misunderstand their religion or practice it wrongly. For this
reason,it is a mistake to form any idea of that religion from the
activities of these people. The best way to understand Islamis through
its holy source.
The holy source of Islam is the Qur'an; and the model of morality in
the Qur'an is completely different from the imageof it formed in the
mindsof some westerners. The Qur'an is based on the concepts of
morality, love, compassion, mercy,modesty, self-sacrifice, tolerance
and peace, and a Muslim who truly lives according to these moral
precepts is highly refined, thoughtful, tolerant, trustworthy and
accommodating. To those around him he gives love, respect, peace of
mind and a sense of the joy of life.
Islam Is A Religion Of Peace And Well-Being
The word Islam has the same meaning as"peace" in Arabic. Islam is a
religion that came down to offer humanity a life filled with the peace
and well-being in which God's eternal mercy and compassion
ismanifested in the world.God invites all people to accept the moral
teachings of the Qur'an as a model whereby mercy, compassion,
tolerance and peace maybe experienced in the world. In Surat
al-Baqaraverse 208 , this commandis given:
You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in
the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you.
As we see in this verse, people will experience well-being and
happiness by living according to the moral teaching of the Qur'an.
God Condemns Mischief
God has commanded humanity to avoid evil; he has forbidden immorality,
rebellion, cruelty, aggressiveness, murder and bloodshed. Those who do
not obey this command of God arewalking in the steps of Satan, as it
says in the verse above, and have adopted an attitude thatGod has
clearly declared unlawful. Of the many verses that bear on this
subject, here are only two:
But as for those who break God's contract after it has been agreed and
sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the
earth, the curse will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode.
(Surat ar-Ra'd: 25)
Seek the abode of the hereafter with what Godhas given you, without
forgetting your portion of the world. And do good as God has been good
to you. And do not seek to cause mischief on earth. God does not love
mischief makers.' (Surat al-Qasas: 77)
As we can see, God has forbidden every kind of mischievous acts in the
religion of Islam including terrorism and violence, and condemned
those who commit such deeds. A Muslim lends beauty to the world and
improves it.
Islam Defends Tolerance And Freedom Of Speech
Islam is a religion which fosters freedom of life, ideas and thought.
It hasforbidden tension and conflict among people, calumny, suspicion
and even having negative thoughts about another individual.
Islam has not only forbidden terror and violence, but also even the
slightest imposition of any idea on another human being.
There is no compulsion in religion. Right guidance has become clearly
distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false gods and believes in God
has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. God is
All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 256)
So remind, you need only to remind. You cannot compel them to believe.
(Surat al-Ghashiyah: 22)
To force anyone to believe in a religion or to practice it, is against
the spirit and essence of Islam. Because it is necessary that faith be
accepted with free will and conscience. Of course, Muslims may urge
one another to keep the moral precepts taught in the Qur'an, butthey
never use compulsion. In any case, an individual cannot be induced to
the practice of religion by either threat or offering him a worldly
privilege.
Let us imagine a completely opposite model of society. For example, a
world in which people are forced by law to practice religion. Such a
model ofsociety is completely contrary to Islam because faith and
worship have value only when they are directed toward God . If there
were a system that forced people to believe and worship, people would
be religious only out of fear of the system.What is acceptable from
the point of view of religion is that religion be practiced in an
environment where freedom of conscience ispermitted, and that it
bepracticed only for the approval of God.
God Has Made The KillingOf Innocent People Unlawful
According to the Qur'an, one of the greatest sins is to kill a human
being who has committed no fault:
...If someone kills another person - unless it is in retaliation for
someone else or for causing corruption in the earth - it is as if he
had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person,
it is as if he had given life to all mankind.Our Messengers came to
them with Clear Signs but even after that manyof them committed
outrages in the earth. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 32)
Those who do not call onany other deity togetherwith God and do not
kill anyone God has made inviolate, except with the right to do so,
and do not fornicate; anyonewho does that will receive an evil
punishment. (Surat al-Furqan: 68)
As we can see in the verses above, those who kill innocent human
beings without a cause are threatened with evil punishment. God has
revealed that killing one person is as great a sin as killing all
mankind. Anyone who respected the prerogatives of God would not do
harm to even one individual, let alone murdering thousands of innocent
people. Those who thinkthat they will escape justice and punishment in
this world will never escape the account they must give in the
Presence of God on the Last Day. So, those believers who know they
will give an accountto God after their death, will be very careful
about respecting the limits God has established.
God Commands BelieversTo Be Compassionate And Merciful
In this verse, Muslim morality is explained:
...To be one of those who believe and urge each other to steadfastness
and urge each other to compassion. Those are the Companions of the
Right. (Surat al-Balad: 17-18)
As we see in this verse, one of the most important moral precepts that
God has sent down to His servants so that they may receive salvation
and mercy and attain Paradise, is to " urge each other to compassion
".
Islam as described in the Qur'an is a modern, enlightened,
progressivereligion. A Muslim is above all a person of peace; he is
tolerant with a democratic spirit, cultured, enlightened, honest,
knowledgable about art and science and civilized.
A Muslim educated in thefine moral teaching of the Qur'an, approaches
everyone with the love that Islam expects. He shows respect for every
idea and he values art and aesthetics. He is conciliatory in the face
of every event, diminishing tension and restoring amity. In societies
composed of individuals such as this, there will be a higher
civilization, a higher social morality, more joy,happiness, justice,
security, abundance and blessings than in the most modern nations of
the world today.
God Has Commanded Tolerance And Forgiveness
Surat al-A'raf, verse 199, which says "practice forgiveness",
expresses the concept of forgiveness and tolerance which is one of the
basic principles of the religion of Islam.
When we look at Islamic history, we can see clearly how Muslims
established this important precept of themoral teaching of the Qur'an
in their social life.At every point in their advance, Muslims
destroyed unlawful practices and created a free and tolerant
environment. In the areas of religion, language and culture, they made
it possible forpeople totally opposite to each other to live under the
same roof in freedom and peace, thereby giving to those subject to
them the advantages of knowledge, wealth and position. Likewise, one
of the most important reasons that the large and widespread Ottoman
Empire was able to sustain its existence for so many centuries was
that its way of life was directed by the tolerance and understanding
brought by Islam. For centuries Muslims have been characterized by
their tolerance and compassion. In every period of time they havebeen
the most just and merciful of people. All ethnic groups within this
multi-national community freely practiced the religions they have
followed for years and enjoyed every opportunity to live in their own
cultures and worship in their own way.
Indeed, the particular tolerance of Muslims, when practiced as
commanded in the Qur'an, can alone bring peace and well-being to the
whole world. The Qur'an refers to this particular kind of tolerance:
A good action and a badaction are not the same. Repel the bad with
something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else,
he will be like a bosom friend. (Surat al-Fussilat: 34)
Conclusion
All this shows that the moral teaching offered to humanity by Islam is
one that will bring peace, happiness and justice to the world. The
barbarism that is happening in the world today under the name
of"Islamic Terrorism" is completely removed from the moral teachings
of the Qur'an; it is the work of ignorant, bigoted people, criminals
who have nothing to do with religion. The solution which will applied
against these individualsand groups who are trying to commit their
deeds of savagery underthe guise of Islam, will be the instruction of
people in the true moral teaching of Islam.
In other words, the religion of Islam and the moral teaching of the
Qur'an are not the supporters of terrorism and the terrorists, but the
remedy by which theworld can be saved fromthe scourge of terrorism.
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