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Islam is spreading all over the world

❤A Woman's Dua for her future husband❤

O ALLAH! Please grant me the one Who will be the garment for my soul
Who will satisfy half of my deen
And in doing so make me whole

Make him righteous and on your path
In all he'll do and say
And sprinkle water on me at Fajr
Reminding me to pray

May he earn from halal sources
And spend within his means
May he seek ALLAH'S guidance always
To fulfill all his dreams

May he always refer to the Quran and Sunnah as his moral guide
May he thank and appreciate ALLAH
For the woman at his side

May he be conscious of his anger
And often fast and pray
Be charitable and sensitive
In every possible way

May he honour and protect me
And guide me in this life
And please ALLAH! Make me worthy to be his loving wife

And finally, O ALLAH!
Make him abundant in love and laughter
In taqwa and sincerity
In striving for the hereafter!

May ALLAH grant all the Muslim sisters with such husbands....
Ameen Ya Rabbal Alaamien.

(S*A)

ISLAM Brochure

WHY-ISLAM Brochure

Oppressed, inferior, and unequal – for many people, these are the first words that come to mind when thinking about women in Islam. These stereotypes confuse Islam with cultural practices and fail to recognize that Islam has empowered women with the most progressive rights since the 7^th century. In Islam, women are not inferior or unequal to men. This brochure presents the actual teachings of Islam regarding the rights, roles, and responsibilities of women, with a special focus on gender equality in Islam.

At a time when female children were buried alive inArabiaand women were considered transferable property, Islam honored women in society by elevating them and protecting them with unprecedented rights. Islam gave women the right to education, to marry someone of their choice, to retain their identity after marriage, to divorce, to work, to own and sell property, to seek protection by the law, to vote, and to participate in civic and political engagement.

In 610 C.E., God began to reveal the message of Islam to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh), inMecca. Muhammad (pbuh) called people towards the belief in one God and encouraged them to be just and merciful to one another. In reforming the pagan Arab society, he particularly transformed their mindset regarding the treatment of women. Islam abolished the practice of killing female children and raised the stature of women in society to one of dignity, esteem, and privilege.

God devotes an entire chapter of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, to women. In addition, God directly addresses women repeatedly throughout the Quran. Islam proclaims that all human beings, men and women, are born in a pure state. The goal of every Muslim is to preserve this purity by shunning evil tendencies and beautifying their inner being with virtuous traits.

Islam further confirms that both men and women are equal in the sight of God. In the Quran, God declares, “…Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you…” (49:13) At another place in the Quran, God clearly states that all humans are equal: “To whoever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions.” (16:97)

While Islam clearly establishes that men and women are equal, it does recognize that they are not identical. God created men and women with unique physiological and psychological attributes. In Islam, these differences are embraced as vital components to a healthy family and community structure with each individual contributing their own distinctive talents to society.

Hence, God’s rules apply to both genders, but in diverse ways. For example, God commanded women to cover certain parts of their body, including their hair, to preserve their modesty. Men are also required to cover parts of their body out of modesty, but not in the same way as women. Therefore, God commanded both men and women to be modest; yet, the manner in which they observe it is different.

Similarly, the rights, roles, and responsibilities of women are evenly balanced with those of men but are not necessarily the same. As Islam has granted individual identities to men and women, a constant comparison between the two is futile. Each plays a unique role to mutually uphold social morality and societal balance.

The following overview details a wide range of women’s rights in Islam. It addresses some common misconceptions and provides insight into the diverse roles and responsibilities women fulfill in society. It must also be mentioned here that Muslims are not always representative of Islam and may follow their cultural influences or personal interests. In so doing, they not only disenfranchise women, they also go against the clear guidelines laid out in Islam regarding the treatment of women. Therefore, their practices go against the liberties and entitlements which Islam empowers women with, as shown below.

Education

Back in the 7^th century, Muhammad (pbuh) declared that the pursuit of knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim – male and female. This declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims throughout history. One of the most influential scholars of Islam was Muhammad’s wife, Aisha. After his death, men and women would travel to learn from her because she was considered a great scholar of Islam. The recognition of female scholarship and women’s participation in academia has been encouraged and practiced throughout the majority of Islamic history. For instance, al-Qarawiyin Mosque and University, the oldest running university, was funded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, inMorocco in 859 C.E.

Motherhood

In Islam, God clearly gives mothers a high status and elevates their position in the family. In the Quran, God mentions all the sacrifices mothers make in bearing children to remind people to treat their mothers with love, respect, and care. Emphasizing the importance of mothers, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.”

On another occasion, a man repeatedly asked Muhammad (pbuh), “Who amongst the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?” Each time, the Prophet (pbuh) replied, “Your mother.” When the man asked for the fourth time, he replied, “Your father.”

Politics and Social Services

Among the early Muslims, women were active participants in the cohesive functioning of the society. Women expressed their opinions freely and their advice was actively sought. Women nursed the wounded during battles, and some even participated on the battlefield. Women traded openly in the marketplace, so much so that the second caliph, Umar, appointed a woman, Shaffa bint Abdullah, as the supervisor of the bazaar.

In Islamic history, women participated in government, public affairs, lawmaking, scholarship, and teaching.  To continue to uphold this tradition, women are encouraged to actively participate in improving, serving, and leading the different aspects of the community.

Inheritance

Before Islam, women all across the globe were deprived of inheritance and were themselves considered property to be inherited by men. Islam gave women the right to own property and inherit from relatives, which was a revolutionary concept in the seventh century.

Whether a woman is a wife, mother, sister, or daughter, she receives a certain share of her deceased relative’s property. This share depends on her degree of relationship to the deceased and the number of heirs. While many societies around the world denied women inheritance, Islam assured women this right, illustrating the universal justice of Islam’s divine law.

Financial Responsibilities

In Islam, women are not obligated to earn or spend any money on housing, food, or general expenses. If a woman is married, her husband must fully support her financially and if she’s not married, that responsibility belongs to her closest male relative (father, brother, uncle, etc).

She also has the right to work and spend the money she earns as she wishes. She has no obligation to share her money with her husband or any other family members, although she may choose to do so out of good will. For instance, Khadija, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was one of the most successful businesswomen ofMecca, and she freely spent from her wealth to support her husband and the cause of Islam.

At the time of marriage, a woman is entitled to a financial gift (dowry) from her husband.

This dowry is legally owned by her and cannot be used by anyone else. In the case of divorce, she has the right to keep whatever she owned before the divorce and anything she personally earned after marriage. The former husband has no right whatsoever to any of her belongings. This ensures a woman’s financial security and independence, allowing her to support herself in the case of divorce.

Marriage

A woman has the right to accept or reject marriage proposals and her approval is required to complete the marriage contract. She cannot be forced to marry someone against her will and if this occurs for cultural reasons, it is in direct opposition of Islam. By the same principle, women also have the right to seek divorce if they are dissatisfied with their marriage.

In Islam, marriage is based on mutual peace, love, and compassion. God says about Himself, “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy…” (Quran 30:21) Muhammad (pbuh) embodied the best character and is a role model for all Muslims. His example of being helpful around the household and treating his family with compassion and love is a tradition that Muslims strive to implement in their daily lives. Muhammad (pbuh) treated his wives with the utmost respect and honor and was never abusive towards them. One of his traditions clearly states, “The best of you are those who are best to their wives.”

Dignity and Protection from Harm

Any form of emotional, physical, or psychological abuse is prohibited in Islam and the improper treatment of women is no exception to this rule. Indeed, there is no teaching in Islam, when studied in its complete context, which condones any kind of domestic violence. Islam clearly disallows any form of oppression or abuse, according to Dr. Zainab Alwani, a leading female Muslim scholar. It cannot be stated enough times that anyone who exercises unjust authority in the name of Islam is actually doing so to uphold their own cultural influences or personal interests. All of God’s creation is dignified and protected under Islamic law.

Modesty

In an environment which constantly emphasizes the physical form through various media, women are constantly faced with an unattainable standard of beauty. Although Muslim women are falsely classified as oppressed based on their modest dress, they are in fact liberated from such objectification by the society around them. This modest appearance, which includes veiling, highlights a woman’s personality and character instead of her physical figure and promotes a deeper appreciation for who she is as a person. In this regard, Muslim women identify with Mary, the mother of Jesus (pbuh), who is known for her piety and modesty.

***

In conclusion, Islam has an extensive tradition of protecting the civil liberties of women based on the guidelines set forth by God and His Prophet. Women are empowered with many rights and protections under Islamic law and are honored with a dignified stature in society.

How Islam Saved Women

Revolution the World Forgot:
How Islam Saved Women

Woman: Root of All Evil?

Time was, in the Sixth Century AD, when women everywhere were male property and plaything.

Kings and commoners alike despised and abused women in every way they could.

Religion and religious leaders often treated women worse. They denied women were even people or they had a soul.

They went about saying it was woman who got man kicked out of Paradise, where God Almighty had put both man and woman when he first created them.

They called woman Gateway to Hell.

They called woman the Instrument of the Devil.

Religion and religious leaders more or less blamed woman for all of man’s troubles on earth.

And there were those in this world who did something about it.

They acted upon their beliefs.

They acted on their belief that women were not only inferior to men, but they were a mark of shame and humiliation for men.

So they decided to kill women.

It was a crowning moment in male misogyny. Like no other.

It was one of the darkest chapters of shame and ignominy in human history.

Burying Their Own Daughters Alive

Pre-Islamic Arabs, being the kind of action-prone people that they were, led the others in this barbaric behavior.

They took their innocent little daughters and buried them alive beneath the blistering sands of Arabia.

No one anywhere said a word. No one anywhere launched a protest movement.

No one anywhere did anything to stop this barbarism from happening.

Religious leaders everywhere watched in silence.

They all looked the other way.

They said not a word when these lovely little girls were so brutally and barbarically murdered – buried alive – by their own fathers.

Islam and Qur’an to the Rescue

And then came Islam, the great message of hope for humanity.

And Islam came bearing the gift of Qur’an, the divine manifesto for human liberation on earth.

And Islam and the Qur’an were ushered into this world by Prophet Muhammad,Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, the great liberator of the world – and in particular the liberator of women.

Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, not only preached and taught Islam and the Qur’an to the world, he also practiced and modeled them in his own life.

And he also persuaded some of the most wonderful and sensible people in the same Barbaric Arab society to accept Islam and embrace the Qur’an and to follow him.

And he did so using nothing but the gentlest and the most beautiful of means and methods to convince them. And to persuade them that what they did to their little girls was wrong and shameful.

And that it was immoral and indecent and cruel and inhuman to kill them.

He taught them that they, as fathers, should protect their little girls, not kill them.

He made them see that God gave them little girls to cherish and to honor, and to nurture and to educate.

God did not give little girls to them so their own fathers will murder them and bury them alive.

A Society Built on the Bedrock of Female Liberation

And Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, built a whole society based on this new culture of life and liberty.

He thus ushered in a new era of liberation and emancipation in the world.

Not just for men, but also for women.

And especially for little girls whose own fathers took them into the deserts of Arabia and buried them alive.

Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, thus, created a most powerful social revolution in the world.

He set women free from the bondage kings, commoners and religious leaders had imposed upon them.

And he saved little girls from being buried alive by their own parents.

Wa idhal mau-oodatu su-ilat, thundered the Qur’an, meaning: “And then on that day when the little girl who had been buried alive in this world will be resurrected by God and asked.”

And the Qur’an demanded: Bi-ayyi dhanbin qutilat, meaning: “She will be asked, for what sin or fault of hers was she so brutally killed?”

Glorifying the Killing of Kids

And then the Qur’an declared: “Their friends and associates made the killing of their own children appear like a beautiful and glorified act in the eyes of many of the Mushriks.”

Wa kadhaalika zayyana likatheerim minal mushrikeena qatla aulaadihim shurakaa-uhum, is how the Qur’an puts it.

Paraphrase: “And so also, their partners and associates beautified and glorified in the eyes of the Mushriks the killing of their own children.”

The Qur’an uses the expression Mushrik to refer to those who claim to believe in God but who divide up their real loves and loyalties among all kinds of others.

And You Thought You Invented Ultrasound

And then how amazingly the Qur’an is ahead of all the modern sciences and trends in nailing human perversities as they relate to the killing of their kids!

And that includes Ultrasound techniques that give parents advance notice of the likely gender of their child.

The Qur’an says: Wa idhaa bushshira ahaduhum bil unthaa, zwalla wajhuhoo muswaddanw wahuwa kazweem.

Paraphrase: “When one of them is told that he is the father of a female child, his face darkens and he seethes with inward rage and grief.”

Yatawaaraw minal qawmi min soo-i maa bushshira bihi, a-yumsikuhoo alaa hownin am yadussuhoo fitturaab.

Paraphrase: “He tries to hide from his people on account of the terrible news that reached him. He is conflicted and confused whether he should keep this female child or bury it in dust.”

Those of you today, who use Ultrasound to kill females, eat your heart out. There were people like you in this world before the world even learned to read and write.

And the Qur’an was on to them.

And the Qur’an and Islam and Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, changed and reformed these brute men and turned them into guardians of life and liberty and of women’s honor and dignity throughout the world.

A Most Glorious Social Revolution

What a glorious social revolution this was that Islam, the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, bestowed upon the world: in the beginning of the Seventh Century.

Those words of the Qur’an still live today.

Today, the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, are household names.

And their message of female liberation has saturated the world, even though no one gives Islam or Muslims or the Qur’an or Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, any credit for that most glorious of all human revolutions.

And today, there are no less than a billion and half of people in the world who call themselves Muslims.

And yet, today, even as we write this column, middle of November, 2011, millions upon millions of little girls are murdered by their parents before they are even born.

Stop the Violence against Women

Female infanticide and feticide have reached epidemic proportions in both China and India. Parents ultrasound their pregnancies and abort them if results show a female child in the making,

And yet, as this Barbarism is practiced in broad daylight, the world watches in silence.

Cruel, culpable, criminal, complicitous silence!

It is time for Muslims to act to stop this violence against women – One More Time!

The way Muslims did it in the beginning of the Seventh Century.

It is time for the world to launch a comprehensive movement to stop the killing of female infants and fetuses wherever that occurs, whether it is in India, China or somewhere else.

It is time to reintroduce the world to the social revolution of female liberation that Islam, the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, unleashed upon our world 1400 years ago.

END

momin are not shameless

i don't care what other say

And then u call them terrorist

And then u call them terrorist ... I think kabhi kabhi terrorist banna logo ki sakht majbori hoti hain ... jab insaaf na mile, jab Allah k deen ka mazaq orhaya jaye, jab khawateen pe ghair-muslimo ki taraf se zulm wa tashadad ho ... jab adalate b insaf na de ... waha zulm k khilaf baghawat karna sab ka haq hota hai phir ... aur Media pe log Tliban ko blame karte hain ... wallahe mai ne aaj tak Taliban or Mujahideen ki taraf se kisi be-gunnah pe tashaddud nahe dheki ... aur ye jitne b videos hain ye munafiq Musalmano aur anti-Islam groups ne banaya hai just for blackmailing ... lekin haq aur sach ka muqabla koi b nahe karsakta ... jeeet hamesha sach ki hogi ... inshaaALlah

muslims are best

always respect parents

ayat

moral values

daughter

daughter is gift

hijab

Don't forget to recall Allah

the greatest jihad

Marriage is a blessed

Marriage is a blessed contract between a man and a woman, in which each becomes “permitted” to the other, and they begin the long journey of life in a spirit of love, co operation, harmony and tolerance, where each feels at ease with the other, and finds tranquillity, contentment and comfort in the company of the other. The Qur’an has described this relationship between men and women, which brings love, harmony, trust and compassion, in the most moving and eloquent terms

Among His signs is [the fact] that He has created spouses for you among yourselves so that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has planted love and mercy between you; In that are signs for people who reflect. [Quran 20:30]

This is the strongest of bonds, in which Allah (SWT) unites the two Muslim partners, who come together on the basis of love, understanding, co-operation and mutual advice, and establish a. Muslim family in which children will live and grow up, and they will develop the good character and behaviour taught by Islam. The Muslim family is the strongest component of a Muslim society when its members are productive and constructive, helping and encouraging one another to be good and righteous, and competing with one another in good works. The righteous woman is the pillar, cornerstone and foundation of the Muslim family. She is seen as the greatest joy in a man’s life, as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“This world is just temporary conveniences, and the best comfort in this world is a righteous women.” Sahih Muslim 10/56, Kitab al-rida’, bab istihbab nikah al-bikr.

Allah informs us about the just rights of each other on us:

The wife’s rights (with regard to their husbands) are equal to the (husband’s) rights with regard to them, although men are a degree above them; and Allah is Almighty, Wise. [Quran 2:28]
“Consort with them graciously. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good. (4:20)“

In today’s life of hustle and bustle, the family unit is becoming fragile by the day. Divorces are on the rise, and Muslims can no longer claim, as justifiably as before, that divorce is rare among Muslims or even much less than incidents of divorce among non-Muslims.

81 ways to win your Wife’s love

1. Make her feel secure, don’t threaten her with divorce.
2. Give sincere Salaams.
3. Treat her gently, like a fragile vessel.
4. Advise in private, at the best time, in the best way and atmosphere.
5. Be generous with her.
6. Warm the seat for her, you will warm her heart.
7. Avoid anger, be in Wudhu at all times.
8. Look good and smell great for your wife.
9. Don’t be rigid or harsh-hearted or you will be broken.
10. Be a good listener.
11. Yes for flattery. No for arguing.
12. Call your wife with the best names, cute nicknames, and names she loves to hear.
13. A pleasant surprise.
14. Preserve and guard the tongue.
15. Expect, accept, and overlook her shortcomings.
16. Give sincere compliments.
17. Encourage her to keep good relations with her family.
18. Speak of the topic of her interest.
19. Express to her relatives, how wonderful she is.
20. Give each other gifts.
21. Get rid of routine, surprise her.
22. Have a good opinion of each other.
23. Have good manners, overlook small things, don’t nitpick.
24. Add a drop of patience, increase during pregnancy, menses.
25. Expect and respect her jealously.
26. Be humble.
27. Sacrifice your happiness for hers.
28. Help at home, with housework.
29. Help her love your relatives, but don’t try to force her.
30. Let her know that she is the ideal wife for you.
31. Remember your wife in Du’a.
32. Leave the past for Allah, don’t dwell on, dig into, or bring it up.
33. Don’t act as if you are doing her a favor by working or providing, Allah is the Provider, the husband is the carrier of the sustenance to the family.
34. Take Shaitan as your enemy, not your wife.
35. Put food in your wife’s mouth.
36. Treat your wife like she is the most precious pearl that you want to protect.
37. Show her your smile.
38. Don’t ignore the small things, deal with them before they be come big.
39. Avoid being harsh-hearted.
40. Respect and show that you appreciate her thinking.
41. Help her to find and build her inner strengths and skills.
42. Respect that she might not be in mood for intimacy, stay within Halaal boundaries.
43. Help her take care of the children.
44. Give her gifts with your tongue, be an artist with your compliments.
45. Sit down and eat meals together.
46. Let her know that you will be traveling or returning from travel, give her sufficient notice.
47. Don’t leave home in anger.
48. Maintain the secrecy and privacy of the home.
49. Encourage each other in worship.
50. Respect and fulfill her rights upon you.
51. Live with her in kindness, goodness, fairness in good and bad times.
52. Kiss your wife, foreplay, don’t jump on her like a bull.
53. Keep disputes between the two of you, don’t take it outside.
54. Show care for her health and well-being.
55. Remember you are not always right or perfect yourself.
56. Share your happiness and sadness with her.
57. Have mercy for her weaknesses.
58. Be a firm support for her to lean on.
59. Accept her as is, she is a package deal.
60. Have a good intention for her.
61. Cook a dish for her.
62. Designate a nice, clean, spacious area in your home for the two of you to pray at night whenever you can.
63. Women love flowers. Make a trail of them on the floor leading to the gift you made for her.
64. Give her a nice massage when she least expects it.
65. Send your wife a text message out of the blue with a message of love.
66. Send your wife an email without a reason.
67. Go out on a date or a get-away for the weekend in a nice location, preferably without kids.
68. Do something for your wife’s family, whether it is a gift, or a chat with her teen brother who needs mentoring, or whatever. It will get you lots of brownie points.
69. Do not keep reminding and demanding your rights all the time.
70. Shop groceries for her and call her from the store and ask her what she needs for the home, for herself or for her to give to people as gifts.
71. Ask her if she would like to invite her female friends over for ladies only get together and arrange for the dinner.
72. Ask her to send gifts to her parents and siblings.
73. Help her parents pay off debt. Send her poor relatives some money.
74. Write love notes or poems and place them in the book she’s been reading.
75. If she tells you something she had just learned from the Qur’an or Hadith, do not dismiss her or ridicule her effort, instead listen to her and take her word.
76. Plant her a kitchen garden with all kind of herbs she needs for cooking.
78. Update her PC or laptop with a new one or get her a new mobile phone.
79. Learn to do a special massage technique and surprise her with your new expertise.
80. Teach your children to respect and honor their mother.
81. Be humorous with her when she makes a mistake in the kitchen (like when she put too much salt or burnt her baking).

Important question to about Islam

01. What is Islam?

Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and more) to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness, and the majorities have nothing to do with the extremely grave events, which have come to be associated with their faith. Islam religion also signifies peace, fraternity and the correct understanding of the entire universe. Islam is a religion, which can be followed easily by everyone, everywhere, in the day-to-day life.

02. Who are the Muslims?

The followers of Islam religion are known as Muslims. One billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe - from the southern Philippines to Nigeria - are united by their common Islamic faith. About 18% live in the Arab world; the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe. Islam has two major schools of thought - the Shia and the Sunni. The Sunni's believe that the community selected its own leader after Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) death whereas the Shia believes that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had, by divine will, appointed Imam Ali (pbuh) to be his successor. For them, leadership is to be divinely designated. It is to be noted that both the Sunni's and the Shia's are united in their major beliefs i.e., they believe in the same one God (Allah), the same book (Holy Qur'an), the same Prophets and pray in the same direction (Qibla), towards Holy Kaaba. The differences are mainly theological and jurisprudential.

03. Who are the Shia Muslims?

The word 'Shia' means the followers, friends, supporters and members of the group belonging to a person. This word is commonly used for the person expressing his devotion and attachment to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family (Ahlul Bayt). The family means Imam Ali (son in law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)), Fatima (daughter of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)) and their descendants, the Imams. In addition to the above mentioned three principal beliefs common to all sects of the Muslims, the Shia Muslims believe also in the 'Justice of God' and the 'Imamat' i.e., the Twelve Imams after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as the fundamental principles of religion. The position of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is much higher than that of Imam Ali (pbuh) or any other Imam, and all the Imams rank equal. Imam Ali (pbuh) and all the Imams are the followers of the religion of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). After God, there is no one equal to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

04. What do Muslims believe?

Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions; in God's complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through Angel Gabriel.

05. How does someone become a Muslim?

Simply by saying Shahada (Confession of a Muslim) 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.' By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers, and the scriptures they brought. To this, as an article of faith of the Shia Muslims, which is 'Imamat', is joined: Ali is the Wali (Vicar) of God; explaining that Imam Ali (pbuh) is Wasi or next to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam Ali is Muhammad's Khalifa without any other person or Khalifa intervening between Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Imam Ali (pbuh).

06. What does Islam mean?

The Arabic word 'Islam' simply means 'submission', and derives from a word meaning 'peace'. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of Allah; to follow the path as ordained by Allah. 'Mohammedanism' is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) rather than God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike.

07. Why does Islam often seem strange?

Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shariah (Islamic Law), should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important.

08. Do Islam and Christianity have different origins?

No. Together with Judaism, they go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and their three prophets are directly descended from his sons, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from the elder son Ishmael, and Prophet Moses (pbuh) and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) from the younger son Isaac. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) established the settlement, which today is the city of Makkah, and built the Holy Kaaba towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.

09. What is the Holy Kaaba?

The Holy Kaaba is the place of worship, which God commanded Abraham and Ishmael to build over four thousand years ago. The building was constructed of stone on what many believe was the original site of a sanctuary established by Adam. God commanded Abraham to summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims (Hajj pilgrimage) go there today they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to Abraham's summons.

10. Who is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father Abdullah died before his birth, and his mother Amina shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle Abu Talib father of Imam Ali (pbuh) from the respected tribe of Quraish. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the 'Mountain of Light' near Makkah.

11. How did Muhammad (pbuh) become a prophet and a messenger of God?

At the age of Forty (40), while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad (pbuh) received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for next twenty-three (23) years of his life, is known as the Holy Qur'an. So, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) announced his prophet hood at the age of 40 years, but he was a prophet by birth. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Angel Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijrah (flight / migration), in which they left Makkah for the city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam religion definitively. Before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as Far East as China.

12. How did the spread of Islam affect the world

Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine - Islam calls for faith in only One God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), 'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed by Muslims, including the Astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.

13. What is the Holy Qur'an?

The Holy Qur'an is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It was memorized by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who crosschecked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters (Suras), has been changed over the centuries, so that the Holy Qur'an is in every detail the unique and miraculous text that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) fourteen centuries ago. This opening chapter of The Holy Qur'an, the Fatiha, is central in Islamic prayer. It contains the essence of the Holy Qur'an and is recited during every prayer.

14. What is the Holy Qur'an about?

The Holy Qur'an, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects, which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system. The orders of the Holy Qur'an are all times and no change is possible in these orders. The Holy Qur'an testifies all the previous Holy Books i.e., Torah (Torait) revealed to Prophet Moses (Musa), Psalm (Zaboor) revealed to Prophet David (Dawood) and the new testament of the Bible (Injeel) revealed to Prophet Jesus (Isa). Since these books, except the Holy Qur'an, are not in their original form now, they are not followed by Muslims where they contradict the Holy Qur'an. The Book of Allah, Holy Qur'an is like an ocean. The less learned, like children; collect pebbles and shells from its shores. The scholars and thinkers, like pearl divers, bring out from it the highest philosophy, wisdom and code of a perfect way of living.

15. Are there any other sacred sources?

Yes, the Sunnah, the practice and example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family (The family means Ali, Fatima and their descendants, the Imams), is the second authority for Muslims. A hadith is a reliably transmitted report of what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, did, or approved. Belief in the Sunnah is part of the Islamic faith. Some of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) are not faithfully reported and sometimes the sayings are mis-quoted and such mis-reported versions are not correct. Wherever a Hadith is found to be contradictory to the Holy Qur'an, it must be taken to be an incorrect version, because there can be no contradiction of a correct Hadith with the Holy Qur'an. Examples of the Prophet Muhammad's sayings. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others. None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. He who eats his fill while his neighbor goes without food is not a believer. Powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed powerful is he who controls himself in a fit of anger. God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances but He scans your hearts and looks into your deeds. A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well he descended into it, drank his fill and came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst. The man saw that the dog was feeling the same thirst as he had felt so he went down into the well again and filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. God forgave his sins for this action. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked: Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals? He said, there is a reward for kindness to every living thing.