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The Dome of the Rock at the Haram al-Sharif in occupied Jerusalem.
God says in the Holy Qur’an: “There is no good in much of their secret
conferences save in whosoever enjoineth charity and fairness and
peace-making among the people and whoso doeth that, seeking the good
pleasure of God, We shall bestow on him a vast reward” .
The Archangel Gabriel through whom God revealed His Final Revelation to
Muhammad (peace be upon him) appeared to Muhammad and his companions in
the form of a man elucidating what Iman (faith), Islam (literally
surrendering oneself to God, and Ihsan (benevolence) signify: Iman is
belief in God, His angels, revealed books, messengers and
predestination; Islam, is testifying that there is no god but Allah and
that Muhammad is His messenger, performing prayer, fasting during
Ramadan, paying the alms tax, and performing pilgrimage for those able
to do so; and ihsan, as the angel taught, is to worship God as if one
sees Him, and if one does not see Him, then He surely sees one.
Islam is the consummation and the continuation of the Abrahamic Judeo
Christian Tradition. Addressed to mankind in its entirety: 'O mankind we
have created you male and female and made you nations and tribes so that
you may know one another. Verily, the best in the sight of Your Lord is
the most God fearing.' While affirming the prophethood of Muhammad, seal
of the Prophets, it recognizes all the revealed religions which preceded
Islam, namely, Judaism and Christianity, as well as recognizing all the
prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Solomon, Ishmael, David
etc.
Islam embodies an all embracing view of God, Man, life, and the
universe, stressing as it does the unicity of God in His essence, Names
and Attributes. God is viewed as transcendent- the only God who is the
living and the eternal sustainer of the universe. Islam prescribes
worshipping Him without partner- for associating with Him partners in
terms of idols, prophets, saints, natural phenomenon, images or
otherwise is considered a form of polytheism. While affirming the
monotheism of Christianity, Islam diverges from the latter regarding the
deification of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary both of whom are
profoundly revered in Islam-Jesus as having emanated from the spirit of
God and born by virtue of immaculate conception, and Mary as the perfect
female human after whose name there is an entire Qur’anic Chapter or
Surah.
Islam, while both converging as well as diverging from Christianity on
certain aspects- as well as other religions and paradigms- affirms the
right of all to freedom of belief: The Qur’an states: 'There is no
compulsion in religion.'. Moreover, Islamic civilization boasts of a
great tradition of religious coexistence which is the product of the
spirit of tolerance and respect for the People of the Book (Christians
and Jews) which Islam encourages and commands.
Man is viewed in Islam as God’s vicegerent on earth who was created to
worship God and to build life in the universe and on earth. Islam views
humans as oppressive and inclined to ignorance but are amenable to
repentance, enlightenment- created from clay, but also endowed with
spirit- possessing base instincts, but at the same time endowed with
senses and the rational faculty. Reason in Islam is given such a pride
of place that the rational faculty is a prerequisite for having to
performing religious obligations such as prayer..
Islam strikes a balance between this world and the hereafter,
perpetually stressing that the present world, while extremely important,
is but a passageway to the final abode- the Day of Judgment- and
paradise for the righteous believers, and hellfire for the perfidious
unbelievers…
Islam also strikes a balance between the physical and metaphysical
worlds- alam al ghayb w`al shahadah.. The physical world may be
perceived by the senses and reason based on its invariant laws and the
principle of causality, while the unseen world may be known through
revelation: God says: 'I have not made them witness the creation of the
heavens and the earth…' Hence, Islam discourages metaphysical
speculation that is divorced from the proofs of revelation while
strongly encouraging people to reflect and discover the signs of God in
the physical universe. Clearly, the scientific spirit that prevailed in
the classical Islamic civilization is largely due to the Qur’anic
enjoinments to unravel the laws of the universe…
It is clear that human civilization is currently afflicted by a crisis-
a moral and spiritual crisis that is reverberating on the condition of
people across the globe.. Islam is relevant to the said crisis, and has
a great deal to contribute to alleviating the human affliction by virtue
of its unimpeachable justice, its pristine pure monotheism, its
humanism, its advocacy of human dignity. Muslims must exert immense
effort to try to conform with the norms and ideals of Islam so as to
restore their role as teachers, scientists, peacemakers, and guides to
salvation.
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