by Muhammad Hidhir B Md Razak

Created on: September 23, 2007

'Islam' literally means 'to submit' and it is this act of submission to God, or 'Allah' in Arabic, that is the basis of the entire religion; to submit wholly to God's laws, to believe in His existence and power and to love and fear him, for He, above all else, within the Muslim mind, is All Powerful and All Knowing.

Islam is currently the second largest religion in the world and is among those that are still rapidly growing. Some misunderstand this by thinking that people are converting into Islam every year in droves, which is not entirely true, even though in the United States itself, some reports suggest that as much as 20,000 Americans convert to Islam each year. What many fail to realize is that the birth rate of predominantly 'Islamic' states such as Iran, Pakistan and Egypt have remained relatively high, with fertility rates as high as 5 or six children per woman. Combine this with increasingly advanced health care and lower mortality rates, Islam is indeed the most rapidly growing religion in the world

Many intellectuals have pointed out the various, so-called contradictions found within the sphere of Islamic belief, one of which is the idea of freedom. On one hand, Islam places emphasis on freedom of choice yet one the other, it offsets this emphasis by placing what seem like a myriad of rules and regulations that seem almost impossible to follow without sacrificing one's own freedom. Yet herein lies the answer.

Everyday, we make our own choices. We decide what to wear, we decide whether we want to turn up for class or work, we decide what to have for lunch. Similarly, one can decide whether to convert to a new religion or become an atheist. All this reflects the freedom of choice Muslims deem as a gift and a burden from God. Even Muslims face choices: women decide if they want to wear the hijab, youths decide if they want a taste of (forbidden) alcohol, men decide if they are too tired to attend evening prayers... yet among all these choices, Islam also teaches of what comes after: consequences.

Some critics have a problem when the result of one choice seem so extreme so as to make the choice obvious but isn't it true that all decisions, big and small, come with choices? Islam teaches that for every act, one will face retribution whether in this life or the next, both the good and the bad, depending on the nature of the act. Thus, if it is one's decision to accept Islam, therefore, it is incumbent upon the person to follow Islam's teachings. "There is

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