Islam As It Is January-February

Islam As It Is I slam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Quran 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 Quran breathes the spirit of peace. It reads: In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. This verse is repeated in the Quran 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 Quran, is as-salam, which means peace. Moreover the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad  was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. (21:107) A perusal of the Quran shows that most verses of the Quran (and also the Hadith) are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The ideal society, according to the Quran is Dar as-Salam, that is, the house of peace. (10:25) The Quran presents the universe as a model which is characterized by harmony and peace (36:40). When God created heaven and earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other part. The Quran tells us that “the sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit runs.” (36:40) For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.