& THE TRUE RELIGION OF GOD

Contents
Which is the True Religion of God ? The Religion's N !e God nd Cre tion The "ess ge of F lse Religions Uni#ers lit$ of God's Religion Recognition of God %igns of God Conclusion

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WHICH IS THE TRUE RELIGION OF GOD?
ach person is born in a circumstance which is not of his own choosing. The religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. By the time he reaches his teens, he is usually fully brain-washed into believing that the beliefs of his particular society are the correct beliefs that everyone should have. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other belief-systems, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs. The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon reali ing that each and every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man. !ndeed, they all encourage people to do good. "o, which one is right# They cannot all be right since each claims all others are wrong. Then how does the seeker of truth choose the right way#

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$od gave us all minds and intellects to enable us to make this crucial decision. !t is the most important decision in the life of a human being. %pon it depends his future, &onsequently, each and every one of us must examine dispassionately the evidence presented and choose what appears to be right until further evidence arises. 'ike every other religion or philosophy, !slam also claims to be the one and only true way to $od. !n this respect it is no different from other systems. This booklet intends to provide some evidence for the validity of that claim. However, it must always be kept in mind that one can only determine the true path by putting aside emotions and pre(udices, which often blind us to reality. Then, and only then, will we be able to use our $odgiven intelligence and make a rational and correct decision. There are several arguments, which may be advanced to support !slam)s claim to be the true religion of $od. The following are only three of the most obvious. The first

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argument is based on the divine origin of the names of the religion and the comprehensiveness of its meaning. The second deals with the unique and uncomplicated teachings concerning the relationship between $od, man, and creation. The third argument derives from the fact that !slam is universally attainable by all men at all times. These are the three basic components of what logic and reason dictate necessary for a religion to be considered the true religion of $od. The following pages will develop these concepts in some detail.

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THE RELIGIONS NAME
he first thing that one should know and clearly understand about !slam is what the word *!slam+ itself means. The ,rabic word +!slam+ means the submission or surrender of one)s will to the only true $od, known in ,rabic as +,llah+. -ne who submits his will to $od is termed in ,rabic a +.uslim+. The religion of !slam is not named after a person or a people, nor was it decided by a later generation of man, as in the case of &hristianity which was named after /esus &hrist, Buddhism after $autama Buddha, &onfucianism after &onfucius, .arxism after 0arl .arx, /udaism after the tribe of /udah and Hinduism after the Hindus. !slam 1submission to the will of $od2 is the religion which was given to ,dam, the first man and the first prophet of $od, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by ,llah to mankind. 3urther its name was chosen by $od Himself and clearly mentioned in the final scripture which He revealed to

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man. !n that final revelation, called in ,rabic the 4ur)an ,llah states the following5 +This day have ! perfected your religion for you, completed .y favour upon you, and have chosen for you !slam as your religion+ 64ur)an 7589 +!f anyone desires a religion other than !slam 1submission to $od2, never will it be accepted of Him.+ 64ur)an 85:79 Hence, !slam does not claim to be a new religion brought by ;rophet .ohammed into ,rabia in the seventh century, but rather to be a re-expression in its final form of the true religion of ,lmighty $od, ,llah, as it was originally revealed to ,dam and subsequent prophets.

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,t this point we might comment briefly on two other religions that claim to be the true path. <owhere in the Bible will you find $od revealing to ;rophet .oses) people or their descendants that their religion is called /udaism, or to the followers of &hrist that their religion is called &hristianity. !n other words, the names +/udaism+ and +&hristianity+ had no divine origin or approval. !t was not until long after his departure that the name &hristianity was given to /esus) religion. =hat, then, was /esus) religion in actual fact, as distinct from its name# 1Both the name /esus and the name &hrist are derived from Hebrew words, through $reek and 'atin. /esus is the >nglish and 'atin form of the $reek !esous, which in Hebrew !s ?eshua or ?ehoshua) 1/oshua2. The $reek word &hristos is a translation of the Hebrew 6for9 @messiah@, which is a title meaning @the anointed@.2 His religion was reflected in his teachings, which he urged his followers to accept as guiding principles in their relationship with $od. !n

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!slam, /esus is a prophet sent by ,llah and his ,rabic name is >esa. 'ike the prophets before him, he called upon the people to surrender their will to the will of $od 1which is what !slam stands for2. 3or example, in the <ew Testament it is stated that /esus taught his followers to pray to $od as follows5 +-ur father in heaven, hallowed be your name, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.+ 6'uke AA5BC.atthew D5E-AF9 This concept was emphasised by /esus in a number of his statements recorded in the $ospels. He taught, for example, that only those who submitted would inherit paradise.

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/esus also pointed out that he himself submitted to the will of $od. +<one of those who call me *'ord) will enter the kingdom of $od, but only the one who does the will of my 3ather in heaven.+ 6.atthew G5BA9 +! cannot do anything of myself ! (udge as ! hear and my (udgment is honest because ! am not seeking my own will but the will of Him who sent me.+ 6/ohn 758F9 There are many reports in the $ospels which show that /esus made it clear to his followers that he was not the one true $od.

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3or example, when speaking about the final Hour, he said5 +<o-one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the son, but only the 3ather.+ 6.ark A858B9 Thus, /esus like the prophets before him and the one who came after him, taught the religion of !slam5 submission to the will of the one true God.

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GOD AND CREATION
ince the total submission of one)s will to $od represents the essence of worship, the basic message of $od)s divine religion, !slam, is the worship of $od alone. !t also requires the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than $od. "ince everything other than $od, the creator of all the things, is $od)s creation, it may be said that !slam, in essence, calls man away from worship of creation and invites him to worship only his &reator. He is the only one deserving of man)s worship, because it is only by His will that prayers are answered. ,ccordingly, if a man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it is not the tree which answers his prayers but $od, who allows the circumstances prayed for to take place. -ne might say, +That is obvious+. However, to tree-worshippers, it might not be so. "imilarly, prayers to /esus, Buddha, or 0rishna or "aint &hristopher, or "aint /ude or even to .uhammad, are not answered by them,

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but are answered by $od. /esus did not tell his followers to worship him but to worship $od, as the 4uran states5 +,nd beholdH ,llah will say5 *- /esus, the son of .aryH Iid you say to men, worship me and my mother as gods besides ,llah#, He will say5 +$lory to you, ! could never say what ! had no right 1to say2.+ 64ur)an 75AA:9 <or did /esus worship himself when he worshipped, but rather he worshipped $od. ,nd /esus was reported in the $ospels to have said, +!t is written5 @=orship the 'ord your $od and serve Him only.)+ 6'uke J5:9 This basic principle is contained in the opening chapter of the 4ur)an, known as "oorah al-3aatihah, verse J5

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+you alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help.+ >lsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the 4uran, $od also said5 +,nd you 'ord says5 *&all on .e and ! will answer your 1prayer2.)+ 64ur)an JF5DF9 !t is worth emphasi ing that the basic message of !slam 1namely, the worship of $od alone2 also proclaims that $od and His creation are distinctly different entities. $od is neither equal to His creation nor a part of it, nor is His creation equal to Him or a part of Him. This might seem obvious, but man)s worship of creation, instead of the &reator is to a large degree based on ignorance, or neglect, of this concept. !t is the belief that the essence of $od is everywhere in His creation or that

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His divine being is or was present in some parts of His creation, which has provided (ustification for the worship of $od)s creation and naming it the worship of $od. However, the message of !slam, as brought by the prophets of $od, is to worship only $od and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly. !n the 4ur)an $od clearly states5 +3or we assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command =orship .e and avoid false $ods.+ 64ur)an AD58D9

=hen idol worshippers are questioned as to why they bow down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but $od who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for $od)s essence and is

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not in itself $odH -ne who has accepted the concept of $od being present in any way within His creation will be obliged to accept this argument for idolatry. =hereas, one who understands the basic message of !slam and its implications would never agree to idolatry no matter how it is rationali ed. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that $od is present in man. Taking one step further, they claim that $od is more present in them than in the rest of us, and that other humans should therefore submit to them and worship them as $od in person or as $od concentrated within their persons. "imilarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their deaths have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of $od)s presence in man. !t should be abundantly clear by now that one who has grasped the basic message of !slam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under

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any circumstance. $od)s religion, in essence, is a clear call to the worship of the &reator and the re(ection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of !slam5 "Laa Ilaaha Ill Allah" (there is no God but Allah) The sincere declaration of this phrase and the acceptance of prophethood automatically bring one within the fold of !slam, and sincere belief in it guarantees one ;aradise. Thus, the final ;rophet of !slam 1p.b.u.h2 is reported to have said, "Any one who says: There is no God but Allah and dies holdin! that (belief) will enter "aradise." Belief in this declaration of faith requires that one submit hisCher will to $od in the way taught by the prophets of $od. !t also requires the believer to give up the worship of false gods.

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THE MESSAGE OF FALSE RELIGIONS
here are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path of $od How can one determine which one is correct or whether, in fact, all are correct# -ne method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identifies the central ob(ect of worship upon which they call, directly or indirectly. 3alse religions all have in common one basic concept with regard to $od they either claim that all men are gods, or that specific men were $od, or that nature is $od, or that $od is a figment of man)s imagination. Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that $od may be worshipped in the form of His creation. 3alse religions invite man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it $od. 3or example, prophet /esus invited his followers to

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&THE TRUE RELIGION OF GOD

worship $od, but those who claim to be /esus) followers today call people to worship /esus, claiming that he was $od. Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles in the religion of !ndia. He did not claim to be $od, nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an ob(ect of worship. ?et today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of !ndia have taken him to be $od and they prostrate themselves to idols made in their perception of his likeness. By using the principle of identifying the ob(ect of worship, we can easily detect false religions and the contrived nature of their origin.

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&. THE TRUE RELIGION OF GOD

,s $od said in the 4ur)an5 +That which you worship besides Him are only names and you and your forefathers have invented for which ,llah has sent down no authority5 the command belongs only to ,llah He has command that you worship HimK that is the right religion, but most men do not understand.+ 64ur)an AB5JF9 !t may be argued that all religions teach good things, so why should it matter which one we follow# The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil the worship of creation. &reation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation.

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.an was created to worship $od alone as ,llah has explicitly stated in the 4ur)an5 +! have only created (inns and men, that they may worship .e+ 64ur)an 7A57D9 &onsequently , the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry is the only unforgivable sin. -ne who dies in this state of idolatry, has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by $od in his final revelation to man5 Lerily ,llah will not forgive the (oining of partners with Him, but He may forgive 1sins2 less than that for whomsoever He wishes.+ 64ur)an J5J: and AAD9

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'& THE TRUE RELIGION OF GOD

UNIVERSALITY OF GODS RELIGION
ince the consequences of following a false religion are so grave, the true religion of $od must have been universally understandable and universally attainable in the past and it must continue eternally to be understandable and attainable throughout the entire world. !n other words, the true religion of $od cannot be confined to any one people, place, or period of time. <or is it logical that such a religion should impose conditions that have nothing to do with the relationship of man with $od, such as baptism, or belief in man as a savior, or an intermediary. =ithin the central principle of !slam and its definition 1the surrender of one)s will to $od2 lie the roots of !slam)s universality. =henever man comes to the reali ation that $od is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to $od, he becomes a .uslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise. &onsequently, anyone at any time in the most remote regions of the world can become .uslim, a follower of

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$od)s religion, !slam, by merely re(ecting the worship of creation and turning to $od alone. !t should be noted, however, that in order to actually submit to $od)s will, one must continually choose between right and wrong. !ndeed, man is endowed by $od with the power not only to distinguish right from wrong but also to choose between them. These $od-given powers carry with them an important responsibility, namely, that man is answerable to $od for the choices he makes. !t follows, then, that man should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil.

These concepts are expressed in the final revelation as follows5

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+Lerily, those who believe 1in the 4ur)an2, and those who follow the /ewish faith, and the &hristians, and the "abians 1angel-and-star-worshippers2 -- any of these who believe in ,llah and the 'ast Iay and work righteousness shall have their reward with their 'ord. They will not be overcome by fear or grief.+ 64ur)an B5DB9 !f, for whatever reason, they fail to accept the final message after it has been clearly explained to them, they will be in grave danger. The last ;rophet said5 +=hoever among the &hristians and /ews hears of me but does not affirm his belief in what ! brought and dies in this state will be among the inhabitants of hell.+ 1"ahih .uslim 6>nglish Translation9, Lol.A ;.EA <o, B:J2

RECOGNITION OF GOD

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he question which arises here is 5 How can all people be expected to believe in the one true $od, given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures# 3or people to be held responsible for worshipping the one true $od, they all need to have access to knowledge of Him. The final revelation teaches that all humans being have the recognition of the one true $od imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created. !n the seventh chapter of the 4ur)an 1,l-,)raaf, verses AGB-AG82, $od explained that when He created ,dam He caused all of ,dam)s descendants to come into existence and He took a pledge from them saying5 +*,m ! not your 'ord#@ To which they all replied, *?es, we testity to it@+ ,llah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and the only true $od worthy of worship. He said5

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+That was in case you 1mankind2 should say on the day of Mesurrection, *Lerily we were unaware of all this@+ 64ur)an G5AGB9 That is to say, we cannot claim on that day that we had no idea that ,llah, was our $od and that no one told us that we were only supposed to worship ,llah alone. ,llah went on to further explain that5 +!t was also in case you should say, *&ertainly it was our ancestors who made partners 1with ,llah2 and we are only their descendantsK will you then destroy us for what those liars did#)+ 64ur)an G5AG89 Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in $od and an in-born inclination to worship Him alone. This in-born belief and inclination is called in ,rabic the +3itrah+.

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The ;rophet .uhammad reported that ,llah said, +! created my servants in the right religion, but devils made them go astray.+ The ;rophet also said, +>ach child is born in a state of 3itrah. Then his parents make him a /ew, &hristian or a Noroastrian.+ !f the child were left alone, he would worship $od in his own way, but all children are affected by the environment. "o, (ust as the child submits to the physical laws, which ,llah has imposed on nature, in the same way his soul also submits naturally to the fact that ,llah is his 'ord and &reator. But, if his parents try to make him follow a different path, the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents.

!n such cases, the religion, which the child follows, is one of custom and upbringing, and $od does not hold him to

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account or punish him for his religion up to a certain stage of his life.

THE SIGNS OF GOD

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hroughout people)s lives, from childhood until the time they die, signs of the one and only true $od are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true $od 1,llah2. $od says in the 4ur)an +=e will show them our signs !n the furthest regions 1of the earth2 and in their souls, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth.+ 64ur)an JA5789 The following is an example of $od revealing by a sign to one man the error of his idol-worship. !n the southeastern region of the ,ma on (ungle in Bra il, "outh ,merica, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their man-idol "kwatch, representing the supreme $od of all creation. The following day a young man entered the hut to pay homage to the $od, and while he was in prostration to

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what he had been taught was his &reator and "ustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog slunk into the hut. The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift his hind leg and pass urine on the idol. -utraged, the youth chased the dog out of the templeK but when his rage died down he reali ed that the idol could not be the 'ord of the %niverse. $od must be elsewhere, he concluded. ,s strange as it may seem, the dog urinated on the idol was a sign from $od for that young man. This sign contained the divine message that what he was worshipping was false. !t liberated from slavishly following his traditionally learned worship of a false god. ,s a result, this man was given a choice5 either to seek the true god or to continue in the error of his ways. ,llah mentions ;rophet ,braham)s quest for $od as an example of how those who follow His signs will be rightly guided

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+"o also did we show ,braham the power and the 'aws of the heavens and the earth that he might 1with understanding2 have certitude. =hen the night covered him over, he saw a star. He said5 *This is my 'ord.) But when it set, he said5 *! love not those that set) =hen he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said5 *This is my 'ord.) But when the moon set, he said5 *%nless my 'ord guide me, ! shall surely be among those who go astray.)

=hen he saw the rising sun in splendor, he said5 *This is my 'ord this is the greatest 1of all2.) But when the sun set, he saidK *- my people ! am indeed free from your 1guilt2 of giving partners to ,llah.

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3or me, ! have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall ! give partners to ,llah+ 64ur)an D5G7-GE9 ,s was mentioned earlier, prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man)s natural belief in $od and man)s in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by $od. ,lthough much of these prophets) teachings became distorted, portions revealing their $odinspired messages have remained untainted and have served to guide mankind in the choice between right and wrong. The influence of $od-inspired messages down through the ages can be seen in the +Ten &ommandments+ of /udaism)s Torah which were later adopted into &hristianity)s teachings, as well as in the existence of

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laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies throughout the ancient and modern world. ,s a result of $od)s signs to mankind through the ages combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recogni e the one only true $od. &onsequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in $od and its acceptance of the true religion of $od, namely !slam, which means total submission to the will of ,llah.

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CONCLUSION
he preceding presentation has demonstrated that the name of the religion of !slam expresses !slam)s most central principle, submission to $od, and that the name +!slam+ was chosen not by man, but by $od, according to the holy scriptures of !slam. !t has also been shown that !slam alone teaches the uniqueness of $od and His attributes and en(oins the worship of $od alone without intermediaries. 3inally, due to the divinely instilled inclination of man to worship $od and the signs revealed by $od throughout the ages to each individual, !slam may be achieved by all men at all times. !n short, the significance of the name !slam 1submission to $od2, !slam)s fundamental acknowledgment of the uniqueness of $od and !slam)s accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support !slam)s claim that from the beginning of time in whatever language it

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was expressed, !slam alone has been, and will be the true religion of $od. !n conclusion we ask ,llah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us His blessings and mercy, for He is indeed the .ost .erciful. ;raise be to ,llah, the 'ord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet .uhammad and on all the prophets of $od and their righteous followers.

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