The merits of Islam:
Mahasin is an irregular plural of husn, as though it were the plural of mahsan. Goodness is recognised by rational people, so lexicographers were content to define it by saying: goodness is the opposite of ugliness; a good deed is the opposite of an evil deed; merits are the opposite of faults; and the best is the opposite of the worst.[1] There is no doubt that everything God has prescribed for His servants and approved as their religion is characterised by goodness, perfection and beauty, free of ugliness, deficiency and fault. People differ in their perception of the merits of the religion of the Lord of the worlds according to their faith and certainty, knowledge and understanding. Knowledge of its wisdoms and objectives is therefore among the most important means of bringing its merits to light. Anyone discussing the merits of Islam or Islamic law must, in reality, discuss the objectives and ends of Islamic law in detail. Research into “the merits of Islam” is thus a form of the interpretation of Islam and the explanation of its objectives.
[1] Al-Jawhari (d. 393 AH), Taj al-Lughah wa-Sihah al-Arabiyyah, edited by Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur Attar, Dar al-Ilm lil-Malayin, Beirut, 1407 AH, 5/2099.