Mar
30
By: Ibrahim Machiwala
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Approximate Word Count: 804
According to Webster’s dictionary knowledge is defined as familiarity gained through experience or association.” Or in other way we can say to know something is knowledge.
In today’s world acquiring knowledge is of great importance and if an individual wishes to progress in this world he must struggle to acquire knowledge as much as possible.
Importance of acquiring knowledge is also being emphasized by Islam because Islam is the religion of knowledge. The first ayah of the Qur’an to be revealed is the key to knowledge. Allah (SWT) says:
“Read! In the Name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not” [al-‘Alaq 96:1-5] Allah (SWT) created man and also provided him with the tools for acquiring knowledge, namely hearing, sight and wisdom. Because of the importance of knowledge, Allah (SWT) commanded His Messenger to seek more of it. Allah (SWT) says:
“And say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge? [Ta-Ha 20:114]
Islam calls us to seek knowledge. The Prophet (PBUH) made seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim, and he explained that the superiority of the one who has knowledge over the one who merely worships is like the superiority of the moon over every other heavenly body.
After Prophet Mohammad the original Abbasids, ruling as Caliphs in Baghdad, set up academies and libraries where new knowledge was honored– independent of its source. The Fatimids then continued this tradition. The best example is the formation of Al-Azhar University. Besides university Fatmid’s worked die heartedly on acquiring new knowledge and descending that knowledge to others. Then after 1000 years of formation of Al Azhar; His Highness Prince Karim Aga khan formulated Aga Khan University to continue the tradition of acquiring and descending knowledge. Besides university, Aga Khan Academic Programs of AKDN are formulating schools to enhance thirst for knowledge in people since childhood.
His highness in his speech in Hyderabad in 2006 said “In such a world, the most important thing a student can learn is the ability to keep on learning.”
His highness once in his speech at American University 2006 stated the words of Hazrat Ali that “No honor is like knowledge. No belief is like modesty and patience, no attainment is like humility, no power is like forbearance, and no support is more reliable than consultation.” His highness further explained it by saying What He (Hazrat Ali) thus is telling us, is that we find knowledge best by admitting first what it is we do not know, and by opening our minds to what others can teach us.
So since the emergence of Islam till the time of our 49th Imam acquiring knowledge and descending it others is always being emphasized now the question arises why is it so, its because history gives evidence that progress is made only when people had desire to acquire knowledge. Therefore in past Muslims had made glorious and marvelous achievements in almost every field of scientific knowledge including Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Social Sciences; because a person without knowledge is like someone walking along a track in complete darkness. Most likely his steps will wander aside and he can be deceived easily. This shows that our greatest danger lies in our ignorance of acquiring knowledge. But if we are blessed with the light of knowledge we will be able to see plainly the clear path at every step of our lives. We shall also be able to identify and avoid the dangerous paths that effects mankind.
If Knowledge is pursued and practiced with modesty and humility it leads to beauty and dignity, freedom and justice. Because knowledge is only the first step and it was being clearly explained in speech of his highness at American university in 2006 that “Accessing knowledge is only the first step. The second step–the application of knowledge, is also demanding. Knowledge, after all, can be used well or poorly —for good or evil purposes. Once we have acquired knowledge, it is important that the ethical guidelines of faith be invoked, helping us apply what we have learned to the highest possible ends. And it is also important that those ends be related to the practical needs of our peoples.”
Additionally acquiring knowledge brings us closer to God and God’s creations that is this planet and living things residing in this planet and the other planets in the universe and many more.
Lastly, the rationale of acquiring knowledge given by Islam is to gain the good of this world, not to destroy it through wastage, arrogance and in the reckless pursuit of higher standards of material comfort. In the end, Goethe once said that “Knowing is not enough; we must apply!”.
Sumaira Sachwani is an professional nurse (BSCN), her interest in writing articles has provided a special place between young Ismaili scholars (http://www.nizariismaili.com/), The theories belong to the reality and our lives. She is very much honest with her cultural responsibilities. For more about her research must Visit http://www.update.pk/.
Mar
18
What Is The Basic Concept of Islam?
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Islam teaches us that this life is a life of worship. We are placed on this earth in order to worship Allah and obey His command. During this earthly life we are subjected to a series of trials. We have the option of enduring these trials and conforming to certain laws, and our reward will be great in the next life, or we may decline to endure these trials and choose to not conform to the law, then we will be made to regret it in the next life.
Each person will be solely and completely responsible for their own final reward. We are also told that God has designed these laws to make this life a better, safer, and more tolerable one for us. If we elect to conform to them then we will see the result in this life even before moving on to the next.
We are told that the earthly life is a life of faith and work, and the next life is one of reward and no work. We have been placed on this earth to worship God, fast, pray, be industrious, good, kind, respectful, and a source of uprightness and morality. We are told that God has no need of our worship. Our worship can not increase the kingdom of God nor add to His power, however, it is in our best interests both in this life and the next that we do.
Unlike some other religions which claim that God entered in a covenant with a certain group of people and that this group is genetically better than all other human beings, or closer to God, Islam on the other hand teaches that no color, race, tribe, or lineage is better than any other. Islam teaches that all humans are equal in the sight of Allah and that the only thing that can distinguish them in His sight is their piety and worship.
“O humankind! Verily! We have created you from a male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily! the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily! Allah is The Knower, The Aware.” The noble Qur’an, Al-Hujrat(49):13.
Mar
18
What Are The Pillars of Islam?
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Islam is built upon five major pillars. A Muslim is taught that anyone who dies observing these five basic pillars will enter heaven. As mentioned, they are:
(1) To bear witness that there is no entity worthy of worship except Allah(God) alone, and that Muhammad (pbuh) was His messenger. This establishes obedience to God Almighty alone.
(2) To perform five prescribed prayers to God every day according to a specific prescribed method and at specific prescribed times. This continually reminds us to bear God in mind in all actions, either before or after any given prayer.
(3) To pay two and a half percent (2.5%) of ones wealth to charity every year if their savings exceed a certain minimum level which is considered above the poverty level. (This is the basic concept, the actual calculation is a little more complex).
(4) To fast the month of Ramadhan (from the Islamic Lunar calendar) every year from sun rise until sunset. This involves not eating, drinking, or having marital relations, from sun rise until sun set.
(5) To perform a pilgrimage to Makkah (in the Arabian Peninsula) once in a Muslim’s lifetime if it is financially possible and their health permits. During this period, Muslims come from all over the world to join together for six days in a prescribed set of acts of worship. All Muslim men are mandated to wear the same garment which was designed to be very plain, simple, and cheap to obtain.
Mu’ad ibn Jabal said: I said to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him): Inform me about an act which would entitle me to enter into Paradise, and distance me from the Hell-Fire. He (the Prophet) said:
“You have asked me about a matter [which ostensibly appears to be] difficult but it is easy for those for whom Allah, the Exalted, has made it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with him, establish prayer, pay the Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadhan and perform Hajj to the House (Ka’aba).” (Narrated by Ahmed, al-Tirmathy, and ibn Majah)
Apr
13
Signs Of God
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Throughout people’s lives, from childhood until the time they die, signs of the one and only true God are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). God says
in the Quran “We will show them our signs In the furthest regions (of the earth) and in their souls, until it becomes clear to them that
this is the truth.” [Quran 41:53]The following is an example of God revealing by a sign to one man the error of his idol-worship. In the south-eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their man-idol Skwatch,
representing the supreme God of all creation. The following day a young man entered the hut to pay homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog slunk
into the hut. The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift his hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple; but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the
Universe. God must be elsewhere, he concluded. As strange as it may seem, the dog urinated on the idol was a sign from God for that young man. This sign contained the divine message that what he was worshipping was false. It liberated from
slavishly following his traditionally learned worship of a false god. As a result, this man was given a choice: either to seek the true god or to continue in the error of his ways. Allah mentions Prophet Abraham’s quest for God as an example of
how those who follow His signs will be rightly guided.
“So also did we show Abraham the power and the Laws of the heavens and the earth that he might (with understanding) have certitude.
When the night covered him over, he saw a star. He said: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he said: ‘I love not those that set’
When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when the moon set, he said: ‘Unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.’
When he saw the rising sun in splendor, he said:
‘This is my Lord this is the greatest (of all).’ But when the sun set, he said; ‘O my people I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah.
For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah”
[Quran 6:75-79]
Prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man’s natural belief in God and man’s in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by God. Although much of these prophets’ teachings became distorted, portions revealing their God-inspired messages have remained untainted and have served to guide mankind in the choice between right and wrong. The influence of God-inspired messages down through the ages can be seen in the “Ten Commandments” of Judaism’s Torah which were later adopted into Christianity’s teachings, as well as in the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies throughout the ancient and modern world. As a result of God’s signs to mankind through the ages combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recognize the one only true God. Consequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in God and its acceptance of the true religion of God, namely Islam, which means total submission to the will of Allah.
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Apr
12
Recognition Of God
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All people be expected to believe in the one true God, given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be held responsible for worshipping the one true God, they all need to have access to knowledge of Him. The final revelation teaches that all humans being have the recognition of the one true God imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created. In the seventh chapter of the Qur’an (Al-A’raaf, verses 172-173), God explained that when He created Adam He caused all of Adam’s descendants to come into existence and He took a pledge from them saying:
“‘Am I not your Lord?’ To which they all replied, ‘Yes, we testity to it’”
Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and the only true God worthy of worship. He said:
“That was in case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, ‘Verily we were unaware of all this’”
[Qur'an 7:172]
That is to say, we cannot claim on that day that we had no idea that Allah, was our God and that no one told us that we were only supposed to worship Allah alone. Allah went on to further explain that:
“It was also in case you should say, ‘Certainly it was our ancestors who made partners (with Allah) and we are only their descendants; will you then destroy us for what those liars did?’”
[Qur'an 7:173]
Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in God and an in-born inclination to worship Him alone. This in-born belief and inclination is called in Arabic the Fitrah. The Prophet Muhammad reported that Allah said, “I created my servants in the right religion, but devils made them go astray.” The Prophet also said, “Each child is born in a state of Fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian.” If the child were left alone, he would worship God in his own way, but all children are affected by the environment. So, just as the child submits to the physical laws, which Allah has imposed on nature, in the same way his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, if his parents try to make him follow a different path, the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. In such cases, the religion, which the child follows, is one of custom and upbringing, and God does not hold him to account or punish him for his religion up to a certain stage of his life. Source:
Apr
12
God And Creation
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Since the total submission of one’s will to God represents the essence of worship, the basic message of God’s divine religion, Islam, is the worship of God alone. It also requires the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than God. Since everything other than God, the creator of all the things, is God’s creation, it may be said that Islam, in essence, calls man away from worship of creation and invites him to worship only his Creator. He is the only one deserving of man’s worship, because it is only by His will that prayers are answered. Accordingly, if a man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it is not the tree which answers his prayers but God, who allows the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, “That is obvious”. However, to tree-worshippers, it might not be so. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna or Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them, but are answered by God. Jesus did not tell his followers to worship him but to worship God, as the Quran states:
“And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say to men, worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah?, He will say: “Glory to you, I could never say what I had no right (to say).”
[Quran 5:118]
It is worth emphasizing that the basic message of Islam (namely, the worship of God alone) also proclaims that God and His creation are distinctly different entities. God is neither equal to His creation nor a part of it, nor is His creation equal to Him or a part of Him. This might seem obvious, but man’s worship of creation, instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance, or neglect, of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of God is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some parts of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of God’s creation and naming it the worship of God. However, the message of Islam, as brought by the prophets of God, is to worship only God and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly.
In the Qu’an God clearly states:
“For we assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command Worship Me and avoid false Gods.”
[Quran 16:36]
When idol worshippers are questioned as to why they bow down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but God who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for God’s essence and is not in itself God! One who has accepted the concept of God being present in any way within His creation will be obliged to accept this argument for idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never agree to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that God is present in man. Taking one step further, they claim that God is more present in them than in the rest of us, and that other humans should therefore submit to them and worship them as God in person or as God concentrated within their persons. Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their deaths have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God’s presence in man. It should be abundantly clear by now that one who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstance. God’s religion, in essence, is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam: Source:
Apr
12
A True Religion
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Each person is born in a circumstance which is not of his own choosing. The religion of his family or the ideology of the
state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. By the time he reaches his teens, he is
usually fully brain-washed into believing that the beliefs of his particular society are the correct beliefs that everyone
should have. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other belief-systems, they begin to question the validity
of their own beliefs.
The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that each and every religion,
sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man. Indeed, they all encourage people to do
good. So, which one is right? They cannot all be right since each claims all others are wrong. Then how does the seeker
of truth choose the right way?. God gave us all minds and intellects to enable us to make this crucial decision. It is the
most important decision in the life of a human being. Upon it depends his future, Consequently, each and every one of us
must examine dispassionately the evidence presented and choose what appears to be right until further evidence arises. Like
every other religion or philosophy, Islam also claims to be the one and only true way to God. In this respect it is no
different from other systems.
This booklet intends to provide some evidence for the validity of that claim. However, it
must always be kept in mind that one can only determine the true path by putting aside emotions and prejudices, which
often blind us to reality. Then, and only then, will we be able to use our God-given intelligence and make a rational and
correct decision.
There are several arguments, which may be advanced to support Islam’s claim to be the true religion of God. The following are only three of the most obvious. The first argument is based on the divine origin of the names of the religion and the comprehensiveness of its meaning. The second deals with the unique and uncomplicated teachings concerning the relationship between God, man, and creation. The third argument derives from the fact that Islam is universally attainable by all men at all times. The significance of the name Islam (submission to God), Islam’s fundamental acknowledgment of the uniqueness of God and Islam’s accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support Islam’s claim that from the beginning of time in whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone has been, and will be the true religion of God.
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