IntroDuction To Islam

Islam provides a complete code of life. Its teachings explain in detail how to co-ordinate beneficently all the human faculties and the bounties provided by Allah, our Creator. The main source of Islamic teachings are the Holy Quran - Word of Allah and the Ahadith - Traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Besides the religion of Islam, many other religions exist in the world such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and others. Most of them have existed for a very long time. In fact, as we learn from history, the world has never been without religions. All the well-established religions of the world have the following features in common:

	They were founded by the Messengers of Allah (prophets) and their teachings were based on the revelations from Allah.
	They define a purpose of human life; to achieve nearness to Allah and to understand one’s duty towards one’s fellow-beings.
	To attain this purpose, they present a set of beliefs, acts of worship and rules of conduct governing social and moral behaviour.

We may conclude, therefore, that: Religion is a divine system of beliefs, acts of worship, and rules of conduct to enable human beings to achieve nearness to Allah and to lead a peaceful life..

If all the religions are from the same God (whatever name we wish to call Him i.e. Allah, Jehovah, Father etc.) then why do their teachings differ so much from one another? There can be two sources of differences between various religions:

 

a). After Noah's time, it seems likely that people dispersed to differant parts of the world, which were far apart. The means of communication were so poor that a prophet in one part could not communicate his message to the rest. Also, the development of the human mind varied from one area to the other. The All-Wize God therefore, sent a prophet to each nation with a teaching best suited to the needs of that nation.

b). As the time passed, the teachings of various religions could not remain in their original form. In some cases, their followers themselves introduced changes in their Holy books. As time passed, the human race began to advance. More and more countries began to be inhabited and means of communication between them began to improve. Through mutual contact, people of different countries began to appreciate the need for a universal religion. Also, as noted above, the adulteration of original teachings caused the need for fresh guidance from God Almighty, who is the Original Source. God Almighty responded to the need of a universal religion by sending His final and perfect message to mankind through the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Thus, the final great religion, named Islam, was founded as a Universal religion, about six hundred years after Jesus Christ, may peace be upon him.   Islam is an Arabic word which means: Obedience and Peace. Islam thus means complete submission to the will of God and to be at peace with all the creatures of God. In other words, the fundamental purpose of Islam is to bring back mankind to its Creator and to improve the quality of human relationships. "Islam is the only religion whose very name tells its believers what to do and how to do it."