WHO IS CALLED MUSLIM.

BY MD. HADIUL ISLAM (FARUK) 

Today I shall describe to you toe qualities of a Muslim. I shall indicate the minimum conditions required to be fulfilled by a Muslim and what should a man, at least do , to enable himself to be called a Muslim?

What is `Kufr` and Islam?

To understand the above point you should first of all know  what is `Kufr` and what is Islam . `Kufr`means  refusal of man to carry out the commandments of God, and Islam means obedience to God only and refusal  to acknowledge all such systems, laws or orders as are in contravention of the directions received from God. This contrast between Islam and `Kufr`has been clearly described in the ``QURAN``. Allah says:

Whose judges not by that which Allah hath revealed:

(Al QURAN 5: 44)

Judging does not mean that only those cases which are brought before  the courts should be decided according to the book of God. In fact, it means those decisions which everybody arrives at in his life from time to time. So often does the question arise before you whether to do a certain thing or not ? In what manner should a particular thing be done? Should this method be adopted in a certain affair or the other method? For all such occasions, a method to come to a decision has been laid down in the Book of God and in  the Sunnah of His messenger, while the other opposite method is indicated by selfish desires, ancestral customs or man-made systems and laws.

 Now if a person sets aside the system propounded by God and decides to work according to some other  system, he, in reality, follows the path of `Kufr`. If he has been adopting the latter course throughout his life, he is a complete `Kufr`. And if he obeys the directions of God in some metters and , in some others, gives preference over these to selfish desires or customs or man-made laws, then he is involved in `Kufr`, someone fourth and someone one –tenth or one –twentieth. In short, ``Kufr`` is there in proportion to the extent of rebellion against the law of God.

Islam is nothing except mans exclusive subservience to God. He is not at all servant of his  self , or his ancestors, or his family and tribe, or of the Maulvi Sahib and Pir Sahib, or Zomidar Sahib, Tahsildar Sahib and Magistrate Sahib or of any other person but of God alone. Allah says in the ``QURAN``:O prophet :Tell the people of he scripture;Let us come to an agreement on a point which is identical between us and you. That point is firstly that we whall worship none but Allah, secondly, we shall ascribe no partner unto Him and , thirdly, none of us shall take a man as our Lord and Master in the place of Allah. If they do not accept these three things then tell them to bear witness that we are Muslims, we accept all these three things.

``Do they want to be obedient to others than Allah when unto Him submitteth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly, or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned``.

In both these versed only one doctrine has been propounded, the real religion composts of obedience and submission to God. Worshipping of God does not mean simply to bow before Him five times a day.

In fact , it means that His commandments should be carried out at all times during day and night. You should abstain from what He has forbidden and do as He has commanded.

Check up in every matter as to what is the commandment of God about it. Never take into  account what your own heart desires, what your intellect suggests, what your forefathers used to do, what your family and relations prefer, what have the Maulvi Sahib and the Pir Sahib to say in the matter, what does this person order and what would please the other person. If you followed any other persons behest leaving aside Gods commandments, it would amount to making him partner in Godhood. It would mean you gave him that states which exclusively belongs  to God. It is God alone Who gives orders. ``The giving of orders is for Allah only``. 9 Al-Quran 6: 57).

Worthy of worship is He alone Who has created you and on whose support you are keeping alive. Everything in the heavens and the earth obeys Him. No stone obeys another animal. Then , are you worse than animals, trees and stones that they obey only God and you obey human beings leaving aside God ? This is the point which has been explained in the above two verses.