CRITERION (3) "CONTAINS ABSOLUTE PRINCIPLES" ....... to continue.

[B] Al-Islam: The religion of Abraham (Prophet Ibrahim a.s.)

Another principle teaching is the Qur’anic assertion that the religion which Muhammad s.a.w. brings (i.e. Al-Islam) is that pure monotheistic faith of submission to the One God, the same “religion of our forefather Abraham, the upright who submitted to God – as Muslim, and he is not of those who ascribe partners for God ” (mil-lata abii-na Ibra-hii-ma Hanee-fan-Musliman-wa-maa kaa-na minal mush-ri-keen):

وَجَـٰهِدُواْ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ‌ۚ هُوَ ٱجۡتَبَٮٰكُمۡ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ

فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ۬‌ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمۡ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ‌ۚ هُوَ سَمَّٮٰكُمُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

مِن قَبۡلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَتَكُونُواْ

شُہَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ‌ۚ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ

وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوۡلَٮٰكُمۡ‌ۖ فَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡمَوۡلَىٰ وَنِعۡمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ

“And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline): He has chosen you and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector― the― Best to protect and the Best to help!”

(Qur’an: Surah Hajj: 22: 78)

مَا كَانَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمُ يَہُودِيًّ۬ا وَلَا نَصۡرَانِيًّ۬ا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفً۬ا مُّسۡلِمً۬ا

وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

"Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian, but he was true in faith and bowed his will to Allah's (which is Islam) and he joined not gods with Allah. "

(Qur’an: Aali ‘Imran: 3: 67)

ثُمَّ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ أَنِ ٱتَّبِعۡ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ حَنِيفً۬ا‌ۖ وَمَا كَانَ

مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِڪِينَ

“So We have taught thee the inspired (message), "Follow the ways of Abraham the True in faith, and he joined not gods with Allah."

(Qur’an:Surah an-Nahl: 16: 123)

قُلۡ صَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ فَٱتَّبِعُواْ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ حَنِيفً۬ا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

Say: "Allah speaketh the Truth: follow the religion of Abraham, the upright in faith; he was not of the pagans."

(Qur’an: Aali ‘Imran: 3: 95)

That it was Muhammad s.a.w., an illiterate Arab of Makkah – neither of the Judaic faith nor a Christian – who was tasked to restore this faith and religion amidst a people, the Arab pagan who had sunk into idolatry and deviated far from the ways of their forefather Abraham, only affirms that he, Muhammad s.a.w., had to be divinely guided and could not be acting from his own human initiative.

With the change in time and living conditions, many fundamental religious practices or principle acts of worship in many religions may have undergone changes. In the case of some religions, those practices may even have been totally discarded or replaced, such that its followers’ doctrines and practices today would be considered to be quite different, strange or even bizarre to its original founder, initiator or prophet. This was what had happened to the religious teachings and practices of the prophets Abraham and Ishmael (may Allah’s mercy and blessing be upon them both) amongst the Arabs in Makkah, although the Ka’abah was remembered as the temple built by both of them. In the above verse, the assertion that Al-Islam as established by Muhammad s.a.w. is the same as that of Prophet Ibrahim a.s., in its fundamental doctrines and practices, and it would continue to remain relevant and faithful to the true religion of Abraham’s time, as it was during Muhammad’s time and will continue to be so in the future.

What is amazing is the claim that the true faith and religion of Abraham (Ibrahim a.s.), is being restored only by way of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. alone, refuting even the claims of both Judaism and Christianity to be the name of the religion of Abraham (Ibrahim a.s.), and denying their claim to being true to, and to be continuing to be following in his monotheistic legacy. Muhammad was not only sent to the Arabs but he was also sent to reform and re-orientate the People of the Book back to the creed of Abraham (Ibrahim a.s.) as well to all mankind:

يَـٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِىٓ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَتِ ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةُ

وَٱلۡإِنجِيلُ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦۤ‌ۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ هَـٰٓأَنتُمۡ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ حَـٰجَجۡتُمۡ

فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ۬ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ

يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ مَا كَانَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمُ يَہُودِيًّ۬ا وَلَا نَصۡرَانِيًّ۬ا

وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفً۬ا مُّسۡلِمً۬ا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

إِنَّ أَوۡلَى ٱلنَّاسِ بِإِبۡرَٲهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـٰذَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

“O Followers of previous revelation! Why do you argue about Abraham, seeing that the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till long after him? Will you not, then, use your reason? Lo you are the ones who would argue about that which is known to you; but why do you argue about something which is unknown to you? Yet God knows it, whereas you do not know- Abraham was neither a “Jew” nor a “Christian”, but was one who turned away from all that is false, having surrendered himself unto God; and he was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.

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Behold, the people who have the best claim to Abraham are surely those who follow him – as does this Prophet (Muhammad) and all who believe in him – and God is near unto the believers.”

(Qur’an: Aali-‘Imran: 3:65-68)

As an illustration, consider the principle practices obligatory on Muslims, which in fact resemble righteous devotional acts observed by previous Prophets, especially Abraham a.s. These were novel and seemed new when Muhammad s.a.w first taught them, and were such that no pagan Arabs could have known them. These even served to admonish the people of the Book (the Jews and Christians) who had discarded many of these practices themselves, but yet they knew about them. Guided with the Qur’anic revelation Muhammad s.a.w. re-established these devotional acts and made these the pillar of the religion. And after 1400 years, these pillars continue to be faithfully adhered to and practiced diligently by Muslims worldwide.

(to be continued [B] with (1) shahadah )

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