Questions on Islam answered by God’s commands, prescriptions in Qur’an

I AM responding to Alf Ferreira’s letter about my previous correspondence on the religion of Jesus and Mr Ferreira’s various queries on Islam.

On the question of taking the Jews and Christians as friends, God commands that generally, the Muslims look to each other as unity is paramount. At the time this verse was revealed, those two groups were at war with the Muslims.

In respect of your assertion of “several competing Qur’ans”, and “several disputed leaders of Islam”, without an authentic reference, I can only speculate that you refer to the Shia sect in respect of their claimed 12 imams or leaders whom they equate with the Prophet Muhammad. They have a seriously differing theology to mainstream Sunni Islam. I suggest you do some research on this.

As for your assertion of the lack of freedom in Muslim lands for a Muslim to convert to Christianity, Islam forbids this because we believe Islam has been the faith prescribed for all of mankind.

Should a Muslim in a so-called Muslim country choose to reject this and opt to follow another religion, that is his prerogative, for which he is accountable to Almighty God on the Day of Judgment. The Muslims around him are instructed by God in the Qur’an to ostracise him or her.

Your claim that it is Islam in Africa and the Middle East that is inflicting “massive daily atrocities” is disingenuous. When, for example, the Christian Serbs were killing thousands of Muslim Bosnian men, did anyone say Christianity was doing this? Those that do this are as misguided as any Christian, Jew, or Hindu or individual or group of any persuasion that acts criminally in the name of faith. My opinion of ISIS is exactly that of the Ulama bodies (the councils of Muslim theologians) of South Africa: ”’We are vehemently opposed to the ideology of ISIS and its distortions of the religion of Islam” – Moulana Ibrahim Bham.

As for your readiness to defend all your claims you make about Christianity and Christ, I will happily address that issue, but, regrettably cannot due to space limitations, and because the month of Ramadaan is upon us wherein our Creator asks us to sacrifice, among others, excessive involvement in affairs that distract us from His remembrance.