19.ALL RELIGIONS TEACH ITS FOLLOWERS TO DO GOOD DEEDS, THEN WHY FOLLOW ONLY ISLAM ?

Question
All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?
Answer

1. Major difference between Islam and other religions
   All religions basically teach its followers to do good deeds, but the difference between Islam and other religions is that Islam shows us the way how to achieve that state of goodness.
2. Example – Islam does not only prohibit robbery but also prescribes methods of eliminating robbery
   a. Islam prescribes a method of eliminating robbery All major religions teach that robbing is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So what is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical way on how to achieve that state in which people will not rob.
   b. Islam prescribes Zakaah
   Islam prescribes a system of Zakaah (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every rich person who has a saving of more than the nisaab level i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in charity. If every rich person in the world gives Zakaah sincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die of hunger c. Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery Islam prescribes chopping off the hands for the robber. The Glorious Qur’an says in Surah Al Maa’idah: “As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom.” [Al-Qur’an 5:38] The non-Muslim may say, “Chopping off the hands in this 21st century. Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!” d. Results achieved when Islamic Shar’iah is Implemented America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft, and robbery. According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Dept. of Justice), in the year 2014 alone 664,210 cases of robbery took place in America. Everyday 1,820 cases of Robbery. Every Second 1.26 cases of robbery took place in America in the year 2014. According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Dept. of Justice), in 2013 alone 6,126,420 Violent Crimes took place in America. Everyday 16,785 cases of Violent Crime. Every second about 12 Violent Crimes were committed in America in the year 2013. Suppose the Islamic Shar’iah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakaat (i.e. 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. It’s a practical law. The moment the Shar’iah is implemented, it gets results. I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is that the moment you implement this law, the rate of theft will decline immediately. The robber will think 10 times before robbing. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed. Islamic Shar’iah is therefore practical, and achieves results.
3. Example – Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women. It enjoins Hijaab and prescribes capital punishment for a rapist
   a. Islam prescribes methods of eliminating molestation and rape All the major religions teach its followers not to molest or rape women. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely prohibit but also shows a way about how to achieve a state in which people will not molest or rape women.
   b. Hijaab for men Islam has a system of Hijaab. The Glorious Qur’an first mentions Hijaab for the men and then for the women. Hijaab for the men is mentioned in the following verse:
   “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.” [Al-Qur’an 24:30]
   The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze c. Hijaab for women Hijaab for women is mentioned in the following verse: “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons…” [Al-Qur’an 24:31] The extent of Hijaab for a woman is that her complete body should be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body. However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered. d. Hijaab prevents molestation The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijaab for the women is given in the Qur’an in the following verse of Surah Al-Ahzaab: “O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Al-Qur’an 33:59] The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women, and this would prevent them from being molested. e. Example of twin sisters Suppose two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijaab i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts with a deep neck. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts with a deep neck? Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur’an rightly says that the Hijaab prevents women from being molested f. Capital punishment for rapist The Islamic Shar’iah prescribes capital punishment for a rapist. The non-Muslim may say, “Capital punishment in the age of science and technology! Islam is a ruthless and barbaric religion.” Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, some one rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, “we would put him to death”. Some went to the extent of saying, “we would torture him to death”. If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death. But if someone else’s wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards? g. USA has one of the highest rates of Rape The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. An FBI report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of rapes were reported. Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We get a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365, the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents everyday. The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out of the rape cases that were reported only 10% of the rapists were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists faced a trial. In other words if a person commits 125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial, 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment though the American law says rape carries a seven-year sentence of imprisonment. For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will be lenient and give a sentence of less than a year! According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Dept. of Justice), in 2014 alone 2,84,350 cases of rape were reported and only 33.6% of the actual cases of rape were reported. Thus, 2,84,350 X 2.976 = 8,46,280 rapes took place in 2014. That is, an average of 2,318 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 2014. Every 37 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe American rapists got bolder. h. Results achieved when Islamic Shar’iah is implemented Suppose the Islamic Shar’iah is implemented in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijaab that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shar’iah gets results.

4. Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind
   Islam is the best way of life because it provides practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam is a universal religion. It can be followed by any group of people in any part of the world, yet it will get results