Islam

ISLAM

CUIS - A brief introduction into the religion: ISLAM

Who are Muslims?

Think you can recognise a Muslim by dress or nationality? Think again. Almost one-fourth of the world's population is Muslim. And although some people mistakenly believe that all Muslims are Arab (or vice versa), Arabs make up only 18% of the world's Muslim population. Muslims are found everywhere from West Africa to Eastern Europe to China and the Philippines, and they are establishing a growing presence in the West. Muslims come in all races and colours, are found in all professions and walks of life, and have made significant contributions to every field of human endeavour since the beginning of Islam, from science and mathematics to art and the humanities. In today's 'global village,' there is no place on earth that they are not making an impact. Furthermore, despite media bias, the vast majority of Muslims belong to stable, loving families, and have nothing to do with terrorism or other acts of violence.

What is Islam?

The word 'Islam' comes from the Arabic root aslama, which means peace and submission; a practising Muslim strives to submit wholeheartedly to God, thereby achieving peace in this life and the Next. Submitting to God's will does not mean that a person need no longer think, or that he must give up his free will to choose; rather, like a law-abiding citizen, a person who observes God's commands benefits himself and others by respecting Divine laws and using his freedom wisely. The Islamic concept of submission is thus an active one; a Muslim struggles to increase his knowledge, develop his character, and do what is right to the best of his ability - after which he accepts that the outcome of his affairs is ultimately in God's hands

What do Muslims believe in?

One God

Islam is based on faith in a Higher Power, the Gracious Lord and Creator of the Universe, without family or partners, called 'Allah'. Muslims prefer to use the Arabic word Allah for God, because it has no plural, feminine or diminutive form that could be associated with idolatry (i.e. gods, goddesses or 'demi-gods'). Although Allah is referred to as 'He,' it is understood that God is Self-Sufficient, and transcends both duality and gender; the 99 Names of Allah mentioned in the Qur'an contain 'feminine' attributes (such as the Compassionate) as well as 'masculine' ones (i.e. the Almighty). Allah is Merciful and Just, All-Knowing and All-Seeing, Friend and Guide, and the only one worthy of our worship and devotion.

Prophethood

Islam teaches that belief in a Higher Power, coupled with a universal code of ethics (summarised in the simple maxim 'believe in God and be good'), is the natural religion of mankind. This religion (or way of life), in its diverse manifestations, has been taught by prophets, who were sent by Allah to every nation and tribe at some point in time. Prophets called people to a personal relationship with their Lord, and set a blessed example of how to live. When people forgot or corrupted the message, He sent another prophet to restore it. The Qur'an mentions 25 prophets by name; of these, five were great Messengers: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Each prophet received Divine revelation, and some were given books of Scripture. Muslims believe that Allah revealed Jewish and Christian Scriptures in their original versions, but that their texts have since been corrupted. The Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel, holds the unique position of being God's final message to humanity, and He has promised to preserve it intact until the end of time. Interestingly, scholars have verified that the Qur'an is the only world scripture that has but a single version (in Arabic), identical to the text that was revealed more than 1400 years ago. It is also the only scripture that can be committed to memory by people of all ages, regardless of their native tongue.

Life after Death
Although people are inclined to forgetfulness and sin, Islam affirms an overall positive view of man - who has been created as God's representative on earth - and teaches that faith and appreciation of goodness is inherent to human nature. Furthermore, children are born in a state of purity and do not 'inherit' sin. Life's test is to do one's best and to resist evil in the world and within oneself, so that one can stand before Allah with a clean heart on the Day of Judgement. Those who are successful will be rewarded in Paradise, but those who have neglected their souls will be doomed to Hell. Each individual is responsible for his own actions, and cannot rely on the goodness of others to absolve him of his sins. Although in the end, no one can attain salvation except by Allah's grace, the normal prerequisites will be faith accompanied by good works that, together, weigh heavier in the balance than the wrong that one has done. Reward will be granted in proportion to effort. Paradise is a place of physical and spiritual beauty and perfection, where people will have their hearts' desires and will be blessed with the vision of Allah Most High.