Aspects Of Islam
Question:-
We know that Allah is One, His Creation is One, Life is One, Mankind is One, Religion is One and Islam is One. But for the purpose of study and action one has to analyse and divide and then re-synthesise. So what would you say are the various aspects of Islam?
Answer:-
You are right about the fundamental Unity, and you have mentioned the parts of it which are also Unities. The purpose of Islam is to make human beings One with Allah in thought, motive and action, to return them to their source:-
"Lo! we are Allah's and lo! unto Him we are returning." 2:156
"But O, you soul in peace and fulfilment! Return unto your Lord, well pleased and well pleasing unto Him! Enter you amongst My servants. Enter you My Garden !" 89:27-30
"Lord! Make us submissive (Muslim) unto Thee, and of our seed also a nation of obedient (Muslims), bowing to Thy will, and show us our rites, and turn towards us, verily, Thou art the Oft-Relenting, the Most Merciful." 2:128
This has three aspects:- (a) To make human individuals inwardly into integrated unities, to make them whole or holy - to unite them with the Spirit of Allah within them. (b) To unite them with their fellows, making human societies into harmonious wholes, (c) To unite them in harmony and co-operation with the environment, the planet and the rest of creation.
Islam can, therefore, be regarded as having (a) a Psychological (b) a Social and (c) an Ecological aspect.
Islam is a Way of Life and as such can be said to be (a) a Teaching, (b) a Goal and (c) a Method of reaching that goal.
These correspond to the three aspects of man soul, mind and body and to the faculties of thought, motive and action. As all activities require a co-ordination of these it is also possible to make further distinctions according to which of these aspect dominates. Accordingly, Islam can be seen as having the following aspects:-
1. The Spiritual aspect.
2. The Ideological aspect - theology, philosophy etc. This includes Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Logic
3. The Ethical and Legal aspect .
4. The Cultural aspect - science, history, art, medicine, education, civics, etc.
5. The Social aspect - marriage, family life, etiquette.
6. The Political aspect.
7. The Economic aspect.
8. The Structures - cities, buildings, factories, gardens, parks etc.
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