PILLARS OF ISLAM AND MORAL VALUES
Purpose of Prophet
hood -- Perfection of Morals
The holy Prophet has stated the foremost purpose of his
being sent down in this world and the method of his call to the people in these
words:
“I have been sent only for the purpose of perfecting good
morals.” ( AI-Muta)
That great message which has left an indelible impression on
the history of life, and for propagating which and for bringing people under
whose influence Prophet Muhammed (p.b.u.h.) worked ceaselessly. Its purpose was
nothing else but to strengthen the moral character of the people so that the
world of beauty and perfection may be illuminated before their eyes and they
may try to achieve it consciously and with knowledge
Worshipping has been made compulsory in Islam, and it has
been included in the basic pillars of faith. But the Islamic forms of worship
are not some sort of mystic exercises that link men with some unknown,
mysterious being, and which subject men to perform useless acts and meaningless
movements. All the Islamic compulsory forms of worship are designed as
exercises and training to enable people to acquire correct morals and habits
and to live righteously, and to adhere to these virtues till the end, whatever
be the changes in their circumstances.
Prayer prevents
commitment of Evil
Salat (prayer) is a compulsory form of worship, which is like
an exercise towards which man is attracted with interest and willingness. He
offers it continually, so that his life may be free from all diseases and the
body may be healthy and strong. The holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet
both are the open proofs of these realities. When Allah commanded the
compulsory prayers to be established, He stated its wisdom in this way:
“Prayer prohibits
obscenity and evil.”
To keep away from evil, wickedness and to purify from bad
deeds are also realities of the prayer. In a Hadith Qudsi it is stated:
“I accept the prayers of the person who
adopts the policy of humility with it on account of My greatness, obliges My
creatures, does not insist on sinning against Me, spends his day in remembering
Me, and is kind to the poor, travelers, weak and the suffering people.”
Zakat is a means of
purification
Zakat has been made compulsory on the eligible 'scheduled' (
sahibe Nisab) persons. It is Dot merely a tax that is collected from the
pockets of the people, but its foremost purpose is to sow the seeds of
kindness. sympathy and benevolence, and to provide a chance of introduction
among the various sections of the society and to establish the relationship of
love and friendliness. The purpose of paying Zakat has been stated in the Quran
in the following words :
“Prophet I Take
charity from their property so that it may clean them and purify them.” (Tauba..
103)
To ciean the self of the wor1d1y impurities and to raise the
standard of the society to the heights of decency and purity are the wisdom
behind the levy of Zakat.
For this reason the Prophet has taken it in a very wide
sense, and to pay Zakat has been made compulsory for every eligible Muslim. The
Prophet has said:
“To smile in the
company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to prevent
others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he can go
astray is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the
road is charity. To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is
charity. To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you.”
-(Bukhari)
The environment of desert and the Bedouin life-an
environment which had its basis on internal bickering and fights-in such an
environment the teachings of Islam were presented to the world and they show
what aims and purpose these teachings had, and it shows where these teachings
led the Arabs in that dark and dismal environment.
Fasting is a stepping stone to righteousness
Similarly Islam
has made fasting compulsory. But it is not envisaged that men should keep away
from their carnal desires and other prohibited things for a fixed period only.
The Prophet has said:
“Fasting is Dot the name of merely keeping
away from eating and drinking, but it is keeping away from wicked and obscene
things. If in the state of fasting, someone abuses you or picks up a quarrel
with you, say: “I am fasting.”
Quran states the purpose of the imposition of fasting in
these words:
“Fasting has been made compulsory for you, as it
was made compulsory for those (followers of earlier prophets) who preceded you,
so that you may become righteous.” (Baqarah.. 183)
Hajj is a compulsory
pilgrimage to weaken the love for the world
Sometimes man thinks that to travel to the holy places and
to perform pilgrimage, which has been made compulsory for every rich Muslim,
and which is included in the basic pillars of Islam, is merely a form of
worship that has no relation with the world of morality and character. This is
a clear misunderstanding. Giving commands about this compulsory worship, Allah
states:
“The months of Hajj
are well-known. In these months whoever intends to perform Hajj should no~
indulge in sexual act, wicked act, and fighting during the Hajj. Whatever
righteous ac, you will perform will be known to A11ah. Take with you provision
for the journey (for Hajj), and the best provision is righteousness. So fear
me, 0 men of understanding I” -( Baqarah : 197)
This is merely the main outline of the forms of worship which are well known and generally practised in Islam and they
are its basic pillars. They show us what a deep relationship is there between religion and morality and how strong and
lasting is this relationship.
How varying are these forms of worship in their spirit and appearance from one another, but in those aim and purpose
how close they are, which the holy Prophet declared his main objective.
Therefore, salat ( prayer), saum (fasting), zakat, Hajj and other forms of worship like these are the stepping stones for
real perfection, and are the means of cleanliness and purity that make life secure and magnificent. On account of high
attributes and noble qualities that are the inalienable parts and the consequences of these forms of worship, they have
been given a very high and important place in Allah's religion.
If these forms of worship do not purify the hearts of men, if they do not nourish best qualities in those who observe
them, and if they do not improve and make firm the relationship .between Allah and His slaves, then there is nothing
left for men but destruction and devastation.
Allah says:
“Surely, he who appears before his Lord as a criminal, there is hell for him, in which he will neither die nor will he
live. And he who will appear before Him as a faithful, who has performed good deeds-for all such people there are
high positions, ever green paradise,beneath which canals will be flowing; they will live in them for ever. This is the
reward for him who adopts purity.”
(Taha.. 74-76)
