SUBJECT

subject	Relationships
topic	Human Race
grade	Eight
time	30 minutes
objective	To enable students to understand the islamic view on relationships within the human race.
instructional material	Info Sheet 8a – The Human Race.

INTRODUCTION

Islam in Reality

By Sadar uddin Siddiqui

Islam is the religion of the One God, Allah, in its complete, final, universal and eternal form. It encompasses the finest relationships that could exist between God and human, human and human, and human and his environment. Islam is the core knowledge of guidance, outlining the basics, rules and regulations and the fundamental to attain these relationships of humans, keeping in a complete harmony in men's soul and body.

DEVELOPMENT

Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4, and let each group read a section of the Info Sheets.

REINFORCING ACTIVITIES

Let one person from each group summarise what the group read.

FOLLOW UP

Summarize the information for the whole class.

INFO SHEET 8a: The Human Race

Islam in Reality

By Sadar uddin Siddiqui

All these relationships are focused on Allah Ta'ala, that is, done only for His sake. The beauty of the concept of Islam is that anything being done is granted by Almighty Allah. Therefore, it cannot be illegal or immoral. The person doing a favor is doing it for the sake of the Almighty and thus wants the reward from Him and not from the person being favored. He is not looking forward to any favor in return, not even thanks. Such a person, satisfied with his deeds, continues to do favors without disappointment from a negative reaction or attitude of others, because he was not expecting anything in return. He did it only for the sake of his Lord, whom he thanks for giving him a chance to serve others. However, it is the duty of the other person to thank Allah Ta'ala and people doing favor to him.

The relationships in Islam are based on equality, justice and mutual respect. Islam respects everyone and tends to guide and elevate the status of every human. Even the people who are indulged in doing bad things or possess bad manners are not hated. Islam allows only the bad act to be hated, not the person, because either with education or prescribed punishment, if that person stops doing bad things and starts doing good things he will become a good instrument of society. The philosophy behind it probably is, if one hates a person, one would not like to do good to that person, and Islam rejects such barrier.

Money, wealth, etc., are not the criteria for respect in Islam; only God-fearing and education level are. Mutual respect brings the hearts close and Islam demands respect of all; it does not even allow to say bad things about the false gods of other people which they respect and worship, in order to avoid a retaliation toward the Real God, the Exalted, The Powerful, Self-existing, Who created the whole universe and all creatures; and Who is the Sustainer and Nourisher of all, by Himself, without the requirement of any external help. In such a situation, a way to guide them is to explain gently in the following terms: "You yourself created these by your own hands as you desired, and if you didn't want to, you would have not created them, so please think: How can they help you, protect you or give you anything, when their own existence is dependent on others?"

In return, Islam also wants mutual respect and it must be noted that Muslims have the highest degree of respect for their prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), as well as all other prophets. Therefore none should try to disgrace him in any aspect. The Holy Book, al-Qur'an, is the words of Allah, the Lord of the Universe, and even Muslims cannot touch it without properly purifying themselves (that is, making ablution for instance). It is not an ordinary book, every verse of it is precious. It is not a calligraphic piece of art or design. Therefore it must not be misused or disgraced by anyone.

In addition, there are other things of notable importance. These are as follows: First, Islam is not a religion of a man, nation or a country, but a religion of all creations of Allah Ta'ala and primarily human beings (and jins).

Second, Islam is not a religion of few rituals named worship, but a complete code of life from birth to death and has the following dimensions among others: (1) faith and concepts, (2) manners or attitude and moral values, (3) worship, (4) economics, (5) civilization relationships and dealing relationship (rights and duties).

Third, Islam is not a new religion, but a continuation of the same true religion which has been revealed to the last prophet, Muhammad (pbuh). The source to gain this knowledge is the Holy Qur'an and its explanations by the set traditions of the Prophet (pbuh). Anything based on these two sources is a part of Islam and anything that is against the knowledge of these two is not Islam. Therefore, if one's belief and practice match the two sources, one's doing suggests that one may be a Muslim, that is, a person who has accepted Islam as a religion and a way of living. On the contrary, if one's belief and practice are not in accordance with them, one cannot be a Muslim, even if one claims to be Muslim.

Moreover, Islam demands full education of men and women and not only a mere study of going through books, but thinking and inferring by studying all the creation of Allah Ta'ala, that is, the earth, the sky, the diverse kingdoms of plants and animals and the situations and circumstances of other humans, now and from history. One should learn lessons from their fate and look into the Qur'an and traditions for the guidance in all aspects. Further, Islam foresees the practical application of the acquired knowledge as it is a practical religion in all ages and circumstances.

In Islam there are certain things and acts that are not allowed. However, such prohibition is for the betterment of humans and their environment. Sometimes, the logic behind it is not understood at this stage, but in future it may be proved to be accurate, through science.

Islam is not a mystery but an open invitation to all those who love compliance to truth, and those who could be brave enough to be righteous under all circumstances, hence, encouraging the development of peace loving, righteousness, a community where each individual wants to serve and help others and perform one's duties irrespective of any return, only for the sake of Allah Ta'ala.

The key role in performance of duties in Islam is that of intent, which has been declared as basis of all actions. Muslims know that their doings will be judged on the basis of their intention. For example, the act of a person who gives some money in donation with the intention to please Allah Ta'ala only will certainly be rewarded. On the other hand, if the donation is made with the intention to show off, to be called generous by people, to get attention of voters, etc., though it is a good act, due to the distorted intention, the Almighty is not likely to be pleased with it. No reward should be expected on any such act in this world or in the Hereafter.

It is among the basic duties of Muslims to believe in the attributes of Allah, glory to Him. Every Muslim knows that He is the Only One, Who knows everything, even the thoughts of a person. Therefore, if a Muslim wants to please his Lord with some doings he has to purify his intention, his thoughts and his acts. This purity starts from cleaning the heart and mind with the oneness of Allah, the Pure, and is also inclusive of intentions and thus actions. Therefore every act of a Muslim should be pure, lawful, beneficial and not harmful in any respect.

Finally, every Muslim has to follow Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), for every word or act of him is a part of religion. If anyone wants to truly know about Islam and Muslims, he has to study the life of the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions. Wherein one can find Islam in practice in all walks of life, from person to person to country to country level patronizing the best examples.

Finally, non-Muslims who wish to develop good relations with Muslims have to observe the above-mentioned points in mutual respect.