Towards Understanding Islam

by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi

Translated and Edited by Khurshid Ahmed, M.A., L.L.B.

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Table of Contents

FOREWORD
EDITOR'S PREFACE
I. THE MEANING OF ISLAM
Islam: What does it mean?
The Nature of Kufr
The Blessings of Islam.
II. FAITH AND OBDIENCE
Faith: what does it mean?
How to acquire the Knowledge of God?
Faith in the Unknown.
III. THE PROPHETHOOD
Prophethood: Its Nature and Necessity
Brief History of Prophethood
The Prophethood of Muhammad
Muhammad's Prophethood A Rational Vindication
ARABIA-the Abyss of Darkness
The Saviour is Born
Diamond in a Heap of Stones
A Revolution Comes
Why all that Enmity?
A Changed Man at Forty-Why?
His All-embracing Message
His Contribution to Human Thought
The Greatest Revolutionary
The Final Testimony
The Finality of Prophethood
IV. THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
Tawheed: Faith in the Unity of Allah
The Meaning of the ‘Kalima’
The Effects of Tawheed on Human Life
Faith in Prophets
Belief in Life after Death
The Need of this Belief
Life After Death : A Rational Vindication
V. PRAYER AND WORSHIP
The Spirit of "Ibadat" or Worship
salat
Fasting
Zakat
Hajj or Pilgrimage
Defence of Islam
Jihad
VI. DIN AND SHARI’AH
Distinction Between Din and Shari'ah
The Sources of the Shari'ah
Fiqh
Tasawwuf
VII. THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SHARI’AH
The Shari'ah Its Nature and Purport
The Shari’ah Rights and Obligations
The Rights of God
The Rights of the Self
The Rights of other Man
The Rights of all Creatures
Shari'ah The Universal and Eternal Law

FOREWORD

The present edition of TOWARDS UNDER STANDING ISLAM is not only a new translation of my book Risala-e-Diniyat but is also an entirely new and revised edition of it. The first edition of the book which was revised edition of it. The first edition of the book which was rendered into English by the late Dr. Abdul Guhani (Director of public instruction, Afghanistan), was very brief and sketchy. Unfortunately), was very brief sketchy. Unfortunately Dr. Abdul Ghani passed away immediately after the completion of the translation and thus he did not live to improve and revise it. Later on I revised the original book and made substantial additions to it. Now Mr. Khurshid Ahmad has very ably and skillfully rendered a new translation of the revised edition of Risala-e-Diniyat and my heartfelt thanks are due to him for this labour of love. I am confident that in this new form the book will be much more useful for the purpose for which it has been written.

My purpose in writing this book has been to provide all those persons -Muslims non-Muslims-who have no access to the original sources of Islam with a brief treatise giving a lucid, comprehensive and all-embracing view of Islam. That is why I have avoided discussion over the minute details and have endeavored to portray the entire picture of Islam in one perspective. Moreover, I have not confined myself to stating what we Muslims believe in and stand for, but have also tried to explain the rational bases of our beliefs. Similarly I have not only presented the Islamic modes of worship and the outlines of the Islamic way of life but have also tried to unveil the wisdom behind them. I hope this small treatise will go a long way to satisfy the intellectual cravings of the Muslim youth and will help the non-Muslims in understanding our real position.

Lahore,

11th September, 1960

ABUL A'LA MAWDUDI