Some Islamic scholars from Saudi Arabia and their Nigerian counterparts have debunked insinuations that Islam breeds terrorism.
They urged Muslims to henceforth embark on the propagation of the religion in a peaceful manner.
The scholars, who gathered in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday to brainstorm on how to bring about peaceful propagation of Islam, said Muslims should work to change the wrong perception of the religion as one being spread through force.
The scholars at the conference, themed, “Correcting the wrongs in society: Its principles and skills,” were of the opinion that some Muslims had wrong perception about the concept of jihad in propagating Islam.
They said jihad was the relocation (Hijrah) of Prophet Muhammad from his birth place of Makkah to Madinah with the sole purpose of giving peace a chance between Islamic faithful and the then unbelievers of Makkah.
This, flight, they claimed, was aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence.
The conference organised by Darul Ikhtab Wa Sunnah, Ilorin in collaboration with the Nayat Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was the fifth in the series as similar events had been held in Abuja, Lagos, and Ogun states.
The lead speaker at the conference, Shaykh Ali Abu al-Khayl of the Saudi Arabia Islamic Centre, advised those interested in propagating Islam to do it peacefully and in accordance with the dictates of the Qur’an and traditions of Prophet Muhammad.
While reminding Islamic clerics that “Islam abhors violence in whatever form and guise,” Abu al-Khayl said acting in accordance with the dictates of the Qur’an would ensure peace among Islamic faithful and the adherents of other religions.
In his own submission, the Proprietor of Darul Ikhtab Wa Sunnah, Dr AbdulKadir Solagberu, said the conference was organised to acquaint Islamic scholars with the best ways of how to propagate the religion and enhance peaceful coexistence among people of other faith.
He said there was a greater need for social interaction among people of various religious beliefs and this could only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace.
Solagberu also explained that Islam “forbids acts of terrorism in all its ramifications,” urging those who had embraced terrorism as a means of propagating Islam to desist from the ungodly act.
Also speaking, Dr AbdulHamid Badmas of the University of Ilorin, urged Islamic scholars to engage in constructive criticisms while trying to correct societal ills or personalities, rather than being combative or resort to name-calling.
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