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| Photo Of People Gathered At Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
Islam is the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. It is with this religion that Allah closed the previous religions. Allah has perfected this religion for His servants. With this religion of Islam, Allah perfected the favors upon them. Allah only blesses Islam as a religion that they must embrace. Therefore there is no other accepted religion other than Islam.
Allah ta'ala says,
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيماً
"Muhammad is not the father of any of the men among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets." (QS. Al Ahzab: 40)
Allah Ta'ala also said,
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِيناً
"Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have fulfilled My favor upon you and I have also accepted Islam as a religion for you." (QS. Al Maa'idah: 3)
Allah Ta'ala also said,
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ
"Surely the true religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (QS. Ali Imran: 19)
Allah ta'ala says,
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِيناً فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him and in the hereafter he will be among the losers." (QS. Ali 'Imran: 85)
Allah ta'ala obliges all mankind to have a religion for the sake of Allah by embracing this religion. Allah said to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam,
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعاً الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
"Say: O mankind, indeed I am Allah's Messenger to all of you, He is the One who has dominion over the heavens and the earth, there is no true god besides Him, He is the One who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, an unlettered prophet (illiterate) who has believed in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you will receive guidance." (QS. Al A'raaf: 158)
In Sahih Muslim there is a hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah radhiallahu 'anhu from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. He said which means, "By the One in whose hand Muhammad's soul is. There is not a human being from this Ummah who hears my prophethood, whether a Jew or a Christian, then he dies in a state of not wanting to believe in the teachings that I bring, but he must be one of the inhabitants of hell.
The essence of believing in the Prophet is by justifying what he brought accompanied by an attitude of acceptance and obedience, not just justification. For this reason, Abu Talib could not be considered a believer in the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, even though he confirmed the teachings he brought, he even dared to testify that Islam is the best religion.
This Islamic religion has encapsulated all forms of benefit taught by previous religions. The Islamic religion that he brought is more special than previous religions because Islam is a teaching that can be applied at any time, in any place and in any society. Allah ta'ala said to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam,
وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِناً
"And We have sent down to you the Book in truth as a justification for the previous books and the touchstone thereof." (QS. Al Maa'idah: 48)
The purpose of this Islamic statement is that it is suitable for every time, place and society, that adhering to it will never conflict with the good of the ummah at any time and in any place. Even with Islam the condition of the people will be good. However, what is meant by the statement that Islam is suitable for every era, place and society is that Islam submits to the will of every time, place and society, as some people want.
Islam is the true religion. A religion that has guaranteed help and victory from Allah ta'ala for anyone who sticks to it truthfully. Allah ta'ala says,
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ
"He is the One who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the true Religion to win over all existing religions, even though the polytheists don't like it." (QS. Ash Shaff: 9)
Allah ta'ala says,
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“Allah has truly promised those who believe and do good deeds among you to make them rule over the earth as those before them were made to rule over it. And Allah will certainly establish for them their religion, a religion which He has pleased them to embrace. And Allah will surely replace the fear that previously descended on them with a sense of peace, they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me. And whoever disobeys after that, then they are the ones who are wicked." (QS. An Nur: 55)
Islam is a teaching that includes aqidah/belief and sharia/law. Islam is a perfect teaching, both in terms of aqidah and the Shari'a it teaches:
- Islam commands monotheism to Allah ta'ala and prohibits polytheism.
- Islam commands to be honest and forbids lying.
- Islam commands to do justice and prohibits persecution. Islam commands to fulfill the mandate and prohibits betrayal.
- Islam commands to keep promises and prohibits breaking promises.
- Islam commands to serve both parents and prohibits disobedience to them.
- Islam orders to establish silaturahim (broken kinship ties) with relatives and Islam forbids the act of breaking friendship.
- Islam commands good relations with neighbors and forbids being bad to them.
In general it can be said that Islam commands all noble morals and prohibits low and despicable morals. Islam commands all kinds of good deeds and prohibits all bad deeds. Allah ta'ala says,
إِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاء ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Indeed, Allah orders to do justice, benevolence and provide maintenance for relatives. And Allah forbids all forms of heinous and unjust acts, as well as acts that violate the limits. Allah reminds you so that you will take lessons.” (QS. An Nahl: 90)