Many of us confuse reality with religion. That is why it is important for me to explain how Islam is not “religion” but reality.

Islam is Al-Haqq. Translation: Reality.

Islam is divine, from beginning to end. Religion is man-made.

Religion is presided over by priests and pundits. Islam has no priests or pundits. Only scholars who may choose to be students of Islam.

That is why Islam is reality, from God Almighty.

And that is also why I am not a “Religion” writer – just because I choose to write about Islam.

Nor am I a “Faith” scholar, as some people may think.

I am a student of Islam, Muslims and the World. And that is what I write and speak about.

And that means everything that there is, was or can be: now or forever; here, there and everywhere else.

For, that is Islam. [...]

Within Islam it is both legitimate and right to ask the question: "Why Islam?" Every tenet in Islam is subject to analysis and contention. No other religion is willing to subject its basic fundamentals of faith to such questioning. For example, Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most rational of Christian theologians, stopped the use of reason when it came to the basic fundamentals of Christian faith. He then tried to justify faith. So to ask "why Christianity?" is an illegitimate question. However, Allah invites the question as to "why Islam?".

“There are those in this world who wish to die for Allah. I wish to say to them: “Have you ever tried living for Allah?”

“Give it a shot,” I say to them. I mean living for Allah. “You might like it.”

If you ask me how you do that, my response is simple: “Exactly as the man said: By loving your God with all your might and soul and heart, and, at the same time, by loving your fellow human beings – each and every one of them, regardless of race or religion; age, gender or nationality – as you would love yourself.”

If you can do that, you would be living your life for Allah.

And, oh yes, there is something else you can do: Don’t for one moment forget that God is with you no matter where you are and no matter what you are doing.

And, yes, there is something else too that you can do: Do everything you do as if you actually see God.

Or, even if you don’t see him, surely you are on his radar and he sees you all the time.”

You do these things, and you will be living your life fully and entirely for Allah.

So, love Allah and serve Allah’s creation, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, human and non-human alike.

That is how you live for Allah. And that is what Islam came into this world to teach everyone: How to live for and with Allah.

This is also the core of what is called the Islamic Shari’ah – the Divine Law that God gave to Moses, Jesus, Abraham and Muhammad (God Bless Them All!).

It is a collection of divine principles and practices common to Islam, Judaism, Christianity and all other belief systems with roots in any form of divine guidance. And in a truly global, timeless and trans-cultural context, it represents the best that it is possible for humanity to have.

If you want to lay your hands on Divine Shari’ah, then look no farther than the Ten Commandments. For, that is Shari’ah that the Mighty God placed in your hands.” (Dr. Pasha)