As a religion upholding social justice and peace, Ustadh Michael Wolfender looks through Islam's history and guidance in Islam to address how Muslims and Islam upholds and even rooted the values in the U.S. Constitution.
The best Muslims are those adhering to taqwa, i.e. being mindful of Allah and understanding that He is All-Knowing and The Provider of Success. Those upholding taqwa do so with honor and dignity. It was this character trait which earned early Muslims positions of responsibility and this was a very different approach than the practice at the time, which relied on heritage and tribal relations (not dissimilar from modern social class distinctions).
This early focus in Islam on social justice resulted in a faction being sent to seek protection with a Christian king in Africa. It also seeded constitutional values based on agreements struck with people of other faiths to uphold mutual rights. Unlike growth of other empires, the Muslim empire grew without a large army in comparison. As an example, Jews and Muslims conquested Spain together. The majority living in the Muslim empire initially were not Muslims, but the numbers grew as those in the region accepted the religion over time. Origins of the U.S. Constitution emanate from European visits to the Ottoman Empire where human rights were a primary focus. This heritage draws towards today, providing purpose to be proud Muslims and proud Americans.
