Why Islam appeal to me?
Posted by amad on February 12 2008 02:34:47
I, John Fisher, son of Charles Fisher, of 3, Cambridge St., Newcastle, hereby faithfully and solemnly declare of my own free will that I adopt Islam as my religion; that I worship One and only Allah (God) alone; that I believe Muhammad to be His messenger and servant; that I respect equally all prophets--Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc.,,
La ilaha illa- Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah
(Sd) John Fisher
To the western mind, the chief appeal of Islam must be its simplicity. Admittedly, there are one or two other faiths which are as easy of approach but they sadly lack the vitality of the Faith of the Prophet (may Allah Bless Him), and the spiritual and moral elevation which it offers.
The simple austerity of Islam cannot appeal to emotional men or hysterical women, or to any other lovers of the theatrical in Religion.
Province for them is found within certain sects, wherein the eye is pleased with a riot of gorgeous colour, the ear charmed with classical music and the heart moved by profusely flowered altars and pathetic tableaux. There is no appeal whatever to the brain.
Moreover, in certain sects, no man is permitted to think for himself in religious matters. His brain must be primarily a receptacle for anything the priest chooses to plant there.
What a contrast we find in the Holy Prophet's injunction to his followers--"Seek after knowledge, thought it be available in China!"
Verily, Muhmmed was aware of the enormity of the sin of attempting to apply the brake to man's intelligence.
Islam must also appeal by virtue of its tolerance. We are taught to venerate the other prophets of the earth, including Jesus Christ. What a lesson to be Christians themselves who, whilst busily slinging mud at each other now and then contrive to send us and installment between them. Strangely Christian intolerance awakened my first interest in Islam. When a boy, I attended a Missionary lecture and was greatly impressed by his wonderful forbearance in dealing with a crowd who had left their own (Christian) meetings to heckle the "Heathen." His words greatly impressed me and shattered completely my staunch Christian beliefs.
On several occasions having asked a Christian priest a certain question, I have been answeared thus, "I cannot tell you, but you must believe it, that is where 'Faith' comes in !"
How different is Islam, wherein no question is beyond, or beneath, answering.
That great German, Goethe, himself remarked after reading the Holy Qur'an, "If this is Islam, then every thinking man among us is, in fact, a Muslim."
The Churches are utterly incapable of grappling with present-day problems. Islam, alone, offers the solution.
The mind of the Western world has been for too long darkened against Islam.
Now and then, a shaft of light comes through from unexpected sources, as when General Smuts stated a few years back that for each convert of the combined Christian churches, in Africa, Islam gets Ten.
To quote a Christian axiom--"Truth will Prevail."
John Fisher