Islam is a Religion of Common Sense

Human being are born with the highest degree of intellectual wisdom called common sense. Common sense enable you to perceive, learn, understand, think, imagine, judge etc. Common sense is about understanding how life works correctly with clear conscience.

Conscience is an inner feeling or inner voice acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior. That is why when we do something that are against common sense, we will have guilty conscience. And this was exactly what made the non-Muslims convert to Islam in Makkah, some 1400 years ago.

In the 7th century, when Islam was being formulated, Egypt was preoccupied by pagan worshipers, Jews and Christian. In a short term of 50 odd years, most of the Arabs has converted into Muslims. Bear in mind Islam is a religion of no compulsion. Meaning one cannot convert another into Islam with a knife sticking on their neck.

It was the Islamic doctrines and the good nature of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that successfully converted them into Islam. Islam by itself, is a religion of common sense and conscience in-line with human nature. The Quran says:

"Direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people." (QS 30:30)

Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “Verily, the Sharia is founded upon wisdom and welfare for the servants in this life and the afterlife. In its entirety it is justice, mercy, benefit, and wisdom. Every matter which abandons justice for tyranny, mercy for cruelty, benefit for corruption, and wisdom for foolishness is not a part of the Sharia even if it was introduced therein by an interpretation.”

For example: In Islam, it is permissible (mubah) for a person to dig a hole in the ground, but it is prohibited (haram) to dig a hole on a road congested with human traffic. It is haram to drink alcohol or eat pork in Islam but it is permissible when a person is in emergency state.

Other example that constitute common sense are; Islam strictly prohibits murdering of the innocents, corruption, cruelty, oppression, slander, lying, back-biting, bigotry, racism and many more. Anything that are against the human conscience is not part of Islam. They are all clearly stipulated in the Quran.

This was one of the main reason why the non-Muslims in Makkah embraced Islam back in those days. The other reason was the good inner and outer moral character portrayed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Good character means righteous, generous, compassion, merciful, striving to help others and giving people the benefit of the doubt. The Quran says:

"And indeed, you (Muhammad) are of a great moral character." (QS 68:4)

It was this, the good character of the Prophet teamed with the common sense of the Islamic doctrines, that successfully converted the jahilia Arabs into Muslims. The converted Muslims in turn emulated the Prophet traditions and spread Islam throughout the globe.

The Prophet (pbuh) said; “The most beloved servants of Allah, to Allah, are the best of them in character.” (Tabarani)

The Propeht (pbuh) also said; "And what is most likely to send people to Paradise? Being conscious of Allah and good manners. (Al-Bukhari)

It is common sense that no one in the right mind would follow a religion that preaches evil and violence or obey a leader that resemble Official No 1. Only those who are totally ignorant and deluded would do such a thing.

Therefore, let us revived the tradition of the Prophet (pbuh) by spreading the Holy Message and portraying good moral character to invite the non-Muslims to Islam. Don't let this 'Great Tradition' die off in Malaysia.


Wallahu'alam