Viewed from this angle, Islam seems to occupy a unique position in
the community of world religions. Iman is the collective term for all
those beliefs on which the Islamic faith is based. The root of the word Iman
is a-m-n , which points to
the peace and tranquility that the believer enjoys in his heart as a result of
entertaining and upholding these beliefs. The quintessence of Iman is belief in Almighty God, or Iman billah ,
which is constituted by intuitive knowledge of Allah (SWT) and a relationship
to Him of hope and total dependence and submission. Only this type of personal and
subjective relationship with Allah (SWT) can engender true and lasting peace in
the heart of a man, providing a positive and durable ground for the stability of
his inner being.
Tauheed — oneness of God, which we translate
as “unity” or “unityism” — is the characteristic term for this pure spiritual
relation of a man to his Creator, which ultimately leads him to a state described
by the Qur’an in these words:
“Allah became pleased with them and they became pleased with Him” (Al-Bayyinah 97:8).
This is a state in which the Creator and the worshipper are in total consonance with each other. A believer who has obtained this spiritual height is completely free from all anxiety and fear, and his mind and heart experience a bliss which can be felt but cannot be described in words. In Surah Al-An‘am, Allah (SWT) first poses a question in this manner
“Allah became pleased with them and they became pleased with Him” (Al-Bayyinah 97:8).
This is a state in which the Creator and the worshipper are in total consonance with each other. A believer who has obtained this spiritual height is completely free from all anxiety and fear, and his mind and heart experience a bliss which can be felt but cannot be described in words. In Surah Al-An‘am, Allah (SWT) first poses a question in this manner
…Which of the two parties
has more right to security and peace, (tell me) if you know. (AlAn‘am 6:82)
and then the answer is supplied thus
It is those who believed
and did not pollute their faith with zulm , that are truly in security
and are rightly guided. (Al-An‘am 6:83)
In short, true belief in Allah (SWT) is the sole positive and real
ground for a man’s inner peace and happiness. This devotional relationship with
Allah (SWT) accompanied with pure and resolute submission to His commands can
be achieved and enhanced by remembrance of Allah (or zikr ). The Qur’an
says
Verily, in the remembrance
of Allah do hearts find peace and satisfaction. (Ra‘d 13:28)
A person who is deprived of belief in Almighty Allah (SWT) can
never enjoy even the semblance of mental peace. As a result of this lack of
belief, he is always obsessed by ever-growing worldly ambitions. He is ever entangled
in the blinding cobweb of his limitless desires. Most men die before seeing
their desires and ambitions materialized, no better than travelers in the
desert pursuing a mirage, whereas the more intelligent of these fall prey to
assorted mental aberrations. Their minds become arenas of strife and conflicts.
Their desires lead them to intense internal conflicts and frustrations and consequently
they are transformed into infernos — their hearts set ablaze.
These inner disruptions manifest themselves outwardly, giving rise not only to a ruthless and savage struggle for existence but also to vile competition, the use of unfair means in business and trade, greed, caprice, and false ostentation. As a result of all this, God’s earth becomes rampant with immorality, crime, corruption, and lawlessness. At this stage, only belief in the Hereafter, which is a corollary of belief in Allah (SWT), comes to rescue a man from the abysmal depths of darkness. It provides an effective check against corruption and immoral conduct. The eschatological beliefs in bodily resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and reward and punishment in a future life, provide a powerful incentive to a believer not to omit his duties, to be content with his lawful rights, and to abide by the rules laid down in the Divine Law (Shari‘ah) regulating the conduct of his terrestrial existence. The Qur’an asserts unequivocally that there is only one psychological factor which can effectively keep man from transgression and immorality, and that is the belief in the Hereafter and in accountability on the Day of Reckoning.
These inner disruptions manifest themselves outwardly, giving rise not only to a ruthless and savage struggle for existence but also to vile competition, the use of unfair means in business and trade, greed, caprice, and false ostentation. As a result of all this, God’s earth becomes rampant with immorality, crime, corruption, and lawlessness. At this stage, only belief in the Hereafter, which is a corollary of belief in Allah (SWT), comes to rescue a man from the abysmal depths of darkness. It provides an effective check against corruption and immoral conduct. The eschatological beliefs in bodily resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and reward and punishment in a future life, provide a powerful incentive to a believer not to omit his duties, to be content with his lawful rights, and to abide by the rules laid down in the Divine Law (Shari‘ah) regulating the conduct of his terrestrial existence. The Qur’an asserts unequivocally that there is only one psychological factor which can effectively keep man from transgression and immorality, and that is the belief in the Hereafter and in accountability on the Day of Reckoning.
Indeed not! Man behaves
rebelliously for he deems himself to be independent. (But) towards your Lord
indeed is the return. (Al-Alaq 96: 6-8)
It should be crystal clear from the above that it is impossible to
have serenity of heart if we do not have a staunch belief in religious truths.
Any scheme or plan of action geared towards bringing about world peace and harmony,
if not based on the belief in Almighty Allah (SWT) and in the Day of Reckoning,
is bound to fail. It can succeed only if it is based upon the tenets of Islamic
faith.
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