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This is the first E-book produced by the Electronic Da`wah Committee (EDC) and Truth Seeker Website. The E-book is titled, A Conversation with an Atheist. It is translated and adapted from the book of Maqalat (Essays) by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali. The E-book is translated and adapted from Arabic by Dr. Ali Al-Halawani.
The Messenger of Allah defined the main goal of his mission when he said, “I was sent to perfect honorable morals”. It seems as if the mission which has paved its own course in the life history, and its owner exerted much effort in spreading it and gathering people around it, aspires to nothing other than enhancing people’s virtues, enlightening their perfection horizons before their eyes so that they may approach them with good insight.
No one denies the predominance of admonitory-ethical style on the early Islamic educational output due to his growing up in a jurisprudential environment… and the confinement of educational content on Islamic sciences. However, it is not fair to generalize this opinion, especially after Muslims’ openness to neighboring cultures, and the increased need for secular sciences that can serve the Islamic Renaissance Movement.
As both the language of Islam and a medium of culture and learning for five centuries, Arabic came into close contact with several other languages. Asian and African languages such as Urdu, Turkish, Farsi, and Hausa borrowed a large number of Arabic words dealing with various aspects of culture, particularly those related to Islam.
The last element of attaining salvation from the Islamic perspective is having hope in Allah all times knowing that no matter how much we err and sin, as long as we intend to return to Him, ask for forgiveness and live a righteous life, His vast mercy is awaiting us.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umm ‘Umarah’s son, Habib bin Zaid as his representative to Musaylamah Al-Kadthab, in order to bring him to the right path. Breaking all norms of diplomacy, this low down man captured Habib and tied him to a pillar. He then asked him, “Do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?” When he answered in the affirmative, he asked him if he also testified that he, Musaylamah, was also the messenger of Allah. Habib replied that he was deaf and could not hear him. He kept on repeating the question again and again.
Some people claim that Islam only spread at the point of swords. The only answer capable of refuting such a false claim is that a sword can conquer and open territories but certainly cannot conquer the human heart. As opening hearts and unlocking their seals require some other instrument. It needs persuasion of the mind, attraction of emotions, and impressing the psychological element in man.
Modern science has shaped the modern education system and hence the moral fiber of our children for over 150 years. In that period, we have seen the demise of the moral structure of many societies, increasing unaccountability, abuse of human rights, dysfunctional families, and violence as an acceptable status quo, the means of which has control of the rights of others.
Indeed, it is a duty in Islam. Every Muslim has to love and support the faithful after adhering to Allah and following His Messenger, exactly as it is expressed by the Qur’an. This applies in particular to the scholars who are the heirs of the prophets, whom Allah made to be like the stars which guide people in the darkness of land and sea. There is a consensus among all Muslims on their guidance and their knowledge.
If our different tongues and colors as well as the characteristics of our creation are but a sign of Allah the Almighty, the different perspectives and minds and what is produced by those perspectives and minds are also a sign from Him as well as an evidence of His great Power. Reconstruction of the universe, prosperity of existence, and the emergence of life would not have been possible, had all people been created equal in everything, but all is equipped to perform what he was created for.