About the word 'Lord'
The word lord in English has several related meanings. The original meaning is 'master' or 'ruler' and in this sense, it is often used to refer to human beings: 'the lord of the mansion' or 'Lord So-and-So' (in the United Kingdom, for example). The word Lord with a capital L is used in the lexicon of Islam to refer to the One and Only God - Allah. In Islam, there is no ambiguity about the meaning of this word. While it is true that one may occasionally use the word lord (whether capitalized or not) to refer to a human being, in Islamic discourse the reference to this term is always clear from the context.
Whereas for Christians, Hindus, and other polytheists, the word Lord with a capital L may refer to Allah, to Jesus or to some imagined deity, for Muslims, there can be no plurality of meaning. Allah alone is the Lord, and the Lord is Allah - not Jesus, not Rama, not any other being. Although the English word 'God' has often been used interchangeably in this book with the word Allah, there is a difference. 'Allah' is the word in Arabic that is translated as 'God'. However, 'Allah' has a much more precise meaning than 'God'. 'Allah' is not merely an Arabic term for the word 'god'. Instead, the root word of the word 'Allah' is ilah, which means 'a god'.
There are countless numbers of made-up 'gods', but only One True God whose name is Allah. The word 'Allah' literally means 'the worshipped'. Allah is, thus, the proper name for the only Being that is worthy of worship, the True Creator of the universe. By saying 'Allah', Muslims are, in essence, negating every other entity which people wrongfully worship. The name 'Allah' is how God Almighty has referred to Himself in the Qur'an 1 , and how Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) also referred to Him. Therefore, in this
1 The Qur'an is the sacred book or scripture revealed to Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him). A detailed explanation of the Qur'an has been given in chapter 9: "The Six Articles of Islamic Faith." At work, the term 'Allah' will often be used about this One and Only God, who is worthy of worship.
Preface
Wise individuals know that they exist for a purpose and a final destination, whether or not they are aware of the exact nature of that destination. Wise individuals also understand that if they do not know where they are going, they will never strive to reach there. This little book has shed some light on the following:
❖ Why were human beings created?
❖ What is their final destination?
❖ How can they reach that destination 'safely'?
With this short preface, I leave you to peruse the book.
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