Koran as a Message of Peace - Essay Example

Koran as a Message of Peace The Holy Koran is the sacred Scripture attributed to the faith of Islam, where it was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the duration of nearly 23 years (Syed 2003). Since Islam is aptly viewed to be the third and final of the Abrahamic faiths, it shares many commonalities with the Old and New Testaments. Not only this that the diction and mythology narrated in these Scriptures is very similar to one another, but also they also lay stress upon one and the same teachings. Since it gives glad tidings to the humans in the afterlife on performing good, escaping evil, and complying with the commands of Almighty Allah and his last Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him) during their stay in this world. Moreover, its teachings vehemently forbid its followers from hurting, harming and killing anyone, either Muslim or non-Muslim altogether, without any just reason. Similarly, it also provides complete shelter and protection to the non-believers even, which do not have any nefarious designs to harm the Muslims or the cause of Islam, as Chapter 65 Verse 2 of the Scripture clearly states: And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (of every difficulty). It is therefore Koran is regarded as the message of peace. Koran and Bible maintain several issues and beliefs in common. For instance, Leviticus 19: 1-33 of the Hebrew Bible manifestly commands its followers (as well as all humans at large) to worship One God, respect the parents, observe honesty, integrity, chastity and avoid fornication, theft, cheating, adultery, homosexuality and disobedience of God. Almost the same teachings have been stressed in Chapter 17 of the Holy Koran (i.e. Children of Israel), where its verses from 41 to 52 glorify the attributes and blessings of Almighty Allah upon all the creatures, which in return say His hymns and praises subsequently. Similarly, verses 31 to 40 describe the moral obligations to humans, which look the reflection of Leviticus 19, where they also commands the worship of God, obedience of parents, exercising kindness and meekness towards the fellow humans, avoiding arrogance, jealousy, vindictiveness and misery etc, and thus escaping the temptations of Satan. The Holy Koran repeatedly declares Almighty God as Oft-Returning and the most Merciful. It is therefore 113 out of 114 chapters of the Scripture start with the verse “in the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful”, which strongly endorses the extreme benevolence of the Lord upon the readers in particular and towards the entire humanity in general. Moreover, several other chapters manifestly regard Almighty Allah as the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (4:25, 5:74). His mercies are not confined to the Muslims only; rather, He had always demonstrated the same towards the House of Jacob and other nations and communities as well. The Lord even forgave the Israelites on shaping and worshipping the golden calf in the absence of Moses (Exodus 32:2-3), as the Koran narrates: “And (remember) when We appointed for Musa (Moses) forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were the cruel-ones/wrong-doers. Then after that We forgave you so that you might be grateful (2:51-52). Consequently, Almighty Lord announced punished only upon those who had played vital role in developing the calf and tempting the others for worshipping the same; and forgave the rest of the Israelites. However, like the Hebrew Bible, Koran also announces punishments to the wrong-doers as well; the Noah’s Deluge (Genesis 7:11-12, 8:1-2; Koran 7:64, 11:35-41, 44) and the tale of God’s wrath upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:17-26; Koran 7:80–84, 11:77–83) are the examples for the same that God does not allow observing of open and collective transgressions made by the humans (Hendricks 2010). In addition, chapter 105 of the Holy Koran also depicts the wrath of God on the pagan people of elephants, which under the commandership of Ethiopian governor of Yemen, Abraha al-Ashram had set out to destroy the Holy Ka’ba by 569/570 A.D (Koran, 105:1-5). As soon as they reached near Ka’ba, God sent small birds with stones in their beaks. The birds pelted the Abraha’s army with stones, which caused the immediate death of a large number of the troop; while Abraha died on the way while returning from Mecca to Ethiopia (Erlich 2010). To conclude, it becomes evident that the Holy Koran, in the light of its sacred verses, gives a message of peace to every creature. On the one side, the Scripture states how King Solomon was communicated the presence of the ants on the way to his military expedition, so that the poor ants could be escaped from stampede. Similarly, Islam forbids and strictly restricts the Muslims from killing of innocent humans, slaying the speechless flocks and felling of trees as well during their fight with the infidels and non-Muslims. According to the Scripture: “Fight those who neither believe in Allah nor in the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, [i.e. Jews and Christians], until they pay the Jizya/tax with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued” (9:29). However, Koran announces great tidings to those, who follow His commands (2:25), but manifestly announces retribution for the transgressors and disbelievers in these words: “Those who reject our Signs, we shall soon cast into the Fire; as often as their skins are roasted through, we shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise” (4:56). Works Cited Erlich, Haggai “Islam and Christianity in the Horn of Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan” 2010 1-9 Retrieved from Accessed on November 15 2012 Hendricks, Muhsin “Islamic Texts: A Source for Acceptance of Queer Individuals into Mainstream Muslim Society” The Equal Rights Review, Vol. Five 2010 31-52 Retrieved from Accessed on 15 November 2012 Syed, Ameer Ali “Spirit of Islam” Kessinger Publishing 2003 Print The Book of Genesis King James Version The Book of Exodus King James Version The Holy Koran Retrieved from Read More