Some Distinctive Features of Islam — Page 9
9 save the One God, and a true and genuine sympathy for all humanity, then such a religion, despite subsequent changes, must be accepted as true. The founders of religions that satisfy this criterion were indeed righteous and pious beings, and true Messengers deputed by God, between whom we should make no distinction and in whose truth we must believe fully. They have cer tain fundamental features common to all regardless of differences in time and place. Thus expounds the Holy Quran: And they were not commanded but to serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, and being upright, and to observe Prayer, and pay the Zakat. And that is the relig ion of the people of the right path. 11 An Eternal Religion Another distinctive feature of Islam is that it not only proclaims its universal character, but also lays claims to being eternal, and it then proceeds to fulfil the preconditions of such a claim, for instance, a Message can be eternal only if it is complete and perfect in every aspect, and also guaranteed with regard to the verity of its contents. In other words, its revealed Books should bear divine guarantee against human revision and tampering. In so far as the teachings of the Holy Quran are concerned, the Almighty Himself claims in it: