Islam is the religion of all the Prophets of God starting with the
father of mankind, Adam and ending with Muhammad (peace be upon them).
In Arabic, Islam means “complete submission to the One God (Allah)”.
I don’t think anyone would argue that the Prophets taught any other
than submission to the will of the One God. Today this belief is
expressed by declaring and acting upon ash-shahadatayn (the two Testimonies):
1- “There is no deity except the One God” (Glory be to Him)
2- “Muhammad is the Messenger of God”.
When someone believes and declares these two testimonies then he/she
becomes a Muslim (follower of Islam). These two testimonies are the key
to eternal bliss in the holy presence of God Almighty.
The first Testimony (Ash-Shahadah), i.e., “I testify that
there is no deity except the One God” indicates that there is no divine
entity besides Almighty God and therefore nothing deserves to be
worshipped except Him. This testimony separates all things into two
categories: 1- Creator, God, Master 2- Creature, worshipper,
subservient.
There are two ways one may come to believe in God. The first is
relying on our spiritual instinct with which God created us, and that is
why most people have believed in a Supreme God throughout history. That
being said, no one can be %100 sure that their knowledge of God and
that their relationship with Him is correct without an authentic
revelation from Him.
Most people went astray throughout history by not searching for the
pure message of God in addition to blindly following others. We must not
gamble with our eternity by relying on our own minds in order to
understand God and our relationship with Him.
Therefore, the first Testimony requires complete ratification of the
unadulterated final message of God (the Qur’an) as the %100 pure words
of God. In today’s evolving world of science and technology the Qur’an
produces its own proof as to its authenticity.
The Qur’an is a book of guidance, but is also a miracle in itself.
One would already assume that God’s own words should be miraculous
simply because it is His words. So it is miraculous in many ways, one of
which is its being exactly preserved since the time of its revelation.
Islam is the religion of all the Prophets of God.
This preservation is incumbent upon our Just God Who has decreed that
He will not send any new Prophet or scripture until the Last Day. So,
after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the faith
of the believers can thrive without doubt.
The Second Testimony of Faith
The statement: ”I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God”
signifies one’s belief that Muhammad was the final Prophet/Messenger
commissioned by God to reveal His message to mankind.
It also includes the complete acceptance that everything he taught
was conveyed from the guidance of God and that he fully conveyed that
message to the best of his human ability as did all the Prophets before
him.
A ‘Prophet’ is a man who receives revelations from God and conveys it
to his nation. A ‘Messenger’ is a Prophet who comes with some new laws
or the abrogation of old laws. A Prophet who is not a Messenger but he
follows the laws of the Messenger who came before him. A Muslim must
believe in all the Prophets and Messengers. Every Messenger is a
Prophet, but not every Prophet is a Messenger.
Our Creator sent His message to Prophets and Messengers out of His
All-Encompassing Mercy in order to guide mankind to the straight path
and eternal salvation. So, it is without doubt that any Prophet would
have come saying that they are the way, the truth, and the life or that
there is no way to God except through them (by believing in their
prophethood and by following their example). I ask my Christian friends:
‘In the time of Abraham, was there any way to God other than by
following his teachings?’
Any objective student of the life and teachings of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) would come to realize that he is just as he
claimed, the final Messenger of God and seal of prophethood. There is
no other explanation for his extraordinary life filled with hundreds of
miracles and a sublime moral example marked by love, mercy, truth,
humility, kindness, patience, tolerance and justice.
The Prophet Muhammad is the most scrutinized person in recorded
history. This is because of the many verses of the Qur’an that teach the
believers that not only is he the ultimate practical example of how to
follow Islam, but his words and actions are separate revelation from the
Qur’an known as the Sunnah. For this reason our scholars were very
meticulous in recording and preserving his sayings and actions through
narrations of his Companions known as “Hadith”.
This science of Hadith verification is highly respected among
non-Muslim scientists as the top formula for historical verification
ever contrived by man. Here are the verses which led the Muslims to be
so concerned with preserving his life:
There has
certainly been an excellent example to be followed in the Messenger of
God for whoever wishes to be with their Lord (succeed) on the Day of
Judgment and for those who wish to remember God often. (Al-Ahzab 33:21)
…God has
sent down to you the book (the Qur’an), and the wisdom (the Prophet’s
Sunnah), and taught you that which you knew not. And ever great is the
grace of God unto you. (An-Nisaa’ 4:113)
..And We have also sent down unto you the dhikr (the Qur’an), that you may then explain clearly to them what is sent down to them and that they may be mindful of it. (An-Nahl 16:44)
…And whatsoever the Messenger gives you (commands you), take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)…. (Al-Hashr 59:7)
Obey God and obey the Messenger so that you may receive mercy (Paradise in the Hereafter). (Aal `Imran 3:132)
These two testimonies are the essential foundations as well as the
sources of Islamic Faith and Practice. The analogy of constructing a
building is useful in explaining the importance of the Testimony of
Faith.
There can be no building without a concrete foundation. Likewise,
there will be no benefit or fruitful results in the Hereafter without a
pure faith based upon an authentic revelation from God.
_________________________
The article is an excerpt from the author’s book “The Foundations of Islamic Faith”, Islam Presentation Committee (IPC), Kuwait (2008).
Islam is the religion of all the Prophets of God starting with the
father of mankind, Adam and ending with Muhammad (peace be upon them).
In Arabic, Islam means “complete submission to the One God (Allah)”.
Post a Comment