tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23708120519055337882024-03-08T23:52:54.184+02:00A religion of peaceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-53852171252535323392010-03-11T22:57:00.008+02:002010-03-11T23:51:02.710+02:00Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh<div align="center"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;">Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S5lkFayX1TI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Wqp0JfE-44Q/s1600-h/dedaat.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 360px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 360px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447495268534048050" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S5lkFayX1TI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Wqp0JfE-44Q/s400/dedaat.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S5lkFNt2CGI/AAAAAAAAAFE/l29evpV0k5A/s1600-h/ahmad+deedat.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 175px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447495265025394786" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S5lkFNt2CGI/AAAAAAAAAFE/l29evpV0k5A/s400/ahmad+deedat.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 1 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MlOjHaqgWUI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MlOjHaqgWUI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 2 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yxY1pM3EyWU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yxY1pM3EyWU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 3 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/woIRALcpWdM&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/woIRALcpWdM&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 4 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9dQI082lM3o&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9dQI082lM3o&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 5 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJPitlCFn5Q&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJPitlCFn5Q&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 6 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y22YRDb9C8I&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y22YRDb9C8I&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 7 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zMuxR31yD8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zMuxR31yD8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 8 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EzK1Sib01-k&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EzK1Sib01-k&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 9 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u0x2T3xou4Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u0x2T3xou4Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 10 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/76CAkPZTofs&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/76CAkPZTofs&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 11 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R2z-Mov7Agk&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R2z-Mov7Agk&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 12 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SP6i07zQoh0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SP6i07zQoh0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 13 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sEL0i85Qj3k&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sEL0i85Qj3k&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 14 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J7PbDVV0MoI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J7PbDVV0MoI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 15 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mXa1bY68rdE&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mXa1bY68rdE&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Is Jesus God-Ahmad Deedat vs Anis Shorrosh 16 of 16<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pHcwe65wQoo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pHcwe65wQoo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-6389644206271767282010-02-19T01:01:00.005+02:002010-02-22T23:02:26.029+02:00Where is God .. ?<div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;">Where is God ?</span><br /><br /><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4LuN6iS-VI/AAAAAAAAAE8/LP4hDAHcukY/s1600-h/allah+-+Copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441173222635796818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4LuN6iS-VI/AAAAAAAAAE8/LP4hDAHcukY/s400/allah+-+Copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4Ltzcsi_sI/AAAAAAAAAE0/BbReA8NPnmQ/s1600-h/allah.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">I praise Allah, all of the praise is only for Him Alone.<br /><br />Let us explain some important points about the concept of Allah (God) in Islam.<br /><br />In the Holy Qur’an, Allah says that He is All Hearing, All Knowing, All Seeing and that He is as close to us, as our jugular vein. He also states that He is close to us in the third part of the night, when we are praying to Him. Additionally, He tells us that there is never a gathering of three in His Name, except that He is the Fourth or two and He is the Third. Yet, at the same time we know that Allah is not a "part of His creation."<br /><br />So the question now becomes:<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><span style="font-size:180%;">What do Muslims believe about Allah?</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">As Muslims, we believe that Allah is above everything. What we believe of Allah is based on what Allah has revealed in His Book (the Qur'an), and what has been continuously reported from His messenger (pbuh), and what the early generation of Muslim scholars unanimously agreed upon.<br /><br />Muslims believe that Allah, The Glorified, is exalted above His creatures. Still, He is with them, wherever they be and knows whatever they do. He summed it up in His saying:<br />.... He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And God sees well all that ye do.<br /><br /><br />Surah 57 Verse 4<br /><br />His saying ‘He is with you’ does not mean that He is commingled with the creatures. The language does not indicate this and it is against what the early generation of the ummah (Muslim nation) agreed upon. This would be contrary to Allah's creation of all things. For example, the moon is one of Allah's signs to be found amongst His creatures. It is placed in the skies where it is at the same time with both the traveler and the one who is not a traveler, wherever they are. Exactly, He, The Glorified, keeps a watchful eye over His creatures, ruling over them.<br /><br />Thus, the Islamic concept of God should be protected from false conjectures and distortion. Such conjectures, as thinking that the apparent meaning of His saying ‘in heavens’ means that heavens contain Him. This is invalid, according to the consensus of all the people of knowledge and faith!<br /><br />The closeness of Allah to His 'abd (servant or worshipper), is that He is very close to His creatures, responding, as He has summed it up in His saying:<br />When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.<br /><br /><br />Surah 2 Verse 186<br /><br />Also, the Prophet (pbuh) said to his companions, when they raised their voices in invocation of Allah:<br /><br />‘What has been revealed in the Book (i.e., the Qur'an) and in the sunnah - of His closeness - does not contradict what has been told of His exaltation and highness. Indeed, Glory be to Him, there is none like Him in all His attributes, and He is high in His nearness and near in His highness.’<br /><br />Muslims believe the Qur'an is the word of Allah. An essential part of the belief in Allah and His Books is the belief that the Qur'an is Allah's Word revealed. It is the Word of Allah, its letters and its meaning. The Word of Allah is not the words only, without meaning, and not the meaning only, without words.<br /><br />Seeing Allah on the Day of Judgment is also a part of the belief in Allah. What we referred to of believing in Him, in His Books, and in His messengers, includes also the belief that those who believe will see Him with their eyes, just as they see the sun on a day free of clouds; Just as they see the full moon without obstacle, they will see Him, The Glorified, while they are in the day of judgment; and they will see Him after entering Paradise. This is as Allah, The Glorified, The Exalted, wills.<br /><br />Here are some of the evidences from the Qur’an itself. The message of the Qur’an is a clear message regarding Him not being "IN" His creation nor is He "like" His creation, nor "dependent" on His creation.<br />God! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).<br /><br /><br />Surah 2 Verse 255<br /><br />Say: He is God, the One and Only;<br />God, the Eternal, Absolute;<br />He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;<br />And there is none like unto Him.<br /><br /><br />Surah 112 Verses 1 - 6<br /><br />To God belong the east and the West: Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of God. For God is all-Pervading, all-Knowing.<br /><br /><br />Surah 2 Verse 115<br /><br />But to God belong all things in the heavens and on earth: And He it is that Encompasseth all things.<br /><br /><br />Surah 4 Verse 126<br /><br />He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.<br /><br /><br />Surah 57 Verse 3<br /><br />No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.<br /><br /><br />Surah 6 Verse 103<br /><br />Additionally, we invite those interested to learn more about our belief in Allah to visit the following pages:<br /></span><br /><a href="http://www.todayislam.com/belief.htm">http://www.TodayIslam.com/belief.htm</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Finally, I would like to add that only Allah is All Knowing. Any good is from Him & the mistakes were from myself.<br /><br />Please pray for me and ask Allah to forgive me. May Allah guide all of us to His truth, ameen.<br /><br />Salaam ‘alaykum</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rqBuQk_gq74&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rqBuQk_gq74&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-14529614364317565692010-02-19T00:59:00.006+02:002010-02-21T22:20:58.900+02:00Questions & Answers About Islam<div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Questions & Answers About Islam</span> </span></strong></span></div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4GPTTjT5SI/AAAAAAAAAEs/g6Hb4TaU0vs/s1600-h/why.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 392px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440787386668934434" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4GPTTjT5SI/AAAAAAAAAEs/g6Hb4TaU0vs/s400/why.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">How does Islam elevate the status of women?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">According to the Qur'an, men and women are equal before God; both created for the sole purpose of worshipping god through faith and good deeds.<br /><br />"O humankind! Be conscious of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and out of it created its mate, and out of the two spread countless men and women. Be conscious of your Lord through Whom you demand your mutual rights and honor the wombs; God always watches over you." (Qur'an 4:1)<br /><br />Islam recognizes women as individuals with specific rights. Among these are: the right to life, the right to learn; the right to earn, own and dispose property; the right to choose a husband; the right, as a wife, to her pre-marriage standard of living; the right to be treated equally; and the right to inherit. Women, like men, are rewarded by God for a righteously led life.<br /><br />Muslim women dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The purpose of clothing is not only to protect oneself from physical elements, but also to protect oneself from immorality and pride. Some traditions of dress, and more generally, the treatment of women in some Muslim countries and societies, are often a reflection of culture. This is very often inconsistent and even contrary to Islam teachings. Prophet Muhammad said: "The most perfect in faith among you believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Why is the family so important to Muslims? </span></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"><div align="left"><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;">The family is the foundation of Islamic society। The peace and security offered by a stable family unit is greatly valued and seen as essential for the spiritual growth of its members. It is quite common in the Muslim community to find large, extended families living together; providing comfort, security and support to one another.<br /><br />Parents are greatly respected in the Islamic tradition. Mothers, in particular are greatly honored. God says in the Qur'an: "And we have enjoined upon man to be good to his parents. With difficulty upon difficultly did his mother bear him, and wean him for two years. Show gratitude to Me and to your parents; to Me is your final goal!" (Qur'an 31:14)<br /><br />Marrying and establishing a family is very strongly encouraged. "And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves; that you may find peace with them. And He put between you love and compassion. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect." (Qur'an 30:21)<br /><br />A Muslim marriage is both a sacred act and a legal agreement, in which either the groom or the bride is free to include legitimate conditions. Marriage customs vary widely from country to country.<br /><br />Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: "When a servant of God marries, he completes half his faith." Marriage is the institution upon which families are based.<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Does Islam give Women equal rights?</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Yes, definitely। Islam teaches equality between women and men. However, in some Muslim countries and societies a patriarchal culture dominates, and women are denied of their God-given rights.<br /><br />Nowhere does the Qur'an state that one gender is superior to another. God makes it clear that the only criterion for superiority is piety and righteousness…virtues only He can judge.<br /><br />"O humankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (Qur'an 49:13)<br /><br />Islam recognizes women as individuals with specific rights. Among these are: the right to life, the right to learn; the right to earn, own and dispose property; the right to choose a husband; the right to a marriage gift; the right to retain her maiden name; the right, as a wife, to her pre-marriage standard of living; the right to be treated equally; the right to seek divorce; the right to inherit; and the right to a final will.<br /><br />Women, like men, are rewarded for a righteously led life.<br /><br />"…Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, will enter the Garden (of Paradise)…" (Qur'an 40:39)<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">What does Islam say about wives and husbands?</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left">"And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may live in tranquility with them; and He has brought between you love and mercy. Truly, in this are signs for those who reflect." (Qur'an 30:21)<br /><br />Marriage is based on mutual love and respect. The Islamic marriage is a sacred contract between a willing woman and willing man. There can be no coercion, and each party is free to include its own terms. The bride keeps her family name and her marriage gift from the groom. A Muslim marriage is completed with public festivities reflecting culture and customs.<br /><br />Husbands and wives are protectors of each other. They are equal partners and best friends, remaining faithful to one another.<br /><br />The husband provides, maintains, protects and is responsible for the family. He fulfills his duties with consultation and kindness. While the wife is not required to share her wealth and earnings, she may help her husband. Both spouses work together in the home - cooking and cleaning - and in raising good children.<br /><br />If couples are unable to live with one another peacefully, amicable divorce is permitted as a last resort. Mothers are given priority in the custody of children.<br /><br />Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of God be upon him) said: "Treat women well and be kind to them; they are your partners and committed helpers."<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">What is written in the Quran about Motherhood ?</span></div><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;"></span><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">"And We have enjoined upon man to be kind to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of a child to his weaning is thirty months. At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and is forty years (old), he says, 'O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Your favors, that You bestowed me and upon both my parents; that I may do righteous deeds that are acceptable to You; and be gracious to me with regards to (my own) offspring. Surely, I turn to You repentant, and I wholly give myself (to You)." (Qur'an 46:15)<br /><br />Mothers are accorded a special place of honor and respect in Islam.<br /><br />A man once came to Prophet Muhammad and asked, "O Messenger of God! Who among the people is more worthy of my companionship?" The Prophet replied, "Your mother." Then man then asked who next, the Prophet replied "Your mother" again. The man repeated the question a third time and got the same answer. The man asked once again, "Who next?" Only then did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reply, "Your father."<br /><br />These, and other references in the Qur'an and incidents from the life of the Prophet, clearly indicate the elevated status Islam has given to mothers. A Muslim sees a mother as an icon of strength and courage, tempered with compassion, kindness and love.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Does Islam want Women to be public and political?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Most certainly. Islam not only promotes, but charges women (and men) with the responsibility of using their minds for good, preventing evil as God's trustees on earth.<br />"The believing men and the believing women are protectors one of another; they enjoin good and forbid evil; they establish regular prayers; practice consistent charity; and they obey God and His Messenger. On them will God Pour His Mercy; for God is the Powerful, the Wise." (Qur'an 9:71)<br /><br />Several Qur'anic verses chronicle female thinkers and doers, such as: Mary, the mother of Jesus; Bilquis, the Queen of Sheba who ruled justly and believed in the One God; and Aasiya, the Pharaoh's wife who saved Prophet Moses. History also tells of many great women: Aishah , the wise teacher and philosopher wife of the Prophet, who taught people daily for over 50 years; and Zubaydah, the famous builder of an aqueduct system for pilgrims.<br /><br />In the first Islamic state in Madinah, Prophet Muhammad asked women to individually pledge loyalty (one person, one vote) to Islam and to his leadership. Women were expected then, as they are expected now, to assume their rightful role in society as committed partners.<br />Muslim women today work for the public good as activists, artists, entrepreneurs, leaders, scholars, scientists, social workers and teachers. Muslim women excel in all fields, not in spite of their religious convictions, but because of them.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">Why do Muslim women dress the way they do?</span><br /><br />"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their chastity; that will be purer for them. And God is well acquainted with all they do. And say to the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity; that they should not display their beauty, except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their coverings over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers,…" (Qur'an 24:30-31)<br /><br />God further states in the Qur'an: "Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage - there is no blame on them if they cast aside their (outer) garments, provided they do not make a wanton display of their beauty; but it is best for them to be modest; and God the One Who sees and knows all things." (Qur'an 24:60)<br /><br />Muslim women dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The purpose of clothing is not only to protect oneself from the physical elements, but also to protect from immorality and pride. The Islamic concept of dress applies to both women and men. It sets expectations of moral and respectful interactions between the genders. As a result, both men and women are liberated from their baser instincts and can focus on higher pursuits.<br /><br />Islamic dress takes on many beautiful forms, reflecting the cultural diversity of Muslims from all over the world.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000099;">How does Islam protect Women from Violence ?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Islam means "Peace" - achieved when a person focuses on God, giving her entire mind, heart and soul to none other than the Creator. This liberates her from human subjection; replacing fear with self-respect; weakness with strength, and conflict with tranquility. God says in the Qur'an: "…do not fear human beings, but be in awe of Me." (Qur'an 5:44)<br /><br />Islam strongly prohibits oppression or cruelty to any individual, group or living thing in the universe. God enjoins good conduct toward women from birth to death. Verbal, psychological, emotional, sexual, and physical violence are forbidden, as are false allegations against women's chastity and honor. Men are further reminded: "Do not annoy women as to make their lives miserable." (Qur'an 65:6).<br /><br />Prophet Muhammad said: "Only an honorable man treat women with honor and integrity. And only a mean, deceitful and dishonest man humiliates and insults women." Referring to physical abuse, he added: "Never hit your wives, they are your partners and sincere helpers." He exemplified this by never, ever, hitting a women or child. The Prophet guaranteed protection of the life, honor, and property of women.<br /><br />"And why should you not fight in the cause of God and on behalf of those, who being weak, are ill-treated and oppressed, men, women and children whose cry is, 'Our Lord! Rescue us from these oppressors, and raise for us, from You, one who will protect and help।'" (Qur'an 4:75 )</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="left"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-26635844276811220302010-02-19T00:58:00.039+02:002010-02-20T21:50:38.918+02:00What Non-Muslim Thinkers Said about Muhammad (PBUH)<div align="center"><br />Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the Last of the Prophets<br />(Qur’an 33:40) <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440364813822208482" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AO-VBoKeI/AAAAAAAAAC8/E6Pvm2HPmrY/s320/mohammed.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Muhammad </span><br /></span>The Prophet Of Islam<br />(Peace and Blessings be Upon Him and His Family)<br /></span></div><div align="left"><br />This is a collection of short quotations from a wide variety of Non-Muslim notables, including academics, writers, philosophers, poets, politicians, and activists belonging to the East and the West.<br /><br />To our knowledge none of them ever became Muslims. These words, therefore, reflect their personal views on various aspects of the life of the Prophet.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi</span> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4APcx9w-NI/AAAAAAAAADE/rmnLoI4u7ZM/s1600-h/mohandas-karamchand-gandhi.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 228px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 252px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440365336986712274" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4APcx9w-NI/AAAAAAAAADE/rmnLoI4u7ZM/s320/mohandas-karamchand-gandhi.jpg" /></a><br />(1869-1948) Indian thinker, statesman, and nationalist leader.<br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These, and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every trouble.”<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">[Young India (periodical), 1928, Volume X]<br /></span></span></div><div align="left"><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AQCwGQmOI/AAAAAAAAADM/z45dkAoPH3M/s1600-h/edward-gibbon.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 164px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 199px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440365989320497378" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AQCwGQmOI/AAAAAAAAADM/z45dkAoPH3M/s400/edward-gibbon.png" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Edward Gibbon</span> </span><br />(1737-1794) Considered the greatest British historian of his time.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">“ The greatest success of Mohammad’s life was effected by sheer moral force without the stroke of a sword.”<br />[History Of The Saracen Empire, London, 1870]<br /><br />“His (i.e., Muhammad’s) memory was capacious and retentive, his wit easy and social, his imagination sublime, his judgment clear, rapid and decisive. He possessed the courage of both thought and action.”<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">[History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, London, 1838, vol.5, p.335]<br /></span></span><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">John William Draper</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4ASADz9Y5I/AAAAAAAAADU/o-zERZ6D5tM/s1600-h/John+William+Draper.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 202px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440368142096098194" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4ASADz9Y5I/AAAAAAAAADU/o-zERZ6D5tM/s320/John+William+Draper.jpg" /></a><br />(1811-1882) American scientist, philosopher, and historian।<br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">“Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race . . . Mohammed.”<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">[A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London, 1875, vol.1, pp. 329-330]<br /></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AS7R5ELwI/AAAAAAAAADc/wsly95QGnUM/s1600-h/David+George+Hogarth.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 223px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 230px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440369159487893250" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AS7R5ELwI/AAAAAAAAADc/wsly95QGnUM/s320/David+George+Hogarth.jpg" /></a> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:180%;">David George Hogarth</span><br /></span><br />(1862-1927) English archaeologist, author, and keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">“Serious or trivial, his daily behaviour has instituted a canon which millions observe this day with conscious mimicry. No one regarded by any section of the human race as Perfect Man has been imitated so minutely. The conduct of the Founder of Christianity has not so governed the ordinary life of His followers. Moreover, no Founder of a religion has been left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim Apostle.”</span><br /><br />[Arabia, Oxford, 1922, p. 52]<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Michael H. Hart</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4ATd78rUfI/AAAAAAAAADk/CIHY7qUVG-o/s1600-h/Michael+H.+Hart.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 169px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440369754892882418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4ATd78rUfI/AAAAAAAAADk/CIHY7qUVG-o/s320/Michael+H.+Hart.jpg" /></a><br />(1932- ) Professor of astronomy, physics and the history of science.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.”</span><br /><br />[The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History, New York, 1978, p. 33]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AT1jUsyFI/AAAAAAAAADs/Bnixf2Wto-o/s1600-h/William+Montgomery+Watt.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440370160599615570" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AT1jUsyFI/AAAAAAAAADs/Bnixf2Wto-o/s320/William+Montgomery+Watt.jpg" /></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:180%;">William Montgomery Watt</span><br /></span><br />(1909- ) Professor (Emeritus) of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">“His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement – all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.” </span><br />[Mohammad At Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 52]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Alphonse de Lamartine</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AULlfeTVI/AAAAAAAAAD0/jm9w4KTmcV0/s1600-h/Alphonse+de+Lamartine.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440370539138796882" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AULlfeTVI/AAAAAAAAAD0/jm9w4KTmcV0/s320/Alphonse+de+Lamartine.jpg" /></a><br />(1790-1869) French poet and statesman.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?”<br /></span>[Translated from Histoire De La Turquie, Paris, 1854, vol. II, pp. 276-277]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AUmEGjjnI/AAAAAAAAAD8/DvqtOLnRNzA/s1600-h/Rev__Reginald_Bosworth_Smith.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440370994032381554" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AUmEGjjnI/AAAAAAAAAD8/DvqtOLnRNzA/s320/Rev__Reginald_Bosworth_Smith.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Reverend Bosworth Smith</span><br />(1794-1884) Late Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">“… he was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without the Pope’s pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar. Without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue, if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right Divine, it was Mohammed; for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.”</span> </span><br />[Mohammed and Mohammedanism, London, 1874, p. 235]<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Washington Irving</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AU9l2e6bI/AAAAAAAAAEE/EKgPTMDVOS4/s1600-h/Washington+Irving.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 213px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 277px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440371398228765106" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AU9l2e6bI/AAAAAAAAAEE/EKgPTMDVOS4/s320/Washington+Irving.jpg" /></a><br />(1783-1859) Well-known as the “first American man of letters”.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">“He was sober and abstemious in his diet, and a rigorous observer of fasts. He indulged in no magnificence of apparel, the ostentation of a petty mind; neither was his simplicity in dress affected, but the result of a real disregard to distinction from so trivial a source … In his private dealings he was just. He treated friends and strangers, the rich and poor, the powerful and the weak, with equity, and was beloved by the common people for the affability with which he received them, and listened to their complaints … His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory, as they would have done had they been effected for selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manners and appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial of respect were shown to him.”</span><br />[Life of Mahomet, London, 1889, pp। 192-3, 199]<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AVRBA1tXI/AAAAAAAAAEM/rw5Tfgsg9SY/s1600-h/Annie+Besant.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 216px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 270px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440371731937473906" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4AVRBA1tXI/AAAAAAAAAEM/rw5Tfgsg9SY/s320/Annie+Besant.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Annie Besant</span><br /><br />(1847-1933) British theosophist and nationalist leader in India. President of the Indian National Congress in 1917.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">“It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.”<br /></span>[The Life And Teachings Of Muhammad, Madras, 1932, p. 4]<br /><br /></div><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ODrw4LOl2wA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ODrw4LOl2wA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BEADYFmHBVM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BEADYFmHBVM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-58184375988369661352010-02-19T00:56:00.009+02:002010-02-20T22:52:05.024+02:00Why Do I Wear Hijab ??<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S36CiMEOcrI/AAAAAAAAACk/DBAhcOQNKlo/s1600-h/hijab1.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Why Do I Wear Hijab ??</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439923579219194418" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S359rGChsjI/AAAAAAAAACU/NAzxQuLho3k/s400/4231232717_e9ba264d64.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>By Sultana Yusufali।<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a "rebel". I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercings. I do not possess a leather jacket.<br /><br />In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of "oppressed female."<br /><br />The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: "Do your parents make you wear that?" or "Don't you find that really unfair?"<br /><br />A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harbouring an Uzi underneath it.<br /><br />Of course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth। I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear the hijab. And the concept of the hijab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment.</span> </div><br /><br /><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 223px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439928661207183074" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S36CS564buI/AAAAAAAAACc/OxS4yPehVxM/s400/hijab1.jpg" /></div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">When I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look। I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today's society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewelry, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this? Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit.<br /><br />It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing.<br /><br />It is a myth that women in today's society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being "checked out"? When I wear the hijab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exploit me. I am first and foremost a human being, equal to any man, and not vulnerable because of my sexuality.<br /><br />One of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is "in" or "out." and if you have the "wrong" body type, well, then, you're just going to have to change it, aren't you? After all, there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful. Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing.<br /><br />Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this?<br /><br />Whether the ྖs woman wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mold. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves. When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don't give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females.<br /><br />My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to say "no" comfortably then people ask me if I feel as though my sexuality is being repressed.<br /><br />I have taken control of my sexuality। I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin colour. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them. So next time you see me, don't look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshipping female captive from those barbarous Arabic deserts. I've been liberated.<br /></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-23015685642753711872009-11-28T00:18:00.008+02:002010-02-21T21:48:37.330+02:00Life After Death<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#003300;">Life After Death</span></span></span></div>
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<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4GI3kHX-II/AAAAAAAAAEU/rxvO1UBV0pU/s1600-h/death.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 373px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440780313009059970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/S4GI3kHX-II/AAAAAAAAAEU/rxvO1UBV0pU/s400/death.jpg" /></a>
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<br />By World Assembly of Muslim Youth1
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<br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">How Do Muslims View Death?</span>
<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is brief.
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<br />The question of whether there is life after death does not fall under the jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy with scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, only for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with the concept of life after death since time immemorial.
<br />All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless.
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<br />The very fact that all the Prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. Divine revelation.
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<br />We also know that these Prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won many sincere followers.
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<br />The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and realized the truth.
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<br />Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They couldn’t, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. God has given man besides perceptual consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data. That is why all the Prophets of God while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man.
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<br />For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after death, the Quran exposed the weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:
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<br />And he (i.e. man) presents for Us an example (i.e. attempting to establish the finality of death) and forgets his [own] creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?” Say, “He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.” [It is] He who made for you from the green tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is so]; and He is the Knowing Creator. (Quran, 36:78-81)
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<br />On another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure conjecture:
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<br />And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live (i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing destroys us except time.” And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming. And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, “Bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful.” Say, “God causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,” but most of the people do not know. (Quran, 45:24-26)
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<br />Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of things. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will be the beginning of a life that will never end, and on that day every person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil deeds.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be n unjust and indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned with his fate.
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<br />Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are beyond count - having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc., because man has a very short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are affected by one’s actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not possible in this life. The Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and that God will decide the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds:
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<br />But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment) will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. [God is] the Knower of the unseen.” Not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register - That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and noble provision. But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure (i.e. to undermine their credibility) - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature. (Quran, 34:3-5)
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<br />The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life, believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who abused the bounties of God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran says:
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<br />Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will meet [i.e. obtain] like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life [but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented [for punishment in Hell]? (Quran, 28:61)
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<br />The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their passions and desires, making fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons.
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<br />Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death and wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers are very clearly and beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Quran:
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<br />[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind (i.e. in that which I neglected).” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected. So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another. And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles (i.e. their lips having been contracted by scorching until the teeth are exposed). (Quran, 23:99-104)
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<br />The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.
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<br />Think of the people of Arabia before the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad . Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering and murdering were their main traits when they had no belief in life after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in the One God and life after death they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter but also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evils and corruption become rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed.
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<br />The Quran mentions the terrible end of Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh in some detail:
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<br />[The tribes of] Thamud and Aad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e. the Resurrection]. So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast]. And as for Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind which He [i.e. God] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees. Then do you see of them any remains? And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities (i.e. those to which Lot was sent) with sin. And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity]. Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you [i.e. your ancestors] in the sailing ship (i.e. which was constructed by Noah). That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it. (Quran, 69:4-12)
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<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Events of the Day of Judgment</span>
<br />God states in the Quran about the events of the Day of Judgment:
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<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Then when the Horn is blown with one blast, and the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow [i.e. stroke] - Then on that Day, the Occurrence [i.e. Resurrection] will occur, And the heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm (i.e. weak, enfeebled and unstable). And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them]. That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgment]; not hidden among you is anything concealed (i.e. any person or any secret you might attempt to conceal). So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, “Here, read my record! Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account.” So he will be in a pleasant life - In an elevated Garden, Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near. [They will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth (i.e. literally, advanced in anticipation of reward in the Hereafter) in the days past.” But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record, and had not known what is my account. I wish it [i.e. my death] had been the decisive one (i.e. ending life rather than being the gateway to eternal life). My wealth has not availed me. Gone from me is my authority.” [God will say], “Seize him and shackle him. Then into Hellfire drive him. Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him.” Indeed, he did not used to believe in God, the Most Great. (Quran, 69:13-33)
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<br />The Prophet Muhammad taught that three things continue to benefit a [believing] person even after death - charity which he had given (which continues to benefit others), beneficial knowledge which he had left behind (i.e. authored or taught), and supplication on his behalf by a righteous child (Narrated by Saheeh Muslim).
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<br />Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death:
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<br />1) All the Prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.
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<br />2) Whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral evils.
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<br />3) History bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of the Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in this world.
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<br />4) Moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorse the possibility of the life after death.
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<br />5) God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there is no life after death.</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span>
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<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mb4SjWqE2pE&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mb4SjWqE2pE&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-11814312400178818962009-11-13T00:44:00.004+02:002009-11-13T01:28:42.884+02:00Uniting Humanity<div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc0000;">Uniting Humanity</span><br /></span><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 275px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403355510083318082" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SvyTNU2qcUI/AAAAAAAAACM/EqJ4_0ttmsM/s400/love+and+islam.jpg" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#000000;">The message of Islam is for the entire human race. acording to Islam, Allah is the God of the entire world and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is a messenger for the whole of mankind.<br />According to Islam, all men are equal, whatever be their color, language, race or nationality. Islam addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false barriers of race, status and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that such barriers have always existed, and do exist even today in this so-called enlightened age. Islam, however, removes all these impediments and proclaims the idea of the whole of humanity being one family of God.<br /><br />Islam is international in its outlook and approach. It does not admit barriers and distinctions based on color, clan, blood or territory such as were prevalent before the advent of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). These are rampant in different forms, even in this modern age.<br /><br />Islam is a way of life that transcends race and ethnicity. The Glorious Qur’an repeatedly reminds us of our common origin:O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Al-Hujrat: 13)<br /><br />The eradication of race consciousness is one of the outstanding moral achievements of Islam. In the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue. It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be the timely reinforcement, which would decide this issue in favor of tolerance and peace, the historian A.J. Toynbee wrote in his book Civilization on Trial.<br />Islam unites the entire human race under one banner. To a world torn by national rivalries and feuds, it presents a message of life and hope, and of a glorious future</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-86178115493733446672009-11-13T00:24:00.005+02:002009-11-13T01:26:55.868+02:00Jesus in the Glorious Quran<div dir="ltr" align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Jesus in the Glorious Qura</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">n</span></div><div dir="ltr" align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"></span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 332px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403347694338302130" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SvyMGY714LI/AAAAAAAAACE/CZ48bLIzo80/s400/Jesus+in++Quran.jpg" /><br /><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">The Quran tells us many wonderful things about Jesus. As a result, believers in the Quran love Jesus, honor him and believe in him. In fact, no Muslim can be a Muslim unless he or she believes in Jesus, on whom be peace. The Quran says that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he spoke while he was still only a baby, that he healed the blind and the leper by God's leave and that he raised the dead by God's leave. What then is the significance of these miracles? First, the virgin birth. God demonstrates His power to create in every way. God created everyone we know from a man and a woman. But how about Adam, on whom be peace? God created him from neither a man nor a woman. And Eve from only a man, without a woman. And finally, to complete the picture, God created Jesus from a woman, without a man.<br /><br />What about the other miracles? These were to show that Jesus was not acting on his own behalf, but that he was backed by God. The Quran specifies that these miracles were performed by God's leave. This may be compared to the Book of Acts in the Bible, chapter 2, verse 22, where it says that the miracles were done by God to show that he approved of Jesus. Also, note that Jesus himself is recorded in the Gospel of John to have said: ‘I can do nothing of my own authority' (5:30). The miracles, therefore, were done not by his own authority, but by God's authority. What did Jesus teach? The Quran tells us that Jesus came to teach the same basic message which was taught by previous prophets from God – that we must shun every false god and worship only the One True God. Jesus taught that he is the servant and messenger of the One True God, the God of Abraham. These Quranic teachings can be compared with the Bible (Mark 10:18; Matthew 26:39; John 14:28, 17:3, and 20:17) where Jesus teaches that the one he worshipped is the only true God. See also Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, and 4:27 where we find that his disciples knew him as ‘Servant of God’. The Quran tells us that some of the Israelites rejected Jesus, and conspired to kill him, but God rescued Jesus and raised him to Himself. God will cause Jesus to descend again, at which time Jesus will confirm his true teachings and everyone will believe in him as he is and as the Quran teaches about him. Jesus is the Messiah. He is a word from God, and a spirit from Him. He is honored in this world and in the hereafter, and he is one of those brought nearest to God. Jesus was a man who spoke the truth which he heard from God. This can be compared with the Gospel According John where Jesus says to the Israelites: ‘You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God’ (John 8:40).<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-44185952941121503922009-09-19T14:10:00.008+02:002009-09-19T18:32:49.549+02:00What is the Quran ..?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SrTWpqOnf0I/AAAAAAAAABU/DPnnMGmfaas/s1600-h/holy+quran.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SrTWpqOnf0I/AAAAAAAAABU/DPnnMGmfaas/s400/holy+quran.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383163465813163842" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></div><div face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:180%;">What is the Quran ..?<br /></span></div><br /></div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Qur’ân is the name given to Allah’s speech that He revealed to His Servant and Messenger Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); speech that is recited as an act of worship, is miraculous, and cannot be imitated by man. It is the name of Allah’s Book, and no other book is called by this name. The most common names for Allah’s Book are al-Qur’ân (the Recital) and al-Kitâb (the Book). This is an indication of how much care has been taken in its preservation, both in the memories of people as well as in written form, each way of preserving it reinforcing the other.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Qur'an comprehends the complete code for the Muslims to live a good, chaste, abundant and rewarding life in obedience to the commandments of Allah, in this life and to gain salvation in the next. It is the "chart of life" for every Muslim, and it is the "constitution" of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. </span><p style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> The Qur'an is the eternal contemporary of the Muslims. Each generation of Muslims has found new sources of strength, courage and inspiration in it. It is also, for them, a "compass" in the turbulent voyage of life, as it has explained itself in the following verses: </span></p><blockquote style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">. . . Indeed, there has come to you light and a clear book from Allah; With it Allah guides him who fill follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by his will and guides them to the right path. (V: 15-16)</span><br /><br /></span></blockquote> <p style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a fresh type of character. It deserves the highest praise for its conceptions of Divine nature in reference to the attributes of Power, Knowledge, and Universal Providence and Unity--that its belief and trust is one God, creator of Heaven and Earth is deep and fervent, and that it embodies much of a noble and moral earnestness. It is Qur'an which transformed the simple shepherds and wandering Bedouins of Arabia into the founders of empires, the builders of cities, the collectors of libraries. If a system of religious teachings is evaluated by the changes which it introduces into the way of life, the customs and beliefs of its follower, then Qur'an as a code of life is second to none. It is not strange then, that more translations and more commentaries of the Holy Qur'an have been published than that of any other book claimed to be the Divine Revelation. </span></p><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span> <div align="left" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:red;">The meaning of revelation</span><span style="color:red;">:</span></span> </div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span> <div align="left" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Revelation is where Allah gives whatever knowledge He wills to those whom He chooses to receive it. Allah gives this knowledge to them in order for them to convey it to whomever else He wishes.<br /><br />All the Messengers of Allah experienced revelation. Allah says:</span> </div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:purple;" >“</span> <div align="center" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color:purple;">Verily, We have sent Revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We have sent Revelation to Nûh (Noah) and the prophets who came after him. We had sent revelation to Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ismâ`îl (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), Ya`qûb (Jacob), the Tribes, `Isâ (Jesus), Ayyûb (Job), Yûnus (Jonah), Hârûn (Aaron), and Sulaymân (Solomon). And to Dâwûd (David) We gave the Psalms. And Messengers We have told you about before, and Messengers We have not told you about – and to Mûsâ (Moses) We spoke directly</span>.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span> <div align="left" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:red;">The Occurrence of Revelation</span><span style="color:red;">:</span></span> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Revelation is a fact that cannot be denied by anyone who believes in the existence of Allah and His absolute Power. The Creator and Sustainer maintains His creation in any manner that pleases Him. The connection between the Creator and his Creation is by way of His Messengers, and these Messengers only know what Allah wants from them by way of revelation, either directly or indirectly. The rational mind cannot dismiss the possibility of revelation, since nothing is difficult for the All-Powerful Creator.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:85%;" > Read Translation of The Meanings of The Glorious Quran</span> (EN) <a href="http://www.islambasics.com/index.php?act=download&BID=120">click here to download the file</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">To more language</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><a href="http://www.ozkorallah.net/subject.asp?hit=1&lang=ar&parent_id=68&sub_id=1701">Click here</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Listen to these verses</span></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7TCdZRtewHQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7TCdZRtewHQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-13257589398414408812009-09-12T11:43:00.007+02:002009-09-19T18:40:36.365+02:00Woman in Islam<div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380557172311586050" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 218px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SquUPaVP9QI/AAAAAAAAABM/fyUhjbXhzb0/s400/woman-in-islam.gif" border="0" /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Woman in Islam</span></strong><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">In the first instance, people may think that a Muslim woman is a victim of man, and society. People think her abilities and powers are limited. In addition to that, people think that she is forbidden from practicing her human rights. One can find such examples, but these examples are abnormalities, and are not related to Islam, and its teachings. Islam valued the woman, and protected her from being a commodity that could be sold and bought, as the western woman.<br /><br />Islam did not prevent woman from practicing any kind of jobs. However, Allah (SWT) equate between woman and man in all Qur’anic verses (Ayat) regarding worshipping, and treatments, with some limitations between both in dealing with each other, because only Allah –who creates everything - knows how to protect human values.<br /><br />Regarding the Islamic clothing of woman, which is criticized by westerns, it protects her freedom, without being hurt by others either spiritually or physically. Probably westerns have realized how they changed the woman’s body into a commodity that can be sold or bought, or used for advertisement with no limits and boundaries. Changing the woman in a commodity caused the destruction of societies, lost of siblings, and families, and raising the rates of harmful diseases, and all that is just due to the absence of the organized rules for people’s lives in societies that can’t be found<br />only in a truthful religion as Islam.<br /><br />Islam also ordered the relationship between man and woman regarding marriage and protects all rights of both parties. Woman in Islam is not responsible for any expenditure of money on her family, even if she is working she has the complete freedom in spending her own money the way she likes “ of course in legitimate ways” that’s because the man in Islam is the one responsible for expenditure of money on his family and wife. This is the reason why the man inherits more because he has to spend the money on his whole family.<br /><br />Allah (SWT) has ordered man to respect woman, and treat her very well, whether she is his wife, or daughter, hitting (for any/no reason) is not allowed. There are conditions for hitting, and the messenger Muhammad (SAWS) described hitting by using the SEWAK (Islamic tooth brush, it is a very small woody stick, that is not hurting at all used just as a reminder). How the West treats women proves how Islam on the other hand protects them. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />The mother in Islam has a very valued position, nobody has it at all. “The parad<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SquL5MhKLvI/AAAAAAAAABE/FFBR5WcBB3c/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380547994553298674" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 169px; height: 153px;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SquL5MhKLvI/AAAAAAAAABE/FFBR5WcBB3c/s400/12.jpg" border="0" /></a>ise is under her feet”, due to how she suffers during pregnancy, delivering, upbringing, and being concerned about every detail that makes her family being happy. Her children must respect her, and work hard to please her. They have to do this more and more when she gets old, and reward her for all the things she did to them and not throwing her in elderly institutions without even asking about her, as happens in the western societies.</span> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Muslim man carrying his mother</span><br /></span></div></span><div align="right"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:78%;" >on his back during the Hajj</span><br /></div><p align="right"></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">All mentioned make the Islamic family very related, and full of love, as much as every single member of it works according to the Islamic rules. Thus, love, and tenderness will be among the members of the same family. Not only that, love goes far beyond that to relate all Muslims together as brothers and sisters, so the society will be strong, very well connected because of obeying Allah, and following the Prophet’s path, and then they will reach the top happiness in this life and in the life after .</span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-33546218825557927212009-09-04T00:20:00.012+02:002009-09-19T19:06:31.912+02:00Islam and Knowledge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SrUPe_g0uiI/AAAAAAAAABc/nGuNCRw93bo/s1600-h/20219770fh6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SrUPe_g0uiI/AAAAAAAAABc/nGuNCRw93bo/s400/20219770fh6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383225954710895138" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islam and Knowledge</span></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"He has taught you that which [heretofore] you knew not."(Qur'an 2:239)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Attitude of the Quran and <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">the</span> Prophet toward Knowledge</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islam is a religion based upon knowledge for it is ultimately knowledge of the Oneness of God combined with faith and total commitment to Him that saves man. The text of the </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Quran is replete with verses inviting man to use his intellect, to ponder, to think and to know, for the goal of human life is to discover the Truth which is none other than worshipping God in His</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > Oneness. The Hadith literature is also full of references to the importance of knowledge. Such sayings of the Prophet as "Seek knowledge even in China", "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave", and "Verily the men of knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets", have echoed throughout the history of Islam and incited Muslims to seek knowledge wherever it might be found. During most of its history, Islamic civilization has been witness to a veritable celebration of knowledge. That is why every traditional Islamic city possessed public and private libraries and some cities like Cordoba and Baghdad boasted o</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >f libraries with over 400,000 books. Such cities also had bookstores, some of which sold a large number of titles. That is also why the scholar has always been held in the highest esteem in Islamic society.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>The Integration of the Pre-Islamic Sciences</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >As Islam spread northward into Syria, Egypt, and the Persian empire, it came face to face with the sciences of antiquity whose heritage had been preserved in centers which now became a part of the Isla</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >mic world. Alexandria had been a major center of sciences and learning for centuries. The Greek learning cultivated in Alexandria was opposed by the Byzantine who had burned its library long before the advent of Islam. The tradition of Alexandrian learning did not die, however. It was transferred to Antioch and from there farther east to such cities as Edessa by eastern Christians who stood in sharp opposition to Byzantine and wished to have their own independent centers of learning. Moreover, the Persian king, Shapur I had established Jundishapur in Persia as a second great center of learning m</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >atching Antioch. He even invited Indian physicians and mathematicians to teach in this major seat of learning, in addition to the Christian scholars who taught in Syriac as well as the Persians whose medium of instruction was Pahlavi</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Once Muslims established the new Islamic order during the Umayyad period, they turned their attention to these centers of learning which had been preserved and sought to acquaint themselves with the knowledge taught and cultivated in them. They therefore set about with a concerted effort to translate the philosophical and scientific works which were available to them from not only Greek and Syriac (which was the language of eastern Christian scholars) but also from Pahlavi, the scholarly language of pre-Islamic Persia, a</span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nd even from Sanskrit. Many of the accomplished translators were Christian Arabs such as Hunayn ibn Ishaq' who was also an outstanding physician, and others Persians such as Ibn Muqaffa', who played a major role in the creation of the new Arabic prose style conducive to the expression of philosophical and scientific writings. The great movement of translation lasted from the beginning of the 8th to the end of the 9th century, reaching its peak with the establishment of the House of Wisdom (Bayt al hiLmah) by the caliph al-Matmun at the beginning of the 9th century.</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The result of this extensive effort of the Islamic community to confront the challenge of the presence of the various philosophies and sciences of antiquity and to understand and digest them in its own terms and according to its own world view was the translation of a vast corpus of writings into Arabic. Most of the important philosophical and scientific works of Aristotle and his school, much of Plato and the Pythagorean school, and the major works of Greek astronomy, mathematics and medicine such as the Almages</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >t of Ptolemy, the Elements of Euclid, and the works of Hippocrates and Galen, were all rendered into Arabic. Further more, important works of astronomy, mathematics and medicine were translated from Pahlavi and Sanskrit. As a result, Arabic became the most important scientific language of the world for many centuries and the depository of much of the wisdom and the sciences of antiquity</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the Muslims did not translate the scientific and philosophical works of other civilizations out of fear of politic</span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">al or economic domination but because the structure of Islam itself is based upon the primacy of knowledge. Nor did they consider these forms of knowing as "un-Islamic" as long as they confirmed the doctrine of God's Oneness which Islam considers to have been at the heart of every authentic revelation from God. Once these sciences and philosophies confirmed the principle of Oneness, the Muslims considered them as their own. They made them part of their world view and began to cultivate the Islamic sciences based on what they had translated, analyzed, criticized, and assimilated, rejec</span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ting what was not in conformity with the Islamic perspective.</span><br /></span></span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SqBJkinzy7I/AAAAAAAAAA0/PBwyFC1nMjo/s1600-h/scince.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377378847198268338" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SqBJkinzy7I/AAAAAAAAAA0/PBwyFC1nMjo/s320/scince.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><strong>The Mathematical Sciences and Physics</strong></span></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Muslim mind has always been attracted to the mathematical sciences in accordance with the "abstract" character of the doctrine of Oneness which lies at the heart of Islam. The mathematical sciences have traditionally included astronomy, mathematics itself and much of what is called physics today. In astronomy the Muslims integrated the astronomical traditions of the Indians, Persians, the ancient Near East and especially the Greeks into a synthesis which began to chart a new chapter in the history of astronomy from the 8th century onward. The Almagest of Ptolemy, whose very name in English reveals the Arabic origin of its Latin translation, was thoroughly studied and its planetary theory criticized by several astronomers of both the eastern and western lands of Islam leading to the major critique of the theory by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and his students, especially Qutb al Din al-Shirazi, in the 13th century.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Muslims also observed the heavens carefully and discovered many new stars. The book on stars of 'Abdal-Rahman al-Sufi was in fact translated into Spanish by Alfonso X el Sabio and had a deep influence upon stellar toponymy in European languages. Many star names in English such as Aldabaran still recall their Arabic origin. The Muslims carried out many fresh observations which were contained in astronomical tables called zij. One of the acutest of these observers was al-Battani whose work was followed by numerous others. The zij of al-Ma'mun observed in Baghdad, the Hakimite zij of Cairo, the Toledan Tables of al Zarqali and his associates, the Il-Khanid zij of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi observed in Maraghah, and the zij of Ulugh-Beg from Samarqand are among the most famous Islamic astronomical tables. They wielded a great deal of influence upon Western astronomy up to the time of Tycho Brahe. The Muslims were in fact the first to create an astronomical observatory as a scientific institution, this being the observatory of Maraghah in Persia established by al-Tusi. This was indirectly the model for the later European observatories. Many astronomical instruments were developed by Muslims to carry out observation, the most famous being the astrolabe. There existed even mechanical astrolabes perfected by Ibn Samh which must be considered as the ancestor of the mechanical clock.</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Astronomical observations also had practical applications including not only finding the direction of Makkah for prayers, but also devising almanacs (the word itself being of Arabic origin). The Muslims also applied their astronomical knowledge to questions of time keeping and the calendar. The most exact solar calendar existing to this day is the Jalali calendar devised under the direction of 'Umar Khayyam in the 12th century and still in use in Persia and Afghanistan.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >As for mathematics proper, like astronomy, it received its direct impetus from the Quran not only because of the mathematical structure related to the text of the Sacred Book, but also because the laws of inheritance delineated in the Quran require rather complicated mathematical solutions. Here again Muslims began by integrating Greek and Indian mathematics. The first great Muslim mathematician, al-Khwarazmi, who lived in the 9th century, wrote a treatise on arithmetic whose Latin translation brought what is known as Arabic numerals to the West. To this day guarismo, derived from his name, means figure or digit in Spanish while algorithm is still used in English. Al-Khwarazmi is also the author of the first book on algebra. This science was developed by Muslims on the basis of earlier Greek and Indian works of a rudimentary nature. The very name algebra comes from the first part of the name of the book of al-Khwarazmi, entitled Kitab al-jabr wa'l-muqabalah. Abu Kamil al-Shuja' discussed algebraic equations with five unknowns. The science was further developed by such figures as al-Karaji until it reached its peak with Khayyam who classified by kind and class algebraic equations up to the third degree.</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Muslims also excelled in geometry as reflected in their art. The brothers Banu Musa who lived in the 9th century may be said to be the first outstanding Muslim geometers while their contemporary Thabit ibn Qurrah used the method of exhaustion, giving a glimpse of what was to become integral calculus. Many Muslim mathematicians such as Khayyam and al-Tusi also dealt with the fifth postulate of Euclid and the problems which follow if one tries to prove this postulate within the confines of Eucledian geometry.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Another branch of mathematics developed by Muslims is trigonometry which was established as a distinct branch of mathematics by al-Biruni. The Muslim mathematicians, especially al-Battani, Abu'l-Wafa', Ibn Yunus and Ibn al-Haytham, also developed spherical astronomy and applied it to the solution of astronomical problems.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The love for the study of magic squares and amicable numbers led Muslims to develop the theory of numbers. Al-Khujandi discovered a particular case of Fermat's theorem that "the sum of two cubes cannot be another cube", while al Karaji analyzed arithmetic and geometric progressions such as:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >1**3+2**3+3**3+...+n**3=(1+2+3+...+n)** 2</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Al-Biruni also dealt with progressions while Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid al-Kashani brought the study of number theory among Muslims to its peak.</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In the field of physics the Muslims made contributions in especially three domains. The first was the measurement of specific weights of objects and the study of the balance following upon the work of Archimedes. In this domain the writings of al-Biruni and al-Khazini stand out. Secondly they criticized the Aristotelian theory of projectile motion and tried to quantify this type of motion. The critique of Ibn Sina, Abu'l-Barakat al-Baghdad), Ibn Bajjah and others led to the development of the idea of impetus and momentum and played an important role in the criticism of Aristotelian physics in the West up to the early writings of Galileo. Thirdly there is the field of optics in which the Islamic sciences produced in Ibn al-Haytham (the Latin Alhazen) who lived in the 11th century, the greatest student of optics between Ptolemy and Witelo. Ibn al-Haytham's main work on optics, the Kitab al-manazir, was also well known in the West as Thesaurus opticus. Ibn al-Haytham solved many optical problems, one of which is named after him, studied the property of lenses, discovered the camera obscura, explained correctly the process of vision, studied the structure of the eye, and explained for the first time why the sun and the moon appear larger on the horizon. His interest in optics was carried out two centuries later by Qutb al-Din al Shirazi and Kamal al-Din al-Farisi. It was Qutb al Din who gave the first correct explanation of the formation of the rainbow.</span><br /></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >It is important to recall that in physics as in many other fields of science the Muslims observed, measured and carried out experiments. They must be credited with having developed what came to be known later as the experimental method.</span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><br /><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Muslim Achievements in Science</span></p><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Muslim mathematicians devised and developed algebra</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Al-Khawarazmi used Arabic numerals which came to the west through his work-9th century.</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Al-Razi described amd treated smallbox-10th century</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ibn Sina diagnosed and treated meningities-11th century</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ibn al-Haytham discovered the camera obscura- 11th century</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Al-Birini described the Ganges Valley as a sedimentary basin-11th century</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Muslims built the first observartory as a scientific institution-13th century</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi explained the cause of the rainbow- 13th century</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Ibn al-Nafis described the minor ciculation of the blood- 14th century.</span></li><br /><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Al-Kashani invented a computer machine- 15th century.</span></li></ul><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:Trebuchet MS;" ></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>The Medical Sciences</strong></span></p><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The hadiths of the Prophet contain many instructions concerning health including dietary habits; these sayings became the foundation of what came to be known later as "Prophetic medicine" (al-tibb al-nabawi ). Because of the great attention paid in Islam to the need to take care of the body and to hygiene, early in Islamic history Muslims began to cultivate the field of medicine turning once again to all the knowledge that was available to them from Greek, Persian and Indian sources. At first I the great physicians among Muslims were mostly Christian but by the 9th century Islamic medicine, I properly speaking, was born with the appearance of the major compendium, The Paradise of Wisdom (Firdaws al-hilmah ) by 'All ibn Rabban al Tabari, who synthesized the Hippocratic and Galenic traditions of medicine with those of India and Persia. His student, Muhammad ibn Zakariyya' al-Razi (the Latin Rhazes), was one of the greatest of physicians who emphasized clinical medicine and observation. He was a master of prognosis and psychosomatic medicine and also of anatomy. He was the first to identify and treat smallpox, to use alcohol as an antiseptic and make medical use of mercury as a purgative. His Kitab al-hawi (Continens) is the longest work ever written in Islamic medicine and he was recognized as a medical authority in the West up to the 18th century.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The greatest of all Muslim physicians, how ever, was Ibn Sina who was called "the p</span><a href="http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/Anatom.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 150px; height: 215px;" alt="" src="http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/Anatom.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >rince of physicians" in the West. He synthesized Islamic medicine in his major masterpiece, al-Qanun fi'l tibb (The Canon of Medicine), which is the most famous of all medical books in history. It was the final authority in medical matters in Europe for nearly six centuries and is still taught wherever Islamic medicine has survived to this day in such lands as Pakistan and India. Ibn Sina discovered many drugs and identified and treated several ailments such as meningitis but his greatest contribution was in the philosophy of medicine. He created a system of medicine within which medical practice could be carried out and in which physical and psychological factors; drugs and diet are combined.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >After Ibn Sina, Islamic medicine divided into several branches. In the Arab world Egypt remained a major center for the study of medicine, especially ophthalmology which reached its peak at the court of al-Hakim. Cairo possessed excellent hospitals which also drew physicians from other lands including Ibn Butlan, author of the famous Calendar of Health, and Ibn Nafis who discovered the lesser or pulmonary circulation of the blood long before Michael Servetus, who is usually credited with the discovery.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >As for the western lands of Islam including Spain, this area was likewise witness to the appearance of outstanding physicians such as Sa'd al Katib of Cordoba who composed a treatise on gynecology, and the greatest Muslim figure in surgery, the 12th century Abu'l-Qasim al-Zahrawi (the Latin Albucasis) whose medical masterpiece Kitab al-tasrif was well known in the West as Concessio. One must also mention the Ibn Zuhr family which produced several outstanding physicians and Abu Marwan 'Abd al-Malik who was the Maghrib's most outstanding clinical physician. The well known Spanish philosophers, Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Rushd, were also outstanding physicians.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islamic medicine continued in Persia and the other eastern lands of the Islamic world under the influence of Ibn Sina with the appearance of major Persian medical compendia such as the Treasury of Sharaf al-Din al-Jurjani and the commentaries upon the Canon by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi. Even after the Mongol invasion, medical studies continued as can be seen in the work of Rashid al-Din Fadlallah, and for the first time there appeared translations of Chinese medicine and interest in acupuncture among Muslims. The Islamic medical tradition was revived in the Safavid period when several diseases such as whooping cough were diagnosed and treated for the first time and much attention was paid to pharmacology. Many Persian doctors such as 'Ayn al-Murk of Shiraz also traveled to India at this time to usher in the golden age of Islamic medicine in the subcontinent and to plant the seed of the Islamic medical tradition which continues to flourish to this day in the soil of that land.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Ottoman world was also an arena of great medical activity derived from the heritage of Ibn Sina. The Ottoman Turks were especially known for the creation of major hospitals and medical centers. These included not only units for the care of the physically ill, but also wards for patients with psychological ailments. The Ottomans were also the first to receive the influence of modern European medicine in both medicine and pharmacologe.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >In mentioning Islamic hospitals it is necessary to mention that all major Islamic cities had hospitals; some like those of Baghdad were teaching hospitals while some like the Nasiri hospital of Cairo had thousands of beds for patients with almost any type of illness. Hygiene in these hospitals was greatly emphasized and al-Razi had even written a treatise on hygiene in hospitals. Some hospitals also specialized in particular diseases including psychological ones. Cairo even had a hospital which specialized in patients having insomnia.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >They also studied the Medical effects of many drug, especially herbs, themselves. The greatest contributions in this field came from Maghribi scientists such as Ibn Juljul, Ibn al-Salt and the most original of Muslim pharmacologists, the 12th century scientist, al Ghafiqi, whose Book of Simple Drugs provides the best descriptions of the medical properties of plants known to Muslims. Islamic medicine combined the use of drugs for medical purposes with dietary considerations and a whole lifestyle derived from the teachings of Islam to create a synthesis which has not died out to this day despite the introduction of modern medicine into most of the Islamic world.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>Natural History and Geography</strong></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The vast expanse of the Islamic world enabled the Muslims to develop natural history based not only on the Mediterranean world, as was the case of the Greek natural historians, but also on most of the Eurasian and even African land masses. Knowledge of minerals, plants and animals was assembled from areas as far away as the Malay world and synthesized for the first time by Ibn Sina in his Kitab al-Shifa'(The Book of Healing). Such major natural historians as al-Mas'udi inter twined natural and human history. Al-Biruni likewise in his study of India turned to the natural history and even geology of the region, describing correctly the sedimentary nature of the Ganges basin. He also wrote the most outstanding Muslim work on mineralogy.</span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >As for botany, the most important treatises were composed in the 12th century in Spain with the appearance of the work of al-Ghafiqi. This is also the period when the best known Arabic work on agriculture, the Kitab al-falahah, was written. The Muslims also showed much interest in zoology especially in horses as witnessed by the classical text of al-Jawaliqi, and in falcons and other hunting birds. The works of al-Jahiz and al Damiri are especially famous in the field of zoology and deal with the literary, moral and even theological dimensions of the study of animals as well as the purely zoological aspects of the subject. This is also true of a whole class of writings on the "wonders of creation" of which the book of Abu Yabya al-Qazwini, the 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat (The Wonders of Creation) is perhaps the most famous.</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Likewise in geography, Muslims were able to extend their horizons far beyond the world of Ptolemy. As a result of travel over land and by sea and the facile exchange of ideas made possible by the unified structure of the Islamic world and the hajj which enables pilgrims from all over the Islamic world to gather and exchange ideas in addition to visiting the House of God, a vast amount of knowledge of areas from the Pacific to the Atlantic was assembled. The Muslim geographers starting with al-Khwarazmi, who laid the foundation of this science among Muslims in the 9th century, began to study the geography of practically the whole globe minus the Americas, dividing the earth into the traditional seven climes each of which they studied carefully from both a geographical and climactic point of view. They also began to draw maps some of which reveal with remarkable accuracy many features such as the origin of the Nile, not discovered in the West until much later. The foremost among Muslim geographers was Abu 'Abdallah al-Idrisi, who worked at the court of Roger II in Sicily and who dedicated his famous book, Kitab al-rujari (The Book of Roger) to him. His maps are among the great achievements of Islamic science. It was in fact with the help of Muslim geographers and navigators that Magellan crossed the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean. Even Columnbus made use of their knowledge in his discovery of America.</span></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Chemistry</span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The very name alchemy as well as its derivative chemistry comes from the Arabic al-kimiya'. 'The Muslims mastered Alexandrian and even certain elements of Chinese alchemy and very early in their history, produced their greatest alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan (the Latin Geber) who lived in the 8th century. Putting the cosmological and symbolic aspects of alchemy aside, one can assert that this art led to much experimentation with various materials and in the hands of Muhammad ibn Zakariyya' al-Razi was converted into the science of chemistry. To this day certain chemical instruments such as the alembic (al-'anbiq) still bear the original Arabic names and the mercury-sulphur theory of Islamic alchemy remains as the foundation of the acid-base theory of chemistry. A1-Razi division of materials into animal, vegetable and mineral is still prevalent and a vast body of knowledge of materials accumulated by Islamic alch- mists and chemists has survived over the century' in both East and West. For example the use of dyes in objects of Islamic art ranging from carpets to miniatures or the making of glass have much to do with this branch of learning which the West learn completely from Islamic sources since alchem was not studied and practiced in the West before the translation of Arabic texts into Latin in the 11th century.</span></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Technology</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" ></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islam inherited the millennial experience in various forms of technology from the peoples who entered the fold of Islam and the nations which became part of Dar al-islam. A wide range of technological knowledge, from the building of water wheels by the Romans to the underground water system by the Persians, became part and parcel of the technology of the newly founded order.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Muslims also imported </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">China and whose technology they later transmitted to the West. They also developed many forms of technology on the basis of earlier existing knowledge such as the certain kinds of technology from the Far East such as paper which they brought from metallurgical art of making the famous Damascene swords, an art which goes back to the making of steel several thousand years before on the Iranian Plateau. Likewise Muslims developed new architectural techniques of vaulting, methods of ventilation, preparations of dyes, techniques of weaving, technologies related to irrigation and numerous other forms of technology, some of which survive to this day.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >In general Islamic civilization emphasized the harmony between man and nature as seen in the traditional design of Islamic cities. Maximum use was made of natural elements and forces, and men built in harmony with, not in opposition to nature. Some of the Muslim technological feats such as dams which have survived for over a millenium, domes which can withstand earthquakes, and steel which reveals incredible metallurgical know-how, attest to the exceptional attainment of Muslims in many fields of technology. In fact it was a vastly superior technology that first impressed the Crusaders in their unsuccessful attempt to capture the Holy Land and much of this technology was brought back by the Crusaders to the rest of Europe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>Architecture</strong></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >One of the major achievements of Islamic civilization is architecture which combines technology and art. The great masterpieces of Islamic architecture from the Cordoba Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem to the Taj Mahal in India display this perfect wedding between the artistic principles of Islam and remarkable technological know-how. Much of the outstanding medieval architecture of the West is in fact indebted to the techniques of Islamic architecture. When one views the Notre Dame in Paris or some other Gothic cathedral, one is reminded of the building techniques which traveled from Muslim Cordoba northward. Gothic arches as well as interior courtyards’ of so many medieval and Renaissance European structures remind the viewer of the Islamic architectural examples from which they originally drew. In fact the great medieval European architectural tradition is one of the elements of Western civilization most directly linked with the Islamic world, while the presence of Islamic architecture can also be directly experienced in the Moorish style found not only in Spain and Latin America, but in the southwestern United States as well.</span></div><br /><a href="http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/Comp.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 157px; height: 237px;" alt="" src="http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/Comp.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/Art-5.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 150px; height: 237px;" alt="" src="http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/IGC/Art-5.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Left: One of the most important scientific instruments developed by Muslims was the astrolab which was also used widely in the west until modern time. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Right: This Turkish miniature depicts a group of Muslim astronomers, who were the first astronomers in history to work in group<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong></strong></span><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" ></span></strong><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>The Influence of Islamic Science and Learning Upon the West</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The oldest university in the world which is still functioning is the eleven hundred-year-old Islamic university of Fez, Morocco, known as the Qarawiyyin. This old tradition of Islamic learning influenced the West greatly through Spain. In this land where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived for the most part peacefully for many centuries, translations began to be made in the 11Ith century mostly in Toledo of Islamic works into Latin often through the intermediary of Jewish scholars most of whom knew Arabic and often wrote in Arabic. As a result of these translations, Islamic thought and through it much of Greek thought became known to the West and Western schools of learning began to flourish. Even the Islamic educational system was emulated in Europe and to this day the term chair in a university reflects the Arabic kursi (literally seat) upon which a teacher would sit to teach his students in the madrasah (school of higher learning). As European civilization grew and reached the high Middle Ages, there was hardly a field of learning or form of art, whether it was literature or architecture, where there was not some influence of Islam present. Islamic learning became in this way part and parcel of Western civilization even if with the advent of the Renaissance, the West not only turned against its own medieval past but also sought to forget the long relation it had had with the Islamic world, one which was based on intellectual respect despite religious opposition.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Incorporated from the Magazine "Islam: A Global Civilization", prepared by Islamic Affairs Department, The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-24853052105651656592009-08-10T18:38:00.001+03:002009-09-19T18:45:52.922+02:00You Must Know This Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/Soh8mQLF1bI/AAAAAAAAAAU/_JAgnjaWufU/s1600-h/281071799_6862ae9481.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/Soh8mQLF1bI/AAAAAAAAAAU/_JAgnjaWufU/s320/281071799_6862ae9481.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370679552257676722" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">In The Name Of Allaah,<br />Most Gracious, Most Merciful</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">YOU MUST KNOW THIS MAN</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" >MUHAMMAD</span></strong></span></div><div align="center"><img src="file:///C:/Users/ABOYOU%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(May peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him)</span></div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />You may be an atheist or an agnostic; or you may belong to anyone of the religious denominations that exist in the world today. You may be a Communist or a believer in democracy and freedom. No matter what you are, and no matter what your religious and political beliefs, personal and social habits happen to be - </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><strong>YOU MUST STILL KNOW THIS MAN!</strong></span></div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" align="left"> </div><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numberless social and political reforms, established a dynamic and powerful society to practice and represent his teachings, and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and action for all times to come.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><strong>HIS NAME IS MUHAMMAD</strong></span>, peace and blessings of Almighty God be upon him and he accomplished all these wonders in the unbelievably short span of twenty-three years.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him was born in Arabia on the 20th of August, in the year 570 of the Christian era, and when he died after 63 years, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula had changed from paganism and idol-worship to the worship of One God; from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion; from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety; from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living; from utter moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him "the most successful of all religious personalities of the world". Bernard Shaw said about him that if Muhammad were alive today he would succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy human civilization in our times. Thomas Carlysle was simply amazed as to how one man, single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades. Napoleon and Gandhi never tired of dreaming of a society along the lines established by this man in Arabia fourteen centuries ago.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Indeed no other human being ever accomplished so much, in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior, in so limited a space of time, as did Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him. He was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a political thinker, a military genius, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father - all in one. No other man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these difficult departments of life.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one sided figures who distinguished themselves in but one or two fields such as religious thought or military leadership. None of the other great leaders of the world ever combined in himself so many different qualities to such an amazing level of perfection as did Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The lives and teachings of other great personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and the place of their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity today to reconstruct accurately and precisely the lives and teachings of those men.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Not so this man Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him. Not only was he born in the fullest blaze of recorded history, but every detail of his private and public life, of his actions and utterances, has been accurately documented and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the information so preserved is vouched for not only by faithful followers but also by unbiased critics and open-minded scholars.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >At the level of ideas there is no system of thought and belief-secular or religious, social or political-which could surpass or equal ISLAAM- the system which Muhammad peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him propounded. In a fast changing world, while other systems have undergone profound transformations, Islaam alone has remained above all change and mutation, and retained its original form for the past 1400 years.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > What is more, the positive changes that are taking place in the world of human thought and behavior, truly and consistently reflect the healthy influence of Islam in these areas. Further, it is not given to the best of thinkers to put their ideas completely into practice, and to see the seeds of their labors grow and bear fruit, in their own lifetime. Except of course, Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him, who not only preached the most wonderful ideas but also successfully translated each one of them into practice in his own lifetime. At the time of his death his teachings were not mere precepts and ideas straining for fulfillment, but had become the very core of the life of tens of thousands of perfectly trained individuals, each one of whom was a marvelous personification of everything that Muhammad peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him taught and stood for. At what other time or place and in relation to what other political, social, religious system, philosophy or ideology-did the world ever witness such a perfectly amazing phenomenon?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Indeed no other system or ideology secular or religious, social or political, ancient or modern - could ever claim the distinction of having been put into practice in its fullness and entirety <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">EVEN ONCE</span> in this world, either before or after the death of its founder. Except of course <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">ISLAAM</span>, the ideology preached by Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him which was established as a complete way of life by the teacher himself, before he departed from this world. History bears testimony to this fact and the greatest skeptics have no option but to concede this point.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >In spite of these amazing achievements and in spite of the countless absolutely convincing and authentic miracles performed by him and the phenomenal success which crowned his efforts, he did not for a moment claim to be God or God's incarnation or Son - but only a human being who was chosen and ordained by God to be a teacher of truth to man kind and a complete model and pattern for their actions.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >He was nothing more or less than a human being. But he was a man with a noble and exalted mission-and his unique mission was to unite humanity on the worship of <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">ONE AND ONLY GOD</span> and to teach them the way to honest and upright living in accordance with the laws and commands of God. He always described himself as <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">A MESSENGER AND SERVANT OF GOD</span>, and so indeed every single action and movement of his proclaimed him to be.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >A world which has not hesitated to raise to Divinity individuals whose very lives and missions have been lost in legend and who historically speaking did not accomplish half as much-or even one tenth-as was accomplished by Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him should stop to take serious note of this remarkable man's claim to be God's messenger to mankind.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Today after the lapse of some 1400 years the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him, have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. Today they offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills which they did when Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him, was alive. This is our honest claim and this is the inescapable conclusion forced upon us by a critical and unbiased study of history.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The least YOU should do as a thinking, sensitive, concerned human being is to stop for one brief moment and ask yourself: Could it be that these statements, extraordinary and revolutionary as they sound, are really true? Supposing they really are true, and you did not know this man Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him or hear about his teachings? Or did not know him well and intimately enough to be able to benefit from his guidance and example? Isn't it time you responded to this tremendous challenge and made some effort to know him? It will not cost you anything but it may well prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Come, let us make a new discovery of the life of this wonderful man Muhammad, peace and blessings of God Almighty be upon him the like of whom never walked on this earth, and whose example and teachings can change YOUR LIFE and OUR WORLD for the better. May God shower His choicest blessings upon him!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-46344016190185158402009-08-10T15:52:00.001+03:002009-09-19T18:48:48.367+02:00Searching for Happiness ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SoiT-URqsMI/AAAAAAAAAAc/qdsPzflPD7M/s1600-h/happy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SoiT-URqsMI/AAAAAAAAAAc/qdsPzflPD7M/s320/happy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370705254443299010" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="center"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;" >Searching for Happiness ?</span></strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Dr. Saleh Abdul Azeez As Sindee</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Happiness is a common goal that everyone strives to attain. Philosophers, intellectuals, doctors and artists alike have all strived in search of the causes of happiness and ways to escape anxiety. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The reality is, however, that the proposed solutions achieve only partial or superficial happiness. They are more or less like drugs which only provide temporary relief; when their effect wares off, anxieties return two fold. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The following words invite you to ultimate happiness and will lead you to true success. But before you begin reading, I hope that you to take a moment to try to open your heart and mind - as the intelligent one is he who searches for the truth no matter where it lies. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >An undeniable reality is that permanent happiness cannot be achieved except by believing in God - The Creator - and following His guidance. Since it is He who created mankind, He is the one who knows what pleases and benefits them, just as he knows what saddens and harms them. A number of psychologists have affirmed that only a religious person lives with true content and serenity. So if believing in God leads to ultimate happiness, then how can this be achieved? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >There are numerous religions and a variety of creeds. However, their critical differences in core issues make it impossible for all of them to be correct. So which is the correct religion? What is the correct creed that God requires us to believe in and in the end pleases Him? And which one of these creeds guarantees us happiness in this life and in the hereafter? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Before answering these questions, a criterion must first be established to be used as a basis for correctly determining the true religion. I firmly believe that all sensible people will agree that a religion is not deemed correct simply due to the fact that one was raised in that religion, had parents that adhered to it, or lived in a society that practiced it. Rather a religion's accuracy and authenticity are based upon substantial evidence and firm intellectual proofs. Intellect, the distinguishing factor between mankind and animals, must be applied when studying the issue of religion, which is undeniably the most important and gravest of all matters. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >A short journey into the world of religions and sifting through various creeds could prove to be a good method in arriving at the desired conclusion. In order to save you the time and effort, I say with full conviction and confidence that no matter how much you investigate this issue, you will only arrive at one reality: that the true and correct religion is Islam and that true happiness and content lies within it. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Before you hastily rebut this statement and stop reading, please realize that completing the rest would not harm you at all, and it may in fact benefit you. Also, remember that you have an intellect by which you can distinguish things and determine truth from falsehood. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Why Islam? This is an important question, indicating that the questioner is mature and enlightened. In response I say: </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islam is a religion that includes a number of merits and characteristics that are absent from other religions. These characteristics, alone, serve as convincing evidence that Islam is the true religion of God. You can determine the authenticity of this statement by contemplating them. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Islam's many merits and characteristics make it impossible to elaborate on all of them. However, some of the most important can be summarized as follows:</span></strong> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>1.</strong> Amongst the greatest merits of Islam is that it fulfills the spiritual aspects of the human being and enables those who embrace it to have an ongoing connection with God. This makes it possible for them to be at ease spiritually. It shields them from chaos, being lost or feeling (spiritually) empty, and protects from mental instability. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>2.</strong> Another of Islam’s merits is that it coincides totally with common sense. All of the Islamic legislation and its rulings are acceptable intellectually and are never contradictory. One man who embraced Islam was asked why he did so and replied, "Islam never ordered me to do anything that I later wished wasn't obligated, and it never forbade me from anything that I later wished wasn’t forbidden." Much of what is readily accepted in other religions causes great confusion. This confusion makes it difficult to believe many of the fundamental tenets/doctrines that these religions are based upon. On the other hand, we find that Islam respects the intellect, prohibits ignorance, and condemns blind following. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >3. Islam is an all-inclusive way of life attending to both spiritual and physical needs. Practicing Islam does not mean that one has to be secluded or that he is prohibited from the finer things in life. Rather, according to Islam, a person can be religious and still enjoy a normal life - attaining prestigious ranks/positions and achieving the highest academic degrees. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>4.</strong> Among the merits of Islam is that it is a comprehensive religion. Every aspect of a person’s life is managed by Islam. There is not a problem except that a solution for it lies in Islam, which makes it possible to embrace and practice in every time and place. How can this not be the case in such a well organized religion that has guidelines and positive instruction for every aspect of life including: conflict resolution, buying and selling, social and marital relations, greetings, public etiquettes, and even how a person eats, sleeps and dresses. These practices have not been addressed generally, but rather in precise detail, causing the mind to wonder in amazement. Know that Islam even provides direction on how to wear and remove footwear. It encourages people to use their right hand when eating, drinking, shaking hands, and when giving and receiving items. As for disliked affairs such as using the bathroom, the left hand is to be used. Islam also has wonderful instructions regarding going to sleep and waking up. When two Muslims meet, Islam directs them on how they should greet each other; a rider should initiate greeting the pedestrian, the youth should initiate greeting the elderly, and a small group should initiate greeting a larger group. These are but a few of Islam’s many comprehensive guidelines for all aspects of life. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>5.</strong> Another of Islam’s merits is that it establishes good for mankind in all its regulations and safeguards them from evil. It is man himself who benefits from these regulations. Islam's prohibition of alcohol and drugs for example is only because of the great harm they cause to a person's physical and mental health. You can witness the state of a drunken man, no longer human except in appearance. A lot of murders, disputes, traffic accidents and rapes would not have taken place were it not for consuming these mind-altering products. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islam's prohibition of premarital sex relieves societies of destructive diseases (such as AIDS and other STDs), immoral behavior, and the existence of a generation of illegitimate children. This generation is often deprived of a mother’s love and a father’s upbringing which can lead them to become burdensome on society. Islam prohibits women from displaying themselves publicly. This is because Islam considers women to be valued, preserved pearls; not some cheap merchandise to be displayed for all to see. It does so to protect them from the wolves of mankind - those who are only concerned with satisfying their lusts, even if it is at the cost of a woman’s honor, nobility, status, and purity. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >On the other hand, Islam permits all harmless and beneficial drinks. It also permits married couples to enjoy one another within a happy home. In summary, Islam has not eliminated freedoms and desires. Rather, it regulates them for the benefit of mankind and the society at large. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>6.</strong> A radiant aspect of Islam is that it pays a great deal of attention to values, character, and praiseworthy manners, while prohibiting mankind from oppression, transgression and bad character. Islam is a religion of love, unity and mercy. It defines an individual’s relationship with his parents, relatives, neighbors, friends and all people. Islam embeds the best of manners in those who embrace it and prevents them from living selfishly. It encourages its followers to help others and take others' feelings into consideration - especially the poor, orphans, elderly and widows. They all have rights in Islam that must not be taken lightly by Muslims. Muslims shouldn’t feel like they are bestowing favors upon others when giving them their due rights, rather these rights are obligations upon Muslims. It is considered to be a great sin in Islam for one to go to sleep with a full stomach knowing that his neighbor is hungry.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Islam even prohibits two people from whispering to each other in the presence of a third, taking his feelings into consideration. Islam goes even further than that, obligating kind treatment to animals and prohibiting harming them. More specifically, Islam prohibits slaughtering an animal while another watches, or sharpening a knife while it is watching, so that it is not tormented along with being slaughtered. Truthfulness, trustworthiness, bravery, generosity, humility, abiding by promises, visiting the sick, attending funerals, being dutiful to parents, visiting relatives and neighbors, and striving to help others are all etiquettes that are encouraged by Islam. On the other hand, Islam strictly prohibits oppression, lying, conceitedness, envy, and insulting or betraying others. It is impermissible in Islam to speak ill of a person in his absence, even if what is being said is true. Islam encourages people to moderate in spending, being neither excessive nor misers. During times when a lot of societies complain about cold heartedness, materialism, selfishness and so on, we find that Islam has proven remedies for all of these problems. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >This summarized introduction should make it clear that Islam is a logical religion that can be easily understood by all people. The doors to Islam are wide open and do not shut for anyone looking to enter. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Understanding all of Islam's teachings in a short article is impossible. However, briefly discussing some of its fundamental tenets should assist in further clarifying the religion for those who are interested. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >All of Islam’s regulations and teachings are important, but some have precedence over others. There are six essential articles of faith that one must believe in, and five pillars that one's faith must be built upon. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong>As for the six articles that must be believed in:</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><strong>1.</strong></span> Believing in Allah (God) alone, associating no partners unto Him in worship. This is done by believing that Allah alone is the Creator of this universe and everything that is within it, and that it is He alone who disposes its affairs as He sees fit. Consequently, worship can only be offered to Him alone. Worship is implementing the teachings of Islam and its legislation while believing that all other religions are false. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><strong>2.</strong></span> Believing in the angels. Angels were created by Allah but we can not see them. They worship Allah and never disobey Him. Allah orders them to carry out many of the universe's affairs. The angel Gabriel, for example, (peace be upon him) delivers Allah’s revelation to the messengers. Another is Mikayeel (peace be upon him), who is entrusted with the affairs of rain. Still there are other angels responsible for writing the deeds of mankind - deeds which they will be held accountable for on the Day of Resurrection. It is essential to believe that all of the angels act solely upon the order of Allah and do only what He wills. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><strong>3.</strong></span> Believing in the Books of Revelation. This means to believe that Allah revealed books to His servants comprising of His words. These books contain bliss for mankind by clarifying what Allah is pleased with as well as what He dislikes. The Angel charged with delivering revelation to the Prophets is Gabriel (peace be upon him) - the greatest of angels. A prophet then conveys the revelation to the rest of mankind. Allah has revealed many books, amongst them: The Torah, revealed to Moses (peace be upon him), The Psalms, revealed to David (peace be upon him), The Gospel, sent down to Jesus (peace be upon him) and the Quran, which was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him). One must believe that the Quran has abrogated all books prior to it, meaning that - after the Prophet (Muhammad) was sent - it is the only book that can be acted upon, especially since the Quran combines all the merits of past books and further supplements them. Know that the Quran is from the greatest evidences that this religion is the truth revealed by Allah (God) the Most High. The Quran was revealed over 1400 years ago. Since then till this day, no contradictions or mistakes have been found in the Quran, not even in a single word. Many of the scientific discoveries of modern times were mentioned in the Quran. Since that time until today, nothing has been added to or subtracted from the Quran, while previous revelations have been tampered with and altered. It is for this reason that you can pick up a copy of the Quran in the far East and find it to be exactly the same as one you pick up in the far West. If you were to come across a copy of the Quran that is hundreds of years old, you would also find that it is exactly the same as the one being printed currently - you wouldn’t be able to find even one letter that is different. This is because of Allah’s protection of this Book, the Book of the religion that sealed all other religions. Speaking about the Quran would take a lot of time. However, it is enough for you to know that there is nothing like it whatsoever; not by way of (literary) style, its effect on people, nor its information about the unseen.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><strong>4.</strong></span> Believing in the Prophets. This is done by believing that Allah has chosen the best of mankind to be recipients of His revelation and ordered them to convey His religion to the people. There are numerous Prophets, among them are: Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Lot, Joseph, Moses and others (peace be upon all of them). Also from them is Jesus. It is imperative to believe that he is among the best of Prophets and to love and respect him. Whoever despises him or denies his prophethood is not Muslim. Likewise it is compulsory to believe that Allah created him from a mother only, with no father, just as Allah created Adam with neither a mother nor a father. Having mentioned this, we now know that Jesus is a noble messenger and not God, nor is he a son of God. He foretold the coming of a prophet to come after him; Muhammad ibn (the son of) Abdullah, the last of the prophets. Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him) was sent 1400 years ago. It is compulsory for everyone who comes after him until the Day of Judgment to believe in him and his message, and obey his orders and prohibitions. All those who studied the biography of this messenger have agreed that he is a great personality who has been bestowed with the best of manners and most noble etiquettes. He had characteristics which were not present in anyone before him and will not be present in anyone after him. Anything that you read about him, no matter how small it is, confirms what I am saying. Allah has also granted him proofs and evidences that establish the authenticity of his prophethood, thus having doubt in this fact is intellectually impossible. Having been given such proofs and evidences of his prophethood, whoever denies his truthfulness, would make it impossible for that individual to establish the truthfulness of any other prophet.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">5.</span></strong> The Last Day. This is fulfilled firmly believing that after this life of ours is over, there is another more complete life. In it, there are immense rewards and magnificent luxuries, as well as punishment. Luxury is in Heaven and punishment in Hell. So whoever is righteous and believes in the religion of Islam enters Heaven, a place that contains untold pleasure and unimagined bliss. All the luxuries on earth cannot be compared to it at all. Whoever enters Heaven will continue to live in such luxuries for eternity as death does not exist therein. As for those who act upon evil and do not believe in Islam, they would end up in Hell, which contains fires and punishment that can not be imagined, all of the fires of earth and forms of punishment cannot be compared to the punishment of the hellfire at all. The existence of punishment and reward after this life is an issue that is intellectually acknowledged, because it is impossible for this world to exist and then just diminish into nothingness. This is trifling about, and our Lord, the Creator, does not engage in such activities. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">6.</span> Believing in Divine Decree. This is to believe that everything that happens in this world is due to Allah’s knowledge and will. Nothing except what He wills takes place, and what He does not will, does not take place. Allah has written everything in a great book (The Preserved Tablet). Believing in divine decree also includes believing that Allah created everything.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >As for the five pillars that must be practiced:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">1.</span></strong> Uttering a phrase that is the key to entering into Islam. It is a contract between a servant and his Lord, signifying that he is upon this religion: “Ashhadu an la ilaha ila Allah, wa ashadu ana Muhammad ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu.” “I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” This testimony signifies the acceptance, admission, and adherence to the fact that worship must be offered to Allah alone. It also includes the acceptance of Islam as the only correct religion, Allah as the only true deity deserving worship, and that all other deities and religions are false. The second part of the testimony entails an affirmation that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and that he is to be obeyed and believed in all that he says. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">2.</span></strong> The Prayer. It is a combination of statements, actions and invocations carried out in a specific manner. It is performed five times daily and doesn’t take much time at all. In fact, a prayer may not take more than five minutes. Prayer is the link between a servant and his Lord. It enables a Muslim to be confident, mentally and spiritually at rest, calm and untroubled. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">3.</span></strong> The Zakaat. A wealthy Muslim must give a small portion of his money to the poor, 2.5% of his wealth to be exact. Even though it is a small amount, it enables the Muslim community to be conciliated and merciful amongst each other. It propagates brotherhood, love and concern amongst Muslims. And again, Zakaat is only to be given out by the wealthy, not the poor. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><strong>4.</strong></span> Fasting. What is meant by fasting is that a person withholds from eating, drinking and sexual relations during the month of Ramadan [which is the 9th month of the lunar calendar] between dawn and sunset. The sick, travelers, and those with valid excuses are pardoned from fasting. They are permitted to eat and drink but must make up the missed days once they become able. Fasting has many health, personal, and social benefits. Amongst them are: giving the digestive system a break, allowing Muslims to grow spiritually and practice good mannerisms. It enables Muslims to be conscious of their needy brothers and sisters, those who are unable to find enough food to satisfy their needs throughout the year. Consequently, the Muslims humble themselves and strive to help them.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">5.</span></strong> Hajj. It is a form of worship that must be performed only once in a lifetime, in Makkah. Those who are physically incapable or not financially able to perform it are pardoned from doing so. Hajj contains many magnificent benefits; the gathering of Muslims from all around the globe in one place getting to know each other and displaying love for one another, not to mention what a Muslim achieves by way of spiritual purification and character refinement due to experiencing such a spiritual environment in the shade of Hajj. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Hopefully what has preceded is sufficient in clarifying - in a summarized fashion - some of the merits of Islam.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >I invite all who have not yet entered into the fold of Islam to listen to a sincere invitation from one who only wants good for you: <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">save yourself before death takes you by surprise</span>, and thus you die upon other than Islam - what a great loss that is! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Do you know what dying upon other than Islam means? It means that you would enter the Hellfire, abiding therein for eternity. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >This is what Allah has warned all those who die without embracing Islam. So why would you take a chance with an issue as grave as this? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >I’m going to ask you a question that I want you to answer honestly: What would you lose if you embraced Islam? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >If you embrace Islam, you can continue living your normal ordinary life, but in a more spiritual, organized, and pleasant fashion…and after death, tremendous delight and eternal pleasure await you.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >If you have reached a level of conviction, believing that Islam is the true religion, but fear that embracing Islam would prevent you from enjoying pleasures that you cannot live without, then compare these temporary pleasures with eternal pleasure. Which of the two should be given preference? Furthermore, you can embrace Islam and then gradually try to reduce such pleasures. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >And if you were to honestly invoke Allah, He would surely aid you in leaving them. In any case, embracing Islam and having shortcomings is better than not embracing Islam at all. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >If the barrier between you and Islam is due to having a weak personality, the inability to make such a big decision, or because you fear that people may talk about you or mock you, know that these are just unrealistic thoughts. You would not be the first person to embrace Islam; a lot of others have made the decision to do so. They did not lose anything, their lives were not ruined, nor do they have any regrets. Furthermore, does it make sense that you sacrifice your own well being and happiness in this life and in the hereafter just because you fear mockery or admonishment? </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >This affair is worthy of your time. Contemplate upon it deeply.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >My last words: Do not lose yourself! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >I ask Allah to bless you with true guidance. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >One who wishes only the best for you,</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2370812051905533788.post-56663299664996255322009-08-07T00:15:00.001+03:002009-09-19T18:53:29.401+02:00What is Islam ...?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SoiV9dlSV4I/AAAAAAAAAAk/EuPTxWGeUYc/s1600-h/islamic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5Wgb5J2i0Qc/SoiV9dlSV4I/AAAAAAAAAAk/EuPTxWGeUYc/s320/islamic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370707438784894850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><div align="left"><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:180%;"> WHAT IS ISLAM ?</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Can we find an explanation of the great universe? Is there any convincing interpretation of the secret of existence? We realize that no family can function properly without a responsible head, that no city can prosperously exist without sound administration, and that no state can survive without a leader of some kind. We also realize that nothing comes into being on its own. Moreover, we observe that the universe exists and functions in the most orderly manner, and that it has survived for hundreds of thousand of years. Can we then say that all this is accidental and haphazard? Can we attribute the existence of man and the whole world to mere chance.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Man represents only a very small portion of the great universe. And if he can make plans and appreciate the merits of planning, then his own existence and the survival of the universe must also be a planned policy. This means that there is an extraordinary power to bring things into being and keep them moving in order.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">In the world then must be a great force in action to keep everything in order. In the beautiful nature there must be a Great creator who creates the most charming pieces of art produces every thing for a special purpose in life. The deeply enlightened people recognize this creator and call him Allah "God". He is not a man because no man can create or make another man. He is not an animal, nor he is a plant. He is neither an Idol nor is He a statue of any kind because non of these things can make itself or create anything else. He is different from all these things because he is the maker and keeper of them all. The maker of anything must be different from and greater than things which he makes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">There are various ways to know God "ALLAH'' and there are many things to tell about him. The great wonders and impressive marvels of the world are like open books in which we can read about God. Besides, God Himself comes to our aid through the many Messengers and revelations He has sent down to man. These Messengers and revelations tell us everything we need to know about God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God 'Allah' as revealed to His Messengers Muhammad is the religion of Islam. Islam enjoins faith in the oneness and sovereignty of Allah, which makes man aware of meaningfulness of the Universe and of his place in it. This belief frees him from all fears and superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of the Almighty Allah and of man's obligations towards Him. This faith must be expressed and tested in actions, faith alone is not enough. Belief in one God requires that we look upon all humanity as one family under the universal Omnipotence of God the Creator and Nourisher of all. Islam rejects the idea of chosen people, making belief in God and good actions the only way to heaven. Thus, a direct relationship in established with God, without any intercessor.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Islam is not a new religion. It is, in essence, the same message and guidance which Allah revealed to all Prophets. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismael, David, Moses and Jesus (PBUT). But the message which was revealed to Prophet Mohammed (PBUT) is Islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Quran is the last revealed word of Allah and the basic source of Islamic teachings and laws. The Quran deals with the basis of creeds, morality, history of humanity, worship, knowledge, wisdom, God-man relationship, and human relationship in all aspects. Comprehensive teaching on which, can be built sound systems of social justice, economics, politics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international relations, are important contents of the Quran. Hadith, the teachings, sayings and actions of Prophet Mohammed (PBUT), meticulously reported and collected by his devoted companions. Explained and elaborated the Quranic verses.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >THE FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLES OF FAITH IN ISLAM</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The true faithful Muslim believes in the following Principal articles of faith:-</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">He believes in One God 'Allah', Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">He believes in all Messengers of God without any discrimination among them. Every known nation had a warner or Messenger from God. They were chosen by God to teach mankind and deliver His divine message. The Quran mentions the name of twenty five of them. Among them Mohammad stands as the last Messenger and the crowning glory of the foundation of Prophethood.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Muslin believes in all scriptures and revelations of God. They were the guiding light which the Messengers received to show their respected peoples the Right Path of God. In the Quran a special reference is made to the books of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus. But long before the revelations has been lost or corrupted. The only authentic and complete book of God in existence in the Quran.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The true Muslim believes in the Angels of Allah. They are purely spiritual and splendid beings whose nature requires on food, drink or sleep. They spend their days and nights in the worship of God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Muslim believes in the last Day of Judgement. This world will come to an end someday, and the dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial. People with good records will be generously, rewarded and warmly welcomed to the Heaven of Allah, and those with bad records will be punished and cast into Hell.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Muslim believes in the timeless knowledge of God and His power to plan and execute His planes and nothing could happen in His Kingdom against His will. His knowledge and power are in action at all times and command over His creation. He is wise and merciful, and whatever He does must have a meaningful purpose. If this is established in our mind and hearts, we should accept with good faith all that He does, although we may fail to under stand it fully, or think it is bad.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Faith without actions arid practice is a dead end, as far as Islam is concerned. Faith by nature is very sensitive and can be most effective. When it is not out of practice or out of use, it quickly loses its liveliness and motivation power.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >There are five pillars of Islam:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">1- The declaration of faith:</strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> To bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Mohammad (PBUH) is His Messenger to all human beings till the Day of Judgment. The Prophethood of Mohammad obliges the Muslims to follow, His exemplary life as a model.</span><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">2- Prayers:</strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> Daily, prayers are offered five times a day as a duty towards Allah. They strengthen and enliven the belief in Allah and inspire man to a higher morality. They purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong - doings and evil.</span><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">3- Fasting the month of Ramadan.</strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> The Muslims during the month of Ramadan not only abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset but also sincerity and devotion. It develops a sound social conscience, patience, unselfishness and will - Power.</span><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">4- Zakkah:</strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> The literal and simple meaning of Zakkah is purity. The technical meaning of this word designates the annual amount in kind or coin which a Muslim with means must distribute among the rightful beneficiaries. But the religious and spiritual significance of Zakkah is much deeper and more lively. So it has humanitarian and sociopolitical values.</span><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">5- Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah):</strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> It is to be performed once in a lifetime, if one can afford it financially and physically.</span></span><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0