Preface
This book is written for those who have recently been introduced to Islam. Of course every person has some information and a certain degree of conviction about Islam. However the majority of these may have had their origin in inadequate or invalid sources. Many people know about Islam only through information they gather from their family and their friend circle and they only know about the commandments of the Qur'an as much as they could follow from the media or from various books. . However, the best way to follow in accessing accurate information about Islam is to get to know the Qur'an, the source and the basic of Islam, and to learn the sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to get all the information regarding Islam from the Qur'an and the the hadiths.
The Qur'an is the final revelation sent by Allah, as guidance to mankind. While the Torah and the Gospel, the two holy books preceding the Qur'an, were also revelations from Allah, in time, they were distorted and lost their quality as the divine word of Allah. Although they may contain parts of the original word of Allah, their greater part consists of words and interpolations of man. The only book revealed by Allah to have survived completely intact, is the Qur'an. It contains only that which has been revealed by Allah. Allah sent down His message, either by way of Gabriel, or through direct inspiration to the Prophet Muhammad (saas). The Qur'an consists of only that which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saas), sent down in stages, for a period of twenty-three years.
At every stage, the revelation was immediately recorded in writing, or committed to memory, by the Our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) companions. Today, all Muslims wherever they are, read the same Qur'an. No contradiction or discrepancy can be found in any of the copies. (In our day, the Qur'an of Uthman, the third Caliph, is displayed in Topkapi Museum, Istanbul.) Evidence that the Qur'an is from Allah is the total absence of any sort of contradiction in the Qur'an. In one verse of the Qur'an, Allah reveals:
Will they not ponder the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found many inconsistencies in it. (Surat an-Nisa': 82)
The Qur'an is guidance to lead man to the path of rectitude. It is the revelation of Allah, sent to bring man from darkness to light. By way of the Qur'an, Our Lord, the Creator of man and all living things, directs His servants to the straight path. In a verse, Allah states:
Mankind! Admonition has come to you from your Lord and also healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers. (Surah Yunus: 57)
There is an important point that needs to be remembered here. Muslims can only fully understand and apply the Qur'an into real life with the help of the Sunnah. The Sunnah, on the other hand, is the belief of the Ahl al-Sunnah, which is the totality of our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) authentic hadiths and their subsequent interpretations by the great Islamic scholars.
The Sunnah is the living interpretation of the Qur'an by the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the possessor of great moral values who had such great consideration for believers that he would become distressed when they were troubled and would relieve them of their burdens and chains of bigotry.
Believers look at the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and learn how to implement its precepts and practices in their lives. The Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) entire life reveals a seriousness, responsibility, and sensitivity considering all details. This is the result of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) having taught "wisdom," alongside the Qur'an, to his community.
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
The best talk (speech) is Allah's Book, and the best way is the way of Muhammad, and the worst matters are the heresies (those new things which are introduced into the religion)... (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 382)
Allah's existence, His unity, the signs of Creation, and the life of the Hereafter, are those basic facts mostly reffered in the Qur'an. In many verses of the Qur'an, Allah invites man to think and to ponder on the divine wisdom in His Creation, and on the transience of the life of this world, and the permanence of the life of the Hereafter. Apart from these, in the Qur'an we can also find passages of the lives of the prophets; their sincerity in faith, their commitment to our Almighty Lord's cause, and their determination in spreading the divine message. Finally, a number of verses in the Qur'an also provide us with insight into how we should conduct ourselves in our everyday lives.
In this book, based on information Allah provided us by the way of Qur'an, and by the knowledge our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told us , we will discuss Allah, His attributes, the real purpose of our existence in this world, what we need to do to comply with it, the reality of death and that which awaits us, the Afterlife.
We highly recommend that you read this book carefully, and reflect upon its lessons, because they are intended to draw you nearer to our Creator, Almighty Allah, and show you the way to infinite bliss and salvation.
