Embassy of Jordan - Washington, DC
Information Bureau
Jordan issues the 'Amman
Message' on Islam
Calls for a Regional Islamic Conference
November 9th, 2004, Amman - On the occasion of
the night of Laylet Al Qader
(known as the Night of Power, which commemorates the
first revelation of the Qur’an) in this Holy Month of
Ramadan, Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, has issued a message on Islam to Muslims and the
world.
The Amman Message seeks to reveal a message of tolerance
and humanity; rejecting extremism as a deviation from
Islamic beliefs; thus, stressing the true values of
Islam and promoting a proper understanding of the faith
which honors all human beings and provides common ground
among different faiths and peoples.
In the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the
Amman Message has been delivered by His Eminence Chief
Justice Sheikh Izz-Eddine Al Tamimi at the Hashimiyeen
Mosque today in a religious ceremony attended by
prominent figures and Muslim Scholars.
Over many years Jordan has sought to repel assaults on
Islam by halting the fallacies against it and promoting
a true understanding of the faith. These efforts are
inspired by the religious and historical legacy of the
Hashemite monarchy, honored as direct descendants of
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). For five decades, his late
Majesty King Hussein Bin Talal, God rest his soul,
persisted tirelessly to reform the image and support the
unity of the world’s Muslims. His Majesty King Abdullah
II has continued this effort with the same steadfastness
and determination to ward off Muslim image tarnishing,
marginalization and isolation and to assert what the
world’s 1.2 billion Muslims expect themselves to be:
full partners in the development of human civilization,
and in the progress of humanity in our age.
Jordan has called for a regional Islamic conference to
discuss the paper
and endorse it.
Amman Message
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Peace and blessings upon His chosen Prophet, and upon
his household, his noble blessed companions, and upon
all the messengers and prophets:
God Almighty has said:
O humankind! We created you from a male and female, and
made you into peoples and tribes that you may know each
other. Truly the most honored of you before God is the
most pious of you.
(49:13)
This is a declaration to our brethren in the lands of
Islam and throughout the world that Amman, the capital
of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is proud to issue
during the blessed month of Ramadan
in which the Quran descended as guidance to humankind
and as clarifications for guidance and discernment.
(2:185)
In this declaration we speak frankly to the [Islamic]
nation, at this difficult juncture in its history,
regarding the perils that beset it. We are aware of the
challenges confronting the nation, threatening its
identity, assailing its tenets (kalima), and
working to distort its religion and harm what is sacred
to it. Today the magnanimous message of Islam faces a
vicious attack from those who through distortion and
fabrication try to portray Islam as an their enemy. It
is also under attack from some who claim affiliation
with Islam and commit irresponsible acts in its name.
This magnanimous message that the Originator—great is
His power—revealed to the unlettered Prophet
Muhammad—God’s blessings and peace upon him, and that
was carried by his successors and the members of his
household after him, is an address of brotherhood,
humanity, and a religion that encompasses all human
activity. It states the truth directly, commands what is
right, forbids what is wrong, honors the human being,
and accepts others.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has embraced the path of
promoting the true luminous image of Islam, halting the
accusations against it, and repelling the attacks upon
it. This is in accordance with the inherited spiritual
and historical responsibility carried by the Hashemite
monarchy, honored as direct descendants of the Prophet,
the Messenger of God—peace and blessings upon him—who
carried the message. For five decades, his late Majesty
King Hussein Bin Talal—God rest his soul—demonstrated
this way with the vigorous effort that he exerted. Since
the day he took the flag, His Majesty King Abdullah II
has continued this effort, with resolution and
determination, as a service to Islam, fortifying the
solidarity of 1.2 billion Muslims who comprise one fifth
of humanity, preventing their marginalization or
extrication from the movement of human society, and
affirming their role in building human civilization and
participating in its progress during our present age.
Islam is founded upon basic principles, the fundamentals
are attesting to the unity of God (tawhid Allah);
belief in the message of His Prophet; continuous
connection with the Creator through ritual prayer (salat);
training and rectifying the soul through the fast of
Ramadan; safeguarding one another by paying the alms tax
(zakat); the unity of the people through the
annual pilgrimage (hajj) to God's Sanctified
House, [performed] by those who are able; and
[observing] His rulings that regulate human behavior in
all its dimensions. Over history these [basic
principles] have formed a strong and cohesive nation and
a great civilization. They bear witness to noble
principles and values that verify the good of humanity,
whose foundation is the oneness of the human species,
and that people are equal in rights and obligations,
peace and justice, realizing comprehensive security,
mutual social responsibility, being good to one’s
neighbor, protecting belongings and property, honoring
pledges, and more.
Together, these are principles that provide common
ground for the followers of religions and [different]
groups of people. That is because the origin of divine
religions is one, and Muslims believe in all Messengers
of God and do not differentiate between any of them.
Denying the message of any one of them is a deviation
from Islam. This establishes a wide platform for the
believers of [different] religions to meet the other
upon common ground for the service of human society,
without encroaching upon creedal distinctions or upon
intellectual freedom. For all of this we base ourselves
upon His saying:
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The messenger believes in what has been
revealed unto him from his Lord as do the
believers. Each one believes in God and His
angels and His scriptures and His messengers. We
make no distinction between any of His
messengers - and they say: “We hear, and we
obey. [Grant us] Your forgiveness, our Lord.
Unto You is the journeying.” (2:285) |
Islam honors every human being, regardless of his color,
race or religion: We have honored the sons of Adam,
provided them transport on land and sea, sustained them
with good things, and conferred on them special favors
above a great part of our creation. (17:70)
Islam also affirms that the way of calling [others] to
God is founded upon kindness and gentleness: Call to
the path of your Lord with wisdom and a beautiful
exhortation, and debate with them in that which is most
beautiful (ahsan). (16:125) Furthermore, it shuns
cruelty and violence in how one faces and addresses
[others]:
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It is by some Mercy of God that you were gentle
to them. Were you severe—cruel hearted—they
would have broken away from you. So pardon them
and ask forgiveness for them and consult with
them in the conduct of affairs. And when you are
resolved, put your trust in God; truly God loves
those who trust [in Him]. (3:159) |
Islam has made clear that the goal of its message is
realizing mercy and good for all people. The
Transcendent has said, We did not send you [Muhammad]
but out of mercy for all creatures. (21:107) And the
Prophet Muhammad—blessings and peace upon Him—said, “The
Merciful has mercy upon those who are merciful, be
merciful to those on earth, He who is in heaven will be
merciful unto you.”
Islam calls for treating others as one desires to be
treated. It urges the tolerance and forgiveness that
express the nobility of the human being: The
recompense for an evil is an evil equal thereto, but who
forgives and reconciles, his recompense is from God.
(42:40) Good and evil are not equal. Repel with what
is most virtuous. Then he between whom and you there is
enmity will be as if he were an intimate friend.
(41:34)
Islam confirms the principle of justice in interacting
with others, safeguarding their rights, and confirms
that one must not deny people their possessions: And
let not the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong
and depart from justice. Be just: that is closer to
piety; (5:8) God commands you to return trusts to
their owners, and if you judge between people, you shall
judge with justice; (4:58) So give [full] measure
and [full] weight and do not deny the people their
goods, and work no corruption in the land after it has
been set right. (7:85)
Islam requires respect for pledges and covenants, and
adhering to what has been specified; and it forbids
treachery and treason: Fulfill the covenant of God
when you have entered into it, and break not oaths after
they have been confirmed and you have made God your
surety; truly God knows what you do. (16:91)
Islam recognizes the noble station of [human] life, so
there is to be no fighting against non-combatants, and
no assault upon civilians and their properties, children
at their mothers' bosom, students in their schools, nor
upon elderly men and women. Assault upon the life of a
human being, be it murder, injury or threat, is an
assault upon the right to life among all human beings.
It is among the gravest of sins; for human life is the
basis for the prosperity of humanity: Whoever kills a
soul for other than slaying a soul or corruption upon
the earth it is as if he has killed the whole of
humanity, and whoever saves a life, it is as if has
revived the whole of humanity. (5:32)
The primordial religion of Islam is founded upon
equanimity, balance, moderation, and facilitation:
Thus have we made of you a middle nation that you might
be witnesses over the people, and the Messenger a
witness over yourselves. (2:143) The Prophet
Muhammad—peace and blessings upon him—said: “Facilitate
and do not make difficult, bear good tidings and do not
deter.” Islam has provided the foundation for the
knowledge, reflection and contemplation that has enabled
the creation of this deep-rooted civilization that was a
crucial link by which the West arrived at the gates of
modern knowledge, and in whose accomplishments
non-Muslims participated, as a consequence of its being
a comprehensive human civilization.
No day has passed but that this religion has been at war
against extremism, radicalism and fanaticism, for they
veil the intellect from foreseeing negative consequences
[of one’s actions]. Such blind impetuousness falls
outside the human regulations pertaining to religion,
reason and character. They are not from the true
character of the tolerant, accepting Muslim.
Islam rejects extremism, radicalism and fanaticism—just
as all noble, heavenly religions reject them—considering
them as recalcitrant ways and forms of injustice.
Furthermore, it is not a trait that characterizes a
particular nation; it is an aberration that has been
experienced by all nations, races and religions. They
are not particular to one people; truly they are a
phenomenon that every people, every race and every
religion has known.
We denounce and condemn extremism, radicalism and
fanaticism today, just as our forefathers tirelessly
denounced and opposed them throughout Islamic history.
They are the ones who affirmed, as do we, the firm and
unshakeable understanding that Islam is a religion of
[noble] character traits in both its ends and means; a
religion that strives for the good of the people, their
happiness in this life and the next; and a religion that
can only be defended in ways that are ethical; and the
ends do not justify the means in this religion.
The source of relations between Muslims and others is
peace; for there is no fighting [permitted] when there
is no aggression. Even then, [it must be done with]
benevolence, justice and virtue: God does not prevent
you, as regards those who do not fight you in religion’s
[cause], nor drive you from your homes, from dealing
kindly and justly with them: truly God loves the just;
(60:8) Then if they cease, let there be no aggression,
save against the oppressors. (2:193)
On religious and moral grounds, we denounce the
contemporary concept of terrorism that is associated
with wrongful practices, whatever their source and form
may be. Such acts are represented by aggression against
human life in an oppressive form that transgresses the
rulings of God, frightening those who are secure,
violating peaceful civilians, finishing off the wounded,
and killing prisoners; and they employ unethical means,
such as destroying buildings and ransacking cities:
Do not kill the soul that God has made sacrosanct, save
for justice. (6:151)
We condemn these practices and believe that resisting
oppression and confirming justice should be a legitimate
undertaking through legitimate means. We call on the
people to take the necessary steps to achieve the
strength and steadfastness for building identity and
preserving rights.
We realize that over history extremism has been
instrumental in destroying noble achievements in great
civilizations, and that the tree of civilization withers
when malice takes hold and hearts are shut. In all its
shapes, extremism is a stranger to Islam, which is
founded upon equanimity and tolerance. No human whose
heart has been illumined by God could be a radical
extremist.
At the same time, we decry the campaign of brazen
distortion that portrays Islam as a religion that
encourages violence and institutionalizes terrorism. We
call upon the international community to work earnestly
to implement international laws and honor the
international mandates and resolutions issued by the
United Nations, ensuring that all parties accept them
and that they be enacted without double standards, to
guarantee the return of rights to their [rightful]
holders and the end of oppression. Achieving this will
be a significant contribution to uprooting the causes of
violence, fanaticism and extremism.
The way of this great religion that we are honored to
belong to calls us to affiliate with and participate in
modern society, and to contribute to its elevation and
progress, helping one another with every faculty [to
achieve] good and to comprehend, desiring justice for
all peoples, while faithfully proclaiming the truth [of
our religion], and sincerely expressing the soundness of
our faith and beliefs—all of which are founded upon
God’s call for coexistence and piety. [We are called] to
work toward renewing our civilization, based upon the
guidance of religion, and following upon established
practical intellectual policies.
The primary components of these policies comprise
developing methods for preparing preachers, with the
goal of ensuring that they realize the spirit of Islam
and its methodology for structuring human life, as well
as providing them with knowledge of contemporary
culture, so that they are able to interact with their
communities on the basis of awareness and insight: Say,
“This is my way. I, and those who follow me, call for
God with insight;” (12:108) taking advantage of the
communication revolution to refute the doubts that the
enemies of Islam are arousing, in a sound, intellectual
manner, without weakness or agitation, and with a style
that attracts the reader, the listener and the viewer;
consolidating the educational structure for individual
Muslims, who are confident in their knowledge and
abilities, working to form the integral identity that
protects against corrupting forces; interest in
scientific research and working with the modern sciences
upon the basis of the Islamic perspective that
distinguishes between creation, life and the human
being; benefiting from modern achievements in the fields
of science and technology; adopting an Islamic approach
for realizing the comprehensive development that is
founded upon [maintaining] the delicate balance between
the spiritual, economic and social dimensions [of life];
providing for human rights and basic liberties, ensuring
life, dignity and security, and guaranteeing basic
needs; administering the affairs of society in
accordance with the principles of justice and
consultation; and benefiting from the goods and
mechanisms for adopting democracy that human society has
presented.
Hope lies with the scholars of our Nation, that through
the reality of Islam and its values they will enlighten
the intellects of our youth—the ornament of our present
age and the promise of our future. The scholars shield
our youth from the danger of sliding down the paths of
ignorance, corruption, close-mindedness and
subordination. It is our scholars who illuminate for
them the paths of tolerance, moderation, and goodness,
and prevent them from [falling] into the abysses of
extremism and fanaticism that destroy the spirit and
body.
We look to our scholars to lead us in partaking of our
role and verifying our priorities, that they may be
exemplars in religion, character, conduct, and
discerning enlightened speech, presenting to the nation
their noble religion that brings ease [in all matters]
and its practical laws in which lie the awakening and
joy of the nation. Among the individuals of the nation
and throughout the regions of the world, they
disseminate good, peace and benevolence, through subtle
knowledge, insightful wisdom and political guidance in
all matters, uniting and not dividing, appeasing hearts
and not deterring them, looking to the horizons of
fulfillment to meet the requirements and challenges of
the 21st century.
We ask God to prepare for our Islamic Nation the paths
of renaissance, prosperity and advancement; to shield it
from the evils of extremism and close-mindedness; to
preserve its rights, sustain its glory, and uphold its
dignity. What an excellent Lord is he, and what an
excellent Supporter.
God Almighty says: This is My straight path, so
follow it. And follow not the [other] ways, lest you be
parted from His way. This has He ordained for you, that
you may be God-fearing. (6:152-153)
The last of our supplications is that praise be to God,
Lord of the worlds.
Amman
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Ramadan 1425 Hijri
November 2004 AD
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