Daily Times

There is little debate that the character of human being in Islam carries the same weightage as bloodline in our body. It is fundamentally important that a Muslim must strive to become a Momin, so that he/she can reach the pedestal that one must aim for the eternal life. In fact, it is the character that distinguishes between a Muslim and a Momin.

In simple terms, a child born in a Muslim family begins his/her journey as FAQIR, i.e. Faith in Allah, Quran, Islam, and all Rasul. However, he/she must aim to become the RICHEST (an acronym), that I will explain later in Part-II. In the process, I will, maintain originality and objectivity, to the best of my abilities, and will not reflect or reject any particular school of thought.

In an earlier article published by Daily Times, I had explained each letter of FAITH, primarily to highlight its importance for each individual regardless of cast and creed. Briefly, the letter ‘F’ stands for Fondness, i.e. liking and affection for your God, whom you think is the Creator of this universe, because without an affectionate fondness, one cannot submit himself/herself to the Creator. Whereas, the letter ‘A’ represents Allegiance, i.e. total loyalty. One has to be totally loyal with your own God and cannot share His image with anybody else or cannot replicate His stature with any other entity. However, in my view, the letter ‘I’ reflected Intimacy, i.e. closeness. This is perhaps the most private relationship between a person and his/her God or Creator. Whereas, the letter ‘T’ stands firmly for Truthfulness, i.e. openness, because the Creator knows everything and hence you cannot hide anything from Him. Finally, the last letter ‘H’ refers to the Hopefulness, i.e. expectation, and optimism. Because, without hope, everything will be lost, and this a norm accepted by people regardless of caste and creed.

To understand Islam, not only as religion, but a way of life, it is fundamentally important that we understand Al-Quran, because Allah describes everything in it through His Divine Revelations, and its practical demonstration was done by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), himself.

To understand Islam, not only as religion, but a way of life, it is fundamentally important that we understand Al-Quran, because Allah describes everything in it through His Divine Revelations, and its practical demonstration was done by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), himself. The Holy Book outlines the Concept of the Universe and Humanity, as Ordained by Allah, The Creator. It explains the core subjects needed to mange the Universe and lives of the living beings.

I am of the opinion that Quran is an All-Encompassing Document, and not only a Holy Book, that satisfies the needs of today’s definitions and the attributes of Doctrine, Policy, Strategy, Tactics, and even the Rules of Engagement, in Contemporary Environment, or the Societal Architecture. And, Allah’s Directives were obeyed and demonstrated by all the Messengers who brought the same message and performed in the similar manner. However, to understand Quran, it is necessary that we understand the concept and the core subjects that are Ordained by Allah in this Holy Document.

First and the foremost is to accept the Oneness of God (Tawheed), because it is the Foundation of Islam, and has Three Distinct Dimensions: One Universal God, The Creator (2:163, 112:1-4, 42:11, 59:22-24), One Universal Humanity (4:1, 49:13, 23:52), and One Universal Message Conveyed by All Prophets and Messengers (42:13, 3:33-34. 4:163-165, 6:83-90, 21:51-93). The most powerful message of Allah on the concept of Oneness is described in Surah Al Ikhlas (112:1-4).

On Humanity, Allah asserts in the Quran that He created all human beings as one ummah, and it is humans that created divisions within themselves (Quran 10:19). Because, Islam recognizes no distinction among human beings based on color, caste, or creed. All are considered equal in receiving human rights, and in discharge of duties. Islam extends no privilege to any chosen class, except those having piety or moral excellence. Unfortunately, this particular Dicta from Allah is blatantly violated in our society, and causes dissatisfaction and disgust in our lives.

On the Working of the Universe “It is God who raised the skies without support, as you can see, then assumed His throne, and enthralled the sun and the moon (so that) each runs to a predetermined course. He disposes all affairs, distinctly explaining every sign that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord” (Quran 13:2). Therefore, the universe is governed by the laws decreed for it by Allah, and has, therefore, been in submission to Allah since its creation.

However, God’s creation gave men/women two privileges, that are not made available to the rest of His Creations: (1) Freedom of choice and (2) Specialized knowledge or “creative knowledge.” In fact, Freedom of choice allows humans the ability to make the decision whether or not to worship Allah and follow His will, and humans were given the ability to think, rationalize, and argue the presence of a creator, and then decide whether to submit to Him or not (missing reference).

In Part-II, I will endeavor the highlight the purpose of the creation of universe, and human beings, core values of Islam, and the role of character in Islam. My focus will be on Muslims becoming Momins by embracing the core values of Islam, as Ordained by Allah, and demonstrated by the Prophets Muhammad (PBUH).

The writer is the author of the book ‘Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan’.