Islam And Life: Surrender To The Will Of Allah
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 (Alayhi-salam). But later, man gradually turned away from the right path and associated Allah with imaginary gods, material objects, and human beings. They departed from the path of truth or even rejected the Divine Guidance.
Consequently, Allah the Most Merciful chose certain good people from among human society itself to show men the truth and guide them to the right way. Allah honored these people by sending them revelations. These people are known as Prophets and Messengers of Allah. This is indicated in the words of Allah: ‘Mankind were one community, and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scriptures in truth to judge between the people in matters wherein they differed’. (Al Baqarah: 213)
All of them were sent the same message, and all of them had the same mission: they called people to submit to Allah Alone without associating any partner with Him in worship. Allah the Most High said, ‘And We did not send any Messenger before you, but We inspired him (saying) La ilaha ilia Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I, Allah), so worship Me alone and none else.’ (Surah Al-Anbiya: 25)
Many people, however, refused to accept their teachings and the Divine Guidance. Lastly, Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) to complete the mission of the earlier Prophets. He was sent the Holy Qur’an and was ordered by Allah to teach it to all mankind, who should obey him. This is indicated in Allah’s statement: ‘Say: (O Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)): “O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped but He; it is He who gives life and causes death. So, believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)), the Prophet who can neither read nor write. Who believes in Allah and His Words (the Qur’an, the Torah, and the Gospel and Jesus who is Allah’s word) and follows Him so that you may be guided. (Surah Al-Araf: 158)
This Divine Guidance is honored in the Holy Qur’an. The message of Islam, as mentioned earlier, is the first message and will remain the eternal message for all mankind. Islam—complete submission and peace to Allah, the Creator of all that exists, the Ruler and the Lord of the uniAyat and the Provider of all provisions can also be considered as the way of life which provides peace, tranquillity, and security to individuals, societies, and the whole world. Islam makes no distinction between the spiritual and the worldly life. It aims to shape both individual lives as well as society as a whole in ways that ensure that the rules, laws, and regulations of Allah will really be established on earth, and peace, love, justice, and well-being may fill the whole uniAyat. As such, the whole uniAyat and all the creatures in it should submit to Allah alone in worship and should admit that Allah is the provider of everything and thus follow His guidance and His commands in all deeds. Allah the Almighty said: ‘I seek not any provision from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong*. (Surat Adh-Dhariyat 57-58)
Everything in this world belongs to Allah. As such, people’s life and wealth belong to him as he created them and has entrusted them to evenman for his use. A person who uses what Allah has bestowed on him according to Allah’s commands, remaining honest and loyal to Him, and acknowledges his sovereignty, will get in return Allah’s promise of eternal bliss in Paradise. A person who rebels against Allah and refuses to enter into this contract will get in return Allah’s anger and punishment. If a person does not use the powers and resources in the way Allah has prescribed to him, using them instead in pursuits which /Allah has forbidden, it is clear that he has not pledged his life and property to Allah. Thus, human beings can never break away from the Law of their laird. As soon as they commit any action against the Creator, they must submit to their Lord and ask forgiveness for their error. The moral issues of a society, its social aspects, its political order, its legal system, and its national and international plans and strategies must all be in tune with the guidance revealed by Allah.
Allah’s mercy is in and for all things. All nature sub serves a common purpose, which is for the good of all His creatures. Our faculties and our understandings are all instances of His grace and mercy. Each unit or factor among his creatures benefits from the others and receives them as Allah’s mercy. Allah’s mercy is universal, while His punishment is reserved for those who turn sharply from His plan and go out of His path.
Therefore, if any society sticks honestly to the commands of Allah and shapes its life in accordance with His teachings, recognising Allah as its Sovereign, His guidance as supreme, His orders as absolute Law, peace, blessings, tranquillity, success, and prosperity will be its code. Prosperity in its general sense as well as in its spiritual sense will shape the system of such a society. In the general sense, it means that right conduct is the only door to happiness and well-being. In the spiritual sense, it means that Faith and its fruits are the only gates to salvation. History bears witness that whenever a human society is built based on disbelief, the whole society is punished by Allah. The Holy Qur’an shows that any nation or individuals, however mighty, prosperous, or firmly established they may be, cannot survive if they break the Law of Allah. Think of what happened to A’ad, Thamud, and Fir’aun (Pharaoh)? Look at how Allah dealt with them when they made mischief in the lands and transgressed Allah’s Law. Allah said:
‘Did you (O Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)) not see (thought) how your Lord dealt with ‘Ad (people)? ‘Who were very tall, like lofty pillars, the like of which were not created in the land? And (with) Thamud (people), who cut (hewed) out rocks in the valley (to make dwellings)? And (with) Fir’aun (Pharaoh), who had pegs (who used to torture men by binding them to pegs)? Who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands (in the disobedience of Allah). And made therein much mischief. So your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment. Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them). (Surah Al-Fajr 6-14)
Likewise, think of what happened to the people of Arabia: gambling, wine, tribal warfare disputes, aggression, and murder were their main characteristics and principles when they had no Faith. But as soon as they accepted Islam and believed in Allah and His Messenger, they became the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral evils. This is signified in the words of Allah:
‘He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)) from among themselves, reciting to them His Ayats, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur’an, Islamic laws, and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)). And verily, they had been before in manifest error. (Surah Al-Junai’ah: 2)
‘Say: “O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. (Surah Al-lmran: 25-26)