Allah (SWT) has bestowed his prophets from time to time to guide human beings towards the true path of Allah. This array of blessings started with the arrival of Prophet Adam (A.s) and ended with the last of the Prophets, Muhammad (s.a.w). Each of the Prophets was gifted with a message to give to his respective followers in the form of books or treatises and was then replaced with new commandments from God according to the changing conditions and times until the last of the books, the holy Quran. Islam is highly distinct from others religions of the time due to some features that we are going to discuss below.

Protection of Book

The holy books and treatises of earlier religions either disappeared or were changed with times due to personal or political motives but are not the case with the Holy Quran which has been preserved by the Almighty Allah.

Allah (SWT) says,” We have sent down this message (Quran) and we shall safeguard it” (Surah Al-Hijr).

This declaration of Allah has even been verified by the modern day critics of Islam. William Muir in his book, The Life of Muhammad, says: 'We may, upon the strongest presumption, affirm that every verse is the genuine and unaltered composition of the Prophet Muhammad (S.a.w) himself”. Though Muir being a non-Muslim does not believe that Quran has been revealed from the God but he does affirm his belief through his research work that Quran is in its original form and that it has never been altered and will never be.

Islam a complete religion

Prior to Islam, Prophets were bestowed to specific sections of the people to warn them and to guide them towards the true God as evident from the teachings of both the old and new testaments (both addressed to the children of Israel) whereas Islam is above this. Islam as a final message of God has been sent to the whole of Universe as a final covenant for all the times and for all people. This does not mean that Islam is a completely new religion with totally different laws and interpretations rather it is a continuation of the very religion of Prophet Adam (a.s). The Holy Quran says,” This day, I have perfected your religion for you and completed my bounty upon you and have chosen Islam as a religion for you” (Surah Ma’idah).

Holy Prophet a complete model

No religion can claim that all the aspects of the life of its founder are known to its modern-day followers except Islam. Many life events of Prophet Moses (PBUH) and Prophet Jesus (PBUH) have been narrated in the earlier scriptures but to a certain extent. On the contrary, the sources of Hadith clearly describe in detail the each and every aspect of the Prophet Muhammad’s life for his followers to obey, ranging from his dealings with the family to that as a head of the state. The Holy Quran says, “No doubt in the messenger of Allah you have a perfect model to follow” (Surah Ahzab).

Deen of moderation

The religion of Moses (a.s) is very strict in terms of teachings for its followers. On the contrary, Christianity adopts a very soft line. Islam is not too strict nor it is too soft and thus provides a path of moderation to its followers. Similarly, it is very moderate in nature compared to other religions while dealing both with spiritual and material life. Neither it promotes monasticism nor materialism rather it takes a complete middle line where a follower of Islam will live his life according to the teachings of God while still being at the glory of spiritual life. Allah (SWT) says,”And those, who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but hold a medium between those two” (Surah Al Furqan). Similarly, Allah (SWT) says, “There is no compulsion in religion” (Surah Baqarah).The Prophet of Islam says,” Ruined are those who insist on hardship in matters of the Faith” (Sahih Muslim).

Direct relation of individual with God

Unlike other religions, Islam does not teach nor recognize any intercessors to God. The concept of class dominance in Hinduism, use of idols in Buddhism as intercessors and the concept of Trinity in Christianity has been rejected out rightly by Islam.  The Almighty Allah says in the holy Quran,” The intercession of their intercessors will be of no benefit to them” (Surah Mudassir).  

Similarly, in another verse, Allah says,” And guard against a day when no soul will suffice for another, nor will compensation be accepted from it, nor will intercession be of use to it; nor will they be aided” (Surah Baqara).

Allama Iqbal summarises all of this in these beautiful lines:

“Banish from the house of God the mumbling priest whose prayers like a veil creation from created separate”.

A unique political and economic model

In the darkest eras of the times and that too in the dictatorial society of Arabia, Islam brought the message of true pluralistic democracy. Allah (SWT) in the Qurans says,” Their affairs are based on consultation among them” (Surah Shura). This does not mean that the consultation will overrule the teachings of Islam but will rather strengthen it. The ruler will be appointed by the public on the condition that he will abide by the fundamentals teachings of Islam and will be impeached by the public vote only on the basis of certain conditions. Similarly, Islam introduces a new concept of economics totally different to both the capitalist and communist economic systems.

The capitalist economic system serves a stooge in the hands of elites to usurp the rights of poor. On the contrary, the communism totally misbalances the society with total materialism and disproportionate pay for hard work. Islamic economic system provides a path of moderation between the two by not letting elites to usurp poor’s rights and by not letting society to become a purely materialistic society.

Islam as the final message of Allah provides a complete way of life to follow both in its teachings and in its messenger. It’s now for the Muslims to follow teachings of Quran and to live a lifestyle that serves as role model for the rest of the world to follow.