The real Islam and Islam in the media render the great irony of the modern world. Islam conveys the warmest message of universal love, compassion, tolerance, mercy etc…, and warns against any form of aggression, terror, rudeness and insult. But what we see in the media is just a portrait of negative photography!!
Here is an example of what the traditional Islamic school teaches Muslim believers.
Excerpts from “The Ray of Clear Light from the Revival of the Religious Sciences” (Habib Omar b. Hafiz’s abridgment and commentary on Imam al-Ghazalli’s “Revival of the Religious Sciences”)
http://www.tabahfoundation.org/seminars/RaysofLight.pdf
On the virtues of forgiveness
Forgiveness is when a person has a right to demand justice and chooses to forgo that right
God reveals:
“Keep to forgiveness and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant”.
The Messenger of God said to the idolaters of Mecca (who had once forced him to quit his dear home) after his conquest of Mecca: “you are free”, so they came out as if they had been resurrected from their graves and entered Islam
Also the Messenger said:
1. O `Aisha’ God loves gentleness in all things
2. when God loves a household he allows gentleness to enter it
3. whoever is deprived of gentleness is deprived of all good
4. Be gentle for gentleness does not come into anything except that it adorns it, and is not stripped from anything except that it leaves it tarnished”.
Ibrahim al-Timi said: a person wrongs me and I show them compassion. This is an example of benevolence which goes beyond forgiveness.
It is narrated that a thief broke into the hiding place of `Ammar bin Yassir during the battle of Siffin, and he was told: “cut him down he is one of our enemies, so he said: no I am going to cover what he did perchance God will cover us5 on the day of judgment.
Ibn Mas`ud wasat the market place buying food, when he bought something and looked for his money which was hidden in his turban he found the turban had been undone (the money was gone), the people present began making supplications against the thief, and Abdullah ibn Mas`ud supplicated saying: O God if he was pushed to take it because of his need, then make it blessed for him, if he was forced to take it because of his being emboldened to sin then make this the last time he commits a sin”.
Prisoners of war from Ibn al-Ash`ath were brought to the presence of Abdullah bin Marwan and he said to Raja’ bin Hiwa: “what do you think? He said: God the exalted has given you the victory you loved, so show God what He would love of forgiveness”, so he forgave them.
It is narrated that Ziad captured a member of the Khawarij who then escaped so he captured the same man’s brother, and said: “bring your brother or I will end your life”, so the man said: “if I bring you a letter of pardon for me for the Commander of the Faithful will you let me free?” He replied: “yes” he said: “I can bring you a book from God and the testimony of two witnesses the Prophets Abraham and Moses ”, he then recited the words: Nay, is he not acquainted with what is in the Books of Moses And of Abraham who fulfilled his covenants Namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another, the captor said: “let him go, he has made his case”.
Traditional Islamic School 