Islam 101

Repel Evil With Superior Good

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Dr. Ishaq Zahid

Sept. 18, 2010

Allah T'ala says in the Holy Quran:

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ

(41:34) (O Prophet), good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with that which is good, and you will see that he, between whom and you there was enmity, shall become as if he were a bosom friend (of yours).

To understand the full significance of these words, one should keep in view the conditions in which the Holy Prophet and, through him, his followers were given this instruction. The conditions were that the invitation to the Truth was being resisted and opposed with extreme stubbornness and severe antagonism, in which all bounds of morality, humanity and decency were being transgressed. Every sort of lie was being uttered against the Holy Prophet and his Companions; every kind of evil device was being employed to defame him and to create suspicions against him in the minds of the people; every kind of accusation was being levelled against him and a host of the propagandists were busy creating doubts against him in the hearts; in short, he and his Companions were being persecuted in every possible way because of which a substantial number of the Muslims had been compelled to emigrate from the country. Then the program that had been prepared to stop him from preaching was that a handful of mischievous people was set behind him, who would raise such a hue and cry that no one could hear anything as soon as he opened his mouth to preach his message. In such discouraging conditions when apparently every way of extending invitation to Islam seemed blocked, the Holy Prophet was taught this recipe for breaking the opposition.

Love and Justice Must Coexist

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Dr. Ishaq Zahid
May 28, 2011

Allah T'ala says in the Holy Quran:
‘Oh you who believe, stand up firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even if it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be against rich or poor; for God can best protect both. Do not follow any passion, lest you not be just. And if you distort or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that you do.’” (Quran 4:135)

In the same book, Allah T'ala elevates obedience and kindness to parents (especially mothers) to a status second only to the worship of Allah:
“Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor.” (Qur'an 17:23)

What does it mean if you find out that your father or mother or son have committed a crime? You love them, you will be stricken with grief, you will cry, but you still have to stand for justice. Love and justice must coexist!

Cut Off the Hand

Dr. Ishaq Zahid

Jan. 5, 2011

In an educational setting, I was asked

Where are the laws such as Cut hand off the robber, stoning for infidelity? Do they exist in or are they part of Sharia? or any other legal document? Or it is general ignorance about Sharia?

I gave the following response:

Greetings of peace.

These are in fact being asked and constantly being pounded upon by millions. It is a blessing, especially for me, to talk about it in a peaceful and friendly environment. So thank you for asking.

As I have stated in my article, Islamic Sharia covers the totality of life. It is based on the basic belief that Allah, the One and Only God, is the Law-Giver. It includes religious law covering worship and rituals and secular law covering everything else. Both subsystems are non-literalists. The secular (temporal) subsystem of Islamic Sharia Law is adaptable to change in its application.

As far as “Cut hand off the robber”, it is not part of Sharia. You probably meant thief not robber. There is a verse in the Holy Quran, which talks about cutting off hand of the one who does Saraqah, which is not exactly the same as thief, either. I am assuming that by infidelity, you meant sexual intercourse outside marriage, which in Arabic is called Zina. Stoning for Zina does not appear in the Holy Quran, but it is in the Torah. It appears in the Muslim Hadeeth books in the context of incidents in which both men and women were forgiven due to their repentence and also incidents in which stoning did occur.

I hope that answers your questions, but I hope you would not mind if I say a little bit more.

Coming of a Muslim

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Dr. Ishaq Zahid
Sept. 28, 2010

Many places in the Holy Quran, feeding an orphan or an indigent, serving humanity is mentioned before belief in God. In other places, belief in God is followed by service to humanity. A person who shares his wealth and possessions with his needy relatives and others has a beautiful character. He does so only for the love of God without seeking a reward from people. God makes it easy for such a person to become a Muslim.

On the other hand, a person may already be a Muslim and also serving humanity. Such a Muslim is true in word and deeds. There are also many verses in the Holy Quran which speak about severe punishment and being placed in the Hellfire for those people who do not give a portion of their wealth to the needy.

The Islamic Shariah and the USA

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Dr. Ishaq Zahid
Dec. 29, 2011

Three states have passed anti Sharia-laws since 2010 and now, 17 others are discussing similar bills. Meanwhile, the powerful Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is suggesting there should be a federal law banning Sharia altogether. Most other Republican candidates are supporting his position.[7]

Such prejudices and campaigns do not augur well for the future of mankind. They can only exacerbate the deep antagonisms and animosities between the West and Muslims which have persisted throughout history and which, if renewed and aggravated, may ultimately tear apart a world already dangerously divided. The need to understand the Shari'ah is therefore urgent and compelling more than ever before. [2]

So, what is Sharia? What does it mean? How does it impact Muslims’ way of life? As a matter of fact, most Muslims, including devout practicing Muslims, do not even know what it means and may have used this word once or twice in their lifetimes. Most common phrases Muslims use in their conversations are The Holy Quran, the Sunnah, Islam as a Deen, but rarely use the phrase, Islamic Sharia. Allah T’ala has His ways to make Muslims learn more about their religion!

Let us talk about what Islamic Sharia is.