Origin of the “religion” Islam.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
(In the name of Allah,The Most Gracious,The Most Merciful)
Alhamdulillah,Nahmaduhu wa nusalli ala rasoolihil kareem.Amma baad-
Islam unlike other people think is not a religion. Because a religion only encompasses theological belief , but Islam is a Deen. Deen means a complete way of life . Deen includes religion and normal daily life activities as well .
So the title “ORIGIN OF THE RELIGION ISLAM” is actually wrong , the title must be “ORIGIN OF ISLAM AS A WAY OF LIFE”.
However since we now only dealing with the theological aspect of Islam,we will translate ‘Deen’ as religion.
Islam is the only way of life accepted by Allah,as Allah says in the Quran, which is his revealed book.
“And whoever seeks a religion(deen) other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him [3:85]”.
In this Ayah [3:19], Allah said, asserting that the only religion accepted with Him is Islam,
“Truly, the religion(deen) with Allah is Islam”.
Islaam, was not founded or discovered by Prophet Mohammed(sallallahualaihiwasallam) 1431++ years ago. . .
Islam was the religion which was practiced by all the messengers sent by Allah,who were sent down on this earth before Prophet Mohammed(sallallahualaihiwasallam).
The first human being Adam(alayhissalaam) ,then Noah,Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, Jonah, Moses, Aaron, and Solomon,and also Jesus Christ (May peace be upon them all), the Quraan testifies that all of them were muslim, not only by the virtue that they were good human beings, but because all of them were selected by Allah,and they preached only Islaam, the fundamentals of which are still the same.
Like worshipping only Allah, and devoting all worship to him. The belief in Resurrection and The Day Of Judgement,i.e. Allah will raise all of us alive one day and judge us according to our good deeds and sins.etc.
However the followers of all the previous Prophets deviated from the true teachings of Islaam,after the death of their Prophets, and concocted their new self invented beliefs.
Allah created Adam(alaihisslaam) in the heavens. . .
The story of Adam is related in the Quran in detail in Chapter 2 verses 30 to 37.
Other verses of the Quraan which testify the religion of the other Prophets to be muslim are . . .
“We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. [4:163]”
“We gave him Isaac and Jacob (alayhissalaam) : all (three) guided: and before him, We guided Noah(alayhissalaam), and among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good.[6:84]”
“Abraham(alayhissalaam) was not a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim (musliman), and he was not one of the polytheists. [3:67]”
“When Jesus(alayhissalaam) found Unbelief on their part He said: “Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?” Said the disciples: “We are Allah’s helpers: We believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims. [3:52]”
For example the jews and the christians corrupted their holy books with their own hands:-
“Know they not Allah Knoweth what they conceal and what they reveal? And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture. Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: ‘This is from Allah,’ To traffic with it for a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby. [2:77-79]”
Same was the case with the followers of all the other messengers. However, Prophet Mohammed(sallallahulaihiwasallam) was sent as the last and final messenger , whose message was to last till the world would live , and Allah has guaranteed that He himself would guard the Quraan and it’s teachings…
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption). [15:9] ”
Allah has sealed the line of messengers with Prophet Mohammed(sallahulaihiwasallam),as Allah says in the Quran:-
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Prophet of God, and the Seal of the Messengers: and Allah has full knowledge of all things. (The Noble Quran, 33:40)”
*Hence we have established from the Quraan that Islam is not a new religion, but the fact is that it is the oldest religion,and the only religion and only way of life which can lead to mankind’s salvation.
And the basic requirement to become a muslim is to read the testimony of faith(the kalima)…
As it is narrated in the authentic hadeeth(recorded sayings and actions of the Prophet[salallahualihiwasallam]):-
Abdullah bin Bareeda narrates from his father Abu dharr and his cousin brother Naeem that -both went in search of the Prophet(sallallahualaihiwasallam),and Bareedah’s father was also amongst them,at that instant Mohammed (sallallahualaihiwasallam) was hiding in the mountain,so abu dhar called “Ya Mohammed! We came to you to listen what you brought for us! So the messenger of Allah replied-‘my invitation to you is ‘La ilaha illallah mohammed ur rasulullah’- just after hearing that Abu dharr and his companions accepted islam”.
(“Al-isaba fi tamiyyazul sahaba” by imam ibn hajar asqalan.vol 6.page 365.sahih)
‘La ilaha illallah mohammed ur rasulullah’ means “There is no god worthy of Worship but Allah and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah.”
May Allah guide all of us to the true “way of life” Islam.Aameen.
–Abu Muaaz Mohammed Manna
Saheehus-Seerah 