The Blogging Imam’s Weblog

First and foremost, the word ‘Islam’ means peace.

The Prophet Muhammed - love and blessing be upon him - said that no one has a right to burn Allah’s (God’s) creations – even if it an ant - only Allah has the right to take life away.

The Qur’an does not teach terrorists acts, suicide bombing, violence and killing.

I hope that most people know this; but the best way to find out about Islam is to study it yourselves. If you feel content about your faith - in your mind and in your soul - you will be able to give a better understanding to others.

Take, for example, the opinion people have with regards to Muslim women: the majority of non-Muslim people see women in a headscarf and they think that they are being oppressed. But that’s not how it is from an Islamic point of view: Islam teaches us that women and men are all seen as equal in the eyes of Allah (or God).

In Islam everyone is equal – that includes people of all faiths. The Prophet Mohammed once saw a funeral of a Jewish man go past and he began crying in sadness for the man. His companion looked at him and asked him:

‘why are you crying? He’s not even a Muslim’.

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) replied:

‘No, but it is a soul of a human being.’

There are many, many more teachings of the prophet that come back to this simple point: a person does not have to be a Muslim for you to love, take care and respect him, because he is also a human.

If a Muslim knocks on the door of your front door, you should invite him in. But if a Christian or a Jew comes to your house, you should invite welcome him into your home too. That is the teaching of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H.)

And so, I say to you again, that is important to acknowledge other people’s religion and culture as well as your own. You may be a Muslim, but learn about Christianity, and Sikhism, and Judaism too, because if you understand someone’s faith you can understand where they are coming from and what they trying to ask or say.

The fact is, we live in a British society but there is no need for this to conflict with our faith. What we have to understand is that most of the rights and rulings of this country are in accordance with the beliefs of Islam not against them.

True Muslims believe in peace, human rights, tolerance of other religions and equality.