Non-Islamic false-representation of Islam By Harun Yahya The word "Islam" is in the headlines and news reports we read and listen to every single day. Yet only a very few of those reports and headlines refer to the real Islam as revealed by God in the Qur'an. Although we all read a lot of news articles about terror organizations that claim to have Islamic roots, today it has become a widely acknowledged truth that those terror organizations are actually "non-Islamic". The word "Islam" is derived from the word "silm" meaning "peace" in Arabic. Anyone with a basic level of knowledge regarding religions should know that Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presenting a peaceful life through which the infinite compassion and mercy of God is made manifest on Earth. In the Qur'an, the one and only source of Islam, God calls all people to Islamic morals so that compassion, mercy, peace and love can be experienced all over the world. In doing so, God addresses all those who believe as a whole: O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). (Surat al-Baqara, 208) In this call of God to mankind there is compassion, there is love and there is the promise of a peaceful, decent life in which people of all nations would live together as brothers. However when we look at what is written and what is said about this uniquely liberating, uniquely peaceful religion, we see that over the ages it has been totally misrepresented. We, the Muslims, the believers of this time, are all responsible of making that right. Before all else, it should be made clear that in Islam, "There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned." (Surat Al-Baqarah; 256) As God commanded in this verse, Islam strictly prohibits believers to compel others - especially when religion is concerned. Surely in Islam, no one can be forced to believe or accept any lifestyle. "Say, ‘Now the truth has come from your Lord: let those who wish to believe in it do so, and let those who wish to reject it do so." (Surat Al-Kahf;29) As the Qur'an states, we can clearly say that what we read today about so-called "Islamic" organizations' brutal compulsion and their beheading of those who do not believe God in the way they do are in direct conflict with Islam. Before all else, we should say that for a Muslim killing an innocent person who poses no threat to them whatsoever is strictly forbidden. God says that killing such a person is like murdering all mankind. (Surat Al-Furqan; 68) A Muslim would never kill in cold blood and surely would never advocate a system which regards killing such inoffensive people in cold blood as a form of "jihad." In this respect we need to make it clear that the concept of "jihad" in the Qur'an is nothing similar to what those "non-Islamic" organizations wage. The word "jihad" comes from the Arabic word "jahd" which means to work, strive, labor and make sacrifices. It means to control one's own lower-self. God describes the concept of jihad in the Qur'an as teaching people good morals and striving to turn people away from evil with kind words, with love and compassion. A Muslim engaged in "jahd" strives to spread love, peace and affection and to teach people to turn away from all sorts of evil. A Muslim gives that struggle in a self-sacrificing, kind and loving manner. In all his interactions with people from other religions, a Muslim should sustain that kind and loving manner; that is because in the Qur'an God commands Muslims to "Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way" (Surat Al-Ankabut; 46)
When this is the case, it would be safe to say that trying to portrait Islam as the "source" of the twisted misconception of "jihad" conducted by those "non-Islamic" terror organizations would be a mistake. A Muslim's jihad, a Muslim's struggle, is with his own lower-self before all else as jihad involves becoming a good person by turning away from evil, hatred and anger. It is true that radicals are behaving in a way that shows their ignorance about this undeniable fact. However there is no point in threatening or bombing those who imagine that they are waging "jihad" by killing inoffensive people. That is because, before all else, we should be well aware that none of the false information in their minds can be erased by weapons or bombs. Even if a small fraction of them could be eliminated with the use of weapons, their ideas will continue to produce people of their kind, feeling an even stronger rage and resorting to even fiercer acts of violence. The only way to neutralize any idea is to wage a struggle against that idea with the truth; there is no other way. The lack of education, the lack of proper understanding of the Qur'an is the most crucial fact that we, the Muslims of the world, should realize and strive against. That struggle is one that should be given with love and in peace, not with weapons. This ignorance at the root of the terror we all suffer from today can only come to an end through careful and scrupulous education by those who only use the language of peace. This is also the only solution for the sufferings of Muslims all over the world from East Turkestan to Myanmar, from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Palestine to Somali. It is true that keeping the language of peace and love vibrant in a community that lives in aggression requires special virtues and maturity. But we should never forget that being virtuous and mature is a major part of being a "Muslim." Teaching the radicals who think that killing is a solution that it really isn't and that by doing so, they are doing what God has prohibited and that they would be held accountable for such acts is the only solution to put an end to the terror they are executing. The only way to do that is to use the language of peace in the way Qur'an demands us. Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided. (Surat An-Nahl; 125) The writer has authored more than 300 books translated in 73 languages on politics, religion and science. He may be followed at @Harun_Yahya and www.harunyahya.com.