A Scandinavian reader recently wrote to me that she has decided to convert to Islam and praised “Islam in Perspective” for being of help to her in reaching this decision as it presented a balanced and accurate image of Islam. She said that her interest in learning about Islam was due to George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden. She wanted to know whether Islam was truly as rigid and extreme as these two, in their different ways, present it to be. She began by reading the Qur’an translated into her own language, then she searched for information. Arab News and its column on Islam were of special interest as she found our presentation well balanced and free from rigidity. We humbly thank God for enabling us to be the means by which readers learn about Islam, His final message to mankind. Our Scandinavian reader was by no means the first to write how we were of help in spreading the Islamic message. We pray that there were many others who benefited in the same way, even though they did not write to us.

It is interaction with our readers that has ensured continuity for this column which started in April 1981. While maintaining our enthusiasm high, our bulky postbag has ensured that we remain aware of what our readers need and how we can respond. Yet providing such a service was by no means an easy challenge. Different groups might not be happy with our easy and moderate approach. Some accuse us of being too liberal, while others feel that we should not look at the easier options when we answer our readers’ questions. We definitely give a different picture of Islam from that which the world media presents today. It is also different from what many Muslims think. But in all our efforts, our objective is not to win acceptance by anyone other than God. To Him only we submit and His pleasure we seek. Our aim is to present Islam as His messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), presented it to the world. Hence, it must be liberal, free of complication, hardship and extremism, and easy to implement. God describes the Muslim community as a middle-of-the-road community. This means that any extremism is contrary to both the spirit and the practical nature of Islam.

It is perhaps part of human nature to try to make things difficult. This is the reason why there is so much emphasis in Islamic teachings on making things easy. We often hear scholars quoting the hadith that says: “Whenever the Prophet was given a choice between two options, he always chose the easier one, unless it involved disobedience to God.” Yet just as often we find people trying to force the more difficult option, even though it may involve such disobedience.

What we practically learnt from maintaining this approach is that people warm to it as they rediscover the beauty of an easy life that conforms to Islamic teachings. This is exactly what God wants people to feel. Often people are deterred from leading an Islamic life, thinking that it is hard and brings criticism. But when they realize that they can continue to enjoy much of life’s comforts and pleasures and still remain within what is acceptable from the Islamic point of view, the imaginary dichotomy between Islam and practical life disappears. They are then keener to bring their lifestyle within the Islamic perspective. To help them to do so has given us much gratification.

What has been apparent through interaction with our readers is the great need for simple information about Islam. Our Scandinavian reader reached her momentous decision through such information. But most of our readers are Muslims and they equally feel the need for such simplicity of approach. I recall a meeting that took place several years ago with three highly interested readers who came to me with complaints about certain views we published concerning some practices. They wanted to press the views of certain groups that take a rather harder line on these issues. At the end of a discussion lasting a couple of hours they expressed their unhesitating support for “Islam in Perspective” and their appreciation of the service it provided. Such tolerance is characteristic of Islamic scholarship.

Over the years, we managed to help many readers with some very intricate problems, but most of all we managed, by the grace of God, to provide information about a wide variety of issues in an easy way. This has been highly appreciated by our readers. It is with gratitude that we note the efforts of a group of readers in Pakistan who collected and sorted out most answers given in “Islam in Perspective” and published them in four large volumes. They have also made it available on the Internet at a special website that takes its name from the earlier heading “Our Dialogue”. They also published a translation of it in Urdu and Sindhi, in two volumes in each of the two languages. These are made available free of cost.

“Islam in Perspective” has also endeavored to present the true picture of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Nowadays extremists who target Islam with their criticism aim some of their most vicious attacks at the Prophet, making all sorts of false allegations against him. Without ever trying to reply to such attacks, this column has attempted to draw the true picture of the Prophet of Islam, with a series of articles on his life, the guidance he provided, and his personality as a human being.

In all our efforts our two-fold aim has been to enable Muslims to live their faith without ever feeling ashamed of any aspect of it, and to provide non-Muslim readers with basic and straightforward information about this major world religion. The first will be at ease with their faith and the second reassured that they need not fear anything from Islam.

Readers who wish to look at past questions and answers may visit the website: www.ourdialogue.com.

(Islamic Affairs Editor Adil Salahi edits the most popular “Islam in Perspective” section of the newspaper.)