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Understanding
Islaam
1) The deen (religion) of
Islaam: It is the way of life that
Allaah sent the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) with. By it, Allaah
terminated the validity of all other
religions, perfected this religion for His
worshippers, completed His favour upon them
and has chosen only this religion for them
- no other religion will be accepted by Him
from anyone. Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) said:
{Muhammad
is not the father of any man amongst you.
Rather he is the Messenger of Allaah and
the khaatim (last and final) of the
Prophets}, [Soorah
al-Ahzaab, Aayah
40]
{This day
have I perfected your religion for you,
completed My favour upon you, and have
chosen for you Islaam as your
religion}, [Soorah
al-Maa.idah, Aayah
3]
{Indeed
the religion with Allaah is
Islaam}, [Soorah
Aal-'lmraan, Aayah
19]
{Whosoever seeks a religion
other than Islaam, never will it be
accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he
will be one of the losers}, [Soorah
Aal-'Imraan, Aayah
85]
And Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) obligated all of mankind to
take Islaam as their religion. So Allaah
said, whilst addressing His Messenger (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam):
{Say: O
mankind! Indeed I have been sent to you all
as the Messenger of Allaah; to Whom belongs
the dominion of the heavens and the earth.
None has the right to be worshipped except
Him; it is He who gives life and causes
death. So believe in Allaah and His
Messenger - the Prophet who can neither
read nor write - who believes in Allaah and
His Words. So follow the Messenger of
Allaah so that you may be
rightly-guided}, [Soorah
al-A'raaf Aayah
158]
And in Saheeh Muslim (1/93),
from Abu Hurayrah
radhi-yallaahu 'anhu that Allaah's
Messenger (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) said:
((By Him
in whose Hand is the life of Muhammad!
There is no one from this nation, be he a
Jew or a Christian, who hears of me and
then dies without believing in the Message
that I was sent with, except that he will
be one of the Companions of the
Hellfire)).
And eemaan (faith) in the Prophet
implies: affirming that which he was sent
with, along with acceptance of it and
submission to it. Without these two
matters, mere affirmation is not
sufficient. This is why even though Abu
Taalib (the Prophet's uncle) affirmed what
was sent to the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) and that Islaam was
the best of religions, yet he did not
accept his message nor submit to it; and
thus he did not have eemaan, in the Prophet
(sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam).
2) The religion of Islaam
contains all that was beneficial from the
previous religions. It is suitable for
implementation in any age, anywhere and by
any nation. Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) said, whilst addressing His
Messenger (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam):
{And We
have sent down to you the Book in truth,
confirming the Scripture that came before
it> testifying to the truth contained
therein whilst exposing the falsehood that
has been added therein}, [Soorah
al-Maa.idah, Aayah
48]
That Islaam is suitable for
implementation in any age, anywhere and by
any nation does not mean that it becomes
submissive to nations - being altered and
changed by them - as some people falsely
think. But rather it means that whenever it
is truly adhered to then it brings benefit
and goodness to that nation, as well as
reforming and correcting it - in whatever
age or place.
3) The religion of Islaam is
the religion of truth. It is the way of
life that Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) guaranteed His help and
victory for those who truly adhere to it,
and that He would make it dominant over all
other religions.
Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) said:
{It is He
who has sent His Messenger with the
guidance and the religion of truth, that it
may prevail over all other religions, even
if the pagans detest it}, [Soorah
at-Tawbah, Aayah
33]
And Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) said:
{Allaah
has promised to those amongst you who truly
have eemaan (true faith and belief) and act
in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger,
that He will grant them rulership upon the
earth, just as He granted it to those
before them, and that He will establish
their Religion for them and grant them the
authority to practice their Religion which
He chose and ordered them with. And He will
certainly change their situation to one of
security, after their fear. Providing that
they worship and obey Me, not associating
anything else in worship with Me. Then,
whoever rejects this favour by disobedience
to their Lord - then they are the
rebellious transgressors}, [Soorah
an-Noor, Aayah
55]
4) The religion of Islaam is a
complete religion comprising both
'aqeedah (beliefs) and
Sharee'ah (laws).
It commands them with tawheed (to
single out Allaah alone for worship) and
prohibits them from shirk (associating
partners with Allaah in that which is
particular to Him).
• It commands them with being truthful
and prohibits them from lying.
•
It commands them with 'adl
(justice) and prohibits them from injustice
and oppression.
•
It commands them with fulfilling
trusts and prohibits them from acting
treacherously.
•
It commands them with keeping
promises and prohibits them from breaking
them.
•
It commands them with kindness and
good treatment of parents and prohibits
them from disobedience to them in that
which is not sinful.
•
It commands them with joining the
ties of relations and prohibits them from
severing them.
•
It commands them with good
treatment of neighbours and prohibits the
causing of harm to them.
In short, Islaam orders all that
is good, from manners and morals, and
prohibits all that is evil from it.
Likewise, it orders all actions
which are righteous and good and prohibits
all actions that are evil and
harmful.
Allaah (Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala) said:
{Indeed
Allaah enjoins upon you justice, kindness
and the giving of good to relatives and
near ones. And He prohibits you from all
shameful and evil deeds, oppression and
transgression. Thus He admonishes you, that
you may take heed and be
reminded}, [Soorah
an-Nahl, Aayah
90].
Shaykh Ibn
'Uthaymeen
Sharh Usool al-Eemaan - Pages 4-7
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