Cairo (INA) – The Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Chairman of the Council of Muslim Elders, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, said: Everything that is said about Islam in the matter of peace can be said exactly like it about Christianity. In his speech before the Al-Azhar International Peace Conference in Cairo today, Thursday (April 27, 2017), he added that the message of Muhammad, peace be upon him, is not a separate religion from the message of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and Noah, peace be upon them. Rather, it is a final link in the chain of the one divine religion that began with Adam and ended with the Prophet of Islam, and that these messages from beginning to end are identical in their content and content and do not differ except in the field of changing practical legislation, stressing that each message is a practical law that is appropriate to its time, place and believers in it. And he continued that the Holy Qur’an establishes the reality of the difference between people in religion, belief, language, and color, and that God’s will wanted to create His servants different, and that the difference is God’s law in His servants that does not change and does not go away until the world and what is on it pass away. And he added, the fact of difference in religion logically entails the right to freedom of belief, because freedom of belief, with the difference in religion, represents two sides of the same coin, and freedom of belief necessarily necessitates the denial of compulsion on religion, and the Qur’an is explicit in determining freedom of belief with the necessary denial of compulsion on beliefs. And he said: When we turn to adapting the relationship between those who are different in belief, and those who are free to choose their beliefs, we find the Qur’an explicit in defining this relationship in two frameworks, the first: the framework of dialogue, and not any dialogue, but it is the good and polite dialogue, especially if the dialogue of a Muslim is with a Christian or a Jew: {And do not argue with the People of the Book except in a way that is best} [Al-Ankabut: 46], {And speak to people kindly} [Al-Baqara: 83]. وتابع قائلا: أما الإطار الثاني، فهو إطار التعارف الذي يعني التفاهُم والتعاون والتأثير والتأثُّر قال تعالى ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ﴾ [الحجرات :13]، ذكَّرنا الله تعالى In the verse, the unity of the origin first, then we reminded us of what is appropriate for this unit in connection with the relationship of acquaintance. He stressed that the Qur'an defines the relationship between people in a relationship of acquaintance, which is a logical consequence of the nature of difference and freedom of belief. He pointed out that war in Islam is a necessity and an exception that is resorted to when it is unavoidable, and this is the advice of the Prophet of Islam: Do not wish to meet the enemy and ask God for well-being, and war in Islam is not offensive, but rather defensive. And he continued that the first legislation that allows Muslims to declare war and raise arms is justified legislation by repelling injustice and defending the oppressed. He emphasized that the legitimacy of war in Islam is not limited to defending mosques only, but is equally legitimate to defend churches and Jewish temples. He said: The question that puzzles many is: Why did Islam fight non-Muslims? The answer is that Islam never fought them under the banner of disbelief. How could it, when the Quran, which Muslims carry with them in their wars, says, "Whoever wills, let him believe; and whoever wills, let him disbelieve"? How could Islam wage war to force others into the faith, when the Quran states, "There is no compulsion in religion"? It is clear that Islam does not fight under the banner of disbelief, but rather under the banner of aggression. Under this banner, the Quran makes no distinction between aggressors who are disbelievers or aggressors who are believers: "And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make peace between them. But if one of them oppresses the other..." Fight against the aggressor until it submits to the command of Allah. [Al-Hujurat: 9] (End quote) Ayman Muhammad
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