بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الله SWT berfirman :
ألالله الدين الخالص
Iungatlah bagi Allah agama yang murni (Az-Zumar 3)
Dari sahabat Anas bin Malik bahwa RasuluLlah bersabda :
ثلاث لا يغل عليهم قلب مسلم : اخلاص العمل لله تعالى, ومناصحة ولاة الامور, ولزوم جماعة المسلمين
Tiga perkara yang tidak bisa dikhianati hati seorang muslim, yaitu keikhlasan amal karena Allah SWT, saling menasihati dalam penguasaan masalah, dan tetapnya jama’ah umat Islam.
Syaikh Abu Ali Ad-Daqaq berkata, “Ikhlash adalah penunggalan Al-Haqq dalam mengarahkan semua orientasi ketaatan. Dia dengan ketaatannya dimaksudkan untuk mendekatkan diri kepada Allah semata, tanpa yang lain, tanpa dibuat-buat, tanpa ditujukan untuk makhluk, tidak untuk mencari pujian manusia atau makna-makna lain selain pendekatan diri kepada Allah SWT”. Bisa juga dikatakan bahwa ikhlas merupakan penjernihan perbuatan dari campuran semua makhluk atau pemeliharaan sikap dari pengaruh-pengaruh pribadi.
RasuluLlah SAW pernah ditanya tentang makna ikhlas lalu dijawab :
سألت جبريل عليه السلام عن الاخلاص ماهو ؟ قال : سألت رب العزة عن الاخلاص ماهو ؟ قال سر من سرى استودعته قلب من احببته من عبادى
Saya bertanya kepada Jibril AS tentang ihklas, apakah itu ? kemudian dia berkata, ‘Saya bertanya Tuhan tentang ikhlas apakkah itu ?, dan Tuhanpun menjawab, ‘Ikhlas adalah Rahsia dari beberapa rahasia-Ku yang Aku titipkan pada hati orang yang Aku cintai diantara hamba-hamba-Ku.”
Ustadz Abu Ali Ad-Daqaq berkata, “ikhlas adalah keterpeliharaan diri dari keikut campuran semua makhluk. Shidiq (kebenaran) adalah kebersihan diri dari penampakan-penampakan diri. Orang yang ikhlas tidak memiliki riya dan orang yang sidiq tidak akan kagum pada dirinya sendiri”.
Dzunun Al-Mishri berkata, “Ikhlas tidak akan sempurna kecuali dengan sabar dan kebenaran di dalam ikhlas. Shidiq tidak akan sempurna kecuali dengan ikhlas dan terus menerus di dalam ikhlas”. Abu Ya’qub As-Susi berkata, “Kapan saja seseorang masih memandang ikhlas dalam keikhlasannya, maka keikhlasannya membutuhkan keikhlasan”.
Dzunun Al-Mishri berkata, “Ada tiga alamat yang menunjukkan keikhlasan seseorang, yaitu keitadaan perbedaan antara pujian dan celaan, lupa memandang perbuatannya di dalam amal perbuatannya sendiri, dan lupa menuntut pahala atas amal perbuatannya di kampung akhirat”.
Abu Utsman Al-Maghribi mengatakan, “ikhlas adalah ketiadaan bagian atas suatu hal bagi dirinya. Ini adalah ikhlas orang kebanyakan. Adapun ikhlas orang khusus adalah apa yang terjatuh atau terlimpah pada mereka, bukan bersama mereka. Karena itu dari mereka muncul ketaatan dan diri mereka terpisah dari ketaatan itu sendiri. Mererka tidak memandang dan menghitung ketaatan yang terlimpahkan keada diri mereka. Demikian ini merupakan kelompok orang khusus”.
Abu Bakar Ad Daqaq berkata, “Kekurangan setiap orang yang ikhlas dalam keikhlasannya adalah kebiasaan melihat keikhlasannya. Jika Allah menghendaki memurnikan keikhlasan seseorang, maka Dia menggugurkan penglihatan keikhlasannya pada keikhlasannya, sehingga dia menjaid orang yang diikhlaskan atau dimurnikan, bukan orang yang ikhlas atau berusaha mensucikan diri.
Sahal bin AbduLlah mengatakan, “Tidak ada yang mengetahui orang yang riya’ selain orang yang ikhlas”. Abu Said mengatakan, “Riya’ orang-orang yang ahli ma’rifat lebih utama daripada ikhlas para murid”. Dzunun Al Mishri mengatakah, “Ikhlas adalah apa yang terpelihara daripada permusuhan yang merusak”. Abu Utsman Al-Hirri mengatakan, “Ikhlas adalah pelupaan penglihatan makhluk dengan keabadian memandang Sang Maha Pencipta”. Khudzaifah Al-Mar’isi berkata, “Ikhlas adalah penyamaan perbuatan-perbuatan hamba pada segi lahir maupun bathin”. Dikatakan juga bahwasanya ikhlas adalah apa yang dikehendaki Al-Haqq dan yang dimaksudkan tujuan shiddiq (kebenaran).
Terkadang juga ikhlas diartikan sebagai kepura-puraan tidak tahu daripada melihat berbagai amal perbuatan.
As-Sirry As-Saqaty mengatakan,”Barang siapa menghiasi dirinya untuk manusia dengan sesuatu yang tidak ada pada manusia, maka dia gugur dari pandangan Allah”. Al-Fudhail bin Iyadh mengatakan,”Meninggalkan amal karena manusia adalah riya’, dan berbuat amal kenbajikan karena manusia adalah syirik. Ikhlas adalah pembebasan Allah pada anda dan keduanya”. Al-Junaid mengatakan, “Ikhas adalah rahasia antara Allah dan hamba-Nya. Tidak ada malaikat yang mengetahui dan mencatatnya. Tidak ada syetan yang mengetahui dan merusaknya, dan tidak ada hawanafsu yang mengetahui lalu mencondongkannya”.
Ruwaim mengatakan, “Keikhlasan suatu perbuatan adalah ketiadaan kehendak bagi pemiliknya untuk mendapatkan ganti / pahala dari dua alam (dunia dan akhirat) dan ketiadaaan permintaan bagian dari dua malaikat (penjaga neraka dan surga).”
Ditanyakan kepada Sahal bin AbduLlah, “Hal apa yang paling berat bagi manusia ?”
“Ikhlas. Karena di dalamnya tidak ada tuntutan bagian bagi pelakunya”. Jawabnya. Sebagian ahli sufi juga ditanya tentang hal yang sama lalu dijawab, “”Hendaknya engkau tidak mempersaksikan amalmu selain kepada selain Allah SWT.”
Seorang sufi bercerita : Saya pernah masuk ke urmah Sahal bin AbduLlah pada hari jum’at sebelum salat dilaksanakan. Saya lihat di rumahnya ada seekor ular yang menmbuat saya mengedepankan seseorang dan mengakhirkan yang lain. Tiba-tiba Sahal berkata,”Masuklah, seseorang tidak takan mencapai hakikat iman sementara di permukaan bumi masih ada yang ditakutkan”.
“Apakah kamu hendak salat Jumn’at ?” Tanya dia kemudian.
Saya lantas berkata bahwa diantara kami dan masjid terdapat jarak sejauh perjalanan kaki sehari semalam. Saya menempuh jarak perjalanan itu dan tidak ada jarak lagi selain tinggal sedikit sehingga saya melihat masjid lalu saya masuk dan salat jum’at di dalamnya. Kemudian saya keluar dari masjid tiba-tiba Sahal berkata, “Orang-orang yang mengucapkan Laa Ilaaha IllaLlah sangat banyak, akan tetapi yang ikhlas sangat sedikit”.
Makhul berkata, “Tidaklah seorang hamba selama 40 hari mampu berbuat ikhlas melainkan sumber-sumber hikmah akan keluar dari hatinya melalui lidahnya”. Yusuf bin Husain berkata, “Paling mulia sesuatu di dunia adalah ikhlas. Betapa berat asaya berjuang menggugurkan riya dari hati saya tetapi seakan-akan riya masih tumbuh dengan warna yang lain”. Abu Sulaiman Ad-daraani berkata, “Jika seorang hamba ikhlas, maka rasa waswas dan riya akan terputus darnya”.
Ahmad Thomson
Ahmad Thomson is a British barrister and writer and also a member of the Murabitun movement and a co-founder of the Association of Muslim Lawyers . He is the head of Wynne Chambers and the author of several books, including the revised edition of Dajjal: the AntiChristMaking History (1997); the revised editions of Jesus, Prophet of Islam and Blood on the Cross (in two volumes, For Christ's Sake and Islam in Andalus) with Muhammad Ata Ur-Rahim (1996); The Next World Order (1994); The Difficult Journey and The Way Back (1994) and The Last Prophet (2000). He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1979, and is a member of the Association of Muslim Lawyers. He is co-author of The Islamic Will with Hajj Abdalhaqq and Aisha Bewley (1995). He has been described by some in the press as having acted as an informal advisor to 10 Downing Street on matters related to Muslims, although he has never set foot inside No. 10 or met any Prime Minister except Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia, in 1965. He made both written and oral representations to the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences in 2002, arguing that different religious groups including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs should have equal rights and equal protection under English law. He has given regular talks about Islam throughout the United Kingdom, including the annual Gateway to Divine Mercy event. He has been a regular contributor to the annual interfaith conferences held at the Regents Park Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre and also contributed to the College of Law LNTV Programme 1378 which is concerned with Islamic Family Law and its interaction with English Family Law.(1997);
Background
He was born as Martin Thomson in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, and educated in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and England. Most of his early years were spent in remote locations in the African bush where there was no electricity, gas or piped water. After being awarded an LLB (Hons) in 1972 at Exeter University, England, he worked as a bus conductor in Exeter, Devon, for a year before moving to London where he worked firstly as a labourer building the Piccadilly Line extension to Heathrow and then as an accountant at Luzac & Co, Oriental Booksellers. He embraced Islam on August 13, 1973. After going on Hajj (the pilgrimage to Makka) overland in 1977 , Ahmad Thomson completed his training as a lawyer and was called to the Bar of England & Wales on the 26 July 1979.
[] British Media and The Next World Order
Thomson first came to public attention in 2001 when he featured in an award winning documentary My Name is Ahmed broadcast on BBC2 on the 14th August 2001 and in Prince Naseem's Guide to Islam broadcast on BBC2 on the 15th August 2001. He subsequently appeared in the first two Shariah TV series broadcast on Channel 4 on the 18th May 2004 and 25 May 2004 and in April 2005. He also participated in The Muslim Jesus and Celebrity Lives Sharia Style . He has been an occasional guest on the Hassan & Habibah show, Legal Corner, Legal Forum, Weekly Review and the Hayaat show broadcast on Islam Channel.
Following his support of Dar Al-Taqwa’s successful complaint to the Press Complaints Commission concerning a deliberately inflammatory attack by the Evening Standard in July 2005, a group of British journalists (including Toby Helm, David Cesarani and Daniel Kahtan) who Mr Thomson claims never to have met, retaliated by alleging that Thomson's 1994 book, The Next World Order (which had, by then, been out of print for several years), contained allegations that Freemasons and Jews control the governments of Europe and America, and that it was a "big lie" that six million Jews died in the Holocaust.
In fact Thomson had simply stated that it is a “big lie” to assert that those whom Arthur Koestler has described as “the thirteenth tribe” are descended from the Tribe of Israel (Jacob the son of Isaac) when in fact they are not descended from Shem, the son of Noah, but from Yapheth, the son of Noah. Thomson had allegedly written that Jews have no right to live in what he called "the Holy Land," because they are not a "pure race," and are therefore not the biblical Israelites. In fact he had simply pointed out that the homeland of the descendants of the Khazars is between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, not Palestine.
Elsewhere it was alleged that Thomson has said that Saddam Hussein was used as an excuse for U.S. troops, "including thousands of Jews," to occupy Saudi Arabia and that the invasion of Iraq was "part of a Zionist plan," to realise the publicly declared Zionist aim of establishing the Greater Eretz between the Nile and the Euphrates.
By using each other as their sources, these journalists created the impression that their articles were thoroughly researched and were therefore eligible to be regarded as “reliable sources” by newspapers and internet bloggers alike.
Asked about Thomson's role as an informal advisor to the government, a government spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph: "We talk to a lot of people, including many whose views we do not necessarily agree with," – and some whose views are deliberately distorted by the media in order to encourage involuntary disagreement with them from the outset, just in case they might possibly have something worthwhile to say.
Thomson responded to the reports by saying that the story was "grossly distorted." He said that he had not denied the Holocaust and that: "I have always said that one unjust death is one too many." At present only the slaughter of Muslim civilians requires independent verification. He also wrote, “To be anti-Zionism is not to be racist or anti-Jewish”, and, “To be anti-Zionism is not to be anti-Semitic”, and, “To be anti-Zionism is not to be a conspiracy theorist.”
Views on Islam
Thomson has written that "radical Islam" is a contradiction in terms. "It is not possible to be a true Muslim and simultaneously a violent terrorist."[32] He has also written unequivocally against any form of military-industrial-complex dictated, bank authorized, state sponsored, indiscriminate laser precision bombing (whether this involves the collective punishment of civilians or their decimation or their genocide) or suicide bombing.
Thomson has also been quoted as saying: “Islam is not just a matter of words. As the Prophet said, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘The Shahada is easy on the tongue, but much flows from it.’ Ever since I said Shahada, I have lived every moment of my life finding out what it entails. It is a process that never ends.” The Shahada is to bear witness that there is no god other than Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
When describing his first pilgrimage to Makka, Thomson wrote: “When I had first embraced Islam some four years earlier, I had known next to nothing about it, other than the fact that the community of Muslims whom I had joined were more knowledgeable and radiant and better behaved than any other human beings that I had ever met during my life up until then. I had embraced Islam in the hope of acquiring that knowledge and radiance and courteous behaviour, and as time passed my hopes were gradually fulfilled, as, little by little I learned about and tried to embody the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, may the Blessings and Peace of Allah be on him.
Thomson has also been quoted as saying: “Islam is the solution, not the problem. It’s a wonderful time to be Muslim because we’re at the beginning of a new chapter. Never be afraid to be who you are. Have trust in Allah and He will protect you,” and, “Islam is safety and salvation. It provides us with the courtesy and generosity to step back from such petty disputes in this world, to live our brief lives with nobility and wisdom – and to connect our hearts to Allah and the certain promise of something ever lasting, the peace of the Garden in the next world.”
In 2009 he gave a talk at Cambridge University entitled Shariah Law: A Stairway to Heaven.
The True Religion
By Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
THE RELIGION OF ISLAM
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's "God's" religion; the total submission to the will of Allah "God". The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim", The word also implies "peace" which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.
Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah states the following:
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion". (Soorah Al-Maa'idah 5:3)
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be accepted of Him" (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:85)
"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim." (Soorah Aal'imraan 3:67)
Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos which means the annointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.
For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he warned them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.
According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: "Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".
THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM
Since the total submission of one's will to Allah represents the essence of worship, the basic message of Allah's divine religion, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah.Since everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things, is Allah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. He is the only one deserving man's worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did nottell his followers to worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur'aan states:
"And behold Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will say-"Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say')" (Soorah Al-Maa'idah- 5:116)
Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of the Qur'aan, known asSoorah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:
"You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help".Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur'aan, Allah also said:
"And your Lord says:"Call on Me and I will answer your(prayer)."(Soorsh Mu'min 40:60)
it is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.
This might seem obvious, but, man's worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation though such worship maybecalled the worship of Allah through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our'aan Allah clearlystates:
"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet,(with the command) worship meand avoid false gods " (Soorsh Al-Nahl 16:36)
When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allah's essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allah according to their false beliefs, is in all of us, He is more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either God in person or God concentrated within the person.
Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:
"Laa Elaaha lllallaah" (There is no god but Allah)
Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.
Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, "Any one who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise".(Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).
It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.
THE MESSAGE OF FALSE RELIGION
There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path to Allah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept with regards to Allah. They either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allah or that nature is Allah or that Allah is a figment of man's imagination.
Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that Allah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship Allah but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was Allah!
Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.
By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, false religion becomes very obvious and the contrived nature of their origin clear. As God said in the Our'aan:
That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your forefathers have invented for which Allah has sent down no authority: The command belongs only to Allah:
He has commanded that you only worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand ". (Soorah Yoosuf 12:40)
It may be argued that all religions teach good things so why should it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allah alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Our'aan:
"I have only created Jlnns and men, that they may worship me"(Soorah Zaareeyaat 51:56)
Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by Allah in his final revelation to man:
"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes"(Soorah An- Nisaa 4:48 and 116)
THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM
Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true religion of Allah must be universally understandable and attainable, not confined to any people, place or time. There can not be conditions like baptism, belief in a man, as a saviour etc., for a believer to enter paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and in its definition, (the surrender of one's will to God) lies the roots of lslam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that Allah is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to Allah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise. Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the world can become a Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, by merely rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allah (God) alone-It should be noted however, that the recognition of and submission to Allah requires that one chooses between right and wrong and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held responsible for his choices, and, as such, he should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of Allah alone and the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation along with or instead of Allah. This fact is expressed in the final revelation as follows:
"Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), the Christians and the Sabians any who believe In Allah and the last day, and work righteousness *hall have their reward with their Lord;They will not be overcome by fear nor grief (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:62).
If only they had stood by the law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There Is from among them a party on the right course; but many of them follow a course that Is evil.". (Soorah Al-.Maa'idah 5:66)
RECOGNITION OF ALLAH
The question which arises here is, "How can all people be expected to believe in Allah given their varying- backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allah they all have to have access to knowledge of Allah. The final revelation teaches that all mankind have the recognition of Allah imprinted on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created.
In Soorah Al-A'raaf, Verses 172-173; Allah explained that when He created Adam, He caused all of Adam's descendants to come into existence and took a pledge from them saying, Am I not your Lord? To which they all replied, " Yes, we testify to It:'
Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said, "That was In case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, "Verily we were unaware of all this." That is to say, we had no idea that You Allah, were our God. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You alone. Allah went on to explain That it was also In case you should say, "Certainly It was our ancestors who made partners (With Allah) and we are only their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars did?" Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in Allah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone called in Arabic the "Fitrah".
If the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen.
The Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, "I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray". The Prophet (PBUH) also said, "Each child is born in a state of "Fitrah", then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?" (Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.
Throughout people's lives from childhood until the time they die, signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and seek Allah, the way will be made easy for them but if they continually reject Allah's signs and continue to worship creation, the more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog walked into the hut, The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lordof the universe. Allah must be elsewhere. he now had a choice to act on his knowledge and seek Allah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allah for that young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was worshipping was false.
Prophets were sent, as was earlier mentioned, to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in Allah and man's inborn inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by Allah. Although, in most cases, much of the prophets' teachings became distorted, portions remained which point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of the Torah, their confirmation in the Gospels and the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies. Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in Allah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total submission to the will of Allah.
We pray to Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is indeed the Most Merciful. Praise and gratitude be to Allah,the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammed, his Family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.
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