While undertaking inter-faith dialogue, we at CPS realized that today people want to know more and more about everything, including religion. But when it comes to the religion of Islam, people usually have a negative opinion and are asking questions such as the following.

• What is this Islam, in the name of which people are always fighting?
• Is Islam a religion of violence?
• What is Jihad? Does it permit the use of arms against non-combatants?
• Does Islam permit terrorism and suicide bombings?
• Why do Muslims call non-Muslims Kafirs?
• Why did the ‘cartoon issue’ get blown out of proportion?
• What is the position of women in Islam?
• Does Islam permit polygamy?
• Why are Muslims so backward?

In effect, “What is the ‘true face’ of Islam?”

In their endeavour to find answers to questions such as these, people all over the world are buying more and more copies of the Quran and books on Islam. It has become such a topical issue that the press is full of information on the same and many radio and television programs are broadcast regularly taking up these issues. Even the Internet is full of information on the same. In fact according to a survey conducted by www.google.com, the Qur’an is the most widely read book as regards online reading.

It is however regrettable that although people are looking to these various sources to find answers to their questions about Islam; the ‘true face of Islam’ eludes them as the issues are not being addressed directly and correctly.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan explains that the reason for this is that their information about Islam is being derived not from its original scriptures, the Quran, (the word of God) and the Sunnah (the sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) but from the later day interpretations and commentaries of the Quran and the Hadith and the practices of the present day Muslims in different parts of the world. They, therefore, consider Islam to be a religion of violence and the true face of Islam eludes them.

Through CPS, Maulana is undertaking interfaith efforts with the objective of removing misconceptions in Islam to reveal its true face, based on peace and spirituality by drawing on its original sources – the Quran, the word of God and the Hadith or Sunnah, the sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad.

Using the scientific approach, he asks people to distinguish between Islam, as derived from its original sources and the deeds of later Muslim generations — both in theory and practice and rediscover Islam.

To find out more about the true face of Islam, contact us.