Islam: a positive or a negative force?

In a famous Quranic verse, Allah the Almighty says: “And We have not sent you, O Mohammad, but a mercy to the worlds”.

Together with the description of mercy the Quranic teachings are also called Zikr (reminder) and guidance. If we go only by these three descriptions of the Quranic teachings, the picture that emerges in our minds is that of a message that is progressive, positive and of a beneficent Islam. In a hadith, the prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy be upon him, says: 'The best among people are those who are most beneficial to mankind’.

 History and Islam, during the time of the prophet Mohammad, witnessed a process of community development, a building of stepping stones towards a brighter future, where different communities were brought together. Based on respect, and an acknowledgment of their separate and different entities, a whole process was put in motion that would ultimately benefit all humanity and respect the rights of every individual in society.

A positive mindset was set in place and the only fears that were promoted were a fear of Allah and fear for the consequences of one’s wrongdoings. The Quran proclaimed: ‘O believers! Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he invites you to what gives you life’.

This is a very beautiful verse and I continually contemplate it, striving to fully understand its meaning and its implications on our lives. It talks about giving life to those who are alive and not physically dead. It is also extremely interesting, inviting reflection on how, although people may be physically alive, they do not have the life they deserve to have in this world, which, of course, leads us to consider a blessed life in the world after death.

It is also interesting to note from the Quran how much emphasis is laid on  ‘doing good deeds’ and how ‘doing good deeds' is always joined in importance with ‘Imaan’, the faith and belief in Allah.

This ‘doing good deeds’ covers a much broader spectrum than many of us realise. When I ask someone what they think of as ‘good deeds’, as mentioned in the Quran, the answer invariably consists of the doing of prayers, fasting, charitable deeds, obeying parents and other deeds of a religious nature. However, while they should most certainly be on our list of good deeds, should the list consist solely of deeds of a religious nature? Or, should it be  much wider and more comprehensive, including our religious obligations but embracing anything that encourages human development and lays down the ethical foundations for our society?

Islam comes with the guidance necessary for the development of human society. In a guiding note the Prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘Give glad tidings and do not make people hateful; bring ease upon them and do not cause hardship’. (agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim).

The beautiful guidance and teachings of Islam made the earlier Muslims a positive force, who saw the world as both a blessing and a place of testing wanted to serve humanity. Islam made people respectful and explained their rights and responsibilities to them.

Indeed, when the Muslims first emigrated to Abyssinia, before their migration to Madinah, they were asked to explain their religion to the Christian king and his court, Ja`fer ibn Talib stood up and in a very eloquent language he explained to them saying: ‘O king! we were an ignorant nation. We worshipped idols and ate the dead. We committed indecency and severed close relations. We were bad neighbours and the mightiest from among us suppressed the weak, until God sent us a messenger from among us, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness and chastity was well known to us. He invited us to the worship of one God alone and to abandon the worship of stones and idols that were worshipped by our fathers. He commanded us about truthfulness, delivering the trust, joining the relations, good neighbourhood, staying back from what is forbidden and from shedding blood. He forbade us from indecent deeds, falsehood, taking from orphans’ wealth and so we found truth in him and believed in him….

This is only part of a lengthy address that was delivered at the court of King Negus of Abyssinia. It explains the nature of Islamic teachings and their purpose and the context in which they were delivered and why they found the way and acceptance into the hearts of the people.

In todays’ world, politics have and continue, with little thought for the consequences, to severely damage Islam’s image. The result is that we now face ever increasing violence and destruction. This blind and appallingly revengeful form of politics, employed by groups who serve no good purpose, can only hinder or destroy any good that Islam has done or would wish to do.

True Islam or Islamic teachings contain no negative messages and neither can they harm the peoples of any nation. The Quran offers us this proclamation: ‘in Your hand is all goodness’. Allah, or His teachings, can never be the cause of evil. He is the source of all goodness. Only when our thoughts are swayed away from Him, do we become liable to produce evil and suppression.

I will conclude with a famous hadith ,narrated by many collectors of hadith, in which the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him says: ‘If you see the end of the world is coming and you are holding a shoot in your hand, grow it if you can’.

The above three descriptions, that explain the nature of Islamic teachings, clearly demonstrate that Islam is a positive force for human development. It contains only blessings for humanity, but continues to remind us of our accountability and that we will determine our own fate and destiny ultimately, in the Sight of Allah.