Beauty of Islam

Glimpse at the
Beauty o/Islam

Darussalam Research Divisi on
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the All-Mighty says:
day 1 perfected religion and
and chosen
as yourreligion." (5:3)
This was the last Verse to
. Making the ofthe the
ofIslam. Islam is is not
thereafter susceptible to ad(iition Being
and the Islamic Law, which was 00(1
Who knows what is best us
is acijustabIe to the changing
of and of Is1am is
in the fact that has it reign
and other Ood's
the is in the fact that g1"antecl them true
guidance, in this worlci tl1e
has also cho sen them as tl1eirreligion
because it is the this reason wi11 not accept
other [eligion Islam.
"And see ks rel igion it shall
acccpted in the li[e to
sha l1 the (3:58)
Islam gives its followers happiness in this world etemal
bliss il1 the life to Islam simply total submission
to the Will of Therefore,
it is the same in essence,
whether givel1 to Noah,
Moses, Jesus to
Muhammad. For the message
it calls to is the same, the
source is the

I1(1S
religion
whicll
Noall, tl1<1t Wllicll We
revealed to Wllicll Wc
Moses SllOlIld
]cligion dividcd
(42: 13)
After the ofthe older Scriptures, the Qur'
with twofold purpose: first to the true and original
message, namely that of Islalll, second to stand as
witness to it truth and rejecting tl1e
falsehood which time into the older Scriptures.
Muslims required to believe in these Scriptures and to
make distinction between of them the
who brought them because they the
God:
to tlle Jews ' We
believe Allall Wlliclll1US to
4
tl13t \Vl1iCI1113S scnt dowl1 to
lsaac, Jacob and to Al-Asblit, {l I Wl1icl1
givcn to Moscs and tl1at Wl1icl1 I13S
given to tl1e tl1eir Lord. Wc
oftl1CI11, to
i 111 W 11 v
S 111 i t t d .[ i
Islal11]." (2: 136]
SOl11e these
still
as result of the and
that have crept into Qur'an is the only
Divine which has stood the test of time without
change it is the Truth God [Allah], and the
Truth never fades diminishes:
Wl1icll Wc 11avc rcvcalcd to YOLI II113 111 111ad
of tl1C Book [i.c., is tl1e
Wl1icl1 was [revcalcd] it."
(35:31)
The truth in the Qur 'an will
Allah has taken the
responsibility ofpreserving it:
"Verily We (i.c.,
We will it
( 15:9)
"Vcrily, it is wcll-Iortific(l book of
powcr it is AIIal1'S and
their
AI-Asbiit refers to the offspring of the twelve sons of Jacob.
protected it from No falsehood
it from before after it: it is set
Wise, Wortl1yof praise." (41 :4 1-2)
revealed before of
as Old Testament tlle Gospel,
were tl1e demise of tl1e Prophets to
they were revealed. The the con trary, was
completely in tlle of the such
as pieces of palm trees,
Besides, of of Prophet 's
committed it to memory while it was being revealed. The
is still memorized read its
Arabic, taught to millions people world
fact , with Muslims, tl1e
who have committed the to
memory increased is book,
religious otl1erwise, whicll has given this
unparalleled history.
The witll which tl1e unadulterated of
Islam have authentically recorded and preserved
tl1rougllOut the ages is clear evidence oftl1e of
tl1e message of Islam and the finality of the Prophethood of
the The is now availabIe
its withollt of The
preservation of' tl1e signifies the of
Is1am. is why says in the
"Verily tlle only acceptabIe religion to is Is1am."
(3: 19)
Glimpse the of Islam
Oneness of the Lord
Tslam calls to the beliefthat the Creator ofthe is
Unique without partners. His is so sublime
that it is beyond limited is
abstract of All the creatures to His
to Him. The of
that 01' the facts 01'
existence of the universc proclaim His is the
without end, Absolute, Who is not
li111ited place is the Creator,
the the 01' the whole
tlle rigl1t to except Him. has the Most
Beautiful Names tlle His
to and future,
His and is the
AII-Mighty, the All-Wise:
"Say: is , tl1e
Absolute; begets 110t, is tllere
is equal to " '(112: 1-4)
is like Hi111, is
tlle 42: 11)
is tlle is Him], the Last
is Most igl1 is
Him] tlle Most NeaI" is Him].
Glil11psc Ihl: 01' Islam
fllll ofall (57:3)
is bcsicics WllOm 11as to
01' tl1c
is Most Most
is Alla11 besidcs WllOm ,"igl1t
tl1c Holy, tl1C all
elctccts, Givel' of Watcl1cJ' His
tl1c AII-M igl1ty, tl1c tl1c
A1Jal1! [Higl1 is
associatc as witl1 Him. is Allfih, tl1c
tl1c al1 thil1gs tl1e of
im tl1c Best Namcs. 1S
thc Him. is AII
igl1ty, thc AII-Wisc." (59:23-4)
falscly witllOlIt krlO\vlcdgc
to Him. Glol'ificd! is]
to is tl1C
01'
11as all tl1il1gs,
01' SllCl1 is AIJal1,
11as tl1C tl1c
ofall So Him
powcI" disposc all No
gl'asp im, is is all 1S
Most SlIbtlc, (6: 100-3)
Tauhfd of thc
teachil1gs of Is1am. It significs that there is Supremc
Lord ofthc univcrsc. is thc Omnipotcnt and Sustaincr
Glill1psc 31 tllC
of the world and mankind. Unity pervades the whole
universe. of i h 's creatures testify to His Oneness. This
seen in their utter submission to His Will. The
perpetual succession of day and night in the most orderly
manner; the course ofthe sun, the and the mighty stars ;
the ceaseless altemation ofthe four seasons; the functiol1ing
of the whole universe inc1uding its most subtle elements in
the most precise and systematic manner. [ fact the great
marvels and the impressive wOl1ders of the universe are like
books which tell us about the Wisdom, Power,
Greatness and Divine skill ofthis Great Artist Who is i h .
., .~
, ,,
Glil11psc ! tl1C Islal11
How observe the ine xhaustible cr eati vity
its purposefulness, its preservation of'the useful and
de struction of' the socially injurious, and yet to draw the
conclusion that beblnd nature there is all-pervading
mind whose ceaseless creative acti vity the processes of
nature - is but outward The stars scattered
through space, the vast of nature with its
and beauty, tlle regul aI and waning of the
the of the seasons the days
ni ghts, the supply of'water, the delicate f10wer s
feet - towards fa ct:
there is God, the Creator, the Govern or. We witness
superbly f1awl ess in the univer se; it without
We see beauty and its
the y without We observe
beautiful in nature; it without
Desi gner? We lofty purpose in physical
it without Will it? We find
that the is like
it without Truly, God sa id:
worship Lord, WllO created and
those so that Iighteous.
WllO made tlle earth resting place for and the
sky and sent down rain from the
Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
brougl1t forth tl1erewitl1 fruits
do not set rivals wl1ile you
(2:21-3)'
AIl:lh has the total might , the will complete
has beil1gs with all
the the witllil1 themselves so
that it to that is the true God,
they should Him theiI" duty
Hirn the best possible
His and
the lI S of tllC
to utilize of so that wc
His Wisdom.
to thc of which
establislled tlle
created of nothil1g, were they

This beyond shadow of dOllbt
baseless claims that is created out that hc is
his own
people without at all
principle that the wor1d 11as Maker.
who lived the heart of the desert was asked:
is of the existence of
ied, the the
Islam: Basic Principl es and Characteristics, IsJamic
Leicest er, 1974. (With some editing.)
Glimpse at the Beauty
/ ,."/&. . .
made the feet. What about the sky
and its mighty constellations, the
mountains and their passes and the
oceans and their great waves, do these
not testify to the existence of the
Omnipotent, Wise God?"
At other times invites us to
contemplate about the wonders of the
heavensandtheearth:
"Were IlOtJ1ing
they seJ ves the
01' did tl1e
g Nay, tl1ey have belief." (52:35-6)
.D

ti is tJ1e

signs WllO believc

9
(/)
These Verses suggest that it is the ofthe
wonderfully the heavens and the earth
(/)
that we the greatness and wisdom of the

Creator. If, \ve Jet the faclllties of
understanding and faith die, signs in His
in the spoken which His strove
to wil1 reach us speech
reaches deaf
At other times the faclllty of the and
insig11t the amazing creation of the and the
objects they contain:
"B1essed is W110
skies, placcd tlle and
lig11t." (25:61)
"lt is WllO t11C lig11t
it stagcs, t11<1t
mig111 thc t11e
(10:5)
tl1c made tl1e nigll1
SLII1 1110011 (6:96)
at tlle sky I10W Wc
it and it, 110 tlaws
it?" (50 :6)
11<1ve not looked tlle of tllC
tlle I1<1S
(7: 185)
"[It is W110 seven
No sce ill tlle of
Most again:
,"i[ts? Agail1 visiol1 sig1lt
wi11 fLlsed fatigHcd." (67 :3
4)
Thc 1ast makcs it obvioHS tl1at ' s as
in the visible is f1awless how
wc obscrvc it. We wil1 find f1aw in Allah 's
handiwork. It is powers that wc shall find fai1 to go
beyond certain limit. This Verse, as wel1 as others, a1so
invites to study and observe the wor1d as
as powers wil1 al1ow.
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
At certain times calIs att ention to ponder t11e
and the various it contains:
the ea rth di ver 5e tracts,
another, gardens of and fields wit11
and trees, growing out of
watered with the same water, yet
some of them We make exce11ent than to
eat. Therein , veri1y, who
( 13:4)
We see of and t11e same kinds whieh
fed the samc kind of water, yct t11e fruit thcy yi e1d is
totalIy another in tas te, and sme ll!
" In t11i s, veri1y, ther e is (26 :67)
some contexts invites us to refl eet water whic11
sends down thc sky, and which i[it was Hi s Will ,
could have make it bitter and undrinkabJe!
"And We send down watcr t11e sky aeeording to
[due] We it to soak in soi1;
Wc certai nly to drain it off [wi tl1 ease]."
(23: 18)
Sometimes out His peerless
dispusa! of the aff'ctirs of who!e
thc unit y of de si gn and in this
of ours, multiplicity of gods is

not 5011, is
at the Beauty of
other god along witl1 Him; in tl1<lt casc god
would have taken away what he has created, and some
WOllld
Glorifiee\ Allall all tl1<lt Wl1icll to
Him!" (23:91)
eloql1ently states:
"Tf had in tllem [i.c., thc and thc
carthJ besie\cs Allah, thcn wOl1 ld
gOl1e to Allall, the Lord of
tllC wl13t to im!" (2\ :22)
Allah 's signs everywhere. The is replete witll
descriptive Verses llS to rcJlect tllese
witll tlle object of tlle
fact ofHis existence . says:
is signs is tllis tl1<lt
and
wie\eJ! is sigl1s is this tl13t
mates tl13t dwell
witll
bctwccl1
[01' among His is
oftlle

',.,,]10 kllow. is is
slcep 111<1t takc day, qllcst
tl1<lt make His
[01'
Glimpse at the Beauty of lslam
a1110l1g is sigl1s, SllOWS tl1e way
botl1 OfllOPC, t[0111
the sky \vitl1 it gives it is dead:
that sigl1s 1'01' WllO wise.
is is tl1is tl1at
His calls
the bellOld,
[OrtI1. Hi111 belol1gs is 111
and tl1e devolltly
(30:20-6)
created tl1e witllOlIt pillars tl1at
see; set
lest it SllOlIld shake witll scattered
it beasts all We do\'m [1'0111 tlle sky
tlle ot'
pairs. Sllcl1 is the of Now SllOW
is besides i111 created.
Nay,
(31: 10-1)
"It is WllO seed and tl1e date
to split and tl1e to isslle
dead. is to cause the dead to
issue tl1e living. is how
deluded away tlle it is tl1<1t cleaves tl1e
daybreak tlle dark]. for
and tlle and tlle tl1e
is tl1ejlldgmel1t
01' the Exalted Powel', It is
16
stars [as tllat
gllide yourselves, witll their help, throllgll tile
dark spaces lal1d sea.We detail sigl1s
people It is produced you
sil1g1e is place
We dctail people
11 is [ro111 tlle
skies: witll it We kil1ds:
We [crops], of wilicll We
out oftile datc
its slleatlls [of spates] of dates
low of
grapcs olivcs,
kil1d] yet [il1 variety]: whel1 begil1 to bear
tJ:uit, feast eyes witll tlle
111 tllil1g sigl1s for
people believe." (6:95-99)
Qur'i:in not invites us to contemplate Al1i:ih's signs
but also to draw lessons history finding out about the
end of past nations who rejected Faitl1 followed their
whims and desires. It invites us to contemplate how the
kingdoms and empires that were f10urishing brought
about their own ruin as of their disobedience to the
Law of

1:::

"00 not travel tl1rougl1 tl1e carth, and see was
Z
the end of before them did evil]? ABi:i11
brought utter [fates
await] who (47: 10)
"Do they not travel tlHough the and see was
tl1c of to
they til1ed tl1e soil populated it
than thcsc done: to
theiI" witl1 signs [which
rejected to theiI" it was Al1i:il1
them, but tl1eir souls."
(30:9)
"00 they not tl1e so tl1eir
[and wisdom and tl1eirears
tlllls to it is the eyes tl1at
W]l iC]l tl1CiI" (22:46)
"Does it ]lOW
We WllOSC
walk t]13t
WOllld (32:26)
of the is
tl1e is that ofMoses Pharaoh was
stubbol11 and oppressor who the
Israelites and refused to accept the truth that Moses
to him with other numerous clear signs. His
wealtll and splendor was of benefit to him Allah' s
'"
Decree to pass. The says ofhim when was
.9
<ii
z
in tlle Red Sea:
'"
'"
day sl1311 we save in body,
...::
sign to those WllO BlIt
'"
11ccdlcss 01'
'"
(1)
'"
(10:92)
....J

....
'"

It was Will that the Pharaoh's earthly
preserved to sign to The of the
body of the who knew Moses and resisted
his p\eas is still with us.
The stories that the not for
entertainment but for reflection. The Qur' says:
is, in tl1eir stories, for
wit]1 (12: ]11)
The instructs the Prophet to relate these stories for
the same purpose:
relat e the stories; reflect."
(7: 176)
The world is entity created God me aningful
purposes. has not created anything without purpose :
We created 110t the and all tl1at
between witl1011t (38:27)
Creation is for idle sport play, as the Qur':ln states in
Verses. All:lh has serious purpose behind it:
"1 l1ave created 110t except tl1at
Sl1011 ld WOI' Sll ip (51 :56)
This Vers e il1dicates that God [All:lh] created human
the j in order to worship Him. people nowadays
il1cluding some Muslims think that worship is limited 10
religious ri111al s onl y such as charity and fasting. This
rather di s10rted meaning of worship has place l slam.
Sil1ce the teachings ofIslam encompass aspects ofl ife,
human acts deemed acts of worship if they done for
A11:lh alone and in accordance with Hi s Divine Law and the
teachings of His Last Messenger. lslam appreciates noble
motives and honorabl e intentions behind all and
abundantly reward s them. The says:

V\'I1atI1C l1as (111(1 Muslim)
I Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
The two conditions mentioned like 'magic
wand', which tums daily lawful practices into great acts of
worship. 1f, for instance, takes meal with the intention
of being in good health to better fulfil one's obligations
towards one's fellow human beings and oneselfin the
prescribed will certainly receive
great reward for such good intention.
Decent work, which does not involve activities
like cheating and deceiving people, is act of worship;
eating and drinking with the intention to gain strength to
worship better is act of worship; having
intimate relations with one's wife is act of worship.
Prophet told his Companions:
\vi 11 "cwaI'lle(! wl1el1 111
[witll \vives] ."
Astonislled, asked, "How We gct

askcc! " If satisfy
la\vftl 11 \\'ill doil1g
"Likcwisc," said,
it la\vt'lIlly [\\Iitll wives] will
rc\varded it."
Worship is all-inclusive and things that
people mistakenly deem insignificant. The Prophet
says:
witl1 is
to loa(111i5 is
at thc Beauty of
ptlttillg watcr ill your
's is ty." /-Buk//{I"i)
01' goO(il1css il1siglliflcal1t.
it is rcceivil1g \\lit11
(A/-Buk//{I,-i)
ofgoodncss is il1 fact
Buk//(in)
the Is1am is a11-inclusive
so as the two conditions met. This
thought imbues Muslim's heart with great joy when he
.realizes that his acts of worship. This
tllOught is to help Muslim to out all
order to 's Pleasure, whether he
is alone with his he knows that he is
watched at times the Who is the Watcher.
Neither sleep overtakes Him.
Islam is sirnple religion with very clear and sirnple
set ofbeliefs and practices. It is also easy religion. The
Qur'an says:
has laid
(22:78)
Pl"Opllet :i says:
1"Cligioll r is WllOCVCI"
11imsclf 11is \villllot ablc 10
ill 111at 50 SllOllld 110t
try 10 10 ...
'A.ishah lp-1
1
Y"'J the Prophet's wife said:
"WIH:l1cvel" 115.11 's was (1 i tllC

to two tllillgs, wOLlld
al\vays alld tlle

Islam assures its followers that Allah will frorn thern
just such duty as they have the ability to ffe The Qur'an
says:
cloes place greater it

at tl1e Beauty
24
Is!am allows the various circumstances
encounter in one's !ife, and thus better and easier
altematives its followers. c!arify
this point we will consider two
examp!es. Saldt in Is!am is
inva!id without the
performance of Wudhu J [ablution] .
Muslim is required to perform
some parts ofhis her body
with water. This requirement, however,
certain circumstances
substituted with the
wipil1g the hands with
dust, earth. The Qur 'an
says:
W]lO be!ieve! Wl1el1
to Salftt
wasll your faces l1ands
to e!bows;
passil1g wet l1al1ds
11cads [wash] fect
tllc ank!cs. lf in state of
[as of
dischargc] ,
whole body. But if i1l,
011
al1swering tllC
l1avC witll
Glimpse the Beauty of Islam
25
[i.e., you
water, take clean sand
rub tl1crewitl1 faccs does
wish to place you in difficulty, to you clean,
and to complete His favor to that
glatefll1." (5:6)
There is up if someone eats
drinks forgetfl111y mistakenly threat
says:
if is forced withollt willtu1
disobedience, trasgressil1g 1imits, is
glliltless." (2: 173)
Prophet says:
..\ torgetfully clril1k - \Vllilc faslil1g
hOllld completc Ili ' tOJ" it is Allfill \\'110 11as t'ed 11im
gi\'cI111im to (.i/-B//k//{inal1d \l//slim)
is 110 . \\'110
\'omitil1g \\'Ilile Castil1g ." (AI

..
tllat \\'Ilicll
to do agail1sl \\'ill:'
i i)
thc
26
Is!am is way ot' It extends the
entire spectrum of !ife showing how to conduct all human
activities in sound and \vho!esome It does not allow
hierarchy of priests intermecliaries between God and
human beings, far- fetched abstractions, and
comp!icated rites and ritua!s. Everybody readi!y
understand the Qur'an and fol!ow in the footsteps of the
Prophet to the best of his her ability, assured Allah
that wi!! accept each sou! just duty as it has the
abi!ity to
110 sou! cloes Allah place greater it
(2:286)
When we read the Qur'an the Prophetic traditions, we find
instructions in aspects of !ife, po!itica!, social, economic,
materia!, ethica!, nationa! and intemationa!. These
instructions provide us with detai!s needed to perform
certain act. The Prophetic traditions go as as showing us
the steps we need to follow how to use the toi!et:
supplications entering it and !eaving it, which 113nd to
use in order to ourselves, and so In word, Islam
governs 's life in al! its aspects. This is the reason
why it is not religion but way oflife.
lslam does not recognize kind of separation between
and life. It rejects the westel11 saying,
"Render Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is
God's"; for every thing should dedicated to God
and Muslim is required to submit 11imselfcompletely to tl1e
Will of in his affairs:
"Say:
dyil1g tl1e Lord of No
tl1is I 1 tlle
stlbl1lil 10 His Will." (6: 162)
Islam does not believe in wishful thinking. 1t clearly states
that righteous must followed belief in
says:
WllO believe deeds of
J"igl1tCOllSlless i will [t'ail]." (41:8)
bclieve is
issflll placc (13:29)
at the Beaut y of
28
is universa1 religion. The Messengers prior the
advcnt of the Prophet were sent to their
respective peoples, as the Qur 'an says:
"We did to tlleir
[respective] peoples, to witll clear
(30:47)
The Prophet Muhammad was 110t sent to particular tribe
or set ofpeop1e, but rather to as the
says:
"We as to all
glad
1110st of (34 :28)
1 all, as tlle
10 WllOl11 tlle
t11e (7: 158)
"Wc as tor all
(2 1:107)
These other Verses ofthe Qur'an point to the
1hat there is now question of or nation, of "chosen
people" the "seed of or that ofDavid; of Jew
Gentile, Arab or non-Arab, white or The expression
29
il1 the Verses point to the
universal and everlasting character ofthe
1t is worthwhile to note here that the before
with certain to lend support to
the with which Allah had These
were confined to their and the place where they were
sent . Moses had rod which, when he threw it, would
into snake. did this in the presence of the Pharaoh to
to and to his that he was truly sent
God. Thi s snake quickly swallowed the rope s
and rods th:,1.t seemed to about like snakes. also
it to strike dry path for his followers through the Red Sea
into the Sinai They crossed foot while
Pharaoh, who in with his troops, was
the sea. and his all perished wl1ile
Moses and his followers safely crossed the sea.
JeSllS Chri st, son of who had birth, was
also supported with certain which were restricted
to his would, Allah ' s leave, of clay the
of bird and breathe into it, then it bird
with f1esh and blood! would also the blind and the
lepers, raise the dead and infonn people ofwhat they ate
and stored in thei!' Al]ah 's leave!
The Prophet was also with
the greatest of all is the Noble
which is stillin its fonn and which will continue to
gllide peopleand their hearts and sOlllstill t11e
of The is Allah's Word and whoever
wishes true guidance should read and study the

Glil11pse the Beauty of
30
were with Wllich eould
theiI" plaees] , tlle eould
the dead eould made to speak [tllis would
thc ( 13: 3 ])
The has or ambiguous expressions. It
speaks elearly guides to the right path. It is elear
is to found:
Praisc to to His se rvant [i.e.,
the Book allowed
made it] straigl1t cl ear]
tl1at wam [the di sbe]ievers] ofa
Him, give gl ad
to who deeds,
goodly
( ! 8: 1-2)
It is guide to all, and to those who accept its
ofmercy and the way to salvation. Alliih'instructs us to
eamestly seek to it :
" 00 eamestly seek to
is locks tlleiI"
(47:24)
It is not meant e]ass or it is and is
10 the
tllis is less message 10 tlle worlds."
(81 :27)
The fact that it is still with us in its origina] is
ofthe universality ofIslam.
at the Beauty of Islam
31
Islam in and its
to eschew in It
takes deep in the as well as the
well-being of It its to
themselves the while at the same time lawft.l11y
enjoying their oflife as long as they do not
the limits set The says:
"Seek, \\,itll [tlle wealtll] wl1icll bestowecl
tlle tlle
tllis (28:77)
'Ali d",p, son of TaIib, the rightly-guided caliph ,
said:
life as though going to live
and work as though
going to die
the the believers
to go their business:
tlle is tinislled, il1
seek of Allall
(26: I
The Islamic is eqllitable reali stic
and the call s Muslims jt.lst nation:
Glimpse at the of Islam
32
Wc 01' jlls1 bcst)
jllstly (2: 143)
ideologies, Isla111 does stress
tl1e at tl1C expense of' vice versa.
Ratller. i1 brings both of into
C0111111ends moderation \vhi' e religious duties
going to the extremes in this respect.
course worsll ip is tJle best
altemati as well as the way of"
duties 10wards Creator. Isla111 PfOl1ibits us f1-0 111
\Nith dutie s bound to put lI S
ofT altogether, It us to
dllties to best 01' ability. The
says :
11 511 110t 10
tl1i di t (2: J85)
110 does Allfll1 place it

'Alxlllll<i11 11il1 .:3.1 \ sai<.l: "1 Ilsc(1 10 oITL'I'
11cllil1(1 tl1c .":.. <.ll1cll
11is \\as Icl1gtl1
\\as Jel1gtll ,"
Musl i m tl131 people to
of' tl1e 10 !lis way 01'
were thereof, they own
\\iOrsI1 ip and said, " We 110 way tl1e way
33
of 11is worship whi1e has his past
said, "1 will devotions
Another said, "1 will fast every sing1e day and 1
miss day without fasting." The third said, "1
will keep away from women and 1will never get
When the Prophet was inforrned ofwhat they had said, he
ca11ed said to 1 fear
than of and 1 the most duti 1ofall of to
But 1sometirnes fast sometimes 1 1perform Saldt
[prayer] for oftl1e night and sleep, and 1
So whoever away way [oflife] is of
Islam its followers to take middle
stingy extravagance, it in theiJ"
ordinary spending in They s110111c\ strike
perfect1y jl1st between two
' [111 says :
let 11311(1 tied [\ikc ] to
ncck , it 10 its [1i kc
lest
dcstitlltC." ( 17:29)
describes the devoted slaves of as
who:
"Whel1 they stil1gy
110lcl [way]
(25:67)
cal1s fts "brothers of Satan"
because oft11ei1" foolishness. The Satan his
tl1c of Is1all1
34
to so those who misuse ' s gifts

tllC tllciI" due ,"igl1ts to thc
to but not
wcaltll] in tllC Vcrily
of thc is
to 11i s ( 17:26-7)
tting excess waste is
" Waste cxcess, Allatl loves
(6:14 1)
wastc loves 110t tlle
(7:3 1)
The Prophet says:
fillcd ' vesscl'
tllciI" fcw wOl1ld sllfficiet
kccp bocly If
SllOlIld allow tllcir food,
tllciI"

tl1e Jews the because
ofthe excesses they had committecl
People of'tlle Book! Do excccd tlle limits set
,"cligiOll, say of Allal1
JeslIs tllC 01' was
01' 11:111 His Wllicll
Glimpsc at tJ1C of
35
bestowed so
be1ieve and His Say not
[Trinity]'! Cease! lt is is
God, to Exalted is
bclong t11at is
the is as Disposel" of
(4: 171)
Islam brought when the whole world was
engulfed in utter ignorance. The first Verse the Prophet of
lslamreceived was:
"Read! the Name has created
that exists]. clot piece of
thick coaglllated blood] . Read! And is the
Most tallgl1t the
tallght whicl1he knew not. " (96:1-5)
This the first spark to dispel the
of in which the had
It awakened in the faculty of thinking and
him to the true God. It is throllgh knowledge
that we better and him The
Prophet states in that does not like to
worshipped out of ignorance. The of
Muslims in of few nation
knowledgeable in religious as well as in worldly matters,
after having groped in the darkness of ignorance
centuries. reminds the Muslims of His immeasurable
bounties:
among people
His
tying teaching thc Book and
, ,
i) '
wisdol11. vcrily 11ad bcfore
(62:2)
is of two types: religious, whicl1 has to do witll
of thc religious duties is to
out , which has to do with the of
this is to both types 01'
knowledge. Religious knowledge is because without
it will not to tl1e duties in the
The says:
will tl1e 01' to wllOevcr
wal1ts good 11 /-Buk//(il'i M/ls/im)
the acquisition of
its g]'eat The i;rj, says:
"AllftI1 tl1C way to easy 11il11 W}lO
tllC (M/ls/im)
\VllO goes of will
AllftI1'S way lll1tilllC
\VI1O follows qllcst AII5Il
wi pall1 10 Paradisc casy 10I"
lowcI" tl1CiI" wil1gs bcillg
plcasccl witll docs . of
al1d tlle fisl1 i <.Ieplll
tl1e occans seek 10I" Ilim.
tl1e CIeVUllt is like
tl13t oftl1C oftl1e
01' Prophets
dil1aI"
\VllO it 11<IS fact
(-
at the
38
Beneficial knowledge is also must and
Muslims encouraged to acquire it in order to
benefit themselves and thcir fellowmen. When the
understood this fact, they excelled
nations and the
torch of knowledge
As TW.
Wallbank and Schrier put
it:
"In
and
physics,
were
particularly noteworthy.
Well-equipped hospitals,
usually associated with
mcdical schools, were
locatcd in the principal
greatest of physicians was the 9th century figure Al
Razi, known in the West as Rhazes. was the author
of scores of scientific works, including
encyclopaedia and
pioneering handbook smallpox and measles. 10th
century physkian, 11Uge
0.[Medicine which was considcrcd thc standard guidc
in circles until the 1ate 17th century...
advances were in a1gebra, analytica1
citics. At time when superstition still hampered the
practice of medicine in countries, Muslim
physicians were diagnosing diseases, prescribing
cures and advanced surgery...Probably the
the Bcauty
39
geometry
spherical
111 [ S 111 111 11 111 i 11 g 111 1 I S
10
01" worlclly
is
advocated.
acqllisitiOI1 is. as
tlle Islam makes il

womal1."
M/ija!l)
commands the Prophet
10 invoke Him to advance him kllowledge:
"Say: Lord! kl1owJcdge.'"
(20:] 14)
It is that Faith makes peopJe equal before but
there is Jeadership and degree, joined with greater or
Jesser responsibiJity, and that depends true knowledge and
insight, nameJy the knowJedge ofreligion:
will cxalt degrce belicvc
who have kI10wlcdge. " (58:]])
1 Living Wor/d Hist ory, Scott Forseman and 191-2.

Advantages Behind
ReligiollS Dllties
Fair-minded researchers and objective observers
acknow1edge the fact that Divine commands
beneficia1 to mankind and that Divine prohibitions
harmfu1 in way another. 100k at the of
Is1am wi11 to the disceming person the greatness and
nobi1ity ofthis re1igion. Is1am caHs to nobi1ity, truthfu1ness,
chastity, justice, fu1filling the covenant, safeguarding trusts,
disp1aying kindness to orphans and the maintaining
neighbor1iness, honoring the guest and enjoying the lawfu1
wOl"1d1y in It cal1s to righteouness and
piety, and forbids SiIl and word, it calls to
that brings about happiness and fOl"bids that is bound to
trigger and ruin.
Is1am provides better a1temative and thing it
has declal"ed fOl"bidden and unlawful. Divination
[for ascertaining 1ucky un1ucky moments whether
shou1d undertake certain actions not] superseded
another form of Salat namely Salatul
Jstikharah . In this sincerely prays 10 the
Omniscient and Wise, 10guide him to what is beneficia1 and
keep him away wha1 harmfu1. Usurious
1ransactions superseded 1awful, profitable
trade; alcoholic beverages superseded
deliciollS healthy drinks , which for both the
body the to but few examples.
1f we trace the 1slamic teachings, we will iind
that Allfth, Who knows wl1at is best us, has prohibited
llSsomething providing llSwitl1 better altemative of
the same We shall briefly consider below some ofthe
advantages and of Sal6t Zak6t
fasting, [pilgrimage] and Jih6d [fighting
strllgglil1g 's way] .
l ll1iqul'
Sal6t is act of which those
who observe it closer to t11eir 1t is
where ofthe bodyjoins tl1esoul
mind in tl1e and of Allfth. 1t
inculcates and total devotion in the of those
it. It makes A11fth in
exalting Him and They
begin it saying kbar",
that Allflh is tlle
Greatest , Who Alone is to exalted and
woIshipped. engage in
praising sLliting His
Majesty. devote
completely to Him and totally sllbmit to
His Will, seeking His to keep
the straigllt path, that of
the to them against
the of those who astray
Glimpse the [s[am
42
and have eamed His Wl"atl1. When they the climax
of Saldt, and deeply
with awe and tl1ey Him , placing
the most of the body the showing
and humility.
The of Sa!iit is matchless and its
Those who it in the
acknowledge the of and
singlllal" feeling of' awe and of Him that
helps thcm in shllnning sinful acts them
of dil"ect with five
day. 1tis wondel"then that the says:
Slllat Surely" Salcit restrains
indcccncy and manife t c\,il: and 01'
indeed is tl1c greate ' t (29:45)
It teaches to as it is at
stated times :
"Vcrily, Salcit is enjoined tl1c fixcd
(4: 103)
It is also sourcc courage
grcat aid times distre s di ' sa. s:
seek 11elp il1 and Sa!at:" (2:45)
When they it they dcvelop desire
to do l"ightcOllS dccds, 's rcwal"d in thc
When they perform it they
establish strong social rclationships with thcy
stl"engthen these ties witl1 as love,
tendemess,
Glimpse the Beauty 01' lslam
43
Zllkiit IObIigatory and Modc
Social Finallcing
Next to Saliit [prayer], Zakiit is the most important of the
re!igious duties enjoined the Mus!ims. It assumes
re!igious sanctity, which is mode of socia!
anywhere e!se. There is ready word
the this remarkable
It does of charity, as
think. The word is and
of As Hamudah Abdu!-' simp!y puts it:
is not just of charity a!msgiving tax tithe.
Nor is it simp!y of kindness; it is all of these
combined much It is not merely of
"2 V> certain percentage one 's property,
.
-5 '

and spiritua! lt is not simp!y

vo!untary to someone some cause, is it
govemment tax that shrewd person get away
with. Rather, it is duty enjoined and undertaken

< Muslims in the interest of society as whole... It combines
with all these [meanings] God-mindedness and spiritua! as
we!! as motives. That is why there equiva!ent
to tllC word Zakfit because of origina!ity of the
Qur'an, the Divine Book ofAllah." I
Zakfit has advantages and far-reaching effects in the
Muslim society. It is clear expression of affection
the and the needy, which he!ps satisfy their need s and
Abdalati, Islam American Trust Publi caton,

settle their debts. The literal meaning ofZakiit in

the benefactor 's heart selfishness
and thirst wealth but
his property as well;
AIUih will
certainly bless it and
it increase. It
also purifies the heart of
the recipient jealousy and hatred, and fosters in
his heart goodwill towards the contributor. It instills in the
believers generosity, and purifies their heart being sel[
eentered and greedy wealth. It is to social
cvils and sure being stingy. The Qur' says:
w110ever is saved 11is own
w110 will (59:9)
Whell Zakiit is paid in the prescribed it
corrupt systems like and capitalism as
unnecessary, letting progress prevail .
The object of Zakiit is to provide relief the distressed
of the welfare of the less [avored
the It also discourages the
of and commodities, and thus bri sk
ofboth, resulting in
The Qur'all expressly tl1at wealth should not
permitted to accumulate in few hands and that it ought to
kept constantly in circulation in order that:
Glimpse the Bcauty of Islam
45
is purification: It purifies not
" ...1t not fortunc used tllC
(59:7)
achieve this, it the lending ofmoney interest
of which few people to
the greatel" of thc wcalth of the
and provision for tlle distribl1tion of
It does pcrson to leave w110lc
tlleiI" to of to t}le
of at tllC of It sccks to
equitable in tlle distribution we altll
throHgh tlle Zak6t. 1t as fir st cllarge
tlle obligation of
thc welfare oftllc
of it for the
sections oftlle peoplc.
Slfllm IFastingl 11elps develop Stl'Ollg 31)(1

Fastillg Saum is and spiritual
attributc. 1ts bcauties and
bchind fasting is to attain ofTaqwa,
picty rigllteollsness, as t}lC says:
WllO bclieve! Fasting is prescri bed to as it
was prescribcd to bcfore
(2: 183)
Fasting hclps tllc faitMlll develop pcrsonality
lt instills ill tlle quality of will power
and fasts, certainly to
Ille
di scipline one's passionate desir es pl aces oneself in
opposition to physical
It also helps develop the virtue of displaying affection
towards the and tlle distressed; wh en obscrves
the pangs of actuall y
the distress of the lt also
of
character.
reward to l1alf tl1e [e\vard
they
\vhil e
thi s
th em to give
to Him His

als o develops the
qu alit y
gentle and
is
patience, and its tum is to halftl1e of
Faitl1 . The Prophet says:
is 1110l1tl1
Fastil1g is also shield agail1st disease s. lt pr ovides
with both spi ritual fitness. lt
the body is to knOWl1 diseases. lt l1elps
one 's digesti ve system and the body tu ge t u[
which to health.
Besid es it is al so act of worship that
testi fies to total to Th e
Glil11pse at thc Islal11
I '
hardship endures while carrying out this obligation is
il1significant in comparison with the noble objective
seeks attain, namely Pleasure and the great reward
in the Hereafter. .<
part of the obligation attached to the Islamic fast is that,
apart abstention from food, drink and sexual
intercourse during the hours offasting, Muslim must make
special efforts to attain higher standards ofvirtue and purity.
lesson tl1at fasting teaches us is that person who
abstains the use of permissible things during the fast
should account indulge that which is
Indeed, the month of is analogous to
educational institution, which nurtures virtue and picty. For
when fasts he not only abstains food, drink
and lawful sexual intercourse but also tries hard, to the best
of 11is ability, to evil actions that bound to
inva1idate his fast. Prophet says:
"1 is SllOtlld
lal1gtlage isllly 1 i
figl1ts witl111il11 01" abllSCS 11e SllOtlkJ say:
'1 1 11111 '" (AI-Bllkl/{in'
Muslim)
"WllOcveI" does deceitt'tll
[wllile AIli111 is 01' 11il11
11is I'ood
I \vitll
!\1erits
is another great obIigation, which has
1t creates those who it, occasion to
meet and know another, to exchange views and
experiences and unite tlleir efforts the good.
purifies the soul and nurtures such qualities as
generosity, fortitude and who it
to avoid all fonns of wickedness and observe
patience and perseverance. The says:
is [il1] tlle well-known tllc
So to it let
1101' \vickedness, 1101'
tlle (2: 197)
It is ofthe
1t he1ps races the 01'
earth to worship, in single God in
special placc, during special season.
divcrgenccs of and color set aside in this
of faith that all great
they all equal footing.
also providcs good occasion to travel in the land to
find out about its people and their
a1 so to Liiscover the lalld where Prophets
and Messengers called to the worship of Allah
also provides good occasion to travel in the to
about its people and their and traditions and
Glimpse the Beauty of lslam
a1soto discover the 1andofreve1ations where Prophets
and Messengers called to the worship of
a1so reminds those who it of the Day of
Resurrection when beings wiH stand equa1 before
the Lord of the wor1ds judgment, barefooted, naked and
uncircumcised. lt a1so
serve s the
purpose of providing
the fina1 joumey
the future wor1d,
tl1at of the Hereafter.
For cannot
provide sucl1
provisions except in
thi s 1ife.
Qur'an says:
" A n d furnisl1
yourse1ves wit11 [necessary] provisions, and sure1y, t11e best
provision is rigl1teousness." (2: 197)
also opens our eyes to death and keeps our mind a1ert to
it. For we assume the state of state in which
is prohibited to practice certain deeds that lawful at
other times. and performed during such
state, two sheets clothes the only clothes
wears] , as regards we actually rid ourse1ves
ofthe ofthe 1ivingand puton two sheets ofunstitched
c1othes, which remind us ofthe shrouds in whic11 the dead are
wrapped buria1. This thought us to
in the
Glil11psC the of
50
The importance ofremembering death is extremely great and
beneficial . Its benefits countless. No will escape
death and al1 mankind will eventual1y stand before
reckoning. The Qur'an says:
have taste of deatll,
Day of paid fllll
Only is saved
admitted to tlle will
life of tJlis world is goods of
(3: 185)
The Prophet describes deatll "the
Destroyer of pleasures". This thollght stirs to
righteolls works with view to AlIah's Pleasure.
Life is period of probation after which will see
what he has done. it is fleeting, deceptive that
shollld trusted.
Remembering death certainly l1elps lIS mend ways
try best to work righteous good deeds and ward off evil
actions. Were all human beings aware of the manifold
benefits of death, justice would
easy to and and progress would
prevail. provides tllis to
death.
Jiblitl IStr"iving tllC tu
Il1justicc
Ji/uid [fighting struggling] 111 the way of Allah has
Glirnpse the Beauty Islam
51
':J
countless advantages. It serves to grant victory to 's
religion and to His devollt slaves. It serves to raise mankind
the class ofanimals, which devoid ofthe faclllty of
inte11ect. The says:
We made Hell:
11ave whercwitll not ,
eyes wherewitl1 see 11aVC
ears wllerewitll they They like cattle;
astray. They qllite
(7: I 79)
Jihiid gives who participate it, dignified life
this world and bliss a11 etemity. Ifthey granted victory
their they will raise the f1ag high; the
other ifthey in the they will certainly
attain the reallife, to which the transient life in this world
is but shadow. The says:
oftllOse WllO way of Allall
I
( .
dcad. Nay, they alive,
t11eiI" (3:169)
Jihdd testifies to the sincerity total
obedience o[tllOse who wage it the sake of 1t also
uproots gives people the to worship
the God without of persecution . The
says:
figl1t lll1til is
tlle is Allah."
(2:193)
F Jihdd detinitely leads to
AI- 'Il1all sellil1g goods to
back
11il11 less follow tlle tails of tlle
cows il1dlllged and
\\Iitll it], dcsert Jillad AIIall will
witll will not
it lll1til to

Jihdd also testifies to 's sincerity and sa[ety
hypocrisy, as evidenced the following Hadith in
the Prophet says:
"WllOevel" dies Wllilc tllO\.Igl1t
Jilu'i(1 il1 \vay, will dil:
DclHIII(!)
Perhaps it is appropriate to here the fact that
at the Beauty of Islam
,# ,
,( . \:!l .
was not spread 'the ofthe sword', as orientali st
and Westem writers As of fact , is
with beeause depends upon faith
and and would if
it is indueed foree . Also supporting this is as if that All ah
establishes choiee not as way of differentiating
between truth and falsehood. Whil e the Qur 'an says:
"Let compulsion in religion: Truth stands
out clear from falsehood." (2:256)
The 'beauty of Islam' has in fact conquered the hearts of
millions of and won them into its fold. They have
found its principles straightforward and its all-inclusive
teachings practica! and beneficial to mankind. Let us 100k
at some ofwhat these have said.
German socia! scientist and dip!omat Wilfried Hofman [now
MuradHofman] says:
"For some time now, and
precision and brevity, 1have tried to put in
systematic way, philosophica! which,
view, doubt .
the course of this effort, it that the
typica! attitude of agnostic is
simp!y escape decision to be!ieve. The
of what exists lIS is obviolls; that
Is!am undoubted!y the 'greatest
with reality. 1rea!ize, withollt shock,
that step step, spite of myse!f almost
and 1 grown
Muslim. !ast step remained to taken:
to formalize conversion. As of today 1
I Glimpse at the Beauty of lslam
55)
1have arrived." 1
Speaking to the dail y AI-Madinah, Jeddah, 15 July 1989, the
world heavyweight boxer
[now Ali says:
"1 have had beautiful in 1ife. But
the feelings 1 had while standing Mount Arafat
the day ofthe pilgrimage] was the most
unique. 1 felt exalted the indescribabI e
atmosphere there as over million and half
invoked to forgive them oftheir sins and bestow
them Hi s choicest bIessings. It was
exhilarating experience to see people belonging to
different colors, races and nationalities; kings, l1eads
of states and ordinary very countries,
al1 clad in two simple white sheets praying to
withollt sense of either pride or inferiority. It was
practi cal manifestation of the concept of the equality
ofIslam. ,,2
AusJ:rianLeopold Weiss [now Muhammad Asad] says:
"Since 1 1have asked, time and
again: 'Why did embrace What was it that
attracted particularly?' And 1 confess: 1 do
not know of satisfactory answer. It was not
particular teaching that attracted but the whole
S,vord ofIslam, WAMY series lslam, 4 & 5.
2 ibid .,
at the Beauty of
56
wonderful , il1explieably eoherent strueture of
tea ehing and the praetieal of life. 1 eould not
say, now, wl1ieh aspeet of it appeals to
than other. appears to like perfeet work
of All its parts
eoneei ved to and support eaeh other;
nothing is superf1uous laeking, with the
result of absolute solid
thi s feeling that in the teaehings
and postulates of is ' in its plaee, ' has
ereated the strol1ges t There
have along with it, other al so whiell
tod ay it is diffieult to After all , it was
of1ove; love is of
desires and loneliness, of I1igh and
of So it
was in ease. like who
enters but, unlike it
to good." 1
dipl 011l at and soeial worker Hobohm
says:
" Why do Westerners embrace Jslam? There
reasons it. the first plaee, truth always its
The basie of so rational , so
and so appealing that
help beil1g take,
Jslam - the abridged edition, 1992, compiled &
edited Ebrahirn F. Bawany, 21 & 22.
Glirnpse at tl1e Beauty of Islarn
the belief in How it the
dignity of and how it frees us the grip of
superstition! How it leads to thc cquality of
have created t}1e Gocl and
servants 01' the Lord. the in
particular, the belief in God is of inspiration,
and ofthe 1'eelingof
security. Then the idea of death the
tabIes. Life in this is the
objective, great of energy is
devoted to the of F
Day spurs to give
good decds eternal
salvation, although wrong deeds prosper here
period. The belief that eseape the
eonsequenees the of Just, lmpartial and
Lord makes thil1k twiee before
does al1ythil1g wrong surely this eheek is
effeetive than the effieient poliee in
the world.
Another thing that attraets foreigl1ers to is its
emphasis toleranee. Then the claily prayers teaeh
and the fasting enables
to exereise self-eontrol, and without doubt punctuality
and self-disciplil1e two of the most
attributes of good and great
Now eomes the real lt is tl1e
Cilil11pse the Beauty of lslam
58
ideology, which has in instilling in its
tlle of etl1ical and
limitations \Vithollt extemal
knows tllat, he is, he is being
God. belief keeps him away from sin. As is
inc1ined towards Islam also
offers mind l1eart-and tllis is wl1at is
totally from the Westem society oftoday.
1 have lived systems life and have
had the opportunity of various ideologies,
to tlle tl1at is as
perfect as Islam.
its attractions, so has
democracy and Nazism. has got complete
code ofa life . Islam it, and tl1at is why
good it . .
Islam is tl1eoretical; it is practical. Islam is
affair; it complete to
the will ofGod." I
Devis Fry from says:
"Islam to as thc comes to tlle cold
It wanned
clotl1ed beautiful teacllings. How logical!
is but God is His
sllblime
ibid., 30-31
59
this? None of the ' the Father, the Son and
the Holy Ghost' ritual , which I suppose, is quite awe
inspiring but is hardly satisfactory to keen
is so so applicable to the world today. " I
Mcbarklise Ireland writes:
"The broad outlook of to the
view ofthe Christian sects, the leaming and culture of
countries in tl1e Middle Ages with
the ignorance and superstition of other lands at that
the logical of as opposed to
the Chri stian idea of were few of the
points that first struck Later I to realize tlblt
was faith broad as itself, ready the
of rich and alike able to break down
all barriers ofcreed and
poct, author Col onel Donald S.
Rockwell writes:
of the power1lJl and the
of its mo sques, the
eamestness of its faithful followers, tlle confidence
inspiring realization of tlHougllOut the world
who the five daily call s to these factors
attracted the tirst. But after 1 had
to follower of Islam, 1 deeper
The
1 ibid. , 106
2 ibid ., 105
at the Beau ty of
60
concept of life-fruit of the Prophet 's combined course
of action and contemplation, the wise counsel, the
admonitions to charity and The broad
the pioneer dec laration of women 's
rights, these and other factors of the teachings of
of Makkah were to among the first obvious
evidence of practical religion so tersely and so aptly
epitomized in the cryptic words ofMuhammad, 'Trust
in God and tie camel.' gave us religious
system of action, not blind faith in the
protection of unseen in spite of own
neglect, but confidence that if we do things rightly
and to the best of ability, we trust in what
comes as the Will of God... When 1 stood in the
inspiring mosques of Istanbul, Damascus, Jerusalem,
Cairo, Algiers, Tangier, Fez and other cities, 1 was
conscious of powerful rcaction the potent uplift of
Islam's simple to the sense of higher things,
unaided elaborate trappings,
figurcs, pictures, music and ceremonial ritual. The
mosque is of quiet contcmplation and sclf
effacement in thc grcater rca1ity of tl1e God. The
democracy of Islam has always to
Potentate and have the same rigl1ts the floor
of the mosque, their knees in humble worship.
The re rented pews or seClts.
The Muslim accepts as mediator betwecn
himself and his God. goes direct to the invisible
sourcc of crcation and life, God , without reliancc
61
saving formula of repentanee of sins and belief in the
power teaeher to afford him salvation. The
universal brotherhood of Islam, regardl ess of
politics, or country, has brought home to
keenly in life, and tl1is is another
feature which drew towards t11e Faith." 1
The baseless claim that Is1am converted the peoples it had
has also refuted
Gandhi , for instance, writes in
Young lndian, 1924:
"1 than convinced that it was not the
sword that won place for in those days in the
scheme oflife. It was the rigid the utter self
of the Prophet, the regard
his pledges, l1is intense devotion to hi s friends and
followers, his intrepidity, his absolute trust in God and
his own These, and not the sword carried
everything before and
trouble. " 2
S. Tritton writes:
"The picture of the soldier advancing with
sword in hand and the Qur ' an in the other is quite
fal se.")
Michener writes in the Reader :S Digest, under the
1 ibid., 49-50
2 in S,vQf'd o/Islam, 6.
3 ibid.,
Glimpsc at the Beauty
62
title
"No other hi story spread so rapidl y as
Islall1. West widely beli eved that thi s surge of
religion Wa5 made the sword.
scholar accepts that idea, the is
explicit insupport of the freedomof conscience." I
Laurence writes The Prospects ofIslam:
the se well-establ ished fact s dispo se of
the idea 50 widelyfostered inChristianwritings about
the that wh erever they forced to
Islamat thepointofthe sword." 2
De Lay Leany al so writes in Islam at Crossroads,
8:
"History it clear, however, that the legend of
through the world
forcing Islall1 at the ofthe sword
races is of the absurd that
l1ave repeated." 3
It is wortl1while here that it is absolutely
to j udge Islall1 the ofMuslill1and
the blatant that pervades the world. What
Islall1 preaches is tl1ing and wl1at so Muslims
nowadays practice is else. The way whereby
we do justice 10 Tslam is 10 find abou1 its teacllings
1 ibid .,
2 ibid.,
3 ibid.,
Glitnpsc at thc Bcauty of
63
.*
Wl1ich are clearly set out at length in the and the
Prophetic traditions. The famous popular singer Cat Stevens
WllO later embraced Islam observed:
"It will wrong to judge Islam in tl1e light of the
behavior of some Muslims who always sho wn
the media. It is like j udging as bad if the
dri ver is drunk bangs it with the wall . Islam
guides all human beings in daily life - in its spiritual ,
mental and physical dimensions. Neverthel ess, we
find the sources of these instructions: The Qur ' an and
the example ofthe Prophet. Then we see the icl ea of
Islam." I
What is generally said about Isl am in the media and in
aca clemic circles also give wrong idea about it. Maurice
Bucaille pu t it:
"The totall y erroneous stateme nts made Islam in
the West sometimes the result of ignorance, and
sometimes of systematic den igr ati on. The
ofall the told about it however those dealin g
with facts whil e mistaken opinions excusable,
the pr esentation of facts contrary to reality is
not . It is cl isturbing to read bl atant in eminentl y
respe ctabl e works written authors who
highly qLlabli ed."z
ibid.,
2 Bucaill e, The The QUf" & Science, American
Trust Publi cat ions, 1979, 11 0-1 .
at the Islam
64

the well-being as well as the and
beneflt of al1 When the
stated in as lawful unlawful, they designed to build in
the being sound mind, peaceful soul,
and healthy body. is doubt that these
the welfare and of
is the and what is best his
Talking about some of the of the
Prophet whom the Jews and the flnd
in their the Gospel,

[i.e., what is
jll st forbids what is evil. allows as
lawtul wl1at is good [and and wllat is
bad (7: 157)
Thi s make s it clear that in Islam leads to the well
being ofthe indi vidual society, is morally good, and
lawful ; and whatever is to society 01' the
individual , is bad, and unl awful. Examples of
the beauty of countless and it is next to
to and cite all . we will
to S0111e of the C0111111anc!s and pr ohibiti ons
in with view to tl1e with idea of
this beauty. We will l1eavil y the and the
as the chi ef of Islam
known as the
Glimpsc at t}1C Islam
65
Equality as Bil-tllright
Islam has given equality as bil1hrigllt and l1as thus
struck at root of artificial barriers of color,
lal1guage, social status.
We created [pair] of
tribes,
Veri1y, t11e
of wit11 is WllO is] tlle
righteous ofyou." (49: 13)
Verse is in fact addrcsscd to tlle
110t to the it is
that perfect tlJe two wou1d As it is,
is of
Adam tribcs, races
labels whiclI wc kl10W
charactcristics. These do not affect true
stature of before AlIah. Fallacious concepts of chosen
and gel1tile peop1es, socia1 castes citizcns
obsolete al1d With
to the pious
Glimpsc at the Beauty oflslam
The Prophet *says:
Lord is fatl1er is
was created
is 1110st before
Allal1 is most llprigl1t. No 11as
does colored have
w11ite wl1ite
colored
(-
.Justice all Cir"cumstanccs
lslam commands justice and forbids inequity
The says:

<3 who believe! strict and
witnesses for A11ah it

t8 01' kindred." (4:135)
VJ

who believe! steadfast the of

bearing witness eqllity and let 110t people's
u incite to otherwise witl1justice.
alwaysjust, that 1S to (5:8)
lslamic jllstice is highel" that prevalent in
other societies. It out t11e motives,
we to act we the of
is We11-Aware of moti ves . Islam commands
Muslims to administer justice in aspects of life w1tl1011t
fear of anytl1ing, if this seems to detrimental to their
interests the ofthose who and dear to
Glimpse at thc of Islam
67
them:
who believe! Stand firmly [or as
witnesses to tllOugh it against
yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, he rich or
for is better Protector to both
So follow the lusts of hearts , lest avoid
justice." (4: 135)
Justice is to if it is for
they the law. to
family was connection witl1 theft. The case was
brougl1tto the Prophet * it was that she
spared The Prophet replied :
that lived were
Allfill
tllciJ" let tlleil- go
tlleiJ" 1 sweaJ" Him WllOSC
is, tl1at if Ffitimall, dallgllter of
Ilad committed tllis 1 wOllld
amputatcd
the of 'Umar thc of
govemor of Egypt, wllipped
Egyptial1 to lodged his
with tlle caliph who immediately the
govemor his Whel1 thcy appcared before tllC
caliph whip to the plaintitT asked him
to \Vllip tlle of the govemor is his the
11ad taken his revenge , 'Umar said to him "Give
stroke ofthe whip to tl1e honorable governor as well. His
son would certainly not 11ave beaten were it not the
false pride that had in his high
plaintiff submitted: who had beaten 1
already avenged myself him." ' Umar said:
if had beaten him [the govemor] 1 would not
checked doing so. him of
own will ." 'Umar turned to bin and
said angrily: when did start to enslave the
thougll they were their mothers'?"
Is1am forbids il1jllstice its 1t it clear tl1at
all those who wrong other and usurp tlleir rights will
lose their rewards the Day of Judgmcnt to the
For tl1e Just, does not wrong will establish
in fllll the Day of Jlldgl11el1t.
asked his "Do WllO is really
replied: bankrupt us is
who has goods chattels." this said:
[rcally] followcrs is WllO
will the of Jlldgmel1t witl1 of
Salclt [prayers], Zakclt [obligatory
wealth]. of abused so
tlle property of50
killed 50
11e will Ilis givell to
[wrollged] if, 11Owever, 11is rewards
en0l1g11, 11e will 11ave tl1cir 5i1ls tlHOWIl him
will Fire." (Mus/im)
69
Sat'cgual'ding thc
Islam commands its followers to self-supporting and to
stay away being liability body. Islam respects
kinds ofwork eaming one ' s livelil100d so 10ng as there
is indecency wrong il1volved. makes it obligati oll
its follo\vers to engage in productive work
conscientiously and escllew laziness and begging.
to Islam, the status ofhonest
lowered ofthe work they living.
111 fact , it airns at safegl1 arding and self-esteem.
The Prophet says:
"lt is better you to take ropes, go to tl1e
some fircwood], it your back,
scH it save face [against 11l1miliation]
tl1311 give YOll 01'
110t ." /-Bukbl;"i)
113S food tl1<1t I13S
of his OWI1 hal1d."(A/
Bllk//{/,'/)
Islam also invites Muslims to observe while
work. teaches that if thing is worth
it is wotill well . It statcs that if ll S
work, God !oves tosee lIS do it well and with
effLciellcy.
Glimpse at the Bcauty of Islam
Conduct of Mutual
Islam urges its followers to conduct their affairs mutual
consultation and welcome other people's opinion as long as
it is wl1011y in keeping with reasoning and emerges
profound experience. The Qur 'an says:
[i.e. , tl1c pious] who to tl1eir Lord ,
establish regular Saldt , and whose affairs [dccided]
mutual (42:38)
"Ask forgiveness tl1el11,
affairs." (3: 159)
Truth Cost
Islam also urges its followers to recognize

<3 the Creator ofthe further shape their life
.s steadfastly according to that Truth Reality. It
them , after this stage ot' to
'"
] steadfast get tempted the various crooked
ideologies and philosophies to change their course.
8 to loft y pays off and those
who observe it will receive All ah's reward this
life and in the Hereafter. The
the case say, Lord is Allah' , and
further, stand straight steadfast, tl1e angels descend
[at the time of theit" death, saying:] ' Fear
gri eve! But receive tl1e glad of
Garden of Bli ss, wl1icl1 have promi sed. We
friends and tl1i s life and in tl1e
Glimpsc at the of [s[am
71
sl1<l11
all ask (4] :30-3] )
also addresses His
as
a1so WllO
to witl1 (11: 112)
The Prophet's advice to his
0[' Abdllllah, also makes this idea clear:
'"Say: ,( icve Al1iill', steadfast."
The says:
WllO bc1icve! AI1 iil1 witl1 WllO
(9: 11 9)
The says:
"Givc wlla! to to dOllbttLl1
to wl1icl1 is dOllbt [1.11." (-
h.. illd
In his relationship with his [ellow has
obIigations to discharge. must display
kindne ss to his relatives, his neighbor,
and the and the orphans, towards the
and servants, compassion the respect
the e]derly, sympathy the grieved and cheer the
depressed. The Qur' says:
72
"Worship and join with Him in worsl1ip,
and show kindness to kinsfold, orphans, tl1e
thc ncighbor Wl10 is ofkin, tl1c ncighbor who
is stranger, the companion side, the wayfarer,
and slaves whom your rigl1t hand
possess."(4:36)
"And lower wing [of mercy] to the
follow (26:215)
"Treat not the witll oppression, not
ask of anyth ing], and proclaim thc

clcnics JlIdgmcnt [to
is
and not feeding ofthc (107: 1-3)
"And what will make know the tl1at is steep7
It is ofa slave, feeding in
of kin, thc
dllst." (90: 12-16)
[i.c., tl1e froWl1Cd away,
bccausc to tl1C blind wl1at
tcll might
to 11il11sclf, 11C
tl1e l11igllt profit l1il117" (80: 1-4)
Thc incident to the last Verses refer is tl1<1t of tl1e
Mul1<1111l11ad with blind called
Umm Prophet was deeply and
Glirnpse at the Beauty of Islarn
73
engaged in attempting to invite the pagan Quraish
leaders to Isl am when was blind who
to the and seek satisfaction his
spiritual craving. Prophet naturally disliked the
and so frowned and away
becausc he was trying to make the sc hearts
toward s the Truth and thu s get Islam. No sooner
llad fini shed talking to the Qurai sh leaders and
wa s to than he received Revelation which
published withollt the least hesitation. The Prophet
always afterwards held the in high honor and est eem.
Thi s incident reflects the highest honor of the Prophet ' s
sincerity in the Revelation that was Voucllsafc<.! to
Sum }z, which contains thi s provides sllbstantive proof
that the Prophet was not the ofthe Qur ' an, the
of Islam, and orientalists
mi stakenl y claim. Had that the he would not have
mentioned thi s incident as ofwhich he rec ei ved mild
AlIah.
The Prophet also says:
\VllO believes in Allah and Last Day 110t
11is WI10 bclieves
last day Sl10lIld 11is gllest; WI10 believes
Allall the day SI1011ld speak good 01'
si M//slim)
will
Glimpsc at the of" rslam
tl1is timcs. is
askcd is 11,111 '5
is
11i . M/ls/im)
is eats 11is fill 11is
I1cigl1boI" bcside is /-Mas(/bl/I)
best who
tl1C bcst
bcst to 1-
kcpt
to tl1<1t I tllOLJgl1t
WOLJld 11i111 ("igl1t (A/-8/1k//{[6)
Bcil1g to tl)(:
Islam towards the
parents eonsiders this trait to the worship of
God. The says:
Wc 111<111 to good
dlltifLIl to 11is (29:8)
11as
dLJtiELJl to If 01'
01' old agc life, say
to at
addrcss 10wcI"
tl1C wil1g of
say: Bcstow as
Glimpse at the Beauty of
75
did wllell 1was (17:23,24)
We [to dLltifLlI
goocJ] to Ili s clicl Ilis
11im; two was his
tllC to to
10 is goal.'" (3 1: 14)
The Prophet says:
is fcct (An-Nasc/ '/)
to SOLlgl1t Ili
to [figlltil1g
Allftll'S way]. askcc! hilll.
still alive'?" in tllC
tllen said,
tllciI" Ji/l{U!. .. (A!-Buk/](I,.j
Mus!im)
tlH' EI(lcl'ly SIIO\villg AfTcctioll t()\\'ards
\\'ol11cl1.1I1d tllC

Islam eommands 10 respeet the elderly and 10 show
affeelion and 10wardsehildren. The Prophel says:
is llS does

' - Tinl1i{llli)
It kisscd 11is
tllC
Aiibis. sa\v tllis '"
76
kissed
looked said: does
[AllaJ1]
towards 11il11." im)
The of is to make
the little bit in consideration ofthose who
behind him. Prophet said:
"1 f ofyoLlleads tl1e it
bit tl1e tl1e
tl1C ill aged. If, you
it as
wisI1." /-8I1kl1ii/'i Mus/im)
in time of Islam its fighters to show
towards women, cl1ildren, the the
The to instruct Muslim
they were heading the battlefield thus:
"00 kill old cl1ild 01'
DCllvucl)
"00 kill tl1e (llm
"00 ki1I the pcople sittil1g il1 placc of

"Do kill
person, kill captive."
Helping tll C eedy
lslam Muslims to to the
and make the afflicted The Prophet says :
is of
opprcsscs failllilll. WllO
Allfill willl'elievc 11im
of WllO
Mtlslim's \\,ill Ilis
ts of (M//s/im)
lslam encourages Muslims to show towards those in
straitened and to grant respite until
enougll to tJleir debts, or forgo the in
case oftlle hardship. The Qur'al1 says:
dcbtor is diffictllty, grant 11im time till it is
Ilim to But if it way of
is best onJy knew." (2:280)
says :
was \vJlO to to
pcoplc . lf 11C rcalized was tiebtor llis
WllO was ill tliffictllty, 11C wOtlld tcll Ilis
. 00 take Ililll;
so so llis
sins ." (A/-B//k/1(inl
tl1CAnil11als
Islam its followers to show not only to
wards beings also towards person WllO
il\-treats animals is regarded Islam as wi11

..s

....

'"
'"

u
at the Beauty of
consequently invite wrath. Prophet says:
\V0I11CI1 was Hell 01'
\Vl1icl1 slle c!catll. SI1C i!
to SllC it, did SllC sct it
so it l11ig!1t of
Buk/J(/f"iand Mus/im)
it
!lis Outside tl1e wcll
dog was of tllilst.
it. So took Ofllis filled
it \\'itll wateI" it c!og its
was plcascd \vitll 's gooc.! <111(1
11il11 /vlus/im)
1t \vitll its
pass tl1C
tl1C said : 11il11 WllO
(Mus/im)
Another states:
Allall 's tlS l' 111
facc (Mus/im)
Islam also gives clear-cut instructions as to the
ofkilling animal food. Prophet says :
""Allftl1 11as
So to kill do so
tl1C bcst possiblc to slatlglltcI"
79
do 50 tlle best Let
give
to tl1C (Mus/im)

Islam ealls to unity and and exhorts agail1st
discord and hatred. The says:
1101(1 fast, all Rope of
[i.e., tll is cli vidcd." (3:103)
It also ealls its followers to reciprocatc affection,
honcsty and with anothcr. The Prophet
says:
two
like ofa ofwlliell
(11
bclicvcrs tllciI"
likc body.
limbs is tlle wl10le body \vitll
Mus/im)
FOI"givil1g
Islam il1vites its followers to overlook other peoplc' s
offences:
"Let torgi ve pass Do
tl1<l t 11511 Sl10lI ld
(24:22)
1

U
80
"Repel evil witll t11at Wllicll is best." (23:96)
tllC
Islam also commands its followers to theiI" covenants
and fulfil all theiI" obligations :
you Wl10 believc! Fulfil [all] obIigations." (5: 1)
lt strongly condemns betrayal and
"And fulfil covenant; tlle covenant shall
(17:34)
Prophet says:
"FoI" WI10 11is will
tlag tllC of and it will sai(! [to
his is
(Mus/im)
"AIJall tl1C All11ig11ty said: '1 will
011
Nal11c
it; WI10 sold
tllen I1<1S 11is WI10
laborer not 11il1111is
obtaincd l1is dlle fllll 11im.'"
Buk//{/n)
lslam considers disloyalty act of hypocrisy, which
entails Allah' s wrath and punishment in the Hereafter.
Glimpse the Beauty of' Islam
says:
"WhoevcI" possesscs is
WllO posscsscs
fact posscsscs of lll1tillle gives it
is [witll
tells lics;
it; w]lel111e
in (AI
Muslim)
Rcconciliation tllC
its fol1owers to adjllst matters of
difference and settle disputes to tl1e way for
society. It also calls to between
the conf1icting
nothing else brothers. So
(49: 1
Allall and adjllst of difference
(8: 1)
Prophet says:
two pcople is act 1
ukl/cil"i and im)
Glimpse at the Beauty of
El1joil1ing FtH'blddil1g Evil
Enjoining virtue and forbidding evil plays vital part in the
of society at large and 1S very effective tool for
the eradication of evil. Islam
urges its followers to spare
pains to fulfil their
obligations and help
another to stand the truth
in and unshaken
constancy in the midst of
corruption, decadence and
spiritual stagl1ation. The Qur'
says:
let arise ofpeople
to is good, is rigl1t,
forbidding is tlle to
felicity." (3: 104)
The Prophet says:
"WllOever to gLlidal1cc, \vill
it as wcll as WllO
it \vitllOtlt dil11il1isllCd their
!'c\\'arcls: \VllOeVeJ' il1vitcs cvil will
SllOtlldcr its as \vell of[all ] WllO
it diminisllil1g tllC sil1s in
('V!ltsli/ll)
"1 k \\ 1110 gtlidcs 10 01] tllC
IT\vard tl1<lt oftllOsC (Mlts/i/ll)
83
The commends the Muslim community for its
observance ofthis noble trait:
"You the best of pcople raiscd tlle good of
is rigllt, is
believc IIft11." (3: I1
Ifthese Divine commands neglected, evil will without
shadow of doubt prevail both the upright the
crooked will doomed to Allah's wrath. The says
about 'the Children ofIsrael':
of Wl10
disbelieved tllc of David
SOI1 of was tllCY disobeycd
excesscs. did not
tlle Wllicll Evil
indeed was that WI1iCll did." (5: 78-9)
The Prophet *sets forth very beautiful parable about this:
01' Allall'S sct lil11its
WllO is sil11ilaI" to
01' gct 011 Sllip
lots. SOI11C deck SOI11C 01'
il1 tlle 10weJ" deck WllCI1 10weI" dcck
wateI" go to il1 tllC deck
say callsil1g
to dcck?' 1f il1 tl1C
(Icck al\ow to tl1Cir dcsigl1,
wil1 al t (10 I10! allo\v to do so,
84
will saved."
to obscrve these Divinc
to thc best oftheir ability. Prophet says:
"WJlOever 01' sces sOl1letl1il1g \vrol1g,
it \Vitl1 11is deed); if
Ict try it witJ1 11is it'
cannot, tl1el11ct J1il1l to cJ13nge it \VitJ111is heart [i.e.,
Sllowil1g t'eelil1gs and
and t11is is tlle dcgree of
F i 1im)
Asccrtaining 01"Rcpolts
Another noteworthy is that it its
followcrs to ascertain the of reports lest they
shollld do injl1stice to others:
WllO believe! Ifan evil \iar] to
with I1CWS, it lest shotlld
tJl1wittingJy, and then
what (49:6)
"And follow [i.e., say not, do witness
etc.] tl13t o[which knowledge [e.g., one' s
saying , 1 seen' whi in not
anytl1il1g, ' 1 wllile 110t
anytlling]. Verily, tl1e hearing, t}l e sight and the
- all these sllall called to (17:36)
at it Bcst
calls to of noble and rewards
thc Beauty of
85
those who observe it_ says:
\vitll Faitll
is the best, best amongst you
bcsl 10tllCir \\,ives." (AI-
The Prophet says:
\VllO offer
observc
fas(s, as goud
DOII'{/{f)
10
Day \vit ll IllC
tllC most and tllc
the boastflll,
pcople." 1-
It that tlle Prophet was sent to the
most character traits. As he said:
1was II1C
lS."
the J"eligious obJigations such as fasting
pilgrimage to good character.
says:
"F01" the
duty Ict
wi ckcelllcss, tllC Hajj.
good do , AllaJl it.
Glimpsc thc Beauty
86
takc [witll tllC tllC bcst
is (2: 197)
"Recite wl1at is ot'tlle Book
estabIisll
evil (lee(ls."(29:45)
says:
is SllOUld lISC
tool isllly if
figl1ts 'vvitll l1im 11im, SllOlIld say:
'1 fastil1g! 1
"WIlOCVCI" docs dcccitflll
[wllile tasting], Allall is 11il11
11is foo(1 (A/ -Buk//(i,.j)
,,!ill
says:
w]1ateveI" good, it is
when exccpt Allall'S
whatsoeveI" good it
will to in fl1l1 , and will
(2: 272)
w]latevel" il1 good, kl10ws
it well." (2:273)
asked tlle !;<; : "Wllicll Islal11 is
bestT tccd
Glimpse at the Beauty ofI slam
87
\Vl1ctl1cr 110t." /
8/1k//(/J"i M/ls/im)
JiibiI" 01' saicl.
:J;.. said to WI10
askc<.1 11 i111 anyt11 /-8/1k//(/ 1"1' 11<.1 im)
Others \\ 'tH,t lo\'es 1'01'
Islam its followers to desire others what they desire
for and to treat them in thc samc thcy
like to treated. says about the true believers:
givc
poverty was tlleir (59:9)
Prophet says:
01' will lll1til
loves 11 is wl1at 11 I /
8/1k/1(/I"I)
The Prophet :i says:
slavc \vill 110t [thc statc 01'1 Faitl1lll1til
\vay 01'
01' otl1crs \vitl1
tl1Otlgl1 it against givil1g
to thc of
ik/lm]."
"WI1Ocvcr l1<1s tl1(111 Sl10tllcl otTel' it to
11il11 \\'110 clocs not wl1OeVCI" 11<1s food
88
Sl10tlld give 1tto WI10 (Mus!im)
The narrator ofthis trad1tion said that the Prophet went
specifying all sorts ofprovision until we thought that of
us had right whatsoever to surplus things we had.
Dcf'ending thc of'Othcl's
Islam makes it obIigation Muslim to defend
his brother's property and bIood, in their absence, as
much as he Abud-Darda' the renowned Hadith
reported that abused another in his
absence and another who was then present defended the
latter. this the Prophet who was also witness to the
incident, said:
WI10 defends 11is AlIall will keep
away 11is tllc
] tldgmcnt]." /-
Grcat Rc\vard
Islam prompts its followers to observe and
perseverance in three ways: and steadfastness whi le
acting commands, while striving hard
to avoid prohibitions, and when afflicted
with calamity.
here implies of things including
in the sense of being thorough not hasty. have
perseverance, constancy, steadfastness, firrnness of purpose
and cheerful attitude of resignation in sorrow suffering
as opposcd to murmuring patient and
Glitnpse at thc Bcauty of Islatn
89
passivity and listlessness with constancy and
steadfastness.
and Salftt helpful tools in
and distress. The Qur'an says:
Allah's I1Clp with
Sal/it (2:45)
in has great its
with Allah is The Qur ' says:
"And steadfast patience; will
tllC oftllc ,"iglltCOUS to (1 J: 115)
" [ f paticntly picty, -
is ofgrcat (3: 186)
Hygicne ilJ AspectsofLife
closcr 100kat thc will that it caHs
to aspects ofJife.
its followers to use their right hands while
because the left is solely
such as the bathroom aftcr
the of This habit makes
at all times which hand to utilize which occasion.
Islam ccrtain foods tl1e sake of hygiene. The
Qur ' an says:
[i.c.. dca(l meat
blood of tllC swil1c, Wl1icll
invoked besides that AIIall."
90
(2:173)
food] clead bIood, tl1e
Wl1ich Allfll1 ' S 11as
Wl1iCl1 killcd
bIow,
or clcatl1, Wl1icl1
wild to slaLlgl1leI'
it is deatll] ..." (5:3)
If animal dies as [esult of bIow
fall to dealh,
attacked wild animal, the is that it becomes
as lifebIood is
ofthe body.
i the 1i febIood still f10ws the solemn mode of
slaughtel" the Name of is out , it becomes
lawful as food.
or dead meat blood as articles of food
repulsive. Pork has more fat
materia1, the first meat people
who eat tells the to stop is It is
liabIe to disease kinds of meat, e.g.,
trichinosis, characterized hair-1ike the muscular
tissue. I
Clean1iness is not to but a1so "halfthe
Faith", as the Prophet c1ear1y states. Prayer will not
valid without Wudhu ' [ablution]. AbIutions require the
washing ofthose parts ofthe body that genera11y exposed
to dirt dust, such as the the arms and the feet .
1 See Yusuf Ali , The Holy Quf" English of tl1e M eanings &
1990,
at the of
91
Ablutions nllllified as of responding to the
call of nature, sleep, and activity, etc. The Ghusl
[bath] requires the washing of the whole body after wet
dreams, sexual expiration of the
period women and at the end of postnatal
bleeding, which is at of forty days.
The and beneficial of cleanliness
is crystal clear if we that they have to
perform ablution before their prayers. loves those who
observe cleanliness:
"AIlt111 loves WllO to im
loves WllO kee p tl1emse] ves clean."
(2:222)
92
Fornication and Adulter"y
prohibits fomication, adultery, and all the ul1lawful
acts that bound to lead to it, such as lustful looks and
private It has the stoning of adulterers
and adulteresses, the whipping of fomicators the killing
of publicly with view to safegllarding
people's honor, upholding values, encouraging
decency and chastity and protecting society at large against
deterioration
With regard to this issue, well-known saying,
"Prevention is better than cure" finds fu11 scope in For
takes the necessary preventive to guard
against the degeneration of values in the
society. considers act leading to
deeds forbidden. The says:
"And to for it is indecent
deed and evil way." (17:32)
this Verse, YllSllfAli writes:
"Adultery is not only itself and
with self-respect or respect others,
it opens the road to evils. lt destroys basis
of the family: it works against the interests of children
to it cause murders feuds and
loss of property, and also loosens
perrnanently the bonds ofsociety. N only ShOllld it
avoided as sin, but approach or temptati on to it
ShOllld avoided." 1
Usury
Islam forbid s in the stronges t possibl e terrns due to the
social ills it is to trigger. USur iOllS
in the Islami c syst em, represent
source of ul1justified advantage. The Qur ' an
forbids its followers to each other 's property
wrongfully:
"And cat up another's property
givc bribery to the judges [before
case] that eat part of the of
(2:188)
Usury repres ents the high est of eating up others'
prop erty lInlawflllly. It is only source ofgreat injustice
also of mi sall ocation of resources, errati c growth,
economic instability and of other

I YOllSllf Ali, The Qu,. 'dn: Eng/ish ofthe Meanings and
King Fahd Holy 'an Print ing 1990, 785-6.
Tmvmds Just System,

at the Beauty
Islam aims to establish justice and eradicate exploitation in
its forrns. Usurious transactions also spoil human
due to the they incur debtors. They also
give rise to of people who
to their society. Whereas legitimate trade
which the Qur' the
prosperity and the stability of
usury definitely encourages culture of
fruitless, parasites selfish people who will do
harrn to their societies than good. The Qur '<1n says:
eat will except as
tlle l1i s to
is say, 'Trade is like
, AlIa!l 11as permitted trade
after
tlleir Lord, dcsist sl1a1l past; tllCir
case is [to jLldge] ;
d\vellers thc will abide
(2 :275)
"AlIa!l wi11 deprive will give
deeds of lovcs
(2:276)
believe! give wllat
of for if i\1(.ieed
believers . lf do it take war
His it'
capital
sl1all 110t dcalt wi tl1lll1jllstly." (2:278-9)
Beycrages
Islam prohibits all sorts of alcoholic beverages and labels
them "the root of all evil" of the evil they cause.
The Qur'an says:
believe!
to
Escl1CW
tl1<1t (5:90)
all ofintoxicants, Islam aims at
and [eliable society of dependencies. It
wants the individuals in the society to keep theiI" sobriety
and soundness of mind, their from
and exorbitant expenses and their purity
and good
Those addicted to such contemptible beverages to first
of all to If they in theiI" evil actions,
which affect society negatively, they will then subjected
to the punishment of public whipping, which serves as
to
,,jol
Islam makes it foI" to women and
vice in conduct. imitation of
96
the opposite sex in dress, movements the way of speaking
is l1ndol1bted!y manifest diversion what is right and
ofsl1ch forms ofperversion in the of
civilization and progress, in societies has triggered
socia! , and physical diseases.
ls!am wants its followers to adhere to the principles
dictated its For is created in
other words innocent, true and inclined to right
It is the network of perversion prevalent in tlle
environment into which is that affects this
of lslam and away it,
false, and what is wrong harmful. It
def1ects the worship the God. The
Prophet says :
c11ild is tl1e Fi"'ah, in state of
[i .e., It is his who convert him
to JLldaism, Christ ianity Magial1ism. Read, ifso you
will , Verse : 'So set truly to thc religion of
lslamic monothcism, thc in which
has created mankincl: No change let il1 the
religion of That is the straig11treligion, most
among mankind know not .' (30:30)"
lslam to this crookedness and to restore hurnan
to its right original
Avoidance ofThings 110t
sho111d not which does not
him. The Prophet says:
"
sign of 's good Fai tl1 is does not
engage 111 tl1at Wl1icll cloes not t

Muslims, seem to ha ve neglected the
thi s beautiful saying. they to act
this Hadith , would certainly avoid
disputes and
Severing ofBlood Relationship
Another beautiful aspect of lslam is t11at it prohibits
the severing of ties of blood The Qur'an
says :
" And All ah throLlgl1 WllOl11
[rights] , and [do 110t sever the
wOl11bs [i.e., k insh ip]." (4: 1)
The says in thi s connection:
WllO severs tl1C of will not

\VllO believes Allfll1 Last
ties f and Muslim) .
Social Vices
l sl am also prohibits backbiting, spying, lying,
betrayal and such ignoble traits. There numerous
to these in the and the Sunnah [the
traditions of the few ofthem.
The Qur ' an says:
icve! Let 110t some
it
than the let women dcricle womcn: il
(lcCal11c
inslIlt Bad
is cviJ 01'
Faith; and tl10SC WI10 repcnt not tllC
WJ10 bclicvc! Avoid as [as
possibIc]; cascs is spy
backbitc OllC WOllld to
cat tllC flCSJl of'lli s dcad
WOllld loathc it. AlIaJl . AllaJl is
Oft-Retuming, (49: 11 , 12)
"VeriJy, to back tJle
to to (4:58)
11elp ill sil1 311d
(5:2)
The Prophet says:
dcsc\1 do
to\vards (10 1101 of OllC
sJaves ot'Allall , It is lawt\.\1
10give 1011is
days." im)
WI10 gocs willl will
MlIslim)
is Cl101lgl1 Ilimself wllen
gocs 11C ( Mus/im)
is WllOSC Ml1slims
sa /-Bukl/(zl"i Mus/im)
ot' jllst as
tllc
of is tlle
falsc tales." /-Buk//{/,"i and Mus/im)
"lt is cvil look dowll Ilis
(Mus/im)
Glil11pse at the Beauty of Islal11
100
These few examples of the beauty of Islam. Islam
liberated the ignorant, ruthless Arabs from oppressing
another, united their ranks, refined their manners, delivered
them from evil, tumed them into civilized and cultivated
nation after they had tom with civil and tribal feuds and
dissension. When they dedicated themselves completely to
the Truth and stood it, theiI" was in of
few Islam
says:
"And remember with gratitude Favor

for were enemies and joined your hearts
;;:j
()
love, so that is

tl1e brink of tl1e pit of Fire, and saved
it. does make His signs clear to
gtlided." (3: 103)
to were small deemed
weak tlHougl1 the afraid migl1t
despoil provided safe place
for wit}1 His aid, and gave
good things for might
grateful ." (8:26)
101
Islam's enemies get closer to it and it wittingly
unwitting1y because it is the truth Their
inventions, science and technology only serve to testi[y that
Islam is beyond shadow doubt true religion. The
says:
will We SllOW in the
jn themselves, it becomes to
that tllis is tlle truth.ls it that Lord doe s
witness things?" (41 :53)
the true religion Allah, Islam will wane
despite the all-out attacks 1eveled against it. Its Divine light
will to people's hearts and souls, deliver
them evil, and spread justice and The Qur'an
says:
is to A1Jall'S Light witll
their But will complete Hi s Light
t1101Igh t11e disbeli evers detest [it] ." (61 :8)
102
The draws the dead
the
make tlle clead [i.e.,
to you tlle deafto
tllC call, wllcn show tllcir backs away.
NoI" 1ead back blincl tlleir
You to thosc WllO bclieve in
[tl1eil" will to (30:52-3)
WllO was dead [as Ofllis disbclicf] and
We gave Ili1l1 1ifc and ligllt
walks likc WllO is in
deptlls darkncss disbe1ic[]
(6: 122)
of A]]al1's creation realized
way who to aHow
to ms But if out of
kill tl1e facu1ty, wmcl1 Allah them,
110w How the trutl1 sllch
people who theiI" backs and stubboml y to
at al1? Thollgh l1ave seemingly the
faculties of and they so deadened
them that those facll1ties do not function, and they go
l1eadlong
and
WllCrC\vitll cycs
see not,-
Ilccd1css ones." (7: 179)
Glirnpse at the Beauty of Islarn
103

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