Mozammel Haque

Saudi Gazette

LONDON — A commitment to follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and sincerely convey his message to the mankind, should be the reaction of Muslims against the anti-Islam hate campaign, Dr. Ahmad Saifuddin Turkistani, a university professor and well-known Dawa worker and imam, said here Friday.



Delivering his Friday sermon (Khutba) at the Islamic Cultural Center and Regents Park Central London Mosque, the imam implored Muslims to shun violence against the film. “The response of Muslims should not be to attack embassies or consulates or Western people who live in the Muslim World or anywhere and is not to violently protest in the street s creating chaos and disorder,” he said.



In the face of anti-Islam campaign launched by certain vested interests, the imam said it was an opportunity for Muslims at all levels to be active in promoting the message of Islam in the form of ’dawa’ with wisdom and good preaching as has been commanded by Almighty Allah.



"This is not the first and will not be the last attack to injure the honor of the Prophet (pbuh) or his message. Therefore, unlike what they wanted to do, it provides an opportunity to create more interest in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the message of Islam. This means that many books and copies of the Qur’an and more literature on Islam will be sold and many Islamic websites will be visited by audiences in the West and throughout the world,” said Dr. Turkistani.



The imam elaborated on the status of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) first by pointing out the great position of all Prophets of Allah and their high status in Islam and the need to spread their messages. Dr. Turkistani highlighted the Prophet’s message of peace, understanding and tranquility.



"The Prophet (pbuh) had to endure several hardships in conveying his message of Oneness of God. During the process he faced insults and even plots to end his life, but he kept on delivering and conveying the message of Allah. For this reason, Allah said in the Qur’an about him: ’We have sent you as mercy to all the world.’"