| Why is it
that makes Muslims believe that Islam is a
tremendous bounty and a gift from God, when
the rest of the world views ALL religions
as a burden on mankind created by backward
cultures?
Islam is the faith that defines us, defines
who we are, defines our identity. In fact
anyone who truly understand's Islam will
be well aware of it's simplicity, elegance
and the power to lead man for what Muslims
believe is mans true purpose. Why is there
nothing like Islam on earth? Why is Islam
so revolutionary:
- It is Islam that has taught human beings
that the Lord their God is One and Only.
That He has no partners, no wife, and
no son, and that there can be no compromise
on the unity of God.
- It is Islam that has taught human beings
that they are all equal and that no Arab
is superior to non-Arab, nor a non-Arab
is superior to an Arab and that the best
of all of us is the one who is most righteous.
- It is Islam that has taught human beings
that they are all brothers and sisters
created from a single pair of a male and
a female. Therefore, Islam , unlike Hinduism,
neither recognizes nor condones the idea
of a caste system. Islam is a war on caste
systems, on aristocracies, and hereditary
social groups of all kinds.
- It is Islam that has taught humanity
the value of the intellect, the importance
of reflection, and the role of the mind
in attaining faith. Christians teach that
one can never become a believer except
when the Holy Spirit mysteriously occupies
one's heart. Islam teaches that faith
is the fruit of reason and it is through
continuous reflection on the wonders of
creation that faith can be obtained, maintained,
and nurtured.
- It is Islam that has has taught humanity
that people of all races, all colors,
all ethnicities are perfectly capable
of attaining faith in the One and Only
God. Hindus believe that Hinduism is just
for those privileged to be born in the
faith and therefore they do not invite
the "less privileged" to embrace
their faith. Jews believe that they are
the chosen race and even when they accept
others to embrace Judaism, those converts
are always lower in rank than those born
as Jews. Islam rejects all that and calls
upon all people of all backgrounds to
submit themselves to their Creator. Once
they do, they automatically become members
of the community of Islam with the same
rights and duties as any other Muslim.
Islam is not, and can never be, the monopoly
of one race or a certain linguistic group.
- It is Islam that has taught humanity
that God is absolutely Just and Merciful
and that He will never punish one person
for the sins of others. Christianity teaches
that Adam and Eve had bequeathed their
sin to all their descendants and thus
all humans are born in this "Original
Sin" and therefore Jesus Christ had
to be sacrificed on the cross to redeem
humanity of its 'original sin.' Islam
says, NO. Humans are not born in sin.
No person will be held accountable for
another's mistakes. Every soul will pay
for its own deeds, only. Divine justice
is absolute.
- It is Islam that has taught humanity
that righteous deeds are necessary for
salvation. Faith is indispensable, but
not sufficient. Humans will be admitted
to Paradise by their faith and their righteous
acts. They have to go together, hand in
hand. Many Christian denominations teach
that faith in Jesus is enough for salvations.
If you accept Jesus sacrifice on the cross,
then you are saved regardless of what
you may do afterwards because Jesus has
already paid for all your sins. Islam
totally disagrees. No one can pay for
your sins. Faith, doing righteousness,
avoiding evil, and continuous repentance
are the only ways for salvation. Islam
does not accept , nor condone the corrupting
influence on the individual as well as
the society that can be caused by the
idea of a "guaranteed" salvation.
- It is Islam that has taught humanity
how to balance the needs of this life
and the next. Islam does not accept the
idea that renunciation of this world is
the best means to get salvation in the
next. Catholicism and Buddism teach that
by living a reclusive life, one can attain
higher spirituality. Buddism even taught
the recluse must make his living by begging.
Islam rejects the whole notion of the
alleged goodness of renouncing the world.
Islam teaches that best means for advancement
in the next life is by getting involved
in the affairs of this world by commanding
good and forbidding evil; by helping one
another in righteousness and piety; by
doing Jihad, by struggling against all
forms of evil, injustice, tyranny, intolerance...Islam
does not teach rejection of the world,
it teaches involvement, struggle, and
change.
- It is Islam that has taught humanity
that kindness to parents, to kin, to neighbors,
and to fellow humans is an essential part
of faith and righteousness. Christianity
claims that Jesus has taught that one
cannot come closer to God unless one hates
one's father, mother, wife, children,...(Luke
14:26) Islam teaches the opposite. One
cannot come closer to God unless one acts
so kindly towards one's mother, father,
family, neighbors, etc.
- It is Islam that has taught humanity
that God is very close to them and that
He is with them wherever they are and
that He hears their prayers and respond
to them. Islam teaches that God is so
close that He needs no intermediaries
to mediate between Him and His servants.
Islam does not accept the concept of priesthood
and clergy acting as mediators between
God and humans. Islam teaches that one
does not have to confess one's sins to
a priest in order to get forgiveness.
One can simply confess one's sins to God
without any human intervention, seek forgiveness,
and God will grant it. Many Jews today
still believe that prayers cannot reach
God and get a response from Him unless
the prayer is made at the Wailing Wall
in Juresalem. Some even fax their prayers
or send it via the Internet to Jerusalem
so that someone there would take it and
put it on the Wailing Wall to reach God.
Islam teaches that wherever one maybe,
one can pray to God, confess to God, seek
God's help and forgiveness, and God will
certainly respond. No human intervention
is needed, no special place or time is
necessary. God is always very close.
- It is Islam that has taught humans to
accept and respect their human nature.
Islam recognizes the strengths, the weaknesses,
and the needs of humans. Islam never requires
humans to behave as angels or to ignore
their physical and emotional needs. Christianity
does not allow divorce. Islam recognizes
it as a human reality. Catholicism considers
celibacy an ideal. Islam does not. The
Anglican Church frowns upon second marriages.
Prince Charles in order to become King
of England has to behave as a practicing
Anglican. Therefore, he can commit adultery
openly with his famous mistress but he
cannot marry her or else he will lose
the throne for violating the rules of
the Church of England. Islam never engages
in such irrationality and moral contradictions.
There is nothing like Islam on earth. There
is no faith, no religion, no ideology, no
system of belief that can rival Islam in
its clarity and simplicity ; in its submission
to God, the One and Only; in its rationality
and intellectual depth; in its egalitarianism
and equality; in its spirituality; in its
code of ethics; in its unparalleled balance
between the needs of this life and the demands
of the hereafter. Islam has elevated the
human soul, body, and mind to heights that
have never been reached by any other faith
or tradition. Islam is the only religion
that has truly enabled human beings to fulfill
their humanity.
Islam is like a perfect piece of art at
which the human eye can keep looking and
scrutinizing for days, weeks, years on end
and still can find no flaws, no defects,
and no contradictions. All the human eye
can do is to keep wondering at the amazing
beauty and coherence of this faith of ours:
Islam. Leopold Wiess, the Austrian Jew who
embraced Islam in 1926 and became one of
the greatest Muslim intellects of the twentieth
century has expressed the same level of
astonishment at the overwhelming beauty
and coherence of Islam, "I was asked,
time and again: 'Why did you embrace Islam
? What was it that attracted you particularly
?' -- and I must confess: I don't know of
any satisfactory answer. It was not any
particular teaching that attracted me, but
the whole wonderful, inexplicably coherent
structure of moral teaching and practical
life programme. I could not say, even now,
which aspect of it appeals to me more than
any other. Islam appears to me like a perfect
work of architecture. All its parts are
harmoniously conceived to complement and
support each other: nothing is superfluous
and nothing lacking, with the result of
an absolute balance and solid composure.
Probably this feeling that everything in
the teachings and postulates of Islam is
'in its proper place,' has created the strongest
impression on me." In a nutshell, Islam
is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth.
It is important to note that Islam is not
just a set of ideals, it is a tremendous
force capable of transforming and regenerating
individuals as well societies and whole
nations. The influence of Islam upon the
first society that embraced it, the Arabian
peninsula, was nothing short of a revolution.
Islam has revolutionized Arabia in all aspects
of life: politically, economically, socially,
and above all morally:
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