lanrexlan: Sahih Muslim Book 028,Number 5612: Buraida reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said:He who played chess is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.

lanrexlan: WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN FUN AND GAMES:
There are good and bad sports/games in the light of Islamic truth even though it may not appeal to us or those who make them professions.
The prophet(pbuh) prohibits dice,chess and the likes such as backgammon and card games.Likewise there are bad or sinful ways some games are played.
Any game that reveals the body parts counted as naked by Islam in both men and women is not lawful.Salat should not be delayed by any game as even wars fought by Muslims did not deny them salat,and such must not include any falsehood, obscenity,swearing or insulting,it should be free of alcohol and drug abuse and must avoid betting,gambling,staking.

It should not be for fun only without application to social life or jihad fiisabilillah. And the sport or game or fun itself,must not be allowed to dominate or occupy one’s life to the extent of stifling worship,academic pursuit,professional practice,moral development,family responsibility and spiritual growth.


Contemplation of Allah’s sign is far better than any kind of fun. All games and fun are unpredictable, there is always degree of uncertainty about the winner or result, whereas not so the path and act of essence of life.Therefore,one should not allow certitude to be overridden or defeated by probability,and in fact it cannot!

maclatunji:

He means opposition is difficult to sustain when the "activists" bellies are full.

vedaxcool: very soon barrel of dollars would flow on the streets

maclatunji: Fasting is a an act of worship to your creator. Anybody using it as a political tool is either very ignorant or deluded.

A group of Algerians have publically eaten lunch during Ramadan to demonstrate against the persecution of people who do not observe the religious fast.

Around 300 people in the north of the country made the protest, knowing there can be serious consequences for not fasting during the Muslim holy month

BetaThings:
So Oklahoma bombing shows that American does not have security?
Forget what Shias claim. Everyone has an agenda. And everyone tries to safeguard himself. It is human nature
Here in Nigeria were we not told that Yaradua did not hand over to Jonathan because
Jonathan is a Christian from the South?
What reason did they give when Enugu state gov did not hand over to his deputy? - Religion? Tribalism

Please let us argue based on reality and not on the basis of some imaginary principles that the proponents have never implemented and will never practise anyway

BetaThings:

You don't need to remind us of honesty. Do Christians tolerate Muslims even in Nigeria where we are?

maclatunji:

Hahahaha, yes, Saudi has problems and it will change over time as everything involving human activity does.

You chose Malaysia as an example, the question is: can we Muslims afford the bitter politics that goes on there in Saudi? I seriously don't think so. Nothing in this world beats security. The Saudi government has managed that for years and for that alone, I can overlook many of their shortcomings.

When I say security, I mean it as a total concept that affects an individual's and societal wellbeing.

deols:

dont be too happy.


Fasting is not compulsory on everyone.

People who cannot fast for health reasons are exempted.


@op, I need it for no.7

vedaxcool:
After you

vedaxcool: ^
yes only one who has no understanding of what commonsense and reasoning is,would make such a statement that epitomize drunken stupor.

vedaxcool:

it seems u have never heard of prophet Muhammad pbuh. u have a lot in common with dummyboy or what's that his name again? as typical making an argument that relies on emotional appeal, as thathaba.point is puts the how a Muslim is suppose to react to calamity which is captured best as a test from Allah,no one prays for misfortune but Muslims must rely on the Qur'an for guidance both in times of comfort and adversity. as thaba rightly captured, the decadence and failing in Muslim land is as a result of deviation from Islam, a society can only be as good as the system it's runs, most Muslim dominated country r running a system that is alien to Islam, nd ur talk of theocraticies r quite false , only two countries that r Muslims claim to b such, Iran & SAudi.now Iran has done a lot in the field of science, as it remains one of the few countries where disel engines r produce and saudi Aramco oil one of the world most highly organized oil company has actually patented some technology it invent, they r many more, but the bottomline is the was plainly myopic and clearly did bring to context other issues involved, we can start by asking why is Nigeria not technologically advanced? I hope u won't blame Muslims for it too?

Nairatalks:

I just researched on Hamza Tzortzis after going to that website. He is a good philosopher. But I want to play the devil's advocate here with some of the points;





Incomplete theology and misinterpretation of the Quran. While we were created to worship God, we have 3 options;
-worship him in sadness
-worship him in happiness
-worship him with a neutral state of mind.

The Quran does not say that we should worship in sadness

Imagine someone losing his whole family to a hurricane on Thursday, do you honestly expect to see him in the mosque on Friday? He has to grieve and take time to calm down. The hurricane deaths have affected his ability to worship, so your distinguishing between secondary and primary purposes of human life is not as black and white as you see it.




Incomplete theology again. Yes, God tests us but is that all? How do we know when we are tested? To describe somebody losing his whole family to a hurricane as a test from God is borderline psychopathic. We dont know if it is a test or just the way God created the earth to function. Who knows if it is all science and the earth needs such a strong water cycle to keep on surviving as a planet.

I am not saying that God cant test us with hard times. The fact is that we dont know when we are tested and how God tests us. It is rather more reasonable to assume that God tests us with our faith directly rather than with machinations of biology, physics and geology of our bodies and our planet----- I am not sure of this but it seems more sensible




Suffering adds to the experience no doubt.

But if there is a thing like unnecessary suffering then it doesnt bring us closer to God.


Also sins have nothing to do with hurricanes and earthquakes

Many people observe fasting as a religious obligation but only few know the health benefits it has. Fasting is a good practice, if properly implemented. It promotes elimination of toxins from the body, reduces blood sugar ans fat stores. It promote healthy eating habits and boost immunity. Here are top 10 health benefits you ca derive from fasting.
1. Fasting Promotes detoxification

Processed foods contain lots of additives. These additives may become toxins in the body. Some of them promote production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Most of these toxins are stored in fats. Fat is burnt during fasting, especially when it is prolonged. And the toxins are released. The liver, kidneys and other organs in the body are involved in detoxification.

2. Fasting Rests Digestive System

During fasting, the digestive organs rest. The normal physiologic functions continue especially production of digestive secretions, but at reduced rates. This exercise helps to maintain balance of fluids in the body. Breakdown of food takes place at steady rates. Release of energy also follows a gradual pattern. Fasting however does not stop production of acids in the stomach. This is reason patients with peptic ulcer are advised to approach fasting with caution. Some experts believe they should not fast.

3. Fasting Resolves Inflammatory Response

Some studies show that fasting promotes resolution of inflammatory diseases and allergies. Examples of such inflammatory diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis and skin diseases such as psoriasis. Some experts assert that fasting may promote healing of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis.

4. Fasting Reduces Blood Sugar

Fasting increases breakdown of glucose so that the body can get energy. It reduces production of insulin. This rests the pancreas. Glucagon is produced to facilitate the breakdown of glucose. The outcome of fasting is a reduction in blood sugar.

5. Fasting Increases Fat breakdown

The first response of the body to fasting is break down of glucose. When the store of glucose is exhausted, ketosis begins. This is break down of fats to release energy. The fats stored in kidney and muscles are broken down to release energy.

6. Fasting Corrects high blood Pressure

Fasting is one of the non-drug methods of reducing blood pressure. It helps to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is clogging of arteries by fat particles. During fasting glucose and later, fat stores are used to produce energy. Metabolic rate is reduced during fasting. The fear-flight hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline are also reduced. This keeps the metabolic steady and within limits. The benefit is a reduction in blood pressure.

7. Fasting Promotes Weight loss

Fasting promotes rapid weight loss. It reduces the store of fats in the body. However fasting is not a good weight loss strategy. Reducing fat and sugar intake, and increasing fruits and rest are better measures to achieve weight reduction.

8. Fasting Promotes Healthy diet

It has been observed that fasting reduces craving for processed foods. It promotes desire for natural foods, especially water and fruits. This is one way fasting promote healthy lifestyle.

9. Fasting Boosts Immunity

When an individual is on balanced diet in between fasts, this can boost immunity. Elimination of toxins and reduction in fat store also helps the body. When individuals take fruits to break a fast, they increase the body's store of essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A and E are good antioxidants readily available in fruits. They help to boost immunity.

10. Fasting May Help to Overcome Addictions

Some authors show that fasting can help addicts reduce their cravings, for nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and other substance abuse. Although there are other regimens required to resolve addictions, fasting can play a role.
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Despite these benefits, fasting has some demerits. It may cause reduction in body water called dehydration. This leads may lead to headaches and even trigger migraines in predisposed persons. It may worsen heartburn and peptic ulcer. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, malnourished people, and individuals with cardiac arrhythmias, renal or liver problems are advised not to fast.
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alexis:

Are you a muslim?

NL member: This is an excellent thread

Great points, Nairatalks and rhymz

usermane: @Tbaba1234 and Nairatalks, what brought the issue of female Islamic scholars? Am not disputing the issue of 8000 female scholars versed in Qur'an and Hadith. We, however were talking about backwardness of the muslim in terms scientific application and technological invention. You guys should give response to why the east is lagging behind when it comes to innovations. Why do they have to import most of their electronics,vehicles or computers? Why dont we have anything in our countries like Nigeria imported from them?

tbaba1234:

If i engage in shirk, then Ameen. But Allah Himself told us that we would be tested with difficult times. I did not claim to know the unseen. I specifically said that some things are above our pay grade.



You made statement like the Quran said something without actually knowing what it says.

Maybe, i was not clear. The fact you are given a test means you can handle it because Allah has promised that You might not know that you can but you can.

Maybe, i am a bit harsh. Forgive me for that. If i make an error, correct me, i am not perfect, if i recognize the error, i correct myself.. Do not say i spread falsehood without providing your evidence for it. That is not criticism, you are accusing me of lying.

If you make a good argument with evidence, i will accept it. Do not say, i am spreading falsehood.

Our tests are different, some are tested with luxury and others with difficulty.

tbaba1234:

What is unverifiable about the claim?? It is better for you to say : I don't know...

Now go to Youtube: Type Women scholars of Islam by Dr. Hesham al-Awadi

Better still watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_BzMwnGsE8

It is a four part series.

Also Read: Nadwi, Mohammad Akram, Al Muhadithaat, Interface Publications, (2007)

And please do not make statements from ignorance.

rhymz: what I am trying to say is pretty much simple and obvious, there's compulsion in religion.

tbaba1234:

The order to worship has no conditions, it is irrespective of your condition. You should read your Quran, more. I am serious. So that you do not make statements like: 'The Quran does not say that we should worship in sadness'

Infact, the Quran promises you difficult times in this life:

We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those who are steadfast, 156 those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’ These will be given blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are rightly guided. (Surah 2:155-157)

Your patience and recognition of your primary purpose is important, here. Nobody said a test is easy but life is full of them. We have to recognise that we can not despair too much over our losses but be thankful for the gifts.

Do people think they will be left alone after saying ‘We believe’ without being put to the test? We tested those who went before them: God will certainly mark out which ones are truthful and which are lying. (Surah 29:2-3)

It is easy to believe when everything is rosy, what happens to that belief when something happens. That is the test of faith. That will determine how deep you faith runs.



You should look at the points as a whole , which one be incomplete theology?? I wrote more than one point.

A person losing his whole family is a test. The world is not the end point. The Quran talks of people facing such desperate times:

Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near. (Surah 2:213-214)


As muslims, we believe that the laws of biology, physics and geology are completely in the control of Allah. So He determines whether a tsunami hits a place or just misses it. Misfortune itself is a test of faith.



Well there is suffering in which man inflicts on himself by his own greed.

Sin is one of the reasons for destroyed nations in the past according to the Quran. Ofcourse, it is not the only reason. Sometimes things happen for reasons, we can't fathom. It is beyond our pay grade.

Allah has set the laws of the universe and he determines what happens on it.

tbaba1234:

It seems you just like claiming falsehood. Unfortunately many muslims are not aware of this fact. We have had over 8,000 popular (to varying degrees) female scholars in our history.

Islam gave women scholarship. Our history is filled with women who have dedicated their lives to teaching Islamic sciences. Have you ever heard of Fatimah Sa`d al Khayr? She was a scholar who was born around the year 522. Her father, Sa`d al Khayr, was also a scholar. He held several classes and was “most particular about [his daughters] attending hadith classes, traveling with them extensively and repeatedly to different teachers. He also taught them himself.” Fatimah studied the works of the great al-Tabarani with the lead narrator of his works in her time. You know who that lead narrator was? The lead narrator of Fatimah’s time was not named Abu someone (the father of someone, indicating that he was a male). The leading scholar of her time was a woman. Her name was Fatimah al-Juzadniyyah and she is the scholar who men and women alike would study under because in that era, she was the greatest and most knowledgeable in some of the classical texts. Fatimah Sa`d al Khayr eventually married and moved to Damascus and eventually to Cairo and she continued to teach. Many scholars travelled specifically to her city so they could study under her.

Fatimah was brought up in a family that valued the education and knowledge of a woman to the point that her father was the one who would ensure she studied with scholars from a young age. Before marriage, she was not told to sit around and be inactive in the community out of fear that some men would find an educated woman unattractive or intimidating and would not want to marry her. She was not going through the motions of studying random things in college because she was stalling until she got married. She sought scholarship and Allah (swt) blessed her with a husband who was of her ranking, who understood her qualifications and drive, and who supported her efforts to continue teaching this religion even after marriage. She left a legacy we unfortunately have most likely never heard about because we rarely hear about the over eight thousand female scholars of hadith who are part of our history.

Why do we never hear about Fatimah Sa`d al Khayr and the thousands of female scholars who were like her? I think that one of the reasons—and it’s just a personal theory—that as a community, we are so focused on grooming our women to be wives and mothers that we lose sight of the fact that this is not even our number one role.

I have a lecture at home that talks of the Female Islamic scholars of the past.

tbaba1234: So why do bad things happen to the good people?

• God’s punishment as a result of our sins and bad actions.

• God’s wisdom, as there may be divine wisdom in permitting evil and suffering. Even if we can’t evaluate what the wisdom is, it doesn’t mean it is not there. To argue such a thing would be a logical fallacy, known as the argument from ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam). The story of Khidr which can be found in the 18th chapter of Qur’an from verses 60 to 82 is an eloquent account of how God’s wisdom, whether understood or not, has positive results and benefits for humanity.

The intellectual richness of Islamic Theology provides us with many reasons, some of which include:

1. The primary purpose of the human being is not happiness rather it is to know and worship God. This fulfillment of the divine purpose will result in everlasting bliss and happiness. So if this is our primary purpose other aspects of human experience our secondary. The Qur’an, the book of the Muslims states: “I did not create either jinn or man except to worship Me.” (Qur’an 51:56-57)

2. God also created us for a test, and part of this test is to be tested with suffering and evil. The Qur’an mentions “The One Who created death and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He is the all-Almighty, the all-Forgiving” (Qur’an 67: 2)

3. Having hardship and suffering enables us to realise and know God’s attributes such as ‘the Victorious’ and ‘the Healer’. For example without the pain and suffering of illness we would not appreciate the attribute of God being ‘the Healer’. Knowing God is a greater good, and worth the experience of suffering or pain as it will mean the fulfillment of our primary purpose.

4. People can also suffer from past, present or future sins. God has knowledge of everything which is not contingent on time. Please refer to the story of Khidr in the Qur’an where it mentions Khidr’s reply to Prophet Moses “All this was done as a mercy from your Lord. What I did was not done by my own will. That is the interpretation of those actions which you could not bear to watch with patience.” (Qur’an 18:82)

5. God has given us free choice, and free choice includes choosing evil acts.

Read more here: http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/essays-articles/philosophy-theology/a-response-to-the-problem-of-evil/

1. The primary purpose of the human being is not happiness rather it is to know and worship God. This fulfillment of the divine purpose will result in everlasting bliss and happiness. So if this is our primary purpose other aspects of human experience our secondary. The Qur’an, the book of the Muslims states: “I did not create either jinn or man except to worship Me.” (Qur’an 51:56-57)

2. God also created us for a test, and part of this test is to be tested with suffering and evil. The Qur’an mentions “The One Who created death and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He is the all-Almighty, the all-Forgiving” (Qur’an 67: 2)

3. Having hardship and suffering enables us to realise and know God’s attributes such as ‘the Victorious’ and ‘the Healer’. For example without the pain and suffering of illness we would not appreciate the attribute of God being ‘the Healer’. Knowing God is a greater good, and worth the experience of suffering or pain as it will mean the fulfillment of our primary purpose.

4. People can also suffer from past, present or future sins. God has knowledge of everything which is not contingent on time. Please refer to the story of Khidr in the Qur’an where it mentions Khidr’s reply to Prophet Moses “All this was done as a mercy from your Lord. What I did was not done by my own will. That is the interpretation of those actions which you could not bear to watch with patience.” (Qur’an 18:82)

5. God has given us free choice, and free choice includes choosing evil acts.

rhymz: "there is no compulsion in religion", really You believe that as a statement of fact or just part of the very wonderful condiments of religious claims even when in reality there is no
such thing as non-compulsive spread of any known major religion, Christianity and Islam bring the chiefs of such methods.
Let's be honest in the way we choose to understand certain claims from our holy books even when it is obvious that such claims do not reconcile with the very ideology of our religion.

tbaba1234:

1. Some of the greatest philosophers and scientists from the muslim world were actually religious scholars or had very good religious background.

tbaba1234:
2. The problem in the muslim world is a lack of Islam not a presence of it, Do you know the kind of corruption that exists there? Have you been to any of the gulf countries?

It is not about the wealth. It is the lack of accountability and Justice. It is not a care for the hereafter, it is too much indulgement in this life..

And yes, they care way too much about this life, come to vegas and see how many wealthy arabs come there to gamble. See the obscene wealth among the elites.

Muslim countries have the worst kinds of financial corruption by the elite, the worst kind of racism and class society, the very worst kinds. Even though they claim to follow Islamic law, they make a mockery of the entire process.

tbaba1234:
3. Muslim history is filled with thousands of female scholars, At some point some of the greatest scholars were women and they were dressed exactly the way they dress today probably more conservative. We are not interested in fashion that falls outside the boundaries of Islam.

Have you been to anywhere in the muslim world to even make an assessment of the dressing?? seriously??

tbaba1234:
4. Socializing?? It seems you look at Islam from a prism of halal and haram. How many muslims from the Arab world or muslim world have you met to talk about their socializing habits? I have met quite a number, they socialise just fine all within the limits.

In Islam, there are limits. You have to abide by them. It didn't stop them from being at the top of the world in the past. There are fundamental problems beyond socializing.

tbaba1234:
5. Every civilisation will have its highs and lows, the level of corruption amongst muslims today mean that unless we work of establishing Justice and accountability in our societies which are the basis of Islam, we still have a long way before getting to the top.

tbaba1234:
6. It is not a matter of been scared, it is a failure of leadership. It is the failure of proper education, we have separated religious knowledge from acquired knowledge, we have made it one or the other when in actual fact they compliment each other.

tbaba1234:
Before you go criticizing Islamic values, know that those values promoted innovation, took the muslims to the top of world and hundreds of years ahead of europe at some point.

Local technological innovation depends on things you have not mentioned here. It depends on the right education, the right environment politically and socially, the right guidance which comes from understanding the message.

There is no Islamic state in the world today, What we have a pseudo Islamic States. Since the fall of the ottoman, we have no really had an Islamic state.

Thanks.

usermane: Now, why do bad things happen to good people? Becos the so called good people have a somewhat bad past and believe me the past is always affecting the future. The law of retribution always holds. Because despite their goodness, they still do a lot of wrongs, make a lot of poor judgements and decisions, make mistakes they may be too blind to notice.
This what is haunting some islamic nations today. Even though they strive to be good generally, encourage good and forbid evil, they are still lacking in areas of mordernisation, mainly because of a lot of flaws in their lifestyle and mindset, bad things still happen to them, e.g lagging behind technological wise. And as long as they believe their living is flawless ,nothing 's gonna change.
Let me get one thing clear,am not here to bash muslims as my post may appear to some of you folks. Am here to speak the truth from my own understanding or observation. Its just happen that the truth doesnt favours the muslims in this subject. And am not forcing anyone to accept or believe all my write up. I just gave a response to the OP and anyone dissatified can let us know his/her answer or version of the truth as well.