Islam is not the problem -- it is the solution
During two recent Friday prayers, I had the pleasure of listening to sermons that condemned un-Islamic acts committed by Muslims. Last month's attempted car bombing in Times Square brought this issue once again to the fore. Muslims again feel compelled to defend their religion because of the acts of an unfaithful few.
The beauty of the sermons was that they did not condemn the un-Islamic acts for fear of retribution, but rather used the Quranic verses themselves and the Sunnah (teachings) of our beloved Prophet Mohammed to show that these actions are outright wrong. For Muslims, that is a very important distinction and one that needs to be conveyed to fellow Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The Quran and the Sunnah are the only true, authentic sources of Islam, to which every Muslim, scholar or layman must refer for guidance. Muslims are very fortunate to have the Quran in its original form, without any discrepancies, from more than 14 centuries ago. Misinterpretation of these sources of Islam can occur, but can easily be refuted by going back to them and ascertaining the true facts.
People in different stages of their stressful lives or states of knowledge can easily be misled and can do great harm to their religion, and to humanity on the whole, if they are not careful. It is important to have real experts -- scholars who devote their lives to the true meaning of God's laws and can weigh in at every juncture to refute the falsehoods. It was disheartening to watch Anderson Cooper on CNN interviewing comedian Bill Maher, asking for his "expert" opinion as to whether Islam is a peaceful religion. This action by a purported reputable news agency falls far short of responsible news coverage. Likewise, interviewing fanatics who misinterpret their ideologies without balancing it with interviews with true experts is just as misleading.
Maher contended that Islam is at the same juncture now where Christianity was when it ruled during what is now called the Dark Ages. This could be further from the truth.
One need only review history to find that when Islam truly ruled, it was called the Golden Ages, when every realm of life prospered and progressed. Many aspects of knowledge -- religious, scientific, mathematical, sociological, etc. -- reached new heights and became the basis of our present-day knowledge. All members of society were protected -- Muslims, Christians and Jews. In fact, the Golden Age of the Jews was realized under Muslim-Arab rule.
Today, Islam does not rule any Muslim country. There are some illegitimate leaders who may say they rule by Islam, but in reality, they use Islam only to achieve their own secular needs and wants to the detriment of the rest of their society.
The Quran and the Sunnah are replete with verses extolling the sanctity of human life. Allah states in the Quran, "Whoever kills a human being, it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if one saves a life, it would be as if he saved all mankind" (5:32). Prophet Mohammed warned Muslims, with regard to non-Muslims living among them, "He who hurts a Dhimmi [non-Muslim] hurts me, and he who hurts me angers Allah." He also said, "Whoever hurts a non-Muslim, I am an adversary to him on the Day of Resurrection." And finally, he said, "On the Day of Resurrection, I shall dispute with anyone who oppressed a person from among the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] or infringed on his right, or put a responsibility on him that is beyond his capabilities, or took something from him against his will."
Therefore, demonizing Islam is not the answer. Rather, it is counterproductive logic and takes away the only tool or weapon that can reach those who have gone astray and bring them back to the fold of true knowledge and enlightenment. Allah states in the Quran, "The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel the evil with a way that is better, then verily he with whom there was hatred will become as though he was your closest friend" (41:34).
Finally, as an instruction to the believers, Allah states in the Quran, "And dispute you not with the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] except in the best of ways, and say we believe in the Revelation, which has come down to us and which came down to them [the People of the Book]; our God and their God is One and it is to him we bow down in submission" (29:46).
Yasser Soliman is executive director of the El Mehdi Institute, an organization based in Hamilton Township that works to achieve peace and understanding among the world's religions.
http://www.nj.com/opinion/times/oped/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1275543937169570.xml&coll=5
