This is not intended to be a debate.
It is my attempt to clarify the misconceptions and share knowledge about the 
deen with my fellow muslims and to provide information and educate the 
non-muslims about our religion.

So please sit back and allow me to share this information in its' entirety. i 
think you will find it  both interesting and informative if you care to 
follow it.
If you do not care to follow it, then please feel free to delete it.
Thank you.

I had started this series sometime ago and unfortunately, time did not allow 
me to finish it. I intend to do so now inshallah.
I will start be reposting the parts that i had already completed, to be 
followed by the rest inshallah.

There are a lot of misconceptions about Islam, especially in these times, and 
the purpose of this series is to share with my fellow muslims education about 
the deen that will increase our understanding of the religion as well as 
perhaps answer at least some of the questions we may have about the deen, as well 
as to inform non-muslims regarding our religion, and to tell them what exactly 
is in the Qur'an

. Since the tragedy of September 11th, i have seen a lot TV shows, newspaper 
reports etc all intended to tell people about Islam, but somehow, they seem to 
skirt the main issues regarding the reason for the existance of many 
religions as explained by the Qur'an, and to provide information that documents the 
relationship of the three main religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism as 
explained by the Qur'an, and the Sunnah of Rasullullah. 

I think that perhaps people skirt the issue because they feel they will 
offend others if they relay what the Qur'an says about other religions, but i think 
it is absolutely essential to relay everything so people know what this deen 
is about and to at least have the facts.

From the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, we understand that religion and 
the worship of Allah is not supposed to be compartmentalized into different 
religions, each with their own. Rather, there is an unboken line of prophets all 
sent to their respective peoples since the creation of Prophet Adam, and 
their message was supposed to be a continuation, one to the other until the final 
message brought by Muhammad Bin Abdullah (SAS) the seal of the prophets and 
the final messenger of Allah whom he sent to ALL to mankind. 

"For we assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, ( with command) 
worship me and avoid false gods" 
(Soorah Al-Nahl 16:36) 

The Prophet (SAS) said that his prophethood is akin to someone who built a 
beautiful building, and the only thing left to secure the building was a small 
brick in the corner. He said he is that final brick, sent to cement alL the 
messages brought to mankind through all of the messengers, and his message was 
the one in which Allah perfected his religion for all of mankind. His advent was 
foretold in the Taura (Torah) as given to Moses and in the Gospel of Prophet 
Essa (Jesus the son of Mary) and that it is the ommission of some of the 
information in these messages books that has resulted in three religions and not 
one.( but we will address this issue later in this series)

 Speaking to mankind in the Qur'an Allah (SWT) says: 

"This is the Book whereof there is no doubt, guidance for those who fear 
Allah" (Soorah Al-Baqara 2:2) 

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon 
you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" 
(Soorah Al-Maa'ida, 5:3) 

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam ( submission to Allah (God) 
never will it be accepted of him."
 (Soorah Aal'Imraan 3:85) 

Foremost among those who have studied the Qur'an and Sunnah and have gained 
understanding from them to pass on to the rest of the Islamic ummah is a 
Pakistani scholar by the name of Syed Abul A'Ala Mawdudi. From January to March of 
1948, Mawdudi gave a series of five radio talks in which he described different 
aspects of the Islamic way of life. 

The original address was in Urdu, and was translated into English by 
Professor Kurshid Ahmad of Pakistan, with a revised edition by the Center for Call and 
Guidance under the supervision of the Presidency of Islamic Research IFTA and 
Propagation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

To begin this series, I have chosen this work by Mawdudi to present in it's 
entirety first beause it presents better than any other work i have seen, the 
concept of what islam is, and man's relationship to God.

 After this, inshallah, we will proceed to discuss other religions, the 
reason Islam, Christianity and Judaism are three separate religions and not one. We 
will also discuss Christ the son of Mary ( may the peace and blessing of 
Allah be upon him) in the Qur'an and  the Torah, and his unlatered Gospel as 
documented by one of his disciples, Barnabas, in "The Godpel of Barnabas". 

Bismillah. Wasalatu wasalaam, ala Rasulill kareem, wa Allah Alihi, wa 
sahbihi, minastanabi Sunnahti eela yamideen. (May the peace and blessing of Allah be 
upon the Prophet, his household and his companions, and whoever follows his 
Sunnah until the day of judgement) 
I pray that Allah (SWT) increases in Imaan all those who seek his guidance 
Ameen. 

ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF LIFE 

The chief characteristic of the Islamic Concept of Life is that it does not 
admit a conflict, nay, not even a significant separation between life-spiritual 
and life-mundane. It does not confine itself merely in purifying the 
spiritual and the moral life of man in the limited sense of th e word. Its domain 
extends to the entire gamut of life. It wants to mould individual life as well as 
the social order in healthy patterns, so that the Kingdom of God may really be 
established on the earth and so that peace, contentment and well-being may 
fill the world as waters fill the oceans. The Islamic Way of Life is based on 
this unique approach to life and a peculiar concept of man’s place in the 
Universe. That is why it is n ecessary that before we proceed to discuss the 
moral, social, political and economic systems of Islam, we should have a clear 
idea of the Islamic Concept of Life . There are certain basic postulates which 
should be understood and appreciated at the very outset. These postulates are as 
follows:

 BASIC POSTULATE 

1. Allah Who is the Creator, the Ruler and the Lord of the entire Universe 
has created man and provided him with temporary station in that par t of His 
vast kingdom(cosmos) which is known as the earth. He has endowed man with the 
faculties of thinking and understanding, and has given him the powe r to 
distinguish right from wrong. Man has also been invested with freedom of will and 
choice and the power to use the resources of the world in any manne r he likes. In 
short, man has been given a sort of autonomy while being appointed by God on 
earth as a successor to the beings that had previously populated it. 

2. Before assigning to man the inheritance of the earth, God made it 
explicitly clear to him that He alone is the Lord, the Ruler and Deity. As such, the 
entire Universe and all the creatures in it(including man) must submit to Him 
alone. Man must not think himself totally free and should know that this earth 
is not his permanent abode. He has been made to live upon it only during the 
period of his probation, and in due course, he will return t o his Lord, to be 
judged according to the way he has utilized the period of probation. The only 
right course for man is acknowledge Allah as the only Lord, the Sustainer and 
the Deity and to follow His Guidance and His Commands in all walks of life. 
Man must live this life with the realization that he is to be judged and his 
sole objective should be to merit the pleasure of Allah so as to emerge succesful 
in the final test. Conduct which is contrary to this would lead man astray. 
If, man follows the course of piety and Godliness(which he is free to choose 
and follow) he will succeed in this world and in the next: in this world he will 
live a life of peace and contentment, and in the Hereafter he will qualify 
himself for the heaven of eternal bliss; al-Jannah. And if, he chooses to follow 
the other course, i.e , that of Godlessness and evil(which he is equally free 
to choose and follow) his life will be one of corruption, disruption and 
frustration in this world and he will meet colossal misfortune in the life to come 
- that abode of pai n and misery which is called Jahannam(Hell). 

3. After administering this warning, God set man upon the earth and provided 
the very first human beings(Adam* and Eve) with His Guidance in accordance 
with which men were to live on the earth. Thus, man's life on this earth did not 
begin in utter darkness. The very first man was provided with a burning torch 
of light and guidance so that humanity might attain its glorious destiny. The 
very first man received revealed knowledge from God Himself. He had knowledge 
of the reality and was given the code of life by following which he could live 
a life of bliss and success. This code of life was Islam, the attitude of 
complete submission to Allah, the Creator of man and of the whole universe. It 
was this religion which Adam, the first man, passed down to posterity. But later 
generations gradually drifted away from the right path and adopted different 
erroneous paths. Because of negligence, they lost the original teachings, or 
due to folly or mischief they adulterated and perverted them. They associated 
with God innumerable human beings, non-human objects and imaginary entities as 
deities and indulged in Shirk(polytheism) of the worst type. They mixed up the 
pure teachings of God with strange myths, ideas and philosophies and thus 
produced a jungle of religions and cults. They discarded the God-given principles 
of social ethics and collective morality, the Shariah, and deprived the human 
life of peace and tranquility. 

 * According to Islam Adam was the first prophet of Allah on earth. 

4. Although men departed from the path of truth, disregarded and distorted 
the Shariah, and some of them even revolted against the code of Divine Guidance, 
yet God did not destroy them or force them to the right course. Forced 
conversion to the right path was not in keeping with the autonomy He had given to 
man. Instead, God appointed certain virtuous persons from amongst the people 
themselves, to discharge the responsibility of recalling and guiding men to the 
right path during their sojourn on the earth. These men believed in God, and 
lived a life of obedience to Him. He honored them by His revelations and gave 
them the knowledge of reality. These men, known as prophets(peace be upon all of 
them), were assigned the task of presenting the message of truth to humanity 
and of asking the people to come to the path of the Lord. 

5. These prophets were raised in all epochs, in all lands and in all nations. 
Out of numerous prophets sent by God, the Qur'an explicitly mentions twenty 
five. All of them brought the same way of life(Deen) i.e., the way which was 
revealed to man on the first day of his existence. All of them followed the same 
guidance: the guidance which was prescribed by the Lord for man at the outset 
of his career on the earth. All of them stood for the same mission: they 
called men to the religion of Islam, asked those who accepted the Divine Guidance 
to live in accordance with it: and organized them into a movement for the 
establishment of the Divine Law, and for putting an end to all deviations from he 
Right Path. Every prophet tried to fulfill this mission in the best possible 
way. But quite a number of people never accepte d this guidance and many of 
those who accepted it gradually drifted astray and , after a lapse of time, lost 
the guidance or distorted it through innovations and perversions. 

6. At last, God raised Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) in the land of 
Arabia and assigned to him the completion of the mission for which earlie r 
prophets were ordained. The message of Muhammad(peace be upon him) was for the 
whole of mankind. He presented anew the teachings of Islam, by calling mankind to 
the path of righteousness and with establishing the supremacy of the word of 
God on the earth. This guidance is enshrined in the Holy Qur'an which 
constitutes the only right code of conduct for mankind* 
 
* Tafheem al-Qur'an , Vol. I, pp.16-19 

END PART 1 

Inshallah, in part 2, we will continue with Mawdudi's narration of : IMAAN, 
(faith) IN ISLAM, IT'S NATURE AND CHARACTER.

 Jabou N.Joh

    

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