Theological Orientation
Bayt ar-Rahmah li ad-Da‘wa al-Islamiyyah Rahmatan li al-‘Alamin (Home of Divine Grace for Revealing and Nurturing Islam as a Blessing for All Creation) is based upon the fundamental premise and teaching of ahlussunnah wal jamaah (Sunni Islam) that the true purpose of religion is to perfect human life, from a spiritual as well as social perspective. Religion fulfills its spiritual function by helping people attain a full comprehension of the meaning, and essence, of life. From a social perspective religion calls for, and facilitates, the establishment of harmony and justice.
Religion invites all human beings, without exception, to realize their highest potential.
The spiritual pioneers who animate religion often succeed in altering the course of entire civilizations. Yet their very success may give rise to certain interpretations of religion that form the basis of organized groups that subsequently divide rather than unite humanity. Within every religious tradition may be found those who propagate hatred towards others in the name of God. Indeed, the world is full of groups that instrumentalize religion in pursuit of goals that have little if anything to do with the exalted purpose of religion itself.
Bayt ar-Rahmah (Home of Divine Grace) seeks to restore human nature to what Islam regards as its pure and original state (fitra)—as symbolized by the act of God breathing life into the Prophet Adam—and to eliminate the widespread practice of using religion to incite hatred and violence towards others.
Beliefs
Bayt ar-Rahmah li ad-Da‘wa al-Islamiyyah Rahmatan li al-‘Alamin (Home of Divine Grace for Revealing and Nurturing Islam as a Blessing for All Creation) adheres to the fundamental teachings and practices of ahlussunnah wal jamaah (Sunni Islam), including its key articles of faith (iman), which constitutes belief and absolute gnostic certainty regarding the existence of God (swt.), the angels, Holy Scriptures, messengers of God and the Day of Judgment, and the conviction that everything that occurs, occurs because of God’s will and with His permission (qadla), and through the exercise of His power (qadar).
This includes the belief and certainty that God (swt.) is truly the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the Just, the Most Loving and the Compassionate One, possessed of these and other qualities that may be identified through His most beautiful Names (al-asma al- husna). This belief and certainty may be attained through spiritual practice (riyadah ruhaniyah) and/or intellectual inquiry, as conducted by the Prophets Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon them—prior to their receiving revelations from God (swt.).
Perfect faith in God (swt.) gives birth to the awareness that He alone is Absolute. Thus, one comes to recognize that no product of the human mind, however brilliant, is ever perfect—including our attempts to understand God’s revelation—and that such efforts are simply part of a process to bring us back to Him. True believers (mu‘minun) recognize their human limitations, and respect others’ right to hold similar, different or even contrary opinions, for they realize that God (swt.) is the Source of the world’s immense cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, as stated in Surah al-Hujurat: “Behold, We have created you out of male and female, and have made you into many tribes and nations, so that you might come to know (respect and learn from) each other. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him.” (QS 49:13)