Peace of mind is the most sought after ‘commodity’ in human life. It appears that most of us are in a state of perpetual restlessness. On analyzing the causes of this restlessness, I have ventured to find for myself ten solutions that need to be followed religiously if we are serious about achieving perfect peace of mind.

1. Do not interfere in others’ business

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic, and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction.

This kind of attitude on our part denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God, for God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because they are prompted to do so by the Divine within them. There is God to look after everything. Why are you bothered? Mind your own business and you will have your peace.

2. Forget and forgive

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often nurture ill feeling inside our heart for the person who insults or harms us. We forget that the insult or injury was done to us once but by nourishing the grievance we go on excavating the wound forever. Therefore it is essential that we cultivate the art of forgiving and forgetting. Believe in the justice of God and the doctrine of Karma. Let Him judge the act of the one who insulted you. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forget, forgive, and march on.

3. Do not crave for recognition

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motive. They may praise you today because you are rich and have power but no sooner you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and start criticizing you.

Moreover, no one is perfect. Then why do you value the words of praise of another mortal like you? Why do you crave for recognition? Believe in yourself. People’s praises do not last long. Do your duties ethically and sincerely and leave the rest to God.

4. Do not be jealous

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know you work harder than your colleagues in the office but they get promotions, you do not. You started a business several years ago but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. Should you be jealous? No, remember everybody’s life is shaped by his previous Karma that has now become his destiny. If you are destined to be rich, not all the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere, but will only give you restlessness.

5. Change yourself according to the environment

If you try to change the environment single handedly, the chances are you may fail. Instead, change yourself to suit the environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has remained unfriendly for you, will mysteriously appear to be congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure what cannot be cured

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations and accidents that are beyond our control. We must learn to endure them cheerfully thinking, “God will it so, so be it”. God’s logic is beyond our comprehension. Believe it and you will gain in patience, in inner strength, in will power.

7. Do not bite more than you can chew

This maxim should be always remembered. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable to carry out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Spend your free time on prayers, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind, which make you restless. Fewer the thoughts, greater is the peace of mind.

8. Meditate regularly

Meditation makes the mind thoughtless. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour every day, you will tend to become calm during the remaining twenty-three and a half hours. Your mind will not be disturbed as much as before. This will increase your efficiency and you will turn out more work in less time.

9. Never leave the mind vacant

An empty mind is devil’s workshop. All evil deeds start in the mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. You must decide what you value more – money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even if you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name (japa).

10. Do not procrastinate and never regret

Do not waste time in wondering “should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember God has His own plan too. Value your time and do things. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can rectify your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET! Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the will of God. You do not have the power to alter the course of God’s will. Why cry?

May God help you remain at peace
With yourself and the world

The first type of ELE seeks final meaning. Near the time of death, people often want to be reconciled with family members who have become estranged, and this desire can be so strong that the moment of death is postponed until the estranged person visits. There is often a desire to put one’s affairs in order and to right past wrongs. It is observed that patients who have been semi-conscious will have a moment of sudden lucidity in which they express their dying wishes before lapsing back. This whole category of ELE is psychologically intimate, and a significant number of doctors and nurses feel uncomfortable being present for it. Two inhibitions stand in the way. Doctors spend most of their energy trying to extend life, so learning about dying isn’t part of their training. Secondly, it is still considered a sign of weakness for a doctor to feel emotional about death, which leads to distancing himself from the actual experience.

The second type of ELE is labeled transpersonal, although the common word for it would be spooky. Dying patients, far more often than is acknowledged, have highly mystical experiences. They get visions of departed ones who have come to take them away. They sense the transmission of light and love from other realities and can visit those realities. The study found that such ELEs could not be accounted for by the medical state or treatment of the person — the ELE occurred in clear consciousness.

Yet probably the most uncomfortable ELE in this category was observed by the staff, including seeing something leave the body at the time of death, finding that a peculiar synchronicity occurred, such as the clock stopping at the moment of death. It’s more common than you would suppose for relatives who were not present when the dying person passed away to have them appear at the moment of death. Needless to say, modern society is skeptical enough that ridicule and quick dismissal of these transpersonal experiences will arise, even though they have been reported continually in every culture since history has been recorded.

The study makes the point that ELEs, which of course do not occur with every dying person, bring comfort and consolation; they seem to be a natural mechanism that surrounds the climactic event of death. Which brings us to the paradox of how we die. In the 1930s, 80 percent of people still died at home; now more than 80 percent die in the impersonal setting of a hospital. Massive expense is involved in trying to cure the last disease each of us will have, the one we eventually die from. As medical technology shrouds the dying process, as people become more and more discomfited being around it, nature doesn’t seem to care. Mind and spirit experience death the old-fashioned way. Happily, the paradox resolves itself in favor of death being much less scary than we imagine. There is every indication that we are meant to die at peace, and so we do.

The breakthrough book in this area was Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s “On Death and Dying,” which appeared in 1969; we’ve had over 40 years to rid ourselves of the suppressed dread and panic that surrounds a natural process. The new London study should help pave the way for even greater clarity and hope about dying, but there is strong resistance still. Kubler-Ross herself, having enjoyed great acclaim for her book, went on to explore the mystical side of ELEs, the transpersonal kind. Her efforts were greeted with hostility by mainstream medicine and various brands of skepticism. In many ways it was a sad turnaround for a brave psychological researcher. Yet, in the end I think Kubler-Ross, whom I knew when she herself was dying in 2004, will be vindicated. There is much more to dying than lying in bed connected to tubes and praying that you will “go into the light.” The real light we need to shine is here and now. What awaits a great many people is that mysterious thing, a good death, and we would do well to realize that.

Gustav Flaubert, Madame Bovary’s creator, said simply: “I read Montaigne not for instruction or entertainment but in order to live.”

These are the French thinker and writer Michel de Montaigne’s twenty attempts (“essays”) to help answer the question, “HOW SHALL I LIVE?”

1. Don’t worry about death

2. Pay attention

3. Be born

4. Read a lot, forget most of what you read, and be slow-witted

5. Survive love and loss

6. Use little tricks

7. Question everything

8. Keep a private room behind the shop

9. Be convivial: live with others

10. Wake from the sleep of habit

11. Live temperately

12. Guard your humanity

13. Do something no one has done before

14. See the world

15. Do a good job, but not too good a job

16. Philosophize only by accident

17. Reflect on everything; regret nothing

18. Give up control

19. Be ordinary and imperfect

20. Let life be its own answer

All growth comes with a shock.
When a sprout breaks its casing and forces its way to the surface of the earth, it is the climax to a long and deep accumulation of life force.

We may think that it came up suddenly,
but in actuality, it emerged as the product of unseen and subtle cycles.

When the seedling appears,
it carries with it the complete pattern for its growth, perhaps even the makings of an enormous tree.

Although time and the right conditions are necessary,
neither of those factors adds anything to the inherent nature of the seedling. It completely embodies its destiny.
Therefore, the growth and character of the plant
– and its very life –
are all present at the moment of emerging.

Emerging
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9

It is not the grand sweeping religious celebrations and heroic moments in life that are the only important spiritual occasions.

Every ordinary moment, every little detail should be a celebration of your personal understanding.

Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence.

One of our most basic acts is drinking water.
Without it, we could not sustain ourselves.
Water cleanses us, cools us, and is an essential component of most of our biological processes.
But when we drink it, are we aware of what it does?
Do we think of its source and all the efforts that make it
possible for us to have this simple glass of water?

Being spiritual means not taking things for granted.

Quite the opposite, you remember how everything that comes to you fits into an overall scheme.

You acknowledge the precious quality of everyday things.
And you maintain a gratitude for both the good and the bad in your life.

Gratitude
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9

Finally, he went to consult a meditation master who agreed to help. “Your name means ‘Vast Ocean,’” observed the master.
“Therefore, I will give you this meditation to practice.”

That night, the wrestler sat alone in the shrine and first visualized himself as waves.
Gradually, the waves increased in size.
Soon, he became a flood.
Then the flood became a deluge, and finally a tidal wave.
In his mind, everything was swept before him :
Even the gods on the altar and the timbers of the temple were consumed in his surge.

Near dawn, the water settled into a vast and endless sea.
That morning, the master came to check on the wrestler’s progress and was delighted.
He knew that the wrestler would not lose again.

For each of us, it is only depth of character that determines the profundity with which we face life.
We can either add to our character each day, or we can fritter away our energies in distractions.
Those who learn how to accumulate character each day achieve a depth that cannot be successfully opposed.

Depth
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)

A professor once told my class, “In order to live your life to the fullest, you must think about your death every day.”

At the time, I felt too busy to think about my death because I was consumed with law school applications and endless deadlines. But the words came creeping up to haunt me one day.

After I graduated, I moved to Boston to work at a law firm downtown before attending law school the following year. I wanted to be a lawyer because I thought it would be a lucrative, challenging career, allowing me to live what I thought would be a “fulfilled life.”

At first, I was thrilled to be a full-time employee at a law firm, but as time passed, I realized that id didn’t make me happy. And I was surprised. For so long I thought it was what I was meant to accomplish. It was hard to consider that perhaps it wasn’t the right path for me.

I just wasn’t happy at my job. I felt like I was missing the days and living for the weekends. I worked from 8-7, I never saw my friends, and my relationship was crumbling.

I expressed this issue to many of my co-workers, and most of them said something along the lines of, “That’s life.”

Still, I felt certain the “real world” didn’t have to make me feel so unhappy and unfulfilled. I also knew that it might be hard to change directions, but if I didn’t, I would never feel any different.

Suddenly, like a ton of bricks, my professor’s words came to me, and for the first time I thought about death.

Immediately, I thought of my Uncle David who died when I was younger. David was living in Los Angeles, pursuing a career as an actor. When I reached middle school, he died of AIDS. He was 38 years old.

Being young, I had always thought about how his death affected my family, particularly my grandmother, but I’d never thought too much about what things were like for him before he died.

In retrospect, I imagine he felt he was living his life fully, even though it got cut short. He had found the courage to use his time to do what he really loved.

Any of our lives can be cut short without warning—but we can decide whenever we want to use our time to reach for our dreams. That’s a fulfilled life.

Looking back, I realize I’d doubted my choice to go to law school, but I was afraid that if I didn’t see it through, I would have wasted a lot of time. What crazy logic, when you think about it: To avoid admitting I’d wasted time, I was willing to keep on wasting it.

Once I realized I wanted to make a change, the next step was to start dreaming. That was the easy part. Since I was in high school, I wanted to start a company called How to be a Redhead with my sister, Stephanie.

It would begin as an online community for redheads with future plans of a beauty line. The two of us have always had a very special connection. It could be that we’re both feisty, spunky, natural-born redheads, but we believe it goes deeper than that.

We believe our mission in life is to do something together, as one. And that’s just what we did.

My first step was to leave the law firm. It was one of the easiest decisions in my life because right then I didn’t have a single reservation, not even about the financial risk. I knew I only needed my sister’s support and my belief in what we can do together.

Suddenly, our best friends rallied around us to help.

Photographers, wardrobe stylists, hair stylists, artistic directors, business entrepreneurs, and web designers all came together for us. I never would have imagined we’d have this type of support, and I wouldn’t have known until I asked for it. It was amazing!

Though the future is uncertain, I now feel energized and alive when I wake up, knowing I am doing something I love with someone I love.

I imagine my Uncle David would be proud because we are living our lives following his courageous lead.

If you find yourself in a place where your days feel mundane or you feel unfulfilled:

Think about that inevitable moment when you’re looking back on your life. It gives you a better perspective what’s really important. Suddenly it’s less about what you feel you should do, and more about what you really want to do with the time you have.

Take time to reflect. When I was struggling with my job and the choice to attend law school, I meditated and practiced yoga daily to reflect on the areas of my life I wanted to improve. These exercises helped me gain the strength and courage to make a major change in direction.

Follow your intuition and listen to that little voice inside of you. It is there for a reason. Life can be a gift, but it’s one we need to give to ourselves.

Ya Allah curahkan rahmat dan keselamatan
Bagi Nabi junjungan kami Muhammad
Selamanya di dalam keabadian
Kekekalan kerajaanmu ya Allah

Ya Allah please shower your blessing and your salvation
To the Prophet Muhammad who we all adore
May he always be under your sovereignty
May he forever be under your loving care

Ya Allah kei wo men tien an heu keu lien
Ken lau se Muhammad yeh se aitha
Hau hen chiu chai tien an the
Allah teu keu lien wou men hau hen chiu

Ya Allah Paringono rahmat lan keslametan
Kagem Nabi junjungan kulo Muhammad
Salaminipun wonten ing keselametan
Salaminipun diwelasi Gusti Allah

“He who does not show mercy to our young or show esteem for our elders is not one of us.” (Hadith)

He PBUH once told a camel driver called Anjaasha to drive the camel caravan more slowly as there were women on them saying, “(Drive) slowly, O Anjaasha! Do not break the glass vessels (women)!” (Hadith)
3. The Prophet PBUH never agrandised himself but was a faithful servant and called to the worship of Allah.

The sun eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah PBUH on the day when (his son) Ibrahim died. Upon this the Messenger of Allah PBUH said:

“Verily the sun and the moon are the two signs among the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse on account of the death of anyone or on account of the birth of anyone. So when you see them, supplicate to Allah, and observe prayer till (the eclipse) is over.” (Hadith)
4. The Prophet PBUH used to be in the service of his family and did many household chores and took great care over cleanliness.

“Cleanliness is half of faith….” (Hadith)

And it was said about the Prophet:

“He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would go for the prayer.” (Hadith)
5. He PBUH showed care for animals and plants and the environment.

The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?” He said, “(Yes) There is a reward for serving any living being.” (Hadith)

“If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats from it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity.” (Hadith)
6. The Prophet PBUH never used vulgar language and was extremely polite.

“The Prophet was not one who would abuse (others) or say obscene words, or curse (others)…” (Hadith)

“The Prophet was more shy than a virgin in her private room. And if he saw a thing which he disliked, we would recognize that (feeling) in his face.” (Hadith)
7. The Prophet PBUH had a very patient character and was not a complainer.

“The Messenger of Allah PBUH never denigrated any type of food; if he liked it he ate it, and if he disliked it he left it alone.” (Hadith)

“I (Anas Ibn Maalik RZA) served the Prophet PBUH for ten years, and he never once said to me even “Uff!” (a minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed me by saying, “Why did you do so or why didn’t you do so?” (Hadith)
8. He was manly and brave and protected and cared for those who he loved.

“The Prophet was the best among the people (both in shape and character) and was the most generous of them, and was the bravest of them. Once, during the night, the people of Medina got afraid (of a sound). So the people went towards that sound, but the Prophet PBUH having gone to that sound before them, met them while he was saying, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.” (At that time) he was riding a horse belonging to Abu Talha RZA and it was bareback without a saddle, and he was carrying a sword slung around his neck…” (Hadith)
9. The Prophet PBUH used to tell jokes (without lying) and used to smile.

“I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.” (Hadith)

“I never saw the Prophet laughing to an extent that one could see his palate, but he always used to smile only.” (Hadith)
10. He PBUH had a pleasant easy-going personality even when he was tested.

By the grace of Allah, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been stern and harsh-hearted, they would have dispersed from round about you. (Qur’an, 3:159)

“Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them).” (Hadith)

In the words of Swiss journalist and author, Roger Du Pasquier “The West, whether Christian or dechristianised, has never really known Islam. Ever since they watched it appear on the world stage, Christians never ceased to insult and slander it in order to find justification for waging war on it.

It has been subjected to grotesque distortions the traces of which still endure in the European mind. Even today there are many Westerners for whom Islam can be reduced to three ideas: fanaticism, fatalism and polygamy. Of course, there does exist a more cultivated public whose ideas about Islam are less deformed; there are still precious few who know that the word islam signifies nothing other than ‘submission to God’. One symptom of this ignorance is the fact that in the imagination of most Europeans, Allah refers to the divinity of the Muslims, not the God of the Christians and Jews; they are all surprised to hear, when one takes the trouble to explain things to them, that ‘Allah’ means ‘God’, and that even Arab Christians know him by no other name. “

10. Muslims are Arabs

Misconception: All Muslims are Arabs

The common image of a Muslim is a turbaned dark Arab man with a long beard. However this image is part of the minority of Muslims. Arabs make only 15% of the world’s Muslim population. As a matter of fact the Middle East comes in third with East Asia coming in at first (69%) and Africa (27%) coming in at second. Another common misconception is that all Arabs are Muslims. While the vast majority of Arabs are Muslims (75%), there are many other religions that Arabs practice including Christianity and Judaism.

9. Muslims and Jesus

Misconception: Muslims Hate Jesus

There are many similarities between the historical references of Christianity and Islam. Many people are amazed to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus is one of the greatest messengers of God. One cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth and the many miracles of Jesus Christ. Jesus is also mentioned in many verses of the Quran and is often used as an example of good virtue and character. However, the main difference between Christianity and Islam is that Muslims do not believe that Jesus was God. Pictured above is Jesus in an Islamic portrayal of the last judgment.

8. Children’s Rights

Misconception: Children have no rights

Children, according to Islamic law, have various rights. One of these is the right to be properly brought up, raised, and educated. Islam encourages children to be brought up well because it is the responsibility of an adult to raise his child to become a moral and ethical adult. Children must also be treated equally. When giving financial gifts they should all be the same amount and there should be no preference among them. Children are even permitted to take moderately from their parent’s wealth to sustain themselves if the parent declines to give them proper funds for living. A child is also not allowed to get hit in the face or hit by anything larger than a pencil.

7. Religious Intolerance

Misconception: Islam is intolerable to other religions

‘Kill the infidel’ is the phrase many people believe is the ideology that Muslims have towards the non Muslims. This, though, is not a correct portrayal of Islamic law. Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. In the Quran it says “God does not forbid you, with regards to those who fight you not for religion nor drive you away out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them, for god loves those who are just.” There are many historical examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faith. One such example was when the caliph Umar was ruler of Jerusalem from 634 to 644 AD. He granted freedom to all religious communities and said that the inhabitants of his city were safe and that their places of worship would never be taken away from them. He also set up courts that were designated to the non Muslim minorities. Whenever he would visit holy areas he would ask for the Christian patriarch Sophronius (pictured above) to accompany him.

6. Islamic Jihad

Misconception: Jihad means to fight for the sake of god

The true Arabic meaning of the word jihad is struggle. However in Islam it is often used to describe the striving in the way of god. There are many forms of jihad but the most important ones are Jihad al-nafs (jihad against ones self), jihad bil-lisan (jihad by being vocal), jihad bil yad (jihad by using action), and Jihad bis saif (jihad by using the sword). Each jihad is ranked differently and it was reported that Muhammad returned from a battle and said “We have returned from the lesser jihad (going into battle) to the greater jihad (the struggle of the soul).” This means that a Muslim struggling against himself and his soul is more important than the jihad of going into war. Another misconception is that only when a person dies in war does that person becomes a martyr. This is, however, false and it is believed that anyone doing anything for the sake of god and is killed becomes a martyr. A person who dies while performing pilgrimage in Mecca, a woman who dies while giving birth, or even someone who dies in a car crash while he was on his way to the mosque are all considered martyrs.

5. Child Bride

Misconception: The Prophet Muhammad was a pedophile

While it is true that he married a girl that was at the age of nine that does not constitute pedophilia. Historically, the age at which a girl was considered ready to be married has been puberty. This was the case in Biblical times, and is still used today to determine the age of marriage in many parts of the world. This was part of the norm and is not something that Islam invented. The girl he got married to had reached puberty 3 years before marriage. It is upon reaching the age of puberty that a person, man or woman, becomes legally responsible for their actions under Islamic law. At this point, they are allowed to make their own decisions and are held accountable for their actions. It should also be mentioned that in Islam, it is unlawful to force someone to marry someone that they do not want to marry. There is no indication that the society at that time criticized this marriage due to the girl’s young age. On the contrary, the marriage was encouraged by the girl’s family and was welcomed by the community at large.

4. Muslim Savages

The Islamic War

Misconception: Muslims are savages and barbaric during war

Quite the contrary, when it comes to the conduct of war there are ten rules that every Muslim army must obey:

1. Do not commit treachery
2. Do not deviate from the right path
3. Do not mutilate dead bodies
4. Do not kill children
5. Do not kill women
6. Do not kill aged men
7. Do not harm or burn trees
8. Do not destroy buildings
9. Do not destroy an enemy’s flock, unless you use it for your food
10. When you pass people who have devoted their lives to monastic services leave them alone

During the crusades when Saladin defeated the franks he honored the defeated Frankish army and supplied them with food and during the third crusade when Saladin’s enemy king Richard fell sick, Saladin sent him a gift of fruits and horses.

3. Women’s Rights

Misconception: Women have no rights

The image of a woman wearing a veil from head to toe, a woman who gets unfair justice or a woman who is not allowed to drive is an all too familiar notion when it comes to women treatment in Islam. And while there are Muslim countries in the world that do implement many harsh rulings against women, this should not be portrayed as Islamic law. Many of these countries have cultural differences that go against the teachings of Islam. It should be noted that during pre-Islam Arabia women were used for fornication only and had no independence. The birth of a daughter in a family was considered humiliating and the practice of female infanticide was uncontrolled. When Islam came to being, verses in the Quran condemned the practice of female infanticide. Islam gave back many human rights to the woman and Muhammad(s) was even reported saying that “women are the twin halves of men.” A Muslim woman is allowed to reject and accept any suitor for marriage and has the right to seek divorce. There is nothing in Islam that forbids a Muslim woman from exiting her house and is allowed to drive. Also in regards to education, a woman is obligated to seek knowledge and it is considered a sin if she refuses.

2. By the Sword

Misconception: Islam was spread by the sword

Historian De lacey O’Leary states “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.” There is no record in history that shows people being forced by sword point to convert to Islam. When Islam spread through countries they would set up private churches and synagogues for the non Muslims they were governing and because of the good treatment they had received they themselves would convert. If one considers the small number of Muslims who initially spread Islam to the west all the way from Spain and Morocco and into east from India and China one would realize that such a small group of people could not force others to be members of a religion against their will. It is also interesting to note that when the Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the Islamic empire, instead of destroying the religion they adopted it!

1. Islamic Terrorism

Misconception: Muslims are terrorists

This is by far the biggest misconception of Islam, given unfairly by stereotyping and the public image that the media gives. Has anyone else noticed how when a specific group of people attack another group of people it is labeled as a ‘hate crime’, but when a Muslim opens fire on anybody it is quickly regarded as ‘terrorism’. Many political dictators and officials or extremist groups use the name of Islam as a strategy to garner followers and attention when many of their practices go against the true basis of Islam. The media has also portrayed Islam as a cult or a club where if you join you become a terrorist and that is now part of your agenda. However all over the world people practice Islam in the true form and use it as a way of life. There are many verses in the Quran that go against the idea of terrorism. Some of these verses include “fight in the way of Allah those that fight you but do not transgress limits for god does not love transgressors.” This basically means do not fight except in self defense and even in doing so do not go beyond defense. Another verse states “if they seek peace, then you seek peace,” which means do not attack people for no reason or kill innocent people. There is nowhere in Islam, whether it be in the Quran or the teachings of Muhammad, that promotes the killing of innocent people. Pictured above is a conference of Muslims against Terrorism.