Question:
All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person
only follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?
Answer:
1. Major difference between Islam and most other religions
All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam
goes beyond that. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving
righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam
takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam
is guidance from the Creator Himself. Therefore, Islam is also called the Deenul-
Fitrah (the natural religion of Man).
2. Example - Islam commands us to shun robbery and also
prescribes method of eli-minating robbery
a. Islam prescribes method of eliminating robbery
All major religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So
what is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference
lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a
practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.
b. Islam prescribes Zakat
Islam prescribes a system of Zakat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law
prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisab level
i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar
year in charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakat sincerely,
poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would
die of hunger.
c. Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery
Islam prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The
Glorious Qur’an says in Surah Maidah:
“As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands:a punishment
by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in
power, full of wisdom.” [ Al-Qur’an 5:38]
The non-Muslim may say, “Chopping off the hands in this 20th century.
Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!”
d. Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented
America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world.
Unfortunately it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft, and
robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every
rich person gives Zakat ( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of
gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands
chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America
increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover
the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential
robber.
I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so
tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be
tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point
here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline
immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before
jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will
discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would
rob. Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off but millions
would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.
Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.
3. Example: Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women. It
enjoins hijab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.
a. Islam prescribes method of eliminating molestation and rape
All the major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave
sins. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and
the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely
preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes,
but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.
b. Hijab for men
Islam has a system of hijab. The Glorious Qur’an first mentions hijab for the men
and then for the women. Hijab for the men is mentioned in the following verse:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is
well acquainted with all that they do.” [Al-Qur’an 24:30]
The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed
thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
c. Hijab for women
Hijab for women is mentioned in the following verse:
“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should
draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to
their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons....”
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]
The extent of hijab for a woman is that her complete body should be
covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to
the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body.
However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.
d. Hijab prevents molestation
The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijab for the women is given in the
Qur’an in the folowing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab:
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing
women,that they should cast their outer garments over their persons
(when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as
such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.”
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]
The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are
recognized as modest women this would prevent them from being molested.
e. Example of twin sisters
Suppose two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk
down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete
body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the
other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a
hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease?
The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts?
Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to
the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur’an rightly says
that the hijab prevents women from being molested.
f. Capital punishment for rapist
The Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.
The non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age.
Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common
question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, some one
rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The
rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All
of them said, “we would put him to death.” Some went to the extent of
saying, “we would torture him to death”, If your wife or your mother is raped
you want the rapist to be put to death. But if someone else’s wife or mother
is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards?
g. U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of Rape
The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced
countries of the world. An F.B.I report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555
cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of
rapes are reported. Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that
took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We get
a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is
divided by 365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756
rape incidents everyday.
Later another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are
committed in U.S.A every day. According to National Crime Victimization
Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone
3,07,000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape
were reported. Thus, 3,07,000 X 3.226 = 9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996.
That is, an average of 2,713 cases of rape took place everyday in America
in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe
American rapists got bolder. The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that
out of the rape cases that were reported only 10% of the rapist were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those
arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8%
of the rapists faced a trial. In other words if a person commits 125 rapes the
chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would
consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who
faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment
though the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of
imprisonment. For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders.
Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is
only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a
sentence of less than a year!
h. Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented
Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America. Whenever a man
looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his
mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab, that is the
complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists.
After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The
question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same
or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.
4. Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind
Islam is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but
practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at
the individual and collective levels. Islam is the best way of life because it is a
practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.
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