[IslamCity] Thus They Want to Keep People from Islam’

Sat, 02 Apr 2005 18:44:00 -0800



khalid waheed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
To:
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 02:14:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: ‘Thus They Want to Keep People from Islam’

Face-to-Face
 

‘Thus They Want to Keep People from Islam’

NASEEM GHAZI, author of many books on Islam, is Chairman Islami Sahitya Prakashan based in Delhi. In an interview with MOHD. ASIM KHAN he talks about the various misconceptions about Islam. Excerpts:

Islam is being seen as a militant religion. What so you say?
Some people do say that Islam is a militant religion. But they dare not say it publicly. Even US President George W. Bush, despite his fight against terrorism, does not speak against Islam. And Atal Behari Vajpayee says that there are two Islams. The fact is that whenever these people talk about Islam they are equivocal. Let me tell you that the aim of all such people is to get their hands on Muslims’ wealth and to check the Muslims from prospering and progressing. These people consider Muslims dangerous for their respective religions and systems. Believe me these people speak without solid reasons.

How did people come to believe that Islam is a militant religion and that it promotes terrorism?
These rumours are the result of a vicious propaganda unleashed against Islam. They are being spread by those who want to keep people from Islam. They consider Islam direct threat to their hegemony. To stop people from understanding Islam they have attributed some acts of terrorism like human bombs in Palestine or gun battles in Kashmir to Islamic teachings. But they must see that these acts are not being applauded by the whole Muslim community. Muslims at large condemn all acts of terrorism. But the biased people can only see those few Muslims who have guns in their hands or bombs tied round their torso. They do not see the peace-loving Muslims.
The other day a Hindu brother came to me and raised the same issue. I asked him to give some examples of Islamic terrorism. He gave the example of Kashmir, etc. I asked him to look at the history and he would find that there have been wars and killings of innocent people in the past too. In the Mahabharata battle there were no Muslims, neither were they during Ram and Ravan’s fight. Thousands of people were killed at that time too.
Even today in our country itself there is terrorism at many places besides Kashmir. The terrorism in Manipur can’t be linked to Islam. The killings of Biharis in Assam were not the acts of Muslims. Similarly the Khalistan movement was not the Islamic terrorism. So we can see terrorism is all around us and in every case it is not Islamic.
By citing these examples I am not trying to defend any act of terrorism by the Muslims. We condemn it. So why don’t they listen to us, and present only the dark side of the picture before the world? Clearly, they want to keep common people from Islam.

To what extent will you hold the media responsible for projecting a jaundiced picture of Islam?
The media is also not unbiased; in fact it can’t be. It is because the various media of mass communication are owned by the people who have their own ideologies and affiliations to different schools of thought. Some newspapers and channels are also owned by the people who have developed hatred for Islam. So they propagate wrong ideas about Islam. However, there is not any dearth of people in the media who are actually neutral. They speak the truth. See they hounded the police after the Ansal Plaza shootout a few years ago.

And what is real Islam?
Killing of even a single person is strictly prohibited in Islam. Islam says if you kill a person without proper reasons, you kill the whole mankind. On the other hand if you save the life of a single person, you in fact save the whole humanity. Even in the battlefield Islam has given a code of conduct. A Muslim is not allowed to kill women, children, the weak and the priest, etc. even during the war times. He is not allowed to destroy crops and other properties. This is Islam. A Muslim who does not follow these commandments is a sinner.

How can a religion whose teachings are so humane be militant?
Some people quote from the Qur’ân to show that Islam preaches militancy and autocracy. They do not look at the background of such verses. Anybody who goes through the Qur’ân will come to know that such verses do not preach terrorism. In fact such verses are quoted out of context. It is like saying that a judge in any of our courts of law giving capital punishment to someone he/she deems fit is a killer. It is nonsense. The judge is ordering the person to be killed according to a set of laws and in the greater interest of the society.
You can’t find a single Hadith where the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered anybody not embracing Islam to be killed. Then how can anybody say that Islam preaches violence?

How is Islam distinguished from other religions?
Islam has its own charm. Thousands of people are coming to the fold of Islam. It is because Islam appeals to every human being who has conscience. It is a way of life suggested by Allah for mankind. It is the religion that makes its followers true human beings. For example, who or what can stop me from doing something illegal or immoral? Did you say the law of the land? But the law is not always there. I must tell you that it is your own conscience and fear of God that can stop you from committing anything wrong. Islam inculcates those values in a human being. It inculcates the fear of God, that keeps you always on the right path.
Besides, Islam not only teaches you how to offer Namaz or Hajj, etc; it guides you in every sphere of life – how you ought to earn money, how you should spend your money, how you ought to eat, drink, sleep, etc. It guides you about the rights of your relations, neighbours, friends, etc. Islam gives high priority to human rights. No other religion provides such complete guidance in every sphere of human life, though every religion teaches good things. This quality of Islam distinguishes it from other religions.

But most of the people do not know about these teachings of Islam. How can they be informed?
It is generally thought that preaching Islam to non-Muslims is a very difficult task. It requires a lot of knowledge and hence only a few people can do it. Let me say it is not true. Dawah is not so difficult. It is the responsibility of every Muslim to preach Islam; to make the teachings of Islam common.
The very basic thing is our own deeds. Whatever we do matters much as we give an impression to others by it. If we do a good deed, it will influence us as well as others. So, first of all we must be on the Islamic path ourselves. A Muslim must be a symbol of truth, honesty, integrity and reliability. His actions and his life are the best ways of making non-Muslims aware of the Islamic teachings. Unfortunately this is not seen nowadays. A Muslim shopkeeper, a Muslim labourer or for that matter, a Muslim fruit seller is not the very honest person around. You are likely to have a bitter experience in business transactions with Muslims nowadays. Such things do not leave a good impression on others’ mind.
Another way of preaching can be your kindness. If any of your non-Muslim friends or neighbours is in trouble, try to help him in every possible way. And this is the way of our holy Prophet (peace be upon him); he preached compassion not cruelty. So, we must be compassionate. Khidamat-e-Khalq (service to mankind) should be given a priority. And khalq includes the whole humanity, not only Muslims.
Besides, Islamic literature should be doled out. We should invite people to read Islamic books. They should be told that they are not being forced to come to the fold of Islam by reading those books.

You mean that Muslims must improve themselves first?
Yes, that’s the basic thing. We must be true Muslims first of all. People will automatically be pulled towards Islam when they come to know what Islam actually teaches.

Do you mean that Muslims themselves are also responsible for the misconceptions about Islam?
Yes, very much. If you go to a Muslim locality, you will be dismayed to see that the followers of a religion which gives so much importance to hygiene and cleanliness live in dirt. It is painful to see heaps of garbage in Muslim localities. This does not convey a positive message. So, they (Muslims) are responsible for letting down their own faith.
Some people target polygamy in Islam as something immoral?
Polygamy is not immoral. Islam allows you to have more than one wives at a time. But interestingly the number of non-Muslims having many wives is far more than that in the Muslim society.
Islam allows you to have more than one wife but it has also attached conditions to it. If you are not able to fulfil those conditions, you must confine to a single wife. And in fact most of the Muslims have a single wife.
However, polygamy is not confined to Islam only. Islam is the religion that bars a man from having more than four wives at a time. No other religion does.
There is one more aspect. If anyone marries a widow, despite already having a wife, he saves her from ruin. A Hindu cannot marry another woman in the presence of his first wife. Thus in order to marry another woman he would either try to get rid of the first wife or would have the second woman as his mistress. A mistress has no rights over property of the man. Islam, on the other hand, gives equal rights to all of your wives, if you have more than one. So, the critics can analyse the situation, in the light of the facts, and judge for themselves if polygamy is a bane or a boon.

 

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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
The Beneficent, the Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment.
Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help.
Keep us on the right path.
The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors. Not (the path) of those upon whom Thy wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray.[the Holy Quran-chapter#1 verse 1-7]

"Say: we believe in God and in what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il: Isaac, Jacob and The Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus and the Prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another, among them, and to God do we bow our will (in Islam)." (Qur'an, Al-Imran 3:84)

"So,verily,with every difficulty,there is relief."-[THE HOLY QURAN,094.005]

"If Allah is your protector,none can overcome you,and if He forsakes you, then who can help you? Trust Allah and have faith in His sovereign power"[Qur'an, Al-Imran, Surah 3:160]

"Faint not nor grieve for you will overcome them if you are(indeed) believers."[Qur'an, Aal -e-imraan-3,verse 139]

"And say "O my Lord! I seek refuge with Thee from the suggestions of the Evil Ones.And I seek refuge with Thee O my Lord! lest they should come near me." [Qur'an, AL-MUMENOON 023.097-98]

"O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed)." [Qur'an , Al-Tauba,009.119]




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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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