Islam - the only way of Life

By: Iftikhar Islam

Islam, submitting ones will to Almighty God, is the way of Life (i.e. Religion) accepted and approved by Almighty Allah.¹ There is only one way to attain salvation by following the approved way of Allah (swt). 

There is not a slightest confusion in Islam being superior to all the other ways of Life. We cannot we even compare the religion sent by Almighty Allah to those who are confused, concocted, fabricated and continuously changing? Allah says in no less than three different places in the Glorious Quran “It is He who has sent the Messenger with Guidance and RELIGION of truth so that it may prevail or all the other religions”² making it very clear that the way of life Allah has sent is very superior and saying we don’t consider the way of Allah superior to the other ways is absurd and rejection of the ayaat.

Furthermore, again Allah made it clear by saying “whoever brings Religion other than Islam will be rejected in the hereafter.”³ It is quite clear that there are many religions that exist in the world and Islam is distinctive from all the other ways of life which are man made or interpolated.

If we understand the simple rule of Islam and follow it accordingly, then, In'sha'Allah, it will be clear for all of us to understand and follow it. “If the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) had a chance of doing anything and they don’t do it, then it is compulsory upon us not to do the same – when it comes to religion.”⁴ Do we find any companion of the Prophet twisting the words and presenting it to the world?

The Messenger of Allah clearly presented the truth even when there was a threat of losing his life. When his own uncle asked him to compromise, he (peace be upon him) replied as the mightiest Messenger had to reply and said “O my uncle, if they (Polytheists of Mecca) keep sun in my right hand and moon in my left, even then I don’t stop preaching.”⁵ This incident clearly shows that the Prophet was very clear in his message and claimed superiority over the other ways. If he did not claim superiority of Islam over everything else, then why the polytheists of Mecca wanted him to compromise his preaching?

When we don’t find the companions twisting the sentences to spread Islam, then we need to follow them even when it comes to way they have conveyed the message of Islam. Our job is to deliver the message clearly⁶ and fear Allah of being trapped in the verse which says "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!⁷

Islam is unique in many ways. Few of them are as follows:

The Glorious Quran:

This unique book of Islam has no doubt in it.⁸ It is the word of God Almighty. It asks its readers to bring out a single error and contradiction in it.⁹ It is the only book which claims to be from Almighty Allah.¹º It is the only book which challenges its readers. It is the only book which outruns all falsification tests.¹¹ It is the only book which conveys the clear purpose of its arrival.¹² Do we have a slightest confusion of its superiority? 

The Ahaadeeths:

Even the orientalists agree to the care taken in compilations of the Prophetic Hadeeths. Allah has guaranteed the protection of His book and the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him).¹³ The way companions memorised even Ahaadeeths of the Prophet. The way Muhaddeteen collected and preserved it. It is a miracle in itself.

No other religion has had the ability to protect its scriptures. The Bible gets revised time to time. Puranas are not authenticated. All of them lack their roots. They either don’t know the language in which it is written or they don’t know the person who brought or they don’t know when and where it came into existence. 

Fiqh:

It is the only religion who gives the beautiful formulae of understanding the religion. There might be inventions and discoveries in the world, this religion is always ready to take a stand on it. It has its perspective of saying. It has the unique nature of solving the problems which are likely to occur until the day of Judgement.

Solution:

Islam has given the world the much needed solution from God Almighty; right from preventing crimes like theft and robbery to rape, from fornication to homosexuality, from interest economy to corruption. Not only the material need of this world but it also has given the solution for the spiritual world, right form biddah to Shirk, hypocrisy to Apostasy. 

No other religion has even come closer to the solutions Islam has given to the humanity. The ruler has the guidance of ruling. The trader has the guidance of trading; the leader has the guidance of leadership and what not! You think about the field and you will get the solution here.

Islam produced great mathematicians, scientists, zoologists, and the list goes on. Islam made them shine and sparkle when the western society was in dark ages.

In no way, not even in a single aspect, Islam comes closer to other ways of Life. The way shown by the Creator is far superior to man made. There is no comparison, isn’t it?

References:

1. [Glorious Quran, Surah Ale Imran (3):19]

2. [Glorious Quran, Surah Tauba (9): 33, Surah Fatah (48):28, Surah Saff (61): 9]

3. [Glorious Quran, Suran Ale Imran (3): 85]

4. [Explaination by Shaykh Abu Zayd Zameer in Milaad series]

5. [IbnHisham 1/265-266; and Dala’il An-Nubuwwah by Al-Baihaqi, 2/188] [The Sealed Nectar, 86]

6. [Surah Ghashiya (88):21]

7. [Surah Kahf (18):104]

8. [Surah Baqarah (2):2]

9. [Surah Nisa (4): 82]

10. [Surah (44):1-3, 97:1, Surah Baqarah (2):185]

11. [Surah Baqarah (2):23-24]

12. [Surah Baqarah (2): 2, 185]

13. [Surah Hijr (15): 9]