Each person is born in a circumstance that is not of his own choosing. The religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. Religion is the collection of divine laws which designs a system of life, the following of which brings man closer to God and a prosperous life both here and in the hereafter. Allah says:
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَكُن لِّلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا
“We have revealed to you the scripture with the truth that you may judge between people by what God has taught you.” (Surah An-Nisa` 4:105)
Islam also claims to be the one and only true way to God. In this respect it is no different from other systems. God dispatched His messengers to guide people to the Right Path. The duty of the messengers was to proclaim the divine message to people for whose guidance they were sent. Because the religion of God (Islam) is guidance and truth, therefore it can lead man to his prosperity. Allah says:
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:85)
Everything that exists, except Allah, the Creator, is created by Him. Allah has full power over every bit of His creation. The religion that God has prescribed to mankind is ‘Islam` (submission and obedience to God). It is only this religion that has the capacity to cover all the needs of man and encompasses the above purpose. Therefore, the only recognized religion in the sight of God is Islam.
Here are some important and benefits of Islam:
- Islam control your lusts, selfishness, desires, greed, and ego
- Islam transcends from all types of allegiance for this world
- Islam strengthening our relationship with Allah
- Islam teaches one should not harm others
- Islam allows a person to truly God’s love
- Islam gives a person a clear perspective
- Islam itself is an inherently inner peace
- Islam teaches us about good and bad
- Islam satisfies the spiritual need
- Islam make our life better
- Islam is the true way of life
- Islam is a shield against evil
- Islam considers to rights of others
- Islam is to develop a peaceful society
- Islam teaches that ultimately be judged
- Islam teaches a true living an Islamic life
- Islam teaches that God is the Most Justice
- Islam has a message for people at all times
- Islam emancipates the mind from superstitions
- Islam helps to reduce all types of social illnesses
Islam is a rational system that not only allows questions but raises knowledge to a new level of dignity and respect. Submission to the will of God does not curtail freedom, on the contrary, it gives a very high degree of freedom by freeing the mind from superstitions and filling it with truth and knowledge. Allah says:
وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ
“Remember your Lord in yourselves with humility and in private without announcing it in the mornings and evenings, and do not be among the heedless.” (Surat Al-A’raf 7:205)
Islam provides the right balance between faith and action, as both are required for a stable life. It guides all situations and circumstances. It is a practical religion with practical acts of worship that are designed to fulfil the spiritual, physical, psychological and social needs of people. Allah says:
ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.” (Quran 2:2)
When God created the world He did not abandon it to instability and insecurity. He sent a rope, firm and steady, and by holding tightly to this rope an insignificant human being can achieve greatness and eternal peace. In the words of the Quran, God makes His desires clear, however, human beings have free will and are free to either please or displease God. Allah says:
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ
“Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Verily, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, but the remembrance of Allah is greater.” (Surat Al-Ankabut 29:45)
Throughout people’s lives, from childhood until the time they die, signs of the one and only true God are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true Allah. As a result of God’s signs to mankind through the ages combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recognize the one and only true God. Allah says:
وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
“And incline not to those who do wrong, or the Fire will seize you, and ye have no protectors other than Allah, nor shall ye be helped.” (Surah Hud 11:113)
Prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man’s natural belief in God and man’s in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by God. Although much of these prophets’ teachings became distorted, portions revealing their God-inspired messages have remained untainted and have served to guide mankind in the choice between right and wrong. Allah says:
سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَٰتِنَا فِى ٱلْءَافَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
“We will show them our signs in the furthest regions (of the earth) and in their souls until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth.” (Surah Fussilat 41:53)
Islam (submission to the will of God) is the religion that was given to Adam (p), the first man and the first prophet of God, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in God and an in-born inclination to worship Him alone. This in-born belief and inclination are called in Arabic the “Fitrah”.
Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. Allah states the following in verses:
- “Truly the religion with Allah is Islam.” (Quran 3:19)
- “God commands justice and fair dealing…” (Quran 16:90)
- “It describes reconciliation as the best policy.” (Quran: 4:128)
- “Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another’s burden…” (Fatir, 18)
- “…If you judge, judge between them with justice…” (Quran 5:42)
- “If you fear that you cannot be just, then marry only one…” (Quran 4:3)
- “and states that God abhors any disturbance of the peace.” (Quran: 2:205)
- “Whoever transgresses the limits of God does verily wrong his own soul.” (Quran: 65:1)
Consequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in God and its acceptance of the true religion of God, namely Islam, which means total submission to the will of Allah. The significance of the name Islam (submission to God), is Islam’s fundamental acknowledgement of the uniqueness of God and Islam’s accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support Islam’s claim that from the beginning of time in whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone has been and will be the true religion of God. Allah said:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَ
Say, “If you love Allah, then follow Allah will love you and He will forgive for you your sins. And Allah (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:31)
God Almighty has determined boundaries in the Quran so that people will not violate one another’s rights; He has named them as “boundaries of Allah”. He tells us that those who transgress those boundaries will be regarded as oppressors and warns them that they will suffer divine torture. Allah says:
وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِينَ
“And how many We (have) shattered of a town (that) was unjust, and We produced after them, other people.” (Surah Al-Anbiya` 21:11)
Hence, Islam does not claim to be a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) into Arabia in the seventh century, but rather to be a re-expression in its final form of the true religion of Allah, as it was originally revealed to Adam and subsequent prophets. Allah says:
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
“Not the sun is permitted for it – that it overtakes the moon, and not the night (can) outstrip the day, but all in an orbit they are floating.” (Surah Ya-Sin 36:40)
In conclusion, we ask Allah, the Exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us His blessings and mercy, for He is indeed the Most-Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings are on Prophet Muhammad and all the prophets of God and their righteous followers.