Islam: Basic Principles and Characteristics (2024)

Khurshid Ahmad

World Assembly of Muslim Youth

Islam is the religion of truth. It is the embodiment of the code of life whichAllah, the Creator and Lord of the universe, has revealed for the guidance ofmankind.

For the proper development of human life, man needs two elements: (a) theresources to maintain life and to fulfill the material needs of the individualand society, and (b) knowledge of the principles of individual and socialbehavior to enable man to fulfill himself and to maintain justice andtranquillity in human life. The Lord of the universe has provided for both ofthese in full measure. To cater to the material needs of man, He has put all ofnature's resources at his disposal. To provide for his spiritual, social, andcultural needs, He has raised His prophets from among men and has revealed tothem the code of life that can guide man's steps to the right path. This code oflife is known as Islam, the religion preached by all of the prophets of Allah.

Allah said:

Say, "[0 Muhammad] we believe in Allah and in the Revelation given to us, and toAbraham, Ishmael, Isaac Jacob and the Tribes. We believe in the Revelation thatwas sent to Moses, Jesus and all other Prophets from their Lord. We make nodistinction between them, and to Him we surrender." (3:83; 2:136)
He has revealedto you (O Muhammad) the scripture with truth, confirming that which was revealedbefore it even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel before as a guide tomankind and has revealed the Criterion (for judging between right and wrong).(3:3-4)
All of them called humanity to the way of the Lord, the way of submission to Allah.All of them gave the same message, and all of them stood for the same cause:Islam.

The Meaning of Islam

Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission, surrender, and obedience. As areligion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah - that is whyit is called Islam. The other literal meaning of the word "Islam" is "peace."This signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and of mind only throughsubmission and obedience to Allah. Such a life of obedience brings peace of theheart and establishes real peace in society at large.

Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah-indeed itis in the remembrance of Allah alone that the heart of man finds rest-those whobelieve and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home to return to.(13: 28-29)

This message was preached by all the Prophets of Allah, who guided man to the rightpath. But man not only veered away from the right path again and again, but alsolost or distorted the code of guidance that the prophets had bequeathed. That waswhy other prophets were sent to restate the original message and guide man backto the right path. The last of these prophets was Muhammad, who Presented Allah'sguidance in its final form and arranged to preserve it for all time. It is thisguidance that is now known as Islam and is enshrined in the Qur'an and thelife-example (Sunnah) of the Prophet.

The basic Islamic concept is that the whole universe was created by Allah, whomIslam calls Allah, and who is the Lord and the Sovereign of the universe, whichHe Alone sustains. He created man and appointed for each human being a fixedperiod of life that he is to spend upon the earth. Allah has prescribed a certaincode of life as the correct one for mankind, but has, at the same time, conferredupon man the freedom of choice as to whether or not he adopts this code as theactual basis of his life. One who chooses to follow the code revealed by Allahbecomes a Muslim (believer) and one who refuses to follow it becomes a kafir(disbeliever).

A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith inthe oneness of Allah and the prophet hood of Muhammad. Both of these beliefs areepitomized in the kalimah (the article of faith):

La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah. (There is no Allah except Allah;Muhammad is His Prophet.)

The first part of the kalimah presents the concept of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)and its second part affirms the prophet hood of Muhammad.

Tawhid: The Bedrock of Islam

Tawhid is a revolutionary concept and constitutes the essence of the teachings ofIslam. It means that there is only one supreme Lord of the universe. He isomnipotent, omnipresent and the sustainer of the world and of mankind.

Now can one observe the inexhaustible creativity of nature, its purposefulness,its preservation of that which is morally useful and destruction of that which issocially injurious, and yet fail to draw the conclusion that behind nature thereis an all-pervading mind of whose incessant creative activity the processes ofnature are but outward manifestations? The stars scattered through infinitespace, the vast panorama of nature with its charm and beauty, the regular waxingand waning of the moon, the astonishing harmony of the seasons - all of these pointtowards one fact: there is a Allah. We witness a superbly flawless plan in theuniverse - can it be without a planner? We see great enchanting beauty and harmonyin its workingcan they be without a creator? We observe wonderful design innaturecan't be without a designer? We feel a lofty purpose in physical andhuman existence - can it be without a will working behind it? We find that theuniverse is like a superbly written, fascinating book - can it be without anauthor? Truly, Allah said:

O, Mankind: worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that youmay ward off evil; Who has made the earth a resting place for you, the sky acanopy and Who causes water to pour down from the heavens, thereby producingfruits as food for you. So do not set up rivals to Allah, when you know better.(Qur'an 2:21-22)

This is the basic tenet to which Muhammad asked humanity to adhere. It is animportant metaphysical concept and answers the riddles of the universe. It pointsto the supremacy of law in the cosmos and the all-pervading unity behind themanifest diversity. It presents a unified view of the world and offers the visionof an integrated universe. It is a mighty contrast to the piecemeal views of thescientists and the philosophers and unveils the truth before the human eye. Aftercenturies of groping in the dark, man is now coming to realize the truth of thisconcept, and modern scientific thought is moving in this direction.

But it is not merely a metaphysical concept: it is a dynamic belief and arevolutionary doctrine. It means that all men are the creatures of one Allah andthat they are therefore all equal. Any discrimination based on color, class,race, or territory is unfounded and illusory. It is a remnant of the days ofignorance that chained men down to servitude. Humanity is one single family underAllah, and there can be no sanction for those barriers. Men are one - and notbourgeois or proletarian, white or black, Aryan or non-Aryan, westerner oreasterner. Islam gives us a revolutionary concept of the unity of mankind. TheProphet came to unite humanity on the word of Allah, which says:

Cling firmly together by means of Allah's rope, and do not be divided. RememberAllah's favor towards you when you were enemies; He united your hearts so that youbecame brothers because of His favor. (Qur'an 3:103)

This concept also defines the true position of man in the universe. It says thatAllah is the Creator and the Sovereign, while man is His vicegerent on the earth.This exalts man to the noble and dignified position of being Allah's deputy onearth and endows his life with a lofty purpose: to fulfill the will of Allah onearth. This will solve all the perplexing problems of human society and establisha new order wherein equity and justice, as well as peace and prosperity, willreign supreme.

The starting point of Islam is the belief in the oneness of Allah (tawhid).

Prophet hood and Life after Death

The second part of the kalimah, on the other hand, signifies that Allah has notleft man without any guidance for the conduct of his life. He has revealed Hisguidance through His prophets, and Muhammad was the last prophet. To believe in aprophet means to believe in the revelation that he has received, to accept thelaw that was transmitted to him by Allah, and to follow the code of conduct that hewas instructed to pass on to humanity. Thus the second basic postulate of Islamis to believe in the prophet hood of Muhammad, to accept the religion that hepresented, and to follow his commands and his example.

Every prophet of Allah, according to the Qur'an, strove to build man's relationshipwith Allah on the principle of His sovereignty and the individual's acknowledgmentof the authority of the Prophet as a source of divine guidance. Every one of themsaid: "I am to you Allah's apostle, worthy of all trust. So be committed to Allah,heed Him, and obey me."

The guidance is revealed through the prophets. It is a part of their mission totranslate it into practice in their own lives and in the society they try toreform. All of the prophets are representatives of Allah, but they are human beingsand their lives are models for mankind. Muhammad, since he was the last prophet,is the final model for mankind. To believe in him as a prophet of Allah means toaccept his authority as representative of the Supreme Ruler and to follow hisexample in thought and behavior. The code of behavior, the standard thatdetermines rightness or otherwise (halal or haram) of any particular thing, wasrevealed to the Prophet and is known as the Shari'ah (the path). Belief in theProphet involves acceptance of the Shari'ah and the attempt to implement it inall matters of daily life. This is how the will of Allah is fulfilled on earth.The Qur'an says:

We have not sent any Messenger but that he was to be obeyed with Allah'spermission. (4:64)

And about the Prophet, it is explicitly stated that:

Yet by your Lord, they will never believe until they make you a judge concerningwhat they are disputing among themselves; then they will find no inconveniencefor themselves concerning whatever you have decided and submit completely. (4:65)

The test of one's acceptance of Allah and His Prophet lies in conducting all humanaffairs in accordance with the Law revealed to them:

And those who do not judge by what Allah has sent down are disbelievers. (5:44)

Thus belief in Allah and His Prophet means commitment to obey them and to fashionindividual and collective life in the light of the law and the guidance that Allahrevealed to His Prophet.

Some Basic Characteristics of Islam

George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said:

"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of itswonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess thatassimilating capacity to the changing phases of existence which can make itselfappeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful man - and in my opinion farfrom being an Antichrist, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believethat if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, hewould succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much neededpeace and happiness. I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it wouldbe acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable tothe Europe of today."

The question is, what are those characteristics of Islam which have won millionsof followers to the Faith in the past and which make it so appealing to themodern age? Some of the major characteristics of Islam are given in the followingpages.

Simplicity, Rationality and Practicality. Islam is a religion without anymythology. Its teachings are simple and intelligible. It is free fromsuperstitions and irrational beliefs. The oneness of Allah, the prophet hood ofMuhammad, and the concept of life after death are the basic articles of itsfaith. They are based on reason and sound logic. All of the teachings of Islamflow from those basic beliefs and are simple and straightforward. There is nohierarchy of priests, no farfetched abstractions, no complicated rites andrituals. Everybody may approach the Qur'an directly and translate its dictatesinto practice. Islam awakens in man the faculty of reason and exhorts him to use his intellect. It enjoins him to see things in the light of reality. The Qur'an advises him to pray: O, my Lord! Advance me in knowledge (20:1 14). It asserts that those who have no knowledge are not equal to those who have(39:9), that those who do not observe and understand are worse than cattle (7:179), thatthe meanings of revelation become manifest to those who have knowledge (6:97) and who have understanding (6:98), that whosoever has been given knowledge indeed has been given an abundant good (2:269), that the basic qualifications for leadership are, among other things, knowledge and physical strength (2:247),and that of all things it is by virtue of knowledge that man is superior toangels and has been made vicegerent of Allah on earth (2:30).

The Prophet of Islam said: "He who leaves his home in search of knowledge walksin the path of Allah" (Tirmidhi and Darimi) and "To seek knowledge is obligatoryfor every Muslim" (Ibn Majah and Bayhaqi). This is how Islam brings man out ofthe world of superstition and darkness and initiates him into the world ofknowledge and light.

Again, Islam is a practical religion and does not allow indulgence in empty andfutile theorizing. It says that faith is not a mere profession of beliefs, butrather that it is the very mainspring of life. Righteous conduct must followbelief in Allah. Religion is something to be practiced and not an object of merelip-service. The Qur'an says:

Those who believe and act righteously, joy is for them, and a blissful home toreturn to. (13: 29)

And the Prophet Muhammad said:

"Allah does not accept belief if it is not expressed in deeds, and does not acceptdeeds if they do not conform to belief." (Tabarani)

Thus Islam is a simple, rational and practical religion.

Unity of Matter and Spirit. A unique feature of Islam is that it does not dividelife into watertight compartments of matter and spirit. It stands not for denialof life but for the fulfillment of life. Islam does not believe in asceticism. Itdoes not ask man to avoid material things. It holds that spiritual elevation isto be achieved by living piously in the rough and tumble of life, not byrenouncing the world. The Qur'an advises us to pray as follows:

"Our Lord! Give us something fine in this world as well as something fine in theHereafter." (2:201)

Allah strongly censures those who refuse to benefit from His blessings. The Qur'ansays:

Say: "Who has forbidden Allah's finery which He has produced for His servants andthe wholesome things from (His) provision?" (7:32)

Islam's injunction is:

Eat and drink, but do not be extravagant. (7:31)

The Prophet said:

"A Muslim who lives in the midst of society and bears with patience theafflictions that come to him is better than the one who shuns society and cannotbear any wrong done to him."

And:

"Keep fast and break it (at the proper time) and stand in prayer and devotion (inthe night) and have sleep - for your body has its rights over you, and your eyesrights over you, and your wife has a claim upon you, and the person who pays avisit to you has a claim upon you."

See Also

The Qur'an

On another occasion he said:

"These three things are also enjoined upon the faithful: (a) to help others, evenwhen one is economically hard-pressed, (b) to pray ardently for the peace of allmankind, and (c) to administer justice to one's own self."

Thus Islam does not admit any separation between "material" and "moral,""mundane" and "spiritual" life, and enjoins man to devote all of his energies tothe reconstruction of life on healthy moral foundations. It teaches him thatmoral and material powers must be welded together and that spiritual salvationcan be achieved by using material resources for the good of man in the service ofjust ends and not by living a life of asceticism or by running away from thechallenges of life.

The world has suffered at the hands of the one-sidedness of many other religionsand ideologies. Some have laid emphasis on the spiritual side of life but haveignored its material and mundane aspects. They have looked upon the world as anillusion, a deception, and a trap. On the other hand, materialistic ideologieshave totally ignored the spiritual and moral side of life and have dismissed itas fictitious and imaginary. Both of these attitudes have resulted in disaster,for they have robbed mankind of peace, contentment, and tranquillity. Even today,the imbalance is manifested in one or the other direction. The French scientistDr. De Brogbi rightly says: "The danger inherent in too intense a materialcivilization is to that civilization itself; it is the disequilibrium which wouldresult if a parallel development, of the spiritual life were to fail to providethe needed balance."

Christianity erred on one extreme, whereas modern western civilization, in bothof its variants of secular capitalistic democracy and Marxist socialism, haserred on the other. According to Lord Snell:

"We have built a nobly-proportioned outer structure, but we have neglected theessential requirement of an inner order; we have carefully designed, decoratedand made clean the outside of the cup; but the inside was full of extortion andexcess; we used our increased knowledge and power to administer to the comfortsof the body, but we left the spirit impoverished ."

Islam seeks to establish an equilibrium between these two aspects of life - thematerial and the spiritual. It says that everything in the world is for man, butman was created to serve a higher purpose: the establishment of a moral and justorder that will fulfill the will of Allah. Its teachings cater to the spiritual aswell as the temporal needs of man. Islam enjoins man to purify his soul and toreform his daily life - both individual and collective - and to establish thesupremacy of right over might and of virtue over vice. Thus Islam stands for themiddle path and the goal of producing a moral man in the service of a justsociety.

A Complete Way of Life. Islam is not a religion in the common and distortedsense, for it does not confine its scope to one's private life. It is a completeway of life and is present in every field of human existence. Islam providesguidance for all aspects of life - individual and social, material and moral,economic and political, legal and cultural, and national and international. TheQur'an enjoins man to embrace Islam without any reservation and to follow Allah'sguidance in all areas of life. In fact, it was an unfortunate day when thescope of religion was confined to the private life of man and its social andcultural role was reduced to naught, as has happened in this century. No otherfactor, perhaps, has been more important in causing the decline of religion inthe modern age than its retreat into the realm of private life. In the words of amodern philosopher:

"Religion asks us to separate things of Allah from those of Caesar. Such a judicialseparation between the two means the degrading of both the secular and the sacred... That religion is worth little if the conscience of its followers is notdisturbed when war clouds are hanging over us all and industrial conflicts arethreatening social peace. Religion has weakened man's social conscience and moralsensitivity by separating the things of Allah from those of Caesar."

Islam totally denounces this concept of religion and clearly states that itsobjectives are the purification of the soul and the reform and reconstruction ofsociety. As we read in the Qur'an:

We have sent our messengers with explanations, and sent the book and the balancedown with them, so that mankind may conduct themselves with all fairness. We havesent down iron wherein is great violence as well as benefits for mankind, so thatAllah may know who is supporting Him and His messenger even though (He is) unseen.(57:25)

Discretion belongs only to Allah. He has ordered you to serve Him alone; such isthe right religion, even though most men do not realize it. ( 1 2: 40)

(Muslims are) those who, if We establish them in the land will keep up prayer(salah) and pay the welfare due (zakah); command what is proper and forbid whatis improper. (22:40-41)

The Holy Prophet said:

"Each of you is a keeper or a shepherd and will be questioned about thewell-being of his fold. The head of the state will be questioned about thewell-being of the people of the state. Each man is a shepherd to his family andwill be answerable about every member of it. Each woman is a shepherd to thefamily of her husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And eachservant is a shepherd to his master and will be questioned about the property ofhis master." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Thus even a cursory study of the teachings of Islam shows that it is anall-embracing way of life and does not leave out any field of human existence tobecome a playground for the forces of evil. Balance between the Individual andSociety. Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance betweenindividualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual personality of manand holds everyone personally accountable to Allah. It guarantees the fundamentalrights of the individual and does not permit anyone to tamper with them. It makesthe proper development of the personality of man one of the prime objectives ofits educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view that man must lose hisindividuality in society or in the state.

According to the Qur'an:

Man shall have nothing but what he strives for. (53:39)

And whatever suffering you suffer, it is what your hands have wrought. (42:30)

Allah does not change what any people have until they change what is in themselves.(13:11)

Allah only assigns to a soul what it can cope with: in its favor stands whatever ithas earned, while it is held responsible for anything it has brought upon itself.(2:286)

For us are our deeds and for you are yours. (28:55)

On the other hand, it also awakens a sense of social responsibility in man,organizes human beings in a society and a state, and enjoins the individual tosubscribe to the social good. Prayer, in Islam, is offered in congregation, asituation that inculcates social discipline among Muslims. Everyone is enjoinedto pay zakah, and it has been laid down in the Quran that:

The beggar and the destitute have due rights in their (i.e., the rich man's)wealth. (51:19)

Jihad has been made obligatory, which means that the individual should, when theoccasion arises, offer his life for the defense and protection of Islam and theIslamic state. The Prophet said:

"All mankind is a fold, each member of which shall be a keeper or shepherd toevery other, and be accountable for the entire fold."

"Live together; do not turn against each other; make things easy for others anddo not put obstacles in each other's way."

"He is not a believer who takes his fill while his neighbor starves. "

"The believer in Allah is he who is not a danger to the life and property of anyother."

In short, Islam neglects neither the individual nor society - it establishes aharmony and a balance between the two and assigns to each its proper due.Universality and Humanism. The message of Islam is for the whole of the humanrace. Allah, in Islam, is the Allah of all the world (Qur'an 1:1) and the Prophet isa Messenger for the whole of mankind. In the words of the Quran:

O People! I am but a Messenger from Allah to you all. (7:158)

We have sent you only as a mercy for everybody in the universe. (21:107)

In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or nationality.It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false barriersof race, status, and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that such barriershave always existed and continue to exist today in the so-called enlightened age.Islam removes all of these impediments and proclaims the ideal of the whole ofhumanity being one family of Allah.

Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit barriersand distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory, as was the casebefore the advent of Muhammad. Unfortunately, these prejudices remain rampant indifferent forms even in this modern age. Islam wants to unite the entire humanrace under one banner. To a world torn by national rivalries and feuds, itpresents a message of life and hope and of a glorious future.

The historian, A. J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to make in thisrespect. In Civilization on Trial, he writes:

"Two conspicuous sources of danger - one psychological and the other material - inthe present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat, i.e., [westernisedhumanity] with the dominant element in our modern Western society are raceconsciousness and alcohol; and in the struggle with each of these evils theIslamic spirit has a service to render which might prove, if it were accepted, tobe of high moral and social value.

"The extinction of race consciousness between Muslims is one of the outstandingmoral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as ithappens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue ... It isconceivable that the spirit of Islam might be the timely reinforcement whichwould decide this issue in favor of tolerance and peace.

"As for the evil of alcohol, it is at its worst among primitive populations intropical regions which have been 'opened up' by Western enterprise ... the factremains that even the most statesmanlike preventive measures imposed by externalauthority are incapable of liberating a community from a social vice unless adesire for liberation and a will to carry this desire into voluntary action onits own part are awakened in the hearts of the people concerned. Now Westernadministrators, at any rate those of 'Anglo-Saxon' origin, are spirituallyisolated from their 'native' wards by the physical 'color bar' which theirrace-consciousness sets up; the conversion of the natives' souls is a task towhich their competence can hardly be expected to extend; and it is at this pointthat Islam may have a part to play.

"In these recently and rapidly 'opened up' tropical territories, the Westerncivilization has produced an economic and political plenum and, in the samebreath, a social and spiritual void ...

"Here, then, in the foreground of the future, we can remark two valuableinfluences which Islam may exert upon the cosmopolitan proletariat of a Westernsociety that has cast its net around the world and embraced the whole of mankind;while in the more distant future we may speculate on the possible contributionsof Islam to some new manifestation of religion."

Permanence and Change. The elements of permanence and change coexist in humansociety and culture and are bound to remain so. Different ideologies and culturalsystems have erred in leaning heavily towards one or other of these ends of theequation. Too much emphasis on permanence makes the system rigid and robs it offlexibility and progress, while a lack of permanent values and unchangingelements generate moral relativism, shapelessness, and anarchy.

What is needed is a balance between the two-a system that could simultaneouslycater for the demands of permanence and change. An American judge, Mr. JusticeCardozo, rightly says "that the greatest need of our time is a philosophy thatwill mediate between conflicting claims of stability and progress and supply aprinciple of growth." Islam presents an ideology which satisfies the demandsof stability as well as of change.

Deeper reflection reveals that life has within it elements of permanence andchange - it is neither so rigid and inflexible that it cannot admit of any changeeven in matters of detail, nor it is so flexible and fluid that even itsdistinctive traits have no permanent character of their own. This becomes clearfrom observing the process of physiological change in the human body, for everytissue of the body changes a number of times in one's lifetime even though theperson remains the same. A tree's leaves, flowers, and fruits change but itscharacter remains unchanged. It is a law of life that elements of permanence andchange must co-exist in a harmonious equation. Only such a system of life thatcan provide for both these elements can meet all of the cravings of human natureand all of the needs of human society. The basic problems of life remain the samein all ages and climes, but the ways and means to solve them as well as thetechniques of handling the phenomenon undergo change with the passage of time.Islam brings to focus a new perspective on this problem and tries to solve it ina realistic way.

The Quran and the Sunnah contain the eternal guidance given by the Lord of theuniverse. This guidance comes from Allah, Who is free from the limitations of spaceand time and, as such, the principles of individual and social behavior revealedby Him are based on reality and are eternal. But Allah has revealed only broadprinciples and has endowed man with the freedom to apply them in every age in theway suited to the spirit and conditions of that age. It is through ijtihad(intellectual effort to arrive at the truth) that people of every age try toimplement and apply the divine guidance to the problems of their times. Thus thebasic guidance is of a permanent nature, while the method of its application canchange in accordance with the peculiar needs of every age. That is why Islamalways remains as fresh and modern as tomorrow's morn.

Complete Record of Teachings Preserved. Last, but not least, is the fact that theteachings of Islam have been preserved in their original form. As a result, Allah'sguidance is available without adulteration of any kind. The Qur'an is therevealed book and word of Allah, which has been in existence for the last fourteenhundred years. It is still available in its original form. Detailed accounts ofthe life of the Prophet and of his teachings are available in their pristinepurity. There has not been even one change made in this unique historic record.The sayings and the entire record of the life of the Prophet have been handeddown to us with unprecedented precision and authenticity in works of the hadithand the sirah. Even a number of non-Muslim critics admit this eloquent fact.Professor Reynold A. Nicholson, in his A Literary History of the Arabs, says:

"The Koran is an exceedingly human document, reflecting every phase of Muhammad'spersonality and standing in close relation to the outward events of his life; sothat there we have materials of unique and incontestable authority for tracingthe origin and early development of Islam, such materials as do not exist in thecase of Buddhism or Christianity or any other ancient religion."

These are some of the unique features of Islam that establish its credentials asthe religion of man the religion of today and the religion of tomorrow. Theseaspects have appealed to millions of people in the past and the present and havemade them affirm that Islam is the religion of truth and the right path formankind. There is no doubt that these aspects will continue to appeal to evenmore people in the future. Men with pure hearts and sincere longing for truthwill always continue to say:

"I affirm that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, that He is One,sharing His authority with no one, and I affirm that Muhammad is His Servant andHis Prophet."