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Islam: A
Religion of Peace? By Saleem Ahmed, Ph.D. Publication Date February 2009
Moving Pen Publishers, Inc. - ISBN 978-0-9717655-3-5 – Hardbound - Contact Us Online
Here Is What Reviewers Say . . . “For anyone who has questioned why the Qur'an has verses appearing to advocate violence or war, this is the book you must read. Ahmed explains it all.” -- Asma Gull Hasan, Author, Why I Am a Muslim and American Muslims: The New Generation From The Foreword (“Four Words”) “For Ahmed, Islam must be read contextually and historically, instead of as frozen categories from the distant past. To his great credit, Ahmed will make unconscious believers and orientalists unhappy.” -- Prof. Suhail Inayatullah, Tamkang University, Taiwan, Univ. of Sunshine Coast, Australia, and www.metafuture.org.
“The problem is that both lovers of peace and makers of war can point to verses in the Qur’an that support their position. By focusing on commonalities rather than differences, we can all work together toward a more peaceful world.” -- Judith V. Hepfer, Honolulu, Hawaii.
“While Islam is a religion of peace, whether Muslims are peaceful depends, to a large extent, on whether they follow the Qur’an’s context-specific war guidance (even out of context), or its peace guidance having universal applicability.” -- Prof. Wasim Siddiqui, Honolulu, Hawaii.
“Saleem’s bold suggestion . . . should encourage followers of other religions – especially Judaism and Christianity – to also view context-specific (war) passages in their sacred texts as being superseded by those (peace passages) having universal applicability.” -- Garry Prather, Carlsbad, California. Readers ask - How can Islam be a Religion of Peace when -The Qur’an requires Muslims to kill “unbelievers”? -The Qur’an promises paradise to Muslims who die “killing unbelievers”? -Suicide bombers go about killing innocent people indiscriminately? -Extremist Muslims have threatened to re-enact 9/11 many times over? -We don’t hear of moderate Muslims (if there are any) speaking against their extremist fellow-religionists?
Readers don’t know - How
Can Islam be a Religion Of War when -The Qur’an enjoins Muslims to “invite all to the Way of Your Lord with Wisdom and beautiful preaching and discuss with them in manners most gracious (Qur’an 16:125);”
-The Qur’an affirms that Muslims can eat with and intermarry with “People of the Book” (Jews, Christians and other believing in the Eternal Being);
-The Qur’an affirms God sent messengers all over the world, all of whom are to be respected equally, and Muhammad clarified God sent 124,000 messengers the world over, with reformers to come every century (see the right hand flap).
Get answers to these and other questions troubling you about this religion followed by one-fifth of humanity
SOME KEY POINTS
“Mixed Signals” In The Qur’an? 1. Both peace verses and war verses exist in the Qur’an, the Muslim sacred text. The former echo the book’s proactive ethos; the latter, temporary shifts in guidance when prophet Muhammad was under attack.
2. The message on spirituality remained unchanged throughout Muhammad’s 23-year ministry; that on temporal matters shifted as his status changed from “fugitive” seeking followers to “statesman and warrior”leading a nation.
Challenge Muslims Face 3. The Qur’an is not arranged chronologically; context of revelation of many verses also remains unclear. For example, prohibition against trusting Jews and Christians (revealed around 622 CE) and permission to eat with and intermarry with them (632 CE) occur 46 verses apart in the same surah (chapter), and in reverse chronological order.
4. Some Muslims believe Muhammad had instructed his followers on the arrangement of verses; others believe this was done later. Perhaps both occurred to varying degrees.
Implications 5. With the context of revelations unclear, individual Muslims select whichever guidance suits their pre-determined agenda. The two “faces of Muslims” are contrasted by comparing peace writings of two American Muslim organizations (Chapter 5) with war writings of Saudi Arabia’s former chief justice (Chapter 6). With each side painstakingly presenting Qur’anic guidance supporting its position but ignoring the “other,” objective readers find it difficult to understand the Qur’an’s “bottom line.” (Question: Do the former chief justice’s writings represent the official Saudi view?)
6. While Muslims generally follow the Qur’an’s peace path, a minority, including the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, follow its “war path” to “fight unbelievers, rectify injustices, and gain martyrdom” via their "jihad (holy wars)."
Solution 7. The Qur’an affirms it was revealed “in stages,” with later guidance on any subject superseding earlier guidance. Since the last guidance Muhammad received (632 CE) “perfected” the religion, gave it the name Islam (peace) and permitted Muslims to eat with and intermarry with the “People of the Book,” this should now become the Muslim paradigm.
Future 8. The Qur’an’s declaration that God sent messengers to all nations of the world (124,000 per Muhammad), requires Muslims to consider followers of all spiritual paths as “People of the Book.” This inspired formation in Hawaii of the All Believers Network (Belnet) (www.AllBelievers.net). People worldwide are invited to join Belnet and participate in an international interfaith conference in Hawaii in 2011. Encouraged by the Hawaii state legislature, this will explore spiritual commonalities across religions and reflect on how we can move from exclusion to inclusion in our respective faiths. TABLE OF CONTENTS
FRONT MATTER Some Key Points Chronology and Context of Revelation of some Peace and War Verses: Summary Glossary Acknowledgments
FOREWORD (“Four Words”) PREFACE
WAR AND PEACE GUIDANCE IN MUSLIM SACRED TEXTS: SUMMARY Chapter 1A. Some Peace Verses and Hadeeth Chapter 1B. Some War Verses and Hadeeth
CONTEXT OF REVELATION Chapter 2. Sociocultural Setting in Which the Prophet Lived and Preached Chapter 3. Some Peace Verses and Hadeeth of Universal Applicability Chapter 4. Some War Verses and Hadeeth of Limited Applicability
DATA INTERPRETATION Chapter 5. Some Muslim Writings Promoting Chapter 6. Some Muslim Writings Distorting Islam as “Religion of War”
IMPLICATIONS FOR MUSLIMS Chapter 7. Using Peace or War Guidance Exclusively Type One Psyche (Peaceful and broad-minded) Type Two Psyche (Belligerent and intolerant) MOVING FROM VIOLENCE TO PEACE Chapter 8. Superseded Qur’anic Verses?
A QUR’AN-BASED FUTURE Chapter 9. Qur’an’s Lesser Traveled Path A. Universality of God’s Message B. All Believers’s Network (Belnet) Chapter 10. Reinforcing “Peaceful Islam”
APPENDIX. INFORMATION SOURCES MUSLIMS USE (Qur’an and hadeeth)
REFERENCES
INDEX
PACIFIC INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES (PIIS) (pronounced “peace”)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Returning to Pakistan in 1965 with Yasmin, Saleem first taught soil science at the University of Karachi, then spent the next eight years with the Esso Pakistan Fertilizer Co., Ltd., with his last position as Technical Services Advisor. As an agronomist, Saleem was intimately associated with the first phase of research and development leading to Pakistan’s Green Revolution. Saleem spent the next 22 years with the East-West Center, Honolulu, led their Botanical Pest Control project, and introduced to Hawaii South Asia’s neem tree (renowned for its pharmaceutical and safe pest-control properties). Currently he works as a financial specialist.
Dismayed by how some Muslims were maligning Islam, Saleem started studying the Qur’an and hadeeh during the Iranian hostage crisis (1979-80). His findings led to the publication of his first book on Islam, Beyond Veil and Holy War: Islamic Teachings and Muslim Practices with Biblical Comparisons (2002). Encouraged by the positive response he received from moderate Muslims and non-Muslims – and simultaneously dismayed by the more recent extremist Muslim actions via suicide bombings and disruption of life in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, Saleem was prompted write this second book. With the general support he has received for the founding of the Pacific Institute of Islamic Studies (PIIS), we should expect other books from him and colleagues investigating other aspects of Muslim life, including interfaith thinking and action.
Saleem’s diverse publications include: Scrabble(R) Word- Building Book, co-authored with his wife and both daughters (Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster, 1991); Handbook of Plants with Pest-Control Properties, co-authored with Michael Grainge (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1988); and Agriculture-Fertilizer Interface in Asia: Issues of Growth and Sustainability (Oxford & IBH Publishers, New Delhi, 1995). He has contributed chapters to several professional publications, including the National Research Council’s book NEEM: A Tree for Solving Global Problems (National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1992).
Saleem periodically teaches courses on Islam and Financial Planning at the University of Hawaii and elsewhere in the community. His multi-cultural outlook inspired him to conceive of the Association for Promoting South Asian Culture (Milun), and the All Believers Network (Belnet), both of which are active community groups in Hawaii. He currently also hosts Interfaith Conversations, a program on ‘Olelo, Hawaii Public TV (Channel 49/52). Very much a “people person” Saleem enjoys learning about others and trying to see the world from their perceptions of reality.
Islam: A Religion of Peace? by Saleem Ahmed, Ph.D.
Moving Pen Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-0-9717655-3-5 P.O. Box 25155, Honolulu, HI 96825, USA.
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Saleem
Ahmed was born in India, raised in Pakistan, and now lives in Hawaii. He
considers all three his home. He earned his M.S. degree in Geology at the
University of Karachi in 1961 and his doctorate in Soil Science from the
University of Hawaii in 1965, on a scholarship awarded by the East-West
Center. The other “degree” he obtained in Hawaii was his wife, the former
Carol Matsumoto, nicknamed Yasmin (after her Japanese middle name, Yasuko).