It is tempting for a person who knows little, if at all, about Islam to judge this great religion in the light of the wrong behaviour of many of its adherents. A few years ago, I read the story of a Swedish academic who held the same view but later changed it when he realized it was wrong. He read extensively about Islam and decided to embrace it. But before he did so, he thought it was a good idea to travel to a Muslim country and see the greatness of Islam implemented in real life. He happened to go to a country in North Africa, and what he saw there made him decide against the idea of becoming a Muslim. However, on his way back to his home country, he happened to meet a French revert on the train who explained to him that the criterion he adopted was entirely wrong. It was only then that he made up his mind to become a Muslim. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Ja’afar Sheikh Idrees, Rector of the Open American University, to Al-Daawah:

ISLAM

Does not only condemn terrorism but also provides remedies

Interviewed by AI-Daawah Magazine Representative, Makkah

Through incessant dialogue on terrorism and with our guest, the renowned Muslim thinker Dr. Ja’afar Sheikh Idrees, we can establish grounds for the revitalization of clear concepts that have been kept under heavy layers of dust for years and under the pretext of which sovereignty of many states has been transgressed against, civilians have been terrified and the aspirations and dreams for a better future of understanding have been buried alive. Read the rest of this entry »

We had revealed a wide seam of hatred for Arabs and Islam in the bedrock of our national character

America’s long festering animus toward Arabs and Islam has finally arrived. From black tie affairs to your local barbecue, you can see it in the U.S.A. You can hear it, too, whispering in the White House and booming from Capitol Hill. Language that would get people fired if applied to blacks or Jews now passes without comment when used against Arabs and Muslims. It can be found somewhere, every day, in almost every newspaper and TV news show in the land. We tend to view this disturbing trend as the result of two, or twenty, or fifty years of politics and events. But we are children of a history we do not know. The roots of our “new” bigotry stretch through our racist American past to a thousand-year old blind spot, one big enough to drive half the world through. It’s time to learn where we came from. Read the rest of this entry »

Islam encourages dialogue and cooperation among civilizations with the ultimate goal of realizing peaceful co-existence and international security. It rejects all forms of conflict, bigotry, violence and terror for the mere fact that it is a religion that advocates mercy and amity among nations so that all peoples of different races and religions can attain security as far as their lives, property and beliefs are concerned. All that emanates from the salient truth that the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has been sent to preach a message of mercy: “We have not sent you but as a mercy to all mankind.” [21:107] Read the rest of this entry »

One of the distinctive characteristics of the times we live in is the overwhelming presence of violence in our societies.Whether it is a bomb going off in a market place, or the hijacking of an aircraft where innocent people are held at ransom to achieve political ends, we live in an age, where the manipulation and loss of innocent lives has become commonplace.

The word terrorism came into wide usage only a few decades ago. One of the unfortunate results of this new terminology is that it limits the definition of terrorism to that perpetrated by small groups or individuals. Terrorism, in fact,spans the entire world, and manifests itself in various forms. Its perpetrators do not fit any stereotype. Read the rest of this entry »

Islam is the religion of mercy, forgiveness and tolerance toward all people, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. The most salient evidence and brightest proof to this fact is that Islam has never compelled anyone against his free will, to convert to it. Hence, the idea of compulsion associated to Islam is by no means true. Islam is, rather, a call that strongly adheres to quiet dialogue that aims at distinguishing right from wrong so that those who believe in it would do so with full conviction and satisfaction and those who disbelieve in it would do so with free will. Read the rest of this entry »

Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. To achieve these rights Islam provides not only legal safeguards but also a very effective moral system. Thus whatever leads to the welfare for the individual or the society is morally good in Islam. Thus whatever leads to the welfare of the individual or the society is morally good in Islam and whatever is injurious is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the love of God and love of man that it warns against too much of formalism. We read in the Quran: Read the rest of this entry »

Judaism originally enacted polygamy. The Torah states that Prophet Solo­mon had three hundred wives and seven hundred slave girls. In some parts of the world, a single man may have ten wives. Before the advent of Islam, po­lygamy was an established practice in the Arabian Peninsula. Even in Chris­tianity, only men of religion were pro­hibited to have more than one wife but such prohibition was eventually ex­tended to include other categories of people. As a result, spouse cheating has become widespread. Read the rest of this entry »

It is a truism that it is illogical to judge a religion by the crimes committed in the name of this religion when the perpetrators of these crimes deviate from the principles and values of the religion they claim to follow. The contrary would definitely bring about utter confusion from the very start as to whether we are speaking of religion and the true followers of religion or a criminal gang that acts under the cover of religion. The word “Islamic” is being thrown around by everyone, especially in the media. If we apply the same rule, the word “Christian” and ‘Jewish” can be attached to the terrorist acts that were and are committed by some Christian and Jewish groups. Read the rest of this entry »

THE DEFINITION OF GAMBLING

Every transaction in which gain and loss is obscure is known as Qimaar’ and ‘Maisar’ in the Shar’iah terminology. For instance, if two people compete in a race with the following conditions, that if you surpass me, then I will give you a thousand pounds and if I surpass you then you will have to give me a thousand pounds. Or if someone says, ‘If it rains today you will have to give me a thousand pounds and if it does not rain then I will give you a thousand pounds. Read the rest of this entry »