Islam is one of the three major world religions, which, along with Judaism and Christianity, confess monotheism, or the belief in a single God. Islam is both a “religion” and a complete “way of life”. The word Islam comes from the Arabic word “Salam”, which means “peace”, “give in” or “submission”. The full meaning of Islam is “peace through give in to the will of Allah. Islam is a religion of peace and calmness.
There's a specialist from your university waiting to help you with that essay.
Tell us what you need to have done now!
order now
It lays stress on sympathy, tolerance and patience. Islam teaches a collective sense of loyalty to Allah and equality of all human beings before Him. These loyalties surpass class, race, nationality and even differences in religious practices. A Muslim is one who avoids harming others with his tongue and hands. The spirit of these teachings exemplify in Islam has been summarized from the Quran: “You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan.
He is an utter enemy to you”. Although Islam is a universal message of peace and brotherhood and its logical and scientific contributions, channel of fearful agreement and a body increasing intolerance and extremism. Western opinions of Islam are often based on some misunderstandings, due to a lack of knowledge about Islam.
A difficulty in the West in understanding Islam is possibly because religion does not rule everyday life in the West, whereas Muslims consider Islam a “way of life. Still there are more similarities between Christianity and Islam than differences, because of vested interests many people from both faiths use differences, reveal a clash of faiths, and describe a repetition of battle rather than promoting peaceful co-existence. These actions further enlarge the sound of misunderstanding and provide ideal opportunities to extremists in both camps to take the advantage. Islam does not allow killing of any innocent person regardless of his or her religion.
The life of all human beings is sacred according to the teachings of the Qur’an and the guidance of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) collected in the Hadith. The Qur’an prohibits murder in these words: Nor take life – which Allah has made holy – except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not go exceeds limits in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). Like in Christianity and Judaism, Islam severely restricts taking another person’s life.
According to the Qur’an, killing any person without any cause is a big sin as killing the whole of humanity, and saving the life of one person is a good deed as saving the whole of humanity. Against Muslims, there is running a great propaganda by Jewish whose task is to called Muslims terrorist at universal level and prove Islam to be an extreme religion. And in this task our media is playing a creepy role. In more than 60 percent of cases (from the coverage of media) the words “violent”, “death”, “attack”, “kill” or “suicide” are in close to the words “Arab”, “Pakistan”, “Muslim” or “Islam”.
Islam tells us to fight in self-defense. Here I narrate a verse from Qur’an: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not misbehave limits; for Allah loved not sinners. And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for uproar and cruelty are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, kill them. Such is the reward of those who restrain faith.
But if they end, Allah is Oft-forgiving, most Merciful. And fight them on until there is no more uproar or cruelty, and there overcome justice and faith in Allah. but if they end, Let there be no enmity except to those who follow cruelty. The banned month for the banned month, and so for all things banned,- there is the law of equality. If then any one misbehaves the ban against you, misbehave ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves”.
Before going through the contents and motives of the projected policy, we must make an effort to understand its origin and the accurate meanings of both terms “enlightened” and “moderation. ” The Islamic version of Enlightenment is internal and external. Internally, the enlightened Muslim defeats all Nafs and worldly desires, turn over His Nafs into Nafs ul Momina meaning that rather than your Nafs Desires a haraam thing, it only desires the halal. Instead of lusting over Women, they lust over Salaat.
Externally this enlightenment marked It in complete Toheed, when one realizes that all good and bad come From Allah and one has already been chosen his share in this world and Nothing can increase or decrease it except Allah, when realizing that there is No Might and Power except for Allah then that person has knowledge of both Self and creation. The attitude of mind, to be open-minded, willing to accept the possibility that other beliefs may contain some value, and that they deserve respect.
They have the right to exist, even flourish. This is Moderation, and the nature towards others that it generates is tolerance. Moderation and tolerance are, thus, children of enlightenment. “Enlightenment” and “Moderation” are not just two attractive expressions; they also have possible demand to Muslim societies. Islam preaches moderation and balance in matters concerning one’s faith, actions, and the life of an individual in a society, his community life, worship services, economy, and even in matters concerning friendship, war and peace.
The Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) ask Muslims to live moderately. The Qur’an describes the Muslim Ummah as a “moderate community” and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) declared moderation as the best path. It is likely that ex President Musharraf and the supporters of this plan had the background history of these conditions in their minds. The ex President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, exposed the “Policy of Enlightened Moderation”. With the exclusion of some articles and speeches which President Musharraf delivered at various occasions.
At this peak, the need to put forward such a proposal was probably felt by the Islamic world leaders, after having seen the expanding gap and different points of view that exist between the West and the Islamic world. In his own words, Musharraf explained the need and the timing of balanced the plan: The world has been going through a confused period since the dawn of the 1990s, with no sign of relief in sight. The suffering of the innocents, particularly the Muslims at the hands of militants, extremists and terrorists has made it all the more urgent to bring order to this troubled scene.
It is in this spirit that the “Strategy of Enlightened Moderation” is being put forward. In his view the world has become a very dangerous place, both because of continuing quarrel as well as the easy availability of weapons in spreading terror. He, along with other leaders, realized that Muslims are the major losers in this fight, and all those who spread terror in the name of Islam are in fact doing a great harm to the Ummah. An especially harmful result is that the non-Muslims have a very wrong impression about very peace-loving faith, just because of the acts of these bullshits that connect hemselves with Islam. The unfortunate reality is that the performer of these crimes and most of the people who suffer from them are Muslims.
This has caused many non-Muslims to believe wrongly that Islam is a religion of intolerance, extremism and terrorism. It increased numbers of people to link Islam to discrimination; discrimination to extremism, and extremism to terrorism. Islam is a religion of peace and preaches tolerance and coexistence. Islam calls for the defense of a man’s life, family, wealth, honor and intellect and totally rejects terrorism and terrorist acts.
Terrorists who cause corruption on earth by carrying out killings and destruction deserve harsh punishment. Fighting terrorism is a joint responsibility and all Muslims must take active part in this effort. “Islam is a religion of mercy and generosity. It is a religion of construction, not destruction. ” The Muslim world and the West, and the United States, all have their responsibilities to make this world a more peaceful place by uprooting the threat of terrorism permanently.
The “policy of Enlightened Moderation,” which is expanding from its original wide rules and supports continuing efforts in this track, if implement with sincerity and fairness by all. Pakistan is already marching on the road to enlightened moderation and has achieved a great deal, but much remains to be gifted. If efforts of the country’s leadership and the general public continue with the same rate and commitment, Pakistan has an opportunity to become both a moderate and prosperous society and a inspiration for the rest of Muslim world.
