by Dr. Ali Shehata
Excellent Manners – the Path to Paradise
This brief chapter is being written for both Muslims and non-Muslims. For Muslims, it is a reminder from which we can all benefit. It should serve to guide us back to the excellent conduct exhibited by the Prophet Muhammad pbuh which, in of itself, is one of the most excellent and effective methods of demonstrating the beauty of Islam to others and calling them to it.
For non-Muslims though, this chapter serves two purposes. Firstly, it gives an in-depth look into the beautiful teachings of this noble religion in the area of interpersonal relations, and just how much emphasis Islam places upon values like: forgiveness of others, sincerity, compassion, gentleness, truthfulness and thoughtfulness. Secondly, it offers a guide as to how Muslims should behave, for those non-Muslims who interact with Muslims.
Unfortunately in the world today, many people who come from Islamic backgrounds, but otherwise know or practice little of the teachings of Islam, are coming into more and more contact with non-Muslims. Non-Muslims naturally think that such people are in some ways representatives of Islam, and they often judge Islam based on their interaction with these people. Hence, this chapter is intended in many ways to show non-Muslims what Islam truly teaches so that they will judge the religion based upon its teachings, and not base it upon the behavior of some Muslims.
Certainly, most fair and reasonable people will refrain from judging others based on the actions of a minority of their adherents, as they don’t want their own religions or nationalities to be judged in a similar manner. For example, Germans should not be judged for the actions of the Nazi party, nor should the average American be held responsible for the mistreatment and oppression of Native Americans or African slaves.
Most Christians are similarly truly appalled by the barbarity of the Crusade wars or the Spanish Inquisition. Indeed, this is the same logic that the great boxer Muhammad Ali used when a Christian reporter asked him how he felt knowing that he practiced the same religion as Osama bin Laden when he simply replied to the reporter, “How do you feel about Hitler belonging to your religion?”
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