ISLAM ITS CONCEPTS AND MEANINGS:

Islam is the example of the code of life which God, the Creator and Lord of the universe has
revealed for the guidance of mankind. All of its teachings are pleasantly conceived and to
complement each other, nothing is surplus and nothing is lacking. With the result of solid
composure and absolute balance its teachings and postulates both create a strong and long
lasting impression on both believers and non-believers. It is a religion which purely provides
guidance for each and every aspect of mankind and the universe.
Man requires two significant things for the proper development of his existence. He requires
resources to maintain life and fulfill the needs of both the individual and the society.
Secondly he must attain the knowledge regarding the principles of individual and social
behavior which enables him maintain justice and tranquility in human life. The Lord of the
universe had provided for both of these in full measure. In order to cater for the individual
needs of man God has provided nature with all kinds of resources which lie at the disposal
of man. To provide for his spiritual, social and cultural needs He has raised His prophets
from among men and revealed to them the code of life which can guide man's steps to the
right path. This code of life is known as Islam, the religion preached by all the prophets of
God. According to the Holy Quran,
"He has ordained for you (O Muhammad) that faith which He commended to Noah and that
which he commended to Abraham, Moses and Jesus saying, "Establish the Faith and be not
divided therein".
Thus all of the Prophets were the messengers from God who have been revealed the real
truth regarding the existence of this universe and who were assigned the task to guide men
to the right path. All of them gave the same message and all of them stood for the same
cause, Islam.
As it has been stressed in Quran,
" O you who beleive! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and make not your deeds vain".
THE MEANING OF ISLAM:
Islam,an arabic word which denotes submission, surrender, and pure obedience of Allah.
The literal meaning of the word is 'peace' which signifies the most vital aspect of the islamic
religion that a person can acheive the true tranquility of both heart and mind only through
his obedience of one God who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and the Sustainer of the
universe. Such a life with obedience can also help in the establishment of peace and
harmony among the members of the society. As Quran says,
"Mankind is a single nation. So Allah raised Prophets as bearers of good news and as
warners, and He revealed with them the book with truth, that it might judge between
people concerning that in which they differed. And none but the very people who were given
it, differed about it after clear arguments had come to them, envying one another. So Allah
has guided by His will those who believe to the truth about which they differed. And Allah
guides whom he pleases to the right path " [2:213]
According to the Quran ,
"Those who believe and whose heart find rest in the remembrance of Allah -indeed it is in
the thought of Allah alone that the heart of man really finds rest-those who believe and act

righteously ,joy is for them and a blissful home to return to."

This message was preache by all the prophets of God, who showed men the right way of
life. But man veered away from this path again and again and also distorted the code of
guidence which prophets had bequeathed. That is why other prophets were sent to restate
the original message and guide man to the right path. The last of these prophets was
Muhammad (PBUH) who presented God's guidance in its final form and arranged to
preserve it for all the time. It is this guidance which is known as "Al Islam" and is enshrined
in the Quran and is the live example of the Prophet (PBUH).
BASIC CONCEPT OF ISLAM:
The basic Islamic concept is based on Tauheed and the belief that Muhammad (PBUH) is the
last prophet sent by God as a messenger to guide and teach the mankind to the right path.
The belief of Tauheed is a revolutionary concept and constitutes the essence of the
teachings of Islam. It means that there is only One Supreme Lord of the universe who is the
sustainer of mankind. His presence and governess can be felt if we observe the scattered
stars in the infinite space, the harmony of seasons, the vast panorama of nature with its
charm and beauty all point towards one fact that this system of universe is being governed
by only one God who has created all of the things around us. Truly Allah said,
"O,Mankind worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, so that you may
ward off evil. Who has appointed the earth a resting place for you, the sky a canopy? and
who causes water to pour down from the heavens ,thereby producing fruits as food for you?
So do not setup rivals to Allah ,when you know better".
The second part of the Islamic belief signifies that God has not left any man without any
guidance for the conduct of his life. He has made revelations to his prophets who further
became apostles of God and guided men towards the teachings of Allah. The Quran said,
"Every Messenger who was sent by Us was sent for the purpose that he should be obeyed
under the sanction of Allah."
The third and very significant postulate of the Islamic concept is the belief in the life
hereafter.
The world according to Islam is a place of trial and man is accountable for whatever deeds
he performs in this world. It will be in life after death that man will be rewarded or punished
for his deeds and misdeeds. Those who live in the present world a life in complete obedience
to God will enjoy eternal bliss and those who disobey his commands will have to suffer for
his misdeeds in the life of eternity.
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY:
SIMPLICITY:
Islam's as a religion is simple as it is free from superstitions and irrational beliefs. The unity
of God, the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) and the concept of life after death are the
beasic articles of this faith. All the teachings of Islam follow from these three articles and
are based on sound logic and reason. In Islam there is no hierarchy of priests, no farfetched

abstractions, no complicated rites and rituals and everybody can translate the book of God
and dictates it into practice.
RATIONALISM:
Islam enjoins man to see things in the light of reality. It teaches man to use his intellect and
observe as well as understand the real meanings of the presence of the things around him.
The Prophet of Islam said,
"He who leaves his home in the search of some knowledge walks in the path of God."
Quran advised man to pray, "O, my Lord! Advance me in Knowledge"
Muhammad (PBUH) also stressed regarding the attainment of knowledge in the following
words,
"To seek knowledge is obligatory for mankind."
Islam appreciates the intellectual activites of man to such a degree as to place him above
the angels. No other religion went ever so far in asserting the dominance of reason and ,of
learning above all other manifestations of life. As Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also asserted
in the following words,
"If anybody goes on his way in search of knowledge, God will make easy for him the way to
Paradise."
And also,
"The superiority of a learned man over a mere worshipper is like the supeiority of the moon
on a night when it is full over all other stars."
Thus from the above mentioned hadith's it can be vividly understood that Islam as a religion
teaches rational approach towards life.
PRACTICAL:
Islam, as a religion is not based on empty or futile theories. In fact it intensely educates in
attaining a practical approach towards one's existence both as an individual and as a social
being. It says that Islam is not a mere profession of beliefs, it is the essence of life. It is a
religion which is something to be lived and not an object of mere lip service. The Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) said in this regard,
"God does not accept belief, if it is not expressed in deeds, and does not accept deeds, if
they do not conform to belief ".
Material prosperity in islam is desireable, though not the goal in itself. The goal of all our
practical activities always should be the creation and maintenece of both personal and social
conditions which can be helpful in the development of a moral stamina in man. In other
words, Islam leads man towards a conciousness of moral responsibility by his adoption of
practicality in his life.

UNITY BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT:

One of the unique characterisitics of Islam is that it does not divide life in water tight
compartments of matter and spirit. It is against asceticism and believes in the achievement
of spiritual elevation by living piously in this world with a complete sense of virtue and
morality instead of renouncing the world. Every individual Muslim has to regard himself as
personally responsible for all the happenings around him and to strive for the establishment
of Right and abolition of Wrong at every time and every direction. A sanction for this
attitude can be found in the verses of Quran,
"You are the best community that has been sent forth unto mankind: You enjoin the Right
and forbid the Wrong and you have faith in God."
Islam stresses again and again in the attainment of moderation and decency in all walks of
life. It's injunction is,
"Eat and drink but do not exceed".
The Holy Prophet said that,
"A Muslim who lives in the midst of the society and bears with patience and afflictions that
come to him is better than the one who shuns society and cannot bear any wrong done to
him."
Islam enjoins man to devote all his energies to the reconstruction of life on healthy and
moral foundations.It teaches that both moral and material powers can be welded together
and spiritual salvation can be acheived by using teh material resources for the betterment of
man in the service of just ends instead of runing away from the challenges of life.An
establishemnt of of a equilibrium is strongly desired by the religion of Islam between both
the material and spiritual aspects of life.
COMPLETE WAY OF LIFE:
Islam as a religion has a wide horizon and a scope. It is not only restricted to the private
matters and affairs concerning an individual rather it deals with all the fields of human
existence. It carries within its teachings a complete guidance concerning the individual and
social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and
international. It also clearly states that its objectives are the purification of the soul and the
reformation of the society. As Quran says,
"We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs and revealed with them the Scripture and
the Balance, that mankind may observe justice and the right measure."
Islam is a complete way of life as it integrates man with God, awakens in him a new moral
conciousness and invites him to deal with all problems of life in complete accordance with
his commitment to God.
UNIVERSALITY AND HUMANISM:
God in Islam is the God of all the world.In Islam there is no distinction on the basis of
colour,creed ,language or nationality.All men are equal in the eyes of Islam and it insits in
the removal of all the impediments on the basis of status,wealth and social status.
"O Lord! Lord of my life and of everything in the universe! I affirm that all human beings are
brothers to one another."

Islam wants to unite all the human race under one code of life and presents
a message of hope and a glorious future for its followers. According to Holy Prophet (PBUH),
"Respect God and be affectionate to the family of God."
Islam leads man to a unification of all aspects of life. Its a universal religion which stresses
on the equality of all human beings with basic equal rights for all. It is a dynamic belief and
a revolutionary doctrine. It means that all men are the creatures of one God .Discrimination
based on colour, class, race or territory is unfounded and illusionary. It is remnant of the
days of ignorance which chained men down to servitude. Humanity is one single family of
God and there can be no sanction for those barriers. Men are one and gives a revolutionary
concept of the unity of mankind.
DEEN AND MAZHAB
(differnence and concept that islam is not a religion or mazhub but a deen a complete code
of life.)
Meaning of Deen
Allah says
"Certainly, the religion (deen) with Allah is the submission (Islam) (to His Will and
guidance). Those who had been given the book (of laws) differed only after knowledge had
come to them, through transgression among themselves. Whoever rejects Allah (His
revealed verses), will certainly find Allah swift at reck**ing (will be punished).
This shows that the beliefs and the practices in life should be based on obedience of God's
guidance through revelations. The word deen is generally translated as religion, but actually
it means the beliefs of one about conducting affairs in life and the practices in accordance
with those beliefs in the society as a community and not only personally. Religion gives the
impression of belief in God and following Him without any concern with the society, but for
one's good in the life after death.
Whereas, in deen, we follow God's guidance in this life as a whole nation and expect the
rewards in this life as well as in the hereafter. Deen means obedience to God's laws, the true
faith, the religion (J. Penrice), moral laws (M. Asad). Hence, deen means a code of life given
by God, and religion means faith in God and His worship ritually, which has nothing to do
with man's actions in the society as a whole. Religion is defined as belief in God or gods,
divine powers to be obeyed and worshipped as a ruler or rulers, and the expression of such
a belief in conduct and ritual. It is also defined as a system of specific belief and worship
often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy such as humanism as a religion. For
religion the Arabic word is Mazhab (a way of living according to one's beliefs). But Deen
implies a code of life given by God, instead of human beings. In Mazhab human beings set
the laws according to their understanding of the Hadith or Fiqh. These laws may not be in
accordance with the Quran. They may be additional or different.
The concept of Deen covers the whole life and not just ritual worship or belief in God;
whereas, the concept of religion covers only belief in God and His worship ritually. It is
considered a personal matter between a person and his or her God. But in Deen a nation
has to follow the code of life collectively as well as personally. Thus the range of Deen is
much wider and covers all actions, public and private. Hence the right word for Deen in
English is God's code of life given by His revealed word.

Different Concepts of Deen

The Quran clearly explains that the true concept of Deen is to follow God's guidance only;
whereas, the concept misconceived by human beings is belief in God and worshipping Him
ritually. Man's concept of Deen has nothing much to do with following His commands about
leading ones life. God gave the Deen to the prophets, but the human beings distorted
the revealed message and replaced it with their own laws by changing God's laws. About the
Jews doing so, the Quran says in ,
Have you any hope (O Mohammed) that they (the Jews) will be true to you when a part of
them used to change the word of God (His revealed message), after they had understood it,
knowingly.
About additions and alterations in the word of God, the Quran says in,
Therefore, woe be to those who write the Book (of Law) with their own hands, and then say,
This is from Allah that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that
their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.
Thus, we find that God gave His true Deen to the human beings through the Prophets, but
they changed it by their own beliefs saying that they were from God thereby creating their
own concept of Deen. The pagan Arabs also believed in Abrahams Deen, which had
been distorted by their elders and they believed in it as a true religion. But God clearly tells
them that the true Deen is one that is given by Mohammed, the true Prophet of God. These
two different concepts have been explained in Sura 109. It says ,
"Say, O disbeliever ,I worship not that which you worship Nor will you worship that which I
worship And I will not worship that which you worship. Nor will you worship that which I
worship, unto you is your religion (deen) and unto me is my religion (deen)"
We find here that the Prophets religion was the revealed word of God and the pagan
Arabs rejected it. Their religion was the belief in whatever their religious leaders told them
about their gods and the practices to worship them. They had no place for good conduct.
Only rituals were important things in their religion. But in the true religion of God serving
Him by obeying His commands was important. The difference pointed out here is worship of
God and the worship of gods considered as the daughters of God.
Ibaadah actually means service or working for the fulfillment of one's duties, which is real
worship. In Arabic abdun means a servant or slave. At that time the Prophet only followed
commands such as avoiding shirk, not taking others as gods; whereas the pagan Arabs
were engaged in ritual worship only, which is just lip service. The Jews were also following
their religious leaders who had a distorted view of the revealed religion of God with changes
made by them. In the true Islam the ritual worship started after thirteen years in Madina.
The point here is that Gods revealed message in the form of the Quran is the only true
Islam and the true Deen. The religious leaders concept of the Deen is their own
opinions about God. They ask their followers to believe in those opinions and act accordingly
in life. For example, the pagan Arabs asked them to consider the idols as the daughters of
God who will intercede for them before Him.
Deen means the beliefs and practices as told by God through the Holy Prophet. This is that
they should submit themselves to God's guidance and obey His commands given through
the Prophet. It is not the religion of ritual worship only. The actual worship is the obedience
to His commands. His command is to develop taqwaa, doing their duty to God by following
all His instructions given in the Quran, the revealed word of God.

Islam and Guidance:

Another aspect of Islam is God's guidance that is to be followed by all Muslims. This
guidance is mainly about how one should lead his or her life in this world. God has asked all
to submit to whatever He says and not to follow the religious leaders who distort His
message. As He says:
So if they dispute with you (O Muhammed) say, I have submitted my face (whole
attention) to Allah. And so have those who follow me. And say to those who have God's
Book to read and to those who have no Book to read, Do you submit to God If they do, they
are in the right guidance, but if they turn back, your duty is only to convey the message.
Here every one is told that the right way to believe and to act accordingly is to follow God's
commands and not those of the religious leaders or their forefathers. They must all follow
God's commands. This is the true religion, the beliefs and the practices enjoined upon by
God. In 3:85, He says:
If anyone desires a religion (deen) other than submission to Allah (Islam), never will it be
accepted of him; and in the hereafter, he will be among those who have lost.
Thus we find that Islam is the only true religion acceptable to God, because man's concept
of religion is a distorted and changed version of the true religion. The right way to believe
and to adopt any faith and practice is to take the guidance from God. Hada in Arabic means
to lead in the right way, to follow a right course of action. Hence God says that Islam,
obedience to Him, is the only right way to lead one's life. God says:
So for those whom Allah wills to guide (to the right path), He opens their breast to Islam;
and for those whom He wills to leave them in their wrong path, He makes their breast close
and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies. Thus does Allah lay abomination on
those who refuse to believe.
Here Islam is described as guidance from God. Everyone should obey God. This is the right
thing to do. Man's religion is not God's religion. Man has made up his own faith and
practices for his own interest or that of his own community; but God's religion is for the
good of all human beings. It is the light from God, which makes all the beliefs, and practices
clear for him. As God says:
Is one whose heart Allah has opened to submission to Him (Islam), so that he has received
the light (guidance)) from Allah, (not better than one hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose
hearts are hardened against the remembrances of God (His message). They are manifestly
wandering in error.
Therefore one must obey Gods commands and always remember them so that he may
follow them.According to God,
:
Allah has revealed the best statements (ahsanal hadith) in the form of a book, consistent
with itself, and repeating (its teachings); whereat does creep the flesh of those who fear
their Lord (and they dont disobey) so that their flesh and their hearts soften at Allah's
remembrance (of His message). Such is Allah's guidance (huda Allah) wherewith He guides
whom He wills. And him whom Allah sends astray (on the wrong path), for him there is no
(one to) guide.
Here God clarifies that man's religion is wrong and His religion, the code of life (deen) is the

right thing to follow.Islam is a complete code of life,a complete guide and a true
embodiment of the principles God has given for the benefit for the whole humanity.

Diff.btw Deen And Religion

Muzhab vs Deen
June 12, 2006
"Mazhab" and "Deen" are two different implementations of Religion and the differences
between them are significantly great.
"Mazhab" is only limited to the individual
It is spiritual, NOT practical
"Mazhab" stands for 'Gesticulation' or 'Worshiping', it as an act of physical performance,
either in the form of prostration or some other form of mysticism, which is solely regarded
as a personal act.
Thus, "Mazhab" has made the access to Hell or Heaven a very effortless phenomena, for
istance some practices claim that standing on your feet for 2 days or recitation of certain
scriptures for 5000 times will make you eligible for Heaven :-) while others would guarantee
you a similar achievement on some other ridiculous acts.
However, one simple yet important fact about "Mazhab" should be very clear here that it
CAN NOT cope with time, people who believe in such practices never evolve and their
existence becomes un-survivable.
These believes are illogical and mythical, these just involve physical involvement i.e
worshipping it doesn't encourage any changes in our social, emotional or even economical
states. A good example of Mazhab would be Budhism, Jainism, Hinduism etc which all have
something in common and that is that they achieve nothing for their well-being out of their
practices similarly we've converted our religion into a analogous condition.
Now on the other hand, "Deen" is something completely distinctive to Mazhab:
Deen is logical and practical
Deen has set of guide lines and laws based on which it evolves with time.
These guidelines are well defined and must cater for the whole universe for all times. These
guidelines are not for a specific society or a group, they are for the whole humanity. Islam is
the only religion which fits perfectly and truly on this definition where Quran defines all the
laws of humanity and is a guidance for the mankind, Islam is a social system and it clearly
yet precisly teaches every human being on how this God-gifted life should be led.
All Prophets sent by Allah, profoundly instructed their communities to follow Allah's Laws
("Mahkoomiyat") and not confuse it with human teachings [7/59, 11/50, 7/65, 29/16,
12/39, 11/84, 7/85]. However, Quranic verses describe that after every Prophet's departure
their communities took the authority of the divine messages, made changes on their own
will and formed man-made spiritual societies where they only restricted themselves to
worshiping, forgot the message of establishing a divine system and indulged into activities
which were purely shirk and revolved around their interests and needs.

Following Allahs Deen in reality is following His system, its not about individuality and self
spiritual beliefs. According to Quran NO ONE can make direct contact with Allah, it has to be
through his Deen.
Characteristics of Deen:
Quran uses word Deen for Islam. Good results and outcomes are promised by Allah for
those who follow His system and establish it.
[2:143] And, thus it is: We have appointed you a middle and just Community that you
would be watchers over all mankind and that the Messenger be a witness against you. (It
will be your sacred duty to ensure that no people on earth will oppress others). As far as the
transformation of the Centre of devotion is concerned, it has distinguished between those
who succumb to traditional and nationalistic preferences from those who see all mankind as
one nation and follow the Messengers. And the Messengers have always fullfilled Allah's
Command for the Unity of Mankind. In fact it was a hard test except for those who have
attained Allahs Guidance. Allah never lets your Faith go in vain. Verily, Allah is
Compassionate and Merciful to all mankind.
As Allah says that Islam is the only true Deen (which sadly is in its worst condition but
InshahAllah will eventually prevail but not magically or over night, we'll have to work hard
to make it happen):
[48:28] He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the Enlightenment and the Religion of
Truth that He may cause it to prevail over all other systems of life. And Allah is Sufficient as
Witness (to this Pronouncement (9:31-33), (14:48), (18:48), (48:28), (61:9)).
You can not have sects or groups in Deen. Forming groups is "SHIRK" and HARAAM
(prohibited).
[30:31] Turn unto Him alone then, and be mindful of Him, and establish the Divine System
and be not of the MUSHRIKEEN who ascribe authorities along with Him. (2:213)
[3:105] Be not like those who separated and differed after the clear proofs of Truth had
come to them. For such there is an awful doom since they cause divisions instead of unity.
In Deen results are obvious and can be seen but in Muzhab they dont exist.

It may be said that we require religion for the following reasons:

1. Introduction:
To understand what din is and what is its role in the life of men, we should first of all know
its definition. Religion (deen) is an all-round movement in the light of faith in Allah and a
sense of responsibility for the formation of thought and belief, for the promotion of high
principles of human morality for the establishment of good relations among members of
the society and the elimination of every sort of undue discrimination. Keeping in view this

definition, our need for religion and religious teachings is absolutely clear. To be a little
more elaborate, it may be said that we require religion for the following reasons "The
Islamic concept of Deen is unique in the broadest sense of the word. It is true that genuine
Deen must come from God for the right guidance of man. And it is equally true that human
nature and major human needs are basically the same at all times. Deen play very
important role in human life and society. It provides advice in matters concerning Islamic
jurisprudence.in short it is complete code of life which provides guidance in all human
situations. It should be borne in mind that Deen was taught by 'Prophet Muhammad alone.
In the contrary, Deen had been taught by all the prophets before Muhammad, and the true
followers of Abraham and Moses as well as those of Jesus and the rest were all called
Muslims. So Deen has been, and will continue to be, the true universal religion of God,
because God is One and Changeless, and because human nature and major human needs
are fundamentally the same, irrespective of time and place, of race and age, and of any
other considerations.
2. Meaning Of Deen:
Deen is an all-round movement in the light of faith in Allah and a sense of responsibility for
the formation of thought and belief, for the promotion of high principles of human morality
for the establishment of good relations among members of the society and the elimination
of every sort of undue discrimination.

1. Sanction for the Principles of Morality

Religion provides a sanction for the principles of morality like justice, honesty, righteousness,
brotherhood, equality, virtuousness, tolerance, sacrifice, help to the needy and other kindred
virtues. These are the virtues without which, not only our life will lose its order and regularity
but it is very likely to be turned into a disorder.
Of course, it is possible to acquire these moral and social qualities without the aid of religion.
But certainly in the absence of firm religious belief, these values appear to lose their meaning
and become a series of mere unbinding recommendations, because in such a case they do not
amount to more than a piece of advice from a close friend in respect of which we are at full
liberty to accept or reject.
These qualities are rather based on an internal feeling and faith and are naturally beyond the
scope of ordinary law.
It is only faith in the existence of an Eternal Being, who knows man equally from within and
without and who has full control over him, that cultivates these virtues within man and impels
him to automatic righteousness and adherence to duty, and if need be, to make sacrifices for the
sake of others.

The well-known philosopher-cum-historian, Will Durant says in his book, 'Pleasures of

Philosophy' that, without the backing of religion, morality is nothing more than arithmomancy, as
without it, the sense of obligation disappears.
2. Power to Endure Adversities of Life

Religion provides power for facing adversities and serves as a wall against undesirable reactions
of despair and hopelessness.
A religious man, with firm belief in Allah, and of His munificence, does not find himself in
complete fear even in the worst moments of his life, because he knows well that he is under the
protection of a Being who is Almighty. With faith in the fact that every problem can be solved
and every deadlock can be resolved with His help, he can overcome every disappointment and
hopelessness.
For this very reason, it very seldom happens that a truly religious man suffers from the acute
reactions of desperation like suicide, nervous breakdown or psychic ailments which are products
of frustration and defeatism.
The Holy Quran says:
"Surely those who are close to Allah, have no fear nor shall they grieve." (Surah Younus,
10:62)
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (A) says: "A true believer can never commit suicide."
Thus, religious faith is, on the one hand, a motivating force, and on the other, it is a factor which
enables man to face hardships with courage and saves him from the ill effects of failure and
disappointment.
Following the downfall of the Nazis, says Bertrand Russell says there existed a danger of
intellectual and ideological revolt in Germany, but no doubt, religion has been one of the biggest
factors in that country's return to stability.
According to Dr. Durant, behavior of a man who is not blessed with reliance on religion suffers
from special epicurean confusion, and the life which has not the comforting support of religion,
is an unbearable burden.
3. Encounter with Ideological Vacuum

Man cannot live in an ideological vacuum for long and as such his tendency towards a wrong
ideology and false values becomes definite. His intellectual life is not filled with sound beliefs
and healthy teachings. A superstitious and even destructive ideas may find way into his spiritual
firmament and may forever pollute his brain.

Instances of man's tendency towards idolatry, man worship, diverse superstitions and credulity
regarding the influence of irrational things over destiny, can be witnessed even in the lives of
world intellectuals. All this originates from spiritual vacuum. It is religion which can fill the
ideological and intellectual vacuum with sound teachings and can save one from a tendency
towards absurdities and irrationalities.
Hence, true understanding of religion can play an important role in combating superstitions,
though it is true that even religion itself, if not understood correctly, may promote superstitions.
4. An Aid to the Progress of Science and Knowledge

Religion with its firm and sound teachings can be an effective factor in scientific progress,
because its foundation has been laid on the solid bed-rock of "freedom of will" and on the fact
that everybody is accountable for his own deeds.
The Holy Quran says:
"Everyone is entangled in the outcome of his deeds." (Surah al-Muddat-thir 74:38)
Faith in religion teaches that limitless knowledge is the source of this cosmos, which is like a
very grand book penned by an erudite scholar. Every page of it, nay every line and every word of
it, contains a glaring truth which stimulates us to further study and contemplation.
This attitude towards the cosmos undoubtedly stimulates persistent thinking over the mechanism
of creation and consequently, helps in the advancement of science and knowledge.
In contrast, if we hold that this universe is the product of sheer mechanical factors having no
intellect, there remains no plausible reason why we should make strenuous efforts to discover its
secrets. In principle, a universe which is the outcome of the working of an unconscious
machinery, can neither be well-designed nor mysterious.
Apart from giving a deadly blow to the advancement of science and knowledge, such conception
of cosmos negates the very fact that man's instinct is basically rooted in religion. Albert Einstein
was very true when he pointed out why great thinkers and discoverers are all interested in
religion.
He said that it was hard to find anyone among the great thinking brains of the world who might
not have a sort of religious feeling peculiar to him. That feeling was different from the religion of
the man in the street.
It has the form of a delightful wonder at the marvelously accurate system of the universe, which
from time to time, unveils secrets in comparison with which all organized human thinking and
research are rather weak and stale. This feeling illuminates the path of the life and efforts of a

scientist and as he gains success and honor, it keeps him free from the deadweight of selfishness
and pride.
What a belief in the system of the universe and what a fascinating desire it was, he adds, that
enabled Kepler and Newton to suffer for years in isolation and in complete silence in order to
simplify and explain the laws of gravitation and planetary motion! No doubt, it is this very
religious feeling that enabled the self-sacrificing and self-effacing men through long centuries, in
spite of their apparent defeats and failures, to rise on their feet again and make fresh efforts. (The
world as I see)
The contemporary scientist, Abernethy, says that science for its own perfection should regard
faith in God as one of its accepted principles. Thus a religious man, following the true teachings
of religion, can more than anybody else, carry out research and discover the secrets of nature.
Fight against Discrimination

Religion strongly opposes every discrimination based on color, race or class, because it regards
all human beings as God's creatures and every country as God's country. According to it, all
enjoy God's love and kindness equally and as such, all are equal.
According to the teachings of Islam, no man can be superior to another man on the basis of his
color, race, descent, language or class.
Islam recognizes only piety and knowledge as the touch-stones of superiority .Allah says:
"Man, we have created you from a male and a female, and we have divided you into nations
and tribes, so that you may get to know one another. Surely the most honorable of you in the
sight of Allah is he who is most pious."(Surah al- Hujurat, 49 :13)
Thus the role of religion in a world that has not yet been able even to solve the color problem,
the question of class apart, is quite clear.
Anyhow, it cannot be denied that every kind of religious thought or belief cannot produce the desired results.
Like every other intellectual movement, religion also requires correct guidance. Otherwise it
assumes the form of superstition, monasticism, escape from positive life and pseudo-agnostic
negative tendencies, the examples of which can even now be seen in the West, where people
have become fed up with a mechanical life. It is only in such an atmosphere that for want of
correct knowledge, religion is regarded as an obstructive factor.
Roots of Religious Sense

Man has been familiar with religion for such a long time that it covers the entire recorded history
of human life and goes back into the depths of pre-historic times.

The Holy Quran has described religion as man's innate nature and Allah's established order. It
says:
Islam is in harmony with nature which Allah has designed for man. ( Surah al -Rum,30 : 30)
Research carried out by sociologists and historians shows that places of worship, either in their
simple or elaborate and complex form, have always had an influence on human life, and religion
in its various shapes has been interwoven with its history.
Dr. Durant, after a comparatively detailed discussion of atheism of certain people writes that
despite all that he has mentioned, these are exceptional cases, and the old notion that "religion" is
a phenomenon that generally extends to all human beings, is true. The question of religion in the
view of a philosopher is one of the basic questions of history and psychology.
He adds that, from time immemorial, religion has always gone hand in hand with human history.
The idea of piety can never be removed from human heart. (History of Civilization vol .1, pp.
88- 89)
From a psychological point of view, this time honored relationship between man and religion
proves that religious feeling is one of the basic human instincts natural elements of the human
soul.
It is obvious, that at a time, when the level of human thinking was low and the sciences had not
made any remarkable progress, this internal feeling was in an incredible way mixed with
superstition, but gradually with the progress of sciences on the one hand ,and persistent efforts
and teachings of the prophets on the other, it was purified of adulterations and it regained its
purity and originality.
Anti-Religious Waves During the Past Centuries

In these circumstances it looks a little surprising that during the past centuries, especially from
16th Century onward, a violent anti-religious wave has hit the Western countries and many of the
liberal minded Europeans have dissociated themselves from the Church. Those who wanted to
remain loyal to religion turned to some Eastern religions or to a sort of Gnosticism minus
religion, while a large number of people were attracted by materialism and the like.
But an inquiry into the roots of this subject indicates that in the special circumstances prevailing
Europe, this phenomenon was not unexpected.
Factors leading to anti-religious movements and tendency to materialism in Europe should be
looked for in the perspective of the policy which the Church pursued with regard to the
Renaissance and progress of natural sciences in various fields.

When the Church in the middle ages, especially during the 13th to 15th centuries started a
campaign against science which continued even to the 16th and l7th centuries and attempted to
crush scientific movements through Inquisition, issued a papal decree to condemn science
dragged people like Galileo to persecution and forced them to deny the motion of the earth. It is
obvious what the reaction of the scientists to such teachings could be.
They, being at the cross roads of sciences and religion (of course religion as it was understood at
that time and in that environment), naturally went for science, the firm basis of which they had
personally observed and tested.
Mistake in analogy and incorrect comparison of other religions to the special position of the
Churches in the middle ages induced certain scientists to start a campaign against all religions
and to reject them formally. They went to the extent of innovating a doctrine known as discord
between religion and science'.
But the study of scientific movement in Islam, which started from the very first century and bore
fruit in the second and third centuries of the Hegira era, shows that in Muslim society the case
was quite different. This movement soon gave birth to the scientists like Hasan lbn Haitham, the
well-known Muslim Physicist, Jabir lbn Hayyan. whom the Europeans call Father of Chemistry,
and tens of others like them.
Their books exercised considerable influence over the Scientists like Roger Bacon, Johann
Kepler and Leonardo da Vinci. It is interesting that all this scientific progress took place in the
middle ages and coincided with the Church's violent opposition to the Renaissance and the
standard-bearers of the new scientific movement.
All historians in the East and the West, who have dealt with Islamic culture, are unanimously of
the view that it gave rise to a wide-spread scientific movement whose influence over the
Renaissance and the scientific movement of Europe was remarkable.
Thus the factors which induced the liberal-minded in the West to dissociate themselves from
religion, did not exist in the case of Islam. On the contrary, there were factors which worked in
the opposite direction.
In short Islamic movement had a special connection with World scientific movements, and for
this very reason was the fountain-head of the vast development of sciences and knowledge.
However it cannot be denied that disputes and dissensions among a section of Muslim people
which in intensity from the fifth century (Hijra) onward, short-sightedness, non-realization of
true teachings of Islam, apathy to progress and indifference to the spirit of the time, resulted in
the backwardness of many Muslim countries.
Another factor which complicated the problem was that Islam in the real sense was not
introduced to the younger generation. Thus the constructive role of Islam in various fields

gradually diminished. Now the position is that many young men think that Islam has always been
in this present dismal state.
Anyhow, it is certain that with the revival of Islamic teachings and their correct introduction,
especially to the younger generation, it is still possible to revive the spirit of early Islamic
movement.

Religion and Philosophical Schools of Thought

All forms of religion censure every kind of materialism, whether it be in its simple shape or in
the garb of dialectic materialism, which forms the basis of Marxism and Communism, because
materialism maintains that this, universe is merely a set of undesigned and aimless happenings.
Religion in censuring materialism, relies on a number of principles which are absolutely logical,
because :
The interpretation of the order of the universe advanced by materialistic schools is unscientific,
for science in the course of its research, talks of well calculated and precise systems, which
cannot be interpreted by accidental and chance happenings.
Science acknowledges that the maker of this machine of the universe is the greatest physicist and
chemist, most expert physician and the best anthropologist and cosmologist, because while
performing his job, he visualized all scientific laws. Naturally he could not do so without having
complete knowledge of them. It goes without saying that natural factors and natural
developments can have no such knowledge at all.
Materialism has accepted the doctrine of compulsion as one of its basic principles. It holds that
every human action and every movement is the result of a sequence of compulsory causes. On,
this basis, according to the materialistic point of view, all the efforts of man are like the
movements of the wheels of a machine. It is obvious that the acceptance of this view goes
against the idea of every social, moral or human responsibility.
In contrast, religion accepts the principle of obligation and responsibility and thus lays the
foundation of its teachings on the freedom of human will.
It cannot be contradicted that the acceptance of the principle of compulsion gives a hard blow to
dynamism and the sense of duty and responsibility. It also directly contributes to the expansion
of crimes and aggressions, because the offenders can plead that they are not responsible for the
crimes committed by them, for they were forced by the compulsion of environment, time and the
way they were brought up. But there is no possibility of such evil effects if the principle of free
will is accepted.

With the acceptance of the domination of matter over all affairs of human life and the restriction
of value only to the material values, the materialists have practically ousted moral values. They
hold, that only material interests prevail over all social and international interests. The effect of
this way of thinking is obvious for without adherence to such principles as philanthropy,
tolerance, sacrifice, sincerity and love; no problems at world level can be solved. Belief in
exclusive domination of matter obviously not compatible with these principles.

Religion and Individual Freedom

Some people think that religion restricts individual freedom and disallows the fulfillment of
some desires, whereas, in fact, the aim of religious teaching is not at all to put an end to logical
freedom. Its aim is only to stop wastage of human energies and assets and to prevent their flow
into improper and worthless channels.
For example, if religion forbids the use of intoxicants, gambling and improper indulgence in sex,
does so for the safety of the body and soul of the individual and for the maintenance of social
order.
This moral control is in keeping with the real spirit of freedom, for freedom means only that man
should be able to take full advantage of the assets of existence to help in the evolution of the
individual and the society. It does not at all mean squandering God-given energies and indulging
in immoderation and libertinism.
Religion supports every kind of freedom that carries man forward towards evolution in various
fields. Only this is what freedom, in the real sense, means. Anything else is libertinism.
That is why religion allows man to use all good things in life, to wear any reasonable dress, to
relish any good food and to take part in any healthy pastime. In short, it has allowed the use of all
comforts and conveniences of life, and does not ask anyone to give up any such things. The Holy
Quran says: "Say: Who has forbidden the beautiful things of Allah which He has produced for
His servants and the pure food?"
Moreover, our religion calls upon us never to forget the exigencies and requirements of time and
to keep ourselves well-informed about the latest developments in medicine, technology and
industry.
The leader of Islam, Imam Sadiq (A) has said: "He who knows his time and its requirements,
shall not be taken unaware by the dark events of life."
Our religion tells us that out of the new ideas, customs and usages we should choose what is
useful and worthy and should discard what is improper and wrong. We must not follow others

blindly and must not adopt anything that is not compatible with human dignity and the spirit of
independent thinking.
The Holy Quran says, "Give glad tidings to my servants who listen to what is said and follow
the best thereof. They are those whom Allah has guided and those who have good sense."