Islam is a religion that constructs people with their personality. It molds a person’s emotions, thoughts, and actions while fostering the growth of their personality. All of the principles and values set forth by Islam are directed towards the development of character and the preservation of human nature. From the very first day of his prophethood, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) did not discriminate between people and defended Islam’s peace-oriented approach against any attack that could harm their personalities. In this way, the social status norms of the pre-Islamic society, such as lineage, wealth, and gender, were eliminated; people were accepted as free, equal, and valuable solely because they were humans.
The Qur’an presents the prophets as exemplary models for Muslim character development. It highlights their moral conduct, virtues, understanding of justice, patience, and submission as inspiring examples for Muslims. In this sense, the Muslim personality finds its source in the Qur’an. Through the knowledge and piety acquired from the Qur’an, Muslims become balanced individuals, characterized by firmness, personality, consistency, integrity, and uprightness, avoiding both extravagance and inadequacy. It is thanks to these individuals that the religion of Islam spread rapidly throughout the world, incorporating numerous nations and regions into the Muslim ummah.
In our seventh issue, we present to you the topic of “The Personality of Muslim.” This issue features articles by Prof. Dr. Enbiya Yıldırım on “The Prophet Muhammad’s Guidance in Character Development”; Bunyamin Albayrak on “Kosovo’s Islamic Journey and the Structure of the Kosovo Islamic Union”; and Koray Serbetci on “A Genius Raised in the Palace of Mahmud of Ghazni: Al-Biruni”. Our guest for the interview is Prof. Dr. Murteza Bedir, who stated that servitude is the most fundamental quality that the Qur’an expects from humans. In the “Revert Stories” column, Dr. Katherine Bullock shared her story of embracing Islam.
As I leave you to delve into our journal, I pray to Allah the Almighty to grant us the consciousness befitting the Muslim personality and to swiftly end the oppression in Palestine and I pay my respects to our martyrs with gratitude and reverence. I wish you a pleasant time reading.
Dr. Lamia LEVENT ABUL