Encouraging Righteousness and Discouraging Wrong: Responding to Extremism in Islam

By Leslie Terebessy

Muslims consider the Book of Allah - the Quran - as "revelation from God." It is treated as the exact words of God. The Book is a reiteration of the preceding revelations. These were originally recorded in the uncorrupted Tawrat and Injeel. While the Book of Allah does not bring anything different, it rectifies a few misperceptions regarding the preceding revelations. As all revelations from God, the Book of Allah explains the role and purpose of life. It explains people's relationship to the Creator. We are expected to follow the revelation. We follow revelation as unassisted reason is not equipped to provide answers to all questions pertaining to existence. Following the revelation of God requires using reason to understand revelation. It requires refraining from all sins and crimes, and being righteous at all times. We possess free will. Revelation and reason to understand revelation enable us to do the right thing and refrain from wrongdoing. For "Allah does not love wrongdoers." We are asked to believe in Allah, the Day of Accountability and in the hereafter. We are rewarded or punished on the Day of Accountability. We enter paradise or the fire depending on the way we lived. We are asked to assist the orphans and those requiring assistance. We are asked to practice justice and fairness, and refrain from all misdeeds. We are asked to respect the boundaries of Allah, which prohibit taking life without just cause, adultery, theft and slander. There is a category of acts that, while not unlawful, are nevertheless reprehensible and thus to be avoided. These encompass actions that we would think of as "unethical" or "immoral." They encompass backbiting and gossiping. There is a category of acts that, while not required, are nonetheless encouraged. These encompass kindness and politeness. Islam teaches that there is no compulsion in religion. But militant ulema assert us that persons that change their religion are to be killed. The ulema empower persons to enforce the punishment. They empower random persons to act as judge, jury and executioner. Is this fair? Is this in accordance with the teaching of Islam? It is not. For Allah prohibited taking a person's life without just cause. Does apostasy amount to a just cause? If it does not, then killing an apostate is murder and the perpetrator must be punished accordingly. To take a person's life without just cause is analogous to taking the life of all humanity. Where do the ulema find to audacity to legislate differently from what Allah prescribed? Are they suggesting they legislate better than Allah? For the Book of Allah does not prescribe the death penalty for leaving Islam. Apostasy is a sin, not a crime. What is taking place? Is there a politicization of religion? Upon what grounds do the ulema endorse a tradition reported by transmitters who were not prophets and even embrace the tradition as replacing a ruling of Allah? Is this rational? Or is it irrational? The turn to faith (salat) requires being from within rather than forced. Forcing a person to enter or remain connected to faith results in hypocrisy. The Book of Allah teaches that "there is no compulsion in religion." However, extremists justified resorting to force by misinterpreting key passages of the Book of Allah. "Encouraging righteousness and discouraging wrong" is among them. (Quran, 3:110, 3:104 and 22:41) The "best community" encourages righteousness and discourages wrong. In different words, the best community is ethical and encourages all to be ethical. By comparison, we find no book on ethics in Bukhari. Why is that? Following the Book of Allah encourages us to practice justice. Where do we find a book on justice in Bukhari? Following Bukhari teaches us to practice ritual, formal conformity with faith. But ritual without sincere faith is empty.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0BR2346MM
• ISBN13: 9798371296832
• Release Date: December 2022
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 102 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"