Uislamu ni mfumo wa mwisho na kamili wa maisha, ulioteremshwa na Allah (swt) kwa Muhammad ﷺ, Mtume wa mwisho na wa mwisho kabisa kwa wanadamu wote. Kwa hiyo, njia pekee ya maisha iliyoamriwa kwa binadamu na Muumba wa ulimwengu ni Uislamu. Allah (swt) anasema: “Na atakayetaka dini nyingine isipokuwa Uislamu, kamwe haitakubaliwa kwake, na Akhera atakuwa miongoni mwa waliopoteza.” [TMQ 3:85] “Enyi mlioamini! Mcheni Allah kama inavyostahiki kumcha, wala msife isipokuwa mkiwa Waislamu.” [TMQ 3:102] Ni‘aqidah ya Kiislamu ndiyo imani ya Waislamu, msingi wake ukiwa ni kuelewa kwamba Allah (swt) ndiye Mungu pekee na Muhammad ﷺ ndiye Mtume wa mwisho wa Allah. Inatoa jibu kwa tatizo kubwa zaidi la binadamu, yaani chanzo na lengo la maisha, na inamwongoza kufahamu anachopaswa kuamini na asichopaswa kuamini. Vilevile, ‘aqidah ya Kiislamu ndiyo nguvu inayoongoza ambayo kanuni na sheria za kuendesha mambo ya maisha hutokana nayo. Imani ya Kiislamu haipaswi kuchukuliwa kama seti ya kanuni na taratibu za kinadharia zisizo na uhusiano wowote na maisha. Badala yake, njia sahihi ya kuelewa imani ya Kiislamu ni kama itikadi inayopaswa kuaminiwa, na ambayo kanuni na sheria zake lazima zitekelezwe katika mambo ya maisha.

Islam is the ultimate and final blueprint for life, sent down by Allah (swt) to Muhammad (saw), the last and final messenger for the whole of mankind. Thus, the only way of life ordained for humanity by the Creator of the universe is Islam. Allah (swt) says, “If anyone desires a deen other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost.” [TMQ 3:85] “Oh you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.” [TMQ 3:102] The Islamic ‘aqeedah is the creed of the Muslims, its basis being the understanding that Allah (swt) is the only God and Muhammad (saw) is the final messenger of Allah. It provides the answer to man’s greatest problem, i.e. what is the source and purpose of life, and it guides him to come to the realisation of what he should and should not believe in. As well, the Islamic ‘aqeedah is the driving energy from which the rules and laws to govern lifes affairs emanate. The Islamic belief is not to be viewed as a set of abstract, theoretical rules and regulations which have no bearing in life. Rather, the correct way of understanding the Islamic belief is as a creed which must be believed in and whose rules and laws must be implemented in lifes affairs.

Uislamu, pamoja na kuwa suluhisho la mwisho kwa tatizo kubwa zaidi la wanadamu, umetoa mwongozo kamili kwa binadamu wa kuishi maisha yao. Muumba ameteremsha kanuni ya maisha ambayo wanadamu wanapaswa kuishi kwayo, wala hajatuacha gizani bila mwongozo na uelekezi. Isipokuwa wanadamu wakitekeleza hili, wataachwa kufuata matakwa na hamu za akili yao dhaifu na yenye kukosea ili kusimamia mambo yao.

Islam, as well as being the final solution for mankind’s greatest problem, has given comprehensive guidance for human beings to live their lives. The Creator has revealed a code of life for mankind to live by, and He has not left us in the dark without guidance and direction. Unless mankind applies this, he is left to the whims and desires of his own weak and fallible mind to govern his affairs.

Akili ndiyo inayomtofautisha binadamu na viumbe vyote vingine, iwe ni vile vya jambo lisilo hai, au mimea na wanyama walio hai. Ulimwengu wote, ukijumuisha vyote hivi, unaendeshwa kwa mpangilio kamilifu na usawa - fikiria mzunguko wa maji, mizunguko ya sayari, mchakato wa usanisinuru katika mimea, au miundo tata ya jamii za wanyama - haya ni baadhi tu ya mifano ya mpangilio huu. Lakini ndani ya maelewano haya tunaona tofauti kubwa; machafuko na maafa katika dunia inayotuzunguka. Hii inajumuisha kuporomoka kwa jamii, vita na mizozo, unyonyaji wa kiuchumi, uhalifu na umaskini - orodha hii ni mbaya kama ilivyo ndefu. Katika visa vyote hivi, tunaweza kuona kwamba ni katika maeneo tu ambapo mwanadamu ametumia akili yake mwenyewe kutatua matatizo ya maisha ndipo fujo kama hizi huibuka.

The mind is what differentiates human beings from all other creations, be they from dead matter, or living plants or animals. The whole universe, encompassing all of these, runs on a perfect order and balance - think of the water cycle, the planetary orbits, the process of photosynthesis in plants, or the complex structures of animal societies - these are just some examples of this order. But it is amongst this harmony that we see a stark contrast; chaos and calamity in the world around us. This includes social degradation, wars and disputes, economic exploitation, crime and poverty - the list is as ugly as it is long. In all of these cases, we can see that it is only in the areas where man has applied his own mind to solving lifes problems that such disorder arises.

Kwa kweli, matatizo haya yanatokea hasa kwa sababu ya binadamu kupuuza mtindo wa maisha wa Kiislamu na kutumia akili yake mwenyewe kuamua jinsi ya kuendesha mambo yake. Kama kweli akili ingekuwa na uwezo wa kuzalisha mpangilio uleule tunaouona katika ulimwengu, basi kwa nini ulimwengu wa 'binadamu' umejaa fujo namna hii?

In fact, these problems arise precisely as a result of mankind neglecting the Islamic way of life and using his own mind to decide how to run his affairs. If indeed, the mind was capable of producing the same organisation as we see in the universe, why is the ‘human’ world in such a mess?

Kwa kweli, ni nguvu iliyotoa sheria zinazoleta ukamilifu katika mienendo ya maumbile pekee ndiyo inayoweza kufikia matokeo hayo hayo katika mambo ya wanadamu. Mfumo wa maisha wa Kiislamu una maana hiyo hasa. Ni sheria ya Muumba wa ulimwengu, Allah (SWT), kwa binadamu - rehema kwa wanadamu wote.

In reality, only the power that gave the laws which proffer perfection to the processes of nature can achieve the same result in the affairs of mankind. The Islamic way of life means precisely that. It is the law of the Creator of the universe, Allah (swt), for human beings - a mercy to mankind.

Hukmu ya kisheria (hukm shari‘i) inaweza kufafanuliwa kuwa ni kauli ya Mtoa Sheria Allah (SWT), inayohusiana na vitendo vya watu. Na Allah (SWT) ameteremsha hukmu ya kisheria kwa namna ambayo ni kamili, yenye maelezo ya kina na iliyokamilika. Allah (SWT) anasema: "Leo nimekukamilishia dini yenu, na nimetimiza neema yangu juu yenu, na nimekuridhieni Uislamu kuwa dini yenu." [TMQ 5:3]

The divine law (hukm shari‘i) can be defined as the speech of the legislator Allah (swt), related to the actions of the people. And Allah (swt) has revealed the divine law in such a way that it is comprehensive, detailed and perfect. Allah (swt) says, “This day I have perfected your deen, bestowed My favour upon you and chosen for you al-Islam as your deen.” [TMQ 5:3]