Reading Contest Held across Turkey to Teach about Prophet Muhammad
Peygamber Yolu Derneği (Prophet's Path Association) organized a meeting in İstanbul to introduce the reading campaign, part of which is a contest in which Islamic scholars and members of the press will participate.
The campaign will involve a reading contest including books on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at varying levels for different readerships in every district of Turkey. Elementary, secondary and university-level students will be assigned different books on the life of the prophet and will be tested on the books in April.
The campaign's motto is "The contest in which no one loses," since the association believes everyone will benefit from reading about the life of the prophet and learning from his example.
Ali Demirel, president of the Prophet's Path Association, said society and the world need the peace that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) brought at a time in which his society was corrupt in every possible way. "He is the prophet of tomorrow as he is the prophet of today and yesterday," Demirel stated, saying that the aim of the association is to offer answers to questions about the Prophet Muhammad while correcting misconceptions about his life.
Responding to the characterization of the Prophet Muhammad as a prophet of war, Demirel said that in his 23 years as a prophet, which amounts to around 8,000 days, we see that the total time he spent fighting was only one day. He said most of the battles Muhammad fought lasted only a couple of hours and that he did not kill anyone. He said tolerance, peace and winning people's hearts are the dominant features of the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
The association's website, www.peygamberyolu.com, has also prepared a diary of the prophet, explaining to people exactly what he did on each day of his time as a prophet. Demirel also said that, in addition to the reading contest, they plan to make a movie, a TV series and an animation about the prophet.
Theologian Selman Kuzu, from the same association, said believing in the 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran is one of the essentials of Islamic faith. Asking the audience how much they actually know about the Prophet Muhammad, Kuzu said the level of one's faith is connected to one's knowledge of the prophet. According to him, only those who learn about the Prophet Muhammad can love him, which is one of the duties of every Muslim. He said the Quran introduces the Prophet Muhammad as the prophet of mercy.
Kuzu also related the Quran's statement that the Prophet Muhammad is the person with the highest morals, as he represents the high morals of the Quran.
Stating that they aim to reach at least 2.5 million people through the reading contest, Kuzu said the winners of the contest across Turkey will be rewarded with a trip to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad lived.
Commenting on the contest, veteran Zaman columnist and author Hekimoğlu İsmail said he was saved by following the path of the Prophet Muhammad, thanking the people who organized the campaign.
Source: Todays Zaman
