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Copyright © 1997-2003 Submission.org
Welcome to Submission
Your best source for ISLAM (SUBMISSION) on the Internet
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
SPECIAL TO THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Holy war, suicide bombings, fighting for faith and killing in the name of God - from Crusaders to terrorists, from sacred shrines to New York City - history is tainted by a grave disease afflicting humankind.
Although all the known religions of the world call for love, peace, tolerance, freedom of belief and mutual understanding, many of the terrorists' acts are committed in this world by people who call themselves religious and attribute their horrendous and evil acts to religion.
God, however, condemns their acts in the scripture. The true religion of Islam forbids the killing of innocent people, irrespective of the cause - religious, political or social. This is stated in the Quran, the holy book of Muslims.
[Quran 6:151] "You shall not kill, for God has
made life sacred, except in the course of justice.
These are God's commandments to you, that you may understand."
The laws of the scriptures that apply to the Christians and Jews are repeated and emphasized for the Muslims also.
[Quran 5:32] "We decreed for the children of Israel that the killing of one person, who did not commit murder or vast corruption, is the same as killing all the people; and the sparing of one life is the same as sparing the lives of all the people."
The religion of Islam should not be confused with what these terrorists have done. Those in such terrorist organizations as al-Qaida who kill innocent people are actually, by the definition of the Quran, not Muslims, but plain murderers.
Who would describe Adolf Hitler or the likes of the Ku Klux Klan as good Christians?
We should not let our emotions overcome our logic and understanding. There is no religious scripture that does not condemn terrorism.
What is the ideal of Islam? "Islam" is not a term that defines you as better than your neighbor or rewards you a special status with God.
The word itself is an Arabic one derived from the meaning "to surrender or submit." Islam is submission to God's will. It is a way of life that guides your actions and forms your character. Islam is a state of awareness and appreciation of God's boundless attributes.
As your soul submits, you are able to practice the meaning of peace, compassion, love, forgiveness and charity that originate from one Source. The shades of superiority, prejudice and judgment fade as the world comes into focus with the eyes of your soul.
In Islam, the best among us in the sight of God is not the white or the black, the male or the female, a person who calls himself or herself Christian, Jew or Muslim, but rather, the one who is the most righteous.
Islam, or submission to God alone, is a way of life encouraged from the time of Abraham by Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, messengers who have followed Abraham.
The one who is able to surrender the soul is called a Muslim in Arabic, or Submitter.
There are Submitters to the Creator in every faith. They are those who place no limits on their belief in the Unseen and impose no judgments on the different forms of striving toward attaining God's mercy.
This common striving encourages unity within a diverse group of people who advance their personal strides by learning from one another.
Thus, the love of God is not reserved for people of religious sects or denominations that cling to an exclusive belief of guaranteed "salvation."
God's infinite love flows to the charitable, the righteous, the benevolent, the equitable and the just - those who recognize their accountability and work toward being good.
[Quran 2:62] "Those who believe, those who are
Jewish, the Christians and the converts; any of them who
believe in God, and the last day, and lead a righteous life, have nothing
to fear, nor will they grieve."
° Abdullah Arik has been the director of the Mosque of Tucson since 1990. Members of the mosque contributed to this commentary.
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