Answer
Salam (Peace) Dear Adrian,
Thank you very much for your sincere inquiry about Islam.
Please find part one of the answer to your question below. Find the second part at the link here and the third and final part at the link here.
In the first place, I would like to say that you have been successful in discovering from your study, one of the most important aspects of Islam, namely its tolerance towards other religions.
This is indeed to your credit that you have been able to get at the truth of the matter, especially when one considers the kind of orchestrated propaganda carried out by vested interests against the religion of Islam.
The basis of the tolerance of Islam is its emphasis on the Oneness of God. It means that The Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe is One; that all humans whether white or black, brown or yellow are of equal status before God.
It means that all the so-called monotheistic religions are basically one, since their origin is the guidance sent down by the One and Only God.
It may be surprising for many non-Muslims to know that the Muslims honor all the prophets of God, including Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Muslims have to respect all these prophets, just as they respect the last prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him).
For this reason, no Muslim can do what many Christian leaders are repeatedly doing: maligning a prophet of God and His religion!
This brings us to the questions that may naturally arise when one reads the misconceptions and distorted image, which some missionaries repeat in order to make people shy away from Islam. One may wonder what the grounds for so much of animosity are. In fact there are a few reasons:
- Islam is the only religion that has come after Christianity, posing a real challenge to its supremacy.
- Only Islam has questioned the basic tenets of Christianity, such as the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, and his atoning death on the cross.
- In the past centuries, wherever there was a confrontation between Islam and Christianity at the ideological level, it was mostly Islam that has won.
- In the contemporary world, even by conservative estimates, Islam is gaining over Christianity as the fastest growing religion.
The enemies of Islam imagine that the tide in favor of Islam can be reversed by certain concerted efforts on their side. So, they are together in unleashing a war against Islam on all fronts. Also, September 11 has provided them enough ammunition against the resurgence of Islam, especially in the West.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the propagandists do not normally attack any of the fundamentals of Islam, such as:
- The Oneness of God
- The progressive revelation of divine guidance through the scriptures, culminating in the Last Testament (the Quran)
- The inevitability of divine judgment on the basis of belief and action.
As for the Muslim criticism, it is invariably on the contemporary fundamental beliefs of Christianity, which are in fact deviations from the original teachings of Jesus. This is while the Christian detractors concentrate on vituperation.
Some do claim that the messenger of Islam was “a terrorist”. They base this charge on the fact that the Prophet Muhammad fought many battles. This is although many other prophets of the Bible fought wars too. They also criticize the fact that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had nine wives.
This is while it is also a fact that Abraham, David, and Solomon (pbut) had numerous wives as well. Of course, Jesus did not marry; but can we say that this is sufficient reason to disapprove of marriage or even polygamy?
Now, let me move to the idea that “the Quran demands that all Muslims kill all non-Muslims.” What could be more self-contradictory than saying that Muslims are enviting non-Muslims to Islam, while at the same time asking Muslims to kill all non-Muslims?
A reflection of that matter will clear this misunderstanding. The Prophet started preaching Islam in Makkah, being only one man in the midst of all those polytheists. How could he convert all those supporters to make Arabia almost completely Muslim, if his policy had been killing non-Muslims?!
He was not a king or a ruler; but he became the unquestioned ruler of Arabia; and every letter of the Book of God he gave them became law.
Was it out of the fear of being killed that all those non-Muslims embraced Islam? And would it have been possible ever since for his religion to be continuously gaining over Christianity, which is originally a religion of mercy, unless people have seen in Islam an ever-greater mercy?
The point is that it was not the religion of Moses or Jesus Christ that Muhammad was trying to replace.
It was the misinterpretations and the distortions that happened to their religion that Muhammad wanted to replace, back to their original authentic teachings.
In fact, his mission was to restore the pure religion of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus (peace be upon them all). The Islamic view of the earlier religions is clear from the following verses of the Quran:
{He has made plain to you of the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh (Noah) and that which We have revealed to you and that which We enjoined upon Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) that keep to obedience and be not divided therein; hard to the unbelievers is that which you call them to; Allah chooses for Himself whom He pleases, and guides to Himself him who turns [to Him], frequently.
[…]
To this then go on inviting, and go on steadfastly on the right way as you are commanded, and do not follow their low desires, and say: I believe in what Allah has revealed of the Book, and I am commanded to do justice between you: Allah is our Lord and your Lord; we shall have our deeds and you shall have your deeds; no plea need there be [now] between us and you: Allah will gather us together, and to Him is the return.} (Quran 42:13-15)
If these are the teachings of the Holy Quran, how can anyone believe that it dictated Muslims to kill non-Muslims?!
Please continue reading the second part at the link here.
And please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links: