'and if any one believes in Allah, ((Allah)) guides his heart (aright): for Allah knows all things'. [Quran:64:11]
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
The Secret Beyond Matter is Not Wahdatul Wujood
HARUN YAHYA
A topic dealt with in the book The Evolution Deceit, chapter “The Real Essence of Matter” as well as in the books Matter: The Other Name for Illusion; Idealism, The Philosophy of the Matrix and the True Nature of Matter, Eternity Has Already Begun; Timelessness and the Reality of Fate and Knowing the Truth has been criticized by some people. Having misunderstood the essence of the subject, these people claim that what is explained as the secret beyond matter is identical to the teaching of Wahdatul Wujood.
Let us state, before all else, that the author of this book is a believer strictly abiding by the doctrine of Ahlus Sunnah and does not defend the view of Wahdatul Wujood.
However, it should also be remembered that Wahdatul Wujood was defended by some leading Islamic scholars including Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi. It is true that numerous significant Islamic scholars who described the concept of Wahdatul Wujood in the past did so by considering some subjects found in these books. Still, what is explained in these books is not the same as Wahdatul Wujood.
Some of those who defended the view of Wahdatul Wujood were engrossed by some erroneous opinions and made some claims contrary to the Qur’an and the doctrine of Ahlus Sunnah. They, for example, completely rejected the creation of Allah. When the subject of the secret beyond matter is told, however, there is definitely no such claim. This section explains that all beings are created by Allah, and that the originals of these beings are seen by Him whereas people merely see the images of these beings formed in their brains.
Mountains, plains, flowers, people, seas—briefly everything we see and everything that Allah informs us in the Qur’an that exists and that He created out of nothing is created and does indeed exist. However, people cannot see, feel or hear the real nature of these beings through their sense organs. What they see and feel are only the copies that appear in their brains. This is a scientific fact taught at all schools primarily in medicine. The same applies to the article you are reading now; you can not see nor touch the real nature of it. The light coming from the original article is converted by some cells in your eyes into electrical signals, which are then conveyed to the sight center in the back of your brain. This is where the view of this article is created. In other words, you are not reading an article which is before your eyes through your eyes; in fact, this article is created in the sight center in the back of your brain. The article you are reading right now is a “copy of the article” within your brain. The original article is seen by Allah.
In conclusion, the fact that the matter is an illusion formed in our brains does not “reject” the matter, but provides us information about the real nature of the matter: that no person can have connection with its original.
This fact is told in the book Idealism, The Philosophy of the Matrix, and the True Nature of Matter as follows:
THERE IS MATTER OUTSIDE OF US, BUT WE CANNOT REACH IT
… [S]aying that matter is an illusion does not mean it does not exist. Quiet the contrary: whether we perceive the physical world or not, it does exist. But we see it as a copy in our brain or, in other words, as an interpretation of our senses. For us, therefore, the physical world of matter is an illusion.
The matter outside is seen not just by us, but by other beings too. The angels Allah delegated to be watchers witness this world as well:
And the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and on the left. He does not utter a single word, without a watcher by him, pen in hand! (Qur'an, 50: 17-18)
Most importantly, Allah sees everything. He created this world with all its details and sees it in all its states. As He informs us in the Qur'an:
… Heed Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Qur'an, 2: 233)
Say: "Allah is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants." (Qur'an, 17: 96)
It must not be forgotten that Allah keeps the records of everything in the book called Lawh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet). Even if we don't see all things, they are in the Lawh Mahfuz. Allah reveals that He keeps everything's record in the "Mother of the Book" called Lawh Mahfuz with the following verses:
It is in the Source Book with Us, high-exalted, full of wisdom. (Qur'an, 43: 4)
… We possess an all-preserving Book. (Qur'an, 50: 4)
Certainly there is no hidden thing in either heaven or Earth which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 27: 75)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran
Description: The statements of various scientists in regards to the facts found in the Quran which conform to recently discovered scientific truths.
By islam-guide.com - Published on 02 Mar 2006 - Last modified on 17 Jul 2006
Viewed: 4084 - Rating: 4.46 from 5 - Rated by: 24
Printed: 153 - Emailed: 33 - Commented on: 4
Category: Articles > Evidence Islam is Truth > The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran
Category: Articles > The Holy Quran > The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are some comments of scientists[1] on the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran. All of these comments have been taken from the videotape entitled This is the Truth. In this videotape, you can see and hear the scientists while they are giving the following comments. (To view the RealPlayer video of a comment, click on the link at the end of that comment. For a copy of this videotape, please visit this page.)
1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, he was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is well-known in his field. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published over 181 scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Quran which he has researched, he stated the following:
“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know [how] to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
Professor Persaud has included some Quranic verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, in some of his books. He has also presented these verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad at several conferences.
2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Formerly, he was Professor of Ob-Gyn and the Chairman of the Department of Ob-Gyn at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was also the President of the American Fertility Society. He has received many awards, including the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Public Recognition Award in 1992. Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:
{In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days...}[2]
{If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones....}[3]
He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Then, during one conference, he gave the following opinion:
“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing . . . . It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There, for 22 years he was Professor of Anatomy, the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute. He was also the President of the Teratology Society. He has authored more than 200 publications. In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:
“Summary: The Quran describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Quran. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to write.”[4] (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
4) Dr. William W. Hay is a well-known marine scientist. He is Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was formerly the Dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA. After a discussion with Professor Hay about the Quran’s mention of recently discovered facts on seas, he said:
“I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of the Holy Quran, 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.” And when he was asked about the source of the Quran, he replied: “Well, I would think it must be the divine being.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Goeringer stated the following in the presentation of his research paper:
“In a relatively few aayahs (Quranic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many centuries the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:
“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in [the] Quran, and for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of [a] very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts [of] the sky without thinking [about the] whole universe. So, by reading [the] Quran and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:
“During the last three years, I became interested in the Quran . . . . From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran fourteen hundred 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 eligible [as the] creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say La ilaha illa Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Muhammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this conference . . . . I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)
After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these questions:
· Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information from different fields was mentioned in the Quran, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?
· Could this Quran have been authored by Muhammad, may God praise him, or by any other human being?
The only possible answer is that this Quran must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] Note: The occupations of all the scientists mentioned in this web site were last updated in 1997.
[2] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim #2643, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari #3208.
Note: What is between these special brackets {...} in this guide is a translation of what the Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, said. Also note that this symbol # used in the footnotes, indicates the number of the hadeeth. A hadeeth is a reliably transmitted report by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of.
[3] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim #2645.
[4] The Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, was illiterate. He could not read nor write, but he dictated the Quran to his Companions and commanded some
The Quran on Seas and Rivers
Description: Barriers between various types of water found in nature: a fact mentioned in the Quran expounded by science.
By islam-guide.com - Published on 02 Mar 2006 - Last modified on 19 Sep 2006
Viewed: 2573 - Rating: 4.75 from 5 - Rated by: 8
Printed: 129 - Emailed: 19 - Commented on: 2
Category: Articles > Evidence Islam is Truth > The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran
Category: Articles > The Holy Quran > The Scientific Miracles of the Holy Quran
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and density.[1] For example, Mediterranean sea water is warm, saline, and less dense, compared to Atlantic ocean water. When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics. The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this depth[2] (see figure 13).
Figure 13: The Mediterranean sea water as it enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics, because of the barrier that distinguishes between them. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius (C°). (Marine Geology, Kuenen, p. 43, with a slight enhancement.)
Although there are large waves, strong currents, and tides in these seas, they do not mix or transgress this barrier.
The Holy Quran mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and that they do not transgress. God has said:
“He has set free the two seas meeting together. There is a barrier between them. They do not transgress.” (Quran 55:19-20)
But when the Quran speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition” with the barrier. God has said in the Quran:
“He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran 25:53)
One may ask, why did the Quran mention the partition when speaking about the divider between fresh and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two seas?
Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.”[3] This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water4 (see figure 14).
Figure 14: Longitudinal section showing salinity (parts per thousand ‰) in an estuary. We can see here the partition (zone of separation) between the fresh and the salt water. (Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, p. 301, with a slight enhancement.)
This information has been discovered only recently, using advanced equipment to measure temperature, salinity, density, oxygen dissolubility, etc. The human eye cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet, rather the two seas appear to us as one homogeneous sea. Likewise, the human eye cannot see the division of water in estuaries into the three kinds: fresh water, salt water, and the partition (zone of separation).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.
[2] Principles of Oceanography, Davis, p. 93.
[3] Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. Also see Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
Diane Charles Breslin, Ex-Catholic, USA (part 1 of 3)
Description: A strict Catholic loses faith after reading the Bible, but her continued belief in God leads her to explore other religions.
By Diane Charles Breslin - Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 31 Jul 2006
Viewed: 2078 - Rating: 4.67 from 5 - Rated by: 6
Printed: 62 - Emailed: 3 - Commented on: 2
Category: Articles > Stories of New Muslims > Women
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I am asked how I became a Muslim I always reply that I always felt myself to be a believer in the ONE AND ONLY, yet I first realized what that meant when I heard about a religion called Islam, and a book called Quran.
But let me first start with a brief synopsis of my American overwhelmingly traditional Irish Catholic background.
Catholic I was Indeed
My dad left the seminary after a three-year stint to train as a missionary. He was the oldest of thirteen children, all born and raised in the Boston area. Two of his sisters became nuns, as was his aunt on his mother’s side. My dad’s younger brother was also in the seminary and quit after 9 years, just before taking his final vows. My grandmother would wake at dawn to dress and climb the hill to the local church for early morning mass while the rest of the house was sleeping. I remember her as being a very stern, kind, fair, and strong woman, and rather deep - unusual for those days. I’m certain she never heard mention of Islam, and may God judge her as to the beliefs she held in her heart. Many who never heard of Islam pray to the One by instinct, although they have inherited labels of various denominations from their ancestors.
I was enrolled in a Catholic nursery school at the age of four and spent the next 12 years of my life surrounded by heavy doses of trinity indoctrination. Crosses were everywhere, all day long - on the nuns themselves, on the walls of the classroom, in church which we attended almost daily, and in almost every room of my house. Not to mention the statues and holy pictures - everywhere you looked there was baby Jesus and his mother Mary - sometimes happy, sometimes sad, yet always classically white and Anglo featured. Various and sundry angels and saints pictures would make their appearances, depending on the holyday approaching.
I have vivid memories picking lilacs and lilies of the valley from our yard to make bouquets which I placed in the vase at the base of the largest Mother Mary statue in the upstairs hallway next to my bedroom. There I would kneel and pray, enjoying the pleasant scent of the freshly picked flowers and serenely contemplating on how lovely was Mary’s long flowing chestnut hair. I can unequivocally state that I never once prayed TO HER or felt that she had any powers to help me. The same was true when I would hold my rosary beads at night in bed. I repeated the ritual supplications of the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, all the while looking upward and saying with my true heart—I know its only You, one almighty You-I’m just saying this stuff because it’s all I ever learned.
On my twelfth birthday, my mom gave me a Bible. As Catholics we were not encouraged to read anything except our Baltimore Catechism, sanctioned by the Vatican. Any comparative introspection was denied and disparaged. Yet I fervently read, seeking to know what I hoped would be a story from and about my creator. I got even more confused. This book was obviously the work of men, convoluted and difficult to grasp. Yet, once again, that’s all that was available.
My prior faithful church attendance dropped off in my mid teens, as was the norm for my generation, and by the time I reached my twenties, I had basically no formal religion. I read a lot on Buddhism, Hinduism and even tried out the local Baptist church for a few months. They were not enough to hold my attention, the former too exotic and the latter too provincial. Yet all through the years of not formally practicing, a day never passed when I didn’t “talk to god” especially as I fell asleep I would always say thanks for all my blessings and seek help for any problems I was experiencing. It was always the same certain ONE AND ONLY whom I was addressing, sure He was listening and confident of His love and care. No one ever taught me anything about this; it was pure instinct.
Diane Charles Breslin, Ex-Catholic, USA (part 2 of 3)
Description: Diane’s readings of Islam cause her to again love Jesus and Mary, but a true love in a new light.
By Diane Charles Breslin - Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 31 Jul 2006
Viewed: 1241 - Rating: 4.33 from 5 - Rated by: 3
Printed: 58 - Emailed: 6 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > Stories of New Muslims > Women
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Others
It was in my preparation for my master’s degree that I first heard of the Quran. Up until then, as most Americans, I knew only of “the Arabs” as mysterious, dark predators out to plunder our civilization. Islam was never mentioned – only the surly, dirty Arabs, camels and tents in the desert. As a child in religion class, I often wondered who were the other people? Jesus walked in Caana and Galilee and Nazareth, but he had blue eyes — who were the other people? I had a sense that there was a missing link somewhere. In 1967 during the Arab-Israeli war, we all got our first glimpse of the other people, and they were clearly viewed by most as the enemy. But for me, I liked them, and for no apparent reason. I cannot to this day explain it, except to now realize that they were my Muslim brothers.
I was about 35 when I read my first page of Quran. I opened it with the intention of a casual browse to get acquainted with the religion of the inhabitants of the region I was majoring in for my Master’s Degree. God caused the book to fall open to Surat al-Mu’minun (The Believers) verses 52-54:
“Verily, this your nation is one nation and I am your Lord so keep your duty to Me. But they broke up their command into sects, each one rejoicing in its belief. So leave them in their error until a time.” (Quran 23:52-54)
From the first reading, I knew that this was certain truth- clear and forceful, revealing the essence of all humanity and verifying all I had studied as a History major. Humanity’s pathetic rejection of the truth, their unceasing vain competition to be special and their neglectfulness of the purpose for their very existence all set forward in a few words. Nation states, nationalities, cultures, languages – all feeling superior, when in fact, all these identities mask the only reality which we ought to rejoice in sharing- that is to serve one master, THE ONE Who created everything and Who owns everything.
I Still Love Jesus and Mary
As a child I used to say the phrase “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen,” found in the prayer “Hail Mary”. I now see how much Mary has been maligned by the misrepresentation of her as the mother of the godhead. It is quite enough to view her as chosen above all women to bear the great prophet Jesus by the Virgin Birth. My mom would often defend her constant pleas for Mary’s help by explaining that she too was a mother and understood a mother’s sorrows. It would be far more useful for my mom and all others to contemplate how the most pure Mary was slandered by the Jews of her time and accused of a most despicable sin, that of fornication. Mary bore all of this, knowing that she would be vindicated by the Almighty, and that she would be given the strength to bear all of their calumnies.
This recognition of Mary’s faith and trust in God’s mercy will allow one to recognize her most exalted position among women, and at the same time remove the slander of calling her the mother of God, which is an even worse accusation than that of the Jews of her time. As a Muslim you may love Mary and Jesus, but to love God more will gain you the Paradise, as He is the One whose rules you must obey. He will judge you on a day when no one else can help you. He created you, and Jesus, and his blessed mother Mary, as He created Muhammad. All died or will die – God never dies.
Jesus (`Isa in Arabic) never once claimed to be the godhead. Rather, he repeatedly referred to himself as being sent. As I look back on the confusion I experienced in my youth, its root lay in the church’s claim that Jesus was more than he himself admitted. The church fathers formulated a doctrine to invent the concept of Trinity. It is this confused rendering of the original Torah and Injil [Gospel] (scriptures given to Moses and Jesus) which is at the core of the issue of Trinity.
In honest fact, it is enough to simply state that Jesus was a prophet, yes, a messenger who came with the word of the One Who sent him. If we view Jesus, may God praise him, in this correct light, it’s easy to then accept Muhammad, may God praise him, as his younger brother who came with the very same mission – to call all to the worship of the Almighty ONE, Who created everything and to whom we shall all return. It is of no consequence whatsoever to debate their physical features. Arab, Jew, Caucausian, blue or brown eyes, long or short hair – all totally irrelevant as to their importance as bearers of the message. Whenever I think of Jesus now, after knowing about Islam, I feel that connectedness which one feels in a happy family – a family of believers. You see Jesus was a “Muslim”, one who submits to his Lord above.
The first of the “Ten Commandments” state:
1. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have false gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy god in vain.
Anyone who knows the correct meaning of “la ilaha ill-Allah” (there is no god but God) will immediately recognize the similarity in this testimony. Then we can really start to bring together the real story of all the prophets and put an end to the distortions.
“And they said the Most Merciful has taken a son. Indeed you have brought forth a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins.” (Quran 19:88-90)
Diane Charles Breslin, Ex-Catholic, USA (part 3 of 3)
Description: Diane discusses her acceptance of Islam, her new life, and a prayer for America.
By Diane Charles Breslin - Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 31 Jul 2006
Viewed: 951 - Rating: 4.4 from 5 - Rated by: 15
Printed: 55 - Emailed: 13 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > Stories of New Muslims > Women
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Journey to Islam
It took three full years of my searching and studying Quran before I was ready to proclaim that I wanted to be a Muslim. Of course I feared the changes in clothing and habits, such as dating and drinking to which I had become accustomed. Music and dancing were a big part of my life, and bikinis and mini skirts were my claim to fame. All the while I had no chance to encounter any Muslims, as there were none in my area except a few immigrants who could barely speak English an hour’s drive away at the only mosque in the state at that time. When I would go to Friday Prayer to try and check out what I was considering, I would receive furtive glances as I was perhaps suspected of being a spy as was the case, and still is, in most Islamic gatherings. There was not a single Muslim American available to help me and, as I said, all the immigrant population were rather chilly to say the least.
In the midst of this phase of my life, my dad died of cancer. I was at his bedside and literally witnessed the angel of death remove his soul. He was gripped by fear as tears rolled down his cheeks. A life of luxury, yachts, country clubs, expensive cars … for both him and mom, all a result of interest income, and now it’s all over.
I felt a sudden desire to enter Islam quickly, while there was still time, and to change my ways and not to continue blindly seeking what I had been raised to believe to be the good life. Shortly thereafter I came to Egypt, and involved a long slow journey through the miracle of the Arabic language and the discovery of the clear truth – God is One, the Everlasting Eternal; Who never was born or gave birth and there is nothing at all like Him.
It is also the resulting equality between humans that attracted me most to that religion. The Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, said that people are like teeth of a comb – all equal, the best being the most pious. In the Quran, we are told that the best are the pious ones. Piety involves love of and fear of God alone. Yet before you can really be pious, you must learn who God is. And to know Him is to love Him. I started learning Arabic to read the word of Allah in Arabic as it was revealed.
Learning the Quran has changed every facet of my life. I no longer wish to have any earthly luxuries; neither cars nor clothes nor trips can lure me into that web of vain desires which I was so caught up in before. I do enjoy a fairly good life of a believer; but as they say… it is no longer embedded in the heart...only at hand. I don’t fear the loss of my former friends or relatives – if God chooses to bring them close, then so be it, but I know that God gives me exactly what I need, no more – no less. I don’t feel anxious or sad anymore, nor do I feel regret at what has passed me by, because I’m safe in the care of God - THE ONE AND ONLY whom I always knew but didn’t know His name.
A Prayer For America
I pray to Almighty God to allow each and every American the opportunity to receive the message of the Oneness of God in a simple, straightforward fashion… Americans are, for the most part, grossly uninformed in regards to correct Islamic theology. The stress is almost always on politics, which focuses on the deeds of men. It’s high time we concentrated on the deeds of the prophets who all came to lead us out of the darkness and into the light. There is no doubt that darkness is prevailing in the malaise affecting America now. The light of truth will serve us all, and whether or not one chooses to follow the Islamic path, there is no doubt that the blocking of it or the hindering of others from following it will surely lead to further misery. I care very much for the healthy future of my country, and I’m quite certain that learning more about Islam will enhance the chances of my hopes being fulfilled.
Parts of This Article
Diane Charles Breslin, Ex-Catholic, USA (part 1 of 3)
Diane Charles Breslin, Ex-Catholic, USA (part 2 of 3)
Diane Charles Breslin, Ex-Catholic, USA (part 3 of 3)
View all parts together
The Forgiveness of Muhammad Shown to Non-Muslims (part 1 of 2)
Description: The forgiveness of the Prophet towards non-Muslims, even those who sought to kill him and opposed his mission throughout his life. Part 1.
By M. Abdulsalam (IslamReligion.com) - Published on 27 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 26 Jun 2006
Viewed: 1438 - Rating: 4.75 from 5 - Rated by: 4
Printed: 61 - Emailed: 3 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > The Prophet Muhammad > His Characteristics
Category: Articles > Current Issues > Islam and Non-Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, was described as a “Mercy for all the Worlds”, as God said in the Quran:
“We have sent you as a mercy for all the worlds.”
The recipients of this quality were not limited to just the Muslim nation, but it also extended to non-Muslims, some of who spent all their effort trying to harm the Prophet and his mission. This mercy and forgiveness is clearly demonstrated in the fact that the Prophet, may God praise him, never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always forgave even his staunch enemies. Aishah said that the Prophet never took revenge on his own behalf on anyone. She also said that he never returned evil for evil, but he would forgive and pardon. This will, God willing, become clear after a deep analysis of the following accounts of his life.
In the earlier portion of his mission, the Prophet traveled to the city of Taif, a city located in the mountains nearby to Mecca, in order to invite them to accept Islam. The leaders of Taif, however, were rude and discourteous in their treatment of the Prophet. Not being content with their insolent attitude towards him, they even stirred up some gangs of the town to harass him. This riff-raff followed the Prophet shouting at and abusing him, and throwing stones at him, until he was compelled to take refuge in an orchard. Thus the Prophet had to endure even more obstacles in Taif than he had had to face in Mecca. These ruffians, stationed either side of the path, threw stones at him until his feet were injured and smeared with blood. These oppressions so grievously dejected the Prophet and plunged him into in such a state of depression that a prayer, citing his helplessness and pitiable condition and seeking the aid of God, spontaneously came from his lips:
“O God, to You I complain of my weakness, lack of resources and humiliation before these people. You are the Most Merciful, the Lord of the weak and my Master. To whom will You consign me? To one estranged, bearing ill will, or an enemy given power over me? If You do not assign me any worth, I care not, for Your favor is abundant upon me. I seek refuge in the light of Your countenance by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Thy anger should descend upon me or Your displeasure light upon me. I need only Your pleasure and satisfaction for only You enable me to do good and evade the evil. There is no power and no might but You.”
The Lord then sent the angel of mountains, seeking the permission of the Prophet to join together the two hills and crush the city of Taif, between which it was located. Out of his great tolerance and mercy, the Messenger of God replied,
“No! For, I hope that God will bring forth from their loins people who will worship God alone, associating nothing with Him.” (Saheeh Muslim)
His mercy and compassion was so great that on more than one occasion, God, Himself, reprimanded him for it. One of the greatest opponents of Islam and a personal enemy, was Abdullah bin Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites of Medina. Outwardly proclaiming Islam, he surreptitiously inflicted great harm to the Muslims and the mission of the Prophet. Knowing his state of affairs, the Prophet Muhammad still offered the funeral prayer for him and prayed to God for his forgiveness. The Quran mentions this incident in these words:
“And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dies, nor stand by his grave. Lo! They disbelieve in God and His Messenger, and they died while they were evil doers.”
Abdullah bin Ubayy worked all his life against Muhammad and Islam and left no stone unturned so as to bring him into disrepute and try to defeat his mission. He withdrew his three hundered supporters in the battle of Uhud and thus almost broke the backbone of the Muslims at one stroke. He engaged in intrigues and acts of hostility against the Prophet of Islam and the Muslims. It was he who tried to bring shame to the Prophet by inciting his allies to falsely accuse the Prophet’s wife, Aishah, of adultery in order to discredit him and his message.
The Forgiveness of Muhammad Shown to Non-Muslims (part 2 of 2)
Description: The forgiveness of the Prophet towards non-Muslims, even those who sought to kill him and opposed his mission throughout his life. Part 2: More examples.
By M. Abdulsalam (IslamReligion.com) - Published on 27 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 21 May 2006
Viewed: 769 - Rating: 3.4 from 5 - Rated by: 5
Printed: 60 - Emailed: 3 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > The Prophet Muhammad > His Characteristics
Category: Articles > Current Issues > Islam and Non-Muslims
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mercy of the Prophet even extended to those who brutally killed and then mutilated the body of his uncle Hamzah, one of the most beloved of people to the Prophet. Hamzah was one of the earliest to accept Islam and, through his power and position in the Quraishite hierarchy, diverted much harm from the Muslims. An Abyssinian slave of the wife of Abu Sufyan, Hind, sought out and killed Hamzah in the battle of Uhud. The night before the victory of Mecca, Abu Sufyan accepted Islam, fearing the vengeance of the Prophet, may God praise him. The latter forgave him and sought no retribution for his years of enmity.
After Hind had killed Hamzah she mutilated his body by cutting his chest and tearing his liver and heart into pieces. When she quietly came to the Prophet and accepted Islam, he recognized her but did not say anything. She was so impressed by his magnanimity and stature that she said, “O Messenger of God, no tent was more deserted in my eyes than yours; but today no tent is more lovely in my eyes than yours.”
Ikrama, son of Abu Jahl, was a great enemy of the Prophet and Islam. He ran away after the victory of Mecca and went to Yemen. After his wife embraced Islam, she brought him to the Prophet Muhammad under her protection. He was so pleased to see him that he greeted him with the words:
“O emigrant rider, welcome.”
Safwan bin Umaya, one of the chiefs of Mecca, was also a great enemy of Muhammad and Islam. He promised a reward to Umair ibn Wahab if he managed to kill Muhammad. When Mecca was conquered, Safwan ran away to Jeddah in the hope of finding a berth that would take him to Yemen by sea. Umair ibn Wahab came to Muhammad and said, “O Messenger of God! Safwan ibn Umayya, a chief of his tribe, has run away from fear of what you might do to him and threatens to cast himself into the sea.” The Prophet sent him a guarantee of protection and, when he returned, he requested Muhammad to give him two months to come to a decision.. He was given four months, after which he became a Muslim by his own will.
Habir ibn al-Aswad was another vicious enemy of Muhammad and Islam. He inflicted a serious injury to Zainab, daughter of the Noble Prophet when she decided to migrate to Medina. She was pregnant when she started her migration, and the polytheists of Mecca tried to stop her from leaving. This particular man, Habbar bin al-Aswad, physically assaulted her and intentionally caused her to fall down from her camel. Her fall had caused her to miscarry her baby, and she herself, was badly hurt. He had committed many other crimes against Muslims as well. He wanted flee to Persia but, when he decided to come to Muhammad instead, the Prophet magnanimously forgave him.
The tribe of Quraish the were archenemies of Islam and, for a period of thirteen years while he was still in Mecca, they would rebuke the Prophet, taunt and mock him, beat him and abuse him, both physically and mentally. They placed the afterbirth of a camel on his back while he prayed, and they boycotted him and his tribe until the social sanctions became unbearable. They plotted and attempted to kill him on more than one occasion, and when the Prophet escaped to Medina, they rallied the majority of the Arab tribes and waged many wars against him. Yet, when he entered Mecca victorious with an army of 10,000, he did not take revenge on anyone. The Prophet said to the Quraish:
“O people of Quraish! What do you think I will do to you?
Hoping for a good response, they said: “You will do good. You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother.”
The Prophet then said:
“Then I say to you what Joseph said to his brothers: ‘There is no blame upon you.’ Go! For you all free!.”[1]
Rarely in the annals of history can we read such an instance of forgiveness. Even his deadliest enemy Abu Sufyan, who led so many battles against Islam, was forgiven, as was any person who stayed in his house and did not come to fight him.
The Prophet, may God praise him, was all for forgiveness and no amount of crime or aggression against him was too great to be forgiven by him. He was the complete example of forgiveness and kindness, as mentioned in the following verse of the Quran:
“Keep to forgiveness (O Muhammad), and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant.” (Quran 7:199)
He always repelled evil with the good of forgiveness and kind behavior for, in his view, an antidote was better than poison. He believed and practiced the precept that love could foil hatred, and aggression could be won over by forgiveness. He overcame the ignorance of the people with the knowledge of Islam, and the folly and evil of the people with his kind and forgiving treatment. With his forgiveness, he freed people from the bondage of sin and crime, and also made them great friends of Islam. He was an epitome of the verse of the Quran:
“Good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with what is better. Then he, between whom and you there was hatred, will become as though he was a bosom friend.” (Quran 41:34)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] “Mukhtasar Seeratur Rasool”, Muhammad ibn Sulayman at-Tameemi.
Parts of This Article
The Forgiveness of Muhammad Shown to Non-Muslims (part 1 of 2)
The Forgiveness of Muhammad Shown to Non-Muslims (part 2 of 2)
View all parts together
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 1 of 3): Proofs of His Prophethood
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 1 of 3): Proofs of His Prophethood
Description: Evidence for the claim that Muhammad was a true prophet and not an imposter. Part 1: Some proofs that led various companions to believe in his prophethood.
By IslamReligion.com - Published on 06 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 21 May 2006
Viewed: 1574 - Rating: 1 from 5 - Rated by: 1
Printed: 91 - Emailed: 7 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > Evidence That Islam is Truth > Evidence of Muhammad’s Prophethood
Category: Articles > The Prophet Muhammad > Evidence of His Prophethood
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Divine facilitation is proportionate to human need. God makes acquisition easier as the need of humans increase. Air, water, and sunlight are necessary for human survival, and thus God has granted their acquisition to all without hardship. The greatest human need is to know the Creator, and thus, God has made it easy to know Him. The evidence for God, however, differs in its nature. In its own way, everything in creation is evidence of its Creator. Some evidence is so obvious that any lay person can immediately ‘see’ the Creator, for instance, the cycle of life and death. Others ‘see’ the handiwork of the Creator in the elegance of mathematical theorems, universal constants of physics, and the development of the embryo:
“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed signs for men of understanding.” (Quran 3:190)
Like the existence of God, human beings need evidence to establish the truth of prophets who spoke in His name. Muhammad, like the prophets before him, claimed to be God’s final prophet to humanity. Naturally, the evidence for his veracity is diverse and numerous. Some are obvious, while others are apparent only after deep reflection.
God says in the Quran:
“Is it not enough (for them to know) that your Lord is witness unto everything?” (Quran 41:53)
Divine witness by itself is sufficient without any other evidence. God’s witness for Muhammad lies in:
(a) God’s past revelations to earlier prophets which prophesize Muhammad’s appearance.
(b) God’s Acts: the miracles and ‘signs’ He gave to support Muhammad’s claim.
How did it all begin in the early days of Islam? How were the first believers convinced he was God’s prophet?
The first person to believe in the prophethood of Muhammad was his own wife, Khadija. When he returned home trembling out of fear after receiving divine revelation, she was his solace:
“Never! By God, God will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, help the poor, serve your guests generously, and assist those hit with calamities.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
She saw in her husband a man God would not humiliate, because of his virtues of honesty, justice, and helping the poor.
His closest friend, Abu Bakr who had known him all his life and was almost the same age, believed the moment he heard the words, ‘I am God’s Messenger’ without any additional confirmation other than the open book of his friend’s life.
Another person who accepted his call on merely listening to it, was ‘Amr’[1] He says:
“I used to think before Islam that people were in error and they were on nothing. They worshipped idols. In the meantime, I heard of a man preaching in Mecca; so I went to him…I asked him: ‘Who are you?’ He said: ‘I am a Prophet.’ I again said: ‘Who is a Prophet?’ He said: ‘God sent me.’ I said: ‘What did He send you with?’ He said: ‘I have been sent to join ties of relationship, to break the idols, and to proclaim the unity of God so nothing is associated with Him (in worship).’ I said: ‘Who is with you in this?’ He said: ‘A free man and a slave (referring to Abu Bakr and Bilal, a slave, who had embraced Islam by that time).’ I said: ‘I intend to follow you.’” (Saheeh Muslim)
Dimad was a desert healer who specialized in mental illnesses. On his visit to Mecca he heard the Meccans say that Muhammad (may God praise him) was insane! Confident of his skills, he said to himself, ‘If I were to come across this man, God might cure him at my hand.’ Dimad met the Prophet and said: ‘Muhammad, I can protect (one) who suffers from mental illness or under sorcery, and God cures one whom He so desires at my hand. Do you desire to be cured?’ The Prophet of God responded, starting with his usual introduction to his sermons:
“Indeed, praise and gratitude is for God. We praise Him and ask for His help. He who God guides, none can lead astray, and he who is led astray cannot be guided. I bear witness no one deserves worship but God, He is One, has no partners, and Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.”
Dimad, stuck by the beauty of the words, asked him to repeat them, and said, ‘I have heard the words of diviners, sorcerers, and poets, but I have never heard such words, they reach the depth of the oceans. Give me your hand so I may pledge my allegiance to you on Islam.’[2]
After Gabriel brought the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad, Khadija, his wife, took him to visit her old cousin, Waraqa bin Nawfal, a biblical scholar, to discuss the event. Waraqa recognized Muhammad from the prophecies of the Bible and confirmed:
“This is the Keeper of Secrets (Angel Gabriel) who came to Moses.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The face can be a window to the soul. Abdullah bin Salam, the chief rabbi of Medina at the time, looked at the face of the Prophet when he arrived in Medina, and exclaimed:
“The moment I looked at his face, I knew it was not the face of a liar!” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
Many of those around the Prophet who did not accept Islam did not doubt in his veracity, but refused to do so for other reasons. His uncle, Abu Talib, aided him throughout his life, confessed to the truthfulness of Muhammad, but refused to break off from the religion of his ancestors out of shame and social status.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] Amr b. Abasa Sulami.
[2] Saheeh Muslim.
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 2 of 3): Was He a Liar?
Description: Evidence for the claim that Muhammad was a true prophet and not an imposter. Part 2: A look into the claim that Muhammad was a liar.
By IslamReligion.com - Published on 06 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 26 Jun 2006
Viewed: 935 - Rating: none yet - Rated by: 0
Printed: 72 - Emailed: 2 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > Evidence That Islam is Truth > Evidence of Muhammad’s Prophethood
Category: Articles > The Prophet Muhammad > Evidence of His Prophethood
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Logical Analysis of His Claim
As discussed earlier, Muhammad made the claim, ‘I am God’s Messenger.’ Either he was true in his claim or he was not. We will begin by the assuming the latter and investigate all possibilities raised by skeptics of past and present, discussing some of their misconceptions. Only if all other possibilities are exhausted can one reasonably claim that the only possibility left is that he was true in what he claimed. We will also look at what the Quran has to say on the matter.
Was He a Liar?
Is it possible for a liar to claim for a period of 23 years with unwavering certitude that he is a prophet like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, that there will be no more prophets after him, and that the scripture he has been sent with will remain his lasting miracle till the end of time?
A liar will falter sometimes, perhaps with a friend, maybe with his family members, somewhere he will make a mistake. His message, delivered over two decades, will contradict itself sometimes. But what we see in reality is that the scripture he brought declares freedom from internal inconsistencies, his message remained consistent throughout his mission, and even in the midst of a battle, he proclaimed his prophethood![1]
His life story is preserved book open for everyone to read. Before Islam, he was well-known to his own people to be trustworthy and reliable, an honest man, a person of integrity, who did not lie.[2] It was due to this reason they named him “Al-Ameen”, or “The Trustworthy” He was strongly opposed to lying and warned against it. Is it possible for him to tell a consistent lie for 23 years, a lie so monstrous that it would make him a social outcast, when he was never known to have lied even once about anything? It’s simply against the psychology of liars.
If one was to ask why a person would make claim to prophethood and lie, their answer might be one of two:
1) Fame, Glory, wealth and status.
2) Moral progress.
If we were to say that the Muhammad claimed prophethood for fame glory and status, we would see that what actually occurred was the exact opposite. Muhammad, before his claim to Prophethood, enjoyed a high status in all aspects” He was of the most noble of tribes, of the most noble of families, and was known for his truthfulness. After his claim, he became a social outcast. For 13 years in Makkah, he and his followers faced excruciating torture, which led to the death of some of his followers, ridicule, sanctioning, and excommunication from society.
There were many other ways which a person could gain fame in the society of that time, mainly from valor, and poetry. If Muhammad had made the claim that he himself authored the Quran, as will be explained later, that would have been enough for his name and poetry to be engraved in gold and hung inside the Ka’bah for eternity, people from all over the world hallowing him. Rather, he proclaimed that he was not the author of his revelationa, and that it was from the One high above, causing him to be ridiculed in his time until ours.
The Prophet was the husband of a wealthy tradeswoman, and he enjoyed the comforts of life available t him at his time. But after his claim of prophethood, he became of the poorest of people. Days passed without stove fire being lit in his house, and at one time, hunger drove him to the mosque in hope of some provision. The leaders of Makkah in his time offered him the riches of the world in order for him to leave his message. As a response to their offer, he recited the verses of the Quran 41:1-38.11. The Following are some of these verses:
“(As for) those who say: ‘Our Lord is God,’ and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised. We are your guardians in this world's life and in the hereafter, and you shall have therein what your souls desire and you shall have therein what you ask for. A hospitable gift from one Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!’ And who is better in speech than one who calls to God, works righteousness, and says, ‘I am of those who has submitted in Islam?’ Nor can goodness and evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate. And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.” (Quran, 41:30-35)
If one were to say that Muhammad lied and claimed prophethood in order to bring moral and religious reform to a society ridden with ills, this argument is futile in itself, for how can one bring moral reform through a lie. If Muhammad was so keen to uphold and preach upright morals and worship of One God, then could he have lied himself in doing so? If we say that this is not possible, the only answer is that he was speaking the truth. The only other possibility is that he was insane.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[2] ‘Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 34.
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 3 of 3): Was He Insane, a Poet, or a Sorcerer?
Description: Evidence for the claim that Muhammad was a true prophet and not an imposter. Part3: A look into some other false claims made by critics.
By IslamReligion.com - Published on 06 Feb 2006 - Last modified on 21 May 2006
Viewed: 729 - Rating: 5 from 5 - Rated by: 2
Printed: 71 - Emailed: 7 - Commented on: 0
Category: Articles > Evidence That Islam is Truth > Evidence of Muhammad’s Prophethood
Category: Articles > The Prophet Muhammad > Evidence of His Prophethood
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Was He Insane?
Someone who has dealt with mentally ill knows people can be identified by their symptoms. Muhammad displayed no symptom of insanity at any time in his life No friend, wife, or family member suspected or abandoned him due to insanity. As for the effects of revelations on the Prophet, such as perspiration and the likes, it was due to the intensity of the Message which he had to bear and not due to any epileptic fit or instance of insanity...
Quite to the contrary, Muhammad preached for a long time and brought a Law unknown in its completeness and sophistication to ancient Arabs. If the prophet was insane, it would have been obvious to those around him at one point in a period of twenty three years. When in history did an insane man preach his message to worship One God for ten years, three of which he and his followers spent in exile, and eventually became the ruler of his lands? Which insane man has ever won the hearts and minds of people who met him and earned the respect of his adversaries?
More so, his closest companions, Abu Bakr and Umar were recognized for their abilities, nobility, skills, and finesse. They were willing to sacrifice anything for the religion he brought. On one occasion, Abu Bakr, brought all his material possessions to Muhammad, may God praise him, and when asked what he left for his family, responded, ‘I left for them God and His Messenger!’
Abu Bakr, a merchant by profession, after being elected the ruler of all of Arabs after Muhammad, spent a mere two dirham on himself and his family!
Umar became the ruler of Arabia after Abu Bakr and conquered Syria, Egypt, and subdued the Persian and Roman Empires. He was a man known for his scrupulous justice. How can someone suggest these people were following a mentally deranged individual?
God suggests: stand before God without bias or pre-conceived beliefs, and discuss it with another person or think about it yourself, this prophet has no madness, he is as stable today as you had known him for forty years.
“Say: ‘I counsel you one thing only: Be (ever conscious of) standing before God, whether you are in the company of others or alone; and then bethink yourselves (that) there is no madness in (this prophet,) your fellow-man: he is only a warner to you of suffering severe to come.’” (Quran 34:46)
The Meccans of old rejected his call out of tribal partisanship, and they were not truthful in their accusations of his insanity. Even today, many people refuse to accept Muhammad as a prophet simply because he was an Arab and self-gratify themselves by saying he must have been insane or worked for the devil. Their hatred for Arabs translates into their rejection of Muhammad, even though God says:
“Nay, but he (whom you call a mad poet) has brought the truth; and he confirms the truth of (what the earlier of God’s) message-bearers (have taught).” (Quran 37:37)
Although the pagan Arabs knew Muhammad all too well, but they still through accusations of insanity at him, for they considered his religion a sacrilege against the tradition of their forefathers.
“And when our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, they say, ‘This is not but a man who wishes to avert you from that which your fathers were worshipping.’ And they say, ‘This is not except a lie invented.’ And those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them, ‘This is not but obvious magic.’ And We had not given them any scriptures which they could study, and We had not sent to them before you, (O Muhammad), any warner. And those before them denied, and they (the people of Mecca) have not attained a tenth of what We had given them. But they (i.e., the former peoples) denied My messengers, so how (terrible) was My reproach.” (Quran 34:43-45)
Was He A Poet?
God mentions their accusation in the Quran and responds to it:
“Or do they say (of you), ‘A poet for whom we await a misfortune of time?’ Say, ‘Wait, for indeed I am, with you, among the waiters.’ Or do their minds command them to (say) this, or are they a transgressing people? Or do they say, ‘He has made it up?’ Rather, they do not believe.” (Quran 52:30-32)
God describes the poets of that time so the Prophet can be compared with them:
“And as for the poets - (they, too, are prone to deceive themselves: and so, only) those who are lost in grievous error would follow them. Art thou not aware that they roam confusedly through all the valleys (of words and thoughts)[1], and that they (so often) say what they do not do (or feel)? (Most of them are of this kind -) save those who have attained to faith, and do righteous deeds, and remember God unceasingly, and defend themselves (only) after having been wronged, and (trust in God’s promise that) those who are bent on wrongdoing will in time come to know how evil a turn their destinies are bound to take!” (Quran 26:224-227)
Arabian poets were the furthest from the truth, speaking of wine, womanizing, war, and leisure, unlike the Prophet who invites to good manners, serving God, and helping the poor.Muhammad followed his own teachings before anyone else unlike the poets of old or philosophers of today.
The Quran which the Prophet recited was unlike any poetry in its style. The Arabs of the time has strict rules in regards to rhythm, rhyme, syllables and endings to each verse of poetry. The Quran did not conform to any of the rules which were known in the time, but at the same time, it surpasses any type of text which the Arabs had ever heard. Some of them actually became Muslims after hearing only a few verses of the Quran, due to their certain knowledge that the source of something so beautiful as it could not be any created being.
Muhammad was never known to have composed a poem before Islam or after prophethood. Rather, the Prophet had a sever dislike for it. Compilations of his statements, called Sunna, have been diligently preserved and are completely different in its literary content than the Quran. The store-house of Arabic poetry do not contain any couplets by Muhammad.
Was He A Sorcerer?
Prophet Muhammad never learned or practiced sorcery. On the contrary, he condemned the practice of sorcery and taught his followers how to seek protection against it.
Sorcerers have a strong relationship with the devil. Their partnership allows them to deceive people. Devils propagate lies, sins, obscenities, immorality, evil, and they destroy familys. The Quran clarifies those upon whom the devils descend:
“Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? They descend upon every sinful liar. They pass on what is heard, and most of them are liars.” (Quran 26:221-223)
Prophet Muhammad was known and recognized to be a man of integrity true to his word who was not known to have ever lied. He commanded good morals and fine manners. No sorcerer in world history has brought a scripture like the Quran or a Law like his.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] The idiomatic phrase is used, as most of the commentators point out, to describe a confused or aimless - and often self-contradictory - play with words and thoughts. In this context it is meant to stress the difference between the precision of the Quran, which is free from all inner contradictions, and the vagueness often inherent in poetry.
Parts of This Article
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 1 of 3): Proofs of His Prophethood
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 2 of 3): Was He a Liar?
Muhammad’s Claim to Prophethood (part 3 of 3): Was He Insane, a Poet, or a Sorcerer?
View all parts together
She saw the tuhr then she had some discharge – what should she do?
Question:
My period lasted six days and on the sixth day the bleeding stopped. I used a piece of tissue to make sure, and a little bit of white discharge was coming out. So I did ghusl and my husband had intercourse with me that night, then I did ghusl and fasted (as it was Ramadaan). Then at Zuhr time I noticed some discharge in which there was a slight amount of red or yellow. I do not know what the ruling is. Do I have to make up that day or not?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We do not know what you mean by “a little bit of white discharge was coming out.” If what you mean is that you saw the white discharge which is the sign of purity (tuhr), then whatever yellowish or reddish discharge comes out after that is not regarded as menses, because Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “We did not regard the brownish or yellowish discharge after the tuhr as being anything that mattered.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 307; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Based on this, your prayer is valid, and there is nothing wrong with your having had intercourse, because you were not menstruating.
But if what you mean is that you saw that the discharge was still yellowish or reddish, this means that the menses had not yet ended. A woman should not be hasty in deciding that the period has ended when she sees yellowish or reddish discharge, no matter how little it is. The women used to send pieces of cloth to ‘Aa’ishah with yellowish discharge on them, and she would say, “Do not be hasty until you see the white discharge.” Narrated by Maalik, 130.
Pieces of cloth refers to what women use to check whether there is any trace of menses left or not.
See also question no. 66062.
Based on this, then you have to make up that day, because it is not correct to fast when one is menstruating.
With regard to intercourse, there is no sin on you in sha Allaah, because you thought that your period had ended, and you did not deliberately commit a haraam action. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend”
[al-Ahzaab 33:5].
Islam
Her period comes regularly but the bleeding stops for half a day or a day at the beginning and end
Question:
My wife gets her period regularly, but it starts with a little bleeding, which then stops for half a day or a full day. The same thing happens at the end of her period. When should she stop fasting and praying and when should she resume?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If a woman sees menstrual blood she must stop praying and fasting, and if the bleeding stops during the period it depends:
1 – If traces of blood remain, such that if she inserts a piece of cloth or whatever it comes out with traces of blood, then the period is not regarded as having ended, and she should still refrain from praying and fasting, whether that happens at the beginning of the period or at the end.
2 – If the bleeding stops altogether, such that if she inserts a piece of cloth it comes out clean with no traces of blood, then this is the sign that her period has ended, so she is taahir (pure). She should do ghusl and pray and fast and do all that women who are taahir do. Then if the bleeding resumes she should stop again.
The ruling that being free of any trace of blood during the time of menses is regarded as tuhr (purity) is the view of the Maalikis and Hanbalis.
See Mataalib Ooli al-‘Nuha, 1/260.
In the answer to question no. 37839 we have mentioned the view of the scholars of the Standing Committee:
If the menses stops for one day or one night during the time of menses, then she should do ghusl and pray whatever prayers come when she is taahir, because Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “If she sees blood that is heavy or copious, she should not pray, and if she sees the tuhr for a while, she should do ghusl. End quote.
Majallat al-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah (12/102)
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Taking pills to prevent period in the last ten days of Ramadaan
Question:
If a woman’s period is going to come in the last ten days of Ramadaan, is it permissible for her to use contraceptive pills so that she can continue to worship during these days of blessing?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) and he said:
We do not think that she should use these pills to help her worship Allaah, because the period which happens to her is something which Allaah has decreed for the daughters of Adam.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon ‘Aa’ishah when she was with him during the Farewell Pilgrimage. She had entered ihraam for ‘Umrah, then her period came before she reached Makkah. He entered upon her and found her weeping. He asked, “Why are you weeping?” and she told him that her period had come. He told her, “This is something which Allaah has decreed for the daughters of Adam.” So the period is not something which is under her control. If it comes during the last ten days of Ramadaan, then let her accept what Allaah has decreed for her and not use these pills. I have heard from trustworthy doctors that these pills cause harm to the uterus and the blood, and they may cause deformity in the foetus if she should conceive. Hence we think that she should avoid them. If her period comes and she cannot pray or fast, this is beyond her control and is the decree of Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)
Can Muslims living in Western countries form committees to sight the moon?
Question:
Is it permissible for Muslims who are living in a non-Islamic country to form a committee to confirm the sighting of the new moon for Ramadaan, Shawwaal, Dhoo’l-Hijjah or not?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslims living in non-Islamic countries are permitted to form committees to take on the responsibility of confirming the new moon for Ramadaan, Shawwaal and Dhoo’l-Hijjah.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/112
If he travels during Ramadaan to another country that started the fast at a different time, how should he fast?
Question:
If a Muslim travels during Ramadaan to another country where they started the fast later or earlier than his country, and he stays in that country until Eid, with which of the two countries should he break his fast?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If a man travels from one country to another where the moonsighting was different, the basic principle is that he should start and end the fast according to the country he is in when it is established that the month has ended. But if that means that he has fasted for less than twenty-nine days, then he has to complete the number, because the lunar month cannot be less than twenty-nine days. This principle is based on the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “When you see it (the new moon) then fast, and when you see it then break the fast,” and “The month is twenty-nine days, so do not fast until you see it, and do not stop fasting until you see it.” And in the hadeeth of Kurayb is says that Umm al-Fadl sent him to Mu’aawiyah in Syria, and Kurayb told Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the people had seen the new moon of Ramadaan on Friday night in Syria. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “But we saw it on Saturday night, so we will carry on fasting until we complete thirty days or until we see it.” Kurayb said: “Is not the sighting and fasting of Mu’aawiyah sufficient for you?” He said: “No; this is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined upon us.”
There follow some examples which explain this principle:
1 – He moved from a land where the people started fasting on Sunday to a land where the people started fasting on Saturday, and they broke the fast on Sunday after twenty-nine days of fasting. He should break the fast with them but he has to make up one day later on.
2 – He moved from a land where the people started fasting on Sunday to a land where the people started fasting on Monday. They stopped fasting on a Wednesday after thirty days of fasting. He should carry on fasting with them even if that means he does more than thirty days, because he is in a place where the new moon has not been sighted, so it is not permissible for him to break the fast. This is similar to the situation if he traveled whilst fasting from a place where the sun sets at 6 p.m. to a land where the sun does not set until 7 p.m. – he should not break his fast until the sun sets at 7 p.m., because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall. And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allaah, so approach them not. Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allaah’s set limits, orders, etc.) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
3 – He moved from a land where the people started fasting on Sunday to a land where the people started fasting on Monday, and they stopped fasting on Tuesday after twenty-nine days. He should break the fast with them and their fasting will have been twenty-nine days while his fasting will have been thirty days.
4 – He moved from a land where the people started fasting on Sunday and stopped fasting on Tuesday after thirty days, to a land where the people started fasting on Sunday and stopped fasting on Monday after twenty-nine days. He should break the fast with them, and he does not have to make up one day, because he has completed twenty-nine days.
The evidence that he has to break the fast in the first example is that the new moon has been sighted, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “When you see it, stop fasting.” The evidence that he has to make up one day is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The month is twenty-nine days,” so it cannot be less than twenty-nine days.
The evidence that he may continue to fast for more than thirty days in the second example is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “When you see it, then stop fasting.” So ending the fast is connected to the sighting of the moon, and if it is not sighted then that day is Ramadaan in that place, so it is not permissible for him to break the fast.
The ruling in the third and fourth examples is obvious.
This is what we think is the ruling with regard to this issue, and it is based on the most correct view, which is that the ruling varies according to the moonsighting. As for the view that the ruling does not vary according to the moonsighting, and that when the moon is sighted according to the shar’i conditions in one place, all the people must start or end the fast, this ruling depends on the evidence of the sighting of the moon, but he has to start fasting or stop fasting discreetly so that he does appear to be going against the community. End quote.
Islam Q&A
Why are the Muslims not united in their fasting?
Question:
Why are the Muslims not united in their fasting even though there is only one new moon for Ramadaan? In the past there was the excuse of there being no media or means of communication.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The most likely reason for the differences in the start of the fast from one country to another is the difference in sighting the new moon. Such differences are well known and it makes sense that there are such differences.
Based on this, it is not possible to expect all the Muslims to start fasting at the same time, because this would mean that some of them were starting to fast before the new moon had been sighted and even before it had appeared.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about those who call for the ummah to be united in fasting and for the moon sighting to be based on its sighting in Makkah. He said:
This is impossible from an astronomical point of view, because the sighting of the new moon, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, differs, according to the scientists who are well-versed in this field. Because it differs, then each country should have its own ruling, according to the reports and according to science.
The evidence from reports is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month”
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
If it so happens that people in a remote region of the world do not see the new moon whereas the people of Makkah do see it, then how can the words of this verse apply to those who have not seen the new moon? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it and stop fasting when you see it.” (Agreed upon). So if the people of Makkah, for example, see it, then how can we expect the people of Pakistan and countries further east to start fasting, when we know that that the new moon has not yet appeared in their region, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the start of fasting to the sighting of the moon?
The scientific evidence is the correct analogy which we cannot contradict. We know that dawn appears in eastern regions of the earth before it appears in western regions, so if dawn has appeared in eastern regions, do we have to stop eating even though it is still night where we are? The answer is no. If the sun has set in eastern regions but it is still day where we are, is it permissible for us to break our fast? The answer is no. And the new moon is exactly like the sun, except that the timing of the new moon is monthly and the timing of the sun is daily. The One Who said (interpretation of the meaning):
“and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall”
[al-Baqarah 2:187] is also the One Who said (interpretation of the meaning):
“So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month”
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
So the evidence of both the texts and science indicates that we should establish a separate ruling for each place when it comes to starting and ending the fast, and this should be connected to the physical sign which Allaah has described in His Book and which His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) established in his Sunnah, namely the sighting of the moon and the sighting of the sun or dawn.
End quote from Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 451.
And he said, explaining this analogy and supporting the argument of those who say that there should be different moon sightings:
They say that the monthly timings should be like the daily sightings. Just as different countries vary in the start and end of the fast each day, so too they must differ in the start and end of the month-long fast. The difference in daily timings is well known according to Muslim consensus; those who are in the east start fasting before those who are in the west, and they also break the fast first.
If we accept the differences in sighting with regard to daily timings, then we should also accept it with regard to the month.
No one can say that the verse “and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall” and the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “When the night has come from here and the day has departed from here and the sun has set, then the faster may break his fast” are general in meaning and apply to all the Muslims in every region.
The same applies to the verse “So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month” and the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “When you see it fast and when you see it stop fasting.”
As you see, this opinion is very strong, and the analogy is sound, the analogy between the monthly timing and the daily timing.
End quote from Fataawa Ramadaan, compiled by Ashraf ‘Abd al-Maqsood, p. 104
The Council of Senior Scholars issued an important statement on this topic, the text of which is as follows:
Firstly: The difference in moon sighting is something which is well known, and there is no difference among the scholars concerning this. Rather the difference of scholarly opinion has to do with whether the difference in moon sighting matters or not.
Secondly: The issue of whether the difference in moon sighting matters or not is a theoretical matter in which there is room for ijtihaad. Even people of great knowledge and piety differed concerning this matter. This is a type of difference which is acceptable, where the one who makes ijtihaad and gets it right will have two rewards, one for his ijtihaad and the other for getting it right, and the one who gets it wrong will be rewarded for his ijtihaad.
The scholars differed concerning this matter and there are two points of view. One is that the difference in moon sighting matters and the other is that it does not matter. Each group quotes evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and sometimes they quote the same text, such as when they both quote the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage”
[al-Baqarah 2:189]
and the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Fast when you see it and stop fasting when you see it.”
That is because of different understandings of the texts, and different ways in which each group derives evidence from them.
Based on the considerations that the Council has seen and examined, and based on the fact that the difference of opinion on this matter does not have any effect that may lead to undesirable consequences, since this religion appeared fourteen centuries ago and we do not know of any period during which the ummah was united in moon sighting, the members of the Council of Senior Scholars think that matters should be left as they are and that this subject should not be stirred up. Each Islamic state should have the right to choose whichever opinion it wishes, based on the suggestions of its own scholars, because each view has its evidence and proofs.
Thirdly: The Council has studied the issue of proving the new moon by means of calculation, and what has been narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and they have studied the comments of the scholars on this matter. They have decided unanimously that astronomical calculations carry no weight in determining the new moon with regard to Islamic matters, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Fast when you see it and stop fasting when you see it.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not fast until you see it, and do not stop fasting until you see it.” And because of other evidence to that effect.
End quote, from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/102.
Islam Q&A
Sighting the moon not following astronomical calculations
Question:
There is a big dispute among Muslim scholars concerning the timing of the beginning of Ramadaan and ‘Eid al-Fitr. Some of them act upon the sighting of the new moon, because of the hadeeth, “Fast when you sight it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you sight it…”; others rely on the calculations of astronomers, saying that these scientists have progressed so far in the science of astronomy that they are able to know when the lunar month begins. Who is right in this matter?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: the correct opinion which must be acted upon is that indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month with thirty days.” That is the basis for determining the beginning and end of Ramadaan by the actual sighting of the new moon. The Islamic sharee’ah with which Allaah sent our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is universal and everlasting, until the Day of Resurrection. (It is valid for every time and place, whether worldly sciences are advanced or otherwise, whether there are telescopes etc. or not, whether there are any people in the population who are able to do astronomical calculations or not. Sighting the moon is something that people of all places and times can do, unlike calculations which may or may not be within the reach of the people, and telescopes which may or may not be available)
Secondly: Allaah knew what progress would be made in astronomy and other sciences, but despite that He still said (interpretation of the meaning): “… So whoever among you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadaan), he must observe sawm (fast) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185] and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast when you see it [the new moon] and stop fasting when you see it…” So the beginning and ending of Ramadaan are connected to the actual sighting of the moon, and not to the calculations of astronomers, even though Allaah knew that the astronomers would develop their science to the point where they would be able to calculate the positions of the stars and heavenly bodies. The Muslims are obliged to follow what Allaah has prescribed for them through His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), basing the beginning and end of the fast on the sighting of the moon. This is like the consensus of the scholars, whoever differs with this and relies on calculations is shaadhdh (“odd”) and his opinion cannot be relied on. And Allaah knows best.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/106.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)