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HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
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BV BV
Jun 9, 2013, 5:32:33 PM6/9/13
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HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
Description: Some of the unique features of Islam not found in
other belief systems and ways of life. Part two.
Balance between the Individual and Society
Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance
between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual
personality of man and holds everyone personally accountable to God.
The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, says:
“Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his
custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for
them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it;
a lady is a guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it,
and a servant is a guardian of his master’s property and is
responsible for it.”
I heard that from God’s Apostle and I think that the Prophet also
said, “A man is a guardian of is father’s property and is responsible
for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and
things under your care.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
Islam also guarantees the fundamental rights of the individual and
does not permit anyone to tamper with them. It makes the proper
development of the personality of man one of the prime objectives of
its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view that man
must lose his individuality in society or in the state.
In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or
nationality. It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and
banishes all false barriers of race, status, and wealth. There can be
no denying the fact that such barriers have always existed and
continue to exist today in the so-called enlightened age. Islam
removes all of these impediments and proclaims the ideal of the whole
of humanity being one family of God.
Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit
barriers and distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory,
as was the case before the advent of Muhammad. Unfortunately, these
prejudices remain rampant in different forms even in this modern age.
Islam wants to unite the entire human race under one banner. To a
world torn by national rivalries and feuds, it presents a message of
life and hope and of a glorious future.
The historian, A. J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to
make in this respect. In Civilization on Trial, he writes: “Two
conspicuous sources of danger - one psychological and the other
material - in the present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat,
i.e., [westernized humanity] with the dominant element in our modern
Western society are race consciousness and alcohol; and in the
struggle with each of these evils the Islamic spirit has a service to
render which might prove, if it were accepted, to be of high moral and
social value.
The extinction of race consciousness between Muslims is one of the
outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world
there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this
Islamic virtue ... It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be
the timely reinforcement which would decide this issue in favor of
tolerance and peace.
As for the evil of alcohol, it is at its worst among primitive
populations in tropical regions which have been ‘opened up’ by Western
enterprise. The fact remains that even the most statesmanlike
preventive measures imposed by external authority are incapable of
liberating a community from a social vice unless a desire for
liberation and a will to carry this desire into voluntary action on
its own part are awakened in the hearts of the people concerned. Now
Western administrators, at any rate those of ‘Anglo-Saxon’ origin, are
spiritually isolated from their ‘native’ wards by the physical ‘color
bar’ which their race-consciousness sets up; the conversion of the
natives’ souls is a task to which their competence can hardly be
expected to extend; and it is at this point that Islam may have a part
to play.
In these recently and rapidly ‘opened up’ tropical territories, the
Western civilization has produced an economic and political plenum
and, in the same breath, a social and spiritual void.
Here, then, in the foreground of the future, we can remark two
valuable influences which Islam may exert upon the cosmopolitan
proletariat of a Western society that has cast its net around the
world and embraced the whole of mankind; while in the more distant
future we may speculate on the possible contributions of Islam to some
new manifestation of religion.”
Permanence and Change
The elements of permanence and change coexist in human society and
culture and are bound to remain so. Different ideologies and cultural
systems have erred in leaning heavily towards one or other of these
ends of the equation. Too much emphasis on permanence makes the
system rigid and robs it of flexibility and progress, while a lack of
permanent values and unchanging elements generate moral relativism,
shapelessness, and anarchy.
What is needed is a balance between the two – a system that could
simultaneously cater for the demands of permanence and change. An
American judge, Mr. Justice Cardozo, rightly says that “the greatest
need of our time is a philosophy that will mediate between conflicting
claims of stability and progress and supply a principle of growth.”
Islam presents an ideology, which satisfies the demands of stability
as well as of change.
Deeper reflection reveals that life has within it elements of
permanence and change - it is neither so rigid and inflexible that it
cannot admit of any change even in matters of detail, nor it is so
flexible and fluid that even its distinctive traits have no permanent
character of their own. This becomes clear from observing the process
of physiological change in the human body, for every tissue of the
body changes a number of times in one’s lifetime even though the
person remains the same. A tree’s leaves, flowers, and fruits change
but its character remains unchanged. It is a law of life that
elements of permanence and change must co-exist in a harmonious
equation.
Only such a system of life that can provide for both these elements
can meet all of the cravings of human nature and all of the needs of
human society. The basic problems of life remain the same in all ages
and climes, but the ways and means to solve them as well as the
techniques of handling the phenomenon undergo change with the passage
of time. Islam brings to focus a new perspective on this problem and
tries to solve it in a realistic way.
The Quran and the Sunnah contain the eternal guidance given by the
Lord of the universe. This guidance comes from God, who is free from
the limitations of space and time and, as such, the principles of
individual and social behavior revealed by Him are based on reality
and are eternal. But God has revealed only broad principles and has
endowed man with the freedom to apply them in every age in the way
suited to the spirit and conditions of that age. It is through
ijtihad (intellectual effort to arrive at the truth) that people of
every age try to implement and apply the divine guidance to the
problems of their times. Thus the basic guidance is of a permanent
nature, while the method of its application can change in accordance
with the peculiar needs of every age. That is why Islam always
remains as fresh and modern as tomorrow’s morn.
Complete Record of Teachings Preserved
Last, but not least, is the fact that the teachings of Islam have been
preserved in their original form. As a result, God’s guidance is
available without adulteration of any kind. The Quran is the revealed
book and word of God, which has been in existence for the last
fourteen hundred years. It is still available in its original form.
Detailed accounts of the life of the Prophet and of his teachings are
available in their pristine purity. There has not been even one
change made in this unique historic record. The sayings and the
entire record of the life of the Prophet have been handed down to us
with unprecedented precision and authenticity in works of the Hadith
and the Sirah (the Prophet’s Biography). Even a number of non-Muslim
critics admit this eloquent fact.
These are some of the unique features of Islam that establish its
credentials as the religion of man the religion of today and the
religion of tomorrow. These aspects have appealed to millions of
people in the past and the present and have made them affirm that
Islam is the religion of truth and the right path for mankind. There
is no doubt that these aspects will continue to appeal to even more
people in the future. Men with pure hearts and sincere longing for
truth will always continue to say:
“I affirm that there is none worthy of worship except God, that He is
One, sharing His authority with no one, and I affirm that Muhammad is
His Servant and His Prophet.”
Here, we’d like to conclude with the following words that George
Bernard Shaw is reported to have said:
I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because
of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion, which appears to
me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phases of
existence, which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied
him - the wonderful man - and in my opinion far from being an
Antichrist, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that
if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world,
he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it
much needed peace and happiness. I have prophesied about the faith of
Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it
is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/646/
THANK YOU
Description: Some of the unique features of Islam not found in
other belief systems and ways of life. Part two.
Balance between the Individual and Society
Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance
between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual
personality of man and holds everyone personally accountable to God.
The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, says:
“Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his
custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for
them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it;
a lady is a guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it,
and a servant is a guardian of his master’s property and is
responsible for it.”
I heard that from God’s Apostle and I think that the Prophet also
said, “A man is a guardian of is father’s property and is responsible
for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and
things under your care.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
Islam also guarantees the fundamental rights of the individual and
does not permit anyone to tamper with them. It makes the proper
development of the personality of man one of the prime objectives of
its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view that man
must lose his individuality in society or in the state.
In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or
nationality. It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and
banishes all false barriers of race, status, and wealth. There can be
no denying the fact that such barriers have always existed and
continue to exist today in the so-called enlightened age. Islam
removes all of these impediments and proclaims the ideal of the whole
of humanity being one family of God.
Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit
barriers and distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory,
as was the case before the advent of Muhammad. Unfortunately, these
prejudices remain rampant in different forms even in this modern age.
Islam wants to unite the entire human race under one banner. To a
world torn by national rivalries and feuds, it presents a message of
life and hope and of a glorious future.
The historian, A. J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to
make in this respect. In Civilization on Trial, he writes: “Two
conspicuous sources of danger - one psychological and the other
material - in the present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat,
i.e., [westernized humanity] with the dominant element in our modern
Western society are race consciousness and alcohol; and in the
struggle with each of these evils the Islamic spirit has a service to
render which might prove, if it were accepted, to be of high moral and
social value.
The extinction of race consciousness between Muslims is one of the
outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world
there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this
Islamic virtue ... It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be
the timely reinforcement which would decide this issue in favor of
tolerance and peace.
As for the evil of alcohol, it is at its worst among primitive
populations in tropical regions which have been ‘opened up’ by Western
enterprise. The fact remains that even the most statesmanlike
preventive measures imposed by external authority are incapable of
liberating a community from a social vice unless a desire for
liberation and a will to carry this desire into voluntary action on
its own part are awakened in the hearts of the people concerned. Now
Western administrators, at any rate those of ‘Anglo-Saxon’ origin, are
spiritually isolated from their ‘native’ wards by the physical ‘color
bar’ which their race-consciousness sets up; the conversion of the
natives’ souls is a task to which their competence can hardly be
expected to extend; and it is at this point that Islam may have a part
to play.
In these recently and rapidly ‘opened up’ tropical territories, the
Western civilization has produced an economic and political plenum
and, in the same breath, a social and spiritual void.
Here, then, in the foreground of the future, we can remark two
valuable influences which Islam may exert upon the cosmopolitan
proletariat of a Western society that has cast its net around the
world and embraced the whole of mankind; while in the more distant
future we may speculate on the possible contributions of Islam to some
new manifestation of religion.”
Permanence and Change
The elements of permanence and change coexist in human society and
culture and are bound to remain so. Different ideologies and cultural
systems have erred in leaning heavily towards one or other of these
ends of the equation. Too much emphasis on permanence makes the
system rigid and robs it of flexibility and progress, while a lack of
permanent values and unchanging elements generate moral relativism,
shapelessness, and anarchy.
What is needed is a balance between the two – a system that could
simultaneously cater for the demands of permanence and change. An
American judge, Mr. Justice Cardozo, rightly says that “the greatest
need of our time is a philosophy that will mediate between conflicting
claims of stability and progress and supply a principle of growth.”
Islam presents an ideology, which satisfies the demands of stability
as well as of change.
Deeper reflection reveals that life has within it elements of
permanence and change - it is neither so rigid and inflexible that it
cannot admit of any change even in matters of detail, nor it is so
flexible and fluid that even its distinctive traits have no permanent
character of their own. This becomes clear from observing the process
of physiological change in the human body, for every tissue of the
body changes a number of times in one’s lifetime even though the
person remains the same. A tree’s leaves, flowers, and fruits change
but its character remains unchanged. It is a law of life that
elements of permanence and change must co-exist in a harmonious
equation.
Only such a system of life that can provide for both these elements
can meet all of the cravings of human nature and all of the needs of
human society. The basic problems of life remain the same in all ages
and climes, but the ways and means to solve them as well as the
techniques of handling the phenomenon undergo change with the passage
of time. Islam brings to focus a new perspective on this problem and
tries to solve it in a realistic way.
The Quran and the Sunnah contain the eternal guidance given by the
Lord of the universe. This guidance comes from God, who is free from
the limitations of space and time and, as such, the principles of
individual and social behavior revealed by Him are based on reality
and are eternal. But God has revealed only broad principles and has
endowed man with the freedom to apply them in every age in the way
suited to the spirit and conditions of that age. It is through
ijtihad (intellectual effort to arrive at the truth) that people of
every age try to implement and apply the divine guidance to the
problems of their times. Thus the basic guidance is of a permanent
nature, while the method of its application can change in accordance
with the peculiar needs of every age. That is why Islam always
remains as fresh and modern as tomorrow’s morn.
Complete Record of Teachings Preserved
Last, but not least, is the fact that the teachings of Islam have been
preserved in their original form. As a result, God’s guidance is
available without adulteration of any kind. The Quran is the revealed
book and word of God, which has been in existence for the last
fourteen hundred years. It is still available in its original form.
Detailed accounts of the life of the Prophet and of his teachings are
available in their pristine purity. There has not been even one
change made in this unique historic record. The sayings and the
entire record of the life of the Prophet have been handed down to us
with unprecedented precision and authenticity in works of the Hadith
and the Sirah (the Prophet’s Biography). Even a number of non-Muslim
critics admit this eloquent fact.
These are some of the unique features of Islam that establish its
credentials as the religion of man the religion of today and the
religion of tomorrow. These aspects have appealed to millions of
people in the past and the present and have made them affirm that
Islam is the religion of truth and the right path for mankind. There
is no doubt that these aspects will continue to appeal to even more
people in the future. Men with pure hearts and sincere longing for
truth will always continue to say:
“I affirm that there is none worthy of worship except God, that He is
One, sharing His authority with no one, and I affirm that Muhammad is
His Servant and His Prophet.”
Here, we’d like to conclude with the following words that George
Bernard Shaw is reported to have said:
I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because
of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion, which appears to
me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phases of
existence, which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied
him - the wonderful man - and in my opinion far from being an
Antichrist, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that
if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world,
he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it
much needed peace and happiness. I have prophesied about the faith of
Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it
is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/646/
THANK YOU
Paul
Jun 9, 2013, 6:08:16 PM6/9/13
to
BV BV wrote:
> HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
No one cares. Really!
> HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
See, anyone can make a religion. All it takes is a pencil and paper.
It doesn't really matter what you write on the paper, as
you will change the interpretation of the words, as need arises.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
Paul
Grinder
Jun 9, 2013, 11:11:54 PM6/9/13
to
The Daring Dufas
Jun 14, 2013, 5:32:33 AM6/14/13
to
On 6/9/2013 4:32 PM, BV BV wrote:
> HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
>
SILENCE!!! I KEEL YOU!!! >_<
> HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
>
TDD
John Doe
Jun 14, 2013, 9:33:00 PM6/14/13
to
Grinder <grinder no.spam.maam.com> wrote:
> Paul wrote:
>> BV BV wrote:
>>> HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
> Paul wrote:
>> BV BV wrote:
>>> HOW DOES ISLAM DIFFER FROM OTHER FAITHS? (PART 2 OF 2)
>> See, anyone can make a religion. All it takes is a pencil and
>> paper. It doesn't really matter what you write on the paper, as
>> you will change the interpretation of the words, as need
>> arises.
<snipped the usual Wikishit links>
>> paper. It doesn't really matter what you write on the paper, as
>> you will change the interpretation of the words, as need
>> arises.
Paul is a true believer in the almighty Wikishit.
> I care a little bit. Those religions are hilarious.
happens when people believe so much in government that they let it
run every part of their lives. It's happening in our United
States. It's no better than an overbearing religion. It's probably
what happened in Nazi Germany. Everybody believes in power, don't
pretend that you don't.
Glaasgok
Jun 26, 2013, 9:01:15 PM6/26/13
to
Whoa! Doe! You're one of those guys! So tell us, how has the government
been running your life?
"John Doe" <jd...@usenetlove.invalid> wrote in message
news:kpgg8c$52k$1...@dont-email.me...
been running your life?
"John Doe" <jd...@usenetlove.invalid> wrote in message
news:kpgg8c$52k$1...@dont-email.me...
John Doe
Jun 26, 2013, 10:25:59 PM6/26/13
to
I have no idea what this troll is talking about.
--
"Glaasgok" <SpumedTs XXXXyahoo.com> wrote:
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> From: "Glaasgok" <SpumedTs XXXXyahoo.com>
> Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
> References: <90791a60-11b6-490e-bdd2-f0fa026b14cc cq4g2000vbb.googlegroups.com> <kp2u3j$t68$1 dont-email.me> <uIudneIiqo2Z2SjMnZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d mchsi.com> <kpgg8c$52k$1 dont-email.me>
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> From: "Glaasgok" <SpumedTs XXXXyahoo.com>
> Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
> References: <90791a60-11b6-490e-bdd2-f0fa026b14cc cq4g2000vbb.googlegroups.com> <kp2u3j$t68$1 dont-email.me> <uIudneIiqo2Z2SjMnZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d mchsi.com> <kpgg8c$52k$1 dont-email.me>
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>
> Whoa! Doe! You're one of those guys! So tell us, how has the government
> been running your life?
>
>
> "John Doe" <jdoe usenetlove.invalid> wrote in message
> Whoa! Doe! You're one of those guys! So tell us, how has the government
> been running your life?
>
>
> news:kpgg8c$52k$1 dont-email.me...
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