Islam, Terrorism, Jihad and Media Essay - 1757 Words

Islam, Terrorism, Jihad and Media A bomb goes off in a marketplace in Tel Aviv. A suicide bomber launches himself in a bus full of people in the street of Baghdad. Foreign tourists get massacred at a holiday resort in Nairobi, Kenya. This can go on and on. We all have heard this kind of pathetic news in the media. These kinds of incidents are widely known as Islamic terrorism according to the western media. All such incidents have come to be identified with the religion of Islam. Such incidents from past and present have undoubtedly affected Muslims worldwide and more so in the West. Any Muslim, who wants to practice his/her religion and expresses the pious desire to live under the umbrella of Islam, is labeled a fundamentalist or†¦show more content†¦The answer is simple. Such actions, if not sanctioned by the religion, have no place in Islam. They are not Islamic and should not be thought of as Islamic. The word jihad sends shivers down the spines of many Westerners. It readily comes to their mind that this term is associated with violence and oppression. However, it must be said that the meaning of jihad, as a holy war, is something which is totally foreign and not from Islam. By simply looking into the sources of Islam, one will be able to know that the true meaning of jihad is to strive/make effort in the way of Allah. Thus striving in the way of Allah can be both peaceful and physical. The Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: quot;The best jihad is (by) the one who strives against his own self for Allah, The Mighty and Majesticquot; In the Quran, Allah also says: quot;So obey not the disbelievers, but make a great jihad (effort) against them (by preaching) with it (the Quran)quot; (Surah Al-Furqan 25:52) By controlling and fighting against ones desires, the Muslims can then also physically exert themselves in the path of Allah. It is this physical or combative jihad, which receives so much criticism. Because of the sheer ignorance of this type of jihad, Islam is regarded as terror, and Muslims are regarded as terrorists. However, the very purpose of this physical jihad is to raise the word of Allah uppermost. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Anyone whoShow MoreRelatedTerrorism, I Am A Muslim And I Am Against It1461 Words   |  6 Pagesreceive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve† This is how Islam inculcates Muslims not to judge others, because obviously it’s the Lord who does that. Despite this verse and many other verses in Quran which promote for peace and love among humans, still people combine Islam with terror. I have seen many false allegations about Islam in the media. All that made me wonder, did I understand my religion wrong? 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