Najmuddin A Farooqi.
Without attempting to prove the existence of God, divine power, or any unseen force through argument or science and without any such necessity we instead turn our attention to the human dimension embedded in the cosmic order since time immemorial. Here, the term humanity is used strictly in its qualitative sense: good and evil, virtue and vice, compassion and cruelty, righteousness and wrongdoing, benefit and harm. These opposites are not external to human existence; they are intrinsic to it.
It is important to clarify at the outset that faith and belief are not synonymous with sectarianism. They are not two sides of the same coin. Faith may inspire ethical restraint and inner balance, while sectarianism often hardens belief into identity, power and exclusion.
Across creation birds and beasts, plants and animals and human beings alike this duality is evident. From an Islamic philosophical perspective, even angels and the unseen realms are understood through functional roles rather than moral absolutism. A wild animal may kill when untamed, yet when domesticated and trained, the same creature can become useful and protective. What inspires fear in one context may become beneficial in another. Similarly, the plant world offers nourishing trees that provide fruits, grains, shade and flowers, while thorny shrubs and wild growth demand caution. Creation, therefore, is a balance of potential benefit and harm.
The purpose of such reflection is not abstraction, but to highlight those elements of existence that appeal to the better instincts of human consciousness those that promote restraint, compassion and continuity.
Since the dawn of humanity, people have sought explanations for the origin of the world and their own intelligence. This search gave rise to structured systems of belief later defined as religion. Historically, population growth has been closely linked to religious communities. Today, approximately 85 percent of the world’s 7.9 billion people identify with a religion.
In broad terms, around 29 percent of the global population identifies as Christian, 26 percent as Muslim, 24 percent as non-religious, 15 percent as Hindu, 4 percent as Buddhist and about 2 percent follow other traditions. These figures represent identity rather than intensity of belief. Islam, founded in 622 CE, now has nearly two billion adherents and forms a majority in above 50 countries. Hinduism, among the world’s oldest living traditions, originated around 2000 BCE and today has over a billion followers, largely in India and Nepal.
Demographic studies indicate that the most religious regions are growing fastest due to higher fertility rates and younger populations. However, fertility rates are declining globally across all religious groups, driven by education, healthcare, women’s empowerment and economic development. Over time, religious societies like all others adapt to changing material realities. The reason of appeal in Christianity is the separation of church from worldly affairs that thrives socio economic freedom to the societies at large.
Yet history reminds us that religion, when intertwined with imperial ambition and political power, has often coincided with immense human suffering.
Even if we exclude prehistoric violence, recorded history is marked by devastating wars. In ancient India, two events reshaped governance: Chandragupta Maurya’s conquest of Magadha and Ashoka’s Kalinga War. The Kalinga War India’s bloodiest ancient conflict reportedly resulted in nearly 250,000 deaths through battle, famine, and displacement. Confronted by the scale of destruction, Ashoka altered the course of his rule, incorporating moral and religious principles into governance an early example of ethical reflection born from catastrophe.
Beyond the subcontinent, the Crusades (11th–13th centuries) led to an estimated one to three million deaths across Europe and the Middle East. During the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, imperial expansions, rebellions and internal conflicts resulted in casualties across West Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia, though precise numbers remain uncertain. The Mongol invasions under Genghis Khan and later Hulagu Khan (both of were not Muslims) rank among the deadliest episodes in history, with estimates ranging from 30 to 40 million deaths and entire cities annihilated.
Modern history did not escape this pattern. World War I claimed approximately 20 million lives, while World War II exceeded 70 million deaths, including civilians, through industrial warfare, genocide and nuclear destruction. These conflicts were driven not primarily by religion, but by nationalism, ideology and unchecked state power demonstrating that mass violence is a human failing rather than a religious monopoly.
The enduring lesson of history is sobering: the capacity for cruelty transcends faith, culture and era. Religion can serve as a force for peace, justice and humanitarian action but when absorbed into power and absolutism, it often becomes an instrument rather than a cause.
The central question, therefore, is not whether humanity needs belief, but whether humanity can discipline its ambition, ego and fear. Civilisation’s survival depends less on what people profess, and more on how they choose to act.
CONCLUSION
Islam, though the youngest major religion, has grown relatively faster worldwide for fundamental reasons rooted in its core beliefs. Central to Islam is faith in the absolute oneness of Allah and belief in Prophet Muhammadﷺ a man known for his nobility, honesty and truthfulness since childhood. Born 40 years before the advent of Islam, he was physically like any other human being and never claimed supernatural power. Mohammadﷺ enjoyed no crown, privilege, or worldly perk; rather, he bore immense responsibility to live an exemplary life and serve as a guiding light for all humanity.
According to Islamic belief, Mohammadﷺ was the final messenger, conveying to humankind what he received from Allah. The essence of Muslim faith is encapsulated in the declaration: “There is no creator except Allah and Mohammadﷺ is Allah’s last Prophet”. Mohammad’sﷺ life was marked not by comfort but by hardship and sacrifice, both before and after prophethood. This authenticity and moral integrity generate deep conviction across generations.
Islam also emphasizes pragmatism, transparency and reverence for all noble figures associated with the Prophetﷺ his family, wives and companions and not cursing or abusing any of them despite historical differences. This balanced and universal outlook explains why Ahl-e-Sunnat constitutes about 85–90% of Muslims across 50 countries worldwide.
