that this similarity between deen and madhhab is merely superficial. In
essence, even these articles of faith have different meanings and
connotations in deen and madhhab; nay, these meanings are mutually
contradictory in many respects.
The first few chapters of this work comprise an historical
discussion of the concepts of God and religion. It should not be
taken for a discussion of deen; nor is it an attempt to compare Islam
with other religions and establish its superiority over them. From
the observations made earlier in this Introduction, it should be clear
that a comparison between Islam and the existing religions is out of
question. Islam is a deen, or a way of life, which can be compared
only with another way of life, and not with any religion, for religion
as such, has nothing at all to do with the problems of human life on
earth. This explains why the Qur’an does not present Islam as a rival
to any religion; on the other hand, it asserts that this deen (system of
life) shall ultimately prevail over all the man-made systems (9:33). I
would, therefore, entreat you, kind reader, not to treat this work as a
book of religion; it should be studied only from one point of view
and that is: whether or not the way of life that it expounds offers a
solution to the grave difficulties and problems with which mankind
is faced at present.
Today, all thoughtful men are disgusted both with materialism as
well as religion (madhhab), for neither of these offers a way out of
humanity’s present predicaments. The only solution is through the
deen that is expounded in the following pages, This deen is enshrined
only in the verses of the Qur’an, because, as already stated, of all the
Books of the revealed adyan, the Qur’an is the only book that has
remained intact in precisely the same form in which it was revealed
to Muhammad (PBUH) who delivered it to mankind.
The economic problem is indeed the gravest of all the problems
of the present age, and neither Capitalism nor Communism offers
an adequate and effective solution to it. The Islamic deen shows us
the path of redemption in this sphere also. But this aspect of Islam
has been touched upon only casually in the present book; it has been
discussed at length in another book of mine.*
Incidentally, in the pages which follow, the reader will come
across numerous quotations, especially from Western writers. I
Introduction 17- Discussed at length in another book (Nizam-i-Rabubiyyat)