What is the basic message of Islam?

God chose Islam for humanity�s individual and collective welfare in both worlds. It is based on belief in and worship of God only, alone and without partners. Such belief and worship requires all believers to be concerned deeply with all of creation, whether animate or inanimate. The deeper their belief in and submission to God, the deeper their concern for all creatures. Belief in His Unity means that no one has absolute freedom when dealing with creatures.

The basic position of Islam vis-�-vis war and peace

Islam is derived from the root s-l-m (salvation, peace, submission) and thus is the expression of God�s Grace flowing in the arteries of the universe. It is the Divine system to which all creatures, except humanity, have submitted willingly. Thus the universe shows no disorder, for Islam is its religion. Everything is Muslim, for it obeys God by submission to His laws. This applies even to atheists or polytheists, for even if people do not believe in God, every part of their bodies follow to course for it prescribed by God�s law.

The principle of Tawhid (Divine Unity) implies the necessity of humanity being in harmony with the surrounding world. The vast universe, including our own world, obeys God and so displays a coherence and harmony. Earth is subject to its own particular set of laws and the general laws of nature, as well as in harmony with other laws governing all phenomena beyond it. Unlike the rest of creation that treads �the path of nature,� we have free will. We have this gift of freedom and its accompanying obligation: to harmonize our life with the rest of nature in the realization that such harmony is the path of our exaltation and progress. This is the path upon which God created human nature:

Set your face to the religion, a man of pure faith�God�s original nature in which He originated mankind. There is no changing God�s creation. That is the right religion, but most people know it not. (30:30)

Islam is the universal order, the integral religion of harmony, and the unique system that harmonizes the physical with the metaphysical, the rational with the ideal, and the corporeal with the spiritual. All dimensions of our earthly life have specific places within Islam�s matrix so that they can perform their own functions and enable us to be at peace with ourselves, our community and nature, and to gain happiness in both worlds.

To harmonize our life with the rest of nature, we first have to realize our own personal integrity by using our free will to keep within the limits established by God. For example, we must restrain our desire so that we do not steal from others, engage in extramarital sex, or use our intellect to exploit others. Rather, we must restrain our intellect with wisdom, and our desire and anger with lawfulness and moderation. Also, since we are social beings, ignoring the limits that God has established can result in wrongdoing, injustice, exploitation, disorder, and revolution.

God does not approve of wrongdoing and disorder, for He wills that we live in peace and according to justice. Thus all believers in and worshippers of the One God are expected to work to secure justice in this world. This task is known as jihad. In English, the most suitable words are struggling or striving.