GENERAL CRITERIA OF THE TRUE RELIGION
What you are about to read might sound unusual but it could be very
enlightened.
GENERAL CRITERIA OF THE TRUE RELIGION
Every adherent of a creed believes that his creed is the true one, and
all followers of a religion believe that their religion is the ideal
one and the most upright path. When you ask the followers of
adulterated religions or followers of man-made creeds about the proof
for their belief, they argue that they found their fathers on a faith
and are just following their paths. They then relate narrations and
stories whose chains of transmitters are not sound and whose texts are
not free from faults and defects. They only depend on inherited books
whose authors, recorders and even their original languages and their
sources are unknown. They are only mixed-up stories concocted
together, magnified and inherited generation
after generation without any scholastic verification of their chains
of transmitters and precise checking of their texts.These unknown
books, narrations and blind imitations cannot be taken as evidences in
matters of religions and beliefs. Or is it possible that all these
adulterated religions and man-made creeds are true or false?It is
impossible that all these religions are true, for truth is only one
and cannot be numerous. It is also impossible that all these
adulterated religions and man-made beliefs are all from Allaah and
therefore true. Then, since there are numerous religions and the true
is only one, which of them is then the true religion? There should,
therefore, be criteria for distinguishing the true religion from the
false. If we find that these criteria fit a religion, we know that it
is the true religion; and when all or one of these criteria is lacking
in any religion, we know that it is a false religion. The criteria by
which we distinguish the true religion from the false ones are:
One: That the religion must be from Allaah, revealed through an angel
to one of His Messengers in order to convey it to mankind. For the
true religion is Allaah’s, and it is He Who will recompense His slaves
and take them to reckoning on the Day of Resurrection concerning the
religion that He revealed to them. He says,“Verily, We have sent the
revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We sent the revelation to Nooh
(Noah) and the Prophets after him; We also sent the revelation to
Ibraheem (Abraham), Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), Is’haaq (Issac), Ya‘qoob
(Jacob) and Al-Asbaat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya‘qoob),
‘Eesaa (Jesus), Ayoob (Job), Yoonus (Jonah), Haroon (Aaron) and
Sulaiman (Solomon); and to Dawood (David) We gave the Psalms.”[1]He,
may He be glorified- also says,“And We did not send any Messenger
before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): none has the
right to be worshipped but Me. So worship Me.”[2]Based on the above
verses and criteria, any religion that is brought by any man and
attributed to himself and not to Allaah is definitely a false
religion.
Two: That the religion should call to the worship of Allaah alone;
should prohibit Shirk (polytheism of any form) and all that can lead
to it. This is because, the call to the oneness of Allaah is the
primary mission of all Prophets and Messengers. Every Prophet told his
people: “Worship Allaah! You have no other god but Him.”[3]
Three: It should be in agreement with the principles unto which all
the Messengers call their people which are to worship Allaah alone and
to avoid polytheism, unruliness to parents, killing of a person
unjustly and all other immoral things, be they hidden or apparent.
Allaah says,“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad)
but We revealed to Him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped
but I, so worship Me.”[4]He also says,“Say (O Muhammad): Come I will
recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in
worship with Him; Be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your
children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for
them; come not near to Al-Fawaahish (Shameful sins, illegal sexual
intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not anyone
whom Allaah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to
Islaamic Law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.”[5]
He also says,“And ask (O Muhammad) those of Our Messengers whom We
sent before you: ‘Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides
the Most-Gracious (Allaah).’ ”[6]
Four: It should not be self-contradicting by commanding a matter and
contradicting it by another. It should also not forbid something and
then allow what is similar to it without any reason or prohibit
something for some group and permit it for others. Allaah says,“Do
they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully? Had it been from other
than Allaah, they would surely have found therein many
contradictions.”[7]
Five: The religion should include what can preserve for people, their
religion, honour, properties, lives and offspring through its
commandments, prohibitions, deterrents and morals that it ordains to
protect these five general factors.
Six: It should serve as a mercy for mankind and save them from their
own injustices and the injustices they commit against one another
through usurping others’ rights and the general amenities or through
misleading the weak at the hands of the strong. Allaah says while
explaining the mercy that the Torah which was given to Prophet Moosaa
entails,“And when the anger of Moosaa was calmed down, he took up the
Tablets; and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for those who
fear their Lord.”[8]He also says informing us about the message of
Prophet Eesaa,“And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a
mercy from Us.”[9]He says about Prophet Saalih,“He said, ‘O my people:
Tell me, if I am (acting) on a clear proof from my Lord, and there has
come to me a mercy (Prophethood) from Him, who will save me from
Allaah if I disobey Him?’”[10]He says about the Qur’aan,“And We send
down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who
believe.”[11]
Seven: It should entail guidance to the Law of Allaah, and teach man
the intention of Allaah by that Law. It should also be able to tell
man his origin and his final destination. Allaah says about the
Torah,“Verily, We did send down the Torah, therein was guidance and
light.”[12]He says about the Injeel (the Book given to Eesaa),“And We
gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance and light.”[13]He says
about the Qur’aan,“It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with
guidance and the religion of truth.”[14]The true religion is the one
that includes guidance to the Law of Allaah, gives peace and
tranquillity to the mind, protect it from all insinuations, answers
all its questions and resolves every problem.
Eight: It should call to noble characters and deeds like
truthfulness, honesty, modesty, chastity and generosity. It should
also prohibit bad conducts like disobedience to parents, killing
innocent souls, all kinds of immoralities, lies, injustice,
aggression, stinginess and sins.
Nine: It should be able to provide happiness for those who believe in
it. Allaah says,“Taa Haa. We have not sent down the Qur’aan unto you
(O Muhammad) to cause you distress.”[15]It should also be in harmony
with upright nature. “(This is) Allaah’s nature upon which He has
created mankind.”[16]It must also be in harmony with sound reason,
because the true religion is legislated by Allaah and the sound reason
is created by Allaah and it is therefore impossible that the Law of
Allaah and the creatures of Allaah should contradict each other.
Ten: It should lead to the truth, warn against falsehood, keep people
away from error and lead them to the Straight Path where there is no
crookedness. Allaah speaks about the jinn that when they heard the
Qur’aan being recited, some of them told others, “O our people!
Verily! We have heard a Book (the Qur’aan) sent down after Moosaa,
confirming what came before it: It guides to the truth and the
Straight Path.”[17]It should not call to what will cause people
misery, as Allaah says about the Qur’aan,“Taa Haa. We have not sent
down the Qur’aan unto you to cause you distress.”[18]The true religion
should also not enjoin on people what can cause them destruction.
Allaah says,“And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is the Most-
Merciful to you.”[19]It should also not distinguish between its
adherents on the basis of race, colour or clan. Allaah says,“O
mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and made you
into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the
most honourable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who is most
pious. Verily, Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.”[20]Therefore, the
recognised criterion for giving people precedence in the true religion
is piety.After mentioning the criteria for distinguishing between the
true religion and the false ones and citing evidences from the Qur’aan
that these Criteria are general in the case of all truthful Messengers
sent by Allaah, it is then very appropriate to mention types of
religion.
ByDr. Muhammad bin Abdullaah As-SuhaymTranslated byAbdur-Raafi Adewale
Imaam
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