and in the Actions of the Prophet Muhammad
1. Summarize the central themes, theses, issues, or arguments of the reading assignment.
In the chapter Peace and Military Engagement in the Qur’an and in the Actions of
the Prophet Muhammad, Ozalp (2008) explored the Qur’an’s verses that pertained to violence and warfare and provided analyses of what these verses meant. He argued that the Prophet Muhammad “practised a deliberate strategy of peace and diplomacy to deal with the conflicts of his time” (Ozalp, 2008, p. 111), which he supported by discussing the general characteristics of Islam as portrayed in the Qur’an; the types of military engagement that is allowed by the Qur’an; the circumstances that led to the Prophet Muhammad’s engagement in warfare; and the Prophet Muhammad’s behavior in warfare.
The author showed how the Prophet Muhammad was a peace loving and compassionate person – so unlike the Muslim terrorists who use the Qur’an as the reason for their violence, which is in turn due to their misinterpretation of certain verses of the Qur’an.
2. Summarize at least four key points made by the authors. In the case of multiple authors, indicate which author you are referring to for each point.
One of the key points made by the author was that the messages of the Qur’an
should not be taken so literally; rather, they should be taken in the proper context; understood from a holistic perspective and not just as single and independent passages; and that they should be understood “within the general spirit of Islam” (Ozalp, 2008, p. 113). The author also pointed out that the according to the Qur’an, there are only two reasons for Muslims to engage in warfare, and these are if they are unjustly driven out of their homes or lands by a foreign power; and if they either lose their freedom to express their faith or are forced to alter their faith.
A third point that the author made was that the Prophet Mohammad always tried to seek non-violent ways to settle conflicts and that he engaged in warfare only in self-defense and as a last resort. Finally, the author pointed out that, although the Prophet Muhammad and his men did engage in warfare, Muhammad ensured that they did so as humanely as possible.
3. Raise at least two or more questions, critical or informational, related to the reading.
After reading the chapter, I realized that Islam and the teachings of the Qur’an
aren’t so bad after all, so how did things get so out of hand with the Muslim terrorists? How can they hold on to their beliefs, which are obviously opposed to the teachings of Muhammad?
Another question is that, with the misconceptions and misinterpretations of the Qur’an being so prevalent in Muslim communities, how can the people’s way of thinking be corrected so that all the religious violence incited by Muslim groups will be stopped?
4. In a paragraph, characterize your critical reflections on the ideas presented in this reading assignment.
I found the reading quite enlightening in that it corrected a lot of the
misconceptions I had about the Prophet Muhammad, Islam, and the Qur’an. It also made me think that Muslim terrorists are not true Muslims and that they’re just using Islam to influence their fellow Muslims and gain their support. It seems that the goal of these terrorists is not to further the causes of Islam but to further their own self-centered goals. Unfortunately, not everyone in the non-Muslim world get the chance to learn of the true teachings of Islam, which is unfortunate for the many good-hearted Muslims who truly want to promote peace and who are also against the acts of the Muslim terrorists. It’s sad and frustrating that they, too, often get the same reputations as the terrorists.
References
Ozalp, M. (2008). Peace and military engagement in the Qur’an and in the actions of the
prophet Muhammad. In W. W. Emilsen & J. T. Squires (Eds.), Validating
Violence – Violating Faith? Religion, Scripture and Violence (pp. 111-126).
Wayville, South Australia: ATF Press
