by Dr. David Liepert
What does Islam do? I know it sooths pain and mends hearts. I’ve been told it heals all manner of wounds, hurts and injuries.
I have felt it give purpose and meaning to every aspect of my life, both the good and the bad, heard it explain the inexplicable and seen it bring joy and comfort where none was to be found. I believe that Islam works miracles every day.
That’s not the image of Islam in most peoples’ minds today. For many non-Muslims the religion of Islam has become a symbol of fear and terror- a maelstrom of rage fueled by self-righteous hatred. Some leaders around the world have learned to use that fear to rally their people behind them, and they’re leading us all into a downhill spiral of war. Their actions anger Muslims in turn, feeding the flames of destruction, but are non-Muslims really the one’s we should blame? They may have learned how to use our religion as a tool, but tragically, they learned it from us: Around the world Islam is a rallying cry, uniting Muslims in truly laudable efforts like the pursuit of freedom and equality in different parts of the world, but Muslims have used it for lesser purposes as well. In Muslim nations today, Islam is hijacked for political gain, tweaked to promote a specific point of view, manipulated for personal profit and power and even warped to encourage war or justify oppression. In non-Muslim countries Muslims have done the same things in our smaller communities on a smaller scale. The abuse of Islam and Muslims is despicable, no matter who’s doing it.
What should Islam be? Our beloved religion of Islam, as revealed through the prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), is nothing less than the True Path leading to Peace through Submission to God’s Will. The Holy Quran proclaims:
What should Islam be? Our beloved religion of Islam, as revealed through the prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), is nothing less than the True Path leading to Peace through Submission to God’s Will. The Holy Quran proclaims:
“The Religion before Allah is Submission to His Will” Chap. 2 V. 19
And
“Verily, this is My Way Leading straight: Follow it!” Chap. 6 V. 153
Islam is Allah’s tool, to make us His servants. Islam does not serve Muslims. Muslims serve God. If we truly intend to reclaim Islam and return it to what it once was, we must stop striving to make Islam serve our ambitions, live our lives according to the commands of the Quran and the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) and make our submission to Allah real, like it was when the Ummah began.
Today, some Muslims are striving to reclaim Islam by proclaiming that Islam and the Quran are only for Muslims. We read in Chapter 81 V. 27-29:
Today, some Muslims are striving to reclaim Islam by proclaiming that Islam and the Quran are only for Muslims. We read in Chapter 81 V. 27-29:
“Verily this is no less than a Message to all the Worlds: With profit to whoever among you will to go straight: But ye shall not will except as Allah wills - The Cherisher of all the Worlds.”
Allah revealed the Quran to guide anyone from anywhere. The Quran promises us that Allah has chosen everyone who seeks the straight path, no matter where they begin. Allah calls His servants from where we are, not from where others want us to be. When Muslims try to re-make the Path of Submission into the Path we think it should be, or when we allow it to be used to separate us, divide us, or to cause conflict, suffering or war, we’re serving only ourselves, to our own destruction. Whenever we proclaim the truth that Islam brings Peace to everyone, everywhere, we’re serving God.
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Recent Comments
May 9, 2008 at 8:15 pm
That’d be nice but I don’t see it happening anytime soon - as measured in generations.
Islam has become an identifier for whole nations of bigots and racists. The people have conflated Islam with a socio-political movement aimed at taking revenge against the West for the Colonial Period.
May 10, 2008 at 12:28 am
Asalaamoalaikum,
One step at a time,one reaches ones destination. One brick at a time lays the foundation of the building of Islam.
Patience and perseverance for each one of us is the key.
If we change one thing in ourselves at one time, people will notice and like it and may follow it.
There is no quick fix for something that has taken so long to distort.
“When Muslims try to re-make the Path of Submission into the Path we think it should be” This is where our ego takes us astray!
Jazaaik Allah hu Khairan for posting this. we do need to go back to studying the Quran and its tafseer and it will inspire us to change for the better inshallah.
Please keep me in your prayers, You are in mine.
RayonSoleil >> You said : “When Muslims try to re-make the Path of Submission into the Path we think it should be” This is where our ego takes us astray!”
You make a good point here, ego has divided us which it should not be.
Jazak Allahu Khairan for your comment.
Salam.
May 10, 2008 at 3:31 am
@ jonolan
Thanks for your comment.
You said : “Islam has become an identifier for whole nations of bigots and racists.”
I prefer to use term ‘addict’ than ‘bigot’. You may not understand how it feels when you go deeper into islamic teaching and found its beauty, then it naturally adhere to ourselves and give a great influence into our steps.
Racists ? I don’t try to defense, in fact islam is full of tolerance to mankind.
You said : “The people have conflated Islam with a socio-political movement aimed at taking revenge against the West for the Colonial Period.”
Our intern conflict that damaging islam’s reputation as religion of peace. Sunni - Shia is an old, historical schism that emerged as a political division, which then became religious. But it is now that the political has really caused it to be so monumental. This separation had abused by outside parties to justify the violence.
May 10, 2008 at 11:34 am
@ Rayon Soleil
I don’t believe the violence associated with Islam is based on any addiction to the religion and its teaching. I believe it’s based on racial bigotry and religious intolerance.
That’s why I used the term “nations.” Find me an Islamic nation or population that isn’t bigoted westerners. I don’t think you can. Saudi Arabia? no. Iraq? no. Iran, bloody well no. Indonesia? not a chance - ever.
I don;t actually blame Islam. I blame the people.
May 10, 2008 at 2:04 pm
that should have been “ind me an Islamic nation or population that isn’t bigoted AGAINST westerners.” Sorry, it was very early here.
RayonSoleil >> i only would like to clarify your statement…,those who you regarded as bigoted against westerners, in fact assumed that it is true, they oppose the government, not the lay community. Btw, I am originally from Indonesia, i knew only few people/group considered as what you thought. Pls don’t stereotype with all muslims.
Thank you Jonolan!
Peace.
May 10, 2008 at 3:45 pm
@ Jonolan
Hi Jonolan,
You said : “I don;t actually blame Islam. I blame the people.”
It’s a bit confusing to me, you don’t blame islam but do blame the people…you mean ‘muslims’. Why it’s confusing, because were they appropriate to claim themselves as muslims while the violence and the crime that were carried out by them in no way reflected the Islamic teaching, as you said “I don’t believe the violence associated with Islam is based on any addiction to the religion and its teaching”. Could this be only a misdirected charge that must be borne by all Muslims in the world?
The thing is, in muslim community, we are also wondering who are actually ‘the people’. Muslim ‘Salafi’ accused Sufi Deobandi behind all the terror (Osama bin Laden considering adhere to this sect), other muslims accused ‘Wahabi’.
The conclusion is, Muslim then denounce all the violence moreover they did that by bringing the Islam name.
All the Muslim nervousness would all the charges of the world towards Islam, produced the petition that was initiated by the islamic Scholars ‘ulama’ of Sunni and Shia, this time all could be united when ‘enough is enough’. You may check to http://ammanmessage.com/index.php?lang=en. This site try to redefine islam and to become the intact representation of islam’s image. Its goal was to clarify to the modern world the true nature of Islam and the nature of true Islam.
Peace.
May 13, 2008 at 3:18 am
Jonolan, You may be right. This may have nothing to do with the religion of Islam and Christianity.
A long history of oppression (forced to live under dictators installed by politically powerful nations) by the western nations of the African and Middle eastern nations, robbery of their natural resources, destruction of their rainforests and olive groves, and other means of living may have contributed to the common people no longer trusting the westerners.
Would you if you were the recepient of this treatment for whatever reason?
Relief agencies selling teenage Afghani girls into sex slavery, as well as Fareastern girls into slavery for sex, relief organizations bringing two boxes of cigarettes for every one box of flour, these are only some of the abuses that the western nations have inflicted on the resource rich muslim nations of Africa and the middle east.
I wonder why they are suspicious of westerners?
May 13, 2008 at 4:37 pm
@ Rayon Soleil
A Muslim sinner is still a Muslim, as a Christian or Jewish sinner would still be a member of their religions.
Muslims bear the “charge” because elements within their religion have chosen to use Islam as a justification for actions that others won’t tolerate. Do the Muslims who have taken no part in such things deserve to be blamed? Probably not, but then one has to decide how many degrees of separation are required to avoid culpability.
@ asqfish
You make my point very well for me. You show the same bigotry that fuels the “jihad.” You also point out some of the basis for that prejudice.
May 13, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Jonolan,
As long as we do not treat other people as we treat ourself, we will see continue to witness strife between groups of people.
Bigotry is when one group considers another inferior, in this case you may want to examine which one fulfills that defination from your vantage point.
Jihad is a word that is being abused. If you really wish to find out what jihad means, you will need to read the tafseer of the Quran with all the contextual references and a full understanding of the nuances of the richness of the arabic language. Sorry no quick fixes here. In depth study for an in depth subject.
Avoiding the reasons for factors resulting in a particular human behavior is what is fueling this violence all over the world as well as in the inner cities of the western world.
Muslims are a heterogenous group that are scattered across the world spanning race, caste, creed and geography.
For an educated mind, it is obvious that muslims are not a homogenous group and cannot be designated as the ‘whipping boy’ for all the failures of the western political system, which are varied and in many fields.
Between people, what has taken time and callousness to tear apart will take time and endurance to rebuild, and finger pointing is not the way to do it.
May 14, 2008 at 10:02 am
Hi Jonolan and Asqfish…
If there were a man committed crime. He supposed to be called a criminal, but not if he is muslim, the world will call him ‘terrorist’ or a ‘muslim bigotery’. Well, that’s the fact today.
Salam.
May 14, 2008 at 7:05 pm
@ asqfish,
I think it’s quite safe to say that the peoples of the nations whose populations are primarily Muslim are bigoted against the West. Using your definition of bigotry still results in the same answer.
You might note that I quoted jihad. I’m fully conversant in the multiple meanings and shades of meanings of the word. I admit though that such is all through translation; both my Arabic and my Farsi are abysmal.
For a wise mind, it is obvious that this heterogeneous group mostly share a common framework in despising the West. My stipulation is that this bigotry and despite isn’t based on Islam or teachings, but on the simpler cause of long-standing resentment.
To use the gist of part of your earlier comment - what currently Muslim nation wasn’t a colony of western powers in the 18th and 19th centuries - some even into the 20th century?
@ Rayon Soleil
Quite true and quite sad. Of course the West - America especially - and Israelis receive similar negative stereotypes among Muslim nations. Nobody seems to want to look for underlying causes, probably because it would be too complicated for the Fox or Al Jazeera.