Why Do So Many People Embrace Islam in Today's Times ?
Q1. Is Islam a cult? I don't
understand how this religion can be embraced by so many. It's inconceivable that
such hatred has ever been collected in a single population such as that which
calls itself Muslim. Mohammad, and indeed, his followers, are way off the path.
Stop your attacks on non-Muslims. John Guerra
Ans. The two
meanings of the word 'cult' according to the Oxford dictionary are as follows:
1) "A way of life, an attitude, an idea etc. that has
become very popular".
2) "A small group of people who have extreme religious beliefs and who are not
part of any established religion".
By referring to Islam as a cult, if you intend to imply the first meaning, then
yes Islam is a way of life - in fact it is 'THE way of life' prescribed for
humankind by the Creator. I am aware that most widely, the second meaning of the
word cult is implied. In that context, Islam is not a cult.
Many people have a misconception that Islam is a new religion and Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) was the founder of Islam. However, let me clarify that Islam is
not the name of some unique religion presented for the first time by Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) who should, on that account be called the founder of Islam.
The Qur'an states that Islam - the complete submission of man before his One and
Only Unique Creator - is the One and Only faith and way of life consistently
revealed by God to humankind from the very beginning. Noah, Solomon, David,
Abraham, Moses, Isaac and Jesus (pbut) - prophets who appeared at different
times and places - all propagated the same faith and conveyed the same message
of Tawheed (Oneness of God), Risaalat (Prophethood) and Aakhirah (the
Hereafter). These prophets of God were not founders of different religions to be
named after them. They were each reiterating the message and faith of their
predecessors.
However, Muhammad (pbuh) was the last Prophet of God. God revived through him
the same genuine faith which had been conveyed by all His Prophets. This
original message was earlier corrupted and split into various religions by
people of different ages, who indulged in interpolations and admixture. These
alien elements were eliminated by God, and Islam - in its pure and original form
- was transmitted to humankind through PProphet Muhammad (pbuh).
Since there was to be no messenger after Muhammad (pbuh), the Book revealed to
him (i.e. the Glorious Qur'an) was preserved word for word so that it should be
a source of guidance for all times.
Thus the religion of all the prophets was 'total
submission to God's will' and one word for that in the Arabic language is
'Islam'. Abraham and Jesus (peace be upon them) too were Muslims, as Allah
testifies in Al-Qur'an 3:67 and 3:52 respectively.
Islam is embraced by so many humans in all centuries because it is the Truth and
it provides practical and comprehensive solutions to problems of humankind.
Islam not only teaches good things but also shows practical ways of achieving
that state of goodness.
Your surprise regarding many people embracing Islam is justified. Today, though
Islam happens to be the fastest growing religion in the world, it also happens
to be the religion about which people have maximum number of misconceptions.
This is largely because of the virulent propaganda by the media about Islam.
A Christian surveyor, Professor Edward reported in the
Time Magazine of April 16, 1979 that in a span of 150 years, from 1800 CE to
1950 CE "over 60,000 books have been written against Islam by the Christian
West." Now, it is questionable, who has initiated, nurtured and collected the
hatred which you have referred to, the Muslims or the Christian West?
Many are surprised that despite such propaganda being made against Islam, it
still happens to be the fastest growing religion in today's times. It is so, on
the merits of its superior and noble teachings. Says Allah swt in the Glorious
Qur'an:
"They (the non-Muslim enemies and critics of Islam) plot
and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah".
(Al-Qur'an 8:30)
You have advised the Muslims not to attack non-Muslims; I request you to direct
your advice to those authorities, who only claim to be 'peaceful, peace-loving
people' and 'peace-keepers of the world', but ironically have attacked thousands
of innocent Muslims under the theme 'War on terror'. The noted writer Arundhati
Roy states: "So now we know. Pigs are horses. Girls are boys. War is Peace."
The terrorist acts attributed to Muslim suspects, should not be attributed to
Islam or the Muslims in general but to individual human weaknesses. Such human
failings occur among all religious and ethnic groups. Recorded history has not
witnessed an incident similar to the 'Holocaust'. However, one is not expected
to and should not attribute the holocaust to Christianity or to Christians in
general.
A number of skeptics have made comments about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Skeptics
allege that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was "a violent man, a man of war". Some
further state that "Jesus set the example for love, as did Moses ... Muhammad
set an opposite example" (remember Jerry Falwell?). These skeptics somehow fail
to realize that far from being a man of war, "...he (Muhammad) must be called
the saviour of humanity", as described thus by George Bernard Shaw.
Though the portrayal of Moses and Jesus (pbuh) of being peace-loving people is
fully in accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an, the Biblical testimony is
contrary to it. Many quotations from these Biblical testimonies can be given to
substantiate this claim, but considering the length of the answer, I will simply
furnish ONE incident that will prove my point, because in this ONE incident, no
less than three thousand people were killed by the sword at the command of
Biblical Moses. We read:
"(Moses said): 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go
back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his
brother and friend and neighbour'. The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that
day about three thousand of the people died." (Exodus 32:27-28, NIV)
It is also a well-known fact that the total number of deaths that took place in
ALL the wars fought during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was 1018. The
biblical quotation given above and many such quotations appear to escape the
grasp of those who allege against Muhammad (pbuh), further ignoring the words of
Jesus:
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement
ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again."
(Matthew 7:1-2 KJV)
Dr. Zakir Naik