The Qur’an, that leads people out of darkness and into the light, to the path of Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, a guidance, glad tiding and mercy for all Muslims, and a reminder for all those whose hearts tremble in fear and respect of Allah, was revealed in the month of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan is also a month of plenty, containing the Night of Power, revealed in the Qur’an as being "better than a thousand months" (Qur’an, 97:3). Therefore, the month of Ramadan has a unique importance, sacred quality and beauty for all Muslims. Throughout this month believers perform their fasting obligations in a sense of unity and togetherness, observe the limits revealed by Allah in verses and described by our Prophet (saas) in the Sunnah, give thanks for all the blessings imparted by our Lord, and seek His help through prayer and religious observance.
By means of this holy month the extent to which all Muslims stand in need of union and togetherness, and how they can constitute a major force for world peace if that union is established, can again be seen. The intense endeavors of those forces opposed to Islam, the maltreatment to which believers are subjected in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya, must encourage all Muslims to reflect on the importance of "acting in unison and putting aside all differences and working as one to disseminate Islamic moral values."
Unity, cooperation, solidarity, friendship, self-sacrifice, support, and similar other qualities are some of the beautiful attributes which are the underlying foundation of the Qur’anic morality. Once unity and cooperation are attained, people could channel their strength and energy towards goodness and good deeds rather than into disputes, fights, conflicts and wars. Essentially, a cause to which people commit themselves and devote all their effort, power, zeal and support, both material and spiritual, results in an ultimate success and beauty.
What is more important is that Allah gives glad tidings that believers working in unity and solidarity for good will receive Allah’s help, support and power. For this reason, Allah reminds believers not to dispute among themselves so as not to lose strength. The verse below makes this point clear:
Obey Allah and His messenger and do not quarrel among yourselves lest you lose heart and your momentum disappear. And be steadfast. Allah is with the steadfast. (Qur’an, 8:46)
In a world where disbelievers ally themselves against the good, are filled with feelings of hatred and envy for the believers, and oppress the poor, the homeless, women, children, and the elderly, all these oppressed people hope for the help of the conscientious. In this case, if wise, sincere, conscientious and honest people use their powers against each other, they may be held accountable for this in the sight of Allah. It is essential that believers see no limits in improving their alliance, cooperation, friendship, solidarity and affection for another, and never fall into a disagreement which will weaken them.
It should be remembered that the solidarity of the people, who purify themselves of every form of worldly ambition, jealousy and competitiveness, who channel every positive feeling, every effort, and every activity for the good of others, without making it a matter of personal pride, will defeat the alliance of the evil.
All the Faithful in the World Joining Together as One
Islam is the religion of peace, love and tolerance. However, nowadays certain circles are trying to give Islamic morality the wrong image. The religion of Islam commands people to create an "abode of peace and well-being" on the face of the Earth, but those circles try to show the opposite of this as if there was a conflict between followers of other religions and Muslims. However, the view Islamic morality takes of Jews and Christians known in the Qur’an as the "People of the Book" is extremely just and merciful. Allah makes this known in several verses of the Qur’an as follows:
Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just towards them. Allah loves those who are just. (Qur’an, 60:8)
Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way –” except in the case of those of them who do wrong –” saying, "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him." (Qur’an, 29:46)
The Qur’an states that there are those among the People of the Book who are sincere in their belief:
Those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabaeans and the Christians, all who believe in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur’an, 5:69)
In the books of truth sent by Allah as guidance to His people, a community model is described that is based on love, peace, tolerance and justice. For example, in the Qur’an Allah tells that the Torah brought down to the Jews is a guidance for people:
We sent down the Torah containing guidance and light, and the prophets who had submitted themselves gave judgment by it for the Jews –” as did their scholars and their rabbis –” by what they had been allowed to preserve of Allah’s Book to which they were witnesses… (Qur’an, 5:44)
The arguments and conflicts between Jews, Christians and Muslims based on historical problems, prejudices, misunderstandings and misapprehensions should be put to an end once and for all. Followers of all three religions should live in mutual understanding and tolerance. What is important is to bring up points in common rather than differences, to be helpful rather than troublesome, constructive rather than destructive, cooperative rather than obstructive, integral rather than separate, and to cause unity rather than segregation. In the Qur’an Allah makes known as follows this responsibility of the believers:
Those who do not believe are the friends and protectors of one another. If you do not act in this way there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Qur’an, 8:73)
Allah has ordered the believers to be the peacemakers and protectors of peace on Earth. He has condemned those who disturb peace on Earth, declare war without just cause (such as defense or salvation from oppression), disrupters, and killers of innocent people. Our Lord has ordered believers to create a world where all people can live in peace and it is one of the important responsibilities to ensure peace and security for mankind.
At the root of wars, conflicts and all forms of corruption is man’s distancing from the true religious moral values. Sometimes the perverse interpretations of certain individuals allegedly in the name of religion can influence people who have insufficient knowledge of the true religious ethic. And this may cause them to commit acts that are totally inappropriate in terms of religious ethic. The solidarity of the believers gains importance in the face of people who believe in the necessity of solving disagreements and problems by violent means, those who persecute people with oppressive and despotic implementations.
Every Christian, Muslim or Jewish believer is obliged to do his utmost to strive to this end. It is right for those Muslims, Jews and Christians who believe in one Allah, who try to gain His approval, who have surrendered to Him, whose hearts are bound to Him, who praise Him, and who essentially defend the same values, to act in partnership. Sincere believers should unite in order to live according to the moral values of religion, prevent the disasters caused by irreligion, struggle intellectually against atheism and materialism.
Prejudices arising from ignorance or the provocations of those who are against the religious moral values should be banished. Jews, Christians and Muslims should try to cooperate to spread the high moral values on Earth. This cooperation should be built on the founding principles of love, respect, tolerance, understanding, harmony and cooperation. It is necessary to consider the immediate need for action, and to keep far away from elements that can lead to conflict, argument and dissidence. In the Qur’an the Muslims’ call to the People of the Book for unity is made known as follows:
Say: "People of the Book! Come to a proposition which is the same for us and you –” that we should worship none but Allah and not associate any partners with Him and not take one another as lords besides Allah." (Qur’an, 3:64)
A Bright Future Awaits the Islamic World
The present situation might at first sight appear to harbor a number of negative elements. The fact is, however, that these developments that might seem negative are actually the heralds of a blessed age. The majority of such events as wars, poverty, famine and the oppression of Muslims in various parts of the world are signs of the end times, described by our Prophet (saas) 1,400 years ago. The fact that these signs are taking place also indicates that the dominion of Islamic moral values, the glad tidings of which were again imparted by our Prophet (saas), is approaching. (Allah knows best.)
In this totally new era, Allah willing, Islam will gain in importance all over the world and the Qur’an’s moral teachings will spread like a rising tide. Our Lord has revealed as follows:
They desire to extinguish Allah’s Light with their mouths. But Allah refuses to do other than perfect His Light, even though the unbelievers detest it. It is He Who sent His messenger with guidance and the true religion to exalt it over every other religion, even though the idolaters detest it. (Qur’an, 9:32-33)
The Qur’an also indicates that Islamic morality will spread throughout the world, for Allah wills the following:
Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion, with which He is pleased, and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Qur’an, 24:55)
The spread of Islamic morality is one of Allah’s promises to believers. In addition to these verses, many sayings of our Prophet (saas) assert that the Qur’an’s moral teachings will prevail. In the last days before the end of the world, humanity will experience a period in which wrongdoing, injustice, deceit, fraud, wars, strife, conflict, and moral degeneration is wide-spread. Then will come the Golden Age, in which these moral teachings will begin to spread among people like a rising tide and finally prevail throughout the world. The Golden Age will be an era in which justice, plenty, abundance, well-being, security, peace, and brotherhood will prevail among humanity, and one in which people will experience love, self-sacrifice, tolerance, compassion, mercy, and loyalty.
In his sayings, our Prophet (saas) says that this blessed period will be experienced through the mediation of the Mahdi, who will come in the end times to save the world form chaos, injustice, and moral collapse. He will eradicate godless ideologies and bring an end to the prevailing injustice. Moreover, he will make religion like it was in the days of our Prophet (saas), cause the Qur’an’s moral teachings to prevail among humanity, and establish peace and well-being throughout the world. It is our heartfelt desire that Allah will let us witness this blessed time.
