Sunday 18 September 2011

Islam Is NOT a Religion...!!
Linda Heywood
The  dictionary defines the word religion means "belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshiped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe and the expression of such a belief in conduct and ritual"
But Islam is not a religion, it is a complete way of life. Unlike other religions, which only teach beliefs and prayer rituals, Islam is a complete code of conduct that addresses every facet of a believer's life, from his attire to his business and personal dealings and everything in between.
Marriage, divorce, interpersonal relationships, business, inheritance, government, everything has been covered by Islam.Even topics such as personal hygiene, dressing and manners are all covered. There is a code of conduct for eating, sleeping, waking up and everything in between. There is no area of life that the Quraan and Sunnah (Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W) have not covered. No other religion is as comprehensive and complete.
Islam has given us the answers to questions that philosophers have battled about for ages "What is the purpose of life?" "How did the Universe come into existence?" "What happens after death?"
To go to Heaven and earn eternal reward, a Muslim must not only believe in these fundamental teachings but also integrate Islamic principles into all areas of his daily life.
Islam means surrender, submission, sincerity and peace. A Muslim is a person who has surrendered his life to complete submission to God, (whom we refer to as Allah) with utmost sincerity and with peace . Allah is the one and ONLY Creator of the Universe. In his beliefs, conduct and daily life, a Muslim conducts his life according to the teachings of Islam and not in accordance with his own desires.
The beliefs and life of a Muslim are one and the same and in complete harmony. It is this fundamental difference that separates Islam from all other religions, and is also why I made the bold assertion that Islam is not a religion. It is so much more than that!
Islam is a Religion...!!
-By Islam for Today
Enough of this "way of life" business.  "What's wrong with admitting that your own religion is, in fact, a religion?" asks American convert to Islam, Yahya M.
In the Islamic community, I frequently hear Muslims saying that "Islam is not a religion—it is a way of life!"
But the first I remember hearing this sort of statement when I was a youngster, it was said by Evangelical Protestants. They were saying exactly the same thing of their faith: "Christianity is not a religion—it is a way of life!" There are members of the Greek Orthodox denomination who say the same of Greek Orthodoxy.
I have heard from Jews who state quite assuredly, "Judaism is not a religion—it is a way of life!"
You will also find plenty of Hindus saying "Hinduism is not a religion—it is a way of life!" And Buddhists who say "Buddhism is not a religion—it is a way of life!"
You can verify this for yourself by searching on the World Wide Web using the phrases "not a religion" and "way of life" together. You will find nearly every religion making this claim. It practically goes without saying that various New Age religions say exactly the same thing. (The one religion that has not had this said about it is the Roman Catholic Church. Does that mean all the others are defining themselves in opposition to Catholicism? Could the Latin origin of the word religion be of significance—so that Catholics will not disavow it?)
As far as I can tell, the apologists for each of these religions honestly believe they are stating something uniquely theirs which sets their religion apart from all the others. The faithful of every religion earnestly believe in their own exceptionalism. But when we look at all of these claims together, objectively, what conclusion can we draw?
Something must have gone wrong with the whole concept of "religion" in the modern world! It is as though people have decided to dump all the negative associations of religion into the word "religion" and drive it out of their fold, as the "scape goat" was used by the ancient Israelites. Each of them redefines "religion" as The Other and therefore inferior. The positive side of their faith that they wish to emphasize is then blessed with the phrase "way of life," which must now be thought of as preferable, more appealing to the Zeitgeist. The implication is that all the other religions are mere "religions," hence inferior—while ours is better because it's a "way of life." This semantic shift has probably occurred because the materialism of the modern world has put all religions on the defensive, trying harder and harder to justify their existence in the face of skepticism and indifference, or to attract new converts. This is evidence of the threat from the modern world having forced religious believers into a retreat, implicitly accepting the blame placed on "religion" for all kinds of ills, making them feel forced into denying that their religion has anything to do with such problems.
I would say enough is enough. What's wrong with admitting that your own religion is in fact a religion? There is nothing wrong with the word in its origins. From the Latin re + ligare, it means that which reconnects humans with God, with the Origin. That had always been the supreme goal of existence in the traditional world. Perhaps the recent emphasis on "way of life" is meant to convey that the faith has comprehensive practical applications in worldly life. But in the traditional, orthodox view, that is of course implicit in the whole picture. Everything good in life—good thoughts, good speech, good actions—is meant to be comprehended in the religious worldview, and made to serve on the way to the supreme goal of existence. Something is missing from the understanding of religion if believers feel it necessary to represent their faith otherwise. Somehow it became fragmented by the impact of the modern world.
Nowadays there are Islamic revivalists who call Islam an "ideology." But this word and concept are of modern European origin and foreign to traditional Islam. The essential reality of Islam is a spiritual path bringing humans back to God. Everything adjunct to that in this world—establishing justice, performing good works, reforming society—should be seen as subordinate to the supreme purpose of the religion. Good works take place on the plane of the will and love of God is on the plane of the soul. Both of these are comprehended in the fullest meaning of religion. Realization of the ultimate Reality is on the plane of the Intellect, and that too is religion in the profoundest sense.
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