Introduction

5
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful”

Foreword

At the Osoul International Centre for Islamic Advocacy, every new release that we produce gives us a great opportunity to interact with our readers. All our releases have the same overall objective; to present Islam to mankind, as it truly is. We aim to make people aware of Islam’s fine aspects and profound teachings and to show clearly that it is the only faith that provides practical and effective solutions to all the problems faced by humanity. Islam gives clear and solid answers to all of the questions that have troubled people over many generations, such as: How did we come into existence and why do we exist? Where do we go from here? Furthermore, Islam is the only religion that requires its followers to love and respect all the prophets God sent, particularly Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them both).

We take great care to provide solid and rational proofs for our arguments, so as to give our readers the reassurance they need, and our releases also refute the accusations levelled against Islam and provide clarification to people’s misunderstandings of Islamic teachings.

By God’s grace, Islam is the fastest growing religion in our time, as confirmed by a study undertaken by the Pew Research Centre(“The Future of the Global Muslim Population”, Pew Research Center, 27 January 2011, Available at http://goo.gl/k0FJ8Y), and our motive is to make this great divine faith known to all people.

This book, The Beginning and The End, deals with questions of the creation, existence and progress of the universe. This is a subject that has been raised by many communities throughout the ages, yet Islam addressed it in a most direct and clear way right from its earliest days. Islam gives detailed explanations where details are needed and clarifies the issues that need to be clear in people’s minds. The Islamic view of this issue is that God is the Creator of the world we know and all that lies beyond it. He is in no need of anyone of His creation, but they all need Him. Belief and good action based on faith and following the teachings of God’s messengers will definitely benefit man.

In the book, the question is raised of the purpose of the creation of mankind and the jinn. The author responds to this question by saying that the ultimate objective of creation is that all creatures must submit themselves to God and worship Him alone.

The author concludes his thesis by stating that all aspects of life in the universe will inevitably end in death, confirming the Qur’anic statement:

“All that lives on it perishes; but forever will remain the face of your Lord, full of majesty, granting grace.” (55: 26-27)

We hope that readers will find this book useful in adding to their knowledge and understanding of Islam.

Basil ibn Abdullah Al-Fawzan

Executive Director

And may Allah exalt the mention of our Prophet Muhammad s, and render him safe from every derogatory thing, who said:

“All people are from Adam, and Adam was created from dust.” [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi]

And may Allah render his household and Companions safe from every derogatory thing.

The origin and creation of the universe is an issue which has concerned man throughout the ages, especially non-Muslims. Yet, since Islam has clarified and expounded all matters that need clarification, Muslims are thus not puzzled or confused in regards to this matter, nor do they invent ideas regarding these phenomena, which may be discarded with the advent of a new discovery.

We firmly believe that whatever is mentioned in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah regarding these issues is the truth to which all theories must conform. All that differs with it would indeed be proven false.

Allah the Creator of the seen and unseen worlds, is not in need of His creation; rather, His creation is in need of Him. Allah says:

(O mankind! You are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy. If He wills, He could destroy you and bring about a new creation. And that is not hard for Allah.) [35:15-7]

You alone would benefit from your belief and righteous deeds. Allah says:

(If you disbelieve - indeed, Allah is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves it for you; and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about what you used to do...) [39:7]

Allah says in Hadeeth Qudsi (A hadeeth is a narration of the speech, actions, tacit approvals, or characteristics of the Prophet. A Hadeeth Qudsi is a hadeeth in which the Prophet narrates the words of Allah):

‘Allah said: ‘O My slaves! I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My slaves, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you. O My slaves, all of you are hungry except those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you. O My slaves, you commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you. O My slaves, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My slaves, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the Jinn( A creation from the unseen having free will like the humans, made from a smokeless flame of fire) of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not increase My Kingdom an iota. O My slaves, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the Jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom an iota. O My slaves, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the Jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I possess, except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it. O My slaves, it is but your deeds that I account for you and then recompense you for. So he, who finds good, let him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.’” [Muslim]

Islam is the Deen (way of life) which Allah has chosen, is pleased with and has legislated for His slaves. People are in dire need of its laws to organize the affairs of their private and public lives, their internal and external affairs. Besides the great importance paid in Islam to general principles and fundamentals, it has not neglected secondary issues. It also has created equilibrium between the physical and spiritual aspects of life. Allah says:

(This day, I have perfected your Deen for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen.) [5:3]

When man implements Islam in his life, he would feel the pleasure of comfort, self-satisfaction, and spiritual ease. Allah says:

(And We have sent you (O Muhammad s) not but as a mercy for the worlds.) [21:107]

In the Hereafter, Allah would be pleased with him, and admit him in Jannah (Paradise) wherein he will live an everlasting life. Allah says:

(Verily! Those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have the Gardens of Firdaws(The highest level of Paradise (jannah).) for their entertainment.) [18:107]

Allah safeguards and protects Islam until the establishment of the Final Hour. Allah says:

(Indeed, it is We who sent down the revelation and indeed, We will be its guardian). [15:9]

Regardless of the efforts of the enemies of Islam to distort the image of Islam and falsely accuse it, Allah, will safeguard it. Allah says:

(Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; [it is a revelation from a [Lord who is Wise and Praiseworthy.) [41:42]

In the end, Allah’s legislation, His Deen, and His people will be the successful. Allah says:

(Verily, those who oppose Allah and His Messenger are abased as those before them were abased. And We have certainly sent down verses of clear evidence. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.) [58:5]

Regardless of the efforts of the enemies to stop the spread of Islam, they will not be successful. Allah says:

(Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert [people from the way of Allah. So they will spend it; then it will be for them a [source of regret; then they will be overcome. And those who have disbelieved - unto Hell they will be gathered.) [8:36]

The law (Shari’ah) of Allah will prevail, His command is everlasting and His Deen will remain. Allah says:

(They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.) [61:8]

Allah promised to grant victory to it and make it apparent. Allah says:

(It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion...) [48:28]

The Prophet s said:

“This Deen will reach every place which sees night and day. Allah will not leave a house made of mud nor a tent of camel hair except that Allah will make this Deen enter it, either by the might of the mighty or the humility of the meek: the mighty through whom Allah will give might and honor to the Deen of Islam, or the meek through whom Allah will humiliate disbelief.” [Ahmad, Ibn Hibbaan, Haakim]

The Deen of Islam is spreading and people are accepting it in large numbers, even though Muslims are not conveying it as they should. The main reason behind this is that Islam is congruent with the natural disposition of man. It fulfills his desires and secures his stability in all aspects; psychological, social, economical and political. Another reason is the inner-strength which Allah instills in His slaves to aid them.

On the other hand, the opponents of this noble religion are mustering all their resources to turn people against this Deen, and to prevent people from accepting it, and to place obstacles in its path, and to scare people away from it by portraying Islam as a backward Deen which promotes terrorism.

They do this because Islam would definitely bar them from achieving their goals, and it would also prevent them from exploiting their peoples, since Islam forbids oppression in all its forms, and it forbids enslaving people. This is a grave sin, especially when those wronged are the weak. Islam forbids societies, groups and individuals to belittle others. Allah says:

(O mankind! We have created you from a single male and female, and We made you into different nations and tribes that you may come to know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.) [49:13]

I will use the Noble Qur’an in writing this book, since Allah has stated that man cannot discover the truth about the beginning of creation by himself. Allah says:

(I made them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation, and I would not have taken those who misguide as assistants.) [18:51]

The other source I will use is the authentic Sunnah (Sunnah: The ‘Way’ of the Prophet. It sometimes denotes the way he did something. Here it means the collection of the speech, deeds, and tacit approvals of the Prophet, also known as hadeeth). I will avoid correlating the facts mentioned in the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger s with modern science, theories, and discoveries; for those theories which are regarded as true today may be falsified by other theories tomorrow. Many theories once held true in the past have now been proven incorrect due to the progress of modern science. And Allah always speaks the truth:

(… And of knowledge, you have been given only a little.) [17:85]