ISLAM AS IT IS

~ 26 ~ ISLAM AS IT IS Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Qur’an calls its way ‘the paths of peace’ (5:16). It describes reconciliation as the best policy (4:128), and states that God abhors any disturbance of the peace (2:205). The root word of Islam is ‘silm’, which means peace. So the spirit of Islam is the spirit of peace. The first verse of the Qur’an breathes the spirit of peace. It reads: In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. This verse is repeated in the Qur’an no less than 114 times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches to such values as Mercy and Compassion. One of God’s names, according to the Qur’an, is as-salam, which means peace. Moreover the Qur’an states that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. (21:107) A perusal of the Qur’an shows that most verses of