Introduction To The Book 'Islam' By Abdul Haq Ansari , M Mujeeb

Islam is a major world-religion which has swayed the minds and hearts of a· large section of mankind. The fascinating elements of Islam are : ( i) the passionate belief in one God without a second and one who is the Creator of the Universe, full of power, mercy and goodness, and (ii) the utter subservience of the human will to the Divine Will.

Prophet Muhammad never claimed to be more than a man. He felt an urge to lift up people from the quagmires of idol worship and to devote themselves to the worship of one God. He exhorted the people that they must give up the worship of their numerous gods and follow the Will of God. He preached simple but firm moral codes of kindness towards the poor and needy and loyalty to friends. He urged that they should devote their time in prayer and be sincere and faithful in their devotion to God.

The lofty character of Muhammad as a man of faith and action, has been a source of inspiration to the generations that followed. The Prophet of Islam directly dealt with social evils that stared him in face. He never separated political and spiritual aspects of life; he saw life as one whole. Muhammad did not engage himself in vain metaphysics, but rigorously strove to improve the social conditions of his people by regulations concerning cleanliness, sobriety, fasting and prayer. He esteemed alms-giving and charity.

Revelations which Muhammad received have been preserved in the Qur'an for the enlightenment of all succeeding generations. According to the Islamic tradition, Qur'an reveals God's will to mankind. It is God's message to man. It contains the word of Allah. The sunnah and Hadith tell of actions and sayings of Muhammad and of the customs Of early Muslims. Qur'an and sunnah define the limit of beliefs and actions of Muslims.