كُنۡتُمۡ خَيۡرَ اُمَّةٍ اُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَاۡمُرُوۡنَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰهِ
(You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah. Quran 3:110)
Islam is a comprehensive way of life. The above-quoted verse from the Holy Quran speaks about the Muslim community. The Holy Quran states, “You are the best community that has been brought forth for mankind.”
God, the Prophet, and the Hereafter are the cornerstones of Islamic philosophy. Based on these principles, Islam has formulated a life plan. By integrating spiritual and material life, Islam continues to exist as a way of life today. This unique feature, which only Islam can claim, combines the soul and body of humans. The life plan presented to humanity is from Allah, who created, shaped, and sustains the entire universe. If we embrace this life plan throughout our lives, Islam teaches that we will have a life free from stress, tension, and full of happiness and prosperity in both worlds.
Islam teaches that humans can even find satisfaction by dedicating their struggles and pressures to Allah and the Hereafter. Beyond this, the ultimate success in the eternal life of the Hereafter is assured. Islam is the complete religion of the world, one that can be believed in and adhered to by all. It is a religion filled with peace, tranquility, mercy, compassion, and love.
During the era when all the laws and instructions of this religion were followed, it shone as a beacon of light for the entire world. There was peace and tranquility all over the world. People everywhere loved and embraced this religion. Witnessing the beauty and humanism of Islam, people flocked to it. Even today, we see its echoes in various parts of the world, a religion that spread justice, morality, and truth.
Presenting this religion to the world is the duty of every Muslim. It is every Muslim’s ardent desire that everyone in the world should succeed in both this life and the Hereafter. Even in the life of the Prophet, we can see numerous examples of this. The Prophet embraced immoral people and guided them towards morality. History tells us that the Prophet often wept seeing people living in moral decay. He worked and prayed for their guidance, as these are facts we read in history.
However, this religion does not allow anyone to be forcibly converted.
لا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ
(There is no compulsion in religion. Righteousness is now distinct from error.Quran 2:256)
On the other hand, it is the path for those who desire peace.
وَٱللَّهُ يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ دَارِ ٱلسَّلَٰمِ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰط مُّسۡتَقِيم
(Allah calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to a Straight Path. Quran 10:25)
