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Beauty of Islam
Beauty of Islam
Beautyo/Islam
DarussalamResearchDivisi on
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the All-Mighty says:
day 1 perfected religion and
and chosen
as yourreligion." (5:3)
This was the last Verse to
. Making the ofthe the
ofIslam. Islam is is not
thereafter susceptible to ad(iition Being
and the Islamic Law, which was 00(1
Who knows what is best us
is acijustabIe to the changing
of and of Is1am is
in the fact that has it reign
and other Ood's
the is in the fact that g1"antecl them true
guidance, in this worlci tl1e
has also cho sen them as tl1eirreligion
because it is the this reason wi11 not accept
other [eligion Islam.
"And see ks rel igion it shall
acccpted in the li[e to
sha l1 the (3:58)
Islam gives its followers happiness in this world etemal
bliss il1 the life to Islam simply total submission
to the Will of Therefore,
it is the same in essence,
whether givel1 to Noah,
Moses, Jesus to
Muhammad. For the message
it calls to is the same, the
source is the
I1(1S
religion
whicll
Noall, tl1<1t Wllicll We
revealed to Wllicll Wc
Moses SllOlIld
]cligion dividcd
(42: 13)
After the ofthe older Scriptures, the Qur'
with twofold purpose: first to the true and original
message, namely that of Islalll, second to stand as
witness to it truth and rejecting tl1e
falsehood which time into the older Scriptures.
Muslims required to believe in these Scriptures and to
make distinction between of them the
who brought them because they the
God:
to tlle Jews ' We
believe Allall Wlliclll1US to
4
tl13t \Vl1iCI1113S scntdowl1 to
lsaac, Jacob and to Al-Asblit, {l I Wl1icl1
givcn to Moscs and tl1at Wl1icl1 I13S
giventotl1e tl1eir Lord.Wc
oftl1CI11, to
i111 W 11 v
S 111 i t t d .[ i
Islal11]."(2: 136]
SOl11e these
still
as result of the and
thathavecrept into Qur'anistheonly
Divine which has stood the test oftime without
change itistheTruth God[Allah],andthe
Truthnever fades diminishes:
Wl1icll Wc11avc rcvcalcdtoYOLI II113111111ad
of tl1C Book [i.c., is tl1e
Wl1icl1 was [revcalcd] it."
(35:31)
The truth in the Qur'an will
Allah has taken the
responsibilityofpreservingit:
"VerilyWe (i.c.,
Wewill it
(15:9)
"Vcrily, it is wcll-Iortific(l book of
powcr it isAIIal1'S and
their
AI-Asbiit refersto the offspringofthe twelvesonsofJacob.
protected it from No falsehood
it from before after it: it is set
Wise, Wortl1yof praise." (41 :4 1-2)
revealed before of
as Old Testament tlle Gospel,
were tl1e demise of tl1e Prophets to
they were revealed. The the con trary, was
completely in tlle of the such
as pieces of palm trees,
Besides, of of Prophet 's
committed it to memory while it was being revealed. The
is still memorized read its
Arabic, taught to millions people world
fact , with Muslims, tl1e
who have committed the to
memory increased is book,
religious otl1erwise, whicll has given this
unparalleled history.
The witll which tl1e unadulterated of
Islam have authentically recorded and preserved
tl1rougllOut the ages is clear evidence oftl1e of
tl1e message of Islam and the finality of the Prophethood of
the The is now availabIe
its withollt of The
preservation of' tl1e signifies the of
Is1am. is why says in the
"Verily tlle only acceptabIe religion to is Is1am."
(3: 19)
Glimpse the of Islam
OnenessoftheLord
TslamcallstothebeliefthattheCreatorofthe is
Unique without partners.His isso sublime
thatitis beyond limited is
abstract of All the creatures to His
to Him.The of
that 01' the facts 01'
existenceoftheuniverscproclaim His isthe
without end, Absolute, Whoisnot
li111ited place istheCreator,
the the 01' the whole
tllerigl1tto exceptHim. hastheMost
BeautifulNames tlle His
to and future,
His and isthe
AII-Mighty,the All-Wise:
"Say: is , tl1e
Absolute; begets110t, is tllere
is equal to " '(112: 1-4)
is like Hi111, is
tlle 42: 11)
is tlle is Him], the Last
is Most igl1 is
Him] tlleMostNeaI" is Him].
Glil11psc Ihl: 01'Islam
fllll ofall (57:3)
is bcsicics WllOm 11as to
01' tl1c
is Most Most
is Alla11 besidcs WllOm ,"igl1t
tl1c Holy, tl1C all
elctccts, Givel' of Watcl1cJ' His
tl1c AII-M igl1ty, tl1c tl1c
A1Jal1! [Higl1 is
associatc as witl1 Him. is Allfih, tl1c
tl1c al1 thil1gs tl1e of
im tl1c Best Namcs. 1S
thc Him. is AII-
igl1ty, thc AII-Wisc." (59:23-4)
falscly witllOlIt krlO\vlcdgc
to Him. Glol'ificd! is]
to is tl1C
01'
11as all tl1il1gs,
01' SllCl1 is AIJal1,
11as tl1C tl1c
ofall So Him
powcI" disposc all No
gl'asp im, is is all 1S
Most SlIbtlc, (6: 100-3)
Tauhfd of thc
teachil1gs of Is1am. It significs that there is Supremc
Lord ofthc univcrsc. is thc Omnipotcnt and Sustaincr
Glill1psc 31 tllC
of the world and mankind. Unity pervades the whole
universe. of i h 's creatures testify to His Oneness. This
seen in their utter submission to His Will. The
perpetual succession of day and night in the most orderly
manner; the course ofthe sun, the and the mighty stars ;
the ceaseless altemation ofthe four seasons; the functiol1ing
of the whole universe inc1uding its most subtle elements in
the most precise and systematic manner. fact the great
marvels and the impressive wOl1ders of the universe are like
books which tell us about the Wisdom, Power,
Greatness and Divine skill ofthis Great Artist Who is i h .
., .~
, ,,
Glil11psc tl1C Islal11
How observe the ine xhaustible cr eati vity
its purposefulness, its preservation of'the useful and
de struction of' the socially injurious, and yet to draw the
conclusion that beblnd nature there is all-pervading
mind whose ceaseless creative acti vity the processes of
nature - is but outward The stars scattered
through space, the vast of nature with its
and beauty, tlle regul aI and waning of the
the of the seasons the days
ni ghts, the supply of'water, the delicate f10wer s
feet - towards fa ct:
there is God, the Creator, the Govern or. We witness
superbly f1awl ess in the univer se; it without
We see beauty and its
the y without We observe
beautiful in nature; it without
Desi gner? We lofty purpose in physical
it without Will it? We find
that the is like
it without Truly, God sa id:
worship Lord, WllO created and
those so that Iighteous.
WllO made tlle earth resting place for and the
sky and sent down rain from the
Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
brougl1t forth tl1erewitl1 fruits
do not set rivals wl1ile you
(2:21-3)'
AIl:lh has the total might , the will complete
has beil1gs with all
the the witllil1 themselves so
that it to that is the true God,
they should Him theiI" duty
Hirn the best possible
His and
the lI S of tllC
to utilize of so that wc
His Wisdom.
to thc of which
establislled tlle
created of nothil1g, were they
This beyond shadow of dOllbt
baseless claims that is created out that hc is
his own
people without at all
principle that the wor1d 11as Maker.
who lived the heart of the desert was asked:
is of the existence of
ied, the the
Islam: Basic Principl es and Characteristics, IsJamic
Leicest er, 1974. (With some editing.)
Glimpse at the Beauty
/ ,."/&. . .
made the feet. What about the sky
and its mighty constellations, the
mountains and their passes and the
oceans and their great waves, do these
not testify to the existence of the
Omnipotent,WiseGod?"
At other times invites us to
contemplate about the wonders ofthe
heavensandtheearth:
"Were IlOtJ1ing
they seJves the
01' did tl1e
g Nay,tl1ey have belief."(52:35-6)
.D
ti is tJ1e
signs WllO believc
9
(/)
TheseVersessuggestthatitis the ofthe
wonderfully theheavens and theearth
(/) that we the greatness and wisdom ofthe
Creator. If, \ve Jet the faclllties of
understandingandfaithdie, signsinHis
inthespoken whichHis strove
to wil1 reach us speech
reaches deaf
Atothertimes thefacllltyofthe and
insig11t the amazing creation ofthe and the
objectstheycontain:
Glimpse attheBeauty ofIslam
"B1essed is W110
skies, placcd tlle and
lig11t." (25:61)
"lt is WllO t11C lig11t
it stagcs, t11<1t
mig111 thc t11e
(10:5)
tl1c made tl1e nigll1
SLII1 1110011 (6:96)
at tlle sky I10W Wc
it and it, 110 tlaws
it?" (50 :6)
11<1ve not looked tlle of tllC
tlle I1<1S
(7: 185)
"[It is W110 seven
No sce ill tlle of
Most again:
,"i[ts? Agail1 visiol1 sig1lt
wi11 fLlsed fatigHcd." (67 :3-
4)
Thc 1ast makcs it obvioHS tl1at ' s as
in the visible is f1awless how
wc obscrvc it. We wil1 find f1aw in Allah 's
handiwork. It is powers that wc shall find fai1 to go
beyond certain limit. This Verse, as wel1 as others, a1so
invites to study and observe the wor1d as
as powers wil1 al1ow.
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
At certain times calIs att ention to ponder t11e
and the various it contains:
the ea rth di ver 5e tracts,
another, gardens of and fields wit11
and trees, growing out of
watered with the same water, yet
some of them We make exce11ent than to
eat. Therein , veri1y, who
( 13:4)
We see of and t11e same kinds whieh
fed the samc kind of water, yct t11e fruit thcy yi e1d is
totalIy another in tas te, and sme ll!
" In t11i s, veri1y, ther e is (26 :67)
some contexts invites us to refl eet water whic11
sends down thc sky, and which i[it was Hi s Will ,
could have make it bitter and undrinkabJe!
"And We send down watcr t11e sky aeeording to
[due] We it to soak in soi1;
Wc certai nly to drain it off [wi tl1 ease]."
(23: 18)
Sometimes out His peerless
dispusa! of the aff'ctirs of who!e
thc unit y of de si gn and in this
of ours, multiplicity of gods is
not 5011, is
at the Beauty of
other god along witl1 Him; in tl1<lt casc god
would have taken away what he has created, and some
WOllld
Glorifiee\ Allall all tl1<lt Wl1icll to
Him!" (23:91)
eloql1ently states:
"Tf had in tllem [i.c., thc and thc
carthJ besie\cs Allah, thcn wOl1 ld
gOl1e to Allall, the Lord of
tllC wl13t to im!" (2\ :22)
Allah 's signs everywhere. The is replete witll
descriptive Verses llS to rcJlect tllese
witll tlle object of tlle
fact ofHis existence . says:
is signs is tllis tl1<lt
and
wie\eJ! is sigl1s is this tl13t
mates tl13t dwell
witll
bctwccl1
[01' among His is
oftlle
',.,,]10 kllow. is is
slcep 111<1t takc day, qllcst
tl1<lt make His
[01'
Glimpse at the Beauty of lslam
a1110l1g is sigl1s, SllOWS tl1e way
botl1 OfllOPC, t[0111
the sky \vitl1 it gives it is dead:
that sigl1s 1'01' WllO wise.
is is tl1is tl1at
His calls
the bellOld,
[OrtI1. Hi111 belol1gs is 111
and tl1e devolltly
(30:20-6)
created tl1e witllOlIt pillars tl1at
see; set
lest it SllOlIld shake witll scattered
it beasts all We do\'m [1'0111 tlle sky
tlle ot'
pairs. Sllcl1 is the of Now SllOW
is besides i111 created.
Nay,
(31: 10-1)
"It is WllO seed and tl1e date
to split and tl1e to isslle
dead. is to cause the dead to
issue tl1e living. is how
deluded away tlle it is tl1<1t cleaves tl1e
daybreak tlle dark]. for
and tlle and tlle tl1e
is tl1ejlldgmel1t
01' the Exalted Powel', It is
Glimpse at the Beauty of lslam
16
stars [as tllat
gllide yourselves, witll their help, throllgll tile
dark spaces lal1d sea.We detail sigl1s
people It is produced you
sil1g1e is place
We dctail people
11 is [ro111 tlle
skies: witll it We kil1ds:
We [crops], of wilicll We
out oftile datc
its slleatlls [of spates] of dates
low of
grapcs olivcs,
kil1d] yet [il1 variety]: whel1 begil1 to bear
tJ:uit, feast eyes witll tlle
111 tllil1g sigl1s for
people believe." (6:95-99)
Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
Qur'i:in not invitesus to contemplateAl1i:ih's signs
butalso todrawlessons history findingout aboutthe
end ofpast nations who rejected Faitl1 followed their
whims and desires. It invites us to contemplate how the
kingdoms and empires that were f10urishing brought
about theirownruin as oftheirdisobedienceto the
Lawof
1:::
"00 nottraveltl1rougl1tl1ecarth,and see was
Z
the end of before them did evil]? ABi:i11
broughtutter [fates
await] who (47:10)
"DotheynottraveltlHough the and see was
tl1c of to
theytil1edtl1e soil populatedit
than thcsc done: to
theiI" witl1 signs [which
rejectedtotheiI" itwas Al1i:il1
them, but tl1eir souls."
(30:9)
"00theynot tl1e so tl1eir
[and wisdomandtl1eirears
Glimpse attheBeauty ofIslam
tlllls to it is the eyes tl1at
W]l iC]l tl1CiI" (22:46)
"Does it ]lOW
We WllOSC
walk t]13t
WOllld (32:26)
of the is
tl1e is that ofMoses Pharaoh was
stubbol11 and oppressor who the
Israelites and refused to accept the truth that Moses
to him with other numerous clear signs. His
wealtll and splendor was of benefit to him Allah' s
'"
Decree to pass. The says ofhim when was
.9
<ii
z
in tlle Red Sea:
-
'"
'"
day sl1311 we save in body,
...::
sign to those WllO BlIt
'"
11ccdlcss 01'
'"
(1)
'"
(10:92)
....J
....
'"
....
'"
'"
u
at the Beauty of
consequently invite wrath. Prophet says:
\V0I11CI1 was Hell 01'
\Vl1icl1 slle c!catll. SI1C i!
to SllC it, did SllC sct it
so it l11ig!1t of
Buk/J(/f"iand Mus/im)
it
!lis Outside tl1e wcll
dog was of tllilst.
it. So took Ofllis filled
it \\'itll wateI" it c!og its
was plcascd \vitll 's gooc.! <111(1
11il11 /vlus/im)
1t \vitll its
pass tl1C
tl1C said : 11il11 WllO
(Mus/im)
Another states:
Allall 's tlS l' 111
facc (Mus/im)
Islam also gives clear-cut instructions as to the
ofkilling animal food. Prophet says :
""Allftl1 11as
So to kill do so
tl1C bcst possiblc to slatlglltcI"
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
79
do 50 tlle best Let
give
to tl1C (Mus/im)
Islam ealls to unity and and exhorts agail1st
discord and hatred. The says:
1101(1 fast, all Rope of
[i.e., tll is cli vidcd." (3:103)
Italso ealls its followers to reciprocatc affection,
honcsty and with anothcr. The Prophet
says:
two
like ofa ofwlliell
(11
bclicvcrs tllciI"
likc body.
limbs is tlle wl10le body \vitll
Mus/im)
FOI"givil1g
Islam il1vites its followers to overlook other peoplc' s
offences:
"Let torgi ve pass Do
tl1<l t 11511 Sl10lI ld
(24:22)
1
U
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
80
"Repel evil witll t11at Wllicll is best." (23:96)
tllC
Islam also commands its followers to theiI" covenants
and fulfil all theiI" obligations :
you Wl10 believc! Fulfil [all] obIigations." (5: 1)
lt strongly condemns betrayal and
"And fulfil covenant; tlle covenant shall
(17:34)
Prophet says:
"FoI" WI10 11is will
tlag tllC of and it will sai(! [to
his is
(Mus/im)
"AIJall tl1C All11ig11ty said: '1 will
011
Nal11c
it; WI10 sold
tllen I1<1S 11is WI10
laborer not 11il1111is
obtaincd l1is dlle fllll 11im.'"
Buk//{/n)
lslam considers disloyalty act of hypocrisy, which
entails Allah' s wrath and punishment in the Hereafter.
Glimpse the Beauty of' Islam
says:
"WhoevcI" possesscs is
WllO posscsscs
fact posscsscs of lll1tillle gives it
is [witll
tells lics;
it; w]lel111e
in (AI-
Muslim)
Rcconciliation tllC
its fol1owers to adjllst matters of
difference and settle disputes to tl1e way for
society. It also calls to between
the conf1icting
nothing else brothers. So
(49: 1
Allall and adjllst of difference
(8: 1)
Prophet says:
two pcople is act 1-
ukl/cil"i and im)
Glimpse at the Beauty of
El1joil1ing FtH'blddil1g Evil
Enjoining virtue and forbidding evil plays vital part in the
of society at large and 1S very effective tool for
the eradication of evil. Islam
urges its followers to spare
pains to fulfil their
obligations and help
another to stand the truth
in and unshaken
constancy in the midst of
corruption, decadence and
spiritual stagl1ation. The Qur'
says:
let arise ofpeople
to is good, is rigl1t,
forbidding is tlle to
felicity." (3: 104)
The Prophet says:
"WllOever to gLlidal1cc, \vill
it as wcll as WllO
it \vitllOtlt dil11il1isllCd their
!'c\\'arcls: \VllOeVeJ' il1vitcs cvil will
SllOtlldcr its as \vell of[all ] WllO
it diminisllil1g tllC sil1s in
('V!ltsli/ll)
"1 k \\ 1110 gtlidcs 10 01] tllC
IT\vard tl1<lt oftllOsC (Mlts/i/ll)
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
83
The commends the Muslim community for its
observance ofthis noble trait:
"You the best of pcople raiscd tlle good of
is rigllt, is
believc IIft11." (3: I1
Ifthese Divine commands neglected, evil will without
shadow of doubt prevail both the upright the
crooked will doomed to Allah's wrath. The says
about 'the Children ofIsrael':
of Wl10
disbelieved tllc of David
SOI1 of was tllCY disobeycd
excesscs. did not
tlle Wllicll Evil
indeed was that WI1iCll did." (5: 78-9)
The Prophet *sets forth very beautiful parable about this:
01' Allall'S sct lil11its
WllO is sil11ilaI" to
01' gct 011 Sllip
lots. SOI11C deck SOI11C 01'
il1 tlle 10weJ" deck WllCI1 10weI" dcck
wateI" go to il1 tllC deck
say callsil1g
to dcck?' 1f il1 tl1C
(Icck al\ow to tl1Cir dcsigl1,
wil1 al t (10 I10! allo\v to do so,
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
84
will saved."
to obscrve these Divinc
to thc best oftheir ability. Prophet says:
"WJlOever 01' sces sOl1letl1il1g \vrol1g,
it \Vitl1 11is deed); if
Ict try it witJ1 11is it'
cannot, tl1el11ct J1il1l to cJ13nge it \VitJ111is heart [i.e.,
Sllowil1g t'eelil1gs and
and t11is is tlle dcgree of
F i 1im)
Asccrtaining 01"Rcpolts
Another noteworthy is that it its
followcrs to ascertain the of reports lest they
shollld do injl1stice to others:
WllO believe! Ifan evil \iar] to
with I1CWS, it lest shotlld
tJl1wittingJy, and then
what (49:6)
"And follow [i.e., say not, do witness
etc.] tl13t o[which knowledge [e.g., one' s
saying , 1 seen' whi in not
anytl1il1g, ' 1 wllile 110t
anytlling]. Verily, tl1e hearing, t}l e sight and the
- all these sllall called to (17:36)
at it Bcst
calls to of noble and rewards
thc Beauty of
85
those who observe it_ says:
\vitll Faitll
is the best, best amongst you
bcsl 10tllCir \\,ives." (AI-
The Prophet says:
\VllO offer
observc
fas(s, as goud
DOII'{/{f)
10
Day \vit ll IllC
tllC most and tllc
the boastflll,
pcople." 1-
It that tlle Prophet was sent to the
most character traits. As he said:
1was II1C
lS."
the J"eligious obJigations such as fasting
pilgrimage to good character.
says:
"F01" the
duty Ict
wi ckcelllcss, tllC Hajj.
good do , AllaJl it.
Glimpsc thc Beauty
86
takc [witll tllC tllC bcst
is (2: 197)
"Recite wl1at is ot'tlle Book
estabIisll
evil (lee(ls."(29:45)
says:
is SllOUld lISC
tool isllly if
figl1ts 'vvitll l1im 11im, SllOlIld say:
'1 fastil1g! 1
"WIlOCVCI" docs dcccitflll
[wllile tasting], Allall is 11il11
11is foo(1 (A/ -Buk//(i,.j)
,,!ill
says:
w]1ateveI" good, it is
when exccpt Allall'S
whatsoeveI" good it
will to in fl1l1 , and will
(2: 272)
w]latevel" il1 good, kl10ws
it well." (2:273)
asked tlle !;<; : "Wllicll Islal11 is
bestT tccd
Glimpse at the Beauty ofI slam
87
\Vl1ctl1cr 110t." /-
8/1k//(/J"i M/ls/im)
JiibiI" 01' saicl.
:J;.. said to WI10
askc<.1 11 i111 anyt11 /-8/1k//(/ 1"1' 11<.1 im)
Others \\ 'tH,t lo\'es 1'01'
Islam its followers to desire others what they desire
for and to treat them in thc samc thcy
like to treated. says about the true believers:
givc
poverty was tlleir (59:9)
Prophet says:
01' will lll1til
loves 11 is wl1at 11 I /-
8/1k/1(/I"I)
The Prophet :i says:
slavc \vill 110t [thc statc 01'1 Faitl1lll1til
\vay 01'
01' otl1crs \vitl1
tl1Otlgl1 it against givil1g
to thc of
ik/lm]."
"WI1Ocvcr l1<1s tl1(111 Sl10tllcl otTel' it to
11il11 \\'110 clocs not wl1OeVCI" 11<1s food
Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
88
Sl10tlld give 1tto WI10 (Mus!im)
The narrator ofthis trad1tion said that the Prophet went
specifying all sorts ofprovision until we thought that of
us had right whatsoever to surplus things we had.
Dcf'ending thc of'Othcl's
Islam makes it obIigation Muslim to defend
his brother's property and bIood, in their absence, as
much as he Abud-Darda' the renowned Hadith
reported that abused another in his
absence and another who was then present defended the
latter. this the Prophet who was also witness to the
incident, said:
WI10 defends 11is AlIall will keep
away 11is tllc
] tldgmcnt]." /-
Grcat Rc\vard
Islam prompts its followers to observe and
perseverance in three ways: and steadfastness whi le
acting commands, while striving hard
to avoid prohibitions, and when afflicted
with calamity.
here implies of things including
in the sense of being thorough not hasty. have
perseverance, constancy, steadfastness, firrnness of purpose
and cheerful attitude of resignation in sorrow suffering
as opposcd to murmuring patient and
Glitnpse at thc Bcauty of Islatn
89
passivity and listlessness with constancy and
steadfastness.
and Salftt helpful tools in
and distress. The Qur'an says:
Allah's I1Clp with
Sal/it (2:45)
in has great its
with Allah is The Qur ' says:
"And steadfast patience; will
tllC oftllc ,"iglltCOUS to (1 J: 115)
" [ f paticntly picty, -
is ofgrcat (3: 186)
Hygicne ilJ AspectsofLife
closcr 100kat thc will that it caHs
to aspects ofJife.
its followers to use their right hands while
because the left is solely
such as the bathroom aftcr
the of This habit makes
at all times which hand to utilize which occasion.
Islam ccrtain foods tl1e sake of hygiene. The
Qur ' an says:
[i.c.. dca(l meat
blood of tllC swil1c, Wl1icll
invoked besides that AIIall."
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
90
(2:173)
food] clead bIood, tl1e
Wl1ich Allfll1 ' S 11as
Wl1iCl1 killcd
bIow,
or clcatl1, Wl1icl1
wild to slaLlgl1leI'
it is deatll] ..." (5:3)
If animal dies as [esult of bIow
fall to dealh,
attacked wild animal, the is that it becomes
as lifebIood is
ofthe body.
i the 1i febIood still f10ws the solemn mode of
slaughtel" the Name of is out , it becomes
lawful as food.
or dead meat blood as articles of food
repulsive. Pork has more fat
materia1, the first meat people
who eat tells the to stop is It is
liabIe to disease kinds of meat, e.g.,
trichinosis, characterized hair-1ike the muscular
tissue. I
Clean1iness is not to but a1so "halfthe
Faith", as the Prophet c1ear1y states. Prayer will not
valid without Wudhu ' [ablution]. AbIutions require the
washing ofthose parts ofthe body that genera11y exposed
to dirt dust, such as the the arms and the feet .
1 See Yusuf Ali , The Holy Quf" English of tl1e M eanings &
1990,
at the of
91
Ablutions nllllified as of responding to the
call of nature, sleep, and activity, etc. The Ghusl
[bath] requires the washing of the whole body after wet
dreams, sexual expiration of the
period women and at the end of postnatal
bleeding, which is at of forty days.
The and beneficial of cleanliness
is crystal clear if we that they have to
perform ablution before their prayers. loves those who
observe cleanliness:
"AIlt111 loves WllO to im
loves WllO kee p tl1emse] ves clean."
(2:222)
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
92
Fornication and Adulter"y
prohibits fomication, adultery, and all the ul1lawful
acts that bound to lead to it, such as lustful looks and
private It has the stoning of adulterers
and adulteresses, the whipping of fomicators the killing
of publicly with view to safegllarding
people's honor, upholding values, encouraging
decency and chastity and protecting society at large against
deterioration
With regard to this issue, well-known saying,
"Prevention is better than cure" finds fu11 scope in For
takes the necessary preventive to guard
against the degeneration of values in the
society. considers act leading to
deeds forbidden. The says:
"And to for it is indecent
deed and evil way." (17:32)
this Verse, YllSllfAli writes:
"Adultery is not only itself and
with self-respect or respect others,
it opens the road to evils. lt destroys basis
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
of the family: it works against the interests of children
to it cause murders feuds and
loss of property, and also loosens
perrnanently the bonds ofsociety. N only ShOllld it
avoided as sin, but approach or temptati on to it
ShOllld avoided." 1
Usury
Islam forbid s in the stronges t possibl e terrns due to the
social ills it is to trigger. USur iOllS
in the Islami c syst em, represent
source of ul1justified advantage. The Qur ' an
forbids its followers to each other 's property
wrongfully:
"And cat up another's property
givc bribery to the judges [before
case] that eat part of the of
(2:188)
Usury repres ents the high est of eating up others'
prop erty lInlawflllly. It is only source ofgreat injustice
also of mi sall ocation of resources, errati c growth,
economic instability and of other
I YOllSllf Ali, The Qu,. 'dn: Eng/ish ofthe Meanings and
King Fahd Holy 'an Print ing 1990, 785-6.
Tmvmds Just System,
at the Beauty
Islam aims to establish justice and eradicate exploitation in
its forrns. Usurious transactions also spoil human
due to the they incur debtors. They also
give rise to of people who
to their society. Whereas legitimate trade
which the Qur' the
prosperity and the stability of
usury definitely encourages culture of
fruitless, parasites selfish people who will do
harrn to their societies than good. The Qur '<1n says:
eat will except as
tlle l1i s to
is say, 'Trade is like
, AlIa!l 11as permitted trade
after
tlleir Lord, dcsist sl1a1l past; tllCir
case is [to jLldge] ;
d\vellers thc will abide
(2 :275)
"AlIa!l wi11 deprive will give
deeds of lovcs
(2:276)
believe! give wllat
of for if i\1(.ieed
believers . lf do it take war
His it'
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
capital
sl1all 110t dcaltwi tl1lll1jllstly." (2:278-9)
Beycrages
Islam prohibits all sorts ofalcoholic beverages and labels
them"therootofall evil" ofthe evil they cause.
TheQur'ansays:
believe!
to
Escl1CW
tl1<1t (5:90)
all ofintoxicants,Islamaimsat
and [eliable society of dependencies. It
wants the individualsin the societytokeeptheiI"sobriety
and soundness of mind, their from
and exorbitantexpensesand theirpurity
andgood
Thoseaddictedtosuchcontemptiblebeverages to first
of all to If they intheiI"evilactions,
whichaffectsociety negatively, they will then subjected
to the punishmentof public whipping, which serves as
to
,,jol
Islammakes it foI" to womenand
vice in conduct. imitationof
Glimpseatthe Beauty ofIslam
96
the opposite sex in dress, movements the way of speaking
is l1ndol1bted!y manifest diversion what is right and
ofsl1ch forms ofperversion in the of
civilization and progress, in societies has triggered
socia! , and physical diseases.
ls!am wants its followers to adhere to the principles
dictated its For is created in
other words innocent, true and inclined to right
It is the network of perversion prevalent in tlle
environment into which is that affects this
of lslam and away it,
false, and what is wrong harmful. It
def1ects the worship the God. The
Prophet says :
c11ild is tl1e Fi"'ah, in state of
[i .e., It is his who convert him
to JLldaism, Christ ianity Magial1ism. Read, ifso you
will , Verse : 'So set truly to thc religion of
lslamic monothcism, thc in which
has created mankincl: No change let il1 the
religion of That is the straig11treligion, most
among mankind know not .' (30:30)"
lslam to this crookedness and to restore hurnan
to its right original
Avoidance ofThings 110t
sho111d not which does not
him. The Prophet says:
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
"
sign of 's good Fai tl1 is does not
engage 111 tl1at Wl1icll cloes not t-
Muslims, seem to ha ve neglected the
thi s beautiful saying. they to act
this Hadith , would certainly avoid
disputes and
Severing ofBlood Relationship
Another beautiful aspect of lslam is t11at it prohibits
the severing of ties of blood The Qur'an
says :
" And All ah throLlgl1 WllOl11
[rights] , and [do 110t sever the
wOl11bs [i.e., k insh ip]." (4: 1)
The says in thi s connection:
WllO severs tl1C of will not
\VllO believes Allfll1 Last
ties f and Muslim) .
Social Vices
l sl am also prohibits backbiting, spying, lying,
betrayal and such ignoble traits. There numerous
to these in the and the Sunnah [the
traditions of the few ofthem.
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
The Qur ' an says:
icve! Let 110t some
it
than the let women dcricle womcn: il
(lcCal11c
inslIlt Bad
is cviJ 01'
Faith; and tl10SC WI10 repcnt not tllC
WJ10 bclicvc! Avoid as [as
possibIc]; cascs is spy
backbitc OllC WOllld to
cat tllC flCSJl of'lli s dcad
WOllld loathc it. AlIaJl . AllaJl is
Oft-Retuming, (49: 11 , 12)
"VeriJy, to back tJle
to to (4:58)
11elp ill sil1 311d
(5:2)
The Prophet says:
dcsc\1 do
to\vards (10 1101 of OllC
sJaves ot'Allall , It is lawt\.\1
10give 1011is
days." im)
WI10 gocs willl will
MlIslim)
Glimpse at the Beauty of Islam
is Cl101lgl1 Ilimself wllen
gocs 11C ( Mus/im)
is WllOSC Ml1slims
sa /-Bukl/(zl"i Mus/im)
ot' jllst as
tllc
of is tlle
falsc tales." /-Buk//{/,"i and Mus/im)
"lt is cvil look dowll Ilis
(Mus/im)
Glil11pse at the Beauty of Islal11
100
These few examples of the beauty of Islam. Islam
liberated the ignorant, ruthless Arabs from oppressing
another, united their ranks, refined their manners, delivered
them from evil, tumed them into civilized and cultivated
nation after they had tom with civil and tribal feuds and
dissension. When they dedicated themselves completely to
the Truth and stood it, theiI" was in of
few Islam
says:
"And remember with gratitude Favor
for were enemies and joined your hearts
;;:j
()
love, so that is
tl1e brink of tl1e pit of Fire, and saved
it. does make His signs clear to
gtlided." (3: 103)
to were small deemed
weak tlHougl1 the afraid migl1t
despoil provided safe place
for wit}1 His aid, and gave
good things for might
grateful ." (8:26)
Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
101
Islam's enemies get closer to it and it wittingly
unwitting1y because it is the truth Their
inventions, science and technology only serve to testi[y that
Islam is beyond shadow doubt true religion. The
says:
will We SllOW in the
jn themselves, it becomes to
that tllis is tlle truth.ls it that Lord doe s
witness things?" (41 :53)
the true religion Allah, Islam will wane
despite the all-out attacks 1eveled against it. Its Divine light
will to people's hearts and souls, deliver
them evil, and spread justice and The Qur'an
says:
is to A1Jall'S Light witll
their But will complete Hi s Light
t1101Igh t11e disbeli evers detest [it] ." (61 :8)
Glimpse at the Beauty ofIslam
102
The draws the dead
the
make tlle clead [i.e.,
to you tlle deafto
tllC call, wllcn show tllcir backs away.
NoI" 1ead back blincl tlleir
You to thosc WllO bclieve in
[tl1eil" will to (30:52-3)
WllO was dead [as Ofllis disbclicf] and
We gave Ili1l1 1ifc and ligllt
walks likc WllO is in
deptlls darkncss disbe1ic[]
(6: 122)
of A]]al1's creation realized
way who to aHow
to ms But if out of
kill tl1e facu1ty, wmcl1 Allah them,
110w How the trutl1 sllch
people who theiI" backs and stubboml y to
at al1? Thollgh l1ave seemingly the
faculties of and they so deadened
them that those facll1ties do not function, and they go
l1eadlong
and
WllCrC\vitll cycs
see not,-
Ilccd1css ones." (7: 179)
Glirnpse at the Beauty of Islarn
103