‘Do not kill a child, a woman or an elderly person, and do not cut a tree branch.’
These were the words of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) to his followers. These were his instructions, even in wartime, and they meant to reinforce the importance of life, be it human or non-human. Respect for human life and nature are some of the basic values upon which the Quran, the Muslim book of faith, and Islam are built. Muslims believe that the human body is the structure that God built and those who destruct it earn the wrath of God. Committing suicide is seen as defying God’s will and rejecting his most precious gift of life.
The Quran says “If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land, it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he or she saved the life of all mankind” (V.5: 32). Any good Muslim knows he or she has to respect life, even his or her own, and to be kind to those less fortunate.
“Peace” is the word from which the meaning of the Arabic word “Islam” is derived. “Islam” simply means submission. Islam means a complete submission to the will of God — Allah. Islam means tolerance, and it states that clearly in the Quran. “Approach the aggressors gently and nicely then your most furious enemy will turn into a good friend” (V.41: 34) — a teaching of prophet Jesus (peace be upon him).
Islam teaches its followers to live in peace and spread wealth in their community and in the world. Islam teaches Muslims to respect and preserve others’ property. Islam teaches Muslims not to kill innocent people, such as those killed during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The attack on Sept. 11 was a multiple crime against humanity. There were major violations that Islam prohibits, such as killing innocent people, suicide, destruction of property and disturbing people’s peaceful lives.
We, the Muslim Students Association (MSA) at the University of Oregon, would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon tragedies and to the entire community. We strongly condemn the attacks that occurred on Sept. 11.
The terrorists not only attacked innocent people, but they also attacked our culture and religious beliefs. We will do everything in our power to help alleviate the sorrow that took over the country on Sept. 11. We thought we should start by shedding some light upon who we are, Islam and its teachings against terrorism.
To learn more about Islam, we encourage you to contact us by calling us at (541) 346-3790 or by e-mailing at [email protected].
Reda Mohammed, Mahmoud
Addul-Jawad and Claudi Ciobano
are members of the Muslim Students
Association. This column represents the opinion of the Muslim Students Association.