Dr. Naji Ibrahim Arfaj
How can a Muslim achieve tranquility and peace in life, and where does true happiness lie? How does Islam help us reach and maintain this state of peace and contentment?
Key 1: Know your one true God.
Islam teaches us that we can attain peace of mind, happiness, and salvation, by knowing and believing in the One True God willingly and wholeheartedly.
Key 2: Believe in Him alone.
Key 3: Follow His will.
Key 4: Believe in God’s prophets (including Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).
Key 5: Remember God.
Key 6: Seek God’s forgiveness.
Key 7: Worship Him alone.
Key 8: Love for others what you love for yourself.
Key 9: Be generous to others and try to make them happy.
Key 10: Have sincerity and piety.
Briefly, these top 10 secret keys through which we can achieve tranquility and contentment as well as spiritual, social, and global peace are among the magnificent treasures of the Qur’an and the Sunnah/Prophetic sayings.
Believing in the One True God
To sum up, Islam teaches us through its two main authentic sources: The Qur’an and the Prophetic sayings that we can attain peace of mind, happiness, and salvation, by knowing and believing in the One True God (Allah) willingly and wholeheartedly. We must also believe in all God’s true prophets (including Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) and follow their true guidance and teachings.
Thus, the gateway to a happy, content, and eternal life is through believing in and uttering this testimony:
I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Worship
However, Islam tells us that belief alone in God and His prophets is not enough to have peace of mind, happiness, and salvation!
We have to do the will of Allah through worshipping Him alone and keeping His commandments.
Submission
Submission to the will of God is the essence of the message of Allah. Confirming the true meaning of submission to Him and the reward prepared for those who believe and do good deeds, Allah points out in the Qur’an:
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they w ill have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging. (Al-Kahf 18:107)
Similarly, the Bible reports the words of Jesus’ brother, James, saying:
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead also. (James 2:26)
Interestingly, James (4:7) also referred to the meaning of Islam- submission to God:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. (James 4:7)
Following the Prophets
Therefore, Muslims are true followers of Jesus and the prophets. A Muslim means a person who submits his or her will to the one true God.
Muslims have faith in Allah (the one true God) and do good deeds. They obey and follow the commandments that Jesus and the prophets taught and did, like believing in one true God, praying, prostrating, kneeling down in worship, fasting, giving alms and charity, saying“ if God wills” (Insha’Allah ), and using the greeting of Jesus and the prophets: “Peace be upon you ” (Asalamu `Alaikum).
These are just some examples and pieces of evidence which clearly indicate the truth, unity, and universality of this great and beautiful religion of all prophets: Islam.
_________________________
The article is excerpted from the author’s “Have You Discovered It’s Real Beauty?”
Dr. Naji Al-Arfaj He is the Director of the Inter-Cultural Communication and Dialogue Center in Saudi Arabia. He attended Michigan State University, USA and completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics in 1995. He spent more than 20 years researching comparative religion. He is the author of several books, and presents radio and TV programs.