Islam is the Religion of Life and the Path to Eternity
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Some people view Islam through a philosophical lens, analyzing many of its positions, rationalizing its rulings, and exploring its aspects. These individuals are capable of presenting various types of discussions and intriguing methods each day to draw attention to themselves, seeking recognition. However, on the other hand, they remain at this level without progressing further. Their work is not strenuous or challenging; it involves contemplation of rulings, discerning the underlying reasons, and then expressing what their intellect has reached in refined language.
Some people are less concerned with reasoning and research; instead, they are focused on learning the Islamic ruling and applying it to themselves. They align their lives according to this guidance and then look into the reasoning behind it or do not do so.
The difference between the two is clear. There is a stark contrast between someone who hears the call to prayer and immediately rushes to perform the prayer, and someone who hears it and instead rushes to his pen and paper to write an extensive analysis on the meaning of the call to prayer, its noble goals, and the beauty of its words, producing pages of writing. This person then promises readers that he will discuss the prayer in a later meeting, without feeling any guilt about not standing up to fulfill his duty and bowing down in humility before his Lord. Such a person may not understand the wisdom in certain matters, allowing doubt to seep into his heart and attempting to subject the religion to his own opinions. He might start distorting the religion according to his reflections, which is the first step towards opposing and distorting the religion. This approach can lead to people’s discontent and rejection of him, as they rely on the light God has placed in the hearts of the Ummah to distinguish between truth and falsehood, fulfilling Allah's promise in His Book, it states (What means): "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian" [Al-Hijr/ 9].
There is no doubt that Allah informed His Prophet about this type of people who would appear among his Ummah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against them by saying: "None of you truly believes until his desires are in accordance with what I have brought." As for those who seek to make what the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought conform to their own desires, they are the ones about whom Allah Says in His book (What means): "And indeed, many will lead [people] away from their own desires without knowledge. Indeed, your Lord is Most Knowing of the transgressors" [Al-An'am, 119].
There is also no doubt that among Islamic rulings, some are aspects of wisdom that the intellect can grasp, while others may not be comprehensible to the mind. In the face of these rulings, people's attitudes vary.
This does not mean that Islam contains rulings that are beyond human capability, or that it is suitable only for angels who are created for obedience. Rather, Islam is a realistic religion that takes into account human conditions and what they are naturally inclined to. Hence, it has allowed for concessions, which are leniencies in worship in cases such as travel, illness, and other excuses.
Islam has not left any aspect of life, big or small, without addressing it and providing solutions. It has outlined the path for people to follow. It is important to understand that the actions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are largely considered legislation; they reflect a human life guided by the light of Allah. A person who lived for twenty-three years inevitably experienced all that humans go through and faced typical human circumstances. This demonstrates that this religion is applicable to human beings, not just angels, as it is based on emulating the life of a human being.
The practical implementation of this is evident in the lives of the Companions of the Prophet, who applied the teachings of Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not isolated or withdrawn in his home; he was a man of life who engaged in all aspects of it—war and peace, trade and commerce, judiciary and governance. His life’s example shows that Islam did not restrict him in his actions but guided him to the most righteous and correct path. In his prophetic period, he achieved what neither those before nor after him have matched. Furthermore, he produced a generation that remains exemplary and instilled in the hearts a strong faith that continues to inspire and drive us to this day.
A brief comparison between Islam and some spiritual religions reveals a clear difference. Those religions focus on the soul and its training, neglecting and undervaluing worldly life. They even view it as something to be discarded by any means possible. Some advocate enduring harm and accepting oppression as a path to higher spiritual realms. However, they have been forced to contradict this principle because it is not practical for a life where good and evil are intermingled and no absolute dominance of one over the other is possible in this world.
Islam, on the other hand, has a balanced and comprehensive approach as outlined in its scriptures. For instance, the Quran says [What means]: "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors" [Al-Baqarah/190]. It also commands to confront evil wherever it is found: "And kill them wherever you overtake them" [Al-Baqarah, 191], and "O you who have believed, fight those adjacent to you of the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness" [At-Tawbah, 123]. Yet, in times of peace, it instructs: "O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down" [Al-Baqarah/282], and “O you who have believed, fulfill the contracts" [Al-Ma’idah/1]. Islam's role in all aspects of life is too vast to fully explore here.
Following the laws of Islam in their entirety, without deviation or compromise, is the path to eternal life in the Hereafter. This eternal life is not uniform; human beings were created to be eternal, but some will spend eternity in Paradise and others in Hell. Allah Says (What means): "Indeed, it is either eternal Paradise or eternal Fire" (Al-Baqarah, 81). He also Says (What means): "But those who believe and do righteous deeds — those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally." [Al-Baqarah/ 82].
Eternal life is a reality, but there is a significant difference between the two types of eternity. If we believe that this religion is from Allah, and that He has commanded us to adhere to it, holding us accountable for every transgression and rewarding every act of obedience, we must be certain that eternal life in Paradise is for the obedient and righteous, while sinners and those who oppose will face severe consequences.
Moreover, Allah Says (What means): "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam" [Al-Imran/19], as well: "And whoever desires other than Islam as religion — never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers" [Al-Imran/85].
If we understand this, we will believe that Islam is the path to eternal life in Paradise.
