The Religion of Islam
by Shariffa Carlo
Since our creation, humans have pondered the
existencial mysteries of life. The same questions have
plagued us throughout the centuries, "From where did I come?, Why am I here?, What is expected of
me?, Where do I go fom Here? and Is this all there is?" Some of us spend a lifetime pursuing the answers
to these questions, others of us seem to be content to accept the answers provided by our individual
cultures and religions, and some of us even consciously decide to ignore the basic instinct to find the answers.
Muslims have a strong traditon of seeking knowledge, and the most fundamental knowlege is
the knowlege which will lead us to an answer to these questions. We know that the only way to truely arrive at the truth is to objectively analyze all the available
evidences, to formulate a thesis, to research thoroughly - carefully weighing each piece of evidence for its reliability - and to
finally reach our conclusion. In this vein, the search to answer the existencial dilemmas that plague us, should recieve no less
scrutiny than the search for the perfect literary theory, the fastest computer chip, or the latest
scientific breakthrough. In actuality, it is more important and essential to us as humans than any research we can ever conduct.
Islam, like all religions, has answers to these questions, but unlike other religions, these answers satisfy not only the heart, and
spirit but the mind as well, and this is the key to providing the pure satisfaction that the truth has finally been reached.
From Where Did I Come:
As a result of analyzing the available evidences, the Muslim knows that there is a Creator; that we were created by an
Omnipotent, Loving God. After all, what rational being can see the glory and wonder of the world around him and conclude
that this was a providencial accident. Imagine a student came to his professor - showed her a chair and said, "This was created
by the wind blowing over a tree; after centuries of friction from various directions, this object emerged as the final product." The
professor would probably be amused, but never convinced. In the same way, the purely scientific theories fail to fully explain
how this world could have such perfection in the interaction of ecosystems, biological systems, physiological systems, geological
systems, and astrological systems. All these systems are interdependent. Yet, there exists no theory which does not leave an
unknown element -- primarily the originating force.
Who Is This Creator?
Knowing that there is a Creator is not enough. We need to know whom this Creator is. The best way to know this is to define
the necessary attributes of a creator. Since we recognise our abilities as humans are limited - we are incapable of initiating
creation from a vacuum - we know the Creator can not be a human. This essential bit of fact helps us to discount many
religious theories based on this premise. Then, we know that anything lesser than a human, like an animal which has lesser
intellect or nature which has no intellect, can not be creators. Afrter all, if man with his superior mind can not accomplish the
task, it would be impossible for any being with less. Also, we know that this creator would leave us evidences leading to
knowing Him. These evidences would prove to us on many levels - intellectually, scientifically, emotionally, and logically that
they are the truth. The Quraan, sent to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's Peace be upon him) provides this evidence. So
when the logical reasonable individual objectively analyzes it, he becomes the Muslim who thereby concludes that there is an
All-Knowing, All- Powerful Creator, Allah.
Why Am I Here?
Once the Muslim accepts that He was Created by the One True God, Allah, he tackles the next question, "Why am I here?".
What is the purpose for which I was created? The Quraan answers that our purpose in this life is to worship Allah. Allah has
created this place as a testing ground for us, to see if we are worthy of the ultimate prize, Paradise. But how does the sound
logical mind reach this conclusion? Easy. We look around at the circumstances of our lifes. Careful examination
shows that every event in our life has a direct or indirect correlation to other events. For instance, some event in our past prepared us to
handle a crisis from today. Our lives are set up like a test with interconnections that both strengthen us and prepare us for the
next level. It is obvious that we are being slowly smelted and purified so that we can cultivate the necessary strength to meet the
final challenges.
What is Expected of Me?
Once the Muslim has reached this understanding, it is necessary to know what is expected from him in terms of this worship.
To accomplish this, he refers to the sources sent by Allah; for no Merciful Creator would leave His creation without guidance.
This guidance comes in the shape of prophets sent throughout time to show mankind the path to
Paradise. These prophets, like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all) all came with the same
message: Worship God alone - do not attribute partners with Him." Also, they gave us practical commands to help us to
protect our existance on this earth. Mostly, the commands which were conveyed by our beloved prophets were and are
behaviour values which help us to live with peace and contentment in this life and to prepare us for the
next, matters such as avoiding harmful substances and behaviours and maximizing behaviour patterns which benefit us both as individuals and as
members of society in general.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Once we have fulfilled our term on this earth, what are we to expect. The Muslim, at this point reaches the understanding that
he has done all that he can to please his Creator, and he expects a reward for this action. The reward is Paradise. He knows
that this is true just as the researcher knows that even though he can not see beyond a certain point in the universe, more space
exists. The evidence is conclusively proven by circumstance. We know that there is a Creator, that this creator can not be but
Allah, that He has sent us prophets and has promised us Paradise as a reward for our well spent lives. We also know that just
as in this life, there is punishment for evil, in the next life there will also be punishment for disobedience. For we have already
seen that this life is merely a test, and like all tests, it is merely preparatory.
Is This All There Is?
Therefore, the conclusion is that this is not all there is, because it is inconceivable that this limited created world is our only
domain. Allah promises everlasting life, peace, serenity, love, contentment and pleasure to those who worship and obey Him.
He promises reward for positive action. Futher, He promises punishment for those who disobey and persist in their evil actions.
To prepare us to accept this premise, He creates for us a test which emphasizes these values. For instance, we know if an
individual works hard and studies, he will get a good job and live more comfortably than one who does not. This is the rule. In
general, it applies. At the very least, he will have the benefit of the knowledge itself. A positive action produces a positive
reward. We also know that if an individual commits an evil act, he will most likely be punished, if not by society, then by his
own self, because if guilt does not take its toll, his resulting evil character will lead to nothing but folly. Therefore, an evil action
produces an evil effect.
Conclusion:
There is no way to definitively prove the existance of Allah. One can not point to Him and say, "Look at Him. There He is." But
we can look to His works, His creation and know that there can not be a creation without a creator. We do not look to the
chair and say it created itself. We know that some being had to create it, nor should we look to the miracle of the human
respiratory system and say it created itself. To know who this creator is, we have to seek out the clues He provided us. We
have to define what we consider to be a God and trace him within this framework. As Muslims, we encourage and invite you to
study the Quraan, to analyze it and compare it to the other sources of existencial wisdom, and we challenge you to find the truth
in any other source. You won't.
For more of Shariffa Carlo´s writings go to Islamzine
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