What is the relation between religion and mankind?
All mankind descended from Adam (AS) and Adam has a position of honour with Allah. All mankind is created to worship Him and Him Alone. Being slaves of Allah constitutes the essence of mankind. Man cannot therefore attain to his true humanity and acquire peace of mind unless he realises this aim for which he was created. From the beginning when Allah created the heavens and the earth as well as Jinns and human beings, He clarified the wisdom of this creation by saying:
‘And I (Allah) created not the Jinns and the men except they should worship Me (Alone)’
All mankind descended from Adam (AS) and Adam has a position of honour with Allah. All mankind is created to worship Him and Him Alone. Being slaves of Allah constitutes the essence of mankind. Man cannot therefore attain to his true humanity and acquire peace of mind unless he realises this aim for which he was created. From the beginning when Allah created the heavens and the earth as well as Jinns and human beings, He clarified the wisdom of this creation by saying:
‘And I (Allah) created not the Jinns and the men except they should worship Me (Alone)’
Surat Adh-Dharyat: Ayat 56
Then Allah illustrated that whoever follows this Guidance shall never fear nor shall grieve and whoever disobeys His commands indeed will be astray. The religion, which Allah has commanded mankind to follow, consists only of His words and the sayings of His Messenger Muhammad (SAW). Allah said:
‘Say (O Muhammad (SAW)): “Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad (SAW)).” But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers’.
Then Allah illustrated that whoever follows this Guidance shall never fear nor shall grieve and whoever disobeys His commands indeed will be astray. The religion, which Allah has commanded mankind to follow, consists only of His words and the sayings of His Messenger Muhammad (SAW). Allah said:
‘Say (O Muhammad (SAW)): “Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad (SAW)).” But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers’.
Surat Al-Imran: Ayat 32
Religion can be classified into three basic aspects: Islam, Iman and Ihsan. The meaning of each has also been fully defined through the questions of the angel ‘Gabriel’ and the answers of the Prophet (SAW). In a similar context, the Holy Quran has categorised mankind into three classes. This is signified in Allah’s words:
‘Then We gave the Book (the Quran) for inheritance to such of Our salves (the followers of Muhammad (SAW) whom We chose. Then of them are some, who wrong their ownselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are, by Allah’s leave, foremost in good deeds. That (the inheritance of the Quran), - that is indeed a great grace’
Surat Fatir: Ayat 32
Islam: means complete surrender to the Will of Allah, the total submission of all our affairs to Him. Islam (complete submission to the creator ‘Allah’) was the religion passed down to the first human beings Adam and Eve (AS).
Iman: means faith; highest spiritual aspiration should be the hope of meeting Allah and attaining His Pleasure. To uphold such a hope, we have to have strong Faith and submit our wills to Allah. Only those are faithful who have believed in Allah and his Messenger (SAW), and have never since doubted.
Ihsan: is the foremost in Faith. They worship Allah as if they see Him. They have reached the highest degree in spiritual understanding, such as the great Prophets, teachers of religion, etc. those who are the first in time-the quickest and readiest-to accept Allah’s Message.
Islam: means complete surrender to the Will of Allah, the total submission of all our affairs to Him. Islam (complete submission to the creator ‘Allah’) was the religion passed down to the first human beings Adam and Eve (AS).
Iman: means faith; highest spiritual aspiration should be the hope of meeting Allah and attaining His Pleasure. To uphold such a hope, we have to have strong Faith and submit our wills to Allah. Only those are faithful who have believed in Allah and his Messenger (SAW), and have never since doubted.
Ihsan: is the foremost in Faith. They worship Allah as if they see Him. They have reached the highest degree in spiritual understanding, such as the great Prophets, teachers of religion, etc. those who are the first in time-the quickest and readiest-to accept Allah’s Message.
Source: Branches of Faith by Dr Abdul Karim Awad
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