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THE PATHWAY TO HAPPINESS ISLAM
One of the common characteristics of man who has the top place
in the world and who is equipped with wisdom, notion and super abilities, is the desire to be happy. Every individual
tries hard to reach it, thinks more of tomorrow than today and makes
preparations for it.
A human being is a creature that is the product of the unification
of spirit and body. Therefore, Islam has taken both material and spiritual
needs of man into consideration, on the other hand, it has laid down the
principles necessary of-an individual's happiness, set up rules for the
happiness and peace of the' society and pointed out the mutual rights and
the duties of individuals.
Islam is the latest and the most perfect religion. Muhammed (peace be upon him) who conveyed it to the
humanity, is the last of the prophets. The Holy Koran, the fundamental book
of Islam, is the last message sent to the humanity by Allah Almighty
through Muhammed (peace be
upon him).
THE GOAL OF ISLAM
The goal of the rules and principles laid down by Islam is, by
maturing man morally, to enable them to live in peace and happiness in this
world and to reach the eternal happiness in the next world after death.
These principles are perfect enought to
answer the needs of man and always in effect and are not subject to change
in all ages.
Allah Almighty states in the Holy Koran:
"Religion with Allah is The Surrender (to His will and guidance
) .(The Family of Imran 19)
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM
We can put the rules and principles Islam brought under three
headings in short.
Belief .Worship .Ethic
BELIEF
As our body which is our physical being, needs food so does our
spirit which is our spiritual self.
The most important food for the spirit is the sound faith.
By means of faith man attains a big power and lives in peace. The
principles of belief which are the sources of all kinds of goodness,
influence man in a positive way to develop the sense of responsibility and
to ripen him morally by bettering his behaviors.
The two foundations of belief in Islam are:
1-There is no other deity save Allah.
2-Muhammed (peace be upon him) is His prophet.
God
The faith in the oneness of Allah is the most essential principle in
Islam. Allah, unlike His creatures, is a supreme being. He is eternal and
has no beginning and no end. He has neither given birth nor been given
birth. He is free from all kinds of defects, possesses endless omnipotence,
knows, hears and sees everything.
Prophets
Prophets are the messengers between Allah and man. Allah chose the
most meritorious ones of His servants for this duty. Allah Almighty has
from time to time sent prophets to man to guide them and to let them hear
His orders and prohibitions through them. Muhammed
(peace be upon him) is the last prophet He chose among man. Muhammed (peace be upon him) was sent to all the
humanity. He is the best example equipped with good disposition and merits.
Fundamental Principles of Belief
The principles of belief can be summed up in six headings as
follows:
1- To believe in the existance and oneness
of Allah.
2- To believe in the angels of Allah.
3- To believe in the holy books of Allah.
4- To believe in the prophets of Allah.
5- To believe in the resurrection after death.
6- To believe in fate and that everything takes place according to
Allah's wish.
WORSHIPS
Worship is the way to show our deep respect to the Creator and at
the same time to express our indebtedness in return for the countless
blessings supplied to us by Him.
Worship is performed to carry out Allah's command solely and to win
His consent. Performing worship with such a good notion is the most
beautiful medium to get a believer closer to Allah and the safest shelter
which protects him (her) from discomforts.
Worship is performed the way Allah orders and the way the prophet
teaches. There is no deity worth worshipping except Allah.
Man with the help of worship becomes free of material ambitions,
evil thoughts, negative approaches and behavior, gets better spiritually
and ripens morally and becomes Allah's beloved servant. In the Holy Koran
Allah Almighty states:
"O mankind! Worship your lord. Who hath created you and those
before you, so that ye may ward off (evil,)."
(The Cow21)
MAIN WORSHIPS
1- Prayer
It is the kind of worship carried out at five certain hours every
day. Besides the daily worship there are also prayers carried out with
congregation every Friday and twice a year on Bairam
days.
Prayer is the best indication of being a good servant to the Great
Creator.
At prayer a muslim enjoys the spiritual
happiness caused by being in Allah 's presence and
gets exalted spiritually by keeping oneself away from worldly concerns.
To perform a prayer it is necessary to wash certain parts of the
body (like hands, face and feet), This is called
"ablution". The body, the clothes that are worn and the place
where prayer is performed have to be clean, in addition.
Prayer, by placing the feeling of responsibility in their hearts,
purifies man out of all kinds of bad feelings and thoughts and by putting
their behaviors under control and preventing them from committing badness
exalts man morally.
In the Holy Koran Allah Almighty states:
"Establish worship. Worship preserveth
from lewdness and iniquity." (The Spider 45)
The place where muslims perform prayers in
congregation is called mosque (cami) and mescid (very small mosquelike
place). Mosques and mescids are at the same time
places where knowledge and information about religion and morals and
training are given to muslims.
When the prayer time comes, "azan" is recited aloud from
the minarets. Azan is the call to inform muslims
about the prayer times. There is usually "a minaret" next to
mosques from where azan is recited aloud. This is a religious tradition
which goes back to the early days of the religion. There are, of course,
mosques without minarets, too.
Prayer can be performed alone outside mosques or in mosques in
congregation under the guidance of a religious leader (imam).But the Friday
prayer and Bairam prayers can only be performed
in congregation. A muslim can submit his (her)
wishes directly to Allah Almighty while praying. He (she) asks of Allah to
forgive the sins he (she) has committed, without the interference of anyone
as a mediator.
The person who leads muslims in prayers is
called ''imam".
The special place in front of the congregation in mosques where imam
stands is called ''niche'' (mihrap).
In mosques there is a ''pulpit'' (kürsü)
from where imam preaches muslims and there is
also another platform (minber) with stairs where
imam reads the sermon at the Friday prayer and Bairam
prayers.
2- Fasting
It is a month-long worship which is observed every year in the lunar
month of Ramadan during which muslims abstain
from eating, drinking and sexual desires from dawn to dusk.
Fasting strengthens volition by taming one's real self
and so gives power to resist bad habits.
Allah Almighty states in the Holy Koran:
" O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed
for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward
off (evil).(The Cow 183)
Fasting is a training of morals and behavior which improves the
feelings of love, compassion and mercy and purifies soul of evils.
Besides, it is a known fact that fasting is a very good practice for health. This is also accepted in the
medical world.
Concerning this Muhammed (peace be upon
him) said:
"If you fast, you feel healthy."
3- Legal Alms (Zekat)
It is a worship observed by rich people by giving a certain amount
of their certain possessions and money, every year to the people in need.
Zekat (Legal Alms) is a social
philanthropic system that provides peace and solidarity in the society.
Zekat (Legal Alms) decreases the ambition
for money and by improving the mutual love and respect among individuals
prevents the enmity against wealth.
Thus it plays a major role in keeping the society in peace and
safety.
4- Pilgrimage (Hac)
It is a worship performed once in a lifetime by the people who are
in good health and can afford it. To perform it they pay a visit to the
holy places on certain days.
Everybody wears the same type of clothing while performing this
worship and this reminds of the day when we are in Allah's presence after
death. It makes it possible for believers to turn to Allah in a sincere way
and to ask for being forgiven and acceptance of their repentance. Seeing
the holy place gives man a spiritual excitement and strengthens the
religious feelings. Pilgrimage which unites the people of different
countries, colors and languages who come to the
holy places about one goal, is an international assembly from social point
of view.
As seen worships in Islam aim at maturing man morally and making
them reach goodness and perfect and at the same time making it possible for
the society to live in peace by purifying man of evils.
ETHIC
Ethic has prime importance in the religion of Islam. The goal of Islam is to mature man by making them have
beautiful morals.
T he prophet of Islam, Muhammed (peace be
upon him) said:
"I was sent to complete the beautiful morals."
A muslim is valued by the beauty of his
morals. With regard to this the Prophet said that
those with beautiful morals were the nicest to him. When asked "Who
are the most beloved servants with Allah? he answered " Those with the most beautiful morals.
Love and Mercy
Human love occupies a significant place in the foundation of moral
behaviors. Therefore, one of the conditions of being a mature muslim is this human love.
Muhammed (peace be upon him) whose heart was
full of love said:
"You cannot be mature believers unless you love one
another."
The sign of love in hearts is to do people kindness and to treat
people with mercy and compassion.
Muhammed (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah has mercy on those who have mercy on others.''
In Islam, the term of love and mercy includes not only the love and
mercy for man but the love and mercy for all the creatures as vell.
Muhammed (peace be upon him) informed the
humanity: ''A woman who causes the death of a cat by keeping it hungry will
be punished whereas a sinner who gives water to a thirsty dog will be
relieved of his sins by Allah because of his behavior.
Tolerance
A muslim is broad-minded and merciful.
Allah describes the true believers as:
''Those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind.
(The Family of Imran 134)
Muhammed (peace be upon him) is the most
beautiful model regarding tolerance.
Muslims have to treat with tolerance not only their
muslim brothers and
sisters but the people of other religions as well.
Honesty
Honesty is an important moral rule. In the Holy Koran Allah states:
''So tread thou the straight path as thou art commanded.'' (Hud 112
Justice and Human Rights
Respect to justice and human rights is one of the invariable
principles of Islam.
Allah Almighty states:
".. and act equitably. Allah loveth the equitable."
(The Private Apartments 9)
In the historical speech Muhammed (peace
be upon him)made before more than one hundred muslims
in 632, he declared to the humanity that:
All human beings are equal, their lives, property and chastity are
sacred and they are protected against all kinds of assaults.
These are the untouchable rights of man. A muslim
has to respect the rights of other people and refrain oneself from the
behaviors that might damage others. Yet this is not enough. Being a mature
mus1im depends on the desire a person has for others for the things he
wants for himself.
Muhammed (peace be upon him) said:
"None of you can be regarded as a real believer unless he (she)
loves for his (her) brother (sister) the thing he (she) loves for himself
(herself)."
Women and Children in Islam
To treat children with love and affection, to handle i women kindly are of the moral principles strongly
advised by Islam. Muhammed (peace be upon him)
said:
"Those who do not have mercy on the young and do not respect
the old are not of us."
"Those of you who treat women most kindly are the most
beneficial.
To Work
Our religion orders us to work and to earn. Being lazy is
contradictory to Islam. Allah states in the Holy Koran:
"... and neglect not thy portion of the world.
(The Story 77)
A good muslim is the one who works for
both this world and the next world. Muhammed
(peace be upon him) said about this:
"Those of you who do not neglect the next world for this world
and vice versa and work for both and are not burden on others are the most
beneficial."
Cleanlines
Cleanliness is one of the most important characteristics of Islam.
It means both physical and spiritual cleanliness.
A muslim is a person who keeps his heart
free from bad feelings and thoughts and keeps his (her) environment and his
(her) body away from dirty things.
Allah Almighty states in the Holy Koran:
''Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto
Him, and loveth those who have a care for
cleanness. (The Cow 222)
About the importance of cleanliness Muhammed
(peace be upon him) said:
Cleanliness is of belief.
Cleanliness is half of belief.
Keep your environment clean.
THE SOURCE OF HAPPINESS
The principles of Islam that seek the happiness of man are summed up
in these two sentences:
1- Respect to Allah's order.
2- Compassion and mercy on His creatures.
True muslim is the one who practises them. This is the path to the eternal
happiness in the next
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