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Jihad Or Terrorism!

Submitted by Mennatullah, May 27, 2014 14:45

Alsalam Alykom (Peace be Upon you) 

Dear Sir / editor of the website

This is Mennatullah, it happened that i passed by your website, by chance

I am sending you because I found out some wrong and misinterpreted information in your website.

I am a Muslim, and I spent the past year trying to understand what Jihad really means, I was having this question in my head: Am I following a religion that asks me to be violent? This was the pop-up confusing my faith, which now I can claim that it was purely media influence

As islam - means in arabic "surrender, purity and Peace" and this makes me question how can something asks for peace and violence at the same time? So the logical question which I thought of when I read your words, Can a religion be contradicting?

i think, you are translating jihad to fighting while purely linguistic in Arabic the word fighting is محاربه and not Jihad. In fact, just in short Jihad in Arabic means striving in English. It has different levels, one on the individual and one for the community level, all with the aim of achieving inner peace. On the individual level, through. While on the community level through being proactive, not helpless, and defending your properties (please take a look at the links i pasted down in my comment)

Actually, for me, whatever is claimed now as jihad is just manipulation on the ignorance of the people under the name of religion. Just a use of religion as a tool to justify political benefits.

Another example of unclear evidence, that you think that there was a lot of fighting "terrorism"During the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and that it was how Islam was spread.

I would like here to note done a historical fact that Islam was widely spread among countries away from the Arab world without a single sword, while

in fact through trading. And up till now the number of Muslims from these countries exceed Arab Muslims. So how do you claim otherwise?

Kindly take a look at this document

http://www.yale.edu/yup/pdf/cim6.pdf

and this article

http://lostislamichistory.com/did-islam-spread-by-the-sword/

I would like you to give me one incident of what you calim as otherwise.

---

on another side:

I know that from your Christian background, you are required to follow Luke 6:29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

Here I want to pause and think in through two different eyes:

(1) Negative view: helpless wak reaction

(2) Positive view: Believing that religions came in to framework our life, to make it easier, and more peaceful. We can look differently at this issue as forgiveness

With the same exact way of thinking, I would like to ask you to open your mind and heart and think about JIHAD.

(1) Negative view: fighting and abusing religious belief

(2) Positive view: being strong and powerful, defending yourself, and your properties

in the end I would like to ask you to watch these two videos, they are illustrating this dilemma; IS ISLAM A RELIGION OF WAR OR PEACE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cpyiu5WsaE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQsa0x86wE

I am truly looking forward to discuss further with you, and I am really open to be convinced if you proved that my point of view is wrong

I hope you allow such a room for discussion

Eventually, I would like to quote two verses from Quran that guides and shall guide how we deal with non muslims

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (Alhujarat , 13)

"Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things." (Quran 2:256)

My very best,

منة الله هنداوي

Mennatullah Hendawy

 

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