Wednesday, September 05, 2007

More on Islam "Love"

Scholars from various schools of Islamic jurisprudence have gathered in Jordan to discuss the topic of “Love in the Holy Quran”, local media reported on Wednesday. Jordan's Prince Ghazi said the theme was chosen "to respond to some who do not see there is enough love in the Holy Quran, and mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion of sword and violence,” the Jordan Times reported.

More than 100 Muslim scholars from 40 countries attended the three-day conference at the Dead Sea, organized by the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, which Prince Ghazi heads.

The Prince told delegates that Islam views love as an essential element of life, noting that dozens of terms in the Quran refer to more than 50 forms of love, the Times said.

Prince Ghazi, who, who stood in for Jordan's King Abdullah II, said the scholars were expected to discuss in detail what it means to love God and His Prophet.

Participants will discuss the concept of love in Islam as “an ethical practice, a component of worship, a requirement for social well-being, and as a tool to promote philanthropy”, an official statement said ahead of the meeting.

King Abdullah on Tuesday welcomed the participants at the Royal Court, saying the issue is “extremely important and worth researching in light of the intellectual and cultural challenges facing the Islamic world,” a statement by state news agency Petra said.

The King said Jordan hoped to promote a "culture of moderation" through the event, which brought together more than 100 scholars from 40 countries, representing different schools of Islamic sects and jurisprudence.

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