Introducing

True Islam teaches that God is one without associate. To believe in the oneness of God means that we should not worship ourselves, our careers, our partners, our desires, or anything else. Rather, we must dedicate ourselves to becoming a mirror of divine grace and mercy, for in that alone lies true satisfaction.

A distinctive feature of Islam is that it addresses itself to the whole of mankind. Previous religions only addressed a particular people in a particular time. Islam however is the summit of religious evolution, and addresses itself to every nation on Earth, in whatever era they live. It is thus a unique religion in that it recognises the truth of other Prophets, such as Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster and others, while recognising that over time their messages may have been misinterpreted or distorted. Islam came to restore and excel whatever truth they had, while correcting the shortcomings that had crept into them. Thus a Muslim has nothing but love and affection for other religions, as it sees them all as having emanated from the same Divine Source.

The Qur'an is explicit in many places that belief is a matter of the heart, and not something that can be forced or controlled externally. The Qur'an prescribes no punishment whatsoever to be administered to those who give up religious beliefs. Indeed, it is the freedom of choice in having religious beliefs in the first place that makes them worthy of merit.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is reported to have said ‘Love of one’s country is part of your faith.’ True Islam thus encourages us to love and support our neighbours — regardless of their faith, beliefs, or background. To support local communities in all good things is therefore an essential part of the Muslim character.

The Prophet Muhammad was a true prince of peace. He was patient in persecution and forbearing in victory. As a subject, he gave due rights to his rulers. As a ruler, he gave due rights to his subjects. He ensured every people could practise their own religion freely. He uplifted women from a position of servitude into one of respect and dignity. He insisted upon education of children, fair treatment of orphans, and compassion for the elderly. He stamped out racism and institutionalised charity in the Islamic conscience. Surely, there is no people on Earth that have not benefited from his merciful message.

True Islam teaches that men and women are spiritually equal, and hold equal human rights. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that the best man was he who treated women best. He elevated the station of women in Arabia by granting them the right to education, the right to consent in marriage, the right to divorce and the right of inheritance, over a thousand years before the European West granted the same equality. It is indeed a great shame that many so-called Muslim governments today deny women the rights that the Founder of Islam championed.

Caliphate is spiritual leadership. The Prophet Muhammad said that in this age Caliphate would emerge following on the footsteps of a Prophet. This prophecy has been fulfilled in the Ahmadiyya Caliphate. We live now with the Fifth Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad. He represents the leadership and guidance Muslims around the world are crying out for with their disunity and and discontent.

The Qur’an teaches that all people are equal in the sight of Allah. It says that all humans are descendants from the same original soul, and are therefore spiritually equal. True Islam does not consider God only to be the God of the Muslims, or the Arabs, or any particular people — rather it says that He is the ‘Lord of all peoples’ (1:2). It therefore cuts at the root of all racism, and brings all nations together in universal brotherhood and sisterhood.

True Islam recognises that all peoples, regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds, must have freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Only governments which guarantee such freedoms can truly be called Islamic.

Theocracies are contrary to the spirit of Islam. True Islam teaches that political leadership must not be partisan to any particular people, but most rather respect the beliefs and preferences of all peoples. There is no place in Islam for imposing one religious view on anyone else. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, established this as the ruler of Medina, where he guaranteed equal citizenship and self-determination to the various different ethnic and religious groups in the city at that time.

True Islam teaches that Jihad means to struggle for goodness. This generally means that we should personally struggle to become better people. In exceptional circumstances, Jihad can also mean to defend people of any faith or background when they are being threatened by tyrants. This military Jihad is known as the ‘lesser’ Jihad — the ‘greater’ Jihad is to strive for God through good deeds.