Is Islam a religion? The answer is: Islam is not a religion in the usual sense. Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Islam is much more than a religion as defined above. Islam is a way of life based on the guidance of God given in the books of God and the example of the prophets of God. Islam literally means Submission (to the One True God). It was the religion of all the Prophets of God including the first man and Prophet Adam, the Patriarch Abraham, Moses, Jesus and last Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon them all). Usually religion is understood to mean a private relationship between man and God. Islam is entirely different from this kind of religion, because it is comprehensive in the sense that it involves all the aspects of life as lived by humans. It is those who have misunderstood the nature of Islam who accuse it of being more radical than spiritual. Some who wish to apply the strategy of divide-and-rule to Muslim lands would like to split up the world Muslim community into sects following different brands of Islam. They would speak of political Islam, fundamentalist Islam, leftist Islam, rightist Islam and so on. But such divisions have little to do with the reality of Islam. To Muslims of the world, there is only one Islam; and it is the Islam of the Quran, which Muslims believe is the word of God, and Sunnah (the Example) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is the Islam believed in and followed by all the great Companions of the Prophet and his Successors and by generation after generation of Muslims the world over. It is true that Islam covers all aspects of life, such as politics, economics and culture, as it is a divinely revealed religion that gives norms and principles that are meant to govern human life in its varied aspects. It is for this reason the misunderstanding of Islam being political or economical arises. But the teachings of religion are applicable not only to the private sphere of human life. For instance, religious values, such as truthfulness, altruism and equality and fraternity of all humans apply to all spheres of human activities. And can we bypass the question of equal justice to all humans in the socio-political area of human life? In fact, Islam does not recognize any kind of separation between religion and life. It does not share the history of the separation between church and state, for everything should be dedicated to God alone. A Muslim is required to submit himself completely and without reservation to the will of God in all his affairs. God Almighty in the noble Quran orders Muslims to declare: {Say, ‘My prayers and sacrifice, my life and death, are all for God, Lord of all the Worlds;} (Al-Anam 6:162) Of course, there are religions that do not worry about the practical application of justice to the affairs of men, and promote a spirituality that is alienated from the daily lives of people. They leave the political and economic realms entirely to the visions of human rulers or politicians who sometimes follow Machiavellian strategies. Islam teaches that Muslims should always strive to see that justice is done at all costs. For Muslims, justice is a very high value. And it is for this reason that Muslims in different parts of the world are seen to be fighting for justice; and this is often misunderstood as extremism.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:49:20 +0000