomas Carlyle.

The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship" refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man's head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! One the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."

10. No Compulsion in religion.

With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because Qur'an says in the following verse :

"Let there be no compulsion in religion : Truth stands out clear from error" [ Al-Baqarah 2 : 256 ]

11. Sword of the Intellect/Truth.

It is the sword of intellect, the sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur'an says in Surah An-Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125 :

"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and dispute with them in ways that are best and most gracious." [ An-Nahl 16 : 25 ]

12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.

An article in Reader's Digest 'Almanac', year book 1986, give the statistics of the increase in percentage of the major religionsof the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in "The Plain Truth" magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, while Christianity had increased only by 47%. One may ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?

13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.

Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing in Europe is Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?

14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.

Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, "People who worry that nuclear weaponary will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already. It fell the day MUHAMMAD (pbuh) was born".

Reference :

Book 20 MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM by Dr. Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik.

All Religions Teach Men To Be Righteous, Then Why Follow Only Islam?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Question :

All religions basically teach their followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the other religions?

Answer :

1. The major difference between Islam and most other religions.

All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam goes beyond that. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is guidance from the Creator Himself. Therefore, Islam is also called the Deenul-Fitrah (the natural religion of Man).

2. Example - Islam commands us to shun robbery and also prescribes methods of eliminating robbery.

a. All Major religious teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So what is the difference between Islam and the other religion? The difference lies in the fact that Islam besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.

b. Islam prescribe Zakat.

Islam prescribes a system of Zakat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisab level i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakat sincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die of hunger.

c. Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery.

Islam prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The Glorious Qur'an says in Surah Maidah :

"As to the thief, Male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom." [Al-Maidah 5 : 38]

d. Results are achieved when Islamic Shariah is implemented.

America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately, it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft and robbery. Suppose the Islamic Shariah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakat (2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of the theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many potential robber.

I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you can chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give serious thought before jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence, only a few persons' hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.

Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.

3. Example : Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women. It enjoins hijab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.

a. Islam prescribes methods of eliminating molestation and rape.

All the major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes, but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.

b. Hijab for men.

Islam has a system of hijab. The Qur'an first mentions hijab for men and then for women. Hijab for men is mentioned in the following verse :

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do." [ An-Noor 24 : 30 ]

c. Hijab for women.


Hijab for women is mentioned in the following verse :

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss." [ An-Noor 24 : 31 ]

The extent of hijab for a woman is that their complete body should be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish, they can ever cover these parts of the body.However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.

d. Hijab prevents molestation.

The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijab for women which is given in Qur'an in the following verse of Surah Al-Ahzab :

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful." [ Al-Ahzab : 33 : 59 ]

The Qur'an says that Hijab has been prescribed for women so that they are recognized as modest women. This would prevent them from being molested.

e. Example of twin sisters.

Suppose that two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful,walk down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists,and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing skirt or shorts? Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur'an rightly says that the hijab prevents women from being molested.

f. Capital punishment for rapists.

The Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist. While the non-Muslims may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age, many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, "we would put him to death". Some went to the extent of saying, "we would torture him to death", If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death. But if someone else's wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards?

g. U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of rape.

The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. An F.B.I. report in the year 1990 says that 102555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of rapes are reported. Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We get a total of 640968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1756 rape incidents everyday.

Later another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are committed in U.S.A. everyday. According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (U.S Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone 307000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape are reported. Thus, 307000 X 3.226 = 990322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of 2713 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe America rapists got bolder. The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out of the rape cases that were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those arrested 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists faced a trial. In other words if a person commit 125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial, 50% received sentences of less than a year's imprisonment thought the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of imprisonment. For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of less than a year!

h. Results are achieved when Islamic Shariah is implemented.

Suppose the Islamic Shariah is implemented in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands up to the wrists. After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.

4. Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind.

Islam is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at the individual and collective levels. Islam is the best way of life because it is a practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.

Reference :

Book 20 MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM by Dr. Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik.

What Is Islam?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures.

The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgement and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of time.

In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life regardless of human changes.

Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage.

At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the earth. References : http://www.islam.com/introislam.htm http://www.islamicity.com/education/understandingislamandmuslims/