There
are many misunderstandings about religion in general, their
beliefs and
practices, but especially with regard to "islam". The first key
thing
to appreciate is the word "islam"
and what it represents. It is an
Arabic word and it existed before The Quran was written and was
used
to describe an attribute, an action, a state of being:
self-surrender
or to make peace. It comes from the verb "aslama" meaning 'to
give
over'. A "muslim" is simply
one who is in "islam" (i.e.
one who
surrenders or makes peace). It should be noted that this
word
had no religious connotation and was
not a title of something, even though it has come to be used as
a title
these days. According
to The Quran itself, everything in the universe,
willingly or unwillingly has ultimately surrendered to God, thus
the
basic concept of islam is as
old as the universe itself:
Do they seek other
than the system of God, when all things in the heavens and the
earth,
willingly or unwillingly have surrendered
/ given over to Him, and to Him they
will be returned. [Quran, 3:83]
This
is an important point to reflect upon, because many people do
not
realise that "islam" first and
foremost is a state of being, not a
title. For example, there is a difference between saying "the
pillow is
soft" and "the pillow is Soft". The latter could mean anything,
due to
the capitalised "S" in "Soft", and we would have to find out
what
"Soft" refers to before we understood the statement, whereas the
word
"soft" is self-explanatory, it is describing an attribute the
pillow
has. Similarly, there is a difference between saying "the person
is in
islam" and "the person is in
Islam". The latter refers to the title of
a group, whilst the former describes an attribute the person
has. This
attribute is present in everything around us, in the very fabric
of the
universe itself... it may even be present within you.
Now that we understand islam
as
an attribute, it becomes clear that an
attribute is not exclusive to any group. For example, no product
has
the monopoly on being soft, many items can be soft. This is where the
system described in The Quran differs significantly from
religions.
Many people do not realise that it
is an inclusive system which promotes beliefs and actions that
are not
exclusive to any
group, and repeatedly points this out. It is simply a
continuation and
completion of the same message that has been given since the
dawn of
mankind.
Surely
those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Nazarenes*, and the Sabians,
whoever
believes in God and the
Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from
their Lord,
and there is no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve. [Quran,
2:62] *commonly
translated as "Christians" but more likely refers to the
followers of
Jesus of Nazareth, hence Nazarenes.
Say:
"We
believe in God and what
has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and
Ishmael
and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and what was given to Moses
and
Jesus and
to the prophets from their
Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and
to Him do
we submit. [Quran, 3:84]
The
core theme throughout The
Quran is monotheism:
belief in
the oneness and uniqueness of
God, the source from which all of creation originates and the
source we
will all return to. This concept is closely related to a
recognition of
unity and oneness amongst all things with regard to purpose and
direction, and when we become in harmony with our true state of
being,
like how every component in the universe serves the whole, i.e.
God, we
can be said to be in the state of islam:
we self-surrender or make peace.
So, how do we acheive this?
The Quran contains the same
truth
that was revealed in previous scriptures (e.g. the same message
that
was given to Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others) and considers
itself as
the
final divine revelation to mankind. It urges people of other
monotheistic faiths to return to their original teachings,
and discard all the additions added by man-made laws, tradition,
culture, various sects and scholars
etc. Its
objective and its method of explanation is that of
educating the minds and changing human attitude towards life.
Its aim
is to strip away the inessentials, reveal our true form and
bring about
a revolution inside the man himself, for after all,
the external material civilization is the expression of the
internal
spiritual condition of man himself. Interestingly,
it refers to itself many times as a reminder,
implying it is teaching us universal truths already present
within us
and
around us.
We
will show them Our signs in the
horizons, and within themselves, until it becomes clear to
them that
this is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is witness
over all
things? [Quran, 41:53]
Quite simply, it is a book all
about us, discussing: our creation,
purpose, history, spirituality, psyche, life's big questions,
justice,
governance etc. It is a guide
on how to
realise our potential, individually and collectively, if one
chooses
to seek this path. It should be read like any other book: do not
read
to
contradict and refute, nor to believe and take it for granted
but
simply to weigh and consider.
We
have sent down to you a book in
which is your remembrance/mentioning. Will you not, then, use
reason?
[Quran, 21:10]
If you have read the many
misconceptions about islam discussed on this
site, then you will know there is a big difference between what
you
think islam is or what you think The Quran says and what islam
actually
is and what The Quran actually
says.
Luckily, The Quran has been
translated into many languages, and is
often available to read in your local library. Even though a
translation can never fully represent the original, it may be a
good
starting point. The following website contains links to many
translations, and other resources (e.g. search Quran by word,
browse by
topic, listen to mp3 audio) and you can even order a free copy
if you
wish: www.StudyQuran.org
Or alternatively, buy it from
most
book stores, e.g. here.
There are also many online articles and videos about islam,
muslims and
The Quran, but rather than relying on second-hand information,
it is
best to study it from the source, to the best of your ability.
This
would be the sincere and sensible approach.
We hope that you have found
this
website helpful, and we wish you the
best of success in your studies.
