Islam is the name given to the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith; the finest example of living with the spirit of Islam is to live up to this standard set by the Prophet and his Companions. The deeds of later generations will be judged in light of this spirit of Islam. Today, Muslims find themselves in a state of degeneration. The way forward for the revival of the Muslim community is to revive the spirit of Islam based on the standard set by the Prophet and his Companions. Every form, activity, belief, and teaching of Islam aims at inculcating God-consciousness in a believer, well-wishing towards fellow human beings and above all, constant self-introspection. This is the spirit of Islam.
The spirit of Islam should reflect in mind and activities of a person as he proceeds along the journey of life. As he faces numerous good and back situations, his response should be of heightened awareness of being ultimately accountable before God. Such a person cannot afford to debase his character. Therefore, he is extremely cautious in his speech and actions, which fosters the development of noble virtues. He becomes a very responsible person. If life's experiences are an opportunity for spiritual development and purification of the soul, one can say to have imbibed the spirit of Islam.
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Muslims should be able to revive the Islamic spirit by reading the Quran in a language they can understand. During one of my travels, I met a Muslim who used to carry a pocket Arabic Quran and used to keep reading it as and when he got some time. Upon enquiry he told me that he had been doing this for fourteen years. I asked him what he thought was the gist of the Quran. He said that he read the Quran for receiving heavenly reward and not to derive meaning by studying it. This is generally the case of those who read or recite the Quran. The true spirit of Islam would be inculcated in Muslims if they read the Quran so that they understand its meaning and follow its import.
Source: Spirit of Islam March 2020
The degeneration that we see in present Muslims had been predicted by the Prophet. According to a Hadith:
“A time will come when nothing except the name of Islam will remain [among Muslims] and nothing except the words of the Quran will remain [among Muslims]. (Shu'ab al-Iman, al-Bayhaqi, Hadith No. 1908)
This is not surprising because every community undergoes degeneration, and Muslims are no exception to this principle.
This degeneration does not set in in the first generation, but in the generations that follow. This is why reformers are required to suggest what work needs to be done to revive degenerated people. To revive the original spirit of religion one must study of religion from its original sources—Quran and Sunnah.
Source: Spirit of Islam March 2020
Islam does not need reform; it needs revival. The authentic text of the Quran is available and needs no alteration or correction. The only need is to re-interpret Quranic teachings in the modern idiom. The original face of Islam is enshrined in its original sources: Quran, the word of God; and Sunnah, the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. However, interpretations of the religion have covered Islam’s original face.
What is needed is to discard the superficial and erroneous the militant and political interpretation of Islam, and to adopt the original version of Islam based on peace, mercy and the love of humankind. The so-called Muslim Mujahideen have been exhorting their coreligionists to do battle all over the world. But the Quran says: ‘God calls man to the home of peace.’ (10: 25) It is up to right-thinking people everywhere to disregard the call of the Mujahideen, and to start seeing and accepting Islam as it is truly represented by the Quran.
Source: Spirit of Islam September 2020
The problem with present Muslims cannot by solved by any kind of liberalization; it can only be solved by reviving the spirit of Islam. Present Muslims don't know anything about Islam except for certain spiritless rituals. To reform the Muslims of today we need to inculcate positive thinking in them, which is completely lacking. Positive thinking will lead to peace and spirituality in true sense of the word.
Source: The Seeker’s Guide
