Responding to violence in the name of religion after the attack on New York City, the lead essay presents Submission as a way of life open to every faith, citing Quranic verses on the sanctity of life, jihad, patience and forgiveness. Readers write in about the website and the rejection of hadith. A closing piece examines dogs in the Quran and fabricated hadiths attributed to Abu Hurayra.
Holy war, suicide bombings, fighting for faith,
and killing in the name of God?from Crusaders to terrorists, from sacred
shrines to New York City, history is tainted by a grave disease afflicting
humankind. This cancer of the heart ravages reason and emotion, breeding
numb and blind souls who cling to their belief in desperate defense for
meaning. Only infected fanatics are capable of twisting the sacred guidance
common to all faiths into a weapon against the faithful. They leave their
marks on time but they cannot change the ideals shared by all religions;
wisdom that can help heal and instill
a peace that consoles us from inflicting
more suffering.
What is the ideal of Islam?
Islam is not a name that defines you as better than your neighbor or
rewards you a special status with God. The name itself is an Arabic word
derived from the meaning to surrender or submit. True Islam (Submission)
is a way of life that guides your actions and forms your character. You
embark on an inner journey to purge your soul, the true Self, from ego
and vice by reverencing the One who created you from dust. Surrender is
a state of unceasing awareness and appreciation of God’s boundless
attributes (Quran 7:205).
As your soul submits, you are able to practice
the meaning of peace, compassion, love, forgiveness, and charity that
originate from one Source. You feel a gradual separation from the body
that adorns the soul and all the attachments that nourish the ego. The
shades of superiority, prejudice and judgment fade as the world comes
into focus with the eyes of your soul.
In Submission, the best among us in the sight of God is not the wealthy
Christian, erudite Jew, or fanatic Muslim, but rather, the one who is
the most righteous (Quran 49:13).
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Terror of Islam
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
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 meaning
of service, respect and tolerance
in individuals who, together, can build what God deems as the best
community; one that advocates righteousness (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 Gracious 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 regards 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
oxymoron that represents the battle the soul must wage to surrender
and serve God (Quran 22.78). Capital punishment is discouraged
and suicide is admonished (Quran 2:178 & 4:29). Oppression
is deemed to be worse than murder (Quran 2:217). God encourages
kindness, tolerance and equitable reconciliation between the faithful
who are fighting (Quran 24:22, 49:9).
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Terror of Islam
The way of True Islam (Submission) is resorting to pardon, forgetting,
and forgiving; striving to emulate the attributes of the Most Compassionate
(Quran 7:199, 64:14). Even in the course of justice, patience is
advocated instead of revenge: “…if
you resort to patience (instead of revenge), it would be better
for the patient ones. You shall resort to patience - and your patience
is attainable only with God’s help” (Quran 16:126-7,
42:43).
The genuine strength of character that yields patience is encouraged
in response to every interaction: “Not
equal is the good response and the bad response. You shall resort
to the nicest possible response. Thus, the one who used to be your
enemy, may become your best friend” (Quran 41:34).
This conduct is a true test of the unconditional surrender of the
soul, the abstention of ego, and
the recognition that all dignity belongs
to God (Quran 4:139).
Those who claim superiority in the name of their religion or abuse
the way of True Islam to hurt other faiths are blinded to the light
of unity and equality in the Quran: “Surely,
those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the
converts; anyone who believes in God, and believes in the Last Day,
and leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their
Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve”
(Quran 2:62).
The love of God is not reserved for names such as the Protestant,
Shi’ite, or Orthodox who remain divided by clinging to an
exclusive belief of guaranteed “salvation”. God’s
infinite love flows to the charitable, righteous, benevolent, equitable,
and just; those who submit a complete submission (Quran 3:134, 3:76,
5:13, 5:42, 49:9, 2:208).
Amir K.
Comments
on
submission.org
To Whom It May Concern,
I visited this particular website and downloaded the file that opened
up to the work of Mr. Rashad Khalifa titled "Quran, Hadith
and Islam". It really opened up my soul and I wish to be guided
by this compelling "revelation" and I want to put God
above and beyond everything else… Joehandi S.
Assalamu alaikum,
I am Muslim, American born, a convert from Christianity
and I share the same points of view expressed in your "site"
and very happy to find others who realize how divisive and destructive
it is for Muslims to place a collection of stories (hadith) on par
with the Glorious Qur'an with each Islamic sect having their own
collection. Ridiculous stories almost too embarrassing to recount
have been attributed to The Messenger of God and all of these concocted
hundreds of years after his death…
E.R.
Dear Madam or Sir,
I have recently visited your website, and I would like to applaud
your efforts to educate people (Muslim and non-Muslim). Born and
raised Muslim, I have always given great value to the understanding
of the reasoning behind our religion. I believe it is our duty to
educate ourselves about why we believe what we believe. It is crucial
to promote knowledge and refute ignorance. It is absolutely critical
for Muslims to maintain strong ties with God through full conviction
and confidence that His Gracious Message is the Truth.
I believe and hope that your efforts bring useful
knowledge to readers all over the world. As a reader of your website,
I am deeply thankful for your contribution and pray God to bless
your actions and commitment to the proper delivery of His message.
God Bless you.
Jawad S.
Page 4
Dogs
in the Quran?
Dogs in the Quran??? Aren’t they dirty (Najis)?!!
I heard this from a Muslim friend. So I told him to read the Quran and
find out what God says about dogs.
It is interesting to know that dogs are mentioned in the Quran many times,
not just once, in verses 5:4, 7:176, 18:18 and 18:22 (3 times). NOWHERE
does God call the dogs dirty animals or give any indication that they
should be avoided or treated the way many Muslims think they should. Actually,
the story of the people of the cave in Sura 18 gives the indication that
we should appreciate them. When the number of the people of the cave,
3, 5 or 7 were mentioned in the Quran, God insisted every time on letting
us know that their dog was
there with them. Their story can be as complete
without the mention of the dog, but God did, why?
God is telling us these righteous people were in the cave with their
dog. If it were not righteous to have dogs, God would not have told us
that story in which the dog has to be remembered as being there. We have
to know the quality of God, if we are to worship Him correctly. When God
says something He means it, and when he does not, he means it as much.
If God did not curse the dog and call it all kinds of name, it is because
God wants us to know that He created that beautiful creature and He expects
us to make all use and companionship with that animal that accompanied
these righteous people of the cave.
Fabricated hadiths contradict the Quran. Many of these hadiths were narrated
by Abu Hurayra. Abu Hurayra, whose name is translated as “father
of the little cat,” apparently hated dogs and women. He narrated
many hadiths that insulted women and cursed the dogs. He made them undesirable
animals that need to be avoided and even killed.
These fabricated hadiths were unfortunately
and falsely attributed to the prophet Muhammad who could not utter but
the teachings of the Quran. Muhammad would only be a living example of
the Quran itself. Therefore, God’s messenger who lived by the Quran
could not have done anything but agree with the Quran, not contradict
it. God gave us a great criterion to judge His truth from the man-made
fabrications.
“...If it were from other than God, they would have
found in it numerous contradictions.” (4:82)
Can we be that Judge? We have to.
Malika A.
[Quran 5:4] They consult you concerning what is lawful
for them; say, “Lawful for you are all good things, including what
trained dogs and falcons catch for you.” You train them according
to GOD's teachings. You may eat what they catch for you, and mention GOD's
name thereupon. You shall observe GOD. GOD is most efficient in reckoning.
About this work
Kind
Document
Author
International Community of Submitters
Publisher
International Community of Submitters / Masjid Tucson