Spirituality
World Religions — Islam
The most misinterpreted religion in the world.
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh
I greet you all with the warmest Islamic greetings of peace and blessings. May Allah’s mercy and blessings always be up on you.
Ladies and gentlemen, a few months ago, I picked up the vast sphere of world religions and studied them with keen interest and love. This subject that I had stayed away from for years, seemed like the only subject I should read and learn. Of course, this is just my opinion.
Growing up, I was a very religious person and in many ways, it has helped. But I lacked back then was the understanding of who God really is. Honestly, I was just living under the false pretence that whatever the elders and society preached as the truth about God was the ultimate truth that I need to believe. It was until recently when I sat down and focussed and feeding my soul that I came across the truth about the Almighty.
Like all other religions of the world, Islam too caught my interest. But it was the only religion that kept me intrigued at each level of knowledge. Thanks to the negative comments and notions that are spread all over the world, unfortunately, I, too, believed that there was something wrong with the beliefs and customs of this religion.
Oh, boy! I couldn't have been more wrong!
From watching a 5-minute long video to a 2-hour long lecture on Islam, I spent my days and nights for months together until my soul had found the food it lacked. These months turned out to be the most beautiful months of my life because for once, I felt like I had a purpose. My quench was knowledge was growing and rooting itself deep inside my chest. And each day, I would retire to bed knowing that there was a divine power who was looking after me.
The true sense of happiness and pride gushed into my heart when I came across these wordings — “And rely upon Allah, and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.” (Qur’an 33:03)
When all else fails, most people dig themselves into a spiral of sadness, anger, spite and envy. As humans, we often don't realise the negative outcome of such feelings. It not only affects your mind it also gradually starts eating up your physical health. People end up suffering from chronic disorders thanks to stress and ill-management of feelings.
We sure don't want to be a part of it, do we?
All praises are due to God. Before I could dive into negative thinking, He gifted me with the blessing of understanding world religions (especially Islam) and ultimately understanding who He truly is.
In this article, my intention is to spread the beauty of Islam and in no way hurt or disrespect anyone’s emotions and beliefs. Islam has opened up many doors of peace for me and I would like to share a few teachings with you all. Like any other religion, it is filled with love and harmony.
Islam means to wholly and fully submit to the will of God. In short, it is a way of thinking good even in bad situations. That is, be grateful no matter what because God is the source of all good and every situation has a reason though we might not understand now. And by being in a state of gratitude, I have experienced peace and calmness that I never have. I agree it’s not easy to say thank you in every situation, but when you learn that God is the All-wise being and someone Who knows what is best for us, it becomes easier. Islam also simply means peace. And for me, it is the only source of peace these days. Alhamdulillah.
The history of Islam is beautiful in so many ways. No matter how many times I read, it does something to my heart. Islam is a monotheistic religion that was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) in 610 CE in the holy city of Makkah. For Muslims, Islam is not a new religion, rather it is the continuation of all the traditions that believe and gratify the oneness of God. In other words, it is an Abrahamic religion.
We all have a perception of God in our minds. Some ideas are the lessons that we have learned from family, some from the society we live in, and some from the research and books we have read.
But what does the Qur’an (the holy book of Muslims) tell us about God? Here is a surah (chapter) from the Qu’ran which tells us about Allah (God). It is one of my favourite surahs as it has the essence of who God is and how powerful He is.
Before we dive in, it is worth mentioning that in the Arabic language, Allah means The God (Al-Ilah).
Who is Allah?
During the time of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the pagan Arabs asked him a simple yet powerful question — Who is God? Describe him.
After a few days, a revelation was sent down to the prophet (peace be upon him) in the form of “Surah Al-Ikhlas” (the sincerity) which is the 112th chapter of the Holy Qur’an.
BISMILLAH AR-RAHMAN AR-RAHEEM
In the name of Allah, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One, (112:1)
Allah, the Eternal Refuge. (112:2)
He neither begets nor is born, (112:3)
Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (112:4)
Allah is the only God, He is self-sufficient and He is the lord of the worlds. He is independent and He is free of all wants and needs. He has no children and nor was He born of anyone. And there is no one equivalent to Him.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to end by saying that I consider this a great blessing that God decided that I write a tiny article about Him and spread the beautiful message. I couldn’t have asked for more. I am truly grateful.
Allah Hafiz (God protect you.)
