Radical Islam overshadowing liberal Islam

A peace loving individual who is civilised, sane and educated would abhor any kind of religious extremism and would be repelled by puritainical bigotry. Islam the last revealed religion has spread far and wide, There is a postulate its the fastest growing religion in the world. The media has always had a inbuilt bias against muslims and it has projected islam as a blood thirsty cult, however it can't be blamed for it as muslim intellectuals have failed to oppose the hardliners in letter and spirit as they have held sway the clergy who have tremendous influence over muslims have rarely trodden the path of modernism and always treated dissenters and rebels among islam as apostates and condemned them with divine displeasure. Its due to the misdeeds of few black sheeps, the world has held an entire community at ransom.

Islam comes from the root word salaam which means peace, its five pillars encompass all virtues mankind can ever conjure and conceive.The prophet despite being unlettered was unparalleled in his wisdom and imparted a doctrine which is a gospel truth and of universal significance. Islam compares killing of one innocent with perpetrating a pogrom on mankind. In the Holy koran backbiting and slandering is compared with eating dead meat of ones own brother and the koran ordains moderation in eating and drinking, modesty in dressing, restrain in professional pursuits and steadfast abiding of principles in day to day living. Jehad is a duty cast on every muslim to strive to become a better human and to please the almighty in the best possible manner, jehad has no implications of violence or is not synonymous with terrorism. When terrorists claim if they die in an act of terrorism they will be conferred with sensual pleasure with umpteen virgins in heavenly abode smacks of filthy mind, misled approach and murky consciousness, such miscreants need to be told do they consider their almighty so befallen that he is running a den of forbidden pleasure. On judgement day the almighty leaves no stone unturned in delivering a verdict on afterlife and terrorists without a doubt are doomed to worst abodes of hell in which there is unmitigating miserable existence.

Understanding islam is the need of the hour in the right context through people who understand it not just in context of intellectual niceties but also its metaphyical connotations. there is emphasis on dialogue in the islamic scriptures with nonmuslims to project the article of islamic faith in right light to dispel myths and put misconceptions at rest. Muslims must endeavour to set a good example amidst a few who have gone astray to regain the glory of era when muslim intellectuals ruled the roost. Muslims of today's day and age need conscientious spiritual mentors who dont fall prey to obscure orthodoxy and mindless conservatism at the altar of so called devout and pious religiosity.