RE: Answer to The Question That Needs To Be Answered

Submitted by Muhammad Rushdi (Singapore), May 31, 2006 at 23:41

Anne M you are just illusioned by modern day influences. I have never despised other religions and that is my stand. I believe the Bible and Torah are words from God and so shall i respect those words. The Quran is another book that is the later and latest among the three and what i put my faith and believe in. IT'S words are like your books words, perfect and true words of God seeking peace, love and tolerance. Concepts of the misunderstanding of Jihad, Allah the merciful, Prophet Muhammad are just words to confuse followers of Islam and non islam. It is the sad reality of modern day times most probably due to September 11 and other so called "muslim" propelled terrorist acts. The signs of the End of times are coming and this is one of the tests that muslims have to face. They have to put in more effort in understanding their true faith and stand up against global influences. Islam is a religion that suits any century but so called modern day jihadists misintepret islam itself.

About your study on Jihad,

The exact meaning of "Jihad" is "effort". That is, in Islam, "to carry out jihad" is "to show efforts, to struggle". Prophet Muhammad explained that "the greatest jihad is the one a person carries out against his lower soul". What is meant by "lower soul" here is the selfish desires and ambitions. A struggle given on intellectual grounds against anti-religious, atheist views is also a form of jihad in its complete sense.

Apart from these ideological and spiritual meanings, struggle in the physical sense is also considered as "jihad". However, as explained above, this has to be a struggle carried out solely for defensive purposes. The use of the concept of "jihad" for acts of aggression against innocent people, that is for terror, would be unjust and a great distortion.

Following the death of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims continued to treat the members of other religions with tolerance and respect. Islamic states became the secure and free home of both Jews and Christians. After the conquest of Jerusalem, Caliph Omar calmed the Christians who were in fear of a massacre and explained to them that they were secure. Furthermore, he visited their churches and declared that they could continue to practise their worship freely.

In 1099, 4 centuries after the conquest of Jerusalem by Muslims, Crusaders invaded Jerusalem and put all Muslims inhabitants to the sword. Again, contrary to the fears of Christians, Saladin, the Muslim general who captured Jerusalem and saved the city from invasion in 1187, did not touch even a single civilian and did not allow a single soldier to plunder. Moreover, he allowed the invading Christians to take all their possessions and leave the city in security.

As is clarified in these words, history never witnessed Muslims as "makers of mischief". On the contrary, they brought security and peace to the people from all nations and beliefs inhabiting the large territory over which they reigned. Al Qaeda is a self indulged concept conflicting true values of Jihad. Seek a true intepreted Quran with the help of an Islamic teacher to understand the true meaning. Not merely believing everything on the Net is my only advice. Peace be upon you.

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