Sunday, July 1, 2007

Islam, the way of life ...

Islam is a religion, which guides its followers in every aspect of their lives. It is a way of life. Islam is the modern or latest version of the message sent by God through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, Islam was sent to mankind through Prophet Muhammad. Islam is "modern" in the sense that it has come to complement the teachings, which were introduced through Moses and Jesus.Islam is a religion, which seeks to give a meaningful purpose to our life on this earth.
It seeks to guide us in fulfilling that purpose by creating harmony between Creator, our fellow human beings and ourselves.Islam is a monotheistic religion. It teaches that there is only one God who is the origin and creator of the universe. This is the foundation stone of Islam, and is reflected in the famous sentence, which says that, "There is no god but Allah" (Allah is the Arabic name of God).The belief in God relates us to our origin and guides us throughout our life. The belief in one God shows that man should not worship any material thing or person in this universe. By teaching that there is only One God for all humans, Islam promotes the sense of brotherhood and equality in human society-all are equally related to God in the same way.
The Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, says: - Say: He is God, the One and Only, God the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him. Holy Qur'an (Chapter 112)Islam is a religion of peace. This is evident even from the name "Islam" itself. ("Islam" is an Arabic word.)
The word "Islam" and the Arabic word for peace, "salam" both come from the same root, "salima". Muslims are taught to greet each other by saying "salamun alaykum-peace be upon you." The daily prayers also end with the same sentence.In Islam, one of the names by which God is known is "Salam" which means peace.
However, one must realize that peace can never be achieved in vacuum. It is inter-twined with justice. One can have peace only on basis of justice. "Justice" means putting everything in its rightful place. If one starts putting things in the wrong places, then he disrupts the social harmony and disturbs peace.
Lailahaillallah... Muhammadunrasulullah...

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