Q. News: Suspected Muslim Attack at Fort Hood army base?

not an easy question bro. we should get an ustaz to offer his knowledge and opinion.

Life as a Muslim should be modeled to how Rasulullah SAW lived his life. How he respects others, how he tolerates others.

Compare Islam today and back then, it is a major difference - that now we have billions of followers worldwide. Or at least those who are formally known as Muslims or declare themselves Muslims.

Sadly, we're divided. There's Shia and Sunni issues. There are "Muslims" in Singapore who drink, gamble and go for civil marriage.

From Islam's point of view, we were warned by Rasulullah SAW about all this fitnah. As with all religions since prophet Ibrahim AS (or maybe earlier, i might be wrong). We therefore have the Quran the contents of which is unchanged and in it's original language protected by Allah SWT.

To reply on such news to Non-Muslims, well it requires persons very well knowledgeable on Islam. Because the secular world now views us negatively thanks to such news and terrorists claiming they're doing jihad by killing civilians albeit from a different religion. So when you reply something, there's rebuttal, and further rebuttal, and people are willing to research into history and mistakes committed by others just to tarnish our beloved religion.

The best part? if it's a live debate where we're required to respond to all these news, we might be on YouTube and a mockery session begins online.

Yes we want to defend our beloved religion. I would do so till my very last breath. But at the same time, we now have masters of manipulation all over the mass media including internet. So we should all seek further knowledge in order to tackle this worldwide epidemic, and respond to the secular world in an honest, true to Islam manner.

If a layman asks in person, "why some muslim can drink? why some muslim gamble? why muslims become terrorists? why some muslims dont require their spouse to convert?" et al. I would reply "it's their choice. man-made choices. as far as i know, a true Muslim is forbidden from drinking, gambling, etc".

personally, i've been wondering. if i ever meet a suicide bomber, "muslim" terrorist, or mass murderer - i'd ask them "if Rasulullah SAW is here now alive standing in front of you, do you think he'll be proud of what you're doing? because he didn't do all these, or anything similar, in his entire time spreading the message of Allah SWT"

may my answer here be accepted InsyaAllah.