[size=14pt]Living Islam, not just performing it [/size]
By Dr. Murad Hoffman

Friday, May 6, 2011
Muslims have always been accustomed to living with people of diverse faiths. Islam is in fact the world’s first ecumenical religion, not only accepting but guaranteeing a structural pluralism. Allah instead of promising Muslims to become the dominant religious community on earth wants them to compete with each other in piety and good work (Quran 5:48).


[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2011/may/6/sun/Muslim-League[1].gif[/img]
The Executive Director, Muslim League for Accountability, Mallam Yusuf Arrigasiyu (left), the Steering Committee on zero corruption, Mallam Awwal Musa Rafsanjani and Co-Director Interfaith Meditation Centre, Mr. james Wuye at a joint press briefing on domestic observation of gubernatorial election in Abuja.

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Islam was meant from the outset to be a universal religion, and today thanks to massive migration in the West and new communication mediums, Islam is a truly global phenomenon. It is the second largest denomination even in places like Sweden. Yet increased contact has not reduced prejudice against Islam and Muslims.

This is partially the Muslim’ fault. Many ‘cultural’ assimilated Muslims are an embarrassment for the entire Ummah. Also, many traditionally Islamic scholars are in capable of reaching Western hearts and minds.

There is no better way for Muslims to promote the message of Islam than living Islam and not just performing it. Their neighbors will not know they are Muslim by the number of times they pray or fast but by their honesty, truthfulness, compassion, reliability, cleanliness, sense of justice and civic responsibility. Such an approach is not to lead to a specific “American Islam” but the avoidance of a subculture that would seem alien and remote to the local population. Muslims can avoid such a trend if they become an expert in distinguishing between what is truly Islamic in terms of religion, and what is merely a cultural import from their homes countries.

For Muslims to live in non-Muslim countries is not a new situation. The first such experience was made by those early Muslims who temporarily migrated to Christian Ethiopia. All Muslim legal schools (madahib) developed doctrines for that eventuality. In particular Imam Jaafar as-Saadiq, Imam Shafei’ and the Hanafi school considered Muslim minorities a legitimate and even advantageous to Islam. Admitting pockets of dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) could exist wherever Muslim enjoyed justice and religious toleration.

The Message of Islam cannot be transmitted in the West as along as Muslims play hide and seek with the issues of “democracy” and “human rights”, including the rights of women. The fact that some of these concepts may not be specifically mentioned in the Quran and that they have been abused by Western imperialist colonizers, it does not mean that they are incompatible with Islam. What counts are the relevant Quranic principles (maqasid), including al-shura and the institutions of amir or khilafa (vicergerency of all human beings) and the early Islamic political history with its record of elections and free speech. One of these foundations is that it is possible to construct the model of an Islamic State - like - Malaysia - is democratic, essentially republican, pluralistic, with division of power, the rule of law, the protection of minorities and a parliament.

There is no doubt that all sovereignty rests with Allah . It is, however, equally true that it takes people to translate that sovereignty into policy. Undoubtedly, Islamic Law is not made but discovered from the Quran and Sunnah and further developed into fiqh. If Muslim lawyers had been more imaginative they would have been quick to point that the core of the Western universal human rights charter are anchored in the Quran - and therefore more secure than rights invented at a conference table.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/may/6/515.html

@aloy-emeka are u a Muslim?

greateros:

@aloy-emeka are u a Muslim?

Last I checked, he wasn't.

greateros:

@aloy-emeka are u a Muslim?

God forbid bad thing!

^^^^^^^^^^^ and you are in christianity!

abeg comot for road.

igbos are not jews.

even jews are not christians.

the bad thing is that you see truth you are avoiding it as if the 'makeup' thing you carry is not bad enough for your eyes to see.

Sweetnecta:

^^^^^^^^^^^ and you are in christianity!

abeg comot for road.

igbos are not jews.

even jews are not christians.

the bad thing is that you see truth you are avoiding it as if the 'makeup' thing you carry is not bad enough for your eyes to see.

wtf are you talking about?

^^^^^^^^^^^ thats a horrible word and harsh tone.

i'm not going to throw the same word back at you.

was christianity the first religion of igbo people? you are igbo or you are not?


was christianity the first religion of mankind being represented by our father Adam?


i tell you; islam was his [AS] religion.

Sweetnecta:

^^^^^^^^^^^ thats a horrible word and harsh tone.

i'm not going to throw the same word back at you.

was christianity the first religion of igbo people? you are igbo or you are not?


was christianity the first religion of mankind being represented by our father Adam?


i tell you; islam was his [AS] religion.

You are a freaking tribalist no wonder y'all worship the same Allah with Osama bin kill'em(AS). What has Igbo got to do with the topic at hand?. Whether I am Igbo or not is irrelevant here; you people suffer from so much Igbo paranoia that you read something about them even when nothing is written about them. Even if I am Igbo, what has the first, 2nd or 3rd religion got to do with me?.  Haba!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ [Quote]« #3 on: Yesterday at 11:27:59 AM »

Quote from: greateros on May 09, 2011, 08:38 AM
@aloy-emeka are u a Muslim? Shocked Shocked Shocked

God forbid bad thing! Embarrassed Embarrassed Embarrassed Embarrassed Embarrassed Embarrassed[/Quote]i'm i a tribalist and have igbo paranoia? why?
how you came to this conclusion is beyond my imagination.

Sweetnecta:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ i'm i a tribalist and have igbo paranoia? why?
how you came to this conclusion is beyond my imagination.

Beyond your imagination?. cvare to tell me Igbos entered into this conversation because I don't know why you threw them in?.