The Foundations And Concepts of Islam

The purpose of religion is to make mankind attain what they are created for: to worship their Lord alone without associating any partner with Him.[159] He ordained for them rites which they must fulfil and guaranteed for them obligations. He also gave them means that can make them attain that good, so that they can achieve the pleasure of their Lord and happiness in this world and the Hereafter according to a Divine Way that does not tear up man or afflict his person with deadly diseases that can cause a clash between his nature and soul and the world around him.

All Messengers called to the Divine Religion that presents man with creedal foundation in which he should believe, and the law which he should follow in his life. That is why Torah was a creed as well as a law and its followers were required to make it judge between them. Allaah says,

 “Verily, We did send down the Tauraat (Torah), therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets who submitted themselves to Allaah’s Will judged for the Jews and the rabbis and the priests.”[160]

Then came the Christ who brought with him the Gospel in which there was guidance and light and in confirmation of the Torah that preceded it. Allaah says,

 “And in their footsteps We sent ‘Eesaa (Jesus) son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel) in which there was guidance and light.”[161]

Then Muhammad came with the final Divine Law and the complete religion as a witness over the laws that had come before it and to abrogate them. Allaah gave him the Qur’aan as a confirmation of the Divine Books that had come before it. Allaah says,

 “And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’aan) in truth confirming the Scripture that came before it and a watcher  over it (old Scriptures). So judge among them by what Allaah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you.”[162]

Allaah also explains that Muhammad and the believers who were with him believe in Him as all Prophets who were before them had done. He says,

 “The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allaah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers. They say: We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers. And they say: We hear and obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord and to you is the return.”[163]

THE EVERLASTING MESSAGE[164]