12. Muslim

The words "Islam" and "Muslim" have often been misunderstood or only vaguely understood, sometimes even by Muslims.

"Islam" is a teaching or "a way of life" or more correctly "a state of being". But the word "Muslim" refers to a people. Strictly speaking the word “Islam” means “submission to God” and the word “Muslim” ought to refer to those who actually submit to God. But the word is used loosely to cover people brought up under a certain culture who may or may not accept, understand or even know the teaching. People may understand, accept, practice or apply the teaching to various degrees. It is not, therefore, possible to use one of the terms Islam or Muslim to imply the other without falsifying both. Unfortunately a great many people lack the discrimination to differentiate between the two. The teaching exists precisely because human beings are sinners and function below their potentialities, and because they have the capacity to improve, and in order to create an ideal and methods to reach it. But if people ignore the religion, do not understand it, are not interested in it, do not make the necessary efforts, or use it for other inappropriate purposes such as politics or for personal wealth, power, or prestige then this makes the teaching ineffective and the teaching cannot be blamed for human behaviour. This unsavoury type of human behaviour is part of human nature quite apart from Religion. It is universal and an aspect of all human beings, including the critic and the community he belongs to. It will use anything, including religion for its own purposes. It is, therefore, necessary to distinguish between the true Teachings of religion and its corruption.

But Teachings tend to be judged by means of value systems. (a) These may be purely subjective being based on personal likes and dislikes acquired accidentally because of experiences or through social conditioning. (b) They may have been inculcated from some other System or Teaching or what is more likely, interpretation of these teachings. (c) Or they may be Objective in the sense that they conform to the way Nature behaves.

Islam cannot be judged by the first two standpoints. As it is submission to Allah, the creator of all things, and all things also submit to Allah, and it is He who inspired the Quran then it is the Quran itself which is the criterion of values and a Muslim must abide by the Value system in it, provided, of course, that he understands it and does not interpret it according to his own subjective motives.

In order to understand the above, it is necessary to distinguish between four levels or systems of behaviour:- (a) Instinctive or natural behaviour arising from the inherent nature of things. (b) Automatic reactions due to conditioned reflexes and habits acquired from external or internal events; accidental associations which may trigger off such reactions. It is perfectly possible to acquire tastes and habit that flout and contradict one’s inherent nature and produce malfunctions. (c) The lingual system of concepts and meanings where rational thinking can take place. (d) Consciousness and insights into the relationships, pattern and systems which things objectively make. Values are connected with this.

The conscious system obviously gives us access to a greater reality than the lingual system, and that gives us access to a greater reality than the reflex system. But we are conscious only of a small part of our own nature. Most of the processes that maintain our health and efficiency take place without our awareness and control; which is a good thing in so far as our knowledge, motives and abilities are limited. But these limits, it is now known has caused us to set up behaviour patterns that distort these processes and cause disease. Social and environmental conditions have been created by this behaviour which not only has directly harmful effects on us, but also forces physical, mental and spiritual behaviour into unhealthy channels. There is a vicious circle. The lingual system is also a bridge between the other two and can itself be used in the three ways, to produce automatism, rationality or awareness. Human beings communicate with each other mostly by means of words but this is enhanced by gestures, expressions and tone of voice. (a) We can react to words unintelligently in so far as they are also stimuli. Slogans, for instance, have this effect. (b) Or we can consider the meaning of words and think and act accordingly. (c) Or we can take a word as a sign or symbol that point to something real beyond itself and it is this that occupies our interest.

At the lowest level the words "Islam" and "Muslim" are associated with a certain accidentals such as races, nations, groups, culture, practices, political conditions or events, language, ideas, formulae, flags, emblems and so on. People may be hostile to, have sentimental attachments to, or some other attitude to any of these aspects and this will spread to all the other associated aspects.

But the meaning of the word "Islam" is "Surrender to Allah". This too may have several levels:- It refers to a teaching or a system of living or a state of being. The word "Muslim" means "one who surrenders to Allah". It refers to people and this, too, may have several levels:- (a) intellectual acceptance of the teaching, (b) actual striving to live according to it, (c) being in a state of surrender. A true Muslim would be one who by his surrender to Allah has returned to Allah from whence he came.

"We make no distinction between any of His Messengers - and they (Muslims) say: We hear and we obey, Thy pardon, O Lord! Unto Thee is our journeying."

Since we are dealing with people in general then the understanding of these terms will also vary according to how much effort a person has made to understand what is involved. The reality for which the words stand is not the same as that which a person may understand. The real meaning of the words are connected with the whole system as described by the Quran, but the Quran is a "reminder unto creation" (68:52, 81:27, 15:6, 38:44 etc.). A study of the Quran shows that all things in the universe are regarded as in surrender to Allah, but that man is required to also surrender consciously. The term "Islam" refers to the teachings of all the Prophets whom Allah sent throughout the world, and the term "Muslim" refers to the true followers of these religions as originally taught. (5:69, 10:48, 16:36, 4:151, 42:13-15)

"And strive in the cause of Allah, with the effort which is His due. He has chosen you, and has not laid upon you any hardship (or hindrance) in religion - the faith of your father Abraham. HE HAS NAMED YOU MUSLIMS IN OLDEN TIMES AND IN THIS (Scripture), that the Messenger may be a witness against you, and that ye may be witnesses against mankind. So establish regular (and correct) prayer, give regular (and correct) charity, and hold fast to Allah; He is your Protecting Friend; a blessed Patron and blessed Helper." 22:78

(See also 2:28,131-132, 7:126, 8:43, 10:91, 12:101, 15:2, 11:89,112, 21:108, 27:31, 28:53, 29:46, 31:22).

From the Islamic point of view Religion and Islam are one and the same thing:-

"Lo, Religion with Allah is The Surrender. Those who formerly received the Scriptures differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves... and if they argue with thee (O Muhammad), say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and so have those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the scripture and those who read not: Have ye, too, surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided; and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to convey the message." 3:19-20

"And they (mankind) were commanded naught else but this that they serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright, and to establish worship and to practice charity. That is true Religion." 98:5

True Religion transcends sects:-

"O people of the Scriptures, why will ye argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospels were not revealed until after him? Have ye no sense?... Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered unto Allah. ......So follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He was not of the idolaters" 3:95,67,65.

"And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo, the Guidance of Allah, Himself, is sufficient guidance." 2:120

"Say O People of the Scriptures, come to an agreement between us and you that we shall worship none but Allah and that we shall ascribe no partners unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for Lord besides Allah. And if they turn away then say: bear witness that we are they who have surrendered unto Him." 3:64

The word Muslim also refers to a natural, non-formal religion:-

"So set thy purpose for Religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah in which He hath created man. There is no changing the laws of Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not." 30:30

It is not, therefore, in reality the case that all those who profess to be "Muslim" or so are called by others are in fact "Muslim". Nor is it the case that all those who do not profess to be "Muslim" or are not so called by others are not "Muslim".

Since people vary in their understanding of their religion as well as in their practices and states of being, it is also true that it is perfectly possible for a person in any one religion, including Islam (understood here in the restricted sense as the followers of Muhammad), to be a better or worse Muslim than someone in any other religion, including Islam (in the restricted sense). The members of all religions are in the same boat - all have departed from the ideals of their religion and no one has reached perfection.

Allah will, of course judge by realities not words.

Although the reality of surrender has much deeper implications, the following verses offer some guidelines about how the Quran expects Muslims to behave in order to achieve the result:-

"Whoso judges not by that which Allah has revealed, such are evil doers." 5:47

"Whoso does right, it is for his own soul, and whoso does wrong, it is against it." 45:15

"Lo! The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." 49:13

"O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they are, nor let women deride women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turns not in repentance, such are the evil doers." 49:11

"O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion, for some suspicion is crime. And spy not, neither back-bite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You abhor that, (so abhor the other.) And keep your duty to Allah, Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful." 49:12

"O children of Adam! We have revealed unto you raiments to conceal your shame, and splendid vesture, but the raiment of restraint from evil, that is best." 7:26

"Ye will not attain unto piety until ye spend of that which ye love. And whatever ye spend, Allah is aware thereof." 3:92

"And whoso is saved from his own avarice (or greed) - such are they who are successful." 59:9 and 64:16

"Those who spend (of that which Allah has given them) in ease and adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving towards mankind; Allah loves the good." 3:134

"O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or your parents or your kindred, whether the case be of a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both (than ye are). So follow not passion lest ye lapse (from truth and justice), and if ye lapse or fall away, then lo! Allah is ever informed of what ye do." 4:135

"O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty..." 5:8

"And speak not, concerning that which your own tongues qualify, the falsehood: This lawful, and this is forbidden - so that ye invent a lie against Allah. Lo! Those who invent a lie against Allah will not succeed." 16:116

"O man, follow not whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing, and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked. And walk not in the earth exultant. Lo! thou canst not rend the earth, nor canst thou stretch to the heights of the hills. The evil of all that is hateful in the sight of thy Lord." 17:36-38

"Turn not thy cheek in scorn towards folk, nor walk in insolence through the land: Lo! Allah loves not any arrogant boaster. Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice. Lo! the harshest of all voices is the voice of the ass. "31:18-19

"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and reason with them in the better way." 16:125

"The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one that is better, then lo! he, between whom and thee there was enmity will become as though he was a bosom friend." 41:34

"And verily, whoso is patient and forgives - lo! that is verily the steadfast heart of things." 42:43

"Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loves not aggressors." 2:190

"O ye who believe! Why say ye that which ye do not? It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do not." 61:2-3

"The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Law of Moses, yet apply it not, is as the likeness of the ass carrying books." 62:5 -Note: Obviously this applies to Muslims and people of any other faith.

"Already have We urged unto hell many of the jinn and humankind, having hearts wherewith they understand not, and having eyes wherewith they see not, and having ears wherewith they hear not. These are as the cattle - nay, but they are worse! These are the neglectful." 7:179

"Grieve not for the sake of that which has escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which has been given. Allah loves not prideful boasters, who hoard and who enjoin upon people avarice. And whoso turns away, still Allah is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise." 17:23-24

"And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in a way that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which has been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto Him have we surrendered." 29: 46

"He hath already revealed unto you in the scripture that when ye hear the revelations of Allah rejected and derided, sit not with them until they engage in some other conversation..." 4:140

"When you see those who meddle with Our revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic. And if the devil causes you to forget, sit not, after the remembrance, with the congregation of wrongdoers. Those who ward off evil are not accountable for them in aught, but the Reminder must be given them that haply they too may ward of evil. And forsake those who take their religion for a pastime and a jest, and whom the life of the world beguiles. Remind mankind hereby lest a soul be destroyed by what it earns. It has besides Allah no friend nor intercessor, and though it offer every compensation it will not be accepted from it." 6:68-70

"Revile not those unto whom they prey besides Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deeds seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do." 6:109

"O ye who believe! Be mindful of your duty to Allah, and seek the way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in order that ye may succeed." 5:35

"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West, but righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the scriptures and the prophets; and gives his wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observes proper worship and pays the poor due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and times of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing." 2:177

Muslims might like to consider how close they are to these ideals and whether they are striving to reach them. Those hostile to or critical of Islam may like to consider that there is a difference between Islam and Muslims and what exactly they are objecting to.

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13. World View .......... Contents