Challenges in the Moslem World

Majalahnabawi.com – There is no doubt that Muslim world today has many challenges: political challenges, economic challenges, the challenge of poverty, and others. But the big challenge in some Muslim countries today is the issue of Muslim radicalism. We do not say Islamic radicalism, because the Islamic religion has no radical teaching, radicalism is only from some Muslims, not from Islam.

Islam is a religion of mercy. Allah The Exalted Said in the Holy Al-Qur’an:

وماأَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ


“And we have sent You (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and All that exists in the world).” (QS. Al-Anbiya: 107)

Islam is also a religion that is not only for Muslims, but for all of mankind. Allah The Exalted said:


وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَايَعْلَمُونَ


“And we have not sent You (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not.” (Q.S. Saba’: 28)


As a mercy for all that exists in the world, and as a religion for all of mankind, Islam protects not only Muslims but also non-Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:


مَنْ قَتَلَ مُعَاهَدًا لَمْ يَرَحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَنَّ رِيحَهَا تُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ عَامًا. (رواه الإمام أحمد والبخاري والترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه)

Whoever takes a non-Muslims life that is bound by a covenant of peace, he will never smell the aroma of heaven. In fact, the aroma of heaven can be smelled from a distance of a forty year journey.” (Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad, al-Bukhari, al-Tirmidzi, al-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah)

Islam sees Muslims and non-Muslims as one nation, and the relation between them is according to the principle:

لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ

“For you your religion and for me my religion.”

The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

إِنَّ يَهُودَ بَنِي عَوْفٍ أُمَّةٌ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَهُمْ دِينُهُمْ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ دِينُهُمْ (رواه الإمام ابن هشام)

“Verily, the Jews of the ‘Auf tribe are united in one nation with the believers. The Jews have the right to practice their religion and Muslims also have the same right to practice their religion of Islam” (Hadith narrated by Imam Ibn Hisyam)

This principle of Lakum Dinukum Waliya Din (for you your religion and for me my religion) means that non-Muslims have the right to practice their religious teachings, and Muslims are not allowed to disturb them, and Muslims also have the right to practice their religious teachings, and non-Muslim people are not allowed to disturb them.

This is the real teaching of Islam. Muslim and non-Muslim people live side by side in peace and togetherness without disturbing each other.

In both Al-Qur’an and the Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh), there is no verse (ayah) or Hadith that orders the Muslim people to kill non-Muslim people for the reason that their religion is different. The Prophet (pbuh) had good relations with some Jewish people such as Muhairiq (a priest of the Jews), Abu al-Shahm (a Jewish Trader), and the Prophet’s father in law (father of Umm al-Mu’minin, Sofiyah) also a leader of the Jews in the Quraizah Tribe.

But unfortunately, some Muslims became radical and made some disturbance and terror against non-Muslims, saying that what they are doing is jihad, and actually jihad is not terror. There are some differences between jihad and terror. Jihad has rules and is limited. If what they are doing is jihad then the meaning of that is battle. Islam allows Muslims to kill non-Muslims who are killing the Muslims, but no one else. In jihad, Islam also forbids Muslim people from killing children, women, and the elderly. Terrorism has no rules or limits of any kind. Terrorism means killing anyone.

There is no doubt that this is the really challenge in the Muslim world. It is clear that Islam is accused of being the religion of terrorism. But in fact, Islam is what the Holy Al- Qur’an and Hadith say, and not what some Muslim people do. So we ask, what is its reason?

Some Muslim people do not completely learn and understand Islam, but only partially. As a religion which guides all human beings, Islam provides the Muslim people with guidance in facing one of two situations: war or peace. This is because all human being in this world must face one of those two situations.

But some Muslims only get the guidance from Islam about war. They did not get the teachings of peace from Islam. And as a result, they became radical and terrorist Muslims. It is certain that this is a very big challenge.

All ulama and Muslim leaders in the Muslim world have a compulsory task today to make all Muslims return to their original character as moderate Muslims. May Allah bless and guide us to what He likes and what He wants.

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