FOREWORD

The Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation has been endeavouring, ever since its inception, to highlight with the means falling under its competence the Islamic view of human issues in various walks of life. It has also sought to study, from an Islamic perspective and in an objective, rigorous and comprehensive way, the contemporary issues in order to illustrate the genuine image of Islam, and to disprove the specious arguments put forward in the writings of biased researchers who disregard the truths of this magnanimous religion. In this respect, ISESCO has issued a series of studies aiming at rectifying the errors occurring in the entries dealing with the Quran, the Islamic faith and the biography of the Prophet in the Islamic Encyclopedia published by Brill House, Leiden, Holland.

The present book (Islam as I Came to Know it, A Religion of Mercy and Peace) is a new kind of writings issued among the publications of ISESCO, as it reflects the viewpoint of an Arab Christian scholar and thinker from Lebanon, who worked as an Ambassador to the Holy See, and who has profoundly studied Islam and spared no effort towards bringing out its truths and equity.

In the beginning of his book, he focused on the inimitability of the Quran in such issues as the Basmala, its authority as the revelation of God and the holy book of Muslims, and finally, the position of women in Islam.

The book deals, likewise, with the issues of judgement and punishment, the rights of the body and soul in Islam, the system of head tax and security for free non-Muslims under Muslim rule, the principle of good neighbourliness, in addition to other topics in which the perspective of Islam is compatible with the universal human values.

Being conscious of the importance of dialogue among civilisations, cultures and religions, ISESCO publishes this book in order to emphasise the civilisational role played by Muslims throughout history in terms of elevating the human civilisation, and participating effectively in scientific fields by means of translation, documentation and innovation, which is confirmed by the author through a scientific methodology. ISESCO attests to the worthiness of the efforts made by Ambassador Nasri Salhab, in the field of objective study of the Islamic civilisation in the light of Islamic teachings. The Organisation is grateful to him for his scientific trustworthiness and his excellent discernment of the purposes of the Holy Quran  demonstrated in his explanation of its teachings in a clear, methodic and coherent  language.

May Almighty Allah help us achieve the well-being of the Muslim Ummah and humanity at large.

Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri

Director General of the Islamic Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)