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Muslims have many scriptural imperatives that demand we work for the preservation and health of our environment. As we enter an era where the prospect of environmental catastrophe is perhaps greater than the prospect of disaster from any other source, it is especially important that we make environmental protection one of our most pressing priorities.
In Islam, prayer is a fundamental aspect of the believer’s religious life. The Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, mentioned in this regard, “Prayer is the essence of worship.”
If the history of the current conflict in Iraq is any indication of future trends, Mr. Bush’s widely anticipated announcement of a troop “surge” in that strife-torn country will only be followed by an increased number of dead Iraqis and Americans.
My most formative religious experience was my conversion to Islam in 1977. At the time I was serving in the United States Air Force. Like many of the young people currently fighting and dying in Iraq, I was recruited by the “poverty” draft.
Muslims do not view Jesus as the “Son of God.” We feel that God’s taking a son would be unbecoming His incomparable nature and grandeur. The Qur’an states, There is nothing like unto Him (42:11); and, He begets not, nor was he begotten (112:3).
America is a nation of its people. Because the character of the American people is constantly evolving, the character of the country itself is in a state of constant evolution.
In the exchange between the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and his Persian interlocutor, as the encounter was described by the Pope during his address at Regensburg, the emperor pontificates from a position that highlights his assumed moral and intellectual superiority.
In 1789, declaring the first national day of thanksgiving, George Washington mentioned, “…the many and signal favors of Almighty God.”
First of all, I wish to thank all of you who took the time to write so many thoughtful responses. Although I do not totally agree with some of those responses, I found them all beneficial in various ways.
A misunderstood aspect of Islamic teaching relates to the idea of a “monopoly” on the truth. Certainly, Muslims believe that Islam is based on a final, normalizing revelation from God to humanity. However, it is wrong for Muslims to believe that earlier faiths are void of any truth.
What Islam Really Says About Violence, Rights and Other Religions
Gomaa, Fadlallah, Mubarak, Khan, Siddiqi, Ellison, others | On Faith
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