Show Us the Straight Way

Show us the straight way,
the way of those whom Thou hast favored,
not the way of those who earn Thine anger or of those who go astray. Ummi’l Quran, 5-7

Questions Raised

The attacks on the World Trade Center affected everyone who lives in America, and indeed the world. May our Muslims friends know that those who seek to follow Isa al-Maseeh, who taught us to love friend and enemy alike, seek to be your friends and to stand with you against those who would use these sad events as a pretext for their own wrong actions.

But these events have also raised profound questions and critical questions about life, death and eternity. The first is “Do those who die in a jihad really go to Paradise?” Many Muslims were as appalled at these attacks as non-Muslims, but others danced in the street and stand ready to join those who perished. Some believe this was a justifiable jihad, but others consider it abominable terrorism.

The larger question here is how can someone be sure of Paradise? How can God, who is holy and who hates all evil, grant forgiveness and heaven to men and women, all of whom are sinners and who have offended him in many ways by attitude, word, deed and omission?