religion.61.DO YOU THINK POLITICAL ISLAM IS COMPATIBLE WITH WESTERN VALUES?Political Islam is based on a self-interpretation and has nothing to do with Islam. Political Islam rests

Islam and PeaceIn the tenth chapter of the Quran, there is a verse which says, ‘And God calls you to the home of peace and guides whosoever He wills to the straight path’ (The Quran, 10:25). This and other

other similar verses tell us that the final goal of Islam is peace in this world as well as in the next. Those who continue to strive for peace, along with those who finally attain it, are of the elect

peace’ that is, the world to come. The real basis of that peace, which Islam is so anxious to foster, is monotheism. In the Islamic context, this concept emphasizes not only the singleness of the deity

strength began to be pitted against their own people. Islam, once a binding force, now became the banner under which internal battles were fought. Having experienced ten long years of strife and conflict

the Muslims were reunited in the year 41 A.H. And for that reason, it is known in the history of Islam as the year of reunion. This blessing of unity came to the Muslims through Hasan ibn ‘Ali about whom

spread of Islam. The caravan of Islam once again after a delay of ten years set out on the path of progress. The reign of Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (40-60 A.H.) witnessed the spread of Islam to an extent

published in 1843. It carried a foreword by way of introduction to Islamic teaching, which, inter alia, stated that “the fatal point in Islam is the degradation of woman.”1 This ill-considered observation

Muhammad Ahmad-Shah Bano divorce case. To interpret the Islamic concept of woman as “degradation” of woman is to distort the actual issue. Islam has never asserted that woman is inferior to man: it has

pointing out the difference between the nail and the eye. If all the laws relating to men and women in Islam are

bribe him to stop propagating Islam. The opposition became relentless and even Abu Talib, his uncle, who was his guardian and protector, pleaded with him to abandon Islam. Prophet Muhammad replied that

that even if the people opposing Islam were to place the sun in his right hand and the moon in his left hand, he would not stop propagating Islam.The Prophet’s Letters to the KingsThe Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad sent letters to neighbouring kings inviting them and their people to Islam. Among the rulers who were sent letters were Heracleus of the Byzantine Empire; Negus, the ruler of Abyssinia; Maquqas

Muslim jurisprudence that emerged after the Prophet’s time. During this period, many people embraced Islam. They brought with them their mind-sets and previous beliefs. Many learnt the Arabic language and

fiqh or Muslim jurisprudence. With their earlier beliefs, they unconsciously introduced into the Islamic tradition many issues not present at the time of the Prophet’s Companions. And to support these,

attempt to explain the whole in the light of a part—which is not at all possible. According to Islam, that person is most precious who leads his life in this world in such a manner that despite facing

by which to interpret human history is neither that of predeterminism nor of freedom. According to Islam, there is only one correct principle to interpret human history and that is the principle of ‘test’

yet this suffering, or evil, is a very small price to pay for a very precious thing. According to Islam, that person is most precious who leads his life in this world in such a manner that despite facing

converted to Islam. And that miracle took place which has been described by an Orientalist in these words: “The religion of Muslims has conquered where their arms had failed.” 6. Islamic history took

and other Islamic sciences came into existence on a large scale after a long period of great struggle. All the precious books which adorn our libraries, all the classical literature of Islam is the result

only to the Quran in Islam. These traditions now exist in the form of printed books. These books are so precious that, without them, it would not have been possible to develop Islam into a complete system

a by-product of the Islamic revolution, gave us modern communications. The advent of this new age made it possible for the first time in human history for the propagation of Islam to be carried out on

number of new arguments in support of Islamic beliefs. Prior to this revolution the da‘is of Islam could resort only to traditional arguments in support of the truth of Islam. But today it has become possible

possible to For detail, see Islam the Creator of the Modern Age by the author.

of the 1920s came to be called fundamentalists. The term “fundamentalism” began to be applied to Islamic resurgence by the final quarter of the twentieth century. However, this term was not used for Muslims

among scholars. However, without going into the details of this, I would like to say that the term Islamic fundamentalism is applied to two different kinds of movements. One is like that of the Muslim Brotherhood

of the Islamic fundamentalism, that of Ibn Taimya is to put an end to additions and innovations (bid‘a) in religious matters and to replace them with the sunnah, the original form of the Islamic Shariah