What I didn't know about Islam

In the name of God,

the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to God, the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad, on all of his brother prophets and messengers, and their households and companions.

I welcome our guests, “the Children of Jesus Christ.” We, the children of Muhammad, welcome you. Islam encompasses all heavenly messages and calls all humankind to believe in them all. Muslims would be considered disbelievers if they believed in Muhammad but not in Jesus, Moses or any other prophet.

Almighty God says in the Holy Qur'an:

“We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.” T.Q. (Translation of Quran), 2:285.

We as Muslims have known this faithful brotherhood through the Holy Qur'an and our Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him).

The Holy Qur'an criticises those who claim to be followers of Islam, Christianity or Judaism but with no knowledge or practice of their religion. It classifies their followers into two main divisions: true believers and false believers. So there is a true Muslim and a false Muslim. The Holy Qur'an praises true believers from the followers of the three religions and mentions them in different verses. For example,

“Verily those who believe, Jews, Christians and Sabians; whoever believes in God [Allah] and the Last Day and does good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord. They shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve.” T.Q., 2:62.

Although the three religions have differences, not in essence but in interpreting some of their articles, they all call to monotheism. Monotheism or oneness of God does not differ in its truth and reality, but the difference happens in interpreting it in some religions. This has made many people move far away from faith when monotheism is interpreted in a way that mind and reason reject.

In addition to that, there has been a kind of distance and disharmony between religions because we got to know one another from afar. When someone looks at another who is on the top of a mountain, he cannot see his nose, eyes or his beauty. He might even see him as a black dot. In this case and in order to know the truth, we have to come closer to it, and then we will be able to recognise its features and its actual picture.

For this reason, I say that Muslims cannot be true Muslims if they do not believe in Jesus (Peace Be upon Him) and his message and Moses (Peace Be upon Him) and his message even though Muslims believe that many false things have been attributed to Muhammad, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them all.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) ordered us to search for true Islam every hundred years. He said, 'Almighty God raises for this community, at the end of every hundred years, the ones who will renew its religion for it.' Sunan Abi Dawoud.

This renewal is to protect the essence of religion from having false things attached to it so that it is not distorted in the sight of people when it comes to practical life.

Islam calls to monotheism or oneness of God, the belief in all the prophets of the Torah, in Jesus and all of his teachings, in addition to the belief in what Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) came with adding to the legacy of previous prophets. Islam does not limit itself to spiritual matters; it also concerns itself with both spiritual and physical matters on the highest levels.

Islam also calls for the unity of human beings regardless of colour, ethnicity or religion as it is said, 'Human beings are brothers and sisters whether they like it or not.'

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) said, 'You will not be a true believer unless you desire for your fellow humans what you desire for yourself.' Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Islam also calls for the establishment of a global state and family. Early Muslims who were raised by Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) in his school were able to unify half of the Old World under one nationality and state while preserving the freedom of religion and social security among all people; the rich helped the poor, and the learned taught the ignorant.

Additionally, under the Islamic understanding of freedom of faith, Islam urges and instructs Muslims to keep and even protect the places of worship of Christians and Jews.

The countries of Al-Sham (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine) were Christian, but when its people found their Christianity in Islam and the Holy Qur'an, they accepted Prophet Muhammad's teachings because he did not command them to desert the teachings of Christ. Islam, on the other hand, gave full freedom to those who insisted on holding on to their Christian or Jewish doctrine to keep and practise their religion.

I work hard with all the power I have to achieve this principle: peace and human brotherhood among all people.

I pray to God that the adherents of Christianity and Judaism understand this fact so that we can work together under the banner of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all, to achieve peace and brotherhood of faith.

Discussion

Question: What change occurred in your life that had the greatest effect on it?

Answer: I took religious education from many teachers, most of whom called to one Islamic school of thought which negated the others, but at the last stage of my studies, my final teacher was my father, Sheikh Muhammad Ameen, may God have mercy upon his soul. He was a great Muslim scholar and a Sufi leader.

He shifted me from a narrow circle to this vast international one in which I am living now. I have found out, in my travels to America, Europe, the Soviet Union and Japan, that the developed world is ready to accept this idea, which is the spirit of the three heavenly religions. I strongly believe that if Abraham, Moses, the prophets of the Torah, Jesus and Muhammad met, they would hug one another and constitute one entity, and reject anyone who did not follow their unity.

Question: Sir, you have talked about the state of respect and mercy which Muslims and Christians lived in in the past. How do you see their relationship at the present time, especially regarding the issue of marriage?

Answer: Here in Syria, we Muslims and Christians live as the children of one family. As for the other part of the question, Islam allows a Muslim to marry a Christian or Jewish woman because when she enters his home, she will find respect for her faith, which guarantees that the happiness of the family will grow. However, Islam prevents a Muslim woman from marrying a Christian or Jewish man lest he hurts her through negating or disrespecting her sacred belief. This might cause dissolution of the family and loss to the children. If a Christian or Jew believes in Muhammad and his message as Muslims believe in Moses and Jesus and their messages, then there would not be any objection to that marriage.

Question: We know that fundamentalism is growing in Christianity. What is the view of Islam regarding this tendency? And why does it grow in Islam as well?

Answer: This movement began during the last ten years. The word “fundamentalism” does not exist either in the Arabic dictionary or that of Islam. Islam always calls for dialogue and forbids the forcing of opinions on others because that distorts the flexibility and ease of Islam, and contradicts freedom of faith, choice and opinion in Islam. Most often, some groups are called fundamentalists when they are not. Some of them call for freedom of citizens and the revival of Islam in this world from a moral viewpoint, so we cannot call such people fundamentalists in the modern terminology.

As for extreme fundamentalists who are against other religions or who want to impose their opinion without any dialogue, they do not have any relation to Islam.

Once a Christian delegation of seventy members came to Prophet Muhammad and wanted to say their prayers. He opened his mosque for them, and they prayed in it.

Dialogue with wisdom and argument in the best way are two basics in Islam. Islam does not allow any person, group or country to impose their opinion on others. Almighty God says in the Holy Qur'an:

“Let there be no compulsion in religion.” T.Q., 2:256.

Islam agrees on freedom and equality of citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Prophet Muhammad said, 'Beware! Anyone who wrongs a non-Muslim citizen, degrades, overburdens or takes anything from him against his will, I will be his opponent on the Day of Judgment.' Sunan Abi Dawoud.

It is narrated in Islamic history that the ruler of Homs (a Syrian city) said to a Christian, 'May God put shame on you.' That ruler realised he had done wrong to the teachings of Islam, so he resigned his post because of his fault.

Question: What does the word 'Mufti' mean? What are your basic interests?

Answer: The Grand Mufti in a Muslim country such as Syria is the head of the Higher Council for Fatwa (formal religious orders or advisory opinions), the head of Muslim clergymen and the upper consultant in Islamic affairs. He is the one who represents Muslims at the official councils. Each city has its mufti. He and his assistants are responsible for teaching Muslims their faith and answering their questions.

As for my current interests, I am working on introducing true Islam to all people. This true Islam makes people as one family whose members are brothers and sisters who cooperate to solve their problems and overcome life's difficulties whether they are concerned with finances, politics, science, health or otherwise.

I have delivered various lectures regarding the unity of religion in its essence and cooperation between Christianity and Islam in Europe, America and Japan.

Question: How do Sunni and Shiite families live in Syria?

Answer: They are like brothers and sisters, living in love and harmony. Islam allows ijtihad (using human reason in interpreting Islamic Law and deducing legal rulings from their authentic sources, which is done by specially qualified scholars). If the scholars differ in their ijtihad, they should all respect one another's opinion. They also perform their prayers in each other's mosques.

Question: I have been so impressed by your reply about fundamentalism, but we have a very important issue which isn't related to the last ten years only; rather it is related to the last fifty years. It is secularism and materialism. What is your point of view regarding materialistic and secular developments?

Answer: The emergence of secularism and materialism is our responsibility as clergymen because we have not been taking religion from its genuine sources. If Muslims take Islam from the Holy Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him), and Christians take their Christianity from Jesus Christ and from the Bible revealed to him, then we would never see one atheist who denies true faith.

These matters have happened through the interpretations and opinions of the clergy. Later generations have been influenced by the thoughts of some earlier clergymen. One of the reasons that have distanced people from the genuine source of religion is that most people in the past used to follow the clergy blindly, without thinking or using their reason.

In recent years, human reason has been freed, and it found out that the faith presented by some clergymen call to what opposes truth, reality and human interest. Some people preferred to abandon religion which did not agree with the interests of human beings. This is what I said to His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1985. In a meeting which lasted for an hour, I asked him, 'Do you know who founded atheism and communism in the world?' He asked, 'Who?' I replied, 'You!' He was shocked saying, 'Me?' I said, 'Yes, you and me with you!' He asked, 'How?' I replied, 'Because we as clergymen have presented religion in a way that current reason cannot accept. This has led some people to contradiction and intellectual and mental torment. They preferred to leave religion and be atheist or secular.'

Unless we Muslims and you Christians return directly to the teachings of Prophets Muhammad and Jesus Christ, atheism will still exist. We as clergymen will be held responsible for that before the divine heavenly court on the Day of Judgment.

After a long dialogue, the meeting was over, and he shook hands with me and said, 'I read the Holy Qur'an every day.' I replied in return that I have the Bible and the Holy Book which I always read.

We as clergymen are responsible for secularism and atheism. They have led people to drugs, intoxicants, Aids and wars. Surely, clergymen bear a big responsibility even in our current age.

Question: You have talked about tolerance and said that there is no compulsion in religion, but how can we understand that with what we hear about jihad?

Answer: Jihad in Islam is not directed against religions or peoples. When the Holy Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad called to jihad, it was a struggle against the Byzantine colonisation in the west, and the Persian one in the east. The aim of jihad was against tyrants and dictatorial rulers who retarded their peoples. The teachings and duties of Islam demand the spread of knowledge to all people. Countries in the Dark Ages restricted reading, writing and knowledge to statesmen and nobility. When Islam freed people, it obliged them all to seek knowledge. That is why a lot of Muslim geniuses in different disciplines of knowledge were from those peoples as well as Arabs, so they shared the honour of spreading knowledge.

In the very same time when Islam fought colonial countries, it kept the creeds and places of worship of people, so when they saw Islamic Law in its reality, they accepted and converted to Islam willingly and wholeheartedly.

Islam commands the Muslim State to help jobless Christians and Jews and provide them with all means of living.

It also guarantees old people sufficient social security even if they do not believe in the religion of the Muslim State.

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(T.Q. = Translation of the meanings of the Holy Qur'an)

(Peace Be upon Him = May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and may Allah exalt his mention and raise his position more and more)

When man is driven by a true religious inspiration and incentive, he automatically generates within himself the desire towards good, thus adorning himself in a highly moral attire and exhibiting an exemplary character and attributes. This incentive convinces its owner that religion, in its most basic form, is character and behavior. Such an upright conduct brings contentment to its owner both in the worldly life and in the hereafter. We call this incentive the conscience.

When man is driven by a true religious inspiration and incentive, he automatically generates within himself the desire towards good, thus adorning himself in a highly moral attire and exhibiting an exemplary character and attributes. This incentive convinces its owner that religion, in its most basic form, is character and behavior. Such an upright conduct brings contentment to its owner both in the worldly life and in the hereafter. We call this incentive the conscience.

This truth was asserted by the Prophets of old and especially by Abraham, the father of monotheism. Islam reveres all of these Prophets including not only Abraham, who is the father of the Arabs as well as of the Jews, but also Moses and Jesus Christ. The Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad--may peace and blessings be upon him, his family and his companions, was the last of this long line of Prophets and Islam is the last religion until the Day of Judgement. It is the final expression of the Abrahamic tradition. One should in fact properly speak of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, for Islam shares with the other Abrahamic religions their sacred history, the basic ethical teachings contained in the Ten Commandments and above all, belief in the One God. And it renews and repeats the true beliefs of Jews and Christians whose scriptures are mentioned as divinely revealed books in Islam's own sacred book, the Qur'an.

This address is a continuation of a long history of dialogue among the people of revealed religions. Allah has favored them with His service and granted them guidance with the light of His remembrance, thus uniting them into a brotherhood and spreading through them all good and mercy.

Though there were prophets before Abraham, it was the will of Allah that the later generation of prophets be his offspring. For that reason Abraham became the friend of Allah and a spiritual symbol around whom the people of faith flocked. The great succession of these prophets after Abraham called for the message of Allah, each paving the way for the next one, in accordance with Allah's divine decree. Thus, at each stage of human history no group of people were left without divine instruction.

Allah has made us brothers under the banner of Abraham. He has shown us our various rites and rituals and guided us on the right path. He has laid upon our shoulders the responsibility for human brotherhood and social reform. He has urged us to exert our best efforts for the establishment of peace, compassion and universal humanness:

Congratulations be to the peacemakers, for they are called the children of God.

Holy Quran: Allah says:

Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it. And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it. T.Q., Sura 99, The Convulsion, verses 78.

Peace education may be spread to the new generations by planting the seeds of love and high moral values taught by prophets. This play is an attempt to spread this message.

As you know, God sent Prophets and Messengers who were the elite of mankind, selected by Him to shoulder the responsibility of bringing happiness to man, regardless of color, disposition, race, or wealth, consequently bringing peace to all creation. This selected elite came with true knowledge, enlightenment and high moral values. They called for abandoning divisiveness and conflict. They transcended the souls of men to the rank of angels, so that the earth became a paradise for the faithful to live on before going on to the Paradise in Heaven.

The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him) summarized his message by saying: I have been raised as a teacher, I have been raised to complete the high moral values. The Quran also explained the message of Prophet Muhammad in the verse that reads:

He it is Who has sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of their own to recite unto them His revelations, and to purify them and teach them the Scripture and wisdom though heretofore they were indeed in error manifest. T.Q., Sura 62, The Friday, verse 2.

World peace occupies a great and serious position in Islam. All heavenly messages, prophets and messengers were not sent but to make world peace and to raise its permanent banner along with the ideals that Islam calls for. Peace in Islam is neither a personal matter nor a national goal. It is a global, comprehensive and ever lasting one. Prophets and messengers all participated in building the structure of peace, which was completed by the message of the noble Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he said, 'The likeness of me and the other prophets before me is that of a man who built a house and beautified it except for a place of one brick in a corner. People went around it and wondered at its beauty, but said, “If only this brick were put in its place!” So I am that brick, and I am the final prophet.

Heavenly messages were concluded by his message, and the divine plan was completed by him not only to achieve eternal human peace, but also brotherhood, cooperation and happiness for all humanity.

We can see this fact in the Holy Qur'an when God addresses Prophet Muhammad saying: “We have not sent you save as a mercy for all creation.” T.Q., 21:107.

peace needs knowledge, rational faith, faithful intellect and educating ourselves with the best of morals. To achieve all that we need a world troika consisting of

1. University academics who are sincere and devoted to peace and humanity

2. Rational, progressive and reforming clergy

3. Devoted and sincere politicians.

In this troika, each one has to work sincerely to establish peace by putting in place the practical, scientific and world plan for peace.

Every work in this life starts with an idea and ends with a practical reality. An Arab poet wrote:

A human being is nothing but an intellect.

Paradise will result when thinking right:

Not bones, flesh or skin.

Hell is the result of thinking wrong.

We absolutely need to prepare the media and all requirements for achieving world peace. Thus, we move from words to actions and from ideas to reality.

Whenever man examines his universe closely, he will inevitably reach the conclusion that there is an Omnipotent Creator. The universe is an integrated, well-organized system, proving the existence of an Organizer, a Ruling, Consummate Mind. Now that we are able to explore outer space, we see even more clearly the magnitude of God's creation and the position of man within it. Man's intellect comprehends more than just physical observations; it is able to perceive the spiritual aspects of the universe as well.

Whenever man examines his universe closely, he will inevitably reach the conclusion that there is an Omnipotent Creator. The universe is an integrated, well organized system, proving the existence of an Organizer, a Ruling, Consummate Mind. Now that we are able to explore outer space, we see even more clearly the magnitude of God's creation and the position of man within it. Man's intellect comprehends more than just physical observations; it is able to perceive the spiritual aspects of the universe as well.

Divine compassion is revealed as it comes to mankind through certain individuals, upon whom Allah has bestowed a spiritual capacity, that makes them capable of receiving the underlying secrets of the universe and its mysteries through their souls and transmitting it to others. We call these people prophets and apostles.

Mankind suffers in this century from the atrocities of his own hand work, such as extreme poverty and ignorance. He agitates his sorry situation further by exposing his fellow man to the vices of pornography and the misuse of narcotics, and as such destroys the fabric of his societies. These selfinflicted diseases narrow the horizons of men, who would otherwise aspire to more aesthetic goals of hope and optimism, given the opportunity, instead of these which bring such despair and anguish.

Environmental Education in Islam

Environmental Education

in Islam

His Eminence's speech, the Islamic action paper

discussed during

The Global Forum on Environment and

Development for Human Survival

Moscow, USSR

15–19 January 1990

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In the name of God,

the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise be to God, the Cherisher, Fosterer and Sustainer of all worlds, the Lord of all creation. Best greetings and blessings be upon all prophets and messengers, and their households and companions.

The Earth's environment constitutes a coherent unit in which human beings form one of its elements. Human beings are the masters of this environment for Almighty God created them in the best of moulds and endowed them with mental and physical abilities, one of which is to adapt continuously to different situations to achieve happiness in this worldly life and salvation in the Hereafter. Thus, they have deserved to be vicegerents and trustees on this earth, entrusted with the mission of constructing it and changing it for the better. On the other hand, they are responsible for the abilities granted by God, Who has willed that they have both good and evil.

Despite the power of reason and desire for good, humans are weak creatures. They can be overcome by ego and lust, which might blind them to truth and draw them away from God's path, through which they can accommodate themselves to the laws of the environment that God created. Consequently, through ignorance or lust, they might misuse it and harm themselves. Almighty God says:

“Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens, the earth and all beings in them would have surely become corrupt.” T.Q., 23:71.[1]

That is why it was necessary to have a divine law to show people the way to conform to nature and its divine laws.

Islam began by making humans aware of their reality so as to stop them from transgressing or wronging themselves or their surroundings. God demands that humans adhere to the principle of servitude to Him. He says:

“I have only created the jinn and humans so that they may worship Me. I demand no sustenance of them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, God alone is the Provider of all sustenance, the Owner of power, the Invincible.” T.Q., 51:56–58.

Servitude means obedience, and obedience means commitment to God's commands and avoidance of what He has forbidden. Almighty God says:

“Whoever purifies it (the soul by obeying God) will surely succeed, and whoever corrupts it, will surely fail.” T.Q., 91:9–10.

Islam also demands a firm link with God, both in secret and public. It also employs the method of invitation and intimidation — reward and punishment — to reach faith as that also implies a constructive and correct human behaviour.

When Islam encourages all good for both the human and natural environments, it imposes many penalties for misusing or damaging it in any way. This constitutes a permanent control over human behaviour and directs it towards doing good, being generous and making sacrifices, and draws it away from sin and evil. This forms one of the pillars of environmental protection in Islam.

Honoured audience, a history of positive Muslim-Christian co-existence in Al-Sham persists and should be protected to grow mutually. Such forums, meetings, discourses and conventions should be fruitful for the benefit of all people in this honoured country.

I have thrown light on some major incidents and landmarks, hoping to push Muslim-Christian principles of coexistence forward for the betterment of all peoples and to establish a bright new future, taking into consideration the following remarks:

1. Muslims and Christians in our homeland and abroad should try to preserve the positive coexistence based on mutual recognition and respect. The saying 'Cancelling the other' is rejected.

2. Futile arguments between Muslims and Christians must be ended. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not have such arguments; on the contrary, he made dialogue with the Christians of Najran implementing the Qur'anic verse:

“Do not dispute with the people of the Scriptures except in a way that is better.” T.Q., 29:46.

Both Muslims and Christians must seek to confront any seeds of discord and division so that no place is made for any outsider to devastate our communities.

Muslims and Christians must band together against Zionist arrogance, which allows for the seizing of Arab lands, Jerusalem in particular, by force and aggression, resulting in the tyrannical oppression of the followers of Islam and Christianity, depriving them of their religious and human rights by using 'cleansing' practices, which wipe out the historical and religious identity of the Arab lands.

Muslims and Christians together must confront every kind of pressure exercised by an entity that attempts to devastate the religious and human freedoms of any human being or to exploit people's basic needs in order to dominate nations or minorities.

The whole world today lives in an extreme crisis from many perspectives and on many levels.

Therefore, all people, particularly the followers of the heavenly religions, should seriously cooperate with deliberate consideration and hard work to solve this crisis through the following steps:

Confronting the danger of famine, poverty, ignorance and backwardness throughout the world.

Confronting natural catastrophes, and helping those afflicted and injured by earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.

Fighting all kinds of crimes and sectarian sedition, and putting an end to the religious and ethnic cleansing and genocide practised by some groups.

Confronting the danger of the moral and behavioural dilemmas and corruption that threaten human beings, starting with individuals and families and ending with societies.

a) Confronting the dangerous spread of plagues and deadly contagious diseases.

b) Urging the countries that possess economic and technical powers to direct their capabilities towards serving human society and to abandon the arms race.

c) Confronting the danger of some major world powers that attempt to control and exploit peoples' natural resources by military and economic force.

d) Protecting the environment from all kinds of destruction, depletion and pollution.

e) Doing our best to prevent the possession, maintenance and spread of nuclear weapons, and particularly to make the Middle East a nuclear-weapons-free zone.

f) Working hard to prevent the manufacture and spread of chemical and biological weapons

g) Exerting our joint efforts to urge governments to introduce international legislation under the supervision of the United Nations to control scientific research in the areas of genetic modification, cloning and production of cross-bred animals and plants and those augmented by dangerous hormones.

We also must establish the regulations that ensure a danger-free future for humankind.

In conclusion, I would like to pray that God, the Most High, would preserve the blessings of security and the good co-existence of Muslims and Christians under the patronage of the wise leadership of President Hafez Al-Assad, who always sponsored, encouraged and supported this co-existence and love between the followers of the two universal Messages, Islam and Christianity, acting upon the Holy Qur'an's teachings and Jesus Christ's message.

He is a loving father to his people, Muslims and Christians alike, and a role model that is perpetually keen on having all people live in complete harmony and constructive cooperation according to the instructions of these heavenly Messages.

May God guide us to what benefits all peoples and countries. All praise be to God, the Lord of all Worlds, and may God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you all.

(T.Q. = Translation of the meanings of the Holy Qur'an)
(pbuh = May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and may Allah exalt his mention and raise his position more and more)