Peace begins within:
"Verily never will God change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)." (Qur'an 13:11)
Relationships under the best of circumstances can often be stressful and cause a certain amount of anxiety. We experience many different relationships in our daily life, from the relationship we have with our work colleagues to the more emotionally connected relationship with our spouse and families. Often the most difficult relationship we have is the relationship with the self, and in the light of the situation in the world today, many people find themselves questioning the many decisions they have made in relation to one's personal life.
Changing ones faith or marrying into another faith, is a very serious matter for each individual, since it usually involves immediate family, friends and often work colleagues. It is at times like these where one feels the sense of being in the spotlight that many challenges and deep questions touch the very core of our beliefs. It is precisely at such times that one must hold on to the very essence of all religious belief, that of peace, love and knowledge of what is right and wrong.
Sheikh Hamzah Yusuf, in an interview conducted after the events in New York, said,"I strongly feel that Muslims have to reject the discourse of anger. There is a lot of anger in the Muslim communities around the world because of the oppressive conditions that Muslims find themselves in but we have to reject the discourse of anger and move to a higher moral ground, recognizing that the desire to blame others leads to more anger and eventually wrath, neither of which are rungs on the spiritual ladder to God. It's times like this that we really need to become introspective. The fact that there are Muslims, no matter how statistically insignificant their numbers, who consider these acts to be religious acts is in itself shocking. Therefore, we, as Muslims, have to ask the question , "How is it that our religious leadership has failed to reach these people with the true message of Islam?"
The acts of these criminals have indicted an entire religion in the hearts and minds of millions. This is the result of the bankruptcy of people who claim to be adherents of the Islamic faith while all they have to offer is destruction."
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