The Basic Principles of Islam

By Naseem Mahnavi

On a number of occasions I have been asked by nonmuslim friends and associates to explain my religion and beliefs that make me the unique individual that I am, in a language that they can understand. From a thorough study of the Holy Qur'an, Hadith and lives of good Muslims spanning over many years, I have derived the following basic principles of Islam. This is more a philosophical than religious discourse and may help the uninitiated to understand Islam. The references to chapter and verse have been omitted to maintain the reader's concentration. Any comment, criticism or suggestion for improvement will be welcomed. E-mail to mnasim_99@yahoo.com.

1. The Singularity of existence. Allah is the only God – an eternal persona having all knowledge, born of none and having no progeny, who has no needs or weaknesses. He created the world and protects, controls and nurtures it with utmost compassion and mercy. All changes in the world are by His command. One must not worship or call anyone but Allah for help.
2. The authentic messenger. Allah revealed His commands for correct human conduct afresh to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was a perfect human being and a model to be followed. The collection of these revelations is called the Holy Qur'an which is a book of guidance for all times to come. The code of conduct given in the Holy Qur'an is called Islam.
3. Islam is the religion of pure reason; nearly half of the Holy Qur'an consists of reasoning to convince its readers. Islam has no place for activities leading to psychological intimidation, induced change of mood, impairment of judgment or irrational attachment. Hence it does not allow the use of statues, pictures, music, dancing or intoxicants in religious, social or personal life. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) strictly forbade the making of his picture or statue.
4. Humankind is superior to all other creatures and Allah's viceroy on earth. Human beings must complement His functions of protecting, nurturing and improving His creations. This should be the only purpose of all pursuits of knowledge and scientific research.
5. Everyone will have to account for all his or her actions in life and be rewarded or punished on an appointed day. On that day, the world will cease to exist as we know it and all who would have lived and died will come alive again and become immortal to experience the pleasures or pains they deserve.
6. All human beings are equal in the eyes of Allah. Men and women have equal rights and a red man is not superior to a black man or vice versa. Allah has made people different to promote healthy competition and accelerated development. Cleanliness and piety bring one closer to Allah.
   
7. The viceroy must always act in consultation with the Creator. Five times a day, one must meditate, recite from the Holy Qura'n, go through the motions of prayer or Salat as done by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), communicate one's observations, thoughts, feelings and needs to Allah and take all decisions in attendance before Allah.
8. The fortunate must share the feelings of the less fortunate and be prepared for all eventualities. One must exercise complete self control and not eat or drink anything or indulge in carnal pleasures from sunrise to sunset during the lunar month of Ramadan every year. This practice is called fasting or Som in Arabic.
9. Charity is the highest virtue. Every year one must share at least a fortieth part of one's fortune with the needy without putting any obligation on them. This practice is called Zakat.
10. Go to the source of the truth. Those who can afford must, during their lifetime, make a pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah to familiarize themselves with the environment in which the Holy Qur'an was revealed and go through the motions the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made during the Haj.
11. Privacy is everyone's privilege and prerogative. One must cover one's private parts and ensure that others' privacy is not compromised. Privacy can only be shared between a man and a woman through a mutually agreed and solemnized relationship. A man can be shared between women, but a woman can not be shared between men. Children are the gifts of Allah and must be protected.
12. No one carries the burden of another's guilt. Punishment can only be physical and the freedom of movement of an individual can not be restrained except for a short period during the investigation of a witnessed crime. One has the right of equal retribution, but forgiveness is preferable. The right of forgiveness rests with the aggrieved party.
13. One must not consume intoxicants, CNS depressants, blood and meat of pigs or animals killed by shock.
14. One only gets what one strives for, there being no limit to what one can achieve. One must not indulge in pursuits that promise gain without effort or with token investment.
15. Honesty is the essence of Islam. In Arabic honesty and faith are synonymous. All agreements must be written down and witnessed. The terms of a loan agreement must be dictated by the borrower, and since consumable items can not be rented, interest can not be charged on money lent.
16. One must bow with those who bow and must not act in a supercilious manner. One must respect one's parents and care for them in their old age. One must ensure that no one is hurt by one's hands or tongue.
17. One's legacy must be distributed among one's survivors proportionately as instructed in the Holy Qur'an which includes all children, spouse, parents and siblings.
18. One must not hide the truth and must endeavor to dispense justice without prejudice or favor. One must protect the rights of the weak and the orphans and ensure that what is due to them reaches them.
19. One must respect the religious beliefs of others and not use force in matters of faith. Yet one must gently persuade others to embrace Islam, to do good deeds and renounce evil. Islam confirms Jesus (Issa, pbuh) and Moses (Moosa, pbuh) as true prophets of God and the Holy Qur'an recounts the stories of Biblical characters from Adam (pbuh) to Issa (pbuh) with rationalizations and proclaims belief in them as part of faith.
20. If there is no other recourse, one must wage war against injustice, repression and the domination of evil. The spirit of combat should be to eliminate injustice and evil, not to take revenge for personal offences. Aggression should be confronted with force, and preparations should be made if aggression is imminent.
    
21. For any collective activity, a leader should be elected by consensus and should be obeyed unless he or she violates accepted norms of Islam. Every one has the right to express disagreement with superiors and receive a convincing explanation.
22. The Sun and the Moon follow calculated paths, the trees and plants are in a state of submission and the world is at the disposal of humankind. One must not disturb the balances created by Allah.
23. The laws of nature are inescapable and one must try to understand them. One must strive to acquire knowledge of industry and invention. Iron is a gift of Allah and must be utilized for the benefit and protection of people.
24. Allah worked for six ages of a thousand years to set up the mechanism of creation and set up His headquarters in heaven, then said "happen" and the world took shape. He monitors the state of affairs in the world and sends new ideas in a cycle of a thousand years.
25. The human soul is immortal and there is a population of invisible spiritual beings in heaven and earth called angels and jinnat. The devil belongs to the genus of the jinn.
26. The devil is out to undo the goodness of human beings and they must resist evil temptations.
27. Adversity is never beyond the tolerance limit of the sufferer and one must never lose hope.