tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62170219467156604872024-03-14T05:14:05.722-07:00StrangeHoodA Reverts Guide to IslamRene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-36745307052050597292010-12-01T01:48:00.000-08:002010-12-01T01:49:41.256-08:00struggling to pray?How often do we as muslims make excuses for why we cant pray? <br />
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<object height="360" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYB_9U29-4c?fs=1&hl=es_ES"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYB_9U29-4c?fs=1&hl=es_ES" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="420" height="360"></embed></object>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-50592474116781421722010-08-07T15:02:00.000-07:002010-08-07T15:02:21.451-07:00Learn Tajweed AND The Art of Reciting Quran<div style="color: purple;"><b>Here are the first 5 episodes. Each week inshaAllah I will add 5 more, or you can always accesss the next episodes on youtube. </b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7iI9wcOj0Ro&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7iI9wcOj0Ro&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-84795673543639544732010-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:002010-08-07T14:57:36.993-07:00Ramadan<div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>With Ramadan just around the corner, muslims around the world are starting to prepare themselves mentally, physically and spiritually for fasting from sunrise to sunset. </b></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><b>"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become God-fearing." (The Quran, 2:183)</b></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim). </b></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Everything you need to know about fasting <a href="http://www.islam101.com/ramadan/qhFast.htm">http://www.islam101.com/ramadan/qhFast.htm</a></b></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-74259034811706519742010-05-02T01:29:00.000-07:002010-05-02T01:29:26.791-07:00Bible denies the divinity of Jesus<div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>source: http://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-10-1.htm#s1<br />
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"Christians and Muslims both believe in Jesus, love him, and honor him. They are, however, divided over the question of his divinity.<br />
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Fortunately, this difference can be resolved if we refer the question to both the Bible and the Quran, because, both the Bible and the Quran teach that Jesus is not God.<br />
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It is clear enough to everyone that the Quran denies the divinity of Jesus, so we do not need to spend much time explaining that.<br />
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On the other hand, many people misunderstand the Bible; they feel that the belief in Jesus as God is so widespread that it must have come from the Bible. This article shows quite conclusively that the Bible does not teach that.<br />
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The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not God. In the Bible God is always someone else other than Jesus.<br />
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Some will say that something Jesus said or something he did while on the earth proves that he is God. We will show that the disciples never came to the conclusion that Jesus is God. And those are people who lived and walked with Jesus and thus knew first hand what he said and did. Furthermore, we are told in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible that the disciples were being guided by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus is God, surely they should know it. But they did not. They kept worshipping the one true God who was worshipped by Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (see Acts 3:13).<br />
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All of the writers of the Bible believed that God was not Jesus. The idea that Jesus is God did not become part of Christian belief until after the Bible was written, and took many centuries to become part of the faith of Christians.</b> </div><div style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><a name='more'></a><b><br />
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Matthew, Mark, and Luke, authors of the first three Gospels, believed that Jesus was not God (see Mark 10:18 and Matthew 19:17). They believed that he was the son of God in the sense of a righteous person. Many others too, are similarly called sons of God (see Matthew 23:1-9).</b> <b><br />
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Paul, believed to be the author of some thirteen or fourteen letters in the Bible, also believed that Jesus is not God. For Paul, God first created Jesus, then used Jesus as the agent by which to create the rest of creation (see Colossians 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 8:6). Similar ideas are found in the letter to the Hebrews, and also in the Gospel and Letters of John composed some seventy years after Jesus. In all of these writings, however, Jesus is still a creature of God and is therefore forever subservient to God (see 1 Corinthians 15:28).</b> <b><br />
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Now, because Paul, John, and the author of Hebrews believed that Jesus was God’s first creature, some of what they wrote clearly show that Jesus was a pre-existent powerful being. This is often misunderstood to mean that he must have been God. But to say that Jesus was God is to go against what these very authors wrote. Although these authors had this later belief that Jesus is greater than all creatures, they also believed that he was still lesser than God. In fact, John quotes Jesus as saying: “...the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28). And Paul declares that the head of every woman is her husband, the head of every man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God (see 1 Corinthians 11:3).</b> <b><br />
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Therefore, to find something in these writings and claim that these teach that Jesus is God is to misuse and misquote what those authors are saying. What they wrote must be understood in the context of their belief that Jesus is a creature of God as they have already clearly said.</b> <b><br />
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So we see then, that some of the later writers had a higher view of Jesus, but none of the writers of the Bible believed that Jesus is God. The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one true God, the one whom Jesus worshipped (see John 17: 3).</b> <b><br />
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In the rest of this article we will explore the Bible in more depth, and deal with the passages which are most often misquoted as proofs of Jesus’ divinity. We will show, with God’s help, that these do not mean what they are so often used to prove.</b> <b><br />
2) Evidence From the Acts of the Apostles:<br />
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Jesus performed many miraculous wonders, and he without doubt said a lot of wonderful things about himself. Some people use what he said and did as a proof that he was God. But his original disciples who lived and walked with him, and were eyewitnesses to what he said and did, never reached this conclusion.</b> <b><br />
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The Acts of the Apostles in the Bible details the activity of the disciples over a period of thirty years after Jesus was lifted up to heaven. Throughout this period they never refer to Jesus as God. They continually and consistently use the title God to refer to someone else other than Jesus.</b> <b><br />
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Peter stood up with the eleven disciples and addressed the crowd saying: “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22).</b> <b><br />
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It was God, therefore, who did the miracles through Jesus to convince people that Jesus was backed by God. Peter did not see the miracles as proof that Jesus is God.</b> <b><br />
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In fact, the way Peter refers to God and to Jesus makes it clear that Jesus is not God. For he always turns the title God away from Jesus. Take the following references for example:</b> <b><br />
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“God has raised this Jesus...” (Acts 2:32)</b> <b><br />
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“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)</b> <b><br />
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In both passages, the title God is turned away from Jesus. So why he did this, if Jesus was God?</b> <b><br />
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For Peter, Jesus was a servant of God. Peter said: “God raised up his servant...” (Acts 3:26). The title servant refers to Jesus. This is clear from a previous passage where Peter declared: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.” (Acts 3:13).</b> <b><br />
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Peter must have known that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never spoke of a Triune God. They always spoke of God as the only God. Here, as in Matthew 12:18, Jesus is the servant of God. Matthew tells us that Jesus was the same servant of God spoken of in Isaiah 42:1. So, according to Matthew and Peter, Jesus is not God, but God’s servant. The Old Testament repeatedly says that God is alone (e.g. Isaiah 45:5).</b> <b><br />
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All of the disciples of Jesus held this view. In Acts 4:24 we are told that the believers prayed to God saying: “...they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord,’ they said, ‘you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.’” It is clear that the one they were praying to was not Jesus, because, two verses later, they referred to Jesus as “...your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.” (Acts 4:27).</b> <b><br />
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If Jesus was God, his disciples should have said this clearly. Instead, they kept preaching that Jesus was God’s Christ. We are told in Acts: “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 5:42).</b> <b><br />
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The Greek word “Christ” is a human title. It means “Anointed.” If Jesus was God, why would the disciples continually refer to him with human titles like servant and Christ of God, and consistently use the title God for the one who raised Jesus? Did they fear men? No! They boldly preached the truth fearing neither imprisonment nor death. When they faced opposition from the authorities, Peter declared: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus...” (Acts 5:29-30).</b> <b><br />
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Were they lacking the Holy Spirit? No! They were supported by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:3, 4:8, and 5:32). They were simply teaching what they had learnt from Jesus — that Jesus was not God but, rather, God’s servant and Christ.</b> <b><br />
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The Quran confirms that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ), and that he was God’s servant (see the Holy Quran 3:45 and 19:30).</b> <b><br />
3) Jesus is Not All-Powerful, and Not All-Knowing:<br />
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Christians and Muslims agree that God is all-powerful and all-knowing. The Gospels show that Jesus was not all-powerful, and not all-knowing, since he had some limitations.</b> <b><br />
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Mark tells us in his gospel that Jesus was unable to do any powerful work in his hometown except few things: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” (Mark 6:5). Mark also tells us that when Jesus tried to heal a certain blind man, the man was not healed after the first attempt, and Jesus had to try a second time (see Mark 8:22-26).</b> <b><br />
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Therefore, although we hold a great love and respect for Jesus, we need to understand that he is not the all-powerful God.</b> <b><br />
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Mark’s Gospel also reveals that Jesus had limitations in his knowledge. In Mark 13:32, Jesus declared that he himself does not know when the last day will occur, but the Father alone knows that (see also Matthew 24:36).</b> <b><br />
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Therefore, Jesus could not have been the all-knowing God. Some will say that Jesus knew when the last day will occur, but he chose not to tell. But that complicates matters further. Jesus could have said that he knows but he does not wish to tell. Instead, he said that he does not know. We must believe him. Jesus does not lie at all.</b> <b><br />
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The Gospel of Luke also reveals that Jesus had limited knowledge. Luke says that Jesus increased in wisdom (Luke 2:52). In Hebrews too (Hebrews 5:8) we read that Jesus learned obedience. But God’s knowledge and wisdom is always perfect, and God does not learn new things. He knows everything always. So, if Jesus learned something new, that proves that he did not know everything before that, and thus he was not God.</b> <b><br />
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Another example for the limited knowledge of Jesus is the fig tree episode in the Gospels. Mark tells us as follows: “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.” (Mark 11:12-13).</b> <b><br />
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It is clear from these verses that the knowledge of Jesus was limited on two counts. First, he did not know that the tree had no fruit until he came to it. Second, he did not know that it was not the right season to expect figs on trees.</b> <b><br />
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Can he become God later? No! Because there is only one God, and He is God from everlasting to everlasting (see Psalms 90:2).</b> <b><br />
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Someone may say that Jesus was God but he took the form of a servant and therefore became limited. Well, that would mean that God changed. But God does not change. God said so according to Malachi 3:6.</b> <b><br />
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Jesus never was God, and never will be. In the Bible, God declares: “Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isaiah 43:10).</b> <b><br />
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The Bible clearly shows that Jesus was not all-powerful and all-knowing as the true God should be.</b> <b><br />
4) The Greatest Commandment in the Bible and the Quran:<br />
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Some will say that this whole discussion over the divinity of Jesus is unnecessary. They say, the important thing is to accept Jesus as your personal savior. On the contrary, the Bible’s writers stressed that, in order to be saved, it is necessary to understand who exactly is God. Failure to understand this would be to violate the first and greatest of all the commandments in the Bible. This commandment was emphasized by Jesus, on whom be peace, when a teacher of the Law of Moses asked him: “‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” (Mark 12:28-30).</b> <b><br />
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Notice that Jesus was quoting the first commandment from the book of Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Jesus confirmed not only that this commandment is still valid, but also that it is the most important of all the commandments. If Jesus thought that he himself is God, why did not he say so? Instead, he stressed that God is one. The man who questioned Jesus understood this, and what the man says next makes it clear that God is not Jesus, for he said to Jesus: “‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.’” (Mark 12:32).</b> <b><br />
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Now if Jesus was God, he would have told the man so. Instead, he let the man refer to God as someone other than Jesus, and he even saw that the man had spoken wisely: “When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’” (Mark 12:34). If Jesus knew that God is a trinity, why did not he say so? Why did not he say that God is one in three, or three in one? Instead, he declared that God is one. True imitators of Jesus will imitate him also in this declaration of God’s oneness. They will not add the word three where Jesus never said it.</b> <b><br />
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Does salvation depend on this commandment? Yes, says the Bible! Jesus made this clear when another man approached Jesus to learn from him (see Mark 10:17-29). The man fell on his knees and said to Jesus: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied: “Why do you call me good? No one is good — except God alone.” (Mark 10:17-18).</b> <b><br />
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By so saying, Jesus made a clear distinction between himself and God. Then he proceeded with the answer to the man’s question about how to get salvation. Jesus told him: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17, also see Mark 10:19).</b> <b><br />
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Remember that the most important of all the commandments, according to Jesus, is to know God as the only God. Jesus further emphasized this in the Gospel According to John. In John 17:1, Jesus lifted his eyes to heaven and prayed, addressing God as Father. Then in verse three, he said to God as follows: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).</b> <b><br />
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This proves beyond doubt that if people want to get eternal life they must know that the One, whom Jesus was praying to, is the only true God, and they must know that Jesus was sent by the true God. Some say that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. But Jesus said that the Father alone is the only true God. True followers of Jesus will follow him in this too. Jesus had said that his true followers are those who hold to his teachings. He said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” (John 8:31). His teaching is that people must continue to keep the commandments, especially the first commandment which emphasizes that God is alone, and that God should be loved with all our hearts and all our strengths.</b> <b><br />
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We love Jesus, but we must not love him as God. Today many love Jesus more than they love God. This is because they see God as a vengeful person who wanted to exact a penalty from them, and they see Jesus as the savior who rescued them from the wrath of God. Yet God is our only savior. According to Isaiah 43:11, God said: “I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.” Also God said according to Isaiah 45:21-22: “Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”</b> <b><br />
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The Quran confirms the first commandment and addresses it to all humankind (see the Holy Quran 2:163). And God declares that true believers love Him more than anyone else or anything else (Quran 2:165).</b> <b><br />
5) Paul Believed That Jesus is not God:<br />
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Many people use Paul’s writings as proof that Jesus is God. But this is not fair to Paul, because Paul clearly believed that Jesus is not God. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote: “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions...” (1 Timothy 5:21).</b> <b><br />
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It is clear from this that the title God applies not to Christ Jesus, but to someone else. In the following chapter, he again differentiates between God and Jesus when he says: “In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession...” (1 Timothy 6:13).</b> <b><br />
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Paul then went on to speak of the second appearance of Jesus: “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time.” (1 Timothy 6:14-15).</b> <b><br />
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Again, the title God is deliberately turned away from Jesus. Incidentally, many people think that when Jesus is called “Lord” in the Bible that this means “God.” But in the Bible this title means master or teacher, and it can be used for addressing humans (see 1 Peter 3:6).</b> <b><br />
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What is more important, however, is to notice what Paul said about God in the following passage, which clearly shows that Jesus is not God: “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever.” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).</b> <b><br />
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Paul said that God alone is immortal. Immortal means he does not die. Check any dictionary. Now, anyone who believes that Jesus died cannot believe that Jesus is God. Such a belief would contradict what Paul said here. Furthermore, to say that God died is a blasphemy against God. Who would run the world if God died? Paul believed that God does not die.</b> <b><br />
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Paul also said in that passage that God dwells in unapproachable light — that no one has seen God or can see him. Paul knew that many thousands of people had seen Jesus. Yet Paul said that no one has seen God, because Paul was sure that Jesus is not God. This is why Paul went on teaching that Jesus was not God, but that he was the Christ (see Acts 9:22 and 18:5).</b> <b><br />
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When he was in Athens, Paul spoke of God as “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” (Acts 17:24). Then he identified Jesus as “the man he (i.e. God) has appointed.” (Acts 17:31).</b> <b><br />
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Clearly, for Paul, Jesus was not God, and he would be shocked to see his writings used for proving the opposite of what he believed. Paul even testified in court saying: “I admit that I worship the God of our fathers...” (Acts 24:14).</b> <b><br />
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He also said that Jesus is the servant of that God, for we read in Acts: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.” (Acts 3:13).</b> <b><br />
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For Paul, the Father alone is God. Paul said that there is “one God and Father of all...” (Ephesians 4:6). Paul said again: “...for us there is but one God, the Father . . . and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ...” (1 Corinthians 8:6).</b> <b><br />
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Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Philippians 2:6-11) is often quoted as a proof that Jesus is God. But the very passage shows that Jesus is not God. This passage has to agree with Isaiah 45:22-24 where God said that every knee should bow to God, and every tongue should confess that righteousness and strength are in God alone. Paul was aware of this passage, for he quoted it in Romans 14:11. Knowing this, Paul declared: “I kneel before the Father.” (Ephesians 3:14).</b> <b><br />
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The letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 1:6) says that the angels of God should worship the Son. But this passage depends on Deuteronomy 32:43, in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. This phrase cannot be found in the Old Testament used by Christians today, and the Septuagint version is no longer considered valid by Christians. However, even the Septuagint version, does not say worship the Son. It says let the Angels of God worship God. The Bible insists that God alone is to be worshipped: “When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: ‘Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. You must always be careful to keep the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.’” (2 Kings 17:35-39).</b> <b><br />
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Jesus, on whom be peace, believed in this, for he also stressed it in Luke 4:8. And Jesus too fell on his face and worshipped God (see Matthew 26:39). Paul knew that Jesus worshipped God (see Hebrews 5:7). Paul taught that Jesus will remain forever subservient to God (see 1 Corinthians 15:28).</b> <b><br />
6) Evidence from the Gospel of John:<br />
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The Gospel of John, the fourth Gospel, was completed to its present form some seventy years after Jesus was raised up to heaven. This Gospel in its final form says one more thing about Jesus that was unknown from the previous three Gospels — that Jesus was the Word of God. John means that Jesus was God’s agent through whom God created everything else. This is often misunderstood to mean that Jesus was God Himself. But John was saying, as Paul had already said, that Jesus was God’s first creature. In the Book of Revelation in the Bible, we find that Jesus is: “the beginning of God’s creation” (Revelation 3:14, also see 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Colossians 1:15).</b> <b><br />
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Anyone who says that the Word of God is a person distinct from God must also admit that the Word was created, for the Word speaks in the Bible saying: “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works...” (Proverbs 8:22).</b> <b><br />
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This Gospel, nevertheless, clearly teaches that Jesus is not God. If it did not continue this teaching, then it would contradict the other three Gospels and also the letters of Paul from which it is clearly established that Jesus is not God. We find here that Jesus was not co-equal with the Father, for Jesus said: “...the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28).</b> <b><br />
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People forget this and they say that Jesus is equal to the Father. Whom should we believe — Jesus or the people? Muslims and Christians agree that God is self-existent. This means that He does not derive his existence from anyone. Yet John tells us that Jesus’ existence is caused by the Father. Jesus said in this Gospel: “...I live because of the Father...” (John 6:57).</b> <b><br />
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John tells us that Jesus cannot do anything by his own when he quotes Jesus as saying: “By myself I can do nothing...” (John 5:30). This agrees with what we learn about Jesus from other Gospels. In Mark, for example, we learn that Jesus performed miracles by a power which was not within his control. This is especially clear from an episode in which a woman is healed of her incurable bleeding. The woman came up behind him and touched his cloak, and she was immediately healed. But Jesus had no idea who touched him. Mark describes Jesus’ actions thus: “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’” (Mark 5:30). His disciples could not provide a satisfactory answer, so Mark tells us: “Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.” (Mark 5:32). This shows that the power that healed the woman was not within Jesus’ control. He knew that the power had gone out of him, but he did not know where it went. Some other intelligent being had to guide that power to the woman who needed to be healed. God was that intelligent being.</b> <b><br />
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It is no wonder, then, that in Acts of the Apostles we read that it was God who did the miracles through Jesus (Acts 2:22).</b> <b><br />
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God did extraordinary miracles through others too, but that does not make the others God (see Acts 19:11). Why, then, is Jesus taken for God? Even when Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, he had to ask God to do it. Lazarus’ sister, Martha, knew this, for she said to Jesus: “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:22).</b> <b><br />
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Martha knew that Jesus was not God, and John who reported this with approval knew it also. Jesus had a God, for when he was about to ascend to heaven, he said: “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17).</b> <b><br />
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John was sure that no one had seen God, although he knew that many people had seen Jesus (see John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12). In fact Jesus himself told the crowds, that they have never seen the Father, nor have they heard the Father’s voice (John 5:37). Notice that if Jesus was the Father, his statement here would be false. Who is the only God in John’s Gospel? The Father alone.</b> <b><br />
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Jesus testified this when he declared that the God of the Jews is the Father (John 8:54). Jesus too confirmed that the Father alone is the only true God (see John 17:1-3). And Jesus said to his enemies: “...you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” (John 8:40). According to John, therefore, Jesus was not God, and nothing John wrote should be taken as proof that he was God — unless one wishes to disagree with John.</b> <b><br />
7) God and Jesus Are Two Separate Beings:<br />
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Many people use certain verses of the Bible as proof that Jesus is God. However, all of these verses, when understood in context, prove the opposite!</b> <b><br />
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For example, in Matthew 9:2, Jesus said to a certain man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Because of this, some say that Jesus must be God since only God can forgive sins. However, if you are willing to read just a few verses further, you will find that the people “...praised God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:8). This shows that the people knew, and Matthew agrees, that Jesus is not the only man to receive such authority from God.</b> <b><br />
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Jesus himself emphasized that he does not speak on his own authority (John 14:10) and he does nothing on his own authority, but he speaks only what the Father has taught him (John 8:28). What Jesus did here was as follows. Jesus announced to the man the knowledge Jesus received from God that God had forgiven the man.</b> <b><br />
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Notice that Jesus did not say, “I forgive your sins,” but rather, “your sins are forgiven,” implying, as this would to his Jewish listeners, that God had forgiven the man. Jesus, then, did not have the power to forgive sins, and in that very episode he called himself “the Son of Man” (Matthew 9:6).</b> <b><br />
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John 10:30 is often used as proof that Jesus is God because Jesus said, “I and the father are one.” But, if you read the next six verses, you will find Jesus explaining that his enemies were wrong to think that he was claiming to be God. What Jesus obviously means here is that he is one with the Father in purpose. Jesus also prayed that his disciples should be one just as Jesus and the Father are one. Obviously, he was not praying that all his disciples should somehow merge into one individual (see John 17:11 and 22). And when Luke reports that the disciples were all one, Luke does not mean that they became one single human being, but that they shared a common purpose although they were separate beings (see Acts 4:32). In terms of essence, Jesus and the Father are two, for Jesus said they are two witnesses (John 8:14-18). They have to be two, since one is greater than the other (see John 14:28). When Jesus prayed to be saved from the cross, he said: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42).</b> <b><br />
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This shows that they had two separate wills, although Jesus submitted his will to the will of the Father. Two wills mean two separate individuals.</b> <b><br />
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Furthermore, Jesus is reported to have said: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). If one of them forsook the other, then they must be two separate entities.</b> <b><br />
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Again, Jesus is reported to have said: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). If the spirit of one can be placed into the hands of another, they must be two separate beings.</b> <b><br />
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In all of these instances, Jesus is clearly subordinate to the Father. When Jesus knelt down and prayed he obviously was not praying to himself (see Luke 22:41). He was praying to his God.</b> <b><br />
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Throughout the New Testament, the Father alone is called God. In fact, the titles “Father” and “God” are used to designate one individual, not three, and never Jesus. This is also clear from the fact that Matthew substituted the title “Father” in the place of the title “God” in at least two places in his Gospel (compare Matthew 10:29 with Luke 12:6, and Matthew 12:50 with Mark 3:35). If Matthew is right in doing so, then the Father alone is God.</b> <b><br />
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Was Jesus the Father? No! Because Jesus said: “And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9). So Jesus is not the Father, since Jesus was standing on the earth when he said this.</b> <b><br />
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The Quran seeks to bring people back to the true faith that was taught by Jesus, and by his true disciples who continued in his teaching. That teaching emphasized a continued commitment to the first commandment that God is alone. In the Quran, God directs Muslims to call readers of the Bible back to that true faith. God have said in the Quran:</b> <b><br />
<br />
Say: “O people of the Book (Christians and Jews)! Come to a word that is just between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords beside God.” (Quran, 3:64)</b>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-5339494911121121752010-03-20T02:53:00.000-07:002010-03-20T02:56:48.230-07:00Why Quran<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4V8EzGti3I8Lddu9KsroAilGf5suRIkELwZ4x9gK9unOLos4A3Xl_ynFhMOEII5EOnOSTY9ja7AU0Uhs56NTQ2IpD1bjPLv6JsVP-ry5C5Gm1FP9advKOYWWgLl8-TtKjKQv3u6Mg3Xbj/s1600-h/quran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4V8EzGti3I8Lddu9KsroAilGf5suRIkELwZ4x9gK9unOLos4A3Xl_ynFhMOEII5EOnOSTY9ja7AU0Uhs56NTQ2IpD1bjPLv6JsVP-ry5C5Gm1FP9advKOYWWgLl8-TtKjKQv3u6Mg3Xbj/s320/quran.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>A great website to visit is <a href="http://www.whyquran.com/"><span style="color: #274e13;">www.whyquran.com</span></a></b></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><br />
</b></div><b style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This site explains the history of the quran, chapters of the quran, has islamic videos and articles as well as quran recitations and much more. This is a perfect site for new and old muslims!</b>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-19785707740734852482010-03-20T02:43:00.000-07:002010-03-20T02:44:02.814-07:00Learn Ayat Al-Kursi<div style="color: purple;"><b>This site is a wonderful way for non arab speakers to learn Ayat Al-kursi. </b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><b>http://www.mounthira.com/learning/ayat/alkursi/ayatulkursi/</b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"The merits of Ayat al-Kursi have been mentioned in numerous hadiths. Although the Quran itself and every verse therein are of excellence, Ayat al-Kursi is certainly the most excellent verse of all its verses. This verse is called Ayat al-Kursi due to the word “Kursi” being mentioned in it. Of all the chapters in the Quran, the most excellent chapter is Surat al-Ikhlas, and the most excellent verse is Ayat al-Kursi. One virtue of Ayat al-Kursi is that more reward is obtained for reading it than any other verse. </span></b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><b><span style="color: #999900; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The reason why Ayat al-Kursi is the most excellent verse, is that this verse mentions the names of Allah Most High more than any other verse (i.e. this verse contains the most remembrance (dhikr) of Allah Most High). For example</span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #999900; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">, some verses of the Quran may mention the names of Allah Most High two times, some may mention the names of Allah Most High four times, and some ten times. But in Ayat al-Kursi, the names of Allah Most High have been mentioned seventeen times. Ayat al-Kursi mentions six attributes (sifat) of Allah Most High, all six being mentioned in this single verse. The attributes mentioned are: the Divine Oneness (Wahdaniyyah) of Allah Most High, His Life (Hayah), His Knowledge (‘Ilm), His Kingdom (Mulk), His Divine Power (Qudrah) and His Will (Iradah).</span></b><br />
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<div style="color: purple;"><b><span class="bodyContent">Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed me to guard the Ramadan <i>Zakah</i>. Someone came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, "I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He said, "Let me be, for I am in need and I have children and I am in great need." So I let him go. The following morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Abu Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?" I said, "Messenger of Allah, he complained of being in great need and having children to look after, so I took pity on him and let him go." He said, "But he was lying, and he will be back." So I knew that he would come back, because of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said. I lay in wait for him, and he came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, "I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)!" He said, "Let me be, for I am in need and I have children. I will not come back again." So I took pity on him and let him go. The following morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Abu Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?' I said, "Messenger of Allah, he complained of being in great need and having children to look after, so I took pity on him and let him go." He said, "But he was lying, and he will be back." So I lay in wait for him on the third night, and he came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, "I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! This is the third and last time. You said that you would not come back, then you did come back." He said, "Let me go, and I will teach you some words by which Allah will benefit you." I said, "What are they?" He said, "When you lie down in your bed, recite <i>Ayat Al-Kursi</i>- <span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">[</span>Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…<span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">]</span> (Al-Baraqah: 255) until the end of the verse, then you will have a protector from Allah and no devil will come near you until morning comes." Then I let him go. The following morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "What did your prisoner do last night?" I said, "Messenger of Allah, he claimed that he would teach me some words by which he said Allah would benefit me, then I let him go." He asked, "What are they?" I said, "He told me, when you lie down in your bed, recite <i>Ayat Al-Kursi</i> from the beginning to the end of the verse- <span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">[</span>Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…<span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">]</span> (Al-Baraqah: 255). And he told me, 'You will have a protector from Allah and no devil will come near you until morning comes.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "He indeed told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking with for the past three nights, Abu Hurayrah?" I said, "No." He said, "That was a devil."</span></b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span class="bodyContent">It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In Surat Al-Baqarah there is a verse which is the best of all the verses of the Qur'an. It is never recited in a house but Ash-Shaytan leaves: <i>Ayat Al-Kursi</i>."</span></b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span class="bodyContent">Concerning the fact that it includes the greatest name of Allah, Imam Ahmad said: It was narrated that Asma' bint Yazeed ibn As-Sakan said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say about these two verses- <span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">[</span>Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…<span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">]</span> (Al-Baraqah: 255) and <span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">[</span>Alif. Laam. Meem. Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists<span style="font-family: AGA Arabesque;">]</span> (Aal `Imran: 1-2)- that they contain the greatest name of Allah. (Reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi.)"</span></b></div><div id="TixyyLink" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><b><br style="color: purple;" /></b></div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-37822715035742290462010-03-16T07:38:00.000-07:002010-03-16T07:38:24.729-07:00Shackles of the Mind--Dr. Bilal Philips<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z_c_A7fjmUI&hl=es_ES&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z_c_A7fjmUI&hl=es_ES&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-6825217321687171752010-03-16T06:54:00.000-07:002010-03-20T02:59:58.960-07:00Mannerisms in islam, halal entertainment., the sunnah...<h1><span style="font-size: large;">Halal Entertainment - Salem Al Amry, Assim Al Hakeem, Hussain Ye, Riaz Ansary</span></h1><h1><span style="font-size: large;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EzbHsUqoyvQ&hl=es_ES&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EzbHsUqoyvQ&hl=es_ES&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></h1><script>
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Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-86363810496628735832010-03-15T13:13:00.000-07:002010-03-15T13:16:47.153-07:00Thinking about removing your Hijab? Take a few minutes and read the following...<b><span style="color: purple;">Taking Off the Hijab by Shazia Ahmad</span></b><br />
<div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><b>Question</b></b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><b><i> </i></b></b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>I understand that hijab is required, and I’ve been wearing it for some time now but I feel like putting it on might have been a mistake. I don’t feel like it’s made me become a better Muslim, and I feel almost like I’m deceiving people because they look at me as an example even though I’m still struggling with a lot of things. Also, if I take it off, is it really something Allah will punish me for? It seems like such a petty thing. Isn’t the most important thing having a clean heart?</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><b>Answer</b></b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i>Assalaamu `alaykum</i> dear questioner,</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Thank you for asking this question which opens up a number of important issues, and for entrusting us enough to share with us some of what you’re struggling with. I ask Allah (<i>subhanahu wa ta`ala</i> – exalted is He) that He makes the words that I write beneficial to you and others who are reading, and that He leads you to the best decisions.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>I’d like to start by addressing what I believe is the <i>least </i>important factor in this equation, and that is <i>‘what other people might think.’ </i>It should never be the case that we alter our practice of Islam or our worship for the sake of other people, or what they might think or assume. People may be quick to judge or jump to conclusions, but whatever thoughts or opinions they have are strictly their responsibility, and not something we should be overly concerned with.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>You said that you’re worried that wearing <i>hijab</i> may be deceiving, because people see you as better than you really are. But in truth all of us are sinners, and it is only from Allah’s mercy upon us that He is <i>as-Siteer </i>- the One who veils our faults and our flaws, and makes us seem better than we really are in others’ eyes. One famous scholar said, “If sins had a smell no one would come near me because of the stench!” Every single one of us has deficiencies and weaknesses, has made mistakes, has taken missteps or is presently taking them. We only do the best that we can, and any good deed that Allah grants us the opportunity to perform should be considered a blessing that we take advantage of. Instead of worrying about not being good enough, we can instead consider this as an opportunity to be thankful to Allah for concealing our negatives, and pray, “O Allah, forgive me for what they do not know about me, and make me even better than what they think.”</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>You will be hard-pressed to find anyone on this earth who can be considered ‘worthy’ of being a representative of Islam, because everyone has one dimension or another in their faith or practice in which they are lacking. However that doesn’t mean we should stop encouraging each other by whatever means are available to us. There is a very beautiful <i>hadith</i> related to this issue:</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><b> </b></b></div><blockquote style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Anas relates that,<b> </b>“We asked the Prophet ﷺ, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, shouldn’t we refrain from calling others to goodness if we don’t practice all good things ourselves, and shouldn’t we refrain from forbidding wrong things until we ourselves have abstained from all the bad?’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘You should call others to goodness even if you don’t do all good, and you should forbid bad things even if you don’t abstain from all of them yourselves.’” (Al-Tabarani)</b></blockquote><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Remember that by wearing <i>hijab</i> you are not saying to others <i>‘I am Islam’, </i>but simply that<i> ‘I am a Muslim’, </i>meaning – I am someone who is trying to follow this religion, who accepts it as truth, sees beauty in it and hopes to beautify myself with it. I remember a quote attributed to Yusuf Islam: “Islam is not a state of being but it is a process of becoming,” – becoming more, become better, striving to reach that state of perfect submission and connection with Allah Most High, and May He help all of us achieve that, <i>ameen.</i></b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i><span id="ecxmore-8592"></span></i></b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>You also said that you feel <i>hijab</i> has not really made you a better Muslim. A lot of times when a person first starts performing a good deed they feel an <i>iman </i>‘rush’, a feeling of happiness at doing something good for the sake of Allah and energy to do more, improve themselves, etc. However, after some time, when that action starts to become just another part of a daily routine, it loses that power, and that increase in <i>iman</i> and excitement dissipates.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>What a person needs, instead of focusing on those ‘rushes’, is a steady and constant diet of good deeds and spiritual nourishment. We cannot rely on one particular deed to ‘make’ us better Muslims. Instead, we have to take the reigns and make sure we are doing things regularly that increase us in <i>iman</i>, like recitation of the Qur’an, performing <i>salah</i> with consciousness and focus, <i>dhikr</i>, and so on. Wearing <i>hijab</i> can definitely be one of those things, but it is only one part of a whole that needs to be constructed. Just like exercise is important for good health, yet it has to be combined with eating right and many other things in order for the person to see the desired results in the end.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Also know that there is a direct relationship between a person’s actions and their inner state. We know that when someone is in a high state of <i>iman</i> it’s natural for him or her to start performing more good deeds. However, we may overlook the fact that the opposite is true as well – that just performing good deeds, even if one may not be ‘feeling it’, can affect us and change us. The limbs are inroads, and performing good deeds with them can soften a hardened heart, bring enlightenment to a closed mind, and give a person a feeling of rejuvenation and desire to come closer to Allah and do more positive things. I heard a scholar say that if one is feeling troubled, confused or in a low state of <i>iman</i>, “go quickly to action”; because good deeds can bring about that inner reawakening one may need. If we don’t see a change happening in us when we do a good deed, that doesn’t mean we should stop it but that perhaps we need to supplement it with others in order to gather the momentum needed to see results.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Thirdly, you are absolutely correct when you say that the most important thing is for us to have purified hearts. Allah (swt) emphasizes this in the Qur’an when He states that on the Day of Judgment nothing will be of benefit to the servant except “one who brings to Allah a clean, sound heart” (<a href="http://quran.com/26/89" target="_blank">26:89</a>). The question is, how does one achieve that? What purifies us and cleanses our hearts?</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>In our times we find that some people feel that we’ve reached a more ‘enlightened era’ in which spirituality can be derived solely from philosophy and ideas, and need not be bound by rituals and details of religion. However those who propound this notion forget that Allah did not create us as minds and souls alone – but coupled them with our physical bodies. We cannot deny the fact that we are body and soul, content and form, together, and each has its own needs and specifications for refinement. This is a <i>sunnah</i> of Allah in the way that we were created, and why prayer, fasting, and all our spiritual endeavors have very specific physical components. These forms house within them dimensions of meaning, but it is only from enacting them precisely that a profound spirituality can be achieved.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Purifying our hearts is the goal, but the means to reaching that goal is through the very real and specific physical prescriptions and commandments that Allah (swt) has given us. It is through His obedience and through following the teachings of our <i>deen </i>that we clean and polish our hearts. It is for this reason that I have to say that <i>hijab</i> is not something trivial. Anything that leads us to spiritual awareness, elevation, and purification – that helps us come closer to Allah – cannot be considered trivial or petty. Perhaps it is more likely that there are hidden depths within it that we do not perceive, or that we are not putting it in the proper context of its deeper purpose and meaning.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>About punishment from Allah: a better way of looking at this issue is not considering the smallness or pettiness of the sin, but the greatness of the One whom we are sinning against. From His infinite wisdom, all-encompassing knowledge and vast mercy, in accordance to His Law – which is at its core about attaining benefit and warding off harm – He has instructed us to perform this action. In the Qur’an Allah says, ‘It may be that you dislike something and in it is goodness for you’ (<a href="http://quran.com/2/216" target="_blank">2:216</a>); ‘It may be that you dislike a thing but Allah brings about from it a great deal of good.’ (<a href="http://quran.com/4/19" target="_blank">4:19</a>) If someone chooses to step away from a prescribed action knowingly, we cannot deny that this is a sin, and that Allah holds us to account for our sins. However we always have hope in and pray for Allah’s mercy and kindness, as we know He can forgive all sins if He chooses.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>In closing, I want to leave you with a beautiful quote from a <i>Hadith Qudsi</i>. </b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Allah <i>subhanahu wa ta’ala </i>said:</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>“My servant draws not near to Me with anything more beloved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him.” (Bukhari)</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Know, dear questioner, that if you feel far from Allah, the solution is not to stop what you are doing and find a different way, but to persevere and continue on the path you are on, even though it is hard. This will make you beloved to Allah, and one who feels the happiness of being close to Him and being shaded by His Loving Mercy and care.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>May Allah enliven and enlighten our hearts and grant us closeness to Him. May He make us people who love to worship Him, and through our worship become close to Him and gain His love. May He make our hearts firm and steadfast on our <i>deen</i>, and grant us strength and bravery in our spiritual struggles. May He guide us to the best decisions and make easy for us the path of <i>khayr </i>[goodness]. <i>Ameen ya Rabb.</i></b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i>WAllahu a`lam – </i>and He alone knows best.</b></div><div style="color: purple; font-family: verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Wasalaamu alaykum.</b></div><b><span style="color: purple;">Source: <a href="http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/taking-off-the-hijab/" target="_blank">http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/taking-off-the-hijab/</a></span></b>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-79247615926084885442010-03-04T03:16:00.000-08:002010-03-04T03:16:40.609-08:00Advice on Friends!--Imran Ibn Zarkhan Al Shafi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg837fzY3dNuYDrN6fy5gp99Mu4saq74y8Nae_DOpgdcbuXFKzXgk8LVc6LasE1cySFWlDY9hqNX-OjFmyv83nZET-yMrM9b8eEwwqoanmAgf5lGpvKoWHb_1vkRdwabrD0ev-o42JxDr6k/s1600-h/love-islam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg837fzY3dNuYDrN6fy5gp99Mu4saq74y8Nae_DOpgdcbuXFKzXgk8LVc6LasE1cySFWlDY9hqNX-OjFmyv83nZET-yMrM9b8eEwwqoanmAgf5lGpvKoWHb_1vkRdwabrD0ev-o42JxDr6k/s320/love-islam.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"> <b style="color: #674ea7;">A real friend wishes his companions well,<br />
He's not one who allows them to get close to hell,<br />
Always be careful of the friends you Choose,<br />
So, in the end, Jannah you will not lose,<br />
If you find your companion is not stopping your wrong,<br />
then, be weary, his friendship is not strong.<br />
If you see the pattern made,<br />
that when you are under your friend's shade,<br />
Your Imaan begins to fade,<br />
Leave the worthless creation,<br />
make friends with Allah, Surely that is a high station!.<br />
A dervish who had knowledge of our present situation,<br />
Once told his students the following dictation,<br />
"The meeting of people will never enrich you,<br />
save with the gibberish of useless gossip.<br />
So diminish your meeting with people,<br />
except for knowledge or to improve your condition"</b></span>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-24840628042265808822010-03-04T03:12:00.000-08:002010-03-04T03:12:30.834-08:00Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxujJtSEGZSwmoUt4MotACHYnpzWyaWA8IlnDpn6og2HziYLTnzE6mABT33PmWyByBFYypAds0_c1gKvPsbx40o8VvRqMkYmw29bzFyVomoB3-symB_Zs7nSY9a-tgLQlfSgLGp63bmTUt/s1600-h/ThereisnogodbutAllah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxujJtSEGZSwmoUt4MotACHYnpzWyaWA8IlnDpn6og2HziYLTnzE6mABT33PmWyByBFYypAds0_c1gKvPsbx40o8VvRqMkYmw29bzFyVomoB3-symB_Zs7nSY9a-tgLQlfSgLGp63bmTUt/s320/ThereisnogodbutAllah.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua; font-size: x-small;">Imran Ibn Zarkhan Al Shafi</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua; font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></b></div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">~In The Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful~<br />
</span></i> <br />
All Praise be to the one who Created us;<br />
There are some who make His existence a fuss;<br />
Those who disbelieve in Him, they are in Loss;<br />
<br />
In this life we have a test;<br />
The question: whose fear of Allah is the best?<br />
To worship him is our quest.<br />
<br />
Time and Time again we are faced with situations;<br />
In which we must make tough decisions;<br />
Fools are we, we think we're so smart;<br />
shaytan attacks us with many ideas like darts;<br />
According to him, we plan and chart;<br />
Not knowing that he is poisoning our hearts;<br />
The time comes when we realize the mistake in our Parts;<br />
One last chance!, for some the tauba starts;<br />
<br />
Even still, some don't ask of His Forgiveness;<br />
They don't realize that they're in a big mess;<br />
Never do they ask of Allah's Mercy;<br />
They have eyes, but can they really see?;<br />
<br />
There are also the righteous however;<br />
Forget to ask Allah?, NEVER!;<br />
They ask Allah in every endeavor;<br />
To help them as part of His Favor;<br />
Then, even if they are affected by Shaytans call;<br />
They are not hurt by the hard fall;<br />
They quickly get back up, standing tall;<br />
Racing to gain forgiveness from The Merciful;<br />
Allah promised to answer the caller's call;<br />
<br />
Take a lesson from the fitra of the child;<br />
With the lesson of walking they are trialed;<br />
Yes, they do fall, but they are not beguiled;<br />
They get back up and take a step;<br />
Maybe again they accidentally trip;<br />
But they stand up again and get a grip;<br />
More and more steps take place;<br />
Before you realize it, they are walking with so much grace;<br />
<br />
An example for us, as we grow in our age and Deen;<br />
Like the baby, hard challenges we have seen;<br />
As the baby walks with so much grace;<br />
We should also pick up our pace;<br />
We are travelers, there is no question;<br />
To Allah is our ultimate destination!<br />
<br />
May the Prayers and blessings of Allah be on His beloved;<br />
and on the companions who prayed and strived;<br />
That the Deen of Allah might be carried on to those who came later;<br />
On high thrones will they be raised in the hereafter;</span></b></div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-2452076584075512742010-02-27T03:23:00.000-08:002010-02-27T03:23:55.377-08:0010 Ways of Protection from Shaytan<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: garamond,serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i> Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah</i></b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b>Summarized from Bida’i` al-Fawa’id (304-308)</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b>1. Seeking refuge with Allah from Shaytan. Allah the Most High said, “And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” [41:36]</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
2. Recitation of the two soorahs al-Falaq and an-Nas, as they have wondrous effect in seeking refuge with Allah from his evil, weakening Shaytan and protection from him. This is why the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “No person seeks refuge with anything like the Mu`awwidhatayn (soorahs al-Falaq and an-Nas)”. [an-Nasaa’i, 5337]</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
3. Recitation of Ayat al-Kursi (2:255).<a name='more'></a></b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
4. Recitation of soorah al-Baqarah. The Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, “The house in which al-Baqarah is recited is not approached by Shaytan.” [Muslim]</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
5. The final part of al-Baqarah. The Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, “Whoever recites the two last verses of al-Baqarah at night they will suffice him.” [Muslim]</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
6. Recitation of the beginning of soorah Mu’min (Ghafir), until His saying, “wa ilayhi-l-maseer” (to Him is the destination). (i.e. “Ha. Meem. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Knowing, the forgiver of sin, acceptor of repentance, severe in punishment, owner of abundance. There is no deity except Him; to Him is the destination.” [40:1-2])</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
7. Saying “la ilaha ill Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa `ala kulli shay’in qadir” (there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, He has no partner, His is the Dominion and Praise, and He is able to do all things) a hundred times.</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
8. The most beneficial form of protection from Shaytan: abundance of remembrance of Allah, the Exalted.</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
9. Ablution and prayer, and they are from among the greatest means of protection, especially at the time of emergence of anger and desire.</b></div><div style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br />
10. Abstinence from excess speech, food and mixing with people.</b></div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-79193522740932200202010-01-15T06:59:00.000-08:002010-01-15T06:59:59.802-08:00Free Islamic Courses<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Bilal Philips is offering free online Islamic courses. After the completion of these courses, diplomas and certificates will be given out.</span><br style="color: #0b5394;" /></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.bilalphilips.com/">http://www.bilalphilips.com/</a>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-76424548514410536922010-01-15T06:51:00.000-08:002010-01-15T06:51:52.092-08:00DU’A a DAY: INCREASE ME IN KNOWLEDGE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceCWcPHXYIhdE2-s34sRrdcb8zngeAZBA2WhNysSU4Agf3U7z1_rxvjopExC6nKQR_OBKVgxUqbUSf1WM_X8MyWR2hlxzTHCD09PxhER8bR7MZ1fSLFevCGzrZN_FFAOv04tqEDNy3WqI/s1600-h/dua1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceCWcPHXYIhdE2-s34sRrdcb8zngeAZBA2WhNysSU4Agf3U7z1_rxvjopExC6nKQR_OBKVgxUqbUSf1WM_X8MyWR2hlxzTHCD09PxhER8bR7MZ1fSLFevCGzrZN_FFAOv04tqEDNy3WqI/s400/dua1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">“Allahumma infa’ni bima ‘allamtani, wa allimni maa yanfa’oni wa zidni ‘ilman, alhamdulillahi alaa kulli haal, wa a’odtho billahi min haali ahlil naar.”</span></b><br />
<br />
<b style="color: #073763;">O Allah, grant me benefit in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me,<br />
and increase my knowledge. Praise be to Allah in all circumstances.<br />
I seek refuge in Allah from the state of those who go to Hell.”<br />
(Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 2482 Narrated by)</b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #20124d;">Hadeeth: Three people’s du`aa are never rejected: the one who is fasting, until he breaks his fast; the just ruler and the one who has been wronged. Allah raises it above the clouds and the doors of the skies are opened for it, and the Lord says, ‘By My Honour and Glory! I will help you, even if it be after some time!’”</span><br style="color: #20124d;" /><span style="color: #20124d;"> [Tirmidhi]</span></b>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-60803531356953386632010-01-12T04:19:00.000-08:002010-01-12T04:26:27.458-08:00Top Ten Excuses of Muslim Women regarding Hijab and Its Responses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6az7nZbfS1i1wBfBr7Ze8eBlC1X5OYhjFmA12I9xg-18QkRZfVJs-i5i3Ic4wOP6vDLCnefdVVvtn2trTBeqFyFyBF1FuJJ0zz__C5d1ulOKSvCeQW8viKPlewiFddj2tr2kzpqXiskz/s1600-h/long-hijab_609122_main_797_general.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6az7nZbfS1i1wBfBr7Ze8eBlC1X5OYhjFmA12I9xg-18QkRZfVJs-i5i3Ic4wOP6vDLCnefdVVvtn2trTBeqFyFyBF1FuJJ0zz__C5d1ulOKSvCeQW8viKPlewiFddj2tr2kzpqXiskz/s320/long-hijab_609122_main_797_general.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-fKu4ImK8gOT1_4TG4fwB6dEHw1b2biRjpr56WbbqvFGMy0owQ6DSM8D_35fGqc-mOTSejJC0KtQz2LzKwb9AX7rhzqn9NxYOzWy5hIsAcxdroGRos1pdsA05-vFvqL4g8cUvmlz9d5S/s1600-h/hijab-tanandburgundy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-fKu4ImK8gOT1_4TG4fwB6dEHw1b2biRjpr56WbbqvFGMy0owQ6DSM8D_35fGqc-mOTSejJC0KtQz2LzKwb9AX7rhzqn9NxYOzWy5hIsAcxdroGRos1pdsA05-vFvqL4g8cUvmlz9d5S/s200/hijab-tanandburgundy.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0c343d;"><b>source: http://theidealmuslimah.blogspot.com/2009/05/top-ten-excuses-of-muslim-women.html</b><br />
</div><b style="color: #0c343d;">(If you get a chance please check out sister Nida´s blog, her blog is devoted to spreading the word of islam)</b><br />
<div style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>All praise is due to Allah ta'aala as is deserved by His Majesty and Great Power. I send prayers and ask for blessings upon His Noble Messenger (sallallahu alayhee wasallam) who drew the path for us to the pleasure of Allah and His Jannah. This path is a straight one that is surrounded by virtue from all sides and attends to the best moral characteristics which are increased by the clothing of purity, concealment, and chastity. It is the path trod by the two halves of human society, namely the man and the woman, toward harmonious contentment and happiness in this life and the Hereafter.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This is precisely why the Protector, the blessed and above all imperfection, has made wearing hijaab an obligation upon the woman as a safeguard of her chastity and protection of her honor and sign of her faith ( Iman). It is on account of this that societies (both Muslim and non-Muslim) that have distanced themselves from the way of Allah and deviated from His straight path, are ill societies in need of treatment that will lead them to recovery and happiness.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Among the pictures that point to the distance of society from that path and that make clear the level of its deviation and separation from it is the open spread of women not just uncovering their faces but enhancing and making a display of their beauty. We find that this is manifested regretfully, in Islamic (Muslim) society despite that Islamic clothing is also widespread. So then, what are the reasons that have led to this digression?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse One: I'm not yet convinced (of the necessity) of hijab</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>We then ask this sister two questions.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>One: Is she truly convinced of the correctness of the religion of Islam? The natural answer is: Yes she is convinced for she responds "Laa ilaaha illallah!" (There is no god but Allah), meaning she is convinced of the aqeedah, and then she says: "Muhammadun rasoolullah!" (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), meaning by that that she is convinced of its legislation or law (sharee'ah). Therefore, she is convinced of Islam as a belief system and a law by which one governs and rules their life.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Two: Is the hijaab then a part of Islamic Law (sharee'ah) and an obligation?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If this sister is honest and sincere in her intention and has looked into the issue as one who truly wants to know the truth her answer could only be: Yes. For Allah ta'aala, Whose deity (Uloohiyyah) she believes in has commanded wearing hijaab in His Book (Al-Qur'aan) and the noble Prophet ('alaihi salaat wa salaam) whose message she believes in has commanded wearing the hijaab in his sunnah.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>What do we call a person who says they believe in and are content with the correctness of Islam but who nonetheless does not do what Allah or His Messenger have ordered? Certainly they can in no way be described as those whom Allah speaks of in this aayah: "The only saying of the faithful believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say 'we hear and obey' and such are the successful." [Surah An-Noor 24:51]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: If this sister is convinced of Islam, how then can she not be convinced of its orders?</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Two: I am convinced of Islamic dress but my mother prevents me from wearing it and if I disobey her I will go to the Fire.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The one who has answered this excuse is the most noble of Allah's creation, the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) in concise and comprehensive words of wisdom: "There is no obedience to the created in the disobedience of Allah." [Ahmed]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The status of parents in Islam, especially the mother, is a high and elevated one. Indeed Allah ta'aala has combined it with the greatest of matters, worshipping Him and His tawheed, in many aayaat. He stated: "Worship Allah and join none with Him and do good to parents." [Surah An-Nisaa 4:36]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Obedience to parents is not limited except in one aspect, and that is if they order to disobedience of Allah. Allah said: "But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not." [Surah Luqmaan 31:15]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The lack of obedience to them in sinfulness does not prevent being good to them and kind treatment of them. Allah said afterward in the same aayah: "But behave with them in the world kindly."</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: How can you obey your mother and disobey Allah, Who created you and your mother?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Three: My position does not allow me to substitute my dress for Islamic dress.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This sister is either one or the other of two types: She is sincere and honest, or she is a slippery liar who desires to make a showy display of her "hijaab" clamoring with colors to be "in line with the times" and expensive.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>We will begin with an answer to the honest and sincere sister. Are you unaware my dear sister, that it is not permissible for the Muslim woman to leave her home in any instance unless her clothing meets the conditions of Islamic hijaab (Hijaab shar'ee) and it is a duty of every Muslim woman to know what they are? If you have taken the time and effort to learn so many matters of this world how then can you be neglectful of learning those matters which will save you from the punishment of Allah and His anger after death!!? Does Allah not say: "Ask the people of remembrance (i.e. knowledgeable scholars) if you do not know." [Surah An-Nahl 16:43]. Learn therefore, the requirements of proper hijaab.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you must go out, then do not do so without the correct hijaab, seeking the pleasure of Allah and the degradation of Shaitaan. That is because the corruption brought about by your going out adorned and "beautified" is far greater than the matter which you deem necessary to go out for.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>My dear sister if you are really truthful in your intention and correctly determined you will find a thousands hands of good assisting you and Allah will make the matter easy for you! Is He not the One Who says: "And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) and He will provide him from sources he never could imagine?" [Surah At-Talaaq 65:2-3]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>With regards to the 'slippery' one we say: Honor and position is something determined by Allah ta'aala and it is not due to embellishment of clothing and show of colors and keeping up with the trendsetters. It is rather due to obedience to Allah and His Messenger (SAWS) and holding to the pure law of Allah and correct Islamic hijaab. Listen to the words of Allah: "Indeed, the most honorable amongst you are those who are the most pious." [Surah Al-Hujuraat 49:35]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: Do things in the way of seeking Allah's pleasure and entering His Jannah and give less value to the high priced and costly objects and wealth of this world.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Four: It is so very hot in my country and I can't stand it. How could I take it if I wore the hijab?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Allah gives an example by saying: Say: The Fire of Hell is more intense in heat if they only understand. [Soorah At-Taubah 9:81]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>How can you compare the heat of your land to the heat of the Hellfire?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Know, my sister, that Shaitaan has trapped you in one of his feeble ropes to drag you from the heat of this world to the heat of the Hellfire. Free yourself from his net and view the heat of the sun as a favor and not an affliction especially in that it reminds you of the intensity of the punishment of Allah which is many times greater than the heat you now feel. Return to the order of Allah and sacrifice this worldly comfort in the way of following the path of salvation from the Hellfire about which Allah says: "They will neither feel coolness nor have any drink except that of boiling water and the discharge of dirty wounds." [Surah An-Naba' 78:24-25]</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: The Jannah is surrounded by hardships and toil, while Hellfire is surrounded by temptations, lusts and desires.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Five: I'm afraid that if I wear the hijab I will put it off at another time because I have seen so many others do so!!</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>To her I say: If everyone was to apply your logic then they would have left the Deen in its entirety! They would have left off salaat because some would be afraid of leaving it later. They would have left fasting in Ramadhan because so many are afraid of not doing it later, etc. Haven't you seen how Shaitaan has trapped you in his snare again and blocked you from guidance?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Allah ta'aala loves continuous obedience even if it be small or recommended. How about something that is an absolute obligation like wearing hijaab?! The prophet (SAWS) said: "The most beloved deed with Allah is the consistent one though it be little." Why haven't you sought out the causes leading those people to leave off the hijaab so that you can avoid them and work to keep away from them? Why haven't you sought out reasons and causes to affirm truth and guidance until you can hold firm to them?</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Among these causes is much supplication to Allah (du'aa) to make the heart firm upon the Deen as did the prophet (SAWS). Also is making salaat and having mindfulness of it as Allah stated: "And seek help in patience and the prayer and truly it is extremely heavy except for the true believers in Allah who obey Allah with full submission and believe in His promise of Jannah and in His warnings (Al-Khaashi'oon)." [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:45]</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Other causes to put one upon guidance and truth is adherence to the laws of Islam and one of them is indeed wearing the hijaab. Allah said: "If they had done what they were told, it would have been better for them and would have strengthened their faith."[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:66]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: If you hold tight to the causes of guidance and taste the sweetness of faith you will not neglect the orders of Allah after having held to them.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Six: If I wear the hijab then nobody will marry me, so I'm going to leave it off until then.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Any husband who desires that you be uncovered and adorned in public in defiance of and in disobedience to Allah, is not a worthy husband in the first place. He is a husband who has no feeling to protect what Allah has made inviolable, most notably yourself, and he will not help you in any way to enter Al-Jannah or escape from the Hellfire. A home which is founded upon disobedience to Allah and provocation of His anger is fitting that He decree misery and hardship for it in this life and in the Hereafter. As Allah stated: "But whosoever turns away from My reminder (i.e. neither believes in the Qur'aan nor acts upon its teachings) verily for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." [Surah Ta Ha 20:124]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Marriage is a favor and blessing from Allah to whom He give whom He wills. How many women who wear hijaab (mutahajibah) are in fact married while many who don't aren't? If you were to say that '..my being made-up and uncovered is a means to reach a pure end, namely marriage', a pure goal or end is not attained through impure and corrupt means in Islam. If the goal is honorable then it must necessarily be achieved by pure and clean method. We say the rule in Islam is: The means are according to the rules of the intended goals.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: There is no blessing in a marriage established upon sinfulness and corruption.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Seven: I don't wear hijab based on what Allah says: And proclaim the grace of your Rabb [Soorah Ad-Dhuhaa 93:11] How can I cover what Allah has blessed me with of silky soft hair and captivating beauty?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>So this sister of ours adheres to the Book of Allah and its commands as long as they coincide with her personal desires and understanding! She leaves behind those matters when they don't please her. If this was not the case, then why doesn't she follow the aayah: "And do not show off their adornment except only that which is apparent." [Surah An-Noor 24:31] and the statement of Allah subhaanah: "Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies?" [Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:59]?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>With this statement my sister you have now made a shari'ah (law) for yourself of what Allah ta'aala has strictly forbidden, namely beautification (at-tabarruj) and uncovering (as-sufoor), and the reason: Your lack of wanting to adhere to the order. The greatest blessing or favor that Allah has bestowed upon us is that of Iman (faith) and hidaayah (guidance) and among them is the Islamic hijaab. Why then do you not manifest and talk about this greatest of blessings given to you?</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: Is there a greater blessing and favor upon the woman than guidance and hijaab?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><br />
<div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Eight: I know that hijab is obligatory (waajib), but I will wear it when Allah guides me to do so.</b></span><br />
</div></div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>We ask this sister on what plans or steps she will undertake until she accepts this divine guidance? We know that Allah has in His wisdom made a cause or means for everything. That is why the sick take medicine to regain health, and the travell"er rides a vehicle or an animal to reach his destination, and other limitless examples.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Has this sister of ours seriously endeavored to seek true guidance and exerted the proper means to get it such as: Supplicating Allah sincerely as He stated: "Guide us to the Straight Path." [Surah Al-Faatihah 1:6]; Keeping company with the righteous good sisters - for they are among the best to assist her to guidance and to continue to point her to it until Allah guides her and increases her guidance and inspires her to further guidance and taqwaa. She would then adhere to the orders of Allah and wear the hijaab that the believing women are commanded to wear.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: If this sister was really serious about seeking guidance she would have exerted herself by the proper means to get it.</b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Nine: It's not time for that yet. I'm still too young for wearing hijab. I'll do it when I get older and after I make Hajj!</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Angel of Death my sister, is visiting and waiting at your door for the order of Allah ta'aala to open it on you at any moment in your life. Allah said: "When their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it and hour (or a moment)." [Surah Al-An'aam 7:34]. Death my sister doesn't discriminate between the young or the old and it may come while you are in this state of great sinfulness disobedience, fighting against the Lord of Honor with your uncovering and shameless adornment. My sister, you should race to obedience along with those others who race to answer the call of Allah tabaaraka wa ta'aala: "Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heavens and the earth." [Surah Al-Hadeed 57:21]</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sister, don't forget Allah or He will forget you by turning His mercy away from you in this life and the next. You are forgetting your own soul by not fulfilling the right of your soul to obey Allah and proper worship of Him. Allah stated about the hypocrites (Al-Munaafiqoon): "And be not like those who forgot Allah and He caused them to forget their own selves." [Surah Al-Hashr 59:19] My sister wear the hijaab in your young age in opposition to the sinful deed because Allah is intense in punishment and will ask you on the Day of Resurrection about your youth and every moment of your life.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: Stop presuming some future expectation in your life will indeed occur! How can you guarantee your own life until tomorrow?</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Excuse Ten: I'm afraid that if I wear Islamic clothing that I'll be labeled as belonging to some group or another and I hate partisanship.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>My sister in Islam, there are only two parties in Islam, and they are both mentioned by Allah Almighty in His Noble Book. The first party is the party of Allah (hizbullah) that He gives victory to because of their obedience to His commands and staying away from what He has forbidden. The second party is the party of the accursed Shaitaan (hizbush-Shaitaan) which disobeys the Most Merciful and increase corruption in the earth. When you hold tight to and adhere to the commands of Allah, and among them is wearing the hijaab - you then become a part of the successful party of Allah. When you beautify and display your charms you are riding in the boat of Shaitaan and his friends and partners from among the hypocrites and the disbelievers and none worse could there be as friends.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Don't you see how you are running from Allah and to the Shaitaan, trading filth for good? Run instead my sister to Allah and follow His way: "So flee to Allah (from His Torment to His mercy). Verily I (Muhammad) am a plain warner to you from Him." [Surah Adh-Dhaariyaat 51:50] The hijaab is a high form of worship that is not subject to the opinions of people and their orientations and choices because the one who legislated it is the Most Wise Creator.</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In summary: In the way of seeking the pleasure of Allah and in hope of His Mercy and success in His Jannah and throw the statements of the devils among people and jinn against the wall! Hold tight to the legislation of Allah by your molars and follow the example of the striving and knowledgeable Mothers of the Believers and the female Companions (radiallahu 'anhum ajma'een).</b></span><br />
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</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Conclusion:</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Your body is on display in the market of Shaitaan seducing the hearts of men.The hairstyles, the tight clothing showing every detail of your figure, the short dresses showing off your legs and feet, the showy, decorative and fragrant clothing all angers the Merciful and pleases the Shaitaan. Every day that passes while you are in this condition, distances you further from Allah and brings you closer to Shaitaan. Every day brings you closer to the grave and the Angel of Death is ready to capture your soul.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. "And whoever is removed away from the Hellfire and admitted to Al-Jannah, is indeed successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing)." [Surah Aale 'Imraan 3:185]</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>[courtesy of a sister in Islam]</b></span><br />
</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-9384893476171575502010-01-05T08:35:00.000-08:002010-01-05T08:35:43.152-08:00Temporary Marriage(Mut´a) A Plea from A Muslim Sister<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Source: http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/muta_story.htm</span><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>I was fourteen years old and my relationship with my parents was on the edge just like any other teenager. I started to become interested in boys. I felt as if no one understood me, not even my friends. I especially didn´t feel pretty with my braces.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>It all changed when I met him . It was fascinating to know that a college student would care so much about me. He was the most wonderful person. He treated me like a queen, and soon we became the best of friends. I felt I could tell him anything. As our friendship progressed, we talked about different topics including religion. He had different beliefs than me; he was Shia while I was Sunni. We always argued upon the differences. He had a way with making things sound better than what they were. Soon I became very confused.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>One day he mentioned the idea of Mut'a. <a name='more'></a>He told me that it was a type of temporary marriage, which was halal even in Sunni books. At first I didn t believe him, but he used sources such as Bukhari and Muslim. I took his word for it, and before I realized, I was into a lot of trouble. I was in Mut'a for four years. As time went by, I learnt that I had lost my honor and dignity to someone who had done this to several other girls. Allah helped me open my eyes and realize what I had gotten myself into. By now, I was on the verge of switching beliefs to be a Shia. At this point, I decided to really search for the truth. Since I cannot present the whole research, I have tried to give a very brief idea about Mut'a.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>I hope to inform and educate the people about the disease of Mut'a, which is spreading rapidly in the sunni community. It is the goal of certain Shia individuals to do Mut'a with innocent girls, who lack knowledge of religion and experience of life. They convince them with their beliefs, and create confusion in their minds. I beg every sister, brother, father, mother, and friend to take a closer look at their dear ones, and make sure they do not become victims to the concept of Mut'a.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Mut'a is a form of temporary marriage where a man can marry a woman for an agreed amount of time and money(mahr). In Mut'a, the husband is not financially responsible for the wife. There are no set limits in this kind of marriage by the Shias. According Shia beliefs, no witnesses nor a permission of the guardian is needed (the Sunni father does not believe in Mut'a), and there is no limit on the number of Mut'a one can do.</b><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Also, the time period can be as little as one hour to as long as sixty years. In addition, a man who is permanently married can do as many Mut'a as he feels like, even with married women. This is very similar to prostitution indeed</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>In the history of Islam, The Prophet (may Peace Be Upon Him)allowed Mut'a twice in his lifetime. The first time the Prophet (may Peace Be Upon Him)allowed it for three days, at the war of Khaiber, and after three days it was made haram . Once Ali argued with a man who believed in Mut'a and told him that the Prophet made Mut'a and the meat of donkey haram on the day of Khaiber (Bukhari vol. 7, pg. 287 and vol. 4 pg. 134). This hadith can also be found in Shia hadith books, which I will mention later. The second time the Prophet (may Peace Be Upon Him)allowed it was at the conquest of Mecca, for three days, and then he made it haram again till the day of Judgment (Muslim vol. 4 pg. 133). Notice, the practice of Mut'a was then made haram till the Day of Judgment.This is confirmed with the hadiths in the following books: Imam Ahmed s Musnad vol. 16 pg. 192-193, Muslim vol. 4, pg. 132, Bayhaki vol. 7 pg. 293-294. Since there was a time when Mut'a was halal. Therefore, one can find hadith saying that it was halal. However, the latter hadith, which follows the final order of jurisprudence set by the the Prophet(may Peace Be Upon Him), takes precedence over the former hadith.</b><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Ninety-nine percent of the companions followed this opinion, but there was one percent who believed Mut'a can be performed in extreme case of necessity in the land of war. This one percent is divided into two groups. One says, it is allowed with the Caliph's permission, and the other says there is no need for the permission . Those who do not believe in Caliph's permission say that it was Umar who made it haram. Their proof is based upon an opinion by a companion namely Ibn Abbas. People misused this opinion of Ibn Abbas until he clarified himself and said, Wallahi I did not mean what they did! I meant similarly to what Allah meant when he allowed the meat of dead animals and pork to be eaten in extreme necessity. This is referring to the time when people abused the rule of necessity at time of Umar, following the understanding of the one percent. Finally, Umar declared and taught it to be haram when a lady came to Umar complaining about how her husband in Mut'a, who was married, would not take responsibility of the child. He realized how the society was becoming corrupt with similar conditions to adultery. Thus, he had to teach people and make Mut'a haram even in the case of the one percent opinion</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The Shia themselves have a hadith narrated by Ali (r.a.a) which states that the Prophet made Mut'a haram on the day of Khaiber (Book of Tahdeeb: vol. 7, pg. 251, rewaya 10). The author states that Ali lied for the purposes of Taqiya. In Book of Istebsar: vol. 3, pg. 142, rewaya 5, there is a declaration by Ali that Mut'a is haram. Again they accuse Ali of lying for Taqiya.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>With the given confusion in the books of Shias regarding Mut'a, and it being haram among the sunnis, should really make one think hard before believing that they are doing marriage in a halal way and in the name of Allah.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>If Mut'a is not an excuse for satisfying lust, then what is it! It seems to be the easiest solution for adultery. If Mut'a really was to be done in case of need then why is it permissible for a married person to do Mut'a? Also, if one cannot marry due to financial insecurity then how can one be responsible for supporting the child and not be able to support the wife? And how is he going to know if the child is actually his, not someone else's?</b><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The Shia also use the Qur an, Surah 4 ayah 24, as a reference to support Mut'a. They use this Ayah without consideration of the previous or following verses. The Ayah cannot be looked at alone. An example of this is Surah 107 verse 4 "So woe to the worshipers," If we look at this Ayah alone we would think Allah is angered by the worshipers, but if we read on it says in verse 5 "who are neglectful of their prayers." This gives a better understanding of what Allah is telling us. If we read till the end, we will get a better understanding of what Allah is trying to say.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Now, the Shia look at only surah 4 Ayah 24. When Allah says "Except for those all other are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property Desiring chastity, not lust," We take into consideration the Ayah before, that describes all the women forbidden for marriage. Surah 4 Ayah 23, Prohibited to you (for marriage) are-your mothers, daughters, sisters; father s sisters, mother s sisters;" Thus, when Allah says in Ayah 24 that all other are lawful we understand it as all other are lawful women.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The Ayah continues "seeing that ye derive enjoyment from them give them their dower (at least)" as prescribed The Shia say that Mut'a is the enjoyment-marriage that Allah is talking about, and that you pay for this enjoyment. To get a clear understanding of how we translate this Ayah we have to know this is a shariah hokoom (judgment) from Allah about the payment of the dower.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>If a man marries a woman and then divorces her, there are four different scenarios that could happen concerning the dower. They are as follows:</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>1)A man does not enjoy his wife and he does not assign a dower.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>2)A man does not enjoy his wife but he assigns a dower.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>3)A man enjoys his wife but he doesn´t assign a dower.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>4)A man enjoys his wife but he doesn´t pay the the assigned dower.</b><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The first hokoom is in surah 2 verse 236, "There is no blame on you if ye divorce a women before consummation or the fixation of their dower: but bestow on them (a suitable gift)." There is also a hadith that the Prophet divorced a women before he touched her or assigned a dowery. He gave her some gifts (2 pairs of clothing), and then he released her.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The second hokoom is in surah 2 verse 237, "And if ye divorce them before consummation but after the fixation of a dower for them, then the half of the dower (is due to them)." The third hokoom is in surah 4 verse 4 And give their dower as an obligation;.. In Arabic, this word that has been translated into obligation can be more closely translated into standard obligation . So the man should pay to her what the Muslim society has made into a standard.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>The last hokoom is if you assigned maher and enjoyed your wife you should pay it since you enjoyed her whether there is a divorce or not.</b><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>This hokoom is in surah 4 Ayah 24, "seeing that ye derive enjoyment from them give them their dower (at least) as prescribed; but if after a dower is prescribed, ye agree mutually (to vary it), there is no blame on you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." For the Shia, it is a law that you pay the dower before the enjoyment or else there cannot be a Mut'a. This Ayah is talking about coming to an agreement and discussing the payment of the dower even after the whole thing is over or paying it after the enjoyment. So we can see that Mut'a does not fit.</b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>There are also other differences. If you keep reading to Ayah 5 it says, "If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hand possess and Allah hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: wed them with the leave of their owners and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable: they should be chaste not lustful.. This Ayah says that permission is needed from the guardian, and the Ayah continues teaching us about the differences in the law of the free believer and the right hand possess. In the end of the verse, it says that even to marry what the right hand possess is a big dislike to Allah that a person should not do unless he is really in danger of committing a big sin. Then Allah permitted to marry this group, but still suggested to be patient and have self control, since it is better for us. The same understanding can be seen in surah 23 Ayah 5-7. Allah teaches us that there are only two types of marriages allowed: the normal one and the marriage with the right hand posses. Whoever exceeds these two limits Allah says they are transgressors . How can Shia place the Mut'a in the previous Ayah when this Ayah clearly limits marriage to these two types?</b><br />
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</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Also in the Quran, we see that when ever Allah mentions marriage he also teaches us about divorce. When a man marries a chaste woman, and wants to leave her, he has to first divorce her. This can be seen in the following surah and Ayahs, 65:1, 2:231, 2:232, 2:236, 2:37, 33:49, 66:5</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>In Mut'a, there is no divorce; once you pay the set amount of money and the assigned time ends there is no rights, no duty, no inheritance laws, or divorce process. The only law is that the woman waits for a period of 45 days before she enters into another Mut'a, while the man can have immediate one, even while he is married or in another Mut'a. This goes against what Allah assigned for marriage in the Qura'n. In Surah 2 Ayah 228 Allah says, Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly periods and it is not lawful for them to hide what Allah hath created in their wombs. If they have faith in Allah and the last day." In Mut'a she can be pregnant with the child of her first Mut'a husband and be married to her second Mut'a husband or the permanent. In the book of Mustadrak-Alwasa il (Shia authentic hadith book) vol. 7 book 3 pg. 506 rewayah 8762 ,it states that the prophet (may Peace Be Upon Him)said that who ever cannot find the ability to get married let him fast, my ummah s protection is fasting. Also in Beharul-Alanwaar(Shia hadith book in vol.14 pg. 327 rewayah 50:21) it states that Imam Ali said and seek protection from women desire by fasting. What is the need for fasting if Mut'a is OK ? It is obvious that this contradict this idea .I hope and pray that we will take this matter seriously.</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Everyday more and more girls in our community are falling victims to this idea presented by the Shia individuals. These girls are helpless in asking anyone for help, especially their parents. Please, teach and inform one another about the idea of Mut'a, and our beliefs regarding it. Please do it for the honor and dignity of our Islam and for the love of Allah! </b><br />
</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-52226854392560137992010-01-05T08:16:00.001-08:002010-01-05T08:38:57.642-08:00The dangers of Mut´a (Temporary Marriage)<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMEANMA%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMEANMA%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMEANMA%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">A few years after I had reverted to Islam, the topic of Mut´a came up. I wasnt familiar with Mut´a and found out that Mut´a is a temporary marriage in which the man has no financial responsibility to the woman or if she gets pregnant their child. This type of marriage which was once allowed for 3 days in our prophets time (p.b.u.h.) during war and was then made forbidden, is still practiced amongst shias and is usually practiced to fulfill their sexual needs all the while lying to themselves that it is allowed islamically (Basically they are giving themselves excuses to date and have sexual relationships with women.) Even though some of their top shia scholars are against Mut´a, many shias still practice this today. Its not uncommon for new reverts to be approached by shia males who will try to convince you that this is islamically allowed and something good. To understand Mut´a one must first understand why it was allowed back in our prophets time and understand the history of shiaism and how they deviated from the straight path after the death of our prophet (p.b.u.h.) Today I will focus on Mut´a and in another post I will focus on the history of shiaism. </span></b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">The prophet (saw) allowed Mut´a twice in his lifetime. The first time he allowed it for 3 days at the war of Khaibar against the Jews and after those 3 days it was made haram. Once, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) argued with a man who practiced Mut´a and told him the prophet (saw) had made it haram along with the meat of wild donkeys on the day of that battle.</span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span></span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p> </o:p>This hadith can be found both in shia and sunni references</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(</span><span dir="LTR">book of sahih bukhari vol 7 pg 287 and vol 4 pg. 134</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>) </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p> </o:p>As for the Shia references it can be found in the (book of Tahdeeb vol 7 pg 251 rewaya 10</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>)</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">However the shia author (Altoosi)states that Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) lied in this case out of Taqiya. Also, in the (book of Istebsar vol 3 pg 142 rewaya 5) we find Ali stating that Mut´a is haram again and we find the author accusing Ali of lying for Taqiya</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">The 2nd time the Prophet (saw) allowed it was during the conquest of Mecca also for 3 days. And then he made it haram again this time until the day of judgment.(sahih muslim vol 4, pg 133). Many other islamic books and authentic references state the same</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">Of course since Mut´a was allowed for a certain period of time it is very easy to find hadiths mentioning it as halal however one needs to find the hadiths that came later with the FINAL order and set the FINAL rules</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p> </o:p>And these latter ones take precedence over the former ones. 99 percent of the companions followed this opinion. But, there was a small minority who believed Mut´a can be performed in extreme cases of necessity in the land of war. This minority is divided into 2 groups, one of them says it must be allowed by the caliph and the other group says there is no need for this permission</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">Those who do not believe in caliphs permission say it was Umar who made it haram. There alleged proof is based upon an opinon Ibn Abbas. People misuse this opinion until Ibn Abbas had to clarify himself and say</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p>¨</span><span dir="LTR">Walahi I did not mean what they say I meant similarly to what Allah meant when he allowed the meat of dead animals and pork to be eaten in extreme necessity</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>¨</span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">This is referring to the time when many people started abusing the rule of necessity of Umar and finally Umar declared and taught it to be haram. When a lady came to Umar complaining how her husband in Mut´a was married would not take responsibility of the child. He realized how society was becoming corrupt with similar conditions to adultery</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR">From an objective point of view Mut´a is morally unacceptable. The fact that in most cases it goes on undercover suggests that it there is something fishy and corrupt about it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p> </o:p>Why would we muslims need Mut´a when Allah has purified us with lawful, normal marriage and even with polygamy for exceptional cases</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR">Even in the case of the Prophet (saw) the first marriage after the death of khadija was his marriage to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who was the only virgin he married</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="color: #4c1130; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="AR-EG" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Regarding Marji´a our true marji´as are Quran and the Sunnah and absolutely anybody who contradicts them must bite the dust. No matter what their status and fame are in society. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-32365324403534024422009-12-29T07:02:00.000-08:002009-12-29T07:39:25.586-08:00Why Are We So Divided?<div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">... Because of Shirk, innovations and leaving the Sunnah</span></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">All Praise is for Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) Lord of all the creation and May His peace and Blessings be upon is last Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and upon the Prophet's (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) family and upon the companions and on all those who follow the path of guidance until the last day. </span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Without doubt the Muslim Ummah is in a divided and fragmented state and that this division is prohibited in Islam. Rather Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has enjoined upon us to hold onto the rope of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), which we established is the Qur'an and the Sunnah as understood by the Companions. But how did we reach this state in the first place, <i>what causes disunity?</i></span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Shirk - Associating partners in worship with Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala)</span></u></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Without doubt one of the major causes for people splitting up the religion and leaving holding on to the rope of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is shirk. This is the grave sin of ascribing partners with Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) in worship. Today throughout the world there are numerous examples of shirk amongst the Ummah, such as those who call upon the dead in the grave. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And invoke not besides Allah anything that will neither profit you nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Dhal (polytheists and wrong-doers)." [Surah Yoonus 10:106]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Verily Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has created us to worship Him alone, as He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)." [Surah adh-Dhaariyaat 51:56]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So the one who gives worship to other than Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has he not committed the most severe sin. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:116]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It is reported that Ibn Masood (radhi-Allaahu 'anhu) asked the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam):</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Which is the Greatest sin?" The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "That you set up a rival for Allah, While He is the one who created you." [Bukhaaree]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">O noble reader it will not be hidden from you that throughout the world Muslims are stooped in such practices of calling upon the dead saint in the grave, asking him to remove their difficulty whether it be Abdul Qaadir al Jeelanee or al Badawee or other people who's graves have been made places of worship. How can unity be achieved amongst the Muslims when some Muslims cannot unify their worship for Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) alone? O noble reader consider the following, how many Muslims:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wear Amulets and charms, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk." [Ahmad]</span></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Read astrology in magazines or go to fortune tellers, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him something and believes in his words, will have his prayers rejected for forty days." [Muslim]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So while all these non-Islaamic beliefs and practices are present amongst the Muslims how can unity take place? Is not our first obligation to give da'wah to those Muslims who are stooped in these practices? Thereby calling to tawheed as all 124,000 Prophets from Aadam (alayhi-salam) to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) did. They all began their call to the people with Tawheed - worshipping Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) alone.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Having incorrect beliefs</span></u></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another major reason for disunity is the wide range of beliefs prevalent amongst the Muslims. Despite us having the same Qur'an and the same Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), Muslims still have different beliefs. Why is this? If we all are referring back to the Qur'an and the Sunnah in every matter then why the differences. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:59]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So verily O noble reader, imagine if every Muslim acted upon this ayah - would there be any differences then? <b>NO</b>, except maybe in the issues of fiqh, such as the prayer. But our beliefs and methodology would be one, so why is this not the case? It is because many Muslims today do not refer every issue back to Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), rather they ask their local Imaam or their parents or refer it back to their madhab.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Know O noble reader that the first thing that all the Prophets called to was the rectification of the beliefs, before calling to the Islaamic state or to Jihad, the first thing was purifying the beliefs of the Muslim. So how can we have unity while there are Muslims who believe:</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is everywhere, despite Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"They fear their Lord Who is above them, and they do what they are commanded." [Surah an-Nahl 16:50]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was not human and was made from light, despite Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Say (O Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam): 'I am only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your Ilaah (God worthy of being worshipped) is One Ilaah (God)." [Surah Fussilat 41:6]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That the saying of an Imaam should be acted upon over the hadeeth, despite Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah) beware, lest some Fitnah (trials i.e. shirk) should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them." [Surah an-Noor 24:63]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That Imaan does not increase or decrease, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Imaan has seventy odd or sixty odd branches. The most virtuous of them is the statement, 'There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and the slightest of them is to remove something harmful from the road. And hayaa is a branch of Imaan." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bid'ah - Innovations in the religion</span></u></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another cause for disunity and not holding fast to the rope of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is the occurrence of innovations in this Ummah.</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has informed us in the Qur'an that He has completed this religion of Islam for us as He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [Surah al-Maa'idah, 5:3]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Since the religion is complete how can it be that we need to add new things and ways of worship to Islam? Whatever was not part of the religion at the time of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) cannot be accepted as a part of the religion now. The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has warned us against adding new things to the religion when he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Whoever Innovates in this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected." [Muslim]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The people who propose unity at all costs have a saying that 'An innovation that unites us is better than a Sunnah which divides'.</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">SubhanAllaah look at such a statement O noble reader, innovations are grave and serious and a cause for entering the fire as he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"... and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hellfire." [Reported by an-Nasaa'ee (1/224)]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So if someone said to you look there is a fire over there, lets all hold hands and unify and then go in to it, you would think they were crazy! So how can we come together upon something as dangerous as innovations, such as the innovations of mystics, who practice all kinds of weird and innovated invocations, which at times involve switching off the lights or chanting one of Allah's name so that after some time what they are chanting is unrecognisable as a name of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Or the innovations of those who take their scholars as 'spiritual leaders' giving their allegiance to them and 'selling' themselves to these 'scholars' obeying everything they say. How O noble reader can unity occur amongst all the Muslims as long as these practices, which have nothing to do with Islam, keep occurring?</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Blind following and Partisanship</span></u></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is one of the most evil of occurrences today and a major cause for disunity. Muslims are following their madhahab or their scholars over and above the Sunnah of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) despite Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And whosoever opposes the Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!" [Surah an-Nisaa 4:115]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">When you tell Muslims that 'you should do this because it says so in the Qur'an and the Sunnah', they reply 'well that's not what it says in my madhab' or 'that's not what my Shaykh says'. SubhanAllaah, O noble reader why did Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) send us His final Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) if it was not to teach us the religion of Islam.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:65]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">No Muslim will openly say I am disobeying the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), but how many of us ask for the proof on issues of beliefs and practices and look to see what is the truth.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another problem is the setting up of groups and parties with members, then being loyal only to that party, believing in the beliefs and aims of that party - not questioning it. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has warned against this:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And be not of Al-Mushrikoon (polytheists). Of those who split their religion, and became sects, each group rejoicing in that which is with it." [Surah ar-Room 30:31-32]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Setting up groups is a cause for disunity and spreads hatred amongst the Muslims so that a Muslim from one group will not give salaam to a Muslim from another group just because they belong to different groups. Or a group from one masjid will not like Muslims from another masjid to come and pray in their mosque. All this stems from partisanship and it divides the Ummah. Unity will not occur whilst Muslims are in this state rather unity will occur when an end is put to partisanship (hizbiyyah) and Muslims love each other because they are all have the same aims, beliefs and practices.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Means for Revival</span></u></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Having looked at the reason why we are so divided, the question now arises as to what the means for reviving this Ummah are. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has given us the means for the revival of this Ummah, when He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Verily! Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves." [Surah ar-Ra'd 13:11]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) also said:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"When you involve yourselves in interest bearing business transactions, and you hold on to the tails of cows, and you are pleased with agriculture (i.e. the land) and you abandon making Jihad in the Cause of Allah, Allah will send humiliation down upon you. He will not remove it from you until you return back to your Religion." [Abu Dawood and al-Bayhaqee]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So this humiliation that Muslims are under will not be removed from us until we return back to the religion of Islam. So what is the religion of Islam if not Tawheed, having the correct Aqeedah, worshipping Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) correctly? So should we not start our revival with these issues.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So just as the condition of the Arabs during the Days of Ignorance (Jaahiliyyah) was not rectified except by the coming of their Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) with revelation from the heavens, which aided them in this world and which will save them in the next, then know O noble reader the foundation that the Islamic revival must be built upon in this time, is nothing else but the return to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, as implemented by the noble companions.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We know from the Book of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) that the way towards realising this revival is only one way, and it is the way which Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has mentioned in His (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path." [Surah al-An'aam 6:153]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Messenger of Allah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) explained this to his Companions. Thus, one day he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) drew a straight line for them on the ground and then drew short lines on the sides of it. Then, while his (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) noble finger moved up and down the straight line, he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) recited the aforementioned verse. Then he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) pointed to the lines that were drawn on the sides of the straight line and said:</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"This is the Path of Allah and these are the (other) paths. At the top of each of these (other) ways, there is a devil calling towards it." [Authentic hadeeth, graded in Dhilaal-ul-Jannah fee Takhreej-is Sunnah(16-17)]</span></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Furthermore, Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"And whosoever opposes the Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!" [Surah an-Nisaa 4:115]</span></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In this ayah there is profound and extensive wisdom, for Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), has connected the "the believers' way" to what the Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) came with. The Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has (also) indicated this point in the hadeeth about the splitting up of the Ummah into sects. When he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was asked concerning the saved sect, he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) responded: "That which (adheres to what) I and my companions are upon today."</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What then is the wisdom behind Allah's mentioning of "the believers' way" in this ayah? And what is the significance in the Messenger of Allah's (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) linking of his companions to himself in the previous hadeeth?</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The answer is: These noble Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum) were the ones who received the two revelations (i.e. the Qur'an and Sunnah) from the Messenger of Allah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), having that explained to them by him (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) directly, without there being any intermediary. They best knew how to implement the Sunnah, so after knowing this O noble reader can any Islaamic revival take place when the way of the Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum) is abandoned and not adhered to, rather No it can not. For us to revive Islam and bring unity to the Muslims we must adopt the way and example of the Noble Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum).</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Imaam Maalik (rahima-hullaah) said:</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"The latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except by that which rectified its former part." [ash-Shifaa of Qaadee 'Iyyaadh, (2/676)]</span></b></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So it will be clear to the reader that the only way to revive the Ummah is to return every affair of the Muslim back to the Qur'an and the Sunnah as understood and implemented by the best generation, the Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum). To believe as they believed, to worship as they worshipped, to look like them, to give da'wah in the way they gave it. Then only will we be united and have a true Islaamic revival.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So dear noble brothers and sisters your Lord (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says....</span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah's Reminder (this Qur'an), and that which has been revealed of the truth." [Surah al-Hadeed 57:16]</span></b></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">source: http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/whydivided.htm </span></b></b></span> <br />
</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-33737287876479955042009-12-29T06:56:00.000-08:002009-12-29T06:56:02.552-08:00How to be Happy<div style="color: #38761d;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;"></span></b><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety. These things are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.<br />
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Here follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to what the means he is able to attain. These means include the following:<a name='more'></a><br />
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1 – Faith and righteous deeds:<br />
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This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” </span><span lang="EN-US">[al-Nahl 16:97]</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">Allah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.<br />
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The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allah – with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief.<br />
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They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allah.<br />
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The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">(Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).<br />
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The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.<br />
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2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good.<br />
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This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral alike, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward.<br />
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Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):<br />
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward” </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">[al-Nisa’ 4:114]<br />
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Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.<br />
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3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.<br />
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The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allaah knows best.<br />
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4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one’s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sought refuge with Allah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said a du’a or taught a du’a to his Ummah (community), as well as urging them to seek the help of Allah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du’a (supplication) must be accompanied by action.<br />
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So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, ‘Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’ open the door to the Shaytaan.” </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">(Narrated by Muslim).<br />
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The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allah will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types:<br />
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1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allah.<br />
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2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allah’s will.<br />
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Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.<br />
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5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allah says:<br />
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest” </span>[al-Ra’d 13:28]<span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%;"><br />
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Remembering Allah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward.<br />
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6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown; he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety.<br />
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One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite:<br />
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;"> (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).<br />
And he said, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">“Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).” </span>(Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">If a person utters these du’as, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.<br />
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7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it.<br />
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8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity.<br />
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It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.<br />
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The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):<br />
</span><span lang="EN-US">"And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him” </span><span lang="EN-US">[al-Talaaq 65:3]<br />
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i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.<br />
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If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.<br />
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See al-Wasaa’il al-Mufeedah li’l-Hayaat al-Sa’eedah by Shatkh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di<br />
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Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:<br />
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1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)<br />
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2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)<br />
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3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)<br />
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4- Thinking of Allah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such punishment.<br />
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5- The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.<br />
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6- Beseeching Allah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).<br />
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7- Seeking the help of Allah Alone.<br />
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8- Affirming one's hope in Him.<br />
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9- Truly putting one’s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.<br />
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10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur’an, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.<br />
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11-Seeking forgiveness.<br />
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12-Repentance.<br />
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13-Jihad.<br />
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14-Salaah (prayer).<br />
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15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.</span><br />
</b> <br />
</div><div style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: medium medium 0.75pt; color: #38761d; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <div align="center" style="border: medium none; padding: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal</span></b><br />
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</div><div align="center" style="border: medium none; padding: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat;">source; http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/happy.htm <br />
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</div></div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-3438957476771966552009-12-29T06:50:00.000-08:002009-12-29T06:50:32.007-08:00The History of Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDP19CCBQqFEAjy53cTxT3k7BoKI0aCPGJgaWcVQ0K4WoCS6lwV0nbwXIRZrhjJ8fVhrIQ57y_2BClUuikbLq8n891Ezbwxws2GqufsXvm1nlOtt64_tggh4HgUmdoarKfwFSlWprgJHF/s1600-h/Christmas20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDP19CCBQqFEAjy53cTxT3k7BoKI0aCPGJgaWcVQ0K4WoCS6lwV0nbwXIRZrhjJ8fVhrIQ57y_2BClUuikbLq8n891Ezbwxws2GqufsXvm1nlOtt64_tggh4HgUmdoarKfwFSlWprgJHF/s320/Christmas20tree.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In ancient pagan times, the last day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere was celebrated as the night that the Great Mother Goddess gives birth to the baby Sun God. It is also called Yule, the day a huge log is added to a bonfire, around which everyone would dance and sing to awaken the sun from its long winter sleep.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In Roman times, it became the celebrations honouring Saturnus (the harvest god) and Mithras (the ancient god of light), a form of sun worship that had come to Rome from Syria a century before with the cult of Sol Invictus. It announced that winter is not forever, that life continues, and an invitation to stay in good spirit.<a name='more'></a> </b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The last day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere occurs between the 20th and 22 December. The Roman celebrated Saturnalia between 17 and 24 December.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The early Christians<br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>To avoid persecution during the Roman pagan festival, early Christians decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian numbers increased and their customs prevailed, the celebrations took on a Christian observance. But the early church actually did not celebrate the birth of Christ in December until Telesphorus, who was the second Bishop of Rome from 125 to 136AD, declared that Church services should be held during this time to celebrate "The Nativity of our Lord and Saviour." </b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>However, since no-one was quite sure in which month Christ was born, Nativity was often held in September, which was during the Jewish Feast of Trumpets (modern-day Rosh Hashanah). In fact, for more than 300 years, people observed the birth of Jesus on various dates.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In the year 274AD, solstice fell on 25th December. Roman Emperor Aurelian proclaimed the date as "Natalis Solis Invicti," the festival of the birth of the invincible sun. In 320 AD, Pope Julius I specified the 25th of December as the official date of the birth of Jesus Christ.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Christmas official, but not generally observed <br />
In 325AD, Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor, introduced Christmas as an immovable feast on 25 December. He also introduced Sunday as a holy day in a new 7-day week, and introduced movable feasts (Easter). In 354AD, Bishop Liberius of Rome officially ordered his members to celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>However, even though Constantine officiated 25 December as the birthday of Christ, Christians, recognising the date as a pagan festival, did not share in the emperor's good meaning. </b><b>Christmas failed to gain universal recognition among Christians until quite recently. In England, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas festivities between 1649 and 1660 through the so-called Blue Laws, believing that Christmas should be a solemn day.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>When many Protestants escaped persecution by fleeing to the colonies all over the world, interest in joyous Christmas celebrations was rekindled there. Still, Christmas was not even a legal holiday until the 1800s. And, keep in mind, there was no Father Christmas (Santa Claus) figure at that time.</b></span><br />
</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Christmas becomes popular<br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The popularity of Christmas was spurred on in 1820 by Washington Irving's book The Keeping of Christmas at Bracebridge Hall. In 1834, Britain's Queen Victoria brought her German husband, Prince Albert, into Windsor Castle, introducing the tradition of the Christmas tree and carols that were held in Europe to the British Empire. A week before Christmas in 1834, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol (in which he wrote that Scrooge required Cratchit to work, and that the US Congress met on Christmas Day). It was so popular that neither the churches nor the governments could not ignore the importance of Christmas celebrations. In 1836, Alabama became the first state in the US to declare Christmas a legal holiday. In 1837, T.H. Hervey's </b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Book of Christmas also became a best seller. In 1860, American illustrator Thomas Nast borrowed from the European stories about Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, to create </b><b>Father Christmas (Santa Claus). In 1907, Oklahoma became the last US state to declare Christmas a legal holiday. Year by year, countries all over the world started to recognise Christmas as the day for celebrating the birth of Jesus.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Have a merry Christmas<br />
Today, many of the pagan uses are reflected in Christmas. Jesus was born in March, yet his birth is celebrated on 25 December, the time of solstice. The Christmas celebrations end the 12th day of Christmas (6 January), the same amount of days that the return of the sun was celebrated by ancient and Roman pagans. It thus is no surprise that Christian puritans - or even conservative Christians - often are upset that Christmas<i> "is not as religious as it was meant to be,"</i> forgetting that Christmas was not celebrated at all until fairly recently.</b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.didyouknow.cd/xmas/xmashistory.htm" target="_blank" title="http://www.didyouknow.cd/xmas/xmashistory.htm"> http://www.didyouknow.cd/xmas/xmashistory.htm</a></b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <hr /> </div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <div align="left" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span><strong>What Did Jesus Say About Christmas?</strong></span></b></span><br />
</div></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>The Christmas Experience</span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>The perfect Christmas tree is bought. Adorned with ornaments and glittering with tinsel, it stands by the window. The stores are crammed with shoppers hunting for presents and the little ones anxiously waiting for Santa.</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Busy with Christmas fever, wonder did you ever, did the Bible or Jesus made any injunction on Christmas ever?</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Ponder upon the following analysis on Christmas, and the Truth will become clearer and clearer.</span></b></span><br />
</div></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span> </span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Does Christmas have Biblical Evidence?</span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>The word 'Christmas' does not exist in the Bible. The Bible has closed lips on the entire feast of Christmas, with one exception, the decoration of a tree. The Bible itself criticizes the decoration of the (Christmas) trees:</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <div align="justify" dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>"The customs of the people are worthless, they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel, they adore it with silver and gold, they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter" (Jeremiah 10-3,4).</span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>European Pre-Christian pagans superstitiously believed that the green trees had special protective powers. In fact the use of the Christmas tree began only in the 17th century in Strasbourg, France and from there it spread to Germany, Britain and then to the U.S. "Tree worship was a common feature of religion among the Teutonic and Scandinavian peoples of northern Europe before their conversion to Christianity…German settlers brought the Christmas tree custom to the American colonies in the 17th century. By the 19th century its use was quite widespread". (Compton's Encyclopedia, 1998 Edition)</span></b></span><br />
</div></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span> </span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Was Jesus born on Dec. 25?</span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span> </span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Neither the date 25th Dec. nor any other date on Jesus' birth is mentioned in the Bible. It was not until the year 530 C.E. that a monk, Dionysus Exigus, fixed the date of Jesus' birth on Dec. 25th. . "He wrongly dated the birth of Christ according to the Roman system (i.e., 754 years after the founding of Rome) as Dec. 25, 753". (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 ed.) This date was chosen in keeping with the holidays already indoctrinated into pagans beliefs.</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <div align="justify" dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Roman pagans celebrated Dec. 25th as the birth of their 'god' of light, Mithra.</span></b></span><br />
</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>"In the 2nd century A..D., it (Mithraism) was more general in the Roman Empire than Christianity, to which it bore many similarities" (The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, 1995 ed.)</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Other pagan 'gods' born on Dec. 25th are: Hercules the son of Zeus (Greeks); Bacchus, 'god' of wine (Romans); Adonis, 'god' of Greeks, and 'god' Freyr of Greek-Roman pagans.</span></b></span><br />
</div></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span> </span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>What about Santa Claus?</span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>If aliens descended on earth during the Christmas season, they would undoubtedly believe Christmas as being Santa's birthday. The words 'Santa Claus', appear nowhere in the Bible.</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <div align="justify" dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>However, Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) was a real person, a bishop, who was born 300 years after Jesus. According to legend, he was extremely kind and set out at night to bring presents to the needy. After his death on 6th of Dec., school boys in Europe began celebrating a feast day each year.</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Queen Victoria later changed the celebration date from Dec. 6th to Dec. 24th eve.</span></b></span><br />
</div></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Did Jesus or his Companions Celebrate Christmas?</span></b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>If Jesus meant his followers to celebrate Christmas, he would have practiced it himself and enjoined it on his followers. There is no mention in the entire Bible that any of his followers ever celebrated Jesus' birthday like Christians do today.</span></b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>"The church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event of Christmas until the 4th century" (Grolier's Encyclopedia)</span></b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Thus we see that neither the Bible nor Jesus and his companions say anything about the celebration of Christmas which currently involves fanfare, commercialization, and extravagant spending, devoid of any spiritual relevance.</span></b></span><br />
</div></div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>(Excerpted from <a href="http://www.islamhouse.com/en/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=106" target="_blank" title="http://www.islamhouse.com/en/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=106">http://www.islamhouse.com/en/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=106</a>)</b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75;"> <hr /> </div><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><strong>Ruling on Christmas & New Year</strong></b></span> </div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Praise be to Allah.</b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah. have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the ayah (interpretation of the meaning), <i>“And those who do not witness falsehood [al-zoor]…” [al-Furqaan 25:72]</i>:As regards the festivals of the mushrikeen: they combine confusion, physical desires and falsehood, there is nothing in them that is of any religious benefit, and the instant gratification involved in them only ends up in pain. Thus they are falsehood, and witnessing them means attending them.This ayah itself praises and commends (those who do not witness falsehood), which has the meaning of urging people to avoid taking part in their festivals and other kinds of falsehood. We understand that it is bad to attend their festivals because they are called <i>al-zoor</i> (falsehood).It indicates that it is haraam to do this for many reasons, because Allah. has called it <i>al-zoor</i>. </b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Allah. condemns the one who speaks falsehood [<i>al-zoor</i>] even if no-one else is harmed by it, as in the ayah forbidding <i>zihaar</i> [a form of divorce in which the man says to his wife “You are to me like the back of my mother”], where He says (interpretation of the meaning): <i>“… And verily, they utter an ill word and a lie [zooran]…” [al-Mujaadilah 58:2]</i>. And Allah. says (interpretation of the meaning): <i>“… So shun the abomination of idols, and shun lying speech (false statements) [al-zoor].” [al-Hajj 22:30]</i>. So the one who does <i>al-zoor</i> is condemned in this fashion.In the Sunnah: Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah. be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah. (peace and blessings of Allah. be upon him) came [to Madeenah] and they had two days in which they would (relax and) play. He said, “What are these two days?” They said, “We used to play (on these two days) during the Jaahiliyyah.” The Messenger of Allah. (peace and blessings of Allah. be upon him) said: “Allah. has given you something better instead of them: <i>Yawm al-Duhaa</i> [Eid al-Adha] and <i>Yawm al-Fitr</i> [Eid al-Fitr].” (Reported by Abu Dawood).This indicates clearly that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah. be upon him) definitely forbade his ummah to celebrate the festivals of the kuffaar, and he strove to wipe them out by all possible means. </b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The fact that the religion of the People of the Book is accepted does not mean that their festivals are approved of or should be preserved by the ummah, just as the rest of their kufr and sins are not approved of. Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah. be upon him) went to great lengths to command his ummah to be different from them in many issues that are mubaah (permitted) and in many ways of worship, lest that lead them to be like them in other matters too. This being different was to be a barrier in all aspects, because the more different you are from the people of Hell, the less likely you are to do the acts of the people of Hell.The first of them is: The hadeeth “Every people has its festival, and this is our festival” implies exclusivity, that every people has its own festival, as Allah. says (interpretation of the meaning): <i> </i></b></span><br />
</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>“For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers)…” [al-Baqarah 2:148]</i> and <i>“… To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way…” [al-Maa’idah 5:48]</i>. This implies that each nation has its own ways. The <i>laam</i> in <i>li-kulli</i> [“for every”, “to each”] implies exclusivity. So if the Jews have a festival and the Christians have a festival, it is just for them, and we should not have any part in it, just as we do not share their qiblah (direction of prayer) or their laws.The second of them is: one of the conditions set out by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah. be pleased with him) and agreed upon by the Sahaabah and by all the Fuqaha’ after them is: that those of the People of the Book who have agreed to live under Islamic rule (<i>ahl al-dhimmah</i>) should not celebrate their festivals openly in <i>Daar al-Islam</i> (lands under Islamic rule). If the Muslims have agreed to prevent them from celebrating openly, how could it be right for the Muslims to celebrate them? If a Muslim celebrates them, is that not worse than if a kaafir does so openly?</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The only reason that we forbade them to celebrate their festivals openly is because of the corruption involved in them, because of the sin or symbols of sin. In either case, the Muslim is forbidden from sin or the symbols of sin. Even if there was no evil involved apart from the kaafir feeling encouraged to celebrate openly because of the Muslim’s actions, how can a Muslim do that? The evil involved (in their festivals) will be explained below, in sha Allah.Al-Bayhaqi reported with a saheeh isnaad in <i>Baab karaahiyat al-dukhool ‘ala ahl al-dhimmah fi kanaa’isihim wa’l-tashabbuh bihim yawmi nawroozihim wa maharjaanihim</i> (Chapter on the abhorrence of entering the churches of <i>ahl al-dhimmah</i> on the occasion of their New Year and other celebrations): From Sufyaan al-Thawri from Thawr ibn Yazeed from ‘Ata’ ibn Deenaar who said: ‘Umar said: “Do not learn the language of the non-Arabs, do not enter upon the mushrikeen in their churches on their feast-days, for the wrath (of Allaah) is descending upon them.”‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: “Avoid the enemies of Allaah on their festivals.”It was reported with a saheeh isnaad from Abu Usaamah: ‘Awn told us from Abu’l-Mugheerah from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr: “Whoever lives in the land of the non-Arabs and celebrates their New Year and their festivals, and imitates them until he dies in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.”‘Umar forbade learning their languages, and even entering their churches on the day of their festival, so how about doing some of the things they do on those days, or doing things that are a part of their religion? Is not going along with their actions worse than learning their language? Is not doing some of the things they do on their festival worse than just entering upon them? If divine wrath is descending upon them on the day of their festival because of what they do, then is not the one who does what they do, or a part of it, also exposed to the same punishment? Do not the words “Avoid the enemies of Allaah on their festivals” mean that we should not meet them or join them on those days? So how about the one who actually celebrates their festivals?‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr clearly stated: “Whoever lives in the land of the non-Arabs and celebrates their New Year and their festivals, and imitates them until he dies in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.”This implies that the one who joins in with them in all of these matters is a kaafir, or that doing this is one of the major sins (<i>kabaa’ir</i>) that will doom one to Hell; the former meaning is what is apparent from the wording.He mentioned – and Allaah knows best – the one who lives in their land, because at the time of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr and the other Sahaabah, they used to forbid open celebration of kaafir festivals in the Muslim lands, and none of the Muslims imitated them in their festivals; that was possible only when living in the lands of the kaafirs.‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) refused to even acknowledge the name of their festivals which were exclusively theirs, so how about actually celebrating them?Ahmad mentioned the meaning of the reports narrated from ‘Umar and ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them) on this topic, and his companions discussed the matter of festivals.</b></span><br />
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</div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Imaam Abu’l-Hasan al-Aamidi said: the one who is known as Ibn al-Baghdaadi said in his book <i>‘Umdat al-Haadir wa Kifaayat al-Musaafir</i>: “It is not permitted to attend the festivals of the Christians and Jews. Ahmad stated this in the report of Muhannaa, and his evidence for that is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): <i>‘And those who do not witness falsehood [al-zoor]…’ [al-Furqaan 25:72]</i>. He said: (This is) al-Sha’aaneen and their festivals. He said: The Muslims are to be prevented from entering upon them in their synagogues and churches.”</b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>From <i>Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem</i> by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p. 183.</b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif;"><hr width="44%" /> </span> </b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greeting the kuffaar on Christmas and other religious holidays of theirs is haraam, by consensus, as Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah: "Congratulating the kuffaar on the rituals that belong only to them is haraam by consensus, as is congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on. If the one who says this has been saved from kufr, it is still forbidden. It is like congratulating someone for prostrating to the cross, or even worse than that. It is as great a sin as congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone, or having illicit sexual relations, and so on. Many of those who have no respect for their religion fall into this error; they do not realize the offensiveness of their actions. Whoever congratulates a person for his disobedience or bid’ah or kufr exposes himself to the wrath and anger of Allaah." Congratulating the kuffaar on their religious festivals is haraam to the extent described by Ibn al-Qayyim because it implies that one accepts or approves of their rituals of kufr, even if one would not accept those things for oneself. But the Muslim should not aceept the rituals of kufr or congratulate anyone else for them, because Allaah does not accept any of that at all, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "<em>If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. . .</em>" [al-Zumar 39:7] <em>". . . This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion . . .</em>" [al-Maa’idah 5:3] So congratulating them is forbidden, whether they are one’s colleagues at work or otherwise. If they greet us on the occasion of their festivals, we should not respond, because these are not our festivals, and because they are not festivals which are acceptable to Allaah. These festivals are innovations in their religions, and even those which may have been prescribed formerly have been abrogated by the religion of Islaam, with which Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the whole of mankind. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): <br />
</b></span></div><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"<em>Whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.</em>" [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85] It is haraam for a Muslim to accept invitations on such occasions, because this is worse than congratulating them as it implies taking part in their celebrations. Similarly, Muslims are forbidden to imitate the kuffaar by having parties on such occasions, or exchanging gifts, or giving out sweets or food, or taking time off work, etc., because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa’ al-siraat al-mustaqeem mukhaalifat ashaab al-jaheem: "Imitating them in some of their festivals implies that one is pleased with their false beliefs and practices, and gives them the hope that they may have the opportunity to humiliate and mislead the weak." Whoever does anything of this sort is a sinner, whether he does it out of politeness or to be friendly, or because he is too shy to refuse, or for whatever other reason, because this is hypocrisy in Islaam, and because it makes the kuffaar feel proud of their religion. </b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Allaah is the One Whom we ask to make the Muslims feel proud of their religion, to help them adhere steadfastly to it, and to make them victorious over their enemies, for He is the Strong and Omnipotent.</b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="justify" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
(Majmoo’ah Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 3/369)</b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #351c75;"> </b></span><div align="left" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.islam-qa.com/topics/christmas/christmas.shtml" target="_blank" title="http://www.islam-qa.com/topics/christmas/christmas.shtml">http://www.islam-qa.com/topics/christmas/christmas.shtml</a></b></span><br />
</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-82927893509179959432009-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:002009-12-22T10:00:17.499-08:00Miracles of the Quran<b style="color: #20124d;">AL-QUR`AN, The Miracle of Miracles </b><br />
<div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Ahmed Deedat </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>chap1 </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Say: If the whole of mankind and jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur`an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>What is a miracle? <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>I think it is necessary that we have a clear picture of what we mean by a miracle. <a name='more'></a>Here are some definitions:- </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>"An event that appears so inexplicable by the laws of nature, that it is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God." "A person, thing or event that excites admiring awe." "An act beyond human power, an impossibility." </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>It is logical that greater the impossibility, greater the miracle. For example, should a person expire before our very eyes and is certified dead by a qualiified medical man, yet later on a mystic or a saint commands the corpse to 'arise!', and to everybody's astonishment the person gets up and walks away , we would label that as a miracle. But if the resurrection of the dead took place after the corpse had been in the mortuary for three days, then we would acclaim this as a greater miracle. And if the dead was made to arise from the grave, decades or centuries after the body had decomposed and rotted away, then in that case we would label it the greatest miracle of them all! </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>A Common Trait: <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>It has been a common trait of mankind since time immemorial that whenever a guide from God appeared to redirect their steps into the will and plan of God; they demanded supernatural proofs from these men of God, instead of accepting message on its merit. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> For example, when Jesus Christ (pbuh) began to preach to his people - "the children of Israel" - to mend their ways and to refrain from mere legalistic formalism and imbibe the true spirit of the laws and commandments of god, his 'people' demanded miracles from him to prove his bona fides ( his authenicity , his genuineness), as recorded in the christian scriptures: </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Then certain of the scribes and the phairsees answered, saying master, we would have a sign ( miracle ) from thee. But he answered and said unto them, "an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign (miracle) and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas ( matthew 12:38-39 holy bible) </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Though on the face of it, Jesus (pbuh) refuses to pamper the jews here, in actual fact, he did perform many miracles as we learn from the gospel narratives. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> The holy bible is full of supernatural events accredited to the prophets from their lord. In reality all those 'signs' and 'wonders' and 'miracles' were acts of God, but since those miracles were worked through his human agents, we describe them as the miracles of prophets (i.e. Moses or Jesus (pbuh) by those hands they were performed). </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Quirk Continues: <br />
Some six hundred years after the birth of Jesus(pbuh), Muhammad (pbuh) the messenger of God was born in Makkah in arabia. When he proclaimed his mission at the age of forty, his fellow countrymen, the mushriks of makkah made an identical request for miracles, as had the jews, from their promised Messiah. Text book style, it was as if the arabs had taken a leaf from the christian records. History has a habit of repeating itself! </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>And they say: why are not signs sent down to him from his lord? (holy Qu`ran 29:50) </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>SIGNS! WHAT SIGNS!! <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>"Miracles ? Cries he, what miracles would you have? Are not you yourselves there? God made you 'shaped you out of a little clay.' Ye were small once; a few years ago ye were not at all. Ye have beauty, strength, thoughts, 'ye have compassion on one another.' Old age comes-on you, and grey hairs; your strength fades into feebleness: ye sink down, and again are not. 'Ye have compassion on one another': This struck me much: Allah might have made you having no compassion on one another, how had it been then! this is a great direct though, a glance at first-hand into the very fact of things...." "(On heroes hero-worship and the heroic in history,")by Thomas Carlyle. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>"This Struck Me Much" <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>This, that "ye have compassion on one another", impressed thomas carlyle most from his perusal of an English translation. I persume, there verse that motivated this sentiment is: </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> 1. And among his signs is this, that he created for you mates from amonng yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them. and he has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (emphasis added) Translation by A Yusuf ALi (Qu`ran 30:21) </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>2. And one of his signs it is, that he hath created wives for you of your own species that ye may dwell with them, and hath put love and tenderness between you. herein truly are signs for those who reflect (emphasis added) Translation by Rev. J.M. Rodwell(M.A.) </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>3. By another sign he gave you wives from among yourselves, that ye might live in joy with them, and planted love and kindness into your hearts. surely there are signs in this for thinking men(emphasis added) Translation by N.J. Dawood. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> The first example is from the translation by Yusuf Ali, a muslim. The second is by a christian priest the rev. Rodwell and the last example is by an iraqi Jew, N.J. Dawood. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> Unfortunately Thomas Carlyle had no access to any one of these because none of them had seen the light of day in his time. The only one available to him in 1840 was as he said on page 85 of his book under referance - "We also can read the Koran; our translation of it, by sale, is known to be a very fair one." </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Taint Is In The Motive: <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Carlyle is very charitable to his fellow countryman. The motives of george sale, who pioneered an English translation of the Holy Quran, were suspect. He makes no secret of his antagonism to the holy book of Islam. In his preface to his translation in 1734 he made it known that it was his avowed intention to expose the man Mohammad and his forgery. He records: "who can apprehend any danger from so manifest a forgery?... The protestants alone are able to attack the koran with success; and for them, I trust, providence has reserved the glory of its overthrow." George Sale, And he set to work with his prejudiced translation. You will be able to judge how 'fair' and scholarly george sale was from the very verse which 'struck' (carlyle) 'much!' Compare it with the three example already given by a muslim, a christian and a jew: And of his signs another is, that he had created you , out of yourselves, wives that ye may cohabit with them, and hath put love and compassion between you . </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>I dont think that george sale was a 'a male chauvinist pig' of his day to describe our mates, wives or spouses as sexual objects. He was only keeping to his promise, which carlyle overlooked. The arabic word which he (sale) perverted is 'li-tas-kunoo' which means to find peace, consolation, composure or tranquility; and not 'cohabit' meaning 'to live together in a sexual relationship when not legally married' (the reader's digest universal dictionary.) </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> Every word of the Quranic text is meticulously chosen, chiselled and placed by the All-Wise himself. They carry God's 'fingerprint', and are signs of God. And yet, the spirtually jaundiced.... </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Ask For A Sign: <br />
What signs?? They mean some special kinds of signs or miracles such as their own foolish minds dictate. Everything is possible for God, but God is not going to humour the follies of men or listen to their false demands. He has sent his messenger to explain his signs clearly, and to warn them of the consequences of rejection. Is that not enough? The trend of their demand is generally as follows: </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>In specific terms they asked that he - Muhammad (pbuh) - 'Put a ladder up to heaven an bring down a book from God in their very sight' - "Then we would believe," they said. Or "ye see the mountain yonder, turn it into gold' - "then we would believe." or 'make streams to gush out in the desert' - "then we would believe." </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Now listen to the soft, sweet reasoning of Muhammad(pbuh) against the unreasonable and sceptical demands of the mushriks - "Do I say to you, verily I am an angel? Do I say to you, verily in my hands are the treasures of God? Only, what is revealed to me do I follow." Listen further to the most dignified reply he is commanded by his Lord to give the unbelievers. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Say (O Muhammad): 'The signs (miracles) are indeed with Allah: And most certainly I am only a clear warner.!' </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>In the following ayah the holy prophet is made to point to the holy Qur`an itself as an answer to their hypocritical demand for some special kind of 'sign' of 'miracle' for which their foolish pagan mentality craved. For indeed all miracles are 'signs'; and it is their disbelief, their scepticism, their lack of faith which motivates their request for a sign. They are asked to - 'look at the Qur`an' and again, 'look at the Qur`an!' </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>It is not enough for them that we have sent down to thee (O Muhammad) the book(al-Qur`an) which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it (this perspicuous book) is a mercy and reminder to those who believe. (Qur`an 29:51). </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Two Proofs: <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>As a proof of the divine authorship and the miraculous nature of the Qur`an, two arguments are advanced by the almighty Himself: </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>1. 'that we' (God Almighty) have revealed to you (O muhammed!) 'the book to you' who art absolutely an unlearned person. An 'ummi' prophet. One who cannot read or write. One who cannot sign his own name. Let thomas carlyle testify regarding the educational qualifications of Muhammad - </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> 'one other circumstance we must not forget: that he had no school learnin; of the thing we call school-learning none at all.' </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> Moreoever the divine author(God Almighty) himself testifies to the veracity of Muhammed's(pbuh) claim that he could never have composed the contents of the holy Qur`an; he could not have been its author: </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> And thou (O Muhammad) was not (able) to recite a book before this (book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted (Qur`an 29:48). </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>The author of the Qur`an is reasoning with us, that had Muhammad(pbuh) been a learned man, and had he been able to read or write, then in that case the babblers in the market places might have had some justification to doubt his claim that the holy qur`an is God's word. In the event of Muhammed(pbuh) being a literate person, the accusation of his enemies that he had probably copied his book (Qur`an) from the writings of the jews and christians, or that perhaps he had been studying aristotle and plato, or that he must have browsed through the 'Torat,' the 'Zabur' and the 'Injeel' and had rehashed it all in a beautiful language, might have carried some weight. Then, 'the talkers of vanities' might have had a poiint. But even this flimsy pretence has been denied to the unbeliever and the cynic: a point hardly big enough to hang a fly upon! </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>2. 'The book'? Yes, the 'book' itself, carries its own evidence proving its divine authorship. Study the book from any angel. Scrutinize it. Why not take up the author's challenge if your doubts are genuine? Do they not consider the qur`an(with care) had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Consistency: <br />
</b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>It is inconceivable that any human author would remain consistent in this teachings and his preachings for a period of over two decades. From the age of forty, when Muhammad (pbuh) recieved his first call from heaven to the age sixty-three when he breathed his last, for twenty-three years the holy prophet practised and preached Islam. In those twenty-three years, he passed through the most conflicting vicissitudes of life. Any man, during the course of such a mission, would be forced by circumstances to make 'honourable' compromises, and cannot help contradicting himself. No man can ever write the same always, as the message of the holy qur`an is: consistent with itself, throughout! Or is it that the unbelievers objections are merely argumentive, refractory, against their own better light and judgement.? Furthermore, the holy qur`an contains or mentions many matters relating to the nature of the universe which were unknown to man before but which subsequently through evolution and discoveries of Science have fully confirmed - a field where an untutored mind would have most certainly lost in wild and contradictory speculations! </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b>Self-Evident Proof: <br />
Again and again when miracles are demanded from the prophet of God by the cynical and frivolous few, he is made to point to the qur`an - message from high - as 'the miracle.' The miracle or miracles! And men of wisdom, people with literary and spiritual insight, who were honest enough to themselves, recognised and accepted al-qur`an as an a genuine miracle. </b><br />
</div><div style="color: #20124d;"><b> Says the holy Qur`an: Nay here are signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: And none but the unjust reject our signs. (qur`an 29:49). </b><br />
</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-46043215907643859412009-12-22T04:35:00.000-08:002009-12-22T10:01:37.627-08:00THE PROHIBITED IN ISLAM<div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Halal and Haram</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Prohibition of Things is Due to Their Impurity and Harmfulness:</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is the right of Allah, the One Who created the universe and bestowed innumerable favours upon mankind, to legalise or prohibit as He deems proper.</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Islam things are prohibited only because they are impure or harmful. If something is entirely harmful it is 'haram', and if it is entirely beneficial it is 'halal'; if the harm of it outweighs its benefit it is haram, while if its benefit outweighs its harm it is halal. This principle is explained in the Qur'an in relation to wine and gambling:</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
"They ask you concerning wine and gambling. Say (O Prophet); in them is great sin and some benefit for human beings, but the sin is Greater than the benefit..."(Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:219)</span></span></b></span> <br />
</div><a name='more'></a><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another Islamic principal is that if something is prohibited, anything which leads to it is likewise prohibited. By this means Islam intends to block all avenues leading to what is haram. For example Islam has prohibited adultery, it has also prohibited anything which leads to it or makes it attractive such as seductive clothing, private meetings and casual meetings between men and women, the depiction of nudity, pornographic literature, obscene songs, and so on.</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the beauties of Islam is that it has prohibited only such things as are unnecessary and dispensable, while providing alternatives which are better and which give greater ease and comfort to human beings.</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allah has prohibited seeking omens by drawing lots but has provided the alternative of istikhara, which is to ask guidance from Him in making a choice between two conflicting decisions. He has prohibited usury but has encouraged profitable trade. He has prohibited gambling but has encouraged healthy forms of competition such as sport.</span></span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He has prohibited adultery, fornication, and homosexuality but has encouraged lawful marriage.</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He has prohibited intoxicating drinks And He has prohibited unclean food but provides alternative wholesome food.</span></span></b></span><br />
</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span> <br />
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</div><div style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"O you who believe! Do not make unlawful the good things which God has made lawful for you. But commit no excess: for God does not Love those given to excess."(Qur'an, Al-Maidah 5:90)</span></span></b></span><br />
</div>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-78994863615972044532009-12-22T04:25:00.000-08:002009-12-22T04:25:30.882-08:00"That's Enough Already"<center><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span>"You're American? Oh, your husband must be from the Middle East."</span></span></span></i> <br />
<i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span>"But you weren't raised that way"</span></span></span></i> <br />
<i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span>"You better watch out for those men, I saw that movie."</span></span></span></i> <br />
<i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span>"But it's not you, I know you better"</span></span></span></i> <br />
<i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span>"Why are you trying to look like an Arab?"</span></span></span></i> <br />
<i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span>"You don't have to dress that way, modernize."</span></span></span></i> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #330000;"><span><i>"Aren't you hot with all</i> <i>those clothes on."<a name='more'></a></i></span></span></span></center><center><h1><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #000066;"><span><br />
</span><span>By a Muslim Sister</span></span></span></b></h1></center> <blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>I am an American Christian raised woman. At the age of 23 I started learning about Islam, and eventually became Muslim (All thanks and praise to Allah). As a teenager and on into my 20's, I always made sure I looked my best, and actually I was voted best looking girl by my senior high school class. Full face of make-up, perfect hair, and always the clothes in trend. I had the best looking sports car, a great paying job as a hair designer, and I was always looking to have a good time. I was an independent woman, and was never questioned about any decisions I made, or criticized about anything I did.</span></span> <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span><br />
</blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>When I became Muslim all that changed. Suddenly every one had something to say, I heard it all. I was no longer thought off as being able to use my adult mind the same way again. I was brain-washed, or I was doing it to please my husband. ("You can't change a person ." isn't that a common saying?)</span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #000066;"><span>As a Christian, I was religious on Sunday mornings for an hour, or when the lottery numbers were being picked I would pray -"please God let me win", or when a loved one was hurt I would try to make a deal with God. And ofcourse on holidays.</span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span><br />
</blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>I am 28 now, and Islam is a way of life, my way of living. Everything I do, every minute of my day is now done differently. Especially, I pray 5 times a day . Believe me, you can not pretend to be a Muslim. These days I live a simple, peaceful, very moral life. I have no stress, no worries. My husbands' duty is to make sure I'm well cared for, and to provide for me. I am able to stay home and take care of my son according to my standards, not a baby-sitter's. I couldn't trade in his smiles for a pay check, his smiles are my pay. I read, I sew, I relax, and I have plenty of time to prepare fresh home cooked meals for my family.</span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>Oppressed ? Yes, I was oppressed last week , when my cordless phone broke and I had to use a regular one. <span style="color: #000066;">I wouldn't change my life now for anything. And if I was to divorce my husband, SURPRISE, I'm still going to practice Islam in the same manner I do now.</span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span><br />
</blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>So if you are a friend or a family member of a convert to Islam, instead of being negative or against it, try to understand and respect the persons new way of life. And remember we are Islam. There is no question that will embarrass nor offend us. <span style="color: #000066;">These people who are great scholars of Islam because they saw a movie, are not the correct source of telling you about my life.</span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>I saw a few movies about Italians, so should I assume all Italian men are in the Mafia, deal drugs, kill people, and have girl friends on the side? NO!</span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>Believe me, I have a lot more to write about my hardships and hassles of being a Muslim. None of which pertains to the religion itself, but to what even perfect strangers have said or done to me.</span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #000066;"><span>Oh yeah, did I mention I was also voted <i>MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED</i> by my high school senior class.</span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #000066;"><span>I feel as though I have.</span></span></span><br />
</blockquote>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-41916711675966147432009-12-04T04:27:00.000-08:002009-12-29T07:41:21.666-08:00Decision to Change your name<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ej1jnv4HT6eJwn8uKs2ChxxwiSCFeeNtoe7j33rNBMlPGESE_eLCPHM3qSiBtoxDQQWb_gnqA0aAqtuIkK37oglZo-h7pWlY6284-PQQO6bNLCqbuN9imoMi9Acp8eqCKSaVb1Si2I5g/s1600-h/HelloMyNameIs-main_Full.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411361223457627570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ej1jnv4HT6eJwn8uKs2ChxxwiSCFeeNtoe7j33rNBMlPGESE_eLCPHM3qSiBtoxDQQWb_gnqA0aAqtuIkK37oglZo-h7pWlY6284-PQQO6bNLCqbuN9imoMi9Acp8eqCKSaVb1Si2I5g/s320/HelloMyNameIs-main_Full.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 236px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">As a new Muslim changing your name to a muslim name might have crossed your mind or perhaps you have been pressured by other muslims to change your now that you are muslim. You are feeling confused and overwhelmed. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000099; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"></span> <span style="color: #000099; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><br />
A convert to Islam is not obliged to change their name to a muslim name. However, if the non-muslim name has a meaning that is against Islam</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #000099; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">then selecting a new name would be advisable.<a name='more'></a><br />
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<blockquote style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue;">If something is not classified as haram (prohibited) in the Deen (religion/way of life of a Muslim), then it is halal (permitted). Retaining a name that (1) does not identify itself with/contain anything Islamically forbidden and (2) is not a Name of Allah <img align="Top" border="0" height="25" src="http://muttaqun.com/graphics/swt1.gif" width="57" />, has not been declared haram. </span><span style="color: blue;">It is according to sunnah (the examples of the Prophet's life what he said, did, implemented, how he implemented), to change a bad name (whether it is an arabic name or any other language) immediately, and it is permissible according to sunnah to exchange a name for a better one. </span><br />
</blockquote><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
</div><span style="color: #000099; font-size: 100%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Changing your name to a muslim name can be done:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">- either through the official name changing channels, resulting in a name change on your bank account, passport etc.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">- alternatively, it can be as simple as selecting your new name and asking others to use it, leaving your official name as that given on your birth certificate.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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The latter option tends to be the most popular amongst new muslims, and is perfectly acceptable.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Having decided on the new name the convert can tell friends and family as appropriate, realizing that telling parents that the name they chose for you as a baby has now been changed, could be a delicate matter. A number of converts continue to be known to their families by their non-Muslim names, at least until the family have accepted their change in religion.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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There are many Muslim names to pick from, and the names listed below are only a few out of the many. Some converts prefer to pick a Muslim name that is similar in sounding to their non-muslin name, whereas others, prefer a brand new name that is different, a totally new name for a new start.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/rt.%20%20http://www.islamfortoday.com/female_names.htm" style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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http://www.islamfortoday.com/female_names.htm</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.islamfortoday.com/male_names.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">http://www.islamfortoday.com/male_names.htm</a><br />
</span>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217021946715660487.post-59054138374321388922009-12-02T05:26:00.000-08:002009-12-22T09:34:32.479-08:00Short Surahs for you to memorize<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2wRxM9owiOOLrJC3epVLMmRugyOVfskCBB_2lzd-HjozpOJ_J61E4OgsHsSarWvhKnJpYHEZv2eMuQD8BQgsbizg1SeBAAYUHd85fbeizIwupWEJ4mvf3CA5gKkAhFcBHyYCgJKQqabB/s1600-h/Surah-alikhlas.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410676564024006706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2wRxM9owiOOLrJC3epVLMmRugyOVfskCBB_2lzd-HjozpOJ_J61E4OgsHsSarWvhKnJpYHEZv2eMuQD8BQgsbizg1SeBAAYUHd85fbeizIwupWEJ4mvf3CA5gKkAhFcBHyYCgJKQqabB/s400/Surah-alikhlas.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #003300; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #003300;">For new muslims, praying in Arabic can be overwhelming as well as intimidating. One of the first surahs from the quran that I memorized when I reverted to islam, was Surah 112, </span></span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Al-Ikhlas (Purity)</span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br />
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Al-Quran is divided into thirty equal divisions, which are called juz in Arabic. There are 114 chapters, of varying length. The longest chapter is Al-Baqarah consisting of 286 verses and the shortest <a name='more'></a> chapter is Al Kawthar consisting of three verses only.</span><br />
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</span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Below you will find a short recitation of surah Ikhlas as well as the Arabic transliteration which you can follow along with as well as the English Translation</span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: arial;">.</span></span> <span style="color: #003300; font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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Surah Al-Ikhlas, 112 (Purity)<br />
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Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;">Qul huwallaahu ahad</span> <span style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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Allahus samad</span> <span style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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Lam yalid wa lam yuulad</span> <span style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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Wa lamyakun lahuuu kufuwan ahad </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful.</span> <span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;<br />
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Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; </span> <span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;"><br />
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He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; </span> </span><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><br />
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And there is none like unto Him.<br />
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<span style="color: #003300;">The video below lists Surahs Ikhlas, Nas and Falaq *chapters 112, 113 and 114 of the Quran* I have added the Arabic Transliteration as well as the English Translation for each. The best way to memorize it is to follow along and practice.<br />
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</span><span style="color: #003300; font-size: 130%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;">Surah 113</span></b> </span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 130%;"><i>Al-Falaq</i> (The Dawn)</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
Qul a'uudhu birabbil falaq</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
Min sharri ma khalaq</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
Wa min sharri ghaasiqin idhaa waqab</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
Wa min sharrin naffaathaati fil 'uqad</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
Wa min sharri haasidin idhaa hasad</span></i></b><br />
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<b style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;">In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful.</span></b> <b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"> <span style="color: #000066;"><br />
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Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn From the mischief of created </span> <span style="color: #000066;">things;<br />
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From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads;<br />
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From the mischief </span> <span style="color: #000066;">of those who practice secret arts;<br />
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And from the mischief of the envious one </span> <span style="color: #000066;">as he practices envy. </span><br />
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</span></b><b style="color: #003300;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;">Surah 114</span></b><span style="color: #003300;"> </span></span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 130%;"><i>An-Náas</i> (Mankind)</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Qul a'uudhi bi rabbin naas</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Malikin naas</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Ilaahin naas</span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Min sharril wawaasil khannas</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
<span style="color: #003300;">Alladhee yuwaswisu fee suduurin naas</span></span></i></b> <b style="color: #003300;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Minal Jinnati wa naas</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful</span></span></b> <b style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind, </span></b> <b style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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The King (or Ruler) of Mankind, </span></b> <b style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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The god (or judge) of Mankind,- </span></b> <b style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper). </span></b> <b style="color: #000099;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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(The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind,- </span></span></b> <b style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica;"><br />
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Among Jinns and among men. </span></b> </span> <span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #000066; font-size: 130%;"><br />
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For more short surahs please visit <a href="http://muslim-canada.org/ayats.html">http://muslim-canada.org/ayats.html</a></span><br />
</span></span></span>Rene´s Bare Essentialshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16308212836561045324noreply@blogger.com0