Faith constitutes the base of Islam

Dear Readers,

The religion is Islam in the sight of Allah (swt). The ordered religion has an "invisible aspect" related to the heart besides "visible aspect" related to worship. The invisible aspect of religion related to heart is called "Faith" and the visible aspect related to worship is called "Islam".

Faith constitutes the base of Islam.

A person's performing all worships without faith is worthless.

"If any one rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)." [Maída, 5]

If he has faith in his heart but he does not perform the worships because of laziness, he will be rewarded Paradise after he is punished as much as defects in his worship. The person with a small faith and fear of Allah (swt) enters Paradise at last. It is ordered in the hadiths that:

"A person who has a touch of belief in his heart will escape from the fire." (Tirmizi)

The person experiences Islam according to his faith.

The person who accepts Islam with its visible aspects is called "Muslim". The decision about a person is taken with visible aspects. If a person states he believes in the unique and single Creator and everything announced by His messengers and reports his belief by saying "Lailahe illallah", he is decided to be a "Muslim". The language he speaks does not matter.

Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered  that:

"Do not call the people who say Lailahe illallah unbelievers because of their sins! The ones who call them unbelievers are unbelievers themselves." [Buhari]

Allah (swt) ordered in the verses of Qur'an that:

"O ye who believe! When ye go abroad in the cause of Allah, investigate carefully, and say not to anyone who offers you a salutation: "Thou art none of a believer!" (Nisaa, 94)

# The decision of the heart belongs to Allah (swt)

Dear Readers, avoid defining a person who says he is a Muslim by stating "I believe in Allah (swt)" a misbeliever.

The decision of the heart belongs to Allah (swt). None of us can judge a person's faith.

If a person says he believes but he does not believe or his belief has doubts and hesitations, it is a problem between the person and Allah (swt). The person is accepted as a Muslim unless there is not a clear denial sign in his works and words. He is subject to Islam Law.

The ones who reach salvation are the believers who believe in Allah and perform good works.

"Those who believe not in the Signs of Allah,- Allah will not guide them, and theirs will be a grievous Chastisement." (Nahl, 104)

"But he who works deeds of righteousness, and has faith, will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment (of what is his due)." (Ta-ha, 112)
 

One must believe Allah, His angels, Holly books, Messengers, Hereafter and Destiny faith for a real belief. It is ordered in the verses from the Qur'an that:

"O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messenger, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray." (Nisaa, 136)

"Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure." (Qamar, 49)

# Islam is the religion of tawhid (oneness)

Dear Readers,    

                                                 

Islam is the religion of oneness. The core of the religion constitutes of believing the one and unique Allah who creates, manages everything and owns all the things He created. This core is called tawhid (oneness) belief. This core is briefly stated with the word Lâilâhe illallah. This core must never be harmed. Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

"Gabriel aleyhisselam heralded who dies without worshipping anything except Allah (swt) enters Paradise." [Buhari]

"Whoever breathes his last with the words: lailaha illallah, enters Paradise." [Ebu Davud]

Islam is a life style whose principles are ordered in accordance with human nature with human creation.

 "So set thou thy face truly to the religion being upright; the nature in which Allah has made mankind: no change (there is) in the work (wrought) by Allah;" (Rum, 30)

The human is created so as to know Allah and acquire from His divine virtue in creation and equipped with extraordinary gifts accordingly. Allah asked the angels and djinn to grovel to human whom He blew from his soul and called His caliph on earth. Human is a developing creature. Therefore, even there are some changes in line with human development in the practice of the religion, ordered the basic core, which orders that Allah is the only Creator of visible and invisible worlds, and one must only be His slave and find its meaning in the word "Lâilâhe illallah" has never changed.

# The core of religion: Lailahe illallah

"And verily this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other)." (Muminun, 52)

"Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the Word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave, to stray, those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth." (Ibrahim, 27)

"Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah's (which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah." (Al-Imran, 67)

"The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him)." [Shura, 13]

It was also ordered by addressing to The People of the Book that:

"Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah. If then they turn back, say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will)." [Al-Imran, 64]

Human was asked not to idolize the Messengers of Allah who are human as the others and not give up believing that Allah (swt) is the only Creator. Thus, oneness principle of Islam is highlighted one more time in the verse.

Dear Readers,

Islam has a broad and narrow meaning as a religious term. The broad meaning is believing in Allah who is the one and unique, and subject to Him. Islam is the core of the universal religion for all times, which is symbolized with the word "Lailahe illallah". Islam is the common basis of all sharia. With its narrow meaning, Islam is the Sharia ordered to Rasulullah (s.a.w), but based on the same common core. This is the most detailed description of Islam based on a perfect faith.

# What does tawhid (oneness) mean?

Dear Readers,

Oneness means believing in the unity of Allah's existing, attributes, and works, and not set up partners to Him and worshipping to Allah (swt) solely.

Allah's existence, name and attributes are unique. Allah (swt) is the only absolute reality. His existence is absolute and eternal. He does not need anything to exist. All the visible and invisible worlds are created by Him. Allah is the owner of all of them. Nothing in the world Allah created resembles in core or attributes. Everything needs Allah to be existed. [Please remember personal attributes of Allah; Wujud, Qidaam, Baqa, Wahdaniyyah, Qiyam bi nafseehee, Mukhalafath-un lil hawadith in the article titled "Allah introduced Himself in detail"]

"Say: He is Allah, the One." (Ikhlas, 1)

"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;" (Ikhlas, 2)

The personal attributes of Allah never resemble the creatures He created. The subuti attributes as being alive, seeing, hearing, having knowledge that He bestowed partially and imaginative to the creatures He created, also, do not resemble the attributes of Allah (swt). Similarities are about name and function, not about nature. These characteristics of the creatures He created are imaginative, partial, relative, and temporary. Their nature depends on material relations and interactions. The attributes of Allah are completely perfect and away from all kind of deficiencies and defects. Nobody knows the nature of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) does not resemble anything He created.

# Allah does not resemble anything He created

"there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees." [Shura, 11]

Allah (swt) is also unique in his works. He created all the visible and invisible worlds alone. Allah has bestowed creation purposes to them, designed and shaped them in accordance with these purposes and gifted necessary qualities and qualifications in line with their needs. Allah creates, propagates, nurtures, kills, meets the needs all the living creatures, and also sometimes He rewards and punishes to educate them as He wishes. Allah (swt) organizes and manages all the events in the worlds He created. Briefly, He rules the property He owns as He wishes. Allah creates many things via human, the caliph of Allah (swt) in the earth.

"Allah is the Creator of all things." [Zumar, 62]

"For to anything which We have willed, We but say, "Be", and it is." [Nahl, 40]

"Unto Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He giveth life and He taketh it." [Tauba, 116]

Allah's existence, attributes and works are unique and Allah (swt) is the only god. He is the Rab of all visible and invisible worlds He created. Allah established all the rules in the visible world that we call the universe including the righteous living rules for the human to live in harmony with the universe. Obeying the provisions of Allah (swt) that bring goodness to people, which means worshipping Allah, is the duty of every people. Allah has the right, authority, and power to impose all kind of punishments to the ones who do not obey the rules, in the world and hereafter.

"Allah. There is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names."  [Ta-ha, 8]

"Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgiveth anything else "  [Nisa, 48]

"Nay, but worship Allah, and be of those who give thanks."  [Zumar, 66]

Dear Readers, the core of all the aforementioned issues are stated with the word "Lailahe illallah". Everyone who says "Lailahe illallah" and believes in Allah (swt) shelters the salvation castle of Allah (swt).

Be entrusted to Allah.

Sources of religious knowledge

Dear Readers,

Islam is the whole of the spiritual values that make the human a mature, decent and happy. He becomes a perfect human being in this way. Islam is a teaching system which belongs to Allah (swt). Islam is the tawhid (oneness) belief that is based on accepting and approving that Allah is the only creator and owner of the divine order, which is clear in the word Lailahe illallah (There is no god, but Allah). The goal of the system is purifying the human from his selfish human personality that always creates problems, and equipping him with divine virtues, and making him mature and happy.

The religion is Islam in the sight of Allah (swt). All the Messengers ordered Islam since Adam (pbuh). However, the human beings interpreted the orders changing and destroying them in every period.

Therefore, Islam scholars tried hard for the last religion ordered to human not to be changed with misunderstandings, and misinterpretations.

# 4 Sources of religious knowledge

The last book Allah (swt) revealed to Rasulullah to nurture, lead and explain the mistakes in the past, giving information about hereafter, and report His commandments to human is called Qur'an. The straight path commanded by Qur'an is called "Sirat al-Mustaqim".

The most important source of the religious knowledge is "Qur'an". Qur'an is the most accurate and trustable divine resource. Because, Allah himself took over his protection:

"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it."  (Hijr, 9)

The last Messenger Mohammad Aleyhisselam had shown the right path to the human by living in accordance to it. His moral reflected the moral of Qur'an. The words and behaviors of Rasulullah which survived up to now are called "Sunnah". The written statements of Sunnahs are called Hadiths. There are tens of thousands of Hadiths written in the books today.

The second most important source of the religious knowledge are these "Hadiths".

The people who believed Rasulullah and became subject to him listening and inspiring from him are called the companions of Rasulullah "Sahaba-al-kiram". There are approximately 60 thousand "Sahaba" and Paradise is promised to all of them in Qur'an. Many of them sacrificed themselves for Allah (swt). They were all very honest people. Ijma-i ummah (consensus of the ummah) are the statements and behaviors that Sahaba-al-kiram verified without any hesitations.

The third source of the religious knowledge is this consensus of Sahaba-al-kiram which is called "Ijma-i ummah".

Scholars as Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik and Ahmad ibn Hanbal decided on the issues which people hesitate based on the previous sources. The provisions are called Ijtihad (case law, interpretation of the theological law) and their contents are accepted as evidences in the religion. "The Ijtihad" composes the fourth source of the religious knowledge.

The primary source of Islam is certainly Qur'an. The issues which are closed in Qur'an are defined by Hadiths of Rasulullah and the issues that are not clear in Hadiths were clarified with the common behaviors of Sahaba-al Kiram. The problematic issues of the details are cleared by the interpretations of the interpreters of Islamic law; so almost every issue in the religion of Allah (Swt) became clear. Islamic scholars have written tens of thousands books using 4 sources. They tried to teach the people the straight path "Sirat al-Mustaqim". The correct life style of the Muslims that was acquired from 4 sources are called "The ahl al-sunnah path".  This is the life style that Allah (swt) commanded and it will lead us to salvation.

# The ahl al-sunnah path and Bid'ahs (the deviations in religion)

Dear Readers,

"The correct life style" that our Rab prescribed for us is Islam. Islam is a life style of which  outlines, rules and sanctions are presented by Qur'an. It is exemplified with life and statements of Rasulullah (s.a.w). Its frame and details are drawn with life sections of Sahaba-al-kiram.  And it reinterpreted with jurisprudence of interpreters of Islamic law for the changing life conditions of every era. This life style is nothing but a divine organization that supports and suits the divine order we call the Universe.

The right path defined by 4 sources which are called "Shar'i Dalail " (The Legal Proofs) (Qur'an, Sunnah, consensus of the ummah, case law) is called the ahl al-sunnah path. This "ahl al-sunnah path" is the right interpretation of Qur'an by Rasulullah, Sahaba, and interpreters of Islamic law. That must be remembered when Islam is mentioned. The other paths rather than "The ahl al-sunnah path" are not respected in Islam.

The deviances in religion which emerged in time are called "Bid'ah". Every bid'ah takes away a brick from the perfect Islam structure. The most important reasons of bid'ahs are the attempt of the human who has a conflict between the wishes of his nafs and commandments of Allah to change the religion in accordance with his desires. Therefore, it is not possible to consider bid'ahs positively.

# Each Bid'ah destroys a sunnah

Rasulullah stated strong words about the people involved in bid'ahs because every bid'ah destroys a sunnah.

"When a Bid’ah is created then a Sunnah dies." [I. Ahmad]

"Every bid'ah is a misguidance and every misguidance goes to Hell fire." [Buhari, Muslim, Ibni Mace, Nesai]

"Damn three kinds of people; cruel leader, sinner and bid'ah inventor." [Deylemi]

"Prays, feats, pilgrimage, jihad, religious duties and supererogatory prayers of the bid’ah inventors are not accepted. They easily go out from the religion." [Ibni Mace]

"Whoever innovates something that do not suit the religion that is bid'ah and it cannot be accepted." [Buhari, Muslim, Ebu Davud]

"Damn the people who innovates something and who protect the innovators.” [Buhari]

The people who are aware of the real religion are given tasks to prevent Bid'ah:

"The scholars inform everyone when bid'ahs are expanded and the new people of the society damn the previous ones. Whoever keeps the knowledge hides Qur'an." [I. Asakir]

"The scholars introduce the knowledge when bid'ahs emerged. Damn the people who hide the knowledge!" [Deylemi]

Be entrusted to Allah.

The human is a creation masterpiece

Dear Readers,

The human is a creation masterpiece. He is a respectable creature who is equipped with extraordinary qualifications and capabilities. Most of all, the human is created in accordance to achieve spiritual ascension.

Nowadays, the scientists accept the monkeys, which are called Primates as the closest systematic category to the human beings. Furthermore, some of the scientists, who accept the evolutionary theory as an absolute reality, hypothesize that the human was evolved from monkeys. Nobody has a doubt that monkeys are the cleverest animals. But have you ever seen monkeys building a coop with laths?

Allah (swt) has some attributes as being alive [Hayat](life), knowing [Ilim](knowledge), wish and realize them [Iradah](will), being able to cope with [Qudrat](power), seeing [Basar](sight), hearing [Sam], speaking [Kalam](speech), and creating [Takwin]. They are the Subuti Attributes of Allah (swt). I have written about them in my previous articles. Allah created some creatures to have some attributes such as knowing, seeing and hearing even so partially or symbolic. However, these attributes appear in a best way only in the human.

Nowadays, the human kind has been designing projects for tens of years later, constructing big dams, drawbridges of kilometers and buildings having hundreds of storey, building giant ship, planes of hundred tons, hearing the things that are spoken in the most distant part of the world, seeing the furthest place of the universe and keeping informed about world while sitting at their homes.

# The human is caliph of his Rab in the earth

Briefly, the human is now able to create extraordinary work of arts, rule, order, that no other alive creature can make them, and arrange and manage the earth as they wish thanks to the incredible gifts Allah (swt) bestowed him. The earth is not enough for human now so he has been trying to search the space in the last 50 years.

In fact, it is not surprising. All of the developments are the results of the "reason" dimension of the human. The human are created to succeed them. The human is gifted with an excellent ability as "reason" to accomplish them. It is in the creation of human. Allah (swt) created human and bestowed him extraordinary abilities by blowing from His soul. Allah (swt) qualified the human as His caliph in the earth and bestowed the possession of the earth. It is ordered in the verses from the Qur'an that:

"It is He Who hath made you the inheritors of the earth: He hath raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you: for thy Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." [Anaam, 165]

"And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect." [Jathiya, 13]

The real surprising position is the condition of human who perceives life as a game and fun without noticing Allah (swt), his nafs, his value and the divine mission given to him.

# The biggest test of the human

Dear Readers,

The human is really a creation masterpiece and achieves things that are not achieved by any other creatures in the world. However, what makes the human precious before Allah (swt) is not the material success. What makes him precious is his knowing Allah and the spiritual success that makes him human from a non-existence. Adam means not existing. The non-existence is of course not physical. It is the absence of the values that add humanity. The human is freed from being non-existent when he obtains these human values. He has the honor and dignity of being a human.

Being free of non-existence begins with "faith". Faith is the most important second parameter following the "reason" that changes the life of a human.

Imam-ı Rabbani hazrats ordered that "when a person says, "Lailahe illallah" aware of its meaning, a touch of belief occurs in his heart” in his very precious book "Mektubat". All the goodness that brings well-being to him begins with this short word. Therefore, the Messengers gave particular importance to this world.

Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that

"The most excellent deed that other Prophets and I recited is Lailahe illallah ." [Tirmizi]

"The most excellent deed is reciting Lailahe illallah" [Hakim]

However, while every human is bestowed the gift of "reason", "faith" is totally left to the will of the human. In fact, "faith" is the biggest test of a human in the world. 

If the human comprehends and approves the order he is in and the Creator (Allah) and accepts to obey His orders and rules, the Creator of the order bestows him the divine characteristics as honesty, generosity, justice, patience, mercy and gentleness which will make him a mature person by saving from non-existence. Allah (swt) makes him heedful and gifts him a heart that can comprehend the material and spiritual realities. Allah (swt) makes him peaceful and happy in the world and hereafter and distinguishes him from the other people.

On the other hand, if he hides the truth, denies the existence of Allah (swt), causes dissension and disorder, overrides the rights of others, disturbs them, the owner and Creator of the divine order punishes him as every system owner will do.

"Do no mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order" [Araf, 56]

"And fear Him Who created you and (Who created) the generations before (you)" [Shuaraa, 184]

Dear Readers, in fact, the divine order is organized such that it will punish this kind of the person in world automatically. Remember how the people, who is arrogant even it is forbidden are isolated by everybody, how the people, who drink alcohol even it is forbidden died by car accidents, and how the parents, who did not teach the rules of Allah to even they had to, were incur the wrath of their children. Without doubt, the punishment of them in the hereafter will be more severe.

Be entrusted to Allah.