THE MEANING OF ISLAM

THE MEANING OF ISLAM

Every religion of the world has been named either after its founder or after the community or

nation in which it was born. For instance, Christianity takes its name from its prophet Jesus

Christ; Buddhism from its founder, Gautama Buddha; Zoroastrianism from its founder

Zoroaster-, and Judaism, the religion of the Jews, from the name of the tribe Judah (of the

country of Judea) where it originated.

The same is true of all other religions except Islam, which

enjoys the unique distinction of having no such association with any particular person or people

or country. Nor is it the product of any human mind. It is a universal religion and its

objective is to create and cultivate in man the quality and attitude of Islam.

Islam, in fact, is an attributive title. Anyone who possesses this attribute, whatever race,

community, country or group he belongs to, is a Muslim. According to the Qur’an (the Holy

Book of the Muslims), among every people and in all ages there have been good and righteous

people who possessed this attribute - and all of them were and are Muslims.

Islam - What Does it Mean?

Islam is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion,

Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah.1

Everyone can see that we live in an orderly universe, where everything is assigned a place in a

grand scheme. The moon, the stars and all the heavenly bodies are knit together in a

magnificent system. They follow unalterable laws and make not even the slightest deviation from

their ordained courses. Similarly, everything in the world, from the minute whirling electron to

the mighty nebulae, invariably follows its own laws. Matter, energy and life - all obey their laws

and grow and change and live and die in accordance with those laws. Even in the human world

the laws of nature are paramount. Man’s birth, growth and life are all regulated by a set of

biological laws. He derives sustenance from nature in accordance with an unalterable law. All

the organs of his body, from the smallest tissues to the heart and the brain, are governed

by the laws prescribed for them. In short, ours is a law-governed universe and everything in it is

following the course that has been ordained for it.

This powerful, all-pervasive law, which governs all that comprises the universe, from the

tiniest specks of dust to the magnificent galaxies of the heavens, is the law of God, the Creator

and Ruler of the universe. As the whole of creation obeys the

1. Another literal meaning of the word Islam is ‘peace’ and this signifies that one can achieve

real peace of body and mind only through submission and obedience to Allah. Such a life of

obedience brings with it peace of the heart and establishes real peace in society at large. Editor.

aw of God, the whole universe, therefore, literally follows the religion of Islam - for Islam

signifies nothing but obedience and submission to Allah, the Lord of the Universe. The sun, the

moon, the earth and all other heavenly bodies are thus ‘Muslim’. So are the air, water, heat,

stones, trees and animals. Everything in the universe is ‘Muslim’ for it obeys God by submission

to His laws. Even a man who refuses to believe in God, or offers his worship to someone other

than ‘ Allah, has necessarily to be a ‘Muslim’ as far as his existence is concerned.

For his entire life, from the embryonic stage to the body’s dissolution into dust after death,

every tissue of his muscles and every limb of his body follows the course prescribed by

God’s law. His very tongue which, on account of his ignorance advocates the denial of God

or professes multiple deities, is in its very nature ‘Muslim’. His head which he wantonly bows to

others besides Allah is born ‘Muslim’. His heart, which, through his lack of true knowledge,

cherishes love and reverence for others, is ‘Muslim’ by intuition. These are all obedient to the

Divine Law, and their functions and movements are governed by the injunctions of that law

alone.

Let us now examine the situation from a different angle. Man is so constituted that there are

two distinct spheres of his activity. One is the sphere in which he finds himself totally

regulated by the Divine Law. Like other creatures, he is completely caught in the grip of the

physical laws of nature and is bound to follow them. But there is another sphere of his

activity. He has been endowed with reason and intellect. He has the power to think and form

judgements, to choose and reject, to approve and spurn. He is free to adopt whatever course

of life he chooses. He can embrace any faith, and live by any ideology he likes. He may

prepare his own code of conduct or accept one formulated by others. Unlike other creatures,

he has been given freedom of thought, choice and action. In short, man has been bestowed

with free will.

Both these aspects co-exist side by side in man’s life.

In the first he, like all other creatures, is a born Muslim, invariably obeying the injunctions of

God, and is bound to remain one. As far as the second aspect is concerned, he is free to

become or not to become a Muslim. It is the way a person exercises this freedom which

divides mankind into two groups: believers and non-believers. An individual who chooses to

acknowledge his Creator, accepts Him as his real Master, honestly and scrupulously submits to

His laws and injunctions and follows the code. He has achieved completeness in his Islam

by consciously deciding to obey God in the domain in which he was endowed with freedom of

choice. He is a perfect Muslim: his submission of his entire self to the will of Allah is Islam and

nothing but Islam.

He has now consciously submitted to Him Whom he had already been unconsciously

obeying. He has now willingly offered obedience to the Master Whom he already owed

obedience to involuntarily. His knowledge is now real for he has acknowledged the Being Who

endowed him with the power to learn and to know. Now his reason and judgement are set on

an even keel - for he has rightly decided to obey the Being Who bestowed upon him the faculty

of thinking and judging. His tongue is also truthful for it expresses its belief in the Lord Who

gave it the faculty of speech. Now the whole of his existence is an embodiment of truth for, in

all spheres of life, he voluntarily as well as involuntarily obeys the laws of One God - the Lord of

the Universe. Now he is at peace with the whole universe for he worships Him Whom the

whole universe worships. Such a man is God’s vice-regent on earth. The whole world is for

him and he is for God.

The Nature of Disbelief :

In contrast to the man described above, there is the man who, although a born Muslim and

unconsciously remaining one throughout his life, does not exercise his faculties of reason,

intellect and intuition to recognise his Lord and Creator and misuses his freedom of choice by

choosing to deny Him. Such a man becomes an unbeliever - in the language of Islam a Kafir.

Kufr literally means ‘to cover’ or ‘to conceal’. The man who denies God is called Kafir

(concealer) because he conceals by his disbelief what is inherent in his nature and embalmed in

his own soul - for his nature is instinctively imbued with ‘Islam’. His whole body functions in

obedience to that instinct. Each and every particle of existence - living or lifeless - functions in

accordance with ‘Islam’ and is fulfiling the duty that has been assigned to it. But the vision of

this man has been blurred, his intellect has been befogged, and he is unable to see the obvious.

His own nature has become concealed from his eyes and he thinks and acts in utter disregard of

it. Reality becomes estranged from him and he gropes in the dark. Such is the nature of Kufr.

Kufr is a form of ignorance, or, rather, it is ignorance. What ignorance can be greater than to be

ignorant of God, the Creator, the Lord of the Universe? A man observes the vast panorama

of nature, the superb mechanism that is ceaselessly working, the grand design that is manifest in

every aspect of creation - he observes this vast machine, but he does not know anything of its

Maker and Director. He knows what a wonderful organism his body is but is unable to

comprehend the Force that brought it into existence, the Engineer Who designed and produced

it, the Creator Who made the unique living being out of lifeless stuff: carbon, calcium, sodium

and the like. He witnesses a superb plan in the universe - but fails to see the Planner behind it.

He sees great beauty and harmony in its working - but not the Creator. He observes a

wonderful design in nature - but not the Designer! How can a man, who has so blinded

himself to reality, approach true knowledge? How can one who has made the wrong beginning

reach the right destination? He will fail to find the key to Reality. The Right Path will remain

concealed for him and whatever his endeavours in science and arts, he will never be able to

attain truth and wisdom. He will be groping in the darkness of ignorance.

Not only that; Kufr is a tyranny, the worst of all tyrannies. And what is ‘tyranny’? It is an unjust

use of force or power. It is when you compel a thing to act unjustly or against its true nature, its

real will and its inherent attitude.

We have seen that all that is in the universe is obedient to God, the Creator. To obey, to live in

accordance with His Will and His Law or (to put it more precisely) to be a Muslim is ingrained

in the nature of things. God has given man power over these things, but it is incumbent that they

should be used for the fulfilment of His Will and not otherwise. Anyone who disobeys God and

resorts to Kufr perpetrates the greatest injustice, for he uses his powers of body and mind to

rebel against the course of nature and becomes an instrument in the drama of disobedience. He

bows his head before deities other than God and cherishes in his heart the love, reverence and

fear of other powers in utter disregard of the instinctive urge of these organs. He uses his own

powers and all those things over which he has authority against the explicit Will of God and thus

establishes a reign of tyranny.

Can there be any greater injustice, tyranny and cruelty than that exhibited by this man who

exploits and misuses everything under the sun and unscrupulously forces them to a course which

affronts nature and justice?

Kufr is not mere tyranny; it is rebellion, ingratitude and infidelity. After all, what is the reality of

man? Where do his power and authority come from? Is he himself the creator of his mind, his

heart, his soul and other organs of his body - or have they been created by God? Has he himself

created the universe and all that is in it - or has it been created by God? Who has harnessed all

the powers and energies for the service of man - man or God? If everything has been created

by God and God alone, then to whom do they belong? Who is their rightful sovereign? It is God

and none else. And if God is the Creator, the Master and the Sovereign, then who would be a

greater rebel than the man who uses God’s creation against His injunctions - and who makes his

mind think against God, harbours in his heart thoughts against Him, and uses his various faculties

against the Sovereign’s Will.

If a servant betrays his master you denounce him as faithless. If an officer becomes disloyal to

the state you brand him as a traitor and renegade. If a person cheats his benefactor you have

no hesitation in condemning him as ungrateful. But such acts cannot begin to compare to the

one which the disbeliever commits by his Kufr. All that a man has and all that he uses for the

benefit of others is a gift of God. The greatest obligation that a man owes on this earth is to his

parents. But who has implanted the love of children in the parents’ heart? Who endowed the

mother with the will and power to nurture, nourish and feed her children? Who inspired the

parents with the passion to spend everything in their possession for the well-being of their

children? A little reflection would reveal that God is the greatest benefactor of man. He is his

Creator, Lord, Nourisher, Sustainer, as well as King and Sovereign. So what can be greater

betrayal, ingratitude, rebellion and treason than Kufr, through which a man denies and disobeys

his real Lord and Sovereign?

Do not think that by committing Kufr man does or can do the least harm to Almighty God.

Insignificant speck on the face of a tiny ball in this limitless universe that man is, what harm

can he do to the Lord of the Universe Whose dominions are so infinitely vast that we have not

yet been able to explore their boundaries even with the help of the most powerful telescope|;

Whose power is so great that myriads of heavenly bodies, like the Earth, the Moon, the Sun

and the stars are, at His bidding, whirling like tiny balls; Whose wealth is so boundless that He is

the sole Master of the whole universe; and Who provides for all and needs none to provide for

Him? Man’s revolt against Him can do Him no harm; on the other hand, by his disobedience,

man treads the path of ruin and disgrace.

The inevitable consequence of this revolt and denial of reality is a failure in the ultimate ideals

of life. Such a rebel will never find the thread of real knowledge and vision; for knowledge that

fails to reveal its own Creator can reveal no truth. Such a man’s intellect and reason always run

astray, for reason which errs about its own Creator cannot illumine the paths of life.

Such a man will meet with failures in all the affairs of his life. His morality, his civic and social

life, his struggle for livelihood and his family life, in short, his entire existence, will be

unsatisfactory. He will spread confusion and disorder. He will, without the least compunction,

shed blood, violate other men’s rights and generally act destructively. His perverted thoughts

and ambitions, his blurred vision and distorted scale of values, and his evil activities will make

life bitter for him and for all around him.

Such a man destroys the calm and pose of life on earth. And in the life hereafter he will be

held guilty for the crimes he committed against his nature. Every organ of his body - his

brain, eyes, nose, hands and feet will complain against the injustice and cruelty he had

subjected them to. Every tissue of his being will denounce him before God Who, as the fountain

of justice, will punish him as he deserves. This is the inglorious consequence of Kufr. It leads to

the blind alleys of utter failure, both here and hereafter.

The Blessings of Islam :

These are the evils and disadvantages of Kufr. Let us now look at some of the blessings of

Islam.

You find in the world around you and in the small kingdom of your own self innumerable

manifestations of God’s divine power. This grand universe, which ceaselessly works with

matchless order and in accordance with unalterable laws, is in itself a witness to the fact that its

Designer, Creator and Governor is an Omnipotent, All-Powerful Being with infinite power,

knowledge and resources, a Being of perfect wisdom, Whom nothing in the universe dares

disobey. It is in the very nature of man, as it is with every other thing in this universe to obey

Him.

Besides endowing man with the capacity to acquire knowledge, the faculty to think and reflect,

and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, God has granted him a certain amount of

freedom of will and action. In this freedom lies man’s real trial; his knowledge, his wisdom, his

power of discrimination and his freedom of will and action are all being tried and tested.

Man has not been obliged to adopt any particular course, for by compulsion the very object of

the trial would have been defeated. If in an examination you are compelled to write a

certain answer to a question, the examination will be of no use. Your merit can be properly

judged only if you are allowed to answer questions freely, according to your own

knowledge and understanding. If your answer is correct you will succeed; if it is wrong you will

fail, and your failure will bar the way to further progress.

The situation which man faces is similar. God has given him freedom of Will and action so that

he may choose whatever attitude in life he likes and considers proper for himself - Islam or

Kufr.

By the correct use of his knowledge and intellect a man recognises his Creator, reposes belief

in Him, and, in spite of being under no compulsion to do so, chooses the path of obedience

to Him. He understands both his own nature and the laws and realities of nature itself; despite

the power and freedom to adopt any course, he adopts the way of obedience and loyalty to

God, the Creator. He is successful in his trial because he has used his intellect and all other

faculties properly. He uses his eyes to see the reality, his ears to listen to the truth and his mind

to form right opinions. He puts all his heart and soul into following the right way he has so

chosen. He chooses Truth, sees the reality, and willingly and joyfully submits to his Lord

and Master. He is intelligent, truthful and dutiful, for he has chosen light over darkness. Thus he

has proved by his conduct that he is not only a seeker after Truth but is the knower and

worshipper as well. Such a man is on the right path, and is destined to succeed in this world

and in the world to come.

Such a man will always choose the right path in every field of knowledge and action. The man

who knows God with all His attributes knows the beginning as well as the ultimate end of reality.

He can never be led astray, for his first step is on the right path, and he is sure of the direction

and destination of his journey in life. He will reflect on the secrets of the universe, and will

try to fathom the mysteries of nature, but he will not lose his way in mazes of doubt and

scepticism. His path being illumined with Divine Vision, his every step will be in the right

direction. In science he will endeavour to learn the laws of nature and uncover the hidden

treasures of the earth for the betterment of humanity. He will try his level best to explore all

avenues of knowledge and power and to harness all that exists on earth and in the heavens in

the interests of mankind.

At every stage of his enquiry his God-consciousness will save him from making evil and

destructive uses of science and the scientific method. He will never think of himself as the

master of all these objects, boasting to be the conqueror of nature, arrogating to himself godly

and sovereign powers and nourishing the ambition of subverting the world, subduing the human

race and establishing his supremacy over all and sundry by fair means or foul. Such an attitude

of revolt and defiance can never be entertained by a Muslim scientist - only a Kafir scientist can

fall prey to such illusions and by submitting to them expose the entire human race to the

danger of total destruction and annihilation.2

A Muslim scientist, on the other hand, will behave in an altogether different way. The deeper his

insight into the world of science, the stronger will be his faith in God. His head will bow down

before Him in gratitude. His feelings will be that as his Master has blessed him with greater

power and knowledge so he must exert himself for his own good and for the good of humanity.

Instead of arrogance there will be humility. Instead of power drunkenness there will be a strong

realisation of the need to serve humanity. His freedom will not be unbridled. He will be guided

by the tenets of morality and Divine Revelation. Thus science will in his hands, instead of

becoming an instrument of destruction, become an agency for human welfare and moral

regeneration. And this is the way in which he will express his gratitude to his Master for the gifts

and blessings He has bestowed on man.

Similarly, in history, economics, politics, law and other branches of arts and science, a

Muslim will nowhere lag behind a Kafir in the fields of inquiry and struggle, but their angles of

view and consequently their modus operandi will be widely different. A Muslim will study

every branch of knowledge in its true perspective. He will strive to arrive at the right

conclusions.

In history he will draw correct lessons from the past experiences of man, and will uncover the

true causes of the rise and fall of civilisations. He will try to benefit from all that was good and

right in the past and will scrupulously avoid all that led to the decline and fall of nations. In

politics his sole objective will be to strive for

2. The situation which confronts modern man today is similar. Dr. Joad says: “Science has

given us power fit for the gods, and to its use we bring the mentality of schoolboys and

savages.” The famous philosopher Bertrand Russell writes: “Broadly speaking. we are in the

middle of a race between human skill as to means and human folly as to ends, every increase in

the skill required to achieve them is to the bad. The human race has survived hitherto owing to

ignorance and incompetence: but. given knowledge and competence combined with folly. there

can be no certainty of survival. Knowledge is power, but it is power for evil just as much as for

good. It follows that unless man increases in wisdom as much as in knowledge, increase of

knowledge ‘will be increase of sorrow.” (Impact of Science on Society, pp. 120-121.)

Another leading thinker has put the paradox in these words: “We are taught to fly in the air like

birds, and to swim in the water like fishes:but how to live on the earth we do not know

“(Quoted bv Joad in Counter attack From the East, p.28.)

the establishment of policies where peace, justice, fraternity and goodness reign, where man is a

brother of man and respects his humanity, where no exploitation or slavery is rampant, where

the rights of the individual are upheld, and where the powers of the state are considered as a

sacred trust from God and are used for the common welfare of all. In the field of law, the

endeavour of a Muslim will be to make it the true embodiment of justice and the real protector

of the rights of all particularly of the weak. He will see that everybody gets his due share and

no injustice or oppression is inflicted on anyone. He will respect the law, make others respect

it, and will see that it is administered equitably.

The life of a Muslim will always be filled with godliness, piety, righteousness and truthfulness.

He will live in the belief that God alone is the Master of all, that whatever he and other men

possess has been given by God, that the powers he wields are only a trust from God, that the

freedom he has been endowed with is not to be used indiscriminately, and that it is in his own

interest to use it in accordance with God’s Will. He will constantly keep in view that one day he

will have to return to the Lord and submit an account of his entire life. The sense of

accountability will always remain implanted in’ his mind and he will never behave irresponsibly.

Think of the moral excellence of the man who lives with this mental attitude - his will be a life of

purity and piety and love and altruism. He will be a blessing unto mankind. His thinking will

not be polluted with evil thoughts and perverted ambitions. He will abstain from seeing evil,

hearing evil, and doing evil.

He will guard his tongue and will never utter a word of lie. He will

earn his living through just and fair means and will prefer hunger to a food acquired unfairly

through exploitation or injustice. He will never be a party to any form of oppression or

violation of human life and honour.

He will never yield to evil, whatever the cost of defiance.

He will be an embodiment of goodness and nobility and will defend right and truth even at

the cost of his life. Such a man will be a power to be reckoned with. He is bound to succeed.

He will be highly honoured and respected.

How can humiliation ever visit a person who is not

prepared to bow his head before anyone except God the Almighty, the Sovereign of the

universe? No one can be more powerful than he - for he fears none but God and seeks

blessings from none but Him. What power can make him deviate from the right path? What

wealth can buy his faith? What force can shape his conscience? What power can compel him

to behave as he does not want to?

He will be the most wealthy. No one in the world can be richer or more independent

than he - for he will live a life of austerity and contentment. He will be neither a sensualist,

nor indulgent, nor greedy. He will be contented with whatever he earns fairly and honestly and

however much ill-gotten wealth is heaped before him he will not even look at it. He will have

peace and contentment of heart and what can be a greater wealth than this?

He will be the most revered, popular and beloved.

No one can be more lovable than he - for

he lives a life of charity and benevolence. He will be just to everyone, discharge his duties

honestly, and work for the good of others. People’s hearts will be naturally drawn towards him.

No one can be more trustworthy than he - for he will not betray his trust, nor will he stray from

righteousness: he will be true to his word, and straightforward and honest in his dealings. He

will be fair and just in all his affairs, for he is sure that God is ever-present, ever-vigilant. Words

fail to describe the credit and goodwill which such a man commands. Can there be anyone who

will not trust him? Such is the life and character of a Muslim.

If you understand the true character of a Muslim, you will be convinced that he cannot live in

humiliation, abasement or subjugation. He is bound to prevail and no power on earth can

overwhelm him. For Islam inculcates in him the qualities which cannot be driven out.

And after living a respectable and honourable life on this earth, he will return to his Creator

Who will shower on him the choicest of His blessings - for he will have discharged his duty ably,

fulfiled his mission successfully and emerged from his trial triumphantly. He is successful in life in

this world and in the hereafter will live in eternal peace, joy and bliss.

This is Islam, the natural religion of man, the religion which is not associated with any person,

people, period or place. It is the way of nature, the religion of man. In every age, in every

country and among every people, all God-knowing and truth-loving men have believed and

lived this very religion. They were all Muslims, irrespective of whether they called that way

Islam. Whatever its name was, it signified Islam and nothing but Islam.