We stress here again the fact that Japanese people enjoy good character. In fact, when a Japanese person reads about Islam he finds that it largely conforms to the ideals adopted by his or her society. If Allah (S.W.T.) wishes him or her guidance, He paves the way for him or her to embrace Islam. See the appendix on the good traits of  Japanese people which they have inherited from Al Samurrai, members of a powerful military class in Japan in the past.

A young man sent us an e-mail saying that he had studied Islam and would like to embrace it. Should he learn how to perform the prayers before his declaration of faith or vice? Is circumcision obligatory? If so should only a Muslim doctor undertake it? Otherwise he is ready to get circumcised at any nearby hospital.

A lady also wrote us a letter saying that she had studied Islam in order to submit a paper on the subject to her university and found it to a great religion. She also said that she wanted to invite students in her college to Islam in a "scientific way”. "I know that the prohibition of  pig meat is somehow related to hygiene" she said. Then she asked us if there are any scientific facts in Islam which modern science has confirmed so she would call students in college to Islam based on these facts.

As for Muhammad Dawud, he visited Jerusalem and Gaza two years ago and loved Islam. When he came back to Japan, he contacted Sister Zeba Kume, the well known Japanese caller to Islam. She taught him about Islam and he ultimately embraced it. I must say here that Sister Zeba may be equal to one hundred men, if not one thousand men, when it comes to Islamic activity.

Uthman is a student in the second year at the university in Kyoto. He visited Turkey for a week and fell in love with Islam. When he came back to Japan, he read the books of Islamic Center-Japan he obtained from Sister Zeba Kume, and he later converted to Islam.

Fatima Nakasone is a young girl studying in Bedford, England. She used to be Christian. She converted to Islam when she made friends with a British Muslim sister of Asian descent who talked to her about Islam. She now wears the full face veil even though she is in Britain.

Another lady e-mailed us from America saying that she wanted the meanings of  Holy Qur'an in Japanese and we sent her what she wanted. When we asked her about the Muslim community in her area she said that she was among one hundred Japanese girls and that she was only Muslim lady and that she was looking forward to having a Mosque built in her area.  She also mentioned in her e-mail that she was a music therapist in one of American universities.

Russian Victoria also wrote us from inside Japan saying that she was looking for an Islamic bank in which to keep her money in order to avoid dealing with usury (riba), and we sent her address of Pakistani National Bank. We also talked to her on the phone to where she resides not far from Tokyo and we found out that she was married to a Japanese Muslim. We questioned her with appreciation that after seventy years of Communist rule, we could now see a Russian Muslimah who was interested in keeping her money in a bank that did not deal in riba.  That was indeed one of the miracles of Islam. We then sent her a copy of translation of the meanings of Holy Qur'an in Japanese as well as the Center's publications so that her Japanese husband would read them, and she thanked us for that.

Sheikh Nimetullah Yurt called one of the neighbors of Tokyo Mosque while it was still under construction one morning to Islam and gave her a copy of Al Maududi’s What is Islam? which bore the e-mail address of the Center. Later on, she sent us the following letter: "I was brought up as a child in a house near Tokyo Mosque…The view of its shiny dome before sunset was really captivating…I felt very sad when the Mosque was demolished…Now that the Mosque is being built, I am really elated with joy…" She wrote this e-mail in a green background, which Japanese believe is the symbol of Paradise. In fact, such incidents occur on a daily basis in Islamic Center-Japan, Arab Islamic Institute, Tokyo Mosque, Kobe Mosque as well as in the other Islamic societies and associations.

In fact, many Islamic gatherings in Japan pave the way for new Muslims to visit them and learn about the Islamic way of life there. Islamic Center-Japan is rightly a beacon of guidance which helps guide whomever wishes to know anything about Islam as well as Muslims who come to Japan. Our website is easily accessible. Anyone who types us the words "islamcenter.or.jp” in the search engine will immediately get it. We promptly respond to queries and requests. We retain all e-mails that we receive, and all correspondents thank us for our prompt responses.

An Arab student from Seattle in west central Washington State wrote to us that there were many Japanese students in his college who were interested in Islam and requested us to send him books on Islam in Japanese. He also mentioned that a Japanese female student returned to Japan and requested us to send her some Islamic books to her address which he mentioned in his letter. We promptly sent the translation of the meanings of Holy Qur'an in Japanese and some Islamic books both to him and to Japanese student. In reply, he thanked our prompt response, saying that in one million Muslims there was one like you who does your task.

Our Islamic Center-Japan is also considered to be one of the oldest Islamic Centers in Japan and is known to the Japanese government, the media, the universities, schools and religious groups, making it a major source of Islamic knowledge in the country. We thank Almighty Allah for affording us the opportunity to call to His religion and carry out this collective duty on behalf of the Muslim Ummah. We also thank all those who have given us assistance and support to facilitate our duty. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "That Allah guides through you one man is better for you than the red camels” (which were the most precious property a man would wish to have in those days). Another narration mentions: "that doing this is better than the entire world”. 

The Second Generation of Muslims: Their Problems and Future:

The most important problem facing Muslims in Japan is that of the second generation children who come from mixed marriages: non-Japanese Muslim men with Japanese Women, non-Japanese Muslim women with Muslim Japanese men and the children of Japanese Muslims in general. 

Education in Japan is mandatory and essential, and there is not a single Islamic school in Japan while there are thousands of Muslim children who need education in an Islamic environment. If we do not provide something for them to acquire Islamic education, they will certainly dissolve in this non-Islamic society. What actually happens is that a Pakistani or Bangladeshi man sends his Japanese wife and children to his country for education purposes, and due to the huge economic and social differences between Japan and these countries, many problems arise, leading in some instances to marital breakdowns, hence the importance of solving this problem.

Islamic Center-Japan is now considering the establishment of first Islamic school in Japan. It has purchased a land neighboring Tokyo Mosque and intends to build an Islamic school on it in order to remove the barrier of hesitating to build Islamic schools in the country, as it removed the barrier of hesitating to build Mosques in the country before.  If we concern ourselves with the second generation children, they will certainly present Islam to Japanese people far better than us, for they are Japanese and their language is Japanese as well, and these two factors are very important indeed. We thank His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud for the assistance his charitable society has given towards the purchase of the land for building the school. Thanks also go the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah for offering to assist with one third of the construction costs.

A Word of Thanks:

Finally, I would like to thank Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the assistance it has, and is still, extending to Islam and Muslims in Japan. In fact, a large part of Islamic work in Japan is a blessed seedling plated by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We also thank the Gulf countries and the other Arab countries for their support of Muslims in Japan.

I would like to thank Japanese academics and professors who are concerned with Islamic culture and try to present it to their own people in an objective and impartial manner without being affected by any Western influences. We would like to thank the leading academics and professors, such as Professor Itagaki, Professor Katakura, Professor Komatsu, Professors Sugita who share the same surname from Tokyo University and Professor Goto as well as the rest of the academics and professors. I would also like to thank the Japanese government for giving Muslims in Japan complete freedom and for caring about them and trying hard to deepen understanding between Japan and Muslim world. In particular, we would like to thank His Excellency former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Kono and Japanese police in general for their readiness to cooperate with Muslims, individuals and groups. We also thank Japanese people who revere Islam and receive its publications with great respect. In fact, studies conducted by Japanese government on foreigners in the country have shown that Muslims are the coolest and most collected community with the least troubles.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. 

Dr. Salih Mahdi S. Al Samarrai

Email: Salihsamarrai@yahoo.com

 1.        Dr. Zuhal is now a rector of Al Azhar University of technology in Jakarta and was previously a minister in his country. In fact, he raised a handsome sum of money to help rebuild Tokyo Mosque in 1998.

2.     Ahmad Suzuki was one of Al Azhar University graduates. He belongs to the second generation of Japanese Muslims, as both his father and maternal uncle were Muslim.

3.     The author of the present pamphlet.

Traits of Samurai, the Warrior Class in Japan

These traits were mentioned by His Excellence Dr. Musa Muhammad Umar on 04 March,1978 during a meeting held by the Muslim Youth Association in Kanazawa, on the Sea of Japan opposite Korea. The association comprised one hundred Japanese Muslim youth who were the students of the late Mustafa Komura, who assisted the late Umar Mita with translation of the meanings of Holy Qur'an into Japanese and authored a huge encyclopedia on the history of Islam in Japan. In fact, he sent some of these youth to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Qatar, and now they are occupying posts in universities, companies, and free trade in all parts of Japan. We Muslims admit that we have neglected the duty of keeping in touch with them. Dr. Musa was and still is one of the directors of Islamic Center-Japan and was the Sudanese ambassador to Japan.

About the Samurai:

·         They do not forget favors.

·         They  abstain from alcohol, women and overeating.

·         They respect their parents and obey them and never feel annoyed no matter what they do to them.

·         They wash their hands and feet in the morning and in the evening. They also take a warm bath and like to keep their bodies and appearance nice and clean.

·         They never preoccupy themselves with things that do not concern them or even talk about them.

·         They take an interest in discipline and military training.

·         They feel duty bound to engage in good works and acceptable actions and avoid unacceptable and wrong actions.

·         They are trustworthy not out of fear of people or that they might be caught out doing something that contradicts their principles.

·         They have to take an interest in studies and the acquisition of knowledge and never waste their time.

·         They lead a dignified life, do not do harm to others, nor are they dependent upon them.

·         They do not get into bad company.

This is a copy of a document Dr. Salih Mahdi Al Samarrai received from the late Bakir Barq, one of the leaders of Annoor Group in Turkey who worked as a broadcaster for a long time for the Turkish program in Saudi Arabian Radio, Jeddah.