Thursday, January 16, 2014

Golden rule in Islam - treat others as you wanted to be treated.

It is a part of every religious teaching. Some said it is is not in Islam.

Here was my response to http://www.opednews.com/articles/Fixing-Sharia-Laws-by-Mike-Ghouse-Apostasy_Blasphemy_DNA-Rape-Kit_Divorce-140115-276.html



Islamic Text on the Golden Rule:

 “Serve God, and join not any partners with Him; and do good – to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess [the slave]: For God loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious” (Q:4:36)

In fact, the Quran goes beyond saying the Golden Rule by stating in more than four places that “Return evil with Kindness.” (13:22, 23:96, 41:34, 28:54, 42:40)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“None of you have faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself” (Sahih Muslim)

“Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and to enter Paradise…should treat the people as he wishes to be treated.” (Sahih Muslim)

“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself” (Forty Hadith-Nawawi)

“None of you is a believer if he eats his full while his neighbor hasn’t anything.” (Musnad)

“Do unto all men as you would wish to have done unto you, and reject for others what you would reject for yourselves.” (Abu Dawud)

“Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.” (Farewell Sermon)

“There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” (Ibn- Majah)

When Ferdinand expelled Jews and Muslims, they were allies against Christian ire at that time, they were allies in Spain, and they were allies in Jerusalem during the crusades.
The Palestinian Christians and Muslims are allies against Israel's occupation, and you find different combinations to find security and balance among those who are oppressed.


The reference to evil doers applies to those who are evil doers and resist finding a peaceful solution. Evildoers are those who are a hindrance to a peaceful existence, and it could be Muslims, Jews, Christians or anyone.

Despite how the verse is interpreted by the right, the Muslims and Jews were allies in Spain and elsewhere, indeed the Jewish history calls it their Golden period. The Israel Palestinian conflict has really goofed up a lot of equations, giving it different colors and nuances.

Indeed the right wingers among Muslims believe the verse to mean not to make friends with Jews and Christians. That is not the case with most moderate Muslims as they see them fellow beings in a belief in the oneness of God.
 


Now if the Circumcision ban, Kosher/ Halal ban gains grounds Jews and Muslims will be allies against a common threat to their existence, again it is a natural thing, as Quraan calls it Fitra. I was one of the first Muslims to stand up with Jews on many occasions including the impending-but-going-to-failed ban on circumcision.
 


(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/circumcision-satire_b_872270.html )
 

2 comments:

  1. Nowhere in the Koran is there an expression of the Golden Rule therefore, it is of no importance in Islam and Muslims have no reason to observe it. Since Islam's most important message to humanity (the Noble Koran) does not contain the Golden Rule, it is logical that it was unimportant to Allah. This explains why he entirely omitted it from the Koran. The Golden Rule is held to be central by all religions except Islam. Muslims are surprised to learn their faith does not teach it, but rather, teaches the opposite...to hate infidels 'for the sake of Allah'. That doctrine (of actual hatred towards non-Muslims) is the second most important doctrine in Islam and is called 'Al-Walaa wal-Baraa' (allegiance to Muslims and disassociation from infidels).

    There is, however, a very restricted version of the principle of reciprocity found in the Hadiths. The Hadiths are a subsidiary collection of sayings and acts of Mohammed and his companions. They have much less authority than the Koran, but contain a version of the Golden Rule which applies only among "brother" Muslims. This Islamic "brotherhood rule" is not universal and does not apply to non-Muslims.

    Islam divides the entire world into Islam and the Kafirs (unbelievers) and has two separate sets of ethics for each sphere. The enslavement of Kafirs on the basis of religion is clearly a breach of the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule cancels slavery.

    The basis of the Golden Rule is the universal equality of all humankind, regardless of their religion, race or origin. It does not say: Do unto some persons, as you would have them do unto you, but do unto all persons as you would have them do unto you.

    Islam denies the universality of the Golden Rule because Islam starts with the division of all humanity, into two different groups: Islamic and non-Islamic. Every aspect of Islamic ethics is based upon this separation, thus Islam has two different ethical codes. Said another way, Islam has dualistic ethics. Thus, in Islam, "Good" is whatever advances Islam; "Evil" is whatever resists Islam. Islam's ethics are opportunistic and inconsistent; therefore they are not 'moral' but opportunistic.

    In the Koran, the main concern is that of forcing the peoples of the earth to submit to Islam and then keeping them in it, as if in a mental prison. Thus, Allah did not forget to include 164 Koranic verses commanding Muslims to go on jihaad (holy wars of conquest) and many verses commanding Muslims to murder renegades from Islam. Such verses are opposed to and irreconcilable with the Golden Rule. If such angry verses were removed, 61% of the Koran, 75% of the Sira and 20% of the Hadiths would disappear.

    Finally, the Koranic concepts of 'kafir' (an impure, subhuman non-Muslim) and 'jihad' (sacred warfare to remove the human rights and civil liberties of kafirs and ethnically cleanse them) entirely preclude the Golden Rule by stating kafirs are unequal to Muslims. The Golden Rule affirms that all people are inherently equal, unlike Islam. A kafir may never be treated equally to a Muslim, nor offered genuine friendship or love.

    This is perhaps the strongest argument that Islam is an exclusive, supremacist cult: The Golden Rule is entirely missing from the Koran, both from the letter as well as the spirit of Islam’s original texts.

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    Replies
    1. Western Culture and western countries have consistently prospered. Where as Sharia law is tribal at best and consistently fails. It is clear this person believing in jihad, has missed the message and is not a true follower of Mohammad or the Qur'an.

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