Why Did They Become Muslims

do with Islam. Rites of this sort were prohibited by Muslim states. As
it is written in various books, such as in Fatâwâ-i-hadîthiyya, in the
final part of the two hundred and sixty-sixth letter in Mektûbât, in
Hadîqa and in Berîqa, there is a fatwâ [1]
stating that such rites are
harâm (forbidden by Islam).
Islam is not based on games, music, magic, or feats of skill. Ahmad
ibni Kemâl Efendi ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ [d. 940 (1534 C.E.)], one of
the great scholars who occupied the rank of Shaikh-ul-Islâm (Chief of
Religious Affairs) in the Ottoman State, makes the following
observation in his book Al-Munîra: “What is principally incumbent on
a shaikh (a spiritual leader) and on his murîds (disciples) is to adapt
themselves to the Sharî’at, which consists of the commandments and
prohibitions of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ stated, ‘If you see a person flying in the air or walking on the
surface of the sea or putting pieces of fire into his mouth and
swallowing them, and yet if his words and deeds are incompatible with
the Sharî’at, know him as a magician, a liar, and a heretic misguiding
people!’ ” The true Islamic religion communicated by the scholars of
Ahl as-Sunna ‘rahima-humullâhu ta’âlâ’ is far from all sorts of
superstition and responsive to common sense. Islam’s Holy Book is the
Qur’ân al-kerîm. The Qur’ân al-kerîm commands that only Allâhu
ta’âlâ should be worshipped and teaches that the manner of this
worship is prescribed by Him, alone. They are the most elegant, the
most dignified, the most salutary acts of worship which befit a slave
best. According to the teaching of the Qur’ân al-kerîm, all Muslims are
equal in the view of Allâhu ta’âlâ. The only grounds whereon a Muslim
can have superiority on another are taqwâ and knowledge. Taqwâ
means to fear Allâhu ta’âlâ. The thirteenth âyat of Hujurât Sûra of the
Qur’ân al-kerîm purports, “The most valuable and the most virtuous of
you in the view of Allâhu ta’âlâ is the one who fears Allâhu ta’âlâ
most.” Compulsion in converting people to Islam takes place only as a
prohibition in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. Jihâd (Holy War) is made to
communicate Islam, not to make people Believers. Qur’ân al-kerîm
commands always to show mercy and compassion to people. People
who flout these commandments have no ties with Islam.
There are still passages containing the commandments of Allâhu
ta’âlâ in today’s Holy Bible. These passages, like the Qur’ân al-kerîm,
advise to treat people with compassion. The Islamic scholars
acknowledge that the Pentateuchal and Biblical passages that are in
agreement with the Qur’ân al-kerîm are the Words of Allâhu ta’âlâ.
[1] An explanation given by an Islamic scholar as an answer to Muslims’
questions. The sources whereon the fatwâ is based have to be appended
to it.
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