Islam is peace

Submitted by Keith Williams (United States), Oct 21, 2008 at 21:40

Hi Lactantius,

I was a Methodist as a kid growing up and then Baptist as an adult. Thank you for your kind comments. I strive to be the best Muslim, father, husband, Soldier, and member of society as I can be.

Your comments were very interesting. You have done a lot of research with the hadiths and linking them to some Qur'an verses. I especially enjoyed the heroics of the Prophet (PBUH), very inspiring. I am a Soldier and I pray that I too am able to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy when I am on the battlefield. I am awaiting the peace train just like you but peace and freedom is not free. Never has been and never will be. As long as there is evil that is. That is why we have men ready to risk their lives for peace like the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). That is why Jesus will return some day with his army to bring peace (with a sword) as God wills. (Revelations) Peace is not free. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace but please look at the book of Revelations again because I think that your understanding of how that peace will come is not correct. My understanding is that peace will come after a great war. Jesus will return as the Commander of the faithful as Muhammad was the Commander of the faithful before. There is no contrast as you had stated between Muhammad and Jesus. Jesus did not come to bring peace the first time but he will on the second time.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34-39

I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism* to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father* against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (Luke 12:49-53)

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26)

But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one." (Luke 22:36

Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war. For there will be five in a house: there'll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone." Gospel of Thomas (non-canonical)

Please don't try to link hadiths and verses to what the terrorist are doing because that emboldens them and adds to their recruitment campaign. You are helping them. MEMRI's motives are clear to me. It is shameful what they and other people who are trying to put fear in everyone against Islam. Islam is not the enemy. But websites like MEMRI try to as well as the terrorist websites are trying to make it seem as if Islam is against the world but it is not. Islam is peace. There are 1000s of Qur'an verses and hadith that forbid terrorism. To kill one person is to kill all mankind and to save one person is to save all mankind. Killing in war is different than what the terrorist are doing which is the murder of innocent people which is against Islam.

^{(Muhammad), say, "Let me tell you about what your Lord has commanded: Do not consider anything equal to God; Be kind to your parents; Do not murder your children out of fear of poverty, for We give sustenance to you and to them. Do not even approach indecency either in public or in private. Take not a life which God has made sacred except by way of justice and law. Thus does He command you that you may learn wisdom. (6:151)}

Yes the prophet was a very good warrior and General in battle. But don't forget that he also brought law and order to war which is to this day an example for all nations and even better than Geneva Convention. Praise God. Today, we need more people like the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in our war against terror. Peace is not free.

_{[17:33] Nor take life - which God has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law).}

We must attack the terrorist without attacking the religion and the innocent Muslims. We all have to do our part in the war against terror. Islamaphobia is not the answer and will only cause division and works against us and for the terrorist cause which is part of their strategy. Let's not play into their hands.

This verse explicitly forbids murder:

_{[5.32] For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land.}

Here is some better reading on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by a fellow Christian convert to Islam.

http://prophetofislam.com/

Lastly, what if Jesus returns as a Muslim, would you follow him? Throughout the Bible all the prophets prayed as Muslims.

When a Muslim prays or thanks God he does so in the same fashion that was taught to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all of the previous prophets of God. You will find that when a Muslim prays he places his forehead on the ground in total submission to God Almighty. Let us see how the prophets (including Jesus, pbuh) prayed:

_{Genesis 17:3 "And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,"}

_{Genesis 17:17 "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"}

_{Exodus 34:8 "And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped."}

_{Numbers 16:20-22 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?"}

_{Joshua 5:14 "And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?"}

_{Ezekiel 9:8 "And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?"}

_{2 Chronicles 20:18 "And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD."}

_{Ezekiel 11:13 "And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?"}

_{Matthew 17:6 "And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."}

_{Matthew 26:39 "And he (Jesus) went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."}

Why is it that none of the movies show this? Are the movies showing untruths. Even in passion of the Christ a good movie but you see that Jesus is praying on a knee and not as we see in the Bible praying as a Muslim. Maybe because it would look like the prophets were Muslims? Maybe it would show that the Muslims are staying on the straight path and worshipping God in the way that he showed us? The answer is: All of the prophets from Adam to Muhammad, peace be upon them all worshipped God as commanded, submitting to the will of God and that in Arabic is a Muslim and that showing of submission to God's will in Islam is to fall on your face as stated in the Bible and if you do that, God will give you the peace. Islam is peace.

may God guide you to the straight path,

Keith

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