In Islam, there is no conflict between spiritual and worldly life. Rather, Islam provides a balance between all aspects of human life.
By Majed S. Al-Rassi
Allah has made the Islamic message easy to understand and to follow. He annulled some previously prescribed rites and practices while affir
ming others according to His wisdom. As a result, the Islamic creed and law suit peoples’ spiritual, psychological, social and economic needs, for all of humankind and for all eras. Islamic message have the following unique features:
Rationality
One should not have to derive the truth from a series of complicated logical proofs, only to arrive at something he or she is unsure of (as is common in other religions or philosophies). When the truth is found, it should be clear and obvious. The truth is so simple that anyone is capable of seeing it, and this is the most compelling feature of Islam.
Perfection
Since Allah is perfect, His teachings must also be perfect and free from any contradiction or error. The Qur’an challenges its readers to find any errors in it, if they do not believe it is really from Allah:
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction. (An-Nisaa’ 4: 82)
Dr. Maurice Bucaille, a French Christian physician, found many scientific facts mentioned in the Qur’an that were not known by humans at the time that the verses of the Qur’an were being conveyed by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to those around him. Bucaille wrote, “I could not find a single error in the Qur’an.” (Bucaille, The Qur’an and Modern Science)
Clarity
Allah is the Most Compassionate. He therefore guides people through clear and simple revelation free of myths, superstitions and mysteries.
Scientific validity and accuracy
It is not surprising to find in the Qur’an and statements of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) information which has only recently been discovered by modern science. This indicates that the Qur’an is the word of Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Prophet.
On the other hand, the religious views which the Church presented concerning God, the Bible, and the individual’s relation to God forced people into an unfortunate choice: either science or God. Most educated people have come to the conclusion that one cannot be a scientist or an educated person and be a true Christian at the same time. Many philosophers, scientists and the majority of lay people lost hope of reconciling religion and science; thus the ideology of secularism was developed. This dichotomy would not have arisen if the original Gospel which was revealed to Jesus (peace be upon him) had not been distorted.
Islam, the pure religion, raises no contradiction whatsoever between religion and science. This is naturally obvious because both religion and true scientific knowledge are from the same source: Allah, who does not contradict Himself.
Prophetic fulfillment
Many of the events prophesied in the Qur’an and in the Prophet’s statements have come to pass. This is further proof that Islam is not a man-made religion, because it is unimaginable for an uneducated man who was living isolated from other civilizations to make up such prophecies.
Moderation
In Islam, there is no conflict between spiritual and worldly life. Rather, it provides a balance between all aspects of human life, taking into account the needs and wants of individuals and society. Therefore, secularism, materialism, monasticism and extreme asceticism are all rejected in Islam, which provides a middle way to achieve harmony and balance between the spiritual and material needs of people. This is why Allah has called the Muslim nation in the Qur’an as a:
…just community [moderate nation]… (Al-Baqarah 2: 143)
Comprehensiveness
Islamic teachings provide people with definite guidelines to follow in all aspects of life: spiritual, individual, social, moral, political, economic, and so on.
Uniqueness
For anyone who claimed that Islam was man-made, Allah challenges them to:
…produce a chapter the like thereof… (Al-Baqarah 2:23)
Indeed, the entire Qur’an – its language, its elegance, its miraculous nature – is unparalleled. The ancient non-Muslim Arabs tried to construct a verse yet failed, even though their language and poetry was very highly developed in that era.
Even many recent non -Muslim scholars admit that the Qur’an is one of the greatest books known to humankind. This point ultimately leads to the fact that Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) – the illiterate – was a true prophet to whom the Qur’an was revealed.
Justice
All of humankind descended from one man and one woman (Adam and Eve). Islam teaches that the criterion by which each human being is judged is righteousness, not the color of one’s skin or one’s status in society. The best person in the view of Allah is the most righteous. A verse of the Glorious Qur’an reads:
…Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you… (Al-Hujurat 49:13)
Universality
Islam is a universal message to all of humankind and for all times, until the Day of Judgment, whereas every other Prophet was sent to his own people, and for a limited time period. Prophet Jesus’ mission was limited to the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’. (Matthew 15:24) Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent for everyone: male or female, rich or poor, Arab or non-Arab, slave or freeborn. Islam can be practiced anywhere on the earth; it is not tied to locality or culture.
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Source: Taken with modifications from the author’s “Whom Should We Worship?”