The Islamic religion is the religion with which Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad, sealing thereby the religions, perfecting it for His servants, completing upon them His bounty and chose it for them as a faith. No other faith or religion other than it will ever be accepted.
Allah has said,
“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything” (al-Ahzaab 33:40).
Allah has also said,
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Surah al-Maaidah (5):3)
The Exalted has also said,
“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.” (Surah Aali-Imraan (3):19).
Again, Allah says,
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.” (Surah Aali-Imraan (3):85)
Allah has made it incumbent upon all of humankind that they that this as a religion and means of submission to Allah. In speaking to the Messenger of Allah (), Allah has said,
“Say [O Muhammad to the people:] O humankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah - to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped but He. It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write who believes in Allah and His Words, and follow him so that you may be guided.” (Surah al-Araaf (7):158)
In Sahih Muslim, it is recorded on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah () said,
“By the one in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one, be he Jew or Christian, of the people of this nation hears of me and yet dies without believing in what I have been sent with except that he will be from the companions of the Hell-fire.”
Belief in him means to affirm, with proper acceptance and compliance and not merely an affirmation [in the mind], everything that he has come with. For this reason, Abu Taalib was not a believer in the Messenger () although he affirmed everything he brought and even testified that the Prophet’s religion is the best of all religions.
The Islamic religion encompasses all of the goodness that was embodied in previous religions. However, it is distinguished by being suitable for all times, places and peoples. Allah says, while addressing His Messenger (),
“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and as a criterion over it (old Scriptures).” (Surah al-Maaidah (5):48)
The meaning that it is suitable for all times, places and peoples is that the one who adheres to it will never go against what is beneficial for the nation in any place or time. In fact, it is the thing that makes things right. It does not mean that it is meant to serve any place, time or people, as some people have tried to twist it to mean.
The Islamic religion is the religion of truth due to which, if one abides by it properly, Allah will give help and victory over all other religions. Allah has said,
“He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it victorious over all (other) religions even though the polytheists hate (it).” (Surah as-Saff (61):9)
Allah also says,
“Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to [the present rulers] in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e., Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear [provided] they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything [in worship] with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the evildoers.” (Surah an-Noor (24):55)
The Islamic religion is both a matter of creed as well as law. It is complete both in its beliefs and its laws.
It enjoins the oneness of Allah and prohibits associating partners with Allah.
It enjoins truthfulness and prohibits lying and falsehood.
It enjoins justice and prohibits injustice.
It enjoins fulfilling trusts and prohibits treachery.
It enjoins fulfilling promises and prohibits deception.
It enjoins being dutiful to one’s parents and forbids being disobedient to them.
It enjoins being good to one’s neighbors and prohibits harming them.
In general, one can say that Islam enjoins every noble and virtuous character, while prohibiting every evil, harmful trait. It enjoins every good, pious act and prohibits every evil deed. Indeed, Allah has said,
“Verily, Allah enjoins justice and goodness, and giving (help) to kith and kin; and forbids all evil deeds, bad conduct and wrongdoing. He admonishes you, that you may take heed.” (Surah an-Nahl (16):90)
The Pillars of Islam
Islam is established on five pillars, as mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by (Abdullah) Ibn Umar (), in which the Prophet () said:
Islam is built on five [pillars]: To single out Allah in worship (and in other narration: “The testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the slave of Allah and His Messenger”) and to establish the prayers, and to offer the Zakaah, and to fast Ramadan, and to perform the pilgrimage.
A person said (to the narrator),
“Pilgrimage or the fast of Ramadan?”
To this (the narrator) replied:
No (it is not the pilgrimage first) but the fast of Ramadan precedes the pilgrimage, this is how I have heard it from Allah’s Messenger. (al-Bukhari and Muslim reported this hadeeth, and this wording is Muslim’s)
The five pillars in this hadeeth indicate the following:
1. “The Shahaadah (testimony and witness) that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah” is belief with firm resolve, expressed by the tongue that this testimony is true. The person testifying makes a firm commitment that the testimony is true, as if he or she is an eyewitness to the event testified about.
Even though more than one thing is being testified about this testimony is considered only one pillar. This may be for one of two possible reasons. Either it is because the Messenger () is he who conveys the message of Allah (), and thus the testimony that he is the slave and Messenger of Allah is a necessary completion and, in reality, part of the testimony of LA ILAAHA ILL-ALLAH, or it is because these two testimonies are necessary for the soundness and acceptance of deeds. No deed is good or acceptable unless it fulfills two conditions: that the act be done purely for Allah, (Ikhlaas), and that it be done in accordance to the way shown to us by the Messenger (). By doing the act purely for Allah, the testimony of LA ILAAHA ILL-ALLAH is brought into reality and fulfilled, and by obeying the Messenger, the testimony 'Muhammad abdullaahi wa rasooluh' (Muhammad is the slave of Allah and His Messenger) is brought into reality and fulfilled.
There are many great benefits of the declaration of the testimony, one of which is the liberation of the heart, mind and soul of man from slavery and servitude to created things, and from following others besides the Messengers.
2. “To establish Salaah” (the obligatory prayers) means worshipping Allah in the complete and proper manner, with full compliance to its prescribed times and postures. There are many benefits of the prayer, including tranquility, inner peace, happiness, and contentment, and the fact that it prevents one from evil acts and atrocities.
3. “To offer the Zakaah” (obligatory charity) means worshipping Allah by giving the determined amount of obligatory alms from one’s wealth and possessions. The benefits of charity include purifying the heart from the ugly traits of greed and miserliness, besides the obvious benefit of providing for the needy Muslims and needs of the community at large.
4. “To perform the Sawm (fast) of Ramadan” means worshipping Allah by fasting during the days of the Islamic month of Ramadan from early dawn to after sunset by not eating or drinking (or engaging in legal sexual intercourse). The benefits of fasting include training oneself to hold back from prohibited and that which causes the displeasure of Allah the Most Almighty and Majestic.
5. “To perform the Hajj” (pilgrimage to Makkah) means worshipping Allah by traveling to Makkah to perform all the sacred rites of pilgrimage. The benefits of pilgrimage include training oneself to spend the utmost of one’s wealth and physical exertion for Allah’s pleasure. For this reason, Hajj is a type of “Jihad” (striving and exerting oneself) in the way of Allah.
The benefits that we have mentioned here, and many others not mentioned, are the means to purify the Muslim nation and community and establish it upon the religion of truth, worshiping Allah (the Creator) sincerely, and acting with justice towards all His creatures. If these basic foundations of Islamic Law are correct, then whatever other actions are built upon them will also be correct. The Islamic nation and community will only prosper and be successful by fulfilling its religious obligations. Falling short in fulfilling this obligation will proportionally deprive them of success and prosperity.
To see a clear evidence of this principle, read the following verse from the Book of Allah:
And if the people of the town had believed and had piety and fear of Allah, We would have opened for them the blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they rejected (the truth and the Messengers). So we took them for what they used to do. Do people of the towns feel secure against that coming of our Punishment by night, while they are asleep? Or do the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of our Punishment in the afternoon, while they play? Do they feel secure against the plan of Allah? None feels secure from the plan of Allah except the people who are lost and doomed. [Surah al-A’raaf (7):96-99]
Examine the histories of the peoples of the world and you will see lessons for those that take heed and are unbiased. We indeed seek Allah’s aid.