BLOG 28 - Islam: What The West Needs To Know #3

[Dr. Shabbir]

REBUTTAL - 3
April 16th, 2008 by Dr. Shabbir

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-871902797772997781

Mr. Robert Spencer: Another very personable gentleman raises the issue that Islam and Islamic Civilization actually sanction the violence and that Islam mandates violence against the unbelievers.

Answer: Dear Sir, the foremost Source of Islamic Doctrine, Theology, Civilization and Law, Al-Qur’an, is right before us. Let us see what it has to say.

49:13 O Mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes so that you may affectionately come to know one another. Certainly, the most honored among you, in the Sight of God, is the one who is best in conduct. God is Knower, Aware.

60:7 It may well be that God will bring about affection between you and those whom you now consider enemies. God is Able to do all things, and God is Forgiving, Merciful.

60:8 God does not forbid you from being kind, and fully equitable to those who do not fight you on account of Religion, and do not evict you from your homelands. God loves those who lead a just, balanced life.

5:2 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! —. Let not the hatred of a people lead you to transgression —. Help one another in acts of collective benefit and righteousness, and do not help one another in deeds that hurt humanity and in creating a wedge between people. Be mindful of God. —.

41:34 Since good and evil cannot be alike, repel evil with what is decent. Then he, between whom and you there was enmity, may become close friends.

Dear Sir, the exalted prophet said, “If any non-Muslim is wronged in the Islamic State, I will personally plead on his/her behalf.”

Ms Bat Ye’or: The soft-spoken, elderly lady maintains that the Muslims want to impose all over the world the only religion, the only true religion, the only just religion which is Islam; and the suppression of all other religions in order to establish the Rule of Allah over the whole earth. This is a religious duty which binds the whole community. The Muslim Community is obliged to impose because they are obliged to obey the order of Allah and this is the desire of Allah as expressed in the Koranic Revelation.

Answer: Respected Madam, you make me feel good with the glad tiding that Muslims are united at least somewhere. You said, “This is a religious duty which binds the whole community.” I wish something were binding the Muslim Community together! Far from being united, Muslims today, because of forsaking the Qur’an, are divided into nearly 200 sects and one sect is busy fighting the other. But Allah prefers unity in diversity for all mankind and to that effect, He has given we humans free will. Allah ordains freedom of religion for all and He honors different kinds of temples and a variety of traditions and rites among people as you will find below.

Freedom of religion:
2:193 So, fight them (the religious oppressors) only until there is no more harassment, and religion may be adopted for the sake of God alone. And if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against those who replace peace with aggression.

2:256 There is absolutely no compulsion or coercion in Religion. The right direction has been made distinct from error. —.

18:29 And proclaim, “This is the truth from your Lord. Whoever accepts it let him accept it, and whoever rejects it, let him reject it.” —.

Unity in diversity:
5:48 —. For each community among you We have appointed certain rites and a traced-out way. If God had willed, He could have made you all one single community. But He decided to let you test yourselves by what potentials He has granted you. So, outdo one another in doing good to the society.—.

Mankind is one community since all humans are equally worthy of honor.
17:70 Surely, We have conferred dignity on children of Adam (as a birth right, regardless of where the child is born) —.

Sanctity of all places of worship:
22:40 (Allah is Able to help) Those who have been evicted from their homes unjustly, for no reason other than saying, “Our Lord is God!” For, if God had not enabled some people to repel others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and Masjids, where the Name of God is oft mentioned, would have been destroyed. And God will certainly help those who help Him. God is Mighty, Powerful.

Dear Ma’am! I will be very grateful if you could please show me a single place where “imposition (of religion) is the desire of Allah as expressed in the Qur’anic Revelation.”

Bertrand Russell - History of Western Philosophy, London, 1948:
Our use of phrase ‘The Dark Ages’ to cover the period from 699 to 1,000 marks our undue concentration on Western Europe…. From India to Spain, the brilliant civilization of Islam flourished. What was lost to Christendom at this time was not lost to civilization, but quite the contrary…. To us it seems that West-European civilization is civilization, but this is a narrow view.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Letter to Eckermann 1830, Sir Henry Elliott’s collection, 1865:
The teachings of Islam can fail under no circumstances. With all our systems of culture and civilization, we cannot go beyond Islam and, as a matter of fact, no human mind can go beyond the Koran.