ISLAM'S FEATURES
INTRODUCTION:
The World is not only densely populated but it is also saturated with different religions in various concepts. Everyone claims that he has a message to rescue the world and that he is the only one who is on the right path---- each one asserting as if everybody owns the franchise to the truth!
Faced with such a fact, it is therefore imperative upon us, Muslims, to know the features of our religion. This is for us to determine our position as well as to properly conduct and guard ourselves against the other ones which may either be of divine roots such as Christianity and Judaism or of human origin like Buddhism and Hinduism. Otherwise, we will succumb, get lost or drowned to a plethora of religions.
Islam has specific features which distinguishes it among the rest. By understanding these features, we will hopefully realize it’s merits and Allah’s (God’s) kindness as He guides and immerses us towards Islam. Here are some of these features:
1. ISLAM IS A DIVINE RELIGION
Allah says: "And verily you (O Muhammad ) are receiving the Qur’an from the one All-Wise, All-Knowing." (27: 6) "Alif - Lam - Mim. The revelation of this book (this Qur’an) is from the Lord of the Alamin (Mankind, Jinns and all that exists) in which there is no doubt" (32:1-2).
So Islam by this feature is essentially distinguished from the other laws and ideologies which source is human-mind as against Islam’s divine ("Godly") . This great difference should not be ignored nor taken for granted.
WHILE ISLAM IS CONSIDERED AS A DIVINE REVELATION, IT SHOULD BE:
A. Perfect and devoid of insufficiency, ignorance and caprices because the Almighty Allah, whose perfection is complete , is infallible from all these things.
If the effect of Allah’s perfection is shown in his revealed commands, therefore, they should also be perfect.
B. This revelation is from the Creator who knows what may benefit or harm His creatures. So it should be suitable, convenient and sufficient. Allah says; "Should not He who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to his slaves) all-Aware (of everything)" (67:14).
C. If Islam is from Allah , then it should be highly respected and dignified by believers regardless of one’s social status and earthly power because such positions and influence can not take them away from the submission to Almighty Allah.
This holds true to a president or a ruler who is not obliged to follow any philosopher’s or intellectual’s opinion but should rather submit to Almighty Allah regardless of one’s position as all other creatures submit to Him.
For instance, Muslims who used to drink wine before Islam gave up their habit when Islam had forbidden it. In contrast, the United States in CE 1930 spent a lot of money advertising the dangers of wine and even applied hard punishment along the line in order to put a stop to it but still all their efforts failed.
2. ISLAM IS COMPREHENSIVE
Islam unlike human principles and ordered set of ideas is a comprehensive system for all life affairs and human behavior as each aspect caters to its own field. So there are spaces in human life which are apart from his religion and belief.
But Muslims cannot do anything without a jurisprudential ruling either by obligation, prohibition, legalization, recommendation or abhorrence.
Therefore, everything in a Muslim’s life submits to and are gauged against these five jurisprudential rulings, such that whatever comes to one ‘s mind always has a jurisprudential verdict in Islam..
The comprehensiveness of this religious jurisprudential ruling is clear because:
A. Islam includes the Jurisprudential ruling of belief such as faith in Allah and faith in the last day of Judgement.
B. It includes the Jurisprudential ruling of morality such as honesty and forbidden lie.
C. It includes the jurisprudential ruling of man’s relationship with each other such as prayer and fasting.
D. It includes the regulations of man’s relationship with each other such as the jurisprudential ruling of the family including the manner of dealing with them.
The effect of this comprehensiveness is reflected in a Muslim’s life because he is always in touch with Allah in all his undertakings. He is connected with Allah in his worship, his relationship with others and his children, his eating, his companionship with his wife, his livelihood and many others of such respect , affirming that this religion concludes and evaluates all these things.
3. IT IS GENERAL
Another one of Islam’s excellent aspect is its generality or applicability to all human beings. It was not sent solely to a specific group or special race. Almighty Allah says: "And we have not sent you (O Muhammad2 ) except as a given glad tidings and Warner to all mankind (34:28). "Say (O Muhammad) O Mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the messenger of Allah" (7:158)
Its suitability at any given time and place is permanent and unchangeable. Unlike the previous divine laws that catered only to a specific period and to a specific group or race.
One might ask: "Why is it that divine laws were not continued in its revelation till the day of judgment?"
The answer is that the revelation of these divine laws is not a kind of futility but rather a wisdom in order to complete a previous divine law or to meet a specific need for a given specific group.
Almighty Allah has sent completely and perfectly the Islamic message when the human beings were already nurtured by the sequence and series of divine messages. Such Islamic message filled the gaps and completed the previous revelations as well as confirmed the virtues inherent of the previous divine messages. Almighty Allah has provided Islamic messages with continuous characteristics and fulfillment of human needs till the Day of judgment, demonstrating in effect one of Almighty Allah’s wisdom.
The Almighty Allah says: This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favors upon you, and chosen for you Islam as your religion. (5:3)
4. ISLAM SETS UP REWARDS AS WELL AS PUNISHMENT FOR OUR DEEDS.
The jurisprudential ruling of Islam are not just abstract advises or instructions that have no bearing for reward or punishment but on the contrary, it offers good reward for the obedient ones and punishment for the transgressors and violators of its law. Moreover, there are inherent degrees of reward and punishment in it. It is common knowledge that the punishment and rewards are meted out in the last day of Judgment but in some cases, the earthly penalty shares in the last day of judgment’s penalty by applying punishment to the people who violate the jurisprudential ruling of Islam in such cases as murder, theft and adultery.
This special feature of punishment and reward for deeds obliges Muslims to submit willfully, whether in secret or in the open to the jurisprudential ruling of Islam. Muslims obey this for fear of Almighty Allah’s punishment because even if one could escape from his sins in this life, the reality that everyone will be brought before Allah on the last day of judgment for a fair and descent trial will always hold true in the end .
Therefore, Muslims avoid the forbidden deeds not only because of respect to and shame from Allah, but also out of fear for Allah’s punishment on the last day of judgment.
Allah says: "On the day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil" (3:30).
So Muslims may escape from people that they have wronged but they will always be held accountable for it causing them to fear Allah’s punishment on the last day of judgment.
Reflective of this is the story of Ma-iz who committed adultery and then went to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) proclaiming he had committed adultery finally asking for purification.
5. IT IS IDEAL AND PRACTICAL
Islam hones and gears people for perfection, granting their needs, not ignoring them. This Islamic feature promotes mankind with due consciousness of his nature, reality, interest and desire.
In general, there is moderation more than exaggeration or excessiveness but it still gives and satisfies each one with his needs.
This is best exemplified when Islam orders Muslims to pay charity or Zakah ("poor due") but at the same time it cautions man against his human instinct of cherishing money to the point of getting enslaved to it.
Almighty Allah says: "And those who when they spend are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes)’ (25:67). "And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift)".
For instance, it is forbidden to follow one’s desire by eating prohibited thing or having illegal sexual intercourse. But on the other hand, it is also forbidden to torture oneself by barring this natural needs. So moderation must be there all the time.
Three people came to the Prophet (PBUH) asking him his daily program and worship and they thought his worship is not perfect after hearing him. One of them said, "I will never sleep at night (Spending solely his night worshipping Allah). The other one said: "I will never get married" (Spending solely his life worshipping Allah). The third one said: "I will never eat meat". (Spending solely his life worshipping Allah).
When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) heard them he denied their deeds and said: "But I fast, break my fast, sleep and wake up (part of night for worshipping) and marry women and the one refusing my Sunnah (recommended deeds) is not one of my followers.
Also, the jurisprudential ruling of Islam is practical. It has nothing impossible or hard to do because it is not abstract ideals but rather one that takes care of man’s desires, needs and the reality of his life. In this respect ,Islam nurtures, moulds , guides and polishes man without necessarily forgetting and renouncing his earthly whims and caprices.
Almighty Allah says: "And eat of the thing which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good, and fear Allah in whom you believe" (5:88).
"Eat and drink but waste not by extravagance" (7:31).
"Make not unlawful the Tayibat (all that is good as persons, etc) which Allah has made lawful to you and transgress not." (5:87).
We all know that Islam is the truth, but until and unless we realize all it’s merits, coupled of course with God’s guidance and enlightenment, we will never be sure if we will always live with or die for it, considering the proliferation of various other Religions around us.