|
— Question :
There are many religions.
Why do Muslims think that
Islam is true. Is there any factual basis?
Answer :
Praise be to Allah.
This is a reasonable enough
question for one who has not entered Islam, but one who believes in and
practices this religion already knows the blessings which are his because
of this religion. There are many reasons for this, which include the
following:
(1) The Muslim worships One God, Who has no partner, and Who
has the most beautiful names and the highest attributes. Thus the Muslim’s
focus and aim is concentrated, focused on His Lord and Creator; he puts his
trust in Him and asks Him for help, patience and support; he believes that
Allaah is able to do all things, and has no need of a wife or son. Allaah
created the heavens and earth; He is the One Who gives life and death; He
is the Creator and Sustainer from Whom the slave seeks provision. He is the
All-Hearing Who responds to the supplication of His slave, and from Whom
the slave hopes for a response. He is the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving,
to Whom the slave turns in repentance when he has committed a sin or fallen
short in his worship of Allaah. He is the Omniscient and All-Seeing, who
knows all intentions and what is hidden in people’s hearts. The slave feels
ashamed to commit a sin by doing wrong to himself or to others, because his
Lord is watching over him and sees all that he does. He knows that Allaah
is All-Wise, the Seer of the Unseen, so he trusts that what Allaah decrees
for him is good; he knows that Allaah will never be unjust to him, and that
everything that Allaah decrees for him is good, even if he does not
understand the wisdom behind it.
(2) The effects of Islaamic worship on the soul of the
Muslim include the following:
Prayer keeps the slave in
contact with his Lord; if he enters it in a spirit of humiliation and
concentration, he will feel tranquil and secure, because he is seeking a
"powerful support," which is Allaah, may He be glorified and
exalted. For this reason, the Prophet of Islaam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to say: "Let us find relaxation and joy in
prayer." If something distressed him, he would hasten to pray.
Everyone who finds himself faced with disaster and tries prayer finds
strength, patience and consolation, because he is reciting the words of his
Lord, which cannot be compared to the effect of the words of a created
being. If the words of some psychologists can offer a little comfort, what
do you think of the words of the One Who created the psychologist?
Now let us look at zakaat,
which is one of the pillars of Islaam. Zakaat purifies the soul from
stinginess and miserliness, and accustoms people to being generous and
helping the poor and needy. It will bring a great reward on the Day of
Resurrection, just like other forms of worship. It is not burdensome, like
man-made taxes; it is only 25 in every thousand, which the sincere Muslim
pays willingly and does not try to evade or wait until someone chases him
for it.
Fasting involves refraining
from food and sex. It is a form of worship, and a way in which one can feel
the hunger of those who are deprived. It is also a reminder of the
blessings of the Creator, and it brings rewards beyond measure.
Hajj is the Pilgrimage to
the sacred House of Allaah, which was built by Ibraaheem (Abraham, upon
whom be peace). By performing Hajj one is obeying the command of Allaah and
the call to come and meet Muslims from all over the world.
(3) Islaam commands all kinds of good and forbids all kinds
of evil. It encourages good manners and proper treatment of others. It
enjoins good characteristics such as truthfulness, patience, deliberation,
kindness, humility, modesty, keeping promises, dignity, mercy, justice,
courage, patience, friendliness, contentment, chastity, good treatment,
tolerance, trustworthiness, gratitude for favours, and self-control in
times of anger. Islaam commands the Muslim to fulfil his duty towards his
parents and to uphold family ties, to help the needy, to treat neighbours
well, to protect and safeguard the wealth of the orphan, to be gentle with
the young and show respect to the old, to be kind to servants and animals,
to remove harmful things from the road, to speak kind words, to forgive at
the time when one has the opportunity to take revenge, to be sincere
towards one’s fellow-Muslims, to meet the needs of the Muslims, to give the
debtor time to repay his debt, to prefer others over oneself, to console
others, to greet people with a smiling face, to visit the sick, to support
the one who is oppressed, to give gifts to friends, to honour his guest, to
treat his wife kindly and spend on her and her children, to spread the
greeting of peace (salaam) and to seek permission before entering another
person’s house, lest one see something private that the other person does
not want one to see.
Some non-Muslims may do
these things out of politeness or good manners, but they are not seeking
reward from Allaah or salvation of the Day of Judgement.
If we look at what Islam
has prohibited, we will find that it is in the interests of both the
individual and society as a whole. All these prohibitions serve to
safeguard the relationship between the slave and his Lord, and the
relationship of the individual with himself and with his fellow-man. The
following examples demonstrate this:
Islam forbids the
association of anything in worship with Allaah and the worship of anything
other than Allaah, because this spells doom and misery. Islaam also forbids
visiting or believing soothsayers and fortune-tellers; magic or witchcraft
that may cause a rift between two people or bring them together; belief in
the influence of the stars on events and people’s lives; cursing time,
because Allaah is directing its affairs; and superstition, because this is
pessimism.
Islam forbids cancelling
out good deeds by showing off, boasting or reminding others of one’s
favours; bowing or prostrating to anything other than Allaah; sitting with
hypocrites or immoral people for the purposes of enjoying their company or
keeping them company; and invoking the curse or wrath of Allaah on one
another or damning one another to Hell.
Islaam forbids urinating
into stagnant water; defecating on the side of the road or in places where
people seek shade or where they draw water; from facing the qiblah
(direction of prayer) or turning one’s back towards it when passing water
or stools; holding one’s penis in one’s right hand when passing water;
giving the greeting of salaam (peace) to one who is answering the call of
nature; and putting one’s hand into any vessel before washing it, when one
has just woken up.
Islaam forbids the offering
of any nafl (supererogatory) prayers when the sun is rising, when it is at
its zenith, and when it is setting, because it rises and sets between the
horns of Shaytaan (Satan); praying when there is food prepared that a
person desires; praying when one urgently needs to pass water, stools or
wind, because that will distract a person from concentrating properly on
his prayer.
Islam forbids the Muslim to
raise his voice in prayer, lest it disturb other believers; to continue
offering supererogatory prayers at night when one feels drowsy - such a
person should sleep then get up; to stay up all night in prayer, especially
one night after another; and to stop praying when there is doubt as to the
validity of one’s wudoo’ - unless one hears a sound or smells an odour.
Islaam forbids buying,
selling and making "lost and found" announcements in the mosque -
because it is the place of worship and remembrance of Allaah, where worldly
affairs have no place.
Islam forbids haste in
walking when the iqaamah (call immediately preceding congregational prayer)
is given, and prescribes walking in a calm and dignified manner. It is also
forbidden to boast about the cost of building a mosque; to decorate a
mosque with red or yellow paint or adornments which will distract the
worshippers; to fast day after day without a break; and for a woman to
observe a supererogatory fast when her husband is present without his
permission.
Islaam forbids building
over graves, making them high, sitting on them, walking between them
wearing shoes, putting lights over them or writing on them. It is forbidden
to disinter the dead or to take graves as places of worship. Islam forbids
wailing, tearing one’s clothes or leaving one’s hair unkempt when a person
dies. Eulogizing the dead in the manner of the times of Ignorance
(Jaahiliyyah) is also forbidden, although there is nothing wrong with
informing others that a person has died.
Islaam forbids the
consumption of riba (interest); all kinds of selling which involve
ignorance (of the product), misleading and cheating; selling blood, wine,
pork, idols and everything that Allaah has forbidden - their price, whether
bought or sold - is haraam; najash, which is offering a price for something
one has no intention of buying, as happens in many auctions; concealing a
product’s faults at the time of selling; selling something which one does
not own or before it comes into one’s possession; undercutting, outbidding
or out bargaining another; selling produce before it is clear that it is in
good condition and free of blemish; cheating in weights and measures; and
hoarding. A partner who has shares in a plot of land or a date palm tree is
forbidden to sell his share without consulting his partners. It is
forbidden to consume the wealth of orphans unjustly; to bet or gamble; to
take anything by force; to accept or offer bribes; to steal people’s wealth
or to consume it unjustly; to take something for the purpose of destroying
it; to undermine the value of people’s possessions; to keep lost property
which one has found, or to keep quiet about it and not announce it, for it
belongs to the one who recognizes it; to cheat in any way; to ask for a loan
with no intention of repaying it; to take anything of the wealth of a
fellow-Muslim, unless it is given freely, because what is taken because of
another person’s shyness is haraam; and to accept a gift because of
intercession.
Celibacy and castration are
forbidden, as is marrying two sisters, or a woman and her aunt (paternal or
maternal), whether he marries the aunt after marrying her niece or vice
versa, for fear of breaking the ties of kinship. It is forbidden to make
deals in marriage, such as saying "Let me marry your daughter and I
will give you my daughter or sister in marriage." Such reciprocal
deals are a form of oppression and injustice, and haraam. Islaam forbids
mut’ah (temporary marriage), which is a marriage contract for a period of
time agreed by the two parties, at the end of which the marriage expires.
Islaam forbids intercourse with a menstruating woman, until she has
purified herself (by taking a bath after her period ends), and also forbids
anal intercourse. A man is forbidden to propose marriage to a woman when
another man has already proposed to her, unless the other man withdraws his
proposal or gives him permission. It is forbidden to marry a
previously-married woman without consulting her, or a virgin without
seeking her permission. It is forbidden to wish (a newly married couple)
"Bi’l-rafaa’ wa’l-baneen (a joyful life and many sons)," because
this is the greeting of the people of Jaahiliyyah, who hated daughters. The
divorced woman is forbidden to conceal what Allaah has created in her womb
(if she is pregnant). A husband and wife are forbidden to speak (to others)
about the intimacies of married life. It is forbidden to turn a woman
against her husband or to take divorce lightly. It is forbidden for a woman
to ask for another’s divorce, such as asking a man to divorce a woman so
that she can marry him. A wife is forbidden to spend her husband’s money
without his permission, or to keep away from his bed without good reason,
because the angels will curse her if she does that. A man is forbidden to
marry his father’s wife, or to have intercourse with a woman who is
pregnant from another man. It is forbidden for a man to practise ‘azl
(coitus interruptus) with his free wife without her permission. It is
forbidden for a man to return home from a journey late at night and startle
his family, unless he has previously notified them when he will arrive
home. A man is forbidden to take anything of his wife’s mahr (dowry)
without her consent, or to keep annoying his wife so that she will give up
her wealth.
Islaam forbids women to
make a wanton display of themselves (tabarruj). It also forbids extreme
forms of female circumcision. Women are forbidden to admit anyone into
their husband’s home without his permission; his general permission is acceptable
so long as they stay within the limits of sharee’ah. It is forbidden to
separate a mother and child (in case of divorce); to let one’s womenfolk
behave foolishly (in an immoral fashion) and not say anything; to let one’s
gaze wander everywhere; and to follow an accidental glance with an
intentional glance.
Islaam forbids the eating
of dead meat, regardless of whether it died by drowning, strangulation,
shock or falling from a high place; eating blood, pork and anything
slaughtered in a name other than that of Allaah or for idols; eating the
flesh or drinking the milk of beasts that feed on filth and waste matter;
eating the flesh of every carnivorous beast that has fangs and every bird
that has talons; eating the meat of domesticated donkeys; killing animals
by keeping them and throwing stones at them until they die, or detaining
them without food until they die; slaughtering with teeth or nails;
slaughtering one animal (for food) in front of another; or sharpening the
knife in front of the animal to be slaughtered.
In the area of clothing and
adornment, men are forbidden the extravagance of wearing gold. Muslim are
forbidden to be naked or to expose their thighs; to leave their clothes
long (below the ankles) and trail them on the ground for the purpose of
showing off; and to wear clothes that will attract attention.
It is forbidden to bear
false witness; to make false accusations against a chaste believing woman;
to accuse someone who is innocent; to utter lies; to slander and backbite;
to call people by offensive nicknames; to spread gossip and malicious
slander; to make fun of the Muslims; to boast about one’s status; to shed
doubts on a person’s lineage; to utter slander, insults and obscenities; to
speak in an indecent or rude manner; or to utter evil in public, except by
one who has been wronged.
Islaam forbids telling
lies; one of the worst kinds of lie is to lie about dreams, like
fabricating dreams and visions in order to prove one’s virtue, or make some
material gains, or to frighten an enemy.
Muslims are forbidden to
praise themselves, or to talk in a secret way: two may not converse
secretly to the exclusion of a third, because this is offensive. It is
forbidden to curse a believer or someone who does not deserve to be cursed.
Islaam forbids speaking ill
of the dead; praying for death; wishing for death because of some suffering
that one is passing through; praying against one’s self, one’s children,
one’s servants or one’s wealth.
Muslims are told not to eat
the food that is directly in front of others or to eat from the centre of
the dish or platter; rather they should eat from what is directly in front
of them or thereabouts, because the barakah (blessing) comes in the middle
of the food. It is forbidden to drink from a broken edge of a vessel,
because this could cause harm; or to drink from the mouth of a vessel; or
to breathe into it. It is forbidden to eat while lying on one’s stomach; to
sit at a table where wine is being drunk; to leave a fire burning in one’s
house when one sleeps; to sleep with Ghamr in one’s hand, like an offensive
smell or the remainder of food (grease); to sleep on one’s stomach; or to
talk about or try to interpret bad dreams, because these are tricks of the
Shaytaan.
It is forbidden to kill
another person except in cases where it is right to do so; to kill one’s
children for fear of poverty; to commit suicide; to commit fornication,
adultery or sodomy (homosexuality); to drink wine, or even to prepare it,
carry it from one place to another, or sell it. Muslims are forbidden to
please people by angering Allaah; to offend their parents or even to say
"Uff" (the slightest word of contempt) to them; to claim that a
child belongs to anyone but his real father; to torture by means of fire;
to burn anyone, alive or dead, with fire; to mutilate the bodies of the
slain; to help anyone commit falsehood; or to cooperate in wrongdoing and
sin.
It is forbidden to obey any
person by disobeying Allaah; to swear falsely; to swear a disastrous oath;
to eavesdrop on people without their permission; to invade people’s privacy
or look at their private parts; to claim something that does not belong to
one or that one did not do, for the purpose of showing off; to look into
someone’s else’s house without permission; to be extravagant; to swear an
oath to do something wrong; to spy on others or be suspicious about
righteous men and women; to envy, hate or shun one another; to persist in
falsehood; to be arrogant or feel superior; to be filled with
self-admiration; to be pleased with one’s arrogance. Islam forbids taking
back one’s charity, even if one pays to get it back; employing someone to
do a job without paying him his wages; being unfair in giving gifts to
one’s children; bequeathing everything in one’s will and leaving one’s heirs
poor - in such a case the will should not be executed; writing a will that
concerns more than one third of one’s legacy; being a bad neighbour; or
changing a will to the detriment of one or some of one’s heirs. A Muslim is
forbidden to forsake or shun his brother for more than three days, except
for a reason sanctioned by sharee’ah; to hold small stones between two
fingers and throw them because this could cause injury to eyes or teeth; to
include his heirs in a will, because Allaah has already given heirs their
rights of inheritance; to disturb his neighbour; to point a weapon at his
Muslim brother; to hand someone an unsheathed sword, lest it harm him; to
come (walk) between two people except with their permission; to return a
gift, unless there is some shar’i objection to it; to be extravagant; to
give money to foolish people; to wish to be like someone to whom Allaah has
given more of something; to cancel out his charity by giving offensive
reminders of his giving; to wilfully conceal testimony; or to oppress
orphans or scold one who asks for help or money. It is forbidden to treat
with evil medicines, because Allaah would not create a cure for this ummah
which includes something that He has forbidden. It is forbidden to kill
women and children in warfare; to boast to one another; or to break
promises.
Islaam forbids betraying a
trust; asking for charity that one does not need; alarming a Muslim brother
or taking away his possessions, whether jokingly or seriously; changing
one’s mind after giving a gift, except in the case of a gift from a father
to his child; practising medicine without experience; or killing ants, bees
and hoopoe birds. A man is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah (private parts)
of another man, and a woman is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of another
woman. It is forbidden to sit between two people without their permission;
or to greet only those whom one knows, because the greeting is to be given
to those whom you know and those whom you do not know. A Muslim is
forbidden to let an oath come between him and good deeds; he should do what
is good and make expiation for the oath. It is forbidden to judge between
two disputing parties when one is angry, or to judge in favour of one party
without hearing what the other has to say. It is forbidden for a man to
walk through the market-place carrying something - like a sharp weapon -
that could harm the Muslims, unless it is properly covered. A Muslim is
forbidden to make another person get up, so that he can take his place.
There are more commands and
prohibitions which came for the benefit and happiness of individuals and
mankind as a whole. Have you ever seen any other religion that can compare
to this religion?
Read this response again,
then ask yourself: is it not a great pity that I am not one of them? Allaah
says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): "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." [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]
Finally, I hope that everyone
who reads this will be guided to the correct way and to follow the truth.
May Allaah protect you and us from all evil.
Location: Islam Q&A
By: Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid
|
