The beauty of Islam

The beauty of Islam should be seen in its entirety and as a whole. If one examines its laws separately, its beauty won't be seen. On the contrary, it will mislead us and make us judge Islam wrongly.

To see the beauty of a face, it should be seen as a whole. If we remove the eye or the nose to admire it, we will never be able to admire it. The eye or the nose should be seen in its "set-up" to see its true beauty. Similarly, if we separate every element of Islam, we will not be able to admire it. We must see it as a whole. So, it is a great mistake to ask about certain issues in Islam without analysing it as a whole and in its entirety. For example, amputating a thief's hand or stoning a married person who has committed adultery may be regarded as a severe penalty. But on analysing it as a whole, we will find it absolutely right and correct.

Error of the preachers

Very often, preachers who are not convinced of the beauty of Islam make a big mistake in trying to hide certain issues of Islam. Sometimes, it leads them to refuse to accept the existence of certain things in Islam and sometimes they present trivial justifications.

Preachers must not complicate matters because it is something revealed by Allah Ta’ala. The revelation of Allah Ta’ala, the Supreme Creator, is 100% correct. ‘Ulama who learned Deen from Muttaqui and Deendaar Ustaadh (pious teachers) , do not have this problem. It is only the Islamologists who have not got the opportunity to learn Deen from Deendaar Ustaadhs, who face this problem of complexity with their counterparts Kaafirs. Because of this, very often, they hide the true image of Islam which could, perhaps under certain circumstances, be a means of Hidaayah (guidance) for others.

Muslims should be satisfied with the way of life which has been introduced by Islam and they should firmly believe that it is 100 percent correct and that success lies only in it. We will not be able to convince others as long as we, ourselves are not convinced. It is through our conviction that others will be convinced.

Compromise

People, who are not firm on their stand, tend to compromise with others with the false excuse of tolerance. The Mushrik and Kaafir had made a request to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) that each one accepts part of the religion of the next person. However, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) had categorically rejected this idea. Surah Al-Kaafirun exposes this attitude in a clear and explicit way. It is an attitude that every Muslim, who has Imaan in his heart, must adopt.

The Sahaabi, Abdullah Bin Salaam (Radiyallahu Anhu), who was previously a Jew, wanted to continue certain past practices. For example, he continued to show respect for the day of Sabah (Saturday) which was a great day for the Jews just like the day of Jumm'ah is a great day for Muslims. Moreover, there was no proof in the Shar’iah that prohibited showing respect for that day. Nonetheless, Allah Ta’ala was not pleased and revealed the verse 208 of Surah Al-Baqarah that says:

"O you who have Imaan! Enter into Islam completely and do not follow in the footsteps of the Shaitan for he is certainly your open enemy. "

This verse and Surah Al-Kaafirun close the door to all compromises that prevent a person from being a complete Muslim. Practicing a little of your Deen and a little of the Deen of the next person is a way of following Shaitaan. In the long run, this can lead to amalgamation of religions to only one religion in order to correspond to the famous slogan "Only one state, only one nation". It may appear nice but it is not Islamic. Moreover, to adopt such an attitude, is a way of demolishing what Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam), the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu Anhum), the Taabi'in, the Tabi' Taabi'in and the Ummah have built with great sacrifices.

Encouraging, but not sufficient

I know that you used to walk on the street with your body almost uncovered in the past. You are no longer doing this as you are wearing a scarf. This is very encouraging, especially if you had the courage and the willpower to do so in a non-Islamic country. At the same time, it is to be noted that although it is encouraging, it is not sufficient. May Allah Ta’ala give you the courage to persevere in your efforts in order to render it sufficient and satisfying!

A good Muslim

It is true that wearing a shirt and a trouser does not prevent you from being a Muslim but you should know that this prevents you from being a GOOD MUSULMAN! Similarly, committing adultery, stealing, lying, etc. do not prohibit a person from being a Muslim, but we all know that one cannot become a GOOD MUSULMAN due to these undesirable acts.

You desire to have a better home, a better car, a better job and a better partner. It is completely natural and legitimate, but why don't you desire to have better Imaan in order to become a better Muslim?

[English version of "Beauté de l’Islam" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.9]