The Timeless Beauty of Islam

The Timeless Beauty of Islam

• Nishad. P Fujairah
• April 14, 2018
• 2 Comment

The beauty and simplicity of Islam is captivating the world. It is an idea that spreads rapidly in the minds. This surprises some. Whereas some others are shocked. Those who are shocked, feel threatened; to counter it they misrepresent part of the Islamic legal system, misinterprets basic texts in order to confuse people. They take examples of bad muslims to propagate anti Islamic ideologies. Even some muslims are misinformed and misguided to wrong path. For instance, terrorist groups are formed in the name of Islam. Islamic symbols such as turbans, beards are equated to terrorist. Even some muslims who did/does not have right understanding of Islam has contributed to this narrative. They are creating a state of fear in the minds of the people when they hear about Islam. At the same time, it gives a new perspective to the unfounded questions that have long been answered by Muslim scholars. By asking such questions, they are taking advantage of the doubts that may arise in the minds of some. Islam has threatened a system which flourishes on injustice, exploitation, corruption etc from the very beginning of it’s introduction. Therefore, organisations and individuals who capitalised such system were anti Islam then as well as today. Any anti Islamic narrative pushed out by such media outlets and individuals often manipulate ordinary people who do not possess thorough understanding of Islam. The vast majority of anti-Islamists do not understand the religion from its original source. It is fortunate that a small minority of them have embraced Islam with a neutral mind. However, it is unfortunate that at least some attempts by the anti-Islamic faction to create some skepticism in the eyes of the world have been successful. In this situation, Islam needs to be presented in a very simple way that can be easily understood by the common man. This article is an attempt towards that goal. Islam is not rituals or traditions. It is a precise, clear, definite, systematic way of life and a philosophy of faith. Monotheistic belief and belief in the Prophet of god are the foundation of Islam. Iman is the name of the broad topic which covers the subject of faith and they are mainly six. One: Belief in the Creator of the universe. Two: Belief in prophets who mediate between him and creation. Three: Belief in the scriptures given to the prophets. Four: Belief in angels. Five: Faith in the Last Day. (Belief that there is an end to this world and an eternal afterlife that includes heaven, hell, and judgment). Six: Belief that all good and evil deeds are in accordance with the will of Allah. The rules and directions from the Creator to the creations are known as Islamic matters. Five of these are important. One: The belief that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger. Two: Perform salah or pray five times a day. Three: Fasting during the month of Ramadan. Four: Pay Zakat. Five: Perform Hajj for the able-bodied. Quoted Facts and deeds are the divine systems necessary for the success and progress of man in both worlds. There is nothing in it that makes human life difficult. The first six things of faith are of spiritual nature. It is not hindered by financial and physical hardships. These beliefs cannot be imposed on anyone else. Beliefs are something that anyone can choose freely anywhere. Zakat should only be paid by those who fall into a certain income bracket; not everyone. Hajj should be performed only by those who have been given the means to Mecca in addition to their physical and financial means. Fasting for one month in a year should not be performed by the chronically ill, the elderly, or the infirm. Temporary patients, pregnant women, nursing mothers and travellers can postpone fasting for as long as possible. See how simple and flexible are the instructions. In the country where we live, there are a lot of rules to follow. Violators face various punishments. But does the country reward those who follow those laws at least on a one-to-one basis? No, not in any country. But the uniqueness of Islamic law is different. Allah rewards abundantly those who follow it. Violators are punished only for the violations they have done without curtailing the reward they earned. The five daily prayers are an important form of worship. It should be performed by mature, sound minded and clean people. Salah or prayer should not be performed during menstruation or on postpartum bleeding days (this exemption is available for up to 60 days). It is sufficient for those who are unable to stand up to sit or for those who are unable to sit to lie down. One of the five valid rules of prayer is that the body, clothing, and place of worship must be clean. Another is to get rid of small / big impurities. A person becomes very impure due to intimate contact with his or her spouse and the occurrence of ejaculation during sleep or otherwise. Bathing with water all over the body can cleanse it from major impurities. If water is used in certain forms on certain organs, it can be purified from minor impurities. This is called wudhu or ablution. ‘O you who believe, when you are ready for prayer, wash your face and your hands and your knees. Rub the head and wash both feet, including the nipples. If you are very unclean, then be clean '(Qur'an 5/6). The Holy Qur'an says in a different chapter : ‘O you who believe, do not approach prayer while intoxicated. Do not approach the prayer until you have bathed while you are very unclean '(Qur'an 4/43). Imagine how much clean, healthy and hygienic a society would be if every members of that society bathed daily and washed their mouth, nose, face, hands, hair, ears and feet upto their ankles at least five times a day. Here are some important facts to keep in mind: All of the above organs are normally exposed. Each is washed three times. Islam teaches that it is especially rewarding to wash both hands before washing the face, rinsing the nose with water, rinsing the mouth with water, and cleaning the eyelids. First and foremost, wash your hands. With that, you can know the temperature of the water while dipping your hand in the water. This will reduce the risk of overheating or extreme cold when water is poured directly into the body. Secondly, when you clean your nose with water and rinse your mouth with water, you can sense the smell and taste of the water. Wudhu or ablution at five times also prevents dehydration in hot climates. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that exposed organs, including the face and hands, be washed frequently with clean water, sanitizer and soap to prevent infections such as corona, Ebola, SARS, and H1N1. The significance of cleanliness is clear from the fact that such things are also necessary for the validity of the prayer, which is an important form of worship that must be performed five times. This is where the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that purification is half of faith becomes relevant. The consideration of the humanity in Islam can be read in conjunction with these same actions. Imam Nawawi (ra), a Muslim scholar, writes in his famous book, Minhaj: If one has to buy the water to perform ablution for money then it is mandatory for him/her to do that. But if he owes his debt, or if he needs money to feed man and other living beings, irrespective of their religion or belief then he/she should do tayammun without wudhu and use the money to feed the hungry'(Minhaj - Tuhfa 1/360 Nihaya 1/326). One has water in one's hand to purify one's body for prayer. But if there is someone else who is thirsty and that water can quench the thirst of that person, then whoever is thirsty should be given water to quench his/her thirst. It is therefore forbidden and vulnerable to do ablution or wudhu without quenching the thirst. This is exactly what should be done (Tuhfa 1 / 361- Nihaya 1/321) even if the animals (including the harmless dog) need that water, not only humans (Tuhfa 1/361). Prayer is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam and wudhu or ablution makes it valid. Islam is a religion that teaches that it is pleasing to God to be merciful to all fellow living beings not just to human being. This is pure beauty. There are many such examples in Islam to show how sacred the transparency of religion in mutual exchanges is. It has been said that purification from large and small impurities is by bath and wudhu, respectively. Fresh water should be used for both. Meanwhile one is sick and if water is used, healing will be delayed. Or if there is a reasonable difficulty in exacerbating the disease, or the appearance of unsightly stains on the external organs, the bath / wudhu with water can be replaced with tayammum (rubbing the face and hands with powdered sand). See the concept of the Holy Qur'an: ‘If you intend to pray while you are sick, then seek pure soil. Then rub your hands and face with it. GOD is Forgiver, Most Forgiving '(Qur'an 4/43). The concept of this can be found in the fifth chapter of the Qur'an: ‘If you are sick and are preparing for prayers, look for clean soil. So rub your face and hands. GOD does not intend to harm you. But He wants to purify you and complete His blessing on you. That you may be grateful '(Qur'an 5/6). During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) a person had a dream ejaculation. He had a serious head injury. Someone told him that even though he had head injury, he needed a bath to get rid of the bigger impurity. His injury exacerbated from bathing and died of an acute illness. Upon learning of this, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reacted strongly: ‘They killed him. Ignorance is a disease. Its cure is to ask those who know '(Abu Dawood, Bayhaqi, Tuhfa 364/1). It is enough to understand that Islam is a religion that gives maximum concessions considering the conditions of human beings. Religion also teaches that dealings with non-Muslims should be very dignified.

The consideration of the humanity in Islam can be read in conjunction with these same actions. Imam Nawawi (ra), a Muslim scholar, writes in his famous book, Minhaj: If one has to buy the water to perform ablution for money then it is mandatory for him/her to do that. But if he owes his debt, or if he needs money to feed man and other living beings, irrespective of their religion or belief then he/she should do tayammun without wudhu and use the money to feed the hungry'(Minhaj - Tuhfa 1/360 Nihaya 1/326).

In Islam, unlike how people have been misinformed, the alms, help or support can be given to anyone, non-Muslim or Muslim alike. Moreover, Islam teaches that a deed of helping or supporting someone without looking at their religion, caste, creed or colour, is worship that leads to the pleasure of God and can thereby to heaven. The Holy Qur'an has repeatedly taught that faith should not be an obstacle to mutual cooperation and love. ‘Even if your parents are unbelievers, you should associate well with them in all matters of life and in life’ (Qur'an, 31/45). Similarly, it is the obligation on the wealthy Muslims of a country to provide food and medicine to the starving, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. If a non-Muslim man dies, he should be buried with dignity if he has no relatives. Its costs are to be borne by the wealthy Muslims. (Tuhfa 3/174) The obligation of a Muslim to a non-Muslim is even greater. It is without correct understanding the beauty of Islam some accuse Islam of religion of terrorism and of forcing people to convert. Islam in fact teaches muslims to live in harmony with other religions.

If we examine the content of the acts of worship, code of conduct of muslims to non muslims prescribed by Islam, we will realize the beauty and essence of Islamic ideas. I will end here for the time being for fear of the length of the post.