Muhammad is his name

CNN released on October 12, 2009 a new study by the Pew forum on religion and public life showing that nearly 1 out of 4 people in the world is Muslim. The study says there are 1.57 billion Muslims globally now. As the fasted growing religion at the present time, and the second largest religion ( after Christianity to which 2.25 billion adhere,) Islam has roots in the bedrocks of the human civilization since the seventh century.



Back to Arabia, the setting where Abraham and his blessed family exalted in the worship of the One God; the time is 610 A.D. (See http://dinamalki.blogspot.com/2009/09/they-say-isaac-we-say-ishmael.html) Mecca was an inernational parlor at the time due to the commercial activities and the pilgrimage in the area. Many centuries after Abraham died, Arabia returned to polytheism, and the Ka'ba became home to 360 statutes representing different gods and an altar site to polytheist pilgrims. The tribe of Quraish was then the dominant ruler of Mecca and the most revered.



A grandson of Quraish's leader, Muhammad the son of Abdullah was an orphan who worked in trade caravans first with his uncle then with one of Quraish's wealthiest women, Khadijah. After she noticed his honesty and dedication, Khadijah, a fourty year old, proposed marriage to the twenty five year old Muhammad. When he turned fourty, he received God's revelation, the Quran, through archangel Gabrial. The first words were "read, read in the name of your lord who created."



Thus the message of Islam brought back monotheism to Arabia and eventually to the rest of the world. Soon, Muhammad started a long journey of compassionate teaching, various hardship, and constant thriving for the word of God. Before you find out his story from the mouth of a Muslim, check what other non-Muslims said about him.



Sir George Bernard Shaw in the “Genuine of Islam,” Vol. 1. Nr. 8, 1936:
“I believe that if a man like him (Mohammad) were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesized about the faith of Mohammad that it would be acceptable to Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”


Michel Hart in “The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,” New York, 1978:
“My choice of Mohammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level…It is probable that the relative influence of Mohammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity…It is this unparallel combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Mohammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.”


Mahatma Ghandi, statement published in “Young India,” 1924:
“I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind… I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place of Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion for his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle.”

They say Isaac, we say Ishmael

Each one of us has faced some tribulation at some point in our life: poverty, starvation, illness, fear, or distress are all things we hate to experience and when we do, we pray that they vanish fast. One can even face death and believe this is the ultimate of trials. Not so for Abraham who saw a vision in his dream that he was sacrificing his own son, Ishmael (Jews and Christians believe it was Isaac.) He then understood that it was a divine command and he knew he must carry it out. The Quran tells us how the father approached his son: “Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: ‘O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!’ (The son) said: ‘O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!’" (37:102)

Both father and son exhibiliriated true submission in their quick obedience to the command of God and His will. It was only then, at this moment of extreme and unquestioned submission, that God spared the blessed family. “So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah., and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice.) We called out to him ‘O Abraham!’ ‘Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!’ - thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial.” (37:103-106)

Every year, millions of Muslims commemorate this divine test during the rituals of Hajj (Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia.) A fourty feet masonic cubic structure, the Ka'ba stands in the center of worship, attracting pilgrims since the father of Abrahamic faiths built it with his son Ishmael in accordance with God's commandments. The Ka'ba is also the direction to which today's 1.4 billion Muslims pray five times a day after Mohammad became the seal of the prophets, 1430 years ago. United in worship, the community of Muslims that come from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds stands under One God, breathes one faith, and follows one light. This is the beauty of Islam.

Dusting off our Differences

How do we mend our differences? How can we ensure that we coexist despite our ideological, cultural, social and religious differences? How do we practice tolerance when our hearts and minds feel the gap between cultures?

I would start by finding common grounds first: there is a lot more in common between Muslims and non Muslims than we realize. First, God created us all and sustains us all. We all believe in God and pray to Him. We are united by humanity. Citizenship also unites us. We all live in America, and no, not all Muslims hate America and want to destroy it. Only the fanatics, who are a minute minority but unfortunately get all media attention, do. Muslims are overwhelmingly peaceful and loving. Those who choose America as their homeland want to raise their offspring in a coexistent atmosphere.

But then, you might wonder, we are still different. Of course we are, because God created us different in color, race, culture, abilities, skills, languages... In the Quran, Allah (Arabic translation for God; even Arab Christians call him Allah) says: "...If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues..." (5:48) So different we are, but divided we should not be.

Once we establish common grounds, resolving our differences starts with the purification of our hearts. A heart is a wonderful gift that transcends through the human character. But when filled with hatred and bigotry, that also transcends into our behavior and attitudes. Therefore, we need to aspire to cleanse our hearts from all negative feelings. Call it anger management, call it finding peace and healing, or call it neurological programing as long as you get the picture. Even Muslims are required to cleanse their hearts as Prophet Mohammad (peace upon him) preached us: "Do not have enmity against each other." (Bukhari)

Then we need to understand that if the other has a different ideology he is not necessarily an enemy. Muslims in America suffer from this attitude as America looks at them as enemies of the state simply because they worship differently. If I wear head covering and abstain from consuming alcohol, then I no longer can fit with the American lifestyle. In other words, I can't be American; I am different. Says who? What happened to freedom of speech, religion, and expression?

Finally, you might purify your heart and decide to tolerate the other, but the other actually won't tolerate you. In that case, you keep your smile on your face and find them plenty of excuses for being rude. That bearded man who just came into the store without saying hi might be deaf or might be simply having a bad day. Muslims are allowed to have mood swings, right? I believe this is a universally accepted situation. And by the way, I am also addressing Muslims too: please don't start thinking this clerk is a bigot just because he did not salute you. He might have just been dumped by his wife.


"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." (President Barack Hussein Obama: Inaugural address, January 21, 2009)