The Religion of Peace
(02/19/2006) Once again, non Islamic Muslims have distorted the
word of the Prophet Mohammad. Once again, Islam has failed to
act. How long will Islam keep silent and allow non Islamic
Muslims to drive wedges between Islam and the Western World?
Prompted by the outrageous carnage and
destruction brought forth on this earth by a few innocent
cartoons, the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) prefaced their
concerns over the controversy, on CNN, by stating that the Western
world needed to better understand the Muslim world. CAIR is
to be commended for their tough stance against "Islamic
Terrorism", perhaps more accurately described as "Muslim
Terrorism" (see their website).
If I may, perhaps, offer a a suggestion. Is it possible that
Western cultures are not all that different from Islam? Perhaps
if non-Islamic Muslims understood the similarities, they would
be encouraged to join Islam.
Focus on
spreading that message to those Muslims whom have yet to embrace
true Islam as defined in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
"The Qur'an and Sunnah are the only two mediums by which Allah
has directly taught us about Islam. This leads us to the
following simple but critical principle:
If any man or woman engages in a belief or action which clearly
contradicts the Qur'an or Sunnah, then that belief or action
cannot be thought of as `Islamic'.
This rule applies whether the man or woman is Muslim or
non-Muslim. Hence, we cannot equate Islam and the Muslims. Islam
is the way of life; Muslims are people who claim to follow that
way of life. A Muslim may claim to follow Islam, but be wrong.1"
There is a social policy divide between our societies which is
explicitly defined in our U.S. Constitution, that of the separation of
church and state. While this declaration is non-binding in our
relationships with other countries and their cultures, it is a
fundamental premise in which our society is built. We have found
that for us, this is the best way to promote religious tolerance.
"Islam is the name of a way of life which the Creator wants
us to follow. We avoid the word religion because in many
non-Islamic societies, there is a separation of "religion and
state." This separation is not recognized at all in Islam: the
Creator is very much concerned with all that we do, including
the political, social, economic, and other aspects of our
society. Hence, Islam is a complete way of life.1"
If we were to ignore this apparent conflict between our two
societies and focus on the results of our two societies, then
we may be forced to conclude that there is little, if any difference
in our desires to live without racism or prejudice. This world
has seen no greater tolerance of others, than that found within
the United States, since that reported by some during the later part of
Mohammad's life.
Miss. Sarojini Naidu speaking about this aspect of Islam says,
"It was the first religion that preached and practiced
democracy; for in the mosque, when the minaret is sounded and
the worshipers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is
embodied five times a day when the peasant and the king kneel
side by side and proclaim, God alone is great."
The great poetess of India continues, "I have been struck
over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that
makes a man instinctively a brother. When you meet an Egyptian,
an Algerian and Indian and a Turk in London, it matters not that
Egypt is the motherland of one and India is the motherland of
another.1"
So it would seem that democracy is not foreign to Islam,
Mohammad understood and supported basic democratic premises. It
is also clear that Mohammad understood that neither a pure
democratic nor a pure capitalist society served Islam.
"The Creator also states in the Qur'an (translated):
[42:36-38] So whatever thing you are given, that is only a
provision of this world's life, and what is with Allah is better
and more lasting for those who believe and rely on their Lord,
and those who shun the great sins and indecencies, and whenever
they are angry they forgive, and those who respond to their Lord
and keep up prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among
themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them.
Allah orders us in this verse to conduct our matters by taking
counsel among ourselves, or by consulting each other. This is
the methodology of the Islamic state, to consult one another,
but to always keep the Qur'an and Sunnah paramount. Any law
which contradicts the Qur'an or Sunnah is unlawful. This broad
principle of consultation is certainly wide enough to encompass
a form of government where all are heard - in fact, encouraged
to be heard. The early Islamic states were of this form.
The petty governments of many `Muslim countries' today do not
apply this principle and in fact commit many crimes against the
people.1"
So I, and many others in the western world, have a great deal of
difficultly understanding why some Muslims continue to kill and
destroy in the name of Islam. Could it be that the solution to
the end of violence does not rest with the the better
understanding of Islam by the Western world, but lies in the
better understanding of Islam by the Muslim world?
"From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called
Al-Awsat by Al-Tabarani, we find regarding those non-Muslims
living in the Islamic state,
The Messenger of Allah (saas) said, "One who kills a non-Muslim
person under protection (Arabic: dhimmi) will not even smell the
fragrance of Paradise."
Also from the Sunnah, specifically in a report from Al-Khatib,
we find that the Messenger of Allah (saas) also said:
Whoever hurts a non-Muslim person under protection, I am his
adversary, and I shall be an adversary to him on the Day of
Resurrection.
In short, Islam is intolerant of false ideas, however it is
tolerant of the people who hold to those ideas.1"
 The Mohammad
Cartoons
While it is common to hear reports of non-Islamic Muslims
killing their fellow Muslims and non-Muslims, it came as quite a
shock that more killing and destruction was prompted by a few
cartoons. In fact, it was a children's book teaching of the
Prophet Mohammad that required illustration that is the stated cause
of the Muslim violation of the teachings of Islam.
Muslim threats to kill, based on "idol
worship", prohibition in the Qur'an, had caused many illustrators
to shy away from helping spread the true word of Islam. (It's
been a little over a year since Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh
was murdered by an Islamist (Muslim) gunman over his movie criticizing
violence against women in Islamic (Muslim) societies2).
Islam is very clear in its view toward equality of men and
women.
Idol Worship? To a cartoon?
To be clear, Islam does not prohibit freedom of speech.
Mohammad stated that even the devil has a right to be heard.
Certainly freedom of speech is a pre-requisite to the edict that
Islam must consult over the matters of state. Freedom of speech
is common to both Islam and Western societies. Perhaps Muslims
will join us in the knowledge that all our cultures have matured
from our past experiences during mutual barbaric (medieval
times).
So once again, the western world wonders why Islam allows non
Islamic Muslims to speak for the Prophet Mohammad and act
against his teachings. Mohammad was very clear on the
circumstances defining when killing another human was
acceptable. In fact, Mohammad might agree with Western societies
when they acted to stop Saddam Hussein for his many crimes
against the people, people protected by Islam and the Prophet
Mohammad. It is the duty of all the people of Islam, to act in
the face of crimes against the people. Islam has a partner in
Western societies, non-Islamic Muslims do not.
"...the Prophet of Islam taught self-control and discipline
to the extent of praying even on the battlefield. In an aged of
barbarism, the Battlefield itself was humanized and strict
instructions were issued not to cheat, not to break trust, not
to mutilate, not to kill a child or woman or an old man, not to
hew down date palm nor burn it, not to cut a fruit tree, not to
molest any person engaged in worship.1" - Azmat N. Khan
"The great success of Mohammad's life had been effected
by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword.1" - Azmat N.
Khan
References : (1)
USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts, (2)
Human Events Online |
