Practicing Islamic Principles in Thoughts and Action

Religion is a person’s personal connection with the Almighty. Different religions of the world seek the power above them in different forms. Muslims believe that among many relationships man forms in life, his association with Allaah is the most fundamental one. According to the information about Islam religion, a Muslim man is guided by certain principles on how to keep Allah in thought and action. On the subject matter of ethics, Islam preaches that man should understand the nature of relationship between human and Allaah. Accordingly, there are five ethical categories that Islam preaches. 

1. The Obligatory or Wajib,

2. The Prohibited or Haram,

3. The Supererogatory or Mandub,

4. The Disfavored or Makruh, and

5. The Indifferent or Mubah. 

Whenever there is any discourse on Islam, the first thing that is always discussed is the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are regarded as the most important elements of Islamic ritual and are therefore moral obligation for every Muslim to follow. The tenets of the five pillars state that one is required to publicly declare that there is no Allaah except for Allaah, and peace be upon him Prophet Muhammad is Allaah’s messenger. It is also declared that a devout Muslim should offer his prayers five times a day – at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, evening and at night. Fasting during the month of Ramadan – the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar – during daylight hours is compulsory for every Muslim. It is also one of the pillars of the Islamic principles that necessitate dedicating a portion of one’s wealth for the welfare of the poor. The final pillar of Islam mandates that anyone who has the means to do so should visit Mecca at least once in his lifetime. 

Islamic ritual (Five Pillars of Islam) is sharply different from Islamic ethics or mu‘amalat. The purpose of the Islamic ethics is to guide a devout Muslim in his interactions with a largely secular world. The purpose of laying down the ethics is to help Muslims further for human welfare though not necessarily to regulate the relationship between human and divine. Since ethical interpretations vary, there is naturally a difference in opinion on what is ethical and what’s not. Interpretations upon social interactions are largely guided by scholarly reflections upon the religious scriptures and messages of Islam. For example, the Shi’i Muslims do not need a human interpretation of revelation because of their adherence to the concept of being divinely guided by the Imam. 

Moreover, for a large section of English-speaking Muslims, their experiences of the religion are largely lived experiences. Their practices and actions often are not guided or shaped by the fundamental norms of Islam. Their understanding of the religion is limited to the basic theological, legal and ethical doctrines found in popular books. 

The understanding of Islam and practicing it in thoughts and actions are seeing a change in the modern world. Today Muslims are more familiar with the technical doctrines than with how to guide their thoughts and actions.