All praises be to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon the Last Prophet, his family, and Companions! Since delivering scientific lectures is one of the best means of clarifying facts, presenting the merits of the subjectmatter of the lecture, and expanding discussions on it, I thought that the suject of my lecture for tonight should be: "Shari`ah: Merits and Man's Need for It". I have chosen this subject for its great significance. It is wellknown that studying the Islamic Shari`ah and relevant issues concerning its merits, benefits, and protection of servants, and every text concerning our need is indeed a great matter. In addition, our need for it is great. Understanding and paying attention to that issue is one of the most important matters. Being motivated by the importance of this subject, its significance, and our pressing need to understand it better and have more insight into it, I thought it should be the subject of my lecture. My dear brothers and sisters, my lecture has two aspects: First: Shari`ah and its merits. Second: The human need for it. I will speak about the two matters, God willing.
First: The essence and merits of Shari`ah: It is wellknown for Muslims and those who have the least knowledge about the reality of
the past ages that Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) sent all Messengers (peace be upon them) with Islam starting from Noah, the first Messenger, to the Last of them, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them). Our father Adam (peace be upon him) embraced Islam and so did all the generations that came after him until the people of Noah fell into the abyss of Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship). All people were all Muslims according to the narration of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) but later Shirk spread among the people of Noah through worshipping the pious people Wadd, Suwâ', Yaghûth, Ya'ûq, and Nasr. Allah (Exalted be He) sent Noah (peace be upon him) to his people when Shirk spread among them and he was the first messenger sent to people on earth as mentioned in the authentic Hadiths narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Allah sent all the Messengers (peace be upon them) with Islam. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. So Allah (Glorified be He) clarified that the religion with Him is Islam and no other religion. Afterwards, Allah (Glorified be He) assured that with another Ayah (Qur'anic verse) in which He says: And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. So Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) indicated that all ways are blocked except this way; Islam. He explained that Islam is the only religion whose followers will be accepted and those who embrace other religions will not be accepted. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says, This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. So He addressed this Ummah (nation based on one creed) through His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) informing them that He has perfected their religion, completed His Favor upon them,
and chosen for them Islam as their religion. Thus, this was an indication that Islam is the religion of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the religion of this Ummah as well as the religion of all the past Prophets and Messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). Allah (Glorified be He) emphasized this by saying, He (Allâh) has ordained for you the same religion (Islâmic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nûh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ), and that which We ordained for Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Mûsâ (Moses) and ' Isâ (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically), and make no divisions in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). Intolerable for the Mushrikûn, is that (Islamic Monotheism) to which you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴـﻪ ﻭ ﺳـﻠﻢ) call them. Allâh chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience.
So He addressed this Ummah informing them that He has ordained for them the same religion which He ordained for Noah.
himself? Truly, We chose him in this world and verily, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him,
"Submit (i.e. be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)."
And this (submission to Allâh, Islâm) was enjoined by Ibrâhîm (Abraham) upon his sons and by Ya'qûb (Jacob) (saying), "O my sons! Allâh has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except in the Faith of Islâm (as Muslims Islâmic Monotheism)."
Allah (may He be Praised) clarified that Ibrahim recommended his offspring to hold fast to Islam and so did Ya`qub (Jacob) with his children. He (Allah) mentioned the same about Noah (peace be upon him) in Surah Yunus which tells the story of Noah who told his people: and I have been commanded to be of the Muslims (i.e. those who submit to Allâh's Will). Like wise, Allah (Exalted be He) mentioned about Moses that he said, O my people! If you have believed in Allâh, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims (those who submit to Allâh's Will). Relating the declaration of Bilqis (the queen of Sheba), Allah (Exalted be He) says, She said: "My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit [in Islâm, together with Sulaimân (Solomon)] to Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)." From these Ayahs and their interpretation, we knew that Islam is the religion of all prophets and messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). It is verily the religion of Allah other than which there is no true religion. It is the religion that the messengers were commanded to announce and establish.