World Muslim Congress – Building Cohesive Societies

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20 COMMON SENSE ISLAMIC VALUES
If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam
https://worldmuslimcongress.org/20-common-sense-islamic-values/

PROGRESSIVE WEDDING OFFICIANT
Dr. Mike Ghouse officiates weddings between people of different faiths and among the same. Through consultations with the couple, he customizes the proceedings & sermons in both their faith traditions if they choose to remain in their respective faiths. It is a full-service wedding or Nikah. You can text him with your name(s) to (214) 325-1916 to set up a conversation to discuss how you want your wedding to be.
INTERFAITH MARRIAGES: https://interfaithmarriages.org/
MUSLIM WEDDING OFFICIANT:https://muslimweddingofficiant.org/

ABOUT WORLD MUSLIM CONGRESS
The slides are 20 of the Islamic Values that contribute to creating a cohesive world

World Muslim Congress is a think tank, committed to building cohesive societies. We invite scholars to write and speak about Muslim issues and how Islam can contribute to creating a better world for every human being. Please visit our YouTube Channel Muslims Together at https://www.youtube.com/c/MuslimsTogether/videos to learn about the essence of Islam.

To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who mitigates conflicts and nurtures goodwill – a formula of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in all his actions. A Muslim can be defined as an exemplary citizen who cares for fellow humans and the environment, speaks up for justice for all, believes, feels, thinks, and acts all of us are equals in the eyes of God, and works on creating cohesive societies where each one of God’s creation lives freely without fear of the fellow humans.
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Our Impact – Fellow humans have started differentiating between Islam and the acts of the extremists, and fellow Muslims feel in tune with the Universal values of Islam that make the world a better place.
Our History — WMC was established in 2003, and the website was set up in 2006
Our Mission — Is to highlight the universal values of Islam
Our Vision — is for Muslims and fellow humans to see Islam as a system to create peaceful societies.
Our goal — is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls toward each other.
Our Accomplishments — to be listed soon
Our Agenda — is to build cohesive societies where every human feels secure about who he/she is.
Our policy on conversions — Every faith is valid to its believer and brings peace to him/her. To consider other faith to be ‘less than’ ours is arrogance. People should choose any faith or no faith on their own, with their free will. The followers of every faith have the right to ask others to convert to their faith. However, all faiths bring peace and freedom to their followers and we don’t see the need to convert – what is required is to respect the otherness of the other faith. God tells Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that his role is to share the message and it is up to God to give guidance, and further, had God wanted, he would have created all of us to be the same. He chose us to be different and we must respect that.
What is a Cohesive Society? A community or a nation where every member of the society feels secure about his/her ethnicity, faith, culture, and political and sexual orientation.
Our Strategy — It is to bring individuals and communities together to see different points of view to enlarge their understanding of Islam. The more we learn about each other firsthand, the fewer the conflicts (49:13)
Human Rights — We have stood up for every category of humans from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between including LGBTQ and undocumented Aliens www.StandingUpforOthers.com. One of the requirements to be a follower of Islam is to stand up for Justice for all of creation, if one cannot stop injustice and oppresion, the least one can do is speak up – Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Religious Freedom — We have stood up for the religious freedom of almost all humans and are a signatory to over 100 letters to the President and the US Department of State to take action with those nations that violated religious freedom.

Our Mantras:

If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam.
Conflict Mitigation and goodwill nurturance was Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) formula of dealing with every conflict.
If you don’t believe in the equality of humans in your thoughts, words, and actions, you have not understood Islam.
The essence of Islam is to create cohesive societies through justice, kindness, and care to make every human feel secure about their faith, race, ethnicity, culture, or any other uniqueness.
Islam is not for governance, Islam is for living a peaceful life with oneself and what surrounds them.
The role of every Muslim is Islah-al Alam, which is to fix the problems and restore harmony among humans and the environment.

Email — WMCarchives@gmail.com
Website — www.WorldMuslimCongress.org
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/MuslimsTogether
YouTube Channel — www.YouTube.com/MuslimsTogether
YouTube Chanel — Good Deeds by Muslims – https://www.youtube.com/c/GoodDeedsbyMuslims/videos
The Book –– details at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com
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This page gives you a full summary of what we do.

God created everything in harmony (Quran 55:8-11) and told us that we are the Khalifa (manager of the environment) on the earth (8 billion of us). We have the responsibility to preserve and maintain that harmony. “For [We shall requite] all those who hold fast to the divine writ and are constant in prayer: verily, We shall not fail to requite those who enjoin the doing of what is right (7:170). ”

Islam is simplest if you keep up with the Quran. Without any question, Muslim societies, in the case of Islam, have built up a bureaucracy and have created Hadiths, Sharia, Seerah, and whatnot. Quran is the only book that Muslims need to follow. All other books are divisive as they reflect the views of different individuals and not God.

Mohammad Asad’s translation and interpretation are most recognized and followed by Muslims worldwide.

Let’s look at what the Quran says, 2:62 (Asad) VERILY, those who have attained to faith, as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians and the Sabians.– all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds – shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

Mohammad Asad writes: “The above passage- which recurs in the Quran several times – lays down a fundamental doctrine of Islam. With a breadth of vision unparalleled in any other religious faith, the idea of ‘salvation’ is here made conditional upon three elements only; belief in God, belief in the Day of Judgement, and righteous action in life.

Righteous actions are caring for God’s creation – that is fellow humans, life and the environment.

Islam accepts the sovereignty of God. The Quran says HE has sent a messenger to every community in the world to create peace and harmony and build cohesive societies. The Quran further adds that God does not make any distinction between one or the other; all of us are his creation.

Religion is a system that guides one to live in harmony within and with what surrounds—life and matter. Everything in the universe is interconnected, God has created everything in harmony, and all that God wants is to preserve that harmony between life and matter. He has given us (all humanity, not just Muslims) the intelligence to do that. Dr. Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi was crystal clear. “The role of religion is to answer the big questions for us, those relating to our existence, origins, destiny, and the purpose for which we are created. It is to provide us with a system of values and principles that would guide our thinking, behavior, and the regulations to which we aspire.” He added, “Islam is a religion of civilization,” which he suggests elsewhere is the essence and purpose of every world religion (from the chapter Essence of Islam in the book American Muslim Agenda).

A Muslim is a Muslim is a Muslim

At the World Muslim Congress, we make no distinction between one Muslim or the other. If you believe in God, are accountable for your actions, treat others as equals, be just, merciful, and kind to what surrounds you; life, and the environment, you are a Muslim. If we were to define what is God’s will, it simply is to preserve and maintain harmony within God’s creation.

Whether you are a Sunni (+Sub-traditions like Barelvi, Deobandi, Ahle Sunnat, and many more), Shia ( Sub-traditions like Bohra, Ismaili, Twelvers, Alawite, etc.), Sufi (Naqshbandi and traditional), Ahmadi (Lahori or the mainstream), or any subset of these divisions, you are a Muslim to us. We firmly believe that only God judges what is in one’s heart, and most Muslims recite Malik-i-Yomiddin (Lord of the Day of Accountability) at least 51 times a day in their salats (Namaz) and hope they mean it. Only God has a right to judge, not now, but on that elusive future day of accountability. If any one of us judges the other, it amounts to shirk- that is playing God. It is one of the greatest sins in Islam.

As Muslims we should accept diversity within, it is expected of us.

OUR PRESENCE

WMC had its presence on TV, Radio, and Print media, as well as social media.

A Muslim is an exemplary citizen. You don’t become a good citizen at once. It is a process of understanding the purpose of your life—a life about fellow humans, other life forms, and the environment. It is figuring out your role in the web of life. Becoming a good citizen requires you to continually protect and restore the equilibrium or the balance in society. The purpose is to live freely and with the least conflicts. As you mature, you become a better citizen.

A Muslim is someone who should be a conflict mitigator and a goodwill nurturer, following the formula for peaceful societies practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and guided by the Quran. This book, the American Muslim Agenda paves the way for us to own the mistakes we have made, remedy them, and become fully integrated citizens.

A Muslim follows the idea of God, the “Rabbul Aalameen” – that is God is the creator of the universe and all its elements – his sun shines on the dirtiest puddle as well as the crystal clear mountains. This is what the Quran means – that God loves you like no one else can love you. So a Muslim has to love all of God’s creations and work on preserving harmony.

A Muslim follows the Prophet’s wisdom, the “Rahmatul Aalmeen” – a very powerful phrase. You, the Muslim become a Rahmat, a mercy to all of God’s creation. If you are hateful, or revengeful towards others, you do not follow the prophet, you might as well not claim to be a Muslim. If you ever feel you are more privileged than others, you cannot be a Rahmat to fellow humans. If you ridicule other’s faiths you cannot be a Rahmat to Allah’s creation.

Shame on you, if you consider another Muslim to be a lesser Muslim than you, or if you even entertain the idea that Sunni, Shia, or Ahmadi or not Muslims. You need to seek repentance, only Allah knows what is in one’s heart and he does not even judge anyone until the Day of Judgement, who the hell are you declaring others as a non-Muslim? Are you accountable for others’ actions on the Day of Judgment? Are you Allah’s deputy? What a Shirk it would be if you judge others’ faith. God bless us all and save us from the lanat of takfiriyat.

ARTICLES

Over 2400 articles have been written, you can get them all by clicking the “NEWS TAB” above searching by month, or placing the word in the search box.

HISTORY OF WORLD MUSLIM CONGRESS

The World Muslim Congress was established as a yahoo group in 2001, and at its peak, we had 1800 members including a few Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Sikhs along with Imams, Muslim scholars, and the average Muslims. Then in 2007, we established the website and you will find articles on this site from January 2007.

The essence of Islam remains a myth to many people, including Muslims, simply because its purpose was rarely explained. Its role visà-vis humanity is seldom understood.

Muslims have reduced Islam to merely rituals. Many of them believe that it is all about the five pillars, burqa, beard, sharia, sunna, and clothes. Sadly, that is how it is understood by fellow humans. Islam is much more than that. It is a way of life; deen as it is called. Islam is about interactions with fellow humans and making an effort to create an environment of trust, dignity, and caring with no discrimination and malice towards none. That is what Amin means, the foundation of Islam.

We further created a blog for each item in 2007 and 2008

THE BOOK ABOUT AMERICAN MUSLIMS

As a community, American Muslims have not developed any concrete plans to extricate themselves from the chaotic situations, hostility, and incessant Islamophobic rhetoric they face. We are American Muslims, and we can do better than that.

Muslims have been duped by the right-wing scholars (chapter on the source of extremism) of the past, they have distorted the pluralistic teachings of the Prophet and presented Islam as a political entity. Islam is not a political entity, it is spiritual and social guidance to live in harmony with oneself and fellow humans.

This book, about American Muslims, is a primer to a Blueprint for Muslims to consider. A Muslim is someone who is a conflict mitigator and a goodwill nurturer, a formula for peaceful societies practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and guided by the Quran.

This book paves the way to own up to the mistakes we have made and fix them and become fully integrated. There is only one America, and all of us are a fully integrated part of it. We need to learn to engage with those who are opposed to us, and I have fairly good success stories to share.

We have to be a part of the American story and become one with all to build a secure future for every American. All humans, men, and women are created equal and no one is more privileged than the other. We need to reassure each other, particularly the disconnected ones, that together as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. Together as Americans, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution; a guarantor of the way of life for every American.

Ultimately each one of the 322 Million Americans must feel secure with our faith, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other uniqueness in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

When we start defending America and American values we are in! We become an integral part of the American Story.

A Muslim Woman president in the year 2036 is our goal, and the book is how do we get there. It is a Muslim effort in building a cohesive America, where each one of the 323 Million Americans feels secure about his/her faith, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual, and political orientations. We are Americans, we are free and brave people and have to live freely and jettison our apprehensions about each other. If you are a conservative, grudgingly, you’ll see the value in it, and if you are moderate, you’ll dance with joy. You can order the book from Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Google, and other bookstores. The book is American Muslim Agenda – more info at ww.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

CITIZEN

If you add one more criterion to the Citizen, that is a belief in Prophet Muhammad as the last messenger of God, the Citizen becomes Muslim.

[2:136] Say, “We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters.”

OUR WORK

The think tank continues its research work. Since then we have debated on a majority of Muslim issues among 1800 members from across the world representing ordinary Muslims, scholars, Imams and a few members of different faiths.

Unlike most Muslim organizations, we believe in Public Islam, that is we do not act like a private club and set the rules as to who is a Muslim and who is not and pass judgments about others.

We believe God alone is the judge of one’s faith, and as Muslims, we reinforce and pound it on our psyche with the verse Malik-i-Yommidin in our daily prayers. Anyone who accepts God, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and Quran as guidance is Muslim to us. You’ll find articles on all denominations with full respect and dignity, just plug in a word or a phrase in the search box, and you will find the articles.

What you believe is between you and Allah, and no human has a right to take over that decision from God, as it amounts to shirk, which is diluting God’s dominion. The only rights we have that we can administer as a society are if we violate others’ freedom and hurt them and their loved ones. Faith is strictly between God and the individual. There is no compulsion there.

The role of Muslims is to contribute to the well-being of humanity. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) paved the way; the first and foremost role of a Muslim is to be the Amin of the society – i.e., someone who can be trusted, who tells the truth, who is just, and around whom people feel safe. It means you and I have to be friends of all people from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between, not to convert them but to work with them to bring harmony to the world we inhabit.

Secondly, we have to work for a just world, where we inculcate the values of equality of human beings, and treat and respect others as you would want to be treated. Then we must care for the well-being of all of God’s creation; life and environment. Finally, we must become conflict mitigators and goodwill nurturers, a formula Prophet Muhammad consistently worked on. Our goal is to work for a secure world for every human. Please read the mission statement appended below.

This site is about Muslims and their civic responsibilities in creating a dignified religious, social and civic space for themselves in the community of faiths. We do not distinguish between a Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, WD Muhammad, Ismaili, Bohra, or the subsets of each group, all of them believe in God, the Prophet, and the accountability of their actions, and whoever calls himself or herself a Muslim is a Muslim to us. Currently, we are blessed to have our Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Bahai, Sikh, and Buddhist friends among us to learn and share their perspectives. This is our world and our God collectively.

Our discussion group is WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the group please send an email to WorldMuslimCongress-Subscribe@yahoogroups.co

We invite scholarly articles to be published here on all the topics.

OUR MISSION

Preface

To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for the peaceful co-existence of humanity.

God

The Creator wants nothing more than to preserve the universe he created to be in balance and functioning cohesively Qur’an 55:1-13. Everything in nature is designed to run precisely like the planets and the seasons, however, humans were given the free will to figure out the balance and co-exist in harmony. Indeed, the freewill creates anomalies and conflicts, and it is up to humans to manage and preserve that elusive equilibrium. The world was created with a formula of 99% to 1% perfection and anomalies respectively, and that ratio will be there forever. (The % is our personal observation and not empirical data).

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

The Prophet was an ultimate peacemaker, he was divinely inspired to find solutions for peaceful coexistence. Whenever and wherever he saw conflicts, his attitude was conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/how-i-connect-with-prophet-muhammad_b_2547782.html) Justice and Mercy ran through his veins.

Humans

We are driven by Qur’an, Al-Hujurat, Surah 49:13: “O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Allah Knows and is Aware.”

God has deliberately created us into many from one, he knows that creates conflicts and then he says, the best ones are those who take time to know each other, indeed, knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance and appreciation of a different point of view.

Qur’an

Quran is a book of Guidance for humanity, and it is soaked in the universal message of mercy and justice. Don’t look to it as the book of Muslims (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/quran-is-not-for-muslims_b_6174940.html ), it is indeed a self-help manual to build cohesive societies where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.

Beware of the mistranslations. The Qur’an had been purposely mistranslated down through history. In the Middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Qur’an translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders (1142 AD). Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation (1924) to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews. It was all about politics. The guys should be hung for messing with the world’s balance. ( In defense of Islam, pursuing a civil dialogue http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece).

A Quran conference was held in Dallas to clear the air about 30 mistranslated verses and the furor about it with Pastor Jeffress. www.QuraanConference.com

Our Mission

Our Mission at the World Muslim Congress is to work for a world of co-existence through inclusiveness and participation. As a member of a diverse family of faiths, our efforts will be directed toward justice and equity to attain peace for humankind with a firm grounding in commonly held values. We cannot have advantages at the cost of others. Such benefits are temporary and deleterious to lasting peace. We believe what is good for Muslims has got to be good for the world, and vice versa, for the goodness to sustain.

Indeed we aspire to promote goodwill amongst people of different affiliations, regardless of their faith, gender, race, nationality, culture, or any other uniqueness blessed by the creator.

Our Goals

Our short-term goal is to understand different faiths and let the values of Islam be understood as well. We know very little about other faiths just as others know almost nothing about Islam. The idea is to know each other, so we can be good to each other. When we learn about each other, the myths will disappear and solutions will emerge.

Our Long term goal is simply to bring a realization that the purpose of all religions is to bring peace and tranquility to an individual and further create a balanced relationship between the individual, society, and the environment. Learning about other faiths need not imply infidelity, but rather the search will enrich one’s own faith, it reaffirms the idea that the intent of every faith is to “fix” the individual as an active working and participating spoke in the wheel of life. Most people get it and a few don’t.

Muslims are not a monolithic lot, a majority of us are like a majority of any group; minding our own business – taking care of family, raising children, schooling, job, and a home to live in and retire comfortably. It’s an American dream and it is a Muslim dream.

A few Muslims and a few Christians and other faiths are bent on converting people to their faiths. However, most people believe in free will, let people believe what comforts them. Everyone is endowed with the freedom to eat, drink, wear and believe what is good for them in the pursuit of happiness.

American Muslim Agenda – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/american-muslim-agenda-a-_b_5528706.html

Islam defined

The essence of Islam: Justice for every human being under one Creator (Universe is the only creation we know)

The Qur’an starts with the word “God of Universe” (not Muslims) and ends with “Humankind” (and again not Muslims). As such it is understood that God, the cause behind the creation of life and matter belongs to all of us. No one owns him (her or it) nor does one group have an exclusive favor over the other. The creator will offer equal opportunities to all and will not sign a deal behind one’s back with the other.

Al-Fatiha (The Opening) 1:2 All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds, [2] Alhamdu lillahi rabbi AAalameen

الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (1:2) – The opening Chapter

An-Nas (The Mankind) 114:1 SAY: “I seek refuge with the Sustainer of men,

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ (114:1 – The closing Chapter

We have a monumental task to repair the World, and we will do our share in working towards a World of co-existence, one person at a time. We are committed, and now help us God do the right thing; where none of your creation has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. Amen.

Good Deeds

Islam teaches one to be non-judgmental and consistently encourages individuals to do good. It emphasizes individual responsibility toward the peace and security of society at large.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) described a good deed as an act that benefits others, such as planting a tree that serves generations of wayfarers with fruit and shade. The world is a better place today because of a good legacy bequeathed to humanity by people of all faiths that came before us. We owe it to coming generations to leave the world a little better than we found it, to usher an era of justice and peace.

With Prejudice toward none

Almost all Muslims are cognizant and repeat the verse “God is the master of the Day of Judgment, and he alone we worship”. A fully observant Muslim recites this verse anywhere from 17 to 51 times a day and refrains from judging others, as he or she believes God only can make that call. There is no compulsion in matters of faith, says the Qur’an. In our Jihad, the inner struggle is to resist the temptations to judge others. Most Muslims follow that guidance and a few don’t.

Al-Fatiha (The Opening) 1:4 Lord of the Day of Judgment!

مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (1:4)

Individual responsibility

Qur’an, Al-An’am, Surah 6:163-164: I ask whether I should seek any god besides God–when he is the Lord of all things. All people will reap the harvest of their own deeds; no one will bear another’s burden. Ultimately, all of you will return to your Lord, and he will resolve your disputes.

There shall be no compulsion in matters of faith, you are not responsible for my beliefs and you should not be concerned about what I believe. Per Islam, only God has the right to judge my faith and my deeds, and we are told in no uncertain terms that we are individually responsible for our acts on the Day of Judgment (A requisite belief), and no one, not even the Prophet, our siblings, parents, family or friends would have the time or the right to stand up for us, we are responsible and we are all alone. The emphasis on accountability and responsibility.

Society is responsible for contain us from hurting the social fabric through our conduct like lying, stealing, cheating, robbing, hurting, breach of contract, infidelity, and other acts that affect others. In matters of belief, it will be God who judges.

Al-An’am (The Cattle) 6:163 in whose divinity none has a share: for thus have I been bidden-and I shall [always] be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto Him.”

Topics discussed in this Verse:

[Allah: has no partner] [Allah’s attributes: Cherisher and Sustainer

لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ (6:163)

Al-An’am (The Cattle)

6:164 Say: “Am I, then, to seek a sustainer other than God, when He is the Sustainer of all things?” And whatever [wrong] any human being commits rests upon himself alone, and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden. [163] And, in time, unto your Sustainer you all must return: and then He will make you. [truly] understand all that on which you were wont to differ. [164]

قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللّهِ أَبْغِي رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلاَ تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلاَّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى ثُمَّإِلَى رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ (6:164)

Al-An’am (The Cattle)

6:165 For, He is who has made you inherit the earth, [165] and has raised some of you by degrees above others so that He might try you by means of what He has bestowed upon you. [166] Verily, thy Sustainer is swift in retribution: yet, behold, He is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

[Allah:raises people to ranks (degrees)] [Allah’s attributes:Most Merciful] [Allah’s attributes:Oft_Forgiving] [Allah’s attributes:Quick in punishment] [Trials and tests] [Vicegerent creation of]

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلاَئِفَ الأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَ

ا آتَاكُمْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (6:165)

A Just society

Islam emerged to bring peace, tranquility, and equilibrium to the multitudes of tribes in conflict with each other in the 6th century AD. In a period of 23 years, through suffering, persecution, and sacrifice a just society evolved. Diversity was its basis, respecting each tradition and bringing them together, and appreciating the creator was the foundation stone of Islam. Justice, liberty, and freedom are the core values enshrined in Islam.

Pluralism

Islam is indeed a pluralistic faith and imbues a sense of humility and ideals of equality of humankind. These values are embedded in their ritual practices. All people harvest their own deeds.

He fashioned each one of you–and each one of you is beautiful. To God, you will all return. He knows all that the heavens and the earth contain. He knows all that you hide and all that you reveal. He knows your deepest thoughts. Most of us get the message whereas a few don’t, indeed it is the story of every faith group.

At-Taghabun (Loss and Gain)

64:1 ALL THAT IS in the heavens and all that is on earth extols God’s limitless glory: He is all dominion, and to Him all praise is due, and He has the power to will anything.

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (64:1)

64:2 He has created you: and among you are such as deny this truth, and among you are such as belief [in it]. [1] And God sees all that you do. هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ (64:2)

64:3 He has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth, [2] and has formed you – and formed you so well; [3] and with Him is your journey’s end.

خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ (64:3)

64:4 He knows all that is in the heavens and on earth; and He knows all that you keep secret, as well as all that you bring into the open: for God, has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men].

64:5 HAVE THE STORIES of those who, in earlier times, refused to acknowledge the truth never yet come within your ken? [They denied it -] and so they had to taste the evil outcome of their own doings, [4] with [more] grievous suffering awaiting them [in the life to come]:

أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَبْلُ فَذَاقُوا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (64:5

MADINAH PACT

The Madinah pact prescribes the rights of its Citizens, an initiative of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) while he was the head of the city-state of Madinah. It is probably the first legal document offering the format of pluralistic governance.

It was an all-inclusive agreement between the Jews, Christians, Sabeans, Quraish, Muslims and other tribes for a peaceful co-existence. An example was set for a pluralistic society in documenting the rights of individuals. Perhaps it was the first historical document that included diverse people with the freedom to practice what they believe. The Word Ummah was used in the document to mean all residents of the City.

Freedom

God could have made us all alike; instead, he chose to make us humans, giving guidance, on one hand, temptations on the other – then giving room to make mistakes, and room for correction. Islam has not claimed a monopoly on heaven; it is assured to those who do good deeds. Good deeds are defined by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as how you treat others. He told his daughter that it would be her deeds that would earn her a place in the Kingdom of God and not because she is the daughter of the Prophet. There is no free lunch, you have to take responsibility for your actions and earn the grace of God through serving his creation.

Qur’an, Al-Inshiqaq, Surah 84:7-15: Each person will be given a book. Those who are given their books in their right hands (understanding the book correctly) will be judged leniently, and they will return to their people joyfully. But those who are given their books in their left hands (misunderstanding) will call their own destruction on themselves, and burn in the fire of hell. There are people who have never cared for their neighbors; they thought they would never return to God. Their Lord watches all that people do.

For millions of years, the physical dimension of the Universe has existed in a perfect balance as it did not have the ego to compete with each other nor had the freedom to mess with it. They do, what God intended them to do. It is the human dimension that needed religion, and every religion is meant to bring peace to individuals and balance to the world around them through free choice.

God willing, the Muslim community will be drawing the blueprints and developing a plan to find their space in the world of communities, as contributors and active participants in the peaceful co-existence of the people of the World. The Book “Muslim Vision 2020” is on the horizon.

The human desire to monopolize World resources is the root cause of all evil. The pockets of anarchy and problems of the world are born out of the fear and insecurities of evil men. Religion is not the source of wars or conflict. In fact, Religion is the best Gift humans have received from God, without which the World would be chaotic.

Praise the Lord. We are pleased to announce the formation of The World Muslim Congress, A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting co-existence and contributing toward a just world. (Formed: 5/25/2006)

Our silence has done more damage to us, our faith, and our World. Silent no more, God willing, we will resolutely take back our faith for our good and the good of mankind.

A Major Paradigm Shift

The world has indeed become a global community. Everyone is a neighbor to everyone else; we aspire to nurture the concept of good neighborliness in the world. Our advisory board will be represented by individuals from every faith. It is time for us to be equal citizens of one world, our home. This is a major paradigm shift in how religious organizations would be conducting their business in the coming years.

Our upcoming website: www.WorldMuslimCongress.com will present a range of values in Islam. It is a shame that some of the translations of the Qur’an contain phrases that are not in Qur’an. A dozen translations will be presented verse by verse, with the source. So you may know the truth!

Speak up, silent no more ®

Additional Notes

God willing (Insha Allah) by September 11, we plan to roll out a Seven-point program achieving the mission encrusted in the press release below. We are driven by the thought “How can we make the world a better place for everyone”.

Nothing has ever happened without taking a step forward. The website www.WorldMuslimCongress.org is scheduled to be launched on Monday, September 11, 2006. It will be interactive and accommodative of diversity within Islam and aims to be a voice of the Majority of Muslims who chose moderation.

Islam is not a monolithic religion and has allowed diversity from its very inception. Justice, Liberty, and freedom are its core values. God could have made us desire-less and sinless angels, instead, he chose to make us human, giving guidance, on one hand, temptations on the other – then giving room to make mistakes, and room to correct ourselves through repentance. Forgiveness is a full cycle concept and not merely an utterance of words. Hence, Islam is a deed-based religion.

Our silence has done a lot more damage to us than the damage done by the extremists. We have a forum now to speak up and present the majority view of the world.

Thank you

Mike Ghouse
http://MuslimSpeaker.com

MuslimSpeaker

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