Almighty Allah has created human beings and raised prophets from among them for the guidance (hidayat) of human beings according to the Holy Books (divine law) revealed to the prophets and thereby making all of them qualified for success and redemption (falah) in this world and the Hereafter. The prophets will also have to account for their thought and action before Allah as other people on the Day of Judgement.
A prophet is called nabi in Arabic. The word nabi is derived from the root naba meaning oracle or message. A man who receives oracle or message (wahi) from Allah and delivers it faithfully to the people intended is called nabi or rasool. The oracle or message received by the prophets from Allah is the “Will of Allah” or divine law (Holy Books) meant for the guidance and management of individual and social life alike. The difference between the prophet and other men is that the former receives oracle or message (wahi) from Allah while the latter does not receive the same. It needs mention here that a man cannot acquire prophethood because of his nobility, riches and even piety. Allah bestows it upon a man whom He chooses.
The Glorious Qur’ān declares Islam as the religion (Dīn) chosen by Allah for humankind: “The religion with Allah is only Islam; and if anybody seeks a religion other than Islam, Allah will not accept it from him; and he will be loser in the Hereafter.”(3:19, 85) Again Allah says: “I have perfected your religion for you (mankind) and chosen for you as religion al-Islam.”(5:3) Based on the above Qur’ānic verses, a Muslim cannot recognise a religion save Islam. Recognising a religion other than Islam means denying the above Qur’ānic verses and it leads him to kufr (unbelief).
What does Islam mean? Islam is not an ism or ideology of any person nor does it mean the result of any research contributed by a saint or savant. It is purely and absolutely the “Will of Allah”(divine law) revealed by Allah to His prophets from time to time so as to guide and lead the humanity for their success and redemption in both worlds. Hence Islam as a religion means the establishment of total and unqualified submission to the Will of Allah or divine law (Holy Book) as revealed to His prophets and its adherents are uprightly called Muslims (those who submit to Allah). In fact, nothing can be true, pure and best religion in the world other than the submission to the Will of the Creator (Allah); and Islam is the only religion that teaches mankind how to establish submission to the Will of the Creator and how to worship and serve Him alone. Needless to mention here that Islam is called “Dīn” in the Holy Qur’ān, meaning a complete system of life prescribed by Allah for mankind. As such Islam deals not only with some rituals like Salat, Siyam, Haj, Zakat, Zikr, etc. but also with the social aspects like politics, economics, philosophy, culture, science, etc.
All prophets right from first man and first prophet Adam to the last and final prophet Muhammad (peace be to all of them) were sent by Allah with Holy Books in every age so as to teach their respective peoples how to worship and serve only Allah as per the Holy Books revealed to them. And it is called “Ibadat” or submission to the Will of Allah in Islam. Allah declares the objective of creation of humankind in the Holy Qur’ān: “I have created the Jin and the Man so that they establish Ibadat to Me.”(51:56)
Every prophet established this Ibadat and also enjoined his people to do it as stated in the Holy Qur’ān: “Verily I (Allah) have raised in every nation a prophet proclaiming: “Serve Allah and shun false gods.”(16:36, 21:25) Behold, the prophets came to them from before them and behind them proclaiming : “Serve none but Allah.”(41:14) When death appeared before Jacob, he said to his sons: “What will ye worship after me?” They said: “We shall worship thy God and the God of the fathers Abraham and Ismail and Isaac, the one true God.”(3:133) Prophet Hud sent to A’d, Prophet Saleh sent to Thamud and Prophet Shueyeb sent to Median invited their peoples proclaiming: “There is no God to be worshipped but Allah.”(11:50, 61, 84) No prophet ever told people to worship and serve himself or any object except Allah. The Holy Qur’ān says: “It is not possible that a man, to whom is given the Book and Wisdom and the Prophethood should say to people: ‘Worship me rather than Allah’.” (3:79) In fact, it is not the nature of Allah’s prophet that he would preach against Allah.
Islam teaches that the Holy Books revealed prior to the Holy Qur’ān were distorted and transmuted by the enemy of religion resulting in the entry of worship of some objects and entities (polytheism) other than only Allah. There is not a single earliest Holy Book in its original text and original language as we find the Holy Qur’ān in its original text and original language (Arabic). The earliest Holy Books are now found in the revised and translated versions. Revision and translation are the handiwork of man; not the word of God. Due to the loss of originality and purity of those Holy Books, Allah rescinded them and in its place revealed the Holy Qur’ān as the final guidance for the humanity till the Day of Judgement.
The Holy Qur’ān states: “Woe be unto those who write the Book with their hands and then say: ‘This is from Allah’.”(2:79). Lo! There is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues and say: “This is from Allah” whereas this is not from Allah; they speak a lie concerning Allah.” (3:78, 5:66) Is it possible that the earliest prophets did not leave the real and authentic Holy Books in its original language, in which they were revealed? If not so, what happened of them? Who lost them? Due to the attack on the earliest Holy Books, it is not known what the basic teachings in these original texts were. But Muslims firmly believe that if the earliest Holy Books had existed in its original language in lieu of translation as the Muslims read their Scripture (al- Qur’ān) in its original language (Arabic), the humanity would have also to-day found the basic teachings of those Holy Books supporting and conforming to the basic teachings of the Holy Qur’ān because of their revelation from the same divine source (Lauh-e-Mahfooz). The Holy Qur’ān states: “O Muhammad! Naught is said unto thee except what was said unto the prophets before thee. Lo! Thy Lord is the Owner of forgiveness and the Owner of dire punishment.”(41:43)
When a prophet came with the Holy Book to the people of his age, every person was obligated to declare his/her faith in Allah and the prophet; and it is called Iman. For example, a man namely Omar was born during the age of Prophet Adam, he had to declare his faith (Iman): “There is no God but Allah and Adam is His prophet.” It signifies that Omar believes in Allah and worships and serves Him according to the Holy Book (divine law) as revealed to Prophet Adam. And this faith makes him Muslim. Living in the age of Prophet Adam, if Omar did not believe in Allah and worship and serve Him according to the divine law revealed to Prophet Adam, he would have stood as kafir (unbeliever). Similarly, if Omar had lived during the age of Prophet Abraham or Prophet Moses or Prophet Jesus, he would have to declare his faith (Iman): “There is no God but Allah and Abraham or Moses or Jesus is His prophet.” It also signifies that Omar believes in Allah and worships and serves Him in accordance with the divine law as revealed to Prophet Abraham or Prophet Moses or Prophet Jesus. And this faith makes him a Muslim. Living in the age of any one of the prophets, if Omar did not believe in Allah and worship and serve Him as per the divine law revealed to the prophet of his age, he would have been considered kafir. In short, a man is obligated to believe in Allah and worship and serve Him (submission to Allah) as per the divine law revealed to the prophet of his age, and it makes him a Muslim; otherwise he is considered kafir.
The Holy Qur’ān says that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) is the last and final prophet in the long chain of prophets of Allah (33:40). Moreover, Prophet Muhammad, on the occasion of his last Sermon, said: “O people! No prophet would be raised after me and no Ummah would be formed after you. I have left among you the Book of Allah (al-Qur’ān), which if you hold fast, you shall never go astray.” It proves that the humanity now lives in the age of Prophet Muhammad; hence every man is now essentially obligated to declare his faith (Iman): “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet.” It also signifies that he believes in Allah and worships and serves Him in accordance with the divine law (al-Qur’ān) as revealed to Prophet Muhammad. And this faith makes him a Muslim.
Thus Islam gives honour and recognition to all prophets right from the first man and first Prophet Adam to the last Prophet Muhammad and their true adherents as Muslims. As such it is prohibited (haram) to make a distinction between one prophet and another in the matter of their faith. The Holy Qur’ān tells us to declare: “We make no distinction between prophet and prophet.”(2:285) To those who believe in Allah and His prophets and make no distinction between prophet and prophet, I (Allah) shall give their rewards.”(4:152)
It is seen that different isms and ideologies of some persons have greatly contributed to the creation of some religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, etc. Now a question arises: “Judaism (Juda +ism) means the religion of Judah; it does not mean the religion of God. What was Judah himself? What religion did he profess? Was there Judaism in the world before Judah? If not, Judaism is not an eternal and real religion? Similarly, we find same logic and reasoning with regard to Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism save and except Islam. Assuming Islam as a religion like these religions, a section of people especially in the West would say that Islam is also an ism of Prophet Muhammad; hence they use the term “Muhammadanism” to mean Islam. It is wrong appellation to Islam. Islam was not authored and founded by Prophet Muhammad but was revealed by Allah Himself. Prophet Muhammad professed and preached it as the earliest prophets did.
The Holy Qur’ān states: “Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright Muslim (3:67). Abraham and Ismail prayed: ‘O our Lord! Make us Muslim and also make our descendants Muslims’ (2:127-128) Prophet Joseph prayed: “O my Lord! Make me to die as Muslim and join me to the righteous.”(12:101) Prophet Solomon invited Bilqis, the Queen of Saba to become Muslim (27:30-31). In fact a religion, if it is a revealed one, cannot be named after its preacher or nation, for the real author and founder of the very religion is only Allah; not its preacher or nation. And this religion teaches mankind how to establish submission to the “Will of Allah” called Islam in Arabic.
The basic goal of Islam is to ensure “peace” for its adherents in this world and the Hereafter. It is another meaning of Islam. To achieve the very goal, one must have a firm belief in Allah (Iman) and do action (Aml) based on the divine law revealed to the prophet of his/her age. Mere belief without action cannot bring about peace. So belief without action is the belief in devil. In fact a man can achieve true peace only through : (a) A firm belief in the oneness of Allah, (b) Total submission to His will or law, and (c) Remembrance of Allah (Zikr).
Now we realise that all prophets believed in Allah and worshipped and served Him and accordingly invited people to believe in and worship and serve the same Allah Who is the Creator, the Sustainer and the Destroyer; and Who is the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth and all that is between them. So we should reasonably have no difficulty in accepting Islam as the system of life.
[Muhammad Abdus Samad, an Associate Professor, teaches Financial Management in the Commerce Stream at P B College, Gauripur, Assam]