7-16-2000

Muslim Journal

Prophets of G-d, Muhammed and Christ-Jesus: Part 2

Imam W. Deen Mohammed

(The following interview of Imam W. Deen Mohammed was conducted on the campus of Martin University in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb., 11, 1999. Imam Mohammed was the main speaker at an interfaith workshop, "Uniting As Faith-Based Leaders." The interview is conducted by Imam Michael "Mikal" Saahir.)

Imam Mohammed: many of prophet Mohammed’s people had lost lives, they had been killed by his enemies. By the enemies of his mission. He never wanted to fight, but G-d ordered him to fight those who were preventing him from delivering the word of G-d, or preventing the people from practicing their faith. Actually, it was a war for the freedom of religion.

MJ: You mention in your talk today a very important point that we are not natural enemies. What is it that makes human beings unnatural when they see other human beings as enemies?

Imam Mohammed: I think the participants in the discussion – our Protestant Christian brothers, and others, the Rabbi, and the Catholic — I think they all were addressing that in a very clear way, I believe. What is most important is that we be true to ourselves. That we be not moved by what they call the inflated ego, or self-serving interest that is not fair to others. Just for yourself and not fair to others.

The Satan is the real enemy. That is what we are told in our religion. G-d says: “avoid the Satan, he is your of that old enemy.” To know why he is our avowed enemy, we should know the picture of him that G-d gives of him to us. G-d says that he revealed that he was going to have a mortal human being to be his servant and this mortal human being would also be in charge of matters in the office, that G-d puts them in as a trustee under G-d, in charge of matters on earth. He would be charged with keeping the society as G-d wanted it to be. Even taking care of the trees and the plants, animals and everything.

When G-d gave this position to human beings or to man, Satan became puffed up with pride. It’s means he became too big headed. He became big headed and rebelled, refused to obey G-d.

If that is our enemy, the real enemy of all human beings, then that in us is the real enemy.
That is what the Christian participants were saying today in the discussion, that it is the ego, that overly inflated ego that stands in the way of us being natural brothers and sisters.

MJ: Natural! You mentioned about prophet Mohammed how he was, even when he fought war that he fought in a certain kind of way. We see now, throughout the world Muslims being labeled as terrorists.

Imam Mohammed: he (prophet Mohammed) didn’t like war, and he refused to go to war. He suffered physical abuse, all kinds of abuses from enemies of Islam, and enemies of his work, his mission. He refused to take up arms, have his people to the minds. G-d had to really free to retaliate.

G-d ordered, that Muslims never be the aggressors. We are not to be the aggressors in war, only to fight in self-defense, or fight in defense of our principles, our religion. When others, even those whom we are at war with, if they want peace. We are supposed to inclined also to peace. If they put down their weapons, we are supposed to put down our weapons. All this is clearly stated in the Koran, and our holy book.

The West, the modern-day West sees those like Saddam Hussein and a few others as terrorists. I’m not seeing them through the eyes of the West. I see Saddam with my own eyes. I see him as a person who may be in his own heart and mind. He’s a Muslim. But I don’t think he has been keeping in touch with the conduct of our prophet when he was in war with others.

There are principles, we must uphold at all times, whether at war with someone or not. Even with our enemies. There are principles that we must uphold.
For example, people selling goods for their business to make money. Sometimes they do their friends a favor, but they won’t give the person who is not their friends the same price. They give their friend a special price. Some people will give their comrades a special price. The members of their fraternities a special price, or the members of their religion. A special price. And those who are not of their religion. They give them a higher price.

In our religion, Allah tells us that we are not to have one price for one people, and another price for other people. The price has to be the same for all. And don’t say to them: “the reason why I charge them more is because he’s not a Muslim, or because cause he’s one of those people who disbelieve.” You can’t do that.
In war, a Muslim has to keep Muslim behavior, and even while at war. The Muslim behavior is that you do not become motivated by cruelty. You don’t let the war change your nature. Prophet Mohammed said: “do not treat civilians as persons who are armed against you. Do not harm civilians.” He even said not to harm trees, the trees that people have to depend upon for the living. Don’t destroy crops and trees. There was discipline always on us even when we were at war with people.

We were told that Saddam the offices of the Saudi government and also by people on our side, the officers from our side, our government said that Saddam, when he invaded, took the soldiers in an invaded Kuwait – that he disrespected the women. He disrespected the children. They said that he shot a parent, the mother, right, while the little child — around seven years old — was looking at him. He shot the mother, killed the mother.
Now some of the stories might be extreme, but we know that he went so far out of Muslim behavior with that war that we can’t say that he was Muslim, why he was conducting war. He was not a Muslim.

This political ideal is not even Islamic they are what they call Baaith. They belong to the Baaith party. That idea was given to them by a non-Muslim, it didn’t come from a Muslim. That is their political ideal for their government. So how can he be such a good Muslim who is fighting to free fall Muslims in the world, or fighting for Islam with his political idea is really not Islam? And not even compatible with Islam.