Why Islam is a Universal Religion?

PREAMBLE: Today there seems to be a wide spread dearth of truth due to manifest false hood. Everyone who is conscious of the existence of one true God is in search for truth. As an adherent of the Imam of the age I hereby present to you the right path – Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. Follow it if you want to reach to your God. These are some of the questions that may arise for a true seeker-after truth: 1. What is Islam? 2. Why should one believe in Islam? 3. What good is there in Islam? 4. Why Islam not Christianity? 5. And what is Ahmadiyyat? Let us have the possible answers. WHAT IS ISLAM? • Islam, literally is -PEACE, surrender to one’s Will; being in amity and concord. The name Islam signifies the attainment of a life of perfect peace and eternal happiness through complete surrender to the Will of God. The Quran (Holy Book Muslims) defines it as a religion whose teachings are in consonance with human nature. Islam is the completion of the religion inaugurated by God in the beginning of the world, on His sending the Quran through Muhammad saw (Quran; 5:4). As a child is taught his alphabet, God taught the religion to the world gradually, little by little, by sending His prophets at different times, to different people. • When the world reached that stage of understanding, when it was ready for the final lesson, He sent the last and complete book through the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw. This book corrects errors which had found their way into various religions and preaches the truths which have not been preached before, due to special circumstances of the society or the early stage of its development. Concurrently, it gathers together in itself the truths which were contained in any divine revelation to any people for the guidance of men (Quran; 98:4). Lastly it meets all the spiritual and moral requirements of an ever advancing humanity. • This is Islam which is wrongly called Muhammadanism. • According to Islam the object of man’s life is its complete unfoldment. Islam doesn’t support the idea that man is born in sin. It teaches that everyone has within him the seed of perfect development and it rests sorely with the person himself to make or mar his fortune. We created man in the best make (Quran; 95:5). • The cardinal doctrine of Islam is unity of Godhead. There is none worthy of worship but the one and only God, and Muhammad is His prophet. He is free from all defects, Holy and Transcendent; He is All Good, All Mercy and All Power. He has no partner. He neither begets nor is He begotten, because these are the traits of weak, frail humanity. Furthermore, Islam helps us to establish a permanent relationship with God and to realize him during our earthly life as our helper in all our affairs and undertakings. This unity of God is the first and foremost pillar of Islam and every other belief hangs upon it. • Islam requires belief in all the prophets. We regard them as heavenly teachers and lead man to his God. Adherents of some other religions may consider it an act of piety to use disrespectful words and heap abuse on the prophets of other religion, but if a Muslim were to show the slightest disrespect towards the founder of any other faith, he does so at the cost of his own faith. He has to utter the respectful benediction Alaihis-Salam after mentioning the name of every prophet. Thus Islam establishes peace between all religions. We draw no line of discrimination. All we add is that Muhammad was also a great teacher and a prophet of God. Due to the magnitude and extent of his work, we regard him as the greatest of them all. Yet we do not believe that the door of prophecy and the door of communication with the creator to be closed for the future. It is now in the footsteps of the master-prophet Muhammad saw that each one must walk. • Our age has also been witness. In Hazrat Ahmadas, Promised Messiah and Mahdi, founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam, we have a prophet of the age whose sole mission has been to lead mankind to Islam that’s why Muhammad is the seal of prophets. Without his yoke, nobody can be a leader and teacher of mankind. Islam isn’t a dead religion of myth and wonderful tales of the past. It is a religion full of life for the benefit of the present generation. • The Omniscient, Omnipotent God is still very much alive to those servants who sincerely strive in His faith and whom He honours to one of the four stages, i.e. Prophets, Saints, Martyrs and the Righteous(Quran 4:70). It also proves beyond doubt that Islam is the only religion of present day. • The Holy Quran is the Muslim scripture. This word of God was revealed to Muhammad 1400yrs ago and has been preserved intact without the slightest change. Countless Muslims know the entire Book by heart. • Just as we believe in all prophets, we believe that all religions had their origin in truth. With time the truth was either forgotten or became overlaid with human inventions. Moreover, some of these teachings were of a local or temporary nature and to these a universal character was later assigned. We believe that the Quran reserves and includes all those teachings that are of a permanent nature and supplies additional teachings of universal nature which satisfy the needs of the people of all countries and can help them in their never ending march to progress. • The establishment of true democracy and universal brotherhood without discrimination of cast, creed, colour or country is the unique and unrivalled distinction of Islam. Lineage, riches and family honours are accidental things. Virtue and the service of humanity are matters of merit. Islam has propounded and fulfilled and realized the splendid principles of democracy into the life and actions of human society. • There are five pillars of Islam, namely; 1. Declaration of faith in the oneness of god and in the divine messenger-ship of Muhammad 2. Fixed daily prayers (5) 3. Fasting in the month of Ramadan 4. Fixed almsgiving and charity 5. Pilgrimage once in one’s life to the Kabba at Mecca provided circumstances allow. • Faith without action is a dead letter. Faith by itself is insufficient unless translated into action. A Muslim believes in his own personal accountability for his action in this life and in the hereafter. Each must bear his own burden and none can expiate for another’s sin. According to Islam, life after death is a continuation of life on earth. Heaven and hell begin right from this life. Heaven is eternal and everlasting, hell is temporary. Hell is like a place of surgical or medical treatment for the human soul. As soon as it is cured it goes to heaven. Heaven is the attainment of a life of everlasting progress and complete joy and happiness through union with God, and by the development of the fine spiritual qualities and the unlimited capacities that have been implanted in man. The state after death is the image of the spiritual state in this life. • This is just a brief account of Islam and some of its teachings. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم