By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor ANKARA, May 22 (Reuters) - Scholars around the Muslim world were alarmed five years ago by news repor...

As the "Arab Spring" and its aftermath continue to upset the historical order in many countries, future Muslim leaders would do well to follow the example of Dhul-Qarnayn. Acknowledging the limits of their own political systems and promoting collective action are central to good governance in this increasingly pluralistic age.

The companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, approached him on one occasion asking which person is the best. He responds by saying, "Every one that has a heart that is makhmoom and a tongue that is truthful." They said, "What is a heart that is makhmoom?"

Just like Judaism is a religion that can exist independently from Jewish ethnicity or Jewish culture, Islam is a religion, and even though Muslims are ethnically and racially varied, there really is such a thing as a Muslim culture that can exist separately from Islam.

Many people feel that the media plays a significant role in escalating tension between Americans and Muslims around the world. Giving coverage to One Film 9/11 is an opportunity for the media to prove their critics wrong.

Our Ummah was founded on love: love for Muhammad that made us follow him, love for each other that made us care for each other, and love for this world God gave us that made us strive for a better and more just world. However, love is the opposite of what we are known for now.

To my Muslim community, no matter how you interpret or live out your Islam, I appeal to you for us all to work together. We've been complacent and all of humanity is suffering for it. Not just us in America, but look at the mayhem radicalism have spawned.

During these times in which extremists from many different sides seek to divide us as a nation and as a people with fear tactics, we must resist. And we must not allow fear to take over the best within us and what we have to offer.

Muslim-Buddhist dialogue may be difficult, but it is becoming increasingly necessary as tensions between Muslims and Buddhists worldwide escalate. Dialogue focused around morality, ethics and values can be an extraordinary avenue for intercultural exchange.

Islam encourages us to be people of pondering and deep reflection. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle often produces people of action rather than though. We increasingly do more and think less.

Science is an important reality that enables us to know the universe we inhabit, the Earth and our own bodies and to be able to appreciate all the beauties around us. For a sincere Muslim, science is a blessing that God has bestowed on mankind.

Although Buddhist and Hindu art aficionados can find stunning sculptures and Jewish art lovers can examine medallions with Hebrew inscriptions, Islamic art is much more difficult to find.

Islam rejects that Jesus is the son of God and views Jesus, also known as Isa, as a Prophet and the Messiah of the Israelites. So who was this Muslim Jesus?

Harassing minorities in the pretense of blasphemy accusations is not my version of Islam. Maybe that's why Pakistan's constitution does not consider Ahmadi Muslims to be "real" Muslims. But Scripture tells us that it's not Prophet Muhammad's version of Islam either.

Opponents of Islam claim it denies freedom of speech and censors those who insult Islam. This is factually incorrect. After all, the Prophet Muhammad called differences of opinion a blessing in society and never sought to censor or threaten those who verbally attacked him.

Sen. Mitch McConnell is guilty on both counts: What he believed to be news was a joke, and what he missed was the real news. It started on Nov. 12, ...

SEVARE, Mali — Timbuktu, the fabled desert city where retreating Muslim extremists destroyed ancient manuscripts, was a center of Islamic learni...

The fact that 20 percent of global marriages take place between first cousins and most societies, including Europe and Canada, consider cousin marriages to be legal should give us a pause.

Everyone knows his name. He was, and still is, one of the most influential figures of all time, yet most of us have little real sense of the man himself.

It is time for lay-leaders, clerics and religious judges who flagrantly contradict the Quran to be by-passed as irrelevant and pariahs of our society. They should instead be forced to answer: Why are they defending an oppressive pre-Islamic culture?

Just as America is strengthened by accepting immigrants from all over the world, Islam is also continually enriched through contact with a myriad of unique cultures.

There is something deeply wrong when even a small part of a Muslim society views the shame of a single rape to outweigh facilitating the spread of corruption and the wrongful taking of life.

Muhammad and Washington were gentlemen of the highest degree. This is no more evident than in the connection between them in the Holy Quran and "Rules of Civility."