In the aftermath of the brutal destruction of the World Trade Centre, New York, America, on 11 September 2001, by so-called Muslim extremists, one hears contradictory media reports about the peace-loving nature and character of Islam.

Western and even Christian ‘experts’ on Islam, claim that it is a peaceful religion and that the average Muslim is a peace-loving person. During discussions with the media, Muslim leaders assure the public that Islam is by nature a peaceful religion. They condemn terrorist acts and sympathise with the victims and their families. On hearing these declarations, the non-Muslim feels much more positive about Islam in general.

One would like to believe that Islam is a peace-loving religion. If they were not peace-loving, this would spell problems for non-Muslims. There is a large number of Muslims in the world today, and the so-called extremists do not appear to hesitate when it comes to offering up their lives in the name of their religion. They willingly give up their life in an attempt to destroy the ‘enemy’. How these Muslims could consider thousands of unsuspecting, unarmed civilians going about their daily tasks, including women and children, the ‘enemy’, is a mystery.

On seeing the joyous reactions on TV by thousands of Muslims over these terrorist acts, and the fierce reaction by so-called peaceful Muslims all over the world against America for its action against these terrorists, and the former terrorist state of Afghanistan, can only bring about questions on the meaning of the term ‘peace-loving’. Their demonstrations and placards are nothing less than threatening and these threats include a so-called holy war, or Jihad against America.

Comments by ‘peace-loving’ Muslims to the effect that, if non-Muslims, for any reason whatsoever, attack Muslims, then all Muslims are obliged to defend themselves, are heard on a regular basis in the media. The South African Muslim Judicial Council publicly condemned America as the aggressor against Afghanistan. The majority of Muslims half-heartedly condemned the attacks on America, but they deny America the right of action against the attackers. The question then arises, how peace loving is Islam, and who are its enemies?

For the average non-Muslim, Islam is an enigma. These days, there is serious uncertainty in the minds of the majority of people about these matters. Even ‘nominal’ Muslims, whose faith is built on what they hear in Mosques (Muslim places of worship), from their spiritual leaders, and in their communities, are unsure about these matters. If there is so much uncertainty among them, these contradictory opinions cannot be explained.

The non-Muslim generally consider the average Muslim a peace-loving person. Overall, they are seen as friendly and helpful people. In Western countries, contact between non-Muslims and Muslims is, however, mainly limited to a business situation where the non-Muslim is the customer and the Muslim is the businessman or –woman. Muslims are generally viewed as an exclusive group, where friendships and real, meaningful social interaction with non-Muslims is rare. For this reason, the Muslim and his religion, Islam, are enigmatic to the average non-Muslim.

It often happens that Muslims are involved or implicated when acts of violence (actions that are seen as terrorism by non-Muslims) are perpetrated. Extreme examples of such actions are the violent destruction of the World Trade Centre, in New York, America, on 11 September 2001, and the car bomb explosion on the island of Bali, Indonesia on 12 October 2002, where non-Muslims were the targets. Reactions by Muslims to these deeds of ‘terrorism’ are not only contradictory, but also very confusing. On the one hand, there is sometimes condemnation of these deeds, although never unequivocally, and on the other hand, these deeds are often condoned. Their reactions create a distinct impression that Muslim leaders do not always see these violent actions as terrorism, but rather as justifiable deeds of war. Public announcements from both leaders and the average Muslim give a sense that their sympathy is with the perpetrators of these deeds.

The abovementioned perception of a Muslim as a peace-loving and friendly person does not correspond with the senseless acts of terrorism and violence, which take the lives of thousands of innocent people in the name of fighting the ‘enemy’ or being justifiable as an act of war. This is also something that even the Muslims themselves do not understand, and often find difficult to explain.

Muslims, on the other hand, also have difficulty in understanding non-Muslims, in particular westerners who are mainly perceived as Christians. Many Muslims were killed during the Crusades, in the name of Christianity. Furthermore, Muslims see people in Western countries, who claim to be Christians, living in sin, including committing acts of immorality, drunkenness, and violence. They justifiably do not understand how people can continue living in sin while they claim that Jesus saved them by paying the price for their sins through His substitutive death on the cross.

As a Christian, the author is aware that the majority of people who claim to be Christians, and who are viewed as Christians by people of other religions, do not know what a real Christian is, nor do they know the Biblical meaning of the word ‘Christian’. These ‘Christians’ do not know the God of the Bible, nor do they live in complete surrender to Him as it behoves a real Christian. These are not merely excuses; they are facts. If Muslims realise this, they will also have a better understanding of Christianity. Appendix B contains a definition of a true Christian. Suffice it to say, the closer a person lives to the God of the Bible, and the more he/she surrenders his/her life to Him, the more loving he/she will become, because the God of the Bible is love, and this will be shown from the Bible. Not anybody then, who encourages or instigates hate, violence, immorality, or any other sin, can be a real Christian, regardless of any claims to the contrary.

The author is sensitive to the fact that, according to Islam, the Bible is corrupt and unreliable. He is also aware, however, that even Muslim scholars acknowledge that there is no valid proof of such corruption. He is in no doubt that such proof does not exist and will never be found.

Because of his own ignorance and uncertainty about the peace-loving nature of Islam, the author has obtained different translations of the Quran (in English and Afrikaans), as well as English translations of more than one compilation of the Hadith. He has conducted a relentless search of these sacred books of Islam for answers to questions about love, violence, sin, forgiveness, and punishment. In this book, pronouncements made about these things by the God of the Bible will be compared with pronouncements made by Allah, God of the Quran. These comparisons will provide clarity on whether Yahweh, God of the Bible, and Allah, God of Islam, are the same being, and if not, which one is the true God.

Unfortunately, the author does not understand Arabic, and therefore, was compelled to rely on English and Afrikaans translations of the sacred books of Islam (Quran and Hadith). As previously stated, every attempt is made to provide correct quotations within the correct context from these books. References are provided to enable the reader to check the accuracy and appropriateness of the citations.