'and if any one believes in Allah, ((Allah)) guides his heart (aright): for Allah knows all things'. [Quran:64:11]
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Monday, October 02, 2006
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Misconceptions in Islam
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
In an article by Dr. Zakir Naik, he wrote - "for a Muslim to convey the message of Islam to a non-Muslim, is usually insufficient to highlight only the positive nature of Islam. Many of us realise that non-Muslims are not always convinced about the truth of Islam because there are questions about Islam at the back of their minds due to misconceptions that remain unanswered".
There are at least 10-12 most common questions that a non-Muslim has regarding Islam. Out of these 10-12 questions, a non-Muslim will pose four or five questions, and these questions invariably fall amongst these 10-12 most common questions. The 10-12 most common questions about Islam can be answered from your knowledge of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. If a Muslim memorises or simply remembers these answers, Inshaa'Allah Ta'ala he/she will be successful, if not in convincing non-Muslims about the truth of Islam, or at least in removing misconceptions about Islam and neutralising the negative thinking about Islam and Muslims, respectively. However, you may find that some non-Muslims may have counter arguments to these replies, for which you should prepare yourself with further information.
Here are some tips on Dawah: (some excerpts are from - http://members.cox.net/arshad/)
First off, make sure you have both Ikhlaas and I'tibaa - sincerity in intention and correct attitude. Ask yourself whether your intention is sincere and that you truly want to bring this person closer to the truth? Or is it to prove him wrong? Or to show off your oratory skills? Make sure your intention is solely for the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. To bring this person closer to the truth and to guide him to the deen of Allah Ta'ala, make sure you are performing this dawah in the correct manner.
- Know what you're talking about. Make sure you have a sound and deep knowledge of what you intend to convey. Make sure what you say is absolutely correct and truthful. Be honest if you don't know. If you do not have a solid knowledge of what you are saying, your contribution may be negative instead of positive.
- Only with knowledge can you have complete faith in what you're saying with no doubt. It is said that what comes from the mouth goes to the ear, but what comes from the heart goes to the heart. The Arabic saying goes, if you do not have it, you cannot give it. If you don't truly believe something, you can't get someone else to. Your sincerity and certainty in your faith plays a large part in your success at dawah.
- Practice what you preach. The best dawah is by way of example. Don't discuss the importance of truth and honesty in Islam when you lie and cheat constantly. Make sure your actions express the beautiful beliefs and commands of Islam. Hypocricy and deception turn people away.
- Don't compromise Islam or it's beliefs. Don't feel the need to hedge around the truth because it will turn people away. Can men have four wives? Why can't we date? Why don't we accept homosexuality? Don't be apologetic or start defending certain aspects of Islam. Explain it in a way people can understand, but don't change it or act like it's incorrect or archaic. A Muslim may think that he should deal with people according to their attitude towards them. This is not acceptable in Islam as it means living by the values of other people instead of sticking with one's own Islamic values. Thus, the Prophet Sall Allahu alaihi wa sallam warned: "Do not be a 'reflection of society', keeping the attitude that if people behave well, we will behave well, and if they were to behave badly, we will also be unfair. Rather, programme yourselves so that if people behave well, you behave better; but if people behave badly, you must not be unfair." (Reported from Hudzaifah in Mishkah and At-Tirmidzee).
- Do not become angry. Don't let people effect you or cause you to change your conduct. Have 'adab' always. If someone refuses to hear you out, then stop the discusion and retire politely. There is always another day to discuss the issues. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says (the translation of the meaning) "Who can be better in stance than He who calls people towards Allah, performs good deeds and proudly declares to be a Muslim. Goodness and evil are not equal. Hence, respond in the most excellent way. Then you will see your enemy turning into a close friend. And this level cannot be attained except by those who practice Sabr, nor it can be attained except by those who posses a great share of (magnanimity)." Surah Fussilat 41:33-35
Sabr implies patience, forbearance, perseverance, determination, fortitude, constancy and steadfastness. Your job is not to convert people - it is not an obligation in Islam to make a certain amount of people Muslims. But it is your obligation to call people to Islam, to distinguish between right and wrong. Who is guided and who is not, is according to the Will of Allah Subhanahu Ta'ala. And Allah Ta'ala knows best
- Don't insult another person's faith. No matter how tempting it would be to talk about the errors and inconsistencies in other people's beliefs, don't do it. It offends people, and will possibly give them a bad impression of Islam. Talk about how Islam is different, and in that perhaps exposing the other belief's errors, but do not openly insult another person's faith. Be respectful. A dawah horror story: a Muslim was speaking at a local high school, and began his speech with: "You're all going to Hell." With that, he lost his whole audience before he even started his speech.
- Discuss what makes Islam beautiful to you. Da'wah doesn't have to mean repeating the five pillars to non-Muslims. Sometimes we are so busy discussing the pillars of Islam we forget the actual building itself. Islam plays a part in every aspect of our lives. Talk about how it plays a role in how you sleep, how you dress, how you speak, how you marry, how you deal with animals, parents, elders, children, the opposite sex. Talk about Islam's respect for women, the concepts of purity or modesty, it's call to reflect and think about the world around us. I know that one brother became Muslim in part because of Islam's respect and honor for nature. Islam is a deen, a whole way of life.
- Lastly, stay away from missionaries. This cannot be emphasized enough. Their goal is to take your faith apart and cause you to doubt. Leave the missionaries to those who are trained to deal with them. Missionaries have been trained to seem friendly and willing to learn on the outside, when their sole goal and objective is to cause you to reject Islam. Do not talk to missionaries. Do not open a discussion of Islam with them. Do not visit their sites. Do not waste your time with them. Your time can be used in a much more beneficial way than trying to argue with someone who has been trained to cause you to doubt.
Ramadan: The Month of Mercy to Muslims
Shaykh 'Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee
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Mercy is a favour from Allah which He places in the hearts of whomsoever He wills. Verily, Allah will have mercy on His servants who are merciful. Allah is the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful. He loves the merciful and calls to mercy. He orders His servants to enjoin patience and mercy. A person may lack mercy for any number of reasons, among them, an abundance of sins and disobedience. They stain their hearts so much so that they ultimately blind them until their hearts become harder than stones. Allah says of the Children of Israel: 'And yet, after all this, your hearts hardened and became like rocks, or even harder' (2:74).
Allah also says about them when they opposed and rebelled against the divine law: 'Then, for having broken their solemn pledge, We rejected them and caused their hearts to harden' (5:13).
Among the things that cause a loss of mercy is arrogance with wealth and pride with riches. Allah says: 'Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient' (96:6-7).
The day the heart is disciplined with faith and good deeds it fills with mercy and kindness.
Another reason for the weakness of mercy is an abundance of gluttony and saturation. They give rise to contempt and recklessness. Hence the month of fasting was prescribed to crush this unruliness and ill discipline. The fasting person is naturally among the most merciful people. That is because he has tasted hunger, experienced thirst and endured hardship. His soul is, therefore, enveloped with mercy, care and gentleness for Muslims.
Mercy is something which every Muslim is required to render to his brother Muslim. It is a requirement from every responsible custodian toward those under his care. He should feel sorry for them and be lenient toward them. Prophet Muhammad sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: 'O Allah! Whoever was entrusted with authority over any affair of the Muslims and made it difficult for them, please make it difficult for him. And whoever was entrusted over any affair of the Muslims and was kind toward them, then be kind toward him.'
In a related hadith Allah's Messenger also said: 'Whoever oversees an affair for my nation and disappeared or abandoned them without fulfilling their needs while impoverishing them, Allah will debar him from his needs and impoverish him on the Day of Judgement.'
Mercy demands that the scholar and teacher should be gentle toward his students and lead them to the easiest and best ways to love him and benefit from his teachings. If he does this Allah will decree for him the most excellent and abounding reward. Listen to the manner in which Allah praises His Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam : 'And it was by God's grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee' (3:159).
Mercy further requires from the imam that he should not make worship difficult for his followers or cause them harm. On the contrary, he should be merciful, kind and wise. The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: 'Whoever from you leads the people in prayer must make it easy because among them are the old, the sick, the young and the needy.' It was narrated that when Mu'adh once extended the prayer the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said to him: 'Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu'adh?'
In the same manner, when Uthman ibn Abi al As al Thaqafi requested: 'O Messenger of Allah, make me an imam of my people.' The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: 'You are their imam so lead the prayer according to the weakest of them and take a caller to prayer who would seek no payment for doing so.'
Mercy dictates that the one who calls to Islam must advise
those whom he is inviting with tenderness. That he should, moreover, clarify issues to them with concern. He should not hurt, defame people or even revile the disobedient in public. Allah advised Moses and Aaron to employ the following methods in their call to the tyrant Pharaoh: 'But speak unto him in a mild manner, so that he might bethink himself or [at least] be filled with apprehension' (20:44).
He also says: 'Call thou [all mankind] unto thy Sustainer's path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly manner' (16:125).
The eminent jurist and Islamic scholar, Imam al Shafe'e wrote:
Support me with your advice in private, and avoid advising me in public.
Surely giving advice among the people is a kind of reproach, which I would rather not listen to.
If you disobey and ignore my wish, don't be saddened if you are not obeyed.
Mercy is required from a father to his children. This matter was previously discussed in the lesson (No. 18) on how we train our children. The mercy of the father or mother toward her children has the greatest effect on their integrity, well-being and obedience. Self-praise and harshness only open the door to despair. The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: 'Kindness was never bestowed upon something except that it beautified it, and it was never removed from that thing except that it made it ugly.'
O you who fast and cause hunger to your stomach, there are thousands of stomachs more awaiting a meal. Will there not arise from among you those who would feed them? O you who fast and cause thirst to your liver, there are thousands more who await a mouthful of water. Will there not arise from among you those who would quench their thirst? O you who fast and wear the finest garments, there are naked people out there awaiting only a piece of cloth to cover their bodies. Will there not then come forth from among you those who would clothe them?
O Allah! We implore your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors.
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