One of the special features of the Shari'a is the simplicity and the balanced nature of its rulings, a feature which renders them easy to understand. It might be said that this feature is one of the most important factors in the penetration and spread of Islam among diverse peoples and nations of the world. As regards the worship of God, Islam offers a pure and clear concept of Divine Unity, far removed from all ambiguity or sophistry. The Sura al-Tawhid (also called al-Ikhlas), alone, bears witness to the truth of this assertion:
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begat, nor was begotten, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
As regards the worship of God, Islam offers a pure and clear concept of Divine Unity, far removed from all ambiguity or sophistry. The Sura al-Tawhid (also called al-Ikhlas), alone, bears witness to the truth of this assertion:
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begat, nor was begotten, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
Likewise this sacred Book places such emphasis on the principle of piety, in its consideration of the spiritual rank and station of man, that it constitutes, in itself, a means of restoring to man all his most noble qualities: the nobility of man being brought to full fruition by his relationship with the divine.
In the area of practical rulings, we see the way in which islam prohibits all forms of hardship and injury; when the application of a given ruling becomes the source of hardship and injury for some, a principle such as the rule of prohibiting hardship or loss can assist the Shari'a in breaking through apparent dead ends (taking due account of the conditions laid down by fiqh).
In the area of practical rulings, we see the way in which islam prohibits all forms of hardship and injury; when the application of a given ruling becomes the source of hardship and injury for some, a principle such as the rule of prohibiting hardship or loss can assist the Shari'a in breaking through apparent dead ends (taking due account of the conditions laid down by fiqh). The Qur'an affirms:
.. and He hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship. (Sura al-Haj, 22:78)
The Prophet also declared:
'[There should be] no injury; and nobody should injure.'
And he made himself known as one who brings an 'easy' law:
'I have come with a law that is easy (sahla) and tolerant (samha).'
Clarity and comprehensiveness of Islamic principles and rulings
Impartial and objective scholars-even amongst the non-Muslims-acknowledge that the most important factor in the rapid spread of lslam was the clarity and comprehensiveness of its guiding principles and its rulings. For example, the famous French scholar, Gustav LeBon writes:
'The secret of the advance of lslam resides in its extreme simplicity and ease. Islam is free of all those qualities which the healthy mind finds impossible to accept, and which other religions have in abundance. You could not conceive of a religion with simpler principles than those of Islam, which assert: God is One; all men are equal before God; by performing certain religious duties man attains felicity and Paradise, while violation of these duties leads to Hell. The clarity and ease of lslam and its rulings considerably facilitated its progress throughout the world. More important, though, was that strong faith that Islam casts into the hearts of its adherents, a faith to which no doubt can have access. Islam, just as it is the religion most disposed to scientific discovery, is also the greatest of all religions in respect of building upon the foundations of the past, and thereby fostering refinement of the soul and character of men. ' [1]
1. Gustav LeBon, Tamaddun-i islami wa gharb, Persian trans. of Islamic Civilization and the West (Tehran, 1376/1956), pp. 141-3.
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