Iman directs a believer to follow Islam as Deen (way of life).
In Islamic way of life, a believer first concentrates to know his Creator Allah and Fundamentals of Iman. After this, he concentrates to know God gifted way of life ‘Islam’. He accepts Islam as only true way of life from Allah:
“Surely the only Deen (right way of life) to Allah is Islam” (Quran 3: 19).
After accepting Islam as true way of life from Allah; he starts to follow Islamic way of life and becomes Muslim. Since then, his mission is to follow Islam always and lives as Muslim until his death.
‘O believers, Fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die without in a state of Muslim ([complete submission to Allah]’ (Quran 3:102).
He believes, accepts and follow Islam as complete way of life:
“This day, I have perfected your Deen (way of life) for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen (Quran 5:3).
He follows only Islamic way of life for everything. He is not allowed to follow something from Islam and something from other source. He needs to follow moral, social, political, legal and economic system of Islam in the spirit of ritual worship he does. This is the spirit of complete submission to Allah. This will guarantee peace and contentment for him in this world and in the Hereafter; he will enjoy everlasting happiness in the Heaven. If he follows something from sources other than Islam, he is in fact following Satan for that:
“O believers! Enter into Islam completely and do not follow footsteps of Shaitan, surely he is your clear-cut enemy” (Quran 2:208).
If someone takes something from Islamic way of life and something from other way of life (be this from man made way of life or from other religion) by leaving Islamic way; then he does not have true Iman in Islam. This also means that he does not have confidence in Islam as complete code of life and he is considering way of life from others is better in some cases than the way of life from Allah. Islam rejects such attitude:
“If anyone look for a way of life except Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be loser in the Hereafter” (Quran 3: 85).
Those people who take something from Islam and something from others; they are really in doubt:
“Say (O Muhammad), “O people, if you are in doubt as to My Deen (way of life) – then I do not worship those which you worship (follow) besides Allah; but I worship Allah, who causes your death. And I have been commanded to be of the believers” (Quran 10:104).
Following Islam as Deen, means obey order of Allah in every affairs of life including ritual worship. Doing ritual worship of Allah and Disobeying order of Allah in worldly affairs does not make sense at all. In fact, this is contradictory action:
“The command belongs to none but Allah, who has commanded that you worship none but Him. This is the right Deen (way of life), but most people do not know “(Quran 12:40).
To a believer, following Islam completely means establish Islam in the way Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has established, do what he told to do and avoid whatever he forbids. He takes Prophet (pbuh) as Role Model to follow Islam:
“Take whatever The Messenger gives you and refrain from whatever he forbids you. Fear Allah, surely Allah is severe in punishment” (Quran 59:7). The message here is very clear; accept Islam as the Prophet has established, do not add anything in Islam or delete anything from Islam; otherwise wait for severe punishment.
A believer is required to do good deeds (Marufat) that are included in Islamic way of life through Quran and Hadith. Allah orders to race one another in doing good deed:
“So excel one another in good work” (Quran 2: 148).
Doing good deed alone does not bring desired result in the society. All believers need to do good work individually and collectively for the development of society. They need to encourage, motivate and help one another to do good deeds for their own benefit. Imams, leaders, head of state, government etc., need to educate and order people to do god deeds:
“Order people to do good deed” (Quran 3:110).
We can see the result of good deeds in this world by our own eyes. In addition, there is ever lasting peace and happiness in paradise for good deeds:
“And those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the dwellers of paradise and will live therein forever “(Quran 2: 148).
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “benefits of Iman are linked with good deeds “(Sahih Muslim).
A believer, while doing good deeds; also needs to remain alert that evil does not get shelter in him nor in any other believer. He is required to refrain from those evil deeds (Munkarat) that are made unlawful in Deen through Quran and Sunnah (Hadith) .He needs to be as serious as a soldier in the battlefield for changing evil in him:
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“The greatest Jihad is to battle your own soul to fight the evil within yourself”.
Parallel to eliminating evil in self, a believer is also required to educate and order people to refrain from doing evil deed. Allah has ordered: “Forbid whatever is wrong” (Quran 3:110).
Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Whoever amongst you sees an evil, he must change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart ( hate evil and think to find out way to change evil ); and that is the weakest form of faith “(Muslim).
If believers do not work to change evil in the people of the community, then good people also will not be spared from affect of oppression, injustice, lack of safety and security.
Prophet (pbuh) said:
“When the people of knowledge in previous communities stopped condemning the evil of their societies and kept on socializing with evildoers despite of the wrong, Allah turned the hearts of the community against one another and cursed them upon the tongue of their Prophets “(Abu Dawud).
Best way to remove evil is to do good deed and do correction of people. If good is promoted in the society, evil will disappear:
“Verily the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful”
(Quran 11: 114).
“Good and evil deeds are not equal, repel evil with what is better: then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend” (Quran 41:34)
Promoting good and stopping evil is key function in Islam. What is good and what is bad for success in life in this world and in the Hereafter is clearly mentioned in Quran and Prophet’s (pbuh) hadith. Islam means obeying these. Without doing these no society can live in peace. Believers must do these individually and collectively. Allah has ordered in Quran repeatedly to promote good deeds and contain evil deeds:
“And let there be from you a nation inviting to all that is good, order to do what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be successful” ( Quran 3:104).
Prophet (pbuh) said:
“ By the one in whose hand is my soul you must certainly command the good and forbid evil, or else a punishment from Him would soon be sent upon you after which you would call upon Him yet your supplication would not be answered” ( Tirmidhi).
Prophet (pbuh) also said:
“Bidding the good and forbidding the evil is one of the best thing in Islam. Promoting evil and forbidding the good is one of the worst deeds”.
Above references from Quran and Hadith gives a clear idea about fundamentals of Islamic way of life. Unfortunately, due to lack of proper knowledge on Quran and hadith many Muslims do not know the role of Islam in many activities in life. On the other hand, after the four rightly guided caliphs, due to deviations by Muslim rulers, people are unable see and practice Islam’s true state and social picture. Because of these, many Muslims think, Islam is just doing some rituals like five times daily prayers, fasting in Ramadan, pay zakat,Hajj etc.
To bring Islam back to its original form in contemporary world, we are very lucky that we have Quran in its original form without any alteration; we have authentic book of Hadith, biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and history of how believers followed Islam during the time of four rightly guided Caliphs after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). We only need to refer to these sources for continuing our journey on the road of’ Islamic Way of Life’.
First, we need to understand Islam from Quran and Hadith. Second, we need to know and think what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did and how Islam was practiced in every affairs of life during his time. Third, we need to know and think how Islam continued during the rule of four rightly guided Caliph after Prophet Muhammad(pbuh). Then we need to look around us to find out people who are trying their best to revive the Model of Islam that the Prophet (pbuh) left for us to follow and join our hands with them. We should try our best to follow and guide the people to Islam, that the Prophet (pbuh) left. Following are few references on the revival process stated above. Allah has said:
“O people, follow what has been sent down to you (Quran) from your Lord and do not follow other patrons beside Him. Yet you do little care to remember” (Quran 7:3).
A believer should refer to Quran for everything; as Quran has guidance for everything that might happen in life:
“We have left out nothing in this book (Quran) “(Quran 6:38).
Islam does not permit to follow something from Quran and leave something. This type of action is neither beneficial in this world nor in life after death:
“Do you then believe in one part of the scripture and disbelieve in other? What other punishment such people from among you deserve except of disgraceful life in this world and a most grievous destiny on the Day of Final Judgment “(Quran 2:86)? The picture of disgraceful life of Muslims we see in contemporary world is because of partially following Quran.
Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Whoever follow Quran, he is upon Guidance, and whoever abandons it is upon misguidance. Take hold of the Book of Allah and clings on it” (Bukhari, Muslim).
After Quran, as source of Islam a believer is required to refer to Hadith and Model life of Prophet (pbuh) for guidance:
Allah has said:
“Indeed in The Messenger of Allah has the best Model to follow for him who looks forward to Allah, The Last Day and remember Allah much”(Quran 33:21).
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“I have left behind two things, if you cling to them, you will never go astray. They are the Book of Allah and my Sunnah” (Al-Hakim).
Finally, we have to refer to the way; Muslims followed Islam during the rule of four rightly guided Caliphs after the death of Prophet (pbuh).
Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Verily whoever among you lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (The rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly (literally: with your molar teeth). Beware of newly invented matters (in the religion), for verily every bidah (innovation) is misguidance” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).
