Why Islam Is The Most Practical Religion

Islam, major world religion promulgated by the prophet Muhammad in arabia in the 7th century CE. The Arabic term islam, literally “surrender” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of islam-that the believer accepts surrender to the will of Allah. Allah is viewed as the sole God-creator,sustainer, and restorer of the world. The will of Allah, to which human beings must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures, the quran, which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad. In islam Muhammad is considered the last of a series of prophets (including adam, noah, Abraham, moses, Solomon and jesus) and his message simultaneously consummates and completes the “revelations” attributed to earlier prophets.

Retaining its emphasis on an uncopmrmising monotheism and a strict adherence to certain essential religious practices, the religion taught by Muhammad to a small group of followers spread rapidly through the middle east to Africa, Europe, the indian subcontinent, the malay peninsula, and china. By the early 21st century there were more than 15 billion muslims worldwide. Although many sectarian movements have risen within islam, all muslims are bound by a common faith and a sense of belonging to a single community

Challenges faced by muslims of the 21st century

A gross misrepresentation

A. Gross Misrepresentation Indeed, Islam has continued to gain recognition globally and it is disturbing to say that this is not as a result of the widened scope of da'awah activities, but rather as a result of gross misrepresentation of the Islamic identity. Islam is being misconstrued as opposed to its tenets and true heritage, and is now being perceived as a religion that tolerates terror and brutality. This is as a result of the misconceptions that have been facilitated by some war-ridden sects that are envisioning a society ruled by Islam which is totally in contrast to the doctrines of Islam. While there are numerous sources of information that disseminate wrong perceptions of Islam and Muslims in the West, most scholars are of the view that the media are the major players of these acts. How Islam is being vituperated today in the Western media is highly disheartening. A Muslim with a beard travelling to Western countries is considered a threat and is easily placed on a watch list. Any Muslim who has travelled to Iraq or Afghanistan is seen as potential risk to the peace of world. It is exacerbating to point out that the Hollywood movie industry has vilified the identity of Islam and Muslims by showing Muslims characters as antagonists in their movies.

Western civilization vaccum

B. The foundational difference between the Islamic and Western civilization is that the former attempts to create the Kingdom of God on Earth while the latter is a bold attempt to establish a Kingdom of Man. In the former, limits of human action are framed by the boundaries established by Allah; in the latter, even the idea of limits is an anathema. In the former, the ultimate goal of this earthly life is to prepare for the hereafter; in the latter, the very concept of the hereafter is a dogma whose veracity is highly questionable. Various currents have now poised these diametrically opposed worldviews against each other at a scale never before witnessed; this has also created numerous challenges for Islam and Muslims. Other challenges faced by Islam and Muslims also stem from their encounter with modernity [2]. In Africa, a good number of Islamic scholars lack the literacy of Western civilisation and computer literacy, while some lack interest in the benefits of Western technology. A high percentage of Muslim scholars have not even perfected the command of English, thereby making it difficult to understand the scholarship that comes with Western civilisation. There is no doubt that the need to incorporate Western technology with Islamic teaching methodologies is a 21st century requisition. It is true that the Western ideology embodies the need to create a society built on the assumptions of man, but it is also necessity for Muslim scholars to understand this ethos in order to outline the diametric of both Islamic and Western civilisation.

Challenges of Muslim Researchers

The biggest challenge for Muslim researchers, scientists, and scholars in this century is to define Islamic science, its scope and purpose, and describe its methodology, because it differs from the modern science, which is based on Western civilization and its culture and values. The biggest challenge for Muslim researchers in this century is to neutralise the influences of modern science because it is based on Western intellect and culture, and is one of the main causes of many problems in the Muslim world. In contrast, Islamic science is based on Islam, which presents a distinctive belief system, worldview and lifestyle, and concepts about God, present life, afterlife, culture, society, and community [3ሿ. According to Nasr, “Islamic sciences in their essence can be understood only within the principles derived from the source of the revelation, which is the Quran, and outside of which any study of them would remain superficial and incomplete” [4]. In contrast, “Western science is an embodiment of Western ethos and has its foundation in Western intellectual culture” [1]. Let us take the field of psychology as an example to understand the role of a Muslim researcher in this discipline. Man-made theories in psychology from the Western point of view, which have been formulated to answer the basic questions about human nature, can lead us to wrong directions. Since scientists do not consider religion and human soul as influencing elements on the human psyche and only rely upon scientific methods to understand human nature, it is impossible for them to cover all aspects of human behaviour. However, a Muslim researcher knows the fact that Islam covers everything about human nature; therefore, he can integrate it accordingly. For example, he strongly emphasises the element of free will, which is ignored in Western theories, because they stress genetic and environment as significant controlling factors of life.

Conclusion

Every year, leap year, decade and century comes with its set of challenges, and therefore Islam did not escape the contemporaneity of challenges. The challenges discussed in this research showed that these challenges were majorly due to the disunity or sectarianism amongst the Muslim Ummah. Islam teaches that the growth and development of Islam relies on the unity of its community and the truthfulness of faith. The problem of misrepresentation is solely a miscarriage of the Islamic identity by some miscreants who perceive the Islamic practise of other Muslims as infidelity. It can also be concluded that the western media has adversely contributed to the misrepresentation of Islam in the eyes of the world. Therefore, the Islamic identity has been tainted; nevertheless, Muslims can make the true identity of Islam and its widespread acceptance to resurface in a crystallised identity so Muslims can cherish the peace of mind that comes with the practise of Islam.

Recommendations

Some recommendations have been made to combat the aforementioned challenges in order to solve the problems of Islamic misrepresentation and Knowledge acquisition, namely:

• Muslims and representatives of Islam in the 21st century need to find ways to filter the true doctrines of Islam from adulterations and create preferences based on the Islamic foundation when making applications of Western civilisation.
• Acts of terror and turmoil have been denounced in various portions of the glorious Quran and Sunnah. It is therefore, necessary that Islamic scholars embark on sensitising and emphasising these teachings to the communities of Muslims and non-Muslims.
• The methods of inculcating the Islamic tenets have changed overtime and therefore there is an increased need for scholars to venture more into researches on the developing jurisprudence of Islam so as the meet the global demands of Islam and Muslims in jurisprud
• There is a necessity for revision of some of the Islamic creeds to match up the ever-changing global civilisation.
• Muslims in every part of world should recognise one another as Muslim brothers regardless of their sectary affiliations.
• Muslim scholars are required to enlighten their students that sectarianism in Islam cannot be eradicated but should be shunned when the general interest of Islam is being addressed.
• Muslims should conduct themselves as ambassadors of Islam in every corner of the world they find themselves and should be mindful of hate speech, even when they are tested.
• A Muslim should represent the Islamic identity and should preach the Islamic tradition through speech and deed.

Simplicity, rationality and practicality

Islam is a religion without any mythology. Its teachings are simple and intelligible. It is free from superstitions and irrational beliefs. The Oneness of God, the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the concept of life-after-death, are the basic articles of its faith.

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These are based on reason and sound logic. All the teachings of Islam flow from those basic beliefs. They are simple and straightforward. There is no hierarchy of priests, no far-fetched abstractions, no complicated rites and rituals. Everybody may approach the Book of God directly, translating its dictates into practice.

Islam awakens in Man the faculty of reason and exhorts him/her to use his/her intellect. It enjoins the person to see things in the light of reality. In Surah 20, verses 114, the Qur’an advises Man to pray: *{O, my Lord! advance me in knowledge}*

In Surah 6, verses 67, the Qur’an asserts that those who have no knowledge are not equal to those who have; that those who do not observe and understand are worse than cattle; that the meanings of revelation become manifest to those *{who have knowledge}* and *{who have understanding}* (6:98).

Then in Surah 2, verse 269, Allah (swt) states that: *{… whosoever has been given knowledge indeed has been given an abundant good.}*

The Qur’an also mentions in Surah 2, verse 247 that basic qualifications for leadership are, among other things, knowledge and physical strength. He also mentions that of all things, it is by virtue of knowledge that Man is superior to angels and has been made vicegerent of God on earth.

Prophet Muhammad said:

• He who leaves his home in search of knowledge walks in the path of God.”
• To seek knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.”

This is how Islam brings Man out of the world of superstition and darkness, initiating him into that of knowledge and light. Then, Islam is a practical religion and does not indulge in empty and futile theorizing.

It says that faith is not a mere profession of beliefs; it is the very mainspring of life. Righteous conduct must follow belief in Allah. Religion is something to be lived, and not an object of mere lip service. The Quran says in Surah 13, verse 29: *{Those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return to.}* Prophet Muhammad also said: “God does not accept belief, if it is not expressed in deeds, and does not accept deeds, if they do not conform to belief.” Thus, Islam is a simple, rational and practical religion.