In answer to the video "The Hateful World of Islam"
This Muslim chosen community, tasked with being the best of nations for the benefit of mankind, willfully accepting to be the torch bearers of the truth, successfully upholding each of the aforementioned principles with strength and conviction is by definition the best of all creatures 98:7-8. Adding to its long list of principles to uphold, is to repel evil by what is best 23:96 meaning not only mere passivity and forgiveness in the face of unjust treatment, but answering with a kind gesture that would eventually create a change of heart in the other
This, the verse further says is an act of great patience and fortitude for which the victim is first and foremost praiseworthy if he is able to overcome his natural urge of answering evil with evil, answering it with good instead. The wording also suggests that empathy and gentleness in argument should have a positive change in the opponent, not make him bolder in his position, misusing and abusing the noble attitude of the believer. Also, it negates any compromising attitude with the opponent, one should not seek to adopt the false notions of an opponent in order to make peace at all costs41:34"You will see he between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were a warm friend".
"and if an interference from the shaitan should cause you mischief, seek refuge in Allah, surely He is the hearing, the knowing."Believers are enjoined to fullfil their duties and obligations and act with justice/adl or
"returning good for good"and in the same breath, are enjoined to practice ihsan. After adl, ihsan is the last stage of goodness. The doing of good in cases where man has received no benefit. A stage in which a man's nature is so inclined to good that he has not to make an effort for doing good; he does good to all people as an ordinary man does good to his own kindred, looking at the whole community as his kindred
16:90"Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good/ihsan (to others) and the giving to the kindred".The "best of the nations" is a community that constantly cultivates and nurtures eachother's God-consciousness. Its members do not to turn their face away from people in contempt, rather they consider the needy. They are truthful, walk the earth and address others with humbleness, modesty and even when addressed with harshness answer with a saying of peace and gently walk away 11:112,25:63,28:55,31:18-19,33:35. It is important noting that speaking gently or saying good words isnt meant only for what is apparent, but also the intent, as was stressed among the most essential ordinances to the Israelites 2:83. An interesting linguistic observation is the impactful manner in which Luqman, the sage man in sura 31 above in his sermon to his son, describes the condescending attitude of the affluent as one having a sa‘ar. The word is used for a sickness that paralyses the camel’s neck, thus drawing a powerful parallel between that ugly quality as some ethical/psychological sickness.
The prophet Micah in the HB reminds his transgressing nation that had lost all above mentioned virtues worthy of turning a community into the "best nation" for mankind's benefit, chosen to be a torch-bearer of the truth
Micah6:8"He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your God".By now it has been made clear that this verse 3:110, contrary to what those that superficially approach the Quran try to deceptively portray, calls for universality among the people, not supremacy, and the transmission of good virtues. God does not distinguish among individuals except in their deeds and internal spiritual condition 25:77,49:13. As a consequence of their responsibilities among the nations and them being witnesses to the truth, they have been made ummatan wasatan 2:143; a group of people who are balanced, anchored, well-behaved, persevering, and away from the danger of extremes. They act as a barometer to the truth, possessing between their hands the criterion/furqan, the guardian/muhaymin and the balance/mizan
57:25"that men may conduct themselves with equity".They remain humbled by the truth they uphold, never harboring false pride for having attained to faith, haughtily attributing piety to themselves 4:49,57:16. It is interesting to note that this mention of a balanced nation firstly occurs in the physical center of sura baqara, the longest chapter, at the 143rd verse out of 286 verses.
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