Question: Why did an all-loving God create such a mess? The question, for me, leads logically to three possible conclusions: (1) He is not the Creator God to begin with; (2) He created a perfect world but another powerful entity (the Bible says that Satan is the prince of this world) took over and fouled things up, or (3) God, the Creator, is Himself imperfect.
Answer: Ever considered a software, or perhaps a still easier analogy, a video game, how it is designed and how it responds to the players' inputs? You see, the software designer engineers a set of possibilities which are programmed in a set of ‘if’ ‘elseif’ ‘else’ conditions or ‘while’ ‘do while’ ‘for’ 'next' loops knowing very well all the possible choices the player can possibly make, and even though the game evolves in exactly the same pattern as it was designed, yet, it is coloured in the choices made by the player. The player has no power over the result of his choices, but he does have a limited power to make the right choices. The perfect game that he plays, or the mess he creates is based on his own aptitude, and does not reflect the perfection/imperfectness of the designer. If the game crashed, gave an unknown error, then the programmer is flawed, but if the game continues till the end, then the programmer has done a very good job incorporating and designing around all possible user inputs. That our world continues, that inspite of all the evil perpetrated by humans upon humans, life goes on, and good things still happen, and all in all, everything continues till such a time as is prophesized that it will come to an end, all indicates a perfect designer. But, He tells us that this is no mere sport, that there is a purpose behind this world and this life, and beyond what we’ve been told, we will be acquainted with the reality of it in the Hereafter. Till then, we just have to trust Him, and wait……….He will tell us when the time is right, or so I guess!
And as far as Satan being the prince is concerned, well, like us He is also allowed to make His choices, but actually everything happens exactly according to the Divine plan….we can only make choices, whether we are humans or genies.
Have you seen the movie, Matrix? Sometimes I think perhaps we are simply plugged in here like in the movie!
Islam - Q&A: A selection of questions posed by friends and acquaintances and my answers to them, in the attempt to bring them closer to the beautiful religion of Islam. And the random thoughts n questions that keep sprouting in my mind. May Allah guide us all.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Scientific accuracy of the hadith
Question: http://www.quran.org/science/origin.htm Well done! A fascinating exposition. Do the Hadith also contain examples?
Answer: Hadith are books written by humans........ they are prone to a lot of errors and memory lapses; scholars try to sift out the authentic, but even then, again its human work and subject to errors. Can't take it as an article of faith. I personally feel that since we have the Quran in its original form, why not concentrate on getting all spiritual information from it first, and then diversify to other books. Having been born in a muslim family, I've been blessed to have the Quran in my life all along, and I still find it to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge; as I age, and hopefully grow 'wiser', I continue to keep learning more and more from the same verses....... its just amazing how this book addresses all mental levels, and continues to fascinate and educate. Thus, I choose not to diversify yet. I do keep hearing different hadiths, I do read up books about the Prophet and his times, but I do know that all these are works of history, and just that.
Answer: Hadith are books written by humans........ they are prone to a lot of errors and memory lapses; scholars try to sift out the authentic, but even then, again its human work and subject to errors. Can't take it as an article of faith. I personally feel that since we have the Quran in its original form, why not concentrate on getting all spiritual information from it first, and then diversify to other books. Having been born in a muslim family, I've been blessed to have the Quran in my life all along, and I still find it to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge; as I age, and hopefully grow 'wiser', I continue to keep learning more and more from the same verses....... its just amazing how this book addresses all mental levels, and continues to fascinate and educate. Thus, I choose not to diversify yet. I do keep hearing different hadiths, I do read up books about the Prophet and his times, but I do know that all these are works of history, and just that.
God: unexplainable?
[Quote] i do not think anyone can really "explain", in any intellectual fashion, the "unexplainable" and whatever "god is" strikes me as something outside the dimensions of reality we can understand or really even grasp........some have developed neat constructs that satisfy them and sound good....[EndQuote]
Answer: We muslims believe the same thing: that God is unexplainable, He is nothing that we can begin to imagine or grasp or explain, that He is not like anything. Chapter 112 titled Al-Ikhlas [Absoluteness] reads: Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. [translation by Pickthal]
[Quote] then too, i must be honest with myself, in terms of my motivations for the sorts of work i have done for so long...........i have to question why i chose to do this, for no one made me, and i had no "vision" at some point which said "go and help"........... [EndQuote]
Answer: God has gifted all of us with a conscience, a guide to what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong, and the free-will to choose our actions. The blessed ones among us choose to hear their conscience and choose to do the right thing.
[Quote] then, i read about Mother Teresa and the great emptiness she walked in for decades, feeling abandoned by the One who she felt "sent her to the poor"............perhaps she was just deluded and perhaps i have been also............i will have to give up.........i cannot do it anymore................i too have become empty inside.............it will kill me to continue..........i do not want R&R........i am getting out and making plans to do so.............it is as if there is no oxygen left in the air....... [EndQuote]
Answer: Even the Prophets and mystics have felt like that…….. God chooses when and who, but that is a very rare experience of a very few……….. He wants us to observe all around us and to know that there is somebody who has caused this, and is sustaining this, and wants us to believe inspite of no direct experience of the divine………. That is the test! If God were to reveal Himself to all of us, who then would not believe?? Why we’re being put through this test, I’m sure He knows…………. Though we can get an idea of it by exploring the different holy books, and figuring out what He has to say about it.
[Quote] i realize i am "seared" in heart and mind............i know i have bitterness............how could i not know it? as far as i can tell, all that is left is for my prayer to be granted..........to be filled with "awe and wonder"...........to "see" beyond what i can see...........this must be some form of "experiential" happening..............but, i cannot "demand" it, since i have no idea on whom i would make the demand..............:)))) [EndQuote]
Answer: Pray to “To whoever is the Creator and Sustainer of ALL” …………. You know how those letters begin: To whom it may concern. I pray that He will show you His way, and He will bless you. Being a muslim, I can’t resist the urge to ask you to atleast do a critical but unbiased reading of the Holy Quran, while waiting for your prayers to be answered.
[Quote] it is no longer possible for me to identify with any "faith"............too late for that................my only answer is to "walk away from it all" and focus on simple things like growing bananas, limes, tropical flowers and fishing off the coast at savanna la mar, jamaica.............. [EndQuote]
Answer: It is never too late……… don’t identify with faith….. just have faith….. that the Beneficent Being who created us loves us and that all that we see is not pointless or mere play, but that there are reasons beyond our knowledge………….. had He not loved us He could and would have made all of those who did not believe in Him or His religion suffer; but that is not what we see………. Rich and poor, healthy and sick, happy and sad, famished and well-fed, all shades of lives are being led by people of all faith……….. all get air to breathe, all get sustenance while alive, all get Earth below and sky above, all get to smell flowers, enjoy colours, see the same stars…………… yes, one would want to alleviate the sufferings of all who suffer, and one must try, but all have been given their own exam sheets, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own capacity to bear the difficulties and forbearance, we just cannot judge of what we know and understand so little…………. What have the rich, healthy and successful people done to earn that state in which they’re in? Is it their birth-right? No, ofcourse not. We all have our lives to live, to touch others lives with our words and actions, and constantly strive for the better………. And our God-gifted conscience guides us and helps us know what’s right. Have faith, know that He exists, and pray in your heart that He shows you His way!
Answer: We muslims believe the same thing: that God is unexplainable, He is nothing that we can begin to imagine or grasp or explain, that He is not like anything. Chapter 112 titled Al-Ikhlas [Absoluteness] reads: Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. [translation by Pickthal]
[Quote] then too, i must be honest with myself, in terms of my motivations for the sorts of work i have done for so long...........i have to question why i chose to do this, for no one made me, and i had no "vision" at some point which said "go and help"........... [EndQuote]
Answer: God has gifted all of us with a conscience, a guide to what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong, and the free-will to choose our actions. The blessed ones among us choose to hear their conscience and choose to do the right thing.
[Quote] then, i read about Mother Teresa and the great emptiness she walked in for decades, feeling abandoned by the One who she felt "sent her to the poor"............perhaps she was just deluded and perhaps i have been also............i will have to give up.........i cannot do it anymore................i too have become empty inside.............it will kill me to continue..........i do not want R&R........i am getting out and making plans to do so.............it is as if there is no oxygen left in the air....... [EndQuote]
Answer: Even the Prophets and mystics have felt like that…….. God chooses when and who, but that is a very rare experience of a very few……….. He wants us to observe all around us and to know that there is somebody who has caused this, and is sustaining this, and wants us to believe inspite of no direct experience of the divine………. That is the test! If God were to reveal Himself to all of us, who then would not believe?? Why we’re being put through this test, I’m sure He knows…………. Though we can get an idea of it by exploring the different holy books, and figuring out what He has to say about it.
[Quote] i realize i am "seared" in heart and mind............i know i have bitterness............how could i not know it? as far as i can tell, all that is left is for my prayer to be granted..........to be filled with "awe and wonder"...........to "see" beyond what i can see...........this must be some form of "experiential" happening..............but, i cannot "demand" it, since i have no idea on whom i would make the demand..............:)))) [EndQuote]
Answer: Pray to “To whoever is the Creator and Sustainer of ALL” …………. You know how those letters begin: To whom it may concern. I pray that He will show you His way, and He will bless you. Being a muslim, I can’t resist the urge to ask you to atleast do a critical but unbiased reading of the Holy Quran, while waiting for your prayers to be answered.
[Quote] it is no longer possible for me to identify with any "faith"............too late for that................my only answer is to "walk away from it all" and focus on simple things like growing bananas, limes, tropical flowers and fishing off the coast at savanna la mar, jamaica.............. [EndQuote]
Answer: It is never too late……… don’t identify with faith….. just have faith….. that the Beneficent Being who created us loves us and that all that we see is not pointless or mere play, but that there are reasons beyond our knowledge………….. had He not loved us He could and would have made all of those who did not believe in Him or His religion suffer; but that is not what we see………. Rich and poor, healthy and sick, happy and sad, famished and well-fed, all shades of lives are being led by people of all faith……….. all get air to breathe, all get sustenance while alive, all get Earth below and sky above, all get to smell flowers, enjoy colours, see the same stars…………… yes, one would want to alleviate the sufferings of all who suffer, and one must try, but all have been given their own exam sheets, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own capacity to bear the difficulties and forbearance, we just cannot judge of what we know and understand so little…………. What have the rich, healthy and successful people done to earn that state in which they’re in? Is it their birth-right? No, ofcourse not. We all have our lives to live, to touch others lives with our words and actions, and constantly strive for the better………. And our God-gifted conscience guides us and helps us know what’s right. Have faith, know that He exists, and pray in your heart that He shows you His way!
Holy Quran: Text and Context
Question: I agree with you about the unreliability of hadiths. The problem with relying on a Qur'an-alone approach, though, is that it is very difficult to know the context of what is written in the Qur'an. And I'm not sure you can understand a text if you don't know the context.
Answer: Knowing the context, and actually following the text are two different things. For example, if we are being told to not to lie, to be just, to take care of orphans, to speak in the best manner, to measure properly, to abstain from eating or drinking certain things, to establish prayers, what beliefs and deeds will lead to salvation, what will lead us to hell, we do not need to know the context. Such things transcend time, and are applicable to all people in all ages. Also, there are verses speaking of the nature and the signs in it, such things come under the domain of scientific thought and inquiry, and need no background regarding the context. Also, verses dealing with the unseen, those that we can only know of by what He has revealed also need no context…. If we believe the author to be the true God, then we must believe in what we are being told, that there is only one God, that there is heaven and hell, that we will be made to account for our deeds and actions, and that we will then live there eternally.
Then there are certain verses which deal specifically with a certain event, like Allah speaking about the battle of Uhud, and what actually happened. Okay, if one knows the history, that’s a plus, but even if one doesn’t know, the essential elements and the lessons to be learnt from it have been mentioned in the verses. Similarly, there is a lot of mention of other nations, especially the Children of Israel, how they were the favoured nation, how prophets kept coming to them, and what were the reasons [deeds] which led them ‘out of favour’. There is a strong message and reminder for all people, and especially muslims, as to what good deeds are, how important they are, and how important it is to continue being good. Also, the Quran presents the essentials of all such histories, such that the point is not missed or lost, and the irrelevant details of the story are omitted. Besides, a reading of other books tends to present a very distorted/immoral/strange picture of some prophets, something which to my mind just cannot be possible. Prophets are specifically hand-picked by God, and as such are the best of us. It is thus difficult to believe the picture presented in those books, which makes the rest of the content also questionable.
And since Allah says that this book is a guidance for mankind, and I believe Allah to be the true God, why should I consult other books. He tells me that this book contains guidance, and that I must believe that He has sent prophets and books to earlier generations, and I must respect all of them, then I must. He does not ask us to take guidance from books written by humans, thus I don’t.
Answer: Knowing the context, and actually following the text are two different things. For example, if we are being told to not to lie, to be just, to take care of orphans, to speak in the best manner, to measure properly, to abstain from eating or drinking certain things, to establish prayers, what beliefs and deeds will lead to salvation, what will lead us to hell, we do not need to know the context. Such things transcend time, and are applicable to all people in all ages. Also, there are verses speaking of the nature and the signs in it, such things come under the domain of scientific thought and inquiry, and need no background regarding the context. Also, verses dealing with the unseen, those that we can only know of by what He has revealed also need no context…. If we believe the author to be the true God, then we must believe in what we are being told, that there is only one God, that there is heaven and hell, that we will be made to account for our deeds and actions, and that we will then live there eternally.
Then there are certain verses which deal specifically with a certain event, like Allah speaking about the battle of Uhud, and what actually happened. Okay, if one knows the history, that’s a plus, but even if one doesn’t know, the essential elements and the lessons to be learnt from it have been mentioned in the verses. Similarly, there is a lot of mention of other nations, especially the Children of Israel, how they were the favoured nation, how prophets kept coming to them, and what were the reasons [deeds] which led them ‘out of favour’. There is a strong message and reminder for all people, and especially muslims, as to what good deeds are, how important they are, and how important it is to continue being good. Also, the Quran presents the essentials of all such histories, such that the point is not missed or lost, and the irrelevant details of the story are omitted. Besides, a reading of other books tends to present a very distorted/immoral/strange picture of some prophets, something which to my mind just cannot be possible. Prophets are specifically hand-picked by God, and as such are the best of us. It is thus difficult to believe the picture presented in those books, which makes the rest of the content also questionable.
And since Allah says that this book is a guidance for mankind, and I believe Allah to be the true God, why should I consult other books. He tells me that this book contains guidance, and that I must believe that He has sent prophets and books to earlier generations, and I must respect all of them, then I must. He does not ask us to take guidance from books written by humans, thus I don’t.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Allah is God, The Deity
Question: Please stop referring G-D to allah! allah is NOT G-D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a false G-D maybe; at best and yes the only way to eternal life is through JESUS CHRIST for he sent his only begotten sonhe was the final sacrificeto pay for all of our sins and the only way to reach the father is to reach Jesus,KNOW THAT HE PAID FOR YOUR SINS BY GRACE!
Answer: Allah is not a name specific to Islam…. The Arabic translations of the Bible refer to God as Allah. The word Allah was already in use in pre-islamic Arabia where the pagans used this term to refer to the highest deity.
Allah is Arabic concatenation of two words: Al meaning THE and ilah meaning DEITY, so it essentially means THE DEITY, commonly used by pre-islam Arabs to refer to the highest god. Quran uses the same term to refer to The Creator, the eternal being to whom worship is due..... the only difference between Islam and other religions' use of the word Allah is that, in Islam, Allah is the only deity, while others ascribe partners to Him.
Answer: Allah is not a name specific to Islam…. The Arabic translations of the Bible refer to God as Allah. The word Allah was already in use in pre-islamic Arabia where the pagans used this term to refer to the highest deity.
Allah is Arabic concatenation of two words: Al meaning THE and ilah meaning DEITY, so it essentially means THE DEITY, commonly used by pre-islam Arabs to refer to the highest god. Quran uses the same term to refer to The Creator, the eternal being to whom worship is due..... the only difference between Islam and other religions' use of the word Allah is that, in Islam, Allah is the only deity, while others ascribe partners to Him.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Ka'abah of Zoroaster
Located near Shiraz, Iran, the Ka'abah of Zoroaster at Naqsh-e-Rustum is strikingly similar to the Ka'abah at Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Zoroaster (Greek Ζωροάστρης, Zōroastrēs) or Zarathushtra (Avestan: Zaraθuštra), also referred to as Zartosht (Persian: زرتشت), was an ancient Iranian prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism, a religion that was the national religion of the Sassanid Empire of Persia; it is predominantly practiced today by the Parsi community...... http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Zoroaster
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Isa is not a Hebrew name
Question: Y'Shua (Jesus) was a Hebrew, he was not and will never be anything other than a Hebrew. The name Isa is not a Hebrew name.
Answer: Ch3:45 [When the angels said: "O Mary, God gives you news of a thing from Him, for rejoicing, (news of one) whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the next, and one among the honoured,] (Translation by Ahmed Ali). Isa/Jesus may not be a Hebrew name; in this verse Allah tells us that He Himself named the child.
Answer: Ch3:45 [When the angels said: "O Mary, God gives you news of a thing from Him, for rejoicing, (news of one) whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the next, and one among the honoured,] (Translation by Ahmed Ali). Isa/Jesus may not be a Hebrew name; in this verse Allah tells us that He Himself named the child.
Source of the Quran
Question: The very first thing you should always do is look at the source of anything. The source was the new testament in the Bible. The Bible is thousands of years older than the Quran. The New Testament is 600 years older than the Quran. If you want to follow the one God you must learn all about him. The very oldest writings are not Quranic. Read the words of Y'Shua and you will hear of the love he had for you. And that we all are the children of our Father. Our Father does not say anywhere in the old or new testament that anyone is an infidel. To him anyone can be forgiven and loved. And our beloved Y'Shua so loved the world that he gave his precious life for us. In heaven they rejoice when a sinner turns to God. Not rejoice at ones death. God does not have us as slaves, he gave us free will like our own Father would. If God is Father to us all than we are all brothers and sisters to each other.
Answer: The source of Torah (Old Testament), Bible (New Testament) and Quran are all the same: Allah. He has sent Messengers, Prophets and Books for our guidance from time to time, because He loves us, and knows that we need help in this trial …. This life in this world…. and He repeatedly reminds us (specifically in the Holy Quran) that this is a temporary period of trial and then we shall be returned to an eternal life, and where we spend our eternity will depend on our beliefs, intents and deeds in the life of this world. Allah again and again calls people to repent….. To him anyone can be forgiven and loved! We all have time and opportunity to mend our ways, and purify our beliefs, thoughts and deeds. For help, He has blessed us with Holy Books. If you read the Holy Quran without any preconceived notions about Allah, Islam and Muslims, you will be surprised. The problem is, like all religions, the followers of Islam also do not adhere strictly to the Holy Book(Quran) sent for their guidance. Thus, they stray from the path, misinterpret verses out of context, and do things NOT ordained…. They may be causing pain and suffering to others, but the real loss is their own, as every soul will have to account for all its done, and that is because we have been given Free Will!
Answer: The source of Torah (Old Testament), Bible (New Testament) and Quran are all the same: Allah. He has sent Messengers, Prophets and Books for our guidance from time to time, because He loves us, and knows that we need help in this trial …. This life in this world…. and He repeatedly reminds us (specifically in the Holy Quran) that this is a temporary period of trial and then we shall be returned to an eternal life, and where we spend our eternity will depend on our beliefs, intents and deeds in the life of this world. Allah again and again calls people to repent….. To him anyone can be forgiven and loved! We all have time and opportunity to mend our ways, and purify our beliefs, thoughts and deeds. For help, He has blessed us with Holy Books. If you read the Holy Quran without any preconceived notions about Allah, Islam and Muslims, you will be surprised. The problem is, like all religions, the followers of Islam also do not adhere strictly to the Holy Book(Quran) sent for their guidance. Thus, they stray from the path, misinterpret verses out of context, and do things NOT ordained…. They may be causing pain and suffering to others, but the real loss is their own, as every soul will have to account for all its done, and that is because we have been given Free Will!
Books of the People of the Book
Question: If you study the Quran and have not studied the Torah, or the New Testament how can you say you are a scholar? The Quran as I read it speaks about the people of the book many, many times. Read the books of those People.
Answer: Did I call myself a scholar? No, I’m just a plain muslim who likes to discuss religion to understand the reasons behind other peoples’ conviction and faith in their religion, and shares her understanding and faith, as I believe we all are, indeed, here in this group, for a common cause, in pursuit of knowledge. By the way, I have read both The Old Testament and The New Testament. In the very beginning of the Quran, we are told that this book(the Quran) is a guidance for those who are pious…. And the definition of pious that follows includes faith in the revelations on Muhammad, and those before Muhammad, so you see, it is mandatory upon us to believe in, respect and honour all prophets, messengers and holy books. But, we are also told that, over time humans have made changes in those books, and that we will have to use the Quran as the measure of truth when studying those books. Thus, we accept all that is in accordance with the Quran….. for instance, Jesus says that He has come to confirm the Law, the Quran confirms this so we believe that Jesus was indeed sent as a prophet to the Jews to confirm the Laws, and to explain the wisdom of it.
Answer: Did I call myself a scholar? No, I’m just a plain muslim who likes to discuss religion to understand the reasons behind other peoples’ conviction and faith in their religion, and shares her understanding and faith, as I believe we all are, indeed, here in this group, for a common cause, in pursuit of knowledge. By the way, I have read both The Old Testament and The New Testament. In the very beginning of the Quran, we are told that this book(the Quran) is a guidance for those who are pious…. And the definition of pious that follows includes faith in the revelations on Muhammad, and those before Muhammad, so you see, it is mandatory upon us to believe in, respect and honour all prophets, messengers and holy books. But, we are also told that, over time humans have made changes in those books, and that we will have to use the Quran as the measure of truth when studying those books. Thus, we accept all that is in accordance with the Quran….. for instance, Jesus says that He has come to confirm the Law, the Quran confirms this so we believe that Jesus was indeed sent as a prophet to the Jews to confirm the Laws, and to explain the wisdom of it.
Why is Y'Shua worshipped?
Question: …. Can you say that God himself could not do this? He can do anything! The healing miracles that Y'Shua did were they not the same as Eliyahu (Elija)? But Elija is not worshiped today. Why is that? Enoch was raised to heaven why is he not worshiped? Y'Shua must be different then in some way.....
Answer: God can do anything. He is All-Powerful, All-Encompassing. He gave a miraculous conception, He let Jesus speak from the cradle, with His permission, Jesus was able to perform a lot of miracles. But, He has also given free will to humans, if some or many or even all choose to worship Jesus instead of God, God will not force any to revert to Monotheism….. remember this is a place of trial, we have been given Books containing guidance, Prophets warning us, a Conscience telling us what is right and what just cannot be right, and the Free Will to choose our own destiny, the destiny for eternity!
Answer: God can do anything. He is All-Powerful, All-Encompassing. He gave a miraculous conception, He let Jesus speak from the cradle, with His permission, Jesus was able to perform a lot of miracles. But, He has also given free will to humans, if some or many or even all choose to worship Jesus instead of God, God will not force any to revert to Monotheism….. remember this is a place of trial, we have been given Books containing guidance, Prophets warning us, a Conscience telling us what is right and what just cannot be right, and the Free Will to choose our own destiny, the destiny for eternity!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Violence, Pain, Death
Question: It is clear from the fossil record, and nearly two centuries of examination and interpretation by paleontologists, that long before the human species existed, pain, suffering and death were present on this planet. The earliest amphibians, their successors the dinosaurs, and the mammals that roamed the earth before humankind suffered sickness, pain and death. They killed and ate each other. In fact, even before the vertebrates, the earliest microbes were killing and preying on each other.How could humans be responsible for a situation that predated their very existence?On the larger, cosmological scale, the universe(s) of which we are aware include galaxies millions of light years away from us, whose light is only now reaching us. Astronomers tell us that numberless suns, and even galaxies, have been destroyed in cataclysms of violence in the past, that perhaps millions of planets with life forms have been erased in violence and, obviously, pain. All of this long before people existed. How are we responsible for this?It seems that violence on a vast scale, pain and death have been part of the universe all along. We, a species present on planet earth for such a short period, can hardly be called responsible for it.Whatever organizing principle, force or creative energy lies behind all that is–in other words, God–seems responsible. Is God then a monster? Does this organizing principle, which basic logic insists must exist, create life, beauty and all that is good only to subsequently destroy it?Why are most species forced to kill in order to eat? Why do predators such as lions, foxes or hawks have to rend and tear creatures, causing great fear and pain, in order simply to survive? Why do humans have to do so? Why did God create a situation in which every thing that lives must kill other things to live, and ultimately end its own existence in pain and suffering?The idea of original sin seems to me a very feeble and inadequate excuse for all of this. What answers do members of this list–especially those who are people of the book (Jews, Christians and Muslims)--offer? Could you point me to passages in any scriptures that deal with it? I've found some passages in the Upanishads, for example, that touch on it. Where in the Old and New Testaments, Torah, the Holy Koran and Hadith, etc. might I find it discussed?
Answer: Species [are forced to] kill in order to survive is because we are all part of the great Circle of Life….. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, has created bio-degradable substances essential for the survival of all who inhabit Earth, for the sake of survival and sustenance of planet Earth itself. Carnivores eat animals, Herbivores eat plants[which are also living things], Plants get sustenance from the nutrients in the soil, sunlight, air and water, and so the circle continues. Why is killing to eat such a repulsive idea, whereas breaking off plant parts to eat is not? Are plants any less living than animals? In fact, as muslims, we are ordered to pronounce the name of Allah on food, especially when slaughtering an animal, to remind ourselves of the sacredness of life and this blessing of food that we are receiving from Allah.We humans begin/build/make/start a lot of things, and then end them as well…… you think it is wrong to do so? From a divine standpoint, I guess the Creator who creates life has every right to take it back as well. Besides, He is also promising us eternal life in the Hereafter, which, you know is more scary, in case we end up in Hell instead of Heaven………. This life of a century or less seems nothing compared to eternity! If He has been kind enough to give us guidance as to how to live this life in order to be successful in the hereafter, I think we should grab the chance, and be grateful.While dwelling on the bio-degradable, how would it have been if FOOD were to have been inorganic objects, example minerals from the soil? Would we then have to be rooted to the earth to get nourishment? Or, if we had to mine our food? Or, maybe, synthetic food that we had to manufacture, like plastic? In that case, how would pre-technology people survive? And how would it affect the environment? How long would planet Earth and its inhabitants survive? Let us not try to judge the Creator.
Answer: Species [are forced to] kill in order to survive is because we are all part of the great Circle of Life….. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, has created bio-degradable substances essential for the survival of all who inhabit Earth, for the sake of survival and sustenance of planet Earth itself. Carnivores eat animals, Herbivores eat plants[which are also living things], Plants get sustenance from the nutrients in the soil, sunlight, air and water, and so the circle continues. Why is killing to eat such a repulsive idea, whereas breaking off plant parts to eat is not? Are plants any less living than animals? In fact, as muslims, we are ordered to pronounce the name of Allah on food, especially when slaughtering an animal, to remind ourselves of the sacredness of life and this blessing of food that we are receiving from Allah.We humans begin/build/make/start a lot of things, and then end them as well…… you think it is wrong to do so? From a divine standpoint, I guess the Creator who creates life has every right to take it back as well. Besides, He is also promising us eternal life in the Hereafter, which, you know is more scary, in case we end up in Hell instead of Heaven………. This life of a century or less seems nothing compared to eternity! If He has been kind enough to give us guidance as to how to live this life in order to be successful in the hereafter, I think we should grab the chance, and be grateful.While dwelling on the bio-degradable, how would it have been if FOOD were to have been inorganic objects, example minerals from the soil? Would we then have to be rooted to the earth to get nourishment? Or, if we had to mine our food? Or, maybe, synthetic food that we had to manufacture, like plastic? In that case, how would pre-technology people survive? And how would it affect the environment? How long would planet Earth and its inhabitants survive? Let us not try to judge the Creator.
Original Sin
Question: Many religions, including those of the “people of the book,” posit an “original sin” as the explanation for why and how suffering, pain and death entered into creation. The theory is that humans (symbolized in Adam and Eve) somehow caused it by their fall from grace in paradise.
Answer:The Holy Quran presents a very different picture from what the Christian belief is, even though, unfortunately, many muslims also somehow tend to understand this in biblical terms, as it has come to be the popular belief. According to the Quran, we are all here for a trial period, will be raised after death and will be judged on the basis of all our intents and deeds, big and small, and then live forever, either in the gardens[jannat] of Heaven, or in Hell, or as Allah wills. Humans, specifically, Adam and Eve, are not the cause of our pain, suffering and death. It is but the way Allah has chosen to design our trial period on Earth. Each and every person is responsible for his/her own actions, and all things happen according to Allah’s plan. All we can do is intend and try to make something happen. But, what actually happens, is what Allah has decreed. Which is why we will not be judged on the results, but rather on our intents and actions. Adam was created as a vice-regent/messenger for Earth………… for whom??? Fossil records indicate there were humans pre-dating Adam. We have discussed this also at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/religiscience/ You’re welcome to join.You can also check out why I do not think man is central to creation at my blog: http://islam-qna.blogspot.com/2008/11/man-central-to-creation-or-not.html
Answer:The Holy Quran presents a very different picture from what the Christian belief is, even though, unfortunately, many muslims also somehow tend to understand this in biblical terms, as it has come to be the popular belief. According to the Quran, we are all here for a trial period, will be raised after death and will be judged on the basis of all our intents and deeds, big and small, and then live forever, either in the gardens[jannat] of Heaven, or in Hell, or as Allah wills. Humans, specifically, Adam and Eve, are not the cause of our pain, suffering and death. It is but the way Allah has chosen to design our trial period on Earth. Each and every person is responsible for his/her own actions, and all things happen according to Allah’s plan. All we can do is intend and try to make something happen. But, what actually happens, is what Allah has decreed. Which is why we will not be judged on the results, but rather on our intents and actions. Adam was created as a vice-regent/messenger for Earth………… for whom??? Fossil records indicate there were humans pre-dating Adam. We have discussed this also at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/religiscience/ You’re welcome to join.You can also check out why I do not think man is central to creation at my blog: http://islam-qna.blogspot.com/2008/11/man-central-to-creation-or-not.html
Story of Jesus
Question: Can anybody explain how was Mary/Maryam mother of Jesus/Isa a.s become pregnant??how long is the period of her pregnancy till she gave birth to her child Isa ibn Maryam??How about if we compare this story or we can say a history to this day when we heard a virgin woman become pregnant because of an angel sent by Allah to her n then she gave birth to a child?? would our next generations have faith to the story??
Answer: According to the Holy Quran, --- Chapter 3 Verse 59: "Verily the likeness of Isa, with Allah is as the likeness of Adam; him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo! he becometh"Just like Allah created Adam without parents, so Allah created Jesus(Isa) without a father. Faith in a story depends on faith in the truthfulness of the source. If somebody believes Allah to be the true creator, Muhammad to be the appointed messenger, and the Holy Quran to be the word of Allah revealed to Muhammad for the guidance of mankind, then that person will have no problem believing the story of Jesus’ miraculous birth.You can read what Allah has to say regarding this in Chapter 3, Verses 35-62 This link will show you comparative translations of the original Arabic text: http://www.searchtruth.com/chapter_display_all.php?chapter=3&from_verse=35&to_verse=62&mac=&translation_setting=1&show_yusufali=1&show_shakir=1&show_pickthal=1
Answer: According to the Holy Quran, --- Chapter 3 Verse 59: "Verily the likeness of Isa, with Allah is as the likeness of Adam; him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo! he becometh"Just like Allah created Adam without parents, so Allah created Jesus(Isa) without a father. Faith in a story depends on faith in the truthfulness of the source. If somebody believes Allah to be the true creator, Muhammad to be the appointed messenger, and the Holy Quran to be the word of Allah revealed to Muhammad for the guidance of mankind, then that person will have no problem believing the story of Jesus’ miraculous birth.You can read what Allah has to say regarding this in Chapter 3, Verses 35-62 This link will show you comparative translations of the original Arabic text: http://www.searchtruth.com/chapter_display_all.php?chapter=3&from_verse=35&to_verse=62&mac=&translation_setting=1&show_yusufali=1&show_shakir=1&show_pickthal=1
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
A Good God sends people to eternal damnation?
Question: I certainly do not "believe" that a Good God sends people to eternal damnation or "hell"................that kind of cruel "god" is not "love
Answer: God forbid, but just suppose, somebody robs, loots, rapes or murders you or your loved ones, how would you react? What would you demand? Will you find it in your heart to forgive this person, and let him live happily ever after? No, you would demand justice, anybody would, definitely, and immediately! God is kind enough to give us a life time to repent and mend our ways………… but it would not serve the purpose of justice if, after a lifetime of piety and obedience, of justice and fairplay, of honesty and sacrifice, of love, charity and compassion, the pious and the sinners all go to heaven…………. How would the millions who suffered at the hands of criminals in this world feel if all the criminals ended in heaven?
And don’t good doctors prescribe medicines which good people take to rid their bodies of harmful bacteria and viruses?
Don’t good people use pesticide to keep their houses pest-free?
Don’t good legislators make appropriate laws to deal with the criminals in society?
Don’t good cops try and prevent criminal activities, and arrest suspects?
Answer: God forbid, but just suppose, somebody robs, loots, rapes or murders you or your loved ones, how would you react? What would you demand? Will you find it in your heart to forgive this person, and let him live happily ever after? No, you would demand justice, anybody would, definitely, and immediately! God is kind enough to give us a life time to repent and mend our ways………… but it would not serve the purpose of justice if, after a lifetime of piety and obedience, of justice and fairplay, of honesty and sacrifice, of love, charity and compassion, the pious and the sinners all go to heaven…………. How would the millions who suffered at the hands of criminals in this world feel if all the criminals ended in heaven?
And don’t good doctors prescribe medicines which good people take to rid their bodies of harmful bacteria and viruses?
Don’t good people use pesticide to keep their houses pest-free?
Don’t good legislators make appropriate laws to deal with the criminals in society?
Don’t good cops try and prevent criminal activities, and arrest suspects?
Beliefs of the Mind
Question: I know the "beliefs" of Islam, just as i know the "beliefs" of Christianity..............but, they are "beliefs of the mind"..........and, what one "believes" is not proof or actually "knowable".............not facts, but what one chooses to accept as "truth"...........so many contradictions in both Islam and Christianity............too many things in both that are based on myth or legend.............thus, the pronouncements of both are suspect and i cannot accept them as "divine"................i cannot hold to the "beliefs" of either
Answer: Beliefs are belief only unless they can stand a myriad of tests and still remain valid. The source of Islamic beliefs is the Holy Quran. If this book is from God, then it must be scientifically, mathematically, morally, ethically, historically, linguistically correct and true. It has proven to be so. Thus, we take it as the source of guidance. There is a myriad of other [Islamic] literature that is indeed contradictory, confusing and at times, one wonders how can it be from God…… thus we cannot, should not and do not take them as books of guidance….. after all, all those books are works of humans, not God. Only the Arabic Quran is the exact word of God.
Answer: Beliefs are belief only unless they can stand a myriad of tests and still remain valid. The source of Islamic beliefs is the Holy Quran. If this book is from God, then it must be scientifically, mathematically, morally, ethically, historically, linguistically correct and true. It has proven to be so. Thus, we take it as the source of guidance. There is a myriad of other [Islamic] literature that is indeed contradictory, confusing and at times, one wonders how can it be from God…… thus we cannot, should not and do not take them as books of guidance….. after all, all those books are works of humans, not God. Only the Arabic Quran is the exact word of God.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A Stranger on this Earth
Question: i am a stranger on this earth and have sensed it for decades.............but, i have no comfort when it comes to an understanding of why i am here and where, if anywhere, i will go at physical death............
Answer: We are all strangers, sent to planet Earth for a temporary abode, for a trial, an open-book examination. Our grades will depend on our deeds, not our achievements. Most scriptures of most religions speak of after-life, though the description and accountability vary greatly. I, being a muslim, believe in the description presented in the Quran, which is Heaven and Hell, and eternal life in either one based on our beliefs and deeds, based on all the evidences within and without us, and our ability to perceive, ponder and understand, in this trial period……. a brief century or less, which is absolutely nothing compared to eternity. I like to compare this life to exams taken by students at the end of their school term. Each gets a paper based on his/her capability level, and is marked based on the ability to respond to the specific situation.
Answer: We are all strangers, sent to planet Earth for a temporary abode, for a trial, an open-book examination. Our grades will depend on our deeds, not our achievements. Most scriptures of most religions speak of after-life, though the description and accountability vary greatly. I, being a muslim, believe in the description presented in the Quran, which is Heaven and Hell, and eternal life in either one based on our beliefs and deeds, based on all the evidences within and without us, and our ability to perceive, ponder and understand, in this trial period……. a brief century or less, which is absolutely nothing compared to eternity. I like to compare this life to exams taken by students at the end of their school term. Each gets a paper based on his/her capability level, and is marked based on the ability to respond to the specific situation.
God: All-Powerful?
Q: I may not have mentioned that I'm probably a much more liberal Christian than most --- I'm strictly New Testament, except for a few of the psalms and such. I 'm so liberal that while I believe God is all loving and all knowing, he is not all powerful (at least not in this world). If he could end the suffering, why wouldn't he? Even I have that much compassion, and I'm not God.
A: Earth is a place of trial…………. Health, wealth and material comforts are as much a trial as disease, poverty, hunger and pain……….. all get their own exam paper to solve….. for some the trial is more difficult than others…… they will be marked accordingly. Then again, those with an easy: healthy, wealthy and comfortable life will be judged more severely as they were made custodians of resources and how much of it did they use of it to ease the pain and suffering of fellow human beings. God is Most Compassionate, He gives life and provides sustenance to all those living… he does not discriminate between muslims, jews, christians, hindus, pagans, atheists, and so on. Our compassion is based on our ‘perceived narrow world view’ whereas God’s compassion is based on a cosmic view of everything………. We do not know so much, and we are so insignificant, we cannot even begin to comprehend Him, let alone judge Him. He is, indeed, All-Powerful! Saying that if He could, He would have solved all problems, is like saying if the Examiner knew all the answers, He wouldn’t make the students take the exam.
A: Earth is a place of trial…………. Health, wealth and material comforts are as much a trial as disease, poverty, hunger and pain……….. all get their own exam paper to solve….. for some the trial is more difficult than others…… they will be marked accordingly. Then again, those with an easy: healthy, wealthy and comfortable life will be judged more severely as they were made custodians of resources and how much of it did they use of it to ease the pain and suffering of fellow human beings. God is Most Compassionate, He gives life and provides sustenance to all those living… he does not discriminate between muslims, jews, christians, hindus, pagans, atheists, and so on. Our compassion is based on our ‘perceived narrow world view’ whereas God’s compassion is based on a cosmic view of everything………. We do not know so much, and we are so insignificant, we cannot even begin to comprehend Him, let alone judge Him. He is, indeed, All-Powerful! Saying that if He could, He would have solved all problems, is like saying if the Examiner knew all the answers, He wouldn’t make the students take the exam.
Thou shalt do no murder
Question: .....but, i am not sure what "god" i am longing for............is it the "god" who told Samuel to tell King Saul to go and slaughter Amalek, including the women and children, because "he" was angry at Amalek for something they had done? in other words, the hebrew soldiers were supposed to stab to death a 6 month old child being held by its Amalek mother............
.....the 10 commands say thou shalt do no murder.................yet, the above is surely murder, conceived in the "mind" of an angry and wrathful "god"................. so, this "god" says "do what i say" and not what i do...............in other words, "god" can do as he pleases, including anger, wrath, violence and murder and genocide and vengeance, but I cannot............yet, i was "created in his image"?????perhaps my problem is that i do not know which "god" i want intimacy and harmony with............i certainly do not long for the god mentioned above............
Answer: Firstly, except for the arabic text of the Quran, all holy scriptures have been corrupted with human writings purported to being from God, referred out of context, and misinterpreted. The commandment that thou shalt not murder is for all times…….. life is sacred, a gift of God, and no human may take the life of another human being. In fact, even when killing animals for food, we are ordered to pronounce the name of God over it, reminding ourselves of the sacredness of life, and that this action of slaughtering, of being blessed with sustenance, is also a gift of God, and part of the great Circle of Life.Yet, we humans are indeed divided and hostile, and when one group gets bent upon defaming, conspiring against, attacking and destroying another, it is the right of every group to defend themselves. The God I know only prescribes killing in self-defence…….. He does not prescribe attacking peace-loving humans, no matter which religion they ascribe to or which deity they worship.
.....the 10 commands say thou shalt do no murder.................yet, the above is surely murder, conceived in the "mind" of an angry and wrathful "god"................. so, this "god" says "do what i say" and not what i do...............in other words, "god" can do as he pleases, including anger, wrath, violence and murder and genocide and vengeance, but I cannot............yet, i was "created in his image"?????perhaps my problem is that i do not know which "god" i want intimacy and harmony with............i certainly do not long for the god mentioned above............
Answer: Firstly, except for the arabic text of the Quran, all holy scriptures have been corrupted with human writings purported to being from God, referred out of context, and misinterpreted. The commandment that thou shalt not murder is for all times…….. life is sacred, a gift of God, and no human may take the life of another human being. In fact, even when killing animals for food, we are ordered to pronounce the name of God over it, reminding ourselves of the sacredness of life, and that this action of slaughtering, of being blessed with sustenance, is also a gift of God, and part of the great Circle of Life.Yet, we humans are indeed divided and hostile, and when one group gets bent upon defaming, conspiring against, attacking and destroying another, it is the right of every group to defend themselves. The God I know only prescribes killing in self-defence…….. He does not prescribe attacking peace-loving humans, no matter which religion they ascribe to or which deity they worship.
Are God of the Old Testament and New Testament same?
Question: If the god of the old and new testament are one god, he has changed drastically. Perhaps he learned from the trials of Job or from the near sacrifice of Isaac, perhaps he awakened to a new truth. I don't know. I only know that the new God knows Love. The new God IS Love.
Answer: To Moses was revealed the Torah, which contained the Laws. With the passage of time, though prophets kept coming from time to time, yet the followers of Torah forgot the wisdom behind the Laws, and the Law became blind…… the compassion, the love, the mercy, and the wisdom was lost on most….. people who followed became rigid and closed their minds, their religion was difficult and harsh, and it seemed okay to them. Then God sent Jesus to re-teach the Torah, to let the people know the immense love and compassion that God has for His creatures. But the followers of Jesus concentrated so much on the love and compassion part, that they forgot that he had come to confirm the Law, not to do away with it…….. that he had come to explain why it was important and beneficial for humans, but, unfortunately, we have two religions while both study the Old Testament.
Answer: To Moses was revealed the Torah, which contained the Laws. With the passage of time, though prophets kept coming from time to time, yet the followers of Torah forgot the wisdom behind the Laws, and the Law became blind…… the compassion, the love, the mercy, and the wisdom was lost on most….. people who followed became rigid and closed their minds, their religion was difficult and harsh, and it seemed okay to them. Then God sent Jesus to re-teach the Torah, to let the people know the immense love and compassion that God has for His creatures. But the followers of Jesus concentrated so much on the love and compassion part, that they forgot that he had come to confirm the Law, not to do away with it…….. that he had come to explain why it was important and beneficial for humans, but, unfortunately, we have two religions while both study the Old Testament.
Conditional Love
Question: ...thus, god IS love, but you get utter destruction if you somehow cannot believe in jesus ............so, it is a love that is very conditional.............
Answer: God loves us all, and that is why He has put us in this world to give us a chance to prove ourselves……….. He could have just put us in Heaven or Hell for eternity, but yet, He chose to give us a chance………. What we are required to do is to use our senses, our intellect, our conscience, and all at our disposal to discover the true deity and what He expects from us, and then to do so. Do all evidences point towards intelligent-design, if yes, who designed it, did He choose to communicate with us, if yes, how, through whom, and with what, are His words recorded for our benefit, is this an open-book exam??????????? I have been able to find the answer to all these questions in the Holy Quran.
Answer: God loves us all, and that is why He has put us in this world to give us a chance to prove ourselves……….. He could have just put us in Heaven or Hell for eternity, but yet, He chose to give us a chance………. What we are required to do is to use our senses, our intellect, our conscience, and all at our disposal to discover the true deity and what He expects from us, and then to do so. Do all evidences point towards intelligent-design, if yes, who designed it, did He choose to communicate with us, if yes, how, through whom, and with what, are His words recorded for our benefit, is this an open-book exam??????????? I have been able to find the answer to all these questions in the Holy Quran.
New Testament deity is very different
Question: I think the new testament deity is very different, the new testament covenant between god and man is very different, and we have clearly been informed of this, through the life of Christ. Our new covenant is based on Love not Law. The Ten Commandments telling us what not to do are replaced by the golden rule telling us what to do. The new testament god does not tell us to kill; he tells us to die and know that we shall never die.
Answer: God is one and has sent essentially the same message to all humans throughout time. The true religion is a beautiful combination of the Law and the Love…. The religion preached by the prophets throughout time……………… we humans tend to learn a part and ignore the rest, the fault lies with us, for being content with whatever little knowledge of religion we have and ignoring the vast body of wisdom around us.
Answer: God is one and has sent essentially the same message to all humans throughout time. The true religion is a beautiful combination of the Law and the Love…. The religion preached by the prophets throughout time……………… we humans tend to learn a part and ignore the rest, the fault lies with us, for being content with whatever little knowledge of religion we have and ignoring the vast body of wisdom around us.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Study of Islam
Question: It is hard to believe that this is the work of a Supreme Being. One has to be unbelievably brainwashed to think this is sublime. In Pakistan however, you will be beheaded if you throw the Quran in a waste-bin.Many a Muslim will claim that what I have written has nothing to do with Islam and that all of it are culture-related issues. This is completely false. The situation of the Muslim has nothing to do with a so called backward culture in Islamic countries but has everything to do with true Islam itself. In my opinion Islam is in violation with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on many issues and poses a danger to society. Reformation of Islam is impossible since everything is described in detail in the Quran and the Hadith/traditions of Muhammad. The Quran and the Hadith are complementary and provide explanations for one another. The so-called reformers or moderate Muslims pretend that a large part of the Quran does not exist. Or they try to distort the truth because it so ugly.The extremists (Wahabi, Salafists, ... ) or so-called “radicalized youth” just go for the whole story. If in the West Islam is considered as an “approved” religion, one cannot blame these people that they use their right to effectively follow the Quran and the Hadith.One forgets that Islam is not only a religion but also a culture, a social system, a legislation, a political system, a military system, ....and that these cannot easily be separated. An example: one would expect that prayer belongs to the religious domain. During prayer muslims read a chapter of the Quran. When they choose chapter 9 and recite that polytheists should be killed (9:5) and that Christians and Jews have to be fought until they submit (9:29) and that you may not spend time with your ‘unbelieving’ family members (9:23), one enters in the military, social and political domain. And then muslims are surprised that they have to explain to those Polytheists, Jews, Christians or atheist relatives that these verses are no longer valid and were meant only for specific circumstances, wherease Islamic scholars claim the exact opposite. When I put everything in perspective I cannot understand how anyone who has studied Islam thoroughly on the basis of the Islamic sources, still can remain a Muslim. I am no longer a Muslim. i hope every Muslim will study Islam thoroughly and follow suit.
Answer: If any were to study Talmud and other writings along with the Torah, if one were to study all the literature ascribed to all the world religions, one would most definitely become an ‘non-believer’ in any or all of those religions simply because most of the religious literature is human work……….. full of errors, mistakes, omissions, aspirations, motives, slander, lies and the list can go on. The primary works: the books which were revealed to humans, example the Torah, the Bible, the Vedas, the Quran, etc, can only be considered as sources; the rest, if one is not careful, is all misleading!
Answer: If any were to study Talmud and other writings along with the Torah, if one were to study all the literature ascribed to all the world religions, one would most definitely become an ‘non-believer’ in any or all of those religions simply because most of the religious literature is human work……….. full of errors, mistakes, omissions, aspirations, motives, slander, lies and the list can go on. The primary works: the books which were revealed to humans, example the Torah, the Bible, the Vedas, the Quran, etc, can only be considered as sources; the rest, if one is not careful, is all misleading!
Personality of Muhammad
Question: The double personality of Muhammad, who on one hand was completely reliable, beloved, patient, and even timid and who on the other hand encouraged killing, torture, robbing and rape.
Answer: Unreliable information from books written by humans.
Answer: Unreliable information from books written by humans.
Theft and Adultery
Question: The inhumane punishments for theft and adultery with the idea in mind (Tradition by Muslim in Book 1, Number 171) that Allah can forgive anything except worshipping other gods besides Him. If one says that Jesus is the Son of God one goes to hell, but when one commits theft or adultery and only believes in Allah one can go to heaven.
Answer: Theft and Adultery are crimes that affect society…… they must be dealt with firmly. If one repents, Allah is most forgiving, else, one will have to bear the consequences in after-life also.Joining/ascribing partners to Allah is an unforgivable sin if one dies with such belief. If one repents and reverts to the true faith, Allah is Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Answer: Theft and Adultery are crimes that affect society…… they must be dealt with firmly. If one repents, Allah is most forgiving, else, one will have to bear the consequences in after-life also.Joining/ascribing partners to Allah is an unforgivable sin if one dies with such belief. If one repents and reverts to the true faith, Allah is Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Apostates
Q: The killing of apostates
Most Muslims and non-Muslims think this is an anomaly. They are wrong. This practice is not only in the collective memory of the population in Muslim countries, but all shariah handbooks tell the same story. Everyone who has studied Islam seriously knows that Shariah prescribes the death penalty for apostates. This is based on the authentic traditions of Muhammad who said:"If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him." (Bukhari, Book 52, Number 260)and"The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims." (Bukhari, Book 83 Number 17)In most Islamic countries the death penalty for apostasy is not applied because this is an inhumane law. In these countries however apostates are harassed administratively by all possible means or are punished in one way or another. In the so-called moderate Muslim country Malaysia they have sent a woman to a psychiatric institution and her child has been taken away from her because she had turned away from Islam and became a Hindu. Fortunately she lives in "moderate" Malaysia. If she were living in Saudi-Arabia, she would be beheaded.
A: Capital punishment to the murderer: right
Adultery: Quran only prescribes flogging with a 100 stripes(24:2); and that the adulterer/adulteress cannot marry anybody except another adulteress/adulterer(24:3). How can they be capable of marrying after being killed?
Apostate: There is no compulsion in religion(2:256 )Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way.(4:137) How can one believe, reject, and then believe again if one has already been killed?
Most Muslims and non-Muslims think this is an anomaly. They are wrong. This practice is not only in the collective memory of the population in Muslim countries, but all shariah handbooks tell the same story. Everyone who has studied Islam seriously knows that Shariah prescribes the death penalty for apostates. This is based on the authentic traditions of Muhammad who said:"If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him." (Bukhari, Book 52, Number 260)and"The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims." (Bukhari, Book 83 Number 17)In most Islamic countries the death penalty for apostasy is not applied because this is an inhumane law. In these countries however apostates are harassed administratively by all possible means or are punished in one way or another. In the so-called moderate Muslim country Malaysia they have sent a woman to a psychiatric institution and her child has been taken away from her because she had turned away from Islam and became a Hindu. Fortunately she lives in "moderate" Malaysia. If she were living in Saudi-Arabia, she would be beheaded.
A: Capital punishment to the murderer: right
Adultery: Quran only prescribes flogging with a 100 stripes(24:2); and that the adulterer/adulteress cannot marry anybody except another adulteress/adulterer(24:3). How can they be capable of marrying after being killed?
Apostate: There is no compulsion in religion(2:256 )Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way.(4:137) How can one believe, reject, and then believe again if one has already been killed?
Position of Women
Q: The humiliating position of womenThey cannot decide whom they get married to and can be divorced any time without any formality. ... or can be exchanged for another woman. Quran 4:20 says:“And if you wish to have (one) wife in place of another and you have given one of them a heap of gold, then take not from it anything; would you take it by slandering (her) and (doing her) manifest wrong?”Women have to obey their husbands and if the husband fears she will not obey she may be beaten. Quran 4:34:" Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great."Note: "beat them (fem. pl.)" in Arabic, is often translated by "discipline her" or “scourge her” because the translator is obviously too ashamed to use the word beating.One of the four schools of Islam, namely the Shafi'i school, states without shame that the only duty of a woman is to sexually satisfy her husband. Through her dowry he gets a one-off payment. This reminds me of the oldest profession in the world. Scholars of the Shafi'i school do not make this up. They simply learn this from the Quran:Quran 4:24. “...Then as to those whom you profit by, give them their dowries as appointed...”Quran 4:20. “And if you wish to have (one) wife in place of another and you have given one of them a heap of gold, then take not from it anything; would you take it by slandering (her) and (doing her) manifest wrong?Quran 4:21. “And how can you take it when one of you has already gone in to the other and they have made with you a firm covenant?This also has been confirmed by authentic traditions of Muhammad, which clearly state that the dowry is only linked to sexual intercourse with the husband. If he divorces her after having sexual intercourse even only once, he loses this money. (Muslim, Book 9, number 3557.)
A: According to the Quran, it is necessary for the parents/guardians to take the consent of the woman in the decision of her marriage. That they do not, they will be answerable for that. Dowry is a security that a man must give his bride as an affirmation that he will love and care for her, and he is not supposed to ask back in case of divorce. Marriage is a source of peace and tranquility, as mentioned in Surah Room: 30:21 And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflectDivorce is permissible, and in such cases, the man seeking the divorce may not ask the dowry back.
A: According to the Quran, it is necessary for the parents/guardians to take the consent of the woman in the decision of her marriage. That they do not, they will be answerable for that. Dowry is a security that a man must give his bride as an affirmation that he will love and care for her, and he is not supposed to ask back in case of divorce. Marriage is a source of peace and tranquility, as mentioned in Surah Room: 30:21 And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflectDivorce is permissible, and in such cases, the man seeking the divorce may not ask the dowry back.
Slavery
Q: Muhammad was keeping slaves and made trade in them. This means that slavery is part of Islam forever. Slavery has only been abolished in Muslim countries under Western pressure. Therefore, slavery can be reinstated at any time. Islamic legislation concerning slavery is being reprinted up till today by the main schools of Islam, so that scholars are aware of it. Furthermore Islam allows female slaves and female prisoners of war to be raped on condition that well-established rules are followed.Muhammad himself encouraged this, see the following authentic tradition/hadith transmitted by Muslim. The title of chapter 29 is already very revealing:Sahih Muslim 8:29: “IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO HAVE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH A CAPTIVE WOMAN AFTER SHE IS PURIFIED (OF MENSES OR DELIVERY) IN CASE SHE HAS A HUSBAND, HER MARRIAGE IS ABROGATED AFTER SHE BECOMES CAPTIVE.”Sahih Muslim 8:3432: “Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that at the Battle of Hunain Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent an army to Autas and encountered the enemy and fought with them. Having overcome them and taken them captives, the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) seemed to refrain from having intercourse with captive women because of their husbands being polytheists. Then Allah, Most High, sent down regarding that:" And women already married, except those whom your right hands possess (verse 4:24)" (i.e., they were lawful for them when their 'Idda period came to an end).
A: Slavery was an integral part of human society, and abolishing it in one go would have created more problems for the society. Muslims were encouraged to free slaves, and slowly, slavery was decreased, if not completely done away with. It is permissible to marry( enter into a marriage contract called nikah) with a slave woman. Allah does not order or allow ‘sex outside marriage’………… whether its rape or with consent, rather, strict punishment is prescribed for sex outside marriage.
A: Slavery was an integral part of human society, and abolishing it in one go would have created more problems for the society. Muslims were encouraged to free slaves, and slowly, slavery was decreased, if not completely done away with. It is permissible to marry( enter into a marriage contract called nikah) with a slave woman. Allah does not order or allow ‘sex outside marriage’………… whether its rape or with consent, rather, strict punishment is prescribed for sex outside marriage.
Study from original sources
Q: A few years ago, I mentioned to my wife that all news about Islam was so negative that I wondered what Islam really teaches. She told me there were no secrets and that everything was written in the books. Of course, I had Muslims confirm that these were the best sources and I could buy them from online Islamic bookstores. I searched the Internet to make a list of original source-books on Islam and I purchased these books. I have read the following 20 books:
1. The Quran
2. The authentic traditions of Muhammad (Sahih Hadith) by Bukhari: 9 books
3. A summary of the authentic traditions of Muhammad by (Sahih) Muslim: 2 books
4. Life of the Prophet: oldest biography by Ibn Ishaq
5. Life of the Prophet: Tabari: 4 books
6. Life of the Prophet: Ibn Sa'd: 2 books
7. Shariah book called Umdat as-salik / Reliance of the Traveller of the Shafi'i school (1 of the 4 large schools of Islam recognized by the Al-Azhar university in Egypt). This is not an original source but it is how the Quran, the hadith and the biographies of the Muhammad are interpreted by Muslim scholars and are being turned into laws. This book is incredibly user-friendly and I use it to check my interpretation of the Quran and the Hadith.This Shariah book does not contain any surprises because it is consistent with the Quran and the Sahih Hadith.
After reading these books, I could no longer remain a Muslim. There is no greater insult to Muhammad as a prophet and for Islam as an ideology, than the Quran and the original sources of Islam: books written by Allah and Muslims for Muslims. That is why websites that criticise Islam advise everyone to study Islam from these original sources.What is written in these books is too crazy for words. Many practices that we consider as immoral in the 21st century have been permitted by Muhammad.
A: Only the Quran is Allah’s words and a guidance for mankind. The rest are works of humans……….. whether they were honest mistakes, or deliberate attempts to taint Islam, I do not know, and I shall not judge. But, personally, I can only accept the Quran as the final true revelation of Allah Almighty for my guidance and I find it sufficient enough.
1. The Quran
2. The authentic traditions of Muhammad (Sahih Hadith) by Bukhari: 9 books
3. A summary of the authentic traditions of Muhammad by (Sahih) Muslim: 2 books
4. Life of the Prophet: oldest biography by Ibn Ishaq
5. Life of the Prophet: Tabari: 4 books
6. Life of the Prophet: Ibn Sa'd: 2 books
7. Shariah book called Umdat as-salik / Reliance of the Traveller of the Shafi'i school (1 of the 4 large schools of Islam recognized by the Al-Azhar university in Egypt). This is not an original source but it is how the Quran, the hadith and the biographies of the Muhammad are interpreted by Muslim scholars and are being turned into laws. This book is incredibly user-friendly and I use it to check my interpretation of the Quran and the Hadith.This Shariah book does not contain any surprises because it is consistent with the Quran and the Sahih Hadith.
After reading these books, I could no longer remain a Muslim. There is no greater insult to Muhammad as a prophet and for Islam as an ideology, than the Quran and the original sources of Islam: books written by Allah and Muslims for Muslims. That is why websites that criticise Islam advise everyone to study Islam from these original sources.What is written in these books is too crazy for words. Many practices that we consider as immoral in the 21st century have been permitted by Muhammad.
A: Only the Quran is Allah’s words and a guidance for mankind. The rest are works of humans……….. whether they were honest mistakes, or deliberate attempts to taint Islam, I do not know, and I shall not judge. But, personally, I can only accept the Quran as the final true revelation of Allah Almighty for my guidance and I find it sufficient enough.
Quran is rather harmless for a candidate-Muslim
Q: In one respect the Quran is rather harmless for a candidate-Muslim. It is so boring and unreadable that hardly anybody gets any further than the first few pages, then gives up. Personally, I don’t know any book that is so confusing. I think there is none. It wouldn’t get published anyway.
A: No its not. Its absolutely amazing that no matter how many times one reads it, it has layers and layers of meaning taking the reader to yet newer depths of understanding.
A: No its not. Its absolutely amazing that no matter how many times one reads it, it has layers and layers of meaning taking the reader to yet newer depths of understanding.
A guiding book has to be clear!
Q: As a matter of fact, even devout Muslims will confirm that the Quran is hard to understand. They even prove it by the existence of the so-called tafsirs, Quranic commentaries. The Quran claims to be a guide for the believer but to understand it one needs 10 more books. This cannot be right! A guiding book has to be clear!
A: Ofcourse, this cannot be right. My personal advice is always, first read the Quran in Arabic (if you understand the language), else read a good translation, comparing it with other translations as the need arises, as all translations are limited by the knowledge and understanding of the translator, and only afterwards, read different books to delve deeper and understand further. With a basic knowledge of the Quran, one would be able to judge what seems correct or otherwise of the other books, and thus accept or reject whatever new information one may find in other books. The Quran is quite clear on most topics that apply to the individual. Just reading it on its own and following it is sufficient. I haven’t had the need to take religion form any other book as yet. Yes, I do read other books from time to time, but don’t we do that with all fields of knowledge….. keep reading and researching to enhance our knowledge base?
A: Ofcourse, this cannot be right. My personal advice is always, first read the Quran in Arabic (if you understand the language), else read a good translation, comparing it with other translations as the need arises, as all translations are limited by the knowledge and understanding of the translator, and only afterwards, read different books to delve deeper and understand further. With a basic knowledge of the Quran, one would be able to judge what seems correct or otherwise of the other books, and thus accept or reject whatever new information one may find in other books. The Quran is quite clear on most topics that apply to the individual. Just reading it on its own and following it is sufficient. I haven’t had the need to take religion form any other book as yet. Yes, I do read other books from time to time, but don’t we do that with all fields of knowledge….. keep reading and researching to enhance our knowledge base?
Capital punishment for mistreating the Quran
Q: ... as a book coming from Allah and the top of communication between Allah and mankind—the perfect book. In the meantime this book became so holy that mistreating it can be a legitimate reason for murder.
A: Allah has not ordained any such punishment. Zealous muslims have themselves created this law. Allah declares that human life is sacred, and the murder of one human being is like the murder of entire mankind, and saving one life is like saving all of mankind. All those who murder will be answerable for their deeds.
A: Allah has not ordained any such punishment. Zealous muslims have themselves created this law. Allah declares that human life is sacred, and the murder of one human being is like the murder of entire mankind, and saving one life is like saving all of mankind. All those who murder will be answerable for their deeds.
Quran repeatedly threatens the unbelievers
Q: threats (the unbelievers are fuel for hell Quran, 2.24)
A: I repeat, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, is reaching out to us again and over again, inviting us to a wonderful reward, a life of peace on Earth, and an eternal life of happiness and well-being. At the same time, He is also warning us again and again of the consequences of flunking this temporal, open-book exam, as, even though His love for His creatures is great, He is also the Most Just, and Always FULFILLS HIS PROMISE, thus the continuous reminder of Hell.
A: I repeat, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, is reaching out to us again and over again, inviting us to a wonderful reward, a life of peace on Earth, and an eternal life of happiness and well-being. At the same time, He is also warning us again and again of the consequences of flunking this temporal, open-book exam, as, even though His love for His creatures is great, He is also the Most Just, and Always FULFILLS HIS PROMISE, thus the continuous reminder of Hell.
Jews and Jesus
Q: Logical mistakes in thinking (according to the Quran, verse 4.157, the Jews say that Jesus is the Messiah and a Prophet of Allah, which they never did)”
A: In this particular verse, the Jews are boasting that they have killed Jesus, and as such mockingly saying that they have slain Christ, the messenger of Allah, not out of belief, but sarcastically. Allah has simply quoted them.
A: In this particular verse, the Jews are boasting that they have killed Jesus, and as such mockingly saying that they have slain Christ, the messenger of Allah, not out of belief, but sarcastically. Allah has simply quoted them.
Quran: the miracle of Islam
Q: The Quran is undoubtedly the miracle of Islam. I really think Muhammad was an incredible genius to “sell” a book with....Absurdities (the sun goes down in a muddy pond Quran 18.86)
A: The Quran is undoubtedly a miracle. Nobody has been able to make any changes in it over 14 centuries. It is locked in a grid of 19, and no alphabet can even be changed. No human can write a book for 23 years, portions at a time, and yet all portions put together lock up in multiples of 19! Scientifically, it is absolutely consistent with all proven facts; theories are theories by their very nature, they may or may not be correct, thus we must wait till the scientists finally discover and decide on those. After all, how can the Creator not know the science of what He Himself has created?
Absurdities? No, it’s the impression of the person, ZulQarnain, about whom Allah is telling us about. He, when he sees the sun setting on the horizon, thinks it so. Where Allah is talking about the Sun elsewhere in the Quran, He gives an accurate description of a heavenly body moving in space in its fixed path.
Update [October 27, 2016]
Excerpts from the above:
Travel 1: Hence, based upon the three key features: disappearing Sun, warm waters and people near it, I think the only place on Earth that exhibits all three features is the North Pole and the region surrounding it, i.e. the Arctic.
Travel 2: Hence, based upon the three key natural features: rising Sun, land and no protection from the Sun, I think the only place on Earth that exhibits all three features is the South Pole and the region surrounding it, i.e. the Antarctic Circle.
A: The Quran is undoubtedly a miracle. Nobody has been able to make any changes in it over 14 centuries. It is locked in a grid of 19, and no alphabet can even be changed. No human can write a book for 23 years, portions at a time, and yet all portions put together lock up in multiples of 19! Scientifically, it is absolutely consistent with all proven facts; theories are theories by their very nature, they may or may not be correct, thus we must wait till the scientists finally discover and decide on those. After all, how can the Creator not know the science of what He Himself has created?
Absurdities? No, it’s the impression of the person, ZulQarnain, about whom Allah is telling us about. He, when he sees the sun setting on the horizon, thinks it so. Where Allah is talking about the Sun elsewhere in the Quran, He gives an accurate description of a heavenly body moving in space in its fixed path.
Update [October 27, 2016]
Dhu al Qarnayn visited the Polar Regions?
Excerpts from the above:
Travel 1: Hence, based upon the three key features: disappearing Sun, warm waters and people near it, I think the only place on Earth that exhibits all three features is the North Pole and the region surrounding it, i.e. the Arctic.
Travel 2: Hence, based upon the three key natural features: rising Sun, land and no protection from the Sun, I think the only place on Earth that exhibits all three features is the South Pole and the region surrounding it, i.e. the Antarctic Circle.
Verses on Jihad
Q: … except the well-developed Jihad doctrine, and the threat and declaring as enemy anyone who does not believe in Allah and Muhammad. There must be war until the whole world accepts Islamic laws, as illustrated in the following Quranic verses and in a tradition/hadith considered as authentic:Quran 2:193. "And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors."Quran 8:39. "And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do."
A: Please read these verses in context. 2:190 states Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. And then builds up on the topic. Similarly, if you read Chapter 8 from the beginning, its clear that a specific event is being discussed.
A: Please read these verses in context. 2:190 states Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. And then builds up on the topic. Similarly, if you read Chapter 8 from the beginning, its clear that a specific event is being discussed.
New things Muhammad brought that weren’t already in Christianity or Judaism
Q: I have never met anyone, who can tell me which verses he or she was moved by or found touching, or new things Muhammad brought that weren’t already in Christianity or Judaism…
A: Muhammad did not bring a new religion. He came to confirm the Prophets of old, to fulfill the prophecy, to purify the religion of God by removing all the falsehood and immorality that had crept into it and corrupted it. Read all the Holy Books of all religions, compare the style and the content, the mention of the Prophets and their people, and the language used to describe them. The Holy Quran stands out as the most pure and the most to the point. It does not reduce the Prophets of God to sinners and immoral people, it does not weave a story, it simply presents the essential true message of the event in the most pure words. Right at the beginning, we are told that this book, the Holy Quran, is a guidance for the pious, and the details given about such include a belief in the Prophets and Books revealed before…. Ofcourse it’s a confirmation that the earlier prophets were true messengers, and what they prophesized was true.
The entire Quran can touch your heart, or none will, all one can do is pray for guidance with a true heart.
A: Muhammad did not bring a new religion. He came to confirm the Prophets of old, to fulfill the prophecy, to purify the religion of God by removing all the falsehood and immorality that had crept into it and corrupted it. Read all the Holy Books of all religions, compare the style and the content, the mention of the Prophets and their people, and the language used to describe them. The Holy Quran stands out as the most pure and the most to the point. It does not reduce the Prophets of God to sinners and immoral people, it does not weave a story, it simply presents the essential true message of the event in the most pure words. Right at the beginning, we are told that this book, the Holy Quran, is a guidance for the pious, and the details given about such include a belief in the Prophets and Books revealed before…. Ofcourse it’s a confirmation that the earlier prophets were true messengers, and what they prophesized was true.
The entire Quran can touch your heart, or none will, all one can do is pray for guidance with a true heart.
Endless repetition in the Quran
Q: I think very few people, Muslims as as well candidate-Muslims, understand anything of the Quran. The reason is simple: the Quran is badly structured, very confusing and jumps from one subject to another. It’s an endless repetition of the same theme: believe in Allah and his Messenger Muhammad or you will receive the most horrible punishments in hell. This is repeated endlessly. Hundreds of times.
A: Yes, the endless repetition is because Allah never misses the point. He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, is reaching out to us again and over again, inviting us to a wonderful reward, a life of peace on Earth, and an eternal life of happiness and well-being. At the same time, He is also warning us again and again of the consequences of flunking this temporal, open-book exam, as, even though His love for His creatures is great, He is also the Most Just, and Always FULFILLS HIS PROMISE, thus the continuous reminder.
To the people of Mecca and Medina: that the Prophet is between you, and he and the message that he has brought, will finally prevail, and those who oppose him will be punished; and history testifies to the fact that the leadership of Quraysh was actually wiped out, and Muhammad and his followers finally prevailed.
To all of us: a reminder of the fact that this is indeed a test, and that eventually we must face the Creator and be judged on our performance.
A: Yes, the endless repetition is because Allah never misses the point. He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, is reaching out to us again and over again, inviting us to a wonderful reward, a life of peace on Earth, and an eternal life of happiness and well-being. At the same time, He is also warning us again and again of the consequences of flunking this temporal, open-book exam, as, even though His love for His creatures is great, He is also the Most Just, and Always FULFILLS HIS PROMISE, thus the continuous reminder.
To the people of Mecca and Medina: that the Prophet is between you, and he and the message that he has brought, will finally prevail, and those who oppose him will be punished; and history testifies to the fact that the leadership of Quraysh was actually wiped out, and Muhammad and his followers finally prevailed.
To all of us: a reminder of the fact that this is indeed a test, and that eventually we must face the Creator and be judged on our performance.
Books about Islam are mostly misleading? (cont.)
Q: The pattern of their thinking is that the good verses of the Quran are generally applicable and the passages that call for violence are contextual and only meant for a specific situation. The Quran however does not make this distinction. These books justify the negative side of Islam by very “creative” reasoning, by concealing things, by wrong translations from Arabic and by outright lies.
A: The Quran, the final revelation, is the word of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, and is a guidance for all human beings for all times to come. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad and the immediate addressees were the Prophet and the people of Makka and Medina. There are verses which are general in nature, and there are verses that are specific and time-bound. One need not be a scholar to figure out which verse will apply to whom and when…… all that is required is an honest, reference to the context, study of the verses. There are different shades of guidance even on the same issue, for example, where intoxicants are mentioned, there are three different advice given depending on the readiness of the person: we are told that there is great sin and some profit in it, then, at another place the advice is to not to pray while intoxicated, and finally, the advice to eschew it ….the scholars say that the final call to completely give up intoxicants came in 6th year after migration to Medina, i.e. a total of 19 years after preaching. So, you see, as the Quran was itself revealed over a period of 23 years, and as, in the Quran itself, we are asked to study it slowly, contemplating upon and absorbing the message of each verse as we move along, Allah does not expect us to change completely overnight only to regret and revert later, but rather he wants us to gradually and completely submit ourselves to His way with our heart and soul…. With conviction, love and piety, knowing that we are on the right path.
A: The Quran, the final revelation, is the word of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, and is a guidance for all human beings for all times to come. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad and the immediate addressees were the Prophet and the people of Makka and Medina. There are verses which are general in nature, and there are verses that are specific and time-bound. One need not be a scholar to figure out which verse will apply to whom and when…… all that is required is an honest, reference to the context, study of the verses. There are different shades of guidance even on the same issue, for example, where intoxicants are mentioned, there are three different advice given depending on the readiness of the person: we are told that there is great sin and some profit in it, then, at another place the advice is to not to pray while intoxicated, and finally, the advice to eschew it ….the scholars say that the final call to completely give up intoxicants came in 6th year after migration to Medina, i.e. a total of 19 years after preaching. So, you see, as the Quran was itself revealed over a period of 23 years, and as, in the Quran itself, we are asked to study it slowly, contemplating upon and absorbing the message of each verse as we move along, Allah does not expect us to change completely overnight only to regret and revert later, but rather he wants us to gradually and completely submit ourselves to His way with our heart and soul…. With conviction, love and piety, knowing that we are on the right path.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Books about Islam are mostly misleading?
Q: If one asks information about Islam to Muslims, they will give you a few innocent books to show how beautiful Islam is. These books are mostly misleading and even texts written by the "Centre for Islam in Europe", linked to the University of Gent (Belgium) are a twist of "real Islam" and a denial of the teachings of the four main Schools of Islam.
A: Islam is indeed beautiful. Real Islam is the message of Allah in the Quran, and the Prophet Muhammad’s sunnah, the living traditions of how he practically lived Islam….. his honesty, his compassion, his love for all, how he prayed and taught muslims how to pray, how he balanced between duties to Allah and duties towards family, community and state. The rest, including the ‘four schools’ you mention, are interpretations and applications by people, not the original revealed religion….. we can disagree with some, most or all of it, after all, that is why there are more than one schools, and that is why they are called schools of thought. Coming from a Christian background, you are familiar with numerous sects within the Christian faith….. following or not following a sect doesn’t make anybody any less a Christian or a Muslim, that is for Allah/God to judge………. All we can do is try and find the most correct and true path using all the intellect and resources at our disposal.
A: Islam is indeed beautiful. Real Islam is the message of Allah in the Quran, and the Prophet Muhammad’s sunnah, the living traditions of how he practically lived Islam….. his honesty, his compassion, his love for all, how he prayed and taught muslims how to pray, how he balanced between duties to Allah and duties towards family, community and state. The rest, including the ‘four schools’ you mention, are interpretations and applications by people, not the original revealed religion….. we can disagree with some, most or all of it, after all, that is why there are more than one schools, and that is why they are called schools of thought. Coming from a Christian background, you are familiar with numerous sects within the Christian faith….. following or not following a sect doesn’t make anybody any less a Christian or a Muslim, that is for Allah/God to judge………. All we can do is try and find the most correct and true path using all the intellect and resources at our disposal.
I converted to Islam without studying it
Q: When I proposed to my fiancé, she wanted me to convert to Islam, which I did. I realize now that it was not wise to convert to a religion, which I hardly knew anything about. So I converted to Islam without studying it carefully.
A: Well, you’re right but past is past. Now that you have begun your journey of discovery, do study thoroughly and with an open mind. My formula is: first study nature and wonder whether all this is mere chance or is there intelligent design behind it. Then, logically, who designed it? And then, if there is a designer, or can there be more than one? Has the designer chosen to speak to humanity? If yes, search all the holy books of all religions, and test them all on the basis of morality(your God-gifted conscience will guide you there), scientific accuracy, mathematical accuracy, justice, compassion, love, rights and privileges, and all other standards that you can think of.
A: Well, you’re right but past is past. Now that you have begun your journey of discovery, do study thoroughly and with an open mind. My formula is: first study nature and wonder whether all this is mere chance or is there intelligent design behind it. Then, logically, who designed it? And then, if there is a designer, or can there be more than one? Has the designer chosen to speak to humanity? If yes, search all the holy books of all religions, and test them all on the basis of morality(your God-gifted conscience will guide you there), scientific accuracy, mathematical accuracy, justice, compassion, love, rights and privileges, and all other standards that you can think of.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Multiverse and many-worlds
There is a lot of thought today on Quantum theory, the Multiverse theory and the possibility of 'many-worlds' each following their own set of 'laws', the overlap of the two, and the difference between. There are many articles on the web and many books which deal with the topics at length. What strikes me is that we muslims recite Surah Fatiha atleast 17 times a day, and the very fact that Allah is 'Rab-bil-Aalameen' just takes on an entirely different depth of meaning in the light of these recent researches. Subhan'Allah!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Future events mentioned in past tense in the Quran
Q: Yesterday evening, while studying arabic, (Holy Quran 36:51), I asked my teacher why is the 'The trumpet shall be sounded' mentioned in past tense and we read it as future tense?
A: My teacher explained that it is a special style of speech in Arabic (known as 'balagat') that when there is no doubt about a future event's happening, to emphasise, the event is discussed as it has already happened.
My mind kept wandering to Harun Yahya's book 'Eternity has already begun' and the comparison of our life to that of a pre-recorded videotape where you know exactly what happens at which part of the tape.
At night, I casually flicked through 'Parallel Worlds' by Michio Kaku, and subhan'Allah, open before me was page 154, where Pierre Simon de Laplace's work is mentioned, and I quote "He wrote that if a being could know the position and velocity of all the particles in the universe, 'for such an intellect, nothing could be uncertain; and the future just like the past would be present before his eyes.' " And then, on Pg 155, I quote from Einstein's position: ".... Everything is determined... by forces over which we have no control.... for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious time, intoned in the distance by an invisible player."
A: My teacher explained that it is a special style of speech in Arabic (known as 'balagat') that when there is no doubt about a future event's happening, to emphasise, the event is discussed as it has already happened.
My mind kept wandering to Harun Yahya's book 'Eternity has already begun' and the comparison of our life to that of a pre-recorded videotape where you know exactly what happens at which part of the tape.
At night, I casually flicked through 'Parallel Worlds' by Michio Kaku, and subhan'Allah, open before me was page 154, where Pierre Simon de Laplace's work is mentioned, and I quote "He wrote that if a being could know the position and velocity of all the particles in the universe, 'for such an intellect, nothing could be uncertain; and the future just like the past would be present before his eyes.' " And then, on Pg 155, I quote from Einstein's position: ".... Everything is determined... by forces over which we have no control.... for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious time, intoned in the distance by an invisible player."
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Who do Muslims adore?
Question: I'm curious. Who do Muslims adore?
Answer: 'Adore' as in worship? Allah, the Unseen, the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Gracious, the Most Merciful, the Cherisher and Sustainer of all the Worlds, Master of the day of Judgement, Him alone do we worship, and Him alone do we seek help from, and Him do we ask that He guides us on the correct path... the path of those who were blessed, and to protect us from going astray, and from becoming like those who have earned His wrath.There are no images of Allah as there is 'no one comparable to Him'.
Answer: 'Adore' as in worship? Allah, the Unseen, the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Gracious, the Most Merciful, the Cherisher and Sustainer of all the Worlds, Master of the day of Judgement, Him alone do we worship, and Him alone do we seek help from, and Him do we ask that He guides us on the correct path... the path of those who were blessed, and to protect us from going astray, and from becoming like those who have earned His wrath.There are no images of Allah as there is 'no one comparable to Him'.
The original injeel
Q: When the word "Injeel (Gospel)" was used in the Quran, is it referring to the four gospels of the Christians? If yes, why is it stated in the 3rd Sunnah: "48. And He (Allâh) will teach him ['Iesa (Jesus)]the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom, etc.), (and) the Taurât(Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)." when the gospels came to be written after the lifetime of Jesus? If no. Do have a copy of that Injeel?
A: First of all, it is not the 3rd Sunnah. You are referring to Chapter 3 Verse 48 of the Holy Quran.What Allah is saying here is that He will teach Jesus the message of theTaurat (the Book that was revealed to Prophet Moses), and reveal the Injeel to Prophet Jesus. That what we have today as the New Testament is a collection of the Gospels written by people based on their memory of the teachings of Prophet Jesus. The teachings of Prophet Jesus are what we understand to be the "injeel".
Injeel refers to the revelations made to Prophet Jesus (Isa) by Allah. The New Testament that we have today is not the original, exact and complete Injeel, but rather contains portions of it as it 'according to' the memory of Mark, Mathew, Luke, John, Barnabas, and so on. They do contain the teachings of Jesus, but as it is based on the memory of the scribes who compiled it, it obviously contains may errors, omissions, lapses, contradictions, etc which are but human errors. Same is with the Torah, and other sacred texts. The reason why The Holy Quran did not suffer such a fate is because it was memorized by multiple people, word by word, right from the days of Prophet Muhammad upto this day. That is why the message has stayed intact. I do not know if any copy of the original injeel, torah, or any other book has survived to this day.
Hadith is a different story. Hadith books were compiled approximately 300 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. They are based on the memory of the people that these scribes went to in search of the sayings of the Prophet, which in turn, is based on the memory of those from whom they heard it, and so on. Hence, there are many mistakes and contradictions in this body of work, and as such, this 'writing of men' cannot be taken as anyauthority. We can study it as historical documents, but we need to be careful to always check if a hadith is compatible with what Allah says in the Quran, otherwise it is not acceptable, as Prophet Muhammad lived his life totally in accordance with the injunctions of the Holy Quran, and we cannot imagine him doing or saying anything contradictory to the Quran. I would sincerely advice you to first study the Quran on its own, and then, after you've completed reading it, to branch out into studying the Hadith, Sunnah, historical books, and other sources. The Holy Quran(in Arabic) is the only document that we can vouch for as being authentically from Allah Almighty himself. Best is to study it in Arabic so as to be able to grasp the depth of meaning of each word, but if that is not possible, the next best thing is to comparatively study translations by different people to understand the closest meanings to the original message.
May Allah bless you and guide you, and may you find the true path. Amen.
A: First of all, it is not the 3rd Sunnah. You are referring to Chapter 3 Verse 48 of the Holy Quran.What Allah is saying here is that He will teach Jesus the message of theTaurat (the Book that was revealed to Prophet Moses), and reveal the Injeel to Prophet Jesus. That what we have today as the New Testament is a collection of the Gospels written by people based on their memory of the teachings of Prophet Jesus. The teachings of Prophet Jesus are what we understand to be the "injeel".
Injeel refers to the revelations made to Prophet Jesus (Isa) by Allah. The New Testament that we have today is not the original, exact and complete Injeel, but rather contains portions of it as it 'according to' the memory of Mark, Mathew, Luke, John, Barnabas, and so on. They do contain the teachings of Jesus, but as it is based on the memory of the scribes who compiled it, it obviously contains may errors, omissions, lapses, contradictions, etc which are but human errors. Same is with the Torah, and other sacred texts. The reason why The Holy Quran did not suffer such a fate is because it was memorized by multiple people, word by word, right from the days of Prophet Muhammad upto this day. That is why the message has stayed intact. I do not know if any copy of the original injeel, torah, or any other book has survived to this day.
Hadith is a different story. Hadith books were compiled approximately 300 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. They are based on the memory of the people that these scribes went to in search of the sayings of the Prophet, which in turn, is based on the memory of those from whom they heard it, and so on. Hence, there are many mistakes and contradictions in this body of work, and as such, this 'writing of men' cannot be taken as anyauthority. We can study it as historical documents, but we need to be careful to always check if a hadith is compatible with what Allah says in the Quran, otherwise it is not acceptable, as Prophet Muhammad lived his life totally in accordance with the injunctions of the Holy Quran, and we cannot imagine him doing or saying anything contradictory to the Quran. I would sincerely advice you to first study the Quran on its own, and then, after you've completed reading it, to branch out into studying the Hadith, Sunnah, historical books, and other sources. The Holy Quran(in Arabic) is the only document that we can vouch for as being authentically from Allah Almighty himself. Best is to study it in Arabic so as to be able to grasp the depth of meaning of each word, but if that is not possible, the next best thing is to comparatively study translations by different people to understand the closest meanings to the original message.
May Allah bless you and guide you, and may you find the true path. Amen.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Allah is not God?
Q: Allah is not God. Allah is the figment of Muhammad's imagination. He was anArab idol who had three daughters. Muhammad used this Pagan deity to advance his goal of domination. It was easier for him to use a known Pagan god than introduce a completely new one. So he said this big idol is the creator andthe same god spoken by Jesus and Moses. Nothing is farther from the truth. Allah and the God of the Bible are not one and the same. The God in Jesus is the God of love. Allah is the god of hate.
A: If Allah is not the true God, and if Mohammad is the author of the Quran,how come the Quran is so scientifically and historically accurate? Quran describes scientific facts which have come to the knowledge of men only during the past century or so, how did an unlettered man such as Mohammad come to know of all this in such accurate detail? The mummified bodies of the Pharoahs were discovered only a century or so ago, whereas it is mentioned in the Quran that the body of the Pharoah has been preserved for future generations as a sign! How did Mohammad come to know of all this?Please don't believe us, check out these facts for yourself. Read the Quran,or the books which prove how scientifically accurate it is. Then, make your own deductions. Our eternity depends on our faith, thus let's make sure its correct.May the true God bless us all and guide us to the true path. Amen.
A: If Allah is not the true God, and if Mohammad is the author of the Quran,how come the Quran is so scientifically and historically accurate? Quran describes scientific facts which have come to the knowledge of men only during the past century or so, how did an unlettered man such as Mohammad come to know of all this in such accurate detail? The mummified bodies of the Pharoahs were discovered only a century or so ago, whereas it is mentioned in the Quran that the body of the Pharoah has been preserved for future generations as a sign! How did Mohammad come to know of all this?Please don't believe us, check out these facts for yourself. Read the Quran,or the books which prove how scientifically accurate it is. Then, make your own deductions. Our eternity depends on our faith, thus let's make sure its correct.May the true God bless us all and guide us to the true path. Amen.
Which Hadith should we follow?
Q: Which Hadith should we follow? Does Quran say anything about this? Does it say we have to follow Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidi etc? If not then why are we following these books?
A: In the Quran, our dear Prophet Muhammad is ordered to follow the hadith of Hazrat Ibrahim. There neither was nor is any written hadith of Hazrat Ibrahim. As mentioned in the Quran, Hazrat Ibrahim was a 'hanif' and submitted totally to Allah's commands, so did Hazrat Muhammad. And as Hazrat Muhammad's life was complete obedience of the Quran, so his hadith for us to follow is complete obedience of the Quran. Quran itself begins with Alif Lam Meem The book in which there is no doubt. It is a guidance for Muttaqieen. Those who….
Then how can we take a doubtful book(s) [ ie the hadith books] for guidance?
Oh Allah,ehdinas sirat al mustaqeem. Amen.
A: In the Quran, our dear Prophet Muhammad is ordered to follow the hadith of Hazrat Ibrahim. There neither was nor is any written hadith of Hazrat Ibrahim. As mentioned in the Quran, Hazrat Ibrahim was a 'hanif' and submitted totally to Allah's commands, so did Hazrat Muhammad. And as Hazrat Muhammad's life was complete obedience of the Quran, so his hadith for us to follow is complete obedience of the Quran. Quran itself begins with Alif Lam Meem The book in which there is no doubt. It is a guidance for Muttaqieen. Those who….
Then how can we take a doubtful book(s) [ ie the hadith books] for guidance?
Oh Allah,ehdinas sirat al mustaqeem. Amen.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Creation of Adam
In the Holy Quran, regarding the creation of Adam, Allah tells us that:
30 And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not.
31 And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.
32 They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.
33 He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.
34 And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever.
35 And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers.
36 But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.
37 Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful.
38 We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
39 But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations, such are rightful Peoples of the Fire. They will abide therein.
Notice that the angels already had an idea of what man was capable of, that is, fighting, shedding blood.
Also, please read the following articles:
Note: Arabic names and their English counterparts:
Isa=Jesus
Daud=David
Nuh=Noah
1. http://can-you-answer.com/scripts/miscArticles.asp?artno=92
Author :Illias Suttar
Title :Holy Torah, Holy Quran, Adam - Conclusive verses
With the name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful. If Allah wills. What Allah wills. Peace be upon all the Holy Prophets.
Holy Torah, Holy Quran, Adam - Conclusive verses Adam, not first man, but, last man made directly from clay
There is not a single verse in the Holy Quran which says that Adam was the first man. It is because he was given the name Adam and made from clay without the involvement of father and mother, so somebody thought that he was the first man. This wrong concept is spread throughout the world, and all the three Jews, Christians, and Muslims have the same faith that Adam was the first man made out of clay/soil. The truth is that Adam was not the first man but the last man made out of clay.
From the Torah Allah proved through me that Adam was not the first man(The name of the article is, "Why I love the Holy Bible?"). The point is so conclusive that I announce a sweet and loving gift of Rs. 3 million to any Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Parsi, etc who can prove me wrong in any High court or Supreme court of the world.
Now, Allah has given me the following conclusive verses from the Holy Quran also proving that Adam was not the first man. Please see the following two verses: Chapter 15 Verse no. 26: "We have created human being (Nas), from ringing clay of loam moulded" Chapter 15 Verse no. 28: "And recall what time thy Lord said unto the angels: Verily, I am about to create a man (Bashr viz, Adam) from ringing clay of loam moulded"
Observation In verse 26, Allah says "We" and in verse 28, Allah says "I". "We," is used when Allah has engaged His angels and other beings in the job. "I" is used when Allah speaks only of Himself
In the Torah also, speaking about human beings before Adam, God uses the word "We," and says, "Now, We will make human beings" (Genesis 1, verse 26) Again, in the Torah, speaking about creation of Adam, not "We," but "He" (equivalent of "I") is used. "Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it;he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live." (Genesis 2, verse 7)
Insaan In the verse 26, above, Allah through His angels, etc, created human beings (Insaan) from clay.
Bashr In the verse 28, above, Allah created with both His hands directly Bashr (namely, Adam). In chapter 38, verse 75, Allah said "O, Iblis! What prevented thee from prostrating thyself before that which I had created with both My hands?"
Observation So the creation of "Insaan" in verse 26 is different from the creation of "Bashr" in verse 28. "Insaan" was created indirectly by God. Adam was created directly by God. "Insaan" (human beings) were existing when Adam was created. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3 Verse 59: "Verily the likeness of Isa, with Allah is as the likeness of Adam; him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo!he becometh"
Observation Just as Isa was created away from the normal process when other human beings were being born, so Adam was created away from the normal process when other human beings were being born. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3, verse 34: "Allah chose Adam, and Nuh, and the house of Ibrahim, and the house of Imran out of the worlds"
Observation Adam was chosen out of the worlds. So, Adam was never alone in the world. He was alone with his wife only in the Garden. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 38 verse 26: "O, Daud! Verily We have appointed thee a vicegerent (Khalifa) in the Earth, so judge between mankind with truth"
Chapter 2 Verse 30: "And what time thine Lord said unto the angels: Verily I am going to place a vicegerent (Khalifa, viz Adam) on the Earth"
Observation From verse 38/26, the one job of Daud as the Khalifa was to judge between mankind with truth. So, Adam as Khalifa was also supposed to judge between mankind with truth. If there were no mankind on Earth, how could Adam act as the Khalifa? Therefore, there were men existing when Adam was sent as the Khalifa. So, Adam was not the first man. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. http://can-you-answer.com/scripts/miscArticles.asp?artno=33
Author :Illias Suttar
Title :Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned
Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned
On 25th Dec. 2006 I wrote an article "Why I Love The Holy Bible" in which with the help of Torah it was proved (like 1 plus 1 is equal to 2) that Hazrat Adam (ph) was not the first human being and Eve was not the first woman.
Conclusive Proof from Holy Quran
By the Grace of ALLAH on 11-2-2007 Sunday I got the conclusive proof from the Holy Quran ALSO that human beings existed before Hazrat Adam (ph)
And surely We created you (PLURAL) and then gave you (PLURAL) shape, THEN We told the angels , "Prostrate to Adam".......... (Surah 7 Al-Araf verse 11)
The verse clearly says that PLURAL numbers of human beings were created first and after creating them the angels were told to prostrate to Adam.
I was so happy on discovering it that I simply could not be more happy.
The people created before Hazrat Adam (ph) were not worth to be mentioned, therefore no name has been mentioned. Please read the following verse in light of Sura 7 verse 11 mentioned above:-
"Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned" (Sura Ad-Dahr 76 verse 1)
The verse 76:1 has been shown by my friends Ali Raza Jaffery and Hanif Motiwala. I am grateful to them.
30 And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not.
31 And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.
32 They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.
33 He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.
34 And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever.
35 And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers.
36 But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.
37 Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful.
38 We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
39 But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations, such are rightful Peoples of the Fire. They will abide therein.
Notice that the angels already had an idea of what man was capable of, that is, fighting, shedding blood.
Also, please read the following articles:
Note: Arabic names and their English counterparts:
Isa=Jesus
Daud=David
Nuh=Noah
1. http://can-you-answer.com/scripts/miscArticles.asp?artno=92
Author :Illias Suttar
Title :Holy Torah, Holy Quran, Adam - Conclusive verses
With the name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful. If Allah wills. What Allah wills. Peace be upon all the Holy Prophets.
Holy Torah, Holy Quran, Adam - Conclusive verses Adam, not first man, but, last man made directly from clay
There is not a single verse in the Holy Quran which says that Adam was the first man. It is because he was given the name Adam and made from clay without the involvement of father and mother, so somebody thought that he was the first man. This wrong concept is spread throughout the world, and all the three Jews, Christians, and Muslims have the same faith that Adam was the first man made out of clay/soil. The truth is that Adam was not the first man but the last man made out of clay.
From the Torah Allah proved through me that Adam was not the first man(The name of the article is, "Why I love the Holy Bible?"). The point is so conclusive that I announce a sweet and loving gift of Rs. 3 million to any Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Parsi, etc who can prove me wrong in any High court or Supreme court of the world.
Now, Allah has given me the following conclusive verses from the Holy Quran also proving that Adam was not the first man. Please see the following two verses: Chapter 15 Verse no. 26: "We have created human being (Nas), from ringing clay of loam moulded" Chapter 15 Verse no. 28: "And recall what time thy Lord said unto the angels: Verily, I am about to create a man (Bashr viz, Adam) from ringing clay of loam moulded"
Observation In verse 26, Allah says "We" and in verse 28, Allah says "I". "We," is used when Allah has engaged His angels and other beings in the job. "I" is used when Allah speaks only of Himself
In the Torah also, speaking about human beings before Adam, God uses the word "We," and says, "Now, We will make human beings" (Genesis 1, verse 26) Again, in the Torah, speaking about creation of Adam, not "We," but "He" (equivalent of "I") is used. "Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it;he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live." (Genesis 2, verse 7)
Insaan In the verse 26, above, Allah through His angels, etc, created human beings (Insaan) from clay.
Bashr In the verse 28, above, Allah created with both His hands directly Bashr (namely, Adam). In chapter 38, verse 75, Allah said "O, Iblis! What prevented thee from prostrating thyself before that which I had created with both My hands?"
Observation So the creation of "Insaan" in verse 26 is different from the creation of "Bashr" in verse 28. "Insaan" was created indirectly by God. Adam was created directly by God. "Insaan" (human beings) were existing when Adam was created. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3 Verse 59: "Verily the likeness of Isa, with Allah is as the likeness of Adam; him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo!he becometh"
Observation Just as Isa was created away from the normal process when other human beings were being born, so Adam was created away from the normal process when other human beings were being born. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3, verse 34: "Allah chose Adam, and Nuh, and the house of Ibrahim, and the house of Imran out of the worlds"
Observation Adam was chosen out of the worlds. So, Adam was never alone in the world. He was alone with his wife only in the Garden. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 38 verse 26: "O, Daud! Verily We have appointed thee a vicegerent (Khalifa) in the Earth, so judge between mankind with truth"
Chapter 2 Verse 30: "And what time thine Lord said unto the angels: Verily I am going to place a vicegerent (Khalifa, viz Adam) on the Earth"
Observation From verse 38/26, the one job of Daud as the Khalifa was to judge between mankind with truth. So, Adam as Khalifa was also supposed to judge between mankind with truth. If there were no mankind on Earth, how could Adam act as the Khalifa? Therefore, there were men existing when Adam was sent as the Khalifa. So, Adam was not the first man. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. http://can-you-answer.com/scripts/miscArticles.asp?artno=33
Author :Illias Suttar
Title :Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned
Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned
On 25th Dec. 2006 I wrote an article "Why I Love The Holy Bible" in which with the help of Torah it was proved (like 1 plus 1 is equal to 2) that Hazrat Adam (ph) was not the first human being and Eve was not the first woman.
Conclusive Proof from Holy Quran
By the Grace of ALLAH on 11-2-2007 Sunday I got the conclusive proof from the Holy Quran ALSO that human beings existed before Hazrat Adam (ph)
And surely We created you (PLURAL) and then gave you (PLURAL) shape, THEN We told the angels , "Prostrate to Adam".......... (Surah 7 Al-Araf verse 11)
The verse clearly says that PLURAL numbers of human beings were created first and after creating them the angels were told to prostrate to Adam.
I was so happy on discovering it that I simply could not be more happy.
The people created before Hazrat Adam (ph) were not worth to be mentioned, therefore no name has been mentioned. Please read the following verse in light of Sura 7 verse 11 mentioned above:-
"Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned" (Sura Ad-Dahr 76 verse 1)
The verse 76:1 has been shown by my friends Ali Raza Jaffery and Hanif Motiwala. I am grateful to them.
God is Energy?
Q: Try thinking of Energy that exist throughout the Universe as the embodiment of GOD. We know that Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is and all aspect of life physical and spiritual consist of energy. In life we call it Spirit.
A: What makes you think that Energy ‘cannot be created or destroyed’; energy and matter are interchangeable, as demonstrated by Einstein’s theory of relativity; furthermore, most scientists agree that the Universe started with the ‘Big Bang’, hence it is created; then again, the modern notion of ‘String theory’ is that all matter is basically composed of a fundamental particle, the string, and the variety of its ‘spin’ which ascribes different properties to it. Why then, is one to assume that Energy is ‘uncreated’?
A: What makes you think that Energy ‘cannot be created or destroyed’; energy and matter are interchangeable, as demonstrated by Einstein’s theory of relativity; furthermore, most scientists agree that the Universe started with the ‘Big Bang’, hence it is created; then again, the modern notion of ‘String theory’ is that all matter is basically composed of a fundamental particle, the string, and the variety of its ‘spin’ which ascribes different properties to it. Why then, is one to assume that Energy is ‘uncreated’?
Laylat ul Bara'ah / Shab-e-Baraat
Q: Laylat ul Bara'ah Islamic holy day..err night?
A: Peace and Blessings.
In the original Islamic practice, that is if we look at the Prophet and the Quran, there is no authentic tradition of any importance of this date, day or night. Over the years, different sects have come to believe different things regarding this date. Some researchers have also commented that it is basically the same pagan concept of Halloween, as practiced by various names and variations by various cults, introduced in Islam at a much later time by people who wanted to assimilate/find a common path/ or whatever the reasons… only Allah knows.
If we look at the practice of the Prophet, he did not do anything special on this night. There are some reports that he visited the graveyard on this date, but then it was the common practice of our dear Prophet to visit the graveyard often, as a reminder of the final destiny, and he encouraged people to visit the graveyard often so as to help keep focused on the true reality of this life… a temporary abode where the only certainity is the final departure: death! Eternal life is on the other side of death, one must go, thus one must work and prepare for a bright eternal future, rather than put all efforts in the pursuit of the temporal. The Prophet did not prescribe any special practice or prayers for the people on this date.
As far as the Quran is concerned, Allah tells us of ‘layla-tul-Qadar’ the night better than a thousand months, because it is the night when the Quran was sent down for the guidance of mankind, and it falls in the month of Ramadhan, the month of fasting for muslims all over the world.
A: Peace and Blessings.
In the original Islamic practice, that is if we look at the Prophet and the Quran, there is no authentic tradition of any importance of this date, day or night. Over the years, different sects have come to believe different things regarding this date. Some researchers have also commented that it is basically the same pagan concept of Halloween, as practiced by various names and variations by various cults, introduced in Islam at a much later time by people who wanted to assimilate/find a common path/ or whatever the reasons… only Allah knows.
If we look at the practice of the Prophet, he did not do anything special on this night. There are some reports that he visited the graveyard on this date, but then it was the common practice of our dear Prophet to visit the graveyard often, as a reminder of the final destiny, and he encouraged people to visit the graveyard often so as to help keep focused on the true reality of this life… a temporary abode where the only certainity is the final departure: death! Eternal life is on the other side of death, one must go, thus one must work and prepare for a bright eternal future, rather than put all efforts in the pursuit of the temporal. The Prophet did not prescribe any special practice or prayers for the people on this date.
As far as the Quran is concerned, Allah tells us of ‘layla-tul-Qadar’ the night better than a thousand months, because it is the night when the Quran was sent down for the guidance of mankind, and it falls in the month of Ramadhan, the month of fasting for muslims all over the world.
Last edited: July 2, 2016
God's concept in Islam
Answer: As far as God's concept in Islam is, He is not like anything that we can see, imagine or feel. Therefore, the cosmos cannot be God, rather it is also part of Allah(God)'s creation. Allah himself says in the Holy Qur'an Chapter 112 (Pure Faith)Al-Ikhlas: Translated by Ahmed Ali
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
1. SAY: "HE IS God the one the most unique,
2. God the immanently indispensable.
3. He has begotten no one, and is begotten of none.
4. There is no one comparable to Him."
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
1. SAY: "HE IS God the one the most unique,
2. God the immanently indispensable.
3. He has begotten no one, and is begotten of none.
4. There is no one comparable to Him."
The very obvious stupidity contained in every belief system
Question: A thinker wrote:
The very obvious stupidity contained in every belief system is the result of accepting as true the statements of others without checking against personal experience. This is made even worse by the mental laziness that people use in order to take short cuts. All the different classes of belief do the same thing and consequently the world is in a mess caused by lazy, expediency focused thinking.
Answer: Very true about most denizens of planet Earth. The very first, most important thing to do is to observe with all our senses, and use our intellect to determine whether or not this Universe / Multiverse came about itself, or if there is an/are multiple intelligent designs behind it. If there is/are, then what is more plausible: one intelligent creator or multiple creators?? If authority can reside with only One person, then who is this person and how do we find this Creator/ how do we revere and worship/ and is that the purpose of our creation/ what is life, and is there or not a life beyond this Earth/ and if so, will there be a reckoning??? Is there a message that this God has sent, how do we know which is the true message when there are so many multiple faith systems, so many religions, so many claims????? My personal method is to evaluate all Holy Books for accuracy/ truth/ consistency/ evaluation of scientific data/ mathematical data/ moral code/ fairness and justice, and only one Book has met all of these parameters…. The Holy Quran….. so, I believe that it is the Word of God. Since God himself says in the Holy Quran that He is Allah, that Muhammad is His messenger, and that the Quran is a Book without doubt; a Guidance for the Muttaqeen (those who are aware of Allah all the time; love him for his Love for us, and fear Him as He is the only one to be feared; and as the Day of Reckoning will definitely come). May the true God guide us all.
The very obvious stupidity contained in every belief system is the result of accepting as true the statements of others without checking against personal experience. This is made even worse by the mental laziness that people use in order to take short cuts. All the different classes of belief do the same thing and consequently the world is in a mess caused by lazy, expediency focused thinking.
Answer: Very true about most denizens of planet Earth. The very first, most important thing to do is to observe with all our senses, and use our intellect to determine whether or not this Universe / Multiverse came about itself, or if there is an/are multiple intelligent designs behind it. If there is/are, then what is more plausible: one intelligent creator or multiple creators?? If authority can reside with only One person, then who is this person and how do we find this Creator/ how do we revere and worship/ and is that the purpose of our creation/ what is life, and is there or not a life beyond this Earth/ and if so, will there be a reckoning??? Is there a message that this God has sent, how do we know which is the true message when there are so many multiple faith systems, so many religions, so many claims????? My personal method is to evaluate all Holy Books for accuracy/ truth/ consistency/ evaluation of scientific data/ mathematical data/ moral code/ fairness and justice, and only one Book has met all of these parameters…. The Holy Quran….. so, I believe that it is the Word of God. Since God himself says in the Holy Quran that He is Allah, that Muhammad is His messenger, and that the Quran is a Book without doubt; a Guidance for the Muttaqeen (those who are aware of Allah all the time; love him for his Love for us, and fear Him as He is the only one to be feared; and as the Day of Reckoning will definitely come). May the true God guide us all.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Dawkins shreds Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation
Q: Here is a video of Dawkins talking about the Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation for the first 20 minutes. The remaining 20 minutes are devoted to Q&A and you see a good exchange on the topic of Islamic creationism. It is also great to see Pervez Hoodbhoy mentioned couple of times in the session and an acknowledgement of his efforts for the popularization of science in Pakistan.
For Video... Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8861534404717969199)
A: First, as I’ve also posted earlier, I agree with SH’s assertion that “an unnecessary emphasis on evolution-atheism link by many scientists may be the biggest barrier”. Personally, I have no problem ascribing the “Creation of the Process of Evolution” to Allah……… he can do everything, not just create from clay! And it does not contradict my belief in the literal translation of the Quran.
I saw the video, visited Richard Dawkins’ website and forum, and downloaded the pdf copy of Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation. I checked for the ‘eel-snake’ and the ‘fishfly-hook’ images on the pages as pointed out by Richard Dawkins but could not find them in Harun Yahya’s book. Taxonomically or Biologically, I do not know how accurate or not Harun Yahya’s book is; but then Richard Dawkins also does not appear to be giving exact/accurate objections either.
For Video... Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8861534404717969199)
A: First, as I’ve also posted earlier, I agree with SH’s assertion that “an unnecessary emphasis on evolution-atheism link by many scientists may be the biggest barrier”. Personally, I have no problem ascribing the “Creation of the Process of Evolution” to Allah……… he can do everything, not just create from clay! And it does not contradict my belief in the literal translation of the Quran.
I saw the video, visited Richard Dawkins’ website and forum, and downloaded the pdf copy of Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation. I checked for the ‘eel-snake’ and the ‘fishfly-hook’ images on the pages as pointed out by Richard Dawkins but could not find them in Harun Yahya’s book. Taxonomically or Biologically, I do not know how accurate or not Harun Yahya’s book is; but then Richard Dawkins also does not appear to be giving exact/accurate objections either.
Sects in Islam
Question: Does the whole of Islam agree on the contents and meaning of the Qur'an, or are there different groups who claim that only they are true and that all others Muslims fall short of the standard set by God? Western News coverage tends to suggest that Islam is not one big happy global family, and that even in Islam, experts disagree.
Answer: Alas, no, like all followers of all other religions, Muslims too are divided into sects, each believing what they have is right. But let me explain. Firstly, you may have noticed when I quote the Quran, at times I post translations by more than one translators of the same verse. Arabic language has great depth, and the same word can have different shades of meaning. When there is a difference of opinion, I usually tend to compare what others have understood, and try to pick the meaning I feel is the most appropriate. But this happens in very few verses, and it is, I believe, a kind of test for us. The major part is very clear and easy to understand and follow. Also, no matter how many times a person has studied the Quran, each new reading takes the reader to a new depth of meaning, so it is continuously instructing and spiritually elevating the indivisual……….. it is like a course book right from the pre-school to the PhD level! And beyond!Secondly, the major source of disagreements comes from sources other than the Quran. For instance, the books of hadith, the sayings of the Prophet, based on the memory of generations, compiled a 150 to 300 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, are the main source of confusion. As I do not have any evidence of ‘purported ill intentions’, I like to believe that these were all good people like you and me, who tried to find and preserve whatever they could find attributed to the Prophet. But, as this was a human effort, based on memory of people who had heard from other people, this body of work definitely contains many many contradictions, with the Quran as well as within itself, and there are many sayings which the scholars say are falsely attributed to the Prophet. Treating the Hadith books as works of history would have been a great source for scholarly research, but treating them as articles of faith, with different sects believing in different sets of Hadith, has led to so much sectarian division.Also, some of the divisions started essentially as political divisions, such as the Shia-Sunni divide, and later on religious differences also germinated. The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammad and the Roots of the Shia-Sunni Schism by Barnaby Rogerson traces an interesting account.
Allah does not like sectarianism:
Chapter 6: 159 As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah. He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did.
Scholars from different sects have lately started sitting together, and are glad to report that there are few differences, and mostly minor in nature, amongst many sects. But, yes, there are some major differences also, but one hopes, with better education and easy access to research material, people will come more and more to common ground, and start treating differences in interpretation as human limitations, and not as reasons to part ways.
May Allah guide us all.
Answer: Alas, no, like all followers of all other religions, Muslims too are divided into sects, each believing what they have is right. But let me explain. Firstly, you may have noticed when I quote the Quran, at times I post translations by more than one translators of the same verse. Arabic language has great depth, and the same word can have different shades of meaning. When there is a difference of opinion, I usually tend to compare what others have understood, and try to pick the meaning I feel is the most appropriate. But this happens in very few verses, and it is, I believe, a kind of test for us. The major part is very clear and easy to understand and follow. Also, no matter how many times a person has studied the Quran, each new reading takes the reader to a new depth of meaning, so it is continuously instructing and spiritually elevating the indivisual……….. it is like a course book right from the pre-school to the PhD level! And beyond!Secondly, the major source of disagreements comes from sources other than the Quran. For instance, the books of hadith, the sayings of the Prophet, based on the memory of generations, compiled a 150 to 300 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, are the main source of confusion. As I do not have any evidence of ‘purported ill intentions’, I like to believe that these were all good people like you and me, who tried to find and preserve whatever they could find attributed to the Prophet. But, as this was a human effort, based on memory of people who had heard from other people, this body of work definitely contains many many contradictions, with the Quran as well as within itself, and there are many sayings which the scholars say are falsely attributed to the Prophet. Treating the Hadith books as works of history would have been a great source for scholarly research, but treating them as articles of faith, with different sects believing in different sets of Hadith, has led to so much sectarian division.Also, some of the divisions started essentially as political divisions, such as the Shia-Sunni divide, and later on religious differences also germinated. The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammad and the Roots of the Shia-Sunni Schism by Barnaby Rogerson traces an interesting account.
Allah does not like sectarianism:
Chapter 6: 159 As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah. He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did.
Scholars from different sects have lately started sitting together, and are glad to report that there are few differences, and mostly minor in nature, amongst many sects. But, yes, there are some major differences also, but one hopes, with better education and easy access to research material, people will come more and more to common ground, and start treating differences in interpretation as human limitations, and not as reasons to part ways.
May Allah guide us all.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Scientific accuracy in the Quran could have been dictated by a jinn?
Question: My opinion on this is that, no matter how hard we try to prove that Quran is the word of God because it foretold something that has been discovered only recently – we wont be able to cast away all doubts. For example, lets assume that Quran did tell us something about the world that has only been observed today. But couldn’t it be a mere guess by Muhammad (saw)? Or may be a jinn told him of something that humans did not know earlier etc. etc. I mean there are a thousand ways that a doubt can be cast in this kind of a proof.
Answer: Isn’t it strange that Quran seems to stand out as the only book which is free from scientific errors…. All other books(religious and else) seem to be riddled with mistakes, over-sights, and limited by human knowledge….. why would a ‘jinn’ author /dictate this only book, and then glorify Allah only?
Answer: Isn’t it strange that Quran seems to stand out as the only book which is free from scientific errors…. All other books(religious and else) seem to be riddled with mistakes, over-sights, and limited by human knowledge….. why would a ‘jinn’ author /dictate this only book, and then glorify Allah only?
Muslim perspective of Prayer
Muslim Perspective of Prayer:
As muslims, we believe in the power of Prayer. It is an integral part of our lives. We pray atleast five times a day: early morning, just after midday, late afternoon, just after sunset and at night. These are the five compulsory prayers which help connects the individual to the Creator. Our prayers take a minimum of five minutes at a time, but can be lengthened as much as one wishes. There are three main aspects to our prayers:
1. The physical poses: standing, sitting, bowing, prostrating___ complete exercise of the body, something similar to the various positions of original Jewish prayers and yoga.
2. Then comes the wordings or the content of the prayer: we repeat the first seven lines of the very first chapter of the Holy Quran which is a very comprehensive prayer for all humankind. We also recite some portion of the Holy Quran after that to remind ourselves of the message….. praying five times a day keeps reminding us of our real purpose, and helps keep us focused. It reminds us to continue and improve on whatever good that we do, and stay away from all evil. It teaches compassion, humility, discipline, punctuality and so many other good virtues. The reason that you do not see that in the behavior of most muslims is that many do not pray, and some of those who do: do so without understanding…. as a mere ritual. Thus, they are not able to benefit from their prayers.
3. We also pray to Allah for whatever we desire, both in this world and the hereafter. Allah listens to all prayers and grants whatever He decides in His Wisdom is best for us. He is the Most Beneficient, Most Merciful………. He knows what is good for us.
We are told in the Holy Quran that humans have been endowed with free will, and because Allah is just, He has sent us to this world which is basically a place of trial, so that each one of us humans can prove whether we deserve to go to Heaven or Hell………. Allah in His complete knowledge knows our fundamental natures, yet He has given us the free will, and an open-book exam, the book being the Holy Quran, which is a Book of guidance for all humans. The ups and downs of this world, the wealth, the poverty, the health, the sickness, loss of loved ones, shattered dreams, getting more than expectations, living a good life, poor standard of living, all are basically trials for the soul. The good things are not rewards, neither are the difficult times a punishment………… judgment is for the Hereafter………………. This is all a trial. Prayer is the most powerful tool, and we are reminded again and again in the Holy Quran that
a. Those who believe in Allah and the Hereafter
b. Those who pray
c. Those who do good deeds
d. Those who endure with patience
These are the ones who will be successful in the Hereafter, which is the real life………….. the eternal life!
On the scientific side, I was recently reading somewhere that some scientists studying quantum physics theorize that this world is basically a virtual reality, an illusion, a matrix-like scenario, the proof of which they find in the uncertainity principle itself, in the vibrations of the quantum mechanics, and the necessity of an observer for an event to actually take place!
More on Muslim Prayer:
Other than the five compulsory prayers, one can pray as much as one wants. The prayer in the late hours of the night is most advisable and carries great rewards. It is a time of solitude when a muslim leaves the comfort of the bed and shortens the sleep so that he/she can have some private ‘quality’ time with the Creator. At that time, no one is watching, and the prayer and devotion is solely for the love of Allah! But, praying throughout the night is discouraged, as one must get enough rest and sleep, so as to be able to spend the day in a productive way. We, as muslims, must live complete lives, playing all our roles properly, i.e. living the family life, earning a living, taking care of the community, seeking a good education, etc, etc. The prayer just described, and in the previous mail is known as Salaat.
Then comes Fasting, which is compulsory for a month once a year. The month is the lunar month called Ramadhan of the Islamic calendar, being observed all over the world these days. Fasting has been prescribed in the month of Ramadhan because the Holy Quran was sent down in this holy month. Fasting carries a lot of spiritual, bodily, and other worldly benefits with it. Spiritually, one feels good about obeying Allah by not eating or drinking from dawn to dusk, and realizes also that if we can not eat and drink for the sake of Allah, then we can eschew other sins also for the sake of Allah. We can control our anger, we can refrain from lying, cheating and so many other social vices that are prohibited similarly through out the year…. We have the ability, what is needed is the will to do so. We realize how the poor suffer from hunger, how difficult life must be for them, and thus compassion for fellow beings is generated. It is medical research that fasting for a month once a year is most beneficial for the digestive system, especially the liver.
Holy Quran, Chapter 2:
183
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-
184
(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.
185
Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.
Then comes Charity, the next equally important form of prayer. One must spend on the welfare of parents, relatives, orphans, travelers, and all who need help… those who ask, and also seek out those who are really needy but are too proud to ask, and in the way of Allah. Allah says that no charity goes to waste, rather, He increases the rewards manifold.
The Holy Quran:
The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All-Knower. ( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #261)
Kind words and forgiving of faults are better than Sadaqah (charity) followed by injury. And Allah is Rich (Free of all wants) and He is Most-Forbearing. ( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #263)
O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. ( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #264)
Those who spend (in Allahs Cause - deeds of charity, alms, etc.) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the gooddoers). ( سورة آل عمران , Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #134)
To those who can afford it, Pilgrimage once in a lifetime is ordained. We go to Makkah in Saudi Arabia, cicumambulate the Kaabah, and re-live the the rites of great Prophet Abraham. We run between the hills of Safa and Marwa to re-live the anguish of the poor mother Hagar of Prophet Ishmael who was running from one hilltop to another looking for water for her child. We drink from the well of Zamzam, which miraculously appeared where the baby Ishmael was lying, kicking his feet, crying due to thirst. Scientists have tried to find the source of this water, and they have just no explanation where this appeared from in the middle of the desert, and continues to supply water for the pilgrims to this day. We go to Mina, stay there glorifying Allah, then go to field of Arafat on the day of the Pilgrimage, ie 9th ZilHajj, then spend the night in Muzdallifah, praying, resting, and collecting tiny stones. Armed with the stones, we return to Mina in the morning, and go to symbolically stone the devil at the three places where he had tried to deceive Abraham by talking him out of sacrificing his first born, as per his dream and the custom prevalent in those times. Then we sacrifice an animal, in memory of how Allah had graciously accepted the sacrifice of Abraham, and replaced Ishmael with an animal, while Abraham had covered his eyes and lowered the knife to carry out the will of Allah. Allah had saved Ishmael, as all He wanted was to test Abraham and Ishmael, and see if they were completely muslims(submitting to the will of Allah) or whether love for life or child would hinder either of them. They passed with flying colours, and muslims remember and re-live it, which helps increase faith. The sacrificed animal is to be eaten, shared with family, neighbours, relatives, the poor and needy. Thus, there is no needless killing or waste, the sacrifice becoming a part of the great circle of life.
The great thing about being a muslim is that we do not need to go through any ‘in-betweens’ to communicate with Allah. Any time we need to talk to Him, remember Him, or ask for help, we can just directly speak to Him, sitting, standing, lying, or if possible, formally praying. And the great thing, we know for sure that He is hearing each and every word, and He will either grant us our wish, or give something better instead. Even when, apparently, our wish is not being granted, we know that its either due to the trial that we must go through, or that it is somehow not the right thing for us, as Allah, in His complete knowledge knows that our wish, if fulfilled, will be to our physical or spiritual detriment.
Allah is the Most-Beneficient, Forever Merciful, and loves all of us. That is why, He invites mankind again and again to believe in Him, and not associate any with Him. He says He will forgive all sins of those who repent sincerely, and then worship and obey Him, as guided in the Holy Quran.
May Allah bless and guide us all. Amen
As muslims, we believe in the power of Prayer. It is an integral part of our lives. We pray atleast five times a day: early morning, just after midday, late afternoon, just after sunset and at night. These are the five compulsory prayers which help connects the individual to the Creator. Our prayers take a minimum of five minutes at a time, but can be lengthened as much as one wishes. There are three main aspects to our prayers:
1. The physical poses: standing, sitting, bowing, prostrating___ complete exercise of the body, something similar to the various positions of original Jewish prayers and yoga.
2. Then comes the wordings or the content of the prayer: we repeat the first seven lines of the very first chapter of the Holy Quran which is a very comprehensive prayer for all humankind. We also recite some portion of the Holy Quran after that to remind ourselves of the message….. praying five times a day keeps reminding us of our real purpose, and helps keep us focused. It reminds us to continue and improve on whatever good that we do, and stay away from all evil. It teaches compassion, humility, discipline, punctuality and so many other good virtues. The reason that you do not see that in the behavior of most muslims is that many do not pray, and some of those who do: do so without understanding…. as a mere ritual. Thus, they are not able to benefit from their prayers.
3. We also pray to Allah for whatever we desire, both in this world and the hereafter. Allah listens to all prayers and grants whatever He decides in His Wisdom is best for us. He is the Most Beneficient, Most Merciful………. He knows what is good for us.
We are told in the Holy Quran that humans have been endowed with free will, and because Allah is just, He has sent us to this world which is basically a place of trial, so that each one of us humans can prove whether we deserve to go to Heaven or Hell………. Allah in His complete knowledge knows our fundamental natures, yet He has given us the free will, and an open-book exam, the book being the Holy Quran, which is a Book of guidance for all humans. The ups and downs of this world, the wealth, the poverty, the health, the sickness, loss of loved ones, shattered dreams, getting more than expectations, living a good life, poor standard of living, all are basically trials for the soul. The good things are not rewards, neither are the difficult times a punishment………… judgment is for the Hereafter………………. This is all a trial. Prayer is the most powerful tool, and we are reminded again and again in the Holy Quran that
a. Those who believe in Allah and the Hereafter
b. Those who pray
c. Those who do good deeds
d. Those who endure with patience
These are the ones who will be successful in the Hereafter, which is the real life………….. the eternal life!
On the scientific side, I was recently reading somewhere that some scientists studying quantum physics theorize that this world is basically a virtual reality, an illusion, a matrix-like scenario, the proof of which they find in the uncertainity principle itself, in the vibrations of the quantum mechanics, and the necessity of an observer for an event to actually take place!
More on Muslim Prayer:
Other than the five compulsory prayers, one can pray as much as one wants. The prayer in the late hours of the night is most advisable and carries great rewards. It is a time of solitude when a muslim leaves the comfort of the bed and shortens the sleep so that he/she can have some private ‘quality’ time with the Creator. At that time, no one is watching, and the prayer and devotion is solely for the love of Allah! But, praying throughout the night is discouraged, as one must get enough rest and sleep, so as to be able to spend the day in a productive way. We, as muslims, must live complete lives, playing all our roles properly, i.e. living the family life, earning a living, taking care of the community, seeking a good education, etc, etc. The prayer just described, and in the previous mail is known as Salaat.
Then comes Fasting, which is compulsory for a month once a year. The month is the lunar month called Ramadhan of the Islamic calendar, being observed all over the world these days. Fasting has been prescribed in the month of Ramadhan because the Holy Quran was sent down in this holy month. Fasting carries a lot of spiritual, bodily, and other worldly benefits with it. Spiritually, one feels good about obeying Allah by not eating or drinking from dawn to dusk, and realizes also that if we can not eat and drink for the sake of Allah, then we can eschew other sins also for the sake of Allah. We can control our anger, we can refrain from lying, cheating and so many other social vices that are prohibited similarly through out the year…. We have the ability, what is needed is the will to do so. We realize how the poor suffer from hunger, how difficult life must be for them, and thus compassion for fellow beings is generated. It is medical research that fasting for a month once a year is most beneficial for the digestive system, especially the liver.
Holy Quran, Chapter 2:
183
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-
184
(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.
185
Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.
Then comes Charity, the next equally important form of prayer. One must spend on the welfare of parents, relatives, orphans, travelers, and all who need help… those who ask, and also seek out those who are really needy but are too proud to ask, and in the way of Allah. Allah says that no charity goes to waste, rather, He increases the rewards manifold.
The Holy Quran:
The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All-Knower. ( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #261)
Kind words and forgiving of faults are better than Sadaqah (charity) followed by injury. And Allah is Rich (Free of all wants) and He is Most-Forbearing. ( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #263)
O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. ( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #264)
Those who spend (in Allahs Cause - deeds of charity, alms, etc.) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the gooddoers). ( سورة آل عمران , Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #134)
To those who can afford it, Pilgrimage once in a lifetime is ordained. We go to Makkah in Saudi Arabia, cicumambulate the Kaabah, and re-live the the rites of great Prophet Abraham. We run between the hills of Safa and Marwa to re-live the anguish of the poor mother Hagar of Prophet Ishmael who was running from one hilltop to another looking for water for her child. We drink from the well of Zamzam, which miraculously appeared where the baby Ishmael was lying, kicking his feet, crying due to thirst. Scientists have tried to find the source of this water, and they have just no explanation where this appeared from in the middle of the desert, and continues to supply water for the pilgrims to this day. We go to Mina, stay there glorifying Allah, then go to field of Arafat on the day of the Pilgrimage, ie 9th ZilHajj, then spend the night in Muzdallifah, praying, resting, and collecting tiny stones. Armed with the stones, we return to Mina in the morning, and go to symbolically stone the devil at the three places where he had tried to deceive Abraham by talking him out of sacrificing his first born, as per his dream and the custom prevalent in those times. Then we sacrifice an animal, in memory of how Allah had graciously accepted the sacrifice of Abraham, and replaced Ishmael with an animal, while Abraham had covered his eyes and lowered the knife to carry out the will of Allah. Allah had saved Ishmael, as all He wanted was to test Abraham and Ishmael, and see if they were completely muslims(submitting to the will of Allah) or whether love for life or child would hinder either of them. They passed with flying colours, and muslims remember and re-live it, which helps increase faith. The sacrificed animal is to be eaten, shared with family, neighbours, relatives, the poor and needy. Thus, there is no needless killing or waste, the sacrifice becoming a part of the great circle of life.
The great thing about being a muslim is that we do not need to go through any ‘in-betweens’ to communicate with Allah. Any time we need to talk to Him, remember Him, or ask for help, we can just directly speak to Him, sitting, standing, lying, or if possible, formally praying. And the great thing, we know for sure that He is hearing each and every word, and He will either grant us our wish, or give something better instead. Even when, apparently, our wish is not being granted, we know that its either due to the trial that we must go through, or that it is somehow not the right thing for us, as Allah, in His complete knowledge knows that our wish, if fulfilled, will be to our physical or spiritual detriment.
Allah is the Most-Beneficient, Forever Merciful, and loves all of us. That is why, He invites mankind again and again to believe in Him, and not associate any with Him. He says He will forgive all sins of those who repent sincerely, and then worship and obey Him, as guided in the Holy Quran.
May Allah bless and guide us all. Amen