CULTURAL VERSION OF ISLAM

CULTURAL VERSION OF ISLAM A SCHOLAR in the history of religion has rightly observed: ‘Religion begins as an ideology but after some generations it is reduced to a culture.’ This observation applies to all religions including Islam. Present-day Islam practiced by Muslims is no more than a culture. Although the form is preserved, the spirit is absent. The only exception with the religion of Islam is that the scriptures of Islam are totally intact. All those deteriorations among Muslims exclusively pertain to the Muslim community. The key formula for the right understanding of Islam is to differentiate between Islam and Muslims. You have to form an opinion by studying the scripture rather than the practice of Muslims. Anyone who wants to know the real picture of Islam can refer to the scriptures and discover the true version of Islam without fail. Present day Islam practiced by Muslims is no more than a culture. Although the form is preserved, the spirit is absent. It is said that Buddhism is a godless religion but this is not a monopoly of Buddhism. Present religion of Islam adopted by Muslims also seems to be a godless Islam. The supreme concern of Islam is God; unfortunately, if you examine the Muslim agenda or conversations and concerns you will find that God does not figure in any of them. The Quran is the most authentic source of Islam. In the Quran ‘Allah’ —God—by name is referred no less than 2,700 times. Apart from Allah there are other names (asma) and if you include these names the number may almost get doubled. Keeping this fact in mind one can say the religion that the Quran presents is a God-oriented religion. The greatest concern of Islam is God. Quran is the Book of God. The mind the Quran builds is a God-oriented mind. A believer is one who discovers God, whose thinking is God-oriented thinking, whose speech is God-oriented speech, whose behaviour and character are totally based on the concept of God Almighty.