Faith

What God Means to Me

When God gave us this life, He also gave a world for us to dwell in. What is the purpose of the world to our existence?

For most of us, the world is a reservoir of supplies for our everyday uses. We need food and water for our body, and that is why God gave us the birds and beasts, oceans and rivers. We need oxygen to live, and that is why God gave us the air as well as the plants to give us fresh oxygen to breathe. We need places to shelter and to sleep, and that is why God gave us the trees and stones for us to build homes to live in. God, in this sense, is a God who provides, for, after bringing us into existence, He gave us a world through which we are able to construct a life.

Why did God give us a world and yet we have to construct a life out of it? Why didn’t God give us a world that is a furnished place to live, such as having trees to give out fruits without us having to plant the seeds, water the trees, get rid of the pest enemies, and knowing which soil to use and what weather to choose? That would be a wonderful God indeed!

FINISHING TOUCH

God gave us a world as an unfinished place to live so that we could put the finishing touches to it and turn it into a wonderful place to inhabit. God gave us a mind so that with it, we can look for the knowledge that helps us to build our life. If we do not use the mind and only hope for things to happen without our participation, we can hope all day long and nothing is going to happen.

Besides the mind, God also gave us a will, namely, that burning desire to push our hands and feet to get hold of the raw material of Nature and transform them into the goods for our use. God, in this sense, is a God who shares, for, without our participation in making life happens, we would be wondering what worth do we hold as human beings, for all we do is to watch God doing all the work for us and we, on our part, only wait to enjoy the fruits of God’s work. Therefore, in getting us involved in constructing life for ourselves, God wants us to see that we have self-worthiness, self-pride, and self-respect that define our nature as human beings.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN

For some of us, life is not only about enjoying the basic things of everyday living, about having to eat and drink, shelter and sleep. True, we need to do all these, but we also ask questions about what doing all these means to other things in life. So what if I have enough to eat? So what if I have a place to live? So what if I have enough of everything? Am I happy even if I have the world before me? Needless to say, in fulfilling the needs of our everyday living, we are confronted with questions about what they mean to our human meaning, about what it means to be human.

Are we just like the animals that eat and sleep, or, are we just a degree above them, having a mind and a will that animals do not have? Do we, as humans, in fulfilling our needs, live by the rule of the survival of the fittest and competing with one another to be able to have the things that fulfil our needs, or do we work together to get them? Do we need values and virtues to guide us in our conduct of life, about what we must and must not do in the way we fulfil our needs? There are many things that we desire. The question is: what among them can we have, how can we have them, and what purposes do they satisfy?

GUIDELINES TO MAKE US AWARE

God, in this sense, is a God who guides. God gives us a world, gives us a mind, gives us a will, but God also gives us guidelines about how the world, the mind, and the will can form a coherent relationship to make earth the best place for living. God lets us know that there are things we desire but we cannot have them because they are not beneficial to our body, and should we consume them, they could affect our behaviour that will cause grievances not only to ourselves, but also to others. God wants us to know that these guidelines are not meant to cause hardship to our life, but are intended to instil in us awareness, sensitivity, and responsibility regarding our wishes and actions, about what consequences they bring to us and others.

Irrespective of how much we try, we humans always fall short of being perfect. Perfection, it seems, is something we strive to achieve all the time, not a ready-made quality that we put on, like a nice-looking shirt or dress that makes us look beautiful and delightful the moment we put it on. Although perfection is something we strive to achieve, it is what we humans want because perfection is the crowning witness of our ability to overcome the deficiencies and insufficiencies that make us look incomplete, hence, unsatisfied.

PERFECT, BUT IMPERFECT

But why did God create us humans perfect in our physical appearance but from our human character, God puts up a little disappearance? Perhaps God wants us to know that imperfection is what makes us perfect! What a way to frame our human character. When we see what is lacking and less in ourselves, that invokes a sense of humility in us to be ready to admit that to bring perfection to fruition, we need to turn to others for us to learn and seek help from. No wonder God sends Messengers (Rasul) and Prophets (Nabi) to show us the way in becoming human being in the true sense of its meaning – Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself being the epitome of the perfect man, the insan kamil.

Perfection, it seems, is something we strive to achieve all the time, not a ready-made quality that we put on.

God, in this sense, is a God who perfects. Through our insufficiencies, God brings out humility from the depth of our soul and with it, shows how dependence upon others is an important trait that makes perfection a possible achievement.

NEEDING ONE ANOTHER

We need others, and others need us too. We need one another not only for the purpose of getting the pieces of Nature together and make them into things that we could live by, the food that we eat and the places that we live. We need one another for affection, for friendship, for trust, for security, for strength, for unity, and for identity. In this sense, God is a God who unites. Through making us bonded into a group, we get to understand how we are just one piece out of the many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that when each and every one of us are put together, we get a picture of how we all appear collectively, and from this collective appearance, we get to know how each and every one of us looks like individually.

So, what does God mean to me? For some of us, mention God and what comes to mind is a watchful deity looming over our activity, looking at what we are doing, and looking at whether we have sidestepped life’s destiny. God is a fearful sight to think. As such, worshipping God is a pain rather than a joy. It is about guilt rather than about intelligence and compassion.

For a Muslim, God is a joy to be with, not a sorrow to lament from. It is with God that he gets to enjoy all the pleasures of life, but through these pleasures of life, he is induced into discovering what is farther and deeper than what these pleasures of life hold for him. When God commands us to worship Him, it is because by Him, we get to enjoy the pleasures of life – from enjoying the thought about life, and eventually, to enjoying the discovery and realisation about the most fundamental questions about ourselves, about who we are, about why we are here on earth, about what we are supposed to do in this world, and about what happens to us after we die. Needless to say, with God, we move from the pleasure of the senses to the pleasure of the mind and finally to the pleasure of realising our origin and end in God, that essential answer about what God means for us.

Finding the Straight Path

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. In Christianity, it is mentioned in the Bible that the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to life, and few have found it (Matthew 07:13-14). Similarly in Islam, the road to Jannah (Paradise) is not easy. Many have fallen, many do not understand, many do not take heed nor care. My doa (supplication) is always for Allah (SWT) to keep us on the Straight path – guiding those who sincerely and earnestly want to know Him on this path. As a Christian, I love Jesus. (Present tense, because I still do). To understand the story, I realise I do have to take you back to why I even became a Christian.

ANCESTRAL WORSHIP IN FAMILY

I was raised in a Taoist/Buddhist family where there was always ancestral worship going on. We were made to hold joss sticks and pray to the “Heaven God” and the “Goddess of Mercy” occasionally. My parents brought us to temples during festivals and we were always made to pray to the numerous gods, which according to my limited knowledge, were in charge of different matters. Some gods were in charge of giving you luck in buying lottery, some were in charge of health, some were in charge of studies, etc. I did not have an inquisitive mind then, so I just took things as it was.

Then I went on to a missionary school where I was exposed to Christianity. The concept of One God was made clear to me, and it was here that I understood we were all created by One Creator. I came to understand sin and temptation. I came to understand the love that God has for humans. I came to understand grace, salvation and mercy. And it was here that I learnt about Jesus being the Son of God. I was overwhelmed by the love Christians showed to one another, and I felt like I had finally “found” a God which made sense. There is only One God, and One Creator, and I had found it. Sad to say, my faith was not strong enough to keep me growing. I deviated from the path and even though I still believed in God, my actions showed that He was the least priority at that moment.

DISCOVERING TRUTHS ABOUT GOD EVERYDAY

In 2008, God called me back once more. It was then that I started learning about Christianity from scratch. I started to know who Jesus was, who God was. My faith and love for God grew with such a burning zeal, that people in church often testify and said that God was indeed doing something mighty in my life. I started teaching Bible studies to young adults, serving in the worship ministry, going for mission trips and teaching Sunday school. As I read the Bible every day, I discovered new truths about God.

The Bible was my guide in life, and Jesus, to me, was my everything. I spent many hours praying, writing my thoughts in journals, meditating in the presence of God. I loved Jesus fiercely and I would go around talking and telling friends how much God loves them, and that life on earth is temporal. In the span of just two years, I had my secondary school and primary school best friends convert to Christianity, in addition to my sister (who was really against Christianity), her boyfriend, one of my students and another close friend of mine. These are all of whom I have personally tried reaching out to and seen how magnificently God opened their hearts.

In the span of just two years, I had my secondary school and primary school best friends convert to Christianity, in addition to my sister (who was really against Christianity), her boyfriend, one of my students and another close friend of mine. These are all of whom I have personally tried reaching out to and seen how magnificently God opened their hearts.

CRYING FOR STREET CHILDREN

As the years go by, I knew I wanted to be a missionary. The burden grew stronger and fiercer. I always had a burden for street children – those who were oppressed, abandoned and left to fend for themselves. I remember nights crying as I prayed for these children, and pleading with God to use me in whatever little way that I could contribute. I knew that I would go if He called, because God had gifted me with a heart of compassion. Similarly, I knew that God blessed me with a gift of evangelism. I could not stand to see people not know the Truth. I could not stand to see people walking down the path to self-destruction. At the heart of it, I wanted everyone, literally everyone to know that God (or Jesus then) loves them and that life was indeed worth living when we know who we belong to.

And it was this evangelical heart that guided me to Islam.

Sometimes I look back, and I felt that God/Allah has guided me to where I am now. I was always seeking for Truth. I was always seeking for the One who created me and the vast universe that often leaves me in awe. I was always yearning for people to know the Truth as well.

TEMPORAL LIFE ON EARTH

And perhaps, in the midst of it, Allah (SWT) must have heard the silent plead for the guidance to the Straight path, because I knew deep down in my heart, even before anyone even taught me, that this world I lived in was temporal. I knew somehow, that this world was not the ultimate end, and that people do NOT just disappear after death. We belong somewhere greater than this. I also knew that life on earth was not meant to be spent frivolously, without a thought of the consequences. And all of these are only gifts from Allah (SWT). Indeed, I can only say Alhamdulillah that Allah (SWT) has opened my heart.

I went into the National Institute of Education (NIE) and for the first time in my life, I met practising Muslims in my class. Alhamdulillah that Allah (SWT) placed three Muslims in my  class who prayed the five prayers daily. Alhamdulillah also that one of them is engaged to a Chinese Convert (which led me to explore even more about Islam).

WHERE HAVE THE MUSLIMS BEEN HIDING?

As I watched them pray, I was in awe. Nobody told me that Muslims prayed this way, at such a stipulated time. (Deep down in my heart, I was thinking – Where have all the Muslims been hiding for the past 23 years of my life?) But what touched me most, was this deep sense of peace in them, and this yearning to know the God who had created them. I find it a blessing that Allah (SWT) placed one of the Muslims to talk to me about Islam, and allowed me to also share about Christianity. We had long discussions, question and answer sessions, and “debates” about both religions.

It was then that I passed him a Bible and he passed me a Quran. My first ever Quran, Alhamdulillah! Speaking to him opened up my mind about Islam and challenged the preconceived notions that I had about Islam (…and boy, they were many). From there, I started asking questions about Islam, asking fellow Christians at times too.

FELT BURDENED FOR THE MUSLIMS

I was confused, because the world’s two largest religions are Christianity/Catholicism and Islam. It was either one group was correct, or the other was. Both cannot be correct. More so, I felt so burdened for the Muslims. In them, I see people who sincerely and earnestly want to worship God and please Him. They were not people who did not care about how they lead their lives. It was not fair that they were going to go to Hell just because they did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God!

This spurred me to start reading about Islam; because I wanted to understand what the Muslims believe and come in at a better angle to tell them that Christianity is the Truth, and not Islam. I did not think that God would deliberately mislead either group. Hence, I started reading books and websites on my own. However, I made the error of reading sources that came from a Christian’s point of view. My idea of Islam was tainted by what the media said, and what the Christians wanted to propagate.

SOMETHING DIDN’T FEEL RIGHT

I was at the crossroads. On one hand, I told myself to have faith in Jesus and all the things that God has brought me through over the years (and there were plenty of answered prayers and guidance from Him).

On the other hand, I felt that something was not right. Suddenly the Trinity, which I have always preached about, does not seem to make sense to me; nor did Jesus being the Son of God make sense. A religion by God should be simple and comprehensible. (Even though we may say that not everything that God does has to be understood by our limited human minds), I am sure God has also given us this capacity to think, discern and see what the Truth is.

“O People of the Scripture, do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a Messenger of Allah, and His word, which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. And do not say, “Three (Trinity)”; desist – it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs” (An-Nisa; 04:171).

A LITTLE DOUBT

From that moment on, I told myself that I had to take a step back. This was my ETERNAL LIFE at stake. I did not want to follow a path if I was not sure that it was the right one. Even if there was just a little doubt at the back of my mind, that doubt cannot be covered up; it must be tested, explored and expelled.

I started looking at the Bible objectively and I started reading about Islam from Islamic sources. Whatever questions I had about the Islamic faith, I asked people who were learned in the religion. And slowly, the walls of false perceptions came tumbling down the more I asked. And I prayed. I cried and I prayed and I cried.

NEVER WANTED TO DENOUNCE JESUS

No matter how I tried to reason and explain to myself, I could not force myself to believe it anymore. And I was devastated. I was grieving because Jesus was my life! I had gotten through life with him (to me he was God) by my side. There were many times before when I questioned myself the basis of my love for him, by asking if someone were to point a gun at my head and asked me to denounce him, whether I would. I had reached the stage where I told Jesus I would never denounce him, because I cannot forsake He who has created and given me life.

Thus, to reach the point where I could not see Jesus as God, I was utterly shattered.

I made the decision to send a long email to my pastors and elders in church, to tell them I had to step down from my ministries because I did not believe in the doctrine of Christianity any longer. It came as a shock to many, and many were still not able to understand my reasoning for making such a drastic step in such a short time; yet I knew I cannot be a hypocrite. I could not force myself to stay in church if I did not believe in the basis of the faith any more. I hurt many, disappointed many, and shocked many, and it was still a struggle to mend the broken relationships in this process. (Insha’Allah one day, it will all be okay.)

STEPPED AWAY FROM CHRISTIANITY

And so I left Christianity. But I was not a Muslim. The Shahadah (Testimony of faith) for Muslims to recite consists of two parts:

La ilaha illallah, Muhammad-ur- rasulullah (in Arabic) There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God (in English).

I however only believed in the first part. I believe there is only One God, but to believe Muhammad (SAW) was the last messenger of Allah – I was doubtful. However,  Alhamdulillah, I found it in myself to continue reading and asking about Islam. The more I read, the more fascinated and drawn to the religion I was.

I continued praying, often pleading with God (not sure whether it was Allah or the Christian god then). I just prayed to the One I knew moulded me in my mother’s womb, the one that has protected me throughout the 23 years of my life, the One whom I knew I will have to face at the end of this life.

Bit by bit, step by step, I became convinced that the Quran was indeed a divine and holy book. My iman (belief) grew and grew - through the various talks organised by Darul Arqam that I attended; through the Muslims – brothers and sisters – that Allah (SWT) placed in my life for me to direct my questions to; and through the verses and guidance of the Quran.

Until one day, I knew I accepted the Quran as the Word of Allah (SWT). By accepting the Quran as the Word of Allah (SWT), I also accept Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as His Messenger who brought and communicated the Quran to all of humankind.

LEARNT SO MUCH ABOUT GOD FROM BIBLE

I said the Shahadah deep down in my heart and I knew I believed in it with my whole heart. I prayed and I found what I was looking for – the Straight Path. Leaving Christianity did not make me lose respect of that religion in any way. In fact, I learnt so much about God from the Bible.

There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in false deities and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower” (Al-Baqarah 02:256).

“When they hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes flooding with tears as they recognise the truth therein, and they say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so count us among the witnesses. “Why should we not believe in GOD, and in the truth that has come to us, and hope that our Lord may admit us with the righteous people?” GOD has rewarded them for saying this; He will admit them into gardens with flowing streams. They abide therein forever. Such is the reward for the righteous. As for those who disbelieve and reject our revelations, they are the dwellers of Hell” (Al-Ma’ida 05:83-86).

Christianity, it seems, is a path leading me into Islam.

I have finally come home.

Oh Allah (SWT), I pray that you give me courage to face the challenges ahead. Increase my Iman to stand up for this faith, and to cling onto it, come what may.

May Allah (SWT) guide me and keep me on the Straight Path always. Ameen.

Work and the Human Meaning

What is ‘work’? Ask anyone, and the answer may vary from one person to another. Put simply, work is anything that we do. But this answer is too broad and general.

WORK = SATISFACTION OF LIFE?

Work may mean a career. We tend to think of the rituals of modern life – from childhood to adulthood, getting up from bed very early in the morning, going to school, going to tuitions after school, doing homework at night, and burning midnight candles when exams are near, hoping to get into a good college or university, doing a program of study of our choice, getting a promising job that offers great income, and, spending the money on a life of comfort. For many young people of today, this is what ‘work’ means. Work is material satisfaction of life.

Work can also mean the menial jobs done by the blue-collar workers, people who work less with their brains and more with their brawns – those factory workers, janitors, or mechanics, for instance, following instructions than giving them. In this sense, work is labour, the use of the hands and legs.

MOTHERS WORK?

Mothers who stay at home and take care of their little ones are said to be not working. They are called housewives. Are they not working? They wake up early in the morning, prepare breakfast for their children, dress them for school, wash the clothes and dishes, clean the floor, cook for the family, going through the school work with their children, prepare the bed, and make sure the family is in order and the children all behave well. Mothers are not getting a cent for what they do. But are they not working?

Can thinking be ‘work’? What about those town planners, who busy themselves day in and day out, trying to figure out how best to make the towns into the best places to live?

Work thus is doing, but also thinking. It is using the body, the hands and legs, but it is also using the mind. It is done by everybody, by little children, as well as elderly people. Even beggars are said to be doing work. And, not to leave out the priests and monks who pray, for prayer too is work.

PURPOSE OF WORK

Why do we work? What do we achieve with work, or, what do we gain by working? For many living in today’s society, work is survival of livelihood. Debts are more than earnings, as prices of things have soared beyond the skies. Basic necessities of life have become more and more difficult to obtain unless one has the money to afford them. Food has become rather expensive, and if one is someone who has the habit of eating out, this could be a problem.

Education has also become expensive because education is no longer about being a good human being, but about how much money one can make. Health is also another area of concern as hospital bills are skyrocketing; if one does not have insurance, how could one pay for these bills?

In today’s world that is characterised by the computer craze, new and more sophisticated products are churned out every now and then, and the young ones especially, do not want to miss out on these. Where is the money coming from to afford these gadgets? Parents have to work, students have to work, and even the children now have to start looking for jobs during school holidays; otherwise one will slip into poverty and cannot even afford what beggars could. Thus, to work is to be able to eat, sleep, and find a place to shelter.

PRIDE IN WORK

For some, work is self-pride, that something giving us the drive, enthusiasm, and spirit to show others what we are made of. Getting straight A’s, or getting four flat on the CGPA, or getting into Cambridge, Oxford, or Harvard is self-pride, not only for one, but for the parents and family members. It speaks a lot about the workload, focus, and hard work put into the efforts to achieve such results. It also speaks a lot about the parents’ role in their children’s success story. Thus, self-pride is to be able to compete with others and come up on top of them.

For some, self-pride is to practise a high level of virtue and morality, so that one is recognised as an upright person in society, and be trusted in any business dealings. And for some, self-pride is to hold public office, such as becoming a magistrate, or a policeman, or a teacher, because public servants put the interest of others before self, and sacrifice their time and energy for the well-being of others.

For some, work itself is religion. Hindus, for instance, see work as the outcome of one’s previous life. It is the karma of work that determines what one’s next life would be, for better or for worse. If the good karma overweighs the bad karma, one who is a bellboy could well be on his way to become a priest, the highest and most noble human dignity in the Hindu view of life. For Christians of the Protestant faith, work is the measurement of whether one is elected into heaven. Good works do not guarantee salvation as it is faith alone that guarantees it, but good works are indications that the faith one professes is an acceptable one, and thereby salvation is assured.

To summarise, work is that by which we get to realise our desires, wants, and even dreams. These are needs that we seek to fulfil without which life falls short of expectations and meaningfulness. We have basic needs to fulfil, such as food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare. These are biological needs.

Being humans, we have ambitions, we desire to be motivated, we want to achieve things, and we wish to turn dreams into realities

FOR AESTHETICAL NEEDS

As human beings, we are not contented with having only shelter. We want to make the shelter a home that has nice designs and decorations, and looks colourful too. In short, as humans, we crave for things pleasant, lovely, and beautiful. These are aesthetical needs. 

We also need warmth, love, and affection. These are affective needs. We need to feel safe and protected from harm and danger, to our life, property, and mind. These are safety needs.

We need values for our life, about what is right and wrong, good or bad, so that decisions that we make will have positive consequences as well as avoid putting ourselves and others in harm’s way. These are axiological needs.

WITH ASPIRATIONS

As human beings, we seek not only what is basic and sufficient, but we aspire to bring the basic to the level of sophistication and complexity, so that we comprehend and understand things at the highest and deepest level possible that would reveal to us their true and real nature. These are intellectual needs.

Being humans, we have ambitions, we desire to be motivated, we want to achieve things, and we wish to turn dreams into realities. We are not contented with only having to eat, having a place to stay, or having clothes to wear. We look at the world around us, and we want to transform the world into much more than what we could imagine. These needs, the drives to turn something into something more, are selfesteem needs.

REALISING OUR SELF

Through the self-esteem needs, we want to end up as somebody with an identity, to be able to tell others this is what I am. This is self-realisation need, and for many, it is religion that shows the way. All the needs as mentioned are necessary for us to be an all-round human being. They are all related to one another without which, our human identity will not take shape. Work, through the fulfilment of needs, defines our human identity, about who we are, about who I am.

In the same way, work defines the meaning of a Muslim. It is through work that a Muslim is able to see what kind of person he is, and ultimately, what human identity he is carrying. In Islam, work is called ‘amal. ‘Amal may refer to individual acts, or activities, or livelihood. The Quran mentions ‘amal salih or works that are righteous, virtuous, good, and praiseworthy, all the time. All of us humans are required to do not just ‘amal but ‘amal salih. Why is the emphasis on works that are salih (righteous)?

In the first place, for a Muslim, work carried out must be predicated, or based, or grounded in God. God is the point of reference for work. God is the point of departure for work. God is the point of return for work. What does this mean?

GOD IS THE FOCAL POINT

When a Muslim works, he is governed by a set of guidelines about how he fulfils his needs. These guidelines are intended to protect, preserve, and promote the well-being of the essential aspects of his humanity, so that he will become, as well as function, as a wise, true, good, virtuous, and beautiful human being, thus echoing what the Prophet (SAW) said concerning his mission to mankind that ‘I was not sent except to bring the noble qualities of humanity into fruition’. These guidelines are collectively known as the Shariah. The guidelines’ purposes, namely, the protection, preservation, and promotion of the essential aspects of humanity, are known as maqasid al-Shariah, or objectives of Shariah. The well-being i.e. essential aspects of humanity that the Shariah seeks to protect, preserve, and promote are known as maslaha or masalih, and these are the well-being of religion (deen), self and life (nafs), mind (‘aql), kin and kith (nasl), and property (mal).

Religion (deen) is the constitution, blueprint, and guideline of a person’s life, purpose, and destiny. It is the reference point for the answers that one seeks pertaining to his human identity. Through religion, one knows his origin, life, and purpose in this world. Through religion, one knows how one relates to all that exists, from God to everything in the Unseen world, to everything that we could see in this world. Religion puts us in proper perspective of our beliefs, thoughts, actions and interactions.

OUR BODY – REGION OF OUR SELF-RESPECT

The self (nafs) is our body and the vitality of life that comes with it. It connects us to everything around us, from humans to animals to plants. The body is a fragile entity that could succumb to harm and injury, and great care has to be taken of it. The body, apart from being a biological and physical entity, is also the locus of our personal worthiness so that nothing can wrest the rights that come with it, such as taking the life of a person without just cause or slandering the physical appearance of a person. The body is the region of our self-respect, and we must do the things to make our body a respectable part of us.

Besides us, we have our parents and children, kin and kith, all related through a common bloodline (nasl). These are our flesh and blood, as well as our laughter and tears, pain and joy. Thus, taking care of our body also means to take care of our loved ones, because we and our loved ones are, biologically and psychologically, related. We are the body extension of our parents; our children, our progeny, are the body extension of us.

Therefore, all care must be taken in relation to how we are related to our kin and kith in terms of flesh and blood, and how we behave towards one another in this relationship. Thus, intermingling between opposite sexes must be such that both sides must know what they should and should not do that will not result in undesirable consequences to the body, which will then have psychological and social implications. Religion spells out the wisdoms for the respect of the body, and carves out boundaries for the relationship, along with the joys if one follows or the threats and pains if one refuses to do so.

Property or wealth (mal) is usually thought of as what individuals possess, and is often identified with riches, in such things like money, houses, and cars, that come with a luxurious lifestyle. This understanding of property or wealth is, however, partially true. Property or wealth, in its broadest sense, refers to whatever that contributes to the material fulfilment of life without which life could not be possible.

Property or wealth could be tangible things, such as land, cattle, homes, and the likes, or intangible ones such as knowledge, technology, services, or even money. Property or wealth, tangible or intangible, is thus the abundance of resources surrounding our well-being, be they natural, technological, or human resources.

ACQUIRING WEALTH

In our acquisition of them, as well as our use of the property or wealth, we are confronted with the questions about how we acquire them, whether rightly or wrongly, about whether the things we acquire are beneficial or harmful to our wellbeing, and about whether we share a portion of our property or wealth with others, especially the underprivileged.

There are those of us who are wealthy but not thrifty and spend our wealth unnecessarily. There are those of us who are wealthy but nevertheless stingy and find it hard to even share a little of our wealth with those in need. But there are those of us who are wealthy but see joy in sharing their wealth with others, and are generous with their contribution to the well-being of others. Thus, we are of diverse personalities when it comes to how we treat property and wealth. In order that we get the best from the property and wealth we possess, there are rules about how we acquire them, use them, and share them with others. With these rules, we will be guided and moulded into a society that cares, and shares.

THE MIND – OUR OWN VALUABLE RESOURCE

Besides a body, we have a mind. Our mind (‘aql) is our resource for thought, imagination, and creativity. With the mind, we explore the rich resources of our world to make it a wonderful place to live in. With the mind, we imagine turning the world into some kind of Foreverland that we hope would be our paradise on earth. With the mind, we become creative about what we eat and drink, what we wear and display, and what we use and benefit. But most importantly, with the mind, we seek answers to the most fundamental questions about our human existence – about where we came from, what we are doing in this world, what is the best life, and where we are heading in our afterlife.

To be enlightened about these questions is to be enlightened about why, in some of our actions, there are commands to do them, the prohibitions to avoid them, and the choices to do or not to do them. Through the mind and the answers we get from these fundamental questions of life, we will be able to know why there are boundaries to the way we deal with our identity, body, progeny, property, mentality, and activity.

We should realise that in work, in fulfilling our needs, there are guidelines to be observed, objectives to be achieved, and a personality to be shaped, such that by the end of the day, our life becomes satisfied and also meaningful, as the work we do delivers us to the realisation of what it is to be human, and, ultimately, the wisdom of being God’s vicegerent on earth.

6 Articles of Faith: The Overview

An Overview of the 6 Articles of Faith

You may have heard that Muslims believe in only one God, but there is something else that forms Muslim’s core beliefs. Ustazah Sri Nurayu introduces the six articles of faith in Islam.

When the archangel Jibril asked Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) what is the definition of faith was, the Prophet replied, “[Faith is] to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the last day, and the divine decree—both good and bad.” This Prophetic saying/hadith informs us of the six articles of faith, which are also known as arkanul iman.

The six articles of faith affect how Muslims lead our lives. Since faith—more often than not—inspires actions, belief in the six articles of faith  motivates us to abide by the commandments of Allah and follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 

The Fundamental Beliefs of a Muslim

1) Belief in Allah

Muslims believe in and worship only one God, Allah. Allah is the Creator of everything that is in the heavens and on earth. He is Perfect—He is free from any imperfections that are often associated with the created. Nothing is like Him, and nothing can overpower Him.

Declaring the oneness of Allah and associating nothing with Him is also known as tawhid. The essence of tawhid is clearly stated in the Quran surah Al-Ikhlaṣ, chapter 112, verse 1-4:

قُلْ هُوَ ٱلـلَّــهُ أَحَــدٌ (1) ٱلـلَّــهُ ٱلصَّــمَــدُ (2) لَــمْ يَــلِــدْ وَلَــمْ يُــولَــدْ (3) وَلَــمْ يَـكُـن لَّــهُۥ كُــفُــوًا أَحَــدٌۢ (4)

Translation: Say, [O Prophet,] ‘He is Allah—One [and Indivisible]; (1) Allah—the Sustainer [needed by all]. (2) He has never had offspring, nor was He born. (3) And there is none comparable to Him.’ (4) 

Belief in Allah also means having faith in His beautiful names and perfect attributes. Among these beautiful names and attributes are: Allah is the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving; He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, and All-Seeing.

2) Belief in His Angels

Muslims believe that Allah created angels so that they, too, will worship Him. Unlike humans, angels are created without any desire for food, rest, intimacy or unlawful acts. Because of this, angels do not commit any sins and thus, are the symbol of complete obedience to Allah. This important characteristic of the angels is highlighted in the Quran, surah Al-Nahl, chapter 16, verse 50:

يَــخَـافُــونَ رَبَّـــهُم مِّـن فَـوْقِــهِــمْ وَيَــفْــعَــلُــونَ مَا يُـــؤْمَــرُونَ

Transliteration: Yakhāfūna rabbahum min fawqihim wa yaf’alūna mā yu’marūnu

Translation: ‘They [the angels] fear their Lord above them and do whatever they are commanded.’

Muslims also believe that angels are neither male nor female, although some have appeared in the male form when meeting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). For example, the archangel Jibril sometimes appeared in front of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the form of a perfectly dressed man.

In most cases, angels cannot be seen with the naked eye. Nevertheless, Muslims believe that angels exist around us. Among these angels are those tasked to record our every action and speech, while some are assigned to protect us from harm that Allah does not ordain upon us.

3) Belief in His Books

Muslims believe that Allah has sent down books and scriptures to His prophets as guidance for humanity. The Quran mentions some of these revealed books: the Scrolls (given to Prophet Ibrahim), the Psalms (given to Prophet Daud), the Torah (given to Prophet Musa), the Gospel (given to Prophet Isa), and lastly, the Quran (given to Prophet Muhammad).

Muslims believe that the Quran contains the Word of Allah, and it is the only book that Allah has promised to preserve from any alteration or change until the end of time.

Allah’s prophets and messengers are like bridges and doors that link humankind to Him.

4) Belief in His Messengers

Allah’s prophets and messengers are like bridges and doors that link humankind to Him. Through them, human beings learn about their Lord and their responsibilities towards their Lord, themselves, and other creations. In addition, prophets and messengers teach humankind about the reality of this life and what will happen to them when they die.

Muslims believe that prophets and messengers were men chosen by Allah to carry out His divine messages. Therefore, they possessed the best moral traits and were protected by Allah from immorality. Muslims also believe that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the final prophet and messenger, and the master of all the messengers.

Allah mentioned in the Quran, surah Fuṣṣilat, chapter 41 verse 6:

قُــلْ إِنَّــمَــآ أَنَــا۠ بَــشَــرٌ مّــِثْــلُــكُــمْ يُــوحَــىٰٓ إِلَـىَّ أَنَّـــمَــآ إِلَـــٰهُــكُمْ إِلَـــٰهٌ وَٰحِــدٌ فَــٱسْــتَــقِــيــمُــوٓا۟ إِلَــيْــهِ وَٱسْــتَــغْــفِــرُوهُ ۗ وَوَيْــلٌ لِّــلْــمُــشْــرِكِــيــنَ

Transliteration: Qul innamā ana basharun mithlukum yūhā ilayya annamā ilāhukum ilāhun wāhidun fas taqīmū ilaihi was taghfirūhu wa wailul lil mushrikīn

Translation: ‘Say, [O Prophet,] I am only a man like you, [but] it has been revealed to me that your God is only One God. So take the Straight Way towards Him, and seek His forgiveness. And woe to the polytheists.’

6 Articles of Faith: The Belief in Allah (Monotheism)

Monotheism, the belief in One God, is a fundamental component of a Muslim’s faith. A person embraces Islam by proclaiming the testimony of faith known as Syahadah, a testimony made by himself that there is only one deity, and that this deity is worthy of worship.

The prophets and messengers throughout history had been sent by Allah to mankind to guide us to this belief and to enlighten us that the purpose of our lives is to establish this singular relationship with our Creator. Through this relationship, a person will not just attain happiness in this world but also in the next life after death. This mission is clearly stated in Quran, Surah An Nahl chapter 16 verse 36 as:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوت

''We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and shun false gods." Quran: 16:36

This belief in a singular deity and the relationship that we establish with Allah through this belief known as tawhid in Islam. The essential meaning of tawhid is to make Allah singular in all aspects. It is these aspects that we are going to expound in this short write-up.

If There Were Two Gods

Let’s start off by asserting the fact that there exists out there a creator, God, that is the cause of every existence. The belief in a creator is somewhat innate. Naturally, humans would reach this conclusion due to our predisposition that this universe must have some form of a beginning started by an intelligent and almighty creator.

Tawhid is a doctrine which Muslims believe that there is only ONE creator: God

Tawhid is a doctrine which Muslims believe that there is only ONE creator: God. This is the first aspect of tawhid that can be clearly understood from monotheism. The Quran in many places asserts Allah’s position as the only creator and that the inclusion of multiple creators will logically lead to chaos. Allah captures this meaning in the  Quran Surah Al Mukminin chapter 23 verse 19 as:

مَا ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُۥ مِنْ إِلَـٰهٍ ۚ إِذًا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَـٰهٍۭ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

"Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have [sought to] overcome others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe [concerning Him]." Quran 23:91

Lordship and Perfection

After establishing that He is the only creator, the only God that exists, tawhid essentially fortifies this assertion by providing in depth elaboration on Allah’s divine lordship and His perfection as God. The often-read in the Quran, Surah Al Ikhlas Chapter 112, encapsulates this tawhid aspect perfectly in four verses:

قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ * ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ * لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ * وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَد

"Say, He is Allah, [who is] One,  Allah—the Sustainer ˹needed by all˺. He neither begets nor is born, And there is none comparable to Him."

Nothing is comparable nor equivalent to Him.

In such an eloquent way, the verse/surah in the Quran first proclaims Allah’s oneness before proceeding to inform that He is the giver of existence and the sustainer of every living being, asserting His role as the only source of providence and sustenance. Finally His independence from anything is established.

This is very important as the sole sustainer of the universe. He must not need anything nor be in need of a successor, hence the negation of having a progeny. The surah ends with another aspect of tawhid that beautifies this lordship by stating that nothing is comparable nor equivalent to Him. A similar point can be derived from the Quran, Surah As Syura chapter 42 verse 11:

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِير

"There is nothing like Him, for He ˹alone˺ is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing." Quran 42:11

This verse touches on two main points of this third aspect of tawhid, which is to negate any form of imperfection and resemblance, and to assert divine attributes that complement His perfection. This is known as the tawhid of Allah’s names and attributes/Tawhid Asma Was Sifaat;

The first part of the verse informs us that no being is equal to Him and the second portion of the verse affirms two attributes of Allah: the attribute of hearing and sight. The Quran is filled with Allah’s attributes, often portrayed either through His actions or manifested through His beautiful names. The Beautiful Names (Asmaul Husna) as well as Allah’s other attributes portray Allah’s unique being of possessing divine qualities that prove the fact that nothing can resemble Allah due to their imperfection.

For The Sake of Allah

The previous three aspects of tawhid are necessary building blocks to fulfil the last and most important aspect of tawhid which is the act of worship. To worship is to submit wholeheartedly out of love and fear towards an object or being. When we profess our testimony of faith/syahadah, we are actually initiating ourselves in this binding relationship with our creator, that Allah alone is our purpose of life, and that we will live our lives in accordance to His commandments that He is pleased with. Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) tells us in his Prophetic sayings/ hadith:

مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِلَّهِ وَأَبْغَضَ لِلَّهِ وَأَعْطَى لِلَّهِ وَمَنَعَ لِلَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَكْمَلَ الإِيمَان

"If anyone loves for Allah's sake, hates for Allah's sake, gives for Allah's sake and withholds for Allah's sake, he will have perfect faith."

(Sunan Abi Dawud 4681)

This relationship to please our creator is the purpose of our lives and the key to our happiness in both worlds, Allah says in the Quran surah Adh-Dhariyat  Chapter 51 verse 56:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُون

"I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me." Quran 51:56

It is clear that tawhid is not just professing that there is only One God, but also that He is the only being we worship and dedicate our lives to. We verbalize this motto in our prayer/ du’a istiftah that we recite in the beginning of our prayers:

إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين

Indeed, my prayer (salah), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am one of the Muslims. Sunan an-Nasa'i 896

We live our lives in accordance to the teachings of Islam because we want to please our maker. This stems from the belief that we are in constant need of Allah in every aspect of our human selves. And we do believe that this is the route to achieve success in this world and the hereafter.

6 Articles of Faith: The Belief in Predestination

Complete trust in our decree allows Muslims to lead our lives peacefully, knowing that Allah has got it all sorted out for us.

One of the articles of faith that a Muslim should believe in is predestination. The term predestination is similar to the Arabic language as qadha’ and qadr. Qadha’ means making something happen and qadr means setting something to a certain amount.

[Pullquote]Even a leaf will not fall from the tree without Allah’s will

This means that nothing in this world happens except by the will of Allah. Everything is destined and determined by Allah.

Even a leaf will not fall from a tree without Allah’s will. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen is because Allah has willed it that way.

Why then do we need to struggle in this life if everything has been decided by Him?

Allah has honoured us human beings by giving us the mindful brain (‘aql) to think and make judgements with. This allows us to make our own decisions and our own choices. But the choices we make are within Allah’s knowledge as well.

Let me give you a scenario. Imagine graduating from a school and now you have choices to make. Your choices are based on the effort you have put in prior to the examinations. Now, it is your choice to choose which path you want to continue on from here. Behind every choice is a set of consequences that you will face, with the path you selected branching out to even more choices that you have to make later on. So, it’s your choice. But the consequences are all predestined based on what you choose.

[Pullquote:]Even in the difficult situations we are facing there are opportunities for us to reflect and bring us closer to Him

Hence, we cannot blame predestination/qadha’ and qadr when things go wrong in our life. We were given options and we ourselves made those choices.

Frequently, we hear people blaming the predestination/ qadha’ and qadr for what happened in their lives. People make remarks such as, ‘My life is miserable as this is what Allah has destined for me.’

This is a misconception that Muslims need to rectify. When things go wrong, we should not blame Allah. We should reflect on ourselves instead, and see where we might have  made the mistakes.

The analogy is not studying for an examination, spending the days before the examination sleeping and playing video games. When we fail the exam, how could we blame Allah’s predestination/qadha’ and qadr, when the fault was obviously ours? Sometimes, we do not make good choices in our lives and thus have to bear the consequences.

We have to remember that what Allah has decreed for us is always the best for us. It might not be what we wish for but it is still the best for us. Even the difficult situations we face are opportunities for us to reflect and bring us closer to Him. So it might be a calamity to us but it is actually a blessing in disguise.

Believing in predestination/qadha’ and qadr has the following positive impacts on a Muslim:

• Self-blaming or blaming others is avoided when something bad happens as he knows that since it happened with Allah’s will, it has to be the best for him
• Anxiety is fought as he knows that what is going to happen is with Allah’s will, allowing him to focus only on doing his best and leaving the rest to Allah
• Increased contentment in life as he knows that what he is going through is what Allah has chosen for him and he knows that Allah will not burden him beyond his capacity
• Confident levels increase as he knows that what is meant for him will reach him even if it is beneath two mountains and what is not meant for him will never reach him even if it is in between his own two lips

In a nutshell, Muslims who are always conscious of God and trust that Allah, the All-Knowing, has everything planned for him, are resilient, strong and confident in facing life’s challenges.

And whoever has taqwa (God-consciousness) in Allah — He will make for him a way out.

And will provide for him from where he does not expect.

And whoever relies upon Allah — then He is sufficient for him.

Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.

Quran, Surah Al-Talaq, chapter 65 verse 2-3.