March 11, 2008
With drawings blaspheming Prophet
Mohammad (peace be upon him) and a
documentary desecrating the holy Quran,
alarming Islamophobia in the West will
be high on the agenda of the Muslim
leaders' upcoming Summit.
"We have to resolve the issue of
Islamophobia through a committed
political dialogue and a historical
reconciliation between Islam and the
West," Secretary General of the
Organization of Islamic Conference
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said.
He said when the leaders of the 57
member states meet in Senegal on
Thursday, March 13, they will discuss
the first report of an Islamophobia
monitoring committee, OIC secretariat
said in a press release.
"They will be expected to take
appropriate decisions against such
acts of Islamophobia."
Denmark's main dailies reprinted on
February 13, a cartoon blaspheming the
great Prophet Mohammad (SA).
Ihsanoglu said that the cartoon and
the documentary are "specifically
designed to insult the most sacred
symbols of Islam." "They violate
international legal instruments that
prohibit insult and offence of
religious beliefs of others and cannot
be condoned under freedom of
expression."
The OIC chief cited an urgent
necessity for the international
community to either strengthen the
existing international legal
instruments or enact new ones to
include preventive measures against
insulting or offending religious
values and sentiments, the secretariat
said.
Several misconceptions are listed
below. Instead of simply stating the
misconception by itself, we have also
included some reasons why people might
adopt that misconception. Therefore,
each entry in the list is given in the
following form:
<Statement of misconception>
because:
- <reason 1>
- <reason 2>
- etc.
After each misconception and its
possible reasons, we show briefly why
the misconception is false by showing
one or more of three possibilities:
- a reason is false
- the reason does not logically
lead to the misconception
- a key piece of information is
being ignored
Our answers to the misconceptions
are drawn from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
All other approaches are insufficient:
Islam is a way of life which is very
firmly based on a scholarly approach,
an approach which is based on
knowledge.
Misconception 1
Islam is `the religion of peace'
because:
- the Arabic word Islam is
derived from the Arabic word
"Al-Salaam" which means peace.
It might seem strange to think of
this as a misconception, but in fact
it is. The root word of Islam is
"al-silm" which means
"submission" or "surrender." It is
understood to mean "submission to
Allah." In spite of whatever noble
intention has caused many a Muslim to
claim that Islam is derived primarily
from peace, this is not true. Allah
says in the Qur'an (translated):
[2:136] Say (O Muslims): We
believe in Allah and that which is
revealed to us and that which was
revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael,
and Isaac, and Jacob, and the
tribes, and that which Moses and
Jesus received, and that which the
prophets received from their Lord.
We make no distinction between any
of them, and to Him we have
surrendered. [Arabic "Muslimoon"]
A secondary root of Islam may be
"Al-Salaam" (peace), however
the text of the Qur'an makes it clear
that Allah has clearly intended the
focus of this way of life to be
submission to Him. This entails
submission to Him at all times, in
times of peace, war, ease, or
difficulty.
Misconception 2
In Islam, denial of
human rights is OK
because:
- Islam is against pure
democracy
- Islam tolerates slavery
The misconception does not follow
from the reasons given, and the
reasons ignore a great deal of
information.
As stated earlier, Islam is a
complete way of life. Given this, it
is not surprising that the Creator is
concerned with the method which we
choose to govern ourselves. The
preeminent rule which the Islamic
state must observe is stated in the
Qur'an (translation follows):
[4:59] O you who believe! Obey
Allah, and obey the Messenger, and
those charged with authority among
you. If you differ in anything among
yourselves, refer it to Allah and
His Messenger, if you do believe in
Allah and the Last Day; That is
best, and most suitable for final
determination.
From this verse, it is clear that
the state's obligation of obedience to
the Creator is as important as the
obedience of the individual.
Hence, the Islamic state must derive
its law from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
This principle excludes
certain choices from the Islamic
state's options for political and
economic systems, such as a pure
democracy, unrestricted capitalism,
communism, socialism, etc. For
example, a pure democracy places the
people above the Qur'an and Sunnah,
and this is disobedience to the
Creator. However, the best alternative
to a pure democracy is a democracy
that implements and enforces the
Shari'ah (Islamic Law).
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.
As for slavery, Islam is unique
among the `religions' in its close
attention to the peaceful removal of
this practice. Before the advent of
Islam, slavery was widespread all over
the world. The Messenger of Islam
taught us that freeing slaves was a
great deed in the sight of Allah. From
the Sunnah, specifically in the study
of the Sunnah called
Sahih Bukhari, we find:
[3:46:693] Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever frees a
Muslim slave, Allah will save all
the parts of his body from the
(Hell) Fire as he has freed the
body-parts of the slave." Said bin
Marjana said that he narrated that
Hadith to `Ali bin Al-Husain and he
freed his slave for whom `Abdullah
bin Ja'far had offered him ten
thousand Dirhams or one-thousand
Dinars.
Also from the Sunnah, specifically
in the study of the Sunnah called
Malik's Muwatta, we find:
[38:9:15] Narrated Aisha Ummul
Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, was asked what was the most
excellent kind of slave to free. The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, answered,
"The most expensive and the most
valuable to his master."
The Creator has also made it easy
for slaves to gain their freedom. From
the Sunnah, specifically in the study
of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we
find:
[3:46:704] Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever frees his
portion of a common slave should
free the slave completely by paying
the rest of his price from his money
if he has enough money; otherwise
the price of the slave is to be
estimated and the slave is to be
helped to work without hardship till
he pays the rest of his price."
The condition of slavery is very
different in Islam than the harsh
conditions imposed by non-Muslims or
disobedient Muslims. From the Sunnah,
specifically in the study of the
Sunnah called
Sunan Abu-Dawud, we find:
[41:4957] Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (saw) said: None of you
must say: "My slave" (abdi) and "My
slave-woman" (amati), and a slave
must not say: "My lord" (rabbi or
rabbati). The master (of a slave)
should say: "My young man" (fataya)
and "My young woman" (fatati), and a
slave should say "My master" (sayyidi)
and "My mistress" (sayyidati), for
you are all (Allah's) slave and the
Lord is Allah, Most High.
Also from the Sunnah, specifically
in the study of the Sunnah called
Sahih Bukhari, we find:
[3:46:721] Narrated Al-Ma'rur bin
Suwaid: I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari
wearing a cloak, and his slave, too,
was wearing a cloak. We asked him
about that (i.e. how both were
wearing similar cloaks). He replied,
"Once I abused a man and he
complained of me to the Prophet. The
Prophet asked me, `Did you abuse him
by slighting his mother?' He added,
`Your slaves are your brethren upon
whom Allah has given you authority.
So, if one has one's brethren under
one's control, one should feed them
with the like of what one eats and
clothe them with the like of what
one wears. You should not overburden
them with what they cannot bear, and
if you do so, help them (in their
hard job)."
As a result of the teachings of
Islam, slavery was almost completely
eradicated from many areas of the
Muslim world, peacefully and without
bloodshed.
Misconception 3
In Islam, women are inferior to
men because:
- a man can marry up to 4 wives,
a woman can marry only one man
- a man's share of inheritance
is bigger than a woman's
- a man can marry a non-Muslim,
a woman cannot
- women must wear the veil
This widely held misconception does
not remotely follow from the reasons
given. The first and most important
observation to make about the popular
question "Are men and women equal?" is
that it is a badly-formed,
unanswerable question. The problem
which many people conveniently ignore
is that "equal" is not defined. This
is a very critical point: the equality
must be specified with respect to some
measurable property. For example,
women on average are superior to men
if we ask who is shorter in height
than the other ("Growth and
Development", Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 1992). Women are also
superior on average if we ask whom do
children bond to deeper, mothers or
fathers. Women are also superior on
average if we ask who has a tendency
to socialize more. On the other hand,
men are superior on average if we ask
who is taller in height than the
other. And so on: every question can
be turned around, and more importantly
these are properties which are
irrelevant.
What then, is the really important
property which we are worried about in
terms of gender equality? Naturally,
from the point of view of the Qur'an
and Sunnah, the obvious important
property is who is dearer to
Allah, men or women? This
question is emphatically answered in
the Qur'an (translation),
[4:124] If any do deeds of
righteousness - be they male or
female - and have faith, they will
enter Paradise, and not the least
injustice will be done to them.
[33:35] For Muslim men and women,
for believing men and women, for
devout men and women, for truthful
men and women, for men and women who
are patient and constant, for men
and women who humble themselves, for
men and women who give in charity,
for men and women who fast, for men
and women who guard their chastity,
and for men and women who engage
much in Allah's praise, for them has
Allah prepared forgiveness and great
reward.
The Qur'an and Sunnah repeat over
and over again that Allah only
favors one person over another based
on that person's awareness,
consciousness, fear, love, and hope of
Allah (the Arabic word is
difficult to translate: Taqwa).
All other criteria are excluded:
gender, ethnic group, country,
ancestry, etc.
Given that Allah does not favor one
gender over the other in His attention
to us (and it helps to remember that
Allah is neither male nor female), we
can now address the differences
between the genders in Islam. First,
men and women are not the same as we
know. The Creator states in the Qur'an
(translation),
[3:36]...and the male is not like
the female...
Men and women are different in
their composition, and in their
responsibilities under Islam. However,
both are bound by obligations to one
another, especially the following
important one which must be understood
in any discussion on men and women.
From the Qur'an (translation),
[24:32] And marry those among you
who are single and those who are fit
among your male slaves and your
female slaves; if they are needy,
Allah will make them free from want
out of His grace; and Allah is
Ample-giving, Knowing.
In this verse, the Creator
emphasizes that marriage is to be
vigorously pursued by the Muslims:
the state of being single is not to be
maintained. With this in mind, we can
begin to understand the four reasons
cited above for the nonetheless
erroneous conclusion.
Men and women are different in
their responsibilities towards the
families that they are strongly
encouraged to set up. Women are not
obligated to work, whereas men are
obligated. The man must provide for
the family, but the woman does not
have to spend out of her money for it,
though she gets a reward for doing so.
Allah says in the Qur'an
(translation),
[4:34] Men are in charge of
women, because Allah hath made the
one of them to excel the other, and
because they spend of their property
(for the support of women). So good
women are the obedient, guarding in
secret that which Allah hath
guarded. As for those from whom ye
fear rebellion, admonish them and
banish them to beds apart, and
scourge them. Then if they obey you,
seek not a way against them. Lo!
Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.
From the Sunnah, specifically in
the study of the Sunnah called Sahih
Bukhari, we find:
[2:24:545] Narrated `Amr bin Al-Harith:
Zainab, the wife of `Abdullah said,
"I was in the Mosque and saw the
Prophet (p.b.u.h) saying, `O women !
Give alms even from your ornaments.'
" Zainab used to provide for
`Abdullah and those orphans who were
under her protection. So she said to
`Abdullah, "Will you ask Allah's
Apostle whether it will be
sufficient for me to spend part of
the Zakat on you and the orphans who
are under my protection?" He replied
"Will you yourself ask Allah's
Apostle ?" (Zainab added): So I went
to the Prophet and I saw there an
Ansari woman who was standing at the
door (of the Prophet ) with a
similar problem as mine. Bilal
passed by us and we asked him, `Ask
the Prophet whether it is
permissible for me to spend (the
Zakat) on my husband and the orphans
under my protection.' And we
requested Bilal not to inform the
Prophet about us. So Bilal went
inside and asked the Prophet
regarding our problem. The Prophet (p.b.u.h)
asked, "Who are those two?" Bilal
replied that she was Zainab. The
Prophet said, "Which Zainab?" Bilal
said, "The wife of `Adullah (bin
Masud)." The Prophet said, "Yes, (it
is sufficient for her) and she will
receive a double rewards (for that):
One for helping relatives, and the
other for giving Zakat."
Given that husbands are obligated
to provide for wives, and that
marriage is a highly recommended goal
of Islam, it is easy to see why
women's inheritance share is half that
of men. We note also that men are
obligated to provide a suitable dowry
to women on marriage. In fact, it is
preferable at this point to speak in
terms of husbands and wives instead of
men and women. Allah says in the
Qur'an (translation),
[4:4] And give women their
dowries as a free gift, but if they
of themselves be pleased to give up
to you a portion of it, then eat it
with enjoyment and with wholesome
result.
Allah says in the Qur'an
(translation),
[2:228]...And they (women) have
rights similar to those (of men)
over them in kindness, and men are a
degree above them...
This one degree in no way affects
the position of the Creator in which
He has stated that He does not hold
women dearer to him than men, or vice
versa. Rather it is simply a way of
partitioning responsibilities in a
household of two adults: someone must
make the final decision on daily
matters. As will be shown below in a
section on a different misconception,
though the final decision rests with
the husband, it is through mutual
consultation that decisions are best
reached at.
While men are allowed to marry up
to four wives, they are also commanded
to meet the preconditions of being
able to financially support them. They
must also deal with each
wife justly and fairly with respect to
marital and economic obligations.
Allah says in the Qur'an
(translation),
[4:3] If ye fear that ye shall
not be able to deal justly with the
orphans, Marry women of your choice,
Two or three or four; but if ye fear
that ye shall not be able to deal
justly (with them), then only one,
or (a captive) that your right hands
possess, that will be more suitable,
to prevent you from doing injustice.
Moreover, women are allowed to
respect any marriage proposal made to
her by prospective suitors, thus if
she does not feel she can abide by the
rules of the Qur'an and Sunnah if she
marries a certain person, she can
reject his proposal. While it is
irrelevant to Islam, it is worthwhile
to note that both Judaism and
Christianity allow polygamy. The idea
is not as foreign to the non-Muslims
as is often claimed.
Finally, the wearing of the veil by
women is also an illogical premise to
claim that women are inferior to men.
It is more appropriate to indict a
society of female exploitation if it
tolerates pornography rather than if
it enforces the veil. Given that Allah
is neither male nor female, given that
He does not endear people to Himself
based on their gender, given that the
Creator cares about all of us male or
female, given that the sexual and
violent drive of men is stronger than
that of women...given all this, it is
illogical to cast a negative light on
the following injunctions contained in
the Qur'an (translation),
[33:59] O Prophet, tell your
wives and daughters and the
believing women to draw their outer
garments around them (when they go
out or are among men). That is
better in order that they may be
known (to be Muslims) and not be
annoyed...
[24:30-31] Say to the believing
man that they should lower their
gaze and guard their modesty; that
will make for greater purity for
them; and Allah is well acquainted
with all that they do. And say to
the believing women that they should
lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; and that they should not
display their beauty and ornaments
except what must ordinarily appear
thereof; that they should draw their
veils over their bosoms and not
display their beauty except to their
husbands...
On this misconception, there is a
great deal more to write, most of it
showing how current practices in many
Muslim lands go against what the
Qur'an and Sunnah have ordained, lands
in which women are treated as property
(unIslamic), are not educated (unIslamic),
are forbidden their economic rights (unIslamic),
and more. On this point in particular,
we encourage everyone to consult the
Qur'an and Sunnah before incriminating
Islam. Always remember that Islam is a
complete way of life from the Creator,
and that Muslims are people who claim
to follow that way of life. A Muslim
may claim to follow Islam, but be
wrong.
Misconception 4
Islam is well-suited only to the
Arabs because:
- most Muslims are Arabs
- the Qur'an is in Arabic
The first reason for this
misconception is far from the truth.
Of the more than one billion Muslims
around the world, only 18%
are Arab. The most populous Muslim
country in the world is Indonesia. The
second most populous Muslim country is
Bangladesh. Neither of these countries
is Arab.
Islam is the fastest growing major
religion in the world (Encyclopedia
Britannica). It has adherents on all
the populated continents, and is
accessible to Arabs and non-Arabs
alike. In the United States, Muslims
are expected to become the largest
religious minority around the turn of
the century, outstripping the Jews.
The universal appeal of Islam to
Arabs and non-Arabs comes in spite of
the Qur'an being in Arabic. Allah
states in the Qur'an that this way of
life called Islam is for all people
(translation follows),
[21:107] And We (Allah) have not
sent you (Muhammad) but as a mercy
to the worlds.
[34:28] We have not sent you but
as a universal (Messenger) to men,
giving them glad tidings, and
warning them (against sin), but most
men understand not.
Moreover, the Creator does not use
the color or mother tongue of people
to judge them, be they Arab or not.
Instead, it is the level of their
awareness of Allah which is the
criterion,
[49:13] O mankind! We created you
from a single (pair) of a male and a
female, and made you into nations
and tribes, that you may know each
other (not that you may despise each
other). Verily the most honored of
you in the sight of Allah is (he who
is) the most righteous of you. And
Allah has full knowledge and is well
acquainted (with all things)."
The choice of Arabic as the
language of the Qur'an is explained
very simply and clearly (translation
follows),
[41:44] And if We (Allah) had
made it a Qur'an in a foreign
tongue, they would certainly have
said: "Why have not its
communications been made clear?
What! a foreign (tongue) and an
Arab!" Say: It is, to those who
believe, a guidance and a healing;
and (as for) those who do not
believe, there is a heaviness in
their ears and it is obscure to
them; these shall be called to from
a far-off place.
However, it is also important to
emphasize that the Qur'an in its
revealed form in Arabic is the literal
Word of the Creator - but any
translation is not. Each
translation is more accurately called
a translation of an interpretation,
for every translator includes his or
her own bias.
Misconception 5
Islam rejects Jesus because:
- Jesus is not accepted as `the
Son of God'
The Qur'an and Sunnah both teach us
emphatically and without any doubt
that the Creator considers the
statement of the
Trinity to be a great
falsehood. The Qur'an states
(translation):
[19:88-93] They say: "(Allah) the
Most Merciful has begotten a son!"
Indeed you have put forth a thing
most monstrous! At it the skies are
ready to burst, the earth to split
asunder, and the mountains to fall
down in utter ruin, that they should
invoke a son for (Allah) the Most
Merciful. For it is not consonant
with the majesty of (Allah) the Most
Merciful that He should beget a son:
Not one of the beings in the heavens
and the earth but must come to
(Allah) the Most Merciful as a
servant.
However, the misconception that
Jesus is rejected does not follow from
the reason given above. It is more
precise to say that identifying Jesus
as `the Son of God' is rejected. As a
Messenger of Allah,
Jesus is accorded the same honor that
all the Messengers are given, as the
following verse attests to
(translation),
[2:136] Say (O Muslims): We
believe in Allah and that which is
revealed to us and that which was
revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael,
and Isaac, and Jacob, and the
tribes, and that which Moses and
Jesus received, and that which the
prophets received from their Lord.
We make no distinction between any
of them, and to Him we have
surrendered. [Arabic "Muslimoon"]
Misconception 6
Islam orders the worship of a man
because:
- Muslims are also `Muhammadans'
Early non-Muslim quasi-researchers
of Islam called it `Muhammadanism',
implying in some way that Muslims
worshipped the Messenger of Allah (saas).
Hence, the (false) basis for this
misconception really emanates from
non-Muslims. However, as was described
above, a "Muslim" is "one who submits
to Allah." The essence of Islam is
pure, pure, pure monotheism.
Allah says in the Qur'an (translated):
[112:1-4] Say: He is Allah, the
One and Only; Allah, the One on whom
all depend; He begets not, nor is He
begotten. And there is none
comparable to Him.
[3:144] Muhammad is no more than
a messenger: many Were the
messengers that passed away before
him. If he died or were slain, will
you then turn back on your heels? If
any did turn back on his heels, not
the least harm will he do to Allah;
but Allah (on the other hand) will
swiftly reward those who (serve Him)
with gratitude.
From the Sunnah, specifically in
the study of the Sunnah called Sahih
Bukhari, we find:
[9:93:470] Narrated Mu'adh bin
Jabal: The Prophet said, "O Mu'adh!
Do you know what Allah's Right upon
His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and
His Apostle know best." The Prophet
said, "To worship Him (Allah) Alone
and to join none in worship with Him
(Allah). Do you know what their
right upon Him is?" I replied,
"Allah and His Apostle know best."
The Prophet said, "Not to punish
them (if they do so)."
[4:55:654] Narrated `Umar: I
heard the Prophet saying, "Do not
exaggerate in praising me as the
Christians praised the son of Mary,
for I am only a Slave. So, call me
the Slave of Allah and His Apostle."
Misconception 7
Islam tolerates the killing of
innocents because:
- Muslims can be terrorists
- Muslims engage in `holy wars'
(jihad)
- Islam spread by the sword
- it has a harsh and cruel
judicial system
This misconception is one of the
most widely held misconceptions about
Islam today. And yet in the Qur'an,
the Creator unambiguously states
(translation),
[17:33] Nor take life - which
Allah has made sacred - except for
just cause. And if anyone is slain
wrongfully, we have given his heir
authority (to demand retaliation or
to forgive): but let him not exceed
bounds in the matter of taking life,
for he is helped (by the Law)
Based on this verse, it is
Islamically unlawful to murder anyone
who is innocent of certain crimes. It
is well to remember at this point the
distinction made above between Qur'an
and Sunnah, and the Muslims: only the
Qur'an and Sunnah are guaranteed to be
in accordance with what the Creator
desires, whereas the Muslims may
possibly deviate. Hence, if any Muslim
kills an innocent person, that Muslim
has committed a grave sin, and
certainly the action cannot be claimed
to have been done "in the name of
Islam."
It should be clear, then, that
"Muslim terrorist" is almost
an oxymoron: by killing
innocent people, a Muslim is commiting
an awesome sin, and Allah is Justice
personified. This phrase is offensive
and demeaning of Islam, and it should
be avoided. It is hoped that as the
general level of public awareness and
understanding of Islam increases,
people will keep "terrorism" and
"Islam" separate from each other, not
to be used in the same phrase.
Another reason advanced in support
of the misconception is that the
Creator has imposed `jihad'
on us. The term "holy war" is from the
time of the Crusades and originated in
Europe as a rallying cry against the
Muslims in Jerusalem. Jihad is an
Arabic word meaning struggle, but in
the context of many verses in the
Qur'an, it carries the meaning of
military struggle, or war. Allah
gradually introduced the obligation of
military struggle to the Muslim
community at the time of the Messenger
(saas). The first verse ever revealed
in that connection is as follows
(translation),
[22:39] Permission (to fight) is
given to those upon whom war is made
because they are oppressed, and most
surely Allah is well able to assist
them;
This verse lays down the
precondition for all war in Islam:
there must exist certain oppressive
conditions on the people. The Creator
unequivocally orders us to fight
oppression and persecution, even at
the expense of bloodshed as the
following verse shows (translation),
[2:190-192] And fight in the
cause of Allah with those who fight
with you, and do not exceed the
limits, surely Allah does not love
those who exceed the limits. And
kill them wherever you find them,
and drive them out from where they
drove you out, and persecution is
severer than slaughter, and do not
fight with them at the Sacred Mosque
(in Makkah) until they fight with
you in it, but if they do fight you,
then slay them; such is the reward
of the unbelievers. But if they
desist, then surely Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with
them until there is no persecution,
and religion should be only for
Allah, but if they desist, then
there should be no hostility except
against the oppressors.
As one might imagine, the method of
military struggle has been clearly and
extensively defined in the Qur'an and
Sunnah. Since this subject is a huge
one, we simply summarize part of it by
noting that it is unlawful to kill
women, children, the infirm, the old,
and the innocent. From the Sunnah,
specifically in the study of the
Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:
[4:52:257] Narrated 'Abdullah:
During some of the Ghazawat of the
Prophet a woman was found killed.
Allah's Apostle disapproved the
killing of women and children.
A related misconception to jihad is
often propagated by Muslims who say
that "Jihad is only for self-defense
of physical borders." The Qur'an and
Sunnah refute this notion
categorically. As the verses cited
above show, jihad is obligatory
wherever there is injustice, and
Muslims need not acknowledge imaginary
lines around the earth when it comes
to upholding this obligation. The
Messenger of Allah (saas) has also
commented on this extensively in the
Sunnah. From the study of the Sunnah
called Sahih Bukhari, we find that,
[4:52:65] Narrated Abu Musa: A
man came to the Prophet and asked,
"A man fights for war booty; another
fights for fame and a third fights
for showing off; which of them
fights in Allah's Cause?" The
Prophet said, "He who fights that
Allah's Word (i.e. Islam) should be
superior, fights in Allah's Cause."
Hence, the Creator obligates us to
fight wherever people are being
grossly deprived of freely hearing or
practicing the Message of Allah
as contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Sayyed Qutb, a famous Muslim scholar
eloquently discusses the notion of
jihad and self-defense in his book
Milestones,
"If we insist on calling Islamic
jihad a defensive movement, then we
must change the meaning of the word
`defense' and mean by it `defense of
man' against all those elements
which limit his freedom. These
elements take the form of beliefs
and concepts, as well as of
political systems, based on
economic, racial, or class
distinction."
A third reason often cited for the
misconception about Islam which says
that this way of life tolerates the
killing of innocents is that the
judicial system of Islam is
unnecessarily harsh. This reason is
weak in two respects. First, it
presupposes that human beings are more
just and more merciful than the
Creator, and therefore we can change
the law. Second, it is often based on
gross oversimplifications of Islamic
law, such as saying "all thieves get
their hands cut off."
The Qur'an and Sunnah make it clear
that the law of retaliation (or
equality) governs us for murder and
physical injury, but forgiveness is
better as the following verses from
the Qur'an show (translation),
[2:178] O you who believe! the
law of equality is prescribed to you
in cases of murder: the free for the
free, the slave for the slave, the
woman for the woman. But if any
remission is made by the brother of
the slain, then prosecution (for the
bloodwit) should be made according
to usage, and payment should be made
to him in a good manner; this is an
alleviation from your Lord and a
mercy; so whoever exceeds the limit
after this he shall have a painful
chastisement.
[42:40-43] The recompense for an
injury is an injury equal thereto
(in degree): but if a person
forgives and makes reconciliation,
his reward is due from Allah: for
(Allah) loves not those who do
wrong. But indeed if any do help and
defend themselves after a wrong
(done) to them, against such there
is no cause of blame. The blame is
only against those who oppress men
and insolently transgress beyond
bounds through the land, defying
right and justice: for such there
will be a grievous penalty. And
whoever is patient and forgiving,
these most surely are actions due to
courage.
The Creator ordained the law of
retaliation on us knowing full well
that we might question it. In many
non-Muslim societies today, there are
ongoing debates about the death
penalty. In Islam, this discussion is
moot: the Creator has decided the
matter for us. He has however given us
an interesting verse in the Qur'an
which advises to consider the matter
carefully if we want to understand it
(translation follows),
[2:179] And there is life for you
in (the law of) retaliation, O
people of understanding, that you
may guard yourselves.
Most people are also unaware of the
stringent conditions which must be met
for the law of retaliation to be
applicable. The Sunnah is full of
examples of the Messenger of Allah
showing us when the law's
preconditions were fulfilled. For
example, a thief is only liable to
lose his or her hand if the item
stolen exceeds a certain value, and if
it is proven that the item was taken
from its normal resting place.
Stealing food is not punishable by the
loss of one's hand, and other items
are exempt as well. This is just an
example of how gingerly the law is
applied in Islam.
Finally, another reason advanced
for this prevalent misconception is
that Islam `spread by the sword'. It
should be clear by now that we must
always distinguish between the Qur'an
and Sunnah and the Muslims when it
comes to determining what the Creator
has asked of us. Allah has stated
clearly in the Qur'an (translation),
[2:256] There is no compulsion in
religion; truly the right way has
become clearly distinct from error;
therefore, whoever rejects Satan
(and what he calls to) and believes
in Allah, he indeed has laid hold on
the firmest handhold, which shall
not break off, and Allah is Hearing,
Knowing.
Hence, it is impossible
to accept Islam under duress. Even if
misguided Muslims were to try to
`force' Islam somehow on others, it
would not be accepted by the Creator
based on this verse.
Historical arguments that try to
demonstrate that Muslims did not
`convert others by force' are actually
secondary to the argument given above.
However, it is worth noting that
historically, Islam did spread by
peaceful means. The Message of the
Creator was conveyed to Africa and to
southeast Asia by trading Muslims, and
today the largest Muslim country in
the world is Indonesia. The military
expeditions that led to the conquest
of large swathes of territory in
Europe and central Asia were all
marked by tolerance of other creeds
and faith.
Again, it is important to remember
that Allah declares it
IMPOSSIBLE that Islam can be
forced on a person, hence Muslims find
it useless to try!
Misconception 8
Islam is intolerant of other
religions because
- the Qur'an condemns the other
religions as false
The Creator has taught us in the
Qur'an and Sunnah that all other
`religions' and ways of life are
unacceptable to Him if a person is
aware of Islam. The Qur'an states
(translation),
[3:85] And whoever desires a
religion other than Islam, it shall
not be accepted from him, and in the
hereafter he shall be one of the
losers.
However, even though the Creator
has clearly specified that no other
way of life is acceptable to Him
except Islam (i.e. submission to Him
as embodied in the Qur'an and Sunnah),
He has also commanded the Muslims to
be tolerant of people who
espouse other creeds. 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. One historical example
of Muslims living up to the standard
of Islam can be found from the time of
the Spanish Inquisition. During that
disaster sprung by misguided
Catholics, some Spanish Jews fled to
Muslim Turkey and to this day, there
is a community of Spanish-speaking
Jews in Turkey. Another example may be
found during one of the Crusader
invasions from Western Europe. Some of
the the Catholic Western European
knights were so likely to rape,
murder, and pillage the Jews and
Orthodox Christians, that when the
Muslims won, they were treated as a
liberating force by those non-Muslims.
Misconception 9
Islam is a racist, afro-centric
cult because:
Nation of Islam
spouses the superiority of the
black man
The Nation of Islam recognizes
God as a black man
One of the great misconceptions of
the twentieth century is that the
so-called `Nation of Islam' is a
Muslim community, or more precisely: a
community which submits to Allah by
following the Qur'an and Sunnah. The
`Nation of Islam' is a man-made way of
life which borrowed some elements of
Islam and then mixed them with a large
number of inventions and lies to reach
their present doctrines.
It suffices to point out the
`Nation of Islam's deviation in two
areas. First, they reject the essence
of Islam by concocting a story wherein
the Creator takes the form of a black
man. From their on-line publications,
we find that the `Nation of Islam'
believes in
...one God (Allah) and that Allah
(God) appeared in the Person of
Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930;
the long awaited `Messiah' of the
Christians and the `Mahdi' of the
Muslims...
However, the Creator states in the
Qur'an (translation),
[6:103] No vision can grasp Him,
but His grasp is over all vision: He
is above all comprehension, yet is
acquainted with all things.
The `Nation of Islam' also claims
that white men are `devils', and that
black people are in general superior
to all other races. However, from the
Sunnah, specifically in the Messenger
of Allah's farewell sermon, we find
the Messenger (pbuh) saying:
All mankind is from Adam and Eve,
an Arab has no superiority over a
non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any
superiority over an Arab; also a
white has no superiority over a
black nor a black has any
superiority over a white - except by
piety and good action.
There are many other beliefs which
the `Nation of Islam' holds which take
it outside of Islam. It is interesting
to note that in the mid-1970's, the
overwhelming majority of the group
realized its errors and converted to
true Islam. There is, however, a
splinter group which remains active
today.
Misconception 10
Islam produces a lazy, uneducated
society because:
- all things come from God, and
so fatalism is OK
- modern technology and science
are condemned
The reasons given for this
misconception are false, and the
misconception itself is actually
refuted directly by the Qur'an and
Sunnah. While it is true that the
Creator is the source of everything to
us, it is not true that this can be
used as an excuse for humanity to hide
behind as the following verses from
the Qur'an state (translation),
[16:35] The worshippers of false
gods say: "If Allah had so willed,
we should not have worshipped
anything but Him - neither we nor
our fathers,- nor should we have
prescribed prohibitions other than
His." So did those who went before
them. But what is the mission of
messengers but to preach the Clear
Message?
[43:20] They (the idolators) say,
"If it had been the will of (Allah)
the Most Merciful, we should not
have worshipped such (deities)!" Of
that they have no knowledge: they do
nothing but lie!
Allah has taught us via the Qur'an
and Sunnah that we all have a certain
amount of free will. This free will
must be exercised properly in
accordance with the Qur'an and Sunnah
to please the Creator. This is plenty
of motivation for all Muslims to push
themselves to be the most
knowledgeable, effective Muslims they
can be. If Muslim societies today are
not meeting their potential, it is
surely not due to their knowledge of
Islam, rather it is their ignorance of
this way of life. The importance of
seeking knowledge and working are made
clear in the Sunnah.
From the Sunnah, specifically in
the study of the Sunnah called Sunan
Abu-Dawud, we find:
[9:1637] Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
A man of the Ansar came to the
Prophet (pbuh) and begged from him.
He (the Prophet) asked: Have you
nothing in your house? He replied:
Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of
which we wear and a part of which we
spread (on the ground), and a wooden
bowl from which we drink water.
He said: Bring them to me. He
then brought these articles to him
and he (the Prophet) took them in
his hands and asked: Who will buy
these? A man said: I shall buy them
for one dirham. He said twice or
thrice: Who will offer more than one
dirham? A man said: I shall buy them
for two dirhams.
He gave these to him and took the
two dirhams and, giving them to the
Ansari, he said: Buy food with one
of them and hand it to your family,
and buy an axe and bring it to me.
He then brought it to him. The
Apostle of Allah (pbuh) fixed a
handle on it with his own hands and
said: Go, gather firewood and sell
it, and do not let me see you for a
fortnight. The man went away and
gathered firewood and sold it. When
he had earned ten dirhams, he came
to him and bought a garment with
some of them and food with the
others.
The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then
said: This is better for you than
that begging should come as a spot
on your face on the Day of Judgment.
Begging is right only for three
people: one who is in grinding
poverty, one who is seriously in
debt, or one who is responsible for
compensation and finds it difficult
to pay.
Also from the Sunnah, specifically
in the study of the Sunnah called
Sunan Ibn Majah, we find that the
Messenger of Allah said:
Seeking knowledge is a duty upon
every Muslim.
Knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah
are clearly the best types of
knowledge, and knowledge which
benefits humanity is good as well. The
Qur'an and Sunnah do not condemn the
study of this earth and in fact the
Creator encourages us to investigate
the world we live in according to
the following verse from the Qur'an
(translation),
[3:190-191] Behold! in the
creation of the heavens and the
earth, and the alternation of night
and day, there are indeed Signs for
people of understanding. People who
celebrate the praises of Allah,
standing, sitting, and lying down on
their sides, and contemplate the
(wonders of) creation in the heavens
and the earth, (with the thought):
"Our Lord! not for nothing have You
created (all) this! Glory to You!
Give us salvation from the penalty
of the Fire."
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