SAFAH

None of us are exempt from going through divorce or experiencing it in the lives of the best of our children or family members. Hence it is very important that we watch very carefully what we say about those who are divorced and how we treat them, speak to them or look at them. In many instances, two individually brilliant people divorce, not because one is bad but because together, they were unable to survive. This is proven by the fact that in many cases both are then very happily married to others. Remember, if your mouth or actions become hurtful to those divorced, there may come a time when you will be dumbfounded by repetition of the same if not worse in your own home! Never be from those who frown upon, look down upon, criticize or gossip about those divorced, making them feel unworthy. The Messenger pbuh chose to marry a divorced woman and repeated this type of choice. Had they been "bad" simply because they were divorced, he would have been the furthest away from them. Shame upon those parents who do not allow their children to consider a divorced spouse. They need to know that many people say that marriages to those previously divorced are more likely to be everlasting. May the Almighty guide us all and grant us ALL spouses who will be the coolness of our eyes. Aameen This status was inspired by the cry of a sister. In no way are we belittling those never married. We are simply raising a VERY VERY common and REAL problem in almost every society.

Visiting the sick, assisting them in any way, inquiring about them and praying for them has many benefits, hence it is considered a great act of worship. It boosts the morale of the sick, making them feel much better, giving them a sense of belonging which contributes to their recovery. The psychological impact of a kind word, a prayer and a visit is so great that the sick begin to feel much better and the greatest of miracles can occur even after medicine has given up. It also makes us realize the gift of health that the Almighty has bestowed upon us and gives us the opportunity to be thankful. Taking care of the sick can result us being protected from such sickness as well as easy entry into paradise. The day WE fall ill, we will be surprised at the number of people who inquire about us, pray for us and visit us over and above those who take care of us. This is what makes us one big family. The genuine concern for one another is a vital component of a happy community. When was the last time you visited the sick, assisted them in any way, prayed for their cure or inquired about them? Make it a regular feature in your weekly routine. Mufti Menk.

Solo Sex (Male and Female Masturbation) from Morality in Islam, Acaciaville; taken from www.ask-imam.com The following extracts from the writings of a dignified physician of the Unani medicine will give one some idea of the damage done through masturbation: "Most often, students, bachelors or widowers and hypocritical godly persons are its victims. It is such an evil practice that has ruined many families and many more are being ruined today. The lack of manly vigor and decline in the standard of young men's health is evidence enough for this horrible social evil, eating into the vitals of an otherwise healthy nation. If only our young men could foresee the consequences of this evil at their own hands bring on them! It can be said with some certainty that eighty percent of our young men are the victims of masturbation. This accursed practice affects equally the heart, the brain, the liver, the stomach, the kidneys along with the reproductive organs. This practice makes the muscles and the nerves of the reproductive organ sagging and lifeless. Accumulation of fluids in the veins makes it unfit for its normal function. There is extreme feebleness in the power of erection. The heat of the friction between the delicate muscles of the organ and the tough hide of the hand damages the former beyond repair." (Miftahi, Modesty and Chastity in Islam) Following the excitement which accompanies masturbation, comes the feeling of shame, anger, humiliation, and the sense of futility. This sense of guilt and humiliation deepens as the years go on, into a suppressed rage, because of the impossibility to escape. The one thing that it seems impossible to escape from, once the habit is formed, is masturbation. It goes on and on, on into old age, in spite of marriage. And it always carries this secret feeling of futility and humiliation. And this is, perhaps, the deepest and most dangerous cancer of our civilization. Instead of being a comparatively harmless vice, masturbation is certainly the most dangerous sexual vice that a society can be afflicted with, in the long run. MASTURBATION UNDER ISLAMIC LAW Islam strictly forbids the waste of seminal fluid through masturbation. The one who discharges his seminal fluid with his hand is damned. This evil practice removes the normal bright look of a man's face, and he looks melancholy and dejected. He loses his health and quite frequently his vitality and sexual stamina through this disgusting practice. The Qur'an declares: "The Believers are those who abstain from sex except with those joined to them in marriage bond, or those whom their right hand possess for (in their case) they are free from blame, but those who crave something beyond that are transgressors." Beyond the wife and slave woman all ways and means of sexual satisfaction are unlawful. They include adultery, sodomy, masturbation, etc. From this it can be deduced that masturbation falls under the context 'but those who crave...' and is therefore immoral and a sin in Islam. Views expressed by the Shafi'i jurists on this matter are clearly illustrated by Imam Nawawi whose opinion is typical of the Shafi'i jurists as a whole. He declared that masturbation was absolutely forbidden. It was only permitted when it was performed by the hand of a man's wife or concubine, for he has a right to the enjoyment of her hand as he has to the rest of her body. The author of Subul al Salam according to al-Juzairi, states: "Some of the Hanbali and Hanafi Jurists are of the opinion that masturbation may be permissible in the event that one fears (that is, not engaging in it) would lead to his committing adultery, fornication. But be cautious that such a view is weak and is not to be relied upon." According to the Maliki school of thought masturbation is deduced to be illegal from the following hadith narrated by 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (Radhiallaahu Anhu): "We were with the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) while we were young and had no wealth whatsoever. The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: 'O assembly of youths; whoever among you possesses the physical and financial resources to marry, should do so, because it helps him guard his modesty; and whoever is unable to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.'" Therefore, the jurists of this school are of the opinion that if masturbation was permitted, the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would have acknowledged its permissibility because this is much simpler than fasting. Since the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) did not mention it, demonstrates that it is prohibited. From the evidence presented so far, it can be seen that Shari’ah not only classifies this type of unnatural waste of seminal fluid as illegal, but also advocates strict measures for its prevention.

Taken from www.ask-imam.com Extracted from Morality in Islam, Acadiaville The aim of natural sexuality is procreation. Lawful and natural sexual relations between man and woman has been designed by Allah to preserve the human race here on earth. Homosexuality is negatory of the natural role and aim of sexual activity. The experts on homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviation advance a series of groundless assumptions in their discussion on the causes of such unnatural sexuality. They attribute it to hereditary taints, genetic causes, environmental influences, animal instincts in man, etc. In certain cases, e.g. 'transiet homosexuality' where men are separated from women such as prisons, same sex institutions, etc., they argue that the criminal's blame will be considered as diminished in view of his circumstances. Islam does not accept any type of justification for the unnatural sin of homosexuality regardless of any biological, psychological or environmental factors which may influence a man to indulge in this type of grossly unnatural immorality. This should not be interpreted to mean that Islam does not recognize the reality or validity of the existence of the various factors which influence man to commit homosexuality. However, the presence of any destructive influences which lead man towards this unnatural and bestial act of immorality does not constitute a valid excuse for indulgence in acts of deviation and inhumanity. Just as fornication, rape and other criminal acts of immorality cannot be condoned because of biological, psychological, environmental factors, etc, which may be the causes which occasion the crime, so too, can these factors not be cited in favour of diminished blame for the act of homosexuality. In spite of the existence of the factors (described as causes) of adultery, human culture does not permit man and woman to indulge in this crime notwithstanding the naturalness of heterosexuality. They are required to restrain themselves and behave within the bounds of chastity and morality. In like manner man is required to exercise restraint and overcome his emotional, biological demands, etc. and manage the disturbances within him. He, as a member of the highest species of Allah's creation, is under moral obligation to control the dictates of his lust - whether such lust directs him towards unnatural or natural avenues - and refrain from smearing his soul and intellect in such loathsome indulgence. Modern studies and the many consequent theories regarding the crime of homosexuality tend to convey a blurred conception of the biological disturbances as well as some environmental factors are even tendered as mitigating circumstances to reduce the stigma and the blame from the homosexual. This idea has made homosexuals daring and revengeful of their unnatural crimes. They have come to regard their misdirected lust as morally acceptable. They, as well as the 'experts' who have undertaken research in homosexuality, have deceived themselves into believing in the idea of diminished blame and moral acceptance, of this unnatural act. As long as man's intelligence is not inflicted with insanity, he is held responsible for his actions and he is Islamically under compulsion to restrain his perverted cravings so that he does not descend into a sub-human level of existence. Man's gratification of his sexual appetite with another man has a long history of its own. The Qur'an bears testimony to the fact that the people of the prophet Lut (Alayhis salaam), the nephew of Ibriham (Alayhis salaam), sent as a warning to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, were those who initiated this heinous practice. Before them it was unknown. In this connection the Qur'an mentions: "We also sent Lut. He said to his people, 'Do you commit indecency such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For you practise your lusts on men in preference to women; you are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.'" These Sodomites even indulged in their homosexual orgies publicly. Their wickedness had attained the level where the mere sight of a handsome young man made them so agitated that they pounced upon him as famished people would fall on food. Even honoured guests did not enjoy immunity or any privileged position. They did not hesitate in even resorting to violence in achieving their lustful object. The Qur'an has depicted the scene when the angels of punishment [came to] Lut (Alayhis salaam) as his guests in the guise of handsome young men. Hadrat Lut (Alayhis salaam) did not recognized them in the first instance. But he knew the shameless habit of his people. He was extremely distressed and he apprehended that his people would certainly demand unnatural and shameful sexual activity. His apprehension was correct. They could not sit silently at the news of such "boys" of excellent beauty. These sodomites recklessly rushed to the home of Lut (Alayhis salaam) to gratify their unnatural desires. Lut (Alayhis salaam) found himself in a difficult situation. He prompted them to legally satisfy their sexual appetite with women even offering his daughter in lawful marriage to the most gentle of them, and not insisting on this unnatural outlet. Then he very effectively appealed to them, in the name of the Almighty, that they should abstain from disgracing him by dishonouring his guests. The Qur'an states: "And his people came rushing towards him, and they had been long in the habit of practising abominations. He said: 'O my people! Here are my daughters: they ore purer for you (if you marry)! Now fear Allah, and cover me not with shame about my guests! Is there not among you a right-handed man?'" But the accursed people inflamed with evil passions turned a deaf ear to all his reasoning with them. They had lost all sense of morality and were blind in their voluptuous sentiments. On this occasion they even taunted him for his frequent protests in the past against their sins. Hadrat Lut (Alayhis salaam) seemed helpless in the situation in which he found himself, - alone against a rabble of people inflamed with lustful passions. He wished he had the strength to suppress them himself or had some powerful support to lean on! But the powerful support was there, though he had not realized it till then. It was the support of the Almighty. His guests were not ordinary men, but Angels who had come to test the people before they inflicted punishment. They now declared themselves and gave him directions to get away before the morning, when the punishment would descend on the doomed cities. Even in Lut's (Alayhis salaam) household was one, i.e. his wife, who detracted from the harmony of the family. She lagged behind and looked back, i.e. one whose mental and moral attitude, in spite of association with the righteous was to hark back to the glitter of wickedness and sin. Finally, the wrath of the Almighty descended upon them, their cities were turned upside down and showers of stone rained on them. Regarding this the Qur'an mentions: "Then when Our decree came to pass. We turned the cities upside down, and We rained thereon stones of baked clay, piled up." The punishment of turning upside down given to this people resembles outwardly their shameless deed of homosexuality. The shower of stone was very thick so as to form layers. It is also said that the name of each man was written or engraved on those stones which were the cause of their annihilation. The inversion of cities by way of punishment was the task which was assigned to Jibra'il (Alayhis salaam). Homosexuality is also a form of sexual inversion, hence the type of punishment was most befitting in that it also symbolized their unnatural acts of immorality. Showers of stones (not hail-stones, but real stones) are not a normal occurrence. So too, the punishment of the inversion of the cities (was quite rightly justified). Thus, unnatural forms of punishment were prescribed by Allah for the unnatural sins of the homosexual community. The community of Lut (Alayhis salaam) was a prosperous nation materially and they inhabited five cities: Sodom, Gamurah, Udmah, Laboobem and Sughar. The Qur'an refers collectively to these five cities with the term Mu'tafikaat (the inverted cities). The cities are so designated because of the perverted crimes of sexual inversion of their inhabitants and because they were physically inverted and eliminated by the command of Allah. Before the people of Sodom, never did this evil even enter the mind of mankind, let alone practicing it. The Umayyad Khalifah "Abdul Malik said that if this episode of the homosexuals was not mentioned in the Qur'an, he would not have conceded the reality of this crime since it was unthinkable that man will descend to such a degenerate level and debase himself in a type of act which is not indulged in by even the overwhelming majority of lowly beasts." Nevertheless, even after the community to which prophet Lut (Alayhis salaam) was sent as cautioner, met their catastrophic end, sodomy continued and even sometimes flourished. It is now known that homosexuality existed before the pre-Christian era among the so-called 'civilised' nations of the world especially the Greeks and Romans. It was not only confined to common masses, but even legendary and prominent figures such as Socrates, Aristotle, Julius Caesar and many others practiced it. (Miftahi) In thirteenth century France, homosexuality was the great craze of the day and the government of the country had to enact a law that those found guilty of this unnatural crime will be put to death. And Germany was not far behind in the pursuit of this craze. Before Nazi Germany there was a famous person, Dr. Magnus Herschefield, (who had been the president of the Society for the Reformation of Sexual Behaviour), who launched powerful propaganda in favour of sodomy for six years. Finally 'democracy' acceded to this demand and the strictly forbidden became approved. It was decided by majority vote that homosexuality among the males was no longer an offence provided it was indulged in with mutual consent of the parties involved and in case of the object of the unnatural love being a minor, his guardian had to give his consent. In the Orient, Iran has been notorious and Persian poetry amply supports it. Karachi has also been named in this regard. It is said there were three centres there, where eunuchs carried on that unnatural business. Afghanistan (then under Communist influence) has also been mentioned. India, too, is not so clean in her records in this field, although the common people are involved in it to a limited extent. It is the educated and the sophisticated people who take to it as a diversion. The educational institutions, schools, colleges and centres of oriental studies too are not free from this curse. Islam strictly forbade this detestable deed and prescribed the severed punishment, relenting not in the least in making it a deterrent. The Qur'an cautions that once people take to homosexuality, they sink to the depths of moral degradation. The admonitory punishment meted out to these transgressors was described in such a moving way that those reciting the Qur'an may learn the harsh consequences of this evil, and may protect themselves from this outrageous crime. To deter the Muslims from evil, the Qur'an initially declared to those participating in this perversion: "If two men among you are guilty of indecency, punish them both." Once Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) expressed his anticipated fear by stating that among the evils that his ummah can take to, he feared sodomy most. In fact, this was a forewarning measure that the ummah may guard against, realizing that the prophet himself had forbidden it. On one occasion Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) declared: "Whoever gratifies his sexual urge with another (individual) of his own sex, Almighty will not so much as look at him." Undoubtedly, sodomy is one of the most repulsive acts, even observed among beasts. Therefore, the sight of a homosexual will be so disgusting to Allah that it will intensify His anger to heights where He will not even consider glancing at a sodomist. Through this act, man degrades his humanity and announces extermination as his policy. Moreover, it implies wretchedness and misery of the womenfolk and he himself is prone to so many diseases: the basic organs of his body, brain, heart, liver and kidneys become deficiently immune (AIDS), his face lacks the sparkle of health and he looks off-colour and melancholy, with the result that such an incapacitated criminal becomes worthless to women. This wretched outcast deprives himself of the bounty of procreation and the priceless jewel of morality.

It starts from you Once there was a king who told some of his workers to dig a pond. Once the pond was dug, the king made an announcement to his people saying that one person from each household has to bring a glass of milk during the night and pour it into the pond. So, the pond should be full of milk by the morning. After receiving the order, everyone went home. One man prepared to take the milk during the night. He thought that since everyone will bring milk, he could just hide a glass of water and pour inside the pond. Because it will be dark at night, no one will notice. So he quickly went and poured the water in the pond and came back. In the morning, the king came to visit the pond and to his surprise the pond was only filled with water! What has happened is that everyone was thinking like the other man that “I don’t have to put the milk, someone else will do it.” Dear friends, when it comes to helping the Religion of Allah, do not think that others will take care of it. Rather, it starts from you, if you don’t do it, no one else will do it. So, change yourself to the way of Allah to serve Him and that will make the difference.

Do Muslim Husbands Make the Grade? taken from www.ask-imam.com When we seek out knowledge about marriage we see that the Qur'an and Sunnah have assigned tremendous importance to the marriage contract and have distinguished it above all other contracts. Indeed the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "When a man marries, he has completed half of his religion and he needs only to fear Allah to complete the other half." (Mishkat) In the Qur'an, Allah says, "And how could you take it (back) while you have gone in unto each other, and they have taken from you a firm and strong covenant?" [4:81] Purpose of Marriage Therefore, marriage must be entered into whole-heartedly and taken very seriously by each of the two partners, and both of them must be committed to making their marriage a success. A marriage is truly successful and prosperous only when it is mutually rewarding. Allah suggests that both partners come together to cover, protect and beautify each other in the same way that a garment covers, protects and beautifies the one who wears it. [2:187] Through this metaphor, we understand that when two people get married, they cease to consider themselves individuals but instead as a couple - each person benefiting by the other equally. In order to flourish, there can be no hint of selfishness or refusal to compromise between them. There must be an agreement between the two partners that each of them will work together to solve whatever problems arise. They will assist one another and sacrifice in order to gain mutual happiness, pleasure and peace. This is the purpose and goal of marriage according to the Shari'ah. As the Lord of the Heavens and Earth has said, "He it is Who has created you from a single person and [then] He has created from him his wife, in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her." [7:189] Allah has designated specific roles for both partners. Only when these rights are observed and these obligations fulfilled, can tranquility descend upon the couple and security surround them in their certain success. If either of the two partners, out of ignorance or intention, refuses to fulfill his or her duties and thereby does not honor the rights of the other, the household becomes a living Hell. Unfortunately, this is a common situation today. Let us focus now on the responsibilities and desirable characteristics of a Muslim husband. Many brothers have never asked themselves: "What are the rights of a wife upon her husband?", "What is my responsibility toward her?", "What do I owe her?" Never asking these questions, or answering them with ignorance, causes many problems in Muslim households. What are the characteristics every man should possess in order to be a good husband to his wife? The example of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, is the ideal model. Let us look specifically at these characteristics and how we may achieve them in our lives. Starting Point First of all let us understand that Islam is a complete way of life which offers guidance for mankind in all matters. Allah is the All-Knowing the All-Wise and He has taken account of everything which concerns us. He has included the solution to all of our problems in His Shari'ah. Nothing has been overlooked. The characteristics of a Muslim husband and the way to acquire them have been made clearer and easier to accomplish through the example of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam. Allah says, "Indeed you have in the messenger of Allah a most excellent example of conduct for him who looks forward to the meeting with Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much." [33:21] Unfortunately many brothers interpret this in a limited way - they focus on what we know of the dress and physical attributes of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, and his Sahaba. There is no question that the best example of a husband and father is the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam. Why is it, then, that so many of us are so far from his example in this area? Could it be that other examples around us influence our behavior more? Do we believe that our financial contribution should represent our dedication to our families? Or have we deliberately ignored the model Allah has provided us. Allah has taught us that if we want to achieve Allah's pleasure in all spheres of life, the best example for us is His Messenger, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam. Indeed, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, himself has informed us that the excellence of his example encompasses and includes everything, especially his behavior toward his wives. He, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "The best of you are those who are best toward their wives and I am the best of you toward my wives." (Tirmithi) ty & Fear of Allah This subject is not new. When Ata' and Ubaydullah ibn Umayr once asked Aisha about the nature of Prophet Muhammad's behavior with her: "Aisha started to weep and said, 'One night he stood up [intending to offer the night prayer] and said, 'O Aisha, let me be alone so that I may worship my Lord.' He stood up, purified himself and continued to pray and weep until the ground became wet. Bilal came and made the adhan. When he saw the Prophet crying, he said, 'O Messenger of Allah [why do] you cry, when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?' Prophet Mohammed replied, '[Then, for that] should I not be a thankful slave?'" (Ibn Hibban) This is one example that demonstrates the intensity of our Prophet's devotion to his Lord - his extreme piety and tremendous fear of Allah. Any man, who wishes to emulate him, should start by emulating his taqwa (piety). For it is taqwa of the heart which serves as a foundation for good deeds, manners and morals and makes the observance of the rights of others easy. If a man really and truly wants to be a good husband to his wife, he must also possess fear of Allah. If a man has the fear of Allah, and it is this fear that most influences his relationship and his dealings with his wife, he fears what Allah may do to him if he harms her or treats her in a way that is unjust and therefore will never mistreat her in any way - physically or verbally. He knows that he has to meet Allah and answer for all that he has said and done. Indeed this is why Hasan ibn Ali said when asked, "'O Hasan I have a daughter. To whom do you think I should marry her?' Hasan said, 'Marry her to [a man] who [fears Allah]; for if he [truly fears Allah] and if he loves her he will honor her and [even] if he doesn't love her, he will never oppress or abuse her [because he fears Allah].'" Education Among the most important rights a woman has is her right to be educated about her religion. This responsibility is incumbent upon her husband. Therefore, one of the most desirable characteristics of a Muslim husband is that he himself is knowledgeable about Islam and teaches his wife whatever he knows. Why would any Muslim husband want to deny his wife this right? Is it not his wife who will guide his children as they grow? Isn't she the one who teaches them about haram and halal? Isn't she the one to see that they learn to pray and fast? Isn't she the one who must protect her husband's place and belongings in his absence according to Islamic guidelines? If her knowledge about the deen is limited, the entire family will suffer. Many men seek to shelter their wives from outside influences by forbidding them to participate in outside activities. Many men may fear that if their wife's Imaan becomes stronger, she will object to his behavior or certain weaknesses in his character. These are reasons that should compel us to participate in her Islamic education, so as she learns, so will we. Couples can discuss topics that concern them and agree on how they will integrate new information into their family's routine. With this type of cooperation, there is less room for misunderstandings, and less opportunity for one Muslim to feel superior to another within the household. This practice will draw the family members closer to each other and, more importantly, closer to Allah. "O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are [appointed] angels stern and severe, who do not hesitate to fulfill the commandments of Allah [to inflict punishment upon the people of Hell] but [rather] they do [precisely] what they have been commanded [to do]!" [66:6] We can see that taking an active role in our family's Islamic education protects our families from the fire of Hell. We must strive to set the best example possible for our children, wives and brothers in Islam. It is only by taking personal responsibility, that we can improve the current state of the Ummah. We are creating Muslim communities where our children and grandchildren and brothers and sisters in Islam will find themselves flourishing or deteriorating in. We must ensure that they have the means to flourish by improving our own knowledge of Islam and constantly sharing it with our families. We need not look far to see members of our Ummah who have failed to keep Islam as the central focus in their homes. Let us move forward by each of us looking at ourselves and asking Allah to help us to achieve this goal. If we fail to reach this goal, the consequences in the Hereafter are even more grave, especially for the husband. As the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, said, "Each one of you is a shepherd and every shepherd will be asked about his flock... and the man will be asked about his family." (Bukhari and Muslim) When the Day of Judgment comes, will our reasons for not educating our families be sufficient for Allah? Will we be able to offer any excuse after Allah and His Messenger have made it clear that educating our wives is a duty enjoined upon him that he will be asked about? Brothers, do your wives read the Qur'an, Hadeeth and Seerah of Prophet Mohammed, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam? Do they understand their meanings? Do they practice what they have learned? It is our obligation to make certain that our wives have the opportunity and means to continuously increase their knowledge. To do so will not only please Allah but will improve the relations of everyone in our homes, our Ummah, and inshaAllah the societies in which we live. Presentation is Key Another responsibility of the Muslim husband is to assist his wife in obeying the commands of Allah. If she should transgress the limits of Allah, then it becomes his duty to advise her, admonish her and actually physically prevent her from doing so. However, it is the right of the wife that this admonishment be coupled with kindness and mercy. As Allah says, "And [it was] by the Mercy of Allah, [that] you dealt gently with them. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so overlook their faults, ask that [Allah's] forgiveness be granted to them and consult with them in [the] affairs of the moment." [3:159] Therefore, if a husband is over-bearing and insisting, his wife's behavior will most likely not be corrected. She may even persist in her disobedience, returning his cruelty. Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, advised us to "treat women kindly. [The] woman has been created from a rib [which is curved]. The most crooked part of the rib is the uppermost part. If you were to try [to force] it straight you will [certainly] break it and if you leave it as it is, it will remain curved. So [admonish] women kindly." (Bukhari and Muslim) So when a husband offers advise, or reminds or admonishes his wife, he must take this hadeeth into consideration and exercise his authority in a gentle manner in order to bring about the desired result. A wife is an Advisor The nature of marriage is one of a continuous growing relationship. Every person has likes and dislikes and wants to feel his or her opinion matters. Also, because a husband and wife spend many hours, days and years together, InshaAllah, they get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses very well. It is for this reason that a wife can be the best advisor for her husband. Also, sometimes we are so involved in other aspects of a situation that we find it hard to find a suitable solution. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, used to discuss certain matters with his wives and ask for their advice. An example of this happened shortly after the treaty of Hudaybeyah was signed. Many of the Prophet's companions were displeased with the treaty and the great number of compromises it contained. So, when the Prophet ordered the companions to shave their heads, slaughter their animals and prepare to return to Madinah, instead of complying as they had always done in the past, the companions remained in their places. This greatly disturbed the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, for his companions had never disobeyed him in this manner before. He, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, went to Umm Salamah and asked her for advice. She told him, "You are the Messenger of Allah. Shave your head and slaughter your animal and the people will do as you have done." So the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, had his head shaved and slaughtered his animal and the people followed him. Because a wife usually knows her husband better than anyone else, it is naturally her place to offer him constructive criticism and it is her husband's duty to consider it. Many men would not like to hear criticism from their wives, but, many times she is the best one to offer an accurate assessment of his character and behavior. We should realize that none of us is perfect, and that Allah allowed us this safe relationship where we can offer help to one another and use every opportunity available to improve ourselves and the image we present as a model for our families, friends and others. As Umar ibnul Khattab once said, "May Allah have Mercy upon the one who points out my shortcomings." Graceful Helper Isn't that women's work? That is the opinion that many of us have. It is true that most of the time, women care for the house and children. But, this does not mean that it should be their responsibility alone. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, never enjoyed coming home to relax in leisure after a hard day at work. His work did not end with his coming home; instead, a new order of engagements and activities commenced. Aisha was once asked, "How was the Prophet's conduct in his home?" She said, "He was like one of you at home, yet he was most lenient and most generous. His spirits were high at all times, [he] smiled and even joined [us] in laughter at times. He was ready to give a helping hand to his wives in the ordinary work of the house, [he] sew[ed] his own clothes [and] mend[ed] his own shoes. In general, he helped in whatever work his wives did. However, when the call to prayer was pronounced, he dropped everything and hurried to the masjid." (Tabaqat of Ibn Sad) So the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, showed us that we should deal with our wives with consideration for their sensitive and delicate nature in all things. The same kind and gentle manner prescribed for correcting her should also exist with what we view as her work. We know about the Prophet's opinion that his work did not end at the doorway to his home. He took the initiative to do whatever needed to be done. This idea is very important today. Many of us do not realize the amount of effort that goes into keeping the house clean, the children cared for and the meals prepared. Brothers just try to imagine what your lives would be like if for some reason you had to do all of this by yourself, in addition to a job outside the home. It would seem impossible. It helps to show your wife that you appreciate her efforts. You may tell her that you appreciate her, but do you show her? When was the last time you did the laundry, ran the vacuum, changed a diaper, provided a home-cooked meal for your family, or gave your wife a day off (while you completed her chores for that day)? This may seem strange to you, but I guarantee that if you did this at least once a month, your relationship with your wife will become even better. Showing the initiative to help your wife, and lessen her burden will mean so much more to her than the effort you put forth. Although active participation in the housework and the care of the children was never a problem for the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, it seems to be inconceivable to many modern men. They feel that housework is beneath them and that if they were to stoop to that level, their peers would see them as weak - perhaps controlled by their wives. The reality is that Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, was the ruler of Madinah, Commanding General of the Muslim military, the Imam of the Muslims, their Grand Mufti and Allah's Khaleel and His Chosen Messenger as well as the head of a number of households. Yet all of this status and rank did not detract from his humility or cause him to think that household chores were beneath him. Ask yourself which of the men in your Muslim community have been happily married for twenty or more years? We cannot assume that merely being twenty years together means they are both happy. Find a man who you know to be happy and family-oriented and who speaks highly of his wife. Go and ask him what his wife appreciates most about him. Here you will find your answer. More than likely, this man cares more about the happiness of his family than the opinions of the men around him. Healthy Body, Healthy Mind Doesn't it feel good when you play your favorite sport? You get to run and use your body and make yourself tired. Isn't this better than feeling tired from worrying or working too hard? Allah has directed us to take care of our bodies, not only men but women also. Aisha reported, "I raced with the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, and beat him in the race. Later, after I had put on some weight, we raced again. This time he was the winner. At that time he said to me, "This one cancels that one." (Abu Dawud) On another occasion Aisha said, "By Allah, I saw the Messenger of Allah standing at the door of my house, while the Abyssinians were displaying their skill with spears in the courtyard of the Prophet's masjid. He concealed me with his cloth so that I could see their play and he stood there for me until I [became tired and] left. So, be understanding of the young woman who is eager for entertainment." (Muslim) Here we can see that it was not the intention of Allah to keep a woman in her house, hidden from any temptation to participate in physical exercise. In fact, it is one of the duties and responsibilities of the Muslim husband to spend quality time with his wife and to allow her to engage in permissible forms of recreation. It is really not right for a husband to go out to play a game while his wife remains tucked away in the house with no one to talk to except a three-year-old. Many brothers feel that the Islamic regulations concerning hijab forbid a woman to leave the house for recreation, but the above evidences seem to refute this position. In fact, when a woman wears hijab, she is recognized as a Muslim woman and thus protected from being molested. And, the society is protected from the fitnah that would occur if she were not properly clothed. Husbands have to realize that women need exercise, just as much, if not more than they do. Men are often complaining about their wives' weight, but as soon as a wife asks their husband to take her out for a walk so that she might lose some weight he says, "No, your place is in the home!" A Muslim husband must take his wife out on a regular basis for recreation. Some permissible types are as follows: Horseback riding, a trip to a country farm or park, a zoo, a museum, picnic (in a secluded place), a scenic drive, fishing, or boating. These are just a few of the many things that the Shari'ah has either encouraged or permitted. In all circumstances the woman should wear the proper hijab and seclusion should be sought. Even if others are around the woman, she may still enjoy herself within limits. May Allah guide the Muslim husbands and allow them to see the importance of this matter. On Loan from Allah We know that everything we possess is on loan from Allah. He enables us to earn money through our work in this world. We do our best to use that money to provide for our families in the best way possible. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wasallam, said, "When a person spends upon his family, hoping for reward from Allah, then that spending is counted (in his record of good deeds) as a charity." (Bukhari and Muslim) Allah says, "Let the man of means spend according to his means, [as for] the man whose resources are limited, let him spend according to what Allah has given him." [65:7] Truth or Consequence Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) says, "O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is in the sight of Allah that you say that which you do not do." [61:2-3]. There must be total agreement between our words and deeds. One should carry into effect whatever he says, and when he has no intention of doing it, or lacks the means necessary to fulfill a promise, he should not say it. We can see that Prophet Muhammed, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, was not typical for the men around him in many ways. We also know that his way was the best in the Sight of Allah. Allah wanted his life to be the example we have to follow. We see others around us behaving in one way and we have the Sunnah as a contrasting example. We see families in turmoil, divorce becoming more common, children disinterested in Islam and our elders crying. We must all become active participants in the ummah. It is our responsibility to influence the world around us, not to succumb to its influence on us. We must strive everyday to emulate the perfect example Allah has given us. We must work harder to participate in our families' Islamic education, we must show our wives that we appreciate their efforts by helping them, and we must also encourage them to seek more knowledge about Islam in order to enrich our children with such an environment. We need to check our behavior when dealing with our wives. Are we really treating them in a kind and gentle manner? Do we always do what we say? When the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "When a man marries he has completed half of his religion and he needs only fear Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, to complete the other half." (Mishkat), he was reminding us that marriage is not separate from, but part of the deen. Therefore, all aspects of our marital relationship should follow the way of Islam.

He is the son of "Al-Mugueerah bin Al-Waleed" the richest man in Mecca and the most famous and well renown poet during that time. Khalid was a tall man with a well built body. He was a knight and a warrior. Many people had mistaken him for "Umar bin Al-Khattab" for such close physical resemblance. Khalid embraced Islam just 3 years before the death of prophet Mohammad (saw). One day, the prophet (saw) had asked Khalid's brother "Al-Mugueerah" who was a Muslim: "Where is Khalid? he shouldn't be ignorant about Islam since he knows better!" Al-Mugueerah sent a letter to Khalid informing him what the prophet (saw) had said. Khalid decided to embrace Islam after all. Khalid set out to Medinna with the company of "Amro bin Al-Auss" and both embraced Islam in the presence of the prophet (saw). The prophet (saw) gave khalid the title "the Sword of Islam" or "Sayef Al-Islam". Even though Khlaid didn't participate in the early battles, but of course, the prophet (saw) did foresee that Khalid will fight to raise the word of Islam. The prophet's prediction concerning Khalid was right on target and after all, Khalid is the one who conquered both empires, Rome & Persia. Khalid is the one who conquered the defectors "Apostates" headed by "Musailama the liar". Kahlid is the one who opened "Bilad Ashaam" and Iraq. All this happened during the rule of "Abu-Bakr" and "Umar bin Al-Khattab". Khalid fought next to the prophet (saw) in several battles such as: Tabook, Hunain, & the battle of Ta'if which was a continuation for Hunain. In Hunain, the infidels have ambushed the Muslims and many of them fled away. It's said that only 12 "Sahabah" left fighting and protecting the prophet (saw). Meanwhile, Khalid was inside enemy lines fighting them like a lion. When Khalid heard "Al-Abbas" calling for the Muslims, Khalid pulled back and headed toward the Prophet (saw). Khalid, along with Umar, Ali and Abu-Bakr, fought vigorously around the prophet (saw). Khalid was wounded all over his body. But Khalid's ultimate Battle was, of course, the Battle of Mu'tah. The prophet (saw) had sent messengers to several Arabian tribes including "the tribe of Al-Talh" inviting them to Islam, all messengers got killed but one who went back to inform the prophet (saw). Also, the prophet (saw) had sent messengers to Hercules, the Roman Leader in Bilad Ashaam, but in the middle of the road the Tribe of Gassan had captured the messengers and ordered them killed. The Prophet (saw) vowed to punish both tribes for such heinous crimes. The prophet (saw) decided to send 3 Thousand men under the leadership of "Zaid bin Harithah", and if he gets killed then "Jafar bin Abi Talib", and if he gets killed then "Abdullah bin Rawaha", and if he gets killed then Muslims ought to elect their new leader. Khalid bin Al-Waleed was among the Muslims in this platoon. The Muslim army advanced until it reached the city of Ma'aan and stayed there for 2 nights. The Muslims have learned that the Arab tribes have gathered an army of 100,000 men and that Rome has sent an army of 100,000 men to aid the local Arab tribes. Two hundred Thousand men against 3 Thousand Muslims! Of course this is not a fair fight especially when the ratio is 67 to 1. But since when numbers scared Muslims! Both armies advanced and met face to face in an area called Mu'tah, currently a small city in Jordan. Both sides launched fierce attacks at each other, while in Medianna which is 500 Miles away, the prophet (saw) was giving an instance and live battle update to his followers. The 3 Muslim leaders got killed and the Muslims elected Khlaid to lead the army against the Roman/Arab gigantic armies. Khalid maintained the fight until night where he, using his superior war tactics, withdrew his small army and swapped the wings. Plus, he ordered few men to go behind the hills to cause rumble and dust to create illusion that Muslim backups are on the way. The following day, both armies engaged in a fiercer battle, but the Romans thought that the Muslims had received more backup, both Romans and Arabs panicked and began cowardly withdrawing from the battle field while the small and brave Muslim army on their tails. The Muslims won this amazing Battle under the great leadership of the Muslim leader "Khalid bin Al-Waleed". Battle outcome: Khalid broke 9 swords in his hand. Only "12" Muslim casualties including the 3 leaders. The Romans & Arabs got defeated with thousands in casualties. Khalid bin Al-Waleed died at age 55 during Umar bin Al-Khattab's command. Khalid was living in the city of Homs, in Syria. When Khalid died he left two things behind, his Horse and his Sword. Khalid was a great warrior, with or against Muslims. In fact, it's because of Khalid Muslims got defeated in the Battle of Ohud. Now we know why the prophet (saw) gave him the title "Sayef Al-Islam".....May Allah (swt) have great mercy on Khalid's sole and grant him Al-Firdoos.....Ameen. Khalid bin Al-Waleed died at age 55 during Umar bin Al-Khattab's command. Khalid was living in the city of Homs, in Syria. When Khalid died he left two things behind, his Horse and his Sword. Khalid was a great warrior, with or against Muslims. In fact, it's because of Khalid Muslims got defeated in the Battle of Ohud. Now we know why the prophet (saw) gave him the title "Sayef Al-Islam".....May Allah (swt) have great mercy on Khalid's sole and grant him Al-Firdoos.....Ameen.

There is NO life except in the hereafter. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: "He who loves his worldly life will harm his Hereafter. And he who loves his Hereafter will harm his worldly life. Give preference then, to that which is eternal (The Hereafter) over that which is temporary". (Ahmed) He also said: "Wise is he who controls his desires & prepares for the life which starts after death, and wretched is he who makes himself a slave to his desires and has false expectations of Allah". (Tirmidhi) The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "O Allah! There is no life worth living except the life of the Hereafter... (Bukhari)

Halal Diet and Pregnancy We are what we eat. Today we complain our children are disobedient towards us, but why the surprise? If we feed our children haram (even while in the womb) then the thoughts that will be bred in their minds (later in life) will be haram. Understand well, halal foods breed halal thoughts and halal actions whilst haram food breeds haram thoughts and haram actions. Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi narrates, ‘If before birth of the child, parents were to reform themselves and adopt piety, then there is no reason why the child born too should not be pious. The actions of parents during pregnancy have a profound effect on the unborn child. Accordingly, the son of a saint was quite mischievous. Somebody queried the saint; ‘It is indeed strange; you are so pious yet your son so naughty?’ The saint replied, ‘ One evening I was invited to meals by a rich person (whose income was doubtful). After eating, my nafs became excited and I made love to my wife who became pregnant. This child is the effect of the doubtful food.’ Therefore, during pregnancy (especially) it is of the utmost importance to eat a varied halal diet brought from halal income. If in doubt regarding ingredients, leave it out.

“[And it will be said], ‘Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated.’” (Qur’an, 76:22) Failure can take a toll on a person: that feeling of trying and trying, over and over, yet somehow never getting where you want to be. Or sometimes the task just seems too huge to achieve; is there even any use? We touched upon this a little when discussing thinking well of Allah and tawakkul. But this aspect involves knowing that nothing ever goes to waste. In the verse above, Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala tells us our sa’y (effort) is appreciated; it is recognized. That is what we get rewarded for. Whether or not we succeed, it is ultimately the effort that we put in that Allah (swt) takes into account. One of Allah’s Names is Ash-Shakoor: He is Appreciative of what you do, no matter how small, and He rewards it abundantly. Imagine: Allah (swt) is so appreciative, He even rewards our intention! Therefore, we know that those who intend to do well, but cannot do it, are still rewarded. This feeling of failure is actually a deception from shaytan to deter us from trying. He promotes neglect: “Don’t work on your relationship with your parents, they’ll never change,” and makes us doubt: “do you really think that your tiny effort is going to have an effect?” But Allah (swt) rewards you when you try because your trying is testament to the fact that even though you know you are a minor player, you are doing it for His sake. Look at this verse from Surat al-Baqarah: “Or take the one who passed by a ruined town. He said, ‘How will God give this life when it has died?’ So God made him die for a hundred years, and then raised him up, saying, ‘How long did you stay like that?’ He answered, ‘A day, or part of a day.’ God said, ‘No, you stayed like that for a hundred years. Look at your food and drink: they have not gone bad. Look at your donkey- We will make you a sign for the people; look at the bones: see how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh!’ When all became clear to him, he said, ‘Now I know that God has power over everything.” (Qur’an, 2:259) This verse describes Prophet Uzayr (`alayhi assalam) when Allah (swt) sent him to revive deserted Jerusalem. Jerusalem was ruined by an unjust king, and when Uzayr (as) arrived, it was so barren and deserted that he wondered how Allah would give life to this dead place. It seemed impossible. Still he worked the whole day, doing what he could with the little tools that he had, and laid to rest. As an example to him and to us, Allah (swt) caused him to die and brought him back to life 100 years later. Not only was this a miracle as his food and drink did not rot either, but Jerusalem was filled with new people and life. The Prophet Uzayr (as) would never have known that his small effort would culminate, by the will of Allah (swt), in bringing the town back to life. But Allah (swt) shows him how it does, as an example to us – so that we never say “it’s a waste of time.” Subhan’Allah. Sometimes we deal with Allah (swt) as though He is a human being Who doesn’t know about the worry we feel, the stress, the striving. When we fail to see the results of our effort, we think that we failed and that it was a waste of time. But Allah (swt) tells us: “And never is your Lord forgetful…” (Qur’an, 19:64) If you try to work on your relationship with your family members but to no avail, remember, Allah knows about your pain. He won’t forget it, and He will give you compensation for it accordingly. If you want to work into making your community better, but something happens whereby everything you invested in it is suddenly gone, Allah always knows. The point is that we are not just about dunya even though we’re in it. When we fall, we pick ourselves back up again because we are also about the akhirah – our ultimate hope is in Him. However, this doesn’t mean that we do the same thing over and over again knowing that it’s not working. What it means is not being defeated internally. We are Muslims, when one thing in our lives fails, it doesn’t make us feel down for an extended period of time because we know that even a step taken for the sake of Allah (swt) is rewarded. Let’s keep moving insha’Allah. Don’t think that your efforts have been wasted. They have not. They are recorded with Ash-Shakoor, and if you don’t see the fruits of your labor in this life, surely Allah (swt) is keeping something amazing for you in the next.

Are You Ready to Leave? Have you ever lain awake at night and thought about the day of your death? Were you scared? Did you quickly start to think about ways to cheat death? Maybe get an oxygen tent or inject yourself with hormones? Or carry on with your day to day business trying not to think about it and that it will just never happen? Even then, your brain will still decay. Hormones will not stop your body from slowly moving towards its' end, and there will never be immortality for any of us in this world. There is no way to cheat death and no sorrow or joy will last but a few seconds before it disappears forever. Indeed, you and I are not permanent residents of this world. To further bring the truth to our homes and hearts, what if it was possible to know when you were going to die? What if you could get in touch with someone or pay an agency some money to tell you the exact day and time you would pass on to the next life? How would such knowledge affect you? Imagine right now knowing what date you will die if it was today, tomorrow, in ten years or more. What if you saw your death-date carved on your tomb stone at a shop just waiting to stand over your grave? Would your lifestyle change? Would your goals seem meaningless? Would you begin to question all those things you thought you think are important like a big house and a fancy car just to impress people ? Or would you see them as dust before your eyes ? Allah says in the Quran what means, {The example of those who deny their lord is that their accomplishments are like ashes upon which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day. They have no power over what they earned. They were far from a real goal.} (Ibrahim 14:18) So what are we here for? We are all here to surrender our wills to Allah. We are here to undergo a set of tests to determine if we are worthy of eternal life or eternal damnation. What is before our eyes is a glittering show and only those who seek less in this life will have more in the real life to come. Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "People are asleep and when they die they will wake up." That is a way of saying that most people have no clue who they are or why they are here. And sometimes we bump into people who seem to be sleeping more deeply than others. Once the Prophet Muhammad was organizing an army to fight the idol worshippers and a lot of people came forward asking to be excused from military duty. According to the Quran they were even questioning Allah saying, {Our Lord, why have you ordered us to fight? Won’t you give us time to live our natural lives? } (An-Nisaa' 4:77) Clearly, these people were afraid to die, and selfishly thought only about living in the life they thought they owned. But Allah then ordered Prophet Muhammad to tell them, {The enjoyment of this world is short. The next life is the best for those who do right. You will never be dealt with unjustly at all.} (An-Nisaa' 4:77) Then we are all warned, { Wherever you are, death will find you. Even if you are in mighty towers.}(An-Nisaa' 4:78) {You cannot save yourself form death. This life is not a place you should think of as permanent. Your purpose is to be tested and try to build an iman (faith) that is true as you can make it and do the best you can be to those around you. } (Al-Baqarah 2:160 and Fussilat 41:34) Think about it that way, if you can release yourself from being a slave to material things, then nothing that happens in this life can pull you into depression or frightfulness. You may feel sad if something tragic happens but you will never lose hope. Suicide, drug abuse, drunkenness, and stress are all indicators of being far from Allah. People can lose their fears and worries by fully implanting Islam in their lives. Our lives do not end with death, far from it. Sure, our physical bodies perish and decay away, but the spirit that Allah has breathed into us is quickly released into another world. Allah says in the Quran what means, {Allah is a reality. It is He who brings life to the dead and it is Him who has power over all things.} (Al-Hajj 22:6) The purpose of our lives can best be summoned up in the words of a man who thought much about it and hit upon the truth. { I wouldn't be reasonable if I didn't serve the One who created me and Whom I will return.} (Ya-Sin 36:22) You only have one chance to get your life's record right. Make your decision wisely. That's why you are here.

Leave a Trace. Many people pass by in this life and then move away and became among the bygones. Among those, the footprints of some have completely disappeared and if you try to follow them, you would find nothing. This is because they did not walk on a definite path, for they had neither purpose nor aim. However, the footprints of others are still prominent and their trails brilliant, appealing to the beholders. Although they have passed away, their good mention remains. That is because they insisted on leaving a mark. "Every human being has an existence and a legacy (to leave); and his existence does not serve a purpose without his trace. The trace he leaves indicates the value of his existence." [Dr. ‘Ali Al-Hammaadi] Allaah The Almighty created people to worship Him (Alone as confirmed in His Statement what means): {And I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me} [Quran 51:56] and for this purpose, He subjected to them all that is in existence (as stated in His Saying what means): {And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from Him: Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought} [Quran 45:13]. Thus, the main task of man as a vicegerent on earth is to worship Allaah The Almighty and benefit from all those powers subjugated to him for the sake of worship. That is to say, making a mark in life and making a positive contribution to the world are among the main tasks of mankind in this world. As the last divine message, the compendium of divine teachings, and the method approved by Allaah The Almighty for humankind throughout the ages, until He inherits the earth and all that is on it, Islam encompasses in its principles, laws and ordinances all the means that ensure that humanity achieves the happiness of both abodes (of the world and the Hereafter). Islam covers all areas of life, keeping in mind the human constitution and people's needs, in an integrated structure which combines both the spiritual and the moral on the one hand, and making something of one's life on the other hand. Thus, a Muslim realizes the raison d'être for his existence and mission on earth, which includes, of course, to leave his imprint in the register of builders. Are you among the living? How easy it is for the answer to this question to readily trip off our tongues! But if man is really living, then, what is the sign of his being among the ranks of the living? Neither eating, nor drinking, nor sleeping, nor any such process could stand as proof of life. The living should have a mark to leave. The life of a person is devoid of meaning and value if he remains sedentary and motionless, in the depth of stillness. Ar-Raafi‘i, the litterateur, expressed this sentiment in his statement: "If you make no addition to life, then you will be but a worthless addition to it." [Wahy Al-Qalam: Mustafa Saadiq Ar-Raafi‘i] Whoever fails to create for himself a trace to leave behind when he dies, is just like the "Men who are born, then live then die" as put by Al-Hakeem, without leaving anything to be recorded about him by history other than the words: birth, life and death. On the contrary, the efficient believer who knows well the value of living a purposeful and constructive life always seeks to leave his mark on it. Efficiency is to obtain benefit from what is in our hands. Allaah The Almighty has subjected to us the land, the sea, animals and plants, and endowed us with time (to do what we like). The efficient person is he who makes use of his living moments. For this reason, on the Day of Judgment, man will be questioned about his lifetime: what did he spend it in. The hoopoe, the tutor:Has the news of the hoopoe of Solomon reached you? One day, Prophet Sulaymaan (Solomon), may Allaah exalt his mention, gathered his soldiers from men, Jinn, birds and wild animals, but he missed the hoopoe (as mentioned by Allaah The Almighty what means): {And he took attendance of the birds and said, "Why do I not see the hoopoe - or is he among the absent?} [Quran 27:20] He then threatened to punish him saying (what means): {"I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization."} [Quran 27:21] But it was not long before the hoopoe came to Sulaymaan, may Allaah exalt his mention, in the same assembly and said (what means): {"I have encompassed [in knowledge] that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news."} [Quran 27:22] In this way, he aroused his curiosity to know the story, then told him what confirmed that certain news; and this goes indicates the hoopoe's tact and mastery of the arts of speech. Then, he told him in detail (what means): {Indeed, I found [there] a woman ruling them, and she has been given of all things, and she has a great throne.} [Quran 27:23] He started with a rousing introduction to stimulate the interest of the listener, and then told him about the serious matter that kept him from attendance, saying (what means): {"I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allaah, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided."} [Quran 27:24] In this manner he raised the issue of polytheism, the heinous crime and most grievous sin to be committed on the surface of the earth. What a wonderful trait in the hoopoe, to be concerned with reform! He did not excuse himself on the grounds of his being incompetent for religious assignments, nor upon the claim that he was too weak to change falsehood. Rather, he found a role for himself, which was to notify others about this odious incident of polytheism. Since this hoopoe was positive and proactive, and liked to leave a trace, he did not satisfy himself with mere notification. He ascertained the even way, which is to affirm the oneness of Allaah The Almighty, and not to ascribe to Him any partner (in worship): {"[And] so they do not prostrate to Allaah, Who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and Knows what you conceal and what you declare -- Allaah -- there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne."} [Quran 27:25-26] An ant gives life to a whole nation (of ants) This was the wonderful ant whose mention has also been immortalized (in the Quran) by virtue of its good deed and positive conduct. The story is mentioned with the story of Sulaymaan, may Allaah exalt his mention, who was taught the language of the birds. Sulaymaan, may Allaah exalt his mention, was marching with his soldiers: {Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not."}[Quran 27:18] You have the right to wonder at this ant, which had a good assumption when it said: {while they perceive not."} You may also wonder at its eagerness to do something positive, and not to rely on negative surrender. It warned its people, without caring about its small size, not submitting to the obsession of failure to neglect notifying or warning, and not acting upon the adage: “After me, the deluge”. Similar to it is the story of the bee, which is the best example for work, devotion and relentless activity, such that at the end of its effort it produces delicious honey.

Marriage advice from a muslim mum Asma Radiallahu anha said to her daughter at the time of her marriage: "You are going to spend such a life where you shall have to live long and you are going to the bed of such a person who you have no acquaintance. You are going to love one with whom you had no love before. Make for him such a world, which will be heaven for you, prepare for him such a bed, which will be a pillar for you. Be such a slave for him that he may become your slave. Don't go willingly to him, lest you become to him an object of hatred. Don't remain far from him, lest he may forget you.When he remains near you, be near him, when he stays distant from you save your nose, ears and eyes.Let him not get from you except sweet smiles. Let him not hear from you except sweet words. Let him not see in you except beauty" This is very touching advice from a mother to her daughter, I am not aware of its source. here goes.. 1. Lead a life of contentment. Be content even with simple food. The dry bread and water, which is eaten with contentment, is better than a rich meal, which is eaten after your persistant complaints, forcing him to grudgingly provide it for you. 2. Always listen attentively to what your husband says. Give importance to what he says and do as he says. In this manner, you will soon win a place in his heart, because it is not really a person who is beloved, but what the person does that is most loved. 3. Tend your beauty carefully so that whenever he will look at you, he will be pleased with his choice. Within the limits of decency, use as much fragrance as possible, and remember that no part of your body or dress should repulse him. 4. Be always attractive to him, put Surma in your eyes, for beautiful eyes make a person's whole being beautiful in the eyes of the beholder. Bath and do ablution regularly, as this is the best perfume and the best way to cleanliness. 5. Prepare his meals before it is time as hunger becomes a flame if not satisfied. During the hours of rest, keep it quiet and peaceful as disturbed sleep makes a man miserable and angry. 6. Protect his home and treasure; let no one enter the house without his permission and do not waste his treasure by indulging in exhibition, for treasure can only be tended through good management and the family only through good sense. 7. Never disobey him and always keep his secrets, for disobeying such a honourable man would put fuel to fire and revealing his secrets would destroy his trust in you. And you, yourself will not be safe from his (retaliatory) double standards. Someone has rightly said " To be trusted is better than to be loved." 8. If he is grieved over something, then do not mention to him anything that has pleased you. Share his grief. When he is happy, do not disclose your hidden grief and do not complain to your husband about his behaviour. Be happy with him. otherwise you will be regarded as one who confuses him. 9. If you wish to be respectable in his eyes, then honour and respect him and act according to his wishes. Then at every stage of your life you will find him to be your best companion. 10. Hold fast onto this advice from me. Sweet flowers will not blossom in your life as long as you do not suppress your wish for his pleasure. My dear daughter, my darling! I bid farewell with these words and give you in Allah's care. May He make all steps in your life good and preserve you from all evil. (Ameen) May Allah bless us with the ability to implement these advices into our married lives, and May Allah (swt) bless us with the ability to fulfill all the responsibilities and promises that come with the bond of marriage. Ameen

Tips for a Happier Muslim Marriage By Muntaqima Abdur-Rashid (30: 21). Quran wrote: Sura 30 - Ar-Room [The Romans, The Byzantines] Verse 21-21: 21. وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 30 - Ar-Room [The Romans, The Byzantines] Verse 21-21: 21. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. I have listed some rules that may benefit those seeking an Islamic marriage, as well as, those who are already married. I do not pretend to be an expert of any kind. I have learned what I know through marrying at the early age of 18, just 9 months after embracing Islam. I muddled my way through much of my 14 years of marriage, and consider myself a graduate from the 'school of hard knocks'. The rules are: 1. Be conscious of your physical appearance. No one was more conscious of this than the Prophet. His Sunna reflects keen attention to personal hygiene and good grooming. He kept himself strong and muscular. Most likely the first aspect of you that attracted your mate was your appearance, so don't think that simply because you are married the task is over. You can't hide a weight problem under Thawbs' (dress) and long Khimars' (veils). Your mate knows. Be aware that you live in a society that places a high premium on physical appearance. It flaunts the shapely female and her muscular counterpart. Temptations that beckon non-Muslims beckon Muslims as well. Don 't allow your mate to get side-tracked by the likes of a Raquel Welch or an Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jog, join a gym, roller skate, swim and stay in shape. Insha' Allah, you will be more vibrant, more radiant, and more attractive to your mate. 2. Be aware of your role, but do not fall into role- playing. Muslim spouses sometimes experience difficulties because they are trying to do things 'by the book' without giving due consideration to the conditions prevailing in their country. For example, most female converts are taught that the role of the Muslim woman is to be at home raising her children. Supposedly, it is the man who works outside the home to maintain the family. She may have read about Birth Control and assumed that it has no place for the Muslimah; yet, it is worth noting that the Prophet himself allowed coitus interruptus. If ideal Islamic conditions prevailed, there would be no reason for a sister to worry about her financial situation interfering with her right to bear children. However, without an Islamic society, needy Muslim families may have to resort to welfare and food stamps rather than Zakaah and Sadaqah. This creates a feeling of dependence and humiliation that can place extreme stress on a marriage. In this ease, it may be helpful for the Muslim couple to delay having children, for the wife to work while the children are young and until the couple 's financial situation improves. Islam gives you this flexibility. Don't be afraid or ashamed to use it. 3. Be a companion to your mate. Try to show enthusiasm for your spouse's interests and hobbies. It is well-known that the Prophet would run races with 'Aisha. By all means try to involve your mate in your interests. 4. Be active in Islamic community life. This will strengthen your commitment to Islam while providing you wish a wholesome social outlet. Encourage your spouse to engage in activities that promote Islam. Have dinners at your home for Muslims as well as non-Muslims, and don't neglect your relatives. These activities will indirectly enhance the quality of your marriage through widening your circle of activity and contacts. 5. Admit your mistakes and have a forgiving, generous attitude when your mate errs. This country is a difficult place to live in. Most Muslims fall short of the Islamic ideal. Contradictions abound. Be quick to admit your shortcomings and work to amend them. Be understanding when your mate does not live up to the Islamic ideal and gently try to motivate him or her in the right direction. 6. Have a sense of humour. Be able to chuckle at life's minor aggravations. 7. Be modest when around members of the opposite sex. Do not try to test your spouse's affection by feigning interest in another. This will only cause dissension and bad feelings. 8. Share household duties. Brothers, take note. This is especially important these days when women work outside the home. The Prophet always helped his wives around the house and even mended his own clothes. Who knows? You might find you actually like preparing the evening meal or taking care of junior so your wife can have the afternoon off. The Messenger of Allah said, "The most perfect of the believers in faith is the best of them in moral excellence, and the best of you are the kindest of you to their wives" (at-Tirmidhi). 9. Surprise each other with gifts. Treat her to an evening out alone, away from the children. There are no words to describe the lift this can give to a marriage. 10. Communicate your feelings to one another, good and bad. Tell him how handsome he looks. Where there is disagreement, have an open discussion. Don ' t collect red stamps. Nip it in the bud . 11. Live within your means. Stay away from credit cards if you can. Sisters, take note. Don't envy the possessions of your friends, and belittle your husband because he can't provide them for you. Muslim couples will do well to stay away from ostentatious living. The Prophet did not live this way, neither should you. 12. Respect your mate's need for privacy. A quiet time to oneself, either at home or away from home, each day can make a disagreeable person agreeable. 13. Don 't share personal problems with others. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but if you must discuss personal problems, make sure it is with a person in whom you have the utmost confidence. If you have a learned Muslim brother or sister in your community, seek him or her out first. 14. Be sensitive to your mate's moods. If you want to share a personal achievement, don't do it when your spouse is 'down in the dumps ' . Wait for the proper time. You may be saying to yourself, "This is easier said than done." Well, you're right. A successful marriage doesn't just happen. It's not simply a matter of luck or finding the right person. It takes hard work and determination. It means being selfless and making mistakes. It means having vengeance on your mind but forgiveness in your heart. But, then, its perfection is "half of faith". Qur'an 25:74 Quran wrote: Sura 25 - Al-Furqan [The Criterion, The Standard] Verse 74-74: 74. وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا Quran translation wrote: Sura 25 - Al-Furqan [The Criterion, The Standard] Verse 74-74: 74. And those who pray, "Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous." "The whole world is an asset and the best asset is a good wife" (Muslim) (30: 21). Quran wrote: Sura 30 - Ar-Room [The Romans, The Byzantines] Verse 21-21: 21. وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 30 - Ar-Room [The Romans, The Byzantines] Verse 21-21: 21. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.

Amending the wife The household is a huge institution which contains many sub-institutions, like the institution of upbringing, the institution of supplies and food, the institution of social relations, and the institution of entertainment. The wife heads all of these institutions. It is of no significance to try to amend the household without amending the wife, and to amend the wife is to amend the entire household. In confirmation of that, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means) relating about Zakariyya (Zechariah) : {And amended for him his wife.} [Quran 21:90] In his commentary on this verse, Ibn ‘Abbaas said, “Her speech was tough, thereupon Allaah The Almighty amended it. It is also said that He made her capable of giving birth to children and of good character.” [At-Tabari] The husband should be mainly concerned with amending, educating, and teaching his wife, as well as improving her character. That is the significance of the Hadeeth narrated on the authority of ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf from the Prophet, , where he said: “If the woman offers the five [obligatory] prayers, observes the fasts of the month [of Ramadhaan that is enjoined upon her], maintains her chastity, and obeys her husband, it would be said to her: ‘Enter Paradise from whichever of its gates you like.’”[Ahmad] The command given to the wife to obey her husband puts great responsibility on the husband, as it makes it incumbent upon him to order her to do what Allaah The Almighty orders him to do. Then, it is due upon the husband to endeavor to rescue his household from destruction and to restore to his wife her power and capability to raise the desired generation. The way to amend the wife There are many practical steps to amend one’s wife, including: The first step The correct understanding of the Quranic verse and Prophetic Hadeeths that shed light on family relations form the first step towards achieving this goal. From among those Hadeeths, we may mention the following: It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah, , said: “Treat women kindly, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion; so, if you try to straighten it, it will break, and if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women kindly.”[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] Some people think that this Hadeeth adopts a problematic argument: “Islam tells us that ‘woman has been created from a crooked rib, in such a way that if you come to straighten it, you would break it’. At the same time, the husband is required to amend his wife under the pretext that ‘if you leave it [the rib], it would remain crooked.” The truth of the matter is that there is no difficulty in this issue. Amending one’s wife depends upon three important points: Patience: {And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein.} [Quran 20:132] Leniency: “Leniency is never found in anything but that it adorns it.” [Muslim] Both leniency and patience are the fundamental parts of amending anything, and should they gather together, they bring about amendment in the best way. Understanding: i.e. understanding the nature of the woman and her way of thinking, as her priorities differ from those of the man. A wise man is he who could accommodate his priorities and those of his wife. Here, two points should be made clear to the husband: A man fails when he starts to imitate the woman, and the woman fails when she starts to imitate the man. Familial life affairs are divided into two groups: Some in which the woman has authority and the right to take decisions, and those matters usually pertain to the house like the arrangement of it, and giving it the touch of beauty. Henceforth, it is due upon the man not to interfere in all things, lest he would spoil the world of the woman. Others are in connection with the decision that is up to the man, while preserving her right of consultation and expressing her opinion. That is, in some affairs, the woman should be given full freedom, particularly in those pertaining to the house; and other affairs should be undertaken by the man. In this way, all life affairs may be addressed suitably. Islam does not require the husband to alter the priorities of his wife and her feminine nature. Rather, it does not want him to be strict with these priorities to the extent that the feminine identity is removed from them, nor should those priorities lead the way for him and his entire family. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah, , said: “No believing man should hate a believing woman [his wife] for if he hates a characteristic in her, he would like another in her.” [Muslim] The meaning of this Hadeeth is also included in the former one, i.e. a woman might do something that would disturb her husband; however, he should not dislike her, but rather to reduce her crookedness he has to entrust to her some affairs, while keeping the whole matter under his observation. There is a Quranic verse that talks about the responsibility of the man in amending his wife. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.} [Quran 20:132] Many a man engages in securing sustenance for his family but forgets the great mission of enjoining upon them to offer prayer and do what is necessary for life to be upright according to the requirements of Sharee‘ah. Prayer is mentioned here in this verse because of its great importance. The second step The husband should endeavor to enhance his wife’s scientific and educational level. This is of great importance for the wife. Many men are too reluctant to help add to the young women they have married by assisting in improving and introducing worthy traits. They want that they take the wife from her family being an epitome of perfection, being just as they like them to be, without contributing to building her personality. Furthermore, they are not willing to accept in their wives any flaw or mistakes. Before a man blames his wife for her slips, he has to teach, educate and prepare her in order to be a good, righteous mother, and which mission is more vital than this? Many men do not sit with their wives to teach them, although the Prophet, , said: “The best of you is he who is best to his wife.” [At-Tirmithi and Abu Daawood] That applies not only to service and co-operation in the house, but also to raising the wife’s religious, knowledge and intellectual levels. The third step He should treat her in such a way as makes her feel the affection and mercy with which Allaah The Almighty described marriage in Islam when He Said (what means): {And of His Signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.} [Quran 30:21] This is the shortest way to amend a wife. Kind people know for certain the effect of kindness on others. The fourth step A husband has to respect his wife’s dignity before her family and, more particularly, before his family. This can deeply influence her, which would make her readier to accept change for the better. These four steps and others are included under a single Quranic command (that means): {Advise them.} [Quran 4:34] To understand her disposition, enhance her knowledge, and deal with her kindly are all included under the concept of advising and kind treatment commanded by Allaah The Almighty in the verse (that means): {Keep [her] in an acceptable manner.} [Quran 2:229] It is a great mistake of a man to try to amend his wife by inverting the sequence that is mentioned in the verse in which Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allaah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allaah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allaah is Ever Exalted and Grand.}[Quran 4:34] Some husbands begin the process of amending their wives by forsaking them in bed or by striking them, forgetting that they should come upon the first and essential stage, i.e. that of advising and instruction. That inverted sequence of amendment necessarily leads to unrecoverable aversion and a fracture that would be difficult to repair.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmut'Allah and Peace be Upon those who follow right guidance Dear respected contributor, reader or guest; I would like to personally deliver a point of clarity and request to you regardless of whether or not you would like to participate in this forum and that is to respect the privilege that you are afforded. This is in much way that you should respect the privilege that you are afforded with regards to your ability to speak and communicate. The best way to respect this privilege is to utilise it responsibly and for its most beneficial extent to yourself and to others. Sow what you intend to reap. If your intention is to benefit the people by what you say and to allow guidance and comfort to issue from your words then you will find the same waiting for you. However, if your intention is to sow discord and spread mischief, then know that your efforts will be returned to you and the wider you spread them the heavier the return. A forum is used for discussion and debate; proposition and counter-proposition, comment and response. When it is used in this way it serves a useful purpose; choices can be made and decisions can be arrived at. Progress can be made. Where this is abused, no service is offered apart from the frustration of useful formation of arguments and clear propositions: mischief is served. Choices are confused and decisions become clouded, in this atmosphere only the ignorant and the belligerent succeed. This is not a constructive atmosphere. At this point I will say that this is not the only forum on the internet, this forum is like a leaf on a twig, on a branch, on a tree in a forest. If it has life then it does what it should, if not then it will drop to the floor and contribute to another sapling, this is only natural. What is not natural is the anonymous introduction of poison into the system by someone who neither cares for it or what it stands for. I'm happy for you to debate with me, I'm happy for you to bring your evidence, but don't just deny and don't just obscure and don't just mislead. Get involved in whatever you would like a share of; don't sell sour grapes if you want sweet apples. Allah(swt) will return to you a portion of whatever you invest yourself in, so I will always encourage anyone who'll listen to search out what is the best for you. Wa alaikum assalam Peace & Guidance SAFAH. Allah Knows Best... Quran wrote: Sura 4 - An-Nisa [Women] Verse 85-85: 85. مَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ نَصِيبٌ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ كِفْلٌ مِنْهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقِيتًا Quran translation wrote: Sura 4 - An-Nisa [Women] Verse 85-85: 85. Whoever recommends and helps a good cause becomes a partner therein: And whoever recommends and helps an evil cause, shares in its burden: And Allah hath power over all things.

Bismillah. Once, a visitor was being shown around a leper colony in India. The colony was built to provide a shelter for those people who were poor and had various physical disabilities. At noon a gong (a metal disk that produces a sound when hit with a hammer) sounded to gather the inhabitants for the midday meal. People came from all parts of the compound to the dining hall. Suddenly, everyone started laughing at seeing two young men, one riding on the other's back, pretending to be a horse and a rider. They were having lots of fun. As the visitor watched, he was told that the man who carried his friend was blind, and the man being carried was lame (who couldn't walk). The one who couldn't see used his feet; the one who couldn't walk used his eyes. Together they helped each other and reached their destination. Let us use each other's strengths to make up for the weaknesses of others. Our strength is in unity, not in division.

Bismillah. A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions. As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work. The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them." "My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him." The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing. The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?" The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive." Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that encouraging good, prohibiting evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah. [ibn Majah]

Bismillah. Sincerity and Significance of Intentions and all Actions, Apparent and Hidden Allah, the Exalted, says: "And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and that is the right religion.'' (98:5) "It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him.'' (22:37) "Say (O Muhammad (PBUH) ): Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it". (3:29) 1. Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him), reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration will be for Allah and His Messenger; and whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration would be for what he emigrated for". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: According to some Ahadith, the reason for this Hadith is that a person sent a proposal of marriage to a woman named Umm Qais, which she turned down saying that he should have to emigrate to Al-Madinah for it. Accordingly, he did it for this specific purpose, and the two were married there. On account of this event, the man came to be known among the Companions as Muhajir Umm Qais. On the basis of this Hadith, 'Ulama' are of the unanimous opinion that the real basis of one's actions is Niyyah (intention) and everyone will be requited according to his Niyyah. It is true that Niyyah is founded in one's heart, that is to say, one has first to make up one's mind for what he intends to do and he should not express it verbally. In fact, the latter is a Bid`ah (innovation in religion) because no proof of it is found in Shariah. The point which becomes evident from this Hadith is that Ikhlas (sincerity) is a must for every action. In other words, in every righteous deed, one should seek only the Pleasure of Allah; otherwise, it will not be accepted by Allah. 2. Narrated 'A`ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "An army will raid the Ka`bah and when it reaches a desert land, all of them will be swallowed up by the earth.'' She asked; "O Messenger of Allah! Why all of them?'' He answered, "All of them will be swallowed by the earth but they will be raised for Judgement according to their intentions.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: Everyone will be rewarded or punished according to his aim and intention. This Hadith also proves that the company of depraved persons is extremely dangerous. Whose army would it be, which has been referred to in the Hadith, and when will it invade Ka`bah, is a matter known to Allah Alone. Such prophecies are a part of the Unseen world. Since they come in the category of the miracles of the Prophet (PBUH), it is necessary to believe in their veracity and occurrence. Believing in such prophesies is also essential because they were revealed by Allah). 3. A`ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "There is no emigration after the conquest (of Makkah) but only Jihad [(striving and fighting in the cause of Allah) will continue] and good intention.* So if you are summoned to fight, go forth.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. *. Intention according to An-Nawawi: It means that goodness which ceased to continue by the cessation of emigration can still be obtained by Jihad and by intending accomplishing good deeds. Commentary. When a country or a region is regarded as Dar-ul-Islam (land of Islam), it is not necessary to migrate from it to some other place. It is, however, obligatory to emigrate from such regions which are Dar-ul-Kufr (land of infidels) and where it is difficult to adhere to Islamic injunctions. It is also evident from this Hadith that when it is not necessary to migrate from one Islamic country to another then it is also not permitted by the Shari`ah to leave an Islamic country to settle permanently in Dar-ul-Kufr only for the reason that the latter has plenty of wealth and social welfare. Unfortunately, Muslims today are afflicted with this disease. The transfer of their capital and talent to Dar-ul-Kufr is indeed very disturbing because on one side these two factors are lending support to the economy of Bilad-ul-Kufr (countries of infidels) and on the other, obscenity and indecency that are common in such countries, are becoming increasingly common among the Muslims too. Another highly important reason for the prohibition of migration of Muslims to Dar-ul-Kufr is that it goes against the spirit as well as their readiness for Jihad fi sabilillah (striving and fighting in the way of Allah). This spirit and readiness must be kept always alive so that the Muslims may respond at once to the call of Jihad whenever the need for it arises anywhere. 4. Jabir bin Abdullah Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleasedwith them) reported: We accompanied the Prophet (PBUH) in an expedition when he said, "There are some men in Al-Madinah who are with you wherever you march and whichever valley you cross. They have not joined you in person because of their illness.'' In another version he said: "They share the reward with you.'' [Muslim]. It is narrated by Bukhari from Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him): We were coming back from the battle of Tabuk with the Prophet (PBUH) when he remarked, "There are people whom we left behind in Al-Madinah who accompanied us in spirit in every pass and valley we crossed. They remained behind for a valid excuse.'' Commentary: What we learn from this Hadith is that if the intention and spirit of Jihad are present in the heart of a Muslim but physically he is unable to take part in it for valid reasons, he will get the reward of Jihad without even his actual participation in it. 5. Ma`n bin Yazid bin Akhnas (May Allah be pleased with them) (he, his father and his grandfather, all were Companions) reported: My father set aside some dinars for charity and gave them to a man in the mosque. I went to that man and took back those dinars. He said: "I had not intended you to be given.'' So we went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and put forth the matter before him. He said to my father, "Yazid, you have been rewarded for what you intended.'' And he said to me, "Ma`n, you are entitled to what you have taken.'' [Al-Bukhari]. Commentary: 1. This Hadith leads us to the conclusion that if Sadaqah (charity), goes to a needy son of a Muslim, there is no need to take it back from him for the reason that the father had intended to give it to a deserving person. The former gets the reward for it on account of his Niyyah (intention). This however, will be reckoned as Nafli Sadaqah (voluntary charity) because the obligatory Zakat (Sadaqah) cannot be given to the donor's own dependents. 2. It is permissible in Shari`ah to make someone a Wakil (attorney or agent) for Sadaqah. 3. It does not amount to disobedience on the part of a son to take his father to a competent authority or scholar to know the legal position on any issue, in the same way, as mutual discussion and debate on matters of Shari`ah does not amount to insolence. (Fath Al-Bari, chapter on Zakat). 6. Abu Ishaq Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) (one of the ten who had been given the glad tidings of entry into Jannah) narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) visited me in my illness which became severe in the year of Hajjat-ul-Wada` (Farewell Pilgrimage). I said, "O Messenger of Allah, you can see the pain which I am suffering and I am a man of means and there is none to inherit from me except one daughter. Should I give two-thirds of my property in charity?'' He (PBUH) said, "No". I asked him, "Then half?'' He said, "No". Then I asked, "Can I give away one-third". He said, "Give away one-third, and that is still too much. It is better to leave your heirs well-off than to leave them poor, begging people. You will not expend a thing in charity for the sake of Allah, but you will be rewarded for it; even the morsel of food which you feed your wife''. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, would I survive my companions?'' He said, "If you survive others and accomplish a thing for the sake of Allah, you would gain higher ranking and standing. You will survive them ... your survival will be beneficial to people (the Muslim) and harmful to others (the enemies of Islam). You will survive others till the people will derive benefit from you, and others would be harmed by you.'' Messenger of Allah (PBUH) further said, "O Allah, complete for my Companions their emigration and do not cause them to retract.'' Sa`d bin Khaulah was unfortunate. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) lamented his death as he died in Makkah. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: In spite of all their love for it, the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) did not like to die in a city from which they emigrated for the sake of Allah. For this reason Sa`d (May Allah be pleased with him) was afraid of dying in Makkah. The Prophet (PBUH) prayed for the accomplishment of Sa`d's emigration and expressed regret over the misfortune of Sa`d bin Khaulah. The latter died in Makkah. Conclusion: 1. The Hadith lays down that in the course of a disease which seems to prove fatal, one cannot give more than one-third of the property in charity. 2. It is also emphasized that one gets reward even for what he spends on his wife and children. 3. One can report to others his ailment or to seek treatment and ask them to supplicate from him. 4. In the matter of Sadaqah (charity), which one gives to seek the Pleasure of Allah, his closest relatives. should always have priority and preference over others. 7. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah does not look at your figures, nor at your attire but He looks at your hearts and accomplishments". [Muslim]. Commentary: This Hadith highlights the importance of sincerity and good intention. It is, therefore, essential that every noble action should be based on these two virtues; and heart should be free from all such things that destroy noble deeds. Hypocrisy, ostentation, greed for wealth, riches and other wordly things fall in the category of such evils. Since the true condition of heart is known to Allah alone, the true position of one's actions will be known on the Day of Resurrection when one will be requited for them by Alah. In this world, one will be treated according to his apparent condition while his insight will be left to Allah. 8. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked about who fights in the battlefield out of valour, or out of zeal, or out of hypocrisy, which of this is considered as fighting in the cause of Allah? He said: "He who fights in order that the Word of Allah remains the supreme, is considered as fighting in the cause of Allah". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: Since one's action will be evaluated in terms of intention, so he alone would be a Mujahid (warrior in the cause of Deen) who fights to glorify the Name of Allah. 9. Abu Bakrah Ath-Thaqafi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said: "When two Muslims are engaged in a combat against each other with their sword's and one is killed, both are doomed to Hell". I said, "O Messenger of Allah! As to the one who kills, it is understandable, but why the slain one?" He (PBUH) replied: "He was eager to kill his opponent". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: This Hadith leads to the conclusion that one would be punished for such sinful intention for which he has made a firm determination, and for the commitment of which he has adopted necessary measures, even if he does not succeed in committing it because of certain obstruction. Thus determination is different from a suggestion of the devil. The latter is excusable while one is accountable for his determination. However, what is mentioned in the Hadith will happen when Muslims fight among themselves for worldly honour and prejudices, and no religious issue would be the cause of their conflict, because in the latter case, it is possible that both might be depending on their own Ijtihad (exercise of opinion) for which they may be excused. 10. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The reward for Salat performed by a person in congregation is more than 20 times greater than that of the Salat performed in one's house or shop. When one performs Wudu' perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing Salat, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque, and when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing Salat as long as it is the Salat which prevents him (from leaving the mosque); and the angels keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: 'O Allah! have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O Allah! accept his repentance'. This will carry on as long as he does not pass wind". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: This Hadith shows that although it is permissible to perform Salat individually in market places and houses, but its collective performance in the mosque is 25, 26, or 27 times more meritorious, as mentioned in other Ahadith. 11. `Abdullah bin `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said that Allah, the Glorious, said: "Verily, Allah (SWT) has ordered that the good and the bad deeds be written down. Then He explained it clearly how (to write): He who intends to do a good deed but he does not do it, then Allah records it for him as a full good deed, but if he carries out his intention, then Allah the Exalted, writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundred folds, and even more. But if he intends to do an evil act and has not done it, then Allah writes it down with Him as a full good deed, but if he intends it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: What the Prophet (PBUH) relates to Allah is called Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Tradition). Such Hadith is revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) by means of Ilham (inspiration). This Hadith mentions the magnitude of Divine blessings which He bestows upon His faithful slaves on the Day of Resurrection. 12. `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that: He heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as saying: "Three men, amongst those who came before you, set out until night came and they reached a cave, so they entered it. A rock fell down from the mountain and blocked the entrance of the cave. They said: `Nothing will save you from this unless you supplicate to Allah by virtue of a righteous deed you have done.' Thereupon, one of them said: `O Allah! I had parents who were old, and I used to offer them milk before any of my children or slaves. One day, I went far away in search of grazing and could not come back until they had slept. When I milked as usual and brought the drink I found them both asleep. I hated to disturb them and also disliked to give milk to my children before them. My children were crying out of hunger at my feet but I awaited with the bowl in my hand for them to wake up. When they awoke at dawn, they drank milk. O Allah! If I did so to seek Your Pleasure, then deliver us from the distress caused by the rock'. The rock moved slightly but they were unable to escape. The next said: `O Allah! I had a cousin whom I loved more than any one else (in another version he said: as a man can love a woman). I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her but she refused. Hard pressed in a year of famine, she approached me. I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on condition that she would yield herself to me. She agreed and when we got together (for sexual intercourse), she said: Fear Allah and do not break the seal unlawfully. I moved away from her in spite of the fact that I loved her most passionately; and I let her keep the money I had given her. O Allah! If I did that to seek Your Pleasure, then, remove the distress in which we are.' The rock moved aside a bit further but they were still unable to get out. The third one said: `O Allah! I hired some labourers and paid them their wages except one of them departed without taking his due. I invested his money in business and the business prospered greatly. After a long time, he came to me and said: O slave of Allah! Pay me my dues. I said: All that you see is yours - camels, cattle, goats and slaves. He said: O slave of Allah! Do not mock at me. I assured him that I was not joking. So he took all the things and went away. He spared nothing. O Allah! If I did so seeking Your Pleasure, then relieve us of our distress.' The rock slipped aside and they got out walking freely". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary: 1. It is permissible to pray through our virtuous deeds. But to make someone a medium for it, is an innovation in Deen which should be avoided for two major reasons. Firstly, there is no evidence in Shari`ah to support this. Secondly, it is against the practice of Khair-ul-Qurun, the best of generations. (This term is used for the first three generations of Muslims, the one in which the Prophet (PBUH) lived and the two following). 2. Preference should be given to the service of parents, even over the service of one's own wife and children. 3. To abstain from sins out of fear of Allah is a highly meritorious act. 4. Labourers should always be treated fairly. If someone has paid to a labourer less than his due, it should be paid to him in a decent manner. 5. Any supplication which is made sincerely, and with real sense of humbleness is granted by Allah. 6. Allah sometimes helps His pious men even in an unusual manner, which is termed as Karamat (wonder or marvel). Thus, like the miracles of the Prophets, wonders of the righteous people are also true. But miracles and wonders both appear with the Will of Allah.

What Is The Purpose Of Life ? They say that a fool lives to eat and a wise man eats to live. But then the question remains: for what purpose does the wise man live? Living is not an end by itself. There has to be a purpose for man to live for. So what is this purpose? Where from? Where to? And Why? Any ignorance, however great, could be forgiven except for man to be ignorant about the secret of his existence, his aim in life and what will be his outcome after death. Some thinkers express these questions in simple words: where from? Where to? And why? Meaning: where did I come from? Where am I going? And why am I here? Those who only believe in the material world and who do not believe in a Creator- the atheists- only believe in sensory data. They say that this universe and everything in it came by itself. All its order is simply due to blind coincidence. They say that man is simply like an animal or a plant and that he will exist for a short period and then end like any other animal or plant. An Arab Poet, Elya Abu Madhi (a born-Christian), not long ago expressed his uncertainty about the purpose of life in his Arabic poem Al-Talasim, meaning “puzzles,” which I have translated into English. He says in his poem: I came not knowing from where, but I came. And I saw a pathway in front of me, so I walked. And I will remain walking, whether I want this or not. How did I come? How did I see my pathway? I do not know! Am I new or am I old in this existence? Am I free and unrestrained, or do I walk in chains? Do I lead myself in my life, or am I being led? I wish I know, but… I do not know! And my path, oh what is my path? Is it long or is it short? Am I ascending in it, or am I going down and sinking? Am I the one who is walking on the road, or is it the road that is moving? Or are we both standing, but it is the time that is running? I do not know! Before I became a full human, do you see if I were nothing, impossible? Or do you see that I was something? Is there an answer to this puzzle, or will it remain eternal? I do not know ... and why do I not know?? I do not know! This feeling of doubt and confusion about the presence of a Creator and whether He sent messengers and prophets to guide mankind must be quite painful because it deprives the Atheist and the Agnostic of tranquility, security and peace of mind. The unbelievers do not have credible answers to the purpose of one’s existence. And thus they say that man lives for himself and for the pleasures of this life. So what happens when life turns sour? What happens when one goes through hardships? It is no coincidence then that the largest number of suicides takes place amongst Atheists, Agnostics and people who do not know their purpose in life. Do you know which country has the largest number of suicides? It’s Japan. In the year ending March 2000, there were 33,000 suicides in Japan. That is 91 suicides per day or 1 suicide every 15 minutes! This despite Japan being the second largest economy in the world wherein people do not have to worry about providing a roof over their heads or about food or medical care. What if you find a Watch in the Sand? To the Atheist and the Agnostic the Muslim says: “Suppose you find a watch in the middle of a desert. What would you conclude? Would you think that someone dropped this watch? Or would you suppose that the watch came by itself? Of course no sane person would say that the watch just happened to emerge from the sand. All the intricate working parts could not simply develop from the metals that lay buried in the earth. The watch must have a manufacturer. If a watch tells accurate time we expect the manufacturer must be intelligent. Blind chance cannot produce a working watch. But what else tells accurate time? Consider the sunrise and sunset. Their timings are so strictly regulated that scientists can publish in advance the sunrise and sunset times in your daily newspapers. But who regulates the timings of sunrise and sunset? If a watch cannot work without an intelligent maker, how can the sun appear to rise and set with such clockwork regularity? Could this occur by itself? Consider also that we benefit from the sun only because it remains at a safe distance from the earth, a distance that averages 93 million miles. If it got much closer, the earth would burn up. And if it got too far away, the earth would turn into an icy planet making human life here impossible. Who decided in advance that this was the right distance? Could it just happen by chance? Without the sun, plants would not grow. Then animals and humans would starve. Did the sun just decide to be there for us? The rays of the sun would be dangerous for us had it not been for the protective ozone layer in our atmosphere. The atmosphere around the earth keeps the harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching us. Who was it that placed this shield around us? We need to experience sunrise. We need the sun’s energy and its light to see our way during the day. But we also need sunset. We need a break from the heat, we need the cool of night and we need the lights to go out so we may sleep. Who regulated this process to provide what we need? Moreover, if we had only the warmth of the sun and the protection of the atmosphere we would want something more - beauty. Our clothes provide warmth and protection, yet we design them to also look beautiful. Knowing our need for beauty, the designer of sunrise and sunset also made the view of them to be simply breathtaking. The creator who gave us light, energy, protection and beauty deserves our thanks. Yet some people insist that he does not exist. What would they think if they found a watch in the desert? An accurate, working watch? A beautifully designed watch? Would they not conclude that there does exist a watchmaker? An intelligent watchmaker? One who appreciates beauty? Such is God who made us.” Did people always believe in a Creator? It is a fact that throughout history and throughout the world, man had been found to worship and to believe in a Creator. Specialists in Anthropology, Civilizations and History are unanimous on this. This led one of the great historians to say: “History shows that there had been cities without palaces, without factories and without fortresses, but there has never been cities without houses of worship.” Since time immemorial, man believed that he was not created simply for this life, for this short period, and he knew that he would ultimately depart to another resting-place. We see this evidence with the early Egyptians, thousands of years ago, when they mummified their dead and built great pyramids (as graves) and even placed the treasures of the dead in their graves in addition to drinks and mummified food! From the earliest recorded history, mankind had been unanimous, with very few exceptions, that there is a Creator and that there is life after death. However, they differed about the essence of this Creator, how to worship Him and the description of the life after death. For example, Hindus believe in reincarnation and that after death one’s soul would then go into a human body or an animal, depending on whether one did good or bad in his life, and that this process would continue without end until the soul reaches perfection and unites into one with its Creator. People of other religions like Jews, Christians and Muslims also believe in life after death, but not in reincarnation like the Hindus. All three - Jews, Christians and Muslims -however have different views about what happens to the soul after one’s death. The fact that all nations and communities throughout history believed in a Creator (with the exception of insignificant few) made the mission of all prophets in all ages concentrate on guiding their people away from the worship of creations to the worship of the one and only Creator God, i.e. rather than having to prove His existence. Why did People turn away from God? The situation now in the world is different because there are now a very large number of people who do not believe in a Creator or in life after death - for example two surveys in the Czech Republic in 2000 found in one only 13% believe in life after death and in the other only 17% believe in God. A major reason for this in the last century was the so-called theory of evolution by Darwin (other reasons include the impact of totalitarian communism rule on people’s faith.) The theory of evolution says that man evolved from the ape, rather than being created by a Creator. Although this theory has no academic or scientific substance, it gained favor with so many people because it appealed to the doubts they had about the God that they were told to believe in. This is not surprising. If you give an educated person a description of a Creator that is illogical and unreasonable and then ask that person to believe in Him as his God, he would refuse. This unfortunately is the situation right now, especially in the west. The Christian Doctrines advocate the trinity, that God manifests Himself in three distinct and equal persons, and that God came down to earth in the form of a man (that is Jesus) and that He was crucified and died as a vicarious sacrifice for the so-called sin of man. So the Christians believe that Jesus was God in human form, God-incarnate. But how can the Creator die? Some of the most important doctrines of Christianity - the doctrines of the Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus, the Divine-Sonship of Jesus, the Original Sin and the Atonement are neither rational nor in conformity with the teachings of Jesus. These dogmas took shape long after Jesus, as a result of old pagan influence. For example we find in Hinduism, the “Triad” (the trinity): there is Brahma, the creator god, Vishnu, the preserver god, and Shiva, the god of destruction. Modern Hindus take Krishna the son of Divachi, the virgin, as Vishnu incarnate. Krishna is the savior who as a sacrifice for their sin, had to suffer. He was crucified, died and then was raised from death. In Buddhism we find the Buddhist gods: Guatama (the holy spirit), Maya (the virgin mother) and Buddha, the son (who was conceived when Maya was filled by the holy spirit) and who is the savior who died and was raised from death. It may be interesting to mention that the 25th of December is not the birthday of Jesus. It is the birthday of Krishna in Hinduism, and of Nimrod, the divine son (a Babylonian god), and of Mithra, the god of light (one of the gods of the Greeks and the Romans)! The religion revealed to the prophets of various nations was the same, but in the course of time it had been misinterpreted and become mixed up with superstitions and degenerated into magical practices and meaningless rituals. The concept of God, the very core of religion, had become debased by (a) the anthropomorphic tendency of making God into a being with a human shape, needs and human deficiencies, (B) the association of other persons with the one and only God in His Godhead (as in Hinduism and Christianity), © by the deification of the angels (e.g., the Devas in Hinduism, the Yazatas in Zoroastrianism and, perhaps also, the Holy Spirit in Christianity), (d) by making the Prophets into Avatars or incarnations of God (e.g., Jesus Christ in Christianity, the Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism, and Krishna and Rama in Hinduism), and (e) by the personification of the attributes of God into separate Divine Persons (e.g., the Christian Trinity of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, the Hindu Timurtri of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and the Amesha Spentas of Zoroastrianism). Due to major religions distorting the oneness and essence of God, pupils in the West are now being taught in schools to accept, as fact, Darwin’s theory of evo1ution. As a result, more and more students of school and university age are now Atheists. They even ridicule those who believe in God saying: “they are either stupid or lack confidence and so need something to give them security!” I was recently attending a lecture in a Western country given by a Muslim to a group of retired men and women - more than 65 years of age. The lecturer in the beginning asked the group: which of you believe in God? They all raised their hands except two men. Then the lecturer asked: which of you do not believe in God? The remaining two elderly men then raised their hands. However, one of them paused and immediately interrupted the lecturer. He said: “Tell me what do you mean by God so that I can answer you!” After the session, I said to the lecturer: this man is intelligent because at first he said he did not believe in God, most probably because of the Christian concept of God, but then he was willing to have an open mind and rethink his position based on the concept of God that could be presented by the Muslim. Why are we created? Those who believe in the Creator can answer the questions: where from? And where to? They know that they have come into existence by being created by the Creator and they also know that there is an eternal life after death. But what about the answer to the third question, that is: why have we been created? If we had been created by the Creator, shouldn’t we expect that He would tell us the purpose of our creation? Shouldn’t He tell us on what basis He is going to judge us on the Day of Judgment? What is the Islamic view? Muslims say they know the answers because they have the Quran. But people of other religions also have their own scriptures, so what is so special about the Quran? The Quran is basically a book of divine guidance in areas that cannot be covered by the human senses or intellect, such as faith, acts of worship, a moral code and a code that governs the transactions between people. These are the four basic foundations of religion, an area in which man always needs divine guidance. Muslims contend that the Quran is the last revealed scripture by Allah (Allah is the proper name of God and is not used to denote any other being. Therefore, I shall use the name Allah in preference to the word God). The Quran is the recorded words of Allah Himself dictated verbatim to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in installments, verse by verse or a group of verses, through the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years between 610 and 633 AD. It is divided into 114 units, each called a surah. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) received revelation of the Quranic surahs as and when Allah chose to bestow on him new revelation. At times several surahs, particularly the longer ones, were being revealed to him concurrently. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) used to have a group of scribes entrusted with committing immediately whatever was revealed to him to writing. Those scribes used parchment, pottery, date palm leaves, flat stones, tree bark, wood, dried animal skins and even the shoulder blades of sheep or camels to write on; and the revealed verses were memorized by heart as the mere recitation of the Quran is in itself an act of worship, and as Muslims used these verses in their judgments and in their daily five prayers. In this manner, the verses of the Quran were preserved in the hearts of Muslims, as well as written down, during the lifetime of the Prophet. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was instructed by angel Gabriel where to place every new passage in the surahs. The surahs were named by divine decree, and Muhammad (P.B.U.H) recited the whole of the Quran in front of Gabriel more than once in the last year of his life. Similarly, the arrangement of the surahs in a specific order was given by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) who indicated it mostly by reading the surahs, particularly in prayer, in a specific order. No revealed book has ever enjoyed the authenticity of the Quran or had the cherishing, reverence, surveillance and care of its followers as the Quran. The whole Quran has been memorized by a large number of Muslims in the lifetime of Muhammad (P.B.U.H). After Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) departure, the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, asked one of the original scribes, Zaid ibn Thabit, to be in charge of collecting the original writings of the Quranic revelations and writing down the whole Quran. Zaid produced a whole copy of the Quran written on pages of leather. It was arranged in the order we have today. This was done in the first two years after the Prophet’s death, since Abu Bakr ruled for less than two years. This copy was then entrusted with the second Caliph, Omar, and finally with the third Caliph, Othman. During the reign of Othman, the Arabs came to know the paper industry from China and Othman called on Zaid to head a committee of four Quranic scholars who would take on the task of making seven copies. Those seven copies (written 14 years after Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) death) were distributed to the various centers of the Muslim state to be the reference copy in each center. At least three of those original copies of the Quran are still intact, one in Tashkent, one in Istanbul, and one in Cairo. They do not differ in one letter from the millions of copies of the Quran that are in the hands of people today. This authentication of the last revelation is in itself miraculous. The Quran is the oldest book within the hands of humanity that has been kept intact in exactly the same language of revelation word for word and letter for letter. That is why the Quran is unique, because it is the word of the Creator in its purest divinity. Muslims believe in the authentic original revelations given to Prophets Moses, David and Jesus, but none of these original revelations is found intact, and none is found in the original language of revelation, and here the Quran stands unique in its divine purity. Again the Quran is different from any human writings because it is neither prose nor poetry. It came to the Arabs when they were at their peak in eloquence and challenged them to produce one single chapter of it, or similar to it, or to produce ten similar chapters or even a book like it. This challenge still exists today and no challenger is forthcoming. The early scholars of the Quran thought that its miraculous nature was due mainly to its style and beautiful expression. The beauty of expression is really unique and cannot be paralleled by human writings. That is why the early commentators of the Quran concentrated on its eloquence and style. Yet being the word of the Creator, any area that has been covered in the Quran must be unique. If you look at jurisprudence the Quran is unique, in the area of worship, the Quran instructs people how to worship Allah. The concepts of Divinity, prophet hood, and morality are all unique in the Quran. If we look at the narration of history of previous nations, one after the other, and how they received the divine message, their reaction towards it and what their reward or punishment was, at a time when there was no form of regular documentation whatsoever. The Quran talks about these successive nations without a single mistake, and modern archaeological discoveries are a testimony to this. Is the Quran credible? Besides religious guidance, the Quran contains hundreds of verses that speak of the universe, its components and phenomena such as the Earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, wind, running water, plants, embryological animals, and the successive stages of development of the human being. More than 1,000 verses relating to cosmic facts or cosmic phenomena can be counted in the Quran. During the early days of the Quran, scientific knowledge of the universe was limited and it was not easy to elaborate on the verses relating to the universe or its phenomena except within the limitations of the time. However, we now know about the laws of the universe much more than before and that is why reviewing the 1,000 or more verses relating to the cosmos, man and his surroundings can be one of the most obvious miraculous aspects of the Quran. This is because of the precedence of the Quran, which was revealed more than 14 Centuries ago, with many of the scientific facts, at a time when people had no knowledge whatsoever of such facts. The Quran has addressed so many of these facts in a language that is more precise, accurate and concise than scientists have ever been able to do. Nothing in the Quran contradicts any established scientific facts. These cannot be all covered in a short article and hence I have chosen only five verses that can testify to the miraculous nature of the Quran from a scientific point of view: 1) The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the “Big Bang.” It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to the “Big Bang,” the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a “Big Bang” (Secondary Separation), which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by “chance” is zero. The Quran contains the following verse, regarding the origin of the universe: [21:30] Quran wrote: Sura 21 - Al-Anbiya [The Prophets] Verse 30-30: 30. أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلا يُؤْمِنُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 21 - Al-Anbiya [The Prophets] Verse 30-30: 30. Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? The striking congruence between the Quranic verse and the “Big Bang” is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth? 2) In 1925 an American astronomer by the name of Edwin Hubble provided observational evidence that all galaxies are receding from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what the Quran says regarding the formation of the universe: [51:47] Quran wrote: Sura 51 - Adh-Dhariyat [The Winnowing winds] Verse 47-47: 47. وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 51 - Adh-Dhariyat [The Winnowing winds] Verse 47-47: 47. With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of Space. Stephen Hawking, in his book A Brief History of Time, says: “The discovery that the universe is expanding is one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.” The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe before man even learnt to build a telescope! 3) Scientists say that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word “smoke” is more appropriate than gas. The following Quranic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word dukhan which means smoke: [41:11] Quran wrote: Sura 41 - Fussilat [Explained in Detail] Verse 11-11: 11. ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلأرْضِ اِئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 41 - Fussilat [Explained in Detail] Verse 11-11: 11. Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience." Again, this fact is a corollary to the “Big Bang” and was not known to mankind during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). What then, could have been the source of this knowledge? 4) It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was only dependent on the brain. Recent discoveries prove that there are pain receptors present in the skin without which a person would not be able to feel pain. When a doctor examines a patient suffering from burn injuries, he verifies the degree of burns by a pinprick. If the patient feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it indicates that the burns are superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On the other hand if the patient does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a deep burn and the pain receptors have been destroyed. The Quran gives an indication of the existence of pain receptors in the following verse: [4:56-57] Quran wrote: Sura 4 - An-Nisa [Women] Verse 56-57: 56. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا 57. وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا لَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَنُدْخِلُهُمْ ظِلا ظَلِيلا Quran translation wrote: Sura 4 - An-Nisa [Women] Verse 56-57: 56. Those who reject our Signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. 57. But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, We shall soon admit to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath,- their eternal home: Therein shall they have companions pure and holy: We shall admit them to shades, cool and ever deepening. Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Dept. of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, had spent a great amount of time on research of pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Quran mentioned this scientific fact 1400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this particular Quranic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific accuracy of the Quranic verse, that at a medical Conference in 1985 he proclaimed in public the Shahadah (Islamic Declaration of Faith), i.e. he embraced Islam. 5) The source of iron (Fe); we read in the Quran: [57:25] Quran wrote: Sura 57 - Al-Hadid [The Iron] Verse 21-21: 21. سَابِقُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالأرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ Quran translation wrote: Sura 57 - Al-Hadid [The Iron] Verse 21-21: 21. Be ye foremost (in seeking) Forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden (of Bliss), the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messengers: that is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom he pleases: and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding. It has recently been proven that all iron, not only in our planet but also in the entire solar system, was obtained from outer space. This is because the temperature of the sun cannot generate iron. The sun has a surface temperature of 6000 degrees Celsius and a central temperature of about 20 million degrees Celsius. There exists much hotter stars, which are known as novae, or super novae where temperatures can reach 100s of billions of degrees Celsius and it is in these stars that iron is formed. When the percentage of iron reaches a certain proportion of the mass of the star it explodes and these exploded-particles travel in space until they are captured by the gravitational fields of other heavenly bodies. This is how our solar system all obtained its iron and it is an established fact today that all the iron in our solar system was not generated or created within the system but has come to it from outer space. One wonders why the Quran comments on matters like these, things that were not known to anyone at the time of revelation or even for centuries afterwards, unless Allah knows in His eternal knowledge that the time will come when man will then immediately realize that the Quran is the word of Allah and that Muhammad is His last messenger. Allah says in the Quran: «"We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth."» [41:53] Prof. Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific “sign” mentioned in the Quran. Some people may require ten signs while some may require hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine origin of the Quran. Some would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a thousand signs. The Quran condemns such a closed mentality: [2:18]. Quran wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 18-18: 18. صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لا يَرْجِعُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 18-18: 18. Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path). Also: [2:171]. Quran wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 171-171: 171. وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لا يَسْمَعُ إِلا دُعَاءً وَنِدَاءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لا يَعْقِلُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 171-171: 171. The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout Like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom. And: [47:24] Quran wrote: Sura 47 - Muhammad [Muhammad] Verse 24-24: 24. أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا Quran translation wrote: Sura 47 - Muhammad [Muhammad] Verse 24-24: 24. Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them? What is the Purpose of Life? So what does the Creator, Allah, tell us about our purpose in life? Allah states in the Quran that He created man to be His Khalefah, His trustee on earth (Quran 2:30). Quran wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 30-30: 30. وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 30-30: 30. Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not." Mankind’s basic trust, our responsibility, is to believe in and worship Allah: [51:56-58] Quran wrote: Sura 51 - Adh-Dhariyat [The Winnowing winds] Verse 56-58: 56. وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإنْسَ إِلا لِيَعْبُدُونِ 57. مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ 58. إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ Quran translation wrote: Sura 51 - Adh-Dhariyat [The Winnowing winds] Verse 56-58: 56. I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me. 57. No Sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed Me. 58. For Allah is He Who gives (all) Sustenance,- Lord of Power,- Steadfast (for ever). Very simple! The purpose for man’s creation is to worship the Creator. The essence of Allah’s message through all of the prophets also was: [7:59]. Quran wrote: Sura 7 - Al-Araf [The Heights] Verse 59-59: 59. لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ Quran translation wrote: Sura 7 - Al-Araf [The Heights] Verse 59-59: 59. We sent Noah to his people. He said: "O my people! worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day! Allah further states that He made this life in order to test man so that every person may be recompensed after death for what he has earned: [67:2] Quran wrote: Sura 67 - Al-Mulk [The Sovereignty, Control, Dominion] Verse 2-2: 2. الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ Quran translation wrote: Sura 67 - Al-Mulk [The Sovereignty, Control, Dominion] Verse 2-2: 2. He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;- But in order to worship Him, we have to know Him well otherwise we may form a distorted concept of Him and then go astray. In the Quran Allah tells mankind what He is and what He is not. For example, in response to a question about Allah that was posed to the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), Allah instructs Muhammad (P.B.U.H) to give the following reply: [112] Quran wrote: Sura 112 - Al-Ikhlas [sincerity] Verse 1-4: 1. قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ 2. اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ 3. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ 4. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ Quran translation wrote: Sura 112 - Al-Ikhlas [sincerity] Verse 1-4: 1. Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; 2. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; 3. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; 4. And there is none like unto Him. It is clear from this that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is not the author of the Quran otherwise he would not have shown that someone is dictating to him what to say. Also, Allah has to tell us how He wants to be worshipped, which He does in the Quran. He also tells us in the Quran that all Prophets came with the same identical message to their people - that is to believe in Allah and to worship Him. He also tells us in the Quran that all the people of other religions have deviated from the original teachings of their prophets. This is due to two reasons. The first is that earlier scriptures were not preserved simply because of the absence or scarcity of writing paper and so the teachings were transmitted orally and with time became distorted. The second reason is because the clergy of various religions introduced doctrines that were never there (e.g., the Christian trinity creed was introduced only after the council of Nicea in 325 AD and the Council of Constantinople in 386 AD). Because of the changes that crept into earlier religions, Allah tells us that He sent the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) as the last and final prophet and guidance to mankind with a scripture that He promised would be preserved forever. Allah provides a test to prove that the Quran is from Him. Allah says: [4:82] Quran wrote: Sura 4 - An-Nisa [Women] Verse 82-82: 82. أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلافًا كَثِيرًا Quran translation wrote: Sura 4 - An-Nisa [Women] Verse 82-82: 82. Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy. The Quran is available for scrutiny and investigation by any person to try to find even one error or contradiction in it. In fact this test must be applied to any other scripture that claims it is the word of God. Is there any “blind faith” in Islam? Islam is not a religion of “blind faith” but is a religion that strongly calls on man to use his logic, reasoning and intellect. Allah in the Quran stresses the importance for people to think, to reason and to use their mind and intellect. The word “mind” or “reasoning” is mentioned 49 times in the Quran (in Arabic Ta’qiloon 24 times, Ya’qiloon 22 times, and A’qal, Na’qil and Ya’qil one time each). Also Allah refers to “people of understanding” 16 times in the Quran (in Arabic Ulu Al-AlBab or Uli Al-Albab). Allah also refers to “those of intelligence” two times in Chapter 20 by the Arabic term Uli Al-Nuha. Allah also refers in many chapters in the Quran to the mind by the Arabic word Al-Fuad. Also in many verses in the Quran, Allah uses the term heart (in Arabic Al-Qalb) in place of the word Al-Fuad (mind) to mean the same thing. In one place in Chapter 89 verses 53 & 54, Allah refers to the mind by the Arabic word Al-Hijr. The Quran also, in tens of verses, strongly calls and emphasizes the need to “contemplate” and to “give thought” (in Arabic Fikr or Tafakkor). Also in tens of verses, the Quran draws attention to the importance for man to “remember” and to “recall” (in Arabic Tazakkor). The significance of the two being: to “give thought” is to increase or acquire new knowledge, whereas to “remember” is to recall and remind oneself of relevant knowledge and events that may have been forgotten, but which are important for one’s faith. Allah praises people who use their mind: [3:190] Quran wrote: Sura 3 - Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran] Verse 190-190: 190. إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَاخْتِلافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لأولِي الألْبَابِ Quran translation wrote: Sura 3 - Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran] Verse 190-190: 190. 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,- About the Quran, Allah Says: [38:29] Quran wrote: Sura 38 - Sad [The Letter Sad] Verse 29-29: 29. كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الألْبَابِ Quran translation wrote: Sura 38 - Sad [The Letter Sad] Verse 29-29: 29. (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition. In the Quran, the words that can be formed from the term “know” or “knowledge” (root 'elm in Arabic) is to be found 865 times. In one verse Allah says: [39:9] Quran wrote: Sura 39 - Az-Zumar [The Troops, Throngs] Verse 9-9: 9. أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الألْبَابِ Quran translation wrote: Sura 39 - Az-Zumar [The Troops, Throngs] Verse 9-9: 9. Is one who worships devoutly during the hour of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord - (like one who does not)? Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition. Also: [2:54] Quran wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 54-54: 54. وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ Quran translation wrote: Sura 2 - Al-Baqara [The Cow] Verse 54-54: 54. And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Ye have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in repentance) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker." Then He turned towards you (in forgiveness): For He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. On the other hand, the Quran strongly rejects certain mentalities that are driven by myths, illusions, absurdities, ignorance, blind imitation of others, assumption (conjecture), prejudice, whims and desires. In fact, Allah in the Quran confirms that most people on earth have gone astray because they follow assumption, conjecture and ignorance. Allah says: [6:116] Quran wrote: Sura 6 - Al-Anaam [Cattle, Livestock] Verse 116-116: 116. وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الأرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلا يَخْرُصُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 6 - Al-Anaam [Cattle, Livestock] Verse 116-116: 116. Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie. Is there Life after Death? All the prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless. The very fact that all the prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. divine revelation. We also know that these prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won many sincere followers. The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and realized the truth. Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They couldn’t, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. God has given Man besides perceptual consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data. That is why all the prophets of God while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man. The Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure conjecture: [45:24] Quran wrote: Sura 45 - Al-Jathiya [Crouching] Verse 24-24: 24. وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلا الدَّهْرُ وَمَا لَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ هُمْ إِلا يَظُنُّونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 45 - Al-Jathiya [Crouching] Verse 24-24: 24. And they say: "What is there but our life in this world? We shall die and we live, and nothing but time can destroy us." But of that they have no knowledge: they merely conjecture: The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be an unjust and indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned with his fate. Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are beyond count - having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc. Because man has a very short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are affected by one’s actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not possible in this life. Could the good and the righteous be equated with the wicked and evil? Moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man reject this logic and endorse the possibility of the life after death. Allah confirms this truth in the Quran: [23:115] Quran wrote: Sura 23 - Al-Mumenoon [The Believers] Verse 115-115: 115. أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لا تُرْجَعُونَ Quran translation wrote: Sura 23 - Al-Mumenoon [The Believers] Verse 115-115: 115. "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" Also: [38:27] Quran wrote: Sura 38 - Sad [The Letter Sad] Verse 27-27: 27. وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالأرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلا ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ Quran translation wrote: Sura 38 - Sad [The Letter Sad] Verse 27-27: 27. Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! that were the thought of Unbelievers! but woe to the Unbelievers because of the Fire

WAS CHRIST CRUCIFIED ? JESUS (PBUH) SAID, "THE DAY THAT I DIE", not "THE DAY THAT I DIED" It is mentioned in Surah Maryam, Chapter 19 verse 33 "So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die and the Day that I shall be raised up to life (again)". [Al-Qur'ân 19:33] The Qur'ân mentions that Jesus (pbuh) said "Peace is on me the Day I was born, the day that I die". "It is not stated the day that I died". It is in the future tense and not in the past tense. JESUS (PBUH) WAS RAISED UP ALIVE The Qur'ân further says in Surah Nisa, Chapter 4 verse 157-158: "That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Jesus Christ the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’ But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not- Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is exalted in Power, Wise." [Al-Qur'ân 4:157-158]

The True Religion Which is the True Religion of God? Each person is born in a circumstance which is not of his own choosing. The religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. By the time he reaches his teens, he is usually fully brain-washed into believing that the beliefs of his particular society are the correct beliefs that everyone should have. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other belief-systems, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs. The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that each and every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man. Indeed they all encourage people to good. So, which one is right? They cannot all be right since each claims all others to be wrong. Then how does the seeker of truth choose the right way? God gave us all minds and intellects to enable us to make this crucial decision. It is the most important decision in the life of a human being. Upon it depends his future. Consequently, each and every one of us must examine dispassionately the evidence presented and choose what appears to be right until further evidence arises. Like every other religion or philosophy, Islam also claims to be the one and only true way to God. In this respect it is no different from other systems. This booklet intends to provide some evidence for the validity of that claim. However, it must always be kept in mind that one can only determine the true path by putting aside emotions and prejudices, which often blind us to reality. Then, and only then, will we be able to use our God-given intelligence and make a rational and correct decision. There are several arguments which may be advanced to support Islam's claim to be the true religion of God. The following are only three of the most obvious. The first argument is based on the Divine origin of the names of the religion and the comprehensiveness of its meaning. The second deals with the unique and uncomplicated teachings concerning the relationship between God, man, and creation. The third argument derives from the fact that Islam is universally attainable by all men at all times. These are the three basic components of what logic and reason dictate necessary for a religion to be considered the true religion of God. The following pages will develop these concepts in some detail. The Religion's Name The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true God, known in Arabic as "Allah". One who submits his will to God is termed in Arabic a "Muslim". The religion of Islam is not named after a person or people, nor was it decided by a later generation of man, as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ (p), Buddhism after Gautama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, Marxism after Karl Marx, Judaism after the tribe of Judah, and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam (submission to the will of God) is the religion which was given to Adam (p), the first man and the first prophet of God, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. Further, its name was chosen by God Himself and clearly mentioned in the final scripture which He revealed to man. In the final revelation, called the Qur'an in Arabic, Allah states the following: "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and I have chosen for you Islam as you religion." (Qur'an 5:3) "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to God), never will it be accepted of him." (Qur'an 3:85) Hence, Islam does not claim to be a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (p) into Arabia in the seventh century, but rather to be a re-expression in its final form of the true religion of Almighty God, Allah, as it was originally revealed to Adam (p) and subsequent prophets. At this point we might comment briefly on two other religions that claim to be the true path. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God revealing to Prophet Moses' (p) people or their descendants that their religion is called Judaism, or to the followers of Christ (p) that their religion is called Christianity. In other words, the names "Judaism" and "Christianity" had no divine origin or approval. It was not until long after his departure that the name "Christianity" was given to Jesus' (p) religion. What, then, was Jesus' (p) religion in actual fact, as distinct from its name? His religion was reflected in his teachings, which he urged his followers to accept as guiding principles in their relationship with God. In Islam, Jesus (p) is a prophet sent by Allah and his Arabic name is Eesa. Like the prophets before him, he called upon the people to surrender their will to the will of God (which is what Islam stands for). For example, in the New Testament, it is stated that Jesus (p) taught his followers to pray to God as follows: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Luke 11:2; Matt. 6:9-10) This concept was emphasized by Jesus (p) in a number of his statements recorded in the Gospels. He taught, for example, that only those who submitted would inherit Paradise. Jesus (p) also pointed out that he himself submitted to the will of God. "None of those who call me 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21) "I cannot do anything of myself. I judge as I hear and my judgment is honest because I am not seeking my own will but the will of Him Who sent me." (John 5:30) There are many reports in the Gospels which show that Jesus (p) made it clear to his followers that he was not the one true God. For example, when speaking about the final Hour, he said: "No one knows about the Day or Hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:32) Thus, Jesus (p) like the prophets before him and the one who came after him, taught the religion of Islam: submission to the will of the One true God. God and Creation Since the total submission of one's will to God represents the essence of worship, the basic message of God's divine religion, Islam, is the worship of God alone. It also requires the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than God. Since everything other than God, the Creator of all things, is God's creation, it may be said that Islam, in essence, calls man away from worship of creation and invites him to worship only his Creator. He is the only one deserving of man's worship, because it is only by His will that prayers are answered. Accordingly, if a man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it is not the tree that answered his prayers but God, Who allows the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, "That is obvious"; however, to tree-worshipers, it might not be so. Similarly, prayers to Jesus (p), Buddha, Krishna, St. Christopher, St. Jude, or even to Muhammad (p), are not answered by them, but are answered by God. Jesus (p) did not tell his followers to worship him but to worship God, as the Qur'an states: "And behold! Allah will say: 'O Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say to men, worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah?'; He will say: 'Glory to you, I could never say what I had no right (to say)'" (Qur'an 5:116) Nor did Jesus (p) worship himself when he worshiped, but rather he worshiped God. And Jesus (p) was reported in the Gospels to have said: "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'" (Luke 4:8) The basic principle is contained in the opening chapter of the Qur'an, known as Surah al-Fatihah, verse 4: "You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help." Elsewhere in the final book of revelation, the Qur'an, God also said: "And your Lord says: 'Call on Me and I will answer your (prayer).'" (Qur'an 40:60) It is worth emphasizing that the basic message of Islam (namely, the worship of God alone) also proclaims that God and His creation are distinctly different entities. God is neither equal to His creation nor a part of it, nor is His creation equal to Him or a part of Him. This might seem obvious, but man's worship of creation, instead of the Creator, is to a large degree based on ignorance, or neglect, of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of God is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some parts of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of God's creation and naming it the worship of God. However, the message of Islam, as brought by the prophets of God, is to worship only God and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly. In the Qur'an, God clearly states: "For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command: Worship Me and avoid false gods." (Qur'an 16:36) When idol worshipers are questioned as to why they bow down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshiping the stone image, but God Who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for God's essence and is not in itself God! One who has accepted the concept of God being present in any way within His creation will be obliged to accept this argument for idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never agree to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that God is present in man. Taking one step further, they claim that God is more present in them than the rest of us, and that other humans should therefore submit to them and worship them as God in person or as God concentrated within their persons. Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their deaths have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God's presence in man. It should be abundantly clear by now that one who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstance. God's religion, in essence, is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam: Laa ilaaha illaa Allah" (there is no god but Allah) The sincere declaration of this phrase and the acceptance of prophethood automatically brings one within the fold of Islam, and sincere belief in it guarrantees one Paradise. Thus, the final Prophet of Islam (p) is reported to have said: "Any one who says 'There is no god but Allah', and dies holding that (belief) will enter Paradise." Belief in this declaration of faith requires that one submit his/her will to God in the way taught by the prophets of God. It also requires the believer to give up the worship of false gods. The Message of False Religions There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all which claim to be the right way or the only true path to God! How can one determine which one is correct or whether, in fact, all are correct? One method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central object of worship upon which they call, directly or indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept with regard to God: they either claim that all men are gods, or that specific men were God, or that nature is God, or that God is a figment of man's imagination. Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that God may be worshiped in the form of His creation. False religions invite man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, prophet Jesus (p) invited his followers to worship God, but those who claim to be Jesus' followers today call people to worship Jesus (p), claiming that he was God. Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles in the religion of India. He did not claim to be God, nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and they prostrate themselves to idols made in their perception of his likeness. By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, we can easily detect false religions and the contrived nature of their origin. As God said in the Qur'an: "That which you worship besides Him are only names and you and your forefathers have invented for which Allah has sent down no authority; the command belongs only to Allah: He has command that you worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand." (Qur'an 12:40) It may be argued that all religions teach good things, so why should it matter which one we follow? The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil: the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of His creation. Man was created to worship God alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Qur'an: "I have only created jinns and men, that they may worship Me." (Qur'an 51:56) Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an option, but a revealed fact stated by God in His final revelation to man: "Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whomsoever He wishes." (Qur'an 4:48,116) Universality of God's Religion Since the consequences of following a false religion are so grave, the true religion of God must have been universally understandable and universally attainable in the past and it must continue eternally to be understandable and attainable throughout the entire world. In other words, the true religion of God cannot be confined to any one people, place, or period of time. Nor is it logical that such a religion should impose conditions that have nothing to do with the relationship of man with God, such as baptism, or belief in man as a savior, or an intermediary. Within the central principle of Islam and its definition (the surrender of one's will to God) lie the roots of Islam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that God is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to God, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise. Consequently, anyone at any time in the most remote regions of the world can become Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, be merely rejecting the worship of creation and turning to God alone. It should be noted, however, that in order to actually submit to God's will, one must continually choose between right and wrong. Indeed, man is endowed by God with the power not only to distinguish right from wrong but also to choose between them. These God-given powers carry with them an important responsibility, namely, that man is answerable to God for the choices he makes. It follows, then, that man should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil. These concepts are expressed in the final revelation as follows: "Verily, those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians (angel-and-star worshipers) - any of these who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord. They will not be overcome by fear or grief." (Qur'an 2:62) If, for whatever reason, they fail to accept the final message after it has been clearly explained to them, they will be in grave danger. The last Prophet said: "Whoever among the Christians and Jews hears of me but does not affirm his belief in what I brought and dies in that state will be among the inhabitants of Hell." (Sahih Muslim [English Translation], Vol.1 P.91 No.284) Recognition of God The question which arises here is: How can all people be expected to believe in the one true God, given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be held responsible for worshipping the one true God, they all need to have access to knowledge of him. The final revelation teaches that all human beings have the recognition of the one true God imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created. In the seventh chapter of the Qur'an (Al-A'raaf, verses 172-173),God explained that when He created Adam He caused all of Adam's descentants to come into existence and He took a pledge from them saying: "'Am I not your Lord?' To which they all replied, 'Yes, we testify to it.'" Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and the only true God worthy of worship. He said: "That was in case you (mankind) should say on the Day of Resurrection, 'Verily we were unaware of all this.'" (Qur'an 7:172) That is to say, we cannot claim on that Day that we had no idea that Allah was our God and that no one told us that we were supposed to worship Allah alone. Allah went on to further explain that: "It was also in case you should say, 'Certainly it was our ancestors who made partners (with Allah) and we are only their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars did?'" (Qur'an 7:173) Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in God and an in-born inclination to worship Him alone. This in-born belief and inclination is called in Arabic the "Fitrah". The Prophet Muhammad reported that Allah said, "I created my servants in the right religion, but devils made them go astray." The Prophet also said, "Each child is born in a state of Fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian." If the child were left alone, he would worship God in his own way, but all children are affected by the environment. So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has imposed on nature, in the same way his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, if his parents try to make him follow a different path, the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. In such cases, the religion which the child follows is one of custom and upbringing, and God does not hold him to account or punish him for his religion up to a certain stage of his life. The Signs of God Throughout people's lives, from childhood until the time they die, signs of the one and only true God are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). God says in the Qur'an: "We will show them our signs in the furthest regions (of the earth) and in their souls, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth." (Qur'an 41:53) The following is an example of God revealing by a sign to one man the error of his idol-worship. In the south-eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their man-idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The following day a young man entered the hut to pay homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog slunk into the hut. The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift his hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the Universe. God must be elsewhere, he concluded. As strange as it may seem, the dog urinating on the idol was a sign from God for that young man. This sign contained the divine message that what he was worshiping was false. It liberated him from slavishly following his traditionally learned worship of a false god. As a result, this man was given a choice: either to seek the true God or to continue in the error of his ways. Allah mentions Prophet Abraham's quest for God as an example of how those who follow His signs will be rightly guided: "So also did We show Abraham the power and the Laws of the heavens and the earth that he might (with understanding) have certitude. When the night covered him over, he saw a star. He said: 'This is my Lord.' But when it set, he said: 'I love not those that set.' When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said: 'This is my Lord.' But when the moon set, he said: 'Unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.' When he saw the rising sun in splendor, he said: 'This is my Lord, this is the greatest (of all).' But when the sun set, he said: 'O my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah. For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.'" (Qur'an 6:75-79) As was mentioned earlier, prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in God and man's in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by God. Although much of these prophets' teachings became distorted, portions revealing their God-inspired messages have remained untainted and have served to guide mankind in the choice between right and wrong. The influence of God-inspired messages down through the ages can be seen in the "Ten Commandments" of Judaisn's Torah which were later adopted into Christianity's teachings, as well as in the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies throughout the ancient and modern world. As a result of God's signs to mankind through the ages combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recognize the one and only true God. Consequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in God and its acceptance of the true religion of God, namely Islam, which means total submission to the will of Allah. Conclusion The preceding presentation has demonstrated that the name of the religion of Islam expresses Islam's most central principle, submission to God, and that the name "Islam" was chosen not by man, but by God, according to the holy scriptures of Islam. It has also been shown that Islam alone teaches the uniqueness of God and His attributes and enjoins the worship of God alone without intermediaries. Finally, due to the divinely instilled inclination of man to worship God and the signs revealed by God throughout the ages to each individual, Islam may be achieved by all men at all times. In short, the significance of the name Islam (submission to God), is Islam's fundamental acknowledgement of the uniqueness of God and Islam's accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support Islam's claim that from the beginning of time in whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone has been and will be the true religion of God. In conclusion we ask Allah, the Exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us His blessings and mercy, for He is indeed the Most-Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad and all the prophets of God and their righteous followers.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QURAN & BIBLE Bible For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he RESTED, and was REFRESHED. [Exo. 31:17] QURAN We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days, nor did any sense of weariness touch us. [50:38] Bible In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.. and then created the light of day and darkness of night, and then the plants, and finally he created the sun and the moon. [Genes. 1:1-31] QURAN Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation) before we clove them asunder? [21:30] Bible Let us make man IN OUR IMAGE, after our likeness. [Exo. 1:26] QURAN There is nothing whatever LIKE UNTO HIM, and he is the one that hears and sees. [41:11] He begets not, nor he is begotten, and there is none like unto him. [112:3] Bible How long will you forget me, O Lord. [Psalm 13:1] QURAN Quran: My Lord never errs, NOR FORGETS. [20:52] Bible AWAKE, WHY DO YOU SLEEP, O LORD ? [Psalm 4:23] Then the Lord AWAKED AS ONE OUT OF SLEEP, and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine. [Psalm 4:23] QURAN Allah! There is no god but He, the living, the Selfsubsisting Supporter of all. No slumber seizes Him nor Sleep. [2:255] Bible O Lord, how long shall I cry, and YOU WILL NOT HEAR? [Hab. 1:2] QURAN Truly my Lord is he, the Hearer of prayer. [14:39] If you pronounce the word aloud, (it is no matter) for verily He knows what is secret and what is yet more hidden. [20:7] Bible O Lord of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem. [Zech. 1:12] Will the Lord castoff forever? and will he be favourable no more? IS HIS MERCY CLEAN GONE FOREVER? does his promise fail for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? [Psalm 77:7] MY HOPE IS PERISHED FROM THE LORD. [Lamen. 3:18] QURAN O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! despair not of the mercy of Allah: For Allah forgives all sins: for he is Oft-Forgiving most Merciful. [39:53] Bible O Lord, bow down your ear: open your eyes and see. [2King. 19:16] QURAN Verily, Allah knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth: and Allah sees well all that you do. [49:18] Bible The Lord said, "I will break my covenant with them" [Levi. 26:44] You said O Lord: My covenant will I not break.. 38 But you cast off and abhorred, you have been wroth with your annointed. You have made void the covenant of your servant. 43 You have made all his enemies to rejoice, you have also turned the edge of his sword, and have made him to stand in the battle 46 HOW LONG WILL YOU HIDE YOURSELF FOR EVER? [Psalm 89:19] QURAN It is the promise of Allah. Never does Allah fail from His promise but most men know not. [30:6] Bible With the pure you show yourself pure, and with the crooked you show yourself perverse. [2 Sam. 22:27] QURAN O you who believe stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to Allah even as against yourselves or your parents or your kin. [4:135] Bible God said to Jesus, "You are my son today I have begotten you" [Heb.5:5] God said to David, "You are my son today I have begotten you"[Psalm2:7] QURAN Quran: Say: He is Allah, The One; Allah, The Eternal Absolute; He does not beget, Nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him. [112:1] No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with him. [if so] then behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to Allah! (He is free) from (the sort of) things they attribute to Him. [23:91] And they say, "The Most Gracious Has betaken a son!" Indeed you have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are bout to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin: That they attributed a son to the Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of the Most Gracious that He should beget a son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to the Most Gracious as a servant. He does take an account of them [all], and numbered them exactly, and everyone of them will come to him singly on the day of judgment. [19:88] Bible Then Mary said unto the angel, "How shall this be [that she'll have a son] Seeing I know not a man? The angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the highest shall overshadow you". [Luke 1:34] QURAN Then [Mary] said, "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste? He said, "So (it will be) Your Lord said, "That is easy for me: and we wish to appoint him as a sign unto men and a mercy from us. It is a matter (So) decreed. [19:20] Bible God said to the children of Israel, "Every woman shall BORROW of her neighbour jewels of silver and gold, and remaint, and you shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters and you shall spoil the Egyptians. [Exo. 3:22] So they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels and remaint: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.[Exo.12:35] QURAN Say: "Nay, Allah never commands what is indecent: Do you say of Allah what you know not? " [7:28] Bible I am the Lord, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations. [Deut. 5:7] Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers. [isiah 14:21] QURAN Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear th burden of another. [6:164] Bible And the Lord said, "Go through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have you pity. Slay utterly old and young both maids and little children, and woman. [Ezek. 9:5] Bible:And the Lord sain unto Moses, "Avenge the children of the Mid'-an-ites They warred against the Mid'-i-an-ites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew all the males. And they TOOK ALL WOMEN OF CAPTIVES, AND THEIR LITTLE ONES, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt and all their goodly castles, with fire. Moses said "Have you saved all the women alive? 17 NOW KILL EVERY MALE AMONG THE LITTLE ONES, AND KILL EVERY WOMAN that has known a man by lying with him, But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. [Num. 31:1] HADEETH The Prophet Mohamad said to his army before going to a fight "Depart in the name of Allah, and by his help. And kill not any old man nor young boy nor child, nor woman, But be good doers for Allah loves those who do good. Bible We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. [Roman 3:28] QURAN Do men think that they will be left alone on saying we believe and they will not be tested! But We did test those before them and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. [29:1] Resist not evil: But whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. [Math. 5:38] QURAN The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (In degree): but if a person forgives and make reconciliation his reward is due from Allah: For (Allah) loves not those who do wrong. [42:40] Quran: Let them forgive and overlook, Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful. [24:22]

The man was a teacher. He taught the Law of Moses. He was impressed to see Jesus answering the questions of hypocrites and heretics with wisdom: “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’” He felt it was his opportunity to ask Jesus, the Great Teacher, what was the most important commandment, how he can be saved, enter life and the Kingdom of God. Now, we need to shed all our biases, everything we have been taught in Sunday schools, and all the teachings of mortal men. All who love Jesus should let him talk: “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” A great answer to a great question: accept the Lord our God is One, love Him, and worship Him to the best of your ability. Jesus was not finished. He had more to teach. Obviously Jesus was teaching the man everything he needed to get into the Kingdom of God. Jesus added: “…The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The Great Teacher further clarified: “There is no commandment greater than these.” The man who questioned Jesus repeated the commandments to make sure he got them right: Mark 12:32 “‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him…’” Jesus seeing the man had learned the greatest commandment correctly gave him the good news: Mark 12:34 “When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’” There are some significant lessons in this story: First, Jesus taught the man more than he asked, yet he did not say he is the son of God, or the Savior sent to redeem mankind of its sins. He did not say anything remotely similar to what people are instructed to repeat to be ‘born again’ in Christ, “You should individually receive me, accept me as the Son of God, your personal Lord and Savior who will die on the cross for your sins and will rise from the dead. Let the Holy Spirit fill you…” Take what Jesus said and leave what people have added. Second, salvation depends on this commandment. Jesus made it clear when another man approached Jesus to learn from him (Mark 10:17-29). The man fell on his knees and said to Jesus: Mark 10:17-18 “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied: “Why do you call me good? No one is good — except God alone.” Third, Jesus confirmed there is no commandment greater than these. In case, someone might think the greatest commandment changed afterwards, Jesus told us: Matthew 5:17-19 “For assuredly, I say to you, till the heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no mean pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Fourth, anyone who loves Jesus and wants to enter life must keep the greatest commandment of Jesus as he said: John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Matthew 19:17 “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Fifth, a sincere Christian should accept what Jesus said without twisting his words or finding hidden meaning in them. Jesus taught exactly what Moses taught some 2,000 years before him: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, taught the same eternal truth ALL the prophets of God taught to their people: God is One, worship Him alone. Deuteronomy 6:13 “Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name.” Deuteronomy 5:7 “You shall have no other God besides Me.” Isaiah 43:11 “I even, I am your Lord and besides Me, there is no Savior.” Hosea 13:4 “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no savior except me.” Psalms 95:6-7 “O come, let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. For we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His voice and He is our God.” Jesus emphasized this teaching to Satan as well: Matthew 4:10 “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Sixth, the Quran confirms the greatest commandment of Jesus. The Quran teaches us exactly that God sent all the prophets with the same teaching: to worship the One true God alone. “…And your God is One God: there is no god but He…” (Quran 2:163) “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him...” (Quran 17:23) “And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): ‘none has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25) Seventh, on the Day of Resurrection, the QURAN tells us that God will ask Jesus: “And [beware the Day] when God will say, ‘O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as gods besides God?...’” (Quran 5:116) Jesus will respond: “He will say, ‘Limitless are You in Your glory! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Verily, it is You alone who fully knows all the things that are beyond the reach of a created being’s perception. I said not to them except what you commanded me – to worship God, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You alone had been their keeper:’ for You are witness unto everything. If You should punish them – indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them – indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Quran 5:116-118)

A Hadith of Rasul (SAW) says that, “Whosoever knows himself knows his Lord.” “Man 'arafa nafsahu faqad 'arafa Rabbahu” This particular Hadith is highly focused, qualified for achieving and realizing closeness to Allah (S). What is meant by the idea of “knowing oneself” to achieve a close relationship with our Creator? What are the various entities of ourselves and the requirements of knowing oneself? On examination of the Hadith, it communicates the design, way or method of knowing oneself through the understanding of knowing Allah. Allah makes it clear in Surah 50 Al Qaf, Verse 16 that: “It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” This verse illustrates and beautifully explains the position of our relationship and the closeness to our Creator which must be realized for our guidance and transformation. To be closer than the “jugular vein” relates to the core and the nature of ourselves. Let us examine the entities within ourselves to achieve and discover this close proximity to our Creator, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. The Entities of the Self We have a body, encompassing the various organs, senses and cognitive faculties which are guiding principle for our awareness and development. Although these faculties are foundational and guiding instruments, they are not sufficient for realizing a higher transcendental, contented and spiritual individual. When one observes oneself, one sees a lower base self or nafs al Ammara bis-soo, which is always in anguish to please the desire and the material aspect of the self. This soul is inclined towards evil. The Noble Quran describes this self in Surah 12 Yusuf, Verse 53: "Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful." This lower instigating self follows its whims that is disruptive and can progress to a self-reproaching or blaming soul which is called nafs al Lawwama. The Glorious Quran in Surah 75 Al Qiyamah (The Resurrection), Verse 2 describes nafs al Lawwama: “And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit” Sheikh Ibn Ata’illah Iskandri ® a spiritual master of the Shadhiliyyah Sufi Order (Tariqa) who lived in Egypt in the 13th Century A.D (died 1309) tells us that these two levels and the lower character of these nafs are not close to Allah (S) and are not accepted by Him. The Witnessing of the Self These disruptive forces and evil tendencies must be witnessed from a clearer perspective within ourselves if an unveiling is to take place for a heightened consciousness that emanates from a contented self. E.g. when we witness a particular characteristic as rancor, greed, anger, blaming etc from within ourselves, then that negative aspect is realized for a healing and discipline by one’s watchfulness of them. Hence we have to be ever vigilant of these negative temperaments that arise within ourselves for their transformation. Through reasoning, witnessing and disciplining of the beastly lower self and its various evil and blaming characteristics are the beginning of progressing one’s behaviour to experience the path of Tauheed (the unity or oneness of Allah) and to establish Taqwa (the consciousness of Allah (S)) and the Zikr (remembrance) of Allah (S), that will lead to a contented heart and self which will realize the ultimate closeness to Allah (S). What is this path of Allah (S) consciousness? The Purification of the Self The Quran declares in Surah 91 Ash-Shams (The Sun), Verse 9: "Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self…” The purification of the self then leads one to know Allah. How can one know Allah (S) by Allah (S)? The Prophet (SAW) of Islam said that there is an organ in the body that if it is ill the entire body is ill, and that is the heart. Some may understand this to be a physically conditioned heart, which may be true, but in this case the Prophet (S) was talking about a higher and healthy spiritual state of the heart. If a healthy spiritual heart is the vehicle to know your self which realizes the knowing of Allah (S), then the stages, degrees of knowledge to develop that awareness must be learnt, practised and taught to achieve such a station (makam). There must be an entity within us, which is perfect and our objective. We have seen why a healthy heart is important and necessary for our wakefulness and development. The heart for mankind is as water is for fish. Therefore a seeker must watch his heart, nourish his iman and persevere towards righteous action, righteous deeds and establish patience for the pleasure of his Lord. Surah 13 Ar Ra’ad (The Thunder), Verse 28 confirms that: "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. For without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” Therefore, within the heart must reside the perfect entity which is our goal - the contented self (the ruh). Hadrat Ali ® said that, he knew his Lord by His Lord [“Araftu Rabi bi Rabi”]. To understand Hadrat Ali’s ® statement relates to the purest form of worship when something is enriched by Allah (S). He said the purest thing that is acquired by anyone is a heart nourished by Allah (S). He therefore knew Allah (S) by the light that was within him. This light can only be the soul (ruh) that resided within his heart. Allah (S) asks the contented soul (the ruh) in the Noble Quran in Surah 7 Al Araf (The Heights), Verse 172: "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"-They said: "Yes! We do testify!" [Alastu birabbikum, qaloo bala shahidna] It was when the soul (ruh) was created that the light of Allah’s (S) Words was reflected in the soul (the ruh). That is the perfect and the natural entity within us, which is described as the soul (the ruh). This perfect entity, the soul (the ruh) is the testimony to ourselves as to “Whom we belong and to Whom we will return”. This was the covenant that was accepted by the soul (the ruh) and who must finally return to its Lord in the original pure state. The Quran al Kareem asserts in Surah 43 AZ Zakhruf (Ornaments of Gold), Verse 14: “And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!“ The example of the first man Adam (AS) and his wife Hawa (AS), who in heaven were disobedient to Allah (S), were removed and placed on earth. This story explained in the Great Quran of a soul that was to be disciplined must make its return from the worldly to the hereafter. The Prophet Adam (AS) discovered that the vessel to return to heaven was through the world, but it was essential to return illumined, enlightened, righteous, groomed and contented to the true abode of this perfected soul. (Refer Surah 7 Al Araf (The Heights), Verse 19-29) The following Surah 13 Ar Ra’ad (The Thunder), Verse 11 tells us how Allah (S) will expect our condition: “Verily never will Allah (S) change the condition of a people until they change what is in their hearts.” At the time the soul (the ruh) was created, it recognized and acknowledged the position of its Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Therefore it is essential that mankind accept responsibility for its souls (the ruh) and fulfill the covenant that it made with its Creator. For mankind to make this journey back to heaven it is imperative that we change the condition of our hearts and character towards that which is obedient, serves and submits to the will of Allah (S). Human beings, due to their forgetfulness and heedlessness must remember the original covenant that was made with the Almighty Creator which will set in motion the return journey to Him. The Seeker (Salik) and the Return Journey The individual seeker must be intelligent with a higher understanding of the divinely guided laws (the Shariah). He must develop a sharp watchfulness over his lower base self, inculcating values as sincerity (ikhlas), insight (basirah), patience (sabr), justice (adl) etc, including a higher education of belief (iman) and a cautious awareness of Allah (S) (taqwa), which are characteristics of the Prophetic (SAW) worship and the remembrance of Allah (S) as in Ihsan (beauty and perfection) that will lead the seeker (salik) to the journey of the contented and conscious self. The divinely guided laws (Shariah) and rationality must both be considered as a value and object for transformation. Without rationality or logic one will not be able to interpret the Shariah, and without the Shariah the rationality will not be guided. The transformation of the heart is to develop the stages of one’s awareness, which brings us closer to Allah (S). To practise correct behaviour, worship (ibadah) for the pleasure and remembrance of Allah (S). To be aware of the primordial state (fitri) is to live by the unconditional submission to the will of Allah (S), the Lord of all creation. We must understand that rationality and the lower self must not be the basis for arrogance and haughtiness. Giving in to our lower self will mean we will perhaps never see what is within us or to fulfill the covenant with our Lord (Rabb). It is related that the Prophet (SAW) said that the lower self is the greatest of idols. The Believers must transform themselves from their lower self to attain the higher understanding of the “Reality”, their Lord, which is the true journey of the self. It is from this world that we gain access and success in the Hereafter. The repulsion and bringing under control of the lower self will discover the original self, the soul (the ruh), which will lead to a character of spiritual steadfastness and the strength of an Allah (S) conscious person (a Muttaqee). Therefore this potential that is within us is the vehicle for being one with Allah (S) in this world that extends into the Hereafter (akhiraa). When the lower self (nafs) is refined and groomed then it transcends with the perfect entity, the soul (ruh). The nafs is the shadow of the ruh. The lamp (ruh) is light upon light (nur alaa nur). The nafs is now the contented self. When we understand how close we are to our Creator then it may be necessary at this point to clarify the position of a believer and disbeliever. The noble Quran in Surah 2 Al Baqarah, (The Heifer), Verse 257 refers to the believers and disbelievers as follows: “Allah (S) is the protecting friend of those who believe. He takes them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the fire. They will reside therein.” Obtainable Levels of Knowledge The individual who transcends his lower self will see the light that is within him/her. He/she will see the soul who knows that it is timeless and boundless. He/she will swim the oceans of knowledge and fully submit to the “Reality” who is Allah (S). The Glorious Quran enlightens us in Surah 29 Al-Ankabut (The Spider), Verse 69: “And those that strive in Our (cause), - We will certainly guide them to Our Paths.” Allah (S) is Inwardly Hidden and Outwardly Manifest. Your outer self must be balanced with your inner self. Allah (S) says in the in Surah Al Baqarah (The Heifer), Verse 152: “Therefore, remember Me always, and I will remember you; and be thankful to Me, and be you not ungrateful." This position of awareness, understanding and certainty is through the love of Allah (S). The truth of certainty (haq-ul-yakin) is the experience and love (muhabbah) by total submission for the love of Allah (S) the “Reality” who is behind the Cosmos. By Him, from Him, unto Him. When we return to Him, He returns to us. And this pragmatism of certainty (haq-ul-yakin) is essential for a watchfulness and wakefulness which immediately reveals a report card of the self for a personal assessment. The stations of the truth of certainty (haq-ul-yakin) are as follows: Astagfaar Asking forgiveness from Allah Sabr Patience and to persevere Sukr Praising and thanking Allah Dua Supplicating to Allah Sadaqaa Charity for the needy to please Allah Tawakkul A cautious awareness of Allah Salah Prayer for Allah Zikr-ullah The remembrance of Allah Ar Rida To be happy and satisfied Muhabba To love Allah unconditionally and with awe. Each of the above characteristics immediately establishes our state and position with Allah and helps us to develop and understand ourselves further. Each characteristic is appreciated in the manner that fully acknowledges the discipline required that will express a total submission and the affection of our Creator. The Contented Self is the Path of Islam A hadith al Qudsi informs us that the entire universe cannot contain Allah (S), but the heart of a (true believer) Mu’min can. When Allah (S) becomes the Protector of the heart then He does not allow any entity to enter it that will taint or blemish it. When we return to Allah (S) in our lives then we know that He will return to us and we will live forever. This is how the great companions (Ashaab) of the Prophet (SAW) lived and this is how the friends of Allah (S) (Awliyas) live. The Noble Quran is the final testimony of this message in Surah 10 Yunus, Verse 62: “Verily the friend’s of Allah do not grieve, nor do they fear”. [Ala inna awliyaa Allahi la khawfun Aalayhim wala hum yahzanoona] The groomed and perfected self is the friend of Allah (S) and accepted by Him. This self believes in the oneness of Allah (S), is truthful when it proclaims the Shahada (a testament of belief), is thankful and patient, is knowledgeable, is satisfied and accepts the rules of Allah (S), is secured against the fire of hell and is a contented happy soul. Allah (S) speaks to this tranquil soul directly as presented in the Quran in Surah 89 (The Dawn), Verse 27-30: 27. (To the righteous soul will be said :) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! 28. "Come back to thy Lord, - well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! 29. "Enter thou, then, among My devotees! 30. "Yea, enter thou My Heaven!" Therefore it is the heart that reflects the soul (the ruh), which is the meaning of the Quranic view that Allah (S) is closer to us than our jugular vein. The Noble Quran presents a beautiful description of Allah’s (S) love, affection and the pleasure experienced by this pure soul. This soul has progressed and groomed itself to a perfect position that it is satisfied and tranquil in this world and in the Hereafter. This is the journey of a righteous seeker who, from the lower nafs to the watchful, witnessing and remembering heart to the enlightened soul (ruh), realizing a closeness to Allah (S) from this world to the Hereafter (Akhiraa). Many books have been written on the quest of finding Allah (S) in the world (Dunya) and learned scholars and enlightened beings are in agreement that the Quran al Kareem and the Prophetic (SAW) character is the guide and path that shows the perfect Shariah and this is the journey of life which must be emulated and traversed for a seeker to achieve this goal. There should be no misapprehension for a seeker (salik) to search for this path to achieve closeness to Allah (S) during his/her lifetime as in the Hereafter it may be too late to fulfil this objective. This level of knowledge is obtainable and the most important priority is to learn and practice the essential knowledge of the way of Islam (Din), which is the Prophetic way and character that develops a heightened and cautious awareness of Allah (S). Allah (S) confirms this blessing in the Noble Quran in Surah 5 Al Maidah (The Table Spread), Verse 4: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” As our Rasul (SAW) was taught by Allah (S) through His Great Angel Jibreel (AS), so must we sit with spiritual, learned masters and companions who teach and instruct us so that we may perfect and practice the Islamic Character which realizes the closeness to Allah (S) in our lifetime, Insha-Allah. Allah (S) is our Lord. All Praise belongs to Him. He is the Master of the Day of judgement. May He Forgive, Protect, Sustain and Guide us. May He show us the Straight Path. The Path of the Original, Living, Enlightened Islam. Amen.