For the proper development of their lives humankind has two basic needs, namely: (a) resources to maintain life and fulfill the material and spiritual needs of the individual and society, and (b) knowledge of the principles of social behavior to enable human beings to achieve self-fulfillment and to maintain justice and tranquility in human life. The Lord of the Universe has fully provided for both of these necessities. To cater to the material need of human beings, He has provided in nature all kinds of resources and put them at humankind’s disposal. To provide for humankind’s spiritual, social, and culture needs, He raised prophets from among them and revealed a code of life containing a complete guide to righteousness. This code of life is known as Islam. The Qur’an states in Surah ash-Shura (42):13: “He has ordained for you (O Muhammad) that Faith which he commended to Noah, and that which We commended to Ibrahim, Moses, and Jesus, saying: “Established the faith, and be not divided therein”. ” All of the prophets called humanity to the way of the Lord, the way of submission to Allah. All of them gave the same message. All of them stood for the same cause, Islam.
Islam is not a ‘religion’ in the common, distorted sense of the word, which confines its scope to people’s private lives. It is a complete way of life, catering to all the fields of human existence. Islam provides guidance for all walks of life-individual and society, material moral and spiritual, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international. The Qur’an enjoins man to enter the fold of Islam without any reservation and to follow God’s guidance in all fields of life. (Qur’an, 2:208) in fact, no other factor has, perhaps, been more important in causing the decline of religion in the modern age than its retreat into the kingdom of the private life.
Islam states that its objectives are purification of the soul and the reform and the reconstruction of the society. The Qur’an says in Surah Yusuf (12):40: “the command belongs only to Allah. He has commanded that you obey none but Him. That is the right path,” and in Surah al-Hajj (22):41: “(muslim are) those who, if We give them power in the land, established Salah (prayers and worship) and Zakat (poor-due) and enjoin virtue and forbid vice and evil.” The Prophet (s.a.w) also said: "everyone of you is a keeper or a shepherd (guardian) and will be questioned about the well-being of his fold. So, the head of the state will be questioned about the well-being of the people of the state. Every man is shepherd member of it. Every woman is a shepherd (guardian) to the family of her husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And every servant is a shepherd (guardian) to his master and will be questioned about the propety of his master."
Thus, even a superficial study of teachings of Islam clearly shows that iti is an all-embracing way o f life which does not leave any field of human existance to become a playground for satanic forces.
Islam teaches the sanctity of human personality, confers equal rights on all without any distinction of colour, sex, or language, and subjects the highest and the humblest, the richest and the poorest, the king and the commoner to the sovereignty of Allah. At the same time Islam gives man the highest imaginable initiative to proceed in the path of self-realization, by perfecting his or her servitude to the Lord of the universe.
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