If the body of Jesus was located, without any doubt as to the identity, my opinions of Christianity would not change.

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I have decided that once a week, on Monday mornings, I'll be posting selections from the Qur'an and the hadith that inspire me. This is partly in response to one of the commentators who asked about that, and partly in response to the large number of attacks people are making on Islam in the comments threads, pulling out snippets of verse that distort the actual meaning, hadith from little known sources, or simply stating things that are supposedly fact which are, in reality, not factual at all. I hope that these postings will help people see the beauty in Islam that inspires the 1.6 billion Muslims of the world, and help make our devotion to the religion a bit more sensical than it would appear if all one ever hears is the sort of negativity such as some of the commentators are posting..

Today's selection comes from the Qur'an, the second chapter, Surah Baqara, verse 177:

2:177 Righteousness does not consist in turning your faces towards the East or the West - but righteousness is to believe in God, the Last Day, the angels, revelation, and the prophets; to spend of your wealth - however much you may cherish it - upon your near of kin, and orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, beggars, and for the freeing of human beings in bondage. It is to be constant in prayer, to be steadfast in charity, to keep the promises you have made, to be firm and patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: Such are the people who have proved themselves true, and it is they who are truly pious.

As a believer, my fundamental aim is a life in resonance with the Divine, a life in concord with the natural order of the Universe. For me, Islamic teachings, principles, and practices help me strive after unity within humanity and personal harmony with nature and the Transcendent.

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As we've just returned from spring break with my parents, this selection from the 17th chapter of the Qur'an, Surah Isra, the Night Journey, seems appropriate:

17:23 ...be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but speak to them graciously.

17:24 And spread over them humbly the wings of your tenderness, and say: "O my Sustainer! Bestow Your grace upon them, even as they cherished and reared me when I was a child!"

Before I answer this week's question, let me be very clear: This question is exceptionally offensive and borders on religious bigotry. That a group as good-willed and open-minded as the On Faith moderators would even consider asking a question like, "Is Islam a violent religion?" reveals the astounding depth of prejudice and ignorance about Islam that is rampant in American society and media today.

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Muslims have a prayer they say when they hear of a death: inna lillahi, wa inna ilahi rajiun -- To Him we belong and to Him we return. Each and every one of us is a gift from God to our families and friends, a trust from God given into our keeping but for a short while. No one, and nothing, is truly ours; all is loaned to us for a time, and then must return to the Merciful womb of the Divine.

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With the forum discussing what it means to apologize and to ask for forgiveness, I thought it would be timely to look at what the Qur'an and the Prophet have to say about God's response to our repentance.

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Given the topic, and the current popularity of equating Jihad with war, I thought it might be good to see what the Prophet had to say about jihad.

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The other day, two of my children got into a fight. They called each other a few names, which led to a shove, and a shove back, someone falling off balance and bumping her head on the table. Tears. I promptly intervened, demanding an apology from the one who had pushed her sister over. Only after the two had performed the obligatory hug and been sent in opposite directions to cool off, did I think about what I was teaching my kids about apologizing, repenting and forgiveness.

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Since the topic of adultery has come up on the thread with forgiveness, here are two examples of forgiveness in the case of adultery or pre-marital sexual relations, which is also considered a sin in the Qur'an. The first is the present world; the second is in the hereafter.

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