The following is a response to a chain email that I received from a friend of mine who knew little about Islam but had enough sense to ask me about subject before contributing to the ignorance propagated online and in the media. The title of the article being circulated is Allah or Jesus. The author demonstrates the typical credentials of a first rate an Islamaphobe, i.e., ignorance of the faith in which he denounces and an astounding negligence for historic fact regarding his own faith….
I am once again compelled to defend my faith- not the fault of you or others who circulate these kinds of things, however. Albeit, the negative images of Islam in the press are extremely biased and exploitive, nevertheless, there are many real issues plaguing the Muslim community. A brother of mine who teaches college lit recently sent me a list of quotes from revered (non Muslim) religious figures and peacemakers, Sir George Bernard Shaw and Gandhi among them, praising Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his message of Islam. One thing I pointed out was that these are historical figures, comments of a previous era, long before the current wave of extremism that is now printed in the newspapers everyday.
This has two points: one being the fact that pre-WWII, Islam was practiced under far different conditions than today- there were no significant battles waged for control of oil supplies in Muslim lands, thus, corruption was far less prominent; Palestine was not occupied and there was peace between the religions of Jerusalem. Since that time, obviously, much has changed, which is the second point. The comments by a vast number of scholars reflect the true essence of Islam during a time when its virtues were obvious. Today, although appraisals are still being penned by people who seriously study Islam for what it is, there are a number of incidents that overshadow its greatness. Unfortunately, Muslims are, in part, to blame.
Take the Danish cartoons, for example. The reaction in the Muslim world, as portrayed in the media, is shocking. People have been killed, churches have been burned to the ground (as well as some mosques). Although the places where peaceful protests were taking place have not made the headlines, despite being the majority reaction, the violence cannot be excused. The murder of anyone is forbidden by Islamic teachings. Even an animal’s welfare is taken into account when slaughtering for food. The only time a human life can justifiably be taken is in war or as a punishment for a capitol offense, whereby the accused is tried and witness testimony is given- not unlike the western court system which wasn’t developed until a millennia later. Under Islamic Law vigilantism is forbidden. Further, I believe the Muhammad would have been far more outraged by the acts carried out in the name of God than by the pen of a few journalists in Denmark.
As this relates to the experience Rick Mathes has written about, it is important to note that the merits of his account are highly questionable. For one, the person he addressed was not an Imam, or religious leader, but an inmate who had converted. It is my assumption that the inmate was a recent convert and was not being properly educated about his faith, assuming he said that Muslims are obligated with the task of killing off the “infidel.” Even if that were the command of Islam (which it is not), one has to properly define infidel- which is not to say non-Muslims. In Islamic terms, infidels are those who either do not believe in God after having been properly informed of religious teachings, or those who worship idols. Jews and Christians are designated in Qur’anic terms as “People of the Book” and in countries with significant Hindus and Buddhists the Ulama or religious scholars have likewise been designated. With specific attention to the former, all prophets in the Torah and the Bible are to be respected and following the mentioning of their names, Muslims are instructed by God, in the Qur’an, to ask that peace and blessings be upon them, as they are all considered to be deceased (except Jesus, peace be upon him, who was raised up to God) and equally revered. Although Islam is to Muslims, the continuation of God’s call to humankind, and the teachings vary from those of Christians and Jews, it is specifically noted in the Qur’an that those teachings do “contain truth” and are not to be desecrated but respected.
That aside, even if one is an infidel who worships other than God, it is by no means a death sentence. The only time a so-called “infidels” could be targeted would be in a time of war when they are attacking Muslims, who are allowed to retaliate in the same way, “an eye for an eye”, if you will, but only insofar as self defense. When the attack subsides and a truce is declared, all fighting must cease, be it with infidels or otherwise. It should also be noted that although given the right to respond to violence with violence, Muslims are instructed that “it is better to forgive.”
Also in regards to Mathes account and contrary to what he defines as “Holy War”, is to the contrary not “Jihad” which means to struggle. There are many different levels of Jihad including the struggle against inward human or worldly desire, verbal jihad- speaking out against injustice, and physical jihad, i.e., self defense. Muhammad taught that “speaking the word of truth in front of an oppressive ruler” is the greatest jihad a person can undertake. To associate Jihad exclusively with violence is at best, misleading. Ironically, Mathes included a scenario wherein he said he “had a problem” imagining the Pope giving an order to kill non-Catholics, when it was none other than the Papacy under Pope Urban II, who commanded the Crusades, causing rivers of blood to flood the streets of Jerusalem, promising heaven to the martyrs that fell, including that of fellow Christians. In fact, martyrdom is something that only recently has fallen out of usage by the church. Any visit to a Catholic Church would inform one of the reverence for martyrdom. Really, he should really read up on his history before making such an ignorant comment.
Rick Mathes’ continued circulation of the said account (though disputed by other people in attendance) is in part a product of real problems facing the Islamic community. The injustices taking place within the Muslim community should not go unaddressed. There is a real need to bring democracy back to countries now being ruled by tyrants. There is a need to educate ourselves, as Muslims, not only about our own faith but about the rest of the world as well. As Muslims, we are commanded not only to seek religious knowledge but knowledge of the world in which we live− neither is considered exclusive. Muhammad taught peace, justice, and equality but today these concepts are often missing from the scene. In places were girls are forbidden an education and forced to marry under the guise of Islam, it is the responsibility of Muslims to speak out against such treatment as it violates they very foundation of Islamic principles. Historically speaking, the kind of things exploited in the media, concerning the crimes occurring within so-called “Islamic countries”, are the very things that Muhammad fought to change and have much more to do with culture than religion.
It should also be noted that the Nation of Islam has the highest success rate at reforming prisoners, though Rick Mathes would probably never admit it. Logically speaking, if his encounter with one Muslim bore any truth in reality, Muslims would have been in a constant state of war since the sixth century which of course is not the case. This prisoner's account, accurate or not, is no more representative of Islam than Richard Butler's insistence that white superiority is representative of Christianity.
Well, that’s my opinion on this topic. I am grateful that you asked as normally things like this are taken at face value and the people it concerns are not often asked to comment. To hear an authoritative voice on Islam, listen to Imam W.D. Mohammad, Sundays at 1pm on 1150AM or Focus on Islam Sundays at 8am on channel 22/77 (Seattle area).
I am once again compelled to defend my faith- not the fault of you or others who circulate these kinds of things, however. Albeit, the negative images of Islam in the press are extremely biased and exploitive, nevertheless, there are many real issues plaguing the Muslim community. A brother of mine who teaches college lit recently sent me a list of quotes from revered (non Muslim) religious figures and peacemakers, Sir George Bernard Shaw and Gandhi among them, praising Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his message of Islam. One thing I pointed out was that these are historical figures, comments of a previous era, long before the current wave of extremism that is now printed in the newspapers everyday.
This has two points: one being the fact that pre-WWII, Islam was practiced under far different conditions than today- there were no significant battles waged for control of oil supplies in Muslim lands, thus, corruption was far less prominent; Palestine was not occupied and there was peace between the religions of Jerusalem. Since that time, obviously, much has changed, which is the second point. The comments by a vast number of scholars reflect the true essence of Islam during a time when its virtues were obvious. Today, although appraisals are still being penned by people who seriously study Islam for what it is, there are a number of incidents that overshadow its greatness. Unfortunately, Muslims are, in part, to blame.
Take the Danish cartoons, for example. The reaction in the Muslim world, as portrayed in the media, is shocking. People have been killed, churches have been burned to the ground (as well as some mosques). Although the places where peaceful protests were taking place have not made the headlines, despite being the majority reaction, the violence cannot be excused. The murder of anyone is forbidden by Islamic teachings. Even an animal’s welfare is taken into account when slaughtering for food. The only time a human life can justifiably be taken is in war or as a punishment for a capitol offense, whereby the accused is tried and witness testimony is given- not unlike the western court system which wasn’t developed until a millennia later. Under Islamic Law vigilantism is forbidden. Further, I believe the Muhammad would have been far more outraged by the acts carried out in the name of God than by the pen of a few journalists in Denmark.
As this relates to the experience Rick Mathes has written about, it is important to note that the merits of his account are highly questionable. For one, the person he addressed was not an Imam, or religious leader, but an inmate who had converted. It is my assumption that the inmate was a recent convert and was not being properly educated about his faith, assuming he said that Muslims are obligated with the task of killing off the “infidel.” Even if that were the command of Islam (which it is not), one has to properly define infidel- which is not to say non-Muslims. In Islamic terms, infidels are those who either do not believe in God after having been properly informed of religious teachings, or those who worship idols. Jews and Christians are designated in Qur’anic terms as “People of the Book” and in countries with significant Hindus and Buddhists the Ulama or religious scholars have likewise been designated. With specific attention to the former, all prophets in the Torah and the Bible are to be respected and following the mentioning of their names, Muslims are instructed by God, in the Qur’an, to ask that peace and blessings be upon them, as they are all considered to be deceased (except Jesus, peace be upon him, who was raised up to God) and equally revered. Although Islam is to Muslims, the continuation of God’s call to humankind, and the teachings vary from those of Christians and Jews, it is specifically noted in the Qur’an that those teachings do “contain truth” and are not to be desecrated but respected.
That aside, even if one is an infidel who worships other than God, it is by no means a death sentence. The only time a so-called “infidels” could be targeted would be in a time of war when they are attacking Muslims, who are allowed to retaliate in the same way, “an eye for an eye”, if you will, but only insofar as self defense. When the attack subsides and a truce is declared, all fighting must cease, be it with infidels or otherwise. It should also be noted that although given the right to respond to violence with violence, Muslims are instructed that “it is better to forgive.”
Also in regards to Mathes account and contrary to what he defines as “Holy War”, is to the contrary not “Jihad” which means to struggle. There are many different levels of Jihad including the struggle against inward human or worldly desire, verbal jihad- speaking out against injustice, and physical jihad, i.e., self defense. Muhammad taught that “speaking the word of truth in front of an oppressive ruler” is the greatest jihad a person can undertake. To associate Jihad exclusively with violence is at best, misleading. Ironically, Mathes included a scenario wherein he said he “had a problem” imagining the Pope giving an order to kill non-Catholics, when it was none other than the Papacy under Pope Urban II, who commanded the Crusades, causing rivers of blood to flood the streets of Jerusalem, promising heaven to the martyrs that fell, including that of fellow Christians. In fact, martyrdom is something that only recently has fallen out of usage by the church. Any visit to a Catholic Church would inform one of the reverence for martyrdom. Really, he should really read up on his history before making such an ignorant comment.
Rick Mathes’ continued circulation of the said account (though disputed by other people in attendance) is in part a product of real problems facing the Islamic community. The injustices taking place within the Muslim community should not go unaddressed. There is a real need to bring democracy back to countries now being ruled by tyrants. There is a need to educate ourselves, as Muslims, not only about our own faith but about the rest of the world as well. As Muslims, we are commanded not only to seek religious knowledge but knowledge of the world in which we live− neither is considered exclusive. Muhammad taught peace, justice, and equality but today these concepts are often missing from the scene. In places were girls are forbidden an education and forced to marry under the guise of Islam, it is the responsibility of Muslims to speak out against such treatment as it violates they very foundation of Islamic principles. Historically speaking, the kind of things exploited in the media, concerning the crimes occurring within so-called “Islamic countries”, are the very things that Muhammad fought to change and have much more to do with culture than religion.
It should also be noted that the Nation of Islam has the highest success rate at reforming prisoners, though Rick Mathes would probably never admit it. Logically speaking, if his encounter with one Muslim bore any truth in reality, Muslims would have been in a constant state of war since the sixth century which of course is not the case. This prisoner's account, accurate or not, is no more representative of Islam than Richard Butler's insistence that white superiority is representative of Christianity.
Well, that’s my opinion on this topic. I am grateful that you asked as normally things like this are taken at face value and the people it concerns are not often asked to comment. To hear an authoritative voice on Islam, listen to Imam W.D. Mohammad, Sundays at 1pm on 1150AM or Focus on Islam Sundays at 8am on channel 22/77 (Seattle area).
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