What is Existence

Close your eyes and try to imagine a situation where there is no time and there is no space and
there is nothing, in fact a situation where there is no situation!
You cannot do that! Normally when we want to think about a timeless situation we think about a
time still situation and when we want to think about a space less situation we think about darkness!
We have every right not being able to imagine non-existence because we are so used to existence.
However to try to bring this closer to mind, think about something that you for sure know does not
exist in reality, for instance a horse that flies! This brings the concept of non-existence closer to
mind.

Now the point I am trying to make is that the overwhelming sighting of existence around us,
should not stop us questioning where this existence is coming from. We should not take
‘existence’ for granted. We should not forget that just like ‘a flying horse’ every other thing could
have also been non-existed.

When we look at things around us we see how they are all one way or another limited. How a
limited being can bring itself into existence independently? This naturally brings up the question
that where these limited things have come from. What is their source?
There is only one condition that stops us from asking this question about a being, and that is when
we consider that a being is absolutely limitless and therefore fully independent. Only then the
question of ‘where is this coming from’ and ‘what is its source’ will be irrelevant.
You know where I am going with this don’t you? I am trying to bring to your mind the fact that for
us, limited beings, there should be a source of creation. However if we define a being to be
limitless, then no source of creation for that being is required.

Kalima shahada

The Creed, or article of faith, called Shahaadah, literally means ‘witness’ or ‘testimony.’ The first of the five pillars of Islam, its nomenclature derives from the word ‘Ashhadu,’ which means ‘I declare,’ or ‘I bear witness.’ As an Islamic term, it means testifying to faith in Islam. The words of the Shahaada in Arabic are: La ilahailla Allah Muhammad ur-rasul Allah. This means: There is no god
but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Its recital is called the ‘Kalimah.’

For Muslims there are certain requirements, which have to be observed regarding the Kalimah of Shahaadah. They are as follows:

• It has to be repeated aloud, at least once in a lifetime.
• It’s meaning has to be fully understood.
• It should be believed in “with the heart.”
• It should be professed in until death.

When spoken in Arabic and with sincerity, it is a commitment to obey God and follow the Prophet:

‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’

These are the first words that are breathed into a child’s ear at birth. These are also the last words, which a Muslim would utter with his dying breath.

Even if someone recites the shahaadah hypocritically— which is not acceptable to God—he will still, for practical purposes, continue to be regarded as a member of the Muslim community. Nevertheless, a proper understanding of the basic tenets is a prerequisite for all true believers. And sincere and heartfelt faith is a sine qua non if salvation is to be ensured in the life Hereafter.

The shahaadah consists of two parts; one, a negation, the other an affirmation. The first part— La ilaha illa Allah (there is no other God) negates the existence of each and every false God, and condemns false worship. The word ‘ilaah’ means ‘god’ or any object of worship; it could refer to any being, person, matter or concept, which is taken as an object of adoration or worship.

The second part of Shahaadah—illa Allah— stresses that only Allah, the one and only God, the Creator and Sustainer of all being, merits our reverence. No one else is to be worshipped or turned to for help or refuge. Neither angels, nor prophets nor saints, nor any other object share in His divinity. There is only One God, One Creator, One Sustainer— the Almighty Allah,

IMAN – BELIEF

The Arabic word for belief is “Iman.” It literally means ‘to know,’ ‘to believe,’ ‘to put one’s trust in something or someone.’ In the Islamic Shariah, Iman means putting one’s trust in, or having
complete faith in Allah, His Prophet and His message.

There are seven things, which are essential for a Muslim to believe in. These come under the heading of Iman Mufassal, which requires a longer, more detailed declaration of faith. They are to believe in Allah, in His angels, in His revealed Book, in all of His messengers, in the Last Day (the Day of Judgement), in Taqdir, (the doctrine of predestination, which means that everything good

or bad is decided by Allah), and in Life After Death.

Without Iman, the individual’s espousal of Islam as his religion would lack credibility. That is why, if he is to be a true believer, he must not only testify to his faith by word of mouth (Shahaada bil Lisan), but must also accept it with all his heart and soul and then staunchly adhere to it. Furthermore, he is obliged to do good works in keeping with the fundamentals of the faith. Both belief

(iman), and right action (amal) are absolutely vital.

Introduction to islam

“Islam” is an Arabic word which means “submission, surrender and obedience to God.” In religious terms, this means that the individual who embraces Islam as his religion must put the Almighty first and foremost in his life, bowing to His wishes in all matters great and small.

Everything in the universe—the sun, the moon, the stars— have all completely subjugated themselves to His will; they cannot make the slightest deviation from the path He has ordained for them. Similarly, all other elements in nature function in obedience to the laws of nature laid down for them by their Maker. The universe, therefore, literally follows the religion of Islam in that it has

surrendered to God, the Lord of the Universe.

But there is a difference between the status of man and that of the physical world. The physical world has been given no option but to submit to God, whereas man has been given free will, so that he may opt for either good or bad ways. To this end he has been given a thinking faculty, and a conscience with which to make moral judgements for himself. He has the ability to accept and reject in order to follow certain principles in life. He is not bound by fixed laws like all other created beings. He has been given freedom of thought, option and action.

It is through this liberty of choice that man is being tested. But after being given a thinking faculty, a conscience and an ability to judge between good and bad ways, he was not just left to his own resources. God did not just leave man in a world where there was no way to find the truth. Divine provision for him went much further than that. To see how God gave His guidelines to mankind,

we have to go right back to the beginning of creation. He took Adam, the first man— whom He had made not just an ordinary mortal but also a prophet— and taught him everything that He wanted from man, so that human beings would not be left without proper direction or guidance. From time to time thereafter, He sent large numbers of prophets to the world— the last of these being the Prophet Muhammad— so that human beings, who tended to stray, could be recalled to the path of virtue. It is said that about one lakh twenty thousand prophets came to the world during this period.

Now the question arises as to why there was the need for such great numbers of prophets. It was because after each prophet left the world, people gradually began forgetting his teachings, till a time came when a major part of the teachings of the prophets was lost. Now in the age of the press, these teachings have been extensively published in the form of books, so that there is no fear

of their being lost to succeeding generations.