Janusz Tydda: Islam - Overturning Myths, p.1

As dust from the ruins of the planet Trade Center continued to float in the air after the attack of Muslim terrorists (11.09.2001), a coalition was formed in the academic, political and media circles of the West promoting the explanation of the peaceful essence of Islam as 1 of the major monotheistic religions.

Is Islam really, as so far as alleged progressive academic circles and progressive media claim, a religion of peace? Is fear of Islam simply an expression of our own imaginary phobias before the “unknown” as they effort to supply us with luminaries of advancement and social engineering? Is it actual that only a tiny fistful of extremists misinterpreting their own religion origin massive terrorist attacks worldwide?

During a vigorous run to whitewash Islam (now being conducted for years) I could not aid but feel that our social elites are making a series of monstrous and bearable mistakes here.

One of the major mistakes in this field, as an educated historian, I have seen from the beginning. This was a distorted presentation of the historical function of Islam in the process of shaping European culture. Islam was portrayed as 1 of the most crucial links between the ancient planet and European culture. The Muslim culture, presented in this light, has passed on the achievements of the ancient planet to Europe, and has so contributed greatly to the improvement of European culture.

This view, initiated in the 18th century by any reluctant Christianity revolutionary Enlightenment scholars, unfortunately repents to this day, exists in the consciousness of many enthusiasts and devotees of Islam. Even now, we are constantly reminded of the stories of Awerroes and Avicena, and it is frequently stressed that we owe Islam the present numerical system, that the concept of “zero” comes from the Arabic “zirr” that even algebra comes from the Arabic al-jabr etc.

In this sense, the glorious function of Islam in creating today's Europe, was completely ignored by the fact that it was the Muslim invasion that caused the almost complete demolition of the ancient world, which existed in various forms and developed after the fall of political power of Rome. And it was the planet of the full Mediterranean basin, which to VIII century our era influenced the form of a born medieval Europe and co-existed with it. As a consequence of Islam's invasion of most areas of the mediate East, North Africa and Islam's taking over full control of the Mediterranean basin, these influences were abruptly interrupted.

Rescued fragments of ancient culture – most frequently by accident, an event of destiny – could not compensate for the almost complete demolition of the planet of St Augustine or Hellenistic Alexandria.

So I began to have strong suspicions that if a lie was committed on specified a scale, possibly the essence of Muslim religion itself is besides portrayed in false light. To answer my question, I had to get to the bottom of the matter, and so establish the foundations of theological Islam as a religion.

And so I went deeper into studying Islam. My odyssey consisted of a thorough insight into the origin texts that form the basis of Islam, namely, the Koran, the Hadis Collections (quotes of witnesses about Muhammad's conduct) and Sira (the official, oldest biography of Muhammad). I started regularly visiting Muslim net portals led by leading imams and I read their contents. I besides read dozens of monographs written on Islam. 1 of the most crucial moves in this field was that I made contacts with erstwhile Muslims (apostates) with whom I exchanged views and learned from them the actual meaning of their erstwhile religion.

The image of Islam, which was created as the consequence of my search, was an image of concern.

The most crucial thing for our knowing of Islam is to realize the following irrefutable dogmas of Islam. Let's start with basic:

• The Divine Origin of the Quran. This is where you gotta explain. The Quran is mostly not a historical communicative or a collection of stories, but a collection of instructions on how a good Muslim should behave. There are communicative elements, but they are loose and not structured, arranged in any chronological way. The Quran was revealed to Muhammad by Allah in Arabic, and the angel Gabriel was the channel of his message. As literal words of God, the Qur'an cannot be changed, interpreted or even treated as a actual Qur'an after being translated into another languages (translations are treated as “translation of meaning”). Attempts of any explanation of the Qur'an, any effort to change the meaning of peculiar verses, interpretations different from those established by Muslim authorities, are considered sacrilege (blasphemia).

• Muhammad was an perfect man without any flaws and the work of any Muslim is to imitate Muhammad's behaviour to guarantee his access to paradise.

• If there are any doubts as to the meaning of the peculiar verses of the Qur’an, we should look at the appropriate example from the life of Muhammad (Sunny). These cases are written in books called Hadith and in the first biography of the 8th century prophet, called Sira. This axiom excludes absolutely any explanation possibilities of the guidelines contained in the Qur'an. As an example, take verse 34 of chapter 4 in the Qur'an. He discusses the treatment of disobedient wives:

Quran 4.34 Men stand above women due to the fact that Allah has favored 1 over another, and due to the fact that they keep them out of their wealth. So the virtuous women are humble, and they observe the law given by Allah. And exhort those whom you are afraid of disobeying, insulating them in the alcoves and beating them. And if they obey you, effort not to force them. Allah is All-Glorious, Great.

[all quotes in the author's own translation; preserved first punctuation]

If anyone here has doubts about whether truly Almighty Allah commands the beating of unruly wives, you should go to Hadith for advice. What would Muhammad do in specified a situation?

Sahih Muslim Book 004, Hadis 2127: Muhammad Qais testified that it was Aisha (the beloved wife of the prophet) who told this event: erstwhile it was time for Muhammad to spend the night with me, he turned around, laid down his robe, took off his shoes and laid them beside his feet, spread the horn of his scarf on his bed, and lay as long as he thought I had fallen asleep. Then, slowly, he put on a coat, boots, opened the door, left and mildly closed it behind him. I covered my head, pulled a line in my waist, and I followed him, following his footsteps, until he reached Baka. He stood there and stood there for a long time. Then, he raised his hands up 3 times and started coming back, so I besides started going back. He hastened the step, I hastened the step. He started running, so I started running. He ran into the home and I ran in too, but I was the first. erstwhile I was lying in my bed, the Holy Prophet came into the home and asked, Why, O Aisha, are you so suffocated? Nothing, I said. Then he said, "Tell the fact or the Subtle and the All-Knowing, and so he will tell me." Then I said, "Oh, bearing the word of Allah, let my parents attest and... I told him the full story." And he said, Was it the darkness of your shadow that I saw before me? I said yes. Then he struck me in the chest until I felt large pain, and he said, Did you think that Allah and his Apostle could treat you unjustly?

Thus the substance becomes clear and no 1 can have doubts. The Prophet knows best.

• The Quran and the cases of Muhammad's life form the basis and guidelines for Muslim conduct. These 2 components taken together are considered to be sacred (God's) law and at the same time a provision for behaviour in any situation. It is simply a spiritual and legal strategy that aspires to regulate all aspect of human life as well as all item of social and state life. It is simply a strategy where "sin" is automatically a criminal offence by law. In this system, religion and state strategy cannot be separated due to the fact that they are defined as 1 integral whole. Name sari, i.e. the only way, determines what is called Sharia law in Polish. Even in specified a strict system, Sharia law has changed. As a result, there are presently 5 Sharia schools: Hanafic, Malikic, sapphire, Hansbalic and Jafaric. These schools disagree mainly in the severity of penalties for wrongdoing. In the School of Jafaric (Shyism) of Chabara, or examples from the life of the first 12 Shiat imams, are additionally incorporated into the full of the law.

These are just a fewer basic elements of the spiritual strategy of Islam. In the next episode, I will discuss the further dogmas of Islam as well as the applicable consequences from them.

Janusz Tydda