Part 3 (1/2)
In order to know anything quite well, it is desirable not only to know _what it is_ but also to know _what it is not_.
1. The religion taught by the Qur'an and the Traditions [Arabic: ahadith] of our Prophet is _Islam_ and not ”Muhammadanism,” as it is often named. Those who profess Islam are _Muslims_ and not ”Muhammadans,” as they are called. The word ”Musalman” is but a corruption of the Arabic plural [Arabic: muslimun/muslimin] of the singular [Arabic: Muslim]. We and our religion have been called[28]
after the name of Muhammad just as the terms Christians and Christianity have been derived from the name Christ. But ”Muhammadanism” and ”Muhammadans” are not at all the correct names of ”Islam” and ”Muslims”
as you will presently see.[29]
2. From the point of view of Islam, all religions may be divided thus:
Religions are either,
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_False_: being beliefs} {_True_: being beliefs in more G.o.ds than } or {in one and only G.o.d; one, } {and True Religions (Paths of Sin) } {are either,
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_Pure_, such as } {_Mixed_, such as true Islam } {religions which unmixed with any } {mix up inconsistent inconsistent } or {ideas with ideas. } {the idea of } {one G.o.d.
(Paths of Grace) } {(Paths of Error)
Observe that a pure Religion, such as true Islam, comes in between false Religions and mistaken or mixed Religions, just as the Quranic Path of Grace lies between the Path of Sin and the Path of Error. It is the mean between two extremes.
3. It is not Islam to believe that there has been no true religion besides Islam.[30] Such an erroneous belief leads to intolerance, thereby begetting bigotry and fanaticism [Arabic: taa'ssub]. It is contrary to the teaching of the Qur'an and the Prophet. The first verse of the second Sura [Arabic: Baqrah = ?-l-m] commands us to believe in not only what was revealed to Muhammad but also in what was revealed to those who went before him. It clearly indicates that there are, and will ever be, many true religions of which Islam is one. Almost the first saying of our Prophet reported in collections of his traditions [Arabic: ahaadith] is ”whoever says 'there is no G.o.d but G.o.d,' will attain Salvation” _i.e._, will obtain eternal bliss. This shews clearly that all religions which inculcate belief in one G.o.d are true religions--are right Paths of Grace which lead to eternal bliss.
Observe that most Muhammadans (not Muslims) of to-day have forgotten this principle and have therefore become intolerant fanatics,[31] which accounts largely for the loss of political power of most Muhammadan Governments of modern times.
4. Neither is it Islam to believe that all religions are true. Such an erroneous belief leads to indifference, thereby begetting caprice and impiety. It is obviously contrary to the teaching of the Qur'an and the Prophet, for they both denounce many a false religion. If everybody thinks that every religion is true, there will be no two men professing the same religion, and there will be no real agreement between their thoughts and actions. Co-operation[32] [Arabic: ittifaq wa ittihad]
among men (which is the root of Family, Society and State) would tend to become impossible. Note that it is the indifference to religion and the consequent impiety of some of the Muhammadans of to-day that accounts mostly for their lack of co-operation, and for their loss of political power in modern times. Degradation is the lot of _faithless_ Muslims, for as the Qur'an says, ”Ye will be exalted only if ye be faithful Muslims.”
From what has been said you can easily infer that we should adopt the mean between two extremes and must therefore believe that neither are all religions true nor are they all false, but that _some religions_ are true and that Islam is one of them. The characteristic mark of true religions is belief in one G.o.d; and this indeed is the reason why Muslims are permitted to eat and live with, and even marry, Jewesses, Christians and others who believe in one G.o.d and possess sacred Scriptures.
5. I, for one, would not hesitate to call all Monotheists (Jews, Christians, and other Unitarians [Arabic: muwahiddin]) _Muslims_, because they believe in one G.o.d: but I would not call them _Momins_ [Arabic: Momins,], because they do not believe in one G.o.d in accordance with the teaching of our Prophet. You know that our Creed [Arabic: kalimah] consists of two parts:--
(i) There is no G.o.d but G.o.d, (ii) And Muhammad is His Messenger.
Those who believe in the first part are Muslims ([Arabic: Muslim ] = the peaceful)[33] and those who believe in the first as well as the second part of the Creed are Momins ([Arabic: Mumins ] = the faithful). Both Muslims and Momins are believers in one G.o.d; the only difference between them is that Muslims may not (like Momins) accept Muhammad as their guide in the belief. The Qur'an (iii. 83) defines Islam thus:--
Say ye; We believe in G.o.d, and that which hath been sent down (revealed) to us, and that which hath been sent down to Abraham and Ismail and Issac and Jacob and the tribes; and that which hath been given to Moses and to Jesus and that which was given to the Prophets from their Lord. No difference do we make between them--and to G.o.d we are resigned (Muslims).
6. ”There is no deity but G.o.d.” Since G.o.d is One, His Revelation to Man cannot be other than one and the same for all time. There has therefore been and will ever be but one true religion. That religion is Islam.
[Arabic: ?inna d-dina ?inda llahi l-?islam] ”Verily the (only) religion with G.o.d is Islam” (Q. iii 19). All the prophets from Adam to Muhammad received but one and the same Revelation and therefore preached Islam and Islam only. [Arabic: ?alika d-dinu l-qayyim] ”It was (and is) the standard religion”--Q. xii. 40.[34]
Whenever any people went astray and deserted Islam for idolatry a prophet arose among them to preach Islam and bring them back to righteousness.[35] Each prophet or messenger of G.o.d did nothing but try to restore the universal religion to its pristine simplicity and purity.
It was only in interpreting the Revelation and applying it to the practical needs of their age, that successive prophets and their followers differed; and the differences gave rise to the so-called _religions_ and religious systems of the world.
+Note 6.+
_”Islam” and ”not-Islam”._
I must devote this Note also to my observations on ”Islam” and ”not-Islam” in order to prepare you for a just appreciation of my contention that there are many good religions in the world but Islam is the best of them[36].