| Author | Topic |
nadya
USA
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 Topic initiated on Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 11:03 PM 
Basis for Muslim's hostility towards non-Muslims?
A basic principle which needs to be understood is that most directives of Islam that depict hostility and antagonism towards non-Muslims are directed towards a specific category of non-Muslims, which may exist today but cannot be humanly pinpointed. The Quran uses the word Kuffar (singular: Kafir) to denote this category of non-Muslims. The term Kafir stands for a person who denies a Messenger of the Almighty even though he is convinced of the truth of his message.
It is humanly impossible for a person to determine whether an individual or a group of individuals is deliberately denying a Messenger since no one can know what is in a person’s heart; neither can any one be correctly aware of the excuses and hindrances a person may have in this regard. It is only the Almighty who on the basis of His all embracing knowledge can inform us of such a denial, for it is He alone who knows what is in the hearts. In times when He used to send His Messengers, He chose to impart this information to them through Wahi (revelation). However, after the termination of the institution of Wahi, people who have deliberately denied a Messenger cannot be pinpointed. In other words, after the departure of Muhammad (sws), the last Messenger, no Muslim is in a position to ascertain who among his addressees is guilty of deliberately denying the message of Muhammad (sws). Therefore, now, only on the Day of Judgement will it be known whether a particular person is a Kafir or not.
As a consequence, the Christians and Jews and followers of other religions who live after the age of the Prophet (sws) cannot be called Kafirs; the right name for them is non-Muslims, and therefore they cannot be declared the subject of the verses which address the Kaffur. In other words, directives which apparently depict hostility and antagonism against non-Muslims are not related to the non-Muslims of all times but just the times of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and his Companions (rta) since the Kuffar among in other times cannot be ascertained.In reality, this category of non-Muslims, the Kuffar, was punished by the Almighty in the era of Muhammad (sws) and his Companions (rta). The hostility and antagonism which the Qur’anic verses depict against these Kuffar are actually talking about the various manifestations of the punishments that were actually meted out to them.
The addresses of the other Messengers of God were also treated likewise, that is the Messenger informed them of the Will of God, removed the misconceptions that surrounded the truth and told the people of the consequences of their action in terms of the wrath or pleasure of God, heaven or hell and after the culmination of the preaching of the Messenger the Almighty punished the rejecters of truth, who had actually denied it even being aware of its truth, either through calamities or through the believers.
Indeed those who are opposing Allah and His Messenger are bound to be humiliated. The Almighty has ordained: I and My Messengers shall always prevail. Indeed Allah is Mighty and Powerful. (58:20-1)
The Old Testament refers to this law in the following words:
If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy, 8:19-20)
The New Testament mentions this law in the following words:
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered: ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish’. (Luke, 13:1-4)
And, indeed, to the Pharaoh’s people also came the warnings. But [in a similar manner], they also rejected all Our signs; so We grasped them with the grasp of One Mighty, Powerful. (54:42-3)
[Similarly], before them the folks of Noah [rejected their Prophet] by declaring Our servant to be a liar and said that he was a mad man, and he was badly scolded [by them]. At last he cried unto his Lord saying: I am vanquished, Take revenge from them. So We opened the gates of heaven with water pouring forth, and caused the earth to burst with gushing springs. The waters met at the point decreed and We carried him [---Our servant Noah] on a vessel made of planks and nails, which sailed under Our protection: a recompense for him who had been snubbed. And We made this tale a sign [for those who would learn a lesson from it]. So is there anyone who would take heed [from this]! [You heard this tale!]. Tell Me how [dreadful] was My punishment, how [stern] was My warning? [Will you also receive admonition like this?]. And, [indeed], We have made the Qur’an very appropriate for admonition. Is there any who shall take heed?!! (54:9-17)
(Example of when the Kuffar were subdued by God at the hands of the believers in the time of Prophet Muhammad):
Fight them and God will punish them with your hands and
humiliate them and help you to victory over them. (9:14)
It is not you [O believers] who slew them; it was [in fact] God who slew them. (8:17)
In order to make the reward and punishment that is going to take place in the Hereafter an observable reality in this world, the Almighty selects certain personalities called Messengers to elucidate and explain the basic truths to their respective peoples. With the special help and assistance of the Almighty, they remove misconceptions that surround these concepts and vehemently remind people that if they do not accept these truths they shall be doomed in this world and in the Hereafter. Messengers give glad tidings of success both in this world and in the next to those who profess faith in them. People who deliberately deny these truths are punished in various degrees so that this whole episode can become an argument for the reward and punishment that is to take place on similar grounds in the Hereafter.
As a consequence of this fundamental premise what needs to be understood is that some directives of Islam are specific to the age of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and his Companions (rta) and cannot be extended to later periods. The reason for this, is that a Muslim preacher cannot unveil the basic truths in their ultimate form as a Messenger is able to. Nor can he know whether a non-Muslim is knowingly denying it or not. Only the Almighty knows this. In the age of Messengers, He chose to reveal this judgement through His appointees, while in the second period of history (after the Prophets) He has not chosen to do so. Consequently, it is imperative that Muslims study the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet (sws), which are replete with the details of this divine scheme in the proper perspective.
If all these premises are true, then the attitude of Muslims towards non-Muslims should drastically change. Instead of showing an antagonistic behaviour towards them by threatening to subdue them, they should try to present the teachings of Islam in a lucid and articulate manner. They should think of ways and means to communicate the true message of Islam and refrain from policing and threatening non-Muslims. Like true preachers, they should invest their time in thinking of ways and means to earnestly call people to the truth. Their preaching should have a humble tone in it and they should deal very affectionately and amicably with non-Muslims. Muslims should consider them as their potential addressees to whom they can present the teachings of Islam through character and good deeds. Being antagonistic and hostile to them is a totally uncalled for attitude.
[Adapted from "Islam and Non-Muslims: A New Perspective" by Shehzad Saleem. http://www.renaissance.com.pk/martitl2y2.html ]
Edited by: nadya on Thursday, October 14, 2004 11:08 PM
Edited by: nadya on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 5:09 PM |
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hkhan
UNITED KINGDOM
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 Posted - Monday, November 8, 2004 - 1:20 PM 
Dear Henna
My quote was taken from Al Arribya
" All Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are now Muslims" 
Please comment.
Regards
K.B.
Edited by: hkhan on Thursday, November 11, 2004 11:58 PM |
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nadya
USA
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Posted - Monday, November 8, 2004 - 6:03 PM
Atrocities occur all over the world though in any age only certain are highlighted and appear more at the forefront because of their very nature or because of the target towards which they are directed.
Similarly in our times though we see many acts of local atrocities like the genocide that is currently taking place in Sudan, we only find Muslims engaging in global terrorist activities. With ruthless targets over Asia, Europe, Africa and America it is no wonder that the majority of all terrorists that exist today are probably Muslims. Therefore I don’t see anything surprising or mind boggling in this quote.
What needs to be done now is to distinguish true from false beliefs so that no more Muslims are caught up in the net of false propaganda of these terrorists and so that people of other faiths know what Islam truly teaches.
Since it is often the case that people who claim to follow a certain religion, may manipulate it to justify their agenda or twist it into a version not preached by the religion we need to understand that religions should not be judged by the practices of their followers, as those practices might not have any basis in the religion itself.
The above article deals with one of the fundamental arguments on which Muslims base their hostility towards people of other faiths and shows that in truth that argument does not stand. |
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