Islam Rediscovered
10. Islam As It Is
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10. ISLAM AS IT IS
Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the
word. The Qur’an calls its way ‘the paths of peace’
(5:16). It describes reconciliation as the best policy
(4:128), and states that God abhors any disturbance
of the peace (2:205).
The root word of Islam is
‘silm’
, which means peace.
So the spirit of Islam is the spirit of peace. The first
verse of the Qur’an breathes the spirit of peace. It
reads:
In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the
Most Compassionate.
This verse is repeated in the Qur’an no less than 114
times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches
to such values as Mercy and Compassion. One of
God’s names, according to the Qur’an, is
as-salam
,
which means peace. Moreover the Qur’an states
that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon
him, was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind.
(21:107)
