Welcome to Islam, - Prophethood: the root of the west-Islam contention

[NajimudeeN M]

An economist had once said: "Today, the only and the biggest threat to
Western civilization is the faith and commitment of the Muslims to
their Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam which is the
source of unlimited strength for them."
Let us now briefly examine how.
1. The theoretical basis of Western civilization and the so-called
modernism is that humankind has now attained intellectual maturity. It
is no more dependent on any metaphysical being for knowledge and
guidance. It is self-sufficient and independent of any divine source
and concept, which it adopted in early days for its inner contentment.
On the contrary, the basis of prophethood is absolute knowledge and
faith in the existence of the Creator )Allaah, the Most High and
Exalted(. True knowledge and even life itself are the creation of
Allaah, Who is the only Creator, the Sole Sustainer and Healer. All
authority and sovereign powers belong to Him and Him alone. He is the
One Who guides people and provides them with the code of life.
Humankind is dependent on Him and exists under His domain as His
servants. The Quran, the infallible Word of Allaah, offers proofs to
the disbelievers and deniers of the existence of the Creator --
materialists and naturalists -- which rational minds have no option
but to affirm, and which no sound mind can possibly reject. In the
Quran, Allaah, The Exalted, Says )what means(:
"Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators ]of
themselves[? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather,
they are not certain."]Quran 52: 35-36[
The Quran says to them: You exist, and you cannot deny this; the
heavens and the earth exist, beyond any doubt. It is simply common
sense, to the rational mind, that the things that exist must have a
cause for their existence. The camel herder in the desert knows this.
He says: ''Camel dung indicates the presence of a camel and footsteps
indicate that someone walked here. Similarly, the heavens with their
stars and the earth with its mountains and valleys must indicate the
existence of the All-Knowing, All-Aware )i.e. Allaah Almighty(." The
greatest scientists who research life and living beings also know
this.
What is referred to in this verse, is known to scientists as the law
of cause and effect. This law states that a thing cannot happen by
itself without another thing )causing it(, because it does not possess
in itself the power to exist by itself, and it cannot by itself cause
something else to exist, for it cannot give to others that which it
does not possess itself.
2. According to Western epistemology, the source of true knowledge is
only the human sense of perception, its reasoning, observation,
experience and scientific investigation. Obviously, the knowledge
based on these sources is always hypothetical. Any statement or fact,
which is proved to be true today, may be proved false tomorrow.
Moreover, if any statement is unquestionable, this method does not
consider it knowledge, but a 'belief' or 'faith'. No such knowledge in
this world can be said to be certain and ultimate, let alone taken as
a yardstick for truth on which people may rely and follow for
salvation.
On the contrary, the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, develops and creates the insight and consciousness that there
is an ultimate truth and the only source of it is the Divine
Revelation. In turn, this proves the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, as Almighty Allaah Says about His
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )what means(:"Nor
does he speak from ]his own[ inclination. It is not but a revelation
revealed."]Quran 53: 3-4[
The West has completely abandoned the concept of truth and falsehood.
Even the use of such terminology is considered outmoded and uncivil by
them. However, to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, these terms are full of meaning.
3. The Western view is that truth and falsehood are relative terms.
Nothing can be right or wrong in itself. Thus, be it moral values,
social rules, regulations or laws, good or bad, useful or harmful,
Halaal )lawful( or Haraam )unlawful(, everything is determined by an
individual's own views and choice about it. Every individual is his
own arbiter. However, to the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, things and matters which have been qualified true
or false; allowed or disallowed through Divine Verdict cannot be
changed by a person's will, choice, experience, argument or logic.
4. Western civilization does not entertain metaphysical knowledge and
its source in its theory of life. Neither does it own the concepts of
Allaah, the Angels, the Revelation and the life in the Hereafter.
On the contrary, the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, believe that the significance and purpose of human existence
can only be gathered through a revealed source. To them, the facts,
which have been revealed through the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, are the truth.
5. The world and the worldly life are equally important and of deep
interest to both Westerners and the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam. The difference lies in the objectives that are
sought by them. While the main target of a Westerner is to seek
happiness, comfort, enjoyment and a better quality of life, the
interest of a Muslim lies in the welfare of fellow humans in order to
earn salvation in the Hereafter. The latter perception brings in its
fold a humble and peaceful human society.