Islam means peace. This essential disconnection, misunderstanding and profound twisting of God’s Truth is particularly seen in the phrase ‘Islam rules by the sword’ and in the term ‘jihad’. To eradicate these false claims, we will first reflect on what Ustad Bediuzzaman explains regarding two extremely important verses in the Quran that are most relevant to the misunderstandings: “ Let there be no compulsion in religion; Truth stands out from error, whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And God is All-Seeing, All-Knowing. God is the protector of those who have faith; from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into the light. While those who do not believe, their patrons are the evil ones; from the light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of Fire, to dwell therein forever.” (Qur’an 2:256-7) Bediuzzaman states the meaning of these two verses quite clearly: “Furthermore, as far as the word khalidun —to dwell therein for ever, by repeating the contrast between light and darkness, and belief and darkness —the source and origin of all the comparisons in the Risale-i Nur and just like them— is a concealed sign that a great hero in the contest of the ‘mânevî jihad’ at that date is the Risale-i Nur, which bears the name of light. For its immaterial sword has solved hundreds of the mysteries of religion, leaving no need for physical swords.” -Ustad Bediuzzaman (from The Rays ) He also addresses this issue in his following quotes: “As for one who strikes with the sword, the sword turns back and hits his own innocent. Now victory is not with the sword. There is a place for the sword, but it is the hand of the mind.” -Ustad Bediuzzaman (Munazarat)
“We are devotees of love; we do not have time for enmity.” -Ustad Bediuzzaman (The Damascus Sermon) I feel it’s also important to consider
what our translator, Sukran Vahide, says to help Westerners anywhere understand Islam: “In answer to the question, then, of how Europeans need Islam to be presented, we would suggest that it needs to be presented to them as the rational explanation of this world, that is, ourselves and the universe. It needs to be presented to them as the Holy Qur’an directs. That is to say, it must be demonstrated that God Almighty did not create man with an intellect in order not to use it to increase his belief. Rather, he created this beautiful and wonderfully functioning universe and gave man intellect and sent prophets with revealed Books as guides, and finally the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with the Holy Qur’an, in order that man might attain to rational and true belief. If the universe is presented as a book created as the means to introduce its Author, which human beings are invited to read using their intellects so as to be able to prove and understand rationally the truths of belief, then it will be clear that each person is directly responsible to his Creator and that there is no need for any intermediary in the performance of his worship and religion… …Any European who can begin to see Islam in this way, that is, on the level of belief, will soon be able to see through the web of lies and the false image of Islam that has developed over the centuries. He will see that, as was demonstrated above, Islam does not accept aggression on any level. In the same way that it sees the cosmos as it is, functioning according to a universal system of mutual help and cooperation, so does it also preclude aggression in any form in the actions of human beings. And so too, jihad, commonly known as ‘holy war’, may only be fought in defense against outside aggression. (As for Islamic dress for women, a source of much misunderstanding in the West, it shall be considered in the fifth section below.) Furthermore, if such a person’s intention is sincere, that is, a person who can begin to see Islam on the level of belief, he will also understand that, far from being alien, Islam is God Almighty’s final and complete revealed religion that is totally in accord with man’s nature as a creature and human being, and as such transcends any restriction of race, color, or class.” –Mary Weld [Sukran Vahide, our translator] (Excerpts taken from Islam, the West, and the Risale-i Nur ) We simply must take an active role in helping to dispel the false ideologies of Islam. There is only One Truth which belongs to God. We cannot ignore the Islamophobia and the harm it results in worldwide. The Risale-i Nur contains light-scattering wisdom from which all mankind can benefit and come together in unity and peace.
