PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM
The contextual meaning of the word “Islam” is the “submission to the will of God.” Its followers are referred as Muslims. Muslims worship one, omnipresent Allah Almighty. Islam is an Arabic word that means submission, surrender, and obedience towards Allah Almighty. Being a religion, Islam views for complete submission and obedience to Allah and that is why it is called Islam. The other literal meaning of the word "Islam" is "peace." This implies that one can achieve real peace of body and of mind only through submission and obedience to Allah Almighty.
“Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah-indeed it is in the remembrance of Allah alone that the heart of man finds rest-those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return to”. (Al Quran 13: 28-29)
Pillars of Islam
These pillars are also referred as the principles of Islam:
- Prayers (Salah)
- Fasting (Saum)
- Charity (Zakah)
- Pilgrimage (Hajj)
- Fight/Struggle in the way of Allah (Jihad).
- Faith (Iman).
Principles of Islam
THE two basic source books of Islam are:
- The Quran: the Quran is believed to be the word of God. It contains about 6,500 verses.
- The Hadith: it is the compilation of the sayings of the Prophet of Islam. It contains about 25,000 sayings of the Prophet of Islam.
Islamic teachings cover virtually all the aspects of human life such as belief, worship, morality, spirituality, social structure, etc.These are the ten references from the Quran and Hadith that may be considered universal principles. They are suitable for every man and woman, irrespective of their religion and culture. They are codes for life and an art of life management as well.
Mutual Respect
It addresses the question of how to live in a multi-religious society?The Quran answers this question in this verse: “For you your religion; for me mine.” This principle is based on religious tolerance. It may be formulated in a sentence as ‘Follow one and respect all.’
Reconciliation and Adjustment
It addresses this question how to behave at the time of conflict?The Quran says, “Reconciliation is the best” which means that at the time of conflict, people have to adopt a conciliatory attitude rather than confrontational course of action.
Peace
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “God grants to non-violence what He does not grant to violence.” In nutshell, peaceful methods are always far more effective than violent ones.
Practical Wisdom
According to a Hadith, the general policy of the Prophet (PBUH) was that whenever the Prophet of Islam had to choose between two choices, he always chose the easier one rather than the harder one. This is the general policy of Islam in every affair.
Positive Response
A person once came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked, “O Prophet, give me some master advice by which I may be able to manage all the affairs of my life.”The Prophet replied, “Do not be angry.”This means that people must not react with anger even when they are provoked. They must respond positively to negative situations. They must always adopt positive thinking.
Modesty
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “God elevates the modest.” In other words, modesty is the key to high success.
Result Oriented Action
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The beauty of a man is to keep himself away from futile activities, which produce no results.” Humans’ actions should be always result-oriented.
Friendly Behavior
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “He is not a believer who creates problems for his neighbors.”
Unilateral Good Character
The holy Quran says: “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is good, then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.” Human behavior in society should not be revengeful but good under all circumstances.
Universal Brotherhood
The Prophet (PBUH) said,” I bear witness that all human beings are brothers and sisters to each other.”This concept teaches the feeling of universal brotherhood in all of humanity. It is only on this basis that a better society can be formed.