ALL RELIGIONS SAY ‘ONE’ – Introduction
August 27,2011
‘Islam’ means ‘peace’! One who accepts Islam and lives by its teachings would be assured of ‘peace’ – peace in this world; and peace in the Hereafter.
Once a Sahabah (Companion of Prophet Muhammad), Suffian ibnu Abdullah Thaqafi RA enquired the Prophet:
“Ya Rasulullah! Explain to me about Islam in such a way that I would not need to get any more explanation from anyone.” Rasulullah answered “Have faith (Iman) in Allah; and be very firm in that faith!” (Hadith Muslim).
That means first, have total faith in Allah and all His attributes and live by the commandments of Allah and His Prophet. (Malahir Haq)
Just as a newborn child would not not know how to address its parents (ibu/bapa? or, mummy/daddy? or, amma/appa? or, mak/pak? etc), when His creation was ignorant and was wondering how to call the Creator, He Himself guides, “Say: He is Allah….”(Al-Quran 114:1). This name ‘Allah’ encompasses all the known 99 Attributes, and those which are not known, of Him.
That takes one to ask “Who is Allah?”
This is answered in very simple, straightforward, unambiguous words by Allah SWT Himself:
“Say (O Muhammad)‘He is Allah, (He is) One; Allah is Self-sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need (He needs no one nor anything); He begets not; nor was He begotten; and, there is none co-equal or comparable to Him”
(Al-Quran: Surah 112)
Firaun (Pharoah) asked Prophet Musa (Moses) the same question:
“Who then, O Musa, is the Lord of you two (Musa & Harun a.s)”
Musa said: “Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature (inherent properties), then guided it aright” (Surah Taha 20:49-50)
So, Islam teaches that God is only One; and He is called ‘Allah’. Even logically thinking, God cannot be more than one; because, if there were more than one, the functioning of all within this universe will not be so organized and coordinated and systemic. There would be only chaos and turbulence due to the infighting as to who is superior.
“If there were in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been ruin in both!” (Al Quran 21:22)
There cannot be 2 captains with equal power to a ship; or, 2 executives with equal power to a country! A very recent occurrence in the state of Perak in Malaysia is a good example of how it would be, if there are more than one leader to a state; or an institution – disorder, uncertainty, and chaos. There can be only one head in a family. If both – husband & wife – claim equality then, there would be no peace and harmony in the family. Thus, Islam accepts that there can be only One God, for peace and harmony to prevail in the whole universe; and that God has no equal. When His creation was wondering as to how He should be called, He Himself guided: “Say, He is Allah…..” (114:1). This name ‘Allah’ encompasses all the known 99 Attributes, and that which is not known, of Him.
He is the Supreme Being governing the whole universe, as Albert Einstein (founder of atomic energy) stated at the end of his research work: “There is a Supernatural Power governing the whole universe”.
“The evidence of anthropology ……….. proves that the original religion of the early races was really monotheism.” (Sir Charles Marston, Anthropologist)
“History of primitive man reveals that his religious belief was of monotheism, which later declined into polytheism; and that he believed in the life of Hereafter.” – Dr.Langton of Oxford University