Page 205 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

1024 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Selection from The Elucidation of Islam’s Foundation

In this extract from The Elucidation of Islam’s Foun- God, and what the trustworthy have handed down
dation, a classic work of Islamic theology by Abu on the authority of God’s Apostle, rejecting none of
Musa al-Ashari (c. 873–975), al-Ashari discusses “ them.We confess that God is one God—there is no
the exposition of the belief of the followers of the truth god but He—unique, eternal, possessing neither con-
and the ‘sunnah.’” sort nor child; and that Muhammad is His Servant
and Apostle, whom He sent with the guidance and
If anybody says to us,“ ...now let us know the beliefs
the real Religion; and that Paradise is real and Hell
you hold and the religion you follow,” the answer is:
is real; and that there is no doubt regarding the Com-
The belief we hold and the religion we follow are
ing Hour; and that God will raise up those who are
holding fast the Book of our Lord, to the sunnah of
in the graves; and that God is seated on His throne
our Prophet, and to the traditions related on the
(as He said, “The Merciful is seated on the Throne”);
authority of the Companions and the Successors and
and that He has a face (as He has said, “but the face
the imams of the hadit;—to that we hold firmly, pro-
of thy Lord shall abide resplendent with majesty and
fessing what Abu ‘Abdallah Ahmad ibn Muhammad
glory”); and that He has two hands, bila kayfa (as He
ibn Hanbal professed, and avoiding him who dis-
has said,“I have created with My two hands,” and as
sents from his belief, because he is the excellent
He has said,“Nay! outstretched are both His hands”);
imam and the perfect leader, through whom God
and that He has an eye, bila kayfa (as He has said,
declared the truth, removed error, manifested the
“Under Our eyes it floated on”), and that anybody
modes of action, and overcame the innovations of the
who thinks that the names of God are other than He
innovators, the deviation of the deviators, and the
is in error; and that God has knowledge (as He said,
skepticism of the skeptics.The mercy of God is upon
“in His knowledge He sent it down,” and as He said,
him,—for he is an eminent imam and an exalted, hon-
“and no female conceiveth or bringeth forth without
ored friend,—and upon all the other imams of Islam!
His knowledge”).
The substance of our belief is that we confess God,
Klein,W. (Trans.). (1940). The elucidation of Islam’s foundation. New Haven, CT: Amer-
His angels, His books, His apostles, the revelation of ican Oriental Society
bic “the divinity.” The word islam means “submission,”
Islam and the belief system is based on submission to the one
God, with the person engaging in submission being
slam is a major world belief system and is part of the called a “Muslim.” Muslims understand their faith to be
Itraditions of monotheism in the Middle East. The a continuation of the message of God presented to
Islamic community of believers, called “Muslims,” began humanity through a series of messengers and prophets,
in western Arabia (the peninsula of southwestern Asia including Abraham and Jesus. In the Islamic belief sys-
including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf tem the final presentation of the message of God was
states) during the seventh century CE and extended with- made through the Prophet Muhammad, who lived in
in two centuries from Central Asia to North Africa and Mecca and then Medina in modern Saudi Arabia at the
Spain. In the modern world 1.2 billion Muslims exist, beginning of the seventh century CE.The revelation was
and they are found throughout the world.Although Islam recorded and preserved in the Quran, the holy book of
is historically identified with the Middle East, many Mus- Islamic faith.
lims live in other regions, with the largest national com- The basic requirements of the Islamic belief system are
munities being in southern and southeastern Asia. frequently called the “Five Pillars of Islam.” The first pil-
The core of the belief system is the affirmation that lar (shihadah) is bearing witness publicly to the belief
one God (Allah) exists. The word Allah means in Ara- that “There is no divinity but Allah and Muhammad is