Is Islam a Religion of Mercy and Peace?
Is Islam a Religion of Mercy and Peace? Islam is based on the tenets of Holy Quran and Muslims are confined by the teachings therein. The word “Islam” is derived from the Arabic root word “ salaama ”, meaning peace, obedience, purity and submission. Islam means abiding peace and unconditional obedience to the will of God and His divine law. The message of Islam came to Muhammad for the first time through the angel Gabriel, when he was 40 years old, in the year 610 AD, on Mount Hira , near Jabal alNur , the Mountain of Light, in a cave, where he usually used to meditate. He continued to receive the revelations for the rest of his life, which were compiled into the Qu'ran , the chief holy book of Islam. The word Qu'ran means something that is read or recited. For the Muslims, it is the inviolable and unchangeable law of God. Every word in it is believed to be the "actual and literal" word of God that cannot be interpreted other than what it is.