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Upon The Quran & Sunnah with the Understanding of the Pious Predeccessors
[What Is Islam?]
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The Religion Of Islam:
The Religion of Islaam is the religion which Allaah sent Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) with. Allaah abrogated with it all other religions, and perfected it for His slaves, and completed with it His favour upon them, and chose it for them as a religion. So no religion besides it will be accepted. Allaah the Exalted said:
"Muhammad is not a father from any of your men, rather he is the Messenger of Allaah, and the last of the prophets." [Sooratul Ahzaab 33:40]
And Allaah the Exalted said,
"Today I have perfected for you your Religion, and completed for you My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as a religion." [Sooratul Maa'idah 3:5]
And Allaah the Exalted said:
"Verily the religion with Allaah is Islaam." [Soorah Aali 'Imraan 3:19]
"And whoever takes other than Islaam as a religion, it will never be accepted from him, and he will be in the Hereafter - from the losers." [Soorah Aali 'Imraan 3:85]
Indeed Allaah made obligatory upon all the people to specify worship for Him. So He said in speaking to the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam):
"Say: 'O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allaah to you all, [To Him] belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is none worthy of worship except Him; He gives life and causes death.' So believe in Allaah and His messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allaah and His Words, and follow Him so that you may be guided." [Sooratul A'araaf 7:158]
In Saheeh Muslim from Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that he said: "By Him in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one is from the Jews or the Christians, and then he dies and he has not believed in that which I was sent with, except that he is from the people of the Fire." [2]
To believe in Islaam means to believe in what he (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) brought with approval and submission, not mere belief. Consequently, Abu Taalib was not a believer in the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), along with what he came with, even though he testified that it was the best of religions.
The religion of Islaam has guaranteed all the good things that were included in the previous religions. It is distinguished because its good is valid in all times and places, and peoples. Allaah the Exalted says in speaking to His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam):
"And We revealed to you the Book in truth, affirming what preceded it from the books, and a supervisor over them." [Sooratul Maa'idah 5:48]
This means that its existence is good for all times places and people. Following it does not negate the benefit of a nation in any time or place, rather it benefits them. This does not means that it is subject to every time place or people as some of the people think.
The religion of Islaam is the true religion through which Allaah guarantees the one who adheres to it with His Help, and He will render him victorious over all others. Allaah the Exalted says:
"He is the one who sent His Messenger with the true Religion, to render it victorious over all other Religions, even though the idolaters may detest it." [Sooratus Saff 61:9]
Allaah the Exalted says:
"Allaah has promised those among you who have believed and done righteous deeds, that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them their Religion, which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security. They worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that; then they are the disobedient ones." [Sooratun Noor 24:55]
The religion of Islaam is a creed and a law, so it is perfect in its belief and law:
It commands the Oneness of Allaah, and it forbids from shirk [associating partners with Allaah].
It commands truthfulness and forbids from lying.
It commands justice, [3] and forbids from oppression.
It commands truthfulness and forbids from treachery.
It commands the keeping of promises and it forbids from treason.
It commands righteousness towards parents and forbids from disobedience to them.
It commands the keeping of the ties of kinship - and they are the family - and it forbids from cutting oneself off from them.
The comprehensive statement is that Islaam commands with all virtuous characteristics, and that it forbids from every despicable characteristic. It commands every good action, and it forbids from every sinful action. Allaah the Exalted said:
"Verily Allaah commands with justice and good conduct to relatives, and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded." [Sooratun Nahl 16:90] [4]
The Pillars Of Islam:
The Pillars of Islaam are the foundations upon which it is built, and they are five. It is mentioned in what is related from Ibn 'Umar (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), that he said: "Islaam is built upon five, that you single out Allaah in worship [and in a narration regarding the five:], to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, and to establish prayer, and to give charity (zakaat), and to fast in the month of Ramadhaan, and to perform pilgrimage (hajj)." So a man said: 'Pilgrimage and fasting in Ramadhaan.' He said: 'No. fasting in Ramadhaan and pilgrimage. This is how I heard it from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).' It is agreed upon, and this wording is from Muslim. [5]
As for testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is His slave and messenger, then it is the unwavering belief affirmed by this testification, as if its definitiveness comes from this testification. Indeed this testification is only one pillar that contains a number of testifications because of the following reasons: either because the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)conveyed from Allaah the Exalted, so testifying to his slavehood, and messengership is from the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah. Or it can be because these two testifications form the foundations for the correctness of actions and their acceptance. No action is correct or acceptable except if it is done with sincerity towards Allaah the Exalted, and in conformity to the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). So the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah is confirmed by sincerity, and the testification that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger is confirmed by obedience. From the fruits of this great testification is the liberation of the heart and soul from being enslaved by the creation, and from the following of other than the messengers.
As for establishing the prayer, then it is to worship Allaah by doing it, and to be steadfast and complete in its time and place. From its fruits is the relaxation of the heart, and the coolness of the eye, and the driving away of indecency and evil.
As for charity (zakaat), then it is to worship Allaah the Exalted by spending what one is capable of to purify ones wealth. From its fruits is that it purifies the soul from despicability and greed, and it fulfills the need of Islaam and the Muslims.
As for fasting in Ramadhaan, then it is to worship Allaah the Exalted by staying away from eating during the days of Ramadhaan. From its fruits is the taming of the soul by leaving the things it loves for the pleasure of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.
As for pilgrimage to the House, then it is to worship Allaah the Exalted by going to the Sacred House to establish the rites of pilgrimage. From its pillars is the taming of the soul related to a struggle in ones wealth and body in obedience to Allaah the Exalted. Consequently, pilgrimage is a type of jihaad in the Path of Allaah the Exalted.
So the fruits we have mentioned for these foundations - and whatever we have not mentioned - make the nation a purified and cleansed Islaamic nation, specifying Allaah for worship upon the True Religion, and performing good deeds with justice and truthfulness. So everything else from the laws of Islaam is rectified by the establishment of these foundations. A nation is not rectified except by rectifying the matters of its religion, and it fails to rectify its own condition as needed because it neglects the rectification of its religion.
Whoever wishes to see an illustration of this, then let him read the statement of Allaah the Exalted:
"And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allaah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heavens and the earth; but they refused, so We seized them for what they were earning. Then did not the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep? Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play? Then did they feel secure from the Plan of Allaah? But none feels secure from the Plan of Allaah except the losing people." [Sooratul A'araaf 7:96-99]
Let him look into the history, for verily in the history is a lesson for those who think, and a vision for those who have a veil in front of them. And Allaah is the Supporter.
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