₦airaland Forum

@Nimshi

Since you have created some threads seeking 'peoples' contibutions without you providing one. Do you care to tell us your stand here and probably in other threads created by you?

Thanks

The Prophetic Ethics: Our Daily Challenge

But those will prosper who purify themselves, glorify the name of their Lord, and (lift their hearts) in Prayer. Nay (behold), you prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and more enduring. And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelations), the Books of Abraham and Moses.] (Al-A`la 87:14-19)

Our daily challenge is how to live in this world in the way of the prophets of Allah, all the prophets of Allah from Adam to the last and final Prophet, Muhammad - peace be upon all of them. The way of the prophets of Allah was one and the same. They came to give the same message and followed basically the same principles and values. The way of the prophets was not the way of kings or rulers, the way of politicians and military commanders, the way of the rich and comfortable people. The way of the prophets was different from what the world expects or from what we are used to seeing and observing in this world.

The way of the prophets was to uphold the real and permanent over the ephemeral and transitory, the spiritual over the material, the moral and ethical over that which brings quick profit or results. The way of the prophets was not the way of power but the way of inner strength and energy. Their way was not the way of worldly pomp and glory but the way of humble devotion to Allah and service of humanity.

It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: My Lord gave me nine (bits of) advice and I give them to you.

He advised me:

- To be sincere whether in private or in public

- To do justice whether in anger or in happiness

- To be moderate whether in riches or in poverty

- To join (in relations) with those who (try) to cut me off

- To give to those who deprive me

- To forgive those who do wrong to me

- That my silence be thoughtful

- That my speech be mindful (of Allah)

- That my vision be to take admonition. (Reported by Razeen)

These are some very important points of advice that Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He lived by them in his whole life. He was a perfect example of these virtues. He also gave this advice to us. This advice contains the basic ethic of Islam, which is not an ordinary ethic but is divine and prophetic. The ethical principles given here require special effort, training, and sacrifice. It is not easy or simple to live by these principles, but they have lasting values and they bring eternal blessings.

This is our daily challenge. Our challenge is how to live by this ethic in our daily life. The challenge is not to live by these values and principles in the situation of ease and happiness, but to live by them in all circumstances. The challenge is to live by these principles, teach them to our younger generation, and to form and build a community of faithful who are willing to dedicate themselves to them.

1. Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity): The first principle of the Islamic ethic is sincerity, which means purity of the heart and purity of the mind (intention). It means truth and honesty. Sincerity in every situation whether alone or in public. There are many who are not sincere. They live the life of hypocrisy. There are some who show themselves very sincere when in public, but in their private life when others are not watching them, their behavior changes. Real sincerity comes from the fear of Allah. In another version of this hadith, it is mentioned that Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The fear of Allah (khashyah) in private or in public.”

2. Al-`Adl (Justice): Justice and fair dealing is necessary with all people, with friends and foes alike, whether in happiness as well as in anger. Sometimes it is easy to talk of justice in the situation of comfort when there is no commotion or conflict, but the real challenge is to uphold justice even in relation to those who make you angry. Justice even to those who hate you and who never stop opposing and mistreating you. Justice not only in words, but in words and deeds both.

3. Al-Qasd (Moderation): It is to follow the middle path. Moderation should be in everything, not only in financial matters but in every aspect of life. In tight situations, people become extremist, upset, and afraid. In affluence also people lose control over themselves. The rich do not see the need for moderation, but moderation is good for all people in all circumstances.

4. Silat ar-Rahm (Keeping the ties of kinship): These are family ties. This means good relations between all members of the family and taking care of those who are in need. The challenge is not only to help those relatives who are nice or who give, but to give also to those who withhold and do not give anything at any occasion. Family is moral commitment. One should not be good to family members only when they are good, but one should be good even to those relatives who do not treat you well.

5. `Ata’ (Generosity): Believers are always generous. They give to all and everywhere. There is a great reward in helping people in their needs. However, the extraordinary character is to give to those who do not give and to also give to those who purposely deny and deprive us.

6. Al-`Afw (Forgiveness): It is not easy to forgive those who do wrong to us. Islam teaches that one should forgive as much as possible, but the greatest forgiveness is when one pardons while one is capable of taking revenge and punish. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has given us the best example of this value. He was ever willing to forgive his enemies

7. Fikr (Thinking and reflection): It is good to be silent as much as possible. To speak only when it is necessary. But silence should be with thinking and reflection.

8. Dhikr (Remembrance and speaking of Allah): Our tongue is a great gift of Allah to us. We are distinguished from animals because we can use our tongue. We should use our tongue to praise Allah and give thanks to Him, but we should also keep Allah in mind whenever we open our mouth. A lot of sins of the tongue, such as lying, backbiting, gossiping, using bad words, et cetera, come because we do not remember Allah.

9. `Ibrah (Learning and taking lessons): Our eyes and minds must remain open to understand things and to take lessons from the events around us. We should be very thoughtful always.

The Prophet Muhammad: a mercy for all creation


“Indeed, in this [Quran] is notification for a worshipping people. And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Quran: 21:106-107)

Allah's Messenger was the kindest of men in the same way as he excelled all others in courage and valour. Being extremely kind-hearted, his eyes brimmed with tears at the slightest sign of inhumanity. A Companion, Shaddaad bin 'Aws reported the Apostle as saying: "Allah has commanded you to show kindness to everyone, so if you have to kill, kill in a good manner, and if you slaughter an animal, slaughter it gently. If anyone of you has to slay an animal, he should sharpen the blade first and treat the animal well." Ibn 'Abbas relates that a man threw a goat on its side and then started sharpening his knife. When the Prophet saw him he said: "Do you want to kill it twice? Why did you not sharpen the knife before throwing it on the ground?"[/b]

[b]A Mercy for the Believers

The Messenger’s compassion towards the believers was of the utmost degree. The Quran describes his compassion in the following verse, which means: “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind and merciful.” (Quran: 9:128)

Sa‘d bin ‘Ubaadah once became ill, so Allah's Messenger visited him in his house. On seeing his faithful Companion in a pitiful state, he was moved to tears. Then, he said: “Allah does not punish because of tears, nor because of grief, but he punishes because of this."- and he pointed to his tongue. (Al-Bukhari)[/b]

[b]A Mercy Towards his Enemies

The prisoners of war taken captive at the battle of Badr were amongst his bitterest enemies. Nevertheless, he made sure that they were given the best of treatment. Among them was Suhayl bin 'Amr who was a fiery speaker and was denouncing the Prophet . 'Umar one the Prophet’s closest companions, suggested that two of his lower teeth be pulled out so that he might not be so vile in his speeches. The Prophet replied: “Were I to do this, Allah would disfigure me on the Day of Judgement, despite the fact that I am His messenger.” (Hadith)

In Makkah, his people inflicted him with every kind of suffering, eventually forcing him to emigrate to Madinah, and then waged war on him for five years. However, when he conquered Makkah without bloodshed in the twenty-first year of his Prophethood, he asked the Makkan unbelievers who were awaiting his decision about them: “How do you expect me to treat you?” They responded unanimously[b]: "You are a noble one, the son of a noble one[/b]." He announced to them his decision:

“You may go free! No reproach this day shall be on you; may God forgive you.”[/b]

[b]A Mercy for Women

Prophet Muhammad was also very kind and affectionate towards women. Women were very badly treated in those times. The Noble Prophet gave them honour and dignity at par with men in the community. 'Umar reported: "We did not have much regard for women while we were at Makkah, but they were better treated in Madinah. Allah's Messenger established women's rights through his sayings and commandments, which improved their position and status."

A Mercy for Children

Allah's Messenger was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: “I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother is feeling.” (Al-Bukhari)

He would take children in his arms and embrace them. He was once hugging his beloved grandsons, Hasan and Hussain, when Aqrah bin Haabis told him, ‘I have got ten children. So far, I have not kissed any of them.’ Allah’s Messenger responded: “The one with no pity for others is not pitied.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

According to another version, he said: “What can I do for you if Allah has removed from you the feeling of compassion?” (At-Tirmidhi)

A Mercy for Slaves

The Prophet strongly enjoined the duty of kind and generous treatment upon slaves, servants and labourers engaged in manual work. Jaabir related the Apostle of Allah as saying: "Feed them with the food which you eat, clothe them with such clothing as you wear, and do not cause trouble to Allah's creatures." The Apostle is further stated to have said: "Those whom Allah has made your dependents are your brothers, servants and helpmates. Anybody whose brother has been made subservient to him ought to feed him with the food he eats and clothe him with the clothes he wears; command him not to do that which he is unable to do and if it becomes necessary to do so then he should help him in doing the job."

A Mercy for Animals

His compassion encompassed not only human beings, but also animals.

The Prophet forbade his companions to keep the unintelligent creatures hungry or thirsty, to disturb or to overburden them. He commended that kindness and putting them at ease were meritorious acts tending to bring man nearer to Allah. Abu Hurairah reports the Prophet as saying: "A traveler who was thirsty saw a well in the way. He got inside the well and when he came out he saw a dog licking mud due to thirst. The man realised that the dog was as thirsty as him, so he got into the well again, filled his leather sock with water and carried it out holding it with his teeth. Thus, he quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah was pleased with this act of kindness and pardoned his sins." The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah is there recompense in the matter of beasts and wild animals also?" The Prophet replied: "There is recompense in regard to every creature that has a living heart."

'Abdullah bin 'Umar related that the Prophet said: "A woman was cast away to hell only because she had withheld food and water from her cat and refused to set it free so that the cat might satisfy its hunger by eating worms and insects."

Once on return from a military campaign, a few Companions took away the chicks of a bird from their nest to stroke them. The mother bird came back and when it could not find its chicks in the nest, it began to fly around screeching. When informed of the matter, Allah’s Messenger became angry and ordered the chicks to be put back in the nest. (Abu Dawood)

Conclusion
The love and compassion of Allah’s Messenger for all kinds of creatures was not of the kind claimed by today’s ‘humanists’. He was sincere and balanced in his love and compassion. He was more compassionate than any other person. He was a Prophet raised by Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all beings, for the guidance and happiness of conscious beings - mankind and jinn - and the harmony of existence. Therefore, he lived not for himself but for others; he is a mercy for all the worlds.

Question 16

How should Ghusl because of Janabah, menstruation, or post natal bleeding be performed?

Answer:

It is 'obligatory' as far as ghusl because of janabah is concerned to rinse one's mouth and nose and wash one's whole body. As for Sunnah, a Muslim who is to perform ghusl should perform ablution first of all, just as he does for prayer. After that, he should wahs his whole body, letting water cover his head and all the parts of his body. Nevertheless, it will be sufficient if he washes his body without startng with ablution, simply because ghusl is what is required in this regard. Yet, he will have then neglected something better and more adequate.

Ghusl because of menstruation or postnatal bleeding is the same as ghusl because of janabah but the following things are to be considered as well:

1. to use soap and other such means of cleaning with water.

2. it is desirable for woman to undo her hairdo when performing ghusl because of menses to make sure that water reach the roots of hair.

3. it is also desirable for her, after finishing ghusl, to get a perfumed piece of cloth and follow the trace of blood with it until the unpleasant smell fades away. And Allah knows best.

Question 17

what are the desirable forms of ghusl?

Answer

There are certain cases in which ghusl is performed as an act of the Sunnah and not as a religious obligation. These are the cases in which the prophet (saw) encouraged Muslims to perform ghusl yet without making that obligatory. They are as follows:

1. Ghusl for Friday.

2. Ghusl for any of the two Muslim feats namely, Idul fitri and Idul Adha

3. Ghusk for entering into the state of Ihram for performing Hajj or Umrah.

4. Ghusl for entering Mecca

5. Ghusl for standing on Arafat

6. Ghusl after washing the body of a dead person.

7. Ghusl for every time a Muslim has intercourse with his wife.

8. Ghusl after fainting.

Allah knows best.

Salam brother. I loove this questions and I believe it would enlighten us more on how to atone for forgetfulness before the expiration of solat and atonement for forgetfulness after expiration of solat.

While observing Solat alone, if i make a mistake by:-

(1) Adding or subtracting from the number of required rakats or
(2) forgot to sit after the second rakaat

(3) or am in doubt about having added to, or subtracted from the required number of rakats
I know am expected to validate my salat with sajdah before or after tashahud depending on the situation.

How do i go about this?
What is this sajdah called?
Which sajdah is used to correct a doubt, addition or subtraction to solat?

It is called the concept of Qabliyyah and Ba'adiyyah

QABLIYYAH is an Arabic word which means BEFORE or any action or actions (errors) that deserves atonement. The atonement for actions committed before the expiration of a particular salat is called Sujud-Sahw wherein you are expected to bring forth two prostrations before saying salamah (Taslim).

BA'ADIYYAH on the other hand referred to AFTER or any action or actions (errors) that deserves atonement (Kaffarah) committed after the expiration of a particular salat. The atonement for it is called sujud-sahw wherein you are expected to bring forth two prostrations after the normal Taslim.

In order to authenticate this assertion, Prophet Muhammad (saw) was reported in the narration of Abdullah bin Bujainah (R.A) to have led them in the Zhur prayer, where he stood up after the first two rakats and did not sit for tashahud; so the people stood up with him as well. When he had completed the pratee and the people were waiting for his salutation, he said 'Allah Akbar' while he was sitting and did two sajdah before the salutation. Then he said the salutation (Bukhari, Muslim).


Another dimension concerning the state of forgetfulness in prayer, Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (R.A) narrated that rhe Messenger of Allah (SAW) said , 'when one of you becomes confused during his prsyer and he does not know how many rakats he offered, he should ignored what is doubtful and base his prayer on what he believes is certain. Then he should do extra sajdah before the salutation. If he had prayes five rakats, then these sajdah will make his prayer 6 rakats (2 of which would be nafilat) and if he had prayed the correct number of Rakats, these two sajdah will be humility for the devil (Muslim)[/b]

[b]Instances that require Qabliyyah

1. If a person reduces up to three or more sunnah aspects.

2. Whoever adds and reduces some sunnah aspects in the same prayer.

Forgetting the recitation of a surah after Suratul Fatiah but remembered before Taslim.

4. Whoever recites silently where he should recite loudly.

5. Leaving teo Takbirs or 'samia Allah Liman Hamidah twice or more

6. If someone prays two rakats and forgets to observe Tashahud till he stands up should continue his prayer till the end, ghe should correct it with Qabliyyah.

7. If someone omits the recitation of a verse or two verses in suratul fatiah unintentionally.

8. Whoever forgets to recite Suratul Fatiah completely in a non-obligatory prayer.

9. Supposing someone is to observe Qabliyyah but forgrtsd to do so and it has not taken a long time, he is going to do it (that is Ba'adiyyah instead of Qabliyyah). But if it has taken a long time, and the sunnah aspects left are not up to three, his prayer remains valid without resorting to atonement (SUJUD SAHW) but if they are up to three or more (like leaving the recitation of a surah) in such case, his prayer has spoilt. The prayer has to be repeated.

10. Al-Ma'mum (the follower of an Imam who misses a rakat or more). If he found that the Imam has to do Ba'adiyyah, and he (tyhe follower) personllay is indebted to Qabliyyah for reducing sunnah aspect after Imam, he should do Qabliyyah for both and if the opposite is the case Qabliyyah is sufficient for him.

Instances that require Ba'adiyyah

1. Unconscious repetition of suratul Fatiha

2. Infusion of other citation/words beside reading of Quranic verse.

3. Reading aloud while silence is required.

4. Unconscious blowing of dust.

5. Terminating the salat after the first two rakats apart from Ssubhi prayer (the affected person wil rise for completion of the last two rakats and observe the atonement of Ba'adiyyah thereafter.

6. Unconscious talking while praying.

7. Distorting the Quranoc pronunciation in such a way that it spoils the meaning.

8. Increasing one or two rakats. But addition of two rakats to Subhi renders it invalid.

9. If someone forgets bowing and remembers while prostrating. He should stand up and preferably recite something from the Glorious Quran. He then perform the bowing, continue his prayers and correct it by performing Ba'adiyyah.

10. Whoever leaves prostration unintentionally but remembers only while standing should perform the sujud, complete his prayer then Ba'adiyyah follows.

11. If someone forgetrs bowing (rukuuh) or sujud but do not rememberuntil the next rakat , he should replace that rakat with a new one. If the repeated rakat is among the first two (that have fatiha and other surah) he is going to do Qabliyyah, but if it is the last two rakats, then Ba'adiyyah is required.

12. Persistent multiple doubt requires Ba'adiyyah in all prayers but one should try to avoid too much doubt.

13. Doubting whether one has performed taslim or not, if the time lasped and its not long and has not turned his back to the Qiblah, he should there say Taslim and if he has turned his face from Qiblah, he should turned back to do it, Taslim and perform Ba'adiyyah.

14. Forgotten Ba'adiyyah should be made up even after a year.

15. Prolonged thinking not related to the prayer or over-doubting where not necessary (for instance when he rises from bowing or between prostrations) Ba'adiyyah is required of him based on popular opinion.

How to perform Qabliyyah and Ba'adiyyah

QABLIYYAH: whenever one realises the error of omission in his prayers that command atonement of Qabliyyah before the termination of salat with taslim, he should proceed to observe two sujud (prostrations) to be preceeded with Takbirs and sit down again for Tashahud and taslim.

BA'ADIYYAH: whenver anyone detects or realizes his errors or addition, he will have to offer the atonment of Ba'adiyyah by observing to sujuds after the termination of the salats. There and then one sits down recites the tashahud and to be followed woth Taslim.

Notes: recitation of Al-tashud after the observance of sujud or ommission or addition (Qabliyyah or Ba''adiyyah) is at individual's discretion. One may decide to recite it or not as the consensus of opinion of Islamic scholars gave credence to that.

we should also take note that whoever forgrtsd the exact number of Rakats he has performed should work on the number he is certain of. That is, if he doubts whether he has prayed three or four, he should take the least number that is three, then complete his prayers followed by Ba'adiyyah.

Whosoever after Taslim. remembers that he has left a compulsory aspect of prayer, if it is not far he should make intention together with Takbir by raising his hands while performing the Takbir of intention. For instance, idf it is rukuuh or rising from sujud etc. If it is rukuuuh, he should go back for it after standing, then go for rukuuh that has been left, then continue the prayer folloowed by Ba'adiyyah. If it is rising up from Rukuuh, he should go for the rukuuh, then rise from the rukuuh, likewise if sujud is left, he should start with sujud then rise, after terminating the prayers, he should then do Ba'adiyyah.

Salam Samba

You just have to let Nimshi be since he said:

And, no where have I endorsed Rushdie's views,

Yes he keeps making blind arguments but has not been to support same with Quranic verses and Hadiths.

He started some threads but has not made his stand clear or contribution on his posts and claimed that he threw it to the house to contribute.

I tire for him jare.

@Nimshi

Your brother? Hehe. You wouldn't recognise irony if it bit you on the nose, crawled into your left eye and rest back out on your lips.

I don't know when you decide to turn to his spokesman. I understood him perfectly but doesnt have time for his fruitless argument without facts like yours. You only need to re-examine yourself and your mischief.

na today?

E don tay jare my brother

@Nimshi

The article was posted to inspire discussion. It is not necessarily the poster's point of view. Now:

On Interest . . .

The Socratic approach may help in reasoning:

1) How does a Muslim acquire property via, say, mortgage?
2) How does a Muslim buy a car for which (s)he may not have the full amount to pay?
3) How does a Muslim execute a capital intensive project for which personal funds are severely inadequate and the assistance of financial institutions are needed?

Please take your time to read through and pay attention to AH 1999 posts which explains what you may be needing to know. I still dont know if its the same Brash.

http://forum.mpacuk.org/archive/index.php?t-5979.html

On Islamic Banking and Finance

http://users.bart.nl/~abdul/book4ft.html
http://www.islamic-world.net/economics/musharakah.htm


On major Islamic finance instruments

http://www.ifilbd.com/linkfiles/glossary2.php

I am still very much around the corner . No shaking . Javalove wants Mukina but Mukina said no, what is the way forward now

@Lady

babs787 can you please provide non-biblical and non-quranic proof that Jesus wasn't crucified? please?
provide proof that is completely unbiased.

Thanks for the post. Honestly I dont want to engage xtians in discussion/debate ever since the sections have been separated.

With regards to Quranic proof, you have the verses already in the Quran. Also about the proof from the bible, you have verses as well and would go into that as we proceed.

Without going into the verses, Jesus gave only one sign which happened to be 'the only sign of Jonah' in which he said that' as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so also the son of man would be.

Interpreting the above, one would see that from the book of Jonah, Jonah didnt die while going through the ordeal and when the whale vomited him, he was alive as well and Jesus said AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS and if we are to judge by this, do you think that JESUS was like Jonah and how was he like him?

Could you please tell me how you arrive at three days and 3 nights calculation bearing it in mind that they start their own day from last night and would also appreciate the exact day he died and we still calculate the if he indeed fulfilled the three days and three nights prophecy.

There were many signs Jesus could have given but decided to choose only that of sign and why did he choose that.

We should also note that Jesus was not in the belly of the earth as many people thought.

when the above is being solved, I will try to go into his alleged death on the cross when he was given vinegar that was supposed to have stimulating effect and we will from there move to when they wanted to touch and were afraid to do that.

Hope I have not asked too much?

God bless.

@Bhola

Samba, I don't know if you are Nigerian or not. I don't know what your first language is. I know though, it is not English. It is hard to read what you type sometimes and I don't get the gist of your post.

Are you asking Nimshi to quote part of the book that gives the man the right to place a fatwa on the writer? Or what part do you ask him to quote? Your request is not clear. If you are really interested in the book, I suggest getting a copy.

Nimshi, I am personally enjoying your posts. I don't know what you are, Muslim o, Christian o, or anything. It doesn't concern me. A balanced discussion is what is needed. Thanks for giving us non-muslim, a different view into the Islamic world. For a while, thought the best we could get was Olabs and Babs and the rest.

Glad to know someone out there, agrees that killing people that don't agree with them, is not right.

You don't have to pick at how Samba writes. If you do not understand what he writes, then you leave it for those that do. Remember that what matter most is the ability to communicate and this is not English Language classroom.

Since Nimshi has said that he has not endorsed SR's views, I let it go.

Quran 5:54 "O ye who believe[b]! If any from among you turn back from his faith, [/b] soon will Allah produce a people whom He (Allah) will love as they will love Him lowly with the believers, Mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproachers of such as find fault. That is the Grace of Allah which He will bestow on whom He (Allah) pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things."

Salman Rushdie's Published works

1975: Grimus
1980: Midnight's Children
1983: Shame
1985: The Painter and the Pest (documentary film)
1987: The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey
1987: The Riddle of Midnight (documentary film) - amazon.com
1989: The Satanic Verses
1990: Haroun and the Sea of Stories
1991: Imaginary homelands: essays and criticism, 1981-1991
1992: The Wizard of Oz
1994: East, West
1995: The Moor's Last Sigh
1997: The Vintage Book of Indian Writing (1947 - 1997) (anthology, edited jointly with Elizabeth West)
1999: The Ground Beneath her Feet
2001: Fury
2002: Step Across this Line

And, I don't think SV is a materpiece; it's not even Rushdie's best. And, no where have I endorsed Rushdie's views, but, I will defend his right to write.

Ok.

Nope he didnt Ma'am

100 Ways We Can Support Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)


Praise be to Allah, Lord of All the Worlds. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.

The first pillar of Islam is our testimony that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The first half of this testimony is our declaration of monotheism. The second half is our declaration that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). We can only fully realize the meaning of the second half of the testimony in our hearts by cultivating the following:

1. Belief in everything the Prophet (peace be upon him) has told us. We must believe, first and foremost, that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah sent to all humanity to convey to them what Allah revealed to him of the Qur’ân and Sunnah. This is the religion of Islam, and Allah will accept from his servants no other religion.

2.Obedience to his commands with full acceptance and submission. We must adhere to his Sunnah and emulate his most excellent example and eschew everything to the contrary.

3.Love for the Prophet (peace be upon him). We must love our Prophet (peace be upon him) more than we love anyone else, even our own parents and children. In this way, we will show him the respect and deference that he deserves and we will be inspired to do what we must to support and defend him.

It is incumbent upon every one of us as Muslims to fully realize in our lives the meaning of our testimony “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. We must truly inculcate this faith in our hearts. The hypocrites had said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “We bear witness that indeed you are the Messenger of Allah.” In turn, Allah said: “Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.” (Surah, 63: 1)

There are a number of things that we can do to put our love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) into action and carry out our duty to him. We must confront the vicious attacks being waged against him and ransom him with our lives, our loved ones, and our wealth to the extent of our varying abilities. We must all carry out our responsibilities on whatever level we are able.

THINGS WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS

1. We can contemplate the evidence which decisively demonstrates that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. The first source for this evidence is none other than the Qur’ân.

2. We can learn the evidence from the Qur’ân, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims that it is obligatory to obey the Prophet (peace be upon him) and emulate his most excellent example.

3. We can acquaint ourselves with how Allah has protected the Prophet’s Sunnah. We should learn about the considerable efforts that were made by the scholars throughout the centuries to separate the genuine Sunnah from what was false and how they compiled the authentic Sunnah according to the most stringent conditions. No other civilization of the past had ever developed a more arduous and learned set of principles for authenticating historical evidence.

4. We can cultivate in our hearts our love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) by recalling his noble attributes. We can read about his good character and his noble deeds. We can learn how he embodied all the good qualities that can possibly be attained by a single human being.

5. We can bring to mind the great favor that he bestowed on all of us and how indebted we are to him. He is the one who conveyed to us the true religion. He carried out this duty in a most excellent manner. He fulfilled his trust to Allah perfectly and delivered to us his Lord’s Message.

6. We can give him due credit for all the good that we attain by Allah’s grace in this world and the Hereafter, since he is the one who showed us towards how to attain it and who brought us guidance. Allah has blessed him on our account with the greatest blessings ever bestowed upon a Prophet.

7. We can bring to mind how compassionate and merciful the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to his followers and how concerned he was for our guidance and welfare. Allah says: “The Prophet is closer to the believers than they are to their own selves.” (Sûrah, 33: 6)

8. We can become acquainted with the verses of the Qur’ân and with the Hadîth that discuss his lofty status with his Lord and the love that Allah has for him and the esteem in which Allah holds him.

9. We can carry out Allah’s command to love the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should love him more than we love ourselves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until I become dearer to him than his own self, his children, his parents, and all of mankind.”

10. We can carry out Allah’s command to show respect for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and for his Sunnah. Allah says: “O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the Prophet’s voice and do not speak to him loudly as you might speak to one another, lest your deeds become vain while you perceive it not.” (Sûrah, 49: 2)

11. We can fulfill Allah’s command to come to the defense of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and protect him from those who wish to harm or defame him. Allah says: “To believe in Allah and His Messenger that you may assist and honor him.” (Sûrah, 48: 9)

12. We can cultivate in our hearts a sincere and constant resolve to defend the Prophet and promote his good name.

13. We can bear in mind the great blessings and rewards that in the Hereafter await those who genuinely put into practice their love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They will be his close companions in Paradise , for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has promised: “You will be with whom you love.”

14. We can make it a habit to offer salutations of peace upon our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) whenever we remember to do so, especially after the call to prayer and on Fridays. This will increase our blessings from Allah.

15. We can read the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from authentic sources and benefit from the many lessons that it contains. We can then try to apply those lessons to our lives today.

16. We can learn the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by studying its authentic sources. We must study the Hadîth and strive to understand them correctly. We need to derive from these Ahadîth the rulings and the lessons that they contain.

17. We can follow the Sunnah in its entirety, giving priority to what we are obligated to do.

18. We can strive to emulate the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) even in matters where we are under no obligation to do so. It is better even if we do something the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did only once in our lives just so we can follow his example to the last detail.

19. We can be vigilant to avoid ever belittling any aspect of his Sunnah.

20. We can make sure that we feel joy every time we see people putting some aspect of his Sunnah into practice.

21. We can feel sorrow whenever we find that some aspect of his Sunnah is being neglected.

22. We can feel enmity towards anyone who defames the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or disapproves of his Sunnah.

23. We can show love for the members of our Prophet’s family and for his wives and descendants. We can seek nearness to Allah by loving them for the sake of their nearness to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and for the sake of their commitment to Islam. If we find any of his descendants disobedient to Allah, we should be eager to guide them, since their guidance is something most dear to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). `Umar the son of al-Khattâb said to the Prophet’s uncle: “O `Abbâs! The day that you accepted Islam was more beloved to me than the day when al-Khattâb accepted Islam. This is only because I know that your acceptance of Islam was dearer to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) than that of al-Khattâb.”

24. We can act upon the direction of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with respect to his family when he thrice said: “I remind you of the rights of Allah with respect to my family.”

25. We can show love and respect for the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and recognize their honor and distinction with Allah and their superiority in knowledge and good works to those who come after them.

26. We can show love and respect for the scholars on account of their status and their knowledge of the Prophet’s legacy. The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. They deserve to be loved and honored. This is a right that our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has over us.

THINGS WE CAN DO AS FAMILIES AND AS A SOCIETY

27. We can raise our children to love the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

28. We can raise our children to emulate his excellent example.

29. We can make available in our homes books about the Prophet’s life.

30. We can make available in our homes recorded lectures about his life for our families to listen to.

31. We can show our children cartoons that have a clear and wholesome Islamic content.

32. We can set aside some family time every week for an Islamic study circle.

33. As husbands and wives, we can follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in how we deal with our families.

34. We can encourage our children to memorize and put into practice the words that the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to remember Allah on all occasions.

35. We can encourage our children to spend a portion of their daily allowances on charitable deeds that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to encourage, like providing for an orphan, feeding a poor person, or helping the needy. This is an excellent practical application of the Sunnah.

36. We can make our children accustomed to using some of the Prophet’s good sayings in their everyday speech like: “A believer is clever and sage”; “A believer does not get stung from the same hole twice” and “Make things easy, not difficult”.

37. We can hold competitions at home where the children can be tested on their knowledge of the Prophet’s life.

38. We can teach our children about the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by holding little programs at home like: “A day at the Prophet’s house”.

THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

39. We can cultivate love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the hearts of our students by teaching them about the rights he has over us as his followers.

40. We can increase the amount of lectures given covering different aspects of his life and personality.

41. We can encourage educational authorities to add to the Islamic Studies syllabus a subject entitled The Life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

42. We can make efforts to finance the appointment of professors of the Prophet’s biography in prominent Western universities.

43. We can encourage serious research into the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and encourage scholars to publish works about different aspects of the Sunnah.

44. We can hold exhibitions at schools and universities to inform people about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) while focusing on the geographical spread of Islam.

45. We can devote prominent sections of our libraries to books about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

46. We can develop valuable encyclopedic reference works about the Prophet’s life.

47. We can host annual competitions where students can receive scholarships and prizes for writing the best original research papers about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his life.

48. We can hold youth camps that cultivate love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and teach the practical application of the Sunnah.

49. We can host training seminars for our future leaders that focus on how to emulate the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE FIELD OF ISLAMIC WORK

50. We can explain the hallmarks of the message that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called towards, emphasizing that he came with the original, pure religion and that his concern was to guide all humanity to the sincere, monotheistic worship of their Lord.

51. We can step up our efforts in calling people of all nations and all walks of life to the guidance of Islam.

52. We can convey to the people the illustrious and noble character that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had even before he began to receive the revelation from Allah.

53. We can explain to the people the good qualities of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the unique features of Islam in a manner that will hold their attention and capture their interests.

54. We can explain how the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) behaved toward his family, his neighbors, and his followers.

55. We can focus on how admirably and magnanimously he conducted himself with the Jews, Christians, pagans, and hypocrites who showed him enmity and hostility.

56. We can explain how nobly he carried out his most mundane, daily affairs.

57. We can set aside part of the Friday sermon for discussing certain aspects of the Prophet’s life and occasionally devote an entire sermon to this topic.

58. After the daily prayers, we can offer a few comments on how the verses we recited in our prayers relate to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his life.

59. We can hold study sessions for the memorization of the Sunnah just like we do for the memorization of the Qur’ân.

60. We can correct the misconceptions that the general public has about the Sunnah and emphasize the importance of following the Sunnah in our lives.

61. We can call the people’s attention to the Islamic rulings issued by scholars regarding those who defame the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and emphasize that we have to disassociate ourselves from such people.

62. We can work to return the people to their religion by presenting to them the message of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the simplest terms.

63. We can use the media to warn people against going overboard in their reverence for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and explain to them the verses of the Qur’ân that prohibit excess and extravagance. Allah says: “Do not go to excesses in your religion.” We can also mention relevant Hadîth like: “Do not venerate me in the way that the Christians venerated the son of Mary.” We must emphasize that true love for the prophet (peace be upon him) is expressed by following him faithfully.

64. We can encourage the people to read about the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) from its authentic sources. We must clarify those sources and make them available.

65. We can refute and dispel the misconceptions and false claims that are circulating about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his life.

THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE CULTURAL SPHERE AND IN THE MEDIA

66. We can use cultural and media events as opportunities to teach people about the illustrious character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

67. We can refrain from publishing or broadcasting anything that is contrary to his Sunnah.

68. We can oppose the Western media and refute the misconceptions and false claims that they are propagating about our Prophet and our religion.

69. We can host press conferences and cultural events with moderate non-Muslim thinkers where we can openly discuss the Prophet Muhammad (peace e upon him) and his message.

70. We can publish and disseminate what objective non-Muslim thinkers have said about the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

71. We can hold conventions and conferences to discuss the life and methodology of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to demonstrate how that methodology is suitable for all places and times.

72. We can air televised competitions where contestants can earn prizes by demonstrating their knowledge of the Prophet’s life.

73. We can write and publish articles, stories, and pamphlets about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

74. We can petition the editorial boards of newspapers and magazines to provide a regular feature that highlights verses of the Qur’ân and Hadîth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and explains why Muslims love the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and emulate his example.

75. We can petition the executive bodies of television networks to air programs about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his life, highlighting his good qualities and the exemplary way that he conducted himself with his wives, his children, his followers, and his enemies.

76. We can encourage production studios to prepare professional quality video programs about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his life.

77. We can encourage our local television stations and satellite channels to produce and air cartoon programs for children highlighting the good qualities of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and stories from his life.

WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGH OUR ISLAMIC ORGANIZATIONS AND CHARITIES

78. We can establish committees and departments within our organizations devoted to supporting our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

79. We can reserve space for our organizations at local and international expositions and conventions and distribute literature and other media products about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his message.

80. We can establish permanent distribution centers for distributing books, pamphlets, and audio recordings about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

81. We can establish a special award with preset standards to be presented to the person who best served the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his biography. The presentation of this award could be accompanied by a major ceremony to which many renowned personages would be invited.

82. We can print books about the Prophet’s life in various foreign languages to be distributed to public libraries, universities, and centers for Oriental studies around the globe.

83. We can publish a periodical journal that specializes in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his life, Islamic teachings, and the Muslims, emphasizing the good qualities of the religion that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with.

84. We can establish charitable funds to finance our program of supporting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to pay for the writing and translation of books and articles.

WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE INTERNET

85. We can establish organizations devoted to propagating Islam and showing, among other things, how Islam teaches love and reverence for all of the Prophets (peace be upon them all).

86. We can establish websites and online newsgroups devoted to the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). On a smaller scale, we can create dedicated web pages for existing websites that have a broader focus.

87. We can participate in live chats online with non-Muslims and invite them to study the personality of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the religion that he came with.

88. We can include at the bottom of our e-mails some appropriate Hadîth and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

89. We can prepare an occasional online newsletter that discusses the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his message to be sent out on special occasions and whenever circumstances warrant it.

90. We can post on major search engines notices about relevant books and lectures.

THINGS WE CAN DO WITH OUR WEALTH AND THROUGH OUR ISLAMIC GOVERNMENTS

91. We can give financial support to Islamic activities that focus on the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

92. We can print billboards and bumper stickers that quote the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

93. We can help to establish Islamic television and radio stations, as well as periodicals that are devoted to spreading the message of Islam in many languages around the world and especially in English.

94. We can pay for airtime on television and radio stations in various countries to get our message across.

95. We can establish centers devoted to research into the study of the Prophet’s biography and the publication of that research in many languages.

96. We can establish museums and libraries devoted to the Prophet’s life and his legacy.

97. We can fund the establishment of high quality professional websites on the Internet devoted to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his life.

98. We can pay for the production of high quality books, audio recordings, and television programs in various major languages, especially English.

99. We can help to finance Islamic competitions about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and provide substantial prizes to encourage participation.

As for the 100th way, we leave that to you dear reader. We welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please send your input to our e-mail address: info@icsfp.com

My dear Muslim reader, it is our collective and individual duty to do what we can to support our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). We are offering this list of suggestions so that no one will have any excuse to remain idle. Let us begin by working together to circulate these suggestions to as many people as we can. We should invite our families and friends to get involved. We should not feel shy to pick up the phone or to send out an SMS in support of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

ASSALAM ALEIKUM,

1. What is Islaam?

Islam (or Islaam) is the name of the religion, or more properly the ‘way of life’, which God (Allaah) has revealed and which was practiced by all of the Prophets and Messengers of Allaah that He sent to mankind. Even the name stands out unique among other religions in that it means a state of being; it does not refer to any particular person, such as Christianity, Buddhism or Zoroastrianism; a tribe like Judaism; or a nation like Hinduism. The root Arabic word from which Islam is derived implies peace, safety, salutation, protection, blamelessness, wholesomeness, submission, acceptance, surrender, and salvation. Islam specifically means being in the state of submission to Allaah, worshipping Him Alone, and reverently accepting and obeying His Law. Through this submission, the peace, security, and wholesome well-being implied in its literal meaning is achieved. Hence, a Muslim or Muslimah is a person (male or female) in that state of submission. A person’s Islam weakens through sins, ignorance, and wrong-doing, and becomes nullified in totality by associating partners with Allaah or disbelieving in Him.

2. What are Muslims?

The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islaam (submission to the will and law of Allaah)”. The message of Islaam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islaam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities. Islaam has always been a universal message for all people. This can be seen in the fact that some of the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad were not only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans. Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience to the revealed teachings and laws of Allaah the Exalted. A Muslim is a person who freely accepts basing his beliefs, values and faith on the will of Almighty God. In the past, even though you do not see it as much today, the word “Mohammedans” was often used as a label for Muslims. This label is a misnomer, and is the result of either willful distortion or sheer ignorance. One of the reasons for the misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the same way that Christians worship Jesus. This is absolutely not true, since one is not considered a Muslim if he worships anyone or anything besides Allaah the Exalted.

3. Who is Allaah?

Often one hears the Arabic word “Allaah” being used in discussions regarding Islaam. The word “Allaah” is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God, and is the same word used by Arabic speaking Christians and Jews. As a matter of fact, the word Allaah was in use far before the word God ever came into existence, since English is a relatively new language. If one were to pick up an Arabic translation of the Bible, one would see the word “Allaah” being use where the word “God” is used in English. For instance, Arabic speaking Christians say that Jesus is, according to their canon belief, the Son of Allaah. In addition, the Arabic word for Almighty God, “Allaah”, is quite similar to the word for God in other Semitic languages. For example, the Hebrew word for God is “Elah”. For various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than the God of Moses and Abraham and Jesus. This is certainly not the case, since the Pure Monotheism of Islaam calls all people to the worship of the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets, peace be upon them.

4. Who is Muhammad?

The last and final prophet whom God sent to humanity was the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him. At the age of forty, he received the revelation from Allaah. He then spent the remaining portion of his life explaining, and living the teachings of Islaam, the religion that Allaah revealed to him. The Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, is the greatest of all prophets for many reasons, but primarily because he was chosen by Allaah to be the last prophet - whose mission to guide humanity would continue until the Last Day - and because he has been sent as a mercy to all of mankind. The result of his mission has brought more people into the pure belief in One God than any other prophet. Since the beginning of time, Allaah sent prophets to the earth, each one to his own specific nation. The Prophet Muhammad, however, was sent as the final Messenger to all of humanity.

Even though other religious communities have claimed to believe in One God, over time, some corrupted ideas entered into their beliefs and practices leading them away from the pure sincere monotheism of the prophets. Some took their prophets and saints as intercessors with Almighty God. Some even believed that their prophets were the manifestations of God, or “God Incarnate” or the “Son of God”. All of these misconceptions lead to the worship of created beings instead of the Creator, and contributed to the idolatrous practice of believing that Almighty God may be approached through intermediaries. In order to guard against these falsehoods, the Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, always emphasized that he was only a human-being with the mission of preaching and obeying Allaah's message. He taught Muslims to refer to him as “the Messenger of God and His Slave”. Through his life and teachings, Allaah made Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, the perfect example for all people - he was the exemplary prophet, statesman, military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbor, husband, father and friend. Unlike other prophets and messengers, the Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, lived in the full light of history, and all his sayings and acts were meticulously recorded and collected. Muslims don't need to have mere ‘faith’ that he existed, or that his teachings are preserved - they know it to be a fact. Allaah took it upon Himself to protect the message revealed to Muhammad from distortion or from being forgotten or lost. This was necessary because Allaah promised that Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, was to be the final Messenger to mankind. All of Allaah's Messengers preached the message of Islaam - i.e. submission to the law of God and the worship of God alone – but Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, is the last prophet of Islaam who brought the final and complete message which was never to be changed until the Last Day.

5. What are the Teachings of Islaam?

The foundation of the Islaamic faith is belief in absolute Monotheism (the Oneness of God). This means to believe that there is only one Creator and Sustainer of everything in the Universe, and that nothing is divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Him. Truly, believing in the Oneness of God means much more than simply believing that there is “One God” - as opposed to two, three or four. There are a number of religions that claim belief in “One God” and believe that ultimately there is only one Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, but true monotheism is to believe that only the One True Deity is to be worshipped in accordance to the revelation He sent to His Messenger. Islaam also rejects the use of all intermediaries between God and Man, and insists that people approach God directly and reserve all worship for Him alone. Muslims believe that Almighty God is Compassionate, Loving and Merciful.

A common misconception is the claim that God cannot forgive His creatures directly. By over-emphasizing the burden and penalty of sin, as well as claiming that God cannot forgive humans directly, people often despair of the Mercy of God. Once they become convinced that they cannot approach God directly, they turn to false gods for help, such as heroes, political leaders, saviors, saints, and angels. We often find that the people who worship, pray to, or seek intercession from these false deities, do not consider them to be a ‘god’. They claim belief in One Supreme God, but claim that they pray to and worship others beside God only to get closer to Him. In Islaam, there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the created. There is no ambiguity or mystery in issues of divinity: anything that is created does not deserve to be worshipped; only Allaah, the Creator, is worthy of being worshipped. Some religions falsely believe that God has become part of His creation, and this has led people to believe that they can worship something created in order to reach their Creator.

Muslims believe that even though God is Unique and Exalted beyond speculative comprehension, He definitely has no partners, associates, peers, antagonists or offspring. According to Muslim belief, Allaah “neither begets, nor was He begotten” - neither literally, allegorically, metaphorically, physically or metaphysically. He is Absolutely Unique and Eternal. He is in control of everything and is perfectly capable of bestowing His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness to whomever He chooses. That is why Allaah is also called the All-Powerful and Most-Merciful. Allaah has created the Universe for man, and as such wants the best for all human beings. Muslims see everything in the Universe as a sign of the Creatorship and Benevolence of Almighty God. Also, the belief in the Oneness of Allaah is not merely a metaphysical concept. It is a dynamic belief that affects ones view of humanity, society and all aspects of practical life. As a logical corollary to the Islaamic belief in the Oneness of Allaah, is its belief in the oneness of mankind and humanity.

6. What is the Qur'aan?

The Qur'aan is the final revelation of Allaah to all of mankind, which was spoken by Allaah the Exalted Himself and conveyed through the Arch-Angel Gabriel in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad, in sound, word and meaning. The Qur'aan, (sometimes incorrectly spelled Koran), was then relayed to the Prophet's companions, and they diligently memorized it verbatim and meticulously complied it into written form. The Holy Qur'aan has been continually recited by the companions of the Prophet and their successors until the present day. In short, the Qur'aan is the revealed book of Divine scripture from Allaah to all humanity for their guidance and salvation.

Today the Qur'aan is still memorized and taught by millions of people. The language of the Qur'aan, Arabic, is still a living language to millions of people. Unlike the scriptures of some other religions, the Qur'aan is still read in its original language by countless millions of people. The Qur'aan is a living miracle in the Arabic language, and it is known to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact, as well as the unique knowledge that it contains. The Qur'aan was revealed in a series of revelations to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. In contrast to many other religious books, the Qur'aan was always believed to be the exact Word of Allaah. The Qur'aan was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and thereafter. The entire Qur'aan was also completely written down in the lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the Prophet memorized the entire Qur'aan word-for-word as it was revealed. The Qur'aan was always in the hands of the common believers: it was always thought to be God's word; and, due to wide-spread memorization, it was perfectly preserved. Never was any part of it altered or decreed by any religious council. The teachings of the Qur'aan comprise a universal scripture addressed to all of mankind and not to any particular tribe or ‘chosen people’. The message that it brings is nothing new but the same message of all of the prophets: 'submit to Allaah the One God and worship Him alone and follow Allaah's Messengers for success in this life and salvation in the hereafter'. As such, Allaah's revelation in the Qur'aan focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Oneness of Allaah, and framing their lives around the guidance which He has sent, which is articulated in the Islamic Law. The Qur'aan contains the stories of the previous prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon all of them, as well as commands and prohibitions from God. In our modern times, in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and social and political alienation, the Qur'aanic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today.

7. How Do Muslims View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life and the Life Hereafter?

In the Holy Qur'aan, Allaah teaches human beings that they were created in order to glorify and worship Him, and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. All of Allaah's creatures worship him naturally and only the humans have the free will to worship Allaah their Creator or to reject Him. This is a great test, but also a great honor. Since the teachings of Islaam encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islaam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Scripture and Law. As such, worship in Islaam is not limited to religious rituals, and for this reason it is more properly known as ‘way of life’ than a religion. The teachings of Islaam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and qualities such as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islaam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness.

The Islaamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced in that human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil; it is their choice. Islaam teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is their deeds and actions. However, since human beings have also been created innately weak and regularly fall into sin, they are in need of continually seeking guidance and repentance, which is, in itself , also a form of worship loved by Allaah. The nature of the human being as created by God in His Majesty and Wisdom, is not inherently ‘corrupt’ or in need of repair. The avenue of repentance is always open to all. Almighty God knew that humans were going to make mistakes, so the real test is whether they seek repentance for their sins and try to avoid them, or if they prefer a life of heedlessness and sin, knowing well that it is not pleasing to God. The true balance of an Islaamic life is established by having a healthy fear of Allaah's rightful punishment for crimes and sins, as well as a sincere belief that Allaah, in His infinite Mercy, takes pleasure in bestowing His reward for our good deeds and sincere worship to Him. A life without fear of Allaah leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In the light of this fact, Islaam teaches that only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord, and only wicked criminals are devoid of the fear of Allaah their Creator and Judge.

The Holy Qur'aan as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also contains a great deal of teachings about life in the hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by Allaah, the Absolute Sovereign King and Judge, for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Allaah the Exalted will be both Absolutely Just, by only punishing the truly guilty and rebellious unrepentant criminals, and Absolutely Merciful for those people who He, in His wisdom, judges worthy of mercy. None will be judged for that which was beyond their capacity, or for that which they did not actually do. It is sufficient to say that Islaam teaches that life is a test designed by Allaah, the Creator, Almighty and Most Wise; and that all human beings will be accountable before Allaah for what they did with their lives. A sincere belief in the life of the hereafter is the key to leading a well-balanced and moral life. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes people to become more selfish, materialistic and immoral by their blind pursuit of pleasure even at the expense of reason and ethics.

MAY ALLAH GUIDE US TO THE RIGHT PATH, AMIN

@Nimshi

I have been there.

@Nimshi

I have seen it and waiting for your contribution but in the meantime, the quote below caught my attention:

Speaking to a group of Muslim students, Imam Talal Eid said, “If you ask me whether charging interest is haram (forbidden) in Islam, I would say ‘yes’ and I would quote chapter and verse from the Qur’an for you.”

After a long pause, he went on to say, “But if I didn’t pay for my car with an installment loan, I wouldn’t be able to come here to talk to you about Islam.”

Does that mean you support charging of interest?

Nice post Frizy.

May Allah increases your knowledge. I couldnt have said any better.

What you don't know is Islam cannot be like Christianity Europe shaped. People don't shape Islam, Islam shapens a people.

Having forgotten about innovation

@Javalove

No vex for me my brother. I dont want you to miss the oportunity of other ladies here since Mukina made her stand known .

I would even be looking forward to your I.V like you said.

@Mukina

I no mind am jare my sister. But the guy really wants you and why no allow am. E tay wey I attend Aqiduh Nikkah lasts o. . He is my very good brother and would take proper care of you.

Abi no be so Javalove?

Have I spoken well?

@Nimshi


Since you are so fond of making denails that lacks intelligent reasoning, I hereby pose to you, the sayings of the four Imams with regards to Music.

You know Asa's music, eh? How do you know it? Have you listened to it? So you know the answer to the infantile questions you're asking, so then, go ahead and submit your opinion. Or, go ahead and open a thread on music in Islam; make it your objective to show that a Muslim ought not to listen to Asa'a music.

See him asking a foolish question. In case you don't know, her real name is Bukola Elemide, popularly called a 'guitar girl' and some of her tracks among all are, jailer, fire on the mountain, bibanke, orisa bi iya kosi.

Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zinaa, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari ta’leeqan, no. 5590; narrated as mawsool by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 91).


Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth indicates that ma’aazif are haraam, and ma’aazif means musical instruments according to the scholars of (Arabic) language. This word includes all such instruments. (al-Majmoo’, 11/535).


‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: T[b]he daff is haraam, stringed instruments are haraam, drums are haraam and flutes are haraam. Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 10/222[/b]

Now, the sayings of the four Imams with regards to Music in Islam

IMAM ABU HANEEFAH:

Imam Abu Haneefah has perhaps the harshest view of the four famous Imams of jurisprudence. His school of thought is the strictest, for he detested singing and considered it sinful. As for his disciples, they have explicitly confirmed the prohibition of listening to all musical amusements and pastimes, including wind instruments (mazaameer),all types of tambourines, hand drums (dufoof) and even the striking of sticks(al-qadeeb). They have asserted that such actions constitute disobedience to Allah and that the performer of such action is sinful, therefore necessitating rejection of his testimony.

They have further stated that it is incumbent upon the Muslim to struggle to avoid listening to such things, even if he were passing by or stationed near them (without any willful intention). Abu Haneefah's closest disciple, Abu Yoosuf, stated that if the sound of musical instruments (ma'aazif) and amusements (malaahi) were heard coming from a house, the house could be entered without permission of its owners. The justification for this is that the command regarding the prohibition of abominable things (munkaaraat) is mandatory, and cannot be established if such entering rests upon the permission of the residents of the premises.

This is the madhhab (position) of the rest of the Kufic scholars as well, such as Ibraheem An-Nakha'i, Ash-Sha'bi, Hammaad and Ath-Thowri. They do not differ on this issue. The same can be said of the general body of jurisprudence of Al-Basrah.

IMAAM MAALIK:

It is related by Ibnul-Jowzi that Ishaaq bin 'Eesaa At-Tabba'a asked Imaam Maalik bin Anas, the leading jurisprudent of Madeenah, about the view of the people of Madeenah regarding singing (ghinaa). He replied, "In fact, that is done by the sinful ones." Abut-teeb At-Tabari said, "As for Maalik bin Anas, he truly did prohibit singing and listening to it." He further related that Maalik said, "If one purchased a slave-girl and found her to be a professional singer, he could return her to the original owner for reimbursement on the claim of having found fault in the merchandise." The ruling of prohibition (tahreem) is generally agreed upon by the scholars of Madeenah. The Maaliki jurisprudence and commentator, Al-Qurtubi, reports Ibn Khuwayz Mandaad as saying that Imam Maalik had learned singing and music as a small boy until his mother encouraged him to leave it for a study of the religious sciences. He did, and his view became that such things were prohibited. Al-Qurtubi confirmed Maalik's view by saying that the only exception to this general ruling was the type of innocent songs such as those sung to placate the camels during travel, or during hard labor or boredom or during times of festivity and joy, such as the 'Eed days and weddings - the latter to the accompaniment of a simple daff (hand drum). Al-Qurtubi then said, "As for that which is done in our day, by way of the [blameworthy] innovations [bidah] of the Sufi mystics in their addition to hearing songs to the accompaniment of melodious instruments such as flutes, string instruments, etc., such is haraam [forbidden].

IMAAM SHAAFI'EE:

In the book, Aadaabul Qadaa, Ash-Shaafi'ee is reported as saying, "Verily, song is loathsome [makrooh]; it resembles the false and vain thing [al-baatil]. The one who partakes of it frequently is an incompetent fool whose testimony is to be rejected." His closest and most knowledgeable disciples clearly stipulate that his position on this issue is that of prohibition (tahreem) and they rebuke those who attribute its legality to him. This is confirmed by the later Shafi'ite scholar, Ibn Hajar Al-Haythami.

He related that one of Ash-Shaafi'ee's disciples, Al-Haarith Al-Muhaasibi (d.243 H) said, "Song is haraam, just as the carcass [maytah] is." [/b]Furthermore, the statement that singing is haraam is found in the treatise, Ash-Sharh Al-Kabeer, by the authoritative Shafi'ite scholar, Ar-Raafi'ee (d.623 H.). This is further corroborated by the accomplished Shafiiite jurisprudent, Imam An-Nawawi (d.676 H.) in his Rowdah. Such is the correct view of the dependable scholars of the Shafi'ite madhhab. However, due to limited knowledge and personal fancy and desire, a few of their latter-day scholars disagree with this view.

[b]IMAM AHMAD BIN HANBAL:

Imaam Ahmad's position regarding this issue has been narrated in detail by the Hanbalite jurisprudent and Quranic commentator, Abul-Faraj Ibnul-Jowzi (d.597 H.) in his treatise, Tablees Iblees (Satan's deception). H[b]e tells us that ghinaa during Ahmad's era consisted primarily of a rhymed, rythmical chanting (inshaad) of poems whose purpose was to lead people to a pious, abstentious way of life. However, when such chanters began to vary their simple style to one of a throbbing, affected melody, the narrations regarding Ahmad began to differ.[/b] His own son and student, Abdullah, relates that his father said, "Singing sprouts hypocrisy in the heart; it doesn't please me." The scholar, Ismaa'eel bin Ishaaq Ath-Thaqafi, reports that Ahmad was questioned regarding one's listening to those poems (qasaaid) to which he replied, "I despise it, for it is a bid'ah [innovation]. Don't sit down to listen to its reciters." Abul-Haarith relates that Ahmad said, "At-taghyeer is an innovation," whereupon it was said, "But it sensitizes and softens the heart." Ahmad rejoined, "It is a bid'ah [blameworthy innovation]." Yaqoob Al-Haashimi narrates that Ahmad said, "At-taghyeer is a recent innovation," and Yaqoob bin Gayyaath reports him as saying that he despised at-taghyeer and prohibited one's listening to it.

Ibnul-Jowzi then mentioned some narrations related by Abu Bakr Al-Khlallaal and Ahmad's son Saalih, which indicate Ahmad's not being averse to poetry sessions. It is related that Ahmad heard a singer (qawwal) a didn't reproach him, whereupon Saalih said to him, "Oh father, didn't you used to criticize and censure such a thing?" Ahmad replied, "That was because I was told that they were doing reproachable things, so i despised it; as for this, I do not dislike it." Ibnul-Jowzi commented at this point, "Some of the scholars of our [Hanbalite] school mention that Abu Bakr Al-Khallaal (d.311 H.) and his disciple, Abdul-Azeez, permitted singing [ghinaa]. Such a statement refers to the spiritual poems [qasaaid zuhduyyaat] which were prevalent during their time.

This is precisely the type of singing which was not disliked by Ahmad [as previously mentioned]. Ahmad bin Hanbal attests to this in the instance where he was asked regarding a deceased person who left behind him a son and a [professional singing] slave-girl. The son then needed to sell her. Ahmad said that she was not to be sold on the basis of her being a singer. Upon this it was said to him that, [as a singer], she was worth thirty-thousand dirhams, whereas if she were sold only on the basis of her being simply a slave-girl, she would perhaps be worth only twenty dinars. Ahmad reaffirmed that she was allowed to be sold only on the basis of her being simply a slave-girl." Ibnul-Jowzi explained, "The reason Ahmad said this is because the singing slave-girl doesn't sing spiritual poems [qasaaid zuhdiyaat]; rather, she sings throbbing lyrics which incite passion in one's being. This is proof that such singing is haraam, for if it were not so, the incurred loss of the orphans son's wealth would not be permissible.

Furthermore, it is reported by the jurisprudent Al-Mirwazi that Ahmad bin Hanbal said, "The earnings of the effeminate [mukhannath] singer are foul [khabeeth] because he doesn't sing spiritual poems, but rather, he sings erotic poetry [al-ghazal] in a licentious, cooing manner."

Ibnul-Jowzi concluded that it is obvious from what has preceded that the variant narrations relating to Ahmads dislike of (karaahah) or permission for singing depended upon the type of singing that was meant. As for the type of singing which is popular today, it would be forbidden according to Ahmad's view. If only he could see what the people have added to it by way of innovation.

In conclusion, the general consensus of the companions, taabi'een and the following generations of Islamic scholars up to the present day, including the four Imams, points to the ruling of prohibition of music and song.

Case of prophet Ibrahim (as) abd his father (Aazar)


Prophet Ibrahim (AS) will meet his father (whose face will be black and covered with dust). The latter will implore him to appeal for mercy to Allah (swt) on his behalf. The following conversation will ensue between them:


Ibrahim: Didn’t I tell you not to disobey me?

Azar: I will not disobey you today

Ibrahim: (appealing to Allah) O lord! You promised not to disgrace me on the day of resurrection; and what will be more disgraceful to me than cursing and dishonoring my father?

Allah: (responding) I have forbidden Paradise for the disbelievers. O Ibrahim! Look! What is underneath your feet?

Ibrahim: He will look and there he will see a Dhikh; ( an animal – male Hyena, blood stained), which would be seized by the legs and flung into the hell fire.

Case of oppression

Allah will also redress all acts of injustice and oppression. He will return the rightful possessions of the wronged to them, to such an extent that the seller of milk who diluted it with water will be asked to separate it. It will be such a terrible moment that Allah will even avenge the obligation of the hornless goat from the horned goat.

Those who unjustly take land measuring up to a hand span will have seven folds of the measuring of that land hang around their neck.

Those who have taken what they did not have right to, will carry it on their heads this day. Those who stole or took camels will carry it on their heads while they will be grunting, those of cow while it would be mooing and those of goat while it will be bleating.


Case of Zakat defaulters

The gold or silver of the person who has them but fails to pay the Zakat due on it will be melted into slabs and heated in the hell fire. Thereafter, his sides, forehead and back will be branded therewith.

When the slabs become cool, they will be heated up again and the branding will continue in proportion to his default. In the same way, the owner of camels who does not discharge what is due in respect of them will be thrown on his face in a wide level plain to be trampled upon by the camels. These camels will be strong and fat. They will trample on him and tear him apart with their teeth. When the last of them would have passed over him, the first of them will begin the process again. One who owns cows and goats but does not discharge his obligations in respect of them will be thrown on his face in a wide level plain when none of the animals will be missing and none will be without horns. They will gore him with their horns and will trample on him and when one side has finished the other side will begin.

Case of show off

Three groups of people will be arraigned before Allah. They are the martyr, the rich and the servant. They will be shown all the bounties that had been bestowed upon them. They will recognize them. Thereafter, they will be asked the motives behind their actions. They will al answer in the following manner:

Martyr: I fought in your cause and was martyr.

Allah: You lie. You fought so that you might be called a warrior and so you were known!!

Rich man: I spent my money in your cause so as to win your pleasure.

Allah: you lie. You did all that so that you might be called a philantrophist and so were you called.

Servant: I acquired knowledge and taught it, and I studied the QURAN to win your pleasure.

Allah; you lied. You acquired knowledge so that you might be called a servant and you studied the Quran so that you might be called a Qaari (good reciter of the Quran), and you you were called.

Judgement will then be passed on them. They will all be dragged on their faces and cast into hell fire.

@Nimshi\

Learn from you own words.
Discuss on thread that have some value.
There're a few of them in the Islamic section of this board.

When you couldnt even provide facts in thread(s) you are being challenged but making senseless denials.

Since you claimed that if Allah say 1 + 1 = 2, you may humble ask him to explain it to you but didnt showed any humbleness in your post when you called His word lie and I have been asking you what is your understanding of articles of faith that says, you must believe in Him, His books, Messengers etc but you ignorantly/ arrogantly called His words lie. Why do you like shooting yourself in the legs this guy?

@Javalove

Which one be my own if you marry am? Am just letting you know that Mukina said that she's not interested and if you care to know sir , I am not interested in her cos you already know the lucky angel

@Nimshi

You have a basic reading comprehension problem. My response to poster mukina ought to have enlightened you on the details of the subject you're still commenting about. But being a person impervious to facts and discussion, you keep drooling like a bigot who's exhibiting the early stages of dementia. Beyond Islamin education, you lack the basic faculty of considering things you haven't memorised; that's all such a pity, because you probably have the potential for more. It iwll now be a waste of time and bandwidth to continue discussing this matter with you. When you have considered my comprehensive response to mukina, you may return to write reasonably.

I really do not blame your feather-weight brain because you make denials and and show yourself to be a mischievous person.

I also noticed that you ignored my posts when you had nothing in your brain to tender.

Many of your posts are meaningless drooling. My spat with you on Mut'a Marriage shows you're impervious to facts; what can one do with that? I'd rather have a conversation with  a piece of rock.

You are now showing the stuff you are made of. I challenged you here to provide what you claimed as you facts or open a fresh thread and tender your verses and those of your scholars but you couldnt do that. Are you not ashamed of yourself. Sure, you would prefer having a conversation with a piece of rock because you would be able to serve it your hogwash and your denials. I read Olabowale's posts which you showed your 'trademark' and denied but couldnt provide facts. Ignoramus

You're unable to seee the contradiction in the above, eh? Only a thoroughly confused mind like yours could spew forth such garbage.

I don't blame your ignorance which is affecting your reasoning.

You know Asa's music, eh? How do you know it? Have you listened to it? So you know the answer to the infantile questions you're asking, so then, go ahead and submit your opinion. Or, go ahead and open a thread on music in Islam; make it your objective to show that a Muslim ought not to listen to Asa'a music.

See him asking a foolish question. In case you don't know, her real name is Bukola Elemide, popularly called a 'guitar girl' and some of her tracks among all are, jailer, fire on the mountain, bibanke, oerisa bi iya kosi.

You don't have to ask me a senseless question when you have not been able to answer my questions. When you provide answers to my questions, we would then see if Muslims ought to listen to the music or not but until then, you have no case.

What's the meaning of "I'm proud to be a Muslim" other than it being an exposure of an inner inferiority, just as when you hear "I'm proud to be black"; the point isn't so subtle, but one could be almost certain you won't even understand it. And, how does a refusal to make a declaration of faith on a discussion board equate to being ashamed of faith? No, I'm not submitting to your questioning because you matter not; you don't like it, that's your baggage.

Never mind, you may save yourself the stress. I don't even need your false declaration but still telling you that, you should quit your denials which is now your trademark and back it up with something reasonable.

And I see you're still writing that it is correct to say that the Prophet never touched the hand of a woman. Again, I will advice that you modify the claim for it to be watertight. Because you're unable to reason this through, I don't think you're worth the fallen fur of a beloved pet.

Kai, this na guy na disgrace to this discussion o. I gave you hadith supporting my claim and for you to be able to refute it, you may tender your own facts and not your denials.

Also, calling it a lie is caling the scholars liar, Aisha and calling the prophet a liar as well.

Yes, I have seen your limited reasoning. You disgraced yourself here just because the hadith didnt say that he 'never touched other women apart from his wives'. Kai, you well so Nimshi?
Your thinkingf faculty couldnt put one and two together to arrive at reasonable answer. You should know from your infantile reasoning that the hadith referred to women apart from his wives.

I could remember then that you first brought up the issue of when opposite is drowning and now changed it just because what you expected is not included. Shuo, na wa for you . I even told you when you asked your childish question that what if opposite is drowning and told you that 'actions would be judged according to intentions' but you still showed your ignorance and called that saying a lie.

Lest I forget, I gave you quranic verses where parts of the body would speak for themsevles in which you still showed your lack of assimilating simple sentences. You still went ahead and called it something else and told you that failure to accept it going against the articles of faith but you also ignored that as well.

If you really want to have intelligent discussion with me, quit making denials lacking facts.

@Nimshi

Lol.

480 days and counting

Good I love that. You have started as said in one of my response to you but would do you good if you could counter my verses and you and I start from there

Salam
These issues are debatable, the problem is that the Salafis and their western counterpart like Fox news have a quick way of disseminating information to protray the righteous as wicked. I know you know that Sheikh Faisal went to jail for no reasonable excuse except that they cried like babies saying he preaches terrorism, yet it is this western countries that will be shouting freedom of speech and all forms of freedom including walking naked on the highway, how ironic.

To come to my point. The Salafis the sheikh critics were not the classical scholars who preached geniune Islam. What we are saying is when the Koran said: "Cut the hand of the theif" why must you and your evil leaders say: "Send the thief to prison". Why should you be friends to Bush or the US and hate the mujaideen and all those striving to bring liberty to Islam? When you ask them:"Why has the Muslims of this time failed to own a true Islamic State governed by Sharia? They say obey the leaders God have provided you. What? Even when these leaders don't follow the deen of Muhammed(S.A.W) and cliam it is Qadr(destiny) that Christians and Jews are rulers over Muslims. Al walaa wal baraa that is loving and hating because of Allah is not their watchword. For example, when their leaders brought America into Saudi when according to the Islamic law, a Kafr may not help Muslims to kill other Kafrs, they not only allowed the US to assist them in war but killed Muslims. >:
We know that killing a fellow Muslim intentionally warrants hell right from earth.
Salafi's saw nothing wrong in ruling besides Sharia, their only excuse is that Joseph was governed by a rule besides Allah because the King was not declared Muslim while working for him.
The Salafis will cry over little issues but when it comes to what is meant to be the soul of Islam they use their beautifully printed books to fool the masses. That's why you will hardly see Muslims seeing that ruling besides Sharia is a major shirk. What this Salafi do is tell you you're responsible for your actions alone. When the essence of Islam is to form a universal responisbility of one another.
If their was an Islamic state where every Muslim is entitled to live and contribute in, their will be no poverty among Muslims because the rich will pay their zakat. How many Muslims do just this simple task which is among the five pillars of Islam? How many? The world is facing an economic crackdown, if the Muslims were independent will we be affected? Following the Koranic teaching would have made Muslims develop a complex economic and legislative form of government that will be independent of the west

.

Salam and Jazakhullah for this post.

@Nimshi

I can't stop laughing at your ignorance because to me, you have made yourself a clown with your DENIALS that lacks intelligent reasoning.

You may tell others that you are a muslim but please don't DO THAT with babs because your half baked Islamic education would be exposed.

You may read my post 2515 where I exposed your denials.

Now to your posts

Another example of nonsensical drooling. I never saw your reply until you redirected from the other thread. You make such foolish claims and assertions one must wonder if you aren't deluded,

I am not perturbed by your vituperation. You may cry your head off till tomorrow as far as Babs is concerned. I asked you simple but direct questions in my posts but you went other way telling cock and bull story.

You don't just argue without Quranic verse, Hadith or Nimshi's book to back it up and I have told you several to back your denials with facts and not just story telling.

Where have I done that?? Where have I called Almighty Allah a liar?

Where have I called the Prophet a liar??

So you have forgotten that you indirectly did that? In case it has escaped you, this is part of your quote in which you are denying now:

By whom? This is - I'm quite sorry to say - quite a foolish assertion.

The above happened to be your quote when I said:

Actions would be judged according to intention.

You may save your face by explaining the above to me.

Also I posted this:

Quran 36 v 65: This day We shall seal up their mouths and their hands will speak to us and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn.

Then, his body parts will be talking, and they will not hide anything of his deeds. Thereafter, he will rebuke them (body parts) for saying all they had said and witnessed. Their (body parts) reply will be:

Quran 41 v 21: , Allah has caused us to speak, and He created you the first time and to Him you are made to return.

But you still went ahead thus:

And you interpret all these literally? What a shame (I wouldn't say 'pity', but it's quite a susbtitute there).

Do you care to tell me the meaning?

If you want to discuss Mut'a marriage, then let's go back to the thread where we've had some extensive discussion on Mut'a already, or, perhaps open a new thread; I will oblige you your request. Perhaps, it may be helpful to reread that thread? I have already given the basic surah/ayat from Al Quran; as to the supporting opinion and interpretations from scholars, I can assure you there's no shortage of those.

I will be happy if you would open a fresh thread for that proving Quranic verses and quotes from your supposed scholars and you denials that lacks qurNanic verses.

You diminish your response by referring to mine as a rant, and then going ahead to ask more about it. And, I wonder: so you don't know about Asa's music, yet, you condemn it? Why should I now take you seriously, having come to a conclusion about sth you've not examined? Perhaps Asa's kind of music is haram to you; it is permissible for me. And, as far as her talent has been published, I will recommend it for anyone wanting a peek into trado-contemporary stuff from South-Western Nigeria. What's your problem with that?

I asked you questions on Asa's music but you never replied and in case you missed, here are they again:

1. What kind of music is her music ( i.e country music, hip hop, reggae, rap etc)?
2. Is the instrument being used in her music allowed in Islam?
3. What does her music teaches?

When you provide your answers, we look at kind of music in Islam and permissiblity of music in Islam and is

In case you don't know, I know Asa so save your face with your claim.

I had written that you bring disgrace to Islam.

I gave you open challenge that you should go through my posts since I joined NL and go contrary to my posts if you thiink you can and back you DENIALS with Quranic verses and Hadiths

You may search through my ID and counter me with regards to Hadith and Quranic verses supplied.

To the extent that you're unable to reason on very elementary matters, that claim remains true. Let's deal with a present example: "The Prophet never touched the hand of a woman". This claim, as written and presented, is false. If I find you in any company attempting to affirm this statement, I'll simply take you as an arrogant ignoramus, and anyone with any sense should too. For it to be true, you need to refine the claim; yet, here we are, wasting time and bandwidth discussing this very straightforward thing. Since you claim to be Muslim, and you fail to reason in the simplest matters, you bring disgrace. How's that difficult to understand? When cramming Hadiths, and Sunnahs, always make sure you employ your thinking faculties; and don't ever make a claim that's easy to show as false.

I am not suprised at your hogwash because funny enough, you make denials but couldnt provide even an ayah to back your claim.

Still on whether the prophet touched a woman or not which you called a lie and still claimed that you didnt call him a liar (may Allah have mercy on you).

If I should educate you and put aside your usual story telling, Hadith are words of the prophet which I presented to you and you called it a lie and still had the audacity to ask me if you ever did that? Do you read for understanding or mischief making?

Now to bring you out of your darkness, since you call the hadith presented lie, do you care to show your isnad showing that it is false and if you couldnt do that and you still couldnt provide your source where he did as you claimed, then you should accept that you are the biggest ignoramus here.

Look, babs787, you're who you are; if you have any issues with my views, why don't you start threads with clear/focussed topics and let's examine them? I've no use of your running from pillar to post about issues discussed elsewhere (you've mentioned Mut'a, say, on threads different from the original thread).
Your purpose appears to be to claim you're the authentic Muslim; then, get ahead with it. The way to do it is to present issues.

Point of correction, I have not claimed to be an authentic Muslim but still learning. I have provided you Quranic verses which you went against and claimed you didnt call the words of Allah, lie.  If you are a Muslim, then you wouldnt be having problem with the articles of faith which one of them happened to be 'to believe in His books' in which you denied and still asked me where you did that having given you where you did that. Kai, this one na serious matter o.

I don't run from pillar to post as you inferred but showed you where you happened to be ignorant of Islam and even told you to go through my posts where I supplied Quranic verses and counter same.

For example, you've mentioned sth about the permissibility of music in Islam because I recommended that another poster should listen to Asa's music; why don't you start a thread and lay your argument, and let's see whether my recommendation was unIslamic and designed to mislead?

I asked you questions but you feigned ignorance and here they are again

1. What is her brand of Music (In case you don't know, I know Asa and know about music).
2. Is her kind of Music allowed in Islam?
3. What is the stand of Islam on Music?
4. Is her way of dressing allowed in Islam?
5. What does her music teaches?

I had to repeat that because you may stylishly ignore it.

You also keep repeating this thing about the claim of the Prophet not touching the hand of any woman; on this point, I, again, say, you're a disgrace to Islam and logic. Why would you continue to argue that?

I am not even moved by your quote above. I have given you Hadith to back my response and you should now save your face by giving me NIMSHI'S HADITH running contrary to my post and NOT USUAL SENSELESS DENIALS.

I can't even say you are a disgrace to Islam but a confusionist in which you would never succeed. I can't imagine someone who is ashamed of his faith. I AM A MUSLIM and proud to say that.

Quit making these random accusations, and let's focus on important issues. There're such being discussed on this board, contemporary issues that're of real value; find them and add to the discussion.

You don't have to tell me that when you have been making denials here and has not been able to back it up wiith Quranic verses of Hadiths.

Once again, don't just make denials but back same with Quranic verses and Hadiths.

@all

Salam and Jazakhullah for the knowledge. However I would have loved to post one or two things but would do that when Codebase is back.

@Nimshi

Your contribution is still needed here

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-183074.64.html#msg2997233

Let us educate ourselves about Islam, Quran, Hadith and Sunnah of the prophet (saw) which you called lies.