IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST KIND, MOST MERCIFUL
1. You believe in the existence of Allah swt, but, you do not fulfill His Commands.
2. You say you love the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but you do not follow his Sunnah.
3. You read the Holy Qur'an, but you do not put it into practice.
4. You enjoy all the benefits from Allah, but, you are not grateful to Him.
5. You acknowledge Shaitan as your enemy, but, you do not go against him.
6. You want to enter Paradise, but, you do not work for it.
7. You do not want to be thrown into Hellfire, but yet, you do not run from it.
8. You believe that every living thing will face death, and you are not prepared for it.
9. You gossip and find faults in others, but, you forget your own faults and bad habits.
10. You bury the dead, but, you do not take a lesson from it.
Ashadunna La illaha illallahu Wa Ashadunna Muhammadan Wa Rasuluhu.
I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah, and Muhammad is His Last Messenger.
I am sure you must have heard it said that we were born in sin- and perhaps you even believe that. But let's think about that for a moment. Would the Just God blame you for a sin you never committed? Would HE hold you responsible for what someone else did? Definetely not! God's book teaches that you are responsible for only your own actions. You cannot sin until you do something wrong. And you certainly could not have done wrong before you were even born.
Yet we often meet people who say that we are somehow born in sin. Could that possibly be true? They say that the first human being, Adam (on whom be peace) sinned, and through him sin entered the world; and now sin corrupts everything, including every newborn baby. Can you follow that logic? Can you believe that human beings are condemned before they do anything? Which judge would condemn people for crimes they never committed? A just judge cannot do that except by mistake. But what about God? Would He make such a mistake? We cannot image such false ideas about God. HE is Just.
HE holds you responsible for what you do, and HE does not blame you for what the first human being did. But, even after you do wrong, God is always willing to forgive. HE is full of loving kindness, and HE loves to forgive. HE is willing to forgive anyone who turns to Him and seeks forgiveness. This means that if you did something wrong you can still turn back to God and He will forgive you, if you sincerely decided to give up that sin. Isn't this refreshing to know? Isn't it wonderful to know that even if we lived a whole life of sin but we decide now to change our lives and obey God HE would forgive us this minute? And that's just between us and God. We don't need any confession box, and we don't need anyone to suffer for our sins. Could we resist the loving kindness that God is offering us? God wants us to know about HIS love. He wants us to know that HE is Just. HE wants us to know the truth about HIM so that when we turn to HIM we know to Whom we are turning. But, there is so much misinformation about God. Where can we get correct information about Him? In His Book! That's so obvious, isn't it? God told us about Himself in His book. We owe it to ourselves to see what God has to say about Himself. Shouldn't you be reading God's book? Here's God's message to you in His book:
O mankind! Now has a proof from your Lord come unto you, and We have sent down unto you a clear light; as for those who believe in Allah and hold fast unto Him, them will He cause to enter into His mercy, and grace, and will guide them unto Him by a straight road. (Quran 4:174-175). The Qur'an is God's final book which He revealed for the guidance of all humankind.
I. God Revealed It => "Those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it comes unto them (are guilty), for indeed it is an unassailable Scripture. Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or behind it. It is a revelation from the Wise, the Owner of Praise." (Qur'an 41:41-42). "Praise be to Allah, Who has revealed the Scipture unto His slave, and has not placed therein any crookedness (but has made it) straight" (Qur'an 18:1-2). "Allah has (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent" (Qur'an 39:23). "A Qur'an in Arabic, containing no crookedness" (Qur'an 39:28).
II. God Preserves It => God has promised to always preserve His book. He says; "Surely We, even We, revealed the Reminder (the Qur'an) and We verily are it's Guardian." (Qur'an 15:9). The Qur'an contains no additions. It remains today letter for letter as it was revealed over 1400 years ago. Nothing added, nothing taken away. Two of the original manuscripts of the Qur'an prepared 1400 years ago still exist today. One is in the Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, and the other in Tashkent, Russia. Both of these are identical in content with the Qur'an available all over the world today. God says: "Will they not then consider the Qur'an with care? If it has been from the other than Allah they would have found therein much discrepancy." (Qur'an 4:82). Here God challenges people to find an error in the Qur'an. If it contains errors then it cannot be from God. If, on the other hand, it had been the production of a human being it would definitely contain errors. A human writer 1400 years ago would have written on the basis of the level of knowledge of his or her day. And many of those ideas would turn out to be false later as humankind learns more, especially in the field of science. But the Qur'an is remarkably free of error.
Most people realize that there is only one true God. Throughout history, this one true God has appointed many good men to tell others about Him so that humans everywhere may turn away from false gods and worship Him alone. Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon all of them) all spoke about this one God and worshipped Him alone. In the Gospel according to Matthew, 26:39 (King James Version) we are told that Jesus 'fell on his face, and prayed' to God. In the Gospel According to John, 17:3, Jesus declares that the one he prayed to is the only true God. This very God speaks to us in these last days in His final Scripture which He will safeguard from corruption. God announces in His book good news to all those who believe in Him and do right. He says: Surely those who say, Our Lord is Allah, and afterwards are upright, the angels descend upon them saying, Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the Paradise which you are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There you will have all that your souls desire, and there you will have all for which you pray. A gift of welcome from the Forgiving, the Merciful.
(Qur'an 41:30-32). Those who believe and do good works and believe in that which is revealed unto Muhammad - and it is the truth from your Lord - He rids them of their ill-deeds and improves their condition. That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood and beause those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. (Qur'an 47:2). Accept this invitation, therefore, and enjoy a life of peace and satisfaction on earth, then everlasting life in God's Paradise. The true scripture promises all this to those who choose no other god except the one true God who was worshipped by Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them). The truth has now come to you from your Lord! Won't you accept it?
According to the Bible, God said to Moses (on whom be peace): I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. (The Holy Bible, New International Version, Deuteronomy ch 18, verse 18).
The Prophet described in the above verse must have the following three characteristics;
1) He will be like Moses 2) will come from the brothers of the Israelites, ie the Ishmaelites. 3) God will put His words in the mouth of that prophet and he will declare what God commanded him. Let us see which prophet God was speaking of.
I. The Prophet like Moses-> Some people feel that this prophecy refers to the prophet Jesus, (on whom be peace). But, although Jesus (on whom be peace) was truly a prophet of God, he is not the prophet spoken of here. He was born miraculously. On the other hand, Muhammad (peace be upon him) is more like Moses (on whom be peace); both were born in a natural way and both died natural deaths.
2. From among the Ishmaelites -> Abraham (on whom be peace) had two sons, Ishmael (on whom be peace) and Isaac (on whom be peace) (genesis, ch 21). Ishmael (on whom be peace) became the grandfather of the Arab nation, and Isaac became the grandfather of the Jewish nation. The prophet spoken of was to come not from among the Jews themselves, but from among their brothers, the Ishmaelites. Muhammad (peace be upon him) a descendant of Ishmael, is indeed that prophet.
3. God will put His words in his mouth- "Neither the content of the revelation, nor its form, were of Muhammad's devising. Both were given by the angel and Mohammad's task was only to repeat what he heard." (World Religions from Ancient History to the Present, by Geoffrey Parrinder, p. 472). God sent the angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) to teach Muhammad (peace be upon him) the exact words that he should repeat to the people. The words are therefore not his own; they did not come from his own thoughts, but were put into his mouth by the angel. These are written down in the Qur'an word for word exactly as they came from God. Now that we know thaat prophet we must listen to him, for, according to the Bible, God says: "I will punish anyone who refuses to obey him" (Good News Bible, Deut. 18:19).
Both the Bible and the Qur'an prohibit the eating of pork. Muslims are are of this prohibition and observe it strictly. Hover, most readers of the Bible say they do not know where they can find this in the Bible. In the book of Leviticus, ch 11, v. 7, it is recorded that God declares the pig to be unclean for believers. Then, in verse 8, God says: "You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you." This command is repeated in Deuteronomy 14:7-8. Then in Isaiah 65:2-4, and 66:17, God issues a stern warning against those who eat pork. Some people are aware of this prohibition from God, but they say they can eat pork because St. Paul said that all food is clean in his letter to the Romans 14:20. St. Paul sid this because he believed (as he wrote in his letter to the Ephesians 2:14-15) that Jesus had abolished the Law with all its commandments and regulations.
He seems, however, to have misunderstood what he heard about Jesus. In the Gospel According to Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus is reported to have said quite the contrary, as follows: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law..." Jesus then went on in that passage (in verse 19) to denounce anyone who would break the smallest commandment and teach others likewise. He also praised his true followers who will practice and teach even the smallest commandment. One of the commandments, as we have seen, is to stay away from pork. This is why the true followers of Jesus, holding on to his teachings, did not let unclean food such as pork enter their mouths, so that Peter, the chief disciple can say, "I have never eaten anythng impure or unclean" (Acts of the Apostles, ch 10, v. 14). Five chapters later in the Acts of the Apostles, 15:29, we find that the original disciples still differentiate between clean and unclean foods, and this time Paul is in agreement with them.
Six chapters later, in ch. 21, v 25, their decision to impose food regulations on believers is mentioned without regret, and this time Paul is challenged to prove that he is in agreement with them; and he demonstrated his full agreement with them. What remains, then is that Jesus (on whom be peace) upheld the prohibition against pork. His disciples also upheld it, and so must all his followers. Those who fail to uphold it need to be informed and reminded of this rule from God. This is one reason why God sent His final messenger, on whom be peace, God says: "O people of the Scripture!
Now has Our Messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which you used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. Now has come unto you light from Allah and a plain Scripture." (The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an 5:15).
The Qur'an tells us alot of wonderful things about Jesus. As a result, believers in the Qur'an love Jesus, honor him, and believe in him. In fact, no Muslim can be a muslim unless he or she believes in Jesus, (on whom be peace). The Qur'an says that Jesus was born of a virgin, and he spoke while he was still a baby, that he healed the blind and the leper by God's leave, and that he raised the dead by God's leave. What then is the significance of these miracles? First, the virgin birth. God demonstrates his power to create in every way. God created everyone we know from a man and a woman. But how about Adam, (on whom be peace)? God created him from neither a man nor a woman, and Eve from only a man, but not a woman. And, finally to complete the picture, God created Jesus from a woman, not a man. What about the other miracles? These were to show that Jesus was not acting on his own behalf, but that he was backed by God.
The Qur'an specifies that these miracles were performed by God's leave. This may be compared to the Book of Acts in the Bible, ch 2, v. 22, where it says that the miracles were done by God to show that he approved of Jesus. Also, note that Jesus himself is recorded in the Gospel of John to have said, "I can do nothing of my own authority" (5:30). The miracles, therefore, were done not by his own authority, but by God's authority. What did Jesus teach? The Qur'an tells us that Jesus came to teach the same basic message which was taught by previous prophets from God - that we must shun every false god and worship only the one true God. Jesus taught that he is the servant and messenger of that one true God, the God of Abraham. These Qur'anic teachis can be compared with the Bible (Mark 10:18; Matthew 26:39; John 14:28, 17:3, and 20:17) where Jesus teaches that the one he worshipped is the only true God.
See also Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, and 4:27 where we find that his disciples knew him as Servant of God. The Qur'an tells us that some of the Israelites rejected Jesus, and conspired to kill him, but Allah rescued Jesus and raised him to Himself. Allah will cause Jesus to descend again, at which time Jesus will confirm his true teachings and everyone will believe in him as he is and as the Qur'an teaches about him. Jesus is the Messiah. He is a word from Allah and a spirit from Him. He is honored in this world and in the hereafter, and he is one of those brought nearest to Allah. Jesus was a man who spoke the truth which he heard from God. This can be compared with the Gospel according to John where Jesus says to the Israelites: "You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God." (John 8:40).
This message is based on an article entitled "Highlights of Human Embryology in the Qur'an and the Hadith" by Dr. Keith Moore, Professor of Anatomy and Chairman of the Department, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Toronto, 1982. Dr. Moore points out that the study of how the human embryo develops in the mother's womb could not progress significantly without the use of microscopes. Microscopes were not invented until the 17th century A.D. and were not used in this field of study until the 18th century. Therefore when Dr. Moorse studied certain statements in the Qur'an on this subject, he remarked, "I was amazed at the scientific accuracy of these statements which were made in the 7th century A.D." The Qur'an in 39:6 states that God made us in the wombs of our mothers in stages. Dr Moore comments: "The realization that the embryo develops in stages in the uterus was not discussed or illustrated until the 15th century A.D.
The staging of the human embryos was not proposed until the 1940's, and the stages used nowadays were not adopted worldwide until a few years ago." Furthermore he says, "The idea that development results from a genetic plan contained in the chromosomes of the zygote was not discovered until the end of the 19th century. The verse from the Qur'an 80:18) clearly implies that the nutfa (the intial drop of fluid) contains the plan or blueprint for the future characteristics and features of the developing human being." The Qur'an 23:12-16 indicates that there is a lag or gap between two of the early stages of growth. How does that compare with modern scientific knowledge? Remarkably! Says Dr. Moore: "It is well established that there is a lag or delay in the development of the embryo during the implantation... The agreement between the lag or gap in development mentioned in the Qur'an and the slow rate of change occurring during the second and third weeks is amazing. These details of human development were not described until about 40 years ago."
Finally Dr. Moore concludes by saying that the agreement he has found in the Qur'anic statements "may help to close the gap between science and religion which has existed for so many years." The above evidence shows that the Qur'an must be from God as it claims. The Qur'an says that you and every human being should consider this book with care. Had it been from anyone other than God, you would have found much discrepancy in it (4:82).
Our television sets continue to associate Muslims with terrorism. This we can see anywhere from the latest blockbuster films to the international news. However, we now notice a different "muslim" personality in the media- Mike Tyson. Before going to prison, Mike Tyson was a man to be reckoned with. His competitors feared to meet him in the boxing ring. Having suh power and wealth, he thought that he could rule his world around him. He was overwhelmed with pride and arrogance. Usually, after he had demolished his opponent in the after-fight interviews he would be bursting with so much pride that his every other word would be coarse language.
Tyson's way of life was based on indulging in superficial and short lived sensations. Even with all his physical might and great wealth, there was a void inside of him thirsting to be filled. In prison, Tyson, learned the reality of a Muslim way of life. He learned, mainly through a man by the name of Muhammad Siddiqui, the great qualities of this way of life. He learned how Muslims treated all races as equal throughout the ages, and how God gave women their rights in Islam long before women in North America fought for their rights. What turned Tyson's entire life around was the Qur'an. The book pried through his huge ego and touched his soul. It taught him humility and patience in life. He became consistently humbe towards others, and prioritized the needs of those less fortunate than him. Now, when slander or criticism flies in his face, he responds with noble speech. This is all due to Tyson's marvellous realization that the Qur'an can be from none other than Allah. After he realized this, Tyson decided that the greatest priority in life is to live by the law of the Creator. Tyson's choice to accept Islam typifies his confidence. He is well acquainted with the world of the heart and soul. Such a world is large enough to engulf the entire physical world in which we live and drown it like a pebble in an ocean.
You may wonder: Why does a man with such wealth and power turn to a religion such as Islam? This question comes up only because of the poor image the media has given to Islam. After all, does the dia ever cast light on the remarkable features of Islam? The source and nucleus of Islam is the Qur'an, which touches the heart to bring out the most positive qualities in human beings, whether they be exceedingly rich, poor, or somewhere in between. As you read the Qur'an you may feel as if the author is point out your flaws in life and instructing you how to correct them. The Qur'an's guidance for humanity is inexhaustible. It is the only authentic revelation; it neither contradicts itself nor does it contradict modern knowledge. This is why many people choose Islam after reading the Qur'an. Islam is the fastest growing religion today, according to the Junior Encyclopedia of Canada.
According to some sources people say that he is not really a muslim, but who are we to say? Who are we to judge? We do not know the intention we cannot assume or be suspicious as stated in the Qur'an 49:12 not to be suspicious of one another nor backbite. We should leave it between God and that person alone and Allahu Alim. God knows Best.
Recent events remind us that racism remains rampant. How can it end? Only understanding and education can end racism. People must realize that God created all humans from one couple. The entire human race is therefore one large extended family. God says: O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from its mate; and from the two of them He spread abroad a multitude of men and women (Qur'an 4:1).
Furthermore, we must understand that no race is superior to another. When we see a garden with many different flowers we apperciate the beauty of the entire arrangement. We do not object to the color of any flower since we realize that each contributes something to the beauty of the garden. In a similar way we may see the world as a garden decorated with people of different colors. Let us appreciate that each variety of people contributes something to the spe of life in this world. God says: O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know each other. The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct" (Qur'an 49:13).
The noblest is the best in conduct. Such people may belong to any race or country. What really matters is their conduct and behavior. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a public address said that the Arabs are not superior to the non-Arabs, and one color is not superior to the another. He also said that people should obey their leader even if he is a black person. He himself appointed a black person, Osamah, son of Zaid, to lead a Muslim task force. As a result of following these teachings, many people are able to end racism in their thoughts and actions. You can still see racial harmony today in the mosques of cosmopolitan cities. There you will find people of various colors worshipping together, all with equal status before God. Rich or poor, black or whit king or pauper all line up side by side to worship. No special preference is given to anyone based on color, or social status. In many mosques the leader is black and the followers white. There is no such concept as a "black mosque" or "white mosque" Islam removes such destructive concepts.
Many people fail to get ahead because they have no willpower to do what they know they should be doing. Nor can they help themselves to avoid the things which they know will ruin them. Many such people would like to give up smoking, to stop using drugs, or to avoid affairs outside of marriage. Many find that gambling or alcohol addiction is wrecking their lives. Yet these people have no willpower to set the life on the right course.
They feel helpless, and they have to deal with a nagging conscience that pricks them with what they could have done, or should have done. Yet there are some strong-willed people who seem to be able to do what they know is right and avoid what they know is wrong. Such people experience peace of mind knowing that they are doing the right thing. Their willpower is obviously working for them. But how do they do it? What is the secret? The secret is that you can train your willpower. Suppose you made a resolution to skip lunch for a month and actually stuck to your decision. Yo may save your lunch money, lose a few pounds, develop sympathy for the poor, and give your digestive system a much needed rest.
More importantly, you will strengthen your willpower. The reason this works is that you teach yourself to avoid lunch even when you know you could have it if you decide. Your stomach may growl, but you won't listen. Thus you train yourself to ignore the calling of your lower physical self and reach for the higher goals of real human achievement. If you stick to your decision day after day for a month you can develop a regular habit of doing the right thing even when your desires are calling for something else. Every year, for one month, able Muslims go through a similar fasting exercise. They observe the fast as a compulsory practice which God prescribed in His revealed messages, especially in His last revealed book. One of the many benefits they experience from fasting is its training aspect. The willpower they develop in the one month helps them to continue doing the right thing and avoiding the wrong throughout the year. They find the fast such an effective method of spiritual training and of achieving a closeness with their creator that many muslims also keep some additional, optional, fasts on other days of the year. They eat an early breakfast before dawn to sunset, they would have no food or drink; they would also refrain from sexual activity.
Whereas the baser selves regularly call for these things, Muslims train themselves with the help of God to fulfill their natural needs in the time and manner hich God declared suitable for human dignity and well-being. During the fast, Muslims also train themselves to always avoid lying, cheating, backbiting, and all manner of false speech and immoral actions.
