In Defence of Islam

This article is about Islam. I am a Hindu and a Brahmin but I have read some books and know a bit about the subject. Not a lot but a bit.

The reason for this article is that I have been exposed to the Muslims getting a lot of bad press. Plus we have the famous (or infamous) clash of civilizations about 22 years ago following Osama’s attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. But this article is not about politics.

I would encourage all interested readers to read the book On Heroes and Hero Worship by Thomas Carlyle, the British philosopher of the 19^th century. Link to buy the book at Amazon is below. There is an audio book also available from Audible.

There is a chapter in Carlyle’s book on Prophet Muhammad. It is a spirited defence of Muhammad and explains the reasons why the Prophet can be regarded as once of the great heroes and mystics of history.

Carlyle was not a Muslim either which makes what he has said all the more credible. And the book, On Heroes and Hero Worship is one of the classics of literature that has stood the test of time and is still being read more than a hundred years after it was first published. The Kindle edition is free and there is also an audiobook available at Audible.

Now about my defence of Islam. I have the following points to make:

1. The first defence of Islam is that it needs no defence. There are now many billions of persons on this earth who follow the Islamic faith. And this has been the case for many centuries since the Prophet lived and died. And this is going to continue whether I – or anyone else – chooses to defend Islam or not.
2. The next defence of Islam is that it has produced many mystics – predominantly the Sufis – who followed this faith and attained enlightenment. By their fruits shall you know them.
3. Next I am prepared to accept that the Prophet was a true mystic and the Koran was truly the word of God.
4. The fourth point is that Islam and the civilization it has produced (the Islamic way of life) has survived for well over a thousand years since the time of the Prophet. In this it is comparable to the Hindu and Chinese civilizations that have also survived and flourished for comparable lengths of time. Islam must be based on the hard facts or reality and must have a sound understanding of human nature and also must have a track record of helping people. As Abraham Lincoln said – You cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

There is much that can be criticized about Islam. There is in India an attitude of suspicion towards Muslims. And I am sure that a lot of the criticism is valid. But that does not take away the validity of the points listed above.

I hope you liked this article. Please share it in WA, FB and Twitter and let me have your comments. Feed back from my readers keeps me going.

Find this handy. Buy me a Coffee