You are the best nation that has ever emerged for humanity:

I once remember being praised by my German language teacher. She asked: How do you have all this energy to enjoy education, exert effort as well as money and health in studying, to work, and also take care of your children? I answered: From the commandments of the Messenger of Allah, (Prophet Muhammad), may God bless him and grant him peace. He said: “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your free time before your work, and your life before your death.”

Then she said: Wondrous! Summit of wisdom, you are a unique type of human being.

After that, I remembered the noble verse: ” You are the best nation that has ever emerged for humanity”[1]. I thanked Almighty God very much.

There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book:

A group of Ph.D. holders came to attend an international conference, and eventually they visited the mosque. During the discussion that we had, one of them asked me about Adam’s sin. He said sarcastically: Adam did it because of Eve and we endured it forever.

I told him: That’s what you believe, but in Islam God forgave Adam, and taught us how to return to him whenever we sinned during our lifetime. It is not the original sin, but it is the original forgiveness.

Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.[2]

Thus, women do not bear the burden of Adam’s sin, but rather Islam is keen to raise the status of women. Women have played a major role in many of the stories mentioned in the Qur’an, such as Balqis the Queen of Sheba and her story with the Prophet Solomon, which ended with her faith and she became a Muslim to the Lord of the Worlds.

Indeed, I found [there] a woman ruling them, and she has been given of all things, and she has a great throne. [3]

The same group member continued: Can anyone become a Muslim?

I answered: Absolutely.

He asked: How so?

I answered: Every child is born in his right nature, which is being a worshiper of God alone, without the intervention of parents, schools, or any religious party, he will worship God directly until adulthood. During his adulthood, he will become entrusted and accountable for his actions. After that, he begins to choose whether to take Jesus as a mediator between him and God, which would make him become a Christian, or to take Buddha as a mediator to become a Buddhist. Other options surrounding him would be taking Krishna for example in order to become a Hindu, or taking Muhammad as a mediator to completely deviate from Islam. Apart from all these options, he still has an option to remain on his nature as a worshiper of God alone (Muslim). After that the group applauded.

He asked: Why are non-Muslims not allowed to enter Mecca?

I answered: Even a Muslim who takes Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as a mediator between him and God is not welcome in Mecca. He would be told to stop begging from the Messenger otherwise he should leave the place.

He asked: Do you not find this against tolerance?

I asked: Can you buy vegetables from the bank in your country?

He answered: No.

I asked: Why?

He answered: Because the bank is only for financial transactions while buying vegetables is from the supermarket.

I told him: So, the bank guard is not intolerant when he tells you to go to the supermarket to buy vegetables because this place is for financial transactions.

I added: Mecca is a place dedicated to worshiping God alone without an intermediary; it is for worship only and not for tourism. It is not logical for a Buddhist to come to this place and refuge to Buddha, or to have a Christian coming to seek Jesus, or even to have a Muslim refuge to the Prophet Muhammad. Whoever wants to worship anyone else apart from God should not come to the house of God.

One of the group members asked: Why does God send human messengers to people like them? Why does he not send them angels instead?

I answered him: What suits human beings, is having another human like them speak in their language and set an example for them. But if God sent a prophet angel to them and did what was difficult for them, they would protest that he is an angel who can do what they cannot.

Say, “If there were angels on earth, walking around in peace, We would have sent down to them from heaven an angel messenger.” [4]

And if We had made him an angel, We would have made him [appear as] a man, and We would have covered them with that in which they cover themselves. [5]

He said: I believe in God, but I do not believe in the message of Muhammad or in Jesus, and I do not believe that God sends messengers.

I realized from his comment that he is Jewish, then I told him: If you knew the Almighty God properly, you would have known that it is impossible that he creates people, and then leaves them without providing them with the guidance that their souls need. He has provided people with all their bodies’ needs of food, drinks, earth, air, sun, and moon, but then He leaves them to fall into confusion, bewilderment, and anxiety? It is not possible. If you do not believe that God sends messengers, then how do you believe in Moses? Who sent him the book that he brought?

And they did not appraise God with true appraisal when they said, “God did not reveal to a human being anything.” Say, “Who revealed the Scripture that Moses brought as light and guidance to the people? You [Jews] make it into pages, disclosing [some of] it and concealing much. And you were taught that which you knew not – neither you nor your fathers.” Say, “God [revealed it].” Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves. [6]

He asked: What is the evidence of Muhammad’s prophecy?

I told him: The evidence of his prophecy is found in his biography. He was known as an honest and faithful man before his prophecy; he was an illiterate who did not read or write.

And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt. [7]

The Messenger was the first who applied what he called for; he would confirm his words with his deeds. He never asked for worldly rewards for what he used to call for. He was a poor, merciful, and humble person, He sacrificed the most, and he was the most ascetic in what people have.

These are they whom God guided, therefore follow their guidance. Say: I do not ask you for any reward for it; it is nothing but a reminder to the nations.[8]

In addition, he presented evidence that confirms his prophecy, which is shown in the verses of God that came from the Noble Qur’an. The verses are in the Prophet’s language; they were rhetoric and eloquent, which makes them rise above the normal words of mankind.

Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from [any] other than God, they would have found within it much contradiction.[9]

Do they say, ‘He has fabricated it?’ Say, ‘Then bring ten  chapters like it, fabricated, and invoke whomever you can, besides God, should you be truthful.[10]

But if they do not respond to you – then know that they only follow their [own] desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from God? Indeed, God does not guide the wrongdoing people. [11]

The group member asked: What is the difference between the Prophet and the Messenger?

I answered: The Prophet is the one who was inspired by the Creator, but didn’t bring a new message or book.  The Messenger is the one whom God sent him a book with a method and law that suits his people, for example Torah, the Bible, the Qur’an, the scriptures of Abraham, and Al-Zabur.

He asked: Is the imam in Islam like a priest in Christianity?

I answered: The term Imam means a person who leads people in prayer, or takes care of their affairs. It is not a religious rank confined to specific people. There is no hierarchy in Islam; all people are equal. The first to lead the prayer has to be the person who memorized Qur’an the most, and knowledgeable of the provisions related to prayer. No matter how much the Imam receives respect from Muslims, he still never listens to confessions, nor does he forgive sins. Hence, his duty is different than the priest’s duty.

He asked: What is the difference between Islamic thought and philosophy?

I answered: Islamic thought is the set of science and knowledge based on Islamic foundations and controls If this knowledge is against the Islamic foundations, then it is a non-Islamic thought.

Philosophy is originally the search for wisdom. Socrates defined it as the mental search for the facts of things that lead to good, and by this meaning, it is a good thing. But the reality of philosophy is to delve into the science of speech, and the arbitration of mind in beliefs, including divinities, prophecies, metaphysics, and others without believing in revelation, and this contradicts the axioms of belief.

He asked: What is the difference between the Prophet and the philosopher?

I told him: The knowledge of extreme facts comes from God. The philosopher relies on his reason and logic to elicit realities and introduce philosophical concepts into it, while ignoring the limitations of his thinking as a human being. On the other hand, God reveals the facts to the messenger through revelation. There is no comparison between the Messenger and the philosopher. A philosopher should follow the Messenger , while the Messenger must not follow the philosopher. A philosopher should follow the Messenger, and the Messenger must not follow the philosopher. The messenger was sent from God, and the philosopher is the one who was sent to him ; revelation is the ruler, and the mind is ruled on it.

He asked: What is the new Sharia?

I answered: It is the legislation that contains something new that was not in the previous legislation.

And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey me.[12]

He said: The universe is the only source of knowledge and there is no place for revelation.

I told him: They are both together; the creations of God and the revelation of God.

Sources of knowledge for a Muslim are the universe and revelation.It means the sense and the brain . As for the curriculum, it differs according to the type of knowledge and the type of source.

Say, ‘Tell me about your partners [you ascribe to God] whom you invoke besides God? Show me what [part] of the earth have they created. Do they have any share in the heavens?’ Have we given them a scripture so that they stand on a manifest proof thereof? Rather the wrongdoers do not promise one another [anything] except delusion.[13]

The verse here indicates that worshipping someone else apart from God includes the claim that they are deities, and God must be a creator. The proof that he is the Creator is either witnessed by what He created in the universe, or by witnessing the inspiration from God who proved to be the Creator. So, if this claim does not have evidence from the creation of the universe, nor have evidence from the words of the Creator God, then the claim is necessarily null.

He asked: What is the opinion of Islam in the theory of knowledge and rationality of belief?

I answered: If you mean the theory of knowledge being the exact statement of reality, this is what Islam says:

Some Arabs believed that the smart man had two hearts. If one of the Arabs got angry at his wife, he would tell her you are like my mother. Other Arabs adopted a son from another family, and attributed him to themselves as if he was their biological son, similar to what people do in the West nowadays. So, Almighty God judged all these claims as mere words of the tongue, and it is against the truth.

God did not place two hearts inside any man’s body. Nor did He make your wives whom you equate with your mothers, your actual mothers. Nor did He make your adopted sons, your actual sons. These are your words coming out of your mouths. God speaks the truth, and guides to the path. [14]

That is because God is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because God is the Most High, the Grand.[15]

The previous examples show the difference between truth and falsehood, for truth reflects true knowledge that matches reality, and falsehood is an illusion.

The Noble Qur’an affirms the possibility of acquiring knowledge after a person’s birth.

God has brought you forth from the bellies of your mothers while you did not know anything. He made for you hearing, eyesight, and hearts so that you may give thanks.[16]

The senses, such as hearing and sight, are all connected to the brain. They are the source of the inputs, and the brain performs the process of dismantling these inputs (the process of reasoning), which produces the idea relating to the feeling that drives a person to a certain behavior. The brain converts the following signals through the senses into things that make sense to a person.

The mind displays the thoughts and ideas in the heart, which activates the heart muscle and then shows an effect. This can be similar to a battery found in the cavity of the brain, and attached to a nerve wire to a lamp located in the heart muscle. The lamp illuminates from this battery in the brain.

We read in the Holy Qur’an:

… it is not the eyes that go blind, but it is the hearts, within the chests, that go blind.[17]

In other words, delusion in the human mind extinguishes the light of the heart that is in the chest, which is a reflection of the misguided thoughts in the interior of man.

in fact, the sense that is related the most to the brain is hearing.

 A person hears:

Sounds of natural things like thunder, wind, and birds.


Words, which are sounds that denote meanings and the Holy Qur’an often uses hearing by this meaning.


As for the one who does not understand speech and does not benefit from it, the Qur’an resembles it with an animal that can only hear voices.

Do you suppose that most of them listen or apply reason? They are just like cattle; rather they are further astray from the way.[18]

The parable of the faithless is that of someone who shouts after that which does not hear [anything] except a call and cry: deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not apply reason.[19]

As for the speech, some of it is right and some of it is invalid, and there is no way to know this with sense alone.

Although a person comes out of his mother’s womb, he does not know anything, but his mind is natively associated with monotheism.

In the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we read:

Every child that is born, is born upon the Fitrah (natural faith), but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian.[20]

We now understand that:

A person is born while having the seed of monotheism planted in his mind, which is the recognition that there is no god worthy of being worshiped except the One Creator God.


A human being is born with a nature that is appropriate only for the facts and rulings that Islam has brought as a belief and behavior.


So set your heart on the religion as a people of pure faith, the origination of God according to which He originated mankind.[21]

Therefore, he does not feel calm and comfortable unless he is a Muslim, who is a worshiper of God alone.

Those who have faith, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of God.’ Look! The hearts find rest in God’s remembrance! [22]

The group member asked: Is the truth the opposite of beauty, art and culture in Islam?

I previously read books that discussed this matter, and I confidently answered: The “truth” in Islam was formulated to conform to the delicate aesthetic taste; it addresses human instinct and indicates what achieves his happiness in this world and the Hereafter.

Say, ‘Indeed my prayer and my worship, my life and my death are for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner, and this [creed] I have been commanded [to follow], and I am the first of those who submit [to God].[23]

The Qur’anic text combines all the aesthetic phenomena with the necessity of thanking their Creator. The texts of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad have shown that the Muslim is required to show God’s blessings upon him in apparent and hidden adornment, as showing God’s blessings is considered a part of our thanks and love towards God.

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:

 “God is Beautiful, He loves beauty”.[24]

Beauty here takes its legitimacy from the teachings of Islam that exhorts a Muslim to take adornments in every detail of his daily life. Taking adornments starts with the purification for prayer, and taking care of appearance beauty, clothing, housing, and transportation through the aesthetics of speech and communication.

The guidance is associated with exaggeration of adornment in marital relations. Islam surrounds them with numbers of aesthetic recommendations that do not overlook the details of the beautiful word, a caring outlook, and ending with the various etiquette to relieving oneself, cleaning teeth, perfuming and the selection of beautiful clothes. It is a targeted and purposeful aesthetic education that aims to shaping the aesthetic behavior of a Muslim. It is evident in his daily creativity, bowing and prostrating, praying and invocating, fasting and night prayer (tahajjud), writing and authorship, drawing and engraving, building and architecture.

In fact, the problem of contradicting religion with beauty is a Western problem, and not Islamic. The destabilization of religious values in the West, and the bad attitude that intellectuals, writers and artists have stopped against ecclesiastical perceptions and their history, have helped with trying to exclude them from life, thought and art in general, similar to what happened between the ecclesiastical perceptions,  politics, and science.

The world today is in dire need of aesthetic productions that return a person to his humanity, and bring him happiness, which he missed in the midst of his physical preoccupations, along with his inability to harmonize the requirements of the soul with the needs of the body. This lack of humanity occurred after the person’s feelings sagged because of consuming all the what the media informed him. This media reached our homes today, restricted human awareness, and made people captive to the small screen in the house.

Brzezinski, the former US National Security Adviser, says in his book “Collapse.”: “We have become a society of pornographic permissibility. The individual has violated everything; the words “forbidden” or “prohibited” are no longer in his dictionary. Thus, civilization will not be righteous and will not continue. The whole ship is sinking and no one has the right to save it, and saving it depends on a return to religion and morals.”

The group member commented: Art and beauty are the sources of culture.

I told him: Culture produces art and beauty, not the opposite.

Willis, a cultural ethnographer, says:

“The boundaries between arts and non-arts must be completely redrawn or abolished. So, it is necessary to not just criticize the view that contributes to art producing culture, but we must declare that culture is what actually produces art, not the opposite.”

Various philosophies have presented their perceptions of art and beauty since ancient times. These perceptions are contradictive and confusing:

“Plato” attributes beauty to the eternal example, which is a remnant of memories of the soul, and this is explained by the theory of simulation.


“Aristotle” vetoed the theory of simulation and the world of example, and he was interested with reality. He believed that beauty had the consistency of composition.


“Baumgarten” linked beauty with sense and feeling.


Kant considered art is a target by itself.


Gauthier said: There is nothing really beautiful unless it is useless and everything that is useful is ugly.


“Fichte” sees art as self-liberation.


German philosopher “Schopenhauer” said: Beauty is in spiritually pure meditation without mixing it with our will, so it nullifies the will of man.[25]


Literature in Islam is committed to an obligation of truth and certainty; it is also committed to language and religion. It is an expression of an issue or subject by pure permissible means. It provides halal (permissible) pleasure that God has permitted to His servants, as well as provides security and safety. Literature in Islam also helps a person fulfill his covenant with Almighty God, which is worship, honesty, succession, and architecture for the land by faith and monotheism. Islam has transferred literature to wide scale that has not happened in human history. It has moved the Arabic language from being the language of one people to being the language of the final prophecy, and the language of worship and obedience to God for every Muslim forever throughout the earth and time.

Islamic aesthetic is achieved through conveying the message of monotheism to the world, in order to worship only One God who is impeccable of partners and equals.

Who has a better call than him who summons to God and acts righteously and says, ‘Indeed I am one of the Muslims’? [26]

Beauty is manifested in the human instinct, which was originated by God. It is also manifested in the soul of the believer and the way he was created, then it’s manifested in his work, along with his words and statement: beautiful patience, beautiful forgiveness, beautiful release, beautiful abandonment, etc. So, beauty extends in the perception of the believer until he lives with true beauty in all things, and that’s according to his faith, his connection with the universe, the awareness of his beauty, and his connection with the Creator of the universe.[27]

We certainly created man in the best of forms, then We relegated him to the lowest of the low, except those who have faith and do righteous deeds. There will be an everlasting reward for them.[28]

He created the cattle, in which there is warmth for you and [other] uses and some of them you eat. There is in them a beauty for you when you bring them home for rest and when you drive them forth to pasture.[29]

And you see the mountains, which you suppose to be stationary, while they drift like passing clouds —the handiwork of God who has made everything faultless. He is indeed well aware of what you do.[30]

The group member said: How did the language arise? Is it similar to what scientists say, emerging from the sounds of apes?

His question made me laugh; I recently read about this topic, so I confidently told him: It has been proven that the language nature is inherently (genetically) programmed in the structure of our brains, and that all the languages of the world share the same rules that govern them.[31]

Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. There are indeed signs in that for those who know.[32]

The Noble Qur’an mentioned that Almighty God taught Adam all the names.

And He taught Adam the Names, all of them; then presented them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful.[33]

Adam’s teaching of names means he learned that everything has a name, whether it is a physical thing like water and sky, or something immaterial like pain and light, or an abstract meaning like freedom and happiness. This is called coding, and the ability to code is one of the finest human mental talents which is practiced by himself and no one else. It is considered one of the fundamental differences between humans and other beings.

He created man, [and] taught him articulate speech.[34]

The statement is the formulation of ideas rationally and according to the rules. The human being uses the symbols which he gave to things. In addition, he uses the rules of the language programmed in his mind.

By the Lord of the heaven ( sky) and the earth, it is indeed the truth, just as [it is a fact that] you speak.[35]

Pronunciation is the next stage in the spoken language, and it is performed by the speech organs (larynx, pharynx and mouth), and the brain centers which are responsible for the work of this device.

This system will not have a benefit and value if it does not have a receiver of this spoken information, so Almighty God created hearing for us.

Say, ‘It is He who created you, and made for you hearing, eyesight, and hearts. Little do you thank.[36]

The human language system is complemented by the rationalization of what a person hears and understands.

Thus, do we elaborate2 the signs for a people who apply reason.[37]

Modern medicine has reached types of imbalances that can affect the pronunciation system. For example, there can be a person who does not understand what he hears, or another person might be unable to hear. In addition, there can be someone else who is unable to pronounce, someone who cannot formulate his thoughts, or someone who looks at something and does not find its name in his mind.[38]

The group member asked: What do you think of Einstein’s time relativity concept when he said: “We do not have to talk about time without space, nor about place without time, and as long as everything moves, it must carry its time, and when the object moves faster, its time will shrink in comparison to other times which associated with other movements slower than it.”?

I answered: The Holy Qur’an referred to the relativity of time, and mentioned that there is a day of a thousand years in length, and a day of fifty thousand years in length.

He directs the command from the heaven to the earth; then it ascends toward Him in a day whose span is a thousand years by your reckoning. [39]

The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose span is fifty thousand years.[40]

The time, as Einstein says, does not have a single, self-standing fact as characteristic of matter. Also, the universe is like a book in which incidents are accurately recorded, so every movement, action or saying is recorded in this universe. In addition, everything that a person utters from the day of his birth until his death is preserved, and this is what is mentioned with amazing accuracy in the Holy Qur’an.

He says no word but that there is a ready observer beside him.[41]

We also have other signs that indicate the Holy Qur’an addressing the concept of time relativity.

They remained in the Cave for three hundred years, and added nine more [to that number].[42]

Say, ‘God knows best how long they remained. To Him belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the earth. How well does He see! How well does He hear! They have no guardian besides Him, and none shares with Him in His judgment.[43]

Almighty God mentioned here that they stayed 300 years and increased nine.

The Qur’an preceded all the sciences of astronomy when it estimated the period of time that the cave people stayed in the cave. They stayed three hundred years, which equals to 309 years.

Every 300 solar years equal to 300 x 25, 365 = 109575 days, and 300 lunar years equal to 300 x 37,354 = 106311 days.

The difference between the two calendars is 109575 -106311 = 3264 days = 9 years. So, 309 lunar years correspond to 300 Gregorian years, with a difference of 9 years.

In addition, 300 years (109575) equals to 88 109575 in Mercury (Mercury year 88 Earth days) 1245 years. Also, these 300 years on Earth equals to 109575 243 = 451 years on planet Venus, and equals to 109575 687 = 59.5 years on planet Mars.

Thus, time remains relative, but the true value does not exist except for Almighty God, who surrounded time and space.

Say, ‘Allah knows best how long they remained. To Him belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.[44]

The Holy Qur’an also mentions the relativity of worldly life.

He will say, ‘How many years did you remain on earth?’ They will say, ‘We remained for a day, or part of a day; yet ask those who keep the count.’  He will say, ‘You only remained a little; if only you had known.[45]

And on the day when the Hour sets in the guilty will swear that they had remained only for an hour. That is how they were used to lying [in the world]. [46]

The day they see it, it shall be as if they had not stayed [in the world] except for an evening or forenoon. [47]

Then the group member said: Many scholars say that every era must document history from its point of view, because each generation’s appreciation of what is important and meaningful to them differs from the other generation. Every generation tries to see the past through its interests and ideas prevailing in it, which means history is relative.

I replied: This is true, but this does not negate the fact that events have one truth, whether we like it or not. The documentation of human beings was subjected to distortion and inaccuracy of events, and it was based on whims, unlike the documentation of the Lord of the Worlds, which has very accurate past, present, and future.

Byzantium has been vanquished in a nearby territory (lowest), but following their defeat they will be victors in a few years. All command belongs to Allah, before and after, and on that day the faithful will rejoice at Allah’s help. He helps whomever He wishes, and He is the All-mighty, the All-merciful.[48]

These verses mention the defeat of the Byzantines against the Persians at the Battle of Antioch. God the Almighty promised the Muslims that the defeat would turn into a victory for the Byzantines in a few years. The Byzantines’ victory was important for the Muslims because they were Christians, and Christians were considered to be followers of a heavenly religion, while the Persians were a follower of the Zoroastrian religion which is a pagan religion. The battle took place in the area surrounding the Dead Sea (located in the groove of the Jordan Valley). The most interesting fact for non-Muslims, which was recently discovered through satellites and modern technology, is that the area surrounding the Dead Sea is the lowest on the ground, and this is a Qur’anic miracle. This fact was not known or expected for the non-Muslims in the seventh century, as satellites and modern technology were not available at that time. The only possible explanation is that the Prophet Muhammad received a divine revelation from God, the Creator and Creator of the universe. After about 7 years of revealing these verses, God’s promise was fulfilled by victory for the Romans in the Qur’an miraculously. The Qur’an preceded the theory of history relativity, too, in the codification of events in Preserved tablet.

We have attached every person’s omen to his neck, and We shall bring it out for him on the Day of Resurrection as a wide-open book that he will encounter. ‘Read your book! Today your soul suffices as your own reckoner.[49]

The group member asked: How do you see the concept of enlightenment?

I answered him: The Islamic concept of enlightenment is based on a firm foundation of faith and science, which combines enlightenment of mind with the enlightenment of the heart, with faith in God first, and with the knowledge that is inseparable from faith.

The concept of European enlightenment has been transferred to Islamic societies like other western concepts. Enlightenment in the Islamic concept does not depend on the abstract mind that is not guided by the light of faith. In addition, man does not benefit his faith if he does not use his mind, the gift that God gave him, in thinking, meditating, forethinking, and doing things in a way that fulfills the public interest, benefits people, and stays forever.

In the dark medieval, Muslims restored the light of civilization and advancement that had been extinguished in all countries of the West and East until Constantinople.

The Enlightenment movement in Europe was a natural reaction to the despotism exercised by the ecclesiastical authorities against reason and human will. This situation was not known nor it existed in the Islamic civilization.

God is the Guardian of the faithful: He brings them out of darkness into light. As for the faithless, their patrons are the Rebels, who drive them out of light into darkness. They shall be the inmates of the Fire, and they shall remain in it [forever] .[50]

Reflecting on these Qur’anic verses, we find that God’s Will takes out a person from darkness. This is known as the “Divine Guidance” for a person. It does not take place except with God’s permission because a person who God brings out from the darkness of ignorance, polytheism, and superstition to the light of faith, science, and true knowledge is a person who has a bright mind, insight, and conscience. The Almighty God referred to the Noble Qur’an as light as well.

….certainly, there has come to you a light from Allah, and a manifest Book.[51]

The Noble Qur’an and the non-distorted (Torah and Gospel) were sent by Almighty God to His messengers for guiding people to get out of the darkness to the light, and thus, God associated the guidance with light.

We sent down the Torah containing guidance and light….[52]

…..We gave him the Evangel containing guidance and light, confirming what was before it of the Torah, and as guidance and advice for the God wary.[53]

There is no guidance without God’s light, and there is no light that can illuminate a person’s heart and his life without God’s permission.

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth….[54]

Here, we note that in Qur’an the light comes single in all situations, while darkness comes in plural. This is very accurate in describing these conditions.[55]

As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in our ways:

I remember that I received a call from my colleagues on the weekend, and they told me that a South American boxer, during his participation in an international boxing competition, wanted to know about Islam. But he was only free on a Friday, and he didn’t speak English; they wanted someone who speaks Spanish to be able to talk to him.

I asked my husband, and he said that we can meet him together in a public place. Eventually, I met him with my husband and daughter on Friday in a nearby cafe. He was accompanied by a delegation from the club who hosted him, and he announced his conversion to Islam at the end of the meeting.

Among his questions, he asked me: Are there saints in Islam?

I answered: No.

He exclaimed: So, you do not have righteous people? You do not sanctify the companions of the Prophet Muhammad?

I answered: We follow the righteous and the companions of the Messenger. We love them and try to be good like them, and we worship God alone as they did, but we do not sanctify them nor make them a mediator between us and God.

He said: For example, I carry a necklace with the Star of David because my name is David, so if I become Muslim, should I take it off?

I told him: First of all, the Prophet David, peace be upon him, was one of the honored prophets in the Qur’an like other prophets. In the Holy Qur’an, God has cleared all the bad traits which were attributed to them from distortions in books of the Old and New Testament. The Qur’an mentioned how creatures praised God with David for the beauty of his voice.

We bestowed upon David favor from Us: “O mountains, and birds: echo with him.” And We softened iron for him.[56]

Muslims have no problem with the prophets; they have a problem with those who distorted God’s religion, and turned this star into a political symbol.

He said: What is the difference between Shiites and Sunnis?

I told him: Prophet Muhammad was not a Sunni or a Shiite, but he was a true Muslim. Also, Christ was not a Catholic nor any other, but he was Muslim (Worshiper of God alone without intermediary).

Both of them worshipped God, without a mediator. Christ did not worship himself nor worship his mother, nor did Prophet Muhammad beg of himself, his daughter, nor her husband.

In addition, when someone in Medina rumored that the sun was eclipsed by the death of Abraham who was the son of the Prophet, the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him spoke to them in the desert of the peninsula fourteen centuries ago. He said a valuable phrase, which was a message for everyone who adopts countless myths about the eclipse of the sun these days. He said:

The sun and the moon are two signs of God; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone’s death or on account of anyone’s birth. So, when you see them, glorify and supplicate Allah, observe prayer.[57]

The emergence of many different groups due to political problems or any other problem is possible, but it has nothing to do with religion. However, this term “Sunnah” means that you follow the Messenger’s approach entirely, and the term “Shiites” means a group of people who have defected from the approach which was taken by the general Muslim.

Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects – you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to God; then He will inform them about what they used to do.[58]

But who is better than God in judgment for a people who have certainty?

The young man asked persistently: What is the meaning of jihad?

I told him: “Jihad” means striving to stop oneself from sin. The mother’s Jihad in her pregnancy is to bear the pain of pregnancy. The student’s diligence in his studies, the struggle of the defender of his money, his family and his religion are examples of jihad. Even persevering in acts of worship such as fasting and praying on time is considered a type of jihad.

Islam appreciates life, so it is not permissible to fight both peaceful people and civilians. Additionally, property, children, and women must be protected even during wars. It is also not permissible to mutilate the bodies of the dead people, as it is not an ethic of Islam.

God does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely God loves the doers of justice. God only forbids you respecting those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others) in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them, these are the unjust.[59]

Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors.[60]

A non-Muslim is one of four:

The secured people:

They are the ones who were given safety by Muslims.

And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of God. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.[61]

People of the treaty “Ahd”:

They are the ones who are promised by Muslims to leave the fighting.

Except those idolaters with whom you have a treaty, who have not failed you in the least, nor helped anyone against you. Fulfil your obligations to them during the term (of the treaty). God loves those who take heed for themselves.[62]

People of the “Dhimma”:

“Dhimma” is a historical term referring to non-Muslims living in an Islamic state with legal protection by paying Al “Jizia”, which is a type of a (Poll Tax), imposed on non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic state, for which their lives, progeny, possessions, are protected by the State. They are entitled to practice their religion without any interference by anyone not from their faith. In addition, they are guaranteed to settle their intra community disputes according to their own traditions and laws, not according to  the Islamic law (Sharia). They are exempted from military service while being entitled to full protection from alien enemies. It is similar to the tax paid by millions during our time in exchange for the state’s care of their affairs.

Fight those who do not have faith in God nor [believe] in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Apostle have forbidden, nor practice the true religion, from among those who were given the Book, until they pay the tribute out of hand, degraded.[63]

The fighters:

They are the ones who declared the fight against Muslims, as these have no covenant, no obligation, and no safety. They are the ones in whom Almighty God said:

And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for God; but if they desist, then surely God sees what they do. [64]

This category of fighters is the one that we have to fight only. God did not command killing, but fighting, and there is a big difference between them. Fighting here means confrontation along with war for self-defense, and this is what all statutory laws stipulate.

Fight in the way of God those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed, God does not like transgressors.[65]

He asked: Isn’t the term infidel contempt for the other side?

I answered: Am I not considered infidel for a Christian because I do not believe in the Trinity doctrine? The term disbeliever means the person who denies the truth. The truth for me as a Muslim is Monotheism, and for Christians its Trinity.

He asked: Why does Islam reward those people who carry out suicide operations by obtaining virgins after death?

I answered: It is illogical for the giver of life (God) to order man to end his life, and to take lives of others without guilt, while at the same time He says “Do not kill yourselves”. There are also other verses that forbade killing other souls unless there is a justification, such as retribution, or counteracting aggression without violating the rights of others or the death and exposing the soul to danger. Suicide operations were found to serve the interests of groups that are not related to religion or its purposes. They are away from the grace and morals of this great religion. The bliss of Heavens should not be based on that narrow view of obtaining virgins only, for Paradise has what no eye has seen, nor an ear heard, and no heart has perceived.

Young people today suffer from economic conditions, and the inability to earn money that should help them with marriage. This kind of suffering makes them become easy prey for the promoters of these heinous acts, especially those who are addicted and those who suffer from psychological disorders.

If the promoters believed in this idea, first they would start by themselves, before they sent the youth to this task.

Conclusion:

We conclude that only Islam provides renaissance and real science within the framework of a rational understanding of the function of religion in life. There is also conscious balance between the requirements of Sharia (Islamic Law) and the requirements of life without violating the rule of the true religion, or giving away one of the established principles of religion.

The sense alone could not help those who depended on it to reach the whole truth, but rather it led to deviation and corruption of their opinions, because the sense is a part of a complete truth that is only completed by other factors.

Also, those who ignored the mind but they sought inner knowledge through intuition or conscience alone failed to reach the whole truth. Hence, the Islamic theory of knowledge provided a connection between the mind and the heart, and a connection between the visible world and the unseen world.

The Qur’an introduces the Creator to people with words that they do not find in the philosophy books or books of other religions. It also guides them to the way in which they should worship this Creator, and to the morals that people should take in treating each other. In addition, it also guides them to transcend their spirit, and forbids them to degrade their status. The Qur’an provided them with an integrated life approach, from beliefs, worship and morals, to the social system as an individual, family and society, and to relations with non-Muslims, in a balanced manner that meets the mental, physical and spiritual needs.

That is how He completes His blessing upon you so that you may submit [to Him].[66]

[1](Qur’an 3: 110)

[2] (Qur’an 2:37)

[3] (Qur’an 27: 23)

[4] (Qur’an 17:95)

[5] (Qur’an 6: 9)

[6](Qur’an 6: 91)

[7] (Qur’an 29:48)

[8] (Qur’an 6: 90)

[9] (Qur’an 4:82)

[10] (Qur’an 11:13)

[11] (Qur’an 28:50)

[12] (Qur’an 3:50)

[13] (Qur’an 35:40)

[14] (Qur’an33:4)

[15] (Qur’an 22:62)

[16] (Qur’an16:78)

[17] (Qur’an 22:46)

[18] (Qur’an 25:44)

[19] (Qur’an 2:171)

[20] (Sahih Muslim)

[21] (Qur’an 30:30)

[22] (Qur’an 13 :28)

[23] (Qur’an 6:162-163)

[24] (Sahih Muslim)

[25] Islamic literature on its topics and terminology.

[26] (Qur’an 41: 33)

[27] Islamic literature on its topics and terminology.

[28] (Qur’an 95: 4-6)

[29] (Qur’an 16:5-6)

[30] (Qur’an 27:88)

[31] Naomchomsky was the greatest linguist of the twentieth century.

[32] (Qur’an 30:22)

[33] (Qur’an 2: 31)

[34] (Qur’an 55:3-4)

[35] (Qur’an 51: 23)

[36] (Qur’an 67: 22)

[37] (Qur’an 30: 28)

[38]  Illusion of Atheism. Dr. Amr Sharif

[39] (Qur’an 32: 5)

[40] (Qur’an 70 :4)

[41] (Qur’an 50: 18)

[42] (Qur’an 18: 25)

[43] (Qur’an 18: 26)

[44] (Qur’an 18: 26)

[45] (Qur’an 22: 112-114)

[46] (Qur’an 30:55)

[47] (Qur’an 79: 46)

[48] (Qur’an 20: 2-5)

[49] (Qur’an 17: 13-14)

[50] (Qur’an 2: 257)

[51] (Qur’an 5: 15)

[52] (Qur’an 5: 44)

[53] (Qur’an 5:46)

[54] (Qur’an 24:  35)

[55] https://www.albayan.ae/five-senses/2001-11-16-1.1129413

[56] (Qur’an 34 :10)

[57] (Sahih Al Bukhari)

[58] (Qur’an 6: 159)

[59] (Qur’an 60:8-9)

[60] (Qur’an 5: 32)

[61] (Qur’an 9: 6)

[62]  (Qur’an 9:4)

[63] (Qur’an 9:29)

[64] (Qur’an 8: 39)

[65] (Qur’an 2: 190)

[66] (Qur’an 16: 81)

by faten sabri