Terror of Islam
Cont’d from page 1
Submission is a way of life encouraged from the time of Abraham
by Jesus, Muhammad and all messengers who have followed. The one
who is able to surrender the soul is called a Muslim in Arabic,
or Submitter. There are Submitters in every faith; a Buddhist Submitter,
a Christian Submitter, or a Muslim Submitter. They are those who
place no limits on their belief in the Unseen and impose no judgments
on the different forms of striving that grow the soul closer to
the Almighty (Quran 2:3). This common striving towards God encourages
unity within a diverse group of people who advance their personal
strides by learning from one another.
It is only when the strokes of absolute and physical conditions
are painted over God’s light that a menacing blindness begins
to fester (Quran 9:32). Individual faith is resigned to the interpretation
of others and the soul becomes confined with complacency. The personal,
open passage to the Divine becomes layered with uncertainties each
being imposes on their own God-given potential. Fear begets fear
in this darkness. The desperate defense of a conditioned reality
consumes what little remains of the soul. The consequence of losing
one’s soul is to suffer misery both in this life and the Hereafter
(Quran 7:9; 3:22).
Submission is a way to consciousness that conditions the soul
against this disease of the heart. The history of messengers and
scriptures has been
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nothing more than a source of direction
for each generation to surrender the soul. The nature of this recurring
system is a testament to humankind’s forgetful and unappreciative
disposition (Quran 48:23).
The Quran is a confirmation of the Torah and New Testament intended
to serve as such a reminder for us today. There is no compulsion
to read or follow, only an invitation to reflect. The intention
of the stories, allegories, and teachings is to free the soul through
the reverence of God (Quran 7:201).
Practices such as daily Contact Prayers “Salat” and
prostration are simply an exercise of submission, an opportunity
to appreciate God throughout the day, and a break in the rhythm
of preoccupation that gradually numbs the soul (Quran 29:45). The
emphasis is on feeling words of veneration move through your soul
rather than what has become a fixation with the ritual form itself
(Quran 107:4-5).
The Contact Prayer is not an end but rather a first step to maintaining
a steady connection with God, even for the spiritual minded who
may feel waning cycles in their own practice. Prayer is not limited
to this form or frequency. The Quran instills sensitivity in the
soul that inspires steady reflection on the grandeur of creation,
the Creator, and beyond.
Descriptions for such beliefs as “Heaven,” “Hell,”
or the “Hereafter” are merely allegorical representations
of what our minds cannot fathom. How else can one describe the sensation
of being in God’s presence? The Quran cultivates the
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ing of service, respect and toler-ance
in individuals who, to-gether, can build what God deems as the best
community; one that advocates righteous-ness (3:110).
There are the rare souls who need no reminders, who are able to
live and breathe a steady flow of submission. The ones who feel
the challenge for this awareness are invited to reflect on the Quran’s
guidance.
What does the way of Submission (Islam) teach about violence and
intolerance? Among the many beautiful attributes that stimulate
our reverence, the Quran describes God as “Rahmaan er Raheem”
(Most Gra-cious and Most Merciful). All but one of the 114 chapters
of the Quran begin by introducing God with these qualities; an expression
for a Creator who re-gards life as sacred (Quran 17:33).
There is no justification in the killing of innocent souls. A murder
or horrendous crime against one person is considered an assault
on humanity while the sparing of one life is sparing the lives of
all people (Quran 5:32).
The notion of “jihad,” or holy war, is a misinterpreted
oxymo-ron that represents the battle the soul must wage to surrender
and serve God (Quran 22.78). Capi-tal punishment is discouraged
and suicide is admonished (Quran 2:178 & 4:29). Oppres-sion
is deemed to be worse than murder (Quran 2:217). God en-courages
kindness, tolerance and equitable reconciliation between the faithful
who are fight-ing (Quran 24:22, 49:9).
Cont’d on page 3
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