The Last Revelation

The Glorious Qur’an is the Final Revelation (the Last Testament), revealed by God (Allah) to Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an is a divine constitution sent down to regulate and govern our human life. It speaks with the perfect knowledge of the Creator about His creation. It reveals the truth and invites humankind to the way of that truth. It contains important information about human destiny. It educates and raises people to the highest spiritual, moral, intellectual, and social levels as they strive to comprehend it and apply its teachings.

The Qur’an is an eternal miracle given to the final Prophet, Muhammad, as proof of his prophethood; as such, it is unique and incomparable. Although revealed fourteen centuries ago, it remains even today completely intact and unaltered (in its original Arabic form).

Allah tells us in the Qur’an that "He has sent down His Word (the Qur’an) and that He will preserve it". (15:9)

Also, Allah states in the Qur’an:

This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. (2: 2-4)

Say, "If humankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants." (17:88)

BEAUTIFUL AND MAGIFICENT QUR’ANIC VERSES

In this booklet, I would like to share with you some beautiful and magnificent verses from the infinite oceans of God’s Word and Wisdom. To discover more about these beautiful and pure treasures of the Word of the One True God, I invite you to read the Qur’an for yourself. Try to get an authentic translation; you may access one online from a reliable Islamic website. (Please check the recommended Islamic websites at the end of this booklet.)

In fact, all Qur’anic verses are God’s Words. Let us read and enjoy some magnificent texts of the Glorious Qur’an that reveal the Islamic view regarding some critical and significant teachings and concepts in Islam, like:

• One True God (Tawheed)
• Forgiveness and Salvation
• Justice
• Equality
• Universality and Unity of Message
• Allah and His Messenger
• Tranquillity and Paradise
• Men and Women (in Islam)
• Great Teachings
• Do’s and Don’ts

One True God (Tawheed)

Allah - there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allah in statement. (4:87)

That is Allah, your Lord; there is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Disposer of all things.

O mankind, remember the favor of Allah upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and earth? There is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded? (35: 3)

And He is Allah ; there is no deity except Him. To Him is [due all] praise in the first [life] and the Hereafter. And His is the [final] decision, and to Him you will be returned. (28:70)

And your god is One God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. (2: 163)

Say, "He is Allah, [Who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent." (112: 1-4)

And they were not commanded except to worship One God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him. (9: 31)

Indeed, the pure and crystal clear concept of the Oneness of God (in Arabic, Tawheed) is the essential theme of the Qur’an.

Forgiveness and Salvation

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (39:53)

And it is He (Allah) Who accepts repentance from his servants and pardons misdeeds, and He knows what you do. (42:25)

Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves. (2: 222)

When a soul repents and returns to Allah, Allah turns back to His servant with acceptance and forgiveness. Yes, Allah forgives all sins when we go back to Him sincerely. What a great deal!

Islam sees Allah as the source of peace, mercy, and forgiveness  ̶  not as a source of hate, bloodshed, violence, or terrorism.

So to attain salvation and eternal life, you simply turn back to Allah, believe in Him alone, and perform good deeds. There is no need for an innocent, virtuous person to be crucified or killed to pay for and erase sins committed by others.

On the other hand, Islam commands its followers to forgive others. The Qur’an commends those true believers … "who pardon (forgive) the people, and Allah loves the doers of good". (3:134)

This has briefly explained the beautiful concept of salvation and forgiveness in Islam, which is indeed a religion of mercy and forgiveness.

Justice

{O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.} (5:8)

Islam teaches us to be just with everyone, whether friend or foe, at all times, whether at peace or at war. It teaches us to conduct ourselves with unconditional justice and morality, free from individual whims or the idea that moral values change over time due to changing social and cultural circumstances.

{Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due, and when you judge between people, to judge with justice.} (4:58)

As a practical manifestation of its beauty and its eternal values of mercy and justice, Islam commands us to protect what Muslim scholars call ‘The Five Necessities’:

1. Religion.
2. Soul.
3. Mind.
4. Honour (dignity).
5. Money and property.

Beautifully, the Glorious Qur’an points out that if one kills an innocent soul:

{It is as if he had killed humankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved humankind entirely.} (5:32)

Concerning the freedom and protection of faith, the Glorious Qur’an states:

{There is no compulsion in religion…} (2:256)

Thus, Islam honours humankind and does not accept forcing anyone to embrace its faith. This is the truth, beauty, justice, kindness, and tolerance of Islam when dealing with non-Muslims. In addition, Islam commands us to be honest, objective, and fair when judging others. Let’s remember what Allah tells us in the Glorious Qur’an:

{…and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.} (5:8)

Nonetheless, there are unfair political and religious leaders, writers, historians, and media people who accuse Islam and all Muslims of terrorism and claim that Islam was spread by the sword; there are also those who unjustly and disrespectfully depict Allah, the One True God, along with His last prophet, Muhammad, in the worst and ugliest images, films, and cartoons.

Consider these questions:

• Is this what is meant by freedom, and specifically freedom of speech? Is there not a double standard when it comes to Islam and Muslims? (For example, why are the terms ‘Christian terrorists’ or ‘Jewish terrorists’ never heard, although there is no shortage of atrocities committed by people of those faiths?)
• Is everyone free to insult, curse, and despise others and their beliefs, or to accuse them all of terrorism?

• Is this how civilization, democracy, and freedom are taught to the younger generation in schools, colleges, and society in general?

• Is it really the sword of Islam that makes so many wise, objective, sincere, and open-minded men and women around the world embrace Islam nowadays? (There are many books, articles, stories, websites, videos, and social media materials that discuss why and how these brothers and sisters have reverted to Islam. For example, I would recommend Islam Our Choice: Portraits of Modern American Muslim Women, edited by Debra L. Dirks and Stephanie Parlove.)

Note: Despite the negative depictions, Western media nonetheless reports that Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. So why Islam?

Equality

{O humankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God (Allah) is the most righteous of you. Indeed God (Allah) is Knowing and Acquainted.} (49: 13)

Confirming this ideal concept of equality in Islam, Prophet Muhammad declared in his last sermon:

“O people, your God is One, and your father is One. You are all from Adam, and Adam is from dust. An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, and a non-Arab is not superior to an Arab. A white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have superiority over a white. You are all equal. No one has superiority over others except through piety and good action.”

Islam teaches us not to hate or disparage others based on their race, skin tone or eye colour, or nationality. Islam is a practical remedy for the scourge of racial conflict and discrimination which the world witnesses. In Islam, blacks and whites are brothers and sisters in the same human race. We are all descended from the same father, Adam, who was created from dust; thus we are all from the earth and we will all go back to the earth and turn into dust again.

This important lesson is derived from the above quotes from the Qur’an and the Prophet’s last sermon. So why do some people feel false pride or act arrogantly towards others?

Equality

{O humankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God (Allah) is the most righteous of you. Indeed God (Allah) is Knowing and Acquainted.} (49: 13)

Confirming this ideal concept of equality in Islam, Prophet Muhammad declared in his last sermon:

“O people, your God is One, and your father is One. You are all from Adam, and Adam is from dust. An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, and a non-Arab is not superior to an Arab. A white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have superiority over a white. You are all equal. No one has superiority over others except through piety and good action.”

Islam teaches us not to hate or disparage others based on their race, skin tone or eye colour, or nationality. Islam is a practical remedy for the scourge of racial conflict and discrimination which the world witnesses. In Islam, blacks and whites are brothers and sisters in the same human race. We are all descended from the same father, Adam, who was created from dust; thus we are all from the earth and we will all go back to the earth and turn into dust again.

This important lesson is derived from the above quotes from the Qur’an and the Prophet’s last sermon. So why do some people feel false pride or act arrogantly towards others?

Universality and Unity of Message

{Say, [O believers,] “We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.”} (2:136)

Muslims love and believe in all God’s prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all).

Prophet Muhammad said, “I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary, for there was no other prophet between him and me. The prophets are just brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.”

What is this universal, one true religion of all God’s prophets?

OTHER BEAUTIFUL VERSES TO THINK ABOUT

The beauty, sweetness, and purity of the Glorious Qur’an are limitless, so let me simply quote some Qur’anic verses without any commentary. I would love for you to ponder and think about them. Try to discover for yourself more treasures from the Final Testament, the Qur’an.

Allah and His Messenger

{It is He (Allah) Who sent His messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth...} (48:28)

{Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing.} (33:40)

Tranquillity and Paradise

{It is He (Allah) Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith… That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein eternally and remove from them their misdeeds – and ever is that, in the sight of Allah, a great attainment.} (48:4-5)

{O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and well-pleasing [to Him], and enter among My [righteous] servants and enter my Paradise.} (89:27-30)

Men and Women (in Islam)

{Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.} (33:35)

{And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer – those will enter Paradise...} (4:124)

Great Teachings

{And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden [i.e., Paradise] as wide as the Heavens and Earth, prepared for the righteous, who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good; and those who, if they commit an immorality or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah? – and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know. Those – their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally. Excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers.} (3:133-136)

Do’s and Don’ts

{…Do not worship other than Allah, and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy, and speak to people good words...} (2:83)

Remembrance and Rest

{Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.} (13:28)

Indeed, the truths, benefits, and wonders of the Glorious Qur’an have no end. The more we read it, the more discoveries we make, and each time, we feel that we are reading the Qur’an for the first time.

There are many other fascinating aspects of the Qur’an, including the miracles of its authenticity, linguistic excellence, scientific knowledge, and medical remedies, which I have not discussed here to keep this booklet compact.

The testimony of faith (the gateway to Islam):

“I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

In Arabic, it reads:  

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله

which sounds like this:

ASH-HADU ALLA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH,

WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASOOLU ALLAH.

This is the testimony of faith that one needs to pronounce in order to embrace Islam; it sums up the truth, beauty, and simplicity of Islam.