Blessings of Islam

To appreciate the long history and the grand mission of the Chishti Order of Sufis, which is dedicated to the cause of universal brotherhood and peace among mankind, it is very necessary to know something about Islam, its Holy Prophet and Sufism which is the very heart and soul of Islam, expressed in a conceptual framework.

According to the Muslim faith, when the Almighty Allah created Adam (the father of the human progeny) out of a lump of clay, and commanded the angels to greet him with a Sijda (prostration in humility), Iblis, the Satan, hesitated to obey and accept Adam as his superior because he claimed his own superiority over Adam by virtue of his long devotion to Allah and creation out of fire.

Iblis’ reluctance to obey and bow before Adam , however, resulted In his condemnation. He was therefore eternally banished from the pleasure of God. Under this great humiliating disappointment, the Satan pleaded to Allah that he and his progeny (the Satan belongs to the progeny of the jinn) may be granted an everlasting opportunity to mislead mankind into error and sin, in order to test the devotion of Adam and his progeny to God. This request was granted by the Almighty Allah with the commandment that whosoever followed the Satan's path will forfeit His pleasure and that his abode will be in the fire of hell eternally.

The creation of this position was essential in order to give an opportunity to Adam and his progeny to accept either of the two options, because the existence of a uniform system or code without any fazad (opposite position), would not have been in the best interests of mankind, just like illness and health, blindness and clear vision, night and day, heat and cold, good and evil, and so on.

The first treacherous act of Satan under this arrangement started with the beguilement of Adam himself in the well-known episode of Eve and the "forbidden fruit", which resulted in the banishment of both Adam and Eve from the Heavenly paradise as a punishment against Allah's pleasure. Thus the treachery of Satan, the avowed enemy of the children of Adam , has continued throughout the ages causing perpetual misery among the vast majority of these people who succumb to his mischievous allurements in defiance of the commandments of God.

In this respect, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who follow the commandments of God, and those who are susceptible to the beguilements of Satan. There has always been a mighty struggle between the followers of Satan and the believers of God, ever since the creation of Adam .

The Holy Prophet Muhammad

When the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Mohammed appeared on the scene of Arabia in 750 A.D., Satan had virtually established his devilish kingdom over the Arabs, who were steeped in abysmal ignorance and sin. What was the actual condition of Arabia before the birth of the Holy Prophet Mohammed ?

According to the Holy Qur’an, it was on "the verge of a fiery abyss." The barbarous Arabs were completely submerged under the evil influence of Satan. They were soaking in superstition, ignorance, cruelty and idolatry and were torn asunder by internecine feuds and wars. They had no settled government and lived a nomadic life. Wine, women and every kind of vice and crime summed up their general attitude towards life.

Even the Jews and the Christians had forgotten the teachings of their Prophets Moses and Jesus , and had become idolators. Writing about the condition of Christianity in the 7th century, historian Sir William Muir says: "The Christianity of the 7th century was itself decrepit and corrupt. It was disabled by contending schisms and had substituted superstition for the pure and expansive faith of the early ages."

The teachings of the Prophet of Islam , however, wrought a dynamic transformation in the sinful life of the Arabs within a few years, despite all the worst type of oppression, insults and persecution by the evil forces of Satan. In spite of all these obstacles, Prophet Mohammed succeeded and succeeded triumphantly in completely routing the forces of Satan and revolutionizing the life of the Arabs under Islam, the religion of Peace and Prosperity, founded not only for the benefit of the Arabs but for the happiness of the whole world as well.