COMSATS UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD, LAHORE CAMPUS

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

ISLAMIC STUDIES
ASSIGNMENT –3

“Ritualistic Concept of Islam”

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Submitted By: Mubashar Hussain (SP18-BPH-007)

Submitted To: Dr Musferah Mehfooz
Preface :-

Today, in the 21st Century, the biggest problem and fundamental challenge for the 'Muslim
Ummah' is the ritualistic concept of Islam. All other problems are the ultimate result of this
problem. Since Islam has a broad and comprehensive scenario so it can't be considered as a
religion in any way. It is a Deen of Allah Almighty, means a system of Allah Almighty for human
beings. 'Deen e Islam' covers all the needs of human beings. When the ritualistic concept of
Islam was created, then the original and real concept was removed and the Muslims became
victims of various big and biggest problems. Muslims have worth noting for having this
ritualistic concept of Islam. The point to be seen that, when the Islam had political and
economic dominance, we do not get to see these problems, but after the end of the political
and economic domination of the Islam, the 'Muslim Ummah' became victim of various
problems and to this day, they are still being swept away. Let's try to get to the bottom of this
issue of 'Muslim Ummah'.

The colonial period and concept of Islam: -

More than 300 years ago, the vicious and violent capitalist dictatorships of Europe occupied the
world's populations and established their colonies. From here, the unforgettable stories of
exploitation and violation came into being. We can't currently go into the details of the tactics
these capitalists used to make their colonial occupation livable and exploitation sustainable,
because the article cannot afford it, but we do cover the issue related to our subject. This issue
is related to 'Muslim Ummah'. When Europe imposed its rule on the Muslim world, it
introduced Islam as a religion as and a collection of rituals to take away political and economic
dominance from Muslims. The English procedure for this work can be discussed in detail, but
under the relevant headings. Right now we move the defendants forward. However, the Britain
introduced new educational systems to the Muslim world in its own way and it succeeded in
making specific and limited ritualistic mindset of 'Muslim Ummah'. The British attempt took
multiplied when the Muslims were completely deprived of political and economic dominance.
Islam as a 'Deen', the solution to all problems:-

 Meaning of Islam:

The word Islam is from 'Slaamti' which means security, safety, peace and well being. Its one
meaning is self-surrender and the other one is obedience.(1)

 Concept of Islam:

By the literal and verbal meaning of Islam is that it's ‘system of principals and codes’ sent by
God to human beings, according to which human beings submit or self-surrender themselves to
God and obey God, and consequently human beings are given security, safety, peace. In the
consequence of this, human beings get the system of justice, accountability and prosperity.

 Concept of Islam as 'Deen':

'Deen' is an Arabic word and its one meaning is system. So then ‘Deen e Islam’ means that the
system for human beings sent by God, according to which they submit and self-surrender
themselves to God and obey God. Islam is the system of security, safety, peace and justice and
prosperity.

Quran says about 'Deen';

“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.”(2)

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have
approved for you Islam as religion.”(3)

 Solutions to all the problems of the ‘Muslim Ummah’:

When we consider Islam as a 'Deen' and accept it as a system, then Islam will solve all the
problems of Muslims, not only Muslims rather all the human beings. Understanding Islam as a
‘Deen’ and as a system can benefit us from the political and economic system of Islam. Islam
has an economic and political system that is useful to all humanity.
Hazrat Imam Shah Waliullah introduced Islam as a system after the political dominance of Islam
ends. In the books written in the first thousand years, we can find a wealth of material
regarding the political and economic systems of Islam.

Understanding Islam as a system is actually useful for Muslims and the for all the world.
Without it, Muslims can't find solutions to their problems within the world. Today, Islam can
serve as a system for comprehensive and collective solutions to all problems. Islam as a religion
is merely a combination of rituals. Even if the rituals are empty of the spirit, it is invalid and
does not produce any results, but causes more problems.

Islam as religion, the root of all problems of 'Muslim Ummah':-

 Meaning of religion:

The English word religion means a way. Religion is the way of worshiping one God or more than
one God. Religion has to do with the relationship between God/gods and creation. In all the
religions, it is a personal and individual matter of every human being.(4)

 Concept of religion:

This is the way religion means the relationship between the creator and the creature. Religion
has nothing to do with human society, as it is a personal and individual matter to all of human
beings. The religions that are found in all the nations of the world are merely a guideline on the
relationship between God/gods and human beings.

 Concept of Islam as religion and its background:

According to the definition of religion, if Islam is viewed as a religion, then Islam too will be
limited to giving guidance only on the relationship between the creator and the creature (which
is a personal and individual relationship). This will cut off Islam from society of human beings,
becoming mere a collection of rituals.
Britain introduced Islam as mere a religion in the colonial era (when the political and economic
dominance of the Muslims came to an end). In doing so, the English escaped political and
economic confrontation with Islam and succeeded in overcoming their sanatic capitalist
principles in the world.

Islamic rituals and human society: -

'Deen' and religion are two separate things, and their scope and results are different too. The
rituals found within religion are soul less and have no relationship with human society.

On the other hand, rituals in the 'Deen e Islam' have a very deep and basic relationship with the
society of human beings. Islamic rituals have great souls and goals. Islamic rituals are there too
build up the human society on the base of good morals.

"The essential consequence of God-worship is humanism" (5)

 Prayer, Fasting, 'Hajj', 'Zakwat' and 'Jihad':

On seeing Islam as a religion, one of the greatest worships found in it, prayer, fasting, 'hajj',
'zakwat' and 'jihaad' have nothing to do with the society.

On the other hand, in the ‘Deen e Islam’, the purpose of prayer is to eradicate the dirty and
corrupt habits and morals and to create the right and righteous habits and morals. Prayer
make reflection of the attributes of God into a human being by connecting with the Allah
Almighty so the human beings, by expressing these attributes within the society as right and
righteous deeds, habits and morals, they lead the society on the path of development.

Similarly, the purpose of fasting in the 'Deen e Islam' is to give a sense about hunger if poor
people within the society and to focus on purifying society from hunger. Fasting tends to
reduce the lust of material needs from within the human beings to spiritual development,
which in turn eliminates the lust of material deeds found within the society. The purpose of
fasting is to make society feel the fear of God.
As such, the other rituals of Islam like 'hajj' and 'zakwat' also play a very social role in the
human society. These rituals are to make human beings pure for the society so the
consequence of this will be a society like paradise where there all the human beings are
prosperous.

'Jihad' plays a very vital role in the human society to demolish the bad systems and to make the
social free from wrongfulness. 'Jihad' by knowledge is the very essential for human beings to
make development of their societies.

Some of major problems arising due to ritualistic concept of Islam:-

Sectarianism, extremism and terrorism are just a few of the major problems and the biggest
problem arising due to this ritualistic concept is that for the Ummah, its political and economic
dominance has vanished. Since the ritualistic concept of Islam has no role in regard to society,
the guidance of the Qur'an and Islam regarding human societies has been hidden. As a result if
this, the political and economic system of the Quran could not be taken advantage of and
Muslims are overwhelmed today. Today, Muslim economic zones are suffering as they are not
taking Islam as a system. The capitalist countries are drawing the wealth and sources from the
Muslim world as Muslim world has not its own system, the system of Islam.

Domination of Islam is possible only as 'Deen' (System):-

As long as Islam is practiced as a religion, Muslims will not be able to get out of slavery and end
their problems within the world. Islam as a system can solve all problems. The Quran says;

“It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the ‘Deen’ of truth dominant it over all
‘Adyaan’ “(6)

Domination of ‘Deen’ is very important. The Qur'an obligated the dominance of 'Deen'. Unless
we consider Islam as a system and adopt its political and economic principles in order to
establish our national systems Muslims will continue to suffer and will be humiliated by
capitalists and it will spoil the hereafter as this life of Muslim spoiling.
The responsibility of the Muslim Ummah Today:-

Today, it is the responsibility of the 'Muslim Ummah' to create a revolution at the national
levels by understanding the system of Islam and struggling to adapt it by understanding the
facts of the world and their national affairs. As a result, the Muslim Ummah can escape the
European capitalists and domestic capitalists today, otherwise this traditional and ritualistic
concept will lead to more severe issues and 'Muslim Ummah' will be more destructed. Today, it
is the responsibility of all Muslim nations to play a revolutionary role and try to prevail the
political and economic8 principles of Islam by understanding Islam as a 'Deen'. This will solve all
modern problems.

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References :-

1) Any Arabic Dictionary

2) Surah 6 – Ayat 19

3) Surah 5 – Ayat 3

4) Any English Dictionary

5) Imam Ubaidullah Sindhi (R.A)

6) Surah 48 – Ayat 28