While it cannot be denied that a lot of wrong is being committed in the name of Islam today but those wrongs are a travesty of Islamic principles and the high moral standards set by Prophet Muhammad as we Muslims understand.
Source/Credit: The Northwestern
By Umair Ahmed | April 8, 2015
"There is no moderate Muslim because there is no moderate Islam." This is the message that a self-proclaimed expert on Islam, Usama Dakdok, is bringing to Oshkosh, on April 8. Those gathered at St. John's Lutheran church that day will probably learn astonishing proclamations such as President Obama is a Muslim pretending to be a Christian. They may hear Dakdok opine that Muslims do not have the right to practice their barbaric cult in America. Such fantastic claims can be gleaned from Dakdok's website.
Anti-Islamic rhetoric is not new although Dakdok takes this to a new level. He claims that one cannot learn Islam from a Muslim because it is lawful for a Muslim to lie. This claim is supposedly based on two verses of Quran, the holy scripture for Muslims. The first verse, 16:107, according to Dakdok allows a Muslim to deny his faith. Thus, President Obama can deny he is a Muslim. The second verse - 2:226, according to Dakdok, allows a Muslim to lie under oath. In short, a Muslim practicing his faith, cannot be trusted to speak the truth. This practice of "Taqiyya" is a common allegation leveled against Islam by prejudiced critics.
To dispel Dakdok's own dishonest claims, let's review the verses in question. 16:107 reads 'Whoso disbelieves in Allah after he has believed – save him who is forced thereto while his heart finds peace in the faith – but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is Allah's wrath; and they shall have a severe punishment.' The key word here is forced. This verse refers to people who have been tremendously persecuted due to their faith and under torture and coercion, recant their faith, despite inner conviction.
Clearly, this verse is not a permission to lie; this is a reprieve from a merciful God for those who find themselves choosing between life and death only on account of their faith. Despite this permission, Islamic history is replete with examples of the faithful, who suffered torture until death while staying firm in their faith.
The second verse, 2:226, is even more obvious - "Allah will not call you to account for such of your oaths as are vain, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing." People commonly say, 'I swear to God' or 'By God,' but it is generally understood that they are not literally swearing an oath by God. This is precisely what this verse means - it is discouraging people to casually swear in God's name. In other words, this verse of Quran is similar to the Biblical commandment 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.'
Quran clearly condemns lying, 'And confound not truth with falsehood nor hide the truth, knowingly' (2:43) and goes as far as telling Muslims to testify against themselves for the sake of justice (4:136). Dakdok conveniently ignores these verses.
While it cannot be denied that a lot of wrong is being committed in the name of Islam today but those wrongs are a travesty of Islamic principles and the high moral standards set by Prophet Muhammad as we Muslims understand.
So how can you learn the truth about Islam? The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Oshkosh is hosting an open house at the mosque (300 N. Eagle St.) as a response to Dakdok's allegations, from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 15. Fair-minded citizens of Oshkosh are invited to come and engage with their Muslim neighbors. All questions, including the tough ones, will be welcomed and answered, honestly – I swear to God!
Read original post here: Islam: Separating Facts from Fiction | Umair Ahmed
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