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"America
And Islam Are Not Exclusive...
Seeking
a new beginning..."
President of the United States of America
Barak Obama speaking in Cairo, Egypt, June 4, 2009
Click
to view the video
The
Essence of Religions and Duties of the Clergy
"Religion
is like pure rain falling on earth and nourishing
life. It brings about beautiful flowers, trees and
vegetation. In the same way rain is necessary for
life, religion and morality are necessary to maintain
peace, serenity and hope. However, the radicals
and those profiting from religious differences and
conflicts pollute and poison the rain. Thus, water--the
source of life--turns unhealthy. It is the duty
of the clergymen to keep faith pure and congregations
healthy."
- The late Sheik Ahmad Kuftaro,
Grand Mufti of Syria -
InterFaith
in Focus
InterFaith
in Focus is a 15 minutes DVD video; it is excerpts
from the documentary film Legacy of Peace. We invite
you to wach it. If you desire a free copy of this
InterFaith in Focus DVD, please email
us with your request so we can send you one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Oz8M_FnV4&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q9G0S8fADQ&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtgkcz87XbA&feature=player_embedded
In
defense of Prophet Muhammad
In her book,
Muhammad, a Biography of the Prophet, Karen
Armstrong wrote:
“But
the very idea that Muhammad would have found any thing
to be optimistic about in the carnage committed in
his name on September 11th is an obscenity, because,
as I try to show in these pages, Muhammad spent most
of his life trying to stop that kind of indiscriminate
slaughter. The very word islam, which denotes
the existential “surrender” of the whole
being to God, which Muslims are required to make,
is related to salam, “peace.”
And most importantly, Muhammad eventually abjured
violence and pursued a daring, inspired policy on
non-violence that was the culmination of his prophetic
career. In imagining that the holy war was the culmination
of his career, the fundamentalists (extremists) have
distorted the whole meaning of his life. Far from
being the father of Jihad, Muhammad was a
peacemaker, who risked his life and nearly lost his
closest companions, because he was so determined to
effect a reconciliation with Mecca. Instead of fighting
an intransigent war to the death, Muhammad was prepared
to negotiate and to compromise. And this apparent
humiliation and capitulation proved, in the words
of the Qur’an, to be a great victory (fat-‘h)....If
we could view Muhammad as we do any other important
historical figure we would surely consider him to
be one of the greatest geniuses the world has known."
- Karen
Armstrong, Muhammad, A Biography of the Prophet. HarperSanFransisco,
1993.
The
100
A RANKING OF THE MOST INFUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY
By Michael
H. Heart
In his
Introduction in the book, The 100, Michael
Heart stated:
"This book is solely involved
with the question of who were the 100 persons who
had the greatest effect on history and on the course
of the world. I have ranked those 100 persons in
order of importance: that is, according to the total
amount of influence that each of them had on human
history and the everyday lives of other human beings."
His first choice of the most
influential persons of the world was Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). About this choice, this is
what he said:
"My choice of Muhammad
to lead the list of the world's most influential
persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned
by others, but he was the only man in history who
was supremely successful on both the religious and
secular levels.
Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated
one of the world's great religions, and became an
immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen
centuries after his death, his influence is still
powerful and pervasive." He
then concluded:
"It is this unparalleled
combination of secular and religious influence which
I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most
influential single figure in human history."
The
100, A RANKING OF THE MOST INFUENTIAL PERSONS IN
HISTORY, Michael H. Heart, Kensington Publication,
New York, N Y. 1992.
Saladin
-- Man of the Millennium
Both
Christians and Muslims admire Saladin, who has become
a celebrity of history. The Millennium issue of
Times Magazine (Dec 31, 1999) devoted a full artistic
(inside
front cover) page of Saladin’s face
for his chivalry and noble character. Saladin's
traits and virtues were purely a reflection of the
teachings of his faith.
To
learn more about Saladin, click here or on the title
of this paragraph.
Islam's
Concept of Promoting Good and Rejecting Wrong, “al
Ma’roof and al Munkar”
Dr.
Muzammil Siddiqi*
As
human societies evolve, some of their actions become
recognized as good and accepted and other deeds
as bad and rejected. In Islam, one of the lesser
pillars (Fardh Kifayah) is enjoining (Ma’roof)
the doing of what is right and forbidding (Munkar)
the doing of what is wrong. The Arabic phrase for
this lesser pillar is known as 'al Amr bil Ma’roof
wa Annahi ahn al Munkar.' The word Ma’roof
comes from the word Urf, which means something has
been acknowledged and admitted, and the word Munkar
comes from Nukr, meaning rejected or unknown.
In line of what is part of human nature, Islam teaches
Muslims to promote what is good, 'al Ma’roof'
and rejects what is bad and immoral, 'al Munkar'.
According
to Dr. Siddiqi: “Al
Ma'roof is any thing known to all people as good
and beneficial, such as the safety measures at home,
at the work place and in traffic, penalizing the
criminal, saying the truth, etc., and 'al Munkar'
is any thing recognized by all people as bad and
unwanted, such as intoxication, harming neighbors,
committing crimes, steeling and lying.”
Dr.
Siddiqi further states: “Islam
is a universal religion. It accepts what is globally
acknowledged by all people as good, and considers
it good, and it rejects what is globally recognized
by all people as bad or immoral."
Muslims
in the Holy Qur’an are commanded over and
over to enjoin al Ma’roof and forbid al Munkar.
Here are two examples. Allah said in Chapter 3,
The Family of Imran (The Family of the Virgin Mary):
“Let there arise out of
you a band of people inviting to all that is good,
enjoining ‘al Ma’roof,’ the doing
of what is right and forbidding ‘al Munkar,’
the doing of what is wrong.” Qur’an,
3:104.
“You are the best of people
evolved for mankind, enjoining the doing of what
is right, and forbidding the doing of what is wrong,
and believing in God.” Qur’an,
3:110.
These
principles and commandments further reinforce the
claim that Islam cannot clash with any good custom
or civilization. On the contrary, it agrees with
people's standards; it builds on what is good and
helps to eliminate what is bad and evil.
*Dr.
Muzammil Siddiqi is a renowned Muslim scholar in
North America. Presently, he is the Chairman of
the Shura Council of Southern California, President
of the Fiqh Council of North America and ex-President
of ISNA, and the Director of Orange County Islamic
Society.
Click
on the image below if you have DSL, Cable or faster
and higher resolution system. File size: 27MB.
Making
History:
Christians and Muslims Working Together
"Invite
(all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful
preaching; and discuss with them in ways that are
best and most gracious."
Qur'an, 16:125.
This
wonderful passage lays down the Islamic principles
for interfaith and out-reach work. Wisdom and discretion,
gentleness and consideration, are the grounds from
which gracious work will surely change hearts and
minds.
Meeting people on their own level and introducing
Islam to them with examples relevant to their own
knowledge, which may be very narrow or very wide,
without dogmatic or offensive disposition, is surly
a complaisance of the verse above.
The Institute of Arabic
and Islamic Studies proudly presents a 16 minute interfaith
video clip, "Making History," portraying
discussions between Shaykh Salah Kuftaro, Chief Director
of Abu Anour Islamic Foundation, Damascus, Syria,
and Dr. Robert Schuller, founder of the Crystal Cathedral,
Garden Grove, California and the host of the world
wide TV show, "The Hour of Power." This
video was aired in 200 countries around the world
on 17th September 2000.
"I apologise to Islam for
the Christian Crusades of 1065, let us begin a new
crusade of comrade and friendship, we are in the same
camp." -Dr. Robert
H. Schuller
An historical and unprecedented
event took place at the Crystal Cathedral, garden
Grove, California on September 10, 2000. For the first
time two preeminent leaders of Islam and Christianity
met to share the common ground of their two faiths,
which represent more than one half the world population.
Dr. Robert Schuller, founder of the Crystal Cathedral
and Pastor of the Hour of Power worldwide TV program
welcomed Sheik Salah Kuftaro, Chief Director of the
Abu Anour Islamic Foundation and the son of Sheik
Ahmad Kuftaro, the Grand Mufti of Syria on both his
Sunday televised services. Sheik Salah Kuftaro appeared
on both the 9:30 and 11:00 services and told the 6000
Christian/Muslim/Jewish congregation, with many religious
leaders: "Islam
is not a new religion, but that which completes the
Religions of Christ, Moses and Abraham.The fountain
of these religions is Almighty Allah."
He added, Prophet Muhammad said: "We
the Prophets of God are brothers, and the likeness
of me and the prophets before me is like that of a
beautiful building with one stone of it missing. I
am the final Prophet and the final stone of this building."
Sheik Salah further said: "We,
Muslims and Christians are in one camp."
Regarding the Grand Mufti of Syria, Sheik Ahmad Kuftaro,
Dr. Schuller remarked: "I
met the Pope on several occasions. I have never met
a man of such spirituality and profound wisdom as
that of your father. He is a spiritual giant."
Dr. Schuller then said:
"Your father told me that
the 17 million population of Syria are all Christians.
Could you elaborate on that?"
Sheik Salah said: "My
father is absolutely correct. A
Muslim cannot be a true Muslim if he or she does not
believe in the Prophet hood of Jesus, Moses, or any
prophet of God. We Muslims honor, reverence, and are
inspired by Jesus, Moses, Abraham, as much as by Muhammad,
and the rest of the prophets of God."
When Dr. Schuller asked his
guest, "Why is it
that Muslims kill Christians and Christians kill Muslims?"
Sheik Salah said: "Heavenly
Religions are like the rain. When the rain first comes
it is clean and pure, but when it reaches people,
we (people) pollute it. In Islam, we learn that no
one person shall be killed for no reason," and
he he recited the verse:
"If
any one kill a person, it would be as if he kill the
whole people, and if any one saved a life, it would
be as if he saved the whole people."
Qur'an, 5:32.
Sheik Salah also said: "A
Muslim must treat a Christian or a Jew with respect
and kindness and in the same way he would treat a
Muslim." He related
that Prophet Muhammad, before he ate his meal, he
used to ask whether or not his Jewish neighbor had
received a portion of the food. he would not eat unless
he makes sure that his neighbor had received a portion
of the food.
Sheik Salah said: "A
building without maintenance deteriorates fast, especially
when it is abused. Likewise, the building of our faiths
gets abused. We the clergymen have the duty to ensure
that this building is pure, beautiful and well maintained."
Dr. Schuller then apologized for the Christian Crusader
war and called on his son, Robert and Salah to start
a new campaign of friendship, he said: "I
Pray that you (Salah) and my son (Robert) start a
new crusade of comradeship and friendship, I apologize
to Islam for the Crusades that the Christians started
in 1065, we are in the same camp."
Joint
Statement on the Danish Cartoons
By
Guirguis
Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary of the
Middle East Council of Churches
and
Prof, Dr. Hamid Bin Ahmad AL-Rifaie, President of
the
International Islamic Fourm for Dialogue, January
17, 2006
We
were informed, with great sorrow and aversion of the
shameful pictures and words used lately by the Danish
mass media against Islam. A matter considered as a
gross attack on the Muslim beliefs and a provocation
of their religious feelings and violation of their
deep-rooted traditions.
While
we strongly condemn these senseless violations, we
stress that such devious actions are an evil source
for feeding of the phenomenon of world terrorism,
and a subversive horn of establishing culture of the
conflict among followers of religions, and the diverse
cultures
and civilizations. As well as it is an atrocious manner
for planting essence of enmity and hatred among people.
We stand for working together to spread the culture
of love, justice, peace and safe coexistence in our
diverse societies and among
people of all religions and cultures.
Hence,
we call upon the respected Danish government and upon
the world responsible institutions to reprimand the
agencies that instigated this
reckless religious discord, and to prevent
any future irresponsible actions of this nature.
For a historical perspective
of the Danish Cartoons, please also
click on,
When
Hate-Crimes Don the Guise of Freedom of Speech
"We
Respect Your Faith"
Use
Realplayer to view the following video
To
down load a Real Player click on the next link: http://www.realplayer.com/
Ex-President George
Bush in his address to the nation and the Joint Session
of Congress on September 20, 2001 spoke about Islam
and Muslims. Here are some of his remarks.
"The
terrorists are traitors, in effect, to their own faith,
trying to highjack Islam itself. I want to speak to
Muslims throughout the world: We respect your faith,
it is good and peaceful. It is practiced freely by
many millions of Americans and many more foreign countries
that America considers as friends, and those who commit
an evil in the name of Allah, blaspheme the name of
Allah. The enemy of America is not the many Muslim
friends, it is not the many Arab friends, it is a
radical network of terrorists. The terrorists practice
a fringe form of Islamic terrorism that has been rejected
by Muslim Scholars and the vast majority of Muslim
clergies. A fringe movement that perverse the peaceful
teaching as Islam. I ask you to uphold the values
of America. We are going to fight for our principles
and our first responsibility is to align by them.
No one shall be singled-out for an unfair or unkind
words because of their ethnic background or religious
faith." -
President George W. Bush |
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