Within the framework of the international campaign launched by Dar al-Iftaa to acquaint the non-Muslims with the Prophet of mercy in his birth month. Reuters world news posted an article for Dr. Shawki Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, under the title “the birth of Prophet Muhammad, a message of peace and mercy”. The article includes a number of messages directed to the west that are crystalized in the mufti’s denunciation to the practices of the fanatics and extremists. They have reduced the prophetic example to a set of rituals crooked projections and warped logic that runs counter to the true essence and mission of the Prophet.

The Grand Mufti stated in his article: “Those extremists calling to follow the teachings of Islam have ignored the Prophet’s example which is extremely well documented and indisputable. They fail to comprehend that faith is ultimately geared towards inculcating a relationship with God and that cannot be complete unless humans inculcate the Divine attributes of mercy, compassion and kindness and treat their fellow human beings accordingly”.

The Grand Mufti elaborated by saying: “It goes without saying that violence of any sort, whether inspired by religious sentiment or vested interests, must be condemned unequivocally and in the strongest terms possible. This is in keeping with the best of Muslim tradition, which abhors sectarian rife, inter-ethnic conflict, and interreligious violence”

Dr. Allam further stressed: “We are today in desperate need of the Prophet of mercy who was described by his Lord: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” [21: 7] and when He was asked to curse the polytheists, the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said: “I was not sent to invoke curses, but rather I was only sent as mercy.”

He added: “A necessary part of any such effort must be a sincere desire to understand what is behind the Muslims’ reverence for the Prophet. For more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, the Prophet Muhammad is their ultimate example. He is their reference point and, as the Qur’an explains, “dearer to them than their own selves.”

Prophets are the means, in the Islamic worldview, through which people have been taught about God. This is no less true for the succession of Prophets that preceded Islam – including Abraham, Moses and Jesus – than it is for the Prophet Muhammad himself.”

The Grand m Mufti said: “As a result, Muslims strive to emulate the example of the Prophet in every aspect of their lives. They seek to inculcate the values in a deep and profound manner. These include, among other things, the ability to confront evil provocations with patience, tolerance and mercy. These are, for Muslims, spiritual values of the utmost importance, and they are best exemplified in the life of the Prophet Muhammad himself.

The Grand Mufti expressed his sorrow for replacing moderation with collision instead of adopting methodological analysis in some regions across the world. This matter necessitates joining our efforts and seeking inter-religious and inter-cultural cooperation for representing the objectives of religions that are characterized in achieving peace and coexistence.

It is worth to mention that Dar al-Iftaa has launched an international campaign targeting ten million people around the world and basically directed towards the non-Muslims to acquaint them with the Prophet of mercy in his birth month.

This campaign comes as practical response to anti-Islam campaigns which increased recently and the last of them was in Germany. It further corrects the distorted image of Islam in the west which comes from the violence committed in the name of Islam.

You can read the full article here http://eng.dar-alifta.org/Foreign/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=640&CategoryID=5