In the age of the Internet, high-speed connection and continuous news channels, the observation remains bitter: prejudices, disinformation and the race for buzz still seem to be unanimous. And among the first victims of this situation: Islam and Muslims!
Introduction
Far from any tendency towards victimization, it is clear that Islam, the pure and authentic religion, the only one approved by Allah the Lord of the worlds, is the target of a number of prejudices, both in USA and elsewhere.
So it was time to deconstruct some of them!
Islam is a misogynistic religion
This is a prejudice that you may have already heard around you: according to some, Islam does not respect women, does not give them the place they deserve in society and their rights are violated.
However, it is good to recall one of the very last recommendations of the Prophet ﷺ to his Companions, during his farewell pilgrimage. He ﷺ said:
“I recommend that you treat your wives well. » [Muslim]
In his book Discovering Islam, author Rachid Maach also explains:
He [The Prophet ﷺ] never ceased, throughout his life, to encourage Muslims to treat their wives well, telling them:
“The believers whose faith is the most perfect are those who have the best behavior. And the best among you are those who behave best with their wives. » [At-Tirmidhi]
Rachid Maach also quotes Gustave Le Bon, doctor, anthropologist and sociologist, who writes in his book The Civilization of the Arabs, on the subject of Islam and the place it grants to women:
“Far from lowering them, as we blindly repeat, it has, on the contrary, considerably raised their social status and their role. The Koran, as I have shown by examining the law of inheritance among the Arabs, treats them much better than most of our European codes. »
Islam is a religion of terror
This is another prejudice that is on the rise! Indeed, according to some, Islam is a religion of terror and war.
However, here again, it is good to provide certain arguments and clarifications.
In his book Discovering Islam, author Rachid Maach explains on this subject:
“Muslims are […] required to accept any peace proposal from the enemy. The Most High says: {If then they stand aside and offer you peace, renouncing to fight you, God no longer gives you any reason to worry them.} [Surah 4, v.90]. »
He then explains:
“God invites Muslims to be kind to those of their adversaries who refrain from fighting them. He said: “God does not forbid you from treating with kindness and justice those among them who have neither persecuted you because of your faith nor forced you into exile. God loves righteous men. » [Surah 60, v.8]. »
He finally continues:
“The term “peace” and its derivatives appear no less than 140 times in the Koran while the word “war” and its derivatives only appear 6 times. »
Islam is a religion invented by men
Among the prejudices that we can hear about Islam, we can cite the following: Islam is a religion invented by men, drawing direct inspiration from the precepts contained in the Torah and the Bible.
SubhanAllah! It is good, therefore, to remember that the Prophet ﷺ is mentioned, both in the Torah and in the Gospel.
Indeed, Allah says in the Quran [translation of meaning]
{Those who follow the Messenger, the illiterate Prophet whom they find written at home in the Torah and the Gospel.}
[Surah 7, v.157]
And in a hadith reported by Imam Ishâq Ibn Râhawayh and deemed authentic by Sheikh Mouqbil, ‘Aïsha swore saying:
“By Allah, Muhammad is certainly mentioned in the Gospel [by these terms]: He is neither rough, nor harsh, nor shouter in the markets. He does not repel an evil action with another [also] evil one: but he forgives and absolves. »
The Prophet ﷺ was a harsh and violent man
Yes, according to some, the last of the Prophets, the seal of prophecy, Muhammad ﷺ, would have been a harsh man, without compassion or kindness.
However, there is no shortage of evidence and texts in its favor.
In the work The Defense of the Prophet, written by 'Abd Ar-Rahmân Al Hâchemî and prefaced by the great scholar of Yemen, Sheikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abd Al Wahhâb Al Wusâbî, numerous arguments are brought together in the form of a complete chapter .
In particular, we can read certain hadiths highlighting his kindness, his compassion, his benevolence:
- Al-Aswad said: “I asked ‘Aisha: “What did the Prophet ﷺ do when he was at home? » “He served his own people. But when the time of prayer arrived, he ﷺ went out to perform it. » [Al-Bukhâry]
- A Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ and said to him: “Do you kiss children? As for us, we never kiss them. » The Prophet ﷺ said to him: “What can I do for you if Allah has removed tenderness from your heart? » [Al-Bukhâry and Mouslim]
- Anas Ibn Mâlik reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Some times, I start the prayer with the intention of prolonging it, but hearing the cries of a small child, I lighten it because I know that her cries torment her mother. » [Reported by Al-Boukhâry and Mouslim]
- The Prophet ﷺ said: “He who provides for the needs of the widow and the poor is like the one who fights in the cause of Allah or the one who prays all night and fasts all day. » [Al-Bukhâry]
Islam is intolerant towards non-Muslims
Once again, Islam is at the heart of false accusations: it is intolerant of non-Muslims and encourages attacks against them.
· In the chapter entitled “His concern for non-Muslims”, the author of the book The Defense of the Prophet, ‘Abd Ar-Rahmân Al Hâchemî gives a particularly telling example:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had a Jewish servant whom he visited whenever he fell ill. He visited him one day and invited him to Islam in the presence of his father. His father said to him: “Obey Abâ Al-Qasîm (that is, the Prophet ﷺ). Then the servant embraced Islam and the Prophet ﷺ said: “Praise be to Allah, who saved him from the Fire. » [Al-Bukhâry] »
· The Prophet ﷺ also had the habit of respecting his commitments with non-Muslims. Let those who are interested in her life (the Sira) look at the episode of the Treaty of Al-Houdaybiyyah – صلح الحديبية.
And we ask Allah to count us among those who defend Islam, convey a good image of Muslims and whose good works are accepted. He is certainly capable of anything. And may the praise and salvation of Allah be upon the last of the Messengers, Muhammad ﷺ.
Further read : The Danger of Influencers for our Muslim Children
