A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM (PART 2 OF 2)

The Quran

The Arabic word “Al-Quran” literally means “the recitation”.  When used in regards to Islam, the word Quran means God’s final message to mankind, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.  The Quran, sometimes spelled Koran, is the literal the word of God - as it clearly says time and time again.  Unlike other sacred scriptures, the Quran has been perfectly preserved in both its words and meaning in a living language.  The Quran is a living miracle in the Arabic language; and is know to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact.  God’s final revelation to mankind, the Quran, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. 

The Quran, in contrast to many other religious books, was always thought to be the Word of God by those who believed in it, i.e. it wasn’t something decreed by a religious council many years after being written.  Also, the Quran was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad.  The entire Quran was also completely written down in lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the Prophet memorized the entire Quran word-for-word as it was revealed.  So, unlike other scriptures, the Quran was always in the hands of the common believers; it was always thought to be God’s word and, due to wide-spread memorization,  it was perfectly preserved.

 In regards to the teachings of the Quran - it is a universal scripture addressed to all of mankind, and not addressed only to a particular tribe or “chosen people”.  The message that it brings is nothing new, but the same message of all of the prophets - submit to Almighty God and worship Him alone.  As such, God’s revelation in the Quran focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Oneness of God and framing their lives around the guidance which He has sent.  Additionally, the Quran contains the stories of the previous prophets, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus; as well as many commands and prohibitions from God.  In modern times where so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and “political correctness”, the Quranic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today.  In short, the Quran is the book of guidance par excellence.

The Prophet Muhammad

Unlike the founders of many religious, the final prophet of Islam is a real documented and historical figure.  He lived in the full light of history, and the most minute details of his life are known.  Not only do Muslims have the complete text of God’s words that were revealed to Muhammad, but they have also preserved his sayings and teachings in what is called “hadeeth” literature.  This having been said, it should be understood that Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was only a man chosen by God, and that he is not divine in any way.  In order to avoid the misguided wish to deify him, the Prophet Muhammad taught Muslims to refer to him as “God’s Messenger and His Slave”.  The mission of the last and final prophet of God was to simply teach that “there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God”, as well as being a living example of God’s revelation.  In simple terms, God sent the revelation to Muhammad, who in turn taught it, preached it, lived it and put it into practice. 

In this way, Muhammad was more than just a “prophet” in the sense of many of the Biblical prophets, since he was also a statesman and ruler.  He was a man who lived a humble life in the service of God, and established an all-encompassing religion and way of life by showing what it means to be an ideal friend, husband, teacher, ruler, warrior and judge.  For this reason, Muslims follow him not for his own sake, but in obedience to God, because Muhammad not only showed us how to deal with our fellow human beings, but more importantly, showed us how to relate to and worship God; worship Him in the only way pleasing to Him. 

Like other prophets, Muhammad faced a great deal of opposition and persecution during his mission.  However, he was always patient and just, and he treated his enemies well.  The results of his mission were very successful, and even though his mission started in one of the most backward and remotes places on earth, within a hundred years of the death of Muhammad, Islam had spread from Spain to China.  The Prophet Muhammad was the greatest of all of God’s prophets, not because he had new doctrines or greater miracles, but because it was him who was chosen to bear the last revelation which would come to humanity from God, one suitable for all places, times, and people, everlasting and unchanging until the Last Day.

The Islamic Way of Life

In the Holy Quran, God teaches human beings that they were created in order to worship Him, and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness.  Since the teachings of Islam encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs.  Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Law.  As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. 

The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged.  Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness. 

The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced.  Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil. 

Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand.  God has given people free-will, and the measure of one’s faith is one’s deeds and actions.  However, human beings have also been created weak and regularly fall into sin.  This is the nature of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently “corrupt” or in need of repair.  This is why the avenue of repentance is always open to all human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at all. 

The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy.  A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair.  In light of this, Islam teaches that only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord. 

Additionally, the Holy Quran, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, contains a great deal of teachings about the life in the hereafter and the Day of Judgment.  Due to this, Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives.  In judging human beings, Almighty God will be both Merciful and Just, and people will only be judged for what they were capable of. 

Sufficient is it to say that Islam teaches that life is a test, and that all human beings will be accountable before God.  A sincere belief in the life of the hereafter is the key to leading a well-balanced and moral life.  Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes human beings to become more selfish, materialistic and immoral.

Islam for a Better Life

Islam teaches that true happiness can only be obtained by living a life full of God-consciousness and being satisfied with what God has given us.  Additionally, true “freedom” is freedom from being controlled by our base human desires and being ruled by man-made ideologies.  This stands in stark contrast to the view of many people in the modern world, who consider “freedom” to be the ability to satisfy all of their desires without inhibition.  The clear and comprehensive guidance of Islam gives human-beings a well-defined purpose and direction in life.  In addition to being members of the human-brotherhood of Islam, its well-balanced and practical teachings are a source of spiritual comfort, guidance and morality.  A direct and clear relationship with Almighty God, as well as the sense of purpose and belonging that ones feels as a Muslim, frees a person from the many worries of everyday life. 

In short, the Islamic way of life is pure and wholesome.  It builds self-discipline and self-control through regular prayer and fasting, and frees human-beings from superstition and all sorts of racial, ethnic and national prejudices.  By accepting to live a God-conscious life, and realizing that the only thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their consciousness of Him, a person’s true human dignity is realized. - islamreligion.com

READ PART 1 - A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM (PART 1 OF 2)

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM (PART 1 OF 2)

Islam and Muslims

The word “Islam” is an Arabic word which means “submission to the will of God”.  This word comes from the same root as the Arabic word “salam”, which means “peace”.  As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely revealed Law.  The most important truth that God revealed to mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God, thus all human beings should submit to Him.

The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background.  Being a Muslim entails wilful submission and active obedience to God, and living in accordance with His message.  Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Not only are there converts to Islam in every corner of the world, especially in England and America, but by taking a look at the Muslim World from Bosnia to Nigeria, and from Indonesia to Morocco, one can clearly see that Muslims come from many various races, ethnic groups and nationalities.  It is also interesting to note that in actuality, more than 80% of all Muslims are not Arabs - there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in the whole Arab World!  So, though even though it is true that most Arabs are Muslims, the large majority of Muslims are not Arabs.  However, anyone who submits completely to God and worships Him alone is a Muslim.

Continuity of the Message

Islam is not a new religion because “submission to the will of God”, i.e. Islam, has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight of God.  For this reason, Islam is the true “natural religion”, and it is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God’s prophets and messengers.  Muslims believe that all of God’s prophets, which include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, brought the same message of Pure Monotheism.  For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of a new religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was the final Prophet of Islam.  By revealing His final message to Muhammad, which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham, who was one of the earliest and greatest prophets.

Sufficient is it to say that the way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham, because both the Bible and the Quran portray Abraham as a towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to God and worshipped Him without intermediaries.  Once this is realized, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and universal message of any religion, because all prophets and messengers were “Muslims”, i.e.  those who submitted to God’s will, and they preached “Islam”, i.e. submission to the will of Almighty God.

The Oneness of God

The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Oneness of Almighty God - the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus.  Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive in human beings and thus fulfils the natural inclination of the soul.  As such, Islam’s concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to understand.  Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human beings are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that God’s revelations to man are not clouded by self-contradictory mysteries or irrational ideas.  As such, Islam teaches that even though God cannot be fully comprehended and grasped by our finite human minds, He also does not expect us to accept absurd or demonstrably false beliefs about Him.

According to the teachings of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should never be compromised by associating partners with Him - neither in worship nor in belief.  Due to this, Muslims are required to maintain a direct relationship with God, and therefore all intermediaries are absolutely forbidden.  From the Islamic standpoint, believing in the Oneness of God means to realize that all prayer and worship should be exclusively for God, and that He alone deserves such titles as “Lord” and “Saviour”.  Some religions, even though they believe in “One God”, do not make all of their worship and prayers for Him alone.  Also, they also give the title of “Lord” to beings that are not All-Knowing, All-Powerful and Un-Changing - even according to their own scriptures.  Suffice it to say that according to Islam, it is not enough that people believe that “God is One”, but they must actualize this belief by proper conduct.

In short, in the Islamic concept of God, which is completely based on Divine Revelation, there is no ambiguity in divinity - God is God and man is man.  Since God is the only Creator and continual Sustainer of the Universe, He is transcendent above His creation - the Creator and the creature never mix.  Islam teaches that God has a unique nature and that He is free from gender, human weaknesses and beyond anything which human beings can imagine.  The Quran teaches that the signs and proofs of God’s wisdom, power and existence are evident in the world around us.  As such, God calls on man to ponder over the creation in order to build a better understanding of his Creator.  Muslims believe that God is Loving, Compassionate and Merciful, and that He is concerned with the daily affairs of human beings.  In this, Islam strikes a unique balance between false religious and philosophical extremes.  Some religions and philosophies portray God as just an impersonal “Higher Power” who is uninterested, or unaware, of the life of each individual human.  Other religions tend to give God human qualities and teach that He is present in His creation, by being incarnate in someone, something - or even everything.  In Islam, however, Almighty God has clarified the truth by letting mankind know that He is “Compassionate”, “Merciful”, “Loving” and the “Answerer of Prayers”.  But He has also emphasized strongly that “there is nothing like unto Him”, and that He is high above time, space and His creation.  Finally, it should be mentioned that the God that Muslims worship is the same God that Jews and Christians worship - because there is only one God.  It is unfortunate that some people mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jews and Christians, and that “Allah” is just the “god of the Arabs”.  This myth, which has been propagated by the enemies of Islam, is completely false since the word “Allah” is simply the Arabic name for Almighty God.  It is the same word for God which is used by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians.  However, it should be clarified that even though Muslims worship the same God as Jews and Christian, their concept of Him differs somewhat from the beliefs of other religions - mainly because it is based completely on Divine Revelation from God.  For example, Muslims reject the Christian belief that God is a Trinity, not only because the Quran rejects it, but also because if this was God’s true nature, He would have clearly revealed it to Abraham, Noah, Jesus and all of the other prophets. - islamreligion.com

MUHAMMAD’S SWORD (PART 2 OF 2)

The pope himself threw in a word of caution.  As a serious and renowned theologian, he could not afford to falsify written texts.  Therefore, he admitted that the Quran specifically forbade the spreading of the faith by force.  He quoted the second Sura, verse 256 (strangely fallible, for a pope, he meant verse 257) which says:

“There must be no coercion in matters of faith.”

How can one ignore such an unequivocal statement?  The Pope simply argues that this commandment was laid down by the prophet when he was at the beginning of his career, still weak and powerless, but that later on he ordered the use of the sword in the service of the faith.  Such an order does not exist in the Quran.  True, Muhammad called for the use of the sword in his war against opposing tribes - Christian, Jewish and others - in Arabia, when he was building his state.  But that was a political act, not a religious one; basically a fight for territory, not for the spreading of the faith.

Jesus said: “You will recognize them by their fruits.”  The treatment of other religions by Islam must be judged by a simple test: How did the Muslim rulers behave for more than a thousand years, when they had the power to “spread the faith by the sword”?

Well, they just did not.

For many centuries, the Muslims ruled Greece.  Did the Greeks become Muslims?  Did anyone even try to Islamize them?  On the contrary, Christian Greeks held the highest positions in the Ottoman administration.  The Bulgarians, Serbs, Romanians, Hungarians and other European nations lived at one time or another under Ottoman rule and clung to their Christian faith.  Nobody compelled them to become Muslims and all of them remained devoutly Christian.

True, the Albanians did convert to Islam, and so did the Bosniaks.  But nobody argues that they did this under duress.  They adopted Islam in order to become favorites of the government and enjoy the fruits.

In 1099, the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem and massacred its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants indiscriminately, in the name of the gentle Jesus.  At that time, 400 years into the occupation of Palestine by the Muslims, Christians were still the majority in the country.  Throughout this long period, no effort was made to impose Islam on them.  Only after the expulsion of the Crusaders from the country, did the majority of the inhabitants start to adopt the Arabic language and the Muslim faith - and they were the forefathers of most of today’s Palestinians.

There is no evidence whatsoever of any attempt to impose Islam on the Jews.  As is well known, under Muslim rule the Jews of Spain enjoyed a bloom the like of which the Jews did not enjoy anywhere else until almost our time.  Poets like Yehuda Halevy wrote in Arabic, as did the great Maimonides.  In Muslim Spain, Jews were ministers, poets, scientists.  In Muslim Toledo, Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars worked together and translated the ancient Greek philosophical and scientific texts.  That was, indeed, the Golden Age.  How would this have been possible, had the Prophet decreed the “spreading of the faith by the sword”?

What happened afterwards is even more telling.  When the Catholics re-conquered Spain from the Muslims, they instituted a reign of religious terror.  The Jews and the Muslims were presented with a cruel choice: to become Christians, to be massacred or to leave.  And where did the hundreds of thousand of Jews, who refused to abandon their faith, escape?  Almost all of them were received with open arms in the Muslim countries.  The Sephardi (“Spanish”) Jews settled all over the Muslim world, from Morocco in the west to Iraq in the east, from Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire) in the north to Sudan in the south.  Nowhere were they persecuted.  They knew nothing like the tortures of the Inquisition, the flames of the auto-da-fe, the pogroms, the terrible mass-expulsions that took place in almost all Christian countries, up to the Holocaust.

Why?  Because Islam expressly prohibited any persecution of the “peoples of the book”[1].  In Islamic society, a special place was reserved for Jews and Christians.  They did not enjoy completely equal rights, but almost.  They had to pay a special poll-tax, but were exempted from military service - a trade-off that was quite welcome to many Jews.  It has been said that Muslim rulers frowned upon any attempt to convert Jews to Islam even by gentle persuasion - because it entailed the loss of taxes[2].

Every honest Jew who knows the history of his people cannot but feel a deep sense of gratitude to Islam, which has protected the Jews for fifty generations, while the Christian world persecuted the Jews and tried many times “by the sword” to get them to abandon their faith.

The story about “spreading the faith by the sword” is an evil legend, one of the myths that grew up in Europe during the great wars against the Muslims - the reconquista of Spain by the Christians, the Crusades and the repulsion of the Turks, who almost conquered Vienna.  I suspect that the German Pope, too, honestly believes in these fables.  That means that the leader of the Catholic world, who is a Christian theologian in his own right, did not make the effort to study the history of other religions.

Why did he utter these words in public?  And why now?

There is no escape from viewing them against the background of the new Crusade of Bush and his evangelist supporters, with his slogans of “Islamofascism” and the “Global War on Terrorism” - when “terrorism” has become a synonym for Muslims.  For Bush’s handlers, this is a cynical attempt to justify the domination of the world’s oil resources.  Not for the first time in history, a religious robe is spread to cover the nakedness of economic interests; not for the first time, a robbers’ expedition becomes a Crusade.

The speech of the Pope blends into this effort.  Who can foretell the dire consequences?[3] - islamreligion.com

READ PART 1 - MUHAMMAD’S SWORD (PART 1 OF 2)

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Not only “Peoples of the Book”, but oppression of all others as well- IslamReligion.

[2]The author is mistaken in this statement, as the tax imposed upon non-Muslims was insubstantial to other means of generating public income. Rather, all Muslims encouraged and will continue to encourage others to enter its fold - IslamReligion.

[3]Disclaimer: All views of this author are not held by IslamReligion nor purported by Islam – IslamReligion.

MUHAMMAD’S SWORD (PART 1 OF 2)

Since the days when Roman Emperors threw Christians to the lions, the relations between the emperors and the heads of the church have undergone many changes.

Constantine the Great, who became Emperor in the year 306 - exactly 1700 years ago - encouraged the practice of Christianity in the empire, which included Palestine.  Centuries later, the church split into an Eastern (Orthodox) and a Western (Catholic) part.  In the West, the Bishop of Rome, who acquired the title of Pope, demanded that the Emperor accept his superiority.

The struggle between the Emperors and the Popes played a central role in European history and divided the peoples.  It knew ups and downs.  Some Emperors dismissed or expelled a Pope, some Popes dismissed or excommunicated an Emperor.  One of the Emperors, Henry IV, “walked to Canossa”, standing for three days barefoot in the snow in front of the Pope’s castle, until the Pope deigned to annul his excommunication.

But there were times when Emperors and Popes lived in peace with each other.  We are witnessing such a period today.  Between the present Pope, Benedict XVI, and the present Emperor, George Bush II, there exists a wonderful harmony.  Last week’s speech by the Pope, which aroused a world-wide storm, went well with Bush’s crusade against “Islamofascism”, in the context of the “Clash of Civilizations”.

In his lecture at a German university, the 265th Pope described what he sees as a huge difference between Christianity and Islam: while Christianity is based on reason, Islam denies it.  While Christians see the logic of God’s actions, Muslims deny that there is any such logic in the actions of Allah.

As a Jewish atheist, I do not intend to enter the fray of this debate.  It is much beyond my humble abilities to understand the logic of the Pope.  But I cannot overlook one passage, which concerns me too, as an Israeli living near the fault-line of this “war of civilizations”.

In order to prove the lack of reason in Islam, the Pope asserts that the prophet Muhammad ordered his followers to spread their religion by the sword.  According to the Pope, that is unreasonable, because faith is born of the soul, not of the body.  How can the sword influence the soul?

To support his case, the Pope quoted - of all people - a Byzantine Emperor, who belonged, of course, to the competing Eastern Church.  At the end of the 14th century, the Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus told of a debate he had - or so he said (its occurrence is in doubt) - with an unnamed Persian Muslim scholar.  In the heat of the argument, the Emperor (according to himself) flung the following words at his adversary:

“Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached”.

These words give rise to three questions: (a)            Why did the Emperor say them?  (b)        Are they true?  (c)        Why did the present Pope quote them?

WHEN MANUEL II wrote his treatise, he was the head of a dying empire.  He assumed power in 1391, when only a few provinces of the once illustrious empire remained.  These, too, were already under Turkish threat.

At that point in time, the Ottoman Turks had reached the banks of the Danube.  They had conquered Bulgaria and the north of Greece, and had twice defeated relieving armies sent by Europe to save the Eastern Empire.  On May 29, 1453, only a few years after Manuel’s death, his capital, Constantinople (the present Istanbul) fell to the Turks, putting an end to the Empire that had lasted for more than a thousand years.

During his reign, Manuel made the rounds of the capitals of Europe in an attempt to drum up support.  He promised to reunite the church.  There is no doubt that he wrote his religious treatise in order to incite the Christian countries against the Turks and convince them to start a new crusade.  The aim was practical, theology was serving politics.

In this sense, the quote serves exactly the requirements of the present Emperor, George Bush II.  He, too, wants to unite the Christian world against the mainly Muslim “Axis of Evil”.  Moreover, the Turks are again knocking on the doors of Europe, this time peacefully.  It is well known that the Pope supports the forces that object to the entry of Turkey into the European Union.

Is there any truth in Manuel’s argument?[1] - islamewligion. com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Disclaimer: All views of this author are not held by us nor purported by Islam 

THE TRUTH IS ONE (PART 2 OF 2)

Those who believe that the truth is relative and that all beliefs are correct deem that it is not possible to say that a person’s beliefs are wrong, because religion to them is a purely individual belief.  The falsehood of this statement is quite apparent and we do not need to delve into great detail to prove it.  If one religion believes that Jesus was a false prophet, another maintains he is God, and yet another that he was a human specially chosen to be a prophet, how can they all be true?  Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, must inevitably be one of the three things mentioned above, and all three statements cannot be correct.  Therefore, as only one of these statements can be correct, whichever is established as true determines that  the others must then be considered as false.

This does not, however, mean that a person does not have the right to believe as they wish, as this is a right that God has invested to all humans.  But at the same time, it does not mean that one must take the other extreme and say that they are all correct, and that one does not have the right to form a judgment about them.  Also, giving a person the right to believe what he wishes does not necessitate that they have right to openly practice or publicize these beliefs, for laws implemented in society always look at the effects of actions at the greater societal level and whether those actions are advantageous or harmful to the society at large.

From what we have discussed, we can unequivocally come to the conclusion that all the religions found today in the world are either all false, or that there exists one among them which is the comprehensive Truth; for although various religions do contain similarities, they also have fundamental differences. 

If we were to say that no religion in the world today is correct, then this would entail believing that God is unjust because He left us to wander about on earth in sin and transgression without showing us the right way to do things, and this is impossible for a Just God.  Therefore the only logical conclusion is that there is One True Religion, which contains guidance in all spheres of life, religious, moral, societal, and individual.

How do we know what this one true religion is?  It is upon each and every human to investigate this matter.  Humans were created to fulfill a great purpose, not just to eat, sleep and go about finding their daily sustenance and satiate their desires.  In order to fulfill this purpose, one must try to find what their purpose is, and this can only be done by investigation.  If one believes that there is a God, and that God must not have left humans to wander in misguidance, then they must search for the religion and way of life which God revealed.  Furthermore, this religion would not be hidden or hard for humans to find or understand, for that would defeat the purpose of guidance.  Also, the religion must contain the same message throughout time, since we mentioned that everything returns to one absolute truth.  Also, this religion cannot contain any falsities or contradictions, for falseness or contradiction in one matter of the religion proves the falsity of the religion as a whole, since we would then doubt the integrity of its texts.

There is no other religion which fulfills the conditions mentioned above except for religion of Islam, the religion which is accordance to human nature, the religion which has been preached by all prophets since the dawn of man.  Other religions found today, such as Christianity and Judaism, are the remnants of the religion brought by the prophets in their time, which was Islam. However, over time, they have been altered and lost, and what is left today of these religions is a mix of truth and falsehood.  The only religion which has been preserved and preaches the same message brought by all prophets is the religion of Islam, the one true religion, which rules all sphere’s of humans’ lives, religious, political, societal, and individual, and it is upon all humans to investigate this religion, to ascertain its truth, and to follow it.  - islamreligion,com

READ PART 1 - THE TRUTH IS ONE (PART 1 OF 2)

THE TRUTH IS ONE (PART 1 OF 2)

Often when discussing religion, one hears the statement that none has the right to judge anyone else’s beliefs, or that religion is a person’s private matter and we can not say that it is wrong or right.  Throughout history, societies have based their laws and ethics upon “absolute truths” which they deem to be “right”, and this is either a result of an exterior text regarded as supreme, or of the trait found in the innate nature of humans that causes them to see certain things as good and others as evil.  Humans, to a limited scale, can see certain things as good and evil.  For example, all humans, left to their natural state without perversion of the mind, will see feces and urine as filthy.  Also, certain deeds, like stealing, killing and lying are also known to be evil, while truth, sincerity, and honor are seen to be lofty.  This is a result of a trait that was created in all humans, but as mentioned above, this sense is limited.

If one says that they do not have the right to judge other’s beliefs or actions, they are, in fact, contradicting themselves.  If you were to ask many of these people whether killing infants or suicide is correct and acceptable, they will naturally answer that it is not.  But when we look into certain societies, such as some religions found in Central America, infanticide was seen to be a way to draw near to their gods.  Also today, in Hindu religion, it is praiseworthy for a wife to kill herself after the death of her husband.  If they truly believe that religion is something left to the individual and that none have the right to interfere or judge them, then this would necessitate allowing that killing babies is something which is correct to those who believe it is praiseworthy, and that people have no right to judge them.

If we were to bring this issue to an individual level, we would see that each person has their individual perception of good and evil, whether this perception is based upon religion, law, culture, or individual contemplation.  One might believe that it is perfectly acceptable to commit adultery while another might think it to be wrong.  One might believe that it is permissible for them to indulge in narcotics since it is their own body, and others might believe it to be a crime.  None would be able to say that anything is right or wrong, and all people would be left to their own devices to believe and practice what they perceive as “correct.”

If we were to implement this belief in society, we would have a community based upon anarchy, where no laws could be legislated nor executed, for law is based upon the principle that certain things are to be good and others are evil.  If one were to say that there are certain truths agreed to by all humans which can be used to legislate laws, this statement is true to a certain limit, as we stated that all humans do naturally have a trait to know right from wrong in a limited sense.  But as seen, this trait many times becomes perverted through environmental, psychological, or religious factors, in that certain acts which were at one time seen as evil and immoral are later seen as sound and acceptable, and some things which do not accord to human nature are seen to be the keys to salvation.  This can be clearly observed in democratic societies which base their laws on the majority.  We see that many things which were considered to be outright absurd or immoral are now socially acceptable, to the extent that if one holds a different opinion in regards to the issue, they are seen as outcasts.

For this reason, humans cannot be left to their own accords to legislate what is correct and incorrect.  Even in societies of the same religion which have instituted the separation of religion and state, although they are in agreement to those things which they maintained from their religion, they differ greatly in regards to what is deemed correct and incorrect in their societies.  What is considered as the legal age of consent to sex in France is considered rape in America.  While abortion is legal in one country, it is a crime in another, and when homosexuality is seen as a valid way of life in one society, it is seen as a grave sin in another.

So if we now say that the truth is absolute and one and is not relative to each individual and society, then the next question is what are the morals which make truth manifest and who is to decide them?  What are the laws which should be implemented in society?  Should they be decided by lawyers and judges who have reached a level of “legal enlightenment”, politicians who usually make decisions for their own benefit or the benefit of their own countries, or philosophers which have come to know the universal truths through their own contemplation?  As seen earlier, humans cannot be left to decide these issues, lest there be catastrophic results, as seen today in many societies ridden with numerous ills.  The only One who has the right to legislate right and wrong is the One who created us and knows what is best for us, and that is God Almighty.  It is God who created the world and it is God who set the scales of justice.  It is God who is perfect and it is God who has no faults whatsoever.

Most of our discussion has dealt with the issues of belief which deal with morality and deeds, but what is even more important is those beliefs which deal with God, and this will be discussed in the following article. - islamreligion.com

CAN TAKING A LIFE BE JUSTIFIED?

The religion  of Islam includes a basic set of rules designed to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals and communities.  It is a doctrine concerned with respect, tolerance, justice, and equality.  The Islamic concepts of freedom and human rights are imbedded in  and guaranteed by  the Sharia (Islamic Law).  Islam establishes a legal framework, and embodies a code of ethics, designed to protect the rights of an individual including his or her right to live in a secure community.

Prophet Muhammad said, “Whosoever wakes up (in the morning) feeling that he is secure in his community, free from ailments and diseases in his body, and has enough provision for a single day, it is as if he owns the entire world.”[1]

The Sharia is concerned with preserving five basic rights: the right to practice religion, the protection of life, the safeguarding of the mind or intellect, the preservation of honour and family, and the sanctity of wealth and property.  It is  a moral and ethical base in which individual rights are upheld but  not permitted to overshadow the rights of the community.

Islamic law  contains comprehensive principles and general rules  that take into consideration the changing circumstances of society, as well as the constancy and permanence of human nature.  While the Sharia combines stability, flexibility, and firmness, it has set down immutable punishments for certain crimes, that are not affected by changing conditions and circumstances.  One of these punishments is the death penalty.

There are only two categories of crimes for which the death penalty can be applied under Sharia law.  One is murder and the other is for crimes against the community (sometimes known as spreading mischief).  One of the core principles of Islam is that a cohesive and secure community is absolutely paramount.  Crimes that threaten the community include treason, apostasy (when one leaves the religion of Islam and actively turns against it), , piracy, rape, adultery, practising magic and homosexual activity.

“We ordained ...that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (Quran 5:32)

One of the most grave sins is the intentional taking of a life.  When Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was asked what the major sins were, he said, “Associating others with God, disobeying one’s parents, murder and bearing false witness.”[2]  God says,

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and the Wrath and the Curse of God are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him” (Quran 4:93)

It is important to understand that there is no place for vigilantism in Islam.  A person accused of a crime must be properly convicted in an Islamic court of law before any  punishment can be meted out.  In the case of the death penalty the  severity of the punishment requires that very strict evidence standards must be met before a conviction is found.

There are three categories of punishment in the Sharia.  Hadd punishments, for crimes against the community are those that are divinely prescribed in the Quran or the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad.  They cannot be changed.  These punishments can only be carried out by a Muslim ruler or his deputy.  It is not permissible for individual Muslims to carry out the hadd punishments (which  sometimes include the death penalty) because of the chaos and tribulation it would cause in the community.  

The second form of punishment, specifically  for  murder or serious assault, is called Qisas. Whenever a person causes physical harm or death to another, the injured or family of the deceased has the right to retaliation.  A unique aspect of Qisas, is that the victim’s family has the option to insist upon the punishment, accept monetary recompense, or forgive the offender, which could even avert the death penalty.[3]  Quran urges families and victims to forgive and show mercy even in the direst of circumstances.

“And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment), Oh men of understanding, that you may become pious.” (Quran 2:179)

All other crimes fall into the third category, Tazir, which is a discretionary punishment decided by the court.

God sent down His book of guidance the Quran, He gave humankind Islam, the final message and completion of all religions, He sent Prophet Muhammad, a man capable of leading humankind into a new era of tolerance, respect, and justice.  The words of Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad contain rights and responsibilities granted by God to humankind.  They are not subject to the whims and desires of men and women or the changing allegiances of governments and corporations.

Islamic law, the Sharia, God’s laws  are embed with justice, mercy and forgiveness; it does not involve taking human life unnecessarily.

“We sent our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance so that men may conduct themselves with justice.” (Quran 57:25)

“O you who believe, be upholders of justice, witnessing for God alone.” (Quran 4:135)

Even on the rare occasions when the death penalty is called for it is carried out under humane conditions and holds the promise of forgiveness and eternal paradise.  Prophet Muhammad said, “Swear allegiance to me that you will not worship anything besides God, Will not steal, and will not commit illegal sexual intercourse.”  And then (the Prophet) recited from the Quran and added, “And whoever among you fulfils his pledge, his reward is with God.  Whoever commits something of such sins and receives the legal punishment for it, that will be considered as the expiation for that sin.  Whoever commits something of such sins and God screens him, it is up to God whether to excuse or punish him.”

Postscript.  It must be noted that individuals, groups and countries have perpetrated great crimes in the name of Islam and in the name of Sharia law.  Men women and children have been condemned to death without the benefit of the strict evidence standards demanded by the Sharia and without the sense of justice and forgiveness that are characteristic of the teachings of Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]At-Tirmidhi

[2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim

[3]Punishment in Islam: An Eye For An Eye?” Al-Haramain Online Newsletter, Volume 4, Issue 8, July 2000.

THE TOLERANCE OF THE PROPHET TOWARDS OTHER RELIGIONS (PART 2 OF 2): RELIGIOUS AUTONOMY AND POLITICS

There are many other examples during the lifetime of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, in addition to the Saheefah that practically portray the tolerance Islam shows for other religions.

Freedom of Religious Assembly and Religious Autonomy

Given consent by the constitution, the Jews had the complete freedom to practice their religion.  The Jews in Medina at the time of the Prophet had their own school of learning, named Bait-ul-Midras, where they would recite the Torah, worship and educate themselves.

The Prophet emphasized in many letters to his emissaries that religious institutions should not be harmed.  Here in a letter addressed to his emissary to the religious leaders of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai who has sought the protection of the Muslims:

“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.  Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God!  I hold out against anything that displeases them.  No compulsion is to be on them.  Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.  No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses.  Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet.  Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.  No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.  The Muslims are to fight for them.  If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval.  She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.  Their churches are declared to be protected.  They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.  No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”[1]

As one can see, this Charter consisted of several clauses covering all important aspects of human rights, including such topics as the protection of minorities living under Islamic rule, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war.

On another occasion, the Prophet received a delegation of sixty Christians from the region of Najran, then a part of Yemen, at his mosque.  When the time for their prayer came, they faced the direction of east and prayed.  The Prophet ordered that they be left in their state and not harmed.

Politics

There are also examples in the life of the Prophet in which he cooperated with people of other faiths in the political arena as well.  He selected a non-Muslim, Amr-ibn Umaiyah-ad-Damri, as an ambassador to be sent to Negus, the King of Ethiopia.

These are only some of the examples of the Prophet’s tolerance of other faiths.  Islam recognizes that there are a plurality of religions on this earth, and gives the right to individuals to choose the path which they believe to be true.  Religion is not to be, and was never, forced upon an individual against their own will, and these examples from the life of the Prophet are an epitome of the verse of the Quran which promotes religious tolerance and sets the guideline for the Muslims’ interaction with people of other faiths.  God says:

“…There is no compulsion in religion…” (Quran 2:256) -islamreligion.com

READ PART 1 - THE TOLERANCE OF THE PROPHET TOWARDS OTHER RELIGIONS (PART 1 OF 2): TO EACH THEIR OWN RELIGION

FOOTNOTES:

[1]“Muslim and Non-Muslims, Face-to-Face”, Ahmad Sakr.  Foundation for Islamic Knowledge, Lombard IL.

THE TOLERANCE OF THE PROPHET TOWARDS OTHER RELIGIONS (PART 1 OF 2): TO EACH THEIR OWN RELIGION

The dealings of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, with other religions can best be described in the verse of the Quran:

“To you be your religion, to me be mine.”

The Arabian Peninsula during the time of the Prophet was a region in which various faiths were present.  There were Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, polytheists, and others not affiliated with any religion.  When one looks into the life of the Prophet, one may draw on many examples to portray the high level of tolerance shown to people of other faiths.

In order to understand and judge this tolerance, one must look into the period in which Islam was a formal state, with the specific laws laid down by the Prophet in accordance with the tenets of religion.  Even though one can observe many examples of tolerance shown by the Prophet in the thirteen years of his stay in Mecca, one may incorrectly think that it was only due to seeking to raise the profile of  the Muslims and the social status of Islam and in general.  For this reason, the discussion will be limited to the period which commenced with the migration of the Prophet to Medina, and specifically once the constitution was set.

The Saheefah

The best example of the tolerance shown by the Prophet to other religions may be the constitution itself, called the ‘Saheefah’ by early historians.[1]  When the Prophet migrated to Medina, his role as a mere religious leader ended; he was now the political leader of a state, governed by the precepts of Islam, which demanded that clear laws of governance be laid out to ensure harmony and stability in a society which once had been distraught by decades of war, one which must ensure the peaceful coexistence of Muslims, Jews, Christians and polytheists.  Due to this, the Prophet laid down a ‘constitution’ which detailed the responsibilities of all parties which resided in Medina, their obligations towards each other, and certain restrictions which were placed on each.  All parties were to obey what was mentioned therein, and any breach of its articles was regarded as an act of treachery.

One Nation

The first article of the constitution was that all the inhabitants of Medina, the Muslims as well as those who had entered the pact from the Jews, Christian, and idolaters, were “one nation to the exclusion of all others.”  All were considered members and citizens of Medina society regardless of religion, race, or ancestry.  People of other faiths were protected from harm as much as the Muslims, as is stated in another article, “To the Jews who follow us belong help and equity.  He shall not be harmed nor his enemies be aided.”  Previously, each tribe had their alliances and enemies within and without Medina.  The Prophet gathered these different tribes under one system of governance which upheld pacts of alliances previously in existence between those individual tribes.  All tribes had to act as a whole with disregard to individual alliances.  Any attack on other religion or tribe was considered an attack on the state and upon the Muslims as well.

The lives of the practitioners of other religions in the Muslim society was also given protective status.  The Prophet said:

“Whoever kills a person who has a truce with the Muslims will never smell the fragrance of Paradise.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Since the upper hand was with the Muslims, the Prophet strictly warned against any maltreatment of people of other faiths.  He said:

“Beware!  Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dawud)

To Each Their Own Religion

In another article, it states, “the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs.”  In this, it is clear that anything other than tolerance would not be tolerated, and that, although all were members of a society, each had their separate religion which could not be violated.  Each was allowed to practice their beliefs freely without any hindrances, and no acts of provocation would be tolerated.

There are many other articles of this constitution which may be discussed, but emphasis will be placed on an article which states, “If any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise, it must be referred to God and His Messenger.”  This clause maintained that all inhabitants of the state must recognize a higher level of authority, and in those matters which involved various tribes and religions, justice could not be meted out by individual leaders; rather it must be adjudicated by the leader of the state himself or his designated representatives.  It was allowed, however, for individual tribes who were not Muslims, to refer to their own religious scriptures and their learned men in regards to their own personal affairs.  They could though, if they opted, ask the Prophet to judge between them in their matters.  God says in the Quran:

“…If they do come to you, either judge between them or decline to interfere...” (Quran 5:42)

Here we see that the Prophet allowed each religion to judge in their own matters according to their own scriptures, as long as it did not stand in opposition to articles of the constitution, a pact which took into account the greater benefit of the peaceful co-existence of the society. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Madinan Society at the Time of the Prophet, Akram Diya al-Umari, International Islamic Publishing House, 1995.