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Uthman
03-22-2007, 05:32 PM
:sl:

View by Ekrem DUMANLI (TZ)

In yesterday’s column I asked the question, “Does the West know enough about Islam?” My answer was, “No, despite the advancing technology, the increasing communication channels and the removal of certain limits. ”I mentioned the continuance of centuries-old stereotypes and the difficulty in acquiring accurate information about Islam. I noted that ignorance fed animosity and I elucidated the basin tenets of Islam to show its peaceful intent. I ended with another question, “Do Muslims know enough about Islam?”

Unfortunately the answer was again, “No.” The Muslim world is facing serious problems, especially materially. It is most disappointing that despite its rich natural resources most of its population lives below the poverty line. There is destitution in fortune, there is poverty within wealth. The leaders of Muslim countries are content with the wealth remaining within a very small class and have no plans to spread that wealth to a wider population. Hunger, famine and poverty are not on their agenda. This conflict between the leaders and the public leads to wide-spread animosity in the lower classes. The leaders manage to divert the anger of the public from themselves toward other powers.

The second-biggest problem in the Muslim world is education. Unfortunately the education systems in most Muslim countries are ill-developed. In some literacy rates are extremely low. The reason for illiteracy in some groups is related to the political trauma experienced in the country. For example, in Afghanistan war and instability has continued since the 1979 Soviet occupation. The country does not have the necessary tools for education …

It is no easy task for anyone to tackle poverty and education at the same time. While the distribution of unequal opportunities create class differences, when uneducated classes acquire power society becomes very narrow-minded. This makes it easier for some circles to manipulate such people and control their anger.

The worst is that Muslims’ knowledge of Islam is defective. They can not distinguish between religion and tradition. Islam has two basic sources: The Koran and the hadith, the words of Prophet Mohammed. Muslims ignorant of these two sources are easily influenced by the culture of words, a culture that is very easily manipulated.

Take the meaning of jihad as an example. Neither Muslims nor Westerners know the exact meaning of this word. Both the Koran and the words of Prophet Mohammed say jihad means the battle with one’s self, the ego. That is why on their return from a battle, Prophet Mohammed had said, “We have returned from the lesser jihad to the great jihad.” Scribes who recorded the prophet’s words asked, “Oh Prophet of Allah, what is the great jihad?” and Mohammed (pbuh) said, “a battle against one’s own ego is the big jihad.” In other words, jihad refers to the struggle to make oneself perfect.

War with the enemy is also called jihad, but that is the small jihad. However the open literature shows that jihad can not be declared by one person’s initiative. When war is inevitable and the certain conditions for jihad have developed, then the state, and only the state, can declare jihad. Any other war is considered anarchy and this is prohibited in Islam.

Another example: The Koran clearly says, “No person shall bear the burden of another.” which means that if you are angry with someone, you can not punish another person even if he/she is closely related to the person. You can’t equip yourself with bombs, enter crowds of people and kill them and yourself. There are certain conditions that must exist to declare war and war can only -- if absolutely inevitable -- be declared by the state. In the event of war, Islamic sources clearly mandate that no civilians can be killed and no trees be damaged. Islam also clearly rules that “whosoever takes a life, it is as if he has killed all of humanity” (al-Maida, verse 32). Thus it is a grave sin in Islam to kill a man without cause. Given that, how can anyone with any justification associate Islam with terrorism?

Islam has been subject to misinterpretation owing to ignorance of its true sources. The word Islam means peace. Islam was brought to bring peace and serenity to mankind. Unfortunately today the Muslim world’s psychology is based on defeat and fatalism. Muslims believe they are subject to injustice. Of course there is reason for this. They are probably frustrated because they live in poverty and no education, under the burden of centuries-old problems. For example the Arab-Israeli problem must have a lasting solution, because when problems are not resolved over time hatred and ensuing violence take over. The only way to reassure a hostile people, who believe the world’s justice system is founded on double standards, is to offer them education, love and justice. If standards normalize, people will return to their true values and contribute to world peace. There are religious references that preach tolerance, dialogue and sharing, but the problem of reaching such knowledge persists. We need to remove the obstacles in order to end the wave of fanaticism fed by ignorance.

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=43640

:w:
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wilberhum
03-22-2007, 05:53 PM
Excellent article! Every one should have a read.
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Erundur
03-22-2007, 05:57 PM
:salamext:
Author: Imaam Muhammad Naasir-ud Deen Al-Albaanee
Source: Upcoming SSNA Book "Al-Masjid al-Aqsa - The Path to Its Freedom"
Translator: SSNA Translation Committee al-manhaj.com

Chapter: The Fatwaa of the Muhaddith, Shaikh Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah)


Question: It has is reported from your eminence that you do not sanction suicide missions. We therefore seek from you a clarification of the issue. Answer: It is uniformly known amongst the Scholars that it is not permissible for a Muslim to commit suicide to relieve himself of a calamity "financial, painful illness that is terminal or any other thing that has befallen him.

Suicide to relieve oneself from these types of hardships is without a doubt Haraam. There are Hadeeth reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim that imply that a person taking his own life by consuming poison or piercing himself or any other means (that result in his death) shall result in him being punished with that same mode of death until the Day of Resurrection. Some of the scholars have understood that the person who commits suicide dies as a Kaafir or an unbeliever since the one who commits such an act has malice and distain for His Lord because of the calamities he has faced without patience. Without a doubt, a (true) Muslim could never reach the level whereby he contemplates such a heinous act, let alone carry out the act of taking his own life. In most cases the individual who takes his own life is not a Muâmin true believer. Yet it is conceivable that a Muslim may be affected by a contagious evil ideology that may lead him to commit suicide. It is conceivable that such an act could take place. Due to this we say with full conviction and certainty that he (the one who commits suicide) is not a true believer. This is similar to the one who abandons prayer out of Juhood (stubborn rejection) of its legislation and passes away a Muslim named Ahmad bin Muhammad. But if it was known that he denied/disavowed prayer then he is not to be buried within the Muslim burial ground. The same (conditions and verdict) is for the one who commits suicide and it becomes known that his suicide was due to malice and distain for His Lord because of the calamities he faced. We now turn our attention to suicide missions.

These suicide missions became infamously known (around the world) because of the Japanese practice of Kamikaze. A man would hurl his warplane towards an American naval vessel, effectively destroying himself along with the plane and as many enemy soldiers as he could muster. All suicide missions in our current time are unsanctioned deeds that are all to be considered Haraam (prohibited).

The suicide missions may be of the type that renders its practitioner eternally in the Fire or it could be the type that renders its practitioner to be from those who shall not reside eternally in the Fire as I have just explained. But to view these suicide missions as a being a means to draw near to Allaah (praiseworthy act of worship) by killing oneself today for his land or his country then we say No (it is not an act that is praiseworthy). These suicide missions are not Islamic period! In fact I say today that which represents the Islamic reality not the reality that is sought by a few of the (improperly) overly active Muslims that there is no Jihaad in the Islamic lands at all. Surely there is combat in numerous Muslim countries, but there is no Jihaad that is established under a (solely) Islamic banner, and that is established upon Islamic regulations. From these (missing) regulations are that a soldier is not permitted to act as he (individually and singularly) wishes. He is not permitted to decide for himself what it is that he is to do. Rather he is to be bound to an order from a commander. In turn this commander is not an individual who claims the position (of leadership) for himself and makes himself commander. Rather the commander is delegated the authority from the Khaleefah of the Muslims. So where is the Khaleefah for the Muslims today? Where is the Khaleefah, or for that matter a ruler who raises (solely) the banner of Islaam and calls Muslims to draw near him and perform Jihaad in the way of Allaah (alone)? As long as (we affirm) that Jihaad, according to Islamic (regulations), must fulfill the prerequisite of it being (solely) under the banner of Islaam and (we find that) this banner does not have a commander (during the current era), then we (state) that an Islamic suicide is not permitted (as it is performed today). I am well aware of the fact that suicide was known in the past generations of those who fought with spears, swords and arrows. Some of the forms of that warfare resembled suicide (dueling to the death).

Examples of this was when an individual would surge forward and face a large contingent of unbelievers and polytheists “ striking them from the right and the left – and (all the while knowing) that few would escape this predicament safely. Therefore is that action permitted? We answer that at times it would be permitted and other times it would not be permitted. If the commander of the army is the Messenger of Allaah and he gave permission to that individual, then it is permitted for him. But for that individual to decide for himself then it is not permitted because it is considered a perilous, hazardous action (at the least) if we do not say that it is a gamble (as well). (Therefore) such an act is not permitted without the explicit order of the Muslim ruler or the Khaleefah of the Muslims. Why? What should be done is that the ruler or the Khaleefah should assess the situation with great care. He is the one who has the knowledge of when it is most appropriate to attack the enemy 100 Muslims facing 1000 (or more or less of) the enemy. He is the one to order the advance, knowing that from them there may be tens who shall die, and knowing that the eventual victory is for the Muslims.

Therefore when the commander of the army of Muslims – delegated that duty by the Muslim Khaleefah orders a single soldier to employ a particular action from the contemporary means of suicide (missions during the battle) then this is to be considered Jihaad in the way of Allaah. But for a young man, blind (to the realities and intricacies of war) to decide on his own, - as we often hear to climb the face of a mountain and enter into a fortified location used by the Jews and kill some of them and be killed in the process…what is the benefit of such a deed? These are solely individualized acts that do not have a positive consequential result that is benefiting to the Islamic Call. Therefore we say to the Muslim Youth, Protect your lives, on the condition that you (use it) in learning your Deen and your Islaam. Become acquainted with it properly and act according to it to the best of your abilities.

This course of action and deed, slow and tedious as it may seem, is the deed that shall bear the desired fruit that is sought after by all Muslims, regardless of their varying ideologies and methodologies. All are in agreement that Islaam should be what (we use) to govern, but they dispute in the path (to that objective). Surely the best guidance is that of Muhammad

.

Nice Read.

:sl:
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Uthman
03-24-2007, 10:39 AM
Yup, I agree with Wilberhum. And thanks for posting the Fatwa brother Erundur. :)
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Darkseid
03-25-2007, 03:03 AM
I agree. Bin Laden is not a true muslim, because he encourages suicide bombings.

The only use of suicide that is legit is to sarcrifice your life to save someone elses. That is a form of sacrifice and all sacrificial attempts are accepted as long as the need is accepted by god. And to need to save someone else's life is a justful cause to god.
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SirZubair
03-25-2007, 06:35 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Darkseid
I agree. Bin Laden is not a true muslim, because he encourages suicide bombings.
There is a big difference between a 'not a good muslim' and 'not a true muslim'.

:)

He is not a good muslim.
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Darkseid
03-25-2007, 02:21 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by SirZubair
There is a big difference between a 'not a good muslim' and 'not a true muslim'.

:)

He is not a good muslim.
I'd say he is not a true muslim, because as said above you cannot encourage suicide as it is prohibited. But you could say he is following his own sect of Islam where that line isn't read.

He is a muslim in what he defines as being a muslim in encouraging a holy war. But he isn't a muslim to all those that support peace from peace rather than from war. And he supports peace from war, instead of from peace. Which is a failed and doomed ideology, much similar to the neo-conservative political viewpoints in the United States.

The neo-conservatives are the dominate branch of republicans. Our current president, George W. Bush is a neo-conservative. What makes neo-conservatives a failed political viewpoint is that they support globalization (imperialism) strongly and to decrease taxes (mainly on the rich in a economic practice known as Reagonomics). This is failure of a political practice because without taxes, the United States cannot get out of dept. Right now the United States has to loan money from Saudi Arabia and China to pay for its current war in Iraq. If either country should desire the return of their money, then the United States will become no more. This is similar to the diplomatic practice by Bin Laden in that war and terrorism cannot bring peace. And that it will crush the foundation of Islam as Neo-Conservatives are crushing the foundation of the United States.

Doom ideologies should never become a part of a real society, because they end up dooming those societies.
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Erundur
03-27-2007, 02:20 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Osman
Yup, I agree with Wilberhum. And thanks for posting the Fatwa brother Erundur. :)

:salamext:

No Problem, just trying to add some more validity to the article, thats all. :) :thumbs_up

:sl:
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