Islam is a way of life. It has got solutions to each and every problem. It’s a complete and a comprehensive guide. Every aspect of human life is detailed. Every Muslim must study, know and adopt the guiding principles of Islam. The basic tenets of Islam are: (i) To know Allah and believe in Him, (ii) To know and follow Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and (iii) To know what is Halal and what is Haram and thereby building a strong character. These corner stones convey the basic message of Islam. This forms the theme of the Holy Qur’an. This is what Allah sums up in Surah Al Fatiha, the first chapter of our Holy book. Allah wants us to know about Him. He wants us to study, observe and think. We are human beings. We are gifted with the power of reason and logic. Allah loves those who study and think and try to understand Him. Knowing about Him is the basic principle of Islam. “All praise be to the Lord of all that exists. The Beneficiant, the most Merciful. Owner of the Day of Judgement” Allah speaks about Himself in Surah Al Fatiha. Being Muslims, we should understand our Lord. We should know His names and His attributes. This is the building block of the pinnacle of our belief—Towheed. Therefore, study, understand and know Allah. Likewise, to understand and walk on the right path forms another principle of Islam. Allah mentions in Quran, “Guide us (Muslims) to the right path.” [Surah Al Fatiha] What is the right path? It is the life and Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (pbuh). We should know about the life, character, teachings and sacrifices of the last Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Being Muslims, we should love him more than our family. In concurrence to this, in almost one-third of the Holy Qur’an, Allah brings to us the stories of various Messengers sent to the mankind in past. Why? It’s because He wants us to know their lives and their teachings. When a Muslim knows his Prophets, he would know their worth and love them. He would understand what walking on the right path means.
The comprehensive message carried by Surah Al Fatiha is the theme of the Holy Quran. This forms the crux of Islam too. Every time we recite this chapter, we must treat it as a reminder—a reminder towards the core principles of our religion: to know Allah, to follow Sunnah and do the right.
Knowing about our Creator and our Prophet makes us knowledgeable, clear and stronger. It builds a radiant character and purifies our heart and soul. This makes us capable of understanding the prohibitions and approvals that Allah commands. We know and accept what Halal is and what Haram is. Another major part of our Holy book is dedicated to this. Walking on this prescribed path is equal to attaining Allah’s favours, grace and mercy. Disobeying His orders attracts His wrath and punishment. In Surah Al Fatiha, we pray to Allah, “Grant us the path of those whom You have favoured; not those who have earned Your anger nor those who are misguided.” This forms another core message of Islam. Therefore, the comprehensive message carried by Surah Al Fatiha is the theme of the Holy Quran. This forms the crux of Islam too. Every time we recite this chapter, we must treat it as a reminder—a reminder towards the core principles of our religion: to know Allah, to follow Sunnah and do the right.
