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The Economic System of Islam_ The Ideal Alternative!!

alshehri2005 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:52:19 GMT

The Economic System of Islam_ The Ideal Alternative!!

As a complete way of life, Islam has provided guidelines and rules for every sphere of life and society. Naturally, a functioning economic system is vital for a healthy society, as the consumption of goods and services, and the facilitation of this by a common medium of exchange, play a major role in allowing people to realize their material and other goals in life. Islam has set some standards, based on justice and practicality, for such economic systems to be established. These standards aim to prevent the enmity that often occurs between different socioeconomic sections. Of course, it is true that the gathering of money concerns almost every human being who participates in transactions with others. Yet, while these standards recognize money as being among the most important elements in society, they do not lose sight of the fact that its position is secondary to the real purpose of human existence, which is the worship of God. An Islamic economic system is not necessarily concerned with the precise amount of financial income and expenditure, imports and exports, and other economic statistics. While such matters are no doubt important, Islam is more concerned with the spirit of the economic system. A society that implements Islamic laws and promotes Islamic manners will find that it bring together all the systems – social, economic, and so forth – that it deals with. Islam teaches that God has created provision for every person who He has brought to life. Therefore, the competition for natural resources that is presumed to exist among the nations of the world is an illusion. While the earth has sufficient bounty to satisfy the needs of mankind, the challenge for humans lies in discovering, extracting, processing, and distributing these resources to those who need them. Islam consists of a set of beliefs which organizes the relationship between the individual and his Creator; between the person and other human beings; between the person and universe; and even the relationship of the person to himself. In that sense, Islam regulates human behavior, and one type of human behavior is economic behavior. Economic behavior is dealt by Muslims as a means of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. In Islam, human behavior -whether in the economic area or others - is not value free; nor is it value neutral. It is connected with the ideological foundation of the faith.

A letter to an American citizen‏ !!

alshehri2005 — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:49:05 GMT

A letter to an American citizen‏ !!

Dear George
Greetings
I would like – my friend- to share with you what I have just written, and
By the way
It does not contain Anthrax

(1 )
My Friend
I would like to tell you that I do not hate America, but I do not like it either

(2)
My Friend
I do not hate America
That stays until morning working to produce medicine for humans (Regardless of their beliefs, values and affiliations)
, but I do not like America who launches the first atomic bomb on human.
!

(3)
I do not hate Hemingway
But I do not like Fukuyama

(4)
I do not hate America
That discovered Black Gold (Oil)
but I do not like all The White House decisions

(5)
I do not hate Statue of liberty
But I hate liberty /the statue

(6)
I do not hate America
That gave us this secret box Internet
but I do not like Bill Gates
who absorbs every dollar in your pocket to send it to the Israeli Army To kill a Palestinian Citizen
whose only sin is that he wants to keep his Land

(7)
I do not hate America
That believes in God
and loves Jesus and Virgin Mary
I do Love Jesus as I love Mohamed (peace be upon him)
But I hate the new religion (Globalization) that “Friedman” calls for and wants every one to believe in and “Friedman”- of course- does not differentiate between Prophets and Sales managers

(8)
I do not Hate Hollywood
I adore a lot of its wonderful movies
I think, you will agree with me –George- how distinguished is Bruce wills,
Tom Hanks
And Mel Gibson
OH.. George
I should stop a little at the last Name
Do you remember " ..The two amazing movies “Brave Heart
And “the patriot” He starred as a freedom fighter
Who wanted to liberate his territory and people from the colonizer
Was Wa ll ace in The brave heart A terrorist or a Fighter?
Weren’t Your Grandfathers –George-
Nobel Fighters who freed their Land
And made a beautiful home
In Palestine –George- everyday a new Palestinian Wa ll ace is born, your Government describes him As Terrorist, Criminal
and your Government supports Israel to kill him
......
Yes, I do not hate Hollywood
But I do not like “CNN” and its suspicious media reports،

(9)
I do not hate Julia Roberts
But I do not like condoleezza rice

(10)
George, I am like you
I have a small house, kind neighbors
whom I love and they love me. And wonderful friends that I breathe as Oxygen
and little kids I worry about them from an explosion of the school bus tires
that takes them from School to home.
I want to see my friends living their great lives peacefully
I want to see my children growing in front of my eyes Peacefully
and I do not want any harm to happen to other children..
or other friends
or other houses
or countries
But – George- I have a brother in Palestine
Every day one of his children is killed (with American Bullets)
Every day a new room in his House is demolished (by American Bulldozer)
Every day a tree is stolen from his field
In spite of all this, (Your President) Bush Comes, to tell the whole world
That “Sharon” the thief, the killer is( A man of peace)
Imagine!!

(11)
Are you still as usual - my friend – you do not watch the News??
Please, watch it today on Channels other than CNN
And
Tell me what you think ?

(12)
At This Moment as I have finished writing this letter to you
I’m standing up from the chair, going to the window, looking at the sky watching a beautiful moon (exactly the same moon you watch)
Breathing oxygen (exactly the same Oxygen you breathe, and pray God to keep this land which holds us all safe.
Keep our children safe; keep us away from Intelligent Wars that the White House politicians invented.
George, do you believe that there are intelligent wars??
All wars are stupid George
All wars are stupid
Good Bye,

your friend
Mohamed Alrutian
Rafha-North Saudi

This is what we want to say .... !!

A letter to an American citizen‏ !!

alshehri2005 — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:59:29 GMT

A letter to an American citizen‏ !!

Dear George
Greetings
I would like – my friend- to share with you what I have just written, and
By the way
It does not contain Anthrax

(1 )
My Friend
I would like to tell you that I do not hate America, but I do not like it either

(3)
I do not hate Hemingway
But I do not like Fukuyama

(4)
I do not hate America
That discovered Black Gold (Oil)
but I do not like all The White House decisions

(5)
I do not hate Statue of liberty
But I hate liberty /the statue

(9)
I do not hate Julia Roberts
But I do not like condoleezza rice

(11)
Are you still as usual - my friend – you do not watch the News??
Please, watch it today on Channels other than CNN
And
Tell me what you think ?

your friend
Mohamed Alrutian
Rafha-North Saudi

This is what we want to say .... !!

A letter to an American citizen‏ !!

alshehri2005 — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:39:46 GMT

A letter to an American citizen‏ !!

Dear George
Greetings
I would like – my friend- to share with you what I have just written, and
By the way
It does not contain Anthrax

(1 )
My Friend
I would like to tell you that I do not hate America, but I do not like it either

(3)
I do not hate Hemingway
But I do not like Fukuyama

(4)
I do not hate America
That discovered Black Gold (Oil)
but I do not like all The White House decisions

(5)
I do not hate Statue of liberty
But I hate liberty /the statue

(9)
I do not hate Julia Roberts
But I do not like condoleezza rice

(11)
Are you still as usual - my friend – you do not watch the News??
Please, watch it today on Channels other than CNN
And
Tell me what you think ?

your friend
Mohamed Alrutian
Rafha-North Saudi

This is what we want to say….!!

Elephants

alshehri2005 — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 05:13:08 GMT

Elephants

The elephant is the largest animal to walk on Earth. An elephant can carry a load of 1200 pounds. They eat 300 pounds of food a day. An elephant baby can weigh 200 pounds at birth. Elephants can live up to 70 years.

Elephants can be trained to carry logs with their trunks, and have been used in the forestry industry in Asia for many years.

Elephants also use their trunks for drinking water, bathing, and eating and communicating.

Recently it was discovered that elephants can communicate over a distance of several miles using infrasonic sounds inaudible to humans.

Elephants use their ears as a cooling system. Blood flows through veins in the ears and as the elephant flaps his ears, the blood cools and flows through his body to cool off other parts.

Elephant feet are large and round. They distribute the large animal's weight effectively. In the past, elephants were killed and their feet were made into umbrella stands and small tables for tourists. Now elephants are protected by special laws.

There are two kinds of elephants: the African elephant and the Indian elephant. African elephants can be identified by the larger ears. The African elephant grows up to 10 feet tall and weighs as much as 12,000 pounds.

The Indian elephant grows up to 9 feet tall, and weighs up to 8000 pounds. It's easier to identify because of its smaller ears. Most circus elephants are Indian elephants. Another name for the Indian elephant is the Asian elephant.

Unfortunately, there is a growing conflict between elephants and humans as more of the elephants' habitat is developed. Elephants can destroy the crops of an entire village in a single night, and this also causes conflict. At the moment, there are about 600,000 elephants remaining in Africa.

The greatest threat to elephants is the ivory trade. Most commercial ivory comes from elephant's tusks. From 1979 to 1989 was a bad time for African elephants. About 70,000 wild elephants were killed for ivory each year. In 1989 an international treaty limited the trade in ivory, decreasing the number of elephants killed, but elephants are still being killed for ivory. Please don't ever buy anything made from ivory! Don't even buy anything that looks like ivory!

http://www.english-zone.com/reading/elefants.html

4,5 and 6 Of 6

alshehri2005 — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 07:21:48 GMT

4,5 and 6 Of 6

16) The Holy Qur'an has no flaws or contradictions. The original Arabic scriptures have never been changed or tampered with.

17) Actual seventh century Qur'ans, complete and intact, are on display in museums in Turkey and many other places around the world.

18) If all Qur'ans in the world today were burned and destroyed, the original Arabic would still remain. This is because millions of Muslims, called Hafiz (or "preservers") have memorized the text letter for letter from beginning to end, every word and syllable. Also, chapters from the Qur'an are precisely recited from memory by every Muslim in each of the five daily prayers.

19) Muslims do not believe in the concept of "vicarious atonement" but rather believe in the law of personal responsibility. Islam teaches that each person is responsible for his or her own actions. On the Day of Judgment Muslims believe that every person will be resurrected and will have to answer to God for their every word, thought, and deed. Consequently, a practicing Muslim is always striving to be righteous.

20) Islam was not spread by the sword. It was spread by the word (Islamic teachings) and the example of its followers. Islam teaches that there is no compulsion in religion (the Holy Qur'an 2:256 and 10:99).

21) Terrorism, unjustified violence and the killing of innocent people are absolutely forbidden in Islam. Islam is a way of life that is meant to bring peace to a society, whether its people are Muslim or not. The extreme actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be, among other things, a result of their ignorance or uncontrolled anger. Tyrant rulers and those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam are simply not following Islam. These people are individuals with their own views and political agendas. Fanatical Muslims are no more representative of the true Islamic teachings than Timothy McVeigh or David Koresh are of Christianity. Extremism and fanaticism is a problem that is common to all religious groups. Anyone who thinks that all Muslims are terrorists should remember that the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, perhaps the most celebrated person of our era, is a practicing Muslim.

22) The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". Instead, it means the inner struggle that one endures in trying to submit their will to the will of God. Some Muslims may say they are going for "jihad" when fighting in a war to defend themselves or their fellow Muslims, but they only say this because they are conceding that it will be a tremendous struggle. But there are many other forms of jihad which are more relevant to the everyday life of a Muslim such as the struggles against laziness, arrogance, stinginess, or the struggle against a tyrant ruler or against the temptation of Satan, or against one's own ego, etc.

23) Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses a woman is not following Islam. Among the many teachings of Prophet Muhammad that protected the rights and dignity of women is his saying, "...the best among you are those who treat their wives well." (Tirmidhi).

24) Islam grants women numerous rights in the home and in society. Among them are the right to earn money, to financial support, to an education, to an inheritance, to being treated kindly, to vote, to a dowry, to keep their maiden name, to worship in a mosque, etc., etc.

25) Muslim women wear the head-covering (hijab) in fulfillment of God's decree to dress modestly. From a practical standpoint, it serves to identify one as attempting to follow God in daily life and, therefore, protects women from unwanted advances from men. This type of modest dress has been worn by righteous women throughout history. Prominent examples are traditional Catholic Nuns, Mother Teresa and the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.

26) Arranged marriages are allowed in Islam but are not required. Whereas "forced" marriages, usually stemming from cultural practice, are forbidden. Divorce is permissible, however, reconciliation is what is most encouraged. But if there are irreconcilable differences then Islam permits a fair and just divorce.

27) Islam and the "Nation of Islam" are two different religions. Islam is a religion for all races and enjoins the worship of the one unseen God who, orthodox Muslims believe, never took human form. The "Nation", on the other hand, is a movement geared towards non-whites and teaches that God appeared in the form of Fard Muhammad in 1930 and that Elijah Muhammad (a man who died in 1975) was a prophet of God. These beliefs clearly contradict the basic Islamic theology outlined in the Qur'an. The followers of "the Nation" adhere to some Islamic principles that are mixed with many other teachings that are alien to Islam. To better understand the difference between the two, read about Malcolm X, his pilgrimage to Mecca and his subsequent comments to the media. Islam teaches equality amongst all the races (Holy Qur'an 49:13).

28) All Muslims are not Arab. Islam is a universal religion and way of life which includes followers from all races of people. There are Muslims in and from virtually every country in the world. Arabs only constitute about 20% of Muslims worldwide. Indonesia has the largest concentration of Muslims with over 120 million.

29) In the five daily prayers, Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Arabia. It is a cube-shaped stone structure that was originally built by Prophet Adam and later rebuilt by Prophet Abraham. Muslims believe that the Kaaba was the first house of worship on Earth dedicated to the worship of one god. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It serves as a central focal point for Muslims around the world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing their common belief, spiritual focus and direction. Interestingly, the inside of the Kaaba is empty.

30) The hajj is a simultaneous pilgrimage to the Kaaba made by millions of Muslims each year. It is performed to commemorate the struggles of Abraham, Ismail and Hagar in submitting their wills to God.

Facts about Islam ( 3 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:38:22 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 3 of 6 )

11) Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names (or attributes) in the Holy Qur'an. It is through these names that one can come to know the Creator. A few of these names are: the All-Merciful, the All-Knower, the Protector, the Provider, the Near, the First, the Last, the Hidden, and the Source of Peace.

12) Muslims believe in and acknowledge all the prophets of old, from Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe that they brought the message of peace and submission (islam) to different peoples at different times. Muslims also believe that these prophets were "muslims" because they submitted their wills to God.

13) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

14) Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah (the Gospel of Moses) and the original Bible (the Gospel of Jesus) since they were revealed by God. However, none of those original scriptures are in existence today, in their entirety. Therefore, Muslims follow the subsequent, final, and preserved revelation of God, the Holy Qur'an.

15) The Holy Qur'an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by God, revealed to Muhammad, and written into physical form by his companions.

Do U Know Who Thomas Carlyle is?

alshehri2005 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:33:45 GMT

Do U Know Who Thomas Carlyle is?

Thomas Carlyle, the son of a stonemason, was born in Ecclefechan in Scotland, in 1795. Brought up as a strict Calvinist, he was educated at the village school, Annan Academy and Edinburgh University, where he studied arts and mathematics. After graduating in 1813 he became a teacher at Kirkcaldy.

Carlyle moved to Edinburgh in 1818 where he was commissioned to write several articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia and for the Edinburgh Review. Carlyle also began translating German writers such as Goethe and Schiller and writing original work such as The Life of Schiller (1825).

After marrying Jane Baillie Welsh in 1826, Carlyle moved to London where he became a close friend of the philosopher, John Stuart Mill. As well as contributing articles for Mill's Westminster Review, Sartor Resartus appeared in Fraser's Magazine (1833-34). Carlyle also published several books including The French Revolution (1837), On Heroes, Hero Worship and the Heroic in History (1841) and Past and Present (1843).

Carlyle's books and articles inspired social reformers such as John Ruskin, Charles Dickens, John Burns, Tom Mann and William Morris. However, although he had originally held progressive political views, Carlyle became increasingly conservative in the late 1840s. This is reflected in the right-wing, anti-democratic attitudes expressed in his collected essays Latter Day Pamphlets (1850) and his admiration for strong leaders illustrated by his six volume History of Frederick the Great (1858-1865) and The Early Kings of Norway (1875). In the last few years of his life, Carlyle's writing was confined to letters to The Times. Thomas Carlyle died in 1881.

Thomas Carlyle in his (Heroes and Heroworship), was simply amazed as to: "how one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."

Thomas Carlyle, who was among the first people to speak against the Christian lies against Muhammad^(P) says:

"Our current hypothesis about Mahomet, that he was a scheming Imposter, a Falsehood incarnate, that his religion is a mere mass of quackery and fatuity, begins really to be now untenable to any one. The lies, which well-meaning zeal has heaped around this man, are disgraceful to ourselves only. When Pococke inquires of Grotius, where the proof was of that story of the pigeon, trained to pick peas from Mahomet's ear, and pass for an angel dictating to him? Grotius answered that there was no proof! It is really time to dismiss all that.^"

The British philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, who won the Nobel Prize for his book ‘The Heroes’ wrote: “It is a great shame for any one to listen to the accusation that Islaam is a lie and that Muhammad was a fabricator and a deceiver. We saw that he remained steadfast upon his principles, with firm determination; kind and generous…"

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jcarlyle.htm

Facts about Islam ( 2 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:14:50 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 2 of 6 )

6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.

7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. To become Muslim, a person of any race or culture must say a simple statement, the shahadah, that bears witness to the belief in the One God and that Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet of God.

8) "Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". Muslims also believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God.

9) Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different terms does not mean that they are different gods. Spanish people refer to God as "Dios" and French people refer to God as "Dieu", yet they are all the same God. Interestingly, most Arab Jews and Arab Christians refer to God as "Allah". And the word Allah in Arabic appears on the walls of many Arab churches.

10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful, and compassionate. But Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in punishment. Nevertheless, Allah once said to Prophet Muhammad, "My mercy prevails over my wrath." Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair.

Facts about Islam ( 1 of 6 ) !

alshehri2005 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:40:11 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 1 of 6 ) !

1) "Islam" means "peace through the submission to God".

2) "Muslim" means "anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God".

3) Islam is not a cult. Its followers number over 1.5 billion worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to be one of the three Abrahamic traditions.

4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true Muslim: A) Shahadah - declaration of faith in the oneness of God and that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five times a day. C) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. D) Poor-due "tax" - 2.5% of one's savings given to the needy at the end of each year. E) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able.

5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B) All the prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Prophets Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) The Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F) The divine decree (or destiny).

Pork The Wrong Meat To Eat !!

alshehri2005 — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 07:33:13 GMT

Pork The Wrong Meat To Eat !!

If you really want to improve your health don’t eat pork. You are what you eat. Who wants to be considered a pig? Pigs are fat, lazy, and down right disgusting. They waddle around in mud and they eat their babies and feces. Would you eat out of a garbage truck that is filled with thousands of nasty, dirty, stinking, rottening, maggot infested garbage bags?

I know your answer would be definitely no. If you’re eating pork you might as well be. Pigs eat anything and everything. They are living garbage disposers. In fact it is their job to eat garbage.

We’ve been told that the pig is okay to eat that they’ve cleaned it up. When something has been cleaned up it means that it won’t eat filth on it’s own. No matter what you feed a pig it will eat it. Can it really be cleaned up than and good for you to eat? The answer is no. The pig was created to eat filth. It cannot be cleaned up.

Pork is the cheapest meat you can buy. Do you really think the pork companies would spend money to clean up a pig’s diet when they can feed it anything?

Muslims and Jews are forbidden to eat pork. Christians too are supposed to be avoiding pork. There are verses in their bible that tells them not to eat it too. For more information on why pork is forbidden for Muslims and the verses which are in the bible that pork is forbidden. Read these two articles" Pork Is Sin And Sickness" and Critter Guide.

When you read Critter guide you will see that pigs do not have sweat glands. That is proof that they are full of toxins, because when you sweat the toxins are eliminated from your body. Pigs do not sweat so they are not eliminating toxins they're harboring them.

I believe that is why so many people have problems with losing weight. If you are trying to lose weight pork should be the first thing you stop eating because, pork is nothing but fat.

Pigs carry retroviruses, flu viruses, and parasite tapeworms.

Do you really want to fill your body up with diseases and toxins? As long as you eat pork that is exactly what you are doing.

You will not experience optimal health until you stop eating pork.

http://myhealthessentials.blogspot.com/2007/01/pork-other-wrong-meat.html

Any wonder why Islam forbids alcohol?

alshehri2005 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:34:52 GMT

Any wonder why Islam forbids alcohol?

A man was once asked why he did not drink, and he replied, 'By God, I am not happy with my mind when it is sound, so why should I corrupt it even further?' - The Seventy-seven Branches of Faith - Imam Al-Bayhaqi, The Quillian Press - (1996, ISBN 1 872038 03 4) - Page 31Alcohol is detrimental to your health especially your liver. Alcohol befogs the mind and prevents rational thinking. Alcohol causes road accidents and innocent lives lost. Alcohol increases the occurance of domestic violence. Alcohol addiction causes financial ruin.The Holy Quran, 2.219: They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider.

The Holy Quran, 5.90: O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.

The Holy Quran, 5.91: Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?

Many of grow up in societies where drinking is second nature to most people. Alcohol is staple in some societies, among an increasing number of people. It is also becoming an irreplaceable component of "having fun" and partying. No get together seems complete without alcohol. Tequila shots over the bar counter, vodka and vodka lime for beginners. "Let's go have fun tonight" is being replaced by "Let's go get pissed drunk tonight." It can be difficult to deal with an environment where peer pressure is overpowering - which is almost always is. But consider this: Drunk people embarrass themselves in public and in front of friends. They have little control their actions or their words. One friend of mine nearly died because he walked onto a busy street in his drunken stupor. Another friend was raped by her boyfriend while she was asleep/hungover. You have a million reasons to stop drinking - not just for yourself but for your friends and family...and especially the innocent stranger who might get hurt by your actions during a drunken stupor. You'll feel healthier - it's a guarantee and you'll save money to do other cool stuff. God gives us instructions because He is All Knowing. Everything in Islam has a practical and healthy reason behind it..some of which we are aware of and others we're not but they're for our own good. God says in the Holy Quran - there is some good in alcohol but the bad outweighs the good.

Do U Know Who Thomas Carlyle is?

alshehri2005 — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:28:28 GMT

Do U Know Who Thomas Carlyle is?

Thomas Carlyle, who was among the first people to speak against the Christian lies against Muhammad^(P) says:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jcarlyle.htm

Someone, We don't know him....

alshehri2005 — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:48:12 GMT

Someone, We don't know him....

JABIR IBN HAIYAN

(Died 803 A.D.)

Jabir Ibn Haiyan, the alchemist Geber of the Middie Ages, is generally known as the father of ehemistry. Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan, sometimes called al-Harrani and al-Sufi, was the son of the druggist (Attar). The precise date of his birth is the subject of some discussion, but it is established that he practised medicine and alchemy in Kufa around 776 A.D. He is reported to have studied under Imam Ja'far Sadiq and the Ummayed prince Khalid Ibn Yazid. In his early days, he practised medicine and was under the patronage of the Barmaki Vizir during the Abbssid Caliphate of Haroon al-Rashid. He shared some of the effects of the downfall of the Barmakis and was placed under house arrest in Kufa, where he died in 803 A.D.

Jabir's major contribution was in the field of chemistry. He introduced experimental investigation into alchemy, which rapidly changed its character into modern chemistry. On the ruins of his well-known laboratory remained after centuries, but his fame rests on over 100 monumental treatises, of which 22 relate to chemistry and alchemy. His contribution of fundamental importance to chemistry includes perfection of scientific techniques such as crystalization, distillation, calcination, sublimation and evaporation and development of several instruments for the same. The fact of early development of chemistry as a distinct branch of science by the Arabs, instead of the earlier vague ideas, is well-established and the very name chemistry is derived from the Arabic word al-Kimya, which was studied and developed extensively by the Muslim scientists.

Perhaps Jabir's major practical achievement was the discovery of mineral and others acids, which he prepared for the first time in his alembic (Anbique). Apart from several contributions of basic nature to alchemy, involving largely the preparation of new com- pounds and development of chemical methods, he also developed a number of applied chemical processes, thus becoming a pioneer in the field of applied science. His achievements in this field include preparation of various metals, development of steel, dyeing of cloth and tanning of leather, varnishing of water-proof cloth, use of manganese dioxide in glass-making, prevention of rusting, letterring in gold, identification of paints, greases, etc. During the course of these practical endeavours, he also developed aqua regia to dissolve gold. The alembic is his great invention, which made easy and systematic the process of distillation. Jabir laid great stress on experimentation and accuracy in his work.

Based on their properties, he has described three distinct types of substances. First, spirits i.e. those which vaporise on heating, like camphor, arsenic and ammonium chloride; secondly, metals, for example, gold, silver, lead, copper, iron, and thirdly, the category of compounds which can be converted into powders. He thus paved the way for such later classification as metals, non-metals and volatile substances.

Although known as an alchemist, he did not seem to have seriously pursued the preparation of noble metals as an alchemist; instead he devoted his effort to the development of basic chemical methods and study of mechanisms of chemical reactions in them- selves and thus helped evolve chemistry as a science from the legends of alchemy. He emphasised that, in chemical reactions, definite quantities of various substances are involved and thus can be said to have paved the way for the law of constant proportions.

A large number of books are included in his corpus. Apart from chemistry, he also contributed to other sciences such as medicine and astronomy. His books on chemistry, including his Kitab-al-Kimya, and Kitab al-Sab'een were translated into Latin and various European languages. These translations were popular in Europe for several centuries and have influenced the evolution of modern chemistry. Several technical terms devised by Jabir, such as alkali, are today found in various European languages and have become part of scientific vocabulary. Only a few of his books have been edited and published, while several others preserved in Arabic have yet to be annotated and published.

Doubts have been expressed as to whether all the voluminous work included in the corpus is his own contribution or it contains later commentaries/additions by his followers. According to Sarton, the true worth of his work would only be known when all his books have been edited and published. His religious views and philosophical concepts embodied in the corpus have been criticised but, apart from the question of their authenticity, it is to be emphasised that the major contribution of Jabir lies in the field of chemistry and not in religion. His various breakthroughs e.g., preparation of acids for the first time, notably nitric, hydrochloric, citric and tartaric acids, and emphasis on systematic experimenta- tion are outstanding and it is on the basis of such work that he can justly be regarded as the father of modern chemistry. In the words of Max Mayerhaff, the development of chemistry in Europe can be traced directly to Jabir Ibn Haiyan.

Goethe Quotes!

alshehri2005 — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:03:07 GMT

Goethe Quotes!

"A clever man commits no minor blunders."

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"A correct answer is like an affectionate kiss."

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"A creation of importance can only be produced when its author isolates himself, it is a child of solitude."

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"A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait."

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"A noble person attracts noble people, and knows how to hold on to them."

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"A person hears only what they understand."

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"A person places themselves on a level with the ones they praise."

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"A purpose you impart is no longer your own."

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"A really great talent finds its happiness in execution."

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"A useless life is an early death."

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"Age merely shows what children we remain."

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"Alas! sorrow from happiness is oft evolved."

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"All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again."

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"All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own."

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"All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green."

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"All things are only transitory."

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"An unused life is an early death."

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"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."

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ALLAH in USA!

alshehri2005 — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:18:20 GMT

ALLAH in USA!

Muslims now form the largest minority religion in the United States,  with an estimated 6 million followers.

 An estimated 400,000 live in the  Chicago area.  Because the Islamic faith is not only a religion, but a way of life for more than 1 billion people worldwide, measuring the exact numbers--and  the rate of growth--is difficult.

 The number of mosques in the United States has grown from a relatively small number in 1960 to more than 2,000 today, said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

There are  about 90 mosques in the Chicago area.  The number of Muslim families in Naperville alone has nearly doubled,  to 500, in the past five years, said Kareem Irfan of the Council of  Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

Goethe, The big Poet of Germany!!

alshehri2005 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:39:31 GMT

Goethe, The big Poet of Germany!!

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749 in Frankfurt. From 1765 to 1771 he studied law in Leibzig and Strasbourg on request of his father. During his time at university he already earned recognition with his poems and lyric. When he returned to Frankfurt he practised law and worked on his career as a poet and writer. In 1773 the Götz von Berlichingen mit der eisenen Hand was published, making Goethe a main representative for the Sturm und Drang movement. Getting a lot of attention and recognition by the literature world, Goethe is invited to Weimar, where he took over many different political offices, but still managed to concentrate on writing. Beside his literature ambitions, he was also very interested in science, which was more important to him, than his writing. From 1786 to 1790 he travelled through Italy where he undertook more scientific researches. In 1794 he befriends Friedrich Schiller with whom he developed a new style of writing, which is now know as it's own literature epoch, the Weimarer Klassik.

In 1908 Goethe finished Faust, between 1811-14 he wrote his autobiography and in 1831 he finished Faust 2, which got published posthumously. Goethe used and explored many different styles in literature and turned out to be an important personality to the world of literature.

Goethe Quotes

"Every step of life shows much caution is required."

"Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow."

"He only earns his freedom and his life Who takes them every day by storm."

"He who does not think much of himself is much more esteemed than he imagines."

"He who enjoys doing and enjoys what he has done is happy."

"Everyone hears only what he understands."

ON THE DIVAN. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"HE who knows himself and others

Here will also see,
That the East and West, like brothers,

Parted ne'er shall be.

Thoughtfully to float for ever

'Tween two worlds, be man's endeavour!
So between the East and West

To revolve, be my behest!"

"Jesus felt pure and calmly thought
Only the One God;
Who made himself to be a god
Offends his holy will.
And thus the right(ness) has to shine
What Mahomet also achieved;
Only by the term of the One
He mastered the whole world"

"And now you come with a sign ...
which among all others I mostly dislike.
All this modern nonsense
You are going to bring me to Schiras!
Should I, in all its stiffness,
Sing of two crossed wooden pieces?"

"Whether the Koran is of eternity?
I don't question that!...
That it is the book of books
I believe out of the muslim's duty."

"Stupid that everyone in his case
Is praising his particular opinion!
If Islam means submission to God,
We all live and die in Islam."

Debate on TV

alshehri2005 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:38:39 GMT

Debate on TV

Debate on TV

At the end of the debate - "Christianity and Islam" - which appeared on the SABC-TV program "Cross Questions" on Sunday 5th June 1983, the Chairman, Mr. Bill Chalmers commented: "I think it can be said from this discussion that there is, at present, somewhat more accommodation on the Islamic side for the founder of Christianity than there is on the Christian side for the founder of Islam. What the significance of that is, we leave it to you, the viewer, to determine, but I do think you will agree that it is a good thing that we are talking together."

Jesus - His Status

Were the Muslims on the panel trying to placate the viewers out policy, deceit or diplomacy? Nothing of the kind! They were only articulating what God Almighty had commanded them to say in the Holy Quran. As Muslims, they had no choice. They had said in so many words: "We Muslims believe, that Jesus was one of the mightiest messengers of God that he was the Christ, that he was born miraculously without any male intervention (which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave life to the dead by God's permission and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by god's permission. In fact, no Muslim is a Muslim if he or she does not believe in Jesus!"

Pleasant Surprise

Over 90% of the people who witnessed this debate must have been pleasantly, but skeptically, surprised. They might have not believed their ears. They must have surmised that the Muslims were playing to the gallery - that they were trying to curry favor with their fellow Christian countrymen; that if the Muslims would say a few good words about Jesus, then in reciprocation the Christians might say a few good words about Muhammed (may the peace and the blessings of God be upon all His righteous servants, Moses, Jesus, Muhammed...etc.); that I scratch your back and you scratch my back - which would be a sham or hypocrisy.

Hate Cultivated

We cannot blame the Christians for their skepticism. They have been so learned for centuries. They were trained to think the worst of the man Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, and his religion. How aptly did Thomas Carlyle say about his Christian brethren over a hundred and fifty years ago: "The lies which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammed) are disgraceful to ourselves only." We Muslims are partly responsible for this. We have not done anything substantial to remove the cobwebs.

Christ in Islam- by Ahmed Deedat

JESUS ... what we believe in !!

alshehri2005 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:22:40 GMT

JESUS ... what we believe in !!

Muslims love Jesus. We also love Abraham, Moses, and Noah, to name just a few other Prophets Muslims revere. May God's peace be upon all of these great messengers of God.
Muslims also love the mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary. We believe she was a pious and noble woman chosen over all of the women of the world.
Muslims believe that Jesus was born miraculously of a virgin mother and no father. His birth is miraculous like the birth of Adam, the first human being, who was created with neither mother nor father.
In Arabic Bible the name for God is Allah. Therefore all Arab Christian call God Allah as Muslim do as well.
Jesus is called Isa (pronounced Eesa) in Arabic.
Jesus performed miracles by the Will of God, like healing the blind and those with leprosy.
Jesus prayed to the same God as all Prophets and we pray to.
Jesus will return before the end of the world.

Polygamy !!

alshehri2005 — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:32:02 GMT

Polygamy !!

Polygamy
Perhaps the aspect of Islam in respect of women which is most prominent in the Western mind is that of polygamy. Firstly let me clarify that Islam does not impose polygamy as a universal practice. The Prophet himself was a monogamist for the greater part of his married life, from the age of twenty-five when he married Khadija until he was fifty when she died.
One should therefore regard monogamy as the norm and polygamy as the exception.
One may observe that, although it has been abused in some times and some places, polygamy has under certain circumstances a valuable function. In some situations it may be considered as the lesser of two evils, and in other situations it may even be positively beneficial arrangement.
The most obvious example of this occurs in times of war when there are inevitably large numbers of widows and girls whose fiancées and husbands have been killed in the fighting. One has only to recall the figures of the dead in the first and second world wars to be aware that literally millions of women and girls lost their husbands and fiancées and were left alone without any income or care or protection for themselves or their children. If it is still maintained that under these circumstances a man may marry only one wife, what options are left to the millions of other women who have no hope of getting a husband? Their choice, bluntly stated , is between a chaste and childless old maidenhood, or becoming somebody's mistress, that is an unofficial second wife with no legal rights for herself or for her children. Most women would not welcome either of these since most women have always wanted and still do want the security of a legal husband and family.
The compromise therefore is for women under these circumstances to face that if given the alternative many of them would rather share a husband than have none at all. And there is no doubt that it is easier to share a husband when it is an established and publicly recognized practice than when it is carried on secretly along with attempts to deceive the first wife.
And it is no secret that polygamy of a sort is widely carried on in Europe and America. The difference is that while the Western man has no legal obligations to his second, third or fourth mistresses and their children, the Muslim husband has complete legal obligations towards his second, third or fourth wife and their children.
There may be other circumstances unrelated to war--individual circumstances, where marriage to more than one wife may be preferable to other available alternatives--for example where the first wife is chronically sick or disabled. There are of course some husbands who can manage this situation, but no one would deny its potential hazards. A second marriage in some cases could be a solution acceptable to all three parties.
Again there are cases in which a wife is unable to have children, while the husband very much wants them. Under Western laws a man must either accept his wife's childlessness if he can, or if he cannot he must find a means of divorce in order to marry again. This could be avoided in some cases if the parties agreed on a second marriage.
There are other cases where a marriage has not been very successful and the husband loves another woman. This situation is so familiar that it is known as the Eternal Triangle, Under Western laws the husband cannot marry the second woman without divorcing the first one. But the first wife may not wish to be divorced. She may no longer love her husband, but she may still respect him and wish to stay with him for the security of marriage, for herself and their children. Similarly the second woman may not wish to break up the man's first family. There are certain cases such as this where both women could accept a polygamous marriage rather than face divorce on the one hand or an extra-marital affair on the other.
I have mentioned some of these examples because to the majority of Westerners polygamy is only thought of in the context of a harem of glamorous young girls, not as a possible solution to some of the problems of Western society itself. I have given some time to it not in order to advocate its indiscriminate use, but in an attempt to show that it is a practice not to be condemned without thinking of its uses and possible benefits in any community.

Sword of Islam.

alshehri2005 — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:36:34 GMT

Sword of Islam.

Was Islam Spread by The Sword?

It is a common complaint among many non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world had it not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear that far from being spread by the sword, Islam was the inherent force of reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.

1. Islam means peace: 'Islam' comes from the root word 'salaam,' which means peace. It also means submitting one's will to Allah (SWT). Thus, Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one's will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (SWT).

2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. Not each and every human being in this world is in favor of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have police who use force against criminal and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts its followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam, force can only be used to promote peace and justice.

3. Historian De Lacy O'Leary's opinion: De Lacy O'Leary in the book "Islam at the Crossroad" (page 8) gives the best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword: "History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated."

4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years. The Muslims never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later, the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim who could openly give the Azan, which is the call to prayers.

5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians. Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians, i.e. Christian for generations. If the Muslims had used the sword, there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained Christian.

6. The Moghuls ruled India for about 1,000 years. If they wanted, they could have had converted each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today, more than 80 percent of the population of India is non-Muslim. All these non-Muslim Indians bear witness that Islam was not spread by the sword.

7. Indonesia and Malaysia: Indonesia is a country that has the greatest number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslim. One may ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"

Answers provided by Dr. Zakir Naik, an Indian Islamic scholar. Compiled by Mahrukh Naeem.

NEWS & ISLAM

alshehri2005 — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:58:18 GMT

NEWS & ISLAM

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people..." HILLARY RODMAN CLINTON, Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3

Already more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. ABCNEWS, Abcnews.com

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the country." NEWSDAY, March 7, 1989, p.4

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States..." NEW YORK TIMES, Feb 21, 1989, p.1

Moslems are the world's fastest-growing group..." USA TODAY, The population referance bureau, Feb. 17, 1989, p.4A

"Muhammed is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities. " Encyclopedia Britannica

"There are more Muslims in North America then Jews Now." Dan Rathers, ABCNEWS

"Islam is the fastest growing religion in North America." TIMES MAGAZINE

"Islam continues to grow in America, and no one can doubt that!" CNN, December 15, 1995

"The religion of Islam is growing faster than any other religion in the world." MIKE WALLACE, 60 MINUTES

"Five to 6 million strong, Muslims in America already outnumber Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Mormons, and they are more numerous than Quakers, Unitarians, Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists, combined. Many demographers say Islam has overtaken Judaism as the country's second-most commonly practiced religion; others say it is in the passing lane." JOHAN BLANK, USNEWS (7/20/98)

"In fact, religion experts say Islam is the second-largest religion in the United States... Islam has 5 million to 6 million members, followed by Judaism, with approximately 4.5 million..... And Islam is believed to be fastest-growing religion in the country, with half its expansion coming from new immigrants and the other half from conversions." By ELSA C. ARNETT Knight-Ridder News Service

Facts about the Arabic Language

alshehri2005 — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:15:54 GMT

Facts about the Arabic Language

Arabic Semitic language is fairly closely related to, for instance, Hebrew language and the Aramaic language spoken throughout Arab world and widely known outside it.

It has been a literary language for over 1500 years, and is the liturgical language Islam.

The term Modern Standard Arabic is sometimes used in the West to refer to the language of the media as opposed to the language of "Classical" Arabic literature; Arabs make no such distinction, and regard the two as identical.

The expressions Arabic and Classical Arabic usually refer to the pure Arabic language which is, according to Arabic speakers, both the language of present-day media across North Africa and the Middle East (from Morocco to Iraq) and the language of the Qur'an.

The Arabic alphabet derives from the Aramaic script (which variety, Nabataean or Syriac, is a matter of scholarly dispute), to which it bears a loose resemblance like that of Coptic or Cyrillic script to Greek script.

Spoken in: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Gaza Strip, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Yemen by a majority, many other countries as a minority language.

Region: Arab world.

Total speakers: 225 million (Ethnologue, native speakers of all dialects)

Statistics:
- Egypt- 65,410,000
- Algeria - 32,129,324
- Morocco - 18,858,000
- Iraq - 18,290,150
- Sudan - 15,000,000
- Yemen - 14,681,000
- Saudi Arabia - 26,417,599
- Syria - 11,470,000
- Tunisia - 9,000,500
- Jordan - 5,650,000
- Libya - 4,200,000
- Lebanon - 3,900,000
- Palestine - 3,000,000
- Mauritania - 1,800,000
- Iran - 1,400,000
- France - 1,365,700
- Oman - 1,241,000
- Argentina - 1,000,000
- Israel - 1,000,000
- Libya - 1,000,000
- Turkey - 1,000,000
- United Arab Emirates - 925,000
- Kuwait - 805,000
- Chad - 754,590
- Bahrain - 677,886
- Niger - 277,400
- Netherlands - 220,000
- Eritrea - 218,000
- Tanzania - 195,000
- United Stats - 193,520
- Belgium - 124,700
- Mali - 106,100
- Qatar - 103,000
- Nigeria - 100,000
- Germany - 96,200
- Cameroon - 63,600
- Central Africa - 63,000
- Kenya - 35,000
- Canada - 28,550
- Afghanistan - 10,000
- Italy - 5,000
- Senegal - 5,000
- United Kingdom - 4,000
- Dominican Republic - 3,000
- Trinidad and Tobago - 2,600
- Jamaica - 2,000
- Tajikistan - 2,000
- Cyprus - 1,300
- French Guiana - 800
- India - 500

- Total - 242,806,429

Why We Pray?

alshehri2005 — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:47:04 GMT

Why We Pray?

The Muslim observes his Prayers to show devotion and obedience to Allah, because Prayer is one of the greatest forms of worship that Allah likes His servants to offer.

To thank Him for creating us in the best form of creation.

Because He has guided us to the Deen (Complete way of Life, Religion) of Islam.

Prayer is a chance for a Muslim to express to his Lord whatever he feels and needs through Divine Words of Allah i.e. the Qur'an.

To remember his Lord and not forget His commands amid life's pre-occupations.

To ask Allah, The Exalted, to give him aid and continuous guidance in the darkness of life.

To strengthen love and fear of Allah in the Muslim's heart so that he might remain sticking to the Right Path of Islam, and its laws and manners.

Gaining good rewards from Allah and having our sins forgiven.

To rejoice when he finds himself on the Last Day pleased with the great reward allotted to him in the Gardens of Bliss.

Prayer is a unique training and developmental program which, if well and devotedly performed, can achieve for Muslims many valuable physical, ethical and spiritual gains such as cleanliness, health, order, punctuality, brotherhood, equality, social consolidation,… etc.

http://www.islamdoor.com/Prayers.htm

Q. I read in a magazine that Makkah is not only a centre of Muslims but also is the centre of earth itself. But earth has spherical shape, so is it possible for a centre to be on its surface?

alshehri2005 — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:28:03 GMT

Q. I read in a magazine that Makkah is not only a centre of Muslims but also is the centre of earth itself. But earth has spherical shape, so is it possible for a centre to be on its surface?

Ans. Can you locate the centre of India on its map? I am sure you can, if you are an expert in geography and mathematics. If you are asked to mark the centre of a rectangular hockey field, you will do it easily without calling it impossible. Is not the hockey field, a miniature part of the spherical earth? Why do you mark the centre of the hockey field on its surface when it is a segment of a sphere? The centre of a piece of land, whose longitude and latitude are given, can be ascertained. You mark it on the surface. Similarly, when Makkah is called the navel of the earth, you are required to consider only the surface of the earth rather than computing the centre of the spherical earth.

There, however, is a problem. Computation of the centre of the surface of a spherical segment is no problem but how can there be a centre of the surface of the whole sphere? I came across this problem more man a decade ago when I was deliberating upon 2:143 of Qur’an, which reads; “Thus we have made you a Wasat Ummah...” Wasat in this verse is taken to mean ‘just’. This is one meaning of the word. Wasat also means ‘central’. With this meaning, the verse will read; “Thus we have made you a central nation...” Immediately it struck upon me that the Ka’abah is called the navel of the earth. Even the ancient Vedas of India had declared; Nabha Prathivviya Ilaaspad, which translates as ‘The Lord’s place at the navel of earth. Is this navel, the life-line, at the centre in the true geographical sense also? Then I faced the question. “How can a centre of an spherical surface be fixed? I remembered the Lord of the east and west in Qur’an and started thinking over the concept of east and west of a spherical surface in space which is continuously revolving. Why is it that we always place Japan in the east and America in west, when the earth is revolving? If east and west can be fixed, the centre can also be fixed. Japan is located in east and America in west because we have cut open the globe at a particular longitude and then spread it out in the form of an Atlas. Why was it that the globe was cut open at that particular line and not anywhere else to form a flat map? I could not solve the problem and would be highly obliged if a geography scholar could help me understand it. Anyway, leaving it at that I took a world map, as it is and drew two diagonals to locate the centre. It lay in Arabia but not in Makkah. I was sure that I was overlooking something and then it struck. The earth is revolving on its axis, which is 12 degrees tilted to its perpendicular axis through the two poles. I shifted the diagonals accordingly and lo! The centre of the earth’s surface lies exactly at Makkah.

http://www.islamicvoice.com/february.99/dialogue.htm

Why do muslims worship KAABA the building is made up of stone ??

alshehri2005 — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:10:12 GMT

Why do muslims worship KAABA the building is made up of stone ??

Ans:

No. Muslims Don't Worship Ka’bah;
We Worship Allah - The True and only God.

According to the Islamic creed: None is worthy of worship except Allah.

The Ka’bah is simply the direction to which the Muslims turn their face when praying to God Almighty.

There is a widespread false-conception and misunderstanding among the non-believers about the Ka’bah!
Many non-muslims say and preach that the Muslims “worship” a stone building - the Cube.

The fact is that the Muslims worship nothing - none - but One God. The Muslims do not worship the Cube nor the Black Stone; They worship Allah - the Living God - the Most Exalted in Power and Might.

The Ka’abah in Makkah was built by Prophet Adam. God commanded Prophet Ibraheem to reconstruct it.

Allah gives this answers to non-believers:
Behold! We showed the site to Ibraheem, of the Sacred House saying: “Associate no partners with Me and purify My House for those who compass it round or stand upright in prayers, or bow or prostrate themselves in worship.
[The Holy Qur’an, Surah 22:26]

The Muslims follow the religion of the Great Prophets. Ibraheem (peace be upon him) was one of the greatest prophets of Allah. The present versions of the Old Testament and the New Testament agree with this too. The Muslims follow Prophet Ibraheem's life as an example and imitate his complete submisstion to the Will of God. Located in the Valley of Ibraheem, the Holy Ka’abah is the House of God, therefore, most sacred building. Being the very first Mosque on the earth, The Haram is a sacred sanctuary and symbol of respect and ritual purification.

Further more let’s read an other verse from the Holy Qur’an about the Sacred Mosque:
Turn then your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque. Wherever you may be turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know very well that this is the truth from their Lord.
[The Holy Qur’an, Surah 2:144]

This is the Qibla (direction) uniting the Muslims as a global community also provides a universal symbol of the True Faith. God says in the Holy Qur’an:
So from where ever you go (for prayers), turn your faces in the direction of the Sacrred Mosque and wheresoever you are turn your face towards it that there be no cause of dispute against you among the people, except those of them that are evil-doers. Fear them not, but fear Me. And that I may complete My favours upon you, and thatyou may be guided.
[The Holy Qur’an, Surah 2:150]

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index.php?qid=20070912061814AAf4VID

KAABA ?

alshehri2005 — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:03:40 GMT

KAABA ?

        The small, cubed building known as the Kaaba may not rival sky- scrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human beings is unmatched. The Kaaba is the building towards which Muslims face five times a day, everyday, in prayer. This has been the case since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over 1400 years ago.

The size of Kabba:
        The current height of the Kaaba is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size comes to 627 square feet. The inside room of the Kaaba is 13X9 meters. The Kaaba's walls are one meter wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters higher than the place where people perform Tawaf. The ceiling and roof are two levels made out of wood. They were reconstructed with teak which is capped with stainless steel. The walls are all made of stone. The stones inside are unpolished, while the ones outside are polished. This small building has been constructed and reconstructed by Prophets Adam, Ibrahim, Ismail and Mohammad (PEACE BE UPON THEM ALL). No other building has had this honor. Yet, not very much is known about the details of this small but significant building.

Names:
        The other names of the Kaaba Literally, Kaaba in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige. The word Kaaba may also be derivative of a word meaning a cube. Some of these other names include:
Bait ul Ateeq - which means, according to one meaning, the earliest and ancient. According to the second meaning, it means independent and liberating. Both meanings could be taken
Bayt ul Haram - the honorable house

Reconstruction:
         The Kaaba has been reconstructed up to 12 times Scholars and historians say that the Kaaba has been reconstructed between five to 12 times. The very first construction of the Kaaba was done by Prophet Adam. Allah says in the Quran that this was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah. After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail rebuilt the Kaaba. The measurements of the Kaaba's Ibrahimic foundation are as follows: The eastern wall was 48 feet and 6 inches the Hatim side wall was 33 feet the side between the black stone and the Yemeni corner was 30 feet the Western side was 46.5 feet. Following this, there were several constructions before the Prophet Mohammad's time. Reconstruction of Kaba by Quraish Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) participated in one of its reconstructions before he became a Prophet. Since the tribe of Quraish did not have sufficient funds, this reconstruction did not include the entire foundation of the Kaba as built by Prophet Ibrahim. This is the first time the Kaaba acquired the cubical shape it has now unlike the rectangle shape which it had earlier. The portion of the Kaaba left out is called Hateem now.

Construction after the Prophet's Time:
Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr The Syrian army destroyed the Kaaba in Muharram 64 (Hijri date) and before the next Hajj Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, reconstructed the Kaaba from the ground up. Ibn az-Zubayr wanted to make the Kaaba how the Prophet Mohammad wanted it, on the foundation of the Prophet Ibrahim. Ibn az-Zubayr said, "I heard Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) say, 'The Prophet said: "If your people had not quite recently abandoned the Ignorance (Unbelief), and if I had sufficient provisions to rebuild it [the Kaaba], I would have added five cubits to it from the Hijr. Also, I would make two doors; one for people to enter therein and the other to exit" (Bukhari).

Ibn az-Zubayr said, "Today, I can afford to do it and I do not fear the people."
Ibn az-Zubayr built the Kaba on Prophet Ibrahim's foundation. He put the roof on three pillars with the wood of Aoud (a perfumed wood with aroma which is traditionally burned to get a good smell out of it in Arabia). In his construction he put two doors, one facing the east the other facing the west, as the Prophet wanted but did not do in his lifetime. He rebuilt the Kaaba on the Prophet Ibrahim's foundation, which meant that the Hateem area was included. The Hateem is the area adjacent to the Kaaba enclosed by a low semi-circular wall.

Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr also made the following additions and modifications:-
- Put a small window close to the roof of the Kaba to allow for light.
- Moved the door of the Kaaba to ground level and added a second door to the Kaaba.
- Added nine cubits to the height of the Kaaba, making it twenty cubits high. Its walls were two cubits wide.
- Reduced the pillars inside the House to three instead of six as were earlier built by Quraish.

For reconstruction, Ibn az-Zubayr put up four pillars around Kaaba and hung cloth over them until the building was completed. People began to do Tawaf around these pillars at all times, so Tawaf of the Kaaba was never abandoned, even during reconstruction.

During Abdul Malik bin Marwan's time In 74 Hijri (or 693 according to the Gregorian calendar), Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, the known tyrant of that time, with the approval of Umayyad Khalifa Abdul Malik bin Marwan, demolished what Ibn az-Zubayr had added to it from the older foundation of Prophet Ibrahim, restore its old structure as the Quraish had it.

Some of the changes he made were the following:
- He rebuilt it in the smaller shape which is found today took out the Hateem
- Walled up the western door (whose signs are still visible today) and left the rest as it was -pulled down the wall in the Hateem area.
- Removed the wooden ladder Ibn az-Zubayr had put inside the Kaba.
- Reduced the door's height by five cubits

When Abdul Malik bin Marwan came for Umra and heard the Hadith that it was wish of Prophet for the Kaaba to be constructed the way Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr had built it, he regretted his actions. Imam Malik's advice to the Khalifa Harun al Rasheed
Abbasi Khalifa Harun al Rasheed wanted to rebuild the Kaaba the way the Prophet Muhammad wanted and the way Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr built it. But when he consulted Imam Malik, the Imam asked the Khalifa to change his mind because constant demolition and rebuilding is not respectful and would become a toy in the hands of kings. Each one would want to demolish and rebuild the Kaaba.
Based on this advice, Harun al Rasheed did not reconstruct the Kaaba. The structure remained in the same construction for 966 years, with minor repairs here and there.
Reconstruction during Sultan Murad Khan's time in the year 1039 Hijri, because of heavy rain, flood and hail, two of the Kaaba's walls fell down. The flood during which this occurred took place on the 19th of Shaban 1039 Hijri which continued constantly, so the water in the Kaaba became almost close to half of its walls, about 10 feet from the ground level.

On Thursday the 20th of Shaban 1039 Hijri, the eastern and western walls fell down.
When flood receded on Friday the 21st of Shaban, the cleanup started. Again, a curtain, the way Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr established on 4 pillars, was put up, and the reconstruction started on the 26th of Ramadan. The rest of the walls except for the one near the Black Stone, were demolished. By the 2nd of Zul-Hijjah 1040 the construction was taking place under the guidance of Sultan Murad Khan, the Ottoman Khalifa. From the point of the Black stone and below, the current construction is the same as that done by Abdullah Ibn az-Zubayr.The construction which was done under the auspices of Murad Khan was exactly the one done at the time of Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan which is the way the Quraish had built it before Prophethood.

On Rajab 28, 1377, one historian counted the total stones of the Kaaba and they were 1,614. These stones are of different shapes. But the stones which are inside the outer wall which is visible are not counted in there.

Reconstruction of the Kaaba In 1996:
A major reconstruction of the Kaaba took place between May 1996 and October 1996. This was after a period of about 400 years (since Sultan Murad Khan's time).
During this reconstruction the only original thing left from the Kaaba are the stones. All other material has been replaced including the ceiling and the roof and its wood.

http://groups.msn.com/islam4all/aboutkaaba.msnw

Professor Tagata Tagasone !!

alshehri2005 — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:20:31 GMT

Professor Tagata Tagasone !!

Professor Tagata Tagasone, formerly Head of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology at the University of Shiang Mai in Thailand. He is now the Dean of the College of the Medicine at the University. From my studies and from what I have learned throughout this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur’aan 1400 years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the One Who is an eligible Creator. This Creator must be Allah, or Allah. Therefore, I think this is the time to say ‘Laa ilaaha illallah’, that there is no Allah to worship except Allah, ‘Muhammad Rasool Allah’, Muhammad is messenger of Allah...

G.B. Shaw and MOHAMMAD!!

alshehri2005 — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:08:20 GMT

G.B. Shaw and MOHAMMAD!!

"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful man and in my opinion for from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today." --G.B. Shaw, THE GENUINE ISLAM, Vol. 1, No. 81936.

Pork The Wrong Meat To Eat !!

alshehri2005 — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:17:05 GMT

Pork The Wrong Meat To Eat !!

http://myhealthessentials.blogspot.com/2007/01/pork-other-wrong-meat.html

Any wonder why Islam forbids alcohol?

alshehri2005 — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:50:30 GMT

Any wonder why Islam forbids alcohol?

A man was once asked why he did not drink, and he replied, 'By God, I am not happy with my mind when it is sound, so why should I corrupt it even further?' - The Seventy-seven Branches of Faith - Imam Al-Bayhaqi, The Quillian Press - (1996, ISBN 1 872038 03 4) - Page 31

Alcohol is detrimental to your health especially your liver. Alcohol befogs the mind and prevents rational thinking. Alcohol causes road accidents and innocent lives lost. Alcohol increases the occurance of domestic violence. Alcohol addiction causes financial ruin.

The Holy Quran, 2.219: They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider.
The Holy Quran, 5.90: O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.
The Holy Quran, 5.91: Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?
Many of grow up in societies where drinking is second nature to most people. Alcohol is staple in some societies, among an increasing number of people. It is also becoming an irreplaceable component of "having fun" and partying. No get together seems complete without alcohol. Tequila shots over the bar counter, vodka and vodka lime for beginners.
"Let's go have fun tonight" is being replaced by "Let's go get pissed drunk tonight."
It can be difficult to deal with an environment where peer pressure is overpowering - which is almost always is. But consider this: Drunk people embarrass themselves in public and in front of friends. They have little control their actions or their words. One friend of mine nearly died because he walked onto a busy street in his drunken stupor. Another friend was raped by her boyfriend while she was asleep/hungover.
You have a million reasons to stop drinking - not just for yourself but for your friends and family...and especially the innocent stranger who might get hurt by your actions during a drunken stupor. You'll feel healthier - it's a guarantee and you'll save money to do other cool stuff.
God gives us instructions because He is All Knowing. Everything in Islam has a practical and healthy reason behind it..some of which we are aware of and others we're not but they're for our own good. God says in the Holy Quran - there is some good in alcohol but the bad outweighs the good.

Alcohol and Attitudes

alshehri2005 — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:42:11 GMT

Alcohol and Attitudes

Through its history, the United States has had conflicting attitudes toward alcohol. To some the use of alcohol was a sign of freedom and power, to others it was a social evil.

Prohibition. Between 1919 and 1933 alcohol was illegal in the United States. This prohibition caused an explosion in crime as gangsters rushed to fill the demand for alcohol. Though the nation rejoiced when prohibition was repealed, there are still some areas that remain "dry". This means that you can't buy alcoholic beverages or can buy them only with difficulty. In some areas you can buy alcoholic beverages in a store but cannot be served them in a restaurant. In order not to offend the "temperance" or anti-alcohol viewers, many of whom are very religious, television beer commercials will not show people actually drinking beer. The actors confine themselves to holding their glasses up to the light to savor their appearance.

A Maze of Laws and Rules. Every American state and jurisdiction has its own set of rules, laws and taxes regarding sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. In the state of New York, as an example, you can buy beer in the supermarket, but not on Sunday mornings before noon. Wines and spirits, but not beer, are sold in liquor stores only, which are closed on Sundays. Other states sell all sorts of alcoholic beverages in supermarkets, while still other, more restrictive, states allow sales only from state-controlled stores.

The Alcoholic Beverage Industry. All kinds of alcoholic beverages are produced in the United States, or are imported. California is considered the best wine growing region, but other areas are now competing with it. Imported wines are also commonly consumed. America also produces excellent spirits, though the only truly native American spirit is bourbon. Illegally made whisky, or "moonshine," is popular in many areas. Scotch, American whisky and bourbon used to be very popular, but the king of spirits in America is now vodka.

Beer. America produces more beer than any other country. Though dozens of small "micro-breweries" produce excellent beer, the mass-produced beer most Americans drink is not particularly distinctive. Many distinctive local breweries were killed off by prohibition. A large group of Americans enjoy "home-brewing," producing their own beer for their own enjoyment.

The issue of "drunk driving" is important in America, given the American dependence on the automobile. Laws against "driving under the influence" (DUI or DWI) are becoming harsher. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is one of the major groups working in this area. Drunk driving, by the way, is a good example of a major social issue that is safe to bring up in conversation without running the risk of offending anyone.

Alcoholism. As in many countries, alcoholism is a major problem in the United States. Alcoholics Anonymous ("AA") is a prominent voluntary support program for alcoholics, and Alanon is a major organization for relatives of alcoholics.

http://www.lifeintheusa.com/everyday/alcohol.htm

The 100 !!

alshehri2005 — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:00:53 GMT

The 100 !!

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most
influential persons may surprise some readers and may be
questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who
was supremely successful on both the religious and secular
level.
Michael H. Hart
The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,
New York: Hart Publishing Company Inc. 1978, p 33.

What a Man !!! what he said about Koran.

alshehri2005 — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:48:51 GMT

What a Man !!! what he said about Koran.

In making the present attempt to improve on the performance of my

predecessors, and to produce something which might be accepted as

echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric of the Arabic Koran, I

have been at pain to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms

which-apart from the message itself-constitute the Koran's

undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest literary masterpieces

of mankind ... This very characteristic feature-"that inimitable

symphony" as the believing Pickthall described his Holy Book, "the

very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy"-has been

almost totally ignored by previous translators; it is therefore not

surprising that what they have wrought sounds dull and net indeed

in comparison with the splendidly decorated original.

-Arthur J Arberry

The Koran Interpreted London: Oxford University Press, 1964,p.X

THE SKY MADE A DOME !

alshehri2005 — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:41:33 GMT

THE SKY MADE A DOME !

It is He Who made the earth a couch for you, and the sky a dome. He sends down water from the sky and by it brings forth fruits for your provision. Do not, then, knowingly make others equal to Allah. (Qur'an, 2:22)

Here, the Arabic word for the sky is "assamaa binaan." As well as the meaning of "dome" or "ceiling," this also describes a kind of tent-like covering used by the Bedouin.22 What is being emphasised here, through mention of a tent-like structure, is a form of protection against external elements.

Even if we are generally unaware of it, a large number of meteors fall to the Earth, as they do the other planets. The reason why these make enormous craters on other planets but do no harm on Earth is that the atmosphere puts up considerable resistance to a falling meteor. The meteor is unable to withstand this for long and loses much of its mass from combustion due to friction. This danger, which might otherwise cause terrible disasters, is thus prevented thanks to the atmosphere. As well as the verses regarding the protective properties of the atmosphere cited above, attention is also drawn to the special creation in the following verse:

Do you not see that Allah has made everything on the earth subservient to you and the ships running upon the sea by His command? He holds back the heaven, preventing it from falling to the earth-except by His permission. Allah is All-Compassionate to mankind, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 22:65)

The protective property of the atmosphere we discussed in the preceding section protects the Earth from space-in other words, from external elements. With the word "dome," referring to the sky in the above verse, attention is drawn to this aspect of the sky, which could not possibly have been known at the time of our Prophet (saas). The fact that this information was imparted 1,400 years ago in the Qur'an, when there were no spacecraft or giant telescopes, shows that the Qur'an is the revelation of our Lord, the Omniscient.

French Coach Troussier Reverts to Islam

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:35:17 GMT

French Coach Troussier Reverts to Islam

RABAT, March 24, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Famed French soccer coach Philippe Troussier and his wife Dominique have reverted to Islam in the Moroccan capital where they live, sources close to the couple confirmed Thursday, March 23.

"Troussier is no longer Philippe, he has taken the name Omar and his wife is no longer Dominique but Amina," the French-Moroccan daily L'Opinion reported Thursday.

A source close to the couple confirmed the reversion to Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that the ceremony took place last Friday.

The widely-travelled Troussier, 51, is former coach of the Moroccan national team and French club Marseille.

He also had spells in charge of South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Qatar and Japan, whom he guided to the second round of the 2002 World Cup.

"Wonderful Surprise"
L'Opinion hailed the reversion as "a magnificent and wonderful surprise."

"Welcome Omar and Amina to the Kingdom of the All Powerful, the Kingdom of the Truth," it wrote.

"As Muslims we are happy to see such a strong and well recognized personality as Philippe Troussier become part of this religion of peace and tolerance."

The newspaper added that when contacted Troussier said he "did not want to elaborate too much on the subject."

"I want to keep my feelings for myself," Troussier was quoted as saying, adding: "as you see things evolve ..."

The Moroccan Evening newspaper reported that the couple have adopted two local girls Selma and Mariam.

Thousands of French revert to Islam every year in France, but not all of them declare their new faith outright, fearing discrimination at home or work and a stereotypical view that reverts tilt towards extremism, according to recent studies and surveys.

Anelka, who played for Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City, eventually had to leave for the Turkish league after increasing harassment.

Some imams in France have ruled that it was permissible for new reverts to conceal their faith if they feared rejection from family members and colleagues or security harassment.

Many Arabs and Muslims were even forced to change their names and hide their roots to spare themselves police and employers' discrimination.

A Sorbonne research released earlier in the year by the French Observatory Against Racism found that Arab names and dark complexion represent an obstacle to jobseekers.

France is home to some six to seven million Muslims, the largest Muslim minority in Europe.

Michael Jackson

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:04:35 GMT

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson Officially Converts To Islam

February 23rd, 2007 ·

According to reports in the Middle East, the King of Pop has officially converted to Islam.

The Arab-Israeli newspaper Panorama claimsM.J announced the move and revealed plans to move to Bahrain, where he has bought property.

Brother Jermaine today claimed the Thriller hitmaker had taken interest in the religion since he converted in 1989 - and had been considering converting himself following his acquittal on child abuse charges in 2005.

Jermaine said, “When I came back from Mecca I got him (Michael) a lot of books and he asked me lots of things about my religion and I told him that it’s peaceful and beautiful.

“He read everything and he was proud of me that I found something that would give me inner strength and peace.

“I think it is most probable that Michael will convert to Islam.

“He could do so much, just like I am trying to do. Michael and I and the word of God, we could do so much.”

http://hiphop.popcrunch.com/michael-jackson-officially-converts-to-islam/

Sex Education in Islam

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:37:10 GMT

Sex Education in Islam

At the time of the prophet, muslims men and women were never too shy to ask the prophet about all affairs, including such private affairs as sexual life, so as to know the teachings and rulings of their religion concerning them. As Aisha, the wife of the prophet testified, "Blessed are the women of the Ansar (the citizens of Madina). Shyness did not stand in their way seeking knowledge about their religion." (All except Termizi).

The way the ladies asked the prophet-directly or through his wives is a proof that sexual matters were not taboo but were fully acknowldged and respected. "Shyness is part of the faith" as the prophet taught, but he also taught "There is no shyness in matters of religion" even entailing the delicate aspects of sexual life.

It is our firm belief that facts about sex should be taught to children in a way commensurate with their age as they grow up both by the family and the school. We emphasize that this should be done within the total context of Islamic ideology and Islamic teaching, so that the youth-beside getting the correct physiologic knowledge become fully aware on the sanctity of the sexual relation in Islam and the grave sin of blemishing such sanctity whether under Islamic law, or far more important in the sight of God. Provided the Islamic conscience is developed we see no reason to shun sex education (unfortunately the rule in many muslim countries), and we believe it is better to give the correct teaching rather than leave this to chance and to incorrect sources and to the concomitant feeling of guilt by the hush-hush atmosphere in which this is done.

Teaching about sex should also have its presence in the curricula of medical schools. We have done this in our medical school as part of the gynaecology and obstetrics program. We had no difficulty whatsoever with our religious and rather conservative men and women students, for the subject is given within an Islamic perspective.

Sex is an important area of marital life, and when people are in trouble they have only the doctor to resort to: and unless the doctor has had some basic teaching of sex, he or she will be quite helpless to help out. Sexual problems may manifest as strained family relations, psychosomatic symptoms or infertility. Medical treatment may affect sex such as some antihypertensive or antidepressant drugs. Sexual counsel is often a neglected aspect of managing such varied diseases as coronary thrombosis, diabetes, incipient heart failure etc. The role of lack of sexual education in some cases of infertility is well known. Surgery may influence sex in men and women. A carelessly repaired episiotomy, or colporrhaphy may have a devastating effect on marital happinnes. The psychological premath and after-math of the operation of hysterectomy is only too well known. On top of all of this, muslim women patients would wish to know the religious ruling on the multitude of gynaecological and obstetric situations relating to worship, and their reference is their doctor. It is therefore a religious, dictate that medical education preparing doctors who will cater for the needs of muslim communities, should equip them with the knowledge necessary to answer this need.

Facts about Islam ( 6 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:43:15 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 6 of 6 )

http://www.meccacentric.com/30_facts.html

Facts about Islam ( 5 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:42:07 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 5 of 6 )

Facts about Islam ( 4 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:40:37 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 4 of 6 )

16) The Holy Qur'an has no flaws or contradictions. The original Arabic scriptures have never been changed or tampered with.

17) Actual seventh century Qur'ans, complete and intact, are on display in museums in Turkey and many other places around the world.

Facts about Islam ( 3 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:39:06 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 3 of 6 )

13) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

15) The Holy Qur'an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by God, revealed to Muhammad, and written into physical form by his companions.

Facts about Islam ( 2 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:37:51 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 2 of 6 )

6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.

8) "Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". Muslims also believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God.

Facts about Islam ( 1 of 6 )

alshehri2005 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:33:17 GMT

Facts about Islam ( 1 of 6 )

1) "Islam" means "peace through the submission to God".

2) "Muslim" means "anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God".

3) Islam is not a cult. Its followers number over 1.5 billion worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to be one of the three Abrahamic traditions.

5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B) all the prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Prophets Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F) the divine decree (or destiny).

THE ROUNDNESS OF THE EARTH !!

alshehri2005 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:03:46 GMT

THE ROUNDNESS OF THE EARTH !!

He has created the Heavens and the Earth for Truth. He wraps the night up in the day, and wraps the day up in the night. (Qur'an, 39:5)

In the Qur'an, the words used for describing the universe are quite remarkable. The Arabic word which is translated as "to wrap" in the above verse is "takwir." In English, it means "to make one thing lap over another, folded up as a garment that is laid away." For instance, in Arabic dictionaries this word is used for the action of wrapping one thing around another, in the way that a turban is put on. The information given in the verse about the day and the night wrapping each other up includes accurate information about the shape of the world. This can be true only if the Earth is round. This means that in the Qur'an, which was revealed in the 7th century, the roundness of the world was hinted at.

However, it should be remembered that the understanding of astronomy of the time perceived the world differently. It was then thought that the world was a flat plane and all scientific calculations and explanations were based on this belief. However, the Glorious Qur'an has employed the most definitive words when it came to describing the universe. These facts, which we could only correctly fathom in our century, have been in the Qur'an for a vast length of time.

http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/scientific_index.html

How was I committed to Islam?

alshehri2005 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:22:12 GMT

How was I committed to Islam?

I was born in a German Christian family during the most ferocious part of World War II, in Berlin, in 1943. My family moved first to Spain, during the same year, and later in 1948, to Argentina. There I stayed for 15 years. I attended my grade and high school at the Roman Catholic "La Salle" school, in Cordoba, Argentine. As was to be expected, I became very soon a fervent Catholic. I was lectured over an hour daily on Catholic religion and I often attended religious services. At twelve, my dream was to become a Roman Catholic priest. I was completely committed to the Christian faith.

Allah observed my folly, and one memorable day, nearly seven years ago, He permitted that a copy of Spanish translation of the Noble Qur'an should reach my hands. My father did not object my reading it, as he supposed that it would only contribute to give me a broader background, and nothing else. He was far from guessing the effect the Words of Allah were going to exert on my mind ... As I opened the Noble Book, I was a fanatic Roman Catholic; as I closed it, I was completely committed to Islam...

Obviously, my opinion of Islam was not favorable one before I read the Noble Qur'an. I took the Holy Book with curiosity, and opened it with scorn, expecting to find in it horrible errors, blasphemies, superstitions and contradictions, I was biased, but I was also very young and my heart had no time to harden completely yet. I went through the Surah reluctantly at the beginning, eagerly then, and finally with a desperate thirst for Truth. Then, in the greatest moment of my life, Allah gave me His guidance and led me from superstition to Truth, from darkness to Light, from Christianity to Islam... in the blessed pages of the Noble Qur'an, I found solution to all my problems, satisfaction to all my needs, explication for all my doubts. Allah attracted me to His Light with irresistible strength, and I gladly yielded to Him. Everything seemed clear now, everything made sense to me, and I began to understand myself, the universe and Allah. I was bitterly aware that I had been deceived by my dearest teachers, and that their words were only cruel lies, whether they were aware of it or not. My whole world was shattered in one instant; all concepts had to be revised. But the bitterness in my heart was amply superseded by the ineffable joy of having found my Rubb at last, and I was filled with life and gratitude to Him. I still humbly praise and bless Him for His Mercy with me; without His help, I would have remained in darkness and stupidity forever.

Swelled with joy and enthusiasm, I hurried to communicate my findings to other people, to my parents, to my schoolmates, to my instructors... I wanted everybody to know the Truth, to be free of ignorance and prejudice, to feel the joy I felt. I met a fortress surrounding them, a thick wall separating them from the Truth... And I was not able to remove that rampart, because it was in their hearts, harder than stone. I was received with scorn and persecution, unable to understand the blindness of my persecutors. I learned that only Allah can give Light.

The more I learned, the more I felt compelled to express my gratitude to Allah for having led me to Islam, the Ideal Religion. I have read sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I found what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Holy Qur'aan, compared to any other Scripture I have read, is like the light of the sun compared to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the Word of Allah with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will become a Muslim, if Allah pleases. He will also travel from darkness to Light …

May Allah grant His Guidance to all the sincere seekers of Truth. The arms of Islam are open to receive them in the heart of a community called by Allah Himself: ‘the best people that were ever raised for the benefit of mankind.’

Praise is to Allah, the Lord of the universe.

Saifuddin Dirk Walter Mosig
USA

http://www.alinaam.org.za/library/saif.htm

Afrah's Story !

alshehri2005 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:03:03 GMT

Afrah's Story !

May 2, 1996. Ever since I can remember, my family attended a non-denominational conservative Christian church (Church of Christ). I grew up in the church, taught bible school and sang in the choir. As a young teenager I began asking questions (as I think everyone does at one point in their lives): Why was I a member of the Church of Christ and not say Lutheran, Catholic or Methodist? If various churches are teaching conflicting doctrine, how do we know which one is right? Are they all right? Do `all paths lead to God' as I had heard some say? Others say that as long as you are a good person it doesn't matter what you believe - is that true?

After some soul searching I decided that I did believe that there was an ultimate truth and in an attempt to find that truth I began a comparison study of various churches. I decided that I believed in the Bible and would join the church that best followed the Bible. After a lengthy study, I decided to stay with the Church of Christ, satisfied that its doctrines were biblically sound (unaware at this stage that there could be various interpretations of the Bible).

I spent a year at Michigan Christian College, a small college affiliated with the Churches of Christ, but was not challenged academically and so transferred to Western Michigan University. Having applied late for student housing, I was placed in the international dorm. Although my roommate was American, I felt surrounded by strange people from strange places. It was in fact my first real experience with cultural diversity and it scared me (having been raised in a white, middle class, Christian community). I wanted to change dorms but there wasn't anything available. I did really like my roommate and decided to stick out the semester.

My roommate became very involved in the dorm activities and got to know most everyone in the dorm. I however performed with the marching band and spent most of my time with band people. Marching season soon ended and finding myself with time on my hands, I joined my roommate on her adventures around the dorm. It turned out to be a wonderful, fascinating experience! There were a large number of Arab men living in the dorm. They were charming, handsome, and a lot of fun to be around. My roommate started dating one of them and we ended up spending most of our time with the Arabs. I guess I knew they were Muslims (although very few of them were practicing). We never really discussed religion, we were just having fun.

The year passed and I had started seeing one of the Arabs. Again, we were just enjoying each other's company and never discussed our religious differences. Neither of us were practicing at this time so it never really became an issue for us. I did, deep down, feel guilty for not attending church, but I pushed it in the back of my mind. I was having too much fun.

Another year passed and I was home for summer vacation when my roommate called me with some very distressing news: she'd become a Muslim!! I was horrified. She didn't tell me why she converted, just that she had spent a lot of time talking with her boyfriend's brother and it all made sense to her. After we hung up, I immediately wrote her a long letter explaining that she was ruining her life and to just give Christianity one more chance. That same summer my boyfriend transferred to Azusa Pacific University in California. We decided to get married and move to California together. Again, since neither one were practicing, religion was not discussed.

Secretly I started reading books on Islam. However I read books that were written by non-Muslims. One of the books I read was Islam Revealed by Anis Sorosh. I felt guilty about my friend's conversion. I felt that if I had been a better Christian, she would have turned to the church rather than Islam. Islam was a man-made religion, I believed, and filled with contradictions. After reading Sorosh's book, I thought I could convert my friend and my husband to Christianity.

At APU, my husband was required to take a few religion courses. One day he came home from class and said: "The more I learn about Christianity, the stronger my belief in Islam becomes." At about this same time he started showing signs of wanting to practice his religion again. Our problems began. We started talking about religion and arguing about our different beliefs. He told me I should learn about Islam and I told him I already knew everything I needed to know. I got out Sorosh's book and told him I could never believe in Islam. My husband is not a scholar by any stretch of the imagination, yet he had an answer for everything I showed him in Sorosh's book. I was impressed by his knowledge. He told me that if I really wanted to learn about Islam it must be through Islamic sources. He bought a few books for me from an Islamic bookstore and I started taking classes at a local mosque. What a difference the Islam I learned about from Muslim sources from the Islam I learned about from non-Muslims!

It was so difficult though when I actually decided to convert. My pride stood in the way for awhile. How could I admit to my husband and my friend that they were right all along? I felt humiliated, embarrassed. Soon though, I could deny the truth no longer, swallowed my pride, and alhamdulilah, embraced Islam - the best decision I ever made.

A few things I want to say to the non-Muslim reader:
1.When I originally began my search for the truth all those years ago, I made a few wrong assumptions. First, I assumed that the truth is with Christianity only. It never occurred to me at that time to look outside Christianity. Second, I assumed that the Bible was the true Word of God. These were bad assumptions because they prohibited me from looking at things objectively. When I began my earnest study of Islam, I had to start at the very beginning, with no preconceived ideas. I was not a Christian looking at Islam; I looked at both Islam and Christianity (and many other religions) from the point of view of an outsider. My advice to you is to be a critical thinker and a critical reader.

2.Another mistake that many people make when talking about Islam is that they pick out a certain teaching and judge the whole of Islam on that one point. For example, many people say that Islam is prejudiced towards women because Islamic laws of inheritance award the male twice as much as the female. What they fail to learn, however, is that males have financial responsibilities in Islam that females do not have. It is like putting a puzzle together: until you have all the pieces in the right places, you cannot make a statement about the picture, you cannot look at one little piece of the puzzle and judge the whole picture.

3.Many people said that the only reason I converted was because of my husband. It is true that I studied Islam because he asked me to - but I accepted Islam because it is the truth. My husband and I are currently separated and plan to divorce in June, insha' Allah. My faith in Islam has never been stronger than it is now. I look forward to finding a practicing Muslim husband, insha' Allah, and growing in my faith and practice. Being a good Muslim is my number one priority.

May Allah lead all of us closer to the truth.

http://www.khayma.com/librarians/call2islaam/

Why British Women are turning to Islaam ?

alshehri2005 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:47:00 GMT

Why British Women are turning to Islaam ?

Unprecedented numbers of British people, nearly all of them women, are converting to Islam at a time of deep divisions within the Anglican and Catholic churches.

The rate of conversions has prompted predictions that Islam will rapidly become an important religious force in this country.[1] "Within the next 20 years the number of British converts will equal or overtake the immigrant Muslim community that brought the faith here", says Rose Kendrick, a religious education teacher at a Hull comprehensive and the author of a textbook guide to the Koran. She says: "Islam is as much a world faith as is Roman Catholicism. No one nationality claims it as its own". Islam is also spreading fast on the continent and in America.

The surge in conversions to Islam has taken place despite the negative image of the faith in the Western press. Indeed, the pace of conversions has accelerated since publicity over the Salman Rushdie affair, the Gulf War[2] and the plight of the Muslims in Bosnia. It is even more ironic that most British converts should be women, given the widespread view in the west that Islam treats women poorly. In the United States, women converts outnumber men by four to one, and in Britain make up the bulk of the estimated 10, 000 to 20, 000 converts, forming part of a Muslim community of 1 to 1.5 million. Many of Britain's "New Muslims" are from middle-class backgrounds. They include Matthew Wilkinson, a former head boy of Eton who went on to Cambridge, and a son and daughter of Lord Justice Scott, the judge heading the arms-to-Iraq enquiry.

A small-scale survey by the Islamic Foundation in Leicester suggests that most converts are aged 30 to 50. Younger Muslims point to many conversions among students and highlight the intellectual thrust of Islam. "Muhammad" said, "The light of Islam will rise in the West" and I think that is what is happening in our day" says Aliya Haeri, an American-born psychologist who converted 15 years ago. She is a consultant to the Zahra Trust, a charity publishing spiritual literature and is one of Britain's prominent Islamic speakers. She adds: "Western converts are coming to Islam with fresh eyes, without all the habits of the East, avoiding much of what is culturally wrong. The purest tradition is finding itself strongest in the West."[3]

Some say the conversions are prompted by the rise of comparative religious education. The British media, offering what Muslims describe as a relentless bad press on all things Islamic, is also said to have helped. Westerners despairing of their own society - rising in crime, family breakdown, drugs and alcoholism [4] - have come to admire the discipline and security of Islam. Many converts are former Christians disillusioned by the uncertainty of the church and unhappy with the concept of the Trinity and deification of Jesus.

Quest of the Convert - Why Change?

Other converts describe a search for a religious identity. Many had previously been practising Christians but found intellectual satisfaction in Islam. "I was a theology student and it was the academic argument that led to my conversion." Rose Kendrick, a religious education teacher and author, said she objected to the concept of the original sin: "Under Islam, the sins of the fathers aren't visited on the sons. The idea that God is not always forgiving is blasphemous to Muslims.

Maimuna, 39, was raised as a High Anglican and confirmed at 15 at the peak of her religious devotion. "I was entranced by the ritual of the High Church and thought about taking the veil." Her crisis came when a prayer was not answered. She slammed the door on visiting vicars but travelled to convents for discussions with nuns. "My belief came back stronger, but not for the Church, the institution or the dogma." She researched every Christian denomination, plus Judaism, Buddhism and Krishna Consciousness, before turning to Islam.

Many converts from Christianity reject the ecclesiastical hierarchy emphasising Muslims' direct relationship with God. They sense a lack of leadership in the Church of England and are suspicious of its apparent flexibility. "Muslims don't keep shifting their goal-posts," says Huda Khattab, 28, author of The Muslim Woman's Handbook, published this year by Ta-Ha. She converted ten years ago while studying Arabic at university. "Christianity changes, like the way some have said pre-marital sex is okay if its with the person you're going to marry. It seems so wishy-washy. Islam was constant about sex, about praying five times a day. The prayer makes you conscious of God all the time. You're continually touching base.

Footnotes

1 This is one of the reasons why there is an onslaught of bad press against Islam and the Muslims. Whoever considers Islam carefully with its principle belief Tawheed (the Uniqueness of Allaah, His and His sole right to subservience, worship and legislation), the sum total of its injunctions, formulated by Allaah (which are harmonic and define the true nature, position, rights and responsibilities of both sexes), and its justice in every sphere of life (social, economical and political) for all categories of people - wives, husbands, children, orphans, women, the poor and indigent, the poverty-stricken - will realise why it poses a threat to the leading elite of the western civilisations (i.e. those who benefit most from the unfair and unjust forms by which the people are governed). It is in the hands of such people that the control of peoples beliefs and ideas lie (via television, Magazines, Films, Education) and naturally this advantage is used to maintain the existing status quo. Muslims are not governed by and enslaved the false beliefs and ideas of humans, they are enslaved to and governed by Allaah alone. This is the essence of Islam - That enslavement is to none but to Allaah alone and everything besides Him is undeserving of worship and subservience.

2 It is now an established fact that around 5,000 of the US Troops who were stationed in Saudi Arabia became Muslims during and shortly after the Gulf War.

3 Much of the alleged oppression of women is due to localised culture which is based on a superstition that is more akin to Hinduism. It is, however, portrayed as being Islamic in origin which in turn seriously affects the 'independence of thought' of those who do not bother to pursue the matter in an objective manner - which includes most people.

4 One of the biggest industries in the West is that of entertainment and amusement. This is essential to maintain the false idea of progress, that what comes next is better and worth enduring for. Peoples minds are preoccupied with their own pleasures and other pursuits while others are being murdered, slaughtered, women raped, innocent babies and children butchered with axes and knives, innocent by-standers in robberies and muggings killed, the aged battered to death by adolescents, thousands dying of drug abuse, thousands of innocent lives destroyed by the consumption of alcohol, drunkards beating their women and children... the list is endless. The entertainment industry is one of the effective tools in the 'normalisation of the thought process', the 'desensitisation of the humanistic concern', and the intensification of the 'my pleasure and gratification is what is most important' syndrome.

The Times (London) - Tuesday, 9th November 1993 -Home-news Page .

The Qur'aan and Modern Science (2 of 2)

alshehri2005 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:35:57 GMT

The Qur'aan and Modern Science (2 of 2)

Consider also the statement of T.V.N. Persaud (Professor and Head, Dept. of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Manitoba, Canada):

"Muhammad was a very ordinary man, he couldn’t read, didn’t know how to write, in fact he was an illiterate... were talking about 1400 years ago, you have some illiterate person making profound statements that are amazingly accurate, of a scientific nature... I personally can’t see how this could be mere chance, there are too many accuracies and like Dr. Moore I have no difficulty in my mind reconciling that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which lead him to these statements".

These are just a number of quotes from the "Scientific Community" regarding the nature and the origins of the Qur'aan. In fact the Qur'aan and Hadeeth do not just talk about embryology but hundreds of other phenomenon including the earth and sun being round, spinning around their own axis and following their own orbits, the origin and formation of the universe, the two types of seas between which is a barrier, the role of mountains in stabilising the earth's crust, the formation of milk in cows, the cause of sexual diseases, the location of pain receptors within the body, the expansion of the universe, the precise nature of the water cycle, the change in atmospheric pressure at high altitudes, the gender of the bee which is responsible for producing honey (female), the stars consuming themselves via the combustion of their gases and this being the source of their light and many more.

Explaining all these statements by chance alone is something which has been resorted to, surprisingly by those deemed to be possessors of intellect and erudition. However, this is not tenable, as the following demonstration will show. When you make a guess regarding the true nature of something (in an accurate and precise manner that is) there are only two possibilities. Either you are right or wrong. If you make another guess then you only have one chance in four of being correct both times. If you make a third guess then you have one chance in eight of being correct all three times and so on. The chances of correctly describing, lets say, ten phenomena are 1 in 1024. Another point to bear in mind is that the greater the number of things you describe, the chance of being wrong is greater and thus the risk you are taking of being discredited gets bigger and bigger.

The Qur'aan and the Sunnah (Authentic sayings of the Prophet (sas)) make statements on literally hundreds of phenomenon and at the same time openly calls the scientific community to verify them. If one from the scientific community was to make hundreds of new claims regarding his particular field and was then to call all his fellow specialists to prove him wrong he would know without doubt that he is standing on an undermined sand cliff which is ready to crumble with him. How then for the one who makes statements about the specialities of others?

One will be surprised to learn that such a scientific approach has been commanded in the Qur'aan with the objective of ascertaining its truthfulness.

Do they not carefully consider (investigate) the Qur'aan or are there locks upon their hearts.
(Surah Muhammad 47:24)
Do they not carefully analyse the Quran. If it had been from other than Allaah then surely they would have found many discrepancies therein
(Surah An-Nisa' 4:82)

So religious (that is Islamic) beliefs are not based upon blind acceptance as many have generalised to all religions and thus falsely attributed to the Qur'aan and Islam. This has been the experience of Europe in the past 3-400 years in which scientific advancement and its findings were seen as heretical, its proponents ridiculed and often exiled and tortured. Islam has never had that experience. It is true that people's academic capabilities differ and thus some will be unable to ascertain the truth of it and therefore may accept it blindly. But again they have the opportunity to ask the people of knowledge, those who are in a position to make such a judgement, like those quoted above. It is from the principles of wisdom and justice that when you don’t know you don’t make a judgement yourself but rather consult one who is in a position to do so. In fact, this is something Allaah has also commanded:

So ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know
(Surah Al-Anbiya 21:7)

and He has also said

And those who have been given Knowledge know that that which has been revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth
(Surah Saba 34:6)

This is a clear proof of the lack of the dependence upon dogma, superstition and personal experience and an indication of the obligation to research, ascertain and to verify in a scientific manner the credibility of religious (Islamic) belief. Fortunately there are those who have done exactly that like Keith Moore and his scientific colleagues but there are others who have invented lies and slanders in order to discredit the Qur'aan and the Prophet. However when these lies and slanders are put to the test scientifically they fail miserably and their irrationality and bias becomes evident. Some of the common claims are that Muhammad was possessed or was an eloquent poet or was a magician or was one who was brainwashed or was a soothsayer. In fact all of these have been denied and rebutted in the Qur'aan itself in numerous places and numerous times. It is even more strange that these were the very same claims made by the people who belied the Prophet during his lifetime, and they are the only ones that are resorted to today. What a great advancement!

Nay! We hurl the Truth against falsehood and it does smash it’s brains and thus it perishes. And woe be to you for what you describe (with your tongues)
(Surah Al-Anbiya 21:18)

Amjad Rafiq The Islamic Society University of Essex November 1994. Note:

All quotes have been taken from a video in which after having been presented with the statements in the Qur'aan and Hadeeth and given the chance to investigate, the various scientists were questioned as to their opinion regarding the Qur'aan. Their response was recorded live. The video is called "The Truth" and is available from most Islamic Bookshops.

The Qur'aan and Modern Science (1 of 2)

alshehri2005 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:31:59 GMT

The Qur'aan and Modern Science (1 of 2)

RELIGION and SCIENCE have always been considered to be twin sisters by Islam and today at a time when science has taken great strides, they still continue to be associated. Furthermore, certain scientific data are used for a better understanding of the Qur’anic text. In a century where, for many, scientific truth has dealt a deathblow to religious belief, it is precisely the discoveries of science that, in an objective examination of the Islamic Revelation, have highlighted the supernatural character of various aspects of the Revelation.

After a study which lasted ten years, the famous French physician Maurice Bucaille addressed the French Academy of Medicine in 1976 and expressed the complete agreement of the Qur'aan and established findings of modern science. He presented his study on the existence in the Qur'aan of certain statements concerning physiology and reproduction. His reason for doing that was that

"our knowledge of these disciplines is such, that it is impossible to explain how a text produced at the time of the Qur'aan could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times".

Decades later a noted embryologist Keith L. Moore and expert in his field, upon being presented with the statements made in the Qur'aan regarding the stages of the formation of the embryo from the mixing of the male and female gametes up to the embryo’s full development remarked

"It has been a pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur'aan about Human Development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allaah because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later."

Professor Moore presented his findings to scientists at several conferences. Several Canadian periodicals published many of Moore’s statements and in addition he presented three television programmes in which he highlighted the compatibility of modern science with what has been revealed in the Qur'aan 1400 years ago. Consequently, he was asked: "Does this mean that you believe that the Qur'aan is the word of God?" to which he replied "I find no difficulty in accepting this."

In fact Professor Moore was so amazed at the accuracy of the descriptions and the terminology used for the various stages of the development of the embryo that he modified his own textbook on the subject. He incorporated all the relevant Qur’anic passages and authentic statements of the Prophet Muhammad into his book, The Developing Human: Clinically oriented embryology with Islamic additions, which was published by WB Saunders in 1987 and was a standard university textbook in the United States. The book now contains passages of the Qur'aan and the Hadeeth (verified statements of the Prophet Muhammad) for every stage of development and Professor Moore has also adopted the classification used in the above two sources.

Consider also the statement of Tejatet Tejasen (Professor at the Dept. of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mei University, Thailand) after his study on the Qur'aan passages dealing with embryology:

"From my studies and what I have learnt at this conference I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur'aan 1400 years ago must be true. That can be proved the scientific way".

Also the statement of E. Marshal Johnson (Professor and Chairman, Dept. of Anatomy, Daniel Bough Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA) when he became aware of such statements in the Qur'aan and investigated them:

"The Qur'aan describes not only the development of external form but emphasises also the internal stages - the stages inside the embryo of its creation and development, emphasising major events recognised by contemporary science... If I was to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I do today and describing things, I could not describe the things that were described... I see no evidence to refute the concept that this individual Muhammad had to be developing this information from some place... so I see nothing in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved..."

Upon being presented with hadeeths (verified statements of the Prophet Muhammad) concerning dominant and recessive characteristics Joe Leigh Simpson (Professor of Obstretics and Gynaecology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA) said:

"... these Hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at the time of the’writer’... It follows that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion (Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches... There exist statements in the Qur'aan shown centuries later to be valid which support knowledge in the Qur'aan having been derived from God".
........

Professor William W. Hay !!

alshehri2005 — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 13:39:17 GMT

Professor William W. Hay !!

Professor William W. Hay is one of the best known marine scientists in the United States. satellite photography and emote-sensing techniques. Professor Hay replied: I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scripture of the Holy Qur’aan, and I have no way of knowing where they would come from, but I think it is extremely interesting that they are there and that this work is going on to discover it, the meaning of some of the passages. Professor Hay: Well, I would think it must be the divine being!

What a voice !!!

alshehri2005 — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:19:32 GMT

What a voice !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vRJW4mkESg

some verses from Holy Quran !

Nicolas Anelka

alshehri2005 — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:53:45 GMT

Nicolas Anelka

Striker Nicolas Anelka first made the headlines in this country as an 18 year old teenager winning the double at Arsenal in the 1997/98 season.

He originally signed for Arsenal from Paris St Germaine for £500,000 pounds and was later transferred to Real Madrid for a fee of £23 million pounds.

A taste of Europe
It was in Spain where Anelka was part of the Champions League winning squad in 2000 and where he made his decision to convert to Islam. Back in the Premiership
In December 2001, Liverpool signed Nicolas Anelka on loan until the end of the season. He did well for the Merseyside club, scoring 5 goals in 15 starts.

After his brief spell at Liverpool, the French international striker now provides pace and movement to the Manchester City attack, where he has been their top scorer for the last two seasons. A club-record £13million transfer in June 2002, he proved to English fans that he is still a fantastic player by hitting 14 Premiership goals in his first season and 16 in 2003/04.

His pace and natural finishing ability means he is one of the top strikers in the Premiership.

Anelka Profile

Currently playing for:   Manchester City
Squad number:           9
Position:                     Striker
Height:                       6.00 ft
Weight:                      12st 2lbs
Date of birth:              14th March 1979
Place of birth:             Versailles, France
Nationality:                 French
International caps:    28
International goals:    6

Chris Wayne Jackson, an American former professional basketball player.

alshehri2005 — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:15:24 GMT

Chris Wayne Jackson, an American former professional basketball player.

Ever Since Mahmoud converted to Islam in 1991, he has become one of the greatest American Muslim role models. While in the NBA, he used to wake up before sunrise to pray and then practice basketball. His most famous controversy was when he refused to stand for the Star Spangled Banner in 1996, saying that is was a "symbol of oprression" and has had a "history of tyranny." He was suspended for one game, and in a compromise Abdul-Rauf agreed to stand during the anthem while reciting a silent Islamic prayer.

Since retiring from NBA, he has built a mosque in his home town of Gulfport, Mississippi, and has become an Imam. He purposefully transformed property that had been a crack-house into the mosque as a symbol of his mission to mobilize the neighborhood to rid itself of drugs and crime.

Thomas Abercrombie: A Photographer and Much More

alshehri2005 — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:54:44 GMT

Thomas Abercrombie: A Photographer and Much More

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5333000

Jermain Jackson, Brother of Pop's King

alshehri2005 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:53:17 GMT

Jermain Jackson, Brother of Pop's King

Jermain Jackson. Brother of Michael Jackson, embraced Islam after a visit to Bahrain as part of his Middle East tour in 1989. He has taken the name Muhammad Abdul Aziz and lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles. This is the place where he and his sisters compose their musical notes. It is constantly under surveillance by more than 15 security vans round the clock. It was back in 1989 when I, along with my sister, conducted a tour to some of the countries of Middle East. During our stay in Bahrain, we were accorded warm welcome. There I happened to meet some children and had a light chitchat with them. I put a certain questions to them and they flung at me their innocent queries. During the course of this interaction they inquired about my religion. I told them, “I am a Christian.” I asked them, as to what was their religion? A wave or serenity took over them. They replied in one voice – Islam. Their enthusiastic answer really shook me from within. Then they started telling me about Islam. They were giving me information, much in piece with their age. The pitch of their voice would reveal that they were highly proud of Islam. This is how I paced towards Islam. A very short interaction with a group of children ultimately led me to have long discourses about Islam with Muslim scholars. A great ripple had taken place in my thought. I made failing attempt to console myself that nothing had happened but I could not conceal this fact any longer from myself that at heart I had converted to Islam. This I disclosed first to my family friend, Qunber Ali. Having embraced Islam, I found answers to such queries as those relating to the birth of Christ. For the first time I was convinced about the religion itself. When I got back to the United States after embracing Islam, American media orchestrated heinous propaganda against Islam and the Muslims. The gossips were let loose on me which really disturbed my peace of mind. The Hollywood was hell-bent upon maligning the Muslims. They were being projected as terrorist. There are many things where there is consensus between Christianity and Islam, and the Qur’an presents Christ as a Prophet. Then, I wondered, why Christian America levels baseless allegations against Muslims? This made me gloomy. I made up my mind that I would do my best to dispel the wrong image of Muslims, portrayed by the American media. I had not the slightest idea that American media would not digest the news of my accepting Islam and raise such a great hue and cry. It was virtually acting against all its tall and much publicized claims about the freedom of expression and the freedom of conscience. So the hypocrisy of American society came to surface and lay uncovered before me. Islam unknotted many complications for me. As a matter of fact, I came to surface and lay uncovered before me. Islam unknotted many complications for me. As a matter of fact, I came to think of myself as a complete human being, in the literal sense of the word. After becoming Muslim, I felt a tremendous change in me. I discarded all thing prohibited in Islam. This made things difficult for my family too. In short, the Jackson family tumbled altogether. Threatening letters poured in, which further intensified the worries of my family. Well, they would tell me: “You have tortured the animosity of American society and culture by entering into the fold of Islam; you have deprived yourself of the right to live with others,” They threatened to make life unbearable for me in America. But I confess that my family is broadminded. We have held all religions in esteem. Our parents have trained and groomed us in that way. This is the result of that training that I am being tolerated by them so far. On my way back to America, I brought a number of books. Michael Jackson asked me himself for some of these books to study. Before this, his opinion was influenced by the propaganda of American media against Islam and the Muslims. He was not inimical towards Islam, but he was not favorably disposed towards Muslims either. But after reading these books, he would keep mum and not say anything against Muslims. When I returned to America, my mother had already heard the news of my conversion to Islam. She is a religious and civilized woman. She put forth only one question, “You have taken this decision al of a sudden, or is it the outcome of some deep and long thinking behind it?” “I have decided after a lot of thinking about it,” I replied. Like other members of my family, my sudden conversion to Islam was a great surprise for my sister pop star Janet Jackson. In the beginning, she was worried. She has stashed into her head only one thing that Muslims are polygamous; with as many as four wives. When I explained this permission granted by Islam with reference to the state of the present American society, she was satisfied. Promiscuity and infidelity is very common in the Western society. Islam safeguards the social fabric from this destruction. As per Islamic teachings, if a man is emotionally attracted towards a woman, he should honourably give this relation a legal shape otherwise he must be contented with only one wife. On the other hand, Islam has laid down so many conditions for second marriages that I do not think that an ordinary Muslim can afford to meet these conditions financially. There are hardly one percent Muslims in the Islamic world who have more than one wife. For the larger interest of humanity, Islamic society presents the safest place on this planet. For instance, take the example of women. American women are clad in their out-fit in such a manner that gives temptation to the male for harassment. But this is unthinkable in an Islamic society. Besides, the prevalent sins and vices have disfigured the moral fabric of Western society. I believe if there is any place left where the humanity is still visible, it cannot be anywhere else than in an Islamic society. Time would come when the world would be obliged to accept this reality. I have met Muhammad Ali a number of times after embracing Islam. Ali is our family friend. He has provided useful guidance about Islam. Many persons have impressed me. But the fact is that first I turn to the Holy Qur’an, therefore I do not run a risk of getting strayed that one can be duly proud of. By the grace of God, I have seven sons and two daughters who, like me, are fully Islamic oriented. My wife is still studying Islam.

The King of World's Boxers

alshehri2005 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:06:01 GMT

The King of World's Boxers

Muhammad Ali, formerly Cassius Clay

American boxer, Three times World Heavyweight Champion, embraced Islam in 1965.

I have had many nice moments in my life. But the feelings I had while standing on Mount Arafat (just outside Makka, Saudi Arabia) on the day of the Hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage), was the most unique. I felt exalted by the indescribable spiritual atmosphere there as over one and a half million pilgrims invoked God to forgive them for their sins and bestow on them His choicest blessings.

It was an exhilarating experience to see people belonging to different colours, races and nationalities, kings, heads of state and ordinary men from very poor countries all clad in two simple white sheets praying to God without any sense of either pride or inferiority.

It was a practical manifestation of the concept of equality in Islam.

Yusuf Islam, formerly pop singer Cat Stevens

alshehri2005 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:53:38 GMT

Yusuf Islam, formerly pop singer Cat Stevens

My Journey To Islam

All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam - May Allaah's Peace and Blessings be upon him) as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'an Majeed that when man is brought to account, he will say, "O Lord, send us back and give us another chance." The Lord will say, "If I send you back you will do the same."

MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING

I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.

I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.

POP STAR

Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God.

I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.)

So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).

IN HOSPITAL

After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.

One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go.

Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path.

I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society.

I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity prevailed.

THE QUR'AN

When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.

And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim.

I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as Al-Islam. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'an, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other.

Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allah.

When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different levels. I began to understand it on another level, where the Qur'an says, "Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers." Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.

CONVERSION

Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islam and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'an. Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jumma' I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the Kalima) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salat (prayer). This is the process of purification.

Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) we will be successful.

May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Ameen!

-- Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens)

Professor Keith Moore

alshehri2005 — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:41:10 GMT

Professor Keith Moore

one of the world’s prominent scientists of anatomy and embryology. University of Toronto, Canada It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’aan about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, or 'Allah', because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of Allah.

Aim of Life !!

alshehri2005 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 12:28:26 GMT

Aim of Life !!

PURPOSE OF LIFE
What Does Islam Say About Life's Purpose?
_________________________________

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?
"What is the purpose of L I F E?"
"My life?"
"Your Life?"

People everywhere are asking the questions; "What is the purpose of life?" and "Why are we here?" You might be amazed to learn, that Islam is providing clear and concise answers for these questions.

Most of those who reflect or think about life in any detail will consider and ponder these questions. There are as many different answers to these questions as there are people asking the questions. Some would hold that the purpose of life was to acquire wealth. Yet suppose they were to acquire millions of dollars, what then would they claim is their purpose after doing so?

If the purpose of life is to become wealthy, there would be no purpose after becoming wealthy.

The fact is that when people approach their purpose here in this life from the aspect of only gaining wealth, after collecting the money they have dreamed of their lives loose purpose and then they live in restless tension suffering from a feeling of worthlessness.

How could wealth then be considered as the aim of life?

Could the acquisition of wealth guarantee happiness? Of course not.
When we hear of millionaires or members of their families committing suicide, how could we consider the purpose of life would be to gain great wealth?

A child of 5 years would obviously prefer a new toy to a deposit slip for a million dollars.
A teenager does not consider millions of dollars in the bank a substitute for movies, videos, pizza and hanging out with his friends.
A person in their 80s or 90s would never consider holding on to their wealth in place of spending it to hold on to or regain their health.

This proves that money is not the main purpose at all the stages of one's life.

Wealth can do little or nothing to bring happiness to one who is a disbeliever in Almighty God, because regardless of what he or she would gain in this life they would always live in fear of what will happen to them in the end. They would wonder what would become of them and how they would end up.

Wealth and its accumulation as a purpose would be doomed to a temporary success at best and in the end it would only spell out self destruction.

So, what is the use of wealth to a person without belief? He would always fear his end and would always be skeptical of everything. He may gain a great material wealth but he would only lose himself in the end.

Worship of the One True Almighty God of the Universe [Allah in Arabic] as a primary goal or aim in life provides a believer with everything he needs to succeed in both this life and the Next Life.

The word for total surrender, submission, obedience, purity of heart and peace in the Arabic language is "Islam". Those who try to perform these actions are called "MU-slims" [Islam-ERs].

To a Muslim the whole purpose of life is "ibadah" or worship to the One True Almighty God on Terms and under His Conditions.

The term "worship" to a Muslim includes any and all acts of obedience to Almighty Allah.

So his purpose of life is a standing purpose; Worshipping Allah by accepting Allah's Will over his own.
This act of ibadah [worshipping, thanking and extolling the Greatness Almighty Allah on His Terms and Conditions] is for the Muslim, throughout his whole life regardless of the stage. Whether he is a child, adolescent, adult or aged person, he is seeking after the Will of the Almighty in all these stages.
His life here on earth although short, is full of purpose and is totally meaningful within the complete framework of total submission [Islam].

Similarly, in the Next Life as well, his faith, intentions, attitudes and good deeds will all be weighed into his account as favorable putting him in high esteem with his Creator and Sustainer.

Because Islam teaches that this life is only a test or trial for the individual to show him his true nature it is only natural that he would accept death as not so much an ending to everything but more as a beginning of the final and lasting life in the Hereafter.

Before entering into either of the final lodging places i.e.; Heaven or Hell, there must needs be a Day of Judgment or showing of one's true self to make them aware of their own nature and thereby understand what they have sent on ahead during the life here on the earth.

Every person will be rewarded [or punished] according to their attitude, appreciation and efforts during this stay on earth. None will be asked about the actions and beliefs of others, nor will anyone be asked regarding that which he was unaware of or incapable of doing.

As the life here is considered as an examination for the individual, the death stage is considered as a resting period after the test. It could be easy for those who were faithful and dedicated or it could be grueling and horrible for the wicked.

Reward and punishment will be in direct proportion to each person and it is only Allah, alone who will be the Final Judge over us all.

So in the teachings of the True Surrender, Submission, Obedience, In Sincerity and Peace to the Almighty One God [Islam], the line of life and its purpose is logical, clear and simple:

The first life is a test

The life in the grave is a resting or waiting place before the Day of Judgment

The Day of Judgment brings about the clear understanding of what will now happen to the individual based on his own desires and actions

The Permanent or Afterlife will either be spend in luxurious splendor or miserable punishment .

Following this clear understanding of life, the Muslim's purpose is clear.

First of all, he has no doubt in his mind that:
he is only created by Allah
he is going to spend a period of time in this material world [called "Ad Dunyah" in Arabic]
he knows he will die
he knows he will spend time in the grave, either pleasant or difficult depending on his own choice of attitude and actions
he knows he will be resurrected for the Day of Judgment
he knows he will be judged according to the most fair of standards by Allah the Almighty, the All

Knowing he realizes his attitude and actions are going to come under very close scrutiny
he knows that this short life compared to the Eternal Life was in fact, only for a test

This life is very meaningful and purposeful to the Believing Muslim, as he realizes that it will determine is outcome and permanent position in the Next Life.

The Muslim's permanent purpose is to Surrender, Submit, Obey, in Purity and Peace to Allah the Almighty, carrying out His Orders and staying in some form of worship to Him as much as possible everyday.

This includes the orders of Allah in His Book, the Holy Quran and His final Messenger and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him as follows:

Believing and declaring that "There is no god throughout all the Creation of Allah that is worthy of worship, all worship is due only to Allah, alone and He has no partners or helpers nor does He share His Lordship with any of His creations. And Muhammad, the son of Abdullah ibn Abdul Mutallib (1450 years ago) is the last and final messenger and servant of Almighty Allah, and is the culmination in a long line of prophets sent to mankind throughout man's history, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus Christ, may Almighty Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon them all."

Establishing the regular five times ritualistic prayer [salat] in the stated times (in the mosques for the men when possible)

Paying the charity tax [Zakat = about 2.5% of one's holdings - not his income, annually]

Fasting the month of Ramadhan [lunar calendar]

Pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Mecca at least once in the life of the person, provided he has the ability and the way is safe

For a disbeliever the purpose of this life is to collect and amass great wealth, money, power and position. Over indulging in eating, drinking, drugs, sex and gambling are a high priority to them. But all of this will not avail them anything good in the grave, on the Day of Judgment or in the Next Life. Eventually he will be faced with the question:
Now what?
What's Next?
Where am I going?
What will happen to me?

He will come to know. For sure he will come to know. But then what will the knowledge avail him?

Look how Islam solves the mystery of the puzzle of life. It provides the answers to the questions and concerns of the human beings on all levels and in every aspect. It is really quite simple.

The purpose of life as understood by the Believing Muslim can be simply stated in only two (2) words:
Obey God.

Our only purpose and salvation lie in these two words.

We must come to know our Creator, Sustainer and Ultimate Judge. We must learn to believe in Him, thank Him, praise Him, honor Him and worship Him, alone without any partners from His Creation. We must learn about His Messengers and Prophets, peace be upon them, and the message with which they were all sent. We must learn the Word of God as was directly revealed, preserved and memorized and passed down by memory throughout all the generations of Muslims to the present day.

Those who are in search of truth, having open minds and hearts will recognize this as a message in truth and sincerity. Open your heart and your mind now and ask the Almighty God of the Universe [Allah] to guide you now to His True Way. And then be ready to accept your true purpose in life.

Malcolm X. and Makkah

alshehri2005 — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:04:10 GMT

Malcolm X. and Makkah

The Pilgrimage to Makkah

When he was in Makkah, Al-Hajj MalikEl-Shabazz, formerly Malcolm X, wrote a letter to his loyal assistants in Harlem…from his heart:

“Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors.”

“I have been blessed to visit the Holy City of Mecca, I have made my seven circuits around the Ka’ba, led by a young Mutawef named Muhammad, I drank water from the well of the Zam Zam. I ran seven times back and forth between the hills of Mt. Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. I have prayed in the ancient city of Mina, and I have prayed on Mt.Arafat.”

“There were tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.”

“America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white – but the white attribute was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color.”

“You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen the experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought-patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This was not too difficult for me. Despite my firm convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth.”

“During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug – while praying to the same God – with fellow Muslims, whose eyes where the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and I the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana.”

“We were truly all the same (brothers) – because their belief in one God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white from their attitude.”

“I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man – and cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms of their ‘differences’ in color.”

“With racism plaguing America like an incurable cancer, the so-called ‘Christian’ white American heart should be more receptive to a proven solution to such a destructive problem. Perhaps it could be in time to save America from imminent disaster – the sane destruction brought upon Germany by racism that eventually destroyed the Germans themselves.”

“Each hour here in the Holy Land enables me to have greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white. The American Negro can never be blamed for his racial animosities – he is only reacting to four hundred years of the conscious racism of the American whites. But as racism leads America up the suicide path, I do believe, from the experiences that I have had with them, that the whites of the younger generation, in the colleges and universities, will see the handwriting on the walls and many of them will turn to the spiritual path of truth – the only way left to America to ward off the disaster that racism inevitably must lead to.”

“Never have I been so highly honored. Never have I been made to feel more humble and unworthy. Who would believe the blessings that have been heaped upon an American Negro? A few nights ago, a man who would be called in America a white man, a United Nations diplomat, an ambassador, a companion of kings, gave me his hotel suite, his bed. Never would I have even thought of dreaming that I would ever be a recipient of such honors – honors that in America would be bestowed upon a King – not a Negro"

Malcolm X saw and experienced many positive things. Generosity and openheartedness were qualities which were impressed on him by the welcome which he received in many places. He saw brotherhood and the brotherhood to different races, and this led him to disclaim racism and say: “I am not a racist… In the past I permitted myself to be used…to make sweeping indictments of all white people, the entire white race, and these generalizations have caused injuries to some whites who perhaps did not deserve to be hurt. Because of the spiritual enlightment which I was blessed to receive as the result of my recent pilgrimage to the Holy City of Makkah, I no longer subscribe to sweeping indictments to any on race. I am now striving to live the life of a true Sunni Muslim. I must repeat that I am not a racist nor do I subscribe to the tenets of racism. I can state in all sincerity that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people"

Malcolm X. Said :

alshehri2005 — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:57:48 GMT

Malcolm X. Said :

"I am and always will be a Muslim. My religion is Islam."

"I am not a racist in any form whatsoever. I don't believe in any form of discrimination or segregation. I believe in Islam. I am a Muslim and there is nothing wrong with being a Muslim, nothing wrong with the religion of Islam. It just teaches us to believe in Allah as the God. Those of you who are Christian probably believe in the same God, because I think you believe in the God Who created the universe. That's the One we believe in, the One Who created universe--the only difference being you call Him God and we call Him Allah. The Jews call Him Jehovah. If you could understand Hebrew, you would probably call Him Jehovah too. If you could understand Arabic, you would probably call Him Allah...."