English

A Simple Introduction to Islam: Principles of Living a God-Oriented Life explains that the literal meaning of Islam is submission, that is, submission to God’s will, which is the natural response to one’s discovery of God. This process of discovery continues until one realizes that one’s deeds in this life have eternal consequences. This makes one extremely serious. Now he plans his life anew. If at first all his activities were self-oriented, now they are God-oriented.

In the book, Islam And Sultan the author Maulana Wahiduddin Khan explains that there are two requirements of Islam. Internally, every man and woman has to follow a life of God-mindfulness. In other words, everyone must strive to become a true believer. Externally, the mission of the believers is dawah-ilallah, that is, conveying peacefully the divine message of mercy to all human beings.

In the book the author explains that thinkers throughout human history have tried to find out the ultimate purpose of creation. The Quran explains that God created an ideal world called Paradise. To select ideal human beings to inhabit Paradise, He created the present Earth as a selection ground and settled man here, giving him complete freedom. Here, it is being observed as to who makes proper use of his freedom and who misuses it.

In this booklet, the author explains that Islam encourages its followers to live as giver members of society and make positive contribution to people’s lives. The Prophet encouraged independent thinking and research in the domains of human knowledge and worldly progress. This freedom to do scientific pursuit inspired Muslims of the Middle Ages to make remarkable advances in human knowledge. If present Muslims want to receive respect and honour, they too must prove themselves beneficial for humanity.