Islam Means Peace (original) (raw)

The Title of the Book, "Islam means Peace" is a give-away. I thought it very pertinent at a time when Muslims the World over feel persecuted and under siege from all quarters. The title from the outset is apt and is an invitation to both the skeptics and believers to enhance and reaffirm their pre-conceived notions about Islam. For a skeptic a great opportunity to find fault and shred to smithereens the Author's attempt to convey Islam as an instrument of World Peace and for a believer to feel reassured about Islam being all that he thought it was and perhaps even more. How far the Author has succeeded in winning the skeptic over even while retaining the believer has to be seen. The author did well to quote the "UNESCO" definition of Peace as it is understood, accepted and pursued today and contrasted it with the way shown by Islam. He argued that while the earlier is the brain child of those who seek to promote their own selfish interests, the latter is based on the principle of complete submission to God, hence acceptance of a System of Peace as shown by God. A three dimensional Islamic System of Peace that is based on Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Fundamental Prohibitions is an absolute must for Real Peace is a very persuasive argument by the Author. On the one hand much of all ills today and on the other the maligning of Islam by the World media has its genesis in a flawed definition of Fundamental Rights & Duties. Javed Jamil absolutely insists that Fundamental Rights & Duties without Fundamental Prohibitions are a tool of the devil and an invitation to all that is ill in the Society. Unless Fundamental Prohibitions are equally well defined and become easily interpretable and justifiable, World Peace cannot be possible. He feels this anomaly can be corrected only if lead can be taken from the way shown by Islam. The Author by virtue of being a Believer seems to be completely at ease in making his case on the strength of what Allah said in the last revealed Ayaat (Verse) to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in which, Allah says: "This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your Religion" The Author's implicit faith thus enables him to trace peace in the order shown by Allah from the five Pillars of Islam (Shahada/Pledge, Salaat/Prayer, Roza/Fasting, Zakaat/ Charity and Hajj/Pilgrimage). He then goes on to take an in depth look of Prohibitions as enjoined by Islam. Again the Author is able to amply demonstrate why the Islamic Prohibitions such as Drinking, Gambling, Usury, Hoarding, sexual corruption, forbidden Foods and so on are a cause of evil and conflict. In respect to the Islamic System of governance, Jamil articulates that the ultimate sovereignty belongs to God. Hence all Laws need to be framed in the light of Quran by virtue of it being the word of Allah in its entirety and the Sunnah (sayings and doings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH). Consequently the Supreme Leaders are to be chosen from among the best of Scholars who are able to strictly adhere to the direction as shown by the Quran and Sunnah.