BEING A NEW MUSLIM IN A FAMILY OF NON-MUSLIMS
at www.CONVERTSTOISLAM.com
Your family have been taken in by the negative propaganda and as a result
they perceive Islam to be violent. Reactions such as 'You are associating
with terrorists'.
-
There is an amazing amount of negative propaganda about Islam, and the sad truth is that
the general public are all too happy to accept what they are told on television and in
newspapers. Of course, not to deny the fact that there are some muslims who commit certain
deeds that are unislamic, but you will find that the coverage 'bad muslims' get far outways
the coverage of 'bad Christians or Jews'. Anyway, that aside, the thing to remember is that
a religion cannot be judged by the people that claim to follow that religion.
ISLAM is an Arabic word that simply means SUBMISSION, it derives from a word meaning PEACE.
In the religious arena it means 'submission to the will of God'.
As in Christianity, Islam allows fighting in the way of self defence. Islam however has strict rules
on combat, eg the prohibition of harming any civilians, the prohibition of destroying any
crops, trees and livestock.
In the Holy Quran (2.190):
"Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God
does not love transgressors."
In the Holy Quran (8.61):
"If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth
and knoweth all things."
War in Islam is the last resort and is controlled very strictly.
Islam is not a religion that was spread by the sword. The reason for the rapid spread of Islam
were the teachings themselves.
You will have probably heard the word 'jihad' in the media, again propaganda has resulted
in this word being totally misrepresented. Jihad literally means 'struggle',
and also refers to the inner struggle that we all have in resisting desires and temptations.
In an Islamic state the lives and property of all individuals are sacred, regardless of
whether or not they are muslims.
Racism is totally abhorant in Islam. In the Holy Quran (49.13):
"O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations
and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honoured of you in
God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware."
Islam teaches absolute tolerance towards other faiths. In the Holy Quran (60.8):
"Allah (swt) does not forbid you respecting those who have not made
war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from
your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah (swt)
loves the doers of justice."
Islam protects minorities which is why you will find many non-muslim places of worship
throughout the Islamic world.
Return to 'Concerns List'