Islam - A Way of Life

For an excellent introduction read Exploring Islam: Theology and Spiritual Practice in America by Salih Sayilgan

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Transcript

For an excellent introduction read Exploring Islam: Theology and Spiritual Practice in America by Salih Sayilgan

Islam - A Way of Life

Basic Definition of Islam

What is Islam? I would like to answer this question by going beyond the basic facts you can find in a textbook. Yes, literally Islam means peace, surrender, and submission. You probably heard the word shalom which in Hebrew means peace. Arabic, similar to Hebrew, is a Semitic language and salaam and shalom sound very similar - both convey the same meaning, namely peace. Muslims greet each other by the greeting of as-Salamun alaykum - peace be with you and are called to return the greeting by wa alaykum salaam, Peace be with you too. 

 Islam is the conscious decision of a human being to freely surrender and submit to the one and only God - the Creator of everything and every being. I want to stress that this surrender must be one of choice not force - there is no compulsion in religion, as the tradition asserts. Force defeats the whole purpose of this effort. Where is the sincerity and authenticity of someone’s faith who had been forced to believe? The greatest gift and responsibility given to humanity by God is free choice. According to Islamic teaching human beings take full responsibility for their choices - good or bad. Historically, Muslims who expanded into the farthest territories affirmed Islam as the one and only true religion but this did not hold them back from living amicably with other religious communities. 

Islam - A Universal Religion

I also want to be clear that Islam is not a “new” religion in the sense that it appeared historically first with Prophet Muhammad. Islam as it defines itself is a universal religion. Free submission to the One God and free surrender to the One Creator of all has been an invitation issued to humanity since their very existence. Islam is understood as the primordial religion. A religion that does not accept any intermediaries and associates with God. A religion that does not attribute power to anything or anyone but God alone. Every human being stands directly and intimately in front of God. Beginning with Prophet Adam - the first human being who had been created and sent to earth as a messenger of God up until Prophet Muhammad - all messengers of God sent to humankind delivered this same message of free surrender and free submission to the One God. It is this radical monotheism, this direct connection to God that is Islam’s concern. Prophet Muhammad as the final messenger of God re-established and defined what Islam means in its fullness for all aspects of human life and thus his exemplary behavior and conduct plays a key role in understanding the application of Islam in daily life.

Islam in the Cosmos

Islam is also universal because it is embraced by the entire creation, by all beings in this universe not just humans. How are we supposed to understand that? Well, don’t we constantly observe and witness in the creation an absolute harmony and balance? There is unity within this rich diversity. So long as human beings do not interfere with the creational order and do not destroy it, the universe functions perfectly. A complex and intricate web of life is in front of our very eyes, billions of changes and transformations occur every second - yet there is a complete absence of chaos, anarchy and confusion. Why? Because the answer is “islam” - the fact that every being surrenders and submits to the will of God and in that process “peace” islam is accomplished. That should give us pause and invite us to think and reflect. This is what the Qur’an - Islam’s Holy Book and central authority - has in mind when it states over and over that everything in the universe completely submits to the will of God. Every being is muslim. Let’s listen to Chapter 3 Verse 38 of the Qur’an which declares: “And to Him has surrendered whoso is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they shall be returned” (Q 3:83) And in Chapter 22 Verse 18, the Qur’an asks the rhetorical question: Do you not realize that everything in the heavens and earth submits to God: the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the animals? So do many human beings.” (Q 22:18) Everything is assigned a place in the grand scheme of the universe, which works in a magnificent harmony and interconnectedness. The sun, the moon, stars, and all heavenly bodies are woven together in a splendid system, following an unalterable law, and never deviating from their ordained course. The Human Body is muslim

The birth of a human, its growth and life, and all the bodily organs, from small tissues to the heart and brain, are also governed by the laws prescribed for them. Again, how can we explain such obedience of all beings? The answer is universal islam - universal surrender to God’s commands and laws that have been established by the Creator. Even those who do not embrace faith in the One God are muslim with a small m -  in so far as their bodily existence is concerned, for each part of their body follows the course God established for it, from birth until death and dissolution. In this meaning, whether a believer or a non-believer – everything in the heavens and earth submits to Him willingly or unwillingly. The key then is to become a conscious Muslim. A Muslim who has come to the conclusion that God has given him life and existence and so decides to live this life according to God’s guidance. To associate any partners with God is considered a sin from an Islamic perspective. 

Extreme Selfishness: The Invisible Idol 

The Qur’an invites the human being to reflect on those who have taken their own egos as invisible idols: “Have you seen him who has taken his own caprice to be his god?” asks verse 43 of chapter 25 in the Qur’an. Those who are truly ignorant follow their own lower, selfish desires, their little gods inside. The Qur’an constantly stigmatizes those who worship their own inclinations and moods as gods. Caprice is an internal wind that blows this way and that, a whim of the moment. One day, you want this, the next you want something else. In the Qur’anic world, caprice is the worst of gods. When you worship it, you never know what is up and what is down. Practically every day a person’s  ideas, emotions and feelings can change. The wind keeps on blowing, and the Qur’an assures human beings, if you let it take you along with it, it will take you to destruction. The self does not care whether it is right or wrong. The spirit then becomes enslaved by egotistical desires. The person has surrendered themselves to a flawed ego. This is one way of being enslaved. A god is anything, any object that is adored, worshiped or served, whatever that thing might be. In this case it is the ego constantly looking out for the next satisfaction. A life aimed at constant and instant gratification. This gratification, though, is short lived and is only providing short-term pleasure and never filling that void and emptiness in the heart. It is exhausting to say the least to constantly chase for the next pleasure. The Qur’an warns people that if they continue on the path of worshiping this inner invisible idol, which is the most dangerous idol of all, it will lead to self-destruction and harm to others.

Aggressive Egotism: A Destructive Force

It is not difficult to see how aggressive or excessive selfishness becomes harmful to the self and the environment. Excessive selfishness is the other extreme of self-neglect which is also wrong and harmful. Let’s say for example, a person has a passion for fast fashion. They are always after the newest trend. The ego tells one to be hip and cool and obey the latest fashion hype. This constant desire for new fashion leads to the exploitation of other human beings and has a deep negative impact on the environment. The waste it produces, the cheap labor that it demands and so promotes a total disregard for the dignity of human life. It is not hard to understand the connection between the destructive tendencies of the self and the harm that it can cause. If selfishness is prioritized to the extent that it harms and exploits nature and other fellow human beings then something is deeply wrong. Islam teaches moderation in all aspects of life. Self-compassion and healthy self-care are important and differ from egotism. Everyone has to take care of themselves before they can take care of others. This is the essence of Islamic teaching. However, if selfcare is exaggerated and leads to overstepping God’s boundaries, if it results in abuse, misuse and harm of others then this represents a destructive approach.

It is in this light that the Qur’an invites the human being to fully surrender, transfer their affairs and concerns to the One and only Creator. Then the hearts and the universe enter into peace and harmony as verse 28 of Chapter 13 of the Qur’an declares, Those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God - truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace, (Q 13:28).