ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Islamic Concept and Its Characteristics Chapter Ii : the Characteristics of the Islamic Concept The hue of Allah -and whose hue is better than Allah's? (Al-Baqarah 2:138). The Islamic concept has Special characteristics that distinguish it from all other concepts, giving it an independent personality and a particular temperament. This concept cannot be intermixed with any other nor can anything be added to it from other concepts.

The characteristics are numerous and varied, but all of them can be gathered together under one primary characteristic, of which all other characteristics are branches and from which they proceed, namely, the characteristic of being originated by Allah.

This concept is divinely ordained by Allah with all its constituents and characteristics not so that man may add something to it or take something away from it, but so that man may receive it whole-heartedly, adapt himself to it, and apply its corollaries to his life. Since this concept comes directly from Allah, it is inherently un­changeable and causes mankind to evolve within its framework and to progress by understanding and applying its message.

Mankind can Continue to evolve, progress, grow, and advance indefinitely within the framework of this concept, because the spaciousness of this framework is very wide and the ability of this concept to set ever higher goals is unlimited. This is so because the source of this concept is the very source Who created man. He is the All-Wise Creator Who knows the nature of the human being and his changing needs through time.

And to meet these needs He has endowed this concept with characteristics evolving within the vast boundaries of its framework. The concepts, religions, and systems that men have devised for themselves Outside Allah's guidance must always change, because man feels constrained by them as his demands increase and his needs evolve. Accordingly man feels the need to update principles, trans­form rules, and, occasionally, completely overturn them.

This need for constant updating results because these concepts, religions, and systems are formulated by men in response to the conditions, cir­cumstances, and needs of a particular group of people living in a particular region of the world at a particular point in time. This parochialism is compounded by man's ignorance, shortcomings, prejudices, and selfish desires.