By Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
Islam gives us a direct connection with God, Who has power over all things. He is the Creator of the heavens and earth. We have a deep relationship with Him. We need no intermediary or interpreter to talk to Him. He is closer to us than our jugular veins. His love brings us inner peace. We derive incredible joy from our relationship with Him. We love Him more than ourselves. His mercy is beyond description. We communicate our hurt to Him. We bow to Him and bow to no one else. He is the true God. He hears all languages. To Him belong all languages. He is not a human, an angel , or an animal. We accept Him the way He describes Himself in the Qur’ān as the Light of the heavens and the earth. He has the power to change our hurt to joy. No problem is too big for Him to solve and no favour is too expensive for Him to grant. Islam brings us in contact with the True God.
Islam saves us from being slaves to our fellow men. It saves us from adopting a human being, an animal, a river, or a tree as our God and Lord. It makes us recognize that there is only one God Whose Ultimate Name is Allah.
Islam gives us the Qur’ān which is the best book of guidance for mankind. It is the most memorized and most recited book in the world. It is read in different beautiful tones around the world, but it remains the same. It is inimitable, incorruptible, incomparable, and all-encompassing. Reading it alone brings us uncanny peace and joy. It has information on how we can attain true peace and success in the current world and the world to come. It is the only divine book that touches every aspect of life.
Islam gives us Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the last prophet and messenger of God. His teachings, lifestyle, and personal attributes remain the best model for us. He was a great leader who loved his followers more than himself. His life is a practical demonstration and exemplification of the message in the Qur’ān. He taught us virtually everything including how to handle the smallest things of life. No leader or prophet has ever influenced his followers as much as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) influenced us. He remains our biggest reference point and role model.
Islam makes Muslims brothers and sisters. The Muslims of Nigeria are brothers to the Muslims of the UK, Ghana, Australia, and other parts of the world. We may differ on certain secondary aspects of our religion due to our imperfect knowledge and human weaknesses, but we agree on the fundamentals of our religion. Islam tells us that when one Muslim is hurt in any part of the world all Muslims around the world are hurt, and when one Muslim is happy, all Muslims are happy. Islam tells us that we do not need to know where our fellow Muslims come from before we help them. Their being Muslims alone qualifies them for our assistance and love. Islam teaches us that wherever Muslims see themselves in any part of the world, they should treat themselves as brothers and sisters.
Islam gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Without Islam, we would have been living a licentious and ungodly life. We would have been cheating and oppressing others. We would have thought that there is no life after the current life. We would have lived like animals. Islam lets us understand that after this life, there will be another life where the righteous will be blessed and the wicked will be punished. Islam makes us understand that our biggest assignment in this world is to worship God.
Islam teaches us how to live a balanced life. It does not ask us to focus only on praying, fasting, and going to the mosque, it also tells us to enjoy a good life with family and other loved ones. It tells us to earn decent money and live a good life. Islam does not tell us to see poverty as our key to success in the next world. It does not tell us to adopt celibacy as our license to Paradise. It does not tell us to rely only on prayer without working. It tells us to combine prayer with work. Islam tells us to balance material success with spiritual success.
Islam teaches us not to live not only for ourselves, but also for others. It tells us to be selfless and humane. It tells us to love others as we love ourselves.
Islam makes challenges and trials of life easy and surmountable for us. It tells us that challenges are part of life and that patience and reliance on God are needed in times of difficulty. It tells us that God is aware of our situation and can solve our problems.
Islam teaches us to value family life, education, diligence, forgiving others, personal hygiene, respect for other people’s rights, respect for leaders, and kindness to God’s creatures, including animals.
Islam teaches us to recognize and respect religious and ethnic diversity. It teaches us to respect people no matter who they are, which faith they profess, and which region they come from. Islam asks us to introduce Islam to other people, but it does not ask us to force anybody to join it. It does not ask us to fight anyone for not joining it. It allows people to make their choices based on their convictions while God will be the Judge.
For us, Islam means life.
Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
NASFAT National Da’wah Officer/National Mission Board Secretary
