The Right Way is Now Distinct
From the Wrong Way

“...Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in God has grasped the strongest bond;
one that never breaks. God is Hearer, Omniscient.” (2:256)

Today’s Muslims are faced with a great challenge —this is a time of turmoil, war, famine, and oppression. We either choose to submit our inward beings to the laws and guidance of the Creator, or we will sooner or later be compromised or crushed by the tide of evil. At this point in history, we do not have the option of comfortable, uninvolved neutrality.

During the past centuries, the world of Islam has seen some of its adherents drift away from its inner soul, God, leaving the door open for materialism, corruption, unquestioning adherence to tradition, blind nationalism, and the path on the left. Islam is a path which calls on us to prostrate not just our bodies, but our minds and souls to the Lord of the Universe. “God Himself has witnessed that there is no god but He. And the angels and those endowed with knowledge also bear witness that there is no god but He, the absolute god, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise. In

the sight of God, Islam (submission to the will of God) is the only right way of life...” (3:18-19) And for the Muslim, the Holy Quran is God’s gift—His guidance and instructions given through the prophet Muhammad.

People can lead lives which are a mixture between the ways of God and the ways of the downward path for quite a while. But there are only two directions—the path toward God, and the path away from God—and we will eventually be forced ourselves to make a decision to go one way or the other. One cannot go in both directions at the same time.

The Path Toward God

Islam in its pure form is a spiritual path—simple, challenging and effective. Walking this path with commitment brings certain fruits, including increasing compassion, self control, generosity of spirit, independent thinking, moral courage, respect for others, honesty, and the right use of

resources. Islam is not in itself a political system, although political systems may proceed from it. It is not a set of cultural traditions, although cultural traditions may reflect it. It is not the possession of any social or ethnic group, or of any geographical area. Its originator and protector is the Lord of the universe, and human beings cannot own or control Him.

Faith in God and His guidance is not a matter of conformity with doctrine, rules, human law, or cultural norms. Over periods of time, the understanding of divine revelation, and practice derived from it, tend to accrue large amounts of interpretation, speculation, and personal preferences, dimming the pure light of God’s guidance. Belief is the internal acknowledgment that we and everything else are created by the One and dependent upon Him, and that obedience to God’s law is life.

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