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Introduction
Since the beginning humans have always searched for the reason for their existence in this
world that who created them? What is the purpose of their existence? and how they should
live their lives? Some adopted idols as their creator or God, some started worshiping fire
and some started worshiping sun. Similarly different religions were formed to satisfy the
need of humans so that they could live their lives peacefully according to their religion.

Hazrat Adam (A.S) and Bibi Hawa were the first human’s who were sent to the earth as they
disobeyed Allah. It was then human race originated and they were spread in different parts
of world in the form of different tribes and eventually nations. Allah sent numerous
Prophets and Messengers who conveyed message of Allah to their nation or people. Hazrat
Muhammad SAW were the last Prophet upon which Holy Quran was revealed which is the
basis of religion Islam.

Islam is a complete code of life which satisfies all societal, emotional and psychological
needs of humans. It is a complete set of instructions and orders and by accepting these
instructions and orders one get success in this world and hereafter.
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Why do we need a Religion?

Religion is a misrepresentation of the word "deen", which means a complete, structured,
divinely ordained way of life. We have been placed on this earth for a special purpose, and
one day we will be questioned regarding the fulfillment of that purpose, and whether we
have fulfilled our obligations to God, society and to ourselves.

Religion must address essential humanistic needs - physical needs, societal needs, emotional
needs and psychological needs.

Physical needs
Turning first to physical needs - it is essential that a person’s physical needs be met,
regardless of the individual’s place or situation. Examples of physical needs include food, the
quenching of one’s physical thirst, the displacement of one’s sexual drive, the need for
freedom, security and peace. Islam touches upon all of those essential aspects of our
physical life – what we eat, how we eat, why we eat, with whom we share our food, etc. It is
a complete way of life. The Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) gave
the example of an individual who is in the middle of the desert, and his camel runs away,
taking with it all his provisions. He will raise his hands in supplication and will say, "O Allah,
feed me", but his food that he had was from haram or unlawful sources, and his clothing
was from haram or unlawful sources. The Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be
upon him) asked, how can this man expect that Allah will accept his supplication and
prayers? This shows the importance in Islam of fulfilling our physical needs in the correct
manner. As Muslims we do not simply seek out sustenance and nourishment. Rather we
seek out lawful means to earn the wealth with which we purchase our foods. A true Muslim
would prefer to forgo special foods purchase from illicit sources and eat in its place bread
and water.

In Islam, the difference between halal (lawful things) and haram (unlawful things) is the
articulation of a word and the righteous intention that accompanies it. A good example is
marriage. The difference between halal and haram personal relations between a man and a
woman is that the bride and the groom saying "I accept" – that utterance governs the entire
future of those two people. In Islam, marriage is essential, and having relations outside of
marriage is haram – it is a social vice that is deemed worthy of punishment. Therefore we
see that the discharge of ones’ physical needs – food, water, and lusts – are governed by the
Laws of Allah.

As such, we begin to now see that Islam means to submit to Allah to attain peace with Allah.
The scholars of Islam have stated that the essence of Islam is captured in the Qur’an. The
essence of the Qur’an in turn is encompassed in the opening chapter of the Qur’an wherein
Allah states:
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With the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (all that exists).

The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection).

You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).

Guide us to the Straight Way

The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who
earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray.

And the essence of the opening chapter of the Qur’an is contained in one verse of the
opening chapter: Iyyaaka na’budu wa iyyaaka nasta’een – You (Alone) we worship, and You
(Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). Thus, the essence of Islam to is to submit
only to Allah.

It is also important to note that Islam contains a martial law that dictate the mannerisms of
warfare – laws that are so strict that if a Muslim breaks them against a non-Muslim, the
non-Muslim is viewed as being oppressed, and the Muslim is the oppressor. In Islam we
hold firmly that if in such a situation the Muslim would be deemed a sinner and at risk of
being worthy of Allah’s Wrath and punishment.

As human beings we understand the necessity of a person’s way of life being fluid –
inflexible in some circumstances, but malleable in others. Muslims come from many, many
different nationalities – but they all believe in the same thing, perform the same acts and
submit in unison to Allah. Islam is fluid, and accessible to all nationalities. The Prophet (sala
Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) informed that he came to teach both the light
and the dark in complexion. And the Qur’an states that:

O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and
tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that
(believer) who has At-Taqwa (piety). Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware." Al-Hujurat
(49:13)

Societal needs
In Islam, it is an individual’s responsibility to his Creator that he lives among the people
according to Islam. Therefore, for example, an employee should be diligent, punctual and
perform his duties correctly – not because he is afraid that he will be fired or he may suffer a
pay cut, but only because he fears Allah. He or she knows that Allah is judging them in how
well they fulfill their duties and the obligations that they have been delegated. Similarly, the
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family situation is based on love, trust, caring and openness, not because a person is a
mother or father, but because their Creator directs them to treat their family members with
love, respect and justness.

Environmental laws
Islam also dictates that we share what Allah has given us on this earth. Islam contains more
specific laws relating to the physical environment than any other faith. For example, the
Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) said: "A woman has been
brought to the door of Hell because she was cruel to a cat." His companions asked, "How
could this be?" He replied, "She confined the cat to a cage so it could not go out and find
food, and she did not feed it herself."

The Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) also said, "A man has been
granted admission to Paradise because he gave water to a thirsty dog."

Once the Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) saw a camel with tears
in its eyes. The Prophet consoled the camel, and noticed that it had an excessive load of
burden on its back, which was causing it to be distressed. The Prophet ((sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa
Salaam - Peace be upon him) admonished the person who had done this to the camel.

The Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) would often give his lessons
under the shade of a tree. He informed his that the tree can hear him and benefits from his
nearness.

The Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) said, "If an individual has an
opportunity to plant a tree, even if he knows the Day of Judgment is imminent, let him plant
the tree." The Prophet ((sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him) taught us that we
would be rewarded for planting a tree even if the fruits of the tree were stolen – because
planting the tree itself is an act that is sanctioned by Allah.

We are Allah’s vicegerents on the earth; it has been given us in trust. Just as we are not the
lords of nature and the world, so the world is not our property which we can dispose of as
we wish or as we are able. Allah created nature and it belongs to Allah. Everything in nature
is a sign of Allah’s existence; that is, a token or missive. The Qur’an expresses this truth as
follows:

"We shall show them our signs in the [furthest] regions [of the earth], and in their own
souls." Fussilat 41:53

"Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the
day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which
God sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is
dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the
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winds, and the clouds subjugated between the sky and earth — [here] indeed are signs for a
people who think." Al-Baqarah 2:164

Emotional needs and the Importance of family relationships

Islam also teaches us the importance of the family relationship. The relationship in the
home is a relationship that builds communities. The first people that the Prophets would tell
of their Divine Message were their own family members – for example, after seeing the
burning bush, Moses first went home and told his immediate family of what he had seen;
when Noah heard that the flood was about to come, he first went and told his family. The
same was true of the Prophet Mohammad (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon
him) – the first people that he told about his message were his wife, his best friend, his
cousin and his adopted son.

The Muslims must follow this example. When Muslims give anything – whether it be
knowledge or material things – they must begin first with their immediate families, and
spread from there to their friends, neighbours and extended families.

Rules for living in society

Islam seeks to stamp out all vices. So intoxication is forbidden in all its forms – alcohol,
drugs, cigarettes etc – because intoxication leads to decay in society. Extra-marital activities
are also forbidden for a similar reason. The taking of a human life without due cause is
forbidden. The Qur’an states – as does the Torah – that the one who gives life to an
individual – that is, saves a human life – it is as if he has brought life to all of humanity; and
the one who kills an individual, it is as if he has brought death to all of humanity. But the
Qur’an also states – as does the Torah – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The one
who begins the aggression is the oppressor.

Islam has a shari’ah – a set of laws or rules which Muslims must follow. In Islam, one cannot
say that man-made laws could ever be better than laws ordained by Allah. The Qur’an
states: "Should not He Who has created know (what is best for His Creation)? And He is the
Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything)." Al-Mulk 67:14

Why Islam?
Why do we have to follow a shari’ah or divine law? Why this way of life? What is so valuable
about this way of life that would cause people to leave the path they have known their
whole life and join Islam?

The answer is simple. It is not always a person’s own choice, but a guidance from Allah. The
Qur’an says that the example of one who receives guidance is as of one who has life. And
the example of one who does not receive guidance is as one who is dead.
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Success is not tangible or measurable – one can never be rich enough, or pretty enough, or
ever have enough things. As the Prophet (sala Allahu ‘Alihi wa Salaam - Peace be upon him)
said, "If a man was given a valley of gold, he would search for another one."

But in Islam, the individual recognizes that no matter how high he is, he can never be free of
need. No matter how high he is, it can be taken from him instantly – especially if his status
and position is ill-gotten. Also – and perhaps more importantly – the individual realizes that
no matter how depressed he is, there is always Allah watching over him, and it could always
be worse. The individual knows that there is something more than the 60 or 70 years on this
earth, and that there will come a day when he will be asked about how he fulfilled his
obligations.

There are three essential elements to belief in Allah:

1) Belief that there is a Creator and a Rabb - Lord.

2) Belief that the Creator is singular and the only one deserving of worship since He Alone is
the sole Creator. As well if there was more than one, they would compete with each other.
Allah is the only One solely worthy of worship.

3) Belief in the attributes of the Creator – this entails learning about who Allah is and how
He describes Himself to us through study of the scriptures so as to recognize Him and
maintain our duties to Him. [1]

Conclusion
Hence we can say that religion is very important in a life of a person so that he could protect
himself from all kind of sins and could get success in this world and hereafter.

We can also say that Islam is the only religion which was revealed to the last prophet Hazrat
Muhammad SAW which provides in depth detail on each and every topic related to daily life
and even beyond that. It teaches us how to live life according to Quran and Sunnah and by
following Islam correctly according to its true teachings one can bring revolution in his life as
well as life of other people around him.

It is also important to have faith in one God that is Allah who is the master and creator of
everything. He has the power to bring dead to alive and alive to dead so having faith on the
day of judgment is crucial as it brings sense of responsibility in humans and protect humans
from all kind of sins as they are answerable to Allah which then results in a peaceful society
free from all kind of crimes and sins.