GENERAL CRITERIA OF THE TRUE RELIGION
Every adherent of a creed believes that his creed is the true one, and all followers of a religion believe that their religion is the ideal one and the most upright path. When you ask the followers of adulterated religions or followers of man-made creeds about the proof for their belief, they argue that they found their fathers on a faith and are just following their paths. They then relate narrations and stories whose chains of transmitters are not sound and whose texts are not free from faults and defects. They only depend on inherited books whose authors, recorders and even their original languages and their sources are unknown. They are only mixed-up stories concocted together, magnified and inherited generation after generation without any scholastic verification of their chains of transmitters and precise checking of their texts.
These unknown books, narrations and blind imitations cannot be taken as evidences in matters of religions and beliefs. Or is it possible that all these adulterated religions and man-made creeds are true or false?
It is impossible that all these religions are true, for truth is only one and cannot be numerous. It is also impossible that all these adulterated religions and manmade beliefs are all from Allah and therefore true. Then, since there are numerous religions and the true is only one, which of them is then the true religion? There should, therefore, be criteria for distinguishing the true religion from the false. If we find that these criteria fit a religion, we know that it is the true religion; and when all or one of these criteria is lacking in any religion, we know that it is a false religion.
The criteria by which we distinguish the true religion from the false ones are:
One: That the religion must be from Allah, revealed through an angel to one of His Messengers in order to convey it to mankind. For the true religion is Allah’s, and it is He Who will recompense His slaves and take them to reckoning on the Day of Resurrection concerning the religion that He revealed to them. He says,
“Verily, We have sent the revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We sent the revelation to Nooh (Noah) and the Prophets after him; We also sent the revelation to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismaeel (Ishmael), Is’haaq (Issac), Yaqoob (Jacob) and Al-Asbaat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya‘qoob), ‘Eesaa (Jesus), Ayoub (Job), Yoonus (Jonah), Haroon (Aaron) and Sulayman (Solomon); and to Dawood (David) We gave the Psalms.” (An-Nisaa 4:163)
He, may He be glorified- also says,
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): none has the right to be worshipped but Me. So, worship Me.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:25)
Based on the above verses and criteria, any religion that is brought by any man and attributed to himself and not to Allah is definitely a false religion.
Two: That the religion should call to the worship of Allah alone; should prohibit Shirk (polytheism of any form) and all that can lead to it. This is because, the call to the oneness of Allah is the primary mission of all Prophets and Messengers. Every Prophet told his people:
“Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him.” (Al-A’raf 7:73)
Three: It should be in agreement with the principles unto which all the Messengers call their people which are to worship Allah alone and to avoid polytheism, unruliness to parents, killing of a person unjustly and all other immoral things, be they hidden or apparent. Allah says,
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to Him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.” (Al- 21:25)
He also says,
“Say (O Muhammad): Come I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; Be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawaahish (Shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic Law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.” (Al-An’am 6:151)
He also says,
“And ask (O Muhammad) those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: ‘Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most-Gracious (Allah).’” (Az-Zukhruf 43:45)
Four: It should not be self-contradicting by commanding a matter and contradicting it by another. It should also not forbid something and then allow what is similar to it without any reason or prohibit something for some group and permit it for others. Allah says,
“Do they not then consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many contradictions.” (An-Nisaa 4:82)
Five: The religion should include what can preserve for people, their religion, honour, properties, lives and offspring through its commandments, prohibitions, deterrents and morals that it ordains to protect these five general factors.
Six: It should serve as a mercy for mankind and save them from their own injustices and the injustices they commit against one another through usurping others’ rights and the general amenities or through misleading the weak at the hands of the strong. Allah says while explaining the mercy that the Torah which was given to Prophet Mousa entails,
“And when the anger of Mousa was calmed down, he took up the Tablets; and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for those who fear their Lord.” (Al-A’raf 7:154)
He also says informing us about the message of Prophet Eesaa,
“And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us.” (Maryam 19:21)
He says about Prophet Salih,
“He said, ‘O my people: Tell me, if I am (acting) on a clear proof from my Lord, and there has come to me a mercy (Prophethood) from Him, who will save me from Allah if I disobey Him?’” (Hood 11:63)
He says about the Qur’an,
“And We send down of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe.” (Al-Israa 17:82)
Seven: It should entail guidance to the Law of Allah, and teach man the intention of Allah by that Law. It should also be able to tell man his origin and his final destination. Allah says about the Torah,
“Verily, we did send down the Torah, therein was guidance and light.” (Al-Maidah 5:44)
He says about the Injeel (the Book given to Eesaa),
“And We gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance and light.” (Al-Maidah 5:46)
He says about the Qur’an,
“It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth.” (At-Tawbah 9:33)
The true religion is the one that includes guidance to the Law of Allah, gives peace and tranquillity to the mind, protect it from all insinuations, answers all its questions and resolves every problem.
Eight: It should call to noble characters and deeds like truthfulness, honesty, modesty, chastity and generosity. It should also prohibit bad conducts like disobedience to parents, killing innocent souls, all kinds of immoralities, lies, injustice, aggression, stinginess and sins.
Nine: It should be able to provide happiness for those who believe in it. Allah says,
“Taa Haa. We have not sent down the Qur’an unto you (O Muhammad) to cause you distress.” (Taa Haa 20:1-2)
It should also be in harmony with upright nature. “(This is) Allah’s nature upon which He has created mankind.” (Ar-Room 30:30) It must also be in harmony with sound reason, because the true religion is legislated by Allah and the sound reason is created by Allah and it is therefore impossible that the Law of Allah and the creatures of Allah should contradict each other.
Ten: It should lead to the truth, warn against falsehood, keep people away from error and lead them to the Straight Path where there is no crookedness. Allah speaks about the jinn that when they heard the Qur’an being recited, some of them told others, “O our people! Verily! We have heard a Book (the Qur’an) sent down after Mousa, confirming what came before it: It guides to the truth and the Straight Path.” (Al-Ahqaaf 46:30)
It should not call to what will cause people misery, as Allah says about the Qur’an,
“Taa Haa. We have not sent down the Qur’an unto you to cause you distress.” (Taa Haa 20:1-2)
The true religion should also not enjoin on people what can cause them destruction. Allah says,
“And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allah is the Most-Merciful to you.” (An-Nisaa 4:29)
It should also not distinguish between its adherents on the basis of race, colour or clan. Allah says,
“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who is most pious. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Al-Hujuraat 49:13)
Therefore, the recognised criterion for giving people precedence in the true religion is piety.
After mentioning the criteria for distinguishing between the true religion and the false ones and citing evidences from the Qur’an that these Criteria are general in the case of all truthful Messengers sent by Allah, it is then very appropriate to mention types of religion.
By Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym
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