Islam

Man and the Universe

Muslims see the universe as created by the deliberate act of a personal, omnipresent God. The Universe is not considered an illusion in any way and is basically good, being given for the benefit of man. Muslim respect for the world led to the development of sciences in Arab countries long before develop means in Europe.

Muhammad did not produce miracles but simply proclaimed the message of Allah. Thus the presence of God in the world is seen not through supernatural sings but through the wonderful order of nature and the one great miracle, the Koran. Muslims generally do not expect miraculous deliverance from suffering in this life but believe that good deeds will be rewarded in the next life.

Man is considered a sort of vice-regent, in charge of creation under the authority of God. His purpose-and the goal of Islam-is to make a moral order in the world.

Man is endowed with taqwa, a sort of divine spark manifested in his conscience that enables him to perceive the truth and to act on it. Conscience is thus of the greatest value in Islam, much as love is the greatest value to Christians.

But Islam is in no way pantheism. Man may cultivate his taqwa and so live according to the way of Allah, or he may suppress it. Man thus deserves or is undeserving of God’s guidance.

Salvation And The Afterlife

The Koran rejects the notion of redemption; salvation depends on a man’s actions and attitudes. However, tauba (“repedtance”) can quickly turn an evil man toward the virtue that will save him. So Islam does not hold out the possibility of salvation through the work of God but invites man to accept God’s guidance.

The final day of reckoning is described in awesome terms. On that day every man will account for what he has done, and his eternal existence will be determined on the basis: “Every man’s actions have we hung around his neck, and on the last day shall be laid before him a wide-open brook” (17.13).

Muslims recognize that different individuals have been given different abilities and various degrees of insight into the truth. Each man will be judged according to his situation, and every man who lives according to the truth to the best of his abilities will achieve heaven. However, infidels who are presented with the truth of Islam and reject it will given no mercy.

The Korean has vivid descriptions of both heaven and hell. Heaven is depicted in terms of worldly delights, and the torments of hell are shown in lurid detail. Muslims disagree as to whether those descriptions are to be taken literally or not.