1. Chapter twelve Myths about Islam.

2. Myths about islam: In this chapter we will be highlighting some myths about Islam and how to refute them. Myths: Islam tolerates the killing of innocents: -- Muslims can be terrorists. -- Muslims engage in ‘holy wars’ (jihad). -- Islam has a harsh and cruel judicial system. -- Islam spread by the sword.

3. This verse lays down the precondition for all wars in Islam. There should be certain oppressive condition on the people. The creator unequivocally orders us to fight oppression and persecution, even at the expense of bloodshed: (وَقَـٰتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ) (١٩٠) ‘’And fight in the cause of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. (2:190)

4. In Islam, this discussion is moot: the creator has decided the matter for us. He has however given us an interesting verse in the Quran which advises to consider the matter carefully if we want to understand it: (وَلَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡقِصَاصِ حَيَوٰةٌ۬ يَـٰٓأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ) (١٧٩) ‘’And there is life for you in (the law of) retaliation, o people of understanding, that you may guard yourselves.’’ (2:179)

5. Myths: Islam is a only for Arab: The fastest way to prove that this is completely false is to state the fact that only about 15% to 20% of the Muslim in the world are Arabs. There are more Indian Muslims! Believing that Islam is only a religion for Arabs is a myth. It should be clarified that not all Arabs are Muslims and all Muslims are Arabs. An Arabs are Muslims and Christian, Jew, atheist or of any other religion or ideology.

6. Myth: in Islam, women are inferior to men because a man’s share of inheritance is bigger than a woman’s. The first and most important observation to make about the popular question ‘’Are men and women equal?’’ is that it is a badly-formed, unanswerable question. Women are also superior on average if we ask who children bond to deeper, mothers or fathers.

7. Naturally, from the point of view of the Quran and sunnah, the obvious important property is who is dearer to Allah, men or women? This question is emphatically answered in the Quran: (وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِن ذَڪَرٍ أَوۡ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ۬ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يَدۡخُلُونَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظۡلَمُونَ نَقِيرً۬ا) (١٢٤) ‘’If any do deeds of righteousness – be they male or female – and have faith, they will enter paradise, and not the least injustice will be done to them.’’ (4:124)

8. Given that Allah does not favor one gender over the other in his attention to us (and it helps to remember that Allah is neither male nor female), we can now address the differences between the genders in Islam. First, men and women are not the same as we know. The creator states in the Quran: (وَلَيۡسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ‌ۖ ) آل عمران 36 ‘’…. and the male is not like the female…..’’. (3:36)

9. Allah says: (وَلَهُنَّ مِثۡلُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَيۡہِنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ‌ۚ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيۡہِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ) (٢٢٨) ‘’…. and they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them….’’(2:228)

10. Myth: Muslims reject Jesus: Many non-Muslims are surprised to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus, the son of Mary, is one of the greatest messengers of God. Muslims believe these things about Jesus because the Holy Quran says so. However, Muslims always emphasize that the miracles of Jesus, and all other prophets, were by ‘’God’s permission.’’

11. Myth: Mohammad (saw) wrote the Quran: In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to note that no other religious scripture claims to the direct word of Almighty in to as clear and as often as the Holy Quran clearly says: (أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ كَانَ مِنۡ عِندِ غَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ ٱخۡتِلَـٰفً۬ا ڪَثِيرً۬ا ) (٨٢) ‘’If had been written by man, you would have found many discrepancies therein.’’(4:82)

12. Myth: Islam is intolerant of other religions: The Quran condemns other religions as false. The creator has taught us in the Quran and sunnah that all other ‘religion’ and ways of life are unacceptable to Him if a person is aware of Islam. The Quran states: (وَمَن يَبۡتَغِ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِ دِينً۬ا فَلَن يُقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ) (٨٥) ‘’And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers.’’ (3:85)

13. Also from the sunnah, specifically in a report from Al-khatib, we find that the messenger of Allah (saw) also said: whoever hurts a non-Muslim person who is under protection, I am his adversary, and Ishall be so on the Day of Resurrection. In short, Islam is intolerant to false ideas.