November 24, 2015 – Written by Cláudia Sofia Simões

SHORT ESSAY ON THE BOOK

THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM
BY DR. ABDALLAH H. AL-KAHTANY

In his book, The Universality of Islam, Dr. Abdallah H. Al-Kahtany demonstrates how Islam is the most
universal way of life, considering some of the contemporary major political systems, religions, and cultures,
and how they were or are implemented, hardly freeing the world from the main malices that plague it.
With the recent proposals of a New World Order in the United Nations, Dr. Al-Kahtany argues that we
are left to ponder on what values, laws, and ways of life should be adopted to provide a full system of
justice and well-being for all nations throughout the world, as well as, what nation – one that is true to the
foundations it holds as its ideal way of life – represents the epitome of this utopia. To focus on what the
world needs today, four main areas are to be fulfilled by an all-encompassing way of life: non-
discrimination or equality, tolerance, ethical progression, and provision of working solutions to pressing
problems.1
Looking at the Indian society – its religious and cultural foundations – we find that the first
requirement of non-discrimination and equality is out of the picture, because of its “rigidly applied caste
system”2, which brings down the tolerance aspect required by a global, universal, way of life; ethical
progression and provision of working solutions are then disregarded as the society itself is not ruled by
justice between human beings, and so is unable to put these other requirements in the right perspective.
In Christianity and Judaism, we find instances of “doctrines that can be viewed as discriminatory” 3, such
as “And Mariam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married:
for he had married an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1)” 4. However, the main point regarding the
inadequacy of Christianity, in particular, as the ideal way of life for all mankind is that the holy scripture of
this religion refuses to be so, for, in the New Testament, Jesus (pbuh) instructs his disciples “not to spread
the message revealed to him beyond the tribes of Israel”5. Thus, non-discrimination is taken out of the
equation, and lack of tolerance and the non-encouragement of ethical progression follow when looking at
the extended history of the Crusaders6, the Inquisition7, and the Era of Colonization.8
Capitalism, although not a religion, “has become a way of life that millions of people aspire to and, once
achieved, defend with great enthusiasm”9. However, its history of slavery and mistreatment of people of

1 Kahtany, A. (2009). Introduction. In The Universality of Islam (p. 5). The Islamic Educational Center.
2 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 7). The Islamic Educational Center.
3 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 7). The Islamic Educational Center.
4 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 10). The Islamic Educational Center.
5 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 9). The Islamic Educational Center.
6 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Tolerance. In The Universality of Islam (p. 32). The Islamic Educational Center.
7 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Tolerance. In The Universality of Islam (p. 35). The Islamic Educational Center.
8 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Tolerance. In The Universality of Islam (p. 40). The Islamic Educational Center.
9 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 21). The Islamic Educational Center.
color is undeniable. The same happens with the lack of worry capitalists show for the consequences caused
by the “unbridled pursuit of possessions and wealth”10. These dire consequences include: “escalating rates
of crime, rape, child molestation, battered women, drug addiction, covert and overt discrimination,
homelessness, and the calamity facing old people”11. While, in theory, equality is called for in the capitalist
ideology, in practice, however, it is unable to give the right methods to implement it, for “it institutes a
different type of rigid socio-economic castes, which result in segregation and unequal access to social,
health and educational services”. The ethical part of progression is then affected, as the drive of Capitalism
is mainly to overpower the weaker and minority segments of society, providing progression to just those
that can afford it, whether financially or socially. Ethics would then most probably be one-sided.
The majority of contemporary problems humanity faces today are, no doubt, “the result of the inability
of the existing systems to neither prevent nor solve such problems.”12 Alcoholism and drug addiction, crime
and the abuse of children and women, are recognized as mainstream problems, having escalated instead of
decreased – ranging from 5% to over 20% of increase in selected crimes between 1976 and 1995 – as seen
in the U.S. Government references, the Uniform Crime Report from the FBI. 13
After we conclude the inadequacy of the current society arrangements as the ideal world-ruling order,
we ponder on how Islam can provide the solutions.
Non-discrimination is deeply rooted in Islamic teachings; we find as examples, “O you who have
believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people
prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.” 14 and “No Arab has any superiority
over a non-Arab, nor does a white man have any superiority over a black man, or the black man any
superiority over the white man. You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from
dust\earth.”15
Tolerance is also taught in Islam, as the Qur’an states “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of]
the religion”16 and history shows that during the Muslim rule of Portugal and Spain, “the Christians have
never been compelled to renounce the Gospel or to embrace the Qur'an.” 17
Ethical progression is encouraged throughout the Qur’an, as we find the following verses: “Say, ‘Are
those who know equal to those who do not know?’ Only they will remember [who are] people of

10 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 21). The Islamic Educational Center.
11 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 21). The Islamic Educational Center.
12 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Solving Problems of Humanity. In The Universality of Islam (p. 73). The Islamic
Educational Center.
13 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Solving Problems of Humanity. In The Universality of Islam (p. 82). The Islamic
Educational Center.
14 The Qur’an, 58. Sahih International
15 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Equality. In The Universality of Islam (p. 27). The Islamic Educational Center.
16 The Qur’an, 2:256. Sahih International
17 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Tolerance. In The Universality of Islam (p. 37). The Islamic Educational Center.
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understanding.”18, “Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given
knowledge, by degrees”19 and many more.
And solutions for pressing issues are bound to be encountered in the Shari’ah. Alcoholism and drug
addiction are both uprooted from their very source, for if a substance is found to be harmful, all avenues
that lead to its consumption are legally blocked20. The same goes for crime, for “a true Islamic society
removes the sources of these temptations, and when the need for correction emerges, the punishment is
serious and effective”21. With regard to the abuse of women and children, as well as rape and sexual
harassment, societies that see women as the source of evil or as worthless – as taught by the Original Sin in
the Bible and through Hindu scripture, respectively – or as an object of sexual gratification – as derived
from capitalist consumerism – are bound to have a large percentage of these crimes; and societies that view
children as a burden, as in India, are bound to abuse and mistreat them as well. The Qur’an, on the other
hand, teaches, “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find
tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people
who give thought.”22 And Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬said “Whoever brings up two girls, he and I will come
side by side on the Day of Judgement…”23
To conclude, The Universality of Islam provides a concise research that explains the why and how to go
around this matter through the implementation of the teachings of Islam. Ultimately, the premise of this
book is that Islam holds the solutions for the globalization and propagation of present-day problems,
providing orientation for the whole world, without compromising core international principles. Hence, it is
inferred that Islam is universal, and that its universality, if taken and applied, can bring humanity as a
whole to a higher level of justice, well-being and consciousness.

18 The Qur’an, 39:9. Sahih International

19 The Qur’an, 58:11. Sahih International
20 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Solving Problems of Humanity. In The Universality of Islam (p. 78). The Islamic
Educational Center.
21 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Solving Problems of Humanity. In The Universality of Islam (p. 86). The Islamic
Educational Center.
22 The Qur’an, 30:21. Sahih International
23 Kahtany, A. (2009). Universality and Solving Problems of Humanity. In The Universality of Islam (p. 97). The Islamic
Educational Center.
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