Key Principles Enshrined in the Quran and Guiding Islam - Essay Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Key Principles Enshrined in the Quran and Guiding Islam Course : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx @ 2009 Key principles enshrined in the Quran and guiding Islam Introduction Muslims consider the Qur’an to be the book of holy guidance and way for mankind and consider the content in its original Arabic to be the factual word of God, exposed to prophet Muhammad using the angel Gabriel for a period of more than twenty-three years. Muslims consider the Qur’an as God's ultimate revelation to humankind. The Qur'anic verses have broad exhortations concerning right and erroneous and the nature of revelation. There are many guidelines and principles that are in Qur’an and all Muslims are expected to adhere to them (Seyyed 1993). On the other hand, the hadith stresses the elementary characteristics of the outward compliance to Allah. This obedience is based on a number of pillars, comparable to a structure. If a human being fulfills these aspects, he has laid a firm establishment for his deen as a 'home'. If a Muslim does not fulfill these requirements, that is, building the pillars, then the complete structure of his or her deen/iman is threatened (Khan 2006). This is dependant on how much is being dishonored; for example, the infringement of the shahadah is the most precarious. In regard to justice, the Qur’an’s principle is that the law of justice is a fundamental duty of Islamic State. The Qur’an avails the necessary guidance for justice-dispensing groups. According to the ordinary perception of justice in the world, the obligation of a law-court is to settle on the disputed dealings following the code of law that is common; as a result a decision made as a result will be viewed as based on justice. But, if the law is not founded on justice, in that case the decision based on it is not considered just. Thus the principle brought about by the Quran is that the regulations of the land need to be based on impartiality. The legitimate justice is the justice that is founded on the truth. Qur’an teaches that if anyone making a judgment does not judge by what Allah command, then such judges are infidels. If the law used in any judgment the base is not the Truth, then any ruling according to this law cannot does not meet the requirements of justice. Truth is a differ name for the Book of Allah which is Qur’an (Hedayetullah 2006). Within the Qur’an, there is also a principle dealing with the social living. They are referred to as the injunctions for social living. Within a society if a certain social evil becomes raging, an Islamic Government can make injunctions for social living legislative. All Muslims should moderate their spending. For example they should not waste nor is any Muslim supposed to spend excessively without reasons. Usage of effects that generate beauty and sophistication is lawful and no one should proclaim them unlawful (Molloy 2006). Still in regard to social wise, the Qur’an insists that Muslims should know about the physical and mental abilities. When talking, Muslims should converse in an apparent, clear-cut and decisive language, without any ambiguity and the language used should be known within the society. Also the Muslims are supposed to take up an elegant way for speech; deceitful and ostentatious words should be avoided and speaking should be with justice and equity even if it is against those they love including their relatives (Molloy 2006). Muslims are also supposed to walk in a modest and are warned against being haughty when walking. Both females and males are not should allow their stare to be bold and daring according to Qu’ran teachings. For the social relation, the Muslims on meeting each other should present good wishes and blessings for wellbeing. The Qur’an proposes that the person who conveys a message of safety and security and when a salutation that is polite is offered to someone, one ought to meet it with a salutation that is more polite or of equal measure. When Muslims are visiting each other and one enters into his or someone else’s house, they should compliment the ones inside the house (Barbara 1998). This will obviously please Allah. Qur’an also advises Muslims to all the time fulfill their promises and commitments for they are answerable in regard to them. The Holy Qur’an gives many guidelines regarding how Muslims they should behave when visiting people’s homes. Someone should is not permitted to visit others without their consent. When a Muslim visits others, they ought to salute the inmates, wishing their wellbeing and security. One is not supposed to enter in the house when the owner unavailable. Qur’an teaches that observation of the social etiquettes is good because the society will end up manifesting the most excellent. Incase Muslims keep these manners they will improve their associations with others. Allah knows what everyone does. Furthermore, Qur’an warns everyone against being jealous (Barbara 1998). Qur’an warns against eating someone else’s property unlawfully. For the property among the orphans, the Muslims should take care of the orphans and monitor them until they are of age. The guardians of the orphans should not misuse the orphan. When accounting for it, the Muslim should put in mind that they are keeping an account with Allah who is aware of the hidden and manifested things. Only the disabled are allowed to depend on other's property without putting in labor, eat it up incorrectly. The Holy Quran has not designed the punishment for drugs and gambling, but it has been left for the Islamic State to decide them according to its own situation. The Qur’an warns Muslims against depending on the easy money. Raffling and lottery are also not allowed by the Qur’an. The thieves irrespective whether the thief is a female or a male the punishment is elimination of the hands. Both of them are equally guilty even if they belong to different sexes. So a woman will not be viewed as a lesser thief. The amputation should be excised especially if the thief is the stubborn type and steals occasionally despite the warning and advice against stealing. Qur’an also teaches that in regard to charity, the wealthy should share with the poor. This is especially encouraged during the holy month of Ramadhan whereby the Muslims distribute a lot of things to the needy. Qur’an is against killing of human life without a justifiable cause. Allah hallowed human life, it is so a crime to take a life but for a just reason. Human’s life is sacred and no one has the right to take it but for its being matter to the Divine Law. The murderer should be punished under the law. A parent is prohibited from killing his children. The killing here refers to denying them education or required up bringing to real killing. The damage of crops and livestock or human race is treason. The Qur’an prohibits discrimination. No one should be discriminated irrespective of the color, country, race or class. According to Allah, humanity is one family under him. According to the Quran and Islamic teachings, there are five pillars that govern all the Muslims. The pillars that provide the guidance to the Islam include the Shahadah which involves true muslin testifying that there is no other God who is praiseworthy other than Allah. Shahadah is the first pillar. The Shahadah has seven conditions whereby one ought to understand and have thorough awareness of what Shahadah means and also be no one should doubt anything that is written in the Quran or its teachings. This is all about being sure and certain that the Sunnah and Quran teach nothing but true. The acceptance and confession through the tongue and within the heart of what Shahadah means is highly recommended. More so, submission to all the teachings of Quran and acting according to the deeds should be practiced. Truthfulness and confessing Shahadah honestly, with sincerity, to really mean it and loving Shahadah together with acceptance of the propositions and requirements and what it stands for is also one of requirement. Therefore, the Shahadah is not just saying it with the tongue. True Islam ought to hold fast to these conditions, that If Shahadah is said with sincerity and with honesty; one will not do anything which opposes with or disobeys the Shahadah (Ahmed 2004). Shahadah also has conditions like Muslims should have faith in Prophet and whatever he has commanded and communicated to them. What the Prophet has commanded people to they should and it should not be infringed. This pillar also encourages Muslims to copy and follow the Prophet in how they live and they ought to love the Prophet more than anything else; not even the families, themselves and anything they do in life. Lastly this pillar encourages Muslims to comprehend, practice and support his Sunnah in the most excellent way possible, without creating any anarchy, enmity or destruction (Ahmed 2004). The second pillar is about Salah, which is about is about establishing the prayers. Thus the hadith teaches that the wudu should be done correctly and the salah should also be performed at its proper time. The conditions of salah should be accomplished and observation of the correct manners of doing salah like humbling oneself and wholly submission is also one of the main principles of the second pillar. Salah should also performed with other people where if done in a congregation one is rewarded twenty seven times that when one does it alone (Ahmed 2004). Finally, this pillar encourages all the Muslims to pursue preferable actions (sunnan) in the salah. All these conditions should be adhered to fulfill the second pillar. The third pillar is referred to as Zakat. This is the pillar that teaches and provides the principles about giving for all the Muslims. The giving of Zakat was recommended by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. This giving is about specific things and several ways or percentages and under precise conditions. Knowing the particulars of Zakat only becomes a requirement when an individual owns the category of property or thing which necessitates him to offer Zakat for. For example Farmers or business people or asset owners are supposed to know the situations and proportion of Zakat that they are fully obliged to give. The fourth pillar is the Haji. Haji means the pilgrimage. Haji to the house is a duty that all Muslims ought to do once in their lifetime but only if they meet specific conditions. Some of these conditions include if one has the fiscal means or a way of commuting peacefully. If any Muslim meets these conditions, then such a person ought to carry out the Hajj soonest possible and not to holdup it. When observing Haji, certain conditions should be observed. For example during Haji, at the Jamrat it is encouraged to throw small stones instead of the big ones so that no injury is done to any person (Ahmed 2004). When going to perform Haji, the true Muslims should follow the specified routes to prevent them form getting trodden by the 'human waves' moving in diverse directions. Still, the throwing should not be done at peak times because this part of the day is very busy and therefore the old people, females and the disabled should go to throw when the area is not crowded. Thus it is very important for Muslims to follow and obey the adab. The fifth pillar is the fasting of all the Muslims. This pillar requires all the Muslims to fast. This fasting is referred to as the Ramadhan. Ramadhan is a teaching program whereby every Muslim has to go through it, doings good deed to develop into a better Muslim. However, all Muslims are supposed to perform the good deeds even when Ramadhan is not going on. These deeds include praying when in the mosque, serving and being thoughtful for others, especially the needy, reciting the Quran, Tahajjud, Qiamu alil, and many other admirable deeds (Hoiberg 2000). Still, the Qur’an ought to be read frequently and the prophet recommends the best way out to conclude reading of the whole Quran is within a month, maybe one Juzuk daily. It is not advisable to only practice this during Ramadhan. Correspondingly Muslims should attempt to perform the night prayers (tahajjud), maybe two raka'at and not daily, outside of Ramadhan. This pillar also teaches that all Muslims must make individual commitments in doing these preferable deeds. This may lead them to giving up their dedication and consequently, the good deed. Thus it teaches that the finest way is to perform it on effortlessness and expediency aiming at the permanence of these good deeds (Shakir 1993). Conclusion The Qur’an avails some basic guidelines to the Muslims. Some of these guidelines include that every Muslim ought to uphold justice and when making a judgment, the judge should base is on the truth All Muslims ought to follow Qur’an’s principles since this is what Allah desires. All these five Pillars of Islam have judgments, conditions and ways of carrying them out (ahkam wa adab) applied to them. It is vital for all Muslims to know these ahkam and adab and habitually remind themselves, in particular before Ramadan or before performing the Hajj, so that they carry out the Pillars appropriately and follow the Shariah (Hoiberg 2000). Bibliography Ahmed, N., 2004, Counseling of the American Muslims: Comprehending the Faith and Assisting the People. London: Praeger Publishers. Barbara, F., 1998, Women in the Qur’an, Traditions, and Interpretation, New York: Oxford University Press Hedayetullah, M., 2006, Dynamics of Islam: An Exposition. Middle East: Trafford Publishing. Hoiberg, D., 2000. Students' Britannica India. UK: Britannica Ltd. Jonsson, J., 2006, Islamic Economics and the Final Jihad. India: Xulon Press. .  Khan, A., 2006, Islam 101: Principles and Practice. , LLC: Khan Consulting and Publishing.  Levy, R., 1957, The Social Structure of Islam. UK: Cambridge University Press. Molloy, M., 2006, Experiencing the World's Religions, New Jersey: McGraw-Hill. Shakir, M., 1993, The Qur'an, New York: Yale University Press. Seyyed, H., 1993, The Need for a Sacred Science. California: SUNY Press Read More