Source: Religion News Service
By Prof.
Omid Safi: He is a Professor of Islamic Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in contemporary Islamic thought and classical Islam.
A recent story about
Prince Charles learning Arabic in order to undertake a deeper study of the Qur'an has created a lot of hubbub in the British media.
The story has raised rumors yet again about the heir to the British throne's deep fascination with Islam.
So what is behind this attraction to Islam? What about Islam is proving so appealing to Prince Charles himself? To answer that question, let us listen to some of what he has to say.
Charles approaches Islam not primarily through the lens of security threats and international crises, but rather as a body of spiritual teachings. He states:
The Islamic world is the custodian of one of the greatest treasures of accumulated wisdom and spiritual knowledge available to humanity.
There is a profound truth in that seemingly simple, old saying of the nomads — that "the best of all Mosques is Nature herself."
The inconvenient truth is that we share this planet with the rest of creation for a very good reason – and that is, we cannot exist on our own without the intricately balanced web of life around us.
'Islam has always taught this and to ignore that lesson is to default on our contract with creation.
Prince Charles and Camilla in Qatar for second leg of Middle East trip. The Prince revealed he has had six months of private Arabic tuition. But told students he struggles to understand the language
It is his destiny to defend Christianity as head of the Church of England when he is king.
This, however, has not stopped the Prince of Wales from long being fascinated by Islam.
Yesterday, it emerged Charles has taken this interest a step further by having lessons in Arabic for the last six months.
This would enable him to read the Koran in its original form as well as decipher Arabic script on visits to mosques and museums.
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