THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM
The most important message of Islam is the absolute Unity of God-that there is only One Supreme Being who has no partners and is not dependent on anyone or anything. He is the creator of everything and the whole universe is under His control. Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the essence of worship, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah. In essence, Islam calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. Allah is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. Hence prayers to the non-living such as the sun, fire, and to humans whether they be Jesus, Moses or even Muhammad are rejected, as Allah informs us in the opening chapter of the Qur'an, known as Soorah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:
"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help."
A Muslim believes that Allah and His creation are distinctly different
entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him. Ultimately, it is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation. Islam, hence, is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form.
THE MIRACLE OF QUR'AN
"And if you are in doubt as to what We [Allah] have revealed…then produce a Soorah (chapter) like thereunto"(Soorah Baqarah 2:23)
This was the challenge put forth by Allah in the Qur'an 1400 years ago. As of yet, none has or will ever come close to meeting this challenge. Hence, as a result, multitudes throughout the centuries have believed and continue to believe in the Qur'an as a revelation beyond any human capacity. Modern scientists, for instance, have been amazed by the accuracy of scientific information presented in the Qur'an.
Here are just a few examples:
In his book of embryology-'The Developing Human' [W.B. Saunders Publishing, 1982], Dr. Keith Moore added a whole chapter to discuss the scientific accuracy of the Quranic discussion of this science. Another eminent scientist, Dr. Maurice Bucaille wrote in his book-'The Bible, the Qur'an and Science':
"I could not find a single error in the Qur'an…if a man was the author of the Qur'an how could he have written facts in the 7th century A.D. that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific knowledge"
Facts about astronomy, the animal world and other natural phenomenon, that were alien to modern science not long ago, are scattered among the messages of Allah's Unity and His Attributes throughout the miracle that is known as al-Qur'an.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER RELIGIONS
There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path to Allah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various religions, and identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly.
False religions all have in common one basic concept concerning Allah: they either claim that all human beings are gods or that specific individuals were Allah or that nature is Allah or that Allah is a figment of man's imagination. For example, Prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship Allah but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was Allah while Jesus himself would deny this as Allah says in the Qur'an:
"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 [Jesus] will say-"Glory to You I could never say what I had no right (to say')" (Soorah Al-Maa'idah- 5:116)
Even though false religions might teach some good things, they all, however, teach the greatest evil- the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation, which is the worship of Allah as explained in the following verses:
"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes" (Soorah An- Nisaa 4:48 and 116)
"I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship me" (Soorah Zaareeyaat 51:56)
WHY SHOULD I BE A MUSLIM
Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true religion of Allah must be universally understandable and attainable, not confined to any people, place or time. Within the central principle of Islam and in its definition, lies the roots of lslam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that Allah is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to Allah, he becomes a Muslim and is eligible for paradise. This is the essence and the corner-stone of Islam:
"Laa Elaaha lllallaah" (There is no god worthy of worship except Allah)
Its repetition and the sincere belief in it automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and guarantees one Paradise. Thus, the final prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one who says: there is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise." (Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
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