The Qur'an is a Guide

That is the Book, without any doubt. It contains guidance for those who have fear of Allah. (Surat al-Baqara: 2)

The Qur'an is the word of Allah. Allah has revealed the Qur'an to introduce Himself, to communicate people the purpose of their existence, inform them of the nature of this life, the basis of the test put to them in this world, and their responsibilities towards their Creator, to give them the good news of the Hereafter, and describe what constitutes good morals. The Qur'an was revealed by Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). It is the last book revealed by Allah which will prevail until the Day of Judgment, therefore certainly it cannot be distorted by people. In one verse, Allah informs us that the Qur'an is under His protection:

It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and We Who will preserve it. (Surat al-Hijr: 9)

The unique style of the Qur'an, and the supreme wisdom of its teachings, is clear evidence of its being the word of Allah. This aside, the Qur'an has many miraculous attributes, certifying that it is the revelation of Allah. A number of scientific discoveries, that could only be attained in the 20th and 21st centuries, were declared in the Qur'an 1400 years ago. This information, that was impossible to verify scientifically at the time of the Qur'an's revelation, has proved once again that it is the word of Allah.

Another important characteristic of the Qur'an is that-contrary to the Torah and the Gospel-it contains no contradiction whatsoever. This is yet further evidence that it is the word of Allah. Allah reminds humanity of this fact as follows:

Will they not ponder the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found many inconsistencies in it. (Surat an-Nisa': 82)

The Qur'an is guidance for mankind. It is also the definitive criterion by which to distinguish right from wrong, for which reason another name of the Qur'an is "Furqan," that is "Discrimination":

...He has sent down the Furqan (the Standard by which to discern the true from the false). Those who reject Allah's Signs will have a terrible punishment...  (Surah Al 'Imran: 4)

The Qur'an is a book that admonishes humanity:

This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they may be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that the wise will pay heed. (Surah Ibrahim: 52)

The Qur'an is the final revelation from Allah, and will remain until the Day of Judgment. Although the Torah and the Gospel were true scriptures at the time they were revealed, they have lost the quality of their authenticity, because of the reasons explained earlier. Allah informs us that, in His sight, Islam is the only religion:

If anyone desires anything other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. (Surah Al 'Imran: 85)

Belief in the Books Revealed by Allah
and Belief in His Messengers

Since the time the Prophet Adam (pbuh) was sent to the Earth, Allah has sent messengers to every nation, to communicate to them the existence of Allah and the Hereafter, and to convey the divine message. Some of these messengers are those prophets whose names are stated in the Qur'an and to whom books were revealed. A Muslim must not discriminate between them, but respect them all equally, since they were all prophets of the true religion. Allah commands Muslims to believe in all the prophets, without making distinction:

Say, "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes, and what Moses and Jesus were given, and what all the Prophets were given by their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. We are Muslims submitted to Him." (Surat al-Baqara: 136)

The book by which humanity is responsible in our time is the Qur'an, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Because, as we are informed in the Qur'an, the earlier books, which were originally revealed to communicate the truth to mankind, were later altered through additions and deletions:

Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say "This is from Allah" to sell it for a paltry price. Woe to them for what their hands have written! Woe to them for what they earn! (Surat al-Baqara: 79)

For this reason, Islam was revealed by Allah as the final religion. Allah, in a verse of the Qur'an, commands as follows:

...Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you... (Surat al-Ma'ida: 3)

In the Qur'an Allah also informs us that the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the last prophet:

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of God and the Final Seal of the Prophets. God has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Ahzab: 40)

Consequently, the only true religion for all times, since the era of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), until the Day of Resurrection, is Islam, and its source, the Qur'an.

Faith in the Angels

Angels, as we learn from the Qur'an, are the servants of Allah, who carry out His commands. Allah has assigned them different duties. Gabriel, for instance, delivers the divine revelation to prophets. There are the angels on each side of a man, writing down whatever he does; angels welcoming people to Paradise, and those angels who are the guardians of the Hell; the angels that take back the souls of men, the angels who assist the believers, the angels who communicate to the messengers who among their rebellious people will receive Allah's punishment, the angels who give the good news of a newborn to the messengers. Angels are obedient beings, who are never arrogant, but who continually glorify Allah:

Everything in the heavens and every creature on the Earth prostrates to Allah, as do the angels. They are not puffed up with pride. (Surat an-Nahl: 49)

Throughout history, angels have delivered Allah's commands to mankind. Angels appeared to many prophets, and, in some cases, to sincere believers, such as Mary, and communicated to them the commands and the divine wisdom of Allah. Allah informs us about faith in angels in the Qur'an, making it a prerequisite of faith in the Qur'an for Islam. In a verse of the Qur'an, it is stated that faith in angels is an attribute of a believer:

The Messenger has faith in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each one has faith in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers. We do not differentiate between any of His Messengers. They say, 'We hear and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord! You are our journey's end.' (Surat al-Baqara: 285)

The Temporary Nature of the Life of This World

The life of this world is a trial for humanity. Though Allah has created countless allurements for man in this world, He has also warned him against becoming overly concerned by them, and forgetting Allah and His religion. In verses of the Qur'an, Allah states that the ostentation of this world is temporary, and that the real pleasure is Paradise, as reward for Allah's contentment:

We made everything on the Earth adornment for it so that We could test them to see whose actions are the best. (Surat al-Kahf: 7)

Know that the life of the world is merely a game and a diversion and ostentation and a cause of boasting among yourselves and trying to outdo one another in wealth and children: like the plant-growth after rain which delights the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning yellow, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the Hereafter there is terrible punishment but also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of the world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (Surat al-Hadid: 20)

While the believer also enjoys blessings of this world, unlike the unbeliever, he does not consider them the purpose of his life. He may desire to possess them, but only for the purpose of giving thanks to Allah, and to use them to earn Allah's consent. He does not pursue out of greed. Because, he knows that that which is of this world is short-lived, just as is his own life. He knows that, after his death, such things will be of no benefit to him. Furthermore, he knows that if he pursues only worldly things, at the expense of nobler goals, for them he sacrifices his Hereafter. In a verse of the Qur'an, this important truth is related as follows:

To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colors: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of the world. The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah. (Surat Al 'Imran: 14)

The allure of the things of this world is an essential factor in the test placed upon man in this world. The satan resorts relentlessly to allurements in his attempts to deceive man. Believers, however, are those people who, though they may be attracted to such allurement, are aware of their true worth. Cognizant that these are the temporary blessings of this world, and that by them they are being tested, the deceptive attraction of these things does not delude them. For this reason, they are not deceived by the satan, and are able to save themselves from eternal torment. In the Qur'an, Allah warns mankind as follows:

Mankind! Allah's promise is true. Do not let the life of the world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you about Allah. (Surah Fatir: 5)

On the other hand, those who are without faith, and thus are bereft of wisdom, feel an inner inclination to this world. Under satan's influence, they make the attainment of the temporary goods of this world the ultimate purpose of their lives. The condition of such people is stated as follows:

No indeed! But you love this fleeting world and you disregard the Hereafter. (Surat al-Qiyama: 20-21)

It's a Magnificent Blessing to Love Allah with Passion

ADNAN OKTAR: We are in an extraordinary environment. We did not come here just to reproduce, enjoy ourselves and amass wealth. Even if they do amass possessions, the decades pass like a single year. You reach the result in a very short period of time. For example, if we ask young women of 40 watching us now, these women are the youngsters of yesterday. In other words, they have suddenly reached the age of 40. Their youth seems like only yesterday to people of 60. They reach that age unbelievably quickly. But young people imagine they will live for a very long time. But that is not the case at all. They will see this. It all comes to an end very quickly. Cancers, ulcers and heart diseases all follow immediately after. They struggle with those in hospital. Between 40 and 50 is the time in which cancer, ulcers and heart diseases are experienced most frequently. After that comes the death phase for people. They then try to stave death off, not to die. They try to keep themselves alive with medicines and treatments. I mean, left to themselves they would die, but they hold out against death. They try to live like that. This is what Allah emphasizes, not that He has any need for emphasis, but I am just saying it so that people will understand. There is something wonderful here. Allah says He sends us here just to be tested and to be His servants. But they insist on not understanding this. I mean, what is there in this world? They get food to eat with a thousand difficulties and they experience the difficulties of that food afterwards. They have to bathe every day, don't they? They have to take care of themselves every day. A woman will get in a terrible state if she does not look after. A man also gets in a terrible state if he does not look after himself. They spent 8 hours a day sleeping, don't they? Almost the half of it. Right? They spend 8 hours sleeping and 8 hours working. Then what remains they spend on eating and that kind of thing, bathing and the rest. There aren't enough hours in the day. Even if they live it just about. They even eat many meals standing up. For instance they just buy sandwiches and eat them as they don't have the time. In all this rushing about, many people are only interested in this world. As if they are going to gain something really great from this world. But there is nothing in this world. The best thing about this world is to love Allah, to be passionately devoted to Him, to love His commands and those of the Qur'an. It is very delightful to abide by Allah's pronouncements. It is really delightful to make no concessions on the deen. It is delightful to make no concessions on the Qur'an. It is such a delightful thing to cling tightly to the Qur'an. That has a depth all its own, a delight all its own. It is a special pleasure known only to Muslims. Loving Allah with a passionate devotion is a wonderful blessing, and we love people for Allah's approval, with passion, when He is loved with passion. We love them as manifestations of Allah. They then produce a very profound and powerful effect within us. Otherwise there is nothing particularly special about people. Human beings are otherwise just an assembly of flesh, made up of protein, bone, intestines, the liver, the spleen and all the rest. It is because they are manifestations of Allah we love them so much. The reason for this passion is that they are manifestations of Allah. Because Allah manifests Himself in human form in our brains, and that is how we see Him. We love people because we love Allah. Otherwise people would mean nothing to us. Nothing in the world would mean anything to us. The seas and mountains would frighten us. Other people would even frighten us. One would look for a hiding place when one saw other people. In other words, they would mean nothing to us. This love and passion is so strong in our souls because we love Allah. Because Allah is infinitely beautiful and has given us a soul for eternal love. When that feeling enters the equation, when that person becomes a believer, he loves Paradise with a great passion. He loves the trees of Paradise with a passion, and the plants, people there, the children and ladies there and everything of Paradise. He takes delight in them because of that. But if you put an irreligious person in Paradise he will just get bored. The mansions of Paradise will mean nothing to him. The people in Paradise will make him uncomfortable. That can only be delightful with faith. (From Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview on Kahramanmaras Aksu TV, January 28, 2010)

Man is Being Tested

Allah has created everything according to His divine wisdom, and has rendered many things to man's service. Clearly, many things in the universe, from the Solar System to the ratio of oxygen in the atmosphere, from the animals that provide us meat and milk to water, have been created to serve man. If this fact is recognized to be evident, it follows that it is illogical to think this life has no purpose. Definitely, there is a purpose to this life, explained by Allah as follows:

I only created jinn and man to worship Me. (Surat adh-Dhariyat: 56)

Only a minority of humanity understand this purpose of Creation and lead their lives thereby. Allah has granted us life on Earth to test whether or not we will conform to this very purpose. Those who sincerely serve Allah, and those who rebel against Him, will be distinguished from one another in this world. All those blessings (his body, senses, property...) given to man in this world, are a means by which Allah tests him. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah relates the following:

We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing. (Surat al-Insan: 2)

Man's duty in this world is to have faith in Allah and the Hereafter, to conduct himself in compliance with the commands of the Qur'an, to observe the limits set by Allah, and to try to earn His good pleasure. The continuing trials of this life over time reveal those people who are committed to accomplish these tasks. Because Allah demands a true and sincere faith,-which is the kind of faith that is not attainable only by saying "I believe"-man must demonstrate that he has true faith in Allah and His religion, and that he will not swerve from the right path despite the cunnings of satan. Similarly, he must demonstrate that he will not follow the unbelievers, nor prefer the desires of his own self over Allah's pleasure. His response to the events in his life will reveal all these qualities. Allah will create certain hardships, during which man must show patience, in order to expose the degree of his dedication to faith in Allah. This fact is stated in the Qur'an as follows:

Do people imagine that they will be left to say, "We believe," and will not be tested? (Surat al-'Ankabut: 2)

Or did you imagine that you were going to enter Paradise without Allah knowing those among you who had struggled and knowing the steadfast? (Surah Al 'Imran: 142)

This being the case, disappointment in the face of difficulties would not be the right response to allow oneself to have. Such difficulties may be great ordeals or just trivial daily problems. A believer must consider all such circumstances as part of the trial placed upon him, place his trust in Allah, and conduct himself in compliance with His pleasure. In a verse of the Qur'an, those difficulties placed upon the believers are related as follows:

We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and crops. But give good news to the steadfast.(Surat al-Baqara: 155)

The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also reminded the believers of this, by saying, "Whoever accepted it [Allah's trial], will enjoy Allah's Pleasure and whoever is displeased with it, will incur Allah's Displeasure." (At-Tirmidhi)

Not only will difficulties, but also blessings in this world serve to test man. Allah tries man with every benefit He bestows upon man, to see whether or not he will be thankful. As well, Allah creates many circumstances through which man adopt a certain attitude. In the midst of these trials, man may formulate a decision, either in compliance with Allah's pleasure, or his own soul. If he recognizes such an incident to be a trial from Allah, and conforms his conduct accordingly to earn Allah's pleasure, then he succeeds in his test. However, if his decision is in accordance to the dictates of his own soul, it will both be a sin, which he will greatly regret in the Hereafter, and a source of anxiety in this world, as it troubles his conscience.

Indeed, Allah creates everything that happens in this world as a trial. Those events considered to be mere "coincidence" or "bad luck" by the ignorant, are actually circumstances created according to the great subtleties of a divine plan. Of this, Allah gives the example of Jews who broke the Sabbath, tempted by an abundance of fish:

Ask them about the town which was by the sea when they broke the Sabbath-when their fish came to them near the surface on their Sabbath day but did not come on the days which were not their Sabbath. In this way We put them to the test because they were deviators. (Surat al-A'raf: 163)

The Jews may have thought that the fish came forth to them on a Saturday by "coincidence," but, the event was predetermined as a trial for them by Allah. As this case makes clear, there is a divine purpose and a test in every occurrence in life. All that befalls a believer has been determined in order that he keep this notion in mind, and that he try to succeed at his test, and adopt a form of behaviour that is in compliance with the consent of Allah.

Death is not the End

Every self will taste death. We test you with both good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned to Us. (Surat al-Anbiya': 35)

Death, which is certain to happen to all of us, is a very important fact in one's life. We can never know exactly what we will experience in an hour or even in the next moment. This being the case, it is obvious how wrong it would be to plan our lives based on events that may never happen. Death, on the other hand, is the only thing that is certain to happen. Only the recognition of this basic truth makes us understand that we must found our lives according to it. Death is also a part of the trial of man. Allah informs us in the Qur'an that He created death and life to try man:

He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)

Death is the end of merely the life of this world-thus the end of the trial-and the beginning of the next life. For this reason, believers have no fear of death. The thought of death does not distress them, because, every moment of their lives is spent in the pursuit of good deeds as preparation for the Hereafter.

For unbelievers, however, fear causes them great distress, because they consider it a complete annihilation. Thus, they avoid the thought of death and they don't even let that thought pass their minds and they escape from death. But it is futile. No soul can escape death when the predetermined time for it has come. This, in a verse, is stressed as follows:

Wherever you are, death will catch up with you, even if you are in impregnable fortresses... (Surat an-Nisa': 78)

To avoid the thought of death is to avoid the truth. As death will eventually catch up with man sooner or later, it is wise to conduct oneself with a mind busy with the thought of death. This is the rational disposition by which believers abide. Until death comes upon them, they engage in good deeds, as Allah commands us in the Qur'an:

And worship your Lord until what is Certain comes to you. (Surat al-Hijr: 99)

Thinking about death strengthens one's spirit and will. It prevents one's lower soul from leading him astray, by being lured through the false temptations of this world. It instils him with the resolve and determination to avoid all forms of behaviour unpleasing to Allah. It is for this reason that a believer must often think about death, never forgetting that all people, including himself, will someday die.

From the Qur'an, we learn what really happens to someone who dies, and what he or she actually experiences and feels. When we see someone dying, we only observe his "biological death." The truth is, however, the dying person, though in a totally different dimension, confronts the angels of death. If he is a unbeliever, his death causes him great pain. The angels of death, after extracting his soul, beat and torment him. A unbeliever's trauma is described as follows:

...If you could only see the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, "Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the truth about Allah, and being arrogant about His Signs." (Surat al-An'am: 93)

How will it be when the angels take them in death, beating their faces and their backs? That is because they followed what angers Allah and hated what is pleasing to Him. So He made their actions come to nothing. (Surah Muhammad: 27-28)

Death promises great joy and bliss for the believers. Contrary to unbelievers, whose souls are torn from them violently, the souls of believers are drawn from them gently.  (Surat an-Nazi'at: 2) This experience is similar to the case of the soul in sleep, which leaves the body and moves into a different dimension  (Surat az-Zumar: 42).

Gardens of Eden which they enter, with rivers flowing under them, where they have whatever they desire. That is how Allah repays those who have fear for Him: those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say, "Peace be upon you! Enter Paradise for what you did." (Surat an-Nahl: 31-32)

Belief in the Hereafter

The life of the world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the Hereafter-that is truly Life if they only knew. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 64)

Either reward or punishment awaits man at the end of the trial that is the life of this world. Those who engage in good deeds, and have faith in Allah, earn the good pleasure of Allah, and are rewarded with an eternal Paradise. The wicked, those who deny Allah and transgress His limits, however, deserve Hell, where they will encounter eternal punishment.

Man never actually disappears. From the very moment we are created, our eternal life begins. That is, we have already started our eternal life. Once our trial has ended, and immediately following the moment of transition, which we call death, we will live on into eternity. Whether that time will be spent in torment or in bliss depends on one's commitment to the Word of Allah, the Qur'an, and his fastidiousness in observing His limits. This entire system, the universe, the world, human beings, and everything created for human beings, have been created for an ultimate purpose; the life in the Hereafter. Allah informs us that man's existence in this world is with a purpose and that, in the Hereafter, after his short life in this world, man will have to offer an account of his deeds:

Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us? (Surat al-Muminun: 115)

Eternal life is an enormous blessing in comparison to the very short life of the present, which is no more than a "moment". It is truly a great mercy that, in return for following those basic inclinations that are natural to a human being-such as having faith and seeking Allah's approval-, Allah bestows upon him the reward of eternal life in Paradise:

As for those who believe and do right actions, We will lodge them in lofty chambers in Paradise, with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever. How excellent is the reward of those who act. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 58)

The life in the Hereafter is important in the sense that it represents the manifestation of Allah's infinite justice, as well as the provision of His infinite blessings. Hereafter will be the place where everything a man does in this world will be repaid, where justice and compassion will prevail. The absolute justice of the Hereafter is described in a verse as follows:

...Say, "The enjoyment of the world is very brief. The Hereafter is better for those who have fear. You will not be wronged by so much as the smallest speck." (Surat an-Nisa': 77)

Allah, Who possesses the might to create everything, can surely create the:

Does He Who created the heavens and Earth not have the power to create the same again? Yes indeed! He is the Creator, the All-Knowing. (Surah Ya Sin: 81)