What’s Islam and who do we listen to?
What’s unity among Muslims and does it mean supporting someone even if they’re wrong?
What did Prophet MuHammad teach and what does the Qur’aan say?
I want to answer all these questions in this article and any that may occur to you or have occurred to you.
Islam is a Religion.
The Testification of Faith uttered by every Muslim is “I testify that there is only one God, and I testify that MuHammad is the Messenger of God.”
This includes believing that there is only One Creator, that He is Attributed with all befitting Perfect Attributes, and that He sent Messengers to the people.
Muslims believe in all Messengers; and that all Messengers from Adam to MuHammad taught the same belief to the people.
Who do we listen to?
The knowledge about Islam is taken from the sound chain passed from trustworthy person to trustworthy person all the way back to Prophet MuHammad, peace be upon him.
The knowledge of Islam is not taken by reading books or surfing the internet or watching documentaries. Rather, it is taken from the mouths of trustworthy Muslims who acquired the knowledge from those like them and so on back to the Prophet.
The Qur’aan is preserved and the sayings of Prophet MuHammad documented as well as memorized (with their chains of narration back to the Prophet) by top scholars.
Islam can be studied formally by attending authenticated Islamic Universities. Examples of such universities are the Azhar University and its partner universities in countries like Yemen, Lebanon and other countries.
Such universities are not only restricted to Arab countries or Arab people. Rather many non-Arab countries have institutions which teach Islam. Examples include the teachings of the renowned scholar Beduizzaman Said Nursi who died in Turkey; and others like him in Pakistan, Indonesia and other countries.
Their excellence is apparent through their adherence to the path of the majority of Muslims.
This is known because of their consistency in producing evidences to prove that what they say has been said by Islamic scholars all along and is not something new.
By this we would be able to tell whether emerging personalities were radicals who come up with their own ideas or truly loyal students of the scholars of Islaam.
Question! And use the scale of reference to find out for yourselves who these people are.
What’s unity among Muslims and does it include standing behind someone even if they are wrong?
Unity among Muslims is something known, as evidenced in the Qur’aan.
Surat Al-^Imran, Ayah 103 means: [Adhere to the true Religion of Allah and do not disunite. Recall the endowment of Allah upon you- that you were enemies and Allah mended your hearts together.]
Before Prophet MuHammad and after Prophet Jesus, there was an era called the era of ignorance. It was a period of time when widespread ignorance prevailed. The followers of Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) who adhered to the Religion of Islam began to diminish in numbers after Prophet ^Isa was raised to the sky. This period of time, before Prophet Muhammad renewed the call to Islam, was called the era of ignorance because ignorance prevailed among the people. The Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula at that time were scattered tribes, dispersed throughout the land, fighting and plundering each other. The intensity of their wars drove some of them to bury their daughters alive, hoping to escape scandal should their daughters be captured by the enemy.
The strong did injustice to the weak. Women were considered worthless just because they were female. Drinking alcohol was prevalent. Some had dozens of wives. People unrightfully worshipped stones and idols. Some even worshipped idols made from dates, and when they felt hungry, they ate them!! Prostitution became widespread. People blindly adhered to their tribal judgements, even when these were unjust.
This was the situation that prevailed before the Prophet came with his Message.
People were living in ignorance and darkness.
When the Prophet received the Revelation of Prophethood, he began to call the people to Islam. As a result of the Prophet's call, people united, and their hearts and hands joined together.
The weak were protected from the injustice of the strong because of the knowledge that the Creator of both the weak person and the strong person threatened the unjust person with punishment in Hellfire, and promised the just person with reward in Paradise.
As a result, expressions of kindness and compassion became apparent among the Arabs who embraced Islam.
This unity was characterized by knowledge, whereas the preceding disunity was characterised by ignorance and blindly defending unjust tribal customs.
Islam in no way teaches that unity among Muslims is achieved by defending someone blindly.
Rather, the Prophet taught us that it is an obligation to order the lawful and forbid the unlawful. Al-Hakim related that the Prophet said what means: <<If you see my nation fearful of telling he who is unjust: ‘You are unjust', then know the support of Allah is withdrawn from them. >>
In the hadith related by Ibn Hibban, the Prophet said what means: <<He who does not respect the elderly among us, is not merciful to the youngsters among us, and does not command the lawful and forbid the unlawful is not following our methodology. >>
Knowing these hadiths makes it clear that when the people of truth stand up to defend the creed of the Prophet, they do so to fulfil the obligation of commanding the lawful and forbidding the unlawful. Commanding the lawful and forbidding the unlawful is an element protecting the unity of Muslims, not an element disuniting them.
So when people come up preaching un-Islamic things in the name of Islam, it is the duty of Muslims to speak up and say what is correct.
So, how do you know what someone says is un-Islamic?
Obviously it is by knowing the teachings of Islaam through the Qur’aan, Hadeeth, and sayings of the renownded scholars.
What did Prophet MuHammad teach and what does the Qur’aan say?
The message the Prophet brought to his people was that the only true and acceptable Religion to Allah is Islam, and he who chooses for himself a religion other than Islam is a loser in this life and in the Hereafter. The Prophet called the people to worship one and only one God Whose Name is Allah.
He taught the people that Allah exists, and His existence is without a beginning and without an end. He taught the people that Allah does not resemble any of the creation, and hence, He is not a body; He is not a soul; He does not occupy places; He is not subject to time; He cannot be imagined in the minds; and delusions do not define Him. He taught the people that Allah is attributed with the perfect, befitting attributes. He is attributed with Power, Will, Knowledge, Hearing, Sight, Life, and Kalam (Speech). None of His attributes are similar to the attributes of the creation. None of His attributes develop or change. None of His attributes are sequential, i.e. no attribute precedes or follows another. These Attributes were mentioned many times in the Qur’aan and Hadeeth; the Prophet concentrated on teaching them to the people.
Surat ash-Shura Ayah 11 means: [Nothing is like Allah in any way whatsoever.]
From this Verse, the scholars of Islam established a well-known statement: Dhun-Nun al-Misriyy and Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said what means: <<Whatever you imagine in your mind, Allah is different from it. >>
This is because what one imagines in one's mind is a creation, and Allah does not resemble the creation.
The Prophet taught the people he was the messenger and worshipper of Allah. The Prophet was truthful in all that he conveyed from Allah. He taught that all the Prophets before him were Prophets of Islam; they all came with the basic message: la ilaha illallah i.e. they all called the people to worship one and only one God, Allah.
Prophet Muhammad taught that all the Prophets have befitting attributes and are clear of all non-befitting attributes. Hence, they are attributed with befitting attributes, such as courage, handsomeness and intelligence; they are clear of the non-befitting attributes, such as stupidity, repelling illnesses, and vileness. They are also clear of handicaps which impede their ability to deliver their message to the people.
The Prophet taught that it was impossible for the prophets to commit blasphemy, enormous sins, or small mean sins before and after Prophethood.
The Prophet taught the people about the tortures as well as the enjoyments of the grave, and about the scale on which the deeds of every person will be weighed. He taught the people about the Resurrection, the Assembly and the Bridge (as-Sirat) that extends over Hellfire. The Bridge will connect the recreated earth to what is before Paradise, and all will come to this Bridge, some successfully, either walking on or flying over it, but others will fall from it into Hellfire.
The Prophet taught about Hellfire and Paradise. The enjoyments of Paradise and the tortures of Hellfire are not allegorical; rather they are experienced by the body and the soul. He taught the people about the Day of Judgment, after which there would be no more death. On that day, death will take on the shape of a lamb and will be slaughtered, and there will be no death afterwards. He taught that those who enter Paradise will be there forever, and those who are blasphemers are doomed to Hellfire forever. The Prophet taught the people about believing in the Revealed Books, in the Angels and the messengers of Allah; and the belief in destiny, created by Allah, whether good or bad.
The Prophet also taught that the believers will be rewarded in Paradise. Among the many rewards is that they will see Allah, not in a place or a direction and without distance between them and Allah, because Allah created the place and exists without a place. They would see Allah, not like creatures are seen, because Allah does not resemble any of the creation, and hence, Allah is not in a place. Allah is neither a body, nor is Allah light. Whatever one imagines in his mind, Allah is different from it.
The Prophet called the people to worship one and only one God. He planted in them the correct creed of truth and brought them the highest level of ethics and manners. He taught them how to deal with one another, observe the rights of others, fulfil one's obligations and responsibilities; how to be obedient to Allah and to refrain from all sins. The Prophet taught the people that those who have the correct belief in Islam and die with that belief shall be winners on the Day of Judgment. Those who carry this correct belief are obedient to Allah, and refrain from sinning are pious people and shall have great reward on the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet praised the status of knowledge. He gave the people incentives to acquire knowledge, to better themselves, and to excel. He taught them that with knowledge, implementation, and sincerity one can attain high levels of belief, and thereby earn high levels of reward on the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet brought to the people that which inspired and established change in the society. It did away with the enmity that existed during the Era of Ignorance and replaced it with a state of unity and bonding among the Muslims that led to a time of accomplishments as well as to the spread of Islam.
I hope that you did make it to the end of this article, as willingness to communicate is a step forward to the betterment of society.
And Allah Knows Best.
