s representative. Their unconditional support to Israel may also have to be reviewed.
Islam’s contribution to the world civilization is so great that only very petty minded people can reduce it to Osama’s misguided actions or it is only to serve ones powerful vested interests. No religion, let alone Islam, can be reduced to mere violence. Had it been so how millions of people for centuries will follow it? Political ideologies based on violence may be followed in a period of crisis. The best examples are Nazism and Fascism. Such ideologies also are rejected during normal periods.
However, religion is based on spiritual experience and is meant for inner development. Its eternal basis can only be love and spiritual growth, not violence and destruction. State and violence could go together as state happens to be coercive agency of the ruling classes but religion and violence can never go together. Religion provides succor to discontented soul and helps people overcome their inner crisis. Its very basis is on faith in goodness and higher values.
The ultimate aim of religion is to produce what Sufis refer to as Insan-i-Kamil i.e. perfect human being. Muhammad (PBUH) is considered as such a human being and hence he has been referred to as Rahmatun lil ‘Alamin i.e. Mercy of the worlds. It is mercy, compassion, not hatred which leads a person to perfection. The core values of Islam, like other religions, are truth, compassion, justice and wisdom which made it contribute so richly to world civilization. Violence has no place at all in this rich contribution.
Violence, hatred and destruction go together. Hitler and Mussolini are embodiment of these characteristics. No great religious personality universally respected like Muhammad and others can ever display such characteristics. Osama bin Laden has a destructive personality and all he could ask Muslims was to take revenge from western powers. Islam on the other hand, advises believers to stick to Truth and Patience with wisdom. Qur’an describes wisdom as khayran kathira i.e. goodness in abundance.
Can the two ever match? What politicians do is always based on worldly interests and what prophets, saints and seers seek to achieve is human welfare and inner contentedness and this can be achieved only through sacrifice and giving to others, not by taking from others. A truly religious person is one who gives to others without any expectation and others are indebted to him not he to others.
Jihad can never be for revenge, that is for sure. Revenge is borne out of anger and anger and revenge both are mean and lowly sentiments. A perfect human being has no place for such lowly sentiments. Such a person is in full control of himself/herself. One who contributes to civilization is motivated only by higher values and creative instincts and Islam and Muslims have, as shown above, contributed so richly to world civilization. There is no doubt that the world without Islam would have been certainly a poorer place to live in.