المسيحية والديانات الوثنية

تاريخ الديانة المسيحية

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

" قُل يَاأَهل الكِتَابِ تَعَالَوا إِلى كَلِمةٍ سَوَآءِ بَْينَـنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَ اْللهَ وَلاَ نُشْركَ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَاباً مِّن دُونِ اْللهِ فإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولَوا اْشْهَــدُوا بِأَنَّا مَسْلِمَونَ"

السلام على من إتبع الهدى :

أما بعد :

تأليه بعض المخلوقات قديم جداً . ولا يزال يوجد بين البدائيين ومن جمدوا على التقاليد الدينية الموروثة بدون بحث أو نظر ، فقد عبد الأنسان قوى الطبيعة وعبد الشمس والقمر والكواكب الأخرى ، وتاريخ الأديان خصوصا في الشرق الأوسط غاص بهذا المظاهر ، ومنها شاع ما يعرف بإسم الطوطم والتابو من عبادة الأجداد والأشجار وأثار الموتى.

وترقت بعض الأمم فعبدت آلهة لا ترى ولكن خلعت عليها صفات البشر . فكان لدى اليونانيين عدد كبير من الآلهة يختصمون ويحقد بعضهم على بعض ويدبرون المكايد وتشيع بينهم الأحقاد وهكذا ، ولكن ميزتهم أنهم لا يموتون ، وجاء عصر الفلسفة والنضج الفكري فأنكر بعض المفكرين هذه الديانة وأنكر بعض اخر هذه الصفات ، ولكن مما لا ريب فيه أن فلاسفة اليونان حتىالكبار منهم لم يستطيعو أن يتخلصوا من خرافات السابقين.

وفي مصر وجدت إسطورة إيزيس وأوزوريس وحوريس ، وهي معروفة ومشهورة فكانت بداية التثليث فيما نعلم ، وأعتقد الناس أن دماء الآلهة سرت في شرايين الملوك فالهوهم وعبدوهم ، وكان فى هذه العقائد ما يثبت سلطان الملوك ، فكانوا يحرصون على بقائها وتثبيتها .

في روما وجدت أسطورة مشابهة ، خلاصتها أن توامين هما روميولس وريميوس ، وجدا فى الصحراء ، وحنت عليهما ذئبة فأرضعتهما ، ومات ثانيهما وبقي (( روميولس )) .فلما نما وترعرع أسس مدينة روما ، ومنه جاء ملوكها ، فهي مدينة مقدسة وملوكها من سلالة الآلهة ، فظل الناس بعد ذلك يعبدون الملوك الرومانيين ، فلما ظهرت المسيحية حاربوها حرصا على مجدهم حتى كان عصر الأمبراطور البيزنطى قسطنطين ، فوجد أن تيار المسيحية قد أصبح عنيفا أقوى من أن يحارب، وأن محاربته تهدد سلطانة ، فاعلن المسيحية دينا رسميا لدولته ، ولم يكن الناس جميعا مستعدين لقبولها فأجبرهم عليها بالتعذيب والقتل ، وأريقت دماء كثيرة وذهبت أرواح وعانى الكثيرون من الأغراق والأحراق والضرب ما أزهق أرواحهم أو تركهم زمنى وعاجزين .

وكانت مدرسة الإسكندرية قد أضطلعت بدرس الفلسفة اليونانيةونشرها ، وإزدهر فيها الفكر اليوناني مدة طويلة ، فلما ظهرت المسيحية وجدت في هذه المدرسة تراثا وثنيا لم تستطع أن تتخلص منه ، بل سيطر هو على المسيحية.

وقد حارب أباطرة الرومان عبادة إيزيس وشق عليهم أماتتها حتى لنجد أحد عشر أمبراطورا يقيمون على حربها ، ومع ذلك لم تمت وإنما ظهرت فى صورة أخرى وإسم أخر ـ ظهرت فى عبادة ديمتر ـ يونانية ورومانية ، وأمتزجت بعبادة ( مثرا) وأتخذوا لها صورة الأم الحانية فرسموها تحتضن وليدها في مظهر ينم عن الحنان والبر من الأم والبراءة والطهارة من الطفل ، وهذه الصورة بكل ما فيها هي الصورة التي يرسمها المسيحيون للسيدة مريم العذراء وهي تحمل طفلها المسيح.

وكما يذكر كارليل في كتاب (( الأبطال وعبادة الأبطال)) أن الناس كانوا يعظمون البطل ويعظمون امه وأباه ، فجاءت عقيدة التثليث بهذا ، وظل الناس يخلعون على الأبطال صفات الآلهة، حتى كان النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فقضى على هذه العقيدة بإعلانه أنه بشــر.

ويذكر الدكتور سير أرنولد أن ديانة التوحيد هي أرقى الديانات البشرية وهو قول يردده الكثيرون من رجال الديانات والأنثروبولوجي، أمثال جيمس فريزر وبتلر ، ذلك أن عقيدة التثليث أو التثنية إنما هي بقايا من الديانات البدائية التى كانت تدين بآلهه عديدة لكل شئ إله.

المسيحية إذن لم تخرج عن نطاق الأديان البدائية ، والأساطير التي شاعت فى الأمم القديمة ، ذلك لأنها لا تمت إلى المسيح بصلة ، وإنما هي شئ معرف ومستحدث من أذهان بشرية ، وخرافات موروثة عن أمم شتى .

أنه لمن الصعب جدا على الأنسان أن يصدم فجأه بواقع يعيشه وقد يحــاول أن يواريه عن الأخرين ليعيش فى كذبه هو أختلقها لنفسه . والصدمه تكون كبيره إذا لم يجد حل . ولكن لا بد من الصدمه حتى يسأل الإنسان نفسه لماذا يعيش هل لعبادة مخلوق أم لعبادة الخالق. وسوف يبحـث كثيرا عن الحل إذا لم يتجه للإسلام.

د. عبد الجليل شلبي

Nasihat Syeikh Hassan Kepada Pemuda

Islam - Philosophy?

Definition:""Philosophy"_Science_Of_Wisdom

Philosophy as defined by ancient thinkers is the Science of wisdom. It embraces all branches of knowledge, hence a philosopher in the time of the Greeks was recognized as a truly wise man.

Greek Philosophy

Greek philosophy had become dead in Europe and its teaching was banned by the Church as its knowledge made people inactive and irreligious. The Arabs revived Greek philosophy and it was through Kindi, Farabi, Avicenna and Averroes that the West learnt about Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. Arabian philosophy began with the warm reception of Greek philosophy in Arabia, when it had vanished from its original soil, and whilst western Europe was still too crude and ignorant to be its home.

Arabian Philosophy

Arabian philosophy at the outset of its career in the 9th AD century was able without difficulty to take possession of these resources for speculative thought which Latins had barely achieved at the close of the 12th century by the slow process of rediscovering the Aristotelian Logic from the commentaries and verses of Boethius."

Al Kindi, Farabi and Averroes were three of the numerous "philosophers" of Muslim science. I use the quotes to indicate that there is actually some problem with their "philosophy." You see the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him, are quite clear in mentioning that Muslims need nothing more than these two sources of knowledge for their science and wisdom (note the definition on the left panel). These well known "thinkers" in Islam brought about a new era in which mankind was left to make up his own mind in how he would like to look at things, especially when it came to the nature of the deity (Allah). The concept that a man could be "perfect" or "god-like" is simply against the very essence of Islam according to the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him. He did not teach that he was perfect and flawless as some of contended. Rather, he emphasized that in fact, he was a human just as the rest of us. The "free thinkers," Sufis, philosophers and secularists all share a common denominator; the deviate far from main line Islam to satisfy their own faultering egos.

Secularism and philosophy are the first signs of the scholars leaving the simple beauty and magnificence of Islam.

Having asserted my own understanding according to whatever small insight I may or may not have regarding this field, I now offer you the findings of the modern world and opinions according to those who support this "philosophy."

Let us start with the Abbasid Caliphate, also known as the Abbasid Dynasty or Abbasid Empire (take your pick). The Abbasid rule was influenced by Persian culture as it provided the most congenial atmosphere for the development of learning especially philosophy, Secular philosophy found its first entrance into the Muslim world through the Persian administrators of the early Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasid Caliph, Harun-ar-Rashid (this ruler was famous and well known for his unusual cruelty and nasty temper) had some of the works of Aristotle translated into Arabic for the first time. His successor Mamun-ar-Rashid founded the well-known Darul Hukama (House of Wisdom) where the translation of books from foreign languages into Arabic was made by eminent translators who were employed on handsome salaries by the talented Caliph. His great patronage of learning attracted men of letters from all parts of the world who were engaged in translation and research work. The translation of the works of Aristotle and Plato paved the way for the growth of Islamic philosophy. The harmonization of Greek philosophy with Islam was started by Al-Kindi, continued by Farabi and was completed by Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd. Of the great Muslim philosophers Al-Kindi belonged to Basrah, Farabi, Ghazali and. Ibn Sina hailed from Turkistan and Persia, while Ibn Rushd, Ibn Bajja and Ibn Tufail who rivaled their Eastern counterparts were natives of Muslim Spain.

Al-Kindi (Died / 873 AD), considered by some to be the greatest philosopher of the Arab race, is known as the "Philosopher of the Arabs." He translated and wrote commentaries on a number of works by Aristotle. Being a natural philosopher he elaborately discussed the doctrine of soul and intelligence. The divine intelligence is the cause of the existence of the world. According to him, the world as a whole is the work of an extremely active cause, the divine intelligence, whose activity is transmitted in many ways from above to the world. Between God and the world of bodies is the world of soul, which created the world of Heavenly spheres, In so far as the human soul is combined with the body, it is dependent on the influence of heavenly bodies, but in its spiritual origin and being it is free. Both immortality and freedom could be attained in the world of intelligence. It was in De Intellectu, the Latin translation of Al-Kindi's philosophical work, that the West discovered for the first time the doctrine of intelligence.

Towards the close of the 10th century AD there flourished in Basrah a Philosophical Society known as Ikhwan-al-Safa (Brethren of Purity). They tried unsuccessfully to reconcile religion with science. Their encyclopedic work consisting of 51 treatises contain the idea of goodness and moral perfection. They had a leaning towards Pythagorean speculations. Abu Masr Farabi (d/950 A. D.) whose philosophical system according to George Sarton, 'Is a syncretism of Platoism, Aristotelianism and Sufism," was the founder of the Turkish School of Philosophy. He was an exponent of Neo-Platonic Philosophy, a system which was originated by Al-Kindi and was developed by Ibn Sina. There is a marked difference between the philosophical approach of Farabi, which is deductive, rational and abstract and that of Zakariya Razi which is inductive, experimental and concrete. The two systems in fact present two sides of the same picture Razi being a naturalist emphasized the experimental side while Farabi having been inclined towards mysticism looked to the speculative and abstract side. In Ibn Sina these two systems are reunited though Ibn Sina is more methodical in his approach. The difference between Farabi and Ibn Sina is more pronounced on the question of the immortality of the soul which is accepted by the former and rejected by the latter. Like Plato, Farabi is a mystical thinker, whose reasoning finally leads him to mysticism and metaphysics. He was a Savant in the true sense of the word, and led a life of minimum wants. With him like all other mystics contemplation dominated action. He has tried to give philosophical and rational explanations of such intricate religious problems as prophecy, inspiration, heavens, destiny and Celestial Throne. Prophecy according to him is a form of moral perfection rather than an innate gift. In this way he is recognized as the founder of philosophical theology, which later on found its great exponent in Fakhruddin Razi. He was also the first to preach practical morality by recognizing that the faculty of discerning good from evil is possessed by oneself.

Zakariya Al-Razi (865--925 A. D.) the eminent physician and scientist of Islam composed a number of metaphysical, philosophical and ethical works which have perished and only a few pieces are still available. Al-Razi professes the existence of five eternal principles in metaphysics--namely the Creator, the soul, matter, time and space, In spite of his pessimistic outlook in metaphysics he is opposed to asceticism and believes in working for the welfare of the people. Like Aristotle he does not blame human passion but only its excessive indulgence. He believed in the evolution of scientific and philosophical knowledge and in this respect he is much ahead of his predecessors.

Ibn Sina (980--1037 A. D.) the most illustrious name amongst the oriental Muslims, whose rational philosophy tried to explain religious dogmas in the light of reason and thus invited severe criticism from Imam Ghazali. Like his predecessors he tried to harmonize abstract philosophy with religion. His main philosophical works are Kitab-as-Shifa, (The Book of Recovery), Al-Najat (The Salvation) and The Isharat (Instructions). His Kitab-as-Shifa, dealing with metaphysics, physics and logic had deeply influenced Western as well as Eastern philosophy. His philosophical works reflected a conflict between materialism and idealism. He expounded the philosophical doctrines of Farabi and followed him in logic and epistemology. He has more clearly brought out the dualism of mind and matter, God and the world. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is more definitely laid down by him. His philosophy brings out his scientific and progressive outlook. His compromise with Muslim theology did not find favor in orthodox circles and his philosophical works were burned in Baghdad. He explained the moving, changing and developing state of nature. His philosophy is the necessary link between the philosophy of Farabi and Ghazali on one hand and that of Ibn Rushd (Averroes) on the other.

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 A. D.) the great Muslim theologian and philosopher realized that the study of secular philosophy had resulted in an indifference towards religion. He renounced the life of pleasure and wandered in the Islamic world in search of mental peace. The conflict which had started in him gave him no rest and was fully brought out in his monumental work Ihyaal Ulum, which ranks amongst the greatest ethical works of Islam. He attacked the rationalistic and materialistic views of his predecessors including that of Ibn Sina and ultimately found solace in mysticism. His severe criticism of materialistic philosophy was afterwards answered by Ibn Rushd (Averroes). In Islam the theological system entrenched itself towards the end of the 12th century A. D. in the narrow orthodoxy of the Isharites. The entire ethical philosophy of Al-Ghazali rests on the foundation of mysticism. He had himself gone through the different phases of worldly life--namely scholastic discussions, the pride of high office, popularity among the people and the pomp and wealth. He had personally experienced the effects of such contacts on one's character. He has described these experiences in his immortal Ihyaal Ulum. His writings started a school of religious philosophy and influenced such outstanding thinkers as Maulana Rum, Shaikhul Ashraq, Ibn Rushd and Shah Waliullah. Al-Ghazali was mainly responsible for infusing mysticism into Persia and directing it into the right channels. He tried to reconcile the tenets of Islam with the teaching of the prevailing philosophy and science but not in a purely rational way as done by Farabi and Ibn Sina. His Ihyaal Ulum was widely read by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike and influenced Thomas Aquinas and even Blaise Pascal.

Ibn Rushd (1126--1198 A. D.) better known as Averroes in the West is undoubtedly the greatest philosopher of Islam, Together with Ibn Masarra and Ibnul Arabi, he Forms the trio of the great philosophers of Muslim Spain. The first two were essentially mystics while the third (Averroes) was a rationalist. He rose to be the greatest commentator of and exponent of Aristotelian philosophy. It was through his commentaries that the West learnt about Aristotle.

His Chief philosophical work is Tahafut-alTahafut (The incoherence of the incoherence) which was written in refutation of Al-Ghazali's work, Tahafut-al-Fahasifa (The destruction of philosophy). The philosophical writings of Averroes invited severe criticism and stirred up critical reactions throughout the Islamic world. A strong refutation of Ibn Rushd's arguments in Tahafut-al-Tahafut was made by a Turk, Mustafa Ibn Yusuf al-Bursavi, commonly known as Khwaja Zada (d/1487-88 AD). This once more established the strength of faith and the weakness of human understanding. But contrary to Muslim reactions, Averroes philosophical writings had a deep influence on Christian Europe. Alfred Gillaume in his article on philosophy and theology in the Legacy of Islam. writes that' "He (Averroes) belongs to Europe and European thought rather than to the East. Averroism continued to be a living factor in European thought until the birth of modern experimental science, Latin is said to have preserved more than one of Ibn Rushd's works which Arabic has lost."'

Regarding predestination, Ibn Rushd maintained that man was neither the absolute master of his destiny nor bound by fixed, immutable decrees. According to him the truth lies in the middle, i.e., Al-Amr Bain · AL-Amrain. Human actions depend partly on free will and partly on outside causes. These causes spring from the general laws of nature--God alone knows their sequence. According to him man should make the utmost effort to attain perfection by which he means, complete identification with the alive intellect. This human perfection can be attained through study, speculation and negation of desires-specially those relating to senses.

This philosophy was considered to be irreligious in Muslim Spain where the society was formulated on true Arabic lines. Being a rational philosopher, his ideas were incompatible with the religious sentiments of orthodox Muslims and he was accused of being an atheist. But according to Philip K. Hitti, 'He was a rationalist and claimed the right to submit everything save the revealed dogmas of faith to the judgment of reason, but he was not a freethinker or unbeliever. His view of creation by God was evolutionary not a matter of days but of eternity"."

Averroism had a great influence on Europe. Jews became the greatest exponents of Averroism in the West. In Southern France, the philosophical thought was influenced by Averroists. At Oxford Averroes was known as the great commentator and Bacon ranked him alongside Aristotle and Ibn Sina (Avicenna). Averroism continued to be taught in the universities of Northern Italy including Padua which was its great center. Other well-known philosophers of Muslim Spain were Ibn Baija, Ibn Tufail and Ibnul Arabi. Ibn Bajja (d/1138 AD) known as Avempace in the West has explained in his treatise Tadbir al-Mutawahhid (The Regime of Solitary), how man unaided can attain union with the active intellect. He considered that gradual perfection of the human spirit through union with the Divine is the object of philosophy. The Philosophus Antodiduclus of Ibn Tufail (d/ll85 AD) became a world classic.

Ibnul Arabi (1165--1240 A. D.) the greatest speculative genius of Islamic Sufism was born in Murcia (Spain). According to Ibnul Arabi the divine power manifests itself in the form of a perfect man which is of course, Muhammad (Peace be on him). His writings on mysticism influenced not only Persian and Turkish Sufi circles but also Duns Scots, Roger Bacon and Raymond Lull. The greatest exponent of mysticism in the East was Al-Suhrawardi (1191 AD).

Nasiruddin Toosi (1201--74 AD) wrote a large number of philosophical, metaphysical and theological treatises. In orthodox circles his fame chiefly rests on these treatises. His Kitab al-Fasul dealing with metaphysics was written in Persian, which was translated into Arabic by al-Jurjani. His great philosophical work Tajrid al-dqaid (AI-KaEam) is his most popular work on which a large number of commentaries have been written in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. His outstanding work on ethics entitled, Ikhlaq-i-Naasiri (Nasirian Ethics) is one of the best books on the subject and is still taught in Arab schools.

Islam had developed a Religious Philosophy of its own which is called Ilm-ul-Kalaam or Science of the word. The secular and scholastic philosophy receded into the background in the East after the vehement criticism of such philosophy by Imam Ghazali. But the philosophical and religious writings of Ghazali gave a fillip to religious philosophy and especially to mysticism and produced such outstanding religious philosophers as well as mystics as Fakhruddin Razi, Nasiruddin Toosi, Fariduddin Attar, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, Ameer Khusro and Dr. Iqbal. The development of Islamic philosophy, thus took a new turn in which the later philosophers have made outstanding contributions--both through Prose and Poetry.

ISLAM AND TERRORISM

BY

DR. ZAKIR NAIK

MUSLIMS ARE FUNDAMENTALISTS AND TERRORISTS

Question:

Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists?
Answer:
This question is often hurled at Muslims, either directly or indirectly, during any discussion on religion or world affairs. Muslim stereotypes are perpetuated in every form of the media accompanied by gross misinformation about Islam and Muslims. In fact,

such misinformation and false propaganda often leads to discrimination and acts of violence against Muslims. A case in point is the anti-Muslim campaign in the American media following the Oklahoma bomb blast, where the press was quick to declare a ‘Middle Eastern conspiracy’ behind the attack. The culprit was later identified as a soldier from the American Armed Forces.
Let us analyze this allegation of ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’:


1. Definition of the word ‘fundamentalist’
A fundamentalist is a person who follows and adheres to the fundamentals of the doctrine or theory he is following. For a person to be a good doctor, he should know, follow, and practise the fundamentals of medicine. In other words, he should be a fundamentalist in the field of medicine. For a person to be a good mathematician, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of mathematics. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of mathematics. For a person to be a good scientist, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of science. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of science.


2. Not all ‘fundamentalists’ are the same
One cannot paint all fundamentalists with the same brush. One cannot categorize all fundamentalists as either good or bad. Such a categorization of any fund amentalist will depend upon the field or activity in which he is a fundamentalist. A fundamentalist robber or thief causes harm to society and is therefore undesirable. A fundamentalist doctor, on the other hand, benefits society and earns much respect.


3. I am proud to be a Muslim fundamentalist
I am a fundamentalist Muslim who, by the grace of Allah, knows, follows and strives to practice the fundamentals of Islam. A true Muslim does not shy away from being a fundamentalist. I am proud to be a fundamentalist Muslim because; I know that the fundamentals of Islam are beneficial to humanity and the whole world. There is not a single fundamental of Islam that causes harm or is against the interests of the human race as a whole. Many people harbor misconceptions about Islam and consider several teachings of Islam to be unfair or improper. This is due to insufficient and incorrect knowledge of Islam. If one critically analyzes the teachings of Islam with an open mind, one cannot escape the fact that Islam is full of benefits both at the individual and collective levels.


4. Dictionary meaning of the word ‘fundamentalist’
According to Webster’s dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ was a movement in American Protestantism that arose in the earlier part of the 20th century. It was a reaction to modernism, and stressed the infallibility of the Bible, not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record. It stressed on belief in the Bible as the literal word of God. Thus fundamentalism was a word initially used for a group of Christians who believed that the Bible was the verbatim word of God without any errors and mistakes.
According to the Oxford dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ means ‘strict maintenance of ancient or fundamental doctrines of any religion, especially Islam’.
Today the moment a person uses the word fundamentalist he thinks of a Muslim who is a terrorist.


5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist
Every Muslim should be a terrorist. A terrorist is a person who causes terror. The moment a robber sees a policeman he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist for the robber. Similarly every Muslim should be a terrorist for the antisocial elements of society, such as thieves, dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an anti-social element sees a Muslim, he should be terrified. It is true that the word ‘terrorist’ is generally used for a person who causes terror among the common people. But a true Muslim should only be a terrorist to selective people i.e. anti-social elements, and not to the common innocent people. In fact a Muslim should be a source of peace for innocent people.


6. Different labels given to the same individual for the same action, i.e. ‘terrorist’ and ‘patriot’
Before India achieved independence from British rule, some freedom fighters of India who did not subscribe to non-violence were labeled as terrorists by the British government. The same individuals have been lauded by Indians for the same activities and hailed as ‘patriots’. Thus two different labels have been given to the same people for the same set of actions. One is calling him a terrorist while the other is calling him a patriot. Those who believed that Britain had a right to rule over India called these people terrorists, while those who were of the view that Britain had no right to rule India called them patriots and freedom fighters.
It is therefore important that before a person is judged, he is given a fair hearing. Both sides of the argument should be heard, the situation should be analyzed, and the reason and the intention of the person should be taken into account, and then the person can be judged accordingly.


7. Islam means peace
Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’ which means peace. It is a religion of peace whose fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the world.

Thus every Muslim should be a fundamentalist i.e. he should follow the fundamentals of the Religion of Peace: Islam. He should be a terrorist only towards the antisocial elements in order to promote peace and justice in the society.

WAS ISLAM SPREAD BY THE SWORD?
Question:
How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?
Answer:
It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.

1. Islam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).

2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.
Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.

3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book ’Islam at the cross road’ (Page 8):

’History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated.’

4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.

5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.

6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.

7. Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, ’Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?’

8. East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, ’Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?’

9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book ’Heroes and Hero worship’, refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: ’The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can.’

10. No compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur’an says in the following verse:
’Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error’
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]

11. Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125:
’Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious.’
[Al-Qur’an 16:125]

12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?

13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?

14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, ’People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born’

http://www.55a.ne/firas/arabic/

Muslims Love Jesus And His Mother

peace be upon him was explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran on sixteen different occasions. On one occasion Allah the Exalted said in Surat Al-Maidah verse 110

( (remember) when Allah will say( on the day of resurrection )."O Isa(Jesus), son of Mariyam(Mary)! Remember my favor to you and to your mother when I supported your with ruh -u- qudus [ Jibrail (Gabril)] so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you writing, Al Hikmah(the power of understanding), the Taurat(Torah) and the Ingil( Gospel); and when you made out of the clay, a figure like that of a bird, by my permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by my permission, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by my permission, and when you brought forth the dead by my permission; and when I restrained the children of Israel from you ( when they resolved to kill you) as you came unto them with clear proofs and the disbelievers among them said: "This is nothing but evident magic" ﴿ )

On the other hand Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him was explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran four times While the Virgin Mary (peace be upon her) the mother of Jesus(Isa) was mentioned eight times and has a complete Sura (chapter) named after her.

On one occasion Allah the All Mighty said in Surat Al- Imran verse 145:

( (remember) when the angles said: " Oh Mariyam (Mary)! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a word["Be!"- and he was! i.e.' Isa ( Jesus) the son of Mariyam( Mary) ] From him his name will be the Messiah 'Isa (Jesus) the son of Mary ( Mariyam), held in honor in this world and in the hereafter, and will be one of those who is near to Allah.)

As a family they have been mentioned in the Holy Quran three times and they have been privileged by having a complete Sura(chapter) named after them(Al Imran). Which is imprinted in the hearts and minds of the believers forever.
http://www.thekeytoislam.com/en/muslims-love-jesus.shtml

Mentauhidkan Allah akidah agama samawi

لا إله إلا الله

أ - جاء في العهد القديم :

"ثم تكلم الرب بجميع هذه الكلمات قائًلا: أنا الرب إلهك الذي أخرجك من أرض مصر من بيت العبودية، لا يكن لك آلهة أخرى أمامي، لا تصنع لك تمثالاً منحوتًا ولا صورة ما مما في السماء من فوق وما في الأرض من تحت. وما في الماء من تحت الأرض، لا تسجد لهن ولا تعبدهن" (خروج 20/1- 5).

"فإنك لا تسجد لإله آخر لأن الرب اسمه غيور، إله غيور هو" (خروج 34/14).

"فالعلم اليوم وردد في قلبك أن الرب هو الإله في السماء من فوق وعلى الأرض من أسفل ليس سواه" (تثنية 4/39).

"أنا هو الرب إلهك الذي أخرجك من أرض مصر من بيت العبودية، لا يكن لك آلهة أخرى أمامي، لا تصنع لك تمثالا منحوتا صورة ما مما في السماء من فوق وما في الأرض من أسفل وما في الماء من تحت الأرض، لا تسجد لهن ولا تعبدهن" (تثنية 5/6-9).

"اسمع يا إسرائيل: الرب إلهنا رب واحد" (تثنية 6/4).

"وإن نسيت الرب إلهك وذهبت وراء آلهة أخرى وعبدتها وسجدت لها أشهد عليكم اليوم أنكم تبيدون لا محالة" (تثنية 8/19).

"فاحترزوا من أن تنغوى قلوبكم فتزيغوا وتعبدوا آلهة أخرى وتسجدوا لها" (تثنية 11/16)

"واللعنة إذا لم تسمعوا لوصايا الرب إلهكم وزغتم عن الطريق التي أنا أوصيكم بها اليوم لتذهبوا وراء آلهة أخرى لم تعرفوها" (تثنية 11/28).

"انظروا الآن: أنا أنا هو وليس إله معي، أنا أميت وأحيي" (تثنية 32/39).

ب- جاء في الأناجيل :

"حينئذ قال له يسوع اذهب يا شيطان؛ لأنه مكتوب للرب إلهك تسجد وإياه وحده تعبد" (متى 4/10).

"فقال له لماذا تدعوني صالحا، ليس أحد صالحًا إلا واحد وهو الله"(متى 19/17 ومرقس 10/18)

"فأجاب يسوع: إن أول كل الوصايا هي اسمع يا إسرائيل، الرب إلهنا رب واحد" (مرقس 12/29).

"فقال له الكاتب جيدًا يا معلم، بالحق قلت لأنه الله واحد وليس آخر سواه" (مرقس 12/32).

"فقال له يسوع لماذا تدعوني صالحا، ليس أحد صالحا إلا واحد وهو الله" (لوقا 18 /19)

"إني عبدك لا أعبد إلا أنت وحدك ولا أبتهل إلا إياك وحدك، أنت تعلم ذلك، فلتكن مشيئتك ولتكن كلمتك..." (برنابا 13).

ولتكن كلماتكم: سبحانك يارب الأرباب تقدس اسمك، لقد أتى ملكوتك، ونفذ أمرك، وكما هو نافذ في السماء نافذ في الأرض، أعطنا خبز يومنا، واغفر لنا ذنوبنا كما تغفر لمن يسيء إلينا، ولا تجعلنا ضحية إغراء، وأنقذنا من البشر، فأنت إلهنا الوحيد، لك الملك والمجد دائمًا" (برنابا 37).

"قال عيسى: إنه مكتوب أن الله موجود في كل شيء، في كل وقت، ولا إله إلا هو، هو الذي يحيي ويميت ويفعل ما شاء..." (برنابا 95).

"إني أرتجف إذا ما فكرت أن أصف الله، إن الله لا حد له.." (برنابا 105).

"...فأجاب التلاميذ: إن الله واحد لا شريك له، وإنك رسول الله، فأجاب عيسى بفرح، مشجعًا إياهم ومستصوبًا ما قالوه: تبارك اسمه سبحانه وتعالى" (برنابا 126).

وختاما فإن التثليث لم ينطق به عيسى عليه السلام ولم يجيء على لسانه في الأناجيل، والموضع الوحيد الذي أشار إلى التثليث في العهد الجديد كان في رؤيا يوحنا: "الأب والكلمة والروح القدس، وهؤلاء الثلاثة هم واحد" (رؤيا يوحنا 5/7-8). وهذه العبارة بدورها قد حذفت عند مراجعة الطبعة الإنجليزية الحديثة، وهي كما بينا تتناقض مع كل العهدين القديم والجديد.

ج- قال الله تعالى في قرآنه الكريم :

)أَمْ كُنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَهَكَ وَإِلَهَ ءَابَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ( [البقرة/ 133].

)وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُوا قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ( [البقرة/ 135].

)لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِلَّا إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ( [المائدة/73].

)نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ(
[آل عمران/ 64].

)قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ *اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ * لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ * وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ( [الإخلاص/ 1-4].

*إلى جانب العديد والعديد مما جاء على لسان الأنبياء والمرسلين في حوارهم مع أقوامهم في القصص القرآني.